#I can’t wait for her and marina to win every challenge and then have a double crowning :)

[sexynetra]

I hope you know I’d burn entire cities to the ground for her

[angst-fairygodmother]

Exchanges: Town Hall (The Song of Sway Lake Story)

Jess confronts Charlotte after the town hall debate, hoping and failing to find common ground. 

Word Count: 1045

Rating: PG-13 - several instances of mild language, insults, slight spoilers for Song of Sway Lake if you squint

“Why are you doing this?” Jess asked, following Charlotte out of the town hall meeting that was one step short of a riot.

The Sway matriarch scoffed. “I don’t have to stand here and be berated any longer. I’m leaving.”

“Wait, please. I’m not trying to berate you. I’m asking an honest question, because maybe if I understand you better it’ll feel a little less like you’re just maliciously trying to destroy my life and the lives of people like me.”

“Excuse me?”

“I grew up on the lake too. But my family wasn’t lucky enough, or wealthy enough, to be a founder. So we built a place brick by brick, until we had a home here. But locals think we’re a novelty, and we need the curious and the bored, and that means tourists, to survive.”

Charlotte raised an eyebrow, unmoved by Jess’s impassioned speech.

“So I get wanting to preserve it, trust me I do. I love this place, and I’ve never seen somewhere so beautiful. But we need to move forward. And you’re standing in the way of that, and I’m asking why.”

“If you truly understood, you wouldn’t need to ask that.”

“There has to be a way for everyone to win, a...compromise. Something.”

“My father was a businessman, just as much as your grandfather or every other greedy self-interested immigrant and vagrant that came in, tried to claim a piece of what wasn’t theirs, and built something off the backs of those who were here first. And even when he lost everything in the crash, he pulled himself up by the bootstraps, started over, and made something of himself.”

Jess frowned at what definitely sounded like the start of an out of touch, vaguely bigoted ‘back in my day’ lecture. She gritted her teeth, holding back the snide response on the tip of her tongue.

“Jessica, don’t,” Nikolai said warningly from the other side of the car, looking for a second like he might circle around to put himself between the two women. She wondered if it was out of concern for her, his best friend's girlfriend, or some lingering protective instinct over Charlotte.

“And don’t think I don’t know exactly who you are, Ms. O’Neill. I am not to blame for your struggles. If you can’t figure out how to make a living selling the drivel you stock, maybe you should consider a new line of work. Give up. Abandon it to your sister and run away to the city if you're not cut out for it. Instead of blaming everyone else for your problems.”

“Bitch,” the word slipped bitterly from Jess’s mouth before she could think. Set on a course now, she laughed in disbelief. “Ollie told me you’re selling the Point. Which means you don’t actually care. You’re just so alone and miserable and horrible that you have to drag the rest of us down to feel like you still matter in the world.”

Charlotte shook her head, a condescending smile on her face as she turned back to the car.

“Hey! I’m not done talking,” Jess snapped. “I don’t want to hate you. I tried to see things from your perspective. But if you don’t want to meet in the middle, fine. Just remember, you're a relic of a bygone era. Just like that stupid house.”

She shook her head, almost pitying now. “I hope you can’t sell. I hope you’re stuck there for the rest of your life, and you get to watch as everything you claim to love gives way to progress. Marinas, and jet skies and pre-fab box vacation homes. Maybe a summer camp or a motel with basketball courts and chlorinated pools bumping right up against your precious, perfectly manicured lawn. It’ll be a fitting penance for trying to destroy things for the people that actually give a shit enough to stay.”

“And here I thought you said you loved the lake like I do.”

“You still don't get it. The things to love aren't the pristine water or the particular fish, or the types of boats out and about. And certainly not the huge fancy homes and private properties.” She made a sweeping gesture. “Take a look around, Mrs. Sway.  There is so much life here that your lake never had. Do you even know what joy sounds like anymore?”

Charlotte and Nikolai both frowned, staring at Jess.

“You sit up there, alone, and you judge everyone else as unworthy no matter what they do. You want everything to be so clean and untouched. But that also makes it unloved. Things aren't beautiful or special because they've not faced challenges. The ones that weather the storms or the jet skis, or the people trying to tear them down, and come out the other side not only surviving but having thrived are so much more. Sway Lake is strong, stronger than you give it credit for. It doesn't need to be sheltered or shaped or preserved. Just let it breathe and grow and find it's own way.” 

“You're very clever, pretending this is about the lake,” Charlie drawled, her lips pressed together somewhere between a smirk and the grimace that comes with an unexpected lemon.

“What are you talking about?”

“Do you think I can't tell you mean my grandson? I’ve heard that little rumor, I know where he spends his time in town.” Charlotte took a step closer, an angry glint in her eyes to go along with the smug smile on her face. “Are you really upset about my conservation efforts, or because you know if I get my way, the lake will never be yours for you and your little townie friends to treat like a playground? You will never be a Sway dear. Ollie will get bored, and remember where he belongs, and you’ll be left with nothing. Again.”

“I…” Jess gaped at her. Even as she fought back hot, angry tears, she was almost impressed by how well the other woman had cut straight through her to her insecurities, and picked up on what Jess didn’t even know she was saying. 

Charlotte Sway turned away, climbing into the station wagon that Nikolai was driving and left without another word, and Jess just stared, watching her go.

[theentiregdtime]

dennis buys a boat.

PHILADELPHIA, PA 5:00 ON A FRIDAY

"Look, Mac, I don't- I can't even comprehend what you're saying right now. How can you possibly not be excited about this? Are- Are you even human?"

"It's not that it's not cool, dude! I just- When you called me down here and said you were gonna blow my mind, I- How did this even happen?"

"It happened because I'm a genius, goddamn it, now are you going to get in or should I call Charlie instead?"

"No, I'm sorry, man! Look, don't call Charlie, I'll get in the boat."

Dennis is a visionary and Mac is a fool. Dennis is the king of the Delaware and Mac is a Hessian cretin. Dennis is... he's fucking Poseidon and Mac is but a lowly fish.

Mac could have come down here to the marina, chanted about how 'awesome' this was (he calls everything awesome!), and been goddamn Nerites. Not that he would have allowed him to take the reigns of this supercharged chariot, but still! Alas, he doesn't get the boat, not like Dennis does, so now he's just a fish.

Still, though, it feels good.

Dennis is stood aboard a 2007 Sea-Doo Challenger, of which he is now the proud owner, perched with his hands on his hips like a navy-clad demigod. The warm sun is shining down on his back, the speakers are blaring Steve Winwood's The Finer Things, and Dennis Reynolds is on top of the world, baby!

"So like," Mac says tentatively as he steps in, "where did you even get this? Last night you told me we couldn't afford two orders of fried rice."

A self-satisfied smirk twists  Dennis' mouth.

"How does anyone get anything, Mac?" he responds, dipping his sunglasses down to flash his eyes. "The world's not about money. It's about charm."

"That makes absolutely no sense, dude."

He's not certain why he expected someone like Mac to understand. He hadn't exactly grown up with the same... entitlements as Dennis had. His idea of recreation as a child was poking dead things with a stick and throwing rocks. As a matter of fact, he had probably thrown rocks at boats! The savage.

But Charlie would have gotten sewage and toothpaste and cheese and other mystery stains all over the vinyl, and Dee would have ripped a hole in the seat with her goddamn jagged bird arms.

Mac was the obvious choice. He was usually such a fantastic hype-man, and Dennis would be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed at the lack of enthusiasm here.

"That's because you don't have any charm, Mac," he retorts as he sidles into the captain's chair, curving his fingers around the steering wheel. "You tumble into rooms and knock things over and spit when you yell like the damned Tasmanian Devil."

"Be that as in May," -that's not the phrase, but Dennis doesn't interject- "I get stuff through the power of intimidation."

Mac plops himself down, rather gracelessly, in the passenger seat.

"When has that ever happened? And don't say the time you 'intimidated' that man at the mall into giving you a free massage, because I hate to break it to ya', but that's not what that was, buddy."

He pouts so overdramatically that his frown reaches his chin.

"Hey. I'm tough, Dennis," he persists, and per usual, appears to genuinely believe it. "But don't worry, that doesn't overshadow your charm thing!" Mac's smile perks back up and he reaches out to brush his knuckles against Dennis' shirt. "Like, you look way better in sweaters than I do, man."

It's not so much a sweater as it is a nautical polyester zip-up pullover, but hey, he does look good in it- so he'll let that slide.

"Okay, okay, just... shut up and hold onto something, all right?" Dennis rolls his eyes, but there's an excited sneer forming on the edges of his lips.

He screws the safety key around his wrist onto the slot until it clicks into place. Mac would say something along the lines of 'safety is for bozos' before surely setting himself on fire or plummeting off of a rooftop, but Dennis will not be murdered by his own boat like some sort of seafaring Cronus.

He gives a quick wink to- well, not so much Mac, more to the boat- before adjusting the trim and wrapping a hand around the throttle.

"Prepare to have your mind blown."

Before Mac can ruin the moment, Dennis sends the throttle forward. The dock is relatively clear, so he's out on the water doing 45 in no time. He leans back in his seat to catch a glimpse of his reflection in the rearview mirror (shame it's so small) just as the song tells him about the golden things life could be, and yeah, he looks pretty damn cool. Obviously, Mac must think so, too. Not that he cares.

He darts his eyes over to see if Mac is looking at him.

And oh man, is Mac looking at him.

But not like he's admiring how 'awesome' he is or thinking about how he wishes he could be so goddamn glorious- not like that at all. It's like he's just happy to be out here with him for no other reason than to be here. He's got this stupid little grin on his face... The nerve!

Dennis focuses his gaze back on the river.

Well, if anyone with half a brain is watching him, they will certainly admire how cool he is.

After a half-hour or so of going near-60 (perhaps to show off, perhaps not...), Dennis kicks it back down for a while, and they coast along the river maintaining a comfortable speed over which they can actually hear each other speak. Dennis can hear the music again, too, Wouldn't It Be Nice bamp-bamp-bamping through its last chorus.

Part of him regrets it, because Mac immediately shifts in his seat and starts babbling, like he's just been wriggling anxiously, waiting for an opportunity to speak. He gets that way, after they haven't talked in a while- a day, an hour, fifteen minutes- like he has to tell Dennis every single thought that's gone through his head in the meantime.

"Hey, what do you think fish think about?" he asks.

Dennis' eyebrows tense. He rolls his teeth over his lip. "What?"

Mac seems offended, as if the question were self-explanatory. "You know, fish," he reiterates.

"That isn't the part I was confused about."

That answer doesn't satisfy him, and Dennis can feel his stare burning a hole into the side of his head without even having to look. He's like a child.

Rick Astley is pumping through the speakers now, and Mac is totally ruining it.

"I don't know, Mac, what do you think about all day?" he deadpans.

The connection to Mac having the brain of a common herring flies right up the windshield and over his head. "Oh, uh-" he starts excitedly, "like, the bar, ideas for stunts, who would win in a fight between Dutch Schaefer and John McClane, you, french fries, whether or not I could put a bear in a headlock, which I think I could if I got a running start-"

"You've made your point!" Dennis has to stop him, because he already knows all of this, and Dutch would obviously win because John is more stealth than muscle and Dutch clearly has experience with stealth. "I don't think fish think about fast food, which they have no access to, or whether or not you could fight a bear, because they don't know you and you cannot, or..."

Or me, Dennis just now registers. Did he really say that?

He shakes his head and dismisses it.

"I think they think about absolutely nothing! Some part of their tiny, gelatinous brain reminds them to move and to swallow smaller fish, but I can tell you with great confidence that there is nothing else. There is not some- some tangled, Desperate Housewives-esque drama playing itself out down there, damn it!"

Mac whistles through his teeth. "But, like... can you prove that? Can we be sure? Because science has only come so far-"

"Oh, I will not have this debate with you again!" Dennis inches his speed up just a bit in an effort to drown Mac out. "Are you determined to ruin fish for yourself by... by subscribing to the notion that they are capable of complex thought? You know how much fish we eat, Mac!"

"That's why I'm asking, dude!"

Dennis nudges the throttle up further, keeping his eyes trained on the water passing underneath them like sheets of polished glass.

"If they've got stuff going on up here," -he imagines Mac is pointing to his head, where quite clearly nothing is going on- "then maybe we should switch to duck or something, man!"

"Why- You- You think a duck thinks less than a fish?!" Dennis sputters.

He's almost up to 60 now.

"I'm not saying that for sure!" Mac transitions into shouting over the engine, the goddamn lunatic. "I'm just saying, flying back and forth every year seems like a waste of time!"

"Are you criticizing the migration of waterfowl?!"

"Well, why don't they just stay in the city, Dennis?! There's always food there!"

There's a rattling sound now, and Dennis assumes at first that it's a migraine forming from his teeth scraping together, but it's so loud and-

Ah, shit, it's the boat.

The needle on the speedometer starts creeping down despite the throttle being all the way up. Dennis adjusts it, as well as the trim, but the grinding only seems to intensify and the boat only gets slower. He checks to make sure the safety lanyard is still connected- which it is- and everything on the dash seems normal...

He can hear the music clearly once more. God, I wish I was sailing again, Jimmy Buffett mocks him.

"Uh, how much smoke is too much smoke for a boat?" Mac asks hesitantly. For once, it's actually a relevant question, and not some sort of riddle or existential crisis.

Dennis turns to look over his shoulder as the gauge creeps towards 20 and, yep, delightful, that's smoke.

"Did you suck something up?" he inquires rather stupidly.

"Yes, I absolutely did, and I did it on purpose," Dennis spits as he unhooks the lanyard and pulls the levers back down, "and you know what? I hope it was a fish, Mac, I hope it was the biggest, smartest fish in this entire goddamn river," -he hops up and paces towards the back, his heavy footsteps echoing off the sides of the boat- "with hopes and dreams and aspirations, a thousand times more superior than any duck! And I've just crushed it with the impeller like meat in a blender!"

"Why would you put meat in a...?"

Dennis rips the sunglasses from his face and tosses them to the floor. He doesn't know what else to take out his anger on.

"Is that the takeaway, Mac?!" he squawks, spinning back around to look at his idiotic fish face. This is why Poseidon is so engulfed with wrath all of the time! "Is that the one thing you choose to pick out of this entire situation?!"

Suddenly, Mac is on his feet and closing the distance between them. He has that pitying, holier-than-thou expression on his face, and for a moment, Dennis thinks he's going to pick a fight with him (and he would lose just like he'd lose to a bear!), until he feels steady hands clamp down on his shoulders.

"Den, listen to me," Mac says softly, lifting two fingers to point them back and forth between their eyes, "I'm with you. I'm on your side, man. Fish are stupid and they suck and we're gonna keep eating them, okay?" He lifts his palms to press them against Dennis' jaw. "But I need you to stay calm so we can figure this out."

Dennis should feel patronized and belittled, but he doesn't- he's simply stunned in place. His breathing is starting to steady, and he thinks he's nodding. Whatever Mac says or does next, he has a feeling he's going to believe him- even if he claims trout are capable of high-order thinking.

"Okay," is all he manages.

Mac parrots back, "Okay."

He gives Dennis a double-pat on the cheek before passing him to peer over the stern. There is utterly no chance he has any idea what he's looking at, but that doesn't stop him.

"Well, I don't see anything."

Ordinarily, Dennis would ask him what he expected to see- some sort of hook hand hanging off of the boat? Instead, he merely shrugs his shoulders.

He's oddly at peace with this. Jet-boating is kind of boring, anyways. It's nothing like a yacht, there are not nearly as many bachelorette parties waving to him as he'd envisioned, and there's next to nothing to see out here. There's a reason John McTiernan does not direct movies about flat water.

"I'm so sorry, Dennis," Mac apologizes, for some reason.

Now that they're floating sans engine, the smoke has died down, and there are no more ear-splitting scraping noises. Dennis would rather spend the night on this thing than hear that sound again- it's going to give him an even worse headache if he does.

"Just- open that up." Dennis gestures to one of the storage compartments.

Mac nods dutifully and does as requested, looking like he thinks it might lead to something he can repair. When it opens to a mound of ice and Coronas, he raises a surprised- but not displeased- eyebrow.

"Oh. All right."

