#they were those mini people from Night at the Museum | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

soso-chan126 · 1 year

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Ahkmenrah x fem! reader "Heimat"

I'm incredibly bored and watched some Night at the museum. Than it just happened that I thought a little bit (is indeed a rare process) and well I thought I could write a little oneshot for the pretty pharao. I couldn't help myself soo yeah. Btw the reader is in this oneshot from the time of the 20th century and to be more specific (is it written that way? idk well if not I am counting on all of you that you're going to tell me if it's right or not) the reader is from the time of the second world war and well there may be some topics that can trigger people. So I will put a trigger warning at the beginning. But well maybe not I'm not sure what I will include and so on and I also don't know how I make the reader so yeah... I will just go with the flow and write for my hearts content (not sure if I can put it that way). So before the beginning I write a quick definition for the word "Heimat". Ouhh and my little to long author notes are those little mini textes.

Heimat (german): "a place, where someone was born and grew up or is there long enough to have a feeling of being at home (is mostly a word for a place (and sometimes someone) that (or who) someone has a very special connection to)

translated out of the "Duden" can't say it's the right translation to the definition but well if someone of you has a better definition that's in english I'll gladly swap that with this one if you don't mind.

Well let's go then! ahh... btw I write about a female reader so yeah... if you want another one with gender neutral or a male reader ask right away and then I'll write it as soon as I can! I am not a native speaker so well it certainly has some errors and I'll correct them if you tell me where some are. Thanks and let's go!

TW: mentions of the holocaust, death, national socialists and some of the other stuff about the 2nd ww and also swearing but only lightly and once if I'm not mistaken

You have been warned. Reading on your own... I forgot the word. Eh... something like concequences ig but I'm not sure. It's way to late for writing tbh. And if you don't want to read the stuff with the 2nd ww then just skip the background. I will mark it for you guys.

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Everyday I remember my cruel death. I am nothing but a little wax figurine that just resembles my once very much alive self but I still have her memorys. Even though I am only made out of wax and don't even have a real brain. She was a hero for a lot of people even though she was only a little artist that wasn't much known. She lived in nazi germany so she knew what was going on in germany. Even more because one of her friends worked for the terrifying camps. He told her a lot of things proudly and most of them weren't allowed to be told to zivilian people like herself. She took advantage of the knowledge and used it for her art. She showed the terrors of the war of the holocaust of everything.

She also started to try to change the world for the better and so she came into the view of the regime and their corrupted forces. She was able to trick them but well her luck ran out after she helped a spy of the united states. The spy learned a lot of things from her that were cultural differences between the two countries. With her help he was able to keep hidden. To his luck he looked also like a "typical german" probably had ancestors that were german people. However that was a reason why spys of the allies were basically searching for her so that she can also help them. She was bad at denying the need for help of other people. The spys that resided in her humble home also found out that she hid two jewish families in her house.

Europe and germany were her so called "Heimat" she looked up to Stefan Zweig who also saw europe as his "Heimat" or his home. But well his works were forbidden in germany thanks to the national socialists. She was enraged to find out that her favourite author isn't allowed in her home. But she couldn't give a single shit. She still had the books of him that she once bought. She hid them well. They always tried to find something so that they could arrest and torture her. Well she wasn't allowed to draw anymore and that was a problem but she never stopped with helping others out.

Then someday one of her neighbours told her off to the ss. They came into her home and found everything the spy who resided with the young woman and also the jewish families, the forbidden books and her forbidden art studio. Also the books of different languages such as english, french, japanese, italian, spanish and much more. She learned them all and can speak some of them fluently while the others were a little rusty but good enough to communicate decently. They caught her and they also punished her. And their punishment was the reason for her death. She was a strong woman who helped as much people as she could by sending them off to other countries or hiding them and teaching them. The spy was also tortured and died right next her when a bomb of the english army fell onto the building they were in. He apologized to her but she told him that it wasn't his fault and that she decided for herself to walk on this path that was hidden in the darkness without any sight of light. She wanted to bring light into her home, her "Heimat". But she lost it and she pobably never gets it back. Well that's what her dying self thought but that wasn't exactly true.

~End of backstory~

She came back to life and well she is now my humble self who is a good friend of hystorical people like Sacagawea, Theodore Roosevelt and others. My personal favourite of them all is Ahkmenrah. He is a pharao of egypt who is dead like most of us. Makes sense right? And well he kind of is more to me. I certainly don't know what I am for him but he is more than a friend. I think it's enough to say that I have kind of a crush on the handsome egyptian man. Well okay it's a big crush to be honest.

Everytime when I have those nightmares about my death he's there to help me. I'm very thankful to have him. Even though I'm quite sad that I don't know about his feelings for me.

Well my little thoughts about my past and current situation were interrupted by hand that waved in front of my face. I blinked twice and mumbled a little "Wa?", that made him chuckle. "You were very deep into your thoughts today. Is something troubling you?", he asked me somewhat amused but also concerned. I just stared into his eyes and shook my head indicating a "no". He just sighs and asked if I could tell him about some stories that I read. He asked for some fairy tales. So I told him some. Mostly the famous ones like "Snow white", "Rapunzel", "The beauty and the beast" and also "Sleeping Beauty".

At some point he laid down and rested his head on my lap. I stopped reading and stared down on him with wide eyes. He eyed me from his position and asked what's wrong. He wasn't like this before. Never. And this shocked me. "Nothing's wrong. But tell me why are you laying your head on my lap?", I asked with a blush that told the world how embarassed and overworked I was from the whole situation. "I'm simply resting. I was feeling tired." Well he is dead so it was kind of a miracle for me to think that he can feel tired. I just shrugged and returned still a little flustered to reading the current story.

After I finished with the story I glanced down to Ahk who still rested his head on my lap. Surprisingly he kind of fell asleep. I watched his peaceful face and felt the heat returning into my face. I may be out of wax but well I kind of can blush at least at night. Though everyone can kind of. It's cute when I see Teddy blush because of Sacagawea or the other way around. I kind of still wonder how it's possible. But well we talk about a relict that can bring basically everything to life so questioning that kind of stuff can bring a headache to someone and by someone I mean myself.

As I was thinking and staring down on the handsome pharao on my lap the mentioned man was waking up and saw to me. Catching me red-handed as I was watching him sleep. I then registered that he had opened his beautiful brown eyes and well you can guess it. I became something similar to a living tomato. He smiled widely seeing me this flustered and laughed out loud.

"Thank you for guarding my sleep! But I'm sure that the sun will rise very soon." Indeed the sky was getting lighter every minute and it's just a matter of time that we need to be on our places. He sat up but put me to a halt when I wanted to stand up. "Could you answer me one little question about a german word?", he asked looking at the young woman with great interest. "Sure. What is your question?"

"What does "Heimat" mean?" Heimat. I haven't heard that word for long only thought about it. "Well "Heimat" is similar to the english word "home" but some people might say that it has a higher meaning. It's more connected with feelings and it doesn't need to be a place. Sometimes it's a person or a thing." "Hmm can you tell me if my usage of the word is correct?", he asked kind of nervous id I'm putting it right. I just nodded and he took a deep breath. That kind of makes it suspicious. Like if he's going to confess or something. He wouldn't right?

Then he grabbed for my hand and said "(Y/N) my beautiful little desert flower. You are everything to me and my "Heimat" is wherever you are. Eh.. could you tell me how I say in german that you're my "Heimat"?" "Du bist meine Heimat", I answered in a trance like state. "(Y/N). Du bist meine Heimat*" I teared up after he said that. "Du bist auch meine Heimat, Ahk.**" He caressed my cheek and kissed me slowly. It was a cute kiss that showed all his emotions for me and of course I reciprocated it as soon as I was out of my trance.

"I love you", he mumbled lowly while connecting his forehead with mine. "I love you too." He is my "Heimat" and I'm pretty sure he'll always be. Well as long as the tablet and the time are on our side.

What the two lovebirds haven't noticed was that the tablet had little corrosions over it. And that their next adventure is waiting for them.

Well that's it my friend's! It's really late and I'm kind of tired as idk. Especially since it's 3 a.m. And I need to go to school tomorrow like ahhhh! Am I dumb kinda. Do I have to write a class test in math tomorrow? Yes. Yes, I have to. Well that's the reason why I'm going to sleep now. So yeah. Ouh and if I got anything wrong tell me friendly if it's unfriendly I will simply ignore it. I'll make soon a masterlist and link it to this post and the other two as well. And yeah... See ya guys later!

Edited: Here is the masterlist!

Masterlist

Translation: "(Y/N). Du bist meine Heimat." -> "(Y/N). You're my home." * "Du bist auch meine Heimat, Ahk." -> "You're my home as well, Ahk." **

#ahkmenrah x reader #natm #x reader #ahkmenrah x you #ahkmenrah x y/n #fanfic #reader #natm ahkmenrah

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shefanispeculator · 6 months

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Blake Shelton knew exactly how to impress on the final night of his 2024 Back to the Honky Tonk Tour: lean into his roots and call up his friends. The Ada, Oklahoma, native’s Saturday night (March 30) performance at Tulsa’s BOK Center was brimming with guest performers, all fellow Okies. The special occasion was Oklahoma Is All for the Hall, a fundraiser for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s education programs. Even Gwen Stefani showed up to sing.

“Hey, everybody, say hello to my personal favorite new Oklahoman!” Shelton said to introduce his wife, the night’s only unannounced special guest. Stefani—lead singer of the band No Doubt, a solo artist, and, like Shelton, a former coach on the TV singing competition The Voice—joined her husband for a trio of songs midway through Shelton’s set. Together, they performed their two country radio chart-toppers, “Nobody But You” and “Happy Anywhere,” as well as “Purple Irises,” a recently released duet from Stefani’s next album.

“I don’t know if you guys have a clue what you bought a ticket for. Get comfortable—this is gonna take a while, okay?” Shelton told the crowd after opening his set with 2021’s “Come Back as a Country Boy.” “We’re here for one reason tonight. . . . That’s to celebrate country music like Okies do.”

Shelton’s fans were up to the task. They knew all the words to “Some Beach” and “Austin,” a pair of Shelton’s early-career #1s. They cheered at every mention of their home state. They even showed up with gifts.

