#Most of the dancers stay in the same hotel

[olivers-cocoapuffs]

AU where James and Sirius are in a British dance troupe and they go away to compete in an international competition and James meets Regulus (a member of the French team) and they fall in love.

Except Sirius hasn’t talked to Regulus in years (they’re all in their twenties now) and they’re all staying in a hotel in Sydney, Australia

[whatdoeseverybodywant]

The Boy Is Mine - Chapter One

Authors: @whatdoeseverybodywant & @paigereeder

Summary: Josh was at the tail-end of his marriage and has told himself he doesn’t want anything serious. He just isn’t a casual type of guy, and all his actions have consequences.

Pairing: Jey Uso x Female OC

****We do NOT give ANYONE permission to repost or copy our work and post it as their own, that goes for on here and any other site (this does not include reblogs on Tumblr)****

****We do NOT own any distinguishable public figures, celebrities, lyrics, places, institutions, or businesses. Only thing we own are our OCs and made up locations****

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CAST PAGE!  

~Thursday- December 31st, 2021~

The base thumped as the sweaty drunken bodies bounced, slid, bumped, and gyrated against each other in one of the most popular clubs on arguably thee most popular night for the city… in the most popular city in the world for this day. New Year’s Day always brought those from all over the country to New York City for one reason or another; be it a Broadway Musical, the Macy’s Day Parade on the day itself, or one of the many festivities the night before…the city had plenty of stories to tell. Some of those stories would be amazing, some would not be described with the same sentiment. And…Unfortunately for some, New York City was no Vegas…and what happened there would most definitely not stay there.

Amina was dancing, for the first time in a long time she was carefree. A state that she didn’t reach often, especially if she wasn’t drinking. Her nerves were much too high to get drunk, that was a recipe for disaster. Before her big basketball games in High School and College her and her teammates had their traditions that got them through pre-game and game day nerves. That luxury wouldn’t be awarded this time, she was doing this on her own. No teammates to fall back on, and she was entering into a sport where they would chew her up and spit her out if she showed weakness or lack of skill. Oddly enough she had become cool with a couple of her female colleagues so when she was invited out for New Year’s Eve in New York City she gladly went. She threw on a short black cocktail dress and the red Swarovski Crystal Louboutin’s she got for Christmas, some black eyeliner, a couple coats of mascara and a red lip stain to tie it all together and left her hotel room with only a couple goals. Dancing and having fun, hopefully hold the nerves.

She didn’t have the chance to become too familiar with her male colleagues but the ones she was introduced this evening seemed pretty nice and welcoming so far. Dancing with a couple and having conversations with others, being socialable wasn’t as hard as it usually was for her. Granted she was being introduced by someone that already liked her and had even taken her under her wing as her ‘little sister’, was also a plus. But even still, she normally stuck to herself being slightly shy because a lot of people had the misconception that she was either stuck up, conceited, or a mean girl. She was no stranger to being bullied, so this atmosphere was definitely a change of pace, and she was trying.

One guy in particular lingered a little longer than everyone else that talked to her. Amina enjoyed talking to him and even picking his brain a bit since he had already been in the business a while. He was easy to talk to and offered his help in the future with navigating anything in the business. For some reason, this man was comforting and that led to finding out he was funny, and that led to finding out he wasn’t a terrible dancer, and that led to both being fully sober when Amina found out his lips were soft when the club showed the ball drop and the clock struck midnight.

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“S-shit…” Amina’s mouth fell open as she panted out; she gripped onto the sheets.

“Fuck mama…you takin’ dis dick so good baby….”

Josh held onto her hips with his right hand as he hammered into her, using his left to grip and straighten her chin as he dipped his head to kiss her. The champagne on his tongue that he used to cheers at midnight, mingling with the sweet fruity flavors from her non-alcoholic drink on her tongue as the two tongues battled each other for dominance. He squeezed her chin to get her to submit to his lead, she uttered incoherent words against his lips. Pulling away from the kiss his thumb swiped across her red lipstick-stained lips, smudging it lightly. She choked on her moans when he picked up the pace. Her lust-filled eyes glanced down where their bodies joined before roaming over his entire being. Josh was consuming and attentive, rough yet tender, passionate, and his strokes were lethal. When his eyes met hers, his lips formed a small lopsided smile. 

Her sensuality all evening had enthralled him, being inside of her was satisfying in so many ways. Every touch she left was warm and intoxicating. Her aura…welcoming and soft, not what he had imagined. The hiss they both let out in unison when he first sank himself into her; she was a vocal lover and he was slowly consumed with the sounds he could evoke from her. As her hands roamed his abs and chest he found himself already becoming addicted to being in her presence and attention. Lowering his lips to hers, contentment filled him when they collided.

“Mm… this tight ass pussy…. this gon’ be my pussy now mama?” Josh groaned into her ear, nibbling on the lobe.

Amina couldn’t form the words to answer the way she wanted as he made his strokes shallow and hard, hitting her g-spot over and over. He sucked on her neck leaving behind splotchy love bites. She ground her hips up as she felt the tip of his dick nudging her cervix. Josh moved his hand from her hip and pressed down on her lower stomach, and he slowed his thrusts; he watched his dick slide in and out of her, it glistened in her juices as his ears filled with the sounds of her wetness. She shivered under his touch, eyes rolling into the back of her head as she came.

“I need words baby…” he removed his hand from her chin, tapping her lightly on the cheek with the tips of his fingers. 

“P-p-please…baby…You... ugh… you feel s’good…I can’ttt” Amina moans, squirming as he fucked her through her orgasm.

Josh moaned as Amina rolled them over. He propped his head on a pillow as he watched her slow wind in his lap, squeezing her own breasts as she started to bounce; a new sense of pleasure surging through her as her body started to climb towards another orgasm as she barely finished the first. His hands traversed her curves in an appreciative and exploratory manner. Grabbing Amina’s waist, he thrusted up into her as she threw her head back. Sitting up, Josh reached his left hand up and wrapped it around her throat, applying slight pressure. Sucking her right nipple into his mouth,swirling his tongue around it, his lust filled eyes met her hooded ones as he looked up at her when her head lulled back forward. Pushing his body up more on his right elbow he used his left hand that was around her neck to pull her lips hungrily to his. He bit on her bottom lip, squeezing her neck as her ass was clapping against his thighs.

“J-JOSH!!”

“That’s right baby…let the whole floor know who fuckin’ this pussy…”

Clenching her walls slightly Amina spun around and faced away from him with his dick still throbbing inside of her as he laid back with his arms behind his head watching her; he bit his lip. Holding onto his calves she started to bounce; he slapped her ass cheeks as they ricocheted off his pelvis, his eyes slightly mesmerized. He closed his eyes and licked his lips as his balls started to tighten as his orgasm built. Amina started to rock as she used her right hand to rub her own clit. Josh sat up and switched their positions; he reached and gripped behind her knees putting them in a full nelson.

“Mm fuck…you on birth control Amina? Fuck! Let me bust in you…”

Amina nodded her head adamantly as she moaned, picking up the speed of her right hand rubbing her clit; she was completely at his mercy. Josh bounced Amina on his dick as her moans strung together, echoing off the room's walls. She rubbed her left hand down her body to his balls, gently massaging them in her palm as she rhythmically squeezed her pussy walls around his throbbing dick. He picked up the pace, bouncing her fast and sloppy; her breasts bouncing.

“F-Fuck J-JOSH!!!!!” Amina screamed out, her walls clenching in steady pulses as she came.

“Shit Baby...” Josh grunted as he filled her with his cum, biting down on her shoulder as she swiveled her hips slowly, his dick twitched as his warm ropes coated her pussy; emptying himself.

Both were panting as they came down, Amina rested her head back on him. Josh slid his arms around her waist; she placed her hands gingerly on his as he kissed her temple.

~Friday- January 1st, 2022~

Amina stood under the hot water, the steam soothing her muscles that were already beginning to ache. It was the big New Years Day episode of Smackdown in New York City at thee Madison Square Garden, and it just so happened to be her debut as well. She had practiced with Mercedes a couple times the week leading up to this in between the house shows. Mercedes was an easy partner to work with and she was really sweet. Everyone had been so far. It was always good to see everyone outside of work so the party last night that Bianca and Kenneth through was helping with her nerves as well. Now, that was her opinion walking into the arena this afternoon. Her debut did not go the way they had rehearsed… it at all. She still bested Mercedes like she was supposed to, but some of the hits the other woman landed seemed to be fueled by something other than what had been there when they were practicing.

Finishing washing up and washing her hair quicker than she would if she was home, or hell even if she was at her hotel for the evening, but the arena’s locker room wasn’t the place to try and reflect what could have possibly happened Monday afternoon up until when her entrance music hit. Fans were familiar with her from her extremely brief two month run on NXT, one of the fastest if not the shortest NXT runs in history, and they actually received her really well on the main roster. The fans, the higher ups, production and the men congratulated her, which didn’t explain why she would probably be wearing more black spots than Cruella DeVille and a lot of the women were side eyeing her.

Reaching her arm out she grabbed her towel and wrapped it around herself, making sure it was secure before stepping out. She was wearing some shower shoes, so she grabbed her hair products and body wash then made her way out to the main locker room area. Charlotte looked up when she entered the room, but didn’t say anything; she just finished texting whoever she was texting before tossing her cellphone in her bag and exiting the room. She seen Pam glance her way then whisper something to Mercedes before she followed in Charlotte’s footsteps without a word. Amina threw her products in her duffel bag and took out her deodorant, she applied it quickly before throwing it in her bag as well before sighing.

“Ok…did I do something wrong to someone? Is this part of some hazing process?! Everyone was fine yesterday?!”

Mercedes chuckled under her breath as she took her items out of her own duffel to prepare for her own shower. She was far too busy gossiping prior to their segment. Pinning her hair up she grabbed her own shower products and towel and made her way to the shower area, that just so happened to have to pass Amina to get to.

“Yeah, everyone was probably fine before they knew you liked to sleep your way to the top. I don’t knock annnnnnyones hustle but…...no one is going to like the snobby brat that gets shit handed to her. And a little word of advice? Keep your legs closed to married men…” Mercedes smirked before using her shoulder to knock into Amina as she finished her walk to the showers.

Amina’s mouth fell open in shock. She glanced around the room, it was silent. The only one left in the room that she knew was Natalya, and her look was one of pity. Making her way over to the much younger girl, a slight frown on her face; she wrapped her arms around Amina.

“Try not to let it get to you. Some women just do not get along with certain other women. Sometimes its ‘cause they are a threat, or some real reason. Other times, unfortunately you can just exist and that will bother someone.” She pulled away and lowered her voice, whispering the last part. “Plus I think she has a thing for Josh…” Natalya finished, giving Amina a comforting shoulder squeeze and walking back over to her stuff.

Giving the room one more glance; no one daring to raise their eyes to her. Amina put on some lotion before slipping a thong and leggings on. Putting on a sports bra and zip-up hoodie, she took off her shower shoes and through on some Nike slides. Grabbing her duffle bag, she made a beeline out of the Arena. She heard a little shuffling right outside the door.

“I tried to catch you right after yo’ segment, but you must’a been bookin’ it to the locker room.”

Amina jumped at hearing Josh’s voice. She glanced at him for a second, she almost answered but then she realized that her frustrations and the entire problem….was him.

“What are you still doin’ here? Don’t you got a crew or somethin’ you travel wit’?” Amina said lowly making her way over to her rental that was thankfully tucked away in the talent parking underneath the arena, she did not need fans thinking the same things her co-workers were, or worse knowing that she did indeed sleep with a married man.

Josh moved to walk next to her, grabbing her duffle bag off her arm. She was about to protest but she didn’t want to make a scene, there were after all some crew members and other superstars down here. Luckily for her they weren’t any of those looking at her like a jezebel.

“Yeah, normally I travel wit’da fam but I wanted to catch up wit’chu…and I realize you ain’t even give ya boy ya number.”

“Oh…” she responded quietly.

They stopped when they made it to the Dodge Charger she had rented, popping open the trunk, she watched him put her bag in the trunk…but also his. She was about say something when he started talking first.

“We can stop at like two or three in the mornin’…if we do that we can wake up and only have to drive an hour or two after check out before we can check in at the next city…plus that will give us plenty of time to talk about why the girl I’m talkin’ to now is all short and dry when she was bubbly and talkative last night and this afternoon when I left her…”

He said it with a somewhat joking tone, but Amina knew without a doubt he was far from joking. Josh took the car keys from her shocked hands and went to open the passenger door for her. She looked at him and he gestured for her to get in, which she obliged before he shut the door after she climbed in. He jogged around to the driver's side and hopped in himself, waiting for them both to put on their seatbelts before starting the car and pulling out of the parking lot.

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The two were silent until they hit the interstate. Amina didn’t know what to say to him, she wanted to go off, but she was too tired and too sore. The radio was the only thing heard for the first twenty minutes into their trip to the next city. A few moments after Josh’s GPS told him to get on the highway he cut the radio down.

“You good?”

Amina kissed her teeth. To her, that question was utterly stupid. She knew about wrestling; her grandfather enjoyed it when she was growing up. Knowledge of the sport to her, didn’t mean knowing the wrestler’s personal lives so how was she supposed to know this man was married? Yeah, he was attractive, but that did not mean she did a deep dive on every attractive man on the roster's marital status, no matter how few of them were attractive on the current rosters.

“I don’t speak in lip smacks and shit like that Amina…you gon’ need to use your words…closed mouths don’t get fed”

“Like you used your words to tell me you were married…not dating…MARRIED!…Maybe I should keep things closed…your little friend Mercedes made me aware that I should keep my legs closed to married men and not sleep my way to the top!” Amina started to fume as she angled her body to face him.

