#although it's more of an interview with management than with Muse

[sunburnacoustic]

Interview with Dominic Pride for Billboard, August 1999

Need more proof that the UK and the US are nations divided by two A&R; communities? Take a look at British three-piece rock band Muse, from the seaside English town of Teignmouth, Devon.

The act was hotly chased by several labels in the US, according to its management, and eventually pacted with Maverick for North America. Maverick will put out the debut album, 'Showbiz', on Sept. 28; elsewhere, Muse has deals with three other labels for key territories. The band's story underlines the divergence in approaches and tastes of the two different A&R; communities, which results in some UK-bred bands such as Bush, or more recently, Spacehog getting sales and attention in the US while keeping a low key following at home.

Despite garnering attention as a finalist in the best-unsigned-band competition at the UK's In The City convention last year, Muse was initially overlooked by British labels. Muse's management and production company, Taste Media, is a joint venture between Safta Jaffery at SJP Producer Management and Dennis Smith at Sawmills Studio in Cornwall, where part of the album was produced.

Jaffery, who also manages the album's producer, John Leckie, says, "This kind of act didn't get a good reception at the time here, as guitar music was not seen very favourably". An appearance at a US music industry convention in November aroused interest in the band, and Maverick was quickest off the mark, says singer/songwriter Matt Bellamy. 'They were able to do the deal there and then. All the others had to see people higher up.' Guy Oseary, head of A&R; and a partner at Maverick, says he was impressed by the quality of the demo, and when he discovered the band was in LA, he went to see them. "They were showcasing for another label, and after the second song I stopped them and said. 'You don't need to play any more,' he says. "It was extremely powerful and beautiful."

With a sound that brings to mind earlier Radiohead—with Bellamy's vocals evoking those of Jeff Buckley—Muse has already impressed live audiences in the US with a tour that included the Woodstock '99 festival in early August. Says Bellamy, "Our sound is very English, but our live show is American."

Outside the US, Taste Media retains the rights and has struck separate licensing deals for the album. So far, it has pacted with Naive in France; with Mushroom for the UK, Ireland and Australasia; and with Motor/Universal for Germany, Switzerland and Austria (GSA) and the Eastern Europe regions.

"We only sent one package to Germany, and that was to [Universal Music president] Tim Renner and [Motor Music managing director] Petra Husemann" says Jaffery. Husemann says, 'When I heard [the tracks] I thought, 'Wow that's even better than Radiohead—great, emotional, pathetic, teenage depression stuff... just great pop music like I want it to be, and the kind of thing that German youth can identify with.' But the label wanted to be sure that it had a 'real performing act'' adds Husemann. 'I was convinced after a showcase in Hamburg', and, says Husemann, 'We signed the deal that night, and we were just sad that we could only get the rights for the GSA and the Eastern Bloc region'.

Deals are under discussion for Scandinavia and Japan; outside of these markets, Taste Media is considering direct sales via the Internet. Maverick's Oseary says having the band signed to several different labels isn't a problem. 'We share the Prodigy around the world,' he says. 'We have Richard Russell [managing director of the Prodigy's signing label, XL] who keeps everything in check, and I think Safta will do the same.'

Mushroom Records UK managing director Korda Marshall says he had his eye on Bellamy from Muse and his previous bands for several years. Mushroom was among the labels that passed on the band the first time around, but, notes Marshall wryly '...A&R;'s a wonderful thing with 20/20 hindsight.' Marshall believes it is possible for Muse to 'avoid the Bush effect' and have a career running on the twin track of being successful in the US while also keeping other markets - especially the UK - interested. 'England is their home, and it's very important that they are successful here', Marshall says. 'It's important that they have the support among the grass-roots media and build a fan base here'.

The album comes out Sept 20 in Germany, Sept 6 in France and October 4 in the UK The first single in France, Germany and the US will be the towering 'Muscle Museum'; the UK will go with 'Cave' an edgy rhythmic track, on September 6.

Having separate deals rather than a single, worldwide deal benefits the band, says manager Jaffery. 'Each of these labels has worked on the act as if it was a domestic signing,' Jaffery says. Working with an American company rather than signing to the British arm of a major has also worked in the band's favour, Jaffery adds. 'If you look at the number of British bands who have done it that way around, very few have made it. [US labels] are not as impressed by the British acts anymore; there isn't the feeling of importance.' Adds bassist Dominic Howard [sic] 'We got a chance to tour the States and build up a following. For a lot of acts that do well here, it can be quite a knockback when they don't do well there.' Maverick's Oseary says he signed Muse with no baggage about their origins, and especially not about their being passed on by British labels.

'That's the least of my concerns,' he says. 'I didn't know that, and I don't care about it. They are just a really great band.' Having success in the US before getting noticed at home can often hamper an acts career, says Mushroom's Marshall. The small group [of media] need to feel they discovered it themselves.' He points, however, to acts such as Ash and Garbage that have managed to retain the credibility of their UK fan bases while selling albums in the US. Muse have British live commitments pending—including several gigs and an appearance at Reading Festival on Aug 27—which take the band to Sept 4. After that, Muse returns to the States for a 12-city tour.

[notmyneighbor]

instinct | doppel francis x female reader

rating | explicit

part 4/?

words | 5.3k

cw | sexual content

ao3 link

fanart credit | kri_stasss on X

taglist | | @maskedpacific @dreamndestiny @r-o-s-e-0

Of all the things you might have listed on your Bingo card for this year, sitting on your couch sideways with your bare legs folded over the lap of a doppelganger definitely hadn’t been one of them.

You remark as much as you take another bite of your pizza, watching with equal parts distaste and fascination at how swiftly Francis’ clone has managed to put down three slices already, earning a puzzled look as he kisses an apology on one knee after briefly balancing the paper plate on your unprotected skin. That pie was hot. You’d barely had time to shower before answering the door for the delivery person. Thankfully you’d gotten to slide into comfortable pajamas while your counterpart had made the sacrifice to redress and deal with collecting dinner at the door.

“It’s a list of things that you’re expecting to happen,” you explain, taking a sip of your soda.

“Ah. Well, you can’t predict everything. Patterns change. Routines give way to spontaneity. Speaking of which…”

You groan. “I knew you’d steer things this way. Yes, we should discuss our strategy for the interview tomorrow. Firstly, the setting. If we approach him at school, he won’t be expecting us.”

“True,” the doppel muses, adding another slice to his now empty plate. “But then again, individuals tend to be more relaxed at home. They behave differently in their own environment.”

“That, and I wouldn’t mind getting a look inside, although I doubt he’s going to have anything on display out in the open that would incriminate him, but it would really be nice.” You drop your crust on your plate and dust your fingers off.

“Are you going to finish that?”

“No. You can have it.” You hand your leftovers to the mimic. “Tomorrow night we are eating something healthy come hell or high water.”

A smile twitches on the milkman’s imposter’s lips and your eyes narrow suspiciously. Apparently he didn’t need a translation for this expression.

“What’s that look for?”

“Nothing. Just…you’re already planning on us having dinner together tomorrow.”

“Oh. I mean…it just seems likely.”

“One of your Bingo card items, yes?”

“Hush, you.” You shove his arm playfully.

“So what’s it to be? School or home?”

You chew your bottom lip, considering. “School. Element of surprise might give a better advantage overall. My next question is, do we approach together, or do we keep one member of the team on standby? Once he knows we’re on to him, he’s going to be even more dangerous. It might be better if he didn’t know both of our faces.”

Francis’ clone frowns. “If that’s the case, I’ll be the one doing the interviewing.”

You shake your head. “No. He might be more cocky talking to a female. Thinking he’s got an advantage.”

“Or he might clam up and not talk at all. He’s dangerous. I don’t think you should be there by yourself.”

“Not any less dangerous for you.”

“Together, then?”

“Together.”

“Alright. And then I want to revisit the murder scenes. I know they’ve been combed over, but I feel like we’re missing something. After that we need to touch base with the Chief.”

“Sounds like a solid plan.” The doppel wipes his fingers off on a napkin and then eases back further against the couch cushions, resting one palm against your knee, tracing small circles along your skin. The activities of the day have finally taken their toll on you and you feel your eyelids getting heavy. “Time for bed?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright. Let’s go.”

You sigh, shifting your legs over the side of the couch and standing, tidying up the living room before following the doppelganger back into your bedroom. He’s already begun shedding his clothing again, stripping down to his underwear, then settling onto the newly changed bed linens.

“There is nothing better than fresh sheets,” you sigh contentedly as you join him, leaning over to switch off the lamp on the nightstand.

“I can think of a few things,” he murmurs. “But I agree, it is pleasant.”

You tuck your face against the doppel’s shoulder. “Shit. I forgot to set the alarm.”

“Already done.”

“Oh, good.” You sigh again. It’s been awhile since you’ve shared a bed with someone. It feels nice having an arm curled around you, even if it belongs to a replicant. “Need to stop by the laundromat tomorrow to wash the comforter. Maybe we could do that in between errands.” You yawn, the sound freezing midway. “Francis,” you whisper.

“What?”

“The laundromat.” Your head lifts. You can’t see him in the darkness, but you know his eyes are on you. “What if the suspect was there doing laundry?”

“Okay, say he was. It’s self service. No way to prove he was there.”

“Maybe there was a reason he was in all of the places individuals were murdered. Doing errands.”

“Some of the sites were homes, though.”

“So maybe he followed them back. Maybe he was somewhere else, first. With them. And he targeted them.” You struggle to sit up, suddenly alert again, switching the light back on.

The cloned milkman rubs at his eyes. “I thought we were going to sleep. We can pick this up tomorrow.”

“We will, I just…” You lean back over, dragging a pad of paper and a pen from the top drawer of the nightstand. “Give me another one of the locations. The residences.”

Francis’ copy rakes a hand through his hair, frowning as he tries to recall the information. “Twenty eight Elm?”

“Twenty seven,” you correct absently. “Yes. All houses in that area, except…there’s a convenience store here.” You quickly sketch a series of squares meant to be houses and lines for roads, then point to one of the boxes.

The doppel shifts to sit up beside you, observing your drawing. “Okay. Possible. We can swing by and show a photo to the clerk. What about the other sites?”

One by one you brainstorm each location. Here, a barber shop two blocks away. There, an auto mechanic on the road just behind. There is also a coffee shop open twenty four hours a day within reasonable distance of another scene.

“This is it. The locations aren’t random. He was at each of them. We can prove some of it, at least. Someone has to remember him.”

“Good. Still not concrete evidence, though.”

“No, it’s not.” You tap the edge of the writing utensil against the page. “The most vicious attack to date was that one at the laundromat. There has to be something there.”

“We’ll go and check it out. Tomorrow,” he emphasizes, reaching for the pen and paper and tossing them onto the top of the nightstand. “Now it’s time for rest.”

“Alright,” you grumble reluctantly. You know you’re right about this. The certainty has you in its grip and you’re not even sure if you’ll be able to sleep now, but you turn the lamp back off and settle next to your partner again. “What happened to your self proclaimed superior stamina?”

“It’s still there. Is that a challenge, sweetheart? You still hungry for more?”

“Are you?”

“As I’ve already told you. We’re always hungry.” His mouth finds yours in the darkness.

***

Your suspect, as it turns out, has a free period right after lunch. The perfect time for an interview.

The prospect of finally meeting the man face to face makes you nervous with anticipation. You fuss with your clothing until Francis’ clone settles his warm palm over your restless fingers. He offers a small smile and you nod, inhaling deeply.

At last the receptionist returns from her break to guide you to the classroom where the man is, apparently shunning the company of the rest of the faculty occupying the break room in favor of consuming the midday meal alone. He looks unfazed at being interrupted, gesturing to a pair of seats across from his desk but you politely decline, passing the wall with its periodic table of elements and a chalkboard that needs a proper wipe down to flash your badge while your partner mirrors your movements and then steps back, his arm pressed near yours. He’s entirely too close, but you’re grateful for the comfort.

The first thing you notice about William Afton are his eyes.

