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axwalker · 3 years

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Bad Timing: Kismet

Book: The Royal Romance (AU)

Pairing: Drake Walker x Alexis O’Brien (MC)

Synopsis: Alexis O’Brien is escaping a terrible past. After months of running she settles in Cordonia where she meets Drake at the bar where she works and they spend a passionate night together.

What happens when a one-night-stand turns into unexpected parenthood?

This chapter

MASTERLIST

WORDS: 3,890 🙊

POV: Dual

TRIGGER WARNINGS: None for this chapter. In the future, mentions of domestic violence, and explicit sex scenes.

ALL MY FICS ARE +18

A/N: I apologize for any grammatical errors.

I switch between Drake’s and Alexis’ POV several time in this chapter. I hope it’ll be clear enough!

PRESENT TIME Alexis

After a one-hour bus ride and a 20-minutes walk, I finally find the correct address. When I reach the massive iron gates, I punch in the code Mr. Beaumont’s assistant gave me on the phone and gape as the extensive estate comes into view when I walk through. Acres and acres of super green grass littered with pines surround the massive house in the distance. The closer I get, the more I feel like a foreigner. This might have been my world once, but my new reality couldn’t be further apart from all this luxury. I have fifty dollars left in my wallet, an eviction notice back in my 200 square foot studio, and to top it all, the worst freaking headache I’ve had in my life. Talk about a bad streak. Ironically, I’m happier than I’ve been in years. My life belongs to me; I don’t have to live in constant fear and –most importantly, I’m free. Unattached. I want to do a lot of things with my life, and no one will stop me. That’s worth the worst headache in the world or a few money problems.

I ring the bell, and a gorgeous woman opens the door. Her deep blue eyes scowl at me when I smile at her.

“Who are you looking for?” She doesn’t ask as much as she barks the question.

“Eh,” I haven’t been called shy a single day of my life, but her attitude it’s messing with the positive vibes I had coming up here. “I’m looking for Mr. Bertrand Beaumont from Beaumont Caterings.”

“This door is for house guests only. The help,” she says the word as if it tastes bad in her mouth, “must go around the house and ring the bell back there.” She’s about to close the door right in my face when two hot guys come to the door. Seriously, what do people eat in this country?

“Penelope, what are you doing answering the door like a simple maid? Where is Jessa?”

Penelope rolls her eyes. “She had to leave early. She said she asked you for the afternoon off.”

The older man nods as, the younger one grins at me. “We can discuss Jessa’s schedule later, Bertie. Please, come in, Ms.?” He asks me, still smiling.

“Ortiz. Alexis Ortiz.” I grin back, instantly liking the man with the kind blue eyes. “I’m here for the catering job.”

“I’m Maxwell Beaumont. This is my brother Bertrand—the owner and Penelope Brim, one of our party planners.”

I follow them to a huge office and give Bertrand the resumé I printed at the internet place next to my building.

“Is this all true?” He asks after a quick read.

I nod my head.

“Are you sure, Ms. Ortiz? It says here that you were working as a bartender, a barista, and a waitress in a very exclusive French restaurant, all at the same time.”

Penelope gives me a dismissive glare. “She’s obviously lying. That isn’t even possible. Unless she’s iniquitous.”

I know better than to interrupt a potential employer, even worse if it’s to correct them, but this woman is grating on my nerves. Plus, I had a lifetime of keeping my head down with Matt, and I just don’t have the patience for this kind of crap anymore. And she called me a liar. Hell no.

“No, Ms. Brim, I’m not ubiquitous.” Maxwell snorts, and I swear the other guy, Bertrand, smiles behind my CV. I refrain from telling her what iniquitous actually means because I do need this job. “I worked as a barista in a Starbucks from 5 to 11 am. Then as a waitress at “Clair de Lune” from 12 to 6 pm. Finally, as a bartender in an Irish pub from 7 to midnight or 2 am, depending on the day. You can call any of those places and see I’m not lying.” Just please, God, don’t ask for my papers.

Maxwell reads the resumé when Bertrand gives it to him. “Do you speak French and Spanish as well?”

I shrug. “I love languages, and I grew up in a house where my mom and grandmother only spoke Spanish. I learned French in school. I had an amazing teacher.”

Maxwell and Bertrand look at each other. The older brother, a younger, sterner version of Hugh Jackman, clears his throat. “I’ll be honest with you, Ms. Ortiz. Two of our waiters are absent, and tomorrow we’ll be catering to one of the most important events of the year. If everything in your resume is true, you can start training today --paid of course, and start working tomorrow.”

Paid training? Despite my throbbing head, I want to scream with happiness. “Everything is true.”

“That’s settled then. Penelope, please, darling, show Ms. Ortiz the kitchens and the ballroom. You can ask Naomi to train her for tonight. You know Regina, and she’ll want everything to go as smooth as possible.”

“Right.” Penelope turned at me with an uptight smile. “Come with me.”

I turn and beam at Maxwell, who’s giving me a thumbs up. “Thank you. I really appreciate this.”

Bertrand shakes his head. “Don’t thank me yet, Ms. Ortiz. Just do an impeccable job.” He glances at my Vans. “And for the love of God, only heels tomorrow.”

I nod and follow Penelope down the hallway.

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DRAKE

“This is why you ditch your friends who get hitched to a relationship,” I grumble, sitting in my chair.

“He’s five minutes late,” Liam says.

Leo shakes his head. “Well, I want a goddamn drink. How come I can’t order one until he gets here?”

Liam pinches the bridge of his nose. “You two are acting like children. You can wait five minutes.”

“Maybe, but I need something, and fast.”

“Ah, there they are,” Max exclaims, hands clasped together, staring at us. “My boys.” Jesus Christ. Liam is scooped into a hug and then set back in his chair.

From over Liam’s head, Max points at me and shakes his finger. “Come here; you handsome Walker bastard.”

I hold up my hand. “I’m good.”

“Nope.” He shakes his head. “You don’t get to pass up Max’s snuggles.” Before I can move, he swoops to his knees, pulls me into a hug. . . and nuzzles.

“What the fuck are you doing, Beaumont?” I ask, my voice strong as I try to push him away.

“You smell like heaven,” he says, chuckling. No one likes to fuck with me as much as Maxwell Beaumont does. Unfortunately for me, he’s one of my best friends, and the bastard is well aware of it.

“Get out of here.” I palm his face and push him away.

Leo laughs. “Come on, man, you know Walker is a sour bastard.”

With another laugh, Maxwell retreats to his seat, unbuttons his jacket, and sits down. Hands-on the table, he looks between us and declares, “I’m in love.”

Christ. “We know,” Liam and I say at the same time, irritation heavy in our voices. Leo just rolls his eyes as he looks for a waiter.

Maxwell has only been dating Rashad for a few weeks, so it’s no surprise he’s like this—a hopeful idiot with a relentless smile. Hell, he’s been in love with the man for years. It took him a really, really long time to finally make a move. He adjusts his tie as he says, “You don’t have to be rude about it. I’m just sharing. Isn’t that what this is all about? Sharing?”

“Sharing? I thought this was about drinking as much as possible and hooking up with a hot waitress,” Leo says, flagging down our waiter.

When he arrives, I talk above the guys and quickly say, “Macallan, neat.”

“Dalmore, on the rocks, please,” Liam says, and Leo orders the same.

When the waiter turns to Max, he rubs his stomach and says, “You know, a hot cocoa would be perfect right now.”

What the actual fuck? “No.” I step in. “He’ll have an Old Fashion. Thanks.” A little confused and probably slightly disturbed, he takes off as Max complains.

“Hey, I really wanted a hot cocoa.”

“Not happening. First, because they don’t serve hot cocoas here and second because we’re supposed to be out drinking, Beaumont. And you fucking love Old Fashions. You order one every damn time. Stop complaining.”

“Sheesh.” Maxwell unfolds his napkin and sets it on his lap. “What’s up your ass?”

“Nothing.” I push my hand through my hair.

“It’s a girl.” Leo smirks, causing Liam and Max to practically jump out of their seats.

“A girl?” Liam cocks his eyebrow. “Surely not Drake --permanent bachelor, Walker. My fucking heart can’t take it.”

Fucking Leo. “It’s not what Leo is making it out to be.”

“He met her two months ago, and he’s been thinking about her ever since. Magical pussy right there.”

“I swear, Leo; I don’t care for how long we’ve been friends, next time you talk about her like that, I’ll personally break that shit-eat grin off your face”

The clown raises his arms. “I rest my case.”

“What?” Max’s eyes nearly fall out of their sockets. “Drake Walker doesn’t get attached, and he doesn’t duel his friends for a girl.”

Jesus. Thankfully the waiter brings our drinks at that moment, so I have a second to compose myself.

“You slept with her?” Liam asks after a swig of Dalmore. He’s been in a stable relationship with Hanna Lee for a year now. Once the most popular guy on school, he now spends his Friday nights curled up with her watching Netflix. I can’t even remember the last time he went out with us.

“I don’t want to talk about it. The only reason this fuckhead is bringing it up it’s because I went looking for her, and he saw it.” There I said it. Better me than Leo fucking Rys.

Max and Liam exchange a look, but Max seems too stunned to talk, so Liam asks. “You did what?”

I chug my whiskey and ask for another one. “I don’t know why. I just …” Tired of this fucking conversation, I pinch the bridge of my nose. “We had a great time. That’s all.”

“How come Leo knows about this girl, and I don’t?” Liam complains.

Max complains too. “Dude, you know I’m the romantic one. Leo over here has a brick for a heart, and Li is too busy. You need to discuss these things with me.”

“I don’t have a brick for a heart,” Leo says, surprisingly offended.

“No, you’re just still hung up on Maddie,” I say with a smirk. He shifts in his chair but doesn’t say anything. What does it feel, Rys?

“So . . . who is the girl?” Maxwell asks.

For fuck’s sake. I might as well get it over with. “I’m going to say one last time that I’m not interested in her anymore, so before your little hearts starts beating wildly for playing cupid, it’s not going to happen.”

In a snarky tone, Leo replies, “Well, of course, it’s not. She left the country. Are you that bad, Walker? Because I can give you a tip or two.” He’s so fucking annoying.

“Oh.” Max sighs, disappointed.

Leo elbows his brother and says, “He hasn’t slept with anyone since.”

And there it is. The real reason why Leo is worried about this. He lost his wingman. “I’m not an animal, Leo. It’s not the first time in my life that I go two months without fucking. I’m not you. Anyway, all this is pointless. She’s gone.”

My friends grew up with me, so they know when it’s time to stop pushing. Max interrupts the silence that follows because nothing makes little Beaumont more uncomfortable than a gap in the conversation. “Everything is ready for the party tomorrow night. The thirtieth anniversary of Rys Corporation will be a success.”

Liam nods. “Regina talked with Hana this morning. It’s the first anniversary since I took over as CEO. I need everything to be perfect.”

“What about the staff, Max?” Leo asks, smiling. Having sex at every anniversary party is a personal challenge of his.

“We actually hired someone today. She’s gorgeous.” He turns his head at Leo. “But she’s off-limits.” Leo smirks, wiggling his eyebrows. “I mean it, dude. Bertrand said he’s tired of looking for new waitresses. Two quit yesterday morning when they found out that the event was for Rys corporation.”

“Hey, I never lie. It’s not my fault if they think I’ll call them anyway.”

“Whatever, just don’t mess with her. Plus, I got to talk to her after her training today. She’s super nice. She’s Am--. Wait.” He says when his phone chimes up. “Sorry, boys. It was a text from Penelope. Apparently, the Chablis hasn’t been delivered yet. I have to call Joelle before I lose my big brother over a wine crisis. See you all tomorrow.” He finishes his cocktail and stands up.

Liam stands up too. “I should go home too. Han arrived today from Hong Kong.”

Leo checks his phone. “Wait, Li. I’ll go with you. I have a date with this girl I met last night at Kismet. Do you want to come, man?” He asks me. “I’m sure she has a friend she can introduce you.”

I shake my head. “I’ll finish my whiskey and head home. See you all tomorrow.”

It was only one fucking night. Why can’t I get her out of my head?

It’s maddening. Or maybe it is a blessing. If I’m still thinking about her after one night, imagine how bad I’d have it after several. It’s best that she stays far the fuck away from me. I’m not interested in long-term attachments of any kind. I don’t want to think about Lexie Ortiz, but she’s infected my brain. The sound of her teasing laugh haunts me.

And I can’t deny it; it was one hell of a night.

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ALEXIS

“This is a single girl’s paradise.”

“No,” I grimace, trying to clean the spilled tomato sauce from my shirt. “Paradise would be a tropical beach with a hot cabana boy giving us free massages... and an endless supply of piñas Coladas.” Naomi laughs, the sound almost lost in the chaos of the kitchen. Chefs shouting orders, Penelope and Bertrand panicking, plates being dropped—the world of catering is a noisy business.

“Cabana boys may have hot smoking bodies and virility, Lex, but they lack two essential qualities: prestige and money.”

“So, what you’re saying is that you’d prefer an old limp dick over a young hard one? Interesting,” I answer, teasing her.

“No, that’s not what I’m saying, smart ass. I’m saying I’d take a solid bank account over a solid dick. Think about it—with all that money, he could never fuck me at all, and I couldn’t care less. And I’d be treated properly. Rich guys know how to treat a lady.”

“Trust me on this, Naomi. Money has absolutely nothing to do with how a man treats a woman.” I should know. “In any case,” I retort, grabbing another tray of drinks, “if you’re looking for old rich guys, there are tons of opportunities out there.” I laugh at the dreamy look on her face, partly because it’s hilarious and partly because I know she’s kidding. After my training last night, she invited me to her house, where I met Theo, her little boy. He’s eight years old and the absolute love of her life.

“Speaking of fucking,” she says, her eyes sparkling, “did you see the Rys brothers? One of them is taken, but the other two are single and oh so yummy. Especially the tall and brooding one. I’ll kill for those smoldering brown eyes looking right at my soul”

I snort. “You really should stop reading romance novels, Nao. And yes. I served one of them and his girlfriend champagne earlier, but he was blond and didn’t have smoldering, brooding eyes. I thought they were only two brothers, though.”

“Well, technically, yes. But Constantine Rys --the super-rich owner of Rys Corporation-- adopted two other kids. A boy and a girl. They all grew up together.” She uncorks several champagne bottles as she speaks.

Now that my uniform is clean, I grab one of the Veuve Clicquot bottles and help her pouring the cold liquid into the glasses on our trays. “How do you know all of that?”

“I’m Cordonian, girl. The Rys siblings are almost royalty in this country. The one that is not an actual Rys is the one with the smoldering eyes. He doesn’t work for the company, though. He’s a … a vet, I think.”

A veterinarian like Drake. My stupid heart flutters when I think about him.

“Do we pay you to work or to gossip, ladies?” Penelope screams from the kitchen door.

Naomi and I roll our eyes and grab our refilled trays.

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DRAKE

“This is a huge night for Liam,” Regina says behind her champagne glass. Constantine has been telling everyone, especially her, that he’s ready and happy to retire, but she knows him better than anyone. Leaving Rys Corporation and pass the torch to Liam is much more difficult for Constantine than he cares to admit.

“It’ll be all right, Regina. Don’t worry. Liam is more than ready to handle the responsibility.”

She throws a glance at Liam, who’s standing a few feet behind me next to his dad. “I just hope he doesn’t forget that his personal life is equally important. He and Hana work too hard.”

I’m about to answer when one of the waitresses distracts me. Her back is turned to me, so I can’t see her face, but there is something incredibly familiar about the way she moves. She’s passing drinks amongst Regina’s friends. I want to go and see who she is, but Liam catches my eyes across the room. We exchange a look, one that we’ve exchanged several times over our lives. It was Liam and me when we were younger, walking into his father’s office after getting into a fight at school. It was the two of us when we came home late, and his parents were waiting in the living room as we walked in, drunk. It was the two of us when we wrecked Leo’s new Porsche when we were sixteen, and right now, I know he needs me. Constantine is a great father, but he has too many expectations for his younger son. Liam needs a break.

Regina sees the exchange and smiles. “Liam’s very lucky to have you, Drake.” She is not our biological mother, but she loves all of us as if she was. And she’s more my mother than Bianca Walker will never be.

A couple of men look at me, and I try to remember if I should know them from somewhere. I think they’re both on the board of directors at RC. As much as I love the Rys, I will never get used to this shit. Socializing and pretending to like a bunch of people that annoy the fuck out of me. Ignoring them, I make my way to my best friend. Liam is standing with his hands in his pockets, looking serious and put together like the CEO of the largest company in Cordonia should.

“I think it’s going well,” he says as I approach. “Father was driving me crazy with all his advice.”

“It’s not only the anniversary of the company, Li. It’s also his first one as the former CEO. It’s normal he feels out of place.”

Liam nods. “I know. I just wish he’ll trust me more.”

“He does, Liam. He’s just nervous.”

I’m cut short by Liam’s grin. His gaze slides right behind me and lights up.

“Would either of you like a glass of champagne?” a female, very familiar voice nearly whispers behind me.

“I’m good,” Liam answers, looking at me out of the corner of his eye. “How about you, Drake?”

I turn around, and my heart skips a beat. Soft curves, tanned skin, and a few freckles across the bridge of her nose. The brightest, most amazing eyes I’ve ever seen. Alexis Ortiz tucks a strand of her rich brown hair behind her ear and takes a deep breath. Her eyes widen, and I see she recognizes me but doesn’t mention it. Instead, a faint smile ghosts her luscious lips, and she lifts her chin like she has a secret she won’t tell. A secret we share. Her gaze remains on Liam, almost like she’s afraid to look my way. Finally, she turns to me, and when she does, an adorable blush color her cheeks.

“Would you, uh, sir?” she asks, taking half a step backward.

“Would I what?” I press, enjoying too much the way her cheeks turn even pinker.

“Would you like a drink?” The words leave her lips fast like she wants to pronounce them and run away. I take a step towards her, remembering the night she spent in my arms and how damn perfect she felt. I know I make her nervous because I see little goosebumps erupting on her soft skin. I smirk at her. “That depends on what you’re offering.”

I shouldn’t be toying with her, but I can’t help it. I want to keep her talking, to watch her reactions, to see that sweet smile again.

“I don’t have much to offer,” she says, a hint of nervousness in her voice. “Unless you like champagne, sir.” She emphasizes the last word.

“I like all sorts of things.” I keep my gaze heavy against hers, not allowing her to look away. She fidgets with her tray and swallows hard but never takes her eyes off mine, too rebellious to look away. The longer our eyes match, the hotter my body becomes. She bits her delicious bottom lip slowly, her dark gaze boring into mine.

“Is that so?” Liam laughs beside me, and I watch her jump like she forgot he was there. Alexis clears her throat and glances around the room. She turns back to us again, this time a practiced smile on her face. The easy grin and soft laugh are both gone. She wants to get away from me, I can feel it, and I understand. She’s working; it wouldn’t be professional. This is not the time or the place to reconnect. Unfortunately for her, I have other plans.

“Gentlemen ...” With a nod, Alexis walks away as fast as possible. She doesn’t look back, but I watch her until she’s out of sight.

“What was that?” Liam snickers, loosening his gray silk tie. “I thought you were going to jump on her.”

I rub my thumb over my lip, still surprised as hell.

“That was Alexis, the girl I met a couple of months ago. Now, if you excuse me, Li, I need to go talk to Bertrand.”