It was now Josh’s turn to smack his teeth. His knuckles on his left hand started to turn white as he gripped the steering wheel tighter.

“I don’t speak in lip smacks and shit like that Joshua…you gon’ need to use your words…” Amina mimicked him.

Josh didn’t say anything, he just nodded his head silently. The silence was becoming too much for Amina, and if he wasn’t going to explain himself, she would just cut her losses and go about her life with most of the people she seen daily disliking her. She could go to everyone that gave her a dirty look and explain that she didn’t know, but what would be the point…if they didn’t dislike her for thinking she was a home wrecker they would find something else to condemn her for. Leaning forward she turned the radio up, this would be a long little trip but once it was over they could go their separate ways.

There was a rest stop that was coming up and Josh took the turn off for it at the last second, causing Amina to hold onto the door.

“Man makes me a whore and wanna drive frivolously….”

“Cut that shit the fuck out…”

She wasn’t sure if it was the tone, or the overall seriousness of his posture…but she cut that shit the fuck out. Josh parked in an area that was farthest away from the actual building and took his seatbelt off, angling his body towards her.

“She said that shit to you?”

Of all the things he chose to comment on, it was the fact of what Mercedes said not what he had done.

“Does it fuckin’ matter that she said the shit to me?! YOU didn’t…”

“I ain’t say that dumbass shit to you ‘cause I know you ain’t fuckin’ yo’ way to the top… and you ain’t open yo’ legs to a married man. Well… not technically.”

“Pfft” Amina crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

Josh licked his lips and reached over the center console and knocked her arms loose.

“I’m fa’ real…I… well…I’m not divorced yet, but I’m separated. And yo ass talented as fuck… me and Big Uce was watchin’ some of yo’ matches at NXT…shit even watched yo’ college highlight reel. Hell, yo ass might got us beat on some of the shit yo’ lil ass can do. I don’t know what the hell her issue is, i caught the segment just as you made it to the ring, she probably was mad you cooked her ass. I even heard folks talkin’ bout you dawg walked her on the mic. So, you got mic skills this early in yo’ career too? You ‘bout to be pressure. Hell… I might have to get in bed wit’chu to get some tv time in a minute.” He joked, noticing her face still lacked any and all amusement. Amina rolled her eyes again and turned her head to look forward and out the front windshield. He reached over to firmly grabbed her chin, turning her to face him again gently. “Maaaan look at me when I’m talkin’ to you and fix ya face. I’m fa’ real. You don’t need me to push you no where… you goin’ places. But on the real…my marriage been over. It’s just…I guess we then got into a co-parenting routine and since we don’t live together, I ain’t press for a divorce. Plus, our sons is young, she ain’t even move out right away. I got a lil’ spot in Florida from back when we was doin’ the thunderdome, so I stayed there a little more. But now she found her a new crib and we explained to the boys somewhat. Man my family don’t even know for real, just Jon, Joe, and Joseph…not even Trin know right now. I’m private, don’t none of them people in there that I don’t talk to like dat know about all dat…”

He let her chin go when her face softened. Amina wanted to believe him, but in all honesty, she didn’t know him well enough to know if he was a liar. In her gut, she felt like he wouldn’t lie about that. Josh could tell by the look on her face she was conflicted.

“Look…we was vibin’. We had good conversation. You like a lot of shit that I do. You like sports, and….hell you interested in wrestling. And all that shit is important to me at this point in my life. I…I can’t offer you a relationship. Cause I don’t even know if I’ll ever want that again at this point. I don’t require much personally, but my lifestyle so different most won’t understand; you gon’ learn this shit ain’t for the weak. But, if you cool wit’ it… I want us to be able to kick it.”

“…I…I mean I guess we can kick it….not like I have many friend options now, I probably wouldn’t have anyways…besides….we just kickin’ it…it’s not like we gonna repeat last night where you tryna rearrange my insides.” Amina rolled her eyes again, sarcastically this time.

“You want me to talk to ‘em?…”

“Nah… it’s whatever. I’m used to it.” Amina sighed.

“You sure?”

“Yeah…I’m sure…”

“Aight… take out yo’ phone…”

“Why?” she raised her eyebrow at him.

“You know you walkin’ around wit’ a Utopia Box?” He asked, flicking his eyes between her legs than back at the well-lit building of the rest-stop.

“Thanks, I got it for my birthday…” she deadpanned. He was so random.

“Look up the best divorce lawyer in Atlanta….”

“Huh?…”

“Girl if you don’t want me to talk to ‘em… and the only thing stoppin’ me from gettin’ back in between yo’ legs is my divorce than I’m pickin’ one and I’ll call bright and early at eight on Monday mornin’…cause baby I’m a lot to handle and my sexual appetite high, so if you think you can put that good ass pussy on me and you gon’ fuck and duck me? You outta yo’ mind…respectfully. ”

Amina shoved him causing him to flinch towards the door, laughing. She side-eyed him for a minute before joining in with him in laughing. When their laughter died down his eyes got a little lower as he slowly blinked, moving in closer to her face.

“Ahmi, Can I kiss you?”

“Ahmi?” she looked at him with an expression he couldn’t decipher.

“I’on kno it’s like yo’ name but remixed…plus I’m sure you ain’t gon’ let me call you baby at work…” he smirked.

“It’s just no one has ever given me a nickname before…except my mama and my lala”

“That makes me special… and since I’m special…” he paused and licked his lips. “I’m gon’ ask again..can I kiss you?” his voice slightly huskier.

Biting her bottom lip for a second, before nodding her head slowly, he smiled closing the very short distance between them and pressed his lips softly to hers.

-Tuesday- February 14th 2022 ~

Atlanta, Georgia 

“Fuck!” Chantelle Dixon also known as Honey cried out as she finished counting all the money she had made for the night. “Five hundred?! This shit ain't enough,” she exclaimed, her voice dripping with irritation. She ran a hand through her curls, trying to shake off the disappointment in her chest. Valentine’s Day was normally a good day at the club, but this year, everyone seemed to be in a relationship or flat-out broke.  Honey scowled, stuffing the bills into her purse, not bothering to roll them.  She'd have to pull double shifts next week to make up for this disaster. Her mother was already doing doubles all week at the diner to make ends meet, and Honey had promised herself she wouldn't let her down.

“Honey! Request, room four!” a voice called out, breaking her moment of frustration. 

"Okay" she called back, irritation still present in her voice. She took a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror, she forced a smile onto her face as she adjusted her sparkly top and reapplied her lip gloss. 

The walk from the dressing rooms to the private one wasn’t a long one. Honey knocked twice before entering, her practiced sultry gaze sweeping the dimly lit room. Her heart skipped a beat as she locked eyes with her client for the night. This man was FINE —caramel skin glowing under the soft light, muscles defined in a cut-off white Nike shirt. The Cuban link around his neck and wrist gleamed like a promise of something more. She prayed that this dance would give her just enough to keep the lights on for another month. 

She felt her panties dampen as he stuck his tongue out to lick his lips and the gleam of his grillz caught her attention. Honey swallowed hard, trying to regain her composure. This wasn't her first rodeo, but something about this man made her feel like a rookie all over again. She walked further into the room, hips swaying with each step as she felt his eyes on her. 

“Damn Ma’ you even prettier up close.”  He muttered licking his lips again as she walked closer to him. 

Honey felt her cheeks grow hot as his eyes roamed her body. “Thank you,” She said with a sultry smile just as the music started flowing through the room. “You don’t seem like the type to be alone on Valentine's Day.” She said just as she started gyrating her body to the music. 

“I’m usually not.” He chuckled, leaning back in the chair and getting comfortable, legs spreading open, so if she wanted to, she had room to dance up close. “This year jus’ a lil’ different” 

“Well, that's good for me right?” Honey winked, as she slid her hands up her body, keeping her eyes locked on his as she reached her clothed breast. Josh felt his mouth dry up as Honey started to toy with the silver buckle that held her top closed. “I get to have you all to myself.” He groaned as she finally undid the clasp and her breast spilled out. 

“Fuck” She heard him whisper and it made her smirk. Honey bit her lip and turned her back to him, rolling her hips in slow, hypnotic circles.  She bent her knees a little shaking her ass in his face, before standing up straight and slowly walking over to him. Honey straddled his lap, her hips undulating to the rhythm of the music. She could feel the heat radiating from his body, his breath hot on her neck as she leaned in close. His hands hovered near her waist, not touching, but she could sense his restraint. She ran her hands up his arms, loving the way his body shivered under her touch.

. “What’s your name?” 

“Josh” He answered immediately. His eyes dropped down to her exposed breast and he licked his lips. As she continued her dance. She could feel his arousal pressing against her, and it took all her self-control not to grind down harder. This was business, after all. But something about this man made her want to blur those lines. Josh's fingers twitched, yearning to touch her.  Honey noticed his struggle and leaned in close, her lips brushing his ear. “Remember, baby, no touching,” she purred, her voice low and sultry.

Josh groaned, his head falling back against the chair. “Damn, ma. You makin’ it real hard to follow the rules.”

Honey chuckled, a sound that sent shivers down Josh's spine. She continued her dance, her body moving in perfect sync with the music. Her hands trailed down her sides, over her hips, drawing his gaze to every curve. As the song faded out, Honey stood up slowly, her eyes never leaving Josh's. She could see the desire burning in his gaze, matching the heat she felt coursing through her own body. This wasn't supposed to happen. She was a professional who was used to maintaining emotional distance from her clients. But something about Josh was different and it intrigued her. 

“That's the end of our time, baby,” she said, her voice huskier than she intended, more turned on than she had ever been during a private dance.  Josh’s eyes widened as she bent down to grab her discarded top. 

“One more dance,” he said, grabbing his wallet and taking out a couple hundreds. Honey’s eyes widened. It was way more than necessary. “Please,” he begged and Honey felt herself nodding. 

“Okay,” She whispered, dropping her top back to the floor. As the next song started to play, Honey went back to her previous position, straddling Josh’s thighs. As Honey began to move again, she felt a shift in the atmosphere. The air between them crackled with electricity, and she found herself getting lost in Josh's intense gaze. His hands, still hovering near her waist, trembled with the effort of restraint.

She quietly grabbed his hand and placed it on her waist. She would deal with the consequences from her boss later. Josh let out a choked curse as his hands came in contact with Honey’s soft skin. He brought his other hand up and gripped her hips. The music faded into the background as they lost themselves in each other. Honey's hands slid up Josh's chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart beneath her palms. She leaned in, her forehead resting against his, their breaths mingling in the scant space between them. Somehow the dance had turned into downright dry humping. 

Honey's hips moved in slow, sensual circles, her body responding to Josh's touch in a way she'd never experienced before. She could feel the heat of his skin through the thin fabric of his shirt, his fingers digging into her flesh making her moan softly. 

“What’s yo name?” He asked and Honey knew he was asking for her real name. 

“Chantelle.” She whispered, moaning as Josh began rocking her hips harder against his erection, biting his lip at her soft moans. 

“Chantelle,” Josh repeated softly, savoring the sound of her real name on his lips. “It suits you.” He said as he pulled her even closer, her bare breast now pressed up against his shirt. Chantelle felt herself getting lost in the moment, in the heat of Josh's touch and the intensity of his gaze. She knew she was crossing a line, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She had never crossed this line before, but something about this man was different. It felt natural to be this way with him. 

Chantelle’s fingers tangled in his hair as she closed the remaining distance between them, her lips brushing against his in a feather-light kiss. Josh groaned, one hand sliding up her back to cup the nape of her neck. He deepened the kiss, his tongue teasing the seam of her lips until she opened for him. The kiss was electric, setting every nerve ending in Chantelle's body on fire. She leaned her neck to the side as she trailed kisses up and down her neck. 

“What time yo’ shift over?” 

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“Fu-fuck” Chantelle moaned out as Josh wrapped one of his hands around her neck, pinning her to the seat as he fucked all the thoughts out of her head. This was not how she pictured her night ending, folded up in the backseat of Josh’s car, eyes crossed, mouth hung open in pleasure while he dugged her out. She had one of her hands pressed up against the door and the other one was holding onto her breast, toying with her nipple. 

Josh's grip tightened as he thrust deeper, eliciting another breathy moan from Chantelle.  “So fuckin’ wet.” He mumbled, eyes locked onto where their bodies met, loving the way her pussy swallowed his dick whole.  Chantelle choked out another moan as he let go of her leg with his other hand and brought it down to her clit, rubbing it in tight circles.  “Pussy so fuckin’ tight, so fuckin’ good. You gon come fa’ me?”  He grunted out, eyebrows furrowed together as he started pounding into her. The car was definitely rocking but neither cared, given she was the last to leave the club and no other cars were in the parking lot. 

“Yes.. oh fuck!” Chantelle's body tensed as her climax hit her full force. Stars exploded behind her eyelids as she cried out Josh's name, her body trembling beneath him. Josh growled at the feeling of her pulsing around him, He shifted his grip, sliding one hand down to Chantelle's hip for better leverage while the other remained firmly around her throat. The new angle allowed him to hit even deeper, his cock brushing against her G-spot with every stroke. 

"Fuck, you feel so good," Josh groaned, his voice husky with desire. He leaned down, capturing Chantelle's lips in a searing kiss. Their tongues danced as he continued to thrust into her, swallowing her whimpers of pleasure.

Chantelle pressed her hands against his abs trying to push him away, tears welling in her eyes at how overstimulated she felt. Josh broke the kiss and moved his lips near Chantelle’s ear,  his lips brushing against it as he whispered huskily, "You can take it, baby. I know you can." His tongue flicked out, tracing the shell of her ear. 

“J-Josh!" she cried out, as her second orgasm hit outta nowhere, her fluids gushing out, wetting up him and his seats. 

