#House of marley best offer

[acotarxreader]

Other Worlds part Two

Azriel x reader

Synopsis: Nesta accidentally pulls you from our realm into theirs and a certain Spymaster can't help but be enamoured.

Original Request: "So I was wondering if you could do like Reader is from the modern world but ends up in the ACOTAR world, and ends up like falling in love with one of batboys."

Warnings: Angst, super fluff, my silliest wordplay

A/N: You guys! Welcome to part 2, I'm so so happy you gave so much love to the first part (which was meant to be a oneshot but ye said no!) and I hope you are ready to tolerate even more of my silliest carry on! Let me know what you think (I hope you love it just as much as part 1).

Part 1

---------------------------

“So then what happens?”

“So then Marley di-lives happily ever after”

“Wow, that’s a great story YN" You offer a smile to Elains kind eyes as the two of you lounge in the front room of River House, awaiting the rest of the group. You had been in the Prythian for almost a month and had found your way with great help from Azriel, teething problems aside.

“I’m just gonna get a drink from the kitchen, want anything?” Elain shook her head as you left for a cup of your favourite floral tea, growing tired of waiting for the others. 

“We are going to be late, I swear to Taylor Swift those males better hurry up!” Feyre rushed into the room, haphazardly buckling her shoe before collapsing on the couch alongside her sister. 

“Who’s Taylor Swift?” 

“YN said she’s like their God of war and karma” Elain nodded in understanding, eyes landing back on the small coffee table in front of them. 

“Do you think YN will be okay visiting Hewn City?” 

“What do you think is keeping our lovely friends so long? They’re arguing about it upstairs” Feyre sighed.

“Amren is really not going to be happy with this when she comes back from her travels”

“Yes but Elain, have you ever seen Az so happy?” Elain exhaled in agreement before you re-entered the living room to your new best friends. The three of you spent another half an hour before the three males arrived on the scene from Rhysand’s office. 

“How wonderful of you to grace us with your presence, are we ready to go now?” You say with a sarcastic drawl as Azriel places a gentle kiss on the top of your head before sinking into the plush chair across from you.

“Cass your hair looks different, so shiny?”

“Thank you for noticing Elain, YN has taught me the so-called curly girl/Illyrian method” he beamed with pride that you matched before you turned your attention back to Rhysand.

“Cass and I are going to go ahead with Feyre, we don’t think you’re quite ready for Hewn City YN”

“Correction Rhys, Hewn City isn’t ready for YN” Cassian laughed back, you looked between the two males before looking to Azriel’s soft gaze as he rested his elbows off his knees, head on a hand. He gave a small smile before leaning back fully into the chair, the room silent momentarily. 

“This was your idea wasn’t it?” Azriel feigned offence, hand on his chest before giving a small huff of air.

“Yes…but YN you’d hate it there”

“So, I hate lots of things and deal with that, like Cassian's outfit right now!” you found your feet again along with your sharper tone.

“Ouch!” Cassian cut across you with a half laugh.

“Sorry Cassian honey sweetie baby, I’m mad at the wrong bat” Cassian folded his arms across his chest, he too hated his Hewn City clothes but he nodded in acceptance of your apology. 

“I understand YN, I even wore the boots with the shoelaces you like!”

“Oh, the ones from the president?” you gave a small laugh to yourself.

“Yeah!.....Whatever that means” Cassian furrowed his brow in thought.

“Anyways, I’m going to Hewn City with you guys!”

“YN, it's really not like here-”

“So? I want to see the whole of Prythian and I don’t want to beg you to take me anywhere” Feyre’s head shot towards her mates at your somewhat desperate tone, a knowing look shared between the two. 

“She’s coming” Rhysand and Feyre said in unison, gaining a shocked expression from both you and Azriel. 

-------------------------

That was the end of it, the group was on its way, Azriel sulking for the duration of the journey. The air was knocked out of you at the full scale and odd sense of beauty at Hewn City, it had a different kind of charm to it than Velaris, one that was much less obvious. You felt the group's easy-going nature completely dissolve as you crossed the threshold of a large ballroom-like space where Feyre and Rhysand held court.

You walked at the rear of the group alongside Elain, her timid deamour growing tenfold, your eyes traced the crowd all bowed to the ground before your eyes landed on the back of Azriel and Cassian ahead of you. The whole sight made you feel ill, an entire world away from your realm or even how the residents of Velaris acted.

You felt the cool familiar touch of Azriel’s shadows trace along your lower back in soothing circles easing you into the new harsh environment. You fought back a laugh when the room sank lower to the ground as Rhysand and Feyre entered, the idea of bowing to Rhysand was humorous to you but the somewhat goofy demeanour you so regularly saw from him, completely evaporated. 

You sat to the side of the dais while the High Lord and Lady discussed various topics of the Court, Azriel fighting every bone in his body not constantly to check you over to make sure you were okay. 

“I’m going to get a drink” You slipped from your chair and down the stone steps, leaving Nesta and Elain to debate book characters. You pushed away the feeling of Azriel’s eyes burning into your back as you reached a group of staff. One reached out an almost rattling hand towards you with the tray and you smiled, she remained unable to reach your eye. 

“Thanks…nice party huh?” You raised an eyebrow when she didn’t reply to you, the others seemingly also nervous. 

“I used to be a waitress at this fancy restaurant, I get how it feels to be suffocated by pompous energy like the kind that comes from Rhysand” you offered jokingly, her eyes darting to yours in surprise before snapping back forward, her slight tremble growing. 

“Ah and who are you lovely creature?” Your head whipped around to a tall, broad male with golden hair and deep brown eyes that examined you with fine focus. He outstretched a hand to yours and you took it reluctantly, something twisting in your stomach. 

“Keir, Steward of the Night Court”

“YN, newest stray of the Night Court” You gave a sarcastic smile, moving to go past him, his grip tightening on your hand.

“Oh YN, please stay and chat” He placed his empty glass harshly down on the vibrating server’s tray, throwing the balance of the silverware. You flinched at the feeling of the golden bubbly liquid covering your dress. The sound of the smashing fine crystal and the female dropping instantly to the floor to try to recover from the dire situation drew eyes from all over the room. 

“Oh fuck” You jumped back slightly before bending down to help the panicking fae, Keir’s grip on your wrist harshened further, pulling you back up. 

“Disgraceful scum” he spat downwards at the female before snapping his fingers. Two giant guards seemingly appeared from nowhere to haul her to her feet and drag her back, she shouted slightly in pure terror, only to be smacked across the face by a guard. 

“What the fuck?!” Fury rising in your eyes, Azriel began to make his way through the commotion. 

“I know YN, she ruined your lovely dre-”

“Not her, prick! You! Where the fuck do you get off treating people like that?”

“I beg your pardon” his face darkened, his grip burning into your wrist, you swore you could feel the joint rearranging itself. It suddenly lessened as Azriel finally met your side and you yanked your arm downward away from him entirely.

“Keir, YN didn’t mean-”

“Eh yes YN did mean it” you bit back at the Spymaster before storming away from the two males, the room’s volume swelling back to full volume as if this was a normal occurrence.

You marched out of the decadent building and into the streets of the Court of Nightmares, stumbling slightly in the long midnight blue dress that clothed you. You hiked up the dress slightly before continuing to stomp through the streets, gaining a few quizzical glances from the residents. You were struck by the difference of character that occupied the course of your path, the slightly crumbling infrastructure, a stark difference to the building you just left. 

“YN, there you are, it's not safe to be out here alone” Azriel jogged to your side, collecting his uncharacteristic panicked expression before you faced him. 

“This place…this place...”

“I know YN, it’s its own beast”

“But it's under Rhysand and Feyre’s control?” he nodded in confirmation.

“So they could fix it right?”

“It's a bit more complicated than that YN”

“How!? There seems to be endless wealth at home” Azriels heart warmed at the word home, the thought of you feeling so comfortable in his world filling him with pride. 

“It… it's just how it's always been” he offered softly, reaching for your hand, a dark ring of marbling growing across your wrist joint, Azriel’s eyes bore into the marking.

“He hurt you”

“Az, he’s just an asshole, I’m more concerned about that girl” he ran a thumb over the maroon, Cassian landing alongside you both. 

“Come on we’re leaving, Nesta is bored and I want to keep learning that Hot-to-Go dance” you let a slight laugh leave you as he made the shapes of letters with his arms, Azriel still unable to tear his eyes away from your wrist. 

“Bring YN home, I’ll follow you” he didn’t give you much of a choice as he dissolved into shadows. 

—--------------------------------------

The group sat around the dining room table in the Town House, all in the usual state of exhaustion that a trip to Hewn City brought about, Azriel noticeably absent.

“I just don’t know how you can all just pretend that place doesn’t exist” you cut into the wearied silence, the Inner Circle pushing their dinner around their plates.

“YN...” Rhysand’s tone was warning as he took a sip from his glass of wine.

“I mean Feyre how can you just sit here and-”

“YN!” Rhysand barked again and you sat back in your chair, dropping your fork and entering a staring contest with the High Lord of Night.

“You were outraged at the tits in Spring Court but this you accept!?” you continued on, Mor choked out a laugh through the sip of wine she drank.

“Tithe YN, the tithe” Cassian gently corrected with a wide grin.

“I think she meant what she said, Tamlin was acting like one-” the table hummed in amused agreement to Mor.

“-We’re working on it but it's a gradual process YN” Feyre offered softly, ending Mor's comment before it could continue, her kind eyes softening the edge of anger in you slightly.

“This is why you people need democracy!” you huffed, remembering the look of terror on that fae’s face from earlier.

“What’s that? A swear word?” Rhysand asked genuinely.

“I’m sure to people like you in their ivory tower it is!” you stormed out for the second time that day.

“This house is made of stone, what is she talking about ?I thought we were over her riddle stage” Cassian raised an eyebrow. 

—------------------------------------------

You threw yourself down on your giant bed, feeling every bit a part of the problem you took such an issue with. You sat up again, dragging your hands down your face before something caught your eye. You ambled over to the dresser, the deep red of your university sweatshirt sleeve hanging out of the large drawers. Your thumbs ran over the well-worn fabric, and you smiled down at it. Your dress slipped from your shoulders to your ankles and you replaced it with your beloved sweatshirt, filling you with a warm fuzzy feeling.

“Hey YN” you span around to Azriel, tugging the end of your sweatshirt down a bit further to cover yourself more.

“Hi Azriel” You said faintly, sitting down cross-legged on the bed. Azriel looked drained, your eyes dropping to his hands coated in a fine layer of crimson.

“Where were you?” you spoke cautiously, Azriel rolling his shoulders before moving into the adjacent bathroom, the sound of his clothes hitting the marble sending an electric shiver through you. 

“No one treats you like that” he called out to you, your head tilting. He returned to you in his loose-fitting sleepwear before climbing into the bed, his wings fully relaxing. 

You crawled back up the bed to lie the length of him. He looked down at you, rested in the crook of his arm, his wing curling slightly to bring you in further. Your arm traced up his abdomen to rest on his chest until he took the hand, inspecting it again, the maroon having deepened further, if you were honest you were surprised it wasn’t broken. 

“Yeah...I’m not finished with him” he placed your hand back down and moved to leave the bed, only to be stopped by your weight on top of him.

“Az it's fine” You laughed, unsure how to handle someone having such unending care for you. 

“Rhys told me about dinner-” you groaned at his words after a moment of silence, rolling off of his chest back to his side “-He said he didn’t realise we had adopted a grumpy teenager” he laughed and you hit him in the chest, whilst not taking your eyes from the ceiling above. He kissed the top of your head and you turned upwards to meet his lips, a slight groan of his own leaving him. His mouth tasted of mist and mint and you found it so entirely addictive, he rolled slightly to kiss you further, your hand tracing up his abdomen and across the top of his shoulder. 

“I was kidnapped, not adopted” you teased.

“What’s that thing you always say? Flamingo tornado?”

“Tomato, tomato” You laughed fully and he couldn’t help but trace every contour of your face.

“Probably best not to bring up Tamlin around the two of them, although Mor really enjoyed the show”

“Did you ever notice how Tamlin sounds like tampon-” he raised an eyebrow at your words “-nevermind, for another day”

“We have so much to learn from one another” he gave you an excited squeeze.

“I know, I think you would have liked where I'm from"

“Yeah? Do you regret not trying to get back?” you pulled back to look at his face fully, his worried tone coating your ears. 

“I miss somethings about home” home, but not you didn’t mean Velaris this time, a twinge of sadness washing over Azriel.

“Like what?”

“Emm coffee, my clothes, college to some degree ehhh tv, I don’t know the shower, people understanding my sense of humour”

“You have a sense of humour?” he smirked and you rolled your eyes. 

“It doesn’t matter anyway Azriel, I happily gave it all up for you, graduation and all” You yawned the words out, rolling into a tight ball against his side.

“You never did that exam so how’d you know you’d have graduated?” 

“Wooooooow cold” you laughed into him, eyes closing now. Azriel watched you fall asleep with a smile across your face, his favourite sight, a plot beginning to form in his eyes. 

—----------------------------------

You stretched your arm into the empty space in the bed, sitting up on an elbow to look around to find Azriel long gone from your shared space. You threw on a dressing gown around you, your sweatshirt still lovingly clung to your curves. The hallway was mostly quiet when you entered it, only the sound of distant whispers filling the airways. 

“Azriel?” You called out from the top of the stairs, the whispering silencing immediately followed by what could only be described as scurrying. You traipsed slowly down the staircase, stopping at the bottom to find Cassian stood in the now almost bare living room, only a single desk and chair alongside him. 

“Cassian what the fuc-”

“Eh that’s Mr. Cassian to you Miss!” he spoke with a fake authoritative tone and you could have sworn you heard Azriel whisper that it was a bit overkill.

“Right…is this some kinda sex thing you and Nesta have going on?” you laughed lightly, following your feet into the nearly barren room. 