@mskaneko @burnsoslow @gkittylove99 @kat-tia801 @no-one-u-know @thegreentwin @twinkle-320 @forallthatitsworth @kingliam2019 @marshmallowsandfire @marshmallowsaremyfavorite @princessleac1 @twinkleallnight @tinkie1973 @drakexwillow @moneyfordiamonds

@yukinagato2012 @alyssalauren

#drake x alexis #drake walker #drake walker fanfic #drake x mc #tw domestic violence

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frostironfudge · 2 years

Note

In my little head the whole Rush team obviously has an extensive car collection.... like Tom's fav is the Jaguar and they all have their own BUT what we don't see in the fic is their side collection.... Tom collects knives (sorry Loki vibes), Y/N has an obsession with guns she literally has these secret compartments all over the mansion where she hides them (just in case), Veronica's isn't crime related but she just has an extensive collection of leather boots.... from Marc Jacobs to D&G to you name a brand she has it... all different styles too... Lee collects vases... there's just something comforting they find... waking up in the morning and putting in flowers... it reminds them that life is more than just running a secret ops mafia business.... and last comes Pierce oh my lovely lovely Pierce. She collects bags. Her closet could give Kylie Jenner a run for her money... she has a separate walk-in for JUST. HER. BAGS. oh and they're mini bags... you'd expect someone in this business to carry a multi-purpose with many pockets kinda bags but no she has bags like Snapshot from Marc Jacobs, Bedford Legacy (mini) by Michael Kors, Noè by LV... you get my point? And anytime anyone asks her what purpose her bag serves she holds it like it has ears can hear the other the person and glares at them and then pets her bag and smiles at it like it's her baby, BECAUSE IT IS.

OH MY FUCSJDUSNS THIS IS SO CUTE I HAVE SO WANTED TO EXPLORE THEIR OTHER INTERESTS THATS WHY I WANT TO DO THE ONE SHOTS FOR THIS SERIES HOKY SHIT OKAY IMMA DEEP DIVE ANSWER

Tom:

Hmm yes i can definitely see the knife vibes, i also feel Tom’s hand to hand combat style allows for the use of knives though we’ve seen him kick ass with guns, in my mind he has several different tricks up his sleeve and people least suspect a knife in his line of business (let alone knives)(i truly wonder how y/n reacted the first time she saw him practicing)

Y/N

Yo my girl loves her guns and its canon with the way she loves tech she has these cool hidden shelves and shit for storing guns all around.

Lee and Tom have a running competition who can find all the hidden places much to her dismay but she keeps switching it up the weirdest place Lee found a gun was in the bathroom now it wasn’t the typical places no no, you see the shower head wasn’t working and they know basic home maintenance so nbd right? They undo the shower head and it is a rectangular shaped one so when they take it out from the pipe it falls apart and inside of it is a packet with bullets and when they turn around the shampoo shelve? its done a 360° and there is a mini gun shelf.

Side note Tom knows Y/N has the hot for him using the knives and Y/N knows Tom has the hots for her using guns specially his guns and one time they had to switch between knives and guns and lets just say the car sex did happen.

Veronica:

She collects boots yes, you would think she would wear practical choices incase deals go wrong, right? Nope this literal fire asf queen. Wears 5 inch heels and fucking ruins anyone who crosses her or challenges her

idiot who legit has a license in stupidity: don’t you think wearing those shoes to this kind of meeting where you are on the shorter end of the bargain is impractical

Veronica: you’re wrong about three things

Said idiot: excuseme?

Veronica: 1. These shoes comfy as hell, 2. The short stick was drawn by you, 3. This deal was always in my favour not yours.

Lee: (my beloved)

Honestly that is so sweet i honestly think they find comfort in these small soft moments and it ties in beautifully with how far they have come i also think they are very into Kintsugi, repairing the pottery with gold, i think its shown in the movie chemical hearts, austin abrams (ethan lewis from euphoria) does that in the movie.

Pierce:

She honestly is so funny its impeccable i can’t get over her petting the bag in the final chapter. Its true she is going to say the bags have feelings and they do.

ps. One of the places where y/n has guns hidden is behind the purse wall in pierce’s closet

pps. How did y/n do that is still a mystery to pierce.

Bonus—

Tom: *looks at the micro sized lady dior bag* what, what is the purpose?

Pierce: she is adorable. Aren’t you my baby? *pets the said bag*

Tom: it can’t even fit a baby knife

Pierce: it can fit a wad of cash and my cards *shrugs*

Tom: i—*looks at lee*

Lee: man, i don’t say anything anymore

Y/N: hey whats going on? *walking in with a box*

Tom: love, come and see this impractical bag pierce owns

Pierce: *lighted up, so excited*

Y/N: HOLY SHIT THATS SO CUTE IM SO GLAD I ORDERED IT AND ITS HERE *opens her box and voilà has the same bag in a diff colour.*

Pierce: *smug grin at Tom*

Tom: not you too.

Y/N: oh shush, I can hide guns in less obvious places than my cute lil bag also i have a mini handgun with is perfect.

Tom: there there is the Y/N i’m engaged to

#frostironfudge rambles #tom hiddleston #frostironfudge #tom hiddleston series #rush Tom Hiddleston #stevesmewmew

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pencilscratchins · 4 years

Note

your post about aang and ty lee having impeccable vibes is so on point imagine they're just standing there like okay okay favorite time of day three two one SUNRISE!!! oh my GOSH okay favorite color three two one ALL OF THEM!!! AAAH!!! YOU'RE LIKE MY /TWIN/ and mai is standing in the background like so. who's down for killing themselves and zukka offscreen ~me

SKSKS RACHEL LITERALLY THOUGH aang would be like “you know sometimes i just feel like there’s not enough time in the day to—“ and ty lees like “appreciate all nature has to provide!? OMG ME TOO!” meanwhile mai is like trying to find the nearest body of water to allow the waves to take her

#zaritarazi #aang is like hey sokka your vibes are really off right now maybe take a walk?#and ty lees like yeah it can really harsh our creativity aura when your so negative :(#and sokkas like im gonna drown everyone here #ask #not art

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bubbliterally · 2 years

Text

I was tagged by @spacepunksupreme to post some albums I've been listening to :) Now as a disclaimer I don't typically listen to albums; I just have a big playlist of songs I keep adding to and playing on shuffle. These are albums that feature heavily in my music rotation though, and I've played each one of them on its own at least once.

Hopes and Fears, by Keane. I love every song on this album, which is something I share with my mom. I don't know literally any other Keane song, but also I've never found any other song that sounds like this album, so maybe I should check more of theirs out lol. Favourite song: idk I love them all.

Californication, by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Listen, okay. My music tastes tend to cycle between many different things, so my answer to what's my favourite song, album, artist varies very rapidly over time, but if there's one album that consistently makes me very happy it's Californication. There's something about that electric guitar man. Favourite song: Scar Tissue oh my god. Candidate for my favourite song of all time. Also, Road Trippin' is extremely underrated.

Buena Vista Social Club, self-titled. My mom also owns this album, which is a theme in this list. This is probably the album I listen to on its own the most. It's just great vibes and great music all round. I once listened to this album on repeat during a 4-6pm quantum information theory lecture. Favourite song: El Cuarto de Tula.

Amos Lee, self-titled. Impeccable vibes in this album too. I listen to this while doing the dishes sometimes, which is a time when I really need the extra help to relax lmao. Every time I hear the word 'yesterday' said somewhat melodically I get Colors stuck in my head, singing "yesterdaaayy I got - lost in the circus". Favourite song: Soul Suckers, but they're all close honestly (except Bottom of the Barrel lol, I always skip that one).

Back to Black, by Amy Winehouse. Amy Amy Amy Amy Amy Amy. This album is just incredible. I don't know anything about music so I can't describe why, but if you could distill the combination of her voice together with the instrumentals you'd get the most delicious drink known to man. Favourite song: You Know I'm No Good, which is also definitely a favourite song ever candidate. Whenever I mimic drums with my mouth I do the opening to this song.

Awkward Marina, self-titled. The only artist on this list that's even slightly obscure. I've followed her since she was horse famous, but all of her subsequent albums have been really good and exactly my thing. This album used to be listed as AM, I believe, but I guess that just wasn't very searchable. I listen to all of her songs on shuffle while I play Minecraft >:) Favourite song: Firewater, which doesn't really sound like the rest of the album but oh well.

Parachutes, by Coldplay. For a while I used to say this was my favourite album ever, but I don't listen to it as often nowadays. I generally like Coldplay more than the people around me, but less than the world at large I think lmao. I don't care for much of their later stuff (although I really enjoy Viva La Vida and Hymn For The Weekend), but I love every song on this album, it's essentially perfect to me. Favourite song: Shiver, because it's a lot of fun to sing. That holds for pretty much all of the favourite songs I've named here hehe.

Stadium Arcadium, by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Okay so I was gonna only put one album per artist, but I ran out of albums that I could think of, and in any case it's unfair to say that I don't listen to this one as much as any other on this list. I certainly don't play as many of the songs of this one as I do those on Californication (it also just has way more, this album is 2 hours long), but there's some really really great songs on it. Favourite song: Dani California. Bum pum PAH, badum pum PAH, badum pum PAH, badum pum PAH, dum dum DEH ne dum bum DEH ne-

Tarzan, but specifically the Phil Collins songs. I listen to quite a few Disney movie songs, but I think it's fair to say that Phil Collins' performance on the Tarzan soundtrack transcends most others. I'm not even that into Tarzan the movie, but these songs just speak to my romanticism in a very special way. Why DO I have this growing need to be beside her? I also just like Phil Collins in general. Tell me more in that voice of yours Phil. Favourite song: Strangers Like Me.

Pspspsps @xjnegen & @tinymousemovement, if you also want to do this 👀👂🎶

#music #tag game #this wasn't intentional but i just noticed every album in the middle row starts with 'am' lol

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frederickthegreat · 4 years

Text

my thoughts on TUA season 2

(spoilers, obviously)

- opened with Klaus and Ben, my kings. Klaus’s hair looks so weird straightened while short

- AWESOME opening soundtrack

- seeing all their powers so controlled makes me wonder how they leveled up to that skill in the alternate timeline. like the only time we saw Klaus use the powers of other ghosts in the correct timeline was when two of them caught him falling out of the sky. however Diego did end up controlling bullets and Allison used her voice to technically kill one of the Swedes

- the homeless man screaming Allison’s name alongside Luther... funny shit

- big teddy bear Hazel

- Elliot was fucking awesome i think he was a great addition as a side character. rip tho :(

- honestly i don’t understand why Diego would WANT to save JFK. like it’s not that big of a deal. does he not understand what messing with the timeline can do??

- Lila... impeccable

- Sissy and Vanya... impeccable <3

- yeah and fuck u Carl

- ugh, Klaus’s beard. disgusting <3

- Ben and Klaus definitely act like they should be, given that they’ve been stuck with each other for over a decade. i’ve seen some people calling Klaus an asshole for not telling his siblings about Ben, which is completely understandable (cause he was an asshole), but I’m guessing it was because he was afraid? that sharing Ben with his siblings would mean that he would lose him to them, or his siblings would find him selfish, or they would ask something of him that he couldn’t give. if that makes sense

- that ghost bitch comment was funny tho

- to the guy who called Klaus pretty boy at the bar: sir you don’t know what you’re getting into

- Raymond!! he’s such a sweetheart, i really liked him in the show. i’m really happy that Allison has found a bit of normalcy (as normal as the 1960s Civil Rights movement could be). it shows how passionate she is about what she believes in: even though she knows the movement is far from over, even back in 2019, she’s not gonna abandon it

- Allison staring at the moon every night: either thinking about Luther or how the moon blows them all up. maybe both

- of course Luther would be working for Jack Ruby

- awesome cinematography during the mental asylum escape

- yeah it makes sense that the Handler would still be alive. she was a cool villain. although it would’ve been awesome to see how evil a fish could be

- Diego’s plan was pretty stupid. that’s my boy

- honestly they revealed how Klaus started a cult really well by having one of his followers find him at jail. Klaus, ever the musical aficionado, of course writes his scripture based off of pop songs

- Raymond and Klaus meeting!! that was cool to see how their paths connected

- Lila painting Elliot’s toenails green. ugh i love that crazy bitch

- i LOVE how they incorporated the umbrella man!! tbh i’ve always believed he was the one behind the assassination. Lee Harvey Oswald was framed

- honestly a bit understandable that Luther was planning on killing Vanya? cause he had no idea who she is now, but them reuniting was actually really sweet. he’s grown up so much

- the Swedes and their cats.

- the Umbrella company building with the nuclear family mannequins... creepy, awesome shit

- baby pogo baby pogo baby pogo baby pogo

- shanked diego shanked diego shanked diego shanked diego

- did anyone else get vibes from Klaus’s episode opening that he was an escort to the old woman? like how he was being shown off at her arm or something and getting out of jail from a call from the governor. idk maybe the lady was just very taken with him, as anyone would be

- Elliot, our helpful king

- Allison and Klaus’s reunion was so sweet!! i’m so glad they got to interact so much more in this season

- Ben getting Raymond out through a haunting... hilarious

- sweet intimate moment between Lila and Diego

- Ray meeting Luther was hilarious, but i do feel for the poor guy. i mean i’m not in love with my adoptive sister but still

- the sit-in was really well done and beautiful while terrible. the ‘riot’ that ensued was very appropriate for today’s setting

- D-Dave

- honestly i was scared that Klaus was gonna be overly attracted to him or whatever, which would be weird cause he’s years younger than Klaus, but honestly, at the core he just wanted to save Dave’s life. even if it means never meeting him in a different timeline. he truly loved Dave. and that ptsd flashback was done so well

- i knew Lila wasn’t trustworthy but i didn’t REALLY expect that!

- Vanya and Luther talking with each other, Luther admitting the apocalypse wasn’t all her fault. beautiful

- the Majestic 12 reminds me of the conspiracy theory that only a few families control basically everything in the world. the Majestic 12 may be based off of that, idk

- idk about everyone else but Klaus’s scorpion and the frog story made total sense to me! frogs ARE bitches

- the diner scene.... ugh. it really shows that the two of them did fall in love and they did stupid in love things, like talking about their family, about why Dave wanted to join, favorite colors, favorite foods, etc. however that’s seen later on when Dave visits the compound

- yes it’s very disheartening when Klaus is attacked, but honestly i think it had to happen, just like the riot had to happen. the 60s weren’t a fun time for lgbt people and poc. it was only going to be a matter of time before the show HAD to acknowledge the consequences of Klaus’s ‘flamboyancy’ in 1963 Texas. it doesn’t make it right or easy to see, but it’s realistic.

- it also makes sense that Klaus fell off the wagon after experiencing something like that. yes we all would’ve liked him to stay sober, but sobriety and recovery aren’t linear.

- Allison is so happy with Ray can we please drop this pseudo-incest plotline let’s MOVE ON

- Texas Grace ! who is not actually Grace rip (i think? i was a bit confused lol)

- the scene with Harlan running off was really upsetting but we got to see those weird light particles that we saw in the first season

- Pogo Pogo Pogo Pogo

- Klaus being a dick to Ben again, as brothers do. i do feel bad for Ben though it must be sooo frustrating. that scene with him and Allison was really sweet and funny tho

- i just have to say that Luther and Diego are so fucking funny this season it’s awesome. like there are a LOT of good lines overall by everyone but they’re hilarious. “At least he didn’t shank my ass” “no bro, he shanked your heart”“Dads part of a sinister CABAL that’s plotting on killing the president.” “a caBAL?”“You two still a thing? *leans in* do we need to talk?” “No, she’s married.” “Woah dude... that’s rough.” and countless others

- the sibling reunion!!

- Klaus really does get left out of everything tbh

- Ben :(

- sisters and Klaus!! that was so awesome to see. and Klaus’s hairpins, Vanya saying she’s gonna tell Sissy she loves her, their dance sequence, Klaus calling Allison out on that incest. beautiful

- the fucking Swedish cover of Hello was PERFECT i mean i was sad for the Swedes but it was hilarious. there were a couple beautiful shots of the boat on fire though

- god it must’ve been so traumatizing for Allison to be thrust into such a hostile place with no voice and no way to contact her family

- idk about you guys but long live Team Zero

- calling Ben that he was becoming their father was a bit uncalled for

- the fact that Klaus didn’t help Dave’s chances, and in fact escalated Dave’s own timeline.. his trembling hands... robert sheehan is an amazing actor

- the Black president bit lmaoo loved it

- the way Reginald spoke to Diego.. i’m gonna throw hands with an old man

- Klaus LITERALLY looked like he was having a seizure and they all just... played it off??

- poor, poor Carl. nah fuck him lol

- that bloody opening scene was awesome! and thank god Five got to say fuck. the fact that it was about a candy bar makes too much sense

- Robert Sheehan acting as Ben: amazing showstopping spectacular he’s so talented

- the whole multiple Fives and Luther bit was honestly really funny, and i immensely respect smaller Five over bigger Five.

- yes Klaus, you survived a family of seven. you got this

- not sad about Carl dying one bit!

- Ben... that was such a beautiful scene. not just the content of the scene, but the cinematography. Ben fading away... Vanya hugging him... ugh. the main takeaway i had from that scene is that at the core of it all, Ben and Klaus love each other immensely. they have a weird, dysfunctional, fucked up relationship, where Klaus is an asshole and Ben definitely shouldn’t of possessed him without his consent, but they’re still brothers, and Ben forgives him.

- oof Ben’s funeral was hard. also was it just me or did Klaus’s kid actor sound weird? like it sounded like Robert was dubbing his lines

- all the siblings back together again!!!! Klaus going with Vanya to save Harlan!! Vanya telling him Ben forgives him and that it wasn’t Klaus’s fault Ben got stuck with him!! everyone in the car!!! be still my beating heart

- yeah didn’t see Lila having powers coming tbh. i really feel bad for her she’s had such a rough and traumatic life, especially with the Handler as her only parental figure

- the Swede brother and Five putting down their weapons: “enough.” the Swede wanted revenge for his brothers - an eye for an eye, but there was a mutual understanding between the two of them: they would do anything for their family. if the Swede hurts one of the Hargreeves, Five would never stop coming after him. i thought it was very beautiful

- mmm Reggie’s foreshadowing coming into play. proud of u Five

- the ending was so beautiful. everyone got closure in some type of way. except now Klaus is alone with nothing but his dog tags :(

- EMO BEN HAHAHA WTFFF?? is Lila in the sparrow academy? why was Ben’s portrait over the mantle piece? did Five disappear?? is the sparrow academy just older versions of the siblings who stuck around?? so many questions

FINAL THOUGHTS

- Ellen Page’s acting consistently blows me away. she is amazing

- beautiful cinematography, funny writing, pretty good acting. i didn’t like the soundtrack as much as i did the first season’s, but some of it wasn’t bad.

- i’m glad ben got peace, but i’m also glad justin min isn’t gone for good. his social media presence is too vital for us

- i swear to god if they keep treating klaus as a joke and don’t let him get any actual development like everyone else had (he barely got closure with Dave, he reconciled with Ben through a second party) next season, i’m gonna riot. PLEASE i want to learn more about his powers now that Ben is gone. what happened to seeing tons of ghosts when he’s sober??

- Luther and Diego were probably my favorite duo of the season, I’m so happy that they’ve reconciled and are bonding more.

- just seeing Vanya grow and be happy was amazing

all in all, really wonderful season. i probably liked it better than the first one. now it’s time to consume fanfiction and maybe finish my own (check out “god doesn’t want him and neither does the devil” on ao3!)

#the umbrella academy #tua spoilers #tua season 2 spoilers #the umbrella academy season 2 spoilers #the umbrella academy season 2 #tua season 2 #klaus hargreeves #luther hargreeves #vanya hargreeves #five hargreeves #ben hargreeves #allison hargreeves #raymond chestnut #dave katz #diego hargreeves #reginald hargreeves

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nagdabbit · 3 years

Note

Okay who are your favorite female wrestlers? Because you sure get a lot of asks about dudes

YOU CAME TO THE RIGHT PLACE, PAL.

first and foremost, we gotta give props to the true GOAT. the straight up best women's wrestler, and possibly just best wrestler, of all time, manami toyota.

she's also batshit fuckin insane. that woman knows absolutely no fear of man, god, or devil. no one has any business going as hard as she went.

here she is attempting to murder aja kong, also in the running for GOAT. you should look up her matches against bull nakano, another absolute legend.

speaking of bull nakano, easily one of my desert island top five.

the power. the vibes. impeccable.

if you havent dipped into the japanese wrestling scene, especially the 80s-90s, joshis basically invented all your favorite moves. pah, basically.

they did.

chyna. she was fucking incredible. she was powerful and gorgeous, and just a goddamn beautiful person inside and out. she didn't get a smidge of the respect she deserved from this industry.

lufisto. here she is murdering both orange cassidy and chuck taylor. she's a hardcore legend and a big proponent of intergender wrestling. fuckin badass.

obviously, i gotta shout out jade cargill. if you've been following me long enough, you know my feelings on jade cargill. sure would be nice to see her in the ring more often, tk. just sayin.