Josh's rhythm faltered as Chantelle's second orgasm washed over him, her slick heat clenching around him like a vice. He groaned, burying his face in the crook of her neck as he fought to maintain control. The scent of her skin, a mix of sweat, and her flowery perfume filled his nostrils, driving him wild.

"Fuck, Chantelle," he panted, his hips snapping forward with increased urgency. He abruptly pulled out of her and grunted and he came. Chantelle gasped at the sudden emptiness, her body still trembling from her climax. She watched through heavy-lidded eyes as Josh stroked himself to completion, his release spilling onto her stomach and breast in hot spurts. Chantelle moaned at the feeling. 

"Damn, girl," Josh murmured, running his hands through his damp mullet after their breathing had returned to normal.  He reached into the pocket of one of the chairs in the backseat and handed her a pack of baby wipes. She eyed the wipes in his hand, wondering why he had them in his car. “Whatchu looking at them like that for?” 

“You uhh.. Do this often?” She asked as she took them and wiped his release off her stomach and breast. 

“What -Nah!” He chuckled. “I have kids and they be messy as hell. Can’t get in the ride with messy ass hands.” Chantelle giggled as she sat up and began putting her clothes back on. 

“Where’re my panties?” She asked looking around the car. She cursed and she peered into the front seat and saw them torn, hanging from his rearview mirror. “Sir what the hell.”

Josh chuckled as he pulled his briefs and cargo pants back over his hips. He grabbed them out of her hand. “Souniver” He winked and she scoffed. 

“I’m not getting in a Uber with no panties.” 

“Girl. You know imma take you home. I ain’t havin’ you in no stranger’s car.” Chantelle’s eyes widened. There was no way in hell he could see where she lived. Technically he was a stranger too.

"No, no, it's cool. I can just call my friend to come get me," Chantelle said quickly, fumbling for her phone.

Josh raised an eyebrow. "At 3 AM? C'mon, be forreal. I'll drop you off, it's no trouble." 

Fuck Chantelle thought as she tried to come up with a plan. Josh got out of the back seat and stretched his body before getting the the driver's seat and starting the car. He then picked his phone up from the cup holder – where he had placed it earlier and handed it to her. 

“Put yo’ address in” Still panicking, she quickly entered the only other address she knew by heart. She handed Josh back his phone and climbed into the passenger seat. As she settled into the seat, she quickly grabbed her phone and texted her best friend. She crossed her fingers as she waited for her response. 

To Bff4L : You up?  From Bff4L : yea whats wrong?  To Bff4L: I’ll explian when I get there. 

Chantelle relaxed in her seat as Josh started driving towards her best friend's house. The car ride was anything but silent. They pretty much got to know each other in the 30-minute drive. Chantelle had learned that he was 35, had two kids, and was an athlete. Which didn’t really surprise her. It was obvious he had money. 

Chantelle told him some things about her too. She told him she was 26, she was born and raised in Atlanta, and that she was an only child. He didn’t need to know anything else.  She let out a tiny sigh of relief as he pulled onto her friend's block. 

“Thank you,” Chantelle whispered as she looked over at him. Her heart pounded in her chest as their eyes locked. Josh smiled at her. He had taken his grillz out and his smile was even more captivating without them. Chantelle felt a flutter in her stomach. 

“It’s all good Telle.” 

“Nig– Telle?” Chantelle raised an eyebrow, not sure how to feel about the new nickname.

“What? You don’t like that? How bout boo, baby, sweetheart.. I can go on.” Josh teased playfully.

Chantelle scoffed and opened the car door. “Bye Josh” She rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the smile on her face as she shut the passenger door and started walking up the driveway towards the front door. 

“Bye Boo!” 

She flipped him off making him laugh.  She opened the front door and looked back to see Josh still sitting in his car, watching her with an amused grin. She shook her head and stepped inside, closing the door behind her.

“Is he the reason why I’m up at 3 a.m.?” 

Chantelle jumped and turned to face her best friend Dejah, who was leaving the kitchen with a bottle of water. 

“Shut up, you said you were up already,” Chantelle muttered as they walked into the living room and threw themselves onto the plush couch. Chantelle sighed as she leaned back into the couch and closed her eyes. 

“Bitch! Who the fuck was that?” 

Chantelle sighed with her eyes still closed, she answered, “That was Josh. We met at Blue Diamond earlier.” Dejah hummed and Chantelle opened her eyes to look at her. “What?” 

“Y’all met at the club?” when Chantelle nodded Dejah continued. “So how did you get in his car at three in the morning?” 

Chantelle groaned and covered her face. “Don’t judge me Dejah.” 

Dejah gasped and reached over to slap Chantelle on her arm. “Chantelle Rose! Did you sleep with him?” With her face still covered, Chantelle nodded, and Dejah hit her on her arm again. “What the hell friend! Why?!” 

“I don’t know,” Chantelle muttered, dropping her hands from her face and looking at her best friend. “It’s just – something about him is just different. You know I’ve never done nothing like this before. I tried to just be professional but girl, the way he looked at me I mean.” Chantelle paused and took a deep breath. “I been striping for years and have been stared at like a piece of meat by any and every man. But the way Josh looked at me, it was like he saw through all of that. Like he was seeing the real me, you know?” 

Dejah shook her head. “You a big girl so I’m not gonna berate you. All imma say is be careful.” Dejah said as a yawn escaped her mouth. “I’m going to bed. You already know the guest room is yours” 

“Thank you,” Chantelle muttered. Dejah gave her friend a tight-lipped smile before making up way out of the living room and up the steps to her bedroom. 

With a sigh, Chantelle stood from the couch and made her way to the guest room. She took a quick shower before changing into the pajamas she left there last time. As Chantelle climbed into bed, there was only one thing on her mind.. Josh. 

~ Wednesday- February 15th 2022 ~

It was around 10 am the next morning when Chantelle finally left Dejah’s house. As she was walking out the front door and to the MARTA bus stop a couple of blocks down. As she made it to the end of the driveway and semi-familiar white BMW pulled up to the curb. She paid it no mind and continued her walk to the bus stop. 

“I man, Ion mind chasing after you.” Chantelle stopped dead in her tracks and turned around to see Josh smiling at her as he leaned over to yell out the passenger window. 

"What are you doing here?" she asked, walking back towards the car, trying to keep her voice casual despite the flutter in her stomach.

Josh shrugged, his grin widening. “I came to see if you wanted to go to breakfast”  

Chantelle’s heart skipped a beat. He came to see me she thought as a smile crossed her face. She nodded and grabbed the handle of the car door, opening it. “I would love to.” 

₊˚ ‿︵୨୧ · · ♡ · · ୨୧‿︵˚₊

“How you doin'? Uh, can I get triple hash browns scattered and covered? Six scrambled eggs with American cheese, two chocolate chip waffles, and a lemonade.” 

Chantelle’s eyes widened as his order kept growing and growing. After he was done he looked over at her, waiting for her to order. “Damn, I thought you were ordering for the both of us.” She chuckled before turning her attention to the waitress. “Can I just get the cheese and eggs with raisin toast please, with a glass of water?” The waitress nodded before taking their menus from them and walking away to put their order in.  

Raisin Toast? Josh thought That’s what Ami– he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She ended things with you. Stop thinking about her.  

They both lapsed into a comfortable silence, sneaking glances at each other before adverting their gazes. Chantelle felt herself blush when Josh caught her staring and smirked at her. 

“Can I just say that um, I never done.. Um, I never had uh, sex with a client before,” she admitted softly, glancing up at him through her lashes.

“I’m your client?” 

Chantelle nodded. “Yeah, you paid for a service and I provided that service, making you my client. But I don’t want you to think I’m some hoe or something, just sleeping with men who pay for dances.” 

“Telle.” Josh chuckled, cutting off her rambling. “I don’t think you a hoe. Promise” 

“Thanks,” she said softly, meeting his eyes. “I just... I don't usually do that kind of thing. There was just something about you…” She trailed off with a shrug and Josh’s smile dropped a little. He cleared his throat and sat back in his seat. 

“Look, I wanted to eat first but uh. I like you. I mean the sex was.” He paused and let out a slight chuckle. “The sex was good but I can’t go no further with you.” Chantelle’s face dropped. “I mean, I can’t give you a relationship or nothing. Like I’m always on the road and only here in the ATL for about two to three days out the week.” 

“Oh,” Chantelle said. She felt her heart sink, but she forced a small smile and nodded. "I understand," she said softly, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice. "I appreciate your honesty."

Josh leaned forward, his gaze intense. “I don't want you to think I'm playin' you or nothin'. It's just... my life, it's complicated as hell right now and  I can't drag you into all that.”

Chantelle said nothing and Josh sighed just as the waitress came and sat their food down. Not in the mood to eat anymore, she asked the waitress for a to-go box. 

“Wait. Chantelle, you don’t have to leave.” 

“No, I think I should.” She said as she started putting her food in the container.” 

“Listen Uce, chill chill,” Josh said as she stood from the booth and started walking towards the exit. He stood too and grabbed her arm gently, stopping her from walking away from him. “We can be friends, can’t we? I-I got so much shit going on right now. I can’t be in a relationship.” 

Chantelle rolled her eyes. “Friends?” She deadpanned “You wanna be friends?” 

Josh nodded eagerly and held his hand out. “Yeah, You cool and we obviously vibe together. Leeme see ya’ phone.”  

Chantelle scrunched her face up but fished into her tote bag and handed him her phone anyway.

“Looks, here’s my number.” He said as he handed her phone back. She arched her eyebrow when she saw he had saved it under UceyJucey.  “Text me.”  

Chantelle bit her lip and nodded. “Okay.” She said just as she saw her Uber pull up in front of the restaurant. “I have to go.” 

Josh nodded. “Aight. Don’t forget to text me, Telle!” He called out to her as she was leaving the restaurant. He let out a loud sigh as he sat back down in the booth. He placed both his elbows on the table and placed his head in his hands. “Fuck.” He muttered and grabbed his phone out of his pocket, calling the one person who he knew he could talk to. 

“ Uce! I was starting to think I wasn’t gon hear from yo’ ass today.” 

“Jon,” Josh muttered. Jon’s smile immediately dropped at the seriousness in Josh’s voice.   “I fucked up.” 

😮‍💨 Welp! Here it is! the first chapter of my and @paigereeder 's collab. Let us know what you think? We love interacting with y’all… stay tuned… it’s going to get even more… interesting

🏷️: @trentybenty @nbanenefrmdao @mzv11 @southerngirl41 @yana3sworld

@uceyliyahh @harmshake @wooahmiri @xbriexx @misslackey

@biancasreign @ashykneee @claymoresofinfamy23 @geekinstilettos @sayyestoheav3nn

@bebesobrielo @amandairene88 @summerssoldierxx @christinabae @cyberdejos2

@pinkwithhearts @partypoison00 @msbigredmachine @alika-4466 @bossbitch-22

@jeyusos-girl @fearlesschimera @privateeyed95

[yoificfinder]

Hello!!

I would just like to ask for Royalty au for viktuuri please and thank you! ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧

every calculation falls silent by @thehobbem [T, 29K]

With an engagement arranged behind his back, Emperor Victor only wishes to have one last day for himself as a free man.

But the last thing he will be is free, once he meets someone who seems to have the exact same plans, and perhaps motivations, for today.

In Fire, In Whispers by @voxofthevoid [M, 12K]

“What do you think he meant by friendly stabbing?” Viktor asks, deceptively casual as he winds a lock of his hair around his finger.

“Sparring, probably.”

“Ah,” Viktor sighs, his disappointment loud and theatrical. “And here I thought he meant the other kind.”

Yuuri feels himself heat to the roots of his hair.

“Not here,” he snaps, hands clenching at his sides.

Viktor’s eyes sharpen, the veneer of pleasantness finally leaving his face.

“My mistake,” he says, his smile thin and icy. “You seem tired, Prince Yuuri. Let me escort you to your bedchambers.”

~

In which Viktor and Yuuri are the princes of warring kingdoms but manage to fall in love anyway.

My Love, We Deserve the Softest Eternity series by @japansace [G to E, 88K]

"A baby," Yakov gripes. "Not even a thousand yet, and he thinks he's in love!"

My Name on Your Lips by @feels-like-fire [E, 108K]

Yuuri Katsuki has been betrothed to the High King's son, Victor, since he was just a child; furthermore, as an omega, he's forbidden from practicing magic in combat. For years, he's been able to put off the former because the Prince was traveling abroad, and gotten around the latter by practicing with his mentor in secret.

Now Victor Nikiforov has finally returned home, and Yuuri is being summoned to the capital for their wedding. He needs a plan to put off marriage long enough to find a way to break the betrothal, while keeping his practicing from being discovered.

If only the Prince didn't have other ideas.

(Or, the swords-and-sorcery arranged marriage AU. Updates weekly.)

On Your Every Word by @stammiviktor [M, 71K]

It starts, as most things do, with an extravagant banquet.

"Dance with me?"

He’s holding out his hand. It’s an offering, an invitation, and a dare all in one.

The onlookers part and a blinding smile graces the dancer’s lips.

“Of course, Your Highness.”

(A Royalty AU, with a twist)

The Phoenix Lives by velvetcadence [E, 5K]

Prince Yuuri has banished yokai from the world. Now home from his travels, he must navigate another adventure: his arranged marriage to Prince Viktor Nikiforov.

But Prince Viktor is hiding a secret, one that may upset the fragile state of their marriage.

Please Leave a Light On When You Go by adjit [T, 19K]

Everyone knows tales of princesses trapped in towers and guarded by evil dragons, but, actually…

Yuuri is here by choice, thank you very much, and Phichit is quite a nice dragon, all things considered. It’s just that the knights who keep trying to rescue him don’t seem to be getting the memo.