“When something’s cool, it’s cool,” Shelton said as he showed off a flag held by a fan close to the stage, featuring one of Shelton’s high school photos on one side and one of Stefani’s on the other.

“We were meant to be—look at those mullets!” Shelton joked.

Shelton performed more than twenty of his songs during the course of the evening, interspersed with appearances from his special guests. In between Shelton’s performances, Kristin Chenoweth, Wade Hayes, the Swon Brothers, and Country Music Hall of Fame members Ronnie Dunn and Vince Gill—all introduced by radio host Storme Warren of TuneIn Radio’s The Big 615—each offered up two songs of their own. (Additionally, local country artist Justin Adams opened the show.) Dunn’s mini-set, in particular, was warmly received, with the Brooks & Dunn member sharing memories of local honky-tonks Duke’s Country and Tulsa City Limits. “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” had the crowd line dancing at their seats.

Despite being, as she acknowledged, the outlier of the bunch, Broadway star Chenoweth earned one of the biggest standing ovations of the night. Accompanied only by Shelton’s keyboard player, Philip de Steiguer, she performed a gorgeous cover of the Willie Nelson hit “Always on My Mind” and brought the house down with a rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”

“This is for anybody out there who has dreams just like I did growing up in this town,” said Chenoweth, who is originally from the Tulsa suburb of Broken Arrow.

That theme emerged once more during Gill’s set, when he shared an unreleased song, “Heroes.” He and guitarist Jack Schneider also performed “Go Rest High on That Mountain,” dedicating the song to Shelton’s brother Richie, who died in a car accident in 1990, and fellow Oklahoman and Country Music Hall of Fame member-elect Toby Keith, who died of cancer in February.

Gill began the All for the Hall series of fundraising concerts in 2005 by suggesting that country music artists donate the proceeds from one annual performance to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Shelton’s Saturday show raised nearly $800,000 for the nonprofit museum’s education programs, making it the most successful All for the Hall benefit offered outside of Nashville to date. The museum’s educational offerings directly served more than 230,000 people last year though in-person and virtual programs.

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spoopydooblr · 11 months

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Omgggg you’re back! A blurb about how Kendall goes all out for Stella’s birthday?? Imagine how much he would do if he did all that for his 40th!

ohhh so true hahah he would! we already know he gets her gifts just for fun, so he'd go alllll out for holidays, but ESPECIALLY her birthday. i think that he likes to see her get older (bc hes so old lmao) and seeing her grow into herself and become better every year is something he cherishes.

in the dating stage i think that he would do the most because he wants to impress her. i think the first birthday he plans is typical kendall, over the top and extremely unnecessary. stella fucking hates it but puts a smile on her face as she greets 500 of her closest friends. there's a small theater playing her movies on repeat and a mini museum about her character's storyline on delirium. a giant glamor shot (kendall made her get them done) of stella and her dog hangs next to a buffet of her favorite foods. shes so flattered that kendall did all of it but is mortified by the amount of gifts and barely makes it through the night without having a panic attack. it was just so overwhelming.

"you loved it, right?" he asks in the limo home, still wired even though it's four in the morning and they were just leaving the venue.

she nods, yawning, but fesses up in the morning and insists for smaller parties from now on.

"what about the babies?" he pouts.

"what about the babies?" stella cocks an eyebrow at him.

he pulls her in close. "can i go all out for their birthdays?"

she laughs, but agrees, both of them knowing deep down he was infertile and babies were a long way away if they even were to try.

. . .

but speaking of!

you better believe when those girls turn one hes going insane. one child's birthday is stressful, but now it was doubled. stella tries to calm him down, reminding him that they wont even remember it, but he's too far gone.

its a backyard bash at their los angeles home, featuring all of their friends and family. there's ice cream, there's cake, there's even a chocolate fountain. its way more of an event than it needs to be but everything goes according to plan and kendall finally feels like he did something right.

all other birthdays are pretty average, rich people affairs. before the kids are born i think kendall would chill out a bit, per stella's request, but still, those parties are going to be lavish.

i think big birthdays like stellas 30th or kens 50th would be a similar vibe to his 40th in the show.

thanks for this request it was so fun!

send me moreeeeeeee

#kendall roy x oc #kendall roy x reader #kendall roy

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regalfairytaleacademy · 2 years

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Welcome to Paw Pflege !!

Paw Pflege was founded on the Commiseration of the Fairy of Animals.

It is considered as a dangerous dorm because of animals by haters, but oppositely they are described it as a paradise. Others said that building is too gloomy and scary when it is midnight. Either of it has a spooky story they still remember.

Every night there's a young lady with a kitten toy in the hallway, the lounge, anywhere. The most frightening thing was that when they saw her appear in front of them, they were all taken aback by her. They even said they kept think about that creep round eyes from that cat toy, and frighten.

This happened have caused more students moving to other dorms from Paw Pflege. It currently only left 70 more and new freshmen students like Delphine.

Building

Designed in Gothic Revival style, with architecture of a medieval castle. It looks like a dark version of a fairytale castle, but not too gloomy. A gigantic tree in the central yard has been stayed for thousand years. The stem and branches are thick and hard. Its leaf color is pink.

Lounge Room - The throne chamber at there is a referenced from the Fairy Queen's castle. There has a mirror at the left of the throne. Unlike the magic mirror of Voguefleur, it is a portal that using the spell allowed to go to their destination, but only for dorm leader if in need.

Forest - There's a natural park as a refuge for all of rarest fairy creatures, some of which are already extinct on their native worlds. It is protected by a magic barrier to prevent those without any magic from entering. It was created by the Great Fairy of Nature, later found as an abandoned park by Headmistress Annabelle long years.

It has a valley for students to set up camping on their missions trip. The missions they got are facing with animals for make connected relation.

The forest is located at the far off with a bridge that connects to the dorm building.

Corridors - In the entrance to the hall and each rooms, the portraits of element fairies were hanged on the walls. In the underground corridors there are the statues of all the previous Fairy Queens who once ruled the Earth Fairies.

Artifact Room - This place looks like a mini-museum, but it's used to collect legendary artifacts, such as the most famous Ancestral Wand, which is the only way to travel to the World of Legends from the Real World.

The only people known to be able to use the wands are their previous owners, the Ancestral Fairies, Six Fairy Guardians, and the Fairy Godmother, except the Fairy of Animals.

Eventually, those wands were taken to the castle master for continued safekeeping, as the Fairy Guardians and Fairy Godmother no longer used them after the Book of Legends was locked, and the rights reverted to the owner.

Fairy Pet Shop - It is where Fairy Pets are given away, cared for, played with, and performed with. Each student has her own station that is part of the well-being of the Fairy Pets and the store. All the pets were discarded toys that brought them to life and gave them wings by the fairy magic.

It is also a loft for store employees reside during stay at the dorm. The room is set on the third floor.

Longer for opened the shop, it has a corresponding website and started to give Fairy Pets to around the Twisted Wonderland and other universes.

Ocean - The same as the human world. There are many aquatic organisms, coral reefs, etc. in the ocean, which are distributed in the north and south. Some animals live on the surface of glaciers.

Dorm Wear

Clothing for the dorm are allowed in french medieval, classical or modern style. Dark colors are available for student's preferences.

Boots, gloves and protection coat are prepared supplies for each of them on their missions trip. They got goggles before heading to the places where are slimy animals resides.

#twst #twisted wonderland #regal fairytale academy #rfa #paw pflege

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pagetwo · 2 years

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New York City: Feb. 14- Feb. 19

Friday, March 10, 2023

From February 14th-19th, I had the opportunity to go on a university class trip to New York City to meet with professionals in the Art History field and to explore the rich art scene of the city. This is the second trip of this sort that I have gone on with my school, but this trip was special because of the emphasis on meeting with art museum professionals- the field which I will be entering after graduation. During the week I was in the city, I visited the New York Public Library, the Morgan Library, MoMA, the MET, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Rubin Museum. We met with so many amazing professionals, including the chief curator of the Egyptian exhibit at the MET and one of the Egyptian artifact conservators who works at the MET as well.

On my first night in NYC, a couple of classmates and I explored the city in search of Anish Kapoor’s mini-bean under the jenga building. Visiting this newest iteration of Cloud Gate was a great way to start our art history trip- seeing this new piece of history that had recently been installed in the Big Apple. Visiting such an iconic piece of art, regardless of how one feels about Kapoor, was a grand way to kick off the trip!

On the 15th, after visiting some of the photo archives at the NYPL, our class attended a guided tour of the Morgan Library. We got to have such a surreal, humanizing, and unique experience during the tour when the docent pulled out a 5000 year old cylinder seal from ancient Mesopotamia and let us each hold it. My passion for art history was sparked when I first learned about ancient visual culture, so being able to hold this piece of history was a full-circle moment for me and my peers. It brought to life what we often can only view in photos or behind glass.

At the Morgan Library, we toured the exhibit “She Who Wrote: Enheduanna and Women of Mesopotamia, ca 3400-2000 BC.” It was all about the women of ancient Mesopotamia and how womanhood was understood during those times. We learned so many beautiful things about women deities who were bringers and takers of life, or wagers and enders of wars. A piece that really stood out to me was the costume for a Mesopotamian queen. The beading was gorgeous, featuring lapis lazuli- indicating the reliable trade the Mesopotamians would have had in what is considered modern-day Afghanistan. I noted that her headdress must have been an inspiration for Queen Amidala’s styling in the Star Wars franchise, calling back to the powerful women of our ancient civilizations.

After visiting the Morgan Library, we went to the MoMA. This being my second time at the museum in the last 10 months, I was comfortable visiting the pieces I missed the most- one of which being Matisse’s Dance. This painting always stuns me due to the grand scale of it and the use of vast fields of cool toned colors- green and blue.

