#Wagner Family Wines

[wine-porn]

California Bound

I tried Caymus’ new ‘California’ cab last night. It honestly wasn’t as bad as I expected. Oh it’s bad–don’t get me wrong–cloying and concentrated, the whole concept a burnt garish steroidal concoction with the complexity of an Old Fashioned. It feels like Paso had a love-child with Sonoma perhaps, with strong brush-strokes inside the lab. Still, it makes Bonanza taste like Togni. Funny: the ABV…

[octuscle]

A Night at the Opera

Ernest and Jasper were both no friends of the big appearance. Their parents had taught them from an early age to always appear far less than they were. The two had come to the opera by subway. That Ernest's velvet loafers cost more than a month's salary of most people around them, probably no one suspected here. The red carpet was laid out for the premiere in front of the Royal Opera. As Ernst and Jasper approached, a rapidly fading flurry of flashbulbs began. The two looked like stars. Flawless. Beautiful. Cultivated. But no one had a clue who they were. So the photographers pounced on the C-list couple, who were getting out of a presumably leased Bentley right behind them. Ernest raised an eyebrow, barely noticeable. Jasper smiled knowingly. The two politely accepted the program and went to Jasper's family box. They had made a generous donation over 200 years ago that enabled the laying of the building's foundation stone. And together with Ernest's grandmother, Jasper's father now ruled over the opera's patrons' association. It was not a problem if they were not recognized here.

During the first intermission, the two quickly agreed that it would be a wasted evening if they were to watch the opera to the end. The singers were mediocre, and the production tried to paper over logical gaps with crude, obscene provocation. Yes, Siegfried was certainly no easy opera. But they actually loved Wagner. But they wouldn't survive another three hours like that. Ending the evening with a glass of wine in front of the fireplace seemed considerably more appealing. They exchanged a few pleasantries with acquaintances of their parents, who were also waiting at the coat rack, and walked through the dusk towards the subway. And they were happy with their decision.

The subway wasn't particularly crowded: Jasper had bought a copy of the Times from a newspaper seller. Even though the premiere was still going on, there was already a scathing review of it in the arts section. Of course the critic was unfair and biased. But his style was delicious. Ernest hummed a bit of the overture's melody when a young man, who was the complete opposite of the two, stumbled over Ernest's legs on his way out the door. The boy was muscular, tattooed, and dressed to show off as much of the muscles and tattoos as possible. Definitely not their class. He swore and showed Ernest the middle finger. Ernest just smiled superiorly. And got the slime from the yob directly in the face. “Do you think you're better than me? Maybe. But not for much longer.” The yob laughed and jumped through the already closing doors onto the platform. Ernest wiped the slime from his cheek. Not all of it… A little bit had run into his mouth.

They got off at the next stop. Ernest's stomach growled. He asked if they could quickly get something from the supermarket on the way home. Jasper said that the fridge at home was well stocked, but he was happy to do it for me. Cumberland Food & Wine was really on the way and he could possibly get a bottle of red wine. While Jasper was scouring the shelves without finding anything he liked, Ernest filled his shopping basket with protein bars, chicken breasts, rice and eggs. When the two met at the checkout, Jasper looked at his husband questioningly. “I just felt like it,” answered Ernest. “Honey, anything you want!” answered Jasper.

Once they arrived home, Ernest immediately disappeared into the kitchen of their impressive apartment on Bryanston Square. By then, he had already eaten three protein bars. Jasper rolled his eyes and retreated to the library. He took a small glass of port and continued reading about the history of the Persian language. At least this way he would be able to end the evening with a little wit. He lost track of time and only woke up when he heard noises coming from the living room. Ernest had taken off his jacket and shirt and was eating a mountain of chicken breasts with egg rice at the coffee table, still wearing his trousers and undershirt. The TV was on. “What are you watching?” Jasper asked. With his mouth full, Ernest replied that it was the new season of “Made in Chelsea”. “You know, the stuff with Reza in it.” Jasper didn't know Reza. ‘The Reza from the gym. Reza Amiri-Garroussi!’ Ernest wiped his hands on his undershirt, pulled out his cell phone, opened Instagram and showed Jasper pictures of a young man. Jasper didn't even know Ernest had an Instagram account. ”Hot guy, honey! Do you know each other?” “Best bros!” Ernest smiled. Tonight had obviously not had a good influence on him. Whatever. Jasper was tired. He kissed his husband on the forehead and wished him good night.

The night had been wild. Ernest had come to bed at some point and had rammed his boner into Jasper's ass without much warning. This wasn't loving sex, it was fucking without any foreplay. Hot, animalistic. Uncharacteristic. But damn, once Ernest had filled his ass until the cum was dripping out of it, Jasper didn't care about any of that. He had never been fucked like that before. No wonder the rest of the night was full of wild dreams. When he woke up, Ernest was no longer in bed. The satin sheets needed urgent washing, with dried cum stains everywhere. Jasper went to the kitchen. Ernest had obviously already had breakfast; the pan for the omelette was in the sink, along with the dishes from dinner, and on the work surface was a thin layer of protein powder dust. Jasper felt somehow strange in the apartment. Something was weird. Did they always have such a monstrously large TV? And was that their furniture? It all looked so much like something from a furniture store. And not like design classics and antiques… “Bros, that's it for this morning! Good pump! Have a sick day!” The sound of the dumbbells hitting the floor showed that Ernie had finished his morning pump. According to the floor plan, their home gym was actually a children's room. What the hell would they need that for? Now it was the place where Ernie shot the videos for his YouTube channel.

Jasper was standing in the doorway. Ernie turned off the cameras and lights. Sweat glistened on his naked torso. Jasper's cock went up. Ernie turned around, saw the semi-erect cock and just grinned, “You dirty piece of shit! You know damn well we're out of time. Auditions are in an hour. And you should shower.” “Look who's talking!” Jasper replied. Ernie smelled his armpit. “That's the way it is, it's my trademark!” He put on a basketball jersey lying on the floor, grabbed Jasper's cock in passing and gave his friend a fleeting French kiss. Jasper knew that Ernie had rights. They had to leave in 20 minutes at the latest. Just enough time to jump in the shower and do a few pull-ups to pump up his muscles. He looked at himself in the mirror. Yes, he looked awesome!

“Love Island” could be Jaz's big breakthrough. At the audition, he was simply eye-catching as the incarnate bad boy. His snotty way of speaking and his arrogant, misogynistic macho appearance had convinced the producers that he could make it big in the trash reality soap. Sure, it sucked that his best buddy Ernie hadn't been taken on either. But Ernie was just already too popular. His fitness channel had tens of thousands of followers. And his appearance in the next season of “I'm a celebrity, get me out of here” was a done deal. If things went well for Jaz, he would follow in Ernie's footsteps next year.

Many bores from the educated middle class would probably look down on Ernie and Jaz with disgust and contempt. But hey, the two of them made good money, went to all the hot parties, and last weekend Bentley had even provided them with a shiny gold car for an Insta-story. The car had been pure porn. Surely everyone who stared at them with open eyes thought they were pop stars or something. It was only a matter of time before they became famous. They were young, sexy and camera-hungry. The future was wide open for guys like them.

[readyforthegarden]

Breakable Heaven - Part Eight

Pairing: Danny Wagner x Female Reader

Synopsis: Being the maid of honor in your best friends wedding is already stressful enough without the best man being the ex-boyfriend who tore your heart to shreds. Stumbling across a dating app with dates for hire, you take a chance, inviting a perfect stranger to pretend to be your boyfriend for the weeklong celebrations. But how long can the charade last when the champagne starts pouring and feelings start growing?

Warnings: drinking, swearing, arguing 18+ MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!

AN: I just want to say a big big big thank you to everyone who read this fic!! Thank you for the comments and tags, asks and reblogs and sometimes direct messages about it!! It means the world to me that so many people enjoyed it. This has been one of the most fun fics I've had the pleasure of writing, and I'm so happy it's resonated with others!! And an especially big thank you to @joshsindigostreak and @sinners-go-to-drink-the-wine for workshopping this with me months and months ago and hyping me up to write it, and helping me work through blocks and double checking my writing to make sure it makes sense. I love you both so SO much!!!! I'll be taking a little break from writing just to let the cup refill but I'll be back soon, I have a few projects in the works, so keep an eye out!!

P.S. stay tuned for the epilogue next wednesday!!

WC: 4455

You had come to bed only a short while after Danny had, quietly tucking yourself in next to him and pressing a chaste kiss to his shoulder before falling asleep. When you woke up, Danny was already gone from the room. You figured he was nervous to stand up in front of a new bunch of strangers and pretend he was a close friend of the groom. You gathered your things and made your way to the bridal suite, eager to start getting ready for the big day.

Entering Olivia’s room, you saw her sitting on the small loveseat, cooling eye patches resting above her cheeks as she sipped on a cup of tea. Her eyes met yours, and you rushed to sit beside her, seeing the tears shining in them.

“Hey, hey what’s wrong?” you gently took the teacup out of her hands, placing it on the table before taking her hands in yours. “Are you getting cold feet? Say the word, I can have us out of here in ten minutes.” Olivia shook her head, sniffling.

“No, no it’s not that.” she sighed. “I just was thinking how I never thought this day would happen.” she broke out into a smile. “How lucky I am to have family and friends here supporting us. How lucky I am to have you, especially.”

“Liv,”

“No, you have been the sister I’ve always wanted, that I begged my parents for when I was a kid and a lonely only child.” Olivia laughed. “I’m so happy that you’re going to be standing beside me through this.”

“Oh Liv,” you began to feel tears prick your own eyes. Letting go of her hands, you threw your arms around her, hugging your best friend so tightly. “I wouldn’t dare be anywhere else.” Olivia returned the hug, sniffling into your hair as the two of you embraced.

“Who knows, maybe in a few years, I’ll get to return the favor at your and Danny’s wedding.” she giggled, causing you to bite your lip to hold back a grin as you pulled back.

“It’s way too soon to think about that,” you laughed softly, looking down at your lap. To be honest, you had briefly entertained the thought. You blamed it on the festivities, but when you had been in the bath, listening to love songs, you couldn’t help but picture dancing with Danny at the reception to them, and then your bridesmaid dress slowly turned into a wedding dress. He held you the way he did in the ballroom, up on the stage, whispering sweet sentiments to you as you shared a first dance in front of family and friends.  

Olivia watched your face and leaned in, nudging your shoulder with hers. 

“When you know, you know.” she replied, a knowing tone in her voice. She reached out, touching the sapphire pendant you still wore. 

“Oh god, I forgot to take this off.” you reached up to take the necklace off, but Olivia stopped you. 

“No, keep it on today.” she instructed. “You’ll be my something blue.”

“It doesn’t go with my dress, Liv.” you protested softly, waiting for her to agree. Instead she took the small sapphire in her palm, smiling down at it. She glanced back up at you, a look in her eyes you couldn’t quite place. 

“It goes with you.” she responded, letting the pendant drop back to your chest. “Besides, I’m the bride. You have to do what I say.” Rolling your eyes you were interrupted from replying by the suite door opening and the rest of the bridesmaids spilling in, garment bags in hand, chattering excitedly. The makeup artists and hairstylists bustling in after them, beginning to set up for the long morning ahead.

Downstairs, in a room less buzzing, Danny sat with the groomsmen, watching the random soccer match that was on the television. Most of the morning was just hanging out for them, no primping and preening to go through. Danny almost felt out of place, usually his getting ready took a bit, making sure his stage outfit was right, getting some makeup put on his eyes, some rhinestones. He felt like he was going to be woefully unprepared. His legs crossed, his foot jiggled anxiously on his knee as he toyed with the phone in his hand.

He had booked a plane ticket early in the morning, while laying next to your sleeping body. The blue hour light seeping in behind the gauzy curtains on the window made you look almost angelic as you slept, your nose wrinkling while you dreamed. Danny hurt himself then, thinking of how he would wake up this early every morning if it meant watching you look so peaceful. But it wasn’t meant for him to do, you apparently still had feelings for Gavin, and the bastard probably wouldn’t even admire you that way. 

That’s what prompted him to grab his phone off the nightstand and book the flight home that evening. He thought about an earlier ticket, but if anything, Danny was a man of his word, and he couldn’t let Olivia and Mike down. He’d stay for the wedding, make it to the beginning of the reception, and then once he wouldn’t be missed, he could slip away and call a ride. He still hadn’t talked to Sam. Every time he thought about telling his best friend what happened, his stomach twisted. How could he confess to being so naive? And Sam had cheered him on it? The call to Sam would have to wait. At least until the airport before he boarded. Or maybe until tomorrow, after he took a cab home instead and wallowed in misery. 

This. This is exactly why Danny stopped dating seriously. The heartbreak was too much for him sometimes.

“Are you okay?” Mike rested a hand on Danny’s shoulder. “You look like you’re the one about to walk down the aisle.” the man nodded towards Danny’s bouncing foot, and Danny forced a smile.

“I’m okay,” Danny nodded. “I’m just still not feeling super great.” Mike withdrew his hand from Danny quickly with a grimace. 

“Okay well, I think Thomas has some Emergen-C or something, let’s get you some of that, and then just chill out for a while, and try not to get me sick before my honeymoon.” Danny chuckled slightly. 

“I’ll stay back, I promise.” and Danny did just that. He took the vitamin C drink mix from Thomas, and excused himself to go back to his room. He knew you’d be in the bridal suite all if not most of the day, so he took this opportunity to sip on the drink while packing his suitcase, making sure nothing was left behind. One of his sweaters was missing, and he searched all over his side of the room and the bathroom for it. He had almost given up, when he saw it peeking out of the closet on your side, the cream and black design beckoning him over. 

Taking it off the hanger, he held the soft material in his hands, smelling your lingering lavender and the scents of your perfume mixed with the faint hint of the bonfire from the campout. Memories of that trip started to spring up in his mind, and he quickly shut them down. He couldn’t think of weaving your braids out of your hair, or you sitting on his lap and drinking from his beer. He needed to build up that wall again, to keep himself protected.

“Wait until Danny sees you,” Olivia hummed as she watched the makeup artist put the final touches on your face. She had already been glammed up, her hair perfectly curled and cascading down her back. “He’s gonna fall over.”

“He’s probably too nervous about tripping or falling down the aisle.” you laughed, trying not to move too much. “I’m sure he’ll think it’s lovely after I’ve danced and sweat a bunch of it off.”

“If you sweat through this powder and setting spray, I’ll eat my hat,” the makeup artist joked. “And if that man doesn’t immediately say how gorgeous you look, I’ll come back and kick him in the shins.”

“You know what? Deal.” you giggled. You were antsy, you hadn’t seen Danny in action since dinner and all you wanted to do was wrap your arms around him and tell him everything that happened in the hallway. As you switched spots with Mila, taking her place in the chair in front of the hair stylist while she took yours at the makeup station. 

The bridesmaids were simple, a low chignon bun at the nape of your necks, softly curled tendrils framing your faces. The makeup was natural, a small iridescent shimmer across your lids to stand out, and a mauve lip to complement the deep olive green of your dresses. Olivia’s vision was stunning, and was coming together perfectly. 

You couldn’t wait to see Danny, his tan skin in the suit and matching green tie and pocket square. As one of the photographers traipsed around the room, snapping candid shots of the getting ready, you hoped that there would be some good pictures from the day and reception of you and him together, something to look back on from this moment in your relationship. 

Danny stood in a lineup of the groomsmen, his tie being fixed by Thomas before the young man stepped back into line himself, and they all stood together, arms around each other's shoulders, grinning for the camera. Danny found himself relieved that his profession had taught him to fake a smile in front of a camera. Though it wasn’t hard to be happy for Mike and share in his excitement to marry Olivia. The two were contagious in their happiness.

