#i think this got to my mind theater vision it is satisfied :))))

[qserasera]

'they say there is another, with whom the Conquering King shares his crown' || yjh/kdj absolute throne au

{ with fic here; original post here }

[bun-lapin]

Confessions

Summary: Vil confesses his love to you.

A/N: Fifth one shot complete and this time it's back to Pomefiore with Vil! This was a very nice one shot for me to write. It definitely got me thinking about more abstract topics such as beauty but also respect and self-worth. I know that some people might not agree with me but I've always viewed Vil as a stern but ultimately nurturing and caring person. Especially after reading his dorm uniform vignette <3

Confessions series: Rook, Kalim, Idia, Floyd, Vil, Silver, Leona, Trey / AO3

The late afternoon sunlight pours in through the windows of Pomefiore’s dormitory hallways and your steps, brisk up until then, slow for a brief moment to take in the beauty around you. The soft glow of towering candelabras and the golden light of the sun mix in the air luxuriously and send dazzling lines of radiance everywhere your eyes turn. Your vision is filled with the sparkle of gold and the gemstone hues of violet and deep red. Breathing in deep, you notice the faint smell of perfume and for a moment you feel like you are inside a priceless jewelry box.

You continue down the hallway and finally stop in front of a familiar door. Your hand rises to knock and announce your presence, but before you are able to, the door swings open unprompted. The smell of perfume you had noticed earlier seems to rush out through the open door and swirls extravagantly around you and the beautiful figure before you.

“You’re here,” Vil states evenly. Holding a variety of robes and shirts in his arms, he smiles gently at you before stepping back from the door to invite you in with a small wave of his hand.

You step into Vil’s room and take in the new sight of several clothes racks, filled to bursting with various styles of garments, lining one side of the room. You make your way to your usual seat in front of Vil’s ornate vanity table and sit facing him. “I got your message. You said you wanted my help picking an outfit for an event?”

Vil stands in front of a full length mirror and studies his reflection as he alternates holding an expensive looking tuxedo and an equally expensive looking dress against his body. He glances at you through the mirror’s surface and says, “That’s correct. The event is a small, somewhat informal event. An opening ceremony for a local theater company. I'm going as a courtesy to a director I've worked with before.” Not satisfied with either choice, Vil returns both to their spots on the clothes rack and begins making another round of selections.

You raise an eyebrow with curiosity as a sudden thought flashes in your mind and you ask, “Why me? Why don’t you get Rook to help you?”

Vil turns to face you and crosses his arms over his chest as he studies you carefully for a moment. Raising one arm to his face, he slowly taps one finger on his elegantly tinted lips as he seems to consider your question until finally, a quietly alluring smile blooms over his mouth. He answers simply, “Because I only want you.”

You feel a light blush spread over your cheeks and you smile a little shyly and self-satisfied from Vil’s straightforward response. Turning to face the vanity, you try to distract yourself by examining the various makeup products before you and ask, “So when is the event?”

Vil gracefully strides across the room and sets himself on a small chair next to yours, facing the vanity mirror. “It’s this weekend.” He reaches out across the table, selects a feather soft makeup brush and lightly dusts it in a container of fine powder. With gentle and deliberate movements, he swipes the brush across his cheeks and quietly asks you, “Would you like to go with me?”

You briefly think about your current plans for this weekend, which are just to sit in your room and study. After weighing that plan against a night surrounded by designer clothes and beautiful celebrities, you smile appreciatively at Vil and answer, “I’d love to go with you.”

Vil returns your smile through his reflection in the mirror and continues to silently apply the makeup brush across his face. You turn your head to study your own reflection and trace your eyes over the familiar curves and bare skin of your nose, your brows, your chin. You watch a thoughtful expression appear on your face as you hesitantly ask, “Do you think I need to wear makeup?”

The soft brush in Vil’s hands comes to a sudden halt at the sound of your question, pressed lightly against his cheek. After carefully setting the brush back in its original spot, Vil turns to face you and lightly touches your shoulder with a kind and reassuring gentleness. Although he smiles warmly at you, there is a touch of sadness in his voice and behind his eyes.

"My dear, as I have told you before, makeup is not about need. It's about want. Do you want makeup on yourself? For some it can be a tool to accentuate and emphasize. For others, it is like armor to give strength and self-confidence. At the end of the day, no matter what anyone says, it is your face, your body, and you alone have the right to do with it as you wish. Always remember this, my dearest one."

In silence, you carefully turn Vil’s words in your mind like precious jewels. The obvious care in his voice and in his soft smile cause a feeling of warmth to steadily radiate out from your chest like sunlight and you smile genuinely at your reflection and then at Vil’s in the vanity mirror. You whisper softly, with an indescribable mix of emotions in your voice, “Thank you.”

With his important message delivered to you, the undercurrent of sadness drops from Vil’s face and his smile now is only serenity and quiet adoration. Turning his gaze briefly to the vanity table, Vil selects a beautiful crystal bottle of scented oil and then holds his empty hand out to you in an expectant and familiar gesture. You softly place both of your hands into Vil’s upturned palm and wait for him to begin.

After carefully placing two shining drops on the backs of your wrists, Vil sets down the bottle of oil and begins to lightly press his fingers in a series of graceful, swooping movements into your hands. The pressure he uses is gentle but firm and the tension you had not even realized you had been holding in yourself, begins to melt away under his expert attention.

Vil smiles, satisfied, as he watches your shoulders droop and your eyes soften with relaxation. With a few final strokes of his fingers against your skin he finishes your small ritual and holds your hands, warm and tingling from his touch, in silence for a few moments. You watch his eyes, dream-like and mysterious, sweep over your entire face. He sighs softly, almost with longing, and murmurs, “Light of my life, you’re even lovelier than you realize.”

You feel an intense blush bloom over your cheeks and you turn your face away from Vil’s gaze with a small shake of your head. You start to stammer out some excuses, denying the label of “lovely” when you suddenly feel the tips of Vil’s fingers under your chin. With tender gentleness, his hand guides your head back to face him and you see a small frown delicately wrinkling his brows. Vil’s eyes shine with determination and his low voice is almost heartbreaking, tinged with quiet worry and want.

"Please don't look away from me. Please don't ever look away. Gather me up completely with your gaze and treasure me the way I treasure you. My darling, you're more than a jewel, more than fame or fortune. You are a miracle. You are everything."

With his hand still under your chin, Vil draws his face closer to yours and your vision is filled only with the pale smoothness of his skin and the gently sparkling lavender of his eyes. His voice, softer than twilight, whispers, “Dearest one, don’t ever deny the irrefutable fact that you are lovely. More than that, you are breathtaking. Soul and body, you are beautiful inside and out. The most beautiful of us all.”

Your eyes widen at the weight of his words and the depth of feeling you see in his face. From the touch of Vil’s hand on your chin, to the scent of perfume and oil, all of your senses are awakened in a way you think should make you feel dizzy but in reality, you just feel completely present. Surrounded in elegance and beauty, in care and tender attention, you feel like a radiant jewel shining out from within a magnificent crown.

Raising his hand from your chin, Vil gently traces the curving lines of your face with a gracefully extended ring finger. His deliberate movements subtly outline your nose, your brows, your chin, and you feel the devotion and desire in him like flashes of sweet summer lightning from his fingertip. After a few more moments pass like this, Vil lowers his hand and softly calls out to you, as if addressing a divine revelation.

“Light of my life, remember always that I love you. Now and forever.”

[angelshizuka]

I’ve made a lot of posts about Miraculous this month, especially the past week, but now I’m gonna get a bit more personal.

As someone with a dead mother and a grieving father, Adrien’s character means so much more to me than he ever did before (I’ve been into Miraculous since 2015 and my mother died in 2021).

It’s mainly the tag “#well articulated“ someone left on one of my posts that got me thinking about this again. Because one of the last things my mother told me before she died is that she loves how well I can articulate my thoughts (we talked a lot during her final months)

It’s something I put a lot of effort into when I make all these posts. Being able to put my thoughts into words helps me clear my mind and make sense of whatever tf’s going on up there. You guys have no idea how often I rewrite sentences or even entire paragraphs before I feel satisfied with what I said.

Especially now making posts like this revolving around a movie with grief as a side-plot, there are so many scenes that mean so much to me and really elevate Adrien’s arc about grief.

That scene with Adrien visiting his mother’s abandoned theater and seeing a vision of her before reality hits him, and grief being harder on the deceased’s birthday. That cute moment in the montage of Adrien opening up to Marinette about his mother (god I wish we could’ve gotten a full scene). Ladybug being the first and only he’s ever brought to his mother’s theater before admitting how much she’s (unintentionally) helped him with breaking out of his isolation caused by grief.

And then that scene with his father in the climax, my mother’s loss is definitely one of the reasons that hit me so hard (even if i didn’t realize it at first). Me and my father have never been physically close, but the first thing he did when my mother died was hug me (and my sister). I could literally feel how Adrien felt in that moment.

Anyway... this post is a bit different from the others I’ve made, but it’s something I had to get out and thank you to anyone who read it.

[watchmegetobsessed]

Drum it out - Harry Styles

a/n: hiya lovelies! im bringin an OC fic this time only because i had a strong vision about the girl and thought it would be best to have her as one instead of Y/N this time, but hope you’ll enjoy it regardless! Remi Devon is a baddie, i like her!

pairing: Harry x OC

summary: Harry is forced to find a new drummer since Sarah is about to become a mom, but no one seems to be good enough to replace her. It is until he meets Remi Devon, the woman who completely takes his breath away from the moment he sees her on stage.

word count: 7k

warning: NSFW content, some slight spanking

masterlist

“Don’t worry, you’ll love her just as much as I do!” Sarah smiles at Harry, giving his arm a gentle squeeze as they make their way into the small but cozy looking bar. Harry is skeptical, mostly because for him, no one compares to Sarah and if it wasn’t for her pregnancy, he would do anything to make her stay in the band. But he is so happy his two friends are starting a family together, it’s only that Harry is now forced to look for a new drummer as it’s getting harder for Sarah to keep up with the hectic lifestyle they’ve been living. Her bump is now pretty obvious and it’s only a matter of time until she can’t sit behind her instrument.

They’ve been trying to find someone to replace her during the second half of her pregnancy and at least the first year after she gives birth, but no one seemed good enough. Truth is, and Harry knew it damn well, that his problem was always the same: they weren’t Sarah.

Now she has dragged him to check someone out, a girl Sarah knows from years ago and who was told to be a mind-blowing drummer, though Harry has doubts about that.

“Sure will,” he hums, not too convinced about it.

The bar was previously a small theater, the seats have been taken out on the ground floor, replaced with tables and stools around the sides and a dance floor in the middle. The gallery is used as a kind of VIP area, this is where the two of them are right now, sitting at a small table in the front corner so they have an amazing sight of the stage where a local band is about to start very soon. Sarah said Remi, the drummer in the talk, is just a jump-in for the night for a friend, but it was a great opportunity for Harry to check her out.

“You know, she beat me at an audition a while ago. This super cool rock band was looking for a drummer for their mini-tour in Canada, because their drummer broke his leg and we both tried for it. There were still some people waiting to audition when she went in and she blew their mind so much, they just ended the audition right there,” Sarah tells him, the story still holds a dear place in her heart. She and Remi used to be close friends, but got a little distant as life took them to different paths. Now they are meeting up every few months when they are in the same city, catching up on everything since they last saw each other, sharing their equally exciting stories.

“Really?” Harry asks with genuine surprise as he takes his beer from the table and glances down at the stage. Everything is set up already and his eyes move to the shiny looking drum set at the back. It’s hard to imagine himself finding someone as good as Sarah, for Harry she has been the etalon ever since they met. But now he is forced to find someone even though he doesn’t want to, not even a bit.

“Yeah. She is the kind of girl that just turns heads wherever she goes without even trying.”

“You think I would get along with her well?” he asks, turning to face her just in time to see the wide smirk on her lips as she nods.

“I think you two would make an epic duo, H.”

“Alright, now I’m interested,” he smiles softly.

“She said they will play a lot of covers.”

“What kind?”

“You’ll see,” she smirks, sipping on her lemonade, a hand going to slide down on her stomach.

The dance floor is not packed, but there are a lot of people, seemingly most of them are here specifically for this band called Striped Shoes, Harry hasn’t heard about them until now but he is always happy to discover new music.

Soon, the lights go down, darkness falling to the theater, the only light is coming from the bars at the back. Then a spotlight turns on and a guy is standing in the middle of it, cheers erupting from the people as he starts playing the guitar and Harry immediately recognizes the song: Smells like teen spirit by Nirvana. Just a few riffs later all the other spotlights come on, each of them illuminating a member of the band and Harry’s eyes flick to the drum set where the only female on the stage is sitting, he catches her the moment she starts playing, the vibrant energy lingering around her almost knocks him off the stool even from this far away. Her hair barely reaches her shoulders, it falls to frame her heart shaped face in soft waves, the roots are a darker color than the rest that’s an odd shade of mahogany, but it suits her perfectly, Harry thinks. She has a few tattoos littered across her arms but not a full sleeve on any of them. They are on full display in the shirt that’s sleeves were seemingly ripped off, the fabric is raw on her shoulders. It seems to be some kind of old band shirt but Harry doesn’t recognize the logo on the front. Her legs are wrapped in ripped jeans and Harry is immediately mesmerized by how steadily she keeps the rhythm while absolutely nailing the song.

She makes it look so easy yet fascinating, her head snaps back a few times, a satisfied grin stretching across her lips as she enjoys the music, clearly a fan on it. She doesn’t miss a beat and flows into the next song that’s an original from the band as if the two songs were the same while she had to switch up the rhythm entirely through the transition.

Harry feels starstruck, watching this woman take the whole show, in his opinion, while simply sitting behind the drum set, playing like no one he has ever seen. She puts all of herself into it and that’s why she manages to outshine everyone else. Harry knows how hard it is for a drummer to get the same kind of attention as other members, but Remi makes it seem like it’s the natural, like drummers are the front people without a doubt.

When the cover version of Rock and Roll by Led Zeppelin comes on, in a way more hard rock version, Harry almost fears the stage is about to catch on fire. The song already has amazing drums in it, but the band gave it even more attention, giving a chance for Remi to show how amazing she really is.

“So? What do you think?” Sarah shouts over the music and Harry suddenly realizes he is not alone. He managed to zone out on the drummer without even noticing.

“She is… amazing,” he admits truthfully, in complete awe of what he is witnessing. This is music. This is passion. This is exactly what Harry always looks for in musicians and Remi has a whole lot of it.

They push the short drum solo a little longer at the end and Harry watches as Remi finishes the song standing, playing so hard that with the last hit, one of her sticks simply snaps into two, flying across the stage as she is breathing hard, skin glimmering from the sweat, her hair a complete mess from all the head shaking she’s been doing, but Harry thinks that it’s the hottest thing he has ever seen in his life.

Sarah knows she finally found her replacement, judging from Harry’s look she knows he is a sucker for Remi so she just lets him enjoy the rest of the concert.

When they play their last song and they all gather at the front of the stage to bow in front of the audience, Harry finds himself standing as he is applauding the band, but especially Remi who doesn’t even know Harry Styles is now a fan of hers.

“Let’s talk to her, shall we?” Sarah suggests once they disappear from the stage. Harry nods, finishing up his beer before the two of them head backstage.

Sarah has been put on the list since she previously let Remi know she would be coming. She was ecstatic to see her old friend, however was not told that Sarah would be coming with someone else so when Remi spots the two of them walking down the small hallway at the backstage, she is surprised but not shocked. She knows Sarah has been working with him for a long time now, but she wasn’t expecting him to be here tonight.

“Hey! There you are, mama!” Remi jokes with a heartfelt chuckle as she hugs her old friend. “Already looking like a milf!” she teases, earning an eye-roll from Sarah.

“Rems, I want you to meet Harry. Harry, this is Remi Devon.”

Remi’s eyes meet Harry’s piercing green ones and for a moment, Harry feels his stomach drop. She is even more breathtaking up close, in her simple but very fitting outfit, hair pushed back from her face carelessly she is easily the first woman ever to make Harry nervous to the point where he is having a hard time to even talk.

Remi holds out a hand for him smiling warmly and he luckily takes control over his actions and shakes it before it could get awkward.

“Nice to meet you, Harry. Heard a lot about you,” she chuckles softly.

“Hope you believed only the best,” he nods with a shy smile.

“Oh, of course,” she winks and Harry swears he felt his heart skipping a beat.

“We actually have something to talk to you about, Rems. Do you have some time for us?” Sarah asks.

“Yeah, just let me wash my face and I’ll be right back. There’s a small green room on the left, feel free to wait there,” she nods and disappears a moment later.

Sarah and Harry move into the room as Remi told them to and just a few minutes later she storms inside, a new shirt hugging her torso, a simple black one, but it’s tight unlike the one she wore for the concert. She sits into the armchair while Sarah and Harry have taken the small sofa.

“Alright, I’m all yours,” she smiles at them crossing her legs. Harry knows he should be the one to bid the offer, but it seems like he is not finding his words just yet. But Sarah is quick to talk when she realizes Harry is at a loss of words.

“I brought Harry today because I wanted him to see you play. We are currently looking for someone to take my place shortly,” she explains, placing a hand to her bump. “I know you’ve been freelancing lately so I thought you’d be interested in working with the band and of course Harry.”

“Oh!” She seems genuinely surprised at the offer. “So this was kind of my audition in secret?” she chuckles.

“You could say that,” Sarah smiles.

“And how did I do?” she asks, eyes meeting Harry’s gaze that hasn’t left her face since she arrived.

“You… definitely passed. The best I’ve seen so far,” he tells her and the smile on her face is worth everything for him. 

“So what does this mean exactly?” This time Harry answers, finally finding his voice.

“If you are not too busy in the upcoming time, I would love to have you as my drummer,” he states, handing her the offer on a silver plate, basically.

It’s an offer most musicians dream of, so Harry thinks she’ll accept it right away, but of course, Remi is not like others. 

“I’ll be needing some more details before I give you my answer though,” she smiles.

And that, she gets. A few days after the concert Remi meets up with the rest of the band and Jeff to talk about all the details. She clearly wants to know what she is jumping into and Harry respects that. At the end she accepts the offer and as Harry watches her sign the paperworks, a huge wave of satisfaction and excitement washes over him. 

***

The public imagines Harry as the picture perfect human being who is always at his best, never making any mistakes, but that’s far from the real truth. He is as flawed as anyone else, it’s just that not many get the chance to see him in this state.

His bandmates are among the few privileged ones that are bound to see all his ups and downs as well and since Remi is part of them now too, she has witnessed his bad days since they have started working together.

Harry’s growl is heard in the microphone when he is supposed to be singing and the music soon comes to a halt. It’s probably the tenth time he is messing up the exact same part because his head is just not at the right place. He knows he should be at the top of his game, not wasting his colleagues’ precious time, but he just can’t bring himself away from the heavy thoughts that’s been occupying his mind lately. There are days when he is as free as a bird, not a worry in the world, but sometimes everything comes down at once and he feels like crumbling under the weight of his own career.

“Sorry guys,” he apologizes into the microphone, a heavy sigh escaping his lips as he closes his eyes for a few seconds to collect himself. The silence in the auditorium where they are currently rehearsing for tour is harsh, everyone is tired and they can feel the nerves creeping up on them about the upcoming tour and making sure that everything is perfectly in place for the first show.

Remi looks around from behind her drum set, holding her sticks in one hand and she doesn’t like what she is seeing. A group that’s always so happy and carefree is now just a big ball of stress, this is not right. 

“Guys, why don’t you all wrap it up for today, I’ll stay here with Harry and help him get it right,” she offers.

