#also have to post this today because without vee in two days i would be in trouble with dinging options lmao
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tagged by beloveds @zhouxiangs and @sanvees đ©·đ©·đ©·
as usual my picks prove i have insane range, and by insane i just literally mean... insane hajdakds
no pressure tags, feel free to ignore for whatever reason đ«¶đ»âš: @iwantoceans @gawincaskey @uppoompat @ayansukkhaphisit @hyunsung @byemambo @errorkey + official edit with tags that tumblr ate up and made invisible for some reason but according to Jenn likely showed up in your notifs anyway: @first-kanaphan @puppy-phum @takaramagi đ©·
#tag games#no i do not care that i had both win and anin for barely an episode each#no i do not care about win potentially being an ass. he's my son & i will defend any horrors he might commit#at least as long as said horrors don't negatively impact on tonkla i guess#also have to post this today because without vee in two days i would be in trouble with dinging options lmao
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Yesterdayâs Lie was everything we hoped it would be!
Luz found her way back to the human realm, but not completely. She was able to see into it and talk to people, but she could not touch anything. To be fair, it was her and the houseâs first attempt at building a portal door. I noticed that she tore off the thumb of Amityâs glove, so maybe that means they have four more chances to perfect the door and let her clear things up with her mom?
Once again, the show managed to surprise me. I thought that Creepy Luz was going to be some horrifying creature that Luz and Camila would have to confront together while clearing the air of where Luz has been the whole time and what she has been doing instead of attending camp. Creepy Luz is actually a greater basilisk- love the continuity reaching so far back to The First Day by the way- and she is a scared child looking for a safe haven from the Emperorâs Coven. Iâll admit that I did not recognize Michaela Dietzâs voice, my first impression was that they got the voice of Applejack and Rainbow Dash from MLP, Ashleigh Ball, to the voice instead, but I have since been corrected.
Through Luz and Veeâs, the greater basiliskâs name is Vee, trip around town to find magic for Vee to consume so she can continue masquerading as Luz, we got a greater glimpse at Luzâs home life. Her hometown is Gravesfield- how appropriate for a show exploring the demon realm and the horror genre- and Phillip Wittebane appears to have had a brother based on the town history, which raises a whole bunch of new questions regarding Belos and Hunter. Vee made friends at camp, and they seem to still enjoy their oddball hobbies like fortune telling, so maybe the camp would not have been so bad for Luz after all.
As it turns out, Camila is a veterinarian instead of a doctor or a nurse, which honestly makes a lot of sense since Luz probably brought a lot of wild animals like those snakes from the first episode home. She also came back and drove Vee, who had switched with Luz, to camp instead of having her wait for the bus.
Eda has made her mark in the human realm as a local legend, such as getting banned from a coffee shop for trying to buy stuff with a raccoon, and she made an impression on the villain of the episode, a local historian turned conspiracy theorist. I canât believe they made a nod to the fan theory she was Stan from Gravity Fallsâ ex-wife Marilyn, like they keep teasing us. She probably has a bunch of magic stuff scattered around that Vee and Camila will have to find to maintain Veeâs transformation.
Then we have the ending of the episode, which is a bittersweet note to finish the first half of the season on. Camila came to Veeâs rescue from the conspiracy nut and accepted her into her home, learned where Luz has been, and made Luz promise to stay in the human realm when she finally gets back. Luz is so happy and thriving in the demon realm, so for her to make that promise is a twist to the gut. Hopefully in time, Camila will see the support network Luz has now and release her from the promise like Amity did in Covention upon learning Luz could do magic in her own way.
Owl House is an amazing story. It has a cast of memorable, distinct characters; it has a creatively designed world with an equally inspired magic system. The show does everything exactly itâs supposed to- make you laugh, cry, and experience the whole spectrum of emotions. Not a lot of animated shows do that anymore, itâs all about cheap laughs from toilet humor and dumbing down the script so toddlers can understand what is going on.
Danny Phantom ended before it could reach its natural conclusion, and finished in a rushed mess. DuckTales ended before it could reach its natural conclusion, and finished with a sloppy finale and lots of hanging plot threads. Just two days ago, it came out that there were plans for a season 4 despite previous claims of intentions to finish with season 3. Infinity Train is currently in an unknown limbo, and could potentially end with Book 4 before reaching its natural conclusion with so many mysteries about how the train works still unanswered.
I refuse to let The Owl House suffer the same fate. You can help by sending letters, not emails, to Disney asking them for a full season four! Itâs too late to extend season three, but thereâs still a chance for more after that! Hereâs the address:
DisneyTVA
811 Sonora Avenue
Glendale, CA
91201, USA
The USA part is only for international fans, so if you live in the States, you donât need that part for the address. When writing your letter, remember to be polite and not accusatory or rude, because they will perceive anything sounding accusatory or rude as hate mail and throw it out without consideration. Also make sure to watch The Owl House on Disney + if you have it because they are watching the viewership numbers on there too.
Additionally, Rebecca Rose on Youtube has found some more specific addresses that might help make the push. These might be executives that have power over what gets renewed and what doesnât. Write to them, tell them how much The Owl House means to you and what you like about it, but DO NOT accuse them of canceling the show and DO NOT be rude. Hereâs the addresses she included in a video description about an The Owl House trend party:
Gary Marsh
811 Sonora Ave
Glendale, CA
91201
OR
Peter Rice
ABC Riverside Building, 2300 W Riverside Dr
Burbank, CA
91506
On Twitter and other sites, make sure to use #MoreTheOwlHouse in your tweets and other posts. Thereâs a trend party going on today to bring The Owl House to peopleâs attention and that we want more of it.
Looking forward to the second half of the season after the hiatus. Hopefully, it will not be as long as the wait between season one and season two was. Until next time!
Go Hexside!
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SWV -Â âRight Hereâ 18 Top Hits 1/94 Song released in 1993. Compilation released in 1994. R&B
The first wave of R&B girl groups in the 90s was dominated by three separate entities: first, there was En Vogue, who were responsible for starting the whole craze, and then came TLC, who were then followed by SWV. And since this is a post thatâs gonna be littered with a bunch of fun, little trivia nuggets, hereâs your first one: SWV, which is an acronym for Sisters With Voices, originally wanted to call themselves TLC, based on the first initials of their three members, Tamara, Leanne, and Cheryl. But they received a cease & desist letter from Epic Records, who had the TLC name locked up for the soon-to-be sensational Atlanta trio that was on their own roster. And so, Tamara, Leanne, and Cheryl begrudgingly settled on calling themselves SWV instead.
They began in 1988 in New York with two members, Leanne and Cheryl, who both sang at church, and were in search for a third girl to finish out the group. After going through auditions, they chose Tamara, who, according to a Rolling Stone article, was really shy and originally would only sing with the lights off. The three girls also donned stage names. Leanne would be Lelee, Cheryl would be Coko, and Tamara would be Taj. As a quirk, they sent out demo tapes with bottles of Perrier because they couldnât afford to send champagne. They would end up catching the ear of legendary producer, as well as the father of the new jack swing fad, Teddy Riley (more on him later), and he would end up getting SWV inked to a ridiculously terrible eight-album contract, which the group never completely fulfilled. But at least they got themselves signed to a major, right?
In 1992, SWV released their debut album, Itâs About Time, with most of the production coming from a guy named Brian Alexander Morgan. Morgan has gone on to produce, remix, write, and arrange for a bunch of music superstars, including Usher, Drake, Wu-Tang Clan, Mariah Carey, and Ariana Grande. But his first big opportunity came from...right here...with SWVâs debut album.
In fact, it was âRight Hereâ that would kick things off for SWV, becoming the groupâs first single, before their debut album ended up hitting the shelves. But hereâs where it might get a little confusing. That first single isnât the version of âRight Hereâ that everyone would end up remembering SWV for. Actually, almost no one remembers the original version of âRight Here,â which is an excellent song on its own. Morgan laced his new jack swing beat with organ, electric guitar, and ringing bells that remind us of Run-D.M.C.âs âPeter Piperâ and Snap!âs âThe Power,â which both trace back to Bob Jamesâ âTake Me to the Mardi Grasâ. And Taj raps, too!
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The original version of âRight Hereâ would peak at #92 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #16 on the R&B/Hip Hop chart. The next pair of SWV singles, âIâm So Into Youâ and âWeakâ would fare much better, both reaching the top ten on Billboardâs Hot 100, with âWeakâ going all the way to #1. These singles would then set the stage for the release of a new version of âRight Here,â the one everyone knows and loves, which is credited as a Teddy Riley remix, and was fresh for the summer of 1993. Itâs commonly dubbed as the âHuman Nature Mixâ because of its liberal sampling of the Michael Jackson song off Thriller. That particular mix would also feature on the Free Willy soundtrack, which would also contain and lead with Michael Jacksonâs âWill You Be Thereâ.Â
(Another famous sampling of âHuman Natureâ would happen in 1994, too, with Nasâ âIt Ainât Hard to Tell,â which was produced by Large Professor. Now, you could be thinking that the âHuman Nature Mixâ mightâve provided some inspiration for Large Pro to conjure up that particular beat, but as it turns out, âIt Ainât Hard to Tellâ was actually recorded in â92.)
So hereâs the coolest piece of trivia youâll run into today. Know whoâs delivering that catchy âess, double, you, veeâ line throughout the âHuman Nature Mixâ? Pharrell. And itâs his first vocal credit, ever! One day, he was performing in a high school talent show with his R&B group, The Neptunes (not his production project with Chad Hugo), and guess who was in the audience? Teddy Riley! Rileyâs studio just so happened to sit next to Pharrellâs high school. Howâs that for luck? Pharrell would end up writing Rileyâs verse on Wreckx-N-Effectâs old school hip hop summer classic, âRump Shaker,â and the following year he was on the âHuman Nature Mixâ. Thereâs also a captivating, âgive-it-some-time-to-work-itself-outâ kind of âUK Remixâ of âRight Hereâ on which Pharrell raps, and in 1996, The Neptunes (now just Pharrell and Hugo) would receive their first production credits for two songs (and an interlude) on SWVâs second album, New Beginning.
And now for something probably even less people know about. Although the âHuman Nature Mixâ is credited to Teddy Riley, itâs not his work. Itâs Brian Alexander Morganâs, the guy who also produced the original version. Rileyâs name was merely attached for marketing purposes only. The label probably thought that if they sold the single as a remix that was made by a production superstar who was using a Michael Jackson song(!), it would move more units than if they said it was by Morgan, which is a name that barely anyone knew. And it seems like the label was correct in its calculus. Even though it didnât end up hitting #1 (it hit #2), the âHuman Nature Mixâ remains SWVâs most remembered song, and you can credit it for leading to a re-release of SWVâs debut album, which at that point would add the remix, and would help generate over two million copies sold.
And come to think of it, how many songs can you name in which the remix ended up becoming far more popular than the original version? Before the advent of EDM, anyway. And âIgnition (Remix)â doesnât count, by the way. That totally misunderstands what a remix is. Thereâs like a handful of tracks that come to mind: a pair of Amber remixes by Hani and Thunderpuss (âOne More Nightâ and âSexual (Li Da Di),â respectively), another Thunderpuss remix of âItâs Not Right But Itâs Okayâ by Whitney Houston, a Latin house remix of Madonnaâs âDonât Cry for Me Argentinaâ by Pablo Flores and Javier Garza, and of course, Todd Terryâs remix of âMissingâ by Everything But the Girl. But the âHuman Nature Mixâ of âRight Hereâ might be at the top of the list. Lots of people arenât even aware of the originalâs existence. When you say the words ââRight Hereâ by SWV,â everyone just assumes youâre talking about the âHuman Nature Mixâ. When the song is included on compilations, a lot of times the words âHuman Natureâ arenât anywhere to be found, like on this random German comp I have that gathered 18 of the top songs from January of 1994. Thatâs how much more popular the âHuman Nature Mixâ is than the original. Let me know if you can think of any other remixes that hold a similar status.
One more thing before I get to the music video. This mix is so different from the original. The original version has a much harder edge and clearly took way more thought and effort to put together than the âHuman Nature Mixâ since the âHuman Nature Mixâ primarily just coasts off of the Michael Jackson sample. It doesnât mean the originalâs better though. Itâs definitely great, but itâs trapped in the new jack swing era, and for that reason, it doesnât have the staying power of the âHuman Nature Mixâ. Sometimes a producer finds something thatâs easy enough to cobble together and it just manages to hit really good. Thatâs definitely the case here. The âHuman Nature Mixâ is just so fluffy; it was perfect summer radio then and itâs perfect summer radio now. Itâs like an R&B counterpart to DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Princeâs âSummertime,â which came out a couple years beforehand. In fact, if I were doing a nostalgic 90s summer mix, I would probably line those tracks up back-to-back (âRump Shakerâ would be somewhere in there, too). Thereâs just a super relaxing, enjoyable airiness that both songs seem to possess. Oh, and speaking of DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, you know who provides the background vocals on Will Smithâs âMen in Blackâ song? Coko from SWV. Wild, right?
So, anyway, the video. It sucks. It just does. Itâs not memorable at all, besides the awkward, intermittent slip-ins of footage of Michael Jackson performing âHuman Natureâ from his Dangerous tour and some clips of Free Willy swimming and breeching. Itâs really a missed opportunity for the group. Apparently, thereâs another video without Michael and Free Willy, too, but I canât find it. It sounds like itâs boring though. Oh well.
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The first single off of SWVâs next album (âYouâre the Oneâ) would do very well for itself, too, and that album would manage to go platinum. But theyâd get lost in the fold soon after, while En Vogue and TLC would end up building much more on their prior success. And TLC would come out on top for the late 90s with songs like âNo Scrubsâ and âUnprettyâ.
SWV made good songs, but they werenât marketed well, at all. Case in point, your last bit of trivia: Taj was a contestant on Survivor in 2009. No, not Celebrity Survivor. Just regular-ass Survivor. No one knew she was Taj from SWV and she didnât tell anyone on the show either. This lady helped sell millions of records for fuckâs sake. I guarantee you every contestant on that show knew an SWV song and they had no idea who this woman even was. Isnât that kind of insane? I mean, SWV were by no means one-hit wonders, and they werenât super popular for that long, but they were definitely an early 90s R&B staple. Anyway, for what itâs worth, Taj ended up finishing in fourth on Survivor. Sheâs also married to soon-to-be Hall of Fame running back Eddie George.Â
So, there it is. One of the greatest and most popular tunes of the 90s. A song everyone likes that has a lot of fun, interesting facts that surround it. Shame that these girls couldnât sustain their success for the remainder of the decade, but at least they and Brian Alexander Morgan gave us this indomitable classic.
#r&b#rnb#r&b music#rnb music#r n b#r n b music#rhythm and blues#rhythm n blues#rhythm & blues#music#90s#90s music#90's#90's music#90s r&b#90's r&b#90s rnb#90's rnb#90s r&b music#90's r&b music#90s r n b#90's r n b#90s r n b music#90's r n b music#90s rhythm and blues#90's rhythm and blues#90s rhythm n blues#90's rhythm n blues#90s rhythm & blues#90's rhythm & blues
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One Majsasaurus Year!
Today is a very special day for me. This day marks the one-year anniversary since I uploaded the very first chapter of my very first fanfiction. It has been one year since I stepped into the Naruto/Boruto fandom as a content creator.
This post is going to be a sappy meta post about my year as a content creator and my relationship to my fanfictions, to my writing and to my fandom and friends.
Please continue reading down below đâŹÂ
I began watching Naruto in 2019, and by summer 2019 I had seen Shikamaruâs arc in Shippuden. I was blown away by his character and I was a full shipper of ShikaTema by then. I could not wait until we got to the end of Shippuden, and began googling the next gen characters (and spoiling the end game couples at the same time) and you can only imagine my satisfaction when I found out ShikaTema became canon and they had a son.
Very soon after this I came up with my first fanfiction idea, the one that gave birth to my very first fanfiction Shadows and Sand. I believed that idea had been done before, but after vacuuming through both ff.net and ao3, and I found nothing, I decided to write it myself.
I may have written fanfictions only for a year, but prior to this I was hardcore into the original writing world. I had written two fantasy novels and five full length plays before I wrote my first fanfiction, one of which was published, so the art of writing was something I was fairly used to.
The fanfiction writers I had read and followed to this point were Big Fandom Name writers with strict schedules and lots of readers. Every time they uploaded a new chapter their audience would write comments like âYour spoiling us with these tight schedulesâ and so on. I really liked the idea of a consecutive schedule and decided to write the whole first fic in its entirety, so I could âspoilâ my potential readers with updates.
Shadows and Sand ended up being 35Â 000 word long, divided into eight chapters. This was the first story in my whole life I had ever written completely in English (and it was not easy). Going back to Shadows and Sand is cringy for me, mainly for the way I expressed myself in English, thought I still think the plot is great.
Here is one of the lines from Shadows and Sand I to this day think is amazing:
âShe [Mirai] looked into his eyes, but he [Shikadai] didnât look back, because he was already staring into a nightmare where his dad was dead because of his mistakes.â
For a totally new fanfiction writer, with no âfanbaseâ prior to this, I would say I got quite a lot of comments (around 15 in total on the eight chapters) and I was extremely happy for that.
I uploaded the whole thing in a week and a half, satisfied and proud of the result. At the final chapter I got a comment where the commentor wrote something along the lines of âWell written angst and well written fluffâ. I pondered about those statements for a long time, thinking, yes, this was actually angst, even if I in the moment of writing â then I was still unused to the tagging system and the tropes of fanfiction, didnât categorise the fic as angst, because I thought angst could only be chopped off limbs and painful deaths. But this fic had angst as well. Tiny angst, but still. And a rather powerful feeling rose in my chest from that moment. This is what I want to do in the fandom. To write heartfelt stories that make people feel.
  One week after I uploaded the final chapter of Shadow and Sand my fingers began to itch. I wanted to write more. Wanted to explore the little grain of world building I had already created. Wanted to write more Shikadai and Inojin kissing.
And thus, To go down with the Sun was born.
