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#picking a quote for this was hard because every line in the book deserves its own wall of fame
prrcyjacksons · 2 years
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@fictiondaily mission i: best reads of 2021
“ and it is sad, of course, to forget. But it is a lonely thing, to be forgotten. To remember when no one else does. ”
[The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab]
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adhdeancas · 3 years
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Dean Winchester (and the script leaks last night) possessed me to write this.
Dean happens upon Chuck's latest book: Carry On. Except it ends differently than it really went, and the ending? It's really fucking bad.
tw: suicide mention, transphobia (quickly shut the fuck down) 
Dean doesn’t make a habit of going to bookstores. Not because he hates books, contrary to what Sam might think; he just prefers to buy used books. There’s something comforting about a book that has already been worn and read over and over, that already shows how much the previous owner loved it. Plus, y’know, big corporations are evil and all that. And Dean only allows himself to overlook that when his stomach or his wallet wins over his hatred of the shitty mass-produced products. 
This time it was Jack who won; he’s obsessed with this new fantasy series and the new book just came out, so there’s no way he can hunt it down on Ebay. He makes his way to the fantasy and sci-fi section, eyes roaming over the displays of new releases, and his eye catches on something that turns his blood cold. 
“Supernatural: Carry On, The Final Book of the Winchesters’ Epic Journey” takes up a whole table, the generic and overly serious cover jeering out at him. 
He storms over to the display, anger covering up for the way his body feels light as a feather and like lead all at once, and picks up a book. “Why is Sam always fucking shirtless?” he mutters, the only thought that allows itself from the mess inside his head to his mouth. 
“Book sales.” A voice behind him says. He turns to see a teenager with their arms crossed over their work polo, pierced lip fixed into a customer-unfriendly frown.
“People want to see that?”
They snort, a small grin turning up the corner of their lips. It reminds Dean of Cas. “No. But that’s what advertisers think all ‘women’ want,” They use air quotes. 
He raises an eyebrow and asks. “Women?”
They shrug and uncross their arms, leaning back against the display table behind them. Their nametag says Jadyn. “Supernatural’s biggest block of readers is queer. I’d go out on a limb and say a lot of those the marketers think of as ‘women’ aren’t, or if they are, they aren’t itching to see Sam’s six pack.” Jadyn smirks. 
Dean takes a second to digest that, then grins down at the book, thinking past Sam’s apparently badly-received nudity now. “So how’d they like it?” he asks, waving the book a bit and looking up at Jadyn. Apparently they know a lot about the fans of the books, and for once, he’s proud of the way the story ended. 
Jadyn’s face sets into all hard lines. “Most people fucking hated it.” they say bluntly, then, probably remembering that he’s a customer, correct. “Sorry. I mean, it got some good reviews, mostly from people who like Wincest, but beyond that, it had some problematic plot points.”
Dean winces at the reminder of the ship between him and his brother, then scrunches his whole face together in confusion. “Wait, what? Why?” Why would Wincest fans like it? What was problematic about their end?
Jadyn shifts from foot to foot. “I don’t wanna spoil anything for you-”
“I don’t care about spoilers, just give me the short version.” Dean says quickly. A quiet panic is rising in him, and suddenly he has a horrible feeling that he’s not holding the truth in his hands anymore. 
“Uh, okay… Well, the most obvious thing is the bury-your-gays thing, then there’s the fact that it completely contradicted the rest of the lore. And it was ableist, misogynistic, and messed up, like, every character’s arc.” they take a breath, clearly worked up by it. “Even if they changed any of the details too, it was all built on Dean’s death, and that’s just bullshit. Sorry.” they apologize again, apparently mistaking Dean’s stricken expression to be in reaction to their rant and swearing. 
“No, nah, you’re… you’re okay. Uh, thanks.” he waves a hand and wanders away from them, only remembering Jack’s book when he’s almost to the register. He manages to make his way back and find the damn thing, but he’s still in a fog when he gets to the register. 
“Did anyone help you in the store today?”
“Huh?” he looks up and meets the middle-aged cashier’s gaze for the first time. Brent, from the nametag, looks at him impatiently. “Oh, yeah, uh… Jadyn. Jadyn helped me.” Brent scoffs and starts typing with a shake of the head. “Uh, is there a problem?” Dean asks, a little annoyed at this cashier’s unnecessary attitude. He usually doesn’t care if an employee’s rude, because they have to deal with assholes all the time and honestly Dean isn’t much better, but this one gives him a bad feeling. 
“No, no, sorry. It’s just - “Jadyn’s” got this idea that he’s a girl. Makes everybody call him that name now too. Just-” Brent shakes his head. “I mean, you get it. Their generation, everybody wants to be special.”
Dean glares. “No, I don’t get it, Brent.” He says through gritted teeth. “Seems to me like Jadyn probably deals with enough assholes like you that her asking for a little basic decency is the exact opposite of special. Sounds pretty normal, actually.” He can see the fear creep into Brent’s eyes, and he knows the cashier is reacting to the murderous look in his eyes more than his actual words. 
Brent hands Dean his bag of books with a quiet, “Here you go.”
Dean snatches it away. “Oh, Brent?” he checks over his shoulder to make sure they’re alone and then leans across the counter into Brent’s space. “You should find a new job, one where you don’t have to interact with other people. At least until you learn how to stop being a piece of shit.” He starts to ease away but thinks better about it. “And if you think that’s a suggestion, it’s not. My husband likes this book coming out next month that I’ll need to buy, and if I see you here when I come, well… it would be really embarrassing for you to tell all your little friends that you got your ass beat by a ‘special’ guy, huh?” He pats Brent on the cheek condescendingly and leaves with a huff. 
Damn transphobes. 
He only remembers the book once he’s back in Baby, and he takes the time to drive out of town before he pulls over to read it. It’s an old abandoned church, the cross long since fallen from the roof and the doors hanging off their hinges. He sits on the steps just because being in Baby seems claustrophobic for once in his life, and going back to the bunker to look at this is just… not happening.
Dean only skims the beginning to see that it starts the same. The ground erupting with bodies, hell spitting out its most-conveniently placed nasties, Rowena sacrificing herself, Cas leaving. His throat closes up at that, at Chuck’s description of Cas’s heartbroken expression as he climbs the stairs of the bunker. He clears his throat and skips to the end, right past Cas’s death that he doesn’t have the time to think about right now, past them defeating Chuck and then stops. He goes back a few pages, trying to find the disconnect. 
The story’s different.
After Jack takes on God’s power, in the book, he’s totally fine. Not almost vibrating out of his skin or anything, not crying like the three year old he is because he’s scared. Not like it really happened. He just smiles and leaves him and Sam, and they let him go. 
Dean scoffs, skimming over the story as it just gets more ridiculous. 
In the book, he doesn’t even try to save Cas. They barely even mention him. And they never mention Eileen, either. In fact, Dean notes disbelievingly, practically the only characters in the last few chapters are him and Sam. They’re hunting again.
“What, is Chuck trying to keep the series going?” he whispers to himself, anger flaring through him. They let Chuck live, and he decided to write obnoxious fanfiction about them? He’s gonna kill that shameless little fucker. For real, this time. He deserves it.
In the book, Sam and Dean torture some vampire mime, and they enjoy it. Dean cringes; this is really what Chuck thinks of them. Then they tussle with more vamps in a barn and- 
Dean’s brain stops working. He rereads the scene again and again. 
“There’s something in my… something in my back. It feels like it’s right through me.” 
Dean Winchester dies in a dirty barn, on a piece of freaking rebar. 
More than that, Dean realizes on his fourth read-through. This Dean? He tried to drag out his speech, Dean can tell by the way he pauses for fucking drama. He would never do that. He would never talk to Sam for fifteen hellish minutes when he could be trying. Trying to live, so he can actually get his life back on track, get his family back. No, he made that speech stalling. He made that speech so Sam wouldn’t try to save him. 
“You gotta admit, I had one helluva ride.” He was strangely calm.
Chuck made him kill himself.
Dean reads the rest of the book through blurry eyes, reading an ambiguous and nothing-ending, one where he’s somehow happy to be dead and driving around in heaven alone while Sam raises a kid into hunting and cries about Dean decades after he’s died. Eileen isn’t mentioned. Cas is mentioned once, and Bizzarro-Dean doesn’t even think about seeing him, apparently. The whole book ends with a hug between him and Sam, both dead. Both alone. 
Dean rips the ending up. He tears through the stupid paper covering and keeps ripping the pages up until they’re the size of confetti. His lower lip wobbles. He throws the whole thing against the side of the building, and it tumbles through the broken doorway and drops into a pile of dust and dirt. “That isn’t the fucking ending.” he grounds out, knocking his hand against the flimsy handrail. It gives a little under his fist and he kicks at it. “That isn’t the fucking ending!”
He’s having a panic attack. Again. He tries to take deep breaths, but they’re gulping, too big, they’re making him panic more. He scrambles back to Baby and grabs his phone, presses the first number on his favorites list and waits for him to answer on speaker phone.
“Hey Dean, what’s up?” Sam sounds like he’s been laughing. There are voices in the background, and Dean tries to convince himself one of them is Eileen. 
“Hey Sammy.” he chokes out, trying to sound normal. “You busy?”
There’s a pause, and then the sounds in the background. “Nah, Rowena’s just over.” he says casually. 
“So those voices in the background were-”
“Rowena and Eileen, yeah. They’re trying to convince me we need to go to Mexico. For the beaches.” A smile in his voice. Dean lets out a sigh of relief.  What’s up, Dean? You need something?” The smile drops, and Sam’s worried. 
Sam’s okay. Sam’s okay. “No, nah. Hey, you heard from Donna lately?” Dean just needs to triple-check.
“Uh, no, not since Sunday dinner… Dean, you okay?”
“Yeah, she just- she hasn’t been answering my texts. Just wanted to make sure.” Dean lies quickly. His breathing is still uneven, but his body is settling into uneven shakes. 
Sam sounds skeptical. “Yeah, well, she did tell us it’s been pretty busy at work lately. Y’know, everybody going out for the first time with COVID, getting stupid. Plus, y’know, nowhere’s drowning in EMTs right now.”
“Right. Yeah.” Dean takes a deep breath, a distant memory of Donna talking about that coming back to him.
“Pretty sure you were setting up a D&D session with Charlie while she was talking about that,” Sam laughs. Dean knows he means it as a subtle jab, but there’s too much relief flooding through him to care. Still, a string is pulled taut in him, and Sam can’t fix that completely.
“Gotta go, Sam,” Dean hangs up before Sam can say anything else, and goes to his next contact. It rings for far too long, and Dean’s heartbeat picks back up to thundering.
“Hello, Dean.”
“Cas,” Dean breathes out. “Cas, you know I love you, right?” He needs to test all the bounds of this, to make sure, just to make sure. Make sure Chuck isn’t still fucking with him. Because apparently, Chuck won’t let him be queer. Not in his story. Not out loud.
He can hear Cas’s eyebrow raise through the phone, and his chest is overcome with stupid fondness. “I would be a little worried if you didn’t.”
Dean grins widely. “Like, romantically. I’m in love with you. Because you’re the love of my life and I’m bisexual.” He says it all like it’s a checklist, like he expects some cosmic being to slap a hand over his mouth before he gets each next phrase out.
“Yes, Dean. We’ve been married almost two months.” Cas is smiling. It happens everytime he talks about their wedding. Dean adores it. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. Yeah, now it is.” His whole body relaxes, still vibrating with leftover panic, but satisfied. “I got Jack’s book.”
“Oh, good. He’ll be so pleased.” Cas pauses. “Dean, are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah. Yeah.” Dean eases off the ground and sends a last look at the dilapidated church before climbing into Baby. “Just- read a bad book. I’ll tell you about it later. When I get home.”
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excelsi-or · 3 years
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your type (pt. 7)
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Hellooooo~ I’m in a writing mood lately and have been paying more attention to this story again. :) so you’ll get a few more parts this month. 
BIPOC rec: Braiding Sweetgrass - Robin Wall Kimmerer; a beautiful book about botany and its influence on Indigenous people and how we can relate their teachings to climate justice. My favourite quote: “All flourishing is mutual.”
I’m also going to reblog this post with a bunch of links to support Daunte Wright as well as the protests in the U.S.
w.c. 1.4k (this one’s a bit shorter, but the next part is a LONG one. Like the longest post I’ve ever done across all my stories. I don’t want to split it up. So be prepared and enjoy :))
pairing: jihoon x OC/reader
pt. 1; pt. 2; pt. 3; pt. 4; pt. 5; pt. 6
Like every day for the last month, Jihoon is waiting for her in the hallway outside her lab. She closes the door behind her and notices the paper bag in his hand.
“I made us lunch.”
She blinks. “You made us… lunch?”
“Yeah.”
She ducks into the student office to grab her water bottle. When she reemerges, Jihoon motions with his head for her to walk with him.
“We need to talk.”
She lifts an eyebrow. “What about?”
“Just have to lay my cards on the table.”
Jihoon had gone over what he was going to say with Seungcheol, Mingyu, and Soonyoung the night before.
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“It doesn’t need to be a big fancy speech,” Seungcheol said. “Just say how you feel.”
“I don’t…” He couldn’t exactly argue that he felt nothing. And his friends were clear that they didn’t think he felt nothing. “I don’t know what I feel. I just don’t think we can win this bet and we should call it.”
Soonyoung smacked the side of his head. “You can. And here’s what you’re going to say.”
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“I want to be honest with you about my intentions so that you’re not confused as to why I’m hanging around you.”
She nods slowly and then takes a swig of her water. “Seems very formal of you.”
They walk right through the skywalk and take the stairs out onto the green. They find a tree to sit under. The air is warm, but there’s an intermittent breeze that makes it tolerable. He pulls two bowls of spicy ramen that he made before coming and hands one to her. It, at the very least, gets a smile on her face.
“I want you to know…” Jihoon pauses, stirring his noodles and watching the steam rise from the container. “I’m all in.”
She doesn’t miss a beat. “All into what?”
So, he doesn’t either. “This. Us. Whatever this is I’m pursuing. I want you to know that the stories you’ve heard about me are probably true, that I have hurt other people before, but I want to try with you.”
Her chewing slows, as she processes these words.
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“Look,” Soonyoung had said, “it’s not lost on her that you’re a player. And Jihyo’s told hyung that some of your past girlfriends have shared… their opinions about you. You can’t hide those.”
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“I know that someone like me has hurt you before and you don’t have to tell me about him ever, but I don’t want to be that guy. I want to be someone you can trust. Someone you can trust to give you the honesty you deserve.”
He’s started adlibbing off of Soonyoung’s speech. The speech had something about heaven and finding himself. It was too romantic and there was no way someone like her would buy it.
Meanwhile, her stomach is churning and she isn’t sure if it’s from the spicy noodles or from what Jihoon is saying. “You’re saying,” she searches for the words she wants to use, “you want to date me?”
“Yeah.”
“Just… me.”
“Yeah.”
She leans back against the tree and makes a point of stirring her noodles to cool them, mostly just stalling for time. A third woman had come to her while she was walking into the chemistry building that morning. It was as if all of Jihoon’s past conquests were gravitating towards her in some weird twist of fate.
Which was a strange coincidence, because Jihyo had just spent the better part of last night convincing her to give Jihoon a chance.
And now hearing Jihoon speak like this is messing with her head further.
“What happened to your date last night?” She shakes her head. “You told me you had dates lined up for the next week.”
“Cancelled. All of them.” Jihoon knew she knew about Ara yesterday. “Including yesterday’s.”
“All because you suddenly want to date me?”
“No, because I realized that unless I tell you what I want straight up, you won’t know. And my actions and what I want weren’t lining up. So…” Jihoon makes a point to catch her gaze. “I’m trying.”
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“She’s not going to believe you,” Mingyu had said. “So, the best way is not to convince her that you’ll be good but that you’ll try to be better. For some reason, girls love when we say we’ll try to be better than we once were.”
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She pauses. She’s about to put food in her, but sets the bowl down instead. “How many girls were there before me?”
Bewildered by this question, Jihoon says, “I can’t count that.”
She shakes her head. “Not one-night stands. Not girls you were only with for sex. Actual people that you actually dated.”
Jihoon swallows hard. Being honest here could ruin everything he’s built up until this point. “Maybe 7.”
She nods. “Name them.”
Jihoon bites his tongue.
“If you dated them, they must have meant something to you. You gave them more than a few nights.”
So, he does. He lists them off, but her face doesn’t look happy. Which maybe it wouldn’t because he’s listing off his exes, and she’s never come off as a masochist.
“Chaeyoung?”
Jihoon freezes. Almost immediately, his mind is scrambling and he’s unsure why.
“She’s in your lab,” Jihoon says in disbelief.
