#also he build boats which is also a mega plus

[iminye]

Sometimes i remember that Círdan is just really fucking ancient and am like actually kinda shocked... like this man has seen almost all of Middle Earth's history, from the shores of Cuivi��nen to the second War of the Ring and survived. The only other named elves I can think of right now, who have lived for just as long are Ingwë, Indis and Olwë, but they never returned from Aman. Círdan meanwhile? He just stuck around never having gone to paradise and lived. What a badass. I love him.

[stariel-and-stuff]

Hermitcraft Finales

Seeing everyone theorise about the snails and how they think they’ll cause the end of S10 is reminding me of a theory I once had so ✨story time✨.

Once when I was 10 and I was at sailing I saw this kid who used to go to my school (side note: I met so many people coincidentally thatd become my friends in later schools/id seen around my old school and I got to see them in a new way at sailing idk why) and we ended up on the same boat together for a class.

During this class we ended up talking about Hermitcraft, it was my first season watching and his second or third or something like that (this was when S6 had just started) so I was the newbie and he told me that at the end of each season they was some dramatic ending which was why they had to go to a new world.

So we got to theorising; what would it be this time? What clues were laid out? I told him things I’d seen happen in G’s and Stress’s vids and he told me things that happened in other POVs. After a few lessons of choosing to partner up we had a theory:

Grian’s salmon ghost was a symbolic warning of the seasons message. The threat was mirroring climate change in particular the rise of ocean levels which was a big focus in media at the time. We predicted that the server would end due to large flooding and tsunamis caused by all the industrialisation done (there were lots of modern and mega builds that season) and industrialisation/climate change was just a general theme in S6 with Concord VS. Sahara and Sahara news covering topics to do with Concords negative environmental impact.

We were so proud of our theory so ready to see it happen and then… it didn’t. Nothing happened that season in terms of a dramatic ending (that’s not to say it wasn’t my favourite season because it was but there was no ending and we didn’t see each other again to discuss this).

Now this isn’t a message meant to teach you not to theorise, no, theorising is fun!! And I really hope and believe the snails will cause the end of S10 I just wanted to share this story because the similar vibes between S6 and 10 plus the theorising is making me think about it constantly (and my other sailing experiences). Just don’t get too crushed if it doesn’t happen I guess and I hope you enjoyed reading all the random nonsense we theorised about when I was back in S6- or maybe that was just me. We also had other evidence to support our theory but I’ve forgotten most of it.

[tack-tick]

Dream SMP Pokemon AU Part One

Aka I’m bored and started thinking too hard about this. Hit the image limit so I’ll post part two later when I get the motivation.

General Lore

Humans and Pokemon share lives because of a curse from the gods

Humans used to abuse Pokémon’s power and did the old “get cursed for their arrogance thing” that always happens to humans in myths

Now when humans catch Pokemon, it’s understood by both parties that their sharing lives in exchange for getting to bond and battle together

If a human runs out of their three lives, the Pokemon they are bonded with dies

It’s considered a major dick move to forcibly separate a pokemon and trainer

Humans can only share lives with pokemon when they are at least 10 years old

Like getting a pokemon in the anime basically

This is basically just an excuse for why everyone has one Pokemon and I didn’t want to just say I was lazy

Dream

Him and Ditto have the same freaking face

Nicknamed Spirit

Disguises itself as a Gyarados, Rapidash, or Dragonite depending on what’s needed

Nobody knows it’s a Ditto

People just assume Dream is confident enough in his abilities that he’s willing to give only one life to each of his pokemon

Nope, he just has a Ditto that’s really good at transforming and battling

Wears a mask that looks like Dreams when it transforms so it can hide the Ditto face

Dream does his spiel about not caring about anything on the server and the poor thing gets sulky

Dream has to apologize to it and gives it a lot of hugs

George

Slaking

Nicknamed Beckerson

Also has a tendency to take naps during important events

Could be one of the strongest pokemon there if the two bothered to train

Was a huge asset in the Dream Team vs L’Manberg War

Seriously this things attack stat is freaking insane

Already fully evolved when the war started

Sapnap

Pyroar

Nicknamed Mars

I just looked at fire types and Mars fit the best

Plus Lions automatically equal awesome

Sapnap threatens to have Mars eat the smaller pokemon all the time

Will intimidate others by just gulping down magicarp in front of them

In like one bite each

Loves getting to set things on fire

Already fully evolved when the war started

Sapnap uses the “talking to a cat” voice with it

Still tries to sit in Sapnap’s lap after evolving and crushes him everytime

Tommy

A primeape nicknamed Henry

To quotes it’s sun pokedex entry “It has been known to become so angry it dies as a result”

That’s about all I needed to pair him up with Tommy

Shares Tommy’s temper and loyalty

Considered more loyal to his trainer than the average pokemon

Him and Tommy met in the woods when Tommy was about nine and Henry was a mankey

They just both looked at each other and got in a fistfight

Then Tommy took him home after he accidentally got hurt

Evolved when Tommy was exiled from New L’manberg

Dream was keeping him captive in a pokeball and only let him out when they visited Tommy

When it was let out it always tried to beat the crap out of Dream

Was told to stop doing that by Tommy because Dreams a friend

Which Henry thought was bullcrap but anything for Tommy

He’s doing better at Techno’s now

Trains with Carl a lot

But he misses Spins :(

Tubbo

A Vesiqueen nicknamed Spins

Picked because bees

Best friend to Henry

Evolved at the festival in a last ditch effort to try and protect Tubbo because combee have really bad stats

Didn’t work because fire beats bug but she tried very hard

It didn’t work but the thought counts

Worried about her trainer due to all the previous leaders becoming corrupted by the power

Has vowed to stick by his side no matter what

Loves to make honey and brings it to Niki for her bakery

Currently sad because she thinks Henry is dead :(

Honestly wishes literally anyone else would be president for her trainers mental health

Wilbur/Ghostbur

Toxitricity that was not nicknamed

Picked because it’s the only pokemon with an association with music that actually looks like it can fight

I tried to find something with the colors but nope

There are probably better options out there but idk what they are

Met Wilbur as a Toxel when it’s parents abandoned it

Heard Wilbur playing his guitar and listened from the bushes

The it just followed him home and they got along

It evolved when Wilbur was exiled

Was one of the first to realize that something was wrong with him

Was one of the few who could snap Wilbur out of his delusions

Eventually even that didn’t work

It probably knew in the end that Wilbur was doomed

But It couldn’t just abandon its trainer

Not Wilbur no way

It was glad it got to see Gramps one last time

Now it exsists like those ghost pokemon in Lavender Town

Not a ghost type pokemon but literally a ghost

Called Ghostricity

Remembers about as much as Ghostbur

Techno

An Emboar nicknamed Carl

Picked because it is, and I am quoting Bulbapedia, the “Mega Fire Pig Pokemon”

In other words, it’s a big boy!

How it met Techno will be explained in Philza’s entry so we’re gonna skip that

Was already fully evolved by the time Techno came to the Dream SMP

Just as bloodthirsty as his trainer and extremely good at battling

Loves to go to the Nether and soak in lava pools like a hot tub

Finds it very relaxing

Had an extra cost in bonding with Techno in that he also hears the voices

Finds them very annoying

Got jumped and taken hostage by the Butger Gang due to having water dumped on it

It was a lot of water

Which has managed to mega piss off Techno

Is very embarrassed at having to be rescued by Dream and Spirit

The closest to knowing what Spirit actually is

So looking forward to toppling the government

Currently training by sneaking out to waterfalls and standing under them

Very protective of Gramps

If you wanna do a speed run of getting fireblasted hurt Gramps in front of Carl

Philza

A Drampa nicknamed Gramps

Literally all of its pokedex entries are about how it takes care of kids and is extremely threatening when pissed off

Gramps met Philza when It was raising a Tepig in the woods

Techno was little and had gotten lost in the woods and ran into Tepig

They got along and Tepig took him to see his “dad”

Drampa helped Techno get home and Philza let them stay at his house out of gratitude

Philza and Drampa got along and the rest is history

Considered a dad by Carl, Ghostricity, and Henry

A very nice dragon who has accidentally adopted like half the servers pokemon

Extremely long lived

Feels extreme guilt about Ghostricity’s whole situation

Hard to make mad but when it is mad

LOOK OUT

Totally doesn’t have a favorite pokemon in Carl

Who would dare spread such obviously and totally false slander

Currently under house arrest along with Phil

Wants to see his kids

Fundy

A Delphox nicknamed Sally after his mom

Was gifted to Fundy when he was little by his mom

Evolved from Fennekin to Braxien after the Final Control Room incident

Evolved from Braixen to Delphox during the final fight in the Manberg Vs Pogtopia War

Uses her magic to help Fundy build things

Has mixed feelings about Ghostbur and Ghostricity

Just wants to Fundy to be happy and appreciated

Currently sticking with her trainer and making sure he doesn’t get himself killed in trying to fight some of the most powerful people on the server

Is slightly freaked out by The Buther Gang thing

Quackity

An Empolean named Party

Picked because Club Penguin raid lol

Also blue and couldn’t find any cool duck pokemon

Quackity crashed on an island filled with the Piplup line

Had to stay for a couple of days to fix his boat

He left and found a piplup had snuck into his boat and decided to keep it

Has already evolved to Prinplup by the time Quackity was whitelisted

Evolved to Empolean during the duel with Technoblade in the control room

Loves screwing with people by freezing their stuff

Still has a surprisingly strong moral compass

Extremely loyal to its trainer and hated Schlatt with every bone in its body

Totally froze Schlatt’s gravestone at the funer

Hates going to the nether

[dianapocalypse]

Alright y’all, with the release of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, it’s time for me to share my playlist for the entire trilogy.

I’ve refined this over like six years so scientifically speaking it’s probably good right. oh also it’s four hours long. so if you have a road trip or a boring job, this one’s for you. disclaimer, it’s entirely possible I have garbage taste in music. I also missed some characters and moments because there’s 65 songs here and I am merely human.

If you don’t have the patience for four hours, I recommend starting at track 45 and listening to the end, as the Mass Effect 3 portion is the strongest in my opinion.

UNDER THE CUT FOR DESCRIPTIONS WE GO!

FIRST MOVEMENT - MASS EFFECT 1

1. Atlas - Coldplay Eden Prime

“Sometimes the wire Must tense for the note Caught in the fire, say oh We're about to explode“

I really like the atmosphere of this song. It’s ominous, but also somehow hopeful, and makes me feel like Something Huge Is Coming.

2. I Will Not Sing A Hateful Song - Constantines Paragon Shepard

“But I was also born and raised To always speak and listen clear To know the last sound that I make Could be the last sound that I hear“

OK, listen, I think this song is about vampires, and I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be a metaphor or not. But I think this is a great song about controlling one’s temper, about knowing that you have to Rise Above the parts of you that want to lash out sometimes to get things done and have peace. Seeing as how paragon Shepard, to me, always seems like they’re three deep breaths away from snapping, but manage to keep it in check, it fits them to a T.

And also maybe they’re a vampire.

3. Hard to Kill - Beth Crowley Renegade Shepard

“So I let the rumors Turn me into a legend 'Cause I'm only human But a good myth is hard to kill”

This one’s a recent addition, but holy cow, I love it for Renegade Shep, particularly an Earthborn or Ruthless, but it works for any of them.

4. We Own the Skies - Five Iron Frenzy Joker

“My hands are bleeding where they often crack The stars will sometimes burn with longing Through the choking black Of night shifts piling each against the next”

This really vibes with Joker’s backstory for me, his super driven serious self in flight school, contrasted with who he is when he can fly a ship. He’s the best pilot in the goddamn fleet and I love him.

5. I Just Wanna See - Smash Mouth Kaidan Alenko

“Mister moon checkin' on how y'all livin' The stars all winkin' at the day that's dimmin' I just wanna see”

This song fits into his reactions to first showing up at the Citadel and his former romanticism about living in space. Ironically, it’s a song about Earth, but I feel like it works well for him. Also, Smash Mouth absolutely sounds like the kind of music Kaidan would listen to, no I will not be taking questions or constructive criticism.

6. Don’t Give Up - Noisettes Ashley Williams

“She's got a talented face and a suitcase Ain't got no desire to go no place In her case she's got no desire with her hand in the flame say's she don't feel the fire “

The energy of this song is just perfect for Ashley’s no-nonsense chip on her shoulder attitude.

7. About As Helpful As You Can Be Without Being Any Help At All - Dan Mangan The Council

“I was thrown in the boat/Cast out to sea Friendly with waves/There were sharks below Hungry for me/So I dangled my leg”

I mean, the title says it all.

8. The Captain - Guster Anderson

“Courageous, just like the captain Marching forward with no doubt in his head”

I have adored this song ever since my friend played it for me, and it’s the ultimate mentor-protégé jam for me.

9. Secret Agent Man - Johnny Rivers Garrus Vakarian

“Here's a man who leads a life of danger To everyone he meets he stays a stranger Oh, with every move he makes another chance he takes The odds are he won't live to see tomorrow”

I have to poke a little fun at Garrus and how seriously he takes himself in Mass Effect 1. I romanced him across four playthrus, I’m allowed!

10. I’m Getting Too Old For This Shit - Kill Lincoln Urdnot Wrex

“This random apathy/I swear it's killing me But I guess it's all the same, till the devil knows my name”

I don’t know ANYTHING about this band, but this song fits Wrex’s disillusionment with the Krogan well, plus, like. The title. (And also, that he secretly DOES care what happens to the Krogan.)

11. Bird Song - Juniper Vale Tali’zorah nar Rayya

“I want to dance on the horizon line But there is something I am caged behind I have a heart made for take flight But I'm low, so low”

I adore this song and the sound of Juniper Vale in general. The etherealness of this one, combined with the youthful optimism, feels very Tali. The line about ‘something I am caged behind’ works well for the suits, too. This one’s especially good if you’re a Talimancer!

12. 11. Green Garden - Laura Mvula Liara T’Soni

“And I’ll fly on the wings of a butterfly High as a tree top and down again Putting my bag down, taking my shoes off Walk on the carpet of green velvet”

I really like this song’s vibes and I feel like Liara fits it well, particularly in ME1, before all her youthful optimism is stripped from her. The scenery descriptions feel very Thessia, too.

13. Feed Me (Git It) - Little Shop of Horrors The Thorian 

“The guy sure looks like plant food to me!”

Do you get it. Do you get my joke. It’s because the Thorian is a plant that eats people. (I’m not funny)

14. Blindness - Metric Matriarch Benezia

“I was a blind fool, never complained All the survivors singing in the rain “

I don’t love the use of blind here as a negative, albeit metaphorical, descriptor, but I think this song fits Benezia’s indoctrination and death well. If you have suggestions for another, though, let me know!

15. Technologic - Daft Punk Saren

“Buy it, use it, break it, fix it, trash it, change it, mail, upgrade it”

I just think it’s Neat

16. Watershed - Vienna Teng The Reapers

“ While you were building your empires I was still sleeping”

I think this is the song that inspired the entire playlist. Vienna Teng sat down and decided to write a song from the perspective of a natural disaster, and it’s so ominous and gut-wrenching.

17. Hourglass - The Hush Sound Virmire

“This is how it ends We believe every lie and say we'll be friends How long will it last? Before we scratch all the scripts and we rework the cast “

hahahahah rework the cast get it because you have to pick who DIES

Seriously tho I really like this song for Virmire and that moment of choice that feels like it lasts 100 years on some playthroughts.

18. Pompeii - Bastille The Siege of the Citadel

“ And the walls kept tumbling down In the city that we love”

Throwback to when this song was on the radio like three times an hour. Which is around the time I made the first draft of this playlist, incidentally! It’s such a good Final Battle Jam for the Citadel, and the part about “if you close your eyes/does it almost feel like nothing’s changed at all” I think work really well for Shepard in this sequence. Shepard knew the Reapers were coming, had been fighting them all along; this attack on the Citadel is just retreading familiar territory for them, as horrifying as the war being brought to their doorstep is for the Citadel’s citizens and the council. James Vega has some good dialogue about that kind of thing in ME3.

INTERLUDE THE FIRST

19. Starships - Nicki Minaj The Normandy Crew

Starships were meant to fly Hands up and touch the sky

I like to have a little fun OK

20. Gravity - Yoko Kanno The Death of Commander Shepard

“Am I alone? is somebody there beyond these heavy aching feet still the road keeps on telling me to go on”

Welcome to mood whiplash, it’s my specialty! This is the part where you die. I think it also works for her coma very well, when she’s just drifting between life and death, not sure what’s going on, but something keeps trying to pull her back to the world.

SECOND MOVEMENT - MASS EFFECT 2

21. The Phoenix - Fall Out Boy The Lazarus Project

“Hey young blood, doesn't it feel like our time is running out? I'm gonna change you like a remix Then I'll raise you like a phoenix “

this song has no right to go as hard as it does and if  you think it’s melodramatic shut up

22. My Body Is A Cage - Peter Gabriel Commander Shepard

“I'm living in an age Whose name I don't know Though the fear keeps me moving Still my heart beats so slow “

This works particularly well if you romanced The Virmire Survivor, but this song captures the energy of Shepard freaking out bc they are trapped with Cerberus, because Cerberus rebuilt their body from the ground up. That jarring, caged feeling is so palpable in ME2 that when they gave me back Joker the first time I played, I BURST INTO SOBS from relief.

23. The Lady is a Vamp - The Spice Girls Miranda Lawson

“That's all in the past, legends built to last But she's got something new”

Listen. She’s a bond babe. Handbags, heels and pistols rock. She’s got class. This is a song about Miranda. That is all.

24. Kryptonite - 3 Doors Down Jacob Taylor

“ I watched the world float to the dark side of the moon After all I knew, it had to be something to do with you “

This one’s about the Vibes for me. Also can apply to his past relationship with Miranda. I’m also super showing my age on this song, oof haha.

25. Stable Song - Death Cab For Cutie Colony Abduction

“Rows of deserted houses all Our stable mates highway bound “

I really like the mood of this one for showing up on the very first abducted colony, the eerieness and sadness of it all and Shepard’s resolve to do something about it.

26. Konichiwa Bitches - Robyn Kasumi Goto

“I'm so very hot that when I rob your mansion You ain't call the cops, you call the fire station”

THAT COUPLET ALONE MAKES THE ENTIRE SONG. I love how playful and cheeky it is.

27. Seven Nation Army Glitch Mob Remix - The White Stripes, Glitch Mob Zaeed Massani

“And I'm talking to myself at night Because I can't forget Back and forth through my mind Behind a cigarette”

Pretty sure we all had this on some playlist or another when it came out, and it’s the perfect Badass With A Grudge song.

28. Science is Real - They Might Be Giants Mordin Solus

“ And when a theory emerges Consistent with the facts The proof is with science The truth is with science “

This one actually got added by my wife to replace a song that wasn’t on Spotify, but that has the same energy; Hank Green’s “I Fucking Love Science”. I get more into the emotional side of Mordin in the ME3 section, but I also really just love his Hamster On Coffee energy and this song captures it really well.

29. Prove Yourself - Radiohead Garrus Vakarian

“I can't afford to breathe in this town Nowhere to sit without a gun in my hand Hooked back up to the cathode ray

I'm better off dead “

The absolute rock bottom mental state Garrus is in when you get back to him in ME2 is so heartwrenching. Might not always agree with my boy’s methods, but he’s one of my favorite fictional characters of all time.

30. Rat a Tat - Fallout Boy Feat. Courtney Love Jack

“We are professional ashes of roses, this kerosene's live You settled your score, this is where you come to beg”

It helps that Courtney Love sounds exactly like Jack to me, NGL.

31. Defeat You - Smash Mouth Grunt

“Hey I know what you've done It makes it that much better to defeat you “

Only I am brave enough to put two songs by Smash Mouth on the same playlist, to be shared in 2021

32. The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot - Brand New Horizon/The Virmire Survivor

“If it makes you less sad I will die by your hand Hope you find out what you want Already know what I am “

Hits harder if you romanced the Virmire Survivor. Mostly from Shep’s perspective. This is a Shep that feels Bad after that encounter rather than Mad, so Your Mileage May Vary.

33. Violet Stars Happy Hunting! - Janelle Monae Tali’zorah vas Neema

“I'm an alien from outer space I'm a cyber-girl without a face a heart or a mind”

I just like the vibes of this one for Tali! I know it’s more about an actual AI but...IDK. I like it. So there.

34. Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd Thane Krios

“There is no pain you are receding A distant ship smoke on the horizon”

This song works both on a Literal level with his Kepral’s syndrome struggles, but also Metaphorical re: his Battle Sleep. Plus, Thane is a dad, so he gets Dad Rock.

35. My Medea - Vienna Teng Samara

“For I have made her prison be Her every step away from me And this child I would destroy If you tried to set her free “

Mom of the year award, here

36. Toxic - Britney Spears Morinth

“There's no escape, I can't wait I need a hit, baby, give me it You're dangerous, I'm loving it”

If Morinth weren’t so under-utilized after recruitment and didn’t get killed off in the background of ME3 I’d probably actually recruit her sometimes. I almost did on my most recent playthru bc that Shepard just HATES SPACE COPS. Anyway the song explains itself

37. Turn me On - David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj EDI/The Collector Attack

“My body needs a hero Come and save me Something tells me you know how to save me”

I know this song is a metaphor but also it works really well both literally and metaphorically for Joker saving EDI

38. Robots - Dan Mangan Legion

“Robots need love too They want to be loved by you “

The Geth just want to live peacefullyyyyyy 

39. Be Still - The Killers Love Interest Theme

“Be still / someday you’ll leave fearlessness on your sleeve”

This song works so well for the night before Omega-4. If you had an ME2 love interest, anyway. Also “fearlessness on your sleeve” is one of my favorite set of words ever written.

40. No Cars Go - Arcade Fire The Omega-4 Relay

“We know a place no spaceships go We know a place where no subs go “

This one’s pretty literal.

41. Rocketman - Elton John Suicide Mission

“ And I think it's gonna be a long, long time 'Til touchdown brings me 'round again to find I'm not the man they think I am at home “

I like sneaking some Classics onto my playlists, and I think this is how I generally approach Shepard’s mindset during the Suicide Mission, mostly the chorus. I’m also a sucker for ballads during action sequences. This one isn’t a perfect 1:1 but the Vibes check out.

42. Blast Off - David Guetta feat. Kaz James The Normandy Crew

“Got all my people with me And none of us give a fuck So put dem hands up higher Let's smash this party up”

You have to imagine they partied HARD after recovering from Suicide Mission, but before Shep got arrested, right??? This is the Starships for ME2.