Not two minutes later, they're sitting on the back row of the boat, beers in hand, having given up trying to remedy the situation. I'd Really Love To See You Tonight (absolute classic) is playing just as the sun is starting to set. They'll call for a tow once it gets dark- Dennis doesn't have the energy to think about it right now.

Mac's got his arm on the back of the seat, around Dennis, but not really touching him. There's much more space they could be utilizing, but this is fine. It makes it easier for Mac to open Dennis' beers for him, anyways.

"I think you should start paying for boats with money instead of charm, Den."

Dennis scoffs. He leans back onto Mac's arm as he takes another swig.

"I don't know..." he mutters, the ghost of a smile playing on his lips. You see, it really doesn't matter much to me, the speakers remind him. "This isn't so bad."

Mac chuckles through his nose. He doesn't object.

It's quiet for a while as Seals and Coley harmonize and Dennis polishes off the last of his drink. He discards the empty bottle, letting it roll until it meets up with his shattered sunglasses.

"You want me to get you another one?" Mac offers.

"No," he half-whispers and scoots a little closer- just to get comfortable. There's no sense in being uncomfortable.

Mac's hand rests on Dennis' shoulder, drawing him in gently.

"Okay," he whispers back.

He passes Dennis his own, half-empty beer. Without taking his eyes off of the sunset, Dennis takes a sip, then hands it back to Mac, who immediately does the same. They trade it back and forth a few times. Dennis hums I'm not talkin' 'bout moving in...

"Dennis?" Mac mumbles in his ear.

"... Yes?"

He could ask him anything in the world right now, and Dennis thinks he might give him a real, honest answer. He imagines the answer to a lot of those questions would be 'yes, I do, I'm just so scared to tell you'. He would really love to tell him tonight.

"How many pennies do think there are... in the river?"

Dennis takes another drink. He's too tired to argue. It's warm, the sky is amber-peach, the boat is rocking gently, Mac's arm is around him, there's a warm wind blowing, the stars are out, and I'd really love to see you tonight.

Dennis sighs.

"Just pennies," he replies, passing the beer back, "or are we talking all change?"

[redfoxwritesstuff]

Never again (Loki x ofc)

My post for @loki-the-fox‘s Holiday challenge using the prompts: “Proposing on Valentine’s Day…how original.” And “What are you doing? Why are you on one knee? Get up! Get up!”

Now, I wasn’t going to post this until Tomorrow but SOMEHOW I hit 200 followers today so... Woo! I’ll post something else tomorrow at some point because I’m weird like that.

Warnings/rating: Nothing of note. Just some pg13 Angst. 

Summary: Marina had watched Loki walk away from her a year ago. Nine months ago she accepted a date with a perfectly acceptable Greg. One date turned into another and now they were celebrating their first Valentines day as a couple. Has Greg won her heart or had she ever taken it back from Loki in the first place?

Never Again

Marina sighed as she ran a bush through her hair, pulling tangles from the golden strands. Maybe if she dyed it she could forget how much he had loved her hair, the way it contrasted so sharply against his. He’d said her hair made him love the color again. It didn’t matter anymore. Or at least that’s what she told herself as she set the brush down and looked at herself in the mirror.

Brown eyes looked back at her. The same brown eyes he had said he loved. He’d told her they reminded him of the earth, always warm. The same eyes he said he would look into every night and every morning. He’d not looked into her brown eyes in almost a year.

“Loki is gone.” Her voice didn’t sound so convincing in her ears. Tears threatened to choke her voice but she pushed them back. “He left and he’s not changing his mind this time.”

She needed to forget about him. She needed to move on. It was valentines day and she had a date with Greg and he’d be here soon. They’d been together for nearly nine months and honestly she hadn’t expected it to last this long. It wasn’t meant to last this long.

You know that thing where you put off doing something painful until it becomes an unconquerable task? When it came to Greg, that’s what she had done. He loved her, she knew he did and at first she thought she had as well.

In reality she had just loved the idea of him. The idea of something normal. But he looked at her like she hung the moon and stars. He was sweet and kind and did everything right. He said all the right things and so she put off breaking his heart for another week. Then another.

Weeks turned into months. Now it was their first Valentine’s day and she was left dreading it even as she smoothed down her dress. It was black with a green sheen to the smooth fabric that clung to her curves. Loki would have loved it. Loki would never get to see it.

Marina pushed the thought away as the doorbell rang through the apartment. It didn’t matter. She wasn’t wearing the dress for Loki. Loki would never see the dress. She wore it for Greg. Greg would say it looked great on her. Greg would have said the same thing if she wore a burlap sack. Loki’s praise would be honest as would be his criticisms of a burlap sack as a dress.

He sat in the dim light of the restaurant. When they asked if he was waiting on someone he told them he was in a sense and ordered another glass of wine. The moment she walked in his eyes found her. He was torturing himself, he knew that. Yet he couldn’t help coming back over and over again to pour salt on the wound. Why not constantly remind himself what he lost.

The dress she wore was beautiful in its simplicity. God did it hug her, caressed her how he wished he could, how he should. It was green and dark, nearly black but he could see the green under the lights. Still nearly a year later she wore his color.

But it didn’t matter. It wasn’t him with her. He missed his chance. Threw it away as if it meant nothing. It was his single greatest mistake. Even now he relived the day it all went wrong when ever he closed his eyes.

As he watched her walk across the dining room, hand held in that man’s loose grip he could hear the bitter words he had spoken. The words intended to cut deep fueled by nothing more then the jealousy and insecurity he felt when she filled her time with another.

He overreacted. He’d been gone for months at a time. She wasn’t going to sit around and wait for him to come back and not do anything to fill the time. It was too much to ask for her to sit around and wait for him day in and day out. It was too much to ask for her to be waiting for him to come back any day.

Never did he doubt her love for him. Never did he doubt his love for her. Never. Yet when he saw her smiling at that man as they shared a lunch he couldn’t fight that red rage that clouded his eyes. As he screamed his rage at her, she informed him through tears that she was giving him relationship advice. The man was married. It was stupid, that coworker wasn’t even the man she was at this restaurant with and never had he wished he could turn back time more.

It was that red rage that made him say those horrible things. He could still see her tears streaming down her face. He could still hear the pain in them as she asked him if he truly thought so low of her. She begged to know how she had failed him. She was just trying to get by, to survive the time spent waiting for him. So much time was spent waiting for him.

When she told him to leave, he did. God had he prayed that she would stop him but she didn’t. He should have refused to go. He should have grabbed his phone off the table. He should have trusted her. He should have never let her go. He shouldn’t be here.

Marina smiles at Greg as she takes a seat. Ever the gentleman, he pushes in her chair before taking a seat at the table. Everything about the dinner was perfect. There were roses on the table. The live musicians kept sweet music in the air and the lights were dim enough to make each table feel like it was the only table.

Greg said all the right things. He did all the right things and she laughed at all the jokes. It felt like she was a shell just waiting. Just passing the time. In the end, she knew that was what she was doing. Just passing the time, waiting for her heart to heal so maybe she could move on and give it to the perfectly nice man in front of her giving her what should be a perfect Valentine’s date.

It was the perfect Valentine’s date. Except, it wasn’t perfect. Greg wasn’t Loki.

“Let’s have the cake for dessert?” Greg asked, pulling her eyes to him.

She smiled at him and nodded. “Yeah, that would be lovely.”

It was just the right reaction. It was just what was expected of her. It was the right thing to say. Just because her heart was still too broken to give to him didn’t mean she needed to ruin his Valentine’s day. In time maybe she would be able to stop pretending and give him her heart. Really, it would be better to just end things with him. He didn’t deserve to love someone who was still in love with someone else.

The cake came out and the smell of rich chocolate filled the air. A candy rose was draped over the slice. The talent to make such a thing out of pure sugar was impressive. Also impressive was the ring hooked on stem.

“Greg?” What the hell?

He snagged the ring off the stem of the flower as he stood from his chair. Walking around the side of the table with a soft smile on his face.

What the hell? What the hell was going on? No. No. No, no, no.

“Marina,” he spoke as he sank down in front of her on one knee. People around them stopped talking and more and more eyes gathered to take in the sight.

“What are you doing? Why are you on one knee? Get up! Get up!” Panic was bubbling up within her as she stood from her seat. This couldn’t happen. This can’t be happening. This wasn’t right. This wasn’t the right man. This was wrong. So very wrong.

“I love you. I love you more then life itself. I’ve loved you since-” A voice cut him off.

“Proposing on Valentine’s Day…how original.”

The voice that cut him of made her panicked heart stop dead in her chest. It was a voice she hadn’t heard outside of her dreams in a year. It was a voice she didn’t think she would ever hear again.

“Loki?” She could just see him sitting in the dim light a table away, glass of wine tilted toward her in a mock toast. How had she not noticed him? Why that was simple, he was a bit off to the side, a bit out of her line of sight. So close and yet so far away. “What are you doing here?”

“Mar?” Greg tried to draw her attention back to him as he knelt still on the ground in front of her.

“Drinking wine and watching the best thing I ever had pick someone else.” Loki sipped his wine and her heart shattered.

“I don’t want someone else.”

Greg swallows the bile that rises in his throat as he stands. Her words cut him but he’d always suspected it. This was Loki. The Loki. He’d never had her heart though he had tried time and time again to win it.

“Greg, I-”

Holding his hand up in an effort to silence her, he spoke. “Never mind. You need to figure out what is going on in your heart. I get it. I’ll go settle the bill and be out of your hair.”

She watched dumbly as he left. Did he just dump her? He did, didn’t he?

“Better go chase him.” Loki remarked as he drained the last of the wine from his glass.

“Why?” Tears threatened to spill down her face.

“Because you love him.”

“I don’t. I tired but I never could. It was always you and I wish it wasn’t that way. You hurt me. It’s dumb that I still love you but I do.” The tears were falling now, making a mess of her makeup.

“You still love me?” Loki stood at that and she just nodded forcefully as a storm of emotions raged within her. Her heart was broken and sadness and anger stormed within her heart.

She was startled when Loki came to stand in front of her. With a soft touch he wiped the tears from her face only to watch as more fell. As much as she didn’t want to, she leaned into his touch. His touch felt like home.

“You still love me.” He repeated, sounding mesmerized by the fact.

“You never came back.” She hiccuped and it wasn’t the cutest sound in her own ears but Loki smiled.

“I should have. I thought you didn’t want me.” He admitted as he reached out to her like he sound have done so many months ago.

“You should have.” She agreed but didn’t step away as his arms snaked around her, pulling her to his chest.

That did it. That broke down every wall she had worked so hard to build and she sobbed into his chest, clutching the lapels of his suit jacket as if they would somehow ground her. They were deep ugly sobs that left her gasping for breath as she clung to him. God did he smell good. It felt good to feel him under her hands, to feel his arms around her. It felt right. It felt safe.

“Don’t ever leave me alone again.” It was too much to ask but she couldn’t help it. This couldn’t work if he was going to be gone for months at a time. She was asking for far too much. He was here now, but he would leave her again in time. No matter how much she loved him, it was never enough to keep him from having to return to Asgard.

“You’ll come with from now on.” He promised as he held her just that much tighter. Never again would he let her go. Never again would he leave her behind. Never again would he loose her. Never again.

Tag list (everything & Loki lists):  @0-0-0-0-0-0-0-7, @theoneanna, @alexakeyloveloki, @dangertoozmanykids101, @j-u-s-t-4, @missaphrodite23, @winterisakiller

[hookedonapirate]

To Play the Game (and win your heart)

Summary: Some people would call it a job, but to Emma and her sister, Milah, it’s a game of the heart. Play by the rules and you’ll never get hurt.

Whatever you call swindling wealthy men out of their money, this con-artist duo has it down to a tee. Milah sets up an available, rich man and gets him to marry her. Emma seduces and lures the husband into having an affair so he’ll get caught in the act. He then loses his money in the ensuing divorce.

The sisters wear a coat of armor around their hearts to keep them intact, but when they set their sights on their next mark, professional golfer Killian “Hook” Jones, Emma never imagined how hard the game could be and how easily her heart could be stolen—especially when she switches roles with Milah and becomes the one exchanging vows with the gorgeous multi-millionaire. Heartbreakers AU.

Artwork by: @distant-rose​​

Rating: Mature for connivery, vixen behavior and sexual themes.

Content Warnings: This story deals with conning and manipulation and also mentions/includes children with various disabilities, and also .

Author’s Notes: Thank you @captainswanbigbang​​​ and all of the moderators for organizing the event and for all of your help throughout the process.

A huge shout out goes to @ilovemesomekillianjones​​​ for all of her help with this fic. She really kicked some butt while beta reading, and if not for her, this story would not be what it is.

Thank you @distant-rose​​ for stepping in as my artist. She is so talented and I can’t wait for everyone to see all of the art she has planned for this fic. She even made me a playlist for this story including Emma’s and Milah’s theme song, Homewrecker by Marina and the Diamonds, and some other great tracks that fit well with the theme of the fic.

Thank you @onceuponaprincessworld​​​ for all of her feedback and for her constant support and for letting me bounce ideas off of her during the process. Thank you @teamhook​​​ for her help and ideas with scenes I was struggling with.

There are 12 chapters, and I will be posting every Tuesday, so let me know if you would like to be tagged.

Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4

Also available on: AO3 FFnet

Artwork by @distant-rose

Ch 1 Art Ch 3 Art Ch 4 Art

Chapter 5: Let the Games Begin

~Rule #5: Play the crowd. When surrounded by strangers, take the opportunity to make eyes at a few of them to let your target know you can have any man you desire. Some may be turned off by the notion that they have competition, but a true competitor will either accept the challenge or find your obvious self-confidence attractive.~

“Emma! I’m so glad you could make it!” Mary Margaret greets exuberantly when Emma arrives at the golf course. It’s a perfect day to be on the green—warm and sunny without a cloud in sight.

Emma gives the woman a kind smile. “Thank you for inviting me as a volunteer. I’m honored to be a part of this fantastic event.”

“And we are happy to have you!” Mary Margaret is carrying a clipboard in one hand and grabbing Emma’s with the other as they start walking. “I will introduce you to the group you will be working with, but first thing’s first—are you single?”

Emma lifts a brow, eyeing her suspiciously. “Am I that transparent?”

The brunette laughs and shakes her head. “No, sorry, I was wondering because after the tournament, we’ll be holding a Date Auction where bachelorettes will be bid on for a date here at the country club. And I was wondering if you wanted to sign up? It’s basically a free dinner with some company.”

“Oh, I don't’ know…”

Mary Margaret stops and turns around, looking at her with pleading eyes. “Oh please, Emma. One woman dropped out at the last minute, so we need a replacement. As you know, it’s for a good cause. All of the proceeds go towards Hook’s foundation.”

Emma grimaces, not at all interested in being a doll one can bid on, nor having dinner with a rich snob who will undress her with his eyes the entire evening. However, when the bidder wins, Hook might get jealous when he sees her on a date with someone else, and the possibility of this intrigues Emma. Pondering whether she should or not, she thinks about what Milah would do and say about it, and makes her decision. “Okay, since it’s for a good cause, I'll do it. But I don’t have anything to wear, and I definitely can’t go on stage in this outfit.” Emma looks down at her sneakers, khaki shorts and tight blue tank top before looking up at Mary Margaret again.

The brunette grins and is practically jumping up and down. “Oh thank you, Emma! And don‘t worry about the outfit, just tell me your dress and shoe size and I‘ll do the rest.”

After writing down all the necessary information, Mary Margaret gives Emma a tour of the course, explaining the event in more detail. Each player has a pledge who has promised to sponsor a child of their choosing—a child they wish to see his or her dreams come true. The sponsors have also donated items to the raffle and would be bidding in the dating auction.

Hook’s agent goes on to explain the foundation and how it was born from a small group home for children who were living with developmental and physical disabilities and were isolated from society with no organized sports or socialized activities available to them. “Killian came to the kids offering these opportunities to them, along with a little hope and a lot of love. He wants nothing more than to help make these kids’ dreams come true.” Mary Margaret laughs a little, shaking her head at a thought. “Last Halloween, Ryan—one of the kids you’ll be working with—who was born with spinal muscular atrophy, wanted to be Captain Hook for Halloween because he always refers to Killian as the captain of the ship; he looks up to him and always says ‘I want to be just like Captain Hook’. So Killian had his wheelchair turned into a pirate ship.”