I began writing Down with the Sun with only one vision â something epic and an explosion. The plot was evolving as I was writing and the result ended up being just beautiful. And I became obsessed with this story. I wrote it in racer speed, 50Â 000 words in 26 days (that is madness, I tell you, MADNESS!) and then the rest 30k in 20 days. I could not think of anything but this story and the Next Generation Kids I put through trials and hell. I felt true euphoria while writing this story that unfolded under my fingers like in a dream. It was a mania, and a damn strong one.
The first thing I did when I woke up was writing, the last thing I did before going to bed was writing it. I prioritised writing this story above all in my life.
At the time of uploading, the fic did not get that much recognition. I got about one comment per chapter. When I uploaded the final chapter, I got two comments on that one, which was a tiny bummer, since I had hoped for more. It was a lonely, but lovely job to write Down with the Sun, mostly with my own thoughts as company, since the readers were rather quiet with feedback.
But I loved the few comments I got and I still got kicks from just the single act of uploading a new chapter. Because in the end, I wrote for myself and even more for the characters and plot. Finishing the story was the greatest motivator.
I uploaded the final chapter of To go down with the Sun December 7th, 2019. Â And I still to this day love the story I created, even if I know that Iâd definitely re-write some elements from the story if Iâd write it again. But I still love it.
   After To go down with the Sun I wrote the fic that I hold the least emotional value to, Earning a weaselâs trust. The story is cute and short (11 000 words). It was a nice little project focusing on Temariâs motherhood to Shikadai that I wrote in a week. It got close to no feedback or attention, but it didnât make me sad, because I needed to write and share that story and then move on with my life. I am though happy I wrote it.
At this time in my creative process I had been really lonely. It had been me with my own head and the characters. I had no beta reader and no one to bounce off ideas or anything. I had no fandom friends. I am still amazed I had written around 130k words without almost any support whatsoever in the span of four months.
This all changed in late December 2019. I found a Discord Server that I basically begged to get to be part of, and it really changed my fandom experience. Prior to this, my fandom experience had been lonely, and I just produced and consumed content. There was no interaction between anyone, except me replying to commentors.
And now, I found friends. I found people who loved the same pairing and show as I, and it felt almost life changing. This was the time when fandom really felt like⊠a hobby. A home. Before, it was a creative outlet, now it became a community.
I thrived.
The mod of this server @loknnica, hosted during this time a writing contest, which I eagerly wanted to take part of. I wrote my contest fic, Branded by Love, during January 2020, in which I made Shikamaru betray Konoha for Suna and Temari, and their son Shikadai became the One Tail jinchuuriki. The fic was 10k words long, and OUCH, the backstory I came up with. As soon as BbL was finished I decided that I wanted to write a long version of this canon divergence-world I had created.
In February 2020 I began writing Trial of the Heart, the epic version of Branded by Love. And damn, damn, damn what an epic story was born out of my fingers and brain. I love ToH, I loved what it turned out to be, a heart-wrenching and sad story of Shikamaru, Temari and Shikadai in a world of war.
While writing ToH the writing contest was ending and to my big, big delight, I WON! Branded by Love and I won the contest! This was precisely the boost I needed to really feel validated in my rather specific writing style and choice of plots.
I wrote ToH almost non-stop for four months, and in the beginning of June, the 28th chapter was uploaded. Trial of the Heart ended up being 123Â 000 words long. In four months, a whole damn NOVEL was created from my keyboard.
The pride, guys. The pride and joy I felt was like a drug injection.
Finishing off works is the greatest, greatest dose of motivation and pride. To write, write, write and finish. And let go of your work, to upload it with a great smile on your face.
During the spring and summer of 2019 three very important friends entered my life.
Vee (@veeganburger on twitter),
Becks (@notquitejiraiya on twitter)
Spooky (@spookymoth on twitter).
These three wonderful ladies really made me feel valid as a writer, and made me love my own work as well. During the spring To go down with the Sun had gained quite a lot of attraction, and the kudos and comments came. All the loneliness I had felt during the autumn was replaced by joy and love of sharing my works. These women have shared their thoughts of my work (and art) to me and I have also in privacy felt secure to talk with these women about nothing and all at once. They never fail to cheer me up.
I love you.
I had also gained the nickname âShikadaiâs tormentorâ after multiple times forced that poor boy into horrible situations in my works. The user @shikanaradaiâs nickname is Shikadaiâs protector and we have an ongoing joke about being archenemies because of this. Ah. The fandom bubble was and is so lovely when you can experience inside jokes with friends. They became my friends, and I gained so much from this.
ANYHOW.
During Trial of the Heart I wrote a friendship between Shikadai and Inojin and I realised I missed writing them as a couple, like I had done in To go down with the Sun. With the support of Vee, who was really, really excited for a new fic where those two boys are a couple, I decided to write a sequel to To go down with the Sun, which I named To dance above the Stars.
In the wait before I began writing that one, I wrote two one shots, 48 hours to live â a next gen focused fic based on a manga chapter from the Boruto manga, and a pure Shikadai x Inojin one shot, I found love in the eyes of a boy, because at that time I knew already I had dug my own grave with that pairing.
I began writing To dance above the Stars in June 2020 and uploaded the first chapter at the end of the same month.
Simultaneously as I wrote Above the Stars I also wrote/edited three fics, one of them called The End, for an application to become a writer to the ShikaTema zine Everything I never knew I wanted. The results of the application came in the middle of July, when I had written a good chunk of Above the Stars.
I WAS ACCEPTED!
I am now officially one of the five writers for that zine!
To dance above the Stars got better recognition that I ever imagined. I was terrified that no one would want to read it, because it was a sequel and had very niched themes. A rare gay next gen pairing in focus and a story with extremely heavy emotional themes. I was so unsure anyone would want to read. The same feeling of loneliness that I had experienced during To go down with the Sun came back a little bit. That it in the end would be only me and my text.
How wrong I was.
To dance above the Stars got wonderful feedback, and more kudos than for example Trial of the Heart got. I received wonderful comments, and even fanart! I was so extremely happy and felt a new powerful emotion. It almost felt like my fic had its own little world in the world of fics, if that makes sense? Like a miniature fandom. During the late summer To go down with the Sun got translated into Russian by a wonderful reader of mine, enabling my texts to a wider audience, which I am extremely honoured by.
As I write this, it is September 2020. One year ago, I was writing Shadows and Sand and struggling through stringing English sentences together and that was also when âmyâ version of Shikadai was born. One year ago, I was writing what I to this day think is the best fighting scene I have ever written â and I write a lot of fight scenes. One year ago I was listening to âI just want to be braveâ from the movie Lion King to get into Shikadai vibes and the mistake he did in that fic, a song I revisit for this reason time and time again.
I remember naively thinking that I will finish Shadows and Sand and then maybe write something else as well. Little did I then, in September 2019 know, that I would one year later have written closer to 400k words of fics, centred around Team 10 or around the Nara family. One year, almost four hundred thousand words.
Now, one year later I had won a writing contest, written three full length NOVELS as fics, been accepted to a wonderful zine, and found lovely, lovely friends. I even got crowned as a âQueenâ for the Shikadai x Inojin ship, Shikajin as it is called, since I am one of the like three people who write for that ship, and have to this date written around 180k words for them. Which is a lot, haha!
I feel like I have conquered a tiny corner of the great fandom sandbox, and let me tell you, I thrive in my own corner. I might have few followers on twitter compared to many other creators, but I still want to provide content for those who want to see it. I might write rather niche works, but they filled a space where no fics were, and enriched the fandom in their own ways, even if I havenât gotten tens of comments on each chapter. I have gotten around four comments each chapter, but it felt like okay.
I might not mod great zines like many of my friends do, something that did for a few months bring great stress into my fandom life. Am I a second-hand fandom member because I donât want to moderate a zine, was something I often thought about. Am I lesser worth because I donât do these amazing projects? No, I am not. And I feel very satisfied by just following my friendsâ journeys and look at beautiful twitter accounts for zines.
I want to put my energy on writing intriguing plots and difficult fight scenes. Every fandom experience is valid.
In my heart I know my fics and content are good. Maybe not as good as native English writerâs content, but theyâve got a heart and soul on their own, and I really feel like I do have a Majsasaurus genre, trope or theme going on in my fics. And to be honest, I love it, and I accept that other people might not love it as much, or not at all. But it doesnât matter. What I think of my own content matter.
  If any of you, who read this, have commented even once on one of my fics, thank you.
If any of you have ever interacted with me on twitter through comments, thanks you.
If any of you have pressed the follow button on either twitter or tumblr for me, thank you.
If any of you have left kudos to me, thank you.
If any of you have read my stuff but donât want to comment because of different reasons, or if you feel shy to reach out, thank you for reading and I appreciate you as well.
 That was one hell of a Majsasaurus Year. Hereâs to the next year. Cheers!
Thank you, all of you. You make my fandom experience complete.
 -       Majsasaurus Bex
#shikadai fanfiction#shikamaru fanfiction#majsasaurus#meta discussion#fic writing#i love you guys#all of you#thank you for reading and for everything
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Curtains - Part 2
Itâs @laedymoon - Elio, my Tumblr Daughterâs - birthday today!!! So to celebrate I thought Iâd post a little something dedicated to her! Curtains was originally written because of El so I decided to write a second part!
El, I hope youâve had a fantastic birthday and that you enjoy this fun little thing ily đđđ
READ PART 1 HERE
Pairing: Roger x Reader
Summery: You still havenât fixed those curtains.
Warnings: Smut (18+), Exhibitionism, fingering, unprotected sex, choking, dom!Rog
Words: 2202
A/N: This is not the sequel fic yaâll were hoping for but itâs the one yaâll are getting for the moment.
Taglist:  @somekindof-cheese @dtfrogertaylor  @ezmina98  @vee-ndetta @atomic-watermelon @kellypenac@labessieisallama @deakyclicks @jennyggggrrr @drowseoftaylor @bowiequeenâÂ
It had been a full two weeks since your encounter with Roger and your curtains still werenât up. If anyone had asked, youâd have said something about not having the right tools, or not being able to do it on your own, or that really you hadnât noticed because youâd been so busy with school work youâd spent most nights this past week sleeping in a corner of the library. None of that was true. The reality was that you were just hoping Roger would come back and make good on his promises. Youâd considered going to his place, but every time you came close, youâd chicken out. The idea of knocking on his door and seeing his smug face when he realised how badly you wanted him again, was almost too much to bear. And god, what if his roommate answered? Itâd be mortifying, knowing he knew you were there to try and score another shag. You had no idea how likely it was that Roger had told anyone about you or what had occurred but the possibility that his roommate knew anything kept you away from their front door. Â
Youâd considered striking up a flirty conversation at the pub and more than once youâd gone there intending to do just that. The memory of the first time heâd talked to you, there at the bar, kept intruding, playing on a loop in your mind as you ordered a drink, hoping alcohol would dull your sense of self-preservation enough that you could muster up the courage to talk to him. It never quite worked. Usually he was already wrapped up in a conversation, a half empty beer in his hand, when you got there. Mostly it was with friends, the same ones you saw walking up his driveway every other day. Sometimes it was other girls. Either way you couldnât bring yourself to interrupt. Not when all you could think about how heâd made you cum in public and you were worried that thought would be the first thing out of your mouth. Instead youâd buy a few drinks and try not to stare at him too much as you finished them. Then youâd go home and imagine what you would have said if those other people hadnât been there, imagine how things could have gone if you werenât quite so shy, and pray heâd notice you next time. Â
Youâd almost given up hope heâd come around again when you heard a tapping at your back door, pulling your focus from the assignment you were trying to write. His stare through the glass reminded you of the first time heâd been here, watching you, and you hurried to open the door. âYou expecting someone?â he asked indicating your bare legs under the long shirt you had on, âOr just hoping?â âHoping,â you said quietly, heart racing at the cocky smile he gave you in return. Youâd known heâd be smug about it but somehow it only made you want him more. âYou gonna let me in, love?â âSorry, yeah,â you stood back to let him in, holding the door open as he crossed the threshold, and closing it softly behind him. âStill havenât put those curtains up,â he turned and pointed at the doorway as if there were multiple unhung curtains he could be talking about, âNot really a surprise though.â âLike I said, hoping.â Roger chuckled as he stalked towards you. You took a step backwards and found yourself with your back pressed against the door. âIâve seen you at the pub you know. Trying to decide if you should come talk to me or if thatâd give away how desperately you want me to fuck you again. Still shy, arenât you?â You nodded as he moved into your personal space, using his knee to part your legs. You lowered your eyes but he tilted your chin up, giving you no choice but to look him in the eye. âThatâs okay. I like knowing I can make a shy little girl like you moan like a whore.â You whimpered as he brushed his fingers over your clit, teasing you through your underwear. He moved as close as he could get, leaning down to nip at your shoulder as he brushed your clit softly again and again until you attempted to press your hips into his hand, desperate for a firmer touch. âSo desperate for me, arenât you?â he asked as he slid his hand into the top of your underwear, dragging his fingers through your wet folds. You whined as he focused on your clit. âYou remember what I said last time?â   âW-which part,â âWhen I told you how I wanted to fuck you,â âYes,â you gasped as he removed his hand from you entirely, but it was just so he could tug your underwear to the side and change the position of his hand. He placed two fingers at your entrance but stopped, teasing you with them. âAnd what did I say?â  âUp against the door,â âAnd the other way?â âWith the door op-open,â you were rewarded with his fingers pressing into you as his thumb came to rest on your clit. Your breath caught in your throat as he began to pump his fingers into you rapidly. âBet youâve been thinking about that a lot, havenât you?â âYes,â it slipped out in a moan. âWaiting for me to come back, use you the way you want to be used.â âYes. Pl-ease Roger, âm close,â âWhich way do you want more?â You couldnât think clearly with his fingers were pumping into you, his thumb pressed against your clit, his voice in your ear. âGotta give me an answer, love, otherwise youâll get neither.â You whined as you tried to understand what he meant. âFine,â Roger stopped, his fingers still inside you, and brought his other hand up to your throat, pinning you against the door entirely, âAnswer me. Or Iâll use your mouth and leave without letting you cum.â âOpen door,â you gasped out, not sure if thatâs the one you wanted more or it was just the last one you thought about and the closest for your brain to reach.  âGood girl.â He tightened his grip on your throat as he began stroking your g-spot as his thumb resumed its movements on your clit.  In a matter of seconds you were coming undone, a hand wrapped around his wrist near your throat, for support. Â
You could almost have cried as his fingers left you, grabbing you by the arm instead to pull you away from the door as he opened it. You hastened to pull your shirt of as he pushed your underwear down your legs. As soon as they hit the floor he grabbed you again, turning you round and placing your hands against the glass door as he pulled your hips back. If someone had taken that moment to sneak into your backyard and look through the open door, they would have had a clear view of Roger running his cock along your pussy, teasing you before ramming into you, making you mewl. âGotta be louder than that if you want to cum,â he growled as he thrust into you rapidly, forcing stuttered moans from you with every snap of his hips. Roger had one hand on your hip and one on your back to keep you steady. The slapping sound of skin on skin mixed with the constant rattle of the door, every shift making it bang against the skirting board, and your constant moans, unabashedly loud. He dropped his hand from your back to your clit, building the pressure in the pit of your stomach. And then you heard it, amongst all the noise, something different and out of place. âW-wait R-r-r-oger,â He stopped and pulled out as you felt behind you, tapping his side. âWhatâs the matter? Did I hurt you?â  âNo, nothing like that. Heard a noise.â âHeard a noise?â He scoffed but you shushed him, listening for the noise again.  Suddenly you heard a bang. âOh, Jesus Y/N. That was just a car door.â Roger peaked out the doorway, craning his neck to see and you did the same, âPretty sure it came from my place. Canât believe I pulled out of your tight little cunt because Briâs fucking come over again.â He pushed you back down against the door, âwhole point of fucking you like this is so the street can hear what a slut you are.â You moaned loudly as he entered you again, returning to his fast pace, only now he also added a few slaps to your arse to make you squeal. You were sure you heard the footsteps heading up next doorâs driveway stop, their owner listening to your pornographic noises. The thought only made you more desperate to cum. You dropped one arm from the rattling door, intending to rub your clit and push yourself over the edge, but Roger caught your wrist and slammed your hand back over the handprint youâd left on the glass. âNo,â âPlease,â âNot yet,â âPlease,â âAsk again and Iâll stop,â he growled, breathing heavily between words. You whined as he continued to pound you, but refrained from begging, even though your whole body was screaming at you to cum. Next door was quiet again, no more car doors and no more footsteps. Though the voice in the back of your head that wondered if anyone was still there, listening to you, was much louder than before. Every rustle in a tree made you think someone was sneaking into your yard for a better look. Without warning Roger dropped his hand to rub your clit again. âGonna cum for me? Let everyone hear you?â You didnât need any more encouragement. Spots appeared in front of your tighly shut eyes as you screamed Rogerâs name, your climax hitting you with the force of a moving train. He wasnât far behind, groaning in your ear as he filled you with his cum. Even in your post-coital, orgasm induced daze you were sure you heard a bark of laughter and a door closing next door. Â
You remained leaning against the glass, breathing heavily until Roger could summon the energy to let go of you and walk the three steps to your bed. He collapsed there on his back, arms spread out, and you followed, curling up next to him, still trying to catch your breath. This time Roger stayed longer than the five minutes it would have taken to get dressed, pulling you deeper into his side.  âYou arenât leaving?â âI can if you want me to,â he sounded tired but he made to sit up anyway. âNo, stay, I like it better this way.â You spoke softly, wrapping an arm around Roger as he settled back down, âThat was really good by the way.â âYeah it was,â âYou ever want to do it again let me know,â âOr you could let me know,â âI spose,â âY/N, I think if you can moan my name and let me call you a slut, you can talk to me at the pub. I promise I wonât bite. Not unless you ask me to anyway.â âYouâre always with your mates though, I couldnât.â âYou could. They see me every day, would probably thank you for taking me off their hands.â âBut...then theyâd know,â âYou mean about how you canât get enough of my cock?â He laughed. If you had the energy to move you would have punched him in the arm. âThink they already know, love. Pretty sure they wouldâve heard you just now.â You groaned, âGod Iâm never going to be able to look them in the eye,â âCanât beg me to fuck you in front of an open door and then get embarrassed when people hear you.â âI didnât beg,â âClose enough. Maybe next time Iâll make you.â âYou sure thereâs going to be a next time?â Roger laughed again, âDefinitely not the last time we do something like that. You enjoy it too much to stop and Iâve got more I want to do to you.â You pushed yourself up onto your elbow to look at Roger properly, âYou got something in mind? For next time?â âMight do,â Roger still sounded tired but there was an excitement in his tone underneath it, âyou should come to my show.â âYour show?â âIâm in a band, Queen, weâre playing down the pub in two days' time, you should come.â âYou any good?â âWell I think so but, yâknow, might be a bit biased. Besides, was more thinking we could find a cleanish bathroom afterwards and make sure the whole place can hear you. Or thereâs the backstage room. The boys might be hanging around but I bet youâd find that hot. Could fuck them too if you were so inclined.â âI donât think I am inclined,â âGood, I donât really want to share you,â You squeezed your thighs together as a wave of arousal rolled through you, âIâll be there,â âDirty girl,â âJust for the music,â âIf you get there early you can take me before the show as well as after.â âWhat timeâs early?â
#my writing#roger taylor x reader#roger taylor imagine#roger taylor smut#HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!#(also @ everyone about to message me:#SR2 is coming i promise#i've just been having some trouble with parts of it)
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You Can Take the Girl Out of Vegas (but you canât take Vegas out of the girl)
Hi fam! In lieu of doing a Mancrush Monday post, I decided to write a little something for Fictober. My muse and real life have been uncooperative for quite some time and every word has been a struggle. But I saw the prompt for âit will be fun, trust meâ and managed to string about 1500 of them together in a way that I hope makes sense and a fun fanfic. Hope you enjoy! :)
Fandom: Olicity  Rating: T  Warnings: Tipsy Felicity. Also, no beta.     Plot: LOL. Itâs Olicity and strip poker. Felicity is winning, until she isnât. Can she regain the upper hand? (aka there is no plot. Just good old banter and silliness with our favorite couple). Set during Olicityâs summer of love world tour. Â
"Take it off."
