#he looks devastatingly stunning in designer

[nateezfics]

he looks so expensive; like he could buy my entire existence if he wanted.

[kittenofdoomage]

Risk And Reward

Fandom: Supernatural

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Lawyer!Sam Winchester x female!reader

Prompt: LawyerSammy - fucking his secretary in his office - pining after his secretary and finally making a move

Word Count: 1653

Warnings: interoffice sexual encounters, power imbalance, smut, dirty talk

It had been six months of hell since you’d been picked from the pool to be Sam Winchester’s new assistant since Rita retired and you could understand why she had. Aside from the fact that your boss was devastatingly handsome, he also had a ridiculous workload, and he didn’t seem to be happy with your work no matter how perfect you tried to be.

You’d finally hit breaking point after the last client, despite landing the account easily. Sam’s temper was getting worse and he was beginning to become downright rude towards you. A friend on the other side of town had put your name forward for a position at a rival firm and you’d accepted, typing up a resignation letter that was sitting on your desk, waiting to be handed to Sam in person.

He’d just finished a meeting and had requested not to be disturbed for lunch. You waited until the designated time and picked up your letter, knocking politely on his office door and waiting for him to grant you entry.

Your nerves grew as you stepped into the office, finding him at the window, staring out over the city with his hands in his pockets.

“What is it, Y/N?” he asked, sounding weary.

“Um, I needed to give you something,” you forced out, trying not to shake as you approached, stopping a few meters behind him and holding your letter out.

Sam turned, dark eyes landing on you, then the letter. He took it, tearing it open as he watched you for a second before looking down to read the contents. His expression was indistinguishable and you waited nervously, wringing your hands. “I see,” he murmured.

“I’m happy to work out my notice here or I can help in general admin,” you stammered, avoiding his gaze as it settled on you.

“May I ask you something?”

The request stunned you and you felt silent, nodding hesitantly.

“Are you leaving because of me?” You froze, unsure how to answer. His lips twitched and he chuckled, shaking his head. “I must confess, Y/N, it would be a shame to lose such a talented assistant. It’s rare to find someone so competent in their abilities.”

You couldn’t help the outburst. “Then why are you so mean to me?” you demanded.

He blinked. “Excuse me?”

“You never said thank you,” you whispered miserably. “Not once. I busted my ass for six months and you’ve treated me like I have the plague or something.” His expression remained neutral and you felt like you could growl in frustration. “Yes. I’m leaving because of you. I love the work here, Mr. Winchester, but the atmosphere is… it’s toxic.”

For a second, he stared at you, then he dropped his chin to his chest, looking at the letter again. “It wasn’t my intention to be toxic,” he said quietly. “But I have a good reason for my behavior, if you would like to hear it.” You lifted your chin, folding your arms across your chest. “The problem is, if I tell you, there could be consequences, so I would request that you take what you hear lightly, and if it offends you, you are free to leave now, and you’ll be paid until the end of your notice period.”

The announcement was strange and piqued your curiosity. You took a breath, watching him closely. “What’s the reason?” you asked tentatively.

Sam smiled. “It’s stupid really. I find you incredibly attractive and I thought simply disregarding you would make it easier not to imagine bending you over my desk and fucking you blind.”

Your jaw dropped in tandem with your arms. The beat of your heart sped up a little, moisture pooling in your panties as you stared at him, almost unable to process what he’d just said. He waited, watching, an expression on his face that was a mixture of amusement and… expectation.

“As I said,” he muttered, standing a little straighter, “you’re free to leave.”

“Y-you… you find me attractive?”

He tilted his head. “Out of everything I said, that’s the thing you question?”

You spluttered, feeling heat creep up your neck. “I mean, that last part was - and the -” Huffing, you took a step back. “I really wasn’t expecting that. I thought you just hated me or something.”

“The polar opposite,” he drawled, holding up your letter. “You really don’t have to leave. I can… amend my attitude.”

“How?” you asked, making no move to take the letter back. “I mean, you just told me you want to, to - there’s a phrase for that, Mr. Winchester. It’s called sexual harassment.”

“Which is exactly the reason I never acted on my feelings,” he pointed out. “But I didn’t intend on making you feel like you have the plague. You’re a charming and capable young woman, Y/N. I would be remiss as an employer to let you go without a fight.”

You couldn’t get the image out of your head, of letting him do exactly as he’d said. There was no doubt in your mind that Sam Winchester would be an amazing lover, though the moral implications and possible consequences for your career could be difficult. “Can you promise you won’t be an ass?”

He smirked. “I can’t promise to never be an ass, we all have bad days.”

“Okay then, don’t treat me like you hate me. I might only be an assistant, Mr. Winchester, but I’m good at my job and I enjoy it.”

“It’s Sam,” he replied.

“Huh?”

“You can call me Sam.”

“Sam,” you tested, feeling an odd warmth in your belly.

His eyes darkened. “Maybe that’s a bad idea,” he murmured, unconsciously closing the gap between you. “Hearing you say my name…” He went still, looking down at you hungrily. “This is why I distanced myself. You have this affect on me that makes me want to -”

There was a warning on the tip of your tongue, a voice trying to remind you that he was your boss, that any encounter with him was probably the worst idea, but he was magnetic, pulling you in with simply a look. You lifted your chin, meeting his gaze boldly.

“Make you want to what, Sam?”

His hand curled around your hip, tugging you forward until you were flush with his body. “I believe I already told you.”

The first kiss was bruising and every ounce as hungry as you expected. He dropped your letter, letting it float to the ground as he manhandled you towards the desk, glancing at the door in concern.

“Everyone’s out at the conference,” you whimpered, grabbing his hand as it shoved up underneath your skirt. He found your panties easily, plucking them to the side so he could sink a single thick digit into your soaked cunt. “Oh -”

“Sssh,” he mumbled, nipping at your throat. “Need to be quiet.”

You yelped as he shoved you forward, hauling your skirt up over your ass before pulling your panties down, sliding his finger back inside you. After a couple of thrusts, he added a second, stretching you out as you squirmed face-down on the desk. It was hard to swallow down your cries at just his fingers, so you were unsure if you’d be able to keep quiet when he fucked you.

“Tell me you want this,” he whispered, lazily fucking his fingers into you. “I need to hear it.”

“I want this,” you whined, wiggling impatiently, unable to think of anything but having him inside you. “Please.”

He groaned, and you heard the zipper lowering on his pants. Curiosity had you twitching in his hold, wanting to see him but he was too quick, pressing the blunt hot head of his cock right against your soaked hole. With one slow thrust, he was halfway inside, and you gasped as you tried not to scream, clinging to the edge of the desk as if you could ground yourself against the unbelievable pleasure.

Sam moaned low in his throat, pulling back an inch or two before sliding back inside until he was fully sheathed, panting against your back. You closed your eyes, clenching around him, smirking when he almost snarled at the sensation.

“Just so you know,” he muttered, “there’s no policy against interoffice romance here.”

“I think there’s always a policy about fucking your boss,” you hissed back, whimpering when he gave a short shallow thrust that reminded you of the thick cock inside you. “But we’re a bit beyond that now.”

“Maybe I just need to get you out of my system,” he growled, grabbing hold of your ponytail. You yelped, feeling your own body respond with a flood of moisture and he chuckled, rocking his hips into you. “You really are intriguing.”

“Are you gonna talk all afternoon or are you gonna fuck me?”

He bared his teeth, lifting a little to pull back, slamming into you with a force that made you gasp for breath. There wasn’t any more talk as he started to move in earnest, gripping your hair with one hand and your ass with the other, fucking you harder and harder on each stroke. You tried to keep quiet, unable to do anything but endure the pleasure, and it wasn’t long before you were cumming hard on his thick cock, shuddering around him until he slowed.

“You’re gonna take the afternoon off,” he hummed. “Make your decision. I can’t promise that now I’ve had a taste of you -” He punctuated his words with another hard thrust, forcing a whine from your lips. “- but the decision on what happens next is up to you. We can continue, we can stop, you can stay or go.”

“O-okay,” you managed, gasping when he pulled you up against his chest, releasing your hair to grope your tits through your shirt.

“But right now,” he continued, “I want to fill this tight little pussy up with cum.”

[sylusjinwoon]

{ 59 }

what it feels like to surprise him.

vincent fabron (CHAMBER) x fem.reader

to say chamber was pissed would be a complete understatement-

just what gave you the right to blatantly ignore him for so long??

granted, he had been quite busy with his missions and designing some new weapons, but he always made sure to free up his schedule in order to spend time with you.

so why was it when he entered the comfort of your shared room, you were nowhere to be found?

why did it seem like each time he made plans to take you out somewhere, you would always reply back by stating how busy you were before darting out of his embrace?

and the nights, oh, those long nights when he would come home from a grueling mission would be the worst. he wanted nothing more than to hold you, but you would already be sound asleep, making chamber feel guilty at the thought of waking you.

just what was going on? what was making you become so distant with him?

were you cheating on him? had you really managed to find someone better than him?

more often than not, chamber would scoff at such ridiculous thoughts, for who could ever possibly match up to him? he was the full package. rich, devastatingly handsome, and vastly intelligent.

yet sometimes, his insecurities would ultimately win, filling him with an almost indescribable despair.

was there someone out there who could give you the things that he couldn't?

was there someone out there who was willing to dedicate more of their time to you?

was there someone out there who didn't have such a checkered past like him?

yet even with all these questions circling around his mind, chamber didn't think he'd be strong enough to let you go easily-

at least, not without a fight.

today had been pretty uneventful at protocol, and his mind was so distracted with thoughts of your possible betrayal. millions of scenarios ran through his mind of what he should do when it came to saving your relationship. his footsteps echoed throughout the marble flooring of his mansion, and while he worked on loosening his tie, he was almost stunned on the spot upon hearing the sounds of your giggles.

"oh jacques, i love you so much! you're so cute!"

red hot anger was felt coursing through him when he marches toward the living room, following the sounds of your laughter. you had never once called him cute, and it had been so long since he last heard your declaration of love for him-

and you had the nerve to invite another man into his home?! oh, he was going to teach that poor man a lesson, ready to inflict an enormous amount of damage to the prick that had stolen your heart with his tour de force if he had to.

with his fists clenched, chamber pushes up his glasses back on to the bridge of his nose, ready to rip whoever this jacques was away from you. so when he finally steps into his living room, ready to confront you and your new lover, he ends up feeling all of his anger melt away upon facing what was actually in front of him.

in your arms had to be the most adorable toy poodle with a dark blue and gold ribbon wrapped around its neck. his curls of fur were off white in color as his dark, puppy dog eyes were looking at chamber in absolute and unconditional adoration. the toy poodle lets out a series of energetic barks before launching himself out of your arms and runs across the room to reach chamber.

immediately, the french marksman softens at the sight of such an adorable puppy. he kneels down so that the puppy could reach him, allowing him to settle against his expensive dress pants. chamber could feel his claws dig into the front of his shirt as the excited puppy gave him a series of wet kisses.

"ah, i assume that this is jacques, mon amour?"

you nod, standing back to your full height to join them. "yes, and i'm sorry for being so distant these past couple of weeks, but i wanted so badly to surprise you with jacques."

he chuckles richly, embracing jacques while beckoning you to come closer. you follow his directions and settle yourself on his lap with jacques pressed excitedly between both of your forms. he brings you closer, pressing his lips against your temple all while admitting, "i was so afraid you had found someone new. in fact, i was this close to using tour de force had jacques turned out to be another man."

"vincent! that's awful, i would never find another man!"

he laughs once more, grabbing a hold of your chin to press a lingering kiss against your lips, "i know i know, mon cœur. now that i know better, i promise you, you have my complete trust. just please, swear to me that you will not reject my affections for so long anymore. i hated such unnatural silence, my love."

you giggle and nuzzle the tip of your nose with his all while petting jacques, "i promise, vincent. never again will that happen. i was just so afraid that i would ruin the surprise if i spoke to you."

he grunts, "i'd rather you ruin the surprise and have your affections at all times, mon amour."

chamber surges forward, capturing your lips in yet another bruising kiss before gently biting down against your bottom lip, earning a gasp from you when you feel him whisper, "now, i believe you owe me the privledge to make up for some lost time, mon cheri."

all stories are written by rei; reposts, translations, and plagiarism are not allowed.

[obeymeoasis]

Demon Bros React: MC Compliments Them Aggresively

Warnings: A generally thirsty MC, Beel’s react has a brief mention of choking.

Lucifer

It was rare that Lucifer had time off during the afternoon and you were fully taking advantage of it. 

Holding hands, you were taking a leisurely stroll around the garden. Every few minutes you stopped to point out a flower or a bug that had caught your eye.

“Ooh Luci, look at this one! It looks like a rainbow! Oh my god, it’s so shiny, I love it!”

You heard Lucifer chuckling at you and turned to ask what was so funny when you stood still in shock at the sight before you. The glow of the afternoon sun illuminated Lucifer beautifully, his black hair almost glowing, his face open and happy, smiling at you. He looked absolutely radiant. And you were going to tell him as much.

“Oh my god Lucifer, what is wrong with you?”

Lucifer’s smile dimmed immediately and his eyes narrowed. “Love, whatever do you mean?” His voice was careful and tense.

“I mean, it is illegal for you to look that good! Oh my god! Do you see you? You look like a greek god like what in the actual world!”

Lucifer’s mouth opened in surprise at your sudden outburst.

“How are you even my boyfriend? Like you’re literally glowing Luci. Oh my god my eyes, you’re too bright I can’t even look at you!”

Lucifer blinked a couple of times as if to clear his head. Slowly a satisfied smirk replaced his confused look and he moved to press a kiss against the back of your hand.

“Love, what on earth has gotten into you today?”

“What, I’m not allowed to compliment my boyfriend?”

“Of course you are, although I’d prefer it if the compliments were given in a more... private place next time.”

“...Fine.”

Mammon

Mammon had apparently made some money in one of his schemes and he practically dragged you to Majolish one morning to go shopping.

Once in the store Mammon had sped off in a flurry of activity, adding clothes to an ever-growing pile before herding you toward the dressing room. 

"Wait for me outside, okay? Ya gotta tell me how each outfit looks.”

A few minutes later, Mammon stepped out in a pair of dark jeans that hugged his toned legs and a black v-neck sweater that showed off his collarbone. A thin gold chain adorned his neck and the look was completed with a pair of combat boots.

“Well, whattaya think?”

“Mammon. What the hell.”

Mammon’s shoulders drooped a little. “Not good?”

“Mammon. You look so hot. So fucking hot. Like. A supermodel? An icon? You’re stunning!”

He was beginning to blush and you could see how pleased your compliments made him. “O-Of course you think I’m hot! I’m the Great Mammon! I always look good in whatever I wear.”

He expected you to stop at that point and chide him to be more humble but was surprised when you amped up the compliments.

“You do babe, you really do. Look at how long your legs are! And your arms, oh my god. And your chest, wow, I kinda want to lick your chest right now.”

“MC!” Shocked and a little embarrassed, Mammon fled to the inside of the dressing room, swishing the curtain shut behind him. He could feel his cheeks burning. 

“Sorry Mams, I’ll stop if you want me to. But I meant every word.”

“...Please don’t stop.”

Leviathan

You were in his room, cuddled on some cushions, watching a new anime together. 

Your head on Levi’s shoulder, you were so comfortable that you were close to drifting off to sleep, until Levi nudged your shoulder. “Sorry, I have to go feed Henry.”

You watched Levi sprinkle food into the large tank, his face illuminated by the soft glow. The bubbles and movement from the tank created dancing patterns on his face. As Levi watched Henry eat, he smiled a soft, private smile, and in that moment he looked ethereal.

“Levi, you’re so beautiful.”

Levi’s head whipped around to look at you. “W-What are you talking about?”

You got up and moved closer until you were inches from his face, studying his features. “I’m serious Levi, you’re absolutely gorgeous. Devastatingly handsome. I could honestly stare at you all day. You are so so beautiful.”

With each compliment, Levi’s mouth grew a little bit wider until he was gaping at you.

“I-Is this some kind of joke? Are you making fun of me right now? Why would you- You know how I feel about-”

“Levi, please. Have a little more faith in me. You know I’d never make fun of you. I’m being completely serious right now when I say that you’re incredibly beautiful.”

Levi thinks his brain might have stopped working.

His face is burning, his body is all tingly, and he can’t get any words out?

“Levi? Come back to me, Levi! Hello?” You’re waving your hand in front of his face but you think he might be broken.

You take his hand and slowly lead him back toward the cushions for kisses and more cuddling. 

Satan

Reading with Satan was one of your favorite ways to spend an afternoon.

You sat in opposite armchairs and let the comfortable silence fill the room. The only disturbance would be if either of you wanted to share a line or passage from the book you were reading.

Legs curled against your chest, you watched the flame of the candles make flickering shadows against Satan’s bookshelves.

He tapped you on the shoulder and you turned to see his outstretched hand holding his book.

“Love, look at this line.”

You read in amusement as the hero of the story made a witty joke. "That was a good one-"

You turned and saw Satan, his eyes crinkled in laughter, a light blush dusting his cheeks, his lips bitten in an attempt to hold in a giggle.

"Satan... you're so fucking cute."

Immediately one of his eyebrows cocked in confusion. "What-"

"You are so adorable, wow. I want to squish your cheeks and like keep you inside my pocket or something."

"Love, I am the Avatar of Wrath. I am not... cute."

"Yeah? Well I beg to differ. I call it like I see it and right now, I can see that you are the cutest being I've ever seen in my life. The way your eyes light up and you get all blushy. So adorable, I can't stand it."

Satan seemed to be stunned by your exclamation, his features frozen in a mixture of confusion and shock.

You walked over to him and began pressing kisses against his eyelids, on his cheeks, nose, and then finally, lips. "I'm gonna keep kissing you because you're so cute, okay?"

He ended up tugging you against his chest and holding you in a princess-carry, trying to bury his face in your hair so you couldn't see how flustered he was.

Asmodeus

You were in Asmo's room helping him pick an outfit. Well, more like you were scrolling through your D.D.D. while Asmo went through his entire closet complaining about how he had nothing to wear.

He had some sort of big business meeting coming up with a perfume company who wanted his help in designing their new line of products.

Every outfit so far had been beautiful and Asmo looked amazing in each one, as always. You weren't sure how to help him.

"MC, this next outfit is a little different. It's not really my style but it was a gift from the designer so tell me what you think, okay?"

Asmo swished aside the curtain of his dressing room and walked out in a formal black business suit. The shirt was open at the throat, exposing his delicate neck, and he had added a pink pocket square. A large silver watch shone on his left wrist. His shiny black shoes clicked against the floor as he walked toward you.

"So, what do you think?"

"Asmo... If I'm being honest I kind of want you to pin me against the wall right now."

"Darling! You're usually never this forward."

You stood up and twirled him around. "My god Asmo, you look incredible. You look so sexy and professional. Like a rich CEO or something. Scratch the wall thing, I kinda need you to bend me over your desk."

Asmo had never been more surprised by you, but his shock didn’t last long.

"Do you really like it, MC? Do you like when I wear this sort of thing? I should wear suits more often if it means you talking like that. I love this side of you darling!"

He began stalking toward you until your back was gently pressed against the wall, his arms making a kind of cage around you. “Is this what you pictured, MC?” He began kissing you fiercely and you grabbed onto the lapel of his jacket to keep yourself steady. 

“Asmo?”

“Yes, darling?”

“Don’t go to the meeting today.”

Beelzebub

You were in the gym with Beel. He was lifting weights and you were bouncing on a medicine ball next to him.

Even though you didn’t exercise at all, Beel said he liked you being there with him. And since it was such a hot day outside, you didn’t mind spending the afternoon in the cool air-conditioned building.

But despite the chill of the room, Beel’s shirt was soaked with sweat. He was lifting enormous weights and you could see the muscles of his arms straining with the effort. 

Beel was, well, absolutely ripped. His arms, legs, and stomach all looked like they had been carved from marble. And you spent enough time cuddling with him to know that his body felt exactly like it looked, solid and incredibly strong.

People who didn’t know Beel personally would have found it hard to believe that the demon with an eight-pack had the personality of a hungry golden retriever.

A grunt from Beel startled you out of your thoughts and you realized you had been staring at him this whole time. Uncomfortable at the way his shirt was sticking to his body from sweat, Beel peeled it off of himself.

“Beel?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re killing me here.”

He looked at you in confusion, worried he had done something. “MC, what’s wrong?”

“Beel, do you even see yourself right now? You literally look like sex on legs. How are you even real? I want to touch you all over. But I also kind of want you to choke me.”

“MC!” Beel cried out in surprise and you could see his neck was flushed. “You know I would never hurt you.”

“I know big guy, I trust you.” You let out a low whistle and reveled in how Beel looked, a combination of pleased and a bit embarrassed. “Beel, you’re so perfect. You look like you could protect me from the world.”

“I would you know,” he whispered. “I want to protect you, I don’t want anything or anyone to hurt you.”

You smiled at him. “I know Beel, and I love you for it.” You let the silence hang in the air for a moment. “But also, can I lick your abs?”

“MC!”

Belphegor

It was a rare occasion that you and Belphie were outside, as you both usually preferred to stay in.

You had both woken up late and decided to stop by a local cafe for some lunch because you were too lazy to cook. 

Belphie sat across from you at the small table and sipped his tea delicately while you polished off the rest of your sandwich. You had one of your ankles hooked around his.

He was looking out the window, his face turned toward the side, and you used the opportunity to study his features.

Long black eyelashes framed his piercing purple eyes. His silky dark hair stood out against his pale complexion and your eyes traced the high bridge of his nose, the softness of his lips.

As if feeling your stare Belphie turned toward you with a smirk. “Something I can help you with?”

“Belphie... you’re really pretty.” 

You could see that you had surprised him a little with your honesty. “You’re so pretty, Belphie. I know a lot of people would kill to have eyelashes as long as yours. And your mouth looks so kissable. You kind of look like a doll. You’re honestly so gorgeous.”

His face was completely blank for a moment then morphed into a calculating stare. “Are... are you being serious right now?” His gaze suddenly turned cold.

“Why would I joke about something like this? I’m telling you right now that think you’re pretty. You’re beautiful.”

Belphie's voice betrayed no emotion. “Nobody’s ever called me pretty before. Or beautiful.”

“Oh, Belphie.” You took his hand from across the table and pressed a kiss against his palm and then the inside of his wrist, the way he did to you all the time. “I’ll repeat it everyday for the rest of my life if you want.”

He scrunched up his nose and whispered, “Don’t. You’re being embarrassing.” But you could tell he didn’t really mean it by the way the corners of his lips quirked up.

He was mostly silent for the rest of lunch, apparently deep in thought, only nodding occasionally at your comments.

When it was time to leave, however, he reached to hold your hand and didn’t let go the entire way home.

[thoughts-on-bangtan]

PTD in Seoul (2022) and some Asks

So, Permission To Dance on Stage in Seoul happened and wow were those three days eventful in general but also when it comes to vmin and namjin. I’m not sure which of those latter two surprised us more, though I’ll be the first to admit that I approached the concerts thinking we wouldn’t get any vmin and namjin only during Airplane Part 2 or the final bows. I was very wrong, surprisingly so.

But first, let’s talk about the concerts a bit more generally first in a more OT7 sense. None of this will be in any particular order.

I was curious to see how the Seoul shows would differ from those in LA, or the first Seoul online one, and was surprised to see that the stage design was a little different—can we please talk about the gorgeous stage design for FAKE LOVE with the hands and blooming Smeraldo flower? 

Whoever came up with the idea needs a raise or bonus. Though it brings to mind the lyrics of FAKE LOVE, I grew a flower that can’t be bloomed in a dream that can’t come true, and then adding to that the two whales during the encore, so Whalian 52 not being alone anymore, it does make you wonder what that means, doesn’t it?

The completely white ON outfits were changed and were now instead mixed with red and leaning more toward racer outfits, no more plunging neckline for JK either but instead some red fine mesh for Jimin that showed more than it covered. Admin 2 also insisted on mentioning just how devastatingly gorgeous Tae looked like in his Black Swan costume, which honestly, I wholeheartedly agree with.

Though, let’s be honest, the most memorable outfit moment was certainly JKs button giving up during FAKE LOVE on D3 with JK trying to fix it but after two tries simply giving up, laughing at it and continuing his performance basically with his whole chest exposed and a single button holding on for dear life. 

For Life Goes On the big moving sofa prop was replaced by a big camera graphic instead and a sequence of the members coming on stage in accordance to who sings when, the whole thing giving us adorable pictures and moments when it comes to JK with Jin as well as Jimin with Tae, and also wonderful OT7 pictures with ARMY in the background.

We also had Namjoon rapping not only off beat but also changing up the lyrics, something that would be incredibly challenging without music but that’s infinitely harder when you know the right beat, hear it through your in-ear along with a quieter version of yourself doing the rap right and yet ignoring all of it and thinking on the spot. Truly he proves, time and time again, just why people were already afraid of going against him in the underground scene when he was just 13/14 years old. We also saw more of Yoongi’s duality between delivering sharp rap verses (though he cutely seemed to forget part of his lines in one song on D1 I believe) and being the cutest fluff ball just goofing around with the other members, as well as Hobi looking stunning and showing off exactly why he’s the dance leader along with flawless verses and vocals during Spring Day on D3. 

We truly have the best rap line in the industry, no one can change my mind about that, ever.

Talking more generally, I loved the barely contained chaos we saw on all three days in the later halves of the concerts, the joy you could see on their faces as they dances and jumped around, had fun with each other and the audience even if there was no screaming or dancing. And even while it was pouring rain. Seeing Jimin and Yoongi slip on the wet stage and fall though was worrying though it seems like both are fine, which is a relief.

But, going back to the lack of cheers, it was easy to see that it did bother them and that they were struggling with the lack of the energy that usually gives them, after all they even said as much in their ments and posts after the concerts. The clappers were an interesting alternative so that K-ARMYs could at least make some kind of sound, even if the sound itself was…quite something and I’ve read a few posts by people who attended saying how at times the clappers drowned out the sound of the concert itself so it wasn’t necessarily the most ideal solution.

When it comes to the members, it was easy to see that, especially those that had COVID, struggled a bit at times with tiredness or to catch their breath, like during the first day when Tae had to just sit down or kneel a few times to catch his breath, or Jin while singing FAKE LOVE (?), though really, it makes sense. Subsequently from all the members, we both think that JK was the strongest and the one that seemed to “carry” the concerts the most, as in his stamina, energy and vocals seemed the strongest—though can we talk about that cute moment where Tae claimed he wrote Stay so JK told him to try and sing it and he did it absolutely wonderfully? Loved that—and you could really see how much he was trying to basically be everywhere at once, interact with all the members and also ARMY. He did a fantastic job and I’m truly in awe of how, between D1 and D2, he went both to boxing practice and also dance practice which stood in quiet the stark contrast to, for example, Jimin who said he’d simply slept for 12 hours. But, by D3, you could see they were exhausted toward the end, after all we even had Namjoon yawning during the ending ments, and being teased and called out for it by the members which was just so funny!