And then there’s Sir Nikiforov, just another knight like the rest, except that he’s not. Because after he realizes that Yuuri is not, in fact, in need of rescuing, he drops it. And stranger still, he decides to stay.

the promise i'll make series by lily_winterwood @omgkatsudonplease [M and E, 102K]

When Crown Prince Yuuri of Japan escapes his army of minders at his Saint Petersburg hotel, he thinks he’s found the opportunity to explore the city as a commoner. When investigative journalist Viktor Nikiforov discovers the Crown Prince of Japan on a park bench in Saint Petersburg, he thinks that he’s found his ticket to redemption at the magazine he writes for. But like the stories of those stranded during the White Nights after the bridges go up, neither of them had anticipated falling in love. (Roman Holiday AU)

Roses of May by @cuttlemefishwrites [E, 47K] *WIP

At age five, all children are assessed for talent and beauty in the City of Hasetsu and the other eight cities of the Empire. Every year, five are branded with the mark of a rose before being carded off to the Emperor’s palace where they are trained to become Roses, or sacrifices to be sent every May to the Ice Spirit that lives in the castle at the top of the mountain. Roses never return, except for Katsuki Yuuri, who shocks the Empire when he appears again two years after his departure with a silver crown on his head and a blond baby in his arms, demanding the Emperor step down or face the wrath of his husband, the Ice King. But, not everything is what it seems.

The Dragon Prince and the Winter Swan by @sophia-helix [E, 121K]

Yuuri Stark is a noble son of the north, returning to Winterfell in disgrace after the latest disappointment in his checkered tourney career. He hasn't given up his dream of becoming a knight, but maybe it's time to find himself a new path, settling down at home.

Prince Victor Targaryen is the greatest swordsman in Westeros, but he no longer finds joy in competition. Things are uneasy in King's Landing, where politics are shifting and dangerous, and he seizes the chance to escape north in search of the young man who came so close to beating him in a tourney last year — and was so beguiling at the banquet afterwards.

Together they begin a journey to the great tourney of Harrenhal, with intrigue, honor, friendship and love along the way...and inevitable political conflict ahead.

(A Game of Thrones fusion with 90% less grimdark)

Technically Arranged by @ajwolf84 [E, 78K] *WIP

Yuuri is a tech genius working in Silicon Valley, but he never would have gotten this far if not for the support of the Russian Royal family who offered him a full scholarship to the elite Rostelecom Academy and have been supporting his education ever since. Of course, this help didn’t come for free. He’s now considered a member of the Royal family, which isn’t so bad, other than the inordinate number of weddings he has to attend. There’s also the small stipulation that he is technically a candidate to become the Prince’s consort, but that’ll never happen…

The Tsesarevich Lives by mothedestiel [E, 50K]

An Anastasia AU. Victor is an orphan with no name, no family, and no memory of a time before he was ten years old. Could he really be the missing Nikiforov heir? An adventure across Europe with two conmen will lead him to the answer.

The Vastness of Space by @shysweetthing [E, 17K]

As chief communications officer on board the Interstellar Alliance Fleet’s Star Ship Victory, Yuuri doesn’t have to think about who he actually is on his home planet. He just has to listen to his captain, do his job, and…not fall in love with his best friend, the ship’s science officer, Victor Nikiforov.

Well. Two out of three’s not bad.

Then his mother calls with the worst possible news: She, the Empress of New Nihon, has arranged Yuuri’s marriage.

There’s only one thing Yuuri can do: Fake a boyfriend, and fake one fast. Who better/worse to play that role than the friend he wishes was more? What can go wrong? It’s not like Yuuri can fall more in love...

With Two Hands by whatsup_buttercup [E, 28K]

“Do you think he’ll let you get a picture with him?” Phichit’s voice comes through distorted by the long chain of communications systems and the great distance between them.

“I imagine some official photos might be taken,” Yuuri offers.

“You should try to work ‘I became a translator because of you!’ into conversation. You know, casually.”

Yuuri takes a large sip from his mug of tea, refusing to be baited. “We’ll see.”

Yuuri Enchanted by the__magpie / @wecalleverythinglove [T, 58K]

At birth, Yuuri Katsuki was given the gift of obedience, although he quickly learns as he grows up that it is a curse. He has to obey any command given to him, even if it puts him or others in danger. Too afraid to face the terrifying outside world, Yuuri stays in his home town of Hasetsu, until a chance encounter with Prince Victor urges him to venture outside of his safe bubble. Determined to break his curse, Yuuri begins on an adventure involving fairies, ogres, true love, and courage he never knew he had.

-----

Other people's rec:

Equivalent Exchange by writingfromtheshadows

The Nature of Things by Zombubble

Thanks for the rec, @tanouska, @kittygoeswoof90! 💙

[jikookuntold]

The Untold Truth of Jungkook’s WeLives

I had the idea of this post in my mind for a long time, but I didn't know how to put it out. Since most Jikookers have noticed some kind of pattern in JK's livestreams recently, I thought maybe it's time to write this post and add my notions to the known theories and facts. 

Weverse, instead of VLive

Let’s go back one year in time. On June 16th, 2022, a day after BTS announced the pause in their group activities, which caused chaos due to media misinterpreting it as their hiatus or even disbandment, someone had to reassure ARMY about the continuation of BTS and do the damage control. And for some reason, JK was the one to be called for this duty. He started his first solo livestream in Weverse app in a place we had never seen before. That place had a few pieces of furniture from their Hannam dorm, rumored to be rented by Big Hit just a couple of weeks earlier. 

Months passed, and JK didn’t do any livestreams until his birthday came, and another assigned live in the Weverse app happened at the same place. Like the other six members (five, to be more accurate since Tae evaded this), he promoted his photobook and did the routine of his lives by singing songs and casually talking with ARMY. His next solo live happened after the World Cup performance in a Doha hotel room, and he didn’t appear in any Weverse lives for some time. 

Midnight Streamer

After doing only three lives in almost a year, all assigned by the company, JK came back to Weverse app on the first night of February, and this time it wasn’t an assigned livestream, but it was an unplanned and unauthorized one. He appeared at 2 AM singing songs, including Vibe, the newest release by Jimin. Since this live happened out of nowhere, Namjoon and later Tae tried to intervene and control the situation, then they realized there was nothing to worry about. 

The next JK live happened only two nights later around midnight, and Jimin was the first one to comment. JK was so excited to see Jimin’s comments and invited him to have chicken, but Jimin was too busy with his schedule (even at midnight) to accept his offer. A few days later, on the 11th of February, JK did a livestream at his boxing trainer gym, and again, Jimin was one of the first ones to comment. JK and his coach invited Jimin to resume his training and implied that they both train with the same coach. 

Unfortunately, this was the last livestream from that gym since JK’s privacy got invaded and videos of him doing work out there, were leaked by some stalker. A few weeks later, on the last day of February, JK did another live (this time around noon), and the same day, he deleted his Instagram account.

Is This the End?

You know that I’m among the hardcore believers of Jikook living together. And at this era, anons and non-anons kept asking me if I am still in my belief or not, since JK was showing up alone in the middle of the night, which was against this belief. But I couldn’t wrap my head around it because couples don’t suddenly stop living together unless they break up, which wasn’t the case because they weren’t acting like exes, since you don’t invite your ex for dinner or boxing together, you don’t go watch his dance practice and cheer for him. So, why were these all happening?

Jimin was getting ready for his solo debut at this time, and when the Bangtan Bomb for Jimin dance practices came out, we saw him talking about the strict diet he was on for keeping his weight around 50kg since dancers had to carry him for choreo. We weren’t strangers to Jimin’s strict diets before each comeback, but this statement was the information I needed to have my ultimate conclusion. Jikook had to stay separated for a short time because Jimin was working hard and dieting harder, and spending time with JK would work against his plans (he was literally inviting him for food in one live, remember?). This was the exact time JK started doing his routine livestreams from Brunnen because he had to stay there apart from his Jiminie hyung. But this was not the only conclusion I had from JK’s regular livestreams.

I’m Hyung’s Fan

In March, JK kept doing his livestreams which was a sign of the continuation of Jimin’s tight schedules. JK did one livestream on the 3rd day of March around 2 AM, and I don’t remember anything specific about it, but the next one was unforgettable. On March 14th, The White Day, when Jimin was out of the country for recording Jimmy Fallon show, JK did four consecutive livestreams from around 8 PM till midnight and played a playlist consisting of “There for You”, “Christmas Day” and “Nothing”, all Jimin-coded songs. He finished the fourth live a few minutes before midnight and reminded us that something amazing is coming at 00:00, which happened to be Jimin’s solo pre-release, Set Me Free Pt2. He changed his outfit three times in these lives from a black jacket to a white shirt and a purple jacket which at first didn’t seem to mean anything until Set Me Free MV and dance practice video came out.

The next JK Weverse live was another undercover promotion for his Jiminie hyung. A few hours before the official release of “Face” he came online and spoiled “Letter” the hidden song in the album he did the back vocals for. If you think JK was being obvious in promoting Jimin, then you should have watched the next WeLive he did. Four days after his last livestream, he came back online to watch the newest episode of Suchwita because Jimin was the guest. He admitted that he had never watched any episodes of this drinking show before, and after that, he watched other videos of Jimin on YouTube, letting the algorithm expose his bias. 

The next day, he answered Jimin’s comment about missing “ARMY” with “me too” and Jimin replied making it obvious that JK was missing “him”. The same day, Jimin did a livestream on his way back from pre-recording a stage performance, and JK spammed it with 19 comments. JK never did this for any other member. All the Hyung line had their solo releases too, but JK never did anything for them that was remotely close to what he did for Jimin. He obviously wasn’t lying when he commented ‘I’m Hyung’s fan”. 

I Really Want to Stay at Your House

After the end of Jimin’s solo album promotions, JK’s regular livestreams suddenly became less and less regular, and it was safe to say they were back to their normal living routine. I know Jikookers heard his voice in Jimin’s livestream after getting Billboard Hot100 No.1 on April 3rd, but I’m not going to go there. JK did a short WeLive on April 8th before his trip to LA, but it was a different story, he did that to explain the situation earlier happened in the house. On the 18th of April, when Jhope was enlisting, we saw Jikook’s passionate hug and hinting about the drinking they had the night before, proving again that they spend a lot of time together in their free time.

On April 25th, Jimin traveled to NYC for a Tiffany event and recorded his latest collaboration, and on the same night, JK appeared in Weverse app for another livestream, and the first song he played was named “I Really Want to Stay at Your House”. The next day he posted his food, and a few days later he attended the LV event after-party with Mingyu. On the 4th of May, he complained about a stalker sending food to his door in a Weverse post and threatened with legal action. Two days later Jimin came back from NYC, and JK went on socmed hiatus again. On May 21st he posted a cute photo of Bam, and on the 23rd Jimin left for London, and the next day JK came back to WeLive like a clockwork. 

I tried to review everything in chronological order, but I know I have spared lots of details. I don’t think this post needs any conclusion or further explanation because everything explained itself, and you are free to have your own concussion. JK doing livestreams or posting food photos only when Jimin is away or busy, promoting his work and adoring him the way we had never seen before, only has one reasonable explanation, and anything other than that is not valid. 

[shamelessrabbithole]

i’m honestly with you on this. english isn’t my first language so i thought it was either my ‘lack of skills’ in understanding what she wrote or if i was too tired to understand. let’s pretend that this is written about her relationship with cameron and the public eye (just to give it a meaning). it would ‘make sense’ for her to mention how she watched him through instagram (and maybe his work too?) and how being around the person irl is different and shows dept?

but then i’m confused. cause she says ‘we want love, but confuse it for attention’. does it mean she thought cameron wanted her attention? as in, he wanted to show himself, wanting her to admire the things he had archived, his passions? (example him travelling with her, taking pics of her as a showing off his skills, the hotel being expensive). maybe being in NYC was a realisation it wasn’t shallow but something deeper as love?

for the last bit i really don’t understand cause i’m not the type of person that believes in spiritual and things like that. the only explanation i would have on it is how she was attracted to him from the beginning but her ‘brain’ told her he was doing it for attention and not for *her* attention only and how in the end she should have trusted her body/need to be with him sooner?

if it’s about him it would make sense (if my analysis would be right) cause it would check out with how someone would feel off in seeing a guy having many girl-friends, having flirt-ish personality and maybe even seeing how he does the same things with everyone? which would explain why she seemed a bit ‘colder’ on social when he tagged her etc. i’d love to see if they post something together sooner than later so we can see how they interact now

Your interpretation is interesting. There's a lot of analysis that ropes in Cameron's "quirks" and perhaps oddball behaviors while in relationships with women. But, that assumes that Madison finds any of it odd. I've always felt that she's an open-minded free spirit and is unbothered by most of the stuff you mentioned (having many female friends, photographing them semi-nude, repeated stays with women at the Ludlow, etc.)

When I mentioned previously that this post may be about her own experiences with watching others in the digital space, I thought of her watching other dancers and content creators. And perhaps forgetting that we're more than just the content we create, but sensitive beings craving attention and love. To remember that and not be one-sided in our judgements or evaluations.

If it's a message speaking directly to her followers, and it is about her and Cam, then I felt it might be a reminder to them that she and Cam are real people. That those who are judging and criticizing are doing it for the attention and that they ought to reflect on not only why they're doing it, but to be more feeling, empathetic, and reasonable in their approach and the kinds of comments they're making.

I'll also reiterate that I have no idea what her intention actually was with that post. And, I usually don't like to decipher abstract stuff like this because 1) there's no way to know for sure if I'm right 2) it's a waste of time to unpack the words jotted down over a story that will disappear in 24 hours. It was probably written in less time and with less meaning/purpose than any analysis about it ever could be worth.