“How do you want to practice without everyone else?” Mitch asks, not at all in an offending way, more like out of curiosity.

“I’ll find a way,” she smiles softly and he doesn’t push it further. 

As the rest of the band is packing up, leaving slowly, saying their goodbyes Harry is sitting on the floor next to one of the speakers, head hanging low, deep in his thoughts. Adam is the last one to leave the place and once it’s just the two of them, she stands up from behind her set and walks over to the desperate man.

“Get up,” she orders, not in a bossy manner, more of a ‘do what I asked, I’m trying to help’ way so Harry obeys. Standing up he towers above her, almost a full head taller than Remi, but still, sometimes she can make him feel so small.

Harry has noticed that her energy is making her push the air out of his lungs sometimes, just the way she stands, looks, moves around a room, it’s making her appear like the ruler of everyone around her. He has often found himself just staring at her from afar since she has joined the band and even though she has caught him ogling her a few times, he just still can’t bring himself to stop admiring her. He definitely has a fat crush on the new addition to the team, however now his feelings are pushed aside, their place taken by his anxiety and worries.

She takes his hands and pulls him to the middle of the stage, putting the microphone stand to the side so they have some space cleared out around them. She then turns to face him, a warm smile tugging on her lips while he is rather curious about what she has on her mind.

“Scream,” she simply tells him, his eyebrows immediately knitting together in confusion.

“Wha’?” 

“Scream,” she repeats, but he is still lost about the situation. She chuckles a little before taking a few steps away from him, twirling around her heels before stopping facing the area where the audience is supposed to be during a concert. “Whenever I feel like I’m locked, like everything around me is so suffocating that I can’t even function normally, I take a minute and just let it all out,” she explains before taking a deep breath and hunching over, the most eardrum-breaking scream bursts out of her, making Harry jump a little.

She holds it long, until her throat is cracking up and she runs out of her breath, then the scream dies and she takes a deep breath, filling up her lungs again. Harry stands there, completely stunned, thinking that if anyone heard her now, they are surely convinced she is being tortured here. 

When she turns back to face him again, she is smiling as if nothing just happened, like it’s the most natural thing to randomly scream from the top of her lungs on a casual Wednesday night.

“Now it’s your turn,” she tells him, but Harry doesn’t feel like it’s gonna be his thing at all. But he still turns to the side, clears his throat and lets out a not too forceful shout that’s quite saddening compared to her scream. “Oh, come on, I’m sure you can do better, Styles,” she chuckles, hands on her hips as she tilts her head to the side.

“Is this really necessary?” he questions, eyebrows still furrowed at her.

“Very much. Now come on, do it!”

“Remi, I--”

He doesn’t have the chance to finish, because she screams at him, knocking the air out of him once again, making him flinch at her sudden action.

“Scream!” she then snaps at him.

“I don--”

“Scream!” she repeats forcefully and Harry gives up. Taking a deep breath he lets his voice out in a hoarse scream that’s way more vibrant than his last attempt. “Yes! Again!” she grins nodding and he does it again.

And then again and again, until he feels like his chest is completely empty, like nothing is keeping a tight grip on his insides anymore. He is panting, mind racing as he realizes how much better he is feeling now, meaning that Remi’s technique worked.

“How are you feeling?” she asks, smirking, her arms folded on her chest.

“Fucking awesome,” he chuckles out of breath, running his hands through his messy hair. 

“Great. You think you can handle going through the song now without messing up?”

“I… think?”

“Alright, grab your guitar and I’ll give you the beat.”

She moves back behind her set as Harry grabs a guitar, throwing the strap over his head, turning to face Remi behind him as he places the microphone stand in front of him.

“I’ll go softer on the beats, you just do your thing okay?” she tells him and he just nods, fingers already on his guitar.

Kiwi sounds a whole lot different with just the drums playing weakly and only one guitar playing, but it’s not what matters. Harry finally manages to go through the song without messing anything up.

When the song ends and the music is replaced by silence, Harry can’t help the grin stretching across his face.

“I fucking needed that,” he sighs, his head falling back for a moment as the last bits of euphoria settles in his body.

“Want to go over something else?” she asks, turning back and forth to the sides on her stool, playing with the sticks, twirling them between her fingers easily.

“You sure don’t want to go home like the others?”

“Let’s see what choices I have. I can go home and watch an entire season of Love Island on my own, eating leftovers from two days ago or I can stay here, play music with a hot dude. I think I’m fine with the second option.”

Harry’s eyebrows shoot up at how simply she just called him a hot dude, his heart fluttering in his chest again like the first time he saw her play, only difference is that now her eyes are piercing on him and it’s just the two of them in an empty room. He is already having thoughts that should probably be pushed down.

“Did you just call your boss hot?” he teases her then.

“I don’t think you’re my boss,” she scoffs. “You need me here more than I need to be here, so I think I’m the one having the higher ground,” she points out and Harry knows she is so damn right. “Besides, I know you find me hot as well.”

He is quick to blush at her words, but that doesn’t stop him from questioning her.

“What makes you think that?”

“I see you staring, Harry. I’m not oblivious or naive. I know you like checking my butt out every time I’m fixing my set leaning down,” she chuckles and now he is certain his ears are a deep shade of red, he was caught more often than he thought, it seems like. “Also…” she smirks slyly. “If you think you hid your hard-on cleverly the other day when I played my solo, you are wrong.”

“For fuck’s sake,” Harry mumbles, cursing himself for being such a horny teenager around her, but he can’t help it. The woman is the epitome of everything Harry finds so fucking attractive, it’s like she was made for his imagination specifically. “This, um, this is a little awkward, but I’m sorry--” “Oh, don’t be,” she chuckles. “I’m just lucky I’m a woman and my arousal can’t be seen that easily,” she comments and Harry almost chokes on his own breath.

Did she just admit she has been turned on by him before? When? What did she think about? What was it that made her turned on? Harry needs answers, however he is not given the chance to get them.

“Alright, you can choose two more songs we’ll go over and then we are off,” she simply says, as if they weren’t just talking about being horny a moment ago.

“Uh, maybe Only Angel and, um, Lights Up?” he prompts, trying his best to regain his composure. 

“Cool. Let’s do them.” And with that, she switched back to work mode without batting an eye.

***

It feels like the crowd will never stop screaming. It just keeps going and going, people are probably losing their voice, but the screaming just continues as Harry stands at the front of the stage, his adrenaline jumping to the sky, eyes roaming around the full arena. He throws a few more kisses, placing his hands to his chest one last time before turning around and heading off the stage, his eyes meeting Remi.

She is not wearing her usual clothes, instead, she is now sporting a pair of high-waisted dress pants in a lavender color, a white top tucked into it, her matching blazer thrown to the floor, she probably got hot the moment she started playing. Her tattoos are on full display and she looks just as sweaty as Harry feels. But still, for him she is a sight he would love to look at for the rest of his life.

Their eyes meet and she smirks at him, eyes glimmering from the high she experienced through the concert, it’s a feeling they all share every time they perform together and it’s clearly like a drug neither of them wants to come clear of.

“Good job, Rockstar,” he reads her lips saying and he laughs, winking at her.

Ever since their one-on-one rehearsal, things have felt to change between them. It’s like a barricade that’s been lying between them has come down and they are feeling much more free around each other. Secret glances, touches and flirty comments are their usual and they don’t care that the people around them are starting to catch on it as well. They love the game they are playing and neither of them plans on stopping it.

Harry stops at her drum set, holding out a hand to help her up and walk her off the stage, knowing well she doesn’t feel the most comfortable in her stage clothes and feels a little too restricted by the end of the concerts, but she understands that her style does not go well with the look they are going for. 

She snatches her blazer from the floor and gladly takes Harry’s helping hand as he walks her off the stage, her Gucci boots feeling a little too tight at the moment.

“One of these days I’m gonna rip these pants off,” she jokes, pulling on the tight waistband of them.

“Just make sure I’m around when it happens, Darling,” Harry teases, making her laugh as they walk backstage, everyone congratulating them and the band following behind on their way.

“Oh, you’d love that, wouldn’t you?”

“Very much,” he admits without shame, the blushing long gone from his cheeks and ears. The buildup has changed his nervousness around her lately and he is enjoying the teasing and flirting all too much. 

The whole team agrees that tonight’s show was exceptionally good and that it deserves some celebratory drinks. A few blocks away from the hotel where everyone is staying there’s a cozy looking bar and the rather loud lot occupies half the place as they flow in and start ordering their endless rounds of drinks. 

Harry is sitting at one of the tables they have taken up, going strong with his third beer of the night, half zoned out of the conversation with the small group he is sitting in. His eyes are fixated on Remi’s figure who is standing at the bar with Charlotte, unlike every other female around she is not sipping on some kind of fancy drink or a cocktail, she went straight for the crafted beers the place had to offer. She has changed her stage clothes, wearing her usual tight black jeans and a sheer top with a simple black sports bra underneath it. Harry can’t stop his eyes from raking down her body, taking in every curve, tattoo and tiny detail about her and he thinks that there is not one thing on her he doesn’t find attractive. 

Her eyes find him, a playful smirk playing on her lips Harry has been thinking way too much about lately, and she cocks an eyebrow at him in a way that yells at him: Like what you see, Rockstar?

As an answer, he just simply shrugs with a growing smirk until she turns back to Charlotte, who is still talking to her, she hasn’t even noticed that Remi was focusing somewhere else for a moment. Remi laughs at something her bandmate said and Harry wishes he could be closer to hear her voice, he has grown quite a liking to her laughter, he has been trying to crack as many jokes lately as he can just to hear it.

He takes his eyes off her just for a second when someone at the table asks him something. He mumbles his reply and reaches for his beer as his gaze shifts back to her figure, only to find that Charlotte is not gone and a not so friendly looking guy is behind her, clearly trying to chat her up.

The dude is standing way too close to her for Harry’s liking, leaning in to talk to her, but she keeps backing away, however he does not care about that. She is clearly not enjoying the exchange and when the guy reaches up to her face Harry is quick to jump to his feet, ready to go to her rescue. But it’s not needed.

Just as he takes one step towards the scene near him, he witnesses as Remi grabs the bloke’s hand before he could touch her face and with a strong and quick move, she twists his arm behind him, keeping the guy on his toes as he is trying to escape her deadly grip on his wrist, his hand pushing into the middle of his back.

Harry’s mouth hangs open as he watches Remi tell something to the guy in a not too friendly manner before letting him go and the man flees before Harry could blink twice.

“That was impressive,” Harry tells her, walking up to her at the bar. Remi just shrugs, gulping down the rest of her beer. 

“I know some tricks.”

“How come?”

“Grew up with three older brothers, had to learn how to defend myself when they decided to attack me out of nowhere.”

“Three brothers? That must ‘ave been wild,” he huffs impressed.

“I surely didn’t have a girly childhood, I’ve always been kind of a tomboy,” she shrugs again. As a teenager, she often wished she would be like the girls in her class, but later on she realized how big of an advantage it is that she speaks the boys’ language so easily.

“I think it just made you… badass,” Harry smirks, leaning against the bar counter.

“Is that what I am?”she arches an eyebrow cockily. 

“Definitely. A handful, but the good kind.”

“Oh, just be careful, Rockstar. I might think you are trying to get into my pants,” she chuckles and as Harry hears her laugh he can’t stop himself from taking it further. She is too intoxicating.

“And what if I am?”

Remi doesn’t seem surprised at his comment, not even a bit. She is clearly enjoying the flirting once again, but when she answers, he surely is the one who is surprised.

“Then I gotta say you are working way too slow. I’m losing my patience.”

His eyebrows rise, lips parted as he stares back at her, the words that left her lips pushing the air out of his lungs once again, he is done for her. Utterly and completely. He wants to say and do a million things, but then settles on just one simple question.

“Want to get back to the hotel then?”

“Thought you’d never ask,” she smirks and simply heads towards the door without another word spoken. Harry is quick to grab his stuff from the table and catch up with her at the exit. 

The crispy night air feels a little sobering as they both step out of the bar, heading to the nearby hotel with rushed steps, keeping their silence but they both are grinning madly. When their eyes meet they can’t push down the laughter and Harry grabs her hand before he starts running, pulling her after himself.

By the time they reach the hotel they are both out of breath, adrenaline running high once again as what’s been building up between them since the first time they saw each other is finally about to bloom fully.

Remi pushes the button for the elevator and as it moves down painfully slowly Harry’s hands find her hips, pulling her back against his chest. His lips tease the soft skin on her neck, peppering kisses everywhere he reaches while his fingers dig into her skin under her sheer top. She leans against him, head falling back to his shoulder and she pushes her bum against his crotch, a whiny moan escaping his lips that makes her smile in satisfaction. 

“Fuck, Remi,” he breathes out, eager to finally have her all to himself and make all his fantasies come to life. The elevator finally dings and as the door slides open Remi turns in his arms abruptly and grabbing onto the collar of his shirt she simply pulls him inside, hand snapping on the button of his floor and just as the door slowly slides closed and they start moving up, her lips finally crash against his.

They are kissing hard, eager to take as much from each other as they can, they are both greedy, wanting the other all to themselves, the heat of the moment lighting up the small elevator. His fingers rake through her hair, grabbing a handful of it in each of them while one of her hands slide down his upper body until it stops on the obviously growing bulge in his pants. Harry moans shamelessly when she gives his erection a teasing squeeze and she smirks against his lips, satisfied with how easily he reacts to her touches. 

Harry melts into her, wanting to devour every bit of this moment with her, he is seeing stars when she takes his lower lip between her teeth and tugs on it. A hand flies down to her ass and he squeezes it hard without shying about how much he is enjoying touching her.

The elevator reaches their floor and once again he grabs her wrist and starts pulling her down the hallway towards his room. Her lips are glued to his neck when he is trying to get his keycard from his back pocket and open the door, but when he finally succeeds, they basically fall into the room, tangled into each other and the door snaps closed behind them. 

He is quick to push her against the door, lips attacking her neck, nipping and sucking on her skin until he is sure a mark is left on her. 

“Off with it,” she pants, her hands tugging on his shirt and they work with all four of their hands to unbutton his shirt until it flies across the room. Remi pushes on him, hands spread across his hot chest as they get farther inside the room. The bump into some furniture on their way, lips glued together again until they finally reach the bed and fall right onto the perfectly made sheets. They are both showing dominance so it’s a constant fight for the lead between them, rolling around until at last Remi ends up on top, strangling his lap. She straightens up and grabs the hem of her shirt, getting rid of it fast before she does the same with her sports bra, baring her upper body completely to Harry’s greedy eyes.

“Fuck,” he breathes out, pushing himself up until he wraps his arms around her, mouth meeting her chest, littering her heated skin with sloppy kisses until his lips reach one of her nipples.

“Yes!” she moans as he starts playing with it, his hands coming to cup her breasts, massaging them continuously before his mouth moves over to her other nipple, giving it the same attention. 

Harry uses her momentary weakness and turns them over, his crotch coming in contact with her center as he pushes his hips between her legs forcefully. He kisses down her stomach before he leans back and works fast on the buttons of her jeans. The tight material hugs her legs stubbornly, but he is eager to get rid of them and he soon succeeds, leaving her in just a lacy black thong. He undoes his own pants in a heartbeat, pulling them off and throwing them to the side before he gets on top of her again, kissing her lips so hungrily as if it hasn’t been just a few moments since he kissed her last. 

She whimpers under his touch when he moves a hand between her thighs, running his fingers along her clothed folds, her arousal already soaking the fabric. He doesn’t hesitate to slip his hand into her underwear, her juices wetting his wandering fingers and he teases her hole and clit playfully.

“You better not fucking tease me, I don’t like that,” she pants, her dark eyes meeting hers and he can see the threat behind her words, she is not joking.

“Then what do you like?” he breathes out, eager to please her so much, she’ll forget about everyone else she has ever slept with.

She doesn’t answer, instead, a devious smile tugs on her swollen lips as she pushes him off until she is able to move. Harry is now kneeling on the bed and watches as Remi pushes her ass up into the air, back arching perfectly, her thong looking so delicious on her round butt and when she pushes herself back so her behind meets her throbbing dick in his briefs he could cry from the sensation. His hands immediately grab onto her asscheeks, pulling her even harder against himself.

“Smack it,” she breathes out, glancing over her shoulder.

“Yeah?”

“Do it,” she nods and Harry doesn’t need more encouragement, he lifts a hand up and smacks her ass so it leaves a little redness after it. Remi moans erotically, enjoying herself fully and seeing how much it turns her on, he smacks the other cheek as well.

“You are gonna be the death of me,” he whines and pushing down his briefs his erection finally springs free, he grabs it with one hand, stroking himself a few times while his other hand is keeping a tight grip of her ass.

Remi wants to see him naked, so she quickly pushes herself up to her knees and turning around her eyes fall on Harry stroking himself. Hunger fills her eyes as she launches forward, lips meeting his while her hands simply take the place of his on his length, doing the job for him.

“I’m on birth control. When were you last tested?” she mumbles against his lips before leaning back so she can get rid of her thong and Harry does the same with his underwear.

“Three weeks ago, haven’t been with anyone since and I’m clean,” he mumbles in a rush.

“I’m clean too. You can ditch the condom if you want to.” “I wanna feel you,” he pleads desperately as she lies back on the bed and he gets on top of her again.

“All yours,” she smirks, spreading her legs wide for him, the sight in front of him is easily beating any art he has ever seen, he thinks. 

He positions himself to her entrance, but doesn’t push into her just yet, leaning down so his lips brush against her ear as he whispers into it.

“Let’s see if you feel just as amazing as I imagined.” And with that, he pushes into her with one swift movement, stretching her all the way until his whole length disappears inside her.

“Fuck, Harry!” she cries out, back arching at the sensation. He sucks on her neck once again as he starts moving in and out, fitting inside her so perfectly, he is convinced she was crafted just for him. 

He is going fast and hard, their pants and moans completely filling the hotel room and they can only hope they can’t be heard by anyone right now. She circles her legs around his hips, the angle he is reaching making her toes curl behind his back.

“You feel so fucking good,” he chokes out, face contorting into a blissful frown as he is getting closer to his orgasm with each thrust.

“I want to be on top,” she gasps, already pushing on and this time Harry doesn’t hesitate to obey. He rolls to his back, pulling her with him so now she is on top. Her hands come to rest on his stomach as she starts riding her, circling and lifting her hips so perfectly, so breathtakingly that Harry could cum just from the sight of her bouncing on him, but the feeling is making it a mind blowing experience. His fingers dig into her hips as she is starting to move faster and faster, before Harry starts bucking his hips up to meet her rhythm as well, going so deep into her, he is having a hard time deciding where she ends and where he starts. They are completely merged together in one hot mess. 

“Fuck, I’m gonna cum!” she screams gasping, her head falling back as she doesn’t fall out of her rhythm, still being such a drummer even in the bed, dictating the beat. 

Harry pushes himself up into a sitting position, wrapping his arms around her so he can push her naked chest against his, their sweaty skins sliding against each other relentlessly, creating friction.

“Scream my name when you cum,” he orders, his lips finding hers once again, but it’s a messy kiss, their teeth are clanking, noses are bumping together as they are both nearing their high.

“Harry, oh fuck!” she exclaims and with her next movement he can feel her clench around him.

“Louder!” he growls on the edge of his own orgasm.

“Harry! Harry!” she screams shamelessly, throwing him over the edge, a guttural moan bursting from him as they both fall out of the rhythm, satisfaction washing over them in waves.

“Oh shit!” she breathes out, lips against his as she keeps him close with her hands on the base of his neck. 

“Fucking Hell, Remi. I think I almost had a heart attack,” he breathes out with a soft chuckle making her laugh as well. She pulls him into another kiss, but it’s way slower now, the hunger and greed taken by their pleasure, now it’s time for something softer.