INTERLUDE THE SECOND

43. I’m Not Your Hero - Tegan and Sara Liara T’soni

“ Feeling like I am now lighting up the hall I was used to standing in the shadow of a damaged heart Learning all I know now, losing all I did I never used to feel like I'd be standing so far ahead “

This feels like a good coming of age moment for Liara, as she copes with the choices she made in the 2 years of Shepard’s death (giving them to Cerberus), losing Feron, etc. This is her coming into her own as the Shadow Broker. She’s not meant to be an uncomplicated Big Damn Hero, but she can do good from this position.

44. The Well and the Lighthouse - Arcade Fire The Alpha Relay Incident

“I'm serving time All for a crime I did commit You want the truth? You know I'd do it all again“

These opening lines I feel capture the Alpha Relay Incident really well, and how Shepard did what they HAD to do there, and would do it again, but it still feels like shit. I always wished there was more choice on that mission, but also, having something like that happen without player agency is interesting. Shepard is at their most interesting, I think, in times where we DON’T have a say in what happens to them.

45. Reignite - Malukah Commander Shepard

“Crush my heart into embers, and I will reignite”

Is it cheating to use a Mass Effect fan song on my playlist? I certainly don’t think so, and this is the best Mass Effect fan song ever written.

THIRD MOVEMENT - MASS EFFECT 3

46. This Is War - Thirty Seconds to Mars Leaving Earth

“It's the moment of truth, and the moment to lie The moment to live and the moment to die The moment to fight, the moment to fight To fight, to fight, to fight “

It feels Too Easy to use this here but I’m gonna anyway. You’ve seen AMVs of this set to everything. It’s the ending song of DA:O. It’s the quintessential World At War song.

47. Battleborn - The Killers James Vega

“Up against the wall There's something dying on the street When they knock you down You're gonna get back on your feet”

James Vega is massively underrated and I will love him til I’m cold in the ground. Aro icon.

48. Handlebars - Flobots The Illusive Man

“I can hand out a million vaccinations Or let 'em all die of exasperation Have 'em all healed of their lacerations Have 'em all killed by assassination”

The way this song escalates fits TIM and Cerberus’s fall back into being Just Full On Evil really well. Perfect song for a power trip.

49. Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect - The Decemberists The Virmire Survivor

“And I am nothing of a builder But here I dreamt I was an architect And I built this balustrade To keep you home, to keep you safe From the outside world”

I like this song for how the Virmire Survivor feels about their survivor’s guilt and also about Shepard. I honestly wish they were both more heavily utilized in ME2 and 3, but I realize it’s hard to write a ton of content for characters who just aren’t in half of all peoples’ playthrus.

50. Heaven Knows - The Pretty Reckless Grisson Academy

“One, two, three and four, the devil's knocking at your door Caught in the eye of a dead man's lie Show your life with your head held high“

This song is so perfect for Jack and her biotic kids that she’s one of the only returning characters that gets her own song on this playlist

51. The Great Fire - OK Go Javik

“But when the flames die down, and everything is gone, Will there be fire under the ashes still?”

Self explanatory. Javik is the fire remaining under the ashes.

52. Bring the Hammer Down - Paragon Priority: Tuchanka/Kalros

“ Hammer strikes the anvil A rage that breaks the chain Strikes down like a lightening In our ranks “

KALROOOOOS

53. Wake Up - Arcade Fire Curing The Genophage/Mordin Solus

“If the children don't grow up, Our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up. We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turnin' every good thing to Rust I guess we'll just have to adjust”

I just really love this song as an image of Mordin’s spirit looking out over Tuchanka as the genophage cure is dispersed, and watching over future generations. If you didn’t cure the genophage, how dare you. No song for you.

Anyway started tearing up listening to this one while writing the description don’t look at me

54. Ballad of a Politician - Regina Spektor Councillor Udina/Priority Citadel 2

“A man inside a room is shaking hands with other men This is how it happens/Our carefully laid plans”

traitor

55. Cyborgs vs. Robots - Ludo The Geth-Quarian War

“But your iron fist will never knock me down 'Cause I'm powered By a conscious right to conduct my life without fear.”

This is probably a bit silly for this awful war. But also. It does fit. You can’t tell me it doesn’t. Just save them both at the end and you can feel fine having some fun with it!

56. Artificial Heart - Jonathan Coulton The Geth

“It's not a real heart It is a real artificial heart”

Just a little fun with the Geth! This works best with Reaper Upgrades.

57. With A Little Help From My Friends - Joe Anderson, Jim Sturgess The Citadel DLC

“What do you see when you turn out the light? I can't tell you, but I know it's mine

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends”

I happen to prefer this version to any other because of how much fun it sounds like they’re having

58. Dark In Here - The Mountain Goats Priority: Earth

“Steal away at sundown, pick a place to hide Check for signs of ambush, hunker down inside Tired of running, tired of never standing still Hear them riding up the hill“

You know I had to get the Goats in here. Would it be a fan playlist if there wasn’t one?

59. Adieu - Yoko Kanno Leaving your Love Interest/Shepard and the Beam

“My love for you burns deep inside me / So strong Embers of times we had And now, here I stand / Lost in a memory I see your face, and smile”

...do I need to say more than that?

60. My Way (Minor Key) - Chase Holfelder The Indoctrination of The Illusive Man

“Regrets, I've had a few/But then again, too few to mention I did what I had to do/I saw it through, without exemption“

This cover takes this song from something I tolerate when I hear it to one of my FAVORITE songs. The frenzied way he sings the “through it all” verse is PEAK Indoctrinated TIM.

61. I’m Alive - Disturbed Refusal 

“There will never be a reason why I will surrender to your advice To change myself, I'd rather die/Though they will not understand”

Honestly I didn’t “get” the Refusal ending until I heard this song, then I was like, OH, I SEE IT ALL SO CLEARLY NOW. This is my favorite in-universe Shepard take on the Refusal ending. I always got it from the player’s perspective of being dissatisfied with the options, but this one puts it into the world for me. This is a Shepard who does not trust the Starchild. This is a Shepard that chooses to end things on their own terms rather than submit to their designs.

62. Machine - Regina Spektor Control 

“I collect my moments Into a correspondence With a mightier power Who just lacks my perspective And who lacks my organics And who covets my defects “

I used to have Adieu here, actually, because like Refusal, I didn’t used to GET the Control ending. Now, I do, in part thanks to hearing this song. I mean, just go look at the full lyrics. If this song hadn’t been written years before the end of Mass Effect 3, I’d swear it was a fan song for it.

63. Maybe Tomorrow - Yuki Kajiura Destroy 

“The moon is gone And the night is still so dark I'm a little bit afraid of tomorrow“

I’m a Destroy Ending person, I won’t lie. Full on “the starchild is a liar and my synthetic friends are FINE” indoctrination theory level destroy ending. But this song is not about that. It’s about the canonical destroy ending, and if you prefer a Shep that survives it, this song’s for you.

This song captures the exhaustion and melancholy of the end of a long journey so well. Shepard is afraid of what comes next, the collateral damage resulting from their actions. But they know that, at least, it’s over now. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

64. Waiting For the End - Linkin Park Synthesis

“ I know what it takes to move on I know how it feels to lie All I wanna do is trade this life for something new Holding on to what I haven't got”

This is one of my favorite songs of all time. The hardest part of ending is starting again. Oof. Gets me every single time. Shepard finding the resolve to sacrifice themself for the hope of something better, of things not going how they planned, ever, of learning to make peace with that and the people who loved them learning to carry on without them? OOF.

65. Shine - Vienna Teng Epilogue

“Shine with all the untold Hold the light given unto you Find the love to unfold In this broken world we choose“

Vienna Teng is a master of capturing life’s softer emotions, and this fits perfectly with the epilogue scene for me. Tell me again about the Shepard.

“Find the love to unfold in this broken world we choose” has to be one of the greatest lines about the human experience ever written.

[chyrstis]

I won’t ask for much (but just this once, I’d like you) 2/10

Updates for this’ll probably come every couple of days or so, and I’m already bracing myself for a third wave of edits to come. But here’s the next part, and Sharky, I’m sorry about the skunk, but you were the one to mention it to begin with. ...And the resulting idea was too entertaining to pass up.

Pairing: Sharky Boshaw x John Seed Rating: E (but only for Ch. 10, the rest are a solid T) Word Count: 4.3K  

Link to AO3!

Ch. 1 / Ch. 2 / Ch. 3 / Ch. 4 / Ch. 5 / Ch. 6 / Ch. 7 / Ch. 8 / Ch. 9 / Ch. 10

—

Sharky steals a boat. It just happens to be John’s boat, and when it’s damaged along with his boathouse, John proceeds to lay out a means of having Sharky pay him back. [No Cult AU]

———–

It took two and a half days to tear the old boathouse down.

John hadn’t lied when he mentioned wanting him to get in there and take it apart piece by piece, and hovered over him the entire time.

The whole monitoring bit was easily the part that annoyed him the most. Like he was waiting for him to screw up. To somehow find a way to take the already burnt building and set it on fire again through force of will alone. Which, while badass, was well out of his means, all the wishing and praying he’d sometimes do to monkey Jesus aside.

But that didn’t stop John from acting like he had the ability. Riding him further during smoke breaks, or barking order after order at him from the sidelines.

Every other word out of his mouth was a correction. To tell him to go back to read the blueprints again. To check his measurements. To put out that cigarette, pry out that misplaced nail, and to use some of that delicacy he kept on going back to, making Sharky’s eyes want to roll back into his head.

And music? The one time he’d tried to bring any levity to the situation with the soothing sounds of disco, John put an end to it immediately. Really just made it clear how much of a drag he wanted to be, and only wanted to push the point home.

Seeing as John was some big-shot lawyer, he really expected him to have more to do than nitpick and lord this whole thing over him. Like he’d stick around for a few weeks, use the time to get off on whatever power trip he was having over this, and then go back to bugging the department, the local businesses, Nick, shit, anyone.

But John Seed was also petty as fuck.

Local gossip hadn’t painted the guy as a kind or forgiving figure, and while the Seeds as a whole were alright at best and fucking weird at worst, over the past couple of years John had picked up a rep as a colossal asshole all on his own.

Tickets? Contested. Special orders down at the store or for parts? Made with specific instructions that needed to be followed to the letter. If not, he’d demand and get his money back, damning everyone with the fine print others would skim over.

Hell, Sid, one of the guys that worked down at the cattle ranch, had traded paint with him once. He’d done so while stopping at the general store, and hadn’t paid much mind to the fancy car parked in the lot, getting just close enough to leave a small scuff on the rear bumper.

In those cases, a person would trade numbers, or see what they could buff off before moving on, 'cause insurance claims were a pain in the ass, and half of the cars in the county were a little late on renewing registrations anyway. Shit, he was coming up on a year, and hoping to see how much longer he could go before any of the Deps cottoned on to it.

But no, the minute John caught on, Sid recalled the glint he got in his eye. Then told him he’d slap him with the largest fine possible for both the damage and the late reg. All over trading paint. Not major damage, not even a busted tire.

Just paint.

Sid was still spitting mad about it, months after the fact.

He’d even pulled a fast one when it came to setting up big bro Joe’s compound. Digging up some obscure property laws all but guaranteeing the land could be sold to them.

No, no one earned the title of mega-dick by being sweet and accommodating. His bro had smoothed over a lot of ruffled feathers by being pretty okay after that, even with all of the converts chilling the fuck out on his property, but John was still John.

And now he personally had that shit to deal with. Today, two days from now, and who knew how many weeks or months after that.

So much for those chicks wanting and keeping his number too. Hurk told him he’d snagged at least one number on the way back to their drop off, but when he’d tried to call them back the other day he got no answer. Ghosted him like it was nothing, and he guessed he deserved that.

What with getting himself caught and left to doing whatever the hell John wanted for as long as John wanted.

“As per our agreement,” John would remind him, whenever he felt the point needed pushing.

And he pushed.

Whenever Sharky would drop something, whenever he let his feet drag, whenever he cut something and John was ready to whip out his tape measure.

He pushed, and Sharky shot another prayer up to monkey Jesus, hoping that maybe this would be the day to go Human Torch on the situation. Or at the very least a little Cyclops.

Not today, but he’d try again tomorrow.

But on the days when Sharky was working, it wasn’t always just the two of them. He’d full on expected this whole thing to go on in its own little pocket, with Hurk eventually crashing the party due to a need to bust him out or worse.

The day that Joseph first showed up stood out, for one.

Joseph Seed was kind of like Pastor Jerome. Not his first pick to hang out with, considering they were both on opposite sides here. Of the whole preaching and managing earthly temptations, while not super indulging in the kind of shit that he knew he wanted in his life, period.

It came with the territory, being religious leaders and all that, but when Joseph first rolled in to the county, he’d brought his people with him.

And they were an interesting bunch. The People of Eden’s Gate were some kind of holistic commune where it was pretty hunky-dory roughly ninety percent of the time. The other ten percent was wondering just what to do about the men and women that wanted the simple life. Living humbly while offering help wherever needed.

While their hearts were in the right place, it was pretty boring stuff otherwise, Sharky decided. He’d even considered joining up for the hell of it only until Hurk reminded him that there wasn’t much fucking to be found there. Pretty women, sure, but the kind more focused on spirituality, and less on how many ways they could Clutch Nixon-ify their daily lives.

But Joseph on his own was a different story.

Watching John go from calmly sipping his drink, doubling-down on just how refreshing it was when Sharky happened to push the wheelbarrow past him, to spitting half of it out when Joseph materialized next to him was fucking priceless.

Greeting him warmly, Joseph pulled a sputtering John into a kind-of half-hug gesture, but John’s cool had already been lost, and in front of his entourage too.

Joe’s wife was with him, plus kiddo number one of a baker’s dozen, carrying them up and on her hip as they talked. With them was also a woman dressed in the modest clothes the Peggies stuck to. She wasn’t trying to stand out, but he didn’t need sharp eyes to see how damn pretty she was.

It had to have been a brother thing, Sharky gathered. Embarrassing the shit out of younger siblings seemed almost natural to Joseph, and it might’ve been petty of him too, but watching John try to get his shit back in line in front of all of them was like hitting the jackpot.

So, Sharky kept on working, sneaking looks over at the group every now and then, and at one point gave an awkward wave back whenever they tried acknowledging him. But whenever John glanced his way, Sharky didn’t hide his shit-eating grin. No, it stayed put for the rest of the day.

The next time Joseph came over, however, he didn’t stop by just to say hi. He approached Sharky, ignoring John’s loud protests, and insisted on helping.

He’d get water, and help with any items that needed anchoring, stepping in whenever it looked like Sharky needed another hand. It was the most contact he’d had with the guy outside of the times he’d tried preaching at the Eagle, and outside of that? He was actually pretty okay to be around.

Well, he personally didn’t have a problem with Joe, at least. John’s irritation skyrocketed with every suggestion, especially when Joseph did the impossible. Told him that with a three-person job, you needed three people, and John? John was capable.

“You sure are,” Sharky added, giving him a wicked grin, and John looked mad enough to spit.

But he didn’t say no. Didn’t even try, or attempt it.

Did more than his fair share under the loving supervision of his older bro, and come nightfall, Sharky realized he’d had a damn good day. It was the lightest he’d felt in weeks, and wasn’t about to turn that down. Not when it helped him jump back into things with some extra pep, and the progress was a boost too.

With the actual frame up and the panels and exterior being added piece by piece, Sharky was starting to feel pretty accomplished. Proud even, because he built this. Yeah, he was being needled at every step of the way, but he used his own two hands to get this set up, no one else’s, and at the end of the day could actually see more of this coming together.

If he kept this up, he’d also have some extra skills to add to his repertoire. Might even get a chance to twist Hurk’s arm into trying out that whole ‘building and flipping’ thing that seemed to be hot at the moment, provided he wasn’t here for the next ten years.

But goals. He had goals to work towards and something to show for it, and it was pretty damn nice in the grand scheme of things.

Today, however, John had a guest again. The same Peggie woman as before, holding a basket, flanked by a few other converts.

Full on expecting to see Joe with her, Sharky wondered if he was waiting out in the woods again. Hell, even John was checking the path back up towards his house, looking past her every now and then to see if he’d catch him.

But as the minutes ticked by, and Sharky kept on working, nothing happened. And long after the other Eden’s Gate members had left, the two kept on talking, having what seemed to be a hell of a time going off of the signals they were giving off.

Smiling, laughing. Facing each other directly as they spoke, Sharky had John’s back to him almost completely, which had his eyebrows climbing up.

And judging by the way she was reacting to John in turn, he had to have been turning on the charm. Smiling shyly, twirling her hair around her finger, hell, he’d put money on her being a two-word question away from dropping everything to get a piece of that.

It was annoying as fuck, really. Dry spell or not, watching John pull it off with minimal effort sucked.

Sure, he had a lot of things working for him. The guy was loaded, for one. Had more than enough money to net himself a fancy car, his large-ass ranch, and a plane. He’d also had a boat up until Sharky had wrecked it, but that was beside the point. Man had more money than sense, and worked the slick lawyer angle for all it was worth. He’d listened in on enough convos to know just how many women in the county dug it. Shit, men too.

Plus the whole property on the water was a real panty dropper. At least going off of what his Auntie had said shortly after John had first bought it, gossiping with Sharky about the costs and expenses that came with it.

Then she promptly turned the talk on its head by launching into talking about John’s ass instead.

His drink hadn’t stayed in his mouth for long, and she’d dropped her forlorn sighing long enough to tell him not to stain the carpet. That he had to hear and think about John’s ass at all wasn’t fucking fair, especially since he was pretty damn sure it wasn’t that much of a draw to begin with. He’d checked.

Whenever John’s back was turned towards him, he’d sneak a look to see what the deal was only to be disappointed. Better asses were walking around Hope County right this moment, his included, but good luck trying to argue that with her. Or even get three words in edgewise before wanting to slap some sense into himself.

Besides, John’s eyes were better. Hands down, Sharky knew they’d been his ticket to pound town on more than one occasion, needing only to show them off and say a few fancy words to seal any kind of deal.

Dropping the wood onto the ground, he crouched down low. Stared at the wood grain of the plank to clear his mind a little before shifting his attention back towards John.

Shit, were they still talking?

He rolled his eyes. Whatever John was saying couldn’t have been that good, and any joke? Nowhere near funny enough to get a giggle like that.

At that time, John turned, giving him a look over his shoulder as Sharky became well aware of two sets of eyes on him. The woman for one, and the pretty boy lawyer that had been eating up every last shred of her attention until now.

A cross between smug and expectant, John gestured towards him.

Well?

Sharky knew three ways to tell someone to get fucked, but picked the least subtle one just in case.

Shocked for a second, John closed his mouth. But soon after, he pressed a hand to his chest, looking hurt. It was pretty convincing, making Sharky feel for a moment that he’d done something shitty like kicked a puppy.

Shame it didn’t reach his eyes. Or match the sharp smile that crept in.

“Smug-ass, smirking fuckface,” Sharky muttered, throwing the wooden plank to the side.

But not even that stuck around either. No, John flashed his pearly whites at the woman with him too, making her melt right in front of them.

Salt in the motherfucking wound. That’s what it all was, but lucky for him he only had a few more hours left to go. Then he could go home, get in a kickass shower and see what Hurk was doing.

Standing up, he wiped his face down with his handkerchief. If this had been anytime during the summer he would’ve been dying, but at least the weather was working in his favor. The breeze took the edge off just enough, and he closed his eyes for a few seconds to soak it all in.

“Oh, Charlemagne?”

Grating right on his ears, the pitch John used never failed to make him want to grind his teeth together. That, and saying his name. Kept on doing that well after being told he could call him Sharky. Shit, even his grandma used it sparingly.

“What?”

“Shouldn’t you be focusing over there-“ John froze, and all smugness vanished.

That put him on edge. “Yo, you wanna expand on that, amigo?”

Slowly turning around, Sharky caught the small creature on the ground and felt every hair on him stand on end. Black and white, and assuming the posture any pissed off animal would, it stood tall for its small size with its tail up, ready and aiming right at him.

Skunks, though, had never liked him. Guess he’d earned that after the whole kissing one bit. So, staring down what he was sure had to be some distant relative out for revenge, he did what came naturally.

Yelled. Loudly, and might’ve sealed his fate right then and there.

Hit, but not in the eyes – thank Hurk’s monkey Jesus for that – he sprinted down towards the river and dove right in.

Grabbing his cap, he kept it in hand as he bobbed back up to the surface. The smell hit as he gulped down air, and he furiously paddled away from the shore when he realized he’d been followed.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!”

This was fucking bonkers, and it was only getting worse.

Could skunks swim? Did they have a sense for it, or was he getting played by the only one able to? Was this the moment some poor guy was going to have to act out in the movie about his life? Swimming out, smelling to high heaven as a rich asshole laughed it up from the shore?

Fuck, he hoped to hell not, 'cause he’d lived an okay life up ‘til now. And having that be the moment he’d be known for immortalized up on the silver screen was just lousy at best.

Looking back, he watched as the skunk gave him the evil eye for a minute, pacing back and forth as it thought about shooting at him again. Little fucker wasn’t done yet, but couldn’t fire another round off from where it was.

John on the other hand, was watching the whole thing develop from a distance. He hadn’t taken off, but wasn’t laughing like he thought he would either. If anything, his gaze was sharp as he aimed it over at the skunk camping him out, and kept it set in place as he approached the boathouse.

Whatever the hell he had in mind, Sharky hoped he’d do it, and do it fast.

Shit, if he ended up zapped too, that’d also make his week, but for now he needed to keep swimming, and tried to see if he could make his way back towards land. His arms and legs weren’t tired, but the water wasn’t getting any warmer, and this was more of a workout than he’d planned for.

The skunk did not let up, following his drift.

“Seriously? Don’t you got something better to get up to?”

No, it didn’t, and he paddled harder hoping to get some kind of a lead on it. Kicked enough with the intent of making a break for it as soon as he hit land.

Maybe he could shimmy up a tree? Nah, he’d be a sitting duck, worse off there than here. Get back to his car on the way? His keys were swimming in his pocket right now, along with-

Aw, dammit. There went that phone. Sputtering into the water, he coughed around the word that would’ve come out otherwise, then gave it up to keep on swimming.

On the edge of the shore, he dragged himself up and out and booked it. Didn’t see anything waiting for him, but didn’t waste time either. Just hit the nearest patch of tall bushes and stayed low.

Waiting was the worst part. Waiting, listening, and trying not to make too much noise on his end. Every branch, twig, and leaf was the enemy now, and he wasn’t about to let that skunk get the drop on him again.

Five minutes passed. Then ten.

Loud squeaking sounded off in the distance, and he poked his head out from the bush.

Scanning left and right, Sharky checked for black and white. That and movement. When neither seemed to be present, he pushed his way forward and stepped out into the open.

Letting out a slow breath, he shook his hat out and slipped it back on. Then took in a tentative sniff as he raised his arm. The smell hung around him like a cloud, and getting a bigger whiff of it only made him want to gag.

