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weliketheiroldstuff · 2 years

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Lamb of God's Omens Tour brings Killswitch Engage, Baroness, and Suicide Silence to Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre

After the Cleveland debacle last night I was so unbelievably stoked to work this show with four truly awesome bands. Suicide Silence is one of the heaviest bands ever. Baroness was the only one I haven’t seen live yet and they were so good. Killswitch Engage is responsible for a massive amount of influence on so many bands and musicians and artists. Then there’s literally one of the biggest bands in all of metal music over the last 20 years, Kings… Lamb of God. I really can’t think of a bigger band when it comes to the new wave of American heavy metal that isn’t lumped into Nu Metal or Metalcore…

I mean, Slipknot are kings right, then who after that, as far as weight? Manson, but he’s a turd so he got flushed. Um, Deftones? Sure maybe, not Kings though. Kings of the hypersexual metal kids yeah. I mean there’s like Parkway Drive and Avenged Sevenfold. But now we’re talking two bands who have sacrificed their credibility for a broader audience. See what I’m saying? God, don’t take that the wrong way, or do, who cares anymore? I think for the metal band with their hands still stuck in the roots of the underground, LoG has a rightful stake at the throne. I mean, I just disqualified all the bands mentioned, not much left after that… Korn, but that’s Nu Metal royalty, it’s different. Five Finger Death Punch, nope fucking can sell out Wembley and I won’t acknowledge that blue line supporting dorky cop rock bull shit as a part of this. Nine Inch Nails, I mean fuck no, industrial Lords, yes, kings of new wave of heavy metal? Shut up. They’re barely on the outskirts of this network of bands. And they pre-date pretty much all of them. System of a Down? Maybe? But ya gotta play some shows and make music to be the current Kings. Safe to say, Lamb of God is up there, and do they ever deliver. The new record drops the day this comes out and everything I have heard from it says it’s going to rip and tear metalhead eardrums for a long time coming. Ya know what, I will save it for my review of the record this weekend.

I have been a fan of Suicide Silence since the first record. Mitch’s voice and the grooves Chris writes have always been some of my favorites in deathcore. They helped define a genre. They helped push it. And they dropped a new tune recently and oddly enough so did Torn Within, which features former members Rick Ash and Josh Goddard who were on the original lineup and releases, Mark actually replaced Rick. And then Lopez replaced Josh. Wild. What’s crazy about this is that the Torn Within song is a basement demo in comparison to the newest Suicide Silence song “You Must Die”. Hear it below!

What did I say? Told ya it rips. Should’ve seen my face when they played it live while we were photographing them. That “FUCK YOUR LIFE…. DEATHWISH” breakdown felt like my chest was caving in. Granted they were on a massive amphitheatre stage setup, still. It hits so fucking hard. When the next Suicide Silence tour comes up and they roll through your town, if you skip on this band, that’s on you. I have no idea what’s going on with them but I fucking love it. I don’t know if it was Covid revitalized the boys, or personal lives have gotten better, or just being back on the road and working on a new record, if it’s all of it. All I know is when I witnessed them play that new shit it bitch slapped any remaining negative about their previous songwriting choices. I honestly feel like when they stay in that early wheelhouse, they fucking write the coolest riffs and breakdowns. I know that a lot of bands try to evolve their sound and style but I think this is one of those bands that will continue to grow their audience by getting back to this just belligerently heavy deathcore. The fuck you attitude works perfectly with it. The band is called Suicide Silence not Happy Fucking Metal Guys. Like, smoke the weeds, drink the whiskeys, write the heaviest shit, and you will remain atop the deathcore world. You could feel it watching them that all of this has been a piece of it. Let’s just do what we’re good at, and the truth is they’re way better than just good at it. Master of the breakdown man. I love it. It’s taking the heaviest riffs from downtuned Nu Metal and giving it death metal drums and my fucking whole existence just wants to hug these mother fuckers.

I don’t have a history with Baroness. I have heard some songs over the years. I know a little bit about the backstory and stuff but this was a pretty virgin moment for me. I try to be as much of a connoisseur of music as possible, especially of the heavy variety. My wheelhouse is hardcore, nu-metal, punk, deathcore, and emo, and then I know a little bit about most of the subgenres of metal. The droney, stoner, more 70s-influenced style of bands has always kinda blended together for me. Over the years I have been so picky about this stuff but Baroness was always one that stayed on the list of bands I was intrigued by. I literally have them and I like Mastodon, Clutch, Melvins, Down, Kyuss, and my favorites Corrosion of Conformity, and I dive into a little Doom with Pallbearer, Neurosis, Trouble, Cathedral, and Candlemass. It’s all derivative directly from Black Sabbath. This is Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler fans more than anything, don’t @ me you old bastards! Baroness is like a weird step outside of the box. I didn’t feel the way I did after watching them as I did watching High on Fire or Mothership or The Melvins. All like ripped my face off with their energy ya know? Baroness won me over with just straight-up incredible songwriting. Like I loved the 3 songs I photographed by them and I walked out feeling more disappointed in myself. Usually, I’m relieved that I finally photographed a band I’ve been chasing for a while. That’s the normal feeling. I left being upset with myself for not being into them more and earlier. It’s like I knew walking back to VIP that I had to reward myself with Chicken Tenders because there was no way I would be able to sit there for the next 45 minutes and not beat myself up. I need energy, I need food, and I need to get over the fact that I tell people not to sleep on bands, and I legit slept on Baroness.

After Baroness, we walked back to VIP and I let them know I was going to get food. I asked if they knew where the chicken tender stand was, and I was informed that it was the first booth, on the opposite side of the venue. Ughhhhhhhh. So, tubby mchighasfuck starts to speedwalk or so it seemed in my head, then I realized I was just regular walking and just buzzed. It seemed like it took the entire time to get there. Once I finally got there I then did a light yogging around the amphitheater to get to where the media hounds were chilling amidst drunken VIP’s and bored security. I then noticed we were leaving to go to the photo pit and my dinner is in my hands. Look, I understand it’s kinda funny to some people that a stoner photographer would be walking into a photo pit eating chicken tenders and fries… but it was so much funnier to me. I have always loved seeing people getting down with food, or with their cameras, or in a weird outfit, or whatever. But a chubby stoner with a beer and a chicken finger basket is just, it’s so on brand.

This is the second time I photographed KSE this year and my third time in total. They are one of the 2016 bands. A reminder any band photographed in 2016 is earmarked for being a foundational piece to the photography side of ILTOS. No one from Warped Tour 2016 used my work besides The Interrupters. But when I photographed the final Dirt Fest in Pontiac, almost all those artists shared my work. Jesse was I think the first one to do so. So crazy. With that being said, this was a special set as I got my chicken tenders and literally walked into the photo pit eating them. I was so elevated and had all sorts of emotions and tons of adrenaline going, but I was so fucking hungry… I shoveled the rest of my food into my face while laughing about how ridiculous it was and then photographed the dudes rip through 3 songs, one of them being “My Last Serenade” which was the first one that hit me directly, back when it was released. Bands, it should be obvious how we feel about you playing your older material. You gotta throw us a bone here. And KSE does it so well.

Shoutout to the Chicken Tender Booth Staff.

My photographic history with this band is one show, Slayer’s last in Michigan. I have relished that experience for years. To me, that night solidified I was willing to do whatever as I wobbled on a sprained ankle the entire time. Fun walking up and down Pine Knob’s steps after walking through the rain too. Wild experience and so thankful for it. Although I have been waiting for a Lamb of God headliner here that I could get access to for the entire time I have been doing this shit. This band has been dropping singles for their new record Omens for a minute now and today is the day it dropped. I waited to finish this piece so I could release it today along with a few new assets that will drop to help promote the post and the record. Straight up, it’s heavy as fuck and it basically shuts every Art Cruz doubter the fuck up. 10 songs and now these dudes can shut up. So fucking good. I’m not going to go any further about the album… The dudes came out ripping into “Memento Mori” and got the fire going in “Walk With Me In Hell” and absolute chaos during “Now You’ve Got Something To Die For. As an older Lamb of God fan, I could not be more impressed with their live show. It was fucking HELL in the photo pit though. We had you know, two dozen security, a dozen VIP’s, tour guys, and about 10 photographers. It was a bit crowded. Thank Fuck, it is a rather deep pit and there is room, but yeah it was a bit too chaotic to do the job at 100%. It’s why you just gotta roll with what ya get. Sometimes the situation is not ideal whatsoever. This was very frustrating but it just happens sometimes. Be fluid, and just do what you can. No reason to be a dick about anything. And besides, being a dick at a Lamb of God show to another LoG fan or someone working the event is pretty counterintuitive to the ideals pushed by this band. Which has always been soaked in the DIY Hardcore ethos of which they came from and are most influenced by. Remember, these are hardcore kids playing metal and that’s why this shit is so special. These aren’t heshers. These aren’t black metal dudes or death metal guys. These are badass open-minded folks who literally got to go to hardcore shows in DC in the 80s and 90s. I feel like I’m repeating myself.

Check out the gallery below! All photos by yours truly! Thank you Lamb of God for having me out for this one, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and am glad I could get some shots and add an experience to my memory banks.

LISTEN AND DOWNLOAD ‘OMENS’ HERE

www.lamb-of-god.com www.facebook.com/lambofgod https://twitter.com/lambofgod http://instagram.com/lambofgod https://www.facebook.com/killswitchengage https://twitter.com/kseofficial http://www.killswitchengage.com https://instagram.com/killswitchengage http://yourbaroness.com https://www.instagram.com/yourbaroness https://www.facebook.com/YourBaroness https://twitter.com/yourbaroness https://suicidesilence.store/ https://www.facebook.com/suicidesilence/ https://www.instagram.com/suicidesilence/ https://twitter.com/suicidesilence

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bontenten · 3 years

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The Choosing

Pairing: Daichi x f!reader (ft. Captain Squad <3 and Sakusa)

WC: 3.2k

Genre/Warnings: Crack/Bad Humor, Smut, Romance, Reverse Harem, Royalty AU!, mention or hints of size kink, exhibitionism, creampie, breeding kink, dick and ball worship, you’re perverted and gross

Summary: You are the Princess of the Kingdom of YoreNaym and you need to choose a husband.

Repost from my main because I say so. Lee... :gru: i miss u

Also, no beta we die like Daichi.

It’s a tradition carried through many, many generations that the daughters of nobility from the Kingdom of YoreNaym must choose a suitor from the eligible bachelors from the neighboring kingdoms. It’s a show of kinship to the other kingdoms and also a means of securing peace.

At some point, everyone’s sister’s cousin’s second uncle’s sworn brother’s adopted daughter’s nephew twice-removed will be related and connect back to the Kingdom of YoreNaym. In short, the blood of this kingdom’s daughters unite the lands. No incest, there’s enough genetic diversity, if you will. And because you are also a princess of this kingdom, it’s your turn. Yay.

While growing up, you hear the elders say that the youngsters should be grateful that they have the agency to at least pick a suitor. They spin their looms and cackle, reminiscing that, “Back in our days, we didn’t get to have a choice. Our elders appointed a spouse for us from whichever kingdom had a suitor. Unlike you girls who get to choose, ungrateful wenches…”

Does it really matter? It’s just the false pretense of choice, isn’t it? At the end of the day the selection of eligible bachelors are all chosen ahead of time, deemed worthy, and then after the initial picking, you are just allowed to pick. It doesn’t matter who you choose, any one of them will fit the criteria. Maybe you’ll just close your eyes and pick one randomly. Can you actually say, “I’ll choose my own hand and marry myself.”

That’s pretty brave, hell yea that’s a main character move right there. Speaking of which, who are the eligible bachelors you can choose from today? It’s practically your engagement day, yet you really haven’t been paying any attention at all.

“Hey,” you whisper, lifting the curtain of the palanquin. A maid quickly answers to your beckon.

“Yes, my lady?”

“Who are the candidates today again? You have a...list or brochure of sorts?”

“Just a moment, my lady, I’ll retrieve the scroll for you.”

You open the scroll and peruse the contents. Huh, all the neighboring kingdoms are going all out this year. There’s the Kingdoms of Nekoma, Inarizaki, Fukurodani, Aoba Johsai, Shiratorizawa...Wow, even Johzenji and Nohebi have candidates? Funny, all of these are all presenting their crown princes too. As they should, you are the most beloved princess of the Kingdom of YoreNaym, and the suitor you choose will bring you back as a blessing to his kingdom. It’s a total bummer that the Kingdom of Itachiyama isn’t participating this year. Sakusa’s crown prince succession is next year! You have heard so many swoon worthy stories about that princeling, even paid handsome amounts of money for paparazzi paintings of the beautiful man. No one will find out that the princess of YoreNaym actually hoards little pictures of Prince Sakusa in her panties drawers. It’s a shame you aren’t picking your husband next year.

There’s one more Kingdom on the list that surprises you. Kingdom of Karasuno, or more commonly referred to as the Kingdom of “Fallen Crows”. According to legends, they used to be quite a prosperous kingdom, but after a few generations of inept leadership, a drought, and poor trade economy...the Kingdom has mostly faded into obscurity. It’s been years since a suitor candidate has been offered. So who is it?

“Sawamura Daichi,” you whisper to yourself, “Interesting.”

The festival ground outdoors is especially grand. There are a huge number of tables prepared off to the side for guests. Trays of food, fruits and wine are provided for every single guest in attendance. You are led by the attendants to the temporary throne seat as the guest of honor. As you make your way to the throne, all the guests stand up to acknowledge your entrance. It’s so pressuring and a part of you wishes you can just dig a hole and bury yourself on the spot. You don’t even want to think about how many eyes are on you. They are all just jealous because, really. Take my word for it, I’m the narrator.

When you take a seat, the guests reseat themselves. A shaman comes to the center stage and bows to you.

“My lady, the time is auspicious, let us commence the Festival of Unity. At this time, I’ll be introducing the eligible bachelors from neighboring kingdoms near and far. They have passed the arduous tests and come as the best to offer in asking for your hand. Each of the suitors will present to you with a talent or skill, as to show you their excellence. After the demonstrations, you will be allowed to take your pick. Whereupon you will—”

“Okay, I get it! They will participate in a talent show, we clap, and I choose a husband, I got it!” You snap, cutting the shaman’s words off. Your patience is wearing thin.

A number of guests can be heard mumbling in the crowds, probably commenting on your behavior. Your eyes scan the guests, you can care less. Judgmental eyes, scheming eyes, lecherous eyes, disgusting eyes....Your gaze meeting with a pair of eyes that are absolutely blank. Wait, not blank as in emotionless. Non-judgemental? The opposite of unkind? Dare you say, polite? He gives you a smile and returns to taking a sip from his goblet. You scan his clothing up and down to look for his family crest. Black and orange. A crow. Karasuno.

Your thoughts are jumbled as an increasing amount of questions fill your mind. He? Karasuno? That Kingdom of Fallen Crows? You barely hear the shaman announce the first candidate.

“Bokuto Koutarou from Kingdom of Fukurodani.” Bokuto is a very large, very well built man. He is wearing his family crest of an owl across his back proudly. You can tell his chest is incredibly broad, the bulge of his big tiddies stretch the tight shirt he’s in. If you squint hard enough, you can maybe see the outline of his nipples through the training shirt, but maybe that’s just your perverted imagination too. Bokuto comes to the center stage and greets you.

“Hey! I’ll uh, demonstrate my strength to you, my lady.” He easily picks up a huge hunk of metal and lifts it with ease above his head. Damn beefiness, those arms of his. Seeing the bulges flex when he flexes has you dreaming of mouth along that delicious flesh. And when he pins you down under his massive body? Ooh, if this is the first demonstration, you’re excited to see the whole lineup today. Gasps and murmurs can be heard in the crowd. Bokuto grins and drops the load on the ground. You can almost feel the tremors beneath your feet. Truly, a herculean feat.

“Thank you, Bokuto, I have seen your demonstration and all those here are witnesses.”

Bokuto’s demonstration is a showy start of the competition for your hand. The shaman announces the next candidate. “Ushijima Wakatoshi from the Kingdom of Shiratorizawa.”

Ushijima walks up to the stage exuding the regal aura of nobility; a byproduct of his strict upbringing. The twin crests of an eagle decorate his shoulder pads. His expression is quite cold, but there’s a saying, “it’s always the quiet ones.” You lick your lips and study him some more.

“Greeting to the princess,” he says with a deep bow. “I also bring a demonstration of my martial prowess.” Ushijima takes off the bow and quiver of arrows from his back and nods at his attendant who then catapults three apples high up into the air. Everyone’s eyes follow the trajectory of the objects, squinting to see what’s happening. No way.

Ushijima draws the bow back and calmly shoots one arrow, perfectly spearing the three fruits along the shaft. The crowd bursts into cheers. You also find your tight grip on armrest loosening, the tension from the scene dissipating in a moment. Ushijima’s calmness, accuracy, decision-making...he would make a very suitable partner for sure. Co-workers of sorts, that is.

You know your marriage carries a lot of weight politically and the fate of the whole universe will rest on your decision. Maybe not the whole universe, but close enough. But, marital bliss is important too right? Is Ushijima the right choice? There are still many more candidates, it’ll be best not to make a rash decision. Your gaze wanders over back to the Karasuno prince who is clapping earnestly for Ushijima’s performance. He’s acknowledging a rival’s strength, you think to yourself. Well, that’s certainly a rare but admirable trait. A confident man, he is.

After Ushijima’s demonstration, Oikawa Tooru’s enchanting musical performance offers a much desired change of pace. The rhythm and melody from his zither carries both the energy of fortitude as well as a graceful spirit. Quite stunning, but just not quite the musical vibe you’re feeling at the moment. Bummer, maybe a different day, really. Could be friends?

Kuroo Tetsurou from the Kingdom of Nekoma offers a particularly memorable performance too. Kuroo comes to the center stage with a trough filled with flames. Everyone is at a loss as to what is going on. Kuroo flashes you a grin before taking out a few pouches containing some powders. In a poof, the flames burst alive with colors blending blues and purples. And moments later yellows and greens, even reds. No one has ever seen fire change color like so.

“Witchcraft!” someone gasps.

“No it must be alchemy. Dangerous craft,” another adds.

Kuroo bows to you. “My lady, this is called chemistry, a discipline of science.”

Kuroo’s smiles teeter on the edge of flirtations and you cannot deny that your heart flutters just slightly when you see his crooked grin. He’s intelligent, humorous, and attractive. Definitely also a contender. A union with him might be fun. And especially when you see Kuroo run a hand through his messy, black locks and give you a piercing gaze, you almost wonder if this is the feeling of chemistry. It feels like you are naked under his seductive, golden eyes, completely submitted to his will and absolutely drugged. And you fear that if he sends you another one of his grins, you’ll come untouched. Dangerous, send him off immediately.

“Thank you, Kuroo, I have seen your demonstration and all those here are witnesses.”

After Kuroo, many more candidates also come to the center stage for their demonstrations. Kita Shinsuke from the Kingdom of Inarizaki composes and recites poetry on the spot. His literary talents and mastery of public speech move a very large crowd of the literati officials. Kita is a charismatic leader and commands confidence. But he doesn’t seem to be the best fit. Your brain says ‘yes’, but your coochie just isn’t feeling it. The nerve signals say no.

Terushima Yuuji demonstrates a one-man comedy show, but his storytelling skills, although humorous, fall just a little short after Kita’s. Had Terushima been slotted for a different position, perhaps he would make a stronger impact.

Daishou Suguru. Interesting. But tongue itself will eventually get boring too.

A few more candidates demonstrate their talents to you. Most of them fail to impress you at all. Your blank expression is more than enough to make a few almost shit their pants or cry on the way they exit the stage. It’s really not their fault, you’re just a bit tired after seeing so many performances and demonstrations. You are just trying to find the best fit after all. It’s your duty and responsibility as the muthereffing princess of the Kingdom of YoreNaym.

“Sawamura Daichi from the Kingdom of Karasuno.”

The crowd is silent as Daichi stands up from his seat and makes his way to the center. His shoulder is relaxed and his head is held high. He doesn’t have the large build of Bokuto nor is he decked out in regal fabrics like Ushijima. His hair is simple and clean. His expression is polite and pleasant. Amongst the sea of beautiful and talented men, Daichi is like an ordinary seashell buried in the sand. But like how too many bites of dessert beckon the simplicity of water, Daichi’s humble presence makes him stand out in particular.

Daichi bows deeply. “I send my deepest regards to the princess. I am Sawamura Daichi from the Kingdom of Karasuno.”

“Please rise, Sawamura. What demonstration do you bring to me today?”

“My lady, I have nothing showy in particular. I only bring myself. And please feel free to call me Daichi.” You can feel his piercing gaze on you, confident and assertive. So he has some guts. It beckons you to submit, but you bite back. Grrrrr.

“Just yourself? That’s quite cocky of you Daichi. Others bring talents and demonstrations of qualities that make them fit as my suitor. What do you have to offer for me to choose you? Or is that something you are not looking for at all?”

“Karasuno,” Daichi begins, “Karasuno is a good kingdom. For many years long ago, our people have suffered greatly and we have gained a poor moniker. However, for the last few years, the kingdom has made significant progress and improvements. Alongside my brethren and officers of my court,” Daichi gestures to his entourage sitting off to the side, “We have come a long way. ”

“You tell me much about your home, Daichi, but what about you?”

Daichi pauses for a moment to collect his thoughts. He is well aware of the pressures you are putting on him, testing his convictions to the limit. You are a princess after all, so it’s only natural that you test his qualifications. Diachi swallows his nerves and faces your confrontation head on.

“I come to tell you the truth, my lady. I cannot hide these facts about myself or my kingdom. I am truthful, honest, but I have an unshaken belief that my kingdom will prosper because I have my closest and trusted with me. Each of them have their talents and strengths. Karasuno is a band with a bit of everything, and we’re family.”

You inwardly sigh. It seems like Daichi won’t be completely living up your hopes. At first you thought that his confident yet humble demeanor must hide something. Something incredible, because he can sit back and freely applaud other men for their talents. Something remarkable because he doesn’t feel the need to jump out in front of others. Something big. Very big.