Felicity huffs a resigned sigh at Oliver's request as she deftly removes the stiletto heel from where her left foot is tucked behind her, dangling the silver strappy footwear from her finger before tossing it in his general direction. Â
"Just so you know, you only won that hand because I was distracted by your...your..," Felicity slurs the words and gestures wildly at his half-naked body,"...ev-er-yyyyyyy-thing." Â Â
Secretly relieved he has some tactical advantage against his girlfriend's superior poker skills, he gives a self-satisfied smile in response to her petulant pout. Â Felicity is still slightly buzzed from her rather lucrative win at the blackjack table earlier, not to mention all the complimentary cocktails bestowed upon his high roller. Â But that alcohol-induced impaired judgment hasn't stopped her from dominating every hand they've played since returning to their suite from the hotel's opulent casino and she suggested a 'friendly' game of strip poker. Â âIt will be fun, trust me,â she purrs in an attempt to be flirtatious but is just adorable when accompanied by her signature wink-blink. Â Either way, he canât ever say no to her and thatâs an offer he doesnât want to refuse.
The game started in his favor, or so he thought, since Felicity didn't appear to be wearing as many articles of clothing as he was. Â Just the deep-vee neck curve-hugging like a second skin hot pink gown that has been driving him crazy all night and the shoes she referred to as her âlucky heels.â She only gave a coy smile when he inquired about undergarments. Â The vast amount of cleavage make him pretty confident that she isn't wearing a bra and lack of panty lines conjure up an image of her favorite black lace thong but he really wants to find out firsthand. Â
Instead, her gown is still covering those luscious curves and he's only managed to get one shoe. Â Conversely, she is in possession of both his shoes, along with his socks, suit jacket, bow tie, suspenders, and white dress shirt, leaving him barefoot and bare from the waist up. Â
"It's your turn to deal," Felicity reminds him tersely, holding out the deck while trying to look anywhere but at him.  Taking the cards from her, he manages to not-so-accidentally brush his fingers along the soft skin of her inner wrist.  He can't help but notice the involuntary shiver and the goosebumps that skitter up her arm.  Her reaction to his touch only fuels his desire to win.
He shuffles the deck, showing off with a couple of fancy techniques, one of the few things he learned in college, and flexing way more than necessary. Â She doesn't seem to be paying attention, still looking everywhere else except at him, but the lip bite is one of her tells and he knows she noticed the bulging of his biceps. Â
Oliver deals the cards and peruses his hand. Â As luck would have it, he has three sevens, the best hand he's had all night. Â
He is so getting her other shoe.
Carefully schooling his features so Felicity won't see the excitement that is bubbling up in his chest, he casually glances at her, noticing that she is still worrying her bottom lip and studiously avoiding his gaze. Â
Oliver has spent the last seven weeks since they drove away from Star City learning everything he didn't already know about Felicity Megan Smoak and every piece of newfound knowledge, down to the most minute detail, is embedded in his psyche. Â
Seemingly forever, if their history is any indication. Â Like the exact day they met. Â What color pen she had in her mouth that day. Â Her fear of heights, kangaroos, and all things pointy. Â The way she would dance and spin in her chair when she didn't know he was watching through the glass partition at QC. Â The sound of her loud voice when she's angry. Â
The fact that he noticed everything and could never forgot anything he knew about her tormented him all those days, weeks, months, when he was struggling to deny his feelings for her, when he was convinced she was better off without him. Â
But now, finally, today is the day his Felicity-centered eidetic memory is working in his favor. Â
Because that particular lip bite, coupled with the subtle peeking out of her tongue to moisten that plump, kissable bottom lip, means that she is aroused.
He watches for a moment more, as she rearranges the cards in her hand and shifts her legs, seemingly pressing her thighs together under the constricting fabric of her long gown. Â
Oh yeah, definitely aroused.
Bracing his elbows on his knees, he leans forward to get her attention. Â "Fe-li-ci-ty," he murmurs in that special voice that is only for her, "it's your turn." Â Not able to resist taunting her just a little, he smiles and asks sweetly, "Are you going to hold on to what you have?" Â
She purses her lips and tilts her head, reminding him of the day he walked into her life with a bullet-ridden laptop and a bad lie that she saw right through. Â When he thinks about that, it makes perfect sense that she is beating the pants off him, almost literally at this point, because she could always tell when he is bluffing. Â She discards one card and draws another. Â Seemingly satisfied, she waits for him to fold or hold. Â He tries to build up some suspense but he only lasts about 30 seconds before declining to draw. Â Felicity eyes him up and down and he feels the heat from her gaze inflame his skin. Her smile is a feral combination of sultry and smug as she lays down her cards and reveals she has two pair. Â
Oliver nods in acknowledgement before he lays his cards down on the carpet in front of him, showing Felicity he has the winning hand. Â Again. Her outrage, as evidenced by her narrowed eyes and heaving chest, at his second consecutive win does not escape his attention but he is more focused on her foot. Â More particularly, how to remove her shoe from her foot. Â There are only three straps holding it on but he can't find any buckles and the straps don't give an inch when he pulls on them. Â
âCould you justâŠ,â he pleads. Â
But she just shakes her head. Â "Okay, Cheaty McCheaterson, how'd you manage to stack the deck without me noticing, huh? Â Were you letting me win earlier? Â Was being naked part of your strategy all along? "
Wow, heâs not sure whether to be insulted or flattered. Â But he loses track of her rant when she reaches for the back of her shoe and slowly unzips it, easing it off her foot. Â He reaches over to collect his prize and canât resist wrapping his hand around her foot, skating his thumb across the arch up to her toes.
"Felicity, I didn't--I wouldn't--cheat," adding under his breath, "no matter how much I want that dress off of you."
Her eyes widen at his admission and she licks her lips. Â "That's it...you're going down."
Abruptly letting go of her foot, he chokes on her choice of words but she seems oblivious to her double entendre. Â His throat is suddenly as dry as the Nevada desert they drove through just a day ago so he turns over on his hands and knees, crawling over to the mini-bar to grab a bottle of water. Â
He doesnât even have the cap off before he feels her hand on his ass. Â She plasters herself to his backside and whispers in his ear, "This dress could be off in the next five seconds if you'll concede that I won." Â
Oliver steels himself against the onslaught of her soft curves pressing into him and her enticing ultimatum. "Nope. Â No way, not conceding. Â We each have two pieces of clothes on. Â It's a tie."
Felicity giggles and somehow manages to press herself even closer to him. Â Her hands glide around his waist, leaving a trail of fire in their wake, and wrap around him in a makeshift hug. Â Her warm breath tickles the nape of his neck, the words whispering across his sensitive skin, "It's only a tie if I'm wearing panties.....which I'm most definitely not." Â
Desperately trying to tamp down the sudden surge of arousal at that piece of information, he grits out, "You do realize you just admitted that I'm actually winning and gave me incentive to keep playing, don't you?"
Felicity responds by stroking her palm straight down the middle of his abs, until her finger reaches the waistband of his pants, giving the button a tug. Â "Or I just gave you incentive to forfeit this game for much more fun one. Dealerâs choice, Mr. Queen."
 FIN
So, fam, what do we think Oliver decided to do? ;) Hint: if I could write smut, this would have been a lot longer lol. Thank you so much for reading! I <3 you all! Since I didnât do Mancrush Monday, hereâs a visual of shirtless Oliver staring at Felicity while she tries to ignore him. Â
Also, hereâs a pic of Felicityâs lucky heels. They are very lucky indeed! ;)
#fictober19#olicity fanfiction#olicity fic#olicity#i just want them to be happy#even if i have to write it myself
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missing that â m.d
paring; im jaebum x moon daesoul (ft. got7, ahn hyejin, arabella lee and mentions of byun baekhyun and jackson wang)
summary; daesoul meets her first love again by accident
warnings; mentions of alcohol
note; yeah, uhm, second
part maybe?
2019
She had not been in the disco for an hour and already regretted having followed the fucking crazy of Hwasa, having promised to accompany her last week and of course coming without reinforcements.
For half an hour of the fifty minutes she had lost her best friend in the crowd and she certainly didn't feel like getting into the sea of ââpeople to go looking for her, so she stuck to the bar enjoying alcohol and loneliness .
Although the latter was left over.
Entertaining with her phone a notification appeared on her screen distracting her from the series that she was watching on netflix.
@stormyy.lee mentioned you in its history
She raised an eyebrow, muttered a "What the fuck are you doing, Storm?" and pressed the notification, the screen showed the private conversation she had with the only female member of Bangtan and within this the story she posted. A video of her at the bar drinking her first drink about ten seconds ago was shown in the girl's "best friends" stories.
She frowned before looking at the place from where she could have recorded it but there was no one there so she started typing.
me
where are you?
stormyy.lee is writing
She let out a somewhat annoying sigh, looked around again looking for Hwasa or Storm or at least someone known but nothing, there was no one. The VIP disco was full of people unknown to her, so she deduced that those on the track were not idols. She ran a hand over her forehead, the cold metal of her rings cooling the skin.
It would have been better to go to Jigoku, there were all the idols. Surely Moonbyul and Wheein would have gone if they had gone to Jigoku. She released another sigh and returned her gaze to the phone.
stormy.lee
at the top, in the largest reserved.
i have hwasa
is a little drunk
me
stupid bitch
and you?
stormyy.lee
if i'm drunk?
nah, it's too soon
besides today i have to take care of mark
âMark?â Her brow frowned as her fingers moved quickly across the screen. Her eyes widened as much as they could, which wasn't much thanks to the heavy false eyelashes that Hwasa had put on her.
Today was Mark's birthday and all GOT7 was here âwell, except Jacksonâ but that was not important, the important thing was that he was here and she had to go where he was to pick up her drunk sister. Immediately her brain began to look for escape from this deadly trap.
She had concluded that she had three options.
The first âLeave her here and let Storm take care of her, she's also her friend.
The second âClimb there, congratulate Mark, catch her and go home to shout her tomorrow when she was with the hangover.
And the last but not least, the third âClimb there, act like a mature adult, greet everyone and have a good time with those who used to call friends.
The most sensible and logical was the third, the second was also acceptable but being Venus who we are talking about and given the situation, she chose the first.
She dropped a handful of bills at the bar, ignoring the bartender shouting at her for the change and tried to get out of there. She remembered the route that Hwasa had taken her when they entered and almost growled in exasperation when she realized that she had to go through the sea of ââpeople yes or yes. She groaned in frustration when she found no other way out and sighed before closing her eyes ready to die drowned in the sweaty bodies of the people but a hand curling in her wrist prevented her.
Slowly she opened her eyes meeting a smiling Bambam âEasyyy, noona!â.
"What the hell, Bam?" She pushed him to get rid of his grip but it shouldn't have worked since the boy's hand didn't let go. She looked at his eyes covered by sunglasses, why is he wearing sunglasses in a disco? Leave it, it's Bambam âWhat are you doing here?".
"Storm sent me for you, noona." He smiled at her, pointing to the area where the booth was "Thank you that she didn't send Jaebum."
The air stuck in her throat for a few seconds "J-Jaebum?".
"Another one who hasn't got over it" The young man murmured rolling his eyes under his sunglasses. He began to pull her toward the stairs that led to the VIP reserved area.
He pulled her easily since Daesoul was assumed in her thoughts about how surreal the situation felt. Of all the nights she went to the disco, did Jaebum have to attend the same disco as her?.
Without realizing it, they had already reached the exclusive room and had an alcoholic Yugyeom hugging her neck. She patted her shoulder when he lazily separated from her and smiled at Mark congratulating him on his birthday.
âVee!â Hwasa muttered away from Storm to go to her group mate, gave her a smile that let her know that she was in a worse state than Yugyeom's.
"I found her ten minutes ago, she was vomiting in the bathroom" The other blonde informed her while she sat next to her best friend. Daesoul ignored how she rested her head on his shoulder and tangled her arms around his while Mark kissed her hair.
Venus had always seen that friendship as something else but they denied it so she shrugged before looking at her best friend.
âI've been looking for you most of the night, where were you?â The girl looked at her seriously for a moment before starting to laugh hysterically, Soul sighed letting go. She dropped herself to Youngjae's side, grabbed a drink and extended it to the thai "Put me something strong."
She had felt his gaze on her since BamBam had brought her and that was bothering her, she wanted to go and shout at him to stop looking at her because she was feeling vulnerable and didn't like it. Today was not a good day for this to happen, fuck she didn't even want to be here.
Bambam let out a whistle and smiled pouring into her glass a bottle of some alcohol that she hadn't stopped to look at. Her gaze was centered between Hwasa dancing with Yugyeom and her glass, she didnât dared to look the other way since she knew that if she did she would see him and did not know if she was ready for that.
She had felt his gaze on her since BamBam had brought her and that was bothering her, she wanted to go and shout at him to stop looking at her because she was feeling vulnerable and didn't like it. Today was not a good day for this to happen, fuck she didn't even want to be here.
She had argued with Baekhyun on the phone and after finishing the call she had realized that she felt nothing for him. She no longer felt that feeling of adventure and emotion, of euphoria as Storm would tell, she no longer felt anything with him and could no longer deal with the situation. She had fun talking to him and enjoyed their time together but as friends like years ago. The confusion of feelings that had brought them to bed âwell, the sofa, the stairs, the kitchen, the floor of her room, the floor of the living room, the floor of the kitchen and the shower tooâ no longer seemed to be there.
And Dae lamented about it because she knew that she should talk to him and tell him that they should end this but with that conversation there was only one possible end, which would break his heart. It wasn't something she wanted, but she knew it was the right thing because she couldn't keep him for fear that their friendship would end, which she knew would end even if he said otherwise because that was what happened with Jaebum.
They said they would both remain friends in case things ended between them and they now look at each other sitting in a corner of the room without looking into each other's eyes after losing communication two âalmost threeâ years after their relationship ended. .
She didn't want that to happen with Baekhyun.
Her gaze shifted to Mark and Arabella, both still in the position they had previously taken but now looking at each other and muttering things between them. Both had smiles on their faces and their eyes seemed to be full of love. She rolled her eyes.
Why didn't they accept that they loved each other and started dating?.
Still she smiled to see them because it was a beautiful sight to see two people so comfortable with each other. She missed that, being like that with someone in public. Unintentionally her gaze moved to Jaebum, surprising that he was also looking at his hyung and his "best friend", shook his head and made eye contact.
Her eyes moved to his hand looking for something and in doing so she felt her heart start beating against her chest. The black ink forming a small "D" on the back of his hand was still there.
She looked back at his eyes when he moved his fingers, knowing what she was doing, then he smiled at her.
#mamamoo#mamamoo's 5th member#crystal clear#jang seungyeon#clc#bts#bts's 8th member#kim chungha#ioi#ahn hyejin#hwasa#got7#im jaebum#2ne1's 5th member#2ne1#heize#jang dahye#mark tuan#kim yugyeom#bambam#choi youngjae#exo#byun baekhyun#jackson wang#park jinyoung#moon byulyi#jung wheein#kim youngsun#solar#moonbyul
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Christmas dinner with Anne and Dan
This one was a joy to write, and I thought today was a good day to post it. Thank you @dugle for the prompt request! I hope you all enjoy :]
Rating: G
Word Count: ~1400
Title: Christmas Dinner
Eddie knew it was coming and had been actively avoiding Anne ever since Thanksgiving. But it was coming, and although heâd succeeded for two long weeks, he supposed he wasnât all that surprised when he got home one night to find Anne waiting in front of his door. Without preamble, she shoved a stiff card in his hand with swirling black letters and silver and red foil edging it.
âNow come on, Anneââ
âYouâre coming,â she said, cutting through his argument. Eddie huffed at her, causing Venom to press curiously at him though he ignored the alien because when dealing with Anne, he couldnât afford to be distracted.
âYou know, Iâve got workââ
âNo, you donât,â Anne said, catching him in the lie before heâd had time to even do a good job of it. âI called your boss to be sure.â
âNow thatâs just rude.â
âYou owe me, and honestly? It was Danâs idea.â
Eddie made a face but knew when heâd lost. âThat man is just too good.â
âHe really is,â she said with clear warmth in her voice. âBut honestly I liked the idea, so you were screwed either way.â
Whatâs she talking about, Eddie?
Again Eddie ignored Venom and tried one final time. âYou guys donât need to do this. Vee and I were just gonna get a microwave meal or something and stay in. Weâd be perfectly fine.â
Anne made a face before pressing the card in his hand into his chest with a pointed thump.