[winkle-pickers]

excuse me SPIDEYKAIBA?! PLS

Jay ilu thank you for always enabling my crossover hoe tendencies 😎

spideykaiba

A post-canon YGODM/Spider-Man crossover! The story begins with Shizuka moving to NYC for med school and rooming with Anzu, who is now an early-career dancer. The Kaiba brothers are also in NYC heading up KaibaCorp America, and predictably they have gotten themselves involved in some weird shit that may or may not have to do with SHIELD.

“I was on my way home from work. Street was totally blocked off,” Anzu said. “The cops didn’t want to let me through, but I managed to get a good look. Apparently most of the apartments were undamaged, we just got really unlucky.” “Woah.” “Yeah. The police officer said it was Spider-Man’s fault.” Mokuba frowned. “The NYPD don’t like Spider-Man very much. You have to take everything they say about him with a grain of salt.” “Thank God I had my laptop with all my homework,” Shizuka muttered into the vinyl tabletop.

“Priorities, both of you!” Anzu cried in frustration, smacking the diner table with her open palm. “Who cares about defending Spider-Man right now? He blew up our apartment. Which means we are homeless. Which means stop worrying about your grades for one second, Shizuka.” “Aw, you’re not homeless,” Mokuba soothed. “You can come stay with us.” “Oh, yeah, because we’re clearly your brother’s favourite people right now.” “My brother only has one favourite person, and that’s me. Everyone else is divided into people he hates and people he tolerates. You guys are still in the second category.” Anzu groaned. “I wonder if we can stay with Michelle for a couple weeks while we look for a new apartment? Is it too weird to ask? Maybe we can afford a few days in a hotel.” Mokuba finished drafting a text and hit send. The reply pinged back a moment later. “Yup. Nii-sama says you can stay with us. He’ll buy you new clothes and supplies and stuff too, to replace what you lost.” Shizuka lifted her head from the table, stunned out of her stupor. “What?” She craned over the phone to read the text exchange. Mokuba: anzu and shizuka’s apartment got blown up by spiderman last night can they stay with us for a while and can we help them replace their stuff thanks niisama you’re the best and i love you forever 💙🐉👍 Seto: Fine Anzu finished reading at about the same time Shizuka did and turned to Mokuba. “Has it ever occurred to you that you have a frightening amount of power?” “Yup,” Mokuba said again.

[the-rewatch-rewind]

Heaven, I'm in heaven...

Script below the break

Hello and welcome back to The Rewatch Rewind! My name is Jane, and this is the podcast where I count down my top 40 most frequently rewatched films in a 20-year period. Today I will be discussing number five on my list: RKO’s 1935 musical comedy Top Hat, directed by Mark Sandrich, written by Allan Scott and Dwight Taylor, and starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

American dancer Jerry Travers (Fred Astaire) comes to London to star in a show produced by his friend Horace Hardwick (Edward Everett Horton). The night before the show opens, Jerry’s tapdancing in Horace’s hotel room awakens model Dale Tremont (Ginger Rogers) in the room below. She calls the manager to complain, who calls the room above hers, and Horace answers the phone. Because he can’t hear over Jerry’s dancing, he leaves to see what the manager wants. Tired of waiting for the noise to stop, Dale storms upstairs to confront the dancer. Upon seeing her, Jerry immediately falls in love, and the next day he starts following her around in a mildly creepy but mostly charming way. However, he never tells her his name, and when Dale learns that her friend Madge Hardwick (Helen Broderick)’s husband is staying in the room above hers, she naturally assumes that Jerry is Horace Hardwick. All of this results in much confusion, hilarity, and of course, dancing.

Top Hat was one of the many old movies that my mom introduced me to in 2002, and it has been among my favorite films ever since. I had already seen it several times before I started keeping track, and then I watched it five times in 2003, three times in 2004, three times in 2005, once in 2006, once in 2009, twice in 2010, three times in 2011, four times in 2012, once each in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018, twice in 2020, once in 2021, and once in 2022. This was the first Fred and Ginger movie I ever saw, and while I’ve since watched and enjoyed all nine others multiple times, none could top Top Hat, in my opinion.

This was the fourth film that Fred and Ginger made together, but only the second in which they had starring roles, and the first that was written specifically for them. Two of their previous films – 1933’s Flying Down to Rio and 1935’s Roberta – gave them relatively small parts, although their scenes were unquestionably the highlights. In Flying Down to Rio, they got fourth and fifth billing and are barely in it, but they caused a splash with their one dance number, and an iconic duo was born. They got second and third billing in Roberta, in which they basically function as the B romantic pair, with Irene Dunne and Randolph Scott as the A couple. Fred and Ginger’s first starring roles had been in 1934’s The Gay Divorcee, which was an adaptation of the Broadway musical Gay Divorce. Critics of Top Hat (including Astaire himself) complained that it was basically a rehash of The Gay Divorcee, and like, I can see their point: both films have a weird mistaken identity story and feature essentially the same cast filling very similar roles – with the notable change from Alice Brady to Helen Broderick in the “Ginger’s older relative/friend” role. But while I also enjoy The Gay Divorcee, somehow I feel like Top Hat just works better. The story makes at least a little bit more sense, and they didn’t devote a quarter of the runtime to a single interminable musical number like The Gay Divorcee did with the frickin Continental… although The Piccolino came dangerously close to replicating that. After Top Hat, Fred and Ginger made five more films with RKO in the 1930s: 1936’s Follow the Fleet, in which they were basically the B couple like they had been in Roberta, although they did get top billing in this one; 1936’s Swing Time, which is mostly very good and would probably have made it onto this podcast if not for that one blackface number; 1937’s Shall We Dance, which I kind of slept on for a while but now I think is probably my second favorite of theirs, although the ending drags a bit; 1938’s Carefree, possibly their weirdest movie, which involves hypnotism; and 1939’s The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle, which I find to be disappointingly forgettable. Then, after 10 years apart, they reunited for MGM’s The Barkleys of Broadway in 1949, which is basically Fred and Ginger fan fiction and it makes me so happy that it exists.

While there were lots of other dancing musicals being made in Hollywood around this time, the Astaire/Rogers ones feel like their own genre, and not just because of the stars. I think a big part of what makes Top Hat feel like the quintessential Fred and Ginger film is the supporting cast. Edward Everett Horton, Helen Broderick, Erik Rhodes, and Eric Blore were each in at least one other Fred and Ginger movie, but this is the only one that has all four of them. Edward Everett Horton excelled at playing the kind of guy who thinks he’s in control of every situation, but actually has no clue what’s going on, and he’s especially in his element as Horace Hardwick, convinced that he can get to the bottom of everyone’s strange behavior while never suspecting that he could end all the confusion just by meeting Dale. Helen Broderick delivers wisecracks in a brilliantly dry, cynical tone that contrasts with Horton’s bumbling to great comedic effect. Their characters don’t seem to have a very functional marriage, but they also don’t really seem to mind that. Typically the “haha, married couples hate each other” types of jokes really irritate me, but Horace and Madge are such ridiculous characters that it’s actually kind of funny when they do it. And then there’s Erik Rhodes, whose absurdly over-the-top Italian characterization in Top Hat and The Gay Divorcee so offended Mussolini that both those films were banned in Italy. Personally I feel like Top Hat’s portrayal of Venice as a giant white soundstage is probably more insulting to Italians than a guy doing a bad accent and being silly is, but I don’t know, maybe it’s still offensive. To me, as a non-Italian, I just think Erik Rhodes is very funny as Alberto Beddini, the dressmaker whose clothes Dale is modeling. He has some truly excellent lines, like, “Never again will I allow women to wear my dresses!” and “I am no man; I am Beddini!” Despite his declarations of love for Dale, he is extremely queer-coded, while also interestingly being one of the most masculine characters in the film, which is…kind of the opposite of how male characters are typically queer-coded. So Alberto is very silly but also quite fascinating. Eric Blore was in half of the Fred and Ginger movies and he’s always hilarious. In Top Hat he plays Horace’s valet, Bates, who always refer to themselves in the plural (“We are Bates, sir”), so the next time someone complains to you about this so-called newfangled trend of young people messing with pronouns, feel free to point out that at least one middle-aged man was doing that way back in 1935. One of my favorite exchanges in the movie is when Horace is trying to explain to Bates that Jerry seems to have gotten into a perilous situation with a woman by saying, “He has practically put his foot right into a hornets’ nest” and Bates respond with, “But hornets’ nests grow on trees, sir.” “Never mind that. We have got to do something.” “What about rubbing it with butter, sir?” “You blasted fool, you can’t rub a girl with butter!” “My sister got into a hornets’ nest and we rubbed HER with butter, sir!” “That’s the wrong treatment, you should have used mud – never mind that!” It has nothing to do with anything but it makes me laugh every time. This supporting cast adds a silly, somewhat Vaudevillian aspect to Top Hat that no Fred and Ginger film would be complete without.

Of course, Fred and Ginger movies are better known for a different somewhat Vaudevillian aspect: their songs. It’s very interesting to watch Top Hat from a musical history perspective because it was made before the advent of the book musical – that is, a show where the songs are fully integrated into the story and used to tell a specific narrative. The songs in this movie do sort of advance the plot, but the lyrics are generic enough that they stand alone completely out of context. It’s kind of a bridge between the disjointed songs and scenes of vaudeville and the continuously flowing story of book musicals. All the music in Top Hat was written by the legendary Irving Berlin, including two solo numbers for Fred: “No Strings (I’m Fancy Free)” which is what Jerry is dancing to in the hotel when he disturbs Dale, and “Top Hat, White Tie and Tails” which is part of his show; and three numbers for both Fred and Ginger to dance to: “Isn’t This a Lovely Day (to Be Caught in the Rain)?” for soon after they meet, before Dale thinks that Jerry is Horace, “Cheek to Cheek” when they’re in love but Dale is conflicted because she thinks he’s married to Madge, who is confusingly encouraging them to dance, and “The Piccolino” after Dale finally learns Jerry’s true identity. Both Astaire and Rogers were significantly better dancers than singers, but typically Fred did most of the singing, and the only song he doesn’t sing in Top Hat is the Piccolino, apparently because he didn’t like it, so Ginger sings it first and then an offscreen chorus repeats it. My favorite number in the film has always been “Isn’t this a Lovely Day (to Be Caught in the Rain)?” because I love the way Jerry starts dancing fancier and fancier and is pleasantly surprised that Dale can keep up with him, and it’s fun that Ginger got to wear pants for once, and I also just really enjoy that song. There was a time soon after I first fell in love with this movie when I tried to make saying the word “lovely” a lot part of my personality, mainly inspired by this song. I truly enjoy all the numbers, even if I do think The Piccolino goes on a bit too long, although, again, it’s not nearly as painfully long as The Continental in The Gay Divorcee, which it’s clearly meant to pay homage to. But Fred and Ginger’s most famous dance number – certainly in this film, and also probably in any of their films – is “Cheek to Cheek.” It is pure, breathtaking magic, and even knowing about the major drama with Ginger’s dress in no way detracts from that.

I’ve heard a few different accounts of the dress drama with slightly conflicting details, but what they all seem to agree on is that Ginger Rogers insisted that a low-backed, light blue, ostrich feather dress would look perfect during the “Cheek to Cheek” dance, and pretty much everybody else tried to talk her out of it, but she refused to back down until they were all forced to concede. And she was correct, it looks incredible, although if you’re watching closely you can see some feathers falling off while she dances, which was the main objection to the dress. Fred Astaire was reportedly extremely annoyed about the flying feathers, although he betrays none of that to the audience, and afterwards gave Ginger the nickname “Feathers,” which he continued to call her for many years. My interpretation of this is that it started as kind of an insult when he was genuinely upset about the incident but evolved to become more of a term of endearment, although obviously I don’t know for sure. As far as I can tell, apart from the occasional disagreement, Fred and Ginger got along pretty well in real life, although the studio sometimes invented or exaggerated stories about them fighting to try to generate more buzz. Personally I don’t think that was necessary; their talent spoke for itself, and audiences would have flocked to their films whether or not there was conflict offscreen.

One thing that I don’t like about old movies is that in general, most of the people who worked on them were deceased before DVDs were invented, which means that the special features are often lacking. I have watched Top Hat with commentary, but it’s by a film historian and Fred Astaire’s daughter who was born after this movie was made. It’s mostly the historian talking, but every once in a while Astaire’s daughter shares a memory of her father, and every. single. time. the historian responds with, in the most patronizing tone of voice I’ve ever heard, “Thank you for telling us that” and I hate it so much. But one thing that I did learn from the commentary that I definitely wouldn’t have noticed if nobody had told me is that Lucille Ball makes a very small appearance in this movie as a worker at the flower shop in the London hotel. She has a couple of lines, but even though I’m used to watching her in Stage Door, which was only made two years after Top Hat, I absolutely would never have recognized her. So that’s kind of fun.