Still, overall, they did a great job with all three shows and we had a fantastic time watching them, even if we could only see D2 through posts on social media since we unfortunately didn’t get tickets to watch the concert at the cinema.

With all that being said, below the cut we’ll talk about vmin, namjin, and answer a few asks we’ve gotten.

Right off the bat, D1 basically set the tone for everything when it comes to vmin and we’ll admit, we were very surprised but also very happy to see it. That first day alone gave us so many ‘role play’ moments, several butt slaps, playfulness and even Jimin jumping on Tae’s back and getting a piggyback ride from the extended stage back onto the main stage. Also, though it doesn’t mean anything but it’s an interesting tiny detail, on D1 for the encoring vmin had the same march sweaters.

That was then followed by the soundcheck for D2 with Jimin first putting his arm around Tae’s back while they walked back toward the main stage and then intertwining their arms for their bow before leaving the stage. 

The concert itself having more cute and funny moments, and finally the last day which had both a handshake and a butt slap during soundcheck which was followed by more playful cuteness including Jimin holding Tae’s hand while they were doing ending ments when Tae asked Jimin what he should say for his ment.

When it comes to their moments in Butter and FAKE LOVE, the former had a very cute one on D1 with Jimin leaning back and Tae smiling cutely at him, and the latter having vmin managing to hold hands on Tae’s back on all three days. Also check out this video someone made of them looking at each other in various cute ways, including a kissy face, during Dynamite.

Now, as for namjin I was entirely prepared for anything between a tiny little bit and nothing yet instead I got a feast. Between their silliness during Airplane Part 2 on D1, along with Namjoon literally replacing his own name with Seokjin’s during his verse, and posing together for the OT7 pic during LGO, there was so much going on, which brings me to our first ask that came in after D2:

From anon: hello! you probably have seen it already but i went to the ptd live viewing and jin wore an rj hat with a koya on top and at some point joon told him he (or the hat, i didn't catch it) was cute!!! i'm not even a namjinist but i found that moment so cute and i immediately thought of you so i wanted to send it

The hat? Absolutely loved it, especially because it was custom made so Seokjin could’ve used literally any RJ ever and yet he chose an RJ with a small Koya on its head, and then that moment when Namjoon was rapping and he literally took his hand on placed it on his head so Namjoon would pet him/the hat which led to Namjoon putting his hand on his shoulder, pausing in the middle of his own verse to comment how cute he/the hat is before going back to rapping, as well as touching the Koya sometime later again. That day they also seemed to gravitate around each other during soundcheck which was adorable!

And then on D3, I have no idea what got into them but I loved every moment of it starting with soundcheck where Namjoon literally baby talked to Seokjin while petting his back, then them having some kind of moment during Black Swan when Seokjin reached out for Namjoon’s hand as the choreography dictates it and yet something about it (as it turns out it was a beautiful smile from Seokjin, gif below) caused Namjoon to look all flustered and shy, then them just laughing and being silly while going around in the carts, and finally Namjoon quite literally making sure Seokjin was next to him for each of the final bows.

There are surely plenty more things that could be mentioned and ones that I’m definitely forgetting, but these were some of our favorites. These three concerts were most definitely a great time for vminies and namjinists alike.

Now, a few questions and thank you’s we’ve received.

From anon: hey this is no question but I just wanted to thank you. As a newer army it's hard to know what is misinformation (esp when trying to check quora for info, where there are many shippers and many anons spreading rumors about the boys). Your blog is one of the very few spaces so far where I feel like I'm not being fed bs and where no lies are spread to support a narrative. So I wanted to thank you not only for your great posts but also your honesty, it's really helpful for baby armys like me

Though there are people who certainly don’t agree with you, we always try our best to stick to the truth and bring up any and all relevant facts because, really, what even would be the point of creating and spreading misinformation and false narratives? It won’t change reality or affect the truth in any way. So, we’re very glad our blog could help you. Thank you so much for reading our posts!

From anon: I wish I could send everyone that post y'all made on sexuality not being determined by appearance. I just saw the dumbest take ever about someone thinking jimin's straight when his hair is black but him looking gay when he has blond or pink hair. I mean, what?? Gonna assume they somehow associate light colours with feminine and dark with masculine which is already weird but feminine doesn't mean gay and masculine is not straight? I'd seriously like to broadcast y'all's post everywhere.

And that’s exactly why I wrote it because this is an ever-returning issue/discussion I keep seeing being discussed like a cycle, especially when people who don’t know much, or anything, about the LGBT community come in and try to apply very heteronormative ideas in places where those don’t belong, like shipping and especially shipping two same sex people together. In many cases their behaviors simply turn extremely fetishizing and even when called out for it, they refuse to listen which is horrible. Contrary to what some believe, a traditionally manly man can be gay just like a stereotypically feminine man can be straight. A straight man can have pink hair and that changes nothing about his sexuality just like a gay or queer man can have black hair or blond or anything else.

A person’s appearance and their sexuality can but in many, if not most, cases don’t have any correlation whatsoever.

From anon: Is everything okay with you? I miss your comments even though I'm not a shipper. I am the father of a gay son who I can understand better thanks to your blog. I hope you come back and leave your interesting analysis of Tae i Jimin here again. Thank you for the work so far.

I’m sorry for taking so long to reply to this in particular. It truly means a lot to the both of us that our blog and posts could help you in such a tremendous way, and as a queer person myself I’m touched by the fact that you’re going the extra mile to find ways to understand your son better. Something like that would mean a lot to any queer kid out there and I’m sure he is thankful for it, too. I’m not an expert by any means, nor do I have all the answers or knowledge or anything, but if my/our posts can help even just a little, it makes all the hours of work and research so very worth it. Thank you so much!

From anon: Just curious if you are Tae biased, because you nor any other Vmin blogs has even mentioned Jimin being the hospital, well wishes, what he's going through or anything. All Vmin blogs were silent until Tae posted that selfie.

You must not be someone who actually reads out blog since otherwise you would’ve known that we didn’t post anything in regard to the members who did test positive for COVID, not for Namjoon, not for Seokjin or Yoongi, nor for Jimin and also not for Tae. The statement BH Music posted was enough to spread the news so we saw no need to post about it, especially since our commentary wouldn’t have added anything. And no, I’m (Admin 1) not a Tae bias but a Namjoon one.

[ratedbangtann]

Picture Perfect || KTH

As a plus size model, you're used to your fair share of ignorance and shaming. By now, it's water off a duck's back; you're a strong woman, hardened to it. But then there were those on the other end of the scale, who simply adored you and your body. Much like photographer, Kim Taehyung...

Pairing: Kim Taehyung x Plus Size Reader (but please feel free to enjoy if you aren’t!) Word count: 7.8k Warnings: Fatphobia, derogatory terms, rude assholes, shy Tae (at first), slight manipulation (but opportunity to back out), taeconda, oral sex (m receiving), light spanking, BBW fetishizing, vaginal fingering, unprotected sex

A/N: Welcome to another plus size reader fic! If you don’t consider yourself to be plus size, don’t worry - feel free to enjoy it anyway! 

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

“You’re joking, right?” the ignorant voice of the photographer bellowed through the studio. You stood with your arms folded over your chest, pissed off at the vile and sleazy guy in front of you. Your agent beside you positively seething too. She had got you this gig, and the brand owners were more than happy to have you involved. And yet this prick…

“Problem, Mr. Carter?” she asked, eyebrow raised.

“Yes, as a matter of fact. This is a lingerie shoot,” he said, incredulous as if his point were obvious.

“Yes, it is,” she stated, clearly impatient.

“I’m not photographing… her in lingerie,” he looked toward you in disgust, nose scrunched and forehead creasing all the way up to his non-existent hairline.

“Got a problem with me, have you?” you piped up. Already today you had had your hair and make-up done, and you were in your first set under your bathrobe ready for the shoot. And now, this asshole was refusing to photograph you as if it were his shoot?

“Yeah, as a matter of fact. Don’t particularly wanna see some fat chick in a thong.”

Oh, how your blood boiled.

“Mr. Carter, is something the matter?” A gentleman you recognised to be the lingerie company’s co-CEO wandered over, with his business partner in tow. From what you could gather, they were a married couple; Cynthia designed the lines whilst Carlisle handled the business. They were a great team, and rapidly becoming some of the biggest names in the lingerie business.

“Sir, I’m sorry but I’m not photographing this. You must have a more attractive model…”

You’d dealt with pricks like this through your entire career; assholes who wrinkled their nose in disgust at your curves, your beautiful jiggly bits, your stretch marks, cellulite… You’d had to deal with being photoshopped to within an inch of your life and cut out of group shots completely. You’d been turned down for editorial spreads and commercials alike since day one. You’d grown a thick skin to it but it still pissed you off when someone was just as rude to you as this dickhead.

You loved your body, were proud of it. Sure, you were plus size. You weren’t skinny and slim or even simply just “thicc” but you were beautiful, and you’d made quite the name for yourself in the modelling world.

“I don’t see anything unattractive about Ms. _____,” Carlisle looked you up and down, turning back to Mr. Carter; Robert, you thought you heard someone say.

“I’m not photographing a fat girl!” he almost yelled, his fragile masculinity in tatters confronted by three women and a very in-tune and open minded man. You half expected him to stomp his foot like a child having a tantrum.

“Well then we’ll just have to find somebody who will, won’t we?” Carlisle smiled a sickly sweet smile at Robert. The kind that could rot your teeth.

“What do you mean?” he asked, his face turning red with rage.

“You’re fired, Mr. Carter. I suggest an attitude adjustment if you’d ever like to work in this town again,” Carlisle remained calm, gesturing to the door. The livid little man stormed out of the room, grabbing his kit along the way and slamming the door to the studio behind him, the few members of staff scattered around watching on in silence. “I’m so sorry about him. Ms. _____,” he turned to you, apologetic smile on his handsome face.

“That’s quite alright, he’s not my first ignorant asshole,” you smiled back.

“Shit, where the hell are we going to find a photographer at such short notice? _____ is already made up, we only rented the studio for the day and we could-“ Cynthia was panicking, rambling with her hands flinging about through the air as she paced back and forth.

“Honey, honey, relax… Let me make some calls. I know this guy, an old friend of mine. I’m sure he’s in town. Give me ten minutes,” he steadied her movements with his large hand on her shoulder, pressing a kiss to her forehead as she took a deep breath. How cute.

Carlisle left the room, phone pressed to his ear as he tried to get hold of whoever he knew. Cynthia turned to you, then.

“I really am sorry for that guy… If I’d have known he was like that I wouldn’t have hired him,” she scratched the back of her neck.

“Don’t worry about it, Cynthia, I’ve had a lot worse. Right, Mia?” Your agent beside you nodded with an unsatisfactory grimace on her face, recalling the amount of times she’d had to find you other shoots after being cast aside.

“90 percent the male specimen, of course,” she grumbled. Ah, Mia; her opinions were nothing if not colourful. Cynthia chuckled though, nodding in understanding.

“Well we’re honoured to have you model for us, ____. The new line is inclusive of all sizes and shapes, some to accentuate parts of the body whilst others to help discourage insecurities. We could think of no one better to showcase our hard work,” she smiled so brightly, genuinely excited to have you on board.

“Thank you, it’s a pleasure! The sets are stunning, I’ve been a fan of your brand for a long time now.” The three of you stood chatting away for a little while, now with nothing to do until a photographer could be found.

“Honey, he’s on his way,” Carlisle stepped into the room with a smirk on his face. “I told you I could handle it.”

“And this is why I married you,” she laughs, pecking his lips as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Oh, how sweet… If only you had the time to find yourself a kind and affectionate man like that. Alas, your career didn’t allow time for much of a social life.

“He’s the other side of town so it could still be a little while, but what do you say we get some drinks from the Starbucks across the street and some lunch in the meantime?” Carlisle suggested. Well, that was one way to kill some time…

*****

“Ah, Taehyung! How are you, man?” Carlisle’s voice was loud and boisterous as he chewed on his muffin, standing up to greet whoever had just walked into the studio. You turned to look, but Carlisle was a tall and broad man, covering most of the photographer’s frame.

“Doing well, Carl, how are you?” He sounded excited, like he was happy to see his friend once again.

“Yeah, pretty good! Have you met the wife yet?”

“Can’t say I have…”

“Ah, you must. Come on over… Cynthia!” he called to her, her head perking up from the table and chairs you were sat at covered in Starbucks wrappers. “Taehyung, this is my wonderful wife and designer of all our products; Cynthia Blake.”

Carlisle had shown the young photographer over to your table, now standing at the head and looking down at Cynthia, who stood up to shake Taehyung’s hand. He seemed a relatively shy looking man, camera bag slung over his back, black beret in place on his head. His hair curled out from underneath it in wild tendrils, framing his golden face.

He looked more like he’d be interested in artistic photography of scenery and still-life objects, judging by his clothing. Wide-leg cream pants, a black plain t-shirt and a brown suede waistcoat didn’t quite scream fashion photography, but you’d learned not to judge someone so soon in your years in modelling.

“Kim Taehyung, miss. Pleased to meet you, finally. Carlisle has told me a lot about you,” he bowed his head as he shook her hand. And then he was being introduced to Mia and yourself.

“…and this is ____, our model for the day,” Cynthia proudly showed you off to him, still sat in your bathrobe with full hair and make-up.

Your eyes met, and suddenly you could see his face so much clearer. Those beautiful big round eyes, that’s you could now see were slightly different in shape; one double lid, one mono-lid. His jawline that curved delicately and sharpened at his chin, 5 o’clock shadow evident. The freckles that landed on the end of his nose and in the waterline of his eyes; gentle little beauty marks…

You hadn’t noticed his eyes widen. It was almost like recognition, like he knew you from a past life. But he kept his composure and mumbled a shy hello, quieter than when he’d greeted Cynthia.

“Hi, Taehyung was it?” you shook his hand, noting the long fingers adorned in many rings and just how soft his palm was in yours. You tried to shake the feeling of attraction that was bubbling away inside you but it was difficult; you weren’t sure you had ever seen a man so devastatingly handsome.

“Y-yeah… pleasure to meet you. You look… stunning,” he chuckled nervously and turned back to Carlisle. “I’ll just need a few minutes to set up and we can get started.”

“Yeah, take your time, Tae,” he grinned, showing him over to the backdrops and light fixtures.

“He likes you,” Mia nudged your side, wiggling her eyebrows.

“Oh, shut up, he’s just shy…”

“______, he basically undressed you with his eyes! You saw it too, right Cynthia?” she turned for backup. Cynthia sat back down with a smile on her face.

“Oh, I saw it.”

“How professional of you both,” you teased, shaking your head with laughter. “I’m going to ask make up to do a touch up. I think lunch may have ruined my lips.”

Ignoring their little jeers and smug comments, you headed off to the little room to the left, filled with the garments you would be modelling throughout the day and a little dresser for the make-up artist to work her magic on you.

*****

“Alright, _____ if I could have you sat on the stool in the middle there… perfect. Cynthia, what are we achieving with this set?” Taehyung asked, wanting to know how he should ask you to convey the white lingerie with pretty white fluffy parts dangling from various places.

“Innocence and purity. The set itself is called ‘purity’, so something like that?” she gave her directions, and you worked your magic.

Now that you had taken off your robe and were parading around in the flattering white set, you felt your confidence sky-rocketing as it always did during a shoot. Nothing made you feel more powerful than having all eyes on you; especially in some of the prettiest and most body-friendly lingerie you had ever seen.

“Beautiful,” Taehyung commented, crouching down to get the perfect shots and play around with the lighting a little. Cynthia and Carlisle stood to the side, watching each photo pop up on the laptop set up. “It’s nice to work with a professional, you seem to need very little direction,” he complimented.

“She’s been in this game long enough,” Mia answered for you, you staying completely composed as he snapped away, flash dazzling.

“If you could just stand up for me, we’ll get rid of the stool there to get a few more shots of the lingerie itself.” Taehyung fiddled with some settings on his camera, while a staff member removed the stool from the shot. “Fantastic, if you could face the camera for a few, and then turn, we’ll get every angle.”

It was amazing, really; Taehyung staying as professional as composed as he was. Because Mia and Cynthia had been right. He was into you, very much so. The second he saw you, he thought you were the most beautiful creature on God’s green earth. Watching you pose so innocently and with absolute picturesque tranquillity in the most beautiful underwear he could imagine was affecting him more than the artist inside him would like to admit.

He’d done hundreds of shoots over the years, including nude and lingerie shoots and never, ever had he had such a problem focussing as he did today. But then, none of those shoots were of you.

“Tae, I think that’s plenty for Purity. _____, would you mind getting changed again for me, love? The deep green set will look beautiful with your skin tone, I suggest that one next,” Cynthia called to you.

“Ah, Evergreen?” you asked.

“That’s the one!” she clapped excitedly, filled with utter glee seeing her collection finally being tried out on a model. It was all becoming real for her; her second line of lingerie would be hitting the shelves very soon.

You headed back into the little room to change, Evergreen being a little more revealing and sultrier than Purity had been. The bra was a stunning forest green lace with almost a half-corset attached – fantastic support and helped to smooth out insecurities in the back. The briefs were high waisted and made in the same lace, with suspender clips dangling from them. And of course, to match; a stunning set of black suspenders, heels and a mesh black robe to go over the top. Modest, but not modest enough.

When you walked back out, Taehyung audibly gasped. He could feel the heat rising in his cheeks, the blood travelling south. He averted his gaze, willing himself to calm down. Mia giggled to herself; aw, bless him, she thought.

“I knew it would look beautiful against your skin tone!” Cynthia clapped.

“Um, okay… can we have the stool back please, backdrop change, the ivy to drape over the back. _____, if you wouldn’t mind heading back over to the set and taking a seat,” Taehyung didn’t properly look up at you, giving you general directions and pretending to fiddle with his camera. And now you started to see it…

He was nervous.

The staff draped the ivy artistically over the backdrop, letting it hang down behind you to fit in with the evergreen vibe. You sat back down, getting into a slightly different position than before.

“What kind of look are we going for this time, Cyn?” you asked. This wasn’t going to be another innocent look.

“Um, more like a wood nymph, at one with nature, a little temptress perhaps?” she asked, whilst a hair stylist faffed with fitting little daisies into your hair.

Again, you did as instructed; dark, sultry eyes stared into the camera, as if tempting a human into the forest. You looked absolutely delectable, and it was causing huge issues for poor Taehyung. Well, one particularly huge issue. Thankfully for him, the way he crouched to take your photo hid it well. But it made life so much more difficult.

Mentally, he was cursing himself. What the hell was wrong with him? He’d worked with hundreds of models. Why were you the only one he’d ever…

In fact, for the rest of the shoot, the poor guy struggled. Each new set of lingerie posed new challenges, showing off your gorgeous body in new and different ways with different expressions and stories to accompany each one.

“Beautiful, truly! Wow. These photos will look stunning on the website!” Cynthia was positively beaming by the end. “That’s a wrap!”

Taehyung breathed a sigh of relief as he knelt down to start taking his camera apart, slotting the bits and pieces into each compartment of his bag. You simply stepped off the set, heading over to the laptop to flick through the photos.

Mia, however, was being her devious self. She had seen the photos, knew they were stunning. But she had also seen Taehyung’s reactions to each set, each pose. She knew about his big problem, and found it oh, so amusing to meddle.

“Taehyung, may I have a moment of your time?” she asked him, standing over him with a large smile on her face. Taehyung swallowed hard and nodded, standing upright to follow her over to the table at the back of the room where you’d earlier been sat drinking your Starbucks.

“I wondered if I may ask what kind of work you usually do? I know this was a favour for a friend of ours, but what is your style?” she asked him, pulling a chair for him to sit opposite her.

“Usually editorial fashion shoots, a lot of scenery and travel in my spare time though,” he smiled sweetly, a little more comfortable now that he no longer had his problem nor did he have to focus on you and your beautiful curves, the stunning lingerie, thinking of what he would do given the chance…

No, Tae. You’re drifting again. Focus, he told himself.

“I see, it’s just… _____ has been looking for just the right photographer to do some nude shots. Tasteful of course, we’re not talking playboy but…”

Tae’s blood ran cold. The flush in his cheeks must have drained, skin paling at the thought. Mia was still talking, but he could barely listen.

“I mean she’s been wanting to focus on a body positivity campaign for a while, but she hasn’t quite figured out who to trust to photograph her in just the right way, do you know what I mean?”

Tae cleared his throat, bringing himself back down to reality. “Uh yeah, sure…”

“Your shots today were stunning and I’m sure she agrees. I was thinking perhaps you could give those photos a go? You can be as artistic or as simple as you like with them, but I trust your judgement. Googled you to check out your other work too. Impressive, truly.” Mia was rambling on, but Tae could hardly take in a word of what she was saying.

“Th-thank you…” he mumbled, forcing a smile.

“So... are you interested?” she asked, “we can draw up a contract quite easily, _____ is very easy to work with.”

“S-sure… Yeah, okay. Sounds great,” he agreed, all whilst his head was screaming at him for being a moron. If he couldn’t control his damn hard on today, how on earth would he cope with full nudity? You were utterly bewitching. This couldn’t end well, surely?

“Fantastic! I’ve got some calls to make, would you mind letting her know you’re up for it?” she asked, pulling her phone from her back pocket and already standing up and sauntering out of the door to make her calls in the hall. Tae didn’t have a chance to object.

So instead, he got up to find you. You were no longer working your way through the photos, and the majority of the set had been cleared away. You were nowhere to be seen.

“Carlisle, where did _____ go?” he asked the couple who were packing things into cases.

“Oh, she’s in the back room, probably packing her things away, changing. Do you need something?” he asked.

“Her agent said she wanted another shoot with me, I just wanted a word about it,” he nodded with a tight lipped smile.

“Oh, well just go knock, honey. I’m sure she’d be happy to chat,” Cynthia smiled motioning toward the door you’d walked through only moments ago. With that, she slung a satchel over her shoulder and picked up a case of props and set pieces. “We’re off, we have so much to do. Really thought, Taehyung, thank you so, so much for helping out today.”

“Yeah, thanks man. Such short notice too, you really did us a favour. The photos are beautiful. I’ll drop your cheque over to wherever you’re staying, just text me the address. I’m sorry we can’t hang out this evening. You free Thursday?” Carlisle was busy picking up cases and trunks and bags to leave with as he spoke, but Tae knew just how genuine he was about meeting.

“Yeah, Thursday evening would be great, perhaps dinner if you’re both available?” he smiled sweetly.

“Absolutely, we’ll be in touch! Thanks so much, Tae! Bloody life saver,” Carlisle patted his back, scurrying out of the studio along with his wife and the rest of the staff that were left behind.

For a moment, Tae stood in the silence, letting himself breathe deep. He was readying himself to talk to you, to approach you after he’d spent nearly four hours photographing you in skimpy and gorgeous outfits. Christ, how was he ever going to do a nude photoshoot for you?

Professionalism. That’s all it took.

He sauntered over to the door you were hidden behind and knocked perhaps a little heavier than intended. He heard something clatter inside and a quiet “shit” as if you’d dropped something.

“Yep, come in!” you called when you’d picked the rail up. Thankfully you’d already packed the lingerie into a small case on the floor – freebies from Cynthia as extra payment – so it was just the empty rail that had tipped. The door clicked open and shut again and you turned, expecting to see Mia.

“Oh, sorry… I assumed you were dressed. I’ll come back,” Taehyung’s deep voice sounded so shocked to see you still in the lingerie set from the last photos; a pretty deep purple set; high waisted purple mesh thong with white daisies dotted all over and a pretty bralette with surprising support to match. Cynthia had called it Asters, a type of purple daisy to combine the two elements together.

“Wait, it’s fine. I mean, I’ve been wearing… not much else all afternoon,” you chuckled, unashamed. Tae couldn’t really argue with that. “Is something wrong?”

“Oh, no, just… well your agent was talking to me, about a shoot you wanted to do. She said I should ask you about it?” he averted his gaze but stayed in the doorway. You were a little too close for his own comfort; the room you were in was no bigger than an average closet, and the dressing table took up most of it, let alone the rail.

“Oh, she did?” you asked, taking a seat on the stool in front of the table. “What shoot?”

He really couldn’t look you in the eye, let alone anywhere else. If his problem arose again, there was no way of hiding it. He did his best to direct his through process to professionalism once again.

“Yeah, some kind of artsy nude shoot, for a body positivity campaign?”

You watched in amusement as he looked everywhere in the tiny room other than at you. This is exactly what Mia had been talking about earlier. Halfway through the shoot, she’d handed you a bottle of water and told you to watch him; he couldn’t look you in the eye. He really was attracted to you. How cute.

The more you looked, the more you had noticed it. He blushed at the slightest eye contact, willing himself to calm the hell down with some deep breaths. And each time sent a tiny little thrill through you, so you played up to you, practically ‘making love to the camera’ as the old industry professionals used to say.

“Oh, that? Hmm, yeah. I don’t know about that anymore…” you lied. You knew exactly what you were doing, leading the horse to water but… would he drink?

“Oh… She said you were really excited about it, I just thought-“

“Yeah I don’t think people would like it. No one wants to see me naked,” you scoffed. Another lie. You had a huge online following who would love the positivity it spread, congratulate you on it, call you a queen and a goddess.

“I-I’m sure that’s not true,” he stuttered, eyes flicking up to meet yours just for a second. He blushed again and you had to do your very best not to giggle.

“I guess I just don’t feel too sexy, lately. Despite this,” you gestured to your attire, his gaze following your hand. Honestly, like a moth to a flame…

He realised what he’d done as his gaze reached your ample thighs and quickly readjusted his view, back up to a very interesting spot on the wall above your head.

“Well, um… I’m sorry you feel like that, you really are sexy,” he mumbled. Bingo.

“Do you think so?” you asked innocently, feigning disbelief.

“Y-yeah… I mean, your photos today came out really, um… beautiful.”

“Well, you’re just a good photographer,” you laughed softly, watching him so carefully.

“Photographers are only as good as their subjects, Miss _____,” he smiled at you then, sweet and unmenacing. This guy was too pure for his own good, surely. “Truthfully, you’re a beautiful woman. You had so much confidence on set today, I had no idea you weren’t feeling it…”

You smiled down at your hands in your lap, purposefully twiddling them before placing your palms flat on your thighs, rubbing them up and down slowly. His eyes followed them, his jaw hanging open just a little as he lost himself in thought.

