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alottiegoingon · 7 days

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art fair

jackie taylor x fem!reader

summary: jackie taylor is the elementary school's art teacher.

warnings: too much fluff, jackie and reader being adorable, not proofread

you weren't expecting to stay for any longer than five days this time. that was the initial plan and the words you had said to your parents on the phone before you arrived to wiskayok, new jersey.

the second high school was over, you took the first bus to new york and never looked back. okay, never was a strong word. despite the strong feeling you had to free yourself from the place where you had an awful time in high school, sometimes you would come back to visit your family and your sister, in special.

not wanting to miss her growing up, you had to work extra shifts on the bookstore to pay for a decent looking car, capable of going back and forth from new jersey to new york twice in a month.

now, it was an special occasion. for her 8th birthday, you promised her that you would spend the week in your family home and spend time doing fun things. and by fun things, she meant fun things for her.

the first thing you were asked as soon as you put your feet inside was "what did you get me?"

after wishing your sister a happy birthday and watching her open her present, you sink into the couch with drowsy eyes after some good two hours driving, feeling exhausted. you were so tired that you weren't even paying attention to what the small human full of energy was chattering around you.

"what do you think we should do first? we can go roller skating!"

"bug, i hate roller skating. you know that." god, you remember the last time you fell on your face. you wore a purple eyes for weeks.

"...or we could go get me new books! mom promised me you would go out with me." she keeps talking, not paying attention to you. that was going to be a very long week.

the very next day, you could barely open your eyes when your sister forced you to wake up early and drive her to school, affirming that it was part of the birthday package you promised her even though you didn't actually recall that

[🎨]

you had the brilliant idea to go straight home after dropping the kid at school and sleep for the rest of the day. or until she got home with quick loud steps and a vibrant high-pitched voice.

your great idea fell apart when you were effectively blackmailed by a tiny human dragging you to her classroom, excited to show you everything. you weren’t even sure if you were allowed in there but you followed her anyway.

"that's cool, bug! you did that?" you encouraged her regardless of the many screams of the other kids hurting your ears, right after seeing the paint strokes in a small canvas forming the figure of a person. for a eight year old, the kid had some actual talent. it was better than what you could do.

she nods, extremely proud of herself. "ms. taylor is teaching us how to paint for next week's art fair. you’re coming, right?"

five days. five days was all you could do. it was a pain in the ass to convince your boss to let you skip work for a week and you only managed to do it cause she was a friend of the family. more than that and you would turn into a jobless woman.

“i’ll see what i can do, alright?” you get on your knees to match her height. “now i’m gonna go home and later we can watch…” your voice trails off when your attention is stolen by a woman entering the classroom.

wearing baggy and colorful clothes with glasses that made her look even more attractive, she had a few books threatening to fall from her hands and loose paper sheets. nothing like the old women you used to have for a teacher when you were young.

“good morning, party people! sorry i’m late today.” she doesn’t seem to notice you, too busy and overwhelmed while organizing her desk. she was probably used to be surrounded by loud gremlins all the time, you thought.

she was about to say something but her lips closed after not even a second, knitted brows and an uncertain but polite grin painted on her face. “oh, and i think we have a visitor today.”

and your world fully stops when she looks at you. flushed cheeks as you were practically drooling.

“that’s my sister, she's visiting for my birthday!” the little one fills the awkward silence, not looking like she cares about your unexpected loss of words.

“aw, this is so sweet.” she frowns for a second and all of sudden, her eyes are on you “and are you having a good time down there?” she chuckles, causing your heart to skip a beat, and only then you notice your knees hurting. you were still on the floor, looking like a full time idiot. you hear the other kids the room laughing as well.

“yeah, i was just… tying her shoes.” you stand on your feet as quickly as possible, nearly losing balance.

“no, you weren’t. my shoes don’t have-.” your hand flies over your sister direction to cover her mouth.

your legs were feeling like thin sticks as you walked towards the light haired woman, extending your hand to her. “hi, sorry.” you said falteringly.

“it’s all good. i like to stay on the floor sometimes too.” she offers you an empathetic smile. “i’m jackie.” she finally shakes your hand.

“jackie.” you echo her, subtly shaking your head. it felt like you were absorbing her name into your soul. even her name sounded like something that could be in a movie. “hi. i’m-“

“i know. your sister talks a lot about you. but i guess i wasn’t expecting you to be like this.” you freeze again.

“like what?" your voice trembles as you ask.

she didn’t say anything but you feel her eyes wandering around you while she smiles.

jackie gave you an excuse, apologizing for interrupting the conversation but emphasizing how she desperately needed to start the class. she was already late and you felt bad for taking so much of her time.

“it was nice to finally meet you.” is all she says and you made sure to say it back. before walking through the door, you quickly wave at your sister, not wanting to disrupt them anymore.

you immediately gave up on the idea of sleeping for the entire day. how could you when you had just met jackie taylor?

overthinking everything was like a piece of cake for you, as easy as blinking. but it wasn't hard to overthink things when jackie's first impression of you was probably a terrible one, knees on the floor and making a fool of yourself.

you were happy to welcome your sister back home from school, disregarding the fact that she told your parents that you were drooling over her art teacher on your damn knees. how can kids remember so much?

wanting to know more about her very interesting teacher, with ice cream for dinner, you succeeded in finding out that jackie taylor wasn't a married woman.

"why do you wanna know that?" you struggle to understand the few mumbles thanks to her stuffing her mouth with ice cream.

"okay, i think you had enough." you whisper, slowly moving the bowl away and ignoring her question.

[🎨]

for the next two days, between a bookstore visit or going out for ice cream, you would give jackie taylor a thought. not because you cared or was interested, of course, you were just curious. and you wanted to fix the impression you made on her.

"are you driving me today?" was the question you were asked every morning.

too tired, too sleepy, too early, bad headache, terrible cramps. were all the excuses you gave her so you could have a few more hours of sleep. until the third day.

"school is starting soon!"

"hmm, i don't know if i'm taking you... i'm feeling so-"

"ms. taylor's class is the first one today." you notice her playful tone. she knew you too well.

"good. i'm actually feeling so good today." fast as the wind, you shoot out of the bed.

"you don't have to walk me there anymore. i'm not a baby." the eight year old complains as she notices you following her inside.

"sure, i know. i just wanna make sure you're safe." that wasn't a full lie. yes, you were looking forward to talk to jackie again, but you still cared about your sister.

[🎨]

you were fifteen minutes earlier that the actual class time and by the time you walk into the room, jackie was already there. with your sister going straight to talk to her friends, that was your chance.

"good morning." you timidly knock on the halfway open door, not wanting to scare her.

"hello there!" jackie closes the book that was laying on her big desk in front of her, fixing her gaze on you. lips curving upward. "not tying any shoes this morning?" standing up, she adjusts her slightly crooked glasses as she watches you get closer.

"not today, no. too hard to find any customers." you join her tease, feeling like you have been blessed as she laughs.

"you should try the art exhibition next week. lots of shoes to tie in there." you caught yourself thinking that she may be flirting with you but maybe you were just going crazy for drinking so much coffee lately.

"i would love to tie some stranger's shoes on a school event." playing along, all you could think was that you urgently had to stay for more than just five days. time to beg your boss twice.

"nice! i'll see you there, then." about to end the conversation, jackie's smile widens and the simple act almost makes you fall on your knees again.

"actually..." you fight to not stumble over your words as you create the fastest excuse ever to see her again. "my sister and i are going out for roller skating tomorrow. you should join us."

jackie's gaze lifts back at you, eyebrows raising in curiosity.

"why should i?" she had the casual smirk adorning her face, probably enjoying this entire situation much more than you.

"because... we're going to a park nearby and there's a few tables in there. what's greater to an art teacher than a pretty view to paint?" you were quite proud of how quick your mind worked.

jackie seems to take a brief moment to think about your words, even though she had already made her mind minutes ago.

"it's a deal."

"what? you hate skating. remember when you had a purple eye? that was funny." you turn around to find your sister standing by the door, giggling at the memory of your swollen face. jesus, for how long she was in there?

[🎨]

you met jackie at the park after spending the entire day double-checking your helmet and all of your safety equipment. you couldn't afford to fall again. not this time.

with a huge bag and many art supplies, jackie carefully placed everything on the picnic table while being squeezed in a hug by your sister. the first thing you noticed was how jackie dressed the exact same way out of school. free of any boring clothes and with no glasses this once.

"you actually came." you shyly mirror her grin.

"of course i did. i need to paint something for the fair and i thought that the good old blue sky and pretty trees would do the job."

"so an empty canvas is what made you come?" nervously, your eyes dart back and forth at the brushes on the pine table and her eyes.

"not just that. i think the companny is pretty rad too."

after feeding the ducks with your sibling, you joined jackie by sitting in front of her. she appeared to be so relaxed even when being so gentle and cautious with the paint. you couldn't help but feeling at ease as well.

"found something worthy of being painted by you?"

jackie looks at you over the canvas with rosy cheeks and a contented smirk, affirming with her head. "i think i did."

"it's nice of you to stay longer." her narrowed focused eyes are back on her work, sometimes meeting yours.

you didn't remember telling jackie that it wasn't on your initial plan to stay that long and as if she was capable of reading minds, she snorts before explaining herself.

"she told me you wouldn't be here for the art exhibition." her head points at your sister, skating around the small lake.

"she really does talk a lot about me." you joke, referring to what jackie said when you first met her.

"why did you?" eyes locked on the piece of work, jackie tries to sound unbothered.

"stay longer?" she agrees silently.

"i figured that i really like art. and i couldn't miss such an important event for her."

"so your love for art was what made you stay?" jackie questioned and, once or twice, you would catch her more concerned glance at you.

"not just that. i think the art teacher is pretty rad too."

in the middle of longing stares and jackie blushing for the first time, you hear a childish voice calling you.

"aren't you coming? you're so boring!"

snapping out of the jackie taylor effect, you realized that you still haven't fulfilled your promise to skating with your sister.

jackie, not worried about the painting anymore, quickly put on her rollers with a huge beaming expression. without a single effort to stay still on those things, you became aware of how experienced she was.

"come on, i'll help you out." standing in front of you, she offers you a hand and you don't wait much to accept it.

[🎨]

you were a nervous wreck when the big day came and it wasn't even your works that were going to be exposed to people. in honor of jackie, you tried to wear something formal like a nice looking suit and elegant shoes. a bit too much for a simple school event but it was much more than that to you.

at school, you were surrounded by an impressive quantity of paintings already framed on walls. some of them were adorable, made by younger students.

being pulled by your sleeves, you spend a few minutes in the area where your sibling's works were hanging in and seeing her so happy made you pleased to your decision to stay.

with a single poppy in hands, you find jackie talking to someone, probably a parent. at the exact moment your eyes met, she quickly excuse herself from the conversation to walk towards you with energetic steps.

"all of this looks amazing. you look amazing." is all you can say, not caring about the ear to ear grin on your lips.

"hi! you look great too. i like the suit. so fancy." her hand tenderly brushes over your shoulder, feeling the soft fabric of your clothes.

"it's a special occasion, right? and, here, i got you something."

jackie's face radiates happiness at the second she sees her favorite flower being handled to her, eyes sparkling at you.

"thank you! how did you know i like them?" she tucks the flower into her hair, prettier than ever.

"you know, she talks a lot." you two share a laugh. "aren't you gonna show me your work?"

as her silky hands covered your eyes from behind you, she guides you to the wall with all of her artworks.

"you ready?" your nod in response and she let go of your eyes.

as soon as you open them, one specific framed canvas catches your attention. it was jackie's first view from when she was sitting at the picnic table the other day. you and your sister feeding the ducks on the lake, with the exact same clothes you were wearing. there was no doubt.

"jackie..." you gasp, stunned, jaw almost hitting the floor.

"you like it? i thought it would be something worthy to paint." she's nervous. you can hear her shaky voice as she speaks.

instead of saying something, you spin around to face jackie behind you. with trembling hands, you trace her jawline before pulling her in for a kiss.

you were a big fan of art now.

#jackie taylor x reader #jackie taylor #yellowjackets #yellowjackets x reader

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xo-tins-xo · 3 months

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Stiles x reader imagine

Summary: Just moving to town and finding sanctuary in a certain brunette.

Word count: 594

An: i really hope you guys like my first ever imagine, more to come soon❤️

Could you imagine just moving into Beacon Hills from a bustling city like Houston TX, or New York. The small , almost eerie , town is completely different than what you’re used to. Everyone knows each other, there's no large intricate highways, and theres like one fast food chain, and everywhere else is a mom and pop shop. You felt like an outsider, the energy was just so different from back home.

Can you imagine just moving in across the street from Sheriff stilinki's house because he and your dad used to be old drinking buddies.

Could you imagine unpacking all your Mr. Toad figurines and other useless trinkets when you catch two brown haired boys staring at you.

The taller one holding binoculars in his right hand while his head was turned looking at the door, The other boy staring right at you as he keeps hitting his friend’s shoulder to get his attention. The taller boy, with the buzz cut, looks back with embarrassment. You mouth pervert to them and close your curtains to only find out they are still very sheer. Embarrassed by it you just turn away and continue packing.

Imagine stiles seeing the moving trucks up and down his street. He's curious, not many people move to beacon heels. He sees a black Chevrolet truck pull into the drive across the street. At first he's sees a man, but then you get out next. He's bewildered. Not only was there a new kid, but a hot new kid!? He needed a closer examination and of course he called scott for backup, there's no way you're this hot and not supernatural. Scott and Stiles were extremely embarrassed that they got caught for peeping, but it wasn't like that they swear!

