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newmusickarl · 1 year

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Top 50 Albums of 2022: #30-21

30. Being Funny In A Foreign Language by The 1975

They may be the biggest Marmite band around, but there is no denying that The 1975 are operating at an artistic level that few of their mainstream pop peers can reach. In fact, I still find it so strange that a band as avant-garde as they are, have the global fanbase that they do. But then when you listen to an album as consistently joyous and effortlessly timeless as Being Funny In A Foreign Language, it all starts to make sense.

Funktastic single Happiness is one of the biggest highlights, delivering exactly what it says on the tin. Still one of their finest tracks to date, it’s impossible not to get swept away by the vintage 80s style guitar groove, wonderfully polished production and instantly catchy chorus of “Show me your love, why don’t you?”

That said, when the band deviate from their typical sound, that’s where the album really shines. Part of the Band is an artsy, string-tinged and quietly understated track, with some impressive lyrical gymnastics, whilst All I Need To Hearis a stripped-back and classic-sounding love song that is carried by Matty Healy’s poetic songwriting and the raw, live production.

Supposedly the working title for Being Funny In A Foreign Language was The 1975 At Their Very Best, and whilst the jury is still out on that, it is another excellent addition to their discography and one of my 30 favourite albums of the year.

Best tracks: Happiness, All I Need To Hear, The 1975

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29. Cheat Codes by Danger Mouse & Black Thought

Sometimes you look at a collaboration on paper and think “Man, that sounds amazing.” Then you listen to it and its somehow even better than you expected.

That exact thing happened to me earlier this year when I saw musician and producer Danger Mouse had teamed up with Black Thought, the lead MC of legendary hip hop collective The Roots. Based on that combination I went into the first play of their collaborative project thinking it would be great, but despite the high expectations I still came away thinking it was one of the best hip hop records of the year.

Across the album’s snappy 38-minute runtime, Danger Mouse chairs the artfully produced beats that simply shine with vintage soul, funk and psychedelia, whilst Black Thought spins his smooth, old-school flow with exquisite delivery. As if the combination of those two wasn’t enough either, Cheat Codes is littered with glittering guest spots from the likes of Michael Kiwanuka, Run The Jewels, A$AP Rocky, Raekwon and even the late-great MF Doom. With those classic 70s sounds and so many modern greats operating at the top of their game, it’s a record that feels instantly timeless.

Best tracks: Aquamarine, Belize, The Darkest Part

Listen here

28. Heart Under by Just Mustard

I had some incredible musical discoveries in 2022, but without a doubt one of my favourites has been Just Mustard. Here is what I had to say about their breathtakingly innovative second album back in May:

““This is just a piece of wood with some metal strings attached – you can do whatever you want with it.” If you have never heard the music of Irish quintet Just Mustard before, then this philosophy from guitarist Mete Kalyoncuoglu may offer some early insight into just how they operate. Although they are at their core a traditional five-piece, their distinctive brand of experimental shoegaze sounds like it is being conducted and transmitted by a grand, brooding orchestra from a fantasy realm. It’s dark, otherworldly, and quite frequently brilliant.

Having established themselves off the back of their ultra-raw 2018 debut Wednesday, this sophomore effort from Just Mustard sees them further push the sonic boundaries of their instruments, whilst also bringing in renowned producer David Wrench to further finesse their ambitious soundscapes. Fuelled by lockdown frustrations, artistic struggles and personal grief, the result is an emotional and hugely impressive second outing that firmly builds on the foundations laid by its predecessor.”

Best tracks: Mirrors, Still, Early

Read my full review for Gigwise here

Listen here

27. Autofiction by Suede

Suede have been steadily aging like a fine wine ever since their reformation twelve years ago and in 2022, they even served up one of their finest projects so far in the form of their outstanding ninth studio album, Autofiction.

Where Night Thoughts and The Blue Hour wrapped their anthemic alt-rock in string-tinged majesty, Autofiction brings things back down to basics. It is both a harken back to their early sound to please old school fans, but also a refreshing step forward for those who have followed their comeback journey. Here they harness that raw energy they had in the beginning, but channel it through their naturally more polished musicianship, gained from their now 30+ years in the business.

Most importantly though, every song on here is as good as the last, making it one of their strongest and most consistent records to date. From the opening buzz of lead single She Still Leads Me On, the angsty stomp of the punk-influenced Personality Disorder, the spiralling riffs of The Only Way I Can Love You and Brett Anderson’s falsetto crooning amidst menacing guitars on That Boy On The Stage, it’s just an utterly spellbinding listen from start to finish.

Best tracks: That Boy On The Stage, What Am I Without You, She Still Leads Me On

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26. Dawn of the Freak by The Haunted Youth

During Album of the Year season, I like to ask the Music Twitter community on some of their favourite records of the year, so that I can hopefully catch up on any gems that I might’ve missed. One suggestion from Twitter pal @TarikThirteen was this debut album from Belgian singer-songwriter Joachim Liebens, better known by his alias The Haunted Youth. Now Tarik’s music suggestions are usually exceptional, but even I was surprised at the treasure trove I found when I hit play on The Haunted Youth’s mesmerising debut.

Belgium is clearly the place right now for evocative dream-pop, with one of my regular favourites Oscar & The Wolf also hailing from the region and producing a similar vibe. However, there are also some additional elements to The Haunted Youth’s music that make it unique, with welcome hints of shoegaze, emo and 80s style synthwave thrown in for good measure.

The biggest compliment I can give this album is that the songs are just spectacular and there is literally not a second spared across the album’s 43-minute runtime – everything you would want from an artist’s debut outing. Track 4 Gone is also one of the songs of the year for me, a glorious 7-minute epic that brings together a beautifully hazy blend of shimmering synths and glistening guitars that’ll quickly whisk you away to audio heaven.

I am honestly so happy that this album reached me through word of mouth, as despite it only coming out at the start of November I’ve already played it several times over and, as you can see, its instantly become one of my favourites of the year.

Best tracks: Gone, Shadows, Coming Home

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25. Fear of the Dawn / Entering Heaven Alive by Jack White

Music’s chief mad scientist Jack White truly spoiled us all in 2022, gifting not one but two brilliant new solo albums. A definitive split between them, Entering Heaven Alive contained his more acoustic bluesy cuts whilst Fear of the Dawn boasted his more experimental rock tracks. Impressively, both served up some of his most inspiring work to date.

Fear of the Dawn arrived first, the sound of a frenzied genius keeping himself entertained during lockdown by making whatever sound he damn well pleased. Here, Jack is still playing around and pushing the limits of his blues rock sound, but this time around it is more of a controlled chaos. Where previous effort Boarding House Reach would have you smiling in bemusement at the crazy sounds you were hearing, Fear of the Dawn will have moshing out with your jaw on the floor, as Jack throws humungous riffs and all kinds of playful studio tricks at your ears.

Lead single Taking Me Back is the perfect opener, with some scintillating distorted guitar, buzzy synthesizers, and all of Jack White’s signature swagger. From that point onwards, the album only gets stranger in the best way possible with the rhythmic funk-rock groove of Into The Twilight, the chainsaw-like riffs of What’s The Trick and the brilliantly batshit Q-Tip collaboration, Hi-De-Ho, all standing out.

