#montblanc records

[vanillabeanmachine]

𝚆𝙸𝙿 𝚆𝚎𝚍𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚍𝚊𝚢 #𝟷

𝙽𝚘 𝙻𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙶𝚘: 𝙰𝚗 𝙸𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚒𝚗 𝙵𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝙰𝚌𝚝𝚜 -- 𝙰𝚌𝚝 𝙸

Hello everyone 👋😊 I've been working on No Letting Go for a while now and am excited to share that I'm almost ready to post Act I, which currently stands at approximately 14.5K words. This seems to be shaping up as the average length for each of the four acts. As I continue to polish and refine No Letting Go, I’ve decided to start sharing snippets every Wednesday. This will not only give you a glimpse of the content but also some of the behind-the-scenes thought process. Stay tuned!

[...]

The recorder was not the same that Daniel had once owned in 1973. Indeed, Daniel couldn't quite recall the exact model or brand of his original device, nor the circumstances of its disappearance—had it been shattered in a sudden fit of rage? Perhaps it had vanished, lost in the swirling chaos of his drug-addled days? It was equally plausible that it lay forgotten in some distant apartment, nestled under a thick layer of dust, untouched and unthought of for almost half a century. Moreover, Daniel wasn’t certain that this Suga model had even existed in 1973. A wave of nostalgia had swept over him one day as he had strolled down Camden High Street, leading him to purchase this particular piece on a whim. Initially, it hadn’t worked at all, prompting nights spent poring over YouTube tutorials and hunting down obsolete tech parts on eBay in an attempt to restore it. Eventually, he had given up on pure restoration, instead cobbling together a functioning unit by marrying the surviving vintage Suga skeleton with the guts of a modern machine – a Frankenstein’s monster of resurrected technology that, despite its changed nature, still swallowed down tape with a voracious appetite.

He could have easily acquired a functioning Suga online, or even opted for a modern tape deck. Yet, Daniel cherished this battered machine, with its scratches and dents marring the case, the rust on the sprockets that added a squeak when rewinding tape, and the worn buttons that spoke of frequent use. It was a tangible relic of a human past, an artefact that Daniel clung to—not merely as a tool but a reminder of a life once lived.

Daniel meticulously arranged his tools for the evening—the Suga recorder, his sleek MacBook Air, a battered .99 cent notepad with its edges crumpled and pages unevenly torn from the binding, an elegant Montblanc Meisterstück pen, and a well-worn half-full leather cigarette case that had journeyed with him from the '70s. 

Armand waited as Daniel organised, his expression the picture of serene detachment; yet beneath this stoicism flowed an undercurrent of acute attentiveness.

Armand's reddish-brown colour-of-dawn gaze, typically distant, tonight held a piercing clarity and focus entirely directed at Daniel. It was as if the full essence of his immortal being had chosen to anchor itself in this singular interaction. There was a palpable familiarity in Armand's intense stare, a comfort that Daniel recognised and found strangely reassuring. 

Yet amidst this familiarity was a void—a poignant sense of loss, something indelibly altered. The once-constant press of Armand's mind against his own, a psychic echo that had lingered in Daniel's human consciousness, had vanished now with his vampiric transformation. The Dark Gift, poetically named but harsh in its realities, had not brought Daniel enlightenment or a renewed closeness to his Maker but a barrier, severing the connection the pair once shared. Where there had once been a flowing stream of thoughts and emotions, a psychic murmur that had connected him to Armand, there now existed only a silence—as if a door between their minds had been firmly shut and locked. This new silence was not peaceful but a cold absence, a reminder of what they had both sacrificed for Daniel's immortality.

Armand's intensive gazing at Daniel was justified now more than ever. Perhaps, in this new reality they shared, all that remained to bind them was the mere physicality of their being—something that Daniel found inexplicably more alluring now than ever before.

While Daniel clung to the remnants of his human past and habits still, Armand had always appeared unburdened by such earthly ties, having long shed them like leaves in an eternal, ageless autumn. But as Daniel now stood entrenched in this new existence, he began to perceive that what he once thought of as an uncanny stillness in Armand was not a marker of death but a vibrant, pulsating life, more profound and intricate than he had ever imagined possible.

The gravity of Armand's presence was magnetic, drawing Daniel inexorably in, as if each moment spent in observation tethered him more firmly to a spellbinding eternity. Daniel was acutely aware of the need for caution, knowing all too well how effortlessly he could become entangled in an everlasting gaze upon Armand. In such moments, time could dissolve into irrelevance—akin to Narcissus, spellbound by his reflection in the serene embrace of a forest pool. It was the mesmerising dance of light across Armand’s rich, dark skin, the lush curls that tenderly framed his face, and the impeccable symmetry of his sharp, angular features that seemed destined to rest in the contours of Daniel's palm. The striking yet harmonious contrast between Armand's finely sculpted upper lip and the plush fullness of the lower, coupled with the intoxicating memory of their kisses—

Caught in a dopey smile, Daniel realised Armand had observed the slip when a knowing look crossed his features. Perhaps the psychic bond they once shared was no longer necessary; Daniel's emotions were still as transparent to Armand now as when Daniel had been still human. And yet, frustratingly, Armand remained equally an enigma to Daniel, close yet distant in the same breath.

[...]

Author’s Thoughts™:

Indeed, the Suga KC-920 is a different model from the recorder Daniel used back in 1973. I deliberately chose a different tape recorder from the one shown in "Don’t Be Afraid, Just Start the Tape." This choice is meant to enhance the theme of an "odyssey of recollection," emphasizing the unreliability of Daniel’s memory. It reflects his efforts to piece together fragments of his mortal past, his reliance on nostalgic constructs, and his commitment to maintaining a connection to his former human self—no matter how shaky the foundations that connection is built on.

I'm very proud of the line describing the tape recorder as "a Frankenstein’s monster of resurrected technology that, despite its changed nature, still swallowed down tape with a voracious appetite."

Daniel's choice of a Montblanc Meisterstück pen—which retails for between $460-680—for use on a 99-cent notepad creates a conceptual contrast. This disparity is further heightened by his combination of a modern MacBook with an archaic tape recorder. This deliberate mismatch across items of differing economic and temporal values introduces an element of dissonance—it feels almost jarring, and in a way, disrespectful? Using a luxury pen on low-quality paper subverts expectations of propriety and value, while opting for obsolete technology over more efficient modern alternatives suggests a conscious rebellion against practicality. I wanted to set up space for a future commentary on value, utility, and nostalgia, and highlight a bit more of this tension between the past and present in Daniel.

I wanted to explore the impact of Daniel and Armand’s severed mental connection. Daniel's transformation into vampirism brought with it the loss of his psychic link with Armand, a shift that necessitated a new way of Daniel perceiving and connecting with Armand. Since he no longer can feel Armand’s emotions directly, Daniel becomes reliant on interpreting Armand’s physical cues—a necessity that alters the nature of his gaze. This redirection of focus towards the physical can be seen as a form of objectification, where Daniel's longing is intensely projected onto every visible detail of Armand, focusing not on his emotions or his interiority, but rather his most striking features instead. This gaze is not merely observational; it is charged with desire and a nuanced romanticism, making it palpably lustful. Daniel's gaze is transparent to Armand.

[lizseyi]

Weak Yen Currency Drives A Surge In Luxury Shopping Among Tourists In Japan - Skywire London

Many a high-end brand has been seeing strong sales in Japan lately. However, this is not quite the unequivocal cause for celebration that some observers might initially imagine it to be. 

As recently reported by Yahoo! Finance, tourists have been heading to Japan in big numbers with a particular goal on their minds: splurging on desirable clothes and handbags at prices somewhat lower than those to which they are accustomed back home.

An unexpected growth driver for the Japanese Government – but luxury brands aren’t so happy  

During June, the east Asian country attracted a record 3.1 million foreign visitors, according to official data. This has put the state on track to exceed an annual record of nearly 32 million visitors from other countries set in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic halting global travel. 

The Japanese Government anticipates that tourists in the country will spend some eight trillion yen (around $54.74 billion) during 2024. This would be a significant fillip for a state where the ageing population has meant a relative lack of other growth drivers. 

However, the situation presents a headache to global luxury brands. Such a discrepancy in their goods’ pricing between Japan and elsewhere in the world has arisen due to a weak yen, the currency’s recent sell-off having caused it to reach a 38-year low against the US dollar before recovering ground. 

A challenging dilemma for luxury brands with a Japanese presence 

Shoppers from Asia and beyond have cottoned onto the news of these prestige brands’ products often being cheaper in dollar terms in Japan than elsewhere, which has fuelled a tourist boom. 

However, the brands themselves are taking hits to their profits as a result – and the volatility of the yen makes it tricky for them to put up the prices of their designer products to accurately reflect the currency. It seems that many brands, then, are forced to make do with lower margins in Japan, at least while they hope for a greater recovery for the yen. 