Imagine going to your first day of school, You hoped and prayed to not run into those peeping toms, You hoped they went to some delinquent school miles away. You go your whole day without seeing either one of them, until you head to the office to drop off some paper you had your teachers sign. Just your luck, the guy right in front of you is the tall brunette. He turns around and shows this baffled look, his face calms and he starts nervously scratching his head. You give your paper to the front desk and try to go on about your day. Before you could reach the door you feel a warm and .....clammy hand around your wrist? "Can we talk?" he asks, "In private?" he says sparing a glance to the front desk lady who rapidly turned her head away when she realized we were looking at her.

Imagine heading to the library with stiles and him explaining that he wasn’t trying to peep on you, he was just curious about who was moving in. You taunt him a little but ultimately choose to forgive and forget.

You immediately click with stiles but not so much with his friends, They give you weird looks and lydia always has something backhanded to say which really pisses you off. Although you and stiles talk , y'all tend stay in your separate friend groups.

Imagine having stiles drive you around in his jeep to show you all the great food places to eat off campus.

Imagine talking to stiles through flashlight code at night since yalls windows are across from each other

Imagine taking walks late at night while holding each other to ward off the cold breeze as you try to get to the bottom of why you both can't sleep, could y'all be soulmates?

- i really hoped you guys liked reading this🙏🏼. im sorry if its super detailed i wrote this late at night🤸🏽‍♂️

#teen wolf x reader #stiles stilinksi x reader #teen wolf #stiles stilinski #imagine #teenwolf imagines

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dreaminginthedeepsouth · 7 months

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Photograph by Guido Harari.

* * *

"Lou was sick for the last couple of years, first from treatments of interferon, a vile but sometimes effective series of injections that treats hepatitis C and comes with lots of nasty side effects. Then he developed liver cancer, topped off with advancing diabetes. We got good at hospitals. He learned everything about the diseases, and treatments. He kept doing tai chi every day for two hours, plus photography, books, recordings, his radio show with Hal Willner and many other projects. He loved his friends, and called, texted, e-mailed when he couldn’t be with them. We tried to understand and apply things our teacher Mingyur Rinpoche said – especially hard ones like, 'You need to try to master the ability to feel sad without actually being sad.'

"Last spring, at the last minute, he received a liver transplant, which seemed to work perfectly, and he almost instantly regained his health and energy. Then that, too, began to fail, and there was no way out. But when the doctor said, 'That’s it. We have no more options,' the only part of that Lou heard was 'options' – he didn’t give up until the last half-hour of his life, when he suddenly accepted it – all at once and completely. We were at home – I’d gotten him out of the hospital a few days before – and even though he was extremely weak, he insisted on going out into the bright morning light.

"As meditators, we had prepared for this – how to move the energy up from the belly and into the heart and out through the head. I have never seen an expression as full of wonder as Lou’s as he died. His hands were doing the water-flowing 21-form of tai chi. His eyes were wide open. I was holding in my arms the person I loved the most in the world, and talking to him as he died. His heart stopped. He wasn’t afraid. I had gotten to walk with him to the end of the world. Life – so beautiful, painful and dazzling – does not get better than that. And death? I believe that the purpose of death is the release of love.

"At the moment, I have only the greatest happiness and I am so proud of the way he lived and died, of his incredible power and grace.

"I’m sure he will come to me in my dreams and will seem to be alive again. And I am suddenly standing here by myself stunned and grateful. How strange, exciting and miraculous that we can change each other so much, love each other so much through our words and music and our real lives.--Laurie Anderson on Lou Reed for Rolling Stone, November 6, 2013.

According to Will Hermes, in his biography "Lou Reed: The King of New York," Reed's final words to Laurie Anderson were “Take me into the light.”

[Follies Of God]

#Follies of God #Laurie Anderson #stories #love #dreams #Lou Reed: The King of New york #into the light #memory #remembrance

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hollywoodfamerp · 6 months

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THERES ONLY US THERES ONLY THIS NO DAY BUT TODAY….

Hollywood Fame is going to Broadway!

From December 1-3 we will be staging a production of Rent the Musical at the St James Theatre in the heart of Broadway in New York City and it will be starring you!

We are looking for cast members to fill out the roles below. Your character can be well versed in the world of musicals or simply just wanting to try something new. All we ask that you stick within the playing ages of each role. If you would like to take part, simply message us the name of the character and the role they would like to play! This will be on a first come first served basis. We ask that only one character per mun signs up at present. You have until 11/21/23 @ 11.59 PM EST to sign up.

Not a fan of performing? No worries we will need an audience to cheer on our amazing cast! Cast list and rehearsal schedule will follow soon! Follow the tags #hfrprent and #hfrpbroadway for more.

PLOT:

Set in the East Village of New York City, Rent is about falling in love, finding your voice and living for today. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Rent has become a pop cultural phenomenon. with songs that rock and a story that resonates with audiences of all ages. Based loosely on Puccini's La Boheme, Jonathan Larson's Rent follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York's Lower East Side, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. How these young bohemians negotiate their dreams, loves and conflicts provides the narrative thread to this groundbreaking musical.

RENT features many adult themes, including sex, drug use, profanity, and same-sex intimacy.

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:

MARK COHEN

Stage age: early to late twenties Vocal Range: Tenor (C#3-G4)

Mark is an aspiring filmmaker who narrates the show as he films the lives of his friends. Mark never leaves home without a camera. He is Roger's best friend and caregiver, and he was once Maureen’s boyfriend (who left him for Joanne). Mark is a little nerdy and quirky. He insists that he can survive the bleakness of his environment through his art. It soon becomes apparent, though, that he is more comfortable viewing the world through his lens than in actively engaging in it. He feels guilty that unlike his friends, he does not have HIV/AIDS. The actor playing this role must be a strong singer and actor. He dances the Tango with Joanne, so good movement skills are also required.

ROGER DAVIS

Stage Age: mid twenties to early thirties Vocal Range: Rock Tenor (B2-A4) Roger is a once successful, now struggling musician who discovered he had HIV/AIDS in a note his girlfriend left him before she took her own life. His main goal in life is to write one great song before he dies, but he has not been able to play his guitar in a year, fearing that he has lost his creative energy. He falls in love with Mimi but is too afraid to commit to her, knowing that she also is infected with HIV/AIDS. He is also the roommate and best friend of Mark. He is often depressed and sullen, but he can be expressive and passionate at times. The actor playing this role must be a good actor and an excellent singer with a rock edge. Guitar skills are desired, but are not required.

MIMI MARQUEZ

Stage Age: late teens to early twenties Vocal Range: Alto (F#3-E5) Mimi Marquez works in a strip club and struggles with her addiction to heroin, which has resulted in her contraction of HIV/AIDS. She falls in love with Roger, who is unable to commit to a relationship with her. She is also Benny's ex‐girlfriend. She is extremely sexy, optimistic, and likeable but with dark secrets. Though Mimi has” lived a lot of life,” she still sees the world through the eyes of a young woman. She intends to make the most of every day, as she earnestly expresses in the song “No Day but Today.” The actress playing this role must be a strong singer, dancer, and exceptional actress. She must be able to convincingly portray the struggles of heroin addiction, sexual promiscuity, and HIV/AIDS, while still maintaining the optimism of youth.

BENNY COFFIN III

Stage Age: twenties to thirties Vocal Range: Tenor (Eb3-F4) Benny used to be Mark and Roger’s roommate, but he married Alison Grey, a rich family involved with real estate, and he is now their landlord. He had been letting Roger and Mark live in the apartment for free, but he is now forcing them to pay rent or be evicted. Roger and Mark consider him a yuppie sell-out. He also had an affair with Mimi before she started to date Roger. While in the beginning he is caught up in the lifestyle of wealth and affluence, he ultimately realizes his friends are more important than what money can buy. The actor playing this role must be a good singer and actor.

MAUREEN JOHNSON

Stage Age: twenties to thirties Vocal Range: Soprano Belt (C4-F5) Maureen is a bisexual performing artist and Mark's ex‐girlfriend. She left Mark to be with her new girlfriend, Joanne. She is sexy, flirtatious, sassy, and funny. She is bold and speaks her mind, and she is not afraid to take on the establishment and fight for what she believes in. The actress playing this role must be an excellent singer and actress. She must be comfortable with same-sex physical intimacy.

JOANNE JEFFERSON

Stage Age mid twenties to early thirties Vocal Range: Soprano Belt (Bb3-E5) Maureen is a lesbian Ivy League educated lawyer and activist. She struggles to not be jealous ofMaureen’s flirtatious nature with others. Though she was raised in an affluent, political family, she is committed to helping those less fortunate. The actress playing this role must be an excellent singer and a good actress. She must be comfortable with same sex-physical intimacy. Since she dances the tango with Mark, good movement skills are also required.

TOM COLLINS

Stage Age: late twenties to late thirties Vocal Range: Baritone/Tenor (F#2 – A4) One A4 for a short duration Tom Collins is a gay computer genius, teacher, and anarchist who was recently expelled from MIT. In the opening scene he is mugged, reflecting the harsh reality of the world in which the characters live. He is brave enough to allow himself to fall in love with Angel, knowing that since both of them are infected with HIV/AIDS, their relationship will not have much of a future. Tom and Angel’s relationship is the heart of the show, as the genuine love and devotion they have for one another brings hope and inspiration to the entire group. They show the world how to truly live life and not be afraid. The actor playing this role must be an excellent singer and actor who is comfortable with same sex-physical intimacy. He must be able to portray great love and affection for Angel. He must especially be able to convey that love when Angel dies in his arms, and during his reprise of “I Will Cover You.”

ANGEL SCHUNARD

Stage Age: early to late twenties Vocal Range: Tenor with Falsetto (C3-A4) Angel is a young drag queen and street percussionist. He meets and falls in love with Collins. He has HIV/ AIDS and dies of the disease in Act II. As a person, Angel is the most generous and selfless character in the show. Angel hands out money to the neighborhood while dressed in Santa drag. Though he has HIV/AIDS, he embraces life and lives it to its fullest. People are naturally drawn to him, and his smile lights up the room. His death is mourned by all of the characters and eventually inspires them to live each day to the fullest. As mentioned in Tom’s character description, Tom and Angel’s relationship is the heart of the show, as the genuine love and devotion they have for one another brings hope and inspiration to the entire group. They show the world how to truly live life and not be afraid. The actor playing this role must be an excellent actor, singer, and mover. He must be able to comfortable with same-sex physical intimacy and a drag queen persona, including dancing in heels. Percussionist skills desired but not required.

MINOR CHARACTERS (can double in other scenes)

Stage ages: Early twenties to sixties

Vocal Ranges: all vocal ranges sought

• Carollers (5): There are homeless street men and women who appear throughout the show sarcastically singing Christmas carols.

• Mrs. Cohen: Mark's stereotypical Jewish mother. Her voicemail messages are the basis for the songs Voicemail #1, Voicemail #3, and Voicemail #5.

• Alexi Darling: The producer of Buzzline who tries to employ Mark after his footage of the riot makes primetime. Sings Voicemail #3 and Voicemail #4.

• Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson: The wealthy parents of Joanne Jefferson, they leave her Voicemail #2. Mr. Jefferson is also one of the a cappella singers in Voicemail #5. Mrs. Jefferson usually sings the female solo in Seasons of Love.

• Mrs. Davis: Roger's confused mother who calls in Voicemail #5, asking continuously, "Roger, where are you?"

• Mrs. Marquez: Mimi's Spanish‐speaking mother who sings in Voicemail #5, wondering, in Spanish, where she is.

• Mr. Grey: Benny's father-in‐law who wants to buy out the lot.

• The Man: The local drug dealer whom Mimi buys from and Roger used to buy from.

• Life Support Group: Paul (The man in charge of the Life Support group), Gordon, Steve, Ali, Pam, Sue As notated in the script by Larson, the roles of all of the Life Support members are encouraged to take on the name that someone in the cast (or production) knows or has known to have succumbed to AIDS or other disease.

• Squeegee Man: A homeless person who chants "Honest living!" over and over.

• Homeless Woman: She gets harassed by police and Mark films it. She first yells at Mark but then asks him for a dollar.

• Waiter: Waits on the cast and has solo lines in La Vie Boehme. There are also many other non‐named roles such as the Preacher, Seasons of Love soloists, Cops, Bohemians, Vendors, Homeless People. We are looking for a very diverse cast of all ages, ethnicities, shapes, and sizes.

#hfrpbroadway #hfrprent

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thatseventiesbitch · 9 months

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Hi I really love your writing for That 70’s show and also That 90’s show! If it would be possible could you do one where Hyde visits Eric and Donna in the 90s? I don’t buy that he would never talk to any of them ever again, at least not the Formans and Donna. They were his family 🥹

Thank you so much anon! 💗 I share those thoughts about Hyde. I like to imagine that he finally made it to New York and is finding success and (hopefully) happiness there. It was harder to stay connected to the people we love before cell phones and social media, but I think Hyde would always stay in touch with The Formans in his own ways. You'll see my take on it below - this was actually my first time writing Hyde in the '90s!

If you have a writing request, you can send it to me here.

"Hey." Donna knocked twice on the open door and then poked her head in their home office. Eric was hunched over his desk, grading some papers in the final, fading hours of a quiet Tuesday night. "Hyde just called. He's about fifteen minutes away."