Now where Fear of the Dawn is the boundary pushing rock record built mostly on thunderous electric guitars, Entering Heaven Alive is a more acoustic, timeless-sounding affair. As a result, it can’t quite match the full-throttle excitement of Fear of the Dawn, but there are still plenty of gems to be found in this collection as well. Lead single Love Is Selfish remains classic Jack White, again tapping into the most timeless and heartfelt nature of his song writing. I’ve Got You Surrounded (With My Love) is another big highlight, based around some jazzy piano and a stinging central guitar riff, harking back to his White Stripes days. Then If I Die Tomorrow rocks up with a wonderfully cinematic slice of modern Americana to deliver the undisputed highlight of both albums for me.

I am yet to decide whether this pair are my favourite Jack White solo efforts to date, but I do know that both are endlessly fun and invigorating projects. Strap in and you will be glued to your headphones, admiring all the mind-melting guitar work and astonishing sonic wonderment on display.

Fear Of The Dawn - Best tracks: What’s The Trick, Taking Me Back, Fear of the Dawn

Entering Heaven Alive - Best tracks: If I Die Tomorrow, Love Is Selfish, All Along The Way

Listen to Fear of the Dawn here

Listen to Entering Heaven Alive here

24. We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong by Sharon Van Etten

You had to know that if anyone was going to harness the darkness that surrounds a lockdown record and turn it into something quite hauntingly beautiful, it was going to be singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten. Fuelled by not just the pandemic but also her own experiences escaping the ferocious Californian wildfires, Van Etten’s sixth album is one forged out of anxiety, uncertainty and despondency.

Opener Darkness Fades is the perfect tone-setter, with Van Etten’s ethereal vocals transcendently gliding across the song’s minimal acoustic backing. Elsewhere, I’ll Try is a shimmering multi-layered pop track, whilst the rumbling bluesy instrumentation of Anything sees Van Etten ironically pouring her heart into the song’s refrain which describes numbed feelings. Headspace however is my clear favourite, a glorious synth-soaked track built around a heartbreakingly affecting chorus of “Baby, don’t turn your back to me.”

This is undoubtedly another remarkable work from Van Etten, an album that astounds and moves both powerfully and frequently. Although we’ve had a lot of lockdown albums by this point, this one could be a late contender for one of the very best.

Best tracks: Headspace, Darkness Fades, Anything

Listen here

23. It’s Almost Dry by Pusha T

From his early days in Clipse with No Malice through to his solo career and iconic guest spots, King Push has rarely put a foot wrong with his output. His 2022 effort, It’s Almost Dry, was no different.

With both Ye and Pharrell Williams on production duties this time around, along with Push himself on top form hitting out some of the best bars of his career, this album really is exceptional. Channelling that same swagger unlocked on Daytona, Pusha’s provocative bars about the brutal drug trade have never sounded so cutting yet so fresh and vibrant, as they are placed up against a collection of quite brilliant soul samples. With the added star power from Pharrell’s production and guest features from the likes of Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, Lil Uzi Vert and Don Toliver, It’s Almost Dry improves in every way on his already superb previous outing.

In terms of highlights there are plenty, with Brambleton, Let The Smokers Shine The Coupes and Dreamin of The Past possibly the best opening trio you’ll hear on any hip hop record this year. Singles Diet Coke and Hear Me Clearly still stand firm, and there’s even a reunion for Clipse on the brilliant closer, I Pray For You.

Overall if you’re a fan of Pusha, Daytona or just hip-hop in general, I guarantee you’re going to enjoy this one. In a year absolutely stacked with excellent rap records, this is one of the best.

Best tracks: Diet Coke, Dreamin Of The Past, Brambleton

Listen here

22. While Your Heart’s Still Beating by Kyla La Grange

To come back with a new album eight long years after her last full-length release, having basically been retired from music is one thing - but to come back better than ever before is another. Not every artist could do it, but that is exactly what synthpop sensation Kyla La Grange did in 2022.

Finally emerging from amidst her impressive horticultural projects (fun fact - La Grange was also nominated for the Gardener's World People's Choice Award this year), her brilliant third album While Your Heart’s Still Beating sees Kyla pick up exactly where she left off. Building on the success of 2014’s Cut Your Teeth, there’s more ambitious sonic exploration, more mature songwriting and a wider perspective that ensures the record hits you deep in all those feels.

The album fittingly begins with her excellent single Neverland - a wonderful, dreamy slice of synth-pop that sees Kyla sing of her desire to not grow up too quickly. It’s a great opener that makes way for the aptly-titled Something Special, a track that wouldn’t sound out of place on the Drive soundtrack with it’s minimal, pulsating synth backing. Nurture was then one of my standout tracks of the first few months of 2022 and it has remained a favourite all year. A deeply intimate, autobiographical track where Kyla presents “a storybook of relationships, from childhood to adulthood”, it really underscores her talent for emotive songwriting.

Elsewhere on the record, you’ll likely be swept away by the atmospheric, slow-trance pulse of Were We Ever, as well as Kyla’s completely unique cover of 90s dance classic, Set You Free by N-Trance. On her version, Kyla takes the rave standard and morphs it into an ambient guitar-driven track. Led by her gorgeous otherworldly vocals, the song steadily builds before erupting into a swell of instrumentation during the final minute. Dare I say it? Yes I do – it’s even better than the original.

So, if you’re a fan of artists like Kate Bush, Bats For Lashes or even Florence & The Machine and haven’t got round to listening to this one yet, spare yourself 30 minutes over the festive period and definitely give this album a spin. She may have been gone a little while but Kyla more than makes up for lost time, delivering a stunning and mightily intoxicating listen from beginning to end. Cut Your Teeth was a special record, but While Your Heart’s Still Beating is the spectacular and faultless career-rebirth that somehow manages to top it.

Best tracks: Nurture, Neverland, Were We Ever

Listen here

21. EBM by Editors

In 2022, I learned there is nothing better than seeing one of your favourite bands attempt an ambitious sonic direction change and not only stick the landing but also deliver one of the best albums of their entire discography in the process. EBM set me alight back in September and has continued to bring me immense joy ever since – here’s what I said in my original review:

“Despite making a career out of these sonic-shifts, EBM feels like a big and bold step into the unknown unlike any they’ve taken previously. The main catalyst for this has been the addition of Benjamin John Power into the fold, better known by his alias of Blanck Mass. The Ivor Novello-winning composer first worked with Editors on 2019’s Blanck Mass Sessions, which was essentially a reimagined and reworked version of their sixth album Violence. Once the pandemic struck, Benjamin and the band continued swapping ideas, eventually forging the colossal blend of synth-pop, alt-rock and spiraling electronica that makes up their new album.

Also co-produced by Blanck Mass, who has since been announced as a full-time member of the band going forward, the result is an astonishing first chapter for this new iteration of Editors. On EBM, the band sound more vibrant, energized and wildly ambitious than ever before, adding colourful new layers to their traditionally sombre, brooding sound. The creative partnership between them really feels like a match made in heaven, with Benjamin able to pull the band into fascinating new dimensions sonically as they lyrically tackle broken Britain, strained relationships and indeed the global pandemic.

EBM marks the start of a thrilling new era for Editors, with Blanck Mass helping them to forge a dazzling electronic epic that also lays down some exciting building blocks for future releases. Now twenty years into their career, it’s refreshing to see the band continue to be daring, trying these new ideas and still not putting a foot wrong.”

Best tracks: Strawberry Lemonade, Heart Attack, Picturesque

Read my full review for HeadStuff here

Listen here

This weekend - Top EPs, Gigs and AOTY Honourable Mentions, all before the daily countdown of My Top 20 Albums of the Year begins on Sunday!

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lugiepie · 1 year

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i need everyone to remember that kyla eats kids and she’s not purely this wholesome “i love you im adopting you” bit 100% of the time. she is a girlboss.