“Well it might become one-” he winked before coughing to clear his throat “-now ehh, sit down for your exam”

“What?” you chuckled as he pulled out the chair for you, gesturing for you to sit so you did. You looked down at the scrap of paper, ‘Physics Final’ scrawled across the top in Feyre’s penmanship. You looked back to Cassian confused and you could tell he was fighting a laugh, you turned the sheet over to find one question scribbled across the breadth of the page. 

“What is physics?” You laughed the words aloud, Cassian's hand banging off the desk in front of you.

“No talking during the exam!” he barked before covering his mouth to shield his laugh. 

“Right… well you didn’t give me something to write with Sir” you said sarcastically.

“Oh I like it when you call me Sir-” a shadow bolted into Cassian's chest, knocking him back slightly “-okay okay sorry, busybody!….emm just tell me the answer then”

“Okay well very broadly, physics is the science of matter, motion, and energy”

“Emm sure let's go with that, congratulations!” he pulled you up from the chair by the arm and through the hall to the kitchen at the back of the house, your laughs of utter confusion filling the hallway. 

“Surprise! It’s your graduation!” You hand covered your mouth in astonishment, your new family stood with their arms up around the kitchen island, a large cake sitting in the middle of them, banners and streamers covering every surface. Azriel passed a large bunch of flowers into your hand, kissing the top of your head as he did so, the whole scene bringing tears into your eyes. 

“Oh no did we do it wrong?”

“I told you that question was too difficult!” Nesta snapped towards Feyre but you cut her off before she could refute her sister.

“No no you guys this is absolutely perfect, Jesus Christ-”

“I think another one of her friends, potentially related to Xanax?” Cassian whispered to Mor at the sight of her confusion.

“-this is everything” You ignored Cassian, hugging Azriel tightly. 

“And because now you’ve graduated, you’re getting a job!” Feyre beamed and you turned to face her, Azriels arms wrapping around your waist from behind. 

“Yes, I have been thinking a lot about our…discussion yesterday YN and I’m sorry, you’re right, we aren’t doing enough and so, we would love it if you could help us to level the playing field throughout our Court. We’ll set up an office there for you and perhaps begin distributing our resources better. Azriel…took care of Keir so he won’t be an issue, what do you think?” Rhysand seemed almost nervous making the offer, it instantly melting from him when you nodded in agreement. Cassian practically jogged to your side, your favourite mug outstretched in his hand.

“Oh and, I made you this!” You exchanged the flowers for the mug with a smile, it faltered slightly when you looked to find a thick brown sludge coating the inside of the crockery. 

“Ehhh”

“It’s coffee! Or at least my understanding of what coffee, bean water right?” you looked from the mug to his face that radiated pure pride. 

“Emm yes Cassian thank you I love it!” you lied through your teeth and felt Azriel shake with laughter from behind you, your elbow shooting back into his stomach.

“Actually, Azriel you can have the first sip”

“Oh no no YN, I couldn’t-”

“I insist” you turned, passing it into his scarred hand. His gaze bounced from your smug face to Cassian’s eager one as he gulped before taking a small sip of the slush. He fought every instinct to spit it back out.

“Lo-lovely Cass thank you” he managed, putting the mug out of arm's reach, Cassian turning back to cut up the cake.

The group hummed with laughter, unadulterated happiness radiating and you looked around at each of them with such an overwhelming sense of home. You looked to Azriel, who had the same expression you had when looking at his family that he had when he looked at you. 

“Look at our family YN” he said so only you could hear, you turned to wrap your arms around his neck, his going to your hips.

“I’m so glad I fell into this world”

“Fell from the sky like an angel” you tilted your head back with almost a disgusted groan at his cheesy words only gaining a laugh from the Spymaster.

“I should have just risked going into the snow that night”

“I would have followed you, I will follow you anywhere, from this world, into the next”

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Whatcha think?

Tags (which for some reason is working intermittently): @phoenix666stuff @lees-chaotic-brain @dreamscourtgirl @gabby234lopez @chairofchaos @ariaaira

[mewhenimanangel]

cherry, eren jaeger

—synopsis. you and eren reunite after almost two years.

—chapter 10 ౨ৎ

𝜗𝜚 content!: au-college/university, time skip, black reader, au-modern, reuniting, confessions, oral sex, breastplay, piv sex, missionary, filthy smut, long chapter

previous ౨ৎ

nia’s ౨ৎ notes: this chapter is pretty long but i felt it was necessary. i loved this story so much it was so cute and so sweet. thanks for reading! 🫧🎀

today was lana's birthday, her 21st to be exact, and you were driving down to her apartment for her party, you were quick with your movements considering you were running a little bit late and it was an hour and a half drive down.

it had been almost two years since you graduated from high school. since then you committed to your dream college about an hour away from home and you were studying for your dream career.

you had a part time job at a clothing store near by and a paid internship at a marketing brand company, so you were always busy between those obligations and classes. but there was no way you were going to miss your best friend's birthday.

your college experience was enjoyable for the most part - you joined the dance team, and were part of the honors program for the school. you were lucky enough to find a really nice roommate, evanie, who you grew fairly close to the last two years, you guys even agreed to continue being roommates as long as you attended the school.

you met a few friends at uni - brooklyn, who was a total party girl and who always brought the excitement. brooklyn's girlfriend, dana, who was a little more introvert than brooklyn, but was really funny and a talented artist. and you met parker, a charming and caring guy with a lean body, in your statistics class freshman year.

who which you hooked up with a bunch of times, and though he assured you he loved every second of it, he decided to come to terms with the fact that he was gay and you guys decided to stay friends.

thanks to brooklyn, you went out a lot more than you thought you would. clubbing, sleepovers with the group, a road trip to the beach - which you missed an exam for, you went to parties here and there, hooked up here and there.

you hadn't really been in any relationships in college, it was more or less, sex. you had this thing with a guy you'd met at a party. his name was daniel, but insisted everyone called him danny. he was on the basketball team.

your thing with him lasted about two months before he accepted a transfer offer to a better school and decided that whatever you and him were, wasn't enough of anything to hold on to. but there were no hard feelings, you were thinking the same.

after he transferred halfway through this school year, it had you thinking about eren again. who you had a sneaky suspicion would be at this party tonight, though lana swore he wouldn't.

it's been almost a year since the last time you spoke to him. not because of anything bad, you just grew apart.

he went to the university of marley and you both just got so busy that you never really talked much anymore.

over the summer before college, you had hooked up at jean's fourth of july party. no one knew about it.

once the barbecue was over, eren offered to drop you home. though, once he pulled up outside your house, something came over the both of you and you smashed your lips against his.

you were lucky eren's windows were tinted so nobody could see the way you crawled over the console to sit on his lap while his mouth left marks all over your neck. or how you grinded your hips against his growing dick.

his hands tangled in your hair as he laid his car seat back and pulled his pants down.

you shook the memory out of your head as you turned left down an intersection. you called lana to tell her you were on your way as you anxiously checked your back seat to make sure her gifts were in fact there.

you had gotten her a designer bag you knew she always wanted and you got dana to paint a picture of the two of you when you were younger.

you searched for five minutes for a parking spot outside of lana's apartment before you went up the elevator to her floor.

you rest the painting and the gift bag at the side of her door before you knocked, it was a rather big painting and you didn't want her to see it just yet.

lana opened the door with a big smile on her face and arms out ready to give you a hug. "happy birthday oh my god you're becoming a big girl" you joked as you squeezed her tight.

"ugh i'm just so glad you made it" she hugged you tighter. "of course i would make it" you said as you held her arms. you took the chance to look past her for a second, the apartment was filled with people - some you recognized, some you didn't. there was music bumping, and people dancing.

you could see a table by her windows filled with mini sandwiches, snacks, deserts, and pizza. everyone was dressed nice as lana told everyone to.

there were pink streamers and flowers decorating her already decorated apartment. she offered for you to live with her full time and as much as you would've loved to, it was just too far from your school. so during the summers, after going back home to your mom, you would spend weeks at a time at her apartment.

"i got you a present" you smirked as you leaned down to grab the gifts of the floor. "ooou you did?" she smiled.

you showed her the painting and she smiled before thanking you and bringing you to her bedroom.

"i'm definitely hanging this up in my living room once all these people leave" she told you and you giggled.

"oh and i have this" you handed her the gift bag as she opened it to find the purse. "no fucking way! how did you buy this?? don't you have student loans to pay off?" she joked.

"alright not too much cause i could take it back real quick" you laughed "i got it when it was on sale" you told her.

"you know im just playing with you, thank you so much" she hugged you again. "did connie come yet?" you asked her. "no not yet" she smirked "why, worried about eren showing up?"

"no!...no i'm not worried. i'm sure he's moved on too. it's just been a while" you shrugged. "you want me to tell con not to bring eren?" she asked you as she lead you out of the room.

"y/n! oh my god i've missed you so much" sasha threw her arms around you for a hug. "i didn't know you'd be coming" she told you. "hey sash, i've missed you too" you smiled. "you have to try the mini sandwiches" she told you. "oh i will" you giggled before she walked over to the table of food.

you said hi to some more familiar faces, occasionally falling into conversations with them - usual questions about school, work, life, etc. before lana found you again.

the sun was beginning to set and you joined your friends in the living room, dancing and sipping on your drinks.

"i'll be right back okay?" lana told you and you nod your head as you continued dancing with mikasa and sasha.

she opened her front door to see connie and eren standing on the other side. "oh baby i'm so sorry. there was so much traffic" connie immediately threw his arms around her. "happy birthday my love, im so sorry" he kissed her forehead.

"it's okay, you can make it up to me later" she winked before bringing him in for a kiss.

"hey eren" she waved before he brought her in for a side hug. "what's up, happy birthday"  she smiled and thanked him.

she closed the door behind them before grabbing connie's hand. "come on baby i wanna show you what y/n got me" she pulled him to her room.

eren perked up at the mention of your name. obviously he knew you would be here but actually being here knowing you were in the same room was a little too real.

"yo man, what took y'all so long" ony dapped him up. "so much traffic" eren hugged him. "it's good to see you bro it's been mad long" ony told him. "yeah man i've been keeping busy"

they talked for a bit before eren’s eyes scanned the room before landing on you. you looked even more beautiful than the last time he saw you, you looked so mature and confident.

your complexion was a little more tan than before, your hair looked as though you’d cut it shorter and it was straightened. you were in a pretty yellow dress and a cute little pair of open toed heels. there was a glass of wine in your hand as you talked to someone he didn’t recognize.

his heart sank when you looked over for a moment and your caught his eyes on you. there it was again, those tantalizing eyes and that charming smile.

the last time eren saw you was in armin’s pool as you all decided to do one last hang out with the group before you would be going your separate ways. after that the most you and him did was text, which fizzled out, his last message with you dating back nine months.

you felt your heart pick up when your eyes landed on eren. his hair was even shorter now, almost back to the way you remembered he wore it in middle school. he looked like he had put on a bit of muscle and grown an inch or two. his outfit looked nice and put together. you indulged in the thought that he got dressed today with you on the brain, the way you did.

you just stood there looking at each other, it became almost rude to the people you were both talking to. you excused yourself from your conversation before making your way over to him.

“hey stranger” he said first, same old grin on his face. ony took this as a sign to step away and let the two of you mingle. “hii, it’s so nice to see you” you reached out to hug him, holding out your drink. his arms wrapped around your waist.

“how’ve you been? you look good” you told him. “thanks,, i can definitely say the same about you” you didn’t miss the way his eyes trailed over you for a second as your lips curled into a smirk.

“so what’s up with you?” you asked him. “just keeping busy you know, school is slamming me. i’ve been working with some brands though”

the two of you talked for longer than you realized, catching each other up on your lives. you poured him a drink before you made your way out onto lana’s fire escape. you talked about your respective college experiences, work, your internship, his projects with brands, anything your minds led to.

talking with him made you realize how much you’ve both grown since the last time you saw each other and just how much you both missed each other.

you took a second to really look at each other as, just for a moment, eren’s eyes dipped down to your lips. a sly grin drew on both your faces as you let out a giggle.

“i have to ask, are you…seeing anyone?” he asked you “no not necessarily” he searched your face for an answer before you laughed. “no, no i’m not” you told him.

he took a step closer to you, standing so close you could feel the fabric of his jeans brush against your knee. you looked up at him, still taller than you even with your heels on, waiting for what he would do next.

“so,, does that mean i can do this?” he brushed your hair out of your face, letting his hand rest on your cheek and leaned in. you grinned as you followed along and held onto his waist, lips meeting for just a moment before connie knocked on the window, making you both jump and step away from each other.

“save that for later, we bout to sing happy birthday come on!” he told you before stepping away.

you looked at each other and laughed before climbing back into the apartment and joining everyone in singing happy birthday.

you and connie were first to give lana hugs and kisses and get your pictures taken before everyone else did the same. the whole time, eren’s eyes were just on you. he missed your smile, and your laugh, and the way you always made other people smile.

once the party was over you, connie, and eren stayed behind to help lana clean up. the four of you talked for a bit, munching on cake and the finger foods you were helping her put away.

“well i think it’s time i head out” you yawned. “okay there’s no way you’re leaving, your campus is like an hour and a half away. plus you’re still tipsy” lana insisted.

“how about you stay in the second bedroom?” she offered. you took a second to look at eren, hiding the small smirk on your face. lana clocked it immediately. “um i can take her” eren spoke up. “hm, very well then.” she nod her head before coming to give you a hug.

“stay safe and make sure he has a condom” she whispered in your ear and you giggled.

eren led the way out of lana’s apartment and down to your car. you let him drive since he had less to drink than you did and he drove to his brother’s apartment where he was staying.

he led you upstairs and opened the door to a spacious apartment with big windows overlooking the city. “jesus what does your brother do” you asked as eren closed the door behind you. “he’s a doctor or something like that. he’s not here though” eren told you as he leaned against the counter and watched you look down at the city.

you turned around to see a mischievous glint in his eyes. he cleared his throat before showing you to the guest room. “um there’s some clothes i had left in there from when i came down here with my mom if you wanna change” he told you.

“aw how is she?” you asked earnestly. “she’s good, she still loves and misses her prized dancer” eren grinned.