"What?" Eric sat up straight in his chair, startled. He leafed a hand through his hair with a hasty sigh. "Why does he always do this?"

Donna didn't answer him, she just shrugged.

Hyde lived in New York now, and his visits back to the Midwest were sporadic and often unannounced, just like this. But once or twice per year he'd blow through Chicago, usually calling them from a gas station a few minutes before he'd arrive. He didn't come for holidays and he didn't like you to make a fuss over him. He never stayed the night, or even long enough for a meal. He'd spent so little time at their house that Eric marveled that he even remembered their address - but he did. Because he never missed a birthday, there was always a card or a call. Even for Leia. His goddaughter. They'd only met a handful of times, but Hyde seemed to remember every detail Eric had ever told him about her - about her grades in school, her pet bunny's name, that she'd started Brownies this year, when she'd broken her arm.

In return, Eric and Donna knew shockingly little about Hyde's life.

He still worked with W.B., running Grooves. The business was successful - extremely successful. Multimillion dollar level successful. But Hyde never liked to talk about it.

"Pshh," he'd swat the questions away. "Work. Boring."

He didn't like to answer questions about his personal life, either. Who he was dating, what kinds of fun things he got up to in New York, about the different places he traveled for work.

"You don't want to hear about that stuff," he'd insist, swatting at their questions like flies. Pushing them away. Keeping them out.

"We do," they'd try to tell him. "We care about you. Tell us about your life."

But he'd give them that same easy-going smile he always had. "Nothing to tell, man."

He pulled into the driveway tonight in a small, taupe coupe. Eric stood at the front porch watching for him, and he grinned immediately as his old friend stepped from the vehicle and ambled up the front walk, clutching his belt buckle. His hair was cut shorter (to hide some pattern balding) and his face showed some signs of age too, but his gait and his energy was the same he'd had as a teenager.

Eric jerked his chin at the car. "That must be a rental, huh?" The car wasn't at all Hyde's style.

"I asked for a Pick-up and they hand me the keys to this fuckin' thing," Hyde shook his head, bemused, as he reached Eric. The two men didn't hesitate - they embraced in a hug for a long moment before pulling back, clapping each other on their shoulders.

"Wow Hyde. New look for you?"

Donna had joined them on the porch, and she pointed to the coupe teasingly. Hyde shook his head, and they hugged, too.

"Temporary digs, man. I'm on a layover. Gotta get back to O'Hare in like," he glanced at his wristwatch. "Forty minutes."

"Uh, then you should leave now," Eric joked.

Donna grabbed Hyde's arm, though. "No! Hyde, my god. When's the last time we saw you?"

"It's been awhile," he agreed, smoothing a hand over the hair on his chin.

They moved inside the house, and Hyde glanced around. It was small, modest compared to the luxury apartment he must've lived in, but if he was unimpressed with the space he gave no indication. Instead he smiled faintly at the photos on the front wall - of Red and Kitty with Leia, Eric and Donna on vacation last year, and one of the whole extended family at the Forman's house for Christmas. He paused in front of one of the gang - it was an old photo, from high school. That night they'd all gone to that stupid disco. Hyde stared at it for a long moment and looked like he might say something, but instead he cleared his throat.

Eric and Donna were both looking at him intently. He glanced around them.

"Where's the kid?"

"She's asleep." Donna nodded towards the stairs, indicating one of the upstairs bedrooms. "It's almost ten o 'clock on a school night."

"Right." He dropped his gaze to the floor. "How about the john?"

"Down the hall," Eric pointed it out. Hyde nodded gratefully, and slipped off to use the bathroom. When he returned to the kitchen a few moments later, only Eric was there.

"You want a beer?" Eric offered him, unsurely. Hyde shook his head, no. "Pop? Water?" No again. "Okay." He nodded to the kitchen table. "You want to sit?"

"I only have a few minutes," Hyde said, but he pulled out one of the chairs and so Eric did the same.

"I know," he assured him. "I'm - I'm glad you came."

Hyde gave a half-shrug in acknowledgement. "So. How are things?"

Eric shrugged too. "They're... good. Fine. The same." He lifted his eyebrows. "You know - my mom pretty much covers it all in her Christmas Card letter, so..."

"Yeah," Hyde smiled, studying his hands. "I love reading that every year."

"Very thorough."

"Yeah."

Eric cleared his throat. "Have you talked to her and Red lately?"

Hyde moved his head from side-to-side. "From time to time."

Eric gave him a meaningful look. "You know man, she'd love it if you did that a little more often."

Hyde scoffed. "Give me a break, Forman." He lifted his eyebrows at his old friend. "How often do you talk to your parents? Huh?"

Eric paused, considering the question. "From... time to time," he admitted sheepishly.

"That's what I thought."

"Okay," Eric grinned down at the table. "So we could both call Mom more. Got it..." He glanced up at Hyde, who was also smiling. "But, hey. You could come visit more. For real, not for," he gestured around them, "Whatever this is."

"This is a layover," Hyde supplied snarkily.

"To where?"

"Flying to London. Business."

Eric gaped at him. "Okay, that is so cool."

Hyde shook his head. "Whatever - "

"No. You know where I'm going tomorrow?"

"It's whatever, Forman - "

"To a high school, where I'll teach math at a bunch of ninth graders who don't want to learn it all day. And then I'll sit in traffic for forty-five minutes in my piece-of-crap car to get home to this middle class monstrosity," he gestured around them at the gaudy floral wallpaper and their outdated kitchen appliances. He blinked at Hyde again, awed. "Waking up in London - every day being different - God. Your life sounds so cool."

Hyde slid his chair back abruptly, and he stood up.

"Really not that cool, man."

Eric swallowed. "Sorry. I just - I meant - "

"It's fine, man," Hyde assured him, his cool, suave persona back just as quickly as it had disappeared. "I know what you meant." His easy-going smile was back now. "And I just mean that I hope you know what a great thing you have going here." He tipped his chin down sincerely. "You have it made, Forman. You know that, right?"

"I know that," Eric assured him. He was studying his oldest friend thoughtfully. "Hey man, do you ever think about, you know. Settling down?"

Hyde wore a bemused expression. "Ain't built for that, Forman," he finally answered him, gruffly, but his voice held some affection too.

"Says who?" Eric asked, softly.

"Lots of people." He cleared his throat, and picked up his jacket, turning his body slightly away. He was shutting this subject down, just like he always did when Eric started to get too close. Not physically. Emotionally.

"Come on," Eric insisted, following him towards the front door. "When you get home from your trip - from London. Who's waiting for you at home. Huh?"

"No one. And get this, man: that's the way I like it."

Eric frowned. "It must get pretty lonely," he said softly.

"Loneliness," Hyde held up one hand. "Or freedom?" He held up the other, and moved them up and down like they were scales he was balancing. "It's a fine line." They stood out on the front porch again, the soft sounds of the sleepy city street surrounding them.

"Okay," Eric said finally, but his expression must've said something else because Hyde sighed.

"Don't worry about me, Forman."

"I won't."

"I mean it. I'm fine."

"I'm not worried."

But Hyde still looked at him skeptically. "I can see it in your puppy dog eyes. Don't get all after-school-special on me, Forman. I'm not one of your lost kids," he warned.

Eric put his hands up defensively. "I'm just wondering when we're gonna see you again. That's all."

Hyde scratched his beard. "Not sure," he admitted.

"You gonna be in London awhile?"

He gave a noncommittal shrug.

"But you'll be back, right?" Eric's voice tightened with anxiety, and Hyde chuckled at his transparency.

"I'll be back," he promised, doing a poor imitation of Schwarzenegger's Terminator. Eric visibly relaxed, and the two men shared a brief glance before they embraced again. "I'll always be back," Hyde added, softer.

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krisluxxeeempress · 5 months

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DECEMBER 11TH - DECEMBER 18TH, 2023 | PREDICTIVE VEDIC ASTROLOGY

Full Report Available on Youtube Members & Patreon. Weekly Planetary Placements & Aspects Predictions , Full Moon & New Moon Reports Included. (I Focus On Squares & Oppositions)

Sidereal, Placidus, 5AM, New York, New York

Software: Astroseek.com & Astro Gold

Artwork: By Me. . .

( warning: i have dominant Aquarius placements, i thoroughly enjoy typing in all caps. excuse me ! )

As Of December 11th, 2023 ( Mini Report)

Lilith RX: Cancer (26) 9th House

AS PROMISED, LILITH IS MAKING HER ROUNDS. LAST WEEK LILITH WAS RX IN LEO 10TH HOUSE, AND AT THE TIME IT WAS CLEAR TO ME THAT YOU WERE BEING ENERGETICALLY VIOLATED AND BULLIED AND PROTECTIVE FORCES WERE BEING ACTIVATED AND ACTING ON YOUR BEHALF. PERSONALLY, ONE OF MY PROTECTIVE FORCES IS LILITH, THE QUEEN- HERSELF. WE ALL KNOW CANCERIAN ENERGY IS ASSOCIATED WITH BEING THE MOTHER AND ANY GOOD MOTHER IS LOVING, NURTURING BUT FIERCELY PROTECTIVE OF HER BABIES. MY INTUITIVE INTERPRETATION IS FURTHER CONFIRMED WITH CANCERIAN PROTECTIVE ENERGY IN THE 9TH HOUSE WHERE GOD CARRIES OUT SPIRITUAL BUSINESS. TO BE CLEAR, GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE ARE FIERCELY PROTECTED AT THIS TIME AND ANYTIME. PLEASE NOTE THAT WITH PROTECTION COMES REJECTION AND SO DURING THIS TIME YOU MAY EXPERIENCE SOME OR A LOT OF REJECTION. THIS REJECTION CAN OUTWARDLY APPEAR TO BE HURTFUL, AN INCONVIENCE, AND OR UNCOMFORTABLE BUT IF YOU ARE ABLE TO SEE THINGS AT A HIGHER PERSPECTIVE WITH TRUST, EVERYTHING LITTLE THING IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT- BOB MARLEY VIBES.

IC: Aquarius (9) 4th House

CONSIDERING WHAT WAS JUST MENTIONED WITHIN THE LILITH RX IN CANCER 9TH HOUSE PLACEMENT, WITH REGARDS TO BEING TEMPORARILY HELD BACK FOR PROTECTION, IN ADDITION TO BEING FORCED/GUIDED TO STAY HOME AS A RESULT. I ALSO MENTIONED HOW GOD, AND YOUR SPIRIT FAMILY KNEW IN ADVANCE WHAT WAS UP AHEAD BEFORE YOU AND TO NOT TAKE THIS TEMPORARY SET BACK AS A FORM OF PUNISHMENT, THOUGH IT MAY FEEL THAT WAY. YOUR FAITH IS BEING TESTED FOR SURE HOWEVER, IN THE MEANTIME WHY NOT FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO DO? LIKE A KID ON PUNISHMENT OR JUST SIMPLY NOT ALLOWED TO GO OUTSIDE FOR WHATEVER REASON THEIR PARENTS DIDN’T DISCLOSE, THEY USUALLY FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO DO TO ENTERAIN THEMSELVES. WITH THE IC IN AQUARIUS, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE BEING ENCOURAGED TO DO BECAUSE BY DOING SO, YOU WILL FIND A NEW GIFT, TALENT, INTEREST AKA. YOUR HIDDEN GENIUS. THE IC IS HIDDEN, AS IS THE 4TH HOUSE. BOTH OF WHICH DEAL DIRECTLY WITH OUR ANCESTRAL ROOTS, GENETICS, REAL ESTATE, VALUE, FOUNDATIONS, MOTHERS AND YOUTH. WITH THE IC IN AQUARIUS, RULED BY URANUS, THIS ALL INDICATES HIGH LEVEL OF GENIUS’ AND INTUITION.

Vertex: Aquarius (11) 8th House

THE VERTEX IS ABOUT DESTINY AND FATE. MOST MISTAKENLY BELIEVE IN FREE WILL AND WITH THAT THINK THEY ARE IN CONTROL AND FIGHT HARD TO OBSTRUCT YOUR DESTINY. THIS TRANSIT IS INTERESTING BECAUSE AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, THE VERTEX DEALS WITH FATE AND IT’S IN AQUARIUS, THE SAME SIGN THAT THE IC IS IN. THE SMALL DIFFERENCE IS THE FACT THAT THE IC IN AQUARIUS WAS IN THE 1ST DECAN THAT URANUS IN ADDITION TO BEING INTROVERTED. WHEN YOU ARE INTROVERTED, ISOLATED AND ALONE- IT’S MUCH EASIER TO NOTICE THE DETAILS. DETAILS ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! NOW, THE VERTEX IN AQUARIUS IS AT 11 DEGREES, WHERE THE INTELLECT IS MORE EXTROVERTED AND RESTLESS. I MENTIONED WITH THE IC IN AQUARIUS, TO ALWAYS BE PLUGGED INTO YOUR CRAFT, TECHNOLOGY AND WHATEVER FIELD URANUS RULES TO ENSURE YOU ARE CONSTANTLY CHARGED UP. WELL, THE VERTEX IN AQUARIUS IS EXTROVERTED AND THIS IS COMPARABLE TO HAVING A PHONE OR LAPTOP AND FORGETTING THE CHARGER. AT SOME POINT, THE TECHNOLOGY WILL DIE AND YOU DO NOT HAVE YOUR CHARGER. FOR THIS VERY REASON, THIS IS WHY YOU WILL BEGAIN, FOR SOME, TO HAVE A SHOCKING CHANGE IN YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION AS CONFIRMED WITH THE IC IN AQUARIUS 4TH HOUSE. PEOPLE WILL BE REALIZING THIS WEEK THAT THEY NEED YOU AS YOU ARE THEIR CHARGE.