#lugie says something stupid #actual fucking brainrot #i thought this was important for some reason #bc i’m currently doing a discord rp and i was like #oh shit people might not realize kyla is actually FUCKING FERAL #i mean all beastiams are feral but she’s like extra feral

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storiesofsvu · 10 days

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Decadent Desires Ch 2

Future Emily Prentiss x reader Warnings: language, alcohol consumption, sexual situations alluded to. Okay y'all were super interactive on the first chapter so I figured I'd give you an early chapter as a treat. Lol.

A full week had passed, another one full of overbearing work, handling the slight squabbling from the team while also dealing with constant badgering from the higher ups and Emily was over it. She scooped the final bite of linguine out of the pan, chewing it down while she moved the dish into the dishwasher thankful at least that she didn’t have to hand wash things tonight. It had been an annoying week and the bottle of wine on the counter had been calling her name since about two in the afternoon, the thought of an orgasm to relieve some stress on her mind from the moment she got home. However it wasn’t close enough to shower or bed time yet so the wine would have to do for now.

Emily refilled her glass, picked up her phone and opened the door to the patio, figuring at the very least she could enjoy the warm evening and actually get some fresh air after being cooped up in the office all week. Settling into one of the chairs she swiped open her phone and immediately had to resist the temptation to check her email, reminding herself she wouldn’t be so frustrated if she left work at work unless it was completely urgent. So she scrolled through a couple of social media apps, wasting time looking at pictures posted by friends, which in turn made her feel even more like she was missing out on something. She closed Instagram and her thumb hovered over the screen while she tried to figure out what to doom-scroll on next, finding herself staring at the little red apps Heather had installed. She took a breath, a large sip of wine and bit the bullet, opening the first one and she was pleasantly surprised she could scroll through a handful of profiles without setting one up for herself first.

‘Caitlin. 21.’

“Okay well you’re barely legal.” Emily muttered to herself, scrolling down further.

‘Steven. 32.’

A better age, but still a step in the wrong direction.

‘Kyla. 38.’

Better. But she could only see the main picture, age and location. Pulling her lip into her mouth she flicked around through a couple of pages until she found the how to tips and realized she would have to make a profile after all, even if it was just to see more information. She let out a huff, closing the app, hesitating only a minute before she opened up her text conversation with Heather.

‘Are you SURE this is a good idea?’

Her phone buzzed only a few seconds later.

‘The apps are fine. I’m assuming you haven’t even made a profile yet and it’s just pushing out what it thinks people want to see. You can curate your own experience once you put in your preferences.’

‘And if it still sucks?’

‘Oh come on, what’s the harm in one date? At the very least it’ll keep you entertained.’

‘Who said I’m not entertained?’

‘It’s Friday night and you’re texting me instead of being out somewhere.’

‘And you’re answering.’

‘I’m waiting for Rob to pull the car around; you just caught me at a convenient time.’ ‘Make a profile. There’s no harm in seeing what’s out there. You can blame me if it’s terrible.’

‘Add on a free lunch.’

‘Tell you what, this doesn’t work, I’ll bump it up to dinner and show you a couple of the discreet clubs around the city.’

‘Mark me down as intrigued. Deal.’

Emily let out a huff, swigging back a mouthful of wine before finally reopening the first app to start to put together her own profile. Maybe there really was a chance that this could work out.

Carly. 35.

Emily was almost late, one work call turning into another, turning into getting put on hold meant she didn’t have time to go change after work, arriving at Smoke and Mirrors still in her business casual. She was just in the nick of time and instantly found her date nestled into a cozy table on the patio overlooking the river, martini already in front of her.

It wasn’t necessarily that she slipped back into work mode, but her job did help her meet and interact with new people on a regular basis fairly easily. A warm smile and greeting, unsure how awkward something like a handshake would be considering the situation. A few rounds of drinks, a couple of split appetizers, and a decent enough time. While Carly could hold a perfectly good conversation and Emily could see them perhaps being friendly in the future, it wasn’t the right vibe. It certainly wasn’t helping that Emily could practically feel every set of eyes in the lounge on them throughout the night and that you didn’t have to be a profiler to put it together what kind of a situation was going on. It made Emily uncomfortable, like everyone was judging them, more specifically, her. If the two of them had been more friendly to each other right off the bat you might have been able to tell that it wasn’t a date, that they were colleagues or friends but that simply wasn’t the case. Her mind wandered to the thought that there was someone in the room that likely just assumed they were mother, daughter and that made her skin absolutely crawl and instantly ask if they could get the check. She at least felt a little bit better when Carly offered to split it, offering her a small smile that meant she was about on the same page.

Alice. 36.

This time Emily gave herself more than enough time to get home, have a glass of wine to help her relax and change into something more date appropriate. Alice had recommended Fiola and Emily had simply gone along with it, not realizing just how high end it actually was, her eyes widening at the fact that a single cocktail could set you back twenty-five to almost thirty dollars much less the food menu. At the very least, it seemed like the restaurant’s lounge was the place to be for date night on a Thursday, couples scattered throughout the place in various levels of dress. She noticed something on the menu advertising it being the place to be prior to theatre events and their server asked if they were attending a show tonight.

Emily had a little bit more faith in this one, feeling more comfortable considering the setting, actually relaxing as she laughed over her very expensive drink. It didn’t take long for the conversation to roll around to what one did when not out on the town and she let it slip that she worked for the government, a few more carefully worded questions and Alice had enough to figure out she was a fed, excusing herself to use the bathroom. When the room started to clear and Emily realized the other woman’s purse was gone from the back of her chair she let out a soft groan, realizing she was definitely stuck with the pricey cheque.

Lily 31.

Emily knew going in this one could be risky based off age alone. Lily’s profile seemed like she did this full time and she already wasn’t sure about things by the time she set foot into 1798. Her suspicions were confirmed when her phone went off with an urgent call she had to take, letting out a sigh as she returned to the table explaining that she had to leave for work and likely wouldn’t be back for a few days at least. In return Lily let out a huff and a whine like she was a toddler, crossing her arms over her chest and demanded that Emily pay for a three course dinner and send her roses each day she was going to be gone since she had wasted her time. Emily outwardly laughed, saying drinks were the only thing she’d even agreed to have, much less pay for and left as fast as she came in.

Kimberly. 39.

This one got postponed immediately as a case kept them out of town longer than anticipated. They were still only chatting back and fourth on the app and Emily was venting about being the one in charge and how her team were agents and you’d think they could handle certain things themselves but apparently not. She woke up the next morning to find a couple of messages that insinuated Kimberly might have been doing other things for money that weren’t exactly legal and thought it wasn’t a good idea to get involved with a cop. After Emily sent a reply agreeing, the match disappeared.

Emma. 34.

This one started off slow, a match, Emily shot off a message and waited a while to hear back. She was pleasantly surprised when her phone pinged with the reply she’d been hoping to get for a few days. They got along wonderfully, everything seemed to be falling right into place, their opinions, expectations, they shared a handful of the same favourite movies, foods, for once it seemed like things would be perfect. Emily opened the app when she got home from work that night to ask her out for drinks that weekend to find that she’d been completely ghosted, unmatched and no way to find Emma again.

Kori. 40.

The second match that had gone off without a hitch and a plan to meet at Blue Duck Tavern that coming Thursday night. Emily arrived a little bit early thanks to a complete lack of traffic and figured she would just grab a drink at the bar while waiting. You could only imagine her confusion when she was tapped on the shoulder and turned around to see an older than middle aged man with a timid smile introducing himself, apologizing that he didn’t look like his pictures.