On the 16th we spent the entire day at the MET. This was my second time at the MET as well, so I spent a majority of my time catching up where I left off last year- finally entering the wing of the Greek and Roman galleries where the cubiculi and mosaics are housed. The Chroma exhibit throughout the galleries was stunning to put it lightly! Classical sculpture is where my heart lies and finally I was seeing what the people I admire so much were seeing when these sculptures were at their prime. The Boxer sculpture has always been one of my favorites, so seeing it in such surreal detail was overwhelming and unforgettable. The Chroma exhibit had me imagining what my life would be like if I worked in the MET and got to study sculptures and look for remnants of pigment on them. It is groundbreaking research and I have such immense respect and appreciation for the brilliant art historians and scientists who are doing geeks like me this service.

Some things that were stunning and gripped me in tears for an hour were a mosaic of a woman in a wreath, coins depicting Trajan, and the vibrant cubiculi that I did not have a chance to visit last year. These are what it is all about for me. These are what my discipline mean to me! Seeing the mosaic mere inches from my face, as opposed to from around a roped-off corner as I did last year, allowed me to see all of the individual tesserae and imagine how it would have looked inside of a Roman villa. The coins with Trajan on them made me incredibly emotional, as I am somebody who studies Roman emperors. These were undeniable visual evidence that these subjects I devote so much of my studies to were real people! Real people who had real impacts on the world and who I only wish I could have met. The star of the show for me though were the cubiculi. I had been dying to finally enter one ever since I first studied Roman villas, particularly Pompeiian villas. As I stood inside of the cubiculum pictured, I took my time admiring all of the gorgeous frescoes. Frescoes I had only seen in textbooks and on powerpoint slides. There they were, right in front of my face. All the room needed was the proper furniture and I would have been exactly where my heart longs to be.

Lastly, on Friday the 17th, we visited the Brooklyn Museum as a class and later some of us visited the Rubin for a free guided experiential tour and DJ event. At the Brooklyn Museum, we got a tour from one of their museum educators of the Thiery Mugler exhibit. My goal is to be a museum educator, and to make museums enjoyable and understandable for every visitor. Our tour guide did exactly that for us. Part of our tour included ten minutes for us to go around the exhibit with provided paper and pencils, to draw any of the costumes we were drawn to and to think about the material or how the costume must have felt. She provided us with an activity that I definitely would have done if I were in the same position. That activity engaged our intrinsic motivation, allowing us to connect with a piece of our choosing, but it also encouraged us to think critically about the pieces in the exhibit. How would they have felt? Who would wear them? Why am I connecting to it? She showed me exactly how effective and necessary museum educators are in order to engage all visitors and to break down barriers of intimidation in museum spaces.

The Brooklyn Museum had a lounge area that I connected with during my individual expiration of the museum. Museum fatigue is real and can be a huge barrier to enjoyment for museum-goers. Not only was this room visually stunning, the ottomans were also art and welcomed visitors to be comfortable and relaxed. This is something that I am passionate about as I prepare for my future in museums. I know how important comfort is when people have so much going on in their days and lives. My respect for the Brooklyn Museum only went up that day, as I went down and laid on one of the ottomans.

At the end of the night, at the Rubin museum, I attended a guided tour of the galleries. The Rubin is a museum of Himalayan art and visual culture. The gallery is meant to be experienced rather than viewed. We explored our senses as we explored the galleries, we meditated, we transformed our energy into something beautiful. The whole design of the museum and tour were a unique take to museums and welcomed visitors into Himalayan Buddhist culture and practice. I think that this is a museum that everybody should visit if they have the opportunity to do so.

Overall, this trip did a lot to prepare and excite me mentally for my impending future. Soon I will be released into the world, no longer in school, no longer in a classroom. The professionals we met with during our trip provided a lot of insight into the many avenues and journeys one may endeavor to get to where they are going. My journey so far has had so many twists and turns, and it was comforting and affirming to hear their stories. I related to so many of them and I felt assured that at the end of the day, if I continue chasing my dream and my happiness, I will end up exactly where I belong. Being an art historian is so much more than being a student or being an academic. Art can be found anywhere: on the street, under buildings, in libraries, or in museums. Wherever there are people, there is art. Wherever there is art, there are art historians. Not everybody in the museum or art historical world comes from an art history background. The greatest thing I took away from this trip and the stories I heard at these various institutions is that achieving one's goals is all about accepting any and every opportunity for growth, as opposed to making some sort of five or ten-year plan and adhering strictly to it. I came out of the trip knowing that my path to being a museum educator is unclear but that I will get there as long as I continue chasing it.

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andybondurant · 5 months

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New Post has been published on Andy Bondurant

New Post has been published on https://andybondurant.com/2024/04/18/asking-for-a-friend/

Asking for a Friend

In 2024, I began writing in series. This begins a new series on disappointment with God.

Books have been written on these topics, so a handful of posts will never fully cover a topic — especially one as deep as disappointment with God. I encourage you to check out a couple of different books if you would like to dive deeper into this subject:

Disappointment with God by Phillip Yancey

Sandbox to Museum by Jared Scholz

Book of Job

Finally, I know you have walked through difficult, heartbreaking situations in your life. If I address something that triggers a point of pain for you, that was not my intention. I encourage you to seek healing and would love to help you as much as possible.

The Life of Chap

I have a friend who is best described as eccentric. Chap is a great guy who finds himself in all types of interesting situations because he is always interested in others.

Chap recently was in Dallas for a bachelor party and found out our church staff was heading his way for a conference. When he heard the news, he was sitting in the airport, ready to catch a flight home. Instead of doing what most of us would do (think, “Bummer, I missed those guys by a day!”), Chap left the airport and headed downtown, waiting six hours to meet us at the arena to watch a Dallas Mavericks NBA game. The next morning, Chap woke up at 5 AM to fly home.

Chap delivers Uber Eats orders as he puts himself through school, leading to more adventures.

One time, Chap delivered to a group of guys watching the NBA playoffs. Chap is a huge basketball fan and regularly wears jerseys. That day was no different, so these guys invited him to their party. The next thing he knew, he was in the pool with a drink in one hand, a mini basketball in the other, and about to dunk on some stranger’s head.

Chap left with a nice tip.

Time to make a shake.

My favorite Chap story (other than he drives a minivan with an “Archery Mom” bumper sticker on it) is another Uber Eats delivery.

Photo by Content Pixie on Unsplash

Chap got a call to deliver an order from a local Steak N Shake restaurant. Whether Chap knew it then is debatable, but this particular Steak N Shake location is sketchy (or ‘sus’ as my kids would say). In the few months since this took place, the location has closed – probably because more drugs were sold there than hamburgers or milkshakes.

So, Chap’s friend Joel received a video text from Chap that night. Chap begins by saying, “Dude, you’re not going to believe this.” Then he proceeds to video himself walking through the restaurant, starting at the front doors. A pattern emerges as he walks through the dining room, then to the front counter, and then to the kitchen doors. No one is around.

The restaurant is empty…of anyone.

Chap walks into the kitchen and then into the manager’s office. The entire building is empty. Then the video ends.

Joel was lying in bed watching this video and leaned over to show it to his wife. As only a woman would do, she began to worry about Chap (guys never think about these things). So Joel texted Chap back. Nothing. Joel called Chap. No answers. Now Joel is truly getting worried.

Just as Joel’s finger began to tap out 9-1-1, Chap called back and said,

“Sorry, dude, I was making a shake.”

Empty shells with God

The Steak N Shake Chap walked into was an empty shell of a restaurant. The doors were open, the lights were on, but no one was home. Just as Chap experienced that night, it is an eery experience to enter an empty shell of a building you expect to be full of life and energy (okay, any energy at all).

It is just as disconcerting to encounter the empty shell of a person.

As a pastor, it is not uncommon for me to talk about their faith with people who are affected like this.

Where they once believed and lived a life full of faith, they are now just an empty shell. Typically, they are dealing with the hurts of life—the loss of a loved one, the break-up of a deep relationship (marriage, friendship, family), a financial crash, a health crisis, the church hurting them, or any other painful experience.

All of these are real, and I don’t take them lightly.

In the past year, I’ve witnessed a mother who learned her son had taken his own life, I’ve had conversations with couples who don’t know if they can continue to keep their marriage together, I’ve walked with people struggling with addiction, and I’ve talked with men and women who have been hurt by the actions (or inaction) of their parents.

It’s easy to allow these experiences to hollow us out. Where once was faith, hope, and joy now reside doubt, disappointment, and bitterness. I talk to people all of the time who are going through the deep struggles of life, and their thoughts often lead to one statement and one question:

”This was not how it’s supposed to be.” “Where was God?”

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Disappointment with God

If I were to condense this into just a phrase, it would be ‘disappointment with God.’

Recently, in Christian circles, it’s been referred to as “deconstruction” or “deconversion.” We may have a new title for this experience, but this isn’t a new activity. It may actually be one of the oldest spiritual crises known to man. We can trace it back to the Book of Job, who lived sometime between Noah and Abraham.

An entire book is written that captures his story of wealth, loss, and reaction.

If you’re not familiar with Job’s story, Job was wealthy in every sense. He had a beautiful family—sons and daughters—and an amazing home. He was rich with cattle, sheep, and goats. Job had everything anyone could want, not just material wealth. Job was respected among all who knew him. Job had it all.

Until he didn’t.

In a matter of days, Job lost everything. His sons and daughters were all killed. His house was destroyed. His livestock was stolen. Even his health was attacked. All that Job had left was his life and his wife, but even his wife told him to curse God and die.

So Job did what any of us would do. He asked, “Why?”

Specifically, Job asked for a meeting with God. He wanted to see and question why God would allow such horrible things to him, who by all accounts was a righteous person. But God was silent.

Job is so frustrated with God’s silence that he says,

“But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.” -Job 23:8-9 NLT

By all accounts, God seemed

absent distant hidden

You are not alone.

It is very possible you feel this way about God.

You may be going through a difficult situation. It might be that your marriage is on the rocks, your health is failing, your finances are plummeting, or your church has hurt you. You may have cried out to God in your pain, and he seems absent, distant, or hidden.

God may be silent in your situation.

Over the next few weeks, I want to share both hope and help. I’ll show you how God uses pain to create purpose and where Jesus tells his followers we are to expect trouble. I’ll share three ways to become real with yourself, God, and others. I’ll encourage you to hold onto Jesus, even when you see no sign of him. Until then, I leave you with this thought.