Peeling the shirt off, he wrung it out, and gave it a smell as well. Now that made his eyes water. With his luck his jeans were just as bad, and he didn’t bother checking. Just pulled them off to get some of the water out of them too, and resigned himself to drip-drying the rest of the day outdoors.

“Charlemagne? You can come out now!”

John. Guess he’d found a way to deal with it after all.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are!”

“Ugh, fucker. Took him long enough.” Groaning to himself, he slung his wet clothes over his shoulder and started heading towards the clearing.

“Well, there you…are?” John gave him a quick once over as he walked past, and pursed his lips. “Hmm.”

The woman with him didn’t even try to make eye contact. Just kept her attention directed elsewhere, her cheeks tinted red.

Great. Not that he was trying, but his odds of getting even a pity look in passing had all but tanked.

“Yo, I don’t wanna know what you did, but after that? My bullshit meter’s maxed, so fuck off.”

Prying his keys out of his pocket, Sharky unlocked the trunk of his car and threw the clothes into the back of it. Between the gas cans and propane tanks he’d thrown back there often enough, skunk wasn’t going to add much to the smell in there.

“Fuck off? That’s not very kind, all things considering.”

The trunk dropped, and he might’ve used more force than necessary. “Kind?”

“Not even a thank you?” John eyed him from a distance, smug, but only for a second. “After chasing off your little tormentor? Such a shame, really.”

“That I ain’t feeling, what? Warm gratitude towards you right now? Like happy and fuzzy shit?”

John scoffed. “Hardly.”

“'Cause you’re making a whole lot of noise for nothing, and I wouldn’t be out here busting my ass at all without you to begin with.”

“Oh, my dear Charlemagne,” he watched as John withdrew a blue handkerchief from his jean pocket, and held it up to his face to cover his nose, “I’m hardly the one at fault here.”

His patience snapped like a brittle twig. Rattling off words as fast as they came to him, Sharky scraped for the bottom, tried actively to come up with the most out of bounds targeted insults he could conjure up just to see if he could wipe what he was sure was a smirk right off of John’s face.

Then nearly crashed into the woman who had stepped into his path. Making full-on eye contact now, she gave him a hesitant, but soft smile. “I think this might help.”

In her hands was a towel. A nice, fluffy one, and she held it out towards him.

The anger drained out of him as he stared at her. Almost as if someone took an ice bucket and dumped it right over his shoulders.

Gingerly taking it, Sharky let it dangle in the air between them. “Uh, thanks?”

“Of course. For anyone in need, and you certainly seemed to be. Considering your lack of…clothing in general right now.”

Still had the underwear on, at least. Blushing five different shades of red, he quickly wrapped the towel around himself. “Yeah, um, thank you again, miss.”

She nodded, and headed back towards John. “We’ll be heading out, but can we expect you at mass later tonight?”

John lowered the handkerchief just enough for Sharky to catch the frown. “If work allows it. There’s still a lot left to do here, but you can let Joseph know I’ll try.”

Sharky pulled up a corner of the towel to wipe his face, no longer able to hear much of what was traded between them. Lady hadn’t even flinched at the smell up close, and the towel was a nice one. Nicer than any of the kind he had at home, and must’ve been in the basket she had with her.

Yeah, got that pity look after all. Great.

Staring down at his feet, he removed his cap to run a hand through his hair. The hushed voices behind him eventually stopped, and by the time John walked over he’d switched to looking out over the water.

“That was interesting.”

“Sure,” Sharky said, tired of arguing with him.

“And there went our progress for the afternoon. At least the morning wasn’t a complete waste, but our guest derailed us thoroughly. And I don’t believe you have a change of clothes, do you?”

Sharky rubbed his shoulder, and felt it twinge in response as he moved it. He badly needed a cigarette, and was desperate enough to see how many times it’d take for a wet one to actually light.

“Do you?”

“Look, I get what you’re asking. And no, I’d have-“ John raised the handkerchief again, and the words died in his mouth. “You know what? Forget it. And if you’re looking to avoid this shit, don’t stand downwind of it. Basic Scouting 101 right there.”

Sharky whipped the towel off and threw it at him.

John snatched it out of the air, keeping it from smacking him in the face. “Leaving?”

Not bothering to check behind him as he approached his car, Sharky flashed him the finger.

“You can take this with you, you know.”

That John didn’t take the bait, or fight him on it, only irritated him further. He also seemed to be following him, and Sharky scowled at him. “Don’t need it.”

John sighed, and put away the cloth. “Charlemagne, it’s a towel, and you’re still soaking wet.”

“And maybe I want the draft to help dry the swamp ass brewing here, okay?” he shot, climbing in behind the wheel. “And if you wanna give me shit for cutting out early, tack on more hours as a penalty, whatever, I’ll deal with that next time. Or, hell, the time after, as long as it doesn’t mean I’m still standing here talking any of this shit with you. That work?”

The thin line John had pressed his lips into told him otherwise, but he said nothing. Just crossed his arms before holding out the towel to him one last time.

Sharky hit the gas and didn’t look back.

[caiuscassiuss]

Paradiso | Richkid! Jaehyun (M)

   Description: Escaping to Italy and having a torrid fling to escape your pushy father sounded like a good idea, but the man you were screwing? Yeah, well, he was, erm... married.

Genre: Rich Kid/ Summer Vacation AU angst | fluff | humor WC: 15.3k Warnings: graphic smut (semi-public sex, dressed, hardcore dirty talk, unprotected ), profanity, cheating/ infidelity, mentions of mental illness

NCT Writer’s Prompt: You’re traveling around Italy this summer, hoping to escape from the ‘worthy men’ your father keeps setting you up with. It wasn’t your plan to fall in love with the rich, handsome bachelor that you met at the winery, that’s just a plus. (yeah yeah I know i’m tweaking it a bit)

(A/N: ⚠️ This story contains an extremely problematic scenario (i.e. infidelity). I do not condone the actions of the reader nor Jaehyun. ⚠️ Also, this fic contains real places that I may have written wrongly, as I haven’t visited Italy. It also contains the brand names that I do not own ⚠️)

   “My daughter has been so excited to meet you! Weren’t you, dear?” you father smiles at you over his wire-rimmed glasses, a sharp edge to the curve of his lips and a cautionary glint in his eyes.    The crunch of the iceberg lettuce in your mouth sounded a bit too loud as you finished chewing it. It went down your throat like a square through a circle slot, but you forced it down and beamed at the boy in front of you.    His carefully unbuttoned Brioni silk button-up and the Hermés loafers on his feet were as pretentious as the boy himself, but adequately fit the sophistication of the private lunch club your father had invited him to. The Metropolitan Club sat high atop the skyline of New York, giving its well-heeled patrons an unmatched view of the Big Apple while discussing the returns of their blue-chip stocks. Munching on their light salads and seafood platters, chatter ran light and easy throughout the club full of glittering chandeliers and tasteful Louis XVI-themed decor.    However, you couldn’t find it in yourself to admire the crystalware frosted with 16th-century French artwork when the company sitting in front of you was quite the contrary. His name, Nicholas Hadrian Alexander the III sounded just as inflated as his ego; his superiority complex trumped his pretty cheekbones, unfortunately. Nicholas smirked at you, giving his best attempt at bedroom eyes while twirling his fettuccine alfredo around his fork slowly. You personally felt second-hand embarrassment after he started biting his thin bottom lip.    “Certainly, father. It’s so nice to meet you Nicholas,” you grinned, showing too many teeth.    “Nice to meet you too, Y/N. You’re just as beautiful as your father says, even more so,” Nicholas replies slyly. Cringing, your fingers bunched up the soft fabric of your burnt-orange, hand-dyed silk dress.    Booming laughter resounded to your left, and you observe Nicholas’ father, Thomas Alexander, clutching his chest in laughter across from you.    “Oh, Sebastian, to be young again!” Thomas shared a conspiratorial glance with your father, who smiled wholeheartedly back.    “I remember how I had to chase my wife across the damn globe before getting her to marry me. Those were the eighties, you know. My, we’re getting old, Thomas! Either way, my wife and I have been happily married ever since,” your father reminisced.    “Indeed we are! I met my dear Claudia through a friend and all it took was one smile and I was long gone.” Thomas added, taking a bite of his lobster dish (He certainly could use a salad, however.)    “Speaking of marriage: Nicholas, Thomas keeps telling me you haven’t found a nice girl to settle down with? For a proper lad like yourself, I’d imagine you’d have better things to do than endure the company of these old fogies.” you father chuckled at Nicholas, sipping his nice Château de St.Cosme Gigondas from his wine glass.    Ah, so we have decided to stop pussyfooting around, you mused, stirring the straw around your raspberry lemonade. You had to admire your father’s skill in maneuvering conversation, steering the conversation to the port of his agenda. Unfortunately, his silver tongue was not ripping some poor man to shreds, but being used to affix you a new beau.    Nicholas, in particular, was chosen because he stood to chair a private defense company once he came of age. If you married the poor sod, your father would be able to proudly boast a lucrative defense contract with the U.S. military supplying whatever hardware they needed.    Well, marriage was never explicitly stated. You could easily read between the lines, however; it was hard not to when father dearest started dragging you along to countless places where some attractive young man happened to be. Whether it was at gala or park or luncheon like this one, your father just had to introduce you to a man that had greed in his eyes.    As objectified as you felt, you knew that your father had your best interests at heart. Once, in a moment of uncharacteristic candor, he had told you that he wanted to see you well-taken care of after his death. He really had tried to give you the best he could with what he had; you had never needed in your short life. You were given the best of material luxuries, sent through finishing school, then to an Ivy League college for the best education. Your father wanted that to continue.    Still, the lemonade went bitter down your throat.    “Oh, no, it’s not like that, “ Nicholas blushed, and exaggeratedly did his best to look bashful. “I just haven’t found the right girl, you know? Too many in for it for the fame or money, but…” he conspicuously slid his eyes over to you.    You’ve heard that one before.    “Oh, my darling Y/N is the best one could find among our kind. She went to Harvard, you know…” you father rambled on.    As he went on, the glazed looks of Nicholas and his father did not go amiss to your careful eye. You grimaced. They didn’t really care what you were, only who you were. They had already made up their minds and decided to cast their gauntlet for your hand, as medieval as it sounded.    Lunch went by in the same fashion, filled with superficial conversation in between bites of lobster and salmon. Nicholas sent ridiculous overtures towards you, while Thomas and Sebastian did nothing but goad him on. You did your best to stay engaged in the conversation, even if you wanted nothing more than to dump wine over their suits and leave.    You reluctantly exchanged numbers with Nicholas, and everyone mutually agreed it was the best time to depart. Nicholas tried his best to draw you into a hug when departing, but you carefully evaded his hands without seeming impolite. The frustrated set to his brows almost made you laugh.    As your father and you clambered into his grey Jaguar (his day car) in the valet parking, you stayed silent and buckled your belt.    “How was Nicholas? Wasn’t he nice?” your father asked while revving up the engine, a purr eliciting from the car as he did.    “I hated him,” you pronounced succinctly, resting your cheek on your knuckles to look out the tinted window.    “He… he couldn’t have been that bad, Y/N! He even said he liked history, and you like history, right?”    “Father, I asked him about his thoughts about Machiavelli to which he replied “he liked that castle” and then proceeded to fling another ridiculous innuendo at me,” you dead-panned.    “He was still very polite!”    “And I still want to fling him over a cliff in San Sebastián.”        “Damn it, Y/N!”    His sudden increase in volume surprised you, and out of the corner of your eye, you see him clutching the steering wheel very hard.    “I have introduced the best of the best to you, the cremé de la cremé of society, the premier men with the means to support you yet you still reject ever offer! Are you not grateful to me? Everything I have done is for you!” he frustratedly grit out, the creases on his forehead growing more pronounced in his anger.    “Have you ever thought I am not interested in chaining myself to someone? Not interested to shackle me to men who are so pretentious and self-absorbed they see nothing but bags of money when they look at me? Because I am most certainly not!” you seethed, boiling in the pit of your frustration.    “I want to see you treated like a queen, Y/N! Because when I am dead and gone, who will take care of you? You might have your fund and inheritance, but who can really take care of your wants and needs?”    The unanswered question preceded into silence, which draped over the car like a heavy blanket, and the two of you sat in tense silence.    “Dad, let me make a deal with you, in terms you understand,” you calmly asserted. “Let me take a break to somewhere, like Positano or Monte Carlo for a while, and I will be more open to the… options you have given me.”    Your father stays pensive for a while, navigating through the streets of Manhattan. You have never seen him older than he seemed at the moment, stroking his clean-shaven face in deep thought. You knew he couldn’t reject this. What were a few hundred thousand dollars spent on vacation compared to an advantageous marriage?    “I’ve taught you too well, huh?” he chuckles. “You sound like your old man. Very well. Take your break to where you want to go and I will cover all expenses, then come back here in 2 months.”

   The mimosa you were sipping was very refreshing to your taste buds, and you applauded your friend, Sul He Ra, on her choice of beverage for the morning.    Today, you were adrift on her private yacht off the Amalfi coast. Hearing you were in town, she had immediately dragged you from your hotel room in Le Sirenuse and onto the 3-story mega yacht her father bought for her (equipped with 3 staff and a swarthy, Greek captain). The morning sun beat against the decks of the luxurious wooden decks, the seagulls cawed and the waves beat gently against the side of the boat. The clear blue sky and the colorful facades of the buildings behind you set up a perfect backdrop for your late morning brunch, just like those postcards in tourist shops.    You were shielded from the sun by your straw hat, and the sea breeze passed pleasantly through your tan linen dress. Hera, lounging on a leather couch across from you, wore a nice Calypso St. Barth jumpsuit and a black, wide-brimmed hat. A crew member set down a tea caddy of pastries, which you both thanked as she ran off towards the kitchen.    “You saw my captain, right? Alessandro? Whew, what a man!” Hera fanned her face jokingly.    “Why yes, I did. He was the one who led us onto the craft,” you uttered wryly.    “Semantics, semantics,” Hera waved off. “Anyway, did you see those biceps?! What I would give to have a night in bed with him!”     “Are you telling me Sul Hera did not immediately fuck him in his tight Navy uniform?” you sniggered.    “I don’t think that would’ve been appropriate at the first introduction. My father was there, and I’m not really into that, you know?”    The two of your burst out in laughter, holding onto the sides of the couch to stay upright. Hera’s scandalous escapades never failed to amuse you.    “I felt like I haven’t seen you in ages, Y/N! Where have you been for the past year?” Hera cried in mock outrage, throwing up her hands in the air. You smiled. Hera has been one of your best friends since you met in finishing school, one of the few people you could stand in the midst of overly snobby young girls. She was apart of the London-Dubai-Shanghai set, making it hard to keep up with her jet-setting lifestyle, but you still were up to date with her.    “Wouldn’t you know it, I’ve been holed up in New York and London for the past few months,” you replied dryly, taking a bite of the wonderful croissant laid out for you.    “I thought you hated such boring cities?” she quoted you, raising an eyebrow.    “I do,” you said tersely, tearing off a piece of the flaky, buttery pastry with your fingers    “Well, why then?”    You turned your head to face her, a noticeable scowl on your lips. “My father and his matchmaking scheme.”    Hera winced and daintily sipped at her mimosa. While her mother and father were strict, they surprisingly gave her the choice to pick her partner. Perhaps there was the factor she had 2 older brothers and another sister to marry off, but it was still highly unusual. The Korean girls you knew from boarding school were married as soon as the ink dried on their diplomas.    “Oh dear, we’re now that age, aren’t we? What has your father done now?” Hera asked, twirling an ink-black lock around her pointer finger.    “I’m only 25! This isn’t the middle-ages, I’m not going to be on the shelf for christ’s sake! Over the past 8 months I have met at the very least 50 men, all hand-picked by my meddlesome father and politely pushed to tie the damn knot!” you ranted. Grabbing the stem of your mimosa flute, you downed it in a few angry gulps.    “You sound like a damsel in distress,” Hera laughs.    “Oh my god, what am I to do Hera? All these men— they’re fucking pigs, only worth a few million dollars,” you bemoaned. “The only reason why I’m here and not in Canary Wharf is that I made my father a deal. I now have 2 months to do whatever I want and as soon as you know it, I’ll be in a white veil.”    Hera sighed sympathetically and bit into the oozing cinnamon bun in her well-manicured hands. She chewed pensively for a while, before swallowing and turning her coal-black gaze to you.    “My advice for you: enjoy it. Get dicked down, get drunk, sow your wild oats before you’re pawned off.”    She leaned forward, giving up her comfortable incline on the cushions. Hera fiddled with the strings on her jumpsuit in doubt. “I hesitate to offer this up, but when you get married, you could always, erm, have someone on the side...”    “I... I don’t know. God knows that most of these men visit a brothel every other month, but could I?” you agonized.    A contemplative silence spread between the two of you, only the sound of the bird rocking and seagulls cawing heard.    “You know what? This is such a somber mood. Give me some gossip, Hera!” you demanded, perking up from your slumped posture.    The bright girl perked up immediately at the thought of sharing juicy scandals.    “Well, I heard that this bank manager’s wife found out he had 5 mistresses, all holed up in separate suites in the same complex…”