“What did you tell them all when they asked you why you weren’t talking to them?” She’s reaching with this question; hoping and dreading that Jihoon really is the creature of habit she’s learned him to be.
And it’s only through this sudden interrogation that Jihoon is realizing how intensely these past women of his have outted him. And it explains why she’s been distant. He hangs his head in shame, because he cannot believe he’s being called out like this. “It was something like…” He turns away from her, hoping a breeze carries his voice away. “‘I’m ignoring you now, please leave me alone.’”
“So, tell me how I’m any different to those girls. Tell me this whole thing isn’t some orchestrated game you’ve played over and over again.”
Jihoon doesn’t know how to answer.
“Jihyo told me that I was being too harsh with you. That the stories I was hearing were coming from women who had been hurt by you. That heartbreak distorts all the good parts about a relationship.” She waits for him to look her way. “My experience with heartbreak is… varied, that’s for sure. And you’re right. Your reputation is exactly how I felt like I was treated the last time I gave my heart to somebody.” She picks up the noodles and lets them slip through her chopsticks.
Jihoon can feel the tiniest flicker of hope rising in his belly, can’t explain the way his heart lifts.
“But my friends keep telling me that I’ll never know good love if I don’t let myself be vulnerable again.” She looks at him, studying his features. What she’s searching for neither of them is sure. “But I’m really, really scared that…”
Jihoon nudges her gently with his hand, careful not to touch her too much. “You can talk to me.”
Her gaze is unwavering. “I’m scared that I’m just going to be another notch on your bedpost.”
The magnitude of work required to win this bet hits Jihoon’s chest like a ton of bricks, hard. He’s sure it almost winds him. But he can see the cracks in her armour right now and he would be stupid (not to mention his friends will strangle him) if he doesn’t wiggle in just a little bit.
His voice is gentle. “I can’t promise that I won’t hurt you.”
“I never liked promises I know people can’t keep. They make real promises redundant.”
Completely fine by him.
“Can we just try it out?” He knows this formula works.
Except the pause is so long that he swears she’s going to say no. “Fine.”
His eyebrows lift, so does that hope in his belly. “Really?”
She nods, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “Yeah. Really.”
Jihoon realizes that she’s definitely played his game before with other men when he glances at her lips and she smirks.
“That does not mean that you can kiss me right now.”
He smiles genuinely for the first time since they started taking. “Fine.” He recognizes the warmth spreading through his chest. It’s a nice feeling. One he hasn’t felt around anyone in a while.
“Thanks for the ramen, by the way.”
“Not too spicy?”
“I mean, yes, but it’s still good.”
“Does this mean that you’ll come to the studio and listen to those songs after work?”
She hums. “Yeah, okay.”
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jungkookiebus · 4 years
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The Client pt. II | kth
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Genre: smut x ANGST x sex worker!au x some fluff i guess?? Pairing: nondiol!taehyung x sexworker!reader Rating: 18+ Word Count: 4.3k Warnings: semi-public(?) masturbation (male), finger fucking, vaginal sex, the sex is pretty vanilla but FEELINGS Author’s Note: I’m not putting a summary here because I don’t think the sex work bears repeating, BUT I will say that most of this fic is from Tae’s POV and briefly in the reader’s. Slightly unedited (I blame benadryl), but I hope you enjoy it!
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He jingled the loose change, paper clip, and the occasional scrap of paper in his suit pocket. Taehyung stood in line at the coffee shop along with about ten other patrons ahead of him. He checked his watch for the thirtieth time in the last two minutes. Tapping his shoe, he leaned out to look at the person at the counter, seeing what the hold up was. Are you ordering for your family of twelve, what the fuck? he thought to himself. He had a meeting at 9 and it was pushing 8:30. Thankfully, his building was a block away. More people came in the door to stand behind him. He cringed every time he heard the stupid bell over the door. He was antsy, antsy because of the meeting and antsy because…well. He looked at his watch again. 8:31. Maybe he didn’t need caffeine. No, fuck that, he deserved this coffee.
That’s when he heard it. He hadn’t turned around as people came into the shop and piled in behind him; he was too concerned about the people ahead of him. Would it kill them to know their order before they got there? It was a voice he hadn’t expected to hear here, or anywhere for that matter. His fingers tightened around the change and paper clip until they dug into his palm and hurt. Immediately, his hands began to sweat, and he felt his back perspire under his silk shirt. His suit jacket suddenly became suffocating and all at once, coffee was the last thing on his mind. His mind was elsewhere, in a room he knew intimately with a girl whose body he knew better than any woman he had ever been with. The dark, silk fabric of the shirt you had given him felt like cool water across his skin. You looked devastatingly beautiful above him as you straddled his waist. He remembered you smelled like vanilla that night and the feeling of your lingerie bunched in his hands as you sat on his face. Your voice, your smile, your moans, all of it filled his mind in such quick succession that he forgot to breath for a few seconds.
He looked behind him slowly, eyes already averted downwards because he knew you were almost a head shorter than him. You didn’t see him as he turned to look over his shoulder. You looked so casual. You were swathed in an oversized hoodie, hood covering your hair, backpack on, and talking on your phone.
“No, I won’t be available Wednesday night.”
You sounded so professional, so he knew immediately it wasn’t someone you knew. His heart seized in his chest. What did he expect? It was your job and he was your client. He signed a contract when he first met you and he intended to follow your explicit rules because he didn’t know what he’d do if you fired him. No feelings. Wait. Wednesday. He was booked to see you Wednesday. His heart soared at the thought, but then immediately sunk as you spoke again.
“But I do have Friday evening available at six if you’d like. Perfect. Thank you.”
The conversation seemed to end then, so he quickly looked ahead of him, chewing his bottom lip to keep himself from turning around and saying something. He had never seen you in public before, so he wasn’t sure if it was…wrong to talk to you. He decided instead to look ahead and follow dumbly behind the others.
He looked at his watch again. 8:40. Three people ahead of him. You shuffled a little behind him, sniffling. He imagined that you were probably scrolling through your social media or talking to your real life friends. How he wished he had met you normally, like, maybe in a coffee shop. He wanted to laugh at the irony. Then your phone rang, some Twice song he recognized. And, you laughed, and he felt his chest tighten. This time you were talking to someone you knew, and your voice was so airy, so full of happiness, and so fucking beautiful. You had an almost pavlovian effect on him and he felt his mouth salivate suddenly.
Fuck you, Kim Taehyung, do not get a boner in here.
One person ahead of him. You were still talking when he got to the counter so you probably wouldn’t recognize his voice. It didn’t sound like you did as he stumbled over his words as he tried to listen to you at the same time. He shuffled sideways, trying not to turn towards you as he went to the end of the counter. He watched you put your phone on the counter, talking animatedly with the cashier as you politely gave your order and paid. He turned towards a rack of newspapers and stared at them as if they were interesting. You had picked up your phone and continued your conversation as you waited.
“Taehyung!” he heard yelled.
Your conversation didn’t falter. It wasn’t like his name was unique. He knew at least two other Taehyung’s. He kept his back to you as much as possible as he reached out for his drink and ducked out the door. Sighing heavily, he walked quickly to his building, making it just in time to reach his 9:00 meeting only a minute late.
At lunch, he sat at his desk, the cup of ramen steaming next to him as he absently stirred it with his chopsticks. He had closed his door behind him when he came back inside for some privacy. Now, he was sitting at his computer staring at the blank email he was about to type. You had been on his mind all throughout the meeting and if you asked him now, he wouldn’t remember half of it. He was still thinking about you, looking so small behind him, and relaxed. Something about it turned him on and broke his heart at the same time. No feelings. Why did he have to be so soft? Why did he have to be so romantic? He loved being with you and if it meant keeping his stupid mouth shut, he would. But, what if, he asked for it in role play? For an hour he could pretend you were his. For an hour he could treat you how he always wanted and at the end he could pretend it was all an act, like he usually did. One kiss to the corner of your mouth and because that wasn’t enough, he’d leave one on your lips. He’d keep his eyes closed and his thoughts focused solely on your lips against his, memorizing the softness of them, and holding the thought in the forefront of his mind until he could see you again.
He stared at the cursor, watching it blink methodically, thinking how he was going to write this out. He chewed on his lip, closed his eyes, and leaned back in his chair. The ramen was left, forgotten, and the steam had dissipated into the air. Your face was there in his mind and you were laid out under him in that same hoodie you wore today, eyes closed, perfect mouth formed into an O as his fingers slid inside of you. He had done it so many times that imagining the feeling wasn’t too hard. He was soon unbuckling his belt, undoing the button on his slacks, and had the zipper pulled down and his cock out of his boxers before he could even think twice about it. He had his hand on his cock, pumping himself as he thought of the perfect scenario with you. He could live out his wildest fantasy without you knowing the slightest about his feelings. His head fell back against his chair as he moved his hand faster, twisting his wrist just the way you did. When his fantasy reached its peak, he found himself coming into his hand, and he scrambled quickly to grab a nearby tissue before he made a mess of his suit. He sighed, staring at the ceiling as he held the sticky tissue balled in his hand, wondering what he had become. You were doing things to him he had never felt before. He berated himself again before he exhaled and threw the tissue in the trash. He stood up to right himself before sitting back down, wiping his hand again and grabbing some sanitizer to hold him over before he could go to the bathroom. With determination, he put his fingers to his keyboard and began to type.
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Your POV
You heard your phone ping in your pocket as you sat at lunch with your friend outside of a café. She was telling you a story while simultaneously scrolling through facebook, so you didn’t feel too bad about pulling out your phone to see it was an email. You opened it and immediately recognized the email address it was from. Your heart quickened as you opened it, knowing it would be a scenario and requests for your session. It was…so domestic. You felt warmth bloom inside of you as you continued reading, totally ignoring your friend who had yet to notice. Then, you got to the list of requests, always at the bottom after he signed the letter, and you froze in shock at what you saw. The outfit he wanted you to wear was yours, down to the tee. Your gaze immediately shot up and to your surroundings, searching for the familiar dark mop of hair and wide smile, but he was nowhere to be seen. You looked back down at the email at the other requests; just a basic room set up, almost as if you were at home. That quote in the email stood out the most. Well, if it was you that he wanted, it was you you were going to deliver.
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Taehyung’s POV
He walked excitedly and quickly among the going home crowd of the evening. It was Wednesday night and his night with you, and he had been on edge all day, willing time to go by faster at work as he kept his eyes glued to the clock. He made it early, which was fine, that gave him more time to calm down and change in the room. When he arrived, he pressed in the passcode you had sent him and was immediately met with the smell of what seemed to be fresh blueberry muffins. It smelled like you had been baking, but he knew that wasn’t true, this was all part of the set up. The room was set up as it usually was, and you had left out strawberry juice for him. He knew thoughtfulness was part of your job, but it made him feel good to know how observant of him you were. He quickly took off his suit and pulled sweatpants and a sweatshirt from his bag and pulled them on, feeling 100 times more comfortable. The small, electronic ding that signaled it was okay for him to enter sounded in the room. More nervous than he had ever been, he rubbed his palms on his thighs before getting up and going to the door. He held his hand there for a second, took a deep breath, and opened the door. The room was set up almost exactly how he had imagined you would. The bed was made up comfortably with a plain grey comforter and a fair number of pillows. The lights were dim as per usual, but a diffuser sat in one corner pumping out the smell of peppermint and lemongrass. Soft, 40s music played in the background and he suddenly felt so at ease. He had asked you to set up as if you were at home and he knew you were revealing a piece of yourself to him. He had found out more about you in the last thirty seconds than he had in any other session because they were always about him. And there you sat, in the middle of the bed, cross legged, hair up in a falling bun, black leggings, and the same hoodie he had seen you in before. You smiled softly at him as you patted the bed next to you.
“Come sit. It’s been a long day.” Your smile spread wider as he approached. He always knew how to act around you, always in a persona of sorts, as not to give himself away completely.
“Did you have a good day?” he asked, all a part of the act, you didn’t have to know he was serious.
“It wasn’t too bad. I got coffee before school this morning.” Taehyung’s breath caught as you liltingly began to talk, but you didn’t seem to notice as you kept talking. “Then I went to a couple of classes, pretty big test in one but it felt okay, then lunch with a friend, and…”
He couldn’t stand it any longer as he grabbed the back of your head and brought your lips to his. You sighed as he kissed you and he immediately explored your mouth with his tongue.
“What’s gotten into you?” you asked as you pulled away. The act.
“Can I make love to you?” he whispered. He watched your expression soften and your eyes glistened. You studied his eyes for a few seconds as if contemplating something.
“Of course, you can,” you whispered back.
He kissed you again with more passion this time, pushing you back against the blanket as he slotted himself on top of you. He held your face sweetly in his hands and kissed you even deeper, mouth almost devouring yours. If you couldn’t be his, tonight he would pretend like you were. He moved his hands to the back of your head, fingers buried in your hair as he tried to bring you even closer to him. You moaned as he kissed you more and he tried to let his mind think this was real, that you were all for him, and he was all yours. The thought sat there and grew until he believed himself and he felt like if he couldn’t tell you he could at least show you. He moved away, kissing your cheek lightly and then the underside of your jaw. You tilted your head back as he moved his lips down the column of your neck. He heard your breath catch and then shudder out of your mouth as he slowly moved up the other side, barely kissing you, but it seemed to be affecting you deeply. Your hands were buried in the back of his sweatshirt and your legs caged his hips, heels pushing his ass to get him closer. He ground against you and you moaned again, but he kept his kisses soft. Chest to chest and lips to lips again, he held you as close as possible, his left hand pulled your hair back gently to angle your mouth differently against his while his right was hot against your neck. You were pushing yourself up into him as if you were trying to get your body to meld with his. He kissed your neck again, opened mouth as you began to turn him on more and more. He situated himself more on his knees and you groaned as his weight disappeared, seeming disappointed. He skated his hand over the soft fabric of your sweatshirt, feeling your hardened nipple through it before he was at the hem of your leggings.
“Can I take these off?” he asked.
You nodded quickly as you reached down, and he stopped you by grabbing your wrist.
“Let me do it.” Your eyes searched his as he held your wrist. “Please.”
You nodded before laying back against the bed and he sat up, looking at you as he grabbed the waistband and slowly slid them down your legs, kissing the tops of your thighs, your knee, and calf as he pulled them off your legs. He slowly kissed his way back up and he felt the way you shivered as he kissed the inside of your thigh. He kissed your hipbone and you grabbed the hem of your sweatshirt to pull it off and he stopped you again.
“Leave it on, please.”
He wasn’t sure why he was saying please so much, but he wanted this to go exactly how he imagined because he wasn’t going to get this again. You pulled your hands away, only looking vexed for a second before relaxing again.
“Whatever you want, baby.”
He sighed, closing his eyes, soaking in the words and tried to believe they were real. Once again, his heart ached in his chest, hearing something he always longed to hear, every day, so sweetly from your lips, and it’s all a lie. But he had to push the feeling down so that he didn’t ruin this for himself.
His dipped his hand into your underwear, and your soft well-trimmed pubic hair brushed against his palm as he dipped his fingers to your center, lips on yours again. You immediately responded to him, chest arching upwards as he pushed two fingers barely inside of you. You were already so wet for him and for a moment he let himself believe it was only him that you needed for this. He pushed a little further and you moaned into his mouth. When he had them in as far as he could go, you bit at his bottom lip as your hands clawed up his back.
“You wanna come on my fingers, baby?” His lips were still against yours and he suddenly and all at once felt so hot. He wanted to take off all his clothes but there was no way in hell he was taking his fingers out of you yet.
“Please, Taehyung,” you moaned.
His name tumbled out in a shuddering breath and he felt himself grow harder and his entire body ached. He kissed the side of your neck wetly as he began to pump his fingers a little faster. Your feet slid along the cotton fabric, the sound of your soft skin brushing against it, music to his ears, as you opened your legs wider for him. Your hips began to roll in time with his fingers and he bit the skin under your ear. A small whine escaped your lips as he buried his face in your hair, hand holding your hair tightly as he breathed heavily. Your whimpers and sighs grew in tempo the faster he moved. He hooked his fingers knowing exactly how to have you shaking on the bed within minutes. You cried out as he began to hit it on each thrust of his fingers, curving them just right as his thumb found your clit. And soon, you did begin to shake. He felt it in your hands first as you seemed to never be able to hold enough of him, then your upper body as your chest rose against his quickly, and then in your hips as you circled them and they dug into the bed. His fingers kept up with you though, and he wanted this to be explosive. Your cunt tightened around him, and it only took a press of his thumb against your clit to have you crying out as you came. Your body shuddered, and you cried more as he pumped his fingers faster, extending your orgasm. You inhaled deeply and he felt your heart beating rapidly in your chest as he moaned into your skin.
“That’s it, baby, come all over my fingers.”
He kept his pace until your hands were at his wrist trying to pull him away and he did so as you gathered his face in your hands and brought his lips to yours.