âAnd thatâs why youâre both coming. Microwave dinner, Eddie? Come on.â
Eddie shrugged and looked away. âI mean, itâs better than the alternative.â
âWhatâs the alternative?â
Venom manifested a face and grinned wickedly. âHeads.â
âOh, no!â She glared at Eddie. âThat settles it. Youâre coming. Remember, dress nicely, okay? And youâd better make sure Venomâs presentable too.â
âPresentable?â
Eddieâs jaw dropped.
âWhat? Anne, you canât be serious. Heâs an alien for Christâs sake. Heâs goo!â
âThen make the goo presentable,â sheâs replied with that smile that left no room for argument. âYou hear that, Venom? And youâd both better be on your best behavior. Iâm not having my Christmas dinner ruined because you two want to be idiots.â
âYou donât have to risk it at all,â Eddie pointed out, but all she did was shake her head at him and leave, the discussion settled and over.
Venom had looked curiously at Eddie as theyâd entered their apartment. âChristmas dinner?â
âYeah, itâs a thing with her.â
âBut you two are not together anymore.â
Eddie had groaned, glancing at the card before tossing it on the counter. âI think she feels bad for us.â
âWhatâs there to feel bad about?â Venom replied. âWe will be fine.â
âSomehow I donât think she sees it that way,â he sighed. âNo stopping it now.â
And that was why they were now standing outside her and Danâs door with a bottle of decent wine in hand and Venom tucked around Eddieâs body to form the nicest suit Eddie had ever worn in his life, even if it was made of alien goo. No one had to know that, and Ann had said she wanted Venom presentable. Sheâd never said how.
Dan opened the door, a welcoming smile on his face. He wore a red sweater that was casual and seasonal and in the back of Eddieâs mind Venom grumbled that heâd have preferred to turn into something like that.
âHey, you both made it.â Dan stepped aside, taking the offered wine and leading them to the dining room. âYouâre just in time. Weâre pretty much ready.â
âThatâs great,â Eddie said, moving slow as he took in the decorations while also trying not to look too obvious doing so. It wasnât so long ago that he was the one leading guests into a beautifully decorated house heâd helped create with Anne. But not this year and not this time, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Dan press a kiss into Anneâs cheek as they passed each other.
He wasnât jealous or anything, not now, not of their relationship. They were good for each other, and unlike Eddie, he was pretty sure Dan would never hurt Anne. Definitely not like he had. Besides, he had Venom, and really they were just as great together. Things, in a weird, roundabout, completely unbelievable way had worked out for everyone. He just ⊠missed this. The hominess of it all, and that it wasnât his anymore, not like this.
That, more than anything, had been why he hadnât wanted to come. And it had been easy because Venom hadnât quite gotten it.
Eddie suspected his symbiote was beginning to understand as he developed a tentacle to look around himself, white eyes curious.
âItâs different from the last time we were here,â the alien said. âYou took the outside decorations and brought them in. Itâs nice.â
âWhat can I say? I like to decorate for the holidays.â Anne gestured to the table where food was already packed among the fine china and flutes of champagne. âGo ahead and sit.â
âSomething smells good, Eddie,â Venom murmured next to his ear. Eddie gave him a soft snort.
âIf you say so. Just looking, I donât think thereâs much here youâd like.â Eddie went to take a seat as Anne and Dan put on final touches, and he paused when he counted the settings. There were four, and he couldnât help but cut his eyes around, Venom sinking back slightly to avoid detection. âAre you expecting someone else? How come youâve set up for four?â
Anneâs eyebrows shot up. âEddie. Venom. There are two of you.â
âYeah,â Eddie replied. âBut we share the same body.â
âWeâve only ever needed one place. I donât need to be present to eat if Eddieâs doing it for us.â
âBut that cuts one of you out when you do that,â Dan pointed out, taking his seat beside Anne. âAnd we invited you because we wanted you both here.â
âItâs the holidays,â Anne said. âAnd after everything weâve been through together in the last year, well, youâre both welcome at our table. And that means you both get a spot.â Anne stared pointedly at Venom. âJust donât drool too much, okay? If you do, youâre handling all of the cleanup when weâre done.â
If that was a joke or not â probably not â they didnât know, mostly because they were too astonished to think about it. Since they had to lay low all the time, the only times they were ever acknowledged as individuals in the pair they made was when they were alone, or when Anne or Dan or Mrs. Chen brought them up in conversation. Theyâd never had anyone cater toward their unique circumstances and acknowledge them both.
Eddie and Venom looked at each other, surprise swimming laps between them.
âOh,â Eddie said, slowly facing Anne and Dan where they watched. âWell. In that case ⊠weâre happy to be here, and that you thought of us both.â
âRight,â Venom agreed, his tentacle slowly flowing toward the place that had been set up just for him. âThank you for inviting us.â
Anne smiled a smile filled with confidence and pride, one that always made her more beautiful. The one that always meant things had worked out exactly as sheâd wanted them to.
âNow that weâre all settled, letâs dig in. Oh, and Venom?â
âYes, Anne?â
âDan and I took your dietary preferences into consideration, so we made something special for you.â
Venomâs eyes widened, and Eddie tried not to make a face.
âI hope you didnât, uh, get any heads or anything.â
Anne made a face at him but Dan laughed.
âNo, nothing like that. But since Iâve been working with you both, Iâve developed a good idea of Venomâs needs and the way they might be applied to the kitchen. Itâs steak, extra bloody, with a special chocolate sauce I made to accompany it.â
âIs that what Iâve been smelling?â Venom said, awe in his voice as the hunger between them grew enough to make even Eddie salivate. âDan. I could kiss you.â
Dan shot a quick look at Anne, and Eddie couldnât help himself. A laugh burst out of his chest and soon the entire table was filled with laughter and smiles and cheer, and Eddie supposed afterward that heâd thank Anne for inviting them after all.
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Red Wine: Pillow Talk - Conor Maynard
Another part of the Red Wine Series! I am not going to write this series in a chronological order, so donât be surprised, they have been dating for a longer time in this one.
This is actually the first part that I had written for this series. To be continued...
Warning: Mentions of NSFW
Word Count: 1.320
Their ragged breath mingled when he finally collapsed on her. Their skin was sticky and hot, but Conor didnât mind. He lazily kissed her on her boob, for it was the closest that he could reach without having to move his head. She lightly giggled at that. He loved how he could hear her heart beat, still very fast from their previous action.
âThat was⊠something elseâ, Vee summed it up as they had eventually caught their breaths. Her hands had found their way in Conorâs hair, making him hum in content.
âYeahâ, he agreed a little sleepily. âWait here, âm gonna get you cleaned up, loveâ, he said and went to the bathroom to get a wet washcloth, cleaning her up from the mess they had made.
âThanks babyâ, she said and cupped his cheek, pulling him in for another tender kiss on the lip. Conor quickly brought the cloth back to the bathroom, throwing one of his shirts and a pair of fresh knickers at her as he returned. She caught it with ease and slipped it on. He pouted a little since the material now deprived him of one of his favourite views: her naked body. But seeing her wear his clothes, especially in this fucked out state with her face all flushed and her hair a mess, no doubt created by his own hands, made up for it. Almost.
Vee lifted up the duvet a little so he could easily slip beneath it after he had put on his boxers as well. The both of them didnât like sleeping naked in hotel beds, although they loved it at home.
She wrapped her arms around him as soon as his back hit the mattress. Conor chuckled lightly. âSomeoneâs clingyâ, he said before he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. She hummed and burried her head even deeper in his chest, making him embrace her, too.
âTelly?â, he asked.
âSure. Maybe that award showâs still onâ, she said. âIf we donât show up in person we could watch it at least.â She repositioned herself so she could see the screen, while Conor turned on the telly.
âBest decision to stay inâ, he mumbled. They might have ditched the award show for some rather urgent business they had to finish. The show was indeed still on, the category where Conor had been nominated but didnât win were already through, but now Veeâs categories were on.
âAnd the best female single goes to⊠Ariana Grandeâ, the presenter said.
âWell, no luck for me todayâ, Vee said, shrugging her shoulders, as the âbest female vloggerâ was also not her.
âNever actually understood the point of going to a show when you already know you didnât winâ, Conor said.
âTrue. And then they tell you to act suprised and all. I think our evening was way more enjoyable than theirsâ, Vee said before she stole another peck from Conorâs lips.
Conor turned the TV off as they know showed part of the interviews with nominees and winners. Vee was already half-asleep, but he couldnât blame her, she had only arrived yesterday and her flight back home to London was leaving in about nine hours. So he cuddled close to her, holding her tight for as long as he could, before their busy lives would separate them for another couple of weeks.
âConor?â, she said, the lack of sleep clearly evident in her voice.
âYes baby?â
âI miss us making loveâ, she said, stirring a bit to readjust her position against him.
âBut we just did, didnât we?â, Conor asked confused.
âHmm⊠we just had sex. But we didnât actually made love. Do you remember how, when we both had a month off in London, we could actually take our time because we knew weâd have each other for a whole month?â
Conor slowly understood what she was getting at. They barely saw each other these days, and when they actually did meet in person and not via facetime or the phone, their need for each other was so big, so unbearable that they could barely make it to their hotel room before their clothes were scattered all over the place. Round two was a bit more gentle, but still they both knew that they only had a few hours before one of them had to leave for a concert, or an interview, or to the studio, or fly to the other side of the world. It was still desperate, clingy sex, chasing their high because they wouldnât have the chance to make the other feel this good in a few weeks.
However, when they were both at the same place for a few weeks, which didnât happen that often these days because of both their careers, they knew they could do it whenever they wanted. There was no need to rush things, there was no flight to catch, they could just enjoy each other or they could just choose to cuddle, since this couldnât be considered a wasted opportunity. The more he thought about it, the more he missed it too.
âDonât get me wrongâ, Vee said as Conor had been silent for a little while, âI love having sex with you either way. Really, you make me feel so damn good, but⊠God, I just miss having you all to myself for a little while without having to leave in a few hours. You know, when it doesnât matter if we donât get off because we have plenty of time for it.â
âNevermind, I shouldnât have said anythingâ, she added, when Conor still didnât answer, clearly misinterpreting his silence.
âNo babyâ, he quickly said, âitâs just⊠I was just thinking about it.â Â
He wouldnât tell her, but he was surprised that she even told him. She usually wasnât one to talk about sex. She was really into having sex, but she was still uncomfortable talking about it, even after the year that they had been dating. So he was doing everything that he could to encourage her, when she did talk about it.
âI guess youâre right. Donât even remember when I ran you the last bathâ, he continued, referring to their ritual when they were both at home. Every sunday morning, theyâd share a bath, most likely having that end up in having sex or at least making out and then have a nice homemade breakfast. Conor let his hand run up and down her back in slow strokes.
âMust have been ages agoâ, she giggled. âMiss that, too.â She snuggled herself even closer to him.
â âs gonna be the first thing weâll do when weâre both home again, I promiseâ, he mumbled before kissing her hairline.
âAnd then weâre gonna be making loveâ, Vee mumbled into his chest, her words a bit mushed together both because Conorâs chest muffled the sound and because she was getting really tired.
âYesâ, he mumbled in content as he watched his love drift off to a much needed slumber.
He really needed to figure something out. Talking about all those lazy times they had spent with each other really got him to miss out on those, and although he had Vee right here in his arms, peacefully asleep, he felt like it had been a long time since he had seen her fully relaxed and totally at ease. He missed having her laugh in the most carefree way, he missed having her completely comfortable in their own house, in their own bed.
He carefully reached over to get his phone from the nightstand without shuffling too much, but Vee was still fast asleep when he had finally got hold of it. He typed in a quick text to his manager, saying that he had to talk to him about something important the next morning, so he wouldnât forget. He was sure that his and Veeâs manager would be able to figure something out.
View all parts of the series HERE or view all of my posts HERE
#buttercream squad#buttercream gang#conor maynard#jack maynard#joe sugg#byron langley#caspar lee#jack maynard imagine#josh pieters#mikey pearce#conor maynard request#conor maynard fanfiction#conor maynard imagines#conor maynard fluff#conor maynard one shot#conor maynard writing#conor maynard series#CM
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Mispronounced Words That Drove Me Nuts Today: A List.
Whew, I haven't posted a rant on here in a hot minute! Which, honestly, is probably a good thing--the internet sure is hostile enough without me over here hollering about WORDS and how often people may or may not be saying them right. But, YOU GUYS, today I went to a work party (my Motherâs), ate almost an entire cheese plate (literally, I feel kind of sick) and got riled up. It was the kind of day that rattled my English Major soul to the core and made me wanna go home, roll up my sleeves and plant a linguistic SHADE garden on the internet. Because, you guys, my mother is a teacher. And so are her co-workers. And, holy-moly, I heard some wonky sh*t today.Â
First things first: Iâm not the kind of person who takes any pleasure in correcting the way someoneâs older relative might pronounce âAcaĂâ at Starbucks. Iâm not a Butt-Munch. I get that exposure to certain words doesnât necessarily happen for everybody at the same time. I also understand that accents play a large roll in dictation and that regional speech patterns are a thing. None of that is what Iâm talking about here. Iâm talking about words that are being said wrong. Another thing I want to make abundantly clear is that the main reason this sort of thing falls on my list of pet-peeves in the first place (and, ohhhh, it does) really has nothing to do with snottiness. Rather, the opposite is true: of all the fields of knowledge that an individual can study, proper use of language is probably the rudest topic to correct someone on in public. And I want to share! To put things in perspective, a person who knows a lot about nutrition can (and should) pounce on false facts about calories when they hear them. But, come on, it just doesnât work that way with language. Announcing to someone that theyâre saying a word wrong (especially when itâs a common word) is always going to sound rude. It wonât come across as helpful; it will probably just come across as a shitty and elitist way of calling someone stupid. Case and point: its usually better not to say anything at all. So I donât. Which is too bad, because there arenât a whole lot of things Iâm good at and knowing stuff about words is one of them.Â
Now, with all that being said, here is a list of five of those words (I started keeping track of them because Iâm kind of a dill-weed) that I heard butchered today. I present them to you now in the hopes of getting my own pent-up args-ARGS! off my chest.Â
(1.) Labtop (Laptop).
Noun
1. a computer that is portable and suitable for use while traveling.
âI like to look at pictures on my Labtop.âÂ
(NOOOOOOO.)
(2.) Pitcher (Picture).
Noun
1. a painting or drawing.
âHe likes to take Pitchers of his party guests.â
âLook at that Pitcher in that nice Pitcher frame.â
(Slightly less âNOOOOOOOâ than labtop when itâs used in a quick âdropping the âgâ off a wordâ kind of way, but still pretty bad.)
(3.) Mis-CHEE-vee-us (Mischievous).Â
Adjective
1. (of a person, animal, or their behavior) causing or showing a fondness for causing trouble in a playful way.
"Two mis-chee-vee-us kittens had decorated the bed with shredded newspaper."
(I know, I KNOOOW. But this word only has three syllables. If you over-pronounce the âIâ in there youâre giving it four. It should really sound more like âmis-chuh-vuhsâ.)Â
(4.) GIF pronounced like JIFF.Â
Noun
Look, I know this one is technically correct and that Iâm playing for the wrong team here. But, really, what kind of heathen looks at the word GIF and thinks JIFF? I donât care if the creator technically confirmed that itâs supposed to be said that way. He is wrong and I REFUSE. âGIFâ stands for Graphics Interchange Format and âGraphicsâ has a hard âGâ. I. Rest. My. Case.Â
(5.) Referring to visiting a store in the past tense the same way you would talk about having gone to a friendâs house (with a possessive âs on the end).Â
âI went to Victoria Secretâs today.â
âI went to Walmartâsâ Â
(This seriously might just be a New England thing. Iâm not sure Iâve heard it anywhere else. But, like, itâs not a girl named Victoria Secretâs store. Itâs Victoriaâs Secret. One. Just one secret. Walmart isnât a dude either. Whyyyy?)
Annnnnd Iâm done (and feeling much better, tbh). So, ah, hey do any of you guys have a list of mispronounced words that you hate hearing? Feel free to chime in so I feel less alone and goblin-ey.    Â
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Eff You, Mr. Eff - Part 1
The familiar sound of the front door quickly scanning and then allowing patrons to enter alerted Tenn to come from the security footage room upstairs. She had already set up the screens to broadcast each street from earlier yesterday into the current day at that exact time.
She waved from the top of the stairwell.
âGood to see that you all made it here safe. Brother Squee, Brother-in-Law Pep, and TAK are all on their way here. But in the meantime we can get started.â
She met them halfway down the stairs, she was in strategic soldier mode, her arms clasped behind her back and her head held high.
She gave small professional smiles to the two tall men and the red tentacled, dog-like creature.
âEverything is already set up for review.â She went on to list all of the streets up on the screen as she opened the door for them to come inside the security room.
âYou can take your pick on which youâd like to station yourself to.â
âDown the line- Thereâs Grave Road, Maple Street, Obilivia Lane, Brighton Circle, Badger Road, Windhurst Lane, Aegis Street, Aligheri Street, and the Downtown area goes through a rapid cycle of certain areas, so that may become a bit disorienting, so just a warning in advance if you wish to take post there.â
Jhonen looked over the map. âHonestly Iâll go downtown. The city is there, and if Prince is like my Nny- most of his walks are through the city,â he said, looking over at the different stores and buildings in the area.
A beep at the door heralded the arrival of Tak. Â âSo whatâs the set up?â Â She paused. Â âActually, Squee and Pep are right behind me. Â Wait a moment, would you?â
The duo came in, weary and cold. Â
âThanks for waiting, TAK. Â Not like you could have held the door open.â
âShe really couldnât have - thereâs bio-scans for each key card swipe.â
Pep grumbled. Â He didnât have to like it. Â
âSo what did we miss?â
Edgar continued, uninterrupted by the appearances. âIâll take Grave Road, I trust that Jhonen and Tenn havenât seen Nny personally, but Nny is fast and Iâm sure things have been busy in their house anyway,â He stood in front of the screen where familiar houses stood in a row. Few cars went by.