   A yawn escaped your lips, and you opened your eyes to the pleasant view of the Italian countryside, going by in gentle, rolling hills dotted with trees and charming houses. How idyllic.    You asked Hera to accompany you to Tuscany and go on a road trip through the region, giving you the chance to catch up for all the missed time. The girl happily agreed, citing that she was trying to escape her ex-hookup from London (some Japanese bloke named Yuta? Kuta?) and had all the time in the world to travel around with you. Plans were made, a train ride was taken, and the two of you arrived in Florence.    However, when you said “road trip”, you thought it was just going to be the two of you in a Range Rover or something. Hera, however, arranged for a driver and a silver Mercedes G-Wagen to be idling in the pick-up lane outside the terminal.    You shook your head, mouth curving up in a slight smile. That girl…    Despite the misconception, the two of you traveled in peace. Hera insisted you have the classic tourist experience of taking various wine tours throughout the region, bringing you to her favorite places. While you were only half-interested in the wine, you gleefully took pictures of the historic structures these wineries and vineyards were housed in. As you traveled south, you visited Albola Castle and the Fattoria di Montemaggio, sipping fine vintages of wine in between lavish lunches of traditional Italian cuisine. It was an enjoyable existence, but you couldn’t help but feel restless. Like, you could be doing something somewhere but what was something and where was somewhere?    “Ma’am, we’re soon approaching,” the driver spoke up.    Hera, her head slumped on the car window, jolted up from her light nap. Her eyes adjusted to the sun coming in through the windshield, and she yawned and rubbed her eyes.    “Thank you, Sungmin,” she replied.    “So where did you say we were going, Hera?” you asked.    “Brolio Castle, which houses the Barone Riscoli winery. You know, it’s the oldest winery in Italy!”    “Really?” you gasped.    “Really! It was founded a thousand years ago. They created the Chianti Classico wine— hold on, doesn’t your dad like that wine? I think my dad gifted him some during a club outing last year,” Hera mused.    “I should get him a bottle. Something to placate him before he sees his credit card bill go through the roof,” you smirked.    “Hell yeah!” Hera cheered and high-fived you.    As the car traveled along the rocky pavement, you stared outside to see the extensive vineyards and the jutting ramparts of the historic property. Your mouth slightly gaped at the grandeur and beauty of the red-orange castle surrounded by carefully-manicured trees and shrubbery. You couldn’t imagine how it felt like to see this in the first century as a mere peasant, something so impossibly beautiful yet still entirely real.    The pair of you hopped out of the car as the driver parked it, stretching out your stiff muscles from the extended car ride. She led you imperiously to the check-in desk and stopped to talk to a young Italian woman with her hair pulled back in a severe ponytail.    “Sul and Y/L/N,” Hera said. The receptionist nodded and looked down at her desktop, clicking, and typing to search for your reservation.    “I booked the private tour for us,” Hera whispered conspiratorially in your ear, and you nodded in approval.    “Ah, yes. Booked for the Privilege Tour at one o’clock,” the young woman said in a slight accent. She handed you two wristbands and checked her desktop, frowning as she looked at the screen.    “Ladies, I’m afraid you have may have another group joining you in your tour. Their guide sommelier has had to cancel last minute and your guide is the only available one to conduct the Privilege tour. We are terribly sorry for the inconvenience,” the receptionist said somberly.    “No, no, it’s alright! The more the merrier, right Y/N?” Hera grinned at you.    “Of course, of course! It’d be lovely for us two lonely ladies,” you reassured and Hera laughed.    You could see the Italian lady breath out a nearly invisible sigh of relief, glad that the rich-looking ladies weren’t going to put up a fuss at their private tour being intruded upon.    She led the pair of you to a slightly balding middle-aged man, wearing a slick black vest and black bowtie while perusing over some pamphlets.    “Signore, Miss Sul and Miss Y/L/N will be apart of the tour you will be conducting today,” the receptionist hurriedly said and bustled off to assist with other guests.    “Ah, welcome to ‘ze Barone Ricasoli! I am Matteo Giordano, ze guide cum sommelier for you today! Pleased to make your acquaintance,” he said jovially, tortoiseshell glasses slightly slipping off the bridge of his nose.    “Buongiorno, signore! We’re very excited to taste some great wines today,” Hera greeted.    “Not to forget exploring the castle grounds,” you interjected.    Mister Giordano looked delighted. “You will see plenty of both today! As you might’ve read, we will…”    The two of you chatted for a few moments, immersed in conversation. When you were about to inquire about the residents of the castle, the sommelier looked over your shoulder at something.    “Ah! I think ‘zat is the rest of our merry band, no?” Mister Giordano grinned.    Hera turned faster than you to greet the incoming guests, but as soon as she did her eyes widened comically.    “Jung Jaehyun?” she gasped.    You turned your body to see an incoming group of 3 people walking towards you, but the man at the front made your heart rate quicken.    He was the classical definition of tall, dark, and handsome; your ideal type. Brown, mussed up hair framed features that were as fine-boned as a model on a Vogue editorial, all sharp angles and symmetry. Clad in a navy Brunello Cucinelli sports coat that fit nicely along his broad shoulders and hinted at defined musculature, the man’s long legs strode leisurely towards your frozen self.    Slowing down, the man’s brows furrowed in confusion while staring at Hera.    “Sul Hera?”    She gasped and opened her arms for a hug, which he bent down and returned politely.    God, you hoped he wasn’t one of her former lovers.    “Oh my, it’s so weird I ran into you here! How are you, how are your parents?” Hera gushed.    “Very well, business is doing pretty well these days. My parents? They’re still alive,” he smirked, and goosebumps rose on your arms.    Hera laughed, the delightful soprano ringing along the stone walls of the castle.    Jaehyun smiled and turned his attention towards you, his black eyes piercing.    “And who is this gorgeous lady next to you?” Jaehyun asked, staring into your eyes. It made you want to wilt, but you straightened up, reminded yourself no handsome man was going to ruin you, and returned the favor.    “Goodness, where are my manners? Jaehyun, this is Y/N Y/L/N; she’s been one of my best friends since finishing school! Y/N, this is Jaehyun; his parents know mine pretty well back in Korea.” Hera gestured towards you, her Cartier tennis bracelet twinkling in the dim light. Oh, thank the lord Jaehyun wasn’t one of her hook-ups.    “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jaehyun,” you shyly smiled.    “The pleasure is all mine, Y/N,” he grins at you.    He steps slightly out of the way, and you finally take notice of the two men behind him. They were both very handsome in dapper clothing, but they went unnoticed because, well, Jaehyun was kind of a visual wall.    “This is Johnathan Suh the II,” he points at a man with black hair in a yellow polo shirt. “He goes by Johnny, and he’s from the US.” Jaehyun points at another man in a dark green sports jacket, sporting blond hair and looked really lean. “This is Dong Sicheng, he goes by Winwin. His dad is a party member in China.” Winwin smiled cutely and waved at you.    “Nice to meet all of you!” Hera chirps.    Mister Giordano took this as a cue to step in and start the tour. “Well, zat is everybody, so welcome to the Privilege Tour of Barone Ricasoli, the oldest winery in Italy! Established in 1141…”    As he led you through the various corridors of the castle and talking about its history, you found yourself at the back of the group with none other than Jung Jaehyun.    Giordano stopped and went into a storeroom to retrieve something, and Hera struck up a pleasant conversation with Johnny and WinWin, who were standing slightly behind her. The silence between Jaehyun and you were slowly beginning to turn awkward, and you fidgeted with the clasp of your straw bag.    “So, what made you and Hera come here to Tuscany?” Jaehyun asked, breaking the silence.    “Oh! Uh, I’m here for the next 2 months so I decided to go on a road trip with Hera in the Italian countryside,” you beamed up at him.    “Road trip? Did Hera include a driver and at least 3 suitcases?” he queried humorously, lips lifting up in a smile.    You chuckled. “Yeah! Right on the spot. I swear, that girl…” you stared at Hera with affection.    “You’ve been friends with Hera since finishing school? You seem to know her very well,” Jaehyun queried, stuffing his hands into his pockets.    You nodded fondly. “Yup. She was one of the only people I actually liked in school at the time and we’ve been good friends ever since.”    Jaehyun’s reply was interrupted as Mister Giordano came back, 4 white parasols in hand.    “You might’ve known zat we were going to go to through ze gardens today! The Mediterranean sun, however, does not stop for anyone so I procured some parasols for all of you!” He beamed.    You all thanked the man, and as soon as you reached to get one, Jaehyun gently grabbed it from the sommelier’s hand before you could take it.    “Erm, Jaehyun? May I share with you?” you asked timidly.    He chuckled a low tenor that sounded like melted Marchesi chocolate to your ears. “Of course.”    He offered an arm which you gingerly took, and the two of you strode into the bright sunlight.    The two of you pleasantly chatted through the tour of the beautiful gardens, the private chapel, and the small museum, mind only half-focused on the expensive tour you signed up for.    You found out Jaehyun was here for a friend’s birthday yesterday in Florence but decided to take a little detour through the countryside with friends. He was surprisingly knowledgeable about a number of things, discussing various subjects like art or literature to your surprised self. Jaehyun himself was the VP of the North American branch of his family’s prestigious clinics. You mentioned you had graduated with your Master’s from Harvard (“Really? That’s amazing!”) and was currently working as a private manager for a bank, right now on extended vacation. Briefly, the topic of your father’s meddling came to light, but you quickly averted the subject in front of the handsome man.    After going through very fine vintages of wine in the Ricasoli Armory, the group of you got up and parted ways with the jovial sommelier, walking back to your cars. You quickly took a trip to the store and shipped 3 bottles of Chianti Classico to your father, adding a small note on stationery. Johnny did the same thing, claiming his mother wanted some for a party she was throwing. Jaehyun hovered near you, perusing the various trinkets advertising the Barone Ricasoli.    The men graciously offered to walk the pair of you back to your car, a warm atmosphere hovering around all of you. Before you got back into the car, everyone exchanged numbers and promised to keep in contact while in Italy.    Jaehyun’s fingers brushed briefly on your’s while handing your phone back, lingering there a bit too long to be polite. You felt blood rush to your cheeks as you slipped your phone back into your handbag.    “Ciao! I better not see any of you doing donuts on some country road!” Hera waved at the group.    They laughed and walked off towards a Bugatti and a McLaren parked in the shade a few meters from where you were, nudging each other back.    You and Hera clambered back into the G-Wagen, sighing as the leather welcomed your tired limbs into its arms.    “You seemed to hit off with Jaehyun pretty well,” Hera mentioned casually. Her eyes told a different story, probing your gaze.    “Erm, yeah. He was nice,” you stiffly said.    “Y/N, I’ve got to be honest with you, but Jaehyun is married.”    “He’s married?” the color drained from your face.    “Yeah, to a Chinese girl. You might know her. Carolina Xue?”    “Her? He never mentioned it...” you asked in shock. Carolina Xue was one of the brattiest girls you knew from finishing school in Switzerland. Braggadocious and condescending, she constantly paraded the fact her family was listed in the top 50 on the Hurun Wealth Report for China every year as if the girls around her didn’t have equally impressive credentials. She sauntered about every class as if she owned the damned school. A classic fuerdai of the worst kind.    “What do you expect? If I was a guy I wouldn’t mention I was married around the likes of you.” Hera laughed. “But poor Jaehyun! Carolina was such a bitch throughout school! I felt so bad for him when the engagement was announced.”    ���Yeah, very sad,” you murmured absentmindedly, feeling as if the floor was swept from beneath you.

   You hoped the wine made it in time to your father’s office because boy, he going to have a heart attack when he saw your credit card bills.    No offense, but Milan wasn’t particularly special when compared to Firenze or Rome. The only thing they had going for them was Duomo and Fashion Week, to be perfectly honest.     And the quadrilatero della moda.     Hera chartered 3 Range Rovers and 5 security personnel for this little shopping trip. Passerby were treated to the truly unique sight of burly men in black suits and earpieces hurrying along the avenue, gigantic bags of top-name brands somehow kept aloft in their hands as sweat dripped down from their buzzcuts. The lead security guard, Davio, mentioned to you that the first and second Range Rover was already full and had to be driven back to the hotel. Hera pouted and shoved 5 more bags from Roger Vivier at him.    At the moment, the two of you descended upon Alexander McQueen’s boutique on the Via Pietro Verri, one of the few stores that did not close down for you. However, they did treat you very warmly, serving champagne and some cake while you were perusing their wares.    You stared at yourself in the mirror of awfully cramped fitting apartment they had set up for you (you knew should’ve just gone to Valentino!). The black lace minidress hung on your body in all the right ways, clinging your body like a glove. The top half was lingerie-inspired, a black bustier confection compromised of strategically placed flowers and made your breasts look really good. Backless, it cinched at your waist with silk bows and flowed out into the regular A-line design, stopping mid-thigh. Alexander pulled through with this dress, though you would’ve really liked a plush chair instead of some modern stone block in the fitting apartment.    “It looks very good, Signora Y/L/N! Very sensual! The men will be falling to your feet if you wear this in public!” the private attendant assigned to you, specifically, flattered from beside the mirror.    “Thank you,” you smiled warmly. Nice as the compliment was, the attendant was only looking for a commission, so you needed a true opinion.    “Hera?” you called out.    No one answered, and you looked behind you to see your finely-dressed friend was not there.    You strode across the small room in your black heels you chose from the store and swept back the curtains separating this room from the rest of the store. However, when downstairs into the main level, you did not see your Korean friend scrutinizing the things on sale, but someone else.    “Jung Jaehyun?” you blurted out.    The man in question, now dressed in a black Tom Ford sports coat, whipped his head up from the ties he was perusing.    “Y-Y/N?”    For a moment, you could only stare at each other in shock. He, in his dashing attire and a slightly unbuttoned shirt that looked so right, was extra yum today.    But damn, he was a married man.    You felt naked as his eyes roamed over your body, spending a little time resting at your chest. You felt the blood rush up to your cheeks as he snapped out of his appraisal.    Words tumbled out of your mouth. “It’s nice to see you here, Jaehyun! What a pleasant surprise.” Christ, you hoped you didn’t sound too eager.    “I-It’s nice to see you too, Y/N. Yes, what an interesting coincidence,” he finally regained the use of his usual suave, deep voice.    The two you exchanged hugs and kisses, the Continental style that had been drilled into you since the days of school in Switzerland. The slight smell of bay rum and musk with a hint of Spanish marjoram wafted towards your nose, and god, you just wanted to melt into him.    “Y/N I have found the most darling mini shirt-dress— Jaehyun?!” Hera gasped as she walked in from the other showroom.    Jaehyun looked up from your face and smiled at the incoming girl. “Figures, if I saw the lovely Y/N here I’d see the likes of you here too.”    Hera rolled her eyes and gave him a polite hug. “Oh stop, you rascal. What are you doing here in Milan? We just saw you a couple days in Chianti!”    Jaehyun laughed. “I had to take a quick trip to Capri, but I’m actually here for a party at the Palazzo Serbelloni tomorrow night. You know Ten Leechaiyapornkul? He’s holding his photography exhibit there with a few friends of his.”    Ten was a good friend of yours from Harvard; he was part of the international expat group you usually hung out with. From what you could remember, he was a talented man with a great sense of humor.    “Ten? Son of that famous folk singer? I think I know of him,” Hera mused, mindlessly tapping the supple leather of her Givenchy Antigona.    “Yeah, him. He and I were playmates were kids before I went to Cambridge and he went to Harvard,” Jaehyun mentioned, stuffing his hands in pockets.     You sent him a surprised look. “How funny! Ten was a good friend from college. He was in the graduating class before me, but we generally hung out with the same group in Harvard,” you revealed. The lace dress you were wearing was completely forgotten.    “Oh, right! You did say you went to Harvard,” Jaehyun snapped his fingers. “Say, why don’t you two come to the party tomorrow? I bet Ten would be ecstatic to see his old college bud at his exhibition.”    “We would love to! But we wouldn’t want to be a nuisance or anything…” you trailed off.    Jaehyun waved you off. “There’s going to be a few hundred guests there, who’s going to care if there are two more? Just give me the word and I can ask Ten to put you on the guest list.”    You smiled. “Lovely! Please give Ten my regards, then.”    “I’ll text you the time.” He looked at his gold-plated Piguet on his wrist and frowned. “Well, I wouldn’t want to keep you ladies from your excursion, so I’ll leave you to it.”    “Annyeong, Jaehyun! We’ll see you there!” Hera cutely waved.    He nodded back and hurried out the glass stores of the boutique.    Your friend turned back towards you and inspected the black lace dress on your body. She hummed in approval.    “Oooh, yes. I approve. You look hot.”    “I like it too. I’ll buy it then,” you acquiesced, waving over the gleeful-looking attendant to get the check.    As you changed in the fitting room and went up to the desk, Hera seemed troubled by something. She did buy her shirt dress, along with a few belts and heels, but she frowned as she handed her card in.    “Is something wrong Hera?” You asked, buttoning the clasp your Hermes wallet.    She bit her lip. “Y/N… I don’t like the way Jaehyun looked at you.”    You stared at her in surprise. “What?” you furrowed your brows.    She finally turned her attention towards you and lowered her voice. “He stared at you like he would like nothing more than to rip your dress off your body, Y/N.”    You scoffed, secretly pleased and apprehensive at the same time. “So? Not to brag, but I’ve had to field more than a few bedroom eyes in my day.”    Hera sighed then signed her signature on the receipt with a flourish. “I’m warning you, Y/N. Jaehyun has always had a penchant for the things he can’t have, and I don’t want you to get hurt. He’s a married man!”

   The sunset on the horizon as you sped towards the illustrious Palazzo Serbelloni in a metallic gray Jaguar.    “Hey, Y/N, did I overline my lips too much? I don’t want to look like a Beverly Hills Housewife,” Hera fretted, looking at her reflection in a compact Lancome mirror.    “Hera, you look fine. And you? A housewife? Never,” you snorted, fingering the crystals on your Valentino dress. You had chosen to wear a sleeveless. beautifully-embellished gown to fit the black-tie dress code for the exhibition. Sheer and sunset-golden, it hugged to your body like a glove and the deep v-line exposed your cleavage. You bought it immediately when you saw how beautifully the hand-sewn crystals would glitter in whatever light it was placed in.    The bright lights emanating from the vast windows of the palace Napoleon had inhabited attracted your eyes and you looked through the windshield to see the hulking, neoclassical landmark the exhibition was being held in. Supercar after supercar lined the streets leading up to the event, so impressive even you couldn’t resist letting out a gasp. Men strode suavely down the pavement and groups of sparkling women tottered their way on the uneven cobblestone. The paparazzi made its presence known by the blinding flashes of cameras in the darkening streets, careful not to get too close lest they be sued.    “We can get out ourselves. We wouldn’t want to trouble you,” Hera spoke to the driver. He nodded stoically and turned his attention forward.    A doorman stood imperiously at the brass gate in a pinstripe suit, wire glasses sitting on the tip of his nose as he browsed his tablet.    “Good evening, ladies Names?” he said in a British accent.    “Y/N Y/L/N and Hera Sul,” you said.    He scrolled through the bright screen of his tablet. “Ah! Welcome to this evening’s photography exhibit. I hope you have a night filled with entertainment and amusement,” he nodded.    Hera dimpled at the older man, thanking him. As the pair of you ducked into the brass gate, you could hear the sounds of a few girls begging the older man for entry into the exclusive event.    “Oh, dear. The nerve of these people. Didn’t they ever learn it’s simply not polite to gatecrash?” Hera tutted and shook her head back and forth, curled hair swinging from side to side.    A laugh escaped your mouth as you entered into the central courtyard, decorated to resemble a 1920’s garden party. A helper handed out a pamphlet to you as you perused your surroundings with glee. Tasteful organza streamers hung from the many arches and there were beautiful fountains placed in the middle, seemingly brought in from a museum for this function.    “Y/N, Ten did a great job!” Hera exclaimed. “Do you see how he hid those spotlights behind the tropical ferns? You would not believe how many parties I’ve been to and almost been blinded by those damn lights…”    You nodded along with her reminiscing, flipping through the glossy pages of the pamphlet detailing the art exhibit.    “Glad to know you liked the decorations. Goodness knows most people are here for the party rather than the exhibit, so might as well make it nice,” a tenor came from behind you.    “Ten!” you gasped in delight. He beamed, dressed in a dapper Thom Browne suit jacket and black turtleneck, as he nursed a flute of bubbly champagne in his left hand. You quickly reached over the hug the slender man, flinging your arms around him.    “Why did I have to hear from Jung Jaehyun sending me a text that you were in Italy? I would’ve hand-delivered the invitation myself had I known you were in Milan!” he laughed, kissing you on both cheeks.    “Tennie, it’s so nice to see you! I didn’t really tell anyone I was coming to Italy except Hera here—” you flapped a jewel-encrusted hand towards her general vicinity “ — so that’s why.”    “Escaping your father’s cupid service?” he raised a well-groomed eyebrow.    Your eyebrows creased. How did he know about that?    “Darling, everybody and their mothers know your dad’s search for a husband for his one and only daughter. The dogs have been practically salivating.” Ten rolled his eyes.    You rubbed your temples and let out a sigh. “My god, I’m practically a high-class hooker.”    “Ten, I hope you're not contracting her services!” Johnny’s familiar voice rang out jokingly as he navigated his way through the hoards of people, easily visible because of his tall height. However, your breath caught as you spotted the man next to him.    Jaehyun smirked as he caught onto your gaze, his eyes staring directly into your wide ones as he followed Johnny. Impeccably dressed in his Stefano Ricci suit, he looked like a male model going down the catwalk.    Ten’s eyes scanned the interaction briefly and imperceptibly frowned before turning his attention towards the black-haired American man. “Honey.” Ten eyes seemed to soften as Johnny lent down to give Ten a quick peck to the cheek and stole the champagne flute out of the photographer’s hand. You broke your staring contest with Jaehyun as you looked on in surprise at the display of affection.    “I didn’t know you were in a relationship, Ten!” you marveled while Ten and Johnny stared into each other’s eyes lovingly.    “Yeah, I kind of like this big idiot,” Ten said as he tried to swipe his champagne flute back from Johnny. The American, with his superior height, simply held the glass higher and downed it.    The height difference was so cute.    “Hello, Y/N,” Jaehyun murmured.    “Oh, forgive me for being rude! It’s nice to see you here,” you said as you exchanged hugs and kisses with Jaehyun. His hands slightly touched the sheer fabric at your waist as he hugged you which made your nipples stiffen. He stilled smelled delicious.    “Thank you for being our little liaison, Jaehyun,” Hera piped up from the side as she scanned over the hors-d'oeuvres the waiters were scurrying around with.    “It’s my pleasure.” Jaehyun waved one of them over, an aproned young teen balancing a plate of champagne flutes. He grabbed the flute of one before turning to you and Hera.    “Would you ladies like one?”    Hera declined, citing she wasn’t in the mood, while you accepted. Jaehyun handed one over to you with his left hand, right hand unnecessarily grasping your wrist to ensure the transfer of the liquid would be stable. Not to be cliche, but his touch truly felt like electric sparks on your skin, arching up your arm and into your extremities.    The conversation lulled as Ten, Johnny, and Hera inconspicuously observed your flustered reaction.    “I’ll see you guys later. Please enjoy the exhibition!” Ten called out as he swept away, Johnny following closely on his heels.    Hera flipped to the pamphlet and stopped at a particular page. “Now, I think we should—”    “Hera!” a voice called out from the entrance.    She reacted more quickly to this man’s voice than to a sale at Bergdorf Goodman, eyes widening in plain horror as she spotted a tall man with good-looking features making a path towards her.    “Holy fucking fuck, Yuta! I gotta go!” she whispered frantically as she shoved her pamphlet at you and sped off into the Palazzo as quickly as she could in sky-high Louboutins. Yuta (or at least the man you presumed to be) barrelled rudely past you and Jaehyun, only apologizing hurriedly as he walked as fast as he could politely could. Yuta accidentally shouldered you in his pursuit of Hera, and you stumbled back, heel catching on to a crack in the stones of the ground.     “Woah there, might’ve crashed into the topiaries,” Jaehyun laughed as he steadied you. You blushed at the close proximity.    “Didn’t you know? Lounging in the topiaries is the new trend this season. Health benefits and all that,” you said smoothly, trying to get your mind away from his lips. As always, sarcasm was your weapon of choice.    “I also heard thanking your savior from social embarrassment was in season too,” Jaehyun quipped, raising an eyebrow.    “Oh, Lord Jaehyun!” you exaggeratedly put a hand to your heart. “I am forever indebted to you, my liege,” you said sarcastically.    “Banish the debt by taking a walk with me, my lady,” Jaehyun smoothly slipped in, a wry grin playing on his lips. He extended a hand towards yours.    What a smooth motherfucker.    Jaehyun led you through the grand exhibits of Ten’s skillful photography, featuring barren landscapes and nude people. From you could recall, the theme of the exhibit was “Bare”.    Jaehyun was a gracious host, skillfully keeping up conversation with you as you scrutinized the beauty of the photos. You have met men like him, suave and charming and thought that they were all that, but it somehow works on Jaehyun. That somehow the aura of arrogance and charm fitted him as well as his suits did. You would’ve done well to remember Jaehyun was a married man, a man shackled to that Chinese bitch from boarding school, but it was hard to even think near him.    After looking at the photographs of nude men with Jaehyun’s eyes boring into the back of your head, you started to walk out of the neoclassical hall, relieved to get away from such close quarters. As soon as your hand reached out for the golden doorknob, the smell of bay rum and Spanish marjoram pulled you into another hallway.    Jaehyun dashed through the velvet ropes cordoning off the hallway, you protesting the rest of the way. He pulled you through yet another set of beautifully-engraved doors and shut them with a resounding bang.    “Jaehyun? Where are we? Why are we here?” you asked, alarmed.    Jaehyun was silent as a grave as he stared at you from his position near the door, eyes contemplative and dark.    “Jaehyun?”    He stalked towards you like a big cat who had found its prey, figurative claws out and fangs bared.    “Do you know how much I want to rip that dress off your body?” he finally responded, roughly.    “Erm… Jaehyun, perhaps this isn’t—”    You didn’t think that pricey finishing school in Switzerland quite prepared you for this situation. Damn Mrs. Accola and her leg-crossing techniques because she did most certainly did not prepare you in the event a married man was trying to seduce you.    “This damn dress and that one from the McQueen boutique on the Via Pietro Verri; as gorgeous as you look in it, I want to see it on the floor,” Jaehyun softly starts out, voice growing rougher and deeper as he progresses towards you. He corners you into the back of a plush couch, and as you frantically look around you can see you are in a library.    Jaehyun is now only a few inches away from you now, so close you can smell his minty breath. You are damn near leaning back into the back of the couch, the hard ridge digging into your back.    He raises a hand and strokes your jaw, noticing your hitched breathing. He lets his other hand wander to your waist, his thumb rubbing the spot were the embroidery fails to cover your skin.    “Jaehyun, you’re a married man—”    “Does it really matter when we kindle to each other’s touch?” he whispers provocatively into your ear.    “But it’s so unfaithful—”    “Y/N, sweetheart, think about it: we’re both here to escape something. Me from my bitchy wife and you from your pesky admirers. Why not just indulge in one sweet release?” His lips drag across your bared neck when he speaks, puffs of hot air and presses of lips dancing along your skin. It played hell on your nerves.    “Agree to me, sweetheart, and you won’t regret it. I promise.”    Maybe it was the alcohol in your veins, the proximity of Jaehyun, or maybe your frustration over your suitors, but you did the most foolish thing you’ve ever done. Sense and rationality be damned.    You agreed.    You feel his lips curl up against your collarbone, and his fingers quickly hiked up your bedazzled dress to your stomach.    “Wow, this wet already? See, I was right,” Jaehyun smugly smiled as his index finger stroked your clit.    “For as much as I affect you, you affect me.” He guided your hand to his slacks, his erection pushing against the soft fabric violently. Your hand wanders to his belt buckle, and your fingers fumble with it to loosen it. It unbuckles and swings from his pants, as you brush your hand up against his briefs.    “This is too slow,” Jaehyun grunts, roughly bending you over the back of the couch.    He pulls down your near-ruined Guia La Bruna panties and takes a moment to take in your exposed core, bared only to him.    “Fuck, you’re prettier than I imagined.”    His penis rubbed slightly against your labia, and you almost buckled from his immense teasing. Seeing the fine tremors in your legs, he chuckled softly and slowly inserted the head of his cock in.    “Jaehyun, please!” you cried out, clutching the throw pillows of the couch.    His cock twitched against the walls of your vagina as he brutally slammed inside without warning, filling you up contentedly.    Jaehyun picked up the pace, his hips slamming a rough and quick tempo better than any vibrator you’ve had. “Fucking slut, you wanted this cock, didn’t you? The minute you saw me at that winery you wanted my dick.”    “Yes!” you groan, tears forming at the edges of your eyes.    “I jacked off to the image of you in just those damn heels you wore in the McQueen, you know that? You, bent over, just in those damned heels as I fucked you over and over until you were a mess.”    You thanked whatever god that was out there that the room was empty and no one was near you, because the intensity of your pleasured moans was loud. Your back arched as you pushed your ass up to meet Jaehyun’s wild bucking of his hips, a lewd slap slap slap meeting both of your ears.    You bit your lip hard as your gripped the throw pillows brutally, sure that nail marks were going to dig into the fine material. His thrusts finally hit that spot, and white-hot pleasure almost rocked you to your knees as you had the best orgasm of your life.    “Please tell me you’re on birth control, sweetheart, please, I want to come into you,” Jaehyun begs. You can hear him gritting his teeth, and you are 500 percent sure the gripping of your walls has him more shaken than he divulged.    “Mmm, yes,” you groan.    “SHIT!”    Jaehyun’s pace stuttered as he rocked erratically into your pussy, balls quivering with his powerful ejaculation. His cum comes out in spurts or long, drawn-out ropes that fill you pleasantly with a sort of fuzzy warmth.    “Yes, take it all,” Jaehyun mumbles, rocking his hips into yours.    The two of you catch your breath, aftershocks of your fierce orgasms clenching at your extremities.    He pulls himself out from you, and a stream of cum travels down your leg. Jaehyun somehow finds a tissue in the palazzo library and he wipes down your swollen core carefully.    You settle the folds of your dress down properly as he adjusts his trousers and crooked collar.    “I wonder what Serbelloni would’ve thought if he knew we were using his precious library for coitus,” Jaehyun laughs.    Your breath caught in your throat. You just shagged a married man. A married man. A man with a ring on his finger and a marriage certificate on file, a man who vowed to stay loyal to his wife through the best and the worst. You just had amazing, mind-blowing sex with the only man you couldn’t have it with. God, you were such a whore.    “This… This can’t happen again, Jaehyun. This is a one-time thing. No more,” you fretted, pacing around the rich carpet of the Palazzo Serbelloni library. Jaehyun stares at you from his perch atop the writing desk with his arms crossed, his eyes glinting.    “Of course. The first and last.”