You are not alone.

If Job’s story and struggle show us anything, it is that faithfully following God will require walking through heartache. All of us who attempt to walk with Jesus experience pain. We all will be disappointed in God. But let me skip to the end (spoiler alert).

Salvation comes to those who endure.

I’ll show you how to endure in the coming weeks, but for now, know we are all walking through this together. We need each other to lean on when times are difficult. I need you to pull me forward today, and you’ll need me to do the same tomorrow.

Get my FREE weekly Newsletter.

You are made for a relationship with God, but you may not know how. My weekly newsletter will show you how to connect with God—to hear his voice, understand the Bible, and walk with him.

Subscribe now!

Writing Playlist

I don’t know if we have the same taste in music, but here are some songs to explore. All the links go to Spotify. While writing this post, this is some of what I was listening to:

Back on 74 (remix) – Jungle + Full Crate

Joy in the Morning – Tauren Wells + Elevation (get to the bridge – about halfway through the song)

Praise – Brandon Lake, Chandler Moore, Chris Brown + Elevation

#friends #God #Job

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teenageread · 8 months

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Review: All the Lights We Cannot See

Synopsis:

Marie-Laure lives in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where her father works. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.

In a mining town in Germany, Werner Pfennig, an orphan, grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find that brings them news and stories from places they have never seen or imagined. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments and is enlisted to use his talent to track down the resistance. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, Doerr illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another. From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, the stunningly beautiful instant New York Times bestseller about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.

Plot:

Everyone called Marie-Laure brave, but she was not brave, she was just doing what it took to survive. Becoming blind at a young age, Marie-Laure's father taught her how to be independent, by forcing her to lead them home from different places across Paris, but always reminded her that he would be with her to help them navigate life. Working at the Museum of Natural History, Marie-Laure was fascinated by the Sea of Flames, a stone that brought immortality to the person holding it, but death to all those surrounding it. Locked behind thirteen doors within the museum, Marie-Laure suspected it was what the Nazis were after when they invaded her city. Forced to leave, her father brought her to Saint-Malo to live with his reclusive great-uncle, and his housekeeper, in the small seaside town. There Marie-Laure learns more about the war, her family history, and what she is willing to do for her people to stop the Nazis.

Werner Pfennig lived at a children’s home with his younger sister, Jutta, and their french caretaker. The children’s home was always loud and busy, but Werner did not mind as he got to spend time with Jutta and read books on engineering, with the hopes of being one someday. When finding a radio that reached a french station, Jutta and Werner would stay up for hours listening to it, not realizing the danger they put themselves in. When accepted into the pretentious school, Werner had no choice but to leave Jutta and travel to the school where he learned how to assemble a gun, military history, and spend nights in a lab cracking radio code. Realizing his talents, the army set him up with a team to wander around France in search of radio signals. Throughout the search, Werner finds himself in Saint-Malo just as his people start to attack, and a blind girl helps Warner find his way back to himself.

Thoughts:

Anthony Doerr won the Pulitzer Prize with this stunning World War Two novel. Taken from a past-tense third-person perspective of Marie-Laure and Werner, switch between the years of their growing up to the year 1944 when the Nazis invaded Saint-Malo. With small mini-chapters, the novel is divided into 11 chapters, with the final being the epilogue based on the year 2014. The writing is stunning, filled with detail, heart, and passion, it is a bit hard to get into the unusual past-tense writing, and the fact that we never get to hear Marie-Laure or Werner’s thoughts on what they are doing. Yet this novel is a history story, filled with detail about the period and what life was like for Marie-Laure and Werner, who were on both sides of the war. Marie-Laure was a great character, as the novel started when she was quite young, you get to see the brave women she grew up to be, her dedication to helping her uncle deal with his PTSD from World War One, and her determination to do good in Saint-Malo. Werner is equally a good character, despite being a Nazi. Although never calling himself that, Werner was a unique character in the sense that he was willing to do the Nazis’ missions, but did not see the horrific crimes his people were committing, especially to the Jewish population. He wanted to be an engineer so he went to the Nazis’ school to become one, and despite the horrible things he saw within the walls, especially to his friend, Frederick, he still felt important when he was recruited to the lab, and even more important when he was enlisted for the front lines. Not uncommon, but it makes this novel a bit uncomfy that Doerr never mentions the holocaust, despite this being a World War Two novel, nor does he make Werner feel guilty for what he is doing to the French people he finds sending the radio signal. As the writing is a bit pretentious, Doerr really tries to make you visualize this romanticized novel, rather than feel the raw pain Doerr could have focused on. Overall, it feels like a very upper-class novel, with large words, flowy language, and a lack of heartache that other World War two novels could easily write about.

Read more reviews: Goodreads

Buy the book: Amazon

#All the Light We Cannot See #Anthony Doerr #book review

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cyarsk52-20 · 1 year

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CULTURE

Halloween Nightmare: The Worst Trick or Treat Items to Get Instead of Candy

Kids want candy, not fruit, jelly beans, friendship bracelets, or hand sanitizer.

Stephanie Holland

PublishedTuesday 3:12PM

For kids, Halloween is their Super Bowl. All you have to do is ring the doorbell and someone gives you free candy. It’s the one night of the year adults aren’t allowed to complain about bedtimes or sugar consumption. As excited as the kids are about all that free candy, there’s always some neighbor who thinks they know better and decides to hand out something besides candy. Here’s the thing: you’re wrong. Stop being a party pooper and do not hand out these horrible trick or treat choices.

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Hand Sanitizer

As valuable as hand sanitizer is right now, it’s not what the kids want for Halloween. If this is what you want to do, give it to the adults and still have candy available for the kids.

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Friendship Bracelets

You can blame Taylor Swift for this. You just know there’s some clever Swiftie who thinks it will be cute to pass out bracelets. Sure, but maybe wrap them around a candy bar.

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Jelly Beans

Jelly beans are a very polarizing candy. It depends on the flavor, but you either love them or hate them. Feels like you could probably just hand out Snicker’s or Reese’s and avoid the controversy.

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Keychains

This is one of those trinkets you get from people who don’t want to hand out candy and just go to the dollar store and find whatever the least expensive thing is.

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Raisins

I don’t know where it started, but somehow the crazy idea that raisins are a proper substitute for candy became a thing. This is absolutely 100 percent not true. No one has ever craved a Kit Kat and settled for raisins when they couldn’t get one.

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Pennies

I’m sure this was great fun once upon a time, but here in 2022, pennies are just bacteria carriers that the average person doesn’t really have a use for. Honestly, when was the last time you were super excited to find a penny in your purse or wallet? Kids nowadays probably look at pennies like they’re something out of a museum.

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Toothbrushes

Every neighborhood has some well-meaning person who wants to make sure the kids take care of their oral hygiene while they scarf down all that candy. In theory this is a nice idea. In practice, it’s dangerous, as handing out toothbrushes, toothpaste or floss can lead to a high probability of your house being covered in toilet paper or eggs. Seriously though, the kids should really brush their teeth at the end of the night.

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Nuts

Nuts are a great, healthy snack, but they’re not what you want on Halloween. Do I want them as part of a candy bar? Yes. Do I want a package of peanuts or almonds in my bag of free candy? Not really. Also, nut allergies are so prevalent, you really should try to stay away from nut-based products altogether.

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Stationery

This may sound like an urban myth, but there actually was a house in my neighborhood that gave out mini packs of stationery. I’m sure they thought it was a cute, unique thing to do, but come on guys, no one wants pens, pencils and paper on the one night a year that they get all the candy they want. Why are you trying to remind me of school work?

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Homemade Items

I know this sounds crazy in our post-COVID world, but back in the day it was pretty commonplace for people to hand out homemade cookies, candy and caramel apples. Then there was a rash of kids being injured by foreign objects like razor blades, medicine like aspirin and in extreme cases poison. After the outbreak of incidents, parents began checking their kids’ bags, with people not even accepting homemade items. Now that COVID-19 is a part of our lives, I can’t imagine anyone being comfortable with homemade candy from a stranger.

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Fruit

Orange slices, fruit cups and berries are all delicious and healthy. However, they don’t always keep well, so if you give them to a child while they’re out all night trick or treating, they won’t be good by the time the kid gets back home. Also, giving someone else’s child fruit is really more about you than them, so just stick with candy, it’s less complicated.

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Leftover candy

Halloween is not the only holiday where candy is the center of attention. Valentine’s Day and Easter also offer specialty candy as a signature part of celebrating the day. We all know that if you go to the store on Feb. 15 or in mid-April, shelves are overflowing with clearance price sweets. If you happen to have extra boxes of these hanging around the house, do not pass it out for Halloween, that’s just rude.

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Mints

It seems like this should go without saying, but mints are not candy. Yes, sometimes they come in sweet flavors, but that still doesn’t make them an acceptable Halloween choice. And they can be more expensive than generic brand candy, so you’re spending more money to not pass out candy.

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Trail Mix

This isn’t a knock on trail mix, but between the nuts, dried fruit and few pieces of chocolate, there’s not much sweetness actually happening. It’s also not what most kids are looking for on Halloween, so you can save this one for lunch boxes and afternoon snacks.

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Black licorice

If there’s one thing worse than candy corn, it’s black licorice. Normal flavors of licorice like cherry, grape or strawberry are perfectly fine. But then someone decided “what if we made licorice in hell” and the black versions came along. If you hand this out, you’re letting the rest of the neighborhood know you’ve chosen violence and they can’t trust you.

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Sent from my iPhone

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sincityriddler · 1 year

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SDCC 2023

Was a lot of fun but not what I remembered the con being or feeling. Maybe I went it with to big of expectations that I had things so hyped up that I just set myself up to be disappointed. The one thing that did not change from when I use to go was security and line management. Security had no clue what was going on and kept giving out bad information. Which did not help with the lines and also the volunteers tried to make things easier but got sabotaged by the people in charge. Hard to make things work when you are not being allowed to make things run smoother.