“Really?” Emma asks, thinking about that for a moment and starts putting the pieces together. “So, is this kid the reason why Killian named his yacht The Jolly Roger ?”

“Oh, yes. Ryan had suggested it when Killian was trying to think of a name for the new yacht. He wanted Killian to have his own Jolly Roger. How do you know about Killian’s boat anyway?” Mary Margaret asks suspiciously.

Crap.

“Umm... I don’t know, honestly, I think I heard it from someone at a bar or something. People talk a lot around here,” Emma laughs, trying to cover up the anxiety twisting in her stomach.

“They sure do,” the brunette agrees, and Emma sighs in relief as they approach a group of children. “Emma, this is the group you’ll be working with. Ryan over here, Chelsea, Hayley and Charly over there.”

“Charles,” the young boy corrects Mary Margaret—however he doesn’t look at her, and instead stares at Emma and smiles shyly, waving his fingers.

“There is also Anthony. He is Chelsea’s interpreter; he not only translates sign language, he also teaches her social and behavioral cues as well as management strategies for daily life, so eventually she won’t need any help.”

Emma greets the kids and shakes Anthony’s hand before she turns to Mary Margaret again, waiting for further instructions.

When Emma had accepted her offer, she didn't think about what this job would look like. Her primary goal at the time was to appear on Hook’s radar, begin her mission of collecting as much information as possible and to find ways to get close to him.

“You and your group can practice over there, and in an hour, the tournament will begin.” With that said, Mary Margaret hurries to a blonde man with a camera in his hands. Emma watches them kiss briefly before Mary Margaret slips back into manager mode and scurries off again.

Curious about who he is, Emma decides to store the question in the back of her mind for later and turns to her group.

“So, who wants to play some golf?”

$*$*$

“What do you think of her?” Killian’s eyes land on Emma, who is standing next to Ryan as he looks at the beautiful woman like he is looking directly at an angel. The young lad is confined to a wheelchair because of spinal muscular atrophy after being diagnosed at only ten months old; however, Killian has never seen a more self-confident kid before. Ryan smiles more than anyone Killian knows, he is eager to learn new things and is always the first who greets everyone and includes new people in every activity he is doing.

“I think she’s doing great. She’s a natural,” Mary Margaret answers as Killian studies the woman who haunts his dreams more and more every day.

“Aye,” Killian agrees, raising a brow. He’s been mesmerized by her since the moment he’d seen her, and is even more so as he sees how good she is with the kids.

When he hears clapping and cheering from the direction he was staring at just moments before, he looks up again and sees Emma beaming at Ryan.

“She is really great with the kids, isn’t she?” Mary Margaret suddenly asks. When her eyes meet his it’s she who raises a brow this time. “What is it, Killian?”

He shakes his head, averting his gaze to the scenery in front of him and watches Emma placing the ball in front of Ryan’s wheelchair, encouraging him to hit the ball again. When he does, another wave of cheers and applauds fill the air, and Killian smiles approvingly.

Emma walks to Hayley, a blind girl, and her friend Chelsea who is deaf. The two of them have the most beautiful friendship in Killian’s eyes. He had never imagined these two could be friends when he’d met them because a girl with no sight and a girl who can not hear is a combination which makes everyone scratch their head. But it works. Chelsea has someone with her who translates everything into sign language for her, however, Killian knows she is lip reading and is really good at it despite her young age. He can see she is concentrating on Hayley’s lips and not looking at her interpreter at all. This fact makes him smile.

He admires these young people who are able to cope with their disabilities so easily. Sometimes he forgets they are disabled at all; they are all so eager and enthusiastic, always giving their best and having fun together. But sometimes the dynamic between them doesn’t work without help. Chelsea’s and Hayley’s friendship only works when there is a third party who translates what Chelsea is saying. Because she isn’t able to speak well enough so that people can understand her, and Hayley is incapable of seeing her, a third party is essential. But neither of the girls has a problem with that. Killian often watches them interact as if they were two normal teenagers, talking about boys, school and other activities.

“Yay! Well done!” Emma’s chanting brings him back to reality once again.

His smile widens when he sees her standing behind Charles, a ten year old kid with autism who has a golf club in his hands. Killian watches as another ball is placed in front of Charles, and Emma wraps her arms around his little frame to help him hit the ball, which he does. Involuntarily, Killian thinks about when he was doing the same with her, and a shudder runs down his spine.

“Earth to Killian.” Mary Margaret’s amused voice makes him stop watching Emma and the kids, and instead he tries to concentrate on his manager. He slowly turns his head, his eyes glued to them as long as possible until he finally looks at Mary Margaret, seeing the amusement dancing in her eyes, matching the tone in her voice. “If you stare at her any harder you might drill a hole in her head.”

“I am not staring at her, I'm just seeing how she interacts with the children,” Killian starts to defend himself, but gives up quickly and sighs. “Alright alright, there is something about that woman which fascinates me. Maybe it’s her confident behavior, or maybe it’s how good she is with the kids. I don’t know.”

Now it’s Mary Margaret who is staring at Killian as she tilts her head—a dead giveaway that she’s thinking about possible answers and how to help him reach his goal (whatever it is this time).

Killian’s eyes trail back to Emma, who is helping Chelsea hit the ball. He can’t help himself, but this whole scene warms his heart. It seems he had entirely misunderstood Emma and had awoken this morning with a false impression of her, but who can blame him after how she has treated him thus far? He didn't take her as the kindest or most caring person at first. He’d thought maybe she was too stuck up to go on a date with him, or maybe if she did give in and let him take her out, he’d only end up with his heart broken. And he’d never expected her to work so well with the kids. Perhaps she actually is kind, she’s just not one to show who she truly is right off the bat.

“Well, why don’t you join the group and help her out a bit, and you two can—um—talk? The kids would love to see you.”

“Right. I could do that, but I think I need to check on something else beforehand,” he fibs, because he knows exactly what his agent’s intentions are, as innocent as she may seem.

“Like what?” Mary Margaret asks skittishly, and at the same time, Killian waves his hand in the air, greeting his friend Robin who shows up at the perfect moment.

“Locksley!”

$*$*$

Mary Margaret rolls her eyes, but inwardly she is already forming a plan to let Killian and Emma have a quiet moment for themselves. She can see Killian is bewitched by her, judging by the way he stares at her—the way he talks about her; she sees the fire in his eyes. It’s the same interest—no, the same passion —he normally shows during a competition.

Ignoring the men, Mary Margaret thinks about walking over to Emma and the kids, asking her if everything is okay, when suddenly an idea crosses her mind. She observes Emma looking in Killian’s direction, sees her smile at him and decides to take matters into her own hands.

“Hey, Robin, have you met Emma already?” Mary Margaret asks him with a mischievous grin, which grows bigger the moment she sees Killian’s shocked expression. “I would really like to introduce her to you. She is the one who is replacing Ariel tonight at the dinner auction.”

“She is?” Killian asks, perplexed and a tad too quickly to mask his eagerness to find the answer to his question. He swallows thickly, thinking about the implications.

Robin glances at him, surprised, while Mary Margaret suppresses a smile. She starts walking towards Emma and her group of kids, followed by the men.

Before she reaches them, David joins them, the camera now on his shoulder recording the walk to Emma and her group.

“Emma, how’s it going?” Mary Margaret asks when they approach.

“Everything's fine, I promise,” Emma assures with a small laugh.

“I had no doubts,” the brunette beams at her. “I was just wondering if you already knew Robin Locksley? He is married to the owner of the country club and is also one of the best golfers around.”

Emma shakes his hand, smiling at him. “Henry told me about you. You are his stepfather, aren’t you?”

Robin nods, grinning back at her. “That's right.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Locksley.”

“It’s Robin, lass, and it’s nice meeting you too. Mary Margaret was just telling us you will participate in the dinner auction later,” Robin remarks, offering a smirk. “Maybe I will try my luck and bid on a date with you.”

“Oi, mate! You are happily married,” Killian reminds him, a hint of jealousy in his tone. “Don’t let Regina hear that.”

“Oh come on, Hook, you only say that because you want to have her for yourself.”

Mary Margaret grins in success; she can’t tell who is blushing more—Emma who is trying to focus on the kids again, or Killian who is bashfully scratching behind his red tipped ear.

“We will have to wait and see who places the highest bid,” Mary Margaret chips in to avoid any awkward moments, and then looks at her husband, who is still recording the children. “Sweetie, can you lower the camera for two seconds? I want you to meet the volunteer I told you about.”

“This is her?” David does as he's asked and stops recording, lowering the camera to shake the other blonde’s hand.

“Emma, this is my husband, David. He’s the camera operator if you couldn’t already tell,” Mary Margaret introduces proudly.

“Ah, I figured you didn't normally go around kissing the camera crew,” Emma says with a smile and turns her eyes to David. “It's nice to meet the other half of the kind woman who invited me to volunteer at this wonderful event.”

“You too, Emma. And she is definitely the better half,” David remarks, winking at his wife.

“I tend to disagree,” Mary Margaret blushes at him; she could easily get lost in her husband's eyes, so she immediately shifts her focus to Killian, maintaining her professionalism. “Hook, didn’t you want to talk to the kids? I think this would be a great moment for David to record, right, honey?”

The blonde man smiles at her. “It’s good to collect some impressions of the preparation for the tournament, and having the owner of the foundation interacting with the children is a great idea. Also, having my lovely wife here who is organizing the whole event is an even better bonus.” He briefly presses his lips to hers before lifting the camera to his shoulder again.

“David!” Mary Margaret hisses, her cheeks flushed, but it’s evident on her face she is enjoying the little affection from her man. It’s not difficult to miss the uneasiness on Killian’s face, though, at the possible implications that he is hosting this event for publicity reasons. But, everyone here knows better. Mary Margaret can see how everyone admires him for his good heart—even Emma who doesn't know him very well.

She’s just glad she’d decided to not set up Killian on a date after he’d mentioned her over the phone the other day, hoping Emma would come to the event. However, she has to admit she feels guilty about signing Emma up for the auction in hopes that Killian would become jealous and take matters into his own hands, but she has a feeling these two will find a way to each other's hearts, even if it takes a little persuasion.

$*$*$

David films the interaction between Emma, Hook and the group for a while before Mary Margaret is off to go help with a problem somewhere else, taking David with her. Emma isn’t so sure there is an actual problem, but she would never call out her newfound friend, who also might be handy for her mission and for information about Hook. He and Robin have to leave a short time later, much to the dismay of the kids and Emma, although she would never admit that.

Emma tries to concentrate on her task, but her thoughts are already on the auction. She has no idea what to do or how to behave exactly. She isn’t even sure why she’d accepted Mary Margaret’s request. Was it to help her out? Was it to find a way of making Hook jealous? Robin’s comment makes her rethink the whole idea. She knows she already has a chance to have a date with Hook soon—all she has to do is say the word, but she’s starting to think whether signing up for the auction was a good idea or not. She hopes Hook will become jealous when he sees her with another man, but what if he doesn’t accept the challenge? What if he finds some other woman at dinner who demands his attention? And what will Milah really think about the whole situation? Emma wishes she could call her sister now for some advice.

She doesn’t want to make Milah angry with her decisions, but she also knows she has to make her own if she wants to be the lead in this game. Milah always knows what to do and how to make things happen, so why can’t Emma do it this time? Technically she’s already made her decision and now she has to live with the consequences. So why does this decision make her feel so nervous?

People are starting to arrive, so Emma suggests heading over to the clubhouse to eat something before the tournament starts. The kids start to hurry towards the clubhouse as Emma pushes Ryan’s wheelchair. He thanks her for the lovely day they’ve had so far, and Emma feels touched by his words; this is one thing she will never regret. Being with the kids, helping them and getting to know them better warms her heart. She cannot wait to watch the tournament, root for her group and enjoy the afternoon with them. She also hopes to gather some information about Hook while being here today, surrounded by people who know him better than she does.

While chewing on her grilled cheese sandwich, she tries to analyse her progress in seducing Hook. When she sees him chatting with a studious looking brunette, Emma pauses for a moment, suddenly remembering him asking her to be his date outside of Marco’s. Her mouth is still full when realization hits her hard. He won’t be alone at dinner. Emma is convinced Mary Margaret didn't allow him to show up alone, and has set this woman up as his date.

Emma’s stomach is in knots now, her appetite completely gone. She doesn’t want anyone else to be Killian’s date; she wants to be his date. The moment the thought crosses her mind, all of the blood drains from her face, and she feels ill. What’s happening here? Is she really falling for her target? No, she only feels this way because she is afraid someone else will snatch him up and ruin the con. She shouldn't be worried though. She enjoys a little competition. She's had lots of practice stealing men from Milah—the woman they saw as their wife—so Emma's certainly not worried about some rich, snobby twat.

But just to be safe, Emma finishes her sandwich and passes the two, hoping Killian will see her. She keeps her eyes forward, but when he doesn't say anything, she looks in his direction. Killian hasn't even noticed her presence, he’s still talking to the brunette and smiling. Emma suddenly feels like she can't breathe, thinking she has lost him. But she chooses not to give up, so she boldly makes her way over to her future husband. His gaze finally peels away from the woman, and his lips twitch into a small smirk as she approaches.

“Killian, I just wanted to wish you good luck on the event; I know it will be a complete success,” Emma says sweetly as she curls both hands around his arm, leaning in and kissing him on the cheek. Even with a quick, subtle gesture, she can hear his breath hitch at the contact.

“Thank you, love. I do hope so. And I'm glad you’re here.” He nods towards the woman in front of him, so Emma turns to face the brunette, looping her arm through his. “Emma, this is Regina Mills. She is the owner of the country club. Regina, this is Emma Swan. She is one of our volunteers for the day.”

Emma is relieved as she shakes the woman's hand with her free one. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

“You too,” Regina says, eyeing her suspiciously. “I haven't seen you around here. Are you new in town?”

“Yeah, I’m from Boston.”

Regina’s already high brows curve upward, expressing her curiosity. “Well, you’re a long way from home, then. What brings you here?”

“I just needed a fresh start,” Emma assures a bit nervously. She’s no longer worried about her being with Killian because she knows Regina is married to Robin, but this woman seems very intense, and Emma has an inkling she does not want to be on her bad side.

Regina’s eyes widen in realization. “Right, you’re the new member my son had mentioned.”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Emma says with a polite smile.

“Alright, I think that’s enough interrogation, Regina,” Killian says a bit sternly. “We want her here, not to scare her off.”

Regina’s lips finally break out into a friendly smile. “My apologies, Miss Swan. Didn’t mean to pry. I’ll leave you to it. Again it was nice meeting you.” With those words said, she walks away leaving Emma with Killian as she keeps an eye on the children sitting at the table across the room.

“I’m sorry about her, love. She does that with all the newcomers.”

Emma swallows thickly, hoping this woman isn't someone she has to worry about ruining her plans, but she chooses to shrug it off. “It’s fine. I have nothing to hide,” she says, and Killian looks at her with a small smile.

“Oh, I think you do.”

Emma's eyes widen at that. Does he know what she's planning? Shit! She's completely screwed! “You do?”

Killian nods with certainty, and Emma swallows thickly, bracing herself for the worst. “Aye, I think you prefer to be a bit reserved,” he concurs, wagging a flirty brow, “which is good because I do enjoy a little mystery.”

With a breath of relief, Emma is smiling uncontrollably and rolling her eyes. “That’s good because I’m not one to give away all of my secrets at once. Not that I care about what you enjoy.”

Unconvinced, Killian bites his bottom lip, amusement dancing in his eyes. “I’m not so sure about that. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were jealous when you came over here claiming me as yours.”

Emma blushes and tears her eyes away, watching the kids. “I was not jealous.”

“Oh really? Then why can't you look me in the eye when you say it?” he teases.

Emma laughs and shakes her head, returning her gaze to him. “Not saying I was, but if I were, would that scare you away?”

Killian shrugs and looks like he has to mull over the possible answer for a moment before leaning in and whispering in her ear, “I’m not running, now am I?”

The sound of his deep, silky accent vibrates in her ear, shooting down her spine. She tilts her head slightly, just enough so her cheek brushes against the sharp stubble on his face and she whispers back, “Good, because maybe I was a little jealous. You told me Mary Margaret was going to pressure you into procuring a date, so I thought Regina was her.”

“Well surprisingly, my agent let me off the hook this time,” Killian clarifies. “So, no date to speak of.”