   The first it most certainly was, but the last, it was most certainly not.    “Oh fuck!” Jaehyun panted as he slammed into your hips one last time. His sweaty chest collapsed onto the white duvet next to your naked body, tired from the exertion.    Being holed up in a ritzy resort on Ischia was in your traveling plans, but the man in your bed was an unknown variable. He had chased you all the way from Milan, intent on cornering you on your solo island-hopping trip and having his way with you. This was his 3rd time catching up.    You stare vacantly at the tan bed-hangings on the ceiling, deep in thought. You were basking in the afterglow of the various orgasms Jaehyun had skillfully coaxed out of you, but the true implications of your actions hit you.    A married man.     Jaehyun, sensing you had gone still, turned his head to you and nuzzled into your neck.    “Why are you so sad, sweetheart? Do you need me to go down you one more time?” he playfully asked, nipping at your collarbone. You squirmed away from him and sat up.    “This is wrong, Jaehyun. Wrong.”    “Wrong?” he lifted an eyebrow. “Don’t kid me, sweetheart. This is the fourth time this has been “wrong”. Weren’t you the one screaming my name when I—”    “Jaehyun!” you exclaimed, lifting the duvet to cover your naked chest.    “I’m just speaking the truth,” he acquiesced, wrapping his arms around your waist. He pulled at you gently, trying to lure you back to bed.     You eventually surrender to his ceaseless towing, falling back into his broad chest.    “You know, when my father asked me to look for the right man to marry I don’t it was you he had in mind,” you mused, twiddling with his mussed brown locks.     “I’m generally not,” Jaehyun snorted.    “What do you mean?” you asked.    He let out a breath and wrapped his arms around your waist tighter.    “My...wife,” he pronounced the name with utter disgust “ --was caught having sex with my married older cousin. It was a pretty big deal at the time because Sejun was expecting his second child.”    Jaehyun nuzzled his lips into your messy hair. “In order to cover up the big scandal, my kind family decided to marry the bitch off to me. The unsuspecting nephew,” he laughed bitterly “--who also looked alike to Sejun. My family is the kind who would sell their souls to protect their reputation, damned be the individual who gets in their way.”    “I… I didn’t know,” you breathed out, knowing your father would’ve cut off his manufacturing deal with his family once he got whiff of the scandal.    “Well, now you do.” Jaehyun started petting your hair. “Carolina Xue is the worst wife a man could have. My cousin was lucky she didn’t start leeching off of him once she got pregnant.”    “I always knew Carolina Xue was a whore. She seemed to be destined as one, even in school,” you laughed.    “Did you know she refuses to believe she is bipolar?”    You looked back at him in surprise, the late afternoon sun setting on the horizon. It glinted off his hair like an angel.    “Her parents refuse to acknowledge their dearest daughter has a mental disorder. Carolina nor her parents think it is real and even think less about getting it treated. I have tried in this fucking marriage to give her some help, given her some of the best doctors from the world, but Carolina believes it’s all a one big fucking joke.”

   He gave a great sigh. “I wouldn’t mind if she tried to help herself. Tried to make this marriage work. But no, I have had to deal with her unrestrained mania and drastic mood changes; she constantly screams I don’t give her enough attention, or that I’m too restrictive, or that I’m too this or that—”

   You lean up to press a kiss to his jaw, silently conveying you accepted him for what he was.

   “--Do you remember that time when Anum streaked across the Radcliffe lawn? Her parents got so mad, they were about to move her back to Dubai for good!” Ten and you roared with laughter, tears of joy teeming at your eyelids.    Reminiscing with Ten was always a joy. You finally caught up with each other in a hole-in-the-wall cafe on the beachside in Naples, drinking a cup of coffee in the late morning along with finger foods. The seaside wind blew against your tresses and the cute cotton dress you bought at a vintage store, the laughter and chatter of beachgoers emanating from all around you.    Ten, clad in a St. Laurent Hawaiian shirt, claimed his exhibition was a good success, and some famous contemporary art exhibits were clamoring to show his photography. Taeyong, his good painter friend, even connected him to some good art dealers to sell his photography. You briefly recalled news of a brief hiatus (GO READ MUSE) Taeyong was taking, but moved your mind to other matters.     You sipped at your lukewarm frappuccino, while Ten stirred his coffee thoughtfully. A crease appeared at his eyebrows.    “Ten? Something wrong?”    He was silent for a moment, before putting his spoon down and looking at you directly.    “I need you to completely honest with me, Y/N. Like, crystal clear,” he said somberly.     You frowned, anticipation beating at your heart, but you nodded along.    “Are you having an affair with Jung Jaehyun?”    The aftertaste of the coffee felt bitter in your mouth as you processed his words. Your mouth couldn’t formulate any words to respond.    “Y/N.” Ten said seriously.    “ ...yes,” you whispered, unable to meet his eye.    Silence turned the atmosphere around you into something uncomfortable, the aftermath of such a truth being exposed.    You finally had the courage to look back at his face, expecting to see shock or disappointment or perhaps even anger, but all you saw was pity reflected in his black eyes.    “Oh, Y/N. Even under all your bluster and maturity, you’re still the wide-eyed girl from college I know.”    “How did you know, Ten? If this gets out—”    “Don’t worry about it getting out, Y/N. We’re discreet and no one has picked it up on it,” Ten interrupted. He reached to grab a scone from the tea caddy and set it on his plate. “Johnny noticed Jaehyun was disappearing for extended amounts of time, and coming back tanned and way too smug to be innocent. The plane tickets he had were coincidental to places you were island-hopping.”    “Oh,” you whispered.    “Also, at the exhibition: the looks you two sent each other were way too heated to be of friendly nature. I saw it when he first walked in with Johnny,” He bit into the scone and chewed, before continuing. “The two of you disappeared for an amount of time, so that’s when you screwed, yes?”    That… that was our first time,” you mumbled. Ten blinked in surprise, before collecting himself. “Oh? I thought it had been going on for longer. The two of you have terrific chemistry, I guess.”    “We met at a winery in Chianti. Wine country in Tuscany. Then we ran into each other in an Alexander McQueen boutique in Milan, and you know the rest,” you admitted tersely.    Silence settled over the atmosphere, and you two took your tea quietly.    “Look, I’m not going to tell you to break it off or advise you to continue but heed this: be careful, Y/N. I’m not saying this to warn you about the consequences it might bring into your world, but the consequences you might inflict on your own heart.”

   Jaehyun was sleeping comfortably next to you in a villa, chest heaving up and down with his heavy breaths. Butt-naked, both of you, and sleeping off some great orgasms.    At this point, you couldn’t even try to resist Jaehyun and his panty-dropping smirk. All he had to do was send you a text that he would be at your villa door in Capri at 9, and you just unlocked the door for him. He seduced you with the berries and chocolates provided on the table and romped in bed for a few hours.    It was nearing 7:30, and the golden sunset over the azure waters of the Mediterranean sea. The villa you had checked into was settled high up into the cliffs of the beautiful island, in relative isolation from the crowds of noisy tourists that took up the main streets, Capri was somewhere your parents occasionally went to, claiming that the views were nice but the atmosphere was too crowded. You have seen it hailed as the playground for the rich and the famous, it had become way too infested to be anywhere near remotely peaceful. It was risky coming back here, considering the number of people you knew were coming to vacation on the coast, but you couldn’t resist stopping at Capri one last time before you got married off.    A glinting object caught your eye from the marble vanity table and you sit up, careful not to wake Jaehyun. You squinted closer, and you realized it was a ring.    A Harry Winston, platinum wedding band sat innocently on the marble table top. It was really beautiful from afar, flawless with no imperfections. Yet, it reminded you of everything you couldn’t have.    Jung Jaehyun was a married man. You have repeated this in your head hundreds of times, thousands of times, yet none of them were fully realized until you saw his wedding band on a counter. You knew that when you both woke up and left, he was going to put that ring back on his left hand and flaunt it. You knew he was going to fly back home and kiss Carolina Xue with the lips he used to eat you out. And most importantly, you knew he was never going to be completely yours to keep.    A terrible aching of your heart gripped at your chest, and it physically felt like your heartstrings were being shredded apart.    You gathered up the sheets and wrapped them around yourself haphazardly, more like a sleeveless cocoon than a toga. You carefully stepped out of the bed and onto the Thessalian marble tiles, and onto the balcony. The sun would blind you if you stared at it too long, so you averted your eyes to the glorious gradient of red, orange and yellow as it painted the sky. The cliffs were shadowy, dark masses against the setting sun, and the water glittered like diamonds as it reflected the sunset.    So caught up were you in the magnificence of the sunset, you missed Jaehyun padding towards your figure. His hard chest enveloped your bare shoulders, and he stood behind you clad in only a bed sheet wrapped around his waist.    “Hello,” he rumbled, swooping down to press a kiss to your shoulders. His voice was still rough from his nap.    “Mmm,” you greet.    The pair of you stared at the beautiful scenery. Jaehyun rubbed circles into your forearms, soothing and repetitive.    “Have you ever thought about leaving her?” you ask suddenly.    Jaehyun’s petting stops abruptly, and you hear him stiffen.    “Sweetheart, you can’t ask me to do that,” Jaehyun replies beseechingly.    “But why?” you turn back towards him, looking up at his chiseled jawline and pink lips.    He stares unflappably forward, not even looking towards you. “Babe, there’s too many factors to consider. I can’t just… walk away. My family would immolate me.”    “Ah,” you reply shortly, crushing disappointment washing over you like a tidal wave.

   The helpers had just left, and now you were trying to desperately stuff heavy jewelry boxes into your suitcases. You had trusted the hotel’s staff to pack up some of the less valuable clothing into 5 suitcases, and now you were on your own trying to fit most of your purchases into unforgiving luggage.    “Oooohhh! This is pretty! Where did you get this?” Hera coos as she holds up a fine silk dress. You invited Hera to your hotel, the Hotel Eden in Rome, to help you pack for your trip home but she was less than helpful than you originally thought.    “I got it from a vintage store, some resort collection from Altuzarra in the 90’s,” you huff, trying to fit all your shoe boxes in a steel grey luggage.    “You have to tell me where it’s from! I’ve got to go there cop some pieces,” Hera mentions as she looks at the mirror with the dress on her front.    You look up at her in irritation. “Aren’t you supposed to be helping me, Hera? You would’ve made a terrible maid— ”    “Sorry, sorry,” she surrenders, carefully putting the dress back in its linen bag. “Besides, what’s the rush? You seem like you wanna get away from Italy as soon as possible.”    “It’s nothing. I just… missed London, I guess,” you lie, zipping your 7th suitcase with a flourish.    “Missed London?! Don’t bullshit me, Y/N. You went on this vacation to escape London, and now you’re leaving 2 weeks early?! What’s going on?” Hera frustratedly gestured.     You remained silent, carefully stuffing your handbags into another suitcase. Uncharacteristic, but you refused to air out your dirty laundry.     “Y/N!”     You pretended she just did not yell at you and continued your packing process on your hands and knees. This could not get out.     “I guess I’ll have to figure this out myself then!” she huffs.    Your breathing hitched.    “You want to leave Italy early and go back to London as fast as you can, so something tells me that you want to escape from something here that is decidedly far worse than your suitors,” Hera muses, tapping a lilac-painted fingernail on her chin.    “The only reason that would be worse than your suitors is another person, because what could be wrong with Italy? Virtually nothing. And you, wanting to escape from the flurry of social functions and lunch meetings, have been spending some much needed time alone. So, that leaves a select group of people you might’ve wanted to run away from.”    Your fingers trembled as you fidgeted with a key charm, heart pounding in an anxious rhythm. Hera was getting uncomfortably close to your reason to leave, and you wanted nothing more than to leap off the balcony window.    “Okay, so let’s list out a group of people. Hm, Winwin? No, he left for Shanghai right after the winery tour, so he’s out. Ten? Mmm no, you’re pretty good friends and I saw your Insta story with him yesterday. Besides, he’s also in a stable relationship with Johnny and something tells me you wouldn’t want to ruin his relationship so Ten and Johnny are out,” Hera thought aloud, nails drumming on the laquered wooden table.    “A bodyguard? No, haven’t seen you try to flirt. Some Italian model? Nah, that would’ve been all over the news…”    You sigh in relief, Hera getting colder from the truth.    “But what about… Jaehyun?”    You freeze, the Ferragamo dust bag dropping from your hands.    “Jaehyun… I saw how he looked at you. I know what he saw. And Jaehyun… he was always absent from parties the days you were on a solo-trips… Oh my god, why didn’t I see this before?!”    Tears are collecting at your lash line, and your lips are pressed in a hard line in an effort to keep yours from bursting out sobbing. Your head hurt, your eyes hurt, and most importantly, so did your heart.    “Jaehyun… you hooked up at Ten’s gallery. You continued hooking up when you went island-hopping! That’s why you looked so content on your snapchat!” Hera gasped. “Y/N, tell me this: did you or did you not have an affair with a married man?!”    Clothes and shoes and handbags forgotten you pressed the heel of palm to your eyes. Soft sobs escaped from your mouth as you hid your face from Hera. Your silence was enough of an answer for Hera.    “Oh, no, darling...”    She stepped forward hesitantly like she was approaching a feral animal.    “I… oh my god, why him?” Drawn out sobbing filled the hotel suite, as you collapsed on the carpeted floor. The burning feeling of shame, the voices in your head telling you were naive and a homewrecker. But the guilt; oh, it was the worst part of it. You felt it weighing down your shoulder like an anchor and making your head hurt and eyes spin. The voices were screaming, telling you that you were a whore and nothing more.    “You… you could’ve picked anyone but him. Oh, Y/N, I see it now. I should’ve protected you, dammit!”    Hera pounded her fist on the wall, a loud bang resounding throughout the suite.    “Don’t you see, Y/N? You’re too naive for this! And now your heart is broken and you’re being sent back to be married to an arrogant son of a bitch!”    Words tumbled out of your mouth like a held-back tsunami, and you told Hera everything. From the night of the gallery to the days spent on the coast, and to the things Jaehyun said to you. Everything.    Hera, during this word vomit, kneeled down to you and took your hands in hers.    There was a full minute of silence, in which neither of you said anything.    “Jaehyun… that son of a bitch. He’s a coward, Y/N, and it’s not that you don’t deserve him; no, it is he that does not deserve you,” Hera finally spat, her grip on your hands tightening. “The next time I see him, I’m going to give him a piece of my fucking mind—”    “Don’t, Hera,” you interrupt. “Even if I want to fling him off the Empire State building, I still love him. I want him to be as happy as he can, especially being married to a bitch like Carolina, and I am fine with being the second best. Leave it be, Hera, because I already have.”    She looked at you sympathetically. She knew the feeling, being in love and never being able to let go.    “Even with your heart broken, only you can still manage to be so kind,” Hera sniffs. “Come, Y/N; let’s pack faster so you can catch your flight and never see the likes of that man again.”    

   Jaehyun lounged on the balcony of his townhouse in Venice, observing the gondolas passing by on the murky water beneath him. It was mid-morning, so the usual hustle and bustle of the historic city were gradually increasing. He took a sip of wine gifted to him by his coworker, but a frown settled on his lips as he did.    His co-worker needed to be fired on his wine-giving skills.    He poured the glass out on a potted plant, not caring about poisoning it. He folded the European financial newspaper in his hands and adjusted the Gucci sunglasses on his nose.    Jung Jaehyun was bored.    And he missed Y/N.    He could rectify that.    He pulled out his phone and dialed Y/N up, putting it on speaker phone. A momentary flash of guilt ran through Jaehyun when he did, reminding him of what an utter arse he was being by effectively using her. But she was so irresistible, dammit.    “Hello?” her sweet voice sounded after the third ring, reminding him of the times they spent in bed talking about the most random of subjects. Her voice was like the tune he heard when his mother sang him to sleep, reminiscent of singers at sleepy coffee shoppes in the Queens.    “Y/N, where are you? I want to meet up.”    “Hm? I’m leaving,” she responded, sounding harried and short.    “Italy? That’s early, I thought you were staying for at least 2 more weeks. Anyway, where do you want to meet up next time?” Jaehyun asked, nonplussed. He put his feet up on the railing and looked at his empty wine-glass. Should he open the one he got from Sicheng now?    “Jaehyun, I don’t think you quite get it. I’m leaving you.”    Before Jaehyun could even think to respond, the line went dead. Wine forgotten, Jaehyun stared at his phone screen, frozen.    “What the fuck?” he uttered aloud.    He frantically tapped on your contact once more, intent on asking what the fuck you meant by those cryptic words, but it went to voicemail. He dialed 3 more times, each time still unsuccessful.    His heart pounded a tattoo on his chest as he ran through his hair. What did she mean, leaving him? Like, leaving… permanently?    Jaehyun called the only person he knew that would have the proper answers.    “Ten,” Jaehyun spoke shortly. “Do you know where Y/N is?”    “Hm? Why don’t you tell me, Jaehyun? You seem to know that more than anyone,” Ten languidly spoke, sarcasm dripping from his lips.    “Ten, I don’t have the patience for this! For fuck's sake, tell me where Y/N is!” Jaehyun seethed. The newspaper crumpled in his hands.    “Well, tell me why and I might,” Ten said sing-songy.    “I… I wanted to ask her about that ancient book she found,” Jaehyun stuttered.    Ten barked out a laugh. “Don’t fuck with me, Jung Jaehyun. I’ve known you since we were in nappies. Also, I know that you’ve been fucking her on the side so tell me the real reason you want to know because if she wanted you to know, you would,” Ten said sharply.    “Oh,” Jaehyun said, properly beaten into silence. How did Ten find out?    “Well, Jaehyun?”    “She...she just told me: “Jaehyun, I don’t think you quite get. I’m leaving you.” and I don’t understand!” Jaehyun exploded, running his hands through his hair once more.    “...huh. She’s left earlier than I expected but go her,” Ten mused.    “Ten!”    “Fine, fine. You want to know where she is? Figure out why. When she said “I’m leaving you”-I hope your Oxford-educated brain can figure what the fuck that meant,” Ten revealed.    “Y/N… Y/N can’t leave. It’s probably just a break—”    “You and I know that’s not true. Jaehyun, she is leaving you. That means no more secret rendezvous or steamy tête-à-tête’s, no more nights spent in bed or times talking about life.”    “How do you know about that?!” Jaehyun breathed out.    “That’s not the answer you should be asking, Jae. It’s why,” Ten stressed calmly.    “Stop playing your fucking mind games with me!”    A loud thump resounded across the line. “Alright, I won’t. I won’t play the games you played with Y/N. Can’t you figure out why, Jaehyun? She’s had enough of the games you’ve played with her and she felt hurt enough to come to me for help,” Ten said chillingly.    “We both knew what we were getting into!” Jaehyun defended.    “Quite right, Jae. I agree: you are both to blame for your actions. But Y/N? She’s the type to fall in too deep. She is one of the most naive girls in our world, and if you knew her at all, you would see that. What you may have seen as a fun little romp on the side, Y/N took it seriously,” Ten spoke cuttingly.    “Like it or not, you broke her heart Jaehyun. She knew this was going to be a fun, illicit affair, but she fell in too deep, so she logically decided to extract herself from it. If you’re just wanting a little action from the side, I don’t see why you’re so concerned about this.”    “So this is what I’m going to tell you: if you are not playing for keeps, stay the fuck away from her. Y/N has a bright future ahead of her, and for her own sake she left you to protect herself,” Ten said with a chilly tone, enunciating each consonant crisply and clearly.    They stayed quiet for a while, each left to their own thoughts.    “The cards have been laid out onto the table, so what will you do?” And with that, Ten promptly hung up.    The rich businessman stared vacantly at nothing, deep in thought.    Why did he want to know where Y/N was? If what Ten said was true, and Y/N did leave Italy to break off their relationship, then why did it matter? Wasn’t it just what was going to happen eventually?”    Jaehyun buried his head in his hands, grasping at the roots of his brown hair. That fucking smile. God, her smile. Why was it every time he saw it on his mind, his hand drifted to his phone to text her? Why was it every time he forgot about everything on his mind when she showed that smile around him?    Y/N might have the body of a goddess, but he found himself craving for the conversation they had after sex. The times where they basked in the afterglow, snuggled tightly around each other’s naked bodies, and they said everything that was on their minds. Hours spent in the Italian sun laughing and bickering with each other.    But the thought of never being able to feel her head against his collarbone, never being able to candidly chat with her about history and literature and art and everything under the sun… it made something inside of him hurt.