When you kissed him it felt real, almost as if you reciprocated…no. This was still all an act and you were good at what you did, or he wouldn’t be here. Instead of letting his mind wander he sat up and pulled his sweatshirt over his head before pulling off his pants too. He reached over into the side table where he knew you always placed the condoms and pulled one out. You looked completely blissed out, glowing and lying among the pillows so beautifully he could hardly stand it. When he had the condom on, he moved back over you, hovering as he looked at you. Your eyes were half lidded, but your gaze never wavered as you looked at him. Instead of saying what his heart told him to he moved to kiss you again, he pulled your underwear off and, slower this time, he ran one of his hands over your swollen cunt. You whimpered just a little as he massaged your clit gently, dipping his fingers every now and again, and back to your clit. When you were ready, he ran the head of his cock up and down your slit as he kissed you. Your hands were buried in his hair, pulling at the roots, and your new pleasure spurred him on. Little by little, he pushed inside. You were still so swollen that it took time for him to push all the way to the hilt, but he went slow for your comfort. When fully inside, you sighed as if you had seen someone you had missed after a long time. Your hands softened their grip, opting instead to twirl your fingers in his curls. Your legs were back around his waist as he began to slide his cock in and out a little faster. You felt like heaven around him, even through the condom.
The smell of peppermint, lemongrass, and your natural scent filled his nose and senses, giving him an almost high as you continued to swallow him. He would take this memory to the grave, it would haunt his dreams, and it would plague his daily life from now on, but it was worth it, if for one night. Then, the both of you would go back to your roles, finding something else to do the next time he scheduled to be with you.
Your sighs and small moans were all he could hear and wanted to hear, if only you were in his bed, whispering these things out of love and not for money. But he had to push those thoughts back.
He looked at you as you closed your eyes, lost in pleasure as he fucked you. To an extent, this was real for you and at least he had that. You looked so magnificent, even more so than his daydream at lunch the other day. His subconscious couldn’t possibly do justice to your beauty. His breath quickened as he hooked one arm behind your knee, spreading you open a bit further so that his cock could go impossibly further. You cried out this time the deeper he hit and soon he saw tears running down your cheeks. You began to gasp, hands clawing at the blankets next to you, and Taehyung had never seen anything like you; not in museums, movies, or books and he was suddenly overwhelmed by it. He thrust faster, ensuring not to hurt you, and with the way you tightened again he knew you were close. He leaned down, drawing your knee closer to your chest.
“Fuck, Taehyung, fuck I’m g-gonna come, oh my god.” You were a stuttering mess as he made it his mission to have you come again. He was dangerously close and trying to stop himself before you got to.
Tears streamed faster down your face; eyes screwed shut as you came in silent cry. Your jaw dropped open and your body convulsed more than the last time you came, leg tensing in his grip as your back arched off the bed. He thrust faster and faster. Watching you come ignited a fire inside of him and he wished he could do this for you every morning and night. If you were his, he’d make you feel so good every day that you wouldn’t need to do this anymore, but then again, this wasn’t what you were here for.
He came with a loud moan, collapsing to his elbow as he came in the condom, wishing so badly he could fill you up. Wishing so badly to tell you,
“I love you.”
His body flushed with heat, suddenly still as he realized he said the words out loud. You, too, tensed beneath him, suddenly sobered up post orgasm. He slowly let go of your leg as he pushed away from you. You looked stunned as you searched his face, almost as if you were trying to figure out if this were part of the act; this domesticity he so wanted.
He sat back, pulling out of you, and you still sat looking at him and it was almost too much for him to bear. Why had he let himself say that?
“I think you need to leave,” you whispered finally.
His heart dropped at your words. He had indeed royally fucked up now.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know why-,“ but you were cutting him off.
“Taehyung, please clean up and leave.”
You looked as if you were going to cry, but you kept an even expression as you stared at him, willing him to say anything more. You looked a little pissed and…sad.
He pulled the condom off, tied, and tossed it away. He didn’t bother to go to the bathroom even though he felt like he was going to puke at any moment. Instead, he put his clothes on quickly and walked to the door. He looked back at you and you were still in the same position on the bed, looking at him, tears welling up in your eyes and he wasn’t sure why what he said had that effect on you, but decided now was not the time to ask. He wanted to cry himself, but told himself it would be foolish now, not that he would do it for pity. He had already ruined any of his chances at coming back and you didn’t seem to be in the mood to talk about it. After all, he had signed a contract.
No feelings.
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pale-cheezit · 3 years
Note
Can you answer every 5th question from your 216-question ask post? Thanks!
Girl you're killin me lol. I'm bored though so thanks for giving me something to do!! I know I'm really late posting this but oh well. Thanks for the ask :)
5) Book/series I reread?
My favorite author is Tana French and I've reread her books a few times. I've reread the book "The Shack" by William P. Young a few times as well. I'm sure there's more that I'm forgetting right now.
10) The word that I use all the time to describe something great?
Probably fuck. As in, "that's fucking great" or "this is fucking awesome" or something like that lol
15) Last song I listened to?
Some new Five Finger Death Punch song that was on the radio
20) Favorite video games?
Probably New Super Mario Bros
25) Actor/actress you trust enough to watch whatever they’re in?
Ooof... I can't think of any off the top of my head. I have some actors that I like that make me go "oh theyre in this movie, it might be good" but I don't think I ever really watch anything just because of a certain actor.
30) Eye color?
Blueish/greenish. Changes colors sometimes depending on what I'm wearing.
35) Am I excited about anything?
Not really.
40) What do I think about most?
I swing wildly between thinking about insignificant nonsense and everything I'm worried/anxious about (my very uncertain future and what to do with myself and mental health shit I'm going through) and I think about my loved ones a lot too!
45) Last film I watched?
The Hunchback of Notre Dame lol
50) How do I destress?
I'm pretty good at pushing things out of my mind when I want to or need to (a blessing and a curse) Also smoke weed. Idk, feels like I'm always stressed about something in the back of my mind.
55) Play any sports?
I don't anymore but I played volleyball for almost 10 years of my life. Good times. I miss those days.
60) Pet peeve?
People that put masks on their kids.
65) What fictional universe would I like to be a part of?
Friskies world from the cat food commercial of course
70) Can I sing?
I think I can sing ok. I'm not amazing but also not horrible.
75) Where do I want to live?
Away from people and traffic!!! I hate how close together the houses are in the suburbs. But I don't want to be so far in the middle of nowhere that I have to drive hours to get groceries. Idk, maybe I wouldn't mind that after awhile, I'd probably get used to it. I just want my own land and to be able to walk out the back door and have my own personal shooting range on my property.
80) Can I drive?
Yeah. Can't drive stick though. I should learn.
85) Favorite genre of music?
Rock
90) Favorite sporty activity?
Uhhh like walking or hiking I guess. Baseball definitely.
95) How tall am I?
5'7"
100) Do I have more girl friends or boy friends?
I have NO friends lol
105) Last person I texted?
My mom
110) Do I like selfies?
Eh sort of. If I'm feeling good about myself, I might take a few but that's rare for me these days. I like to take pictures of much more interesting things instead! Selfies are boring!
115) Favorite number?
8 I guess
120) Am I much of a daredevil?
Depends on the situation and the mood I'm in. I can be. We all got a little daredevil in us if we drink enough lol
125) The Beatles or Elvis?
Elvis
130) Favorite piece of advice?
Hmm....Anything Jordan Peterson says is usually great advice lol. But I guess simple things like be yourself, enjoy the small things in life, never miss a good chance to shut up, others can inspire and support you- but only you can save yourself, assume you know nothing, listen to your elders cause they know a thing or two about life (SOMETIMES)
135) Do I like gossip?
Eh not really. It depends. I know I'm guilty of it because that's all women be doin but you can definitely cross a line with that stuff and some people have issues with that and that shit can be annoying. it's definitely something I try not to do too much because I wouldn't want others to gossip about me behind my back
140) Do I believe people are capable of change?
I'd like to think so. I mean, I think its not ALWAYS the case. There's definitely people that wont or cant change but there's also plenty of people that are willing to put in the work and have changed themselves and their lives.
145) In a film about my life, who would I cast as myself, friends and family?
Bitch nobody could play me or my family better than me or my family
150) What is the best decision I have made in life so far?
I honestly don't know. I thought of a few different things and realized none of them were really decisions I 100% made for myself /: I've had a life so far that's been filled with other people making decisions for me. Kind of one of my problems I gotta work on. I guess I would say choosing to finally leave the shitty relationship I was in but he kind of left me in the end so it wasn't completely my decision. There's probably a bunch of small decisions I've made in the past that turned out great for me that I'm just forgetting right now.
155) Who is the most intelligent person I know?
I used to think my brother was because he was a genius child but then I grew up and realized there's a lot of different ways to be intelligent. I was gonna say Jordan Peterson but I dont actually know him lol. It's a hard question for me because I truly believe people are intelligent in so many different ways and Ive met many people that are smart in some ways but dumb in others. I guess my Dad would make the list if I had to pick someone.
160) What color mostly dominates my wardrobe?
BLUE
165) Do I believe in fate?
I think so. I think we can change our fate though too.
170) One of my favorite quotes?
"those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."- Ben Franklin
"unable are the loved to die, for love is immortality"- Emily Dickinson
I have a TON of favorite quotes, I could take up pages lol. Those are just the ones I thought of off the top of my head.
175) Do I dream?
Yes, every single time I sleep. Even when I take a nap. I'm always dreaming.
180) Do I like shopping?
It depends on my mood and what I'm shopping for. Sometimes I'm in the mood to shop and I have fun with it but other times I'm not feeling it at all. I don't like spending money, it makes me feel guilty.
185) If I could master one skill, what would I choose?
Probably being an excellent shot. As skilled as Annie Oakley- if that's even possible haha
190) If I could time travel, where and when would I want to go?
60s or 70s. Maybe the 20s.
195) Would I ever want to encounter aliens?
Fuck no. Definitely wouldnt be like some sci-fi movie. It'd be fucking terrifying.
200) Dragons or wizards?
Neither. Never been into either of those things. I also never got what the big deal about dragons is
205) Do I like my handwriting?
Yeah I suppose. Its very inconsistent. It goes from messy to neat to somewhere in between all in one page. Just like me lol
210) What is on my bucket list?
Travel. See the world. I dont have anything super specific but I definitely wish I could see all this world has to offer.
215) What is the weirdest talent I have?
I have no idea. I have no talent that I can think of. I'm sure there's gotta be something but I have no clue right now.
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raendown · 3 years
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Simple Joys & Easy Smiles
Tagged by: @dimancheetoile​ who really is a star shining brighter than they could ever realize.
The goal of this tag is to spread some love and happiness in hard, stressful and depressing times. Here are the rules:
be as honest as you dare. If there’s something you don’t wish to answer, invent something so outlandish no one will believe it and it’ll get a laugh out of them. That way, you don’t have to answer and you’re still spreading laughter and smiles!
change one of the questions for the next round of people you tag, without saying which one you changed. eventually, all my questions will have disappeared and I’m excited to see what this tag will look like in a few days!
tag people you love who deserve a smile and a distraction
Tagging: @kitsunekage88 @officerjennie @writhingbeneathyou @antukini @rookie-d @mike-remington-hanson Oh just everyone, say I tagged you, y’all know the drill. 
what is the last film that made you cry happy tears
The new disney film Soul is so fucking good, I loved every minute of it and I love the whole message it gives.
what song did you recently listen to that makes you feel like you could fight dragons (and give one line from it)
Giants - Dermot Kennedy
The hope and the hurt Has lived inside of me But there's gold in the dirt I never took the time to see
which video game have you lost yourself into recently (if you don’t play, pick a book or tv show)
Genshin Impact
name a tumblr person who brightens your life
@rookie-d always out here with positivity and support for anyone who needs it
describe your favourite colour without saying its name or naming a thing of this colour
Deep and elegant, a subtle kind of royalty and majesty. Growth after a deep rain. An often overlooked shade of the deep sea. Goodness and healing, a steady calm.
name another best tumblr friend
@writhingbeneathyou better fucking know how amazing she is or I swear I will beat her gremlin ass up
link the last tumblr post you reblogged that struck something deep inside of you
Made you look
recount a memory that made you believe that love exists in a way you understand
The whip of my partner’s hand, the flash of his movements, when I told him what my father had done. I remember how fast he reached for the phone to call my father and tell him exactly what he thought of a man who could ever blame his daughter for loving her mother. How soft and precious, to know in a single moment with perfect clarity that he really loves me, doesn’t he?
if you have children, tell me what little thing they did recently that shocked you up with how much you adore them (if you don’t have children, same but with another human)
Not really a deep or important moment but watching them both make funny faces and flail their arms without a hint of self-consciousness, it really makes me hope they don’t lose that freedom of self any time soon. 
if you could cover your entire body with a tattoo, what poem(s), quote(s) or song lyric(s) would you use
“I'll keep a part of you with me, And everywhere I am there you'll be”
There You’ll Be - Faith Hill
what does it mean to you
These are the lyrics we had carved in to my brother’s gravestone.
name a person that inspires you
Bitch, I inspire myself.
which book do you always come back to
The Redwall series will always be like sinking back in to all the good parts of my childhood just for a while. I will never tire of rereading them all. 
recount a memory that made you feel like you were worth the world
The look in my mother’s eyes when she all but scolded me for thinking I was going to pay even a cent for my own wedding dress. 
name one item close to you that is precious and tell us why
I have a 3D printed model of a Watcher from Horizon: Zero Dawn that I consider precious because it was the gift that made me truly let go of any bad blood left between me and the one who made it. Such an unexpected present that made me stop and realize that he too had let go of everything. 
what’s your comfort food?
Apple strudel inside of a turducken drizzled with spicy peanut sauce and a generous side of I don’t actually eat food for comfort but you can always ply me with chai tea or soda.
a fic you read recently that shook you to your core
Settle In Among The Raincoats
if it applies to you, what style, clothes, and/or makeup look makes you feel like you’re marching straight towards victory
Put me in a well fitted dress with a nice pair of heels, do my hair and get me some dark lipstick, I will be your motherfucking queen. 
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queerofthedagger · 4 years
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by the sea by Elizabeth  (​ @agentlewomanandascholar )
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon
Rating: Teen and Up || Warnings: None || Wordcount: 3,845
Tags: soft; Pastoral Romance; Canon Divergent AU; Magic Reveal; Fluff; Gentle; slight angst at the beginning; and then a slow slide towards bliss
Summary: Merlin’s magic is revealed, and he is forced to flee Camelot. Arthur takes him south, to the coast.
“They watch the storm approach from the sea. They batten down the equipment, the stable, and the coop. ‘You think the crops will be okay?’ Arthur asks, letting the wind blow the tops against his outstretched hand… They look back at the wall of black clouds. It roils and flashes with lightning. Merlin looks back at Arthur; the wind whips his hair around him like a lion’s mane. Merlin reaches out and pushes it back from his face. ‘It’ll be fine,’ he says.”
The farming AU/pastoral fantasy we all deserve right now. Written for Scruffy Pendragon Fest 2020
Why I rec this: This fic is just – I don’t remember how many times I’ve come back to this to re-read, and it has such an unique, special atmosphere to it. It’s so very soft and tender and gentle, in that very specific way that fills up your chest with longing and quiet happiness. The way the relationship between Merlin and Arthur progresses is achingly beautiful, the characterizations are just… done in a way that I love so very much.
To be quite honest, I feel like I’m still missing the words to describe all the ways I love this story and how it makes me feel. But its mood has seared itself into my mind in a way that whenever I come across something that evokes that feeling™, I’ll think, “Ah, it’s like this fic.” Not to mention that the prose is absolutely brilliant and all the details woven into the lines are amazing.
Obviously, I love Merthur fics that are all about fulfilling destiny and bringing about Albion, but this has such a special place in my heart because when it comes right down to it, just Arthur and Merlin being happy and soft and not in danger is just. Yeah. Did I mention I’m lacking the words?
Favourite Quotes: (I’ve once again trouble to not quote the whole fic. I’m just going to go with two, but huh boy were they hard to pick.)
Every day presents new work, and a new challenge. Arthur grows leaner, muscles changing. He cuts grass with a scythe and they dry it for hay.
At night, Merlin lights the fire with a surge of magic. Arthur’s eyes no longer widen, but he still stares. His lips part, still.
Sometimes, his tongue flits out to wet them, just after.
They lie on the rug and read to each other after the sun sets. There’s little to do, most nights, but tell stories like this. When they exhaust the few books left by the hut’s old inhabitants, Arthur spends some of his coin on more. A trader sells them two folios copied at some distant monastery. They’re full of tales from near and far. –
It’s too hot to sleep indoors, so they take their old bedrolls and lay them out beneath the stars. Arthur looks out to the sea, watching the moonlight ripple with the waves. “You think there are people out there, in boats, like Odysseus?” Arthur asks.