The Yahoo! Finance report cited the example of Louis Vuitton’s Alma BB handbag, which it said was priced at 14,800 yuan in China – the equivalent of $2,050. The same item was available in Japan for 279,400 yen, which worked out as $1,875. 

The sales of luxury spirits in Japan were also being fuelled with the help of tourists, according to French drinks maker Rémy Cointreau. The group’s CFO, Luca Marotta, stated on its first-quarter earnings call that lower margins were being seen on sales in the country. 

Also cited in the report was the Switzerland-based luxury goods holding company, Richemont, which counts the likes of Cartier, Net-a-Porter, and Montblanc among its brands. The firm said there had been a nearly 60% rise in its Japan sales during 2024’s first quarter, with Chinese, Southeast Asian, and American tourists all contributing to this. 

Wherever your brand is active in the world, we can help maximise your impact 

Are you on the lookout for the fashion, lifestyle, or luxury advertising agency that will be best placed to support your business’s growth over the months and years ahead? If so, we would be pleased here at Skywire London to discuss how we could assist your organisation in maximising its presence, impact, and growth online, and across the world. 

Please feel free tocontact our London-based, but globally minded professionals today to find out more about how we could work with you and your brand to deliver sustainable results. 

[govindhtech]

Introducing the MTB 03 Wireless Earbuds Performance

MTB 03 Wireless Earbuds: After releasing its luxurious MTB 01 over-ear headphones in 2020, Montblanc is back with more true wireless in-ear headphones. The luxury brand’s evolution is clear, but the market is crowded with great wireless earbuds for less money.

Does Montblanc have enough to keep its core audience interested while luring new fans from Bang & Olufsen, Bowers & Wilkins, and Sony?

Montblanc hired Audeze founder Alex Rosson to help with the MTB 01’s sound profile. This time, Sennheiser enlisted audio legend Axel Grell, who designed many of its most famous headphones. Switzerland deserves praise for knowing when to seek help.

MTB 03 Wireless Earbuds Design

Aluminum charging case (85.45 grams) is flawless and understatedly premium. They used the Montblanc snowcap emblem on the case and earbuds to add subtle “luxury” to a true wireless earbud design, which is difficult. The tiny port for silicon eartips has a mountain-peak star shape. Not many will notice this detail, but luxury brands often neglect it when going tech.

The 6-gram earbuds are made from the same black resin as the Montblanc Meisterstück pen and feature a snowcap emblem and a tiny Montblanc engraved chrome ring. The snowcap detailing stands out in a knowing, appreciative crowd (OK, if you usually turn left getting on a plane), and the case feels good in the hand and should appeal to existing customers.

Montblanc concludes with free charging case engraving. You can put 13 characters in three fonts.

Generous Features

Montblanc has packed this device with features, though not as many as the Sony WX1000XM5. Wireless charging, ANC, IPX4 water resistance, and touch controls on each emblem for music and calls. The proximity sensors that play and pause when you put the earbuds in are always appreciated.

The buds can last up to six hours depending on ANC use, and the battery lasts 12 hours. This gives you 18 hours of playtime, and USB-C fast charging can add 100 minutes in 15 minutes.

The earbuds are easy to use. As comfortable as any we’ve tried recently. The touch controls are trigger-happy, so it’s easy to accidentally play/pause when adjusting them, but this is typical of true wireless designs. The lack of volume control is confusing. The onboard controls on Apple’s AirPods Pro are my favorite.

If compatible, your smartphone or audio player supports SBS, AAC, and adaptive aptX audio codecs and Bluetooth 5.2 wireless connectivity with a 10-meter range. Naturally, Montblanc included active noise cancellation, a must-have feature. ANC can be turned on and off in Travel, Sport, and Office modes. Live mode (transparency) lets you see outside, and you can choose Attention, Environment, or Voice Focus.

The ANC is good but not great for premium business traveler earbuds. It’s functional but lacks Apple, Bose, and Sony’s signature calmness

That the MTB 03 didn’t sound good would be a shame given its price, market, and experts. One of the best true wireless headphones this reviewer has tried, they sound great.

The 7-mm Beryllium drivers stand up well here (20 Hz to 20 kHz), and Alex Grell tuned them just right of neutral. They have a Goldilocks-like balance of low end (a fair and appreciated wallop of bass) and upper end to make all digital recordings shine. There are no surprises, just a rich, enjoyable performance.

Despite its high price and typical audio product launch hyperbole, Alex Grell does not consider the MTB 03 audiophile. He tells WIRED, “It’s a great sounding profile, but it’s not made for audiophiles. The product is for those who want to feel good.

They are often bloated, brand-recognition, price-tag-justifying, data-collection exercises with little value beyond firmware updates. The Montblanc Sound App is pretty, easy to use, and has many features, including a comprehensive EQ with sound profiles for most genres, audiobooks, and podcasts. Adjust each profile to your liking and create your own.

The app is complete and easy to use, but tweaking Axel Grell’s sound profile choices feels like telling 19-time Michelin Star chef Alain Ducasse which knife end to hold. Yes, adding a few hertz for personalization is nice, but after trying all the presets with their genres, the default sounds better. Note that “audiobook/podcast” should be ignored.

The Montblanc MTB 03 are luxury headphones. They are luxurious and designed for executive business-class travelers and Montblanc customers. The company succeeded.

They make music sound great, are comfortable to wear for long periods, and discreetly express their exclusivity.

After teething issues are resolved, loyal brand fans who value the tiny white snowcap emblem’s exclusivity won’t be disappointed.

Read more on Govindhtech.com

[dan6085]

20 Top list of collectibles with details:

1. **Rare Coins**: Collectors often seek rare and historical coins, including ancient coins, gold and silver coins, and limited-issue coins.

2. **Vintage Watches**: High-quality vintage watches, such as Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Omega, are highly collectible and can appreciate significantly in value.

3. **Sports Memorabilia**: This category includes items like autographed jerseys, trading cards, and game-worn equipment from famous athletes.

4. **Comic Books**: First editions and rare comic books featuring iconic characters like Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man can be valuable collectibles.

5. **Vintage Cars**: Classic cars from various eras, such as muscle cars from the 1960s, are highly sought after by collectors.

6. **Rare Stamps**: Stamp collecting, or philately, often focuses on rare and historically significant postage stamps.

7. **Antique Firearms**: Collectors may seek antique guns, rifles, and firearms with historical significance.

8. **Vintage Guitars**: Rare and vintage guitars, including brands like Fender and Gibson, are prized by collectors and musicians.

9. **Rare Whiskies**: Limited-edition and aged whiskies from renowned distilleries are popular collectibles among whisky enthusiasts.

10. **Fine Art**: Collectors often acquire paintings, sculptures, and artworks by renowned artists, both contemporary and classic.

11. **Vintage Toys**: Antique and vintage toys, including tin toys, action figures, and board games, are highly collectible.

12. **Rare Books**: First editions of classic literature and historically significant books are sought after by bibliophiles.

13. **Military Memorabilia**: Collectors may pursue military artifacts, such as medals, uniforms, and wartime memorabilia.

14. **Coins**: Collecting coins from different countries and time periods is a popular hobby.

15. **Vinyl Records**: Vintage vinyl records, especially rare and limited-edition releases, are sought after by music enthusiasts.

16. **Fountain Pens**: Vintage and limited-edition fountain pens from prestigious brands like Montblanc and Parker are collectible.

17. **Vintage Cameras**: Classic cameras, especially those with historical significance, can be highly collectible.

18. **Collectible Action Figures**: Action figures from popular franchises like Star Wars, Marvel, and Transformers are sought after by collectors.

19. **Shoes**: Rare and limited-edition sneakers, especially those associated with iconic brands or athletes, can be highly collectible.

20. **Rare Video Games**: Vintage video games, consoles, and limited-run games have become collectible, especially among gaming enthusiasts.

Please note that the value and desirability of collectibles can vary greatly based on factors like rarity, condition, and market demand. Collecting is a personal passion, and what appeals to one collector may differ from another's interests.

[freyayuki]

Final Fantasy Record Keeper Daily Free Draws Part 3

Every day, you get 1 free single draw on the Final Fantasy Record Keeper (FFRK) mobile game. The banner you can do this on is extremely bloated though.

It has basically all the relics on this game and the rates are crappy as always and there are no guarantees, but there is a very rare chance to get something good from this draw. 

More often than not though, you’re more likely to just end up with bronze or silver trash.

Doing this free single pull is part of the dailies in Final Fantasy Record Keeper (#ad). It’s part of the daily missions to do this pull and that’s really the main reason why I bother to do it.

Sure, I’ve gotten some good pulls from this before but that’s few and far between. It’s so rare that it might as well be nonexistent.