After a few more photo ops, it was time to head out to line up for the procession. Danny felt sick, nervous at the thought of seeing you, he could already hear your excited laugh out in the hallway as the wedding planner made sure Olivia was tucked out of sight of Mike. It was like the twist of a knife in his back. 

As the groomsmen filtered out of their room, you eagerly searched for Danny, seeing his curls a few inches above everyone else. Rushing over, you grinned up at him. 

“You look handsome as ever,” you smiled. Danny glanced down at you, giving you a tightlipped smile. Your face fell slightly, placing a hand on his arm. “Are you okay?” Danny took a deep breath.

“My stomach is just a little upset.” you nodded sympathetically. 

“I can run back to the bridal suite real fast, I think I have some antacids in my emergency bag.”

“No, it’s okay.” Danny shook his head. He folded his hands at his front as music started, signaling the beginning of the processional. “I think you need to go take your place with Thomas.” 

“Oh, okay.” you replied softly, feeling a bit hurt at how he brushed you off. You chalked it up to nerves again. “I’ll see you after the ceremony.” Danny just nodded, staring straight ahead as you moved away to the back of the line, where Thomas waited, crooked elbow ready to escort you. 

“Everything good?” he asked, seeing you looking a bit crestfallen.

“Yeah, just anxious to get going.” you answered, taking your bouquet from the planner. You saw Olivia leave her hiding spot, as Mike had already walked down the aisle, and stand with her dad behind you and Thomas. Watching their moment together made you teary eyed and you turned around quickly, refusing to cry already. “And that’s going to make me sob.”

“You and me both,” Thomas sniffled, wiping a tear from his eye. 

The wedding went off without a hitch, the ceremony as beautiful as it could ever be. Your eyes kept dragging away from Olivia and Mike to Danny, who seemed to be doing everything he could to avoid your gaze, only catching your eyes a few times before diverting them away. He did the same during photos in the courtyard, the vineyard and around the gazebo in the front of the estate. You hadn’t seen this side of Danny before, and it was beginning to perturb you. 

Danny slipped away just after dinner, excusing himself to the restroom after the speeches and just as the dance floor started to fill up. He made it back to the room, grabbing his suitcase and doing one last scan of the room before he stopped. Something told him to double check the drawer of his nightstand, and when he did, he found the caramel apple suckers he had bought a few days before. The ones that you told him in a tipsy lilt matched his eyes. Danny sniffled, taking the handful of candy and tossing it onto the bed, feeling angry at the whole situation. Taking the pad of paper out of the nightstand, he wrote a quick note to you, ripping it haphazardly off and tossing it with the candy.

As he left the room, he glanced back, vowing to leave the memories of what happened between you exactly in this place.

“Hey, have you seen Danny?” you were pacing through the dance floor, trying to find your date. Everyone you asked shook their heads, and you began to grow frustrated. What was with him today? The wedding was over, he didn’t have to be so anxious anymore. He should be here with you, relaxing and drinking tequila to celebrate the week was over.

You left the reception hall, going upstairs to see if he was back in your room. Maybe he was lying down with his stomach ache. When you entered the room, it was dark. Tiptoeing to the bedroom, you didn’t see anyone in bed. You flipped on the overhead light, looking around confusedly. Danny’s side of the room was spotless, as if he’d never been there. Suitcase gone. You walked towards the bed, seeing the bright green wrappers of the suckers and picking one up, remembering what you had said to him and smiling softly, before noticing the piece of paper.

‘I hope you have a wonderful life with Gavin. I’m sorry I wasn’t enough for you. - Danny’

Tears welled up in your eyes, and you turned, rushing out of the room as fast as possible. You tripped over the hem of your dress and on the stairs as your chest heaved with sobs you couldn’t quite let out as you ran. You entered the reception hall, a brief moment of insanity as you thought maybe it was a cruel joke, that he was playing with you and ready to party on the dance floor. But he wasn’t to be found. As you searched, Olivia caught your eyes from the edge of the dance floor, halting her movements and rushing over, Mike hot on her heels.

“Hey, hey what’s going on?” she asked, leaning in. “You look like someone kicked a puppy in front of you.” you stared at her, feeling every emotion from the week bubble up in your chest, before they started spilling out of you.

“Liv, I’m sorry,” you started crying. “I’m so, so sorry. I’ve lied to you this whole week. Danny isn’t my boyfriend, I met him on an app and I hired him to pretend so I didn’t have to face this alone. He’s not my real boyfriend, but maybe now he is,  everything is so fucked up I don’t know.” Olivia watched you crumble, reaching out to you and calling your name but you kept spilling your secret in front of her and Mike. “But now, now I’m pretty sure he’s the love of my life and he’s gone because of fucking Gavin!”

Olivia finally got a hold of you, stopping your rant and clasping your hand in hers, giving you a knowing look.

“I’ve known.” she shook her head. “There was no way you’d keep a man that fine and that amazing a secret. I knew if you were going to these lengths to keep from feeling awkward and alone this week, that it was just best to let you go and we’d talk about it later. But I got to watch as you and Danny fell in love with each other the whole time.” you sniffled, using the back of your clasped hand to wipe tears from your cheek. 

“I’m sorry I shouldn’t have lied.” you shook your head. Olivia just smiled and pulled you in for a hug. 

“You’re easy to forgive.” she murmured. “Now, what happened with Danny and Gavin?” you took the crumpled note in your other hand, unfolding it and showing it to her. Mike peeked over Olivia’s shoulder, reading Danny’s scrawled message.

“I didn’t want to start any trouble, so I didn’t say anything,” you took a shaky breath, trying to calm your tears. “But Gavin was still here last night, and grabbed me on the way to get the glue. He tried to kiss me in the hallway and begged for me back, but I slapped him.”

“Finally!” Olivia looked excited, then glanced back to the note, her smile falling. “Oh no, Danny,”

“I didn’t know until I saw that. I didn’t get a chance to talk to him.” your tears started up again. “And now he’s gone and I just…” you felt lost, the idea of a future without Danny too much to bear.

“I’ll get my keys.” Mike looked at you. “We’re going to find him.”

“What if he won’t talk to me?”

“If he won’t talk, then he’ll listen.” Olivia crumpled up the note in her hand. She grabbed yours again and started pulling you behind her, heading for the doors. 

“Liv, you guys can’t leave!” you protested. 

“It’s my wedding, I can do whatever I damn well please!” Olivia called over her shoulder. The two of you waited in the lobby anxiously while Mike ran up to their room to get the keys for his car. Every second felt like hours dragging on, and finally your impatience won out.

“I have to go, I can’t wait,” you let go of Olivia’s hand, gathering your skirt in your hand and running to the doors and down the steps. Danny could already have been at the airport, and running wouldn’t help get you to him any sooner, but your body needed to move. You could hear Olivia shouting at you to wait as you ran the best you could in your heels on the gravel drive. The warm lights strung up in all the trees illuminated the world around you in a soft glow, but you couldn’t stop and take in the beauty, all your legs could do was run.

The wind was cold against your tear streaked face, and you could feel your hair falling out of its low bun. Nothing mattered, nothing mattered at all until you could talk to Danny, sort out what happened, and tell him how you felt.

You’d made it down most of the driveway, coming to the gazebo where you’d all taken photos earlier that day. It was covered in lights, lit up and caught your attention in the dark of the property. You glanced toward it briefly, and ended up doing a double take. A tall figure was pacing inside it, causing you to come to a stop. You’d recognize that mop of curls anywhere. 

Your heart beat out of your chest, body now feeling like it was wading through sludge as you made your way over. Danny hadn’t noticed you yet, preoccupied with his phone. It wasn’t until you took the first step in your heel up on the wooden gazebo that he turned, almost jumping before he turned his face stoic, almost glaring at you. He was still in his suit from the wedding, his suitcase waiting next to him, presumably for a ride.

“Danny,” you breathed. Your entire body felt like it was trembling. Terrified at the idea that he wouldn’t listen, that this man you’d grown to love in such a short time would hate you for the rest of your lives over a misunderstanding. 

“Save it,” Danny shook his head. “I don’t need to hear it.”

“I just want to tell you-”

“I said I don’t need to hear it!” Danny moved away from you, causing the tears to well up in your eyes as he regarded you so harshly. “I hope you and Gavin have a wonderful, happy life together. Really, I mean it.”

“I’m not with Gavin!” you stomped your foot, feeling like a petulant child as you glowered up at Danny. Danny stared at you incredulously, stuffing his phone in his pocket and folding his arms over his chest.

“It didn’t look like that last night.” he shot back, clenching his jaw. 

“Gavin was drunk and he grabbed me in the hallway. He begged for me to come back and tried to kiss me, and I slapped him.” you defended yourself, hands shaking as you started to lay out your heart to him. 

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Danny asked.

“You didn’t give me the chance! Danny I don’t want Gavin, I don’t want anyone else but you.”

Danny swallowed roughly as his face softened and tears once again spilled down your cheeks. “Danny, I am so in love with you.”

It felt like it happened in slow motion, as Danny’s long legs closed the gap between the both of you and took your face in his hands, bringing your lips to his in a searing kiss. Your hands grabbed at his suit jacket, clutching the material for dear life as you felt your heart explode in your chest. His fingers tangled in your hair, causing what was left of the chignon bun at the nape of your neck to fall down into loose waves. When he pulled away, you opened your eyes, looking into his hazel ones that were shining and glimmering. 

“I fell in love with you the day we met,” Danny breathed against your lips. “I am so fucking in love with you, Honey.” he had tears in his eyes now, and you felt less silly as your lips broke out into a grin. Before you could help yourself, you let go of Danny’s suit jacket and tossed your arms around his neck, hopping up on your tiptoes and kissing him again as his hands found a home on your waist, pulling you into his body. The two of you reveled in your embrace and newly proclaimed feelings, feeling that insatiable urge from a few days before, but in a different way now. You didn’t want to go anywhere if Danny wasn’t going to be there too.

Hearing gravel fly, you broke away from Danny, seeing Mike’s car skid to a halt in the middle of the driveway. You lifted up a hand as Olivia got out of the car, beginning to bolt towards you. She paused, watching you and Danny carefully before Danny leaned down and placed another kiss to your lips. 

“I don’t know about you,” Olivia turned around, looking at Mike who was leaning on his arms on the roof of his car, watching with her. He looked at his new wife with a smile as Danny and you embraced in front of them. “But I hear wedding bells when I look at them.”

“I do too,” Mike agreed with a grin. They gave you both a few more moments before beckoning you over. “Sorry to interrupt, but we have a reception to attend, and some cake to eat.” Danny held the back door to the car open for you, helping you in and closing the door for you before jogging around and getting in next to you, leaning in and kissing your cheek as he got comfortable. 

“I brought this,” Olivia handed you your makeup bag, and you thanked her profusely. “Mike, watch the bumps, and go slow.” you touched up your makeup on the short ride back to the winery in the glow of a light up compact. Danny assisting and helping you put your eyeliner on, his hands a bit more steady than yours. 

Olivia and Mike were able to walk back into the reception, wolf whistles and smirks shot their way, which Olivia ate up. No one noticed you and Danny sliding back in a few moments later, or the grass stains on the hem of your dress, or the current state of your hair. You’d thought Danny would want to sit down, hash things out more, or at least eat that promised piece of cake, but instead he took your hand and pulled you out to the dance floor. 

Wrapping his arms around your waist, your bodies were flush to one another as Danny swayed you both, looking down at you like he’d never seen anything so amazing in his life. One of his hands left your waist and cupped your cheek, his thumb swiping the apple of it gently.

“I’m so sorry,” he murmured. “I shouldn’t have been so stupid.” shaking your head, you turned slightly, pressing your lips to the pad of his thumb before looking up at him. 

“It’s okay,” you gave him a soft smile. “It’s okay, we have a long flight back tomorrow so that we can talk everything out. For right now, I just want to be in your arms and enjoy the last of this little bubble we’re in.” Danny nodded with a small smile, tucking you in impossibly closer.

As he rested his chin on top of your head, you realized you didn’t need to worry about your future with him. Your ear on his chest, you could hear his strong heartbeat in a steady rhythm, and you knew you would follow that beat anywhere.

“What do you think, about stealing some cake, taking it up to our room, and eating it in bed in our pjs?” Danny murmured in your ear a little while later. Olivia and Mike had made their official departure to get some rest for the honeymoon and the party was starting to die down. Smiling up at him, you pressed a kiss to his lips quickly.

“Sounds like the best idea you’ve ever had.”

“No, the best idea was agreeing to be some girls date to her friends wedding.” Danny laughed as he led you to the cake table, grabbing a plate and handing it to you before finding a few other little desserts and piling them on the plates. 

“Mm, sounds like that was the best thing to ever happen to you,” you mused softly, watching his eyes glitter as he winked at you.

“Oh Honey, you have no idea.”

Taglist: (feel free to add yourself!)

@joshsindigostreak @sinners-go-to-drink-the-wine @ascendingtostardust @sammysprincess @sammykiszkamyass @belovedsamuel @sunfl0wer-power @indigo-starcatcher @sammyscherub @earthlysorrows @allieisacrybaby @losfacedevil @xserenax-13 @sarakay-gvf @shutupdevvie @myownparadise96 @watchingovergvff @gretavanfleetposts @josiee-gvf @joshkiszkatoothgap @madneedshelp @gardensgatedaisy @demonrat444 @dannyandthekiszkas @tearsofbri @paleshadow-ofadragon @happy-harpy-stuff @like-a-woman-in-a-dream @starshine-wagner @objectsinspvce @josh-iamyour-mama @mountain-in-springtime @cal-a-bungaa @capturethechaos @gvfpal

@allybjt @hippievanfleet @weightofbrokenbells @joshkiszkasbadussy @malany-gvf @ruby0antlers @samofthedawn @sacredjake @aim4thedoublee @diditallforyouu @gvfmarge @highladyofasgard @sammysvanfeet @gold-mines-melting @earthgrlsreasy @mountain-in-springtime @forcebond301 @stardust-and-shadows @llightmyllovee @gretavangroupie @comesofarsomehow @infinisonicosm @indigofallingsky @hellowgoodbye @hearts-hunger @fwzco @dharma-divine33 @lightsofthe-living-gvf @ascendingtothestarsasone @klarxtr @ofthecaravel @musicspeaks @radmads-gvf @the-starcatcher @shineforever19 @earthgrlsreasy @demonrat444 @misshunnybee @valleydollgvf @brookes-so-done @age0fwagner @amethystars @mindastreamofcolours @peaceloveunitygvf @gvfsstardust @imleavingyoufornewyork

[elektrischemaidchen]

Lisztober #31: The End of All Things

Chi po dir, com egli arde, è’n picciol foco.

The end is here. One last song. Does anyone actually have any idea how we ended up here, from ‘Zeitmaschine‘ on? No? Neither do we. But it was incredible fun. We laughed, we cried (I cried… a lot), we were sometimes without a plan and then again not...and now we're here, after 31 days… and it hurts to say goodbye, my darlings. It really does. Lisztober was pretty life-defining for 4 weeks. Energy-sapping. Motivating. And extremely beautiful.

55 pages of handwritten pages in my notebook (I always write everything by hand, it's a creative spleen, I'm superstitious), a total of 1:58 hours of music (Oh God!). And that's just the end product. You wouldn't believe how many night-overs we've spent...