Now, when it comes to watching Top Hat from an aroace perspective, even I cannot deny that this movie in general, and the “Cheek to Cheek” number specifically, is extremely romantic. The main storyline is Jerry immediately falling for Dale and flirting with her until she falls for him, and then her attempting to suppress her feelings when she thinks he’s married to her best friend. But somehow, even watching it as a young teen who had no idea that I was aroace, this felt different from other romantic films I’d seen. I remember feeling irritated the first time I read a description of Fred and Ginger’s dancing as their version of making love because “ugh, why do people have to make everything about sex?” It took me a while to realize that not only is that an apt description, but it’s also part of what drew me to them in the first place. Because despite the way the terms “making love” and “being intimate” are now used almost exclusively as synonyms for “having sex,” they don’t necessarily have to be. There are other ways of experiencing and expressing love and intimacy besides sex. It’s just that our allonormative society puts sex on such a high pedestal and portrays it as the One True Form of Intimacy that all other forms are devalued to the point that often they feel barely worth mentioning. And I do feel like when some people talk about Fred and Ginger this way, what they’re implying is “Their dances were the Hays Code era version of sex scenes.” And, granted, it’s quite possible that that was the intent. But nothing about their dancing is inherently sexual, and yet, it would be hard to deny that it’s extremely intimate. So as someone who craves non-sexual intimacy, in a world where that concept almost seems oxymoronic, it’s so encouraging to see these characters express that. Of course, I don’t want exactly what they have – for one thing, I’m a terrible dancer, despite my one year of tap lessons in 2nd grade. And for another, what they have is way too romantic for me. But although I could never have articulated this at the time, just seeing this example of extreme intimacy coming in other, non-sexual forms as a young obliviously asexual person was so important. It gave me some armor against the onslaught of allo- and amatonormative messages implying that sexual relationships are inherently more valuable and valid than any other kind of relationship. Top Hat ends with the implication that Jerry and Dale are about to get married, so I guess we’re meant to infer that their relationship will eventually become sexual, but I don’t see how anyone could watch this movie and still think that a sexless marriage consisting of dance numbers like “Cheek to Cheek” would be any less valid than a sexual marriage. Like so many of my favorite movies, it’s not exactly ace representation, but it’s easy to imagine many of the characters in Top Hat as ace, and often that’s as good as it gets.

While the subtle and probably unintentional message that sex doesn’t have to be the end all be all is great, the main reason I love this movie is because it’s just a lot of fun to watch. I’ll be the first to admit that the plot is a little ridiculous and doesn’t make a ton of sense, but I also have to admire the lengths they go to in order to maintain the mistaken identity for so long. Like the part when the London hotel manager tells Dale that Horace Hardwick is the gentleman with the briefcase and cane on the mezzanine, and Horace steps behind a chandelier before Dale can see him, and while she’s trying to get closer, Jerry runs up to Horace and says that he has a phone call, and Horace hands Jerry his briefcase and cane and rushes off, so Dale will see Jerry alone holding a briefcase and cane and therefore still think he is Horace. Or when Horace just happens to be in the bathtub when Dale comes into their room in Italy. Or how Jerry tells Madge that he’s met Dale so she doesn’t think she needs to introduce him. It’s like simultaneously the most far-fetched, bizarre plot imaginable and also kind of brilliantly executed, and I love it for that. And even if the plot doesn’t work for you, this movie is still worth watching for its truly phenomenal dancing by one of the most iconic pairs in Hollywood history.

Thank you for listening to me discuss another of my most frequently rewatched films. When compiling this list, I was very surprised to discover that Fred Astaire would only appear in one film, since I consider him one of my faves, but I hope he would at least be happy to know that that one film is in my top five. Next week, I will be talking about another Old Hollywood musical that I watched two more times than Top Hat, for a total of 33 views, which stars a man who is often compared to Fred Astaire, although I feel like, apart from being dancers, they were very different. So stay tuned for that, and as always, I will leave you with a quote from that next movie: “I make more money than…than…than Calvin Coolidge! Put together!”

[walker-extended-universe]

This Old Song and Dance

Ship: August Walker/Sadie Yoo

Tags/Warnings: Wild West AU, Flirting, Social Expectations, Dancing, Piano

Summary: In which Sadie is a dancer, August plays the piano, and there's a routine they know all too well. It's a routine they perform every night, even when Sadie isn't onstage.

Written for @yeehawgust Week 3 Prompt 15: Desert Rose

Taglist: @ihavepointysticks, @theladywyn, @klaatu51, @itsjessiegirl1, @neptunium134

------

Sadie wasn’t sure if it was the wine or the full moon but the hotel was lively tonight and she and her dancers weren’t even on stage yet. “Got quite a crowd out there. Stay sharp, ladies.” There was a general “No Touching” rule in place but she knew very well how a little too much liquid courage could make even the finest member of the community forget his manners and the owner of the hotel wasn’t always inclined to step in. She double-checked where her knife was held in her garters and practiced her smile one last time before they were called out.

It was all the same song and dance. A full house of leering men that were perhaps a little too close for comfort. A jaunty tune on the piano to keep the energy up and the drinks flowing. Practiced choreography almost going to waste since the audience is just looking for a shoulder shake and a too-high flip of a skirt. 

And then it was time to mingle. None of the girls were expected to do anything, but men were more than happy to buy drinks for them. Sadie hated this part of the night the most. The wandering hands, the lingering looks, the unwanted advances…. If she could get away with stabbing a few eyes out, half the men in town would be blind. Instead, she smiled and counted the money she’d be getting on her next paycheck. Most men knew how to back off when her smile faded and her fingernails dug into their arm.

But there was always one.

“Don’t be shy, darlin’. Just one night.”

“No, I don’t do that sort of thing.”

“Oh, come now. I’ll make it worth your while.”

“She said no, Sean.”

Sadie couldn’t help but smirk a bit. August knew very well that she could take care of herself; all the girls could. But he always stepped in when the crowd got too rowdy, the men too demanding. It was sweet, if unnecessary.

Sean grumbled something about just asking and wandered to the other side of the bar. August turned to Sadie, face melting from stern to concerned. “Are you okay, Miss Yoo?”

She chuckled. “Just fine, Mister Walker. Say, when are we closing?”

“Another hour or two, Miss.”

This was another song and dance. August “rescuing” her when she didn’t ask, checking up on her periodically for the rest of the night, and closing up a little early if she asked so the girls could get home and Sadie could get comfortable. He didn’t own the place but his family was good friends with the owner, Ms. Broussard, so his word was as good as law whenever she wasn’t around (which was often at night). If Sadie took advantage of that every now and then, that was just compensation for poor working conditions.

After the hotel closed, Sadie changed into something more comfortable before going back downstairs for the next song and dance. A soft piano melody drifted up the stairwell and she practically danced to it on her way down. August’s main role was technically maintenance but he played the piano for their shows and he told her in secret one night that he had aspirations of being a “real musician”. Sometimes he shared his music with her. Sounded like it was one of those nights.

“That sounds new,” she said as she descended the last steps. “Something you’re working on?”

August glanced up from the keys, the lamplight just barely revealing his blush. “Uh, yeah. I- I got inspired recently….”

Sadie smiled and sat on the bench next to him. “Yeah? Inspired by what?”

He stopped playing just long enough to make a note on his sheet music. “You,” he said softly, voice almost covered by the scratch of pencil on paper.

“Mister Walker, are you telling me you wrote me a song?” she teased.

His blush darkened. “Well…yes.”

“What’s it called?”

“Uh…. My Desert Rose.”

“Poetic.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek. “Play it for me?”

He nodded, flipping back to the beginning of his sheet music and starting to play. Once he got past the first page, once he started to play confidently, she left his side and danced on the stage. Just for a moment, she let herself live in a world where this was the only song and dance she had a part to play in. Just her, her lover, and their music. No more leering outlaws, no more just scraping by, no more lingering stares from people who didn’t understand why a “good boy” like him would love a foreign outcast like her. Just them and the piano and her steps.

He came up to her room that night, and they danced to a different song until the light of dawn broke through her window.

[lgcmanager]

CRYSTALLIS MISSION 008

SCHEDULE TYPE: TRIMESTER ( PART 1 OUT OF 1 ) SCHEDULE RESTRICTIONS: cannot be paired with another trimester schedule, unless stated otherwise. for reference as to whether your muse is eligible for this event, please click over HERE.

with CRYSTALLIS preparing for their concert in saitama, YEWON, NAHEE, and EUNJO gather all of the CRYSTALLIS members together in the managers’ hotel suite. YEWON begins the meeting as she explains the current whereabouts for the past few hours since they arrived at saitama from the airport, “i know this is quite tiresome for all of you, but i just contacted the higher-ups earlier and they sent me your schedule for the upcoming weeks. fortunately there isn’t much seeing that we have this concert tour and individual activities to attend to, but there’s some exciting news to say the least.”

NEW GROUP POSITIONS & MUSIC CHARTS

as mentioned in the prior term, here are the confirmed group positions for CRYSTALLIS:

AHN JAEHWA: main vocalist, lead dancer

GONG HYEJOO: main vocalist, lead dancer

KIM YUJIN: lead rapper, lead vocalist

LIU YUXI: lead dancer, vocalist

MIN SOYOUN: main dancer, main vocalist

MOON SOMIN: main rapper, lead dancer, vocalist

SEO YURA: main dancer, lead vocalist

YAMASHITA ICHIKA: leader, lead rapper, vocalist

due to busy ooc schedules, here is a quick reference as to how the august comeback song(s) were ranked in the music charts ( based on the top 15 ):

AUGUST 22-27

3RD-4TH: DANCE ON | originally placed in 4th, then moved up by one by near the end of the week 

12TH: MY GOSH | originally placed in 30th then went up and stayed at 12th for the rest of the week

13TH: WOULD YOU RUN ( CRYSTALLIS VER. ) | originally placed in 25th then went up and stayed at 13th for the rest of the week

AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 3

2ND-3RD: DANCE ON | moved up to 2nd in hopes of winning 1st in THE SHOW and SHOW CHAMPION, but fell short. ended the week at 3rd place

12TH: MY GOSH | stayed in the same spot throughout the week

SEPTEMBER 5-10

3RD-4TH: DANCE ON | stayed in 3rd for most of the week until sunday, where it moved down by one

15TH: MY GOSH | moved down by three due to new (non-lgc) songs being released

as you may have noticed, “DANCE ON” didn’t receive any wins in this specific comeback but it maintained being in the top five for the three weeks!

YURA’S BIRTHDAY

“since YURA’s birthday falls on the same day as the concert in BANGKOK, YURA will be given a chance to interact with the fans through a youtube livestream. because there will be day two of the concert the next day, the livestream will be quite short. however, after the second day's concert ends, one of the managers will be treating you to a michelin star restaurant in bangkok. it’s up to YURA to decide which manager she would like to join this dinner with, but i personally suggest myself since i was the one who thought of the idea.” there was a smug look on YEWON’s face, which caused NAHEE to nudge her arm lightly for not letting it be fair for all of them. as for EUNJO, she still kept her stoic look as she watched the rest of the CRYSTALLIS members.

the solo birthday livestream will last around 20 minutes long and be filmed in the living room of the managers’ hotel suite while the rest of the members will be in their designated rooms.

LGC WEBTOON OST

YEWON then announces another small project, “it’s going to be announced soon that LGC’S WEBTOON — which originated as PROJECT ORIGIN, will now be an animation series! since all of your alter egos are a part of this universe, LGC has asked CRYSTALLIS to record two songs that will be part of their OST.” 

more details about the webtoon will be coming sometime around Q1 2024, but CRYSTALLIS will be recording two songs:

HEROINE

WELCOME TO MY WORLD

due to their busy schedules, this will be done whenever the girls have any free time and will be done in several separate recording sessions.

NEW MODELING ENDORSEMENT ( HAUSING COMPANY )

YEWON’s tone changes slightly as she addresses an issue that the managers have noticed in passing, “we’re aware of the bathroom situation that many of you seem to be struggling with since YUJIN and YUXI were added to the group.” she sighed before clarifying the issue for all of them. “you see, the company wanted to surprise you with renovated dorms while we were on this concert tour but things didn’t go as expected.” YEWON was unsure as to how to explain what really went on because to her, it was truly a lot to understand.

“long story short, the initial plan to have a renovated dorm was intercepted by some complications that would take a long time to plan and figure out. the silver lining to this is that coincidentally, CRYSTALLIS was offered a modeling gig from a housing company so now CRYSTALLIS has an endorsement with them!” YEWON smiled, hoping that the good news would be exciting for the members once the concert tour was done.

after their concert tour concludes, all of the CRYSTALLIS members will be packing up their belongings and headed to a new dorm that is still in seoul, but farther away than the rest of the LGC dorms. on NOVEMBER 20, the each of the girls will enter inside the new apartment and be filmed to get a genuine reaction of the place. at the front door of the apartment, there will be a table with a box inside of it. inside the box are eight strips of paper, each paper denoting which colored room they will be getting ( ROOM A / LAVENDER ROOM [ 1ST FLOOR ], ROOM B / SKY BLUE ROOM [ 2ND FLOOR ]. the colors of the room do not reflect the colors of the rooms, just the colors of the beds ). the CRYSTALLIS member will be randomly picking the strip and that will decide the room they will be staying in for the next few months.

for reference, here are the new room arrangements:

ROOM A / LAVENDER ROOM: AHN JAEHWA, LIU YUXI, KIM YUJIN, SEO YURA

ROOM B / SKY BLUE ROOM: GONG HYEJOO, MIN SOYOUN, MOON SOMIN, YAMASHITA ICHIKA

if you want a visualization of the room arrangement, it would be similar to THIS but there are two bunk beds instead. in total there would be 2 BATHROOMS, 2 BEDROOMS, and 2 KITCHENS in the apartment ( the second bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen would be on the floor above ). by the time all of the CRYSTALLIS members have entered and looked at the arrangements, they will be given some time to talk to the camera about what they like about the place, how they will decorate it, and their thoughts about their roommates.

for privacy reasons, the videos will be released AFTER their contract to stay in their new dorm arrangement ends and will serve as promotion for HAUSING COMPANY. overall, their contract will last for a year ( depending on various factors ) but they will not be staying in the same building during that period.

YEAR END CEREMONIES & PROJECT ???

year end ceremonies will be in a separate post and be revealed at a later time. near the end of the meeting, YEWON will inform the girls that during the week of DECEMBER 4, they will be having a special schedule, but not much is discussed about it except that for one of the days, they are expected to wake up at 3AM in the morning.