Anyway, one daily free draw gave me Alma Beoulve’s (from Final Fantasy Tactics) Legend Materia Relic (LMR), Brother’s Keeper.

It’s new and I actually have her Awakened Arcane Soul Break (AASB), so this was a pretty nice pull.

One daily free draw actually gave me a 6-star item - Cid Pollendina’s (from Final Fantasy IV) Awakened Arcane Soul Break (AASB), Engineer’s Trial.

Talk about a pleasant surprise. Totally wasn’t expecting this at all. 

In fact, I was all set to get trash as usual so I didn’t even see the disco orb since I was just quickly tapping on the screen to get on with the pull already. 

Then I got to the screen that showed the image of the hammer and I was like, wait, why are there suddenly so many stars? Did I just get a 5 or 6-star item? LOL. 

Well, it’s nice to get this but this is my first BDL relic for Cid so, eh, I don’t think he’ll be seeing use any time soon.

Another daily free draw gave me Hope Estheim’s (from Final Fantasy XIII) Legend Materia Relic (LMR), Eye on the Prize. 

It’s new and I actually have one of his Awakenings and a few of his other relics but meh. This LMR is trash.

It lets you “begin battle temporarily infused with the power of holy light”. I prefer those that increase damage or will allow a char to dualcast or something. 

LMRs like this are useless since if you use a char’s Awakening or Sync, you almost always get an elemental infusion anyway.

Yet another daily free draw gave me a 5-star Hope relic. I think this is one of his Unique Soul Breaks or something.

Didn’t bother looking it up since this was something that would never see use. I’m more likely to use the LMR I just got for him than this one.

Another daily free draw gave me Beatrix’s (from Final Fantasy IX) 5-star Super Soul Break (SSB), Sword of the Clear Mind.

It’s new but meh. Supers are badly outdated and powercrept by now. Also don’t even have a single BDL relic for Beatrix so won’t be able to use her with just this.

Another daily free draw gave me Montblanc’s (from Final Fantasy Tactics) Burst Soul Break (BSB), Black Combo.

Meh. This is like my first relic for him so bleh. BSBs have been horribly powercrept by now.

Another daily free draw gave me Leila’s (from Final Fantasy II) Super Soul Break, Pirate’s Knives. Meh.

Like with Beatrix and Montblanc, also don’t have a single BDL relic for Leila although I really wish I do because she’s pretty good and I could use need more water tech.

Another daily free draw gave me a Shared Soul Break known as Sonic Buster. It’s utterly useless, not to mention horribly outdated. 

I think Shared Soul Breaks can be used by anyone but they need to be equipped with the weapon or armor that contains the Soul Break in question. 

So, for instance, in order for a char to use Sonic Buster, I need to equip them with Soldier’s Sabre (X).

Another daily free draw gave me Lulu’s (from Final Fantasy X) Legend Materia Relic (LMR), Depths of Knowledge. Have nothing else for her so meh, this is useless.

Another daily free draw gave me a dupe of Yuna’s (from Final Fantasy X) Glint Soul Break, Bright Prospects. Wish I could have gotten something new instead.

One day, after several days of getting nothing but bronze and silver trash, I actually got a 6-star relic from the free daily pull. Too bad it was useless.

Ended up with a dupe of Cid Garlond’s (from Final Fantasy XIV) Ultra Soul Break (USB). Meh. Have 0 BDL relics for him so even if this was new, it’d still be useless.

Another faily free draw gave me a 5-star relic that belongs to Yuna. Not sure if this is her Unique Soul Break or something else.

Doesn’t really matter anyway because this will never see use. It’s old and outdated and utterly useless.

Another daily free draw gave me a dupe of one of Lenna Charlotte Tycoon’s (from Final Fantasy V) Ultra Soul Breaks.

It was nice to see a 6-star relic but was also really disappointed that this turned out to be nothing more than a dupe.

Another daily free draw gave me Galuf Halm Baldesion’s (from Final Fantasy V) Burst Soul Break (BSB), Sweet Sorrow. Meh. Useless.

Another daily free draw gave me Kefka Palazzo’s (from Final Fantasy VI) AASB, Stroke of Destruction.

It’s new and it’s an AASB so very pleased with the results of this free pull even if I don’t really like Kefka as a char.

Too bad I don’t have Kefka’s Synchro Arcane Soul Break (SASB) so can’t really use him in endgame content.

Conclusion

So, what about you? What relics did you get from the daily free draws? What do you think about the daily free draw banner? Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions by leaving a comment below or by reblogging this post.

Notes:

screenshots are from my Final Fantasy Record Keeper game account

[sinful-liesel]

Title: I'm Not Gonna Fall For You!

Release Date: 2019.02.27

CV: Masahiro Yamanaka, Junta Terashima

Circle/Label: Montblanc Records, KZentertainment

Type: BLCD

Synopsis↴

Keigo is a good-for-nothing womanizer beautician, who NTR'ed the female store-owner and got fired. He loiters around the streets in search of people to leach off of, and sees his ex-high school classmate Masafumi exit an expensive car. Masafumi owns a sex toy production company, and decides to let Keigo work for the product trials, which leads to...?

※Purchase link @ source. Please consider shopping using my affiliate links if you enjoy the content in my blog. It’s greatly appreciated! (◕‿◕)♡

[trashexplorer]

BLCD Review: Nindan ~ Danshikou de Ninshin Shita Ore.

Title: Nindan ~ Danshikou de Ninshin Shita Ore. ( 妊男~男子校で妊娠した俺。)

Release Date: 2018/08/10

Author/Artist: Masumi Wataru

Cast: Itou Kento x Nogami Shou

Synopsis: In a somewhat omegaverse Japan where some men are capable of becoming pregnant, Ikumi Kazuki is in a fickle when he finds out that he is one of those “men”. He tries to keep it under wraps but his childhood friend, Kurobane Chiharu, the last person he would ever want it to be known to, finds out! Chiharu can’t help but lay his hands on his childhood friend and despite his resistance, Kazuki’s body won’t listen!

Review Proper

Huh, this actually wasn’t as bad as I had imagined it to be.

So it really wasn’t omegaverse. I’m not sure how their society works and there haven’t been any mentions on how the female sex works in their universe because there’s really no female characters present. They’re also enrolled in an all boy’s school? I’m not really sure ‘cause I wasn’t paying that much attention during the whole first part of the CD. 😂

I’m really surprised that Chiharu had somewhat of a restraint over himself and didn’t rape Ikumi on the get go. I really do hate how pushy and overprotective he was. Why the fuck would you want to impregnate your fucking childhood friend when y’all both still in high school? Bet you didn’t think about the responsibilities you’ll have to undertake once you do get him pregnant against his will. 🙄 But well, at least he kept his promise of not putting his dick inside until the second to the last track and not coming inside since the Ikumi clearly doesn’t want to get pregnant.

Ikumi, on the other hand, is quite a respectable character. He’s physically capable of defending himself because of his skill in martial arts. He’s also morally upright in a sense - he is upset about the fact that he’s a “nindan” but, that doesn’t make him resent the “nindan” race as he would not hesitate to come to another nindan’s aid. 👍

The voice work was okay. I can’t expect much from these two yet since they’re still new, Nogami Shou more than Itou Kentou since the latter has more works to his name. The chemistry was so-so but this definitely was a big step-up from Itou Kento’s Bokura wa Sore wo Koi to Yobu performance. That’s quite impressive for just five months worth of time for improvement. These two CDs were also produced by basically the same studio so I guess even Montblanc Records pushed for some changes as well. 👌

I haven’t read the raws (and I have no intentions to) but, as a stand alone BLCD, I think that it was okay. I can’t say that I’d recommend this because I didn’t like it nor hate it but you do you. 🤷 If you have all the time in the world then go knock yourself out. Just don’t go looking for a grabbing plot and execution here because it ain’t here. 😂

[mjolnir-steve]

Holly Jolly Husband

Frank Adler x fem!reader

Word count: 2515

Summary: You and Frank ship up to Boston with Mary to visit your mother-in-law for the holidays. Unfortunately, you get snowed in, but that doesn't mean you and your husband aren't able to get a little hot and heavy. 😏

Warnings: smut (18+ only!!!!!!), some cursing, breeding kink, unprotected sex (m/f), tiny bit of fluff, sprinkle of corny jokes

Author's note: This is my second entry for @stargazingfangirl18, @navybrat817, and @drabblewithfrannybarnes’s Happy Hoelidays Challenge! I'm thrilled to be sharing this and happy that I've managed to write two fics for this challenge, a total of three fics in one month (a new record for me). 🥰

Thank you so much to Iva (@beefybuckrrito) for beta-reading this, making me laugh, and letting me blather on about my own breeding kink (oop!), especially when it comes to cranky Frankie. We all have to thank Thevy (@the-sal-del-mar) for the elaboration on nipple play and suggestions for reader's dirty talk. 🥴

(Dialogue prompts are in bold!)