“I don’t doubt your family’s bond or strength, but I am here to choose a suitor, a husband in layman's terms. So, I suppose that—”

“Wait,” Daichi cries out, and gestures towards his Karasuno brethren.

A tangerine head jumps up and brings out a scroll. He skips a few steps towards you and passes the document over to the shaman who brings it to you.

“My resume, if you will, my lady. I have no other talents but what is shown there.”

You glance at Daichi, studying him closely. From his clenched fist, you can tell that even in this moment, he’s a bit shaken and nervous. You undo the ties on the scroll and unravel the contents.

All eyes are fixed on you, trying to decipher every microexpression you make. The slight widened eyes, the twitch of the brow. The slight part of the lips and the deep breathes from you trying to calm the invisible fire that’s building in your core. It’s big. If the resume is accurate, Daichi’s demeanor truly is hiding a beast. A massive, humongous, schlong. Finer than any specimen you have seen in banned pictorial books you read and hide under your massive princess bed.

The sheer size and girth of the XL 2d image is rendered in X-TRA fine detail. You brush a finger onto the parchment, tracing the lines depicting the veins running along the shaft. You gulp, rubbing your finger down what is drawn as a big, swollen tip that’s glistening. Artists these days are so detail-oriented, it looks as if precum is just dripping from the tip and shimmering. So realistic, you just want to take it all into your mouth. To gag or to choke. Neither are a question.

The balls, those massive balls that are the storehouses for an endless supply of fresh cum. Organics from the finest the kingdom has to offer. Precious jewels hanging at the base, ripe for your licking. It looks so juicy and plump and you want nothing more than to rub your cheeks, cooing at how cute they are.

You know it’s good. It better be good if the painting is depicting something this sumptuous. If this is the real deal, then you really have nailed the jackpot and secured a brilliant future for yourself. Marital bliss. Bedroom adventures. Bedroom adventures where he’ll fulfill every nightmarish fantasy you ever have. It’ll be hard at first, your cunt’s so tight and he’s so big! But it’s okay, you’ll take him like the royal princess you are because the Kingdom of YoreNaym raises whores and sluts only!

No scratch that. Coital activities can take place anywhere. Maybe you’ll cockwarm him while the two of you hear what the morning court has to say about the affairs of the kingdom. Maybe you’ll find yourself tumbling around in the garden after a cute game of hide and seek, skirt hiked up, as he fucks a grass stain into your back! Okay. That might not be the best idea. Perhaps just once. For novelty’s sake.

But hear me out, when you are sneaking into the kitchen for some snacks, he’ll pin you on the large baker’s table and just take you right there to fuck his babies into your womb. His cock pumping into you as the table creaks and shakes from his thunderous movements. He’ll fill you to the brim with copious amounts of his hot cum, heaps and heaps of them, just like the baker fills the buns with cream custard in the most obscene fashion ever. Watch your belly rise and bulge up like pastries in the oven. Oooh cummies.

You sigh and squirm in the seats as you continue examining the masterpiece of a dick. You feel your heartbeat racing wildly as if you are caught tinkling in the castle fountain. It’s unknown if you ever did that, by the way. Just saying, your memory is failing you just a tad. But oh gosh, you’re wet already. The slick pooling between your folds is just soaking through your princess panties; the ones in the drawer where you keep all your secret prince Sakusa drawings heehee. But Sakusa’s pretty face aside, you are now face to face with the most magnificent dick pic you’ll ever receive. Not really unsolicited, but damn work of art. Literally.

The crowd is silent when you clear your throat and roll up the scroll, taking extra care to not let anyone else touch your new precious treasure. You lean forward and perceive Daichi. Daichi gives you a cocky grin, showing his teeth. Slightly stained with the wine, but it’s just temporary. It doesn’t matter as long as the real deal is...well, real.

Daichi catches your eyes wandering to the outline of the bulge between his legs. The glorious dickprint that he’s casually showing to everyone present. It puts Herculean Bokuto to shame, Ushijima into a blushing mess. Kuroo nearly snorts his colored powders. Daishou’s tongue hangs out and dries. Oikawa is sent to the medics. Kita no longer waxes poetry about the weather. Terushima leaves the party early.

Daichi is smug and casually asks, “My lady, would you like to examine the goods? I am a pure man and would not carelessly offer tastes to anyone. But you are a princess of the Kingdom of YoreNaym. You can have a sampling before you commit. Satisfaction guaranteed.”

#haikyuu smut #hq smut #daichi smut #daichi x reader smut #daichi x reader #did y'all see kazooli's post on fetishizing fictional men and their fictional dicks and balls?#this is my answer #forever a princess of yorenaym #you can be too if you want #emi.freshtea #ch daichi #🍵.daichi

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avengerscompound · 3 years

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The Tower: Happily Ever After - 5

The Tower: Happily Ever After An Avengers Fanfic

Series Masterlist | Character Refrence PREVIOUS //

Pairing: Avengers x OFC, Bruce Banner x Bucky Barnes x Clint Barton x Wanda Maximoff x Steve Rogers x Natasha Romanoff x Tony Stark x Thor x Sam Wilson x OFC (Elly Cooper)

Word Count: 1601

Warnings: Pregnancy

Synopsis: Almost 40 years after Elise Cooper first crashed into Natasha Romanoff outside the library at Columbia University, she and the Avengers are adapting to a near-immortal life together with their large brood of children. Yet things aren’t perfect. Life is moving on without them and they’re starting to discover who isolating being immortal can be.When Angela comes and asks Thor to take the throne of Asgard once more, the group leaves Earth in the hopes that they will find their Happily Ever After there.

Chapter 5: Farewell to Our Old Life

It was kind of strange how little there was to organize for us regarding our move. There was packing, but we couldn’t exactly hire a moving truck so it needed to fit in bags that we could carry or it had to stay behind. That was difficult. We had had a long time to collect a lot of things we considered precious to us. The glass artwork that Thor and I had inadvertently made on our honeymoon was the thing I wished we could bring the most. It would stay in the fountain in the entry and hopefully, we’d come back sometimes and see it.

Thankfully, most of our things were fairly portable. We also wouldn’t need a lot of clothes because Asgard would provide things more fitting for the palace, and it’s not like we would need any furniture. Mostly it was just personal effects and tech that Tony wanted to use there.

Other than that it was just letting the doctors know I was leaving, pulling Marya out of school, and organizing the party.

It was still leaning on the stressful side though - especially considering we were still waiting to hear what the rest of the kids were going to do.

Even though Rose and Paul had appeared closest to deciding to come, it was Billy and Teddy who came back to us first with a yes. They had also said they wanted to do a bonding ceremony when we were there, which added another level of excitement and another level of stress.

Rose and Paul came next. They said that they would try it out and see. The concern about their children’s lifespan was a big issue for them, but Paul also said he’d be crazy to give up at least trying to live on Asgard as actual royalty.

As expected it was Eddie who took the longest to decide. He really did love his job, and I think even with his talk about having children, he, Lyra, and Rory were still right into the rich, young party lifestyle. He was worried about what they’d lose going to Asgard, rather than focusing on the things he might gain.

No one pressured him though. Any questions the three had were answered as honestly as we could and if we didn’t know we’d send word back to Asgard and Loki would come and give the answers they were looking for if at all possible. Eventually, he decided that he’d give it six months for us to settle and make sure things with Stark Industries and the Avengers was transitioning smoothly given our sudden departure, and then he and his family would join us there to try it out. He mentioned maybe doing six months on each planet or returning to Earth for a month or two every year, but we were all just glad he was willing to try it out, and his delayed departure from Earth was a good idea. He even promised to come and visit when his new siblings were born.

When our goodbye party began, the whole family was excited for this new chapter in our lives and sad to say goodbye to the last.

Many of our friends were elderly or had passed on, so the party was going to be a mixture of different people. Clarke was still around, though Jax had passed a few years ago. We’d lost Rhodey and Fury, though Hill was still running the day-to-day operations of the Avengers, even in her old age, and Coulson had retired after years as successfully being director of SHIELD. Vision was the same as ever, and people often came to him for direction when it came to the Avengers. Carol also hadn’t changed though she still spent more time in space than on Earth. A lot of the people we had met that had seemed so young when we met them, were all not officially middle-aged. Even Peter Parker who was only fifteen when I met him was now pushing fifty and had a wife and daughter of his own.

They would all be at the party, including a lot of the new Avengers lineup. Most of whom were much heavier hitters than any of us, even when we were wielding Mjolnir. It was definitely going to be sad to say goodbye.

“It’s going to be okay, you know?” Wanda said, snapping me out of my mini-trance as she ran a brush methodically through my hair.

“No, I know,” I said, tilting my head back.

“Then tell your brain that,” she teased.

I giggled and leaned up and pecked her lips. “I’m sorry. I would if I could. Just hormones I guess. Feeling stressed.”

“Well, stop it,” she scolded playfully. “It’s bad for the babies.”

She began to braid my hair and I hummed as her fingertips grazed over my scalp. “Imagine it though, Elly,” Wanda said. “All the kids nearby - the new babies.”

“You’re a baby-oholic,” I said, laughing softly.

“It’s true,” she says. “I am.”

She ran a hand around my side and pressed it on my stomach. “I can’t wait to meet them,” she said. “They already have such busy thoughts.”

I looked up at her and I’m not sure whether it was the look of pure and complete love in her eyes or the way the light caught in her hair, but I was struck by how beautiful she was and how much I loved her. She smiled and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I love you too,” she said and picked up a strand of silver wire with black opal and threaded it into my hair. “All done.”

I stood carefully and straightened out the skirts on my blue lace cocktail dress. “How do I look?” I asked.

“Perfect as always,” she said. “Let's go say goodbye to our friends.”

We made our way down to the party deck where the party was only just starting up. Bruce, Steve, and Clint were all already there, but there was no sign of Tony, Natasha, Clint, Sam, Thor, or Bucky.

Some of our kids were there and their kids all played out in the garden atrium that was built on the protruding wing of the tower and the party deck opened out into. I greeted everyone and as I made my way around the room more people arrived.

Clarke came over and tapped me on the shoulder. I turned and smiled, hugging her tightly. She had aged well, not as well as I had obviously, but while her face was lined and she was a little frailer looking, she had kept in good shape and she continued to color her hair. It would be easy to think she was in her early fifties rather than her mid-seventies. Her eyes were what gave it away. What had once been vivid violet had faded to pale lavender and were slightly cloudy. They were heavily lined at the corners, the years having carved deep crevices to mark each time she was happy or sad or angry or worried. It was still my Clarke though and I was going to miss her.

“I can’t believe you’re not going to be here when these two are born,” she said, indicating to my stomach as we pulled apart. She was one of the select group of people I would be totally fine with touching my stomach unasked - but she never assumed. “Where am I going to get my baby kisses from?”

I laughed and shook my head. “I guess you’ll have to visit me on Asgard.”

“You can do that?” She asked.

“I mean… I’m the Queen. I think I can pull some strings,” I teased.

She laughed. “God, thinking of you as a Queen is such a trip.”

“Hey Auntie Clarke,” Billy said, appearing behind us. “I haven’t seen you for a while.”

Clarke hugged him and looked around. “It’s been too long. Where are those kids of yours.”

“Come on, I’ll take you to them,” he looked over at me and narrowed his eyes. “You go sit down, mom. You know you’re supposed to be taking it easy.”

“I am taking it easy,” I argued, holding up my hands. “I’m just standing here.”

“Go on,” he said. “Don’t make me page Dad Tony.”

“Heaven forbid,” I laughed and he wrinkled his nose at me and led Clarke out to the atrium. I got myself a little plate of appetizers and a glass of punch and went and took a seat.

It wasn’t long until the whole room was teeming with people. The Avengers had gotten to be a rather large collection of people since the original six had been reluctantly dragged together all those years ago. Having so many of the people who meant so much to all of us here at the same time couldn’t help but make me think about how I’d first joined this group that would one day be my family.

All those years ago I had been a traumatized woman in her mid-twenties, just trying to get by. I didn’t have many good friends, because it took a lot for me to trust people. It took a superhero to get through and with her, so many other people flooded in after. I was so grateful to them, and so in love with each of them to this day. It would be hard letting this life of ours go, but it was inevitable. I still had my 9 chosen people though, and I always would. I was glad to be taking this next step with them at my side.

// NEXT

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sandershospitalau · 4 years

Text

The Nurse’s Rally

Chapter 1

Archive Of Our Own

————————

It was the perfect day for a protest. Not by Virgil's standards, of course. He would have preferred a cloudy day, dark enough to shade the large crowd gathering just outside Sanders Hospital. Instead, he got a blistering sunny day that made the colors bleed and blend into his eyes. And everyone would have to see the horrific t-shirts Roman had designed to support the Rally.

All the nurses going with Virgil on their parade through Miami wore the t-shirt. At least it was purple, to match the color of the nurse’s scrubs. But the design made Virgil want to burn the shirt. Roman, with a bit of technical know-how from Logan, created a thin, gangly cartoon nurse giving the world a thumbs-up beside the phrase ‘Funding for Florida’s Nurses’. Virgil knew it was a cartoon version of himself, even though it lacked some of his distinctive features, like his dyed hair and the permanent bags under his eyes. But the nurse, dressed in classic blue scrubs, looked exactly like Virgil if he gave up on being an individual. He couldn’t even hide the shirt with his hoodie, since Thomas and Joan insisted that Virgil look semi-professional.

So there he stood at the edge of the street near the front of Sanders Hospital in a caricature t-shirt and clean jeans, chewing his lower lip as he checked over the march route on his phone. He’d spent ages on the route alone, making sure to stop at every hospital in town where nurses agreed to protest. And then there was the part of making sure they could walk there and not get run over while not seeming like they were giving into the man by getting approval for everything. Was it even a protest if a corporation was backing it? Did a hospital count as a corporation? Virgil was this close to losing his mind.

“He’s coming with us!” a familiar voice cheered. Patton emerged from the crowd dragging his husband Logan behind him. Both sported the Nurse’s Rally t-shirt. Patton still tied his cardigan over the shirt to add that distinctive Patton flair. Virgil couldn’t remember the last time he saw Logan in a t-shirt. Even after a near-death experience with a rare South American disease, he strolled out of the hospital in a polo and tie.

“I finally convinced him to join the march,” Patton declared, hopping beside Virgil.

“I believe the term ‘kidnapped’ would be more fitting,” Logan huffed.

“Okay, but Logan, why did you approve on this design?” Virgil snapped, pointing at the nurse on his shirt. “Why did you let Roman get away with this?”

“I wasn’t involved in the design process,” Logan explained. “I merely assisted Roman in understanding how to use graphic design software. I had no input on what the shirt would look like.”

“I think it’s cute,” Patton giggled. “It’s teenage Virgil!”

“Patton, please don’t say that,” Virgil shuddered. “Oh, too late, the memories are here. So much cringe, ah!”

“Drinks on the house, big boys!” Remy popped up beside the three men with a full cup holder. “Don’t tell the Critic.”

“Aw, thank you, Remy!” Patton chirped, taking one of the drinks. Virgil and Logan took theirs too. Remy kissed his fingers and gave them a peace sign as he walked away.

“Punch Roman in the gut for me when you see him!” Virgil shouted.

“Will do, boo!” Remy called. Virgil put his phone away and glanced up and down the street. A few of the early-bird reporters were already circling, snatching random staff for interviews on the rally and taking into their camera. Virgil spotted Terrence from VIN3 chatting with one of Virgil’s nurses, casual enough that it took a second glance to realize Terrence was interviewing them.

“Okay, we’re heading out in a couple of minutes,” Virgil huffed. “Where is our banner? If Roman wants us to carry a banner, he needs to get it to me now or I’m not holding it.” Sure enough, Thomas hurried through the crowd with Emile at his side and a banner tucked and folded under his arm. Emile was one of the few people not wearing the t-shirt, instead going for his usual tan cardigan and blue tie. He kept a megaphone at his side.

“We had to fix a few things,” Thomas explained. He unfolded the banner and gave one end to Patton. Virgil held his breath as he waited for whatever horrors Roman and his creative underlings invented to be revealed. The banner was a colorful red that needed four people to hold it. Symbols from every major hospital and clinic participating in the walk lined the banner, from the Sanders Hospital rainbow caduceus to the blue flower of St. Gemma’s. The phrase ‘Funding for Florida’s Nurses’ sat in the middle of the circle of symbols.

“Good job, Princey,” Virgil muttered as he held the middle of the banner up. “Alright, Thomas, we’re ready to go.”

“Give the signal, Emile!” Thomas declared.

“Avengers, assemble!” Emile laughed, holding up the megaphone. The megaphone groaned and squealed, drawing everyone’s attention. Virgil, Logan, Patton, and Thomas made their way down the street as the crowd followed behind them, and the Nurse’s Rally truly began.

Ironically, protesting the government required a bit of cooperation with the government. Police officers helped clear a path through Miami, redirecting traffic as the march looped around to collect new members from local hospitals. Some joined up midway through while others crafted a couple signs. More reporters lurked along the sidewalks, carefully following the march’s progress. Virgil just prayed the group wouldn’t get laughed off the steps of City Hall for protesting something as seemingly useless as a cut to statewide nursing education. If other hospitals in the city hadn’t supported the rally, it would have died before it launched. Virgil had a whole lineup of speakers discussing the importance of educated nurses, even adding in speeches on other major flaws of the medical system of America. And Virgil was the first speaker. He tried not to think about that.

One of the best parts of the whole rally was actually Patton’s idea. Virgil wasn’t sure if Patton realized it was his idea, since it had been randomly suggested during a lunch break. A few of the signs, specially designed so they wouldn’t be read as weapons by the police, read ‘Help Fund Nursing Education’. The volunteers held out buckets to the crowd, passing them around and collecting whatever cash people could give. If the rally collected enough cash, the Miami medical community could make a huge donation to the major medical colleges in the state!

“We’re at our first stop!” Patton cheered as the protesters neared the main entrance to Baptist Children’s Hospital. Virgil’s heart soared when he saw the nurses and doctors gathered outside, all drawing their attention to the large crowd. It was working. Pediatric doctors and nurses who knew Patton from the local social circle of pediatrics said hi and exchanged a few professional words before mingling into the crowd. Virgil glanced back to see Roman, Nate, and Remy walking not too far from the front, with Roman being the only one in a rally shirt. Roman met Virgil’s eyes. Virgil tugged at his shirt and raised an eyebrow. Roman simply did that stupid pose of his with his arms overhead like he was royalty. Virgil smirked, rolling his eyes.

Everything Virgil had been working on ran through the back of his mind like a checklist as he continued down the planned route. As long as he was the one keeping everything on track, the others could enjoy themselves. Patton, popular as always, joined up with his pediatrics friends and began cooking up a junk pile of nursing puns. With the powers of other child-at-heart doctors, he was an unstoppable pun machine. Logan was prepared for death. Thomas and Emile strolled side by side, already talking about the next big project at Sanders (something involving Ben, the psychiatric department’s emotional support dog). The crowd behind him continued to grow with doctors and nurses. He was so wrapped up in the growing size, imagining the rally collapsing into a riot with City Hall on fire, Virgil only realized where his next stop was when he saw the oh so familiar statue of Saint Gemma, the patron saint of students and pharmacists.

The nurses of St. Gemma’s Hospital crowded around the old statue. Those not wearing the purple rally shirts wore their black scrubs instead. Virgil spotted a few old coworkers mixed into the group; fellow nurses from the psychiatric department, those who had only just started when Virgil left, the few nurses that seemed close to tolerating Virgil back then. Virgil, Logan, Patton, and Thomas paused for a few moments to allow the staff to blend into the march.

“Never thought I’d see you in a position like this,” one nurse scoffed as she passed Virgil. “Good for you.”

“I don’t see a lot of doctors joining us,” Thomas sighed, squinting to see the crowd better. “Spot any old friends, Virge?”

“Oh, yeah!” Patton chirped. “Gosh, you’ve worked at Sanders for so long, I nearly forgot you came from here!” Mixed into the swarm of purple shirts and black scrubs, Virgil spotted a black bowler hat lingering just above the tallest heads, held up by a pale hand with dirty fingernails. A yellow gloved hand snatched the hat back. The crowd cleared just enough for Virgil to spot Dr. D and Remus. Dr. D wore his usual off-work attire, with his yellow gloves and bowler hat. He’d zipped up his black jacket and fluffed out the hood slightly, revealing a golden shirt with a high collar. His dark gray trousers had a streak of yellow running down the sides. Remus wore his green leather jacket and lime scarf over the rally shirt. He'd graffiti-ed the cartoon nurse with crude imagery. Dr. D fixed his hat back on his head while Remus giggled. The crowd formed back around the two men and Virgil lost sight of them.

“Don’t see anyone worth talking to,” Virgil huffed. “Come on, we only have a couple more stops.” The banner continued on. The march crawled down the streets, aided by the police setting up blockades against the traffic that could potentially run the protesters over. Virgil’s hands grew stiff holding up the banner. What if he tripped on it cause he couldn’t hold it up? He glanced over his shoulder. He couldn’t spot Dr. D anywhere.

“Virgil, are you prepared for your opening speech?” Logan asked, his voice jarring Virgil enough to stop him from tripping over his own feet.

“I memorized it,” Virgil admitted. “Hopefully.” Right, one of the few things still up in the air about the rally. With any luck, Virgil wouldn’t have a heart attack giving his speech.

“While you’re doing your speech, I need to make sure the other speakers arrived safely,” Thomas added. “Gosh, I know I have a list of our speakers…” He scrambled for his phone while trying not to drop the banner. “After you, we have Dr. Tahan from Mercy Hospital, followed by Nurse MacNamara…” As Thomas listed off the speakers he and Virgil recruited, the anxious nurse looked back again. He could see Dr. D. He walked in the middle of the crowd, glancing at Virgil occasionally as he examined those marching around him. Virgil wished he could pull his hood over his head as the group took a corner towards one of the smaller clinics signed up for the march.

The next time Virgil looked back, Dr. D was closer.