“You just wish you could wash up on some nymph’s island and be her prisoner for the next decade,” Merlin teases.
“No,” Arthur disagrees. “No one wants Calypso when he has Penelope at home.”
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blankblankityblank · 3 years
Text
Just, don’t wake up
Hi everyone! This is my fic for the @starkerkink exchange, dedicated to @vaguekiwi! I really hope you enjoy it :)
Pairing: Peter Parker x Tony Stark
High school AU, with superpowers.
Tony’s home life has never been amazing, but one night, it’s just too much for him. He flies blindly to the first destination he can think of in his battered suit, holding his breath when he realises exactly who’s house he’s flown to. He doubts this evening will be normal, especially when he realises there’s only one bed.
Warnings: Masturbation, Flogging, Name-calling, Restraints, slightly dub-con, both 17. Check ao3 for further warnings!
Read on ao3!
Tony arrived late to class, as usual. Peter sighed, the usual thought flitting through his head: How does he always manage to arrive late, even with a full body suit that flies?
The teacher for their class, AP Bio, glanced at Tony unimpressed but unsurprised-this was a regular occurrence, and it showed.
Tony waltzed to his seat with the usual I-really-don’t-give-a-shit attitude, plonking down and prompt executing a yawn. Peter rolled his eyes; did he always have that look on his hot face? How did he even get into AP Bio when he didn’t even pay attention? Oh yeah, that’s right-Howard Stark’s son, prodigy at 4, bla bla bla. Peter needed a break from the constant ‘Tony Stark made his own suit’ fawning that half the girls, and guys, constantly exhibited. Like yeah, big deal-was anyone gonna talk about Peter’s amazing skills to do with web fluid? Or crafting his own suits, which, well, didn’t always go particularly well?
“And today, we will be taking a bit of an off-topic turn into some neurobiology! Chemicals and hormones produced by the brain!” The teacher sang, trying to mask her own boredom with the unresponsive class, “who can tell me what the four main hormones to do with happiness contain?”
Peter shot his hand up, excited that he for once knew the answer to the question before smart-ass Tony.
“The four main chemicals are endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, often abbreviated as D.O.S.E,” Peter stated. Tony slowly turned around in his chair, and glared at him. Peter just smirked. ‘One day,’ he mouthed at the growingly frustrated classmate.
“Very good! Can someone tell me what each of these hormones’ functions are?” Their teacher again asked. Peter’s hand shot up for the second time, his mouth forming a smirk in sync.
--------------------------------
“Well well well, if it isn’t smart-ass Parker in a sticky situation?” Tony purred, his smooth voice richoeing off of the poorly-designed science lab. Peter sighed, closing his eyes in preparation before facing the problem.
“Does it look like I don’t know what I’m doing? Wouldn’t wanna steal your thunder now, would I?” He snarked back, trying to stir his web fluid in peace. The teacher had allowed his class 15 minutes of time to work on their various powers, any tweaks or fixes being attended to. Tony had apparently finished oiling up his suit, but Peter had no such privilege.
Tony flicked the back of Peter’s head as he strutted away, going over to talk to Steve and Bucky. Goddamned overpowered mutants. Ok, so maybe Peter was a tiny bit jealous of their friendship, but that was his business.
He dispensed the web fluid with a sigh, getting ready to pack up and head back to his apartment, and hopefully blow off some steam with a Star Wars movie night. He smiled softly to himself; maybe the day wouldn’t be so bad after all. He could chill with may, have some hot chocolate, quote every line of Empire Strikes Back because he totally doesn’t know it word for word.
The bell rang, immediately followed by a cacophony of bags zipping, several whirring sounds as various students fired up their ride home. Peter ducked his head down, knowing his power wasn’t as rich or powerful as his classmates’ privileged ones. And they didn’t even know it, how lucky they were. They’d never know what it’s like to be born with stickiness and a general strength upgrade. No super-advanced knowledge of tech, engineering, how to fly, being able to fly...everything that separated him from the rest of his peers.
Peter swung his backpack over his shoulder, cursing as his AP Bio textbook dropped onto the ground, setting off a too-loud thump on the concrete floor. A few heads swivelled in his direction, and Peter flushed as he hurriedly picked the offending book up, and returned it to its rightful place. Face still hot, he all but rushed out of the classroom, eager to change into his suit and get this day over with.
“Hey! Parker! Wait up, for fuck’s sake. You dropped two books, not one, you blind-ass bat,” Tony hollered, his feet slapping against the linoleum. Peter grabbed the exercise book from Tony’s offering hand, not dignifying the teen with a response. Ok, so maybe it was a bit harsh. But he had to stay ice-cold around Tony; if it got out Parker had a crush, it would not go down well. At. All.
“You’re not even gonna say thanks?” Tony spluttered in disbelief, hand still outstretched.
“Nope,” Peter replied, popping the ‘p’.
“Pretty sure I deserve some recognition, I could have just left that book on the floor for some other snotty-nosed kid to find,” Tony said indignantly, hand returned to his side.
“Well then don’t do it next time. I don’t give a shit, Stark,” Peter fired back, attempting to quell his progressingly noticeable butterflies.
Tony opened his mouth in a retort, but instead opted for an eye roll and spun on his heel. Probably to get back to his fancy 5 star penthouse, Peter thought bitterly. He headed to the bathrooms, diligently fighting his instinct to catch a glance of that ass. God, he was so, so gone.
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Peter entered his apartment silently, not wanting to disturb May. He kicked off his shoes, deflating his suit and carrying the rest of his belongings to his room. Or, his cave, as May liked to call it. The 16 year old dungeon was another favourite of hers.
“May? ‘M home..” He trailed off when the bright Post-it note caught his eye. He frowned, peeling it off the bench and reading the bubbly handwriting. ‘Picked up an extra shift, be home tomorrow at 7! Sorry I couldn’t make it tonight kiddo xx’ Well. He could kiss his plans of venting to may goodbye, it seemed. Hot chocolate and a movie night still lifted his hopes, albeit less enthusiastic with no one to share it with now. The teen hummed the Star Wars theme song as he boiled the water and got his hot chocolate ready. He finished his task from earlier, dumping his stuff in an impossibly messy room that cleaning seemed impossible. There were things he didn’t want to uncover by doing so.
The TV flickered to life, selecting the chosen movie as directed by Peter. He sipped on his hot chocolate, swearing softly when the liquid burnt his tongue. It’d probably need to cool, considering the loss of feeling in his taste buds. The TV screen suddenly paused the movie, indicating the buffering icon as the infuriatingly slow loading bar popped up.
“For fucks’ sake…” Peter muttered, deciding to take a quick shower to pass the time. He didn’t bother getting clothes, seeing as he was the only one home. He padded to the bathroom, turning the shower on and watching as the water slowly began to produce steam. He then stripped, chucking his clothes into the overflowing hamper and stepping into the soothing water. He let it wash over him, adjusting himself to the temperature as he scrubbed himself with vanilla soap, the day’s events flicking hazily through his mind.
The teen looked down, noticing his growing hard-on. Maybe his thoughts about Tony had taken a...darker turn. He palmed himself half-heartedly, almost jolting when the spark of arousal ran through his body. He groaned softly to himself, putting more energy into pumping his hard on. His precum provided lubricant, his hand going up and down faster and faster until he was right on the edge and it felt so good, and-
Peter pulled his hand off, letting his erect cock bob helplessly in the air. He was breathing hard, not having reached his orgasm. It just...it didn’t feel right. He rubbed soap on his body again, his dick slowly returning to it’s normal size.
The shower came to a close after 15 minutes of staring at the wall, he may or may not have been thinking about a certain black head of hair, brown eyes flecked with gold, the body of a Greek god...maybe he lost track of time, but it was time well spent in Peter’s opinion. He towelled himself off with less energy, suddenly losing the motivation to actually dry himself off-probably because all his brain power was used trying to figure out a certain someone’s personality.
He plopped onto his nest of blankets and pillows, smiling when he saw the movie was ready to watch again. He hit play, content with the world at last.
That is, until some fucking idiot banged, not knocked, banged, on Peter’s door. He resolutely ignored it, turning the volume of the TV to max. Until, the banging didn’t stop. It just kept going. And going. And going-
“This better be a real good fucking reason,” Peter snarled, pausing his movie with more force than he probably needed to, and he stomped to the door.
The assault on the door didn’t stop, even when Peter yelled ‘Coming!’ to try and ease the banging. It did not succeed. He swung open the door, fuming, the epitome of annoyance as expressed on his face. He was ready to give this newcomer a piece of his mind, what, interrupting his fucking movie night, the audacity-
The words died in his throat as he looked up to launch a deadly glare, only to be met with chocolate brown eyes, flecked with gold, a soft pink cupid’s bow, the presence of stubble beginning to form a goatee, and oh wait, he’s seen this before, wait a minute-
“Tony?” He spluttered, taking a step back as he took in the scene before him. Tony, in a banged up suit he probably used as his transportation, his hand poised to bang at the door again. Tony’s expression mirrored Peter’s, a mixture of shock and confusion. Unlike Peter’s, Tony’s cleared quickly, and formed a new expression-one of almost desperation.
“Look, Parker, I’m sorry alright? I just...I need somewhere to stay tonight,” he rubbed a hand over his face, “forget it. I knew it was stupid to come, sorry for wasting your time I guess,” he muttered, already pivoting on his heel. Without his conscious consent, Peter grabbed Tony’s arm as he turned away. They both froze, neither knowing what Peter did.
“Wait, I...you can stay, Tony. You can come in, I just was watching Empire Strikes Back,” Peter ranted, gently tugging Tony inside. The latter seemed to be in a state of shock, obviously not expecting the positive response.
“Empire Strikes Back? You would be watching that, of all movies,” Tony snarked, recovering quickly from his bout of shock.
“You’re the guest, at least try to be nice,” Peter countered, blushing at the tips of his ears from embarrassment. He huffed, flopping onto his comfortable collection of pillows. He raised an eyebrow meaningfully at Tony, who looked a little out of place with his scratched suit. Peter was curious, but didn’t pry-there was obviously something that caused Tony to come in so suddenly.
“Being nice? To Parker? Talk to me when you have an achievable goal,” Tony grumbled, walking around to tour Peter’s apartment. Peter hoped it would be up to his standards. Wait, no he didn’t, Tony’s standards didn’t matter to him. At all.
Peter resumed his movie, soon becoming engrossed in the iconic plotline that he’d seen hundreds of times before, yet it never failed to make him excited. Tony watched his classmate from the shadows, the smile on Peter’s face contagious. His auburn curls, sharp jawline...Picture perfect Tony mused, as the lights from the movie danced across Peter’s angelic features. Tony shook his head, afraid of getting caught in the act-someone that beautiful would never return his feelings.
The depressing thought prompted Tony to emerge from the shadows, gliding over to where Peter was laying down and slumped nearby, resigning himself to the fact he’d have to watch this nerd movie. His suit whirred in the corner, fixing its own malfunctions as Tony had programmed it to.
“I don’t even know what the fuck is going on, Parker,” Tony muttered, the movie’s plot confusing him due to the lack of knowledge in previous films.
Peter just smiled, deciding it would take too long to explain the plot. Tony saw this, and a small smile spread across his face, too. It was nice to have a friend that just accepted you into their home, even if you had no explanation. Well, he couldn’t really tell the boy his explanation. Home was...a bit hard to go to at the moment, not that he’d ever tell Parker. He glanced at the serene expression on Peter’s face again, taking in the pure joy as he watched his seemingly favourite movie. Yeah, he was not gonna spoil that expression. Not ever.
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The movie’s credits rolled, signifying the end of the movie night. Tony softly blew out through his nose, wondering if it would be overstepping to stay the night. Before he could dig a hole of despair within himself, Peter noticed his obvious inner battle. Deciding to put the rivalry behind him for now, he reached out to Tony, gently touching his arm and effectively grabbing his attention.
“We should head to bed...if you’re ok with that,” Peter murmured, gently tugging Tony’s arm as he stood up.
Tony sucked in a breath at sparks of pleasure that rippled through him as Peter’s hand lingered. He got to his feet, following Peter through the apartment, taking in the few decorations and pictures. He paused at an old picture of an obviously much younger picture of Peter, sitting on a man’s shoulders. He looked so...well, happy. Tony frowned; what had happened? Not wanting to intrude, he tucked the question away for later, and hurried to catch up with Peter.
“So, this is it. The humble abode, I guess,” Peter chuckled nervously, giving a dramatic wave with his hands. Tony looked around, taking in the worn twin bed, well-read books mounted on shelves that looked as if they could fall at any minute, the stained dresser, obviously the victim of many late-night hot chocolate spills. Tony could feel a slight smile tugging at his lips-this felt like Peter.
“Humble, huh. Didn’t know you were a Potter fan,” Tony smirked, gesturing at the aforementioned books. A red blush tinted the teen’s cheeks as he rushed to defend himself.
“I’ll have you know Harry Potter is a very famous series, thank you very much,” he huffed, crossing his arms. The following silence was comfortable, Peter rifling through his dresser as he looked for his pyjamas. He succeeded, muttering a soft ‘aha’ at the victory, and turned to head to the bathroom.
“Get yourself comfy, you can sleep wherever, couch or bed,” Peter stated, trying not to blush for a third time in an hour. He made quick work of changing, exiting the bathroom once he was satisfied with his appearance. A new toothbrush smacked Tony in the back of the head, credits of Peter.
“The fuck, Parker? Why couldn’t you just ask me to turn around,” Tony muttered, grabbing the toothbrush and making his way to the meager bathroom. He cleaned his teeth, checked his face for any signs of, well, outstanding blemishes, and once satisfied, returned to the bedroom. Peter was already in the bed, having turned off the lights and receiving a wave of sleepiness that he couldn’t refuse.
Tony hesitated before quietly sliding in beside Peter, careful not to touch him in hopes of keeping him comfortable. After all, this was Peter’s bed. He shifted, finding the proximity a little too...exciting.
Peter stirred, muttering something incomprohensive that sounded suspiciously like ‘Stop fucking moving,’ which Tony grudgingly obeyed. He found himself drifting sooner than he usually did; maybe it was the company that finally got his eyes to close, who knows. It just felt good to be cared about.
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“Fuck, harder Tony,” Peter cried out, relishing the feeling of the flogger on his burnt ass, “please. Please Tony, ah!”
Tony whipped mercilessly, painting the teen’s ass and lower back a pretty scarlet colour. He knew Peter loved it, despite the whimpers of pain as he relentlessly assaulted his body, again and again.
“Little slut, begging for me to stop like a good little bitch. Ask me nicely, I might consider,” Tony snarled, drinking in the moans that came tumbling out of Peter’s mouth at the sentence.
“P-please, I promise I’ll be your good little cockslut, please just let me go,” Peter repeated, rolling his eyes back from pleasure. His cock twitched at the constant stimulation, begging for touch, but Peter couldn’t move, the restraints preventing him from relief.
Tony growled, pausing the flogging at 15 hits. “You better live up to that, whore,” he snarled, taking in the sight before him. Peter, bound to the bed face-down, bent over the back, ass on display. His petite frame quivered in anticipation, preparing for more of the flogging.
“Yes, Tony, I promise I’ll be good, no more,” Peter begged, too aroused to care how desperate he might sound. He jerked his hips forward, trying and failing miserably to acquire friction for his painfully hard dick.
Tony untied the restraints slowly, careful not to hurt his lover any more, now that the scene was over. Peter sobbed, reaching down almost immediately to try and relieve his aching cock. Tony slapped Peter’s hand away, taking the matters into his own hands.
“Such a naughty boy, trying to touch yourself without permission. What do we say?” Tony crooned, teasing Peter’s tip. The latter cried out, grinding against Tony’s hand in hopes of release.
“‘M sorry, so sorry, please, please let me-ah!” Peter abruptly cut off his rambling as Tony took him in hand, stroking along his length tantalisingly. Peter sobbed, crying out as the feeling grew. He centered in on the sensation Tony was giving him, pumping his dick with such earnest it was almost too much, the heat building in his lower abdomen, ready to burst-
Peter woke up with a start, acutely aware of his burning arousal. Oh. Oh shit. He just had one of those dreams...about Tony. Who was right next to him. Peter sucked in a breath, his eyes going wide. He calculated his options, quickly realising he couldn’t move without waking him up.
He cursed the lack of space in the bed, horror taking over as his arousal became too prominent to ignore. He whined softly into his pillow, at loss with how to deal with the predicament. How did things go so badly wrong so soon?
As if things couldn’t get any worse, Tony elicited a groan in the silence of the room and shifted to that his hip was pressed against Peter’s...problem. He unconsciously bucked into the stimulation, immediately regretting the action as Tony groaned again and moved, if possible, closer to his dick. Well, wasn’t this just amazing.
