#my other wigs are in the garage still

[zombiesama]

I refer to my wigs as the character they're for so I just had a very serious conversation with Aloe's cat telling her to leave Nico alone

[sofs16]

our love in photos

part 1: paddock day , part 2: our leclerc win — next

charles_leclerc

liked by 4,282,393 others

charles_leclerc P1 babyyyyyy! Week here in Barcelona shows we should keep pushing, even on the last lap🏎️

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ynchaaa IS THAT YN SHE DIDNT WEAR A POLO WHAT

⤷ yncharles.16 WHAT. PARENTS?

⤷ charlottecharles1 thank god they broke up

⤷ charleeeeee but they just had their one year anniv? ⤷ gossipxxwag yall she was literally at the garage. what are u on😭

june 23, 2024

yn

liked by 3,272,484 others

yn barcelonaaaa gp! my favorite one for reasons the whole world knows;) baby got p1 and then i heard a broke up? huh. he’s stuck with me and chained to my bed so he can’t leave. if he’s with someone else that’s me in a wig 😘 stay jealous haters xx

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landonorris the bed part wasn’t necessary

⤷ yn i didnt mean it like that DIRTY MJND DUMBASSSSSS

⤷landonorris Oh. Nevermind

charles_leclerc I’d be crazy to not end up with you. ❤️

⤷ yn biting my lip and kicking my feet 😊

yourbsf CRAZY IN LOOVEEEEE

carlossainz55 The last photo is very questionable

june 23, 2024

charles_leclerc

liked by 5,383,594 others

tagged yn

charles_leclerc a summer well spent ☀️

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charchar1 did you win pingpong 🤭

⤷ charles_leclerc Of course! ⤷ yn i almost believed you babe

⤷ carlossainz55 expound please

june 27, 2024

yn

monte carlo, monaco

liked by charles_leclerc, fernandoalo_oficial, and 3,383,484 others yn late summaaaa diaries 🫀🩰🎧📜

ps. why do u guys think sharl didnt post a pic of himself playing LOLLLL

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ynsmodel WHAT DOES SHE NOT DO. charleslando mother feeding us the content we deserve 😌

charles_leclerc No one had to know, baby…

⤷ yn im competitive, i cant lose to my boyfriend in PINGPONG

⤷ charles_leclerc Well the photo was not needed!

⤷ yn youre cute

⤷ charles_leclerc Oh, well thank you. ❤️

⤷landonorris LOL HE FOLDED SO QUICKLY IM LAUGHIGN

⤷ yn shut up norris, only i can bully him

june 28, 2024

yn

liked by charles_leclerc, and 7,383,494 others

yn DNF today but still the proudest of charles 💌 i simply do not understand why the car suddenly lost engine right before the race but fine, god works in mysterious ways. next week we will come back stronger. we will, and should, always support charles, as well as carlos. forza ferrari ❤️ [COMMENTS HAVE BEEN DISABLED]

charles_leclerc instagram story:

“luckiest to have her😘”

yn

liked by charles_leclerc, and 5,595,695 others yn hiiii lovelies! @yn.jpg up and runnin! enjoy ❤️‍🩹

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charlessgirl so glad we made the right girl famous (thanks charles)

⤷ yn 🥹😭

yn.jpg

liked by charles_leclerc, and 272,494 others

yn.jpg who else did u think id post first? (d1🫀)

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lando.jpg Um. Me? ⤷ yn.jpg next time babes

charles_leclerc ❤️❤️❤️

yn.jpg

liked by lando.jpg, and 217,282 others

yn.jpg day 2! landitooooo my photographer bff alongside danny ❤️

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yn.jpg

liked by 322,474 others

yn.jpg day 3: my 2nd fav driver 🏎️

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fernandoalo.oficial una fotógrafa muy buena y linda 💪tú y charles sois unos afortunados a very good and beautiful photographer 💪you and charles are a lucky

⤷ yn TE QUIEROOOO FONSO!! buena suerte hoy i love you fonso!! good luck today

[fernandoalo.oficial and charles_leclerc liked]

yn.jpg

liked by charles_leclerc, and 4,484,494 others

yn.jpg i lov my boyfirend it hurts so much he’s so perfeet and kind and everuthing ive ever wanted im so grateufl i msis him osuch

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charles_leclerc I love you amour but.. are you okay?

⤷ yourbsf yn got drunk on my watch sorry

charles_leclerc baby please answer the phone

⤷ yn.jpg fiflvoroyu

[hanquokkasgirl]

Will We Last?

Chapter 3

    It was that tall guy from the airport again. What was he doing here. He wasn't alone this time, but surrounded by people talking in their phones, or just texting. Most of them looking really stylish, but wearing masks to cover themselves up.

Before we could say anything else to each other, he was shoved into the elevator and I was pushed out. Did he work here too? No, that can't be possible, there has to be another reason on why he's here. I started walking towards the door once the initial shock of all of this wore off, and Mr. Kim was already waiting for me there.

"Ms. Hart, ready to go?" He said while holding the car door open. "We're just waiting for Ms. Han and I'll take you both to your apartment." Ms.Han huh? I guess she will be my roommate.

We waited for around 15 minutes until a rushed girl, no more than 21 years old appears through the door. "OMG... I'm so sorry." She was dressed like a harajuku girl. Me being from a world where people judge you from the simplest thing that you wear even if you're a complete stranger, this was a complete cultural shock. "I thought I had more time to get here but gosh knows i'm a late person, lol. Hi! I'm Soo-Jin." She said while reaching her hand... I think for me to shake it.

"I'm Y/N. It's nice to meet you Soo-Jin." Please don't let this girl be a blabbermouth that won't shut up ever. I need my silence from time to time.

Mr. Kim started driving us to our apartment, meanwhile Soo-Jin and I started to get to know each other a little bit. "Oh, don't mind this. It's just a costume. I was helping out a friend with a photoshoot for his photography class." She said chuckling and taking her wig off. Thank goodness, not to be all judgy but, I can't with that vibe.

"It's okay, I just found it... interesting." I said while looking at my phone. I still couldn't text Clarissa since I had to get an internet connection and a new phone number that will work here. Hopefully our place is close enough to a convenience store where I can purchase a sim card. "How long have you been here?" I just tried making conversation, I was never good at making small talk.

"Oh, I'm from here, but I did study in the US for a few years. I'm in college at Yeonsei University, I'm studying a fashion major with a international relationship minor." Wow this girl is smart. From what I've researched about South Korea is that Yonsei is like the Yale or Harvard of here.

"Oh wow, that's amazing. I graduated from NYU back in the states. Fashion major and Make Up and Special Effects minor. So, you're going to be studying and working?" I said I wasn't good at the small talk.

"Yeah, this is more like a paid internship? I think that's how Americans call it. Well, anyway, it's just a stepping stone into what I want to accomplish. My own fashion line" She said that so passionately that it actually made me wonder. Do I want something like that too? I've always saw fashion as something that came to me easily, but not something that I would've pursued as a long term thing. But it is something that makes me passionate. Have my own fashion and makeup line, maybe my own store that gets to be a worldwide hit someday. I don't know why it never ocurred to me before.

"That sounds amazing. Actually, it's something that I kinda want to do as well, my own fashion and make-up line." I said smiling nostalgically. Clarissa always told me that I could be doing that with what I studied and with her help of knowing her business major,  maybe one day it could become a reality.

"Ladies, we have arrived." Mr. Kim said from the driver's seat. It was a 20 minute drive... I think. "This building is only 15 minutes away from the company or 5 subway stops." I was right more or less.

Mr. Kim opened the door for us, leading us to the building. It looks like we were underground, the parking garage. "Wow, this place is stunning! I can't believe we're going to be living so close to Hongdae." She said excitedely.

"We're in the Ichon neighborhood. This are the Park Tower Apartments. Yours is apartment 2013, floor 20. All your belonging are already there." He said once the elevator came. He bowed and left, meanwhile we were being lifted to floor number 20.

"So... is this Hongdae thing really popular?"

"O-M-G. I completely forgot that you're not from here. So Hongdae is like Party Town, all the best clubs are there. You can even see some idols there from time to time." We got off the elevator on the 20th floor, now searching for apartment 2013. "I once went and saw this one idol from BigBang, a kpop group, that well now he's off to jail so I guess that's not a glory story. Nevermind then, that was a long time ago. A-ha here we are." She put the code in and opened the door for the both of us. This apartment was huge! Like two times the size of what Clarissa and I had back in New York. Each bedroom had their own bathroom, a necessity at this point.

    "wow, this place is so..."

    "incredible." Soo-Jin finished the sentence for me. We looked at each other and chuckled.

    As soon as we each claimed our rooms, I saw that in the kitchen there was a piece of paper with the wifi password and everything we would need for our stay here. Soo-Jin decided to go grab takeout since she obviously was more familiar with the area than I was, and in the meantime I put the wifi into my phone and called Clarissa. At this point it was already 3PM here in Korea, but with the time difference it would have been around 10pm or 11pm of the day before in New York... will I ever get used to this time difference? I hope so.

    "Yelloup?" The voice on the other side sounded a bit muffled and with music in the back.

    "I am gone for less than 24 hours and you're already eating pizza and listening to your emo music, aren't you?" I said smiling into the phone. She always did that whenever one of us left town for a day or two, but this time it was going to be longer than that. Oh gosh, how am I gonna live without this... specimen of a human.

    "hey! I am not gonna pause my life just because you're gone. Also I am BLASTING some Pierce The Veil right now... so fuck you" ah I miss that sailor mouth of hers already.

    "Even though I'm thousands of miles away, put that dollar in the jar. Well, anyway, you won't believe the apartment I got. It's so big and I got my own bathroom. Also a new roommate and even tho..." she cut me off mid sentence

    "New roommate? I was never nothing about this roommate thing, I am your one and only best friend."

    "Don't worry" I said chuckling in the phone. "She's still in college so I don't think we'll even spend that much time together. Plus yes, you're my one and only. Jealous much?" I threw myself in the bed, I just made it but who cares at this point.

    "Not jealous... just cautious. So, anything interesting happening over there yet?" I heard how she was grabbing another slice of pizza. I need to cut her off right now, or else she's capable of eating the entire thing herself and regret it tomorrow. Like a hangover, but with food.

    "Well, kind of. But first go put away that pizza, or you'll regret it tomorrow."

    "Okay, done. Now tell me, tell me." She made herself comfortable in her bed with MooMoo. Oh MooMoo...

    "Well, there was this incident at the airport. When I was getting out, I kind of crushed into this guy and I fell flat on my ass. He did help me up but he was surrounded by bodyguards. And there were a ton of girls screaming for him, with camera people and the flashes made me all dizzy..."

"Oh gosh, you didn't catch epilepsy or something right?" I swear to... how did this girl got two majors, I will never know.

"Uhm... honey, you can't catch epilepsy. That's a neurological disorder." And while I was saying that sentence I heard Soo-Jin arriving with something that smelled incredible. "Well anyway, as I was saying. He helped me up but he was surrounded. Anyway, I found the person picking me up from the airport, and he brought me straight to the company to finalize some of the contracts. And who was there when I was about to leave to come to the apartment? Airport boy!" I say turning around in my bed, now facing the ceiling. I should buy some fake vines as some decorations.

"No way! Does he work there too?"

"That's the thing, I have no idea. He was pushed into the elevator while I was being pushed out once we made eye contact and he was gone again. I don't know to which floor."

"You've been gone less than 24 hours and your love life has already improved. I mean, after what happened with..." I had to cut her off this time. I wanted no memory of said person. Not even his name mentioned. He caused enough pain already close to me, I don't need him causing any more pain from afar.

"You should know better than mentioning his name right now." A single tear managed to escape from my eye. "Well anyway Issa, I gotta go, Soo-Jin brought lunch and I'm starving. I'll call you later." And with that I hung up.

My ex-boyfriend shouldn't have been a topic of conversation at all, not even after... what happened. I've been trying to leave that behind me and not think about it in the past nine months, I'm not going to let it invade my mind now.

"Food's ready!" Soo-Jin had prepared everything over here in the dining table.

"Oh my god, how are we gonna eat all of this?" There were a bunch of small little dishes around the table, and two main plates I suppose is where each of us will be seating.

"Oh! You've never eaten korean food before?" I move my head from side to side. Truth was, I was more a person of habit, that why Clarissa always knew what dishes to get me from which place and exactly the amount of spicyness I needed for each. "Well... this little dishes are called banchans, they are more like side dishes that you add to your plate. This, the main dish..."

"Entree" I said when I saw that she was struggling to find the word.

"Thanks. This is Bibimbap. Basically is rice with some meat and veggies, not spicy because I don't know how spicy you like. And all the banchans are spicy." She explained everything very well.