When they fall back to the bed, arms and legs tangled as they are still trying to stay close to each other, Remi looks up at him with a tired smile.

“So, was it like you imagined?” she asks and he chuckles softly.

“A thousand times better. But now we have a problem on our hands.”

“And what would that be?”

“Now I’m hooked. I won’t be able to stop thinking about you, not that it hasn’t been the situation since the start.”

Remi chuckles shortly, pushing herself up enough so she can look comfortable at his flushed out face. 

“Well, it’s a good thing we are kind of locked together for months.”

“I’m one lucky man, aren’t I?” he smirks, so full of himself before he pulls her back down, kissing her like they have all the time in the world on their hands.

[labomi]

carrot cake

summary: you and satoru treat yourselves to some sweets after completing a mission

pairing: gojo satoru x f!reader

words: 976

genre: romance, fluff

warnings: description of food

notes: ahh i feel bad i didn’t post anything last week but i haven’t finished any of my wips yet so here’s a short fic that was already up on my ao3. it’s written with the same universe/reader in mind as my other one-shot which you can read here for context. i promise i’ll have some new content soon!

“Oh, Satoru. Look!” You pointed at the giant carrot cake smothered with cream cheese frosting in the display window. It was nestled among a variety of other delicious-looking desserts that would surely satisfy any sweet tooth. “I think I want a slice of that!”

The two of you had just finished up a mission exorcising a suspected Grade 1 curse that was terrorizing a hospital. Satoru handled it easily without any issues which gave you two plenty of time to spend the rest of the night enjoying the city. There were clear perks in chauffeuring around the strongest jujutsu sorcerer.

After going on numerous assignments together, it had become a tradition for the two of you to celebrate a job well done by heading to a local cafe and indulging in desserts together. Satoru always seemed to look forward to the post-mission activities and you were happy to tag along, especially because he always paid for everything.

Satoru quirked an eyebrow in surprise. “No strawberries today?” He knew how much you adored any desserts that included strawberries. A beautiful strawberry cake glistened in the display case right next to the carrot cake you were eying.

“I’m trying to broaden my taste horizons,” you announced with a huff, trying to ignore how the strawberry cake seemed to be calling your name. “Don’t question me!” Satoru chuckled while you waved over the employee and signaled you were ready to order before you changed your mind.

“I’ll have a slice of the carrot cake please!”

Satoru ended up only ordering a cup of hot tea for himself, claiming he wasn’t feeling particularly hungry.

The cafe was relatively empty. It was a Tuesday night, and there were only a few other people seated inside. They seemed to be local college students judging from the numerous books surrounding them as they furiously typed away on their laptops. You found a small table in the back corner of the cafe far away from all the other patrons. Satoru brought over the tray, and you were unable to stifle your squeal of excitement.

Satoru sat down across from you and immediately ripped open five packets of sugar and dumped them in his tea. He used a small wooden stick to stir the drink and help the sugar dissolve.

“It amazes me how you never get a cavity,” you commented.

“Well that’s because I’m perfect,” Satoru purred. 

You crumbled up a napkin in a ball and threw it at him, but it predictably slowed down to stop in front of his face before he snatched it with his hand.

“Hey! That wasn’t very nice of you!” Satoru whined, but you ignored him and focused on your cake. The slice looked absolutely divine. Grabbing a fork from the tray, you immediately dug in with a big bite and a hum of pure joy.

“It’s so good,” you mumbled with your mouth still full. “We have to come back here again!”

Satoru nodded and sipped on his tea, eyes completely focused on you. During these moments, he was quite thankful he always wore sunglasses. It hid his current line of vision, and he preferred that you didn’t know exactly where he was looking. Every day, Satoru was extremely thankful that managers at Jujutsu High had to wear a black suit and tie. He was particularly grateful to whoever tailored your specific uniform. They deserved a raise.

You always looked prim and proper during a mission but afterward, you had a bad habit of immediately loosening your tie. It was the one part of the outfit you complained about. Satoru got Yaga to tell you it wasn’t necessary to wear a tie if it was uncomfortable, but you insisted on wearing the entire outfit to match the other managers. You were stubborn like that.

Satoru quietly watched as you continued to devour the slice of cake. Your tie was already loosened and sloppily hanging around your neck. He thought you looked even hotter like this.

“Hey! Are you listening to me?” You waved your hand in front of Satoru, trying to grab his attention.

He grinned behind his cup of tea. “Nope!”

You sighed. “Of course you weren’t. I was saying that if we have time off next week we should go watch a movie! We haven’t gone to the theaters in a while, and I know how much you like going.”

“Yea, that sounds good,” Satoru replied, resting his head on his hand with a soft smile. 

You looked at him strangely. Satoru was acting weird. He was quiet tonight. And he was never quiet. The man would normally be talking your ear off about something completely random like the power structures of early Rome or the separation of the church and state.

Why is he acting like this?

You grabbed another piece of cake on your fork when you finally realized what was wrong.

“I’m sorry,” you apologized to Satoru, feeling a little ashamed. “I’m being rude. I forgot to ask if you wanted a bite.” 

“Yeah, I’ll try some,” Satoru smirked. Before you could offer your fork to him, he reached out his hand and swiped a thumb across the upper corner of your lips. He removed a glob of frosting from your face that you had failed to notice. You sat there frozen as Satoru brought the thumb to his mouth and licked it clean.  

“You’re right. It’s good.”

You could feel the heat starting to creep into your cheeks.

“Satoru,” you warned quietly, nervously looking around the cafe to make sure no one else saw the gesture. He loved when you got flustered like this. Especially in public.

“What?” the sorcerer asked innocently. “You had a little something on your lips. What kind of friend would I be to let you walk around like that in public?”

You threw another napkin at him.

[redrobinfection]

Alfred’s Favorite Barbara

Babs & Alfred || Read on Ao3 || Happy Birthday, Barbara Gordon! ❤

<< A sequel to last year’s “Batgirls’ Favorite Mentor” 

~*~

Barbara leaned forward and spit out the toothpaste Cass had let her use, on one of the many spare toothbrushes Alfred kept in the guest toiletries stockpile, then leaned back in her chair with a sigh and considered her mostly-put-together-again reflection in the bathroom mirror.

Wow, that had certainly been a party of a night, she mused, ruefully lifting a strand of her sleep-mussed auburn locks before deciding that pulling it back in a bun was really the only dignified solution.

Steph and Cass had kept her up all night--not like that was all that much different from her usual schedule, but mani, pedi, facials, horrible (great) superhero movies, and gossip until dawn had worn her out more than she would have expected. Although, the wine that had snuck into the mix right when the mani-pedis were left to dry and the third movie went in might have had something to do with it, she conceded with a smirk at herself in the mirror. It wasn't a bad sort of tired, she admitted as she tucked few stray hairs into her messy bun, but she was more than ready for a day to rest, recover and recharge.

Just after dawn, Alfred had invaded the sanctum of their home theater encampment to invite them up to the kitchen for a hearty breakfast. There he had laid out toast, eggs, bacon, sausage, fruit, juices, teas, coffee, pancakes and even some of the real cake from the night before--a rare breach of protocol from the prim and proper butler that Barbara took as a one-time gesture of affectionate indulgence of their whims--which eventually drew out the other occupants of the house, turning breakfast the morning after into as much of a party as dinner the night before had been.

After that, Alfred had shooed Steph and Cass off to bed and shown Barbara up to her regular guest room where the bed had already been turned down, the pillows fluffed and the blackest of blackout curtains tightly drawn, bless that man. After a few hours of much needed sleep, it was now just past noon, most of the manor's occupants were either still sleeping or out living their daylight personas, and Alfred had offered to drive her back to the Clocktower after she had "freshened up a bit".

Satisfied that she had done as much as she could to make herself decent for the drive of shame, Barbara gathered her things and made her way down the hall to the elevator. Alfred was waiting for her when the doors opened on the civilian garage.

"Ah, Miss Barbara, I take it you're ready to depart?"

"Yes. Thank you for driving me back, Alfred."

"Of course, it's my pleasure."

He led the way toward their several limousines, opened the door to one very special vehicle and began extending and lowering a long ramp. Barbara pressed her lips together to hide a smile as Alfred stepped to one side and let her wheel herself up the shallow incline. He retracted the ramp, closed the door and slid into the driver's seat while she positioned herself in the sleek interior and locked the wheels of her chair.

"Thanks again, Alfred. For everything," Barbara added as they pulled out of the garage. "Last night, this morning...it was all amazing and it must have been so much work--extra work--for you. I really appreciate it."

She saw his eyebrows rise in the rear-view mirror as he replied, "Of course. It was no trouble; I would hardly label hosting a small dinner in honor of and giving accommodations to one of my favorite persons "work". It was a pleasure, Miss Barbara."

She raised an eyebrow in turn. "Oh really? A fairly large dinner, putting up with the mess we all made in the theater afterwards, and putting together a big breakfast in the morning--and driving me back after letting me stay over, even when I'm sure you've got plenty of cleaning up to do? 'Favorite person' huh? If I didn't know better I'd think you were buttering me up for something, Alfred Pennyworth," she teased, sharing a knowing look with him in the mirror.

He didn't laugh out loud, but his eyes twinkled in that way Barbara knew meant he was amused rather than offended. "My word! Is it so hard to believe that an old man would take pleasure in doing what little he could to celebrate the birthday of his favorite Barbara."

Barbara did laugh out loud. "Your favorite...huh! First Jason calls me his favorite, then Tim and Dick, then Steph and Cass... and now you? All of you in less than twenty-four hours? Did you all have a meeting to discuss the topic or am I about to go home to one of the hardest cases of all time and you're all buttering me up to it?"

"I believe the subject had come up recently," Alfred replied evenly. "You do so much for this family and receive so little appreciation..."

"That's my line," Barbara muttered incredulously with a minute shake of her head.

"...and I'll have you know that of all the Barbaras I've had the pleasure of knowing, you most certainly rank supreme."

Barbara huffed a laugh through her nose. "And how many Barbaras is that exactly?"

Alfred met her eyes in the mirror and fixed her with an impressive look. "When you've lived as long as I have, served as long as I have, you come to know a great many people. Among all of those... you are rare soul indeed, Barbara. Surely one to celebrate and to venerate."

That gave her pause. What are you supposed to say to something like that? She didn't know, so she let the silence stretch and turned her gaze to the traffic speeding past her window while her true focus turned to beating down the bloom of color that had flooded her cheeks at Alfred's unexpected pronouncement. 

They rode in silence--not an uncomfortable silence, but Barbara still felt the weight of those words still hanging heavy between them--for the rest of the drive. They'd caught the lull between the lunch-hour jam and afternoon rush-hour traffic--likely a strategic choice on Alfred's part--so it only took about twenty minutes to make the trip into the city. 

Alfred graciously helped her disembark, escorted her to the ground level door to the tower, and--to her surprise--asked to walk her in, pulling a cooler bag from somewhere with leftovers from the revelries. Barbara invited him in, sending him ahead of her with repeated thanks, but the words of appreciation died in her throat as she rolled over the threshold and took in the interior of her homebase. 

She wasn't a slob, per se, but Barbara knew she didn't tidy up around the Tower quite as often as she should, and she cleaned the place even less frequently. It was a lot of real estate for one person--a person with certain mobility issues, at that--and a small army of specially programmed Roombas and some casual dusting here and there could only do so much. 

But today, her foyer was spotless. All the coats, umbrellas and other detritus were neatly hung or stacked in their places. The tile was a shade lighter than she remembered and the grout was actually white--she'd actually thought it was tan up until now. 

Moving into her apartment showed the same story. Shelves of books and knick-knacks were freshly dusted, the rugs had been deeply vaccuumed, and personal items had been put away or neatly arranged. Every surface gleamed.

She turned to Alfred with an accusing look. "Alfred... did you...?" One look at his quietly pleased expression was answer enough. "When did you even find the time to come over here and do this? Did you clean the whole Tower?" She wouldn't doubt it. She didn't bother to ask him how he got into her super-secure, high-tech lair--this is the ex-MI6 agent who raised Bruce, after all--but given the timeline of events, it shouldn't have been possible for him to clean all this by himself and do everything he did for them while she was at the manor. 

"We did, in fact, clean the entire tower--and we took great care not to disturb any of your things in the command center, mind you--but it hardly took any time at all with Masters Damian and Timothy along to help. In fact, we were in and out well before you rose from your nap this morning."

Barbara's eyebrow rose into her hair. Alfred had wrangled Tim and Damian--in the morning, of all times--into cleaning? Together? Without killing each other? 

"Wow, Alfred, you got Tim and Damian to work together to do all of this...? At eight in the morning? You're a miracle worker, for sure. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this.

"Really, Alfred...this--" she gestured to rooms around them "--the party, the sleepover, and then breakfast... you've done so much. Thank you. It means a lot to me, but, really, you didn't need to do all this. It's... it’s too much..." 

Alfred looked away for a moment, his expression uncharacteristically sheepish. "Ah, well. Yes. I admit, I may have gone a bit overboard..."

They entered the kitchen and Barbara came to a complete stop. The appliances shone, the stove was spotless, and, for once, the sink was completely free of dishes. But that wasn't what stopped her dead in her tracks. 

On the polished kitchen table, laid out elegantly on a freshly washed and pressed table cloth that Barbara had forgotten she even owned, was a handsome tea set in lustrous lavender and gold--one pot, saucers, cups, sugar cellar and creamer. To one side sat a few varieties of Alfred's favorite teas, and on the other a plate piled high with Alfred’s signature tea cakes, one of her favorite things about visiting the manor for pre-patrol briefings or post-patrol debriefings, back in the day. A recipe card stuck out under the plate.

Barbara turned to Alfred, her vision going misty. "Alfred..."

Alfred graced her with a rare smile, beaming down at her, his expression fond, but his voice was quiet, "For when you need a break from Master Tim's gift of espresso or a moment of peace after along night."

Barbara broke out into a teary smile of her own and raised her arms, reaching out for a hug before she thought it through. Alfred surprised her yet again, leaning down to accept her embrace. 

"Really, thank you, Alfred. For everything," Barbara murmured into his shoulder before he could pull away again.

He didn't. Instead, he replied, so quietly Barbara almost missed it,

"Anything for one of my favorite granddaughters."

[popwasabi]

“End of Evangelion” and the tempting nature of oblivion

(TW: Suicide, Self-harm, Pain, Depression, Mental Health, Death)

“End of Evangelion” is a perplexing movie to say the least.

Not that the original classic anime “Neon Genesis Evangelion” series ends on exactly the most conclusive note itself, but “End” takes everything that transpired in the series and literally destroys it.

The films ends with Earth experiencing the long foreshadowed Third Impact and all of the planet returning to the primordial “soup,” as fans call it, with its main protagonist Shinji Ikari and comrade Asuka Langley Soryu as the only remaining humans left. A pseudo, twisted rebeginning of Adam and Eve’s Genesis.

The film is fairly divisive among the fans to say the least. Some fans consider it a masterpiece for its nihilistic tone and mind-bending illustrations of body horror and others despised it for being too dark and confusing with no clear explanation of anything that happened in the film’s events. Hell, even the movie’s fans have a difficult time explaining what exactly happens in the narrative.

I was somewhat in the middle with it after I watched it the first time not super long ago. It was certainly abstract, and I like plenty of stories that don’t make it easy for me to understand. The animation is definitely the franchise’s best and I enjoyed the character moments between Shinji, Asuka, and Misato. But it was also, as stated before, dreadfully confusing and still to this day hard to makes heads or tails out of with its plot.

But, as with more than a few movies I have revisited this year, 2020 helped me contextualize one aspect I think the story is concretely trying to get across.

(We’ll save discussion of “Rebuild” for another day...)

At my lowest points not long ago, I had this frequent vision that would crawl across my mind.

I imagined being up in the clouds on a beautiful sunny day, but I wasn’t floating or flying. I was plummeting, falling like a bird without wings at a speed that would definitely kill me once I got to the ground. But I never imagined actually hitting the Earth like a meat-bagged, human sized asteroid. I only ever imagined the falling part. The wind reaching a terminal velocity and the air rushing past my body and you know what look I had on my face?

Happiness.

I was confused a bit by why I kept imagining this moribund fall into oblivion over and over again. I wasn’t suicidal, though I certainly have had thoughts of self-harm plenty of times before and general detachment from life. But why the fuck was I so happy? I’m about to die after all!

What I have come to realize in recent years, as I’ve developed a better understanding of my mental health and what makes me tick, it wasn’t that I wanted to die so much as I wanted the freedom that comes moments before it. The feeling of finally letting go and letting fate/gravity do the rest.

Years of my life failing at various aspects of societal expectations and career obligations from not being able to get the girls I wanted to date so badly, relationships ending poorly, not quite applying myself the way I should’ve in college, and working a plethora of unfulfilling jobs since graduation made me yearn for that release. Just that feeling of saying “fuck it all” and giving in to the void.

I wanted to stop feeling out of control. The way the world is structured often feels like you are on a wild, rapid river flowing in one very stark direction but you desperately want to go the other way. You keep fighting and fighting it and realize after a while you are just swimming in place, you tire out and either float where the river wants you to go or you drown. I wanted neither of those things, I just wanted control and unfortunately part of life is accepting that a very large percentage of it is beyond your power to alter.

2020 made this feeling starkly apparent once again as we were hit with a once in a lifetime global pandemic that has killed 2.21 million people and counting. As common people struggle to find ways to handle the loss of loved ones and the fallout from economic instability those tasked with protecting us have more or less ignored the cries of needy. Hell, they’re fucking miffed that we would even have the audacity to ask for $2000 of our own fucking tax dollars to put a band-aid on the situation. Combine this with an extremely volatile two-party system and late stage capitalism, we are about as out of control as ever in terms of how much we actually can course correct our destinies in a period like this.

It is why so many irony-pilled millennials and gen z-ers are posting dank memes about meteors colliding with the earth over the course of the year. We’ve lived through two recessions, two forever wars, and now a pandemic in our lifetimes while paying off our crippling debt with slave wages and yet boomers still wonder why we are near universally depressed as a generation.

(Seriously, everybody needs a fucking therapist right now...and also to dismantle the fucking system that’s making us depressed!)

This is what I feel is the real heart of “End of Evangelion.” The movie is a lot of things, obviously, but, after the events of this year and looking back on the more depressing parts of my life, I feel this film is about the tempting nature of oblivion. Giving up when things are clearly beyond your control so you can get that sweet but twisted, fleeting sense of freedom from it all.

Director Hideaki Anno didn’t feel too entirely different about the state of life when he made this series and certainly by the time he made “End” he was in a very dark place.

So, quick history lesson, “Neon Genesis Evangelion” debuted in 1994 and quickly became a classic among fans of anime and the giant mech vs monster genre. Critics loved it for its exploration of mental health and depression and of course plenty enjoyed the hell out of it for its giant monster/robot escapism as well. Fast forward to the conclusion of the series, critics and fans especially are far more polarized. I won’t try to explain exactly what happens in the ending and frankly I don’t think anyone can, but that confusion led to quite a bit of outcry by the fans.

Hideaki Anno, the series’ director, received tons of hate mail and death threats following the series conclusion. The fans hated how abstract it was, how it had an undecisive ending and chose to dive into the mind of Shinji instead of conclusively describing the events of the Third Impact with plenty going as far as to say he had “ruined” his own series for them. This made him unfortunately quite depressed himself over the ending he felt creatively fairly content with.

(I think it should be clear who Shinji is mostly likely a stand-in for in this anime...)