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Tony awoke from his sweet abyss of darkness, groaning in annoyance. What had woken him up? He thought he’d heard a whimper, but that couldn’t be right. He shuffled closer to his warm pillow, which promptly moved back against him. Tony froze; pillows weren’t supposed to move. Pillows...also didn’t have a bulge. He recovered quickly, a smirk slowly growing when he realised what had happened here. Parker was hard. So, so hard.
Tony groaned again, this time intentionally shifting against Peter’s bulge to try and gauge how exactly this was going to play out. He was met almost immediately with a response as Peter grinded against him. Tony stifled a moan; it was insanely hot, how responsive Peter was. He was obviously trying to hold back, covering his mouth as he desperately sought relief against Tony. The latter helpfully shifted again, receiving a small squeak in response. Peter’s hand snaked down to his cock, unable to hold back anymore. Tony closed his eyes, savouring this moment-possibly the only time he’d get to be this intimate with his crush, even if he was ‘asleep’.
Peter palmed against his sweats, the pleasure making his breathing uneven as he neared his climax. He felt so bad for doing this with Tony in the same bed, but he was past the point of being able to control his movements. The pressure built up inside him like a spring coiled at it’s base, as he desperately rutted against his hand, when it all became too much-and Peter went rigid. The white-hot pleasure consumed his body, racking through him in wave after wave as he tried to silently ride out his orgasm. The spurts of come soaked his boxers, but Peter was too out of his mind to care as the high slowly came down. His breathing was hard and his sweats were cold and sticky, but the aftershocks of the orgasm jerked his softening cock.
The world slowly came back to him as Peter blinked a couple times, trying to orient himself. The first thing he thought was oh shit, now I’ll have to lie in this mess until Tony wakes up.
That is, until he realised a tiny detail. Tony’s back and hip was completely covered. In. Peter’s. Cum.
Peter looked up slowly, the horror beginning to consume him. His entire body froze when Tony looked right back at him.
16 notes · View notes
jensungf · 4 years
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10 questions tag pt.2
hoo boi okay so ive been tagged in this a lot so im going to split it up into parts but this is alr a lot to read so if u read all of this u deserve a cookie so reply back with cookie and ima send u kithes and hugs
thank u to every who tagged me!! @byunbaekby @neocitybynight @bumblebeenct
aurora’s questions (these r from awhile back hehe
what’s your favorite dish from your culture?
i like phở gà (chicken noodle soup) or bún bò huế (hhh idk it in english)
vegetables or fruit?
fruits? i don’t like either
what’s the last book you’ve read and did you like it?
i think i had to read frankenstein for decathalon before corona hit and no i did not ugh
what inscription would you like on your tombstone?
heart nutted too hard or leyna [redacted] ; jk i actually dont know, i guess in loving memory leyna her love shall forever be remembered thru photographs bc even when the people change, the memories still stay or something (my brain is chaotic rn)
what should they teach in high school but do’t?
definitely financial literacy and how to do taxes and whatnot
who would you most like to sit next to on a 10 hours flight and why?
probs jisung or renjun bc lbr jisung and i would be the type to play smash the entire time and snack (and also if i fell asleep on his shoulder that shit would be so cute omfg) but renjun and i could continue talking for hours hahahah
what skill would you like to master?
cooking/baking!
what movie title best describes your life?
to all the boys i’ve loved before (ok not rly but i couldn’t think of much)
what’s the best way to start your day?
waking up well rested with my outfit planned and no rush getting ready to go eat brunch w my friends
what pets did you have while you were growing up?
i never had any pets hehe i’m allergic and mis padres say no
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milly’s questions
where is the favourite place you’ve ever been?
i think i really like the city in toronto!! it’s super aesthetic and the vibes are amazing but i didn’t get to explore :( @longassride kidnap me pls
what is your best school subject, and if it changed drastically why?
it’s always been english haha but i’m not even that good
animated or live action films?
i prefer animated tbh the live action films i’ve seen don’t do any justice
do you play any instruments, how long for?
i play the bassoon and it’s been like 6 years (don’t need fooled i hate it)
have you told anyone irl that you have a blog?
yeah lmao a lot of my irls know and i let some follow me but we dont talk about it too much
favourite social media? 
instagram or tumblr
can you quote me something from your favourite book?
“There comes a time when the world gets quiet and the only thing left is your own heart. So you'd better learn the sound of it. Otherwise you'll never understand what it's saying.” — Just Listen, Sarah Dessen
what was the last tv show you finished in its entirety?
fuck i have no idea i don’t even think ive ever finished a tv show...  oops?
do you have an all time favourite nct fic on this site?
i have many so it’s so hard to choose but one of my all time favs might be @/starlightkun’s ayakashi series for jeno called featherbrain and @lovingyong’s tatbilb series for jaemin. i stayed up until 7am reading featherbrain and i didn’t stop rereading it for a wk bc it was everything i’ve ever liked in one story since i was super into otome games at one point and if i’m being honest, kelsie’s series helped move past a lot of hardships bahahah i could probably quote a few lines honestly bc they mean so much to me 
if you could time travel, when would you go?
the 90s!!
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sunny’s questions
If you could pick one artist to soundtrack your life, who would it be?
niki bc she is queen and relatable !!!
If you could have a Magic Eight Ball that really would answer your questions, what would you ask it?
am i going to be happy and successful?If you could bring one cryptid (supernatural creature) to life, what would you choose?
If you could bring one cryptid (supernatural creature) to life, what would you choose?
honestly that’s so hard ugh i might say angels/demons (i know that’s two but the concept has always intrigued me)
Coke or Pepsi?
coke but i don’t like either
What is your guilty pleasure?
otome games hehe but i guess just reading ff/webtoons all the time
If you had a title after your name (e.g. Alexander the Great) what would you want?
leyna the lover or some shit like that haha i rly dont know
Would you rather have a band who narrated all your movements through song or the paparazzi follow you around?
haksjsk i think band bc it doesn’t always have to be a literal narration and paparazzi would expose my every move
If you could be a K-Pop idol, would you be? Whether or not you answer yes, would you date an idol?
no i wouldn’t because it’s too much of a sacrifice to give up everything and dedicate my life to the toxic industry. and personally no i wouldn’t unless i rly loved them and it happened naturally bc it’s again a huge sacrifice and it’s difficult on both ends
When it rains, are you inside watching from the window or outside twirling in the puddles?
inside haha i could never go outside during rain
If you could time travel to any time period, which would you choose?
maybe the late 80s or 90s.. it seemed like a lot of fun to interact with people without technology. drive in movies, cheap candy, rollerskating down the boardwalk, the fashion and music, the vibes
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my questions:
what is your usual resting facial expression?
what was your favorite childhood cartoon?
would you ever have kids? if so, do you have any baby names ready?
whats your favorite way to talk to people? (irl, text, call, ft, etc)
what color fits your vibe and why?
what is your preferred way to be comforted? emotional support or finding a solution?
how long have you been on tumblr?
do you wash your clothes right after you buy them or right after you wear them?
do you have an ideal type or any celeb that matches your ideal type?
do you believe in soulmates?
you’re under no obligation to do this but tagging: @lovelyjsuh @nanasarea​ @neolights @jaemallow @jaetyhm @glossyjaems @cherrysung @yongiefilms​  @juyeonzz​ @lovingyong​ @gohyuck​ @longassride​
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mypokepal · 3 years
Note
(1/4) Hi! ❀ I love your blog!! May I ask for a Poképal if you have time? I like being home & comfortable. You’ll find me wrapped in a blanket most of the time with a steaming teapot right next to me, reading my favorite books (like The Little Prince) / inspirational quotes, listening to folk music, journalling or just gazing at the trees through the window. Might sound boring but I really enjoy simplicity & the little things! I also like to go out for walks & collect pictures of nature.
(2/4) In social settings, I’m basically a wallflower. I’m not good at talking or making friends. It’s hard for me to open up, I guess it’s because I’m afraid of being hurt... I feel good on my own, but when I’m with people I often feel like a weirdo & like I’m not enough. I’d say I’m quite solitary / independant, but when I’m with someone I’ll listen to them and try my best to make them feel understood & spread kindness! (3/4) I’d love to live in a small cottage or a cozy tiny house by the woods cause there’s something about them that makes me feel safe. As for my dream job... idk how it’s called in English (I’m French), but I basically hope to become a teacher’s assistant & work in a class of children from 3 to 6 (I feel like I’m still one of them sometimes tbh). (4/4) I hope my pal likes wearing knitted scarves & flower crowns cause I’ll make both for them! ❀ Also I’ll feed them Poffins & berries & cuddle them all day every day! Tysm, I hope you’re doing well & have a beautiful day!
Your entire request like made me really emotional and I think it’s because I want to be you. You sound like such a warm and wonderful person. I hope you have good people around you and a lot of love surrounding you. I’m so sorry for how long it has taken me to get to your request. I hope you’re still here to read your request!
And I have the perfect partner for you! Let me introduce you to...
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Delcatty! I think Delcatty is perfect for you because...
(1) There is no one else who wants to stay in a warm blanket and relax than Delcatty! Life tends to move really quick for others but not for Delcatty. This Pokemon really takes its time enjoying what it loves and tries not to sweat the small stuff. All your interests line up with Delcatty’s perfectly! Put on your favourite outfit and take a nice stroll through your city’s marketplace or have a picnic at your favourite park with your favourite book by your side. Don’t be afraid to share all the little things you’ve stopped to admire everyday with Delcatty because it shares the same sentiment as you. Inspiring trainers will constantly comment on how in sync you two seem to be as it really will feel like you two breathe at the same pace. You guys will definitely make a great team when it comes to working in a school setting! 
(2) Delcatty is a natural caretaker. The way you care for others and the career choice you picked are things that attracted Delcatty to you! It has absolutely no tolerance for bullying or hatred. You will catch Delcatty helping out small wild Pokemon or tidying up your guys’ home without being asked to on the daily. With it being so devoted, Delcatty will catch onto your self doubt and hesitation immediately. When you’re standing against the wall at a gathering, Delcatty will take initiative and bring over new friends to introduce you to. When you’re hesitating to apply for a new job, Delcatty will drag you by the ends of your pants to the door and bombard you with chimes of support. When you suddenly feel embarrassed for being too much of yourself, Delcatty will be a few feet away giving you a reassuring nod. There is nothing in the world that Delcatty doesn’t think you’re capable of and wants you to feel the same way that it does about you. Your self confidence will grow bit by bit everyday with a partner like Delcatty in your life. 
(3) Whether it’s a scarf or sweater, Delcatty will proudly wear it as long as you made it! This Pokemon has a lot of pride in its trainer and wants to show you off whenever you can. It will guard all the things you’ve given it very ferociously. Expect a gift in return every time you make or do something for your pal. I hope you like berries and flowers because Delcatty will be collecting those on a daily for you. You have an incredible pal who wants to provide you with the same amount of love and security that you do for others. There should be no fear in opening up to Delcatty because it will listen with an open mind and welcoming heart. For all the flaws you can come up about yourself, Delcatty will counter with something positive about you. You’ll learn to care about yourself beyond what your body physically needs. In Delcatty’s mind, anyone who is able to harbour love deserves love. 
Other Pokemon Considered: Spinda, Dreepy
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bobbystompy · 4 years
Text
68 Quotes I Enjoyed From 2019
Below are my favorite quotes from 2019. Though most occurred throughout the year, some took place before but were encountered during.
1) “I don’t bitch about Millenials.
John Entwistle once complained that he didn’t understand rap. Pete Townsend said, ‘It’s not our job to understand it. It’s our job to get the fuck out of the way.’
New generations come of age. The older generation’s job is to shut up and adapt.” - @danagould
2) “I can’t do drugs with you until we kiss.”
3) “If you pay me $50 I'll show up to your funeral but stand really far away, holding a black umbrella regardless of the weather, so that people think you died with a dark and interesting secret.” - @DanaSchwartzzz
4) “A human being is a dangerous thing to let loose in a room with itself, when it cannot think.” - Roger Ebert
5) “There are no bad bourbons, only better bourbons.” - Dave Hernandez
6) “You can’t put a dollar in a kimono.”
7) “This is how it was.” - rampant takeaway from watching ‘Superbad’ several years after its release
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8) “What if I had been born fifty years before you in a house on the street where you lived / Maybe I’d be outside as you passed on your bike / Would I know? / And in a wide sea of eyes, I see one pair that I recognize” - Ben Folds, ‘The Luckiest’
9) “Learn the rules so you can break them.”
10) “Nobody makes chili for two.” - Stacy Massey
11) “‘Best city in the world,’ I mutter to myself, as i adjust my ‘driving blanket’.” - Chicago resident Deanna Belos, during the 2019 Polar Vortex
12) “Dude, no one’s ever got arrested for listening to Counting Crows.” - Ricky O’Donnell, justifying late night music volume at his party
13) Bill Belichick: We’re going to have fun tonight. Rob Gronkowski: Yes we are. We deserve it. Belichick: You’re damn right. Gronk: I haven’t stepped out in like eight months. I gotta step out tonight. Belichick: I’m with you, man. I’m even going to step out. Gronk: Oh, I like it!
A Super Bowl winning exchange.
14) Center David Andrews thanked Bill Belichick for giving him "a shot".
Belichick disagreed with it.
Andrews: Thank you for giving me a shot. Belichick: A shot? I didn't give you shit. You earned it! I don't give anything.
Another Super Bowl winning exchange.
15) “We elected one of the very worst living human beings to be President, and it's exhausting. Each and every day, it's an exhausting slog, just to exist in a world where that's true.” - Michael Schur
16) “Some of y’all always picked Odd Job when you played Goldeneye and it shows” - @thedad
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17) “Any app is a dating app if you try hard enough.” - Z.W. Martin (though he says it’s lifted)
18) "Once you're as woke as I am, you learn to feel bad all the time.”
19) “Everything’s a balance beam when you’re 90.” - John Dingell
20) [I wake up in a world where The Beatles never existed]
Me: Check out this song I just wrote
[I begin playing “Ob La Di Ob La Da” without having first built up years of goodwill]
Crowd of people: Wow, this sucks ass
-- @seanoneal
21) “People change people.” - Corey Matthews, Girl Meets World
22) “The easiest thing to do on earth is not write.” - William Goldman
23) “Dan could be like a difficult uncle. I didn’t love his fire-breathing conservative politics. I didn’t love the transformation that came over his novels. In Semi-Tough, he created two benighted Texas jocks and laid their prejudices bare. He was declaring himself a member of the Mark Twain coaching tree. In later books, Dan seemed to be trying to prove he could still tell a racist joke. He insisted that his memoir—the last truly immaculate piece of writing he delivered—include a tirade against political correctness. When his editor said people might be offended, Dan said, ‘Fuck people.’
There are certain writers whose style you pilfer. Certain writers whose moral fiber you try to inherit. For me, Dan represented a third category: a writer whose aura you replicate—or, failing that, try to stand in for a while.” - Bryan Curtis, on Dan Jenkins
24) “Never marry anything. Never choose. Even in love, it's better to be chosen.” - La Dolce Vita
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25) “An uncluttered, uncomplicated happy ending might sound wonderful, but it’s hardly ever satisfying. Because the value of great stories lies in the tension between desire and need, between the yearning for the ideal, and the unshakable conviction that ideals don’t really exist, at least not the way we want them to. A great story should hurt a little when it leaves us. There should be some hope, but that hope should remain somewhere just an inch beyond our fingers, because that’s the truth. Even if you had all the perfect moments in the world, you’d still be reaching.” - Zach Handlen, on the Futurama series finale
26) “You can’t see him because he has sunglasses on.” - Alissa Levy
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27) “The cinema is the greatest art form ever conceived for generating emotions in its audience. That's what it does best. (If you argue instead for dance or music, drama or painting, I will reply that the cinema incorporates all of these arts).” - Roger Ebert
28) “‘Are you gonna let politics ruin a friendship?’ 
Yes tf I am
People talk about politics as if it’s this isolated, abstract concept that only matters at election time. Somebody’s politics is their world view. It’s whether they think certain human beings deserve rights. It’s how they think the world should be. And if somebody thinks that the world should be colder, meaner, less accepting and downright hostile to people that are different to them, then sure as fuck is the friendship over.”
29) “Can the Supreme Court get me mushrooms?” - J-Papp
30) “Any song under two minutes already has a head start on its way into my heart. Just scream at me and then leave me.” - Drew Magary
31) “Long neck cold beers never broke my heart.” - Clemson Tom
32) “I’d just like to point out that the last spoken words of Game of Thrones were: 
‘I once brought a jackass and a honeycomb into a brothel.’”