Pale, dead, like a shark’s eyes. They make your skin crawl. His dark hair has a tidy side part, the lenses of his glasses are rectangular and rather petite for his features, and the fingers that clear his desk blotter of the packaging that had housed his lunch are long and slender and particularly well manicured. Does he scrub those trimmed, smooth nails after his crimes, being careful to wipe away evidence, erasing skin and blood and gore?

“How can I be of assistance, detectives?”

His voice is smooth like river rocks, deep like the ocean. You feel the undercurrent of it tugging you along. An entire lecture from this man’s lips must be something to behold.

“As I’m sure you’re aware, the recent brutal sweep of murders have prompted an investigation. We’ve been able to narrow down the killer’s radius and identified potential targets.”

You’d discussed how best to introduce the situation beforehand, wanting to see how the man would react. His features remain frustratingly placid, revealing nothing of his thoughts.

“You think I’m a target? I wasn’t aware the police had progressed so far in their pursuit. I’ve seen very little updates in the newspapers or television broadcasts.”

“So you’re following the case, then?”

“Well, you can hardly expect any citizen not to. Not when the threat is so close to home.”

“Have you noticed anything unusual in your neighborhood lately? Any sightings of someone you don’t recognize?”

Afton withdraws a Manila folder from one of his drawers and sets it on top of his desk, choosing a red pen from the mug nearby and then laying it on top of the closed file. His eyes flick from yours to the doppelganger’s. “I don’t spend much time outdoors, but no, I haven’t seen anyone suspicious. Is there someone I should be on the lookout for? Have any witnesses come forward?”

“I’m afraid not,” you lie. “We haven’t been able to narrow down our list of potential suspects just yet.”

“That explains the lack of updates on the news,” he remarks drily. “Well, I’m sorry I wasn’t able to be more helpful. I wish you luck on your search. If you’ll excuse me, I do have some exams to grade.”

“We won’t take up much more of your time,” you interject. You feel the imposter’s body stiffen beside you. You’re going off script. “Just to clarify a few points. We’ve been trying to ascertain where members of the community were in relation to the attack sites. I realize a series of dates thrown at you won’t immediately trigger a recollection of where you were at the time, so we’ll keep it to just one for now, the most recent one last week: the laundromat. Do you remember where you were that afternoon?”

The teacher drums his fingers on top of the folder, regarding you. “I’ve no need to use their services. I have my own appliances at my residence.”

“Do you recall where you were that day, though? It was a Saturday,” you remind him.

“Probably doing some chores at home. My day off,” he elaborates. “You know how it is. Getting caught up on things you can’t do during the week.”

You nod. “Of course.”

His fingers still. “It sounds as if you're screening me as a potential suspect, not a possible witness,” he observes.

“Not at all. Just trying to place where everyone was. Hoping to maybe find someone that might have heard or seen something and not even realized it yet.”

“Grasping at straws, then. You really don’t have any leads.” Now there is an unmistakable hint of contempt in the teacher’s tone.

You frown, about to reply, but Francis’ doppel speaks first. “We can’t discuss certain aspects of the case with the general public. But rest assured we will find the person responsible.”

The seated man’s lips twitch in an almost but not quite smile.

“You live alone, Mr. Afton, is that correct?”

The mocking, satisfied look fades from his lips. “Yes. What does that have to do with anything?”

You feel the politeness shifting to wariness and you work quickly to shift the conversation to a close before he grows suspicious. “Just verifying our information. We recommend you keep your doors and windows locked and that you’re aware of your surroundings.”

“I had no intention of doing otherwise.”

“Right. Well, that should be all for now. If you think of anything that might be helpful, don’t hesitate to contact the station.”

“Do you have a business card?”

“Oh. Yes, here.”

Your partner intervenes then, swiftly extracting a card from his wallet and handing it to the seated man. You recognize the gesture for what it is: he’s trying to protect you.

“Thank you for your cooperation.”

“Of course. Good luck, detectives.”

You actually shiver once your leave the classroom and begin walking down the corridor. You feel like you’ve just touched something slimy. “He’s dirty, Francis.”

“I agree. He’s definitely suspicious. What was that back there? You didn’t stick to our plan.”

“I was trying to draw him out. Wanted to see how he’d react. I know it was a gamble. I just needed to prod him a bit.”

You descend the staircase leading to the front entrance of the high school campus and slide behind the wheel of your car. “I want to start hitting up those local businesses. See if we can place him anywhere near those murder sites.”

By late afternoon you have some successful witnesses to Afton’s presence in three of the locations. He’s a regular at the convenience store and the coffee shop, and he’s been to the auto body shop within the last month.

You save the laundromat for last, entering the alley and scanning the ground and the sides of the neighboring buildings, holding a hand to your nostrils to block the odor. “Man, what are people tossing in here? It reeks.”

The doppelganger takes a few steps further in, his eyes sweeping the narrow space. You stomp your foot in frustration, turning back to face the street when your eyes fall on the dumpsters again. “Francis.”

“What is it? Got something?”

“Your doppel acquaintance said he was tucked behind the rubbish container to shield what he was doing.”

“Yes.”

“Ripping the body to shreds with the replicant claws he’d borrowed.”

“Correct.”

You glance at your partner. “So that’s got to leave a huge mess behind. It’s not precise like using a weapon.”

“But the site has already been searched. There weren’t any prints. No DNA from the killer.”

“Do you think anyone checked underneath the dumpsters? They’re on wheels. Not flush with the ground.”

The mimic tips his head to one side thoughtfully. “Probably not. You want me to scout around down there?”

“I think it’s worth it.”

“You owe me a shower session after this,” he mumbles, kneeling on the asphalt and then lowering his upper body until he can peer underneath. He reaches into his pocket for a tiny flashlight on his keyring, shining the beam around, suddenly freezing. “I think I see something. Got an evidence bag handy?”

“Yeah, in the car. Hang on.” You quickly retrieve the bag and return to Francis’ clone, hoping you’re finally about to catch a break on the case with some concrete evidence. “Here.”

You watch as he withdraws a pen from his shirt pocket, hearing him scrape something into the evidence container before he straightens, holding up his prize. There’s a shirt button inside, a tiny clear plastic disc smudged with a dark stain.

“Oh shit, look at that.”

“Could belong to anyone. Can’t tell if that’s dirt or what.”

“It could be his, though. And that could be blood. We gotta drop this off with Forensics. Good job, Francis.”

“It was your idea. You deserve partial credit at least.” He pushes himself to his feet, dusting his hands off after he hands you the bag. “After that, can we do dinner? I’m starving.”

“What else is new?” You tease, then your expression softens. “Yeah, we can stop at the store to pick up some things on the way back.”

“Want to stay at my place tonight?”

“Okay.” You return to the car, wondering what Francis’ residence might look like. You try to imagine the doppel apartment hunting, furnishing his home, and it makes you smile again.

“You’re in a good mood,” he observes with a fond smile of his own.

“I feel like we made progress today. It feels good,” you concede.

“We did make progress. We’re an effective team.” He leans closer, his voice lowering. “I don’t want to touch you with dirty hands, so I’ll settle for a kiss instead. I miss that mouth.”

You allow yourself one brief brush against his lips before starting the car. You’re craving his touch more than you’re admitting. The case had been distracting you, but now that your work is almost finished, your thoughts are wandering. You squirm a little in your seat and the movement doesn’t go unnoticed by your passenger.

“Getting a little restless, honey? Don’t worry. I’ll fill you right up again.”

“Francis,” you murmur, a warm ache filling your lower belly.

“I told you, you’re mine. Going to fuck you senseless later,” he promises.

You don’t obey the speed limit for the rest of the drive.

***

After a brief stop by the police station to drop off the evidence (and a quick trip to the bathroom so the replicant can wash his hands) you bring your partner to the grocery store. Baked chicken and vegetables and a white zinfandel sounds like the perfect meal, allowing the doppel to add a ready made frozen cheesecake to the contents of the shopping cart before checking out. You have no idea what kind of provisions the man has in his fridge and cupboards but you’re willing to bet it’s minimal at best. You toss a few seasoning items into the overnight bag along with pajamas and a change of clothes and then you declare that you’re finally ready to return with Francis’ doppel to his apartment, even surrendering the keys and allowing him to drive.

Your jaw drops when you see your partner’s lodgings.

His apartment is in a good part of the city and it’s nicely decorated with modern furnishings and appliances. Far classier and more elegant than your own humble abode.

“How the heck did you manage something like this?” You murmur as you begin unpacking the groceries.

Francis’ clone shrugs. “Kind of lucked out, really. Chief has connections.”

“Sexist jerk,” you mumble. “I knew I was getting robbed.”

“After we solve this case, I’m sure you’ll get a raise,” he says, planting a kiss on your cheek.

“Hmph. Go take your shower and I’ll get dinner started.”

“Alright. Don’t scowl, sweetheart. I like it when you smile so much better.” Another kiss to mollify you. It’s somewhat effective. You find your pleasant mood gradually returning as you begin preparing the meal. You switch on the television in the nearby living room for background noise, listening more attentively when the highlights of the day are recounted. Nothing concerning the case. Your interest fades and you refocus on cooking.

When the doppelganger returns, his damp hair slicked back, wearing only an undershirt and boxers, you find yourself distracted again. You cuddle on the couch until the oven beeps, interrupting kisses and touches that had begun to grow heated.

Once you’re both seated at the kitchen table with plates of steaming hot food in front of you, you hum appreciatively around your first bite, taking a sip from a glass that isn’t intended for wine. It feels silly drinking from the inelegant tumbler but you suppose it really doesn’t matter what container it’s in. “So what do you do after working all day?”

“Not much. Usually just rest on the couch for awhile. Watch television. Go to bed. This is good,” he compliments you as he samples another forkful of seasoned potatoes. “You led me to believe you couldn’t cook.”

“I mean, I can manage a few basic things.”

“You’ll have to teach me. I cannot.”

“I’ve noticed,” you murmur wryly. “You and your take out.”

He shrugs. “It serves its purpose.”

You have a brief thought of what he might have consumed before diverting his meals from humans themselves and your stomach flutters unpleasantly. Did he ever indulge on occassion, unable to resist what he truly craved? You certainly hoped not.

“You’ve got that dark look on your face again,” he observes, gesturing at you with his fork, the tines violently spearing a piece of chicken before he takes a bite.

“Sorry. Just thinking.” You shake your head as if to free your mind of the unsavory thoughts.

“I’m going to grab seconds.”

“Save room for dessert.”

“I will.” He smirks, nudging your leg with his bare foot. “Including you.”

You return the sly grin.

***

You sink into the mattress with a contented sigh.

The sheets have a satisfying crisp, cool feel against your skin. The doppelganger seems bemused by your response, propping up his head on one hand while he lets his fingers skim across your skin. You’ve brushed your teeth and slipped into a satin camisole that had been tucked away at the back of your dresser drawer. You’d worn it a grand total of one time previously, the gesture unappreciated by your ex.

“I like this. Like liquid. Reminds me of the ocean,” he murmurs, caressing the curve of one breast through the teal colored fabric.

“You like the beach?”

“The sea. Yes, I think it’s beautiful. There’s a kind of calm there. The magnitude of that expanse should be daunting, but I find it soothing instead.” He’s found your nipple, the pad of his middle finger drawing tiny circles over the pebbling flesh.

“We should go together sometime.”

“I’d like that.” One last stroke and then he shifts to the opposite mound, repeating the same process. You squirm a little beneath his touch, both impatient for him to go further and content to allow this gentle exploration to continue. His head finally lifts from its support and he bends to kiss your chest just above the neckline of your gown, eyes flicking up to your face, the faintest smile ghosting his lips before his thumb slips beneath the strap of your lingerie and slides it over your shoulder. He kisses that joint with the same reserved pressure, another soft graze before he tugs at the neckline of your nightie and his tongue rasps across your exposed nipple.

“Francis…”

He suckles now, a quick pull between his lips, and you torso shifts restlessly, your fingers sinking into his hair.