"I will try everything. I like a little spice on my food just not too much." And we had a nice lunch together. The first of many together I hope.

"Sorry if I was listening before but were you talking about a boy you found in the elevator in the company?" She said after finishing her plate, I was barely halfway done.

"Oh yeah. It was nothing, I had just seen him at the airport and then we crashed into each other again at the company. But it was nothing, really." I truly believed that this was going to be nothing.

"Well, he wasn't nothing. He's part of your assignment. He is part of one of the most successful groups of the entire company. That was Song Min-Gi, from Ateez." She said almost... fangirling?

Please let that not be true, I can't feel attracted to someone I will work for.

[innytoes]

59. Do you need a hug? You just seem very upset over the shape of these potatoes.

I was telling my family about this the other day! It's so funny!

The driver didn't comment when Carrie all but threw her bag into the car before getting in. He didn't have to. Her mood said it all. She'd managed to keep a smile on her face as she saw the other girls off, their parents picking them up, or carpooling in Heather and Kayla's case because Heather's mom's car was in the garage.

The driver also didn't comment when she told him to take her to the diner, instead of straight home. Even though her dad always told him to take her straight home.

Well, it's not like her dad showed up, so he didn't get a say. He probably wasn't even home to scold her about being home late. And Julian knew that Carrie would buy him whatever he wanted from Starbucks Monday morning if he complied.

So off to the diner they went.

It wasn't fair, they worked so hard on their routine, and then all of a sudden stupid Double Trouble had to show up and blow everyone out of the water, and Andi Parker from Destiny Management had given her the brush off, and it wasn't fair. Julie hadn't sang a note in a year and then all of a sudden Flynn moved back to LA and she was fine again? Carrie hadn't been enough for her, but Double Trouble came out of nowhere and stole her spotlight at the spirit rally and now Eats and Beats and Julie's dad had been there when Carrie's dad hadn't even read the text message reminding him of her performance tonight.

All she wanted was a chocolate milkshake and some curly fries. Sure, she should probably order strawberry, since she was still in her Pink Candi wig, and what if someone took a picture of her? But she needed chocolate, and curly fries, and she needed them now.

"What do you mean there aren't any curly fries left?" she all but shouted at the stupid guy behind the counter with the flicky hair.

"We only have crinkle cut left," the guy shrugged. He wasn't even wearing the uniform correctly, with his stupid biceps and his lack of sleeves. Curly's diner always had long sleeved shirts with pretty shiny red buttons at the cuffs and the collar. They had ever since her dad took her here as a kid.

"This is Curly's Diner. It's known for its curly fries!" She resisted the urge to stomp her foot, but it was a close call.

"Do you need a hug?" The guy behind the counter asked, and Carrie knew he was being sarcastic, she invented the fake-sweet insult. But the question made her lip wobble all the same. Because yes, maybe she could. "You just seem very upset over the shape of these potatoes."

"Shut up and get me my damn milkshake," she choked out, except as she did, the tears she was holding back started to spill from her eyes.

"Oh no," the guy behind the counter said. "Oh no, don't cry. I'm sorry about the fries. I can try and put them in a circle or something, please don't cry."

"Fuck," Carrie said, dabbing angrily at her tears, trying to keep her mascara from running. "Never mind, I can't - I can't be seen like this." She threw twenty bucks at him, because someone had probably started on the milkshake already, and went to leave, when she noticed some girls near the exit whispering and pointing. One of them took out her phone.

Diner Guy seemed to notice too, because he ducked under the counter and grabbed her arm leading her into the back.

"What the hell Patterson?" a blonde guy with the manager's badge said.

"Come on, Alex, she's crying," Diner Guy said, and he threw some epic puppy eyes. "You know I panic when girls cry! Reggie! We need that chocolate milkshake stat!"

"I'm not crying," Carrie sniffled. A milkshake was pressed into her hand, with the signature curly straw and not one but two cherries on top.

"You looked like you could use a second one," the guy, Reggie, said, giving her a wink. She sullenly grabbed one of the bright red maraschino cherries and chewed it. They were her favourite, even though they were so bad for you. "Whatever happened, he's not worth it."

"I'm not crying over a guy," Carrie glared, even though maybe part of her was. It was just not a boyfriend kind of guy. "Not that I'm crying."

"Of course not," Patterson soothed. "But if you wanna talk about it, we can listen. And make you some fries. Even if they're not curly."

She sniffled, ready to tell him to buzz off, but somehow, the whole story spilled out. About her best friend who pushed her away even though she was hurting too. About how she tried to form her own group, but the other girls just treated it like a hobby, something they did on the side, when music and proving herself was all Carrie could think about. About how she wasn't sure her dad would even care if she made it big or not.

"I get it," Patterson said. She glared at him. As if some diner dude would understand the pressures of the music industry. "My parents never supported our band either. And getting your name out there is hard, let alone being noticed!"

"You're in a band?" she asked.

"Sunset Curve," came a shout from across the kitchen where the other guy was flipping burgers. "Tell your friends!"

Their conversation turned to music after that. Luke showed Carrie a recording of their last performance, which was good. Very 90s rock, but not in a bad way. She was a bit hesitant to show her own recording, but Patterson just gasped and called: "Yo Alex you gotta see this!"

The manager popped his head back into the kitchen. "I would but SOMEONE left the counter unattended," he scolded.

"Yeah, yeah," Patterson got up, moving back to the front so Alex could come to the back. He was super interested in her dance moves, and they had a great talk about choreography and dance. By the end of her milkshake, she was laughing at his story about the three of them trying to perfect the Dirty Dance lift.

Eventually, Luke popped back in to tell her the coast was clear and 'some dude in a tie is very worried we kidnapped you and are holding you hostage in the walk in freezer.' She checked her make-up in a stainless steel baking sheet Reggie helpfully held up for her, and then walked back out with her head held high.

"Keep the change," she said.

Maybe she should come to the diner more often. You know, just to see if they had curly fries.

[soir-rouges-esprit]

xxxi.l: Coke, Blood & Handguns, Yeah, It stuck to me because it’s also a fine white powder you consume ... “Fuckin gym rat” Fuck you, get ready just in case we gotta get out for an inspection. “Right” We drive up to the entrance of what had to be an at least fifteen-acre estate and are met with the other truck ahead of us already getting inspected, in front of a large metal gate supported by brick pillars on each side, the entrance to the estate. “Holy shit … this motherfucker must be rolling in dough” Yeah no shit, he’s buying twenty-five kilos just for a little party of his, rollin in dough is an understatement, he’s a fuckin sasilianaire. The gates open up … and the first truck pulls through, then a large security detail waves us up to the gate as well. I pull up and stop the truck in front of the gate, I shut the truck off, and open the door, J hops out as well. “Salem? J?” Yeah that’s us. “ID and paperwork” We hand him our IDs and the paperwork that had the full shipment details on it, which also had a note of authentication from Mrs.Van so that they knew we were the real deal. “Ok stay put, we’ve gotta check the truck” He waves us over to a group of fully geared almost militant-looking security, armed with fully automatic rifles and clearly off safety, ready to zero our asses if we even dared make a wrong move. “So! … you guys like … for hire? Or this like a fiver ad kind of job? Freelance?” No response from any of them. “Cool! cool ... Yeah, yep no talking is also cool” He nodded his head, I shook mine. They take about ten minutes to look over the inside of the truck, then hop out and hand everything back to us and say, “All good, pull up and to the right with the other truck, back into the garage entrance that’s open, and start to unload the product into the garage cellar that will be open in the back of the garage. And no fucking funny business, Mr.F will see you when you’re done to discuss further business he has with you.” Right, ok. We hop back into the truck and follow the instructions to the letter. “Fucking look at this place! … his garage is the size of the old house … holy shit” Yeah … fuck me, how the hell does someone use all this goddamn space … don’t get dazed … stay sharp, let's get this done and get the fuck outa here, I don’t wanna be here any longer than we have to, something about these big wigs just rub me the wrong way. “Right … one wrong move and you’re never heard from again type shit.” We unload both trucks … the whole cartel quarter … I gather the guard that was watching us the entire time … let him know we're done. He disappears through a door that clearly leads into the rest of the house after telling us to wait here … and moments later, he returns with … the contact. A balding older gentleman that still looked generally youthful, he had to have been mid to late forties, well dressed in a blue tight-fitted suit with black dress shoes. “BOYS!! Nice to meet you two … I’ve been awaiting your arrival with quite a lot of anticipation” He walked over to me and J and shook our hands. “Uh you two *Point* *Point* take the trucks to the depot and head off” The two other drivers split, one taking their truck the other ours. Woah woah, that's not the plan, we're supposed to take our truck back once were done here. “It's all good, we'll take you to the depot once done, as planned, there's just no need for them to be here and I want my garage cleared and those trucks off my property … it's suspicious.” I look at J and he looks back, He shrugs his shoulders and gives a clueless face. I think to myself, Fuck me *sigh* … [To Be Continued]

[randomvarious]

Today's mix:

In Stereo (1) by Angel Moraes 2001 House / Deep House / Garage House / Progressive House / Tribal House

Pretty neat turn-of-the-millennium house stuff from the tragically late Angel Moraes here. Brooklyn-born-and-raised, Angel was one of those guys whose life was changed the instant he stepped foot inside of Larry Levan's famed Paradise Garage for the first time, so much so, that after being invited up to Montréal to play a set and falling in love with the city and its club scene, he decided to relocate there and opened up his own club in 1998 called STEREO, which he tried to model after the Paradise Garage itself. And that's why this release is called In Stereo. I don't think it was recorded live there, but I'm guessing it's reflective of the varied type of set that Moraes would play there in the early 2000s.

And this CD appears to be the first commercial mix that he released since moving up to Montréal, which made it his first in about five years…at least kinda, because there's actually a different version of this mix that was released the year prior on Bombay Records too; same name, same catalog number, and same cover photo, but different track lists. The 2000 mix has 13 tracks and this 2001 mix has 14, and between the two of them, they share nine selections in common.

Now, I definitely didn't love all of this thing. Credit to Moraes for being a pretty innovative producer himself, but the deeper and progressive path he took throughout much of the second half of this mix really didn't click with me too much. But the beautifully Balearic closer, "Pineapple," by Portugal's Miguel Graça, is definitely one hell of a tremendous send-off—intricately crafted backbeat and then eventually some lovely bits of lead improvisational guitar are gracefully placed on top of it. Total banger 👍.

And here's a really dope connection for ya too: I haven't mentioned it yet, but in addition to being a club owner, a DJ, and a producer, Angel also co-ran a record label in New York called Hot 'N' Spycy, which also moved its HQ to Montréal. And a guy who was tasked with mastering a bunch of Hot 'N' Spycy's own tracks was none other than the disco maven himself, Tom Moulton. Now, if you don't know who Tom Moulton is, he's kinda quietly one of the most important people in the history of modern music as we know it. Here's why: the entire fucking concept of what a dance "remix" even is? That was him. The implementation of the "break down" in a dance tune? That was him too. And you know whose idea it also was to release singles in a 12-inch vinyl format? Tom's! 🤯

And guess what else? He's on this mix too. Somewhat early on, Moraes lays down "The Music," by Florida's Richard Fite, who performs here under the name of Phunkie Souls. This fantastic piece of late 90s filter house, which is one of my favorite selections on this mix, samples Moulton's own "I Don't Need No Music," which was the lead track off of his only album, 1979's TJM, released on Casablanca Records. "The Music" is certainly worthy of being on plenty of mixes itself, but knowing Moraes' own personal linkage to Moulton, you gotta think that his choice to include it here is a little bit of an Easter egg; a clever show of personal gratitude to one of the greatest of all time; a terrific tune sure, but with more meaning than just merely being another "dope selection," you know?

So, all in all, a very solid early 2000s mix with a bunch of different contemporaneous house styles packed within. I really dug a whole lot of the first half, which started out on a seriously nice garage tip, while also fitting in "The Music" and D.J. Spen's wigged-out "Disco Dreams Vol. 2." as well. Wasn't nearly as enthralled by what then came after that, but Angel still managed to finish off wonderfully with "Pineapple" 😊.

Listen to the full mix here.

Highlights:

Kenny Bobien - "You Gave Me Love" Phunkie Souls - "The Music" Angel Moraes - "Ur Luv Is All I Need" Fused - "This Party Sucks (Fire Island Saturday Night Mix)" D.J. Spen - "Disco Dreams Vol. 2" Miguel Graça - "Pineapple"

[myastrouniverse]

August/2024🌘♎️Justice is coming…

🌘 < ♅︎ The choice is up to EVERYONE. Do you want America to be an apocalyptic shit hole, crated by the extreme, demon possessed, Zionist monsters from Israel? OR, is it possible we could TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK TO AMERICANS AND EMPOWER THE PEOPLE OF THIS NATION AND THE WORLD TO COLLECTIVELY EMPOWER EACH OTHER FOR A MORE PEACEFUL, HARMONIOUS AND ABUNDANT REALITY?