-

Evelyn Adler was on your last goddamn nerve. It was your first Christmas with Frank after getting married in the fall, and you somehow ended up spending it snowed in at your mother-in-law’s home outside of Boston. Frank suggested that you and Mary join him in wearing ugly sweaters to dinner, insisting that he “had no idea” his mother required formal wear for the party she hosted on Christmas Eve.

From the moment you arrived that morning, Evelyn made you want to scream. She paid no attention to you or Frank until the two of you would try to sneak away for a moment. Then all of a sudden, she just needed Francis to check something with her car or she simply couldn’t allow you to attend the party with your hair looking like that. In a house as large as hers, you thought it would be easy to lose her, but she was always hot on your heels, deceptively saccharine insults at the ready.

For whatever reason, Evelyn stipulated that gifts be exchanged on Christmas Eve, after dinner and before dessert. She showered Mary with presents, including a desktop computer and several mathematics textbooks that were now out of print. Mary was elated, and you hoped that Evelyn had gotten at least one comparably nice gift for her son. To his (completely expected) dismay, Frank received two custom-made suits, one black and one navy. However, you were delighted, anxious to see how your newly minted husband looked in the expensive material.

“Thank you so much, Evelyn,” you smiled, hearing him mumble something about gotta be fuckin’ kidding me under his breath as your hand ever so slightly crept up his thigh.

“Oh, I almost forgot!” Evelyn rushed to the other side of the tree, retrieving a small, but beautifully wrapped box. She handed it to you, and upon feeling its weight, you hoped it was the new Bluetooth speaker you’d asked for. Knowing your mother-in-law, it was probably some expensive tchotchke, but you were surprised she’d gotten you anything at all.

You untied the ribbon carefully, wanting to save it to make a headband for Mary. You removed the wrapping paper to reveal a plain, white cardboard box. You smiled at Evelyn as you opened the box, gasping at her audacity when you found a large scented candle similar to one you’d purchased recently at Target. And of course, it wasn’t even a scent that you liked, rendering the thoughtless gift useless, too.

Frank clocked the tic of your jaw and the new tension in your neck, your tendons straining as he willed the steam not to escape your ears when Evelyn grinned and asked if you liked your present. He decided to defuse the situation before the bomb inevitably burst, taking advantage of Mary’s preoccupation with working on problems in her new Moleskine notebook with her rose gold and pearl Montblanc fountain pen.

“Honey, will you come upstairs with me for a sec? I think we forgot something. Come help me look?”

You looked at him in confusion before you noticed the slight nod of his head toward the staircase.

“Oh, right! Let’s go check. Thanks, Evelyn.” You flipped her off behind her back as you passed, making Frank chuckle and give your ass a light smack as you walked ahead of him.

As soon as Frank closed and locked the bedroom door behind you, you launched yourself into his arms, screeching into his chest.

“Your mother is actually insufferable, Adler. I cannot understand how you came from her.”

You walked in circles around the room, waving your hands so wildly that you began to resemble an air traffic controller. “It would have been better if she just didn’t give me anything. Do you see how calculatedly insulting she is? You know this already. I know you know this.”

You pulled at your hair as you rambled, your husband sitting at the edge of the bed and listening as you let it out. “She bought a ten-year-old a thousand-dollar pen! Who the actual fuck spends that much money on a pen, Frank? For a TEN-YEAR-OLD. I’m tempted to throw the candle through the front window like a brick. That’s all it’s good for since it smells like shit.”

Frank chuckled as he listened to you. He hated that you were so angry, but he’d be lying if he said his dick hated your passion in the moment.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. We shouldn’t have even come. I just didn’t want to disappoint Mary. She wanted to see the snow and I should have said n-”

You walked over to him and pressed a finger to his pouty lips, one of your favorite features of his. “You have nothing to apologize for, babe. And I’m not going to get an apology from the person who owes me - us - one.”

His hands found your waist, thumbs brushing back and forth in the pattern he knew instantly soothed you.

You ran your hands through his thick, messy hair, pulling his face to your belly. “Frankie?”

“Mhm.”

“Just promise me when we have our own children, we’re not going to do this shit.” His grip on you tightened. “We’re going to buy them normal presents. If they end up being geniuses like Mary, then they can do math with a mechanical pencil from the drugstore like everyone else.”

He pressed a kiss to your stomach before leaning back to look up at you, his normally bright, sky blue eyes now darkened like a hurricane was coming, and you were in a fucking rowboat with one oar.

But he let you continue, slowly standing up as you rattled on. “And if Evelyn wants to spend the holidays with her grandkids, she can come to Florida. I’m not dealing with her nonsense when we have little ones running around. I don’t need her immaturity on top of ev-”

You yelped as Frank backed you up into the wall, pinning you there with his thick thigh between your legs. “So children, huh? Like… more than one?”

You rolled your eyes at him in a lazy attempt to hide the way he quickly affected you. “Out of everything I said, that’s the only thing that stood out to you?”

“No, lots of things stood out, but now something else is standing out because of it.” He pressed his body against yours, glancing down between you.

You tried to duck away, but he kept you caged in with his arms and thigh. “You know, you pretend to be this brooding, mysterious man, but you’re actually just a giant cornball.”

“You love it.”

“I never said I didn’t.” You couldn’t help but giggle at his impatience when he started fiddling with the hem of your sweater.

He hummed as you subconsciously ground yourself down on his thigh. “Well, since we’ve established you love my corny ass, let me help you out of that ugly sweater.”

“Frank, there’s a whole party going on downstairs. We can’t. Your mother or Mary will come looking f-”

“Sweetheart, I wasn’t really asking.” You knew you were fucked (literally) when he switched to sweetheart from honey. Frank only broke out that term of endearment when he was about to wreck you thoroughly.

He bunched up your skirt past your hips after removing your sweater, mentally noting that he should not have purchased you a sweater covered in jingle bells if his intention was to remove it during a holiday party.

“Frank, is this why you told me to wear a skirt instead of jeans?” The last word of your question devolved into some kind of broken moan as he got to work nipping and sucking at the tops of your breasts.

He huffed and looked you in the eyes. “I can neither confirm nor deny whether this was premeditated. Now come on.” He tapped your hip, signaling you to hop up and wrap your legs around his unfairly narrow waist.

You dipped your head to kiss him as he worked his thumb over your clit, your folds exposed now that he’d pushed your panties to the side. You whined into his mouth as he teased you, scratching your back against the wall.

“If I knew just talking about having kids would make you lose your mind, I’d have mentioned it SO much sooner, fuck.” Your eyes closed as his lips found one of the more sensitive spots on your throat.

With that, Frank harshly thrust two thick fingers inside you, pleased to find you were more than wet and wanting enough to take him. “Love getting you all worked up for me like this, sweetheart. Don’t even need to prep you.”

“Good. We don’t have time for you to prep me, Adler.” You clenched around his fingers for good measure. “Bed. Now.”

“So bossy, Adler,” he whispered in between kisses as he walked you over to the bed, laying you down gently before removing his jeans and boxers.

“Sweater, too. We are not trying to conceive while you’re wearing that thing,” scrunching your nose at his knit monstrosity depicting the Boston Tea Party, complete with 1776 emblazoned across the back in metallic silver thread.

He hummed as he kissed across your chest before standing up to remove his clothes. “So good to me, Y/N. Gonna give you the best gift of all.”

You raised your eyebrows at him as he rested his weight on top of you. “Yeah? What’s that?”

He smirked as he reached between you, lining himself up with your aching heat. “A belly full of me.”

“So corny,” you whisper-moaned as he sank into you, rendering you unable to talk back to him for once.

Although you and Frank had been sleeping together for the better part of three years, you were amazed by how full you felt every single time. Although his hands were rough from his work, his touch was always gentle, as if you were a rare book whose pages he couldn’t wait to turn. Even when you were in a rush or wanted it rough, he treated you with such care and warmth, only the sun itself might compare. The way he handled your body and your heart made you think you were meant to be.

Frank kissed you, using his tongue to silence your moans as he thrust into you once, twice, three times. Covering your mouth with his large hand, he nipped at your throat. “Love when you just let me take you like this, sweetheart,” he breathed into your ear. “So damn tight and all mine.”

Frank had you fluttering around him in what felt like no time at all. His filthy words combined with his expert motions brought you to the brink without fail, a skill in which he took the greatest pride. Each purposeful stroke had you arching your back beneath him, head empty apart from thoughts of how good he felt in and around you, completely oblivious to the knowledge of the party continuing mere feet away from where you laid.