“I can give it to you however you want. Hard or soft. Fast or slow.” He climbs over you, his face dipping until it hovers just above yours, his dark eyes burning into you. “I can be whatever you want. Whatever you need.” He kisses your mouth, then draws back to study your features. “What’s it to be tonight, sweetheart?”

You’re still feeling buzzed from the wine. You wonder if he isn’t feeling the effects too. Or maybe the doppels metabolized alcohol differently. You trace his lips and follow the arch of his cheekbone and a sigh escapes him, warm against your skin. “I don’t even know how to respond to that,” you reply dazedly. “I’ve never had anyone offer…”

“You’ve no idea how you make me feel, do you?” His hips press down against yours and you gasp at the feel of his erection but then he surprises you by taking your hand and pressing it against his chest, when the heart beating within that cavity feels so familiar, so like your own, an answering echo between you.

You want to say it’s too soon, that the feelings are being mistaken, guided by hormones, infatuation and lust driving emotions, but that slight tremor along his jaw, that flutter of his lashes before his mouth rejoins yours feels so raw, so sincere. You want to be reckless like that, just give yourself over, but that wall is still there, trying to shield you from any more hurt. There’s only one way this can go. You can’t have feelings for him. He’s your work partner. He’s not even human.

“I’m not going anywhere. This case ends, whatever happens, I’m still going to be with you. I want to make you forget everyone that’s ever hurt you. Will you allow me to do that for you?”

“Oh, Francis, I want to.”

“Let me in, honey. Let me in. Let me in,” he croons against your ear, stroking you hip and nudging aside the satin, fingers stuttering, surprised to find you’ve skipped wearing panties. You hadn’t seen the point. This was always going to be the end result of your evening together. Inevitable.

“Francis…”

“Hummm…fuck,” he growls when he wedges between your parted legs and inserts himself into your body, a slow thrust up and his mouth crushing down. You whimper and roll your pelvis to meet his. Still sore from the previous evening but you welcome the intrusion, the stretch and fill, the ache and pleasure being joined with the replicant brings. “You like it?”

“Yes,” you huff between kisses. His pace is still slow, plunging deep, gradually retreating, shoved back forward, then withdrawing. No signs of what really lies beneath tonight, just the mortal form of the milkman, though you swear you can still feel the mimic regardless, a kind of vibration palpable beneath the human skin that conceals him, as if it’s struggling to break free.

It should terrify you, and yet it doesn’t; there’s an odd sort of thrill at the knowledge, at the memory. You already know a little of what he’s capable of. You have no doubt he could fuck you for hours, straight ‘til dawn, leaving you absolutely ravaged and you want that; crave that kind of wild abandon and surrender.

How sweet his promises sound when he offers you this spot in his bed permanently while his cock begins pummeling you more insistently, nudging at your insides; when he talks about bringing you to the shoreline, to listen to the waves crash, to feel the wind in your hair and taste the salt on your skin. He’s meant to be a deceiver; you know it, but it sounds so sincere and you want to believe him. You want…

“Francis,” you gasp, the first rolls of bliss thundering through you, catching you off guard, your nails digging into his skin.

“Good girl,” he hums. “My good girl. Mine.”

You find you don’t mind the praise as much now, letting it roll over you just like the beads of perspiration dripping down your brow, sliding between your colliding bodies.

He’s beside you now, outside your body, looking at you with those hungry eyes, touching you with careful fingers. You find yourself climbing over him, kissing your way down his chest, sucking along the crest of one hip, your eyes meeting his before you divert to the middle, licking a stripe along his cock, your taste heavy on him, still slick with your juices, with the precum that leaks from the head. Your mouth waters and you push your lips over the flushed crown, eliciting a little hiss and moan. It’s more than you can comfortably take, your gag reflex already straining, but you’re determined, alternating between impaling your throat several times and then gasping for air, slathering your saliva over his prick. He assists you the next time, his fingers buried in your hair, gripping your head, holding you in place. For a panicked moment you struggle, eyes watering, and then he releases you. You hold yourself there for a moment longer before surrendering and you hear a soft, pleased chuckle rumbling from your lover.

“So stubborn,” he murmurs. “But I knew you could do it. You’ll choke down my real cock too, one of these nights.” His thumb presses along your bottom lip and then shoves inside your mouth, dragging along the carpet of your tongue. “What a fucking wonder you are.”

Straddling the doppel, you bend down to kiss his mouth, wet and sloppy, a thread of spit linking rosy wedges before he slurps it up, head lifting to recapture your mouth. Your palm rests at the base of his throat and he covers it with his own, squeezing lightly. “You can be rough with me, honey. I’m not going to break. Use me. Do whatever you want to me.”

You inhale deeply, holding your own breath while you restrict his. You’re still not confident, releasing your hold abruptly and gasping in a lungful of air. “A work in progress,” you concede, shifting your attention now to guiding him back inside of you.

“You’re so brave,” he hums, his hips lifting as you grind down and oh, is it nice, sitting on that fat cock, rocking back and forth with shallow, teasing little motions while your lips worship his features, moving from cheek to jaw to neck then back to his mouth again. “So brave, and clever, and beautiful.”

“I don’t know about that last one.”

“Only the last one?” He nips your earlobe playfully. “You are.”

“Why are you so good at pillowtalk?” You don’t want to admit there’s a little flair of jealousy hidden in those lightly uttered words. You don’t want to think about him being intimate with other people, humans or doppels.

“I just say what I feel. Uninhibited. You should try it.”

“That’s not how humans operate. If everyone just said whatever they were thinking…”

“What would happen? Would the world come to an end?”

“Fuck, I don’t know. Maybe.” You lean back, now grinding down in earnest, clutching the hands he offers, using them to support you. “You really could do this for hours, couldn’t you?”

He smirks. “Yes.”

“No bullshit bragging?”

“No bullshit bragging.”

“Fuck.”

“Mmm-hmm.” His eyes flash and he slams his hips upward, knocking the breath from your lungs.

“Show off,” you pant.

“I’m actually displaying tremendous restraint right now.” Another sharp roll of his pelvis.

“What are you holding back from doing?”

“Oh, honey, that’s a dangerous question and you know it.” He sits up, wrapping an arm around your lower spine, keeping you impaled on him while he maneuvers you back beneath him. Your heels dig into the dimples above his buttocks as he resumes fucking into you. That humming sensation along his skin is stronger now, a more violent rattle as the monster within tries to shake itself free. “I won’t let it out unless you ask,” he whispers. You nod, then murmur your assent. “Are you certain?”

“I want you.”

A heavy exhale. The skin beneath your fingers ripples. You feel it inside of you first, that doppel’s cock stretching and uncoiling and spearing you deeper. His tongue is next, curling around your ear, slipping down your neck and teasing your shoulder before disappearing back behind rows of sharp teeth. His claws have returned too, digging into your skin. His eyes are the last to shift, transforming into hypnotic pools that you can’t look away from. Even still, you know this isn’t everything he’s concealing; he’s still being cautious. Gauging what you’ll tolerate.

“One day,” he says, as if sensing your thoughts. His voice has become rougher, raspier, sawing over your lips before he parts them, cleaving with that wicked tongue. His claws sink into your hair, wrenching your head back, just enough for you to feel a slight burn near the roots before he relaxes his grip, soothing kisses exchanging for probing muscle. “You already have me. You know that. Ruined me for anyone else.” Inside your core, he reaches all the most sensitive places. A flutter starts low in your belly. At the feeling. At his words. “Let me in,” he says, and you realize he doesn’t mean the union of your bodies.

The barrier you’d constructed so carefully, shored up for so long, now steadily crumbling.

[777bae]

── Sure thing

Scenarios with jude to the lyrics <3

PAIRING… Jude Bellingham x fem!reader | Genre… angst, slight fluff | WC… 2.6k

Love you like a brother

You were childhood best friends, growing up alongside each other, he treated you as his own sibling. How you managed to catch feelings from his treatment is questionable however, love was still love and so whether he treated you as a sibling or as a lover, you would continuously choose to love him.

Treat you like a friend

There’s always going to be the questionable stage in which you are confused on whether you are dating or not. You believed he was still treating you as a friend and so continued to live in denial of your feelings.

Respect you like a lover

He believed that he was expressing his undying love for you, treating you in the manner he was. The confusion continued on, both unsure on confessing your feelings for each other.

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Singing in the kitchen together, hand in hand, as you sway to each other’s beats, feeling as if it were you against the world, never once breaking eye contact as your cheesy smiles spoke more than what could ever be said.

You could bet that, never gotta sweat that

Having rapping competitions to see who could rap the fastest, however they always ended up with you laughing at Jude’s choice of clothes, his cap always being backwards as his moves always became animated when he began.

If you be the cash

Everyone believed you were in it for the money, the constant belittling leading to a decline in your mental health and so Jude ensured that he would love you endlessly. You agreed, confirming that your love for him was worth more than a simple piece of paper.

I'll be the rubber band

Jude refused to leave your side. Much to your ‘displeasure’ (although you secretly enjoyed the attention). He always needed to be attached to you in some way, whether it be his arm around your waist, or his hand clasping yours, you could always be sure that he would be by your side, ready to take on anything.

You be the match

You were a very emotional person, by perhaps every emotion. Anger, love, passion, sadness, happiness. You knew how to express your feelings however whenever you did so, said emotion would consume you, causing what others would call as ‘outbursts’. Whenever these situations would occur Jude would immediately be by your side, his arms wrapped around you as you would release your feelings. His comforting words always calmed you down as you would continue to remain in place, enjoying the short moments in which you could feel this comfort.

I will be a fuse, boom

The two of you were both known as being quite mischievous and so whenever one of you was up to no good, it was almost a guarantee that the other was in on it as well. You were both into pranks, constantly devising the perfect plan, and so leading to them being perfectly executed as your laughter would merge after every execution, those moments forever being your favourites.

Painter baby, you could be the muse

Art was your strong suit and so whenever you finished a project, you would be bombarded with constant praise, even without asking for his input. This would help boost your ego as you grew more confident with every new piece of media.

I'm the reporter baby, you could be the news

Constantly mimicking his post game interviews from the moment he arrives home. He would always act like he hates it when he secretly loves it as it confirms that you spent your time watching him match.

'Cause you're the cigarette and I'm the smoker

Him never being able to speak for himself and always needing you to help express himself, a reassuring hug from you to him always lead him to gain confidence, to which he would use as he would begin to express his opinion in tough situations.

We raise a bet, cause you're the joker

Playing card games with each other, both of you refusing to admit that you lost due to your competitiveness and so leading to a mini argument. Eventually, one of you would crumble from guilt and so the day would end with you apologising to each other and ending up on the sofa cuddling.

Checked off, you are a chalk

You always have to remind him of chores and other activities he needed to do, almost as if you were his personal agent as every so often you would get annoyed at his forgetfulness.

And I can be the blackboard

Jude would notice how annoyed you would get at having to constantly remind him of things and so he began to try and get better. He would start writing down small activities you mentioned needed to be done and would do them for you, surprising you as you would thank him continuously, apologising for how annoyed you used to get.

You could be the talk

Between the two of you, you were the easiest to rile up. Easily growing angry and annoyed over such trivial matters. Many mentioned how you were the fiesty one and so it was easily balanced between the both of you.

And I could be the walk

Though Jude was the calmer one, that didn’t mean he couldn’t act up when he wanted to. Whenever you were hurt because of comments made about your relationship, he would always grow angry. The constant hate directed towards you always caused an angry post to appear on his social media, showing that he in fact could also get riled up.

Even when the sky comes falling

Whenever it would start to rain whilst you were both out, he would always hold up an umbrella above you, ensuring that you wouldn’t get wet and despite your constant persistence, he refused to put it over him. Eventually, this leads to you cuddling up to him to ensure that he would also be covered.

Even when the sun don't shine

On a cold winter's night you would snuggle up with each other on the sofa, a warm blanket placed on top of the two of you as you would watch a movie together, however you would always end up falling asleep in Jude’s comfort as he would quickly following, the both of you ending up sleeping there for the night.