🦺▪️🎸 We must bridge the gap between ancient knowledge and this hyper bullshit reality these Israeli DEMONS have been trying to create out of their ABOMINATIONS AND LIES. it’s a house of cards built on a false reality which allowed to continue would create a BLACK HOLE of existence, IN THAT FALSE REALITY.

🌘🔺 ♂️Try to reclaim your strength and will to live. Everyone matters, and we have to start building on positive relationships.

🦚 ☌ ♎️ Realtionships be them professional or personal must be respectful, equal and collaborative. How can anyone expect RESPECT if they haven’t EARNED THAT RESPECT by BEING RESPECTFUL TOWARDS OTHERS? The ZIONIST ANIMALS cannot demand respect after they have literally SHIT on everything around them with their fucking COVID POISON, MEDIA PROPAGANDA, DRUGS AND PSYCHOTIC BILLIONAIRE ALLIES.

🌘🔺 ♃︎ I’m nearly 100% clear btw. Even the scars on top of more scars are fading.

🌘 ☸︎ 🌞 I was reminded of my mother’s old Daycare center today, she owned it with her friend Debbie Larson. They named it: Wig Wam Daycare. They even set up a cute totem pole in the front. It must have been a real local one, but I can’t recall where she got it. I’m not asking her right now. If you got in trouble, you had to sit in the caboose of a giant wooden toy train she had set up in the garage. That was a really cool train btw. I guess it went to the new owner when she sold it. Every year my mother and Debbie took all the Daycare kids to see Cheif Lalooska. He must have been close to or over 100. I think he died at nearly 110. He told ancient totem pole stories and he performed authentic tribal mask dances and music for the visiting kids. He did this for all the local school districts for over fifty years. It was incredible, and it felt like it was in another dimension, because it was in a way. The ancestors are here.

🌘 Λ ♄︎ It was weird. I saw my old teacher Ms. Hawthorn-Smith at the store. I accidentally called her Mrs. Hawthorn. She used to bring her kids to my mother’s Daycare. It was weird she didn’t remember me, since I’ve known her so long. I even went on a writing beach retreat with her and published a poem in African American Reflections. No, I’m not African American, but they still published me. That was the whole assignment, get published. Anyway, I told her everyone was trying to kill me. She asked me if it was over MONEY. That seemed like a suspicious response. Consider she claimed to not recognize me at first, but can easily guess the motivation for attempted murder? I don’t have any money. The little I had was my own retirement fund which is gone now. Then she left, but I spoke with the security guard about Peace Health medical malpractice lawsuits and a local class action lawsuit, would be a good idea to advertise around town.

🌘 < ☿︎ I CAN CREATE MY POSTS ANYTIME I WANT. I DO THIS FOR MY PERSONAL SANITY PRIMARILY, NOT FOR OTHERS. If you are upset I don’t always post at the same time everyday, it is because you are probably a fraud or a stalker pig cunt, like my whore inbred sister-in-law Angie.

Dinosaur Jr. - In a Jar

[whoslaurapalmer]

still chewing on the star beast like the world's tastiest little gummy bear ⭐⭐⭐

-oh it was so much fun!!!!!! it was such a delight!!!!!!!! fun and exciting and dten's face doing Things. nice and tasty!!!!!! -rtd still does some of the most '?????????????????' plot resolution of all time but at least with him i go '.........alright sure fine, why the fuck not, i'll take it.' like, his season finales to me are always very 'i mean, i see where you're coming from, but, why........did you do that..........' -i'm glad i'm not the only person going ??? at the 'let it go' thing but. sure!!! okay!!!! -and even with that!!!! it was still a sweet resolution!!!!

-i mean it was pretty obvious there would be some resolution with donna being fine but i did actually feel real stakes there for a moment. real emotion. that was good -oh but the lingering metacrisis energy splitting into rose??? i dig it. i liked that a lot actually. better than the letting it go thing but. sure fine (-hold on. hold on i'm bringing this back. bc i think about this specific note i made about the end of time literally every fucking day the master: i made everyone into me! ten: yeah well i................oh, shit)

-god i have gotttttt to finish watching eleven and the rest!! how much can i power through in the next. week. or maybe i'll wait until after the specials are over...........

-i am so curious what fourteen has been up to.........bc he clearly hasn't JUST regenerated -i'm so excited to see more of fourteen!! if i had any complaints here it was that i thought it moved a little fast and i didn't feel like i got a really good sense of fourteen yet. also i literally saw one (1) episode of thirteen and it was her last one so i am unable to do my regular 'how the previous regeneration influences this one' shenanigans -although i did see an article title recently (i did not read it, my brain wandered away from it after i screenshot it) where rtd said fourteen will "be slightly more human than ten" and i was like, 'more human than ten?????? than my sad wet cat trashfire pile????? than the one who treated regeneration as actual legitimate death????????? the doctor that felt and hurt so deeply that it made eleven go 'the human experience is suffering :)' in his SECOND EPISODE??????? rtd don't tempt me. don't say this unless you mean it. and you follow through on it.' -hold on i should actually just read the damn article -it gave literally no other info about that. well. we'll just have to see, won't we -oh i have seen people say fourteen is kinder than ten and i will say. yes i do see it. and quieter, i think -but god just as silly as the doctor ever is. just WHIPS OUT THAT WIG AND STAGES A TRIAL IN A PARKING GARAGE

-shaun going 'so how do you know donna?' and fourteen going '........nerys' had me CACKLING -nerys!!!!!!!!!!!!! NERYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (shaun: oh, nerys!) (donna: oh n e r y s !!!!!!! 🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️) (-godddd and the doctor has lived like. millennia since donna, right?? and never for one moment forgot anything about her!!! or anyone at all, ever!!!!!!!!! 😭😭😭)

-donna missing the spaceship to stack the boxes. so fucking classic. i love that they continued that joke. and her just ranting the entire fucking time

-shirley anne is a delight and i want more of her toooooooo -i also love how she said "hey i get a bonus for meeting you :)" -the humor vs i do think unit should properly compensate their employees for the 50/50 fun adventure/RAMPANT DEATH possibility that comes with meeting the doctor

-'i love her. .......do i say that now?' -LITERALLY LOSING MY GODDAMN MIND -what a :) :( :) >:( :D :DDDD sort of moment. goodness. oh everything was such a treat. bunch of fun little callbacks........ -oh but that the doctor HAS grown where they can say that about their friends..................openly admit an emotion and how important someone was to him, without trying to.........talk around it, just legitimately saying the words straight out -ten WAS born out of love and i'll never stop saying it and loved so much and NEVER said it and fourteen is just like 'yep! sure thing :)' aaaa...........

-sylvia is still.......sylvia..........but her running herself in circles to try and protect donna at every single moment was actually. really touching?

-sylvia: isn't it hard (to not misgender your own granddaughter) donna: yeah :) so hard to not go WOW :) LOOK HOW FUCKING LUCKY I GOT :) WITH THIS PERFECT HUMAN BEING I BIRTHED :) ISN'T SHE JUST THE BEST :))))))))) RIGHT, MOM????????? :))))))))))))))))))

-donna noble says fuck, in my heart

-donna telling rose "i will burn down the world for you." 😭💖😭💖💖💖💖💖 -my whole entire goddamn heart!! -donna noble best parent best parent with her best daughter!!!!!!!!

-rose remembering all the villains and making them into plushies was so cute......!! -JUST BUYING A BAG OF EYES!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAA -sigh.......but keeping rose part-time lord would have been so fun........... -i hope we see more of rose!!!!!!!

-donna saying she shouldn't be upset bc she's got her family and what was it, FRANKLY THE BIGGEST SAUSAGE ROLL IN THE UNIVERSE -mmm........sausage...................

-donna: you should have friends this time!!!! fourteen: ...............................maybe me: :3c

-donna: who cares about me????? fourteen: i do!!!!!! me: 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 -aaaaa that donna gets to remember all the times she did beautiful wonderful things and helped people and built her confidence and she gets to be confident in herself and her abilities again!!!!!!! donna you are so important just bc you're YOU -"it seemed like the sort of thing he'd do." re: giving away the lottery money...........and it's the sort of thing YOU'D do, donna!!!

-oh but her shouting about the doctor being in her subconscious and still making her act like him was. oh i will be holding on to that one -i have GOT to stop calling doctor who tasty but it's literally every single time i make notes about doctor who that i start fucking calling things tasty again. it's just so!!!!!!! mmmmmmm. so many things to think

-"it killed me, it killed me, it killed me." how many timesssss can i just say 'my whole fucking heart though' -AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA -i'm just!!!!!!!!!! -the doctor and his best friend in the whole fucking world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-i want to see more of shaun!!! i hope we see more of shaun............ -love a good roll with the punches guy. never gets old.

-what a CHANGE to the tardis interior!!!! (/ten in day of the doctor saying 'i don't like it.' echoes.........) -it's just so BRIGHT............!! -oh but fourteen is so happy :') -just try and tell me that joy is not also dten's at getting to run around in the tardis again!!!!!!!!!!

-i'm gonna cry my eyes out when wilf shows up. i'm gonna cry the whole goddamn hour. i'm looking forward to it.

[littlewalken]

Sep 3

It goes without saying if you're in any hobby long enough you'l run in to a bargain because someone doesn't know or doesn't care what they have or it's the last one which is probably cursed and they want it out of their damn shop. And yeah, it might seem like the scalpers and flippers have all the luck, but often it happens because you're a persistence hunter. Or you're a generally good person who does chaotically good things and the universe wants to reward you.

My Phantom of the Paradise, well, it's the last one, the box isn't in great shape it's got a lot of shelf wear, none of the usuals at the comic book funky pop collectables store want him, we'll give you free shipping. I wasn't buying his box, which I d still have, I was buying the one that came with the plunger. Paradise fans know about the plunger. Isn't that right robot mask wearing duo in all leather?

The Mini Dollfie Dream was in the collector's case at the junk store, they knew that much to keep her behind glass, but she's not a bride doll or a fancy Barbie. Couldn't even see more than her arm because of the other "collectables" in front of her. But I know what a dollfie arm looks like. What ever they wanted I was going to pay. I've paid more for new Barbies and Monster High at Walmart. That musty grandma's garage where we smoke weed smell came right off.

That's a cute doll, I've never heard of Alchemic Labo before, is that an anime? Who's Lusis? Is she the main girl or something? Hell if they know. But she with her two face plates, regular which I plan to scrub it's not factory, and asleep and a yawn/sneeze plate I found elsewhere with shipping and taxes are still less or about what I paid for the Chibi Unoa.

So thank you fairy doll person.

I wonder in the back of my mind if the Lusis smells, I can take care of that, or what but she's going to hang out here. My Obitsu 60 is in ragged shape but he's still here. Some times dolls leave but a fair amount get to stay forever.

Of course I'll be in the market for an Ange face plate eventually, and any others I don't have, that's always been the draw for me to get a Unoa.

Another thought that had crossed my mind for my doll money was to get a different head for the Volks MDD. They're all anime style so it wouldn't make any real difference in her looks. She's a kludged Cardcaptor Sakura, going by how the wig is cut, and so she'll stay. Did make her a pink coat hat cape outfit but still dealing with the fact she's the first of the DOA on topics I've never been able to bond with.

Not for sale tho because she fits a size and brand niche no one else does.

[bandluvr97]

mbb 🎅

My job is boring, most of it is invoicing bullshit. What I saw of the party was pretty cool I guess, it was a 2000-person event so they could go crazy, and kind of Lichtenstein themed -- there were a lot of dancers in big wigs and big dresses and their faces painted to look like his drawings. I don't work in the parties themselves, though, and I Got Into It with a couple temps that didn't realize they were wait listed, and for some reason were very mad that I was sending them home with pay... so yeah watching movies sounds like more fun than fighting line cooks in a garage. What did you end up watching?

I love Changkyun's weirdness, like, he's unsupervised for two months and releases a music video about drug abuse and promiscuity. And then gets on some app and says "Wait, is God Damn a bad word? I didn't know!" like okay king we all believe you. And you don't know what eating someone like a main dish means. But that outfit was SO good, I'm obsessed with his belt, and I can't blame him cause if I had abs like that I would never wear a real shirt.