And a broken box, a stinky studio (pizza boxes!), hoarseness (‘Sttttirrrb!’), 24 Liszt biographies, lots of coffee, lots of empty wine bottles and more cigarettes than I've ever smoked before (I promised Lacelove that I'd quit in November. Again.) For you, for Franz, for us. What a ride.

The bets are already on that I in particular will now fall into a deep hole of depression. To be honest: probably.

And I'll tell you when this moment will come: Tomorrow at the latest, when I have to stand in front of Franz Liszt's grave in Bayreuth and I'll almost certainly cry. Without a mask.  Franz and I, we have seen so much of each other this month,I won’t need any. And none of you want that on the video, believe me. If anyone is able see all the tension fall away from me, it's him. By the way, if you want me to bring him something from you, say something. I'd be happy to. He'll definitely get a candle and flowers.

What's left to say now? No more songs about Franz's terrible last days. About his funeral. About the Wagners. Just this: ‘Oh, lieb, so lang Du lieben kannst.’ Didn't you realise how tricky we handled the topic on Lisztober #6? That's why:

No Lisztober without Liebestraum No3. We're not peasants (after all). My shitty piano skills are hidden deep within this song. And I think you can even hear our relief and love here. We were exhausted. That‘s what Franz may have wanted too. To remember him as he was. With all his facets. Wild, beautiful, thoughtful, reverent and unique. Memento Mori.  And after 31 days with all the ups and downs, would I still make love to Franz Liszt as my first duty, if I had a time machine? More than ever, by God.

By the way, if anyone is interested in getting one or the other song (or all of them, you freaks! ;)), please write us a message and we'll send you a download link. (Funnily enough, ‘Ode an  den Moon’ is probably the most popular song so far, beyond tumblr...you guys have some weird kinks ;))

Finally, we would like to thank @franzliszt-official again for the great idea and the wonderful topics you brought to life with your post. (As already said, we are happy to show our appreciation! Say something! Or come and visit us! <3 You are now an honorary member of the Maidchen Squad!) This was your idea, your topics and you alone are to blame for the fact that we gladly escalated for you. Are you planning a whole Liszt-year in 2026? We‘ re in. Thank you also @chopinski-official for your kind words and that we were also allowed to give you some thirst as well ;)

Thanks to all the listeners who haven't switched off yet!

Thank you, Lacelove, who, despite her lack of understanding of my Liszt-Thirst, stoically went along with the biggest Maidchen project ever (!) without quitting. And she also finished the album in the meantime. You are the best! I love you!

But we would also like to thank our families, friends and fellow musicians who have stuck with us through all of this. It wasn't always easy for you. (And I vow to my boys that I will only be there for them at Bandcamp...even if I have to write a new press release in ‘Weimar style’ - that's what they call it now ;) - ) Some of our friends even thought Lisztomania was about listeria. Almost. ;)

And to finish off this already very long post:  The sole reason the Maidchen exist at all is to make like-minded people out there happy. To make them laugh. Or to hit the heart. We don't want to become famous or earn money with our music. Our real merit is that you are here with us.

And before I start weeping: Goodnight you princes (and Queens and non-binary Fairies) of Maine, you kings (and Queens and Non-binary Fairies) of New England. Thank you, tumblr! We are Elektrische Maidchen! Good night! (or good morning!) Time for Cognac.

See you tomorrow. In hell. Bayreuth.

Lyrics:

O lieb’, so lang du lieben kannst!/O love, as long as love you can,  O lieb’, so lang du lieben magst!/O love, as long as love you may,  Die Stunde kommt, die Stunde kommt,/The time will come, the time will come,  Wo du an Gräbern stehst und klagst!/When you will stand at the grave and mourn! Und sorge, daß dein Herze glüht/Be sure that your heart burns,  Und Liebe hegt und Liebe trägt,/And holds and keeps love Solang ihm noch ein ander Herz,/As long as another heart beats warmly In Liebe warm entgegenschlägt!/With its love for you Und wer dir seine Brust erschließt,/And if someone bears his soul to you O tu ihm, was du kannst, zulieb’!/Love him back as best you can  Und mach’ ihm jede Stunde froh,/Give his every hour joy,  Und mach ihm keine Stunde trüb!/Let him pass none in sorrow! Und hüte deine Zunge wohl,/And guard your words with care,  Bald ist ein böses Wort gesagt!/Lest harm flow from your lips! O Gott, es war nicht bös gemeint, -/Dear God, I meant no harm,  Der andre aber geht und klagt./But the loved one recoils and mourns.  O lieb’, solang du lieben kannst!/O love, love as long as you can! O lieb’, solang du lieben magst!/O love, love as long as you may! Die Stunde kommt, die Stunde kommt,/The time will come, the time will come, Wo du an Gräbern stehst und klagst!/When you will stand at the grave and mourn. Dann kniest du nieder an der Gruft/You will kneel alongside the grave Und birgst die Augen, trüb und naß,/And your eyes will be sorrowful and moist, – Sie sehn den andern nimmermehr -/– Never will you see the beloved again – Ins lange, feuchte Kirchhofsgras./Only the churchyard’s tall, wet grass. Und sprichst: O schau’ auf mich herab,/You will say: Look at me from below, Der hier an deinem Grabe weint!/I who mourn here alongside your grave! Vergib, daß ich gekränkt dich hab’/Forgive my slights! O Gott, es war nicht bös gemeint!/Dear God, I meant no harm! Er aber sieht und hört dich nicht,/Yet the beloved does not see or hear you, Kommt nicht, daß du ihn froh umfängst;/He lies beyond your comfort; Der Mund, der oft dich küßte, spricht/The lips you kissed so often speak Nie wieder: Ich vergab dir längst!/Not again: I forgave you long ago! Er tat’s, vergab dir lange schon,/Indeed, he did forgive you, Doch manche heiße Träne fiel/But tears he would freely shed, Um dich und um dein herbes Wort -/Over you and on your unthinking word – Doch still – er ruht, er ist am Ziel!/Quiet now! – he rests, he has passed. O lieb’, solang du lieben kannst!/O love, love as long as you can! O lieb’, solang du lieben magst!/O love, love as long as you may! Die Stunde kommt, die Stunde kommt,/The time will come, the time will come, Wo du an Gräbern stehst und klagst!/When you will stand at the grave and mourn. Danke, Franz, wo immer Du jetzt bist.  L’avantage des gens qui vous aiment, c’est qu’ils vous comprennent mieux que vous. Et s’ils ne vous comprennent pas vraiment, au moins ils vous aiment!!!!!!!!!

O lieb’, solang du lieben kannst!/O love, love as long as you can! O lieb’, solang du lieben magst!/O love, love as long as you may! Die Stunde kommt, die Stunde kommt,/The time will come, the time will come, Wo du an Gräbern stehst und klagst!/When you will stand at the grave...

[joshfuckingkiszka]

𝔎𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔬𝔣 𝔐𝔶 ℌ𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔱 - 𝔇ℜ𝔚

drw x f!reader

this one is sweet and I love it

warnings: mentions of sex and pessimism

THIS BLOG IS 18+ MINORS DNI

taylor's version masterpost

reputation masterpost

☮

I'm perfectly fine, I live on my own I made up my mind, I'm better off bein' alone

Was there something wrong with prioritizing work and school? In your mind, absolutely not. However, whenever you received another invitation to a high school friend’s wedding, it put a seed of doubt in your head. All of these acquaintances had met their true love in college, or high school, or, god forbid, middle school, and where were you? Studying. 

Everyone assured you that everyone blooms in their own time, and comparison is the thief of joy, blah, blah blah. You were only convinced to attend an outdoor wedding in the middle of June with the promise of an open bar and wedding cake. The dress was a mauve purple maxi dress, that compressed your body in a way that made you feel like a goddess (and was sure to make you sweat). The neckline sat below spaghetti straps and wasn’t incredibly showy, but to ensure respect, you wore a light gray shrug cardigan and paired the outfit with white satin pumps. Looking at your reflection instilled a bout of confidence, yet you sighed. What’s that saying? Always a wedding guest, never a bride, or something to that effect. 

The wedding was charming, if a little gauche. You and Caroline had maintained a friendship since Freshman year, where she met Todd, and that was it for the both of them. The ceremony was beautiful and the speeches given by their friends and family were tear jerking. You congratulated the happy couple then immediately made your way to the bar, where you ordered a strong enough cocktail to make you cough at the first sip. 

“Careful there,” a voice interrupted, “I do not know CPR.” 

“Don’t worry, if I stop breathing, let me.” The voice was silent. “Oh, that was a … weird thing to say, I’m sorry.” 

You turned, to make the apology more sincere, and quite enjoyed the view. He was a few inches over six feet, with a mane of dark, curly hair that fell just shy of his shoulders. He said something but your hearing was failing you at the moment. He bumped your shoulder in jest, a smirk shining on his lips. 

Late in the night, the city's asleep Your love is a secret I'm hoping, dreaming, dying to keep

A few weeks later, you would have thought you had known Danny your whole life. He certainly felt like he had been there forever, like a friend from Kindergarten you remember fondly, but whose name falls short. He was quick to introduce you to his friends and bandmates, who welcomed you with open arms. 

More than his presence, Danny was like no man you had ever met before. Although neither of you had thought to label what you were, his lips randomly spilled with “baby”s and “honey”s instead of your name, like they were your moniker.  It wasn’t until about a month after your meeting that Danny kissed you for the very first time. It felt so natural, like your lips were where his belonged, where they should stay forever and you would never need to breathe. 

In that moment, every quip or pessimistic remark you had made about love was proven wrong. You were wrong. Nothing ever was or would be more important than Daniel Wagner, and each kiss he continued to plant made you tipsier than any wine or liquor ever could. His hands grasped at your hips like you were the only thing stabilizing him to the earth, reaching into your soul and touching you where you had been so sure had disappeared. Screw anything you thought was worth anything, because this was worth everything, and his lips could have been coated in gold, they were so valuable. 

The opulence that his kiss instilled was just enough of a reason to agree to go with him on a weekend getaway. Of course, he asked, knowing your bag was already packed, and as soon as the “sure” left your lips, he was dragging you to his car. The drive to Gatlinburg wasn’t very long, but you would have given anything to make it longer, to hear his voice sing various 80s tunes, his fingers drumming along on the steering wheel. To have his hand extended over the console, waiting for yours, so he could kiss your knuckles.  

And you move to me like I'm a Motown beat And we rule the kingdom inside my room (inside my room, oh)

The weekend, too, passed quickly. You played board games with him in the warm glow of the fireplace, forced him to watch early 2000s rom-coms (and saw him tear up at Bridget Jones’s Diary), and laid with him under pale moonlight, between flannel bed sheets, listening to the thumping rhythm in his chest. It was almost musical. 

On Monday, you were back at work, aching to go back in time, for just a second, to relive those moments where it was just the two of you. That strange feeling in your chest made you nervous, in a good way. During his regular texts to you that day, Danny casually mentioned a house party one of his friends in another band was throwing, silently asking you to go with him. Of course you would, you would go anywhere with him. 

Your studious days in college didn’t allow much for parties, at all, really. You had managed to attend one that got shut down by the cops, in the first fifteen minutes of your attendance. That had been an omen to you, that you simply just were not meant to be a partier. Danny, oh, he was a natural, much like he was at everything else. You were giddy at the idea of the red plastic cup in your hand, like you were 16 again, and Danny just laughed and kissed your forehead. 

When it got too loud that Danny could no longer hear you, he gently grabbed your hand, leading you to a bedroom upstairs. 

Say you fancy me, not fancy stuff Baby, all at once, this is enough

“If you think I’m having sex with you in here-” 

“No!” He laughed, opening the window. The roof outside was relatively flat, easy enough to maintain sitting on it, and he climbed out. When he steadied himself, he held his hand out for you, and you couldn’t help but smile as you took it. 

As Danny held your body close to his, he pointed out different guests, and told you various pieces of gossip that he had heard. You’d laugh occasionally, but you couldn’t help but lose focus, keeping your gaze on him, but your mind on the thought of him. Finally, that Saturday, at 10:38 P.M., you realized that you were in love with Daniel Wagner. For the first time, you basked in it, let yourself absorb the warmth of sharing a heart with someone. All of the little things about Danny held your focus for longer than you could manage to comprehend. The slope of his nose, each curl in his hair, and those dark eyes, with hints of gold and mischief. 

“-I love you.” You hadn’t meant to interrupt him. But the smile on his face told you he didn’t really mind. 

“I love you too, baby.” He leaned in for a kiss, effectively sealing the deal. Danny owned you, but you owned him too.

And all at once, you are the one I have been waiting for King of my heart, body and soul, ooh whoa

〚taglist〛

gvf: @doodle417, @brokenbellz, @gretavanfleas, @pyrojoshy, @greta-van-chaos, @xserenax-13, @hayley1623, @kdarling1, @autumns30, @keighoe, @chalametpwk, @sammysvanfeet, @shawnsthighs, @gretavanbitches, @sammiejane22, @gretavanbestie, @jordierama, @alexxavicry, @spark-my-nature, @rainy-darling

danny: @loofypoofy

[ofthecaravel]

I'd Rather Be With You

Sequel to But You Look So Cool

Summary: Happy (????) Holidays!

Tags: Being home with your family for the holidays, The Twins conspiring, shame, doubt, arguing, Danny being a saint, NSFW at the very very end for like 2 secs