I got faith in you and I

Everyone said that you were perfect for each other, even from the day you first met you were inseparable and so time could only tell before your young love would begin to blossom.

So put your pretty little hand in mine

Walking hand in hand wherever you go, even if you or him find it embarrassing in the moment you both still appreciate the small expressions of love.

Even when we're down to the wire baby

Whenever your relationship goes into a rough patch, you both still know you love each other, even after the terrible words exchanged in your arguments. You both just knew that you would need a few days away from one another and yet both your hearts still yearned for each other.

Even when it's do or die

Jude was your ride or die. You wouldn’t know what you’d be doing without him. Most likely because you’ve known him since when you can first remember but that doesn’t change the fact that he has been here with you all this time, and will continue to be up until your last moments.

We could do it baby, simple and plain

You both knew you didn’t need to overexert yourselves to make the other happy and so, instead of extravagant date nights every date, you would both decide to spend it in each other's arms, cooking together, or just playing games. You could keep it simple and plain and still be able to enjoy yourselves.

'Cause this love is a sure thing

Knowing that he is your past, present and future, and planning out your lives together, spending and cherishing every moment together.

You could bet that, never gotta sweat that

Playing monopoly together and arguing with each other on whether you stole from the bank (which you did). One of you practically sweating as the other began to enter the last moments of the game.

Be the lover, I'll be the fighter baby

Calming him down after another one of his angry posts about the hate you receive, telling him that it truly doesn’t matter as long as the two of you will continue to love each other.

If I'm the blunt, you could be the lighter babe

He is always there to back you up whenever you get into fights, allowing you to have the freedom of choosing your actions, whether they would have consequences or not, and just being there in case it escalates.

Fire it up

Secretly cheering you on when you finally stand up for yourself, seeing you constantly vulnerable had caused him to grow angry and seeing you finally stop the attack made him proud.

Writer baby, you could be the quote

Helping him write down small speeches and preparing him for important interviews, all while messing about and writing down random inspirational quotes, placing them all around your house for him to see.

If I'm the lyric baby, you could be the note, record that

Singing together once again, this time pretending it was your own concert as you held ‘mics’ up and began to practically scream the lyrics.

Saint I'm a sinner, prize I'm a winner and it's you

Him inviting you onto the pitch after his team won a trophy, immediately hugging you as you could feel the excitement bubbling off of you. After taking photos with the team he would arrive in front of you, placing the medal onto you as you pulled him into a tight hug.

What did I do to deserve that

Always returning back to one another and expressing the feelings you had been bottling up between you, allowing you to both grow and understand each other more.

Paper baby, I'll be the pen

You both do an artsy date at home where you try to teach him how to draw, by recreating one of your many works. He eventually gives up and decides to draw you in his own way, making you look like an animated character as that drawing was instantly hung on your wall once it was completed.

Say that I'm the one, cause you are a ten

Him always saying that you are the most beautiful girl he has ever seen and whenever placed in front of a woman who you would consider was prettier than you, his longing eyes would still search for you within a crowd.

Even when the sky comes falling

Dancing in the rain, lightning causing his features to be brought out beautifully as you ignored the fact that the two of you would most likely catch a cold.

Even when the sun don't shine

Staying inside on a foggy day, just staying in bed longer than needed and cuddling up to one another, enjoying the comfort you both brought to each other.

I got faith in you and I

Him promising that he would spend his future with him, in a small house with as many kids as you want, including the dog that you’d always dreamed of having.

So put your pretty little hand in mine

Bringing you small gifts on important days, knowing that you’d feel guilty if he brought expensive ones as you can not afford such gifts for him.

Even when we're down to the wire baby

Going through new experiences together and admitting that you would both like to in the future as well.

Even when it's do or die

Him happily standing up for you when an interviewer crosses the line, always ensuring that he will be on your side.

We could do it baby, simple and plain

Wondering whether you were right for him as you once again felt as if you weren’t good enough as you didn’t have the expensive items other footballers girlfriends had.

'Cause this love is a sure thing

Him ensuring that no matter how much money you had, he would love you endlessly.

This love between you and I is simple as pie baby

Knowing that you could always rely on him being there for you whenever needs be, just like how you were for him, and realising how simple life could be, not needing everything to be over the top.

It's such a sure thing (such a sure thing)

Knowing that he will eventually propose and that you don’t need to stress about when he would, accepting that he would do it when he feels ready.

Ooh it such a sure thing (such a sure thing)

Him reciting your words after getting a small lecture about a small issue, a huge smile on his face as he treasured moments like this.

Even when the sky comes falling

Trying to find the perfect place to spend date night as it was your turn to decide and him eventually admitting that he prefers spending them at home with you.

Even when the sun don't shine

You always go to his games whenever possible and no matter the weather, eventually ending up in him scolding you for coming out in that weather before pulling you into a tight hug, his way of ‘protecting’ you from the kpotential illnesses’.

I got faith in you and I

Him finally proposing to you in the comfort of your own home, the sheer amount of happiness you felt in that moment cannot even be expressed through words.

So put your pretty little hand in mine

The loving kiss he gave you after you accepted his ring, his hand on your cheek as you both smiled lightly, realising that you were now experiencing what you had planned.

Even when we're down to the wire baby

Planning out your wedding together whilst still joking around with each other, your laughter filling the room as it reminds you of the old times.

Even when it's do or die

Him sneaking in a few comments about your future together and the future children you would have, sneakily wrapping an arm around your waist whilst wiggling his eyebrows as you would just giggle at his mischievousness.

We could do it baby, simple and plain

Stressing about planning for the wedding, your easily emotional mood being caught on by Jude as he tells you that whether the wedding is simple or extravagant, nothing would ever stop his love for you.

'Cause this love is a sure thing

Going out dress shopping with your friends and then finding the perfect dress, them confirming that he would love it so much.

Love you like a brother

Memories of the childhood you spent with Jude causing your smile to grow as you remember how naïve you were as a child to not have confessed your love for him sooner.

Treat you like a friend

Sneaking out the night before your wedding to see each other one last time, and beginning to reminisce about the years you had spent with him, finally admitting that you had loved him way longer before he confessed.

Respect you like a lover

You walking down the aisle, your beautiful white dress matching the veil that cascaded across your features, making you unable to see the loving looks you would receive from Jude.

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Singing together in your home after experiencing the most loving and vulnerable moments of your lives together, your wedding day.

[daybreakrising]

[ coral ]  give a shoutout to one of your favorite blogs. & [ fuchsia ]  bonus round: angst or fluff? one-liners or paras? plotting or winging it? memes or starter calls? single muse or multimuse?

colourful interview.

[ coral ]  give a shoutout to one of your favorite blogs.

i am targeting @apocryphis this time purely bc i have been thriving on the j.iaoqiu & m.oze discussion we've been having lately (amongst others) and i am holding ventium up like simba

i could talk for hours about all the dynamics we've built / are building and how i love them all for how unique and layered they all are, and the enthusiasm for all of them just feeds me - but instead i shall simply focus instead on how ven manages such a variety of muses so well, giving them each their own voice and really conveying their personalities through each reply, regardless of context. i 100% read everything ventium puts on my dash even if it's not for me bc i simply adore their writing. a very talented and lovely individual who you should all absolutely follow if you don't already

[ fuchsia ]  bonus round: angst or fluff? one-liners or paras? plotting or winging it? memes or starter calls? single muse or multimuse?

angst or fluff: both, but i do lean towards angst bc it is so delicious and there's just. endless potential there. fluff, whilst soft and fun to write, can get a bit... idk, stale? to me? if it's the only thing on the table - whereas i can write angst until the end of time SDBGLFDKHNFG what can i say, i just love to inflict suffering and pain upon my writing partners <3

one-liners or paras: PARAS. always paras. i absolutely cannot do one-liners. the occasional crack back-and-forth stuff is fine, but if it's intended as a more serious interaction, one-liners just do not give me enough to go on and i struggle to expand on it to match my usual standard of response.

plotting or winging it: plotting. plotting absolutely, although i don't mind adding in elements of 'winging it' into the mix, depending on the dynamic in question. but i need plotting if we're developing a dynamic of any kind (but especially for ships. 'winging it' for ships isn't an option).

memes or starter calls: both equally. for me, memes are easy to test out potential dynamics, a nice quick way to start things off, and sometimes just fun for little insights into the dynamic outside of any longer threads. starter calls are more personal, however, and because they require more thought and effort, it's a good way to really kick off the dynamic or expand upon something discussed in plotting. i tend to reblog more memes than i put out starter calls simply due to time and energy reasons, but i do like writing starters for people.

single muse or multi: multi. listen, i did the single muse blog thing, and it's fine if i only intend to write one muse, but.... i never intend to write only one. and i cannot function with multiple single muse blogs and i applaud anyone who does. i'd end up focusing on one muse alone bc the thought of logging in and out of multiple blogs is exhausting to me. i don't have the energy for that. instead i can sit upon my hoard of muses here like the dragon i am-

[joealwyndefenseattorney]

just thinking how I’ve never seen anyone give lorde’s exes (i don’t even know the names lol) or jack antonoff shit because of one of her albums.

melodrama was so critically aclaimed and a masterpiece, you can really feel what going through that breakup felt like just like you can feel what going through your own breakups was/is like. you can actually consume her art to go through your own life and feelings without interference of celebrity drama. I can’t do that with taylor. It’s like even her GOOD songs are so dependent on her being seen as popular and a good songwriter. like, if taylor wasn’t taylor, would she have the same aclaim? I really don’t think so. even her “genius” is a PR creation. and then the songs that deserve recognition you still have trouble listening to without having flashes of her overexposured face or life. she’s the product more than she produces it.

I was thinking how you could use the misogyny card to talk about how an ex of alex turner’s, for instance, or harry’s would get so much shit because of a breakup album and they don’t. don’t get me wrong, a lot of times they’re harassed just for dating them because the fans get jealous, and that’s misogynistic, but I can’t recall now a single song that villainizes one of them. maybe there even is one, but the most import thing is we can’t easily recall it.

there’re a lot of songs about being heartbroken, not being able to move on, about other peoples’ mistakes and flaws, but still whenever someones talks about alexa for example is all about how she’s the forever it girl and muse. although some people don’t like some of their exes it’s always based on something that happened online, interviews or misogynistic jelousy. It’s separate from their art, which it the main thing they control anyway.

With taylor, there’s the weaponizing of her art, but she ALSO uses her pr machine to hunt them down. like, she goes TWO steps ahead. It’s so intentional and she’s the first one to throw a fist to say she’s just being an innocent and vulnerable artist like eD sHeEran.

And the fact that she has one of the most agressive fanbases and paints herself as such a good and sensitive girl could make one think she’d be even more attentive to how she portrays someone (specially someone she loved and respected), but no. actually, no.

this is so frustrating as an ex fan to realise everyday. shit.

Taylor is the only one who still at their age plays these immature games. The rest of the artist have grown past the petty ways- and even then they didn’t do nearly what she has done to her ex’s. I’m thankful Joe managed to escape.

[cherrylng]

The Resistance Live Report [STYLE Series #004 - Muse (August 2010)]

The Resistance Live Report

Osaka expedition in pursuit of Muse! From the late fuss to the chorus at the 9 January 2010 Osaka-jo Hall concert, as experienced by the manager of Japan's biggest fan site.

Text: Luna (MUSE shrinking universe)

The exterior of Osaka-jo Hall looks like the stone walls of a castle, with a modern hall built into it. Anyway, it had been a long time since I had seen a show in such a large venue partitioned off by barricades, so that alone was exciting.