Emma sighs in relief, never tearing her eyes from his. In all honesty, she enjoys being on his arm like this, enjoys the heat between them, but almost as soon as it’s there, they have to seperate.

“Killian, the ceremony is about to begin,” Mary Margaret informs him when she approaches with a soft smirk, seeing how close they are.

“I’m right behind you,” he assures his agent before reverting his soft, blue eyes to Emma, “but make no mistake… this is not me running away.” He pulls his arm away and lifts her hand to confirm his statement with a gentle kiss on the back of her knuckles, making Emma shudder, the entirety of her skin igniting with goosebumps. Killian steps back, his cheeks painted with blush as he slowly releases her hand and gets one last glimpse of her before turning and walking away.

Emma watches him, her mouth hung open, surprised she’s not a puddle of liquid on the floor right now.

The opening ceremony begins and Killian gives the audience a fantastic speech before the tournament. Emma easily sees he’d started the foundation out of the kindness of his heart and not for publicity. She can see it in his eyes when he speaks about these young people and how they have changed his life. Once again her conscience is gripped with guilt. How can she even think of ripping a man’s heart to pieces when his heart is so full of love and warmth and passion? But perhaps he is strong willed. Emma has a feeling this man can overcome anything. He’s an athlete and he wouldn’t be one of the best golfers in the world if he didn’t know how to handle his shit.

Emma guides the children to their position for the tee off when it's time for the tournament to begin. She's a bit nervous with the crowds and cameras, especially when she sees a spectator who keeps staring at her, uninterested in the children or how well they're playing, only her. He’s tall and lanky and dressed obnoxiously with a flat cap, a bright yellow polo shirt, an ugly sweater vest and plaid pants. Every time Emma moves to the next hole with the children, he is following and observing her. She starts to feel uneasy under his gaze, so instead, she keeps her focus on the children.

She listens to Hayley talking, when it’s not her turn, about Killian and how she thinks he may look depending on his voice and scent, his behavior around them and everything she’s heard about him so far. She smiles when Chelsea joins her, using signing and her interpreter to describe how he looks. She mentions he has pretty lips and is very handsome, and they both snicker to themselves. Emma really tries to concentrate on Charles, who’s trying to get the ball in the hole, but now she is too distracted by the words of the girls and their effect on her.

Before Emma had arrived at the tournament, she didn’t really expect to enjoy herself. Or at least she hadn’t expected to enjoy herself with the kids. But she has to admit, interacting with them and helping them has turned out to be very rewarding. In fact, by the end of the tournament, Emma is sad to say goodbye.

“Bye, Emma. Will we see you again?” Charles asks hopefully, and Emma smiles and nods her head.

“I hope so.” She watches as her group files into the bus, Ryan’s wheelchair being lifted into the back, and she waves at the other kids as they look out the windows and wave back at her.

“The children really like you, don’t they?” Mary Margaret’s voice is heard from behind, and Emma turns around holding a small smile.

“You think so? I know they have really grown on me,” Emma admits honestly, and it feels good to tell such a wonderful truth. “And they all did a fantastic job today.”

“Perhaps you would be a good fit as a volunteer at the activity center?”

“It’s certainly something to think about,” Emma replies, and she doesn’t think it’s such a bad idea. She really did enjoy working with the children, and there’s something pulling at her gut telling her she should back out of this whole thing, but she doesn’t want to. She wants to help these children and spend time with them, and she wants to get close to Killian and be a part of his life.

As they start walking towards the clubhouse, Emma sees the same man from earlier who is now chatting with another sponsor and is still watching her. She had earlier learned his name is Oscar and he was Chelsea's pledge; he had donated money to watch her play, which sickened Emma a bit, because the man is oozing with creepy vibrations.

“What's the deal with him?” Emma asks Mary Margaret as she makes a subtle gesture towards him.

“Oscar? Oh, don't pay attention to him. He’s a former PGA Player of the Year champion and jealous of Killian because he’s broken numerous golf records and has had more wins and more success. Oscar only showed up to this event to try and prove to Killian he is the better man, but no one actually buys his facade. He's only here hoping Killian will fail somehow, but he's severely delusional,” Mary Margaret shakes her head. “We only allowed him to attend because he promised to donate a considerable amount of money to the organization.”

“Ah, I see.” Emma studies him carefully as he walks away.

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m in need of a shower and a change of clothes.”

“Me too,” Emma agrees. She is sweating from the heat, her clothes clinging to her skin, and she feels gross and certainly not prepared to stand on stage and attend a fancy dinner with rich folks.

When the two go inside, she is greeted by Henry in the lobby, and the big square gift box he’s holding, which is wrapped in a bright blue bow.

Arching a brow, Emma gapes at it suspiciously. “What’s this?”

“Not sure. I guess you’ll have to see for yourself,” Henry replies with a shrug. “But I’ll give you a hint—it’s from someone who was informed you were in need of an outfit for the evening.”

Eyeing the small envelope taped to the box, she very skittishly looks up and glances between Henry and Mary Margaret whose smiles are both dripping with mischief. Removing the card from the envelope, she reads the note.

Swan,

You helped me with my attire for the evening, now I am helping you with yours. Hope you like the dress. See you tonight.

—Killian Jones

Emma blushes as she lifts her gaze, and sees the two still staring at her.

“See? I told you not to worry,” Mary Margaret says and comes over, linking her arm with Emma’s. “Now that we have that taken care of, let me show you to the locker rooms.”

Tagging: @mayquita @freakassbuthunter @libbcoxnet-blog @goldengirlschildhood @courtorderedcake @florenzu @marcella2727  @veryverynotgood @i-would-cross-realms-4-her @hooklineandswan @wonderfullycarriedaway @0swald-c0bblep0t @cs-forlife @andiirivera @snotelek @capswantrue @nikkiemms @capswantrue @swansong12 @lg-campbell @lassluna @followbatb @harshini01 @betchesgetshitdone @coliferoncer @ultraluckycatnd @resident-of-storybrooke @kinkyhiddlesgirl @teamhook​

[hazyheel]

NXT Takeover: New York Predictions

Takeover: New York is shaping up to be the biggest takeover that we have ever had. All of the belts are being defended, including the WWE UK Championship, and all the matches feel like a huge deal. There was a definite snag when Tommaso Ciampa got injured, but the show still seems like it is going to be great. Here are my predictions NXT Takeover: New York.

First up is the War Raiders against Ricochet and Aleister Black for the NXT Tag Team Championships. Simple story here, as Ricochet and Black began to team on the main roster, while still competing in NXT. Because of their success as a tag team on Raw and Smackdown, they entered the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic together, defeating Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel, the reformed #DIY, and the Forgotten Sons to win the tournament. That gave them a championship match for the show, against the War Raiders. So, this seems like a pretty easy one to book, because Ricochet and Black are already on the main roster, so they shouldn’t win a title in NXT right now. Plus, they have a match on the main roster for the Smackdown Tag Team Championships at Wrestlemania, so they don’t need the NXT belts. So War Raiders will retain in what should be a fun match.

Next is Pete Dunne vs. WALTER for the WWE UK Championship. WALTER confronted Dunne on his first night in the company at Takeover Blackpool, beating down Joe Coffey in the process. He gathered up some wins in the coming weeks, before teaming with Dunne in a match against the Coffey Brothers. The two won, but there was a serious tension there. Dunne then requested to fight WALTER for the championship at Takeover New York, and the match was made. WALTER is definitely coming away with the win here. Dunne has held the title for so long, they need someone massive, both in size and popularity, to beat him for the belt. Short of the main roster, WALTER is the only one who fits that bill. It should be a great match, with a really historic finish given the length of Dunne’s title reign. This is the match that I am most looking forward to. 

Into the women’s division, there is a fatal 4-way between the champion Shayna Baszler, Kairi Sane, Io Sharai and Bianca Belair. After Belair lost to Baszler at Takeover Phoenix due to the interference from Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke, Belair teamed with Sane and Sharai in a 6-woman tag match. The faces won the match when Sharai pinned Baszler, causing tension between Sharai and Belair. The two had a number 1 contenders match, but Baszler interfered, beating both of them down as well as Sane. As a consequence of her actions, Baszler was put into a fatal 4-way against all of those women. This is a tough one to predict, but I think that Belair is going to take this away. Baszler has terrorized the locker room for a few months now, and while I don’t think that it is time for her to be called up just yet, I think we need a babyface champion. Io Sharai could also win, but I am picking Belair because of the Sky Pirates’ affiliation with the women’s tag division, belts that they definitely need to hold in the future. So, Belair is probably going to get the win here, but there are so many moving parts that I can’t say that 100%

For the NXT North American Championship, Velveteen Dream takes on Matt Riddle. This is a simple feud, where Riddle continued to express his want for a title match, with Dream refusing each time. Dream finally accepted his challenge after a series of wins, but became startled when mindgames did not work on Riddle. This is another tough one, but I am going to go with Dream retaining, because Riddle hasn’t been in the company all that long, and Dream really should be getting some wins on Takeovers. He has a pretty bad record at the event, so he deserves this win. Plus, Riddle is more of a main event guy. His first belt should be the NXT Championship, after he takes out a big heel.

And finally, in the main event, Johnny Gargano takes on Adam Cole in a two out of three falls match. The match was originally going to be Gargano against Ciampa (reportedly in a title vs. career, or career vs. career match) but Ciampa had to go in for neck surgery, meaning that the feud will be put on hold for a while. Adam Cole qualified for the match by beating Velveteen Dream, Matt Riddle, Ricochet and Aleister Black in a fatal 5-way. This is a simple bullying storyline, with Cole telling Gargano that he isn’t good enough and never will be. Plus, the Undisputed Era will probably be at ringside, further stacking the deck. But that doesn’t matter, Johnny is the ultimate underdog, and this is his time. He has spent some time meandering away from his feud with Ciampa, and this was almost the perfect time for the story to come to an end. But, life got in the way, so we have this. Johnny should still win, and maybe him against Ciampa in a ladder match later down the line. Johnny deserves this win, and I cannot wait to mark out for it!

So, those are my predictions for the show tomorrow. Every match looks really great, but I am probably most excited for the WWE UK Championship match, because WALTER is awesome and it will be a historic moment to see Dunne unseated, plus a great match. However, I always love watching Matt Riddle, and the vacant NXT Championship does offer some intrigue in the main event. This could easily be the best Takeover show ever (although most of them have that potential) and I can’t wait for tomorrow!

[sansvirtuosity]

lonashipping and #7 for the kiss meme? :3c

I’m dying this ended up so much longer than I expected please kill me. This is the first thing I wrote in like a month, and it’s also extremely unedited (or even proofread because I’m so damn tired) so if it’s nonsense, I’m sorry. If it’s not utter garbage when I wake up, I’m posting this shit to AO3. You’re a goddess for requesting this, Pixel. You got so many words from me. Like blood from a stone.

Lonashipping, #7: “A kiss to shut them up.” from this post. Recommended listening: All-Nighter by Bad Bad Hats. 

Rating: T, characters are older than in canon (16+) because I still can’t reasonably believe that ten-year-olds are going around and cockfighting dragons and no one is stopping them.

Moon was Alola’s first Champion. Just the thought alone was surreal. Even now, at the party thrown in her honor, she still forgets to respond to the title. But she was sure the role would grow on her, just as her strange group of friends did. Everything in Alola had a way of sticking to you.

Champion, huh?

It wasn’t something she’d set out to become when she left Kanto. She just wanted something to do. And now look at her. She almost felt like a fraud, like at any moment everyone would realize she was just a bored kid who likes pokemon, and not some great Champion.

Her cell phone vibrated in her pocket, and she seized the opportunity to excuse herself from her current group of admirers to check the message.

‘Unknown Number: [Image attached]’

Well. If that wasn’t a virus, she was the Queen of Kalos. She moved to delete the message, but another came through just as her thumb hovered over the ‘Erase’ button.

‘If you hurry, you can still catch him ;)  - W’

Him who? And ‘W’?

Now she had to know.

The number had an Alolan area code, after all. Maybe it was fine. And the possibility that someone got her number from Hau or Kukui without her knowledge was extremely high. Those two never understood discretion a day in their lives.

She opened the image, steeling herself for the possibility that she’d need to get a new phone after her curiosity killed her current one. But thankfully, the image was completely innocent; a screenshot of a boarding pass.

They definitely had the wrong number.

At least, that’s what Moon kept telling herself as her curiosity continued to get the better of her and she zoomed in on the passenger information. It’s not a breach of privacy if it has nothing to do with her, right? She’ll just delete it and move on.

But it turns out, as it always does in Alola, that it has everything to do with her.

Several realizations hit her at once as she numbly read through the entirety of the boarding pass to Kanto, which she learned belonged to Gladion:

Firstly: She hadn’t seen Gladion all night. It was strange. Or so it should’ve been. He called her the night before to congratulate her on her win, and she thought that meant he’d be coming into Iki Town to celebrate with her. But she was very, painfully wrong.

Secondly: The W made sense, and she quickly added the number to her contacts for convenience; It could only be Wicke. She probably acted as Gladion’s proxy to buy a ticket out of the region to begin with. There was no way Lusamine would’ve let him leave on his own, but Wicke always trusted Gladion implicitly. Wicke apparently trusted Moon, too. Enough to send her potentially security-compromising information.

Thirdly, and to her, most importantly: She hadn’t even considered that Gladion could just up and leave without telling anyone, despite knowing full well how he’d left Aether on his own years ago. It frustrated her to no end to think that she would’ve been completely blindsided by this if Wicke hadn’t messaged her.

She silently thanked Wicke for the heads-up, not bothering to text her back. She needed to catch Gladion, and fast.

Moon shoved her phone into her pocket and surreptitiously tried to skirt her way around the crowd of party-goers and avoid as much attention as possible.

How could he? She thought. He didn’t care about me or Hau enough to say goodbye? Did Lillie even know? Was he just going to sneak off into the night like some jilted lover?

It was nonsense. She wasn’t going to have any of it.

Anger began to bubble up beneath her skin and she reflexively clenched her fists. She shoved them into her pockets with unnecessary force, and to her added annoyance, the movement caught someone’s eye.

“Moon, where are ya goin’? Party’s that way,” Hau laughed and clapped her hard on the shoulder. That is, until he saw the dark look on her face and backed off, peeling his hand away with deliberate slowness. “Yikes. I’m not going to ask; I’m too young to die. But if you want to talk about it…?”

Moon continued to walk, and Hau warily hovered just out of her reach, very obviously itching to reach out to her. Moon felt her lip twitch into a smile despite herself, and she sighed. She couldn’t even pretend to be upset if she wanted to. Not with Hau around.

“Can you do me a huge favor?” she asked, throwing him an apologetic look and feeling guilty when she noticed Hau’s body visibly relax.

“Always. Anything.” He said seriously, nodding to himself.

“If anyone asks, I’m in the bathroom.”

“You’re going somewhere?” he raised an eyebrow, but when she didn’t respond, he dropped it. “Alright, I won’t ask. You do your thing. Just come back soon; it’s your party, after all. If you don’t come back in an hour, I’m eating the entire buffet table and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

“Table and all?”

“Of course.”

Moon laughed despite the ever-growing pit of anxiety in her stomach and pulled Hau into a crushing hug. He coughed, and repeatedly tapped her shoulder-blade with the flat of his palm like a wrestler desperately trying to end his match. Moon took pity on him and let him go, fluidly sidestepping him to continue on out of Iki Town.

She absently put her hand up in a final wave, in case Hau was still watching her go.

Moon escaped the party with minimal interference and prayed that she wouldn’t be missed.

She had no idea how long she’d be out. At best, she hoped she could give Gladion a quick verbal ass-kicking and convince him to stay. But the worst-case scenario was, she realized with a growing restlessness that made her break out into a full sprint, she might have already missed him. He might already be on his way to Kanto, and too far away to reach.

She cursed herself for not checking the departure time on the boarding pass, but Wicke did say that she still had time, didn’t she? And Moon knew Wicke would never be so malicious as to give her false hope.

She made it to the marina in record time, feeling grateful for the consistent exercise that she got over the course of her Island Challenge.

She scanned the docks with a desperate eye, keeping every moored boat in a mental tally as she calculated her chances of seeing Gladion and actually convincing him to stay. She honestly didn’t know him as well as she’d like to, and this proved it. What were her odds, exactly?