(actually, smart mark sterling has teased an aew client coming to beyond wrestling, and he said not jade, but could you imagine jade vs megan bayne or trish adora or willow nightengale or masha slamovich at a wwr+ show?! (all of which are also on the list) ugh. (highly suggest checking them out on iwtv, great shows.))

speaking of willow nightengale, the babe with the power. you've seen her lose on dark, do please check out indie shows where she's allowed to go off. willow vs wheeler yuta or trish adora for example. go. fuckin. watch. TRUST ME.

shes also part of a tag team with solo darling. she tiny, she beefy, she got kicks for days. she also has a dog named officer magnum. the only cop i trust.

trish adora is a goddamn delight.

powerhouse, baddass, her finisher is LARIAT TUBMAN. a legend. go check out her hour iron man match against former roh world television champ tony deppen.

honorable mention, tony's incredibly funny wife. very funny, puts up with a lot, everyone's second-favorite deppen after baby deppen.

masha slamovish. tiny, angry, extremely hitty. the ultimate heel, except for that time she beat up mark sterling. 10/10 would trust her with my life ONLY if she was standing between me and someone she hated more than me.

recent favorite, lil mean kathleen. the energy of this woman. shes like five feet tall at most, so fucking loud, so fast, so crazy good for how short a time she's been in the ring. absolute delight, she's a fuckin energizer bunny. cannot wait to see what she does as she grows.

dark sheik (in white and blood). a hardcore l e g e n d. the baddest of baddasses. shes gonna fight nick gage soon, and i gotta tell you, this might be the only time im worried for gage's safety. ain't even a joke. absolutely love to see trans wrestlers thriving now.

edith surreal, i gotta tell you possibly my favorite wrestler of all time. in the gif above this, she was still wrestling as still life with apricots and pears, and she was still one of my favs even then. getting to watch her transition by way of wrestling has been a JOY, friends. and the fact that she decided to share this journey with us? ugh. my heart.

the poise, the style. impeccable.

there's just so much great talent out there. big swole, red velvet, gigi dolan, jody threat, jordynne grace, kris statlander, kimber lee, ashley vox, britt baker. i miss wow women of wrestling so much. these women need a place that will aCTUALLY BOOK WOMEN'S MATCHES.

and i would fuckin' be remiss if i didnt acknowledge the need for queer friendly spaces, specifically in regards to nonbinary wrestlers. there's not really a space in mainstream wrestling because there's such a puritan hangup about intergender wrestling. so performers like sonny kiss and max the impaler are relegated to only the men's and women's divisions, respectively. it's extremely bullshit. need to fix that STAT.

#asks!

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biffhofosho · 3 years

Text

Tailor Made

Fandom: Monsta X

Genre: Smut, natch.

Word Count: 9.4k

Pairing: Wonho x OC

Trope: Strangers to lovers, one night stand

Synopsis: Tailoring is challenging enough without Lee Hoseok’s powerful body and dashing smile. Ellie just needs to make it through one last fitting, and she’s convinced herself life will go back to normal. Too bad Hoseok has other plans for her.

The Vibe: Seoul city beats with Middle Eastern flair, tailor jargon, wealthy jetsetting Wonho, expat OC with quiet confidence, propositions, seduction, heavy sexual tension, overt Open Mind imagery, one night stand, everybody goes for what they want, passionate smut, loads of body appreciation for one another, wrestling with ramifications, happy ending

A/N: Admittedly, I’m not great at writing oneshots. I get wrapped up in my characters and my muse just goes on auto pilot, and, let’s face it, I’m a slave to her whims. But this time I kept her in check, so I figured why not celebrate the inaugural opening of this trash bin with my first one. Obviously inspired by “Open Mind” because Wonho is a god.

Elnara was in the habit of seeing handsome men in and out of her shop, and she was also in the habit of quietly admiring them. Being a tailor in Hongdae, she had no shortage of opportunity.

Nearly a decade ago, she had followed her boss and mentor, Nicolo, to Seoul on the rising tide of the Korean Wave. Nicolo’s reputation as an impeccable tailor had preceded him, and instead of fitting models exclusively, as they were accustomed back in Milan, in his unassuming little storefront in Hongdae, they now catered to a crowd of moguls, ladder-climbers, and even idols. It was less hectic and more structured, a quiet sort of life—literally, since her mouth was often pinned shut—that Ellie adored. Few things were as rewarding as a finely-suited man—especially a fine, finely-suited man.

As Head Cutter, Nicolo took all the initial measurements and struck the patterns to cloth while he relied on Ellie to do much of the tailoring and final fittings, which kept their conservative client-base comfortable as well as happy since a woman wasn’t unexpectedly fondling their junk. Of course, after the first suit, many of them requested her from the inception of their second, but Nico was ever circumspect. He could sense a scoundrel by sight almost as well as a Super 180 fabric by touch—decades as a master tailor brought forth many a well-dressed narcissist.

Speaking of troublemakers… Ellie glanced down to the appointment book and saw his name. Lee Hoseok. He was coming back again. So soon? She had barely survived the last fitting, let alone the one before that. Three times in two weeks… Okay, so most men came back for fittings in that time frame, but this one broke every mold—literally. It was beginning to feel like a relationship, and that had never happened before. It shouldn’t.

Ellie was the consummate professional. She spoke to her clients only when she had questions or suggestions. No matter how handsome or charming, the most personal she ever got with them was asking the occasion for the outfit or the style they preferred. It’s what these wealthy and powerful men liked about their shop.

Truthfully, she had no right to say it felt like a relationship either. Hoseok was always pleasant and friendly, maybe more open that most of her clients, though that didn’t mean they’d had personal conversations. On the contrary, they were perfect strangers. They had only ever talked tailoring; she didn’t even know what he did for a living.

There was literally no reason to feel connected to this man except that maybe she wished she was. He was that good-looking, and Ellie knew good looks. It was her business, elevating a man to that next level in handsome confidence, but this man could rock a burlap sack, and people would beg to know his designer.

She thought about asking Nico to cover for her just so she could avoid another torturous transaction, but he already had a fitting, and it would be uncouth for an upstanding establishment like Bespoke Hongdae to cancel a commitment. Still… It was very difficult to run your hands all over a man you knew was millions of miles out of your league, especially when you’d rather be doing it recreationally than professionally. She had fitted models and moguls, tycoons and playboys. None of them had been a problem.

Lee Hoseok was a problem.

It was that goddamn smile of his. All gentle and effortless, with nothing but sincerity shining each pearly white. She hoped she didn’t see it today.

The bell above the door tinkled, and Ellie looked up. He had arrived.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Lee. Ready for your final fitting?” she said, relying on her inner customer service autopilot to take over.

“I am,” said the broad silhouette filling the door frame.

Well, he sure hadn’t gotten any uglier in a week. Damnit.

Hoseok was every tailor’s worst nightmare. His shoulders were more like wings, spanning strong and wide, and his chest tapered sharply to a narrow but powerful waist. His biceps tested the limits of dress shirt fabric while simultaneously shaming everyone else into a gym membership. His thighs were mammoth and his ass high and firm, yet somehow, when he turned just so, it seemed it was all a mirage, and he was just as trim as many of their other clients.

“Right this way please,” Ellie directed with a motion toward her fitting room.

Along the way, she knocked twice on Nico’s studio door to let him know she was with a client, and from the other side, she heard his curt “Capito, Ellie!”

At her studio, she opened the door and ushered Hoseok in. “Your shirt and trousers are on the hanger, Mr. Lee. Please let me know when you’re dressed, and I will bring in the jacket.”

The man nodded and thanked her before mercifully disappearing behind the door.

Ellie sagged against the wall and ran a hand over her face as she hissed, “Bu çok sinir bozucu! He looks so good today. Get it together, Elnara.”

She slapped her cheeks a few times before she grabbed the deep sapphire worsted wool gem she’d completed yesterday. Only a moment later, Hoseok opened the door and she stepped inside.

He looked dashing already in his striking blonde hair, matching suit trousers, and crisp white shirt. He had one button popped at his collar, and Ellie’s eyes darted right to it. She might have admonished another client for distracting from the finished look, but it complemented Hoseok’s carefree smile—which he was unfortunately already sporting as fashionably as a pocket square.

“Please,” was all she could manage as she motioned toward the pedestal in the center of the room.

He stepped onto the platform in front of three full-length mirrors. He was already tall, but on the platform, he loomed to mythical proportions—or maybe it was just his unavoidable gravity. Ellie was grateful she had worn her tallest heels today just to keep up.

From the safety of the blind spot at his back, she admired the breadth of his shoulders. Many of the men she’d suited had shoulders as narrow as hers, but, hell, if it rained, she could seek shelter behind Hoseok’s.

She peered around him and caught his eye in the mirror before she raised the jacket and he slid into it. Last week’s tuxedo had been bad; the sapphire suit was worse. It was the sort of suit one wore for a dinner with the President or a hostile corporate takeover, the kind that demanded attention and commanded respect. It was the suit of great men.

In it, Hoseok looked like the pinnacle of masculinity.

Ellie cleared her throat as softly as she could and said, “What do you think?”

“What do you think?” he replied. “You’re the kind of person I want to impress.”

She pursed her lips to stifle her smile. He really was a troublemaker. She studied him in the mirror, running her hands over his shoulders to smooth the fabric and down his arms to coax the sleeves to their true length. She tugged his dress shirt cuffs down and skirted her fingers along the line of his waist.

Damn, he was nothing but muscle under there. She could only imagine the luxury of measuring him in a thin dress shirt. Lucky Nico.

“Hm,” she said, circling him with a finger to her lips. “Length is good. Shoulders fit well. Sleeves hit perfectly. How does it feel across the chest? Not too tight?”

“Not at all,” he said, “but maybe something is missing.”

That was a new one. This was Hoseok’s second fitting in this suit; he hadn’t said anything the first time. “Would you like a second button?”

He kept his gaze steady on her as though he was working something out. His lips parted as if in slow motion, or maybe that was just the mind-altering effects of his intense beauty. “How about a tie?”

“If you’d like,” she answered, “though I’d suggest you go without for this look.”

That popped top button was a view she hadn’t realized the world needed, and it seemed a shame to take it away so soon.

“Let’s try one,” he urged.

Ellie combed through their selection on hand and withdrew a couple to hold against the suit, but none fit. Finally, her eyes fell on a striking blue tie that only Hoseok would have the confidence to pull off.

She offered it to him, but he smiled gently. “Would you mind? I always put them on crooked.”

Her mouth fell open—not at the suggestion, since she had put on many ties over the years, but at the electricity that jolted her at the mere thought. He was different. This was different.

Ellie stepped onto the platform with him, her eyeline level with his problematic mouth. It was so pretty and full and all she had to do was tip up her chin to change everything, but she forced her gaze down to his collar.

He hadn’t bothered to close the button. Now this felt like sabotage, cruel, cruel sabotage. Ellie draped the tie around her neck and reached up to tug the button into the hole. It took every ounce of self-control to keep her fingers from “accidentally” grazing the milk-white skin there.

Don’t think about his warm breath fanning across your forehead. Don’t think about your breasts an inch from his chest.

She looped the tie around his neck and sashayed it into place under his collar before tying it into the perfect Pratt knot. And through each and every step, Hoseok watched her. Ellie didn’t dare look up even though she could have tied the knot in her sleep. His mouth was still so close, and the warm wood and cherry of his cologne was overwhelming enough as it was.

She straightened the tie, buttoned the jacket, and, without thinking, ran her hands down his chest to flatten the fabric. He was so firm underneath, he might truly have been carved of marble.

Ellie cleared her throat again and stepped to the side so he could see himself in the mirror. She hated herself for her hubris, but she thought they looked good together. Her lean, tall figure and toasted skin was the perfect complement to his commanding size and ethereal pallor.

“You were right,” he said in a voice too low to be safe. His eyes were on her, not on the mirror, and she could feel them burrowing into her. It was torture. “Please take it off.”

She may as well have been undoing his belt. Her fingers played about his neck, grazing the freshly razored skin there as she reversed each step and stirred the note of rum in his cologne until she was hopelessly drunk. Finally, the silk hissed through his collar as she tugged it off, and she nearly collapsed at the exertion. Trying to look professional when all she wanted to do was tear off this very expensive suit consumed so much energy.

“I’m ready for the final suit,” Hoseok announced.

Ellie blinked. “What suit? This is the only order we have left open.”

He raised an eyebrow, which should have raised an alarm. “Nicolo and I have been working on another.”

Brow furrowed, she flipped back to their order manifest and scowled. There was another order number after all, and she headed back to the cutting room with indignation blossoming in her chest. She had fitted Hoseok for everything—he saw to it—so why had she been kept out of the loop on this?

Get it together, Elnara! This is a business relationship. Don’t take offense.

Still annoyed, she drew up to the rack of finished suits, and her heart knew instantly what her head refused to acknowledge.

Not the red suit, please.

No. It was his? Of course, it was. Of fucking course.

Ellie had watched that suit come to life in the cutting room over the last couple weeks. The slashes of crimson wool were impossible to miss among the oceans of blues and grays. It was the first thing she saw when she walked in the back, and it was always emblazoned on her memory when she walked back out. Complicating things, it was the one suit she had no part in assembling. Nico was clear that the amount of custom work demanded his attention exclusively, and she was forced to admire it from afar.

But now here it was, in its full finished glory. She hadn’t even had a hand in fitting it throughout. When had Hoseok even been in to try it on without her knowledge? He should be paying rent for how much time he was spending here, she thought bitterly.

Her resentment didn’t fade on her walk back to her atelier, but it evaporated instantly when she opened the door.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry, Mr. Lee!” she shouted, slamming the door closed. “I should have knocked!”

But Hoseok opened the door again with that stubborn toothy smile that made the man look innocent despite now being half-naked. “No worries. This suit is made to wear without a shirt.”

Ellie’s mouth hung open, in part from the absurdity of a suit without a dress shirt but more so from the enormous mountain of muscle on display for her. She had never seen pectorals so large or defined—they could be pillows if they weren’t rock hard. His nipples perked in the chill of the atelier, and if there weren’t so much else to tantalize the eyes, she might never have looked away. And while she was studying him, who the hell had abs like that? Who! They were too defined to be real. Maybe he was a statue after all. But Hoseok’s real strength emanated from the sculpted foundation of shoulders bolstered by biceps that seemed to flex even when he was relaxed.

Ellie’s cheeks dappled to the color of the suit before she shoved it through the door and insisted it stay firmly shut this time, even holding the handle in case her libido got the better of her.

“When you’re fully dressed, please let me know, Mr. Lee,” she said in a voice painfully strained. God, she would have done anything to mute the quaver in it. Her unprofessionalism was mortifying, and she worried it would ruin their shop.

Toz ol, Elnara!

A few minutes later, Hoseok gave her the okay to enter, but she’d learned her lesson and opened it centimeter by centimeter. He wasn’t naked, but this was bad. Very bad.

Damn Nico and his tailoring skills. The blue suit had wounded, but the red suit was out for blood. Hoseok waited on the pedestal, hands in his pockets, his back to her. In the mirror, his eyes watched her as she studied his figure. The tailor in her had to admire how well-cut the suit was. Nico had fitted this one tighter than a suit should reasonably fit, the jacket darts contouring his impossible chest and the trousers—curse her mentor for the way they hugged Hoseok’s thick thighs.

This suit wasn’t for takeovers or even dinners. This suit was the prelude for seduction.

Ellie circled around to appraise the front of the jacket. The wide peak lapel was striking next to his flawless skin, and its sharp lines drew her eye to the silver zipper winking in the spotlight.

Who’d ever heard of a zipper on a suit jacket? Absurd. It had probably killed Nico to put it on, but when Ellie had probed her mentor earlier in the week, he’d shrugged and said, “Whatever the client wants, he shall have.”

Hoseok noticed her attention and cleared his throat. “It’s meant to zipper up from the bottom. Would you please test it? I’ll tell you when to stop.”

“I don’t think—”

“Please?”

Heart racing, Ellie stepped to the side so Hoseok could see himself in the mirror as her always-steady fingers trembled toward the pull. Tooth by tooth, it climbed like the first hill of a rollercoaster, each one parting with the same perilous clack-clack-clack as a chain dragging the fated train up the track. She held her breath with the same anticipation.

The jacket split, revealing that pale swath of rigid abs so perfect they could have been painted on if it weren’t for the way they tensed at an inadvertent graze of her fingers. Hoseok grunted.

No, no, no. Aptal!

She shouldn’t be touching skin here. She needed the Teflon of a dress shirt to rebuff her fingers, but instead it was only hot, soft skin inviting her to venture further.

“This time feels different,” Hoseok said softly, and Ellie’s fingers stopped at once.

Her heart hammered and her eyes panicked as her mouth went bone dry. She’d been exposed. She’d never been so humiliated.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she stammered. “Would you prefer that I call Nicolo to finish your fitting?”

“That’s not what—” he said before he stopped himself. “It’s okay. I didn’t tell you to stop.”

Every ounce of air left Ellie’s lungs. Why was she working so hard to be professional when Hoseok insisted on being so unprofessional? She had to be misreading things.

With a shallow nod, she continued the zipper’s upward climb. There was the charming crescent of Hoseok’s bellybutton with its own little gingerbread moon in permanent orbit to the right. God, every millimeter of this was torture, and her eyes begged for him to stop, but he wouldn’t.

At the final hill of his abs, he smirked and said firmly, “There, Elnara.”

Her name. On his tongue. Good god, it was holy and unholy all at once. She hadn’t even realized he remembered her name. Customers never called her by it, and now she understood why—it was more personal than measuring an inseam.

“What do you think?” he asked.

Ellie surveyed his silhouette. The zipper was almost pointless. It had been unzipped so much that only a short channel at the top held it together. Through the red and silver window glistened a mogul of snow-white abs. So much power lurked beneath the deceptive curtain of crimson wool.

“It’s a very modern look. I think you’ll turn a lot of heads, Mr. Lee,” she said evenly. He stared at her, head cocked and hands still in his pockets, as though he knew there was more on the tip of her tongue, so she added, “How’s the fit?”

“Tight.”

The criminal bastard.

“Uncomfortable?” Ellie said.

“I like it tight.”

Please stop torturing me.

“And the length?” she continued, a tremor destroying the first word.

“Just right, but I’d like a woman’s honest opinion. How does it really look on me?”

She narrowed her eyes. It felt like he was deliberately baiting her now. How much of her thirst had she given away?

Ellie had to choose every word very carefully—too carefully. She felt like it took her minutes to compose herself. “You look like you will make a singular impression wherever you go, Mr. Lee.”

“Is that a polite way of saying you don’t like it?”

“No! No, definitely not. No. You look…” What to say that didn’t cross the line? She frantically searched for something safe, but there was nothing because Lee Hoseok wasn’t safe. “You look powerful.”

He hummed.

With nothing neutral left to say, Ellie draped her measuring tape around her neck and stepped back. “Okay, so, if you’re satisfied with everything, Mr. Lee, I will prepare your suits, and we’ll get you on your way.”

Suddenly, Hoseok grabbed her wrist, and her measuring tape slipped from her neck into a puddle at her feet.

“Wait.”

Everything waited for Hoseok, even her heart.

“I’ve run out of excuses,” he said, “and time. I want to see you tonight, Elnara. I want to touch you for a change.”

“I—”

Ellie couldn’t think of a single word. She couldn’t have heard him right. No way. Maybe her Korean had failed her. She’d only been speaking it for a handful of years, maybe she’d missed some context. That had to be it.

At last, she found her voice again. “I—I don’t do house calls, Mr. Lee.”

“Let me be clear. I want you, Elnara. Not another suit, not a fitting. I want to feel you against me. I want to know what you look like when you wake up.”

Her breath caught. Her world was spinning. Like any woman, Ellie had been propositioned more times than there were stitches in Hoseok’s suit. Most came from douchebags on a street corner, and as soon as they were done with their wolf whistle, they were on to the next unsuspecting woman without so much as a glance at her face.