That one earned an eye roll and a ‘yeah, right’ before Emily was heading for the door.

The week had finally come to a close and Emily had dismissed the BAU shortly after lunch, telling the team to get out of there while they still had the chance and everyone was quick to leave the building, herself included. Construction rerouted her normal commute home and when she ended up in the same neighbourhood as Heather’s office her mind wandered back to how unsuccessful her past two weeks had been and before she even really realized it, she was pulling into the parking lot.

“I’m being serious Heather, it’s fucking terrible.” She groaned, dropping down into a chair across from the other woman’s desk. “This is almost as bad as dating men was.”

“From what I heard some of them are men.” Heather replied with a tease and Emily shot her a glare.

“I just thought this would be easier.”

“Finding the right fit is the hard part, it’ll smooth over once you do.” Heather flipped the book in front of her closed, standing from her chair and crossing over to the liquor cart, filling up two glasses of scotch.

“I didn’t want to deal with the hard part though.” Emily continued to mope, thanking her for the glass.

“Drink. You’re too pent up.” She settled back at her desk, “you really do need to get laid.”

“Don’t you think I’m trying!?” She sucked back a mouthful of the liquor, stewing in her thoughts for a moment. “Please tell me you’re having more success in this than I am, how’s your bartender doing?”

“Are you kidding?” Heather laughed, “you saw her. She’s practically pathetic. She was pretty enough, but my god the level of insecurity? The constant whining and worrying? Don’t get me wrong, I love a good brat but there was no way she wouldn’t have been crying on my doorstep begging me to leave my husband in a week’s time.”

“Have you had that happen before?” Her eyes widened at the sheer thought of it as Heather nodded.

“Best piece of advice I can give you, don’t let them know where you live. Stick to hotels.”

“Noted.”

“What are you having the biggest trouble with? Maybe I can help.”

Emily sighed softly, swirling her cup as she stared into it, sorting through the string of failed dates, “honestly I don’t even know. Maybe I just need to play around with the age range…. Would probably help to bump it up a little it.”

“Anything under thirty-five does usually end up getting messy.”

“I want someone who has their life a little bit more put together; you know?”

“Mmhmm.” Heather replied over the rim of her drink, “you need to make sure that this isn’t their only source of income, that they have something else going on to fill their time and bank account up. Maybe someone who has an actual partner.”

“I don’t know about that.” Her nose crinkled, “would feel wrong. But someone who has a full time job and wouldn’t be completely dependant on me certainly would be nice. I don’t have the time or energy for that.”

“You need a gorgeous, ambitious girl who knows how to be discreet in public and likes get her brains fucked out in private.”

“Exactly.” She laughed, taking another sip of her drink as Heather tilted her phone screen towards her, hitting a couple of buttons before returning her attention to the other woman, “you know, if you ever think of changing career paths…”

“Become a matchmaker for sugar babies?” She chuckled, “there would likely be a market for that, maybe after retirement.”

Emily laughed, shaking her head as she watched the wheels start turning in the other woman’s head. She heard a brief knock on the door behind her before it swung open,

“I didn’t realize you needed this by the end of the day, sorry.” You swung through the office, coming to perch on the side of Heather’s desk as you handed her the file.

“It’s alright, it slipped my mind too.” Heather replied as she opened the file, skimming through it.

Her eyes flicked over to Emily briefly, watching the way her gaze drifted from the designer heels on your feet all the way to the necklace laying against your collarbone. You were dressed professionally yet incredibly stylish, dark pencil skirt, a peach sleeveless blouse tucked into it, blazer no doubt laying over the back of your desk chair. A delicate silver watch around one wrist, perfectly manicured nails and eyes that were suddenly set on her.

“Hi, sorry to interrupt. You’re FBI, right? Prentiss?” Your words jolted her out of her trance and she caught herself scrambling over the fact that you knew her name, wondering if she’d left her ID badge on after work.

“Well now I feel bad.” She laughed.

“Don’t.” Heather cut in, her eyes back on the file, “she just does checks on anyone that comes in here.”

“Ignore her.” You replied with a grin, sticking out your hand to introduce yourself, “y/n Walton.”

“And you’re what? Secret security?” Emily asked with a tease and you laughed as Heather tucked the file away into her desk.

“She’s the head of my PR team, does incredible work.”

“I should hope so, you practically groomed me into the assistant you needed.”

“I did not—” Heather scoffed, “you’re a horrible tease.”

“I do my job and then some, and I do it phenomenally.” You showboated for a second, grinning over at Emily before looking up at your boss, “which is why I’m double checking it’s still okay to duck out early tonight?”

“Why?” The other woman asked with a smirk, “you have a hot date or something?”

“Heather, please.” You barked out a laugh, “you’re a slave driver! You know I don’t have time to properly date with my schedule.”

“So why the need to play hooky?”

“A new Netflix special drops at six and I have a frozen pizza, a pint of ice cream and that bottle of Bordeaux screaming my name.” You slipped off the side of her desk, “besides, you still owe me the OT for putting together the gift baskets and flower arrangements for Senator Reeves. You do remember you have an assistant for that kind of shit, right?”

“Oh but sweetheart you’re so much better than them.”

“I know.” You grinned at her, “which is why I’m leaving early.”

She laughed, shaking her head, “keep your phone on.”

“Of course.” You turned, smiling across at Emily, “nice to meet you Agent Prentiss.”

Emily couldn’t help the way her eyes followed you out of the room before she finally turned back to Heather who was grinning like the cheshire cat over the rim of her drink.

“What?” She asked, feigning confusion and Heather chuckled.

“You liked what you saw.”

“Hard not to.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you drool like that over someone before.”

“I—I was not drooling!”

“Maybe not from your mouth.”

“Heather!” Emily felt her cheeks begin to burn, attempting to hide behind her glass as the brunette let out a dark laugh.

“Here, at least take her phone number.” Picking up a pen she scrawled the digits out onto a post it note, handing it to Emily.

“I don’t have time to date, you know this.”

“And you heard her.” She gestured toward the door, “she doesn’t either. You wanted someone with their head on straight who is comfortable occupying themselves when you’re working. I make her schedule; I guarantee she works as many hours as you do. Besides… she’s done this a couple of times before.”

That caught Emily’s attention, looking up from the yellow paper in her hand with her brow furrowed, “really?”

“Yes.”

“With women?”

“She needed some help through college, I was bored.” Heather shrugged, “worked out for both of us and now she’s on my actual payroll.”

“She’s been working for you that long?”

“Mmhm.” Heather nodded.

“So you really did groom her?” Emily teased and it was Heather’s turn to scoff, rolling her eyes.

“Just call her.” She half glared, “god knows she could use a night out, and one where she doesn’t have to rub elbows with politicians the entire time. She deserves a break and likely needs a good fuck, both of which I’m sure you can give to her.”

“We really don’t need to have that conversation.” She laughed, tucking the post it into her pocket, “but thank you. I will think about it.”

“Don’t think too long.” Heather smiled as Emily got up from her chair, scooping up her jacket from the back of it. “If you come back here in two weeks complaining about the shitty apps and you haven’t called her yet I’ll start feeding her lies about how much you suck.”

“Okay, okay.” She laughed, “I’ll call. And I’ll see you later.”