Lilâ Shit shook their head. Â
âNáŽáŽ áŽÊáŽÉŽáŽ.  GÊáŽáŽ ᎠRáŽáŽáŽ
ÉȘsÉŽ'ᎠᎠáŽáŽÉȘÉŽáŽÉȘáŽ
áŽÉŽáŽáŽÊ ÉŽáŽáŽáŽ, ᎥÊáŽáŽÊáŽÊ áŽÊᎠáŽÉȘáŽÊ áŽÉŽáŽáŽĄ áŽÊáŽáŽ áŽÊ ÉŽáŽáŽ.  I'ÊÊ áŽáŽáŽ áŽáŽÉŽáŽÊ áŽÉŽ PÊÉȘÉŽáŽáŽ ÉąáŽÉȘÉŽÉą áŽÊáŽÊᎠáŽáŽ sáŽáŽáŽ áŽáŽÉȘɎᎠ- I áŽ
áŽÉŽ'ᎠÒáŽáŽÊ ÊÉȘÉąÊᎠÊáŽáŽáŽ ÉȘÉŽÉą ÊáŽáŽ áŽáŽ ɹᎠáŽÊáŽÉŽáŽ.â
âYou misunderstand, Little Shit, was it? Edgar wonât be physically going anywhere. Weâre just going to watch the screens.â
âNo one will be going anywhere without a plan, okay?â She called over her shoulder as she went back to the top of the stairwell to wave the rest of the group in.
âWe are up here,â she walked down to the middle of the stairs again, same militaristic stance as before, âTAK, Brother Pep, Brother Squee. Come with me.â
âFather Veeâs already surveying Downtown cameras, Edgar took Grave, and I still havenât heard confirmation from Little Shit where they will be looking.â
âMaple, Oblivia,Brighton, Badger, Windhurst, Aegis, and Aligheri. Take your pick.â
âLet me know if you see anyone who looks like Nny. Sometimes cameras can skew appearances. Even if you see Nny at an earlier point of time, we still will benefit from that, retracing steps is important in this case.â
Jhonen nodded, concentrated on the screens. So far- he didnât really see NnyâŠ.just a bunch of people walking aroundâŠhe payed attention to each person who managed to pop up on the screen.
âIâll take Maple. Â Itâs a major road, so the odds are high heâs gone down it at least the once, especially to leave the apartments.â
âWeâll take Aegis, Aligheri, and Windhurst - the amount of obfuscation thatâs on those streets - itâs irrational to assign anyone else to them.â Â
Squee nodded. Â âWindhurst is the only street that ISNâT warped, but it rounds out the quadrant.â
Edgar had felt incredibly touched by Lil Shitâs offer of companionship. Although misguided, the fact that the service pet had even spoken up made him smile, âItâs alright, Lil Shit. Iâll be right here with you. Before any of us go anywhere weâve gotta find Nny.â
Lilâ Shit looks to Edgar, still worried, but it dawns on them that A NEW PERSON, TENN, can hear them! Â Despite the solemnity of the situation, their tail wags.
âYáŽáŽ áŽáŽÉŽ ÊáŽáŽÊ áŽáŽ?â
No.  Bad Lil Shit.  Concetrate.  Think about the options.  ââŠBÊÉȘÉąÊáŽáŽÉŽ CÉȘÊáŽÊᎠÉȘs Ç«áŽÉȘáŽáŽ ÊáŽÊÉąáŽ.  I'ᎠsáŽÊᎠáŽÊáŽÊᎠáŽÊᎠáŽáŽÊáŽÉȘáŽÊᎠáŽáŽáŽáŽÊáŽs áŽÊáŽáŽ áŽáŽáŽÊáŽ
áŽáŽsᎠáŽáŽÊáŽáŽÉȘÉŽÊÊ ÊáŽÉŽáŽÒÉȘᎠÒÊáŽáŽ áŽÊ INFINITE EYES.  I'ÊÊ áŽáŽáŽáŽ BÊÉȘÉąÊáŽáŽÉŽ.â
Tenn loves dogs, of course being around five at once nearly twenty-four/ seven, so she smiles at Lil Shit wagging his tail.
She nods, albeit being a bit confused, it shows on her face, âWell a talking service pet doesnât exactly faze me as much as any random person. I mean, youâre no stranger to my family and friends.â
âGood choices to you all. I wish you luck, Iâll be keeping an eye on the current monitors. Iâve set up an algorithm that should alert me should Nny appear in any current shot.â
Jhonen kept an eye out, Nny didnât seem anywhere! However, what he noticed might have some clues of Princeâs whereabouts. In the camera feed, he noticed a pattern; a slight decrease in people. He saw people zoom by and then end up on the floor, knowing that Johnny was out there; the people on the floor were most likely dead. However, itâs tricky to catch, unless you really pay attention. So, Jhonen kept a watchful eye, hoping that the killer would pop out of the shadows.
Takâs eyes widened, and she nearly moved her head to glance back at her adopted sister - but she restrained the impulse, never looking from her screen.
âTenn, I couldnât understand what Lilâ Shit said. Â Never have been able to. Â Squee, Pep, Dads, Todd, Edgar, Prince? Â Yeah, they can. Â I canât. Â Dib canât -â Â She cut off her trail of thought. Â So how can YOU?
âGuys, I caught him going northwest from the apartments.â
Squeeâs eyes widened in alarm, briefly glancing away from Windhurst to Tenn, then right back. Â âTenn- Tak- do you think itâs because of that THING that Tenn can hear them? Â Also, still nothing on my end.â
âNothing on mine.â
Edgar had barely ever interacted with Vasquez and Co., finding that seeing another Nny who was distinctly different from his Prince and also had been a source of much unintentional heartbreak wasnât worth any get-togethers. He certainly hadnât learned much about Jhonenâs alien daughter, Tenn, aside from when he gushed about her or Tak had mentioned something.
He was alarmed and quite frankly wary now that he knew Tenn could understand Lil Shit. It was just his nerves.
Instantly his attention was brought to the screen where he saw Nny come on screen, walking down the street. Edgar called for everyoneâs attention. He watched as Nny seemed to pause near the old 777 and then⊠walk almost in a daze into the dilapidated shack.
He blinked almost non believing.
âHe went into 777.â
Lil Shit was discomfited by the fact that Tenn could in fact hear them.  The rules regarding who COULD were pretty clear by now.  âI áŽáŽsᎠáŽáŽ
áŽÉȘáŽ, ÉȘáŽâs sáŽÊáŽÉŽÉąáŽ ÊáŽáŽ áŽáŽÉŽ ÊáŽáŽÊ áŽáŽ.  YáŽáŽ áŽ
áŽÉŽ'ᎠFEEL ÊÉȘáŽáŽ ÊáŽáŽ'ᎠᎠÊáŽáŽÉŽ áŽáŽáŽáŽÊáŽáŽ
ÊÊ áŽÊᎠsÊsáŽáŽáŽâŠ ÊáŽáŽ ÊáŽáŽ DO ÒáŽáŽÊ ÊÉȘáŽáŽ áŽÊáŽáŽ.  SáŽÊᎠáŽÒ.â
It dawned on them what Edgar had said. âWáŽÉȘᎠ- ÊáŽáŽ sáŽáŽĄ PÊÉȘÉŽáŽáŽ? AáŽ- AᎠ777?â  Lil Shit shifted nervously.  âOÊ áŽÊÉȘs ÉȘsÉŽ'ᎠɹáŽáŽáŽ
- áŽÊÉȘs ÉȘsÉŽ'ᎠɹáŽáŽáŽ
áŽáŽ ALL.â
Tenn didnât have enough time to continue entertaining Lil Shitâs observation. She bolted over to Edgarâs station.
âThat was recorded earlier today. Experience tells me that any Nny going to a 777 and not coming back out is not a good sign.â
Jhonen heard the commotion and went over to investigate. His eyes widened, he didnât know Prince that well- but any Nny going into 777 was NOT good.
âOh fuck.â
Tak bolted up, worry all over her face and demeanor. Â âEdgar- He LEFT 777 for a REASON- the ghosts- theyâre still there- arenât they?â Â Her eyes have nothing but fear in them - but not fear of Prince- fear FOR Prince.
âFuck- Eff lead him there- and I hope Iâm not right as to WHY - Iâd rather the murders to what I fear.â
Pepitoâs eyes widen. Â âSo for one: there are GHOSTS there. Two, they caused Prince to LEAVE 777, presumably for his safety. Â And THREE: HE WENT BACK?â He gets out of his seat.
âWHY THE FUCK ARE WE STILL HERE?â
Squee nods. âPep has a point - Prince is clearly in danger on two fronts.â
âNny had told me when he was in the throes of the worst days of his life there were two doughboy entities. Obviously we know itâs the work of one. But thereâs two different ones⊠one that he told me wanted to be alive and do things outside of Nnyâs control and one that just wanted to end Nny and be set free of a physical presence. To serve a master. To serve whoever had a hold on Lil Shit⊠Judging by the circumstances.. that would make it be that itâs the former one⊠Mr. Eff. And I donât think itâs fair to saw that he just went back. Obviously he was under some type of trance. We need a plan before we jump the gun, we have to expect the strangest and prepare for the worst.â
Tak shifted uncomfortably.  âIâm well aware of the⊠stranger things.  I saw the house when Lil Shit was a barely-uncontrollable BIG Shit.  âŠIâve seen⊠some of the current situation, as well.â  She pauses, unsure of how much to say.  She glances to Jhonen.
âIâll just say that Iâve seen an unmanageable Eff before. Â We were lucky that the situation was what it was - both Jhonen and Nny. Â It- we all would have died.â She goes silent. Â âIâm scared. Â I donât think the way things went before will work again- not when Eff has the upper hand with territorial knowledge.â
âIf you look in Princeâs post, thereâs still parts of him there. Heâs not entirely gone which can be used to our advantage. Obviously we all know Nny is incredibly strong and has only gotten stronger, despite the contrary being said by Eff. Heâs holding on for us and heâs asking for help. However, I too fear that what TAK has done before might not be so effective.â
She looks to Jhonen, having only heard what happened with Nny and seeing the aftermath in the form of a scar, of course that was the work of Psychodoughboy and not Eff, but still, it was worrying to say the least. Tenn also knew some things, but just like Tak, she didnât know what was in the open and what wasnât.
Jhonen looked back at his daughter, and then spoke up.
âWe should all be very cautious nevertheless, the last thing iâm sure we want is for Prince to cause harm to himself or others. We need a strategy, and a plan, so that we can approach the situation without getting too hysteric or too cruel. If we get out of line, it could get way more serious.â
Squee spoke up. ââŠHas nobody been looking at the newest post from Prince? âInto the house Johnny, Itâs time to finish painting that wall.â Lilâ Shitâs not IN the wall.  This seems like Effâs getting revenge - or attempting to open a new cell that will never be created.â
âWhat does he have to gain then,â Edgar glanced in confusion to Squee.
âJust revenge? If a cell canât be created⊠and thereâs no master there⊠what is this thingâs end game? Could it really be that vengeful where it would just want Nny to kill for the sole purpose of⊠killing? He still kills.â
His brow furrows. âUnless.. Eff just wants us gone so that Nny is left with no-one⊠or even worse. Trap him in that house- isolate him until heâs right back where he started⊠In any case, Jhonen is right, we need to eradicate as many risks⊠and eliminate as much harm as possible.â
Lil Shit curls up.  This doesnât sit right.  âUÉŽÒáŽÊáŽáŽÉŽáŽáŽáŽÊÊ - áŽÊáŽáŽâs⊠áŽÊáŽáŽâs ᎠD-BáŽÊâs áŽáŽáŽ
áŽs áŽáŽáŽÊáŽÉŽáŽ
ÉȘ.â
âDoughboys are predictable, thatâs about the only thing we can expect from them. Is that they want one thing and thatâs to have control over something, whether itâs to destroy or self-destruct.â
Tenn taps her chin. âWe still donât have a planâŠI donât know if fighting is the right way to go, but knowing the doughboys⊠how they work⊠how things like them can make people into someone theyâre not-â She gives another much shorter glance to Jhonen, âWe might have to. But if anyone has any other ideas say it right now. We need to hurry though⊠whatever we come up with, we need to implement it soon.â
Jhonen doubted there was another solution to all this. Unfortunately, it seems the thing infecting prince wasnât just gonna let go if you fucking asked! He stayed silent, unable to come up with any alternative solutions.
Tak stood up. Â âIâll go.â
âI went in when THAT happened. Â I went in when Lil Shit wasnât so little and was quite nearly unmanageable. Â I- I need to. Â I can fight him off, use the PAK legs to get him restrained, then use my implant.â Â And pray it works.
âFor me, failure is not an option.â
Squee could only bite his lip. Â Heâd go, if only in hopes that it would take Princeâs guard down to see ANY Squee there - but he knew that if things got BAD - it would be back to step 1 with his recovery.
âI canât go. Â But Iâll keep an eye on the monitors?â he said, ending it as a question.
Pepito looked to his side. Â Of course - if it came down to blows and the worst situation came to pass - no. Â He couldnât let that happen, couldnât let his Squee see that. Â âI can see about boarding 777 off from the rest of the world for an hour or so - even then, that might be pushing what I can do,â he admitted.
âIâll go too. I shouldnât have let this go on so long and I should have been there in the first place. I need to see heâs at least a little okay and I want to be there for him when he⊠I want to be there for him,â Edgar finishes with a sigh.
Lil Shit manifests several tendrils ending in various sharp objects. Â
âI áŽÊsᎠɎáŽáŽáŽ
áŽáŽ ÊáŽáŽáŽÉȘÒÊ áŽÊÉȘs.  I áŽÊáŽáŽÉąÊᎠI áŽáŽáŽ ÊÉȘᎠÊÉȘáŽáŽ ÊÉȘs ÊÊáŽáŽÊáŽÊ.  I áŽáŽsáŽÉŽ'ᎠÊáŽáŽ ᎠáŽ
ÉȘÉąáŽsáŽáŽáŽ
ÊÉȘᎠáŽs ᎥáŽÊÊ áŽs I áŽÊáŽáŽÉąÊáŽ.â
Tenn gave a grim smile to the determined group, nodding.
âI would like to tag along, but only if I am needed. If thereâs nothing I can do, or if you believe you have it covered then I wonât. I just want to help the best way I can.â
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LORI COMES LATE TO THE PARTY A.K.A RPC POSITIVITY WEEK !!Â
so i am an unorganised wreck of a human being ( as you all know ! ) but i do want to acknowledge this, because i think too often our community drowns under negativity and elitism and generally can be kind of toxic, especially to smaller fandom, less âpopularâ blogs and to new people ( especially if youâre a new multi or god forbid an OC ) so for the next two weeks iâm going to do various little things like i did today and yesterday with posting icons && gifting people things && at some point i will get around to a follow forever this week too !!Â
This is just a smol shout out to the blogs that i love and some of the friends iâve made in this community ( mostly river.dale ) in the last year !!
@brassloyalty - EMs my WIFE && honest to god one of my bffs. i love you, and our ships and your continuous dedication to SP in making him such a multi-layered beautiful disaster of a muse, iâm so thankful to have you in my life, you are honestly a fucking treasure.Â
@kalxidoscopc - can you believe weâve only been friends a couple of months? what can i say you are the Archie to by JB, the Sweet to my Vee. your writing and graphics are out of this world beautiful && you are a gem of a human being, and freaking hilarious #virgopowerÂ
@southsidelover - Z lbr babe, youâre actually Toni Topaz, right? but seriously, what a beautiful human inside, out. Your love of Toni and how you have fleshed her out across universes in just incredible. 11/10 human being right here, with bomb ass writing skills that iâm kinda jealous of ;)Â
@chaosblossomed - AAAH! i donât have the words for how much i love your Cheryl, you were one of the first Cherylâs I ever wrote with and i remember just falling in love with your portrayal and being like âshit, someone who REALLY gets Cheryl.â youâre such a sweet person, and always an absolute delight to talk to OOC.Â
@yourpaljughead -  WEâRE THE ICONIC SIBLING DUO that just about says it all, right? I adore V, and adore her portrayal of Juggie, always a joy to see on the dash on popping up in discord, i can literally talk to you for days about our babies. your love of one (1) boy is beautiful and you can see it in your writing. Also V is a total babe, duh.Â
@mademiistakes -Â Â MEG! ily, and out ability to craft up the weirdest of ships that work like SO SO MUCH. who would have thought that FP would be in love with Penny, but here we are ! JBâS MOM! how can i not love you & your beautifully unique portrayal of your muses! my lil cupcake, iâm keeping you.Â
@forbiddenfrut - i think it goes without saying that you are MY SISTA, weâve been friends for forever, and i donât know what iâd do without you some days. your writing is a gift, even the smallest of threads ( lol like we do many of those ) you manage to craft so beautifully. youâre the Lexie to my mark, the Alex to my Jo, the B to my V. My twisted sister for life, and i fucking love you babe, like real talk, love you.Â
@weatheredworn -Â Â started out with Amy & Mark and look where we are now? we might to talk everyday but we have that kinda thing were you can just fall right back in and i love that about our friendship. you are an amazingly talented writer, and graphics maker ( holla this girl made my amaze icons ) weâre like what? two years in now, yeah you ainât getting rid of me now bby ;)Â
@ofcatears -  idk why it took us to long to write together but i am so glad we are, bc let be real Jason and Josie would rule the damn school, Kitty Queen & Football King, sign me tf up girl! OOC you are a sweetheart and so easy to talk to! looking forward to seeing where these two hotheads take us <3Â
@oftroubledsouls -Â Â Stiles is making grabby hands, i had to tell him to sit down. your Derek is ON POINT 11/10 WOULD RECOMMEND. honestly, your grasp on him and have you have made him your own is beautiful and i love it so much, total respect for you sticking to what YOU believe in always, your writing is always a treat to see on the dash and youâre such a babe to talk to and fangirl over out babies with!Â
@crescentpalmed -  i fucking love that you keep betty true to her character, i have so much respect for you for doing that, and it means so much to see her treated with the respect her mental illness deserves. you are such a joy to talk to, youâre open and honest and i respect that hella, lovely human being who deserves all the love.Â
@undeciided -Â Â giiiiirl!! we gotta write more together and that is TOTALLY on me, but I ADORE youâre muses so much, your Cheryl & Veronica will always have a very special place in my Jay-Jayâs heart!! Youâre writing is always amazing, and your characterization for each of your muses is on point! youâre actually the sweetest human bean ever to grace tumblr for sure, ILY <3
OKAY SO THIS TURNED OUT WAY LONGER THAN IT WAS SUPPOSE TO BE !! I HAVENâT INCLUDED EVERYONE I WOULD LIKE TO BC I AM DOING A FOLLOW FOREVER THIS WEEK !!  ONE LOVE GUYS <3Â
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For adolescents blessed with willowy good looks, the fashion world offers the prospect of glamour, celebrity, and wealth. But this, for many, is what the beginning of a modeling career can actually look like:
On her first test shoot as a 15-year-old, Dasha Alexander said, a photographer held a camera in one hand and digitally penetrated her with his other â a move, he explained, that would make the pictures more ârawâ and âsensual.â
When Coco Rocha refused to get naked on set as a 16-year-old, she said, the photographer replaced her with a girl who was younger and more obedient. Months later, a famous photographer simulated an orgasm as he took Rochaâs picture.