But here was a man only inches from her with his gaze boring into hers along with his undivided attention.

“You don’t know me,” she whispered as she looked away.

“No, but I do know the only thing that matters right now.”

“And what’s that?”

“We both want the same thing.”

Ellie’s head whipped back as she bit her bottom lip. “Which is?”

“One night together.”

It was as if someone had pushed pause on reality. In the mirror, she saw her chest heaving and her mouth slackening, but that was the Ellie in a backwards universe, where left was right and invisible was visible and somehow gods desired mortals.

“Mr. Lee, I’m not in the habit of—”

“I’m sure you’re not, and neither am I, but I can’t wait any longer.” He let out a tight exhale, and his hands twitched at his sides. “I can feel your heat through this suit, and I know you can feel me, too. I felt your fingers at my waist.”

Ellie stumbled, her fingertips burning at the memory and the humiliation. She struggled to find her voice as she backed up against the mirror, relying on Alt-verse Ellie for support.

“I’m sorry if I touched you inappropriately, Mr. Lee. It was not my intention. But you are a valued client, and I really don’t want to jeopardize that in any way.”

“No, I’m sorry,” he said, his eyes downcast. “I came on too strong. That’s not something I do. I was just… careless. Tonight’s my last night in town for a while, and I didn’t want to lose—”

He stopped again and shook his head. When he looked back up, he was smiling that boyish smile, and any defense Ellie had mounted toppled.

“Maybe I felt something that wasn’t there. That’s my fault, and I will be more careful next time. Please don’t think I was trying to pressure you. It’s just— You’re worth the risk. So, anyway… Thank you for the fittings.”

“Are—are you pleased with your suits?” she fumbled.

“They’re striking. I’d expect nothing less.”

“You look very handsome.”

She shouldn’t have said it—she knew that instantly. She should have just wrapped her measuring tape around her neck and squeezed instead. Seni Aptal!

“Thank you, Elnara.”

Hoseok was staring. She was frozen. She wished she could disappear through the mirror.

He stepped down from the pedestal, still in his red suit, and stopped right in front of her. He was right—she could feel the heat between them, and it was scalding, yet she found herself leaning into it.

“If you change your mind—if you feel something, too—I’ll be at the Empire bar at nine. There are no strings, no demands, just a promise that I won’t disappoint you.”

“I’m sure you couldn’t,” Ellie said and trusted her hair to hide her flush. “Safe travels, Mr. Lee.”

It was late. It was dark. She was foolish.

He paused beside her, his dark eyes searching hers, before he nodded and left her gasping against the mirror with no hopes of focusing on anything other than his world-altering offer.

And yet here she was, hovering awkwardly just inside the smoky glass of Empire’s entrance within a hotel with rooms that cost double per night what her apartment cost in a month.

Hoseok grinned as he shot up in surprise at his unexpected date. “I’m so glad you came.”

Ellie shrugged a shoulder in time with a corner of her mouth. “Didn’t think I would.”

Only minutes before, she'd almost chickened out and told the cabbie to keep on going, but casual sex was hard to come by in a country as conservative as South Korea. People dated for marriage, and one-night stands were things nobody talked about, let alone initiated without copious amounts of alcohol. It had been months since she'd been with anybody, and he certainly hadn't been half the man Hoseok was.

Her eyes darted around the hotel bar. It was dimly lit and elegantly appointed in rich woods and stone, with bookcases stuffed to the gills with vinyls, plenty of empty booths, and only a handful of guests throughout, including a few couples with heads close and legs crossed to each other. Jazz music babbled from the record player in the corner. Everything smelled of whiskey and beer and leather except Hoseok, who still smelled of rum and cherries and something much more primal.

Still in that red suit, Hoseok tugged a stool out for her and smiled even wider when she sat down next to him. This time, his eyes made no bones about appraising every inch of her. Ellie had chosen a slip dress, the soft pink color like a full-body blush against her caramel skin. The cowl neck draped elegantly over her small chest while the soft lighting flashed across the satin with her every move. She crossed her legs, and the dress bunched higher over her knee, allowing a peek at her thigh that Hoseok did not miss.

“Drink?” he asked.

“Merlot, please,” she told the bartender before she turned back to Hoseok. “Nice suit.”

“You seem…” He chose his words carefully as he mapped the arc of her neck. “Different.”

“This is Evening Ellie. You’ve only ever met Professional Ellie.”

“Which one’s the real you?”

“They both are. One just has more freedom than the other.” She took a long drink of wine and licked her lips, Hoseok’s eyes following the purposeful trail of her tongue. “And fewer inhibitions.”

He laughed, a soft but distinct “ha” that added to his charm.

Ellie nodded to the heart of the hotel. “So, are you staying here?”

His smile tempered to a smirk. “Actually, no. I just wanted some neutral ground. My apartment isn’t far, but I wasn’t sure you’d be comfortable meeting there, if you even showed up.”

“We could have met at an actual bar, you know.”

“There are none this nice or this quiet this close to home.”

“Ah,” Ellie said with a brow raise, “so that’s where you want this night to end?”

“They have beds here, too,” he replied as though that should have been obvious.

Maybe it should have been considering what he’d proposed at her shop. Still, it made her thighs clench, and she readjusted on the stool. “You’re not like the other Korean boys, are you?”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No,” she said over the lip of her glass, “it’s not.”

Hoseok ran a triumphant hand through his hair and leaned in close enough that she could almost taste the soju on his tongue. “How long have you lived here?”

“Eight years now.”

“Your Korean is excellent.”

“It had better be. There’s no one here who speaks my language, so I have all the time in the world to practice.”

He blinked in surprise. “What do you speak with Nicolo?”

“Italian, but actually I’m from Turkey.”

“Turkish?” His eyes roved over her honeyed skin and chocolate hair and settled on the beauty mark just beneath the corner of her bottom lip. “That’s unusual.”

“Is that a bad thing?” she teased and he grinned. But in a moment, the mood had shifted, and they both felt it. A line was about to be crossed, and Ellie worried it wasn’t just a line but a trip wire. She took another drink and brushed her hair around her ear as she ventured into foreign territory.

“So, Hoseok,” she said, tasting his name like a stolen sweet, “do you do these a lot?”

He straightened immediately at her hint of intimacy, his brown eyes darkening a shade. “One-night stands?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ve had a few,” he admitted. “They make things simple. I travel a lot and even when I’m here, I’m usually crushed with work. Feels unfair to ask someone to commit to being ignored. I’d rather promise my full attention for one night than string someone along.”

Ellie sniffed an astonished laugh. “I didn’t think anyone could be so thoughtful about meaningless sex.”

“Does it have to be meaningless?” He sounded surprisingly wounded.

“I—no, I didn’t mean—” she fumbled, looking for a way out of this hole. “I’m sorry. I’m nervous.”

His worried brow softened and he leaned in, his lips by her ear. “Please don’t think that just because this is one night that you don’t mean anything to me, Elnara. I’ve traveled the world, but I’ve never met anyone like you. You captivate me.”

He kissed her once under her jaw and sat back on his seat as she twisted her hair into a frenzied knot.

“Thank you,” she mumbled, her eyes falling to the zipper that had signaled her ruin.

“So what would you like to do here? You want to have a few drinks or get a bite? Whatever you want. You’re in charge of our night.”

“Maybe, ah—” Ellie looked down at her empty glass and back to the gentle face across from her. Maybe it was the wine or maybe it was his cologne or maybe it was the feeling of his lips still lingering on her skin, but her mind was already made up.

This was new ground for her. She wasn’t sure how forward she could be, yet Hoseok had given her the reins. It was thrilling and terrifying all at once.

“How about we flip a coin?” she said as she withdrew a 100 won coin from her clutch. “Heads, your place. Tails, the hotel.”

Hoseok smirked. “Deal.”

The silver coin whizzed up and back into Ellie’s hand with a thud.

There was his smile that had started it all, beautiful and inviting and very, very pleased.

“I’ll get the car.”

The drive to Hoseok’s apartment was shorter than Ellie had hoped. He drove a sleek silver sportscar that made her feel expensive and important by extension. Every stoplight brought stares and, with them, a sense of pride that he had picked her. Hoseok was stunning in the driver’s seat. Neon light danced off the sterling hood and played across the perfect alabaster of his profile until he glowed, too. If she wasn’t looking forward to the destination so much, she could have ridden with him into forever.

His place was on the 52nd floor of a new high-rise in Gangnam. Ellie couldn’t remember a longer elevator ride in her entire life. She wanted to touch him so badly, but they were never alone, with an infuriating stream of people hopping on and off like it was rush hour.

Of course, his was the corner unit, and of course, it boasted floor-to-ceiling views of Seoul glittering in the indigo of night. The living space sported sleek modern grays and blues with stylish furniture and an enormous flat screen. Off to the side was the kitchen with a built-in bar and an impeccably clean counter, and tucked in one corner was a simple desk with a laptop but not a single sheet of paper or stray paperclip. Beautiful as it was, the place barely looked lived in. It even smelled new, with none of the trappings of a well-used kitchen or a couch with familiar dents in the cushions. No pictures hung on the walls; no tchotchkes studded the end tables. It felt more like a hotel than a hotel did.

“You live here?” Ellie said as she shrugged off her jacket.

“When I’m here.”

“That must not—”

The next thing she knew, she was crushed against Hoseok’s hard body as his mouth descended on hers. He had the smoothest lips she’d ever felt, silkier even than the fabric of her dress, and he dragged them across hers as though he were memorizing the shape of her mouth. Her hands stroked the soft bristles of his freshly trimmed hair as she pressed him further to her. He tasted of bad decisions and insatiable longing, and she knew with one swipe of his tongue that she’d never get the taste of him out of her mouth.

“Sorry,” he panted as he pulled back. “I couldn’t wait. You were saying?”

Ellie laughed. “You’re a magnificent kisser.”

“Wait until you see how I fuck.”

Her knees might have given out if he hadn’t been holding her up.

“You don’t waste any time, do you?” she said.

“I don’t have any to waste. I need every second I can get with you.”

Ellie tugged on his neck again, and this time when his lips met hers, it was less urgent but no less passionate. His hands grabbed fistfuls of her dress as he tugged her flush against him, and she felt his growing desire for her against her stomach.

This time, her tongue probed his mouth as her hands slipped around to trace his jaw before settling on that granite chest. She pushed him back until he collided with the door with a huff. Hoseok reached for his zipper, but Ellie batted his hands away and grasped the pull just above the outline of his semi.

“Let me,” she purred. “You’re the only client I’d rather be undressing. Besides, you have no idea how many hours went into this masterpiece, and I don't want it ruined.”

His cheek tugged up as he smirked. “As you wish, my lady.”

Ellie took her time unzipping the jacket the way she would savor opening an exquisitely wrapped gift. She had had a taste of what was underneath this morning, but now she could truly appreciate the man inside the suit. Hoseok was stronger than any person had a right to be, and the primal woman inside her longed to see that power unleashed. What would all that muscle feel like driving into her? She could hardly wait to find out, and yet, they only had one night. She didn’t want to miss a moment.

Ellie removed his jacket, and, after carefully draping it over the couch, she stepped back for a new view of him. She trailed three fingers across his chest as she circled him before savoring a squeeze of his bicep and a caress of that broad back.

“I almost feel guilty for covering up all your hard work,” she mused as she played her hand across his defined stomach.

“Do you like what you see?”

There was something so endearing about a man like this seeking her approval. By all rights, he should have been an egomaniac—he’d earned it. Hoseok could have anything and anyone, he could have the whole world at his feet if he wanted, and yet all he wanted was to please her.

“I’ve never seen anything more beautiful,” she said, and with one swoop, he had his mouth to hers and his hand under her ass, picking her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist.

He seated her on the back of the couch so he could free a hand to massage her thigh while the other threaded through her hair and secured her to him. He was hot and hungry, his skin practically searing through her dress. His tongue met hers stroke for stroke until she sighed into him, and it was like a starter pistol for his hands.

Hoseok grabbed her breast through her dress, but when his thumb played over a pert, satin-covered nipple, he jerked back so he could study her. While Ellie’s head tipped back, he played with her freely. All at once, he stopped as his other hand slid up under her dress. With every inch higher he climbed, her breath hitched another notch until he grabbed a handful of her hip and ass.

His forehead rested against her collarbone, and his ragged breaths blasted her skin. She felt his voice better than she heard it when he growled, “You’re not wearing anything underneath.”

“I knew where this night was heading,” she said.

“You’re driving me crazy, Ellie.”

Her full name had sounded elegant and forbidden on his tongue, but her nickname was too intimate. This was supposed to be one night, but with one word, they had crossed another line, this one most definitely triggering an explosion. She could feel it, maybe he could, too.

It would be safer to leave before the butterflies in her stomach complicated things, but Hoseok was so needy and Ellie was a glutton for punishment.

She slipped a finger under his chin and guided him back up. His lips were reverential as they worshipped hers, followed by her jaw and her neck right at that sensitive spot at the nape that had her legs tightening around him.

Hoseok took advantage of the situation to pick her back up and cart her back to the bedroom, his mouth never leaving her neck. He sucked hard, and she arched into him with a gasp.

“That’s going to leave a mark!” she protested.

He nuzzled his nose against the fresh red blossom and murmured, “Mm, something to remember me by.”

Ellie unwrapped her legs and dropped to the floor where she took a step back. Hoseok looked worried that he’d said something wrong, but she smiled and sank to her knees. The cold from the hardwood traveled up her legs, but it couldn’t quell the fire within her, not when he loomed so impressively above her. It was like basking in the shadows of a temple to a Greek god.

He watched as she undid his pants and freed his length. She should have taken the time to appreciate how sturdy his thighs were, how well they would be able to plow into her as deep as he could go, but she was distracted by something even more erotic. She bit her lip as she appraised him with hungry wonder. “You shave?”

“I like to feel clean,” he said, though there was a tint of pink on the tops of his wide ears. He would have looked cute if it weren’t for his luscious cock waiting expectantly for her attention.

Ellie was eager to give it. She ran her hands up his thighs, relishing the sinew contracting beneath her ministrations, and over the smooth plain above his hard-on. It made her breathless. Even here, he smelled of cologne, and she thought about giving him flack for coming as prepared as she had, but she was too intoxicated by him.

Her fingers closed around his base and he groaned. Ellie pumped experimentally along his length until she reached the head and glossed her thumb over the slit. This time he let out a gasp and she glanced up. Hoseok watched her with hooded eyes and an aura dark with ill intentions.

“Put it in your mouth,” he said.

A shiver coursed through her.

Ellie’s lips parted and she placed the head of his cock on the tip of her tongue before it disappeared down her throat. As she lavished her tongue along every inch of him, he grunted appreciatively above her. His hand rested on the back of her head, not guiding her but also ensuring she couldn’t leave him until he was finished with her. She relished his gentle huffs as her hand worked him in time with her mouth.

“Let me hear how much you like it,” he said as he brushed away her hair for a better view of her ruby lips swallowing his shaft.

Obscene smacks echoed off the walls as she hummed around him greedily. His cock dripped with her spit as she left no ridge unexplored. He was turning her feral, and Hoseok was fucking loving it. Nothing was sexier than glancing up his immaculate body to find his throat exposed as he groaned in indulgent ecstasy. Ellie would do anything to please him.

Her nose pressed against his smooth pelvis as she took him all the way, fingers gripping his delicious ass as his dick grazed the back of her throat, and suddenly, he grabbed a fistful of hair and yanked her off.

“Not fair!” he snapped. “I’m going to blow if you keep pulling stunts like that.”

Ellie shrugged. “Then try not to look so yummy.”

“On the bed,” he demanded.

Anticipation quaked through her legs, and she could feel a new rush of heat dampen her naked thighs. She climbed on and scooted back, but before she could move to the pillows, Hoseok grabbed her waist and yanked her to the edge. She yelped at his swiftness before she dissolved into giggles, but he wasn’t laughing. His eyes were focused on her thighs, and he licked his lower lip.

“I need to taste you.”

“At least let me take this off.”

“No,” he interjected, stilling her hand on her dress hem. “I like you like this. I feel like I’m stealing something from everyone else. And you’ll look so gorgeous wrecked beneath me.”

Hoseok pressed her knees wide and drew his hands up her thighs to the rivers of shimmering satin bunched there. His thumbs rubbed circles in the soft caramel there as he savored her quickening breaths. He ventured a kiss at her knee first, and then the next a little higher until at last he reached the hem of her dress. This time he licked a swipe up along her thigh and unleashed a cool breath along the wet trail that made her legs tremble.

“I love the way your body responds to me,” he said in a hush. “I knew from the moment you touched me at the shop.”

“Knew what?”

Ellie propped herself up on her elbows to catch those black eyes waiting for her. His hot breath funneled under the fabric of her dress and over her longing core.

“You need me as much as I need you.”

His words hung on the chill in the bedroom and made her shiver for a whole new reason. But Hoseok returned his attention to his prize still netted in shadows.

“Oh, beautiful,” he said with a soft tsk. He ran a finger on the inside of her thigh, just grazing her heat, and Ellie jolted. “See what I mean? You've made such a mess.”

She was honestly embarrassed about how much she was dripping for him, but Hoseok didn’t seem to mind as he slipped the finger into his mouth and sucked it clean. This time, when his hands returned, they shoved her dress above her hips, exposing her to him, and he bit his lip.

“You shave, too.”

Ellie nodded submissively, and that was all the invitation he needed. He tugged her hips closer to his mouth before he licked a torturous swipe up her heat. She fisted the covers as she arched against the intense pleasure that ripped through her. He savored her like that for a long time, not opening her yet but teasing and stroking with his tongue until she was mad with need. From time to time, he’d hum in between her curses and begging, but Hoseok was clearly in no rush.

He’d loved tormenting her since the moment he’d met her, but Ellie couldn’t take it anymore. She craved relief so desperately that she hooked a leg over his shoulder and shoved him against her.

He laughed, the vibrations sending shockwaves through her core, and said, “Next time, don’t make such a mess that I have to clean up.”

“Next—”

He shut her up with a finger plunging into her pussy, and Ellie’s head thunked back onto the bed as her hips canted up to take him deeper.

“Oh my god!”

“Take it, baby,” he hissed, pumping deeper. “Use me.”

Ellie ground her hips against his hand as her body begged for release. And all the while he watched, entranced by her carnal hunger.

“More, Hoseok. Give me more!”

He growled at the curl of his name rolled in rapture on her tongue, and with his other hand, he spread her wide at last. His mouth sucked firmly on her clit, which sent another string of curses tumbling through the air. He twirled his tongue around her tensing desire before he flicked it mercilessly. There were no words, no sounds, only blackness as her eyes squeezed shut against the onslaught. Still, he knew she craved even more friction, and he brought his thumb up to play with her at relentless speed.

Her hips lifted and her walls beckoned his fingers deeper, and right as her thighs began to shake, Hoseok pulled back, eyes glued on her glistening pussy as it throbbed for him.

“Son of a bitch,” she wailed as she looked down at him with desperate eyes. “Why—”

“You’re not coming anywhere but on my cock, Ellie,” he said as he stroked himself to the flawless image of this magnificent woman splayed out for him on his sheets, dress hiked up, dripping cunt out. He squeezed himself at the base of his dick to hold back his eagerness. “I need to feel how much you need me. You need me, right, baby?”

“I need you,” she echoed.

“You want me?”

“More than anything. Since the moment I saw you.”

“Yeah?”

His hand pumped harder on his cock as though he could come just listening to her confess how much she desired him, and Ellie bit her lip as she watched his forearms flex and his thighs twitch.

“You’re the sexiest man I’ve ever seen,” she added, and she was rewarded with his little grunt of appreciation. “I’ve never wanted anyone else like I want you, Hoseok. Every time I see your name at work, I pray I have you just so I can have an excuse to touch you.”

His hand moved faster as he stared at her heat, and Ellie reached her hand down to spread herself open for him. He groaned and licked his lips.

“I think of you when I play with myself,” she said, “but it’s not good enough. I need to come on that thick cock of yours. Will you give it to me, Hoseok?”