_________________

@mickey-gomez @momlifebehard @daddy-heather-dunbar @maybe-a-humanbean @rustyzebra @leftoverenvy @kades95 @dextur @supercriminalbean @emilyprentisssluvr @lex13cm @zizzlekwum @emobabeyy @riveramorylunar @scorpsik @onmykneesformarvel @inlovewithemilyprentiss @regalmilfs4me @ara-a-bird @five-bi-five-mind @inlovewithmiddleagewomen @hotchs-bitch @ollysmulti @kmc1989 @irishavengersassemble @hopedoesntknow @venromanova @waitaminuteashh @noahrex @imlike-so-gaydude @wittygutsy @cx-emerald-cx @momily @nilaues @borinxnovak @soverign @v3nusxsky @blackbird-brewster @mccdreamys-writes @l4yne @obsessedwjill @supercorpstan97 @asolitaryrose3 @honeyycatt @trauma-factory @lisqueen

#emily prentiss #emily prentiss x reader #criminal minds #decadent desires #criminal minds fanfic #emily prentiss fanfiction #heather dunbar

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vialovesyou · 2 months

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𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗯 𝗥𝗔𝗙𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗢𝗡

" what's up, y/n/n" grinned barry, kissing his teeth as the girl came into the beatdown trailer. a white sundress clung to her hips as the brunette pushed her perfectly curled hair over her shoulder looking up at barry through her long lashes.

" darlin’, this is country club " barry introduced, barely lifting a finger as he gestured to a blonde man sitting across from him. the blonde's head snapped up, his biceps tensing through his polo shirt as y/n scoffed lightly.

" rafe cameron, never thought i'd see the day " she spoke, a laugh falling from her plump lips. y/n had met rafe once or twice since her best friend kyla was dating some guy who y/n didn't bother to learn the name of that happened to be friends with rafe.

" y/n" rafe greeted, nodding his head towards the girl who opened the bag which rested on her shoulders and dropped a wad off cash infront of barry, the bracelets which hung from her wrist jingling as she did so .

truth be told, rafe had never seen y/n sober. he wasn't all too surprised, the girl was known for her party girl ways. it was the typical good girl gone bad scenario, one he had seen play out one too many times.

" i need 20g's for the party kyla's throwing tonight " y/n told him, closing the clasp on her purse as she looked down at barry boredly. " still doin' luke's dirty work, are ya' sweetheart?" barry asked, scratching his stubble causing y/n to roll her eyes at the mention of her ex boyfriend.

" i'd rather shove a nail file up my nose " she hummed, her sweet tone unchanged despite her bitter words. " two grand good enough ? " she asked gesturing to the stack of cash which now lay among the empty plastic baggies and beer bottles.

" anything for my favourite customer " barry smirked, pushing off the ratty sofa to retrieve the stuff leaving y/n and rafe.

" you do coke? " he asked, his voice raspy while he glanced up at y/n. the girl pouted her lips, sitting down across from rafe causing the dress to inch up her thigh even higher as she crossed her legs over.

" it's not for me " she answered simply, brown eyes boring into rafe's.

" so who's it for? " he shot back, causing the girl to pull a face at his tone. she had never spoke to him more than twice, so why did he care so much. " what's it to you? " she replied, leaning forward causing the dress to slip revealing more of her cleavage.

rafe glanced down at her chest, before looking away his jaw ticking in annoyance just as barry came back with a bundle of small plastic baggies. " this good, y/n/n? " he asked, handing it to the girl who held it up, cocking her head to the side before she placed them into her bag.

" pleasure doing business with you " she smiled, spinning on her heel revealing the white ribbon tying the top half of her hair together and walking over to the door. " oh and rafe " she spoke softly, causing him to look over at her. " you should come by tonight"

#outerbanks #drew starkey fluff #rafe cameron angst #drew starkey angst #rafe cameron #drewstarkey #rafe cameron fluff #rafe cameron smut #jjmaybankangst #obx

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catdotjpeg · 1 month

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Freshman Brandon Goodson wants his math teacher back. Goodson and approximately 30 other students walked out of class this morning at 9:30 to protest math teacher Kayla Thompson’s absence. “It’s not fair,” Goodson said. “We’re standing for her because she can’t do it by herself.”

On Sunday, March 17, Thompson was named Pirate Hero of the Month. Riverside [High School in Durham, North Carolina] posted a photo of her posing with the award in front of a Palestinian flag on Facebook and Instagram. In the days that followed, dozens of commenters, many of whom are not affiliated with Riverside, criticized the flag. “This kind of propaganda should not be allowed in the classroom,” one commenter who lives in Raleigh wrote. “She certainly isn’t creating a safe environment for her Jewish students.” “Why does she have a Palestinian flag in her classroom? That is highly inappropriate and awful for her Jewish students to have to deal with in the classroom,” wrote another. Thompson’s students, however, thought differently. “I didn’t view it as anti-semitic,” said junior Tiam Famet, Thompson’s second period teaching assistant. “Ms. Thompson saw that people in Palestine were hurting and she wanted to voice her support, and she did that by hanging up the flag.” “She had the flag up for a really long time,” said freshman Kyla Bannerman, a student in Thompson’s first period class. The social media posts were deleted, and on Tuesday during first period RHS administrators asked Thompson to remove the flag. She took the flag down, then left campus and has not returned. Later that day, Thompson’s third period students recreated the flag with dry erase markers on the board.

Assistant principal Greg Goble declined to comment about the week’s events. Thompson also declined an interview with The Pirates’ Hook, but said she hopes to speak about the incident soon. During the protest, several students held signs saying “Free Palestine,” “Is This Scary DPS?” and “End The Occupation.” A parent dropping off her child at school began arguing with students about a particular sign. The woman walked toward the protesters and began yelling, stating that they were “promoting suicide bombers.” In response, students chanted “Free Palestine!” Student Resource Officers (SROs) and administrators asked her to leave campus. Thompson’s students protested again during A-Lunch. “[Administration] just brushed it to the side,” Goodson said. “That’s why we stood up for the class. We were her voice.”

-- "Kayla Thompson was named Pirate Hero of the Month. She hasn’t been to work since." by Isaiah Heinz, Delia Aguilar, Taliyah Cooper and Elena Paces-Wiles for The Pirates' Hook, 22 Mar 2024

#palestine #usa #youth activism #north carolina #durham

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thanksfortheflaglove · 1 year

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#im back #yes i did take an edible and am high but im back #kylas thoughts

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out-of-the-forest-i-come · 2 months

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Feminist Non-Fiction Recs

Because feminism isn't only about your own voice and your own rights, but about the liberation of all women, it's important to uplift the voices of women who are rarely heard. To honour this international day of Women's Rights, here are some recommendations for non-fiction feminist theory books centered on women of colour.

Please note that this is a non-exhaustive list, and that some very important works might not figure on it. Take it as inspiration, not as a binding list of works to have read, and remember that this is only the surface of women of colour's writings on feminism.

all of bell hooks' books, but I would recommend "Ain't I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism" to start with intersectional feminism

There Is No Hierarchy of Oppression; by Audre Lorde

Sister Outsider; by Audre Lorde (all of Audre Lorde, actually)

Hood Feminism; by Mikki Kendall

White Tears, Brown Scars; by Ruby Hamad

Mediocre; Ijeoma Oluo

We Should All Be Feminists; by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This Bridge Called My Back; an anthology edited by Cherríe Moraga and Gloria E. Anzaldúa

Bad Feminist; by Roxane Gay

I Am Malala; by Malala Yousafzai

Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment; by Patricia Hill Collins

Arab & Arab American Feminisms: Gender, Violence, & Belonging; an anthology edited by Rabab Abduhaldi, Evelyn Alsultany and Nadine Naber

Making Space for Indigenous Feminism; an anthology edited by Joyce Green

Beyond Veiled Clichés: The Real Lives of Arab Women; by Amal Awad

The Trouble with White Women: A Counterhistory of Feminism; by Kyla Schuller

A Decolonial Feminism; Françoise Vergès

Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower; by Brittney Cooper

Women, Race, & Class; by Angela Y. Davis

These books really only scrape the surface of an intersectional approach of feminism focused on race, and if you want to discover more works, I would recommend looking at intersectional feminism and decolonial feminism. Also, if you're not a native English speaker or if you speak fluently multiple languages, I recommend looking for feminist books originally written in other languages that may not have been translated to English, as they offer a perspective that is not so American-centered, which I feel is the case in too much of today's feminism.