Words: 3k

A/N: Itty bitty holiday sequel to my most beloved! Wanted to touch more on Sam's family dynamic and what they've been up to since we left them. Thanks for reading MWAH

~~~

“Oh, my God, you were serious.”

“Did you think I was lying?”

“I mean, a little! Can you blame me?”

The Kiszka twins -home for the holidays, clutching wine glasses, and peeking around a doorway- were struggling to understand just what they were seeing. Not only had Sam brought someone home for Christmas (which is something they had never, ever expected from him, at least not in the state he’d been in for the past couple of years), but he had brought Danny Wagner. Danny fuckin’ Wagner, who stuck out in their collective consciousness for being a consistent presence during their Sunday school days and very briefly being the solitary member of their high school’s golf team. A nice, well adjusted boy with a nice, well adjusted family that he could easily be spending a much merrier Christmas Eve with. But here he was, laughing in the quiet living room of the Kiszka household and going through a photo album with Sam and their sister.  

“Crazy,” Jake murmured into a sip of his wine, shaking his head slightly as Josh nodded thoughtfully next to him. 

“It’s not like I’m mad he’s here,” Josh added, his eyebrows still high in surprise. “It’s just funny to see him next to Sam.”

They did admittedly look a little out of place nestled shoulder to shoulder. Danny’s smiling face was aglow with a wine drunk blush, snuggled up in a well fitting blue sweater and his hair tucked dotingly behind his ear. Sam, on the other hand, had his knees clad in oil stained mechanics pants and pulled up to his chin, looking not unlike an anxious pretzel as he chewed on his thumb and rested his head on Danny’s shoulder. 

“He pierced his ears,” Josh noted as he wiped some crumbs off the chest of his sweater. “Ya think Sam had something to do with that?”

“Definitely,” Jake smiled, his lips still stuck to the lip of his glass. “He probably did it for him. He’s gonna corrupt that sweet kid. Poor guy.”

“He’s been doing better,” Josh argued on behalf of his baby brother. “He’s got a job and his own place now. I swear Mom was gonna start charging him rent.”

“She would never,” Jake hummed, tuning in to the sound of their mother in the kitchen, talking to someone on the phone as dishes clinked in the sink. “He could crash the car into the house and she’d forgive him.”

“I guess the standards have been set pretty low,” Josh mumbled. Jake sighed a little and Josh cringed at his own words, slotting another cookie into his mouth and pulling out his phone.

He’d meant it as a joke, but it was still weird to even allude to everything that had gone down with their dad. It was hard to ignore, mostly when they were all together. It made it all the more obvious that someone was missing from the equation. Sure, he was a phone call away, but none of the siblings really wanted to talk to him. The twins were already graduating when their dad had been arrested, and they quickly escaped the immediate fallout with the titles of valedictorian, salutatorian, and two full ride scholarships that they rode the hell out of town. Ronnie had escaped into time with their mom and a myriad of friends to disappear in. And Sam…Sam had found his escape in means that only added to the fallout of the situation. 

So, yeah. The joke didn’t land. 

Especially during December. The family that used to fill their house simply didn’t bother to come by anymore, leaving only the immediate family to desperately try and revive a festive cheer that none of them really believed in anymore. Sam had barely attended the past few gatherings, and Jake and Josh had skipped them altogether under the pretense of their busy lives and jobs in Detroit. So imagine the oddity of having someone know all of the tension that would come with their awful little Christmas party and deciding to come anyway. 

“It’s just weird, dude,” Jake said plainly, finishing off his drink and setting it down loudly. “Kinda thought we’d be the ones bringing people home to try and fill the silence.”

“He’s making us look bad,” Josh chuckled, making a fond noise in response to seeing Danny give Sam a quick kiss to the forehead. “Look at that! What witchcraft has he been cooking up in his shitty little basement to swing that?”

“Love potions,” Jake responded in a silly voice and they both erupted into harmonizing giggles. 

The three on the couch looked up in confusion at them, which only made them laugh harder. Sam bristled instantly and Danny turned to see his eyes flicker with insecurity before glazing into a cold glinting squint.

“Shut the fuck up!” Sam barked, immediately (and correctly) assuming they were laughing at his expense.

“Sam!” their mom yelled from the kitchen, and Sam immediately closed his mouth and continued to glare stormily at his snorting brothers. 

“What’s funny?” Danny asked innocently, applying a gentle pressure to Sam’s shoulder with his own to try and calm him a little. Sam had been touchy for days leading up to this and Danny was honestly running out of ideas on how to soothe him.

“Nothing, nothing,” Jake said coolly, turning his back on them to return a bottle to their bar cart.

“He’s drunk,” Josh accused teasingly, exchanging an amused look with Danny that made Danny ease up ever so slightly.

“He’s an idiot,” Ronnie quipped, which Sam passionately nodded in agreement with. 

“You’re an idiot,” Jake retorted, his words carrying no bite as he and his sister traded mocking faces at each other while Danny watched with a shy smile. While the bickering continued, he looked over at Sam and melted a little at the sight. Around his siblings, Sam seemed smaller and softer than when he was trying to put on a suave front when he was on his own. Danny had obviously seen through that facade over a year ago, but Sam still attempted to carry himself with that same edge that Danny had fallen for but never really bought. However, in his childhood home surrounded by family and the ghosts of dynamics established long ago, there was no hiding for Sam. He was a little boy in a leather jacket being picked on lovingly by his big brothers and sister, and while Danny knew that Sam was going to be annoyed for the rest of the night, he really couldn’t help but find the whole scene adorable. 

“Danny is very tired and we are going to bed!” Sam finally shouted over his jabbering siblings, holding onto Danny’s arm and tugging to try and get him to his feet. 

“Aw, lame, Sam, come on!” Jake cackled while Danny gave Sam a look of confusion and amusement as they both stood up. “We were all gonna stay up until midnight and throw rocks at Santa’s sleigh.”

“I thought we were seducing him,” Josh complained, clearly much more into his idea. 

“Well, give him my number, then,” Sam countered. “Or throw a rock in my honor. I can’t be around you assholes for a minute longer.”

“That’s not very festive of you, Sammy,” Ronnie frowned, pulling on his sleeve as Sam attempted to shuffle Danny across the room almost as if he were a human shield. “Come on, stay.”

“I really am tired,” Danny said with remorse, giving all of Sam’s siblings a sincerely sympathetic smile. “But we’ll be up bright and early for presents, I promise.”

“You’re the sweetest, Danny,” Jake replied, clapping Danny on the back as they passed. “Don’t know why you bother with this street urchin.”

Sam rolled his eyes but Danny felt the genuine shiver of irritation from him as Josh and Ronnie hummed similar sentiments about Danny and Sam being…Danny and Sam.  

“Goodnight, you guys,” Danny bid them, giving a little wave as Sam practically dragged him up the stairs. 

--

They had all tossed him enthusiastic and properly festive goodnights as he chuckled and let himself get pulled along by Sam, who let out a frustrated sigh the second they were out of earshot. Danny only got a moment of appreciating the cute, vintage wallpaper of the hallway and the childhood photos hung up before Sam pulled him into his old bedroom and closed the door noisily behind them. Sam immediately collapsed face first into his pillow and let out a muffled groan while Danny cracked his neck and did a little perimeter walk of the room. He ghosted his fingers over posters ripped haphazardly out of magazines and Scotch taped to the wall and sun bleached science fair ribbons. Sam let out another noisy sigh while Danny continued to dote on every tchotchke and think with red cheeks about another time he’d surveyed Sam’s room while Sam vied for his attention. 

“They only razz you because they love you, baby,” Danny hummed, finally turning away from the sweetly dorky photos of Sam and his school peers to smile at Sam sprawled dramatically on his twin bed. 

“I wish they would do it in a way that didn’t remind me I’m such a fantastic fuck up,” Sam spat bitterly, flipping so he was staring up at the ceiling. His eyes were flat and dark in the way that Danny had seen for so many years and his heart fluttered sadly as he sat on the edge of the bed and put a reassuring hand on Sam’s cheek. Sam immediately let out a little huff and nuzzled against his palm.

“You’re really warm,” Danny noted simply as he felt the heat brewing on Sam’s skin.

“Yeah, ‘cause I’m fucking pissed off,” Sam muttered, rolling his eyes dismissively and shaking his head slightly as he stared at the wall and allowed Danny to swipe his thumb over his cheek and smooth his hair.

“You’re not a fuck up, Sam. I hate hearing you say that,” Danny assured Sam, using every ounce of sincerity in his body when he said it. Sam didn’t answer, simply continuing to chew on his lip and petulantly avoid eye contact. 

“Hey, can you look at me when I’m talking to you?” Danny asked sternly.

“Can you stop pretending like I’m some pathetic wimp fishing for a compliment?” Sam snapped, pulling Danny’s hand off of his face and rearranging himself again to stare into the expanse of the room. Danny recoiled slightly, unable to fend off the sting of Sam rejecting his kindness. But after a year of learning how to navigate Sam’s many tantrums and categorizing the roots of the meltdowns, he knew that Sam didn’t mean to hurt him. He never did. 

“Sammy,” Danny said softly, moving further onto the bed and tucking his feet under Sam’s legs. “I know you were really hesitant to come and do this at all.”

“They just make me so mad,” Sam whispered. “There’s just, like, this hole whenever we’re all together. Dad, I mean. His stupid choices and then, you know, my stupid choices. I don’t…I don’t want to be another empty space for them. And I feel like no matter what I do, I’m gonna be that.”

Danny couldn’t stand to give Sam his space for a second longer. He lowered himself to lay behind Sam and Sam immediately turned and buried his head into the crook of Danny’s neck, the both of them awkwardly entangling to keep Sam as close as possible to Danny’s chest while they clung together. There weren’t any tears from Sam, but Danny could feel the shudder in his thin chest as he fought to even out his breathing and calm down.

“And then,” Sam continued weakly, his voice high with emotion as he stumbled over his words frantically. “They’re giving me all that shit about how great you are and how you don’t belong with me. Like I don’t already know that. Fuck, Danny, I’m sorry but I agree with them. You deserve so much better than me and my-”

“Sam-”

“I’m serious, I swear I’m just waiting for you to wake up and realize I’m an asshole with-”

“Sam.” 

Sam, ever the obedient listener even in the midst of a full blown rant, cut himself off with a ragged exhale and pressed his mouth against Danny’s neck to silence himself. Danny held the back of his head and rested his lips right next to Sam’s ear, resisting the urge to nip his earlobe like he usually did when he was this close. 

“Sam,” Danny whispered, soft and smooth and steady. “You know I love you. You know I hate hearing you talk about yourself like this. I know you’ve had a lot of trouble coping with everything since your dad went away, and I know you made a lot of choices that you’re not proud of. But, I mean, you were a kid. A really hurt kid. And you’ve been trying so hard to change from the person you were and frankly, I can hardly believe you can’t see how much you’ve grown in this past year alone. You’re amazing.”

Sam sniffled slightly and burrowed up further against Danny. Danny smiled, his mind fuzzy with fondness as he thought about every instance that proved his own point. Sam, who quietly leafed through self help books rented from the library and wrote down all the tips and tricks he could because he was so determined to stop picking fights with anyone and everyone. Sam, who taught himself to cook with nothing but the cooking channel and the goal of having a new dish for Danny to try every week. Sam, who had worked infuriating shifts at the mechanics to pay for the lovingly hand picked presents for his family that now lay under the tree downstairs. Sam, who Danny loved more than anything.

“You should be with a good man,” Sam breathed, barely audible. “You’re gonna die wishing you hadn’t wasted so much time on me.”

“Good men die too,” Danny replied with a disbelieving laugh. “I’d rather be with you.”

Danny felt Sam’s lips smile slightly against his skin and he kissed his temple, still gently cupping the back of his silken head as his other hand absently doodled soothing shapes on the considerable curve of Sam’s back. If his hand dipped any lower, he’d be tracing the inky wings of the lower back tattoo Sam had surprised him with a few months back. Danny’s cheeks burned thinking about it for a moment too long and he channeled the warmth into pressing more kisses against Sam’s hair.

After a few minutes of silence, Sam pulled away just enough to look up at Danny through his starry lashes and give him a lovelorn smile. 

“Thank you,” Sam whispered sincerely, tucking a frizzy wave behind Danny’s ear with his deft calloused fingers. “I’m sorry for spinning out on you.”

“Family makes everybody crazy,” Danny shrugged, reaching up between them to lightly hold Sam’s chin with his thumb and forefinger. “And you never have to apologize. I’m happy to help.”

Danny tried and failed to smother his smile watching Sam’s pupils blow wide with affection as Danny kept a hold on his jaw. 

“I love you, Sammy,” Danny purred, teasingly brushing his nose against Sam’s. “And for the record, I have never once thought you were bad. You’re actually very, very good.”

“How good?” Sam asked bashfully, his lips parting to let out a shaky smiling breath as he playfully pressed his finger against Danny’s lip. If there was one thing Sam loved, it was hearing mountains and mountains of praise from Danny. And with all things considered, Danny figured he was owed it in.

“So good,” Danny grinned, tapping Sam’s nose. “You’ve always been so good for me, Sammy, right from the start. Such a good listener especially. So gentle and kind and nothing but good. And so, so pretty.”

“Now you’re just buttering me up,” Sam murmured with flushed cheeks, still staring unabashedly at Danny’s lips.

“I’m serious,” Danny rasped, his hand moving to properly cup Sam’s jaw with his fingers pressed right behind his ear. “If I had known how well you take direction, I probably would’ve started bossing you around a lot sooner.”

Sam’s eyes widened slightly and Danny knew he was teetering on the edge of falling deep into a sweet, needy headspace that he’d initially been shocked to uncover. But these days? He counted on it. 

“You want me to boss you around a little, baby?” Danny asked gently. “Do you want to forget your hard night and let me do the thinking for a little bit? And then you can wake up nice and happy on Christmas morning and open all the presents I got you. Does that sound good?”

“Yeah,” Sam breathed desperately. “Please.” 

Despite his impatience, he always knew what Danny wanted to hear from him.

“I didn’t even have to ask you to say please,” Danny delighted, finally giving Sam a kiss but pulling away far too quickly to whisper again. “You’re gonna have to be quiet, okay? I know that’s not your strong suit but we can’t have anyone hearing all your cute little noises.”

Sam nodded eagerly and, with both hands firmly planted on the sides of Danny’s head, pulled Danny into a much longer kiss that had Danny readjusting to pin Sam under him. Under any normal circumstance, Danny would’ve had Sam by the throat for grabbing him the way he did. He would’ve had him on his knees until there were tears in his eyes showing Danny how sorry he was for getting handsy without asking Danny first. But maybe Danny was feeling the holiday spirit a little more than usual and decided to show Sam some mercy. He’d bring it up later after Sam had the nice, black necktie Danny had gifted him as an early present wrapped around his wrists. 

“Love you,” Sam murmured dreamily against Danny’s lips as Danny put his weight on his knees and began moving his hands up to smooth over Sam’s chest and play with his waistband.

“Love you too,” Danny echoed with a mischievous smile. 

He didn’t give the chance for Sam to speak again before his palm muffled Sam’s chatty mouth and stifled his growls and whines until the first rose flush of dawn stretched over the newfallen snow and the lovesick boys tangled in a creaky little bed.

--

[beelxshartic]

Fancast ‧₊˚࿔ Agnieszka Wagner as ‧₊˚࿔ Saera Targaryen for Blood redder than wine · ⊰ Full work on AO3

· ⊰Ratings‧₊˚࿔ Explicit, 18+ · ⊰ tags‧₊˚࿔ First Meetings, Love and Envy at the same time, Is it an Arranged Marriage if Aemond is scheming his way into it? OC POV, Aemond POV, Smut with scheming, romance, mutual pining, · ⊰ Pairing‧₊˚࿔ Aemond "One-Eye" Targaryen/Original Female Character(s)

‧ ⊰ Summary ‧₊˚࿔ The granddaughter of Viserra Targaryen and daughter of King Viserys, is living peacefully away from Targaryen family feuds, hiding with House Redwyne. Along with the wine and with the words of her grandmother, who herself escaped an arranged marriage, Vereena Targaren soaks up the distrust of her own Targaryen kin. Vereena blissfully ignores the rest of her family, till Aemond Targaryen shows up in Arbor to force her family into an alliance with the greens, thus gaining two more dragons to their forces.

[gardensgatekeeper]

'Tis the Damn Season - Part 2

Pairing: Danny Wagner x Reader

Word Count: 2,078

Warnings: Fluff, angst, sadness, more fluff. As always, let me know if I missed any!

Broke my own heart writing this one :')

If you haven’t already, read part one