“I’ll give you everything, beautiful,” he promised.

He reached for his side table, but Ellie grabbed his arm and whispered, “It’s okay, if you’re okay with it.”

His eyes widened as though the thought had never crossed his mind. “Are you serious?”

“I’m always safe, but… I don’t know, it just feels… different with you.”

Ellie looked up at Hoseok, his once flawless blonde hair unraveling above her in sweaty strings, his eyes black with lust, his broad chest heaving with the mere thought. It was just supposed to be a passionate one-night stand, but it was true what she had said—she wanted more of him than she had any other man. A possessive thrill rippled through her at the thought of him filling her up in the most primal way. The way he was meant to be.

She shouldn’t open herself up this way to someone she would only know for one night, and yet that was why she needed all of him. If this were her only chance to be with Lee Hoseok, she wanted him as he was, and she wanted all he could give her.

“I’ve never been raw inside a woman before,” he admitted breathlessly.

“I want to feel you, Hoseok. I want you.”

He nodded numbly and turned his attention back to her aching core. He urged her hips to the edge of the bed again and ran his thumb back over her clit just to watch her jerk at his touch. He brought the head of his cock to her lower lips, running it up and down to coat it in her warm honey.

They gasped in unison. This was illicit and dangerous and intense. Every nerve was attuned to this moment.

She waited, her eyes begging along with her eager panting.

Hoseok slipped the head of his dick inside her, and Ellie wound the sheet around her hands to anchor herself. It was pure, unadulterated bliss.

“You’re so hot,” he murmured. “So hot.”

He pushed in deeper, and she clenched automatically around him.

As he watched his pink cock sink deeper into her tawny heat, his mouth fell open. “Fuck, baby, and so tight and soft. You’re swallowing me whole. Such a good girl taking me raw like this. I’m so lucky.”

“Hoseok,” she breathed.

“So wet and hot and tight.”

He was lost in her, and Ellie felt a surge of pride. She had something no one else had had—she had the real Hoseok, and he was amazing. She could feel every ridge of his hardness, every inch of his all-consuming lust for her. It was all hers, and she was so greedy.

Her walls fluttered around him as she devoured him to his hilt, and it woke him from his reverie. At last, he pulled back out and sank back in again, long, slow strokes that let them both experience the other from the inside out.

“I could fuck you forever,” he crooned as he rubbed her clit again with his thumb. “I love the way your body shakes for me, and I get to feel it all.”

“Only you, Hoseok,” Ellie managed between his emphatic strokes.

He tipped forward and crushed his mouth to hers in a sloppy kiss, gathering her hair in one hand and a satin-covered breast in the other. He picked up speed between her legs that had her moaning into him.

Suddenly, he pulled up, more determined than ever, and pressed her legs back so her hips angled up for him. A whimper left Ellie’s lips as his next stroke filled her deeper than she’d ever felt. She gasped hard as Hoseok fucked the air right out of her lungs.

Again and again and again.

She couldn’t speak. She was reduced to mewls and whimpers and moans as her core tightened with every thrust of his thick cock.

“I can feel you,” he murmured again. “You ready to come for me, baby? You ready to surrender to me?”

“So close,” she stuttered.

His thumb redoubled its assault on her clit until she could feel every muscle in her body tensing for her inevitable release. He knew just how to rub her to ignite every fire of her being.

“Give it to me, baby. Need to feel it. Come for me, my sexy girl.”

It was all too much—his words, his fingers, his cock. Ellie unraveled. Her hips trembled up as her walls squeezed ruthlessly around him, drawing him in as deep as he could go. Her thighs quaked and her eyes winched tight as she strangled out a pathetic gasp.

She had never felt so spent. Every last ounce of energy had gone into her orgasm. Now she was just a vessel heaving ragged breaths below this real-life Adonis.

Above her, Hoseok was losing it. The strength of her release had taken him by surprise, and now trapped inside her quivering heat, his length swelled and throbbed. Ellie had just enough energy to grab his neck and draw him flat against her body.

He was sweaty and hard and desperate for his own high. He felt so fucking good, and she felt immeasurably powerful controlling someone so strong.

“Where do you want my come?” he managed between grunts as he started to pull out, but Ellie hooked a leg behind his ass and pushed him back in.

“Inside me, baby,” she whispered into his ear. “Fill me up.”

He mewled against her neck, feathering a grateful kiss there. His enormous arms hugged her waist as he buried himself within her, and a new warmth spread through her as she welcomed his seed into her walls.

Ellie wrapped her arms and legs around him and held him as he rode out his release on a waterfall of whimpers and grunts. She raked her fingers through his silken hair and tried to process the knowledge that she had just fucked someone as perfect as Lee Hoseok.

And here he was, tight in her arms, panting and nuzzling against her skin as he planted lazy kisses along her shoulder.

“I—” he started but cut himself off with another trace of his nose along her collar bone.

“Shh,” she said and stroked his head again. “Just stay for another minute.”

A tremor rippled through her that had nothing to do with the aftershocks of ecstasy. The second he pulled out, this dream would end, and Ellie wasn’t ready to give it up. As unbelievable as the sex had been, nothing felt quite so good as Hoseok emptied and at her mercy, crushing her under him with his iron frame.

They stayed like that as long as they could before his cock softened and he had no choice but to slip away from her and roll over onto the bed. The loss of his warmth was excruciating, and the chill in the bedroom intensified.

Ellie tugged her dress down to combat the ice settling into her veins, but it was no use. Instead, she cleared her throat and headed for the bathroom. She was back a few minutes later, her long hair swept over her shoulder and her eyes cast to the floor.

Hoseok was stretched out shamelessly naked across his bed, every single muscle taut and gleaming in the twinkling lights of Seoul. He studied her with a strange smile on his face, something between admiring and appreciative.

“Is it okay if I stay?” Ellie asked as she worked a knot from her hair.

Hoseok’s eyes widened as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to the bed. He spent a moment studying her slender fingers as he traced them with his thumb. Silence hung for a full minute, and her shoulders sagged at his inevitable answer. She should have expected it. It was just sex after all. It was what she had wanted, right?

She started toward the door, but his grip tightened.

“Please don’t leave.”

His voice was tender, turned up at the end like a question. Ellie melted into it.

Still, she slipped out of his grip, and he sat up with the smallest of gasps, but she didn’t head out the door. Instead, she circled the bed and climbed under the covers. The musk of sex still pervaded the air, but under it was the essence of Hoseok, electrifying and soothing all at once. She laid down, taking in the goofy grin that softened all his features.

He said nothing as he watched her curl into his bed, and her body relaxed for the first time all day. Relief and exhaustion washed over her in a wave that had her eyelids already fluttering shut.

“Listen,” he said gently, brushing a lock of hair from her face, “I know I said one night, and that’s all I can give you now, but what if this wasn’t just tonight?”

Ellie wheedled further into her pillow dreamily, barely hearing him. “Hm?”

“What if I wanted another night when I come back?”

“Sure,” she mumbled through her profound fatigue.

“Ellie.”

Her eyes rushed back open and she found Hoseok wide-awake and dead serious. His words surged through the twilight fog of sleep as she finally realized what he was saying.

“Don’t forget me,” he begged. “Please.”

He was so pretty lying on the pillow beside her, so earnest with his big eyes and parted lips. She wasn’t sure why—maybe it was exhaustion or hormones—but a tear slipped down her cheek.

His thumb reached out to wipe it away, and he scooted closer to hold her tighter. “I’m sorry. Did I ask too much? That wasn’t what you signed up for, but I got carried away.”

Ellie shook her head, drawing herself further into the cradle of his hand. “No, no. Yeah, I’d like that. A lot.”

He smiled, all teeth and crescent eyes. So handsome.

“Hoseok?”

“Hm?”

“I could never forget you.”

He pressed his lips to hers in a sleepy kiss as they succumbed to the end of the first of many nights.

#wonho #lee hoseok #oc #one night stand #third person #wonho smut #hoseok smut #monsta x smut #oneshot

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davidmann95 · 3 years

Note

Comics this week (8/18/2021)?

adudewholikescomicsandotherstuff asked: Thoughts on this week’s comics?

Anonymous asked: Non-Superman and the Authority comics this week?

Radiant Black #7: Far and away the best the super-stuff has been in this book thus far, which bodes very well for its long-term prospects.

Jupiter's Legacy: Requiem #3: Don't know that I can keep coming up with new spins on 'so pretty, so dumb, so fun', but it's INCREDIBLY weird that Tommy Lee Edwards made old man Hutch a dead-ringer for the guy who played Brandon Sampson on the show.

The Marvels #4: Continuing to get this for dad and probably my favorite issue to date, in that it feels the most like it criss-crosses this whole world and taps into Busiek's skill for making the heroes seem cool again through a grounded POV. I just...I just don't get why Siancong though.

Iron Man #11: My impression is this is wrapping up fairly soon given that Captain America/Iron Man teamup book seeming to act as a replacement for both, and I'll be very curious how this looks in the rearview.

Guardians of the Galaxy #17: So many perfect chef kiss moments here.

Gamma Flight #3: OUR BOY PUCK COMES THROUGH

Moon Knight #2: Decided on something of a whim to give this second issue a shot after somebody posted some cool-looking pages from it, and I think it's made a convert of me. This felt like it was able to make a much better case than the pilot (which was by no means bad itself) for being able to deliver what people want out of a post-2014 Moon Knight comic while still being something all its own.

Catwoman #34: This is something different from the usual on-the-bubble comics for me - I'm just not sure I'm vibing with it all that strongly, but the craft is simply impeccable. Maybe I'll see if there's a good breaking point after Fear State and switch to trade-waiting.

Batman/Catwoman #6: Ok King I was just in it to see this through to the end but then you did an actual decent modern 'Batman discusses the nature of his no-killing code' scene.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #3: Huh. Very well-done issue, but can't say I'm clear why it made the choices it made.

Superman: Red and Blue #6: Getting past that all-timer cover:

Campbell: Basically a perfect comic book story.

Wagner/Wagner/Lanphear: Hope this means the Wagners patched things up with DC after that blowup over Batman #54 rather than them needing the work. In any case I obviously loved the look of this and really liked the concept, but it didn't feel like it resolved itself satisfactorily and I really didn't care for its take on Lois at all.

King/Rivera/Wands: The standout you'd expect.

Badger/Pugh/Brosseau: Another entry in 'the kind of story you're going to find in literally any Superman anthology from now until the end of time'.

Ogle/Norton/Wands: Some complicated feelings for me personally in terms of how it literalizes a metaphor, but it justifies itself as the final story of the series with a visual choice that makes me mad all over again that Watters and Dani's story didn't open #1 so they could be bookends.

With the series in the rear view, I think I can safely say my favorites throughout were The Boy Who Saved Superman, Human Colors, A Man Most Saved, Something To Hold On To, Fetch, Generations, Hissy Fit, and The Special.

Superman and The Authority #2: Again, thoughts here need to be longer form, but of course it rules.

#Week's Comics #Superman: Red and Blue #Superman #Opinion

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haknew · 3 years

Text

anon asked: I HAVE SONG RECS :DDD I tried not to do songs that you would have obviously heard before but a lot of the songs here are still popular but I couldn’t help but add them 😭

AHHHH thank you so so so so much for all the recommendations anon ! your taste is absolutely impeccable !!! i think i vibed with a lot of these maybe we are a bit similar ^~^ and no worries about your picks ! i totally support you and your incredible music taste no need to defend yourself :p ! popular songs can still be good ones ! thank you again and i tried ... to ... get through them all i’m so sorry JHGFDJHGDK you’ll see i get through like ... half and then ran out of energy T^T i’ll probably get back to this list some other time when i have free time and update with thoughts ! thank you for sending so many in ! i found so many new songs to add to my playlist heh thank you lovely !

Pop

cherry by rina sawayama - super cute ! i love these kinds of pop songs it’s right up my alley :o !

xs by rina sawayama - her voice is so well suited for this style ! i watched the mv and djkfhskgrjf HHH idk she gives me mitski vibes even tho their music is pretty different, you have peaked my interest i’ll definitely look into more of her stuff :o !

comme de garçons by rina sawayama - the bass line T^T !!! the talk-y (?) parts are so good i got chills, it’s like a rave song low key haha :p ! it’s so good !

Any song by Rina Sawayama 😭 - yes yes i’ll try to look more into her stuff !

Kpop

123 by nct dream - i’m only an honorary guest of ncity but one of my irls ults them ! and dream’s music has always been a bit more my speed :o ! this has more nostalgic kpop vibes to it ! i said this before but i really am more a pop person at heart and this is so good ^~^

Up to you by pretty much and nct dream (HAECHANS PART HHHHH) - oooh are you a haechan stan 0v0 i like jaemin tho i admit my knowledge of dream is limited (my fren ults renjun heh) also yes yes consent is very important kids u.u dskjghkdfj YOU’RE RIGHT THO haechan is a singer he SINGS, i love the vocal harmonies !

Oasis by crush ft zico - those electric keyboard synths (?) amazing ! this song bops u.u

Moon by everglow - !!! i actually have heard this a lot before ^~^ i got so excited when i saw this bc it’s so good ! it’s definitely one of my fav everglow songs too i think i overplayed it a lot when it first came out *v*

Woowoo by dia - i love the ocean wave sounds ! that’s so cool i love how summery it is ! it kind of reminds me of loona too ! ggs are just >>> i love the fun and brighter pop songs so much 🥺

Secret garden by Oh My Girl - i’ve heard a few songs by omg ! and i really like a handful of them, secret garden kinda gives me early gfriend songs vibes too ! it’s so pretty ! i really love when songs utilize strings in their instrumentals too ! it’s a bit slower paced too which is really nice ^~^

Page by got7 - YEEEES okie actually maybe unpopular opinion but spinning top is one of my fav got7 albums ! i used to listen to the whole mini on repeat ! i actually used to ult got7 too for a few months heh ^^ BUT YEEES i love page ! got7 always have bangers love them so much

Nekkoya by produce 48 - AHHHHH ANOTHER SONG I LOVE !!! i’m actually a wizone haha :p so i’ve seen produce 48 ! tho admittedly it probably contributes to my burning h*tred for mn*t and any survival shows ;;;; but i loved the title song so much ! i used to unironically play it on repeat djghskfj

Puzzle moon by gwsn - AHHHH YOUR TASTE !!! i also followed gwsn from debut and puzzle moon is so so so cute ! it’s such a bop too ! they have such fun and catchy songs !

Goblin by sulli - ahhh the xylophone chimes ! they make the song sound a bit haunting before the piano comes in ;;;; it really reflects the mv story so well i think ;;; and sulli’s voice is so beautiful ;;;; it’s got that characteristic background vocal harmonies that sm artists usually do and it’s just really beautiful !

What are you up to by kang daniel - today on can you tell jess is unfortunately a bg stan daniel’s songs have been so good :,)) i stopped following all the wanna ones closely after a while but ! he always surprises me ! his songs are such vibes u.u

Best day ever by yeri and nct dream - the TRUMPETS YEEES it’s so upbeat and fun !!! the cheering is so cute i love it !

Hair in the air by yeri and nct dream - JAEMINNNNN !!!! I LOVE YERI SO MUCH PLEASE ! i love the vocal harmonies between her and the boys 🥺 it’s so cute T^T ! renjun’s a singer HE SINGS

119 by nct dream - ah yes this is ncity brand u.u LOL they always have really filled chorus instrumentals and use a lot of vocals to fill up the space which i think is really cool and something i think immediately screams sm artist :0 ! i think renjun’s voice really sells this for me tho HIS VOICE IS AMAZING him and haechan yeees it’s a banger tho :,)

Save me save you by wjsn - i love wjsn’s music so much ! it sounds so magic and ethereal and totally bops ! their voices are so beautiful too and work together so well and i think this song’s style really suits all the members’ voices so well too !

Loonatic by loona - YEEEEES loona are my ult gg ! and oec is probably my fav unit in terms of music ! i have spent many a day playing their whole discography ! haha :3

Up by izone - MY GIRLS ! yes yes up is so cute ! i love it so much ! the choreo is so cute too ! i love izone please ;;;;

N/s by stray kids - oh boy okie ;;;; i’m like not a good judge of a lot of hip hop / more rap heavy songs ;;;; bc i was classically trained as a singer in choir ;-; so i’m sorry i do not have much to say about this one ;;;; it slaps tho ! i probably wouldn’t listen to it normally if you hadn’t recommended it tho so ! good to listen to smth outside of my normal preferences

Sunshine by straykids - OH very very different from the last skz song KJHGKFJHKD yea this is probably more my speed i’m so sorry LOL T-T it’s so good tho :o ! i don’t listen to a lot of skz bc i figured i wouldn’t be able to vibe with them but this one is so good i really like it ! skz and ateez man i’ve been trying to stan for ages but music is a big part of why i stan /stan/ certain groups more seriously and it’s also why i’m only honorary nctzen lol clearly i have been enlightened (literally *looks at my past ult groups* yeaaaa)

Blueprint by stray kids - YEEES IT’S SO UPBEAT ! i love upbeat and brighter songs (i am consistent like this T-T) it’s got summery tropical vibes to it too ! it’s so cute !

Question by stray kids - another banger yeeeees ! i vibe with the lyrics too u.u love that

Any mixtape by stray kids (but I really love 1 and 4) - oooh i still have a lot to get through so i’ll save these for my own time haha ^^

I’m your girl by khan

Revolution by Alexa

Secret by wjsn

I wanna be by key and soyeon

Handle it by twice

Teenager by got7

Take by jus2 (CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS ENOUGH)

Bump bump by woodz

Stylish by loona - this is one of my fav loona b sides yeeees !!!! love them so much !

Outta my head by somi

Jpop

showersnow by orbit

show off by orbit

crazy love by orbit

any orbit song ngl 😭

poison girl by nanaka suwa

lost umbrella (I like the tsukishima kei version cause it sounds like lee know :DDD)

Notice by moe shop

Kawaki wo ameku (domestic girlfriend opening)

The day by porno graffiti (my hero academia opening 1)

Odd future by uverworld (my hero academia opening 4)

Again by yui (full metal alchemist brotherhood opening 1)

More English music

Luxury by azalea banks (Ive heard she’s said some terrible things tho 😭 WHY DOES IT SLAP)

Hurricane by Bridget Mendler (I miss this song and ready or not too 😭)

Little dark age by mgmt

I got a couple one direction recs bear with me here 💀

Happily, Magic, AM, 18, Tell Me a Lie, Through The Dark, Wolves, Night Changes, Better Than Words

Hip-hop/rnb

Leaked by lil tjay

Pretty little fears by 6lack and j cole

Water by joe gifted

The London by young thug

Bands by shoreline mafia

Swervin by a boogie wit a hoodie

Father stretch my hands pt 1 by Kanye west

More English music (indila is French)

Northern lights by kennie

I am not a robot by marina

Tourner dans le vide by indila

Parle a ta tete by indila

Greek tragedy by the wombats

Viva la vida by Coldplay (SHHHHH DONT ROAST ME)

La da dee by Cody Simpson (SHH IT MAKES ME HAPPY 😭)

Move your body by loving caliber and anders lystell (this ones good to make u feel like an early 2010’s movie protagonist :D)

Mariposa by Peach tree rascals

Sunflower by post Malone and swae lee (like many songs on here it’s popular but I still wanna put it here cause they make me happy 😭)

I got really carried away sorry I hope you haven’t heard too many of these 😭😭 OKAY BYEEE ❤️

#anon #jess.replies #not tbz #jess.text #ask games #shared songs hour #oh god i am so so sorry anon i swear i'll get to all the others on my own time T-T #i just underestimated all the asks i was going to get with recs and i can feel my energy fading #''faded in my last song~~~'''#i know i said i'd get around to all of them but it's nearing two am djgdkjfhg I'M SO SORRY #i'll come back to this list and update it with thoughts if i have time :o !#so what have we learned today kids ... jess does not have taste whatsoever #also also that ggs >>>>>>#i'm sorry to all my stay friends <///3 truly i have no taste u.u

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nctzendreamz · 4 years

Text

HOMECOMING — PART lll

Prologue / Part l / Part ll / Part 3

Summary: The year is 3030, and the divide between the rich and poor couldn’t be greater. Wildwood University is the most prestigious school in the entire world, but it isn’t only because of the impeccable flying cars that can be seen best during the fuchsia lit nights, or the dexterous education everyone receives. It has secrets. A lot of secrets—the biggest being that Taeyong is going to kill you.