   Days passed. You went home. Jaehyun sent you gifts. You denied them. Because you were Y/N Y/L/N, and you would not be bought with cheap little trinkets. Not anymore, because you were a queen.

   “Have you put any thought into what you wanted, Y/N?” Your father’s eyes pierced through you. He talked about men as if they were toys that happened to come in different makes and colors, and you had to just decide which one you wanted from the shelves.    “I… have not.” You averted your eyes, swirling the wine around in your glass.    “I have played your little games, Y/N. You’d best before I do.”    Yet, you already chose the one you weren’t allowed to have.

   The glare from the monitor hurt your tired eyes after staring at it for hours on end, and you buried your head in your hands. Your fingers probably skewed the neat bun you had forced yourself to comply into, but it didn’t matter. A helpful little assistant of your father’s had compiled you a profile of each potential suitor’s faces and bio, along with additional information. The whole mechanization of this process was so disjointed like you were hiring an employee at the firm. This wasn’t how Austen or Bronte described the process of getting married. This love wasn’t the birth of whirlwind romance that swept you off your feet or the kind of love that gradually crept on you, but it was the love for money that spawned this trip in futility.    Your phone alerted you that a new client— interested in opening an account at the bank— was scheduled for a meeting in 10 minutes. The documents, brochures, and paperwork were already neatly organized into piles your mahogany desk, and all they awaited was a signature.    The intercom buzzed, and your new assistant’s voice came through the speaker. “Miss Y/N? The client has arrived early. Would you like me to entertain him, or would you like me to bring him in?”    You rubbed your temples and quickly minimized the tab with the suitor profiles, and brought up your file for new accounts. You slid an emblazoned folder, helpfully filled and sorted by your assistant, towards the seating side of the desk and kept the other one near yourself. You checked your makeup and rubbed the possible wrinkles on your clothing you may have possibly incurred while sitting down, and took a deep breath.    “Please send him, Charlie. I’m sorted out.”    “Yes, ma’am.”    The folder in your hand only listed the client as Jeffery Jung, a man in his twenties that had a net worth of more than a hundred million. He had listed, through a secretary of his, that he wanted to open a numbered (private) account and was ready to provide the necessary documentation. You needed to identify his origin of income to be certain before you could discuss investment options with him.    The door of your cracked open silently, your fresh-out-of-Harvard intern/ secretary bustling through with horn-rimmed glasses and a mass of papers in his arms.    “Mr. Jung, it’s a pleasure to…”    You stood up, a pleasant smile plastered to your face, only for it to be frozen in place when an uncomfortably recognizable figure strode confidently through the door. Your limbs stiffened in shock when fucking Jung Jaehyun entered your office in his fucking suit and fucking smug smile, not a strand of hair out of place.    “Hello, Miss Y/L/N. It’s a pleasure,” he grinned as if the past few months never happened. In order not to make a scene, you gathered up all your dignity (as much as you could for someone who was a mistress) and shook his large hand that was so familiar from the times he ran it over the curves of your hips or the planes of your face.    “Pleasure. And thank you, Charlie,” you nodded at your assistant, who recognized his cue for dismissal. Inclining his head slightly, he bustled back to his desk outside.    You turned your eyes to Jaehyun, whom you discretely observed under the guise of being polite. He looked good, a bit paler than when you had last seen him in Italy but was as handsome as ever. Jaehyun looked like a proper Wall Street man, clad in a stone gray suit with a navy tie that looked like it was made of charmeuse. You mentally approved.    “Would you like any tea? Coffee, Mr. Jung? Perhaps some light snacks?” you said pleasantly, sitting down in your chair. He followed suit, settling his well-built figure into one of the armchairs in front of your desk.    You had to be professional. Courteous. Polite. You didn’t know Jaehyun, he was just a client. Just a client.    “I’m afraid not, Miss Y/N. I just had a pleasant afternoon tea down the street at Brown’s, and am, as a result, quite full,” he said. His word choice was stilted, more formal than when he had casually spoken to you during... then.    “That’s nice, I like their raspberry and pistachio brownies,” you hummed. “However, I wouldn’t like to occupy your time any more than necessary. You expressed interest at opening a private account?”    “Yes, I’d like to. For management and investment purposes.,” he replied, staring at you intensely. Unnerved, you averted your eyes from him and stared at a point behind him.    “As you may know, the LNBC bank maintains a high level of privacy for our numbered accounts’ holders. That being said, this account requires a deposit of 285,000 Euros and will also garner an annual fee of 2000 Euros. LNBC also only does transactions in euros, so if you have any currency exchange issues, we have individuals on hand who can help with that.”    “That’s fine,” he said, running a contemplative eye over your figure.    “I will also need your passport to verify your identity plus valid proof to verify the source of your income.”    Silently, he pulled a manila file folder out of his briefcase and handed it to you. Seeing all the necessary documentation in it, you proceed to grab the new forms.    A moment passed in awkward silence, filled with only the scribbling sounds of your fountain pen on the folder. You could feel his gaze on you but ignored it.    “Y/n,” he said.    “Mr. Jung, is there a problem?” you murmured, concentrated at the task at hand.    “Y/n, don’t be like this,” he said quietly.    “I’m afraid I don’t understand,” you said calmly, not meeting his eyes.    The fountain pen was rudely swiped out of your writing hand and your head snapped up, finally meeting his gaze for the first time in months.    “Look at me, Y/n.”    “I am, Mr. Jung. However, please do refrain from calling me by my first name—”    “I can do whatever the hell I want when I’ve seen your naked body writhing under me,” he said scathingly, gripping the pen tightly.    Your mouth trembled and then finally settled in a tight line. Your heartstrings physically ached from seeing him here, in your office, smack in the middle of London. Staring at you as if he was a starving man in the desert and he had finally found the oasis.    “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Mr. Jung,” you replied stoically. “Now, with—”    “Dammit, stop calling me that!” he burst out, breathing heavily. He calmed down and said calmly, “Do you remember that time when I made you scream so loud the people the next suite over complained? Do you remember that time you couldn’t move a muscle on that resort on Elba? Do you remember that time when I told you about—”    “Fine, Jaehyun! I fucking do! Everything, okay? What the hell are you here, you piece of shit?” you retorted, the pent-up bitterness seeping out like an oozing infection.    “You said it,” he replied smugly, a strangely content expression washing over his features.    “Answer me! Are you here to wreak havoc on my life again?!” you angrily sneered.    His lip curled. “Wreak havoc on your life? Ha! Look what you’ve done to me, woman! My life is ruined because of you!”    “Shut the fuck up, Jaehyun! You have miss perfect and prissy hanging off your arm like some sad, untrained dog! Your life is absolutely fucking fine while I’m going to be married off to some bastard, cast off like some whore,” you retorted, pitch and tone progressively getting higher.    “Is it really, though? How can it be fine that whenever I close my eyes I see your face and hear your voice and I can’t go to sleep, I can’t concentrate!” he clenched his fists, teeth gritting at the force of his frustration. He was on his feet now, eyes flashing with anger.    “I told you it was over, Jaehyun, so it’s not my problem anymore. Go do something about it. Don’t come to me.”    He was unsettlingly silent for a moment, a lapse in his angry bluster.    “You want to know why I came here? I came here to see if I could see you one more time before I could let you go marry another man, after your refusal of my gifts, only to realize I couldn’t when I saw your eyes for the first time in months. Dammit, Y/N, nothing is right anymore!”    “You think it’s all about you, huh? Tell me, Jaehyun, have you ever had the sinking feeling of realizing the man that you were falling in love would never return your affections? That he would never give up anything for you because he was too much of a coward?!” you spat, standing up.    “You fell in love with me?” he whispered, eyes wide.    Your eyes widened at your mistake. You revealed your cards too soon.    “Fell. It was in past tense. Just— please leave,” you said striding over to the door, hands trembling. He spryly lept for your wrist and turned you back towards him.    “I call bullshit, Y/N. Your eyes have always been so easy for me to read, even if it isn’t for others. You still love me,” he said.    Your eyes shuttered. “Does it matter anymore, Jaehyun?” you whispered brokenly. “I refuse to be the woman on the side. Leave this office for me and for you.”    “It does matter. It always will for me, because I fall for you every single day,” he whispered, rubbing a thumb over your wrist.    You shoved him away from you. “Me? The homewrecker? Go home, Jaehyun. It’s done.”    “Come back to me, it’s not over!”    “No, Jaehyun. You will forever be under the thumb of your family. How can I give up everything for a man like that? So please, Jaehyun, don’t drag this out and just leave,” you begged. Your eyes were watering.    “Fuck, what do you want me to do? Beg? Get on my knees for you?!”    You scoffed. Jung Jaehyun? On his knees for you? A laughable thought.    The thump of his knees on the carpet echoed around the room, panging in your heart. You snapped your head to behind you to see the prideful, confident, cocky Jung Jaehyun on his knees. The man who seemed to have the world in the palm in his hand on the floor. Head bowed down as if in prayer. Looking utterly defeated.    “Jaehyun…”    “Y/N… I thought you were just a pretty face when I first met you. I knew I wanted you. But I never realized how much. You… you left me. I quickly figured out I couldn’t function without you. I couldn’t eat. Sleep. You are the only thing I’ve ever really wan— needed. Y/N, please give me a chance and forgive me. I’m sorry, okay? Give me another chance to lay in bed with you under the sun. Another chance to make you laugh with stupid dick jokes. Another chance to make you smile,” Jaehyun begged from his position on the floor    “Carolina,” you whispered, trying to stamp down the fluttering feeling of hope in your chest.    “I already sent them weeks ago. The divorce documents. Carolina will be silenced. She’s already pissed off too many powerful people.”    “Your family.”    “Whether they agree with me or not, it doesn’t matter. I can support myself because I am my own person, something you’ve made me realize. I will marry you and have kids and they have a say in it. Not anymore,” he promised.    “My father.”    “He will accept me, so help me god, I will stage a fucking coup d’etat to get his approval. Anything for you.”    You were well and truly silenced, having nothing you could say to him. Jaehyun slowly stood up and approached you. He gathered your trembling figure in his arms.    Snuggled into the crook of his neck, you whispered, “Me.”    “This time, I’ll get it right. I can’t promise I won’t hurt you, but I can tell you I won’t intentionally hurt you.” He looked down and smiled. “I need you, you know? To keep smiling for me. I love you too much to let you go.”    You lifted a hand to his face, thumb tracing over his cheekbones and lips.    “Me too, Jaehyun.”

   The rising sun came over the azure blue waters of the horizon, casting beautiful red and orange lights in your villa room. You stirred, feeling warm and snug but still feeling the slightly cold sea breeze come in through the balcony doors. A muscled arm was thrown over your waist, the owner’s hard chest pressing against your back. You turned over, the soreness between your legs a bit debilitating but faced him.    The man slowly blinked open his eyes, looking at you dazedly before his gaze sharpened. A smile crept over his lips as he tightened his grip around your naked waist. You could feel a mirroring smile playing on your lips too.    “Good morning, Mr. Jung.”    “Good morning, Mrs. Jung.”    It was paradise.

[deepmagician]

Chapter 2: They Call Him “Straw Hat Luffy”

Like many Shonen manga, One Piece is divided into arcs. Currently, we’re in the Romance Dawn arc, which is a short introductory one, but One Piece also has larger mega-arcs called Sagas. This first one, which we’ll be in for a while yet, is called East Blue Saga. The story can also be divided into a first and second half, but I’ll probably address that when we get to the division. You know, in two years if I do one of these a day. Oh boy... Anyway, how’s Luffy’s first voyage going?

Mood. Luffy may punch good, but he has few transferrable skills, and no real sailing knowledge. Plus, in case you forgot:

He had ten years to prepare, and on day one he’s being sucked into a maelstrom while unable to swim. Such is life. Well, he’s sucked away, and we cut to a different setting. Luffy’s dead, new protagonists time!

Iron Mace Alvida is the first villainous pirate we’ve seen, and she has a solid introduction: straight killing a guy with her giant mace and kicking this nerd Koby in the face. Got it, she’s a villain. Check. Time for a shocking twist, though.

She’s obsessed with beauty and wants to be called beautiful, but she’s fat and ugly! Wow!!! OK, there’s a criticism levelled at One Piece sometimes which has a point, and it’s that Oda, while male characters have a huge array of different body types, only has like three female body types.They are Child, Old/Fat, and Hourglass Bombshell, with the last one tending to be more common. Something to keep in mind as we begin to meet more and more characters over time. Either way, Alvida may be a villain, but she has a point: Koby is pathetic. He’s sent off to do chores on her island base, where he finds a barrel. What’s inside?

Of course Luffy survived, no worse for wear despite being sucked through a whirlpool. His rubber body’s pretty useful. 

I mentioned before how much Oda likes his big goofy reactions, and this is a classic Oda face that gets done a lot for jokes. All three of these random goons know to do it in unison- Alvida has them well trained. Speaking of Alvida, she busts up the building Luffy and Koby are in, sending them flying. The goons save their own skin by saying that Koby’s got a bounty hunter in, and she believes them. What bounty hunter could be brave enough to go after her?

This is important for two reasons. Firstly, it’s the first mention of Zoro. Yes, Zoro, not Zolo. You watched the 4kids intro, you saw the volume cover art- this guy’s important. Secondly, he’s locked up by the ‘navy’. We know that pirates are a big thing in this setting, but who opposes them? It’s the Marines, basically a worldwide navy/police/army. They’ll be making appearances in future. Meanwhile, Luffy and Koby talk in the forest. Luffy tell Koby his story and how he’s lost his boat in the whirlpool, and Koby offers him his.

Luffy, our brave hero, proceeds to dump all over Koby for being dumb and having made a bad boat.

No exaggeration. Koby is pretty pathetic, like Alvida said, and he’s basically her slave because he’d be killed if he spoke back. Luffy tells Koby his goal, to find One Piece and become King of the Pirates. Koby tells him it’s impossible, that he’ll die trying, and Luffy basically goes ‘so?’ This inspires Koby so hard he remembers his childhood dream of becoming a Marine and vows to escape, become strong, and capture Alvida. Speak of the devil, she busts in on them with her crew, and Luffy handles the situation with his signature tact:

Koby stands up for himself, and Luffy stands up for Koby, which is a lot more effective. The wiki tells me Koby should be 16 here, one year younger than Luffy, but he’s tiny. Anyway, Alvida clubs Luffy, but he tanks it completely and fires back.

Having one hit the first villain he came across, I think Luffy’s established that he’s pretty strong. Alvida weilds a giant metal club, so she’s probably strong, but Luffy’s got that Devil Fruit power, training, and willpower. Once she’s down, he makes her crew give him a boat, so he can leave with Koby. Koby said he wanted to be a Marine, you see, so Luffy’s going to make sure that happens!

We get a tidbit of worldbuilding here. Koby says that, if Luffy’s going after One Piece, he’s going to have to enter the Grand Line, the ‘Pirate’s Graveyard’. Luffy hears Koby’s concern, and he has a plan: assemble the greatest crew around. Stop one, the Marine base. He’ll drop Koby off, and pick up this Zoro character, if he’s a good guy. Surely this reknowned bounty hunter of pirates will join the crew of a nobody without a real ship? Koby’s sceptical, but Luffy is undeterred.

That’s chapter two ended. Some more minor bits of worldbuilding, more building up of Luffy’s character. He defends his friends, even if you’re a friend he met five minutes ago like Koby.He’s straightforward, but still endearing for it. I do genuinely like Luffy as a main character, and I’m looking forward to him growing further.

[yourboatholiday]

Flying Fox – The mega-yacht owned by Jeff Bezos

The Italian summer of Flying Fox, the imposing mega-yacht owned by Amazon’s number one, Jeff Bezos

Throughout the summer there were rumors that Jeff Bezos, creator of Amazon and one of the richest men in the world, was on vacation in Italy. What is certain is that the megayacht Flying Fox, owned by him, has been spotted several times in the Mediterranean Sea, more precisely off the Sardinia and Sicily Italian coasts.

Who is Jeff Bezos?

For the few who don’t know him yet, it is right to make a premise and explain who we are talking about: born in 1964, Jeff Bezos is considered a pioneer of technology, a great American entrepreneur who was able to build a real empire based on Amazon.

Driven from an early age by a passion for technology, he studied computer science and electronic engineering, then landed on Wall Street, where he worked as the vice president of an investment company. When he has already reached what seems to be a well-started career, he decides to quit his job and launch himself into the Amazon project around 1995. From that moment on, growth has been exponential, as in 1997, when Bezos and his associates decided to launch into the world of e-commerce presenting itself as an online alternative for shopping.

In 2013 he completed his affirmation in the world of economics with the purchase of the Washington Post, paid for an incredible 250 million euros.

Related: VIPS and Yachts: A love story

What kind of yacht is the Flying Fox?

Defining it as a luxury yacht, even if true, is an understatement for this boat.

According to the world’s largest yachts ranking, Flying Fox is positioned at number 20 while instead, it is the tenth-largest yacht built by the German house Lürssen, based in Bremen.

Flying Fox is a 136-meter-long motor yacht delivered in 2019. If it is true that size sometimes doesn’t matter, with a width of 22.5 meters, a draft of 5.1 meters, and a volume of over 9,000 tons, designers did not want to run the risk of going unnoticed.

About the project, the exterior design was entrusted to Espen Øino International, while the interiors were signed by Mark Berryman Design Ltd.

Recommended: Valentino Rossi’s new yacht

Flying Fox means huge spaces for guests

Up to 25 guests can be accommodated aboard the Flying Fox superyacht, which also can accommodate up to 54 crew members. The service onboard is therefore guaranteed.

Guests are split between 11 cabins, although calling them such doesn’t do them justice. These are luxurious mini-apartments studied in every detail. The master suite incorporates its own study and benefits from his and her bathroom. The remaining 10 are all top-notch VIP suites.

How much does it cost to rent Jeff Bezos yacht?

The cost for a charter aboard Flying Fox, the yacht of Jeff Bezos, is 4 millions dollar per week plus expenses.

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Fairytale quality and equipment the Jeff Bezos’ yacht

It is useless to list the countless comforts that can be found onboard.

Interiors, made of bamboo, teak, and oak wood, have space for a spa complete with a wellness center, sauna and steam room, a diving center with underwater lights, a real cinema, and even a lounge with a fireplace to relax after a “busy” day. All bridges are naturally connected with a comfortable and large internal lift.

The most sensational features, however, are found on the outside. On the main bow deck and on the upper aft deck there are not one but two helipads, while just above the aft beach club there is a beautiful swimming pool that covers almost the entire ship width.

Related: Cristiano Ronaldo superyacht world rental champion

Flying Fox: Excellent performance for an oversized yacht

Built with a steel hull and an aluminum superstructure, Flying Fox offers greater stability at anchor thanks to its displacement hull.

It is powered by two MTU engines and sails comfortably at 15 knots but quickly reaches a top speed of 20 knots. Flying Fox is equipped with 682,500-liter fuel tanks that give it a range of up to 6,500 nautical miles at cruising speed.

Related: Superyachts and helicopters

Where was Jeff Bezos’ yacht Flying Fox in the summer of 2021?

Bezos’ megayacht was spotted several times off the Italian coast this summer, attracting great curiosity from local and international media.

It is not certain who was on board, if the owner of Amazon himself or some other wealthy guest, as the stages and the route followed by the Flying Fox are not clear.

According to the various sightings that followed, it started from Nice, in France, would have sailed southwards, first touching the Aeolian Islands, then continuing towards Sardinia and Sicily where it was sighted in Balestrate, off the Palermo coast. Finally, head towards the Gulf of Naples and the Sorrento and Amalfi Coast.

What if we want to rent Flying Fox?

We can safely say it: it is not a yacht for anyone. Flying Fox seems to have been bought by Jeff Bezos for a figure close to half a billion dollars!

Although it is a private yacht, it is nevertheless possible to rent it but at a monstrous figure: The company that manages the Flying Fox rents this sea jewel for short periods at a cost that is around three million euros per week!

Contact  now YBH Charter Brokers:

You can contact us by sending an email at ask@yourboatholiday.com or by phone, calling +39 33436 00997, available also on WhatsApp for both calls and texting.

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  Flying Fox – The mega-yacht owned by Jeff Bezos

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[the-firebird69]

Watch "The New Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT" on YouTube

This is what the new Chevy SUV super sport will look like drive like and feel like maybe like a rally sport would be a little less but this is what it is and it goes real fast handles real well and our cars usually handle a little bit better than Porsche and go a little faster and have a little more power and it would be louder but it's really worth it the price tag is not bad it's low 20s and we are producing them now and we're producing the Chrysler it's it's counterpart and Chrysler has the mega supercar is a hypercar that's the one that goes 1200 miles per hour plus and we have the limiter on it so you can actually buy it and these cars are going to blow you away you'll never believe it Corvette and we build fly cars.

If someone wants to put together a package to award people gifts and their products. It's based on his kind of tourism which is fun interesting and a joy and it's also based on an international tourism scavenger hunt website a little bit and also national treasure the movie you put it all together and you get treasure hunt and it's no joke it's based on all three and you are to go to monuments and other things on each major city will have it and some areas outside the cities that have monuments and other of great historical significance and buildings and you are to assemble the clues to find the free gift each treasure hunt has several gifts and you might be figuring out the major prize the master prize the second third or fourth prize and we'll keep replacing the price every time someone wins it and yes you're going to be looking for things a key or it might be to a vehicle or it could be to a house and you would take that and you would go to the next clue to try and find out what it is and where it is and people want to do this it's great for a weekend if you're a tourist and we're going to sponsor it and it's going to be multi companies so it's going to be a wide array of companies and a wide array of gifts arranging from a mansion to hypercars to several condos to a free trip and a free trip would be transferable. Or you could trade it in some people don't like that but we have cruise ships and people should try them and we have trips to entertainment centers and other places of ours.