#international women's day #feminist books #feminist theory #intersectional feminism #decolonial feminism #women of color #non fiction books #book recs #book recommendations

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dancer-subclarington · 1 year

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100% - Free question: What’s your relationship with your parents like?

My mom and I have had a strained relationship since I moved out and discovered she made some blunders raising me, and my father threw out my teenage brother because he was gay, which I learned more than a decade after the fact and I totally can’t wrap my head around it.

We’re good.

#strikethrough is thoughts #1st gif is behind the scenes #rest is public #answered #about kyla

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ciaonicole85 · 16 days

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Chapter 2: Getting to Know You

I recently wrote a post-season 2 story about Carmy helping with Sydney's apartment search. I wanted to back track a little to get into his head space just after the Friends and Family almost disaster, but prior to the apartment hunt, during which he is hopelessly crushing on Sydney. Mostly, it's backstory and gives more context to why Carmen is who he is :)

When Carmy stumbled frozen and broken out of the walk-in the night of Friends and Family, Sydney was waiting for him. However, something in his eyes made her reconsider whatever she had been planning to say. She pointed him to sit on floor against a stove she had turned on and made him hot tea. Wordlessly she sat on the floor next to him until he finished. When he tried to speak, nothing came out. His icy mottled fist began to circle his chest, but Sydney closed her hand over his.

"We'll start over again tomorrow."

Weeks later Carmen asked her why she hadn't quit that night. She said "Your face…it looked like mine did when I lost Sheridan."

In return she had asked him what happened with Claire and if it had been her fault.

"No. She thought she knew me, but she didn't and honestly, we didn't have anything in common."

The more Carm thought about Claire the sorrier he felt about how he'd behaved and the less he regretted the break-up. Claire was his high school dream girl. She was always kind to him, despite being able to mingle in nearly every clique at school. She was as comfortable with the student government club, as she was with the skaters. Everyone liked her and for no apparent reason she frequently stopped at his locker to ask if he had gum or invite him to study. So he always kept a pack of gum for her, but was too shy to join her study group. Once she and two of her friends ambushed him after school and convinced him to come to a party the night prior to graduation. He decided he might as well not end his high school career without ever having gone to one. The party was held in woods behind one of the football player's homes. There was a bonfire, cheap beer, too few cups, and couples making out or swaying to "Die in Your Arms".

Claire found a clean Solo cup and they shared a drink as she gazed into his eyes.

"I love this song"

"Yeah…it's popular".

Natalie had been playing Justin Bieber non-stop for the last few years and Carm was almost willing to give up all music if he never had to listen to him sing another note.

He didn't remember the rest of the conversation, but at some point Claire kissed him. 12 years later when they began dating she brought up the night of the party and how he looked so surprised and blushed.

"You were so cute. I bet it was your first kiss!"

"No, but almost" he said a little taken aback. As pleased as he was that Claire was interested, he felt like her project. Something about their relationship reminded him of a cheesy 80's teen movie. Too sweet. Not enough acid.

He could have saved them both a lot of trouble if he'd not given her any number, much less a fake one. But it was Claire, the brilliant, fearless, beautiful girl he'd used to sketch over and over again and she wanted HIM. He liked her so much back then. She went off to Michigan State and he began peeling mushrooms at a restaurant eventually becoming Carmen Berzatto "the most excellent CDC at the most excellent restaurant in the entire United States of America."

But before Claire, in 7th grade summer school, there was Kyla Branson. Carmy needed to take 7th grade math again before they'd pass him to 8th grade and Kyla was a transfer student. She had just finished 6th grade, and was taking 7th grade math and English early, because she was a pianist. A whole freakin' prodigy that would be touring with Eric Clapton later that fall. The math teacher had told the class, much to Kyla's obvious discomfort.

On the third day the class split into pairs to do an assignment and Carmy and Kyla were paired. He could barely look at her. Kyla had thick curly eyelashes which framed her large black brown eyes, her hair was usually brushed up into a soft coily bun like a ballerina, she wore small white diamond earrings in her shockingly small ears, and she had an heart-breakingly cute overbite that showed whenever she smiled. Carmy was gone over this little black girl. She was very shy too, but an overachiever so she persevered in making him talk enough to get the work done.

Once she saw his sketches on the back of his notebook and said he was artist. Using his best charcoal pencils he drew a portrait of her in the privacy of the attic at home. On the last day of summer school he gave it to her when class dismissed and dashed out of the room, his face redder than Heinz ketchup. Kyla caught up with him outside and grabbed his hand leading him out of the view of the car pick-up line.

"Thank you Carmen. I think you're beautiful too" Kyla whispered and kissed him full on the mouth. For three seconds. Then she ran back to the car pick up line, got into her parent's car and Carmen never saw her again.

Once he thought he saw her. The eyes and overbite were startling familiar, but the name was different. It was the day that Sydney Adamu walked into The Beef. It was the day that someone saw who he really was again.

#the bear #sydcarmy #sydney adamu #sydney x carmy #carmy the bear #carmen berzatto #carmy x sydney #carmy berzatto #syd adamu #fan fiction #fan fic

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graciegoeskrazy · 3 months

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a change of heart

george daniel + charli xcx + daughter/stepdaughter!reader

warnings: men lol, breaking up, cheating, language, short n sweet!, das it i think???

a/n: alrightttttt. another part (but not quite part 2) to the ‘do u think i have forgotten’ universe. k love u byeeeeee.

y/n | are u both home?

mumsie | i am. george is on his way.

y/n | are u guys going out tnt?

mumsie | we were thinking about it? not sure yet.

y/n | can you not?

mumsie | sure ofc. are you okay?

george | do you not want me to come over?

y/n | no it’s not that. i need you both there plz.

george | ok im almost there. u alright?

mumsie | baby what’s going on?

y/n | lucas cheated on me.

george | what?

mumsie | you’re kidding.

y/n | no. we broke up.

mumsie | where are you?

y/n | on the bus. almost home.

george | I’m pulling up.

…

As soon as the door opened, Your mom and George were on their feet, walking toward the door. Their eyes found you while you were locking the door. Your eyes were red and your cheeks were littered with tear stains. You faced them and continued to silently sob.

“Oh, honey,” Charli said. She and George both reached out their arms for you. They pulled you into the tightest hug as more tears fell and you sobbed. They both exchanged worried glances, realizing they were in for much much more than they had originally thought. “C'mon. Let’s go sit down.” She said.

They brought you to the couch. You sat down in between the pair and immediately continued crying into George’s chest. Charli pulled your legs onto her lap so now you were laid out on both of them.

Once your cries started to turn quiet, Charli spoke. “What happened?”

You pulled your phone out of your back pocket and pulled up a photo, showing it to the two of them. “My friends sent me this.”

The couple leaned in. George especially was in disbelief. “Oh my god.” He said.

“Is that Kyla?!” Your mom asked, slightly yelling.

“Yeah.” You said.

George looked down at you. “Who’s Kyla?” He asked, moving a piece of hair behind your ear, coaxing you to come out.

