#bob x naomi

[artificialqueens]

Will You Make Me Believe? 2/? (Group Fic) - Candy Cane

A/N: thank u again to veronica and grinder for beta'ing and motivating me!!! i hope you all enjoy this second chapter <333

Story Summary:

After ten years of the government taking down major cities, the collapse of Chicago is devasting for the Rebellion in New York and the Resistance in Las Vegas. They are trying to fight back, but things get complicated when the leader of the Rebellion disappears. Bob goes looking for her and instead makes two new friends, Kim and Naomi.

When the three friends return to New York, they learn that Sasha and Peppermint went off looking for Bob weeks ago. With a new goal in mind, Bob sets out with a team of her most trusted to track down her friends. But there’s a much darker truth waiting for them in the Outside. 

The Night Chicago Fell

New York City, N.Y.

  The Rebellion had been tracking the Feds’ next move for months, yet they never could have been prepared for what happened that night. Their tip said they had at least another three months before Chicago was taken down, and foolishly, the entirety of the Rebellion had believed it. The Rebellion had even contacted the southwestern-based Resistance to share the information and their plans for preventing the collapse. There was so much riding on this tip. 

  Trust was not something that came easily in this age of collapsing cities, but they had trusted their source, and that was something Bob would forever regret. Sure, the possibility that said source was actually a double agent had crossed her mind, how could it not? Their secret tipper wasn’t someone Bob had ever met. But Bianca trusted them, and that had been enough. Bianca had never brought up the idea of the agent being a mole, and Bob had a million other things to take care of. Somehow, it all just slipped away. That would forever be a regret. 

  Bob was on the balcony of the Rebellion’s headquarters, an unreasonably expensive townhouse, with Thorgy when the Chicago bombings started. It was a usual night for them, Thorgy was sipping on a glass of red wine while Bob ranted about the latest thing that was bothering her. That night, she happened to be particularly annoyed about the crowded bedrooms. Living with a dozen people created a laundry list of problems for her to complain about and she had no shame in doing so, and Thorgy found Bob’s stress to be hilarious. A win-win for both of them.

  Laila frantically swung the glass balcony door open. Bob and Thorgy turned around abruptly, and they were met with big, fearful eyes. Bob immediately knew what the problem was, but she still asked, because she still held onto hope that they hadn’t run out of time. 

  “What’s going on?” 

  “It’s Chicago,” Laila said, panting for breath from having run up three flights of stairs, “You need to go talk to Bianca.” 

  No one had to tell her twice. She ran past Laila, went through the bedroom, and down the stairs as fast as she could manage. Dread filled up every bone in her body and terror coursed through her veins. 

  Bob barreled into the living room full of people, but was paralyzed by the images on the TV screen. She had seen it all before, everyone in the room had. All of them had lived through some horrible event or another in the last ten years. 

  No, watching Chicago collapse underneath itself in real-time wasn’t what hurt her so deeply. It was the knowledge that she could have prevented this. 

  She could have stopped the bombs falling from the sky, the buildings being blown to smithereens, the people running, the people falling, the people dying. She felt sick and subconsciously reached out to hold the hand of the person she was standing closest to, who happened to be her younger sister, Monet. Monet was the only reassurance Bob had, and she would gladly take whatever comfort Mo could give her.

  All the members of the Rebellion stayed in the small room to watch Chicago crumble and fall. All of the news and camera crews getting the footage were slowly taken out, either by debris or the bombs themselves. The broadcasts would only last twenty minutes. They’d watch these people continue to fight to do their jobs, even as everyone died around them. It set a fire in her heart. 

  Monet looked at Bob with total shock, “We should have gone to Chicago earlier.”

  Bob nodded stiffly, “Yeah.”

   “What… What do we do now?” Monet asked, her voice quivering.

  And wasn’t that the million-dollar question? Months of research, organization, and planning had been ruined in less than an hour, all because of a bad tip. Now all those people were either dead or trapped, with only TV static left to commemorate them. 

  Bob squeezed her sister’s hand, then squeezed past the crowd of people around the TV as she marched to the front of the room to where Bianca was standing in the corner, arms crossed over her chest and whispering to Sasha. Bob was angry, and she was not afraid of letting Bianca know it. 

  “Bianca,” Bob snapped, planting herself between Bianca and Sasha, “How in this fucked up world was our tip off by months?” 

  Bianca grimaced, and refused to look Bob in her eyes, “I wish I knew.”

  “That’s it? That’s all you have to say?” Bob asked angrily.

  “What else am I supposed to say? We were too fucking late, that’s the long and short of this whole mess,” Bianca said. While her expression was as stoic as ever, her voice still carried remorse. 

  Sasha rested her hand on Bob’s shoulder comfortingly, a kind and sympathetic gesture that Bob appreciated. Understandably enough, they were all tense.

  Sasha looked at Bianca with disapproval, “That much is obvious, Bianca. Emotions are high for all of us right now, maybe we should wait until tomorrow to discuss this further.” 

  Bianca sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, “Yeah, probably.” 

  Bob glared at both of them, “Wait? Wait?! Are you fucking with me? Waiting is why Chicago just collapsed! If we hadn’t waited, then maybe those millions of people would still be alive right now.” 

  “We don’t even know if our plan would’ve worked. It wasn’t guaranteed and you know that,” Bianca argued. 

  “We could’ve at least tried!” Bob stressed, tears welling up in her eyes, “We just- We had a chance.”

  Bianca, in an uncharacteristic moment of sympathy, hugged Bob tightly, “I know. We just have to be ready for next time. We won’t let this happen again.”

  Bob melted into the shorter woman’s embrace and allowed herself to shed a few tears. There was so much more that she wanted to say, but she would never be able to. Bob knew that Bianca was hurting just as much as she was, even if it was in a different way. Things hadn’t been the same for any of them since Courtney had… Well…

  Even though Bob didn’t personally know anyone in that city, it didn’t matter. People still died, lives were still destroyed, and she would mourn all of them. Parents, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, even fucking pets… They were all real people who deserved to be grieved, they deserved to be missed, and they deserved to be remembered. 

  “We better not,” Bob whispered, pulling away from Bianca.

  Sasha cleared her throat, awkwardly reminding the other two of her presence, “I’m going to go talk to some of the others.” 

  Bob nodded and watched her as she went over to Monet. When Bob looked back to Bianca, there was a darkness in her eyes. Bob hadn’t seen her look so tired and sad in years. It served as a reminder that all of them were being pushed to a breaking point. Bianca always came off so strong, or at least apathetic, that seeing her facade crack for even a second was surprising. 

  Bianca gestured for Bob to follow her, and the two quickly left the room. Bob didn’t know what Bianca could possibly want to say in private, but she was curious to find out. Bianca led Bob into the dining on the other side of the townhouse, basically as far away from everyone else as they could get. 

  “Bianca,” Bob started gently, “What-” Bianca whipped her head around, horror painted over her face, “I fucked up.”

  Bob took a step back, confused and scared, “What do you mean?”

  “I fucked up,” Bianca whispered, her voice hoarse while tears dripped down her cheeks. 

  Bob wrapped her arms around herself, unsure of how to comfort her friend, “We got a bad tip, that’s not your fault.”

  Bianca closed her eyes and inhaled shakily, “You have… no idea.”

  “I know that we tried, I know that our supplies are limited, and I know that we’re just gonna have to do better next time,” Bob said with all the confidence she could muster up in the moment. She didn’t know what the fuck Bianca was talking about, and she didn’t care to find out either. They were all trying to cope with the fall of Chicago. 

  “She would be so pissed,” Bianca murmured, and it hit Bob that this was about so much more than just Chicago. 

  “No, she would be proud we’re still trying,” Bob argued. In fact, she could practically hear Courtney’s voice in her head going on about the ‘fighting spirit.”

  Bianca didn’t seem convinced though, she just shook her head and shrunk in on herself. 

  Bob sighed, “We can’t change what happened, you know that, but we can figure out how to do better.”

  Bianca was silent for several seconds, then the grief and remorse on her face melted away to be replaced by a dead stare that Bob had grown accustomed to from her.

  “Right… yeah,” Bianca muttered.

  Bob gave her a tentative smile, “Alright, I’m gonna go find my sister. Maybe you should take an early night tonight.”

  “Maybe,” Bianca repeated. 

  Bob squeezed Bianca’s shoulder one last time, and against her better judgement left Bianca alone in the dining room. Bianca could handle herself, she had been for several years now, and Bob knew she preferred to be left alone. She wished she could say something to make Bianca feel better, but there was nothing to say at that point. Hopefully, things really would start looking up for them soon.

                                                                      ~*~

  Present Day

New York City, N.Y.

  Bob leans over the dining room table as she examines her maps, notes, and supply lists spread out before her, her mind running a million miles an hour as she considers the best plan of action. Kim and Naomi sit down across from her, each wearing an apprehensive expression. She knows they want to help her find Sasha and Peppermint, and she will not take that for granted, but it’s still hard for her to ignore their inexperience. 

  Betty, Thorgy, and Laila are in the next room over, definitely in an attempt to eavesdrop on their plans and on the two newbies. Bob would chastise them, except she doesn’t want to draw more attention to Kim and Naomi than she already has by bringing them here. There were no other options, though. None of them had the money for the two girls to stay at a hotel, and Bob certainly didn’t want to leave them alone in New York after the disaster that was getting here in the first place. 

  Bob looks up at them tiredly and passes her map to Naomi, “According to our runner, Sasha and Pep were last seen 5 miles south-west of Chicago.”

  “They got that close to the city?” Naomi asks, clearly impressed. She narrows her eyes at the marks on the map, and Bob wishes she knew what Naomi is thinking.

  Kim hums thoughtfully, “That wouldn’t be too far from the train station though, and it’s easier to follow the track than just wander.”

  “Sure, but that also means they could be anywhere by now. They’ve been traveling for a while now,” Naomi points out worriedly. 

  Bob shakes her head, “They’re still going to be close to the area, runner said they were headed north.”

  Kim frowns, “North? The only thing north of Chicago is Milwaukee, and Milwaukee… Well…”

  “What’s wrong with Milwaukee?” Bob asks, almost surprised by Kim’s hesitance.

  “It’s not exactly that, uh, likable,” Kim explains, trying her best to not be too cruel about the city, “Or livable.”

  Naomi furrows her brows, “So, why would they be going to Milwaukee?”

  “It’s still intact. They might be able to replenish their resources there,” Kim explains, then glances at Bob, “And if they knew you were near the Chicago area at one point…” 

  Bob sighs, “Fuck, they’re just doing what they think I would do.” 

  Naomi shrugs, “Why wouldn’t they? You are the one they went looking for, after all.”

  “I know! They went looking for me even after I explicitly said they shouldn’t!” Bob exclaims, gesturing wildly, “And here we fucking are, looking for them now!”

  Bob slams her hands against the table and glares at the paperwork spread over it. Her stupid fucking friends could be anywhere. The lead they’re following is thinner than thread, nothing about what the runner saw is a guarantee. But what else does she have to go by? If this doesn’t bring her to Sasha and Peppermint, then all of them are fucked. 

  She breathes in deeply, the stress of the situation overwhelming her and making her sweat. They don’t know what city will be destroyed next, they don’t know where Sasha and Peppermint are, and they don’t know who the mole is. There isn’t much room for things to get bleaker. 

  “If only we fucking knew what was next,” she says angrily, clenching her hands into fists. 

  Naomi sympathetically rubs Bob’s shoulder, “We’ll figure something out.”

  Kim nods, “That’s why we’re going with you. You won’t be alone.” 

  Bob finds it admirable of both of them to insist on coming with her after everything they’ve been through. Between Kim revealing what happened to her friends and Naomi’s hesitancy to discuss her past, they have more than enough reason to want to stay in New York. Things have happened to the three of them in the last nine weeks that most people won’t experience in a lifetime, and maybe that’s why they want to come with her. How are the three of them supposed to move on as if nothing happened? In a way, it’s easier to just go back to the Outside and continue to fight. 

  Bob falls back into a chair, “We need to leave tomorrow morning, before dawn.”

  Naomi quirks an eyebrow, “Why not today?”

  “We need a solid night of rest and time to prep for the journey. If we play our cards right, I should be able to get us a better form of transportation,” Bob says, determinedly staring at the map before her.

  There’s a big red circle around the radius of where Sasha and Peppermint could be, and it makes her sick to look at it. If she closes her eyes, she can still feel Sasha hugging her tightly and smell Peppermint’s sweet floral perfume. This is the closest to hell Bob ever wants to get. 

  Betty speaks up from the threshold to the dining room, Laila and Thorgy right behind her, “There’s no way in hell you three are going alone.”

  Bob turns to look at her sharply, this is the last thing she needs right now, “There is, actually, because you and everyone else are staying here.”

  “And let you go get yourself killed for a second time in one year? Are you fucking crazy?” Betty asks, stepping forward boldly.

  “Betty, you know I have to go look for them,” Bob says tiredly, her voice bordering on begging. 

  “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you have to be so stupid about it,” Betty says, rolling her eyes and propping her hands on her hips, “You need strength and safety, and you’re not going to get that from those two. Look at them, can they really handle themselves out there? Because I bet those newbies don’t have half the experience I do in the Outside. ”

  Naomi tenses up and stands up defensively, “Newbies? Newbies? You have no idea the shit I have been through. You don’t know what I’m capable of, so I suggest you don’t fucking try it with me.”

  Kim rubs her face, “Naomi-”

  Betty scowls and cuts Kim off, “Exactly, I don’t know you. So why would I trust you to keep my friend alive?” 

  Thorgy taps Betty’s shoulder, “Hey…”

  Both girls ignore her though, too wrapped up in their argument to try and calm down. 

  “Who says I haven’t already?” Naomi says, practically seething as she takes a few steps closer to Betty, “Someone had to get her back here alive, you know. The three of us went through something out there, and that’s why we’re going back with her.” 

  “And you really want a repeat of that disaster?” Betty says, shifting her gaze to Bob. She stares her dead in her eyes with a darkness and certainty that Bob hasn’t seen from her in a very long time, “Bob, you know me. You know I can handle myself better than any girl out there. You need me in the Outside. Trust me, you're better off with me.”

  Bob grimaces and gets up to stand next to Naomi while holding eye contact with Betty, “It’s not safe out there, no matter how experienced you are.”

  “Then let me go with you,” Betty demands, “There’s strength in numbers.” 

  Bob groans and pinches the bridge of her nose, frustrated that no one gets her point, “I don’t want to risk losing everyone, Betty.”

  “Well, I can’t risk losing you again!” Betty says, tears welling up in her eyes, “Do you know what it was like these last few months? The waiting, the not knowing, and then having a fucking funeral for you! Then you just waltz back in here like we haven’t been grieving you for weeks! Weeks! I never want to live through that again. I never want to have to tell Monet you’re dead again.”

  Bob winces and takes a step back, she can’t look away from Betty’s accusatory gaze. She’s breathing heavily, anger flowing off of her in waves. Thorgy slaps Betty’s arm like she’s chastising a child, Kim stands up from her chair, and Laila crosses her arms over her chest. Bob does feel guilty for making her go through all of that, even if it wasn’t intentional.

  Bob sighs and turns her eyes to the floor, unable to look at Betty any longer, “Look, I’m sorry, I know this hasn’t been easy-”

  “You’re right! It’s been fucking awful, and that’s why I’m going with you. …I have to know,” Betty says, leveling her gaze with Bob’s. 

  Bob takes a few steps forward to pull her friend into a tight hug, “I’m sorry.”

  “You better be,” Betty murmurs, returning the embrace. 

  Thorgy crosses her arms over her chest and steps through the threshold, “I want to go too.”

  Bob stares at her, “What?” 

  “Oh come on, Bob, you’re not an idiot,” Thorgy says, rolling her eyes. 

  “But apparently you’ve lost your damn mind,” Bob snarks, pulling away from Betty, “It’s dangerous out there, Thorg’, real fucking dangerous, and you have never been in the Outside.” 

  “That doesn’t make me useless and you know that.”

  “It does make you a liability,” Bob says, barely repressing her anger.

  Kim throws her hands up into the air, frustration written all over her face, “Will all of you stop acting like toddlers? This isn’t a game. We are running out of time and there are lives on the line, so just make up your minds already!” 