Descendant: Aries (27) 7th House

I HAD JUST MENTIONED WITHIN THE VERTEX IN AQAURIUS 8TH HOUSE PLACEMENT, HOW DESTINY HAS OFFICIALLY BEEN ACTIVATED. THERE WILL BE SOME AT THIS PROFOUND TIME WHO WILL BE EXPERIENCE MAGIC AND EXPERIENCING ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES WHEREAS OTHERS WILL BE EXPERIENCING HELL. TO GET A FULL GRASPS AS TO WHY SOME WILL BE WITNESSING MAGIC OR HELL, I HAVE TO REFER BACK TO LAST WEEK, BRIEFLY. ENERGY FLOWS, NOTHING JUST HAPPENS. LAST WEEK, THE DESCENDANT WAS IN ARIES BUT AT 12 DEGREES THAT MARS RULES. DURING THAT TYPE, THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE BEGINNING TO FEEL THE TEMPATURE AND PRESSURE RISING, ESPECIALLY IN RELATION TO OTHERS. YOU, OR OTHERS MAY HAVE STARTED TO FEEL OVERWHELMED, DEFEATED AND LIKE YOUR BACK WAS BEING PUSHED UP AGAINGST THE WALL. EVERY TURN YOU MADE, WAS MET WITH OPPOSITION. YOU, OR OTHERS FELT LIKE THEIR IDENTITY WAS BEING THREATENED AND AS A RESULT YOU, OR OTHERS WERE BEGINNING TO FEEL PARANOID AND LIKE YOU COULDN’T TRUST ANYONE, BECOMING MORE SECLUDED AND CLOSED OFF. YOU, OR OTHERS WERE STARTING TO FEEL DEPLEATED ENERGETICALLY AND AGAIN, INCREASINGLY UNTRUSTING OF OTHERS. DUE TO THIS UNTRUSTWORTHINESS YOU OR OTHERS WERE INADVERTENTLY PUTTING YOURSELF IN A CAGE, BECOMING NARROW MINDED, CALCULATING AND EITHER EXTREMELY REGLIIOUS OR SPIRITUAL TO IT’S DETRIMENT.

Ascendant: Libra (27) 1st House

IN PURE LIBRA FASHION, THIS TRANSIT CAN PLAY OUT PEACEFULLY OR VIOLENTLY. THE REASON BEING, THE ASCENDANT IS EXTREMELY INFLUENCED BY THE DESCENDANT, AND AS DISCUSSED WITHIN THE DESCENDANT IN ARIES 7TH HOUSE PLACEMENT- SOME MAY BE FEELING OVERWHELMED, PRESSURED AND LIKE THEIR IDENTITY IS BEING THREATENED WHICH WILL USUALLY RESULT IN ANGER OUTBURST OR WORSE, VIOLENCE. AS FOR THOSE WHERE THE ASCENDANT PLAYS OUT PEACEFULLY, THIS IS DUE TO RELEASING WHATEVER TENSION, CONTROL, ANIMOSITY, BITTERNESS AND RESENTMENT THAT YOU MAY HAVE BEEN HOLDING ONTO. THE DESCENDANT IN ARIES IN THE 7TH HOUSE IS REVEALING THE NEED TO BE IN CONTROL, ESPECIALLY IN RELATIONS WITH OTHERS. ONLY THE WISE KNOW YOU CANNOT CONTROL ANYONE OR CIRCUMSTANCE EXCEPT YOURSELF. YOU WILL LOSE YOUR MIND AND BEARING THE MOMENT YOU TRY TO CONTROL ANYTHING AND ANYONE BUT YOURSELF AND UNFORTUNATELY, SOME MAY INDEED, LOSE THEY MIND WITH THE ASCENDANT IN LIBRA BECAUSE THEY CANNOT CONTROL ANOTHER PERSON OR PEOPLE. YOU CANNOT MAKE SOMEONE ACT HOW YOU WANT, SAY WHAT YOU WANT OR BE WHO YOU WANT AND YET- THIS IS WHY SOME PEOPLE DURING THIS TRANSIT WILL BE MAD, BIG MAD.

Midheaven: Leo (9) 10th House

A CHOICE NEEDED TO BE MADE WITH THE DESCENDANT IN ARIES AND ASCENDANT IN LIBRA. PERSONALLY, I CHOSE PEACE, LOVE AND HAPPIENESS AND SO FROM THIS POINT FORWARD THAT WILL BE ALL I AM FOCUSING ON. THE HIGH AND BEAUTIFUL VIBRATIONS. THE MIDHEAVEN IN LEO CONFIRMS SUCH CONSIDERING LEO ENERGY IS ALL ABOUT ATTENTION, ENERGY, HEALING, GROWTH, EXPRESSION AND CREATIVITY. WHERE YOUR ENERGY GOES IS WHERE IT GROWS AND IN THE 10TH HOUSE,OF BUSINESS, CAREER, REPUTATION, SOCIAL STATUS, POWER, AND FAME- THAT’S WHERE SOME OF YOU ARE CHOSING TO EXERT YOUR ENERGY INTO. I KEEP HEARING FROM THE GRAPE VINE, “ STANDING ON BUSINESS” AND I SUPPOSE THIS TRANSIT IS INFLUECING SUCH A SAYING THAT IS POPULAR. WITH THAT BEING SAID, THIS TRANSIT CAN INDICATE POPULARITY, ATTENTION, ADMIRATION AND NOTERIATY IN WHATEVER CAREER FIELD YOU ARE IN. BRIEFLY, THIS WILL ATTRACT HATERS AND ENEMIES BUT YOU ARE NO LONGER FOCUSED ON THAT NEGATIVITY, YOU DO NOT WANT TO HEAR IT, SEE IT OR THINK ABOUT IT. IT’S GIVING STARVE THE ENERGY VIBES AND KEEP IN MIND OTHERS MAY TRY TO STARVE YOU OF ENERGY, BUT KEEP DOING YOU REGARDLESS. I AM SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYONE IS TRYING TO BE SEEN, ACKNOWLEDGED AND FAMOUS IN THEIR OWN RIGHT. SO, WHILE YOU MAY NOT BE IN THE SPOTLIGHT, THEY WAY YOU WANT, THAT SHOULDN’T STOP YOU FROM CREATING AND OR BUILDING YOUR CAREER OR NAME FOR YOURSELF. THIS TRANSIT CAN PLAY OUT BOTH WAYS, YOU MAY GET A RUSH OF ATTENTION AND THEN IT DISAPPEARS.

Part Of Fortune: Scorpio (17) 1st House

THE PART OF FORTUINE IN ASTROLOGY IS THE ENERGETIC JACKPOT. IF YOU HAVEN’T NOTICED ENERGY IS THE NEW CURRENCY BUT THEN AGAIN, THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE SECRET FORMULA. EMPHASIS ON SECRET, WITH SCORPIO’S SECRETIVE A$$! WITH CONSIDERATION TO THE PART OF FORTUNE BEING IN SCORPIO AT 17 DEGREES, WITIN THE 2ND DECAN RULED BY NEPTUNE, THIS CAN INDICATE YOU APPEARING SECRETIVE, ELUSIVE AND MYSTERIOUS AT THIS TIME. ASSUMING THIS IS TO PROTECT YOUR ENERGY AND TO AVOID CONFLICT. ON A NEGATIVE NOTE, THIS TRANSIT CAN BRING FORTH DESTRUCTION. LAST WEEK, THE PART OF FORTUNE WAS IN GEMINI AND IT WAS CLEAR THAT THERE WAS SOME ENERGETIC MANIPULATION OR STRAIGHT UP CURSES BEING SENT TO YOU WHILE YOUR ENERGY WAS BEING STOLEN FROM YOU AND WITH THAT BLESSINGS AND OPPORTUNITIES. I ADVISED LAST WEEK TO “ PLAY DEAD”, MEANING COMPLETELY DETACH, SHUTDOWN, BECOME MORE PRIVATE, CALCULATING AND PROTECTIVE OF YOUR ENERGY BUT MORE SO YOUR MIND.

THANK YOU FOR READING! TO REITERATE, THESE ARE VERY BRIEF PREDICTIONS- TO HEAR MORE, PLEASE FOLLOW MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL AND JOIN UNDER MEMBERS. OR SIGN UP ON MY PATREON ACCOUNT!

I WILL BE UPDATING THE REST OF THE PLANETARY PLACEMENTS AND ASPECTS THROUGHOUT THE WEEK.

LINKS BELOW TO BECOME MEMBERS!

#predictions #predictive astrology #astrology forecast #sidereal astrology #sidereal zodiac #astro community #astro observations #unconventional #spiritual astrology #spiritual #intuitive #intuitive astrology #forecast

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bees-with-swords · 11 months

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It is really really frustrating to put up with systemic issues about air pollution and fire season for OVER A DECADE, and now that the east coast of the US is dealing with smoke problems it's getting the kind of analysis and publicity in the media that I've been screaming myself hoarse for since I was seven years old. It's like Australia and California don't matter nearly as much to global media as New York does. It feels extremely shitty, like my house burned down and my family was displaced and a member of my community died, but right now wildfires are getting more attention than ever before because the east coast is getting just a slice of what we've been dealing with for years.

I just feel so much envy over the outpouring of awareness, love, and support, that I never received when exposed to air quality issues OR displacement. I've lost my childhood home, my community. The fire station we paid taxes for sent their engines to a wealthy neighbourhood 15 miles away---a neighbourhood that had opted, several years earlier, to get rid of their own fire station. The fire service didn't warn our neighbours on the private roads about the fire. Some barely made it out alive. One died. Because of the lack of warning, hundreds of pets and livestock couldn't be evacuated and burned alive. The very hills I grew up on were badly damaged by corporate policies after the fire, cutting down trees and causing massive erosion.

And all of that, all of that trauma that has left our community irreparably splintered, started out with small things. Like going outside and smelling smoke. So when the memes come in (the memes that have been made before but largely ignored by folks on the east coast) and the air quality control tips (turn on your shower, increase humidity, leave out trays of water), I can't help but feel... Lost? Is history repeating itself because folks truly didn't understand what we've been going through over here? Or because nobody cared? Does the Canadian government sincerely think they can allow campfires this late in the year?

Has nobody learned from us? My house burned down, my family is living with trauma and my parents are forced into an abusive living situation and the hills I grew up on are scarred from decades of fire suppression, and nobody learned from that? Why did it happen, then? Why is nobody from the East studying it, to make sure nobody over there goes through that? Why aren't Easterners talking about fireproof housing and controlled burns and living with fire rather than against it? Were you not watching us burn? Were you not learning from our baby steps? Why are you repeating our history?

People are asking such basic questions like 'how do I keep my air clean' and 'why do we have so much fire suddenly' instead of 'how do I install metal shutters on my home' and 'how do we eradicate settler-colonialism from our ideas about forest management?' and 'how do I support fire and climate refugees?'

It feels like I've returned from the war just to watch a dozen fresh faced recruits march off eagerly. Was nobody watching? Did nobody care, did nobody learn? If people won't seek out information until the smoke is in their lungs, how am I supposed to feel any hope? I don't want my job to be endlessly educating people who don't have a reason to care yet. I would have thought you cared already. I would have thought we'd be further along.

Please do research. I don't have the energy to educate people right now, I did it for years and years but so few people listened. Go look up something about TEK and controlled burns and fire suppression and old growth forests. There's lots of material you've probably never looked at. I know it can be hard to care about what goes on in other parts of the world, but now it's affecting you. You need to know the basics of what's wrong with our system, you need to know whether fire suppression may have long term implications for your area, you need to know how to do your part in local politics, and you need to know how to help the people who are affected.

After our house burned down I got a quilt. Pajaro Valley Quilt Association made quilts for fire victims, and my mom grabbed me the nicest one they had. You have to understand, I didn't have any nice things at that point. Most of my most precious possessions didn't make it out of the fire. But I have this quilt, because the community came together and gave me one nice thing that I'll be able to keep for the next generation. We need more of that. We need people to pour out love and make donations and send cards and do anything, anything, just to make someone feel less bad on the worst day of their life. If you want to help, that's how.

I didn't get any quilts from the east coast. It feels like everyone stopped caring after the first few years of fires and drought. It became old news.

But it's still real here, it's still exhausting, and it could be you too unless we all get on the same page.

#vent #it is really really bad over there! I have a lot of sympathy!#but I feel like there's also a systemic issue with west coast issues recieving a lot less press because we have a much more rural populatio #pet death

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shippingdragons · 26 days

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TOBY STEPHENS: KEEPING UP THE PACE OF CORRUPTION

Brendan Lemon | April 8, 2024

Let us now praise Toby Stephens. Since rehearsals began in January he has played Corruption’s central character, Tom Watson, and however collaborative the production has been the fact remains that Stephens has been a primary motor in the running of this high-paced ensemble.

As the show heads into its final week, I was curious to know how Stephens has kept up the tempo for these many months. “It was terrifying at first,” he said. With a complicated new play, he added, “it’s not fully cooked” right away. “With the early previews you’re throwing it out there. And it’s like a hedge: it needs trimming.”