“My friend. Or at least used to be.” You said.

“Bloody hell.”

Charli looked away from the phone. “Did you talk to him?”

“Yeah. Both of them.”

“What happened?”

You sighed, “He said nothing, she said ‘I’m so sorry’ and I said ‘Go fuck yourself.’”

George kissed your forehead and pulled you closer. “That’s my girl.”

You continued. “Everyone saw. It was equally awesome and embarrassing.”

Your mom leaned in to wipe your fallen tears. “It’s okay. They just saw how much of a badass you are.”

You sighed “I hate men.”

The two chuckled. “I hate them and their stupid pretty faces.”

“You think I’m pretty?” George said, smiling.

“Fuck off.” You smacked him lightly.

“No, you’re right. We’re idiots.” George said.

Charli gestured for you to sit up. “Lucas isn’t a man. He’s a skinny white boy who hasn’t even fully gone through puberty yet, while you are a smart, stunning, amazing young lady, and he’s an idiot who just lost the best thing he’s ever had. You don’t need him.”

Look looked down somberly.

Your mom continued. “Wipe those tears. We’re gonna have a fun night. Do you wanna go shopping? We can get you an outfit for tomorrow. Your take on the Lady Di revenge dress!”

You shrugged. “I guess.”

“Yeah? We can force George to come and laugh at how uncomfortable and annoyed he looks. He’ll be our bag holder.”

Usually, a joke like that made you laugh, but they definitely noticed when you didn't even smile. “What, my love?”

You continued to cry again. “I really liked him, guys.”

George pulled you back into a hug and Charli fought the urge to cry herself. “Sweet girl…” George said.

Your mom patted your leg and sat up, heading towards the door. “C’mon. We’re going to the mall.”

…

The ride was quiet. George handed you the aux cord telling you to play whatever you wanted, but you said you didn't care. That was a definite sign to them that you were heartbroken. He shrugged and just put on Taylor Swift and you scolded him when he was about to play a non-Taylor’s Version.

While at the mall, your mom and you grabbed a few things to try on while George, as promised, held and wore the bags. While they were waiting for you to come out of the dressing room for a so-called fashion show, Charli noticed George’s expression.

“You alright?” She questioned

“Mhm.” He sighed.

“You sure? You have your thinking face on.”

“I thought you said it was sexy?” He asked jokingly.

“Very much so.” She said, in a joking seductive tone.

She patted his thigh and looked at him. “What’s going on?” She asked worriedly.

“Nothing, just…teenagers are fucking brutal.”

…

By the end of the trip, you were exhausted. You ran outside and headed to the car, ready to pass out and go home. Meanwhile, your parents took their time getting to the car, George, carrying all the shopping bags and both their purses.

“Thank you,” Charli said.

“No need, I look fabulous with a Coach bag.”

She laughed, then continued. “No, for being here. For being here for her.”

George just shrugged. “Nowhere else I’d rather be.”

#george daniel x daughter!reader #x daughter!reader #the 1975 #george daniel x you #george daniel

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journeyintofiction · 1 year

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Jealousy

Request by Anon: Jealous Shuri

Happy reading :)

I stand before a floor length mirror in our shared chambers, staring at the beautiful dress Shuri had made specifically for this occasion. It’s a long red dress that has puffy sleeves, a fitted bodice, and flares out towards my feet. The little patterns, upon closer inspection, are flowers with the compliment of flecks of gold woven into the fabric. I look at myself and feel genuinely beautiful and almost like a princess who walked right out of a fairytale.

“Are you almost ready?”Shuri yelled from the bathroom.

“Yeah, just putting the finishing touches”, I replied with a small smile on my face. Tonight we were going to a charity gala that was being hosted by our mutual friend, Kyla. It was the first outing since everything that happened with the Talokan. It took some convincing for Shuri to feel up to the idea of going out into public, but she couldn’t say no to attending a charity gala for a good cause.

Shuri struts out of the bathroom and I take a moment to appreciate her outfit. She wears a jumpsuit that is black with accents of silver to compliment her typical jewelry. Her shoes are black heels that aren’t too high but high enough that her jumpsuit doesn’t brush against the floor.

“You look beautiful my love, you should dress like this more often.” I say with a smirk on my face.

In response she looks at me with an eyebrow raised and says, “oh really? I thought you liked me with less on?”

I feel my face get warm, thank god my complexion hides my blush, and respond “You know what I mean”. She opens her mouth to make another snarky quip but I beat her to it and get down to business. “Come on we need to go, the last thing we need is to be late.”, I say with a sense of urgency.

Shuri nods and responds, “Alright, Alright let's go.”

Once we arrive at the venue we step onto the red carpet and hold hands for pictures and move inside to greet our friend who is hosting the event.

“Y/N! Shuri! You guys are finally here, ugh I didn't know what I was going to do if you two didn’t show up” our friend Kyla says with exaggerated desperation.

I roll my eyes and respond with the same exaggeration, “You would just have to cancel everything if we didn’t show up, how pitiful that would have been.”

For a moment we all look at each other and then bust out laughing before calming down. Once calm we decided to walk around and mingle with the other guests while introducing ourselves to those we didn’t know. And at some point Shuri and I split off but we're close enough to see each other and come to one another's rescue if we see that the conversation isn’t going well. Just as I am moving to make my way back to Shuri’s side, a young man steps in front of me.

“Good evening” the man says in a deep voice. I look at him and realize he looks vaguely familiar but I cannot put my finger on it. I quickly realize I have been staring and quiet for longer than acceptable.

“Good evening, how are you?”, I decided that to find his intentions it was necessary to do small talk despite my deep seated hatred for it. I continue on and say, “ I don't believe we’ve met yet.”

He looked at me and blinked, almost shocked that I didn’t seem to recognize him at the moment and said, “ It’s me, Thomas from high school. I know I have changed a bit, but not so much that I'm unrecognizable.”

I quickly realize that's why he is so familiar to me but I’m slightly confused because we never kept in contact and he wasn’t in my group of friends in high school. Outside of the occasional greetings in class and the hallways we never interacted much.

Without noting my unease and confusion he continues on, “I hear that you are really big in the tech industry.”

I nod and try to laugh off the unsettling feeling I get from him and try to back out of the conversation without being rude.Then he does something I was hoping he wouldn’t.

He looks at me and in a raised voice asks, “Would you like to dance?”

With a proclamation like that I can’t say no without looking like an ass so I nodded and took his outstretched hand. All while I was frantically looking at Shuri but she had turned away for the moment and couldn’t remove me from the situation or cut in.

The first thing I noticed was how low his hand was on my back and how he constantly stares at me. It was weird and uncomfortable but I wasn’t going to make a scene and cause chaos so I just remained tense and was counting down the seconds until the dance ended. When we turned to the direction of Shuri I saw she was staring at the two of us with an expression that was neutral. But I could tell she was irritated and surprisingly, a touch jealous.

Thomas tried to continue engaging in conversation but it lacked any sincerity and I quickly went from friendly to polite with thinly veiled annoyance. Just as the dance was going to be completed he moves towards my face and kisses me on the cheek before I can pull away. I was shocked and disturbed that he would just kiss me out of nowhere with no warning or consent and just as I got ready to voice my displeasure Shuri appeared.

“I would appreciate it if you didn’t kiss my girlfriend without her explicit consent.” she stated while removing his hands from my waist.

He looked confused momentarily and then looked quite embarrassed about the whole display and quickly apologized to us, then made himself scarce.

Shuri looked concerned and asked, “Are you okay my love? Did he touch you in any other way that made you uncomfortable?”