ʚɞ

you woke up in the middle of the night looking for water when you saw eren sitting at the kitchen island, doing something on his computer.

he turned your way when he heard the door open. “oh hey, can’t sleep?” he asked you. “nah, just thirsty” “there’s some water in the fridge, i’ll get you some” he got up to take a bottle of water out and handed it to you and you thanked him.

“what are you working on?” you asked him. “something for a class, i was supposed to finish it earlier but i put it off for lana’s party….which I’m glad i did cause i got to see you” he turned to you at the last part.

“i missed you a lot you know” he told you. “i missed you too. it was so nice seeing you again”

he didn’t say anything for a moment and you watched as though the gears in his head were turning.

“y/n….i really want to be with you. i can’t keep ignoring it anymore. i’ve wanted to be with you since we everything senior year. i tried to just push it down and get over you and try on new people but nobody fits, nobody but you. i don’t want this to be like last time, i don’t want this to be the last time i see you for another two years. it’s time for us to grow up and for me to admit that i really fucking want you and i think you want me too…”

you felt like you got the wind knocked out of you with the mini monologue he went on declaring his feelings for you.

“of course i want you too. i want you so bad eren, i don’t think my feelings for you ever really went away. i just, i don’t even know i was just a stupid seventeen year old who didn’t know what to do but i do know now. i want to be with you ren”

a moment went by before eren pulled you in for a hug. “god i’ve been dreaming to hear you say that” he mumbled into your shoulder while your hands played with the back of his hair.

he lift his head off your chest to look up at you and before you could even think, your lips were on his.

the kiss quickly changed from a soft pace to the two of you kissing like your lives depended on it. it was filled with years of tension and need.

eren stood up from the chair, pushing you up against the wall behind you as his hands dipped underneath the shirt you wore and held on to your waist. your mouths continued fighting to taste each other as your arms were wrapped around his neck.

you groaned in his mouth when you felt him grope your boob from under your shirt and his thumb grazed over your nipple. you felt him smirk against your mouth. “still like getting your tits played with?” he teased before moving to leave kisses and marks down your neck.

he reached for the bottom of your shirt and pulled it over your head, throwing it somewhere in the living room. he grabbed your boob and put it in his mouth, letting his tongue swirl over your nipple and sucking on it like a sweet.

a moan fell past your lips as you felt your face getting hot and you tangled your fingers through his hair. he pointed his tongue directly on the sensitive bud, reveling in the sweet noises you were making, like music to his ears.

you could feel your panties moistening by the second as you let your head lay back on the wall. he moved off your tit to show the other one some love, groping at it before putting it in his mouth.

he kissed along your collarbones before meeting your lips again. your hand dipped between your bodies and you teasingly grazed your fingers over the tent in his shorts. “mm what are you doing princess” “haven’t heard that one in a while” you grinned. “i wanna suck your dick” you looked him straight in the eyes.

“i won’t stop you” he smirked. you lowered yourself to your knees, keeping your eyes on his. you reached for the waistband of his shorts and pulled them down, revealing his dick print against his boxers. you pulled those down too.

face to face with his flushed dick, you wrapped your hand around it, slowing pumping to tease him. you licked a kitten lick over his tip, smirking when you heard his sharp inhale.

you pumped his cock between your fist as he let out small moans. most of the guys you’d hooked up with during college were too full of themselves to make any noise during sex. you enjoyed the groans he gave as he carefully held your hair in his hand.

you finally put his dick in your mouth, starting with his tip while you continued jerking him off. you slackened your jaw and manually breathed through your nose as you felt his cock fill your mouth. eren was definitely the biggest you’ve been with.

you combined your vacuuming lips with the licking of your tongue and it sent eren over the edge. one hand held onto the wall in front of him while the other kept a hold on your hair.

“fuck you’re so good at that” he whimpered. you licked along a vein near his tip and you felt his dick jump in your mouth.

“fuck y/n, think i’m gonna cum” he began shifting his hips, pushing himself further in your mouth. you felt his tip touch the back of your throat and you willed yourself not to gag, tears pricking your eyes. “you want my cum in your mouth, princess?” you nod your head.

a few seconds later he came and you swallowed every last drop. somehow, he was still hard and ready to go.

you got off your knees and he hugged your waist before kissing you again. “i’ll make you some tea for your throat” he said before lifting you up and carrying you back to the guest bedroom. he closed the door with his foot before laying you down on the bed.

you propped yourself up on your elbows as he pulled your pants and your panties down in one swift motion before he pulled off his wife beater, throwing all the pieces of clothes somewhere in the room. you think this is the first time you’ve seen each other fully naked.

“you’ve been working out?” you asked, trailing your hands over his soft abs. “yeah but i haven’t been in a while” he crawled on the bed and spread your legs, placing himself between them.

he squeezed your boobs before trailing his hands down to your vagina. you moaned feeling a finger rub over your clit before dipping in your hole.

he smirked before reaching over to the nightstand and pulling out a condom. “no need,,i’m in the pill. i wanna feel you” you told him.

he leaned down to kiss you again. “gonna fuck you so good baby” he whispered in your ear before lining his dick up with your entrance.

he eased himself inside you, hands gripping your hips as his hips snapped against yours in an erotic rhythm.

you felt him fill you up, brain going fuzzy. you reached behind you to grip onto the pillows. “oh my fucking god, ren- feels so good” your words came out airy as every hump inside you made you lose your breath.

your tits bounced and you felt the bed squeak as eren got more rough with his thrusts. “you feel so fucking good princess, like this pretty pussy was made for me” his grip on your hips got tighter.

your pussy engulfed his dick, you could feel his balls slapping against your skin.

the room was filled with the vulgar noise of your skin slapping against his, your pornographic moans, and eren’s grunts. for a second you wondered if the neighbors could hear you.

but you were too busy getting fucked out to care.

eren threw your leg over his shoulder leaning down to deepen himself inside you. “oh my god eren i’m gonna cum” a moan ripped out of you at the new angle.

“go ahead baby, wanna feel you rush on my dick” he kissed your forehead, holding on to the headboard behind you.

it didn’t take long for the knot in your stomach to snap and you were cumming all over eren’s cock. he followed suit soon after too and the two of you sat there for a few seconds trying to catch your breaths.

he pulled you in for a hug and you could feel his heart racing against your chest. you stayed like that for a while, hugging each other while eren’s dick was still buried inside you. “i think i love you y/n, if that’s not insane to say” he said, making you chuckle.

“it’s not. i love you too” you said before he pressed his lips against yours. this one much different than the one before - this one soft and gentle and sweet.

you kissed each other, never wanting to let go now that you’ve made your way back to one another.

[loveharlow]

SEVEN [THE INBETWEEN] - KISS IT BETTER

PAIRING ‧₊˚ JJ Maybank x Fem!Reader

SYNOPSIS‧₊˚[2.5k] Three weeks of no John B or Sarah and you're officially overwhelmed with grief and mixed signals, leading to an emotional outburst directed at certain blonde.

WARNING(S)‧₊˚ swearing, mentions of death, mutual pining, grief avoidance, little fluff, mentions of low self-esteem/negative self-image, mentions of past non-con

NOW PLAYING‧₊˚

A/N‧₊˚ I think this chapter is actually so soft and beautiful🥺 and I never really say this but I do think listening to the song on repeat as you read makes it one hundred times better.

˗ˏˋ series masterlist ˎˊ˗

THIS DAY MARKED THREE WEEKS SINCE YOU’D LOST JOHN B AND SARAH…And one week since JJ kissed you out of nowhere. Co-existing in your other presumed dead best friend’s house has been…odd, to say the least. You didn’t really know how to talk to JJ now, which was something you never thought would be an issue.

He’d been in the surf shack working on your car more than usual, without your company unfortunately. You’d been taking more small jobs just to get out of the house at this point. But barely talking to your best friend for an entire week while living in the same space was starting to take a toll on you.

And so was the kiss.

Did he mean to do it? Was it a spur of the moment thing? Did JJ have feelings for you? Ten thousand thoughts running around in your mind at once, driving you closer and closer to the edge of crazy. Your heart was telling you that the kiss was no accident — that it seemed too passionate and eager to be something he’d done in the heat of the moment. But your head was telling you that the kiss was an act of grief — something he’d done in a moment where his head wasn’t exactly screwed on straight.

That it was an honest mistake.

You didn’t know which part of you that you believed.

Or which part of you that you wanted to believe.

It was nightfall when you walked up the steps of The Chateau, bag slung lazily over your shoulder as you huffed out a puff of air, exhausted from your nearly ten hour long babysitting gig. Some couple needed someone to watch over their three kids while they went on a date. You should’ve known something was off when the mother was offering fifty dollars an hour, way over minimum wage — her three kids were more like a pint-sized trio of bats from hell. But you walked away with five-hundred more dollars in your pocket, so who were you to complain?

But even with fatigue and hunger weighing heavy on your bones, your heart still dropped at the thought of seeing JJ at the end of the day.

Sighing, you quietly opened the door of the home, throwing your bag on the sofa and letting the door close behind you as Marley immediately came charging, light paws feeling like punches on your thighs but you smiled nonetheless.

“Hi, pretty girl. How are you?” You cooed, scratching behind both of her ears as she wiggled against you.

Another set of footsteps rounded the corner, a freshly awoken JJ coming into your view. You coughed awkwardly under your breath, straightening out as the two of you locked eyes. “Oh, hey. I didn’t wake you, did I?”

“Nah, it’s fine. I’m just glad you made it in before it got too late, one of the corner stores got robbed a couple hours ago.” He said, voice raspy and low from sleep as he rubbed the exhaustion out of his eyes.

The two of you stood there awkwardly— JJ scratching the back of his head as you averted your eyes anywhere else, Marley’s panting filling the silence.

You took a deep breath, shoving your hands in the back of your pockets as JJ mindlessly nibbled on his lower lip. You took the opportunity to break the silence, the blonde seemingly having the same idea.

“Well, I’m gonna get ready for bed-”

“Look, I’m sorry-”

You both stopped talking, attempting to allow the other to speak. Small smiles broke out on your faces, the two of you looking down at your feet simultaneously. “This is awkward, if I’ve ever seen it…” JJ huffed out humorously. “Can we just…like, sit down and talk, for a minute?” He asked, his own words making him cringe slightly as he motioned towards the battered sofa.

You nodded, not saying a word as you plopped down on the piece of furniture, eyes on the floor as your hands held each other in your lap. JJ sat down oddly slow next to you. You expected him to try and create as much distance between the two of you as possible but surprisingly, he sat so close that your shoulders were brushing in the tiniest of ways.

The unexpectedness of it all had your brows furrowing, finding some kind of courage to look the boy in his eyes as he finally settled on the right words to say.

“...I shouldn’t have kissed you.” For some reason, the string of words made your heart tremble and your lips parted in surprise. They hurt more than you ever expected them to. Noticing your solemn expression, JJ was quick to clean up his statement, turning in his seat to look at you completely. “Not in the sense that I didn’t want to, no, God no.” He sputtered, hands moving around wildly. “It’s just that, with everything going on, I don't think that moment was the best moment to act on my feelings-”

He was cut off when you lurched forward, colliding your lips with his in the heat of the moment. In your haste and his surprise, the blonde accidentally bit your lip but you didn’t mind, never breaking the exchange. After a moment, you both seemed to settle into it — one of his hands sliding around your hip and waist to find a home on the end of your back, pulling you closer in the smallest motion. Your own hands cradled his jaw on each side, pulling him deeper into you.

You kissed that boy until you couldn’t anymore. Until your lips were swollen and wet, your head spinning as you pulled back and let your hands fall, sliding down the length of his neck and shoulders while his own hand slid back to rest on your thigh.

“...What was that for?” He asked in a whisper. He sounded breathless.

You simply gulped, tucking a small strand of hair behind your ear before speaking. “...When you kissed me, I felt something. Something I didn’t think I should feel while kissing my best friend. Because I never thought I’d be kissing my best friend at all.” You explained, elevating your gaze to meet his eyes. “And I thought to myself that I should feel repulsed. That the kiss should feel wrong. Right? But nothing about that kiss felt wrong.” You told him. “I haven’t been avoiding you because of the kiss, JJ. I’ve been avoiding you because I haven’t been able to get the thought of kissing you again out of my head since it happened.”

“And now that you have?” He asked, eyes searching yours. “Now, that you have kissed me again?”

“...I’m struggling not to do it a third time.” You breathed out, eyes fleeting towards his lips for the slightest of moments. “I don’t know what this is. In my head, you’re my absolute best friend and I love you in that aspect but everytime I see you now, I can’t help but think about you in ways that I shouldn’t. So, if that kiss or this one didn’t mean anything to you, you’d better tell me now because-”

“Oh, it meant something.” He cut you off enthusiastically, a small smirk playing on his lips. “I know you probably have no idea but that kiss meant everything to me.” He told you, edging closer on the sofa. “I’ve had this huge crush on you for, like, ever. Probably since I even knew what a crush was. But you know how I am…” He lowered his voice, avoiding your eyes. “I didn’t trust myself with you. Anytime I look at you, I see this ball of light around you and I never want it to go away. Or be the reason for it going away. With me and all my shit…”

“I don’t think of you like that.” You said honestly, a small frown on your face. “You aren’t some southside screw up or a charity case. JJ, you know that I don’t care about all that. I’m always there to walk through it with you, your life doesn’t define you, you know that. Or at least, you should.” You told the blonde, running a soft hand through his hair. “And I know that it may take some time for you to believe that for yourself but I’ll be the one to tell you it everyday until you actually hear it, as a friend or…whatever else.”

You reminded the boy, biting your lower lip in thought. “...That’s why you never said anything? Because you thought you weren’t good for me?”

He seemed to ponder on the statement before nodding, somewhat shamefully. “I mean, c'mon, look at you.” He scoffed, wide blue eyes looking at your face with so much adoration and purity that you never cared to notice before. “Someone like you doesn’t need to waste her life away trying to love someone like me.”