  Everyone stares at her, and Bob can’t help feeling both proud of Kim and a little embarrassed by her bickering with Thorgy. She hasn’t known Kim for very long, but she’s smart and driven, which is how Bob knows that they’ll be friends for a while yet. Kim is also right, they don’t have time to be fighting with each other, not when Sasha and Peppermint are out there. 

  Laila smirks, “I knew I liked her.” 

  Bob chuckles and side-eyes Laila, “You always have perfect timing, girl.”

  Bob goes back over to the table and frowns at her notes. It would be a massive risk to take so many people into the Outside, and it would leave their base emptier than it’s been in years. She wonders briefly what Sasha would do, then what Peppermint would do. As much as she doesn’t like it, she knows exactly what they would do in this situation- what they did do. 

  “Alright,” Bob sighs, “You two can come with.”

  Betty and Thorgy smile victoriously, while Kim and Naomi look at her with confusion. She’ll just have to explain her reasoning to them later. 

  Thorgy claps her hands excitedly, “Okay! I’ll go put supplies together.”

  “Hold on, there’s one condition,” Bob says.

  Betty cocks her head to the side, “What?”

  “We don’t spilt up. No matter what, we all stick together,” Bob says, leaving no room for argument, then she points at Kim and Naomi, “That goes for you two as well.” 

  Everyone nods and agrees to her stipulation, though Kim and Naomi don’t look happy. Bob is surprised, but thankful, that Laila doesn’t insist on joining them. At least someone understands her and her worries. Thorgy exits the room with Betty on her heels, muttering something about calling a guy. Bob hopes she means their automobile source, but there’s no telling with Betty. 

  Laila, however, gives Bob a sad smile, “Courtney would be proud, you know.”

  Those words hit Bob like a truck, and for a brief moment she knows in the depths of her soul that Laila is right.

  “Thanks,” Bob whispers, and with that Laila slips out of the room.

  When Bob turns around to look at the newest members of her crew, Naomi is leaning against the table, lips pressed tightly together, while Kim just stands there looking worried. 

  Bob raises an eyebrow, “Look, I know it’s not ideal…”

  Naomi scoffs, “They’ll just slow us down and you know it.”

  “They mean well,” Bob offers, though she knows Naomi is right. 

  “What are their skills?” Naomi asks her.

  “Betty is our best gunman, her aim is perfect and she never misses. And Thorgy is trained in medicine, she’s better than any nurse,” Bob explains, “I promise, they’ll help us.” 

  Kim still looks skeptical, “They don’t know what it's like out there. I didn’t until just a few weeks ago.”

  “I know, but Betty spent a year out there alone, and Thorgy’s done her research,” Bob reassures her, walking forward to take hold of both Kim’s hands, “We can do this, okay? In and out.” 

  Both of her friends know it’s a lie. This rescue mission could be weeks or it could be months, but Bob’s confidence consoles them. 

  Naomi stares at where Bob’s hands are holding Kim’s, an unfamiliar fire in her eyes, “What do you need us to do?” 

  “Pack. Take whatever you want from our supplies, but I recommend only bringing essentials. Then y’all can shower and go to bed, enjoy the luxuries while we still have them,” Bob says, squeezing Kim’s hands before releasing them. 

  The two leave the room quietly and Bob feels guilty for taking them back out there with her. She knows she wouldn’t be able to go without them, that they would just follow her, so at least they’re all going together. At least they will have each other. Betty did have one really good point- There is strength in numbers. 

  Now all she has to do is wait for Monet and Brianna to get back from their supply run. She doesn’t know how she’s going to explain this to them, or if she even can. She’s only been back a week, and she doesn’t want to hurt them all over again. Regardless, Bob has to do this. There are no other options. She can practically hear the inevitable screaming match now.

  An hour later, her prediction comes true. 

  Monet and Brianna enter the townhouse through the front door, their tote bags and backpacks bursting at the seams, and they see the travel bags stacked in the foyer. Bob hears Monet before she sees her, anxiety bubbling up inside her just from the sound of the door being opened. 

  “What the FUCK do you think you are doing?!” Monet screams, bursting into the kitchen to find her sister packing up dried and canned food, Bri right behind her.

  Bob stands up and faces her sister. It’s a miracle the betrayal in Monet’s eyes doesn’t immediately kill her.

  “I have to,” Bob says softly, “You know I have to.”

  “You don’t have to do shit,” Monet says, her voice full of pain. Tears are streaming down her face.

  Brianna stands right beside Monet and glares at Bob, and while she doesn’t say anything, the disapproval on her face speaks a thousand words. 

  “They are out there looking for me! I can’t stay here and live this cozy fucking life when they could die in my name,” Bob explains, throwing her hand over her heart. 

  Bri narrows her eyes and flips her blonde hair behind her shoulder, “I’m not happy about it either, but they made their choice. They knew the risks.”

  “So do I! Why else would I be doing this?” 

  Monet wraps her arms around herself and stares at the floor, “Because you’re reckless, you have a massive fucking heart, and you never listen to me.”

  “Monet-” 

  “No,” she interrupts, shaking her head, “Go. See if I fucking care. But don’t come crying to me when you realize you’ve wasted your time, or you’re dead for a second time.”

  With that, Monet turns and runs up the stairs, probably to go lay in her bed and pout. Bri shoots Bob yet another angry look and chases after Monet, leaving Bob standing in the middle of the kitchen, hurt by the words from her closest friends. She has to find Sasha and Peppermint, she has to bring them home. There’s no way she can come back empty-handed now. 

  It’s a search and rescue mission at its core. They have to find their friends, they have to bring them home safely, and it’s not going to be easy. Bob knows that, but she still holds out hope that they’ll be back in New York soon. Milwaukee is days away, and the dust around Chicago has just settled, it would be a miracle if they were back in New York in two months. 

At least she won’t be alone this time. Bob will have her friends, the people she trusts to make the journey a little safer. Now, more than ever, Bob has to prove Monet wrong. The stakes have never been higher, and Bob will be damned if she doesn’t rise to the occasion. 

[tojikai]

Sundered 8: BRAKES

Pairing: Gojo x reader

• Part 1  |  Part 2   | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 |  Part 9 …+

Genre: Angst

tags/cw: angst, babydaddy!gojo, babymomma!reader, motherhood, insecurities, arguments

word count: 6.7k

But sometimes, the best isn’t what our heart wants; the perfect isn’t what our heart seeks.

“Did you find it?” Before Satoru could even answer, you came jogging in. Your gaze shifted between him and Toji, curious as you noticed the awkward silence that took over when you approached. Or…has it been there before you came? “What is it?” You asked, puzzled. Walking inside, your eyes met Satoru’s. He shook his head, giving a small smile before answering.

“Nothing. Toji was just saying that we should check Yui’s things to make sure we didn’t forget anything else.” You could see his Adam's apple bob up and down, eyes half blinking. “Well yeah, I did. Her extra shirt was still on the hanger. I ironed it earlier.” You walked past him, smiling at Toji before you jogged upstairs, making the two men relax.

“Y-yeah, of course. I could free my schedule, just tell me the details.” Satoru’s voice was much lower; quieter when he was sure that you were out of earshot. Toji nodded, blinking as he took a deep breath. “I’m glad you didn’t tell her.” Satoru doesn’t know why he hid it from you, but he felt like it would only worry you. 

But could he really not tell you about it? He doesn’t want to lie to you.

“You know, it could only worry her; she probably doesn’t even trust us in the same room together.” He added as if sensing Satoru’s doubts. He’s got a point, but still, Satoru wants your relationship to be transparent. Yes, he still hasn’t told you about what happened with Naomi and his mother but that’s a different case.

“Just send me when and where.” Satoru took a deep breath, pulling out a calling card before quickly handing it to Toji as he kept an eye on the hallway to make sure you didn’t see any of it. “Though, she probably won’t be happy about not being informed of this-” Footsteps can be heard as you appear with the clothing item in your hand.

“Why didn’t you go to Yui? Let’s go.” You gave Toji a quick kiss and goodbye before walking out the door, looking back at him just to make sure that he was already after you. And he is, but not without glancing at Toji who only nodded at him. “I was waiting for you, I could see the car from there.” He explained, opening the car door for you.

“Yaaaay Mama! Dada!” The little girl put her hands up, opening and closing her chubby fingers, “Nummy!” She squealed louder as Satoru wiggled the pacifier in his hands, legs kicking as she desperately tried to grab it. “What’s my name?” He tried to keep the object away from her.

“Toru! Dada Toru!” She pushed on her chair, trying to move closer to her dad. Satoru laughed, letting her take the pacifier in her small hands. “Here’s your Nummy.” He cooed before putting on his seatbelt, ready to drive. You looked at him through the rearview mirror, meeting his gaze for a split second before you looked away.

“What is it?” He asked you, raising his brows as he drove. You shook your head, “Nothing, I was just…I was wondering if you and Toji get along well now.” You didn’t really want to ask this to Toji because he still gets grumpy at the mere mention of Satoru’s name in your conversations, which can’t be helped since they’re almost always about Yui.

“I think…” He let out a small laugh at the end of his short answer.  For a second, he thought about telling you of his conversation with Toji but— ‘It could only worry her.’ His words reverberated in his head, making him bite his lip, waiting for your reaction. “Okay. It’ll get better, I guess.” You let out a large breath, lightly slapping your thighs with your hands.

“I’ll… I’m really trying to be less annoying to him. I know that it’s uncomfortable for the both of you.” He was trying to find the right words to assure you. He doesn’t want you to think that he’s threatening your new relationship. Your new happiness.

“And that he probably doesn’t even want you around me even for a minute and that’s why I was saying that we should lessen—” You turned to look at him, making him pause as he quickly glanced at you. He was worried that he may have said something wrong or hurtful to you. That’s the last thing he wants.

“Satoru.” You licked your lips, feeling bad that he was probably feeling the same way you did when he was still with Naomi. Probably much worse because he’s also regretting so many things at the same time. “We don’t have to do that. We do it for Yui, I could talk about it with Toji. I will.” You start to look back on how your ‘talks’ with him went.

But if it’s for Yui, you’re determined to make him understand and make all of this work.

“We can’t give Yui the family she deserves.” The words tasted bitter on your tongue as you leaned your elbow on the car window, massaging your temple. “But I don’t want her to feel that.” Thinking about the time scares you; how fast it goes, how quickly it changes. You fear that you’ll wake up one day and you won’t have answers to her questions.

“Hey…” You felt a hand on yours, noticing the car stop. You turned your head at Satoru, only noticing how blurry your vision has gotten. “You’re already doing so many things for her. She won’t feel that. That’s why I’m still here. You don’t have to shoulder this alone even if we’re not with each other.”

In Satoru’s head, he doesn’t like that you’re not with each other. But if that’s what heals you from everything he’s put you through, then so be it. But that doesn’t mean that he won’t be there for you; only heaven knows how much he wants to give you everything if only you allow it. 

But he’s not that lucky anymore.

It took you a minute to snatch your hand away, probably just needing the warmth that it provided you in that vulnerable time, but you still did. “Sorry,” He murmured as you turned away, wiping under your eyes quickly. “Did you have breakfast? I’ll get us something.” He cleared his throat, thinking about how Toji probably cooked breakfast for you.

“I’ll just have coffee–“ You sat up straight, getting cut off by your baby as she struggled to get out of her seat. “Mama! Ma!” She whined, kicking her feet as she reached up to you and pointing outside. “Do you want something, Miss?” Turning her attention to Satoru. “She wants to go inside.” You spoke, removing your seatbelt.

“Alright, come on.” You stepped out of the car to get her, letting Satoru take her small bag. She squealed at the drawing of the cartoon on the wall, making you kiss her cheek. “That’s why she wanted to go inside.” Satoru laughed, letting you walk in first. Greeted by the employee as you scanned their menu, your daughter started pointing.

“Such a cute baby,” An old woman beside you said, “Looks very much like the Dad.” She laughed, making Satoru pat the little girl’s head, proud. “Thank you, Ma’am. She’s a mini of him.” You joked, allowing the old lady to play with your child as you conversed with the employee.

For some reason, the interaction made you feel warm. It’s been a while since you felt like this when going out with them. You used to avoid these situations with him due to how things were, but lately, your guard’s been down around him. Maybe it’s because you can see with your own eyes how much he changed. 

If only he was like this before, would things have been better?

“How old is she?” The old woman’s voice sounded far, drowned by your thoughts. “She’s 2, ma’am.” You could feel Satoru’s hand on your shoulder, snapping you out of your trance. Your eyes met his, overflowing with concern as he tried to keep a conversation with the woman until she left.

“You ok?” He spoke, adjusting Yui on the baby seat. “You zoned out earlier.” He made sure to pull the chair for you before going to his. Shaking your head, you gave a small smile, “It’s nothing, just trying to recall if I packed everything she needs.” It wasn’t convincing, but Satoru felt like he’d be meddling too much if he asked further.

Maybe he really should not add up to the things you’re worrying about.

———————————————————

“What is it about?” Satoru’s fingers tapped on his jeans, nervous as to what his baby mama's boyfriend was about to ask him. He was worried that it’d have something to do with the time he spent around you. Satoru isn’t sure if it’s possible to reduce that since you have a daughter.

“You know, to be honest, I just want to know how you see things.” Toji started, putting down his mug. “I know what happened between you and Y/N before I came along but I want to know what you were planning to do if I didn’t appear.” Satoru was confused as to why he was asking all of it but his brain started to think back to it, nonetheless.

At that time, he was thinking about marrying Naomi. He saw it as an assurance that he was doing so much better; convinced that she was truly the one for him. Spending a year with her, he was sure that she was the better person for him. What with his daughter calling her mom, he thought that maybe it could put an end to most of his problems with you.

Recalling all of this just made him realize how much worse things could’ve been.

Seeing the pain in your eyes the moment those hurtful words came out of his mouth set all of these plans on fire. You looked shattered; like the tiniest glimmer of hope in your eyes died along with your aching heart, hearing that the man you love regrets everything he had with you. 

It almost felt like stepping so abruptly on the brakes that he hit his head from the impact. When you crumbled in front of him that day, you were bare to Satoru. All the feelings, all the pain that you held in your heart were presented before him.

Satoru remembered thinking about why you were like that with him, why you acted indifferent. 'She has always loved me this much. She was just hurt.' And it broke him too. A couple of days after that, he tried. He tried to tell himself that it was just the emotions, that it was just the guilt eating him up and that’s why he couldn’t see anything but you. 

But he caught himself thinking about how he’d like to put you back together again piece by piece if he was given a chance.

He didn’t think too much of it; just a poor interpretation of his feelings towards your pain. He thought about his loving girlfriend, he reminded himself that there was someone who willingly put up with him when he was a mess. That’s how it always went. That’s how he pushed the thoughts of you away. With her, her words, her touch, her body.

But it’s never enough when he thinks about how you probably cry yourself to sleep at night, thinking about why you weren’t enough to get the same treatment that he was giving her. That’s when his plans started to falter; like a building threatening to crumble, dust began to shower down on them.

The day he went to your house, he found himself fixing his collar, and his hair, thinking about the words to say to you. And if you’re not there, he thought of ways to get to you. But there Toji stood. With a smug look on his face and marks all over his neck that scream “I just fucked the girl you dreamt about last night.” 

That day he wanted to ask him directly what the fuck he think he’s doing, but that wouldn’t seem right, knowing that Satoru’s nothing but a baby daddy to you. That day was a deja vu. All the events that happened between the two of you are being shown to him, and it seems like he’s feeling the pain threefold.

After that, Satoru tried. He tried to tell himself that he just got upset because of how disrespectful Toji was acting. He just couldn’t stand that he acted as if he owned everything in that place, even flexing the hickeys you gave him the other night.

He thought that was the worst he could see that day but for some reason, seeing you in that shirt with marks on your collarbones triggered something in him. A question he didn’t see coming popped up in his brain and along with it was the guilt that he felt for his girlfriend: 

Am I too late?

The next thing he knew he was getting up and getting ready for when you pick Yui up from his place. He caught himself pulling at his clothes and pushing his hair back as he waited for you to open your door; like a teenage boy waiting for his crush. He denied himself that he wanted to look good; to look better for you.