Thor Freya

This sounds great and I'm involved someone already contacted me because I have the cities more or less and we have a lot of people who are getting into this and they're looking at historical things and it's going to help me and help our friend here and others because they're going to be looking at what they need to see. And I'm helping putting the mysteries together and he says he's not so sure he should I do understand what you're saying so we're going to have some people working on it with you guys and we understand what you're saying he's going to be putting some nice prizes some of them are going to be very intense and too much for some people but some of them won't be it'll be two weeks in Vegas and you're going to play his card with a bunch of money on it and other things like that so let's get this together cuz we're going to offer prizes too and we're going to go forwards he has all sorts of stuff to offer free condominium free houses free cars trucks bikes all sorts of really cool stuff okay his stuff is really nice and it'll go from like a sedan to a hypercarfrom a house to a mansion from a decent size boat to a yacht or and maybe even the mega yard depending on the contest it says in DC and the mega yacht and they'll be a lot of competition so we're going to go forward with that and cities that are capitals will have the largest prizes I do see his point

Mac daddy

You can't run it everyday but once a week is good and boy that's fun Friday afternoon 5:00 p.m. so I'm ready I'll get my stuff now he says yeah we'll start this Friday and you don't go to the house out in the middle of nowhere you don't go to a car on the street it's inside a secure room inside a secure building that you have access to and others do too we're not really stupid or mean and it's a place where we can put something and he owns the last doors and so do I

Awesome we're proving it now we're getting it together

Olympus

[monkeyjeff4]

Alan & Twila True request $60 million on Newport’s Harbor Island

It was a beautiful sunny Friday here in Southern California — a perfect time to embark on a weekend getaway. Wouldn’t a peaceful island destination be just the thing?

Unfortunately, Hawaii and the Caribbean are much too far for a quick trip, but Yolanda’s got the perfect remedy — right here in SoCal! Down behind the Orange Curtain, just off the coast of Newport Beach, lies one of the most expensive (and exclusive) islands on the whole dang globe. Welcome to Harbor Island.

The small and semi-artificial island was formed about 100 years ago and is connected to the mainland by a 24/7 guard-gated bridge. This high-security land mass has some of the most exclusive and desirable residential real estate in the OC — there are fewer than 30 homes on the island, many of which sport killer views over Newport Harbor. Thus, this wee slice of paradise has attracted many of the OC’s wealthiest peeps. Residents have included billionaires like Bill Gross, Donald Bren and George Argyros.

Today we shall discuss the largest, most lavish and by far most (in)famous home there — a hulking beast at the island’s tip. Astute real estate watchers may know the property is currently listed with a fat $60 million pricetag. ($59,995,000, to be precise.) Should the house sell for anywhere close to that number, it will rank as the most ever paid for an Orange County home — besting the $55 million that auto dealership magnate Larry Van Tuyl paid for his historic Newport compound back in 2017.

But despite the sunny skies, crisp sea air and sparkling aquamarine water that surround it, the landmark manor has a dark past littered with sordid financial troubles, marital problems and even death.

Palace with a past

Originally completed in 1990, the house currently features 6 beds and 10 baths in approximately 16,000-square-feet of living space. (That’s huge.) The manse was built by a prominent real estate developer named Leroy Carver III, a guy who owned his own bank — Carver Savings & Loan — and loaned himself $7.9 million to build the behemoth.

Just before the house was completed, however, Mr. Carver fell into deep financial doo-doo. His bank was seized by federal regulators and declared insolvent, so he sold the brand-new estate in 1991 for $13,600,000. Archived news stories from back then suggest it was the most ever paid for an OC home.

The buyer was Taiwanese businessman George Yao. But like Mr. Carver, our Mr. Yao had some serious financial problems. Within two years, the property was in default and folks were chasing him for money.

In 1995, Mr. Yao officially lost the property to the hungry maw of foreclosure. An investment group then flipped the house in April ’96 for just $8 million — or about 60% of what it fetched five years prior — to the next owner, former FBI exec William G. Simon. But our Mr. Simon didn’t have much chance to enjoy his big new home, either — he died only one year later at the ripe old age of 84.

Big Bertha

In mid-’99, Mr. Simon’s estate sold the home for $14,000,000 to a New Jersey couple named Arnold & Debbie Simon. The Simons (no relation to the prior owner) had made a lot of money in the apparel industry and were craving some California sunshine, or so it would seem.

Though the Simons were already been having marital problems, things reportedly worsened soon after their move to Newport Beach. Not long after their big real estate splurge, they began exceptionally hostile divorce proceedings that would drag on unresolved for the better part of a decade.

Compounding the Simons’ issues was the economic recession of 2008, which strained their finances considerably. The following year, the property fell into foreclosure. And Mrs. Simon — who remained in the home while her hubby relocated elsewhere — found herself flat broke. In fact, things became so desperate that she left the home’s air conditioning off during even the hottest summer days — she couldn’t afford the electric bill.

On a scorching afternoon in September 2009, Mrs. Simon tied a heavy-duty extension cord to the grand staircase’s balustrade and hung herself above the mansion’s foyer. Her death made big waves in Orange County society — not just because of her wealth, but because she was a major social figure in the area, throwing numerous charity fundraisers at the property.

But we digress. Despite its dark past, Mr. Simon managed to unload the property in June 2010, less than a year after his estranged wife’s demise. Records show the buyers paid a whopping $27,000,000 for the house, one of the highest prices ever paid in the OC. And this was in the midst of a recession, y’all.

Though technically owned by a blind trust, the property’s current owners are Alan and Twila True.

Mr. and Mrs. Trues are both lifelong entrepreneurs who didn’t grow up in glamorous circumstances. Our Mr. True originally hails from Colorado, but moved to Chicago to work on the Mercantile Exchange after college. By the late 1980s, he was living and working in Asia.

As for Mrs. True, she was raised in the remote Badlands region of South Dakota — on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, otherwise known as the USA’s poorest community . (Mrs. True is Sioux by blood.)

The couple have four children: three biological and one young daughter adopted from the same Sioux tribe where Mrs. True was raised.

Before moving to their impressive Newport Beach digs, the couple long resided in China and Hong Kong, where they made their first fortune in the furniture business. The couple founded office furniture manufacturer True Innovations, a company that was acquired for an undisclosed (but undoubtedly massive) sum by Chinese conglomerate Li & Fong.

Since moving back to the US, the Trues have dumped loads of money into the residential real estate market. By Mrs. True’s own admission, the couple preside over a portfolio of 1,000+ rental properties, most of them small Midwest homes priced in the $70,000-$80,000 range. That means the couple have dropped more than $70 million on real estate alone — not counting their $27 million OC house.

And speaking of the OC, the Trues have become tremendously involved with the local community since they moved into the neighborhood — they regularly host charity luncheons and galas at their home, and it appears they also throw an annual holiday party for their employees on the premises.

Our gurl Mrs. True recently invited the folks at Modern Luxury into her Newport home, where she chatted about her new line of high-end nail salons (and more).

Now, about the real estate and that $60 million asking price. Some of y’all may be inclined to scoff. But before you judge, keep in mind that the Trues completely renovated the home. And after all, this is one of the OC’s premier estates. So take a peek at the photos — whatever you think of the home’s style, the spread is certainly somethin’.

The limestone-clad neoclassical mansion is completely walled and gated for privacy and security. There’s a nine-car underground garage, which is pretty cool, but the real star of the show are those spectacular views. The house sits on more than a half-acre of land and features formal lawns, rows of trees and a large swimming pool. There is more than 300 feet of water frontage plus a boat dock large enough to accommodate a 120-foot yacht.

Mr. and Mrs. True poured a great deal of money into home renovations, so the newly contemporary interiors look totally different from when the Simons owned the place.

The elegantly curved staircase is topped by a large skylight. The master suite features a mega-bedroom (it’s big enough to be a damn ballroom, seriously) and a marble-soaked bathroom.

How serious are the Trues about selling? Yolanda does not know — but the property has been listed since last May (2018) with an unchanged asking price. Maybe they’re just testing the waters — so to speak — or perhaps they’re holding out until the right record-breakin’ buyer saunters on over.

This future buyer — whoever he or she may be — isn’t just buying the most impressive house on SoCal’s most coveted island. They’re buying a very — ahem — “colorful” legacy, too. A mostly tragic legacy, but one with an upbeat ending. After all those distressed previous owners, the Trues have lived here for eight years and are happier — and richer — than ever. Or so it would seem.

Listing agent: Tara Foster Shapiro, Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty

Source: https://www.yolandaslittleblackbook.com/blog/2019/01/04/twila-alan-true-house-newport-beach/

[vacationsoup]

New Post has been published on https://vacationsoup.com/family-owned-farm-noahs-ark-zoo-farm-bristol/

Family Owned Farm - Noah's Ark Zoo Farm Bristol

Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm is a family-owned zoo set on a working farm in 100 acres of beautiful, peaceful North Somerset countryside.  The zoo was founded by Anthony and Christina Bush, who have lived and worked there together as dairy farmers since 1962 when the original Moat House Farm was part of the Tyntesfield Estate. The couple first opened Noah’s Ark as a farm visitor centre in 1999 and it quickly became a favourite day out for visitors. It has since grown to become an award-winning zoo and one of the most popular visitor attractions in Somerset.

Opening for its first season as Noah’s Ark Farm Centre in 1999, visitors were able to get hands-on with bottle-feeding lambs and getting up close to both farm animals and exotic animals such as llamas, camels and wallabies. Tractor rides and playing in the hay barn were popular activities as they still are today.

Now the zoo welcomes over 170,000 visitors a year and has an exciting, large animal collection of over one hundred species which includes African elephants, giraffes, lions, a tiger, rhinos and bears. The original hands-on approach has continued and today visitors enjoy close encounters with some amazing animals.

Sustainability and conservation are foundational to everything they do at Noah’s Ark. This includes education through their daily Keeper Talks, education workshops and regular fundraising events for animal conservation charities.

Noah’s Ark is proud to have various species which are part of the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP), which works with animal parks and zoos across Europe to breed and protect endangered species.  The Elephant Eden enclosure is the largest elephant enclosure in the UK and in fact the largest in Northern Europe.

The farm aims to be a leading “green zoo” and generates over half of their our own electricity needs through renewable power generation on site - solar panels on the roofs of animal enclosures, biomass and their our very own wind turbine.  Harvesting and recycling water from roofs and providing enrichment for animals using upcycled materials such as old fire hoses donated by the local fire service.  They support local and Fairtrade through our cafes and kiosks and use recyclable and compostable packaging wherever possible.

They have over 100 different species of animals from Lions and Tigers, giant African Elephants, Giraffes and Bison to Madagascar Day Geckos, Yellow-Bellied Terrapins and Sun Beetles.

If you visit the zoo you'll find a model replica of the biblical Ark in the Ark Exhibition Room located just off the courtyard opposite our Farm Shop.  As the name of the park suggests, it is themed on the story of Noah and the Ark and has have some resources onsite which explore the idea that a boat built by a man inspired by God was constructed to protect and conserve creatures from an early flooded world.

Was it just a story or is there evidence for a real event? You can make up your own mind from the information boards and take a look at the impressive scale model vessel.

The model Ark took a thousand hours to build. It is built in scale with the dimensions in Genesis, a full size vessel would have been huge. To verify whether a timber-built vessel of this size could really float they asked Professor Andrews of the London School of Naval Architecture to allow a student to do a research project on it. He agreed. Thomas Grafton studied the Ark as part of his degree course and showed that it most certainly would have floated. In his review of the project, Charles Betts, chief naval architect for the British Navy, considered that the Ark would have been able to withstand a force-12 gale.

The Zoo hold’s special events through the year, in January kids go for free when accompanied by a paying adult.  February Half Term, Woo At the Zoo, where you can follow the heart trail around the zoo, finding fun facts about the animals and you can win a family day ticket for 2 adults and 2 children.  And much more.

Check out their special events HERE

For an additional cost why not try their Elephant Experience.  Be prepared to get up close with the largest land mammal on Earth, the African Elephant.   A One-to-one experience, behind the scenes with their Elephant Keepers to find out how our African elephants receive the best care possible. Find out what it's really like to be a Zoo keeper as you help with daily enclosure maintenance and food preparation. Watch in awe as our experienced keepers, with protected contact training, carry out daily husbandry tasks such as weighing, washing and foot care. Revel in exclusive behind-the-scenes access to our 20 acre Elephant enclosure and help the keepers hide enrichment treats for the Elephants to find. Enjoy all this whilst learning some fantastic facts from our highly experienced keepers.  You will also receive an Elephant Keeper experience souvenir pack which includes free day entry to Zoo for the participant(s), a personalised certificate of achievement and a complimentary T-shirt to remember your experience.

Check out their Website for more information on this great experience HERE

They also have a large indoor play areas for rainy days :-

Jungle Den – A heated indoor soft play area for under 5's. Ball pits, rollers, slides, soft games, ball blower and much more!

Beehive Maze - Buzz around the largest indoor 3d maze on site which covers 4 levels with many a twist, turn and dead-end to make it a little harder.

SoftPlay - A huge indoor play barn with massive drop slide, trampolines, climbing frames, rope bridges, nets and swings. Younger children will enjoy the tractor track with plastic tractors to drive.

Straw Den - Swing your way around our barn on the hanging ropes and land softly in the mound of straw in the covered play straw barn.

Milk A Cow - Try your hand at milking their life size cow in the Animal Village.

And an outside Play Area:-

Mega Monster & Mini Maze - Europe’s longest hedge maze! Will you conquer it? Have an a-maze-ing time answering the questions to lead you out. The mini maze alongside is good practice and great for the little ones. Don't forget your wellies, the maze can get very muddy. Please note as at February 2019 the maze is currently closed for maintenance.

Elephant Playzone – A giant Elephant slide and new whirling web at the new play area at Elephant Eden.

Tractor Rides - Enjoy a tractor ride, for just £2 ,across the farms land taking in breath taking views of the Severn Crossings!

Wallaby Hill - Zip, climb, swing and scramble in the huge outdoor wooden adventure playground, packed with 2 zip lines, climbing wall, rope bridges, swings and slide plus Noah's ark!

Bigger Diggers - Try your hand at digging and scooping with the electric bigger diggers by the Big Cat Sanctuary for only £1.

As well as a Termite Mound, Welly Splash Pool, Trampolines and Sand Pit.

There is just so much to see and do, you can easily enjoy a whole day having fun with your family.

Address - Clevedon Road, Wraxhall, Bristol BS48 1PG - Tel 01275 852606

  Opening Hours

February - November - Monday - Saturday, 10.30am- 5pm. Open on bank holidays.

December - January  - Monday - Saturday, 10.30am- 4pm.   Closed on Sundays.

  Independent Review

3 weeks ago- 5 Stars

Fantastic day! We were so surprised how many animals there were (including ones my children had never see before) and great activities for the children including soft play and rope swings in a hay barn. There is a tractor ride which you pay extra for (£2 per person) and we were able to see the elephant closely as she was walking across the field.

#noahsarkzoofarm #thingstodoinbristol #wheretogo #funwiththekids #wheretogobristol #whatsonbristol #buryhillfarm #selfcatering #holidaylet #bookdirect

Want to read more about Bristol  - CLICK HERE

[patjm-blog]

WWE Smackdown’s Core Four

The New Era. The name itself leaves a satisfying taste in the mouth of many a dedicated fan of the WWE. At a time when a tag-team making the rounds in NXT goes by the name “The Revival” it is interesting to note that there is a revival of mega proportions going on the main roster. The Second Brand Split (2016) has led to a polarizing riptide throughout the WWE. Raw, having to fill a three-hour time slot while being bogged down by authority figures, and Smackdown, having only two hours, is making the viewer want more by its perfect utilization of talent that are benefiting perfectly from the split. Each brand has taken on identities of their own, a thing that has not been seen this prominently since the early 2000’s- specifically the year 2002. In that year, a ragtag group of super performers, often used in the mid-card or underbellies of the promotion were given the ball and told to run with it on the Blue Brand. These six: Eddie Guerrero, Kurt Angle, Edge, Chris Benoit, Chavo Guerrero and Rey Mysterio proved that yes they may have been in the low to mid-card before, but the “Smackdown Six” as they came to be known would all go on to hold World Title Gold (yeah, we’ll count ECW for the purposes of this investigation) in the company within that decade. A renaissance is brewing in the WWE for sure, and this time it is again on the Blue Brand. In light of the new name for the New Era of WWE let’s take a look at who makes up the Core Four of Smackdown.

Cena lays down Clean for the New Era

The Stepping Stones

Ambrose, Styles, and The Miz sat in the same WWE-boat before coming on to the Blue Brand. Their star powers seemed diminished if ever given to them in the first place. It was initially questioned if Styles was going to be pushed out of the gates and then relinquished to the midcard; Ambrose’s WWE Title Victory was seen as a reluctant push in order to give Smackdown a World Title, and to punish Roidy Roman; The Miz had one of the greatest IC Title Reigns in recent memory which restored glory to the belt that is the epitome of the workhorses of the WWE, yet was still questioned as if he should be given a world title. This all started back around Wrestlemania 32, when Styles was defeated by Chris Jericho. It was going to be the quickest end to an inaugural push in recent memory, and Styles was just going to have to accept it. It was around this time that Styles was a glorified front-man for the dwindling Club in a feud with Enzo and Big Cass...not even the Tag Champions at the time. Then WWE made the magic happen: WWE laid down their head Face to be pinned by Styles. The first of three pure classics Styles put on with Cena at Summerslam 2016 was the catalyst for all of the great things the Core Four of the Smackdown men’s division have accomplished in such a short time. From there, Styles proclaimed himself the “face that runs the place” (a little pun for the snide wrestling junkies watching at home) before winning the WWE Championship at Backlash 2016 over Dean Ambrose. Rather than burying Ambrose, there was another title supposedly down the card that he could fight for, although the man holding it was doing a great job of meeting Dean halfway for it. Since The Miz restored the power to the Intercontinental Championship, the feud between Dean Ambrose and The Miz seemed like an offshoot of the WWE Championship match, not like a consolation prize. Even since The Miz has lost the title and Dean Ambrose has held it there has been yet another recent shifting of the tides that harps on the same theme but with one forgotten key so far: the current WWE Champion Bray Wyatt.

The Champ is Here

See up until our point in the timeline, Wyatt is on a haphazard search for Gold, that he hasn’t yet tasted on the main roster of WWE, although the Wyatt Family has traversed the ups and downs of being over and losing a full head of steam. The newest incarnation of the family (Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt) won and lost gold while still managing to keep the heat high for their antics. There is also a huge  two-sided wrench in the plan for the Core Four, coming in the same night at the 2017 Royal Rumble. In the same night, Styles goes down to Cena, in their third incarnation of the same beautiful story that should really be told until the end of time (or until it loses steam-the former probably coming first) and Orton wins the Royal Rumble. Sure, two dozen-plus-time world champions winning gold and a number-one-contenders spot in the same night makes it seem ludicrous to argue that the Four could ever come back but it set up the biggest night of Bray’s career so far: Elimination Chamber 2017. It is here that Bray pinned not only John Cena clean, which we’ve already discussed as being a huge catalyst for every other member of the Core Four so far, but then he went on to pin Styles clean as well. It is in here that the Core Four has its power: in using former stars to build up the new faces that run the places, so that these new faces can also propel each other to new heights. John Cena laying down for the new kids on the block is the catalyst that has made the Blue Brand have a resurgence that has not been seen since the days of *insert one of the Smackdown Six* versus *another member of the Smackdown Six*(age staying out of this-AJ Styles is no newcomer to wrestling in the slightest, only WWE as it were). It seems ludicrous to even argue, but there were so many combinations in so many different ways (tag matches, ladder matches, singles matches for gold or not, etc.) that the Smackdown Live audience is starting to see again. These four are holding the brand down by facing stars of the past and stars of the future: The Miz versus John Cena (with their respective significant others in the mix, as well), Styles versus Shane (the honor of facing a McMahon is one only less than a dozen stars have had the honor of saying they have been given), Bray Wyatt versus 12-time world champion Randy Orton, and then Dean Ambrose defending the IC title against newcomer Baron Corbin.

Bray and Beyond

The core four are holding the brand down. They are giving it an identity. Most importantly: they are not stagnating and blocking the flow of new talent. They have given the Blue Brand the notion of being a brand where anyone has a chance. While the Smackdown Six had a different vibe than the Core Four, that is because everything the viewer is seeing is kept new, and fresh while not deterring too far from the styles (no pun) of wrestling. What was old is used to perpetuate what is the New Era. It is through this spinning door that gives the inevitable WWE Draft some weight to it, as some stars that are flopping elsewhere in the company (Sami Zayn, Cesaro, even Shinsuke Nakumara who desperately needs to be in the world title picture on a main brand) can be utilized to perfection on Smackdown Live. If WWE makes the right moves, the Core Four can quickly become a New Smackdown Six.

[arcanehellleatherjacket]

Power Rangers 2017

Guess I’m doing this now, god I hope I don’t make a habit out of making reviews.

Power Rangers was pretty cool. The first bit was kind of dodgy but I got a decent understanding of the characters, I had to take a bathroom break around the time they were by the campfire and got back when they were off to see the witch, so I’m not 100% sure of everything. Alpha, Zordon and Rita all were really good and were easy to accept. 

The rangers were okay, I felt that they bonded a little too easily but I was into it. Jason and Billy had the most natural friendship out of everyone and so they had a pretty good dynamic as far as I’m concerned and both due to the screen time feel the most fleshed out. Billy really feels like the heart of the team, I felt like he was the one I related to the most. Jason really comes off as a guy that just isn’t sure of what he’s doing but when after meeting Zordon, he gets his drive. Zack seemed like an asshole but after a bit of backstory, he seemed a bit more likable. I may have missed Kimberley’s major scenes but she seemed to fit in just barely. Besides her interactions with her family and the campfire scene, I don’t think we really got much out of Trini, she really seems to be an outcast. Out of the 5, Jason and Billy really are my favorite characters due to their dynamic, and I’d like to see more interaction in the next movie.

Honestly, I enjoyed the movie, but it was rife with such weird clichés and moments, that just bring the whole show down. The deus ex machina, the weird conflict between Zordon and Jason, Billy’s lucky fall, the location the command center and the way the coins stop being relevant in the second half of the movie. I am trying really hard not to spoil these things. On the plus side, we got an out of touch, kind of loopy Rita, Jason’s character growth, Billy acting mostly like a normal human wandering into the Power Rangers universe, and the zords vs. Goldar fight. 

It’s nothing to set time aside for, so just wait for whenever you’re free and have some fun. Reminded me of Suicide Squad a little, with the constant barrage of music and the way Rita could somehow make a stone people army, but that’s pretty much it. I’d definitely watch it again for those scenes I missed, though I’d definitely prefer it on DVD.

Edit 1: Finally, the post-credit scene has me so pumped for the sequel. If you have any disagreements or any interesting points, be sure to let me know.

[Spoiler talk below]

I loved the idea of Rita originally being the Green Ranger, especially when in the original Power Rangers she already had the green coin. The fact that she got pulled up out of the ocean by a fishing boat however, is baffling after it being stated that it’s been 6.5 million years. Also, since she can just make puttys with no discernible reason, it makes me wonder if the other rangers could or is it just some unexplained thing.

Zack pulling a hammer on the coin wall was pretty dumb and impulsive and he seemed to be trying extra hard to come off that way throughout the movie which was honestly pretty weak. 