“I do love you-”

“Not in the way that I love you.” He blurted, pinching his eyes shut as he cut you off.

“...I could. But you’ll never know if you don’t let me try.” You told him. “I won’t sit here and tell you that I love you in that way because I really don’t know. But whatever I’m starting to feel for you is beyond a friendship and once I figure that out, who knows? But I also don’t want you to wait on me to figure things out if that’s not what you want.” You concluded, retreating your hands back to the comfort of your lap.

You don’t know how helpless you looked, but you made no attempt to hide the frown that you could feel on your face. You knew JJ was known as promiscuous but his ways seemed to have settled with everything that’s happened. Although the thought of him with anyone made your gut turn, you didn’t want to confine him within the cage of your emotional contemplation. You didn’t want to lead him on now knowing how he felt about you.

“Hey,” He started, a hand on your arm. “I will wait. And that’s my choice. If you decide that you want me, that you want this, then I will be here. I know my past actions are probably making my words seem like a load of shit right now, but weeks ago? When I was hooking up with half the island? I was under the impression that you and I would never happen. But now there’s a chance.” He spoke, laughing at the end of his sentence, the oddness of the action making your face twist. “Sorry, I just, I thought about somethin'.” He said, waving himself off. “I was talking to Bree one day, about you. I told him that the odds of you ever liking me back were one in a million. And he told me that a one in a million chance is still a chance, to which I told him that he was full of shit. But now…” He trailed off, shrugging.

“...John B knew?” You asked, tilting your head to the side. JJ rolled his eyes playfully.

“I think everyone knew, except you, of course.” He cocked an eyebrow, you being the one to roll your eyes this time. 

“...So what do we do now?” You asked, voice small.

JJ sighed, suddenly sitting up straighter in his seat and taking both of your hands in his own. “...As much as I want to make you my girlfriend, right here and right now, I don’t think it’s a good idea. I think that we both need time to grieve and sort ourselves and I also think that you need time to explore your feelings more and make sure that this isn’t a fluke.” That was the most mature sentence you'd ever heard leave JJ's lips.

“A fluke?” You asked, mildly offended. “What does that mean?”

“Just that, I’ve seen how you can deal with grief. And not to twist the knife…are you okay with me talking about the…Rafe thing?” You clenched your jaw at the mere mention of his name, nodding stiffly in JJ’s direction, the boy drawing his lips into a thin line before continuing. “When that happened, you were still grieving. You kissed him because you were in a bad place and he was there and he ended up...taking advantage of that vulnerable part of you, right?” You hummed in agreement. “I am not at all blaming you for what happened when I say this. You didn’t deserve it and that asshole should be six feet under for what he did and, God so help me, I will put him there myself-”

“JJ.” You interrupted the boy’s rant, wanting him to finish his point completely. Huffing out a puff of air, he continued.

“I’m sorry. I just, I really hate that that happened to you. And I know it happened to you, not me but I want to kill him. Every day that I wake up, I just hope he's dead somewhere.”

“I know. Trust me, I know.” You reassured.

“But all I’m trying to say is that, I don’t want to repeat that same cycle — taking advantage of your emotional state. I want you to be yourself again and be in the right space before trying to take this any further. And I want you to have no doubts and be completely sure.” You understood his point of view and his reasoning behind it. Nodding, you allowed him to finish his sentence. “So, for now? We can just figure things out, set some kinda boundaries, if you want.”

You thought about it for a moment, fingers drawing shapes on one of his hands. “...Just honesty. If you kiss someone, hook up with someone…” The words made your eyes twitch. “Just don’t let me find out from someone else.”

“Oh, I can promise you that I have no one else on my mind, especially now that I know I’m on yours, so there will be nothing to tell ‘n nothin’ to find out, m’lady.” He smiled, saluting towards you. “I’m all yours, even if you aren’t mine. Yet.” He winked.

It’d been weeks since you’d seen the goofy side of JJ. It was comforting. 

You giggled, bowing your head slightly. “I promise that I am solely focused on clarifying my feelings towards you and only you, blondie.” You returned the sentiment and the salute. “What about our friendship, though? Is it still a friendship?”

“Mmm….” He thought aloud, chewing the inside of his cheek. “Actually, you’re the smart one. What’s like a fancy, silly term for developing a relationship? Like getting to know each other but not dating, like the in between stage?”

“...We can say we’re in a courtship?” You suggest half-jokingly, shrugging. “But… does this also mean we have to stop kissing each other? 'Cause I kind of like that part.”

JJ faked offense, throwing a palm against his chest and gasping. “Kissing?” He asked, wide eyed and shocked. “We are pogues. And number one rule of pogues, is no pogue-on-pogue macking…Eugh.” He reprimanded playfully, fake gagging. You slapped his shoulder in response, a smile on your face as one grew on his.

“No pogue-on-pogue macking, huh?” You said, playfully swatting his arms as he did yours. “

“That’s exactly right, little miss lips-a-lot - Ow! Did you just pinch my nipple?” He laugh-shouted, holding his chest as your swatting ceased. “What are you? Six?-”

You took the opportunity with JJ's guard down to grab the nape of his neck and pull his face into yours, giving him one last hard, passionate kiss of the night, slightly biting his lip as you drew your face away from his.

“How’s that for no pogue-on-pogue macking?”

feedback is appreciated! thanks for reading.SVN Taglist; @esquivelbianca @fallingwallsh @calmoistorm @i-love-ptv @liability28 @rivaiken @sophiahristov @rafxcameronss @ldrvinyl @purplerose291 @boo22sstuff @heartsforandrewgarfield @coolgirl458 @sabrina-carpenter-stan-account @jujubeaz @ellobruv-blog @yourmumstoy @belle101200 @libertyybellls @c4ttheart @ihe4rttwd @redhead1180 @ditzyzombiesblog @spideysimpossiblegirl @sex-me-stiles @honeyiti @rafedrewandjjs @highformaybank @broidfk609

©loveharlow.

[total-dxmure]

✦ FLOWERS AND RIVALRY ➞ 【ELLIE WILLIAMS】

pairing: domestic!ellie williams x reader

summary: just some good ole’ neighborly rivalry.

warnings: ellie is just being adorable, you’re the best girlfriend in the world, this kinda shit is just a daily occurrence with her

a/n: just a lil somethin’ to keep you babies satiated while i'm working on chapter four of “marley and me”! enjoy :)

You watched as Ellie plucked a cigarette from her back pocket, her hands covered in dirt all the way up to her elbows. Buying a house was a lot of work- you knew that going in- but what you hadn’t expected was for your girlfriend to get so competitive about the upkeep.

“The neighbors across the street put in new flower boxes. . . did you see them? Anyway, I ran to Home Depot and picked up a few things.” Her definition of “few” and yours must be completely different, because the second that she opened up the bed of her truck you nearly laughed right in her face. Planks, bags full of supplies, and more flowers than you could even count were all shoved into the tight space. A few strands of her newly chopped hair were sticking to her brow with sweat. It was almost as though she could sense that you were about to say something, because she flashed you that wide smile of hers. Her freckles on full display in the early evening sun, green eyes blazing as she stared at you. You shut your mouth right up, only realizing how pussy whipped you were the second that you began jogging back into the house, already grabbing her an ice cold beer from the fridge.

So there you sat, legs stretched in front of you as you lounged in the rocking chair on the front porch. You would offer to help, but you were prone to clumsiness. While Ellie was good with fixing things, you were very good at breaking them.

She lit the cigarette, closing her lips around the filter and going straight back to work. Her arms and upper back glistened with sweat, cheeks flushed from the sun. You watched as she blew out a plume of smoke from her nose, utterly enchanted by her. She probably smelled of sweat, dirt, and sunscreen. . . but she was perfect.

The two of you were friends for years before making things official. The both of you had pined after one another for what felt like ages before she finally made a move. Maybe that was why the both of you were still so smitten after four years. You cracked a small smile before standing up, moving over to the top step of the porch so that you could grab the beer bottle, weighing it in your hands.

“I’ll go get you a fresh one.” And without her even having to say anything you breezed back into the house, eager to at least offer some sort of assistance.

You opened the fridge, pausing as you heard her voice sound from outside.

“-thought the front yard needed something.”

You rolled your eyes, grabbing the beer and twisting the cap off before sauntering back in the direction of the front porch. The wooden floors of your home creaked under your bare feet as you made your way towards the front door. The neighbor was standing in his yard, hands on his hips as he spoke. Ellie had stood up and moved away from her project, motioning towards what she was planning on making a large flower garden.

“The ole’ lady also wanted to plant some vegetables this year, so I’ll be working in the backyard tomorrow. You and your husband should come over once it’s all finished. You guys hosted dinner last time. It’s our turn.” Ellie told him matter of factly.

You schooled your face into neutrality, fighting off the urge to scoff at her statement. You had mentioned wanting to grow beans and peppers in passing almost a month ago. The neighbor- Steven- nodded his head, squinting his eyes against the blaring sun.

“Yeah, Yeah. Cole and I would love to come over. I remember you telling me about changing the tiles in your guest bath, and we wanted to come see.” He said, already moving back towards his front door.

Ellie was beaming with pride, the cigarette she had been smoking tucked between two dirty fingers. “Sounds like a plan.”

It was only once Steven was back in his home that Ellie turned to face you, eyes wide as she discreetly pointed in the direction of his house.

“Did you see that? He was practically boiling with jealousy. He told me last month that he was redoing the kitchen, and that smug look on his face-”

“I can’t believe you’re getting in a pissing competition with the sweet gay dads across the street.” You whispered, shaking your head in disapproval before handing her the beer.

“It wasn’t me! They started it!” She whisper-yelled, trailing after you like a wounded puppy.

[spiteless-xo]

╰┈➤ attack on titan / shingeki no kyojin

explicit content - [✿]

⋙ series.

the boys at school [completed]; jean, porco, zeke. [✿] You start to get back out into the dating world and find yourself overwhelmed with options. Not only does Porco Galliard, the star player of the school’s hockey team want to get in your pants, but Jean Kirstein, the Captain of the rival team seems to be in love with you, AND Zeke Jaeger, your ex-boyfriend wants to get back together! How will figure out who really cares for you and who’s taking advantage of you without self-sabotaging?

the boys at work [completed]; eren, jean. [✿] You’re in love with your best friend, but he’s still hung on up his ex-girlfriend, so you start sleeping with his former best friend to make him jealous. The four of you work together at one of the city’s most prestigious professional services companies and you’re struggling so much with the workload that you’re worried you might get fired. Can you successfully juggle all these relationships and your career, or will you burn out and lose it all?

the boys at work [deleted scenes]; additional content from tbaw series ⋙ hopeless; eren. ⋙ eren fucking jaeger; eren. ⋙ jean and eren backstory. ⋙ the reeves job; eren. [✿] ⋙ fake dating; eren. [✿] ⋙ meeting the parents; eren, jean. ⋙ anxiety; eren. ⋙ shameless; eren. [✿] ⋙ hot flashes; jean. [✿] ⋙ finally, a night alone; eren. [✿] ⋙ family. ⋙ the point; jean. [✿]

⋙ oneshots.

camping; eren. [✿] While camping with friends, you realize just before bed that you forgot to pack your sleeping bag. Eren offers to let you stay with him in his tent and even though you can’t stand him, what other choice do you have?

for me?; armin. [✿] You’re not doing well in class so Armin Arlert volunteers to help you out of the goodness of his heart… no other reason.

happy birthday!; jean. [✿] You surprise your boyfriend, Jean Kirstein, on his birthday in the middle of the night in nothing but your ODM gear.

long distance; jean. [✿] Jean has been travelling a lot for his new job and it's taking a toll on both of you. One late night, when you're feeling lonely, he surprises you with a phone call.

my first kiss; eren. [✿] Embarrassed that you're falling behind your peers, you decide to have your first kiss with someone you meet at the party, but your childhood friend, Eren, really doesn't like that idea. Why would you want to learn how to kiss from some stranger when he can teach you?

that night; reiner, porco, zeke. [✿] Zeke, Reiner, and Porco take you home for a little adult fun.

the roommate; jean. [✿] After getting into a fight with your boyfriend, you go over to his apartment to beg for forgiveness. He’s not home, but his roommate, Jean Kirstein, is. Jean implies that your boyfriend is cheating on you and does his best to convince you to break up with him.

⋙ character masterlist.

eren jaeger

jean kirstein

⋙ headcanons/drabbles.

angst headcanons - armin

as a boyfriend [✿] - colt, porco, reiner, zeke

as a dad - porco

as a pornstar [✿] - armin

fluffy headcanons, paradis - armin

fluffy headcanons, marley - colt, porco, reiner, zeke

general headcanons - hange, levi

general headcanons, nsfw [✿] - colt 1, 2; porco 1, 2

harry potter house - armin, connie, mikasa, sasha

how he sleeps - armin

karaoke - porco, reiner

music he'd listen to, two - reiner

pets - armin

pizza order - connie, reiner, sasha

stoner headcanons - armin, connie, porco, reiner

suddenly becoming a dad - porco

with a daddy kink [✿] - zeke

last updated may 27, 2024.

[quordleona03]

8 shows for your mutuals to get to know you better

I was tagged by @marley--manson

Blake's 7 - I once described my relationship with Blake's 7 as like the one you might have with your first girlfriend. You came out together! You two were the first lesbians each of you had ever met; You share so many lesbian firsts together. You split up before you were even going to uni, you may not see each other very often now, but there's still that sweet, sweet, unforgettable first attachment. That was me for Blake's 7. The first show I ever wrote fanfic for. The first show for which I had a proper fannish obsession. The first show for which I ever spent three days weeping and writing obsessively after I was left in a state of misery and shock after the fourth season finale . I have a complete set of B7 DVDs sitting on the shelf above this computer. I haven't actually watched them but sometimes I offer them flowers.

2. Doctor Who. This was my very first convention - the Doctor Who 20th Anniversary Con at Longleat, Easter weekend 1983. My parents asked me what I'd like to do for Easter, and were more than a little startled when I told them, but they paid my train fare and my con membership and let me go and I had my very first experience of fandom standing in those queues. I have dipped into and out of Doctor Who since I first watched Tom Baker flaunt his ever so long scarf.