The front block was closer to the stage than I expected, and when Matthew played his solo in front of me, I could see his face as clearly as when I saw him at the venue, and it was a good distance to look over Dom's drumming. Compared to a packed house, the number of people per block was reasonable, and the crowd was just right, except for the front row. However, before the show started, the arena and the stands suddenly waved, bringing the arena and the stands together, and just when the tension was at its highest, an announcement was made that the show was running late due to an equipment problem. Unlike at Fuji, there was no sign of the tech wandering around the stage, and with such a perfect set up, how could there possibly be any trouble now? I thought, "The members are on their way from the hotel now. We are caught in a traffic jam, but we will be arriving shortly". Oh, they haven't even arrived yet! But how can traffic alone cause such a delay? I'm sure it was one of these reasons - Dom was late because he was having too much fun, Chris smoked too much and had to take oxygen, someone had a stomach ache and had to go to the toilet, someone talked too much for a magazine interview, etc. - and it was fun to think of a Muse-like reason for the late departure (laughs).

But in the midst of all this, the on-the-spot announcer who explained the situation every step of the way was so human and warm that there was little frustration at the one-hour delay. They apologised again and again for the delay, and even announced the end time, and when they said something that made me cry, "We promise you the best performance because of the delay" (laughs), I applauded and laughed, not to mention booed……

Finally, the stage opened with 'Uprising', and the rest of the show was just too much to describe: wonderful sounds, heart pounding and fun. Dom's Japanese hadn't improved at all since last time (laughs), but Matthew's "Arigatou gozaimasu" sounded so much like a native Japanese that for a moment I thought there was a Japanese presenter.

The highlight of the day was the "Bliss"! Recently I've been listening mainly to songs that sound like they're going to play live, so when they started playing I thought for a moment, "What's this intro?". But it was the real intro to 'Bliss'… I couldn't help but tear up. I was sad that I didn't get to hear this song during the 2007 tour. And also 'Feeling Good', a song I didn't expect them to play. It was so sexy, Matthew. Helsinki Jam was really cool too. I wanted them to play three times more!

I think Matthew's regret is that he didn't have the persistent pent-up energy during "Plug in Baby", perhaps because of the time pressure. The fact that he couldn't sing "Resistance" in his natural voice until the end of "Resistance" was also something Matthew should have regretted, as he had drunk too much the night before. Although I would have liked to order a few things, "Unnatural Selection" was a great, heavy and cool closing song to "Stockholm Syndrome". No complaints about this one!!!

Still, I was surprised that everyone in the audience sang quite seriously, and we sang 'Starlight' and 'Time is Running Out' in chorus. Matthew didn't sing the chorus to 'Plug In Baby', so we did!

The closing song, 'Knights of Cydonia', was even more dramatic, with Chris's harmonica harmonising 'Man With A Harmonica' and a guitar melody sing-along, which was not included in the introductory song. The song had evolved into something like the climax of a story, nostalgic and familiar, but still moving as if I had heard a new song.

The disappointment of the day was that they didn't play 'MK Ultra' and 'Stockholm Syndrome'. But Dom was cool even without any cosplay, and Matthew was still a mysterious light shining through, not just an ordinary old man. What makes me happy is that Muse have become a band with the style and ability to suit such a big venue, and a fan base to match. What I love is that I love Muse like that. I want to say to the members: ……That we are really, really happy.

SETLIST

Uprising

Map Of The Problematique

Supermassive Black Hole

New Born

Interlude

Hysteria

Guiding Light

Bliss

Nishe

United States Of Eurasia

Feeling Good

Helsinki Jam

Undisclosed Desires

Resistance

Starlight

Time Is Running Out

Unnatural Selection

[ encore ]

Exogenesis: Symphony Part 1 (Overture)

Plug In Baby

Man With A Harmonica Intro

Knights Of Cydonia

Translator's Note: You know, it's only now that I'm picking up the pattern here that delays due to "equipment troubles" has two meanings for Muse concerts. 1) It's actual equipment troubles, or 2) it's a euphemism for "the band had only just left their hotel now. Their ETA is at this estimated time."

It feels like a futile effort to ever ask for an artist/band to arrive and start their shows on time 😭

[defiedlife]

meta + dr. ratio cause im self-indulgent jenna

send  [ META ] + a word / phrase / person / etc for a headcanon.

To Aventurine, Ratio is someone he cares for deeply whether it's platonic or romantic. They're colleagues and partners despite working in entirely different departments (and factions, technically) and he wouldn't have it any other way. As risky as his methodology was, one of his proudest achievements to date is forming that partnership. (Quick side note: this is canon; it's in the ANAN interview.)

He's seen many people put Ratio on a pedestal for outstanding academic achievements, and he agrees that those are admirable, to be sure. He's even a little envious, as Ratio clearly had an abundance of opportunity and privilege while growing up where Aventurine himself had little to none. He doesn't blame the good doctor, though; it's no one's fault that they were raised in very different circumstances. That's just fate toying with them both.

However, the value he sees in Ratio and what draws him to the scholar to such an extent is the sheer humanity that he can see with one glance. Ratio's primary philosophy is that knowledge should be shared by and accessible to all, and as someone who grew up without so much as a single book to read, Aventurine admires that desire and generosity immensely. It means a lot to him to know someone whom would readily help tutor and mentor another person in a situation similar to what his younger self experienced.

Ratio's blunt and abrasive personality doesn't matter to him. Sure, it stings at times, but he's heard far worse in the past. Plus, he's experienced first-hand that if Ratio truly crosses a line and gets called on it, a sincere apology will follow—a first, compared to what Aventurine has dealt with before. What really matters is that he looks at Ratio and sees a doctor who seeks to cure ignorance, injury, and illness alike, along with a strong moral code that most in the IPC would sooner scoff at than praise. He sees a man that he admires and trusts—even with his life.

Conversely, this also means that he would gladly protect Ratio with his life without a second thought. In his opinion, the world needs more people like Veritas Ratio.

Their work together on Penacony only served to reinforce his trust. Although Ratio "betrayed" him, that was the plan from the very beginning, which means that Ratio never really betrayed him at all. He counted on Ratio to play a role, and the doctor did so flawlessly. It was impressive—the finest performance Aventurine has ever seen besides his own, and he couldn't be more grateful.

All of the above applies whether platonic or romantic; shipping or not, and whether my Aventurine and any given Ratio muse have interacted before or not.

Now, to address the more romantic side of things with your Ratio specifically—

Aventurine just...wants him to open up more. That's it. That's all he wants. He knows Veritas loves him. He's heard the words said before, and he knows them to be true. The problem is that even though he knows it's true, he still has to stand by and watch Veritas struggle to reconcile with those feelings. It breaks his heart, but he's not going anywhere. If he did, he'd lose the most important person in his life.

He can't risk that for anything in the world, even if the alternative hurts too.

Instead, he just hopes he can get through to Veritas one day. He wants to hear a sincere "I love you" without the assistance of him forcibly (though with consent) lowering Veritas' inhibitions. He will always, always love Veritas to the end of the universe and back, and will always be grateful for everything Veritas has done for him from the first moment they met in the IPC infirmary. But it still hurts.

He can search for the "I love you"s in the little smiles he sees sometimes, or the rare moments that he manages to steal a kiss or hug. He sees it in the way Ratio worries over him and lectures him on being more careful. Such moments are sweet, but needing to search and always pay attention to the finer details every single time is tiring. Whenever he hits a low point mentally, it's enough to make him second-guess whether or not Veritas' feelings are even real.

The minimal affection (or denial of it entirely) and non-committal attitude are soul-crushing when he's so desperate to be loved, and he doesn't know what more he can do to change that. He knows they can trust each other, and his life will always be safe in Veritas' hands. He just wants his heart to feel safe too, and he keeps wondering if that's too much to ask.

[astriiformes]

What are some things you really like about the Locked Tomb? Amy specific characters, scenes, thematic motifs, memes? And (if you feel like it) why?

The answer to this is Many Things, which is one reason the series has taken up residence in my brain for good!

My favorite characters are probably Palamedes and Harrow; Pal because I love a good nerd who is also very kind and his whole qpr-flavored relationship with Camilla is so important to me, and Harrow because. Well. There are sure some reasons I have been really vibing with characters who are mentally ill disasters recently, and I think she's a particularly interesting and sympathetically written one. But I love so many other characters in the books too. One thing I really adore about the series is that it's got a 10/10 ensemble cast. Stories with really large casts of interesting characters are my favorite, and TLT has so many good ones. It's delightful.

....Which also ties into one of the other things I love about the books. I have. A lot of thoughts about what TLT has to say about relationships, and specifically that it does so in a way that really works for me as an aro person. The fact that the whole Lyctoral process (and its variants) reads like an exercise in "Hey, what if Drift Compatibility were way more fucked up" works so much better for me as a thesis on love than what many works of fiction have to say about it, and the idea that it can be both a positive/negative force, and that none of that is in any way restricted to one kind of human connection is. So much better and so much more interesting than what you usually see when fiction tries to say something about love and what it is and how it impacts us.

(Also, going to keep things kind of vague here, but for my friends who haven't read Nona yet you might want to skip over this next paragraph, just to be safe)

That was something I was already musing heavily on before NtN, and that I really liked about the series, because as early as the first book you have a lot of different things happening in the neromancer/cavalier relationships. But the most recent book really hit me in the gut with that. I remember I read an interview with the author that mentioned the "Life is too short and love is too long," line and I knew it was going to mess me up badly (although I didn't know if it was just a theme the book was going to dig into or an actual quote) because things of that, like, "better to have loved and lost" ilk really get to me. But I did have some ideas about what relationships it would be most relevant to, and I was VERY wrong, and when I hit the point in the book where it was actually said, I bawled my eyes out -- as expected, but also for totally different reasons than I'd been prepared for because that whole conversation is just. Not the kind of thing you get to see between characters with that kind of relationship, usually. I am still verklempt about it, honestly.

Anyways, 10/10 books series, I am so excited to see how it wraps up because I really feel like Tamsyn Muir is going to manage to stick the landing with these. Her writing style alone is such a delight and has given me a lot to turn around in my head, as someone who also likes telling stories that are both dark and funny and try to do some unconventional things. Not saying I am on her level but man was her writing style designed to cater to me specifically.

[nyappyforeverbr]

【Interview】Miku (An Cafe) × ClubZy ONLINE │Part #1

In February of that year, 2023, Miku was interviewed by the ClubZy Online team. ClubZy is a Japanese magazine specializing in visual-kei artists managed by Visual-kei Oyaji/Seiichi Hoshiko. The editor in chief of the magazine is Hakuei (Penicillin).

To access the interview, it was necessary to pay a contribution/subscription fee on the ClubZy no Nico channel (Japanese live broadcast platform), Cafekko Sara signed and sent us the interview!

After starting their hiatus in January 2019, AN CAFE made a 'live comeback' at [OSAKA MUSE 35th Anniversary Event “OUR CANVAS”] held last June/2022. After such a surprise, they celebrated their 20th anniversary this year by performing at Zepp Haneda on January 5th and 6th, 2023. In addition, it was also announced that they will be performing live in Tokyo and Osaka in August this year, surely many readers are creating expectations for the full resumption of activities. We caught up with Miku (Vo.) to talk about An Cafe's past, present and future!

Interview: Takayuki Murakami Photo: Susumu Miyawaki

- On January 5th and 6th, you got together to celebrate the 20th anniversary of “Reiwa from First NYAPPY o(≧∀≦)o” at Zepp Haneda. Miku: The reason why we decided to do this live was because the members reunited before the 20th anniversary. When we went out to eat, everyone probably had the word “20th anniversary” flashing in their heads, but no matter what they did, they couldn't say “Let's do this together” to each other. We talked privately, but we didn't talk about An Cafe. I totally understand that feeling. I didn't leave because I wanted to, so remembering that makes me sad. I wonder if the others felt embarrassed. So, although not everyone mentioned it, last June there was an anniversary event for Osaka MUSE, An Cafe was invited. I got a message from the team about what it was going to look like, and right away I thought, "Oh! I can see some light." After talking with Teruki, he summoned the members. Everyone kindly agreed to do a live in June. And that. We started talking about doing a 20th birthday and we made it happen in January.