Until it all sank in; until he couldn’t handle it any longer. Each time he sees you with Toji, doing things that you should be doing with him, he gets pushed a bit more. He was already getting pulled back towards you again even before he came along but now that he’s beside you, it felt like Satoru’s spiraling back to you at the speed of light.

Then, that night happened. When all the bands that he used to stop himself snapped.

“I would appreciate it if we could be honest with each other. This could greatly affect the decisions I’m about to make.” Toji’s serious voice interrupted Satoru’s memories. He blinked, clearing his vision of him. He stared at the cup with a grim expression, which made Satoru realize the weight of the conversation.

This is not just a conversation, Satoru thought, licking his lips before speaking again.

“I’d…Back then, I was denying what I wanted. I…I was trying to get her back. Not just to make up for all that I said and done.” He rubbed his palms on his pants, seeing Toji lean back on his office chair. “I had a girlfriend, then. Naomi. I didn’t really want to admit to myself that my heart wants to get back with Y/N when I’m with someone so good to me.” He shook his head.

Satoru’s disappointment and anger about what happened between him and Naomi felt like a ton on his chest. She was a good woman to him and it’s true, but thinking about how everything aged; he can’t even bear the thought of her and his memories with her. It’s just sad that it had to end that way.

He can’t help but to blame himself for the actions that she took. He could’ve written a better ending for them.

Satoru heard Toji sigh as he straightened his legs under his table, crossing his arms as he nodded for Satoru to continue. “Then, you appeared. And I don’t know. I don’t even know how it happened but everything that I was feeling about her was rushing into me faster than it used to and maybe…” Satoru panted, shrugging as he gestured with his hands.

He couldn’t believe that he was really talking about this to his baby momma's boyfriend. “It just got me desperate. I told myself I was too slow and I lost my chance and I really did but…” He looked at Toji, wanting to convey his sincerity. “I just want her to be happy. I feel like all I did was ruin things for her. I don’t want to ruin what she has with you.”

It was a tough thing to say for Satoru. The words felt like shards of glass in his heart. It’s not what he wants but if it’s what he must do then he’ll do it. Toji’s silence got him wondering if he was pissed or relieved that Satoru was aware that he was not getting you back as long as he was there. But in Toji’s mind, that’s not the case.

“So you’re saying that you wanted to get her back even before she got with me?” He blinked slowly, trying to comprehend Satoru’s words. “I thought you only started to want her back because you don’t want to see her with someone else.” He didn’t bother filtering the words. He can’t think of a better way to put this.

“It’s always her. Even if I end up with someone else, I need her to know that I had always wanted it to be her.” 

Toji didn’t think that Satoru would be this transparent to him about his feelings towards you. There was an eerie look in his eyes as he stared at the open window, a defeated look plastered on his face. 

“If I didn’t enter the story, would you still be doing all of this for her now?” Satoru’s eyes were back at him, nodding as he sat straight. “Yes. It would probably take longer than it did but I’m sure that I was bound to fall back into her at some point.” Toji’s brows furrowed, trying to think of what the situation would be like if it were like that.

“Weren’t you planning to marry Naomi?” Satoru chuckled bitterly, considering it another poor and rash decision that he made. “I was. Before I fought with Y/N.” Before he found that small light of hope in your eyes. Before he realized that not all of it was lost.

Toji laughed, rubbing his face with his palm as everything that had been going on sank in. He’s talking with his girlfriend’s ex. And he’s telling him all of this. Like it’s the most natural thing to do. He sighed, swallowing as he bit his lip, feeling himself getting agitated by the second. 

“I know I said I’d appreciate honesty, but I didn’t think you’d actually say all that to my face.” He chuckled bitterly, recalling every sentiment he just said about you. “I’m her boyfriend. Her new man.” His chest heaved, blinking to allow himself to calm down. He’s the one who asked for this to happen, so why’s he the one getting pissed now?

“What do you want me to say?” Satoru’s voice was calm, looking away from Toji’s piercing glare. “You should’ve just told me to fuck off and stay away, though the latter one’s not possible because Y/N and I have a child.” Satoru sat up straight, as if getting ready to be kicked out. Toji’s jaw tightened visibly at the words.

Not because they’re insulting but because they’re right.

That’s what he wanted to do. He thought that if he couldn’t get you away from Satoru then maybe Satoru could just stay away from you. But obviously, it isn’t just some responsibility for him. Satoru isn’t the type of guy to just send money for his child. He’s not the type of guy to be just happy that his child knows he exists somewhere.

He wants to be present; to be there for Yui and watch her grow. He wants to be with her but of course, your circumstances wouldn’t allow that. Maybe this isn’t as easy as Toji thought it’d be and that’s what makes him mad. 

“Toji, I know we’re not on the best of terms with each other, but what are you trying to get with this?” Toji didn’t like how he asked it. It made him sound like a villain and that’s the last thing he wants. 

Is he getting so desperate that he allows himself to seem like one? “I agreed to this without knowing what you’re planning to do, I’m just here to be honest to you. Really.” Satoru wanted to ease the tension between the two of them for your sake. 

He knows that you’re still very uncomfortable with the two of them being around each other and that you’re also thinking about how to make it better. He thought that this “conversation” would help.

“Do you really love her? Or did you just learn to love her for your child?” Toji gave his all to sound composed, scratching the edges of his thumb with his index finger. “I don’t remember telling myself that I have to love her. I just know that I love her.” Toji could hear his teeth grind against one another; his frustration starting to surface.

“Look, if you want to hear from me that I am not trying to take Y/N away from you then, I’ll just say that.” Toji remained silent, forgetting what this meeting is supposed to be and how it’s supposed to go. He’s bothered by this ever since he fought with you, but he cannot let that cloud his mind of what he would deem to be right. 

And obviously, that’s not what’s happening right now.

“But you can’t tell me not to love her when even I myself can’t control that.” You weren’t lying when you said that this man changed a lot. It felt like this is the most mature Toji’s ever heard him talk.

 “To feel that is one thing but to act upon it is another and I don’t plan on doing that.” Satoru wondered if you’ve been arguing about this with him, probably why he’s like this. He remembered your problem with him constantly mentioning his wife in whatever you do but after that, you never really told him anything about it anymore.

He didn’t try to pry even when it felt like your mind was always somewhere else because he didn't want to seem like he’s taking advantage of the situation.

“Well, it’s good that I don’t have to remind you.” Toji murmured, tilting his head as he furrowed his brows. Looking away, he pulled at his collar with his finger. The man in front of him looks nothing like a threat. Yet, he can’t find it in him to let it go.

Probably because deep down, he knows that this is not a one sided problem.

“I won’t ask you to stay away from Yui. I’m a father too. I just needed to hear this all from you, Satoru.” He opened a drawer, taking out a packet of cigarettes before putting one between his lips. The fire from the lighter lit up a portion of his face, inhaling only to let out smoke from one side of his mouth. “Why?” Satoru asked, leaning back.

“I don’t know. So, I could do better I guess?” Toji chuckled, making the other man’s brow bump with each other; not with anger but with an irritating confusion.Just as he was about to ask, Toji answered his question. “We didn’t fight. There’s just nothing left to do about it. Guess we gotta put extra effort.” 

With that he stood up, signaling that he’s already over this conversation. And Satoru sat there, still in the dark with his intention. Does he have some kind of mic here that recorded what he just said? Satoru doesn’t care. 

What he said was the truth, and it would be too funny to suspect Toji of some kind of evil plan when he’s literally the one who got heated up.

“I hope to work with you better, Satoru. After all, we love the same woman.” With that, he walked to the door to leave but not before Satoru could say a word. “Just take care of her for me. I’m sure she wants it from you.” It came out softer than he intended to. He looked down at his hands as they played with one another; defeated.

He didn’t hear a sigh from Toji. The sound of the door closing was the only signal that he already left. Clicking his tongue, Satoru stood up before running his fingers through his hair. He wonders if it’d be right to ask you about your situation with Toji. He wonders if you also want him to adjust. 

He wonders if he’s just a nuisance in your life right now. Like how he made you feel before. 

————————————————

“She should start when she’s like four. Or five.” Toji put Yui’s bag down on the couch as they ran around him. The kids were still not tired enough to calm down after a whole day of swimming. Their cheeks are all red from the sun and you mentally noted to put aloe gel on her face before bed.

“Megumi will start next year?” You asked him, hearing a hum as his gaze followed the two kids who ran to your daughter’s room. “‘Gumi we’ll be going in a few, don’t fall asleep!” Toji called to the little boy who only stared at him from a distance before turning away. You felt a pair of hands pull you as Toji sat you on his lap.

“Did you have your own fun too?” He teased, squeezing your thigh as he kissed your cheek. Your mind went back to the other day. It has been a while since the two of you did it due to busy schedules. You admit that you felt like you and Toji are still being extra careful with a few topics but this past few days was a breather. 

“Mhm, definitely did.” You whispered to his lips, feeling his teeth bite your bottom one as he kissed you. You don’t know when it started but things started to feel a bit different between you and Toji and you don’t know if it’s because he’s starting to drop his worries for you and Satoru or if it’s because he’s just tired of thinking about it.

You were gonna talk to him regarding that but this weekend kind of assured you that it’s all going fine. As for you, you’re trying your best to adjust. You told yourself a thousand times that you had to think about Toji too and not just yourself but for some reason, you still find yourself questioning how you should do some things. 

That’s not a good sign but you thought that maybe you could just take one step at a time. Toji’s making adjustments for you and you can’t just let him do all that work. The only thing you’re fearing is if it’s gonna burn out the two of you sooner or later.

It’s not that your relationship with him is not sturdy, but it’s still young. There are still so many things that the two of you might go through. You’re afraid that all of these are just taking a toll on both of you and one blow from a different direction might just take you down immediately if it ever lands.

Toji stayed for about half an hour before calling Megumi who definitely fell asleep on Yui’s bed. Meanwhile, your little girl was sitting beside her big bear, whining about the burns on her face, begging you to call her Dada. 

“We’ll just put medicine on it, okay?” She stomped her little legs, pulling at your shirt to pick her up. “It’s because you won’t let me put sunscreen on your face properly earlier.” You clicked your tongue, letting her sob on your shoulder. “Dada…” She wiggled in your arms, a small hand holding her cheek.

“Just give Satoru a call. Or get him to come over. She probably misses him.” Toji picked his son up. The latter option shocked you a bit because you didn’t expect him to actually suggest the man he’s so uncomfortable with to come over and be around you. Even if it’s not for you, you still didn’t see it coming out of his mouth, especially after all the fights you had.

“They’ll meet in a day, anyway so it’s—” You started but he cut you off by talking to Yui. “Dada will come over, it’s okay. Stop crying.” The toddler’s cries softened to sniffles as she looked up at him. His hand patted her head, before turning to you to give you a kiss on the forehead. “She needs him right now. You know how kids are.” 

The gesture made you feel a bit sad. You’re aware that this is not about the two of you but still, you know how he is when it comes to Satoru being with you. “You shouldn’t hold back if that’s what Yui needs.” You shouldn’t hold back if that’s what you need. He wanted to tell you that as well.

He remembered asking you casually about how you were with Satoru. Of course, you found it weird and got worried. You kept saying things to comfort him to which he quickly reassured you that it wasn’t like that. 

“Of course, I did.” You told him, swirling the liquid inside the sippy cup. You wouldn’t look up at him the whole time. You placed it beside the other cup before moving to sit beside him. “We had a rough time, but it wasn’t always like that.” There was a hint of nostalgia in your voice; a mix of melancholia and fondness for the lost time.

“Why did it become like that?” He leaned on his elbow, fixing the ornaments in front of him. “Because of the rush, I guess. Bad timing.” You shrugged, drumming your fingers on the marble counter. “We just became parents. We didn’t have time to become lovers.” You chuckled half-heartedly.

“But I know I did.” So, Satoru wasn’t lying when he said you were in love. “Have you ever wondered if… if it’s just because of the responsibility that you share?” He prodded further, feeling like he was having the watered-down version of the conversation that he had with Satoru. Something he apologized to him for 2 weeks later.

“Probably at first. All of it is just for Yui. But at some point, I just found myself looking forward to days with him.” You sighed, staring blankly as you probably tried to recall more memories. You quickly looked at Toji, realizing the words that came out of your mouth. It’s not supposed to be like that. You’re not supposed to speak like that.

“Did you ever—” He began but you’re quick to cut him off, getting more and more worried about his behavior. You’ve been having open talks with each other, deciding that it might help with the crack in your relationship with him but this still makes you feel anxious. Because what if you hurt him again? What if something you say makes it worse?

“Are you alright? You keep asking unusual things.” You jokingly put your hand on his forehead, making him grab your wrist as he pulled you to him. “Hey, I was just curious. I want to do better.” He kissed the back of your neck. It’s true that he wants to do better for you. Hell, he wants to be the best for you.

But sometimes, the best isn’t what our heart wants; the perfect isn’t what our heart seeks.

“Alright, I’ll try to contact him. I doubt he’d be here, though. It’s a work day, I don’t really want to bother him.” You squeezed his hand reassuringly before walking with him to the door. Megumi’s small arms were wrapped around his neck as he bid you goodbye for the day. 

You wanted to ask him if it’s really okay with him but you reminded yourself that if it’s for Yui, it doesn’t matter if it’s not okay with anyone. “Text me when you get home.” You told him after he put Megumi in his seat. “Yeah, love you.” He kissed your lips once more before getting in his car and driving away.

You watched his car disappear, rubbing your baby’s back as she started to whine again. “Alright, we’ll call him.” You walked back inside, spotting your phone on the coffee table. You kissed Yui’s cheek as you dialed Satoru’s number. It rang twice before you heard his voice from the other line.

“Hey, everything okay?” You ignored the way your heart swelled at how alert he was to your calls. You figured that he’s probably working, "Dada!" Yui called to him, kicking her little feet and making you grab them. You put the phone on speaker "What's wrong, love?" Satoru's voice was full of worry because of how his daughter cried.

"She got sunburnt. She was swimming with Megumi earlier and now it's starting to sting." You pushed her hair back as she tried to take the phone from you. "Are you busy? She keeps asking for you. I didn't want to bother you but—" Without letting you finish your sentence, you could hear the chair scrape the floor. "Don't think like that. I'm never too busy for Yui." 

"Would it be… Is it ok if I come over? I'll get ointment on the way." You could already hear the car keys and you pictured him walking out of his door and to his car. "Yeah, it's fine. Toji actually suggested that because Yui won't stop crying. Thank you." A small silence can be heard from the other end.

"I'll be there in a few, text me if you need anything else." After that, he lets you hang up the phone, waiting patiently for you say something. "Dada will be there. Stop crying now, you weren't crying earlier." You checked her face, feeling bad that she has to pay for having fun. But you think the blush that it left on her cheeks are cute.

After a little while, a knock on the door pulled you away from your phone. Even though, you already know that it's Satoru, you still peeped through the hole just to make sure. The night his mom stormed in your house and threatened fo take your child away was still vivid. You don't want Yui to see something like that again. 

"Da!" She immediately cried when she saw him, reaching for her father to take her. "Hey, why? Where's your ouchie?" You saw a couple of bags in his hand as he took the crying child. "I brought you guys something, I thought you might not have had your dinner yet." He sounded shy, taking the smallest bag.

“Oh, thank you. You should eat with us, sorry for calling so abruptly. She’s being fussy.” You smiled at him, not missing the fond sigh that escaped his lips. “It’s nothing, it’s a win-win situation.” He jokes, tickling the little girl’s belly which caused her to erupt into laughter. 

“Let’s put this cream on your face so it doesn’t hurt, alright?” You watched the two of them sit on your couch and all of a sudden, it became the highlight of your day. How he removed his shoes when she asked him to lay down, how he listens to her almost incomprehensible rants, how he gently applied the ointment on her cheeks, producing the most beautiful giggles.

It almost felt like a normal family, resting after a long day of staying out. With her favorite show playing, you watched her look up at her father just to make sure he’s watching the same thing. And he’d go and nod, talking to her like it’s the most serious thing in the world.