Taking a deep breath to steel her resolve, Moon entered the building and stepped into the waiting room. Immediately her eyes caught a shock of blonde hair, and she rushed towards him. He was sitting in one of the rows of uncomfortable plastic chairs, bent over his phone which he turned around in his hands with obvious anxious energy. Wicke saw Moon before Gladion did, and she gave Moon a bolstering smile as she nudged Gladion to get his attention. Moon froze just outside the row of chairs, a painful shyness coming over her in waves.

What was she thinking, coming here?

Gladion caught and followed Wicke’s gaze, and when he saw Moon standing there, he launched himself out of his seat, dropping his phone in the process. His knees hit the chair in front of him with a painful-sounding plastic crack, but he didn’t react. He was too busy searching for an escape route. He turned around to try and push past Wicke, but she put her arm out to stop him. With no other option, he finally turned towards Moon, but refused to look her in the eye. She couldn’t tell if it was guilt or stubborn pride that kept him from looking at her.

The sight helped Moon remember her anger.

“Outside.” She said, hoping she just imagined the way her voice wavered.

He pushed past her, not waiting for her to step aside. Wicke sent Moon an apologetic look, and Moon mouthed a ‘thank you’ in return. She had no idea what she was going to say to Gladion, but just knowing she had Wicke’s support gave her the push she needed to follow him out of the building anyways. She didn’t have the time to compose her thoughts; she just needed to go. She had to talk to him.

Gladion was already at the end of the dock when she finally stepped outside. He was leaning on the guardrails that just barely separated them from the dark waves below, his chin tilted upwards in defiance, daring her to say something.

So she did.

“Where do you think you’re going? What is all of this about?” without giving him time to respond, she came closer. She gestured vaguely, opening and closing her fists in both anger and anxiety, overtaken with a sudden need to simply move. “Why didn’t you say anything? You were just going to leave without telling anyone? How do you think Hau would’ve felt? Did you think about him at all? Or-��

Or me, she wanted to say.

Instead, she let out a frustrated sigh that sounded more like a growl.

Gladion took that as a cue to defend himself, and he pushed off the railing to step even closer to her. He was only an arm’s length away now, and Moon could see the way his hands trembled with nothing to occupy them.

“It’s for training-“ he began, but Moon cut him off.

“Training? Glad, you can train here. You’re friends with some of the strongest trainers on the island.” Moon heard her own desperation in her voice now; she couldn’t deny it was there, even though it annoyed her to no end. “I’m the Champion, too. There’s no one better-“

“That’s exactly the problem!” he raked his hands through his hair in frustration, sending his strangely-styled bangs into further disarray. He half-turned around, ready to pace, but stopped himself and whipped back to Moon, his brows drawn in a tight grimace.

Moon didn’t give him a chance to clarify his words, stepping closer and staring him down. He didn’t back away. She could feel his breath on her face now, hot and quick. Overwhelmed, she almost snarled, “So, in order to satisfy some sort of personal inferiority complex of yours, you’d rather just leave Alola completely than accept any kind of help from-“

Moon found whatever words she’d had on her lips were swallowed entirely by a mouth not her own.

Gladion’s arms wrapped tightly around her waist for a brief moment before he pulled away from her, refusing to give Moon even a second to digest what just happened. As quickly as it came, the warmth of his body was gone, and she almost ached to feel it again. 

She could still feel the ghost of his lips on hers, and she shivered at the realization of what just happened.

“I’m coming back.” He said, breathless, his face flushed a damning red. “I’m definitely coming back, so stop.”

They stood in a heavy silence, the white noise of the waves rushing against the docks were nothing in the face of their sudden outburst of emotion. Moon couldn’t say anything at all, though she desperately wanted to. She had so many questions, but she couldn’t find the words.

“Can you just,” he started, and cleared his throat when the words came out rougher than intended, “can you see me off when I leave?” his eyes fell to the ground in-between them and fixed themselves there as though it were the most interesting sight in the world. “I’m bad at this. Not the leaving itself, but… leaving others behind. I didn’t mean for things to get like this, Moon, believe me.” she shivered again at his casual use of her name, but let him finish: “It’s always easier if I just skip saying ‘goodbye’ altogether.”

“Yeah,” She nodded, still a little breathless, “Yeah, okay; I’ll see you off.” He looked up at her, a hopeful glimmer in his eyes. Or perhaps it was a trick of the light reflecting off of the windows behind her, she couldn’t tell. “I’ll be right here, so make sure you look back.”

“You’d better prepare yourself. Once I’m finished in Kanto, I’m coming for you.” Moon didn’t have to wonder if he realized that his words could have a double meaning, because immediately he added, all in a rush, “So, uh, make sure you keep that Champion’s throne warm for me, alright? It won’t be the same earning it from someone else.”

She couldn’t help it; she laughed.

And just as she promised, she was there when his ship left, joined by Wicke, and more surprisingly, Lusamine, on the docks. Moon waved his way until the ship disappeared below the horizon.

He’d be back, but she had no intention of losing to him when he returned. She’d fully embrace her new role as Champion, and, at the very least, make Gladion’s trip worthwhile.

Just as she began her long walk back to the party, her phone vibrated with a new message:

‘If you were still wondering,

I figured Kanto was my best bet for training

because the strongest trainer I know grew up there.’

[rosedate154]

What's The Best Dating Website

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What Is the Best Dating Site?

What's The Best Dating Website

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Indonesian Actress – Nyomi Marcela (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Here is the quick list of my top five dating sites in Indonesia. I’ll go into more detail in my reviews later in this article.

Indonesia like Malaysia and Singapore has a pretty small but effective dating scene. There are a handful of really good dating websites and apps to choose from. They all have a simple interface (that even my grandmother would have no trouble navigating) and a good-sized membership base to make it worthwhile to elect the paid membership option.

Let me start off by saying that, if you want to increase your chance of success in Indonesia, go to a big city with a large population, such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, or Medan. Bali is also good because it is a tourist destination and attracts a lot of Indonesian women from around the country.

The problem with the smaller towns is that they don’t have a lot of members. And because dating is a numbers game, you really need to have a large mass of singles ready to mingle in order for any of the sites/apps below to deliver results.

Here are a few more things to keep in mind about dating in Indonesia:

Public displays of affection (e.g. kissing, making out, etc.) are a big NO in Indonesia.

Many women (especially outside of the big cities like Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, and Medan) are waiting until marriage to have sex. Whether a woman is waiting or not is a case-by-case basis.

Don’t be surprised if a woman asks you to meet her family very early on…within a month of knowing her.

Should you decide to sign up for the online dating sites I recommend below, be sure to read member profiles carefully as you might come across a lot of fake profiles. Usually, I can spot these profiles pretty easily. A woman who has only one picture posted, is wearing a tight bikini and making an overly suggestive pose are usually clear signals to steer clear. Another clue of a pretender is a woman who has a poorly written profile. As a general rule of thumb, the more boring the profile, the more boring the person.

Indonesian Model – Kamidia Radisti (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Without further ado, here are my detailed reviews of the top five dating sites and apps in Indonesia.

IndonesianCupid is the best dating site in Indonesia. No other site has found that good balance between quality, size of membership, and affordability.

IndonesianCupid is part of the Cupid Media Network, and thus sports the same clean website design, easy sign-up process, and great communication features as other Cupid Media sites. Detailed profiles and effective anti-spam measures add to this site’s strengths.

Unfortunately, IndonesianCupid seems to harbor a fair number of sketchy profiles, who will message you immediately after signing up, without visiting your profile. Avoid these few bad eggs though, and you will enjoy using this site.

Sign up Process

Signing up is a pleasantly brief process, with only your Facebook account or your name, gender, password, and email required as a first step. Next, just share a few words about yourself and what your ideal partner would look like, and you’re in.

At this point, you can either finish filling out the rest of your profile or start searching for that perfect match right away. When you get around to finishing your profile, get ready to spend some time doing so, as there is a lot to fill out. Some of the questions in the Personality Profile section are repeated from the Profile and Interest tabs though, which feels like an oversight.

How to Locate Potential Matches

When looking through your matches, you can view search results in four ways: photos only, photos and basic information, photos, basic information and a short blurb, and by full profiles. You also have many options for narrowing down your search, including searching by: age, location, and education, body type, ethnicity, lifestyle choices (smoking, drinking, etc.), marital status, whether they have kids, religious views, even their star sign.

How to Communicate with Other Members

Basic messaging on IndonesianCupid has a few options, none of which very useful if you’re looking to genuinely connect and communicate with other members. You can “send interest” to and favorite other members, which they will be notified of. However, if both of you are Standard members, neither of you will be able to speak to the other.

You can send messages, but not read them, as they’ll be “locked” and blurred out. The one upside here is that communication features as a premium member are fantastic. Audio, video, and IM are all available, and have proven to be invaluable features for ensuring match compatibility before meeting in person.

Unique Site Features

One of my favorite features on IndonesianCupid is the opportunity to filter who you receive messages from. You have many filtering options, from age and location, to nationality, religion, ethnicity and more.

While this feature will typically be more useful for women, as they tend to receive more messages than men on dating websites, I personally found this feature extremely useful for filtering out spam messages.

What is Included in Each Membership Level

Standard – Craft customized searches, browse recommended matches, send interest, communicate with premium members

Gold – All of the above, plus: Communicate with all members, audio/video chat, Instant Messaging, ad-free browsing, anonymous browsing

Platinum – All of the above, plus: Higher ranking in searches, more profile space, extensive search features, message translating, VIP profile highlighting

AsianDating

AsianDating strives to connect people together who are from Asia or mostly of that continent’s background, although you don’t have to be Asian to participate. While the majority of users are from Japan, Thailand, Philippines and the nations around it, the site also attracts many users from Europe and the United States.

Most of the male users on the site are between the ages of 35 and 44 and fill up a majority of the premium accounts. Female users mostly have free accounts and range anywhere from 25 to 44-years old.

Sign up Process

Young christian dating app. The sign-up process doesn’t take more than five minutes and is free of charge. You can sign up separately or through your Facebook account. All you need to do is fill out your basic profile information, such as age, gender, region, and other complimentary details, and then upload a photo so you will get more views, although it is not mandatory to upload one.

After your photo is uploaded and the sign-up process is complete, the AsianDating staff will review your profile and alert you when your profile has been approved and is ready for use. Once your account is verified, you will receive a verification badge. On average, the process takes no more than a few hours.

How to Locate Potential Matches

There are no restrictions on being able to view other members’ profiles as you search. With a free account, you are able to view others members’ profiles and send them hearts if you are interested, which they will be notified of when they sign in.

AsianDating is great in that it allows you to elaborate on yourself and truly show your personality. When you sign up, you can talk about your lifestyle, your cultural background, and your interests, and other users will see that when they view your profile.

I like this because it means there’s more than just a picture. It makes sending messages easy when you know a little bit about a person before messaging them.

AsianDating is easy to navigate. You can filter your results by age, gender, and region, and results will show up on your screen. It’s very simple, and the design makes it convenient for you to browse around.

There is also preference-based matching which are matches that show up on your screen when you log in based on your profile. If AsianDating sees someone compatible, they will let you know. One problem could be finding very users around you. If you’re not in a big city or are outside of Asia, very few matches will likely show up around you.

How to Communicate with Other Members

One of the caveats of AsianDating is you can only message someone else if you have a premium account or a person with a premium account messages you. However, once the messaging process starts, there’s no limit as to how many messages you can send back and forth. If you are a free member and contact someone that is also a free member, the message will be locked until one of you upgrades.

Premium members can also communicate with other members in the site’s chat room which displays a lot of topics, and users can enter and meet other members through chats.

https://rosedate154.tumblr.com/post/658174558804770816/dating-sites-like-tagged. Unique Site Features

AsianDating doesn’t have as many standout features that other sites do. It’s pretty simple and straightforward, but there are a few things you can do on the site that is noteworthy:

The Message Translation option is huge and may be the best setting on the site. This allows you to communicate with others who don’t speak the same language as you. In other words, a man from New York who speaks English can communicate with someone who speaks strictly Japanese. It is a feature that other apps should also add in an effort to gain users. You must have a premium membership, however, to access this.

As we mentioned above, the chatroom allows you to meet others through conversations on a topic. You must be a premium member, however, in order to enter the chatroom.

What is Included in Each Membership Level

There are certain restrictions on AsianDating that only premium users can take advantage of. Some of the perks that come with a premium membership include the following:

You can send messages and have a conversation with all users, even if they are a free member.

You can take part in live instant messenger chats

You get VIP profile highlighting as your profile will be featured first to other members

No advertising

You can rank your matches

You can go anonymous and browse without being shown online

You get double the profile space of a free user

Tinder is a location-based app that lets its users swipe left or right to choose their matches. Users can see pictures and a bio of their fellow app users. Once two people swipe right on each other’s profiles, that means they have formed a match, and they can send each other messages. Millions of matches have been made since the app launched in 2012.

Sign up Process

The first step is to download the Tinder app from either the Apple or Android store. Once you have the app on your phone, use your Facebook account to sign up for Tinder. While it is possible to find a workaround to sign up without a Facebook account, it is not possible to sign up without using your phone number. Tinder pulls all needed profile information from your Facebook page, so you won’t need to fill in any of your details. This is a benefit to Tinder over other apps on the market.

How to Locate Potential Matches

When you swipe right on someone, if they had already swiped right on your profile, a match is made. You get a notification of the match, and a prompt to send them a message. If you don’t want to right then, you can bypass this. You can return to this match later by going to the chat icon located in the top right portion of your screen.

Potential matches are given to you by Tinder’s algorithm. Those appear on your home feed when you open the app.

If you wanted to search for someone in particular, that isn’t really possible. It is one of the few flaws of this platform.

How to Communicate with Other Members

Once you match with a member, you can message him/her. Without a match, there are no messaging functions on Tinder. The lack of ability to communicate with other users is one of the more frustrating aspects of the app.

Unique App Features

Even though this originated as an app, a web-based version that you can access from a laptop/desktop is now available.

You have the option to boost your profile for a fee.

There is a Super Like Feature to let a person know you are very interested.

What's The Best Dating Website

Interracial dating definition. What is Included in Each Membership Level

The Best Free Dating Website

Tinder has three membership levels. There is a free plan plus two premium levels. Tinder Plus and Tinder Gold offer additional benefits to members such as ad-free swiping, unlimited swipes, ability to bring back someone you initially passed on, and many others.

Gold is a higher tier than Plus and offers the most extensive array of options. Gold members have access to a Like or Nope feature, Top Picks Features, in addition to all the features that come with Plus membership.

Badoo

Badoo is a free online dating platform that has been around since late 2006 but didn’t achieve the level of popularity it has today until 2012 when it became famous through it use of Facebook games and quizzes. The site markets itself as a social media site with an emphasis on dating rather than as a true dating site.

Sign up Process

In order to create an account on Badoo, you will need to fill in your first name, birthday, city, gender, and what you are looking for (your three options are chat, dates, and friendship). You can either upload a photo of yourself right away or you can skip it to do it later.

However, you will need a photo if you want to interact with users; otherwise you’ll be allowed to look around the site but not much else. Once your email has been verified, you will be free to use the site.

How to Locate Potential Matches

Badoo utilizes a game called Badoo Encounters to make it easy for you to look for matches fast. This feature shows you each match one at a time, and you’ll get to see their photo, name, age, and the number of interests that you both share. You can either click the Heart or the X icon, similar to how you would swipe right or left on another app.

Meanwhile, the People Nearby function enables you to find people in your general vicinity. You can narrow down your selection by your search filters. Just keep in mind that some people will set their positions as private, so it’s possible for you to find people who are hundreds or thousands of miles away. This can be disappointing if you are set on only finding someone in your area.

How to Communicate with Other Members

You’re allowed to message other users on Badoo without paying for a premium service, but you will need to upload a photo of yourself to access this feature. If you haven’t matched with someone, you’re allowed to send up to two messages; they will then need to reply to you before you are allowed to send more. Meanwhile, the Badoo Live service allows members to host live video streams, which you can either watch or join.

Unique Site Features

The features on Badoo are admittedly rather basic, but they are convenient for helping you to find dates. The Badoo Encounters feature allows you to easily look for matches, the Profile Score allows users to rate one another’s photos (a higher score earns you a more visible profile), and the Visits section allows you to check which members have viewed your profile.