Supporting his weight on his forearm, he used his other hand to guide your breast to his mouth, nibbling and licking at your soft flesh, then catching your nipple lightly between his teeth before sucking on the hardened nub. This was another trick he employed when time was of the essence, which was often, given your living situation. You certainly had no complaints when his stubble scratched against your skin as he pulled away to blow cool air over the wetness he left behind, causing you to clench. He chuckled when you bucked your hips to meet his, pleased with how worked up he’d gotten you through such a simple act.

“Frank, shit, I’m close. P- please, baby, please.” You were reduced to a babbling, whimpering mess as your husband continued fucking into you. He throbbed inside you and his pace faltered, both signs that he was reaching his peak as quickly as you were.

“God, sweetheart, you’re so beautiful like this, but the thought of you all round and glowy because of me? Makes me wanna keep you full all day, every day.” You couldn’t form a complete sentence, so your response was delivered in the form of scratches down his muscular back - souvenirs you were happy to leave behind once Frank told you he loved being marked by you.

On instinct, you wrapped your legs around his waist, your heels pressing into his toned ass, making it so his thrusts were shorter, but deeper. As you tightened around him, he let out a moan so feral, you were granted a moment of clarity and wanted to send him over the edge.

“Come on, Frankie, please give it to me,” you murmured in his ear. “Gonna let me make you a daddy?” You gripped him tight, holding him impossibly close to you as you mouthed at his throat.

Frank pounded into you with abandon, slamming the headboard into the wall again and again until you let out a broken whine, finally creaming around him. He damn near roared as he came, biting down on your shoulder and filling you to the brim. He chained kisses up your neck and across your jaw before reaching your lips, loving you sweet and slow in contrast to what you’d just shared.

He sagged against you for a moment as you both attempted to steady your breathing. “I love you so damn much, baby. Thank you for giving me everything.”

You smiled while you lazily ran your fingers through his hair. “I love you more, Frankie… We’d better get cleaned up before someone comes looking for us.”

He groaned and reluctantly pulled out of you, his cock twitching as he watched your combined release spilling from your swollen folds. He walked to the en suite bathroom, returning with a damp cloth to wipe up your thighs, avoiding your messy center.

He didn’t give you a chance to reprimand him, pulling your panties back into place and chuckling at your face, twisted in mild discomfort. He ghosted his fingers over the wet spot developing on the fabric.“Nuh-uh, baby. Gotta keep you filled with me. Make sure it takes.”

You squinted at him before your face broke into a grin. “C’mere, handsome,” you mumbled, kissing him once more before straightening yourselves up and returning to the party, astounded that you managed to restore your pre-sexcapades appearance.

As the two of you joined family and friends at the table for dessert, Evelyn took notice that Frank only had one slice of pie and two cookies on his plate. Anyone who paid attention to Frank for more than two minutes knew he wasn’t a big sweets guy, preferring chips and dips to cakes and puddings.

“Is something wrong, Francis? Is there nothing you like?”

He smiled warmly as he squeezed your thigh under the table. “Oh, everything’s great,” he simpered, mocking her fake concern. He slid his hand up your thigh, slipping his fingers past the hem of your skirt. “I think I just overdid it on the stuffing.”

[britishassistant]

Supervillain AU! I formally request the special addition of Yuu’s first kidnapping please.

Thank you for the ask, dear anon!

“Yoo-hoo, Reporter-chan? Wakey-wakey, it’ll be bad for you if you don’t get up soon~”

Yuu shakes their head groggily, the sing-songy voice not helping the pounding in their temple.

“Did someone get the number of the truck that hit me?” They mumble, blinking to try and get their eyes to focus.

“Dammit Deuce, you gave them brain damage.” A familiar, much more annoyed sounding voice said. “Their head’s gonna be all screwy and useless now, dumbass.”

“It was just a lovetap though!” A third voice, also familiar, protested.

The floor finally stopped moving in front of their eyes and Yuu realized some very important things.

One, the floor they were staring at was not the floor of the library where they last remembered being.

Two: Their arms and legs seemed to be tied tight to the arms and legs of an iron garden chair.

Three: There are many odd-looking people standing near them, all in clothes that are too coordinated not to be a uniform but too outlandish to represent a government group of some kind.

Oh Great Seven, Yuu thinks with a rising sort of hysteria. It’s finally happened.

Clowns have come to take me away for not brushing my teeth enough like Mom said when I was little.

“...Are ya sure you didn’t break ‘em?”

“...”

“Deuce.”

Yuu wonders if they should feel offended at being talked around like this.

“Enough of this nonsense!” A hand seizes Yuu’s chin and pulls their head up to face the latest speaker. An imperious-looking young man stands and walks towards the reporter, clicking his fingers. “Three of Clovers.”

A tall man in glasses hands the imperious young man what Yuu recognizes as their wallet. The shorter man glances at the contents disdainfully. “You. First and last name and age, now.”

“Y-Yuu Radcliffe, 23 years.” The reporter stutters, their initial hysteria morphing into a sinking feeling in their gut. If not the clowns, then... “Can I ask who I have the pleasure of talking to?”

“No.” The redhead holding their wallet snaps. “Current occupation and birthday?”

“Field reporter at TWST local news.” They force themselves to relax the fists their hands have balled into. “March 18th.”

Remember what Uncle Divvy always says. Stay calm, act cooperative, do or say whatever you need to to avoid injury. Any supervillains on this level trying to curry favor with or blackmail the dumb bird will have to go through Uncle Divvy first to contact him, and he’ll take care of the rest.

All Yuu needs to do is keep themselves alive until then.

They still can’t help but dread what they know is coming next.

The supervillain seems to notice their distress, and smirks cruelly. He takes his time walking forward and leaning down until he’s on the reporter’s eye level, hands resting on the back of the chair and eyes flicking over their face, almost as if he’s savoring the moment before he makes their life that much more painful.

Yuu braces themselves as he opens his mouth–!

“What is the best type of tea?”

Huh?

“Wait, what? I don’t—” Yuu asks, backpedalling as the supervillain’s face grows stormy at their lack of response. “Uuh...green tea? I guess? I mean, it’s the one I like the most, but I’m more of a coffee or hot cocoa person, so I’m not the best one to ask...”

The person holding their chin sucks in through their teeth and the annoyed familiar voice outside their periphary snickers “Oooh, busted~”

The supervillain is beginning to go as red as his hair, and the reporter can hear his teeth grinding. His hands are now gripping the back of the chair so tight Yuu would almost swear they hear the metal by their ears creak.

“Ri–Royal.” The man with glasses says.

The supervillain inhales and exhales almost violently, until what’s visible of his face under that mask is looking less flushed.

“The correct answer,” He says, voice trembling with emotion. “Was all teas at their due times. To drink green tea instead of rosehip at breakfast, or lemon tea at 8pm...the nerve of your arrogance is astounding!”

Yuu...genuinely isn’t sure how they’re supposed to respond to that. Instead they just go with, “I’m sorry, I’ve never had rosehip or lemon tea. Do you like them?”

“Do I—?!” The supervillain’s mouth works soundlessly, gradually going red again. He pushes off the chair sharply. “I—the ro—i-it’s not a matter of liking!! These are the Rules!! And the Rules must be obeyed!! Three of Clovers!”

“Yes, Royal Flush?” The glasses man asks.

“The reporter is forbidden from having any montblanc after dinner, and will take two cups of lemon tea at 8pm tonight and two cups of rosehip tomorrow at breakfast.” Royal Flush flashes them a cruel smirk. “Consider it a light punishment for your impertinence.”

Yuu blinks. Tries to make sense of what they’ve just heard.

Blinks again.

“You know if you just wanted to ask me out to dinner, I’d have taken a nice invitation or a bouquet. You didn’t need to knock me out and tie me up like this, I’m not that picky. I do have Tinder.”

Glasses guy makes a choking noise and erupts into a coughing fit.

The hand that’s been holding Yuu’s chin migrates to their shoulder for support as its owner lets out an undignified snort and gasps out something that sounds vaguely like “why wasn’t I recording, that was Magicam gold!” as he giggles. He’s a redhead too, but much more orange than his boss.

There’s a sputter of hysterical laughter that has Yuu twisting their head to see the two guys and the cat from the hydroelectric plant, both with these odd-looking metal collars around their necks, but otherwise unharmed. The talking cat is trussed up in so many ropes that it looks more like a bobblehead, also wearing a weird collar.

The third redheaded one is bracing his hands on his knees, wheezing out a litany of “holy shit, holy shit” between chortles. The dark haired one is holding the cat a confused expression, cutting off his friend’s laughter when he turns to ask, “Ace, what’s tinder?”

The momentary silence lets an odd squeaking noise be heard.

One that gradually grows in volume until it’s an outright screech coming from the supervillain in front of them. He’s so red Yuu is honestly worried about his blood pressure, pointing a shaking finger at them.

“I—YOU—YOU—OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!!!”