3. Star Trek: TOS - and the original four movies. I watched these without as much obsession, but - I read James Blish's novelisations, I still have a collection of the good Trek novels on my shelf, I once organised a group reading of the Price of the Phoenix at a slash con, I have written Spock/McCoy fanfic (it's the Mirror episode, mostly) and I have been to K/S cons. I quite like DS9 and ST:tng too - I've written fanfic for tng - but Star Trek before it needed a TOS label was the first fandom I got to share with friends in person, as opposed to friends I knew by post and fanzine and at cons.

4. Cagney & Lacey. I loved this show. So did my mum. This is the only fandom I ever shared with my mum, and we loved it the same way: two kick-ass women who were best friends and also the only two women cops in their precinct. I was not conscious enough of racial issues in the US at the time I was watching it to be conscious that the New York Cagney and Lacey moved in was very unexpectedly white at all times, but I'm afraid I would see it now. On the other hand, if anyone can point me at *good* recordings of the episodes I would love to watch them again - my mum had the complete set recorded on VHS tapes and, well, gone with the dinosaurs and my late mother's estate.

5. The Professionals. Such a British show. Written and aired well before the anti-drunk driving campaigns, Bodie and Doyle and Cowley drink to excess, show no signs of being drunk, and then drive fast cars and wave guns around after drinking to excess. I wrote Bodie/Cowley fanfic for it because at the time I discovered the fandom, it felt like every Bodie/Doyle story and then some had already been written (and were still being written) but also because I really adored the way Gordon Jackson and Lewis Collins interacted with each other. Cowley and Bodie were both ex-soldiers doing a secret-police job: Doyle was a former cop transferred to CI5: the best fanfiction written covered the brutality and the danger and the kind of personality that thrived on it. The political viewpoints expressed by Bodie, Cowley, and Doyle were so far from being mine that it felt reckless to write them, and I enjoyed that: but the background to the story - 1970s UK/London - was so close to my real life (1980s/1990s Scotland/SE England) that it felt sometimes impossibly easy to write.

6. House MD I had been vaguely aware that Hugh Laurie had moved to the US and was doing a show about a doctor in an American hospital and I was entirely uninterested - US doctor/hospital series (with ONE exception) had never appealed to me. And then I saw a poster, at the bus stop, on my way home. It is a rule that anything she see advertised on public transport is bad, but I looked at the unshaven and somehow agonised face of Hugh Laurie, whom I remembered well from quite other series, and I though: Okay, I'll give this a go, and I watched one episode - somewhere in the first season, I do not recall which one, oddly enough: and I was hooked. I never wrote much fanfic for it, but Greg House and his coterie of characters - Wilson, Cameron, Chase, Foreman, and Cuddy - and to a certain extent the later ducklings - were formidable ingredients for story telling. I own every season on DVD.

7. The West Wing. I have been a politics nerd for most of my life, and a friend who was aware of this tempted me into watching an early episode of TWW (it may even have been the pilot episode) by telling me it was a drama about politics - not so much about elections, but about the behind-the-scenes work that makes politics. I watched it from season one, and I own every season on DVD.

8. M*A*S*H I became obsessed with MASH in two phases - first one about twenty years ago, which sparked a period of about five years writing fanfic: and again, I'm not sure why, in lockdown - suddenly the characters walked back into my mind and I started writing MASH fanfic again. Who to tag, who to tag: @jaelijn @topshelf2112-blog @cplredberet @blistersonmefingehs @bbjkrss-blog (but don't feel obliged unless you want to)

[kayze-draws]

NEST character asks!!

this,, this is gonna be a long one

NEST is an aspiring competitive team with big dreams for the future. they’re a bunch of goobers who banded together to make their leader’s childhood fantasies a reality. they’re probably roommates or live on the same street or something like that.

Feel free to ask them.. anything! Favorites, preferences, whatever. There is an itty bit of story to them, if you know what to ask. This is a method to help me better develop them as characters.

[designs and information are subject to change] [characters are still under development personality-wise]

Phineas ‘Stork’ (he/him)

Stork is the leader and founder of NEST. He’s a good sport, but loves to be competitive and take on new challenges. He’s a bit sheepish and modest when it comes to discussing his skill in Ranked, and often shies away when complimented.

Though Stork is lenient (and a bit of a pushover), he can still manage his team. He’s known to have a “death-stare”, which is when his teammates need to start getting serious, but they usually dance around that point. Still, Stork wouldn’t trade his team for anything, even if they annoy him, and he is insanely grateful for them. He works very hard to be a good team captain and player, unafraid to call out opposing players and offer encouragement.

His ink is a bit more pastel and dull in compare to his teammates.

18K Aviators, Black Arrowbands

Orca Bolero, Hula Punk Shirt

Arrow Pull-Ons, Annalise Strappy Sandals

~ ~ ~

Carl ‘Peacock’ (he/him)

Peacock is a fair bit sassy and moody when comfortable, but is otherwise quiet and reserved. He rarely says much, having a lack of comments and replies to small talk. He spends a lot of time on his phone.

He is very close to Stork, and oftentimes helps him with leading when it becomes too stressful. He has the second-to-most experience in Turf War.

Peacock loves fashion as well, and is prideful in his ability to dress and style his teammates so they always look their best. (Which, Stork is very thankful for.) Gift giving is his favorite show of affection.

Full-Moon Glasses, House-Tag Denim Cap

Barazushi Wrap, Deepsea Tangle Top

Field Duck Boots

~ ~ ~

Jamie ‘Pigeon’ (any)

Pigeon is a loose cannon type of player. They always are on offense, springing up behind opponents to kill them with fast-firing weapons. Pigeon prefers to work by himself, and he generally struggles to follow orders, work as a team, and respect Stork, but he is slowly getting better.

Pigeon is a definite jokester, oftentimes making teases and jabs at others’ expenses. She never makes herself the butt of the joke.

Crust Bucket Visor, Bream-Brim Cap

Motley Hoodless, Rugby King 08,

Red Slip-Ons, Fry Tops

~ ~ ~

Marley ‘Quail’ (she/they)

Quail is very relaxed and carefree, skilled enough to provide training for her teammates. She focuses on the finer skills, such as aim, and is usually the one to calm down Pigeon. She’s sort of the ‘mom friend’ of the group, mediating the small arguments between Pigeon and their leader.

Outside of training with her team, Quail likes to do yoga, pilates, and art. They’re quite creative and help build team outfits and coordination with Peacock. She also helps plan events, lending Stork a hand when they enroll in competitions and fun outings.

(She’s probably the least developed.)

Short Beanie, Bucket Hat

Sudadera Celeste

Punk Whites

[fpp64]

All time best album 100

1. Chuck Berry - Chuck Berry Is On Top (59)

2. Wes Montgomery - The Incredible Jazz Guitar (60)

3. John Coltrane - Giant Steps (60)

4. John Lee Hooker - Don't Turn Me From Your Door: John Lee Hooker Sings His Blues (63)

5. Grant Green - Idle Moments (65)

6. Miles Davis - Nefertiti (67)

7. Quarteto Nôvo - Quarteto Nôvo (67)

8. The Doors - The Doors (67)

9. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Axis: Bold As Love (67)

10. The Beatles - The Beatles (68)

11. The Kinks - The Village Green Preservation Society (68)

12. The Beach Boys - Friends (68)

13. Blood, Sweat And Tears - Child Is Father To The Man (68)

14. John Hartford - Housing Project (68)

15. Andy Pratt - Records Are Like Life (69)

16. Frank Zappa - Hot Rats (69)

17. Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority (69)

18. The Band - The Band (69)

19. Nina Simone - Nina Simone And Piano! (69)

20. Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left (69)

21. Fairport Convention - Liege And Lief (69)

22. Bob Dylan - New Morning (70)

23. Jimmy Webb - Words And Music (70)

24. かまやつひろし - "ムッシュー" かまやつひろしの世界 (70)

25. The Who - Who's Next (71)

26. Gil Scott-Heron - Pieces Of A Man (71)

27. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On (71)

28. Aretha Franklin - Live At Fillmore West (71)

29. The Rolling Stones - Exile On Main St. (72)

30. Jesse Ed Davis - Ululu (72)

31. Bobby Charles - Bobby Charles (72)

32. Todd Rundgren - Something/Anything? (72)

33. Eric Justin Kaz - If You're Lonely (72)

34. Terry Callier - What Color Is Love (72)

35. Bobby Womack - Understanding (72)

36. Al Green - I'm Still In Love With You (72)

37. George Jackson - George Jackson In Memphis 1972-1977 (09)

38. Donny Hathaway - Live (72)

39. Bill Withers - Live At Carnegie Hall (73)

40. Stevie Wonder - Innervisions (73)

41. Shuggie Otis - Inspiration Information (73)

42. Marcos Valle - Previsão Do Tempo (73)

43. Little Feat - Dixie Chicken (73)

44. Frankie Miller - Frankie Miller's High Life (74)

45. Brinsley Schwarz - The New Favourites Of... (74)

46. Brian Protheroe - Pinball (74)

47. Bruce Cockburn - Salt, Sun And Time (74)

48. Kenny Rankin - Silver Morning (74)

49. Tamba Trio - Tamba (74)

50. Bob Marley & The Wailers - Live! (75)

51. John Martyn - Solid Air (75)

52. Grateful Dead - Blues For Allah (75)

53. Curtis Mayfield - There's No Place Like America Today (75)

54. Leroy Hutson - Hutson (75)

55. Johnny Guitar Watson - Ain't That A Bitch (76)

56. Antônio Carlos Jobim - Urubu (76)

57. Azymuth - Aguia Não Come Mosca (77)

58. Ivan Lins - Somos Todos Iguais Nesta Noite (77)

59. Taj Mahal - Brothers (77)

60. Jorge Ben - A Banda Do Zé Pretinho (78)

61. Lô Borges - A Via Láctea (79)

62. Joe Jackson - Look Sharp! (79)

63. NRBQ - Tiddlywinks (80)

64. Joni Mitchell - Shadows And Light (80)

65. Steely Dan - Gaucho (80)

66. Van Morrison - Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart (83)

67. Fred Frith - Cheap At Half The Price (83)

68. The Police - Synchronicity (83)

69. Ben Watt - North Marine Drive (83)

70. Prefab Sprout - Steve McQueen (85)

71. Milton Naschimento - Miltons (88)

72. Lenny Kravitz - Let Love Rule (89)

73. XTC - Oranges & Lemons (89)

74. Paul Weller - Paul Weller (92)

75. G. Love And Special Sauce - G. Love And Special Sauce (94)

76. Ron Sexsmith - Ron Sexsmith (95)

77. Cassandra Wilson - New Moon Daughter (95)

78. Tony! Toni! Toné! - House Of Music (96)

79. UA - FINE FEATHERS MAKE FINE BIRDS (97)

80. Stereolab - Dots And Loops (97)

81. Caetano Veloso - Livro (97)

82. Elliott Smith - XO (98)

83. Dan Penn & Spooner Oldham - Moments From This Theatre (99)

84. Badly Drown Boy - The Hour Of The Bewilderbeast (00)

85. Common - Like Water For Chocolate (00)

86. BONNIE PINK - Let go (00)

87. paris match - typeIII (02)

88. CARNATION - LIVING / LOVING (03)

89. Steve Winwood - About Time (03)

90. Luis Alberto Spinetta - Para Los Arboles (03)

91. Metheny / Mehldau - Metheny / Mehldau (06)

92. Domenico - Cine Privê (12)

93. Diggs Duke - Offering For Anxious (14)

94. D'Angelo & The Vanguard - Black Messiah (14)

95. Prince - HITnRUN Phase Two (15)

96. Ryley Walker - Primrose Green (15)

97. Ian Lasserre - Sonoridade Pólvora (17)

98. Kurt Rosenwinkel - Caipi (17)

99. Sam Gendel - 4444 (18)

100. Catbug - Slapen Onder Een Hunebed (21)

[mitch-the-simp]

I make an oc for every little mini obsession I have so here's some info on my Scrooge oc :)

Her full (married) name is Beatrice Eleanor Cambridge of Scrooge.

She's normally known as either "Lady Beatrice", " The Miser's wife", or "Mrs. Scrooge".

Her father is German, and her mother is English but was raised in Mexico. And she was raised there for a few years or so. Her parents eventually moved to England and settled down in London.

She has a bit of a better reputation than her husband. Though people think she's a spoiled brat who just married Scrooge for money (which isn't technically incorrect; more on that later).

While Scrooge is always bitching about how he doesn't like to waste money, he's very superficial and cannot be caught having a wife with simple clothes. Most of Beatrice's things are VERY VERY expensive (not like she doesn't like it either).

They act like the stereotypical arguing couple, though they don't hate each other. Mostly it's just Beatrice getting upset at Scrooge and him just going "Oh, you're so hard to please, woman".

The reason why she married Scrooge was because she was at the verge of losing everything. Her parents died in a carriage accident (Jojo reference?) and she had to be married to inherit all if their goods. Including her mother's estate and her father's lands. She happened to be having the conversation with a friend who kindly suggested "Well, if keeping your goods is the priority, one of the misers would be the perfect pick."

Instantly, she discarted Marley from her option. Which only left her with Scrooge. He was rather handsome to be honest. And he was much softer than Marley (back then); he was a perfect option for a husband.

So after much thought, she walked into the Miser's office and knocked on the office door. Almost in a begging motion she walked over to Scrooge's desk and began explaining him her situation. Finally, proposing the idea of marriage as if it was a sales deal.

Marley would simply chuckle at her offer. Laughing, but suggesting the benefit the offer implied (lands and the manor) made it a very good deal. After that he got up and left them be.

Scrooge weighed the options for a few minutes. The decision was taken on a whim in his opinion. And finally he accepted.

From there they had no honeymoon phase or anything. They were simply married by compromise. So Scrooge attempted his best to treat her as a living companion rather than a beloved wife.