WRITING REQUIREMENTS

BIRTHDAY LIVESTREAM: write a 250+ word solo about the livestream for +5 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE ANYWHERE and +3 NOTORIETY ! ** only for YURA **

CRYSTALLIS x HAUSING COMPANY: write a 300+ word solo or a 4 replies ( minimum 8 lines ) thread with another CRYSTALLIS roommate about their reaction to the new dorms, how they’ll decorate the place, and/or their thoughts about their roommates. do note that the solo/thread will be aired when the video is released. completing this will earn you +5 MODELING, +5 VARIETY, and +7 NOTORIETY !

make sure to use the hashtag lgc:crystallismission for the task. you have until JANUARY 6, 2024 at 11:59PM EST to complete the requirements and validate your points. please submit the following form ONCE on the points blog.

MUSE NAME ∙ CRYSTALLIS MISSION 008 - BIRTHDAY LIVESTREAM: +5 ( skill points distribution ), +3 notoriety [ LINK ] ** only for yura ** - CRYSTALLIS X HAUSING COMPANY: +5 modeling, +5 variety, +7 notoriety [ LINK ]

[another-melomanie-blorbo]

Spark Gone AU

~~~~~~~~~~

Okay so I already have playlists for this AU well they're in progress and i already have an idea abt what it is and the design (im just not very artsy like that TvT)

ANYWAYSSSS

~~~~~~~~~~

Splinter and Draxum take care of the turtles but they're always fighting and the fights have even gotten physical before. All and all its not a very good environment.

As for the boys, they mostly live in the sewers but frequently go to Big Mama's hotel to escape it.

In this AU Mikey is no longer the sunshine character, as much as he would like to he just... isn't. Instead a girl named Vicki (my besties oc) is. She lives with her father and step-mother and has a good environment, however, every other week she goes to stay with her mom and step-dad which is not exactly a good environment.

Donnie is often getting in fights WITH his two dads. He's sick of it but at the same time doesn't care. Still, he gets in between them which hes never ended well. If he doesn't feel like getting in the fight Leo told him not to and he needed to heal he'll lock himself in his lab and work, ignoring it as much as he can.

Leo is still the medic, actually he's really good. That comes from practice though. He would/will patch up his dads and Donnie after their fights. Its would always be so brutal, he was glad they at least were good fighters, at the same time though he wished they wouldn't fight at all. When they start arguing he goes to the med bay and starts to prep wondering if it'll ever end.

Raph is the oldest and is normally taking care of his brothers, making sure they are fed, that the have clean clothes, etc., etc. He protects them, tries to keep them out of trouble. Raph normally stays im his room or with one of his brothers. When his dads start to fight he just tries to ignore it by meditating or training.

Mikey spends most his time out of the lair. In the Hidden City, Big Mama's hotel, New York City roof tops, anywhere that wasn't home. He hated when they fought and hated hearing it. When he's on roof tops he listens to music and sketch's. He used to dance and he was a beautiful dancer at that. When Splints and Draxum fight Mikey leaves the lair, if he can't leave then he goes to Donnie's lab with his headphones and turn the volume all the way up.

Mikey has also thrown away his ballet shoes and no longer dances, only he knows why.

The boys have gone to school before but are now home schooled. They went to April's school thanks to Big Mama giving them cloaking broaches.

VICKI! okay so she has step parents on both sides. She lives with her dad and step-mom which is a pretty good environment. Every other week she goes to her mom and step-dads, which is not. They are always drunk and fighting. When she meets the turtles shes like "okay if i can't fix my family i can try here" she pretty much gives them their spark back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OKAY so whadaya thiink~? honestly i kind like this one. IM EXCITED EEEEEEEE i wonder how it will turn out OH WELL :D.

[shop-korea]

10 Min | Sweaty Warm up to Burn Fat | Belly Fitness

MAIN - LIBRARY - WOW - AS - I

STOOD OUTSIDE - 2 LOCATIONS

FRONT - OF - AUTO - 2 DOORS IN

THEIR - MAIN - ENTRANCE - NOT

CROWDED - LIKE - THE - DAY THE

BLK - FEMALES - WERE - GOING 2

BOX - ME - BEAT - ME - KICK - ME

ALL - THOSE - BLK - FEMALES

WERE - GOING - 2 - STAB - ME

AFTER - 2 STEAL - MY THINGS

SUCCESS - IN - MIAMI - 4 - THE

MAJORITY - SHOWING US LIFE

IN - A - SPANISH - COUNTRY

EMOTIONAL - ABOUT - ALL

BODY - PARTS - BREASTS FL

SHOWING - THE - MOST AND

PRIDE - IN - BEING - BREASTY

NOT - 2 - BRIGHT - HUGE YES

PEOPLE - DRUNKS DANCERS

LOUD - MUSIC - AS - PEOPLE

KILL - THEY - CRY - THEN EAT

DRINK - TALK - THEN - DANCE

THE - NIGHT - THEN NEXT DAY

SMALL - POPULATIONS - THEY

ARE - NOT - GREAT IN SCHOOL

JUST - COUNTRIES - U - DON'T

RESIDE - IN - VISIT - BUT - YOU

KNOW - THERE - MUST - B YES

BETTER - MY - RESPONSE - IS

EUROPE - ESPECIALLY - THE

SMALLER - THE - BETTER - &

ESTABLISHED - ASIAN - YES

COUNTRIES - JUST - THESE

2 - PLACES - BOTH - AND WE

LIVE - LONGER - PREPARED

SPANISH - JUST - LIVE - EA

DAY - NO - PREPARATION AS

THEY - GET - THEIR - MEN - &

LOVE - MAKE PASSIONATELY

AND - THAT - UNTIL - THEY - R

OLD - ONLY - KIDS - WHEN ITS

NECESSARY - WHEN - THEY R

OLDER - BURST - OF - STRONG

RAIN - YESTERDAY - BUT - GOT

MY PACKAGES - GOOGLE MAP

WE - WANT - BETTER - WE WILL

HAVE THAT - WITH - HDG BANK

SATELLITE - SO - U - KNOW HOW

2 - GET - THERE - APPLE iPHONE

CYRUS - GIRL - IS - FLAKEY - GPS

DOESN'T - STAY - WITH - YOU - AT

ALL - AMAZON - PRIME - ALEXIS

IS - BETTER -APPLE - VOICE YES

ACTIVATION - NOT - THAT GREAT

4 - KATHY's - iPHONE HAS VOICE

BUT - MANY - FALSE - STARTS SO

AMAZON - ALEXIS - IS - BEST YES

SW 1 AV - ENDS - SO - FOUND - A

BRIT - AND - ASKED - SO - HE YES

LOOKED - AT - HIS - MOST LIKELY

T-MOBILE - I - DID - MENTION ITS

CLOSE - 2 - NOVOTEL - AND - HE

SAID - TURN - L - WHEN - U - SEE

NOVOTEL - THE - SAME - STREET

4 - I - MEMORIZED - STREET ADRS

1750 SW 1 AVE

BUT - IT - ENDED - WHAT - DO I DO

THUS - BETTER - INSTRUCTIONS

THERE - IS - ANOTHER - PUBLIX

LOOKS - LARGER - PARKING LOT

WHERE - THE - BRIT - MALE YES

MOST - LIKELY - CAME - FROM

THE - UNDERLINE - ALSO - YES

STRETCHES - OTHER - SIDE - OF

MIAMI - RIVER - THUS - FR - THE

9TH ST - PUBLIX - SMALLER YOU

GO - 2 - HAMILTON - SUITES AND

INN - BY - HILTON - SW 12 AV - YES

AFTER - COYO - TACO - VITAL HAI

PLACES - NEXT - STREET - THAT's

SW 13 AV - ON - SW 1 AV - TURN R

ON - L SIDE - SMALL - PATHWAY

TURN - L - ON - R SIDE - U - WILL

SEE - OTHER - LARGER - PUBLIX

PARKING - LOT - IN - FRONT BUT

R - SIDE - WHILE - WALKING YOU

SEE - END - OF - THE UNDERLINE

AFTER BRICKELL METROMOVER

STATION - SMALL - PATH - L SIDE

KEEP - WALKING - UNTIL - U - SEE

CORNER - HUGE - NOVOTEL - YES

THAT - SAME - STREET - IS AGAIN

SW 1 AV - KEEP - WALKING - LONG

WAY - BECAUSE - HOTELS - AS - U

SEE - THEN - HOMEWOOD SUITES

BY - HILTON - EXTREMELY - UGLY

LOBBY - GO - INSIDE - THAT DOOR

TALL - UNCOMFORTABLE - SEATS

LIKE - FAKE - BAMBOO - GO - YES

STRAIGHT INSIDE - DOORS 2 THE

ELEVATOR - 4 - THEIR - LOBBY IS

L SIDE - INSIDE - HUB LOCKER - &

CALLED - TRANSMISSION - ITS A

BLK - ONE - AND - THOUGH - NO

FREE - WI FI - KEEP - OPEN - THE

PAGE - WITH - QR CODE - 4 - THE

SCAN - BAR CODE - WORKS - YES

ONLY - ONE - LA FITNESS - DOES

NOT - WORK - PARKING - OF YES

HAMILTON - INN - THEIR - AREA

TURNS - OFF - DISAPPEARS THE

PAGE - OF - AMAZON - APP - NOT

SO - WITH - HOMEWOOD SUITES

PARKING - LOT - LOTS - OF BITES

FR - MOSQUITOS - BUT - SUITES

OF - HOMEWOOD - NICE - 2 RED

LEATHER - SEATS - 2 - ENJOY AS

U - DEAL - WITH - BOXES - ONCE

DONE - ENTER - L SIDE - 2 - THE

ELEVATORS - TRASH - ALSO - A

RECYCLING - BIN - 2 BINS - SO I

DELIGHTED - IN - THROWING &

AIR CONDITIONED - AFTER - ME

GOT - MY - PACKAGES - BY - YES

TYPING - NOS - BIT - BY - NASTY

MOSQUITOS - BECAUSE - HOURS

AGO - THE - REPEL - LOTION - AS

RAIN - POURED - MIGHTILY - FOR

I - GOT - MY - ROSS - DRESS - FOR

LESS - $7.99 - SEMI - AUTO - BLK

MINI - UMBRELLA - BEAUTIFUL 2

WELL - ALSO - GOT - FOLDABLE

PAIL - ENJOYED - BATHING - BUT

HAIR - WAS - DIFFICULT - 4 I HAVE

PURPLE - LOTS - OF - SO - HAIR

MOST - DIFFICULT - WILL - DO IT

DO - HAIR - AREA - OF - BACK - 4

TENT - DOING - PAIL - 4 - HAIR AT

BACK - NO - ONE - CAN - SEE ME

AT - THE - BACK - BENDING - FRM

TENT - SO - GROUND - FLOOR - 4

HAIR - BLEACHING - AGAIN I'M SO

EXCITED - FORGOT TODAY - MY

SOLAR - AND USB - LOTS - OF

PLUG - THUS - USING - TABLE

BOTH - PLUGS - ABOVE - AND

VERY - PLEASED - WITH - THE

BATTERY - FAN - IT - ALSO HAS

USB - CHARGING - SO MY NEW

SMALL - KEYBOARD - I'M - YES

CHARGING - WITH - THE BACK

LIT - CHANGES - COLORS NOT

I - CAN - CHOOSE - ONE - BUT

BEST - ONE - SO - FAR - EASY

2 - PAIR - I'M - STILL - LOOK'G

4 - BEST - EAR - PLUG - WITH

BLUETOOTH - BEST - DESIGN

BEST - I - CAN - CONTROL - 4

PHONE - ALSO - HARD 2 FIND

[pixoplanet]

It's December 8th, 🎙️📺🎥 Mister Show Business Day! On this day in 1925, the world's greatest entertainer, Sammy Davis Jr., was born in the Bronx, New York City. He spent most of his life in show business, excelling as a singer, dancer, comedian, actor, and musician. He starred in Hollywood, in Las Vegas, and on Broadway; on radio, on TV, and in the movies. He did it all – and against all odds.

As a Black Man, he had to fight discrimination and racism almost his entire life. As a child, his father and uncle protected him while they traveled and performed together as the Will Mastin Trio, but nobody could protect him when he was drafted into the Army. Being a slight man, he was often beaten up by bigger white soldiers and given the worst assignments by white officers. What saved him was his talent. He learned to disarm his aggressors by doing impersonations of Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, and Edward G. Robinson.

Even after Sammy became a full-fledged star in the 1950s, he was often not allowed to stay in the same hotel he was performing in – that is, until he and his larger-than-life personality joined the notorious Rat Pack with fellow-entertainer Frank Sinatra. Frank made sure that Sammy had no problem staying anywhere he wanted and going anywhere he wanted in Las Vegas until Sammy's stardom grew to superstar status. Then Vegas, New York, and LA threw their doors open to him on their own.

Sadly, cancer took Sammy from us on May 16th, 1990. Luckily for all of us, though, his amazing talents were recorded. We'll be able to watch and listen to him and enjoy him to our hearts' content. You always thought you'd live forever, Sammy, and you will. ☮️ R.I.P.… Jamiese of Pixoplanet 

[shellylynn89]

Minnesota Yacht Club Festival - July 19 & 20

Buckle up, this is gonna get long.

This was an exciting one to go to; it was the inaugural year of the festival, and just cool to have a solid festival that didn't require out of state travel. I was ready for a good time after the past 24 hours - a full day of work, followed by an evening 5 mile run (yes, the same one I skipped last summer's Fall Out Boy concert for!), driving for 2+ hours, only to arrive at our hotel shortly after midnight - in the early hours of the Microsoft outage. Cory & Tom kept me awake and distracted as we waited in the hotel lobby with a half dozen strangers, all exhausted and desperate for our pre-booked rooms. Nearly an hour later, we got to our room and went to bed. I barely slept.

Fueled by a Red Bull and an almond croissant from the Italian bakery down the block, we walked the mile or so to Harriet Island in the sun. While descending the massive staircases, we wondered how climbing back up them would feel at the end of the day.