Kihyun gets a couple points knocked off for playing the stocks, but otherwise I totally agree haha. And yes I'd seen the "Shoot Out" stage but this made me go back and watch it again and do NOT get me started on Shownu in that performance. Like what the fuck. He needs to come back now it's not funny anymore. Honestly the whole era, he's always stupid hot when he performs, but there's something special about Shoot Out Shownu.

🗣️LET 🗣️ MY 🗣️ MAN 🗣️ SMOKE 🗣️ WEED 🗣️ honestly he deserves it after all of that. But that is SO sweet, I'm glad he noticed and appreciated it, cause everyone was cheering for him! I love "Eye On You", I like his big layered songs like those. (But "Lose" had the best outfits, even if they made him put mesh in the cut outs of his Tom of Finland outfit)

Oh we love multi stans! Literally what fun is it to only like or support one artist and not even look at other artists? I like most of those groups, clearly we have excellent taste. For me, I tend to sample different groups, check out a title track here and there, rather than deep dive into their discography unless they REALLY come for my neck, which is the same outside kpop. At this point every artist has to earn my attention again with every song, I used to be devoted to my favorite rap groups but now I don't have the time or energy to follow releases. Outside of kpop, I mostly listen to rap or punk music -- I act, and just got cast as the Final Girl in a skate punk horror video and I won't nerd out too much about it but the music sounds good and just know that if it doesn't happen I'm killing the entire band.

Hey love ❤️ how did your shift go last night? Oh cool!! What kind of songs did they play? Yeah I could see how the chill evening would be better lol still sounds like a fun job though!! Do you do a lot of clubs or concert things? Lol now when you say fight did you mean verbal or with fisticuffs? 😂😂😂 I ended up watching ghost with my mom and some hallmark movies about the joys of family and Christmas and we were judging them so hard for how cringy it is lmao what movies or genres do you like to watch?

Right??? His weirdness is a little confusing but yet somehow makes sense lol like it might look dark but it works in his own way 😂😂lmao!! I genuinely think he’s lying to us about eating someone like a main dish to be honest I think he’s done it quite a few times in his life like there’s no way lol yeah he knows how to pick outfits out and it’s so choice 👌👌 they all know how to dress well in music videos and it’s stunning lol oh yeah if I had abs too I would wear nothing but crop tops everywhere 😂😂

Lol! Yeah I can see that but kihyun is an investor so I wouldn’t be surprised if he earns more money later in life lol right?!?! Shootout era for shownu was an eye opener like I already knew that he was stunning but the second he starts the tiddie shake and get the mood going for the song it was like OHHH HELLO STUNNING MAN!! And that just confirmed my bias wrecker then and there lol it was dark and it was lovely to see him just kick ass and take names lol and don’t get me started on the other members cus they all did such an amazing job!! Like whooo boy!!

Right?!?! Yeah it was a sweet thing to witness ❤️❤️ meanwhile people are freaking out about him going off for 18 months and I’m thinking “we’re not going anywhere we’ve waited some time and what’s with waiting some more time until he comes back” lol plus nothing wrong with a little smoke of devils lettuce 😂👌👌agreed eye on you and crazy are amazing songs and eras lol his crop tops and outfits are amazing 👌👌

Hell yeah! We love and trust the multi Stan’s lol exactly!! Great minds think alike love ❤️ we can always listen to more than one artist but there will always be ulti groups that will forever remain in our lives lol I’m the same way!! It’s a smart move to start off small and work the way up to listening to more of them ❤️👍oh really? Which rappers did/do you listen to? No way!!!! That’s so cool!!!! What will your role be? Lol fair enough unleash the hell 😂😂

Hope your day is going well love ❤️ no need to apologize it’s all good 😊 I enjoy the chats and the spams

[stjernfaerie]

Heyheyhey guess what? I actually really want to go online tonight!! I just don’t know who I wanna do, so pls help a gal out and leave a suggestion in my ask box or comment on this post :D 

my character roster

[poledancingdinos]

You’ve Got Me Hooked - Chapter 5

Pairing: Captain Syverson x OFC (Riley McKenzie)

Word count: 2.5k

Warnings: Sex work, stripper, OnlyFans, Mentioned Online Harassment

Catch up: Series Masterlist

Taglist: @amberangel112 @utterlyhopeful-fics @marantha @kebabgirl67 @littleone65 @omgkatinka @luclittlepond @marytudorbrandon @foxyjwls007  @peaches1958 @identity2212  @summersong69​ @liecastillo @islacharlotte​

A/N: If you want to be added or removed from my taglist, let me know!

Please consider giving me a reblog because dumblr is censoring these posts so badly that I struggle to find my own chapters on my blog.

Masterlist

Sy

As soon as my boss got to the garage this morning, I asked him about hiring Riley to help with advertising. He’s known me my whole life so when I told him I knew someone willing to help us out, he didn’t ask for more information, he just took down her number. He opened this small shop a few years before I was born and I know it would be devastating for him to have to close it down. 

I don't know much about running a business. Sure, I can run a team and keep track of costs and inventory, but I didn't have to deal with suppliers, banks and customers. I sure as hell can't manage a web page or anything like that.

After I found out about Riley, I checked out "Razzy's" profiles. Not her Onlyfans — that is a line I'm determined not to cross — but I looked at her TikTok and her Instagram. She's good at what she does. She has a big follower count by my uneducated standards and lots of likes and comments. I also made the mistake of reading some of the things people said about her and had to close the app before I did something stupid like march into her room and confiscate her laptop and her phone.

Some people just say how hot they think she is. Lots of them share all the fucked up shit they want to do to her. I’m no saint, I like it rough as much as the next guy, but I don’t plaster my desires across the Internet. Those weren’t the bad ones though. They were fucking nice compared to what I saw next.

I scrolled through dozens of comments from other girls calling her a skank or guys saying how she should be ashamed to do those kinds of things for money. So many people were lashing out at her from completely anonymous profiles, each one worse than the last. How does she manage to read that every day? No wonder that poor girl doesn’t feel safe enough to wear anything other than pants and hoodies in front of me.

Despite all that, I have to say, I can see her talent and skill showing even if it has nothing to do with the typical corporate bullshit. The colors and tones of the videos are consistent throughout the posts and they always compliment that bright pink hair that I assume is a wig since Riley's blond locks don’t look like they’ve ever been colored.

I text Riley a quick heads-up to expect a call then put my phone back in my locker. Aika is asleep under a nearby table, knowing well enough to stay away from the lifts and other tools and machinery. She’s content just being near me and the loud noises are nothing compared to the sound of bombs and gunfire she was trained to endure.

I’m the first one here every morning. Sometimes I go to the gym first but I still make it in by 8 am to open up. More often than not, I wrap up whatever job the other guys don’t quite finish or I do the final checks before returning a car to a customer.

My boss, Don, handles all the bookkeeping and most of the administrative work with the help of his wife since his arthritis made him incapable of working on the cars. They had a pretty good business going for the best part of the last forty years until all the larger chains started undercutting his prices. A few of the other mechanics had to leave and find better paying jobs elsewhere because there wasn’t enough work here to go around.

It doesn’t help business that the building is falling apart on the outside. The parking lot is in such dire need of being repaved that I’ve become an expert at maneuvering cars around the pot holes and deep cracks. It looks nothing like it did back before I enlisted.

It used to be that the garage ran off word-of-mouth alone with most of the locals adopting the garage because it was just that — local. But now, no one could blame customers for taking their business somewhere cheaper or somewhere they deem more reliable even if it is a half hour drive away from town. A lot of the old clientele have either retired or moved away since the garage was started, meaning there is no inherent loyalty from the townspeople. It’s just how things work these days.

I’m busy doing an oil change when I hear a car pull into the lot. In fact, I heard it approaching from the main road long before it ever reached the turn off. That car sounds like a bunch of bolts in a garbage disposal even over the loud music and the various power tools the other guys are using.

I roll out from under the car, expecting to greet a potential customer but instead I’m surprised to see Riley stepping out of the vehicle. I’ve noticed before that her car doesn’t look in great shape but I always assumed it was mostly aesthetic. If I had realized how bad it is I would’ve offered to take a look at it a long time ago.

I exit through the open workshop door with Aika trailing close behind. As soon as she sees her approaching, a wide smile spreads over Riley’s face. She bends down, burying both hands in Aika’s fur.

“Hey, sweet girl.”

“I take it Don called ya?”

“He did.” Riley stands, catching my gaze but as soon as she does, she turns her eyes towards the ground. She tries to play it off by wiping the dust from the knees but I know that she is just that shy.

She isn’t wearing her typical sweatshirt and leggings, instead opting for a cream blouse and fitted black pants that show off her beautiful figure. She looks every bit the professional put together woman I know she strives to be. She obviously put some thought into what she wore, because it’s not so fancy that she’d appear stuck up to a bunch of guys literally covered from head to toe in oil and grease on a day to day basis. It’s perfect.

"I'll show you to the office,” I say, pointing over my shoulder.

I lead Riley inside, being mindful not to get grease on anything, and knock on Don's door frame. The door was taken off its hinges long before I started working here. Part of the reason is so he can keep an eye on the work floor and be available if we need him. The other half of it is because he makes sure to say "hi" to every person that comes in even if they don't need his help.

"Hey boss, Riley's here to see ya."

"Miss McKenzie, how wonderful to meet you." He stands, shaking Riley's hand.

"The pleasure is mine, Sir."

"Oh, none of that, call me Don. Please, sit."

I take that as my cue to leave, going back to my work. I glance towards the office every so often and every time, Riley has a smile on her face. She takes notes of whatever Don is saying, nodding along.

It's funny how different this Riley is to the girl I've come to know. Instead of making herself as small as possible, she's sitting straight with her head up and shoulders back, meeting Don's gaze as they talk over their ideas.

Over an hour later, she stands and shakes Don's hand again. She walks out through the office door and makes her way to her car with a small wave my way.

When my day is over, I go to the office to drop off my day's paperwork then poke my head in to say goodbye to Don.

"I'm headin' out."

Don lifts his head from the stack of invoices he's reviewing.

"Alright, Son, thank you."

I don't want to meddle but I can't help myself from asking about how the meeting went.

"So, umm, what didja think of Riley?" 

He crosses his arms over the desk, leaning closer.

"Oh she is just lovely, Sy. Smart and beautiful, you've got yourself a real catch there."

Something in my chest warms at the praise but I have to remind myself that she is not mine to be proud of and never will be. When Sam said she filmed videos with other girls I figured he was just making it up to try and catch my interest but I’d seen enough on “Razzy’s” profiles to know he’d been telling the truth.

"Actually, we're just friends. Barely know her if I'm being honest."

Don's eyes go wide. "My apologies, I thought she said something about you two living together."

I guess he would have assumed that. Not many people in his day believed in living together out of wedlock so us living as roommates must be strange.

"We do. But we didn't know each other before I moved in. We both know I don't make enough to pay for my own place right now and there aren't a lot of men my age looking for roommates."

Like that, any remnants of a smile is completely wiped from Don's face. "I know, Sy, but I really can't —"

I stop him immediately because I have no intention of trying to guilt him into paying me more.

"I didn't mean it like that, Don. I just meant sharing with Riley might not be a conventional choice but it works out well for the both of us."

He nods in understanding.

"That car of hers sounds like a real piece of work."

"You can say that again," I say, sinking into the chair opposite him. This is shaping up to be a long conversation so I might as well get comfortable.

"She's refusing to let me pay for her work until she has proof that it helped us bring in more business."

I scoff, shaking my head. "That sounds like her alright."

She rarely stands up for herself but if ya offer to pay something of hers, she gets as stubborn as a mule.

"She also said the money would be better invested elsewhere."

"I doubt gettin' the the lot paved costs the same as a couple hours of her time."

"No, you're right about that." He pauses, looking down at the invoices on his desk. He pulls open the bottom drawer of his desk, taking out two glasses and a bottle of something that looks an awful lot like whiskey. He pours us both a generous amount and slides mine across the desk. "But if she comes back after crunching the numbers and tells me what I've been thinking for a while, I'll take out a second mortgage on the house."

"What?" Now I know why he pulled out the liquor. "No, I'm not lettin' ya do that Don."

The last thing any man his age needs is another loan to pay off. If he's even mentioning it to me it means he's already talked it over with his wife and that she’s agreed. He’s serious about this.

"If it means saving this place and keeping it going then, yes, I am. Your father and I worked too damn hard on this place to see it go down. I don't have any kids of my own but as far as I'm concerned, half of this place is yours and you deserve to have yourself a stable income to provide for your own family some day."

His words cause my throat to tighten up and I have to swallow down a gulp of whiskey before I can respond.