He was close enough that Virgil could just make out the scars trailing down the left side of his face. He still looked around with the same calm attitude, but Virgil knew he was coming for him. What would he say if he got close to Thomas and the others? It was time for some crisis aversion.

“Hey, Emile, can you take my place?” Virgil asked, looking around Logan and Thomas to the friendly therapist. “My hands are sore.”

“Sure!” Emile said, slipping through the crowd. Virgil and Emile swapped the banner with one fluid move. Virgil stumbled to not bump into anyone as he walked behind Emile. He stared at his feet as he carefully slowed his pace. The crowd strolled past him, more bodies collecting in front of him. He walked slow enough to fall back through the march. Shiny black shoes slipped into rhythm beside his purple sneakers.

“What do you want, D?” Virgil huffed, meeting Dr. D’s stare.

“Why would I want anything?” Dr. D asked.

“Anxiety!” a grating voice cheered behind him. Remus latched onto Virgil’s neck in a shoulder hug, practically swinging on him. “I’ve missed you!” Virgil had to shove the janitor off. Remus held out his phone like he was going to take a selfie. “See, loyal viewers, Virgil Lawson has returned!”

“You’re still doing that talk show?” Virgil groaned. “Seriously, who even watches that? No, no!” Virgil shook out his hands like he was trying to push away the distraction. “I want to know why you’re here, D!”

“This is a good cause,” Dr. D explained. “I don’t see why we shouldn’t support it. Education is vital for good nurses.”

“I don’t want you ruining things,” Virgil growled. “I’ve spent ages planning this.”

“Virgil, why in the world would I want to ruin your rally?” Dr. D huffed, fiddling with his gloves. “It only makes things worse for me. I don’t want incompetent nurses assisting on my surgeries.”

“You already force out anyone you don’t like from surgeries, that’s nothing for you,” Virgil noted. “Maybe you replaced that with adding random doctors to your rosters so you can, I dunno, get free skin cream. Who knows what else you’ve done to get what you want since I quit?”

“You’ve certainly been up to a lot since then!” Remus chirped. “Finally lose the V card, Virgin?”

“I don’t put up with your nonsense anymore, Remus,” Virgil snapped. “I don’t film your show anymore and I don’t talk to you.”

“You’re talking to him right now,” Dr. D said.

“Go bug someone else!” Virgil huffed. Remus frowned, but scurried back through the march.

“You’ve gotten a bit of a reputation from what I’ve heard,” Dr. D chuckled. “Rubbing brass with your hospital president? Organizing this rally? Very impressive. I couldn’t imagine the old you doing any of this.”

“I’ve heard plenty about you too,” Virgil growled. “You’re still cutting corners. You defy DNR orders, you’ve avoided telling patients about surgical risks multiple times, you’ve outright denied people surgery! You’re still as bad as you were when I left, maybe even worse. Frankly, I’m shocked you haven’t been fired or arrested!”

“I didn’t think you were one to listen to gossip,” Dr. D muttered, lips pursing together. “Glass houses, Virgil.” Virgil glanced up at his friends. They chatted amongst each other without a care, smiling. Dr. D’s eyes glimmered, and he glanced up at the front. Dr. D smiled. “I can only assume you haven’t been mentioned in any of these rumors.”

“And we’re gonna keep it that way,” Virgil hissed. The march took another corner, and Miami City Hall stood in front of them. The city hall was stationed on a circular piece of land overlooking the ocean, with long docks lining behind it. A circular driveway wrapped up to the front steps, leaving a circle of nature in the center. The U.S flag flew over the city, its shadow falling onto the stark white building. Virgil stomped forward, leaving Dr. D in the dust. He joined back up with his friends at the front as the march turned up the volume. Officers stood on the grass, watching over the crowd as they swarmed over the driveway, squirming for a little bit of room. The reporters watching from the sidelines grew to their biggest size yet, all trying to get good shots of the crowd. Drones flew above to get aerial views. Emile, Thomas, Patton, and Logan turned around and held the banner over their heads, marking the end of the long walk.

As Logan and Thomas folded up the banner, Emile handed Virgil the megaphone.

“Ready as you’ll ever be?” Emile asked in that special tone that confirmed he made a cartoon reference Virgil didn’t get.

“Well,” Virgil huffed, eyes darting between the front steps of City Hall and the giant crowd. “Surprisingly enough, I’m feeling anxious about it. Talking in front of hundreds of people does that to folks.”

“Take a minute to calm yourself,” Emile suggested. “I’m sure the crowd can wait.” Virgil took deep breaths, juggling the megaphone between his hands. Without his hoodie to hide them, he put his empty hand in his back pocket. There was something else in there. He thought his pocket was empty. Virgil pulled out a carefully folded piece of paper. He unfolded it.

Virgil,

Honesty has never been my strongest suit. I found my words are more truthful when they’re written down. I wish you luck on your rally. I truly hope all goes well. I agree, the cuts to statewide nursing education are idiotic.

I think Remus misses you. It’s tough to tell, but when you’ve been around him long enough, you can notice when he’s feeling down. He hasn’t fully accepted that leaving was your decision. I have. We all have to live with it.

To whatever comes next,

Dr. Janus Dee.

Virgil looked through the crowd for Dr. D’s bowler hat. He couldn’t see the mysterious doctor anywhere. His thumb brushed over D’s name. Virgil crumpled the note and shoved it into his pocket. He made sure the megaphone was on and took to the steps of City Hall.

————————

@watchoutforthefanfics @moonlight22oa @mediocrity-at-best

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queer-sky · 3 years

Text

i found this on YouTube from Ashton Daniel so im gonna link their original video since its his tag but i thought it would be fun to do it as well

youtube

NONBINARY TAG

1. Let's do the basics - what's your gender and what're your pronouns? (tell me all your gender labels!!)

id say nonbinary and genderfluid fits best

and i mainly use they/them pronouns but at times im okay with he/him or she/her pronouns as well depending on how i feel on the gender spectrum i guess

2. Do you consider yourself to be under the trans umbrella, or is being nonbinary separate from that for you?

i personally feel that at least for myself nonbinary doesn't count as trans but im sure for others it does just i dont identify with the trans label

3. How do you feel about the label "enby"? Do you use it for yourself?

yes i do use it and i think it sounds lovely actually

4. What song is your gender?

am i a girl - poppy

5. Do you experience gender euphoria and if so, what causes it?

yea i do when i look/pass as androgynous or masc depending on how i feel that day/time

6. What's a question you're tired of being asked?

im actually not out to many people yet so there arent any yet but something thats annoying is telling someone i identity as nonbinary and they keep calling me girl

7. What outfits, accessories, presentations do you feel most yourself in? Is your style connected to your gender for you?

yes my style is connected to my gender so it fluids all the time really but baggy clothes and more masc jewelry does like chains and safety pin earrings and stuff like that or random objects as earrings like the other day i made small rubics cube earrings which i really like and also definitely wearing a beanie and having my hair in it (making it look short)

8. Have you identified with different genders, nonbinary or otherwise, in the past?

well ive identified with my birth gender before but im not sure if i actually did or if i just didnt really question my gender before cuz i knew im not a boy so i must be cis then idk

9. Are there gendered phrases or words you like/don't like? Dude, gal, man, sis, etc?

i don't really like gendered words in general id rather be refered to as genderneutral terms

10. What compliments best suit your gender? Handsome, beautiful, pretty, hot, stunning, etc?

i actually haven't thought about that yet but i think im fine with either ones? idkk

11. What's your favourite gender-neutral alternative to commonly gendered words? (e.g. sib instead of brother/sister, mx instead of miss/mr, enby instead of boy/girl, etc?)

just refer to me as a person like i dont feel the need to have a certain gender to be addressed as but yea genderneutral ones are good too like mx and enby and goddex or royalty instead of king/queen

12. Do you like the nonbinary pride flag for yourself? Do you prefer the trans flag, or a flag more specific to your gender?

yea i do like the nonbinary one

13. Are physical and/or medical transition important to you? If so or if not and you want to expand, do so!

no well not medical/surgical but i was thinking about getting a binder/sports bra and maybe something to make my hips not look so wide

14. Are there any nonbinary people you look up to? If so, who?

im not sure tbh but i have some nonbinary friends and i told one of them

15. How do you write "nonbinary"? one word, two words, with a dash?

i write it as nonbinary so one word

16. If you are/were to be someone's significant other, how would you want to be referred to? Boyfriend, girlfriend, theyfriend, partner, lover, etc?

probably partner or like their person but maybe if my gender leans more towards one side then id like to be referred as boyfriend or girlfriend but probably not really boyfriend cuz that term sounds toxic to me since most of my relationships with guys were toxic so i guess partner or girlfriend

17. Are you out in your day-to-day life, just online, just to close friends, etc?

just online i wanna figure it out first before i come out in rl and other then being called sky it wouldn't really change much since german doesn't have they/them pronouns

18. Are there any silly nonbinary stereotypes you embrace? e.g. pride flag stuff, coloured hair, liking plants, cats, whatever else?

yea i have piercings and dyed hair even tho its only split dye and a natural red but i wanna dye it purple or blue if im able to and i do have two pride flags hanging up in my home and some pride wallpapers and i kinda like cats plants and rocks

19. Does the word "queer" fit you, do you use it for yourself?

yea i think it really does and i do use it as a umbrella term meaning im part of the lgbtq+ community and bc i havent found a right label that completely fits me yet sexuality wise as well

20. This isn't nonbinary related, I just think it's a cool question. If you could go to any concert of any band, artist, performer, living or dead, what's the lineup?

probably gay/indie music so like

girl in red,hayley kiyoko,cavetown,dodie,jessiepaege

cant think of more artists rn oop

#lgbtq #nonbinary #queer #nb #enby #Youtube

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jinruihokankeikaku · 4 years

Note

hello! could you please do a session analysis on a session with my fankids? (quick note: certain classes being gender-specific is ignored here) we have a Prospit Heir of Life (m), Derse Knight of Mind (m), Prospit Mage of Blood (f), Prospit Maid of Doom (f), Derse Bard of Heart (f), Derse Seer of Space (f), Prospit Rogue of Time (m), and a Derse Witch of Void (m) thanks in advance!

Hey there!! I certainly could ::::) Here’s Session Analysis #4…

Player Lineup

(++)Heir of Life, Prospit

Expansive-Explosive-Cyclical Aspect, Passive Manipulation Class

(-)Knight of Mind, Derse

Associative-Personal Aspect, Active Defense/Service Clss

(--)Mage of Blood, Prospit

Associative-Cyclical Aspect, Active Knowledge/Understanding Class

(-)Maid of Doom, Prospit

Culminative-Conclusive-Cyclical Aspect, Active Creation Class

(++)Bard of Heart, Derse

Introspective-Personal Aspect, Passive Destruction Class

(++)Seer of Space, Derse

Expansive-Explosive-Actual Aspect, Passive Knowledge/Understanding Class

(+)Rogue of Time, Prospit

Culminative-Conclusive-Actual Aspect, Passive Relocation/Appropriation Class

(--)Witch of Void, Derse

Introspective-Actual Aspect, Active Manipulation Class

Session Outlook

Space and Time players present? Indeed they are. Soooooooo your session isn’t doomed from the start. That’s always a good thing.

Prospite-Derse balance? 50/50. That’s what you’re aiming for, so more good news.

Active-Passive balance? You’ve got a 50/50 balance here. +7:-7. All good stuff.

Aspect Balance: 3 Cyclical : 3 Actual : 2 Personal; 3 Expansive-Explosive : 2 Culminative-Conclusive : 1 Introspective : 2 Associative. This is… a really decent balance!! Excluding Time and Space, your Direction ratio is 2:1:1:2, and your Source ratio is 3:1:2, which is not bad at all. What’s really important here is that you’ve got all your Sources and Directions covered!

Now, to get into the actual discussion of the session…

Potential Events

Well, you’ve got a Bard of Heart, like the last session we analyzed here, which is likely to be the main source of intra-team conflict. This isn’t because the Bard is malevolent (necessarily), but because their very presence induces decay / generates entropy in and among people’s identity and relationships. They’re not going to notice this effect at first, initially ghosting Mind and repressing their emotions until they overflow rather explosively. More on that when we address the Bard specifically.

Your Space and Time players are both Passive classes, which means your session may start off slow or run long, but which may also reduce the odds of one of the over-embracing their Aspect (as, say, a Mage or a Thief may be more likely to do. You also have all six Class Functions covered, which is great news – another example of how well-balanced this session’s lineup is. You’ve also got 3 inverse Aspect pairs, which should lead to plenty of drama, buuuuuuuut it wouldn’t be a proper session without it ;;;;)

Now to discuss the specific players – note that because Role genders are kinda fake (oversimplification, yeah, but y’know) and I don’t know the player’s orientations or how much, uh, relationship stuff you’re looking to write in your session, I’ll pretty much be ignoring the genders listed – if you have more info on what kinda analysis you want re: gender relations, do let me know. And now, without further ado…

The Heir of Life [+2 | M | Ex-Cy | manipulator | Prospit]

Your Heir is someone who “becomes, embodies, is manipulated by, or invites change in growth, rebellion, biology, and consumption”. He’s going to be given a lot of Life from the start, filled with exuberance and youth, and possibly born into luxury, a leadership position, or a literal inheritance. Being a Prospit dreamer and a member of a Passive class, he’s likely going to be laid-back and inclined more towards improvisation than planning; while Heirs are natural leaders, they’re often slow to rise to this role, and his passivity and Prospitian attitude, plus his Life-bound rebellious streak, may harmonize with this effect. They’re likely going to go along with the Knight’s initial leadership, albeit reluctantly. However, a clash with the Maid, one of their fellow Prospit dreamers, is certainly also possible.

Conclusion: Reluctant leader, but likely the endgame leader, nonetheless. Unlikely to get on well with the Maid, but might be close with the Bard and the Rogue at first (prior to the all-but-inevitable Bardic Crisis).

The Knight of Mind [-1 | M | As-Pe | defender | Derse]

The Knight of Mind might be the one to initially aim for the role of “team leader”, due to Knight’s attraction to leadership positions and Mind’s aptitude for strategy and decision-making. He might try to present himself as a grand strategist or organizer for the team, which some might go along with, and others might be reticent to accept. The Knight’s lack of confidence regarding their wisdom / capacity to make decisions will cause them to attempt to overexpress their Aspect, perhaps by spending a great deal of time in affected contemplation, going through loops of thoughts or processes that they don’t really believe. They’re actually as thoughtful as they need to be, but their lack of confidence in their capabilities may cause them to falter, and the Bard especially will see straight through their persona.

Conclusion: Initial session leader, but not an especially strong one; like the Heir, will probably be close to the Bard prior to their crisis. Skillful tactician and likely to be on the frontlines if he makes it to the endgame.

The Mage of Blood [-2 | F | As-Cy | interpreter | Prospit]

The Mage is someone who “innately understands, explores, directly experiences from, or suffers due to their bonds, promises, and relationships”. She may wind up in a number of relationships or with a number of obligations to other people, and get burnt for it – either because they fail to successfully balance their duties (to herself, her friends, her team, etc.), or because she’s successful, but it comes at a great cost, potentially even serious injury or death. However, she’s also someone who understands what a promise or a bond is, on a very technical level – she may have some interest in legal matters, or substantial knowledge of contracts. She’s likely to try to be friends with everybody – not just her team, but also her Planet’s Consorts or even the Prospitian populace or royalty. This could leave her pulled in many different directions, and whether or not she’s capable of navigating the network of chains and signals ahead of her will be a real challenge.

Conclusion: Sociable person, less interested in leadership than in friendship. Has a tendency to over-commit herself, which may lead to unfortunate consequences, but is nonetheless a force binding the team together.

The Maid of Doom [-1 | F | Cu-Cy | creator | Prospit]

The Doom Aspect and Prospit’s sway make an interesting combination – the one commonality I could draw between them is that they’re both better with acceptance than most. And since the Maid is, well, “made of their Aspect” (not literally, like an Heir; rather, as in They Have A Whole Lot Of It), I’d imagine the Maid to be someone who carries with her, and overflows with, acceptance – maybe in kind of a cheerfully nihilistic way? The Maid of Doom also “creates structures, systems, or rules”, perhaps assisting the Knight in his strategic schemes, or working with the Rogue to ensure that whatever ending comes isn’t catastrophic. She’ll be a significant Active player with real potential to Invert, so if any serious conflict develops she could well be at the heart of it.

Conclusion: Powerful, lives a structured life but is capable of improvising, wants to ensure that everything ends well but might have a limited set of tools with which to do this.

The Bard of Heart [-1 | F | In-Pe | destroyer | Derse]

Bards passively induce decay in their Aspect at first, before experiencing a radical shift and embracing their Aspect, using it to wreak chaos on the session and render the story less predictable in the process. Your Bard of Heart, being a Derse dreamer, is going to commit hard to ghosting Mind at first – she might be rather close to the Knight, and she’ll try to present herself as a just, rational, straightforward person, the type of person who uhhhhh just fuckin,, smashes peoples feelings with Reason and Logic. Not trying to imply that she’ll be right-wing or anything, but I think you know the type o obnoxious debater I’m talking about. Her character arc will experience its most radical shift when she discovers that she’s been using her Rational persona to avoid developing an identity of her own, at which point she’ll likely begin to overembrace Heart and perhaps enter into a tumultuous relationship. Alternatively, if she’s not the romantic type, the tumultuous relationship might be with her own soul slash sense of purpose; she might split from the team and go off to “find herself” in solitude (which could be right disastrous, depending on the timing). Either way, she’ll likely play havoc with team integrity, as her own identity crisis triggers a domino effect amongst her teammates.

Conclusion: Rational, argumentative type who, due to some event (probably post-entry) undergoes a radical identity crisis and causes chaos in the process, for better or worse. Not necessarily a bad person, just a person with a less-than-complete understanding of themselves.

The Seer of Space [+2 | F | Ex-Ac | interpreter | Derse]

Space players aren’t usually Derse, but there’s certainly no rule against this – the Seer will just have a unique sort of personality. As one who learns about creation, beginnings, and possibility, and eventually teaches others about the same, she’s likely to be an artist, engineer, or inventor, starting processes, though not necessarily finishing them, and taking great pleasure in sharing her ideas with others. The Seer is a rather Passive role, and but they also discover the meaning of their role early on – the downside being that they’re susceptible to manipulation, and often, at first, rather impressionable. The Seer will work well with Active players like the Knight in collaborative efforts, and may actually be a significant influence on the Knight’s plans and schemes. The worst-case scenario is that she abandons her Role and job of frog-breeding and Inverts to behavior reminiscent of a Witch of Time, which would obviously be a crisis for the session as a whole. Nonetheless, I don’t see this scenario as particularly likely, and as long as she has the support of her team, she’ll do great work for the session as a whole.

Conclusion: Creative and eager to teach others about her creations; likely to collaborate with the Knight, but be perhaps more doubtful of the Heir’s leadership potential.

The Rogue of Time [+1 | M | Cu-Ac | relocator | Prospit]

Rogues are initially hesitant about their Aspect, so I think this Rogue would be rather reticent to use time travel at first, considering its potentially drastic consequences. He might make music in private, but be hesitant to share it as well. The Rogue won’t really understand the Knight’s plans, and more to the point, won’t agree with them, and will be more inclined to pursue less-structured avenues of exploration of his Aspect and the Game as a whole. Once they’ve grown into their Role, and embraced the power of time, they’ll be a formidable and vital player, literally giving the team Time by transporting others to the past or future. Which is, yes, risky business, but it’s a power all-but-unique to the Rogue of Time, and will likely alter the course of the session, hopefully for the better! The Rogue will really flourish once the Heir has begun to develop as well; they’ll likely be friends from the start, but when the Heir and the Rogue are both more comfortable utilizing their powers, it’ll be a major step forward for the team.

Conclusion: Improvisational, clever, but somewhat shy, with a unique ability that will almost certainly alter the course of multiple timelines. Will work well in collaboration with the Heir, but is likely to resent direct, structured leadership and planning in general.

The Witch of Void [-2 | M | In-Ac | manipulator | Derse]

This is a dark Role if ever I’ve seen one, but dark doesn’t necessarily equal Bad. The Witch will have the ability to “alter, restructure, or bend the fundamental rules of the unknown, oblivion, and darkness” – and on top of that he’s a Derse dreamer, so I see interaction with the Horrorterrors being a real possibility here. The challenge Witches face is to use their abilities carefully and for righteous purposes, as the immense degree of control they have over their Aspect must be tempered with control over themselves. The Witch is the Functional opposite of the Seer, but their Aspects are adjacent, which I think creates the potential for a very interesting dynamic between those two. Hopefully, they’d co-operate with one another, as a Witch with the guidance of a Seer (and a Seer with the raw power of a Witch) would be a force so significant as to radically alter the course of the Session/narrative.

Closing Notes: The Bard of Heart and the Witch of Void alone add a great deal of raw power to this session; combined with the guidance of a Seer of Space and the unique power of a Rogue of Time to send others across the timelines instead of himself, I think the session has great potential. The main areas of concern are the Bard, yknow, doing the Bardic thing and upfucking everyone’s the shit and/or the leadership struggle between the Knight and the Heir becoming excessively pitched. The Mage should help maintain this balance, but it may come at a great cost to them.

I hope you found this analysis informative and slash or entertaining ::::) thanks for the ask!!

#silver-star #Homestuck #fansession #session analysis #Witch of Void #Heir of Life #Knight of Mind #Seer of Space #Rogue of TIme #Maid of Doom #Mage of Blood #Bard of Heart #ask

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riarushi · 5 years

Text

mark as your badminton partner.

❥ genre- fem!reader, fluff, friends to lovers, idk sports?

❥ word count- 3.3k

I've wanted to do this for so long :') I play badminton myself and have been training for 2 years, so when I started stanning NCT and saw that Mark liked badminton I was super happy. I know this is my second Mark piece but anyways, please enjoy it! ~Ness

ミ☆

You got partnered with Mark at the beginning of the season.

You coach wanted to try rearranging the lineup, so he put his favourite singles players together as a mixed doubles team.

So now you and Mark are partners.

It wasn’t like you didn’t know him, though.

There were times when you warmed up with him.