Bored was an understatement as you found yourself picking at your sweater while half listening to your family drag on about all the latest small-town gossip, the sole reason you left in the first place. You eventually wandered into the kitchen to get a refill of whatever would shut your brain off for at least five minutes. The holidays seemed to linger like bad perfume, and truthfully you wanted nothing more than to just pack up and drive back to the city but you know you’d never hear the end of it from your mom. And as much as you were highly considering bailing on Danny, something in your brain was screaming at you to hear him out.

You practically gulped down a glass of wine before beginning to refill the glass as your mom walked in. She sat her glass down beside yours, “Pour me one while you’re at it.” The two of you stood in silence as you sipped your drinks until you spoke up. “I saw Danny while I was out today.” You quietly said, as if trying not to let anyone else hear. Her eyes perked up as she turned towards you, waiting to hear the details of your encounter. “Oh?”

Though your mom could be a little perfunctory at times, she really was there for you when things were tough, especially the day Danny called things off. You recall the memory of you coming home with tears streaming down your face. She held you on the couch all night long, gently rocking you in her arms while whispering words of comfort until you eventually fell asleep. 

“He wants to talk.” You muttered out, your voice full of dread and anxiety. “Well, honey. I know you two didn’t end things on good terms but maybe it’ll be good for you. For both of you. You’re both adults now, you shouldn't keep holding onto the past.

You hated how much she was right but simply nodded in agreement. “Just don’t go in with any expectations. Be open minded and mind your tongue before you start jumping in with blame.”

You took a long sip of your wine before replying. “I know. But you know how hard I worked to put all this behind me, I’m worried about messing all that up.” She placed her hand over yours, gently rubbing it and offering a warm smile. “I know Y/N. But I also know that you’ve got a brain up there that will tell you exactly what to do. You’ve got this.”

Well shit, didn’t expect to start crying just yet.

“Thanks mom. I think I’m gonna go lay down for a bit. If I have to hear Grandma Jean talk about ‘this damn inflation’ one more time, I might actually go crazy.” She chuckled in response as you both exited the kitchen and parted ways. Crawling into your bed, you continued sipping your wine as you aimlessly scrolled social media. Your heart panged a bit as you saw your friends had taken a weekend trip to the mountains. Something you had been suggesting to them for weeks. So much for that.

Setting your phone on the nightstand, you chugged the rest of the liquid in your glass before grabbing a blanket and closing your eyes, letting sleep consume you, even if for just a few minutes.

---

Clink!

The sound woke you from your slumber. Confused, you rubbed the sleep from your eyes as you took in the now dark room. How long did you sleep for? You grabbed your phone and was slightly blinded by the brightness but managed to distinguish the time, 11:13pm.

Clink!

The same sound snapped you out of your thoughts as you turned to look for the source of the noise. It wasn’t until the third time that you realized it was coming from your window. Cautiously, you walked over and gasped at the sight.

There, Danny stood with several small rocks in his hands. You quickly opened the window and stuck your head out, the brisk air fully waking you up.

“Danny, what the hell are you doing?” You quietly yelled out. “Sorry, I figured you’d probably changed your number when you moved. Wasn’t sure how else to contact you.” He replied honestly, wiping his hands on his jeans after dropping the rest of the rocks back to the ground. You shook your head at his stubborn determination, something that used to drive you crazy. “Plus, if I remember correctly, you agreed.”

You were then met with his outstretched arm as both of you knew you’d need his help to climb out of the window that was just a touch too high off the ground. “C’mon, just like old times.” His smirk held the memories of the countless times he’d helped you sneak out of the house to go on these late night drives, something the both of you quickly made a habit of.

It had been years since you’d crawled through this window, yet you still found yourself doing the same maneuvers to twist your body through the opening. His hands quickly found their way to your hips, gently squeezing as he helped you down. When your feet finally touched the ground below, his hands didn’t leave your hips. You two locked eyes for a moment until he realized what he was doing, clearing his throat. “Sorry. Uh, shall we go?” You nodded as he led the way to his truck parked on the street in front of your house.

“Still driving that old thing?” You fake insulted, though mostly surprised that it was still running. “Gets me where I need to go. No need to get a new one when there’s nothing wrong with this one.” He grinned, giving an encouraging pat to the hood of the truck.

Like old times, he opened the passenger door for you and you muttered out a quiet thank you. You felt like you were transported back in time. Apart from the more worn leather seats, the interior of his truck looked virtually unchanged; the same beaded necklace still hung from his rear view mirror, but what surprised you the most was the little drummer rubber duck still perched up on the driver’s side dashboard. One of your nephews had given you the small toy years ago at their birthday party and naturally you gave it to Danny. You couldn’t believe he had kept it there after all these years.

Danny slid in the driver’s seat and cranked the truck to life before slowly pulling out of your neighborhood. For a while, the only sound was that from the radio, a familiar tune filling the slightly awkward silence. That was, until Danny spoke up again.

“So, how have things been? Big city girl now, huh?” He suddenly broke the silence. “Yeah uh, kind of a haste decision but I love it.” You replied. He took a deep breath before speaking again. “Was it because of me?”

“Danny, are we really gonna do this?” You sighed out, already starting to feel the rush of emotions come flooding back.

“Yes, Y/N. We are gonna do this. Because I fucked up, okay? I’m sor-.” Despite your mom’s words from earlier playing in your ear, you couldn't help the word vomit coming up.

“Are you though? Are you really Danny? Or are you just saying that? Because you weren’t there. You went away to college while I was left to pick up all the pieces. You have no idea the shit I went through because you decided to just give up on us.” The tears had long started falling down your face as you barely choked out the last few words.

He was silent, accepting your words as he knew you were right. ‘Danny you really hurt me. I couldn't escape it. Everything reminded me of you and it fucking hurt. Do you know how hard it was having everyone look at me like I was some pathetic little lost dog. You never even reached out.” You whispered, wiping the tears from your eyes.

He suddenly pulled off the road into a field that lined the backroads the two of you were traveling down. As he put the truck in park, he turned towards you before replying.

“Y/N I know and I swear to god if I could go back in time and change it, I would. I was so fucking stupid for ever letting you go. But by the time I realized it, it was too late and I was scared. Scared that you had moved on and found someone new. Scared that you wouldn’t feel the same way anymore. Scared that I had really lost you forever and that there was nothing I could do to fix it. Please believe me.” He reached his hand over to grab yours that rested in your lap.

“I love you so much Y/N. I never stopped loving you.” He spoke. You couldn't help the tears as they started flowing again, much harder than before. Danny suddenly released your hand, quickly exiting the truck and you watched in confusion as he walked over to your side, throwing the door open. He reached over your lap, unbuckling your seatbelt before gently guiding you out of the vehicle. He simply engulfed you in a hug and just held you as you continued to cry out. “I’m so sorry baby.” you could hear the sniffle in his own voice as the two of you just stood there embracing one another while the stars twinkled above.

A couple minutes later, you spoke up again. “I often wonder what my life would be like if things would have worked out. I wouldn’t be living in a city with my so-called friends. I’m pretty sure they don’t even like me. None of them can tell which smiles I’m faking like you could.” You replied honestly.

“You know. The only reason I ever come back here is because of you. I’m always hoping that one day you’ll be here. Looks like I finally got my wish.” He answered, slightly pulling back to look at you. Slowly at first to make sure it was okay, he began gently kissing away each individual tear that had fallen from your eyes, getting dangerously closer to your lips with every peck.

“Danny-” You whispered out. He pulled back once more, looking between your eyes once more for any sign to stop, but there was none. Leaning back in, he pressed a soft kiss to your lips. Though gentle at first, it quickly evolved into one with so much more passion and hunger, as if trying to make up for lost time. Trying to heal all the damage and hurt that he had caused. Despite not having done this in years, the two of you found your rhythm just like that. Like nothing had changed.

Before things could get too heated, he pulled back again. Confusion shot across your face as you immediately began to feel regret. But just as quickly, he sensed it and reassured you. “I don’t want to push things. I just got you back and I don’t want to lose you again. Not this time Y/N. Let’s just take it slow.” You were a little disappointed because his lips felt so perfect against yours but Danny was right.

He released your hand and grabbed the blanket you briefly remembered seeing folded up in the back before walking around to the back of the truck to open the tailgate. Nodding his head towards the bed of the truck, he held his hand out for yours. “C’mon, let's just watch the stars. I remember you used to love that.” You smiled as his hands found your hips once again to help you up before joining you.

There, the two of you sat together on the blanket, holding each other incredibly close like your lives depended on it. It wasn’t long before your eyes started feeling heavy and a yawn escaped your lips. Danny shifted a bit so you could lay more comfortably against his warm chest as he kept one arm around you while the other drew gentle patterns on your legs. The soft beat of his heart lulled your mind into a deep state of relaxation. Just before sleep consumed you, you felt him kiss the top of your head and could have sworn you heard him speak softly. “Still so perfect.”

✶ ✶ ✶

Taglist:

@jannysarcher @gretnavannfleet @bimbokiszka

[dxncingxnmyown]

OPEN (To members of the Wagner's/Bourbon families only) | Late Night at the Palace Courtyard | @francehqstarters

No silence is as deafening as the one that follows ear-splitting noise. After one year of what Javier would consider the worst year of his life, he has become an expert in orchestrating noise. He is never without the booming laughter of his sycophants, the melodious sound of musicians playing in his apartments, or the sound of his own voice (often beguiling the aforementioned with tales of his travels and debonair exploits). It helps in drowning out the louder noise, in his own head. The sounds that haunt him - his father's last words of wisdom, his mother's humming, Leana's letter when news of their alliance unraveled with the end of their betrothal. Each one, louder and louder, forcing Javier to turn up the noise.

But it is nearly four in the morning, and there is no noise left for Javier to cling onto. His fellow troublemakers are knocked out into a wine-induced slumber. The musicians have packed away their violins and flutes. And Javier? He is out of stories. All he can hear is his own thoughts, as sobriety rears its ugly head.

"I never understood philosophers." Javier announces, in lieu of a greeting to the family member that approaches. Gone is the swift smirk or booming voice. His face is twisted - unruly, tired, afraid. "Why would anyone purposefully think too long about their own existence? It is daming, and frankly... One wouldn't get out of bed in the morning, if one spent too long thinking of existence itself."

[guinevere--bach]

HAPPIESTPLACEHQ Task 2 - Music (part one)

Playlist you feel best describes your character

Angel - Massive Attack, Horace Andy

“You are my angel Come from way above To bring me love, to bring me love”

Where does true power come from? From a place of privilege and authority, or from a place of confidence and knowing that, from experience, one has the ability to get away with anything? Guinevere knew from quite an early age of her influence over others, how they would assume she was sweet and innocent just from her appearance. She has always wielded this power for her own gain, first for small favors as a form of experimentation, though later with the main purpose of escaping her family situation and find a new, greener place to set roots. After all, everyone wanted to help such an angelic being like young Guinevere. Most often than not, this help came in exchange for the promise of her love and attention, which she was happy to provide if that meant some sort of benefit for her. Here, power meant an apparently inexhaustible source of bargaining chips. She has always believed in the fairness of economics, after all. And if her steppingstones believed she was a godsend, a beautiful creature who would gift them with the promise of affection for a small price, then who was Guinevere to burst their bubble?

Deceive - ​trentemøller, Sune Rose Wagner

“I'll tell you why I love you How I deceive you How I trick you I'll tell you why I love you”

As much as the power of her beauty makes her proud, it is undeniable that there's also a dark undercurrent to it, in how much she feels she's constantly just putting a front when interacting with others. How much of who Guinevere is, is just a face she puts on, and how much of it is real? Who is the real Guinevere? A hungry, desperate little girl from Missouri? Or a confident, accomplished woman of the world? Why does she even do the things she does, now that she is comfortably settled, and has been so for a while? These questions would annoy anyone, but they specifically drive her mad. Maybe, in the end, it's just for fun; there is a delight, after all, in deceiving others, and knowing she's smarter than everyone else. Maybe it's just about stroking her ego, and making sure she always has the upper hand. But maybe, anyways, keeping this mask on at all times, even with the few actual personal relationships she has, isn't such a good idea as it seemed at the time.

I'll Be Your Woman - Michelle Gurevich

“I'll be the mirror where you are queen Your fellow magician of the waking dream Hung with a hammer and a glass of wine I'll be your woman and you can be mine”

Related to the previous song, there was a time (arguably, a time that hasn't ended) where Guinevere's main concern, regarding the act she put on, was to become whatever other people wanted of her. That could be a responsible, hardworking student, or a passionate, devoted lover, or a quiet, submissive partner, or a wild, fun-loving party girl. Even being someone who refused labels, who refused to be figured out or tied down, someone with depth, even that was a carefully balanced act. With time, Guinevere has found that acting like her own ideal self, regal, poised and self-reliant worked pretty well for her. People admired her, wanted to be her, and wanted her to like and appreciate them. Finding, over time, the person she wanted to be, and making her someone other people would also want her to be, was not particularly hard, especially as she settled over her younger years into someone who needed the social capital of dignity. What was hard, however, was keeping it up and making it seem natural, especially as her worst aspects (her resentment, her impatience, her inflexibility) it all came bubbling back up, more and more difficult to hide. Still, Guinevere has had plenty of practice, and plenty of reasons to keep it up.

Mad Woman - Sevdaliza

“I'm a lunatic I'm what God forbids A mad, mad woman”

Perhaps one of the few traits that remained consistent with Guinevere, her anger and easiness to provoke is something that she has grown to see as shameful. Pushing it down has been a lifelong work for her, making sure it was never even seen as a part of her. Instead, she tried to redirect it into a certain firmness and a cutthroat reputation that, indeed, has served her well as she ventured into business. Still, sometimes, when she's alone, when she knows nobody is looking at her, she allows this darker side to come out: smashing a dish and passing it for an accident, allowing herself one bloodcurdling scream in the woods, cursing out some random, unfortunate underling at her company, it all works as a momentary relief to the rage she feels every day, the furious dissatisfaction she still hasn't found a cure for. For what is the use for it, when one strives to perfection like she does? Wouldn't it be better to be more in control, to be proper, to not even have such a flaw? It certainly is nothing to be proud of, this weakness; and still Guinevere has some affection to this part of her personality, the one she can rely on being completely, unmistakably hers.

I Float Alone - Julee Cruise

“Now the night is falling You are gone Sad dreams blow through dark trees Love's gone wrong”

Guinevere is not a family woman. She checks on her sisters out of sheer politeness, and, of course, to remind them of her success and make sure they're still deeply envious. However, there was one sister she was close to, the one she actually considered her friend. Sophie, barely a year older than herself, was Guinevere's confidante, the one she knew she could trust with anything and receive nothing but understanding and support. Her sudden disappearance and presumed death hit her hard, harder than anything else she had felt in her young age. The uncertainty of her death made it even worse: who knew where she might be, if she were still alive? Who knew what might have happened to her? And, most of all, more than her concerns about her wellbeing, Guinevere felt the hollow, insistent pain of being truly alone for the first time in her life. They had used to talk so often about their dreams for when they left their little town, all their plans, what their life would look like... And now those shared dreams would never become reality.

Together - The xx

“A premonition of the words Come To me”