Thoughts of how soft your thighs might feel under his touch, how goosebumps might raise at the feeling of his rings on the warm flesh. Thoughts of how soft and supple you would feel, how pretty and puffy you might be between them…

“D-do you think I should do the campaign?” you interrupted his train of thought.

“Definitely,” he said with such conviction. He hadn’t meant to; not really. But… here he was. And he stood his ground.

“And you’d be okay with that?” you asked, innocently.

“Of course, I’m interested in making art.” He tried to sound firm, confident but the little quiver of his bottom lip gave him away.

“Making art… with me?” Oh, you were really pushing him now. Was that a hint of seduction he heard in your tone? Or was he imagining things?

“S-sure…” he wavered. “I’d be honoured.” Why did he say that?! He mentally cursed himself.

“Honoured?” you giggled to yourself, “that’s sweet. I’m sure you’re quite the artist.” He shrugged, starting to feel a little claustrophobic in the small room with you, being so close and so pathetically entranced by the smallest things you did.

When you stood up, he practically tumbled backwards, back hitting the door with a thump.

“Oh, shoot… are you okay?” you asked, rushing forward to help him as he groaned at the sudden contact. But that didn’t help the situation at all, sending him into further panic at the now close proximity.

“F-fine, sorry…”

“Taehyung, you look nervous…” you softened your voice, stepping towards him with mostly concern on your face, but just a hint of playfulness. He dare not believe that’s what he saw though.

“I-I…” he stuttered, not knowing what to say and oh god, you were so close to him now. So close he could smell your perfume; something expensive, perhaps Chanel?

“What is it?” you pressed, but he was starting to lose his resolve. He had to say something, surely. Anything… Right now, he just looked like a bumbling moron.

“I-I just, um…”

“Tell me, maybe I can help…”

“Fuck, you just… you turn me on, okay? Fuck,” he cursed, looking away from you to stare into the top corner of the room, feeling ashamed of himself. He was better than this. A professional. What had you reduced him to?

You simply smirked, stepping even closer to him, until your chests were almost touching.

“I can see that…” you whispered, eyes drifting down. Low and behold, there was the outline of a rather big problem. Tae couldn’t even look, knowing exactly what you were referring to and feeling nothing but shame.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry I swear I’m more professional than this, I just-“ You pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him and his eyes went wide, looking down at the digit with surprise.

“You turn me on too,” you smirk, biting down on your bottom lip, still painted from the shoot.

“I-I… I do?”

“Oh yes… Wanna know how much?” you asked cheekily, wrapping your fingers around his wrist, slowly guiding his hand but giving him plenty of opportunity to pull away should he want to. But he didn’t want to. Not at all.

You coaxed his fingertips to grade over the mesh of the lingerie, pressing them to your mound where a tiny little patch of wetness had seeped through the cotton lining inside and stained the material in a dewy wetness.

“Oh, shit…” he breathed, finally looking down at where his hand just barely touched you.

“And that’s just the outside,” you taunted, bottom lip pressed between your teeth. He looked down into your eyes for a moment, wondering if he should… But you answered the question for him, before he’d even had a chance to think it.

Hurriedly, you pressed your lips to his, noting immediately how soft they felt against your own and how hesitant they were in that first split second. But in the end his reaction was visceral, softened lips pushing against yours with all the pent up sexual tension he’d been harbouring for hours.

The hand you barely had a grasp on snaked around your waist, pulling you to him and colliding your full and soft body into his. He wanted to feel every inch of you, every part he’d been photographing all day. And you were going to let him.

When you didn’t immediately shove him away from you, he conceded to his own desires, letting himself become completely hazed with lust. He ran his tongue along your bottom lip, testing the waters before he went in to totally devour your mouth. Pressed against him this way, you could feel his body responding. Of course, he was already stiff beneath those cream trousers, but pushing against your thigh you could feel the size of him, mouth watering. You wondered if perhaps he might like to feel just what your mouth could do for him.

Wasting no more time, you pushed the suede waistcoat from his shoulders, slipping it off and throwing it haphazardly over the rail to your left. And not forgetting that adorable beret too, his hair flopping freely in beautiful curls that fell into his hooded eyes. His assault on your lips never faltered, his grip on your waist only loosening to remove the waistcoat.

You pulled barely millimetres away from his lips, hands gripping at his shirt to at least keep his chest pressed to yours as they both heaved with breathlessness.

“Wanna taste you…” you whispered, hot breath fanning over his lips. Your filthy words sent a thrill down his spine, and before he could utter another syllable your hands were dropping to his zipper, pulling it down and popping the button on his trousers. The loose fit fell down high thighs unaided, pooling at his feet to reveal a pair of light grey boxers, his cock straining marvellously against them.

Gently you ghosted your fingertips over his length, earning a shudder and a sharp intake of breath. “Shit,” he whispered, chasing your lips again with a frantic kiss, large hands holding onto your cheeks to stop you from evading him.

You pushed your hand into the waistband, wrapping your fingers around the base of his cock and feeling just how thick he was; your fingers couldn’t meet no matter how much you stretched them.

“_____, are you sure you want this?” he asked, doing his very best not to rut his hips into your hand.

“I’ve never slept with someone I worked with before, but absolutely. You’ve been driving me crazy, Taehyung…” you whined, slowly pumping your hand along his shaft, neglecting his tip. “Do you want me?” As silly question really, given your current state.

“So much,” he groaned, the pleasure of your fist starting to affect him. You giggled mischievously and dropped to your knees, leaving him staring down at you as you pulled his underwear down, freeing his dick with a triumphant bounce. He really was above average, and the idea of swallowing what you could was making you drool.

In no mood to waste time teasing, you enveloped the first few inches in warm wetness, suckling as if he were the sweetest lollipop despite the salty tang of pre-cum. Your tongue swirled around him a few times before lying flat under his shaft so you could lean further forward to take more of his length.

Above you, Tae was stunned into silence, heavy breaths all that wold pass his lips. He watched you like a hawk, terrified that should he look away, you and your wonderful mouth would disappear. His hands braced himself on the door behind him, keeping him upright as pleasure ripped through his body.

You took what you could into his throat before your gag reflex started to show itself, having to still use an entire fist around his base to completely envelope him. Your first twisted and pumped in rhythm with the way your head bobbed on his cock, every so often hollowing your cheeks to create a harsher drag that had him hissing between clenched teeth.

“A-ah, shit…” he cried, his head throwing back against the door with a thud and squeezing his eyes shut. “How are you this, good? Jesus…”

The giggle that his cock muffled sent a new wave of desire flooding through him. He didn’t even know that were possible, but somehow the more time you spent sucking, pumping and sheathing his cock in your mouth and throat, the more his grip on reality loosened and he found himself swimming in arousal.

It didn’t seem fair that he was getting such incredible head whilst you were sat before him, already soaking your panties and being devoid of any stimulation; where were his manners? If he was unable to be a professional right now, he would at least a gentleman.

Begrudgingly, he pushed at your shoulders, hands finding yours that gripped his thighs, nails digging into the flesh. He pulled you back to a standing position and threw himself at you, lips and teeth crashing against your own desperately.

“Hardly fair that I get all the attention here, is it sweat pea?” The pet name was so innocent in any other context, but here and now you heard it very differently. His tone was gravelling and darker than before, shrouded in animalistic need.

“Oh, I don’t mind. You did us a favour today, after all. Think of it as… extra payment?” You grinned, hands gripping the black t-shirt he still wore and eyes scanning the lips millimetres from yours you’d just been attached to.

“No need, love. Carlisle is paying a bonus. You owe me nothing at all.”

“Ah, well in that case perhaps you should just fuck me then, hm? Even the score a little…” you laughed, attaching yourself back to those beautiful lips for another heated kiss. The room around you felt even smaller this way, perhaps because the body heat radiating off the pair of you was making the tiny little room unbearably stuffy.

He pushed you backwards until your butt hit the edge of the dressing table, stool kicked underneath it. Taehyung never retracted his mouth from yours, not even when he started to fiddle with the straps of the bralette and pull them down your arms. With no clasps to undo, he simply pulled the material over your head, letting your stunning breasts free for him to grab with both hands, mouth dipping down to immediately suck at one of your nipples.

“Mmf, Taehyung…” you moaned, breathier than you’d expected but the feeling had stolen your breath away completely. Your past lovers had been so greedy with no real idea what they were doing, frantically attempting to hold as much of your as they could in their hands, but Taehyung had a purpose, like he was far more skilled and perhaps used to the company of a much larger girl. Every swirl of his tongue, every tactful squeeze of your breasts was used almost like a weapon against you.

In such close proximity you could feel his erection against your tummy, pressing against the softness. You wondered if he liked that; the way your extra pounds felt against his still-wet shaft. He seemed to enjoy your body the way it was, rolls and all, so perhaps the feeling of your chub on his aching cock was nothing short of heavenly.

Your suspicions were confirmed when his hips rocked against you, stomach rippling under his movements as he groaned against your nipple, biting down on the hardened nub just a little.

“You like that, huh? Like how my body feels against you?” you teased, stroking the curls out of his eyes with gentility. He just growled in response, sucking harder at your nipple to have you crying out. You took that as a yes. “Tae please… Need more,” you begged, the wetness between your thighs growing increasingly uncomfortable.

Without detaching his lips from your breast, he shoved a hand into your panties, fingers immediately coated in slick as he pressed two to your clit and began to swirl them in circles. Every single move felt calculated, but they couldn’t possibly be, with how fast things were moving and how quickly he responded to you. He must just be insanely skilled or intuitive. You weren’t sure you’d be able to let this man out of sight after today.

He kept up his ministrations for a little while before growing tired of waiting, impatience getting the better of him. His hands were on your waist and flipping you around quickly, forcing you to hold yourself up on your elbows while he made light work of slipping the high-waisted thong from your body.

The sight before him lit a fire in the pit of his stomach, and he couldn’t stop himself from lightly swatting at your exposed ass, marvelling the way it jiggled and bouncing at the slightest touch. For good measure, you wiggled your hips a little, cheeks rippling to the effect.

“Wow…” he sighed, hands roaming over your cheeks and letting one dip between your legs, parting them enough to slip two fingers through your folds and into your entrance. You groaned at the feeling, finally, finally, having something inside you. Sure, you’d prefer his cock, but he had to prep you. He was so large, you had to get used to something before he let himself bury deep inside you. And lord, the rings on his fingers felt heavenly.

“Fuck, you’re so tight…” he whispered, pushing a third finger into you and spreading you open.

“Tae, please. I’m ready, please…” you pleaded, pushing your hips back against his fingers as he curled them inside you. A jolt of electricity shot through your pelvis, forcing you forward again as Taehyung chuckled darkly behind you.

“Where’s that confidence gone, hm? Did you think you were in control?” he jeered, curling his fingers again and making your legs shake with pleasure. “Beg me again. Beg for my cock.”

You didn’t even hesitate.

“Please! Please, I need it. Need your cock, Tae. Please…” You tried to keep your voice down, aware there might still be people outside but only Taehyung knew the only person who hadn’t left yet was Mia. And she was making phone calls outside.

“You sound beautiful when you’re needy, love. But I have to admit, I don’t think I could wait much longer,” he confessed, now lining the tip of his cock with your entrance after pulling his fingers from you. You mewled a pathetic response, interrupted by the satisfying stretch of him pushing into you.

“Oh, my god…” you hummed, his hands gripping the flesh of your hips so tight he could leave bruises. He kept himself composed enough to slowly but surely bottom out, wanting nothing more than to smack his hips against yours. But he was a gentleman, and he would remain thoughtful enough to keep your comfortable.

You felt yourself falling deeper into the throws of bliss as he dragged himself out again slowly, only to push back a little faster and finding a rhythm that felt unbelievably good for both of you. Your spine tingled with elation, every deep thrust hitting just where you needed him to. His skill seemed to transcend not only from foreplay but to fucking you silly too.

“You’ve driven me… mmf… fucking crazy all day,” he muttered, articulated with a particularly hard thrust. In his head, Taehyung was counting his blessings and thanking his lucky stars that he could be balls deep in you right now. Had you never made any kind of move on him, his desires would have merely fizzled out. God bless your confidence.

He leaned over your back a little more, pistoning his hips as you pushed up to meet him, his lips trailing along your shoulder and neck. You couldn’t stop the soft moans escaping your lips, hand coming to rest on the back of his neck, to hold him against you and tangle in the ends of his curls as he kissed along the flesh.

“Every set of lingerie… fuck, it looked so good on you. You’re so beautiful, so fucking beautiful…” he mumbled between kisses, holding your hips still to slap his against you. The sounds filling the tiny room were some of the lewdest you had ever heard, absolutely hypnotic.

Having Taehyung looming over you this way, fucking himself so far into you and sloppily biting and sucking at your shoulder and neck, you could have sworn you were dreaming. It was too perfect, felt too damn good. Never had a man made you orgasm simply with penetration, but you could feel it building, his skill and his size playing huge parts in your undoing.

His thrusts never faltered, never once slowed. He changed his angle a few times, but never ceased his movements. And before long, you were on the brink of falling apart.

“T-Tae… Gonna cum…” you warned, turning your head to look him in the eye over your shoulder.

“Me too, baby… You feel so good, I can’t help it. Cum for me, yeah?” he panted, pushing your hair out of your face and reconnecting his lips to yours in a sultry, slow and passionate make out. You mewled at the contact, letting him invade all of your sense at once and finally, the coil that had been building in your abdomen wound too tight, and you snapped.

Your legs shuddered, your back arched and your loud moans were swallowed whole by his kiss. Pleasure burst through your entire body, every nerve ending lighting up like a firework and detonating at the exact same moment.

Your pussy clenched around him so hard that Tae struggled to keep his rhythm, simply being dragged back in by your walls instead but the fight was inconceivably good, pulling him to the edge too. He frantically chased that high, whimpering against your lips as he continued to kiss you, wanting nothing more than to feel as close to you as he could.

You came back down just in time for his release, able to savour the warmth that filled you as he came. He was sure he had never cum so hard let alone as much; the pair of you were very aware of the way his cock squelched now with each slide while he slowed his hips. You could feel the mix of your arousal and his cum starting to seep from where the two of you were still connected, sliding down your inner thighs.

His hips stopped rolling, and the both of you stayed very still for a moment, catching your breath and coming back to reality. His forehead rest on your shoulder while you held yourself up, turning to press a light kiss to his temple and nuzzle into the soft mop of curls. And then he was chuckling to himself, running his fingers down the length of your arm.

“What’s funny?” you grinned; his laugh was infectious.

“I just… I swear, I’m more professional than this.” You laughed again with him, a blush creeping onto your already flushed face.

“Me too, usually…” you sniggered. He kissed your shoulder again and straightened up, allowing you to turn around and perch on the edge of the dressing table. You fixed your hair out of your eyes while he pulled his underwear and trousers up from where they pooled around his ankles. He looked around the room to find the bathrobe you’d worn earlier that day, draping around your shoulders with care so you could cover yourself.

“I was kind of lying earlier… I do want to do that campaign, I was just-“

“Manipulating me? I figured…” he smirked, slipping back into his waistcoat and picking up his beret.

“Then why did you-?”

“Swept up in the moment, I suppose. And I didn’t actually catch on until your hands were on my dick,” he shrugged, earning a laugh from you. “All I knew was I wanted you, you were in lingerie and getting closer…” He laughed with you, fixing his beret to his head and tucking his curls back into it. A comfortable silence settled over you both, post-coital smiles stretched across your faces.

“So that campaign… Are you interested?” you asked, folding your arms over your covered chest. His face contorted into one of exaggerated thought, his finger tapping at his chin.

“A day with you alone in a studio, creating beautiful art whilst you’re completely nude… Hm, this is a hard decision,” he mocked. You swatted his arm playfully, both laughing together. You liked how comfortable you felt with him, how wide the smile on your face was. It was intriguing; perhaps you could see yourself enjoying his company in future, not just his sexual prowess.

He stepped toward you, wrapping an arm around your waist casually and drawing a soft line down your jaw with his finger.

“I was actually hoping that you might be free for a drink, or dinner sometime soon. But yes, I’ve be honoured to photograph you for your campaign.”

“Well then if I may be so bold; what are you doing once you leave this studio?” you asked, straightening his beret for him.

“A lonely pizza and a bottle of beer for one. But I think I may have just had a better offer…” his voice lowered to something akin to seductive again, the smirk returning to his face.

“I think you might have. Let me change into some actual clothes, maybe we can grab dinner?”

“Absolutely. Anywhere you choose,” he smiled, pressing his lips to yours in a sweet impromptu kiss. You sank into it, before pushing him back to head over to the little case you’d been packing, pulling out the casual dress you’d worn to the studio that morning. Taehyung made no move to leave the little dressing room, leaning his back against the door and shoving his hands in his pockets.

“You’re sticking around?” you asked.

“Absolutely. I wouldn’t want to miss the show…”

[tcm]

Sessue Hayakawa: The Biggest Silent Movie Star I’d Never Heard Of By Kim Luperi

Rudolph Valentino. Douglas Fairbanks. Sessue Hayakawa. What do these men have in common? All reigned as dashing matinee idols during the silent era. But while Valentino and Fairbanks usually won the girl’s heart by the end, Hayakawa’s Japanese heritage almost always prevented him from doing the same; in fact, he became the first Asian actor to achieve stardom in Hollywood – and he did so while playing the villain.

I first witnessed Hayakawa’s star power in Cecil B. DeMille’s THE CHEAT (‘15). The ferocity of his actions on screen, and—I’ll admit it—his devastatingly good looks, stunned and entranced me. Not recognizing his name, I decided to investigate and was quickly intrigued by Hayakawa’s life and career in Hollywood.

Born in Japan in 1886, Hayakawa’s journey took him to the United States, where he made his film debut in 1914. (Though many sources—including Hayakawa himself—claim he moved to the U.S. to study at the University of Chicago, the school has no records showing he attended.) The following year, his role as a wealthy businessman in THE CHEAT propelled him to fame, albeit in an unusual way. In the movie, Hayakawa loans a socialite (Fannie Ward) $10,000… in exchange for sex. When she repays the money and tries to back out of the physical part of their deal, he refuses, and, in a shocking scene, literally brands her as his property.

Caucasian women went wild over Hayakawa’s performance. Stephen Gong, Executive Director of the Center for Asian American Media, noted the widely-cited reasoning for that in a 2008 interview: "The idea of the rape fantasy, forbidden fruit, all those taboos of race and sex – it made him a movie star.” However, THE CHEAT and the striking reaction Hayakawa’s understated style and brazen brutality elicited was fraught with the racial prejudices and sexual mores of the time, and the film didn’t fare well with everyone. Japanese moviegoers and publications in America decried Hayakawa for taking on a villainous role that adversely affected how they were viewed and treated. Indeed, in his 1960 book Zen Showed Me the Way, Hayakawa recalled, “I was indignantly accused of casting a slur on my nationality,” something other Asian actors, like Anna May Wong, were charged with too, even though Hollywood rarely offered them non-stereotypical parts.

The actor’s star ascended quickly; in fact, a 1917 theater advertisement marketed a “mammoth triple feature program,” placing Hayakawa on the same level of stardom as Charlie Chaplin and Western icon William S. Hart. After Hayakawa’s contract with Jesse Lasky ended in 1918, he formed Haworth Pictures Corporation, which gave him more power over his career and enabled him to undertake a wider variety of roles. Haworth churned out almost 20 films from 1918-1922, and at the helm, Hayakawa could funnel his creative talents through the entire filmmaking process; in addition to acting, he produced and wrote select features, and he’s also said to have contributed to Haworth productions’ design, editing and directing. Hayakawa often appeared alongside Caucasian actresses in these pictures, but even when he played the hero, miscegenation laws basically barred him from a blissful finale. A rare happy ending during this period came in THE DRAGON PAINTER (‘19), which Hayakawa co-starred in with his wife, Japanese actress Tsuru Aoki. Hayakawa’s studio proved so successful that he commanded an astounding $7,500 a week in 1920, the equivalent of almost $100,000 a century later.

But at the top of his game, Hayakawa left Hollywood. The reasons for his 1922 exit remain murky, but different sources credit business issues, mounting xenophobia/discrimination and more. In an odd statement from a 1957 Los Angeles Times interview, Hayakawa plainly stated he relocated because, “I met a treacherous man. He took out a $1,000,000 policy on my life. And I believe he tried to kill me to collect.”

Mysteries aside, the actor spent the next few decades working on stage and screen across Europe and Japan, settling for a while in France, where he resided during WWII. Though Hayakawa mostly remained abroad the rest of his life, he occasionally returned to America, including in 1931 to act in his first Hollywood talkie, DAUGHTER OF THE DRAGON, and the late 1950s. During the latter period, he appeared in his most famous film, THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (‘57), resulting in a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination.

While researching Hayakawa’s life, I uncovered a good amount of conflicting and/or unverified information, some even proliferated by the actor himself. Indeed, Sessue Hayakawa: Silent Cinema and Transnational Stardom author Daisuke Miyao has said, “I think the life of Hayakawa as a star was always a process of creating his own myth.” But a little bit of confabulation probably serves the enduring enigma of an enchanting matinee idol well, does it not?

[keanuvibe]

Bodyguard (John Wick x Reader) Pt. 6

A/N: Hi! I return with some good old fashion smut :) I love y’all, thank you so much for supporting this fic honestly.

Words: 4.5k

Warnings: swears, smut

The burning taste of alcohol scorched your throat as it went down. The buzz of an old box TV sat on a shelf near your seat, but it was drowned out by the bar life that hummed around. You didn't bother to take part in socializing; you weren't planning on staying too long, just enough to get drunk and then leave. You couldn't be too hungover anyways, as the gala is tomorrow evening. You only slipped out because you needed time to yourself before the possibility of being murdered by your cousin tomorrow. You didn't understand why your father couldn't just give Santino what he wants, and not put your life on the line. I mean, you did agree to the situation; they gave you the option to say ‘No’.

The past week has been interesting, to say the least. Firstly, you and John slept together. It was everything you’d hoped, and it definitely wasn't expected. Certainly not back when you first met; his handsome figure sitting so proper in the living room. Often, you find yourself thinking back to when you'd first met. He was so quiet, reserved, seemingly collected. Ruggedly handsome and such a mystery as well. That was back when you saw him in nothing but suits. You've fallen so incredibly hard for this man. Someone who you probably wouldn't have glanced at twice on the street. 

Next, the events leading to the gala had begun to cause you anxiety. The possibility of being killed isn't something you want to face. However, your parents are taking heavy precautions. Your mother had you fitted for a dress, tactical in case things went awry. 

Tuesday - 3:45 PM

“Look at you! So stunning.” Your mother cooed, spinning you around so she could see the dress you’d put on. The seamstress stood to the side, arms tucked behind her back and measuring tape around her neck. 

“And the fabric is-”

“Bulletproof up to close range, knife proof, and waterproof.” The seamstress spoke, cheerfully finishing off the sentence. You looked over to her, nodding quietly before looking back at your reflection. The dress fit well, it resembled a fit and flare with a heart shaped top and slit up to the top of your thigh. The design made it easier to move and access hidden weapons, while also looking classy and sexy. It did accentuate your breasts nicely, and the slit for your thigh showed a delicious amount of skin. The curve of the article gave you a nice hourglass shape as well.

“Aspetta che John ti veda in questo.” [‘Wait for John to see you in this.”] Your mother giggled, sitting back onto a small couch. You blushed a deep rouge, scoffing at her comment. 

“What? I know you like him, darling.” She responded to your attitude with a smile, sarcastically rolling her eyes. 

“Mom- I-” You began, but stopped yourself as the seamstress undid the zipper, allowing you to slip out of the article. The woman then took the dress into another room, leaving you and your mother alone. You quickly slipped back into your clothes before turning around to face your mom.

“What, baby?” She questioned, sipping a glass full of champagne. 

“I have something to tell you.” You murmured, sitting next to the woman. You looked up to your mother and she gazed back at you, blinking her long eyelashes. For as long as you could remember, your mother always had her makeup on. In fact, she's always been put together; even at five in the morning. 

“Go on, then.” She waved her hand, encouraging you to continue. Nerves fluttered about your stomach and you shifted in your seat. 

“I-” You stuttered, casting your eyes to your lap. “I think I have a crush on him.” Your mother's hand placed itself onto your shoulder as she scoot closer. 

“I know, la mia bellezza.” Your mother chuckled. “It was easy to tell after a few months.” [‘My beauty.’] She murmured, softly moving some strands of hair that had fallen in your face. The room was quiet, save for a small radio that played classical piano music. 

“I-I don't know what to do.” You paused, “Mom, what if this life isn't for me? I appreciate you let me have the store fronts, but I don’t want them anymore.” You spoke, looking towards the woman. Your mother pushed a glass of champagne into your hand and forced you to sip it. 

“I know you don’t want to be apart of this, really. We gave you those fronts to try to keep you around. The fact Santino dragged you further in… We’re sorry.” The woman murmured, looking down to her lap.

“I’m going to stay, and help you. But afterwards… I’m moving out. I found a place further down in the city. John helped me find it, actually.” You spoke, a little excitement added to your voice. Your mother looked back up, a small grin crossing her lips. She nodded, leaning in and kissing the top of your head softly. 

“I support you. Your father might be harder to convince, however.” The woman answered, setting her glass down.

--

Right. You nearly forgot you told your mom about liking John, and confessing the want to leave. You already put a deposit down anyways. With your father’s money, you can afford to live on your own. He'd put enough away in a savings account, starting when you were just a baby.

 John helped you find the place too, searching the old fashion way; through ads in the paper.

“This one has a lot of natural light.” John held these newspaper for you to see. You grabbed the sheet from his hand and studied the small black and white photos.

“How can you even see that?” You squint, prompting John to chuckle.

“It says it in the description, little one.” He humored, a cheeky grin crossing his face. You blushed, chuckling to play off your embarrassment. 

“There’s plenty of closet space. I could keep a few things there.” He spoke, standing up and adjusting his position to hover over your shoulder. You felt butterflies soar through your stomach at the comment and nodded furiously. 

“Yes, please do.” 

--

On top of all the other stuff, your father gifted you new weaponry;  A pistol set with an ankle strap, and a new set of knives. It felt nice that he cared, but you've never actually been apart of one of your fathers missions before. Sure, you've done some dirty work and left a few bodies behind; however, this mission is different. More dangerous, on top of being risky. 

 The scrape of a bar stool next to your own echoed throughout the space, but you didn't bother to glance at the person. The bartender was quick to take their order before the figure cleared their throat.