- Osaka MUSE's anniversary event was held at the ideal time. This time the title was "First NYAPPY o(≧∀≦)o in Reiwa". What was the concept?

Miku: The concept might have been different for everyone... No, it's the same. I wonder if it was. Anyway, to satisfy the fans, I did my best by delivering the best live with the feeling of thinking it's an important date. That's why we had fun, more than that, I had a strong desire to make the audience have fun.

-Was the set list also decided with that in mind?

Miku: For the set list, first of all, we have about 140 songs if you align them with Excel. So I surprised myself by saying, “Wow, there are so many songs!” Like (laughs). All songs are important to me, but from there I chose the most important ones. There were still about 50 songs left, that's right. I thought this was not applicable but this time it was 2 days wasn't it? 2 days of An Cafe. Generally, we only change a few songs in streams for days in a row. But this time, for the first time, I changed the songs almost completely. Thanks to that, I was able to include more.

-The fans were happy to be able to listen to several songs. In other words, Miku thought of the set list by himself, was that it?

Miku: Yes. If I “decided” and suggested it to everyone; they accepted my proposal.

-After all, everyone was looking at the same goal. So what did you feel when you performed live?

Miku: It's still a dream, and it really is like a dream. I can not explain. It was very funny. It was extraordinary, it's like a dream, still.

-There are many things I thought about after watching the show. I felt strongly that An Cafe's live performance was extraordinary.

Miku: The extraordinary space is the synergy between the band and the audience. Members are what make An Cafe great. Honestly, I don't think I'm good, but when I go on stage I can shine. Fans too, when everyone comes together, everyone can shine. A special space is created. Therefore, our role as an artist is to give our fans dreams, but they also make us dream. I feel like I'm being taken care of.

-Certainly, the audience's reaction was beautiful, and the live atmosphere, the feeling was excellent. And during An Cafe's concert there are many attractive parts, first of all, the music is good, the melody has a sparkle. It's amazing how exciting it is.

Miku: I'm glad you realize that. Maybe it's because I'm a shadow. I have a very sociable personality and I really like folk songs. Usually, the members compose the songs, but I'm the one who decides the melody line myself. That's why, while it's bright and poppy, it's also full of melancholy. I feel like we managed to convey that in the song.

-If the melody is lively, bright or heavy, I feel it is in good taste.

Miku: I think the reason why we like visual-kei is that it has some shadows and is dark. I think the members really prefer dark songs. But An Cafe has the image of a brilliant band, doesn't it? It's about trying to reconcile the band's image with our tastes, and even if we want to do something brilliant, there will be some minor tastes.

-It's hard to mix light and dark well, but An Cafe is good at it. In addition to being able to enjoy many high quality songs, I thought it was good to have a place to show the instrumental formation, which is typical of the band.

Miku: In An Cafe, there is a section that focuses on the musical ensemble called "Etcetera", and I think this is a very important scene in live performance. So I definitely wanted to do that this time around, so I included it in the set list.

-That is great. Do you leave the etcetera content to the instrument team?

Miku: Yes. I think Teruki is the main and leading actor. I usually don't participate. When I entered the studio, they said, "Miku-kun, it's okay if you're late."

-The default is to come into the studio later, see what you think and give the OK.

Miku: No, it's like watching for the first time during the live.

-What? Don't you check in the studio?

Miku: They don't (laughs). I try to snoop around during the final rehearsal which is held on stage, but after the studio rehearsals they only do the actual performance. So I don't know what they're going to do until the day of the show (laughs). But etcetera's content is always good, and I trust all the members.

-It's also nice to see Miku leaving the stage when Etcetera enters. Without appealing to the public by saying, "I'm going to be gone for a while", I could feel the importance of the members from the fact that they were gone so quickly.

Miku: That was good (laughs). I have no problem leaving the stage. I've been doing this since we started doing etcetera. ~ x ~

to be continued...

[littlequeenies]

Hallmark’s ‘The Wedding Veil Journey’ Stars Muse Who Inspired Several Beatles Songs

January 21, 2023

Hallmark Channel, News

Hallmark’s The Wedding Veil Journey stars Alison Sweeney, Victor Webster, Lacey Chabert, Autumn Reeser, and Jane Asher, the woman that inspired such Beatles’ classics as “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” “I’m Looking Through You,” “And I Love Her.”

Who is Actress Jane Asher From Hallmark’s The Wedding Veil Journey?

London-born actress Jane Asher started acting at the age of six. However, according to the Telegraph, Jane Asher’s life changed in 1963 when she interviewed Paul McCartney of the Beatles. They went on to date for five years. Moreover, they even got engaged. Jane inspired many of McCartney’s iconic songs that include “We Can Work It Out,” and “Martha My Dear.”

However, despite being a muse to one of the most famous songwriters in the world, she was determined to continue her acting career. Most of all, she does not like to talk about McCartney or this time of her life.

In addition, Jane’s brother Peter Asher recorded McCartney-Lennon reject songs in the duo, Peter And Gordon. Peter eventually became a manager and producer who helped along James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt’s careers. He was very sought out in the 70s.

Jane Asher Is An Entrepreneur And Writer

The Hallmark star is more than an actress. Jane Asher has written over a dozen books. This includes three novels called, The Longing, The Question, and Losing It. However, most of her books are non-fiction. They focus on baking and lifestyle.

She is a British Martha Stewart. In her books, Jane shows people how to paint furniture and cake decorating. She even has a book on how to create costumes for children. Most of all, her years of working in showbiz gave her some good tips on creating good costumes.

In addition, the mother of three also is an entrepreneur, owning a cake shop when her children were young.

However, acting has been her primary career.

Jane Asher’s Successful Love Life

Although being a muse was not meant to be, Jane Asher’s love life is something out of a Hallmark movie. Three years after she publicly broke it off with McCartney, she met cartoonist Gerald Scarfe. He is best known for his work in The New Yorker, The Times, and Pink Floyd’s The Wall.

Moreover, they have now been married for over 40 years, and together for over 50.

What Is Hallmark’s The Wedding Veil Journey About?

The final Hallmark movie in the popular sequel trilogy is The Wedding Veil Journey. What is it about?

According to the Hallmark synopsis, “Tracy and Nick agree to set aside work to make time for a long overdue honeymoon to Greece. When they are stranded on a secluded island, they confront their life choices.”

We don’t know much about Jane Asher’s character, Lady Dalton. However, it looks like she could watch the magic of the veil work on someone close to her.

Best of all, they filmed this movie in Greece! They filmed this movie on the Greek island of Rhodes. Sir Ron Oliver directed this movie. Moreover, this is a historic movie for Hallmark. This is the first time that a movie has been filmed at the Acropolis of Lindos.

[sunburnacoustic]

INTERVIEW: MUSE on ‘BLACK HOLES AND REVELATIONS’

— Ian Winterton interviewing Matt Bellamy for The Leeds Guide magazine in 2006.

It’s midday on a Friday and I’ve accidentally got drunk. Now, the floaty, vaguely tripped-out feeling may be down to the four pints I’ve just glugged down, but I’m more inclined to blame the fact that I’ve been locked in a bar in London’s Soho Hotel with a dozen journalists for the playback of Muse’s new album. It’s a fantastically weird mix of prog-rock, electro, metal and sci-fi noodlings Hawkwind would have been proud of. And, at the stipulation of the band’s management, we had to listen to it twice, “in case we missed something”.

So, yeah, I’m feeling a little odd when, in a suite upstairs, I get to meet the man behind the madness, Matt Bellamy. In contrast to myself, he turns out to be both sober and sane, not to mention thoroughly pleasant and polite. With his designer casual clothes, prominent cheekbones and scrunchy hair, you’d sooner imagine him folding up jumpers in a swanky clothes shop than fronting one of the UK’s most successful rock bands. Then again, Muse have never been associated with rock ‘n’ roll excess. I put it to him that the band’s clean living is one reason they’re still going strong a decade after their debut album.

“We’ve had some very good times on tour in the past,” he says a tad defensively. “And we were young guys and at one point we were all single, but I don’t think we need to tell everyone about it. We’ve always wanted to get attention for being good musicians and for making good music.”

And good music they most certainly do make, although it’s not to everyone’s taste. For some, it’s silly, pretentious and overblown. To those who’ve drunk from the cup, however, it’s silly, pretentious and overblown. AND THAT’S THE POINT. With Black Holes And Revelations, Bellamy and his fellow bandmates – Chris Wolstenholme (bass) and Dominic Howard (drums) – have really pulled out the stops. In between beers during the playback, I jot down the names of other bands that come to mind, producing a list that includes New Order, The Scissor Sisters, The Pixies, Pet Shop Boys, Ennio Morricone and Spinal Tap.

In amongst the electro and the flamenco, it’s still the same old Muse: Bellamy’s falsetto vocals, pounding drums and loud ‘n’ fast rock guitar. For me, all the disparate elements of the album come together on the brilliantly titled closer Knights Of Cydonia. It begins with laser-guns and horses galloping.

“We really pushed that song to its limits,” says Bellamy. “We pushed the fantastical elements so far, maybe too far, so it sounds like a sci-fi film. Cydonia is the area of Mars where they think there’s that big-faced temple thing. Mars used to be the same distance from the Sun as we are now and so some people think that maybe there was a civilisation there. I find that idea quite appealing.”

“I think that’s a little far fetched,” he laughs, adding, “It’s a slippery slope. Once you start reading that stuff it takes you over a bit. I quite like alternative thinking. My girlfriend studies psychology and she’s working in a hospital in Milan where there are patients that actually believe the end of the world is nigh and that sort of thing. It’s interesting hearing about people who’ve been completely overtaken by these theories.”

How are they going to reproduce the sound of such a wilfully diverse and bonkers album live?

“With great difficulty!” Bellamy exclaims. “But we’ve actually got a fourth person in to do some of the electronic stuff for the first time. Morgan Nicholls, who’s actually in The Streets, took over on bass when Chris broke his wrist. It turns out he’s a really good keyboard player. We decided that next time we should give him a go.”

As thousands of fans can testify, Muse are awesome live – and, unlike most bands, they’re actually better playing huge gigs. Are they excited to be playing Leeds and Reading?

“Absolutely,” enthuses Bellamy. “Reading and Leeds are the biggest rock festivals you can play.  When I was younger I remember seeing bands playing there – I saw Jeff Buckley, one of my all-time heroes, there in ’94 and I remember thinking if I could get up there it would be amazing. Also, it feels nice to be a band that can do a gig like Glastonbury but also do Reading and Leeds, which is more of a rock audience. It’s nice to be able to move between the two.”

Just look out for those giant lizards.

[parcequecestnotreprojeeeet]

Hi, it’s me, Fanfic Anon #2. After the comment from the Anon about Manette earlier, and thinking still about all their interviews at the beginning of January, I wrote this piece.

She smiled softly when she saw him standing off to the side of his office, staring out the window after the interview. She knew he wasn’t as okay as he seemed afterwards, knew her sensitive husband, contrary to popular belief, felt things very deeply, especially when it comes to the people he loves.

She knew the answer to what his biggest fear was before the man had even finished asking him the question, after all, she still remembers how inconsolable he was for weeks after his beloved grandmother passed. She was at a loss for what to do, she had never seen another human being in that much pain. She felt like her heart had been torn in two just watching him grieve.

So she wasn’t surprised when he teared up when they asked if he still missed her - of course he did, every single day. That kind of loss doesn’t just go away, a fact she knew first hand probably better than most, the loss of her sister and her family, her niece, her parents, her brother - they all left holes in her heart too. Just like Manette did.

She owed that woman a lot - not just for accepting her and loving her when it seemed like no one else in the world did, but for everything she did to raise her beloved husband. Unlike a lot of women who were threatened by the other important female figures in their partner’s lives, the female parental figures, especially when that partner would spend hours on the phone with them every night before joining them in bed, Brigitte only ever felt gratitude for Manette. And now, a grandmother herself, she understood deeply what that bond was, what it meant. Truth be told, a small part of her hoped that her grandchildren would think and speak as fondly of their Mamie one day as her husband still speaks about his Manette.