"Well, just know that I will be by your side every step even if we do have to shut this place down."

He takes a sip of his own drink.

"You're a good man, Sy. Your daddy would be proud."

Fuck, this has really turned into a liquor kind of conversation. I simply nod, looking over his shoulder at the framed picture on the wall behind him. My pop and a much younger Don smile back at me, my pregnant mama on one side and Charlotte, Don's wife, laughing brightly on the other. 

"I'll see ya tomorrow, Don."

“Get home safe.”

Those are always Don’s parting words. I never took them seriously until the first time I shipped out. Then they got a whole new meaning after my parents were killed in that car wreck.

I shoot the remaining whiskey from my rocks glass, focusing on the slight burn down the back of my throat then get to my feet. “Will do, Don.”

For the second day in a row, Riley is at the island when I get home. She has a set of colored pencils spread out around her computer and sheets of paper strewn from one end of the counter to the other.

“You know, Don doesn't expect you to get back to him tomorrow.”

She doesn’t look up or move from her spot. She just keeps coloring with her head tilted to the side and worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

“I know, but I want to brainstorm while the ideas are still fresh.”

Fuck, she is adorable. All I want is to go up behind her and wrap my arms around her waist. I’d rest my chin over her head and look at all the ideas she’s put on paper. I’d tell her how much it means to me that she’s doing this for my godfather.

“Have ya eaten?”

“I have stew simmering on the stove. Should be ready in about an hour. I got bread from the bakery on the way home and —” Her sentence is cut off when her eyes land on me. “Sy, why are you green?”

“Aika and I went to the park.”

She gives me one of those cute little giggles that she always hides by putting her hand over her mouth or making her hair fall in front of her face.

“You know, normally, the dog is supposed to be the one rolling in the grass.”

I finally get my boots off and step further into the apartment. “Where’s the fun in that?”

She shakes her head at me and waves me off. “Alright, shoo. You’re trailing grass and mud everywhere and in all honesty, I can smell you from here.”

I give her a mock salute. “Yes ma’am. I’ll let ya get back to work.”

I take my shirt off, leaving it inside out in an attempt to keep at least some of the dirt contained. Riley immediately turns away but not before I spot how her eyes trail over my chest. Maybe she isn't completely uninterested after all.

Chapter 6

[handsomelyhiddleston]

The Nanny - Tom Hiddleston x Curvy Reader

“Papa!” India ran towards her father, Chris Hemsworth.

Hemsworth picked her up, looking around for whoever had the other two. When he spotted you, he waved and laughed seeing both boys clung to you. You had one on each hip. A big perk of being curvy is that it makes it a lot easier to tote the little ones around.

It was rare that him and his wife, Elsa, both had projects going on at the same time, but when it did happen, they had a close friend nanny the children near one of the projects. With the twins being a year old and able to be away from their mother for a short time, Elsa reluctantly took a month-long job where she would be doing quite a lot of traveling. Chris put her worries at ease and told her she had put her own career on hold quite a lot for their family. You had met the couple back when you nannied for their manager. When they had India, you helped them navigate having a child while working in Hollywood. When the twins arrived, you once again moved in with the family and helped smooth the hectic schedule involved in being a parent to three kiddos while working in such a high-demand and publicized job.

“India, I told you to wait for me” you gently scolded the young girl.

“…but I saw papa n unca Tom” she replied, hiding her face in her father’s neck.

“India, you know you need to listen to Y/n. She just wants you to be safe” Hemsworth said, rubbing her back with his hand.

“…m sorry” she said, peeking her face out and smiling at you.

“Thank you” you replied.

“You look like you’ve got your hands full” Tom said, a soft smile on his face as he looked at the two boys sitting on your hips. “I think we’re done for the day” he added, gaining the attention of Tristan, one of the twin boys.

Tristan reached out a hand, making grabby gestures towards Tom. “Looks like you’re about to have your hands full” you quipped, safely passing the 1 year old to Tom who happily took him into his arms.

“Hey, buddy” Tom said, smiling as the young boy gently played with the wig he was wearing. Tom was great with everyone’s kids. It kind of made you wonder why he hadn’t had any of his own.

Hemsworth spoke to India, bouncing her up and down. “Papa and uncle Tom need to go get out of our costumes and then we can all go home and eat. Does that sound okay?” Chris was talking to India, but he looked at you and Tom as well just wanting to confirm that this plan worked for everyone and making sure Tom knew he was welcome to join.

“Sounds wonderful” Tom replied.

“India, why don’t we go get dinner started for everybody. I could use some help.” You knew that India LOVED to help cook.

“Your papa takes a lot longer than me to get ready…” Tom teased, making Hemsworth laugh. “So why don’t you let me walk you back to the car with Y/n so he can get a head start?”

India started squirming, wanting her dad to put her down. “Make sure you hold uncle Tom’s hand the whole way.”

When you got back to the car, you put Sasha in the first child safety seat and turned to grab Tristan from Tom. “Thank you for walking them back with me”, you smiled up at your always generous friend.

“No need to thank me” he said, passing off the second boy. “You’re incredible with them, but I know it has to be a lot of work.”

Strapping Tristan into the second child safety seat, you replied. “You’re a natural with kids, Tom. You’re going to make a wonderful dad someday.”

Slightly blushing, he replied. “Well, I’ll take that as the highest compliment coming from you.”

Tom’s sincerity kind of stopped you in your tracks for a second. “I’ll take that as a compliment as well”, you failed at hiding the grin he’d put on your face. “India, say bye bye to uncle Tom. He needs to go get ready so him and papa can come home.”

The girl gave Tom a hug before reaching for you. “I’ll see you guys soon” Tom said, waiting to leave until you got the third child strapped in so he could open your door for you.

“Always a gentleman” you smiled at Tom who was still in full Loki garb.

As you climbed into the car, Tom said “A woman such as yourself deserves to be served by the gods.”

You felt your cheeks warm as you thanked him again. “Remind Chris that he promised he’d bring home ice cream for India.”

When you got to the house where you, the kids, and Chris were staying during filming you pulled into the garage and unloaded the kids. The two boys were in their safe gated area in the living room so they could play, and India was sat on the counter helping you tear apart lettuce for the salad.

“Good job, sweetie.” You said, finishing up the grilled chicken and squash. “Can you go wash your hands for dinner while I get the boys set up in their high-chairs?” you asked, setting India on the ground. “Make sure you use the bathroom downstairs. No stairs without an adult!” you called out. You continued making the salad at the counter

“Dinner smells wonderful” you heard, feeling a hand on your shoulder. You were startled, not knowing the guys had arrived home.

“Shit!” you yipped, turning and almost dropping the bowl in your hands.

Tom grabbed the bowl, trying to hold back laughter. “I’m so sorry” he laughed out, setting the bowl on the counter and wrapping his arms around you.

“You made me say a bad word” you replied, laughing into Tom’s chest. You wrapped your arms around him and leaned back against the counter for stability. Looking up at him you added, “No swearing in front of the children”.

“Well, I’m not the one that said it, darling” a smirk present on his otherwise serious face.

“You’re supposed to leave the mischief at work” you laughed, dropping your arms from around him and turning to finish the salad.

“What fun would that be?” he said quietly into your ear as he reached around you and snagged a vegetable out of the salad.

When you turned around, he was stepping over the child gate to grab one of the twins and get them set up at the table. You shook your head as if you could shake away the very inappropriate thoughts you were having about your friend.

You could hear Hemsworth laughing in the other room, India giggling along with him. “Well, are you going to tell me the secret?” he said. “No one else can know?” he questioned. India must have been trying to tell him something. “Well, they can’t hear you, just whisper it to me.” It got quiet for a moment. “Ah, I see. I’ll have to pay attention and see for myself.”

“Are you telling secrets?” Tom asked after grabbing the second twin and setting them up at the table.

“Mmhmm” you heard her say as you brought the platters full of food to the table.

“Do I get to know?” you asked, turning to grab the twin’s bowls since they weren’t eating adult food yet.

“Maybe” she answered before telling her dad she could get in her own chair. She was quite proud that she wasn’t in a high-chair anymore and she wanted to seat herself.

“Do you need help with anything else, darling?” Tom asked, following you back into the kitchen.

“Help me grab the cups of water?” you answered, handing him two full cups before grabbing your own and a small juice cup for India.

“Dinner was delicious” Hemsworth said, leaning back in his chair with his hands over his stomach.

“It truly was” Tom added, standing to gather the dishes.

“I’m glad” you replied, gathering the dishes Tom hadn’t grabbed. “You don’t have to clear the table.” You said, reaching for the last dish.

“Nonsense” he replied, grabbing your hand before you could grab the last dish. “You worked hard preparing this wonderful meal. The least I can do is help clean up.”

He wouldn’t let go of your hand until you conceded. “If you must” you said with a smile. “Thank you.”

You saw India crawl into her dad’s lap and whisper something to him. “I see” he answered, looking between you and Tom.

You shot him a look, letting him know you were suspicious of whatever they were talking about. Hemsworth shrugged, acting innocent.

After dishes were done and leftovers were put away, Chris put the twins to bed. You could hear him singing along with the giggles of the twin boys. “India, do you want to take a bath before bed or in the morning?”

“Tomorrow” she answered, crawling up the stairs to her room with you right on her heels.

“Tom, there’s a bottle of red wine already out on the counter if you want to grab a few glasses. I’ll be back down in a few.” You called down the stairs.

When you finished getting India dressed in her jammies and got a movie playing in her room, you headed back down the stairs. You could hear the guys talking in living room, but you couldn’t really make out what they were talking about. “You make it sound a lot easier than it is” you heard Tom say before you made it to the bottom of the stairs.

“All good?” Hemsworth asked, getting up to go say goodnight to his daughter.

“As per usual, she’s a dream. She’s watching Big Hero 6.” You answered, walking into the living room.

“Come sit” Tom said, holding out a glass of wine for you.

You grabbed the glass and sat in the spot next to Tom. “Thank you for pouring the wine” you said, taking a sip and sighing, laying back against the soft couch.

“Long day?” Tom asked.

“Not nearly as long as yours. I can’t imagine going non-stop all day like you guys do.” You answered, turning your head to face Tom as you took another sip of wine.

“Ridiculous” he said, tapping his glass against yours. “You take care of three tiny human beings that have all of the energy and attitude of their father”, he laughed. “I’d argue that your job is harder.”

“They’re great kids. The only reason this week has been a bit tiring is because the twins are teething. Sasha seems to be getting it worse, though” you explained.

“Poor thing” Tom said.

“I know. He’s been clung to my side all week. I’m surprised Chris got him to sleep, actually. He’s been fussy at bedtime and usually ends up passing out in my arms.” You felt Tom’s arm slip from the back of the couch to your shoulders.

“Well, enjoy the break” he said, pulling you to lean into his side a bit. “Though I can’t blame him for wanting to sleep in your arms.”

You looked up at Tom. “You’ve been awfully complimentary today.”

“I’m just saying, you’ve got a wonderfully voluptuous figure, darling.” He cleared his throat. “I imagine anyone that gets to fall asleep in your embrace is going to sleep well.”

“Well, if I thought you were interested, I might just tell you to find out for yourself.” You could hear Hemsworth coming down the stairs.

“Tom, I got the spare room all set up for you so we can ride into work tomorrow. No point in going to your place since we both have to be in the make-up trailer at 7 tomorrow anyways.” Chris said, laying out on the couch across from the two of you after grabbing his wine glass. “Y/n, I checked Sasha. He’s still asleep.”

“I’m glad. Hopefully his teeth aren’t hurting him as much.” You answered.

Chris looked at how you and Tom were sat and made eye contact with Tom, raising his eyebrows and looking between the two of you. “Anything you two want to tell me?” He asked, grinning like a little kid.

“Whatever do you mean?” Tom smirked, drinking the last of his wine. “Would you like more wine, Y/n?”

“Yes, actually. Thank you.” You sipped the last of your wine, handing the glass to Tom. When he got up, you watched him walk away with a smile on your face.

When he was out of earshot, Hemsworth imitated him. “Oh, whatever do you mean?” He laughed, looking at you and waiting for some sort of response.

“I have no idea what’s gotten into him” you shrugged, unable to keep the smile from your face.

“I’d wager a bet that I know what’s gotten into him.” He looked you up and down, sipping his wine, as if to say ‘duh!’ You’d become practically family to Chris and Elsa, and unbeknownst to you they’ve always thought you and Tom would make a great pair.

“Then why now?” you asked.

Chris shrugged. “India’s big secret earlier was that she thinks uncle Tom over there thinks you’re pretty because he looks at you like I look at her mom.”