I shook my head no and looked at her and still saw a tinge of jealousy and I cocked my head to the side and asked her quietly, “ Were you jealous of him dancing with me?”

She paused and looked at me then sighed, “yes.”

“Shuri-” I started

She shushed me and pulled me into a dance “ I am not mad, I just saw how interested he was and I know that everything that happened recently it's been a lot for you as my partner. I just thought for a moment you could have been better off with someone less … bothersome.”

I was taken aback and quickly quieted her worries, “you shouldn’t think such things.” I paused then snickered, “ I mean what ever would I do if I didn’t have to drag you out of the lab every night?”

“Y/N!”

Note:

This is my first official fanfic so please forgive any spelling and grammatical errors :) this definitely turned out longer than expected but I’m pretty happy with it. Also bare with me, I’m a college student with finals coming up so requests may take a day or two!

#shuri x reader #shuri #shuri udaku #black panther #shuri fanfiction #shuri x y/n

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anxiouspineapple99 · 4 months

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I am here with the SFW Alphabet for Kyla Starsinger.

You all may remember that I have a Fives x OC long fic in the works. And you probably remember Sena, the original OC I had for that fic. Alas, Sena did not work out. I may or may not have accidentally triggered myself with some unresolved trauma while writing her so she’s gone and her new replacement Kyla is here!

Art of Kyla by the magnificent @mythical-illustrator

A -Affection (how affectionate are they? how do they show affection)

Kyla holds back a lot with affection. She is incredibly guarded. She’s not opposed to affection but she’s been touch starved for so long it takes a while to warm up to that.

She is more of an Acts of Service and Words of Affirmation gal. She is very aware of her partner’s needs and will perform small tasks to take stress off them. She’s also big on showering with compliments and sweet talk. (See: praise kink)

• B -Best friend (how would they be as a best friend? how would the relationship start?)

Kyla warms up pretty quickly in platonic relationships. Once establishing common interests she’s usually set on having a good time. Don’t cross her though. Once a bridge is burned, it’s unlikely you’ll build it back with her.

• C -Cuddles (Do they like cuddles? how do they cuddle)

She’s not opposed to cuddles or physical affection but she has to warm up to it. She’s not the hugging friend. She’s the fist bump friend. But once she gets used to physical affection she, she definitely enjoys it.

• D -Domestic (do they want to settle down? how are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Given the type of work she is in, settling down is a terrifying thought for her. She is a former Separatist Intelligence Officer who, upon discovering some questionable intel, made her way to the Republic. Now she’s an Intelligence Officer with the GAR.

Kyla is meticulous in her cleaning. Everything has a place. And it better go there. Her fastidious nature can be confused for controlling. However it’s more a matter of efficiency. She’s very minimalist and doesn’t own many personal belongings. She can’t cook though. At all. Poor girl burns her toast every morning.

• E -Ending (if they had to break up, how would they do it?)

She comes off pretty cold actually. She’ll end it and not bat an eye.

• F -Fiancee (how do they feel about commitment? how quick do they want to get married?)

Commitment terrifies her. There is a part of her that believes she is wholly unlovable and irredeemable from her time working with the Separatists.

• G -Gentle (how gentle are they? physically, emotionally)

She’s emotionally a marshmallow but does her best to hide it. She is physically gentle behind closed doors.

• H -Hugs (how often do they hug? do they like hugs? what are their hugs like?)

She rarely hugs and when she does they’re a little rigid and awkward. However she secretly enjoys a good hug and never turns them away.

• I -I love you (how fast do they say it)

Surprisingly she’s pretty quick to say it. She believes life is short and there’s no reason to beat around the bush. However the commitment portion that usually follows has her running for the hills.

• J -Jealousy (how jelly do they get? what do they do when they are?)

Kyla is definitely the jealous type, whether romantic or platonic. It’s a result of her insecurities. If she feels like she’s being replaced she lashes out.

• K -Kisses (what are their kisses like? where do they like to kiss? where do they liked to be kissed?)

Kyla is hot and heavy in her kisses. She pounces on your face. There are teeth, and biting, hands everywhere… she’s kissing mouth, neck, chest, really anywhere.

She loves being kissed on her neck, her inner wrists, mouth, and chest.

• L -Little Ones (how are they around children)

Children make her uncomfortable. She likes them fine. But she has no idea how to interact with them.

• M -Mornings (how are mornings with them?)

She’s a morning person. She practically springs out of bed. She loves reading a book with her caf first thing and taking her time getting ready for the day.

• N -Night (how is the night spent with them?)

She has a full wind down routine. She washes off her makeup, does her face mask depending on if it’s mask day, tone, moisturize, and then a cup of tea as she watches a holofilm or listens to music. Sometimes she sketches in her sketch book.

• O -Open (when do they start revealing about themselves? do they say it all at once or reveal slowly?)

Kyla reveals things slowly. Her fear of rejection keeps her shut up pretty tight. Unless it��s a platonic relationship. She opens up fairly quickly once she thinks you’re friend shaped.

• P -Patience (how quick to anger are they)

Kyla is a hot head. Get her when she’s already in a bad mood? Run for cover!

• Q -Quizzes (how much do they remember about you? do they remember every detail or forget everything?)

She’s an intelligence officer. She can remember damn near everything.

• R -Remember (favourite moment in the relationship)

Her favorite moment in her relationship with Fives is their first kiss. 💋 won’t be spoiling that here!

• S -Security (how protective are they? how would they like to protect you? how would they like to be protected?)

She is so protective of those she loves! She’d burn the galaxy down to save someone she loves.

She doesn’t expect the same in return for her because she doesn’t feel worthy of such love.

• T -Try (how much effort is put into dates/ anniversary/ gifts/ everyday?)

Dates: she puts in the effort she receives. She isn’t going to waste her time otherwise.

Anniversaries: A big deal and she is putting all the effort in and expects the same!

Gifts: she isn’t a big gift person but if it matters to the other person she does try.

Everyday: she gives her 100% in all she does. She’s lost so many people she makes sure the ones remaining know how loved they are.

• U -Ugly (bad habit of theirs)

She bites her nails to the kriffing quick. It’s worse when she’s nervous or anxious.

She’s a little reckless when it comes to her own safety. She tends to get herself into trouble when it could have been avoided with a bit of caution.

She strives to never show weakness. That often includes crying.

Her belief that she is unworthy of love often leads to her sabotaging her relationships.

• V -Vanity (how concerned are they with their looks?)

She has to have her hair and makeup on point daily! She maintains the colors in her hair religiously. She also has a multi step skincare routine as well as a fitness schedule.

• W Whole (would they feel incomplete without you Fives?)

Yes. And that is terrifying for her. She’s never needed anyone before. Fives changes all of that for her.

• X -Xtra (extra head canon)

She has one brother still in Separatist territory. She is working hard to save him. Their parents died when they were young and she raised him.

She loves glitter and sneakers

• Y -Yuck (what are some things they wouldnt like in general or in partner)

She hates learned incompetence. Drives her nuts.

She can’t stand a partner who isn’t their own person outside of the relationship. She wants them to have friends and hobbies outside of herself.

Any controlling behavior in any relationship, romantic or platonic, and she nopes right out.

• Z -Zzz (sleep habits)

She’s a back sleeper. She also does the mountain climber when she’s on her stomach. She loves total darkness and white noise to help her get to sleep and stay asleep!

#oc: kyla starsinger #sfw #sfw alphabet #blorbo intro #the clone wars #fives x oc #fives x kyla #anxiouspineapple99 writes #tcw #oc sundays

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