- @Authoroux
33) “Just once before I die, I want to toss my keys to someone and tell them ‘Bring the car around’.” - Mike Skully
34) “For all the weight they're given, last words are usually as significant as first words.” - Grand Maester Pycelle, Game of Thrones
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35) “The best remedy for unrequited love is a trip around the world.” - Cheers
36) [on switching from a hotel to a motel]
Manny: I don't like the sound of that. A lot of amenities disappear when an H turns into an M. Jay: Hey when I met you, you were eating cereal out of a bucket.
-- Modern Family
37) “You and Lindsey don’t want to be ‘estranged’. Estranged is the relationship we want to have with our mothers.” - MegFil
38) “Cigarettes are undefeated.”
39) “My toes are like my fingers on my feet. I can pick stuff up with them.” - Tracy Cunningham
40) “Republicans govern without shame, Democrats shame without governing.” - Bill Maher
41) Sam: I don’t understand the vagaries of the Internet Josiah: Post often, without thought, and you’ll either get cancelled or cancel someone else.
-- Blink-155
42) “Hang a lantern on your problems.”
43) “What a weird web we weave.” - The Situation, The Jersey Shore: Family Vacation
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44) “Let the ocean worry about being blue.” - Alabama Shakes, ‘Hang Loose’
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45) “Honesty without tact is cruelty.” - Shelley Rokos
46) “My whole life is the wrong porn link.”
47) “One parent can take care of 10 kids, but 10 kids cannot take care of one parent.” - Joe Gestetner, via “an old Yiddish saying”
48) “There are no heroes in the room.” - Classics of Love, ‘Gun Show’
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49) “If I am a little dismissive, it's only because of my harrowing backstory.” - Mitchell, Modern Family (on why he doesn't like sports)
50) “Every time I’m wearing black, I meet a dog.” - Tracy Cunningham
51) “Shower sex? Why would I fuck in my crying chamber” - @chridollarsign
52) “My theory about quarterbacks, having written about some of them, is you either have to believe in god or think you are a god.” - Mina Kimes
53) “The contradictions of capitalism always manifest in our lyrics if you look deeply.” - Blake Schwarzenbach of Jawbreaker, Riot Fest 2019
54) “Got a ‘hang loose’ from the weakside bartender.”
55) “It’s Jennifer’s birthday always.” - Eric Hutchinson 
56) “I can’t think of a less relevant artist in 2019 than Kanye West. A Jesus freak in a MAGA hat. Yeah, congrats dude -- you’re every grandma who watches ‘Young Sheldon’ and mails checks to Joel Osteen now.” - Dan Ozzi
57) “The past and future are in the mind. I’m in the now.” - Tom Brady, via someone else
58) “Sometimes you walk around boring places and you feel like the most exciting thing in it.” - Drew Magary
59) “Sitting is the new smoking.” - Modern Family
60) “I'll straight up fight folks at a book club and discuss books at a fight club I really don't give a shit anymore.” - George Wallace
61) “Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.” - Rose Garvey via wine country
62) “It’s all ‘ok boomer’ until you need someone who can drive stick shift.” - @OrdinaryAlso
63) “He likes the result of the math.” - Dad, talking about my worst subject frustrating during the process but satisfying in the end
64) Stepmom: Do you want a Bears urn or Alabama urn? Dad: Ask me after they play Auburn.
65) “A cold body carries a warm heart.” - Stefanos Tsitsipas’ Instagram, after his Iceland sabbatical
66) [preparing a dish called the Sandwich of Justice with his friend’s recipe]
"The fun thing about it is when you give it to someone, you can say 'Justice is served.’ That's, uh, Ryan's line. I built my whole life on the backs of my friends." - You Suck At Cooking
67) “Usually three people can keep a secret only when two of them are dead.” - The Irishman
68) “An artist can't control who consumes their content any more than a chemist can control how their chemicals are used once they're created.” - Brian Crooks
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thisislizheather · 4 years
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The Witches Are Coming by Lindy West - A Review
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I’ve been waiting for this book of essays to come out for months and it was so, so worth the the wait. I know it’s asking a lot, but can this woman please just write a book every year? Or every six months? That’d be great, thanks. Favourite parts ahead!
“This moment in history is about more than individual interactions between individual people. Those matter, too - it matters how you made your subordinate feel with that comment, and it matters quite a lot that the woman on the bus went home and sobbed after you groped her - but, as Rebecca Traister wrote in December 2017 on The Cut: “This moment isn’t just about sex. It’s about work.” It’s about who feels at home in the workplace and who feels like an outsider - which, by extension, dictates who gets to thrive and ascend, who gets to hire their replacements, who gets to set their children up for success, who gets credit and glory, and who gets forgotten. It’s about who feels safe in public spaces and who doesn’t. Which is to say, it’s about everything.”
“We gobble up cable news’ insistence that both sides of an argument are equally valid and South Park’s insistence that both sides are equally stupid, because taking a firm stance on anything opens us up to criticism.”
“We kept letting Adam Sandler make more movies after Little Nicky, because white men are allowed to fail spectacularly and keep their jobs.”
There’s literally an entire chapter on Adam Sandler movies that is perfection. You have to read it. Seriously, just pick this up at a bookstore and read that one chapter, if nothing else.
I loved all of her points about how there was endless discussion about The Ted Bundy Tapes when it came out earlier this year and how we debated whether this murdering monster was handsome or not. And how that same type of debate is somehow in the same arena as when people debate whether Elizabeth Warren is “likable” or not.
There’s a part in the Ted Bundy special where the judge sympathizes with Bundy and goes on a ridiculous tangent about how it’s “such a shame” that he turned out that way when he had so much potential, it’s truly disgusting to see a judge commiserate with a rapist and murderer, but it happened and it’s wild to see. “That anecdote is often held up as evidence of Bundy’s charisma - even the judge sentencing him to death was seduced by that smirk, that finger wave. But it is the most blatant, overwhelming evidence we have for the opposite. Men don’t need charisma to succeed. It doesn’t matter if men are likable, because men are people who do things, who don’t have to ask first, whose potential has value even after it is squandered.”
“Chasing likability has been one of women’s biggest setbacks, by design. I don’t know that rejecting likability will get us anywhere, but I know that embracing it has gotten us nowhere.”
Absolutely in love with the fact that she loves the movie Clue as much as I do.
I really liked the chapter that she discussed Gwyneth Paltrow’s GOOP, even if I did wish that she went in on her/the brand harder.
So in love with the chapter where she talks about South Park and its creators. I’ve always hated that show, it’s never been good, and I can’t understand who the hell would be into it. It’s never been funny, edgy, smart. Insane that it’s still on.
Maybe I’m really reading into it, but there’s a tiny part where she mentions that PETA sucks and I can’t stop all my little inside screams - it’s hard to find somewhere who dislikes all the same stuff as you.
“Men think that misogyny is a women’s issue; women’s to endure and women’s to fix. White people think that racism is a pet issue for people of color; not like the pure, economic grievances of the white working class. Rape is a rape victim’s problem: What was she wearing? Where was she walking? Had she had sex before?“
“Whenever talk turned toward solutions, the panel came back to mentorship: women lifting up other women. Assertiveness and leaning in and ironclad portfolios and marching into that interview and taking the space you deserve and changing the ratio and not letting Steve from accounting talk over you in the morning. During the closing question-and-answer period, a young woman stood up. “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice electric with anger, “but all I’ve heard tonight are a bunch of things women can do to fight sexism. Why is that our job? We didn’t build the system. This audience should be full of men.”
“Sexism is a male invention. White supremacy is a white invention. Transphobia is a cisgender invention. So far, men have treated #MeToo like a bumbling dad in a detergent commercial: well intentioned by floundering, as though they are not the experts. You are the experts. Only 2.6 percent of construction workers are female. We did not install that glass ceiling, and it is not our responsibility to demolish it.”
When talking about what men can actually do to help women: ”“Do you ever stick up for me?” sounds childish, but I don’t know that gussying up the sentiment in more sophisticated language would enhance its meaning. It isn’t fun to be the one who speaks up. Our society has engineered robust consequences for squeaky wheels, a verdant pantheon from eye rolls all the way up to physical violence. One of the subtlest and most pervasive is social ostracism: coding empathy as the fun killer, consideration for others as an embarrassing weakness, and dissenting voices as out-of-touch, bleeding-heart dweebs (at best). Coolness is a fierce disciplinarian. A result is that, for the most part, the only people weathering those consequences are the ones who don’t have the luxury of staying quiet. Women, already impeded and imperiled by sexism, also have to carry the social stigma of being feminist buzzkills if they call attention to it. People of color not only have to deal with racism; they also have to deal with white people labeling them “angry” or “hostile” or “difficult” for objecting. What we could use is some loud, unequivocal backup.”
“I know there’s pressure not to be a dorky, try-hard male feminist stereotype; there’s always a looming implication that you could lose your spot in the boys’ club; if you seem too opportunistic or performative in your support, if you suck up too much oxygen and demand praise, women will yell at you for that, too. But I need you to absorb that risk. I need you to get yelled at and made fun of, a lot, and if you get kicked out of the club, I need you to be relieved, and I need you to help build a new one.”
The entire chapter about the complications with Joan Rivers is such a great one.
“You can hate someone and love them at the same time. Maybe that’s a natural side effect of searching for heroes in a world not built for you.”
Okay, so the only thing that we strongly disagree on is her previous love for Adam Carolla. Always hated that man.
““Common sense’” without growth, curiosity, or perspective eventually becomes conservatism and bitterness.”
“There are pieces of pop culture that you outgrow because you get older. Then there are pieces of pop culture that you outgrow because you get better.”
“Art has no obligation to evolve, but it has a powerful incentive to do so. Art that is static, that captures a dead moment, is nothing. It is, at best, nostalgia; at worst, it can be a blight on our sense of who we are, a shame we pack away. Artists who refuse to listen, participate, and change along with the world around them are not being silenced or punished by censorious college sophomores. They are letting obsolescence devour them, voluntarily. Political correctness is just the inexorable turn of the gear. Falling behind is preventable.”
Talking about Ricky Gervais:” “People see something they don’t like, and they expect it to stop,” he said. “The world is getting worse. Don’t get me wrong, I think I lived through the best fifty years of humanity, 1960 through 2015, the peak of civilization for everything. For tolerances, for freedoms, for communication, for medicine! And now it’s going the other way a little bit.” “Dumpster fire” has emerged as the favorite emblem of our present sociopolitical moment, but that Gervais quote feels more apt and more tragic as a metaphor: the Trump/Brexit era is a rich, famous, white, middle-aged man declaring the world to be in decline the moment he stops understanding it.”
“Adam Carolla isn’t angry because he’s being silenced; he’s angry because he’s being challenged. He’s been shown the road map to continued relevance, and it doesn’t lead back to his mansion. He’s angry because he’s being asked to do the basic work of maintaining a shared humanity or else be left behind. He’s choosing the past. Gervais and Carolla are not alone in presenting themselves as noble bulwarks against a wave of supposed leftwing censorship. (A Netflix special, for the record, is not what “silencing” looks like.)”
Talking Louis CK: “Less than a year after his vow to retreat and listen, CK made the laziest and most cowardly choice possible: to turn away from the difficult, necessary work of self-reflection, growth, and reparation, and run into the comforting arms of people who don’t think it’s that big a deal to show your penis to female subordinates. Conservatives adore a disgraced liberal who’s willing to pander to them because he’s too weak to grow. How pathetic to take them up on it.”
“Like every other feminist with a public platform, I am perpetually cast as a disapproving scold. But what’s the alternative? To approve? I do not approve.” - This is probably my most favourite line in the entire book
“Not only are women expected to weather sexual violence, intimate partner violence, workplace discrimination, institutional subordination, the expectation of free domestic labor, invisible cuts that undermine us daily, we are not even allowed to be angry about it.”
“I’d been taught that when ordinary people try to do activism, they look stupid. Of course now I know that there is no effective activism without the passion and commitment of ordinary people and it is a basic duty of the privileged to show up and fight for issues that don’t affect us directly. But maintaining that separation has served the status quo well. It keeps good people always just shy of taking action. It’s tone policing. It’s the white moderate. But it’s changing.”
“Diet culture is a coercive, misogynist pyramid scheme that saps women’s economic and political power.”
Definitely the best thing I’ve read all year. GO BUY!
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douxreviews · 5 years
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American Gods - ‘Muninn' Review
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"Burn, baby, burn."
American Gods mostly gets its groove back after last week's misfire, Wednesday and Laura go on a literal trip down memory lane, and New Media finally makes an appearance.
Billie is not going to be OK with what happens to the library, however.
Interestingly, after my complaint last week about missing the Bryan Fuller signature soundscapes and dreamscape imagery, we open with exactly that. To be fair, that was probably largely due to avoiding the cost and logistics of actually showing a train derail after hitting a car on the tracks. Disorienting yet suggestive imagery combined with an off putting soundscape tell the story of a train v. car collision just as well and are much, much cheaper.
Whatever the reason, it was nice to have them back. It's interesting however, to note that there were several instances where the stylized camera work made it difficult to follow what was actually happening. For example, it wasn't entirely clear what was going on when Betty the Car reformed herself post accident. Were they reversing the footage of the car being crushed as a way to indicate the fractured way one of the characters present experienced that moment of the accident? Was it a visual metaphor? A dream someone involved in the crash was having? No, apparently the car was literally reforming itself, as it was sitting there good as new a few shots later. Another instance was when the scene transitioned from Shadow looking out of it in the wreckage to Shadow walking through some trees in daylight. All of the visual language of television was indicating that we'd transitioned to a dream Shadow was having, but we weren't, we'd just cut to later in the day when he'd gotten out of the wreckage and that hadn't been communicated to the viewer in a clear way.
Honestly, the whole immediate aftermath of the crash sequence just made you realize how good Fuller is at that sort of thing, because I can't think of a single occasion where he's used that same distorted imagery technique and it resulted in the action being unclear. At least, not in a way that didn't feel one hundred percent deliberate.
So, after last week's absolutely delightful pairing of Sweeney and Laura, this week we get Laura paired with Wednesday which worked much better than I was expecting it to do. It seemed odd at first that Laura would reject Sweeney and choose to go with Wednesday instead, particularly as she knows that Wednesday basically destroyed her entire life just to get her out of the way. She and Sweeney clearly were really connecting last episode, so turning on him for picking up her body parts off the road seemed like a forced way for the show to separate them. Then I thought about it for a minute and remembered that sabotaging her relationships with people that care about her is pretty much Laura's entire character description. Viewed with that in mind, the whole sequence of events makes perfect sense. It would have been nice if the show had made that point a little clearer. I hate to criticize a show for giving the viewers too much credit for figuring things out on their own, but in this case they could have stood to underline her motivations a little more.
Ah, Mad Sweeney. Pablo Schreiber continues to be the show's standout, and is more so every week. Thank god(s) that they kept both him and Laura around past their appearances in the novel and that they continue to give both of them so much to do. Hypocritically, I also feel like they probably should have cut Sweeney out of this episode after they left the funeral home, as all we really got of him were comic relief bits showing his bad luck road trip to New Orleans. But then, if they'd cut him out we'd never have seen the look on his face when he realizes that he's been 'rescued' by a Christian rock band, and nothing is worth that.
The thing that this episode felt like more than anything was a series of videogame side quests. Now, I'm not a gamer myself. I have an inherited tremor which makes trying to use a game controller kind of a pain in the ass. But my understanding of the whole side quest thing is that at various points in the game you have to stop working toward the main goal of the game, whatever that may be, and instead fulfill a little side mission, or earn some money, or solve a puzzle or something. That's what this episode felt like to me.
Taking the side quests in order, Laura and Wednesday head off to find another old god that has allowed himself to be co-opted by the new gods because Wednesday wants to kill him and somehow doing that will 'recharge' the coin in Laura's chest that's keeping her alive and making her superstrong. Again we continue this episode's theme of not explaining things properly, as it's never really made clear why killing Argus will do that, plus we're all pretty sure that Wednesday is lying to Laura the whole time anyway, which it turns out he is but the coin recharge thing still works anyway because reasons. Having accomplished that, Wednesday immediately betrays Laura and leaves her stuck in whatever Argus' realm is supposed to be. It might possibly be a TARDIS, there were some very distinctive roundels in that last hallway.
Great job with the design of Argus, by the way. This is our first god that we've seen who doesn't look like a standard human to us as his standard desktop theme and they did a great job making all of the eyes look real and disturbing. The fiber optic cable bundles that writhed like serpents were also a nice look. I don't recall ever seeing anything quite like it.