Genre: Gang!AU, Futuristic!AU, Dystopian!AU

Warnings: Vivid descriptions of violence, abuse, foul language, drug use, and murder.

“Y/N?”

Kun was always so gentle when he spoke to you compared to the rough and hard exterior he possessed. Ever since you were children, he was seen as the bad boy and everyone was scared of him. Everyone but you, and that’s why he fell for you so hard even in his adolescence years when he wasn’t supposed to know what love was—or care. On the days where he would come outside to play, covered in bruises, the others would run away claiming they didn’t want his bad luck, but you would run to him in your dazzling yellow dress that you refused to take off and hug him. You would remind him everyday that he was important and protected him from his bullies even at the age of five. You never treated him like the damaged flower he was. You instead watered him and continued to do so until he sprouted into a college boy and ruined it all.

“Hey.” Your eyes are looking down, trying to find comfort in the laces of your boots. The wood flooring was shining so brightly at you—it was newly polished after all, but the scent of this room is engraved into your entire existence. It’s him, and it’s making you feel sick. “Excuse me.” You manage to utter, never forgetting your manners. You don’t even want to brush against his strong shoulder or touch him. You’re weaving through and walking through the door as it fogs from the motion.

Taeyong watched this whole thing go down, and if he didn’t know for sure that Kun was your ex boyfriend, he knows now. The man was mimicking your previous actions—eyes locked on his striped socks. He’s taking deep breaths in and out.

“Um...I’m your roommate.” He places his hand out, but Kun doesn’t move. “Lee.” He introduces. Just when he thought his mission would be slight work, this had to come up. Taeyong wasn’t stupid. He knows that this Kun guy is going to be watching him like a hawk, as well as you, and they live together. What would he be doing while Taeyong was in class? He clearly wasn’t stupid either just from first glance, and mistrust was thick in the atmosphere of their dorm.

“Kun baby!”

The voice is booming and deep, but Taeyong doesn’t jump from it. He’s used to constant yelling and unnecessary cat calling. Indigo may have blinded your senses, but it enhanced your hearing. He heard them coming seconds before Kun did and he could tell it was more than whoever was screaming at such a peaceful hour—the afternoon.

Taeyong expects Kun to take a moment to open the door after what just transpired, but he doesn’t have to. Taeyong can’t take his eyes off of him. It’s the same tall and diesel boy that dropped you off this morning. Johnny, followed by six other boys, all in athletic clothing or school paraphernalia meaning they must have just got out of practice.

He was able to get into this room with his finger print? Fuck! It had to be because he was the president’s son. Which means you can do it too. He didn’t like the way he was being set up—I mean, isn’t that something he should’ve known?

“Turn around—oh.” Johnny’s mouth follows the pronunciation of his words before his lips go fish and makes a spitty noise at the sight of the lanky. Even with the little steps he takes he has some pep in his step. He seemingly knows who he is, and he’s proud of it. The other boys behind him don’t seem to be far off, but the way their faces look flushed indicate they possibly didn’t want to be here. They are probably tired, although Taeyong couldn’t understand how driving cars could make you this exhausted. “Hey roomie.”

He’s speaking to him, and Taeyong determines that keeping it cool was the best approach. He sadly envisions his own boys’ faces into their unmatching bodies as he knows this is the only way he won’t combust. He really hadn’t lived a life outside of his place of stay if it wasn’t a murder and he didn’t want it to show.

“What’s up.” He decides on, and they don’t speak to him again. They obviously think he’s irrelevant—some skinny kid who has books shoved up his ass at all times.

“Why the long face?” One of them steps up. He’s quite short, but his eyes read menace. They’re cat-like, and so is his approach. His right side is in synch as his foot and hand moves simultaneously to Kun’s shoulder.

“Y/N was just here.”

Kun trusts them. He trusts them heavily. He didn’t hesitate in the slightest to tell them the truth even while he was standing right there.

“I’ll leave.” He prompts, but Kun’s arm is stopping him—his grip extremely rough.

“No, stay.” The gentle tone he used with you has completely washed away, and if looks could kill, and Taeyong wasn’t the invincible bastard he was, he’d be dead. “She was in here with him.” Kun tells, looking at his friends for guidance. If Taeyong didn’t know any better, he would assume they were in a gang. The sight infront of him was all too familiar—the solid stares trying to get him to crumble without even having to touch him, the eerie silence that was filling the room.

But then it all stops. They’re laughing now minus Kun who only let out a little chuckle, with Johnny being the loudest.

“He didn’t even flinch.” The cat-eyed one speaks.

“There was nothing to be scared of.” Taeyong says with his chest secretly out. If this was their definition of intimidating, he couldn’t imagine how they would survive in NEO. Everyday you got cornered into giving something up. The question was how well could you defend yourself? “I’m Lee.” He finished coolly.

“Ten.” He responds, putting his fist out. Taeyong bumps it.

“Johnny.”

“Hendery.”

“I go by YangYang.”

“Xiaojun.”

“Sicheng.”

“And Lucas.” Lucas is a big man, just like Johnny. His hands are large as he moves to shake his hand and he seems the most tired—actually, now that he can take a closer look at him, he recognizes this look. This Lucas guy is high as a kite. He seemingly notices Taeyong’s observations and lets out a little chuckle followed by a deep cough. His finger rests on his lips as he purses them to shh. “Snitches get stitches.” He lets out.

He’s joking, but at the same time he’s not.

“Don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

“I like him already.” He prompts, slapping him on the back with a loud slap. Taeyong winces from this.

Although Johnny was laughing the loudest when it came to their previous antics, anyone who had ever came across him knows he doesn’t play about his baby sister. He’s watching his brothers talk to this new kid, but he’s not listening. He’s instead looking all around the room trying to see if there’s anything abnormal. The main point of his arguments with you was that you were way too friendly with people who didn’t deserve it—you always tried to rush a process that would be much more easy to deal with had you gave them just a little more time to prove themselves.

He’s going to talk to you about this Lee, and he’s going to completely fry you for coming into his room so soon. You had known him for a measly three hours assuming that he was in your first class, and Johnny wouldn’t accept that. You could be so fucking naive sometimes, and it was him who always had to wipe your tears from your faults. The only one he couldn’t blame you for was your relationship with Kun.

“Well, Lee—we’re going to get out of your hair.” Johnny prompts, and although mentally all of his friends are questioning the sudden prompt to leave, they know better than to do it out loud.

“Oh...alright.” He says, but Johnny is a human lie detector. That tone is so fake and maybe this Lee is antisocial and doesn’t like to talk to this many people at the same time, but it was rare for a new student at Wildwood to not want to ride the crew. Everybody wanted to know them, and he wasn’t being cocky about it—it was just the facts.

The all step outside one by one, walking in a line of eight through the spreaded hallway.

“He’s a fucking weirdo.” Sicheng speaks as his hands in his pockets guide his legs to move forward. He’s also very high—probably more high than Lucas.

“Agreed.” Yangyang seethes. Recently he was trying his hardest to control it, but he was a smart mouthed little rascal, and anybody could get some.

“I wouldn’t say so.” The eight of them are out of the building and getting tingled by the stairs now as they return to the fresh air. The campus is what it always is—exciting and full of new adventure as the open space sets the scene perfectly. The baby blue sky adds onto its perfection, although they were all very accustomed to this. Outside of this dormitory is a statue of Lobos Smith. It’s a golden brown tint and it features him, as well as hovering light bulbs above his head. At night, water shoots from the bottom and the bulbs illuminate something beautiful—a combination of radiant colors that were created to inspire and soothe, as it reads on the plate. They all touch his enlarged hand as they pass by him.

Even when high, Lucas was still knowledgeable. “At the most I would give him emo, but weird? Didn’t get that vibe.”

Ten, Hendery, and Xiaojun seem to be neutral on this, always wanting to see more before they made such conclusions about people. They had met plenty of people on such a large campus that didn’t have the worst of the worst intentions for them, although it easily could’ve seemed that way on first glance.

“You’re not looking deep enough, Lucas. We talked about this.”

Kun wholeheartedly agreed with Johnny, Sicheng, and Yangyang. He was fully expecting to walk into his dorm room and be greeted by the typical Wildwood boy—either a rich dick, or a nerd, not that he believed this to be a negative adjective, that would stay out of his way and only ask did he want to hang out when he was extremely lonely and bored. Lee, on the other hand, seemed to be trying way too hard.

“But he barely spoke.” Ten speaks up now.

They’re walking past all of the different social groups as they continue their disagreement—the green grass providing means of peace between them. Regardless, they would never let things get out of control anyway. They were allowed to disagree, fight, they were even allowed to give a good punch sometimes too, but they would quickly be pulled apart. They were boys, and that’s what boys did.

The bench that is unofficially marked as theirs is open as it should be, and they take their normal positions. Half on the bench, and the other half sitting on the ground in front of them. Ten presses the button that was hovering beside him from the left, and an umbrella reveals itself to cover them from the yellow sun. It really was a beautiful day, but they had things to discuss and they weren’t asking for a tan.

“But notice how he said everything right.” Sicheng reveals. This seems to get his brothers thinking, and he can see their opinions changing just that quick. That was the effect he had on everyone. He was the quietest out of all of them unless they were together like this, and although Kun was labeled as the menace of the group, it was actually him. His thoughts could get absolutely deadly sometimes, and his facial expressions always read what he felt. His built figure didn’t help his case, but the ladies loved it. He never had a night where he couldn’t get someone in his bed.

“Exactly.” Kun finally speaks. “It was almost too perfect. And the way he reacted when Y/N ran out...it was almost as if he wasn’t that shocked.”

“You know how Y/N is.” Xiaojun says. Johnny immediately looks at him with sharp eyes from his spot on the grass. His legs—even through their long nature are tucked in his chest while his hands hold them in place. “Not saying that in a bad way, Johnny.” He hurries. “She just makes friends easily, and she can sometimes—

“Talk too much. I know.” Johnny finishes for him, eyes locking back to the ground now. The more and more they verbally observe this kid, the more eerie he feels about him. He usually didn’t mind when his boys talked about you either, as they never disrespected you. They just spoke facts, and regardless of how they felt about your decisions they would always protect you. “I’m sorry.” He says—and it’s not something he speaks often. “You said nothing wrong. I think we just need to eat.”

“Agreed.” They say in unison, Yangyang taking his phone out to hit up the campus delivery service, but haulting when he hears the same notification being recieved on all of their phones.

“Never mind.” Johnny sighs—him, as well as the rest of the boys rushing to get up and get on the move.

“Why didn’t you tell me that Johnny has friends? And why didn’t you tell me that Y/N has an ex boyfriend that is still madly in love with her? And that he is apart of Johnny’s friends. It’s your fucking job knit-wit.”

Taeyong is seething on the phone, although he does feel bad. Poor Jaemin didn’t have a clue as to why he was currently being scolded, as he did the research he was asked to do. Nothing more, nothing less. At this point he had been tuning the harsh words out—too high in this moment to give a fuck about anything his leader was saying.

“Look, I already told you what the deal is, hyung.”

Taeyong can picture him now, smoking his Indigo. The younger members seemingly preferred this method for whatever reason, and he finds himself to be correct when he can hear a cough erupting from the boy’s throat over the device.

That excuse is good enough for Taeyong, but he doesn’t want to stop this passion just yet. Even now he could tell his high was finally wearing off similar to how it did a few weeks back, and it’s scary, but it’s good. He’s feeling anger, nervousness, although he was sure the lather would wear off rather quickly. How would it feel to kill in such a state?

“Whatever.” He shooes. “Get Sooman on the phone please.”

“Sooman? You sure you don’t mean daddy?”

“Very fucking funny—put him on the phone.”

He sits on hold for about five minutes, and during that time he decides to finally lay down on his bed. He hadn’t had the opportunity to go shopping for something a little more his style, but then again was it even worth it? Once he killed you, he would be gone.

God, it’s so comfortable. The bed he was accustomed to was so hard and he would always wake up with back pain that would last for the majority of the day, although he would never really feel it. You didn’t feel much of anything in NEO. He could emphasize this fact all day long.

Around the room aren’t ripped and hole-punched walls. They’re clean and polished an angelic white color—clashing way too much with the seeming inside of him. He deserves this luxury, but at the same time he doesn’t, yet then again, that made him deserve it even more. Kun’s belongings are still ragged all over the room, but even with Taeyong’s clean freak nature he can’t freak out about it. He doesn’t care right now. He lifts his leg to observe his chosen clothing; all black just incase someone attempted to compliment him. He realizes while he sinks into the the bed that he hadn’t done this at all, even if he had only been here for less than a day. He takes a deep breath—the kind that rushes to your toes and comes back up your body with a magical touch. The kind where you feel every problem and obstacle in your life haulting even if for a short moment. A short moment it was indeed.

“Tell me everything.”

It’s Sooman, and all the stupid doodles he was currently having would have to be put to rest, at least for now.

Taeyong explains in detail everything that had went down in the past couple of hours—even him meeting Mackenzie.

“You can use her as a free kill if you want. If the urge is strong.”

“Oh, trust me when I say she’s already on my list.”

And then he continues. There’s actually only so much detail he can give considering he is only seeing black and white for now, but he describes you. He doesn’t know why or how, but he finds himself imagining you in a lot of different aspects. What would you be wearing tomorrow? Would you completely change and end up in sweatpants and a hoodie similar to your brother a few moments ago? Or did you dress like such a superstar all the time?

“She’s pretty, isn’t she?”

“A pretty face only gets you so far.”

“But remember what I told you. She’s not just a face, boy. If she’s like anything I’ve experienced, she may rope you in without knowing. You won’t even see it coming. That girl is smart, and she’s something you’re not used to. Stay focused.” The man instructs, “Also, keep working on her. You also need to be gaining the trust of her family members as well.” He finished before hanging up.

Taeyong didn’t appreciate that exchange. He didn’t even get a chance to ask the real questions, obviously in a much more respectful way than he spoke to Jaemin. That was so unsual. He’s about to call back before he feels his phone vibrating in his hand. It’s Jaehyun, this time.

“He’s getting some right now.” Jaehyun confirms, his laugh erurupting from the predictable darkness of their side of town. He can picture the pretty boy now—perched up on his bunk as he always wanted the top anyway. He’s probably been having an amazing 48 hours all alone, free to blast as he pleased without interruption.

Taeyong doesn’t know why he didn’t put that together. As unfair as the rule was, it was a rule that stated only he—as he is the boss, could bring woman into the building. When it came to them and their rendezvous, it had to be in a dark corner, an alley, or if they got really lucky—the wife’s home while her husband was busting his ass to bring in some income, or for some members the husbands while the wife was begging the convience store to let her get dinner for the kids.

Good ole’ NEO.

“Fucking great.” Taeyong rolls over on his side, his black hair covering his eyes slightly. He doesn’t even try to move it away as he finds himself dozing off just a tad. He has never been this comfortable in his entire life.

“Tell me. I know you, brother. You need to get it out.”

“I don’t know. There’s just a lot of missing pieces of this puzzle that I don’t know. I’m sure Jaemin told you everything.”

“Mhm.” Jaehyun agrees, knowing his member would continue. He was always such a great listener, and he frequently had to deal with this. Never in such a setting, but even with his kills would Taeyong talk his head off about what he wanted to try next, and a lot of blabber. He listened because he cared about him.

“She has an ex boyfriend, and he doesn’t like me. They were all smiling and happy, but I could see how fake it was.”

“Well, you are trying to fuck, and then kill his love. And for the brother—his sister and his whole family.”

“But they don’t know that. They don’t know any of it.”

“Then they’re probably just being protective. I mean, how did you find out about the girl and Kun in the first place?”

“She was in my room.” He admits, silently slapping himself on the forehead. “And he’s my roommate. The shit was so dramatic, Jae. It looked like a soap-opera.

“I’m not saying don’t keep your eyes open. Trust me, me of all people would never be so stupid, but if you have your guard up openly, and so does he, how are you going to get close to them? Hm?” The indigo was talking, not Jaehyun. “I mean, you don’t have a choice but to switch it up.”

“You sound like me.” He chuckles.

Taeyong was the leader for many reasons, but truthfully more because he was incredibly scary. As he does a little crunch, he sees himself in the mirror and he doesn’t know the person he’s looking at. This isn’t the menacing, ruthless Taeyong that made his youngers practically pee their pants if they made a remote mistake. This was the boy that liked to explore, and he doesn’t like it. He feels sick, actually. He smile is wiped off, and he hits the bed again.

“Thanks for listening.”

“Of course.”

The hang up is quick from his side.

Taeyong needs to sleep. He needs to sleep a sleep better than any sleep he has ever experienced, and when he wakes up, he’ll have some of his real vision back.

“You’re home late, what happened?”

It’s your fathers voice, and as always it’s soft and comforting. Even at such a late hour. You always find it amusing that even when he should be sleeping, or perched up on his very expensive recliner channel surfing for sports, he’s instead in a suit ready for work. Usually you would make a joke about this, and he’s waiting for it—you can tell by the way his eyebrows that match yours are slightly raised; his mouth slightly agape in anticipation, but you’re not in the mood.

“Just an interesting day. That’s all dad I promise.”

“Well, my ears are open. I was about to respond to some emails, but you know I always have time for you sweetheart.”

Your father, as well as your brother were the two men who you could never doubt. They loved you, and they meant everything they said. Others couldn’t necessarily relate.

Your home hasn’t changed much since you were born. Well, at least design wise. Of course coming from a family who was the lead cause of the new world we lived in, you had all of the new gadgets and furniture. You were always the taste test for practically every invention after the dangerous trial and error was over.

Your tan colored ceilings were practically in the sky. And similar to Wildwood, the ceiling was open, although it was better worded see-through. You also had the option of closing it, and your father hits the switch as you follow behind him to go into his office. You only see half of the pink night being closed before the door is clearing.

His office was surprisingly simple considering all the resources he had access to. There were two family portraits that rested above his desk—one of the four of you, and one of all of the boys and men your father had in his life. “Uncles” you had never met. Johnny and his friends. The sight of Kun in the photo; his smile is bright and you can actually remember the day that photo was taken. He was so nervous about the whole ordeal. He couldn’t understand why he was chosen to be in such a photo with so many great men, as well as his knucklehead friends, but Johnny really wanted it. Those were his brothers, and your father had always been a believer of sticking together. He was a mentor to so many, and Johnny, Sicheng, Ten, Yangyang, Lucas, Xiaojun, Hendery, and Kun had all been friends since birth. Your father had practically raised them. It was actually quite a weird ordeal, but it made sense to you all. Fate worked in mysterious ways.

There’s a loveseat on the side of the semi-large room, and you sit on it. You expect him to sit in his leather chair, but he nudges you over with his knee. He puts an arm around your shoulder, and kisses your forehead as you move to his shoulder. This was him telling you to speak.

“I saw Kun today.” You mumble. You didn’t want to be having this conversation with your father. Especially about someone you know he saw as such an ideal man for you.

“How did that make you feel?”

“Bad.”

You know he’s trying to scrounge up his thoughts. You told your father everything, and every night you found yourself thinking about his reaction that night. Barely a reaction, at first.

An alarm is blaring at Taeyong. He doesn’t understand why, because quite frankly, he wasn’t planning on going to class today. He wasn’t here to be educated in the slightest, although he was very much so looking forward to his futuristic science class where he heard you did a lot of cool experiments in. He unconsciously takes a deep breath, and he smells something. It’s not strong, but he can smell it. It smelt of something sweet. Like vanilla or something if that nature.

The alarm is still blaring, and with closed eyes, he’s beating around trying to locate the button to turn it off.

“You have to speak.” A voice whispers from the other side of the room. Kun decided to sleep here last night—quite a surprise.

“Okay.” Taeyong speaks.

Snoozing. The robot woman follows

“You have to say ‘I’m awake’.”