“You should eat with us.” You found yourself saying as you wiped your hand. You reminded yourself to text your boyfriend as you turned away, feeling wrong for how you feel but how can you not feel that way when the scene you used to dream of just came alive in front of you? 

Maybe you’re just tired. Maybe you just wanted the comfort of your bed. Maybe you just want to not think about it, maybe it’s better to ignore these feelings because there are other things you should be feeling right now. Like wanting to see Toji and be with him. You shook your head, setting up Yui’s table. 

And there he comes, with your daughter in his arms, wearing one of the house slippers you left under the couch. “Can I borrow these?” He chuckled and you could feel the stretch on your cheeks from how small they look on him and suddenly, it’s just the three of you again. Eating under the warm kitchen light, talking about your daughter.

Like how you always wanted it to be.

——————————————————

“Just take care of her for me. I’m sure she wants it from you.”

Toji pursed his lips as Satoru's words reverberated in his head. He knows nothing, he thought, glancing at you from the mirror. You were busy checking Yui's bag, completely unaware of the thoughts of the man in front of you. Toji has been selfish before. But his head was clear enough to finally judge things with deep consideration to the external factors.

Any man or woman wants nothing but to work things out for their family. But sometimes it just gets too much for them. But for some, they just need time. And he doesn't know how to feel when he thinks about how you and Satoru probably just needed time to fix yourselves as individuals for the relationship to work.

Even though Megumi already understands that his mom will never be home. There are still instances where he would ask Toji about her and by that, he could tell that his son's wishing for her. Whenever you'd do something for him, he would say "Like mom?" and he don't want you to know that not even the smile on your face could ease the searing ache in his chest.

“What do you think about getting back together with Satoru?” The question already escaped his lips before he could even think. Your eyes snapped at Toji, looking at him like he just said the most obnoxious thing. You walked to him, stopping his hands to do his tie yourself. 

“Why are you suddenly asking about that now?” You counted back to the first time he was talking about you and Satoru.“Nothing. I mean, he mentioned that his mother’s never around him anymore. Isn’t she like the bane of your relationship with Satoru?” He peered down at you, curious as to how you’d react.

Toji didn’t mean to ask it so abruptly, but he knows that he has to talk about it sooner or later. He knows that the both of you are trying and your relationship shouldn’t be this hard if only adjusting comes so naturally. 

He knows that you put in a lot of effort just so he wouldn’t feel insecure and overthink. He also knows that sometimes it just shows, you’re probably just denying that to yourself. He’s also too aware of how the both of you would tread carefully around the topic of his wife. 

“I don’t want you to feel like you can’t miss her or talk about the things she does.” You told him that once but still, Toji can’t help but feel bad when those days come and he knows that he’s not giving his full attention and mind to you.

“I’m literally in a relationship with you, stop asking if I—” You tried to chuckled it off, brushing the palm of your hands on his chest to straighten the fabric but Toji caught them. “What if this isn’t working?” He sighed, squeezing your hand as if it will lessen the weight of his words.

You don’t know if you’re hurt that he probably wants to end it or if you’re hurt that there’s a hint of truth behind his words. “What are you saying?” As if suddenly coming back down to reality, Toji shook his head and pulled you close. “I think I woke up too early, come here. Sorry about that.”  He kissed your forehead but that didn’t take away your worried face.

“Toji you can’t just say that and expect me not to overthink.” You don’t know if you’ve prepared yourself enough for this possibility. It would hurt you if you’ll lose such a good man in your life. “I’m…I don’t know if I still feel comfortable, or if I’m just getting used to it Y/N. I know you try, you do it so well, baby but,” He took a deep breath, pausing.

“I don’t think I can continue like this. I don’t think we should continue like this.” 

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[reality-detective]

Here are just a few of the visitors to Jeffrey Epstein's island who were confirmed: 👇

▪️Adam Perry Lang

▪️Akon

▪️Al Gore

▪️Alan Dershowitz

▪️Albert Pinto

▪️Alee Baldwin

▪️Allison Mack

▪️Alyssa Rogers

▪️Anderson Cooper

▪️Andrea Mitrovich

▪️Andres Pastrana

▪️Angelina Jolie

▪️Anthony Kiedis

▪️Anthony Weiner

▪️Barack Obama

▪️Ben Affleck

▪️Bernie Sanders

▪️Beyonce

▪️Bill Clinton

▪️Bill Gates

▪️Bob Saget (deceased)

▪️Bruce Willis

▪️Casey Wasserman

▪️Callum Hudson-Odoi

▪️Celine Dion

▪️Charles Barkley

▪️Charlie Sheen

▪️Charlize Theron

▪️Chelsea Handler

▪️Cher

▪️Chris Tucker

▪️Chris Wagner

▪️Chrissy Teigen

▪️Cyndi Lauper

▪️Claire Hazel

▪️Courteney Cox

▪️Courtney Love

▪️Demi Moore

▪️Dan Schneider

▪️David Koch

▪️David Spade

▪️David Yarovesky

▪️Dolores Zorreguieta

▪️Donovan Mitchell

▪️Doug Band

▪️Drew Barrymore

▪️Ed Buck

▪️Ed Tuttle

▪️Ehud Barak

▪️Ellen DeGeneres

▪️Ellen Spencer

▪️Eminem

▪️Emmy Tayler

▪️Fleur Perry Lang

▪️Francis X. Suarez

▪️Freya Wissing

▪️Gary Roxburgh (pilot)

▪️George Clooney

▪️Ghislaine Maxwell

▪️Glenn Dubin

▪️Greg Holbert (deceased)

▪️Gwen Stefani

▪️Gwendolyn Beck

▪️Hank Coller (pilot)

▪️Heather Mann

▪️Heidi Klum

▪️Henry Rosovsky

▪️Hillary Clinton

▪️James Franco

▪️James Gunn

▪️Jay-Z

▪️Jean-Luc Brunel (deceased)

▪️Jean-Michel Gathy

▪️Jeffrey Jones (deceased)

▪️Jim Carrey

▪️Jimmy Kimmel

▪️Joe Biden

▪️Joe Pagano

▪️John Cusack

▪️John Legend

▪️John Podesta

▪️John Travolta

▪️Joy Behar

▪️Juan Pablo Molyneux

▪️Juliette Bryant

▪️Justin Roiland

▪️Justin Trudeau

▪️Kathy Griffin

▪️Katy Perry

▪️Kelly Spam

▪️Kevin Spacey

▪️Kirsten Gillibrand

▪️Kristy Rogers (deceased)

▪️Lady Gaga

▪️Larry Summers

▪️Larry Visoski (pilot)

▪️Laura Z. Wasserman

▪️Lawrence M. Krauss

▪️Linda Pinto

▪️Lisa Summers

▪️Lynn Forester de Rothchild

▪️Madonna

▪️Mandy Ellison (assistant)

▪️Mare Collins-Rector

▪️Marina Abramovic

▪️Mark Epstein

▪️Mark Lloyd

▪️Melinda Luntz

▪️Meryl Streep

▪️Michelle Obama

▪️Michelle Wolf

▪️Mikel Arteta

▪️Miley Cyrus

▪️Nadine Dorries

▪️Naomi Campbell

▪️Naomi Watts

▪️Natalie Blachon de Perrier

▪️Nicole Junkermann

▪️Olga Kurylenko

▪️Oliver Sacks

▪️Oprah

▪️Orlando Bloom

▪️Paris Hilton

▪️Patton Oswatt

▪️Paul Mellon

▪️Paula Epstein (deceased)

▪️Paula Hala

▪️Peter P. Marino

▪️Pharrell Williams

▪️Prince Andrew

▪️Prince Charles

▪️Quentin Tarantino

▪️Rachel Maddow

▪️Rainn Wilson

▪️Ralph Ellison

▪️Ray Barzana (pilot)

▪️Ricardo Legorreta Vilchis

▪️Rihanna

▪️Rita Wilson

▪️Rob Reiner

▪️Robert DeNiro

▪️Robert Downey Jr.

▪️Rodney E. Slater

▪️Ronald Burkle

▪️Rudy Gobert

▪️Sander Burger

▪️Sarah Kellen (assistant)

▪️Sarah Silverman

▪️Seth Green

▪️Shelley Harrison

▪️Shelley Lewis

▪️Sophie Biddle-Hakim

▪️Sophie Trudeau

▪️Stephen Collins

▪️Stephen Colbert

▪️Steven Spielberg

▪️Steven Tyler

▪️Svetlana Glazunova

▪️Teala Davies

▪️Tiffany Gramza

▪️Tom Hanks

▪️Tom Pritzker

▪️Tyler Grasham (deceased)

▪️Victor Salva

▪️Wanda Sykes

▪️Whoopi Goldberg

Of course we knew some of these already. 🤔

[gingerjolover]

You're not Bob the Builder - naomi mcpherson (MUNA) x reader (soft!gf coded)

this comes as a lil side story from mornings :)

synopsis: nomi and joey build soft!gf a vanity and chaos ensues before an early muna!christmas dinner

g's notes: i want so celebrate muna christmas w nomi baby and my bff kelli siiiiiiigh

Warnings: RPF, christmas!, noami and jo being chaotic, no fundamental physical descriptors, reader is soft!gf coded so she/her pronouns/afab?

Your brow is sweating, weight rested on one foot as you stand at the stove, whisking gravy in a medium-sized pot.

"Where do you want this babe?" Kelli asks, standing in the doorway of the kitchen, holding a charcuterie board, an assortment of cheeses and meats, both vegan and not, decorated with fruits and dips paired with edible flowers, an impressive spread made by Kelli herself.

"The fridge I gues-" you start to say cut off by a yell coming from your bedroom.

"Put the hammer down!" "Naomi I swear to god..."

Kelli rolls her eyes, albeit lovingly as she opens the fridge.

"Do I even want to know?" you snort, returning to the stove. Kelli giggles, coming and sitting on the island a few feet away from you, feet swinging to kick your legs softly.

"They're putting together your vanity, I think," Kelli shrugs, popping a grape from a bowl on the counter into her mouth.

"I thought it was pre-built... the box was huge," you shrug gently.

"Nope, I think Jo was going to help set it up in the room and attach the mirror, but it came disassembled," Kelli winces.

"Should've asked Julien," you mumble, getting a belly chuckle out of Kelli, you both know Julien is far better with furniture and building things then either of your partners.

"Who knows, maybe they'll get it done faster because there's two of them?" she shrugs, popping another grape into her mouth and hopping down, getting ready to cut a baguette.

"Yeah, or I'll end up with no vanity and holes in my ceiling or walls," you grumble.

"Oh, don't be like that-" her words were cut off by two deep squeals and the sound of the electric drill, something flinging against the wall with a thump; Kelli's eyes widened.

Kelli moves quick but you move quicker, you shut off the stove and move the pot to an unused burner.

You both climb the stairs, moving to stand in the doorway, Naomi standing shirtless with their back facing you, and hands intertwined on the top of their head. Jo lays on the floor, staring at the ceiling, both letting out small huffs.

"What the hell was that?" you ask, looking down at the floor; you and Kelli's eyes are comically wide as you stare at the scattered vanity pieces all over your bedroom floor.

"Hi, babydoll," Naomi says casually, walking over to you, brushing your hair back, and placing small kisses on the crown of your hairline. Naomi's hair is tucked into a baseball cap, small curls peeking out the sides, sweat running down the middle of their torso, and the windows cracked open, letting a welcomed breeze into the room.

Jo groans from her place on the floor, tank top riding up slightly, visible sweat on their forehead.

"Why are you sweaty?" Kelli asks, eyebrows scrunched.

"Because Naomi ordered a fucking whack ass piece of furniture and-"

"I didn't, Jo! It's not my fault it didn't come with instructions--" Noami refutes, both of them starting to bicker again, Noami rubbing their hands over their face.

"Wait, it didn't come with instructions?" you ask, jaw dropped slightly as you stare at the half built base of the vanity.

"Maybe we should call JB," Kelli mumbles; Jo and Naomi whip their heads towards her.

"Bite your tongue!" "Take that back!"

Kelli puts her hands up, eyes widening as she fights a smile, "Okay, okay, sorry... didn't mean to touch a nerve..." she says, her tone filling with humor.

"We can do this, we- we can do this, Naomi, we don't need Julien... we can build this thing ourselves," Jo says, standing up and gesturing between themselves and Naomi. Jo's tone is almost as if she's trying to convince herself and Noami simultaneously.

"Yeah, fuck yeah... we can..." Naomi starts, turning to look back at you with a lopsided smile. "I can build... a vanity, baby, I can," Naomi says, trying to convince you.

"Right, yeah, I totally believe in you..." you say, tight smile as you look at the dent in your wall, eyes widening again.

Jo looks at you sheepishly, hands coming out in front of them, "I'll fix it," they say quickly as Naomi speaks over top of her, "It was an accident!"

All you can do is shake your head, rubbing the skin between your eyebrows and the bridge of your nose as you look at the bedside table across the room where the alarm clock sits. "People will be here in 6 hours..." you say, biting your lip nervously.

"Jo, we still need to go home and get ready..." Kelli warns softly.

"It's fine...we got this," Jo says cockily, eyes filled with terror as they look towards Naomi, both sharing a look.

"Okay, well... we'll leave you two to it," Kelli says suspiciously, pulling her phone out as you both back out of the room, returning downstairs.

"Please text JB," you murmur once you're out of earshot.

"Already did," Kelli huffs.

BONUS:

"Yo!" Julien says as she walks into the house, Lucy and Phoebe behind her, their partners carrying dishes or flowers into the house. Julien's girlfriend kisses your cheek softly, kissing Kelli and Katie's cheeks before heading into your kitchen; everyone starts chatting as more of your friends arrive.

"So where's the vanity?" Julien asks, adjusting the collar of her dress shirt.

"Upstairs... I don't really know what you're about to walk into... It wasn't finished or stable when Jo and Kelli left to get ready, and I haven't been upstairs since I got ready so..." you smile sheepishly.

Julien winks and pinches your cheek gently before bounding up the stairs.

"Babe? You told Julien?" Naomi yells down, offended. "Kelli, really?" Jo yells immediately after.

"Just let her check your work!" Kelli yells up, making the room laugh at the antics of your partners.

"I'm sure they did a great job," Julien's girlfriend says sweetly, arm around your waist as she leans her head onto your shoulder.

"Tell that to the hammer sized dent in my bedroom wall..." you huff, her hands adjusting the bow in your hair.

"The what?!"

fyi: they did build it correctly, julien just tightened some screws and helped them secure it to the wall, AND jo DID fix the dent in the wall hehe <3

[bardic-inspo]

Midnight Chimes

Chapter Seven: Morbid Curiosity

Pairing: Astarion x Cursed! Tav

✨Full Chapter List ✨BG3 Fic Masterlist ✨

Series Summary:

It’s easier for Astarion to believe Naomi tastes so sweet because she was his first. Easier to ignore the fact that every undead in vague proximity yearns for the same blood that’s sated him night after night. Easier to pretend her music is arcane as any other bard’s, and not divine enough to wake corpses from the dirt. Easier to pretend Naomi is simply a bard, and not something more akin to a siren. One that's slowly realized she's not just another sailor, after all. Easier to bury the fact that he's already stupidly in love with her. Like she wouldn't just raise that out of the ground, too. A curse rears its head. A devil comes calling. Astarion fights for his freedom from Cazador. He and the rest of their merry little band fight to save Tav from the doom she feels she's fated for.

Chapter Preview:

“Tell me what I taste like, and I’ll show you what you’re missing.” The tadpole twists behind his eye and twists his stomach with it. She really does mean to show him. “All right,” Astarion drawls. He combs his mind for his favorite endearments, pinching the prettiest from its stem and fitting it between his teeth. He leans forward, near enough to catch the slight scent of lavender beneath the staleness of her sweat. “I’ll do my best, darling,” he purrs, “but you should know there’s nothing from my mouth that could do justice to how exquisite you tasted all. Over. Mine.”

Chapter CW: None

✨ Click here if you prefer to read on AO3 ✨

“My friend,” Astarion drawls, patting the earth beside him.

A faint sigh leaks from Naomi’s lips, folded down with the weight of the world. She doesn’t heed his invitation, opting instead to stand there and ogle him. He can’t blame her for being so captivated. He’s a sight to behold, after all.