From those, you picked up a bit of his playing style.

He was a little bit playful and ambitious, preferring quick attacks like smashes and kills.

Although his judgement wasn’t always the best.

Sometimes, he would hit the net and laugh nervously as he went to pick up the birdie.

You, on the other hand, were a little more cautious.

Every move you made was calculated in some way.

The angle of your birdie, the position of your opponent, you position, etc.

There was always something that determined your next move.

That contrast made you and Mark the perfect mixed doubles team.

However, the first few practices didn’t reflect that.

Neither of you were used to having another person on court.

You would constantly bump into him at the center.

He even hit you with his racket a few times.

“Sorry! Sorry! I forgot to look in front of me, haha...”

Mark massages the back of your head, handing you your water bottle with his free hand.

You smile, and take the water as Mark removes his hand from your head.

“It’s fine, we’re still getting used to this.”

The two of you return to the court after hearing your coach shouting.

You definitely weren’t as skilled as the previous mixed doubles team.

After playing with them for a while, you and Mark couldn’t even score 10 points.

They each came to give their tips and to their respective opponent.

“It’s not that you two aren’t a good pair, in fact your play styles are matched perfectly,” the girl previously in your position explained.

“My net shots aren’t as good as yours.” You laughed tapping your racket against the side of your leg.

“Oh, it’s not that! You guys just need to bond a little. Makes the teamwork better, ya feel?”

You nodded.

“I hung out with that idiot a whole bunch once we were partnered.” She pointed at the guy currently joking around with Mark. “If I didn’t I think playing badminton with him would’ve been way too awkward.”

ミ☆

Taking your predecessor’s advice, you ask your partner to join you for dinner after practice.

“Mark, do you wanna grab something to eat?”

He looks up from his bag, eyes staring into yours.

“Sure, if you want. I don’t have anything to do anyways.”

You settle for a small restaurant.

Nothing fancy, but a place where you can sit and chat comfortably.

You learn quite a lot about him that you never knew before.

He had a passion for music, he disliked sciences, and he had a huge friend group that he shared a house with.

In return, you told him lots about yourself.

Your interests, your friends and family, and some funny life stories.

When the food arrived and you couldn’t finish, he helped you eat the rest.

He’s a growing boy still.

By the end of the night, it felt like you had already become pretty close.

“So that’s why your racket grips are always green?” you ask, laughing as he bounces his bag higher onto his shoulders.

“Look, my friends are ridiculous. I can never buy rackets myself ‘cause they know I’ll try to get a different colour!” he whines.

“It’s kinda cute that you guys have a squad colour, though~”

“Nooo, I want a blue grip or something! Anything other than green! It’s so embarrassing when they come to tournaments..”

ミ☆

You thought it was an exaggeration, but Mark wasn’t kidding when he said they were embarrassing at tournaments.

The famed Jaehyun, Johnny, and Donghyuck from the stories were all hooting loudly as you two stood on court for your first game together.

You had met them formally prior to the match.

Although they acted polite towards you, you could hear them teasing Mark the second you turned around.

“So when are you guys gonna make it official?”

“Dude, we’re literally just badminton partners.”

“Hey, you never know.”

“It won’t happen!”

You couldn’t help but stifle a giggle as Mark’s friends continued to push the idea.

It really helped relieve the stress you had for your first match.

Here you are, on court with your partner getting ready to serve.

It’s nerve-wracking.

As soon as the birdie goes over the net, your mind switches to game mode.

There are more variables than you’re used to, since two more people had been added to your usual setup.

Not to mention the court was bigger.

Just like in practice, you and Mark bump into each other a few times.

He still wasn’t used to covering you if you went back, either.

Formations a little messy, the two of you lose your first set by quite a bit.

Your coach comes over to give his advice before the next set.

“What do you think went wrong there?”

You and Mark look at each other, unsure of what to say.

“Both of you can do better than that. Your formations were fine last practice, what’s up here?”

When he doesn’t get a response, your coach sighs. “Talk it out with each other.”

He leaves the two of you staring at each other.

“So, um...” Mark starts, spinning his racket in between his fingers.

You let out a little laugh. “I’m just a little nervous, sorry.”

“Don’t be nervous! You were doing great,” he comforted. “Did you see that kill you did near the end? I could never do that.”

“Oh, really? I think that smash you did to the front right was just as good.”

He smiles at your compliment and readies himself for the next set.

Although you lost the game, you and Mark definitely improved during the second set, only losing by 2 points.

You high-fived each other after the last point before returning to Mark’s screaming friends.

“HOW COULD YOU LOSE? YOU WERE USING YOUR LUCKY RACKET!”

“YOU WERE THE ONE WHO CHOSE THIS ONE, I’VE NEVER EVEN PLAYED WITH IT BEFORE.”

ミ☆

Since that tournament, you and Mark have been training more and more.

Your skills have been going up quite quickly, actually.

The two of you never bump into each other, and Mark instinctively covers whatever you can’t.

You’re starting to finally become a solid doubles team :’)

Your friendship has been growing stronger as well.

Both of you always eat dinner together after practice.

Though you’ve eaten at a couple of restaurants with him, the first one you went to remains superior.

Mark agrees.

There’s a lot more that you to about with each other, too.

You two feel more comfortable sharing more personal things, like your opinions on other teams and your friends.

Truly a close bond uwu

Of course, this reflects with your improved teamwork as well.

Your coach is happy that he doesn’t have to keep pointing out mistakes since you two point them out for him.

“Mark! You’re supposed to hit at 45 degrees, not 12!”

I know how to do a clear, okay?! I wasn’t even that late!”

“Oh yeah? Then why did it go to the middle left?”

“Shut up! You can’t even hit a net shot without letting the other person kill!”

Of course, it’s all playful.

You guys have grown to care a lot for each other.

Mark makes sure to also fill your water bottle every time he fills his own.

You bring extra snacks for him in case he gets hungry.

From a distance, you guys look like that one athletic couple™.

Which is friends love teasing him about.

You’ve spent the night over at their house a couple times now.

Since the training center is closer to Mark’s home than yours, it makes getting to morning practices a lot easier.

His friends adore you by the way.

At least three of them can’t stop pinching your cheeks (aka Johnny, Yuta, and Jaemin).

They treat you like royalty as the bully Mark about his friendship with you.

“Are you sure you’re not dating? Because I think I’ll take Y/N if you don’t~” Yukhei teases.

“Stoooooopppppp, leave me alooooonnnneeeee!”

Whenever you stay over, Mark lets you take his bed while he sleeps on the couch

What a gentleman uwu

His bed is super comfy.

And it smells nice, unlike the sweaty Mark you usually have to be around.

You always fall asleep pretty quickly under his covers.

The next morning, you’re perfectly rested up and ready for practice.

Unlike your partner, who barely got any rest with his roommates walking in and out of the living room all night.

ミ☆

You didn’t tell him yet, and you made sure he couldn’t see it last night.

But you had a little surprise for him this practice.

You tap your partner’s shoulder as he pulls out his gear from his bag.

“Mark! Guess what?”

“Mhm? What is it?”

Unable to keep the smile off your face, you pull out a racket from behind your back.

“I got you something!”

Mark looks at the object, then back at you before taking it from your hands.

“You like it heavier on the head, right?”

He nods, adjusting his grip and doing a couple of small test swings.

“But most importantly...”

You grab his wrist, prying a few of his fingers off the handle.

“The grip isn’t green!”

Mark smiles, admiring the vibrant blue colour you had chosen for him.

“Thank you, Y/N. It’s perfect.”

“Wait! There’s something else I wanna show you, too!”

You run over to your bag, Mark watching as you rummage around in it and pull something out.

“Tada!”

His smile grows wider as you run back, holding another racket in your hand.

“Is that new, too?” he asks.

You nod happily.

“I got it to match with yours, see? Same colours~”

You hold the racket beside Mark’s to let him look at the matching patterns and shades.

“But my racket is balanced, hehe.”

Your partner’s eyes sparkle as he admires your racket while you practice, glancing at his occasionally.

He better hide this one, or his roommates will whine AND tease him.

That’s pretty much overkill.

ミ☆

“Hey, Mark? Can you fill my water bottle again?”

His eyebrows raise slightly in surprise, but he nods and grabs the bottle.

When he returns, you start chugging the water.

“Woah woah woah.” He pushes the bottle down, take it out of your hands. “Why are you drinking so much? You might throw up on court.”

“Sorry, I’m just really nervous..” You closer your eyes and sit down on the bench.

“Don’t be. We’ve gotten pretty good, we even beat the last pair we versed.”

“I know but... this pair is supposed to be super good.”

You remember the previous mixed doubles player warning you about this duo.

They’ve been partners for years, of course their play would be perfected.

You and Mark on the other hand, have only been partners for a little over three months.

“I don’t think we can beat them like coach said..”

You head your partner sigh as he grabs your hand, placing your racket in it.

“We can, okay? Trust me, I got you.”

He places a chaste kiss on your forehead before grabbing his own racket and walking towards the court.

When your eyes open, they immediately gravitate towards Mark and his bright blue racket grip.

The match was more than you were expecting.

Although you weren’t losing terribly, it felt like you couldn’t keep up.

Every time you tied, something would happen, causing you and Mark to lose the serve.

You ended up losing the first set and just barely winning the second.

The two of you step off the court as the referees call for a quick break.

“We have... a third set to play...” Mark says in between pants.

You nod, setting your water bottle on the bench after downing everything inside.

“We’re so close...”

“And you thought we couldn’t beat them.”

Shoving his racket into his chest, you try to hide a smile.

“Get serious... or else we’re gonna lose.”

He chuckles.

“Okay, okay..”

ミ☆

Please... Please don’t mess this up...

You take a deep breath before serving gently.

They were so close to winning, they had 20 points.

You and Mark were way behind at 11, and were lucky enough to get the serve.

Any mistake and you could lose the game.

With a smash, Mark gets another point.

“Nice one, Mark.” You scoop up the birdie, switching sides and readying your racket again.

You feel a tap on your shoulder just as you’re about to serve.

“Serve high,” your partner whispers.

You turn around, worried. “Isn’t that risky?” you ask quietly.

“Trust me.”

Nodding, you wait for him to get back in position before serving.

The boy in the other pair runs to hit it to your left.

Quickly chasing after it, you toss it just over the net onto the other side of the court.

Surprised, the girl fumbles and misses the birdie.

Another point for you and Mark.

He smiles, spinning his racket in his hands as he walks over to his side of the court.

Making cautious yet accurate attacks, you somehow manage to tie with the other team.

Meaning, you have to play a deuce.

“Just two points, Y/N.. Two more points and we win...”

You can hear the nervousness in Mark’s voice.

“Play safe, be ready.”

Mark walks a little bit closer to the middle of his side, ready to defend.

At your serve, everyone moves around the court, readying for the next move.

The two of you are pushed into defence, returning the bird side by side as your opponents attempt to drive it into the ground.

When the opposing boy drops it to the front, Mark quickly dives to save it.

You move to cover the back, smashing the return onto the other side of the net.

One more point..

“Not bad, Y/N.. Didn’t know you could hit that hard...” Mark pats your back as he passes, mustering the best smile her can.

“I used to be a singles player too, y’know...”

Taking a deep breath, you ready yourself for what you hope is the final serve of the game.

You can feel your partner watching you, and you turn to see the nervousness and excitement in his stance.

He lifts up his pinky, signalling you to serve high again.

“You really need to stop being such a showoff..,” you playfully mock him.

Your partner only smirks at your comment.

The birdie flies to the back, quickly being received by the opposing female.

In response, you aim the birdie to the open spot she leaves in the front.

Unfortunately, she’s quick to get back in time to hit it, allowing her partner to return comfortably to his position in the back.

Her push goes straight to the middle, a perfect place for Mark to attack.

You aren’t exactly sure where he is on court, so you decide to position yourself in the center just in case.

Mark, however, didn’t realize you were trying to attack and collided with you.

“Mark! Hurry! Get back up!!” you shout, panicked.

You aim the birdie aimlessly, allowing the other team to start attacking as Mark tries to push himself off the ground.

“I’m gonna knock you over if you don’t get out of the way!”

“I can’t! They keep hitting here!”

The other team has clearly caught onto a strategy.

By keeping the more aggressive player on the ground, they have a chance to confuse you and gain the serve.

“Just smash! Do something!” your partner yells.

You nod, watching the high receive you were just given.

Trying to hit something that gives Mark time to get up, you gently push the birdie to the front corner of the court.

Mark gets up quickly, only to have nothing to receive.

“Did we just...”

“We just won..”

You turn around to face your partner, who had a smile just as big as yours plastered on his face.

“Mark! We won!!”

Squealing, you drop your racket and run towards him with your arms out.

He lets go of his own and catches you in a hug, letting you wipe your tears of joy all over his sweaty chest.

“I told you we could do it, didn’t I?”

You feel his hand gently stroking your hair, but his quick heartbeat contrasted his calming actions.

Excited from the win and your love TT

Even though your teammates and friends were cheering loudly, all you could hear was the pounding of your partner’s heart.

You were so glad to win with Mark.

ミ☆

“I saw that racket grip! When and how did you change it?!” Donghyuck pouted, hitting Mark’s bag.

Your partner groans. “It’s a gift, okay? I didn’t choose the colour.”

“But you still used it? Just keep using the old one!”

“Clearly,” Johnny chimes in. “You didn’t see Y/N’s racket on the floor.”

He points at the handle sticking out of your bag, causing you to hide it from view.

You could feel your face getting warmer as the older boy laughs at your actions.

“Oh? Are they matching?” Donghyuck wiggles his eyebrows, nudging Mark’s side.

In the dark, you’re unable to notice the blush that had crept onto your partner’s cheeks.

“No response! So they are matching~ I’m so gonna tell Chenle about this one!”

“Hyuck, shut up.”

Johnny chuckles. “Okay, okay. Get in the car kids, it’s getting late and this old man needs rest.”

You whine.

“Johnny, you’re not that much older than us!”

ミ☆

“I still can’t believe that we won.”

Mark smiles at your words, tugging one of his large hoodies over your smaller frame.

“Like, you went woooooossshhhh and then ran after the receive like swiisshhhhhhh...”

He chuckles, watching as you reenact the scene with your sweater paws.

“I know, I honestly shocked myself.”

“What? But you were so cool about it, Mark!”

“Oh, was I?”

You nod. “You were like, ‘Oh, I just hit a shot that was impossible to receive, lemme wipe the sweat off my forehead~’ like it was nothing!”

While describing the event, you dramatically place the back of your hand on your own forehead and throw your head back.

“Okay, you child. Do you wanna watch movies tonight or not?”

You giggle, making your way to the living room.

“Dunno if I’m gonna be able to focus though.”

The two of you watch movies until you start getting sleepy.

With your eyelids getting heavy, you rest your head on Mark’s shoulder.

His arm makes its way around you.

“Wanna go back to your room?” he asks, tucking some loose hair behind your ear.

You nod against him, eyes already shut.

He picks you up and takes you to his bedroom, setting you down on the mattress.

“Goodnight, Y/N.”

Just as he’s about to leave, you grab his sleeve.

“Did you shower today?”

He raises an eyebrow, though you can’t see in the dark room.

“Yeah, of course I did.”

“Hmmm...”

“Don’t tease me now, Y/N..”

You feel the sides of your lips being tugged at when you hear the pout in his voice.

“Sleep here tonight.”

Your words shock yourself, but you try not to move as you wait for Mark’s answer.

After a few moments, you feel his sleeve leave your fingers and the covers move.

“I have to be honest, the couch sucks,” Mark says, his weight causing the mattress to sink a little.

You smile, shuffling closer to Mark to wrap your arms around him.

“Night, Markie..”

Mark presses a kiss to the top of your head.

“Night, my little champion...”

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jaeinid-blog · 5 years

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hello darlins! i’m dove and this is choi jaein, the 22 year old younger sister to choi daein, officially making the choi family just disturbingly genetically blessed. she’s a trainee for midas media and in the lineup for neon, currently, as the lead vocal, lead rap. she has dreams of a successful solo career one day, preferably one which would follow the conceptual path and style of say gain or taemin. she probably joined midas because of titanium and their moody sensual powerful concepts because that is her big dream. i’ll drop some information beneath the cut to help you get to know her. please hit me up for some plotting, i’m a little shy and a little slow right now but i’m really excited! she’s got PROFILE and PLOTS too.

choi jaein, hoping for stage name “jane” or nothing at all because a cringey stagename is worse than d e a t h

22 years old, joined midas ent 2 years ago

jaein has historically been quite an average kid - she never really rebelled against her parents, she kept her head down and did her work dutifully and nicely.

her parents had high expectations of them and she never really questioned it, just dutifully went along with everything, did her work, took piano lessons and gymnastics and dance, and math hagwon and so on, just a bunch of bullshit to make her a “perfect student” and perfect daughter and whatever.

when she saw her brother begin rebelling and finally leaving to debut, jaein kind of had a “come to jesus” moment with herself and realized she had choices, she could want things, she could do things and she could be someone

unfortunately she now has just no sense of self whatsoever so she just ended up following daein into his “dream” because she’s always been pretty athletic and obviously being a celebrity seems flashy and fun and she’s young and stupid.

being “pretty” and having resting bitch face and generally being mistaken as aloof/bratty/whatever due to various factors, jaein is used to various levels of mistreatment from other people- being ostracized or being gossiped about or people (men) attempting to take advantage of her or spread rumors about her. this increased tenfold as she progressed further in midas, and in conjunction with her being pushed as a model and with her ‘new royalty” storyline a lot of people would have resented her and would be spreading various malicious things about her

jaein as she once was is a very boring sort of girl, kind of typical overall.

jaein has recently begun to overflow with her rebellious spirit, her actual personality long since un-recognizably oppressed.

because people keep creating this false image of her as some sultry and sexy and cruel and slutty and salacious figure she’s now decided she might as well play to that, because she’s never been given room to construct an identity for herself, and so now finding herself without a concept of self she’s just kind of latching onto what people have created for her, because it sounds a lot more appealing to be this like, effy stonem from skins creation than it does to be....entirely unsure of who she is at all.

#ooc.

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sole-cuore-amore-e-droga · 5 years

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Tel Aviv 2019: Straight outta Denmark to Eurovision with a cute multilingual jingle

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Dansk Melodi Grand Prix is... a NF I don’t really have anything to say about. Like, you expect me to rile up 3 big paragraphs about the pre-NF dramas and what-not, but honestly... what’s the point.

Well, aside from the fact people did not really get excited over the lineup this year. Me neither from the names alone, actually. Even last year was more interesting to look at despite with another lineup of songs you can’t give a fuck about and then move on - I noticed they had Sannie who used to be known as Whigfield (”Saturday Night” <3333 the duck quacks <333), Ditte Marie (anyone remembers “Overflow” from 2012?) and Albin Fredy (which seems to be the same Albin that brought me my one of the two DMGP 2013 favourite songs, “Beautiful to Me”???). This year was a big “WHO IS SHE?? WHERE DID YOU FIND HER???”, so I just left DMGP in the corner where it picked cobwebs until not too long ago when someone got chosen.

Well, this NF keeps being a NF where I don’t personally feel too emotionally fucked about any of them entries, so that’s a big plus in my book, which will mean that I won’t throw a “THIS WAS ROBBED!!!1″ post on Denmark NF-wise... at least this year and the last year because I really loved “Venter” in 2012 and the said “Beautiful to Me” and “Invincible” in 2013 (I also liked “Only Teardrops” but I was mad its victory was so obvious xD). As for why I like it when the NFs don’t toy with my feelings, A Dal 2019 is an obvious demonstration, but more on that on my Hungarian writeup, which is significantly longer than this one - that’s how much of a demonstration it is.

Anyway, let’s talk about the chosen song, shall we? Performed by a smol skater girlie Leonora (Jepsen), here comes “Love Is Forever”, which was co-penned by the ever-so-notorious Lise Cabble - the champ-mastress of writing Eurovision songs for the Danes (by that I mean she wrote their 1995 entry... and then none of her entries got chosen for ESC until 2011 lol). And this is a significally softer turn of hers compared to “Only Teardrops” - ever since Anna Ritsmar in 2018′s DMGP, she tends to write cute, acoustic tunes sung by young ladies with their lil cute and lil crispy voices. “Love Is Forever” is just that, tbh.

Well THAT and also it sounds like a lovely acoustic background song for those funny photos/student quotes/test answers/etc. compilation videos on Youtube (I actually am talking about the channel Scoop, because other kinds of compilation videos use Youtube Audio Library-like pop songs or something straight off NoCopyrightSounds). Or the theme song for a TV programme for animals. Or the theme song for a children's programme they show at hospitals. There's so many places you can insert it into, I guess. At the same time it feels like a cupcake with pink frosting that tastes nice. And a cup of warm cocoa with whipped cream and sprinkles. It's a delightful bite. Yum.

Realistically though, the song itself has an easy noddable-along-to rhythm, cute violin string plucks, the capability to melodically progress to sound even more joyful (I mean, the chorus just adds more and more layers of brass as it keeps repreating, just giving it a bit more of a typical Scoop channel background music material), the D flat major key of this song’s uplifts the spirits of this whole shebang and it also somehow includes lines in some more languages than expected in a Danish song ever, how odd it seems like??? And it’s especially given that we haven’t really heard Danish in a song since like what, 1997?? We only got “shout insh’allah” and “taka stökk til hærri jörð, taka” ever since then, and these aren’t remotely Danish lines. But this year we’re getting some Danish, and French, and even German. Feeling the love in multilingual. L’amour est pour toujours, y’all! Liebe IST für alle da!

There are also people that aren’t buying into the song all that much because Leonora looks way too creepy to sell a song about love love peace peace, like someone emerging out of a demented cabaret. I suppose that other people think that this song was forced onto Leonora when she didn’t really want it, and now has to pretend that we have to spread love to the world, make friendships with others, don’t get too political, and then act all supercool about it. The saddest bit that she does sound like that person that would sing a song like that... young, with a passion for skating, looks like a person that could probably hug you when you least expect it, the one that posts light purple sweater pictures with a glitter effect applied to them on Tumblr, the one who would wear white mittens with a giant red snowflake painted on/knitted into them... I don’t know if that’s all Leonora wanted to compete with in DMGP to make a breakthrough with her singing career after skating so darn much, and if she even believes in what is she singing (this is my rare reminder of the war situation in Israel that’s going on, and I’ll probably never have to speak of this again in any writeup, hopefully. Yeah sure, love is for ever...), but I somehow buy it, sue me. Those acoustics and that touch of brass instruments won me over.