The floor was how I always remembered it to be with lots of people walking around. The big difference this time was that there was no carpet throughout the convention center which did make things tough on your feet. I tried to bring my best worn in shoes but I still ended up with some blisters and sore feet. Which is a lesson learned for next time to be better prepared in the shoe department. Also may bring some better socks as well to try and add some extra cushion. The only shoes that did what they were supposed to do were the Crocs that I wore in my hotel room and to get food in.

The food near the hotel I stayed at was the same as the last time I went so that part was made easy. I stopped at two the restaurants I liked each night I was there and did enjoy some margaritas two of the nights. The burger at this restaurant was very good and the fries where nice and crispy. Which is all you can ask for and makes the food that much more enjoyable. I did get some Subway as well since I could keep the sandwich in my room since it did have a mini fridge. I did do fast food the night before I drove back home to make things easier.

With having a mini fridge in the hotel room I was able to go buy some supplies at Target and keep them in my room. Which saved me some money since I did not have to buy from a vending machines or individually. The only issues I did have one on the first night my travel toothpaste had dried out so had to go buy a new one the next day. I could have gotten one that night but did not realize the hotel had some that could have given me. I will now put that on my checklist so I do not have it happen again and that I have an option if I do run out.

I packed a lot lighter this time with regards to clothes since I was not planning to do anything crazy while I was there. I used a travel on suitcase to keep my clothes in but next time I may bring the bigger suitcase so that I can keep my shoes stored in there as well instead of having them loose. A lesson learned from the number of trips I had to make to the car for both unloading and loading. Shoe bags will be needed but those will get added to my Amazon wish list. That wish list has been filling up with all of the things I know I will need if I go again.

One of those items is going to be a rolling makeup trolley cart. I used a rolling cart I got from the office store which worked but it could have been made a lot easier if it had better storage compartments in it. The makeup cart has a main compartment along with some fold out trays which will be good for keeping some items in that where bouncing around in the other cart. Unless I find some type of organizer for that cart I will be getting the makeup cart before my next trip. Either way things will be made easier and allow for less trips to and from the hotel room.

On Friday I went to a few museums to kill some time between cons days. I have wanted to visit to the museums down there for a while and this was the perfect opportunity to go. The first museum I visited was their Natural History museum which was nice to get to see one that is different than the one I volunteer at. I did take a lot of pictures of some of the exhibits since they did have some cool ones. Went to the Model Train Museum next which is always a fun one to visit. Found out they had an outside garden railroad which I did not see in the past. Also saw a new layout they were putting together that will be cool when it is done.

The last museum I went to go see was the Comic Con museum. They had a lot of older comic con items on display since it was comic con week. They even had a statue of the toucan that is the cons mascot. Including some art of all his different variation’s that has appeared throughout the years. There was a STEM event going on where some of the ladies where wearing comic character costumes for it. The costumes made it more festive and made it more relaxed for kids to ask questions. The last thing I saw there was they had a Pac-man exhibit which did make me feel old.

Overall it was a fun experience with several lessons learned. Did a few things that made it easier but some did not. I do need to get a lighter camera to take with me next time. My old one was killing my neck after a while. I way get a different strap down the road as well to make it easier no matter which camera I use. I was bad about taking pictures which may have been caused by the camera being bulky and a bit cumbersome to use. I do need to get out and use it more than I have been. I need to get use to using the camera again and taking lots of pictures.

I will probably not be going next year but that will be ok. I stayed under budget but will need some time to rebuild my comic con fund back up again. Until then I will probably just be hitting up some local cons and enjoying those. May even use those to get use to using my camera again.

#blogger

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crazycomicshow · 1 year

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SDCC 2023

#blogger #sdcc2023

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always-andromeda · 1 year

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hi meda!

thank you so much for the lovely response to my last ask - I always look forward to hearing from you! 🥰

and your experience with the titanic exhibit is absolutely relatable and you really articulated that kind of very strange feeling that I've also gotten in historic places. like, sometimes when I'm in a museum or something and I see an everyday object like a bowl or a needle or even the remnants of a textile, I just get so emotional?? like someone made that? someone used that?? someone loved that??? 🥹🥹 idk it just makes me feel this odd mix of both joy and sadness that you described so perfectly. oh and omg when there's like toys or dolls or like things people made for their pets??????? I'm such a goner. just, as someone who gets very attached to inanimate objects like my plushies I just think about the people who might have held and played with and loved them and how we share this connection across time of like, loving this thing. idk if I'm explaining this well, but basically I'm trying to say that I totally agree with you!! 😅 Also, the pictures are so cool - those room recreations are amazing!!

oh okay and also because I apparently cannot shut up about this: I've started collecting old photos from antique shops for similar reasons. like ahhhh I just can't quite explain it, but like looking at these people from the past who I don't know and likely will never know, yet knowing that these photographs meant something to them???? idk it just feels like such an honor to be the caretaker of these memories (okay I'll be done talking about this now 😅)

but how have you been doing, lovely meda? I hope your summer is off to a wonderful start! ☺️

and, finally, for the soft asks: paper, october, sapphos, plush, poppy, and/or roses 💐 (of course, only if you want, and please only do the ones that you would like to ☺️)

sending so much love always,

charlotte 🎨

Hey, Charlotte!! This last week I was actually at my mother's house, which was pretty nice since it's been a while since I'd seen her. I managed to get a decent amount of writing done and every night we made dinner and got to watch some documentary together and look at old photos. Those bits were really fun and I really needed the decompression. How has your summer been going so far?? ☺️

And oh my gosh, I absolutely relate with your description of how you feel about old trinkets and photos!! I get the exact same way!! You talking about those photos reminds me of when I started to kind of collect old postcards for a while? Mostly because I found this little museum that was selling them. And because it's entirely illegal to sell mail like that, the owner had half heartedly scribbled out the words on the backs.

But you could absolutely still read them. And it was always people just talking about what they had been doing in whatever place they'd traveled to and hoping that folks at home were doing alright.

I'm a huge letter writer so it always fills me with a special kind of sentimentality seeing the words of these other people. Like these people have these rich and complex lives that I'll never get to know but in those moments, I get a glimpse of it.

Humans are just so sweet and so adorable. And maybe it's the neurodivergence in me and the fact that I've always felt a little disconnected from most people, but getting to see those little bits makes me feel part of a greater whole, ya know?

And lol, I answered all of your soft asks because I loved all of these questions!!

Paper ⭐︎ Favorite children's book?

Whoo boy, this sent me on a mini nostalgia trip. When my younger brother was little, I would read him bedtime stories almost every single night. And I think my favorite one to read to him was Knuffle Bunny. The story is about a toddler named Trixie who, while on a walk with her father, loses her precious stuffed bunny rabbit. The whole book is her struggle to communicate this tragedy to her parents and them rushing to search for her rabbit. It's part of this whole trilogy that follows Trixie as she gets older and I have such fondness for it. I genuinely recommend checking it out!!

October ⭐︎ What month were you born in?

July!! Specifically, my birthday is July 31st!!

Sapphos ⭐︎ Favorite poet?

I don't have an all time favorite poet exactly? Every few months, I'll just get super hyper fixated on a poet and want to learn everything I can about them? I've done this with Edgar Allan Poe, W.H. Auden, Walt Whitman, Louise Gluck, Ellen Bass, Wendy Cope, and so many more poets.

Plush ⭐︎ How many stuffed animals do you still own?

Too many to count!! On my bed right now...I'm pretty sure I have ten? Plus my army of eight Palm Pals? I just love all of them, especially since half of them are plushes that I've had since I was basically a baby? They're my favorite.

Poppy ⭐︎ Favorite pastel color?

I love a good mix of pastel pink and yellow together. It gives me strawberry lemonade vibes and I love it so much.

Roses ⭐︎ What flower do you find most beautiful?

Marigolds, all the way. My grandmother used to plant them in her garden every spring and being at her house for those plantings are kind of a core memory for me os I've always loved them.

#˚ʚ ask meda ɞ˚#charlotte 🎨

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lifekomorebi · 2 years

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Bar hopping at 8...

How did you spend your weekends from the ages of 8-12? Playing on bikes with your friends? Cinema trips? Cosy evenings around the TV watching Noel's House Party? Not quite the same in the Galunacy household. For 5 days of the week, my brother and I were normal school kids, but as the school bell rang on Friday (no, we didn't turn into bananaman/woman/person). We would be picked up by mum in the latest nuts/wildly impractical motor dad had purchased - Cherokee Chief, Aston Martin, Cheeseburger Mini. All bags packed and off to Gray's Inn Road, Holborn, London we schlepped for the weekend. (I write about the journeys in another blog post further down the page) This was where dad lived permanently, we could not live with him all the time as it was just too crazy. The commercial premises on Gray's Inn Road, opposite the soon to be ITN building at the beginning was where his electrical company was housed but later it evolved (naturally) into the first bar, music venue and restaurant. Never, really knowing what we would walk into, there was a fair amount of trepidation about what the weekend would hold. In the early days, it was pretty awesome. On the Friday evening, whilst my dad and mum would do work, my brother and I would fuck about with power tools in the basement. We would then go out for food on nearby Exmouth market, one of the biggest highlights - this was the late 80s so not much of that was around Steeple Bumpstead. Chinese and Indian, or across the road to dad's mad friends Italian restaurant. These were always fun nights, as we were either smashing poppadoms over our heads, asking for suicide sauce (my brother meant to say Soy Sauce, he was very little), or setting fire to those Amaretto Biscuit waxy wrappers to make wishes...dad would normally fall asleep in a bowl of whatever he was eating. Saturday mornings, would be where we had to keep quiet and amuse ourselves. So my brother and I would go back to the power tools, and sawing random bits of wood - how we managed to keep our limbs intact, I will never know. Mum and Dad would work, they ran the business together. If we were good - in the afternoon, there would be a fun trip out in London to one of the many attractions in the city. I have happy memories of Greenwich Observatory, Tower of London and various museums.