Astarion’s legs splay in front of him, his back propped by the rough trunk of a tree. Cool air licks the lithe stretch of his bare chest, soaked in starlight. Naomi’s gaze seeps over his skin, down to the white shirt bunched in his lap. He sets his handiwork aside for the moment, tucking his needle away for safekeeping.

“Darling, I’ve been looking for you evvvverywhere,” he says with only a little slur. Enough to put an arch in her brow.

“I wouldn’t have been hard to find if you were,” she mutters skeptically. “Are you drunk?”

She takes a tentative step towards him in someone’s else’s shoes. They’re far too big for her feet. Silly little squirrel lost her own boots, stumbling around in the swamps. Poor thing.

“I have drunk. A bear,” Astarion hums happily, the tip of his tongue swiping languid over his lips. The woodsy, syrupy sweetness of the bear lingers there. Naomi’s eyes do, too.

She’s too slow to bury the bob in her throat, not far from where his fangs sank in. Her feet shuffle beneath her. Caught. Astarion’s smirk curls like a noose.

I know what you’re thinking, he could say. Because I’m thinking it, too.

But it’s too soon. He wouldn’t want his little squirrel to go scuttling away. Not now that he knows how delicious she is.

But soon, he thinks, with a twinge of melancholy. Soon, he’ll say all the right words. Like a spell, she’ll be beneath him all over again. And he’ll have the rest of her to taste, too. Perhaps her body is as sweet as the nectar he drew from her neck.

It doesn’t matter, truly. Whatever petty cost Astarion might have to grit his teeth and endure is already worth it. She dealt with that insufferable Gur hunter handily. Artistically, even. But Gandrel won’t be the last hunter that comes calling. He’ll need Naomi to still feel as generous when Cazador sends more fearsome foes.

For now, at least, he only needs to convince her to be as generous with her presence as she was with her blood.

“Sit, my sweet,” he says, insistent. “See the stars with me. I’ll regale you with the poetry I promised.”

“Poetry?” She scoffs, as if it’s something a bard shouldn’t appreciate.

“For your fine vintage, of course,” Astarion croons.

He lets her see the hunger in his eyes as they trail down her figure. She’s wonderfully pert in the tunic she slipped into for sleeping. Even if the flutter of it by her heels makes her look like a specter.

“Don’t you remember?” He prods. “You wanted to know what you tasted like.”

It’s that promise, or morbid curiosity, that spurs her closer. She looks like a ghost, blanched silver in the moonlight, stark shadows haunting the hollows beneath her eyes. But she moves like the shambling dead. Her shoes drag, floppy on her feet, interrupting the quaint melody of crickets chirping intently in the long grass. Astarion’s nose wrinkles at the noise.

“You look dreadful, you know,” he says flatly.

It doesn’t dissuade her from dropping to a seat beside him with a dull thump. The tree takes her weight, leaving only a thin sliver of space between them. Astarion’s attention snags on her tunic, sliding off her shoulder. Pale blue skin peeks out, peppered in the same purplish freckles that powder her nose.

“Well, I feel dreadful,” she mutters darkly. “So I suppose, for the moment, my matching looks are one of the few things that make sense.”

“I do hope it wasn’t our last evening together that put you out of sorts,” Astarion says with the slightest pout.

Her collar doesn’t cover her souvenirs from their prior late-night liaison. The two perfect punctures have faded almost entirely. Now she wears the new necklace of bruises that the hag traded her for her old amulet.

He did try to be gentle, when he bit her. A bit, at least. It’s not guilt, squirming in his gut, exactly. She gave him permission, after all. Still, his tongue feels weighty with a question he should’ve asked sooner.

“Did it hurt much? I already know you liked it,” he says, smoothing his tone. “I’m more curious how much you like pain. That priest of Loviator certainly painted a pretty, pretty picture. It had all my favorite colors.”

Naomi scoffs. “Has the poetry started yet, or are you just warming up?”

“Warming you up, dear.”

“It was fine, Astarion,” she sighs again, exasperated this time. She props her knees to her chest and loops her arms to hold them there. “My head felt a little fuzzy afterwards, and I might’ve lost my mind along with my shoes. But I don’t think you get to take credit for that. Not everything’s about you, you know.”

Astarion surveys her blankly. His face feels heavy, lips still abuzz with the blood of the bear, his mind awash with it.

“Oh. You mean that business with the hag?” He waves a hand, as if casting a thoughtless cantrip. “You said it yourself, it was just like that debacle with the harpies. Though, they didn’t resort to extortion. I suppose that was some precious trinket of yours, that necklace she took?”

“Nothing worth dying for,” Naomi shrugs, gaze guarded. “They’re a dime a dozen, back home.”

“Mm,” Astarion hums, fingers rapping against a gnarled root. “And what is ‘home’ like for you, darling? I’ve had this drab little cave in my head this whole time, you know. I don’t know much about the Underdark. Never once been.”

Her lips twitch. The start of a smile, maybe. Something for him to tug on, and perhaps something to tug her shoulders down from her ears. Ease that strain holding her taut so he can slip through the cracks in her armor.

Her tone is a teasing one. “Tell me what I taste like, and I’ll show you what you’re missing.”

The tadpole twists behind his eye and twists his stomach with it. She really does mean to show him.

“All right,” Astarion drawls.

He combs his mind for his favorite endearments, pinching the prettiest from its stem and fitting it between his teeth. He leans forward, near enough to catch the slight scent of lavender beneath the staleness of her sweat.

“I’ll do my best, darling,” he purrs, “but you should know there’s nothing from my mouth that could do justice to how exquisite you tasted all. Over. Mine.”

Her smirk blooms wide. “You’re hedging, dear. Shaky way to start. Self-deprecation isn’t what I’m into. But do go on.”

“Hm?” Astarion huffs, cocking his head, indignant. “My bittersweet treat isn’t impressed? Even with her cheeks all warm and flushed? I think your body betrays you, dear.”

“‘Bittersweet’ is the best you can come up with?” She tuts. “Surely you can do better.”

“You were my first, you know,” he blurts. “I don’t have much to compare it to.”

The words leap from his tongue in reflex, without a trace of sweetness. And the aftertaste of his admission lies more bitter on his tongue than Naomi’s fading flavor did. Astarion’s jaw shifts tightly as he watches her amusement melt into sickly sweet pity.

It needles him with a dozen daggers, that look. Astarion rips his gaze away to the indifferent night sky. Naomi’s face still burns behind his eyes, like vivid blots of color staining his sight after staring too long at his favorite star.

He snuffs out any chance she has to say something insufferable.

“I’ve wondered what the others might taste like, now that I’ve had you,” Astarion carries on dryly. “Only theoretically, of course. Take Karlach, for example. Her blood’s been aged in the hells. She’d be potent, like a fiery whiskey. Wyll must be something palatable. Perhaps a sugary cider. And Gale, his blood strikes me as something rich, refined. Like well-aged brandy.”

“Shadowheart has to taste at least a little like red wine,” Naomi muses. “She drinks enough of it.”

“Mm. She’s enigmatic. A vintage port on two legs.”

A smile steals its way back onto his lips. She’s been a good little bard, playing along with his game. Astarion angles a glance her way, letting his voice drop husky.

“And then, there’s the lovely Naomi Tavriel. A bouquet I’d know anywhere for the rest of my days.”

She blinks back at him, wary, but spellbound nonetheless.

“I could say she tastes of soft-crushed lavender and sharp, vibrant citrus. But I’d only be telling a thimble of the truth,” Astarion says in a rough-edged whisper. “Her blood sings. She is a tremble on the tongue. A current with sweetness so consuming, all that’s after can only be bitter.”

It works too well, this poetry in lieu of flattery. The twangy pitter-patter of her heartbeat gives her away, though her expression stays tamed. Her tongue darts out to wet the plump curve of her lower lip while he watches. Their gazes meet, and the daintiest pastel pink melts across her cheeks.

He only told a thimble of the truth, after all; Naomi’s blood in his mouth hardly painted the world in bitterness. On the contrary, it cast everything before in dull monochrome, and everything after in vivid, throbbing flavor. Possibility. Potential. Power. It all roared awake in his veins with only one taste.

His next words are brimming in nothing but honesty.

“I can’t imagine what it must be like,” he says wistfully, “to ever have enough of you.”

“Better,” Naomi says beneath her breath, before her eyes flutter shut.

Unbidden, Astarion’s eyes close, too. His delectable daydreams dissolve into plummeting darkness. Warmth envelopes him. When his eyes tear open again, he sees furling heat instead of misty starlight.

Astarion’s lungs burn in some old instinct for air as he breaks the surface of Naomi’s memory. Gasping, he bobs in water of brilliant, simmering turquoise. Salt burns his eyes. He blinks feverishly. The scent of fresh earth and moss turns in his nose.

His bare toes scrabble against the pebbled lakebed. Panic bubbles up in the back of his throat. He can’t swim. Not really. Not that he’s tried to, in the past two hundred or so years. He finds a solid foothold and stills, eyes sweeping his steam-kissed surroundings.

No reflection shimmers in the shallow water as clear as a mirror. Silver fish as thin as hairs dart past his ankles. A steady tremor ripples across the surface, tingling pleasantly against his submerged legs.

Reeds rustle behind him. Winged bugs flutter between, unbothered by his presence. Butterflies, he thinks, but then he frowns. Their wings are leathery. Bat-like, but beautiful in deep jewel tones of emerald, ruby, and sapphire. And it’s fungus they flit between, not grasses; it grows in narrow, perforated tubes of luminous yellow. The tiniest breeze plays the fronds like flutes.

Far from his safe haven in the shallows, a waterfall veils the cliffs in delicate silver. Astarion’s neck aches as he cranes back, following the stream to a split in the rocky ceiling and up, up, away into infinite darkness. Perhaps it tumbles down from the heavens themselves. Its roar could rival a dragon's.

Past the falls, the faint glimmer of blue torchlight catches his eye. If he squints, he can make out the rough shape of crystalline spires twined with indigo rock and veiny, black stalactites. A standard hangs from the stonework, set with a familiar symbol. Naomi said it was a temple. She used to wear the emblem of the dark dancer strung around her neck, before she gave her amulet of Eilistraee away to the hag.

A softer sound drifts through the pouring percussion of the falls. Music. It emanates from the temple, washing gently over his ears like a slant of sunlight.

Astarion’s eyelids grow heavy. Cool air, damp with mist, caresses his cheeks. He could happily stay here for hours, swirled in warmth, mesmerized by the drumming falls, ears peeled towards the faint tease of a fiddle. But a flurry of splashing on the nearby shore shatters his piece of peace.

Astarion whips his head around to see a storm of children bearing down on the lake. Water sloshes, frothy with their reckless abandon. A scrawny half-dozen drow, none older than a decade, blunder past him. Astarion grates out a bristling groan none of them seem to hear.

His attention latches to a little girl, white hair knotted atop her head, strings of it sticking wet against the angled ears she hasn’t quite grown into. She wades ahead of her comrades, jaw set, her lilac nose scrunched with a warrior’s determination.

He knows her, even without her freckles, or the birds tattooed on her cheek. It’s not so different from the way Naomi looked him over, fangs and all, before she shoved her way into his own memories.

Naomi leaves her friends behind in knee-deep depths. She swims on, striking out towards a splinter of radiance searing the blue water near-white. Sunlight, he realizes with a pinch of surprise. The tiniest, hairline slice of it.

“Touch it!” One of the children calls out, hands cupped to his mouth.

“I dare you!” Another shouts.

Snickers follow. “She’s too scared.”

“She’s not. Look -- look!”

Astarion tenses. Naomi stills, treading water just a few inches from that slash of sun. She reaches out a trembling hand. Light bleeds across her fingertips.

Bat-winged butterflies burst from the reeds. Naomi’s scream bounds off the stone. Astarion’s ears ring raw with it, even after the shriek cuts to crickets.

A sudden chill plunges him back to the present. Astarion shifts around a shiver, scowling. Rough bark rubs between his shoulder blades. The starlit summer evening in the forest feels tepid now. Not nearly so warm as the brilliant waters were.

“That was…breathtaking,” he mutters mournfully. “Until you broke it. What in all the hells was that wailing about?”

Naomi’s laugh is an easy one. “I thought it melted my skin. I’d never seen it that shade. I’d never seen myself in the sun at all.”

“My, my. We are birds of a feather, it seems. Though, your little venture didn’t result in you roasting,” Astarion says, lip curled. “It’s quite different, I promise you.”

“O-Of course,” Naomi stammers hastily. “But it was enough to keep me in the Underdark for some time.”

“How long did you choose to stay in the dark? I wouldn’t know what that luxury is like.”

“Well, I’m nearing a century and a quarter, and I only surfaced about eighteen months ago,” she says, toeing the dirt. “Strictly speaking, it was a choice to stay down there. But we don’t always realize what it is we’re choosing. Especially when we’ve never known any different. Especially when we’re afraid.”

Astarion swallows the sudden lump in his throat, gaze flitting down and away to his own feet. His hands itch, restless, until they find the stowed needle again and take once more to stitching. He barely has to glance at the hole in his shirt sleeve to pull it neatly closed with thread, but he does, anyway, just to have reason to look elsewhere.

“You’re not wrong,” he sighs, irritation relenting to weariness. “And a year and a half isn’t long in the light.”

It would be a mere drop in the bucket in his centuries of torment. Barely a ripple in the grand scheme of things. Nothing that could make up for the rest of it. But what a gift it would be, to have that much sunlight.

He should be so lucky.

“It’s not like there isn’t light down there at all,” she murmurs. “Just not much from the sun.”

“A vampire’s dream, indeed.” Astarion answers, hollow.

“When the freckles came, I thought I was dying, you know,” Naomi laughs again, but it sounds flimsy, like a board bent near breaking. “I wrote home and everything. Said my goodbyes. Felt like a fool once I figured it out.”

Astarion pauses his stitching, the corner of his mouth curving in spite of his envy. If she let out such a shriek from that little leak of light, he can only imagine the kind of caterwauling that came out of her when she was fully bathed in it for the first time.

His tentative smile comes with a strange twist of sympathy. That day, on the beach, with the sand seared white with high noon, and his own skin blessedly unburnt, Astarion had run for the shadows as if Cazador himself hounded his heels. He’d wanted to laugh. To retch. To cower. To dance. All at once.

“It’s a jarring change,” he says, glancing her way again. She’s pensieve. And staring quite intently at the needle poised between his fingers, dipping in and out of his sleeve.

“Lots of drow get sunsick,” she says quietly. “Some never get over it.”

“Some fare just fine, it seems. The sun suits you as well as the stars do, darling.”

Naomi’s eyes flicker to his. He wonders, with a sharp pinch beneath his ribs, what she sees when she says so earnestly, “Likewise, Astarion.”

Dismay sinks in his chest as she peels her eyes away to the trees and a new knot bends her brow. He loathes the weight of the feeling. Loathes, even more, that it struck all the harder for having caught him by surprise.

“You’re having a terrible time up here, aren't you?” he asks gently.

“It’s not a walk in the park down there, either,” she says flatly. “None of those other kids you saw with me ever saw the sun again. They didn’t live long enough to have a chance.”

Astarion’s heard how harsh the Underdark can be. The slice she showed him was brimming with beauty. And he knows well enough the cruelty of pretty things.

“But you thought it would be different,” he says. “That all of this would be different.”

“Ever since--” Naomi stops short, jaw clenching. “Well, something about all the undead, scheming devils, murderous githyanki, and hungry vampires is making it hard to sleep at night.”

“Sleep?” Astarion raises a brow. Something you don’t want to see in a trance? He wonders, but he doesn’t ask.

It’s another aversion they’re both familiar with.

“We’re all having a terrible time, Astarion,” she sighs, voice wrung raw. “We’ve been tadpoled, for fuck’s sake.”

“Speak for yourself. I happen to be flourishing. In no small part thanks to you.”

He shifts, ostensibly to stitch another hole he’s spied in his sleeve. But the motion lets their shoulders brush. Just the barest stroke of skin over skin. Her breath hitches softly enough, keener ears wouldn’t have heard it.

“I’m grateful, you know,” he says just as softly.