So my final thoughts on this song is that it’s a joyball with that kind of song message so overused I cannot be angry on it because it’s not slapped on a dreary Russian peace ballad - it’s a singer-songwriter-esque small showtune, which makes it all seem a lot different because love is cute and this song is cute. So I guess I have no issues with it, whereas I can’t stand the aforementioned Russian peace ballads all that much because if you remove the good singers singing it, they’re cliché af; “Wars for Nothing” (Hungary 2015) sounded too innocent while having a full gun tree serving as a backdrop for them and if you looked too much into Boggie’s eyes, you could very well feel her penetrating your soul with war imagery; and Iceland last year was a knock-off Russian peace ballad that sounded too good to be unbearably dreary and the vocalist wasn’t even a belting girl. So yeah, I like it. More adorable songs about spreading love, less overdone ballads about world peace.

Thing is though, why did she really dress like a barista from a late-night-open cocktail club? I get that looking like a princess à la Maria Olafs won't cut it anymore as it would look way more saccharine, but Leonora is up like she's there to serve you your damn drink as soon as possible so she could go outside for a small smoke break, not to advertise love. Watch me make "when you have Eurovision at 9 and job at a cocktail bar at 11" memes on the night of the 16th. Seriously, her image barely even fucking suits the song!

Approval factor: Well, one of my faves won DMGP again, for the 2nd time in a row, so why wouldn’t I approve? ^_^ Love from me is forever!

Follow-up factor: For Denmark it kind of seems like a decent follow-up? For all those out here that remember Denmark as the nation that plagiarises every other entry, it would just seem logical for them to finally send a generic royalty free ukulele song for Youtube videos. Which is spectacular! No one knows which song did this one exactly plagiarize - the entire concept was ripped off! Jokes aside, it’s an interesting one after Rasmussen. After a song that urges you to lay your weapons down in a war and go find higher ground more peacefully, we’re now getting a morale on the fact that love is for ever and everyone. Isn’t it sweet. I’d rather these than a bland love song about laying down armours and guns. ^_^

Qualification factor: depends. For now I feel like writing it off because to the 1% of the people who’ve already heard this song beforehand and hate this song, the whole thing feels like “love :) is :) forever :) please love everyone you little shit :) :) :)”. To some others however, like Luke Malam from ESCXtra, it’s a song that definitely makes them feel the love being forever, just like “yaaaay we love each other and the world yaaaay!!! ^o^”, so it’s perhaps a bit of a mixed bag. I wanna see it through though, just as much as I want to see Lithuania, about which I will be talking next in these write-ups. But I see it very much so as a borderline because... idk, just a gut feeling. Sometimes songs that ooze loveliness just don’t quite get themselves across the other hand side of the viewer thus they don’t really qualify, for example, Finland 2012, another song sung by a lady better known as a sportswoman rather than a singer (but maybe that’s just because there was too much intimacy of hers with her and her celloist’s mom, and she looked too awkward to pass the intimacy to the viewers so they too could feel the loving bond and the life metaphors coming from a Finnish entrant singing in Swedish). For now from me it’s a positive borderline. Yes, I think that it probably will make it and we’ll see that large Ikea chair prop with many people swaying to the rhythm on it next to Leonora on Saturday as well.

NATIONAL FINAL BONUS

Even with me not having much to say about DMGP, I will go ahead and cherrypick the favourite songs from the event:

• The big favourite of mine this year was brought by Julie & Nina, who served a bilingual schlager-like midtempo track, “League of Light”. Hats off to sounding properly Eurovision-y but without using a “rent-a-NF-songwriter” songwriter for to write this! It’s soaring, majestic, somewhat memorable and inclused Greenlandic. Yeah. Do you believe that this would have been a year where we could’ve gotten more exotic Language spins? Now we have lost both Aboriginal and Greenlandic out of Eurovision, hopefully just for this year so the languages can return again sometime. I’m proud of these women being so courageous and delighting some that really wanted schlager pop that still can click with some that are bored of Eurovision NF schlager cliches. Oh and this song is in A flat minor, probably one of my favourite keys in music. Not too bad, everything this was, although the aggression they transmitted through the song during their live DMGP performance kiiiiinda made them looked like pissed-off housewives imo?

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• Them both and this guy below, Sigmund, were picked to the superfinal to compete against Leonora. What was Sigmund’s contribution and why did he deserve to be there so much? Well, I really love his colourful flamboyant electropop track that has piano influences, “Say My Name”, which lyrically reflects on the song’s protagonists big power that he will probably have if only the invisible force Sigmund’s singing to would just “say [his] name”. And I definitely think he deserved his spot over some really nice pop entries that the fandom definitely overrated. Oh and the song is in A flat minor too. Maybe I’m biased, maybe I’m not. You judge. >:)

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• See, I don't feel like talking about the DMGP songs this year. It's a cool bunch of songs that some of them I like but nothing quite outstanding to talk about beyond those I already have paragraphs for. Well maybe you'd like to look up the entries by Humorekspressen (for to get a pub singalong song) and Jasmine Gabay (for to get yet another Latino-influenced Havana club track). But that's it. Here from me the last one you'll be getting is Simone Emilie with her teen-flavoured light radiofriendly dance-ish song "Anywhere". Why didn't it do better despite having the power to click with the Eurofans quite much? Well, maybe it's because her backdrop and the fairytale-esque dress went for another kind of atmosphere than it was required to have on the song.

• I don't know, I just find this particular winning reaction shot funny. Not sure if she's yawning or being like "yaaaazs bitchesss ;) 😄 ✨" in here. I gotta say - her lipstick was definitely on fleek that night.

That guy below her takes the cake at making this shot memorable too. Do you want the invisible meal Leonora is about to take a bite of too?

And besides that moment I don’t really have any on-show moments besides songs that were somewhat memorable. Why do Danes always have to be this vanilla in the Nordic country barrage, I will never get. That’s it. That’s their crime. Of being average. And being sued for plagiarism a lot in the past.

For now I’d just wish Leonora good luck in Tel Aviv and show ‘em that love can and will prevail before hatred does, if only people remember to love... ah wait, wrong kind of philosophy.

#eurovision 2019 #tel aviv 2019 reviews #denmark 2019 #leonora #love is forever #denmark

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thotyssey · 5 years

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The tHOTlist #50 - 1

50) The Cock

Gay NYC’s longtime destination for raunch remains steadfast, even as today’s thots are mostly getting their fix through the hookup apps. But never underestimate the power of exhibitionism! It should also be said that the Cock deserves credit in their marketing of events for emphasizing the sexiness of diverse body types, ages, races, proclivities, etc. And if none of that is your thing, chill out upstairs with some sweet, fun bartenders like Franco, Brian and Lola Michele-Kiki.

49) Steve Sidewalk

Perhaps New York and New Jersey’s most followed dance floor pop DJ, Steve has a rabid babygay following thanks largely to his popular Gay College Tuesdays at the Ritz. Also a regular at POSH, Feathers and Paradise, Sidewalk has been touring venues across the country lately as well.

48) Will Sheridan

The larger-than-life college basketball star turned emcee and DJ just celebrated the sixth anniversary of Hot Fruit, the Metropolitan Bar party he long ago revamped to include a showcase for diverse Brooklyn talent. Will also dropped the EP LexIcon, performed a few showcases at Rise Bar with Corey TuT and Dezi 5, produced a new monthly party at Rockbar called The Phunktion, started bartending at GYM in addition to Macri Park, and generally remains a powerhouse of the scene.

47) Shuga Cain

Having rapidly become one of Manhattan’s favorite queens, Shuga is fierce, funny, and as her name suggests probably the sweetest person you know. You can feel her love for drag (which was a later-in-life career change for her), and that love is infectious... even to a house full of jaded HK Marys who have seen it all. Give Shuga all the finger wags--while you still can--at her solo Thursday Hardware happy hour, her Wednesday night Pieces show with JanSport, and Sunday nights at Bedlam hosting the seminal Look Queen competition.

46) Therapy

The increasingly famous HK destination boasts good eats, great beats, heavy pours, a more diverse crowd than you’d think (particularly the sexy bar staff), and some of the best drag shows in town: Slurp (Paige Turner), The Help (Pixie Aventura and Kizha Carr), Stage Fright (Marti Gould Cummings), and the new Soaked (Brita Filter, Lagoona Bloo and Rosé). Plus, JanSport’s singing competition “You Tried It” has electrified the babygay Broadway hopefuls that frequent the bar.

45) Aquaria

Aquaria’s Season 10 win brings home the reality that RuPaul’s Drag Race’s largest growing audience demographic is teen girls. What teenager doesn’t want to be Aquaria, with her beauty and fashion sense and confidence? Which isn’t to say that she didn’t deserve the win... every look she presented was genius, and once the music is cued she’s an electrifying performer. A distant and stilted host by her own admission, she brilliantly found ways to work around or even incorporate that handicap into the acting challenges. It’s quite clear that she’s destined for Warholian Living Fashion Installation Iconicism, and that’s as it should be. A former fixture of every scene queen party in the city, Aquaria’s never going to our parties again. She IS the party now, and we all dream of getting an invite.

44) Ragamuffin

Brooklyn’s high concept fashion and performance art folk hero crossed the river and became a Manhattan star in 2018. She hasn’t compromised her signature Demonic Raccoon beats, asymmetric silhouettes or off-the-radar drag numbers for anyone, but she’s found a way to incorporate it all into a more mainstream package when needed. She’s also enforced the “artists should actually get paid by the house” philosophy of drag, moving her hit workshop / showcase “Failure” from Bizarre Bushwick to the East Village’s Club Cumming (she’s also regularly lent her drag there to the monthly cabaret revue MARY). You can still catch Raga giving you Brooklyn realness for her seminal pairing with Ruby Roo, Mondays on Mondays at Macri Park--as well as a solo late night Sunday show at Metro.

43) Rosé

New York’s uber-talented singing drag trio Stephanie’s Child have officially taken over the scene, and became the standard of quality the queens are expected to meet if they wanna make it big here. Musical theater baby Rosé--aka Stephanie’s Child’s “Pink One”--sings, dances, jokes, and does killer mixes with the best of them. Pleasantly kooky, well-spoken and free-spirited (and newly the drag daughter of legendary Kizha Carr), she made her drag debut last year with an explosive crown-winning turn for the final Lady Liberty weekly competition season. You can now catch her co-hosting the pop-up showdowns of that franchise with Brita Filter at the Ace Hotel. Rosé is also co-hosting Therapy’s new hit Thursday show Soaked with Brita and fellow Child Lagoona Bloo, Turn It Up Sundays with the third Child JanSport at Hardware, and Tuesday karaoke at Pieces with Lagoona.

42) Switch N’Play

With a current core roster consisting of K. James, Miss Malice, Divina GranSparkle, Zoe Ziegfeld, Pearl Harbor, Nyx Nocturne and Vigor Mortis, it’s obvious that the nature of this troupe has evolved since its drag king beginnings (in fact, none of the original lineup remains in the group). Successful outfits change with the times, and Switch N’Play presently reflects Brooklyn nightlife’s current Fuck That approach to gender and genre. With two monthly showcases at Branded Saloon--and a recent excursion to the prestigious National Sawdust theatre (current home base of Sasha Velour’s Nightgowns) for their annual Addams Family tribute show--the group has gotten tons of love... not to mention a bunch of Brooklyn Nightlife Awards this past go-around.

41) The Carry Nation

The famed DJ duo Nita Aviance and Will Automagic are currently enjoying another successful season of residency at Brooklyn’s Good Room, but were super in-demand across the city this year. We danced to their beats at Nowadays, Elsewhere, the House of Yes, Battle Hymn, 3 Dollar Bill, the Pines Pavilion and Bushwig, just to name a few. Their best DJ GLAM nod this year is well-deserved indeed.

40) Ric Sena

Creating the Alegria brand of circuit parties 18 years ago, Sena married gorgeously hypnotic visuals with sonic sensory overload, and a circuit standard was born. Or rather, a cult was formed. Alegria continues to be the seasonal event that circuit queens around the world plan their lives around, but these days in NYC Ric Sena Presents also offers the monthly VIVA at FREQ, and the occasional morning after Sunrise day party at Hudson Terrace.

39) The Rosemont

Not really the new kid on the block anymore, former jazz club The Rosemont has become well-established with a certain brand of queer nightlife: young, diverse, experimental, but still unabashedly worshipful of all things pop. Well-attended nights there include the dragtastic OOPS Wednesdays, Bitch Nasty Fridays featuring DJs Ickarus and Hannah Lou, and the bi-monthly Saturday Fake Nudes with DJ P_A_T and The Haus of Sterling.

38) Maddelynn Hatter

Hell’s Kitchen’s favorite GlamourGhoul kept the party roaring at The Ritz with her scary popular TURNt Wednesdays, and now also a weekly Friday drag competition Open Call. She was also a third of ReBar’s “Bad Bitch Review” and made several Brooklyn appearances, all while keeping us a-gag with her high fashion monster beats.

37) Lagoona Bloo

“The Blue One” of the megapopular singing drag trio Stephanie’s Child is a superb singer and performer in her own right, and there are undoubtedly even bigger things to come for this queen on the rise. The party never stops with this one! Catch her co-hosting Tuesday karaoke at Pieces with fellow Child Rosé, hosting a solo show Wednesday nights at The West End, co-hosting the new party Soaked with Rosé and Brita FIlter, giving us an all-sung set monthly Fridays at Stonewall, and dropping fierce pop-up bombs for Hardware’s Slay Saturday party alongside Ruby Roo.

36) Rockbar

The bear-centric bar on the far end of the West Village’s Christopher Street stays faithful to the gayborhood’s cruisy past with a slew of monthly underwear and gear / fetish events, and keeps true to its name with occasional live music acts and a DJ emphasis on rock music and new wave. But the bar has also been developing a noteworthy roster of happy hour drag shows that you should not be sleeping on.

35) Rify Royalty

Brooklyn’s longtime Sexy Guy and host of the popular Metropolitan Bar monthly party Straight Acting has gone deeper into drag in 2018, with fascinating results, presenting as a gorgeous fashionista with a sex-positive masculine edge (we guess that’s how one can describe most drag queens, but that edge just feels sharper here). Turning lewks at Bartsch parties and creating a fun and flashy new weekly Miss Girl at the East Village’s Narcbar of the Standard Hotel, Rify is now becoming a force to be reckoned with in Manhattan as well as Brooklyn... even earning a coveted Entertainer of the Year GLAM nomination.

34) Ruby Roo

If Bob didn’t already utilize the title, we’d be calling Ruby the Queen of the People. When she’s not serving you spirits as a (GLAM-nominated!) Pieces bartender on Wednesdays and Saturdays, she’s a versatile performer onstage who knows how to work a room and cater her drag to it. She’s dryly funny for the attentive loyalists of her long-running Mondays on Mondays at Macri Park, she’s flashy and fun for her mobbed parties Frisky Fridays at Pieces and Slay Saturdays at Hardware, and she delivers the Full Unfiltered Roo for her solo Sunday show at The Duplex. Bonus, she’s a Cosmo Queen! Bonus-bonus, look at that wig up there.

33) Amanda Lepore

New York City nightlife’s most iconic living figure remains the person that even Hollywood’s top celebrities want a photo op with. If you spot Amanda in the place you’ve chosen as your evening destination -- whether it be one of Susanne Bartsch’s massive scene queen affairs or a smaller lounge situation like Acme’s STRUT -- you’ve chosen your night wisely. And also, cheers to trans hero Amanda for explaining to Victoria’s Secret who she is and who they are, simply and elegantly.

32) Mitch Ferrino

As one half of The Only Productions (the other being his bestie Bob the Drag Queen), Mitch keeps himself quite busy producing major events like the epic annual Halloween party Bloodbath, as well as music tracks for Drag Race alums (notably Aja this year) and original multimedia content. But he’s also a DJ who began his nightlife career bartending at the Monster before working his way up to hosting that bar’s popular Saturday night kiki, Manster. After years of manning Manster there (and also DJing Monster’s epic drag competition Look Queen that was Bob’s brainchild), Mitch and Manster’s hostess Honey Davenport abruptly quit The Monster after the bar’s general manager Italo Lopez criticized a Manster poster via text for featuring black men as opposed to “beautiful” (white) men. When Mitch and Honey put the comment out into the public, it forced everyone into the uncomfortable but entirely necessary conversation of racism in nightlife. Mitch has since brought a variation of Manster to Phoenix on Friday nights, and spins Look Queen at Bedlam, but the importance of his actions this year make him a person of great interest when looking at the possible future of queer nightlife in this city.

31) Brenda Dharling

One of our city’s most cherished queens is still the only dancer in the biz who can pull off a quadruple pirouette. Lovely on the inside and out, Brenda’s basicallythe queen we all want to be, and every year she becomes an even better show hostess. Aside from chilling with her poolside at the Ice Palace during the summer season, you can enjoy Miss Dharling at her solo Monday night Barracuda show, her Legend Wednesdays diva worship at Rise with co-hosts Bootsie LeFaris and Marti Gould Cummings, giving you themed realness on select Thursday nights with Industry’s megashow QUEEN, and turning Blackout Fridays at Suite Bar with Pattaya Hart.

30) JanSport

After breaking through in 2016 as a Kris Jenner impersonator with powerful Broadway singing chops, Jan evolved over time into a multidimensional queen in her own right. And if you go by her Insta following and the general fame she’s acquired through media appearances -- particular as a major part of the singing queen trio Stephanie’s Child--the funny and cheerful Jan is basically a full-on icon in the making. Catch her with fellow Child Rosé Sundays at Hardware, hosting a popular singing competition Tuesdays at Therapy, Wednesdays at Pieces with Shuga Cain and Izzy Uncut, select Thursdays with the ladies of QUEEN at Industry, and hosting a Friday party at Icon in Astoria.

29) Jasmine Rice LaBeija

The diva who’s clearly taking over the city is is entirely unafraid to speak her mind--whether it’s to take down a queen who crosses her, clap back at a pageant judge who didn’t favor her, put a non-paying employer in his place, criticize the “No Fats No Fems No Asians” culture of Basic Gaydom, and even a bit of self-depreciation here and there. We live for the Extra, but what keeps us coming to all the gigs each week is the talent. Bitch is funny, fashionably fierce and ferociously smart, encompassing both the gritty old school queens of golden age drag and the polished new school. Plus, the classically trained opera singer can siiiiiiiing. The gigs: Sunday with Brita Filter at Hardware, Mondays with Pissi Myles at Rise, alternating Tuesdays with Sucia hosting karaoke at Boxers Washington Heights, Thursdays at Pieces, and Fridays back at Hardware with Izzy Uncut.

28) Holly Dae

Here’s a hilarious veteran comedy queen and hostess who’s always showed fierce loyalty to her employers... most recently following the gogo boy troupe Spunk after they vacated the Fairytail Lounge’s Saturday party she hosted, and also standing by The Monster during their recent troubles. She continues hosting her long-running Wednesday show at The Monster as well as a new Saturday Spunk party there--and Sundays she hosts the Pieces Spunk party down the street. Holly also keeps Industry’s QUEEN machine going as its showrunner, and joins Bootsie LeFaris, Pixie Aventura and Brenda Dharling on select Fridays for the still super-successful Distorted Diznee at the Beechman.

27) Bootsie LeFaris

One of the city’s hardest working and most professional queens, Bootsie doesn’t come to play... even when she’s being a politically incorrect, lowbrow goofball who’s unafraid to make herself look ridiculous. Our gurl always brings the funny, whether she’s Ratchet Hillbilly Ho or Mother of the Church of Celine Dion. Get your LeFaris fix at the Voss Events Drag Brunch at the Highline Ballroom, Legend Wednesdays at Rise, QUEEN at Industry select Thursdays, Super Size Queen Fridays at Hardware (and also Distorted Diznee at the Beechman on select Fridays), Sinful Saturdays for the past five years at Pieces, and basically any place that has the coin and needs a Bootsie.

26) The Urban Bear

The bears are the kings of these woods, henny! Robert Valin’s nightlife (and daylife) community is dedicated to all things large, hairy and masc (although the definition of what a “bear” is is certainly not limited to those identifiers anymore). With both weekly and monthly parties at Rockbar, a new monthly affair at The Brass Monkey and the annual Urban Bear Weekend that gets bigger and bearier ever year, these animals have found themselves at the top of the food chain.

25) The Ritz

Still the favorite destination for HK baby thots to dance and hook up, the two-story bar with the killer new sound system brings famed DJs from across the world to come and play, along with their rotating roster of excellent residents. There is also no shortage of hot guys (bartenders, gogo boys and patrons who might as well be gogo boys) and amazing queens (Digna and Nick Gaga in the hosting committee, Maddelynn Hatter and the cast of TURNt Wednesdays, etc.). The party never stops, seven days a week.

24) Kizha Carr

This stage and screen actor made good on her threat to return to drag full time after her run with The Book of Mormon on Broadway ran its course, and we couldn’t be happier for it. The brilliant makeup artist, fun-as-all-hell performer and well-respected queen among peers has new gigs all over town -- in addition to her long-running Sunday show at Industry, which was the only drag show we could see her in during her Mormon stint. Now there are also Tuesdays at Barracuda, Wednesdays with Pixie Aventura for The Help at Therapy, and Fridays at Boxers Washington Heights.

23) DJ 2Face

New York’s most recognizable, two-time GLAM winning DJ (nominated a third time this year) and budding fashionista will probably take your requests at the booth, just don’t be so damn basic about it! And respect the fact that he works practically every night, at the best spots with some of the best known people in the biz.