“I’m awake.” Taeyong rips out, very done with this whole ordeal. He had never been more annoyed in his life. He’s also very shocked that Kun even cared enough to help him, but then again it was interrupting whatever he was doing.

He slowly rises off the bed, looking quickly to see if he has on any pants. He settled in boxers last night he notices, so he throws the sheets off of him before taking one last deep breath and wiping his face before opening his eyes. It’s like a flash of light does he see the same pastel and dirty vision just as he did when he tried this the first time. His pupils are moving from side to side, trying to see the splurts again. They’re evident and he can also see now very clearly that Kun has black hair just like him. He’s also shirtless as he’s on his phone most likely scrolling through nothing. Kun must have changed his sheets while he was in a deep slumber. It screamed money. It was a mixture of black, red, and blue; striped. They seemed to be comfortable enough.

“Goodmorning to you too.” Kun says, removing his eyes from his phone to Taeyong’s pitiful look. “I would’ve thought you’d look less tired considering how long you’ve been asleep.”

“How do you know how long I’ve been asleep? You were gone.”

“Look up.”

And he does. Above his head is a clock that reads the exact time he put his head down to rest, the time he actually fell asleep—5 minutes later, and how long he stayed that way.

“What the—

“You can turn it off. I mean, they’ll still know, but I won’t.” Kun points to his own clock that read he only got two hours of sleep before he shuts it off.

“Thanks.” Is all Taeyong can fathom. Usually more words would flow from his mouth, but Kun is a stranger. But usually that wouldn’t matter? He doesn’t like to be awkward like this. He doesn’t even know what he needs to take a shower here, but he’ll figure it out he assumes. There’s a machine in the large release area that gives you the option of what soap you want to use unless you have your own, in which Taeyong doesn’t. He decides on the Sea Breeze soap, as it seemed to fit the mood he was trying to set.

When he gets out, Kun is still in the room, but he’s clothed now. He’s once again dressed in some sweatpants, and a Wildwood shirt. He did change up his shoes though, switching his slides for sneakers.

“Don’t know if you care or not, but we have a race tonight.” He speaks up. “We’re going against our rival school—the jets. Big game and a good way to make friends.”

It was sly shade, but Taeyong catches it. That was his polite way of saying to get the hell away from you, but he was awake now. He should’ve said that when he was still drowsy because Taeyong was about to play him like a guitar. He’s throwing his book bag over his shoulder as he talks.

“Oh yeah I’ll definitely be there. Me and Y/N are going together.” He pretends to feel bad at the mention of you—giving his eyes the innocent and awkward stare, but he sees the way Kun practically blows up from your name coming out of his filthy mouth.

“Cool.” Is all Kun can gather. He’s throwing his own belongings in a duffel bag that resembles the one Taeyong put his weapons in, except he’s throwing shorts and extra jackets in there. He’s doing it quick and fast indicating that Taeyong already got under his skin and all he had to do was say your name. Maybe it would be easier to get him out of the picture than he originally thought.

Taeyong was secretly super excited about the race. He had never seen anything like what it was described to be, but most importantly it was a great opportunity to talk your pretty little head off and try to get more answers out of you. And let’s not forget the fuchsia nights. He was so ready for that.

When he left his dorm, it wasn’t exactly light, but it wasn’t dark either. After a long day of classes he didn’t care about, and classes you didn’t show up to, he had eaten a little meal from the cafe that he got very lost in before heading back to his dorm to change. Since he got a little of his colored vision back, he decided on a blank orange shirt that had to be curtesy of Mark. Mark really was an angel, yet, that made all of them be even more of a dick to him because he could be so soft sometimes. I mean, to Wildwood’s standard of soft he would be a hell raiser, but back home he was a sweet little thing. His pants stayed the same—black cargo looking pants with his signature boots.

The track was indescribable. I mean, the open space was so beautiful; the grass seemed to be the original green he expected even if it was dirty and blurry to him. He looks up for sky, but half is gray, and half is a darkened blue. Almost navy. The sound of engines going off and reviving is white noise for him because he had never heard this. There’s already a big crowd of students from both schools with their faces painted, some with shirts off, but all ready to cheer on their schoolmates. The track is basically a smaller NASCAR track—it’s too bad they got rid of that decades ago.

“Taeyong!” He knows this voice. It’s tiny and squeaky and annoying and as he looks in her direction he can’t deny he’s impressed. She really did change her look. Her hair was still raging white, but it was curly and she actually sported an outfit similar to yours yesterday. She was surrounded by boys just as you predicted, but they seemed to push him to the side.

“What’s up, Mackenzie.” He smiles, but it’s so fake. And the fact that she doesn’t see it just proves she’s a fucking blonde. “You seen Y/N?”

“I saw her earlier. She was here with Johnny and they were talking, but not for too long. Johnny practically ignores everyone on race days. Any distraction can make them lose and Johnny doesn’t like to lose.”

“You seem to know a lot about him.”

“We’re going to get married one day.” She dreams towards the sky.

“Right...” He whispers to himself, before turning around. As such awful story telling would do, you’re right there as he turns around. How long had you been standing there? God, he had to clutch his heart—something that he never had to do. Technically you just ran up on him and he didn’t hear you. He’s glad his boys didn’t witness that,

You look more beautiful than you did yesterday, not to say you didn’t look beautiful yesterday. You did change up your outfit a tad; a long sleeved v-neck crop top covering your chest, although he sees the cleavage. And you’re wearing high waisted mom jeans with some matching white sneaks on your feet. They’re giving you a little height. You have glasses on the top of your head, but he assumes you’re not in such a bad mood that you don’t want to see anything right now.

“Hey.” He smiles, and he doesn’t have to fake this one. It’s coming out naturally and it’s pissing him off. Yes, you were pretty, but you aren’t roping him in. He doesn’t feel things for people he only wants to hurt them.

“Hey.” You smile back, punching him in arm lightly. “I like your outfit. I was expecting you to be wearing all black again.”

“What? You thought I was some emo boy?”

“Well, I still think you are. I think you added a dash of color to impress me.”

Oh, you were good.

“Do you think you’re that special?” His tone is taunting, but not disrespectful.

“I know I am.” You turn around promptly, and he feels his feet running towards you to catch up.

It seems like you’re going to a more secluded area where there are less people who are prone to screaming and yelling inappropriate things to the opposing players. There’s a hologramed fence that seems to be where you’re headed, but you keep walking.

“Y/N you have to watch the race. Your brother is in it.”

“Oh, I’m watching the race.” He doesn’t even have to see you to know you’re smirking. It’s the sway in your hips. You’re walking to seemingly nothing, but as Wildwood does, there’s something hovering where you’re headed. It’s a button, but he doesn’t know what’s its for.

“You coming?” You tease.

“I—can I?”

You take his hand in yours—an unfamiliar feeling to him. Even so he doesn’t let go. You press the button and hologramed box is shielding the two of you before you’re shooting in the air.

“What the!” He screeches, unconsciously squeezing your hand too tight.

“Ow ow.” You laugh loudly. “Are you trying to break my hand?” He knows he hurt you, but even so you’re still laughing.

“I’m sorry. That just scared me.” He finds himself being shy now as the two of you are still holding hands. He slowly lets go, but not before caressing your mangled bones.

“It’s okay, newbie. When I was a little girl I almost had a panic attack the first time I did this.”

This, was the view. It was amazing, and it was secluded from the rattled teens and young adults who were passionate about their school. There were seats made for two, and Taeyong assumes that the box registers how many people it holds, and makes the seats according to that.

“There’s no one else that can do this, right?” He’s fascinated. You’re high up enough to where you can’t be seen unless someone was looking very hard, but at the same time you can see the track perfectly.

“Nope. Just my family.” You point to the other side of the track, and he can see another one hovering holding what seems to be a man and a woman—possibly some others behind him. Your father and mother although he can’t see their faces. “I’m a privileged girl.”

He’s trying to find something snarky to say back at you, but the confidence he had before is slipping away. He even finds himself shaking slightly, but he decides to just ignore it. “Nothing wrong with being that way.” He whispers. That’s all he can think of.

The two of you are sitting very close right now. He really had only known you for a measly 24 hours, but it felt like an eternity and he didn’t like that. He didn’t like the power you obviously held. And now you were scooting closer to him and his heart is slowly racing when that wasn’t supposed to be happening.

“How was your day today?” You question, but you’re not looking at him. Maybe he makes you nervous. You’re both watching as the cheerleaders are doing stunts to get the crowd pumped and the band is starting to warm up for the team. It almost seemed like football, but that was irrelevant these days.

He hadn’t had someone ask him that ever. It was so strange to him how every little thing you did was so original, even though back in the old days it was common curtesy. Back when the world wasn’t so split up.

“It was good.” Is all he can form. He relaxes back in the seemingly invisible chair, and it’s comfortable. “Finally made it to the cafe.”

“Do you always whisper when you talk.” You taunt him in his same tone.

You get a smile out of him. You were pretty funny. He could admit that.

There were a lot of things he could’ve said, but he remembers his orders “keep pushing it” or whatever Sooman said. He was trying so hard to keep his wall up, when his mission was to make you fall in love with him. He felt so guilty about it, but he didn’t have to. It was what he was instructed. “I’m just—you make me a little nervous.” He slips, knowing your heart beat is probably increasing.

“Me? Why?” And now your head is on his shoulder.

“Because you do things like that.” He speaks. He doesn’t know what to do with his body. Affection was something he had no idea how to handle or give back, and this was going to be his biggest weakness when it came to getting your head.

“My day wasn’t good.” You switch the subject, although your head stays in place. “Yesterday wasn’t good either.”

“Why?” He whispers. “Is it because of that Kun guy?”

“You catch on quickly.” You chuckle, making his shoulder vibrate. “But yeah. We have an interesting history. I was just so surprised to see him. It was so weird.”

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Taeyong needs to do something. He needs to touch you in a way that shows you he’s “interested”. He sees your hand dead on your lap, so he decides to interlock your fingers just as you did to him a few moments ago. He can’t lie—this feels nice. He knows it’s not supposed to, but no one else is here to tell on him. He could enjoy this, right?

“Nothing to say.” You mumble. “Just caught me off guard.”

There’s the wall. He was hoping you’d start venting, but he’s not surprised when you hault. I mean, the two of you had just met yesterday, although it wouldn’t seem like it based off your current position.

“I know we just met yesterday, but can we stay like this?” Your tone is hushed as you speak, and your voice is wavering just a tad. You probably feel stupid for even asking that.

“Of course we can.” He accepts, and he feels the way you lightly graze your thumb on his own at his acceptance. It relaxes him in an odd way, although it also triggered something weird in him. He had never felt it before, but he just assumes it’s the indigo shaking him up and begging him for more.

“Ladies and gentleman—introducing the one and only Wildwood Jaguars!” They’re running through the banner, funny enough the most non-futuristic thing here. The crowd is going wild and here you and Taeyong are, lost in your position.

Game on.

77 notes · View notes

iamthesimone · 4 years

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The Women of Alternative R&B

Often in the Alternative R&B world, we see beautiful works from multiple artists. The genre has become more and more popular in the mainstream music realm since the 2010s.

Specifically, I find that the ladies of Alternative R&B immaculately stand out for their musical talents and vocal ability. Here is the low down of female Alternative R&B artists you need to know today.

SZA

SZA broke into the music scene with her debut album ‘Z’ in 2014, being the only female R&B artist in Top Dawg Entertainment, an independent record label headed by Kendrick Lamar and features artists such as Isaiah Rashad, Jay Rock and Zacari.

In 2017, SZA released her ground-breaking album ‘Ctrl’, which collected massive numbers in streaming. The album carries the themes of being a woman in the industry, as well as SZA’s perspectives on relationships and her interests in love. Some of my favourite tracks are ‘Doves in the Wind’, ‘Wavy (Interlude)’, ‘Normal Girl’ and ‘Broken Clocks’. Each track gives a sense of re-connection to reality, as well as having a catchy hook in them all. SZA seems to enjoy a use of distinctive synths, as strongly shown in ‘Wavy (Interlude)’ while she also favours individual instrumentation, which can be specifically heard near the end of ‘Normal Girl’ with an enchanting guitar solo.

KALI UCHIS

In 2015, Colombian-American singer Kali Uchis released her debut album ‘Por Vida’. The beautiful project is filled with dreamy, relaxing vocals over sheer and seductive instrumentals.

This album will make you feel as if you are floating in the clouds, or interestingly smelling the graceful warm scent of coconut and vanilla. My top picks would be; ‘Melting’, due to its angelic vocals and glissando on the piano; ‘Know What I Want’, which is a reggae-inspired tune perfectly capturing a chilled out and catchy anthem for those who know they don’t need a man to make them happy! I would also suggest a listen of ‘Loner’, which consists of distinctive vocal layering, edgy arrangements of 808s and a lovely improvisation to end the album.

CHLOE X HALLE

Chloe x Halle are two angelic sisters who have been in the music scene from the ages of 16 and 17. On 12th June 2020, the duo signed to Parkwood Entertainment (record label owned by Beyoncé) and released their critically acclaimed third album ‘Ungodly Hour’.

The pair take you to another dimension as they favour their synths and heavy baselines throughout the album. Popularised by leading single ‘Do It’, Chloe x Halle have compromised a radio, club friendly selection of songs which fit perfectly in becoming an excellent body of work. The power-girls not only have just one song with featured artists, but also have both been the producers and songwriters on the album, not to mention their impeccable vocal ability, allowing them to truly show their talent as musicians.

Their sound has a gritty and savage feel as well as beautiful and angelic. It is a sound that builds confidence and makes you feel as if you are shining and strong no matter where you are, or what situation you are in. Their music carries you to another level of invincibility.

My top picks from the album are ‘Baby Girl’, ‘Busy Boy’, ‘Catch Up’ (featuring Swae Lee and Mike Will Made-It) and ‘Wonder What She Thinks of Me’.

LIANNE LA HAVAS

Lianne La Havas is a British singer-songwriter who began her career singing the backing vocals for artists such as Paloma Faith. Since then, she has gone on to release three albums, including her self-titled album released on 17th July 2020. A notable work of hers is a feature on Prince’s song ‘Mr Nelson’.

Havas delivers angelic and alternative vocals; a laid back and cheerful tone to listen to when you are in a happy and relaxed mood. One of my favourite songs of hers is ‘Can’t Fight’. In this song, she displays her warm tone in voice, as well as providing a summertime vibe to its sound. ‘Weird Fishes’ is also a favourite. It is a five-minute song with beautiful vocal belts, runs and an enchanting a Capella transition in the middle of the song, before carrying the second half with more powerful vocals with a choir to support her. ‘Unstoppable’ is also an excellent track as it is both funky and catchy, with an exceptional vocal ability displayed.

AMINDI

Amindi is a Californian-based singer/songwriter who is known for her chill sound, nicely accompanied with a new sound to alternative r&b. Her sound could be comparable to the likes of Noname. In 2018, her song ‘Pine & Ginger’ gained a large attraction and flourished in the dance industry, creating multiple dance videos to the song which flooded the internet.

Her sound allows you to relax and feel a sense of lightness when listening, unleashing a sense of being carefree and content. My top picks for Amindi are: ‘Eggs Aisle’, which is a stripped back song with a catchy tune, having its title play on the word ‘exile’; ‘No Features’ (a feature for Fat Tony), which opens with elegant synths and angelic hums from Amindi at the start. Her verse on this song is notable and strong as she effectively accompanies the sound of Fat Tony. ‘Love Em Leave Em’, which is a fun and upbeat pop tune that has you feeling like you want to go out and have an amazing time with your girls. Lastly, ‘cocoa butter shawty’ from her new mixtape (named ‘minztape’) as it is a chilled track, almost catching the sounds of a lo-fi song, with beautiful added harmonies and enticing vocals.

MISHA B

Kicking off her music career by entering the X Factor UK in 2011, Misha B has gone on to release numerous soulful songs over the years. She brings an exquisite taste of Hip-hop and r&b, using both her flawless vocals and rap skills. Some of her works could be compared to the styles of Ms Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu and Ari Lennox.

My top picks for Misha B are: ‘Rosa Parks Flow’, which shows a twist of jazz with a modernised use of scat; ‘Letter To My Sistars’ which a girl empowerment song that is both joyful and catchy; and ‘Herbal Tea’ which is opened with a saxophone, becoming fun and full of attitude and compassion, essentially a very carefree track.

SOLANGE

Solange is an extraordinary musician, dancer, choreographer, and director. In the past five years, she has allowed her artistic skills to flourish over the works of ‘A Seat at The Table’ (2016) and ‘When I Get Home’ (2019). Through these works she carries the themes of representation for the south side, black empowerment, and life motivation.

My current favourites from ‘When I Get Home’ are: ‘Dreams’, an inspiring ballad telling you to follow your dreams and to continue to persevere. The musical style fits well with the flow of the album in terms of instrumentation; ‘Way to the Show’, which is a seductive and soothing song. An amazing use of piano is used to open the song alongside her use of falsetto. This song provides a strong southern sound with distortion and choice of instrumentation. Lastly, ‘Jerrod’, one of the later tracks on the album displaying an amazing vocal performance from Solange. I particularly favour the ascending scale in the song along with the development of chords.

Simone Williams

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hethrewmyheartinthecut · 5 years

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(my letter for the Peaky Blinders Exchange)

Dear Peaky Blinders Author,

AAAAAAAAAAAH! First Peaky Blinders Exchange ever and I’m wildly excited!

This letter is long because I write all my Dear Creator letters the way I like to read them, and I love reading juicy letters. That said, feel free to go your own way and write whatever you want as long as it includes one of these pairings! I don’t want you to feel boxed in, and surprises can be fun. This letter is just meant to help give you some ideas if you have no idea where you wanna go. I appreciate all the time & thought you put into this. <3

Do Not Want: incest, rape/dubcon/noncon/underage sex shown (implied in the past is okay), hard kinks, detailed torture, a/b/o, cannibalism, vampires and werewolves, eating disorders

My Longest Yea Boy Ever:

A battle, fight, or confrontation

A character who has run out of fucks to give

Arranged marriage

Banter/That Dialogue™

Food/cooking

Forced to work together because of a common goal/common enemy

Horses

“I thought you were hurt/dead”

Intimacy

Ladies white knighting their significant others/crushes

Loyalty/conflicting loyalties

Pining (especially if it’s mutual but they don’t know it yet)

Political maneuvering

Protectiveness

Tending to wounds

Work Song by Hozier

Esme Shelby/Tommy Shelby

Despite its rarity, I’ve requested this relationship in literally four different exchanges, and I will continue to request this pairing in every possible exchange until I either receive fic for it or die. That’s just how I feel about it.

Esme Shelby is a gorgeous, no-holds-barred, sharp-tongued, quick-eyed storm of a woman and I love her now and forever. And frankly, every move she’s made so far is impeccable. She told Tommy not to expand to London, and she was right; the ensuing fights rained down massive amounts of trauma on the family and Tommy barely escaped with his life by the grace of Winston Churchill being a scheming bastard. She figured out that Polly was being scammed and told Tommy; without her, Michael and Polly would never have been reunited. When Michael got arrested, her first thought was not panic or rage but business: getting soldiers from Queen Mary Lee at the Black Patch. Esme was always a badass, but never was given the spotlight to shine. And I’m fully aware that this is a Controversial Take™, but she had actual chemistry with Tommy, my vicious aching restless wounded fighter. He’s always looking for the next challenge in business, and in life, he likes people who challenge him. Esme challenges him and then some. She’s ride or die. I think they could be an incredible power couple. Words can’t describe how much I love the tension in the air between the two of them. And yes, I know, in canon that tension is mostly borne of conflict, but fuck it, this is fic. What if there was more to it than that?

Ideas:

I will forever desire fic that’s an arranged marriage AU for the two of them. I could read 50 different fics about that.

What if John was still in love with Lizzie and Esme fell for Tommy? Listen: she called him Thomas at a family meeting, and Polly went: Thomas? And I went: HM.

AU where Esme is the daughter of Queen Mary Lee of the Black Patch and she’s sent to Birmingham to negotiate business with Tommy.