Astarion’s needle sinks into the fabric again, pulling the gap closed. Naomi adjusts her seat against the tree. Oh sweet thing, he thinks, as her shoulder settles warm against his and stays that way. How long since you’ve been touched, if all it takes is just the one to have you hooked? He feels an odd strain of sadness alongside his swell of victory.

What a lucky thing she is, to know such sanctuary in her own body. How lucky she is, that he knows just the touch to make her feel holy in it.

Any good spell has three ingredients. She’s already succumbed to the somatic component. One touch started a thirst for more. She’d shared her blood, binding them in something material. All that’s left is to say the magic words.

Astarion toys with them in his mind, shuffling innuendos like a deck of cards. I could show you a much better time. Show you how grateful a hungry vampire can be. Help you sate your own hunger, so to speak. Don’t you think you deserve some fun too, darling? A little treat for my little treat.

Naomi clears her throat pointedly. “I don’t know you half as well as I should, to have been half as helpful as I’ve been.”

Oh, I was thinking we could get to know each other intimately--

“Tell me something about yourself, Astarion.”

Astarion stiffens. The magic of the moment expires, but he doesn’t mourn it.

“I won’t tell you about ‘home’,” he says curtly. “If you want to know about the Gate, ask Wyll, and he’ll recite half its history. But, after what happened with that awful Gur, I suppose you should know about Cazador.”

He tells her, sparsely, of his life when he still knew sunlight. The little he remembers fits in one mouthful. She interrupts to ask if he can still see that life in reverie.

“No, I can’t,” he answers sharply. “And I can’t see any of my prior lives, either. If I do manage to die, I won’t have another life after this. Arvandor doesn’t take souls sullied with undeath.”

That shuts her up for a good while. Arvandor doesn’t take drow, either. Kindred spirits thrice over, he thinks ruefully. Shunned by sunlight, sleep, and salvation.

He tells her of his untimely death at the hands of vagrants. Of Cazador’s Szarr’s too-perfect timing. The only choice he thought he had, and one he never would have made, if he could do it over again.

Most of all, he tells her of his tormentor. Astarion finds that once he’s started the telling, it all spills from his mouth with a feverish momentum. He speaks as if he’s running downhill; it has more to do with gravity, pulling him down from dizzying height, than any of his own volition. It falls out of him with the stony weight of inevitability.

He’s left with a familiar, noxious dread at the bottom of his belly, at the end of it all. He doesn’t look at her, sure he can’t stomach her pity after sloughing through that mountain of shit. She doesn’t say anything he thought she might.

Instead, she says, “You’re very good at that, you know.”

Astarion’s head jerks up to trace her gaze to his own hands, with the needle still fitted between his fingers. “I had to be,” he blurts without meaning to. He scowls darkly. “Hm. I do hope you were paying attention to my words as well as my hands. I won’t be repeating myself.”

Naomi’s expression hardens. He thinks of her as a little girl again, striking fearlessly into the unknown. Shrieking when it bit her. “If Cazador comes calling, he won’t find you alone, Astarion.”

A laugh punches from his lungs. “And what do you think you’re going to do about it, dear? If he wanted to, he’d kill everyone in this camp like that.” He snaps his fingers, teeth clenched.

Naomi studies him carefully. “I guess we’ll have to get creative, then. Or, at the very least, you’ll have good company on your way out. And a good last supper. You can feed from me when you need to, you know. As long as we talk about it first.”

Astarion flounders. “T-That sounds…eminently reasonable. And so very delicious.”

“Mm. I’ve heard from a reputable poet that I taste so good, nothing else does,” she says wryly.

Her eyes drift shut as she leans heavily against the tree they share. His shoulder takes some of the burden of her, too. Astarion allows it.

She’s been such a generous thing. And her warmth is a balm to the disquiet riled by that same generosity. Astarion’s stomach knots. Every sweet thing he’s known has been a bitter one, too. If not during, then after.

He rubs the needle between the pads of his fingers, staring out into the space between the trees while the black of night bleeds into morning blue. Birds take to shrill song and flapping among the branches. Except for the rhythmic thump of her heartbeat, his little bard stays quiet as the grave. Too quiet. He’s acutely aware of her hair, loose from her bun, trailing over his collar. Tickling like a feather to his neck.

She’s too soft. Too pretty to be anything but poison. Too sweet to be anything but bitter in the end. Astarion means to end it here, while it’s still the former. He’ll ply pleasure and loyalty from her another night.

He glances down.

“Oh.” He blinks, dumbfounded. “Oh no. No, no.”

Astarion goes rigid, throat thick. She’s asleep. At long last.

She twitches fitfully. It’s not a good sleep. Elves aren’t usually that good at sleeping at all, unless they’ve practiced like he has. But better she has bad sleep than none at all. Someone has to say things to the druid, Halsin, tomorrow. They’ll need their leader to lead.

And Astarion needs to finish the spell he started. She’ll need to be rested. Ready for him.

Once she settles, he’ll leave. She’ll never know the difference. Easy enough.

So he waits. He watches the wrinkle in her brow. The restless fussing of her legs. Glares at her gods awful shoes, steaked in dried blood and dirt. Glares at her pouty, purple face. Contemplates if her horrible footwear should be fed to fire or to wolves.

Gingerly, he leans forward just enough to rid her feet of said shoes. He throws them to the woods with a vehemence. She doesn’t stir even slightly. But he stays, with his body pulled taut as a bowstring, in case, any second, she might. So he can be gone before she bats her eyes open.

Astarion’s not sure how long he stares at the slow rise and fall of her chest, or the smush of her cheek against his steel-stiff shoulder. But it’s been enough time that when Gale’s shadow washes over him, Astarion has to squint when he looks up. Daylight and a seething wizard glare back.

“What?” Astarion hisses, wincing as stiffness prickles along his neck.

Gale’s eyes burn between Astarion and the still-sleeping Naomi. Gingerly, Astarion shirks free of her at last. He stands, dusting off his breeches. Gale unfurls the blanket he came bearing and tucks it to cover Naomi’s bare toes.

“Oh, let her be,” the vampire chides, as he makes for the cave and Gale stays rooted. “She’ll wake soon enough.”

“Perhaps someone should stay--”

“I can hear her pretty little heartbeat from inside the cave just as well as I heard your snoring from all the way out here.” Astarion sneers. “I’ll know the moment she wakes. Or if she finds her way into trouble again.”

It’s far too easy to pluck on Gale’s nerves. Far too much fun to stop. Reluctantly, the wizard falls into step beside Astarion, leaving their bard to her makeshift rest. As soon as she slips from sight, Gale’s lecture starts in earnest.

“If she chooses to help with your hunger, then so be it,” he fumes. “But after such a trying day as yesterday, I won’t stand idly by while you leech--”

“I kept my teeth to myself, thank you,” Astarion says blithely. “It was our fearless leader who came seeking my calming company, if you must know. Poor thing couldn’t trance all by her lonesome. Something a fellow elf can understand like others can’t.”

Gale isn’t going to have any of his own teeth left if he insists on grinding them so roughly. Astarion grins widely, letting the points of his fangs peek from his lips.

“Maybe,” Astarion croons, “she didn’t seek you out since you won’t shut up about ‘making transcendent love to Mystra’ for more than five minutes. You should really curb that habit, or your goddess will be the last lay you ever have, you know. No one wants to hear about how good your ex was.”

“Naomi’s a good person, Astarion,” Gale answers tersely. “And I'd wager she’s been through more than she’s letting on. If comfort is what she wants and what you’re offering, then by all means, make merry. But if you mean to take more than you give--”

Astarion barks a laugh, bracing a palm against his own chest. “Gods, Gale, really? You’ve come around on my thirst for blood, but it’s my more mundane hungers you have a problem with? Well, fret not. I’m a consummate lover.”

Gale flushes to a perfect, pained pink. Astarion snickers beneath his breath. He brushes past his mortified magician to peruse the loot they’d gathered from the goblins’ fortress.

“And besides,” Astarion drawls devilishly, “all we did was talk. All night long. No wonder she’s so tired.”

“Is there something in particular you’re scavenging for?” Gale grumbles.

Astarion paws through the crates, past crusted chainmail, crude clubs, and flimsy maces. Finally, he finds his prize.

“She needs shoes. These will do nicely.”

They’re sturdy, at least. What the plain leather boots lack in character, they make up for in not falling apart. And they should actually fit her. An improvement for Naomi, to be sure. But Astarion can do better.

He takes them back to his tent and sets them aside while he roots through his stash of thread. Green isn’t her color. Black would blend too close to the dark shade of the shoes. Red, of course, looks lovely on her but--

Astarion stills, turning over a spool of blue. It isn’t the same vivid shade as the lake she showed him. But it’s bright like a sunlit sky. Astarion takes a needle in hand, and takes to stitching sharp-tipped swirls, reminiscent of waves, into the leather.

When he’s done, she’s still asleep. She stiffens, suddenly, at his approach, groaning her displeasure. Astarion freezes.

He’s gone before she bats her eyes open. The grass is still flat where he sat beside her before, and where the boots now rest in his stead.

A/N: I truly do have nothing against Gale, but it’s just too much fun to have Astarion harass him, hehe.

I’ll tease that for those of you chomping at the bit for the ‘eventual smut’ tag to come to fruition. You won’t have to wait much longer ;)

If you want something spicy to keep you sated in the meantime, I did recently post a smutty Ascended Astarion x Vampire Bride evil power couple one-shot called “Blood in the Mortar”. I’ve also got a multichapter in the works for them that I intend to get drafted further ahead on before sharing.

I love each and every one of you who reads, likes, comments, and reblogs. Seriously means so much to know I’m not writing in a vacuum. I appreciate you all, and hope life is being kind to you!

Divider credit to @cafekitsune.

[delilahcalicocat]

★~Good Boy~★

{Rating: Smut}

{Warnings: Unprotected sex, Creampie, Oral Sex, Dom!Fem!Reader, Sub! Finn Balor, Kissing, Dom / Sub dynamic, Drinking, Mommy Kink}

{Pairing: Sub!Finn Balor x Dom!Fem!Reader}

(This is an alternative universe)

•《Summary: Finn comes back after a long trip with his gang and asks Y/N to help him calm down, The Reader owns a Private little club cabin in scotland, where she provides men with a woman after rough days》•

It was finally Wednesday, Finn had just got to your cozy little cabin in Scotland. He was tired and his face showed that.

"Um, Ma'am?" He spoke up slightly, seeing you reading a book at the bar

"Yes? What do you need Finn?" You asked

Your Scottish Accent Thick like honey as you spoke. It sent Finn in a daze before he came back to reality.

"Uh, Ma'am.. I want to release some.. Tension." He said.

"Ah, of course.. you want my services." You spoke, pouring him a shot of his favorite brandy

"Yes, Indeed Ma'am.." He said softly

"So, Which of the girls can I provide you with tonight? Liv? Rhea? Who?" You asked

He thought for a moment, staring into your eyes. He then spoke up

"Y-You.. Madame.." He said quietly

You sighed, and blinked putting the bottle of brandy away.

You Looked over, at Naomi. You called her over to watch the bar.

"I'll be back Naomi, keep watch. In-case.. y'know.. they come back." You said, Naomi nodded as you and Finn walked up the stairs

You walked up to your quarters with Finn, he hadn't been to your place for a while. So he was worried that you'd be mad about this.

You Locked the door to your quarters, and let Finn sit on your bed

"So, Mr. Balor. It's been quite long, where have you been?" You asked

"Fuckin' Hell, I've been fighting with imperium. Dom and Damian are in the fuckin infirmary.. we can't fight back until their healed." He sighed

"Finn, are you saying you've been fighting with the imperium.. why would you pick a fight with them? They have more power than you think.." You spoke

"Chad sold them phony bullets, and told them he got them from us. Gunther threatened us all, to shoot up yer saloon unless we pay up.." the Irishman spoke with a sigh

"Oh, Finn.. ye shouldn't be fightin' bloody hell. I'll fuckin' punch them in the face if they leave another mark on one of me girls." You sighed

"I know, but if they shoot up yer saloon. I'll have no place to go if I need me woman.." He said

"But.. Finn. Your gonna fuckin' die if you keep fighting. Please. Your more important than some stupid saloon." You admitted to him

"Please, Mommy. Just shut up and fuck me..." He spoke quietly.

You walked over to your bed, sitting next to him.. your purple maid-like dress was in the corner with his garments in seconds.

You started to creep your way up his thighs, making your way to his cock. Before starting to Bob your head up and down.

"Gah.. Ple-Please Mommy! I'm gonna cum.."

"Go ahead, cum." You spoke firmly

Your words made him instantly cum, he looked a little embarrassed. Until you hopped up onto him

"Y'know, I've missed you a lot my love" you spoke, grinding your hips down swiftly

Your actions made Finn groan a little.

"I've.. missed.. you... too.. Mommy..." He said through small choked little groans.

"So, I'll ask ye now. What's more important? Me or the phony blame from Gable?" You asked

"Y-Y-You! M..Mommy." He moaned softly

You leaned down to kiss him, you trapped him into that kiss.

"U-Uh.. M-Mommy?"

"Yes? Finn?"

"I need to... Cum... the rules say-"

"The rules don't matter to me, I'm the owner of this place now. Your my only clientele. You can do whatever you want." You spoke

Finn sighed, and then came.

He tried to be quiet but failed, you sat there because you had came before him.

Your cunt milking every drop of cum he had in him.

He wanted to drift off to sleep, but he was hesitant.

"Go ahead, my good boy, I'll make sure you'll be ready for tomorrow when Damian and Dominik come to get you" You spoke, standing up and putting your dress back on.

[primordialscream]

today i randomly found out that yes you can still read articles from deleted websites and of course OF COURSE i had to use this knowledge to get my hands on the famous naomi & bob power couple article from 2015 (x)

[glitter-troublewind]

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cancer sun aquarius moon: princess diana , toby maguire

cancer sun pisces moon: diane kruger , robin williams

[gemtvusa]

Upcoming Movies In 2024: What new movies are going to come out in 2024?

In 2024, a diverse array of movies is set to be released, spanning various genres. Here are some of the highlights: - April 2024: Key releases include "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire," "Challengers," "The First Omen," an untitled monsters film, and "Someone Like You"​​. - May 2024: Anticipated movies include "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes," "The Garfield Movie," "Deadpool 3," "If," and "Furiosa"​​. - June 2024: Major releases are "Inside Out 2," "The Watchers," "Bad Boys 4," "Horizon: An American Saga," and "A Quiet Place: Day One"​​. - July 2024: Big titles are "Captain America: Brave New World," "Twisters," "Despicable Me 4," "Venom 3," and "Mufasa: The Lion King"​​. - August 2024: Look out for "Alien: Romulus," "Kraven the Hunter," "Borderlands," "Speak No Evil," and "Harold and the Purple Crayon"​​. - September 2024: "Transformers One" and "Beetlejuice 2" are set to release​​. - October 2024: "Joker: Folie à Deux," "Smile 2," and "Terrifier 3" are among the key releases​​. - November 2024: The month will see releases like "Wicked," "The Amateur," "Gladiator 2," "Alto Knights," and an untitled Sony and Marvel Universe film​​. This lineup suggests an exciting year for cinema, offering a mix of sequels, new adaptations, and original content across a range of genres.

Upcoming movies in 2024 new movie release dates netflix

The movie lineup for 2024 promises an exciting array of films across various genres. While the schedule is packed with anticipated Marvel and DC superhero movies, there's also a notable surge in horror films. However, the offerings extend beyond just superhero adventures and horror stories. The 2024 movie calendar is rich and diverse, catering to a wide range of cinematic tastes and preferences. From action-packed blockbusters to unique indie films, there's something for everyone in the upcoming year.