22) Merrie Cherry

Brooklyn’s busiest queen had a major health scare this year, and it seemed for a minute there nightlife was gonna be a little less Merrie. But Da Bitch Is Back after a mere month of convalescence, and better than ever! See the mother of high-concept fashion, electrifying performance and major event production (including the Brooklyn Nightlife Awards) turn it all over the borough, notably as the host of the monthly pageant Dragnet at Metro and her own solo monthly show Pop My Cherry at Macri Park. And we hear that even bigger things are in the future for this queen among queens!

21) Ladyfag

The long-established Queen of the Night remains a sort of Pope figure for all the fashion / art / dance kids of the scene, and her main church these days is the monthly Battle Hymn in Chelsea. Ladyfag’s Ladyland Queer Music Festival at the Brooklyn Mirage (which had a lineup that included Eve, Kim Petras and Sophie) was one of the more innovative Pride destinations this summer, and her devotees are anxiously awaiting the December return of her revered monthly soiree Holy Mountain in its new Brooklyn destination, Avant Gardner.

20) Shequida

With Sherry Vine leaving town, this fashionably flawless opera diva takes ownership of the Longest Working Queen of NYC title. Which isn’t at all to say that she’s slowing down anytime soon: her weekly Shequida Show Thursday nights at Hardware remains one of the country’s most attended drag shows that major queens from across the world are lining up to guest star in, the Monday night Pieces competition Drag Wars she hosts has become a vital staple for new talent in the city, she runs the Voss Events Sunday Drag Brunch at the Highline Ballroom, and she frequently performs with fellow nightlife legends for the McKittrick Hotel’s Bartschland Follies on Friday nights. (Oh, and she’s probably the highest paid queen in the city, but you didn’t here that form us!)

19) Brian Rafferty

If you are a tried-and-true circuit queen in New York, you have a very different tHOTlist than what you’re reading now and this guy is probably your number one. With a long career in nightlife, the founder of Brian Rafferty Productions is currently best known for bringing the sex-drenched monthly circuit party phenom TRADE and its several incarnations to the venues in town that can still house it -- like Times Square’s Rosewood Theater -- and to lucky cities across the country.

18) Paige Turner

Classy vintage girlie looks, potty mouthed-yet-still-clever song parodies, occasional touching moments, lots of surprise naked guys and a rabid fanbase are the hallmarks of this massively popular longtime queen, both in her bar shows (Slurp Sundays at Therapy, and now Broadway Mondays with Sutton Lee Seymour & Cacophony Daniels at Hardware) and in her scripted stage shows. After a long relationship with the Laurie Beechman Theatre, Paige has mixed things up a bit by bringing her latest Christmas show to Yotel’s Green Room 42.

17) Brita Filter

One of New York’s best (and best known) drag hostesses has been going strong for some three years now, rocking us with giant wigs and costumes and the biggest (most expensive) smile in the business... even as her waistline shrinks (do we detect a pattern with big queens getting slimmer here?), Making appearances all over the country (as of this writing, she’s at the Austin International Drag Festival) and all the city’s star galas and private events you wanted to go to, Brita still manages to keep one of the city’s fullest weekly show schedules. Catch our “anything but pure” comedienne Sundays (with Jasmine Rice) and Tuesdays at Hardware, Wednesdays (with Honey Davenport) at Boxers Washington Heights, Thursdays (with Lagoona Bloo & Rosé) at Therapy and Fridays (with Ruby Roo) at Pieces.

16) Club Cumming

Despite a massively successful first year that put the small, eclectic bar and venue on the international map, Club Cumming almost ceased to exist earlier this year when a licensing snafu paralyzed their live performance calendar for months (although the bar’s flagship performers did have a guest presence at Fire Island’s Community House this summer). But the club’s unique fanbase--a true and rare cross section of queers and straights, locals and tourists--kept loyal through a long stretch of silence and Spotify playlists. When the error was finally corrected, The Good Wife star Alan Cumming’s club roared back into life with more ferocity and weirdness then ever before. Now sporting drag, cabaret, comedy, dance parties, burlesque, readings, a knitting circle and a guy who paints with his penis as regular attractions to their small but mighty stage, the infinite possibilities of the space have created more excitement in NYC nightlife than nearly anything else. Recent reports have had Paul McCartney, Vanessa Williams, Emma Stone, Kesha and even Monica Lewinsky come through and at times actually perform impromptu. So if you come on the right night when the stars and planets align, Club Cumming could give you stories you’d actually tell your grandkids. But maybe leave out the ones about the penis painting guy. [photo: @jeffreycampagna]

15) Honey Davenport

Everyone who knows Honey understood how difficult it was for her to walk away from Manster, the long-running party at The Monster she hosted with DJ Mitch Ferrino, and to do it so publicly at that. She’s been a consummate professional who only wanted to entertain since the beginning of her drag career. But those who knew her best were aware that she also has convictions, and the time came when she had to take a stand against not only a moronically racist statement from the Monster’s general manager (regarding black men pictured in a Manster flyer), but also all queer culture’s infrequently discussed racial problems. She didn’t solve those problems, of course, but she got us talking. And she also kept us laughing and living at all her other gigs, which are multiplying faster than Gremlins on Christmas (right now it’s rotating Gay College Tuesdays at the Ritz, Wednesdays at both ReBar and Boxers Washington Heights, and Fridays at Paradise in Asbury Park). 2019 will undoubtedly be the biggest year of her career thus far... and few queens are more deserving of success than she.

14) Barracuda & Industry

Sisters bars in different neighborhoods with opposite decors, there’s still lots in common with Bob Pontarelli’s gay properties: many of the same queens (among the best in Manhattan) doing world famous shows, cute bar staffs and cash only policies to name just a few. Chelsea’s Barracuda first opened its doors 33 years ago, and even with the recent loss of the world’s tackiest wallpaper decorating the stage remains charmingly kitschy... while boasting some of the city’s most important shows like the long-running Star Search now hosted by Tina Burner. Industry Bar in HK is newer and swankier, but with shows like the huge revue QUEEN has become just as vital to drag and nightlife. It would be impossible to get the full gay NY experience without a visit to both of these places... just remember to bring cash!

13) Daniel Nardicio

Club Cumming's entertainment director has had a long and storied history of producing nightlife events. He and his production company DWorld are known for favoring the raunchiest parties he can get away with, but also building nights around divas ranging from local favorite Amber Martin to folk hero Jill Sobule to Liza Minnelli. Besides ushering Club Cumming through its Dark Period earlier this year -- and also honoring his departed friend, legendary nightlife comic Robbyne Kaamil -- Nardicio embarked on a massive venture with his recent purchase of Bedlam Bar on the East Village’s Avenue C. It’s going to be a tough sell to get nightlifers to come that far south, but based on his own history and his willingness to try anything (including *ahem* Thotyssey’s own brand new Viva Variety Tuesday night show), it should be another huge win for both Daniel and the scene. Bonus: he still has the cutest Nightlife Dog ever.

12) Pixie Aventura

Whether she was turning it on the massive outdoor stage alongside legends of the scene for this summer’s surprise Wigstock revival, or performing at this year’s Obie Awards with host and idol John “Chi-Chi“ Leguizamo, or hosting her slew of popular weekly shows (Sundays at Barracuda, Tuesdays at Hardware, Wednesdays at Therapy and select Fridays at the Beechman for Distorted Diznee), Pixie has reminded the world that she’s arguably New York’s best drag performer, as if it needed reminding. A diva in the truest sense of the word -- huge personality and charisma to match her talent and quest for perfection -- Miss Aventura, who is best known for her dancing but really brings every damn thing to the table, is the shining star of the nightlife sky.

11) John Blair, Jake Resnicow & Alan Picus

The four masters behind most of New York’s largest and most popular circuit parties, Blair (co-owner of Rise Bar), Resnicow (Producer of the Life Ball) and Picus (BoiParty) keep the thots sweaty and entranced by the thousands. Between various combinations of the three (along with tons of high profile promoters in their employment), we get M.E.A.T. at the Highline Ballroom every month and a few pop-up events scattered across the city, like December’s launch of Laboratory at the new Chelsea Music Hall.

10) The Eagle NYC

Still the best place in NYC for boys to be boys, men to be men and Leather Daddies to leash up their Pups, the Eagle represents the best of a trailblazing gay scene we don’t see as much of nowadays, but need around in order to keep that level of kink and roleplay alive in the subculture. The leather and fetishist communities found at the Eagle represent a tight-knit and vital queer community.

9) Horrorchata

The Queen of All Brooklyn Nightlife Today and the founder and producer of the annual Bushwig festival--which put Brooklyn nightlife on the map--continues her colorful, fashionable rule over her borough. Although not often performing herself these days, and too busy with international versions of Bushwig to experiment much with new nightlife events here in NYC, Horrorchata still brings us the epic monthlies Be Cute at Littlefield and Yas Mama at C’Mon Everybody, while spinning the weekly party CAKES at Metro and sundry other DJ gigs throughout the month.

8) Tina Burner

We hate having to crop a Tina pic because there is always a full lewk to gag over, and summarizing her contributions to the city’s nightlife could never be done in just a blurb like this either. As the current host of Barracuda’s long-running drag competition Star Search and the creator of the annual Miss Barracuda pageant, Tina fosters so much young drag talent in the city. As the hostess of Industry’s new Monday night show and Barracuda’s Wednesday Gurlesque revue, as well as her Saturday and Sunday brunches at Intermezzo and her One Woman Show at Hardware on Saturdays (not to mention her summer dominance of Cherrys on Fire Island), she exemplifies why New York drag is the country’s best. As a non-stop co-designer of her nightly and pageant looks which can range from the sublime to the ridiculous, she reveals how far the art form can be taken as a visual medium. As a national Comedy Queen finalist and our current reigning Miss Fire Island, she lets us all know that she’s a key player in not just the city’s scene, but the world’s. Unapologetically outspoken and larger than life while 100% devoted to her craft and the social responsibilities of drag in the queer community, Tina is the “drag queeniest” drag queen of them all... and we love her for it!

7) Stonewall

Our current President may have at one point wanted to overturn the ruling which made this bar a national landmark just to spite his predecessor, but that wouldn’t de-emphasize the importance of this destination to the LGBT movement at large. The birthplace of gay rights remains both a vital community center (featuring political rallies and fundraisers, theater and arts events) and a nightlife hub (weekend dance parties, karaoke, a seasonal singing competition, weekly and monthly drag shows including the career-making, different-featured-queen-per-week Stonewall Invasion). The staff (and the staff of its neighboring sister bar The Duplex) still come across as a giant family, and on their best nights they make their patrons -- tourists and locals alike -- feel like family as well.

6) Marti Gould Cummings

You may have noticed that some of your nightlife friends have become a lot more politically active and aware on social media these days, which of course is largely to do with necessity for survival thanks to the current administration. But it also can be traced to the visibility and persistence of this queen, who aside from being the founder of the Hell’s Kitchen Democrats and a major campaign fundraising figure for Cynthia Nixon’s gubernatorial run is also seated in the mayoral appointed Nightlife Advisory Committee. Marti is keenly aware of who or what we should be voting for to best protect our community, and she’s not afraid to tell us what we need to know. And what’s amazing is, she’s able to keep up with her responsibilities on the political front while still juggling a motherload of drag gigs: Sunday happy hour bingo at Pieces followed by a late show at Hardware, Monday nights at Therapy, Wednesday nights at Rise Bar, and lots of other pop-up shows and appearances all across town. Few people in the biz can turn the dial on and off between serious / hopeful activist to absolute drag clown with more success than Marti, who was just included in an even more prominent list than this one: the Out 100.

5) Macri Park & Metropolitan Bar

Having just celebrated their third and fifteenth anniversaries respectively, the smaller Macri Park and its nearby Big Sister institution Metro are the standard for what makes drag great in Brooklyn... whether its drag-infused parties or full on shows. They remain the only places in the borough where you can still see the scene’s pioneers perform on a regular basis, as most of them--Ruby Roo, Ragamuffin, Rify Royalty, Alotta McGriddles, etc.--have branched out into Manhattan gigs. And Metro’s the best place in the city to see visiting Drag Race queens and famous out-of-town performers do their thing in a surprisingly intimate setting. If you haven’t experienced these bars yet, than you don’t know the full story of NY drag and nightlife.

4) Susanne Bartsch

The Godmother of Nightlife is finally getting the credit she deserves as a vital figure of pop culture at large, having helped define a whole scene as Music plus Fashion equals Living Art. This year saw another successful run of her weekly summer party at LeBain; the creation of the Bartschland Follies weekly performance series at the McKittrick Hotel (fittingly the home of Sleep No More) featuring the likes of Amanda Lepore, Murray Hill, Joey Arias and other nightlife legends who Bartsch helped establish; the random kiki blowouts KUNST and 3 Dollar Bill’s new Play Now plus her famous annual Halloween affair at MoMA PS1. And then of course, there was the release of Susanne Bartsch: On Top, a much-discussed documentary biopic. Presenting the highest quality of nightlife in terms of art and music and community, Bartschland remains the golden standard.

3) Boxers

With a fit, shirtless staff, some tasty bar food and and sporty-esque atmosphere, Boxers in Chelsea established itself as a simple-yet-effective brand destined to be a chain of the Gay Hooters variety several years ago. It’s since done just that, with a very popular Hell’s Kitchen site and one all the way out in Philly. This year, the Boxers franchise fought the good fight and won, having earned two new uptown locations in the Upper East Side and Washington Heights. Both the new spots strayed from brand slightly with the inclusion of drag shows (and big ones at that), but nonetheless the company’s successful formula seems to offer infinite franchise possibilities.

2) Pieces & Hardware

An important West Village destination founded in the 90s, the narrow Pieces began as a cruisy karaoke dive and evolved into a destination for great drag and dance parties. Its younger Hell’s Kitchen sister Hardware has become something of a drag institution in recent years, establishing some of the city’s best shows and many of RuPaul’s Drag Race’s recent contestants and winners. With a sexy and charming staff of bartenders and DJs that cross between the two venues all week, neighborhood snobs break their habits and follow them between HK and the West Village pretty regularly. Owners Eric Einstein and Justin Buchanan recently acquired the West Village’s vacated Boots & Saddle property (which they will revamp and rename) as well as a new Hell’s Kitchen venue, both set to open in 2019; it’ll be exciting to see how the city’s nightlife further evolves when that happens.

1) Frankie Sharp

The nightlife impresario and entrepreneur behind the wildly successful Westgay at the Westway has been making things happen for quite some time, but really seemed to take 2018 as his own. Let’s review! In 2018, Frankie has: 1) maintained Metrosensual, the Saturday night party at Metropolitan Bar featuring guest spots from RuGirls and buzzworthy performers the world over; 2) established MARY, a raw and electrifying musical revue with a full band and large cast of singers, now a popular monthly happening at Club Cumming; 3) took charge of ReBar’s Friday nights with the sexy party BOYS; 4) became the programming director of Brooklyn’s cavernous new nightlife hub, 3 Dollar Bill, where in a few short weeks he’s already whipped up a dizzying calendar of drag shows, dance parties, live concerts and sexy soirées; 5) maintained his persona as a sharp-dressed, sexy AF personality and DJ on the scene. Basically, we all want to be Frankie on some level... we just don’t perceive that we could ever possibly have the time, talent, resources, connections and sheer force of will that Frankie has. He’s the whole package, and the living embodiment of what a person with vision can accomplish in this town.

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blackkudos · 6 years

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Frankie Lymon

Franklin Joseph (Frankie) Lymon (September 30, 1942 – February 27, 1968) was an American rock and roll/rhythm and blues singer and songwriter, best known as the boy soprano lead singer of the New York City-based early rock and roll group The Teenagers. The group was composed of five boys, all in their early to mid-teens. The original lineup of the Teenagers, an integrated group, included three African-American members, Frankie Lymon, Jimmy Merchant, and Sherman Garnes; and two Puerto Rican members, John Seda and Douglas Seda.

The Teenagers' first single, 1956's "Why Do Fools Fall in Love," was also its biggest hit. After Lymon went solo in mid-1957, both his career and that of the Teenagers fell into decline. He was found dead at the age of 25 on the floor of his grandmother's bathroom from a heroin overdose. His life was dramatized in the 1998 film Why Do Fools Fall In Love.

Early years: joining the Teenagers

Frankie Lymon was born in Harlem, New York on September 30, 1942 to Howard and Jeanette Lymon. Howard worked as a truck driver and Jeanette worked as a maid. Howard and Jeanette Lymon also sang in a gospel group known as the Harlemaires; Frankie and his brothers, Lewis and Howie, sang with the Harlemaire Juniors (a fourth Lymon brother, Timmy, was a singer, though not with the Harlemaire Juniors). The Lymons struggled to make ends meet, so, at age 10, Lymon began working as a grocery boy.

At the age of 12 in 1954, Lymon heard a local doo-wop group known as the Coupe De Villes at a school talent show. He became friends with the lead singer, Herman Santiago, and he eventually became a member of the group, now calling itself both The Ermines and The Premiers. Dennis Jackson of Columbus, Georgia, was one of the main influences in Lymon's life. His personal donation of $500 helped start Lymon's career.

One day in 1955, a neighbor gave The Premiers several love letters that had been written to him by his girlfriend, with the hopes that he could give the boys inspiration to write their own songs. Merchant and Santiago adapted one of the letters into a song called "Why Do Fools Fall in Love". The Premiers, now calling itself The Teenagers, got its first shot at fame after impressing Richard Barrett, a singer with The Valentines. Barrett, in turn, got the group an audition with record producer George Goldner. On the day of the group's audition, Santiago, the original lead singer, was late. Lymon stepped up and told Goldner that he knew the part because he helped write the song. The disc jockeys always called them "Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers".

Life and career

"Why Do Fools Fall in Love": fame and success

Goldner signed the group to Gee Records, and "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" became its first single in January 1956. The single peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard pop singles chart, and topped the Billboard R&B singles chart for five weeks.

Six other top blues 10 singles followed over the next year or so: "I Want You to Be My Girl", "I Promise to Remember", "Who Can Explain?", "Out in the Cold Again", "The ABC's of Love", "I'm Not a Juvenile Delinquent", and "Baby Baby" were also popular Teenagers releases. "I Want You To Be My Girl" gave the band its second pop hit, reaching No. 13 on the national Billboard Hot 100 chart. "Goody Goody" (written by Matty Malneck and Johnny Mercer and originally performed by Benny Goodman) was a No. 20 pop hit, but did not appear on the R&B chart. The Teenagers placed two other singles in the lower half of the pop chart.

With the release of "I Want You To Be My Girl", the group's second single, The Teenagers became Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers. An album, "The Teenagers Featuring Frankie Lymon", was released in December 1956.

Going solo

In early 1957, Lymon and the Teenagers broke up while on a tour in Europe. During an engagement at the London Palladium, Goldner began pushing Lymon as a solo act, giving him solo spots in the show. Lymon began performing with backing from pre-recorded tapes. The group's last single, "Goody Goody" backed with "Creation of Love," initially retained the "Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers" credit, but they were actually solo recordings (with backing by session singers). Lymon had officially departed from the group by September 1957; an in-progress studio album called Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers at the London Palladium was instead issued as a Lymon solo release.

As a solo artist, Lymon was not nearly as successful as he had been with the Teenagers. Beginning with his second solo release, "My Girl", Lymon had moved to Roulette Records. On a July 19, 1957, episode of Alan Freed's live ABC TV show The Big Beat, Lymon began dancing with a white teenage girl while performing. His actions caused a scandal, particularly among Southern TV station owners, and The Big Beat was subsequently canceled. There is no surviving footage of this, because the episode was taped over. This is according to Judith Fisher Freed.

Lymon's slowly declining sales fell sharply in the early 60s as his voice changed from his signature tenor to a much deeper baritone as a result of his heroin use within the span of one year. His highest charting solo hit was a cover of Bobby Day's "Little Bitty Pretty One", which peaked at No. 58 on the Hot 100 pop chart in 1960 and which had been recorded in 1957. Addicted to heroin since the age of 15, Lymon fell further into his habit, and his performing career went into decline. According to Lymon in an interview with Ebony magazine in 1967, he was first introduced to heroin when he was 15 by a woman twice his age. In 1961, Roulette, now run by Morris Levy, ended their contract with Lymon and he entered a drug rehabilitation program.

After losing Lymon, the Teenagers went through a string of replacement singers, the first of whom was Billy Lobrano. In 1960, Howard Kenny Bobo sang lead on "Tonight's the Night" with the Teenagers; later that year, Johnny Houston sang lead on two songs. The Teenagers, who had been moved by Morris Levy to End Records, were released from their contract in 1961. The Teenagers briefly reunited with Lymon in 1965, without success.

Later years

Over the next four years, Lymon struggled through short-lived deals with 20th Century Fox Records and Columbia Records. Lymon began a relationship with Elizabeth Mickey Waters, who became his first wife in January 1964 and the mother of his only child, a baby girl named Francine who died two days after birth at Lenox Hill Hospital. Lymon's marriage to Waters was not legal, because she was still married to her first husband. After the marriage failed, he moved to Los Angeles in the mid-1960s, where he began a romantic relationship with Zola Taylor, a member of the Platters. Taylor claimed to have married Lymon in Mexico in 1965, although their relationship ended several months later, purportedly because of Lymon's drug habits. Lymon, however, had been known to say that their marriage was a publicity stunt and Taylor could produce no legal documentation of their marriage. In Major Robinson's gossip column of June 6, 1966, Zola said the whole thing was a joke that she went along with at the time (October 1965).

He appeared at the Apollo as part of a revue, adding an extended tap dance number. Lymon recorded several live performances (such as "Melinda" in 1959), but none rose on the charts. His final television performance was on Hollywood a Go-Go in 1965, where the then-22-year-old singer lip-synched to the recording of his 13-year-old self singing "Why Do Fools Fall in Love." The same year, Lymon was drafted into the United States Army and reported to Fort Gordon, Georgia, near Augusta, Georgia, for training. While in the Augusta area, Lymon met and fell in love with Emira Eagle, a schoolteacher at Hornsby Elementary in Augusta. The two were wed in June 1967, and Lymon repeatedly went AWOL to secure gigs at small Southern clubs. Dishonorably discharged from the Army, Lymon moved into his wife's home and continued to perform sporadically.