By the time Lenka Chubuklieva was 17, she said, an agent had repeatedly groped her, a photographer had thrown her on a bed and kissed her, and another photographer had masturbated in front of her and threatened to ruin her family in Ukraine if she told anyone.
âIf people really understood what goes on behind the glamour of the industry, they would be mortified,â said Abbey Lee, an Australian model who, despite having been fondled on sets, describes herself as âone of the lucky ones.â
Emboldened by the #MeToo movement, more than 50 models spoke to the Globe Spotlight Team about sexual misconduct they experienced on the job, from inappropriate touching to assaults. Some are seeking to expose serial predators and those who enable them. Others are demanding new legal protections and calling for radical reform of a youth-obsessed industry they say has left them feeling exploited, treated like âmeatâ and âclothes hangers,â and, in the words of one model, âpimped outâ by their agents.
Collectively, these models â predominantly females, although also males â made credible allegations of sexual misconduct against at least 25 photographers, agents, stylists, casting directors, and other industry professionals. In many instances, Spotlight reporters verified the accounts with third parties or examined records such as e-mails.
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Some of the alleged victims were willing to talk publicly, but others spoke on condition of anonymity because they still work in fashion and fear reprisal. The Globe does not identify alleged victims of sexual misconduct without their consent.
The accused men include some of the most well-known powerbrokers in the multibillion-dollar fashion industry and were often named by multiple women â in one case, seven â for alleged sexual misconduct.
Among them: Patrick Demarchelier, who was Princess Dianaâs personal photographer; David Bellemere, whose photos have appeared on the covers of Elle and Marie Claire Italy; and Greg Kadel, who has shot for mega brands like Victoriaâs Secret and Vogue.
Models also identified photographers Andre Passos and Seth Sabal, who often did test shoots that models usually pay for themselves to build their portfolios, and Karl Templer, who, as one of the worldâs most powerful stylists, has worked with Coach, Zara, and Tommy Hilfiger.
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All of the accused men denied the allegations against them, and many complained that they canât fully defend themselves when the Globe protects the identities of alleged victims, including by not always disclosing names, dates, and locations to them.
One photographer insisted some sexual encounters were consensual, and others said models may have misunderstood the touching and positioning that can be part of their jobs. But models say these are merely justifications for widespread abuses that have been part of the business for decades.
After Globe inquiries last week, Conde Nast, a media conglomerate that includes Vogue, Glamour, and GQ, said it has stopped working for now with Demarchelier and Kadel, and Victoriaâs Secret said it has suspended its relationship with Kadel.
The fashion world, according to industry veterans, is rife with sexual misconduct for reasons built into the business. Models are usually minors when they enter the field, a highly sexualized adult world with little supervision and no job protections. Many Hollywood actresses, who helped start last fallâs #MeToo movement, at least have the option to join a union.
And the very nature of modelsâ work involves the marketing of seduction. At times, they are asked to dramatize sexual behavior they may not yet have experienced in real life. They regularly undress in front of colleagues and often appear scantily clad, sometimes with no clothes at all, to sell everything from watches to lingerie.
It is an industry, the models told the Spotlight Team, where the sexual and financial exploitation of teenagers is almost routine. Nearly 60 percent of models interviewed by the Globe said they had been touched inappropriately during work-related situations, the violations ranging from unwanted kissing to rape. Yet, for decades, victims of sexual misconduct in the fashion world have struggled to be heard and taken seriously.
Modeling, they say, may be work that accentuates their beauty and sensuality, but it is still work. âItâs a job, and just because you see a picture of me in underwear, thatâs not an invitation to come to my bedroom,â said Chloe Hayward, a British model who said fending off propositions by photographers is common for her and many of her peers, especially early in their careers.
But models say they rarely complain, since doing so could get them labeled âdifficultâ and derail their professional aspirations. Still, spurred by the ongoing uprising over sexual harassment, more models are speaking out in hopes that change will finally come to their industry.
In recent weeks, model Kate Upton, famous for her appearances in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, and model Miranda Vee accused Guess cofounder Paul Marciano of sexual assault, allegations that have rocked the company. He denies the accusations.
Under growing public pressure, designers and brands pledged greater protections against sexual harassment in the days leading up to New York Fashion Week, a high-profile event that ran through Friday. But the basic safeguards put into place, such as private dressing rooms so models donât have to get naked in public, only underscore how vulnerable the models have been.
In the immediate aftermath of the Harvey Weinstein scandal last fall, Cameron Russell, a model who grew up in Cambridge, Mass., took to Instagram to protest the widespread mistreatment of models with the hashtag #myjobshouldnotincludeabuse.
Within two days, Russell had collected hundreds of accounts of sexual misconduct. Some of the alleged predators were painfully familiar to Russell: They had victimized her in the early years of her career. Russell began posting modelsâ accounts on her Instagram page â keeping victims anonymous and redacting the names of the accused â and asked others to share their stories.
âThe last 48 hours has been devastating,â Russell wrote on Instagram at the time. âWe know what is happening in fashion. We tolerate it and ignore it and excuse it every day. We all know who the perpetrators are and we continue to work with them. STOP. Advertisers and magazines, stop hiring these people. Agencies, stop sending them talent. Stop today. Do not wait until lawyers get involved. Do the right thing because the wrong thing is horrific.â
Two weeks later, Vogue and its parent company, Conde Nast, banned Terry Richardson â a prominent photographer who had been dogged in the media for years by misconduct allegations, including exposing himself to models and pressing his genitals on a modelâs face â from shooting for its magazines. Richardson, who is under investigation by the New York City Police Department, has denied any wrongdoing.
âItâs interesting and frustrating that now people want to finally pay attention,â said Rocha, a Canadian model who began speaking out about Richardsonâs behavior roughly a decade ago after, she says, he pretended to have an orgasm as he photographed her. There are âpeople at the top who no doubt have heard these stories for the last 20 years,â she added, âand havenât done anything.â
Consider the case of photographer Patrick Demarchelier, who has maintained superstar status despite allegations that he has long preyed on young women.
Russellâs Instagram posts led one of Demarchelierâs former photo assistants to write in October to Vogue editor Anna Wintour about relentless advances by Demarchelier beginning when she was a 19-year-old intern, according to an e-mail reviewed by the Globe.
As his subordinate, she told the Globe, she eventually gave in to his sexual demands, feeling that she could not continue to reject him without endangering her position. When she did resist, she said, he would later berate her on the job.
The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, urged Wintour to prevent Demarchelier from having access to other young women.
âIt hurts my heart so much to think of how many girls, many my own daughterâs age who have had to fend off or give in to his advances because I didnât speak up at the time,â the woman wrote in another e-mail that was circulated to a modeling group. âI remember many test shoots with teenage girls where Patrickâs team of assistants (including me) was dismissed for the day only to find naked photos of the girl in the darkroom the next day.â
The Globe interviewed six other women who accused Demarchelier of unwanted sexual advances, including thrusting a modelâs hands onto her genitals and grabbing another modelâs breasts, as well as making vulgar propositions. Most spoke on the condition of anonymity because they fear career repercussions for speaking out against people with so much clout in the fashion world.
Four years ago, Demarchelier allegedly asked a teenage model, âCan I lick your pussy?â and indicated he could make her famous if she said yes. Shocked, the model, who detailed the exchange to the Spotlight Team, said no and left the Paris hotel where the shoot was supposed to take place.
âI wasnât sure even if I understood his English correctly,â she recalled in an interview with the Globe, but then he repeated the question verbatim. âI said, âYou should be ashamed, and I will never see you again.âââ
About two years later, she said, she was sent to a New York City shoot with Demarchelier, despite having told her agents she no longer wanted to work with him. There, she said, he again posed the same crude question. The Globe corroborated her account with a subsequent agent.
âEveryone is trying to take advantage of you,â the model said. âAt one point I was like, do I really have to do this to succeed? Do anything?â
Asked by the Globe about the various sexual misconduct allegations, Demarchelier said it was âimpossibleâ that the multiple complaints against him were true. âPeople lie and they tell stories,â he said. âItâs ridiculous.â Demarchelier said he has ânever, never, neverâ touched a model inappropriately. Noting that he is married, he called the accusations âpure lyingâ by models who âget frustrated if they donât work.â
On Feb. 2, Demarchelier told a Spotlight reporter he still worked for Conde Nast. âI shoot for everybody,â he said. Conde Nast said that although the company decided in December to stop commissioning new work with Demarchelier, it didnât officially notify him until recently. In a Feb. 10 statement, two days after being contacted by the Globe, Conde Nast said: âWe have informed Patrick we will not be working with him for the foreseeable future.â
Photographers like Demarchelier wield enormous influence because they not only take pictures, but also often select which models will appear in magazines. As a result, models desperate to make money, or at least make a name for themselves, can become easy targets for men with connections to prestigious brands.
For some teenage models, itâs a traumatizing rite of passage to be sent alone to a photo shoot at the home or studio of an adult male photographer who pressures them to undress or perform a sex act. If I say no, they often wonder, is this the end of my modeling days?
Seth Sabal and Andre Passos are two of the photographers who models said exploited them when they were teenagers.
Three models have accused Sabal of sexual harassment during the mid-2000s. One of them, who asked to be identified only by her middle name, Teresa, said she was 17 when she was given alcohol and asked to take off her underwear as Sabal allegedly shot up her skirt.
An attorney for Sabal denied all the allegations and said, âAt no point in time did he ever ask or force a model to do anything she was uncomfortable with, or certainly that was not his intention.â The attorney added: âSeth agrees and feels the industry is rampant with drugs, sex, and abuses of power, discrimination.â
In the case of Passos, former model Dasha Alexander said she was 15 when he inserted his fingers in her vagina while taking her picture about 20 years ago, saying it would give the photos âmore emotion.â
Passos, who is living in Brazil, texted a response to a Globe reporter: âI have already suffered enough consequences out of this absurd story. . . . I was a victim as well as the model was a victim of her parents and agency to send her out in the world in such a tender age in the hands of an evil industry. An industry that never knew how [to] educate [these] girls, that only looked at profit and fame no matter what.â
Passos said he has never engaged in a sex act with a model involving his fingers. He also volunteered that he has faced charges of misconduct in the past: âI went to court for this and was not guilty,â he wrote.
Passos did not respond to questions asking what court he appeared in and the name of the victim, and the Globe could not locate any records. According to Alexander, she never told her parents about Passosâ alleged assault or went to court over it. So it is unclear whether his text message refers to a separate incident with a different model.
Male models said they have also been subjected to sexual misconduct by some of the industryâs top photographers, including Mario Testino and Bruce Weber. Several brands and magazines, including Conde Nast, Burberry, Michael Kors, and Stuart Weitzman, severed ties with one or both of the men after a New York Times story in January identified them as alleged sexual predators.
When model RJ King was 18, he said, he was sent by his former agency to a photographerâs Manhattan apartment to be considered for an upcoming job. There, with no one else present, the photographer casually offered him beer and drugs and then sexually assaulted him while he was changing his clothes, King said.
âWhen he finished,â King said, âit was the lowest I probably have ever felt.â
The incident, King said, left him wondering: âIs this what the industry is like? Is this what Iâm going to continue to have to face?â
For many models, the answer is an emphatic and devastating yes.
Abuses can also occur when models are posing for major brands and magazines. One model said that during a shoot she was called a âwhoreâ and âhookerâ by a Dior executive, and a teenager who resisted going topless for German Vogue said the photographer suggested that a male model forcibly have sex with her to âloosen her up.â
Both companies denied any knowledge of these incidents and said they donât tolerate sexual harassment.
Former Calvin Klein chief marketing officer Kim Vernon spoke generally about sexual misconduct: âIâm aware that it has happened in the industry and I believe all these recent measures to discuss and expose and correct the behavior are extremely important. . . . I donât think brands have knowingly turned their head the other way.â
Ostensibly, modeling agents have a duty to safeguard their young clients from such situations. But many models say their professional shelf lives are so short that agents are more loyal to photographers and companies, forcing them to navigate troubling encounters on their own.
âModeling agencies arenât protecting these girls; they care more about the money,â said Carolyn Kramer, a former codirector of the Marilyn Agency in New York who now owns a Provincetown art gallery. âIf youâve got a $30 million exclusive Ralph Lauren worldwide contract available to you as a model agent, but youâve heard rumors about the photographer being a scumbag, youâre taking a booking. You donât care about the model. . . . I was complicit. I own up to it.â
Many models told the Globe that agents frequently remind them that legions of other attractive young people are available to take their places, including from overseas. About 20 of the models interviewed described highly exploitative relationships with their agents, who work for many of the top New York firms.
Some said their agents gave them drugs and alcohol, withheld earnings, coerced them into sexual relationships as teenagers, failed to inform them that photo shoots would require nudity, encouraged them to sleep with photographers to advance their careers, and sent them to sets with known predators, among other transgressions.
âEveryone knew the names of photographers making advances and using their power against young women,â said Trudi Tapscott, a former agent for Elite Model Management and DNA Model Management.
Tapscott said she used to warn models about certain men, but she now acknowledges thatâs not as effective as saying to photographers: âââWeâre not going to work with you ever again.â . . . What makes it better is getting that photographer out of the equation.â
Greg Kadel was one of the photographers whom Tapscott said she heard complaints about because he allegedly insisted that models pose nude or topless, and treated his shoots like a âpersonal playground.â Some models described far more extreme behavior.
One model said she hadnât yet finished high school when her agent took her to a fashion party in New York City where adults gave her cocaine and alcohol â a vodka soda, her agent specified, because âthat wouldnât make me fat.â
At the end of the night, the modelâs agent allegedly asked Kadel to put the stumbling teenager in a cab. Kadel did, but he jumped in the car, too, and directed the driver to a hotel. Once there, the model said, he pushed her against a wall, pulled off her clothes, and had sex with her. She spoke to her agent the next day.
âI told her what happened, and I was crying and upset,â the model recalled. âShe convinced me that what happened was a good thing and hopefully my career would benefit from it.â
The agent also instructed her not to tell anyone because, she said, Kadel worked with major brands and magazines and complaining about him would hurt her chances of making it big.
Indeed, Kadel helped the teenager land gig after gig with Victoriaâs Secret, all while subjecting her to ongoing harassment, she said, until she refused to work with him â a move that she says effectively ended her relationship with the lingerie empire.
The model, who asked that her name be withheld, confided in her boyfriend at the time about Kadelâs unwanted sexual advances, warned a modeling friend about Kadelâs behavior, and told a subsequent agent she was uncomfortable working with Kadel. All three corroborated her account, and the Globe reviewed e-mail exchanges between the model and Kadel, as well as topless photographs Kadel took of her when she was a minor.
Victoriaâs Secret said it is conducting a âfull third-party investigation of the allegationsâ and added: âWe are a company that celebrates and serves women, so this behavior could not be more contrary to who we are.â
The modelâs friend told the Spotlight Team that when she was a teenager she was accosted by Kadel, as well. After he photographed her for one of Vogueâs European editions at a private home, she said, she woke up in the middle of the night to find him lying on top of her, his tongue in her mouth, his hand holding hers.
The Globe interviewed two other models who requested anonymity and said Kadel made unwanted sexual advances, including kissing, when they were teenagers. A fifth model said Kadel asked her to do a private photo shoot and then pressured her to get nude, repeatedly asking her to take off her underwear during the hours-long session. All of the alleged incidents took place within the past dozen years.
Ernesto Qualizza, an agent for Kadel, vigorously denied the allegations. âGreg has never done that. Heâs dated some girls and thatâs happened. Itâs all consensual between adults. Heâs never used his power in any way that is unbecoming,â Qualizza said.
Kadel believes the encounters described to him by the Globe were consensual or âhe misinterpreted a social situationâ when he made a pass, according to Kadelâs attorney. The lawyer also said Kadel was working on a book and exhibition about photography and shot in hotels and private homes because they provided the atmosphere he was seeking.
A spokeswoman hired by Kadel provided additional comments, saying that Kadel ânever sexually coerced or assaulted anyone in his life. As a creative professional for many years, Mr. Kadel has always accurately represented the intention or scope of his work and has always worked through a modelâs agent and made sure that each model was fully aware and comfortable with the creative vision being pursued in any project before they signed on to participate.â
Then thereâs David Bellemere, who gained international fame shooting for top fashion magazines. Madisyn Ritland was 19 years old and living in Paris when she wound up alone at his home for a photo shoot.
At the end of the session, she said, Bellemere grabbed her by the waist and stuck his tongue deep into her mouth. She dipped beneath his arms to escape his embrace, she recalled, but didnât tell her agent at the time because, she said, he had made his own sexual advances.
Ritland said she was reluctant to continue working with Bellemere, but he was a gatekeeper for brands and magazines she aspired to be featured in. At an audition a month later, she said, he positioned her on her back on a couch, topless, then crouched on top of her with his camera, his knees clamping her ribs and his crotch hovering above her head.
âI felt like I had no choices,â Ritland said. âI didnât feel like I had permission to have thoughts. I just felt like, OK, this is how it works.â
The Globe reviewed photos from the first test shoot and spoke with two of Ritlandâs friends who corroborated her account.