Yuu chokes a little at the feeling of cold metal materializing around their neck, dragging their head down with its weight. The supervillain continues screeching, refusing to even look at the reporter. “YOU—! DUNGEON! RIGHT NOW!! NO DESSERTS!! GO!!”

There’s an awkward moment as Royal Flush turns away from them, as if expecting them to get up and walk out of their own accord while his back is to them.

“...So, does that mean you want them to untie me or something, or...?” Yuu wiggles their firmly bound hands and feet for emphasis.

The supervillian makes a sound like a kettle whistling, before he barks out. “Two of Spades! Ace of Hearts! GET them OUT OF MY SIGHT until they’re WILLING to COOPERATE!!”

The dark haired young man quickly shuffles forward, grabs the back of the chair, and drags it and the poor reporter attached to it out of the room and into the corridor. The metal screeches as it moves from carpet to concrete.

“Wh—Two, no, untie them first.” The man with glasses says, despairing, appearing in the doorway. “You’ll mark up the floor otherwise.”

“Ah! Sorry, senpai!” Two looks between the cat in his arms and the knots on the chair, before shoving the cat into the arms of the redhead who answers to “Ace”. Neither of them look happy with this development.

“Fgnah! Quit squeezing, ya jerk!” The cat protests, wriggling as best it can.

“Oh? What’s that? I’m sorry, I just need to make sure that greatest, lamest supervillain in the city doesn’t escape to go setting random crap in the lair on fire again.” Ace says sweetly, grip tightening.

“Tha’s your fault, an’ you know it!” The cat wheezes out, thrashing harder.

Yuu winces. “Hey, quit hurting him. Whatever he did, he doesn’t deserve this.”

The dark haired minion barks out a laugh as he tugs the ropes away from their right wrist while his redheaded counterpart sneers at them.

“Oh really? Bet you’ll change your tune real quick once you learn it’s thanks to him you’re here in the first place.” Ace of Hearts mocks. “Dumb monster sang like a damn canary when Royal pressured him a tiiiny bit, saying it was all your fault his precious ingredient is now in the sewers.”

“Tha’s a lie!” The monster? cat blurts out too quickly for comfort. “It’s all these two morons, I swear!”

“Why you little—“

“I don’t care.” Yuu cuts in before Two of Spades can hit the animal. “I didn’t destroy that thing, but even if none of you said anything, your boss would’ve found out I was involved anyway from watching my report on it on the news. So I don’t care, just-just quit hurting him.”

There’s a tense moment as the two minions stare down at the reporter. They do their best to meet the gazes without flinching.

Then the Ace of Hearts tosses the cat into their lap as the Two of Spades sinks back down to keep working on their ankle. “Fine. Since you like it so much, you can take care of it. Just don’t expect me to cover for your ass—you still owe me for the power plant.”

“I’m sorry?” Yuu curls their free arm around the bundle of rope, fur, and yowling insults and pulls it closer to them. “Shouldn’t that be the other way round?”

“You locked me in a closet with him!” Ace hisses. “Do you know how hard it was to get out before the cops came with him freaking out and messing stuff up?!”

“Oi.” Two shoots him a dark look from where he’s finished untying the reporter’s left hand. “Like you weren’t whining about us being digested until you knocked a broom over!”

“Sh-shut up!”

“Well excuse me for trying to save your lives.” Yuu bites back, rubbing the rope marks on their wrists. “Next time I’ll just run and let the sludge monster eat your unconscious bodies.”

“It’d save us all the trouble of this shit if you did!” Ace spits, jabbing a finger at his collar. “At least then we wouldn’t be on Royal’s shit list!”

Yuu lets the piece of information they were just given marinate in their brain as they glare at him. Well, now what exactly was that supposed to mean?

“Ngh...this knot won’t come loose.” Two says from by the reporter’s left foot.

“How about now?” Replies an unfamiliar voice, as a disembodied hand pulls deftly at a loop in the rope.

“Ah!” Two of Spades brightens up as the rest of the rope falls away. “Thanks a lot—”

The disembodied hand punches him in the face.

Yuu cries out in alarm at the sight of the minion falling backwards into the Ace of Hearts, knocking him down like a bowling pin.

A pair of clawed hands are then scooping them up, extra cat and all, and the reporter finds themself looking at the unsettlingly wide smile and purple cat ears of one of the city’s top heroes, running at full speed while sharpened playing cards whizz past his face and Ace calls out behind them “Senpai! It’s him again!!”

There’s a percussive boom somewhere in the distance, and screams of how the flamingos are loose as the hero winks down at Yuu. “Seems you’re a popular one today, kitten! But let’s get you back to where you where before you were so rudely catnapped, yes?”

“Not so fast, hero!” The orange haired guy choruses from the entrance to the staircase, and—from behind them as well?

The reporter’s heart sinks as more and more versions of the minion keep popping up around them, to the point where the hero is forced to stand on the bannister of the balcony they’re on.

And based on the fact that the hero hasn’t used his invisibility? Intangibility? powers, it’s likely that he can’t use them while holding Yuu and the cat.

They’re surrounded.

“You really can’t keep your paws out of anything that’s mine, can you?” Royal Flush’s tone is clipped as he glares up at the hero.

“Hey R-kun, Three-kun!” The hero pouts, hugging Yuu closer to his chest. “I come a~ll this way to play, only to find you’ve got a nyew toy you’re already playing with without me! How mean! You guys really are cruel!!”

“We’re sorry about that.” Three of Clovers says, edging closer. “If you just hand the reporter over to Four, they’ll be put away and we can all “play” together, no distractions. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

The hero makes a deliberating noise, holding Yuu out and away from him over the drop, tilting his head this way and that.

His grin grows unsettlingly wider.

“Look, R-kun, Three-kun!” The hero calls out. “Nyo hands!”

Wait, what—

The hero’s body vanishes.

Yuu and the monster cat plummet screaming past the illogically winding staircases of the evil lair.

Yuu tries to angle their body so that the frantically crying cat will be shielded from the brunt of the fall—!

“NO!!”

There’s a sound like glass shattering, and a feeling of being enveloped in something soft, cold and buoyant. The two of them bounce a few times and land back on it more gently each time.

Yuu cracks open their eyes to see that they’re seated on a strange, red, jelly-like mass. The cat in their arms tentatively sniffs, and then lunges to take a bite out of their cushion before the reporter can stop him.

“Shtrawberry?” He says through a full mouth. “Tashtes good!”

The reporter grabs him before he can go for another bite, a little thrown by his speed now that collar isn’t weighing him down. But where did this thing come from–?

Yuu looks up.

Royal Flush is leaning dangerously far over the balcony countless flights of stairs above them, one arm outstretched down towards them.

They stare at each other for a moment.

Then clawed hands fasten around Yuu’s waist again with a cheery “Nyow wasn’t that fun?” and Royal Flush visibly tenses and begins screaming things after the escaping hero that are barely legible through his rage.

The hero deposits them both outside the TWST news station with their wallet and phone back in their pockets. He at least helps them untie the monster cat, who promptly declares he just let them protect him, and scarpers.

Of course the hero is gone too when Yuu turns back around, before they can ask him what the hell he was playing at, dropping them like that, was he insane?! If Royal Flush hadn’t interfered...

The reporter has to fight the urge to lose their lunch.

Their boss rushes out and envelopes them in a surprisingly powerful hug, the woman almost lifting the reporter off their feet as she babbles about whether or not Yuu needs a hospital after getting kidnapped by one of the seven major supervillains.

Yuuken is quick to join the embrace with a bear hug of his own. He pulls back, fingers prodding gently at Yuu’s bruised temple and declaring he’ll drive them to hospital to make sure they don’t have a concussion.

He graciously waits until they’re in the car to ask why Yuu smells so much of strawberries.

The reporter can only give a half answer, partly because they don’t want to worry him, and partly because they have another question of their own buzzing incessantly around their brain.

Why was Yuu kidnapped in the first place?

Royal Flush never even mentioned Crowley, despite all the chances he had to do so. Not even an oblique or confusing metaphor or code. Does that mean he’s ignorant of the connection between Yuu and the League?

But if that’s the case, it circles back around to the first question: why kidnap Yuu to begin with?

Somehow the reporter doubts it was to just ask their tea preferences or invite them to dinner.

Those minions referred to that monster as Royal Flush’s “precious ingredient”. Ingredient for what? Is there something that Royal Flush thinks they witnessed that’s integral to a scheme? Did they witness something and just not realize it’s significance?

Yuu’s reporter senses are screaming that there’s a deeper story to uncover here. Yuu’s common sense is screaming that investigating the dangerous plans of the supervillain they’ve just escaped from is a terrible idea.

Though he could have just...let them fall. But he didn’t. And won’t he just kidnap them again regardless?

...

This is a terrible idea.