What is Included in Each Membership Level

Both free and paid membership levels are available for Badoo. The free option allows you to message premium members and send flirts, take part in the Encounters matching game, browse member profiles, and use the search filters. When you upgrade to a fee-based service, you can see who viewed your profiles, send Crush alerts, see if you’re on any favorite lists, browse the site anonymously, and increase your popularity so your profile will become more visible.

OkCupid has been around since 2004, and in the sixteen years of its existence it has established itself as one of the most popular dating websites in the world.

Since its inception, OkCupid has gone through many upgrades and updates for both their desktop site and their mobile app. One of the biggest changes has been how users can send messages, which we will talk more about later.

Sign up Process

Signing up for OkCupid is genuinely a fun process. First, you’ll need to give basic information about yourself such as your location, name, email address, and your birthdate. As an alternative option, you can register with your Facebook account instead.

Once your account is set up, you will need to answer questions sent to you (everything from political and religion preferences to whether or not you drink to whether you’ll make the bed to where you would like to share your first kiss and so on). These questions will take around five minutes to answer, and will make it easier for you to match up with someone else.

How to Locate Potential Matches

What Is The Best Dating Website For Seniors

With OkCupid, you will be shown one profile at a time, and you can swipe either right or left depending on your interest. To help you narrow down your options, a series of profile-building questions will be thrown at you.

The discover section will provide you with more freedom to peruse through your options. Each profile you see will feature the photo gallery of the member at the top of the page, followed by their profile summary.

How to Communicate with Other Members

The messaging system on OkCupid has changed to help reduce the unfortunate number of inappropriate messages. Back when I first used OkCupid, you could send any message to any user whatsoever. Today, you can still send messages to anyone, but the user will only see your message if they have liked you back.

Unique Site Features

OkCupid has a multitude of features designed to help enhance your experience with the site. These include the DoubleTake where you either swipe right or left on different profiles, the Boost section where your profile will be highlighted (and therefore be shown more frequently to other members), the Likes tab to see who as liked you (this is only available for premium members), and the blog that discusses dating advice and how to better use the site.

What is Included in Each Membership Level

What Is The Best Dating Website For Over 60

OkCupid offers both free and fee-based services. When using the free version of the site, you are free to message other users, search for matches, keep track of the profiles you have liked, use the search filters, and use the Double Take Feature.

However, there are more features you can access when you opt for a paid membership. These include advanced search filers, no advertisements, a daily auto boost, and the ability to see who has liked you, and public question answers.

Good luck out there! Remember to be patient (success in dating takes time), and don’t give up.

Further Reading

Worldwide Online Dating Site Reviews: Be sure to check out my country-by-country reviews of the best online dating sites in the world.

Worldwide Moving Guide: Everything you need to know in order to plan your move to 65+ countries around the world.

Worldwide Jobs Guide: If you are interested in working in this country, be sure to check out my posts on how to find jobs in this country and other countries around the world.

Worldwide Apartments Guide: If you are interested in renting an apartment in another country, take a look at my articles on how to find an apartment in various countries around the world.

What's The Best Dating Site For A 60 Year Old Woman

Visahunter.com accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to the accuracy of the information contained on this site. Please read the Visitor Agreement and Disclaimer. If you think there is an error in the information, please bring it to our attention so that we can correct it. Also, some of the links above could be affiliate links, which means that I will earn a commission (at no additional cost to you) should you decide to click on the links and make a purchase. I recommend sites from time to time, not because I get a tiny commission if you click on the links and make a purchase, but because, I want you to focus on the places that will deliver you the most value and the best results. Good luck!

[abdicatedarchive]

truly tied || rose and marina

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍: marina’s dorm room // spring 2021.

𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: rose x marina.

𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐒: none.

𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐒: rose and marina end their several month long bet from who can hold out on romantic interests the longest.

Rose walked into Marina's room without knocking, as per usual. To a certain extent it was like they still lived at home. She was nervous to admit her defeat, it wasn't every day that Rosemary Hollingsworth conceded to Marina Hollingsworth. She was shocked the bet had lasted this long at all. "Okay so I have some news" she said with a big sigh as she flopped down onto her sister's bed. "And you're totally not allowed to happy dance for you, you're only allowed to happy dance for me. Sisters honor. Because I totally could have lied to you" Rosemary rambled before she got to the news.

Marina was almost finished with her journaling when Rose walked in. She was planning on going to her sister's room after she was finished to give the unfortunate news of her loss, but it seemed like this was happening sooner than expected. "One, if you lied, I would definitely find out." she said to lighten the mood a bit. "But two, I also have news for you. You go first though, mine is not happy news." Marina said before tilting her head to the side. "Well, bad for me, not so much for you."

Rose faked shock and hurt, "Ummmm, you most definitely would not!!!" she joked. Rose would have caved and immediately told her regardless, which is exactly what she was doing right now. "bad news second? Okay, your funeral" said Rosemary with a little bit of judgment. What had Marina done? What was the bad news? "OoooOOoh, bad for you! Well I think we are in the same boat then sister dearest. It's gonna come down to the finish line" Rose said, a glint of hope in her eyes that she had not lost the bet. Oh sweet sweet victory come home to Rosie!!!!! "It was Taylor, and oh my GOD. I don't know if it's because I haven't had sex in months or what?! But it was AMAZING, I thought he was a total softie and inexperienced but WHOA" said Rose, blushing just talking about it.

Marina perked up a bit once Rose mentioned they were in the same boat. Of course after all this time, they would both give in. Maybe Marina didn't lose after all, things were starting to look up. Winning never seemed so sweet. But they could talk about that after they share who they hooked up with. That was vital information, and they deserved a little time of hyping each other up, even though she wasn't sure how her sister would take her news. Saoirse wasn't exactly the best girl for Marina. "Ooooh! He's so cute!" she squealed in excitement. "Taylor news now, bet talk after." Marina had seen Taylor around and he seemed like a pretty shy guy. Super harmless, probably very sweet. "So what's gonna happen now with you two? Was it just a one time thing, or are you trying to see him more?"

Rose was blushing, "It sounds like we're going to see each other again tomorrow. So that's looking up. He can't get enough of this!" she squealed. Ahh, being interested in someone so great set Rose's brain on fire. Finally a good thing going for her. No more shitty guys or shitty girls. Just Rose and someone who cares. "Wait, hold on a second. You have not said the name of your person. Are you ashamed?" Rose squinted her eyes and tried to get a good read on her sister. "Was it ... Chase? Jonah? A friend moment you cannot return from? Nerd sex? Why aren't you telling me. But now don't tell me I'm going to figure it out" she said, accepting the challenge for herself. "Nerd sex is a hot commodity, I feel like you wouldn't do that unless you were prepped and had the perfect outfit and location, so it has to be like emotionally embarrassing. Hmmmm" she said, thinking harder and not smarter. "Emotionally embarrassing. An ex?" she said as the lightbulb went off over her head, "Saorise?!" she said, her eyes going wide with that doe like shock.

Marina smiled wide at Rose, she just wanted the best for her sister, and that included people she would potentially date. She was always quick to defend the people she loved, but she knew she couldn't be overprotective either. She quickly pulled her sister in for a quick hug, "Even though I'm hoping you didn't win, I'm happy for you." she paused to pull away. "But you know if any sus behavior starts to occur, you can tell me. I promise I won't lash out." Marina wanted to remind Rose to always put herself first, but she didn't want to come across like she was implying something. They both had gone through quite a bit of problems separately, and a lot had resulted from it. She listened to her sister think out loud, and knew where this was going. It wouldn't take long for her to figure it out. Marina groaned when Saoirse's name was brought up and she immediately buried her face in the palm of her hands. "Maybe." she mumbled through her hands before picking her head up. "But it was just a one time thing. Really. I think it was the lack of sex that had me acting up."

Rosemary knew better than to let herself get hurt again, but something about Taylor had her putting down her guard so easily. Maybe it's how long he took to make a move, how she felt like she was always making moves. She gave Marina a mildly dissapointed face, "I mean hey. The body wants what the body wants. Whether or not the head and the heart agree" said Rose. She couldn't exactly judge her sister for double dipping with someone she shouldn't. Rose was all up on her high school ex every waking minute after their break up. It was tragic. "Yeah as long as you have that boundary I feel like its no harm" she reasoned. Doing her best to be supportive. If this is what Marina wanted, and knew herself then she had absolutely no reason to worry. "Was it as good as you remembered it? Before we compare time stamps" said Rose, still thinking mildly about their little bet.

Marina could see the disappointment on Rose's face, but she wasn't going to keep driving it in that it was just a one time thing. That would make it look like she was lying ... and she wasn't lying. Marina had gained some self control since her and Saoirse first ended things. She was a very impulsive person, but she was getting better. Really. "Yeah, exactly, and now that the bet's off. I could just hook up with anyone, maybe go on a few dates. She won't even be in my thoughts." she said, convincingly enough. She was convincing herself in this moment, and that was enough for her. "But yeah. It was actually better than I remember. Like a lot better ... but I mean, whatever." she shrugged casually. "But enough of that, let's talk times. I have mine on my phone." she said proudly before going into her notes app. Did that sound silly? Maybe. But it wasn't to the Hollingsworth girls.

Rose was happy with Marina's answer. She knew her sister would probably sleep with Saorise again, but we all learn lessons in our own time. God knows Marina had to watch Rose learn some hard lessons in high school, and Rose had to watch Marina too. It's hard to not be able to protect the people that you love. "Yes. Times" said Rose as she pulled up her own notes app. "Okay, I had sex around 9pm last night" said the girl. She had a more exact time, but she didn't want to be weird about it. If they needed to get into specifics she was more than ready.

Marina looked up from her phone and stayed silent for minute. Not this shit... She also had the time down at 9 pm last night, but luckily, she had more specific details for the time. But she wasn't expecting to get into that. There was absolutely no way that they were on the same time, right? "Uh... around 9? Or 9? Or like 9:30?" she asked. "Cause we seem to be cutting it real close right now."

Down to the wire between the Hollingsworth girls. Who was going to take the victory? It was too close to tell. "closer to 9:15. What about you?" she asked, hoping that it was too close to call. Even if she did loose she could always call bullshit on the fact that it was super close. It wouldn't be a satisfying win for either of the girls. And after all this time. Goddamnit.

"I hate us." Marina whined as she showed her sister the time that was typed out on her phone. All these months, all this restraint ... for a tie. How does that even happen? "Is this the downfall of having a twin? Because neither of us signed up for that." she sighed dramatically. "Can't we just say we both technically won? There's no actual loser soooo." It wasn't a real win, but she was officially over it.

Rosemary hated not winning. But she did have a plan, "Well ... we can just assume that Paola and Max both lost way before us. So we are the family champions" she said, even though the bet hadn't been a complete waste of time. She had become a lot better about who she was spending time with and being more selective with people. Rose also learned how many people were in her life just to sleep with her or to hook up at parties. That had been frustrating. But she guessed on some level she knew it all along.

"Yeaaah ... yeah! Let's go with that." Marina nodded her head and pointed at Rose. She was glad the bet was over, but she just hoped that she didn't fall back into old habits. She found herself always being some kind of rebound to others, someone temporary. It wasn't something she liked to think too hard on though, it only made her feel worse about herself. "Well since we are the family champions, we deserve a treat. Smoothie time?" she suggested.

"Smoothie time" she responded, thinking about how happy she was with Taylor. How it finally felt like someone wasn't using her for something. Freshman year was looking up as it came to a close, "Did you see the email that we're assigned to the same cabin? We are so going to crush cabin olympics" said the girl as she picked her bag up and they headed out the door. "I know Magnolia and Kaia are going to give us a run for our money, but we can manipulate them into arguing" said Rose as she arched her eyebrow and smiled. "It'll be too easy" she added.

"There's pretty much no competition for us, we got this." Marina said all excited before she grabbed her bag and locked the door as they left. When one competition was finished, another started, but this time, her and Rose were a team. They were practically unstoppable. "I don't even think we need to manipulate them, they argue all on their own. Buuuut that still is a fun idea." she added in with a small smirk. "Magnolia trying to act all sweet in front of the kids, Kaia trying to not kick her ass in the process. Oh how I miss summer camp!"

"And who knows, maybe you'll have a summer love" encouraged Rosemary, "you know what they say. What happens at camp stays at camp". Rose knew she wasn't going to be doing any of that. It was going to be all late night phone calls and quick weekend getaways to get to see Taylor, "I already have mine. So consider me on Marina wingwoman duty effective immediately" she said, her smile shining bright. Anything to distract her from Saorise. "Plus we can definitely pull some very creative pranks on Jonah and Chase. Maybe even Wren" said the girl with a wicked smile. //END

[esperanzacboronial]

I been running a long, long time Trying to flee that life But I can't seem to leave it behind Wanna visit the windswept shores of a time before When the moon and the stars were aligned

Sons of Witches. a Huey/Elmer playlist

Listen Here 

Tracklist with relevant lyric excerpts + a few explanations under the cut, so if you’re on mobile it’s gonna be long, sorry. 

1. We Intertwined. The Hush Sound (Reminiscence about Elmer and Monica from the perspective of older Huey)

Like vines we intertwined / Carelessly growing up and growing old Frantically searching for her / Inside my head she's somewhere

2. Ghosts. Laura Marling (1700s era Huey opening up - in this case let’s pretend ‘ghosts’ refer to his village rather than to past lovers.)

Opened up his little heart / Unlocked the lock that kept it dark / And read a written warning / Saying 'I'm still mourning / Over ghosts that broke my heart before I met you' Lover, please do not fall to your knees / It's not like I believe in everlasting love

3. Feelgood Inc. Gorillaz 

You got a new horizon, it's ephemeral style / A melancholy town where we never smile Take it all in on your stride / It is sinking, falling down / Love forever, love is free / Let's turn forever, you and me

4. Which Witch. Florence + the Machine (this is The post-1711 Humer song)

I'm miles away, he's on my mind / I'm getting tired of crawling all the way I'm not beat up by this yet / You can't tell me to regret / Been in the dark since the day we met / Fire, help me to forget While tried and tested, it's mine / And it's my whole heart / Trying to bleach it out / And it's my whole heart / Burned but not buried this time

5. Any Other World. Mika 

In any other world / You could tell the difference / And let it all unfurl / Into broken remnants I tried to live alone / But lonely is so lonely, alone / So human as I am / I had to give up my defences So I smiled and tried to mean it / To let myself let go

6. Sound the Bells. Dessa (post-Monica’s death feels if you want some)

Looks like our writing on the wall / Is lorem ipsum after all / A higher tide will wash it all / Wash it all away Go lift your sails up / For one last swell / Go lift yourselves up / To sound the bells

7. Unsafe Safe. The Hush Sound 

No you won't disarm my heart / The last gift you'll ever get from me / Is the combination or the key

8. Sick of Losing Soulmates. Dodie Clark (this whole song tbh)

What a strange being you are, God knows where I would be / If you hadn't found me, sitting all alone in the dark Watch how a cold broken teen / Will desperately lean on a superglued human of proof 'Cause I'm sick of losing soulmates, so where do we begin / I can finally see, you're as fucked up as me / So how do we win?

9. Mona Lisa (When the World Comes Down). All American Rejects 

Here's another pity / And there's another chance / Try to learn a lesson / But you can't. If we can burn a city / In futures and in past / Without a change our lives will never last.

10. Every Time You Go. Ellie Goulding 

And it starts with forever / And it ends with a touch / And I know that you're clever / And I don't ask for much.