Bellemereâs behavior is so well-known that two agents told the Spotlight Team they stopped sending models to shoot with him years ago. But only in the fall of 2016 did Victoriaâs Secret cut ties with him. That move came after several of its highly paid contract models, known as âAngels,â complained about his inappropriate touching and kissing.
Bellemere said Victoriaâs Secret never explained the decision to him. Any physical contact with models was the result of âpushing the girl to pose, directing,â he explained. âI do it to get the best picture. Itâs not harassment.â
Myla Dalbesioâs uncomfortable encounter with Bellemere happened during a lingerie shoot in Paris for Lord & Taylor in 2015, as he pressed his body against hers and wagged his tongue at her to mimic oral sex, she said.
âI was really shocked,â Dalbesio recalled. âIt felt really sexually charged and inappropriate.â
After the shoot, she said, Bellemere contacted her on Instagram with a photo of a naked woman with bondage marks and an accompanying message that said, âLetâs shoot private next time.â The Globe saw the message and photo and corroborated Dalbesioâs account with her fiance, in whom she confided at the time, as well as with an individual present at the Paris photo shoot.
A spokeswoman for Lord & Taylor said, âWhile we were not made aware of misconduct during that photo shoot, information about aspects of Mr. Bellemereâs behavior came to light recently.â The company also said it has not hired Bellemere since February 2016.
In an interview with the Globe, Bellemere said it was âsurprising to hearâ that models had complained about him and âthere is nothing creepyâ about his interactions with them on set.
âIâve never been taking advantage [of models],â he said. âThis is not true. Iâve never done anything like this in my life.â
Seasoned models say they are accustomed to the inevitable physical contact that results from working with photographers and stylists, such as having their clothing adjusted and being helped into different outfits.
But some models described experiences to the Spotlight Team that they say crossed the line of professionalism.
In interviews with the Globe, three female models who asked not to be identified accused Karl Templer, a top stylist, of yanking their breasts, touching their crotches, or aggressively pulling down their underwear without asking them during shoots.
One model described a shoot within the last several years in which Templer approached her while she was against a wall, topless.
âKarl comes up to me,â she recalled, âand gets down on his knees and yanks my underwear and my shorts down . . . really fast. I remember Iâm gripping onto it with my finger and heâs still pulling.â
âHe was trying to get me naked,â she said. âHe was trying to pull off my clothes without my permission.â
The Globe corroborated her account with two friends and reviewed an e-mail she wrote to her agent before the shoot specifying she would not be comfortable with frontal nudity below the waist.
Templer, in a statement, said, âI deny these vague and anonymous allegations. If Iâve ever inadvertently made anyone feel uncomfortable, Iâm truly sorry. Although physical interactions with models is a necessary aspect of my job as a fashion stylist, Iâve never touched anyone in an inappropriate way nor ever with any sexual intent. Iâm always respectful of models, remain deeply committed to creating a safe and professional working environment and embrace the systematic changes that our industry is implementing.â
In addition, Templerâs lawyer referred the Globe to three former and current colleagues of Templer, all of whom said they have never seen him behave inappropriately and asked that their names not be published.
Numerous models said they have felt pressured to take topless or nude photos by people who could make or break careers. Declining such requests, or rebuffing sexual advances, can harm a modelâs prospects.
During a shoot for a lingerie brand, model Alison Nix said, a photographer stuffed a $20 bill in her bra and asked how much he would have to pay to have sex with her. When Nix complained about his behavior, the client dropped her.
âItâs really difficult because you get punished,â Nix said. âAt the end of the day, Iâd rather lose clients than do things that are emotionally traumatic. But itâs a shame to have to choose between the two.â
Over the years, there have been various efforts to protect young models. New York, for example, passed a law in 2014 that classifies models under 18 as âchild performers,â raising the bar for how often they can work and in what circumstances.
But industry insiders, and a report last summer from the New York State comptroller, say there is little enforcement of the law, and no similar national or international regulations. As a result, New Yorkâs law would not have helped models like Ritland, who at age 16, while working overseas, found herself in a disturbing photo shoot for an Italian brand.
âI was a virgin, never had a boyfriend, never been kissed, and I was topless, rolling around with another male model, simulating â I have really no idea, but it was supposed to be sex,â she recalled. âVery young girls are meant to be simulating something that they have never experienced, and itâs just kind of strange to me that thatâs a culture that exists.â
In December, several models testified about sexual harassment and financial exploitation before the New York City Commission on Human Rights, which is expected to release a report in March addressing their concerns.
Because models are independent contractors, they are exempt from workplace protections that cover most other employees. As a result, modeling can be tantamount to indentured servitude, with young men and women going into debt because their agencies charge them for rent, travel, copies of photos, and even the privilege of being listed on the agencyâs website.
âModels are in a loophole area where theyâre not protected by any of the laws carved out to help artists,â said Shivani Honwad, an attorney who works with a firm, Law on the Runway, that represents numerous models. âModeling agencies are dictating if and when to pay models.â
Many models hope the time has come for the industry to acknowledge its deep-rooted problems and institute widespread reform. Baby steps have already begun.
In January, Conde Nast, which also publishes Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, created a new code of conduct that, among other reforms, bans drugs and alcohol from sets, prohibits work by models under 18, and says no model âshould be pressured to expose themselves more than they feel comfortable.â
An official for Calvin Klein told the Globe that in coming weeks the company will roll out new policies âfor safeguarding the well-being of fashion models,â such as requiring prior written consent for any photography that includes nudity or semi-nudity and creating a process for reporting misconduct.
âPolicy changes alone will not change the industryâs culture or empower vulnerable individuals to come forward with complaints. We have seen codes of conduct come and go,â said Sara Ziff, founder of the nonprofit Model Alliance, which recently helped introduce a proposed bill called the Modelsâ Harassment Protection Act in New York. âVoluntary standards without meaningful education, proper complaint mechanisms, and independent enforcement are not going to work.â
Meanwhile, a New York organization called Model Mafia is encouraging models to create their own reforms. At a December meeting, models discussed having Uber-like reviews of photographers, writing scripts of âfriendly one-linersâ they could use to firmly rebuff photographers who proposition them, and creating a âbuddy systemâ that would allow inexperienced models in uncomfortable situations to call more seasoned models for advice.
âYes, we need high-profile perpetrators to be held accountable,â Russell, the model who started the #myjobshouldnotincludeabuse campaign, told the Globe. But whatâs also needed, she said, is ârecognition that many of us play a part in maintaining a work environment where abuse of power is acceptable.â
Zuzanna Krzatala, a Model Mafia member, said the fashion business needs to change âthe twisted rules of the game.â
âIf I quit, then someone else is going to take my job, take my space. Theyâre going to endure the same sort of harassment, disrespect,â Krzatala added. âItâs about changing the culture, once and for all.â
#shitmodelmgmt#shitmodelmanagement#boston globe#model mafia#Karl Templer#Vogue#condenast#greg Kadel#Victoria's secret#David Bellemer
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C1 - etiquette lessons
[HELLO! Hereâs my fic for challenge 1. Thanks everyone for the rps @nathaniel-schreave @ladyvenusvale @ladyaadamaier and @aubree-gram and mentions of @phaniecastello @camille-marshall and @claraeclair youâre all amazing! PS this is unedited, so please ignore typos. I will post another fic later with the remaining rps in them but that wonât be part of challenge 1. Thanks to everyone who rpâd with me :)]
DAY 1: youâre too much of a drama llama
I wake up to the sound of my maids opening the curtains. Today is the first proper day of the selection. I canât really explain what Iâm feeling, itâs more of a mix between excitement and uncertainty. But there are also some nerves there. The morning is packed with activities. First we have an etiquette lesson, after that an interview with the Prince and then breakfast. The afternoon is free, so we can do whatever we want to.
My maids help me get ready. Nilje does my makeup as the other two straighten my hair. I still have to get used to the length of my hair but I couldnât be happier with it. It looks amazing on me, if I say so myself. My dress today is a gorgeous light grey one with long sleeves and a deep V-neck. I donât know if my maids are aware of this, but my dress yesterday also had a deep V-neck. Maybe itâs just a coincidence. Or they really want me to make an impression. The grey dress is gorgeous though, the embroidery makes it an immediate eye-catcher which is exactly what I need for the interview with the Prince.
I walk around the room, trying to find my name tag. Immediately I spot Stephanie. I can tell someone tried to tame down her hair, but I canât say theyâve succeeded. Please let my seat be at the other table. No. And to make things worse, her seat is next to the girl across me. But letâs focus on the positive things for a second, my seat is right in front of the Queen and the two Princesses. Â
Some of the other girls are nervously chattering to one another. Thankfully they shut up when Lady Collette, our etiquette teacher, enters the room. I have heard stories about her from my maids, they seemed to be scared of her. Apparently she is very strict and intimidating. We will see about that.
âGood morning, ladies, I trust you all slept well.â She nods towards all of us. âMy name is Collette Bennett and I am the royal planner. My job is to instruct you ladies on the proper etiquette for your stay in the palace. There will be no back talking, no obedience, and absolutely no unladylike conduct. This includes sabotage and gossip. If you respect me and listen to what I say, we will not have a problem.â My maids were right, she is strict and intimidating. But that doesnât scare me, on the contrary it makes me respect her.
Lady Collette continues with her lesson. âNow, I am going to teach you all a proper curtsy.â She demonstrates a perfect, elegant curtsy. âYou will do this as you greet a royal or anyone of importance. Prince Nathaniel will call each of you one by one for a short interview. You will address him as âyour highnessâ and curtsy, unless he says otherwise.â I make a mental note of that piece of information. Donât forget this, Vic!
âAfter youâve learned your greetings, we will get into the dining portion. Now, let us begin.â
The lesson is over before I know it. Before Lady Collette leaves she reminds us again about the curtsy and the right way of addressing the Prince.
As weâre waiting for the Prince to come, scan the girls sitting near me. To my left, thereâs a girl with blonde hair. âLady Claraâ her name tag says. Across from her is Stephanie, who looks a bit awkward. She is exchanging some words with the girl across from me, I believe her name is Lady Camille but she prefers to be called by her last name. She has a certain look of responsibility over her.
Something hits me on the head, snapping me out of my thoughts. I sigh and turn around. Venus has a guilty look on her face. Of course it was her. Why god why? Her head makes me feel even more annoyed, âexcuse you!â I exclaim.
The guilt in her face disappears, a smirk forms, âyouâre excused.â
With my right ear I hear Stephanie laugh, which makes me more annoyed. However, I am not stupid. I know itâs not clever to start a fight with her right now, when I need to put Venus in her place.
âI donât know what youâre doing, little Vee. But maybe you should pay attention to what Lady Collette just said, you obviously could learn a lot.â I know the comment made quite an impact on her because she rolls her eyes, âback on that high horse I see. I know plenty.â
I sigh, âWhatâs your problem?â
Venus raises her voice, âMy problem? You keep acting like youâre better than me! Letâs face the facts, youâre just like the rest of us.â
That comment hits me hard, I have never acted as if I was better than anyone else. Why on earth would she think that? âSays the one who acts like she is this famous superstar.â
Thatâs when a third person decides to jump in. âI can tell you what youâre both acting like and itâs not ladies.â The blonde girl shifts her eyes between me and Venus, âyouâre behaving like absolute children.â
Who on earth thinks she can get involved in my business? I shoot her a deadly glare, hoping that she realizes she has to stay out of this and leave me alone.
Venus on the other hand is not stepping down, coldly she says âyou did not just call me a child, Aada. I donât care for that tone.â
This is when I notice the other girls are all looking at us. Some look particularly scared, while others seem desperate for some drama. Some girls try to calm Venus down, telling her that they donât want her to be send home for this.
âI do not act like a superstar.â Venus shifts her attention back to me again.
âOf course you donât.â I say and roll my eyes. Iâm done with this fight, so I turn around to face my own table again.
It has come to my attention that not one of those girls tried to calm me down. Not one. Until someone reaches for my hand, âhey, donât act stupid.â
I fight the urge to pull my hand away and scream at her to mind her own business. But she does try to calm me down. Why Stephanie, out of all people?
I offer Stephanie a small smile, âI wonât.â God, a smile for Stephanie. Will never happen again. In the mean time the arguing of Venus and the blonde girl turned into a fight.
âSomeone needs to calm Venus down though,â quickly I add, âIâm not the right person for that.â
Thatâs the cue Marshall needed, she raises her voice to an authoritative tone, âthere isnât gonna be any fighting, for anyone.â
Itâs probably the wisest for me to keep my mouth shut. Someone behind me tries to tell Venus some loving words. But apparently it doesnât help because Venus gets up. She mumbles an âIâm sorryâ before she leaves. From the corner of my eye, I can see the blonde girl following Venus.
âOh my god, Aada, youâre one of the last people I want to see.â Venus exclaims.
So blonde girlâs name is Aada, thatâs important to remember. I will come back to that later.
A few minutes later, the first girl is called out for her interview. I canât help but feel a little nervous. I keep telling myself that he is just a person. This helps me to push my nerves far faraway.
Then itâs my turn. I get up and walk as elegantly as possible to the place where Iâm supposed to be going. Â
As soon as my eyes meet his, all my nerves disappear. His face is handsome and he seems friendly. The way he is sitting there, I canât really put my finger on it, but it is kind of homely and reassuring.
When I get close enough, he gets up and bows, âHello Lady Victoria, Iâm Prince Nate.â
I make a small curtsy, trying to remember what Lady Colletteâs curtsy looked like. Feeling proud with the result I say, âHello, itâs nice to finally meet you.â
Before I know it my time is up. As I walk away from the Prince, I can hear him laughing at my last comment. It makes me smile.
God itâs the first day, stop smiling. Iâm not the easy-going, always-happy kind of girl. I find my seat again, whilst trying to get my resting bitch face back. This will be an interesting ride.
Iâm walking around the palace a bit when I spot the blonde girl from earlier in the garden. I have to set the record straight, show her not to cross me again.
âHey, youâre Aada right?â
The girl looks up, âyes. I donât remember your name, sorry, but I do remember you from this morning.â
âIâm Victoria.â A fake smile comes to my face, âand donât worry about not remembering my name, Iâll make sure youâll never forget it.â
Aada gives me a small smile, âitâs a pleasure to meet you. Iâm sorry about this morning by the way.â
Is she really trying to be all nice right now? âI appreciate your efforts this morning, but for next time donât get involved in my business.â
âI wasnât trying to. I just didnât want either of you to get sent home.â
âHow sweet. Donât call me a child ever again.â
My statement obviously made her realize I am not going to back down. Therefore she drops the act of kindness. âThereâs a difference between being a child and acting like one. However, if youâre going to get hung up on something so trivial perhaps we shouldnât be speaking. Iâm genuinely sorry, but you seem to not want my apology.â
When are people going to realize that I wonât back down without a fight. âOh sweetie, I just wanted to make sure you know that you should not cross me.â
Aada might seem nice and innocent, but she definitely is not. âYou know, I didnât understand why Venus didnât like you, but now I do.â She continues, âone of you has a decent chance to end up the next queen of IllĂ©a. The other? Well, sheâs standing right in front of me.â
Every muscle in my body tenses. âWow, you really are a know-it-all. Itâs interesting that you dare speak to me like that, where are your manners?â
âWell, meine Lieben, I have manners. I just donât have respect for you.â Does she really have to throw in some German words? Annoying.
I offer her a smile, a sarcastic one indeed. âThe feeling is mutual.â
âOh, BĂ€rchen, I donât care about your opinion, so I donât need your respect.â She smiles back condescendingly.
I really want to throw a chair in her face, âwow you keep surprising me, you seem so sweet but your personality isnât that pretty.â
âI was raised by a woman just like you. I know a spoiled brat when I see one. Youâve never had to work a day in your life. Honestly, youâre probably shocked that youâve been here nearly a full day and you donât already have the crown on your head.â
Whereâs a chair when you need one? âYouâre cute, acting like you know me.â a fake smile spreads across my face, âguess what? You donât know me. And you have no idea what youâre talking about.â
âIf I donât know you then why are you getting so defensive? I feel sorry for you. Everyone deserves happiness. But it seems you still have quite a bit of searching to do.â Aada gives a small, but perfect curtsy and turns to walk away.
CHAIR!? âBecause youâre attacking me,â I wave at her as she walks away, âsee you later.â
Aada turns around for a moment, âperhaps you shouldnât threaten people. And I donât think weâll be seeing one another. Best of luck.â At that she turns back and heads back towards the palace.
I sigh out of relief, that one wonât bother me anymore.
I walk back to my bedroom, where I find my maids. They look a bit awkward, something is off. âWhatâs wrong?â I ask.
They exchange a brief glare between each other. Wilda opens her mouth, but Nilje is faster. âWe heard about your fights.â she blurts out.
That surprises me, I didnât think word would spread around here so quickly. Before I can ask anything, Wilda jumps in âit isnât our place to speak about that.â She shoots Nilje a warning glance. It obviously makes an impact because Nilje quickly turns around and starts organizing the little coffee table.
âYouâre dismissed,â I say, âexcept for you Nilje.â Wilda and Aeki quietly disappear, Iâm now left with Nilje. The girlâs face has gone pale and she looks as if she could start crying any moment. What kind of monster does she think I am?
âDonât worry, nothing will happen,â I try to reassure her, âjust tell me everything youâve heard about my fights.â
Nilje looks confused, but then starts telling me everything. From the fight after the etiquette lesson this morning to my recent battle with Aada. She had overheard guards talking about. Good god, if the Prince finds out I will be kicked out immediately.
âWhat do I do?â I ask her, not sure if she knows a way to help me.
Nilje thinks for a moment, âstay out of fights, no more drama. And try to be nice to the other girls, it could be helpful to have some allies here.â
I nod my head, I know she is right. Who would have thought one of my maids would be the one to make me realize I need to change in order to have a fair chance in this selection.
After that I need some time alone to think.
A knock on my door startles me. Perhaps my maids forgot something. Or it could be a guard telling me I have to pack my stuff and leave.
My heart is beating a little faster than usual as I make my way over to my door. But when I open it, Iâm surprised by who I see. Another selected. Itâs Aubree Gram, I recognize her from some magazines. âYes?â I ask, unsure of what she wants.