But if Yuu’s common sense was stronger than their reporter senses, then they wouldn’t be in this city in the first place, would they?

[korusalka]

my family & i were incredibly lucky to find a bunch of 20+ yo VHS tapes that my grandpa (who passed last year) used to save even older tapes of his travels, and we watched them together today, and oh god. the emotions they unlocked. thankfully none of us cried, it was a very joyful experience, but i need to document it while it's fresh so just in case we lose these tapes during the third process of digitalisation, i'll have at least ... this.

so my grandparents were czechoslovakians who used to travel western europe for the better part of the sixties together while it was still possible, and the first tape documented their milan & nizza/south france trip around 1965 (!) my grandma recorded most of it and my grandpa sometimes showed her ("oh god, she looks EXACTLY like my aunt") looking very disgruntled in her too-modern sunglasses, because she was a bookworm who felt very :/ about travelling and camping in particular. my grandpa was a very athletic man throughout his life with a fucked up motorcycle-accident knee and a wild haircut that he didn't change for 50 years ("oh god, he looks EXACTLY like dad"). they drove through the winded roads of switzerland down to milan (god, italian people in sixties fashion .....), camped illegally in the mountains with a red sleeping bag, and shot minutes and minutes of too-rich people in glittering monaco & nizza on the beach. my grandpa diving into the very blue waves (blue is the last colour that fades) of the mediterranean & atlantic.

another tape showed them at some point probably in 1967, the summer before the prague spring, the last opportunity they had to cross the western borders when tensions were brewing and they were seriously debating to flee. (they didn't, because my grandma loved her mum. so many lives changed because of that decision.) when they took the northern route through paris and le havre, when my grandma was pregnant with my aunt and paris was bustling with hippies and communes passionate about socialism and my grandparents side-eying them like "are they serious?" them filming a big lunch they afforded just this once because otherwise they packed their car with lunch from home so they could save money for the incredibly expensive gas. my grandma smiling for once, sitting on the steps of montmartre, wriggling her toes in the sunshine.

a third tape, just as faded and shakily shot, but it had to be 1989, my grandpa just reused his old camera & film (throughout his life he kept reusing things that were honestly beyond saving). it showed my grandpa and my 20 yo aunt on their way to climbing montblanc, a pretty challenging route. my aunt looking graceful and much more smiley than her mother ever did, iceskating on a rink with her little turns and twirls, and bravely climbing & skiing probably under the rigorous eye of my grandpa. they also camped illegally with my aunt using a red sleeping bag (🤦‍♀️i hope my aunt wasn't aware of that). after that, they went to paris, and one of the last scenes was my aunt, so pretty in her floral 80s skirt, laughing out loud, sitting on the steps of montmartre, wriggling her toes in the sunshine.

i'm so emotional because of this. that's exactly why we need to take more pictures of or loved ones. someday, maybe even almost 60 years in the future, your offspring will see you continue a sweet little family tradition and feel the urge to take off her shoes on the steps of an old church to feel your laugh echo through the decades.

[photodebiere]

Beeb’Hop (brasserie Kisswing - Hérault),  bière blonde houblonnée -  Coffret “L’été des brasseuses” (Cercle Bierissima) -

Brasserie Kisswing (Languedoc)  A 32 ans seulement, Anaïs, fondatrice et directrice de la brasserie située à Montblanc dans l’Hérault, a su mettre ses nombreux talents issus d’une carrière dans le secteur de l’énergie et ses origines canadiennes au service du renouveau de la bière artisanale locale française.  Développer le circuit court, la bio, faire grandir sa brasserie et ses équipes, maîtriser son empreinte énergétique. 

Beeb’Hop (style : Pale Ale)  Nous avons sélectionné pour vous dans ce coffret, la Beeb’Hop, une Pale Ale bien houblonnée qui est la toute première recette produite par la brasserie.  Bière bio, comme tout le reste de leur gamme, on apprécie le caractère de cette blonde très aromatique.  La première fois qu’Anaïs a brassé la Beeb’Hop, un de ses brûleurs est tombé en panne : l’équipe a mis presque 18h pour finir ce premier brassin. Leur record, à ce jour, du plus long brassage... 

[dancincu]

#MandoMonday • #Aqualish were a species of sentient humanoids from the #planetAndo, who were identifiable by round black eyes and fur. Some members of this race possessed four eyes, others only one pair. Aqualish generally have bald heads, fur around their cheeks, and they appear to have different skin colors from each other. The species spoke Aqualish. [ ] ¤ #FOUNTAINPEN: @opus88writing Jazz #eyedropper #Fountainpen , M nib ¤ #NOTEBOOK: @madebyendless Recorder Notebook – Deep Ocean, A5 size, blank layout via ¤ #INK: @Montblanc Irish Green the one and only #thegreenofmylife • • • [ ] Hashtags ... please ignore: #WhatArchitectsDraw #Architect #Architects #DanCINCU #ArchitectResita #Drawing #InkSketc #SketchBook #ArchitectureSketch #fountainpen #fountainpennetwork #FountainpenInk #fountainpensketch #FountainpenGeeks • #theMandalorian #StarWars #starwarsartwork #starwarsfans @themandalorian @pascalispunk @babyyoda.official • #DoSomethingCreativeEveryDay [ ] #设计师 #معماری (la Cincu Dan) https://www.instagram.com/p/CH8UKRopIDZ/?igshid=1co6pk6vd8cw2

[follyhodger]

Been a lot of buzz lately about Raftel LAUGHTALE. As was case with the hidden initial of Gol(D) Roger, the words that shape our understanding of One Piece’s world changed over time, such that their original meaning was lost.

2 related points:

1. The growing awareness that the received language of One Piece may be deceptive (and the subsequent quest for the real words) is analogous to Robin’s critical stance towards the narratives backed by the World Government’s authority, and her quest for the True History inscribed upon the Poneglyphs.

2. One Piece already has given us an example of what purpose might be served by a World Government-endorsed narrative manufacture: Montblanc Noland. The fairy tale depicts a wise king who punishes a despicable liar (Noland), but this account of events is later presented as falsehood. The king is vicious and greedy, while Noland is noble. One can infer that the fairy tale arose from the version of events used to justify Noland’s execution, a version which deliberately ensures that the king comes off as wise and good.

I have begun to suspect that this pattern of narrative applies to One Piece itself. In the same way that Lord of the Rings is diegetically an English translation of Middle Earth’s recorded history, it seems possible that One Piece is diegetically a fairy tale -- with the same potential for language decay that surrounds the Pirate King, the same possibility for agenda-driven misinformation that plagues the story of Noland the Liar, and the same hint of an underlying True History.

Some suppositions to that effect:

What if Dressrosa was NOT a peaceful country prior to Doflamingo, and the claim that Doffy corrupted and manipulated the nation into arms-dealing serves to shield Dressrosa’s royalty from its legacy of violence? The institutional blood-sport of the coliseum long preceded the pirate invasion, after all, though the story attempts to convince us that Doffy corrupted the once noble warrior’s battlefield as well. The battles of the coliseum may very well represent war in general: One Piece liveblogger @grantthethief observed that the after effects of the introductory King Punch are like an explosion, emphasizing the ruler’s literal and metaphorical military might. If the above holds, King Elizabello’s cordial relations with King Riku would imply that Elizabello was a client of Dressrosa’s war dealings, no?

What if the figure of Eneru arose to relieve a historical Gan Fall from his culpability in the near destruction of Skypeia? Eneru’s plan is to strip mine the vearth of all its valuable resources and cast Skypeia into the sea -- but Skypeia was already on such a course, literally mining the clouds beneath their feet! The figure of Enel turns a nation’s poor policy decision (a mode of production that literally undermines their future) into the maniacal scheme of an outside agent.

What if the figure of Crocodile truly evolved from the simple fact of a historic drought? What if Vivi, with her blue hair and dress covered in raindrops, is simply a personification of the rain? (Is Luffy, named after a sail, the wind that carried the rain?) King Cobra is possessive and overprotective of his daughter (and peeps on her in the bath) -- are we to infer that Cobra really did hoard the rain with Dance Powder, and the conspiracy within which he was framed for doing so was a mere fabrication to restore the royalty’s reputation in the aftermath of near revolution?

Or to return to Noland: can we even trust the revised edition of his story, if One Piece itself is a patchwork revision?

Like Robin, the reader of One Piece is an archaeologist. The drama we read can be presumed to have arisen from original circumstances whose outline must be traced from the symbols and conflicting interests present in the transformed copy. You have to interrogate what’s in front of you.

[wessasaurus-rex]

One Piece: Chapter 973 - Predictions

It is interesting to see the 20 years idea came from Oden. In the end, it seems that by having learned of all the secrets of the world, Oden had a much better understanding of the overall picture than Toki. After all, the end of the void century might have been a very chaotic time and Toki was maybe too young to understand what was going on.