Traveling to New York in 1968, Lymon was signed by manager Sam Bray to his Big Apple label, and the singer returned to recording. Roulette Records expressed interest in releasing Lymon's records in conjunction with Big Apple and scheduled a recording session for February 28. A major promotion had been arranged with CHO Associates, owned by radio personalities Frankie Crocker, Herb Hamlett and Eddie O'Jay. Lymon, staying at his grandmother's house in Harlem where he had grown up, celebrated his good fortune by taking heroin; he had remained clean ever since entering the Army three years earlier.

Death

On February 27, 1968, Lymon was found dead of a heroin overdose at the age of 25 on the floor of his grandmother's bathroom. Lymon, a Baptist, was buried at Catholic Saint Raymond's Cemetery in the Throggs Neck section of The Bronx, New York City, New York.

"I'm Sorry" and "Seabreeze", the two songs Lymon had recorded for Big Apple before his death, were released later in 1968.

Posthumous troubles

Lymon's troubles extended to others after his death. After R&B singer Diana Ross returned "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" to the Top Ten in 1981, a major controversy concerning Lymon's estate ensued. Zola Taylor, Elizabeth Waters and Emira Eagle each approached Morris Levy, the music impresario who retained possession of Lymon's copyrights and his royalties, claiming to be Lymon's rightful widow; Lymon had neglected to divorce both Taylor and Waters. The complex issue resulted in lawsuits and counter-lawsuits, and in 1986, the first of several court cases concerning the ownership of Lymon's estate began.

Trying to determine who was indeed the lawful Mrs. Frankie Lymon was complicated by more issues. Waters was already married when she married Lymon; she had separated from her first husband, but their divorce was finalized in 1965, after she had married Lymon. Taylor claimed to have married Lymon in Mexico in 1965, but could produce no acceptable evidence of their union. Lymon's marriage to Eagle, on the other hand, was properly documented as having taken place at Beulah Grove Baptist Church in Augusta, Georgia, in 1967; however, the singer was still apparently twice-married and never divorced when he married Eagle. The first decision was made in Waters' favor; Eagle appealed, and in 1989, the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court reversed the original decision and awarded Lymon's estate to Eagle.

However, the details of the case brought about another issue: whether Morris Levy was deserving of the songwriting co-credit on "Why Do Fools Fall in Love". Although early single releases of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" credit Frankie Lymon, Herman Santiago and Jimmy Merchant as co-writers, later releases and cover versions were attributed to Lymon and George Goldner. When Goldner sold his music companies to Morris Levy in 1959, Levy's name began appearing as co-writer of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" in place of Goldner's. Lymon was never paid his songwriting royalties during his lifetime; one result of Emira Eagle's legal victory was that Lymon's estate would finally begin receiving monetary compensation from his hit song's success. In 1987, Herman Santiago and Jimmy Merchant, both then poor, sued Morris Levy for their songwriting credits.

In December 1992, the United States federal courts ruled that Santiago and Merchant were co-authors of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love". However, in 1996 the ruling was reversed by the Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit on the basis of the statute of limitations: copyright cases must be brought before a court within three years of the alleged civil violation, and Merchant and Santiago's lawsuit was not filed until 30 years later. Authorship of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" currently remains in the names of Frankie Lymon and Morris Levy.

Legacy

Although their period of success was brief, Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers' string of hits were highly influential on the rock and R&B performers who followed them. Lymon's high-voiced sound is said to be a direct predecessor of the girl group sound, and the list of performers who name him as an influence include Michael Jackson, Ronnie Spector, Diana Ross, The Chantels, The Temptations, George Clinton, Smokey Robinson, Len Barry and The Beach Boys, among others. The performers most inspired by and derivative of Lymon and the Teenagers' style are The Jackson 5 and their lead singer and future superstar Michael Jackson. Motown founder Berry Gordy based much of the Jackson 5's sound on Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers' recordings, and the Teenagers are believed to be the original model for many of the other Motown groups he cultivated.

Lymon's music and story were re-introduced to modern audiences with Why Do Fools Fall in Love, a 1998 biographical film directed by Gregory Nava, also the director of the Selena biopic. Why Do Fools Fall in Love tells a comedic, fictionalized version of Lymon's story from the points of view of his three wives as they battle in court for the rights to his estate. The film stars Larenz Tate as Frankie Lymon, Halle Berry as Zola Taylor, Vivica A. Fox as Elizabeth Waters and Lela Rochon as Elmira Eagle. Why Do Fools Fall in Love was not a commercial success and met with mixed reviews; the film grossed a total of $12,461,773 during its original theatrical run.

In 1973, Lymon became known to a slightly younger generation than before with the release of American Graffiti,, which included "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" on its soundtrack.

In September 1979 at the Santa Barbara Bowl, Joni Mitchell performed a version of "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" which subsequently appeared on the release of her album of the concert entitled "Shadows and Light" the following September. During the opening mix of the album, Joni Mitchell also spliced sections of "I'm Not A Juvenile Delinquent" into the title track refrains.

The song "Harlem Roulette" by The Mountain Goats, off its 2012 album Transcendental Youth,, contains reference to Frankie Lymon, the song "Seabreeze" and Roulette Records. Frontman John Darnielle has stated that the song is about the last night of Lymon's life.

Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2000.

Lymon was mentioned in the 1992 Stephen King short story "You Know They Got a Hell of a Band". Lymon is named as the one who cut off the waitress Sissy's finger for trying to help the protagonists, Mary and Clark Willingham, escape from the town of Rock & Roll Heaven, Oregon, who is inhabited by musicians like Janis Joplin, Otis Redding, Roy Orbison, and other musicians who died young.

Discography

Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers discographySinglesGee releases

1956-01: [Gee 1002] "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" / "Please Be Mine" 1 (#1 on the R&B chart for 5 weeks)

1956-04: [Gee 1012] "I Want You to Be My Girl" / "I'm Not a Know-It-All" 2 (#3 on R&B chart)

1956-07: [Gee 1018] "I Promise to Remember" / "Who Can Explain?" (double-sided hit on R&B chart (#10 and #7))

1956-09: [Gee 1022] "The ABC's of Love" / "Share" (#8 on R&B chart)

1956-11: [Gee 1026] "I'm Not a Juvenile Delinquent" / "Baby, Baby"

1957-04: [Gee 1032] "Teenage Love" / "Paper Castles"

1957-05: [Gee 1035] "Love Is a Clown / Am I Fooling Myself Again"

1957-06: [Gee 1036] "Out in the Cold Again" / "Miracle in the Rain" 5 (#10 on R&B chart)

1957-07: [Gee 1039] "Goody Goody" / "Creation of Love" 3

1957-12: [Gee 1046] "Everything to Me" / "Flip Flop" 4

Notes

1 Released as by "The Teenagers"

² Early copies released as by "The Teenagers featuring Frankie Lymon"; billing on later pressings changed to "Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers"

³ Both sides of this release are actually Frankie Lymon solo recordings.

4 billed as "The Teenagers" (lead vocal by Billie Lobrano)

5 Released as by "The Teenagers featuring Frankie Lymon"

Album

1956: [Gee 701] The Teenagers Featuring Frankie Lymon

Compilations

1986: Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers: For Collectors Only (Murray Hill 148)

Frankie Lymon solo discographySinglesRoulette releases

1957: [Roulette 4026] "My Girl" / "So Goes My Love"

1957: [Roulette 4035] "Little Girl" / "It's Christmas Once Again"

1958: [Roulette 4044] "Thumb Thumb" / "Footsteps"

1958: [Roulette 4068] "Portable on My Shoulder" / "Mama Don't Allow It" — 4/58

1958: [Roulette 4093] "Only Way to Love" / "Melinda"

1959: [Roulette 4128] "Up Jumped a Rabbit" / "No Matter What You've Done"

1969: [Roulette 21095 ""/ "1-20-12 Forever'

Gee release

1959: [Gee 1052] "Goody Good Girl" / "I'm Not Too Young to Dream"

Roulette releases

1960: [Roulette 4257] "Little Bitty Pretty One" / "Creation of Love"

1960: [Roulette 4283] "Buzz Buzz Buzz" / "Waitin' in School"

1961: [Roulette 4310] "Jailhouse Rock" / "Silhouettes"

1961: [Roulette 4348] "Change Partners" / "So Young (And So in Love)"

1961: [Roulette 4391] "Young" / "I Put the Bomp" (featuring backing vocals by two members of The Delicates (Denise Ferri and Peggy Santiglia))

Later releases

1964: "To Each His Own" / "Teacher, Teacher" (20th Century Fox)

1964: "Somewhere" / "Sweet and Lovely" (Columbia)

1969: "I'm Sorry" / "Seabreeze" (Big Apple)

Albums

1956: Frankie Lymon And The Teenagers - 1981 Re-issue Roulette Y2-116-RO (Japan) [Gee 701]

1957: Frankie Lymon at the London Palladium (Roulette)

1958: Rock & Roll with Frankie Lymon (Roulette)

1994: Complete Recordings (Bear Family)

Wikipedia

#Frankie Lymon

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tsaritsa · 6 years

Text

against the run of play

hi @yanumii i was ur secret santa this year!!!! u asked for fic, a modern au, and royai: so i went a bit crazy and wrote a 7k multimedia fic extravaganza. i hope u enjoy it, and that u have a safe holiday period into 2k18!!!

you can also read on ao3

“Riza Hawkeye,” she lifted her glass in greeting.

He inclined his head in return and took the chair next to her. “Roy Mustang. What brings you to a charity gig this evening?”

(In which Roy Mustang is a national rugby hero and falls in love with neurotrauma specialist Riza Hawkeye as soon as he lays eyes on her).

He’s been seen out and about in Briggs with internationally-ranked ice-skater Olivier Armstrong, 36.

But rugby royalty Roy Mustang, 28, stepped out solo for his trip to East City last week, and tried to go incognito as he arrived at Bardowick-Lyles station late Thursday afternoon.

The captain of the Drakes cut a casual look with oversized black shades as he tried to dodge the prying eyes of the afternoon commuters.

Braving the cold in a black winter coat with pearl buttons, Mustang kept it cosy in a light blue jumper and worn black jeans.

He matched his elegant coat with midnight Tom Ford boots, emblazoned with a bold red strap over the foot.

He stylishly pulled the look together with a tan messenger bag with statement buckle to give off a touch of glamour.

The sighting comes after a report from the Central Star that the rugby superstar is getting serious with ice-skater Olivier Armstrong, who has just come back from the competition circuit in Drachma. Though there have been no photos of the two together, several sources have reported on their dates.

Olivier attended his last home game in East City last November. And Mustang headed to Briggs with her where they were both spotted enjoying the sights at Lake Yastreb, well-known in the region for its picturesque views and opportunities to skate on the lake itself.

'Roy and Olivier are definitely dating,' a source tells Central Star. 'They’ve gotten to know each other really well and are very comfortable from one another.

'Olivier sends Roy music to get his opinion on what she should choreograph her pieces to. It’s more than just a fling.' 'They’ve been dating since early autumn and spend most nights hanging out at his holiday home in northern Central and laying low,' another source told the Central Star.

'His friends already love her and see how happy she makes him,' it was claimed.

The Drakes face off against Creta this Saturday at the Eastern ‘Cake Tin’ Stadium, in which punters are expecting the professional debut of newly-signed scrum-half, Edward Elric.

Roy Mustang is supposedly single!

While it was previously reported the Rugby Union star was ‘casually dating’ the pretty figure skater Olivier Armstrong, he says he's not worrying about his love life for now (though he did not outright deny that he and Olivier have been seeing!)

He told The Bell:

"It's not that I'm not pursuing love in some sense, but I'm just focusing on the team right now. We have some really exciting games coming up against the new Creta lineup and training has been non-stop. The spare time that I do have, I want it to be fun and casual and light and easy-going."

Well, there's nothing wrong with fun and casual!

Anyway, Roy isn't worrying about being in a serious relationship at the moment, but maybe some time in the future:

"I'm sure there will come a time when I'm ready to make a more serious commitment and be in a relationship like that – one where I can really focus my time on someone else – but I'm thrilled to be able to keep things simple at the moment."

And for now he's focusing on his fellow teammate (and self-proclaimed best friend) Maes Hughes' happiness in his engagement to Gracia Barker:

"I was really excited and anxious to hear from Maes on the day that I knew he was going to pop the question. When I finally did, it was just the best. I think they’ve found their other half in each other and it's wonderful to see them so happy. It's rare in a lot of cases and when you see it happen it brings you an overwhelming sense of joy."

Aww!

Roy can live vicariously through them AND still enjoy the single life!

Riza huffed as she adjusted the dress she wore, cursing under her breath as she shot a pained smile towards her grandfather across the dance floor. She understood that the job her grandfather had – as the leader of their country – was important, but he made it very hard for her to appreciate his role when he forced her to attend these soirées as his informal date. You’ll meet plenty of men this way, he had cajoled her, eyes twinkling.

Of course, it didn’t matter to Führer George Grumman the III that his only grandchild had no current plans to meet a man and settle down – she was having plenty of fun focusing on her job as a doctor in a small borough just an hour out of Central City. It was challenging work, as well as rewarding, and it frustrated Riza to no end that her grandfather refused to see her as she was, rather than as someone she could potentially become.

She would, however, give him credit for the dress she was trying to wrestle with discreetly as she could manage. Despite the awkward way she felt it sat on her body, she would admit that she looked damn good in it. It was one of the more scandalous-worthy dresses on show tonight – she had been approached by an up-and-coming designer who knew her through a co-worker that worked on the surgery side of head trauma (she thought it was funny how small the world could be at times) – and the designer had arrived last week with this hip-hugging, gossamer affair. Truthfully, the dress actually stopped at the top of her thighs: the rest was a delicate gauze embellished with floral appliqués that accented the long length of her thighs and calves. It was a bold choice that Riza knew had some of the high society girls fuming – technically she hadn’t broken the dress code, but she knew she was walking on a very thin line between looking chic and modern and looking downright scandalous.

Whatever. If she had to be dragged to be paraded around on her grandfather’s arm, at least she could look stunning while doing it.

Tonight was a charity event – these were par for the course for her. The causes were almost always something she could easily support, and the press tended to be minimal (and generally only the legitimate forms of press would even turn up to these sorts of events).

Unfortunately for Riza, this particular charity event was something she was struggling to find an ounce of support for. It didn’t help that their supporters and partners had hadn’t really given much thought to the security of the whole event. Gate crashers kept seeming to wriggle their way in, and the few men on duty had their hands full trying to ensure than nobody was unduly accosted.

It was just her luck that the entire Drakes team had been invited to attend, and with them, every person with a smartphone and a nametag saying, ‘Hello I’m an invasive journalist’ had turned up to report (intrusively investigate, a little voice in the back of her head whispered).

The main speeches that had practically bordered on self-congratulation had already been done (thank god), and the dinner had been alright (the only saving grace). The mingling afterwards was what she didn’t enjoy, but it was barely ten o’clock yet and she had promised her grandfather that she would stay until at least half past. This event had been sponsored by the national rugby board, celebrating the commencement of a new initiative that would see coaches and equipment being deployed to the poorer regions of the country. If her grandfather was considered the head of this nation, rugby was undoubtedly the heart. And the lungs. And the kidneys. And any other vital organ in the body. Amestris without rugby was…well, a country of little international standing and an awful lot of sheep per capita.

It was in their blood, or so the saying went. Everyone either played or watched the national sport. There was never any discussion about disliking rugby: naturally, that never factored into the equation at all. Riza could remember playing it as a young child – even the other sports made available at her school all paled in comparison to the funding and exposure that rugby got.

Her grandfather knew she wasn’t the biggest fan of rugby – being a neurotrauma specialist meant she often dealt with people suffering from concussions and other injuries that were common in the sport: so spending an evening with the people who actively ignored any warnings she and her colleagues put out about the inherent dangers of such an oft-contact sport was just peachy.

Also, Roy Mustang was here. Riza didn’t have anything against the man personally; she was just sick of seeing his name and face plastered across her newspapers, social media feed, christ – even her bread wasn’t safe from his smarmy expression, endorsing her use of wholegrains and encouraging her to learn more at playrugby.co.am

The overexposure of such a man was to be expected, she supposed. He was the captain of the Drakes – the national rugby team, and played in the local league for the East Eagles. Alongside Hughes, Armstrong (the male one, his older sister did figure-skating and was reputed to be as cold as the ice she worked on) and the up-and-coming Elric Brothers, the national team was formidable, to say the least – and that was only the names that she could remember off the top of her head. The Drakes were currently ranked number one in the world, and for good reason. She’d give him this, Mustang was talented – after years of embarrassing defeats and almost-wins against Creta (their arch rivals), Mustang had swanned onto the scene and essentially rebuilt the team from the ground up. The drinking and bashing tabloids went away, the team practically became good at rugby overnight, and the country’s morale was at an all-time high.

Mustang had given the country something to be proud of, and that in turn made the country better for it.

She spied him across the room, talking with her grandfather and other men in suits. George was a big fan of the rugby, and Riza knew her grandfather would certainly be enjoying himself tonight, surrounded by plenty of players to natter off to. She remembered that he used to play when he was haler and heartier: tonight would probably be the highlight of his social engagement calendar for this season.

It was rather funny to watch the man try to extract himself from what looked to be a very one-sided conversation with her grandfather – Riza was well-versed in various modes of escape from him once he got into an animated discussion, but in this case Mustang seemed to be at her grandfather’s mercy. Eventually another team member had wandered over and she saw him quickly duck his way out, skirting the edges of the ballroom.

“I see you’ve met the ‘real’ Führer,” she called out to him as he passed her table. He turned back to look at her, confused.

She smiled kindly at him and his face lit up in understanding. “You saw that, then?”

“It’s been fun watching everyone realise what they’ve gotten themselves into. You did remarkably well.”

She poured herself another flute of sparkling wine and raised her eyebrows at her companion.

“Riza Hawkeye,” she lifted her glass in greeting.

He inclined his head in return and took the chair next to her. “Roy Mustang. What brings you to a charity gig this evening?”

“I’m here as my grandfather’s date,” she replied. It was the truth, after all. But with men like Mustang, she relied on their own fame and notoriety to eclipse hers. There had been no spark of recognition at her first name (which usually gave it away). It was refreshing to be a simple civilian, talking to another, slightly more (okay, extremely well-known) civilian. Besides, she was interested in seeing how he was off the field, and out of the press scrum after every game. He had always presented himself as polite and engaged – but here, amongst his peers, Riza would have an opportunity to see the real man.

“That’s very kind of you,” he said politely, fiddling with the stem of his glass. “Is he involved with the board?”

“Not quite,” she hedged, ducking her head. “To be honest he’s not a very important person in the scheme of it all, not here certainly. Not like you, however.” A teasing smile pulled at her lips. “You’re the man of the hour.”

Roy sighed, shifting in his chair to see her properly. “It’s a good venture.”

“I never said it wasn’t,” Riza said coolly. “But you don’t look like you’re having fun, despite all the attention.”

Roy folded his arms over his chest and Riza tried to ignore how his dress shirt pulled in all the right places. “You don’t sound like you’re having much fun either.”

“Why would I? Your board never listens to me: being stuck in a room with them is not my idea of a good Thursday night.”

He paused, frowning. “What do you mean about the board?”

Perhaps it was the all the wine she had drunk throughout the night (well, something needed to get her through their inane speeches); perhaps it was the fact that she would be able to give Mustang the slip in just under ten minutes; perhaps Riza had the slim hope that maybe he would listen to her, even if nobody else would.

The words spilled out of her before she could think to what impact they might have. “I’m a neurotrauma specialist. I’ve written entire books on how a blow to the head affects your cognitive function later on in life. Your board seems to think their players are immune to those effects.”

His eyes bugged a little out of his head and Riza allowed herself a small smirk. It wasn’t an attack on him directly – hell, he would probably be one of the worst-off players considering how long he’d been playing for the Drakes now – but there was something perversely fun about educating the star of rugby about its inherent failings and dangers.

“I mean-” he was struggling for words here, moving forward in his seat. “I’d heard the rumours but – surely they would listen, at the very least?”

Riza shrugged, finishing off her glass. “You tell me. Every paper I send them – internationally peer-reviewed, mind you – is quickly ignored. They don’t want the proof that the current form of the game is slowly killing their star players.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Maybe you’ll have more luck with them than I do. I mean the game no disrespect, but with how it’s embedded into our day-today-lives-” she waved an arm around for emphasis. “It’s not just retired players and people with over twenty concussions. I’m getting children in now because they’ve have a hard knock and it’s screwed them up. There’s absolutely no focus on safety, just on how manly it is. And a gala like this? It’s only going to exacerbate the problem.”

He had grown quiet, looking at something over her shoulder with apprehension.

“I heard from your grandfather that you had come along with him tonight, but I never imagined you would be so rude as to spread lies when you’re here as our guest,” an oily voice said from behind her.

“Chairman Raven,” Roy said carefully, moving out of his chair and shaking the older man’s hand.

Riza stood up to, and made a point of extending her hand towards the man as well. His cologne was overpowering as he gripped her hand with more force than necessary, she could feel it settling onto her skin like the sardines her grandfather liked to eat for lunch. Everything about him screamed money and power.

“It’s hardly a lie, I’m afraid,” she replied coolly, enjoying how his gaze hardened. “I have nearly eight years’ worth of data now. Every year you ignore me I just add to my statistics some more.”

“Chairman, I think it might be worth looking into this,” Roy said earnestly, and Riza felt a rush of affection for him as he stood next to her, their shoulders barely brushing. “I saw Basque only just last week and he had been telling me-”

“A conversation for another time, I think,” Raven said pointedly, still looking at Riza with barely contained distaste. “You’ll have to forgive Mr. Mustang: he sees a pretty face and simply loses all common sense.”

Riza felt the smile freeze on her face. Roy had grown very still next to her, and she willed for him to say something – anything. The silence stretched on, and Raven’s lewd smile grew.