She walks into my room. âHey sweet-cheeks, I have some horrible news for you. I was just torn over if I should tell you or not.â She sits down on my bed. Go ahead and invade my privacy. âOn one hand hearing it may hurt you, but then if I didnât tell you Iâd be lying.â
Aubree is a toxic one, I can tell right away. âLike you care I something hurts me or not.â I sigh, âspill it.â
âPlease I care about all of you girls. Iâm such a major #feminist. I heard Addison and Fleur talking shit about you with Venus. Honestly, sometimes girls can be such condescending back stabbing bitches.â
Just like you. âAnd what makes you think I would believe anything you say?â I cross my arms.
âYou donât have to believe anything I say. Iâm just a fellow selected trying to help a girl out.â
Whatâs wrong with me? Why is the drama always coming to me?
âHow nice of you. What did they say about me then?â
Aubree has such a smug look on her face, like she is amazing. âThey were talking about how youâre too much of a drama llama and shouldnât have been so pissy over just a note. Theyâre embarrassed to be associated with you now.â
âAnd why would this hurt me? I couldnât care less about them and their opinions.â
âI just thought you girls were friends. Suppose I was wrong.â She gets up to leave but stops right in front of and pats my head. I want to smack her hand away, but I have to remain calm. Donât show any emotions. But then she says, âsleep well friendless.â
Thankfully she leaves right away, but that final comment stings. Nilje was right perhaps it would be convenient if I had some allies here.
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Top 10 top 10 pick QBs who were / are worse Jamarcus Russell
I saw some guy on Twitter making a joke that involved the assumption that Jamarcus Russell was the acknowledged worst QB of the last 40 years (and somehow made Deshaun Watson comparable to Michael Vick? It was dumb on multiple levels) and it got me spewing nonsense on that accursed website that got some great responses on other terrible QBs.
If youâre expecting a rigid analysis of bad QBs from the bowels of NFL history, youâve come to the wrong place. But if you want my own list of highly drafted QBs that were actually worse than Jamarcus, hereâs a listicle!
Before I dive into my own junk opinions I want to throw out some names that were crowd-sourced from twitter but donât meet my criterion of highly drafted: Rusty Lisch (h/t Jay Vee), Scott Tolzien (h/t Butters), and Brodie Croyle (h/t Jayhawk.)
Iâm doing a little bit of fact checking but not much as I let these fly. Iâm using profootball-referenceâs AV stat and looking for top 10 draft picks that never reached the lofty highs of Jamarcusâs AV of 7 in 2008.
1. Akili Smith, Bengals, #3 overall pick 1999
There are surprisingly few embarrassing pictures for a guy who was so incredibly bad. Akili stands out in my mind as being the worst guy I ever saw trying to play QB in the NFL and the numbers back that up. ANY/A is a stat that is used sort of widely. A good QB season is usually around 6 or 7, 5 and above is at least useful, Akiliâs for 2000, the only season he started a majority of his teamâs games? 2.81!
2. Art Schlichter, Colts, #4 overall pick 1982
I wanted to put Cade McNown here since he was in the same draft class as Akili Smith but he was picked just outside of the top 10 so I went with this classic piece of shit. People who love Ohio State will tell you that Schlichter could have been good without his personal demons but Iâm here to tell you, folks, nothing supports that. I know he didnât ever play there but the Colts were so high on what they saw from the #4 overall pick in 1982 that they drafted John Elway at #1 the next year. Schlichter didnât play much but when he did he was among the least efficient QBs to ever suit up in professional football.
3. Heath Shuler, Washington, #3 overall pick in 1994
Heath Shuler gets too much credit for being a bad politician and not nearly enough for being a bad quarterback. I remember when he first got on the field in 1994 my dad was really excited by his strong arm and agility. Within a couple of weeks he had given up completely on Heath Shuler. Shulerâs last season in 1997 in New Orleans is a masterpiece of bad QB stats in the modern era. Statistically the Saints would have been better off not playing anybody at the QB position rather than let Shuler go out there.
4. Andre Ware, Lions, #7 overall in 1990
I hate to do this because that card there with all of his passing numbers listed played a big part in me becoming the draft loving, Heisman obsessed idiot that I am today. I probably should have considered just how many INTs are listed there but thatâs not how my 13 year old brain worked. Ware did absolutely nothing in the NFL and Iâm finally coming around to the realization that it wasnât because the league was wrong and that he deserved more chances.
5. David Klingler, Bengals, #6 overall in 1992
The second Bengals pick and the second Houston Cougar to show up here, Klingler is great because NFL teams fell in love with him in 1990 for doing the same shit as Andre Ware but with even more INTs, then fell out of love with him in 1991 because he showed he couldnât handle pressure and didnât really have that great of an arm and the Bengals still took him at #6 overall. He did a lot worse in his career than I would have guessed and I already thought he was bad.
6. Todd Blackledge, Chiefs, #7 overall in 1983
Why, yes, that is Todd Blackledge getting sacked by Brian Bosworth. Blackledge getting drafted over Jim Kelly and Dan Marino is goddam unbelievable but you know whatâs great? Even taking him over Tony Eason looks like the stupidest pick in the world and Eason is in a distant 5th place out of the 6 QBs picked in the first round of this fabled draft. Eason merely sucked. Blackledge is an all time bad player who managed to never start more than half of his teamâs games in a season.
7. Kelly Stouffer, Cardinals, #6 overall in 1987
Stouffer never played a down for the Cardinals who drafted him after Neil Lomax had a career worst year in 1986. Is this cheating for the purposes of this post? Stouffer never actually signed with the Cardinals but they did trade away his rights for a first rounder and two second round picks. The Cards didnât do many things right in those days but they dodged a bullet with Stouffer and got a good return in theory (I canât find who they actually drafted with the picks but Iâm not trying very hard) for his year of non-service. Lomax was pretty good again in 1988 but got hurt and retired. Stouffer did start 16 games for the Seahawks... over parts of five seasons.
8. Ryan Leaf, Chargers, #2 overall pick in 1998
After all these years and all of the words written about how bad he is it is shocking to look up the numbers and see just how bad Leaf was on the field. This guy was considered more or less equivalent to Peyton Manning coming out of school and the Chargers swore up and down they would have taken him at #1. For perspective on how bad Leaf was, Andre Wadsworth (#3 overall) and Curtis Enis (#5 overall) produced demonstrably more value for the teams that drafted them.
9. Jake Locker, Titans, #8 overall in 2011
Apologies to Miz but thereâs actually no supporting evidence to suggest Hurt Locker would have ever been good even if he hadnât been hurt all the time. In his defense the lows were not as low with him as they were with Jamarcus but the highs also werenât as high and that doesnât say much for his ability to actually play.
10. Blaine Gabbert, Jaguars, #10 overall in 2011
A lot of people think Colin Kaepernickâs case is unwinnable because they donât think there will be any smoking gun of conspiracy but 1) people are stupid even when they have the job you want, 2) Blaine Gabbert played on the same teams as Kaepernick the last few years. Gabbert is still on an active roster and will probably get snaps this week. When Gabbert got the 49ers job away from an injured and suffering Kaepernick in 2015 he actually looked slightly better. And that was the best one guy played and by far the worst the other guy has ever played. Care to guess which is which? Gabbert is atrocious and has a long body of work to carry my thesis. 2011 was the year the draft occurred during a work stoppage and teams went bonkers drafting QBs under the (correct) assumption the league could force the union to accept a rookie salary cap and wage scale. Thatâs why Locker squeaked onto this list and how Gabbert got on here, as well. NFL teams havenât been quite as overdraft crazy in the years since no matter how bad teams are due to poor QB play. My theory is that Gabbert was so bad that teams are scared to exploit an obvious market inefficiency - a high draft pick costs roughly backup QB money so if you miss you have a shitty backup but if you hit you have the most important position in sports at a dollar premium.
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#closing bell#nfl draft#bad quarterbacks#top 10#listicle#10 qbs worse than jamarcus russell#jamarcus russell#colin kaepernick#rusty lisch#scott tolzien#brodie croyle#michael vick#deshaun watson#twitter#dan marino#tony eason#andre wadsworth#peyton manning#curtis enis#john elway#akili smith#art schlichter#heath shuler#andre ware#dave klingler#pro-football-reference#ANY/A#av#todd blackledge#kelly stouffer
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Red Wine: The Shirt - Conor Maynard
Word Count: 2110
Warnings: None
So, there it is! My first fic with an original character. Her name is Vee, and I think Iâm going to post a bit of her backstory later on, or I might include it in the next parts, because yes, this is a series everybody! Something that I actually havenât done before either, so many many firsts here today..
PLEASE let me know if you enjoyed it, message me what you liked and what you did not like, give me feedback, like, reblog... you know. Because feedback is basically the only way to grow and hence it is alway appreciated.
Also excuse any typos and grammatical mishaps for English is not my first language. Enjoy!
Movie nights were nothing uncommon for Conor and Vee. They usually had multiple of those in a month, always paired with ordering take-out and having a few glasses of wine. Mostly, theyâd meet up at either his or her apartment, but when they were travelling, like now, it had to be one of their holiday homes. Since Vee was visiting Conor in New York to watch him perform in âKinky Bootsâ, they were sprawled out on the sofa of his apartment, watching âSleepless in Seattleâ. It was Veeâs choice that night, and since she liked rom coms, she chose the classic one. Conor didnât object, for he liked watching this kind of movies more than he would ever admit, and for he knew that Vee would watch an action movie without complaining as well. Their Chinese take-out was long eaten, and they were already on their second glass of wine, when the credits of the movie stated rolling. It was getting quite late, and both Vee and Conor enjoyed the music of the credits in quite the sleepy silence.
âGod, Iâm tiredâ, Vee said and stretched out her stiff limbs, for she hadnât been moving in a long time. âI should leaveâ, she said as she glanced on the clock. It was half past midnight, but she still had to deal with the jetlag. She had spent two day in New York already, one was solely for shopping and sight-seeing, and the other day was spent at the theatre with Conor, watching him get ready and perform. He even made her try his boots, something that made both a hilarious instagram picture and an even better vlog.
âOr maybe you could stayâ, Conor said so quietly that Vee first thought she had misheard him. âYou could crash here, thereâs plenty of roomâ, he said, erasing her doubts.
âMy PJ is in my hotel room, though.â Vee slowly untangled herself from the fluffy blanket that Conor had given her.
âI can give you a sweater of mine or a shirt if youâd likeâ, Conor said. He hadnât seen her in ages, and he wasnât going to let any time with her go to waste. Her presence calmed him, made him feel like everything was going to be okay, and that was something that he hadnât felt in quite the time, so he really didnât want to let her go.
Vee thought about that for a moment. Sleepovers had never been part of the âdealâ. She had never thought about that, for she and Conor lived so close back home in London, that they would always go and crash at their own places. But taking a cab and driving back to the hotel...
âOkayâ, she said.
âGreatâ, Conor happily exclaimed. It was as if new energy had overtaken him, for he quickly got up and went to his bedroom to get her some clothes. He gave her a t-shirt of his and offered her some shorts, but Vee held them in front of her, quickly noticing that they were too big to fit her frame. So, she decided to stay in her leggings, but still went to the bathroom to put on his shirt. She washed her face too and used one of the toothbrushes that the company who had furnished the apartment had put in the bathroom. When she was done, she went back out and found Conor in the kitchen.
Was it the wine that they had, or did hanging out with Conor suddenly feel different? As she saw him standing there on the counter, washing some raspberries, Vee felt the sudden urge to wrap her arms around him. She mentally scolded herself for thinking something like that of him. He was her friend after all. And, worse, her best friendâs brother. She took a deep breath, trying to brush it off, before she stepped up to him.
âWhat are you up to?â, she said, stealing a berry from Conor.
âMidnight snackâ, he said and turned around. âWell, post-midnight snack.â He laughed a bit, before he looked at her. Seeing her in his shirt did startle him a bit. It wasnât cut low on her, it wasnât showing any cleavage at all to be honest, but still⊠it was his shirt, and she wore it. And she looked incredibly beautiful in it. He had to force himself to look away, focusing on the berries instead, because he just couldnât be thinking about her like that. She was his brotherâs best friend, part of the Buttercream Gang, and he really, really shouldnât think about her like that. Or think about her without his shirt.
âSoâ, Vee said, âif Iâm staying over, we might as well start another movie, right?â
She popped another berry into her mouth, waiting for Conor to reply.
âSureâ, he said, not having plans for the next day. âYou go ahead and pick one then.â
Vee went back into the living room, scrolling through Netflix recommendations. She noticed how the shirt smelled faintly like Conorâs cologne. She inhaled deeper, looking in the direction of the kitchen to not get caught. What was she even doing? Usually, Conorâs presence was comforting, calming her and making her feel secure. Right now, she felt as giddy as ever, almost like a teenager who had their first crush. She sighed, before she finally decided to watch âThe Holidayâ. She just loved movies with Cameron Diaz.
Conor came back from the kitchen with a little tray, a bowl with the raspberries and two cups of tea on it. He placed it on the table before he sat down next to Vee. She looked so cute in his shirt that he wanted to wrap her up in his arms. He once again wondered where these kinds of thoughts came from and sat down on the couch with plenty of space between them.
Vee started the movie before Conor handed her a cup of tea, and they didnât speak for about a quarter of an hour, both pretending to watch the movie. Unlike earlier, the silence felt tense and heavy. Neither Vee nor Conor could exactly tell what it was that had made things feel so awkward, but Vee started to fiddle with her fingers, something that Conor recognized as a sign for her starting to get anxious.
âAre you okay?â, he asked her and reached over to take her hands in his. Unlike the many times that he had done that before, breaking her habit to stop her from spiralling into anxiety, their hands touching made him experience a bubbly feeling inside of his chest. Vee looked at him as if he had given her an electric shock, almost pulling her hands free from his. But then she decided against it, for she laced their fingers together and pulled them onto her lap. She wondered how she had never noticed that his touch felt so good, so comforting. The giddiness that she had experienced earlier dissolved, a certain calmness taking its place instead. Feeling calm around him was something that she was used to, so it didnât scare her as much. Vee released a breath that she didnât even know she was holding and nodded.
âYes, I am.â She looked over to Conor, who looked at her with a shy smile, before he scooted a bit closer. Â He felt a lot calmer now, too. He quickly reached for the bowl of raspberries, silently holding it out for Vee before he placed the bowl on his lap as well. Their hands were still intertwined, while they happily munched the raspberries. When the bowl was empty, Vee let out a tiny yawn that Conor found beyond adorable, before she slowly placed her head on his shoulder. She wasnât really thinking about it, it came naturally to her, and she was really glad that Conor leaned his head gently against hers. It made her feel safe and happy and warm. She didnât think she could get comfier, until Conor let go of her hand (a little reluctantly) before he placed his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into him.
Conorâs heart felt so full and warm and he smiled when Vee snuggled up to him, wrapping an arm around him as well. He wrapped his blanket around her as well so she wouldnât get cold, before he subtly inhaled the scent of her hair. It smelled wonderful, a perfect mixture of shampoo and her.
âYouâre warmâ, Vee said contently before she looked up to him. She saw him smiling down at her, probably the most genuine smile that she had ever seen on him, and she suddenly felt all giddy and bubbly again. She blushed.
âYouâre adorableâ, Conor said and gently cupped her warm cheek with his free hand. They really shouldnât be doing this, should they? But why did it feel so right, then?
Vee took a deep breath before she slowly leaned up to him, first looking into his blue eyes, then looking at his pink lips. She couldnât wait to find out if they were feeling as soft as they looked. Conor seemed to get the hint, for he leant down to her as well. Her eyes fluttered closed when she could feel their breathing mingling, the anticipation of what was going to happen reaching its peak. When she kissed someone, the moment of hesitation often felt better to her than the actual kiss. It wasnât like that with Conor, though. When she could finally feel his lips on hers, soft and plump in the best way possible, she thought that her heart would burst with happiness. They moved their lips slowly against each other, the kiss full of hesitation, before they carefully pulled apart.
Vee grinned as she looked up at Conor, glad to see him return her bright smile. She gently touched his flushed cheek, feeling proud that she had such an effect on him, before she leaned her forehead against his. It was silent for a minute, but this time, it was the comfortable type of silence again. She loved every moment of it.
âDo you think we shouldnât have done that?â, Conor then asked, making Vee pull her head back a bit. She looked at him quizzically.
âDo you regret it?â, she asked, silently bracing herself for him to say yes.
However, he smiled at her and touched her cheek again. âNoâ, he said and shook his head, âI donât.â
âGoodâ, Vee sighed in relief and returned his smile, âyou had me worried for a minute there.â She giggled, before she put her lips on his again. He returned the kiss immediately, kissing her with a bit more passion than the first time. His hands carefully wandered down to her waist, helping her climb onto his lap. She cupped his face with her small hand, her other hand found its way into his hair. She smiled as she could feel his breathing hitch, making it easy for him to slip his tongue inside her mouth. Vee enjoyed how careful he was, yet still passionate. When they pulled apart again, they both had to catch their breaths.
âYou taste like raspberriesâ, Conor said and pecked her lips once again, making her giggle before she laid her head down in the crook of his neck.
âFunny, isnât it?â, Vee said.
âWhat?â, Conor asked as he began to gently stroke her back.
âIf you would have asked me yesterday if I would ever wanted to kiss you, then I would have said no.â
âTrueâ, Conor said, âme neither. Iâm glad that changed, though.â
âYeah, me too.â
The movie was long forgotten, as well as their tea on the table. They were so caught up in the other, that they stayed like that for a long time, cuddling and warming each other inside and out, until they both were so tired that they headed to his bedroom.
âAre you okay with sharing?â, Conor asked. He didnât want to rush Vee into anything that she didnât want, even if it was only sleeping in the same bed as him.
âYesâ, she said and pecked his lips once again before climbing under the warm duvet. She loved how he wanted to make her feel comfortable every step of the way and she really appreciated that, for she didnât only have good experiences in her past. When Conor had climbed into the bed as well, Vee didnât hesitate to snuggle up to him.
Conor pressed a kiss onto her hair. âI really could get used to thatâ, he said, happy to have her in his arms again. Vee hummed contently.
âGood nightâ, she whispered.
âGood night.â
View the other parts of the series here or view all of my posts here
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