Speaking of the coins, I hated them so much since I saw them in the trailer. You’d think that since we’re dealing with an alien civilization they’d look a little more refined instead of coloured glass embedded in rock. If they could hit a middle ground of gold coins from the original and the coloured crystal thing they had here, I would have loved it.

Edit 2: I love the little details of the new armor, particularly the gold coins that look like the original series’ power coins placed where the old buckles would have been. I need a better look at them but I just love that tiny detail along with the designs as a whole.

It is contrived as hell, the way that they found the entrance to the command center. A bit more effort here would have been wonderful, but no.

I don’t see any reason for Zordon being asleep all those years only to just come back when the rangers show up. It came off as very out of character when he pushed for the rangers to activate the morphing grid just so he could get out and lead again, especially after he told Jason, he was born to to be the Red Ranger.

The coincidental nature of Rita coming back, just as the rangers finding out about the coins really took away from the story. If Zordon or Alpha sent out the coins as they sensed Rita’s return, maybe it wouldn’t seem so glaring.

To the movie’s credit we don’t really hang around the school so much besides brief glimpses so we don’t have to deal with much teen drama. 

Then the morphing grid, deus ex machina, first Billy drowns to death and then gets brought back when Zordon trades his return for Billy’s life. It would make sense for Zordon to come back due to his experience maybe not as a ranger but to some extent. It wouldn’t make sense for Billy to come back because he just drowned, Zordon has his consciousness in the wall, Billy...not so much. Besides bringing the rangers together, this scene served no purpose since we knew he was going to be in the final battle.

When it comes time to take the final stand against Goldar, the second deus ex machina pops up in the form of the smaller machinas becoming the mega machina when the rangers are thrown down the hole. Maybe a quick scene of Zordon or Alpha monitoring the situation could pop up and say something like the Zeo Crystal exposure gave them a power boost to unlock the megazord or some line before about how the Zords true power is unleashed when they are united. Anything to let new fans in on the concept!

I said Billy acted mostly like a normal person wandering into the Power Ranger universe but I did say “mostly”. There are only 2 scenes where he behaves unrealistically, the first comes initially when the 5 meet Zordon and Alpha for the first time, he somehow just manages to read the nebula in the middle of the room and explains the whole reasons of the Power Rangers without any signs of how and then when he somehow triangulates the location of the Zeo crystal despite Zordon saying that the information for it was lost.

Hearing that Tommy’s name in the post-credits and seeing that dragon-like shape on that green jacket has me so pumped, but I feel like it’s too early for him to appear. I feel like after one more movie of world building would be perfect before he shows up, properly.

Next, like any pretentious idiot, I have my own ideas on how the movie should have gone and so I guess here’s how I’d “fix” the movie:

-I feel Zordon should have been the White Ranger rather than Red, to of course prepare for the inevitable future White Ranger. As for where the coin would be, I’d probably stick it in the ship for power over the centuries.

-Zordon should have been awake because there was no reason in the plot for him to be napping. Had he been awake, he could have summoned the rangers or sent them the coins when Rita appeared, instead of them finding the coins on some random night, when Rita also happens to get fished up.

-I was fine with how Jason got himself into the mess in the beginning but maybe he’d be better established if he tried defending someone from bullies but got into trouble for breaking the bullies arm. That way he’d be established as a heroic type but also a reckless, impulsive guy as well.

-Hold the romance between Jason and Kimberley back for at least the second movie, to avoid the teen drama and get better establishment of the characters.

-Change the coins like I said before and maybe have them activate the Zords or activate the Megazord to keep their importance throughout the movie.

-Get rid of the power grid being able to revive Zordon and remove Billy dying at all just for good measure, because come on, no one was buying that.

-Let Legendary Pictures do it instead, they have Pacific Rim for the giant robots and they are working on their Giant monsters for their monsterverse, but I don’t have any problems with their current designs.

[logintocourses]

Which is Best For Your Project Arduino or Raspberry pi

Now looking at the rise in the Popularity of Internet of Things. I've come up with this tutorial to make sure you people pick or purchase the right development boards for your IoT projects. Now the Arduino and the Raspberry Pi are you go to votes for all things IoT, but how are they any different and which one should you be using? Well, don't worry by the end of this session. You could be educating your friends on the same. But before we begin though, let me quickly tell you what exactly I'll be covering in today's session. I'll briefly talk about these.

Arduino Vs Raspberry Pi | Which is Best For Your Project

Integrated circuit board

we compare their hardware and software specifications

understand their modes of operation

check out their available boards

finally conclude with the purpose that each of these boats have been designed.

Arduino Vs Raspberry Pi Integrated Circuit Boards

Let's get started. The computers were a breakthrough in the world of machines making the operation of any device or machine smarter than ever and the motherboard in a computer is what drove these operations either performing logical instructions that have been fed to them or calculating outcomes based on the information. They receive these motherboards LED all parts of the computer communicate and act by utilizing the CPU and the memory in fact any peripheral connecting to the computer also needs to connect to the motherboards programmable input/output. Actors for their operation now these motherboards are integrated circuits and with the world trying to minimize the size of devices and make them more portable. We now have a variety of similarly capable circuit boards available to help us build smart equipment of our choice and according to our needs. 

Related Article How to Install/Boot Raspberry Pi OS (Noobs) Setup From USB

Arduino Vs Raspberry Pi Integrated Circuit Boards

Only smartest development boards today zero down to the Raspberry Pi and the Arduino both these integrated circuit boards might have a few things in common, but differ majorly in the mode of operation and capabilities and if you've been experimenting with the embedded systems, or if the onset of IoT has got you playing with these integrated circuit boards, then you must understand the key differences between them and know the one that will be more suitable for your IoT projects. 

So let me Begin by telling you that the Arduino is based on a micro-controller and is mostly designed to control the electrical components connected to the circuit board in any system.

Whereas the Raspberry Pi is based on a microprocessor that computes data and produces valuable outputs and if required it controls the electrical components and it's system based on the outcome of its computation.

So basically the Raspberry Pi is a single-board computer with the Arduino is just a single-board micro-controller.

Software and Hardware Specification of Arduino and Raspberry Pi

So let us start with the comparison by learning more about the hardware and software specifications of the latest models of both these devices. 

Also Read About this All You Need to Know About Raspberry Pi 4 | Components and Hardware

Now the Arduino boards have a very simple hardware and software structure the Arduino, you know runs on an 8-bit AVR atmega328 micro-controller on a chip, which has a ram of two kilobytes upon an eeprom flash memory of 32 kilobytes and clocks are processing speed of 16 megahertz 

On the contrary the Raspberry Pi boards have a complex. Lecture of hardware and software the Raspberry Pi 3 B plus comes with a powerful broad-com BCM to a37 b0 microprocessor on a chip as its Central Processing Unit, which runs on a 64-bit quad-core processor called the a arm cortex a53 featuring a static Ram of 1GB running directly upon the SD card storage at a clock speed of one point four gigahertz. Now this microchip also acts as the graphics processing unit with the broad-com video code for integrated graphics card building. It for low-power multimedia processing now such a multi utility microchip is being called a Soc or a system-on-a-chip these days and besides the processor and the graphics card. They also house other micro-controllers to control the electrical components.

So there's plenty of power packed into it. Even for many add-onns or USB connections. Now most of the other Hardware, uh, pretty much the same for both these devices like timers voltage Regulators serial, peripheral interface bus has into integrated circuit serial, you are and I/O pins, okay. Connectors but again, the I/O connectors in Arduino are more capable than the I/O pins in the Raspberry Pi which must depend on transistors to drive external hardware.

Software and Hardware Specification of Arduino and Raspberry Pi

Modes of Operation of Arduino Vs Raspberry Pi

I'll be Raspberry Pi is still better logical processing which means it can compute even complex mathematical operations enabling it to process and support audios videos images and other gu eyes.So the Arduino offers an ID with the compiler and is the only one that this device supports which means only the codes written here will work and get compiled on to its physical board this He uses basic C and C++ paradigms and breaks down all its functions into accessible packages making it quite easy to learn and operate.

Modes of Operation of Arduino Vs Raspberry Pi

So it's more like a computer in contrast to the Arduino which can only control path The device and would need additional circuit software and communication buses to run audio video or any visual graphic at all. Plus the pie also offers HDMI support. So all that you need is just a screen or any display device removing the need for connecting it to a computer all the time like the Arduino 

now this is because the Arduino comes without any operating software the only real software it has is for compiling code to Machine level and allowing serial connection for data transfer. This is also why it requires less power and could even get faster as it only needs to compile code and use the chip directly to control any component. 

Whereas the Raspberry Pi must enable all required layers of software and utilize different programs to make any task happen then again, it is also why the Pike in multitask doing a variety of tasks at a time while the Arduino can perform any single task multiple times. 

however with the Raspberry Pi which supports multiple programming languages and software environments. You need to be proficient at coding to get the most out of it. 

Also the pie now comes with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support for remote connections. In fact, its latest model features faster Ethernet or dual band of 2.4 gigahertz and 5 gigahertz wireless, LAN and an embedded web server 

while the we know features Bluetooth on just one of its boards all the Arduino BT and will require additional circuit for communication over wireless networks or Ethernet. Now these additional circuits for the Arduino or called Shields and are attached to it for extended functionalities 

similarly in the case of the Raspberry Pi these extended circuits are called hats both are plenty of available housing diverse functionalities sensors Motors actuators and software on them for interacting with the physical world and driving external hardware according to It's host devices capabilities. Okay. 

Now I can see somebody has a question. So Debbie wants to know what is the most popular programming language that is used for coding with the Raspberry Pi. So since the Raspberry Pi is essentially a computer you can actually run code on it in almost all programming languages. But the most popular one in my opinion would be python as even the pies official operating system comes with the default python ideally, which is the IDE for python.

So I hope that clears you doubt if there is Any more questions, please keep it coming. Okay. Meanwhile, I mean move on. So let me now tell you how you can identify the purpose behind using either an Arduino or Raspberry Pi. 

So the Arduino being more of a micro-controller motherboard is best suited for repetitive tasks like reading and Reporting temperature opening and closing of doors controlling lights or building motion detecting alarms. It also works great for creating quick and lightweight prototypes,

but the Raspberry Pi is more like a general purpose computer and is good at complex. Relations or performing multiple tasks or processing a large amount of data. So if you need a full-fledged computer on a very small scale the pie is what you should be looking at.

Click on the link to know More About Raspberry Pi Complete Guide | OS Installation | How Does its Working

Available Board of Arduino vs Raspberry Pie

So let us now move on to the different boards that both have had over time and look at some of its prominent ones. 

So the Arduino has been around for quite a while now and has had multiple boards over the years with different functionalities. Although the Arduino Uno, you know, the Arduino Mega they Do you know lily pad and the Arduino Bluetooth have been the more popular ones?

Similarly? The Raspberry Pi despite being relatively new is on its third generation with each of its models better than the previous ones the Raspberry Pi 3, B+ is its latest and most powerful development board yet in the session.

Available Board of Arduino vs Raspberry Pie

So, that all and thanks for visiting for more please go to my YouTube channel Loginto Courses

[angelinatoms]

Intrepid boats often serve as luxurious tenders to mega-yachts. But just as Bentley, Porsche and Jaguar now produce SUVs, so has Intrepid with its 407. This new boat has all the luxury, comfort, fit and finish that demanding owners could want, but also boasts some truly creative features.

LOA: 40’0″ | Beam: 11’1″ | Draft (max): 2’6″ | Displacement (approx.): 21,000 lb. | Transom Deadrise: 21 degrees | Bridge Clearance: 9’6″ (no electronics) | Max Cabin Headroom: 6’6″ | Fuel Capacity: 703 gal. | Max Horsepower: 1,350 | Available Power: Triple outboard motors to 1,350 hp total (Courtesy Intrepid Powerboats/)

Intrepid offers the 407 Nomad in two configurations: the SE or the FE version that I ran. Both acronyms refer to how you enter the head. Front entry (FE) slides the entire front of the center console sideways to port at the push of a button. Side entry (SE) constitutes just that. Just forward of the console sits a double sun pad with ram-driven seatbacks. This large island provides copious insulated storage within. Plus, the gunwales sport hatches with storage large enough for fenders, rods, dock lines or dive gear. Intrepid also offers an optional dive-tank storage rack. For après-dive, or après-anything, there’s bow seating with a table that lowers flush with the deck—also at the touch of a button. Plus, you’ll find tons of storage space underdeck, some in drainable fish boxes, and more in the gloss-finished bilge.

The Intrepid 407 is responsive to throttle, and delivers a supremely comfortable ride. (Courtesy Intrepid Powerboats/)

The helm boasts an adjustable platform to improve visibility for the vertically challenged. Additional enclosed rod storage amidships augments the dozen rocket launchers on the aft side of the helm seating. All the gunwale-mounted drink holders cleverly double as rod holders to meet either socializing or angling needs.

Clever foldaway steps just forward of the portside dive door allow you to gracefully board and disembark over the high gunwales if you don’t happen to be at a floating dock and using the dive door for access. These are especially great for nonboating guests.

The dive door makes getting on and off the Intrepid 407 a breeze. (Courtesy Intrepid Powerboats/)

In deference to the yacht-tender function, the 407’s transom has a wide foldout passenger seat. Once stowed, the cockpit accommodates serious fishing. Twin live baitwells in the aft corners have windows and nightlights. Numerous insulated fish boxes underdeck can be plumbed for freezer plates. Despite the large lounging area forward of the center console, the 407 still provides more than enough cockpit space for multiple anglers to fish simultaneously. Gunwales with pads met just below waist-high for a secure feeling.

T he sleek fiberglass hardtop is beautiful, with dark color underneath and both fixed and adjustable LED lights. (Courtesy Intrepid Powerboats/)

Our test day in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, came on the last day of a week’s worth of 30- to 35-knot easterly winds. We hit the inlet at the height of an outgoing supermoon tide, butting heads with the wind. I determined that the 407 Nomad handles drifting in big beam seas comfortably, even without the optional Seakeeper gyrostabilizer, and it ran downsea in total control. Steering proved smooth as silk and very responsive. Your friends and family will be most comfortable aboard, should the weather turn sour.

Just forward of the console sits a double sun pad with ram-driven seatbacks. (Courtesy Intrepid Powerboats/)

Despite its 21,000-pound displacement, the Intrepid 407 rockets away from a dead stop, planing in a mere 3 seconds, and touching 30 mph in just 7 seconds, though I’m not sure how different joystick control would be in close-quarters maneuvering. If you plan to fish the Nomad, you’ll definitely want to opt for the bow thruster that speeds up spinning on fish by an order of magnitude. It also ensures confident docking in difficult situations. The 407 utilizes a stepped or ventilated hull (those notches you see at the waterline). From a performance perspective, the hull injects air along the running surface underway, thereby decreasing frictional resistance for better speed and fuel economy.

Onboard systems are easy to access. (Courtesy Intrepid Powerboats/)

Note that the boat I actually tested featured triple Mercury Racing 450 outboards. The boat shown is fitted with triple Yamaha 425 XTO outboards. According to Yamaha, the 407 Nomad hits 66 mph at wide-open throttle, burning 108 gph for 0.61 mpg. That’s 1 mph slower but more efficient than the Mercury-powered boat, as the performance chart shows. At 3,500 rpm, the Yamaha-powered boat posted 0.81 mpg at 33 mph burning 35.5 gph, while the Mercury Racing-powered boat posted an even 1 mpg and 34.7 mpg burning 34.9 gph.

The 407’s transom has a wide foldout passenger seat. (Courtesy Intrepid Powerboats/)

Intrepid builds boats one at a time, and owners customize each one to their needs and tastes. Each hull consists of PVC coring and nonwoven uni- and multidirectional fiberglass cloth infused with vinylester resin via vacuum bagging for the best possible strength-to-weight ratio. Also, all sales are factory-direct, which allows Intrepid to remain competitive with other boat dealers despite the premium nature of the marque.

Few directly comparable boats exist, but I’d suggest looking at Scout’s 380 LXF ($758,442 base price). At 38 feet, 6 inches long and carrying a 12-foot-1-inch beam, it also can charge hard yet deliver refined entertainability. It offers carbon-fiber-infused construction, a double-stepped hull and more major standards, such as a Seakeeper gyrostabilizer.

This boat delivers superyacht luxury, a taste of high performance, and the opportunity to own a unique boat. (Courtesy Intrepid Powerboats/)

Intrepid’s options list could reasonably ask: What do you want? From custom paint jobs to stabilizers, your choice of outboard brand and more, the company will accommodate. So, if you expect things just so, want to impress family and friends, and want to go fast and smooth in a large and innovative outboard-powered boat, make an appointment to go over and see the new Intrepid 407 Nomad.

High Points

Choose any brand of outboard power.

Responsive to throttle, delivers a supremely comfortable ride, and steers like “buttah.”

Terrific fit and finish.

Low Points

Foldaway boarding steps are only on the port side. With the height of the gunwales, it could really use several more elsewhere.

Would like to see the helm elevator riser drop flush with the sole, like the forward table does.

Price: $550,000 (base with test power)

Available Power: Outboard

Intrepid 407 Nomad FE Certified Test Results (Boating Magazine/)

How We Tested

Engines: Triple Mercury Racing 450R

Drive/Prop: Outboard/14.6″ x 21″ 4-blade stainless steel

Gear Ratio: 1.60:1

Fuel Load: 350 gal.

Water on Board: 10 gal.

Crew Weight: 400 lb.

Intrepid Powerboats – Dania Beach, Florida; 954-922-7544; intrepidpowerboats.com

#boating #boatingtips #boatingsupplies #boatingnews #boatingshop #wolfcreek

[albinohare]

Team Italia's High-Tech Helm

Full yacht-systems integration, 4K displays and augmented reality are all part of i-Bridge VBS. (Courtesy Team Italia/)

One of the coolest aspects of covering electronics for Yachting has been the opportunity to witness the ever-increasing levels of technological integration that have revolutionized yacht operations. Team Italia, through its i-Bridge installations, has become a leader in technological integration.

That lead now widens with the Panorama Virtualized Bridge Solution. This integrated-helm setup has a user-friendly interface that amplifies an operator’s situational awareness, all in a sleek package that combines the technologies of augmented reality, automation, networking, digital switching, power management and global connectivity.

In regards to hardware and software, Team Italia’s eye-pleasing and highly customizable Panorama VBS includes a main user-interface terminal; numerous video-monitoring screens and touch screens; and a bespoke, Linux-based ­operating system, as well as scalable levels of built-in redundancy. The system can include side workstations—“wings,” in Team Italia’s parlance—for tasks such as running the vessel’s electronic chart display and information system, radar or forward-looking sonar. The user-interface terminal includes joggers, tracker balls, rotary knobs and (installation depending) hard keys.

A user’s eyes are likely to be riveted to the system’s touchscreen displays: A 4K stretch screen displays augmented-reality imagery, while LED monitors display real-time video footage from the yacht’s abovedecks-mounted cameras. The screens are typically fitted forward and athwartships of the user-­interface terminal, and the Panorama VBS can be built into the yacht’s dash or can reside on Team Italia-crafted tables. It all depends on the yacht owner’s desired setup.

While the Panorama VBS is visually stunning, its magic resides behind its touchscreen displays, where the various technologies combine.

“The Panorama VBS uses a heterogeneous system architecture and embedded electronic solutions, with fully redundant central-processing units based on watchdog technology,” says Daniele Ceccanti, Team Italia’s technical director. The “watchdog” technologies monitor and report failures, and can restart applications or reboot the system. “The operating system uses suitably ­configured Linux solutions, real-time operating systems and customized solutions. Some parts are based on Windows Embedded or Internet of Things architecture.”

The Panorama VBS also has Swiss-Army-knifelike networking capabilities, including NMEA 0183, NMEA 2000, J1939, CAN bus and RS232 ports. Ceccanti says the company develops additional interface protocols and bespoke hardware solutions as projects dictate.

The result is an ergonomically ­comfortable helm with a state-of-the-art nav system, a full ship’s library (including ­technical documentation) and built-in power management, plus the processing ­power necessary to run a sophisticated yacht from a bank of screens. The system also communicates with people and clouds by way of its Boat Connection Manager, allowing users to manage the vessel’s cellular, Wi-Fi and satellite-communication connections.

“The Panorama VBS can be fully scaled up or down, so it can be fitted aboard middle-sized yachts or on mega- and gigayachts,” Ceccanti says, adding that it’s equally adept aboard custom and semicustom builds.

As with some contemporary automobiles, the Panorama VBS includes operating modes that help owners and captains better perform onboard tasks, such as going through a pre-cruise checklist.

“The operator can choose among the various use profiles,” Ceccanti says. “This means that the tools needed for every specific type of navigation are always readily available.”

The ­augmented-reality features help to simplify tasks such as anchoring. Here, the system employs topsides-mounted video cameras to present, on the system’s LED screens, a graphically augmented rendering of the anchor lowering, as well as information such as real-time depth and the amount of anchor rode that’s been released. The number of installed cameras depends on a vessel’s length overall, with the cameras strategically fitted to deliver panoramic views.

While the Panorama VBS is intuitive and user-friendly, Team Italia says captains need four to eight hours of training. And, the company’s­ ­technical director says, “The Team ­Italia technical staff is always ­available for further training or to help facilitate customer-requested customization options.” (Courtesy Team Italia/)

“The Panorama VBS augmented-reality system gives the captain a full view of the environment around the yacht from the bridge,” Ceccanti says. “Through this type of display, which is graphically overlaid with navigation data, the captain can easily manage steering operations from the bridge.”

Ceccanti sees the system’s ability to deliver panoramic views around the yacht as its biggest innovation, however, he also points to the system’s heads-up displays (HUD) as useful tools for negotiating the marine environment. Unlike augmented reality, which overlays data onto video imagery, HUDs present data on transparent screens.

“The HUD allows users to overlap the main navigational information such as course, waypoint, AIS and radar targets with the actual view while sailing,” he says.

Just like the systems aboard modern, fly-by-wire jetliners, the Panorama VBS allows an operator to control all systems and instrumentation via a few screen taps, while other tasks happen automatically.

“The Panorama VBS has its own automation, monitoring and power-management systems, which are perfectly integrated with the system’s navigation and steering functions,” Ceccanti says. Third-party control systems also can be integrated.

Factor in the Panorama VBS’s ability to plan routes and view cartography that’s overlaid with AIS and radar data, as well as the system’s stunning graphics and intuitive user interface, and it’s easy to understand why Team Italia continues to be seen as a leader in the integration of systems.

Of course, as with any impressive technology, it’s important to remember that what’s at the helm is only a tool of safe navigation. It’s critical that operators maintain their comfort and familiarity piloting their vessels the old-fashioned way, perchance calamity strikes.

But for anyone who is considering a new build or refit with a deep dive into onboard integration and helm-side situational awareness, Team Italia’s Panorama VBS could be worth serious consideration.

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