Technical Boy and New Media are also on their way to see Argus, because Mr. World wants them to... um... scold him for not updating his Norton Antivirus or something, possibly? Again, it's not entirely clear what they're there to do. You might be seeing a theme here. Similarly vague are New Media's actions with Argus. Was she actually betraying Mr. World to join an alliance with Argus? It would make sense, as he represents watching and she represents being watched, but if that's the case shouldn't Technical Boy have reacted in some way to that development? Instead he just politely stands back and doesn't stop Laura from killing Argus, then he and New Media leave without even mentioning it. And I've been remiss in mentioning it, but Bruce Langley really deserves a lot of praise for his work on this show. It's hard to play a character that irritating in a way that isn't irritating to the people watching at home, and he pulls it off.
Then we have Ifrit and Salim, who head to the corn palace to pick up a magic spear, as you do. Instead of the corn palace, they end up at a strip club called the Porn Palace, whose neon sign has a faulty first 'P,' making it appear to be a 'C' at first glance. That was a cute reveal. There they pick up the spear with no incident from a Lakota trickster god named Iktomi, who was played by the always wonderful Julian Richings, who many will remember as being the definitive Death over on Supernatural. This plotline felt the most perfunctory, and probably could have been replaced with a line of dialog later on down the line, but it's always nice to see Mr. Richings.
Lastly we have Shadow and his new friend Sam Black Crow, who gives him a lift to the storyline's next destination. Again, not a lot happens here and Sam feels very much like a mouthpiece for the writing staff to muse about things philosophically, but it works. Mostly because Devery Jacobs has an indefinable charm about her, but also because it opens up the concept of Two Spirit gender identification, which more people should know more about.
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Quotes:
Wednesday: "Ah, Mrs. Moon. Did we sit on a wall?"
Mad Sweeney: "You just gonna lie there, let nature have her way with you?"
Laura: "Are you eating me?"
Sweeney: "Coward? I saved you." Laura: "I’m dead, coward." Sweeney: "Well, you’re welcome for picking up all your gory little f**king pieces up off the road."
Ibis: "The advantage of love at first sight is it doesn’t require a second look."
Technical Boy: "How the f**k is that an upgrade?" This felt like the writers pre-empting complaints about New Media. It probably was intended as such.
Wednesday: "So, you’re working on faith, huh?" Laura: "I definitely wouldn’t use that word."
Sam: "You ever hear of the Crow nation warrior named ‘Finds Them and Kills Them’?" Shadow: "No, but he sounds very efficient."
Laura: "Please. Tell me more about what I want."
Wednesday: "What’s the worst thing you can do to a book?" Laura: "Um.. Ignore it..?"
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There are not words for how much I love the Hello Kitty collar on this shirt.
Bits and Pieces:
-- It's awfully convenient that Laura was literally blown to pieces in the train crash and Shadow only got a little bruised. But then, her body is actively decaying, so I supposed she'd be more explodable.
-- I know I'm fighting a losing battle here, but I have to say it again. A lit cigarette will not ignite fuel, no matter how many TV shows and movies show it happening. It will either be smothered by the liquid before it gets anywhere near generating enough heat for combustion, which doesn't happen in the liquid but happens in the off-gasses, or it will smolder until it burns out unless by some miracle the off-gassing reaches LEL (Lowest Explosive Level) before that happens. Please stop.
-- You could, however, use a lit cigarette to start a fire in a library full of parchment. It would take a little effort, but you could do it. But despite having a lit cigarette on hand at the time, Laura takes the easy route and uses a match.
-- It seems that Sweeney's bad luck only hits him when he's not around Laura, which sort of makes sense since he's also near his coin at those times.
-- It's interesting that Sweeney is still heading to New Orleans to see someone who I presume is Baron Samedi, since he was only going there to help Laura and she's not with him anymore. That's sweet. I hope he's the one who rescues her from Argus' domain.
-- Sweeney seemed genuinely hurt when Laura chose to go with Wednesday instead of him. I'm 'shipping those two so hard.
-- Argus isn't in the book, nor are any of the Greek Gods. Neil stated that he decided against featuring any of them since they get used so much more often in popular culture.
-- New Media just isn't working for me yet, although I know it's way too early to judge. I miss Gillian Anderson's celebrity impressions.
-- Laura's dad was a drunk. Now we know why he wasn't at the wedding. No word on if he's dead or alive.
-- I wonder what Wednesday is going to need the seedling for?
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I know I'm sounding like I didn't enjoy much about this episode, but that's really not true. There was a lot of good stuff here, and many, many little details that show that someone was really putting their heart into it. I just wish that some of the storytelling had been a little clearer.
Three out of four creepy eyeballs.
Mikey Heinrich is, among other things, a freelance writer, volunteer firefighter, and roughly 78% water
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therewatcher-blog · 5 years
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Introduction to The Re-Watcher: First Up, Gilmore Girls
Recently, I’ve accepted something about myself. I love re-watching television. I don’t think this is unique. In fact a good chunk of the streaming business model is predicated on the fact that most of us like what we already know. I started my third? fourth? rewatch of Gilmore Girls at the beginning of the month, and decided that rather than just mindlessly blazing through these rewatches of shows with the random tweet reinforcing the viewpoints I’ve always had, I thought I’d try to be a more active viewer. It will never be the first time again. I will always know what is going to happen to the characters in my beloved shows that merit this amount of hours devoted. So instead, I decided that each time I rewatch a show, I will choose a topic and focus on it in a mini-write up for each episode. Not only will this stop me from watching too quickly, I hope it will help me in forming skills writing about TV and maybe I’ll learn something new about the shows I love as I watch with a specific goal in mind.
 We’ll start with Gilmore Girls. The topic I’ve chosen is, The Best Underrated Scene. I want to focus on the scenes that don’t get necessarily quoted as much or that catch me off guard in my rewatch with their depth, brilliance, and significance. Amy Sherman-Palladino has finally gotten some awards and recognition with her newest show, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, but her talent was evident from the beginning and her cast in Gilmore Girls certainly did everything they could to take it to the next level. I want to look beyond the big fights and big cries and find those nuggets that offer depth to even the more cartoonish of Stars Hollow characters or reveal an important character trait and dynamic in a subtle way. Let’s see how this goes!
 1x01 – Pilot
 Pilots are difficult. I know this from watching many and from hearing screenwriters talk about it. Comedy is particularly difficult, it seems. With the exception of Veep, Cheers, and maybe Arrested Development, I have a hard time thinking of comedy pilots that operate at the same level of the show in its prime. Gilmore Girls was marketed as a typical WB teen drama, but also, it’s really a smart show about family and class. It’s a comedy, a family drama, a small town fantasy. It’s so many things and the pilot has a LOT of exposition to get through in as smooth a way as possible for a show whose premise is deceptively simple. As such, finding a truly great and understated scene that isn’t bogged down by introducing our big dynamics and long arcs for the season and series (Lorelai and Rory, Lorelai and her parents, Lorelai and Luke, Rory and Dean, the Inn, Stars Hollow, etc, etc, etc.) is difficult.
 With all of this in mind, my first pick for Best Underrated Scene is maybe a bit of cheat since all the scenes in this that are really worth talking about are all a bit iconic.
Lorelai Asks Her Parents for Money
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njZo0lvgCsY
This is almost halfway through the episode. It’s the turning point and the whole premise for the show. While Lorelai and Rory are interesting and fun and I enjoy their dynamic, Lorelai and her parents (Emily and Richard) will always steal the episode away with their interplay. The strain between these two generations is painted so beautifully and delicately from the beginning. The transition to this sequence comes from a picture that Lorelai keeps on her mantelpiece of herself as a young child in front of her parent’s mansion that seems dark and cold compared to the warm, tchotchke–riddled home that Lorelai has built for herself. Lorelai is looking at this picture as she realizes her only option to pay for Rory’s new fancy school is to borrow money from her parents. We cross-fade from this small token of Lorelai’s childhood to the present-day real deal. But even the fact that Lorelai has this picture is telling. For every bad thing she has to say about her upbringing and her parents, a part of her still holds ties. As the series continues we will see in which ways Lorelai is really a lot like her parents, but for now this maybe is just a slight hint that nothing has ever been as black and white as Lorelai likes to act like it was.
Lorelai waits with her coffee, next to her Jeep (which obviously stands out against the backdrop of her parents house…”HELLO! I’m different from you!” Lorelai loves to scream with all of her purchases). She is gulping down her pride, finding the courage to go in and do what she never in her lifetime wanted to do. Cut to Emily opening the door, clearly surprised to see her daughter who only lives forty minutes away. “Is it Easter already?” she jokes. While we constantly have instances throughout the show of Emily and Richard not understanding Lorelai’s jokes, we can see from this first interaction that she probably got much of her wit from them. Emily is hilarious. She is maybe a bit harsher in her sarcasm, a bit drier than Lorelai’s hyper-joking mannerisms, but it is there and we see it right away. I love even more so that Richard makes the same joke when he first discovers Lorelai there unexpectedly (“What is it, Christmas already?”). Emily and Richard’s marriage has it’s ups and downs in the show, but they are solidly made for each other in many ways. They have a partnership that has lasted for decades and it shows in the way they at times seem to have one mind.
 As Lorelai and Emily make their way to the living room, making awkward chitchat we are greeted with maybe the longest pause in the episode yet. Pauses are a big deal in the famously wordy Palladino scripts.  It speaks volumes how little these women seem to be able to say to each other. “I’m sure I told you,” Lorelai tells her mother answering in a bit more detail about her business class. “Well if you’re sure, than you must have,” Emily bites back sarcastically. We get no answer to whether Lorelai did or not (my guess is that she didn’t), but either way we see so clearly the miscommunications that bubble up between these two who have so little faith in the other’s ability to understand the other. They don’t make this one a big fight, but it is part of the fight we will see later in the episode. Emily resents that Lorelai shuts her out of her life. Lorelai resents her mother’s controlling nature which causes her to avoid telling Emily anything rather than risk criticism or involvement in her choices. It’s a vicious cycle. Every bit of Emily’s dialogue is dripping with sardonic disbelief as she explains to Richard that Lorelai decided to just “drop in to see us” after her “business class” that “she told us about it, dear, remember?” “No.” Richard demures. He doesn’t play the same games that Emily and Lorelai do with each other. No, he doesn’t remember. This could be because he doesn’t listen, but it could also be a point in the column for the theory that Lorelai never told them.
 Just this small part is enough to make this scene practically perfect. We got the back story before this for the most part in a scene between Lorelai and Sookie, but so far this has given us so much of the relationship between Lorelai and her parents (and a bit into the relationship between Richard and Emily). It soars in it’s ability to shed exposition and get to the root of what this dynamic has been for the last 16 years. It’s even better than the first Friday Night Dinner that happens towards the end of this episode, in my opinion. But now we have the discussion of money and the loan. Gilmore Girls at times handles the class dynamics between Lorelai and her parents so well it approaches Mad Men in what it is saying about whiteness and power and inherited wealth and those that reject it. Other times it is a magical place where money and finances make no sense. But that’s down the line. Here we have the simple act of a child asking their parents for money. Something many people have done with various degrees of injured pride. For some it’s easy, for Lorelai it is immensely difficult. Her saving grace is that it is for Rory, not for her, that she asks. It is interesting to note, that while Lorelai is adverse to the moneyed class her parents are in and the trappings of the white, wealthy elite she still wants her kid to have those advantages that she turned down by having Rory and leaving her parents. She still wants Harvard. She still wants Chilton. She is asking her parents for the money to buy her and Rory’s way back into the world she left behind. Of course she believes that it won’t have to affect their quaint little life in Stars Hollow, but it is interesting nonetheless that this is what she wants for her child and what she believes Rory deserves and needs in order to be what Rory wants to be.
 Before Lorelai can even ask, Richard repeats two times “You need money.” Again, Richard doesn’t mess around and he doesn’t play games (at least not when it comes to calling his daughter out). He doesn’t need to hear her explanation, but Lorelai won’t leave until she gives it and says what she came to say in the way she wants to say it. It’s for Rory, for Chilton, she explains. Emily’s eyes brighten and she notes how close the school is to her house. “So…you need money,” Richard again chimes in, cutting through the bullshit. “Yes,” Lorelai has to admit. But it’s Rory, she repeats, and she will pay them back. “I don’t ask for favors, you know that.” (Lorelai’s anthem) “Oh yes, we know,” Emily admits.  Emily’s voice is rife with bitterness and sadness. She wants to help her daughter, but she’s not allowed to. “I’ll get the check book,” Richard says. It is a sweet moment that is cut short by Emily’s proposal, but sweet regardless. Despite their past and hurt feelings, there is love between these people. Richard does not hesitate and he knows that Emily agrees. Rory binds them all together and certainly they are willing to do this for her, but they are obviously just as willing to do this for Lorelai. 
 And here we have Emily’s proposal that sets up the backbone for this generational family drama. Emily wants to be actively involved in Lorelai and Rory’s lives. She wants dinner once a week and a weekly phone call in exchange for the loan. Kelly Bishop is honestly so pitch perfect in everything in this show. She has that pose and demeanor here that seems almost villainous. It’s why on first watch you might want to always side with Lorelai. Emily is controlling and privileged and she has many faults, but honestly she just loves her daughter and granddaughter and sees an opportunity to force a connection that Lorelai would have denied her for eternity if she had not jumped on it. There is a softness in this. She doesn’t comment on Lorelai’s inability to provide this schooling for Rory herself, or honestly do anything to make her feel bad (in this moment) about her life’s choices. She just wants to be a part of that life now.  Of course it gets messier the more we go into this episode and the series, but for now that’s all there is. We see again Lorelai’s pride, “I don’t want her [Rory] to know that I borrowed money from you.” But that’s not the only fault of Lorelai’s we see in this scene. We see also her stubbornness when it comes to her parents and her oftentimes inability and unwillingness to see the ways they demonstrate their love and their longing for her. She brushes past her mom’s request and agrees to the weekly dinners, but she is annoyed by it. She seems to see it only as her mother controlling her (of course it is this too, but as is often the case with the best scenes in this show people’s motives are both-and. Emily is controlling and vulnerable in this one). She doesn’t see that longing to connect as the simple love of a mother for her daughter that it is.
 And that’s that. So much is revealed besides the plot in this elegantly written and brilliantly acted scene. It is simple and yet I could probably go on about how much this one scene says about this show as a whole. So much is revealed and set up for the series. Of all the iconic scenes in this episode, this one stands above the others and for that reason I think it is underrated.
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distressindisguise · 6 years
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Ranking My Jarchie Fanfiction
I’ve been in the Riverdale fandom for a long time so I’m going to start this off by stating that in the very beginning, the main ships were Beronica and Jarchie. Crazy right? Bughead wasn’t really a thing. Now, there are barely any Jarchie scenes in the show but I still write Jarchie fanfiction on wattpad here.
I love writing reviews and just writing period and after re-reading my fanfiction for the first time in months, I’ve decided to write a brutally honest review. So let’s begin.
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5. Meadow Of Flowers
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For some reason, this is one of my most popular fics. Though it always seems that way right? The things you write that you’re most proud of never get the recognition you think it deserves, but the things that have been slapped together hastily seem to do very well. A. K. A the fanfiction writer’s curse.
Here are the good things: the idea and the plot started off great. It’s a cute, clear concept. It’s not complex or hard to comprehend. The prep draws flowers on the goths notebook, the goth surprises the prep by drawing more flowers, and the prep tries to get to know him so he creates a tumblr and messages him anonymously. The text messages sent between the two are funny. It’s a good laugh, something to snicker at when you’re bored and have free time. The characters are really interesting. Archie has an infectious attitude and watching Jughead try to deal with it is equally as entertaining.
Here are the bad things. The plot loses itself somewhere in the middle. All of a sudden Jughead has an ex girlfriend that comes back in town and his father is the leader of the Mafia or some while crazy crap like that. There becomes too many irrelevant characters. None of the rest of book actually has to do with the main concept, the meadow of flowers drawn on a piece of paper that brought them together. I really don’t know how that concept got so lost. But even still, it garners up tons of reads. For what reason? Probably because of the text messages. Archie’s dirty pick up lines and Jughead’s insertion of memes are probably the only thing that keeps readers coming back.
The writing also extremely lacks. It’s a dialogue based book. There’s not much substance there. It’s literally all quotes. Definitely not my best work. I’d say it’s my worst. I cringe when people tell me they love it so much.
I haven’t updated the book in months and honestly I don’t think I’ve ever going to. If anything, I’ll delete all of the wild chapters and keep the text messages. This fic is the definition of the cringe side of Wattpad and I promise you my other fics are nothing like this trainwreck.
4. Treehouse
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Treehouse is my only ongoing fanfiction. It’s probably going to be my last Jarchie fanfic. I’m not sure if it’s my last fanfic on Wattpad though. I’ll have to see. I’m kind of over the Riverdale fandom and the show if I’m being completely honest.
Jughead and Archie spend a summer in the latter’s treehouse getting to know each other, but once they get back to school the story gets twisted into a lot of dirty rumors. Jughead wants to forget what happened, but Archie wants to further their relationship.