Sophie wasn't the only real loving relationship Guinevere has experienced. When she met Percy Madley, an artist from a wealthy family, she really believed she had found true love. Adoring, funny, passionate, he was everything she had even wanted in a partner. More than perfect in her eyes, more than just another fling, she didn't doubt for a second when he asked her to marry him. It was a real connection. Just one look, just one smile, that was all they needed to communicate with each other, as if their souls were one and the same. She became devoted, not out of a sense of obligation and pride, like with David, but out of genuine feelings of being comforted and loved by him. Nevermind that, for all his virtues, Percy wasn't exactly easy to live with; nevermind that all the signs of a tempestuous marriage were right there in the beginning of the relationship; nevermind that Percy's perfect understanding of Guinevere also meant that he clearly saw all her faults. Devotion was not enough. It became evident that their love, no matter how perfect, how complete, was not enough.

The Moth & The Flame - Les Deux Love Orchestra

“The moth don't care if the flame is real The flame and the moth got a sweetheart deal And nothing fuels a good flirtation Like need and anger and desperation”

At the end of the day, Guinevere doesn't know of a love in which she doesn't need to cling by her fingernails. All her relationships, whether fiery and passionate or cold and practical, were easy to acquire and difficult to maintain. The best relationships, the ones where she has felt the strongest emotions, the sort that satisfied her needs, were those where there had been a push and pull, a real effort to make it work. Between twisted mind games, promises of leaving at the next opportunity, partnerships of convenience and sudden and unwanted developing of real feelings, despite the compliments and the initial admiration her appearance garnered her, Guinevere has been told she was impossible to love more times that she can count. All she could do is hope to prove them wrong, to answer those claims with kisses and embraces, to eventually become cold again, angry again, and have to do it all again in some exhausting dance of disdain and desire.

No Ordinary Love - Sade

“I gave you all the love I got I gave you more than I could give Gave you love I gave you all that I have inside And you took my love You took my love”

Devotion has never really gotten her anywhere, Guinevere has concluded. That doesn't mean she hasn't tried, at least before the bitterness fully settled in. After all, at first, her romance with Percy in particular had felt so pure, it was hard not to become crazy about him. Many of his friends had laughed and said the relationship wouldn't last long, but they hadn't cared. To Percy and Guinevere, still called Lucy back then, all they needed was their love. But no matter how much she loved him, how much she excused his faults, his dismissal of her feelings, his condescending words, his growing contempt towards her, she kept her stance. This was different than with David, she told herself. This was real. This was worth fighting for. And most importantly, she could change Percy to become who she wanted him to be. She saw the potential in him, and recalled their happier days together. Soon, however, those memories weren't enough. And Guinevere had to make a choice.

Nothing's Gonna Hurt You Baby - Cigarettes After Sex

“Nothing's gonna hurt you baby As long as you're with me you'll be just fine Nothing's gonna hurt you baby Nothing's gonna take you from my side”

Despite all of Guinevere's posturing regarding love, the truth is that, even if subconsciously, there is still a glimmer of an old desire to have her own ideal love. Her previous marriages and romantic relationships have done nothing more than demonstrate why it was all a lie, but that doesn't refute the fact that, no matter how bitter she has become, Guinevere sometimes finds herself wondering what it would be like, finding someone with which she can feel as if she won't be judged, someone to care about and feel protective of. Her true love, one that won't become a sham like with David, won't rot like with Percy, won't become dull like with Phổ. It's a silly wish, she knows it, but one she still has despite knowing better. Assembled from her most cherished moments, those fantasies also remind her of all that she's lost, and what, most likely, she will never get back.

Love Saves The Day - Emily Wells

“I wanna go home, seeing is alright I'm just a fire, burn everything in sight I wanna go home, I wanna go out”

Guinevere swings between feeling empowered by her resilience and strength through her tragic marriages, and feeling like a child needing support and care. Most of all, she wants a place she can call home; whether that's with someone, or just a place where she feels safe, it is a feeling of nostalgia that she believes she will never go back to. Despite the hardships, it may be all about returning to her house in Missouri, with her competitive sisters and her inattentive mother; or it may be about the few moments in her relationships where she found some sort of comfort and shelter. It is a side of herself she hides quite flawlessly now, even more so than her loneliness and her rage. On her worst days, it feels like she is trapped in her new identity, inside Guinevere Bạch. What could becoming freely furious ever change about this inadequacy, what could a true lover do to reduce such a constant anguish? As with all the sides she hides, all those faults she has been trying to fix for decades, they might just be the most real features of herself: but this is the one that Guinevere denies the most, the one which brings her so much shame she can barely think about it. Better to pretend it doesn't exist, that such weakness is something she left behind years ago, something she can never concern herself with anymore.

[touyastearss]

Genshin Masterlist

Diluc

Summer Wine 

  Diluc x F!Reader, angst, fluff, smut, non-explicit smut, soft yandere, 

Itto

The Ghosties and the Ghoulies

  Itto x GN!Reader, fluff

Wagner

Perfect Little Family

 Wagner x F!Reader, smut, creep behaviour, age difference, DILF!wagner

Childe

"Lost, again?”

  Yandere!Childe x Reader, stalking, blood, violence

“You don’t need anyone but me”

 Yandere!Childe x F!Reader, smut, breeding, baby-trapping, kidnapping

Dottore

Doctor, Doctor (ft Pantalone)

  Dottore x F!Reader x Pantalone, threesome, smut, overstimulation, begging, medical kink/play

Pantalone

Doctor, Doctor (ft Dottore)

Dottore x F!Reader x Pantalone, threesome, smut, overstimulation, begging, medical kink/play

[wine-porn]

Rutherford Low

Of COURSE I had to get the Rutherford–but that’s as far as I am going to venture into a no-name discount bulk-wine swill. This one shows considerably better than the “Stag’s Leap” of a few days ago–but not much. Dark, pretty ruby in the glass with powerful legs. Musty and worn on the nose: a stagnant, slightly oxidized stew of smoky ripe fruit and decent floral textures aligned with copious…

[ammg-old2]

Yevgeny Prigozhin was born in Leningrad, now St Petersburg, in 1961, nine years after Putin. His father died when he was young; his mother worked in a hospital, Prigozhin has said. The young Prigozhin was sent to a sporting academy, where daily activities often involved hours of cross-country skiing.

He didn’t make the cut as a professional athlete, and after finishing school he fell in with a crowd of petty criminals. Court documents from 1981, seen by the Guardian and first reported on by the Russian investigative outlet Meduza, tell the story.

One evening in March 1980, during the dreary tail-end of Leonid Brezhnev’s rule over the Soviet Union, the 18-year-old Prigozhin and three friends left a St Petersburg cafe close to midnight and spotted a woman walking alone along the dark street.

One of Prigozhin’s buddies distracted the woman by asking for a cigarette. As she went to open her purse, Prigozhin materialised behind her and grabbed her neck, squeezing until she lost consciousness. Then, his friend slipped off her shoes while Prigozhin deftly removed her gold earrings and pocketed them. The quartet sprinted off, leaving the woman lying on the street.

It was one of many robberies that Prigozhin and his friends carried out in St Petersburg over a period of several months, the court found. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison, and spent the rest of the decade behind bars, missing the death of Brezhnev and Mikhail Gorbachev’s perestroika. He was released in 1990, as the Soviet Union was in its death throes. He returned to St Petersburg.

The city was on the brink of monumental transformation, with great riches awaiting those shrewd or violent enough to seize them. Prigozhin started out modestly, selling hotdogs. He mixed the mustard in the kitchen of his family apartment.

“We made $1,000 a month, which in rouble notes was a mountain; my mum could hardly count it all,” he told the St Petersburg news portal Gorod 812 in 2011, one of his only ever interviews.

But Prigozhin had his sights set higher than fast food, and he knew how to make the contacts he needed. “He always looked for people higher up to befriend. And he was good at it,” said the businessman who knew him in the 1990s.

Before long, Prigozhin owned a stake in a chain of supermarkets, and in 1995 he decided it was time to open a restaurant with his business partners. He found Tony Gear, a British hotel administrator who had previously worked at the Savoy in London and was now at one of St Petersburg’s few luxury hotels.

Prigozhin hired Gear to manage first a wine shop, then his new restaurant, the Old Customs House, on St Petersburg’s Vasilievsky Island.

Initially, the Old Customs House employed strippers as a way to drum up clientele, but soon word got out that the food was excellent, and the strippers were dismissed. Gear focused on marketing the eatery as the most refined place to eat in a city that was only just discovering fine dining. Pop stars and businessmen liked to eat there, as did St Petersburg’s mayor, Anatoly Sobchak, who sometimes came with his deputy, Vladimir Putin.

Gear, who still lives in St Petersburg, declined an interview request. He has previously expressed admiration for Prigozhin but described him as a “very strict” boss, who would even use a special light projector to look for dust under tables each morning, to check the cleaners had worked properly.

Back in the 1990s, Prigozhin did not mention in conversation that he had spent a decade in prison, those who knew him say. He turned on the charm to make the acquaintance of his new high-flying customers.

“He can adapt to please any person if he needs something from them. That is definitely one of his talents,” said the businessman who knew him at the time.

In one of post-Soviet Russia’s more unusual friendships, Prigozhin struck up a camaraderie with the famous cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, who had emigrated from the Soviet Union in the 1970s.

When Rostropovich hosted the queen of Spain at his St Petersburg home in 2001, Prigozhin provided the catering. Rostropovich even invited Prigozhin and his wife to a gala concert at the Barbican, part of the London celebrations of his 75th birthday in 2002, according to London Symphony Orchestra records of the invitation list for the event.

By that time, Putin had become Russia’s president. During the early years of his rule, Putin often liked to meet foreign dignitaries in his home town, and he sometimes took them to the Old Customs House or to New Island, a boat Prigozhin had turned into a floating restaurant.

Going back over photos of Putin’s official engagements from the period is like playing a game of Where’s Yevgeny, with frequent sightings of Prigozhin in the background, unsmiling and unobtrusive. Here he is lurking behind the table as Putin dines with George Bush; there he is hovering behind Prince Charles at a 2003 reception in St Petersburg’s Hermitage museum.

“Putin saw that I wasn’t above bringing the plates myself,” Prigozhin has said. It was the start of a relationship with the Russian president that would grow and metastasise in unexpected ways.

[readyforthegarden]

Merry Christmas Darling - J.T.K.

Synopsis: A classic, family-filled Christmas with the Kiszkas and Wagners. Good food, strong drinks, and tons of holiday cheer, kisses and snuggles and a special heartfelt gift.

WC: 2616

Warnings: Slight inference to dirty talk, but it's a brief moment! Just more holiday fluff with our favorite guitarist!

A/N: This was my favorite holiday fic to write, so I saved it for last. I hope you all have enjoyed our little festive times together and I wish all my friends and followers a Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! Another special thank you to @lunaindigoraven for always being a sounding board for the ideas and just being the best bestie in general ilysm!!!!! 💖💖💖 Happy Holiday’s yall!

Taglist

Josh’s Holiday Fic // Sam’s Holiday Fic // Danny’s Holiday Fic

🎄🎄🎄

"Can I please come in?" Jake whined from outside the bedroom door. He'd been antsy all day, knowing that you were wrapping presents and his was included in the pile. You took a sip of wine from your glass as your cheesy holiday romance movie played on your laptop at the foot of the bed, raising an eyebrow at the door. "Come on, I really need to grab something!"

"Like what?" you slid off the edge of the bed, making sure to cover the unwrapped presents with a throw blanket before opening the bedroom door just enough to see his face. He hesitated, and you could tell by his blank stare he was trying to think of an object he desperately needed from the bedroom.

"Uh....um..." Jake stammered, floundering in front of you. You chuckled and rolled your eyes.

"Your spare guitar strings are down in the studio, your charger is where you left it last night, plugged in by the recliner, and you don't even use a hairbrush so don't even ask for one." you watched his mouth fall open, and you reached out and gently tapped his chin upwards to close it for him.

"That's rude." he mumbled.

"You're not seeing your gifts until everyone is here and opening presents. Together." you shot him a look. Jake smirked.

"Oh, so there's more than one?" you sighed irritatedly and reached your arm out, shoving him lightly and away from the door as he tried to peek over your shoulders.

"You'll never find out if you keep being naughty." you chided. Jake's smirk grew even wider as he closed the space between you.

"I don't mind missing out on presents if we're talking about being naughty, darlin'." Jake's warm breath cascaded over your lips as his arms wound around your waist.

"Mm, but I think Santa has a really, really nice gift for me this year, I'd hate to do anything so close to Christmas that he won't come." you pouted, twisting a small lock of his hair around your index finger.

"Oh Santa's gonna come alright." Jake's voice was low and you laughed, pulling yourself from his arms and nudging him back in the hallway.

"Not if his little helper doesn't leave me alone!" and with that you closed the bedroom door, leaving him pouting on the other side. After a few moments, you heard him mutter as he walked away.

"'m not little." you giggled to yourself as he shuffled away, dragging his feet on the carpeting of the hallway floors while he retreated. When you were absolutely sure he was gone, you moved the throw blanket from the pile and dig through gently, finding the small bag with Jake’s present inside. It was something you’d found by chance one day during the summer, scouring an old bookstore on a girls trip to the east coast. You reached into the bag and gingerly lifted the old book from it, your hand running over the weathered cover with a soft smile.

It wasn’t quite a first edition by any means, but it was an early 1900s edition of the novel Treasure Island. Everyone knew Jake had a fascination with pirates. One of your first date nights, well, weekends, was marathoning all of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. You thought it was cute, and even enjoyed when he’d slip into a rough, pirate voice every so often when tipsy. You hadn’t planned on his gift being pirate themed. In fact you were honestly puzzled on what to possibly get a man who has traveled the world over again. But when you came across this novel, your heart leapt into your throat and his name fell from your lips as you reached for it on the shelf. It was meant to be his.

You gently wrapped a few protective layers of tissue paper around it before wrapping it in festive paper, taking your time to make sure the creases and folds were perfect and tidy. You wrote his name on the tag and tied it to the velvet red ribbon you encased the gift in, smiling at your handiwork. Now that his gift was taken care of, you set to work finishing the rest of the families gifts, making sure to put just as much love and care into wrapping theirs as you did Jake’s. You didn't realize how much time had passed as you were busy making holiday magic, but the smell of garlic and onion wafted up the stairs into the bedroom and surrounded you, making your mouth water. You piled the wrapped gifts into the laundry basket next to the bed and lifted it onto your hip, excitedly opening up the door and bounding down the stairs. Your dropped the basket in the living room next to the large, ornate Christmas tree before skidding into the kitchen, where Jake was working away at the stove and counter.

"Something smells so good!" you praised as you came up behind him, peeking over his shoulder as he gently bubbling butter in a pan. "Onions?"

"Shallots, love, please." Jake chuckled, feigning offense. "We're not animals." you giggled under your breath, pressing a kiss to his cheek and looking at the puff pastry lining a baking sheet in a triangle. “Gonna make it look like a Christmas tree, and cut the sides and twist it.”

“That’ll be really cute!” you hopped up onto the counter. "Need any help?" Jake glanced over to you as you gently kicked your feet agains the cupboard beneath you.

"Mm, just your company is all I need for now." he smiled softly before adding spinach and cream cheese to the mixture on a lower heat, stirring in small bits of artichoke hearts and letting it all meld and cook together. "I'm excited for everyone to get here."

"Me too!" you grinned. "Last year with my family was fun, but I won't lie, I really missed your family party." Jake grinned wider at your admission.

"Your family was fun, too...but everyone was in bed by ten-thirty." he grimaced. You bit your lip nodded in slight shame.

"Everyone is older." you shrugged. "I'm the oopsie-baby, they didn't plan on having me near their forties."