“This is the bar we were first introduced. Our fathers had a meeting here.” Santino’s voice chilled you to the bone and you froze, stuck staring into your drink. You heard the light of a match as he lit a cigarette and took a puff, smoke blowing directly into your face. 

“You remember, no?” He then asked. You finally looked up, greeting his smug expression. 

“I do.” You answered, taking a large swing of your whiskey. “Why are you here, Santino?” You finished. 

“May we not speak like civilized humans? We are famiglia after all.” ‘[Family.]’ He answered cooly, taking a puff from his cigarette. You rolled your eyes, gesturing to the bartender for another refill.

“You think no more of us than you do an ant on the street. We are not family; We are merely, devastatingly, blood related.” You spat, facing your cousin fully. He seemed a bit taken aback by your outburst, but quickly shook it off with a laugh and a sip of his own drink. You two fell into silence as you turned back towards your drink. You swirled the dark liquor around before gulping down the liquid. 

“Where's your boy, hm? No play toy tonight?” The man asked after a few moments. You knew he was talking about John. “Do your parents know about your activities?” Anger bubbled deeply in your chest. How did he know that in the first place? You two were very strict about no affection until behind closed doors. 

“I stepped out without him.” You tried to keep the rage under control, taking another hefty sip from your drink. Santino clicked his tongue at your answer. 

“Shame, I’d love to meet the guy whose been killing all my men.” Your cousin murmured. You furrowed your brows, confusion lacing your brain. 

“We've only had a few instances with your fools, what do you mean?” You asked, looking back towards the man. He looked at you, realization crossing his features. A short laugh escaped his mouth.

“You don't know?” He grinned mischievously.

“Tell me.” You demanded, your hand balling into a fist. The obvious amusement radiated off your cousin from your situation. What the hell could he be talking about, and why has John been ‘killing all his men’?

“Your… boyfriend, has been sneaking out at night, cousin. Into my warehouses, slaying the men in his way. I know he's seeking me. John Wick could never touch me.” Santino’s last comment was snarky, cold, and spoken with a deep seeded hatred. You felt shock cross your body upon learning new information. Why hadn't he told you?  He could've been killed and you would've never known. Drunk words were to be had when you get home. 

“Well. That sounds like a problem for you.” You responded. Though you were upset at John for keeping this a secret, you were grateful he'd put such a large dent into Santino’s resources. Your cousin scoffed, finishing off his drink and setting the glass back onto the bar. He threw a twenty dollar bill next to the cup before turning to face you. You watched carefully as he placed his ring-clad hand over your shoulder, leaning closer to your face. 

“See you tomorrow, (Y/N).” He spoke lowly. His hand pat your shoulder a few times before he removed it and exit the bar. Though you didn't look at his face when he’d spoken, the sinister feelings behind it stuck with you; even after he’d already left.

--

Stumbling through your bedroom door, your fingers searched the wall before finding the switch and flipping on the light. You groaned at the brightness, too drunk to be dealing with it. You felt a little dizzy from the dark liquor you'd drank, but managed to walk to your bed, sitting on the edge. With a little effort, you began tugging at the zipper on your dress in an attempt to remove the article. Going to bars used to be fun, you could carelessly get wasted and sleep with some random guy. Now you couldn't leave the house with fears of being killed. 

Stripping off the dress, you sighed, laying back onto your bed and shutting your eyes. A quiet knock on your door triggered a low groan to escape your lips as you sat up, wobbling your way over to the door and tugging it open. Your drunk eyes met the sight of John. He looked down at your figure and raised his brows as the scent of alcohol hit his nostrils.

“Sneaking off on me again?” He questioned, pushing your figure back into the bedroom and shutting the door behind himself. You stumbled back from his minimal force, and whined at him.

“Don't p-push me.” You drunkenly spoke, folding your arms in frustration. “You're the one in trouble h-here! Mr. I’ve Been Sneaking Out To Kill Santino’s Men.

“That's a long name.” John deadpanned. His eyes scanned down your body, causing you to remember you'd stripped off the clothing you had on. 

“Don't change the topic.” You walked past him to get to the bed, bumping his arm on your way. He quickly reached out, grasping your bicep and pulling you up to his chest. You tried your best to let the drunkenness fill you with courage as his dark eyes stared you down. You'd never seen John look at you like this before; angry. 

“I am protecting you.” He whispered lowly and through his teeth, “I’m doing what I have to, to keep you safe.” His eyes traveled down your nearly naked body; goosebumps covered your skin as he did so. You felt like prey to an animal, like a delicious looking gazelle to a lion; a ferocious, dark haired lion. 

“What're you staring at?” You slurred, furrowing your brows. The grip he had on your arm shifted pressures as his mouth collided with your own. The man let go, instead grabbing under your ass and picking you up. He swiftly turned around, tossing you onto the bed with force. You studied his face as he slowly approached your weakened figure, noting how dark his eyes had gotten. You'd made John so mad, he was no longer John. You'd caused John Wick to emerge. 

“Don't move.” He spoke deeply. The sound of his belt buckle echoed throughout the quiet room and John whipped the slim article from his pant loops with a Crack!. The man set the belt into your bed, grabbing your ankles afterwards and pulling your body to the edge of the bed roughly. A little whine escaped your throat as he grabbed your wrists, holding them together above your head before tying the belt around them. 

“You want to act bratty? Like you're the boss?” He questioned, raising his brow and spreading your thighs roughly, “Let me remind you who’s in charge.” John finished. He placed his thumb over your still clothed clit with a firm pressure, rubbing slowly. A moan left your lips and you squirmed your hips at the sensation. His free hand came down quickly, grasping your hip tightly and holding it down so you couldn't move.

“No moving.” He murmured, running his finger along your panty line. The feeling tickled, but you tried your best not to move in fear of his punishment. He hummed in appreciation, gently pushing your underwear to expose your core. He let out a soft groan at the sight, running his pointer finger up your slit, gathering the wetness up. You let out a pathetic whimper as he tapped your clit on the exit. 

“So gorgeous.” John praised, running his hand along the curve of your waist. You felt a blush crawl up your cheeks and turned your face to the side to hide it.

“Look at me.” He commanded, his fingers grasping your chin and moving your head. The man studied your expression. He saw the lust hazing your eyes, the alcohol too. There was another emotion hiding behind the other two; fear. It made him smirk knowing he was back in charge  and he stood straight again, beginning to loosen his tie. You watched as he took the item off and approached your figure. He leaned down, placing the tie over your eyes and quickly knotting it. 

“Can you see?” He asked. You could tell by his voice that he'd moved back to the end of the bed. You shook your head ‘No’ as a response. Johns footsteps padded faintly and you hear him shuffling around before his large hand grasped your ankle. It caused you to jump, not being able to tell when he was going to touch. 

“I won't hurt you.” He murmured, fingertips dragging up your leg. You shuddered at the sensation, your senses heightened at the loss of your sight. Johns fingers shocked you once again, hooking into the hem of your panties and pulling them down. The cool air hit your hot core and you shivered at the temperature shock. 

“I missed you.” He whispered, leaning down. His face sat close to your heat and he gently kissed the skin of your inner thigh. You felt his scratchy facial hair scrape the delicate skin near your pussy. The hotness of his breath coated your clit, and just as he was about to give you what you wanted-

“Please!” You blurted, squirming your hip. The silence was deafening, however John finally spoke up.

“I told you not to move.” You felt chills expose your skin at his comment. The man was swift to move away from your core. He grabbed you and flipped you over so you lay on your stomach instead of your back. His fingertips dragged along the length of your leg, starting at your achilles and ending at the curve of your ass. He gently grasped the flesh, squeezing it before a swift Slap! stang soft skin. You released a short cry at the sensation, whimpering afterwards as the man's hand gently massaged the skin he’d just assaulted. A second slap came down moments after, prompting you to cry out again. The overwhelming sting from the sharp slap tingled across your ass and you let out a defeated whimper. 

John’s large hands ran along your back, meeting the clasp for you bra. In a single swift movement the man had undone the article. The sensation of little kisses littered your back as he made a clear pattern down to your ass. His beard scraped the still raw skin, but the little pain it brought felt good. 

“Are you ready to behave?” He then asked. You nodded, vision still blocked by his tie. You could hear as he moved around again before he gently flipped you back over, pulling you to the edge. The quiet noise of his zipper echoed the quiet room, followed by the drop of an article of clothing. John’s calloused hands found themselves wrapping around your ankles, holding your legs up in the air. The gentle, yet excited, breaths that left his throat sounded throughout the room and you let out a quiet whine. 

“I know baby.” John answered to your plea. He reached his hand down, rubbing your exposed clit with a firm pressure. He gathered your wetness onto his fingers before giving himself a few pumps using the slick. An excited knot formed in your belly at the sensation of his rubbing, prompting you moan softly. His fingers left your clit but were replaced by the tip of his cock, caressing the bundle of nerves. Wishing you could see his face, you huffed from frustration. Your arms were still tied together above your head with the belt, and your vision still blocked by the tie. Seeing John’s pleasure only added to your own. 

In a single swift thrust, John had fully entered your heat. A cry left your throat at a loud volume, the satisfaction of finally being filled overwhelming your senses. The man started moving slowly, allowing you time to adjust to his large size. Pleasure coursed through your veins, and despite the man's rule, you began to move your hips with his. He removed his hands from around your ankles, resting your legs over his shoulders, before moving them down. He ripped your bra off, hand quick to grasp onto the flesh and fingers eagerly playing with your nipple. More waves of pleasure navigated your figure, the familiar warm feeling beginning to grow in your lower belly. 

Keeping his rhythm, John leaned forward and connected his lips with your breast, littering hickies across the soft, fleshy skin. Moans echoed the room, you being too drunk to care about keeping them under control. His thumb expertly rubbed your clit, only added to the fire within your belly. His mouth connected with your nipple, only doubling the pleasure you were feeling. John adjusted the position of his hips slightly, causing the head of his cock to rub against your g-spot. 

“Oh- Oh- I’m going to cum,” You breathed, the pit in your belly close to exploding. John took your words as a challenge thrusting harder. With a cry, your orgasm erupted throughout your body. Your finger and toe tips tingled as your muscles repeatedly flexed and relaxed. John let you ride out your orgasm, thrusting deeply before he too finished. His large body slumped onto your own, both of you breathing heavily. The man took a few moments before he lazily untied your hands and blindfold. 

“Whoa.” You spoke as soon as he took the fold off. He smirked, leaning on one elbow so he could face you.

“So, are you going to obey now?” He questioned, finger running up your body and between your breasts. You nodded swiftly, biting your lip. Although, once in a while you’ll have to misbehave. You two laid there quietly for about ten minutes before getting dressed in pajamas. Once clothed, you returned to your bed, both of you climbing in. Most of the time John stays until you are asleep. Then, not to raise suspicion, he returns to his bedroom across the hall. It was the only way you got away with ‘sleeping together’. John still didn’t know that your mom knows about some things. Thankfully, your father still doesn’t. You didn’t know when to break the news; speaking of bad news. Santino. The bar.

“John?” You questioned, turning to face him. He currently laid on his back, a book in hand. 

“Yes?” He answered, pausing his reading to look at you. He studied his handsome face, before speaking up.

“The bar I was at- Santino showed up. We- We spoke.” The words faintly floated from your lips. John sat up, his focus picking up on you. “You’ve been leaving at night, taking out certain camps with Santino’s men?” It was spoken like a statement, but lingered as a question. 

“Yes. I have.” He spoke, not breaking eye contact. Even though he was the one in trouble, his gaze made you feel like you were the scolded child. 

“W-Why didn’t you tell me?” You huffed, “I could’ve helped.”

“(Y/N), stop.” He spoke, but more commanded. You held your mouth open, but no words escaped. “I did it because I can’t see you getting hurt. You’re-” He paused, “You’re clumsy.”

Your cheeks flamed a hot pink at his words, embarrassment coursing through your veins. So, maybe you were a little… clumsy when it came to combat. You allowed yourself to get hurt by only two men in the alley- who you could’ve easily taken in your glory days. You’ve allowed your guard to lower, and so has your skills. You’d just stopped caring about it all; Up until John showed up. 

“Okay. I-I appreciate it.” Your voice floated out in a whisper after a few moments of silence. He nodded, returning to his previous position and continuing on with reading. You stared at him for a few more seconds, sighing before giving up and laying down. 

“What else did he say?” John questioned. You shrugged, your thoughts rummaging through your memories of the conversation. 

“Where's your boy, hm? No play toy tonight?”

“Your… boyfriend,”

“John Wick could never touch me.”

“He’s definitely threatened of you.” You spoke. It sounds like something a man trying to cover up his cowering confidence would say. John nodded; a little smirk growing on the corner of his lips. You got to admit, it was a little sexy to see him turned on by fear. But, there was also the fact Santino knew about your relationship with John; he could tell your father. 

——————

The next day came and flew by, the evening presenting itself faster than you would've liked. Now, here you stood in your bedroom, mother zipping up the gown from the seamstress’s shop. You studied yourself in the mirror; your hair had been styled in a low bun out of your face and perfect for combat. Your makeup was elegant however, you donned a smokey eye with black and brown shadows, as well as a dramatic set of false eyelashes. The dress your mother finished zipping made your breasts look perfect, and it showed off your body nicely; as well as the slit up to the thigh.

“You look stunning.” Your mother smiled. You just now noticed she’d been staring at you through the mirror too. You gave her a sad smile before turning your attention away and towards putting on shoes. Tonight was the gala... Tonight, there is a good chance you’re going to die. Anxiety hadn’t left your gut all day, however knowing John was to be at your side gave you a little security.

“Where is John?” You asked, turning around and looking at your mother. She blinked at your sudden question before answering. 

“He’s just outside the door, waiting. We’ve got to leave in five minutes.” She spoke, pushing your purse into your hands. You nodded, swiftly gathering the rest of the things you'd need. You made sure your weapons were secure in their strapped on spots. The ankle strap was hidden by the long length of the dress, and the thigh strap was hidden on the inside of the slit. Taking one last deep breath, you exhaled loudly and stepped towards the door, opening it with determination. John looked at you as you exit the room, a little smile he was trying to contain covering his face. 

“I’m ready.” You spoke, a hint of faux confidence covering the words. John nodded, leading you out of the home and towards the car. Your family would be taking separate cars to the event, for safety and get away reasons. It was just easier this way. John guided you into one of the vehicles, following in afterwards himself. He gestured for the driver to go, then hit the button to raise the divider. His other hand creeped onto your exposed thigh slit, and you bit your lip at the sensation of his calloused fingers gliding across smooth skin. 

“How are you feeling?” John asked quietly. You took the moment to admire how stunning he looked as well. He had gelled back his hair, and combed his beard. He also wore one of his all black three pieces. 

“Nervous.” You spoke, your eyes returning to his face. He nodded, leaning down and capturing your lips with his own. You sighed into the kiss, some nerves beginning to calm down. He broke the kiss first, the hand that had been resting on your thigh giving it a squeeze. 

“I’ll be beside you all night. I’m not going anywhere.” John’s words felt like a warm blanket, and you leaned into his side, wrapping your arms around his one. The man's head rest on top of your own, the two of you falling into a comfortable silence. The comfort didn’t last long however, as the car began to slow down, eventually coming to a stop. Your gaze moved to the window, noticing the large building that the gala was hosted in. Herds of people were standing outside, shuffling in and out of the building. Many reporters were also outside, taking pictures of famous people in attendance. John untangled your bodies and climbed out first, opening the door for you. You took a deep breath, gathering your purse and making sure your straps were secured before sliding out yourself. John held out his arm for you to wrap your own around; which you accepted. 

“Are you ready, baby?” He spoke softly. You nodded, letting your bodyguard take the lead.

---

Master List

[illshowyourhurricanes]

Number 3 image with our beloved Billy Russo

Thanks for requesting this, lovely! I had an absolute blast writing this for you (and apologies that it took on a mind of its own!) I hope you enjoy!

Trigger warning: some smut, mentions/potential use of weaponry

Chasing Losses

Image prompt 3: Billy Russo (season 1) x reader

Rating: MA, trigger warning above as well as language

Word count: 3284 (Write drabbles, I said. I’ll be able to do it, I said.)

Tag list: @dylanobrusso @obscurilicious @the-blind-assassin-12 @something-tofightfor @ms-delos @lexxierave @madamrogers @yannii04 @gollyderek @madamrogers @carlaangel86 @bicevans @maydayfigment @thisisparadisemylove @ladyofnaps @malionnes @thesandbeneathmytoes @crushed-pink-petals-writes

Follower event tag list: @luminex3 @fireeyes-on-teller-dixon-grimes @witchygagirl @breanime

If you’d like to be added to/removed from my tag list, please just send me an ask!

Special thanks to @something-tofightfor for help by answering my endless questions, and to @the-blind-assassin-12 for being the best beta reader.

                                      ***     ***     ***     ***There were perks that came with being the CEO of a corporation. There was a lot of bullshit that came along with it, but the perks evened the playing field. Billy’s foolproof analogy was that of the oscillation of a swinging pendulum: back and forth, clockwise and counter-clockwise, chaos swinging around the equilibrium. Billy didn’t favor one over the other, the pandemonium and the calm. One perk of being CEO of Anvil Security was that he could choose his own assignments, and he preferred to be in the thick of it, involved, making no room for potentially fatal mistakes for himself or his crew. 

Covert operations that allowed Billy the ease of keeping his normal routine he kept as CEO–alarm clock blaring before the sun was completely hanging over the horizon, morning rituals of dressing in one of his custom-made suits before placidly drinking his coffee and heading to the office– these were the assignments that Billy took on often. Routine was what Billy thrived on; it was something that was essential in the military, and Billy had lived under strict discipline, no room for error, over a span of fifteen years. He was quick on his feet, gears in his mind never slowing, ready to react to havoc or upheaval even during sleep. The Marine Corps had created stability for a man who had none in his life. It gave him control. With a combination of the two under his thumb, Billy was unstoppable. 

Another skill he’d gained overseas was that of patience. Suffer patiently, patiently suffer. Those four simple words from Special Forces training were words that never left Billy’s mind, words that never failed him. Words that were perfectly applicable for this particular assignment. 

The basis was elementary: wait, watch, assure no senator or affiliate was threatened or harmed while money flew and cocktails flowed. It was a basic personal protection plan, and Billy likened it to the frequent waiting for higher-ups– he’d always have fucking higher-ups– to combat their logistics or command indecision. In his current case, the waiting, the watching, the act of assurance was done while laying low– another rich fuck in an expensive suit spending government money in a ritzy casino as far as anyone else knew— lasted as long as the senators stayed. It was one of the simplest jobs Billy had entertained, though mind-numbing.

And then, he spotted you. 

He was leaning on the bar in the VIP lounge,  just to the side of the third leather- upholstered swivel chair from the right. Left hand casually in his pocket, he held in his right  a glass tumbler half-filled with some kind of overpriced bourbon poured over ice. His dark eyes roaming over those crowded around the table games– blackjack, craps, three-card poker– the wandering of his eyes froze into a stare, and what a view they captured. 

Your dress fit you like a second skin. It was meant to command attention, first to your legs. They seemed infinite, both from the illusion your stilettos created and the hemline of that dress barely grazing your mid-thigh. It clung to every curve, the incredible roundness of your ass, the hourglass shape of your waist and hips. The back of your dress delved low, skin exposed just shy of your shoulder blades.  Your hair down and curled loosely, you’d pull it all around to your front only for tendrils to escape and caress your shoulders again. Long-sleeved and with a high neckline, the design was simple, but the entirety of the fabric was embellished in green sequins reminiscent of a peacock’s plumage. Standing there in that dress, your eyes trained on the roulette wheel, Billy made several discoveries, but one stood out to him more than the others: you were utterly bored. 

You played the interested and intrigued role well– eyes trained on the wheel and widened in interest, but if anyone cared to look close enough to your expression in lieu of your legs or that ass Billy could practically feel in his hands, they’d notice you were staring just past the game of roulette. You were paying about as much attention to the game than he was, and as a cacophony of excited chatter erupted from those you joined, your eyes came to life, and your lips quirked up into a picture-perfect, stunning grin. Billy was keenly interested, hungry, and you were the only one he could imagine at that moment who could satiate him. 

As if on cue, your eyes glanced away from the game once more just to land on a tall, impeccably well-dressed vision of a man. He had a head full of coal black hair slicked back, drawing more attention to his perfectly symmetrical face. His strong, angular jawline was peppered with short, neatly-trimmed stubble. Your attention was drawn to his lips as his tongue darted out to moisten them before leisurely taking a drink. He’d noticed you as well, and his eyes didn’t leave your face as you blatant appraised his own. You finally met his gaze, drinking in his eyes and how startlingly dark they were. 

His eyebrows quirked upward, and he pushed himself from the bar, walking your way with purpose. He knew he was attractive, knew you found him to be, and had a high amount of assurance in the way he walked. 

You were in for a treat. 

Billy stepped so close to you, his shoulder brushed yours feather-light as he passed right by you. You kept your expression neutral, steady, and felt his presence behind you. If it wasn’t for the palpable sense of arrogance he held, you’d have never sensed the man there behind you. He was silent on his feet. Unable to keep your chin from tilting upward just slightly, your face held an almost unreadable air of triumph. Yes, you were in for quite a treat. 

You were absolutely intoxicating. Billy made no sound of inhaling deeply, just as he made no sound as he stepped behind you. He was so close, the scent of your perfume was overpowered by the one of your shampoo: a scintillating mixture of citrus and spice with a hint of mint. Though he could feel the beginning of an arousal, he kept his composure, glancing around the entirety of the room one last time before speaking, low and close to your ear. 

“Are we betting on luck or chance here?” His voice was smooth like velvet, but rough around the edges: he was a New Yorker. You bit the inside of your cheek, both from the excitement of the situation alone as well as the devastatingly handsome man’s question. He had a brain in that head of his as well. Luck and chance were two very different animals, and you didn’t hesitate for a moment before answering. 

“If it were a game of luck, I’d be playing,” you replied. You barely turned your head to the side in order for him to hear you, your line of vision still glued to the wheel, the optical illusion of bright red and inky black spinning before your eyes as you imagined the expression on the stranger’s face. 

You couldn’t see Billy from the way you stood, but a shadow of a smirk tugged at his lips, eyes tinged with amusement. You were bold, and that was a turn on. The melting ice in his glass of bourbon clinked as he took another drink, taking his eyes off the deliciously smooth skin of your back in order to check his watch. His replacement would be arriving shortly. Perfect timing. “Mmm,” he mused, “Why is it you’re not taking a chance then?”

After a short beat of time, you spun to face him. You were struck again by how tall he was, and once again you appraised his features, still just as flawless as they seemed from across the room. Meeting his eyes with confidence of your own, you gave a soft shrug of your shoulders, several chunks of curly, silky hair falling past your shoulder. “It’s not my style. And you?”

“Not my style either,” Billy replied. “It’s not why I’m here.”

“Why are you here?” you asked, a lilt of curiosity in your tone. 

Billy let out a breath of a laugh, lifting his arms away from his sides, palms up. “Why are you here?” His question wouldn’t be considered one of interest as much as it was a challenge. 

A raucous roaring came from the men around the wheel once again, and you leaned in to speak into his ear. You knew with certainty that your lips would brush against his ear at least once, and it was entirely purposeful. “Franklin,” you purred, waiting for a reaction “Benjamin Franklin.” There was no blush crawling upward from his collar, not a single goosebump on his skin. As the noise died down, you pulled back to finish your answer to his question. “Old money.”

With a bitter laugh, Billy knocked down what remained of his bourbon, setting the glass on a mirrored console table behind him. “Old money,” he repeated, surveying you from head to toe. With a slight shake of his head, Billy’s hands slid into his packets. “Playing it safe for someone so lucky.” He sniffed, rolling his shoulders before lowering his voice. “Try something not so cloaked in certainty. I suggest a more avant garde approach.” 

Bingo. You raised your brows and dipped your chin. A familiar warmth built up in your abdomen, and you almost ached from sheer desire. You craved the weight of man over you, the satisfaction of being filled, the sheer headiness of pleasure of a tongue teasing the most sensitive of places. This man in particular seemed like as close to a perfect candidate you could get. “Do you have any suggestions?”

The door to enter the VIP lounge opened, and it walked Billy’s overnight replacement. The man was capable, former military, and chosen for the graveyard shift assignment for good reason. Almost immediately, Billy’s eyes were back on you and his arousal was building. “I suggest we get the hell outta here.” His eyes bored into your own, the inky blackness of his dilated pupils showing you what you already knew. His tongue darted out to wet his lips, and his head nodded sideways toward the door. One second later, and he was walking toward the exit, another nod that could pass as a greeting to his employee, signaling everything had gone smoothly as he walked out the door. 

Billy strode through the crowded lounge of people, making eye contact with no one as he headed straight for the corridor lined with elevators. As he waited, he rolled his shoulders, tilted his head side to side and felt the satisfying cracking of his neck. Not two minutes later, Billy watched you, a goddamn knockout in that green dress, strut your way through the lounge, noticed almost every man in the room abandon any concentration on a table game or slot machine to watch you: the way you carried yourself, your seemingly endless legs–legs that would soon be wrapped around Billy’s waist, heels digging into his lower back– and your exquisite specimen of an ass that he was quite prepared to grab and squeeze and, according to your preferences, perhaps more. He jabbed at the button to call an elevator and just as you reached the entrance to the corridor, a set of doors opened. Billy stood in the hall, reached a hand to steel the doors open if necessary, and stepped into the elevator just as you vanished inside. He immediately pushed the button indicated to close the doors, pressed the one next to the 18th floor, and made his way straight to you, his companion for the next few hours. 

You were standing against the back wall of the elevator, and as it began to rise, Billy took two steps toward you, pressing his hands against the mirrored wall behind you. His body was pressed against yours, the swell of your breasts touching his toned chest, and you met each other halfway for a kiss. He coaxed your mouth open with his tongue; you could taste the bourbon he’d drank as he explored your mouth, one kiss melting into another, urgency building. You could feel his erection, his length hard against your thigh and when the elevator dinged its signal that you’d reached his floor, he stayed put for a moment as the doors opened, not caring who saw the way he nipped and tugged at your bottom lip before he broke the kiss, pushing himself away from the wall and allowing you to exit first, thoroughly enjoying the view you provided him with as he followed you. 

His suite was at the end of the hall, and as he slid his keycard into the slot to unlock his door, he pushed it open to reveal a stunning view. Billy didn’t give it a second glance. It was no more impressive than the view from his own penthouse. The breathtaking view, however, was stepping in behind him, closing the door with a soft click, and if you were the last thing Billy saw in his lifetime, he’d be satisfied. 