Gully Boys, a local Twin Cities band (and the first act of the day) were starting their set on the main stage as we walked in. I liked their sound and anecdotes. We walked around a bit while they played; since it was a smaller festival with only 2 stages, you could hear the music throughout most of the grounds. Another local band, Harbor & Home played next on the other stage. They sounded great and had a good rapport with the crowd. We went to get food after their set, and ate delicious, enormous pieces of pizza in the grass while listening to Morgan Wade. We wandered around a bit more after eating, and I noticed a dragonfly sitting on the zipper of the crossbody bag I had on, just left of center over my stomach. I've seen people symbolize dragonflies as lost loved ones, and immediately wondered if this was my dad. The longer it stayed perched the more I felt certain, and nearly 5 minutes later when it flew away I felt a strange calm and comfort that stuck with me the rest of the day.

Shortly after 4pm, we refilled our water bottles and hit the porta potties for the last time until the end of the night and made our way back to the main stage, where Joan Jett and The Blackhearts would be playing at 4:40. Originally, we had planned to bounce back and forth between the two stages all day, but when the Black Crowes cancelled due to illness, we decided to just stay at the main stage through the evening; everyone else we were excited for on day 1 was playing there. I had seen Joan Jett and The Blackhearts once before, at Warped Tour in 2006. At that time, I was surprised to see such veterans on the lineup, but was thrilled to get the opportunity to see them. They played a great set, and Joan Jett sounded and looked fantastic. Eighteen summers later, it was a very similar experience. They sounded great (and Joan still looks fantastic), opening with Victim of Circumstance, then speeding into Cherry Bomb. Other than brief song introductions, they preferred rocketing from one song to the next with minimal bantering and interacting with the crowd. That made for a tight, energetic set with a lot of solid covers (Everyday People, Crimson & Clover, etc.). Of course, they closed with Bad Reputation, which feels even better to sing along to in a crowd full of people.

We stayed in the crowd after they left the stage, checking our phones and taking any opportunity to squeeze closer to the stage. We could hear the faint, vague sound of Durry playing at the opposite stage in the distance.

An hour later I felt a distinct energy shift, and Gwen Stefani pranced onstage singing The Sweet Escape, flanked by what felt like too many dancers for the stage. While I thought the last set was energetic, Gwen was radiating excitement. I grew up on No Doubt, learning all the words to Don't Speak and Just a Girl sometime in elementary school. I didn't love her solo work as much, but it's still plenty of fun. I went into the show expecting mostly solo songs, and was pleasantly surprised when she sang Sunday Morning second, followed by three more No Doubt songs in a row. Soon after, she surprised the crowd by bringing out Blake Shelton to sing their song Purple Irises together. It was sweet to see them together - him in an unassuming button down and jeans, her in a bizarre mess of blue plaid and fishnet - a seemingly random pairing that simultaneously looks completely right. The second half of her set was more dominated by her solo work (though by the end, it was a pretty even split between solo songs and No Doubt songs). She talked to the crowd about having family here - in Minneapolis, before correcting herself, "No, I know this is St. Paul! I know they're not the same!" The minor acknowledgement felt like she understood the area well enough to speak on it this way. She got offstage and reached over the barrier during Luxurious. It smelled like Victoria's Secret Love Spell and weed in the crowd. The vibes were immaculate. Gwen said, "This song was written back when I still lived in Anaheim, California, but I feel like this song is a little more relevant now" right before the band kicked in with the intro to Just a Girl. It felt cathartic to sing along in this specific moment in time and history. That was followed by Hollaback Girl, a perfect set closer, and a good shift from the anger that began bubbling up when I thought about how relevant Just a Girl really is.

At this point, I was grateful that The Black Crowes had to drop from the lineup. They were set to play on the opposite stage between Gwen Stefani and Alanis Morissette, and by this point we had worked our way up to having only a few people in front of us. While Alanis had not been as constant a music staple as No Doubt had been, Jagged Little Pill got me through some very difficult middle school years. This was easily the set I was most excited for out of the whole weekend.

To say the least, Alanis did not disappoint me. She opened with Hand In My Pocket, followed by Right Through You, two Jagged Little Pill classics. During the latter, the screen behind the stage showed statistics about abuse towards women. It was so fitting for the song, and while bleak, felt important and unsurprising to see in the context. A few songs later she sang Hands Clean, another dark song that I didn't fully understand when I was growing up, but obsessed over nonetheless. It always stuck with me in some way. It's one of those songs for me that will randomly pop in my head when I haven't heard it in a few years and I just feel like, I have to listen to this right now, and proceed to obsess over it again for three months before forgetting it again for three years. She continued through her set that was consistently peppered with songs from Jagged Little Pill (playing nearly the whole album by the end), and eventually hit Mary Jane. This was one that made me feel some way when I first heard it in the fifth grade. My excitement continued to get swallowed by emotion. She followed that with Perfect, a song I definitely listened to on repeat for probably hours on end in middle school, and I started crying like I did when I listened to it back then, screaming along to every word louder than I ever could in my childhood bedroom. Next, she brought her daughter & daughter's friend onstage to sing the first half of Ironic with her. It was very sweet. She made a perfect lyrical update I wasn't expecting - "it's like meeting the man of my dreams, then meeting his beautiful husband". My tears dried over the next few songs, and then I was screaming along in a whole different way to You Oughta Know. Alanis left the stage my mind blanked on anything she hadn't - but should've - done. How could she follow up You Oughta Know? But there's no way she's bailing with almost 10 minutes of set time left? A lone spotlight flicked on, shining on Alanis as a piano began playing the opening notes to Uninvited. Of course, how could I forget this song? Although I had been aware of her magnetic stage presence since Hand In My Pocket, the sparse lighting and accompaniment enhanced it to an overwhelming degree. The summer night bugs flocked under the light, buzzing around Alanis in a way that added to the already eerie atmosphere. Goosebumps covered my arms, I felt transfixed. As I wondered if we'd just get a one song encore, I heard the opening notes to Thank U, and immediately fell apart again. This is another song that pops in my head from time to time and results in a months-long obsession. How could I have forgotten it? I kept myself quiet long enough to record part of the song, and then let everything go. HOW 'BOUT UNABASHEDLY BAWLING YOUR EYES OUT? I had to catch my breath after the song was over. I'd never been so emotionally moved at a concert, which is saying a lot.

The crowd began to disperse and Cory, Tom and I started heading for the exit. They casually agreed that Alanis was "pretty awesome". I wiped my eyes and softly added, "I feel like I did some real inner child work in there." They nodded. We climbed the stairs to the bridge and headed back to the hotel, discussing the day we had and what we had to look forward to tomorrow. I honestly didn't even care, I got what I needed.

I didn't sleep, again, but was still riding high enough from the day before to handle it. We arrived a bit later than the day before, and didn't pay much attention to any act until Soul Asylum. I had been told they're terrible live, but we figured we might as well see them. As we listened to them, I didn't understand why I had been warned so heavily. Runaway Train was a great nostalgic moment. After their set, Tom and Cory agreed they sounded better than the last time they'd seen them. We made a game plan for the rest of the day as we ate sloppy (but delicious) tacos. The sun was hotter than the day before, and we breathed a sigh of relief everytime we felt it dip behind a cloud. We vaguely paid attention to Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue and Hippocampus before we worked our way into the crowd for The Offspring. They were the act I was most excited for that day, and Cory's pick for the whole weekend. Like Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, I saw them at Warped Tour long ago, and they're easily in my top 3 favorite Warped Tour sets. They've never been one of my favorite bands, but I've always liked them, and they left such a strong impression when I saw them before, I knew I was in for a good time. They opened strong with Come Out and Play, and I couldn't help but think of my dad. He would love this for me and would want to hear my stories after the fact. They continued into an energetic set full of hits (including my favorite, Want You Bad) and silly banter between Dexter and Noodles. "I've got a good feeling about this, I think this may just be one of the best shows we've ever had, I think that's gonna happen today...top 5, I don't know"

"This crowd has the potential to be the best thing that's happened to rock and roll ever!"

The crowd roared.

"That's quite a statement"

"I think it could happen with you guys!"

I enjoyed the hyperbole. A bunch of beach balls magically appeared bouncing over the crowd during Why Don't You Get A Job?, and they ultimately ended their set with Self Esteem. It was just as much fun as I had hoped (thankfully Cory felt the same).

After much debate, we left the crowd and walked to the outskirts of the other stage's crowd to see Gary Clark Jr. Cory and I had seen him before, at Lollapalooza in 2019 and we both certainly wanted to see him again. Tom was supposed to be with us in 2019, but had to back out last minute thanks to a rough appendectomy. He was torn - he wanted to see Gary Clark Jr., but also wanted to be close to the stage for Red Hot Chili Peppers, who played immediately after at the opposite stage. We ultimately stayed somewhere in between the stages, close enough to hear Gary Clark Jr. through a few killer guitar solos and the majority of his set before weaving our way back into RHCP's crowd 10 or so minutes before they started.

Of course, I grew up listening to Red Hot Chili Peppers, and have casually liked them, less with time as I learn more about the band themselves, honestly. Regardless, I knew they'd put on a fun show. At 8:58, I heard the music start and saw the lights pick up. Simultaneously I could still hear Gary Clark Jr. in the background, closing his set out with This Land - a powerful song about racism. Something about RHCP starting 2 minutes early and disrupting him (during that song, especially) left a bad taste in my mouth. I tried to brush it off like I tried to brush off how much Anthony Kiedis creeps me out - then he sprang out on stage in a fishnet shirt. Nope, couldn't brush off the creepiness. I was able to at least focus on what was in front of me and be in the moment enough to enjoy a well done show. After a little intro jam they got everyone going with Can't Stop, followed by Scar Tissue. Two nostalgic (albeit, for different times) favorites of mine. There were a few newer songs I didn't really know, but the trippy lighting and visuals on the screens were enough to keep my attention. Singing Californication at the top of my lungs felt good. By The Way hit me just right and I felt so grateful to be there. They left the stage after, only to come back for an encore of I Could Have Lied, and of course, Give It Away. I was impressed at Anthony Kiedis' ability to still sing it just right. It was the perfect, fun closer for the weekend.

We talked about our overall experience on the walk back to the hotel, all agreeing that the food options left a bit to be desired, and we heard the bathrooms got a bit dicey towards the end, but in total, pretty solid - especially for the first year of the event. We had each been most excited for different acts, and each of them being our respective favorites (Alanis for me, The Offspring for Cory, and Red Hot Chilli Peppers for Tom) by the end of the weekend. It was a satisfying end to a weekend that started so chaotically. I hope next year's lineup is just as good.

[nextwavefutures]

Putting on the style

Top Hat was Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers’ most successful film together. The dance sequences are outstanding, and it never takes itself too seriously. New post at Around the Edges.

Watching Top Hat (1935) for the umpteenth time is still a pleasure. It’s one of Fred Astaire’s 10 movies with Ginger Rogers, it is definitely one of his “black tie” movies, and it is notionally set in London and Venice. (Top Hat film poster. Public domain.) He’s a successful dancer opening a new show in London, and she is staying at the same upmarket hotel as he is. (More on that in a…

[sillyname30]

I just listened to the latest episode of and that's what you really missed on Glee and I must say I was surprised. It was actually good.

I expected it to be boring, because they talked a lot about the tour in the recap episodes and had an episode about the tour on Showmance, but it wasn't.

I expected a lot of complaining of how exhausted they were, but it was quite positve.

Kevin actually prepared for the episode. It had structure and Kevin put Jenna back on track when she jumped forward. I wish he would do that with the reccap episodes.

When they signed the contract for the pilot it had a record deal, a tour and six seasons in place. They signed it because they were young and stupid and broke. (I think it's pretty standard to sign the actors for several seasons so they have to stay if the show becomes a success)

Fox gave them 4 weeks to tour, but they needed 6 weeks to make a profite. The actors could decide if they wanted to go on tour. They all said yes, but weren't excited about it and didn't make much money from the tour.

The tour was really fun for most of it. Jenna wishes she could do it all over again with a different mind set. They were so tired and just wanted to go home and meet family and friends. They were grateful to be in a successful TV show, but everybody was worn out at and sometimes you can't recognize the privileges of the success.

After finishing the show, they had 3 days off, but they had to prepare to be away for six weeks. Their bags got picked up at the door and at the hotel room, they had a private plane and stayed at nice hotels.

They went to Vegas for rehearsals. Zach Woodlee and the back-up dancers were already there and had learned their own choreography and the tracks of the actors. Each actor got a dancer to teach them what to do during the show. It was easy to learn, because they knew the numbers and did them before on Glee.

The set list was set, but Ryan let them vote addional songs. It was Safety Dance, Friday and Single Ladies.

They had a friends and family show that was a dress rehearsal at the same time. It was still sloppy and they had to come in early the next day. Kevin's biggest problem was his nerves, but after a few shows they were in a flow. Doing the shows was fun, but all the stuff around it made them crazy.

Kevin said they were fans of the fans. They couldn't believe people were showing up to see them.

At the last show in Dublin they were doing whatever they wanted and everyone came out with weird hair and weird costumes. Kevin's dad was in the audience and he got the whole arena to sing Danny Boy.

Next week they talk about the Glee 3D concert movie.

[outandaboutnycmag]

4/10/23 O&A NYC MORE HARKNESS STORIES: Lawrence Leritz- I've Been Around

I’ve Been Around (Excerpt from upcoming book of the same name) By Lawrence Leritz I arrived in NYC on a Sunday afternoon during the intense summer heat of early July, 1974.  David Howard, co-director of Harkness House, recommended that I stay at The East End Hotel, a rundown boarding hotel on the East River near Harkness House, which was located on East 75th off Fifth Avenue.  Most of the dancers…