The fan reaction was toxic to say the least and all too familiar for many creatives who didn’t adequately satisfy the insatiable vapid needs of their fandom. Anno did not take this well to put it lightly. A man who was known as a delinquent in high school and expelled from the Osaka University of Arts much earlier in his life, and dealt plenty with his own bouts of depression, Anno had plenty of his own demons to sort out and quite clearly wanted to explore that mental state in “Neon Genesis Evangelion.”

I’ll be honest and say that I myself was not fond of the ending either when I watched it the first time as a freshman in college, and even went as far as to describe it as everything that was wrong with anime to friends in the years that followed for a while. I felt it was confusing and “fake deep,” existential for no reason other than because it just wanted to and people were “dumb” if they liked it.

When I rewatched it again as a much older adult when it came on Netflix last year, I found it much more fascinating and interesting. A sort of abstract introspective into the mind of a troubled teenager, who I had written off many years prior as a “whiny baby.” Though I wouldn’t say I completely understand it still, I get it much more now and I think it has a lot to say about depression and mental health.

Unfortunately, most fans did not have that reaction back then and as a result Anno made his true conclusion “End of Evangelion” as a response to that negativity.

(You’re welcome, nerds.)

As mentioned before, “End of Evangelion” is an extremely nihilistic film that seems to one up each dark moment as you traverse its spiraling narrative. It’s a film where things never get better. If you go into it blind expecting that big last minute heroic save the day moment, it’s always teased and never comes. Things just end very badly for everyone. Nobody gets a “happy ending.”

While the ending to the original series is strange for sure, it does end on a light note that can be interpreted in a number of different ways but ultimately positive. With the way fans reacted to it Anno decided to write a big “fuck you” to them by, in many ways, smashing his toys so no one could play with them again. He even went as far as to splice in the actual hate mail he received into the movie to quite clearly show to the audience, as their favorite characters met their grissly ends, that this was their fault.

(“Gee, I wonder what that was all about.” ~ a fan walking out of the theater back in 1997.)

In a way though, Anno created something strangely beautiful from that reaction. “End of Evangelion” is about giving up in some ways and accepting our inevitable doom. There are no easy answers, no workable solutions to achieve a happy ending because sometimes in life there isn’t one. Despite last ditch efforts by Misato, Shinji, and the crew of NERV the world still ends through the Third Impact. But tonally it’s not quite pessimistic; it’s actually positive, in a very twisted sense of course.

Set to the song “Komm Susser Tod” by ARIANNE, the film’s apocalypse can almost be described as a celebration. With people “popping” and turning into the primordial soup they all largely have smiles on their faces as they kind of get what they want whether it’s a desire to reunite with loved ones, to be with people they have crushes on, or happiness that they have sought for so long in the embrace of others. Everyone’s depressed! But now they are happy because it’s finally all over, they don’t have to give a shit anymore.

As the planet lights up like a Christmas tree, there are images of suicide and death that rapidly cross the screen in the form of the Angel’s final transformation but again, nobody is truly sad about it. They all have some kind of twisted smile or joy that they get from it. It’s a shocking film, if you’re not already prepared for what’s going to happen, and provocative to say the least.

(Can’t decide if I recommend watching this high or not...)

I had no idea what any of it meant at the time when I watched it several years ago (I watched it well after I had seen the original series), and to be fair there are many ways fans have interpreted what exactly took place in the film and have debated endlessly on its meaning for decades now. But at least in my interpretation, after everything we’ve been through this year, “End of Evangelion” to me is about the sweet release of not giving a fuck anymore.

Whether it’s about Anno feeling that way about his own life or the expectations of his fans or both, the film quite clearly doesn’t care about what people may or may not have wanted for Shinji and the NGE characters and is perfectly fine with the way it all comes “tumbling down.”

(He just wants to be with his boyfriend, guys.)

This past July 4th, city fireworks shows were prohibited in my area because they wanted to limit mass gatherings due to COVID but this didn’t stop people from buying plenty of their own to fire off. In what amounted to a collective “fuck you” to everything and 2020, beginning pretty much exactly at dusk people started firing off their at home lightshows like they were mortar gunners in World War I and did not let up until well past midnight. The entire Southern California night sky was lit up not to unlike the thousands of crosses that filled the screen during the Third Impact of “End of Evangelion” and though it could certainly be interpreted as a moment of people patriotically going “Yea, America!” that night, my head canon was much different. It felt like tens of thousands of people across the region just saying “Fuck it” into the night sky at everything; COVID, our horrendous government, police violence, pending World Wars, environmental disaster, and our collective impending doom from it all.

As these fireworks hit their zenith around 9pm I broke out my phone and started playing “Komm Susser Tod” from the movie and it felt perfect. Everyone just wanted to feel that freedom in the moment, that freedom of not giving a damn anymore. To be removed from expectations, from control, from hatred, from pain and it was kind of beautiful in a sick way.

And that’s what “End of Evangelion” feels like to me now; kind of beautiful in a sick way.

(Not saying the LA skyline looked like this exactly but it felt like it haha...)

There are still many ways to interpret Hideaki Anno’s cult classic, and it’s part of its charm but I think the take away fans should have is definitely not that suicide is ok but that we get it. We understand why people have those feelings and why it feels freeing to desire the void and oblivion. It’s a pity that the series most toxic fans didn’t get that clue through the original finale but Anno, not a person who likes  being shoved around, clearly created perhaps the most twistedly beautiful “fuck you” to that in anime history.

As we enter 2021 all I can say is it’s ok to feel like this, it’s ok to desire freedom from the relentless gloom and doom of the world and people’s prying expectations of what they think you “should” be. No one blames you. At the end of the day, we’re all just trying to survive the apocalypse we have zero control over, so the least we can do is be a bit nicer and considerate of one another. 

At least it’ll make the Third Impact more pleasant whenever it eventually comes...

Happy New Year, everyone! 

Congratulations on surviving 2020! Have fun in 2021...

[codeandcreativity]

Reverie

Summary: Spencer and Maeve visit the Folger Shakespeare Museum. Written for @railmereid's 2K writing challenge/prompt: "Do you think we could pretend?"

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Maeve Donovan (PG-13)

Category: Fluff, Angst

Warnings: Allusions to stalking. No explicit spoilers, but this won't make sense if you're not familiar with the beginning of the Maeve arc (Season 8).

Reverie

Lovers and madmen have such seething brains, Such shaping fantasies, that apprehend More than cool reason ever comprehends. -William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream

"Do you think we could pretend?" she asks softly.

"Pretend?"

"That we're together."

He looks up, past the scratched and dirty fiberglass casing of the phone booth, down one of hundreds of similarly featured streets from which he might have called her. "How?"

"Your mind is an amazing tool, Spencer. Convince me," she says with a gossamer laugh. "Tell us both a vivid lie."

"A rare vision?" he suggests, warming to the idea.

"Take pains," she says. "Be perfect."

"OK." He slips his hand into his pocket to pull out his own phone. "I'm going to hang up and call you on my cell."

"That sounds like a great start."

He settles the heavy pay phone receiver in its cradle with a satisfying thunk and hits the first speed dial on his cell.

"Hey," she answers right away.

"Hey." He smiles to himself. "You're still there."

"I'm still here."

"Great." He exits the phone booth and walks towards his car, three doors down in front of a coin-operated laundry. "I'm parked outside of Georgetown Laundry," he says, unlocking the door of his horizon blue 1965 Volvo Amazon and sliding behind the wheel.

"I'm right around the corner," she says, voice light with mirth. "Come pick me up."

He follows those welcome instructions, turning the corner at a lazy crawl just in time to see her emerge from the door of her brownstone. Her face is hidden from him by a curtain of rich brown hair as she turns to lock the door behind her. Her figure is mostly hidden, too, beneath a loose white sun dress that falls just past her knees and a gray cardigan that is at least one size too large. She turns at last, her eyes shaded by sunglasses but her smile bright and genuine. She trots down the steps to street level, waving cheerfully as she crosses the sidewalk to his car.

He's out of the car before he knows it, rushing to meet her on the sidewalk. He holds out his hand and says breathlessly, "Maeve."

"I think we're a little past that, Spencer," she says warmly, ignoring his proffered hand and wrapping her arms around him in an embrace that feels like early summer. She smells of cotton and lilac, light and sweet. Without a thought, he buries his face in her shoulder and wraps his arms around her tightly, as if she will float away, an ephemeral thing he must cling to if he is to have any chance of keeping it at all.

"You're really here," he murmurs against her skin. She shivers. He wants to make her do it again, so he says, "Maeve."

She laughs, her hands dancing the length of his spine. "I'm here. Now," she says as she pulls back just enough to see his face. "Where should we go?"

He breathes deeply, soaking in the warm summer air and the tethered feeling of her finally standing beside him. "Where do you want to go?"

She pushes her sunglasses up to reveal pale blue eyes, crinkling with excitement. "Where do you want to take me, Spencer?"

He barely has to think, when she says it like that. "I know a place." He pulls open the passenger side door and offers her his hand again. "Get in."

This time, she takes it, her skin cool and dry against his as she lowers herself into the car. "I should have known you'd drive something with character," she says as he climbs in the driver's side, running her fingers along the vintage console.

"I don't drive it much," he admits, pulling away from the curb and pointing towards their destination.

"I know," she says. "I'm glad you drove it today."

He turns his head for just a second to appreciate the childlike wonder on her face. "Me, too."

"Can I roll down the window?" she asks.

"Of course."

She works the crank until the window is as far down as it'll go, turning her face to the breeze. "I haven't been out of my apartment in so long," she says wistfully.

After a beat, he answers, "I know."

She turns back to him with a reassuring smile. "I can't wait to see where you're taking me."

They drive through tree-lined streets to the historic part of town, calling out landmarks well-known and esoteric, until finally he pulls over and puts the car in park. "I think we're here," he says, squinting through the windshield.

"You think?" she asks playfully.

He chuckles. "Yeah. We're here."

Before them rises a long two-story building with a facade of white Georgia marble, worn by more than 80 years of east coast weather but no less stunning for its age. Tall vertical windows line length of the building, art deco grilles adorning those and the entryway closer to the ground. A series of themed bas-reliefs pose under the windows, figures of stone so well-hewn they seem to not to have been carved from the marble, but to have emerged from it.

"Oh, I haven't been here in ages," she says, hand in his as she leads him up the stairs. Her fingertips hover over the figures, but she doesn't touch. Hers won't be among the hands that slowly erase the figures from the stone from which they were birthed. All the best tragedies already constructed, in word and stone, from Macbeth to Hamlet to Romeo and Juliet , those stupid, star-crossed lovers.

"This sort of artwork is usually installed near the top of the building," he says, watching her face flush with happiness as she traverses the path towards the doors. "The Folgers asked the sculptor to place them closer to street level to give the public a better view."

She pauses a moment in front of crowned Titania, dwarfed by an attentive Bottom, idiots in love. The Fairy Queen's face is turned out, in soliloquy or reverie. Titania's body occupies the same space as her lover's, but her mind is far afield. What a privilege.

She hums appreciatively. "Is there a show today?" she says, turning her hopeful face to his.

He smiles. "What would you like to see?"

"Surprise me!" she says with a grin.

They tour the library until the sun sets, gasping softly at the details of the collection on exhibit in the Great Hall. They admire the finer points of the room itself, with its soaring plaster strapwork ceiling and intricate terracotta floor, inscribed with the masks of Comedy and Tragedy, secreting in its tiles the titles of the Bard's plays. They hover as close to the First Folio as they're permitted.

Their hands never part.

They take in the Elizabethan Theatre, with its three-tiered balconies and carved oak columns, but that's not where either of them want to spend their evening, so he takes her at last out to the garden. And for all the things they've seen today, it's the sight of the formal garden, the smell of lavender and honeysuckle and thyme that pulls the breath from her lungs and she says, "Oh, Spencer."

Palms pressed together, he pulls her closer to his side. He bends his head and whispers, "There's more."

They traverse the garden slowly; she pauses often, to touch an unfurled leaf or inhale the scent of a flower rising brilliantly from the heavily mulched earth. While she drinks in their surroundings, he only has eyes for her. Her dark hair, blunt bangs playful over clear blue eyes, the pretty pink of her cheeks when she catches him looking, the sly curl of her lips that tells him she knows she's got him wrapped around her any way she desires. She has only to say the word.

"They're setting up for the show," he says, pointing down the path with his free hand.

She looks up at him, so pure and full of hope. " A Midsummer Night's Dream ?"

"I can't imagine anything else," he says honestly.

She laughs, soft like a blanket. "I imagine we have our choice of seats."

They do, and when they're settled on a blanket the color of a late summer sunset, she leans over and whispers in his ear, "I brought us something to drink."

"I don't…"

"I know," she interrupts. "It's sparkling apple cider."

Night falls around them and the lights come up. The players on the stage dance and sing through the text seamlessly, interlacing the stories of lovers and actors, tales of fairies and humans, crises of self and burgeoning feminism that make A Midsummer Night's Dream one of Shakespeare's most widely performed works.

As the play proceeds, they turn towards one another, until they are reclining, somehow watching the stage as well as the stars above. Puck makes their appeal to the audience at last, an assurance to the perturbed that what they have witnessed may be nothing more than a dream, to be whisked away by another sleep. There is no applause as Puck sees themself out, only the lingering silence of a theater long after the audience has gone.

They are the players now, alone on the stage.

"Maeve," he says softly, just for her. "Can I kiss you?"

"I think you should," she says, and before he can make a move, she presses her lips to his. Stunned, he reacts only after a moment, his fingers threading into her hair as he pulls her closer. He follows her lead, afraid of taking this ephemeral thing they've made too far. The kisses are passionate but chaste, not that he knows any other way.

Too soon, he feels her stiffen against him. "Spencer."

"What's wrong?" he asks, looking down at her face. The tone of her voice has painted her features ashen. She's only a shade now. A phantom.

He hears a series of beeps, a staccato succession of three.

"I… I have call waiting," she says, her voice truncated with fear.

"Maeve?"

"No one has this number."

"It's OK. Don't hang up. I can get someone to trace it," he tries to reassure her, but the terror in her voice has infected him.

"Spencer, I have to go."

Before he can say anything…

"Goodbye."

"I love you."

"I'm sorry."

"How will I know you're OK?"

…she's gone.

He's standing in a phone booth three doors down from Georgetown Laundry, listening to a dial tone.

-End-

Read on AO3

[mr-nauseam]

Ah yes that infamous Au based explicitly on Without a Clue + a bunch of headcanons that don't match my vision of canon but I still like them. Today I wanted to collect my thoughts so uh ...

I. First Case- (The Gloria Scott.)

"Of all ghosts, the ghosts of our old loves are the worst."

...

So Sherlock Holmes has a lawyer father and a mother with a lot of love for the artistic things, so since childhood there is a bit of that conflict, because at that time the artistic-bohemian world slowly separated from normal-logic-exact life and he was always in the middle, going from one place to another. Nothing very sad, just a little isolated but with many pleasant memories of a childhood in the countryside and of some holidays in France with his grandmother and his cousin, who tried to be a painter for several years, the two got along very well and they wrote letters to each other.

Yes, yes, we get to that uncertain period of his youth, with disorganized studies, being a bad student - not because he is a fool, God if Holmes is a genius! but the limitations of being in a classroom, also surely he spent several years with private tutors who had to adapt to him, instead of the other way around, so it was complicated-, he has two friends Reginald Musgrave who is with him in a small theater club and Victor Trevor, whom he knows from that incident with the dog, everything is the same from here except that it happens slower, Hudson does not appear so fast to ruin everything, so there is more time for Holmes to fall totally in love with his new friend, he knows Victor's father and for some reason he is friendly with him, he tells him that his little hobby of observation could be a career, a real profession! and he could help people. Holmes could do justice.

In addition, having spent some time without adults who believed in him - because he did not have a great school performance - Holmes is comforted to hear the encouragement of Trevor's father, there are several visits, a deeper bond, time goes on, until that happens, the event that upsets everything, Victor asks for his help and only comes to help to unearth the truth, a horrible one that changes everything, Trevor never has his bright and cheerful smile again, a more shy one is the one he dedicates sometimes but his mired in melancholy, then one day he disappears, it takes to Holmes a long time to receive a letter, an apology but the damage is done, now Holmes does not want to know more about dark family secrets and does not believe that he can deal with the pressure of discovering the mystery sometimes it can cause more damage.

So give up that ridiculous dream.

One morning a letter arrives, one that he receives satisfied, is from his cousin and Holmes does not mind abandoning his disjointed studies in chemistry and other things to accept going to the small exhibition of paintings in an artistic neighborhood in France, then Sherlock decides to stay longer, it fits so good with bohemian men, he feels alive, he mentions something insecure on one occasion that he has participated in school plays, weird and eccentric guys ask him to interpret something, he does it, they clap, they say that he has talent, he wants to believe them but the voices of those who did it one time were now muffled, but they insist and after wandering for months he thinks about it carefully, What harm is there in a play? It is harmless.

So he practice, he spend hours studying people, he uses his little hobby of observation to have a dazzling performance, he perfects various skills, to be good, he dedicates himself with care and great dedication, it makes him feel full, it is a controlled way of unraveling the mystery of humanity, the deaths are false and the pain too, it is the ideal place and where he should be ... or not?

[heartjwi]

the boy next door » zhong chenle

GENRE | neighbor!au + fluff

SUMMARY | he’s team captain and you’re on the bleachers. you watched as the perfect boy run around wishing he was yours and little did you know he was hoping for the same thing.

A/N | bro jock!chenle,,, i’m gone + this sounds like a cheesy netflix movie and i’m here for it and yes its inspired by taylor swift what about it ++ happy late birthday my dude

zhong chenle, the boy next door. 

it’s hard to hate him. i mean, why would you hate on someone who was literally sent by the heavens?

your story starts with moving into the new neighborhood. you remember it like it was just yesterday. you held your stuff that was kept in a box and stared at the tall doors in front of you. “cheers to new beginnings” you whispered to yourself. 

a boy suddenly appears within your vision. you jumped, almost dropping your box but thanks to the boy’s fast reflex, he caught the box in time. but also brushing your hands by accident. “oh! sorry about that” the boy apologises, a nervous grin plastered on his face. you let out a cheery laugh, making the boy’s ears perk up. “it’s fine, no biggie” you smiled. 

the boy smiles back and holds out his hand for you to shake. “i’m guessing you’re new. i’m chenle by the way” you looked at his hand then back to him again for a bit. it took a moment for chenle to realize that you were still holding the box. “jesus christ” he reacts, taking the box away from your hands. “thank you” you laughed, “i’m y/n.” 

due to chenle’s friendly personality, it didn’t take a while for the two of you to become friends. here he was in your room, helping you with your stuff. 

“so where does this go?” chenle asks, picking up a box filled with funko pops. “over there beside my vanity” you point towards an empty shelf. chenle scoots over to the shelf and opens the box. he let out a small gasp. you turned your attention to him, “what?” you ask.

“you have such a collection” he says in awe, taking a funko pop out of the box. you felt your cheeks redden. “uh yeah, it’s a hobby of mine to collect, what about you? what’s your collection?” you ask. chenle grins, “i collect basketball shoes. you should see them sometime” he says smugly. “will do” you giggled.

—

“is that all of them?” chenle looks down at you, wiping the sweat on his forehead. “yep, that’s all of them!” you clapped your hands excitedly. “my room is finally finished!” you squealed, satisfied with the outcome of everything. this was your ultimate dream room. “heck yeah!” you turn to chenle and gave him a high five.

“oh shit i forgot but mom told me to tell you that you and your family are invited tonight” he tells you casually, holding the door knob on the front door. “what for?” you ask. chenle rolls his eyes playfully, “well duh? to meet the new neighbors aka you” he ruffles your hair. “hey!” you slapped his hand away. “i’ll get going now since it’s time to play some hoops. i’ll see you later okay?” he opens the door and jogs out, waving at you. 