"Hey, you're the best oops to ever have happened." Jake gave you a pointed look. He knew sometimes you felt insecure and sensitive about how old your family was compared to his, and that your parents, while making well-meaning jokes, reminded you that you were never planned. Jake shut off the burner and moved the pan to a cool one before coming and standing between your legs, resting his hands on your thighs. "You're the best thing to ever happen in my life."

"Not the band and the fame and money and screaming fans?" you joked, toying with the cord strand of his necklace as you tried to hide your face and the teasing smile upon it. Jake brushed the stray pieces of hair back from your cheeks and held your face gently, making you hold eye contact with him.

"Not even any of that comes close." he murmured. You felt your heart swell as his deep brown eyes studied your face, a soft smile tugging at the left corner of his lips. “I love you.”

“And I you.” you responded in a whisper, leaning down to place a sweet kiss on his waiting lips. Jake could be a quiet man, but his kiss always expressed to you everything he felt inside, and this was pure love and adoration. You were perfectly happy to sit there, enjoying the affection and adoration shared between the two of you, but unfortunately you were interrupted by the oven beeping that it was done preheating. Jake pulled away from you, giving you a quick peck before moving back to the stove, grabbing the pan and heating the mixture back up a bit, sprinkling his freshly grated parmesan cheese into it too. 

You watched him work, happily taking the small offering of a taste test of the mixture from his index finger and complimenting his work as he washed his hands and started putting together the appetizer. He asked you to start putting together the next one, and you hopped from the countertop, setting to work. 

By the time the doorbell rang, the counter was cleaned off and covered with various appetizers and crudités, ranging from a simple veggie platter to the baked brie with fig jam you’d made. The crisply wrapped presents were piled perfectly beneath the tree and you had your smart speakers playing your carefully curated holiday playlist. You smoothed out your sweater, skidding over to the door, yanking it open excitedly.

“Merry Christmas!!” you cheered, ushering the Kiszka family into your and Jake’s home. You were bombarded with hugs and squeezes, a few cheek pecks here and there. You squatted down to give Rosie, Sam’s dog a few pets, and cooed over her and her sparkly red bow. The Wagner’s were right behind, Danny bounding into the door jut as you started to shut it and scooping you up in a large bear hug as his parents and sister entered behind him.

“Something smells delicious!” Karen said after hugging Jake. His cheeks reddened at the compliment a bit and he nodded towards the kitchen.

“Been slaving away all day in there. Come on, we’ve got a lot of food.” he chuckled, leading the way to the kitchen as you finished hanging coats, Danny and Josh helping you before you all went to join in the chaos of the kitchen. Wine had already been pouring, a glass being handed to you as you passed by. Everyone happily dug in to the appetizers, stories about the ride over to your home, and stories of Christmases past were bubbling up as the alcohol set in. 

Throughout dinner, you all kept playing “Pass the Pea”, a game that originated at your first family holiday party with the Kiszka-Wagner clan. Danny scooped up the largest pea he could find on his fork, and placed it onto the lip of your plate. You scooped it up onto your own fork, and placed it back on his plate, thus beginning the back and forth war between the two of you. At some point Sam got involved, placing an extra pea from his plate on both yours and Danny’s and at that point, it turned into chaos, everyone trying to sneak a pea on someone else’s plate when they weren’t looking. The game ended when Lori ended up with peas in her wine glass, and soon it was time to open presents. 

Piles of different colored wrapping papers littered your living room floor. Ribbons everywhere, and a few stick-on present bows attached to various family members. The game of White Elephant was afoot, and you were adamant about keeping the haphazardly knit pair of mittens Josie had worked so hard on. So far, between a box of tissues that had been emptied and filled with quarters, and mini cheese sampler, it was the best gift from the pile.

“Mmm, I think I want the mittens.” Jake grimaced at you, holding out a roll of toilet paper to exchange. You gasped, clutching the mittens to you chest, resting them next to the Italian gold chain with a single saltwater pearl pendant Jake had adorned you with half an hour earlier, while surprising you with a romantic getaway to Lake Como, included a few winery tours.

“No!” you laughed, holding them away from him. “I love them, they’re from the heart.” Josie’s laugh peeled like bells as you fought Jake over her mittens.

“They’re not that great!” she giggled. 

“If I keep them, you can still have them, darlin’.” Jake whispered to you. Understanding flashed through your eyes and you, still slightly begrudgingly handed him the mittens in exchange for the toilet paper. You turned it over in your hands, feeling the indents from everyone’s fingerprints who’d had the good luck of getting the roll before. The game carried on until all the presents were accounted for, and you finally ended up with Josh’s insanely ornate box, that was filled with throat lozenges, Jake holding tight to the mittens. As the night wore down, you sneakily slid your hand under the tree skirt, pulling out Jake’s present. The fireplace crackled behind you as you turned and presented it to him, and he set his glass of whiskey down on the hearth next to him.

“Ah, I nearly forgot!” he accepted the bundle you gave him, and suddenly you felt like your gift was too small for someone like him.

“I’m sorry it’s nothing huge.” you whispered, watching his hands trace the edges of the paper. Jake shook his head, giving you a smile.

“I don’t need anything huge.” Jake assured you. “I’m sure whatever you got me is perfect.”

“I hope so.” you bit your lip and he grinned at you, opening his present slowly, teasing you almost. As the paper fell away, Jake’s grin widened, and he let his fingers run against the weathered, leathery spine. He gently thumbed through the aged, yellowed pages, before looking at you, thoughtfully.

“Darlin’, this is amazing.” he held the edition of Treasure Island in his hands tightly, grabbing your chin and pulling you in for a kiss. “This is the best gift I’ve ever gotten. How did you even find this?”

“It was on that girls trip, back in the summer.” you explained. “I just saw it and knew it was yours.” Jake wrapped his arms around you, hugging you tightly. 

“This is absolutely perfect. Have you ever read it?” you shook your head, admitting you’d only ever seen the Muppet movie version. “We’ll start it tonight, before bed.” you smiled softly up at Jake, excited to share this story with him. Josh had sidled over, asking what he got and Jake excitedly began showing Josh the old novel. 

Soon, your guests had found themselves in their rooms or sleeping arrangements. Jake and yourself, with the help of his parents, cleaned up the kitchen, putting away the remnants of the various desserts and scraps from dinner, and prepared tomorrow’s sweet breakfast pastries. Within an hour, you’d found yourself cuddled up in your bed, Jake sitting up beside you as you rested your head on his shoulder, listening to his soft, low voice as he read out to you. 

“For thirty years,” he said, "I've sailed the seas and seen good and bad, better and worse, fair weather and foul, provisions running out, knives going, and what not. Well, now I tell you, I never seen good come o' goodness yet. Him as strikes first is my fancy; dead men don't bite; them's my views—amen, so be it.’” after a few more lines, the chapter ended, and he placed a thin ribbon from his present into the pages to save his place. He placed it gently on his nightstand before looking down at you. “You look sleepy.”

“I am sleepy.” you replied. “It’s been a long day. Fun, but long.” Jake smiled down at you, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. 

“It’s been a perfect day.” Jake adjusted his position, sliding down so you both were laying down and you snuggled into his chest. You felt your eyes start to feel heavy,  the events of the day hitting you all at once, including the many glasses of wine.

“Merry Christmas, Jakey.” you murmured into his chest. 

“Merry Christmas, darling.” he whispered back, and with those few words, the two of you were out, fast asleep and regaining your strength to do it all again with extended family tomorrow.

Taglist: @lunaindigoraven @lvnterninthenight @allieisacrybaby @xserenax-13 @sarakay-gvf @shutupdevvie @myownparadise96 @watchingovergvf @gretavanfleetposts @gardenofgreta @streamsofstardust @joshkiszkas @jakewhorecore / @tlexx @fictional-duchess @like-a-woman-in-a-dream @josiee-gvf @ascendingtostardust @joshkiszkatoothgap @andeejoness @gardensgatedaisy @kkdarling @demonrat444 @teddiie @writingcold

[elektrischemaidchen]

Lisztober #13: Richard Wagner

Lisztober #13: Richard Wagner

Let's put it kindly: We f****in hate Wagner, @franzliszt-official

So much so, that we've been working on this song for three months (!!!) in a row and had to keep censoring ourselves, so that nobody from Bayreuth would sue us. I was foaming at the mouth when I wrote the lyrics and it was twice as long. The current version is way more harmless, but still very explicit. I still feel pruned.

In the meantime, we've pretty much agreed that our Wagner-rant will be the first single from our new album. And that we will actually be travelling 5 hours to Bayreuth for a music video. I'll start puking as soon as I see the city sign. You'll be surprised.

The actual song is a beautiful two-part ‘in your face’ electropunk song, which we will unfortunately only be able to present to you here after its release.

So today we're simply playing you an EXCLUSIVE acoustic, heavily (!!!!!!) wine influenced version with wrong notes and creepy laughter, which we tried to distort in advanced and failed.  ( Also with a bit of a beat, otherwise it'll be too monotonous), Sooo we can all cuddle up to and hug each other in our hatred. (And this hatred has a long, long history, by the way: Coppelia and I met at the university, where the beginning of the song takes place. This also Weimar, everybody.)

But why do we actually despise Wagner?

Because he was a pompous, narcissistic megalomaniac. A two-faced, Janus-faced snake, a shitty anti-Semite of the worst kind who sucked everyone around him dry and then threw them away. Even Liszt. ESPECIALLY Liszt. A hypocrite before the Lord. And then there's the irony that his obvious gayass (Oh, come on! Ludwig II? Oscar Wilde? Any Wagner opera is gayer than a binge- marathon of „Drag Race“ with Strawberry Daiquiris) has constantly hung out with such Teutonic alphamales like Nietzsche. In short: A real-life-„Uriah Heep“, that not even Dickens could have thought up in a certanied f****ed up way.

And that's just Richard himself. There's also his work, which became the soundtrack to National Socialism and the all-time-favorite to all f****** Nazis, thanks to his zealous family. They all loved having ‘Uncle Wolf’, as Hitler was called at Wahnfried, around. „If I think of Germany in the night, I am jolted from my sleep.“ Thank you. Heine!

Then there is Cosima. Liszt's daughter, who later became Wagner's wife. Who had forbidden Franz to get any visits during the last days of his life in Bayreuth, but not at all for reasons of too much excitement, as one might think. Thanks to Franz's pupil Lina Schmalhausen, who stayed outside the house for days, we know: Cosima left the old man in his bed until he was sore, only came to check on him briefly in the morning and left him to moan and rattle alone at night. After all, there were more important things to do: the festival. A few hours before Franz's death, there was still a jolly supper for the Wagner family and friends. And oh, of course, a bust of Wagner at the feet of Liszt's corpse. Cosima refused him the last rites. Something was played at his funeral...right! Parsifal. Incidentally, no Wagner was present at the service. And the fact that Liszt was buried (there seems to be no English translation for the German word "verscharrt"...in German it's: Dig a hole and throw the corpse in, put some soil on it and continue on) in Bayreuth at all fitted perfectly into the marketing concept. They finally gained the last crown jewel missing from the collection of self-congratulation. Congratulations, you stupid, abusive, heartless, freakin bitch.

DISGUSTING!

What a completely insane, sadistic brainf****. I'll write another song about it. Maybe on the last day. I think I have something to process.

And yet, they all make the pilgrimage, the Wagnerians, to Bayreuth, sing songs together at Richard‘s grave, shed tears and lay flowers. All because of the ‘great’ operas and all that, of course. You just have to train yourself to forget.

Micdrop.

PS: Finally, I would just like to take up some cudos for Nike Wagner, the ‘outcast’. She is still keeping the memory of her great-great-grandfather alive. And I think she even looks a bit like him. Nike. We love you. Come back to Bonn <3

Lyrics:

My history prof(essor) Was a sweet guy But unfortunately there had been a problem With his love for Wagner For him, there was only Richard here and Richard there Although everyone knows How shitty that guy was Wagner! Persona non grata! it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for me listening to one of Wagner’s operas We just wanted to learn medieval studies Now we will be penetrated by Valkyries Wagner's ego Was enough for ten With which he could well To walk over corpses Wagner! Persona non grata! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for me listening to one of Wagner’s operas He was a mad Anti-Semite Who liked to f**** around with others He could not admit his own gayness And had to beg everyone for For money Wagner! Persona non grata! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than me listening to one of Wagner’s operas I puke over Cosima too Who unfortunately wasn't as cool Like her daddy was They trained Liszt to be a Their poodle And always  craved his fame Wagner! Persona non grata! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for me listening to one of Wagner’s operas All oft hem just Infatuated with themselves The worst thing: They buried Franz In Bayreuth You have f****ed up Nietzsche too After that he Dismantled slowly Wagner! Persona non grata! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for me listening to one of Wagner’s operas In Wahnfried Adolf was a permanent guest The memory of it Seems faded already You just have to keep the myth alive Fold your hands Above Wagner busts You’ll just have to train How to forget Then it will be easier To  mastr*ba*e to Lohengrin Wagner! Persona non grata! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for me listening to one of Wagner’s operas Richard, yo, if I were Your mistress on the hill I would give you a good Beating A good beating!

(Thank you.)

[msmercury84]

Wedding Reception

*Author's Note: My depiction of Bill Guarnere is solely based on the actor's portrayal in the movie. I'm including a portion of the Louis Prima song's lyrics. Fans of "The Godfather" will recognize the Italian wedding song that Leigh sings.* ******************************************************************** Bill and Leigh arrived at the hotel's ballroom shortly after the guests were seated. The room had a parquet floor. The ceiling had several crystal chandeliers strategically placed throughout the ballroom. Floral arrangements provided by the USO were peach roses, white Tuberoses, white Carnations and white Hydrangea. The tables were topped with heavy white linen tablecloths. White chairs were placed around the tables.

Plates, silverware, white linen napkins and crystal champagne flutes were on the table for each guest. A bar was behind the tables. The dance floor was in the middle of the room and the bandstand was situated in front of the dance floor. Tall white floral arrangements with decorative greenery were on either side of the band stand.

A large table sat to the right of the dance floor. This was for the wedding party, with two seats in the center reserved for Bill and Leigh.

The USO band played a Swing version of Wagner's "Bridal Chorus." Leigh had a small purse covered in white silk. It contained her lipstick and it would be used for the Italian tradition of putting money into a silk bag or purse for the newlyweds.

Bill had his arm around Leigh's shoulders as they walked to the table. The reception was officially underway. A large buffet table toward the back of the room was nearly covered with an array of homemade Italian food prepared by Augusta Guarnere, her daughters a few female cousins and Leigh.

Plates, silverware and napkins were at both ends of the buffet table. Everyone dug into the food with gusto and many people had plates piled high with food ranging from various pasta dishes to Osso Buco.

Each place setting had five candy coated Jordan Almonds in small bundles of tulle tied with white ribbons. They were called bomboniera or confetti.

The uneven number of almonds signified that the candies, like the newlyweds, can't be divided in two. A small, hand written note in each bundle said, "Five sugared almonds for each guest to eat. To remind us that life is both bitter and sweet. Five wishes for the new husband and wife: Health, Wealth, Happiness, Family and a Long Life.

Bill's sisters undertook the tasks of making the bomboniera. Teresa made the bundles and since Julia had beautiful hand writing, she wrote the notes.

Numerous bottles of champagne, beer and other liquor and wine were on another table with glasses for the guests and family members. The hotel provided some of the alcohol and those attending the wedding provided the rest of the alcohol. A cash bar managed by hotel employees was also available. Those preferring to have non-alcoholic beverages could have coffee, hot tea, iced tea or water. Milk was provided for children.

After everyone enjoyed the buffet it was time to cut and serve the wedding cake. A large beautifully decorated white cake made of several layers with creamy almond and vanilla flavored icing was in the center of another large buffet table. Numerous small plates, napkins and forks were beside the cake.

Bill and Leigh joined hands to cut the first slice of the cake together. Then, they took turns feeding each other a small bite of cake. Some women from the extended Guarnere family began to slice the cake and put it on plates for the guests.