What’s more, Stephens said, “Corruption has a lot of scene changes, so it was always going to take a little time to get everything to flow.” He had done Oslo, the previous play by J.T. Rogers, in London, and even there, Stephens said, after Oslo had been worked out in New York, at LCT, “it was such a technical exercise. But no matter. With both Oslo and Corruption you’re dealing with really interesting subjects. And how lucky have I been to be doing a new play.”

That Corruption has been hurtling along so excitingly these past weeks has to do not just with Stephens but with everyone surrounding him. “We really have been a great group backstage,” he said. “A hard-working and happy cast.”

It is the director, Bartlett Sher, and playwright, J.T. Rogers, who set the tone for that atmosphere. “What’s so welcome about Bart and J.T.,” Stephens said, “is that they are very collaborative. You’re free to say, ‘Let’s try this,’ or “This isn’t working.’” He added, “It’s gratifying that they’re both very relentless. Somebody less relentless wouldn’t get results at this level. They keep at it until it's as good as it can possibly be. I appreciate their doggedness because I’m a bit like that myself.”

Stephens’ work ethic comes in part from his mother, the actress Maggie Smith. “As a boy, I remember her coming home from work and worrying about things – teasing little knots of performance until they were smoother. She would say, ‘There’s this bit that I can’t quite get,’ or, ‘I know there’s a laugh there but I haven’t got it yet.’ I was fascinated by that part of her process.”

With Corruption, Stephens has kept honing his Tom Watson character – another relentless type -- throughout the run. “He keeps up his crusade against the Murdoch empire,” Stephens said, “because he knows that what they’re doing is wrong. And he’s propelled by the damage they’ve done to his family.”

But Watson is not just defending his brood. “There’s a certain amount of vanity with any politician,” Stephens said, “and that drives him as well.” Watson also has a pragmatic side: he’s trying to interest the public in his anti-Murdoch campaign. “As a member of Parliament,” Stephens explained, “Tom Watson has to be extremely careful about what he says, to be in line with his party whips. He can’t just stand up and start spouting.”

Outside the House of Commons, Watson is freer. “He has to galvanize attention to the corruption, so he can attack and expose more,” Stephens said. “Otherwise, he’s pissing in the wind.” From an unprivileged background in northern England, Watson is also driven by class. “He hasn’t been born into any of the elites that run London and the U.K.,” Stephens said. “So he’s motivated by having to struggle to gain his place amongst the powerful.”

In this final part of the Corruption engagement, Stephens said he is motivated to portray Watson ever more clearly. “When you open, there’s a certain amount of hysterical energy underneath whatever you’re doing. After that, you can calm down a bit and try to get better.” He added, “There’s always a point I get to with plays, where I say to myself: If only I could have got here so much earlier. But of course you can’t, because it takes a certain amount of repetition, and building your confidence, to arrive anywhere close to where you want to be. So you keep going.”

#toby stephens #corruption play #lincoln center theater #theatre

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marklikely · 1 month

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11 and 25?

25. a film that is roughly 90 minutes long

I have so many but I'll go with a comedy (since the next one is also a comedy lol) and say Serial Mom

Happy housewife Beverly Sutphin has a charmed life - a beautiful suburban home, a successful dentist husband, and two normal teenagers. However, when one of her son's teachers speaks disparagingly of the boy at a parent-teacher conference, Bev runs the instructor over in the school parking lot. Suddenly she has an insatiable taste for murder. Six homicides later, the cops get wise to her crimes.

Might be biased in saying this since it was my first John Waters movie, but I think its the perfect introduction to his stuff. It's still got a lot of the tastelessness and absurd satire of suburban heterosexuality without going as extreme as his 70s movies. Kathleen Turner as Bev Sutphin is honestly such an icon she's so funny. Also Matthew Lillard is there so that's a fun draw.

11. a film whose main genre is Comedy

I thought of a recent release that should get more attention here, Problemista

Alejandro is an aspiring toy designer who's struggling to bring his unusual ideas to life in New York City. As time on his work visa runs out, a job assisting an art world outcast becomes his only hope to stay in the country and realise his dream.

This is a really good directing debut that's basically a surreal take on the shitty job market and immigration system that we have right now. It's focused on really mundane realistic issues but shows them in a wild off the wall way that makes it funny even though its also like. Painful because you think of how the world sucks SO BAD. I thought it was fun and funny and there was some Devil Wears Prada energy to it with him being the assistant to someone who's an absolute monster.

#asks

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nyxlaufeyson · 2 months

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Put to the Test (Pandora's Box)- Chapter 8

Main Masterlist - Pandora's Box Masterlist

A/N: Kinda basic chapter, we all probably saw it coming, but necessary and I think unique enough to be enjoyable.

The rainbow colors engulfed them once again, and Pandora arrived back on Midgard with a weight newly lifted off her shoulders. Loki and Thor stood next to her, and they landed on a grassy patch behind the tower.

Tony and several other Avenger’s were waiting there for them, and so the trio went up to them. Pandora received congratulations on her newfound freedom, and Tony insisted they all went inside for drinks. He was a bit wary that Loki was still there, since he was supposed to leave after they found Pandora, but Thor explained that he was there under official Asgardian orders. Plus, there was a case that required magic expertise. Despite the many rough patches in the relationship between Loki and the Avengers, they could use his help.

They made it to the common rooms, and Pandora took a seat next to Loki on a couch. Drinks were passed around, and she happily took one. Natasha was sitting nearby, and struck up conversation. “So, what are you going to do now?”

Pandora shrugged. “Not entirely sure. I suppose I shall just take things one step at a time. Although, I would like to get out of my current dingy apartment. Never liked the place, but it was convenient for the situation I was in.”

At this, Tony made his way to a seat across from her. “I know a place, if you're interested.” He said, and the other people in the room seemed to suddenly be listening in to their conversation.

She raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “Pray tell, where might this place be?”

Tony sent her a smirk. “Just in the heart of New York. Fast-running wifi and all the amenities you’ll ever need. All while running on a clean, self-sufficient energy source. Although, it does come with a job.”

Pandora caught on quickly, and she narrowed her eyes. “And what would this job entail?” She asked. At this point, most other conversations in the room had ceased, everyone focused on her and Tony.

“You know, saving the world, superhero stuff, all that jazz.” Tony said, taking a confident swig of his drink. “It’s got a nice salary, you know, and plenty of benefits.”

She looked around the room, eyes flickering from Avenger to Avenger. Could this really be her life? Could she be one of them? “I wouldn’t want to impose.”

Natasha laughed. “Impose? Please. You seem level-headed enough, and me and Wanda need help keeping these idiots in check.”

Tony threw his hands to his chest in mock offense. “Who are you calling an idiot?!” He exclaimed, before turning back to Pandora. “Seriously though, we already took a team vote. Well, except for Thor, because he wasn’t here. Thor?”

Thor gave her a grin. “You’ve got great potential. I would be honored to have you as a teammate.”

That left one person who hadn’t had a say. Of course, Loki might not be viewed as a normal Avenger, but it still mattered to Pandora. She turned her glance to him, and he gave her a silent nod in confirmation.