The Sunday's were where it all started to unravel, and to this day I am so thankful for pubs closing at 3pm! Remember that?! We would normally go to one of the famous pubs to watch lunchtime blues. Now these places were popular, so they were normally heaving, sweaty, loud and definitely no other kids there. We had to sit in the corner with a bottle of coca cola and some crisps and witness the fun unfold. Everyone drank Newcastle Brown Ale, everyone smelt like Newcastle Brown Ale, you stuck to the chairs and floors because well...Newcastle Brown Ale. We saw some amazing acts, in some legendary pubs and now I absolutely love that sort of music so I am thankful for this music education. In fact this would probably be my favourite way to spend a sunday afternoon now sans Newcastle Brown Ale. But to the ears of an 8-12 year old - it felt it was endless. An endless afternoon of music, that all sounded the same, whilst watching your dad get pissed and chat to his mates. It would get more and more raucous, people would talk at me with hot aley breath. Dad would go a bit on the turn and we would have to be careful to keep the 'we are enjoying this' faces plastered on our face. The best bit was when Mick the Jug (a real character in that scene) would walk around the pub getting money for the band - that meant we were on to last three songs and then in car, drop drunk dad off and drive back to our home ready for school on Monday.

In the early days, it felt like a big adventure - our weekend school news stories rivalled the other kids and quite often we were told off for 'creative writing'. To which we protested it was all true! We had two lives and it was exciting - but then came the Fenders - the bar. How the bar came about is another story, and a real turning point for our family and how these weekends would pan out.

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daisyvstheworld · 2 years

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Day 18 - Jan 18 - Geneva

Je suis fatigué. Je n’aime pas Geneva parceque le francais n’est plus genial!

Lmao anyways I knocked out at like 9:30pm last night I was so tired. Girls were all in bed but people were making ruckus all night and then apparently this girl who checked out this morning was hand washing her clothes, like trousers and all and drying them on the radiator!! No freaking wonder it was so humid and hot in the room!!!!! Freaking crazy. The lady below me called her out but I didn’t hear a response. This morning they were making so much noise as they were checking out and the lady got up and slammed the door twice. Around 8, they all left and I talked to the lady and she was like this girl crazy. So glad they all checked out though.

I reluctantly got up and got ready and left for the day.. first stop the UN building and Red Cross museum. Wasn’t gonna go to either bc they require resos so I just walked around. Nothing too special lol. I got really hungry and tried to eat my leftover couscous but they shit definitely wasn’t good no more so I threw away. I ate some of my trail mix that I’ve been carrying since San Diego 😂

The buses are pure insanity in Geneva like literally every stop is like “connections with line 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 - ALL OF THEM” I’m like wtf is the point of this bus system???

Anyways, I took the bus from the UN to the Museum of Natural History. I walked by a cafe and I stopped in to order a croissant and espresso but she gave me a cappuccino with whole milk??? Ugh. Whatever, I chugged it and scarfed down the croissant before going into the museum. There were only kids in that museum and by kids I mean toddlers LOL it was kind of a cool museum though! I used the nice bathrooms too 😊

From there, I walked to the Tavel House, which is the oldest existing apartment/home in Geneve. It was a mini history museum - also free!! It was pretty cool but 80% of it was only in French so I didn’t get to see too much of it. It was pretty interesting though!

After that, I walked around the town and saw more attractions, bought some boujee chocolate (they gave me a sample and eh, they’re ok), caved and bought a grocery store sandwich, and shopped a little. I literally saw everything by 3pm so I was like wtf do I do now.

I walked to the museums near the university and realized that the Museum of Ethnography is also free! So I went to that and it was a lot of reading, so that took another 1.5-2 hours. It was cool, just also kind of weird knowing that this is a “collectors” museum of artifacts from cultures around the world. Some of the pieces, especially those belonging to indigenous populations, actually requested the items be taken down or returned, soooo “collectors” my ass.

Anyways, I finished my trail mix and relaxed in the lobby for a bit before walking to the Auberge des Sauviese restaurant to try to see if I could dine earlier.

The sun was setting and it was actually super pretty, the rays were peaking through the clouds and looked very holy.

I got to the restaurant and they sat me but they didn’t take my order for like 15-20 mins and I was like the 3rd party in the restaurant.. so I was like wtf..

Idk why but I guess I didn’t realize cheese fondue is literally just bread and cheese so that was my dinner 🫠 potatoes would have been 6 CHF extra which is insane so I just drank my wine and let the boozy cheese fill me up. I came here bc the reviews were excellent and people said it was the best place to try fondue. HOWEVER there were only really tourists there and 90% of them were asian which I thought was interesting. I mean honestly the cheese was fine but wasn’t like my kind of cheese, it definitely had a bite to it.. if that makes sense? I only give it a 8 bc the wine was really good and this kind old man also dining alone said “bon appetit madame” 🥹 but honestly more like a 5/10. Anyways, glad I tried it! Melting Pot is yummier LOL

I stopped by Migros to pick up a quick breakfast/snack for the plane, and head back to the hostel.

This hostel has been such a migraine. My wifi code expired so I had to wait in line forever to get a new code. French boys were SCREAMING and running around so I got stuck on the stairs twice bc these fucking incompetent boys.

I finally showered and packed up a bit before watching the hitchhiker murderer documentary. It was good, highly recommend.

#europe2023 #winter2023

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alighted-willow · 2 years

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Today on things that I never thought would wake me up: hauling two full grown men and sliding their weightless forms through a giant cardboard coin slot before moving back to the main set, telling the other actors "[something something] I found it on their corpses” only for the director to remind me of the PG rating. We tried to redo the scene, me saying something like "I found it on their limp limbs… while they were knocked out” but couldn’t stop laughing. I finally managed a good take, but burst out laughing when the actor I was saying it to was trying to swallow back their hilarity.

And then my giggling woke me up.

My cat was looming over me, trying to figure out what the heck his unconscious mamma was going on about.

#the actors I put through the coin slot landed on each other #they both tried REALLY HARD to not ruin the take #they were those mini people from Night at the Museum #None of the other actors helped me put them through #we were all just sort of messing around I guess #I laughed myself awake I guess #I think the perspective character (me) was Hunter from TOH #and what I got from the other actors was a whistle on a lanyard that would call Flapjack back over #as in Flapjack had been taken away somehow and the whistle was Hunter's goal #before this scene Hunter was hand feeding Flapjack seeds— on a necklace #a straight up necklace of clusters of tiny white seeds #it was wholesome #dreams #parasomnias #which thingie would I even call this? sleep talking? the pre-wakefulness-hallucinations— thus REM none sense?#in any case it was FUNNY

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motomamita · 2 years

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Crazy Little Thing Called Love

serie materialist

Pairing: Joseph Quinn x Rockstar!Reader

Summary: Joseph meets a guitarist on his trip to Italy and the two end the night together.

Warnings: smut, +18, cursing, mentions of drinking and smoking.

A/N: English is NOT my first language.

This is not meant to be a Victoria x Joseph story! I like to give readers the freedom to imagine the protagonist in the way they prefer!

The events occur before Joe is in Stranger Things and before Maneskin wins Eurovision 2021.

Some facts in relation to Maneskin are different, like the one that here Thomas plays the bass and not the guitar.

Do not copy or translate this!

"There goes my baby

She knows how to rock and roll

She drives me crazy

She gives me hot and cold fever

She leaves me in a cool, cool sweat"

Italy, 2020.

Two talents unknown. Two lives. Two souls. One place.

Joseph Quinn arrived in the country less than a week ago. His sister had invited him to spend a mini vacation, taking advantage of the fact that she was working and studying there. He accepted without hesitation, excited and eager to see the country. Joseph had had quite a heavy few weeks because he had been preparing to audition in one of the most successful series of the moment. He deserved a proper break.

His sister received him in her apartment, letting him get comfortable in the guest room and then taking him to see the city. They visited several art museums, enjoyed the typical food of the place and walked through its streets until night found them. He quickly fell in love with the country, its landscapes, its culture and its people. The country of art and, for some, of love.

(y/n) Pagani lived in Italy all her life. She was born there and grew up in an environment full of art and lots of music. too much. At the age of 12 she was given her first guitar and since then she has not stopped playing, perfecting herself and learning until she excelled with the instrument. Her passion for music was something she could only share with her family and herself. It wasn't until she met Thomas Raggi, her schoolmate and amateur bass player, that the two of them were able to enjoy music together. Soon, the idea of forming a band became present and stronger. From a Facebook post they were joined by vocalist and drummer Damiano David and Ethan Torchio. And so, Måneskin was formed.

Its beginnings were humble like those of any group of teenagers who want to succeed in music. They played in the streets of Rome to get rid of the fear of being in front of the public and by the way they got some coins. Soon, they caught the attention of a label that supported them and with which they released their first album. Thus, the group began to gain fame locally and their hopes of conquering beyond seemed close.

The not so different lives of both crossed that starry night in Italy.

The Quinns entered the bar and soon focused on a table not far from the stage. The atmosphere was pleasant, the other tables were occupied by people of the same age who were chatting animatedly among themselves. Drinks kept pouring out from the bar and the music played at a volume not so loud to stun you but enough to make you nod your head to the sound of it.

They both ordered a few beers that they drank calmly until Quinn's other friends joined them at the table. Joseph had had the pleasure of meeting them days ago and living with them for a few hours. They were friendly and fun, so much so that they made him feel like they were lifelong friends the moment they met him. According to her sister, Italians had this characteristic of being warm to everyone.

They drank a couple of beers and chatted about various trivial topics until the music coming out of the speakers under their sound and the equipment moving on stage began. Joseph guessed it was the group his sister was coming to see today. She had told him that she had friends who were in a rock group, they were rookies but they knew what they were doing according to her. He had no idea about them, so he didn't bother to search for them. He wanted to hear them live and direct.

The lights of the place were turned off, leaving on only the blue and purple ones that pointed to the stage. The people at the bar clapped and shouted with excitement as they saw the members take the stage. Joseph watched them curiously, unable to see their faces clearly. The tallest one with waist-length hair stood behind the drum kit, stretching out his arms and grasping his chopsticks deftly. Another of them stood in the middle of the stage in front of the microphone, his hair falling to his shoulders and various tattoos decorating his bare arms. Then two people went up, one on each side of the vocalist. One of them had a bass slung over his shoulder and blonde hair that matched his guitar. The other person greatly caught her attention because she was the only woman in the group. She had with her an electric guitar that she carried with experience. She was wearing a corset with lingerie details and black leather pants along with boots of the same color.