“see you” you smiled to yourself, watching chenle run back to his house. ‘i think i’m gonna like it here’ you thought to yourself after spending the whole afternoon decorating your room with chenle. 

you and your family reached the zhong household. his mom opened the door and welcomed you with open arms. “welcome to the neighborhood” she envelops you into a warm hug and leads you guys to the dining area where his dad was waiting in.

“so you must be mr. and mrs. (l/n)!” chenle’s dad shakes your parents’ hands. “and you must be their daughter, y/n.. am i right?” his dad laughs, also shaking your hand. you nod and got into your seat after your parents. “my son helped you move in your things right? he’s such a helpful kid.” his dad continues, smiling at the thought of his son helping around.

“yep. he stayed for the entire afternoon to help me move my stuff in” you smiled. as on cue, chenle walks in all sweaty in his basketball jersey. “oh hey you made it!” he grins, bouncing the ball around the kitchen floor. “chenle! what did i say about playing inside!” his mom shrieks, shooing him away after giving her a kiss on the cheek. “and go take a shower! don’t you see we have guests over?” his mom continues to scold him. 

chenle laughs and complies anyway. “sorry about that. he’s so playful” his mother laughs, places down the main dish for tonight. chenle walks in a little later, fresh showered with some sweats on. he sits next to you and starts a conversation.

“it’s gonna get boring in here in a few since mom and dad are gonna tell the history of this neighborhood or something so it’s better if we head upstairs or to the theater room” chenle whispers to you. your eyes widened at the part he says ‘theater room’

did i mention the moment you walked in his house it was twice as large as your house next door?

his mom announces that it was time to eat and a little after that, the adults started to have a conversation on their own. “told ya. let’s head upstairs” chenle whispers again. chenle stands up from his seat and excuses himself. “y/n and i are gonna head upstairs” he tells no one in particular. he grabs your hand and drags you up the stairs.

you two stop at a door with a popcorn sticker on it. “what movie do you wanna see?” he turns his attention to you. “anything” you reply. “let’s watch ‘we’re the millers’” he opens the door and inside was a giant tv screen with multiple comfy sofas.

“jesus christ dude” you react in awe. chenle smirks at your reaction. “now you can come over whenever you’d like!” he tells you excitedly. you sat in the middle row, having the seat all to yourself as chenle plops down on the bean bags right in front of the tv.

chenle grabs the remote and opens netflix. you winced at the bright screen and adjusted your eyes to it. chenle finally found the movie and played it.

—

you felt your eyes go heavy the more you watch the movie due to the cold atmosphere their ac provided and of course the ever so comfortable sofa you were lying on. you decided it would be nice to rest your eyes for a bit and with that, you fell into deep slumber. the last thing you remember was feeling someone drape a throw blanket on top of you before you were knocked out. 

chenle woke you up a little later telling you that your parents left. you sat up in the couch, mind still a little hazy after that good nap you just had. remembering you weren’t in your own house, you quickly finger combed your hair and wiped any possible drool you had. chenle laughs at your reaction, muttering “cute” before accompanying you back to your house.

“you didn’t watch the movie” chenle pouts, walking you to your house. “i already watched it a million times” you laughed. “i’m guessing you won’t be sleeping anytime soon since you just took a nap” he nudges you on the shoulder. “i guess you’re right” you grin. chenle whips out his phone and hands it to you. “give me your number we’ll be late night text buddies” 

you typed in your number and you asked him to do the same thing. you two finally reached your house. “i’ll see you in school?” chenle hopes. you nod. “goodnight chenle” you smile at him before entering inside your house. “goodnight y/n! see you tomorrow” he chirps, walking back to his place.

first day of school doesn’t sound that bad anymore

you made sure to wake up extra early for your first day in school. you prepared all your stuff the night before due to you taking a nap hours before. here you were sipping on your first cup of iced coffee for the day and going to your new school. 

you entered the school and felt eyes were on you. you were the new kid on the block after all. you got your schedule and your locker number. you managed to find your locker earlier than expected and placed your the books you didn’t need inside. 

when you closed the door, you see chenle leaning on the lockers making you jump. “jesus christ chenle” you put a hand on your chest. “hi” he greets. you looked at the people passing by the hallway and they seem to be staring at you and chenle. you looked at chenle’s outfit and noticed he was wearing a varsity jacket.

“like what you see?” chenle laughs, striking a pose. you pushed his shoulder lightly. “i was observing what you are.. and based on my observations you’re a jock” you laugh. chenle shrugs, “i guess? let me give you a tour around school” chenle grabs your hand and drags you else where.

—

thankfully you have all your classes with chenle and despite being late in class on the first day of school, your teachers gave you a pass today but for chenle’s case, apparently it was his last and final warning. now the two of you were heading to the cafeteria.

“i swear that teacher just hates me” chenle dramatically sighs, almost pulling a troy bolton in the middle of the hallway. “well maybe you’re just a slowpoke” you joked. chenle sent a death glare towards your direction. you held up your hands in defense. “chill” 

chenle then leads you towards a specific table where you see around 5 boys were sitting in. “yo chenle!” one boy calls. “WHO IS THAT WITH HIM” another yells. “jesus christ hyuck. tone it down a bit” another butts in, smacking the boy who yelled earlier. 

“don’t mind them, it’s normal for them to hit each other” chenle whispers as you two approach the table. “hey guys” chenle greets, giving the 5 boys a bro hug. “this my new friend AND neighbor, y/n” chenle introduces to you to the 5 boys. “hi” “hello” they chorused.

you memorized the guys’ names and sat in between chenle, jaemin and hyuck while jisung, renjun and jeno sat in front of you. “so y/n” renjun opens a conversation. “how was your first day so far?” he asked. you looked at chenle who was looking right back at you before answering. “well, chenle showed me around and got us late but since i was new, the teachers let me off the hook but sadly for our chenle, he was given his last warning” you explained.

the boys burst out laughing and started teasing chenle. “you guys shut up!” chenle whines making the boys tease him even more.

within one month, you managed to fit in and made a new circle of friends which consisted of renjun, jeno, haechan, jaemin, chenle and jisung. they enjoyed your company as much as you enjoyed theirs. everything was great and was falling into place.

you also learned that chenle was in fact the team captain of the school’s basketball team. you’ve been to his games and even practices during weekends. making people speculate that you two were a couple.

“are you sure you and chenle aren’t dating?” jisung asked for the nth time tonight. “again jisung, no we’re not” you affirmed, hugging your body from the cold breeze “yeah right, you’re even wearing his hoodie that he wore earlier today just before the game started” jisung murmurs. “jisung i will smack you” you threatened. jisung raises his hands up in defense, “oh i’m so scared” he mocks. 

“hello children” jaemin and jeno slides in beside the two of you. “what are you two doing?” jeno chuckles, looking at your angry face. “he said that i’m dating chenle when i’m not!” you pointed fingers at jisung. “you’re not dating him?” they exclaim in unison. you groaned, putting on the hood from chenle’s hoodie and pulling the strings to hide your face.

—

your school’s team won thanks to chenle and everyone decided to go celebrate at his house since his parents were out of town. chenle rode with his team while the rest of you packed into jaemin’s convertible and sped off back to his place.

by the time you reached his house, it was already filled with students. you all walked inside to see people drinking and chenle was no where to be seen. “okay so, for jisung and y/n, no drinking” renjun announces. “i wasn’t planning to anyway” you muttered, jisung shrugs and doesn’t say anything else. “also jeno you’re on driver duty” renjun adds. jeno whines but nods anyway. 

chenle suddenly appeared out of no where by surprising you from behind. “boo!” he grabs your waist making you scream. you latched onto jisung out of embarrassment when you realized it was just chenle. “scaredy cat” chenle teases you. you rolled your eyes at him and poked your tongue out. 

“congrats my dude” haechan comes forward and gives him a hug. “stephen curry is shaking in his boots” haechan exclaimed making everyone laugh as per usual. “well anyway, thank you guys for coming” chenle expresses his gratitude. “no, thank YOU for winning the game” jaemin slaps him on the back and makes kissy faces in front of chenle, making him cringe. “ew hyung” 

hours later, everyone in the group slowly bounced. jisung went home early since he was bored and chenle was busy talking to other people leaving you alone since jeno, jaemin, renjun and hyuck were all drinking. 

you sat by the pool area they had. since there was almost no people here which you were thankful for. it was hella noisy inside that you couldn’t even hear your own voice. you stared at your reflection on the pool and just started daydreaming.

—

chenle was entertaining almost everyone in his house. each person congratulating him for his winning shot but something still feels empty within him. he suddenly remembered that he hasn’t talked to you all night and suddenly feels guilty about it.

he looked around his enormous house to look for you but nothing. he can’t call jisung since he knows he left earlier cause he was bored. he can’t even ask his four hyungs since they were all drinking downstairs. feeling defeated, chenle walks back to the kitchen to grab himself some punch where he was approached by minhee. 

chenle was minhee’s long time crush. she liked him since third grade and the fact that their families were already close friends to begin with, it was hard to avoid her. it was obvious that minhee likes chenle but chenle just likes to pretend he never knew about her crush on him.

“hey lele” minhee smiles widely at chenle. chenle stands awkwardly while pouring himself some punch. “hey min” he greets casually. “congrats on the game by the way, i was watching the entire time” minhee starts a conversation. chenle nods slowly, looking at the window, wondering where you were. “so i was thinking if you could accompany me to the movies tomorrow? to watch the latest movie out” 

chenle cringes knowing it was her way to ask him out. “oh, i’m sorry min but i have things to do tomorrow” chenle declines as nice as possible without hurting her feelings. minhee, feeling dejected smiles sadly. “oh.. okay” 

chenle suddenly sees the back of your head by the pool, instantly he felt relieved seeing you still around. “i’ll get going now minhee. see you around” chenle waves goodbye to his friend before making his way to the pool.

—

you felt presence behind you. you turned around and see it was chenle. “what are doing out here alone hmm?” he smiles down at you, before sitting right next to you. “it’s quiet here, it’s peaceful” you reply, smiling to yourself. chenle hums, “well, i was looking for you” your heart skipped a beat when you heard him say that. “well, you found me” 

after talking to chenle for awhile, you started feeling sleepy, you rested your head on his shoulder making him freeze. “congrats by the way” you murmured. chenle didn’t say anything but he rested his head on top of yours. 

“let’s get you home okay?” chenle mumbled, pulling you up with him. “okay” you giggled. chenle leads you out of his backyard and walks you home again.

after that night, you and chenle were closer than ever.

you started going to school with chenle. his parents finally allowed him to use the car and now chenle picks you up and drops you off everyday. 

“did anyone drop you off last saturday night?” jaemin, being the mother figure he is, was concerned for your well being. “yeah. chenle walked me home” you inform him. everyone in the table stopped eating and eyed you and chenle suspiciously. “what” chenle blurts.

before anyone could react, minhee suddenly sat beside chenle. “hey” she greets everyone. everyone’s attention turned to minhee at that very moment. “uh hello?” renjun eyes her down. “what are you doing here?” jisung asked. minhee looked at him like he was crazy. “can i not sit here?” she claimed. 

“we’re not even your friends” hyuck murmured, loud enough for you to hear making you burst out laughing. “what’s so funny?” minhee looked at you and hyuck specifically. “nothing” you say quickly, making her raise her brow at you.

“oh i haven’t met you yet, who are you?” she asked yet again. ‘does this girl even stop asking?’ you thought to yourself, blowing a strand of hair away from your face. “i think you haven’t. i’m y/n” you introduced yourself. “oh, i’m minhee if you didn’t know.” she holds her hand out for you to shake which you blatantly ignored.

“i’m chenle’s girlfriend by the way” she suddenly claims making everyone in the table stop what they were doing. your heart sank to your stomach and without a second thought, you stood up and walked away with jisung following close behind. 

chenle spat out his drink alongside everyone else in the table. “what the fuck did you just say.” hyuck screams before erupting into laughter. “minhee, what the hell i don’t even like you” chenle stands up. at this point by standers were watching the entire thing go down. minhee also stands up and tried to hold chenle’s arm but he just swatted her away.

“you fucked up big time, minhee. let’s just get this straight. i don’t fucking like you” chenle defends himself. it was hard not to hurt minhee’s feelings but he needed to set things straight with his childhood friend. minhee scoffs and runs away in embarrassment. 

chenle sits back down and releases the air he’s been holding in. “wait.. where’s y/n and jisung?” chenle notices two empty spots around him. jeno points towards the open cafeteria door. “fuck” chenle mutters before running after the two of you. 

—

“i don’t like him.. i really don’t..” you paced around the hallway while jisung was watching you like a madman. “but why am i so hurt at the fact he has a girlfriend” you rambled on. you turned to jisung and shook his shoulders. “tell me, this is normal right? i just care for him hehe” you tried to convince yourself you didn’t like chenle. 

“listen, it’s so painfully obvious how much you two like each other. with the whole neighbor scenario too like you fall in love with your cute next door neighbor. i used to read that back in the day but i didn’t expect for it to happen to my own friends. so just do us all a favor and confess your feelings to him” jisung advised, rubbing your shoulder in a friendly manner. 

you pushed his hand away and buried your head to his chest. “but- do i like him or do i like like him.. this is hard” you whined. “he has a girlfriend too”

“she’s not my girlfriend” chenle butts in your conversation. you snap your head towards his direction. “told you” jisung huffs. you shushed jisung and didn’t dare to make eye contact with chenle. “okay that’s good to know” you laughed nervously as you hear chenle’s footsteps get closer.

chenle moves you away from jisung and gives you a hug. “just for the record, i like like you too” he whispers into your hair making your face red as a tomato.

[kumkaniudaku]

Media Darling

I’ve been gone a while. I’m sorry. Thanks for asking questions and sticking with me. I hope you enjoy this late tale of the Oscar’s Red Carpet. 

"Girls, I think we've done it. We've created a star." Deidra, CoCo's handpicked stylist, stepped back to join the rest of her glam squad and smiled. "You ready to see the finished product?" 

"Oh my God, I'm so nervous. Give me a second to breathe." 

Truthfully, there was no amount of breathing exercises or affirmations that could adequately douse the flame of anxiety building in Tasha's chest. She's been on plenty of red carpets, but none with the same prestige as the Oscars red carpet. She also had never been the plus one of arguably the biggest star expect to attend the award show. In roughly an hour, she would go from unknown businesswoman to most-searched person in internet forum history if she had a lash out of place. The thought was overwhelming. 

Several seconds passed until Tasha finally worked up the nerve to turn and face the floor-length mirror in front of her. She twisted and turned to examine her reflection, taking note of every sparkle on her dress and coil in her mane. 

"Am I giving Diana Ross glam or Tracee Ellis Ross doppelganger," she asked without looking away from the mirror. 

"Is either considered a bad thing?" 

A chorus of different answers sounded from the team as they all shared their opinions on the matter. 

"I see a bit of 80s influence with modern touches. The high neck and shoulder pads are just enough not to be out of my mother's closet and, paired with the cutouts in the midsection, bring a bit of class to the look." 

"And your hair! It's giving Whitney shape with Diana volume." 

"Now wait a minute, we talking 80s Whitney or mid-2000s Whitney? 'Cause you know there's a difference." 

"Shut up, Shay!" 

Tasha listened to her squad playfully argue in the background while she continued to go through her mental checklist. She had all of the makings for a great night and a few pictures if she got swept into the hype of the moment. Smiling at herself in approval, she turned to face her team. 

"This is really happening. Am I ready to be a thread on Twitter?" 

"Hopefully, they mention how good your ass looks in that dress. Who knew Miss CoCo was draggin' a wagon?" 

"I know, right! I'm learning how to twerk again. Look!" 

While Tasha turned around to demonstrate her new abilities, an unexpected visitor snuck into the room to observe the spectacle. 

"Ooop, I think we have a spectator." 

"And he is highly intrigued." 

"Wha-" A glance over her shoulder brought Tasha eye to eye with the reason she was in this predicament. "This isn't what it looks like." 

"That's too bad. I was enjoying the show." 

As the room cleared to allow the couple some privacy, Chadwick took a few long steps to close the gap between and his partner. He took her hand in his to spin her in a circle for a complete view of her ensemble. 

"Wow. I mean...woah. You look amazing." 

"Yeah? You sure it's not too much? I don't wanna have you blasted on social media." 

"If anyone can find something wrong with you tonight, I'll give them one million dollars. You're perfect." 

Chadwick smiled with his entire face, his eyes shining with sincerity. He didn't look away as he nodded toward an empty chair in the room for Tasha to take a seat. In all the time spent nervously considering every single detail that she hadn't noticed that she had yet to slip into her shoes. Once seated, she watched her man with thoughtful consideration as he took his time carefully fastening the straps of her heels. 

"Be honest with me. What should I do out there? How should I act?"

Chadwick sat in hyper-focused silence until he completed his task. When he was satisfied with his work, he looked up at her to offer a small smile. "All of this bullshit is fake." 

Tasha's mouth dropped hung open at the blunt nature of his statement before they both threw their heads back in laughter. "Well, then," she spoke as she attempted to catch her breath. "Tell me how you really feel." 

"I say it like that because I love you, and I don't want you getting caught up in this...circus." Reaching up, Chadwick gently used his hand to cup CoCo's chin. "It's a long carpet we walk on, people take pictures and ask questions, then we go and have a seat. Nothing more, nothing less. Be your beautiful self, Nippy." 

Tasha's adoration manifested into a tiny 'aww' as she leaned in to press her lips to his nose and mouth. "Thanks, babe. One last thing, though."

"Yes?" 

"Am I giving you 80s Whitney or 2000s Whitney? Shay says there's a difference." 

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

The glitz and glamour of red carpet life that Tasha had imagined quickly became a cramped logistical nightmare. Her hand felt like it would break under the pressure of Chadwick's tight grip as he led her through crowds of media members and guests. At every corner, a new flash emerging from the group temporarily robbed Tasha of her vision. Every step of the way alternated between fears about her appearance and keeping up with her partner's long strides. 

When their walking finally slowed, she found herself in front of a long row of cameramen and women practically screaming for her attention. 

"Over here! Smile!" 

"Can we get a smile over here!?" 

"Chadwick, is this your new girlfriend?" 

CoCo's brain had begun to turn every word into white noise as she stood for the onslaught of pictures until she heard the last question above the rest. In a knee jerk reaction, she turned to the photographer and made a face. 

"Girlfriend? I don't know this man. I'm here for Lupita." 

In jest, she lightly pushed Chadwick away to pose for solo pictures. Her exaggerated movements drew attention from everyone in the area, taking some of the focus from more recognizable entertainers beside her. 

From the corner of her eye, Tasha caught the image of Chadwick's eyebrows knitted as he struggled to find an angle that would capture her entire body. When he found the perfect position, knees bent and leaning slightly backward; his eyes flickered up to catch a glimpse of her smiling back at him. Though the moment was brief to them, cameras in every direction captured their loving gazes. 

By the time they were away from the step and repeat and nearing the crowd of journalists, low rumbles of the mystery woman with the big hair were preceding their arrival. 

Stepping onto the E! podium, Tasha felt a surge of pride as she stood back and watched her man navigate yet another interview. 

"It's a big night for you and the Black Panther cast. What's it like being on this carpet with everyone knowing that next year, you could be walking away with some major hardware?" 

"Ah, man, it's amazing. The energy here is great and it feels good to see meaningful work be recognized. I think I can speak for all of us when I say we hope we can be recognized when it's our turn." 

While Chadwick answered questions and dished out Wakandan salutes for what felt like the 100th time, Tasha busied herself with scrolling through various social media applications. Her absent-minded scroll on the Instagram explore page came to an abrupt halt when she spotted an admittedly flattering photo of her backside. 