With one slight lift of his chin, you obliged and closed the distance between yourself and Billy, lips and tongues seeking each other hungrily. You wanted to devour him and it was evident that he felt the same way about you. 

The one difference between the two of you, however, was paramount. You knew his name, even if he had never formally introduced himself. You also knew that your name was a mystery to Billy. Basic information like that didn’t matter to Billy Russo, but your tits and ass and legs piqued his interest just like you’d known they would. That, for once and unbeknownst to him, was what mattered. 

Smirking against his lips, you pulled away after one last tug with your teeth to whisper in Billy’s ear. “I’m so wet for you,” you purred, hot breath over the shell of his ear. You smoothed your hands over Billy’s shoulders and to his chest, going for the button that held his suit jacket together. 

He groaned at your words, digging his teeth into his lower lip. Your hands roaming over his body, Billy couldn’t help himself from taking things further. His hands slid down your back, gripping your ass, squeezing as he relished in the handfuls of flesh beneath that dress that was a both blessing and a curse; you were dangerously gorgeous in it; he needed you out of it. 

Billy grabbed at your wrists, pulling your hands from his suit jacket. With one arm around your waist, he spun you to press your back to the wall. Raising his chin, he ground his hips into yours, making certain you felt every inch of him and how hard he was for you. Your chest was heaving with every breath, you were already moaning, and Billy’s own groan mixed with yours. He dipped his head to suck on the soft skin where your neck curved into your shoulder. 

Your body was on high alert but Billy was a master at his game. You felt the heat between your legs swell, were aware of that ache to be filled, and Billy allowed you enough space from the wall to snake his arms around you, unzipping your dress —just enough room for you to slip your arms from your sleeves and let the fabric fall to your waist. 

Billy’s eyes were inky black, heavy-lidded, and he had your bra off just seconds after the top of your dress. He allowed the black lace bra to fall to the floor as he drank in the sight of your chest, the perfect shape of your breasts before looking back up at you. He flashed a blinding smile, his eyes ravenous. Teasing you, he brushed his palms over your breasts, out and down over your waist. Your nipples were taut and he took one into his mouth, circling it with his tongue as he teased the other with his thumb. He loved how you were conceding to him, allowing him to do to you what he’d been imagining doing since he set his eyes on you.

Even so, Billy was also surprised at your cooperation, surprised that as brazen as you were downstairs, you hadn’t taken charge of the situation. He enjoyed the upper hand, the power. He knew what was coming within minutes, and he was ready. You pawed at his suit jacket again, and he distracted you by grinding his hips into yours again. You couldn’t help but reciprocate, and Billy didn’t fight you as you first unbuttoned and then unzipped his pants. He was dying for your touch, but had to play it smart, and he reached between the two of you, stroking his length as he nipped and licked at your collarbone and back down to your chest. He groaned, the noise low in his throat. 

Billy almost wished he could prolong things—almost. 

His unoccupied hand slipped down beneath the fabric pooling at your waist, long fingers flattening over your abdomen before delving down deeper. You wore nothing under that dress from the waist down.

“Fuck,” he hissed under his breath. Without warning, you pulled his hand away from his length, gripping him tightly with your hand and stroking more urgently. His thumb circled your clit and you almost faltered. 

Bringing his hand further downward,  he teased at your center and If he didn’t have business to take care of, he’d be fucking you within seconds. You were slick with desire, and he craved the taste of you. Instead, he kept his eyes on yours and allowed your hand to drop to your side as he slipped one finger inside you, pumping it in and out a few times before bringing in a second. That was when you made the fatal mistake of moaning his name.

You realized your slip up immediately but were too slow for Billy. He ripped your dress off the rest of the way one-handed, exposing the blade you wore on your right thigh. Grabbing your wrist, his fingers were hurting you. Then, you heard a click. With a flick of the wrist, Billy held a cold blade at your throat. 

You looked up at him with a sneer of contempt, but there was no hiding the fear in your eyes. Billy’s eyes, however, were a stark, startling change from the way they’d appeared just minutes before. They were empty; they held nothing. 

“A tidbit of advice?” he spat, eerily calm and composed. “War taught me that life is just a game of roulette with higher stakes, the prize being your life.” With one swift movement, he pulled the knife from its holster and tossed it to the bed. He wouldn’t be needing it, and neither would you. “It’s not chance that we end up in the circumstances we do. It’s the forces at play.” He applied more pressure to the knife he held at your throat. “Still deluded by the idea of luck, Y/N?”

His eyes flashed then, suddenly coming to life and burning with arrogance and pride. Billy Russo did not half-ass things; just another attribute he learned in the Marines and held steadfast to as CEO. Still as a statue, you were trembling with fear. “Please,” you began, “Don’t–”

You were interrupted by Billy, staring you down, daring you to say another word. “I haven’t decided what to do with you yet. Don’t fuck it up.” He moved his head to the left, then the right, cracking his neck. “The deuce is wild.”

[smokeybrandreviews]

Smokey brand Movie Reviews: Run it Back

I’ve been trying to watch Tenet for months. 2020 has f*cked up me entire movie viewing experience, even though it never had to get this bad. I live in the US and my government is sh*t so we’ve had to deal with this bullsh*t for a full year. I’ve sat back and watched whole ass countries reopen while we are going into another nation wide lock down because idiots refuse to sacrifice even a little bit for us to get out of this goddamn hole but, i digress. This isn’t a rant about the political situation in my sh*thole country, it’s a review of Tenet. Long story short, i finally have an opportunity to check this thing out. I was looking mad forward to the theater experience with this one because Nolan is a master at that but, instead, I'll have to settle for m home theater experience.

The Good

Christopher Nolan is back at it again, giving us spectacle and substance at the same damn time. I love this dude’s work. It’s always gorgeous and cerebral and engaging. I mean, he elevated Batman to high art, are you kidding me? Tenet is no different. This film is one of his best. He takes another high concept, grounds it for laymen, and does spectacular sh*t with it. Bro, give this man a Bond film already because that’s what this is, only laced with tat same energy he instilled within Inception and The Prestige.

The editing in this movie must have been a herculean task to accomplish but accomplish it they did. It’s devastatingly phenomenal with all of the reversed shots and slighted perspectives you see on screen. I am in awe of the precision it took to make this movie happen. Obviously, it is a real visual feast but the machinations behind the scenes to make everything so goddamn seamless are disgustingly, unabashedly, brilliant. If Nolan doesn’t get an Oscar nod for this sh*t, there’s no justice in the world. It really is a technical marvel.

I touched on this a little before but this movie is f*cking gorgeous. The set pieces are breathtaking, the aesthetic is lovely, and the shot composition is pristine. Some of this cinematographer can legit be framed and hung in a museum of fine art.

And to keep the gushing going, this sound design is f*cking chef kiss level. I said Nolan is a master at his craft and that come through, one hundred percent, with the mixing in this movie. It’s more than just the soundtrack or score, but literally everything. In order for this film to work, he had to meticulously go through and navigate every noise in this film. I don’t understand how Nolan can be so precise with his vision but i am SO glad that he is.

This is the most action i have ever seen in a Nolan film and it’s legitimately some of the best. Sh*t is profound, visceral, and brutal. It borders on Daniel Craig James Bond barbarous and i loved it all. It’s such a juxtaposition from the suave, smooth, aesthetic of the film. I mean, Protagonist literally cheese grates the side of a dude’s face and walks away like it’s nothing I’ve never seen sh*t so goddamn vicious.

I just really needed to circle back around to this but these set pieces are f*cking extravagant as a motherf*cker. There is one in this flick that tops the plane heist in The Dark Knight Returns. It’s whole ass miraculous to see and i lament i couldn’t see it how it was designed to be properly seen. Nolan’s demand for practical effects always delivers brilliant spectacle.

I love this plot. I love the mechanics and the theories at play here. I’m a theoretical physics geek so i live for these existential shenanigans. It’s one of the reasons Inception is one of my favorite films and it’s definitely the reason this one is climbing that list as i watch it in real time. The plot, itself, is textbook spy heist stuff; Fate of the world, mad scientist villainy, ticking clock, mcguffin, etc. However, the theories therein uplift the material and make that mundane plot, so much more.

Okay. So, with the praise of the technical brilliance of this film out of the way, i can finally get into the performances and the cast. Of course Nolan mainstay, Sir Michael Caine, makes another memorable cameo as Sir Michael Crosby. Another interesting addition was Himesh Patel of Eastenders fame. He plays Mahir, a fixer; Another staple of these types of Nolan films. Other notable cast members include Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Clemence Posey, Dimple Kapadia, and Yuri Kolokolnikov. Even Fiona Dourif has a role to play in this flick. Chucky’s daughter is in a Nolan film and i am absolutely shook about it! Everyone delivers their performances with gusto, even when there isn’t much of a character on the page to realize. Now to get into the standouts, for better or worse.

John David Washington is f*cking exceptional in this flick, man. It’s a little jarring hearing him speak sometimes, i keep hearing his pops, but dude delivers like his dad onscreen, too. This is a star-turning vehicle for Washington and he deserves all of the shine. his Protagonist is amazing to see onscreen and can give ever cinematic spy, from Bourne to Bond, a proper run for their money. Washington’s swagger and poise make this character one of the best in Nolan’s filmography. JDW is fast building one helluva body of work. Monsters and Men, Ballers, and BlacKkKlansman, and now this? It’s only a matter of time before JDW is the acronym on top of all the best scripts, all the awards. Dude is primed to blow the f*ck up and Tenet is a massive opening salvo of a career, i suspect, which will be as grand as his father’s body of work.

Robert Pattinson continues to prove he is one of the best of his generation, however ridiculous it is to actually work with him. his Handler character, Neil, kind of steals all of the scenes. Dude is witty, calculating, and mad aloof but never a bore. Pattinson delivers this performance with a smarm that feels slathered on in heaps but is just too decadent to ignore. He reminds me a lot of Hardy’s Eames from Inception and that’s high praise. Eames was my favorite character in that flick. It’s been a banner year for old Patts. The Batman his limping along, Tenet is a masterpiece, The Lighthouse was inspired, and he was disgustingly horrid in The Devil All the Time. Dare i say, ol’ BatPats becoming one of my favorites working today.

God, Elizabeth Debicki is great in this role but there simple isn’t enough to properly sustain her talents. Her Kat Barton is so goddamn thin, it’s painful because i know Debicki is great at her job. She’s shown her brilliance countless times, almost always uplifting her roles, even if the content is abject sh*t. The Cloverfield Paradox is a great example of that. This isn’t her fault. Nolan is terrible at writing women but, just once, if he could actually create a female lead with a bit off agency, i wished it would have been for this film. Debicki deserves so much better but, even with this paper thin caricature she’s been giving, she uplifts the material and works magic with the scraps.

The Bad

Kenneth Branagh as the antagonist, Andrei Sator, is a little cartoonish for the tone of this film. Branagh always kind of overacts like this in most of his appearances so you have to take it with a grain of salt but, in order to really come across as sinister like they want you to believe this dude is, someone else should have played this role. He does an admirable job but the character was just realize pitch. I can see Javier Bardem or Mads Mikkelsen killing totally this sh*t

Nolan continues to shortchange his female characters. He is the worst at writing chicks, man, i swear. It’s a shame, really, because everything else around them is always so interesting. It’s one of dude’s few flaws as a storyteller and it’s my biggest gripe with his craft. The machinations of Tenet are so intriguing but poor Elizabeth Debicki doesn’t even get to really play in that world. She definitely works with what she has but, ultimately, her character is mad flaccid and it’s a crying shame.

This isn’t a knock on the film at all but the fact i had to watch it on a regular ass television, however large and 4K that is, just ain’t the same. Nolan films are meant to be seen on the biggest screen possible, at least at first. I hope to god this thing gets a re-release when this COVID sh*t blows over.

The Verdict

I loved Tenet. Loved it. I loved the concept going in but actually seeing it, finally experiencing it, and i am hooked. It’s a stunning f*cking film and Nolan pulled out all of the stops. His writing, direction, and overall vision to put this jigsaw of  movie together is absolutely profound. Even with all of this on his plate, he Nolan was able to articulate this to one of his best casts and two of his strongest leads. John David Washington and Robert Pattinson come through and kill this sh*t. This movie would not work without these two cats. Seriously, JDW was to be a star after this, and he still might be, even if this thing didn’t get the theatrical release it absolutely needs and deserves. BatPats did his thing and killed another performance, further proving he’s a real actor and not some flash-in-the-pan, sparkling, vampire. Even the supporting cast comes through and delivers outstanding performances. Nolan uses every bit of this two and a half hour run time to deliver a heart-pounding spectacle of espionage and intrigue, rivaling the very best modern Bond films. The only issue i have with this thing is the usual Nolan issue; Bad female characters. Dude can’t write a woman to save his goddamn life. Also, the main antagonist is a bit weak. He's a little too Goldmember when he probably should have been more Goldfinger. Tenet is the best goddamn film I've seen all year and i wish, more than anything, i could have seen this thing in a proper theater It would have been quite the experience.

[snowbellewells]

Run to Me (in the Dead of Night)

I’m sorry it’s edging towards nine o’clock at night, but I did make my designated day again this week.  They don’t have merely Gold to contend with anymore, and things between Emma and Killian continue to heat up... I hope you’ll enjoy Chapter Three!!

As always, so many thanks to @wingedlioness for the breathtaking banner, and the art that is yet to appear (I can’t wait for you to see it!)

~ by: @snowbellewells

 chapter three ~ rumblings of real trouble

           Despite the blatant innuendo Killian Jones was dropping, even as he remained placidly behind bars, and Emma’s flustered and heated reaction (which both of her friends could certainly pick up as well), Graham did grudgingly turn to head out, mumbling to his new inmate that he had better behave himself and not give Deputy Swan any trouble.  Emma could practically hear Ruby’s eyes roll dramatically in reaction to her brother’s overprotective warning, without even looking at her friend’s face, before Ruby did turn to follow his lead.

           To Jones’ credit, he didn’t fight the sheriff’s edict or respond challengingly at all.  Instead, he offered an almost respectful nod of deference to the other man.  His softly murmured response was genuine when he answered, “Of course, Sheriff.  I wouldn’t think of doing otherwise.”

           The sincere reply seemed to stop Graham’s stalking exit short, his wiry frame practically vibrating with tension, but his shoulders lowering as well before he also bowed his head and let out a breath.  Looking back over his shoulder, eyes stormy but voice calmer and more genial than it had been.  “Thank you,” he stated simply.  “I appreciate that…truly.”

           He then spoke to Emma, clearly deciding he owed her a bit more explanation as well.  “As I’ve thought on it more, I may remember a prisoner named Belle in Regina’s castle back our land.  If she is the same person Gold seeks, I might have an idea where she could be.  I’ll admit that my memories seem to be coming back in pieces instead of all at once, and fuzzily at that.  Maybe because I wasn’t always fully myself when they were made? I don’t know really….but if we find her there, not only will we have found her and have our gambit to offer him, but Gold certainly can’t ask us to hold Mr. Jones on those grounds any longer. If I’m right, he’ll be hunting Mayor Mills instead.”

           Emma nodded her understanding, and Ruby looked galvanized by the lead as well – ready to head off to the rescue and into action.  Moments later, the two of them were gone, and Emma found herself alone in the station with the devastatingly handsome, and more and more irresistible, Killian Jones.  For a few awkward minutes, she attempted to elude his searching, heated gaze.  She could feel it on the back of her head, tingling at the base of her neck, but she was avoiding him, more than a little embarrassed at her obvious attraction being picked up on, and that she knew she couldn’t hide it if she got close to him, let his eyes draw her in once more. Pretending to straighten the mess of her desk, check the phone for messages, and see that more coffee was brewing could all only take so long however.  When Killian’s voice once more reached out to her from across the large, open room, caressing her ear with its low, warm timbre, Emma had little choice but to turn and meet his heated stare head on.

           “Come now, Swan,” he coaxed, beguiling smile on his lips, “don’t ignore me. Interrogate me, punish me for my malfeasance if you must…” at that his eyes glittered with truly salacious temptation and a licking of his chops that did indeed make him look wolfish, “but don’t kill me with boredom.”

           She found herself smirking back, moving closer to his cell in spite of her own resolve, and about to challenge the innuendo he tossed out with a saucy comeback of her own, when suddenly a low rumble vibrated through the building around them; the actual ground beneath her feet rocking unsteadily.  Unsettled to say the least, her heart pounding and eyes seeking out some sort of cause, Emma stumbled forward and grasped the bars of Killian’s cell before her for balance.  Still confused and more than a bit worried, she couldn’t help noting that his hand closed over hers on the metal bar comfortingly; lending her assurance, even as the floor seemed to shift and tremble under her, and it began to look as though the brick outer wall of the station was wobbling and rearranging as well.

           Her eyes finally flew to meet Jones’ intent gaze, hoping he could perhaps explain what was happening.

A dark look crossed his features making him look distinctly foreboding. Emma had the definite sense that he did at least have some suspicion or idea what might be occurring, but before she could gather her voice to ask him, her eyes widened in genuine trepidation as the bricks in the wall nearby did indeed begin to not just shift but fall away.  It was as if, as she watched, stunned, the wall crumbled in the shape of a wide archway, opening the station to the street outside.

           She felt Killian go rigid next to her, again making her almost certain that he knew exactly who or what was coming for them, and that he was absolutely dreading the confrontation.  Already nervous, his reaction made her mouth go totally dry, turning her hand within his grip up to twine her fingers with his in search of a bit more courage with which to steel herself.

           Mere seconds later, two swirling funnels of purple smoke appeared in the opening, clearing gradually to reveal Regina Mills in one of her perfect, sharp skirt suit ensembles and an older, similarly dark-haired, dark-eyed woman beside her dressed in an opulent gown that Emma could only assume was more reminiscent of this other realm everyone else seemed to hail from; it certainly didn’t look like anything she’d ever seen in modern day New England.  Both were cool, composed, and completely unruffled, despite the unbelievable and sudden appearance.  They stepped through the now obviously magic-created gap and with a single gesture of the older woman’s hand, the continued rolling beneath their feet abruptly ceased.

           “Cora,” Emma heard Killian growl angrily at her back, low and under his breath, but indicating to her clearly his wariness and a previous acquaintance that was less than pleasant.  She recalled his recent brief confession to Graham, that this woman was both a powerful sorceress and Regina’s mother, and also the way he himself had reached Storybrooke.

           Reacting almost without thought, and while still clutching his hand, Emma stepped in front of Jones subtly, as if to shield him from direct attack.  Not that she could do much against magic, but this was partially her jail after all.  She wasn’t having someone hurt on her watch; not if she could help it. Beyond that, something fiercely defensive rose inside her.  This man – she didn’t yet know him well – but she sensed a pull, a tie between them that she didn’t want severed.  Though he seemed ruggedly able to care for himself – if he had been alone as long as it seemed, he clearly could – she didn’t want him to stand alone against two dangerous witches.  There wasn’t even a question; she didn’t know exactly why, but what he had shared of his past with Gold made it clear he’d been hurt with magic before, and she wouldn’t merely stand by to let it happen again without trying to help.

           Pressing her mouth into a thin line and planting her feet, even as Killian hissed at her shoulder, tugging at her arm, urging her to step aside, reasoning that if they were there for him he didn’t want her to take his place, Emma focused on staring the two women down resolutely, hoping not to give away any of her doubt or fear.

           The older woman, her dark hair up in some elaborate twist, practically simpered in self-satisfaction at them, her voice a sickening coo, a deceptively sweet warning hidden in friendly greeting.  “Well, Captain, what have we here?  I wondered where my traveling companion had gotten to.  You don’t look as though you’ve done all that well for yourself.”  Her wide, pearly smile seemed polite and magnanimous, but beneath it showed her teeth in an eerily chilling grin.

           Emma scrunched her face up in confusion, not understanding the ‘Captain’ title or her teasingly condescending manner.  Killian however, though she could feel his tension through the bars that separated them, appeared outwardly unconcerned and nonchalant to the woman’s barbs and her veiled threat.  His voice was cool and silky as ever when he responded, “Well, I see that unencumbered by my dissention you’ve found and teamed up with your daughter, as you desired. So it certainly hasn’t held you back any, your Majesty.”

           Emma found herself thrown even more and further confused by the royal honorific Jones offered the woman before them, but before she could question anyone on the finer points of who she was or what was going on, Cora nodded back to them, a light chuckle leaving her that somehow made the hair on Emma’s arms stand on end.

           She inclined her head toward Killian in a subtle gesture of agreement before adding, “You are correct.  Certainly your defection has hardly stopped me.  However,” and here she pursed her lips, clearly taking in both the people who stood before her: their stances, their closeness, and quite possibly even their strong but undefined connection, then cutting briefly to her daughter, who looked cruelly pleased and expectant for what would happen next. “Though I do not take slights or betrayals lightly, you are not the one I’ve come to deal with at present.”

           Though it was Emma who had been lost up to this point, now Killian seemed equally puzzled by his former cohort’s words.  “Pardon me, Love,” he smirked deviously, just as able to simper back at her as she was to put on false charm, “but I’m afraid I don’t quite understand.”

           “Oh no?” the older woman tutted mockingly.  “Well, you see, I came to this little hamlet to make amends with my daughter, which you well remember, Captain.  As it turns out, our family reconciliation is nearly complete.”  She shrugged, looking for all the world as if she had not a care, merely one tiny little chore to accomplish and all of her plans would be achieved.

           Killian, however, knew better than most just how deceptive her pleasant smile could truly be.  He had first met the woman on a mission from Regina to Wonderland – where he had been sent to kill Cora.  Instead, he had nearly lost his own life, felt those clawed fingers squeezing within his chest, and knew that in the case of this mother and daughter, the evil apple had not fallen far at all from the poisonous tree.  Having his life spared by the deceptive and powerful Queen of Hearts had left him with something of a presumed debt, and a knowledge from just enough time spent with her as a compatriot, of how truly dangerous the woman was.  Not for a second did he believe her answer would be anything pleasant, he feigned nonchalance to toss back a casual, “Oh yes? And what is it that two accomplished sorceresses such as yourselves could still need?”

           Unfortunately, Cora Mills seemed to snap instantaneously into deadly seriousness; her coy, teasing manner vanishing from her face.  She suddenly stood right before them, almost nose-to-nose with Emma, sparing merely one more glance with a frightening gleam in her dark eyes for Killian.  “Just a little gift, mind you…a token really…to show my sweet Regina how sincere I am in my desire to make things right – to know her again and be her mother.”

           Something about the woman’s tone of voice, the fiercely capable but also unhinged look on her face made Killian freeze.  He attempted to raise both eyebrows in challenge, as if to ask doubtfully what sort of gift that could possibly be, but he could already tell that she was coiled, ready to strike, and in that instant, he couldn’t force out the words to push her any further.  He could see as clear as day that she was about to make a bold move, and Regina’s smug expression as she watched from the background with sadistic glee only made the inner warning bells of foreboding ring with more intensity.

           Emma was without the benefit of previous dealings and experience with the elder Mills, and so had no such compunction in dealing with their sinister opponent.  Instead, she narrowed her eyes, practically growling back, “Oh yeah?  Well then go for it, Lady,” in a defiant dare that made Killian’s blood run cold at danger it invited.

           Even so, he couldn’t have been prepared for the rapid way Cora’s hand shot straight forward, somehow penetrating Emma’s chest with sudden violence, and causing Swan to cry out in stunned pain despite her former toughness. Delving about within the golden siren’s body before him with a terrifying purpose he knew all too well, Killian barely choked back his own desperate protest, not wanting to make the witch savor her task any more than she already did.

           “Thank you, my dear,” Cora said mockingly to Emma, her hand looking to at last close around the desired organ as Swan began to gape for air.  “You see, you’re in my daughter’s way.  Getting between her and her son.  She wanted you removed from the picture, without implicating herself.”  She smiled a jagged, horrifying grin, “And I am only too happy to oblige.”

           Emma actually snarled, regardless of her precarious position and Cora’s literal grasp on her very life. Killian knew then and there that he had never been so impressed, so enthralled with anyone before.  “You’ll get to Henry over my dead body,” Emma vowed through clenched teeth, glaring at Regina with a fire that was intimidating even with the Queen of Heart’s arm engulfed in her torso.

           Cora merely laughed aloud at Emma’s words, readying to pull her arm free with the deputy’s heart in her grip.  “I’m sorry to tell you this, my dear, but that is precisely what is about to happen.” She tried to withdraw, but instead of emerging with the organ in her hand, the vile woman seemed stuck.  She jerked harder, actually moving Emma awkwardly along with her arm, but neither her hand nor the heart left Emma’s body.

           “What is the meaning of this?!” Cora snapped, yanking her arm back toward herself in earnest now, or attempting it at least; her puzzled frustration growing as she pulled to no avail.

           Killian was equally stunned, gaping at Emma who had begun to glow so brilliantly he had to squint to look at her fully, even as her face turned toward him to ask the same question herself.  Then, to both their surprise, Cora was flung away from them, across the room with a force so massive it blew Regina off her feet as well – both villainesses careening into the far wall where they lay for the moment, unmoving and still.

           In the intensity of the last several minutes, Killian had forgotten his own strength; the unnatural power that did at least come along with the trials and alienation of who (and what) he was.  He had been watching passively, his worry for Emma almost paralyzing him; forgetting that he was capable of freeing himself and coming to her aid.  Once that seeming trance had broken, Killian’s lupine protectiveness and dominance forcibly made themselves known; a low whine escaping his throat as he saw Emma fall back against the bars behind her, slumping at the energy which must have fled her body, and her lithe form visibly trembling. The beast within could remain contained and idly watching no longer, no matter how he had endeavored to up to that point to follow their commands and adhere to Emma and her sheriff’s wishes.

           Gripping the bars at either side of himself firmly in his large, roughened hands, Killian began to push firmly, slowly but surely bending the bars of his cage outward with his beyond human strength to where he could easily step free of confinement.  In doing so, Emma lost the support she had been leaning on and practically collapsed against his solid chest.

           Killian’s arms came up to hold and encircle her of their own accord; his step forward readying him to catch her when she toppled, even as Emma looked up at him over her shoulder, blinking in confusion and dazed half-awareness at the sudden shift in position and their now close proximity.  There was still a definite shaking to her limbs that Killian could feel as he gathered her closer to his considerable warmth – another trait of his dual nature, that he might have chuckled at in a lighter moment as Emma seemed to almost unconsciously snuggle nearer to him – unable to resist holding her while he had the chance.  Her sweet, cupid’s bow lips parted slightly in surprise as she attempted to catch her breath, and he could no more help the awed, enamored smile he gave her than he could help embracing her for as long as possible.