Your face softened, thinking that was the cutest damn thing you’d ever heard. “Your daughter is officially my favorite of your children. You aren’t allowed to tell the boys. Or their mother.”

Chris laughed. “But seriously…give it a chance. Trust that I know something you don’t.” He was trying to help without breaking Tom’s confidence.  

You could hear Tom walking back. You whispered, “I didn’t know I had a chance!”

“Here you go, darling.” Tom sat back down, opening his arms so you could resume your earlier position.

“Thank you” you answered, snuggling further into Tom.

The conversation went back to normal after Tom came back. The guys talked a bit about what they would be filming tomorrow, and they answered questions as you had them. Chris talked about the fact that Elsa would be coming to visit for a few days since Tom and him had two days off from filming after tomorrow.

“Y/n, Elsa will be here for 2 nights, 3 days and she wanted to make sure you knew that you didn’t need to work that whole time. You’re obviously more than welcome stay with us and keep your schedule, but she wanted you to know you could make plans.” Chris explained, knowing that you usually stayed and helped even when one of the parents was going to be around full time for a while.

“I don’t think I have any plans to make, but I’ll keep it in mind” you answered.

As the night wound down, you could feel yourself drifting off while cuddled up next to Tom. “I think I’m going to call it a night.”

“It is getting quite late” Tom responded, his hand running up and down your arm.

“Thank you two for a nice kid free night” you laughed, pulling yourself from Tom’s embrace to stand up.

Tom watched as you slightly adjusted your clothes, his eyes gazing over your body as you stretched. “The thanks should go to you, love.” He stood, grabbing the three wine glasses so that they could be rinsed in the kitchen.

“You have to stop giving me all the credit” you replied, grabbing the glasses from Tom. You leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before taking the glasses to the kitchen.

When you were far enough away, Chris started teasing Tom. “Oh, whatever do you mean?” he repeated from earlier.

Tom threw a pillow at him, leaving the living room to find you in the kitchen. “I don’t want to startle you again” he spoke before he entered the kitchen, peeking around the corner with his hands raised.

“I didn’t even know you guys were home earlier” you laughed. Your hands were in a sink full of water, rinsing the wine glasses.

“I just wanted to come and say goodnight.” Tom walked up behind you, placing his hands gently on your hips and kissing your cheek from over your shoulder. “I hope you get some well-deserved rest.”

“You too” you answered, but he was already walking away when you turned to look at him.

When you got in your room, you felt like you were floating. Today felt crazy. Sure, you and Tom had been fast friends from the start. You’d certainly grown close, but today felt like something entirely different.

“Chris said to trust him.” You stripped out of your clothes and took the time to decompress in the shower. You towel dried your hair, threw on a pair of short spandex shorts and a baggy t shirt, and crawled into bed.

You were woken up by the baby monitor in your room. “Oh, Sasha.” You crawled out of bed and quietly made your way down the hallway. “Come here, sweetheart.” You picked Sasha up and he threw his arms around your neck. You walked back and forth, bouncing him in your arms.

“Is everything alright?” You heard Tom quietly ask from the doorway.

“I’m so sorry if he woke you” you said, feeling bad that they had a full day of shooting tomorrow.

“Don’t be” he replied, walking into the room and rubbing Sasha’s back comfortingly. “I take it his teething woke him up?”

“Must have.” You answered. “I’ll get him back to sleep if I take him to my room.” You turned to check on Tristan and he was standing up in his crib with tears running down his face.

“I’ll grab him” Tom said, moving to pick the boy up out of his crib and holding him to his chest. “What do you normally do when they both wake up?”

You couldn’t help but smile at how cute Tom was in his pajamas and glasses. “I’d take them back to my room with me. They usually fall asleep pretty quickly after that.”

“Would you like some company?” Tom asked, kind of in awe of how easily you handled the craziness of taking care of three very young children.

“I’d love some” you answered, turning and walking to your bedroom. Holding Sasha to your chest with one arm, you pulled back the blanket and crawled into your bed. You were sat up, just a bit, with the already half-asleep boy draped across your front with his head snuggled into your chest.

Tom followed suit with Tristan draped across his much leaner figure. “Come here” he said, lifting his arm so you could tuck the two of you against Tom’s side.

“I hope you aren’t too tired tomorrow” you said, feeling yourself already drifting off to sleep.

“Don’t worry about it, darling. Get some sleep.” Tom pressed a kiss to the top of your head before dozing off, himself.

You woke up to Hemsworth trying to wake Tom with the biggest grin on his face. “Brother, we need to leave in a half hour.”

Both boys were still passed out on top of the two of you. You rolled out of bed, still holding Sasha. “Let me go put Sasha in his crib and I’ll be back for Tristan.” You walked to the boy’s room and laid him down in his crib. Before you could even turn towards the door, Tom walked through with Tristan. “Good morning” you whispered.

Tom set the boy down in his crib and gestured that the two of you leave so you wouldn’t wake them back up. “Good morning, beautiful.” Tom gently closed the boy’s door and pulled you to him in a long, lazy hug.

“You’re not allowed to be charming this early in the morning.” You laughed against his chest.

“Nonsense” he said, letting his hands slowly slide to rest on your ass. “If I’m not allowed to be charming then you’re not allowed to be irresistible.”

“That road goes two ways” you said, sliding your hands under the back of his shirt and grinning up at him.

“Oh, does it?” Tom replied, dipping down to kiss your cheek before whispering “I think you should stay at mine while Elsa is here.”

“Tom!” Hemsworth whisper-yelled down the hall. “Get your hands off my nanny’s ass and get ready for work.”

You both tried to quiet your laughter as not to wake the boys back up.

“Consider it?” Tom said, releasing you and walking towards Chris to get changed and on their way.

You quickly walked to your room to brush your teeth and wash your face. You threw on a more modest pair of shorts and quickly put your bra on so you could go make the guys some coffee for the road.

Once in the kitchen, you brewed some coffee and got two travel mugs ready. You grabbed a piece of fruit and a protein bar for each of them before Tom walked in. “I hope you got enough rest”

“Actually, I feel incredible.” He said, eyeing the coffee and breakfast you’d set up for him and Chris. “I don’t think it has anything to do with rest, though, if I’m being entirely honest.”

“It must be something in the air” you blushed, ducking your head.

Tom took a step towards you. “At this point, I don’t think I could spend all day trying to pay attention to my lines and cues and such if I’m preoccupied with wondering whether or not I’ve made my feelings clear.”

You looked up at Tom, realizing this is the first time you’ve ever seen him look nervous. “Was your invitation serious?” you asked, filling the gap between you and sliding your arms around his neck.

“Very” he answered, holding you tight against him.

“Then, yes” you answered, going onto your tippy toes and pressing your lips together in a slow, gentle kiss.

“Brilliant” he breathed out, dipping back down to connect your lips once again.

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

Part 2? Let me know! (I haven’t edited this so I apologize if there are errors. I’m too sleepy.)

[randomvarious]

Today’s compilation and mix:

This Is Strictly Rhythm, Volume 2 1995 House / Garage House

OK, so, for those that don't know, Strictly Rhythm was, at some point, pretty much New York's premier house label. They're still kicking around today, but I honestly have no idea what the current house landscape is like, so I don't know if they're still held in the same high regard that they were when this double-disc compilation/label sampler mix combo came out in '95.

With that said though, this awesome comp/mix actually wasn't released by Strictly Rhythm themselves; SR had their own series called This Is Strictly Rhythm, but so did German label ZYX Music, and this is Vol. 2 in ZYX's own series.

*BUT,* these tracks also aren't just *strictly* Strictly Rhythm tunes; a couple of them come from a Miami label called Groove On, which was an offshoot of George Morel's, a guy who happened to be a higher-up at Strictly Rhythm at some point. So, there's something of a tangential connection there, but officially, not all of these tunes actually come from Strictly Rhythm.

Both discs of this release make for an excellent snapshot of just how good Strictly Rhythm was in '95 though. It's not a retrospective sampler, so you're not getting the best tunes that Strictly Rhythm had released since its 1989 inception, but rather only tunes that came out around '94-'95. So, if you want a good, ephemeral helping of some sweet mid-90s house tunes from one of New York's greatest labels to ever serve it up, this is well worth a listen.

Ironically though, the most remembered track from these discs isn't even really a house track. It's the one that kicks things off, Josh Wink's "Higher State of Consciousness (Tweekin' Acid Funk)," which is a spectacularly wigged-out, acid-chirping, classic mid-90s breakbeat whopper. When Wink released this song on his Higher State of Consciousness 12-inch, I don't think that he intended for it to be the one to blow the doors off (it's the last track on the B-side, for fuck's sake), but that's ultimately what happened. And it happened on a house label, no less; one that he'd never release on again. Go figure!

More dopeness: Jason Nevins, under the moniker of Soundstation, before he topped charts all across Europe with his famous remake of Run-D.M.C.'s "It's Like That" in '97, delivers maybe the best house track on this release. It's got literal frog ribbits in its rhythm, folks! Just wait for the drums to come in and then tell me you don't love this shit! I dare you!

Also, two great offerings from Chicago house legend DJ Pierre are on here as well (check out my long write-up on how he and the rest of his trio, Phuture, pioneered acid house with the genre's first-ever song, "Acid Tracks"); one as Timewarp and the other as Photon Inc. Both tracks employ a hard and heavy kick drum and a high string, but they definitely go in different directions besides having those two elements in common.

And disc 2 of this release just so happens to be an unexpectedly excellent mix by Germany's Hans Nieswandt. I say unexpectedly because it's never an easy task to do a label sampler mix. Your selection pool is so limited since you can only choose from the output of a single label. And Nieswandt was limited even more by only selecting tracks that were released between '94 and '95. But he really pulled it off here anyway. It admittedly takes a little bit of time to warm up to, but once he gets to around the halfway point with Maurice's "Got Me Burning Up" (DJ Pierre's brother), his set really hits its stride. It's an expertly blended and well-varied house trip that includes some of the tracks from disc 1, some different mixes of some of the tracks from disc 1, and a few tracks that aren't on disc 1 at all, like that aforementioned Maurice joint. And as far as label sampler house mixes go, this might be the best one I've ever heard. No joke.

A superb journey back to 1995 to experience some tasty offerings from legendary New York house label, Strictly Rhythm, by way of Germany's ZYX Music. I unfortunately don't have a link to Nieswandt's disc 2 mix, but feel free to PM me. Plus, if you're in the US, you can currently purchase both discs from Discogs for under $10, and that includes shipping. Well worth the price, in my opinion, considering all the gold that's inside 😁 .

Highlights:

CD1:

Wink - "Higher State of Consciousness (Tweekin' Acid Funk)" Manhattan Progression - "Pray (The USA Anthem mix)" Soundstation - "The Deep State of Sound (State of "Dope")" G. Funk - "Misused (The Underground Network mix)" Timewarp - "A Feeling I Know (W.P. II)" 1-900 - "Keep Him on the Phone (Spero's Deeper 'n Deeper dub)" Photon Inc. - "Project Blast (Wild Style mix)"

CD2:

"The Mega-Strictly-Mix" by Hans Nieswandt

[prurientpuddlejumper]

A Lipless Face That I Want to Marry, Ch. 18

<- Part 17 | Part 19 ->

Summary: Frederick returns home to some fanfare, courtesy of everyone’s favorite red-headed journalist.

Warnings: Angst, snark, Chilton being an ass, lipless kissy kiss, Chilton prioritizing his lust for attention over his insecurities (a decision that will surely never come back to bite him in the ass)

3,100 words

“This is Freddie Lounds with TattleCrime reporting from the home of Dr. Frederick Chilton. Join me as this courageous doctor sees his home for the first time after two hundred days in the hospital. Doctor Chilton, how does it feel to have survived the notorious Red Dragon?”

A hunched figure slowly moved toward the door of a mansion in a gated community outside Baltimore. His right hand gripped a cane, clicking on the walkway with each shaking step. You gripped his left elbow.

He wore a natural-looking brown wig, styled just like his original hair, and leather gloves covered his hands. Dressed in his favorite brown suit with a striped tie and gold tie-pin, he looked nearly every bit like his old self, but where lips should have been was a void of pearly teeth. Unlike his gunshot wound, there was no hiding the Dragon’s damage behind cosmetics.

His pink, scarred face turned toward the camera. “Did you tell your viewers it was your article that made me a target?”

“Cut!” a producer shouted. “Let’s cut that.”

“No,” Lounds corrected sharply. “Leave it. It makes the story more engaging.” She spoke again to Frederick. “Yes, my viewers are aware that the FBI used TattleCrime to bait the serial killer Francis Dolarhyde, best known as the Red Dragon, out of hiding, and that it resulted in your abduction. Jack Crawford and Will Graham used both of us. After all, it could just as easily have been me who was targeted. I published the article. That is why you’ve always had my deepest sympathies, Doctor Chilton.”