“Well then, when do I start?”

~~~~~

It took less than a week before Pandora felt more at home in the tower than she had in centuries. Wherever she had lived in the past, it was always with the notion that it was temporary. She never felt the need for any decorations or too much furniture, as it was going to be left behind anyway.

Even the few times she did try to decorate those places, they never were ‘home.’ It was just the place where she happened to sleep in.

As she sat in her new room, on an extremely comfortable couch, she looked at everything she had done to it. When she first got the room, it was already pretty nice and furnished. But, they had given Pandora full creative control, so she used it to make things a bit more her style.

There was a bookshelf that she used to hold all her novels in one corner, with a little reading nook set up next to it. Blue accents were everywhere in the room, matching the shade of her hair. She had a desk set up as well, with a new Stark computer sitting on top. Beside it, the flowers her brother had gifted her in the vase that Loki had conjured. It was odd that they hadn’t wilted.

But it wasn’t the luxurious room that made the place feel homey, it was the people. Even if she hadn’t yet formed deep connections with her new teammates, she wasn’t in solitude. Everyone was friendly and she enjoyed their company. As much as she tried to be independent, and she was, she could not deny her need for companionship.

A knock sounded at her door, so she got up and opened it to find Loki. Out of everyone in the tower, Loki had to be her favorite. Not only had they hit it off on Asgard, but there was just something about him that made Pandora feel seen. After decades of hiding, she found herself desperately wanting to be seen.

He smiled at her, and she smiled back. “Are you ready?” He asked, and Pandora nodded. Today, she was set to be evaluated on her abilities. This would help them sort out what her strengths and weaknesses were, so that they could assign missions based on skill sets.

Even if she was confident in herself and her abilities, she was still nervous. Most, if not all, of the Avengers would be watching and assessing her. She might not know everyone on a deep and personal level yet, but she still yearned for their acceptance. What if they thought she wasn’t good enough?

Loki seemed to notice her inner turmoil. “Are you nervous?” He asked, and she gave him a sheepish smile.

“A little.” Pandora admitted with a shrug. She knew that it wasn’t logical that they would be unimpressed, but she couldn’t help it. Not after being rejected once by the people she loved.

He patted her on the shoulder as they walked down the hall. “You shouldn’t be. Everyone save for me and Thor are human, yet you are not. That already gives you a jump on strength, stamina, and speed. When you filter in the magic, you exceed each and every person in this tower. Except for me, of course.”

Pandora laughed, and Loki chuckled. “Gods, you are so full of yourself!” She joked.

He shrugged with a smirk. “When you’re surrounded by idiots, it is often hard to not be.” His smirk softened. “But, really, only a few of us here have magic. Sure, Thor has lightning, but it’s not really magic. That’s just a singular trick. But me and you, even the red witch, we are the ones that can really do some damage.”

His words soothed her, and they made it to their destination. They had to split, since Loki needed to go up and behind the room to a viewing area, behind reinforced glass. He turned to her, looking her in the eyes. “Good luck. Not that you’ll need it”

He gave her a genuine smile, and she nodded. “Thanks.” With that, he departed, and she stood in front of two large, heavy-looking doors.

With a deep breath, she opened them and walked in. The room was huge, and at least a few stories high. The walls were stark white with weird metal plates spaced out over them. In the corner of the room lay weaponry. She was told that the room was a simulation room, where technology was used to simulate different situations and scenarios.

Somehow, the technology was advanced to the point where she would be able to feel some things, but she wouldn’t get seriously hurt. For example, she could feel and take punches, but a knife wouldn’t be able to puncture through her skin.

On the very upper part of the front wall, was a dark glass window. Craning her neck upwards, she was able to make out Tony and the others. Loki was up there with them, and he sent her an encouraging smile and a thumbs up.

After a moment, the speakers allowed her to hear them through the wall. “Alright, Princess Leia, let’s see what you’ve got.”

Pandora rolled her eyes. Tony, ever the nickname-giver, had taken to calling her Princess Leia. All because of her hair, that always seemed to be in space buns. They weren’t even the same style, since Pandora’s were braided at the top, but he didn’t care. Apparently, the hairstyle was enough of a similarity to gain her a semi-permanent nickname.

“We’re going to start with simple enough stuff,” Tony informed her, “Go ahead to that table in the corner and pick a close combat weapon.”

She looked over the table of sharp tools and weapons. Each of them had different pros and cons, good for different situations. “Do I get any information on what I’m going to be doing?”

If she squinted hard enough, she could make out Tony shaking his head. “Nope. You might not get that information about the field either. Sometimes, you gotta make do. All you know is that you will be in close proximity with the enemy.”

Pandora sighed, settling on a pair of daggers. A sword would be good for something large and singular, but daggers were easier to fight multiple beings at once. She just hoped she wouldn’t be asked to fight some sort of dragon. Daggers wouldn’t be of much help then.

When she turned back to the front wall with daggers in hand, the lights in the room changed their hue, and she saw holograms begin to form. “And one more thing,” she heard Tony say, “avoid using magic.”

With this, she frowned. “What?” She asked. “Why?”

“Never know when it won’t be accessible, plus we need to see your combat skills without any magical aid, now, stand in the middle on the black x” He said, and she nodded, moving to the center of the room where there was an ‘x’ taped.

Suddenly, the room turned blue as a graphical, intangible wall swept the room. No longer was she in a near-empty space, but instead in a grass field. Six people appeared in a circle around her, and she held her daggers at the ready.

The first one lunged at her, so she kicked them in the stomach and turned around to meet her two more of them about to pounce. She took her daggers and stabbed each in the stomach, quickly pulling the weapons back out of the flesh before continuing to fight.

Fighting six individuals at once proved difficult, but not impossible. As long as she focused her attention on whoever was closest to landing a blow, taking them out, and moving on, she was fine. After going back around to all six, making sure they were out for good, the bodies of the enemies disappeared.

A television–sized hologram screen popped up in front of her, and she read her statistics. Five minutes and thirty-two seconds, six enemies down, and, most importantly when on the real battlefield, no fatal wounds received.

The grassland disappeared, and the old room came back. “Good job,” Tony’s voice projected from the viewing room, “hold onto those daggers, that was just a warm-up. Now we’re going to send you to a city that is actively being destroyed. Your goal is to eliminate as many of the enemies as possible, while helping to get civilians to safety. There is a building with a horse statue outside, that’s where you want to get all the civilians.”

Pandora nodded. “And how do I differentiate the enemy from the public?” She asked, although she figured the enemy might not be visibly different.

“Well, if they’re shooting at you, I would say it’s safe to assume that they’re the bad guy.” Tony said, and Pandora rolled her eyes at the obvious. “This simulation will be longer than the first, since it is the major team situation that we must be prepared for. Try not to kill any civilians.”

A table appeared in front of her, with different guns and weapons. “Grab whatever you need for this, and don’t worry about the bullets ricocheting off the walls. There are no real bullets in them, although you’ll feel the recoil. Oh, and for this you can use your magic.”

She was glad to be able to use her magic, it always boosted her confidence in her performance, even if she could kick ass without them. Stepping up to the table, she grabbed a simple handgun and created a magic holster to hold it. She held onto one of the daggers, putting the other away so she could use her fingers to work her magic without interference.

The room around her faded away, and it was replaced with what appeared to be a copy of a half-destroyed San Francisco. Pandora had actually lived in San Francisco for a few months, but it was too hot for her liking.

She surveyed her surroundings for a moment before she heard footsteps in her direction. She hid behind a broken wall, peeking out to see a man in a black mask with a gun. Right behind him was a small child and their mother, attempting to hide. Pandora wanted to go ahead and strike the man, but she had to confirm that he was the enemy and not some random civilian who happened to be wearing a mask. He did have a gun, but it also was an extreme situation. It was America, like it or not, lots of people had guns and would probably use them at the end of the world.

The child with the woman made a sound, and the man turned around and pointed the gun at them. That was all the reason Pandora needed before tackling the man to the ground and disarming him. She used magic to knock him out, not wanting to scare the child. It might be a fake child, but it made her feel better. She had scared enough people as it was.

“Follow me.” She said to them, although she was unsure where the building she needed to get them too was. Picking a direction, she tracked her way through the rubble, stopping every now and then to take down an enemy that decided to pop up.

Unfortunately, one caught her by surprise and managed to knock her to the ground. Before he could do anything, though, she flicked her fingers and his neck snapped. It wasn’t messy, the only evidence was a loud pop.

She got up and found a few stragglers here and there, and soon enough she was leading a group of around ten. Because it was just her luck, she heard a cluster of voices just around the corner. She rushed the people into a nearby building, telling them to stay put for a moment.

There was a group of five outside, and not all of them were human. In fact, one looked like an octopus. But now wasn’t the time for pictures, so she grabbed her gun and quickly shot two in the head before ducking behind a car.

As the two she shot fell to the ground, gunshots and yells were thrown her way. Working under the assumption that the two she shot were already incapacitated, she moved to the right of the car and threw a piece of trash she had grabbed to the left.

The three remaining foes went towards the sound, giving her the opportunity to shoot two more in the back of the head. The last man managed to turn around in time to fire out a round at her, so she had to roll and hide again. While she did this, she dropped her gun, so she opted for magic instead.

She didn’t see the man fall through the hole she created in the ground, but she could hear him scream as he reappeared a hundred feet in the sky and plummeted to the ground. Satisfied, she went back to where the civilians were and got them out. In the distance, she saw the designated safe building with the horse statute, and managed to get everyone in without incident.

This went on for a while: locating civilians, eliminating any threat, and getting said civilians to safety. She was pretty confident she did fine. It wasn’t exactly hard, and she even found herself having some fun. Maybe joining the Avengers would be something that proved to be a good thing.

Eventually the room faded back to normal and her statistics showed up in front of her.

She had spent twenty-eight minutes in the simulation, eliminated 26 enemies, and gotten all of the civilians to safety without receiving fatal wounds.

“Good going Leia.” Tony said while she could hear a little clapping from the room around him. “That was the main portion of the test. But, there’s one last thing for us to test.”

Steve turned to Tony. “There’s only two parts. What are you planning on doing?”

Tony ignored the captain, continuing to speak to Pandora while pressing buttons on his screen. “Use whatever weapons you need, and your magic. You’ll be needing it.”

And with that, Pandora was sent into a sandy desert. There was nothing around her, and all she could see was sand and a blue-gray sky. She even felt the wind, blowing small specks of sand on her.

At first she didn’t see anyone, but as she looked closer, she spotted a herd of people charging towards her. Enough of a crowd that it wasn’t feasible for anyone to fend them off alone. “Seriously?” She called, although she wasn’t sure who she was talking to. The window enclosing the team was invisible to her.

Unbeknownst to her, Steve was shaking his head in the viewing room. “Seriously? Tony, you pull this shit on all the new recruits. I’d like to see you try to hold your own in there.”

Tony grinned with a shrug. “What? It’s not like they can really hurt her. I like to see who can beat the latest record of how many of them someone can take down before they receive a simulated fatal wound.”

Natasha shook her head. “This is why people don’t like you, Tony.”

He put his hand to his chest in offense. “What do you mean? Everyone likes me, Natalia.” Natasha rolled her eyes and Tony chuckled.

“Anyways, as I was saying before Natasha insinuated that people don’t like me, Witch Wanda over there,” he pointed to Wanda, “holds the high score of a hundred and twelve. Which is slightly scary.”

Wanda smiled. “I’m flattered you’re scared of me, Stark.”

Back in the simulation room, Pandora was trying to come up with a plan. Logically, she knew that the team couldn’t expect her to defeat this big of a mob alone. However, she was determined to not go out without a fight.

As the hoard got closer, she saw that not all of them were of the same species. Of course they weren’t, because that would mean they have the same strengths and weaknesses. Pandora called on the ancient lines of magic she pulled on, holding them at the ready.

She hadn’t expended a lot of her magic on the first two tests, which was good, because she definitely needed it now. As the first line of the crowd neared her, she sent out a blast to knock them down. They were not indisposed of, but it was enough to gouge just how much magic she needed to spend to push them around.

With a quiet reminder that none of this was real, she charged into the fight. In doing so, she held out her hand to the eyes of some of the crowd, altering their vision so they would now see some of their allies as their enemy.

She could have just disguised herself as them, but this way they took themselves out faster. Pandora had magical weapons that she switched out time to time, slashing, stabbing, and blasting her enemies.

But, even with confusion amongst the crowd, she was still outnumbered. She pushed through, picking up men and slamming them around to take out the others. She lost count of how many had fallen by her hand, the only thought in her mind to do better, to take out more.

Eventually though, she slipped up and ended up with a fake dagger in her skull, sending her back into the simulation. She was out of breath, panting, her face frustrated.

Even if she had lasted 22 minutes, killed 154 enemies, and only ended up with one major injury, she still felt like she could have done better. She was unaware of the dropped jaws of everyone behind the reinforced glass of the observation room, unaware of the new record she had just set.

“I could have done better.” She whispered, but pushed the thought aside. She already had plans in the future to come back to this room and achieve a higher kill count.

For a long few minutes, nobody said anything down to Pandora. It wasn’t until she looked up at them, expectantly, that someone said something.

“Uh, that was incredible. You should see the look on the guys’ faces right now.” Wanda said, laughing.

Tony cleared his throat. “Yeah, yeah. Anyways, good work today. None of the opponents were real, but the sweat is. Go get a shower, I don’t want you sweating on the expensive furniture.”

Pandora laughed, and bid a goodbye to her new teammates before she exited the room. To her surprise, Loki was there to greet her.

“That was amazing.” He said, eyes twinkling. “ You were amazing.”

Pandora turned a little red, rubbing her neck. “Thanks. You don’t have to exaggerate though. I want to know if I actually did well in the eyes of other people.”

Loki looked shocked. “Are you kidding? You beat the other witch’s record of kills in that last simulation. You did better than even I might have done, and that’s saying a lot, of course.”

She laughed. “Thanks, mischief, I appreciate it.” He began to walk her back to her room, complimenting her magic usage and her skills with daggers.

They made it to her room, and Loki said goodbye. She closed the door and let the weight that she wasn’t good enough fall from her shoulders. Pandora knew that she belonged there. Loki knew that she belonged there. The team knew that she belonged there. The voices telling her otherwise stopped at that moment, she told herself.

To wash them away, she got into the shower, and allowed herself to cry. To cry for the things she had been through, to cry for the child she once was, and to cry for the newfound sense of belonging that she now felt.

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ageofbarbarians · 2 years

Text

Pull Over Part 2

You and Harry take a drive along the coast only for a little pit stop…

If you haven’t read part one, read it here(:

Warnings: Adult Content 18+

Word count: 5.6k

MASTERLIST

Harry sped on the way back to his house and you just knew he was eager to have you again. You were too, you just weren’t trying to come off as desperate, but god did you just need to feel him again. His touch was beyond addicting.

“Ya know, we didn’t get that far into this bottle…” You slightly shook the bottle of wine, careful to not hold it up too far just in case there were any cops around.

“Well we can’t let it go to waste now can we?” Harry smirked and it was only seconds before he pulled up to a large gate. The driveway was extremely long you could just barely see the house hiding behind all of the hills. He punched in a code and the gate swung open and he pulled forward. The gate closed behind the car as he slowly drove up the driveway and as you inched close to the house you could finally start to see what a beautiful piece of property he had.