           “Alright there, Lass?” he finally murmured, right against her ear, his mouth actually brushing the delicate lobe and causing a shiver to run through her all over again.  Practically, he knew he should be making sure that Cora and Regina were truly incapacitated and looking for a way to hold them prisoner, or at least neutralize the danger they presented once they regained consciousness, but neither of the women had stirred in the slightest, and Emma Swan seemed not at all ready to pull away or push him back as he had fully expected.  Holding his breath, he determined not to ruin the moment rather than do anything which would cause her to withdraw.

           “I – I- I think so,” the deputy stammered, wetting her lips and shaking her head rather adorably, somehow looking smaller and less certain than the tough, impenetrable front she had presented until that very moment.  “Wh-what was that?  How did I do… whatever that was?!?”  Her eyes bugged and she gestured expansively as if trying to illustrate the blast that had come from her chest and propelled her attackers away from them.

           “Well, Emma,” Killian hummed gently, his hands – both whole and stunted – rubbing up and down her arms unconsciously, attempting to offer her some sort of soothing comfort, “I don’t mean to upset you, but if I had to venture a guess, I’d wager you used some sort of magic.”

           Swan did shove herself away from him then, eyes darting from her felled enemies to her own hands extended before her, and from his open, earnest expression to the bars bent wide to allow his freedom behind him.  “What? No!” she shook her head in denial, blond mane flying wildly in all directions as she did so.  “That’s not possible.  I don’t have magic.  And I certainly wouldn’t know how to fling people across the room with it, even if I did!”

           Killian’s eyes narrowed at her outburst, his already stirred blood responding to her fire in a primal way he could not quash.  It was all he could do to hold back his instincts just then as they urged him to pull her in and kiss the arguing breath right out of her.  The wolf lurking beneath the surface suddenly rammed itself against his internal barriers, desperate to break free, to devour the delectable woman before him with lips, tongue and teeth, making her indisputably his own.

           Emma of course, though obviously shaken by the events they had just weathered, looked nowhere near backing down; in fact, she appeared to be gathering steam, jabbing a finger toward the warped cell bars and turning her frantic ire on him. “And what is that?!  Are you seriously telling me you could have gotten out of there whenever you wanted?! What were you doing?  Just toying with us?  Why?”

           Dropping his head slightly, Killian had to fight the surge of disappointment that flooded his veins. ‘Always mistrusted, never understood,’ his mind seemed to hauntingly remind him once again as Emma’s wild questions veered ever more toward accusation.  Attempting to mask the hurt her sudden doubt had caused, Killian gathered his ever-effective cloak of flirtatious bravado around him, practically leering at her with devilish baiting in his tone.  “Wouldn’t you like to know?” he goaded, not wanting to provoke her in truth, but not sure how to answer the question honestly without spooking her and still keeping the howling beast within at bay, even as it hankered, slavered, to flee, to get away and lick its wounds.  How to explain that he had hoped to aid their cause, to gain their trust, regain a bit of his tarnished honor, and maybe, at long last, find a place to belong?  All he knew was that her reaction had forced him to see once again how foolish he was for holding out such hope.

           Her arms crossed over her chest, panting with both exertion and indignation as she faced him down, toe-to-toe, the forms of the two Mills women clearly forgotten behind her.  “Maybe I would,” she shot back, “but I’m not about to start begging for hints.  I wouldn’t give you the satisfaction.”

           Neither of them were prepared to give an inch; that much was crystal clear. And Killian would lay odds that Emma had no more idea how they had gone from practically tangled in each other’s arms to squared off ready to fight in mere seconds, but there they stood, sparks shooting between them, emotions high and ready to boil over at the slightest bit more provocation.

           Again, his quivering muscles warned him of years’ experience at barely holding back the change always on the very edge of his consciousness, warring to be free – his natural state constantly chafing at being held back, but when he had exerted such strength and let his emotions become so agitated, it was all the more close to the surface.  Basically grinding his teeth, both jaw and mobile fist clenched, Killian let his eyes fall closed in a bid to shut Swan and her maddening presence out, to ground himself once more and stave off his shift until he could reach cover and manage it unobserved.

           Both of them paused, chests heaving and at an impasse, until the sound of an alarmed shout, footsteps pounding, and then Graham’s form appeared in the collapsed opening of the station’s outer wall to the street, caused them to break eye contact. The swell of intense emotion that had swept them up dropped them again, and caused deputy and werewolf to fall away from each other.  The sheriff agilely leapt over the pile of bricks to reach them, turning quickly as he regained his footing to offer first his sister, and then a wide-eyed, pale, and silent woman Emma could only assume was the elusive Belle French, his hand in turn to help them clamber over the rubble as well – Ruby quite adeptly, a marked spring in her step at all the action and excitement, and the other woman moving with a stiffness that spoke of lengthy inaction and uncertainty.  

          Even as she reached the inside with the rest of them, she carefully kept herself half hidden behind Ruby and continued to clutch Graham’s steady hand with her own shaking fingers. She did peer out at Emma and Killian with a curious gaze, indicating that she was getting a sense of her new surroundings and wouldn’t remain cowed for long, but still, Emma’s heart went out her. The rather shell-shocked effect pale, thin visage gave left Emma unable to imagine what all she might have been through.  “Belle, I assume?” Emma asked gently, not wanting to startle or push the other woman in any way, but wanting to acknowledge her all the same.

         “Aye,” Graham nodded, his accent think and softer than normal, a reassuring smile down at the petite woman offered as he spoke.  He then looked up to Killian.  “I apologize for taking you in earlier.  You could have made things much more unpleasant than you did.  I appreciate it, and I’m sorry for doubting you. Clearly you and Emma have proven quite a team while we were gone, but the three of us can take it from here. We should be able to sway Gold from his vendetta against you now, knowing it was Regina who was hiding Belle. Still, just in case… you might want to make yourself scarce for a day or two…”

         Killian opened his mouth to argue, not liking the idea of leaving two fellow wolves – and Emma – to face off against his mortal enemy, not to mention the Evil Queen and her manipulative viper of a mother. Nor did he like the way matters remained between he and Emma – raw emotions left unspoken and the electricity that had been zinging between them unfulfilled and set alight.  However, what the other man said made sense.  His gaze turned to Emma, and she nodded shortly, letting him know she agreed with Graham and that he was dismissed.

        Much too determined for that to be the end, Killian knew he would be back to finish what he and Swan had started, but the situation was too volatile and complicated for him to worsen their best chance of defusing at least one of their threats.  They absolutely would not make the desired progress with Gold while dragging Killian along.  He capitulated, merely stating that if they were sure – to which Ruby gave him a toothy grin, reminding him that they were kindred and she and Graham could handle it – he would go for the time being, but he wouldn’t be far.  He could be called back for help if needed. He and Graham shook hands, and Ruby gave him a much friendlier look than he had garnered from her previously…but Emma wouldn’t meet his eye.

        Now wasn’t the time, he scolded himself, moving to the exit and stepping out of the station into the open air, headed for the tree line not far from this edge of town.  Emma had seemed just panicked enough to let him go, despite their earlier closeness, and he kicked himself as he broke into a loping run for wishing once more that she would ask him to stay.

Tagging: @cssns @kmomof4 @teamhook @revanmeetra87 @laschatzi @searchingwardrobes @spartanguard @therooksshiningknight @linda8084 @branlovesouat @resident-of-storybrooke @kday426 @jennjenn615 @capswantrue @kiwistreetswan @allofdafandoms-blog @quicksilvermad

[gatesofember]

Debut

PJO Arranged Marriage/Royalty AU Part 1

Rating: G | Pairing: Solangelo

Next | AU directory | Read it on AO3 (Recommended) | Arranged Marriage AU Masterpage

Summary: At six years old, Will is finally wearing grown-up attire like his father and older brothers and is old enough to attend public events, just in time for his aunt’s inauguration.  But Pluto is cold, his clothes are stiff and itchy, and the long journey in the carriage left Will sore, tired, and grumpy.  Just when Will starts to think that he’ll remain miserable for the rest of his life, his aunt introduces him to someone very special.

The journey to Venadica had been long and tiring.  Will hated sitting in a coach for longer than twenty minutes, so the weeks he had spent traveling had been miserable.  He’d ridden in the coach with his father and older brothers, Lee and Michael.  Michael had brought cards, so they’d entertained themselves by playing Quadratis for a while before they grew tired of it.  The scenery outside the windows of the coach changed as they left Jupiter and entered Pluto.  The golden fields that Will had seen on the countryside of Diana, his father’s duchy, had turned green as they traveled farther north.  The air became colder as the ground became rockier, and each day was more dismal than the last.  Early in the trip, Will had seated himself beside the coachman and had asked him questions about the new steering mechanisms from Vulcan, but as the weather cooled, Will found himself more interested in being inside even if the carriage was stuffy and crowded.

Apollo, along with occasional help from Will’s brothers, had spent part of the trip advising Will on how to behave when they got to his aunt’s ceremony.  Chiron—who was in the other carriage with Daphne, Will’s step-mother—had already gone over rules of conduct with him, but Will could be forgetful, so he appreciated the review, even if it was very boring.  This celebration would be Will’s first public appearance.  At six years old, he was finally grown up enough to go with his father and brothers and step-mother.  Will was relieved that he’d been given permission to attend the festivities; after all, Will’s aunt, Artemis, was being inaugurated the Matestra.

Artemis was not only a priestess—or soror, as priestesses were more properly called.  Long before Will was born, Artemis had left her younger twin, Apollo, to become the Duke of Diana when she took her Oath and joined the Sorority: the sisterhood of priestesses who served the protogenoi, cared for their temples, and led ceremonies in their honor.  It hadn’t taken Artemis long to be elected Soror Princepa, or high priestess, of Delphi—the most prestigious sororal position in Diana.  In fact, it was the most prestigious sororal position in all of Jupiter.  She had recently been elected Matestra of the Sorority, which made her the leading authority on all matters dealing with the protogenoi and worship.

Will liked his aunt Artemis.  He regretted that he would not be able to see her as often now that she would be living in Venadica, the headquarters of the Sorority.  Venadica was in Pluto, the northernmost of the three Romanus Terris, weeks away from Will.

Will was sore, cold, and grumpy when they finally arrived in Venadica.  He hadn’t been prepared for the weather; it wasn’t long before Pontonia and the temperature was pleasantly hot in Diana, but it felt like late autumn in Pluto.  Will worried that his aunt would never be able to get warm, but maybe if she was too cold, she’d come back to Diana to be with him.  After all, being Matestra was wonderful, but Will didn’t see any problem with being Soror Princepa of Delphi.

He, his brothers, and his father and step-mother stayed in a guest apartment in the Sororal Palace, while Chiron and the servants had rooms elsewhere.  Their apartment had five bedrooms, one for each of them, connected to a common room.  The Sororal Palace contained many guest apartments for occasions such as this, while the sorors themselves lived in another wing and the consors—non-sorors who trained and studied with sorors and helped the sorors with their duties—had rooms in a separate building.  Currently, some of the most powerful people in the world were gathering in Venadica for the inauguration—Will had heard that King Poseidon and his family were not staying far from them.  Will doubted he would have been invited if the new Matestra had not been his aunt; he was only a natural-born six-year-old boy, and not very important.

Venadica, despite the dreadful weather, was a beautiful city.  The architecture of the palace dated back nearly a hundred years, but the streets were modern; gravel laid over large stones in the ground to keep the streets flat.  All of the sorors wore grey and silver as a sign of their Oaths, while the puella—girls who were in training to become sorors but had not yet taken their Oaths—wore shades of brown.  In some ways, Venadica reminded Will of Phoebus, the capital of Diana, where Will lived with his family.  There were sorors and consors playing music at every corner, or showcasing their latest inventions, discoveries, and artwork at booths along the streets.  Will lost sight of his family a few times when he got distracted by a particularly interesting display, but Chiron always found him quickly.  Chiron knew to expect for Will to be absent-minded.  Will made friends with some of the youngest puella quickly and spent some time playing with them, but Chiron followed him and returned him to his family when he got too far away.

Will didn’t see his aunt until the inauguration, where he and the other members of Artemis’ family sat in designated seats in a balcony overlooking the Square of Aether—a large paved area directly in front of the Sororal Palace.  Each of the three royal and imperial families had their own balconies from which they watched.  The inauguration was followed by a celebration throughout the city, then there was a grand banquet in the dining hall of the palace.  Will spent the meal in silence, trying to behave himself.  His family was seated with Artemis and the families of King Hades, King Poseidon, and Emperor Zeus and even with all the reviews on proper etiquette and rules for conversation, Will was too nervous to speak.  Instead, he focused on using correct manners while eating, being sure to act politely and neatly.  Daphne caught his eye at one point and gave him a slight nod, as if she was trying to tell him he was doing well.

Later that evening, Will found himself sitting alone in the dining hall, resting his chin in his hands and sighing in boredom as a few groups of adults chatted about very important and dull sorts of things.  The rest of the adults were either dancing in the square or playing cards in the next room.  The puella his age had gone to bed by then.  Will probably should have, too, but he hadn’t wanted to leave his Aunt’s celebration.  Will’s older brothers were talking to puella and other guests their own age in the next room over, where they huddled around a table watching four people play a game of Quadratis.  Will wondered how Lee and Michael could stand it, after the rounds they’d played in the carriage; Will was sure he’d feel a sense of dread every time he saw a deck of cards for the rest of his life.  Meanwhile, Austin, who was three, was still in Diana with his governess, as he was too young to attend.  Will was at the awkward stage of being old enough to be present at the celebration with the adults and older children, but too young to really participate.

He’d had fun earlier that day, playing Stones-and-Stems and Wolf-in-the-Pasture with children from around the city.  They were mostly puella or the children of consors living in Venadica, but there were guests like himself, as well.  It had been fun to play outdoors after all that time sitting in the carriage, even though the weather had been terribly cold and Chiron had chided Will for getting dirt all over his clothes.  Will had been ashamed of himself; he’d been determined to act the part of a well-behaved, civilized young man at his first public appearance.  But despite his resolution, Will was devastatingly bored.

Will sighed again and shifted in his seat, trying to keep himself awake.  Maybe he should find Chiron to take him back to his room so he could sleep.  Before he could move, Daphne, who was conversing with a small group of sorors, gave him a sharp look and Will realized he was resting his elbows on the table, so he quickly removed them, sat up with a more polite posture, and ran his hands over the smooth, floral pattern of his purple waistcoat to straighten out the wrinkles.  It was stiff and itchy, but he had to admit that it was beautiful.  Will was still getting used to wearing the more grown-up style of clothing.  Daphne had attempted to tuck back Will’s unruly curls, but to no avail; none of Apollo’s servants were able to tame his hair.  They had at least managed to tie it back so he resembled something similar to a civilized young man.  His jabot had been tied far too tightly around his neck, but he resisted the urge to loosen it, reminding himself to be on his best behavior.

“Will?” said a voice Will recognized as his aunt’s.

“Your Divinity!” Will said in surprise, hurrying to get out of his chair and bow.  He nearly tripped and just barely stopped his chair from falling over.  “My apologies, Your Divinity.”  He bowed again, knowing that he was blushing to the tips of his ears.  His first appearance at a public event was not going well.  Will always ended up flustered when he met with his aunt.  After all, she was the Matestra.  He worried that he would disappoint her.

Artemis only smiled at him.  She looked stunning; Artemis was the youngest Matestra to ever be elected, and she wore the traditional silver sororal gown with effortless elegance.  Artemis had never needed to try to be beautiful, nor did she care much for fashion.  She was quite unlike the lords and ladies of Neptune Will had seen at the celebration, whose flamboyant sense of style was constantly evolving.  “No need to apologize,” she said.  “Can I not greet my nephew as kin?”

“Yes, Matestra,” Will answered with another bow.  “I’m honored.”

“You may take your seat, Will,” Artemis said kindly as she sat beside him at his table.  Artemis always had been fond of children.  She had inspired many young girls to become puella.  Will had heard rumors that Emperor Zeus’ daughter was intrigued by the idea of taking the Oath.

Will had always admired his aunt Artemis; a part of him secretly desired to follow in her footsteps and become a leader in the Sorority.  However, it was impossible for Will to do so; sorors were always women.  While Will was devoted and permitted to assist and become involved with the Sorority and its mission as a consor, he could not take the Oath.

Will and his siblings received a wonderful education, Chiron made sure of that, but Venadica still intrigued Will, even if it was unbearably cold.  Many young women and some young men travelled to Venadica for a formal education.  Venadica was known as the “City of Enlightenment” for a reason; the best minds in the world journeyed to Venadica to collaborate, study, and discover.  In fact, sorors and consors were sometimes called “venadi”—which meant “hunters” in the ancient language of Pluto—in reference to their search for knowledge.  Venadica itself was named for this pursuit of education, which was was often called “the hunt.”

Will thought he might want to become a consor to join “the hunt.”  Chiron was a consor and an excellent tutor, trained in Venadica just like Artemis.  Maybe Will could become a scholar, a tutor, or a healer, which sounded much more fun than being an earl of some county in Diana.  Plus, if Will moved to Venadica, he’d be able to see his aunt all the time.

Of course, it was a long way from home.  Will wasn't so sure he wanted to leave Diana.  If he already missed his younger brother so much, how would he fare if he wasn't able to see the rest of his family without traveling for weeks in a rickety, uncomfortable carriage?  And then there was the unbearably cold weather of Pluto to consider....

“Are you enjoying yourself in Venadica?” Artemis asked, pulling Will out of his thoughts.

“Oh, I am,” Will answered shyly, then he realized he was kicking his legs under the table and forced himself to stop and scolded himself for not behaving.  “I had fun in the city today.  The puella are very nice.”

“Yes, I’m fond of them, too,” Artemis agreed.  “I’ve always wanted to take you here.  I thought you’d enjoy it.”

“It’s too cold,” Will blurted out, then he blushed and stuttered out an apology.  “I do like it here, though.”

“It is quite cold,” Artemis said with a chuckle.  “Very different from Diana, isn’t it?”

“Yes, and very far,” Will said sadly.  “Will you come home to visit, Your Divinity?”

“From time to time,” Artemis answered.  “I will travel quite a bit now.  Maybe we’ll meet in a new city.  Wouldn’t that be fun?”

“Yes, Your Divinity,” Will said.  “Although I do not like to travel very much.  It is very boring and makes my bum feel sore.”  Will blushed as soon as the words were out and clapped his hands over his face in embarrassment, apologizing to Artemis yet again.

Artemis was laughing, however.  “It isn’t very pleasant,” she admitted, and Will set his hands back in his lap politely, trying to recover and behave in a more respectable manner.  “But for now, what are you doing sitting out here all alone, Will?”

Will felt guilty; Artemis probably thought that Will wasn’t enjoying himself and he didn’t want her to feel responsible as the hostess.  “I suppose I’m just sleepy, and all of my friends have gone to bed.  I didn’t want to be a bother to anyone.”

“You are not a bother to me,” Artemis said with a fond smile.  “Would you like me to help you find Chiron to take you to bed?”

Will almost said yes, but he didn’t want to force her to look after him.  Surely he could manage to find Chiron on his own.

Before he could answer, though, Artemis said, “Or, perhaps I could help you find a friend to accompany for the rest of the evening?”

Will perked up at that.  “But I thought everyone had already gone to bed,” he said.

“There is one boy your age,” Artemis replied.  “He is in the square dancing.  Why don’t you go outside with me for a while?”

Will considered, then he nodded and slipped out of his chair to follow Artemis out of the dining hall.  “His name is Nico,” Artemis told Will as they walked.

“Like the Prince?” Will asked.  He’d been studying the names of important people that would be at the gathering.  Nico was the son of King Hades and about the same age as Will—

Wait.

Oh.

Oh.

Artemis seemed unaware of Will’s sudden panic and merely lead Will outside with her hand on his shoulder.  Will had never met a prince before; he hadn’t even been introduced to Princess Thalia or Prince Jason of the Juvian Empire, where he lived.  He quickly thought over the instructions Chiron had given him on what to do if he was introduced to someone of a higher rank than his own.

Outside, Aether’s Square was filled with light and music.  An orchestra of sorors was performing while a group danced on the paved stones.  Ordinarily, dances would take place indoors, but too many people had attended Artemis’ inauguration for it to be held inside; the celebration was open to everyone in Venadica and guests from all over the three countries had been invited.

Aether’s Square was beautiful.  There were lanterns on top of posts everywhere, so Will could see everything as clearly as he would if the sun had been up.  Chiron had told him that the square was always well-lit; it was located so that the daylight illuminated it starting at dawn, and the lanterns cast a warm glow when it was dark.  After all, the square had been named for the protogenos of light; the sorors considered it their duty to keep the area bright.

There was a massive fountain in the middle of the square depicting a scene from the aftermath of the famous battle between the protogenoi and their traitorous children, the titans.  Sculpted in the center of the fountain, the likeness of Gaea, protogenos of the earth, held the dying body of her daughter, Rhea: the only titan who had remained faithful to the protogenoi.  The story frightened Will’s younger brother, Austin, but Will thought it was beautiful.

Artemis stopped before the group of dancers and told him they would wait until that set had ended.  The formal dances that always started celebrations had already finished, and now there were more casual group dances.  Will preferred the group dances; they always seemed more lively.  Men and women danced, trading partners and meeting new faces while music filled their ears and the beautiful twirl of skirts mesmerized Will’s eyes.

“His Highness is on the other side of the orchestra, at the fountain,” Artemis told him, and suddenly Will’s anxieties were back.  He’d forgotten who Artemis was planning to introduce him to when confronted with the beauty of the square.

“Your Divinity, is it proper for me to meet His Highness?” Will asked nervously.  “Do I have permission to speak to him?”

“Certainly,” Artemis said, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.  “I am introducing you.  I know His Highness quite well; I have served the royal family on more than one occasion.  His Highness is an amiable young man; I think you will get along.”

Will didn’t know what “amiable” meant, but he felt reassured nonetheless.  When the dance ended, Artemis started to lead Will towards the fountain, but they were stopped by Will’s father.

“Your Divinity,” Apollo said with a polite bow to his sister.  “So you were with my son!  I was looking to ask you to join me in the next set of dances, but it appears you’ve already found a partner.”

Artemis scoffed good-naturedly.  “Are you neglecting your wife, brother dear?” she teased.

Apollo’s lips pursed, losing the good humor he’d had just a moment before.  “She is otherwise occupied.”

Artemis gave Apollo a look that Will didn’t understand, then she turned back to Will.  “I’m taking Will to meet Prince Nico,” she explained.

“Prince Nico?” Apollo repeated.  “Well, then, take Elpis with you, Will.  Act politely and you’ll do wonderfully.”  He looked at Artemis and said, “This is quite an honor you are giving my son.  Thank you.”

“Of course,” Artemis said, squeezing Will’s shoulder fondly.  “I’ll always look after my nephews.  Pardon me for a moment and I’ll return so I may accompany you for the next dance set.”

“Then I shall wait.  May the moirai smile on you, Will.”  Apollo bowed to his sister again before disappearing into the crowd.

Apollo likely meant to inspire confidence in Will, but he’d really done just the opposite.  He nearly jumped out of his skin when Artemis patted his back and started to lead him towards the Prince again.  Will had been prepared to talk to people of a higher status; he knew that as the family as the Matestra, he would be near the royal and imperial families.  However, Will had not been prepared to be personally introduced to the Prince of Pluto.

Artemis brought him to where a dark haired boy was sitting on the low wall around the fountain, watching as the dancers reassembled.  Will’s immediate thought was that he looked like a lively young man.  The Prince was smiling while he admired the dancers and the light from the lanterns sparkled in his dark eyes.  His legs were swinging back and forth, heels clacking against the wall in time with the orchestra.  He was dressed similarly to Will, but his clothes had a more Pluton style; the waistline was higher and the fabric looked heavier, and the outfit was far more radiant than Will’s.  The brocade was green with gold accents and the buttons on his waistcoat were impeccably polished.  He was quite pretty; his face was lovely and his expression was pleasant.  He had sharp, regal features like his father, King Hades, but he wore them entirely differently.  He looked bright and handsome rather than strict and serious.  Will had seen the Prince earlier that day, of course, but only from afar; he’d seen the royal and imperial families at the inauguration and he and the Prince had been at opposite ends of Artemis’ table during the banquet.  He looked less threatening than Will expected; in fact, he looked quite friendly.  And yet, Will felt intimidated.  Nico was still a prince.  He was dressed much more beautifully than Will, his hair was in place, and he looked perfectly at ease, while Will felt like he was going to shake right out of his breeches.

“Your humble servant, Your Highness; I hope you find this evening agreeable,” Artemis greeted when they reached the Prince.  She bowed and Will quickly followed suit.

“I wish you a good evening, Matestra!” the Prince said with a wide grin.  “I hoped I’d see you tonight!  Could we play a game of Acies later?”

“Of course, Your Highness,” Artemis answered.  “We’ll play tomorrow; it has gotten far too late to start tonight.  Besides, I would like to introduce you to my nephew.”  Artemis put her hand on Will’s back and urged him forward, as he’d been lingering slightly behind her, fidgeting nervously.  “Your Highness, may I present William, son of my brother Apollo, Duke of Diana.”

Will’s bow wasn’t low enough or long enough and he stumbled over his words when he said that he was honored to make the Prince’s acquaintance.  The Prince cocked his head to the side as he looked Will up and down curiously, then he grinned again.  “How do you do, William?  May I call you Will?”

Will nodded.  “Indeed, Your Highness, whichever you please,” he said, trying to sneak back into the comfort of his aunt’s shadow.

Artemis put her hand on his back to prevent Will from hiding.  “Then with your permission, Your Highness, I will take my leave.  I promised my brother a dance.”

Nico nodded, then Artemis bowed and gave Will a smile before she left Will with the Prince.  Nico looked Will over again with the same curious expression as before.  “Why are you all alone?” Nico asked.  “Have you no friends?”

Will was going to explain that his older brothers were busy and his younger brother was in Diana, and everyone else had gone to bed, but he was still so nervous that he only managed to shake his head.

“No need to worry; I can be your friend,” Nico said.  He patted the space next to him on the edge of the fountain.  “Come sit with me.”

Will nodded and tentatively walked over to the price before hoisting himself up on the wall.  He tried to keep his posture right, but Nico was leaning back on his hands, swinging his legs like he didn’t care about showing proper etiquette.  Will wished he could be that brave.