“Is that why you have been trying to catch my face on camera since I was admitted to intensive care? The… camaraderie we share?”

Her eyes glinted with anything but sympathy, mouth pressing into a sharp smile. “Yes. Of course. That is why you agreed to an interview with my new TattleCrime Live channel, isn’t it? You trust me to tell your miraculous survival story to my 2.5 million followers.”

Frederick’s lips could not press together, but the glint in his eyes was as green with greed as Ms. Lounds’s.

He reached out a gloved hand and turned the handle of the front door. The key was small and difficult to grip, so you had unlocked it in advance to film this shot. As it pushed open with a familiar creak of wood and brass hinges, there was a moment of silence—an all-too authentic, unrehearsed moment in which Frederick’s breath stopped, and the curated expression of haughty pride fell like a penny hitting the polished hardwood floors.

There was his house. His home. Lying like a sleeping dragon just beyond this threshold in the smoke-like darkness.

It was exactly as he left it. Art pieces with no particular meaning to him except their expense stood on white pedestals in the front entry. One was vacant, where you had shattered a vase the day he broke up with you. A cold knot pitted his stomach.

“Hold on,” Lounds called. “I want coverage from the inside of the house as he goes in. We only have one chance to get this shot—I want to see the raw emotion. Angle on his face.”

There was a confusion of movement and noise. Someone told Frederick to stand perfectly still as the small crew brought a Steadicam in through the garage door. Lights flicked on inside the house. The sleeping demon awakening. The empty pedestal cast into sharp focus.

He was not watching you on the cameras that week. If he had a nurse pull up the video feed for him, he was certain he would have seen you packing, and he could not bear that. But after you had forgiven each other, he looked. He watched you sob until your eyes were red, unable to do anything but sleep and scream for days. He saw you pick up the photograph and raise it above your head, then set it down carefully on the shelf with a wistful smile, and lash out at the nearest object. You fell to pieces on the floor with the vase shards.

It was hard to believe you could be in so much pain over losing him—that his absence could hurt you so much. It was harder to accept that these things had happened two weeks ago, and the opportunity to run to you was gone. There was no way to hold you as you cried and tell you that he didn’t mean it. There was no one to comfort the you of the past. You were alone. He hurt you, and there was no way to take it back.

The camera reappeared in the vestibule in front of him, and Lounds shouted, “Action!”

Present-you gave an encouraging smile and a subtle little squeeze to his arm. “Are you OK?” you said with your eyes, wise not to tip off the journalistic vulture he had invited to witness his homecoming.

He nodded, and stepped over the threshold.

Freddie Lounds wished Frederick owned a dog. Wounded-soldier-returning-home headlines were popular, but to go viral, there needed to be a dog. She scowled.

***

“Readers will be able to dig into their copy of The Dragon Slayer, on shelves today. For obvious health reasons, you will not be attending book signings, yet it is truly incredible that you were able to finish the book and publish while still in the hospital. What gave you the strength to keep writing even while you were in excruciating pain from this gristly and brutal attack?”

You sat on Frederick’s left side on a velvet-lined couch in the living room as Ms. Lounds led the interview. Even while firing off questions as subtle as a paint can thrown at a wall, nothing escaped her keen eyes. You sat on the left. Guarding his blind spot. Your thumb made small circles on the back of his hand in a sickeningly genuine display of affection. The engagement ring on your finger matched the one he proudly wore around his neck, and the way your eyes sparkled when you looked at him was almost as good as a puppy.

But Frederick’s obtuse, self-important responses gave the camera nothing to work with.

“What can one do but carry on, as the British say? As the world’s foremost authority on his mind—the only psychiatrist to sit in a room with him and live to tell the tale—it was my duty to share my expertise.”

Lounds tried again. “Would you say your partner’s unflinching support gave you the courage to finish the book?”

He gave a high, nasal laugh. Barely choked nerves made his voice rise into a practiced cadence that sounded unpleasantly like boarding schools and country clubs. “I do not require assistance to write a bestseller. As much as it is appreciated, I have survived two other near-fatal attacks and managed just fine. Be sure to mention that in the final cut,” Frederick added as an aside. “It is part of what gives me unique insight into the way these killers work.”

“She’s looking for a soundbite, dear,” you whispered.

“Naturally.” He rolled his eyes. “Is your program going to be anything besides tacky yellow journalism?”

“I’ll throw in clickbait, too, if it’ll give me views. You want your book to sell a million copies, don’t you?” Lounds said. “Then we need something to interest the public. Something sweet... or sour.” She leaned forward, voice smooth as arsenic-laced honey. “It’s safe to say this horrific ordeal put an enormous strain on the relationship. Isn’t it true that you broke off the engagement for several weeks?”

Your back straightened like a bolt of lightning had passed through you. Bingo.

“Where did you hear that?!” Frederick’s teeth parted in affront as her attention turned to you.

“So it’s true,” Lounds purred. “What happened? Did you decide staying with a disabled writer wasn’t worth the money?”

“No! I mean...” You froze up, your face heating under the lights. Apparently, it never occurred to you before that you would be accused of staying with him for the money. That was exactly what it looked like to all the world—you, young, kind, and attractive, and he, rich, abrasive, and broken. Of course it was about the money. But if it was, you would have a response prepared and practiced to repeat on cue like a trained parrot. Gold-diggers never floundered over questions about whether they were gold-diggers.

In the end, Frederick threw himself in front of the metaphorical bullet to rescue you. “It was my fault, if you must know. It was a rash decision made under a great deal of pain, and I wish I could take it back.” His voice softened to a whisper. “Though things were mended in the end… I still wish I could take it back.”

“So the wedding is back on. It must be difficult to stay with a man when the face you fell in love with no longer exists.”

“Not at all!” Gripping his hand, you smiled dotingly. “Frederick is a brilliant doctor, an amazing psychiatrist at the forefront of his field, and you’ve seen how tenacious he is—publishing a new book while still in the hospital. He’s incredible! Of course I’m sticking with him. Nothing has changed.”

Frederick’s smile glowed as he listened to you—the first evidence she’d seen that his face could smile—and his eyes were fixated on you, glistening with wetness he self-consciously blinked away. The expression only brightened his face for a moment before self-consciousness erased it entirely, and he returned to the same dour, tightly-wound man boring her cameras. She would have to sneak a candid if she wanted to capture a tooth-rottingly sweet moment. At least you were practically as good as a golden retriever—where in the world did Frederick Chilton find you?

Lounds did feel a modicum of guilt over Frederick’s situation, but this interview wasn’t a favor. There was potential for a big story here—one that could do more to promote her channel than sell his book. She wanted the raw, visceral footage of Dr. Chilton—closeups of his face providing shock value, his fiance adding a love-story element, and finally, she expected him to fall apart on camera. The drama of it all was palpable.

Questioning his relationship rattled Frederick’s cage, but he didn’t come close to the emotional breakdown she was fishing for until she dug into the subject of his book: the man who attacked him.

“You understand the Red Dragon better than anyone else. Would you say you have a special connection with him?”

“In my book, I peel back the layers of his consciousness. Every madman has his own motivations that are quite sane within his own distorted vision of the world.” His response was rehearsed, as if he were quoting from a speech.

“Do you think he recognized something in you in particular—something that made him target you rather than Mr. Graham?”

His practiced cadence broke, but he shook it off with a chuckle. “I am not a killer, if that is what you are insinuating.”

“I’m not insinuating anything. You are obsessed with killers, Dr. Chilton. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Isn’t the pot calling the kettle black?” Frederick snapped, voice pitching upward as he glared at her.

“But you are a doctor. Not the top of your class at Harvard Medical, but middle of the pack—at Harvard? You had options. Yet you chose to study psychopaths.”

“It was the field with the most to be learned.”

“Some have speculated there are similarities between you and Francis Dolarhyde. That your survival was no accident, and the fire was his way to catalyze your own transformation in the same way he believed in his ‘Becoming.’ What did he hope you would become?”

Frederick scoffed. “Who speculates? I have no interest in conspiracy-theory forums.” His grip on your hand made you visibly wince.

“But you don’t deny it.”

“Of course I do. This is baseless.” He used his tongue to simulate the b, spat a little in the attempt, and grew frustrated at his damaged mouth. His breathing was shallow. So she pressed on.

“When you profiled the Dragon last year, you referred to him as ‘the child of a nightmare.’ There were goosebumps on my arms when I heard those words, Dr. Chilton. It was as if you were speaking from experience.”

“That is enough.”

“My research shows that your own childhood was also darkened by—”

“Excuse me a moment.”

Frederick stood. He kept his chin high. Proud. Without sweat glands in his destroyed skin, there was no nervous sheen to his brow. Instead, his teeth parted, and he panted heavily like a dog. He tore off the microphone clipped to his collar and hurried toward the kitchen. You followed.

***

The kitchen spun in white, glittering circles of tile and cutlery. Cameras were watching his every move. Every mistake. Every aberration in his speech, every deformity of his face. They were waiting to pounce upon a moment of weakness, like this one. He felt dizzy and gripped the edge of the kitchen sink. This was a mistake.

If anyone could spin a narrative—make a story go viral—it was Freddie Lounds. But who said she would spin it in his favor?

The house looked different. He tried not to let the cameras see it—how different everything felt. Everything exactly as it was, but completely foreign now, because he was different. The couch used to be comfortable. The mirrors once reflected a familiar face.

This was supposed to be about taking control of his own narrative. A piece about him seeing his home for the first time since the attack would get views—generate the kind of media buzz he had always wanted. But she was digging into his past. Putting his shame on display. The anger his pain awakened in him—what if it was the Dragon’s design? He wasn’t ready.

The room looped around and around, making lazy streaks across his vision.

He tasted salt.

His cheeks were wet.

“Do you want me to send them away?” Your voice broke through the chaos. “You don’t have to go out there again. I’ll tell them you’re tired. You need to rest.”

Your voice was an anchor in the storm. At least, it forced him to stuff the spinning, questioning, dread back down inside of himself and behave as a person. He could not fall apart in front of you. Even if you had seen him fall apart before, this was bigger. He was home now, and he was supposed to be showing the world that he would not break.

Pull yourself together and carry on. Keep your head up. Behave properly.

“No, no. I can handle it.”

Never let them see you weak.

Your hand pressed his shoulder. He flinched, and hid the involuntary movement by shrugging you off.

“I am more than capable of giving an interview. This was what we decided. It was what the publisher wanted. Audiences will eat it up.”

He sounded proud. Too proud—overcompensating. It didn’t fool you at all, but he was glad you did not ask any difficult questions. Only whether he’d like some water. He had you stand guard for cameras while he drank it, tilting his head back like a seagull so the water would go down his throat and not out his mouth.

“It’s only your first day back home. It’s OK if you need to rest. I’m still waiting to get you to myself...” you added, touching his arm, weaving yours around it when he didn’t shrug you off this time.

It was clever kindness, giving him a reason to call off the interview that spared his pride. He closed his eyes at the warmth of your touch, and tried to let himself be seduced. Unfortunately, the thought of being alone with you—that long-awaited privacy and the weight of expectations that came with it—made him more nervous than the cameras.

“I am fine, darling. Whatever godforsaken beach Lecter and Graham are sitting on, I want them to see me. I want them to choke on my success. The Dragon Slayer will be a hit, I have you by my side, and they will be back in my custody soon enough. All I need to do is get through the next hour. Show them I am not ashamed or broken. I will gain the world’s respect while they languish in obscurity.”

Your eyes glittered with admiration, while your lips quirked in a wry little smile, as if a joke were perched on the tip of your tongue, but you didn’t want to spoil the moment. “You’re sexy when you’re vengeful, you know,” you smiled, tugging his arm.

“Thank you, darling.”

He let you pull him forward with your warm hands at the back of his neck. Your lips teased the flesh surrounding his mouth gently, chastely at first—a comforting presence pressing his abused face. You always started gently until he grew comfortable and bold enough to part your delicious lips with his tongue. His eyes closed as he held you close with a hand at the small of your back, relishing the moan that escaped as you opened your mouth to allow him entry—that spontaneous noise of pleasure that told him you truly wanted him. It wasn’t an act to stroke his ego. You gasped, low and needy, as his tongue slid against yours, your fingers tightening at the back of his neck. His heart fluttered every time he realized you still wanted him. After everything that had gone wrong, he still excited you. Still earned those quiet little moans and reflexive twitches that could not be faked.

And, unbeknownst to him, Freddie Lounds finally got her heartwarming candid.