Beatrice, however, tried her best to be a suitable wife. She'd make pastries for him and prepare a good dinner. Though he'd eat it gladly, he would complain every time she used some expensive ingredient. He refuses to allow her to decorate the house (he finds it a waste of money) and over the years the only thing he wouldn't refuse to buy was food and clothing. He's greed incarnate and Beatrice complains about it promptly.

It's a very common appearance to see them arguing as they're walking down the street. Either Scrooge complaining about how she is very high maintenance, or her complaining about their underdecorated home.

This is mostly an unorganized info dump so yeh, it's a bit all over the place (and halfassed). Either way, hope you guys like it!

[princesssarisa]

A Christmas Carol Holiday Season: "A Christmas Carol" (1938 film)

This vintage Hollywood Christmas Carol has always been known as a lightweight version among Dickens lovers. But it's probably the "classic" Carol most often seen on American TV, as Turner Classic Movies airs it every December. Produced by MGM at the height of the studio's prestige, it stars 51-year-old British character actor Reginald Owen – whom many of us today remember best as Admiral Boom in Mary Poppins – in the role of Scrooge, surrounded by a cast of MGM's stock British players. Chief among them is Gene Lockhart as Bob Cratchit, with his real-life wife Kathleen Lockhart as Mrs. Cratchit, and their daughter, future Lassie and Lost in Space star June Lockhart, as the middle Cratchit daughter Belinda.

This is indeed a cozy, lighthearted Carol, which downplays the horror and pathos of the book. The sequence with the Ghost of Christmas Past (portrayed as a beautiful young woman by Ann Rutherford) omits Scrooge's lost love Belle, the Ghost of Christmas Present (Lionel Braham) lacks the phantom children Ignorance and Want beneath his robe, and Christmas Yet to Come lacks the scene of the thieves selling the dead Scrooge's belongings. More emphasis than usual is placed on the Cratchit family, whose comfortable house looks more lower-middle class than poor, and on nephew Fred (Barry MacKay), who has a romance subplot borrowed from Edison's 1910 silent version. Rather than already being married, he can't yet afford to marry his fiancée Bess (Lynne Carver), which in the end Scrooge resolves by offering him a new job as his business partner. In another added subplot, Scrooge fires Bob Cratchit for accidentally ruining his hat with a thrown snowball, and Bob spends all of Christmas hiding this crisis from his family. Marley's Ghost (Leo G. Carroll) and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (D'Arcy Corrigan) provide token spookiness, but for the most part, this is a family-friendly Carol defined by Christmas cheer.

But whether or not it's authentic Dickens, the warmth and charm of this film is hard to resist. The scenery and costumes offer a vivid, if idealized portrait of Victorian London, enhanced by Franz Waxman's musical score. Reginald Owen's Scrooge might lack the depth and pathos of other Scrooges (and looks slightly cartoonish in his heavy old age makeup), but his journey from crotchety miser to joyful benefactor is convincing and endearing all the same. Gene Lockhart's Bob Cratchit strikes an ideal balance between merriment and melancholy, Barry MacKay's jovial Fred makes the most of his expanded role, and the rest of the cast is equally strong.

This cheerful film might be "Dickens lite," but as far as I'm concerned, it's still worth watching every year.

@ariel-seagull-wings, @reds-revenge, @thealmightyemprex, @faintingheroine, @thatscarletflycatcher

[dorminchu]

Between Heaven & Earth: Prologue: Part One

a/n: *busts down door* HELLO BOYS, I'M BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!

Annie grew up in Nemus, a small hunting town populated by an Eldian majority. Most kids were content to throw horseshoes or play war games in the street than attend school at the mercy of Marleyan kids and tutors. Their elders held no ambitions of becoming more than an honest farmer, hunter, or fisherman; the generation old enough to recall how life was before Tybur's impact on Marleyan wartime politics were happy to change the subject, if it ever came up.

Whenever Annie and her father had cause to pass through town, she would watch for the mothers and their children. The mothers would notice her yellow armband and pointed stare, and offer a tight-lipped smile or a hello for Mr. Leonhardt. Kids spared a second glance to her indifferent posture, her mottled legs. Some would ask if her father was too strict. Annie just shrugged and said, I'm going to be a Warrior. It's nothing I can't handle.

Mostly, they asked a lot of stupid questions. Can you turn into a Titan whenever you want, or was your mother a Titan too, or do you think those Eldians in Paradis missed their families after they ate them?

No.

I don't know.

Why should it matter? They're just devils.

Her father used to work for Marley's Public Security, which was how he met the Warrior Unit's Commander Magrath in the first place. As soon as Annie could walk, he was pushing a knife into her hands. The best path for an Eldian, her father said, was to join the military or get a government job. Ethnic Marleyans often took priority over the latter, despite the reform in 1879, when an Eldian could first sign a series of documents renouncing his bloodline and become an honorary Marleyan. That was just to appease the humanitarians. It didn't change unfair labor standards, verbal and physical attacks outside interment zones.

At six years old, she could perform trips and submissions and clinches. The Titan Research Society took an interest in her. They sent recruiters to the house who asked a lot of questions about her life in Nemus; all right. Her sympathy for Eldians; nonexistent. Her knowledge of Tybur's impact on wartime politics; a hero who bridged the gap between the warring countries, but as interesting to her as a game of jacks in the street. The bloodwork was half of her ticket into Marley's Warrior Unit. The other half was discipline.

Her first test; a spar against one of their soldiers. Colt Grice, blonde and violet-eyed, his face still soft enough to be an adolescent's. Red armband just below his shoulder; already a Warrior. Annie held his gaze, assuming the proper stance; arms up, on the backfoot. The color of his irises seemed to change the longer she paid attention—blue in direct sunlight, then closer to indigo as the sun dipped behind the clouds—at this distance, just a trick of the light.

He blocked her kicks with the flat of his palms. He was too tall for her to reasonably get her arms around his neck without crippling him first, and she couldn't get in close without expending her energy on the offensive. She shifted her weight, the dry grass beneath her heel, and kicked it into his eyes. Grice moved away, shielding his face. She took out his ankle with a sweep and he went down faster than she anticipated.

Grounded, a ditch of faded scars from his temples to eyelids. She'd never seen a Warrior up close. Brushing the dirt off himself, he said, "You've practised a lot." Annie didn't offer her hand. He was powerful enough to disarm her if he'd really had to. Why should be hold back? Grice got to his feet and smiled. "I'm sure Magrath will consider you."

Annie nodded. It wasn't a miracle, just muscle memory and discipline.

"Not one for conversation?" Grice shrugged. "I used to be like that, too."

The doctor was still talking with her father.

"What happened to your face?"

Grice paused. "Injured, on the front lines. Happens to most Warriors once they get out of basic training." Annie watched his eyes, violet eyes, go a little darker. "I don't think you should have any problems."

…

The Titan Research Society said it would be a month until their decision. To be considered by the Warrior Unit was a great achievement for the child's family. A source of prestige for the derelict hunting town, now the birthplace of a future Warrior. The calluses on her palms, the exhaustion, just proof of her devotion.

Besides herself, her father was the only one who seemed indifferent to her selection as a Warrior candidate. As far as he was concerned, they were just training as usual. He put a lot of emphasis on kicks and clinches, towards the end. A Muay Thai boxer, her father said, would toughen his shins with repetitive strikes. Over time, this created microfractures in the bone, enabling the boxer to deal and receive blows more effectively.

She did it so often, she kept jarring herself awake at night. Eyes on the empty space where she'd struck an imagined foe—the side of the cabin wall. Throbbing in her muscles compounded by the frustration of seemingly little progress. Curling into herself, massaging her shin. It did no good to cry. She was not going to be like the other children, cowed and useless when conscripted.

Each time he had to correct her, they'd start from the beginning. Now he would say, "You won't end up as food for a Titan if an enemy solider is able to run his bayonet through you. Start again." Annie's shins were sore. She screwed her eyes shut and concentrated on centering her weight. The sandbag slouched, inanimate. Blow upon blow, her father looked on and smoked. She stood, waiting for him to say, that's enough, Leonhardt. Her father discarded his cigarette, crushed it beneath his boot. "Wait here."

Annie wiped her face, sheened in sweat. Where the sun met the horizon, the sky was turning pink and orange. When her father came back, he brought a gas-lamp with him. "I didn't tell you to stop," said her father. It was all she could do just to stay upright. She ground her teeth and kicked, hitting the edge of the sandbag. "Properly," her father said, drawing a fresh cigarette. "At this rate you're going to end up like your mother."

When he went to light his next cigarette, she pivoted on her heel. A well-timed kick sent him to the ground. He caught himself on his arm, belly-up. Getting in close wasn't advisable. He could knock out her feet or catch her ankle and twist. If she were larger, she could brace herself against the sandbag and put all of her weight into stomping his throat. Or just bring the sandbag down on his head.

He didn't try to stop her while she drove her foot into his knee, his nose, just laid there, coughing. Annie, staggering back, out of breath as he kept wheezing and pushed himself upright to wheeze some more, spitting up blood. Annie corrected her stance, as if it would make any difference now.

Locking eyes with her, for the first time in her life, his mouth curled through the spit and blood and made her hackles rise. "Very good," he said. "Now, you can kill a man."

…

Next morning, the sun was high overhead. Her whole body felt like one big bruise. There was a bowl of stew for her, and bread. She sat up carefully, ate in silence. If she was able to hobble past the threshold, she ought to treat her injuries. Setting the bowl aside, she tested her feet.

"You're awake." His limp was pronounced. He smelled like smoke. "They'll be sending out for the candidates all across Marley," he said curtly. "They should arrive in Nemus in a week. You've been selected. So you'll be living in Liberio while you go through basic training. Most likely they'll deploy you within the same year."

Annie, working her jaw, stared at her hands. "When do we resume training?"

Her father looked at her. "Are you in any shape to continue?"

"No, sir."

"You've done enough," her father said. "Let yourself rest."

His tone not quite impassive, just indomitable. Her father's eyes were hazel; hers were blue. He smoked a lot of De Reszke cigarettes when he was agitated, but never inside the house. Annie shared his penchant for sweets and dry, acerbic humor, but otherwise he could have been a stranger. Annie had never seen a picture of her mother, just ascertained the information on the records. Blue eyes, blonde hair. Annie had little imagination outside of what was tangible.

At the end of the week, her father roused her an hour before sunrise. "They'll be here soon," he said, his expression obfuscated in shadow. "Get dressed."

The lines in his face were clearer in the early morning light. The hunch in his gait, from putting his weight on his good leg, hadn't improved since their last spar.

Annie could see the carriage through the window. Her father stopped her, closing his hand over hers, an object passed between them. Annie's eyes lowered to the small, iron ring. "There should be a switch," her father said. "Put it on." It fit on her index finger. She pressed her thumb along the depression, and a small blade clicked open. "With this," her father said, "you can cut out a man's throat." A catch to his voice, like something was stuck in his throat. "Useful in certain situations. Not something you should rely on."

Thumbing the groove twice clicked it shut. Annie stared at the ring. Her father's leg gave out, and he caught her by the back of her jacket. Instead of pulling her down, he wrapped his arms around her. "This world has been your enemy," he said, "from the day you were born. But I'll always be on your side." Annie kept her arms down. This stranger with her father's voice and clothes and smell of tobacco, he whispered through the tremble in his throat, "Promise me you'll come home."

Annie stared at him. "I promise."

When he pulled away, her collar was damp. He avoided her gaze, adjusting his cap. She walked past him, out the door and toward the carriage, already open for her. She took a seat. On the ride over, she removed the ring, turning it over in her palm.

…

Ten weeks' basic training in Liberio, followed by a year of mandatory service. She could go home after that, if she chose to, but it was seen as a negative for your patriotism to Marley.

During unarmed combat, Annie became the yardstick with which their Commander judged the rest, many of whom did not know a clinch from a grapple. Commander Magrath, a short, powerfully-built Marleyan with sunken eyes and cropped hair, told them how it was common for Warrior cadets to fail basic training. They ended up in workhouses or mining iron ore off the coast of Paradis for Hizuru. Some of them grew up only to be conscripted into Marley's ground forces.

The Galliard brothers—Marcel and Porco—Reiner Braun were willing to scrap with each other as well as Annie. Back home, the kids wouldn't try picking a fight with her more than once. Twice her size, Braun's idea of strategy was charging into a headlock. Disarming him was easier than Colt Grice, because he always lowered his head to charge. If he'd had better instruction, no doubt she would be outclassed. Instead, she won by fighting dirty while the other cadets looked on in faux-sympathy. A clean fight wouldn't save you when the enemy had you at gunpoint. You won, or didn't.

Later, in the mess hall, Braun clapped her on the back with a hand that spanned her shoulders and said that she was all set to inherit a Titan. "Which one?" she said coolly.

Braun didn't notice the change in tone. "Something small." Annie elbowed him in the rib where she'd kicked him. "Agile," he muttered, rubbing the wound. "You didn't let me finish. Probably the Attacker, you'd be better-off for combat than the Jaw."

Annie pushed past him to have a seat at the bench next to Bertholdt Hoover, who rarely said much. He glanced over at her with a start.

"Annie and I were discussing the possibilities of Titan inheritance. Which one do you see yourself as?" Braun asked.

Hoover was hesitating. "I don't really know yet. What about you, Reiner?"

Braun's smile flickered. "Probably I'll just end up working like everyone else who doesn't cut it."

He plopped down next to Annie. Hoover looked across her to say, "If you could be any Titan, what would you be?"

Braun was staring at his stew, a malleable desperation in his eyes bordering on despair. "Armoured."

Hoover nodded. "A Colossus wouldn't be so bad." Annie glanced at him. "Everyone here wants to go to the front-lines," Hoover muttered, shoulders slouching. "I'd rather just keep the Walls intact." He caught Annie's eye, then averted with a dry chuckle. "Like those conscientious objectors, right?"

Braun scowled. "Paradis already has walls, it doesn't need any more."