“I think we should give Mr. Mustang more credit than that,” she said eventually, tasting bile on her tongue. “At least he doesn’t judge at first glance.”

“Because there’s so much to judge the granddaughter of the Führer on, isn’t there?” Raven inclined his head at the two of them. “It was nice talking to you again, Miss Hawkeye.”

“Doctor Hawkeye,” she ground out.

Raven laughed loudly. “Of course, silly me. Doctor Hawkeye.”

Roy turned on her as soon as the older man was out of earshot; Riza let go of a breath she didn’t realise she was still holding onto.

“You’re George’s granddaughter?”

“Yes,” she said distractedly, checking her watch for the time. “My grandmother doesn’t have the patience for these sorts of things, so I come along instead.”

“His granddaughter-”

“I need a drink,” she said tiredly, finally looking up at him. His mouth was gaping open inelegantly and she smiled softly, placing her fingers on his underside of his chin to close his mouth gently. “Would you care to join me? I find Chairman Raven robs me of all energy.” Her fingers lingered on his jaw for a moment, savouring the heat of his skin against her own.

He stared at her, confused, before nodding and offering her his arm. “I know a good bar a few blocks from here,” he said lightly.

“You read my mind, Mr Mustang. Lead the way.”

She woke with a start, and immediately wished she hadn’t moved so quickly. The room swam; her vision swam; her head swam.

Riza had the worst hangover in living memory. Her legs were wrapped awkwardly around a sheet and she struggled for a few moments before flopping back onto the bed, breathing deeply and trying her best not to hurl onto the ground.

How much did I drink last night? Her head was throbbing painfully now, and she realised with growing dread that she didn’t recognise where she was.

She also wasn’t wearing anything.

FuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckityfuckfuckFUCK.

Another wave of nausea passed over her and she rolled onto her side, blearily opening her eyes to figure out exactly where she had ended up. The room was familiar – maybe one of the hotels in the CBD? The room was pretty basic in its setup, but the furniture spoke of moderate wealth. Riza sat up slowly, not caring how the bedsheet fell and pooled around her hips. She could spy her dress crumpled up on the floor, and her shoes kicked off on the sofa.

How in the fuck am I going to get out of this?

She heard movements to her left, and watched with horror as Roy Mustang’s head emerged from beneath the other half of the bedsheet, like the birth of the world’s most hungover butterfly. He blinked slowly up at her, his mouth opening and shutting.

“Where did your dress go?” he asked, puzzled. Riza shrieked, quickly grabbing the sheet back up.

“God, not so loud I beg you-”

“What the fuck happened last night-”

“Did we-?”

“I think we-”

“Christ, I would never mean to take advantage of you like that, I’m so sorry-”

She held up a hand and took a deep breath. “We were both obviously drunk – it’s – it’s not ideal. But it’s alright, it – this shit happens.” She gripped the bedsheet tightly against her chest.

He curled around a pillow and looked at her with an expression she couldn’t be bothered to figure out. “I’m glad it was you,” he said honestly, wincing at how tactless he sounded. “I mean – you know, people throwing themselves at you for your fame?”

“Yeah…” she nodded her head uncertainly. “I-”

“ROY!” A voice boomed from outside, the two of them tensed, and looked at each other warily.

“Fuck, it’s Maes,” he whispered harshly, running a hand through his hair – if it was his bedhead before, Riza didn’t know what to call whatever the mess was now on top of his head. He pushed himself off the bed and puttered around the bed; Riza found it hard to tear her eyes away from his body. Yes, she knew he was fit but – it was different seeing it in the flesh.

“You won’t want to wear that out,” he said, gesturing to her dress on the floor while shimmying on his boxer shorts. “I think I have some spare clothes you can borrow.”

“It’ll be fine-”

“Dressed to the nines?” He laughed and shook his head. “We’ve got press with us at the moment – they might be sport-focused, but I’ll wager they’ll be quicker to pick up on who you are than I was.”

She bit her lip: he had a point, despite her apprehension. Of course the media would be here – it was a bloody miracle that Roy had taken them to a little bar off a side street where nobody seemed to care who they were.

The knocking on the door was becoming more insistent. “ROY WAKE THE FUCK UP YOU LAZY SON OF A-”

“I’M COMING, MAES!” He yelled back, throwing her a wrinkled t-shirt and shorts; she quickly put them on. They were a loose fit, but it would have to do, at least until she could hail an uber to take her home. He ducked into the bathroom, she could hear the taps running at full tilt.

She was just bending down to pick up her wallet when the door suddenly flew open and Maes walked in, looking harried and ready to draw blood.

“Roy, I swear on my grave you are gonna get it-”

He stopped as he saw Riza crouching by the side of the bed.

“Oh shit, Roy. What have you done?”

Roy walked out the bathroom, scrubbing at his face with a washcloth. His shoulders slumped as he saw his best friend, and he walked over to where Riza was standing, frozen like a deer in the headlights. “Look, I’ll-”

“It’s fine,” she whispered lowly, very aware of how this must look to the deputy captain: here was the Führer’s granddaughter dressed in his best friend’s clothing and looking thoroughly shagged. “I’ll go, and you can – can deal with whatever is going on-”

“Riza-”

She placed her free palm against his chest and breathed in deeply. “It’s fine-”

He dipped his head and kissed her chastely on the mouth, a little part of her melted at the fact that despite his being needed elsewhere, he was still here, with her. His fingers curled against the side of her face and she tried her best not to see too much into this: he was just being a gentleman and –

“Roy this can’t wait-”

He ripped his lips from hers and breathed deeply, resting his forehead against her own.

“I swear-”

She nodded, trying her best not to let her emotions get the better of her. “Maybe we’ll – later.”

“Later,” he breathed, kissing her forehead lightly before picking up her shoes and handing them to her. “Take the stairwell, it’ll lead you to the back entrance and away from the main road.”

Maes was quiet as he watched her gather her purse and slip out of the room. “You didn’t answer your phone,” he explained, handing his own over. The local news site was loaded, and Roy sucked in a breath as he read the headline.

BREAKING: ZOLF J. KIMBLEE FOUND GUILTY OF DOPING DRAKES ON BEHALF OF DRACHMAN BEARS. MORE TO FOLLOW.

“Christ,” Roy muttered, skimming the article before handing the phone back to Maes, quickly putting on his team jacket. “Of course it was Kimblee.”

Maes shrugged. “We all knew something was coming. What I’m more interested in is-”

“Absolutely not.” His voice brokered no argument and Maes deflated a little. “It’s not – we’ve got more important things to worry about right now.”

“Is she just a one-off or-?”

Roy rubbed his eyes roughly, sighing. “For fucks sake, you know me better than that. Later mate, when I’m not hungover.”

Maes slung his arm around Roy’s shoulders, and coaxed him down the hall towards the elevator. “I’ll hold you to that. Anyway, Kimblee was found with the drugs in his room, and his phone’s been confiscated by the police. All you need to do is look solemn and refuse to answer any questions.”

“That should be easy.”

UNKNOWN NUMBER, 5:28pm when did u manage to put ur number into my phone

elizabeth, 5:31pm Sorry, who is this?

UNKNOWN NUMBER, 5:32pm man this is embarrassing UNKNOWN NUMBER, 5:32pm it’s roy UNKNOWN NUMBER, 5:32pm y’know UNKNOWN NUMBER, 5:33pm the dude u marked to hell and back UNKNOWN NUMBER, 5:33pm i had to fend off so many questions from maes about u

elizabeth, 5:34pm Oh shit elizabeth, 5:36pm Thank you for sending back my dress. I owe you

concussion boy, 5:37pm go out to lunch with me tomorrow and i’ll call it even

elizabeth, 5:39pm They said you were slick on the field

concussion boy, 5:40pm meet u at the café on the corner of elm and lyles? 12ish?

elizabeth, 5:44pm I’ve got a meeting at 1pm back at the hospital so it’ll have to be a short lunch

Looks like Roy Mustang scores on AND off the field!

On Saturday, the Drakes star was snapped out and about with the gorgeous First Granddaughter Riza Hawkeye, and it seems like these two had quite a ball on their lunch date!

The precious pair hit up Il Pomadoro in the Carlston borough of Western Central, and they were totally getting their flirt on after the meal!

The accomplished neurosurgeon and the captain of the Drakes were caught on camera smiling and laughing, and Riza even tried to grab for something in the athlete's hands!

And close sources say this isn't just a hit-it-and-quit-it date! Insiders say that these two are, in fact, dating, but it's still very new, which is why they're trying to keep it on the down-low.

For example, when the sports star was asked about being spotted on the outing later that week, he responded by saying:

"I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about."

Playing coy, Mr. Mustang?!

We appreciate the effort, but those snaps are pretty telling!

[Images courtesy of Lily Marrell.]

Things are heating up between Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye in the cold winter weather… literally!

On Tuesday night, the blonde beauty and the charismatic captain were spotted hanging out together once again! The stars were caught on camera at a Starbucks near Mount Kahma, about five hours north of New Optain.

Since the cosy ski resort is probably one of the few places in the Eastern District that actually gets cold, the precious pair was most likely trying to get their body heat rising… with some coffee! LOL get your mind out of the gutter!

The romance rumours surrounding these two have been in a flurry ever since the pair were spotted talking at a charity ball sponsored by the National Rugby Union. Miss Hawkeye, a talented neurotrauma specialist at Central General had apparently charmed the Drakes Captain with not just her enviable fashion sense, but her brain as well. Sources say that Roy was smitten with her from the very beginning, while Riza took a little time to warm up to the fly-half.

Do you think the relationship between this dynamic duo is more than platonic? Or are Roy and Riza just friends? This girl hopes that Roy Mustang isn’t off the bachelor market just yet!

[Image courtesy of Lorne Yoki.]

It’s heartbreak on top of heartbreak for Olivier Armstrong, 36, and Roy Mustang, 28, and sources claim to The Daily Star that Roy has betrayed Olivier by seeing another woman for the past five months. ‘Roy finally admitted to Olivier that he had fallen in love with another woman! They had to hide their feelings, but they’ve been seeing each other on the sly whenever they could over the last five months,’ an insider reveals. ‘Their friendship turned into something more as time went on.’ OMG!

So who is this alleged mystery woman? None other than the granddaughter of the Führer, Riza Hawkeye. ‘She’s a neurotrauma specialist, and often attends charity events as a date to her grandfather,’ the source adds. Sounds like they run in the same circles. ‘As such, they had crossed paths at numerous events, both in Amestris and abroad, for some time,’ the insider reveals. ‘She’s classically beautiful and was educated in Creta, as well as here at Central U — and the attraction between her and Roy was immediate!’ Whoa, sounds pretty serious.

Miss Hawkeye has been described as somewhat of a gold-digger in certain circles – she was largely left out of the public eye as George Grumman soared to power in the election of ’19, and the insider reveals that there’s talk amongst those closest to the rugby star that she’s after a ring to solidify her social standing amongst the WAG’s of the Drakes. ‘She grew up in a very poor household until her grandfather took her under his wing, so she’s very hungry for any kind of power. We honestly can’t see what he sees in her.’

Of course, Roy had to eventually tell Olivier about his secret love. ‘Roy finally came clean to Olivier about his new woman just a few days before her Grand Prix competition at North City,’ the insider says, referring to that dramatic and shocking exit by Olivier in the semi-finals. ‘At first Olivier was stunned — and certainly blindsided — by Roy’s confession. But then she got furious. It wasn’t pretty,’ the source shares. We can only imagine. Olivier is considered one of the strongest skaters in the world – she must have truly been heartbroken to be affected like this.

Perhaps Riza will see her true influence now – not as a doctor saving lives, but as one ruining them too.

concussion boy, 2:31pm i know u saw the daily star article. rebecca dm’ed me. concussion boy, 2:31pm u can’t just keep ignoring me concussion boy, 2:32pm we need to talk about this

elizabeth, 2:26pm there’s nothing to talk about

concussion boy, 2:27pm i’ll make sure i get a concussion next match unless we talk concussion boy, 2:27pm u know i will concussion boy, 2:28pm and then u will have to treat me and be a professional while i ogle u concussion boy, 2:29pm har har

“You never thought to tell me it was a PR relationship?”

“It didn’t seem – I mean, if you had met Olivier-”

Riza let out a shriek of frustration. “But I haven’t, Roy. I don’t move in the same circles as you! Was it her? Did she tell them to write this?”

Roy held up his hands in defeat. “No, she wouldn’t. She doesn’t get revenge that way. I just – I know our lives have been busy! Between you, and getting the team through this fucking doping scandal-”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Because I’m such a hassle, aren’t I? You know that’s not what I meant. It’s not like I’m deciding to date the next guy I meet in the bakery – you’re Roy Mustang! Every man, woman and unborn child knows who you are. It was foolish to think that we’d be able to keep it quiet for any length of time, you’ve always got media after you-”

Roy snorted, shaking his head. “And you’re the Führer’s granddaughter, who is known in the public eye-”

“Because he asks me!” She wrung her hands, trying her best not to get upset. “He always gives me the option to say no! You never asked me if this is what I wanted, you just took me out on a date and hoped like mad the press wouldn’t catch wind-”

“Didn’t stop you from fucking me in the hotel.”

She stood there, mouth open and gaping like a fish. “That’s not – you can’t just – we-”

He laughed humourlessly, a pale imitation of a smile on his face. “Right. I see how it is. You’re allowed to hang that over my head for as much as you care to do, but as soon as I try to make a point you won’t even fucking listen. Are you sure that it’s me who’s has the multiple head injuries?” It was an a needlessly cruel jab and part of Roy regretted it the moment it left his mouth. His idea of a ‘mild press day’ was probably far beyond whatever she had experienced – but still –

She sat down on the sofa, her head in her hands. Her shoulders were trembling. “Don’t,” she said forcefully when he went to sit next to her, her arm flung out in a final stand.

There was an ugly silence as Roy stood there, hand hovering in the space where her own was being held. She swallowed what sounded like a sob before she raised her head and tucked her arms against her body, blinking her watery eyes.

“Never use my job against me again,” she said coldly, before shifting on the sofa, inclining her head slightly. He sat down, and she sighed, resting her head against his shoulder.

“You’re used to the press,” her hand found his and she laced her fingers with his tightly. “You’re used to how they write about you, how they-”

“But-”

“Please let me finish, Roy.” Her voice was firm, but tired. “You have an entire team of people who coach you in how to deal with the media; that same team protects you from the worst of it. I don’t have that luxury. Being the granddaughter of the Führer means that people are aware of me, yes – but I’m no more than a line in an article; perhaps included in a single society photo with my grandfather because he wants one of the two of us. No more than that.” She paused, and shifted against him.

“I have complete strangers approaching me at my work. Making up fake head injuries so I’ll see them – taking up a spot that could be used by somebody who actually needs the medical attention. The girlfriend of Roy Mustang.” Riza laughed bitterly. “It’s like I’m in zoo or something. Back when people saw me for who my grandfather was, not for my own achievements. I worked hard to get to where I am today – to be reduced in such a way, it’s–”

She sighed heavily. “This is the reality I’m living with. Please understand that.”

Roy nodded slowly, squeezing her hand lightly. “I didn’t consider,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry I put you in that position.”

She lifted their joined hands and kissed his knuckles delicately. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you when it happened. I just…I thought I could deal with it. They’re only articles.”

“And you’re just a person,” Roy soothed. “A brilliant, smart, and kind person-” she laughed shakily, “-but a person nonetheless. I’ll see what I can do about the tabloids. They weren’t this harsh on Gracia.”

dickhead bf, 09:28am sorry to inform u but i’m breaking up with u dickhead bf, 09:29am i know this will be hard for u dickhead bf, 09:29am i'll send some flowers so the world knows i’m a gentleman

ice monster, 09:40am fuck off ice monster, 09:40am i’ve seen the articles. is she staying for longer than 2 months?

dickhead bf, 09:48am har bloody har. she just doesn’t want any press cooking up a story we all know to be fake dickhead bf, 09:50am they haven’t been kind to her

ice monster, 09:52am cry me a river mustang. she knows what’s she’s getting into right? fuhrer’s grandkid and all that ice monster, 09:54am seriously tho, congrats. didn't think there was anybody who could deal with ur arse 24/7. wish her luck from me

dickhead bf, 09:55am you’d probably like her. doesn't put up with any of my shit and makes me ring my mum once a week

ice monster, 09:56am real wife material there ice monster, 10:11am oh ffs DO NOT propose to her yet otherwise i’ll get stuck with ur press cycle again. ur meant to make me look GOOD

dickhead bf, 10:28am i know. say hi to jon for me

Olivier Armstrong may have a new man her life!

On Monday, it was reported by The Standard that the renowned figure skater has been spending time with Jonathon Buccaneer for the last few weeks. AH-Mazing!

However, the 32-year-old's family have declined to comment on her possibly changed #RelationshipStatus. Well, that's not a no!

According to the paper, the twosome went on a romantic getaway together to Beaumont, Western District where they supposedly went on scenic hikes into the mountains and basked in the sunshine. Too cute!

Still, we have to wonder, who exactly is this mystery beau?? Ch-ch-check out these five fast facts on Olivier’s (possible) new squeeze!

Mr. Buccaneer has an automail arm: Apparently, he has a variety of different get-ups for different jobs. It’s unknown how he lost it, and no sources close to the man have offered up any hints. We can’t imagine how he lost it, what with working in the military and all…

He has NOTHING to do with professional sports: Surprisingly, Olivier is dating a normal guy who works at as a military analyst for the Briggs outpost for the military. Mind blown!

Olivier’s rumoured BF is SUPER smart: The 35-year-old is said to have gone to not one, but TWO ranked universities. Yep, Jon went to the University of Amestris for his undergraduate education and also attended Briggs Military Academy. Remember, the blonde beauty graduated from Central U herself!

This possible boyfriend is ALSO a fan of nature: Reportedly, his now private Instagram account showed a series of pics of Jon being in the great outdoors, hiking, and camping in the Northern Ranges. Colour us impressed!

Jon may be exactly what Olivier needs to finally move on from her supposed ex: the athlete was said to be heartbroken following the news that rugby player Roy Mustang had given her the slip and moved onto the granddaughter of the Führer, Riza Hawkeye.

Maybe now Olivier feels ready to be happy with someone new. Is that someone Jon?

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Rebecca asked worriedly, glancing around the now deserted gangway of the stadium: the cheers were muffled, but still echoed hollowly against the cool concrete. “Like follow your heart and all that shit but it’s not gonna be a decision you can just turn your back on-”

“I know ‘Becca,” Riza replied quietly, toying with the shirt in her hands: the deep blue fabric slid easily over her fingers, the flecks of silver embroidery glinted back at her merrily. “But…I’ve got to meet him halfway, don’t I?”

Rebecca snorted. “This is more than halfway. Halfway is following his actual twitter handle instead of the spoof one – you do know it’s a spoof right? It’s important to me that you know it’s a spoof account-” Riza didn’t respond, watching one of the nearby television screens with interest as the Drakes began to run out onto the field.

Rebecca’s cheeks puffed out as she waved a hand in front of her friend’s dazed face. “This is like…eighty-five percent from you and only fifteen from him. He’s playing a game anyway – he’s not gonna see you until the second half at least with where we’re sitting!”

“That’s the point, ‘Becca. I do not want to be blamed for his fucking up of a conversion.”

Rebecca sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes. “It’s Drachma, Riza. They’re not gonna lose.”

“And I am not going to take any chances,” Riza replied primly, quickly putting on the shirt over the top of her singlet. It was a little baggy, but the fact that she was even able to have one – she’d have to think of something to give to Hughes to say thank you; the man was surprisingly cunning and determined. She never stood a chance of getting out of this anyway. She smoothed down the fabric and spun on her foot. “How does it look?”

“Like the cheesiest gesture since that nineteen-page spread of Hughes’ kid.” She fixed her friend with a hard stare. “You have thought about this? Like I’m not trying to jump the gun or anything here but if you guys get married or have a kid-”

“Yes, I have,” she answered irritably. “We’ve talked about how we move forward. I know the press is never going to go away but…it would be nice to give them something positive to spin. This entire week has just been about how I broke Olivier’s heart by stealing Roy away and-” she bit her lip and smiled weakly at her friend. “I need to show that I’m serious about this too.”

“This is the best way?”

“Hughes reckons it is. The press seems to like him, I’ve got no reason to suspect he’d prank his best friend quite so publicly.”

“Alrighty,” Rebecca said with an air of finality, gesturing to gate 28. “Are you ready to face the music?”

Riza nodded. “Let’s go.”

It’s official! And in the sweetest way imaginable.

The Drakes may have had their best win against the Drachman Bears yet (74-6), but nobody is going to be talking about that (not even about the Drachman doping scandal), not after Roy Mustang’s reaction to seeing his now-confirmed girlfriend Riza Hawkeye wearing his rugby number to the game last night.

It wasn’t until after the final whistle had blown that Roy had noticed her, sitting in the front row alongside friends, insiders say. As they were congratulating their opponents, running back Maes Hughes had quickly caught up to his friend on the field, motioning to where the Führer’s granddaughter was watching. Obviously someone had been paying attention to more than just the game!

Roy was meant to be making his way over to be interviewed post-game – as Captain, it’s his job to represent the team immediately in the aftermath. Not last night though!

Instead, he made his way over to where Riza was sitting and jumped the billboard boundaries with ease, motioning at the nearest security guard to open the gate to where the seating was. Riza was quickly pushed out of her seat by an alleged friend and all but fell into her beau’s arms onto the pitch proper, smiling widely from ear to ear before Roy kissed her soundly on the mouth.

If the cheers from the stadium crowd were anything to go by, Central City appears to back this couple too!

A love story like this comes once in a lifetime – let’s hope it goes the distance!

[Watch the video 1:32m]

fin

the spoof account is a reference to holy musical b@man – “someone already took the twitter name ‘roymustang’ and all they do is tweet about how dumb i am.”

three guesses to who owns that account (and no, it’s not hughes)

#royai #roy mustang #riza hawkeye #fullmetal alchemist #fmasecretsanta2017 #fma fanfiction #my fanfic #this fic got wildly out of control but i do hope u enjoy it!!!!

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