Walking into the room, she softly mused, "she would be so proud of you, mon cœur."

"How did you know I was thinking about her?" he asked, slightly stunned.

"You forget how well I know you. How long I’ve known you."

"Mhmm," he hummed non-committally in response.

"Wherever she is right now, I know she’s been watching you closely, cheering you on every step of the way," she smiled as she looped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder since he hadn’t turned around.

"Well how many people get to say their grandkid is the President?"

"That’s not why, and you know it," she rebuked lightly. "Although, of course she’s proud you’re here in this office, proud of what you’ve done for this country, what you have done for the world, what you will continue to do.

"But what I know she’s proudest of is the man that you’ve become. How you are so wise, and kind, and loving; how you are the best husband, father, grandfather to our family; how you are the best friend I could have ever hoped to have had; how you have never lost who you are despite everything around you that could cause just that.

"You know, she always told me, ‘Brigitte, he’s going to be something special one day.’ And I would laugh and then agree with her, before she would say ‘but you know that won’t change anything.’ And it hasn’t."

"You’ve never told me that."

"There’s a lot she told me I haven’t told you," she told him, before laughing at the speed he turned around to look at her. "Just like there were things she told you that you’ve never told me. She was so kind to me, she loved me as if I was one of her own - and I’ve never forgotten that."

"She did love you, Brigitte. She told me once I had finally introduced you two, ‘you’re right, Manu. She is special.’ She had never called anyone special before."

"I’m just glad she accepted me, I know she was your red line like my children were mine -"

"I never had any doubts about it," he smiled before saying more seriously, "she’d be really proud of you too. Everything you’ve done -"

"She’d mainly be happy I manage to keep you fed and on a somewhat normal sleep schedule," she demurred.

"Chérie, do I really need to have this conversation with you again? You’re extraordinary. What you have done as a teacher, as a Premiere Dame, as head of these charities - there’s no one else on this Earth like you."

"How did I get so lucky?" she asked, bring her hand up to slowly stroke his face.

"I don’t know. I ask myself that question every day." They stood there for a moment in the silence, taking in each other’s company as they both were in their own thoughts before he continued, "thank you. I think I needed to hear that today."

She kissed him softly, lovingly in reply.

Hellooo fanfic Anon #2! ❤️

I actually think about this quite often... how she never got to see her grandkid become president. How proud she would be of him. How happy he would be to have her by his side on such important day. But unfortunately, that’s just how life works. And she’s still there every day with him, on his heart. So yes, this one really touched me ❤️

Thank you so much, Fanfic Anon #2! ❤️❤️❤️

[sigmadolos]

@burniingup​​​​ said: Blonde and cerulean!

COLOURFUL INTERVIEW

[ blonde ]  what is your favorite type of music?  favorite artist?  favorite song?  

answered HERE!

[ cerulean ]  what is your favorite ( type of ) character to write?

   Ohhhh I can’t say there’s one PARTICULAR type or favorite of mine. I currently write about 20 muses between Sigma & my multimuse (although most of them are small fandoms, only about 5 are regularly requested). I’ve got tropes I tend to stick to.

Main Tropes: Intellectual geniuses bad with emotions ;  Master Manipulator ; Powerhouses ; Existential/Identity Crisis   Sub-tropes: leader, right hand,  Betrayed/left behind, religious corruption, Poetic, Ancient

Which is probably not the muses people expect given I write Sigma, although the manipulator part perhaps does given his status as a beloved manager who no one suspects of doing any wrong when in reality he’s a member of the Decay of Angels, and he is very poetic. And the existential/identity crisis aspect, although Sigma probably has it more than any of the others.

But I really can’t say there’s a favorite TYPE, despite my consistent tropes. I just like characters I can really dig into and have multiple complex layers. There’s nothing wrong with simple and straight forward characters, good or evil! I love some of them! But when it comes to ones I write, they all tend to be very complex, especially in self-reflection. I have written other characters in BSD for years, but most know my these days just by my Sigma. All in all though, the complex characters are what draw me in.

[allyear-lff]

She said

Summary: two female journalists uncover the abuses of Harry Weinstein by interviewing his victims and discovering a network of deceit, cover ups and coercion around him.

Plot and musings: we all know about the "Me Too" movement and many perhaps have been waiting for a detailed, digestible presentation of its genesis, the fall of Hollywood mogul film producer Harry Weinstein.

This film attempts to fill that void but I was left with a sense that an opportunity has been missed, it is easy to say this now that the film hasn't done very well at the box office, but it was my genuine feeling when I watched it early on its general release, as a pro film critic commented "the reaction has been polite rather than enthusiastic", but why?

The main problem is the formulaic nature of the film, we know how a reporter gets her history: research, relentless pursuing of the truth often at great personal cost and recognising when a turning point about the reporting being pursued has been reached. All this is in the film, and we have seen it all before in several other high profile films about journalists exercising their craft, the format isn't new and this film doesn't add much new to the mini genre.

The second problem is perhaps the difficulty of using a medium and format that is more related to make-believe to reflect on real events, it isn't impossible but it is difficult, for example Gwyneth Paltrow, one of the more recognisable victims of Weinstein, lingers over the film but she is never seen, we hear her voice over the phone and we see a body double, this felt silly, there is no reason no to represent her in film as a fully fledged character.

The actors are likeable and committed, I felt Zoe Kazan had better luck at portraying Jody Kantor than Carey Mulligan at portraying Megan Twohey, the journalists behind the investigation and the article that damned Weinstein, Mulligan's Twohey feels aloof and somehow detached, I found her rather laboured and sometimes unconvincing although in some crucial parts she managed to drag us into how things where for the real journalist, the film is carried more by the women portrayed as victims of abuse, one could feel the pain, the shame, the confusion, they conveyed excellently the state of anguish in which the real women were living but their interventions where like oasis of drama into a complicated and somehow convoluted plot.

So the plot, the first scene in the film follows a young woman, a girl really, she is being recruited to work in a film set she encounters almost by chance, then we have a harsh switch to the girl running in the middle of the road of a small town confused and distressed, this sets the scene of all what will follow.

Attention turns now to New York, our two main characters, NY Times journalists Jody Kantor and Megan Twohey, are writing about different issues, Kantor about immigration and Twohey about one of the several (many?) allegations of sexual misconduct against Donald Trump pre his election as US president, Trump is not charged and the Fox scandal about sexual abuse (also dealt with by a film in "Bombshell") starts to unfold, the NYT's hacks talk about a wider issue at play and the idea of casting their net in Hollywood as an example of a larger malaise takes hold, and nobody most infamous than Harry Weinstein against whom there are lots of rumours and a serious allegation from actress Rose McGowan, which as far as they can tell have not been investigated with journalistic rigour.

With this basis they interview people starting with McGowan, Paltrow (on the phone...) and close associates to Weinstein that have freedom to talk, little by little they uncover what has been going on, first the victims intimate about the abuse they have suffered, but that isn't enough, when one of them decides to go public and gives them the settlement she reached with Weinstein in order not to pursue legal action they find the opening they needed, with this appalling document in hand (it feels like a form of life punishment because all the restrictions placed on the victim) they pursue people close to Winstein, thus it transpires that there are many more settlements and that they have been reached with the help of industry insiders of all kinds.

All the interviews portrayed with victims are very dramatic, the most poignant one perhaps that of the woman that appeared at the beginning of the film as a young distressed girl.

Now that the journalists have corroborated the evidence they embark in writing the article that we know brought Weinstein down, this is cinematographically undramatic, the tension is taken away by what we all know about the case and the Me Too movement, there are a few poignant moments like when Twohey meets Weinstein and his associates in the NYT's HQ, something that adds colour but not drama.

Perhaps we know too much about the real life situation in order to appreciate a dramatisation, I felt it didn't add much to the topic in spite of the efforts of all people involved, it is still a film worth watching but there were higher hopes for it, although to be fair the general public seems to like it in spite of its flaws.

Rating: 3.5/5

66 of 168

Date: 29 November 2022

Venue: Curzon Bloomsbury

The list of films in the LFF 2022

[mlmxreader]

Under The Radar | Bruce Wayne x gn!reader

Anonymous asked: hey there! can i request bruce wayne + "shut up, i just need a cuddle" from the new prompts list?? ty 🙏

summary: Bruce is especially fond of sneaking in to see you, but sometimes, the thing he wants most is little more than to take a nap on the sofa with a film on in the background.

tws: swearing, mentions of bruising

Bruce was happy to keep things under the radar, keeping you hidden from the newspapers and the magazines and their scavenging photographers, very rarely talking about you in interviews unless if you had said he could; dating Batman was one thing, and quite easy to deal with, as under the cover of darkness it was easy to find privacy and to protect it, but dating the billionaire was another thing. People wanted to know who you were, what you did, they wanted to know about your family, they wanted to know about if you were only with Bruce for his money. People wouldn't back off. Neither you or Bruce were particularly comfortable with putting your personal life in the spotlight; the most Bruce ever told them was that he was still very much in love with you, and he was very much content and happy with you.

Keeping things under the radar was probably the best decision you had ever made when it came to your relationship; he was more than happy to sneak into your flat when he had a couple of hours spare, taking the back way and knocking on the window until you let him in. Letting him crash on the sofa while you went about with your business; he would kick his feet up and would watch a film while you did laundry or cooked or cleaned or showered; you liked it like that, being able to just exist around one another and not having to do everything together. Sometimes, though, you would end up cuddled into his side as you looked through your phone, occasionally looking up at the television screen; a few times you could have sworn that the actor in the films looked just like him, but he always denied it.

Two lives were enough.

Today wasn't any different, although Bruce was a little slower than usual thanks to a nasty bruise on his side and another on his back, but he managed to get in, and he managed to collapse on your sofa and kick his feet up; he went through what films were available, and settled on one that he knew would catch your attention, as he knew that it was one that you liked. American Psycho. He was right, as within a couple of minutes, you were stood behind the sofa with your hands on the cushions either side of his head, a quiet laugh coming from you.

"Y'know, you look an awful like him," you told him. "Like, you could be twins."

Bruce grumbled, shaking his head. "Shut up, I just need a cuddle. Come here."

You made your way around, crashing into his good side and putting your head on his chest, laying one leg over his hips as you grumbled with content. "You really don't see the resemblance?"

"Shut up," he sighed, moving so that you were beneath him, he was quick to lay his head on your chest, a soft hum leaving him when you started to play with his hair. He couldn't help it as he smiled. "Thank you..."

You tilted your head to the side, gently raking through his soft brown strands as you looked at the screen, daring to laugh. "Oh, come on! He even wears the same fucking suits! Bruce, are you sure you're not living a third life as an actor?"

"Very," he chuckled. "Two is more than enough, especially when one means I get hounded by press as it is..."

"Yeah, if you say so," you teased, letting one leg dangle over the edge as you shifted around to get comfortable. "You wanna take a nap?"

"I would love to take a nap," Bruce admitted.

"Yeah, I thought so," you mused. "If you nap, though, you can cook tea."

"I can do that..."

He snuggled into you a little more, his eyes starting to drift shut as he clung onto you, his breathing getting softer and his eyes closing; he liked days like this, where you were perfectly content and happy to take unscheduled naps with him on the sofa without questioning it. He smiled, daring to push your shirt up a little so that he could feel your stomach against his fingertips, able to feel the gentle rising and falling and the warmth of your touch; he grumbled, letting out a quiet yawn as he started to drift off.

"G'night, Bruce," you whispered, your eyes getting heavy as you tried not to succumb to sleep yourself, a smile on your lips and your fingers ceasing to play with his hair, letting your hand simply lay there amongst the soft strands as you hummed.

"G'night, (y/n)."

if you liked this fic, REBLOG IT - you SHOULD reblog it; spam likers WILL be blocked. as will blogs that refuse to reblog or to give feedback. if you don't wanna reblog, then you'll get blocked; reblogging is the BARE MINIMUM. don't just "like", REBLOG

[gingerale2017]

“Now, Kiss!”