Before Joseph could ask for her name, the music began to play along with the vocalist's voice.

"Hi everybody this is Maneskin, you're listening to Chosen.

Listen clear now, baby

Ya, ya 'cause it begins like.."

The people around began to sing the song and clap their hands, until some stopped to get close to the stage and dance. Joseph stayed in his seat with his friends, who also sang along as they enjoyed the show. He, not knowing the song, just moved his head slightly to the rhythm of the music while looking at her fascinated. The way her hair moved when she walked across the stage and moved her hips to the music, how strong and expert her hands seemed on the guitar and the smiles she threw at the audience. In one of those times, their eyes collided for a few moments that for Joseph seemed eternal and one of the most exciting in his life. Love at first sight.

"Hey yeah, follow me, follow me now

Hey yeah, follow me, follow me now

Listen now now now now now now now now

Follow me, follow me now"

The song ended and the warm reception from the public was immediate. By general request, the group played 2 more songs until they left the stage to the applause and shouts of emotion from the audience.

The British continued with his gaze on the girl who, after leaving her guitar along with the other instruments, approached with her companions to the table where he was.

"Hi gorgeous!" The girl greeted the actor's sister with a warm hug, who received her excitedly.

"You were great! As always!" She congratulated them looking at the 4. "Let me introduce my brother Joe.

The named gulped nervously upon hearing his name and seeing how they approached where he was sitting. They introduced themselves in a general way, shaking hands with each one, even with the girl who had invaded his mind for minutes. Naturally, the group sat down in the free spaces they found at the table.

"Do you mind if I sit next to you?"

Joseph looked up from the beer in his hands to notice the voice that spoke close to his ear due to the music. An inevitable smile formed on his faces and his skin prickled when he saw the same eyes that before were several meters from him now were centimeters from his face.

"It's no trouble, please!"

Joseph moved to the side, giving her room for her to sit next to him comfortably, which she did. He kept his gaze straight ahead, nervous at the girl's proximity. And it was logical, (y/n) had a strong energy wherever she was. She was one of those strong and empowered girls whose presence was not easy to forget. Joseph wasn't used to that type of girl, and that was the very thing that caught his attention from her.

"Your sister told me you're an actor." She spoke again looking at him interested.

And it is that he had not gone unnoticed by her either. Despite being used to being on stage and receiving looks, Joseph's stood out for its intensity and all the interest there was. It may be that she was nervous about those dark eyes looking at her from a distance, so much so that some of her chords on her guitar did not come out as accurately as usual but luckily no one noticed.

He turned to give his full attention to the girl next to him.

"Yes, something like that. I did some small parts on television and I was acting in theater." He explained looking into her eyes while she nodded interested in listening to him.

"That's great!"

"Not as great as what you guys did up there. You're great!" He spoke sincerely making the girl smile embarrassed at the flattery.

"You're making me blush! Shut up!" She laughed lightly hitting his arm playfully. Joseph's heart sped up at the show of affection.

"Is seriously!" He replied laughing in the same way. "You play amazing. I really enjoyed the show." They both looked into each other's eyes again, now with greater confidence.

"I don't doubt it, I couldn't help but feel your gaze on me." Now it was Joseph who looked down in embarrassment at being discovered by her. She laughed out loud as he hid his face with his hands, hiding his mischievous grin.

"It was your fault for being so cool, Miss..!" He looked at her expectantly knowing her name.

"(y/n)!" She added receiving a nod from him. "What's your name, starboy?" They both laughed at her nickname.

"Joseph, that's my name." Now it was she who nodded her head. "But you can call me Joe. Everyone calls me that."

"Okay, Joe Joe!" She spoke in a singsong voice that did nothing but continue to captivate Joseph, who had to drink his beer to hide his smile.

"Let me buy you some beers, little rockstar!" He now spoke into her ear making her smile at the nickname.

"Ahead!"

Thus, the night passed between beers and laughter. Both Joseph and (y/n) discovered how well they got along despite not having much in common. She loved to party and have fun until the early hours while he was more of staying at home or going out to quiet gatherings with friends. Despite that, they both had a strong connection that became more and more evident as the beers finished.

At about 3 in the morning, the two were still at the bar with their friends who still refused to go home. (Y/n) had her legs up on Joseph's lap and her head resting on his chest, feeling his breath and the vibrations from him when he laughed. One of his hands was on her thighs, caressing her and pulling her closer to him. The other was part of her back bare by the corset, also caressing her and playing with her locks of hair from time to time.

"Until when are you going to be in Italy?" (y/n) raised her head to look at Joseph, who lowered his head close to her face.

"I'm leaving in 3 days." She pouted sadly upon hearing the answer. Joseph followed suit and caressed her cheeks with one of his hands. "The night is still young, we can enjoy what's left of it."

"Oh yeah? How would you like to enjoy it?" She whispered very close to his lips.

Joseph put his hand on her chin, holding it lightly and immobilizing her before kissing her. The kiss at first was simple, letting them appreciate each other's lips and the closeness they wanted so much. (y/n) lightly bit his lower lip with the intention of making him open his mouth, which he did. Soon their tongues met letting them savor the beer and cigarette they had shared minutes before. She moaned into his mouth as Joseph tightened his grip on her thighs, digging his fingertips into the leather material. They separated due to lack of air but they didn't move away, still feeling each other's breaths on their faces.

"I have the keys to the apartment if you two want to go." Damiano's slightly drunk voice called out to them. Apparently everyone at the table has been spectators of the sexual tension between the two.

(y/n) exchanged glances with Joseph, who after a few seconds nodded his head. They both got up from their places and gathered their things, ready to leave the bar in the direction of the band's apartment that was not far away.

"Don't make me an aunt yet, Joseph!" His sister yelled at him, seeing how the couple left the bar hand in hand, staggering thanks to the beers.

They walked laughing and humming Queen's 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love' through the streets of Italy. At one point Joseph raised her in a bridal way, demonstrating his strength and that he had greater resistance to alcohol than her. (Y/n) took advantage and played with his necklace that was visible through the various buttons that were open on his shirt.

Arriving at the apartment, Joseph didn't wait long to kiss her passionately and desperately again. She placed her hands around his neck, caressing his curls and scalp. He, for his part, placed his hands on her lower back and soon moved down to her butt, squeezing it slightly and causing her to moan. They walked without separating until they reached the sofa where Joseph sat down with (Y/n) on top of him. His kisses passed over her jaw to her bare neck, where he left several marks and wet kisses. She moved her hips, rubbing her clothed center with his remarkable erection. Joseph growled and brought his hands to her hips, intensifying the contact.

"Stop teasing, stargirl." He growled pulling away from her and admiring her on top of him.

(y/n) ignored him and kept moving his hips, causing Joseph to throw his head back with a loud sigh of pleasure. She ran her thumb over his moist pink lips.

"I'm not teasing, I'm just thinking what else can those lips of yours do, starboy." She murmured now looking at Joseph, who smiled mischievously at her.

"Let me show you." He asked to which she nodded her head.

Joseph's hands now moved to the closure of her corset, lowering the zipper and leaving her breasts free. His member throbbed under her as he saw how the moonlight entered through one of the windows and illuminated her erect nipples. Joseph took one of his hands to her hair and slightly stretched it, making her back come closer to him, leaving her at his mercy. He brought his face closer to the center between her breasts, letting her feel his hot breath before kissing her skin until he reached one of her nipples.

"Shit, Joe.." She groaned as she felt his wet tongue on her nipple and how his free hand caressed the other one.

Joseph savored the girl as if it were candy, taking his time to appreciate her moans and how her hips moved over him, taking him to the extreme. He pulled back to give his attention to the other nipple, not caring how sensitive she was to his touch. It didn't bother (y/n) either, what's more, never before had a boy had so much dedication and importance that she would enjoy too.

"The most delicious sweet that is tasted from Italy." Joseph murmured pulling away from her breasts to look at her.

"And that you didn't taste the best."

(y/n) drew him to her grabbing his collar to kiss him again with need. Now she lay down on the sofa without stopping kissing Joseph, who was on top of her. Her hands went to the buckle of his pants, unbuttoning it and lowering it with his help. His member stood out through the fabric of his boxers, eager for attention. Joseph hurried over and removed her pants from her, leaving her in nothing but lacy panties.

"Looks like someone needs attention.." (y/n) spoke with some amusement in her voice reaching her hand to the joseph's member dressed.

Joseph moaned at the contact, shifting his hips slightly for more friction. (y/n) massaged him through the cloth, driving him crazy and making him mutter obscenities. She decided not to torture him anymore and removed his boxers, leaving his aching cock free and at her disposal. Still with Joseph on top of her, (y/n) stroked the length of him slowly spreading the precum all over his length. Without taking her eyes off his face, she masturbated him gently and lovingly, enjoying how his brows furrowed and his mouth remained ajar.

"Let me take you." He asked almost in a whisper, certain that if she continued he would cum right there. "Please.."

"You look so cute when you beg for me.." (y/n) stopped touching him to bring her hand up to his shirt, quickly removing it and admiring his bare chest.

Joseph saw this as a positive sign for his request. He placed some cushions behind her and then placed his hand on her neck and leaned her head on them, taking control of the situation. He brought his hand up to her panty-covered center and massaged her clit, drawing a muffled moan from her. (y/n) moved her hips desperately at his touch, making Joseph laugh mockingly who was taking revenge. He removed her panties exposing her wet pussy. He couldn't help it and reached down to run his tongue over her folds, collecting her fluids and tasting them in his mouth.

"Joe, stop teasing." She said with need.

"I'm not teasing you, I'm just thinking about the things I'm going to do to your delicious pussy…" He answered her the same way she had minutes ago.

The Brit pulled a condom out of his wallet and tore it up with his hands before placing it on his hard cock. She watched him from her position, admiring his arms, the way his chest rose and fell and the way his necklace shone in the moonlight. Joseph moved closer to her, kissing her and letting her taste her own fluids on his tongue. He took one of his hands to his member and passed it through her folds, lubricating it even though it wasn't necessary, she was already very wet for him. Joseph placed the tip at her entrance, entering her slowly, enjoying her warmth and how tight she was. (y/n) moaned into his mouth and wrapped her legs around his waist, driving him deep inside her.