“H, this is beautiful.” You looked around in awe. The house was about three stories high, but it didn’t look like it was that big. He had more yard space than anything. There was a garage connected to the side that looked like it could hold about four or five cars and there was a stunning marble fountain in the front. Harry didn’t say anything he just sent you a small smile. He pulled into one of the garages and parked his car. Harry grabbed the picnic basket and got out of the car. You opened the door and before you could get out it was shut on you again.

“Uhm, excuse you, that’s my job.” Harry raised a brow as he opened the door again, allowing you to get out this time. He closed it behind you and you waited for him to lead the way since you had zero ideas where you were going.

Harry lead the way into his home and you were just in awe of the beauty of it all. The kitchen was massive, the living room had minimal furniture, just a large sectional, a coffee table, and a flatscreen tv hung up on the wall, but there were different pieces of artwork hung up all over that looked like they cost a pretty penny, pictures of Harry himself from when he was on tour, his family, and a bunch more. A couple of different guitars sat in the corner as well as a grand piano on the other end. There was also a decently large bar with an assortment of alcohol and two barstools next to the tiny island.

You looked at all of the artwork on the walls and just took everything in. You were mainly drawn to the pictures of Harry. One that caught your attention most was a zoomed-in black and white picture of his side. You couldn’t see his face or much of his body, but you could see bits and pieces of all of the tattoos littering his arm. He wore a pair of black pants with thin white stripes and a white tank top with “Treat People With Kindness” embroidered on it. The photograph was so simple, but there was just something about it that you loved. Maybe it genuinely was the simplicity of it all.

“That is from when we were in Madrid. One of m’favorite pictures actually. I just like that I’m not really in it, just my torso.” Harry spoke softly from behind you, startling you a little bit. He handed you a glass of wine and you grabbed it before whispering a small thank you.

“Do you have a favorite show that you’ve done?” You asked curiously, still looking at the collage of pictures. There was silence for a minute. You turned to face him and he still didn’t say anything, just stared at you from behind.

“Sorry, I’m just taking you in. You really are absolutely gorgeous, Y/N.” Harry took a sip of his wine, smiling into his glass as you turned away to hide your reddening face.

“But no, I don’t really have a favorite show. The energy is just so different for each one, every show just tops the last. I do enjoy performing in New York though.” Harry answered your question, not even bothered by the fact you didn’t say anything about his compliment.

“Do you want to see the rest?” He asked, pointing to the stairs. You nodded your head and before you started following Harry up the stairs you quickly grabbed the bottle of wine, not even caring about the glass at this point.

You caught up to Harry and he laughed as he noticed you carrying the entire bottle of wine instead of just the glass he gave you. His fingers intertwined with your free ones and he lead you into one of the rooms.

“This is m’study. I write a lot of songs in here, well, when I'm here anyway,” Harry flipped on a light and you observed the room. It wasn’t all that big surprisingly. There were two giant bookshelves along one of the walls and an L-shaped desk against the other wall. There was a small love seat and a lamp in the corner and that was really about it. The room was tidy besides the mess of books on the bookshelf.

“Have you read all of these?” You asked, taking a sip from the bottle.

“Just about all of them. There are a couple I haven’t read but I haven’t had much time. I’ve also just forgotten about some of them.” Harry grabbed the bottle from you and took a long swig, even though his glass was still a third of the way full.

“Who’s your favorite author?” You questioned. You had done a lot of reading yourself but it was mainly short stories or romance. You were a sucker for some romance.

“Murakami.”

“Who?”

“Haruki Murakami. He wrote a story called Norwegian Wood. You should read it sometime.” He grabbed it off of the shelf and handed it to you to look at. You observed the front and the back of the book before handing it back for him to place on the shelf.

“What’s it about?”

“You just have lots of questions don’t you?” Harry chuckled softly and you shrugged your shoulders.

“What can I say, I’m a curious soul.” You laughed with him and grabbed the bottle once more, taking another sip.

“You’ll just have to read it to find out I guess.” Harry shrugged and began to walk out of his study as you followed behind him to see the rest of the house.

“Bathroom right here, spare bedroom to the left that currently has a bunch of shit from tour in there, and my bedroom and bathroom at the end of the hall.” He walked the two of you to his room. He flipped on the light, even though he didn’t need to. His bedroom was simple, yet peaceful.

There were two giant floor-to-ceiling windows along one of the walls with his bed in between. White curtains draped down to the floor let in just the perfect amount of sunlight from the now setting sun. The room was spotless besides an unmade bed. The fitted sheet and two of the pillowcases were white, with the other sheets and pillowcases being light green, the comforter being a slightly darker shade. There were three doors on opposite ends of the room, one of which lead to the bathroom, one that looked like it lead out to a balcony, and the other you weren’t so sure about. A walk-in closet maybe?

You followed Harry out of the bedroom and up another flight of stairs. You stumbled slightly but thankfully he didn’t notice.

“This is where the magic happens,” Harry flipped on a light that illuminated the pitch-black room. You didn’t know exactly what to expect but it definitely wasn’t this.

“A studio? H, that’s so cool.” You looked around at the booth that had a microphone hanging in the middle as well as all of the soundboards. There was a couch, chair, and a love seat with a round coffee table in the middle. You knew absolutely nothing about this stuff but it was beyond cool to see in person. There were a couple of gold and platinum records hung up for show around the room as well as a couple of pictures of Harry and his band.

He walked up behind you, wrapping his muscular arms around your waist before pressing a kiss to your temple. You were close to finishing off the bottle and Harry grabbed it from you before you could finish the rest of it yourself. He finished off his glass, so he just took a swig from the bottle, leaving his glass on one of the random little tables in the room.

The two of you made your way back downstairs after Harry had explained some of the equipment to you. Even though you had no idea about half of what he was saying, it was cute to see him so passionate about it all. You both walked into the kitchen and Harry pulled out two shot glasses.

“Shot?” He asked as he retrieved a bottle of tequila from the freezer. You nodded your head and watched him pour the clear liquid into the small glasses.

“This is going to hit me harder than anything. I haven’t eaten today.” You sat on one of the barstools at the island and played with your fingers. Harry sat your shot glass down in front of you but pulled it away as he processed what you said.

“Why haven’t you eaten?” His tone was a little more serious, protective, and caring in a way.

“Well, we were originally supposed to have a picnic…" You teasingly lifted your dress on your hip to reveal the skin where your underwear would have been resting if it weren’t for Harry ripping it off earlier.

"Plus, I’m fun when I drink anyway.” You reached for your glass but he pulled it further away. He eyed your legs and hips before shaking his head and making eye contact with you again.

“You need to eat, Y/N.” Harry was stern with his words and he sat the extra glass away from you where you couldn’t reach it.

“Oh yeah? And what have you eaten today, Styles?” You questioned. You stood up and tried to reach for the glass once more, not even caring that you were going to get drunk faster than you already were. The bottle of wine was already starting to hit you just right.

“I actually had an amazing meal earlier, thanks for asking,” Harry smirked as he raked his nails along your thighs. You laughed at his remark and downed your shot, making a face after finishing it.

“Oh god, I should’ve asked for a chaser,” you coughed and cringed at the foul taste. Harry, on the other hand, took his shot like it was nothing. You grabbed the glass of wine you had swapped for the bottle and quickly drank the rest of it trying to rid the taste of the tequila.

“Should we order something? Pizza?” Harry suggested. You nodded your head and told Harry what kind of pizza you liked. Ironically, your order was the same as his and Harry began to call whatever pizza shop was closest to him. The wine was sinking in faster as the shot of tequila gave it a little kick. Thousands of thoughts began to swim through your mind but one of the main ones was wanting to tease Harry, especially for what he did to you earlier.

“Hi, m’placing an order for delivery please,” Harry began to speak to whoever was on the other end of the phone. You walked up to him and put your hands on his chest, going on your tippy-toes to reach his ear. He eyed you up and down with a raised brow. Your fingers intertwined in his hair at the base of his neck

“Yeah can I get two large—“

“I know exactly what you can have for dessert if you want it,” you whispered teasingly in his ear, pulling on his hair before leaving sloppy kisses along his neck. Harry’s breath hitched in his throat as he tried his hardest to focus on ordering your pizzas. Your hands made their way to the buttons of his shirt before you started to undo them. You placed a few more kisses on his neck before beginning to trail down his collarbones, down to his chest, leaving marks across him as you began to lower. You hadn’t even noticed Harry was off the phone so you didn’t get very far until he lifted you on top of the island, placing himself in between your legs. You leaned back slightly as he towered over you, the darkness in his eyes filled with lust. You couldn’t help but giggle at his serious face. It was the alcohol after all.

“You think you’re funny, do you?” He questioned. You shrugged your shoulders and leaned up closer to his face.

“What’s wrong, baby, is somebody all flustered?” You teased as you placed one of your hands over his crotch. He hissed slightly as fingers dug in a little deeper to your side.

“You’re not a fun drunk.” Harry smiled down at you as you pouted.

“Hey, I never said what kind of fun,” you slurred your words slightly as everything started to hit you at once. You were definitely fun to be around when you drank, but getting wine drunk just made you extremely horny.

You wrapped your arms around Harry’s neck as your eyes flickered back and forth between his emerald eyes and pink lips.

“Can I kiss you, Y/N?” Harry whispered, his eyes going back and forth between yours and your lips, his face only inches from yours.

“Please,” was all he needed before his lips attacked yours. You could feel the lust and passion within the kiss. His teeth tugged at your bottom lip, causing a small moan to escape past your lips and you could feel the heat building in your core. Your hands flew up to the base of his neck, tugging on the hairs that rested there. Harry groaned which just send another wave of heat to your core.

Harry moved to your neck, leaving sloppy kisses all over your neck and the parts of your chest that were exposed. You leaned your head back and closed your eyes and let out a staggered breath. You could feel his hands digging into your thighs and you just knew he was bound to leave bruises. He came back up to your lips and this time the kiss was slower with so much more passion. His movements were deep but slow.

"You're driving me wild, Y/N." Harry pulled away from the kiss ever so slightly and he took in a deep breath through his nose.

"Call me crazy,"

"You're crazy." You started as he cut you off. You laughed and shook your head.

"Do you smoke?" You asked biting your lip slightly. Harry raised a brow at you trying to decipher what your idea of smoking was.

"Cigarettes no..." He trailed slightly and you smiled widely.

"Perfect, because I don't either." You leaned forward and Harry took a few steps backward to give you some space to hop down. You got off the counter, slightly losing your balance. You went over to your purse and dug around looking for the little gem you were looking for. You pulled the white rolled paper out of your bag and turned towards Harry.

"Do you want to spice things up a little?" You showed him the joint you had and his eyes widened slightly. You walked back to him and handed it to him.

"Did you roll this? I'm impressed. I didn't take you as the type to smoke, are you sure? I mean you are kind of drunk..." He hesitated on the last bit and you just laughed a little.

"Yes, I did. Took me a while but I usually smoke out of glass. I'll be okay, I promise." You smiled softly and Harry nodded his head. He opened a drawer and pulled out a black lighter. Before he could light it you stepped closer to him and whispered in his ear.

"Plus when I get high my gag reflex goes away," Harry looked down at you and his mouth opened slightly, clearly surprised by your remark. You burst into a fit of laughter and wrapped your arms around his neck and began to play with his hair.

"You're going to be the death of me," Harry shook his head as he put the white rolled paper into his mouth. He lit the end of it and puffed a few times to get it going. He took a long drag before taking it from between his lips. As you were going to reach for it to take a hit of your own, Harry pulled it away from you and connected his lips with yours. You opened your mouth slightly as he blew the smoke into your mouth, letting it trail down to your lungs. You held it in for a moment as he gave you a few brief kisses before blowing out the smoke. He passed the joint to you and took a long drag from it, quickly blowing some out in a thick cloud before breathing it back in. Seconds later you blew out the smoke and passed it back to Harry. As he was going to hit it, the doorbell rang. He took a quick hit and handed the joint back to you.

"I'll be right back," He said quietly before grabbing his wallet and walking to the front door. You took a few more hits while he grabbed what you were assuming was the pizza. There wasn't a whole lot of the joint so you decided to hold off and leave the rest for Harry.

He came back moments later with two large pizzas in hand. The smell of them immediately hit your nose and it made your stomach grumble. Harry grabbed a plate for both of you and opened one of the boxes. He put a slice on one and handed you the plate. You handed the joint to Harry and immediately picked up the warm slice and took a bite, closing your eyes and nearly moaning at the taste.

"God this is just what I needed," You chew the bite before swallowing. You opened your eyes and looked at Harry who was just staring at you with a grin on his face, the joint between his lips. He looked absolutely picture-perfect right now.

"Do you want the last hit?" He asked and you shook your head. You could already start to feel the marijuana swim through your system. Harry's eyes had the slightest hint of red to them and they were just barely puffy. You knew that yours were red for sure since it just seemed to happen every time you smoked, even though it was pretty often.

Harry put the joint out on an ashtray he had sitting in the corner and left the small bud in it. He grabbed his plate and started eating a slice of pizza. The two of you sat at the island in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying each other's company as well as the food. You closed your eyes, feeling a little dizzy and like time was moving slower than it actually was but you didn't mind. The combination was perfect and you just felt like the atmosphere the two of you were in was something you never wanted to go away.

"Harry?" You said quietly, turning your head to face him. You observed his features. His high cheekbones, a jawline that could cut diamonds, the few marks you left on his neck, just all of him.

"Hm?" He turned to you and finished chewing the bit of pizza that was in his mouth before swallowing.

"I know this is only our second date, but god I really fucking like you," You admitted. You hadn't even realized what you said until you said it. You weren't trying to be vulnerable in any way but it was just the truth.

"Sorry, my thoughts got the best of me I wasn't-" You shook your head as he didn't say anything to you. He cut you off by smashing his lips to yours as you inhaled deeply through your nose. One of his hands came up and cupped your jaw. You melted into his touch and you couldn't help but lean further into his kiss. One hand wrapped around the back of his neck as the other sat against his thigh. You tugged on his bottom lip with your teeth which sent a low groan from him, the noise making you heat up.

Harry's tongue slipped into your mouth as the two of you fought for dominance. You could taste the pizza on his tongue and you didn't even care. Everything about him was just so intoxicating that you just couldn't get enough of him.

"Can I take you upstairs?" He asked between kisses. You quickly shook your head and before you knew it you were pulled out of your chair. His fingers intertwined with yours as he pulled you up the stairs and down the hall. He open his bedroom door and as you reached the bed he pushed you down, landing on your back with a laugh escaping your lips. Harry hastily took off his shirt, it being pretty easy since the buttons were still undone, and you couldn't help but stare at his toned chest. You observed all of the tattoos that littered his body but the ferns were your favorite.

"Do you remember what I said earlier? I still want to uphold my promise if that's okay with you." Harry hovered over top of you, both of his hands on either side of you. You knew exactly what he was referring to and it cause a huge jolt of electricity to run through your body.

You sat up and grabbed the hem of your dress and pulled it over your head, leaving you completely naked. Harry dropped to his knees and pulled you towards his face, putting your legs over his shoulders. His face went straight towards your core, licking a long stripe up your folds. A long moan left your lips as he devoured you. One of your hands flew to his hair tugging on his locks. Harry entered on finger inside of you which caused another moan to fly past. He slowly pumped his finger in and out of you as he curved it upwards, hitting every part of you just perfectly. He entered another finger, slowly stretching you out for him. The combination of his mouth and his fingers were deadly and you knew if he kept it up, you weren't going to last long. Harry groaned and the vibrations from him about sent you over the edge. You felt the familiar feeling of your orgasm swirling in the pit of your stomach.