“You see that girl there in the green gown?” Nico said, pointing to the dancers.  A few children older than Will and Nico were dancing off to the side of the square, mimicking the steps that the adults took.  “She is my sister, Bianca.  Did you know that Bianca is the best archer in Pluto?  She won this year at the Rhegalia archery competition for young archers.  She told me that she wants to be in the Sorority but I don’t want her to be a soror because if she’s a soror I won’t be able to see her as often.  So I told her, ‘Oh, no, Bianca, that won’t work; you’ve got to be the queen.’  You know, during Rhegalia, Bianca gave me this ring as a gift.  She commissioned it from a silversmith in Vulcan, isn’t that amazing?”  When he held out the ring for Will to examine, Will nodded in appreciation and smiled, not quite sure what the right thing to say was.  He didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of Prince Nico.

Nico, however, didn’t seem to mind, and he kept talking.  “And see the boy in blue next to Bianca?  That’s my friend Prince Percy.”  Nico broke off with a giggle.  “Did you know Percy can sail?  He has a boat!  I like boats, especially the big ones.  Do you like boats?”  Will nodded—boats did seem amazing now that he’d heard Nico talk about them—and Nico cocked his head to the side.  “You’re very quiet,” Nico observed, but Will was unable to get a word in before Nico started talking excitedly again.  “Did you know that in ancient Pluto, they cut out people’s tongues if they were bad so they couldn’t talk?  Isn’t that wonderful?  Do you have a tongue?”  Will nodded and promptly stuck it out to demonstrate, then he quickly drew it back into his mouth and blushed, stuttering an apology for his behavior.  But Nico was giggling and he stuck his tongue out at Will, too.  Will stifled a laugh behind his hand.  Sticking your tongue out wasn’t terribly rude, but it was quite absurd.

“Say, have you ever played Acies?” Nico asked.  “I just started.  It’s quite a delightful game, you know.  My tutor is teaching me.  It’s just like a real battle!  I wish I could be in a real battle, but my tutor tells me I can’t have any weapons.  My sister gets to play archery, but no one lets me play.  Bianca is getting a new set of Acies figurines made for me.  Did you know that if you have a praetor and a centurion with the same color gemstone on one tile, they receive a bonus making their combined power equal two praetors?”

Will shook his head.  He’d seen people play Acies, but he never joined in; it was a very complicated game.  Will wasn’t able to keep the rules straight and he could never focus on the game long enough to finish a round.  After a devastating loss that had occurred in under ten minutes, Chiron had merely sighed and told Will he’d teach him to play when he got a bit older.  Will wondered how Nico was able to remember all the rules or sit through an entire round; he must be very clever to be so good at it.  Maybe he’d ask Chiron to try teaching him again when they got back to Diana.

“My new figurines will be made of black marble this time,” Nico went on.  “I had a wooden set before.  Anyway, what games do you like to do?  Do you like cards?  I love Quadratis.”

“Um, well, I am bored of cards,” Will admitted.  “I played them too much.”

“Really?  You can get bored of cards?  Then I should play them less often; I don’t want to get bored of cards.  You know, when I get older, I’m going to learn to play Belli.  My tutor says I’m too young for that game and it’s too difficult for me, but I don’t think so.”

“I like to play Wolf-in-the-Pasture,” Will piped up, thinking himself very brave for adding to the conversation.  He liked listening to Nico talk and he wanted to say something interesting, too.  Maybe he’d even impress Nico.

Nico looked puzzled.  “What’s that?” he asked.

Will was shocked that Nico had never gotten to play, but he politely explained the rules.  It was a game children liked to play outside in the summer, when one child would be the “wolf” who had to catch the other children, who were the “cattle.”  When the “wolf” caught a “cow,” that “cow” became a “wolf,” too, and that went on until all the “cattle” had been caught.

“That sounds amazing!” Nico said.  “We should play!”

“Oh, well, you need more than two people,” Will explained.

“That’s okay!  You might not have friends, but I do.  I will share them with you.  Follow me!”  Nico jumped off the wall and gestured for Will to hurry up.  He led Will to the children who were dancing in the square and, without hesitating to interrupt, he grabbed Bianca’s sleeve and tugged on it.  “Bi, listen!” he said.

The Princess missed a step in the dance and looked at her brother in irritation.  “Nico, I said I’d dance with you the next set,” she said.  “I promised Thalia first.”

“This is more important,” Nico said.  “Percy!  Jason!  Come listen!  My new friend Will has a game!”

Will suddenly found himself being stared at by three princes and two princesses while he stumbled through his explanation of how to play Wolf-in-the-Pasture.  Nico rocked on the balls of his feet excitedly as Will spoke, which Will found quite distracting.  He found himself blushing at all the attention he was getting.  Will didn’t enjoy being the object of everyone’s focus; he preferred to leave that to his older brothers while he stayed in the background with Austin.  However, Will did like the delight on Nico’s face when he nodded along as Will spoke, looking like he was very proud of the new friend he’d found.  

Nico insisted on being the wolf.  The others—Bianca, Thalia, Percy, and Jason—agreed without bothering to argue.  Will got the feeling that Nico usually took the lead when it came to games.  Percy said he knew a place that was less crowded where they could run around together.

Will had always been good at Wolf-in-the-Pasture; he was a fast runner and was usually the only cow left at the end, or, if he was the wolf, he’d catch the cattle quickly.  But usually, Will played during the day wearing much more comfortable clothing.  Will was counting on his usual speed to impress Nico, but he stumbled on a bit of uneven paving and Nico caught him by smacking his arm, then he laughed and said, “Now you're a wolf, too!”

Will shook off his mortification at having been caught so quickly when he saw how happy it made Nico, so he just smiled and nodded when Nico said, “Now you go get Jason!”

Thalia ended up being the last person to be caught; Will was proud to say that he had been the one to get to her in the end.  Nico beamed at Will in pride when the game was over and said, “You’re very fast, even if you are quiet.  How did you get so fast?  Did you let me catch you?  I want to be fast.  Are you fast because you don’t talk much so you keep all your breath for running?”

Will wasn’t sure how to respond, so he just smiled and said, “I enjoy running.”

“What about dancing?” Nico asked.  “Do you like to dance?  I like to dance.  Come dance with me!”  He took Will’s hand and called out to the others to follow him back to the musicians, where the six lined up to take part in the next dance.

Will had taken dance lessons, of course, but he forgot nearly all the steps when the music began.  He apologized when he almost stepped on Nico’s foot, then Nico frowned at him and said, “Don’t you know how to dance?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Will answered, his eyes focused on their feet.  “I...I forgot how this one goes.”

“That’s no matter,” Nico said cheerfully.  “I can help you.  Bianca and I like to dance together, so I’m very good at it.”  Nico was good at it.  In fact, there didn’t seem to be much that Nico wasn’t good at.  “See, fifth position, slide to fourth position, slide to third position, back to fifth.  Not so hard, is it?”

“No, Your Highness,” Will agreed, following along with Nico’s steps.

“Do you dance minuets?” Nico asked.

“I am learning,” Will replied.

“I love minuets.  Bianca and I practice the minuet together.  No, no, Will, that’s second position.  See?”

“Yes, of course, Your Highness.  My apologies.”  Will looked up at Nico and blushed.  They were about the same height, their bodies an appropriate distance from one another but still very close.  It suddenly occurred to Will that he had physically touched a prince a few times that evening, and he wondered if there was some rule against that.

Nico smiled brightly, his dark eyes glinting in the lantern light.  “You’re doing well,” he said, and Will forgot all about his concerns.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Will said, flushing darker.  “You are very talented.”

“Yes, I practice quite often,” Nico repeated.  “If you practice, you can be good, too.”

Will nodded.  “I will, Your Highness.”

“Good.”  Nico nodded.  “Next time, we can dance a minuet.”

Will voiced his agreement without putting much thought into it.  He didn’t know when he would see Nico next, so he made a promise to himself to learn to dance a minuet when he got back to Diana.  He’d have to learn to play Acies so that they could play a round, too.  He’d talk to Chiron about it the next chance he got.

The dance ended and Nico scurried to steal his sister from Percy for the next dance, leaving Will without a partner.  Will stepped to the side quietly to wait, unable to ask any of the others to dance.  After all, they were princes and princesses, all older than he was.  He could not be the one to ask them to dance.

Will stood by alone, watching Nico and his sister dance in admiration.  The Princess was a much more skilled partner than Will and Nico kept up with the steps easily.  The siblings looked beautiful, with Bianca’s skirts fluttering and Nico’s laughter ringing in the air, their feet moving in perfect synchrony like they knew each other’s movements as well as their own.  Will wished he could dance like that.

“Well, nephew.  It seems your evening was a success.”

Will nearly jumped out of his shoes when Artemis appeared next to him.  “Um, good evening, Your Divinity,” Will said sheepishly, suddenly becoming aware of the fact that his shoes were no longer shining, his clothes were wrinkled, and his hair was poking out of its tie.  Will brushed off his coat and shuffled his feet in shame.  “I was playing,” he offered in explanation.

“I can see that,” Artemis said, looking slightly amused.  “Chiron is taking your brothers to bed.  Would you like me to escort you to your room?”

Will glanced back at Nico and Bianca and the others, then said, “Can’t I bid His Highness goodnight?”

“Of course you may,” Artemis replied.  “I believe they will be taken to their rooms shortly, as well.  It is very late.”

“Thank you, Matestra,” Will said, playing with his sleeves nervously.  “I have behaved myself very well.  We are friends now.”

“I never worried,” Artemis said as the dance drew to an end.  Patting his back, she said, “Go on, Will.  Say your farewells.”

Will nodded and hurried over to the Prince when the music came to a close and bowed in greeting.

“Oh, Will, would you like to share the next dance?” Nico asked cheerfully.

“I....” Will glanced over to his aunt for guidance.  She had said it was time for bed, but it would be rude to turn down the Prince.  Artemis smiled and waved her assent, so Will turned back to Nico and said, “I would be honored, Your Highness.”

Will stumbled and shuffled and tottered through the steps as Nico reminded him where to move his feet, feeling very embarrassed, but mostly happy.  Will usually wasn’t a bad dancer, but he was so nervous that his feet wouldn’t do what they were supposed to.  But when Nico merely laughed every time Will lost his footing, Will laughed, too.

He was sad when the dance set ended, but he bowed to Nico and said, “Thank you for dancing with me, Your Highness.  I regret that it is late and I must take my leave.”

“I had a pleasant evening,” Nico said.  “Thank you for the new game, and be sure to learn to dance better for next time.”

“Yes, I will.  I bid you a good night, Your Highness.”

“A good night to you as well,” Nico said.  He held out his hand, palm facing down, and Will faltered for a moment before bowing and kissing the back of it.  He’d seen his father and mother being greeted that way, so he didn’t think he did anything wrong, but Nico giggled at him when he stood back up.  “Farewell, Will.  May Aether light your way.”

“And may Ouranos look on you kindly,” Will replied, and with another bow, he left Nico to return to his aunt.  Artemis looked pleased when she put her hand on Will’s shoulder and guided him back inside the Sororal Palace.

“It seemed to me that you enjoyed His Highness’ company quite a bit tonight,” Artemis observed as they climbed the staircase to the east wing.

“Oh, yes, Your Divinity,” Will answered.  “Many thanks for introducing me to His Highness, Matestra.”

“It was my pleasure,” Artemis said with a smile, her eyes looking thoughtful.  When they made it to the floor where his family was staying, Artemis added, “You would make a good friend for His Highness.”

“I hope I will be able to meet him again someday,” Will said.

“Yes,” Artemis agreed pensively.  “I hope for it, as well.”  She smiled and placed a hand on Will’s shoulder when they stopped in front of the door to Will’s family’s chambers, then she leaned down to look at him eye-to-eye.  “And I hope you’ll come to visit me here in Venadica every so often.  It may be very far and very cold, but I think you’ll find that the City of Enlightenment has much to offer a bright young man like yourself.”

“Do you mean...I could be a consor?” Will asked, his chest fluttering with warmth at the thought.  He could study in Venadica?  He would be able to see his aunt all the time and grow up to be bright like Chiron, and then, perhaps, he could be a tutor for Lee and Michael’s children.  He could be a healer.  He could be a philosopher.  If he became a consor, he’d be able to do nearly anything.  Even learn to dance a minuet and play Acies.

“Give it some thought,” Artemis replied.  “Sleep well, nephew.  We will say our farewells tomorrow, but I don’t believe the moirai will keep us apart for long.”

Next

[smokeybrand]

Smokey brand Movie Reviews: Run it Back

I’ve been trying to watch Tenet for months. 2020 has f*cked up me entire movie viewing experience, even though it never had to get this bad. I live in the US and my government is sh*t so we’ve had to deal with this bullsh*t for a full year. I’ve sat back and watched whole ass countries reopen while we are going into another nation wide lock down because idiots refuse to sacrifice even a little bit for us to get out of this goddamn hole but, i digress. This isn’t a rant about the political situation in my sh*thole country, it’s a review of Tenet. Long story short, i finally have an opportunity to check this thing out. I was looking mad forward to the theater experience with this one because Nolan is a master at that but, instead, I'll have to settle for m home theater experience.

The Good

Christopher Nolan is back at it again, giving us spectacle and substance at the same damn time. I love this dude’s work. It’s always gorgeous and cerebral and engaging. I mean, he elevated Batman to high art, are you kidding me? Tenet is no different. This film is one of his best. He takes another high concept, grounds it for laymen, and does spectacular sh*t with it. Bro, give this man a Bond film already because that’s what this is, only laced with tat same energy he instilled within Inception and The Prestige.

The editing in this movie must have been a herculean task to accomplish but accomplish it they did. It’s devastatingly phenomenal with all of the reversed shots and slighted perspectives you see on screen. I am in awe of the precision it took to make this movie happen. Obviously, it is a real visual feast but the machinations behind the scenes to make everything so goddamn seamless are disgustingly, unabashedly, brilliant. If Nolan doesn’t get an Oscar nod for this sh*t, there’s no justice in the world. It really is a technical marvel.

I touched on this a little before but this movie is f*cking gorgeous. The set pieces are breathtaking, the aesthetic is lovely, and the shot composition is pristine. Some of this cinematographer can legit be framed and hung in a museum of fine art.

And to keep the gushing going, this sound design is f*cking chef kiss level. I said Nolan is a master at his craft and that come through, one hundred percent, with the mixing in this movie. It’s more than just the soundtrack or score, but literally everything. In order for this film to work, he had to meticulously go through and navigate every noise in this film. I don’t understand how Nolan can be so precise with his vision but i am SO glad that he is.

This is the most action i have ever seen in a Nolan film and it’s legitimately some of the best. Sh*t is profound, visceral, and brutal. It borders on Daniel Craig James Bond barbarous and i loved it all. It’s such a juxtaposition from the suave, smooth, aesthetic of the film. I mean, Protagonist literally cheese grates the side of a dude’s face and walks away like it’s nothing I’ve never seen sh*t so goddamn vicious.

I just really needed to circle back around to this but these set pieces are f*cking extravagant as a motherf*cker. There is one in this flick that tops the plane heist in The Dark Knight Returns. It’s whole ass miraculous to see and i lament i couldn’t see it how it was designed to be properly seen. Nolan’s demand for practical effects always delivers brilliant spectacle.

I love this plot. I love the mechanics and the theories at play here. I’m a theoretical physics geek so i live for these existential shenanigans. It’s one of the reasons Inception is one of my favorite films and it’s definitely the reason this one is climbing that list as i watch it in real time. The plot, itself, is textbook spy heist stuff; Fate of the world, mad scientist villainy, ticking clock, mcguffin, etc. However, the theories therein uplift the material and make that mundane plot, so much more.

Okay. So, with the praise of the technical brilliance of this film out of the way, i can finally get into the performances and the cast. Of course Nolan mainstay, Sir Michael Caine, makes another memorable cameo as Sir Michael Crosby. Another interesting addition was Himesh Patel of Eastenders fame. He plays Mahir, a fixer; Another staple of these types of Nolan films. Other notable cast members include Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Clemence Posey, Dimple Kapadia, and Yuri Kolokolnikov. Even Fiona Dourif has a role to play in this flick. Chucky’s daughter is in a Nolan film and i am absolutely shook about it! Everyone delivers their performances with gusto, even when there isn’t much of a character on the page to realize. Now to get into the standouts, for better or worse.

John David Washington is f*cking exceptional in this flick, man. It’s a little jarring hearing him speak sometimes, i keep hearing his pops, but dude delivers like his dad onscreen, too. This is a star-turning vehicle for Washington and he deserves all of the shine. his Protagonist is amazing to see onscreen and can give ever cinematic spy, from Bourne to Bond, a proper run for their money. Washington’s swagger and poise make this character one of the best in Nolan’s filmography. JDW is fast building one helluva body of work. Monsters and Men, Ballers, and BlacKkKlansman, and now this? It’s only a matter of time before JDW is the acronym on top of all the best scripts, all the awards. Dude is primed to blow the f*ck up and Tenet is a massive opening salvo of a career, i suspect, which will be as grand as his father’s body of work.

Robert Pattinson continues to prove he is one of the best of his generation, however ridiculous it is to actually work with him. his Handler character, Neil, kind of steals all of the scenes. Dude is witty, calculating, and mad aloof but never a bore. Pattinson delivers this performance with a smarm that feels slathered on in heaps but is just too decadent to ignore. He reminds me a lot of Hardy’s Eames from Inception and that’s high praise. Eames was my favorite character in that flick. It’s been a banner year for old Patts. The Batman his limping along, Tenet is a masterpiece, The Lighthouse was inspired, and he was disgustingly horrid in The Devil All the Time. Dare i say, ol’ BatPats becoming one of my favorites working today.

God, Elizabeth Debicki is great in this role but there simple isn’t enough to properly sustain her talents. Her Kat Barton is so goddamn thin, it’s painful because i know Debicki is great at her job. She’s shown her brilliance countless times, almost always uplifting her roles, even if the content is abject sh*t. The Cloverfield Paradox is a great example of that. This isn’t her fault. Nolan is terrible at writing women but, just once, if he could actually create a female lead with a bit off agency, i wished it would have been for this film. Debicki deserves so much better but, even with this paper thin caricature she’s been giving, she uplifts the material and works magic with the scraps.

The Bad

Kenneth Branagh as the antagonist, Andrei Sator, is a little cartoonish for the tone of this film. Branagh always kind of overacts like this in most of his appearances so you have to take it with a grain of salt but, in order to really come across as sinister like they want you to believe this dude is, someone else should have played this role. He does an admirable job but the character was just realize pitch. I can see Javier Bardem or Mads Mikkelsen killing totally this sh*t

Nolan continues to shortchange his female characters. He is the worst at writing chicks, man, i swear. It’s a shame, really, because everything else around them is always so interesting. It’s one of dude’s few flaws as a storyteller and it’s my biggest gripe with his craft. The machinations of Tenet are so intriguing but poor Elizabeth Debicki doesn’t even get to really play in that world. She definitely works with what she has but, ultimately, her character is mad flaccid and it’s a crying shame.

This isn’t a knock on the film at all but the fact i had to watch it on a regular ass television, however large and 4K that is, just ain’t the same. Nolan films are meant to be seen on the biggest screen possible, at least at first. I hope to god this thing gets a re-release when this COVID sh*t blows over.

The Verdict

I loved Tenet. Loved it. I loved the concept going in but actually seeing it, finally experiencing it, and i am hooked. It’s a stunning f*cking film and Nolan pulled out all of the stops. His writing, direction, and overall vision to put this jigsaw of  movie together is absolutely profound. Even with all of this on his plate, he Nolan was able to articulate this to one of his best casts and two of his strongest leads. John David Washington and Robert Pattinson come through and kill this sh*t. This movie would not work without these two cats. Seriously, JDW was to be a star after this, and he still might be, even if this thing didn’t get the theatrical release it absolutely needs and deserves. BatPats did his thing and killed another performance, further proving he’s a real actor and not some flash-in-the-pan, sparkling, vampire. Even the supporting cast comes through and delivers outstanding performances. Nolan uses every bit of this two and a half hour run time to deliver a heart-pounding spectacle of espionage and intrigue, rivaling the very best modern Bond films. The only issue i have with this thing is the usual Nolan issue; Bad female characters. Dude can’t write a woman to save his goddamn life. Also, the main antagonist is a bit weak. He's a little too Goldmember when he probably should have been more Goldfinger. Tenet is the best goddamn film I've seen all year and i wish, more than anything, i could have seen this thing in a proper theater It would have been quite the experience.

[forgottencoffeemugs]

untitled [2]

warnings: blood, guns, death

**

“Come on, Vi, you are not allowed to be pouty at a mating ceremony.” Seri’s admonishment was made less effective in that it was delivered alongside a bubbling of laughter as she pulled Vienna’s reluctant form closer to the edge of the dance floor. 

“I am not pouting” Vienna insisted, in a tone of voice that did not help her case. “I’m simply pointing out the fact that you said there would be copious amounts of cake and wine at my disposal if I came to this thing, and yet--” she paused, brows furrowed dramatically as she looked around as if in search of something, “I see neither wine nor cake in my vicinity.”

Seri rolled her eyes, abandoning her attempts to drag her friend any closer to the pulsing lights of the dance floor that took up the majority of the tented space, a vibrant contrast to the soft, warm glow of the rest of the yard, which had been elaborately draped with gauzy white fabric and delicate string lights. The effect was stunning and achingly romantic. Much like the couple it had been designed to celebrate.

Said couple was currently on the edge of the dance floor, eyes only for each other as they swayed in a gentle rhythm that was at odds with the thrumming of the bass heavy track playing over the speakers hidden among several of the trees. Vienna had to force her eyes away after only a moment, the sight lodging a tight knot in her throat. The intimacy of it was a reminder that she herself felt awkward with such displays despite the way they made her heart ache for something so comfortable, so easy.

“Oh, come on.” Seri rolled her eyes. “You’re telling me that gorgeous-ass ceremony wasn’t enough to convince you that it wasn’t a mistake to be my plus-one tonight?” Vienna’s hands were gripped in another attempt to pull her closer to the dancing. 

It wasn’t that she was adverse to dancing, or even to parties. In fact, though she would never admit it to anyone, she quite enjoyed dancing, especially after a drink or three. But the fact of tonight was that she felt like an outsider among this crowd of people who all moved around each other with the ease of family. A feeling that was not helped by the knowledge that she was likely one of the very few humans, if not the only human, at the celebration. 

This fact didn’t come as a surprise. Vienna knew what she was getting into when she was finally persuaded into accompanying her best friend to the mating ceremony of the local celestial leader, Mikael Esperanza. However, it had been a surprise to learn that Alyssa Noel--now Alyssa Noel-Esperanza--the woman who had just made official her mating to said leader happened to be one of Seri’s best childhood friends, and was the reason an elaborate invitation to the most talked about event of the year had arrived at their shared apartment a handful of weeks ago.

“I’m not saying it wasn’t a touching ceremony,” Vienna grumbled, tugging her hands back for a second time. Seri released her easily, though not before letting an exaggerated pout settle onto her lips at the movement. “But I’m not exactly the type to thrive at these kinds of events,” Vienna continued, knocking her hips against Seri’s. “I’m only here to support a certain friend of mine, in case you forgot.”

Seri grinned, and it was the kind of ferociously beautiful smile that had made Vienna’s friend the breaker of more than a few hearts over the years. “And I love you for it. But,” she continued, looping her arm around Vienna’s to pull the shorter girl closer to her side in order to drop a conspiratorial whisper in her ear, “this is also the perfect chance for you to scope out some hotties.” 

Vienna had to roll her eyes at that. Despite her admitted longing for something like what she had glimpsed between Mikael and Alyssa, she also knew that kind of attachment came with real responsibilities. The kind of responsibilities that had made the twenty-two year old shy away from anything beyond the most basic kind of flirting.

“Oh come on, I know that look. A little tipsy flirting is basically the code of conduct for singles at a mating ceremony; it’s almost rude to keep those curves to yourself.” Seri pulled just enough away to run an appreciative eye down Vienna’s body, “I mean damn girl, I know I picked the dress out, but you’re killing it.”

Vienna grumbled at the overt praise and felt her cheeks warm. “Ugh, stop.”

“What, you know I’m right, so don’t even deny it.” Seri turned the full force of her mischievous smirk on Vienna, the kind that had gotten them into more trouble throughout college than Vienna cared to remember. “Besides, as per celestial code of conduct, they’re not ones to kiss and tell.”

This, Vienna knew, was simple fact. Celestials were well-known to be a species that thrived on touch, which was part of the reason they chose to live in close-knit communities. Though, they were also highly private and protective of their own kind, which was the reason those communities were often tucked deep into nature, far from the closest cities that most other species call home. This mating ceremony, for example, despite being considered one of The Events of the year, was strictly invitation-only and was being held in a remote clearing deep into Edgewood Clan territory.

“Seri,” Vienna started, levelling her dearest friend with a cutting look, “I am not hooking up with an Edgewood Celestial.” Seeing that she was about to be met with protest, she continued, “Besides, if you’re going to talk about the code of conduct for singles, then how about you put your money where your mouth is, Ms. Celestial?”

The look that took hold in Seri’s eyes told Vienna she had made a grave error in provoking her wildcard of a friend. “Oh, I am more than happy to demonstrate if it will get your pouty butt on the dance floor.” Her eyes swiveled to the crowd that seemed to pulse with energy in time to the beat that rumbled through the air. She spent a moment scanning before her lips rose in a curve that could only be described as wicked. “In fact, I do believe I’ve spotted the perfect partner to kick off some tipsy flirting.”

Vienna had to laugh at the sudden shift in Seri’s stubbornness, and sent up a silent prayer for the poor soul who would be put under the full force of the pure charm that emanated from her friend. “I’ll leave you to it then.” She gave Seri an encouraging pat on the shoulder. “In the meantime I’m going to track down that cake and wine.”

“Vi,” Seri’s focus was that quickly back on Vienna, her sweet voice dragging out the last vowel in Vienna’s nickname into a plea.

“Hey,” Vienna held up her hands in defense, “how am I supposed to participate in tipsy flirting if I’m not tipsy?” She then dropped the teasing routine they had been playing out for the past several minutes and gave Seri a serious look. “I promise I’ll have fun, but let me do it at my own pace, Ser.”

A moment passed between them, and Vienna wondered what those amber eyes that always saw more than they let on were searching for in that moment. Whatever it was, apparently Seri was satisfied with what she saw, because she broke the tension with a friendly smile and nodded, pushing Vienna toward the direction of the bar.

“Fine, go have your fun. But, Ms. Kincade, remember to save me a dance,” she started to walk away, but paused to blow a kiss over her shoulder, “you are my plus-one after all.”

Vienna shook her head, a wry smile tugging at her lips as she weaved through the dense crowd to settle into a spot at the bar. Noting the bartender’s nod of acknowledgement, Vienna turned so her back leaned against the wood of the bar as she waited to be served. She let her eyes drift over the crowd, taking in the flashes of a hundred different exchanges as she instinctively searched for the one familiar face in the crowd. 