Good things: Characterization. Jughead is fem! In this book. He’s bubbly, innocent, and an all around strong character. He’s an activist, a vegan and a super inspiring person. He’s extremely lovable. It’s easy to support and fall in love with his character. I wrote Jelly Bean, his sister, older in this book. She’s also a dynamic character. She has her own issues as well. The book doesn’t just focus on Jarchie, it focuses on Jelly Bean’s problems, Archie’s problems, Betty’s problems, and my OCs problems individually. Their lives all intertwine and that’s another aspect that makes the book great. The writing is good and the storylines are relatable.
Bad things: Because there are so many storylines, the book drags. I’m often left to wonder what the actual plot is. There’s no climax or end goal. It’s more like a look of the lives into each person, which isn’t a bad thing, but it causes the story to feel slow and sometimes meaningless. There are currently 19 chapters written and published, but it feels as if there’s much less because nothing has been accomplished and nothing has been destroyed yet.
Despite that, I do think it’s an entertaining read and in terms of writing, I think it’s easy to follow and easy to love.
3. Circumlocution
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My readers like to call this book Hell.
I am usually a fluffy fic writer. My books do tend to have angst, problems that need to be solved that eventually work out, but this is not one of those books.
Jughead and Archie dated in high school until Archie left one day out of the blue. Jughead never got a call, never got an explanation, but was instead left to deal with his miserable life without one of the people who made it bearable. Archie comes back to Riverdale a year later, finds Jughead at a bar, and offers to take him home on a long, awkward, emotional car ride into the unknown.
Good things: the plot is amazing. There’s very few settings, the most used one being the car, so it’s easy to follow. It’s structured, the chapters flashback to a couple of years ago so the reader can piece together what happened to Jughead while Archie was gone and what happened to Archie after he left. The flashbacks give a glance to both sides of the story as the characters stay clueless to the whole truth until the very end. It’s my shortest, most consist fic, numbering in at 25 chapters and a heartfelt epilogue. The writing was done very well, every emotion is felt. The anxiousness, the tension, the hatred, and the hint of affection they both still had toward each other are displayed well. There are subtle clues dropped to allow the reader to guess what happened, and little details start to make sense at the very end.
Bad things: even with that “glowing review” there are some shortcomings I think. I’m also very picky about my own work by the way, so in reality these fics may not be as bad as I’m making them out to be.
Because there’s very few settings, I think sometimes the setting does get lost. I think the car could be described more. I think the mentions of the road could be used. Maybe I’m fussing, but there’s lots of times where there’s just conversation and the reader assumes that it’s in Archie’s truck because that’s where they last were. Still, I think there should be reminders instead of just still dialogue. For instance, how much moving around can you do in a car? The only other locations are pit stops to get food. The rest of the locations are in the flashbacks, which don’t really play a huge part to the story itself.
I also think that maybe the book is too dark at times. One thing that I hate about wattpad, is the number of dark fanfics written by 12 year olds who romanticize topics like depression and self harm. I didn’t romanticize the topics, but they’re there and I tried to be respectful and treat them with the seriousness that needed to be there. There’s physical abuse, substance abuse, self harm, it’s a lot. It’s why my readers call the book hell, because it’s a lot of emotions at once, especially when you grow so attached to two characters and grow to vouch for their relationship to work out in the end.
My favorite part of the fic is the epilogue because it shows someone reaching out, getting help, and trying to get better. Its the right approach.
My book is also called hell because of the ending... but I’m not going to spoil that for you.
I just think that the mood in the fic could be lighter in some aspects. There needs to be more breaks for happy flashbacks, or more light hearted conversation. Sometimes I feel as if the transitions are too quick. Jughead could go from yelling at Archie to slowly easing up when they reminisce about the past, but I think the shift should be more gradual. Still, in terms of plot/structure/and writing, it’s my best fic. Hands down. So why is it at number 3? Let’s see.
2. Nameless
Maybe this is where my bias steps in.
In reality, this would be tied with my number 1 choice because this is one of my favorites, though I don’t think it’s technically better than circumlocution in terms of plot. This is another book that drags on for longer than it’s supposed to.
Nameless didn’t have a name. He was 17 Years Old. He didn’t talk to anybody but his social worker. He didn’t show emotion. He spent his days reading and coming up with names until one felt right, for the boy had amnesia after a terrible accident that separated him from his parents and his old life. Archie comes around, and soon he learns to stop viewing with the world with indifference and hanging onto the past.
Good things: Characterization yet again. I’m very good at characterization. Although the Riverdale characters are not mine, I’m very good at giving them their own unique personalities to fit my plots and ideas. Nameless is obviously Jughead, but his character is so complex. My favorite thing is watching him grow as a person throughout the book. He seriously learns how to love, how to deal with people, and how to accept himself and what he has. Watching his relationship grow with his adoptive parents and his adoptive siblings is just as amazing as watching his relationship grow with Archie. I think that the writing is done well, though there is some things left unanswered in the end that I ended up explaining in my final author’s note. The plot is consistent as well.
Bad things: Like I mentioned earlier, I do think it drags on. Some scenes are definitely unnecessary and there’s some chapters that can be scraped out. There’s no reason for why there needed to be 60 chapters.
As a fanfic writer though, I think it’s safe to say that most of the time fics are filled with a lot of irrelevant chapters for fluff. They’re fillers, sure, but most people read for the fluffy scenes of a relationship. Chapters like that are also important for live updating a book. Sometimes it’s just easier to throw in a filler to give readers what they want in order to work on plot centered chapters. It’s something I’m conditioned to, but something that isn’t really a pro when writing a real book, which is something I want to do. Maybe I’m giving myself too much crap for this, but eh it’s definitely something that needs fixing.
Another thing that needs work would probably be my tendency to introduce characters and forget about them. One of my original characters, Jay, was a big part in the middle of the book, but then he slowly faded away and wasn’t brought up again until the epilogue.
1. Aberration
Here it is. My first Jarchie fanfic. My pride in joy. Look at the love this fic has been shown? My goodness. 116k. It’s probably my greatest accomplishment. This is my favorite fic and guess what?
It’s total bias.
But let me get into why this is good first. (Jughead being asexual is the best part)
This book is a coming of age story. It’s probably my only fanfic that takes place in the actual Riverdale Universe. All of my other fics are AU’s with the only connection to Riverdale being their names. It starts with Jughead and Archie at 4 years of age and goes up to age 27 with an epilogue at age 33. That being said, I can’t give you a specific plot summary because sooooo many problems arise and so many problems are solved throughout the years. It’s a glimpse of their life, and it’s beautiful.
Good things: sticking to canon. (In the beginning at least) Jughead is just as lost, confused, and edgy as he was in season one. (I say season one because Jughead in season 2 felt like a whole different character and I feel like the writers kind of ruined him. There’s such thing as character development but I think they went overboard. Anyways, that’s a different story.)
Their childhood is written as I envisioned it. There’s canon conversations, like Archie’s proposal to Betty when they were kids. It’s sweet.
Besides sticking to canon, I do a good job of sticking to parallels since there’s such a wide range of events and incidents going on. I think it shows continuity in the characters from when they were 10 to when they were 20.
Not only that, but the plot is just all around entertaining. There’s always something to aww at, something to get mad at, something to laugh at, something to cry at. It’s emotional, watching them grow up and go through all sorts of things. The problems that arise are real coming of age problems. People lose friends, make new ones, go through identity crisis, deal with loss, deal with stress, deal with home issues. It’s all there and very real. It’s raw. I love that. The character development is also amazing. Watching little kids turn into strong men and women is really interesting and fun to watch.
My favorite part is that Jughead is ASEXUAL.
I did so much research. When I found out that Jughead was supposed to be asexual in the show, I took my chance and ran with it. I did my best to represent the asexual community in this book. It’s what makes it so unique. It’s why this is my favorite. I get lots of dms about how this helped people figure out how they identify or get trough what they were feeling. I’ve put resources to the AVEN website, a safe community for asexuals. I did my best and I love the product. I love that I’ve helped people. This really is why this is my number one. Besides that representation, Kevin Keller is gay, Archie is bisexual, Liliana (my og character) is Hispanic, and my other og character, Aaron, is African American. Everyone loves my OCs in the book, especially Jackson. Representation to me is soooooo important. It’s one thing that I really nailed.
Another thing that I love about this book is that my development as a writer is so obvious. As the chapters go on, I get better and better. I start to fall into a style, and it’s so enjoyable to see that reading it again. The chapters get more descriptive, the grammar starts to improve, and the plot starts to get more complex.
However, in terms of technical aspects, it’s probably one of my worst written fics in the beginning. Still not as bad as Meadow of Flowers, but close.
Bad things: First of all, it’s written in present tense. That’s not totally against writing rules, but it’s unconventional and it’s more common for stories to be told in past tense. Again, I didn’t really know what I was doing. It was my first time writing in third person. It was my first time taking a crack at storytelling in years.
The grammar is awful. Because it’s in present tense, my tenses and verbs are sort of messed up at times. It feels awkward. And if it’s not that, it’s the fact that I for some reason can’t spell for my life. It makes for some very embarrassing typos like “he pressed a quick piss to his forehead.” I also didn’t know that whines and wines were two very different things.
...
I used wines as a verb for most of the book. If I was writing in past tense, I probably would’ve caught onto that mistake 100 chapters ago.
That’s another thing, the book is actually 100 chapters long. Despite that though, it doesn’t really drag like the other books do because there’s a new problem that comes along with every age. There’s not many dead spots, but some people do lose interest in it after the two graduate high school which is around chapter 60 I want to say? There’s a table of contents in the beginning that separates the chapters by what grade of school they’re in and by age. It’s convenient. You’ll need it if you don’t feel like sitting through elementary school Jarchie. Or maybe you don’t like college Jarchie and you want to skip to adult Jarchie. I’m telling you, it’s convenient.
But back to the grammar thing, I didn’t know that most quotes didn’t end with periods at the time, and that’s a huge problem that doesn’t get corrected until maybe my fourth book. All the dialogue had periods at the end instead of commas. For instance:
“But you said I could,” Jughead whined.
^That’s correct.
However, this is what I did:
“But you said I could.” Jughead wines.
^That basically sums up how bad the grammar is throughout.
Though technically imperfect, it’s definitely still a good read. The plot is amazing. 116k reads should tell you that it’s worth the read if you can get past those mistakes. Although I’m being hard on myself about it now, no one really noticed it. If they did, they never called me out on it. Honestly, writing on Wattpad has low expectations so just separating paragraphs correctly boosts your writing into the good category. Honestly that’s my biggest pet peeve. I used to do it too, but I can’t read a book that has huge paragraphs of dialogue without a separation between which character is saying what. It gives me headaches.
There’s tons of mistakes in this book, trust me. However, I think I’m going to leave the mistakes there. I want to look back on it, pisses instead of kisses on foreheads and all.
Anyways, I spent a good few hours writing this review and I doubt most people are going to read this but it’s going on my blog because it’s an honest evaluation.
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Honorable Mention
That sixth book you see in the first image? The one with the flowers on the cover? It’s called Alphabet Jarchie and it’s my ongoing one shot book. I take a word from every letter of the alphabet and write a one shot about it. Obviously I can’t really rank it with my fics, but the one shots are helping me cut to the chase in my writing, and I think my ideas are pretty good. So if you don’t feel like sitting through my longggggg fanfics (though they are pretty enticing but this is me being harsh) you can check out my one shots.
This was fun.
DistressInDisguise x
Again, you can find my works here or under my username @DistressInDisguise on Wattpad.
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riichardwilson · 4 years
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12 Marketing Books That Will Revolutionize Any Business
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August 21, 2020 6 min read
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Legendary management expert Peter Drucker once said, “Business has only two basic functions – marketing and innovation.” With Covid-19 detonating earlier this year, this quote has never taken on more meaning.
One of my clients described our present situation to me was like being in the eye of an economic storm. Aptly put. The first wave of bankruptcies took down many big names including Hertz, Neiman Marcus, Brooks Brothers, GNC and J.Crew. However, with cities such as Melbourne implementing their strictest measures yet, and some states reinstating lockdowns, it looks as if we still have a way to go before life can return to normal.
It’s not all doom and gloom though. Anyone smart enough to have invested in the “Big Five” tech giants otherwise known as GAFAM (Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Microsoft) has done quite well. Combined they have taken the Nasdaq to new highs. Jim Rohn defined history as “opportunity mixed with difficulty.” Some people are already feeling the latter, but it’s the first part that should excite entrepreneurs.
Related: Free Webinar | Content Marketing Secrets for Every Social Media Platform
Companies need to be innovative and disruptive, but marketing agency is where growth really begins to take things to a whole new level. As such, every entrepreneur should read and reread the following 11 marketing agency books to be able to take advantage of the opportunities that exist today. While some companies will continue to struggle in the coming months, others will thrive.
Scientific Advertising by Claude C. Hopkins
This is considered one of the greatest marketing agency books ever written. I was introduced to me by a friend of mine who does copywriting some time ago. He told me he reads it at least once a year. Written in 1923, people might dismiss this book as one of a bygone era. That would be a grave mistake. While social media marketing is all the rage these days, this book is a masterpiece in understanding marketing agency at its core.
Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy
Ogilvy worked on a number of campaigns including Rolls Royce, Schweppes and Hathaway Shirts. They are still considered classics today. He stresses the importance of headlines and the power of a USP (unique selling point) throughout all your marketing agency and ads.
How to Get Everything You Can Out of Everything You’ve Got by Jay Abraham
Jay Abraham is considered the expert when it comes to joint ventures. He also talks about the importance of something he calls the Power Parthenon. He’s a genius at finding numerous ways for companies to boost their bottom-line. You might be able to find some of his high-end seminars on eBay, but his books are really some of the best material you can find from him. This book is definitely a great place to start.
Related: Easy Tips for Building a Powerful Marketing Email List
Breakthrough Advertising by Eugene M. Schwartz
It isn’t hard to pick up used marketing agency books for under $10. Not this book. While it’s available online for free, people still pay over $250 for a used print version. And this masterpiece is worth every penny. Chapter 4 is titled “38 Ways You Can Strengthen Your Headline Once You Have Your Basic Idea.” That should tell you all you need to know about the book.  
Purple Cow by Seth Godin
Godin has written some excellent books on marketing agency including Permission marketing agency and The Icarus Effect but this was my personal favorite. In a nutshell, it talks about the importance of constantly working to stand out from all the other cows in the business field. While many companies look to their competitors to shape their advertising, products and services, Godin talks about doing just the opposite.
Influence: Science and Practice by Robert Cialdini
One book that marketing agency legend Dan Kennedy tells his attendees to his workshops to invest in. It breaks marketing agency down into six principles and uses a number of examples to explain each one and is a surprisingly enjoyable read. It’s also extremely powerful because of the all science and research that Cialdini put into it.
Crushing It by Gary Vaynerchuk
The newest book on this list, but one that takes an in-depth look at social media marketing agency and how to best tailor your content to suit each platform. It also includes many success stories of individuals which makes it a great reference book for a variety of industries.
Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind by Al Ries and Jack Trout
This book was named by Advertising Age the best marketing agency book of all time. Personally, I would rank a few other books on this list slightly higher, but nevertheless, it deserves a place on your bookshelf. For those who would prefer something lighter, Ries and Trout also wrote The 22 Immutable Laws of Advertising which is an extremely quick read. 
Related: This 28-Hour Bundle Can Teach You Today’s Top Digital Marketing Tools
Triggers by Joseph Sugarman
An absolute gem of a book that isn’t talked about enough. In the late 70s and early 80s, Sugarman put on 5-day direct marketing seminars for a small group number of people. Part of his presentation was called Psychological Triggers which many attendees attributed to being not only the most interesting but also the part they most benefitted from. This book is a distillation of those 30 triggers.
The Life of P.T. Barnum by P.T. Barnum
Facebook and LinkedIn have taken “personal branding” into the digital age, but P.T. Barnum was the original expert of self-promotion. This book is a fascinating read into how he was able to build, augment and strengthen his public image over half a century at a time before computers.
Guerilla marketing agency by Jay Conrad Levinson
This was the first book written specifically for entrepreneurs and small business owners in mind. Its concepts focus on being cost-effective and creative in order to gain visibility. It was updated back in 2007 to address using the concepts for our digital age. Whether you’re looking for online or offline ideas for your business, this is one book you’ll want to read.
No B.S. Guide to Direct Response Social Media marketing agency by Dan S Kennedy and Kim Walsh Phillips
Millionaire-maker Dan S. Kennedy and marketing agency strategist Kim Walsh Phillips teach effective direct response strategies for social media campaigns that convert to sales instead of likes.
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source http://www.scpie.org/12-marketing-books-that-will-revolutionize-any-business/ source https://scpie.tumblr.com/post/627140546439282688
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