"Fuck, Harry m'gonna cum. Oh god please don't stop," You gasped as his fingers pumped in and out of you faster as his mouth attacked your clit. Your eyes screwed shut and you tugged harder on his hair, one of your hands grabbing one of your breasts. Your toes curled and a loud moan left your lips as you felt your orgasm completely take over. Your legs shook and your back arched, but Harry pushed down on your pelvis to keep you still as he rode you through your orgasm. You whimpered as the feeling started to subside but you were just overly sensitive.

Harry stood back up as he place both of the fingers he had used inside of you into his mouth and sucked on them. The slight alone could've made you cum again. He came down and planted his lips onto yours. You looped your fingers through his belt loops trying to bring him closer to you.

"These. Off." You demanded as you tugged slightly. Harry's hand wrapped around your throat and he squeezed slightly which just brought a wide grin to your face.

"I'm the one who gives the commands, got it?" His face was close to yours and you nodded. He released his hand from your throat and backed up slightly to slide his jeans off. He pulled them down and his boxers came down with them. You couldn't help but stare at his length and it made your insides twitch. You crawled off the bed towards him and dropped to your knees in front of him. He watched your every move but didn't say anything. You wrapped your slender fingers around him and pumped him a few times before wrapping your lips around his dripping tip. As you made contact a moan left his lips and he tilted his head back, one of his hands wrapping itself in your hair.

"Shit," Harry hisses as you bobbed your head up and down on his length before taking him down the back of your throat. You stayed there for a second before coming back up. You held the base of his shaft and licked a slow, teasing stripe up the underside of him. Another lengthy moan left his lips and you grinned at the sounds he was making.

"Fuck, get on the bed, I want you to ride me," He insisted. You stood up and made your way to the side of the bed. Harry laid down on his back and you swung your legs over the top of him.

"I really should've asked early, but do you want me to use a condom?" He asked cautiously.

"I have an IUD," You shook your head as you leaned down closer to his face.

"I want to feel every. Little. Part. Of you." You flashed a wicked grin as you grabbed the base of his shaft. You lowered yourself down onto him and you both let out a moan in unison. You sat for a minute so you could adjust to his length.

"Okay?" He asked and you nodded your head. You started moving your hips, bouncing on top of him as he watched you in amazement. Harry slowly moved his hips, picking up speed as he continued. You leaned back slightly with your hands on his thighs but as his pace picked up you had to grab onto the headboard to keep yourself stable. Harry's hands dig into your sides and you started to match his rhythm, just making the contact harder and you both moaned at the filthy actions.

He flipped both of you over, him now being on top and you being on your back. You wrapped your legs around his torso and he gently ran his fingers across your face, admiring your beauty.

"Fuck me, Styles," You groaned and it only took a second for him to snap his hips back and into you. You gasped loudly as he continued his sharp movements. The sound of your moans, his grunts, and the contact of your skin against his filled the room. Harry's pace picked up rapidly as he started slamming into you, but his movements still slightly slopping from the weed and alcohol swimming in his system. But with that combination, it was just making things so much more pleasurable.

"Do you like when I fuck you like that? Huh?" Harry grunted and you just moaned and nodded your head in response.

"Answer me." He gritted his teeth as his thrusts slowed down but just became harder.

"Yes sir," You moaned out. You didn't even mean to call him sir, but he seemed to like it since his hand flew to wrap around your throat. He put a little bit of pressure on the sides before coming down to kiss you. You whimpered into his kiss and shut your eyes at the contact.

"Do you like when you fuck you like this?" He asked, keeping the same rhythm.

"Yes," you moaned out, biting your lip. You closed your eyes as tears began to slip past from the overwhelming sensation.

"Yes, what?" He asked as he stopped for a second, his hand tightening around your throat.

"Fuck, yes sir, please don't stop, you feel so good," You whined and Harry picked up his speed again as he moaned at your words. That familiar feeling started to bubble in your stomach and you knew your orgasm was approaching. More tears slipped down your face as you continued to moan out vulgar obscenities.

Harry's hand released from around your throat and his thumb came down to rub quick circles against your clit. Your hands flew to his back, your nails racking down Harry's back. He hissed as you repeatedly drug your nails across his skin. His back and forehead had a thin layer of sweat across them both but you didn't mind.

"Fuck, Harry m'gonna cum again," You whimpered, closing your eyes. You began to feel dizzy and you knew the feeling was going to take you over soon.

"Not yet, darling," He groaned as he came down and started sucking on the skin of your breast, leaving a dark mark to remind you of this very moment. He continued to rub circles against you and you knew your orgasm was right on the brink of spilling over.

"H," was all you could say. The feeling of your orgasm was starting to become overpowering.

"Beg for me," Harry groaned, all of his movements speeding up and getting faster, but sloppier and you knew has was reaching his final point.

"Fuck, please, I need to cum so bad," You whimpered, tears spilling from the sensation.

"Say my name,"

"Harry, please," You whined again, not knowing how much longer you could hold on.

"Cum for me, princess," Harry whispered in your ear. As his words sent shivers down your spine, you released your orgasm with a loud moan that was a borderline scream. You had a feeling of wetness you had never experienced before and it caused Harry to let out a loud groan.

"Fuck, look at that pretty pussy squirt all over me," Harry moaned and your nails raked down his back again. If it were anybody else the words would have made you cringe, but coming from him it was just pure sex. Listening to his moans and grunts could've made you cum again.

"Fuck!" Harry quickly pulled out and wrapped his hand around his length. He pumped himself a few times before he started making a mess all over your stomach and chest. He moaned with his head tilted back, sweat glistening on his chest, his damp curls stuck to his forehead.

He laid down next to you, both of you trying to catch your breath. It was silent for a minute before Harry spoke up.

"God you felt amazing, that wasn't too much was it?" He questioned, wanting to make sure you were okay.

"That was more than perfect, H. The genuinely was the best sex I've ever had. I don't think I can walk, though." You whispered the last part and Harry chuckled to himself.

"Honestly, me too. Lemme get you a towel." Harry got off the bed and stumbled toward the bathroom. You turned your head and you saw all of the marks you made on his back.

"Shit, H, I made you bleed I'm so sorry," You apologized frantically as he came back over to you with a towel. He started to wipe up the mess he had made off your chest and stomach. You adjusted yourself and sat up as much as you could. You could already feel how sore your legs were.

"That's okay baby, just a reminder of the time we had." He smirked and handed you the towel to get any place he may have missed.

"Wanna take a shower?" He asked, starting to make his way to the bathroom.

"I would love to, but I really do not think I can walk." You laughed and he came back over to you to pick you up. Your legs felt like jello and you just knew it was going to take a while to recover from this.

"What about a bath?" He asked as he carried you into the bathroom. You nodded as you yawned and he sat you down on the toilet and started to run the bathroom water. He left the bathroom for a minute to let you have a little privacy as you went to the bathroom. You peed and cleaned yourself up a little more. You stood up, your legs shaking unbelievably bad, and stepped into the bathtub. The warm water began to soothe your sore legs and you closed your eyes to just let the warmth take over. A couple of minutes later Harry returned with a couple of super fluffy towels. He stepped into the tub with you and sat behind you, pulling you back against his chest.

"Stay with me tonight?" Harry asked softly, running his fingers through your hair.

"Of course." You whispered back. He placed a small kiss on the top of your head, your temple, cheek, and your shoulder. You relaxed against him and closed your eyes.

You both knew that whatever this was, was going to last a really long time.

#Harry styles #Harry Styles One Shot #Harry Styles Smut #Harry Styles Fanfic #Harry Styles Fan Fiction #One Direction #One Direction Fanfic #One Direction Smut #One Direction Fan fiction #harry styles x y/n #harry styles x you #harry styles x reader #one direction x reader

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allthecreepsofthecosmos · 9 months

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Two Tokyo Tgirls Talk: Musical Inspirations

Hello everyone! Today Sadie and I are going to be talking about our inspirations for our VN, All the Creeps of the Cosmos (we have a demo too!). We did this in a sort of… cross interview format over Discord while I went out to get my hair trimmed. Without further ado, here’s…

Two Tokyo Tgirls Talk: Musical Inspirations

So about that title…

C: So, about this title! Neither of us are Japanese, but we are in the Tokyo area! Sadie and I actually met briefly before we even knew who the other was! That was at our job orientation in the big hotel.

S: Yeah, I asked you if my outfit looked okay, and then completely forgot about that until a bit before we met for real.

C: I didn't remember it at all! It was just meant to be, I guess. A year later I was on Her looking for someone new... and the rest was history! Now we live together, so it's easy to collaborate for a project like Cosmos!

S: It’s the happiest I've ever been. We used to have to commute 2 hours to meet, but we still met every week.

C: You used to live way out in the country! Now you get the big city experience.

What would you say is the influence of music on Cosmos?

C: Sadie's the expert when it comes to music; before I met her I barely listened to anything outside of video game BGM! It was when we got a record player that things started really clicking together. We both started getting into old prog rock, and one day Sadie brought home a weird looking record called Flying Teapot by a band out of France called Gong!

I honestly had no expectations going in, but I loved the weird jazzy instrumentals and the playful, goofy lyrics (in particular, a song about a cat). As it turned out, Gong had, over the years, operated under a number of different names. Planet Gong, Mother Gong, New York Gong... drunkenly I kept joking about a version called "Air Gong". Just complete nonsense. But when we thought about it, that was kinda like a weird way of describing a UFO... so our studio suddenly had a name! One of our supporting characters is also named after the band as a bit of an homage to its lead singer, Daevid Allen.

S: I think we both became big fans of Daevid Allen's blissed out and stoned scifi optimism. He seems like he was such a free and beautiful person, and his anything goes experimental outlook is something that I think Air Gong takes with it. We're both huge fans of his solo album Divided Alien Playbax80. It’s advanced level Gong, but I think it fits what we're doing even more.

S: On the other hand from Gong's silly sci fi optimism is Hawkwind, the official band of Michael Moorcock (more on him in the future). Hawkwind is all about how drugs are cool, but space and the future are cold, scary, and often violent places. The first chapter of Side Future is named after one of their very best songs on their best studio albums, Assault and Battery from the fantastic Warriors on the Edge of Time. I think we want to invoke the same kind of shock and action of their music. How about you, sweetie, what do you take from Hawkwind?

C: Sorry, I got to my hair appointment early and she did my hair early too. I’ll type up a response on the train.

S: Sounds good. We should keep this all in.

C: Even this!? No way!

S: It’ll humanize us!

C: We’re plenty human, aren’t we? Anyway, Hawkwind! Hawkwind is, as you'd expect of a band called Hawkwind, extremely cool! There's a sort of energetic quality to the guitar and vocals that just gets me pumped! So any time I wanted to write an action scene, I'd do two things. One was to drink a lot of coffee, which would get my mind racing at a thousand miles a minute. The second was to put on some Hawkwind! That got the ideas coming like nothing else! I hope the energy that music inspired in me carried over to the final product!

C: I think there's probably two more bands that really inspired Cosmos. The next one I want to talk about is King Gizzard and the Wizard Lizard! By the time the whole "Mind Fuzz" suite had completed on "I'm in your Mind Fuzz", I was completely sold on them. That lo-fi, garage sound so many of their albums had was a huge inspiration to me. And if you're sharp enough, you might spot a reference I snuck in from their spoken word hybrid album, Murder of the Universe, in the first chapter.

S: Right, I forgot about that! King Gizz is a big one for both of us I think. Their songs are filled with bizarre imagery, action, storytelling, it's everything I want Cosmos to be. Might be the most referenced band in Cosmos? But we can just ignore their dire boogie album *dodges rotten vegetables thrown by Gizzheads*

C: Hey, Cyboogie is a good song at least!

S: I'd say the other biggest musical influence is Peter Gabriel era Genesis, for me at least. But I'd like to hear what you think of them.

C: Peter Gabriel's Genesis has some really fantastic imagery in it. I mean, there's not a lot of bands where I can sit back and unwind to a song about snake women, so they got that going for them! That era of Genesis has some truly sweeping narratives with some weird events going on! And we got the name for the standard goons from them.

S: My biggest reference point for Cosmos from them is the fantastic The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. Whenever I write for the Future at least, its surreal urban nightmare of identity is really what I'm trying to channel. It probably wasn't written as a metaphor for being trans, but the shoe certainly fits with its tale of an outcast street kid who struggles with masculinity falling into a psychic landscape trying to find who he really is.

C: You really hit the nail on its head. So much of the Future part is all about discovering who you are and struggling to survive in a nightmare world, so it works well.

That’s all for now! We’ll post about our other inspirations another time. Next up is going to be a closer look at Meteor, another character you meet in the demo! See you then!

#all the creeps of the cosmos #visual novel #gamedev #indiedev #indie vn #lgbtq #transgender #pixel art

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kp777 · 10 months

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By Arno Kopecky

The Globe and Mail (Canada)

July 18, 2023

Arno Kopecky is an environmental journalist and author. His latest book is The Environmentalist’s Dilemma: Promise and Peril in an Age of Climate Crisis.

In 2019, Greta Thunberg headlined a global climate march that brought millions of people into city streets around the world. Thanks to the pandemic, there hasn’t been another one since. That’s finally about to change: The March to End Fossil Fuels has just been announced for Sept. 17.

I’m an independent journalist who has long held activism at arms-length, but the climate crisis has grown so urgent that straight-up reporting now feels like a passive response that verges on complicity. This time, I’m marching with the protesters.

Even for those who saw it coming, recent developments have been shocking to behold. Annual carbon emissions have steadily increased over the past four years, with Canada leading the charge – production in the world’s fourth-largest oil producer has doubled since 2010. The result has finally untethered itself from the abstract hypotheticals ofscientific literature and leapt into the daily lives of several billion people.

Virtually all of North America is coping with some combination of record heat, drought, flood, wildfire and smoke. A heat dome stretching across North Africa and Southern Europe to the Persian Gulf has pushed highs past 40 C in Spain and Iran. China just set a new national record with the town of Sanbao experiencing 52.2 C. Extreme flooding has raged through England, Turkey, India and Japan. Some water in the Florida Keys is now the temperature of human blood.

I’ve never been big on slogans. I distrust the righteous certainty that so often accompanies activism. I tend toward doubt, which is fine for journalism but wreaks havoc on conviction – a vital prerequisite for blocking traffic at a protest. But this summer, after 20 years of writing about climate change and seven years of being a father, the magnitude of events finally caught up to me.

I felt myself succumbing to a strange type of manic depression. The urgency and the despair took on the quality of a terrible dream, like I’d been handcuffed and forced to watch as villains suffocated my daughter. This can’t be how it ends, I thought. There has to be something more I can do. I surprised myself by starting to reach out to my contacts to see if I could organize a march myself before I learned that the March to End Fossil Fuels was already in motion.

If you’re also wondering what on Earth you can do about all this, Sept. 17 is for you. “The time is ripe for a big climate march,” says Tzeporah Berman, chair of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative and a veteran activist who is among the organizers of the climate march. “Everyone is starting to realize that as long as we don’t shift our energy systems, there is nowhere that’s safe.”

As in 2019, the global strike’s epicentre will be New York City, where the UN is hosting both a Climate Ambition Summit and a General Assembly the following week. With organizing just now getting under way, thousands of groups are expected to assemble crowds in cities across the planet.

Caroline Brouillette, executive director of Climate Action Network Canada, agreed that this could be a historic march. “We’re having a summer where different climate impacts are coming at us here and now and are often overlapping,” Ms. Brouillette told me from her home in Montreal. Two days before we spoke, she had to take refuge from both a heat wave and a tornado.