Before she could take a peek at the photo's caption, her ears picked up on what sounded like a repeated request for her attention. 

"I'm sorry, what was that? I was too busy telling my mama that I'm famous for washing the dishes when I visit now."

"Oh yeah? What'd she say," Michael Strahan inquired, his eyes twinkling with his signature smile spread across his face. 

"Mmmm, I don't know if I can say that on national television." 

"I guess it's a good thing we've gone to commercial then."

As the group shared a laugh, Chadwick used the distraction to pull Tasha's body closer to his. They shared a quick glance that said more than words ever could before attempting to tune into the conversation. Quick pleasantries and a request to enter the theater cut Michael's questioning short and sent the pair into the frenzy of bodies flooding to their seats. 

For hours, Tasha sat in unbearable boredom. She knew that a room stuffed with Hollywood's elite drooling over asinine accomplishments wouldn't be the time of her life, but she expected to enjoy a performance or two at the very least. Instead, she spent most of her time whispering comments to Chadwick and praying someone would walk by with a champagne flute so that she could drink her way out of her misery. 

At some point between the 50th commercial break and someone she didn't recognize giving a long-winded speech onstage, Tasha took to her phone for some form of happiness. Bright red notification icons lit up the screen across several apps leading CoCo to believe that someone had died or Beyonce had dropped an album. Scrambling, she chose to open Twitter for answers to the mayhem. 

To her surprise, her face was the first image at the top of the newsfeed. 

"Oh shit." 

Her quiet mumbling caught Chadwick's attention, and he leaned over to get a better look at what had grabbed her attention. As she frantically scrolled through the app, the screen became littered with images of her face with various expressions and commentary. 

"You know, I caught that look while I was up there, but I didn't wanna believe you would be actin' up like that in public." 

CoCo paused to shoot her partner a look before her eyes darted back to the screen. "It's okay, girl, we all look at him like this. That look when you know about to tear ya man up when he's done talking. Get you somebody that looks at Chadwick Boseman the way his girlfriend does." 

"Oh, I like this one," Chadwick laughed as he pointed to a tweet that caught his attention. "If she don't look at me like this, I don't want it. That's good advice." At Tasha's expense, Chadwick fell into a fit of hushed laughter until he noticed that he was alone in his amusement. "Oh, c'mon, it's not that bad. Laugh a little!" 

"I'd like to see you laugh when your debut to social media is people meme' ing your lusty lip bite. What am I supposed to do?" 

Leaning in, Chadwick placed a quick kiss on CoCo's cheek and smiled, "Enjoy the show. You'll be fine." 

If the anxiety of knowing the whole world had witnessed her inappropriate behavior in real-time, the array of notifications continuing to build across her phone had nearly induced full-blown panic. Responses ranging from requests to follow her accounts to an article on the '10 Most Important Things to Know About Chadwick Boseman's Oscars Date' kept Tasha on edge until the lights in the theater lit up the room to signal the end of the event. 

Her assumption that her usually predictable man would attempt to dart out of the crowd as soon as possible could not have been further from the truth. Instead, CoCo's pleas to exit the building and ditch the afterparty were, leaving her to awkwardly stand and grin behind Chadwick as she tried to decide who was silently judging her during each interaction. 

"You're Tasha, right?" 

Initially, Tasha was relatively content with playing the background but, the voice calling her name was far too familiar to ignore. 

"I'm sorry. Wait. Did Regina the King just call my name?" 

"Only if you're Tasha," she laughed. "Heard a lot about you in the last few minutes." 

"Hopefully, about how you can kinda see a six-pack forming in this dress and nothing about weird faces on social media." 

"Ya know, I think it was a little of both." The awkward nature of the moment seemed to fade away by the second, only leaving room for shared laughter amongst the trio. 

"Damn, I fucked up. I'm sorry, baby," CoCo apologized through laughter. 

"Oh girl, you have done everything but fucked up. You're a damn meme. You got white people doing E! features on your Red Carpet look." 

Tasha's mouth opened to speak, but no words came out while she watched Regina be escorted away with her eyes wide as saucers. As Chadwick wrapped up a side conversation, he noticed the look on his girlfriend's face. 

"Are you-" 

"Is it hot in here to you? I can't breathe." 

"Co. Focus on me. What's the matter?" 

"I need fresh air. We have to go!" 

Together, they made a beeline for the nearest exit in search of their vehicle for the night. While feeling the cool breeze of the Los Angeles night air began the process of soothing her frazzled nerves, the loud chatter and flashes of light that greeted them as they rounded a corner sent Tasha back into a small spiral. 

"Is it true that you two are secretly married?" 

"Are you pregnant?" 

"Tell us about the fight between you and his ex!" 

The ridiculous nature of the questions climbed in frequency and intensity as the pair used long strides to reach their destination. 

When Chadwick swung open the door for CoCo to enter the backseat, a reporter shouted over the crowd, "How does it feel to be on every major best-dressed list tonight? Designers are begging to style you." 

"Say what?" With one leg already in the car, Tasha turned her body toward the crowd. "Who wants to style me?"

"Christian Siriano posted pieces he thinks you would look great in on his Instagram. Rihanna wants you in Fenty." 

Chadwick could sense her shift in energy and allowed a smile to creep across his face, one that Tasha caught from the corner of her eye before mirroring the expression. 

Tasha took a quick second to toss her clutch into the waiting SUV before taking a step forward and smiling. 

"Well," she started, fluffing her hair and smoothing the front of her dress. "I guess we better give them some full-body shots to work with." 

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

@k-michaelis

@wakandanmoonchild

@idilly

@texasbama

@afraiddreamingandloving

@inxan-ity

@onyour-right

@sisterwifeudaku

@killmongerdispussy

@90sinspiredgirl

@willowtree77785901

@maynardqueen101

@heyauntieeee

@halfrican-heat

@purple-apricots

@lalapalooza718

@blue-ishx

@profilia

@ljstraightnochaser

@girl-wtf-lmao

@royallyprincesslilly

@melaninmarvel

@thiccdaddy-mbaku

@lavitabella87

@purplehairgawdess

@unholyxcumbucket

@airis-paris14

@uhlxis

@oshasimone

@maliadestiny

@drsunshine97

@zxddy-panther

@queentearra

@skysynclair19

@retro-melanin

@mermaidchansons

@misspooh

@melanisticroyalty

@babygirlofwakanda

@wakanda-4evr

@sarahboseman

@karensraisns

@wakandankings

@ororowrites

@awkwardlyabstract

@mixedmelanin

@brownsugarcocoabutterwildflowers

@cosmicmelaninflower

@justanotherloveaffair

@oceanscorazon

@jaeee-http

@iliketowrite1996

@blackpantherismyish

@soldierandawar

@msincognito67

@reignsxjackson

@yaachtynoboat711

@syreanne

@minim236

@yoyolovesbucky

@maddiestundentwritergaines

@bribrisback

[aion-rsa]

How WandaVision’s Doctor Strange 2 Connection Evolved

https://ift.tt/2PXAD5F

This article contains WANDAVISION spoilers.

WandaVision withdrawal is widespread as we reach the first Friday without a new episode of the acclaimed Disney+ series to ravenously consume and pick apart. True to any broadly celebrated television event, the series complemented an action-packed climax with an array of unanswered questions, especially regarding where it left Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff—now uber-powerful and fully-realized as the Scarlet Witch—for her imminent big screen return in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Interestingly, while it did tout teased connections, they came about quite late into the show’s production.

The expectation that WandaVision would provide a point of transition for Wanda’s return alongside Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme in star Benedict Cumberbatch’s upcoming Doctor Strange sequel was prevalent due to reports—later confirmed—of Olsen’s casting for Multiverse of Madness and a subsequent TCA comment from Marvel Studios chief creative officer Kevin Feige stating that the series “goes into a feature.” However, the indicatively titled March 5 closer, “The Series Finale,” didn’t exactly deliver a direct Doctor Strange sequel tease—like, say, a cameo by Cumberbatch. While it did provide an intriguing setup for the sequel (more on that later), Olsen and head writer/executive producer Jac Schaeffer reveal in a Variety postmortem interview that the Doctor Strange aspect wasn’t a factor in the show’s initial conception.

“Truthfully, the connection between WandaVision and where we leave Wanda and Doctor Strange 2, it was sort of fluid for a time, because we were very much under way before they were entirely underway,” explains Schaeffer. “So, it was a conversation. From where I’m sitting, it’s been very organic.” Indeed, the series spawned myriad theories that led many analysts (this writer being no exception,) down a canard cul-de-sac about it being the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s gateway to a Strange-pertinent multiverse angle to codify the company’s usage of the returned X-Men and Fantastic Four film rights. This notably centered on the almost-cruel tease of using Fox X-Men movie speedster Pietro Maximoff, Evan Peters, to play an ersatz “recast” of Wanda’s deceased MCU sibling; a character who turned out to be just a bewitched local denizen named Ralph Bohner.

Read more

TV

WandaVision Had Early Plans for a CSI-Inspired Episode

By Alec Bojalad

TV

Does the WandaVision Finale Set Up Doctor Strange 2?

By Kirsten Howard

Of course, the non-multiverse plot development, which disappointed segments of the fandom, wasn’t intended as an elaborate prank perpetrated by Schaeffer on the show’s eagle-eyed community of Zapruder-film-treating theory-spouters. Rather, it was simply the story she had set out to tell; one that would happen to undergo an evolution due to external factors connected to the studio’s plans for Phase Four of the MCU, which WandaVision ended up launching after the pandemic delayed the big screen plans of Black Widow. Moreover, it turns out that Doctor Strange wasn’t even on Olsen’s radar during the vast majority of the show’s production. “I didn’t know my part in Doctor Strange until right before we got back to filming during the pandemic,” says the actress. “We had two months left, and we’d filmed the majority of our show already. Really, I knew nothing until that moment when they pitched [Doctor Strange 2] to me verbally.”

Thusly, by the time Olsen became privy to Wanda’s imminent return in Multiverse of Madness—and likely with a general idea about how that will play out—she had to exercise discipline in retaining focus on the task at hand. “I tried, as much as I could, almost less so to have [Doctor Strange 2] affect WandaVision as have WandaVision affect it. I think that’s really been where the connection is. It’s almost like we’re trying to make sure that everything is honoring what we did [on the show].” Having navigated that challenge, the Strange-pertinent additions to WandaVision eventually manifested late into the production—during the pandemic—with Wanda in a post-credits scene from the finale, which added literal and figurative dimensions to her eventual return. The scene in question shows a once-reluctant Wanda dressed casually in sweats, sipping a hot drink while sitting on the front porch of a small, remote, mountain wilderness-set cabin that clearly resembles the cursed cabin from The Evil Dead film series, serving as a meta-minded reference to director Sam Raimi, who’s directing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It doesn’t stop there, though.

Marvel Studios

The scene then delivers a double dose of Strange-evocative sorcery when Wanda walks into the cabin’s spartan kitchen to refill her cup, leaving the camera to pan away into a back room, in which we see another Wanda—presumably the real one, who projected the relaxed doppelganger—in full Scarlet Witch garb, eerily floating and using her abilities to unlock powerful tome the Darkhold (liberated from the now-neutralized Agatha Harkness), as we hear the voices of her Westview-created twin sons, Billy and Tommy, calling for her help. Thus, we not only see that Wanda has mastered a version of Doctor Strange’s astral projection, but she’s diving deep down the dimensional rabbit hole to somehow materialize her sons; a potentially dangerous endeavor that seems destined to ping the radar of Doctor Strange, not to mention magic-minded villains like Mordo, Dark Dimension overlord Dormammu and, yes, maybe even the clear heavyweight champion of widely-nursed red herring WandaVision theories, classic Marvel devil figure Mephisto.

Regardless, Schaeffer seems satisfied that WandaVision managed to stay true to the substance of her vision (both the concept and the character), and it does seem that the phenomenon of stifling studio meddling was minimal, despite its connection to grandiose franchise designs. “The acceptance arc [Wanda’s coming to terms with grief and latent magical powers] was the point of WandaVision, but the falling action evolved,” emphasizes Schaeffer. However, she embraces what the show managed to do for Multiverse of Madness, which is currently in production. “It’s a lovely way to do a handoff,” she lauds. “I’ve been over here wishing them well in Los Angeles, as they’re in the U.K.”

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

While WandaVision has signed off the proverbial airwaves, the MCU will be back with another highly-anticipated television offering, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which premieres on Disney+ on Friday, March 19. Wanda’s return in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is currently scheduled to hit theaters on March 25, 2022.

The post How WandaVision’s Doctor Strange 2 Connection Evolved appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/30AxYRC

[d3sertdream3r]

How do you feel about Boba Fett coming back? Personally I’m really upset that the whiny fanboys are getting exactly what they want AGAIN 😤 Why do they only listen to the most toxic people?? Mandalorian was a great show, now idk if I’m going to watch season 2. I don’t want more meaningless nostalgia in Star Wars 😔

Ohhh boy. Buckle up folks; this is going to be a long one!

Little disclaimer before I begin; I don’t have any inside knowledge of Lucasfilm or Disney. I’ve just been collecting knowledge over the years from many different interviews, autobiographies, behind the scenes content, etc that inform my opinions. I’m merely a random citizen with binoculars trying to see what is going on over there, because it’s definitely been one train wreck after another these days.

Now let’s kick it!

I was conflicted about the Boba Fett news. The prequels were coming out when I was a kid, and I actually saw those movies before the originals; the prequels ARE my originals. They were Star Wars to me. When people mentioned SW, the first people that came to my head were Anakin, Obi Wan, and Padme; not Luke, Han, and Leia. I already knew who Vader was when I watched the originals because of this, and I also knew who Boba Fett was. He was Jango Fett’s son and a fellow clone of the troopers.

When I watched the originals, I felt like his death was stupid. Not because I thought his armor was cool, but because like I said; I knew who he was. So hearing that the official canon is bringing him back made me happy for that poor boy that watched his father get decapitated to have his chance at a more fulfilling ending. However, like you, I was annoyed. Because the fanboys have been getting everything they want lately even though they are never satisfied with it, and the women of the fandom have been largely ignored.

But I’ve been watching Gallery, the documentary about how The Mandalorian was made. Keep in mind it was being made around the same time as Tros, yet the themes and messages are completely the opposite. Dave Filoni gives a speech in the second episode of Gallery that covers the mythic storytelling of SW from The Phantom Menace to Return of the Jedi. It’s very powerful and is the essence of everything most of the female fans have been saying from Day 1.

This got me thinking about the behavior of certain LF employees on social media towards Reylos and female fans in general, while others have been very supportive and blatant that they didn’t like Tros. Actors in Tros that spoke of redemption and a unique ending for the movie that later changed to confused faces when asked how they felt about the film. Chaotic productions of films and shows that always result in “creative differences.” Empty nostalgia in Tros vs deeply thought out lore and heartfelt themes in the video games, tv shows, comics, novels, and TLJ. I feel like there is a civil war going on at Lucasfilm.

Some of them want nostalgia, fan service, Luke Skywalker as the untouchable God of Star Wars, evildoers to be punished without remorse, Rey to be the new vessel of God Luke that stays pure and stands alone, etc. The fanbros certainly back those people and I think Bob Iger/Disney does too. That’s why Tros happened; JJ said he was on the phone with Bob every day during production. And Bob told George Lucas that pleasing the fans was more important than anything else when The Force Awakens was being made, which GL did NOT agree with at all. He even admitted that GL said he felt betrayed by the vision Disney had for LF.

Dave Filoni and Kathleen Kennedy are massive GL fans and close friends of his. They worked with him a lot before Disney bought Lucasfilm, and they know how he likes his Star Wars and what it all means to him. I’m not KK’s biggest fan, but I don’t blame her for Tros; she has shown she ain’t afraid to fire people if they try to create something in SW that doesn’t match up with the themes of it, as seen with how she dumped Colin Trevarrow’s terrible script. She was personally responsible for both Adam Driver playing Kylo/Ben, and Rian Johnson directing TLJ. She tried to get Rian back for Tros but he was busy with Knives Out. She wanted to push back the release date so there was time to make sure the ending was fulfilling. She has said many times she wanted this era of SW to be for the younger generations and new fans, not retreading old ground and pleasing those who were in theaters for the originals. As soon as JJ was put in charge of the film, he was spending his time talking to Bob Iger instead of her. He also didn’t work with the Story Group at all, which shows why it creates so much dissonance with all the other stories in SW.

Meanwhile Rian worked closely with Story Group, exchanged notes with Dave Filoni, talked a lot with KK, etc. You could say he got an A+ on his homework! 😉 Rian was backing George’s vision and his themes and what he was trying to tell the world when he started production on A New Hope. GL liked TLJ a lot and talked to Rian right after he saw it to tell him it was beautifully made.

So, it seems the root of the problem here is the battle between the creators that support George’s inherently feminine and compassionate version of SW, and those that support Disney’s space ships and fanbros version of SW.

Dave Filoni is 100% on the side of George Lucas, KK, Rian Johnson, and good old Joseph Campbell’s version of Star Wars. He is the one that is in charge of all SW tv shows. He oversees The Mandalorian. Season 1 was marketed as a badass bounty hunter kicking butt through the Outer Rim, but it was actually about a lonely man longing for a family and a deeper purpose in life. Instead of just being a random guy kicking ass, he is a guy trying to protect his child from evil; it’s all about family. Like SW is supposed to be. Like what Tros miserably failed at and then attempted to claim it was.

Dave didn’t bring Maul back or Ahsoka back several times just to please fans. He did it because it was good for the story; those characters supported the themes of family and redemption and mythic storytelling in different ways. I don’t think he is bringing Boba Fett back for nostalgia; I think he is going to use him in a way that will develop the themes of the story and ultimately support GL, compassion, redemption, family, and love conquers all.

I don’t have any idea how yet, but all I’m saying is that the last season of Clone Wars had several shot for shot parallels to TLJ. There is a reason for everything he does, even the framing of a scene. So I have a lot of hope that bringing back a character from the dead will have a great reason too.

Let’s hope that someday George Lucas’ Star Wars wins the battle when it comes to Ben Solo as well. Until then, May the Force be With You!

[gojira007]

Movie Meme

Took me a bit of time, but I was tagged by @bunnikkila to list my nine favorite movies, and since I can’t help but be ridiculously verbose about that very topic, you can see them all under the cut 8D

As for who I tag?  Well, as always with the caveat that you are free to ignore if you don’t wanna, I’ll go with: @elistodragonwings @kaikaku @donnys-boy @robotnik-mun @sally-mun @fini-mun @werewolf-t33th  @cviperfan and @wildwoodmage​

and don’t worry, if you DO go for it, you don’t have to get as Extra as I did about it XD

9.) 

Look, the meme is about Favorite Movies, not necessarily the BEST Movies, OK?  And for the most part this list consists of films where that division is less meaningful in terms of how I evaluate the other movies on here.  But in this specific case, “Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie”, which is ultimately not all that different from the “Mystery Science Theater 3000″ TV show it spun off from and thus not particularly impressive as a work of Cinema Qua Cinema, makes the cut primarily because it’s a movie I know so well and have enjoyed so often that I can practically recite the whole thing to you by rote; I quote it all the time in my day-to-day life, I think about it often when I need a little smile, and it’s also become my favorite tool for introducing newcomers to MST3K as a whole since it was designed with a slightly broader audience in mind than the more willfully-eclectic series.  And given how much I love MST3K As A Whole, that’s an especially strong factor in its favor.

8.) 