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January 2024 is set to kick off with an exciting mix of movie releases: - Night Swim - Starring: Kerry Condon, Wyatt Russell - Release Date: January 5, 2024 - The Beekeeper - Rating: R - Starring: Jason Statham, Josh Hutcherson - Release Date: January 12, 2024 - The Book of Clarence - Starring: Lakeith Stanfield, Benedict Cumberbatch - Release Date: January 12, 2024 - Lift (Netflix Release) - Rating: PG-13 - Starring: Kevin Hart, Gugu Mbatha-Raw - Release Date: January 12, 2024 - Mean Girls - Starring: Angourie Rice, Auli’i Cravalho - Release Date: January 12, 2024 - Distant - Rating: PG-13 - Starring: Anthony Ramos, Naomi Scott - Release Date: January 19, 2024 - The Tiger’s Apprentice (Paramount+ Release) - Starring: Michelle Yeoh, Sandra Oh - Release Date: January 19, 2024 - The Underdoggs - Starring: Snoop Dogg, Tika Sumpter - Release Date: January 26, 2024 This lineup offers a variety of genres, from action and comedy to drama, appealing to a wide range of audiences.

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February 2024 will see the release of several notable movies: - Argylle (Theatrical Release) - Starring: Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard - Release Date: February 2, 2024 - Imaginary - Starring: Betty Buckley, Brooklyn Majors - Release Date: February 2, 2024 - It Ends With Us - Starring: Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni - Release Date: February 9, 2024 - Lisa Frankenstein - Starring: Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse - Release Date: February 9, 2024 - Untitled Dirty Dancing Project - Release Date: February 9, 2024 - Bob Marley: One Love - Starring: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Lashanna Lynch - Release Date: February 14, 2024 - Madame Web - Starring: Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney - Release Date: February 14, 2024 - What About Love - Starring: Sharon Stone, Andy Garcia - Release Date: February 14, 2024 - Lights Out - Starring: Frank Grillo, Scott Adkins - Release Date: February 16, 2024 - Drive-Away Dolls - Rating: R - Starring: Pedro Pascal, Matt Damon - Release Date: February 23, 2024 - Ordinary Angels - Rating: PG - Starring: Hilary Swank, Alan Ritchson - Release Date: February 23, 2024 This month features a mix of genres, including action, drama, and biopics, headlined by films such as "Madame Web" and "Bob Marley: One Love."

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March 2024 is set to be an exciting month for movie releases, including some highly anticipated titles: - Dune: Part Two - Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya - Release Date: March 1, 2024 - The Fall Guy - Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt - Release Date: March 1, 2024 - Kung Fu Panda 4 - Starring: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie - Release Date: March 8, 2024 - Rayman's Big Movie - Release Date: March 8, 2024 - Mickey 17 - Starring: Robert Pattinson, Toni Collette - Release Date: March 29, 2024 - Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire - Starring: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon - Release Date: March 29, 2024 This month will feature a variety of genres, from the epic continuation of "Dune" to the animated fun of "Kung Fu Panda 4," and the new installment in the "Ghostbusters" franchise.

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April 2024 will see the release of several notable movies, including a new chapter in the saga of iconic monsters: - Untitled M. Night Shyamalan Project - Release Date: April 5, 2024 - Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire - Starring: Dan Stevens, Rebecca Hall - Release Date: April 12, 2024 - Challengers - Rating: R - Starring: Zendaya, Josh O'Connor - Release Date: April 26, 2024 - Unsung Hero - Starring: Joel Smallbone, Daisy Betts - Release Date: April 26, 2024 This lineup includes a mix of genres and promises some highly anticipated entertainment, particularly with the continuation of the Godzilla and Kong saga.

MAY 2024 MOVIE RELEASES

May 2024 is set to be a thrilling month for movie releases, featuring a mix of action, comedy, and adventure: - Deadpool 3 - Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman - Release Date: May 3, 2024 - My Ex-Friend’s Wedding - Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Ariana DeBose - Release Date: May 10, 2024 - Imaginary Friends - Starring: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Matt Damon - Release Date: May 17, 2024 - Furiosa - Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth - Release Date: May 24, 2024 - Garfield - Starring: Chris Pratt, Hannah Waddingham - Release Date: May 24, 2024 - Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes - Starring: Owen Teague, Freya Allen - Release Date: May 24, 2024 This lineup includes highly anticipated titles like "Deadpool 3" and "Furiosa," promising a diverse and exciting cinematic experience.

JUNE 2024 MOVIE RELEASES

June 2024 promises an exciting array of movie releases across various genres: - Ballerina - Starring: Ana de Armas, Keanu Reeves - Release Date: June 7, 2024 - The Watchers - Starring: Dakota Fanning - Release Date: June 7, 2024 - Bad Boys 4 - Starring: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence - Release Date: June 14, 2024 - Inside Out 2 - Starring: Amy Poehler, Lewis Black - Release Date: June 14, 2024 - A Quiet Place: Day One - Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Joseph Quinn - Release Date: June 28, 2024 - Horizon: An American Saga - Starring: Kevin Costner, Jena Malone - Release Date: June 28, 2024 - Horrorscope - Starring: Jacob Batalon, Alana Boden - Release Date: June 28, 2024 From the action-packed "Ballerina" to the emotional journey in "Inside Out 2," and the thrilling continuation of "A Quiet Place," June 2024 has something for every movie enthusiast.

JULY 2024 MOVIE RELEASES

July 2024 is set to feature some exciting movie releases: - Despicable Me 4 - Starring: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig - Release Date: July 3, 2024 - Mufasa: The Lion King - Starring: Aaron Pierre, Seth Rogen - Release Date: July 5, 2024 - Twisters - Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell - Release Date: July 19, 2024 - Captain America: Brave New World - Starring: Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford - Release Date: July 26, 2024 This month will see Anthony Mackie's debut as Captain America in a feature film, alongside the continuation of popular franchises like "Despicable Me" and "The Lion King."

AUGUST 2024 MOVIE RELEASES

August 2024 will bring a variety of new movies: - Harold and the Purple Crayon - Starring: Zachary Levi, Zooey Deschanel - Release Date: August 2, 2024 - Trap - Starring: Rolando Davila-Beltran - Release Date: August 2, 2024 - Borderlands - Starring: Ariana Greenblatt, Jamie Lee Curtis - Release Date: August 9, 2024 - Flint Strong - Starring: Brian Tyree Henry, Olunike Adeliyi - Release Date: August 9, 2024 - Speak No Evil - Starring: James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis - Release Date: August 9, 2024 - Alien: Romulus - Starring: Isabela Merced, Cailee Spaeny - Release Date: August 16, 2024 - Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2 - Starring: Kevin Costner, Isabelle Fuhrman - Release Date: August 16, 2024 - Kraven The Hunter - Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Russell Crowe - Release Date: August 30, 2024 This lineup includes a range from family-friendly adventures to thrilling action and horror.

SEPTEMBER 2024 MOVIE RELEASES

September 2024 will feature two highly anticipated movie releases: - Beetlejuice 2 - Starring: Michael Keaton, Jenna Ortega - Release Date: September 6, 2024 - Transformers One - Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth - Release Date: September 13, 2024 This month is marked by the return of iconic franchises with the sequel to "Beetlejuice" and a new animated feature in the "Transformers" series.

OCTOBER 2024 MOVIE RELEASES

October 2024 will see the release of some thrilling and possibly terrifying movies, just in time for Halloween: - Joker: Folie á Deux - Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga - Release Date: October 4, 2024 - Smile 2 - Release Date: October 18, 2024 - Terrifier 3 - Starring: David Howard Thornton - Release Date: October 25, 2024 This month will be marked by the DC musical sequel "Joker: Folie á Deux" and the slasher sequel "Terrifier 3," among other releases.

NOVEMBER 2024 MOVIE RELEASES

November 2024 will feature several high-profile movie releases, including a much-anticipated adaptation of a Broadway musical: - The Amateur - Starring: Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan - Release Date: November 8, 2024 - Untitled Venom Sequel - Starring: Tom Hardy, Juno Temple - Release Date: November 8, 2024 - Alto Knights - Starring: Robert De Niro, Debra Messing - Release Date: November 14, 2024 - Gladiator 2 - Starring: Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington - Release Date: November 22, 2024 - Wicked: Part One - Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande - Release Date: November 27, 2024 This month promises a diverse range of films, from the big-screen adaptation of "Wicked" to the sequel of "Gladiator" and the latest installment in the "Venom" series.

DECEMBER 2024 MOVIE RELEASES

December 2024 is set to end the year with several big movie releases: - Karate Kid - Release Date: December 13, 2024 - The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim - Starring: Brian Cox, Miranda Otto - Release Date: December 13, 2024 - Thunderbolts - Starring: Harrison Ford, Florence Pugh - Release Date: December 20, 2024 - Sonic the Hedgehog 3 - Starring: James Marsden, Ben Schwartz - Release Date: December 20, 2024 - Untitled Fourth Jordan Peele Film - Release Date: December 25, 2024 This month will see a range of films from a new "Karate Kid" to the expansion of the Marvel Universe with "Thunderbolts," and the return of "Sonic the Hedgehog." In 2024, several eagerly awaited movies are expected, though their exact release dates are yet to be announced: - Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley (Netflix Release) - Starring: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold - Damsel (Netflix Release) - Starring: Millie Bobby Brown, Angela Bassett - El Muerto - A Family Affair (Netflix Release) - Starring: Joey King, Nicole Kidman - Here - Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright - Janet Planet - Starring: Julianne Nicholson, Zoe Ziegler - MaXXXine - Starring: Mia Goth, Halsey - Problemista - Rating: R - Starring: Julio Torres, Tilda Swinton - Spaceman (Netflix Release) - Starring: Adam Sandler, Carey Mulligan - Spellbound (Apple TV+ Release) - Starring: Rachel Zegler - Spider-Man: Beyond The Spider-Verse - Starring: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld - They Listen - Starring: Katherine Waterston, Riki Lindhome - Tuesday - Starring: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lola Petticrew These titles, spanning various genres and featuring an array of notable stars, are part of what makes 2024 an exciting year for movies. Read the full article

[fashionbooksmilano]

Nick Cave Forothermore

Edited with text by Naomi Beckwith. Foreword by Madeleine Grynsztejn. Text by Romi Crawford, Antwaun Sargent, Malik Gaines, Krista Thompson, Meida Teresa McNeal. Interviews by Naomi Beckwith, Nick Cave, Nona Hendryx, Linda Johnson Rice, Damita Jo Freeman.  Designed by Bob Faust

DelMonico Books/Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, 2022, 304 pages, 27,9 x 2,29 cm,  ISBN  9781942884965

euro 80,00

email if you want to buy :booksinprogressmilano@yahoo.it

With a wealth of images and commentary, this is the essential career survey of Cave's socially responsive art

The definitive volume on the ever-evolving and shape-shifting work of the Chicago-based artist, Nick Cave: Forothermore highlights the way Cave’s practice has shifted and continues to shift in response to our history and current moment of cultural crisis. Including several new, never-before-seen works, the book shows an artist at the height of his power.  Addressing topics ranging from art history to social justice, Nick Cave:Forothermore includes essays from Naomi Beckwith, Romi Crawford, Antwaun Sargent, Malik Gaines, Krista Thompson and Meida Teresa McNeal. Punctuating these contributions are interviews with the artist exploring his life, work and teaching practice, as well as a roundtable discussion between Cave and dancer Damita Jo Freeman, musician Nona Hendryx and publisher Linda Johnson Rice on Cave's art and influences, as well as pivotal cultural phenomena from Soul Train to Ebony magazine. Nick Cave: Forothermore reveals the way art, music, fashion and performance can help us envision a more just future.

Nick Cave (born 1959) is an artist and educator working between the visual and performing arts through a wide range of mediums, including sculpture, installation, video, sound and performance. Cave is well known for his Soundsuits, sculptural forms based on the scale of his body, initially created in direct response to the police beating of Rodney King in 1991. Cave has had major exhibitions at MASS MoCA (2016), Cranbrook Art Museum (2015), Saint Louis Art Museum (2014–15), ICA Boston (2014), Denver Art Museum (2013), Seattle Art Museum (2011) and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (2009), among others. Cave lives and works in Chicago.

05/01/23

orders to:     booksinprogressmilano@yahoo.it

ordini a:        booksinprogressmilano@yahoo.it

twitter:         @fashionbooksmi

instagram:   fashionbooksmilano, designbooksmilano tumblr:          fashionbooksmilano, designbooksmilano

[artificialqueens]

🎁 Donut Ever Leave (Naochob) for Candy Cane - Veronica

SECRET QUEEN 2022 by @veronicasanders

For @artificialcandycane, who is a being of pure light and the whole reason this exchange is even happening. I love you, my beautiful friend. 

***

“Owww…” Kim moaned softly as she reached across the coffee table for Butter’s favorite toy: a little velvet donut with pink frosting and sprinkles. (“Like mother, like son,” Bob had quipped when Butter first fell in love with the toy.) As much as Kim loved her precious little French bulldog, her whole body ached and throbbed. 

And it was Trinity’s fault. 

Well, actually it was Bianca and Courtney’s fault, for deciding to have a big 21st birthday party for their youngest daughter, complete with an open bar, at a damn ice-skating rink. And if Kim was a bad ice skater under normal circumstances, she was especially bad when she was drinking. 

She lost track of how many times she fell, but it was probably around 147. Many times, she’d taken Naomi down with her, both of them landing in a giggling heap on the ice. It was funny at the time. Not quite so much in the cold, cruel, sober morning. 

So that’s why she decided, when taking the Tylenol that Naomi handed her earlier, that the bruises covering her legs and arms were Trinity’s fault. 

“Ugh,” she groaned, reaching a bit further towards the donut toy, just as Bob came into the room with a big smile on her face. 

“Are you still whining?” Bob joked, setting down a tray of steaming mugs and pushing the toy that alluded Kim’s grasp towards her. 

“Yes. I hurt,” Kim pouted, taking the donut and holding it towards Butter, who yipped and ran in several little circles on the sofa cushion before taking it from her excitedly. 

“Poor baby…” Bob cooed, settling down beside her and handing over a mug of hot cocoa, pressing a kiss to Kim’s temple in the process. “Next time, you should consider staying upright.” 

“Omigod!” Kim widened her eyes in pretend amazement. “What a great idea, Roberta! Thank you so much!”

“You’re welcome!” 

Bob grinned, and Kim let out a dry chuckle, shaking her head. She tasted a little of the hot cocoa, concluding that it was just a touch too hot. She blew on it for a few moments. 

“I’m really glad that my wisdom is helpful,” Bob added, covering them both with a soft fleece blanket before reaching for her own mug. 

“Shut up,” Kim said good-naturedly, leaning a head on Bob’s shoulder and snuggling in closer. 

“I brought you some more Tylenol,” Bob murmured, handing her a couple of pills.

“Thanks,” she said, giving Bob a gentle kiss on the cheek. Bob talked tough, but deep down, she was a big softie. Actually, not that deep down. In fact, she hadn’t fooled Kim with that hardass act for a second.

Butter curled up in her lap, still clutching the donut in his mouth and almost immediately falling asleep. He must be winded from running around the couch for 10 minutes, Kim realized. Like mother, like son. She took another little sip of the cocoa. Perfect. She then took a big, satisfying gulp to swallow the pills, letting the warmth spread through her body. 

She let out a contented sigh as Bob nuzzled into the top of her head. The only sound in the room was Butter’s gentle snoring and the crackling from the fire Bob had lit earlier, when Kim returned from their afternoon walk shivering and damp.  

“Hmm…” 

“What?” Kim asked, tilting her head slightly to look up at Bob. 

“I was just thinking how nice and quiet it is now that Monet went home.” 

“Oh please,” Kim said, slapping Bob gently on the thigh. “You love it when she’s here.” 

“I do, but I love it more when she leaves. She’s a pain in my ass…” 

Kim laughed. Monet and Bob had the kind of boisterous, close-knit, chaotic relationship that always made her wish she had siblings of her own. Not that Monet, or any of Naomi’s billion brothers and sisters, didn’t treat her like family. Every one of them, even Monet, had treated her almost gingerly at first, perhaps assuming that her quiet personality was synonymous with weakness. Of course, as soon as they heard her crack a few of her signature shady jokes, they’d realized they were wrong and embraced her fully. 

Monet had stayed with them for a week before returning to New York. (“New Jersey,” Bob always corrected, even though Monet’s Weehawken apartment was less than 10 minutes from Manhattan, “The bitch lives in New Jersey.”) She’d allegedly come for Trinity’s party, but of course the chance to go off the rails with Adore and bicker with Bob for a week had been the real incentive.

“Well, tell me if you start to miss her and I’ll find something to argue with you about,” said Kim. 