Of the graduates, only the top of their class went on to assume a Titan's power. They were part of a special unit called the Subjects of Ymir—an ironic holdover from the days of Eldian Restorationists. A Subject of Ymir would never tire or become ill, and could heal from any wound, even regenerate limbs. Unlike their Paradisian cousins, it was possible to retain one's humanity before and after transforming into a sentient Titan. For an Eldian, there was no greater act of atonement.

The Jaw; the fastest of all the Titans, but also the smallest, most frail. One shot from a cannon or anti-aircraft artillery and it was finished.

The Armoured; an offensive tank, slow-moving, but nearly impossible to damage with anti-aircraft fire when it crystallized its skin.

The Colossus; Slow moving and difficult to destroy through conventional weaponry, the best way to stop a Colossus was to allow it to burn itself out. Thousands of crystallized Colossi, standing shoulder to shoulder, made up the three Walls surrounding Paradis.

The Attacker; A prototype, made by combining the Armoured and original Attacker formula. Couldn't take as much physical damage, but could crystallize and command Titans over a very short distance. Usually given to female Warriors, granting it an informal epithet.

The Cart; required high stamina from its holder. Second fastest, next to the Jaw. Used primarily for support and reconnaissance missions.

The original Attacker; a prototype, used in the early years of the Titan Research Society. Tested on Eldian POWs and volunteers. Deemed to be unstable after repeated use and discontinued.

The Beast variant; classified, only afforded to elite Warriors.

The last two were special cases; Warhammer, inherited by the Tybur family inherited after agreeing to be Fritz's enforcers. The strongest of all variants, aside from the Progenitor. Progenitor; capable of erasing memories and commanding all Titans to the holder's will, at the cost of immense psychological and physical strain. The Marleyans claimed this was how Fritz erected the three walls. Only a descendant of Fritz's bloodline could use the Progenitor effectively.

For all Subjects of Ymir, regeneration put a massive strain on their body. This one time, during breakfast, Finger was quick to mention all the men in their twenties and late teens who kept cropping up Marley's psychiatric hospitals with irreparable nerve damage and second-degree burns. An uptick in front-line casualties, the official reports claimed. Chemical attacks at Fort Slava became a publicly acceptable euphemism. "Any doctor," she said, "would tell you the quickest way to euthanize a Warrior is to sever the brain's connection to the spinal column."

"What about lethal injections?" Braun asked.

"Death by firing squad?" said P. Galliard.

"Decapitation," Annie suggested.

Finger shook her head. "Injections won't work reliably, once the serum is in the body for long enough. In a lot of cases, rifles, hangings and beheadings only prolong their suffering."

Hoover looked pointedly down at his half-eaten bowl of oatmeal. His hands were trembling.

"Like breaking a bone until it's set in-place," Annie said.

Finger looked up. "Yes, precisely." She paused. "I can't think of a more terrible thing to do to someone, can you?"

The other cadets stared at Finger. Annie. "It makes no difference to me," she added. "We'll die sooner or later."

Finger said, "That's true."

…

By the end of the eighth week, the pool of potential candidates was down to ten. Braun was physically the strongest, but a mediocre shot with a rifle. In a classroom setting, he was excellent at regurgitating Marley's propaganda—the instructors suggested he consider a career in politics, and Braun always said thank you with his eyes on the floor, glassy.

When Braun was up to his knees in the mud, the only cadet who stopped to lend a hand up was Bertholdt Hoover. Commander Magrath commended Hoover for noticing Braun's distress, then lowered every cadet's score except Braun's for putting Hoover in jeopardy. On the front lines, they'd have been shot to pieces by then.

"Eighty six percent drop out rate," jeered P. Galliard when Magrath was out of earshot, prodding Braun in the chest, "so you'd better start trying harder unless you want to be Titan food in six years."

The Galliard brothers came from a military background, like Annie. M. Galliard was on pace to be the best in the class. Finger, despite being the weakest physically, managed to stay out of trouble with everyone, even P. Galliard.

Colt Grice mainly operated as a classroom instructor. He was more open to fielding questions than the Marleyan officers, as well as the Mid-Eastern Conflict.

Fifty years ago, the countries of Marley and Hizuru were caught in a territorial dispute with the Mid-Eastern Alliance over how to divide Paradis Island. When an Eldian named Karl Fritz gained control of the Progenitor, he used this power to turn all the Eldians on Paradis into mindless Titans. They eradicated Marley's naval forces in Lago and Liberio while Fritz seized control of Paradis, ready to claim dominion over those who would oppose him, until the Mid-Eastern Alliance suggested a treaty.

In return for political immunity, the Tybur family became Karl Fritz's enforcers, and behind closed doors, Marley inherited the power of the Titans. Marley's Public Security started rounding up Eldians and their sympathizers across the continent, and sending them back to Paradis to live with their brethren. Resources that should have gone to aiding civilians and their ravaged naval bases were funneled into the Titan Research Society. Under the guidance of Fritz, these Eldians would rebuild and repopulate what was lost in the initial conflict. By 1889, the walls around Paradis were erected. The Warrior program officially opened in Liberio to all healthy Eldian boys or girls, aged five to seven. The Public Security Authorities changed their statement. Eldian citizens willing to renounce their heritage were christened honorary Marleyans. The rest were sentenced to Heaven, set loose upon Paradis's beaches.

Today, it was estimated that one million men and women were still living in Paradis. The remnants of traditional Eldian civilization. "During the Mid-Eastern Conflict," Grice explained, "there were many reports of Titan sightings off the coast of Paradis. While we were on neutral terms, the Mid-Eastern Allies would send airplanes over, but those stopped after a few years after the ceasefire."

"They were making the Titans nervous, probably," Finger offered.

Galliard scoffed. No one else said anything.

"In order for the Eldians to accept their new life," Grice continued, "Fritz used the Progenitor's power to alter their memories. As far as anyone in Paradis knows, they have always lived within the three walls, safe from the Titans who devoured the rest of humanity. If they saw an airplane without any prior understanding," Grice said, "they might begin to formulate theories of their own. Best to negate that chance altogether."

"What does it matter?" snapped P. Galliard. "We should have sent more planes over and finished the job. Maybe then we'd have stopped the war."

"But Fritz could just wake all the Titans up and kill everyone," said Annie. "So there wouldn't be a home to return to."

Grice nodded. "Well said."

"Isn't that worse?" Hoover said. "Than killing them, I mean."

"They're lower than dogs," Braun said hotly. "Don't sympathize with them. As soon as they were able to, they were happy to slaughter their non-Eldian compatriots."

Hoover flinched slightly. "That's not what I meant," he mumbled, but Braun wasn't paying attention.

"It's a specialized unit of soldiers," Annie suggested. "For unique operations that a normal soldier can't accomplish."

Braun looked over sharply. "Warriors. Not soldiers."

Annie scowled. "It's a branch of Marley's ground forces. Subject of Ymir is what the Marleyans call you when they're dragging your family out into the street to be beaten. You might as well say you're no better than the Eldians in Paradis."

Braun stared at her as though she had just declared all of this about his mother. "It has nothing to do with Paradisians," he said tightly. "It's a sign of prestige. We use that power in ways they'll never be able to. I can't believe you'd make such a thoughtless comparison."

"She's from Nemus," Hoover piped up. Annie twisted around to get a look at his face. The way he blenched, he wasn't going to be any help.

"Of coure," said P. Galliard, turning around in his seat to face them, "I don't know how things are over in that part of the country. Maybe she's just ignorant. I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it."

Braun's jaw twitched. The other cadets were watching. Annie said, "You're never going to get promoted if you keep sucking up to Marley. Even Braun knows that."

P. Galliard blinked. Forced a laugh. "Go to hell."

"You think I'm stupid, Leonhardt?"

"That's enough," said M. Galliard curtly. He looked at Annie. "Don't you two start."

"You all think I'm stupid," Braun snapped. "That I don't take this as seriously, well, maybe I'm the only one who sees these devils for what they are—"

"No one gives a damn," said P. Galliard.

Braun snapped to his feet, catching his knees on the edge of the desk. "You're always a goddam thorn in my side," he hissed, but his tone was uneven. "Marcel thinks it too. You ain't even got the aptitude for—"

P. Galliard's whole body poised as if a second from launching himself across the desk. Braun, twice his size, stared at Annie.

"The instructor's coming over," said Finger plaintively. No one was looking at her.

Grice was asking what the problem was.

Braun clenched, unclenched his fists. "Discussing the proper terminology of a Warrior, sir."

Was it true, Leonhardt, the instructor asked.

"Yes, sir."

They all had to do laps and write an additional essay on the historical difference between semantics for soldier and Warrior.

"Why'd he get so angry?" Annie muttered, leafing through the textbook.

"It's not a matter of justifying a title," Hoover said. "As Warrior candidates, we differentiate ourselves from the rest of Marley's military." He lowered his eyes to the page, as though deep in thought. "The Marleyans and Eldians have been fighting for a long time. It's not our concern who started the war, only continuing the ceasefire."

"You needn't worry about Braun," said Finger. "He and Pock are just competing for placement. We're all fighting against Eldia in the end."

Annie scowled at her notes. "Once you're on the front lines, it doesn't matter who proves himself the best loyalist."

Finger nudged her arm. "Don't take Pock too seriously. He's noisy, but he means well." Annie side-eyed Finger, who was gesturing to her notes. "There, you wrote down Marleyan Warrior when you meant soldier."

Annie checked. "Right." She crossed it out, hesitating. "Thanks."

[whileiamdying]

Grace Jones’ 20 greatest songs – ranked!

With the 40th anniversary of Jones’s masterful fifth album Nightclubbing approaching, we rank her best work

by Alexis Petridis Thu 29 Apr 2021 11.00 EDT

20. I Need a Man (1975)

Jones’s debut single was joyous, cantering mid-70s Eurodisco, its lyrics clearly written with one eye on the dancecfloors of gay clubs. It was rerecorded for Jones’s 1977 debut album, Portfolio, with an arrangement by the Salsoul Orchestra’s Vince Montana and a stronger vocal, but the original drips with slightly shonky period charm.

19. The Hunter Gets Captured By the Game (1980)

Warm Leatherette, released in 1980, relocated Jones to Nassau’s Compass Point studios, introduced reggae rhythm section Sly and Robbie and saw her covering Roxy Music and post-punk. Jones’s take on the old Marvelettes hit is closer to her old self, but it’s fantastic: gently reggae-influenced, post-disco dance music.

18. Victim (1995)

During the period between Jones’s 1989 flop Bulletproof Heart and 2008 comeback Hurricane, she briefly reunited with producer Tom Moulton. The solitary track they completed (but never officially released), a cover of a 1978 Candi Staton single, is a disco-house delight that Moulton claimed was the best thing they ever did together.

17. Am I Ever Gonna Fall in Love in New York City? (1978)

As a man who started out making mixtapes for the Sandpiper, a cornerstone of the gay party scene on Fire Island, Moulton knew the audience Jones was initially targeted at. He insisted she record showtunes, while the original material they made together had a hint of Broadway, as evidenced by this glorious slice of lovelorn high camp.

16. She’s Lost Control (1980)

Jones appears to turn Joy Division’s classic on its head: she recites the words in a blank sprechgesang at odds with Ian Curtis’ mournful delivery and changes the lyrics so the song’s narrator is its subject rather an observer. But its conclusion, where her voice becomes a terrified scream, is every bit as harrowing and bleak as the original.

15. The Apple Stretching (1982)

For all Jones’s fierce image – and the verses in this Melvin Van Peebles-written song about hookers, gun-toting cops and air that smells of “bagels and pollution” – there’s a real softness and warmth about her delivery of the chorus; the New Yorker’s love-hate relationship with the city encapsulated in a song.

14. Warm Leatherette (1980)

Jones’s cover of this JG Ballard-influenced, Throbbing Gristle-esque 1978 single by Daniel Miller’s project the Normal was an inspired move, killing off her disco diva image at a stroke in favour of something darker and harder. Is there a more Grace Jones 2.0 lyric than “quick, let’s make love before we die”?

13. Atlantic City Gambler (1979)

Muse, Jones’s third and final album with Moulton, was a commercial failure, but deserves reappraisal. Side one’s suite of songs offers a tougher and starker take on disco than its predecessors, while on the super-cool, reggae-influenced Atlantic City Gambler, the opening song of side two, you can distinctly hear the roots of what was to follow.

12. Victor Should Have Been a Jazz Musician (1987)

The making of 1987’s Inside Story was fraught – Jones and co-producer Nile Rodgers didn’t get on – and its sound veered close to straightforward mainstream pop, but it had its moments. The understated, small-hours romance of this ballad is just beautiful.

11. My Jamaican Guy (1982)

A patois-thick depiction of Jones’s love for Bob Marley’s keyboard player Tyrone Downie that doesn’t preclude mocking him as a hopeless stoner – “stretching out ’pon the floor, that way ’im don’t fall over” – the sweaty relentlessness of My Jamaican Guy’s bass-heavy backing seems to mirror the unrequited nature of her obsession.

10. Demolition Man (1981)

The first single from Jones’s masterpiece Nightclubbing was written by Sting – she’d requested a song from him, so he sent a demo for this, which the Police hadn’t got around to recording. It vanished without a trace, but its quality – boastful lyrics set to relentless Suicide-esque synths and guitar noise – is there for all to hear.

9. Nightclubbing (1981)

Iggy Pop and David Bowie’s paean to seedy Berlin nightlife might have been written for Jones, a nightclub fixture throughout the late 70s and 80s. She squeezes every drop of decadence out of the lyrics, shifting the song’s rhythm from diseased glam stomp to eerie dub.

8. Nipple to the Bottle (1982)

“I won’t give in and I won’t feel guilty – you rant and rave to manipulate me” – today, Nipple to the Bottle’s topic would be called misogynistic gaslighting. Its depiction of a love affair gone sour is set to hard, spare funk; Jones, meanwhile, is in commanding, enough-of-your-bullshit form.