The wedding gifts had been opened the night before at the rehearsal dinner and were displayed on another table. The newlyweds received the traditional household items. Guarnere's brothers in arms chipped in to purchase a set of china that Leigh had selected and registered at a Philadelphia department store.

It was a 12 piece set of white plates edged with a thin, fine gold stripe. The Andrews Sisters sent a set of crystal wine and champagne glasses and a silver serving platter with the engraving of the Guarneres' names and the date of the wedding.

Frank Perconte gave a beautifully wrapped box to Leigh. She opened it and smiled as she saw two silver frames containing the pictures Perconte took of her wearing his OD uniform and boots that she wore for the snowball fight in Aldebourne. The other frame had the picture Frank took of Bill and Leigh posing together before the snowball fight began. Leigh told him,

"Frank, these pictures are wonderful and the frames are very elegant. I thought the pictures didn't turn out well since they weren't sent to us. They certainly bring back some good memories." Bill told Perconte,

"Thanks, Buddy. These are great pictures of the prettiest person who wore ODs for the 101st Airborne. Someday, if another kid tells our kids,'Your Ma wore Army boots', our kids can say, 'She sure did, an' she wore a Screamin' Eagle uniform, too." The guests and family members laughed at Bill's reply. Perconte told the newlyweds,

"I'm glad you like the pictures and the frames." Colonel Sink made everyone laugh again when he gave a wry grin and said,

"I remember that day very well. I was leaving the Mess Hall and I couldn't believe my eyes. It appeared to me that Guarnere was kissing a small soldier.

Curiosity got the better of me and I walked closer to discover that the small man was our Songbird. Leigh, you gave one hell of a good demonstration of your excellent pitching ability."

Next, the USO band leader stepped up to the microphone, saying,

"It's time for the couple's first dance as husband and wife. Mr. and Mrs. Guarnere have selected, " A Kiss to Build a Dream On." Bill got up from the table and offered his hand to Leigh, helping her up from the chair.

They walked hand in hand to the center of the floor.Guarnere walked without a trace of a limp. He made it appear as if he didn't have a heavy wooden prosthetic right leg.

The music began. Bill took his wife's hand and kissed it. He held Leigh's hand, his other hand rested on her side by her waist.They looked into each other's eyes, smiling. The couple moved gracefully in time with the music. Guarnere, keeping his voice low so only Leigh could hear him, said,

"Ol' Guarnere ain't doin' bad at all." Leigh had a beaming smile,

"You're doing a spectacular job, Honey. When you decide to do something, you do it well." In the middle of the song, Bill held one of Leigh's hands as she did a slow twirl.

I am so proud of you. Just when I think I couldn't possibly love you more than I already do, you do something amazing and my heart is filled with more love for you." Guarnere tenderly kissed his wife as they continued to dance.

Bill felt very little discomfort and he was enjoying the moment. He told Leigh,

"Baby, I have never seen ya lookin' more beautiful. Seein' you walkin' down the aisle almost took my breath away. You look like an angel in that dress." He looked at her necklace and commented,

Speakin' o' angels, I didn't expect to see this today. I thought ya would wear somethin' fancy like pearls."

"You look exceptionally handsome in your uniform. There's something about that dress uniform that makes you look very sexy. Bill, I wouldn't want any other necklace, especially for today. It's the first gift you gave me and I adore it.

I remember you saying, 'An angel for my angel.' It touched me that you put so much effort into finding the perfect gift when we hadn't been together that long.

That angel did a lot of traveling. It started out here in Philadelphia, it went to Europe and back home again. It's a part of me."

"I almost drove Teresa crazy, sendin' her out to find that necklace. She had to describe what she found in her letters, but I needed a way to see it, so I asked her to get one of her friends to draw it.

I'm still wearin' that gold St. Michael medal ya gave me. Every hospital I was in, I never let 'em take it off me. Baby, I really believe the medal helped me. That's what I mentioned earlier about the jeep goin' by right after Joe and I got hit. Anyway, that's enough about the war." Guarnere winked at Leigh,

"I'm lookin' forward to showin' my wife how much I love her later tonight."

" I'm taking you up on that offer. As you've said, 'Take me to the action, Jackson!'" Bill chuckled at her comment,

"You can count on it, Honey. I don't plan on drinkin' much 'cause I'd rather make love wit' my sassy angel." The song drew to a close with Bill and Leigh enjoying a tender kiss. Their guests applauded.

Those who were in Bastogne found the moment poignant as they watched Bill and Leigh dancing. Joe Toye was happy to see Bill dancing at his own wedding. Leigh told Bill,

"I have a special song for you, so I'll join you at the table as soon as I'm done onstage." Guarnere kissed her and returned to his seat. Leigh walked up the two steps leading to the bandstand. She told the guests,

"The next song is dedicated to my best friend, who also happens to be the love of my life. Bill, this is for you."

"I'm gonna love you like nobody's loved you, come rain or come shine. High as a mountain, deep as a river, come rain or come shine. And I guess when you met me. It was just one of those things. But don't ever bet me, 'cause I'm gonna be true if you let me. You're always gonna love me like nobody's loved me, come rain or come shine. Happy together, unhappy together, and won't it be fine? Days may be cloudy or sunny, We're in or we're out of the money. But I'm with you always, I'm with you rain or shine. Rain or shine."

Family members and friends applauded when the song ended. Bill walked up to the bandstand and put his hands on Leigh's waist, lifting her up and gently spinning her around. "That was beautiful, Sweetheart." He gave her a passionate kiss which prompted a few good natured cat calls from some of the Easy Company men. Guarnere told his brothers in arms,

"I'm doin' nothin' wrong, boys. We're legally married in case ya didn't know." Everyone laughed at his reply. The newlyweds took their seats and the band leader stepped up to the microphone, saying,

"Ladies and gentlemen, the men of Easy Company requested this song for Mr. Guarnere. We had to change a few words here and there, but I think you will enjoy it."

George Luz and the other men exchanged glances, smirking as the band leader had the band play the intro to the song. Leigh recognized the song and successfully stifled her urge to laugh. She thought that Luz and the others were playing a prank on the man they regarded as their mutual brother.

Augusta Guarnere also recognized the song and she chuckled. Bill's father wanted to know why she was laughing and she translated the name of the song into Italian. He grinned. The band leader began to sing,

"Well, way down yonder in South 'Phill' Lived a cat named Wild Bill, I want to tell ya, that cat was rough and tough He could strut his stuff. Had the enemy scared to death. When he walked by they all held their breath. He's a fightin' man sure enough. Then Bill got himself a wife, Now he leads a different life. Wild Bill is Sweet William now. Married life done changed him somehow. He's the man that the enemy used to fear, Now his friends call him Sweet Papa Willy Dear. Stronger than Samson, I declare, 'til his woman done bobbed his hair. Wild Bill don't fight anymore. (No he don't!) He's doin' dishes and moppin' up that floor. (Yes, he is!) Well, he use to go out drinkin', lookin' for a fight, Now he sees that sweet mama every night. Wild Bill is Sweet William now. Doin' those dishes! Wild Bill is Sweet William now. Moppin' up that floor! Wild Bill is Sweet William now."

Leigh, Bill and the guests were laughing and applauding by the end of the song. Guarnere stood up, "Boys, I gotta give ya credit for that (he pronounced the word as 'dat') one. I really enjoyed it. Luz, somethin' tells me you're behind this." George answered,

"Nope, I'm innocent. This was Major Winters' idea. The rest of us thought it was appropriate for the occasion." Bill grinned,

"Major Winters, Sir, ya surprised me." "It's Dick now, not Major. You're a good sport, Bill. I remembered that song from my childhood and I couldn't resist having it played for you. The song's real name is, 'Big Bad Bill is Sweet William Now.' It's time we had some light hearted fun, don't you agree?"

"Yes, Sir."

Winters smiled, realizing that Bill was showing him the intense amount of respect he still felt for his former leader. The band leader announced,

"We'd like to call Mrs. Guarnere back to the bandstand for another song. Leigh walked across the dance floor and climbed the small steps to the bandstand. She told family and friends,

"The next number is a traditional Italian wedding song. It happens to be a favorite of my father-in-law and I'm singing in his native language. We're doing the Louis Prima version of this song." The USO band played the intro and Leigh began to sing,

"C'e' la luna mezzo mare Mamma mia me maritari.

Figglia mia a cu te dare Mamma mia pensaci tu.

S'iddu min e' lu musicante iddu vai, iddu vene sempe lu strumento a mano tene.

Si ci piglia a fantasia lu strumente figlia Mia.

Oh, Mamma, zooma zooma baccala

Oh, Mamma, zooma zooma baccala."

Everyone was clapping along with the music. Joseph Guarnere was very pleased that his new daughter-in-law honored him by singing the verses of the song in Italian.

Leigh repeated the verse, then the band played the number in the style of Swing, following Prima's recorded version of the song. Most of the extended and immediate Guarnere family got up to dance. It wasn't long before nearly all of the guests were dancing.

The catchy Swing music prompted Bill to go over to the bandstand. He went up the steps and picked up his wife, carrying her in his arms to the dance floor. Leigh laughed and told the band leader,

"Please take over for me, Bob." The tempo of the song was perfect for the moderate Swing dance Bill and Leigh rehearsed. She was surprised to see her parents dancing. Augusta and Joseph talked them into celebrating on the dance floor.

Bill was surprised to see Teresa dancing with Perconte. He smiled, seeing that she and Frank were having fun dancing together. Guarnere danced very well. Leigh was extremely proud of him. Teresa shouted,

"Lookin' good, Billy Baby!" He didn't care if his Easy Company buddies heard his sister. Guarnere was celebrating his marriage to Leigh and he was thoroughly enjoying himself.

Augusta was smiling as she watched Bill dancing. She told her husband, using his native language,

"Joseph, it's nothin' short of a miracle that Billy is dancin'. God answered our prayers. I hope those kids have a wonderful marriage just like ours." He agreed with his wife and told her that she was as beautiful as she was the day they got married. Augusta gave him a kiss. When the song ended, the band leader told the audience,

"Since we have everyone on the dance floor, let's do the traditional Tarantella." This dance is done to bring good luck to the newlyweds. Augusta told everyone,

"Everybody get a partner and form a big circle. We all need to hold hands." Once the family members and friends formed the circle, the music started.

"We need to go clockwise in a circle." After a few revolutions, she told everyone,

"Now, we go counter clockwise." Once that was done, she said,

"Now, hold hands, keep 'em up an' close the circle. Take about four steps. You're doin' great! Now, open up the circle again." Bill took Leigh's hand and moved to the center of the circle.

The tempo of the tarantella was fairly slow, so he had no difficulty dancing. Guarnere and his new wife did a slow turn with their elbows linked. Then, they turned in the opposite direction. Bull told Melissa,

"It looks like they're doin' a real slow square dance turn." Melissa agreed. They were trying very hard not to laugh at Colonel Sink and his wife dancing.

Their former leader genuinely wanted to dance, but he had a very limited sense of rhythm. George Luz was having fun dancing with a distant cousin of Bill's. Valentina Cozzi was 5'8" tall and shapely, with long black hair and big brown eyes.

Augusta guided the dancers through another round of closing and then opening the circle. The song soon ended and everyone applauded, thanking Bill's mother for her help.

Once everyone returned to their seats. George Luz asked Bill,

"Sweet Papa Willy Dear, do you intend to take the garter from the leg of your beautiful bride so some lucky guy can catch it when you do the traditional garter toss?" Guarnere laughed,

"Luz, you would have to be the first to use that name. OK, all single fellas get ready to gather around. I need to see my wife first." Bill walked over to the table where Leigh was sitting.Guarnere held the edge of the table and knelt down in front of Leigh.

He had a mischievous look in his eyes as he reached under her dress. Bill removed the garter, but not before he quickly ran his finger across the soft flesh above her stocking.

Guarnere felt Leigh's slight shiver at the touch of his finger and winked at her.Bill once again held the edge of the table and stood, holding the garter for everyone to see.

"Single guys, go ahead an' form a group over here." The Easy Company men and a few friends and relatives stood close together in a group. Bill turned his back on the assembled men and tossed the white lace garter.

The men laughed and applauded as Dick Winters caught Leigh's garter. Winters slightly blushed and smiled as he put the garter in one of the pockets in his dress uniform. Then, Bill said,

"Now it's time for my beautiful wife to throw her bouquet. Leigh picked up her bouquet from the table.

"I need all single women to make a group over here." She climbed up the steps to the bandstand, turned her back and threw the bouquet. It landed in Melissa's arms. Adams remarked,

"Hot damn!" as those around her laughed at her eager exclamation. An hour later, the music was still playing and the dancing was in full swing. Bill and Leigh had one glass of champagne each.

Johnny and Pat Martin were on the dance floor. Pat smiled as she watched Bill and Leigh dancing. She noticed the exuberant mood displayed by the new Mr. and Mrs. Guarnere. Pat told her husband,

"I thought that we were the most deliriously happy newlyweds in history, but I was wrong." Johnny said,

"Honey, keep in mind that this day almost didn't happen. If the jeep hadn't come down the road after Bill and Joe got hit and if Bill hadn't been stubborn enough to not give up, he wouldn't be here now."

"I'm glad he made it, Johnny. I hope they have a happy marriage like ours." Martin whispered into his wife's ear,

"I hope they have lots of passion like we have. You're the best, Babydoll." The Martins shared a kiss on the dance floor. Joe Liebgott was dancing with a young woman who was Bill's former neighbor.

Mary Corleone's family lived close to the Guarnere family. She and Bill were childhood friends and they attended the same public school together. Mary's mother was born in Brazil and Mary inherited her mother's shapely figure and her lovely coffee and cream complexion

One day, when Guarnere and Corleone were seven years old, Bill kissed her cheek as they walked home from school. Mary became angry and slapped his face, saying that Guarnere had no business kissing her.

Bill liked her fiery nature and they were friends until Corleone's family moved to Florida before she started the fourth grade. In 1943, Mary and her parents moved back to South Philadelphia and they lived a few streets away from the Guarneres. Mary was attending college to become an English teacher.

Liebgott was attracted to Mary when he saw her at the wedding. Bill had since apologized to Joe for a remark that caused a fight when they were en route to the United Kingdom. While they weren't best friends, Liebgott was happy to accept the invitation to the wedding.

Mary sat at a table with her parents. Joe was on his best behavior when he approached Mr. Corleone and asked if he could dance with Mary. Corleone was impressed with Liebgott's manners and he allowed his daughter to dance with Joe if she wished.

They began to dance to a slow, romantic song. Liebgott enjoyed holding Mary's hand as his other hand rested on her waist. They talked and got to know one another as the music played.

From that moment on, Joe and Mary danced to every song until the reception was over. Mary thought that Liebgott was handsome and she hoped that they would keep in contact with each other after he went back to San Francisco, where he drove a cab.

Joe wanted to kiss her, but he didn't want to anger her father by moving too fast when they had just met. If they had met at a nightclub in San Francisco, Joe thought that he would've kissed her on the dance floor.

The band leader announced that before the reception ended, the Guarneres would, according to Italian tradition, dance to a song that held a special, romantic memory for them.

Bill took Leigh's hand and led her to the dance floor. "Moonlight Seranade" began to play. The song took Bill back to the night he first declared his love for Leigh.

"Baby, it feels like we're back in the livin' room of the house at Fort Benning."

"I'm doing what I did that night, looking into your eyes and feeling head over heels in love with you. That night, I hoped that you would be my lover for the rest of my life." Bill tenderly kissed his bride,

"I was hopin' that we would be together forever. Looks like our wishes came true. I've enjoyed celebratin' our weddin'. Now, I want to do some special celebratin' wit' you in our new home."

"You're getting me worked up just talking about it. Let me show you how much I've missed making love with you, Honey."

"I like the sound o' that." When the song ended, both Bill and Leigh thanked everyone for attending the wedding and the reception. After some hugging and hand shaking from those in attendance, the newlyweds exited the ballroom and got into the chauffeur driven limousine.

Bill gave the driver the address of his new home. Both he and Leigh were eager for their wedding night to begin.

@marycorleone @lizziebitch33 @bookfansworld @alluringmoonlightbabe @stinkyrat09 @belladonnange @bellewintersroe @victoryrollsandredlips @f1-and-shiz @softguarnere @breadsprinkles @brassknucklespeirs @cielie-voss