11. No Light, No Light. Florence + the Machine

A revelation in the light of day / You can't choose what stays and what fades away  And would you need me / If I told you what I've become? / 'Cause it's so easy to say it to a crowd / But it's so hard, my love / To say it to you out loud

12. The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot. Brand New (SOME ELMER PERSPECTIVE) 

If it makes you less sad, I will die by your hand / Hope you find out what you are; already know what I am / And if it makes you less sad, we'll start talking again / You can tell me how vile I already know that I am It'll be a brand new day in a life that you hate

13. Buy the Stars. Marina and the Diamonds 

You bought a star in the sky tonight / Because your life is dark and it needs some light / You named it after me, but I’m not yours to keep You bought a star in the sky tonight / And in your man-made dark / The light inside you died

14. Make You Better. The Decemberists (prime “codependent assholes” Humer) 

And when you bend backwards / I wanted you, I needed you / To make me better But we're not so starry-eyed anymore / Like the perfect paramour you were in your letters / And won't it all just come around to make you / Let it all unbreak you to the day you met her And all I wanted was a sliver to call mine / And all I wanted was a shimmer in your shine / To make me bright

15. Two Birds. Regina Spektor 

Two birds of a feather / Say that they're always / Gonna stay together / But one's never goin' to / Let go of that wire / He says that he will / But he's just a liar

16. Laughter Lines. Bastille (This Is Some 1711 Farewell Shit)

I'll see you in the future when we're older / And we are full of stories to be told / Cross my heart and hope to die / I'll see you with your laughter lines

17. Dear. Maria Mena (Farwell pt.2) 

I thought I’d seen it all when you first walked in / But you shut me up / And challenged every wrong perception I’ve had of myself / And you haven’t ever stopped.

18. I Will Be Back One Day. Lord Huron (pt.3)

You made me swear I'd never forget / I made a vow I'd see you again / I will be back one day and I'll find you

19. From Eden. Hozier 

There's something tragic about you / Something so magic about you / Don't you agree? You're familiar like my mirror years ago / Idealism sits in prison, chivalry fell on its sword / Innocence died screaming, honey, ask me I should know / I slithered here from Eden just to sit outside your door

20. Solitaire. Marina and the Diamonds 

Hard like a rock, cold like stone / White like a diamond, black like coal / Cut like a jewel, yeah I repair myself / When you're not there And all the other jewels around me / They astounded me at first / I covered up my heart in boundaries / And all the fakes they called me cursed

21. Stardust. Mika 

I could be staring at somebody new / But stuck in my head is a picture of you / You are the thunder, I was the rain / I wanna know if I'll see you again

22. You Hurt the Ones You Love (I Don’t Believe That). Maria Mena (On the subject of “I’ll mercilessly experiment on everyone except Elmer”)

How can you expect more of me? / I come from chaos / Brought up in tragedy  But I don’t believe that / I don’t believe that / You hurt the ones you love

23. Stall Me. Panic! at the Disco 

I had a rosy dream / You gave up on you / And I gave up on me / Well, love came along and said, “Leave them be.” Hold on death, the moon / The star’s a sliver of you

24. I Found. Amber Run (I think this song was maybe literally written about Huey and Elmer) 

And I'll use you as a focal point / So I don't lose sight of what I want / And I've moved further than I thought I could / But I missed you more than I thought I would

25. Should Have Known Better. Sufjan Stevens 

I should have wrote a letter / And grieve what I happen to grieve / My black shroud / I never trust my feelings / I waited for the remedy

26. King. Lauren Aquilina 

There's method in my madness / There's no logic in your sadness / You don't gain a single thing from misery / Take it from me

27. Drops of Jupiter. Train (obligatory ‘estranged friends’ song) 

Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star / One without a permanent scar? / And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there?

28. Old Stone. Laura Marling

Old stone / Ten thousand years and you're still on your own / Don't you love / Don't you love me that way? And if you swear that you're alright / I'm not gonna try and change your mind.

29. Skin and Bones. Motion City Soundtrack 

What if there's nothing more to me? / I'm just skin and bones. / There's no mystery. / What if you're just an empty shell? / All your spare parts were used up by someone else.

30. Hardest of Hearts. Florence + the Machine 

There is love in your body but you can't get it out / It gets stuck in your head, won't come out of your mouth / Sticks to your tongue and shows on your face / That the sweetest of words have the bitterest taste

31. New Perspective. Panic! at the Disco (Elmer ‘let’s destroy the world together and make a happier one’ C. Albatross)

I wanna live a life from a new perspective / You come along because I love your face / And I'll admire your expensive taste / And who cares divine intervention / I wanna be praised from a new perspective It's not fair, just let me perfect it / Don't wanna live a life that was comprehensive / 'Cause seeing clear would be a bad idea

32. Mercy of the Fallen. Dar Williams (hmmmm look at all that star imagery. this is so Huey’s perspective on Elmer) 

Oh my fair North Star / I have held to you so dearly / I have asked you to steer me / To one cloud scattered night And the mercy of the fallen / Who say, hey, it's not my place to know what's right There's the weak and the strong / And the many stars that guide us / We have some of them inside us

[placetobenation]

As King Corbin aptly said on Friday Night Smackdown, NXT is all anyone can talk about! It’s true, it’s damn true to quote the man that Corbin retired, Kurt Angle.

Who’s going to attack who. Who’s going to show up where. Who’s going to face each other at Survivor Series. There are plenty of storylines to answer those questions. And the interest is growing! Just look at NXT’s ratings for Wednesday night as they pulled almost even (822,000 to 813,000 according to Nielsen) in viewers for the Wednesday Night War with AEW. My question is will it only be NXT taking shots at RAW and Smackdown or will over the next two weeks, will we also get RAW taking shots at Smackdown as well in traditional blue vs. red rivalry.

WHAT IS HAPPENING?!?!?!?!?@AJStylesOrg @FinnBalor #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/HY6x5hgBt9

— WWE (@WWE) November 7, 2019

This week, we get a nod to the Bullet Club with an AJ Styles – Finn Balor stare down at Full Sail University. We also get more into what could be the end to Seth Rollins’ babyface days. Days that have seen Seth fighting for, yet failing it seems to capture any and all the major titles in the WWE. At what point will Rollins just lose it? I’m looking forward to it.

This means war.@NXTCiampa, @SuperKingofBros, @RealKeithLee, and ??? will battle #UndisputedERA in #WarGames at #NXTTakeOver! #WWENXT https://t.co/5NnDh0SZKS

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) November 7, 2019

One spot left. Who's ready to go to war? #WarGames #WWENXThttps://t.co/DoNCsRZ7L4

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) November 7, 2019

What we’re also looking forward to is War Games! Are we headed towards a War Games between the brands? We already know we have two NXT War Games to look forward to and after all of this week’s excitement and tryouts, 14 of the 16 contestants have been announced. On the women’s side, we’ve got Rhea Ripley, Tegan Nox, Mia Yim, Candice LeRae vs. NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler, Io Shirai, Bianca Belair and TBD. For the men, it’s the Undisputed ERA vs. Tommaso Ciampa, Matt Riddle, Keith Lee and TBD.

Finally, we have a pair of matches set for the upcoming Survivor Series with the RAW vs. Smackdown vs. NXT having a championship theme.

Women’s Champions: NXT’s Shayna Baszler vs. Smackdown’s Bayley vs. RAW’s Becky Lynch

Tag Team Champions; NXT’s Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly vs. Smackdown’s The New Day vs. RAW’s The Viking Raiders

Plus, the WWE Championship is on the line with champion Brock Lesnar facing Rey Mysterio, Jr.

What’s next for The Fiend and the Universal Championship? We may get a clue from across the pond!

Color me a traditionalist, but I’d love to see Survivor Series come back to Thanksgiving Day Night, but I know that will never happen.  

MONDAY NIGHT RAW

RESULTS

Non-Title Match: Charlotte & Natalya defeated Women’s Tag Team Champions The Kabuki Warriors (submission Natalya over Asuka)

Buddy Murphy defeated Cedric Alexander

Andrade & Zelina Vega defeated Sin Cara & Carolina

Rusev defeated Drew McIntyre (DQ when Bobby Lashley interferes)

The OC defeated The Street Profits & Humberto Carrillo

Non-Title Match: RAW Tag Team Champions The Viking Raiders defeated the East Hampton Polo Boys

NXT Title Match: Seth Rollins defeated NXT Champion Adam Cole (DQ when Undisputed ERA interferes)

What we loved:

.@QosBaszler and @BeckyLynchWWE have an INTENSE meeting on #RAW ahead of #SurvivorSeries.@WWENXT continues to make their presence felt! pic.twitter.com/1Fe4OVvWG9

— WWE (@WWE) November 5, 2019

Becky vs. Baszler – If you missed it, go back and watch it! In what could be one of the best pieces of business this week, the RAW Women’s Champ goes face-to-face with the NXT Women’s Champ in a verbal spat not to be missed.

Natalya & Charlotte – As we’ve said in the past, the pairing of these two veterans is a great thing for the Women’s Division. Putting them over in a non-title match over the tag champions means that soon we’ll get a tag team title match between them and The Kabuki Warriors. My question is will we see Paige come back to exact revenge on her former tag team.

Adam Cole – What’s not to like about the NXT Champion? Who else could main event back-to-back shows that aren’t his brand? First, taking out Daniel Bryan on Smackdown and then going toe-to-toe with Seth Rollins on RAW. Well done, BAY BAY!

Rey Mysterio, Jr. – Viva la little man! Mysterio strikes back with his trusty partner, a lead pipe, to exact revenge on WWE Champion Brock Lesnar. And to boot, he should get a title match at Survivor Series.

Dio Maddin – Sticking up for the King, Jerry Lawler is never a bad thing! Unfortunately, Maddin paid the price courtesy of the WWE Champion.

The BRAWL continues between #RAW and @WWENXT! pic.twitter.com/PdqIe03tfL

— WWE (@WWE) November 5, 2019

BASK IN HIS GLORY. @RealKeithLee#SurvivorSeries is for the taking. #RAW #WeAreNXT pic.twitter.com/p45PxGZYxR

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) November 5, 2019

High flyers – Keith Lee flying high replicating Ricochet in a post-main event melee! Love it!

What we didn’t love:

Another loss for Humberto Carrillo – At some point, Carrillo has to win a match on TV, right? It’s great to face Seth Rollins, AJ Styles and now the OC. But if you lose every match, what does it get you? You have to start building him up with some victories or else it becomes a losing streak like Curt Hawkins.

Another loss for Sin Cara & Carolina – See above. For a feud to be successful, it can’t be one-sided. Yet, this one is.

NXT

RESULTS

Pete Dunne defeated Damian Priest (submission)

Taynara defeated Santana Garrett

Non-Title Match: Champion Shayna Baszler defeated Dakota Kai (submission)

#1 Contender’s Match For The Cruiserweight Title: Angel Garza defeated Tony Nese

Dominik Dijakovic defeated Isaiah Scott

Keith Lee, Matt Riddle, and Tommaso Ciampa vs. The OC (no contest)

What we loved:

Absolute respect to #TheOC who came to “our house,” walked through the front door and tore the place down. The #USChamp and Best Tag Team in the World can hang with @WWENXT. Anyone else who wants to walk through our door better be ready to go. #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/HZDkpWJ52I

— Triple H (@TripleH) November 7, 2019

Welcome to Full Sail, The OC – Way to start the show! AJ Styles, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson delivering a beatdown to the NXT roster reminiscent of The Outsiders using Rey Mysterio, Jr. as a pinata into a production truck. Then, to lay down the challenge to NXT after a week of NXT taking charge of RAW and Smackdown was needed and well played. And remember, The OC completely got to skip going to NXT before joining the main roster.

Tommaso Ciampa – To the OC: “Welcome to the main roster.” Well done Goldie!

The NXT response – Keith Lee and Matt Riddle are easily making themselves into main event talent every week on NXT. Throw in former champ Tommaso Ciampa and you’ve got a dramatic six-man main event against The OC that ends in a wild melee to a returning Finn Balor.

Welcome to Survivor Series Finn Balor – After a week of wondering where Finn Balor stands on the whole NXT vs. RAW vs. Smackdown rivalry, we now have a slight glimpse into that picture. Balor seemingly came out to help his NXT mates in the main event only to deliver a knockout pele kick to Ciampa, a kick that AJ Styles acknowledges with a “two-sweet” gesture, a nod to their Bullet Club days in Japan. And yes, I love that Mauro Ranollo referenced that on the broadcast, something not usually done since it was pre-WWE days. Could Balor be strattling both sides of the battle?

War Games Build – A heavy concentration on who Shayna Baszler & Rhea Ripley would pick for their team in War Games, including a match between Baszler herself and Dakota Kai – a quality non-title match that made Kai look good and established her into the War Game mix. That match leads to a full out brawl with Ripley’s team and a Mia Yim’s kendo stick save of Team Ripley. With Yim getting the final spot instead of Kai, could we see a turn in Kai’s future after being shunned? Also, how come Baszler doesn’t have her sidekicks, Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir on her team? Right now, we’ve got Rhea Ripley, Tegan Nox, Mia Yim, Candice LeRae vs. NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler, Io Shirai, Bianca Belair and TBD.

Angel Garza – A win over Tony Nese nets him an NXT Cruiserweight Championship match next week against Lio Rush. Way to get some heel heat too after the match by slapping Rush instead of shaking his hand. It gives us more than just a match thrown together. Emotion and storyline added to athleticism is always a productive method!

What we didn’t love:

Santana Garrett vs. Taynara – A bit clunky at times, I expected a bit more considering what else we’ve gotten from what is red-hot, stacked women’s division in NXT week after week. Call it an average, albeit short – just four minutes – match and possibly just an off-night.

No update on Johnny Gargano – He is the emotional soul of NXT. Don’t let a week go by without updating his situation after being put out by Finn Balor. Maybe, we’ll just see him as the fourth member of War Games and they’re just waiting for that surprise in a week or two.

FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN

RESULTS

Smackdown Tag Team Title Match: The New Day defeated The Revival to win titles

Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Ali and Shorty G

Sasha Banks defeated Nikki Cross

Carmella and Dana Brooke defeated Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville to gain spot on Women’s Survivor Series team

King Corbin defeated Roman Reigns

What we loved:

THEY DID IT FOR WOODS!@WWEBigE & @TrueKofi have made #TheNewDay 7️⃣-TIME #TagTeamChampions! #SmackDown @XavierWoodsPhD pic.twitter.com/b3o5AWnBbm

— WWE (@WWE) November 9, 2019

It’s a New Day, New Champs – Kofi Kingston is a champ again as Kofi and Big E reign supreme as Smackdown champions once more. Of course, this will only fuel the IWC rumors that The Revival are headed out in 2020 to AEW or elsewhere.

King Corbin’s heat – Easily the top heel heat on Smackdown. Corbin draws it and the crowd loves to dish it. Having Dolph Ziggler and Bobby Roode help him out could point towards a Survivor Series team grouping in a few weeks.

Walter and The Imperium – As you know, we’re big fans of WALTER from NXT UK and NXT. It makes sense to unleash them at a Smackdown in Manchester, England to further the NXT vs. Smackdown vs. RAW feud. Getting them some TV time with new tag team champs, The New Day and Heavy Machinery makes a lot of sense for the NXT UK Champion WALTER,  Fabian Archer, Marcel Barthel and Alexander Wolfe

Will he stay or will he join – Sami Zayn’s continued pursuit of Daniel Bryan has some legs and some intrigue to it, especially with all of the chaos and uncertainty headed towards Survivor Series. Plus, add in The Fiend attacking Bryan backstage and we could find out our next feud for the new Universal Champion. A Global Faction of Cesar, Nakamura and Bryan led by Zayn mixing with the Firefly Fun House could very well be worth watching.

Different week, same result – NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler attacks Smackdown Women’s Champion Bayley. After a confrontation on RAW with Becky Lynch, Baszler is becoming must-see TV on every show to see who she’s going to take out next.

What we didn’t love:

Fire and Desire Fail – Since when did Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville become jobbers? It seems like they lose every week in some form or fashion. Yes, I realize that’s an exaggeration, but I think they are better than what they are being portrayed. Maybe Sonya Deville would work well as a member of Shayna Baszler’s War Games team? Hmmm…..

Fury and Strowman – So, now we’re supposed to just accept them as a team? We know that Tyson Fury isn’t going to be around much due to his boxing commitments. But after hating each other for a month-plus, they just team up to beat up The B Team of Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas. We’ll chalk it up to a taping in Manchester, England for a fan pop and see where it goes from here.  

LOOKING AHEAD:

Since RAW was taped Friday in Manchester, England after the Smackdown taping, we know there are some things set to unveil Monday night on Veteran’s Day. All we can say, as to not spoil things, is that it could be a K-O of a night.

Thanks for letting us share our thoughts! Shoot me an email at jcrowe567@gmail.com. We’d love to hear you comments and suggestions! You can also check out my blog, The Crowe’s Nest as we delve into more pro wrestling, sports entertainment and the World of Sports. My apologies ahead of time – I AM a Patriots and Red Sox fan! If you’re not down with that, I’ve got TWO WORDS for you… NEW ENGLAND!