7. Do or Die (1978)

The work of the songwriters behind Tina Charles’s chart-topping I Love to Love – and Gloria Gaynor’s fantastic (If You Want It) Do It Yourself – Do or Die was the apotheosis of disco-era Jones. It’s lengthy and lavishly orchestrated, with the singer playing up to her tough image: “I’ve been called an operator, I can sell an Eskimo snow.”

6. Williams’ Blood (2008)

After 19 years of stalled projects (a shelved album, Black Marilyn; a collaboration with Tricky), Hurricane was Jones’s triumphant return, a sharp retooling of the Compass Point sound that stirred industrial music into the mix. The autobiographical Williams’ Blood was its highlight: an epic remix by Aeroplane was the late 00s nu-disco movement at its height.

5. I’ve Seen That Face Before (Libertango) (1981)

Used to striking effect in the 1988 movie Frantic, I’ve Seen That Face Before is a stunning reggae remake of an Argentinian tango classic, topped with Jones’s own dark lyrics about sleazy Parisian nightlife. The video, meanwhile, featured a flat-topped, suit-sporting, accordion-playing Jones dwarfed by her own shadow: among the most iconic images of her career.

4. La Vie en Rose (1977)

Reinterpreting Edith Piaf’s signature song as bossa nova – complete with a musical nod to Jimmy Webb’s MacArthur Park – was inspired; emotive, but breezy at the same time. It launched Jones as a European star and became a staple of “sleaze” sets – which dropped the tempo as the night wore on – in US gay clubs.

3. Private Life (1980)

The Pretenders’ original is trash-talking, reggae-influenced new wave, a perfect fit for the icy persona Jones had already begun projecting on 1979’s Muse. Sly and Robbie turn the music into reggae proper, Jones oozes contemptuous, bored hauteur – “I’m very superficial” – with incredible results: a star was (re)born.

2. Pull Up to the Bumper (1981)

The pinnacle of Jones’s Compass Point years, Pull Up to the Bumper exists in its own fabulous, humid musical space, its mid-tempo groove equidistant from funk and reggae. The lyrics are preposterous cars/sex double-entendre filth, lent an appealing edginess by Jones’s stentorian vocal. Forty years on, it hasn’t dated.

1. Slave to the Rhythm (Blooded) (1985)

Only ZTT – the label behind Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s umpteen 12in remixes – would have considered rebooting Jones’s career with an album consisting entirely of versions of one song. Researchers for an unreleased box set discovered that star producer Trevor Horn had recorded more than 70 versions of Slave to the Rhythm. Releasing them all would have been a ridiculous exercise had the track itself not been the best thing either Jones or Horn ever made. A supremely sophisticated sample-heavy concoction, the song glides elegantly over a rhythm rooted in go-go – the funk sub-genre that counted as the hippest dance music of the mid-80s – while her vocal is by turns tender and imperious. The original 12in mix is the keeper.

[luckyswilliams]

Full Name: Lucky Williams.

Nicknames: Lucky Luciano.

Pronouns and Gender: He/Him, Cis Male.

Birthday: November 3rd, 1997.

Birth place: Philadelphia.

How long have they been in town?: His whole life / on and off in recent years.

Sexuality: Bisexual.

Housing: Midtown Village.

Occupation: Software Developer.

Family: Two older brothers and a younger sister.

BIOGRAPHY:

The first big scare Lucky Williams had given his parents was silence in the seconds that followed his birth. It wasn't just them who felt the terror of it, the doctor who had delivered him and the nurse present too also felt it -- until eventually a cry left his little body. It was then that he was jokingly nicknamed the quiet one in contrast to his older brothers, which he seemed to embody tenfold as he grew up. With both little interest and little skill in most sports, he only ever found himself partaking in them because his brothers or his friends were. He could kick a football, catch a basketball and swing for a baseball, but there was never a guarantee that it would advance his teammates in any of the games he was playing, which was why he never found himself playing for any sort of team. His mind had always been the muscle he liked to work the most, and he was drawn to anything with a screen from as early as he was allowed access one.

It had been Lucky that had inadvertently become live in tech support for his family, always eager and willing to take whatever device was malfunctioning and see if he could teach himself how to fix it. It was a skill that only flourished more in his teen years, and seemed to work in tandem with the subjects he excelled at it in school -- namely math and sciences.

It was clear to everyone around him that it was a thread he would follow into a career, which was how he found himself accepting an offer to study Computer Technology at the California Institute of Technology. Despite his joy at the offer and the assumption from all around him that it would be the path he would follow, there was still some apprehension on his part about what the next stage of his life was going to look like and if he was ready to navigate it alone. The move to Cali was a difficult but necessary one for him, and he missed his family dearly -- or at least he missed the idea of his family, the one that existed before a bitter divorce had changed the landscape of it.

That shift led to him surprising himself with his own spontaneity and opting to travel for two summers of his studies rather than return to Philly, with one stretch being two months spent backpacking around Europe and the second being the same but in Asia. It was these travels that showed him that he was at his best when in motion, and that realization would seep into his career choices after university with how he negated a traditional office job.

Once he had found a solid friend group in his new spot, Lucky flourished, so much so he considered a permanent move to California after his degree but by the time his qualification was in hand, he decided a return home to work for a year or two was best. He may have flown the nest successfully, but there was some part of him that was still a home bird.

PERSONALITY.

+ self-sufficient, intelligent, thoughtful.

- introverted, melancholic, unsure.

FUN ADJACENT FACTS.

lucky by britney spears is his go to karaoke jam.

he brings home a goofy or tacky trinket from every place he's ever travelled to. he has a whole collection of location specific ugly key rings that are his pride and joy.

is learning High Valyrian on Duolingo.

huge lara croft/tomb raider fan. is usually fighting in subreddits about it.

CURRENT CONNECTIONS.

couch host / accidental roommate of @marley-callahan

SPECIFIC WANTED CONNECTIONS.

tba.

GENERIC WANTED CONNECTIONS.

connections wise he’s pretty much an open book right now, but some baseline ideas that can be springboarded off are:

friendly.

a best friend / ride or dies / close friends / childhood friends / pseudo-siblings / friends / drunk friends / new friends / former roommate / people from cali he was close to.

romantic

flirtationship / friends with benefits / one time hook ups / tinder matches / unrequited crush (can be either way) / exes from high school / exes on good terms.

antagonistic.

enemies / former (best) friends / exes on bad terms / frenemies / rivals / negative influence.

[privilege-rpg]

MARLEY ROSE

☆ FULL NAME: Marley Renée Rose ☆ GENDER: Ciswoman ☆ PRONOUNS: She/Her ☆ AGE: 29 (April 13th, 1995) ☆ TYPE: Full sibling; triplet ☆ HOMETOWN: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ☆ JOB: Elementary Music Teacher; Singer/Songwriter ☆ SCHOOL: PSU Alumni ☆ SEXUALITY: Bisexual ☆ FACECLAIM: Melissa Benoist

ABOUT MARLEY

TW; EATING DISORDERS

Things for the Rose family began normally enough, they come from humble beginnings, contrary to what most people believe. Millie Rose was a devoted single mother who worked as a lunch lady in school cafeterias along with any other jobs she could pick up to support her little family. Her real passion, however, was cooking real food, not the goop they serve in schools. Whenever Millie had a free afternoon, she filled the house she shared with her little girl with smells of delicious recipes she created herself, trying new things and adding a unique factor to every dish that she made, even the ones that were tried and true had a little twist to them. She began being well known throughout their neighborhood as the person you wanted to invite to your party because you knew she was going to make a bangin’ side dish. There was a natural talent to Millie’s cooking that anyone who tasted it could see, and so Millie had the idea to try and share it with more people.

Opportunity came in the early 2000s in the form of Martha Stewart (pre-prison) having a nationwide recipe contest. The contest was for who could submit a recipe that was unique in nature, perhaps would make the average person wrinkle their nose, but was damn good. The winner of this contest would get to make the recipe with Martha on her TV show and win a cash prize of 10,000 dollars. Millie submitted her recipe for Grape Jelly Meatballs, not truly thinking that anything would come of it, but one day she received an unbelievable notice in the mail: she had won. She could not fully grasp that this was the start of changing her and little Marley’s lives, but she would soon find out. Her guest spot on the show was a hit, and the network offered her a TV deal of her own. Viewers couldn’t get enough of Millie’s down to earth personality and kind nature, the message boards were on fire with people trying her recipe and falling in love with it. Of course, Millie was in no position to turn this opportunity down, and she moved the family to Los Angeles. 

Millie’s Kitchen became a global hit on the Food Network, becoming a top earner, and Millie of course made a ton of money. She opened her own restaurant, and then expanded that restaurant into a franchise. Soon, she released cookware of her own, published a book of recipes, and began to out-earn Martha Stewart, who was more tabloid fodder than genuine chef/lifestyle guru at this point.

All of this success, of course, changed Marley’s life. It was hard for her to reconcile the life they left behind with the life they had now. Growing up with a famous mother would be weird for anyone, but for someone who grew up shy and a little reserved like her, it felt impossible. It became harder for her to spend time with her mom, as she was always busy working on something for the show, or a book, or the restaurant. Though she was sent to the best schools and had opportunities that not every kid gets to have, Marley didn’t feel lucky because she wasn’t receiving the love and connection she received before the fame. It wasn’t that Millie didn’t love her family, but as the opportunities presented themselves, she didn’t feel like saying no to anything was an option. She needed to make sure her family was taken care of first. 

To cope with the changes, Marley turned to music. She learned piano, guitar, ukulele, and violin just for the fun of it. It turned out that like her mother, she had a gift, just not the exact same one. She could sing from an early age and took to writing her own music and lyrics as she grew into a teenager and found comfort and refuge there, but with the teen years came cruelty. People made fun of her and her mom, mostly for her mom having the nerve to be overweight and on TV. Something that really got into Marley’s head, though, was the idea that if she didn’t do something drastic, she would get “fat” too. 

This caused Marley to spiral a bit, pretending to eat at meals and exercising too often, leading to her friends becoming concerned and sounding the alarm to the adults around them, who in turn sounded the alarm to Millie. Millie was surprised that her beautiful girl had developed an eating disorder, but moreso, she was ashamed that she didn’t notice it. She put the show on hold to take care of her daughter and get her into a treatment center, re-committing to being a mother over her career. Of course, she did go back to work eventually, but they at least had begun to repair their strained relationship.

Marley graduated high school after spending some time in a treatment center and decided to attend PSU because of their prestige, but also because from what she could tell, there would be a lot of people there who were in similar boats as her - “nepo babies.” She totally resents the term, as she wasn’t born rich and aside from allowing her mother to pay for college, she did not and does not take handouts. She worked at a bakery all through college and earned her own money and earned a degree in music (performance) with a minor in early childhood education. Marley has been performing and making music since high school, but during college she decided she wanted to take it seriously and make a name for herself outside of her mother’s influence. Unfortunately, this means she does not live as lavishly as those around her who have taken the easier route, and she sometimes wonders if she’s done the right thing. Still, she keeps going, hoping for her own star to rise.

FAMILY BACKGROUND

The triplets’ dad is absent, while Millie is famous for being a chef and television personality. The siblings love each other but their relationship with Millie is sometimes strained to differing degrees due to emotional neglect after Millie made it big. The triplets are the only ones who remember what life was like before the fame.

[travelsbliss]

Best Places to Visit in Kingston, Jamaica: A Guide for U.S. Travelers Are you interested in exploring the cultural and political heart of Jamaica? Kingston, the capital city, offers a vibrant mix of music, history, and urban energy. This guide is crafted for U.S. travelers eager to discover the best places in Kingston. Whether you're visiting the Bob Marley Museum, exploring the historic Devon House, or enjoying the vibrant nightlife, Kingston provides a deep dive into Jamaican culture. 🏙️🇯🇲 📍 Discover Kingston: Best Places to Visit in Kingston, Jamaica - A Guide for U.S. Travelers

[luminouslagoontour]

Tours in Montego Bay

Jamaica is a tropical paradise that offers more than just sun, sand, and sea. From its lush mountains to its vibrant towns and cities, the island is brimming with opportunities for exploration and adventure. Best Jamaica Tours is your go-to provider for the most exciting tours in Jamaica, offering a wide range of experiences that cater to all types of travelers.

One of the top tours in Jamaica is the Luminous Lagoon Tour. This natural phenomenon occurs in the waters of Falmouth, where bioluminescent microorganisms light up the lagoon, creating a surreal glow that has to be seen to be believed. Best Jamaica Tours provides private transportation to and from the lagoon, ensuring a comfortable and memorable experience. Whether you’re traveling solo or with a group, the Luminous Lagoon Tour is a must-do in Jamaica.

For those who love history and culture, the Kingston City Tour is an excellent choice. As Jamaica’s capital and cultural hub, Kingston offers a rich tapestry of experiences. You can visit the Bob Marley Museum, explore the historic Devon House, or take a stroll through Emancipation Park. Best Jamaica Tours offers guided tours that give you a deep insight into the history, culture, and daily life of Kingston, making your visit both educational and enjoyable.

Nature enthusiasts will appreciate the Blue Mountains Tour, which takes you to one of the highest points in Jamaica. The Blue Mountains are famous for their coffee, and a tour of this region offers stunning views, cool mountain air, and the chance to visit coffee plantations. Best Jamaica Tours ensures a comfortable journey with knowledgeable guides who share insights into the region’s history, culture, and agriculture.

For a blend of adventure and relaxation, the Negril Sunset Tour is perfect. This tour takes you to Negril’s famous Seven Mile Beach, where you can relax on the soft sands and swim in the warm Caribbean waters. The tour culminates at Rick’s Cafe, where you can watch the sunset while enjoying live music and perhaps even brave the cliffs for a dive into the sea. Best Jamaica Tours provides seamless transportation and a well-organized itinerary to ensure you make the most of your day in Negril.

Jamaica is an island that offers something for everyone, and with Best Jamaica Tours, you can experience the very best it has to offer. From natural wonders to cultural landmarks, their expertly curated tours provide a comprehensive and immersive experience of Jamaica. Tours in Jamaica