It wasn’t long before a flash of gold caught her attention and Vienna was able to zero in on the sight of Seri being led to the middle of a throng of dedicated dancers by a devastatingly handsome man with a smile that would’ve melted most. But Seri met that searing look with a devastating smile of her own, her dark brown skin glowing so beautifully under the pulsating lights that it was a wonder she didn’t blind the more than a few people who had stopped to stare. 

It wasn’t uncommon for celestials to have that effect, even on each other. Vienna knew from Seri that celestials tended to be more resistant to the startlingly good looks that graced most of their own kind, but there was a reason humans had mistaken the first celestials for angels fallen from heaven, and had named them accordingly.

“Jealous?” A deep voice beside her startled Vienna into looking away from the sight of Seri disappearing into the crowd. She glanced over and took a moment to take in the appearance of the man beside her.

It was the eyes she noticed first. And how could she not? The blue of them was so startlingly bright that they appeared almost to glow under the neon lights that illuminated the bar beside them. Next she took in the classically handsome lines of his face and the carefully styled tumble of honey-blond hair that fell just to the midnight blue collar of his shirt.

“No, just seeing if my friend was successful in her quest.” Vienna replied, trying for cool and composed, but seeming to land impossibly somewhere between flustered and standoffish. 

Though, the man didn’t seem to mind, and he shot her a smile that, despite her best attempts to remain unaffected, made her heart take a little dip in her chest.

“I see, and was she?” His tone was casual, but his eyes were smoldering with the promise of something that Vienna wasn’t used to having directed her way.

Vienna thought of the look on Seri’s face as she had allowed herself to be led away by the handsome man and laughed genuinely at the memory, “Yes, very.”

Those blue eyes seemed to melt and Vienna swore they swirled like water as she watched. “And you?” His voice was reminiscent of a purr, and a distant part of Vienna’s head, the part that hadn’t quite fallen under the spell of this stranger, wondered if the man before her was not celestial at all, but in fact something much more dangerous to a lone human in a crowd of strangers. “Are you on a quest of your own?”

Vienna was trying to find her way through the puddle of her mind to search for a response to that question when suddenly her companion’s head shot to the side to look at something in the distance. Just like that, the spell was broken and Vienna’s thoughts cleared almost immediately. She was just starting to turn her head to follow the gaze of the stranger when she heard the sound that the man’s own senses--that, if she was correct in her assumption, were far more sensitive than her own--must have alerted him to.

At first, Vienna struggled to categorize the sound. Wondering if maybe a car had misfired in the distance. But the screams that pierced the air at that moment had realization slamming into her an instant later.

Gunshots. Those were the sounds of gunshots.

In the following moments, the world seemed to slow down and speed up all at once. Vienna was vaguely aware of the warm hand on her bare shoulder that pushed her down until she was tucked under the overhang of the bar. She was also vaguely aware that she should be searching for the source of the shots so she could take off in the opposite direction. But, in that moment, she found herself searching for only one thing in the sudden surrounding chaos: Seri.

Vienna knew logically that she should turn the opposite direction and follow the crowd that was now attempting to flee to some sort of safety. But logic was a foreign concept in that moment, as a visceral kind of terror dug its claws into her heart. Her body reacted before her mind could catch up. She found herself ripping off the strappy heels attached to her feet so she was unhampered as she sprinted against the flow of people.

Part of her, the part that was processing things much faster than she could consciously keep up with, was aware that some of the people around her were not fleeing, but were instead scanning and moving in an organized fashion that spoke of lethal training. That same part of her somehow registered the knowledge that they must be some of the Edgewood soldiers. Celestials often policed their own kind, maintaining a separate justice from that of humans and several other species. There was a hierarchy for those soldiers, but she knew little about the rules that governed such things.

The rest of her, the part that was currently acting on instinct alone, was desperately scanning for that familiar flash of Seri’s gold dress. She almost gave up hope of finding her among the rush. But, there. A glimpse of gold in the far corner of the tent.

Vienna moved without thinking. Running with a speed she didn’t know she was capable of, she dodged and shoved her way across the space of the tent until she nearly crashed into Seri’s side.

Seri’s wide amber gaze met Vienna’s wild hazel one and an unspoken message passed between them. They rose together and took off, this time following the crowd. 

The sound of gunfire continued to disrupt the night, a disturbing addition to the music that continued to blast over the speakers, forgotten in the panic. The number of shots made Vienna realize that this was the work of more than a single person, and as they ran she noted several groupings of Edgewood soldiers around the clearing as they fought to protect their people, their leader. She noted, with relief, that one of the attackers had already been taken down.

However, it was in that moment of distraction that she failed to notice that Seri’s heel had sunk deep into a soft patch of earth, sending her tumbling to the ground and dragging Vienna with her. They were on their feet again in an instant, but in that instant two things happened that changed Vienna’s world forever.

One, a dark eyed male materialized in the space in front of them. Literally emerging from thin air in a display of the trademark skill of a species that, unlike the warm response given to the celestials, was the fuel of many human nightmares. And that male was holding a piece of heavy metal machinery meant to bring terror to those at the business end of it. Vienna, it seemed, had the honor of experiencing that terror.

Two, in less time than it took to blink, Seri had used the speed graced upon her as a celestial to shift her position. A move, which, to Vienna’s growing horror, placed her in the direct line of fire even as the dark eyed male locked eyes with Vienna and began to shoot.

Vienna screamed.

______________________________________

The scream continued as Vienna hauled herself forward while Seri fell. A startling rush of crimson spilled over in that moment, staining the still shimmering gold. Vienna’s hands automatically found their way over the wound, pressing with as force as she could muster. Amber eyes muted with the haze of pain rolled to meet hers, and cries of disbelief tumbled out of Vienna’s mouth even as she watched those bright, beautiful eyes start to dim.

She was vaguely aware of movement in front of them. The crash of bodies and harsh words as one body disappeared into the night without a trace. But Vienna could only clutch at her best friend as burning crimson continued to spill out over her fingers.

“No no no no, Seri.” Vienna sobbed, her vision blurring over with tears. “NO. You can’t do this, you’re not allowed.” Her voice was nearly unrecognizable to her own ears, the savage intensity of her denial shaping it into something feral. 

Some part of her registered the addition of larger hands over her own, adding additional pressure with little effect. A low voice was in her ear and louder shouts were flying above her, but the words didn’t register. Her focus was only on the mouthed words of the fallen girl below. Vienna’s heart shattered as she made out those words, but refused to accept the reality of them. Even when the spill of crimson slowed. Even when amber eyes faded into nothing. Even when she felt strong hands pull her away and tuck her into the warmth of someone’s side. Even as the word fell away to hollow darkness.

______________________________________

Vienna felt like she was floating. No, that wasn’t quite right. Not floating, but--

Carried. She was being carried.

She fought to open her eyes, but they burned so brutally that she couldn’t seem to find the strength. However, as her mind continued to claw its way out of the darkness, she became aware of more details.

She was being held gently, pressed against a warm chest whose heartbeat was a steady rhythm against her ear. They were walking, but the steps were so smooth she almost couldn’t believe she wasn’t floating through the air. There was a rumble against her ear as if someone was speaking, but she couldn’t make out the words through the ringing in her head.

Her whole body felt strange, her senses returning but not functioning quite right, and there was an odd sensation that hummed over her skin. Almost like a static charge had built over her and was looking for release. But she didn’t have time to even try to make sense of the strange feeling, because all too soon she was pulled back under by the darkness.

______________________________________

Riley watched the woman he had just placed on a bed in one of the spare bedrooms reserved for visiting clan members, and tried to process the events that had just taken place.

Every one of his instincts screamed at him to return to the clearing where a nightmare had just occurred, but the rational part of him knew that there was nothing more for him to do. 

Now it was up to the clan’s healers to mend together their wounded. 

The soldiers had taken out as many of the attackers as they could, and the few who had managed to teleport away were long gone. For now. They would be hunted in the coming days, he thought, knowing that the clan would never rest until every single attacker and the person or group who had sent them were in the ground. For an attack on their people, on their family, during a time of celebrating one of the most sacred events their people had--there was no other choice but complete and total retaliation.

And part of that retaliation, he thought, would hinge on the information that could only be provided by the unconscious woman before him. 

He had noticed her moments before the shots began, standing at the bar speaking with Nol. It had been nothing more than a cursory glance, simple curiosity as to what female had captured his friend’s attention for the night. But something about her had stuck with him--maybe the deep maroon of her dress, maybe the shining pins that had held back the golden brown of her hair--and he kept finding himself catching glimpses of her in the ensuing chaos of the attack. He had been too late, however, in noticing her fall to the ground, in noticing the male who teleported in at that exact moment and opened fire on the other female who had spent the final moments of her life defending her friend.

He was not unaccustomed to violence and pain. His past had prepared him too well for the darker side of the reality of a world of secret wars and bloody power plays. But there had been something in the shattered sound of this woman’s scream that unsettled something within him. Something that still burned heavy somewhere deep in his chest.

He had reacted too slowly to save her friend, but Riley had turned in time to see the moment that passed between the woman before him and the killer in that field. He saw the moment the other male noted something crucial about her and made a split second decision before he teleported away that would be crucial to the clan’s attempts to track down and eliminate those who had dared to target their family.

In that crucial moment, the murderous spectre had decided to dig prickling barbs into the consciousness of the woman who Riley now knew to be a human, with the fragile mental shield to boot. A move meant to turn her into a walking, talking surveillance tool, transmitting everything she heard or saw back to the telepath who placed them there. But, that same tool could be used in reverse if someone knew enough about the method being used. And Riley knew very, very well.

He had made a silent vow there on the field, as he held his hands over the woman’s while she attempted to keep her friend’s life from spilling out. Had reinforced it when he was hit with the full force of her tortured gaze moments before she fell unconscious against him.

He would do everything he could to not only seek vengeance for the clan, but also justice for the woman with amber eyes who had sacrificed everything for a friend.

It was why he had tried to unravel the mental barbs of the trap laid by the killer there on the field, why he had thrown up a protective shield around the human’s mind when the trap proved far too complex to be done on the fly.

Why, even now, as he felt himself slipping into unconsciousness under the crushing weight of mental exertion, that he poured everything he had into making those shields airtight. Nothing would ever again hurt this woman whose screams had shattered something within him too.

**

A/N: This is extremely unedited and, if it ever becomes something more, will likely change A LOT, because I’m not even sure it makes sense. AND THERE ARE WAY TOO MANY COMMAS. But, I’ve committed to logging all of my writing, not just the one’s I’ve tried to polish. So, if you end up reading this, feedback is welcome and wanted!!

masterlist

[janeykath318]

Broken Shackles 24

Having decided to get married sooner rather than later, Spock and Jim's wedding planning started fast and furious. Jim left most of it up to the ladies, putting in input when he was asked, of course, but most of the time letting them handle it since they knew way more than he did.  Bones agreed to be his best man and Pike said he'd be willing to officiate the human part of the ceremony, which made Jim happy. Spock took him aside and explained each part of the Vulcan ceremony and just what bonding entailed. 

"So, they'll literally connect our minds so we'll hear each other's thoughts?" He'd asked.

"Yes, Jim. Such bonds are not broken, but I will teach you shielding techniques to help you balance your privacy."

She'd given him a taste of what it felt like when he'd let her meld with him for the first time graduation evening and Jim had been very surprised and amazed at how right it felt, not invasive, to have her mind in his. How thankful he was that the Orions weren't telepathic. He'd had several heart to heart secure calls with Spock and L'Ren to discuss dealing with physical triggers and the ghosts of his past. Jim had a list of things that he knew would be problematic, but he didn't imagine Spock would be likely to try most of them, extreme as they were. He was pretty sure they'd freak her out as much as him, in fact, so he gave her the less specific concerns for now and she took it in soberly and thoughtfully. Jim had returned to Vulcan with Spock and her parents days after graduation to start putting their plans in motion. They only had five weeks before the big day, but it would be enough. Vulcans were extremely efficient with their ceremonial readiness and five weeks didn't faze them. Spock was as serene and calm as usual during the madness--Vulcans didn't do Bridezilla, Jim thought with some humor. T'Pau had met with him and made sure he thoroughly understood the ceremony and his husbandly duties to Spock. Jim blushed a bit, but he listened politely and told her he would do his best to love Spock as she deserved. Bones grumbled a bit over having to wear Vulcan garb as they dressed for the ceremony on the July afternoon before the evening ceremony. "What's the problem, Bones? You look great!" Jim teased, adjusting the elaborate blue tunic on his wedding outfit. Spock had strongly urged him to wear blue because it was so "aesthetically pleasing" on him. Bones had a forest green tunic that suited his darker complexion quite well, but the faces he was making ruined the effect. "It's too stiff and uptight. Pinches my neck. I feel unnatural." "Better than a tux," Jim reminded him. "You'll be okay, Bones. Anyway, I need your moral support right now. This is a huge deal for me." Bones's face softened. "Sure is, kid. Just think about how purty Spock will be all dolled up in her Vulcan Finest." Jim's stomach lurched thinking about it. He hadn't seen her for three days, that being the required period of separation for a betrothed couple before the bonding took place. He imagined she would be devastatingly beautiful, whatever she was wearing. Spock, meanwhile, was being pampered and beautified from her dark hair to her toes, her own nerves occasionally rising to the surface as Her cream and gold bridal array was carefully arranged and fastened precisely. Most of her hair was piled on her head except for two curled locks dangling in front of her ears and soft gold satin slippers added a pretty touch for her feet. Amanda and Nyota stepped back and smiled tearfully at the result of their labors and turned Spock to face the mirror. "See how beautiful you are, darling?" Amanda whispered. Spock was.... pleasantly surprised. She did indeed feel and look like a bride. In just one hour, she would be walking towards Jim in the ceremonial circle where all weddings were held on Vulcan. "I feel....emotional, mother," she said, slightly bewildered. "Happy and sad and nervous and excited all at once." "Of course you do, dear," Amanda said, smoothing out the gold Train that flowed from Spock's shoulders to sweep the ground behind her. "I felt that way myself when I married your father. It's a leap into a brand new chapter of your life. Soon you'll have the wonderful marriage bond and be able to teach Jim clever uses for it." Spock blushed. She did look forward to helping Jim adjust to the telepathic connection. What they did with it, well, she didn't dare imagine yet. "Nyota, you look very pleasing as well," she told her friend, who was wearing a red Vulcan gown and had done her own hair in similar style to Spock. "Thanks. I do love the design--sleek, elegant and pretty. I wonder how much Len's griping about his own Vulcan garb," she chuckled. Spock guessed quite a bit, knowing the doctor's propensity for grumbling.   As evening neared, both parties arrived at the ceremony site, where torches blazed and a audience of important Vulcans and earth friends stood waiting. The arches of stone in a circle made Jim think of Stonehenge, the ancient site in Britain, but these were still neat and standing. The air smelled faintly spicy from incense and Jim could feel the solemnity of the occasion hit him hard. This was it. No going back. Bones squeezed his arm supportively as he took his position at the center of the circle. The elders of Spock's clan arrived next and then T'Pau, Sarek, and Amanda and Uhura. Bones made a weird noise in his throat that he disguised as a cough and Jim smiled. Then he saw Spock and it was his turn to be awed. She was.......stunning--all in cream and gold with her black hair done up elaborately and gold jewelry sparkling in the torchlight. The dark eyes were looking at him approvingly and Jim couldn't believe this was happening to him of all people. The procession stopped as they met him in the center of the circle and T'Pau took charge. After giving a brief greeting and stating the purpose of the gathering she turned to the couple. "Do you, James Tiberius Kirk, intend to bind yourself to this woman as her mate for life? "Yes," Jim said, still looking at Spock. "Do you, S'chn T'gai Spock, intend to bind yourself to this man as his mate for life?" "Yes," Spock replied firmly. At the matriarch's nod, she slipped her arm through Jim's and they faced T'Pau. It was a fairly long ceremony with all the speeches and Vulcan blessings, but then they were kneeling for the bonding part and T'Pau placed her hands on them and facilitated the joining of their minds. Jim felt the presence of Spock in a way he'd only had glimpses of before. It was powerful and warm and he could feel her contentment and love washing over him as he tried to project his own joy right back to her. T'Pau gently placed Spock's hand in his, which brought color flooding into both their faces and completed the joining. Uttering another blessing upon them, their clan, and their future offspring, she bade them rise and pronounced them bondmates. That was the signal for Captain Pike to take her place and Jim and Spock to start the human vows. He beamed at them as they faced each other. This portion went smoothly and quickly: Jim and Spock repeated after him the well-known classic vows with the "for better or worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part." Then an exchange of rings which got Spock blushing again, and Pike declared "Jim, you may kiss your bride." The humans cheered as Jim introduced Spock to the delights of human kissing, leaving them both a little breathless and giddy. He couldn't remember ever kissing someone he'd actually wanted to, let alone loved, so it was like a first time for him as well. No one else ever shall do so without your consent. he heard in his head. Spock must have read his thoughts. He smiled at her, mesmerized by her exquisite face glowing in the dim firelight. You're right, gorgeous. No one but you is allowed to kiss me. I shall endeavor to do so frequently, my adun. And Spock went up on tiptoe to kiss her beloved once again. Sarek was rather amazed at his daughter's boldness, but Amanda giggled with glee. Those two were so perfect for each other and Jim's face as he embraced his new wife was unforgettable. She barely recognized the hollow shell he'd once been standing in her house with broken Shackles lying at his feet. "Are you crying, my wife?" Sarek inquired. "Happy tears, honey, happy tears," she sighed, wiping them away. "I'm so glad you brought him home with you that day four years ago. Turns out Vulcans are the best thing for him." "And caring humans," he added, looking at her. "Now, shall we offer congratulations to the newly bonded pair?" Amanda took his arm and they joined the throng surrounding the bride and groom.

[thenatureofnarrative]

Best Films of 2019

The basis of my annual list is simple, these are the films that were, for me, mesmerizing and memorable. These were the cinematic experiences that either provoked a depth of emotion and/or provided a whole lot to talk about. These are the films that I could not forget and I cannot wait to see again. After you read this year’s list, you can also find last year’s list here, and if you’d like to see me chat about my favourite films, and other great films from the year, you can watch this video.

1. Little Women

Greta Gerwig deserves the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for her masterclass adaptation of Little Women which is, in my opinion, the best film of 2019. I was honestly whisked away by the magical-kinetic energy of this film and the March family, and I was deeply moved by the vocational struggles of young artists, Jo and Amy, finding their way in the world. As a father of two daughters, this film moved me and connected with me on a deep emotional level, and this is largely due to the storyteller’s skills. Ultimately, however, the reason Greta Gerwig’s adaptation works so well is because of her creative restructuring of the story, which allows us to consider our perspective of the past, and its impact upon our present. In addition to this, the performances across the board are perfect, with Florence Pugh being the real standout. There is just so much to love and admire about this most recent adaptation of Little Women, the best film of the year. DVD release TBD.

2. Ad Astra

James Gray is one of our greatest living filmmakers, and yet is easily one of our least recognized. In the last twenty five years he has written and directed seven incredible films, and Ad Astra (to the stars) is no exception. While his last film (The Lost City of Z) remains his greatest achievement, Ad Astra is his most theological or spiritual, as he exams the depth of the human soul by going to the furthest reaches of our solar system. Brad Pitt’s performance is, of course, the greatest reason for this story’s success, with his eyes and quiet reflections almost never leaving the screen. Ad Astra is a space odyssey like no other, while it pays homage to the great cinematic space stories of the past, it sets itself apart with its heavenly language and original imagery. Ultimately, it matters not how far we might travel or how advanced our species might become, the depravity and desires of our soul will never leave us and will always remain at the center of our road. It’s a shame cinematographer, Hoyte Van Hoytema, has only been nominated for an Oscar once. He deserves it for this work, and so do the sound designers, music composers, and of course, James Gray himself. On DVD - iTunes.

3. A Hidden Life

“Better to suffer injustice than to cause it.” The boundaries of this statement is put to the test in Terrence Malick’s most recent masterpiece, A Hidden Life, based on a true story. When nation and neighbour rise for a single cause or conflict, one’s true allegiance will be put to the test. In the face of such pressures, only those who pursue true peace, far from the spotlight, will know the cost that must be paid. A Hidden Life is a stunning and stirring work of cinematic perfection that requires patience and the attention of our souls. This is a film that I could not shake, and is quite simply, the most important film of the year. On iTunes March 3.

4. I Lost My Body

I love a surprise, and I was surprised by this magically macabre and meaningful film. I know a lot of people don’t often give “grown-up-animation” a chance so let me put it this way - - not only is I Lost My Body the most beautiful animation I’ve seen this year, it’s one of the best films of the year - - this is a story that has the mystery of Memento and the romance of a Terrence Malick film. And yet, it’s unlike anything you’ve seen before, unless you’ve seen the story of a severed hand journey through Paris in order to reconcile it’s memories with the broken heart and spirit of it’s owner?  I Lost My Body is a truly stunning achievement. It swept me away and moved me deeply, and you should check it out. On Netflix.

5. The Irishman

The Irishman (I Heard You Paint Houses) might just be Martin Scorsese’s greatest achievement. A Scorsese crime-story is never about the crime, it’s about the criminal’s soul, and in the case of The Irishman, this time round, there is a little more age and wisdom included in this masterful-motif. At the end of three and half hours, I was somber and sobered. I felt as though I had just attended a very heavy funeral, and I just wanted to sit a little longer and feel the weight of my own mortality. It is a shame Robert DeNiro wasn’t nominated for an Oscar this year because this really is the greatest performance of his career. On Netflix.

6. The Last Black Man in San Francisco

“Let us have the courage to look beyond the stories we’re born into.” Place. Home. Belonging. Acceptance. The Last Black Man in San Francisco is about all these things and so much more, but it was because the film explored these themes with such stunning beauty and unexpected whimsy that I could not escape its trance. TLBMISF is a remarkable first-feature by newcomer Joe Talbot. Following the story of best friends, Jimmie and Montgomery, TLBMISF is a sort of urban odyssey (in the first act Jimmie is compared to “Dorothy” from the Wizard of Oz) as it explores its themes through the tensions of gentrification and generational ties. I never knew where the story was headed next, but I couldn’t look away. The cinematography, the music and the performances are all perfect. I adore this film. On DVD.

7. Marriage Story

Marriage Story provides us with some of the greatest performances and most meaningful dialogue of the year. Only writer/director Noah Baumbach can make you laugh, cringe and cry within a matter of minutes, and it seems like with Marriage Story he’s exercising his greatest gifts to provide us with the perfect balance and portion of all three. Love is pain and heartbreak can be hilarious, and all of it is captured beautifully in this devastatingly authentic story about the best and worst moments of a relationship, and what we can learn from it, or maybe not at all. On Netflix.

8. Doctor Sleep

In the last five years writer/director Mike Flanagan has become my favourite new filmmaker, and with Doctor Sleep he was given the near impossible task of adapting a Stephen King novel that continued Stanley Kubrick’s version of The Shining. Impossible, right? Well not only does Flanagan succeed, but in my opinion, he has created a film that is superior to Kubrick’s, with a visual style all it’s own. Flanagan’s Doctor Sleep is a rich and rewarding horror story that takes spiritual consequences seriously, and presents it’s characters with the terrifying realities of evil, and the sacrifices required to overcome it. It’s a remarkable work, and it includes some of the best performances of the year. On DVD - iTunes.

9. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is the surprise experience of surrealism I didn’t know we needed. Not unlike last year’s documentary, Won’t You Be My Neighbor, this film bears witness to the fact that it is possible to live a life of love, but this time round it’s an encounter wholly set apart. While Fred Rogers remains its inspiration, Tom Hanks’ remarkable portrayal is not at the center of the story, which is a bold and daring choice, but one that is executed with incredible care and confidence from director, Marielle Heller, who truly deserves an Oscar for this. As others have said, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, is not a traditional biopic, instead the film presents itself as an episode of Mr. Roger’s television show for grown ups, and who knew that that’s what many of us were in need of right now. On iTunes - On DVD February 18.

10. Wild Rose

Wild Rose is a deeply moving and beautiful story of redemption that avoids all the usual cliches and instead tells a more grounded, realistic tale about true sacrifice and pursuing one’s dreams. The writing is superb here, and Jessie Buckley’s performance is stunning as a troubled and selfish young mother from Glasgow, Scotland who has a gift and passion for country music. That last line should give you a good indication that this heart-warming story may feel familiar but is stunningly distinct, which makes for a much more rewarding experience. On DVD - Amazon Prime

    Honourable Mentions (alphabetically):

Brittany Runs a Marathon: This isn’t an inspirational film about lifestyle changes, this is a long and patient, and at times painful, examination of what true transformation looks like. It’s also very funny. On Amazon Prime.

Captain Marvel: My favourite Marvel movie to date, with a unique visual style and shockingly powerful themes. Ben Mendelsohn is also the ultimate character-actor and he is unforgettable here. On DVD.

The Farewell: Awkwafina’s performance is award-worthy in this heart-breaking family reunion. Every character here is either withholding emotion or feeling out of place, and yet they are bound together, they are family. On DVD - iTunes.

Frozen II: From the endless pursuit of maturity and wisdom in the face of life’s uncertainty, to the most incredible message about truth and reconciliation, Frozen 2 is a spectacular and shockingly poignant film. On DVD February 25.

The Lighthouse: The descent into madness has never been so entertaining, funny and beautiful. These are two of our greatest living actors and one of our best new young directors at work. On DVD - iTunes.

Long Shot: Rogen/Goldberg have established a comedic genre all their own, a distinct blend of vulgar-raunchy humour and tender-nuanced relational moments. This is one of their best. On DVD - iTunes - Amazon Prime.

Midsommar: Tragic. Captivating. Horrifying. Compelling. Disturbing. Ari Aster has a gift for spellbinding dread, and with only his second feature, he has established himself as a master of tone. On DVD - iTunes - Amazon Prime.

Parasite: A powerful and entertaining dark-comedy or satire, with a twist. This isn’t Bong Joon Ho’s greatest film (that would be Snowpiercer), but it is an important and historic one. On DVD - iTunes.

The Public: Emilio Estevez paints with broad strokes here, but they’re strokes that are filled with life, and a cast that brings great humanity (Alec Baldwin and Jeffery Wright are particular stand outs). On DVD - iTunes - Netflix.

Us: This is the most calculated and unpredictable thriller of the year. Not unlike the greatest parables, this is a film that demands repeated viewing. On top of that, Lupita Nyong’o’s two performances are Oscar-worthy. On DVD - iTunes.