Looky looky, @bunnikkila, we (unsurprisingly) have a pick in common!  I’m sure this is the one and only time THAT’S going to happen on this list. 8D

Y’know, nearly thirty years (and one fairly useless remake >_>) later, I think the thing that impresses me about “The Lion King” is just how much it is still able to grab me emotionally.  Some of that is unquestionably tied up with how strongly I associate this movie with my family, all of whom it became very special to as a Shared Experience.  But I also don’t know of a lot of people who haven’t had that same emotional experience with it, and that to me suggests there’s more going on here than just Nostalgia.  The mixture of Shakesperean plotting with Disney’s signature strength of Character, for one thing, granting the movie’s story an Epic Scope that never forgets the emotional inner lives of its cast.  The music for another, not only its instantly-iconic song-book but also its memorable score, armed with both Big Bombast and Gentle Sentiment.  And the unforgettably gorgeous animation, rendering every last element of its world with believable naturalism and strongly-defined personality.  All of it, together, makes for what I still personally consider the Crowning Achievement of the Disney Renaissance.

7.)

I think, if I had to name the thing I find most lacking in far too many modern Action Movies, it’s Clarity.  They all tend to lard their plots up with a bunch of unnecessary contrivances and complications in hopes of making themselves appear more clever than they actually are, and all it usually does is just dilute the impact of the whole thing.  “Mad Max: Fury Road”, by contrast, is all about Clarity.  I could sum up literally its entire plot in a paragraph if I wanted, because it is basically One Big Chase Scene from start to finish, never really deviating from that structure for more than a few minutes at a time.  And that, combined with its exceptionally well-crafted Action Sequences, means that the full weight of its visceral power hits you full force every time.  But don’t be fooled; that simplicity is not to be mistaken for shallowness.  Indeed, precisely by getting out of its own way, knowing exactly what it wants to do and why, “Fury Road” also delivers a story that is, in spite of what you might guess, genuinely subtle and smart.  Every character is immediately unforgettable and compelling because their role in the story is so well-considered and their personalities all so stark.  The world it crafts feels at once fascinatingly surreal and yet All Too Real at the same time because even its most Fantastic elements are ultimately just grotesque reflections of things the audience knows only too well.  And most of all, it tells a story with real, meaningful Themes that are deeply woven into each of its individual elements, such that the whole thing is deeply satisfying emotionally, but also piercingly Relevant in all the best, most affecting ways.

6.) 

Oh look, another pick I have in common with @bunnikkila!  This must be the last one, right?

But yeah, this is just a legitimately great movie, at every level, in every way.  Stylistically, it is one of the most radically inventive things to have ever been made in the world of Western Animated Movies, gleefully mixing together a vast array of Aesthetics and Techniques that are at once viscerally distinct and yet coherently connected, all rendered with a fantastic eye toward the world of Comic Book Visual Language that keeps finding new and extremely fun ways to play with that instantly-recognizable iconography.  For that alone, I would call it one of the greatest triumphs of 21st century animation.  But then, on top of that, the story it tells is one that is simultaneously Arch and self-aware, delivering some of the most fantastically hilarious punch-lines imaginable more than a few of which are at the expense of the very franchise it is working within...but also entirely earnest, sincere, and emotionally affecting.  It is, at once, a movie that manages to be about The Idea Of Spider-Man in its totality while also being about just one kid coming to grips with who he is, what he can do, and what his life can be.  I don’t know that I can remember the last time a movie so immediately and unmistakably marked itself as an Enduring Masterpiece, but “Into the Spider-Verse” absolutely pulled it off.

5.)

Ordinarily, I would cheat and give this slot to the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy in its totality.  But somehow, the fact that this is about “FAVORITE” movies instead of just what we think the BEST one is compels me to narrow it down to just one.  And if I had to pick just one, it would be the first of the three, “Fellowship of the Ring”.  It’s not necessarily anything that the other two movies get wrong, either.  All three of the LotR movies possess many of its keenest strengths, after all.  For a starter, there’s the keen understanding of how best to adapt the source material without being enslaved to it; capturing many of its most iconic moments while cleverly tweaking elements to make them more cinematic, knowing what scenes to focus on for the sake of more clearly focusing the emotional through-lines of the story, and knowing what scenes, no matter how good on the page, ultimately don’t fit to the shape the adaptation has taken.  There’s also its pitch-perfect casting, each and every actor doing a fantastic job of embodying the characters so well that even as your personal vision of them from the books may differ radically from what is on-screen, they nonetheless end up feeling Right for the part and a strong, compelling presence.  And there’s the deft visual hand of director Peter Jackson, who knows exactly how to craft a Middle Earth that feels at once lived-in and real but also Fantastic and magical.  “Fellowship”, for me at least, thus wins out mostly because it has the good luck of being adapted from the strongest of the three books, the point at which the narrative is at its most unified and thus has the strongest overall momentum.  But also because so few movies have so swept me away with the sense of stepping into a world I have always dreamed of in my mind’s eye, and that’s the sort of thing that can only happen at the beginning of a journey.

4.) 

Now here’s a movie that is literally sown in to my very being.  It’s the last movie my mother saw in theaters before becoming a Mom.  I grew up watching the “Real Ghostbusters” cartoon all the time and playing with the attendant toys; I had a “Ghostbusters” Birthday Party when I was, like, four years old.  It has been my annual Halloween Tradition to get myself a big Cheese Pizza and watch this movie for about as long as I’ve had disposable income to myself.  There is, quite literally, no point in my life where I don’t remember “Ghostbusters” being a fixture in it.  And as a nice bonus?  It is, legitimately, a Genuinely Great Movie.  I realize that isn’t quite as universally agreed upon these days as it was even a few years ago (thanks, Literally The Worst Kind Of Virulently Misogynist Assholes lD; ), but I still feel pretty confident in saying this one really is That Good.  I still find basically every one of its jokes hilarious; even now I could quote just about any one of them and get a laugh.  I still find its central premise, What If Exorcism Was A Blue-Collar Business, a brilliant, almost subversively clever one that takes The Supernatural out of the realm of The Unknowable and into a world where even you, an ordinary person off the street, can in fact fight back against it.  I still think it’s one of the all-time great examples of how to balance Tone in this sort of High Concept Genre Bender, by allowing The Story to be played relatively straight while allowing the comedy to flow naturally from the characters’ reactions to that story, allowing its Ghostly aspects to land as Genuinely Scary (or at least Worth Taking Seriously) without getting too Stern and Serious about it.  And I still listen to that unforgettable Title Song all the time!  So yeah, even if I could be more objective about it, “Ghostbusters” would almost certainly make this cut.      

3.) 

And so we come to the third and last pick I have in common with @bunnikkila, not coincidentally a movie that played a key role in solidifying our friendship, as bonding over our shared love of it was a big part of how we got to know each other on deviantART waaaay back in the day <3

By 2008, I really didn’t think it was possible for a movie or comic or TV show to really become “part” of me anymore, the way things like Sonic the Hedgehog or Marvel Super Heroes or Some Other Movie Character Who Might Be At The Top Of This List had.  And then “WALL-E” came along and proved that to be completely, utterly wrong.  I didn’t just love this movie, I was inspired by it, to a degree of strength and consistency that I’m still not entirely sure has yet been matched.  And to be sure, some of that is undoubtedly because the movie had already basically won the war before I’d even bought my ticket; Adorable Robots In Love is something like My Platonic Storytelling Ideal, after all.  But even setting that aside, “WALL-E” is a movie where even now I can’t help but be keenly aware, and gently awed, at the beauty of its craft; indeed, watching this movie in a theater did a lot to make me better understand why movies work on us the way they do, because I left that theater chewing so much on every last one of its elements.  Its gorgeous animation, the way it conveys Character through Actions more so than language, the dream-like quality of its musical score (even as i type this i get teary thinking about certain motifs), the clear and meaningful way it builds its theme and story together so harmoniously, and the particular perspective it takes on our relationships with each other, with our environments, and with our own technology...all of it speaks to me deeply and profoundly, and it’s no coincidence that I have seen this movie more times in theaters than any other on this list (twelve times, for the record, and I still remember each and every time XD).

2.) 

This one needs no personal qualifications, to my mind.  Yes, I have some degree of nostalgic attachment to it for having seen it relatively young with my brothers and being deeply moved by it then, but it’s not at all like the kind of Nostalgia I have for “The Lion King”.  “Princess Mononoke” is just flat-out, full-stop a complete Masterpiece, not just my personal pick for one of the single-best animated films ever made, but one of the best films period.  It’s almost difficult for me to put into words how great this movie is, certainly in a way that hasn’t been repeated to death by thousands of other smarter people, because no one of its elements quite answers the question of why it is so great, to my mind.  Yes, the animation is absolutely gorgeous with a design sensibility that brings Ancient Mythology to life so vividly that its influence can still be felt today (The Forest Spirit alone has been homaged all over the place).  And yes, the music is hauntingly beautiful, at once capturing the gentle rhythm of nature but also the elegiac tone of Life Moving On.  And yes, the story is an incredible mixture of the Broad Mythic Strokes of an Ancient Legend grounded in all too human Emotions and Ideas about the balance of nature, the full meaning and cost of Warfare, and perhaps most important of all, about how we determine Right and Wrong when everyone involved in a conflict is fighting simply for the right to survive.  But all of those things add up together to something even greater than a simple sum, because each one isn’t just good in its own right but because each element so perfectly reinforces the other.  And even having said all that?  I really could just carry on singing this movie’s praises.  Just...an absolute masterpiece, top to bottom.

1.) 

I don’t imagine any of you are terribly surprised at this, right?  I almost feel like it’d be redundant to explain my love for this movie, given how self-obvious I imagine it is to basically everyone who knows me Literally At All.  But heck, I’ve rambled on this long, why not go all the way?  Because the thing of it is, “Gojira” (to be clear, the original Japanese movie from 1954 rather than its American edit, “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” from 1956) doesn’t just top the list by being a Great Movie.  Though to be clear, it really is.  Flawless?  No; there’s a reliance on puppetry that even for the time can be a bit chintzier than the movie can really afford, in particular.  But brilliant, even so, a heart-wrenching example of Science Fiction Storytelling As Allegory, one that, in a rarity not just for its own genre but indeed for many movies in general, very meaningfully lingers on its deepest, darkest implications.  Many a film critic has pointed it out, and it remains true: the stark black-and-white photography heightens the sense of Implacable Horror at the core of the story, and the way the central Melodrama, a tragic love triangle that carries with it many aspects of Class Conflict and Personal Desire VS. The Collective Good, ties back into the main story is truly beautiful in its elegance and emotional impact.  Still, for me personally, it tops the list, now and always, because it is a movie that affirmed something for me, that the character I had fallen in love with as a child convincing his family to watch a monster movie with him on television to prove his seven-year-old bravery, really was as genuinely as powerful and meaningful a figure as I had always imagined him to be. 

[alexanderking]

Another top 20 albums of 2020

...So I’ve had a really hard time finding a number one this year...It’s likely’ I’ll choose which album I revisited the most although it may not have been my favourite...ANYWAY!!!!...

“...And have I left anything out?” – Albums of 2019

Thank You Scientist – Terraformer: I was going through the “liner notes” of DJ Jazzy Jeff’s ‘The PLAYlist’ project and clicked on the saxophonist Sam Greenfield as I’d recognised his name from a favourite of 2018. I saw that he had played on this ‘Prog Rock’ album. Having dabbled in rock over the years, I jumped on Thank You Scientist’s ‘Bandcamp’ page and pushed ‘Play’...and I’m so glad I did!!! This band for me is ‘Dream Theater’ meets ‘The Mars Volta’ in how explorative the music can become. I also found myself head nodding along like a madman. While the album does peak at its centrepiece, the amazing 10 minute instrumental ‘Chromology’, it does pick up again from ‘Life of Vermin’, not at the dizzying heights of earlier on, but enough for a satisfying conclusion. I think would made number 3 of last year’s list...

Alexander Claffy – Claffy II: ...Somehow I missed this despite loving this group’s 2016 album ‘Claffy’, which focused on a romantic break-up. This project feels like a continuation with what sounds like a new love interest coming into the picture. Toward the end of the 5-track project it sounds like Alexander is lamenting his previous partner. Will he be able to fully move on to pastures new? This would probably have made my honourable mentions...

Emmavie – Honeymoon: Towards the end of December, I was in the most AMAZING Neo-Soul room on ‘Clubhouse’ (thank you Shaniss and Shey!!!!), where I not only got to share a few tracks, but was thoroughly schooled with the amount of artists I had yet to check out, or in this case, revisit. Not only were shout outs aplenty for Emmavie, but she also shared a few tracks as well...anyway! This prompted me to check out the ‘Honeymoon’ album. This project for me progresses the UK Soul genre forward by utilising some elements of Broken Beat, a tiny hint of 80s Synth and a spot of Hip-Hop. I love that the interludes go harder than some of the main tracks. This may have made 19...

BlaqueStone – Full Circle: This was shared in THAT Clubhouse room by ‘S. Sweet’, ‘bassist and bandleader for the Neo-Soul outfit ‘Black Folks Don’t Swim?’. ‘Full Circle’ sucked me into that deep, rich Neo-Soul that I still visit every so often. Any tracks that didn’t really stand out for me were MORE THAN MADE UP FOR by the standouts on here. My favourites are ‘Peace of Mind’, ‘Find A Way’ and ‘Only Way Out’. This would’ve got a 16...

Danny Brown – uknowhatimsayin¿: ...I played myself by not checking this out when it released (sometimes I feel cheated by how short albums are these days that I take a while to get to them...). Strong production, great flows and feels like a much lighter note than ‘Atrocity Exhibition’. This might have made 13...

Blue Lab Beats – Voyage: And AGAIN!!!! -_- I missed the EP and the album, both which I thoroughly enjoyed and for me is a strong progression from ‘Xover’. From the airy optimism of tracks like ‘Voyage’ and ‘On & On’, to the soulful hip-hop stylings of ‘Next (Wake Up)’ and ‘What R U Here 4?’, to that insane horn cypher on ‘Stand Up’, ‘Voyage’ peaks time and time again. This may possibly have made my top 3!

Yakul – Getting Late EP: I wasn’t familiar with this group until the group leader James Berkeley featured quite heavily on Incognito’s latest project. My sister had played one of their singles from 2020, ‘Streetlight’, which caused me to look for more of their music. To which I found this 6-track EP. ‘Thoroughly enjoyed and looking forward to more! ‘Past Tense’ and ‘Blossoming’ are standouts for me...

Alfa Mist – Structuralism: Yep! I missed this too...literally JUST AFTER having shared my 2019 list...’Structuralism’ ventures as deep into the keys as its predecessor ‘Antiphon’, but this feels like the stronger project for me. I think I just enjoy the instrumentals more...This may have made 15...

...2020:

20) Dominic J Marshall – Nomad’s Land:

After a number of more beat-based projects, musician Dominic J Marshall returns with more of a Jazz-led body of work. This time around however, there is a fair amount of singing and freestyle rapping, which doesn’t always work for me. Fortunately the compositions saves and in some cases enhances the singing et al. My favourites are ‘Herb-Lady’, ‘Feeling’, ‘On Time’ and ‘Hypernormalised’...

19) Run The Jewels – RTJ4:

‘Run The Jewels’ released this project for free! Production-wise, El-P bounces between head-nodding, almost backpacker hip-hop and more synth-led sounds. While I haven't really taken much of the subject matter in (apart from ‘A Few Words For The Firing Squad’), I’m feeling the flows, features and of course, the production. My favourites are ‘Out of Sight’, ‘Goonies vs. ET’ and ‘Never Look Back’...

18) Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes – What Kinda Music:

I’ve been looking forward to more music from Tom Misch since hearing ‘Geography’. The teaming up with Yussef Dayes has a lot of the tracks feel more explorative; The first half of the album particularly has me picturing spacious landscapes, the drumming bringing visions of some kind of quest to be fulfilled. I haven't revisited this album a lot this year, but it gets stronger for me every time I play it...

17) Mark de Clive-Lowe – Dreamweavers:

This project is the brainchild of drummer Tommaso Cappellato, features bassist Andrea Lombardini and allows multi-instrumentalist Mark de Clive-Lowe to revisit his musical roots as well as a few of his earlier compositions. A lot of the music on here offers moments of reflection, although it takes moments to bring quite high energy in tracks like ‘Volta Ao Mundo’ and elevation in tracks like ‘Dreamweavers’ and ‘Masina’s World’ (if you got the additional tracks). I loved the cover of ‘Motherland’...

  16) Royce Da 5′9″ – The Allegory:

The idea behind this project is that most of (if not all) the tracks contain a hidden story or meaning. While a few of the messages went over my head (that or I didn't necessarily agree), I really enjoyed Royce’s flows and rhyme schemes, the features and the production, most of which was handled by Montgomery himself! My favourites are ‘I Don't Age’, ‘Pendulum’ and ‘FUBU’...

15) Duckwrth – SuperGood:

I checked this out based on a share from Gia from Twitter (I get a fair few recommendations from her...). Hearing ‘Kiss U Right Now’ prompted me to watch the visual album, which REALLY enhanced the experience of the project! ‘SuperGood’ is effectively an opportunity to reflect on those moments in life...where everything is cool (-_-). This doesn’t mean to ignore the stresses life throws at us but to appreciate the good regardless. I feel quite uplifted after playing this album. My favourites are ‘New Love Song’, Super Bounce’, ‘Weekend?’ and the optimistic closer ‘Find A Way’...

14) Nubya Garcia – SOURCE:

The first minute of the title track on here initially didn’t draw me in to hear more. But when that break came in...I was pretty much hooked. ‘SOURCE’ showcases Nubya’s growth as both a player and a writer/composer, as well as further cementing her place as a standout in this wave of contemporary UK Jazz artists. My favourites are ‘The Message Continues’, ‘Inner Game’ and ‘Boundless Beings’...

13) Ivan Ave – Double Goodbyes:

I wasn’t privy to this release until much later in the year. I checked this out having really enjoyed 2017′s ‘Every Eye’. The first three tracks felt like a departure from the aforementioned. The slightly stripped down sound wasn’t one I was particularly feeling, but the album picked up for me with ‘Triple Double Love’ onwards. I really related to the subject matter on ‘Guest List Etiquette’ and some of ‘Doobie’s Shout Outs’...

12) Georgie Sweet – Misunderstood:

My relationship with the Futuristica label is kind of like my relationship with ‘WWE’. I’m really deep into them for a while, then I leave for a while...’then I return. 2020 has been a year where I’ve perused the Futuristica projects deeper than I have in several years. I heard ‘What Have I Done’ and liked the hip-hop tinged Neo-Soul sound enough to check out the full album when it came out. I found the first few tracks pleasant enough and then ‘Sorry’ kicked in! The album then peaked again for me with ‘Half Human’ and stayed pretty consistent until the end. I’d definitely be interested in hearing more from Georgie Sweet in the future...

11) Ego Ella May – Honey For Wounds:

What a joy to see Ego Ella May return to music over the past few years!! I loved her EPs from the mid 2010s!! ‘Honey for Wounds’ shows a strong progression from her earlier work, taking on a more jazzy element this time around. The album covers themes of current events, love (self- and interpersonal), belonging and self-healing to name a few. ‘Honey For Wounds’ is a fitting album for these times, but will most certainly play well when on mellow, relaxed, or reflective moods...

10) KinKai – A Pennies Worth:

This was a recommendation from Dan. I’d kind of liked his feature on the Blue Lab Beats album ‘Voyage’ but I didn’t really pay attention until checking this album out. I will say that the soulful hip-hop production sucked me in initially. The production compliments KinKai’s flows and bars really well...