[nataliehegert]

In this last of meeting places We grope together And avoid speech Gathered on this beach of the tumid river… This is the way the world ends This is the way the world ends This is the way the world ends Not with a bang but a whimper. — T.S. Eliot, The Hollow Man

Ah well, what matter, that’s what I always say, it will have been a happy day, after all, another happy day. — Samuel Beckett, Happy Days

In Nevil Shute’s 1957 novel, On the Beach, his characters—among the last people alive in the world after a hemispheric atomic war—live out their final days waiting for an inevitable cloud of radiation borne by global air currents to finally make its way to the southern tip of Australia. The book is boring and hopeless, as are these last humans puttering in their gardens to plant flowers that no one will ever see, taking on last minute efforts at self-improvement, worrying about sex and fidelity.

“Couldn’t anyone have stopped it?” the wife asks helplessly in their final hour.

“I don’t know…” her husband replies patronizingly. “Some kinds of silliness you just can’t stop,” he says, referring to the nuclear war that annihilated the planet.

The much-acclaimed opera-installation Sun & Sea (Marina), in the Lithuanian Pavilion at the 58th Venice Biennale, likewise portrays passive, helpless bystanders to the end of the world, but it is a much more ambiguous apocalypse. A group of disconnected vacationers lounge on the sand of a nameless beach—at first nothing seems amiss, but as they sing, the details of their world come into focus. “The colors of the sea and sky have changed,” they sing. The sea is “as green as a forest”—owing to the process of eutrophication1—the Great Barrier Reef is a “bleached, pallid whiteness.” They complain of sunburns and strange weather, airport delays and trash on the beach. Their concerns are immediate and minor, while the world is clearly falling apart around them.

While other depictions of a post-climate-disaster world succumb to visions of the apocalyptic sublime—such as Waterworld (1995), or Mad Max (1979)—Sun & Sea is decidedly restrained, non-epic, banal. Instead of a deliciously outlandish doomsday scenario, it is just a rather disappointing day at the beach. In both setting and attitude, the installation more closely recalls the absurdist play Happy Days by Beckett,2 which finds its protagonist buried in a mound of sand, furtively trying to maintain a semblance of normalcy in her life. Likewise, the characters of Sun & Sea, though they find it strange, have clearly adapted to the new normal. And while it is clear that “Everything is out of joint” in the climate, it seems there is nothing to be done (“There is so little one can do,” laments the protagonist of Happy Days). So, you might as well try to enjoy yourself: “After vacation, / Your hair shines, / Your eyes glitter, / Everything is fine,” they sing.

Staff Writer Natalie Hegert speaks with theater director Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė, playwright Vaiva Grainytė, and composer Lina Lapelytė about their Golden Lion-winning production and the message behind it.

Natalie Hegert: Not only has Sun & Sea received abundant and unanimous praise among the critics and the most prestigious prize at the Biennale, it is also proving to make a most lasting impression on spectators and continues to be talked about. Did you have any idea your contribution to the Biennale would be received like this?

Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė: This was beyond our expectations of course. Vaiva Grainyte˙: If you ask me, I felt our opera-performance might look distinguishing in the context of Biennale, but we did not have much time to think about success—the logistics and preparation were quite challenging and intense.

Lina Lapelytė: It was not an easy project and it was risky on many levels—so the jury team in Lithuania already was brave enough to select it. What happened during the first week of biennale feels like something that almost does not belong to us. Someone said, It is a Cinderella story.

This was definitely not written in our scenario. Before the opening, we were preparing our performers to be ready for an almost empty pavilion and find a joy in performing if there was only one member of the audience. Now during the performance days, we receive an average of 1,300 people. Every role on the beach has to have at least three people able to perform it.

NH: Why did you create this as an opera, as opposed to another kind of performance art, theatrical spectacle, or visual art? How did you approach its staging within the context of the Biennale—to place it among what is primarily a showcase of visual arts? Was it much different from its first staging, in Lithuania (besides the language)?

Vaiva Grainytė: Our trio started with debut piece Have a Good Day! (2014)—a contemporary opera for ten singing cashiers, supermarket sounds, and piano. I find opera to be the perfect genre for us to unite our artistic practices (text, music, and visuality). Nonetheless, the durational version of Sun & Sea crosses the boundaries of other arts. ‘Opera,’ I would say, indicates the marriage of different arts, but this piece itself can be called something else: installation, architectural poetry, concert…

LL: Opera is a very particular place for the three of us—we kind of invented a method of working in this genre. Opera is as visual art as any other kind of installation, sculpture, or painting. The genre itself often belongs to the music world but personally, in my own practice, prefer to look at music—opposed to the idea that it is only for listening. Opera is literature; it is music; it is fine arts. It is a gesamtkunstwerk, and none of the features are more important than the other.

RB: Sun & Sea grew from the visual, and still is a very visual work. Other elements—mainly text and music—bring different layers, form-wise, so the work becomes more complex. However, in this complexity we seek for simplicity.

NH: One of the things that is so striking is the opera’s placidness. There seem to be no great highs or lows, no climax or crescendo, no great emotion expressed. The singers are, for the most part, singing while lying down. There is very little movement, most of it being incidental, and the musical accompaniment is minimal. Even the scenery is quite pared down—there is simply sand, with no unusual lighting or representation of the kind of toxic sea that is suggested by the libretto. It is anti-apocalyptic, but also almost anti-theatrical. Can you tell me why you decided to present it in this way?

RB: You have put it in very right words. We have static bodies, but very often their minds are active, transforming from reminiscences to reflections, dreams, etc. Waves of these inner monologues grow into choirs, then flood back into solos again. Performers are static while they are singing, but other times they are free to move alongside kids, dogs, and other volunteers who are building castles, playing beach games, eating, etc. This brings uncontrolled reality into the fictional construct.

LL: In our case, the representation is based on a very clear conceptual grounding—all the further details of the work follow that concept. We try to restrain ourselves from using self-oriented tricks and effects; therefore, most of the details are there because of the true necessity.

VG: The light picture of lazy holidays is just a surface: we are sunbathing while the world is crashing.

NH: What kind of research into climate change and its effects did you undertake to imagine the world of Sun & Sea?

LL: The research spanned from mainstream media, scientific investigations, personal views, experiences and dreams, and conversations and reflections.

VG: Before writing the libretto, the research was done. It was necessary to understand what CO2, emissions and food miles are, and why our planet is in its current state. After dealing with that scientific information, we came up with the realization that catastrophe is caused by our—homo sapiens—uncontrollable consumption. Consumption, which is so pleasant and stands as the core of our lives. The idea was to reveal the tragedy by personal approach, employing micro-stories, as ecology is such a huge topic. That is to say, disastrous pictures of dying and choked-in-plastic animals seem to be too anonymous, too difficult for our brains to process what is happening.

RB: Climate change is such a popular topic, but we did not want to manifest scientific facts, or to be moralistic. It was important to deepen the knowledge in this field. We were reading specific literature, but Sun & Sea is not about facts at all. It is about mundane narratives of holidaymakers, surrounded by apocalypse. But on a daily basis [it reflects something] other than that.

NH: What kind of message did you set out to impart? Do you feel that the installation gives any sense of hope for our future? Or is this scene something of a foregone conclusion for our world?

VG: It is up to each spectator to read the message on their own. The mosaic of characters and their songs suggest a kaleidoscopic approach, so there is no conclusion or “one truth” as such.

RB: To expand the beach topic in a global perspective: sunbathing may soon become available where polar bears used to live. I think we are neither giving a sense of hope for the future, nor taking it away. We do not know the right answer, and this is probably our luck.

LL: The work is a question, but also a reflection, on where we are and who we are, but the hope is in every one of us. In the tiny things, the love that we all share. Though that love must also be super critical and questioning many things that are taken for granted. It is hard!

NH: You three have worked together before, on the opera Have a Good Day!, and Sun & Sea is your second collaboration. In light of your spectacular success, do you have plans to work together again?

VG: Success might breed rush and greediness, but our trio is rather slow in terms of developing a new piece. Each piece needs time and mental energy so it could grow in a healthy way. After this prolonged Venetian adventure (the performance is running twice a week until the end of October) we need some time to reflect on what has happened, plus a tour with Sun & Sea will require special attention. We have some ideas for a new work, so probably one day it will be embodied.

RB: Each of us have individual practices, which are extremely important for our common work; everything we learn separately we bring in as an experience. I think we all need some separate creative space and time before considering going into the next trio work.

LL: We do not force the situation and it may take some time for us to come up with a new idea for a collaborative work. The fact that we all have individual practices makes things slower, but also creates a real need for coming back together.

The Pavilion of Lithuania, Sun & Sea (Marina), at the Venice Biennale runs through October 31, 2019.

1. An effect of particular concern to the Baltic Sea, on whose coast Lithuania is situated.

2. Whose title, perhaps coincidentally, finds echoes in the Lithuanian artists’ first opera, Have a Good Day! (2014).

Interview Posted on 9/19/2019, Printed in THE SEEN Issue 09, September 2019

[jessicakehoe]

From the FASHION Archives: Lady Gaga Was Always Going to be Famous

Since its launch in 1977, FASHION magazine has been giving Canadian readers in-depth reports on the industry’s most influential figures and expert takes on the worlds of fashion, beauty and style. In this series, we explore the depths of our archive to bring you some of the best fashion features we’ve ever published. This story, originally titled “Gaga” by Elio Iannacci, was initially published in FASHION’s February 2014 issue.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY INEZ AND VINDOOH AND STYLED BY BRANDON MAXWELL, LADY GAGA WEARS A JACKET, PRICE ON REQUEST, BY COME DES GARCONS AND GLASSES, PRICE ON REQUEST, BY EARLY HALLOWEEN. HAIR BY SHAY ASHAUL BY TIM HOWARD. MAKEUP BY YADIM FOR ART PARTNER. MANICURE BY JIN SOON CHOI FOR JED ROOT.

It’s hard to believe that it’s only been five years since Lady Gaga released her first album, The Fame. The sheer number of images, hits and sound bites the 27-year-old has ushered into popular culture is uncanny. The New York native’s wardrobe choices have inspired lookalike fans and popularized collections from such designers as Jean Paul Gaultier and Hussein Chalayan. Her first fragrance, Fame, launched in 2012, sold six million bottles during its first week. University courses have analyzed her socio-political significance. She’s the only chart-topper to have used the word “transgendered” in a Billboard number one hit (2011’s “Born This Way”), and her 40 million-plus Twitter followers and 60 million Facebook fans have witnessed her fight for equal rights for women and the LGBT community. Last year, Time Magazine’s readers named her the second most influential person of the decade (beating out U.S. President Barack Obama). Unlike so many in her line of work, Gaga’s affection for fashion is not a flirtation. Whether donning legendary labels, new technologies or message-based garments, the woman formerly known as Stefani Germanotta is a living, breathing canvas. Which is probably why Donatella Versace chose Gaga as the new face of her label. Before her upcoming world tour, Gaga sat down with features editor Elio Iannacci to talk about her latest obsessions and her current album, Artpop.

You once said you wanted to be regarded as the female Andy Warhol. Do you feel closer to that goal? When I said that, I didn’t have a concept of where my career was headed. When I was writing Artpop, I was really looking at where we are now as a culture. I was in H&M the other day, looking around just to see the effect that Monster culture has had on street fashion. People used to say, ‘Who is this weird girl with her crazy outfits?’

How did the subsequent surge of fame affect you? I never let anyone change who I was. I was always willing to go down with my own artistic ship. I create things that I really care about—I fight for images, for music and for the community of fans. Born This Way was all about equality and being yourself from the inside out, but now there’s a need to celebrate that. Artpop is a celebration.

You have a mandate to make a space where high and low art, fashion and music can live together. To many, this is still seen as a radical act. This is the dilemma. I don’t believe there’s pretension in art. You don’t have to know anything about art to love it. You just have to be next to it and feel it. I want my fans to know that we don’t have to succumb to what people think a pop star should be in order to be successful.

You were accepted into The Juilliard School as a child, but your parents placed you in a private Catholic school. Had you gone through that classical training, would there be a Lady Gaga? Probably. There’s this implication that if I wasn’t so successful I would have to stop. But I never would have stopped. I would be in some bar, being Lady Gaga.

You’ve recently taken workshops with Marina Abramović—the performance artist who has risked her life for her art. How have they changed your perceptions? I thought that after The Fame, The Fame Monster and Born This Way, it had all worn me down. It felt like my mind and every muscle in my body had been taken by the noise and the cameras—but it hadn’t. I went into the woods with Marina [for an artistic workshop] and I realized how strong I really was. [Marina] will balance on a stick between her legs for nine hours and go numb in the name of art. For her, it’s all about creating this experience with the audience where they’re watching her suffer for her work. Once I was out there with the sound of the river and Marina’s calm, sweet voice telling me to close my eyes and find my way home, I knew I could do anything.

Let’s talk about the paintings of you hanging in the Louvre in Paris. You sat with Robert Wilson to recreate some historic works. Which were the most challenging? I have a connection to old souls, so there was sort of a séance element where I asked artists of the past to give me permission to feel their pain. When I was doing [Jacques-Louis David’s] The Death of Marat, I lay in each position for six or seven hours. I also did my own piece, where I hung upside-down for 45 minutes in bondage. It wasn’t meant to be sexual. I believe everyone has the power to be an art hero. You don’t have to wait until you’re dead to be appreciated, [even though] this is the age when they wait until you die to write nice things about you.

At a time when you were criticized for gaining weight, you created the body revolution movement and asked fans of all body types to post photos of themselves on your site. Did seeing their bravery help your self-esteem? My self-esteem was fine. I didn’t have a problem with my weight—the world did. The body revolution was just my way of liberating myself from that criticism. That’s what I wrote ‘Do What U Want’ about. Did it heal me? No. But I was happy to see so many fans stripping naked to show they didn’t care either. I want to remind everyone that the people who win Nobel Peace Prizes and cure diseases are not supermodels. Your legacy does not need to be a perception of beauty that’s not realistic.”

In 2009, you gave a speech at the National Equality March in Washington and called it the most important moment of your career. The rage in that speech was directed at U.S. President Barack Obama. Do you think it had an effect? You don’t know exactly where your activism is going to land. I was just one person speaking out. I grew up with gay friends, and when I started to come out with my music, they were still there, supporting me. How could I sit down every night making money off a ticket that they’re buying for my show, knowing that they don’t have the same rights that I have? I can’t do that.

Donatella Versace once told me you are today’s quintessential role model. You’ve written a song about her on Artpop that hints at how misunderstood she is. Why do you think she’s so misjudged? Nobody really knows anything about her. She is the most kind, loving, sweet woman. The point I am making with a song like ‘Donatella’ is that you love to love her and you love to hate her. It’s this thing we have in common. The truth is, we’re having a blast doing what we are doing, so that’s our silver lining. We don’t mind being these blonde martyred icons as long as we have our champagne and our Marlboro cigarettes whenever we’re together. I went to her house in Milan last year, and I was having a really tough time. I was exhausted on the Born This Way tour and she opened her home to me and had 50,000 white roses in the house. I don’t always have anyone to look up to, but seeing Donatella, where she is and how far she’s come, I get to have a role model.

You’ve managed to give the Fashion Police less power by showing up on the red carpet in meat dresses and giant eggs. Was this a conscious choice? My whole life is a fucking red carpet. The red carpet has become ridiculous. All these women are starving themselves to look amazing because this is their big moment? Why shouldn’t the press adore them every day for being entertainers? I use the red carpet as a stage. I was supposed to do something at the VMAs that they didn’t let me do. I was very upset about it. I wanted to have five or six Gagas walk the carpet in all my looks from all my videos. A lot of exciting things happened at the VMAs, so it was strange that I couldn’t do that.

You’ve written three songs with the word ‘fashion’ in the title. What keeps drawing you to this contradictory, extreme, egotistical and often magical world? It was always the thing that made me feel like I could be anything, no matter what anyone said about me. When I felt small or unimportant, my ability to sew things and invent myself like an art piece meant everything. That’s why I’ve always cared about my costumes and my show. It’s never been marketing… fashion gave me a sense of who I am.

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