Your attractive lips gratifying his bizarrely rearranged, skeletal face was just the right combination of tenderness and freak value that got clicks and shares.

Frederick had timed the publication date of The Dragon Slayer with his discharge from the hospital for a reason. He called TattleCrime and agreed to reveal his face for a reason, and it wasn’t self-confidence. Vanity made him desperate to hide away, but he was, if nothing else, a whore for the spotlight, and he knew this would rocket him to national attention.

The public needed to see all the graphic details of what Francis Dolarhyde did to him if this gambit for press attention was to pay off.

And it did.

The first day The Dragon Slayer hit shelves, it was sold out of stores, and Dr. Frederick Chilton could once again boast his bestselling novelist fame. It was everything he ever wanted… but fame always comes with a cost.

​

[extremelyblackandwhite]

ascendance - 02

PAIRING: mob!bucky barnes x reader

WARNINGS: violence, dark themes, murder, bleeding, kidnapping, age gap (reader is 23, bucky is 37)

A/N: i am gonna try using the commas as dialogue markers for this work as i’ve gotten a few complaints about my love of the -, so i’m giving it a trial run. don’t be alarmed by it. hope you enjoy it xx

> NEXT CHAPTER | MASTERLIST

Her head was pounding and felt as if some unseen force was squeezing her skull, causing her head to hurt even further but she daren’t open her eyes. She could open them, she was conscious enough to know she could open then but she had them squeezed shut, afraid of what awaited her once she did so. From her senses, she knew she was laying against stone, cold stone and she could hear water drops falling onto the surface, still she daren’t open her eyes. This was all a nightmare, just a nightmare that she was going to wake up from in her very tiny, over expensive, way older New York flat in front of the weirdest scenery someone could have. 

The footsteps had her forcefully open her eyes as she scrambled backwards, back hitting a cold wall as her blurry eyes focused on the room. It was dark, almost like a basement yet she couldn’t exactly make it up. The beads of her dress had left marks on her skin yet somehow her wig was still in place. She didn’t know where she was and she hoped this was a really bad joke they played on newcomers. That’s it, a joke. It was just a joke, just hazing on the new kid. She’d gone through hazing a newcomer teasing in old companies, that’s just what it was. Don’t think of the worse, don’t of the worse. 

Along with the echoing water drops falling onto the stone floor underwear, echoes of sleeps from above the ceiling started to become the main sound. She curled into a ball, fingers digging into her own skin as she hoped to wake up from this nightmare-like situation she was in. Suddenly, voice and steps was all she could hear, the water drops being drown up by those sounds until the door slammed open.

“WHAT THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THIS BILLY, HUH” a thick bronx accent was now the only thing that filled the room and she daren’t  open her eyes, instead remaining scared on the floor. "DOES THIS FUCKING LOOK LIKE A 40 YEAR OLD WOMAN TO YOU?”

“I, I’m sorry, boss. She was in the dressing room and I thought it was her, I could see her face." she peaked her eyes open, still laying down on the floor, the same floor where four men stood looking down at her. She could barely make out all of their faces, probably a result of fear and adrenaline overpowering her brain yet she could make up one face. One face standing at the right end, with glossy eyes which appeared to be staring nowhere, was familiar to her. "It was a mistake, I’m sorry ... I ... I can go back.”

“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME, BILLY?” the man who had been yelling before hand, pulled his hand over his own face. “Soldat.”

“He’s a kid, John.” the man who she had spoken with before but whose name she still didn’t know said in a low, tired voice. 

"A kid? Well, what the fuck are we gonna do with THAT FUCKING KID THEN?” the John person pointed at her and she almost stumbled back but her body couldn’t move. She knew she could move her body but she seemed paralysed. Her mind was rushing miles and miles an hour but her body was frozen into place. "Tommy, I expected better from you.”

"I thought he had the right chick.” said the man who still hadn’t spoken, shrugging. 

The mood seemed to shift with that sentence alone, the carelessness of it turning the room bitter and colder than it already was. John’s jaw tightened, constricted muscles as he looked over to the only familiar man in the room with decisive eyes. The man was almost mechanical, grabbing the revolver stuck to his hip in his right hand before his eyes settled on her. Her heart seemed to stop beating, waves of cold shivers washing all over her as she prepared herself for the worse. However, his gaze darted to the side and hers follow and then ... bang. A thump onto the floor followed by silence and as she looked back to where her gaze had been stuck so, she saw Tommy laid on the ground, gunshot to the head, blood staining his dirty blonde hair, the same blood which had slightly splattered onto her face which merely seemed to further paralyse her.

“Get rid of her. Last thing I need is another loose thread.” John took a handkerchief from his pocket, cleaning whatever blood had splattered onto him as if it were merely water and not the substance which had kept the man who now lied dead on the ground alive. 

“She might be valuable.” he still held his gun in hand, seemingly unbothered by what had just happened. What kind of monster does that? “She might know people”

“What do you do?” John turned to her, talking down as if she were a child. She looked around, not entirely sure if she could even manage to make any words come out of her mouth. Her gaze once against settled on the familiar man who mouthed something to her. Lie.

"L-lyric soprano.” she wasn’t lying per say but she knew no chorus girl was valuable and if she wasn’t valuable, her faith was laying on the ground. If she survives, maybe someone can find her, maybe she can run away.

"It’s the New York Opera. The police are gonna be insane running after her and we can use her as a get out of jail free card. Almost like an expensive painting” 

John looked her up and down, biting the inside of his cheek and pondering his options but Y/N couldn’t stare or even look at him. Her eyes were instead focused on the gun still being held by the unnamed man, the same gun which had any time could go off and while her hopeful side was willing to survive and get out, the other part of her wondered if it would be a kinder faith. 

"Fucking clean this up, Billy.” John sighed before leaving the the room.

She curled up, body shivering as she could wear the body being pulled up the stairs before the door was closed, leaving her alone in the room. Time went by slowly or at least it felt slow to her yet she couldn’t do anything, all she could do is be trapped in her own panic as what once felt like a start became a dead end. Even once she could get up to try and find any creaks and cracks, anything which would translate into an escape option, a sudden wave of disappointment, betrayal and hopelessness would bring her back down and almost pin her to the now blood stained ground. All she could do was look at the ceiling, silent tears rushing down her face and she was back to being paralysed on the ground, the beads of her costume pinching and bruising her skin.

The door opened a few times in a time space which she couldn’t really pinpoint yet she didn’t look at the door, she merely looked at the ceiling trying to imagine that she was somewhere else. Trying she imagine she was anywhere else, anywhere but else in the dark, by her self with dried tears in the corner of her eyes and cheeks, mixing with the dried blood on her cheeks she didn’t have the strength to wipe away while it was fresh. The paralysis soon enough was replaced by numbness as her body shut down, preferring to be asleep than awake as if she was going to wake up in her flat.

Bucky closed the door for what felt like the fifth time, eyeing the untouched sandwich and glass of water which had been laying there for the past 7 hours just a few meters away from where she was laying. He thought about telling her to eat, ordering her even but he guessed she had seen enough and been through enough. Wiping his hand off the dust from the basement, he climbed up the stairs to the main floor. He knew that path like the back of his hand, he’d been there enough times to know how to get there blindfolded. After all, they didn’t call that the burner room for no reason. 

“Damn cops won’t get off my back.” John complained as he saw him. “This is what happens when we leave loose ends. Should’ve killed him when I had the fucking chance.”

“They don’t have any evidence.”

“I’m sure when they come into my fucking house and see I have Jenny Lind locked in my basement they’ll love it” he scoffed. “You need to take her out of here before they come snooping.”

“It’s not my mess to clean.” Bucky leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “Ain’t Billy the one with that house in the Hamptons? Ask him, it’s his mess.”

“You think I’m going to trust Billy with my get outta jail card? Fucking idiot can’t even distinguish between a 40 year old and a 20 year old.” he snickered. “You keep her. You gotta flat in Brooklyn, don’t cha? No one’s gonna be looking at you.”

“And wait am I supposed to do with her hm? Handcuff her to my couch and hope she doesn’t scream until whenever?”

“Weren’t you the one who wanted to spare her? I thought you’d learned your lesson from the last time you questioned me.” Bucky looked down at the floor, jaw locked, forehead muscles tense. “Thought so.”

Y/N woke up in a different place and while it was as dark as the basement, she knew it was somewhere else. She could feel herself moving but she herself wasn’t moving. She looked around, trying to look around for any indicators of her she was until she moved her hands up which came into contact with some sort of metal covered by a weird velvet like fabric. Was she in the trunk of a car? Her hand tried to look for the sign light to punch it out just like she had heard in school assemblies so, so many times yet as she finally found it, the car came to a very harsh stop. She held her breathe in, her ears registering footsteps which became louder and louder until the trunk of the car was pulled open. The harsh light hurt her eyes which she squeezed shut only to open them again. The same man from the dressing room stood over the trunk. She curled up against herself but he grabbed her bicep, easily lifting her from the trunk and onto the floor yet maintaining the grip on her bicep. 

She was in what looked like a garage, with green blueish lighting and while she could see a big closed door at the end, his grip on her bicep was a silent reminder for her not to try anything. Not only did he tower over her but she was almost sure he probably had a gun with him and she thought not to try. He led her to a lift, making sure she entered before he did. As the doors closed, that feeling of dread in her stomach mixed with the other one she had felt the very first time she saw him yet she daren’t look him in the eye. In all honesty, everything was blurry to her even as she walked into a small flat, the sound of the door behind closed and locked behind her being the only thing she really registered. 

The man walked up to his kitchen which was open concept with the living room and grabbed a bottle with amber liquid from the counter, pouring himself what she guessed was whiskey yet she wasn’t the most alcohol knowledgeable person, most of the times she couldn’t even drink milk, much less alcohol.

“You hungry?” he asked in an nonchalant tone as if she were merely a guest in this flat. Y/N looked behind her back to the door. “I would follow you if you tried it.”

“I ... I am not gonna tell anyone.” 

“It’s not my choice to make. You try to run and you’re successful and someone will just kill you. Your best choice is to stay put. They don’t like loose ends.” he downed whatever liquid was in the glass, putting it back on the counter. She remained there, not moving from the space between the door and the place where the kitchen began. The man sighed, grabbing a peach from a glass bowl on the counter and placing it just at the end, where it was closest to her. “Eat something, will you?”

“I don’t want to. Thank you.”

“There’s food in the fridge. Suit yourself.”

He left the room to enter one of the other rooms, leaving Y/N all alone in the middle of that room. Escape! Her mind yelled at her and she immediately moved back to the door, trying to push at the handle so it would open but the latched was locked shut. She turned around, looking for anything to jab the lock until she noticed the windows. Her most careful side would have told her not to do it but she had to. She had to escape, she couldn’t stay put. She had been working her whole life for that opportunity, working low paid jobs to pay for tuition at Julliard, not drinking, not dating, not having any lactose so her voice would be good enough, she couldn’t ... she just couldn’t lose that opportunity after putting her whole teenage years at stake just so she could have this opportunity. 

Y/N made her way to the window which led to a fire escape but was also locked. She looked over her shoulder to check if he had left the room before she pulled her arm back and to the front, her fist hitting the glass which cracked. She continued punching the glass with all the force she could manage despite the glass burying and cutting her skin until she had broken the window enough too climb out into the fire escape. As she prepared to put her leg over the cracked hole, two arms wrapped around her waist, pushing her back. She whimpered and moved around in the embrace, trying to get free. If only she could get free for a moment she could climb out, she could run away, she could go back to the opera house. 

“Stop.” he flushed her tighter to his chest, walking away from the window, away from her possibility of escaping. 

It didn’t take long for him to notice she was hurt, her blood falling onto his jacket as he pulled her further and further away. He brought her to the front of the sink, gloved hand lifting the tap up, making a constant stream of cold water come up. Through her constant fighting to get free he managed to get her hand under the water, shards of glass coming out onto the red stained water which whirled onto the drain. 

“Let me go.” he elbowed him in the chest but he continuously held her against the side of the sink, fingers rubbing against the top of her palm to unlodge the shards of glass of her skin. “I have to go, please let me go.”

“Calm down.”

“Stop.” she tried to wriggle her wrist off his hold. “I have to go.”

“I promise you that you will go. You stay put, you don’t try to run and in no time you’ll be back doing petty chores for divas.”

“Why should I trust you?” she looked at the sink filled with little shards of glass. 

“It’s either that or you’ll end up dead. What other choice do you have?” he stopped forcing her against the sink, leaning against the opposite corner. “Last thing I want is to lock you in a room. So what’s it gonna be?”

“You promise you’ll let me go?”

“You have my word.”

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