An updated timelinel:

41 years ago: start of the flashback, the Mountain God incident

39 years ago: Oden becomes Daimyo of Kuri. The same year, Roger reaches Lode Star and realizes there might be another "last island”

38 years ago: the incident at God Valley

33 years ago: former Rocks pirates start recruiting. Kawamatsu, Inu and Nekko join Oden

30 years ago: Oden joins WB and leaves Wano

28 years ago: Roger realizes he has a terminal disease, he goes to the twin capes to recruit Crocus and starts his last journey. Momonosuke is born on the Moby Dick.

26 years ago: Hiyori is born on the Moby Dick. Oden is poached by Roger and leaves the Whitebeard pirates for a year. Roger is shown the road poneglyph from Zou.

25 years ago: Roger and his crew reach the final island and name it Laugh Tale, they then disband. Oden comes back to Wano, then starts to make a fool of himself.

24 years ago: Roger turns himself in to the Marines and is executed.

23 years ago: Moria clashes against Kaido. Ryuma's grave is robbed.

20 years ago: Oden and his men attack Kaido, they are defeated and captured. Oden is executed but saves his retainers. Momonosuke and Kinemon are sent 20 years into the future.

I really hope that there is more to the reason behind the start of Nekos and Inus feud. A 20 year long hatred for eachother just because Neko rejoiced ? Why would Inu hate him for that ? Neko didnt provoke Orochi and Kaido, Oden himself said their minds were already set on killing him anyway. Now, to some prediction:

Chapter 973: This chapter is the last in the flashback. Usually Oda doesnt match the end of a flashback with the end of a chapter, he likes to transition in and off of it between his panels. Toki's mind is set on sending the scabbards 20 years into the future. Now they only have to come to her. At the start of the chapter we will switch back to Kinemons party fleeing the Flower capital. Shinobu may have to sacrifice herself to stall Orochis men in pursue. Along the way, as we know, the argument between Neko and Inu will get worse and they will eventually fight among themselves. That will enable Orochis men to capture them. The other scabbards will not stop and continue rushing back to Kuri. They will find that Odens castle is already in flames, attacked by Kaidos crew. Kaido is inside the castle, preparing to eliminate Odens family. Denjiro and Ashura will attack Kaido and drive him off to buy some time. Toki will then explain her power to the scabbards and send Kinemon, Kiku, Raizo, Kanjuro and Momo 20 years in the future. She will then entrust Hiyori to Kawamatsu and tell him to go into hiding. Finally, she will tell her prophecy as the castle will collapse in flames. I believe that a this moment she chose to teleport 20 years in the future to see if the scabbards would succeed. It is possible that she chose a date further back in time than the scabbards and that she hasnt even reappeared in the present a this stage. If she decided to do that, I dont think it would be shown just yet in the story. In the second half of the chapter we will have the last panels from the past and transition back to the present, on the shore where the scabbards were awaiting their allies. Their argument will be interrupted when an arrow with a message will land close to them, an arrow shot by Usopp from far away and bearing a message from Luffy.

I think this 3rd act needs to address two more plot points regarding Wano's intrigues before the raid on Onigashima takes place in the fourth act. Who is the traitor, and who really is Kyoshiro ? There are chances these two intrigues are linked, and will be solved together. And for that, the plot needs to move back to the flower capital.

So about Kyoshiro. I do believe in the theory where Denjiro and Kyoshiro are the same person. There are several clues leading to that. First, there is the fact Kyoshiro is not loyal to Orochi, at all. He has also been introduced in the first act along the remaining scabbards. Kiku: chapter 913, Kyoshiro: chapter 919, Ashura: chapter 920, Kawamastu: chapter 920. Conveniently, he is also a samurai and money changer. When he finds the card with Kinemons coded message for the rebellion, he seems to understand it. For the record, only those who secretely swore 20 years ago to rize up when the time is ripe were meant to understand the message (so those who had a crescent tatoo on their ankle). He also talks about Toki's death like a first-hand witness. But who was there when she died ? Kaido, his men, maybe some retainers of Kuri and probably Denjiro and Ashura. Where Im getting is that story-wise Kyoshiro was left behind in the capital on purpose. He will join the uprising and enable the thousand or so captured samurai in the capital to take up arms (which will bring their forces to ~5000, the ideal number Kinemon was hoping for at the start of the arc). He will also potentially help in finding the traitor if there is any.

Speaking of the traitor. I tried spinning the problem in every direction I could think of. There are too many possibilities still when you consider that important info might be withheld by Oda. For instance,  it is possible that Shinobu was captured and tortured 20 years ago, had her spirit broken and now secretely serves Orochi. Which would explain the contrast between the thorough and badass Shinobu from the past and the goofy and somewhat incompetent Shinonu from the present. Or the two are not the same person and the present one is an impostor. Still too many possibilities, and not only regarding Shinobu.

A word regarding Luffy/Joy Boy. I really don't think Oda is taking the path of some "reincarnation". I think only the will/drive for freedom is surviving and passing from individual to individual. But all is not about the will and ideal. One can only accomplish so much without some sort of natural power. Some people are forces of nature and blessed with attributes such as conqueror haki/ ability to hear the voice of all things/ ability to turn all the people around you into allies. There is one or more of such type born with those attributes in each generation. All of them will not use these abilities for good purposes. All of them will not become explorers or pirates, all of them will not have the opportunity to reach Laugh Tale and learn the secrets of the world. And even if they did, we understand now that they need at least the help of Poseidon to do anything about it. I think Montblanc Norland was a predecessor  of Luffy and Roger. He ran out of luck and got executed before accomplishing more. Roger was a "chosen one" as much as Luffy and Norland but was too early and he understood it. He was still the first to reach the last island since the void century and decided to make good use of this feat for the future. With Luffy we are only following the story of that one capable man who came at the right time, who was by any means luckier that all those who preceded him. The reason Oden really believes in the coming of a new Joy Boy in 20 years is because of what he heard from the sea kings and the actions of Roger. By talking of the One Piece and initiating a new pirate era, Roger ensured that the capable individual(s) of the next generation had a pretty good chance to strife for freedom and try to explore the whole world and its history.

[sinful-liesel]

Title: Brothers' Things Next Door ~Case of Fujii Family~ 

Release Date: 2019.02.26

CV: Tomohito Takatsuka, Yusuke Shirai

Circle/Label: Montblanc Records, KZentertainment

Type: BLCD

Synopsis↴

Yukito's first birthday as Akihisa's boyfriend approaches, but on his birthday, he runs into his old sex friend. Though he had already moved on, Akihisa is in a bad mood, and Yukito forcefully takes him into a love hotel to make up for it...

※Purchase link @ source. Please consider shopping using my affiliate links if you enjoy the content in my blog. It’s greatly appreciated! (◕‿◕)♡

[trashexplorer]

BLCD Review: [Nama Haishin] Aitsu ni Koishite Mita!

Title:  [Nama Haishin] Aitsu ni Koishite Mita! (【生配信】あいつに恋してみた！)

Release Date: 2018/07/10

Cast: Lounsbery Arthur x Tsuchida Reiou

Synopsis: After passing their college exams, Takuto and Yoshirou picked up an app called MeTube. What they started just to kill sometime found it’s way into their daily lives as college students. Their selling point is “business BL” and it’s not such a big deal for the both of them ‘cause they’re totally bro with everything but when it’s time to raise it up a notch for them views, will the two of them still be able keep this relationship strictly professional?

Review Proper

And another one that turned out not as bad as I thought it would.

This is what fan girls wished Dan and Phil would be. HAHAHA. I’M JUST KIDDING DON’T KILL ME. Yeah, I had an issue with them being mofucking METUBERS - I can’t help but laugh while hearing that term, honestly. But the CD actually isn’t so focused on that but on the relationship between these two boys. It’s like half their channel and half their past and present, ya dig? There really isn’t that much a climax and drama but hey, it’s from Montblanc. They don’t do that shit there. 😂 The pacing was a little rushed but it was fine for what it was. 

Now onto the voice work -

It was a funny story actually. I immediately started searching for seiyuu pseudonyms to see who Lounsbery Arthur really was but turns out that that was his actual name. 😂 This is both Arthur and Reiou’s first BLCD work and of course, their first time working together. Despite being complete newbies, I’m pleasantly surprised how well they pulled this off. They don’t feel like they’re reading off the script and although their mattress mambos have some pacing issues, it wasn’t bad. 👌 Sure they’re still a little bit rough around the edges but, I’m seeing a great career ahead of them. 

This could actually be good manga material. It could do a 7 or a 7.5 me. Although I do think that this caters to a younger audience, I honestly could recommend this to anyone who’s just in it for something light. This could also be great for those who are just starting to get into the BLCD world since they don’t use a lot of difficult words and there’s no heavy plot. 👌