For this pairing, literally any kind of hurt/comfort fic would be...absolutely PRIME.

Esme Can Ride Better Than Tommy Can. Just Facts.

Grace Burgess/Lizzie Stark

I invented this ship, and I will go down with it if necessary. It caters to more tropes than my romantic heart can handle. Height difference! Undercover agent falls in love! Rags to riches! Two quiet, fierce women with dark pasts doing whatever they have to do to survive & keep the people they love alive. I think of Grace, who is a deeply observant woman doing her best to go unnoticed, seeing the true Lizzie, who is doing her best to be seen but constantly being dismissed as just a sex worker and a laughingstock. I think of Lizzie, who has borne more than any woman should ever have to bear, hoping for love and acceptance and never getting it, finding both of those things in a blonde, tiny, unexpected package. How surprised she might be if someone finally fucking stood up for her. How Grace, with her spy training, and Lizzie, with her deep Birmingham knowledge, could function as a formidable power couple. Oh, I could go on about them for days. There’s so much potential there.

Ideas

In s1, Grace falls for Lizzie instead of Tommy, and protects him to spare Lizzie the pain since she knows that Lizzie has a complicated relationship with the Shelby brothers. She never expects anything from Lizzie, but Lizzie surprises her.

Tommy dies in s3 instead of Grace, and during the timeline of s4, Grace and Lizzie fall in love.

Grace and Lizzie face some kind of enemy down together, or get vengeance on one of their enemies. Campbell is one idea; Tommy is another. Or maybe it’s an original character. Doesn’t matter, as long as it’s satisfying.

A slice of life, something domestic, established. Just talking about how their lives have become integrated, who usually does the dishes, whether or not they’ve met each other’s families, that sort of thing.

Lizzie Said Fuck The Police! Grace Said...

May Carleton/Alfie Solomons

Still waters run deep. After years of mourning her husband, under surveillance at all times by her own servants, I think certain restraints just broke inside May. She looked around, saw a beautiful man who was also the most dangerous man in the whole city, thought, “hm, I’ll take him” and then just fucking took him. SHE DID THAT. On the other hand, Alfie Solomons is sheer fun: the swagger, the contrast between affability and violence, the pride in his Jewish identity, the rambling. My favorite moment of his is the time that he called Tommy out for having double standards about his son’s kidnapping. That was so insightful. Alfie knows perfectly well who he is as a killer criminal, and he faces that unflinchingly. Imagine: May’s fuck-it attitude meeting Alfie’s fuck-it attitude. Couple of the fucking century.

(I know their characters have never interacted in the show, but their actors are married happily in real life and acted together in Wuthering Heights, so I’ve seen the chemistry with my own two eyes and I know it is there. GOD, it is THERE.)

Ideas

Alfie was a captain in May’s husband’s battalion. After the war, he contacts her, and they’re both surprised that despite her grief and his trauma, they find a real connection.

Alfie very politely takes May as a hostage in some sort of showdown with Tommy; May escapes of her own accord, but there’s a hell of a lot of flirting.

May and Alfie run into each other during s4, visiting Tommy. They both go, “...interesting…” and soon after that, “oh, what the hell, let’s do it” because Alfie’s dying and May’s feeling liberated after having just gotten over Tommy

Literally any kind of first meeting that includes the vibe of “May’s fuck-it attitude meeting Alfie’s fuck-it attitude”

Alfie Doesn’t Like Horses Very Much. May’s Reaction?

#this is me trying to be concise lmfao #imagine me when I'm wordy!#pbex #dear author letter #mine

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mydarlingfilm · 3 years

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TIME DOESN’T HEAL

This is going to be a very long post and I would love to read it over and over again. It was painful and timeless at the same time. This conversation is hold between an Rolling stone and Pk.

In her first-ever in-depth interview, Michael Jackson's daughter discusses her father's pain and finding peace after addiction and heartache

Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson is staring at a famous corpse. "That's Marilyn Monroe," she whispers, facing a wall covered with gruesome autopsy photos. "And that's JFK. You can't even find these online." On a Thursday afternoon in late November, Paris is making her way through the Museum of Death, a cramped maze of formaldehyde-scented horrors on Hollywood Boulevard. It's not uncommon for visitors, confronted with decapitation photos, snuff films and serial-killer memorabilia, to faint, vomit or both. But Paris, not far removed from the emo and goth phases of her earlier teens, seems to find it all somehow soothing. This is her ninth visit. "It's awesome," she had said on the way over. "They have a real electric chair and a real head!"

Paris Jackson turned 18 last April, and moment by moment, can come across as much older or much younger, having lived a life that's veered between sheltered and agonizingly exposed. She is a pure child of the 21st century, with her mashed-up hippie-punk fashion sense (today she's wearing a tie-dye button-down, jeggings and Converse high-tops) and boundary-free musical tastes (she's decorated her sneakers with lyrics by Mötley Crüe and Arctic Monkeys; is obsessed with Alice Cooper – she calls him "bae" – and the singer-songwriter Butch Walker; loves Nirvana and Justin Bieber too). But she is, even more so, her father's child. "Basically, as a person, she is who my dad is," says her older brother, Prince Michael Jackson. "The only thing that's different would be her age and her gender." Paris is similar to Michael, he adds, "in all of her strengths, and almost all of her weaknesses as well. She's very passionate. She is very emotional to the point where she can let emotion cloud her judgment."

Paris has, with impressive speed, acquired more than 50 tattoos, sneaking in the first few while underage. Nine of them are devoted to Michael Jackson, who died when she was 11 years old, sending her, Prince and their youngest brother, Blanket, spiraling out of what had been – as they perceived it – a cloistered, near-idyllic little world. "They always say, 'Time heals,'" she says. "But it really doesn't. You just get used to it. I live life with the mentality of 'OK, I lost the only thing that has ever been important to me.' So going forward, anything bad that happens can't be nearly as bad as what happened before. So I can handle it." Michael still visits her in her dreams, she says: "I feel him with me all the time."

Michael, who saw himself as Peter Pan, liked to call his only daughter Tinker Bell. She has FAITH, TRUST AND PIXIE DUST inked near her clavicle. She has an image from the cover of Dangerous on her forearm, the Bad logo on her hand, and the words QUEEN OF MY HEART – in her dad's handwriting, from a letter he wrote her – on her inner left wrist. "He's brought me nothing but joy," she says. "So why not have constant reminders of joy?"

She fixes her huge blue-green eyes on each of the museum's attractions without flinching, until she comes to a section of taxidermied pets. "I don't really like this room," she says, wrinkling her nose. "I draw the line with animals. I can't do it. This breaks my heart." She recently rescued a hyperactive pit-bull-mix puppy, Koa, who has an uneasy coexistence with Kenya, a snuggly Labrador her dad brought home a decade ago.

Paris describes herself as "desensitized" to even the most graphic reminders of human mortality. In June 2013, drowning in depression and a drug addiction, she tried to kill herself at age 15, slashing her wrist and downing 20 Motrin pills. "It was just self-hatred," she says, "low self-esteem, thinking that I couldn't do anything right, not thinking I was worthy of living anymore." She had been self-harming, cutting herself, managing to conceal it from her family. Some of her tattoos now cover the scars, as well as what she says are track marks from drug use. Before that, she had already attempted suicide "multiple times," she says, with an incongruous laugh. "It was just once that it became public." The hospital had a "three-strike rule," she recalls, and, after that last attempt, insisted she attend a residential therapy program.

Home-schooled before her father's death, Paris had agreed to attend a private school starting in seventh grade. She didn't fit in – at all – and started hanging out with the only kids who accepted her, "a lot of older people doing a lot of crazy things," she says. "I was doing a lot of things that 13-, 14-, 15-year-olds shouldn't do. I tried to grow up too fast, and I wasn't really that nice of a person." She also faced cyberbullying, and still struggles with cruel online comments. "The whole freedom-of-speech thing is great," she says. "But I don't think that our Founding Fathers predicted social media when they created all of these amendments and stuff."

There was another trauma that she's never mentioned in public. When she was 14, a much older "complete stranger" sexually assaulted her, she says. "I don't wanna give too many details. But it was not a good experience at all, and it was really hard for me, and, at the time, I didn't tell anybody."

After her last suicide attempt, she spent sophomore year and half of junior year at a therapeutic school in Utah. "It was great for me," she says. "I'm a completely different person." Before, she says with a small smile, "I was crazy. I was actually crazy. I was going through a lot of, like, teen angst. And I was also dealing with my depression and my anxiety without any help." Her father, she says, also struggled with depression, and she was prescribed the same antidepressants he once took, though she's no longer on any psych meds.

Now sober and happier than she's ever been, with menthol cigarettes her main remaining vice, Paris moved out of her grandma Katherine's house shortly after her 18th birthday, heading to the old Jackson family estate. She spends nearly every minute of each day with her boyfriend, Michael Snoddy, a 26-year-old drummer – he plays with the percussion ensemble Street Drum Corps – and Virginia native whose dyed mohawk, tattoos and perpetually sagging pants don't obscure boy-band looks and a puppy-dog sweetness. "I never met anyone before who made me feel the way music makes me feel," says Paris. When they met, he had an ill-considered, now-covered Confederate flag tattoo that raised understandable doubts among the Jacksons. "But the more I actually got to know him," says Prince, "he's a really cool guy."

Paris took a quick stab at community college after graduating high school – a year early – in 2015, but wasn't feeling it. She is an heir to a mammoth fortune – the Michael Jackson Family Trust is likely worth more than $1 billion, with disbursements to the kids in stages. But she wants to earn her own money, and now that she's a legal adult, to embrace her other inheritance: celebrity.

And in the end, as the charismatic, beautiful daughter of one of the most famous men who ever lived, what choice did she have? She is, for now, a model, an actress, a work in progress. She can, when she feels like it, exhibit a regal poise that's almost intimidating, while remaining chill enough to become pals with her giant-goateed tattoo artist. She has impeccable manners – you might guess that she was raised well. She so charmed producer-director Lee Daniels in a recent meeting that he's begun talking to her manager about a role for her on his Fox show, Star . She plays a few instruments, writes and sings songs (she performs a couple for me on acoustic guitar, and they show promise, though they're more Laura Marling than MJ), but isn't sure if she'll ever pursue a recording contract.

Modeling, in particular, comes naturally, and she finds it therapeutic. "I've had self-esteem issues for a really, really long time," says Paris, who understands her dad's plastic-surgery choices after watching online trolls dissect her appearance since she was 12. "Plenty of people think I'm ugly, and plenty of people don't. But there's a moment when I'm modeling where I forget about my self-esteem issues and focus on what the photographer's telling me – and I feel pretty. And in that sense, it's selfish."

But mostly, she shares her father's heal-the-world impulses ("I'm really scared for the Great Barrier Reef," she says. "It's, like, dying. This whole planet is. Poor Earth, man"), and sees fame as a means to draw attention to favored causes. "I was born with this platform," she says. "Am I gonna waste it and hide away? Or am I going to make it bigger and use it for more important things?"

Her dad wouldn't have minded. "If you wanna be bigger than me, you can," he'd tell her. "If you don't want to be at all, you can. But I just want you to be happy."

At the moment, Paris lives in the private studio where her dad demoed "Beat It." The Tudor-style main house in the now-empty Jackson family compound in the LA neighborhood of Encino – purchased by Joe Jackson in 1971 with some of the Jackson 5's first Motown royalties, and rebuilt by Michael in the Eighties – is under renovation. But the studio, built by Michael in a brick building across the courtyard, happens to be roughly the size of a decent Manhattan apartment, with its own kitchen and bathroom. Paris has turned it into a vibe-y, cozy dorm room.

Traces of her father are everywhere, most unmistakably in the artwork he commissioned. Outside the studio is a framed picture, done in a Disney-like style, of a cartoon castle on a hilltop with a caricatured Michael in the foreground, a small blond boy embracing him.It's captioned "Of Children, Castles & Kings." Inside is a mural taking up an entire wall, with another cartoon Michael in the corner, holding a green book titled The Secret of Life and looking down from a window at blooming flowers – at the center of each bloom is a cartoon face of a red-cheeked little girl.

Above an adjacent garage is a mini-museum Michael created as a surprise gift for his family, with the walls and even ceilings covered with photos from their history. Michael used to rehearse dance moves in that room; now Paris' boyfriend has his drum kit set up there.

We head out to a nearby sushi restaurant, and Paris starts to describe life in Neverland. She spent her first seven years in her dad's 2,700-acre fantasy world, with its own amusement park, zoo and movie theater. ("Everything I never got to do as a kid," Michael called it.) During that time, she didn't know that her father's name was Michael, let alone have any grasp of his fame. "I just thought his name was Dad, Daddy," she says. "We didn't really know who he was. But he was our world. And we were his world." (Paris declared last year's Captain Fantastic , where Viggo Mortensen plays an eccentric dad who tries to create a utopian hideaway for his kids, her "favorite movie ever.")

We couldn't just go on the rides whenever we wanted to," she recalls, walking on a dark roadside near the Encino compound. She likes to stride along the lane divider, too close to the cars – it drives her boyfriend crazy, and I don't much like it either. "We actually had a pretty normal life. Like, we had school every single day, and we had to be good. And if we were good, every other weekend or so, we could choose whether we were gonna go to the movie theater or see the animals or whatever. But if you were on bad behavior, then you wouldn't get to go do all those things."

In his 2011 memoir, Michael's brother Jermaine called him "an example of what fatherhood should be. He instilled in them the love Mother gave us, and he provided the kind of emotional fathering that our father, through no fault of his own, could not. Michael was father and mother rolled into one."

Michael gave the kids the option of going to regular school. They declined. "When you're at home," says Paris, "your dad, who you love more than anything, will occasionally come in, in the middle of class, and it's like, 'Cool, no more class for the day. We're gonna go hang out with Dad.' We were like, 'We don't need friends. We've got you and Disney Channel!'" She was, she acknowledges, "a really weird kid."

Her dad taught her how to cook, soul food, mostly. "He was a kick-ass cook," she says. "His fried chicken is the best in the world. He taught me how to make sweet potato pie." Paris is baking four pies, plus gumbo, for grandma Katherine's Thanksgiving – which actually takes place the day before the holiday, in deference to Katherine's Jehovah's Witness beliefs.

Michael schooled Paris on every conceivable genre of music. "My dad worked with Van Halen, so I got into Van Halen," she says."He worked with Slash, so I got into Guns N' Roses. He introduced me to Tchaikovsky and Debussy, Earth, Wind and Fire, the Temptations, Tupac, Run-DMC."

"His number-one focus for us," says Paris, "besides loving us, was education. And he wasn't like, 'Oh, yeah, mighty Columbus came to this land!' He was like, 'No. He fucking slaughtered the natives.'" Would he really phrase it that way? "He did have kind of a potty mouth. He cussed like a sailor." But he was also "very shy."

Paris and Prince are quite aware of public doubts about their parentage (the youngest brother, Blanket, with his darker skin, is the subject of less speculation). Paris' mom is Debbie Rowe, a nurse Michael met while she was working for his dermatologist, the late Arnold Klein. They had what sounds like an unconventional three-year marriage, during which, Rowe once testified, they never shared a home. Michael said that Rowe wanted to have his children "as a present" to him. (Rowe said that Paris got her name from the location of her conception.) Klein, her employer, was one of several men – including the actor Mark Lester, who played the title role in the 1968 movie Oliver! – who suggested that they could be Paris' actual biological father.

Over popcorn shrimp and a Clean Mean Salmon Roll, Paris agrees to address this issue for what she says will be the only time. She could opt for an easy, logical answer, could point out that it doesn't matter, that either way, Michael Jackson was her father. That's what her brother – who describes himself as "more objective" than Paris – seems to suggest. "Every time someone asks me that," Prince says, "I ask, 'What's the point? What difference does it make?' Specifically to someone who's not involved in my life. How does that affect your life? It doesn't change mine."

But Paris is certain that Michael Jackson was her biological dad. She believes it with a fervency that is both touching and, in the moment, utterly convincing. "He is my father," she says, making fierce eye contact. "He will always be my father. He never wasn't, and he never will not be. People that knew him really well say they see him in me, that it's almost scary.

"I consider myself black," she says, adding later that her dad "would look me in the eyes and he'd point his finger at me and he'd be like, 'You're black. Be proud of your roots.' And I'd be like, 'OK, he's my dad, why would he lie to me?' So I just believe what he told me. 'Cause, to my knowledge, he's never lied to me.

"Most people that don't know me call me white," Paris concedes. "I've got light skin and, especially since I've had my hair blond, I look like I was born in Finland or something." She points out that it's far from unheard of for mixed-race kids to look like her – accurately noting that her complexion and eye color are similar to the TV actor Wentworth Miller's, who has a black dad and a white mom.

At first, she had no relationship with Rowe. "When I was really, really young, my mom didn't exist," Paris recalls. Eventually, she realized "a man can't birth a child" – and when she was 10 or so, she asked Prince, "We gotta have a mom, right?" So she asked her dad. "And he's like, 'Yeah.' And I was like, 'What's her name?' And he's just like, 'Debbie.' And I was like, 'OK, well, I know the name.'" After her father's death, she started researching her mom online, and they got together when Paris was 13.

In the wake of her treatment in Utah, Paris decided to reach out again to Rowe. "She needed a mother figure," says Prince, who declines to comment on his own relationship, or lack thereof, with Rowe. (Paris' manager declined to make Rowe available for an interview, and Rowe did not respond to our request for comment.) "I've had a lot of mother figures," Paris counters, citing her grandmother and nannies, among others, "but by the time my mom came into my life, it wasn't a 'mommy' thing. It's more of an adult relationship." Paris sees herself in Rowe, who just completed a course of chemo in a fight against breast cancer: "We're both very stubborn."

Paris Jackson was around nine years old when she realized that much of the world didn't see her father the way she did. "My dad would cry to me at night," she says, sitting at the counter of a New York coffee shop in mid-December, cradling a tiny spoon in her hand. She starts to cry too. "Picture your parent crying to you about the world hating him for something he didn't do. And for me, he was the only thing that mattered. To see my entire world in pain, I started to hate the world because of what they were doing to him. I'm like, 'How can people be so mean?'" She pauses. "Sorry, I'm getting emotional."

Paris and Prince have no doubts that their father was innocent of the multiple child-molestation allegations against him, that the man they knew was the real Michael. Again, they are persuasive – if they could go door-to-door talking about it, they could sway the world."Nobody but my brothers and I experienced him reading A Light in the Attic to us at night before we went to bed," says Paris."Nobody experienced him being a father to them. And if they did, the entire perception of him would be completely and forever changed." I gently suggest that what Michael said to her on those nights was a lot to put on a nine-year-old. "He did not bullshit us," she replies. "You try to give kids the best childhood possible. But you also have to prepare them for the shitty world."

Michael's 2005 molestation trial ended in an acquittal, but it shattered his reputation and altered the course of his family's lives. He decided to leave Neverland for good. They spent the next four years traveling the world, spending long stretches of time in the Irish countryside, in Bahrain, in Las Vegas. Paris didn't mind – it was exciting, and home was where her dad was.

By 2009, Michael was preparing for an ambitious slate of comeback performances at London's O2 Arena. "He kind of hyped it up to us," recalls Paris. "He was like, 'Yeah, we're gonna live in London for a year.' We were super-excited – we already had a house out there we were gonna live in." But Paris remembers his "exhaustion" as rehearsals began. "I'd tell him, 'Let's take a nap,'" she says."Because he looked tired. We'd be in school, meaning downstairs in the living room, and we'd see dust falling from the ceiling and hear stomping sounds because he was rehearsing upstairs."

Paris has a lingering distaste for AEG Live, the promoters behind the planned This Is It tour – her family lost a wrongful-death suit against them, with the jury accepting AEG's argument that Michael was responsible for his own death. "AEG Live does not treat their performers right," she alleges. "They drain them dry and work them to death." (A rep for AEG declined comment.) She describes seeing Justin Bieber on a recent tour and being "scared" for him. "He was tired, going through the motions. I looked at my ticket, saw AEG Live, and I thought back to how my dad was exhausted all the time but couldn't sleep."

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