"You like it?" He asked in a slow but deep rhythm, letting her take all of him.

"I'm lovin 'it." She groaned closing her eyes in pleasure.

"Hey, hey. Eyes on me, baby. Eyes on me." Joseph said placing one of his hands on her jaw, forcing her to look at him, which she did.

Joseph continued his slow pace for a few seconds, letting her get used to his size and he to her warm interior. Little by little, his thrusts increased in rhythm making it difficult for both of them to contain their moans. (y/n) brought her hands to his back, caressing him and occasionally digging her nails in when he hit her cervix hard. Their eyes were on the other, making that moment something more intimate and passionate. Something that no one could ever forget.

Joseph's thrusts became more violent and stronger. The sound of their skins clashing and their moans became constant, bouncing around the great living room. Joseph pulled away to place one of (y/n)'s legs on his shoulder, fucking her in new places and giving her even more pleasure. The walls of (y/n) contracted around his throbbing cock, warning him that she would soon reach his climax.

"Are you going to cum? Huh?" Joseph asked in his agitated voice. She nodded her head desperately. "Talk to me, darling."

Before she could speak, Joseph swung his other leg over his shoulder, making the pleasure uncontrollable for both of them. (y/n) brought one of her hands to her clitoris, massaging it in a circular motion. Joseph growled at the sight and at the way the walls of it hugged his cock.

"Yeah. I'm going to cum Joe!" She groaned feeling a great pressure build up in her navel.

He kept pounding her hard, enjoying how his balls slammed into her ass and her fluids wet his thighs. Joseph took one of his hands to her navel while the other went to her neck, squeezing it slightly.

"I can feel my cock inside you, so good…" He groaned through his teeth. "Come with me, do it.."

(y/n)'s legs trembled and her toes fingers tensed at the Brit's words. She clung tightly to Joseph's large back, feeling her orgasm come. Joseph covered her moans by kissing her, continuing to thrust into her with need despite how sensitive she was. (y/n) enjoyed her climax following his passionate kiss, noting that he was also close to his release. Joseph moved away from her and the hand that was on her neck moved to be next to the other on her navel, pressing it and holding it in place.

"Uh, your pussy is so fine!" Moan absorbed by the pleasure. "So good I'm going to cum in it."

It took only a few thrusts for Joseph to climax with a grunt of pleasure as well. He stayed inside her for a few seconds, calming his breathing and the slightest tremor in his legs. He then stepped out of her to remove the condom and place it on top of the package on the floor. Joseph lay down next to (y/n), hugging her around the waist and placing her head on his chest. They were silent for a few minutes, enjoying the silence and the warmth radiating from each other's bodies.

"I'll figure out how to visit you later." He murmured stroking her bare arm, referring to when it was time to go back to London. "I don't mean just the sex. I really enjoyed your company tonight, (y/n)."

She raises her head to look carefully, memorizing every detail of his face that each time seemed to her the most beautiful thing in the world.

"Same here, JoeJoe." The named laughed lightly, making her giggle. "Later we will see how to meet again but now I think the best thing is that we go to my room before the others arrive."

They both looked around and at the mess they had caused. Their clothes all over the room and several pillows on the floor, not to mention their naked bodies on the sofa.

"You're right, little rockstar." (y/n) smiled at the nickname. "How about a second round?"

"Sounds great to me, starboy."

taglist!

@kellysimagines

#eddie munson x reader #joseph quinn x reader #stranger things x reader #stranger things x you #eddie munson #eddie munson x you #joseph quinn #joseph quinn x you #joseph quinn smut #rockstar #maneskin #rockstar!au #Spotify #maneskin x reader #maneskin x you

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fictive-fodder · 2 years

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|| Steven Grant vs. You: I ||

A tiny story where you discover that your sweet, handsome coworker is just as much into Egyptology as you are into ancient Greece- and the playful battle that ensues.

*May become a multi-mini-chapter-moment-thing because it seems more fair for battles to be best of 3 or even 5 than best of 1. Also just a ton of slow burn fluff, which should really be my username at this point cause that’s all I write*

Word Count : Soooo tiny, 1.1k

PART I - PART II - PART III

Tag List

Read this on A03!

“But how can you prefer the ancient Greek world when it was so much more patriarchal?” Steven stammered with a half laugh. He was swinging his croissant around on the other side of the table from you and you couldn’t help but smile as flakes of pastry landed on the table, in his coffee, his lap. “Egyptian women could sue men! They could run businesses and own property and-”

“I’m not saying ancient Greece was better than ancient Egypt!” you assured, laughing. “I just have always been infatuated by the myths. And I don’t know, to me it’s like those Gods were really there, once, you know? These gorgeous, terrifying, giant presences that were all at once infatuated with humanity as they were spiteful. It’s such a different relationship than religious folks have with their deities now. They lived on a mountain that really exists, you could hike up it and speak to them if you wanted. They lived in the depths of the earth, and in the ocean, they were here, you know? Not a heavenly body, but here.” You rested one of your hands on your chest as you said it, impassioned. You thought you caught Steven’s eyes tracing the line of your clavicle, what he could see of it past your shirt, and up your neck, how it met with the curve of your jaw- but no, you quickly corrected your thoughts- this was Steven. He probably wouldn’t have noticed you existed if, weeks ago, he hadn’t overheard you lamenting that ancient Greek history wasn’t as well represented in the gift shop as you would have liked.

The playful argument that had ensued led you to this tradition of a full fledged debate in the employee break room during every lunch break the two of you had together. You had taken to checking the break schedule as soon as you clocked in, your heart always skipping a beat when you realized that it would be a Steven Lunch Day.

It didn’t happen as often as you would have hoped, it seemed like Steven’s manager gave him odd shifts quite often. If a late night was needed, or two, four hour shifts three hours apart, Steven was the one who got them. Since you worked mornings it was always an unexpected treat to see him working.

“You have to admit that that is neat.” you pushed, grinning as Steven set down his crumbled wad of a croissant.

“No!” Steven laughed, “No, no no no…” he ran his fingers through his hair, croissant flakes tangling into his curls. “You get me all wrong- of course ancient Greece is neat.” he conceded, his tone earnest and bright. “It’s beautiful and there is so much to learn about, so much history. I can totally understand why you like it so much-”

“But?” you raised your eyebrows with mock defensiveness.

“No buts!” Steven said a little too loudly. A few of your coworkers glanced over before continuing to do their best to ignore you both for the umpteenth time. You snorted and had to force yourself to take a sip of coffee so you wouldn’t keep laughing. You were sure that you and Steven must have been annoying everyone else with these talks, but you couldn’t help yourself.

Here was this man with a beauty that rivaled silent film actors. A Rudolph Valentino stand-in who also was one of the sweetest people you’d ever met. And he was smart. Your coworkers seemed weary of him for his awkwardness, but you’d take that over how most of the museum’s patrons treated staff.

“But-” Steven said softly, with a playful wince.

“Yes?”

“You have to admit that, as far as intensity in awe… the ancient Egyptians prospered in ways we still can’t replicate or understand. We don’t even know how they accomplished what they have left us behind.”

“That’s true with the Greeks!’ you scoffed, “We still don’t understand how the Hellenic sculptures carved marble that is so delicate and top heavy that still hasn’t crumbled. Even the Romans couldn’t figure it out and just gave all their sculptures thick tree trunks carved beside the sculpture’s legs. And let’s not forget the whole cement with marble veneer thing.”

“Oh, we can’t forget that.” Steven replied wryly, which made your face feel very warm.

“Are you teasing me?” you asked, astounded. You tapped your boot against his under the table.

“No!” Steven said, jumping in his seat. He held both of his hands up and waved them frantically. “No I would never, honestly, it’s just so nice to know someone that likes something as much as I like… well, as much as I like another thing.”

“Until I convert you.” you said, smiling softly.

“Right-” Steven chuckled, his voice broke mid laugh in a way you had come to covet. “That’s not gonna happen though, you know? You know that the whole reason I work here is for Egyptology?”

“I know it is why you came here.” you granted, pushing your feet together so you could resist kicking him again.

“But?” Steven tilted his head, eyes warm.

“No buts!” you mimicked, “But, it might not be the reason you stay?”

“Hey!” he frowned, “But you did but!”

“Okay how about this-” you started, leaning against your side of the table conspiratorially. “Ancient Egypt and Greece were very intertwined, right? We would probably both be very happy if we could just-” you made a sweeping gesture with your hands, Steven’s eyes watched as if fully expecting for something to appear between your fingers. “-be there. Let’s say the Library of Alexandria, for fun’s sake. At least tens of thousands of papyri, Grecian philosophers on Egyptian earth-”

“Grecian dominated Egyptian earth-” Steven mumbled, intrigue shining from his eyes despite himself.

“Macedonian.”

“That’s still Greek!”

“I can’t help that my favorite ancient civilization conquered yours! You guys had a good run!” you teased, popping the last bit of your pastry into your mouth with a satisfied gesture. This awarded you a very flat glare. “I guess history is repeating itself right here and now.”

“Silly.” Steven murmured, “I am not conquered and you have not won me over.”

“Yet.”

He opened his mouth to make another playful retort, but before he could the timer on your phone went off. You pretended to not notice Steven’s shoulders slump downward as you turned off the alarm and stood up.

“Does that alarm mean you’re going?” he asked.

“It means that we are!” you replied, leaning down to wrap your arms around one of his, you pulled him up from his chair. “Last time you forgot to clock back in and I didn’t want you to get in trouble again so I just put a timer on my phone.”

Steven stood still, looking past his shoulder and into your eyes. His expression was calmer, less full of anxiety and enthusiasm. “Thank you-” he said softly.

You gave his arm a last squeeze before he let you pull him out of the break room.

#steven grant #moon knight #steven grant x reader #moon knight x reader #moon knight fan fiction #steven grant x you #steven grant fluff #moon knight imagines #mcu moon knight #non binary #non binary fan fic

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