9) Nick Hakim – WILL THIS MAKE ME GOOD:

This was another share from Gia from Twitter. I would best describe this album as ‘Trippy Soul’. The music remains at a slow, almost sleepy pace, but with some welcome progressions. The longer tracks give me the opportunity to get lost in the instrumentals as Hakim’s vocals wane in and out during the vamps and ad-libs. My favourites are ‘BOUNCING’, ‘QADIR’, ‘GODS DIRTY WORK’ and ‘WHOO’...

8) Marie Dahlstrom – Like Sand:

This was a recommendation from Zoe, who was also in THAT clubhouse room! This album showcases the current direction that the Neo-Soul genre has been going in for a while, crossing over with some RnB elements and pushing that blunt delivery from time to time. ‘Like Sand’ stays at a relatively mellow pace, that for me is great to walk/drive to in the evening. My favourites are ‘Time’, ‘A Loveletter - And improvisation’, ‘I Want You’ and ‘Lullaby’...

7) Deborah Jordan – See In The Dark:

Deborah Jordan’s third solo album (I think it’s her 7th or 8th album overall) could possibly be her, dare I say it, magnum opus. ‘See In The Dark’ stays generally in the realm of Soul, but ventures into acoustic, hip-hop, broken beat and lo-fi genres. The subject matter covers self-belief, self-doubt, love, the pace of life and loss. The closing track ‘I’ll See You Again’ has become a personal standout for me...

6) Katalyst – Nine Lives:

I wasn’t privy to this band until World Galaxy Records said to check this out via Bandcamp. ‘Nine Lives’ is a welcome addition to the ever-growing slate of contemporary west coast Jazz albums coming out. This album for me stays at quite an optimistic tone, although the pace varies here and there to allow for the whole band, but particularly the horn section to showcase their versatility. My favourites are ‘BBB’, ‘The Leimert Suite’ and ‘Fitted’...

5) Thundercat – It Is What It Is:

This album title is easily the most used phrase of 2020 and that was before the handling of the current pandemic (specifically in the West). ‘It Is What It Is’ continues in a similar vein to Thundercat’s previous work ‘Drunk’. The subject matter stays particularly quirky, touching on trying to impress a love/lust interest, friendship and acceptance to name a few. The first third of the album does hint at the more focused direction that Thundercat could move on to. There are still the odd short tracks that don’t quite feel fully fleshed out. This has been a grower for me...

4) Quelle Chris & Chris Keys – Innocent Country 2:

Quelle Chris returns with previous collaborator Chris Keys to bring us the second season of ‘Innocent Country’. This album is more about the production for me although (again) I’m feeling the bars, flows and features. I particularly enjoyed the celebration of black culture toward the mid-portion of the album...

3) Kev Choice – Social Distancing:

The effects of the current pandemic inspired musician/emcee Kev Choice to write, record and release this time capsule of a project in the space of a little less than four weeks! ‘Social Distancing’ documents disappointment in the government’s response to the virus (specifically in the states), panic shopping, the effects on families, the self-reflection that time alone at home has offered and messages of staying positive despite everything. Standouts for me are ‘Morning Prayer’, ‘Be Still’, ‘Take Me To Your Leaders’ and ‘Break Me Down’...

2) Derrick Hodge – COLOR OF NOIZE:

Freda had shared the music video of ‘Heartbeats’, which prompted me to check out this album. Although Hodge on bass is clearly running the show, ‘COLOR OF NOIZE’ features two pianists and two drummers throughout the project. The music for me is like going on a long walk, my thoughts and emotions ranging from guilty, to angry, ultimately to hopeful, all while not really paying attention to how my surroundings have changed until the end...

1) Butcher Brown – #KingButch:

While this might not necessarily be my favourite of the year, it was (probably) the one I revisited the most. The band’s Trumpeter and (kind of) frontman Marcus Tenney takes on a fair amount of pretty well delivered emceeing throughout ‘#KingButch’. The first third is a funk affair, easing into Jazz after the mellowed out ‘Gum In My Mouth’, those tinges of funk do come and go in the latter thirds though. This was another project I really enjoyed driving to. The closing track ‘IDK’ is one of my favourite tracks of the year...

Honourable Mentions:

Nathan Thomas – Still Water: ‘Another Futuristica release. This project is also on the soulful side but makes the guitar more present on a lot of the songs on here. I did think this would make the list but (as always) there ended up being projects I enjoyed more so...

Samii – Figuring it Out: The 2000Black camp bring singer/songwriter Samii to the forefront for this 4-track EP. Tatham, Mensah, Lord & Ranks bring their signature genre-bending sounds and chord progressions as per...

Mike Blankenship – Living For The Future: This was released in 2015...

Cherise – Paradise (EP): My unofficial favourite project of 2017 was ‘Trope’s 5ive’ by the band ‘Trope’, which Cherise (Adams-Burnett) fronts. So I was quite pleased to find that this had been released. Throughout this 4-track EP, Cherise vocalises over quite a romantic soulful piece, a fairly traditional acoustic track, a grandiose jazz piece, ending with a stripped down orchestral number. The opener is my favourite...

Tatham, Mensah, Lord & Ranks – 6th: 2000Black doing what they do and still doing it well...

Bree Runway – 2000AND4EVA: Bree Runway elevates to Pop star status with her debut high-energy mixtape. This project flows so well; from the head nod energy of ‘Apeshit’, into the burst of electric guitar on ‘Little Nokia’, bringing us back to the poppy hip-hop sounds of ‘ATM’ and beyond. Hopefully we can get our act together by the summer and the music on here can be played where it’s SUPPOSED to be!!!...

Nate Smith – Light and Shadow: While waiting for the release of the next ‘Kinfolk’ project, Nate Smith gives us this short, cinematic collection of pieces, those elements of Jazz, Soul and Hip-hop ever present in Smith’s drumming and all around production. I can play this whole thing through pretty easily...I wonder if this is my unofficial favourite of 2020?...  

Bluey – Tinted Sky: This is mostly more of the same from Bluey and (some of) the Incognito camp. I tend to like of a lot of the music they write and play. I do want to shout out the mid-portion of the album and Bluey’s disillusionment with how the UK has handled this pandemic so far was resonant...

Kamaal Williams – Wu Hen: The flow on this project is INSANE!!!! ‘Wu Hen’ realises what Kamaal Williams has been doing with his more recent live shows in such a coherent way!...

Andrew Ashong & Kaidi Tatham – Sankofa Season: Vocalist Andrew Ashong teams up with legend Kaidi Tatham on the music to give us a 30-minute project, covering looking back, love, positivity and encouragement for change...

[kayrogers]

animal ][ s. rogers

so take it easy on me, i’m afraid you’re never satisfied

Paring: steve rogers x agent!reader 

Inspo: animal by neon trees

Word Count: 3000+

Warning(s): SMUT, unprotected sex (wrap it before you pack it), and foul language cause dear lord

Part: part one | part two | part ??

A/N: i stayed up till 3 AM writing this and i’m not sure if i should be proud or ashamed

The two of you arrived in Mykonos that same night, Steve thoroughly impressed with the house you commandeered. It was a gorgeous white penthouse with royal blue accents that overlooked the sea. You opened it up with a key that had always been located under a potted plant on the front stoop and welcomed him inside. “Wow...” He had wide eyes with a stupefied grin, the soldier still not used to any sort of luxury. “Don’t get too excited you haven’t even seen the balcony.” You smirked and pointed towards the glass doors across the foyer while stepping down a hallway to throw your bag in a room. “Who are your ‘contacts’?” He asked out loud and you chuckled from the bedroom. “That’s for me to know and for you to find out.” You bit your lip and pulled a white silk robe from the closet. It only came down to about mid-thigh with a deep neckline, and on your body it hugged every curve it was supposed to. The idea of him seeing you in the thing was exhilarating, but part of you wasn’t sure if it’d be smart to make that first move. You had been out of the game for so long and Steve was not any normal man. But then again, he had come to Mykonos, hadn’t he? You muttered a ‘fuck it’ and threw the thing on, only wearing a baby blue lace bralette and matching panties underneath. You made the platter, but now it would be up get a taste of the sampling. You walked back out and headed towards the open kitchen to see him still admiring the view on the balcony. “I know you can’t get drunk, but I’m having champagne. You want some?” You called out to him and he shouted back a ‘sure thing’ without looking back. You poured two glasses and headed towards the balcony, nearly being taken aback by the view as well. You had seen all the world, but even views like this could make you freeze at times. “Captain,” you greeted with a smile and handed him the glass of champagne while taking a sip of your own. He took the champagne and didn’t even register your outfit at first. 

But when he did? 

That ocean view was a thing of the past. You practically glowed in the white garment and his eyes couldn’t help but explore every inch of you. Sure, the both of you had seen each other in various states of undress but that was under highly different circumstances. Usually post-mission stitches and the such, or quick changes of disguise. But just seeing you on your own in an outfit like that? Steve felt guilty in partaking the view. He nearly swallowed his champagne, a blush on his cheeks. “Beautiful...” the word slipped from his lips but you were too occupied by the sea to notice. “Isn’t it? I can never get over this view-“ “I’m not talking about the water, Doll.” He responded in a soft tone which made your head whip back to him. You both had small smiles on your face and you took a gulp of your drink. “There’s pjs in your room too, I think.” You winked at him and Steve nodded with a chuckle. “Oh? I get a robe too? Might be a little short for me.” You scoffed but were quick to respond to his joke. “Are you saying that’s a bad thing? Mr. Rogers you are doing yourself, and me, a disservice by hiding that tush.” He laughed and stepped off the balcony to go to his room. You gripped the railing on the balcony the second he left with a giddy smile before downing the rest of your champagne like a shot. You then headed back to the kitchen to refill your glass, looking out on the luxurious living room with a sip. This place was practically right out of a magazine and you knew you’d be sending your contact some ‘thank you’ flowers. Upon checking the fridge you found a small fruit platter and decided to take it out, placing the thing on the coffee table in the living room before picking a corner of the couch to nestle in. And almost as if on cue, the super soldier walked in. Your jaw nearly dropped at the sight of him. Steve stepped out in a set of white silk pajamas, but while he wore the pants, he only chose to throw on the robe instead of shirt and left the thing wide open. Under the dim lighting of the penthouse and moonlight pulsing through the windows, his statuesque body and face were dangerously alluring. “The uh shirt didn’t fit.” He awkwardly got out with a lopsided smirk that could be read as nothing but innocently gorgeous. “Come get some fruit, Freak.” You joked and he rolled his eyes but sat down on the couch with you, popping a grape into his mouth. He comfortably stretched out his arms and legs before looking at you with narrowed eyes. “Speaking of your mysterious ‘contact’ that obviously left us fruit... I really don’t know as much about you as I should, do I?” He said and you paused halfway through biting a pineapple chunk. “I guess not... it’s not your fault though, I work for SHIELD, we’re kinda taught to conceal. But if you’re looking for information, I suppose you can do that as long as there’s some give and take. 20 Questions?” You shrugged, but inwardly found yourself shocked at your words. If anyone else so casually would have asked you about yourself you would have fled for the hills. But Steve was genuine in his curiosity in a way that made you feel safe. “Alrighty then,” he chuckled before rubbing his hands together and looking at you with a raised eyebrow, “where’d you grow up?” It was a basic question but the first one you calculatedly avoided in your first night with Steve Rogers back in New York. “Yeah? Alrighty, I grew up in Edgewater, New Jersey actually. Right across the water, Brooklyn Boy.” You laughed as his nose twitched up in disgust. “My Best Girl is from Jersey? I think I might have to re-evaluate our friendship.” He teased making you snort while also being unable to hide the grin that nickname brought you. “Wow! Jerk!” You playfully slapped his arm and nudged a little closer from the couch corner. “Hmm. I know you always talk about Peggy Carter, in the past, but did you guys ever...” You made a face and with your suggestive tone he rolled his eyes. “No. We never even kissed. But she was something else, trust me,” he had this nostalgic look on his features that could soften the heart of a stone man. “Never kissed?! Wait- have you ever kissed anyone-“ “Slow down there, Speedo! It’s my turn now. What about you? First kiss stories?” His arm now rested along the back of the couch on your side and he moved closer upon picking up another grape. “Ugh fine. But yeah, I got one. It’s not glamorous though, trust me... I was fifteen, riddled with acne and probably one of the biggest geeks in my high school. Which you will tell no one! But being a geek made my only options for romance other geeks. Me and this kid Norman Specks made out in the light booth during our school’s production of Romeo and Juliet. He had the biggest braces, it was so gross!” You admitted, drinking your champagne at various points while Steve could not feel any more endeared to you. It had to be one of the most honest confessions you ever told him up to that point and it only made him more attracted to you. The badass SHIELD agent who was also a theater nerd in high school. He laughed at the end of your story and you scrunched up your nose at him. “Don’t laugh at me! I bet yours was worse! Little pre-glowup, 5’4” Skinny Steve,” you shot back at him which made his face turn into a cocky expression that did something to you in a way you couldn’t perceive. “Actually, my first kiss was after the serum. Sure, I was 21, but this was a dame! She made out with me out of nowhere, but it was a pleasant surprise in the moment.” He recalled with a perfect smile. “My turn. Who’s your ‘contact’ for this place?” Your cheeks turned red at his question, but you were never one to back down. “You honestly wanna know? It’s a girl I hooked up with about two years ago when I was on a mission here. Turns out her family is super rich and she offers me the place whenever I’m around.” Now it was Steve’s turn to blush as his mind visualized the scenario. He saw you on top of a gorgeous Greek girl, both of your lips conjoined in a heated make-out session. But with a blink the image was gone as a worrisome blood rush headed below his stomach. “Yes, I like boys and girls. It’s nearly 2014, Mr. Rogers. Get with the times,” you joked, remembering how interested he was in the PRIDE celebration NYC now held every year. “But it’s my turn, and now I’m curious. Have you done anything since the ice? If you were 21 at your first kiss, I can’t imagine you had time to do much after considering the war and Peggy.” He shook his head with a smile and stole your champagne to take a big gulp. He couldn’t believe how observant you had to be to connect those dots, hell he admired it in a way. No wonder you were such a successful agent. “I have not actually. Too busy trying to understand the iPhone to be doing anything else.” He lightheartedly answered and you boldly moved closer to him, close enough to feel the heat radiating from his built torso. “No way! Well if you ever do get around to it, I know that lucky girl will be more than satisfied,” You suggestively quipped and his eyes shot down to your own. And that was when something switched, his precious blue eyes darkened and his voice became low and smooth like whiskey. “How about you? Any recent lovers?” He questioned, vision never leaving your own. “Not since I met you.” The words came out before you could even consider the meaning. “Why not?” His face moves closer to yours, warm breath fanning across your face. “Let’s just say, I’ve been craving something else. Someone else...” you let a finger trail up his torso, drawn to him like a magnet and forgetting your little game. You watched his eyes dip up and down your face, pausing on your lips. Your heart felt like it was about to beat of its chest, the close proximity making your mind and body lose all composure. “And who might that be-“ You cut off his question by grabbing his robe and crashing your lips onto his own. His lips are full and taste of fruit and champagne, and 70 years spent under the ice clearly did nothing to stop his ability. The both of you moved in a rushed rhythm, lips fitting together like puzzle pieces and yet sloppily conjoining in a manner that showed exactly how needy you both were. His warm hands cupped your face and separated the two of you for less than a second but it was enough for him to look you over and bring you back to him once more, this time meeting in more passion than the first. You moved your legs to straddle his waist and one of his hands slipped down your back, bringing your body even closer to him. Your hips instinctively grind against his own which let a moan slip from his lips in a manner that immediately makes you wet. His length is hard underneath the silk and he moves his hand from your cheek to your hair, lightly tugging on it with another moan. He broke away from the kiss again, meeting your face with flushed features, “[Y/n]... you’re okay with this, right?” Your chest warms at his words, oh what a gentleman. “More than okay,” you respond before dipping your lips down to his neck, missing how his eyes immediately closed in pleasure. You sucked at the skin, feeling his hand tighten on your waist as you reached a spot just below his collarbone. Without a second thought, you attacked the area, intending to leave your mark on the man you waited so long for. Though you could still feel his nervous rigidity as he refused himself from moving his hands any lower. You pulled away to reveal a purpling spot on his neck. “Steve...” your voice was breathy and your robe hung off one shoulder from your previously hunched over form which revealed your lacy bralette without even meaning to, “touch me wherever you want, Captain.” You felt his length twitch through the silk garments you both wore and he nodded, eyes dipping down to your nearly exposed chest while his hands slipped away the rest of your robe to only reveal the blue lingerie underneath. Your nipples were hard through the fabric and you watched his vision pinpoint on them. He reached up and grasped one of your breast’s in his hand while the other brought your face back down to his. He palmed your breast in his hand, squeezing and pushing in ways that made more heat spread below your stomach. “You’re...” your lips met in sloppy kisses, tongues swirling around in perfect conjunction, “beautiful...” Steve said through kisses and then slowed moved his hand down to your ass. It tightened around your soft form and guided your grinding against him, the both of you moaning into each other’s kisses and barely taking in oxygen. His hard erection against your clothed pussy nearly sent you over the edge, knowing that you were so close to him. You pulled away from him, standing up and taking off your bra, “take off your clothes.” You ordered and he did as you requested, tossing off the robe and pants to leave him in black boxers while you revealed yourself to him completely. You watched him slowly look you up and down like you were the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. His brows then furrowed for a second, eyes clouding in thought until he got up and picked you up Bridal style as if you weighed less than a feather. Your arms wrapped around his neck and you let him carry you to his bedroom, nearly soaked by now in anticipation. He carefully placed you on the bed and climbed on top of you, slipping a hand down to your wet core and pushing a finger inside of you. A loud moan broke from your lips and you instantly dragged his head back down to you, but instead of meeting your lips he moved down to your neck. He fingers you while kissing and sucking all over your neck, leaving a hickey on a particular spot below your jawline which made you pull on his hair especially tight. It was like you were intimate with an Adonis, his sculpted body rolling and grinding against yours in shear perfection. He stuck another finger inside of you, thrusting in and out to the rhythm of your now constant sharp intakes of breath. You cried out when he pushed in especially deep and you dragged a hand down his abdomen to his boxers, sticking your hand inside and pumping his length against the cloth. “I want you,” he told you, eyes hooded and voice deep as he pulled his hand out of you too take off his boxers. His large length shot out and hit his stomach, pre-cum already dripping and glistening down his throbbing cock. You nodded up at him and open your legs up even more, he moves down while pumping his dick in his hands. Steve slides over you and slowly starts pushing into you, your hands tightly grabbing the sheets below you as he begins filling you up. You’re practically yelling at this point, the name Steve being heard by any who could be awake at such a late hour. Once he is fully inside of you, he leans down and takes your head in his hands, meeting your eyes and beginning to thrusts in and out of you. His eyes close in pleasure though and your hands reach up his back, scratching down the skin as his thrusts get faster. He whines your name into your ear causing your whole body to tingle underneath him. This goes on until you both orgasm, Steve progressively getting faster and faster while pumping in and out of you until you completely dissolve under his form, yells turning into screams of pleasure. And not after long, you feel him twitch inside of you, an almost inhuman sound leaving his lips when he cums inside of you. He thrusts a few more times before pulling out and plopping down next to you, leaving your body in an exhaustive high you’d never felt before. And sure, it was only missionary and you were by far an experienced girl, but it was Steve. Steve fucking Rogers. And that changed everything. His kisses felt like soft sparks of lighting and his hands were fire against your skin. You wouldn’t trade anything in the world for that. You cuddled up to his tired body, head resting on his chest to feel his rapid yet slowing heartbeat. “Was your first time everything you imagined?” You got out in a breathy manner which made him chuckle. “Doll, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.” His arm wrapped around you and the two of you fell asleep, breaths intermingling in the tropical air like you were in your own little world.

And this was only the beginning.