“Please don’t do me any favors,” Bob said. “And anyway, I’m mostly just glad that evil cat is gone.” 

“Colleen isn’t evil, she’s just misunderstood,” Naomi announced, walking into the room with a big plastic box. 

“She’s evil,” Bob countered. “With her alien-looking head and White Devil eyes.”

“Omigod, are you being reverse racist again?” Naomi asked, cocking her hip. 

“That is not a thing-” 

“Hey! What’s in the box?!” Kim cut in. She wasn’t about to let that tired argument play out again. Especially since Naomi only did it to rile Bob up. A very Monet-like move, now that Kim thought about it. 

“Decorations!” Naomi said, opening the box. “For the tree. I got them from my mom yesterday.” 

“Oh lord,” Bob rolled her eyes. 

The tree was another long-running debate in their cozy little household. Bob wanted to take it down on December 26th, saying that their apartment was too small and the tree was too big, and, but Kim was a fan of leaving it up through the New Year, at least. It was so cute, full of ornaments they’d bought on travels together, or made themselves during long nights of crafting. Naomi disagreed with both of them, saying that she had post-Christmas plans for the tree. Bob wasn’t happy when the two of them out-voted her, but went along with it.

It was almost the end of January now, more than a month past Christmas, and even Kim was starting to get sick of the tree. But when she’d suggested that maybe it was time to take it down for the year, Naomi had insisted that she still had a plan, which thus far had only manifested in her stripping most of the ornaments off, save for a few little silver, gold, and red balls that had been part of a set. (“I’ll do it this weekend, I swear!” she hissed, while Bob was in the shower, and Kim agreed to side with her for another few days.)

“Relax, baby, you’re gonna love it,” Naomi said, pulling a long something-or-other from the box. 

“What the hell is that?” Bob asked. 

“A heartland.” Naomi took the long strand of red and pink crocheted hearts and began wrapping it around the tree. It was clear that Naomi’s mom had made it, in all her spare time when not running after 12 children and nearly 25 grandchildren (so far).

Bob gave Kim a Look, whispering, “Heartland?” 

“Heart plus garland,” Kim explained kindly. 

“Yeah, I get it, thanks.” Bob rolled her eyes once again.

“You’re welcome,” Kim giggled, settling back against the pillows, and Bob’s shoulder. Between the medication, her cozy spot on the sofa, and the hot cocoa, her aches and pains were beginning to fade. She watched as Naomi hummed to herself, winding the hearts in and out of branches.

“So…this was your big plan for the tree?” Bob asked. 

Naomi turned toward them with a smile, nodding. “Yep. Isn’t it cute? She also made these snowflakes! And a bunch of other heart ornaments. It’s gonna be a Valentine’s tree.” 

“Well,” Bob started, and Kim pinched her thigh under the blanket. “Yeah, now that I’m seeing it, it’s very…uh…”

“Adorable,” Kim finished. “It’s adorable.” 

“Yeah…adorable.” Bob said. 

Naomi chuckled. “Don’t worry, you’ll like it once it’s all put together.”

“Werk.”

Kim’s eyelids began to feel heavy, and she put down her mug, letting herself rest for a bit. She didn’t even realize that she’d dozed off until Naomi began peppering her face with soft kisses, thumbs stroking her cheeks. 

“Good morning…” Kim mumbled, and Naomi laughed, depositing Butter into her lap and curling up beside her. 

“Good morning. It’s almost seven pm,” Naomi said. 

“Wait, really?!” Kim sat up straighter, glancing out at the window and surprised to see that it was in fact dark out. 

“Yeah, really. Don’t worry, I walked and fed your son. And Bob is making dinner. But here, we think you should take some more Tylenol.” 

“Oh my god…” Kim accepted the pills and a glass of water, grateful that her girlfriends were taking such good care of her—and the dog that she’d insisted on getting, over their objections. 

“What do you think of the tree?” Naomi asked, gesturing to the corner, where their former Christmas tree had been transformed into a Valentine’s day extravaganza, exploding with handcrafted pink and red hearts of all different sizes, delicate silver snowflakes, shimmering white tinsel, pretty little bows, and twinkling lights. 

“It’s incredible! Baby, you did all this?” Kim squealed, and Naomi nodded, lacing their fingers together. 

“You took a nice long nap.” 

“What does Roberta think?” 

“Roberta is pleasantly surprised by how it all turned out,” Bob cut in, sailing in from the kitchen with a big crock pot that could only mean one thing: her famous chili. "It's not nearly as hideously tacky as I expected."

“That smells fantastic!” Kim enthused, unable to contain her glee. “But do you want to eat in the kitchen? Cause I haven’t moved my lazy ass in hours, so-” 

“Just keep your sweet, lazy ass where it is,” Bob said. “Nae, can you help me grab the rest of the stuff?” 

“Sure!” 

In no time, the three of them were eating hot bowls of Bob’s delicious chili, piled high with various toppings, and thick wedges of Kim’s favorite cornbread slathered in butter. It was exactly what she wanted on a day like this. 

Afterwards, she stretched out on the sofa with her head in Naomi’s lap and her feet in Bob’s, Butter curled in a ball on her chest. Naomi ran her fingers gently through her hair, while Bob rubbed her sore feet. Soon, she was so relaxed, she thought she might sink into the sofa and never get up. 

Right before she drifted off, her last thought was how absolutely lucky she was, and how she wouldn’t trade her life, or the people in it, for anything.

[bosquedemel]

i was tagged by @paty-ofarrell to write "8 shows to get to know me better". thanks <333

bob's burgers: the ultimate show, funny and sweet

seinfeld + everybody loves raymond: shows i watched in their entirety before the age of 14 which probably explains a lot abt me

the x-files: essential viewing

game of thrones: because it was an Event at least for the first 4 seasons and it was a big part of my tumblr experience for those few years (also as a fan of the books). then i stopped watching

the thick of it + veep: stan armando ianucci

the expanse: made me obsessed in a way i hadn't experienced in some time. naomi nagata goat

the last kingdom: increased my interest in the middle ages especially post-roman collapse and pre-year 1000

abbott elementary + star trek: strange new worlds: most recent shows i super enjoyed. watch them

HM: succession and joss whedon's Angel. i have to mention it because i watched it when it aired and i adored it even though i never watched buffy and in fact never managed to get into it. also CSI: Las Vegas which was the goat

tagging @momo-de-avis, @spacesweepers, @annie-knowby, @agameofstarks and anyone else who wants to do it!

[contrivedcoincidences6]

10 fandoms, 10 characters, 10 tags

Thank you @atthstwiceismylegacy for the tag! 

1. Star Wars: Leia Organa

2. The X Files: Dana Scully

3. A League of Their Own: Max Chapman

4. Parks and Rec: Ben Wyatt

5. What We Do in the Shadows: Guillermo De La Cruz

6.  Our Flag Means Death: Jim Jimenez

7. The Expanse: Naomi Nagata 

8. The West Wing: C.J. Cregg

9. Bob’s Burgers: Tina Belcher

10. Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts: Kipo

I’ll tag @edierone @alittlemissfit @soloorganaas @baronessblixen @observeroftheuniverse @organanation @thesandwichincident @yoyomarules @megjoy @ewokkey

[shikonstar]

Tag 9 People You Would Like to Get to Know Better

Thanks, @somekndofnature!

three ships: Inu/Kag (Obviously), Vegebul, Nalu, Tohru/Kyo

last song: Broken Hearts Parade - Good Charlotte

last movie: Glass Onion

currently reading: The Golden Enclaves - Naomi Novik (when I actually have a few spare minutes to look at an actual page)

currently watching: The X-Files, Bob's Burgers, Shadows House, and getting ready to watch Inuyasha. Again. For reasons.

currently consuming: Peppermint Mocha coffee. On the mug warmer I got for Christmas. It is a GAME CHANGER.

currently craving: Stroganoff.

I'm gonna tag a few people I haven't seen do this recently, but don't feel like you have to--and feel free to join in if I didn't tag you! @dchelyst @heynikkiyousofine @queerkagome

[theultimatefan]

FAN EXPO Chicago Celebrates 50 Years Of All Things Fandom With The World’s Greatest Comic Creators

Fifty years ago, fandom was changed forever when Nostalgia ‘72 took over the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont Illinois, creating the first space in the midwest for fans to gather and celebrate comics. Now known as FAN EXPO Chicago, the convention will return for its biggest show yet - bringing an incredible round-up of legendary celebrities, comic creators, voice actors and cosplayers to the Windy City from July 7 to July 10.

To celebrate the golden anniversary, FAN EXPO Chicago has assembled an incredible roster of superstar comic artists and writers, headlined by legends Brian Michael Bendis (writer, creator of “Naomi”), Geoff Johns (writer, creator of “Stargirl”), Joe Quesada (CCO, Marvel Entertainment) Greg Capullo (“Batman”), Marc Silvestri (celebrating 30 years of Image Comics), Kevin Smith (“Daredevil”), Leinil Francis Yu (“X-Men”), Jorge Molina (“Batman”) and dozens of others.

In 1972, Chicago collectibles dealer and local school teacher Nancy Warner made history when she united 2,000 of Chicago’s biggest comic fans in the midwest’s first ever comic and collectibles convention. Beginning as a space by and for comic collectors, and expanding to include exhibits, attractions and celebrities from all walks of fandom, what is now known as FAN EXPO Chicago is gearing up for its biggest year ever - while paying homage to the traditional comic culture that started it all.

“While the phrase ‘comic con’ continues to grow in popularity with convention groups throughout the world, it sometimes feels like those groups have left the actual comics in the dust,” said Andrew Moyes, vice president of FAN EXPO HQ. “Fandom culture is more than just blockbuster movies - it’s a deep loyalty to and appreciation of the classics and a celebration of the everlasting impact those comics, characters and creators have had on each of us. At FAN EXPO Chicago, we’re working to take the fan experience to new levels, while also staying true to the root of who we - and our guests - are.”

Other standout creators attending include Zeb Wells (“Amazing Spider-Man"), Jock (“Batman: One Dark Knight”), Steve McNiven (“Star Wars”), Jose Luis Garcia Lopez (legendary artist, “Batman vs Hulk”), Dike Ruan (“Shang-Chi”), Michael Golden (legendary artist, "Batman,” “Daredevil”), David Mack (“Kabuki,” “Jessica Jones”, Ben Templesmith (“Wormwood,” “30 Days of Night” and Tony Harris (“Starman,” Ex Machina”). See the full creator list and keep an eye out for more additions at https://fanexpohq.com/fanexpochicago/comic-creators/.

Comic fans will particularly revel in the special Comic Guest VIP packages just announced featuring Heroes in the Windy City, Jock, Silvestri, McNiven and more. See the full list at https://fanexpohq.com/fanexpochicago/comic-guest-special-event-packages.

In addition, superstar celebrities will reunite, including “the Hobbits” of the iconic Lord of the Rings trilogy (Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd), Stargirl’s Brec Bassinger, The Book Of Boba Fett’s Ming-Na Wen and stars from The Mandalorian, Jay and Silent Bob, Clerks, Cobra Kai, Star Trek, as well as a stacked roster of voice actors includes Futurama’s Billy West, Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ Ashley Eckstein and the hottest leads from My Hero Academia and Demon Slayer. With additional guests and attractions representing dozens of the greatest franchises across genres and decades, the massive lineup will create the ultimate playground for fans of comics, sci-fi, horror, anime, gaming and more.

FAN EXPO Chicago will host attractions for fans of all ages and fandoms, including panels, autograph sessions, photo-ops and meet-and-greets and retailers and artists from all over the world selling unique merchandise, artwork, memorabilia, comic books and collectables. Exclusives for FAN EXPO Chicago include DC Batman #251 Special Chicago Edition, 50th Fan Expo Chicago exclusive/limited edition: bag, t-shirt, pin and many others.

FAN EXPO Chicago will take place from July 7 until July 10 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. The show will be open from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Thursday, 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Tickets start at $22 and can be purchased at www.fanexpohq.com/fanexpochicago/buy-tickets/. For more information and to stay up-to-date on new guests and attractions, visit www.fanexpohq.com/fanexpochicago.

[prnanayarquah]

BOB MARLEY MOVIE ONE LOVE HITS THEATRES FEBRUARY 14TH

New Post has been published on https://plugzafrica.com/bob-marley-movie-one-love-hits-theatres-february-14th/

BOB MARLEY MOVIE ONE LOVE HITS THEATRES FEBRUARY 14TH

Bob Marley’s One Love tells the story of how reggae icon Bob Marley overcame adversity, and the journey behind his revolutionary music. The movie celebrates the life and music of an icon who inspired generations through his message of love and unity. On the big screen for the first time, Bob’s powerful story of overcoming adversity and the journey behind his revolutionary music is shared.

One of the preview’s most intense moments comes during a scene chronicling December 1976, when a crew of men attempted to assassinate Marley inside his home with his wife and children. “No guns can stop this message,” Ben-Adir’s Marley says in the trailer, accompanied by a version of “Three Little Birds.”

Along with chronicling Marley’s rise to fame, One Love also highlights his historic performance at the One Love Peace Concert in Kingston, Jamaica in April 1978, which aimed to heal the rupture between the country’s two major political parties, Jamaica Labour Party and People’s National Party.

Outside of Ben-Adir, other actors in the cast include Lashana Lynch, who plays Bob Marley’s wife, Rita, James Norton as Chris Blackwell, Anna-Sharé Blake (aka Sevana) as Judy Mowatt, Naomi Cowan as Marcia Griffiths, Umi Myers as Cindy Breakspeare, Aston Barrett Jr. as Family Man Barrett, Gawaine “J-Summa” Campbell as Antonio ‘Gillie’ Gilbert, David Kerr (aka Davo) as Junior Marvin, Hector Roots Lewis as Carlton Carly Barrett, Sheldon Shepherd (Yardie) as Neville Garrick, and Stefan A.D Wade as Seeco Patterson.

Before Ziggy Marley approached Kingsley Ben-Adir to play his late father in the film, the actor had already portrayed larger-than-life historical figures like Malcolm X (in One Night In Miami) and Barack Obama (in the miniseries The Comey Rule). But Ben-Adir had no musical experience or capabilities. “I was completely convinced that there’s no point in auditioning for this,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “I can’t sing. I can’t dance.”

However, the director was looking to cast an actor rather than a musician to play the reggae icon. “I was more interested in his acting,” Green told The Observer.  “The same way that I approached King Richard, the two young actresses that play Venus and Serena [Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton] had no sports capabilities whatsoever. It’s about being great actors – and then training.”

Ben-Adir learned to sing and play guitar for the role, performing all the songs with his own voice during filming, while the final film combines his voice with Marley’s archival recordings. “Bob’s not someone you can choreograph or copy,” he told EW. “His singing and dancing are from an internal experience, so you really have to find your own version of that for yourself.”

The actor went to work studying Bob and listening to over 50 rare archival Marley interviews to learn his Jamaican Patois and way of speaking.  “The more I dug into Bob,” he shared, “the more I realized that music was really everything to him. It really saved him, and he separated himself from other artists around that time.”

The film was directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, who made his studio directorial debut with King Richard, which featured Will Smith as Richard Williams, who coached his daughters Venus and Serena into becoming tennis superstars. It received six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, with a best actor win for Smith.

The film was written by screenwriters Zach Baylin, who also worked on King Richard, The Wolf of Wall Street’s Terence Winter, and Shooting Stars’ Frank E. Flowers. The film was produced in partnership with members of the Marley family, including his wife Rita Marley, son Ziggy Marley, and daughter Cedella Marley produced.

Green also spoke on the family’s concern that Marley is portrayed “in a way that feels authentic and meaningful,” he told The Guardian.

Ziggy Marley shared a statement reflecting on the monumental biopic. He said: “Nothing happens before its time, and now is the time for the story of our father Bob Marley to be represented in a biopic theatrical release coming in 2024. You’ve heard the music, and you think you know the man but do you really understand what he went through and what moments shaped him into the person he became…this film will bring you to witness for the first time what it was like to be around the legend, to see his pain his sorrows his joys and his redemption.” He adds that “the cast and crew represent one of the most unique creations to ever come out of a Hollywood studio.”