Based on this hc I made earlier :)

3474 words

Fandom: The Lunar Chronicles

Pairing: Kai x Cinder

Fluff

Description:

Kai knew that the annoyance was part of having a sibling, but he hated it all the same. Nainsi would tease him about everything and when she figured out his crush on Cinder Linh, it only got worse. When Cinder calls Kai on the day that Nainsi brings some friends, she suspects that something might be cooking in the pot. Is she right, or are they friends for another agonizing day?

(Also I decided to name her Nainsi bc I’m too tired to brainstorm anything else I like it)

“WAKE UP KAI!” was the first thing Kai heard after being unfortunately interrupted by a sweet dream involving a certain someone. He was awake now, with a 100-pound pillow being tossed onto his head. Groaning, he flipped to his other side, squeezing his eyes shut as if that would make the tiny monster go away.

“KAI WE’RE GONNA BE LATE!” Nainsi yelled. She threw another pillow at him and when he didn’t show any signs of stopping, she yanked the cover out. Thank the stars for sheets.

“Stars, what time is it?” Kai managed to ask. Knowing his family it was probably five in the morning.

“Seven-thirty, ” he groaned again. It was way too early to get out of bed. Plus, the school didn’t start until eight-thirty so they were very much not late. He tucked his head in the pillow and wished for his sister to magically vanish away into whatever drama she obsessed with now.

“KAI! GET OUT THE BED RIGHT NOW!” Kai turned his head to glare at her. She glared right back.

“You know Cinder gets up super early for whatever reason. That’s something you two can get along with, ” instead of rolling her eyes like she usually did when Kai talked about Cinder, Nainsi's lips formed into a coy smile.

He cursed.

She somehow smiled even further and cocked her head, “Got any plans with her tonight?”

He could feel his ears turn red, and he tried to kill her on the spot with his eyes. His little sister took the smart choice and sprinted out of his room with Kai on her heels.

She screamed as he followed her down the stairs into the kitchen, seeking refuge next to their father’s chair. Kai could tell he was annoyed by the posture he was in and the way he took another sip of his coffee.

Nainsi shot Kai a smug smile that he wished to wipe off her face, “are you gonna wear pajamas to school, Kaito?”

“I’m going to kill you.”

“Ah, yes, but then you’ll spend the rest of your life in jail and will never see your precious Cinder again.”

He glared at her once more and left to go change. When he came back, the aroma of fried eggs was so strong that it filled the whole house.

His father was humming a tune while seasoning the eggs with pepper, now in a less annoyed mood. There were two plates on the kitchen counter already equipped with breakfast. Nainsi rebelliously made cereal instead of eating eggs. Kai, on the other hand, was grateful for the free breakfast.

He sat grabbed a ate and sat at the barstool, preparing to dig into his meal. Dad wanted to make small talk instead, “Good morning, son, and you're welcome for the delicious breakfast that I so graciously made for my marvelous kids.”

“Good morning, father, and us marvelous kids are so grateful for this delicious meal that makes caught us by surprise. But unfortunately, one of your children prefers Lucky Charms to you’re amazing breakfast, ” Kai responded after swallowing his first bite of eggs.

Nainsi looked up from her cereal, “that’s because I don’t like eggs, they’re disgusting.”

“You don’t like anything, ” she stuck her tongue out. Kai picked up his plate and placed it in the sink. Unsurprisingly, he was still hungry, so he went to see what was in the fridge.

“Kai, why don’t you ever want up early?” his father asked.

“Um, because-”

“Because he’s up all night thinking about making out with Cinder in the back of her BMW, ” the little monster interrupted before he could continue. He grabbed a tomato and slammed the fridge shut.

He then threw the tomato at her, “two strikes, Nainsi.”

She dodged the tomato and looked back at Kai with big round eyes.

“Hey, it's too early to fight with your sister just yet, ” interjected his father, “also, if you couldn’t tell, your mother is working double shifts at the hospital today so she wouldn’t be coming back tonight and I have a business trip. I know you have some friends coming over today, Nainsi, so behave better than usual. Both of you.”

“What friends are coming over, Nainsi?” Kai mused, an idea forming in his head.

“Just Geovanna and Emily. Possibly Ben but he hasn’t confirmed yet,” she answered, “why?”

“Just wondering. Anyways, we gotta go now,” Kai pulled on his sweatshirt from the laundry and headed towards the front, “bye dad.”

He nodded at Kai, currently preoccupied with his second mug of coffee while Nainsi rushed to follow Kai.

It was freezing out, as it usually was during winter in Maryland, but today was unusually cold. He turned on the car while Nainsi hopped in the passenger seat.

“Are we gonna go or what?” she barked.

“In a minute. Let me close my eyes for a bit.”

“You always do that, you lazy bum.”

“Your insults are getting drier and drier Nainsi.”

“Just go, ” this time she hit his forearm with her binder from nowhere. Repeatedly.

“Okay, stop hitting me. Ow.”

They drove off towards the school. Although Nainsi lived to tease Kai, they got along pretty well. They talked about this new show and had similar opinions on it during the short car ride. Once they were at Nainsi’s school and she was gone, then he could start playing the radio.

He bid his goodbye’s and see you later’s and now was off to his school.

᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽

Kai was unsurprisingly drained during the last period of the day. He fiddled with the corner of his notes to keep himself awake for at least ten more minutes. When he felt himself starting to doze off, he began to replay the day so far.

When he got to school, Cinder was marked absent which made his day worse. He always looked forward to hearing her sarcastic remarks or her smiling at one of his witty jokes.

Anyways, she was gone and he was sad, but Cress wasn’t. She happily explained to Kai that she and Thorne were going on a date Sunday. He was happy for her, truly, but all he could think about was how he can unsuccessfully tell his feeling to Cinder.

Not telling her felt like he was forgetting something important every day, except he was not forgetting. He knew exactly what he was doing and it killed him, but he also didn’t want to ruin the good that they have now. Then Kai would think about how it would be better and his thought would circle around and around.

After meeting up with Cress, they endured through the first two periods they shared, Scarlet and Thorne joining during the second. Although he had plenty of friends to talk to and enjoy, he couldn't help missing Cinder.

She's gone for one day and you feel like this? he thought, get a break. The little voice inside Kai's head was right.

Then the last bell rang, startling him. He stood up and began to pack his things. Then he fast-walked out and left.

"Kai!" he heard someone call.

Iko and Cress gestured at Kai to come to their lockers. He obliged.

"Look, Winter's birthday is in a couple of weeks, during the break. We want to throw a party because it's her sweet sixteen! We already have all the decorations ready, I know it's early, but long story short, can we throw it at your place?" his blue-haired friend asked as innocently as possible. Although she had to change her posture, tone, and expression to look innocent, Cress had that personality as her default.

"Please, Kai?” Cress pleaded and she knew what she was doing. It was always impossible to say no to her without feeling guilty. Or maybe it was just Kai who hated saying no.

“Of course! My parents are going to their parents during that week, so I’ll just ask to stay behind.”

“Yay! Thank you so much!” Iko hugged him tightly, “also not a word to Winger. It’s going to be a surprise.”

“Sounds nice.”

“Yep. I got to go to my job interview, remember what I was telling you about. Ah, the chance to work a boutique, what a dream,” and with that, his friend walked away.

“Hey Cress, did you hear anything about Cinder, ” he pressed.

She nodded, “Adri was mad at her again so she’s stuck at the garage, ” the blonde began to nibble in her fingernails. Noticing the bad habit, she brought he hand down.

“Oh, ” he hated Cinder’s stepmother, he truly did. And it killed him he couldn’t do anything about it.

They walked silently down the hall. Girls batted their lashes and some greeted him but he ignored it as usual.

���Do you think Adri would let Cinder free tonight?” he asked, now in the parking lot of the school.

“If you’re the one taking her anywhere then, of course, Adri would.”

Cress, Cinder, and Winter all skipped one grade. Cinder and Winter skilled first, and Cress skipped seventh. Cress was the smartest of them all, granted, and they don’t have a driver's license. So Cress got a ride with her older brother Jacin, and so did Winter (Jacin’s girlfriend). Cinder usually rode with Thorne, but on the good days, she rides with Kai.

They reached Kai’s car which was near Jacin’s car and being the super over-protective brother he was, he glared Kai down. Kai found this confusing because his feelings for Cinder were quite obvious, but then he saw Thorne parked next to Kai.

Thorne was currently ‘interested’ in Cress which made her a flustered mess.

Cress walked quickly to Jacin’s car and hopped in the back. Kai called goodbye and started his car. Then there was a rap on his window.

“What?” he asked Thorne, “I got to pick up my sister.”

“What flowers does Cress like?” he lifted an eyebrow at his friend, “not like that,” what Thorne did not know was that Cress told Kai everything about their date. Perhaps Thorne wants to keep it secret until then.

“Uh-huh.”

“Just answer the question!”

He shifted in his seat, “I dunno. Ask Jacin.”

“Great advice,” Thorne deadpanned.

“Get her roses. Those are super romantic and she’s all about the romantic gestures.”

“Nah, too cheesy. Pretend it's Cinder, what would she like?”

“Cinder doesn’t like flowers. Wrenches, however, are much appreciated.”

“I think I’ll just get roses.”

“Yeah, now move, my sister is waiting for me, ” Kai rolled up the windows and drove out.

Time passed very quickly and the next thing he knew, Nainsi was climbing in the passenger seat with her three friends in the back seat.

“I thought it was only two people, ” he whispered harshly.

She shrugged, “Ben decided to come.”

“What are you gonna feed them.”

“Pizza.”

“Who’s money?”

“Yours,” he shoved Nainsi but she shoved back.

“Fine but you owe me.”

“We’ll see, ” she turned in the seat to talk with her friends.

᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽᯽

Once everyone was settled inside and pizza was ordered he began to brainstorm ways Kai could punish Nainsi for this morning.

Then, like a light bulb, a perfect idea formed into his head. He walked into the laundry room where a basket filled with his clothes was waiting for him.

He pulled off his shirt, grabbed the basket, and headed into the living room. His sister was watching a realistic drama with her friends, although Kai wasn’t sure the drama wasn’t ‘realistic’ at all.

This plan happened before on accident with the same friends and they just stared at him while Nainsi shooed him out. Little did he know that her friends would just start talking about him and his looks. When Nainsi told him this, he groaned and whined about how he got enough of this from school. So when Nainsi had people over, Kai would camp in his room to avoid the awkwardness.

Now, he knows how her friends would react. And how she would react.

But before he could do anything, the phone in his pocket vibrated, making him turn a one-eighty back into the laundry.

It was actually Cinder calling and he answered quickly, “hello?”

“Uh, Kai?”

“Yes?”

“Can you do me a favor? Please?” it sounded like she was outside where it was currently raining.

“Yes, of course, what do you need?”

“I need a ride. I’m stuck here in the rain, by myself. Also, this is going to sound weird but, can I also stay with you for an hour and a half?” she defeated like she lost an argument.

“I can pick you up and you can stay with me. Nainsi has some friends over but it should be fine, ” Kai wondered if he sounded too cheery.

“Ok, thanks. I’m at the gas station outside your neighborhood, by the way.”

“Great, see you in a few minutes. Bye.”

“Bye, ” she hung up.

Kai hurried to put on a shirt and grab two rain jackets from the close, just in case Cinder needed one. Then he walked into the living room and out the front door, only to come back in. He forgot to tell Nainsi where he was going.

“Hey Nainsi, I got to pick up someone. I’ll be back soon though, ” she nodded, mouth full of pizza crust, “uh, don’t open the door to strangers. Bye.”

This time he didn’t go back inside after he left. He drove out of the neighborhood, slowly because it was pouring buckets and he could barely see three feet in front of him. After an eternity, Kai finally reached the gas station and parked under the large roof.

He didn’t even see Cinder come in, only heard her, sacring him witless. She smiled apologetically while tossing a white plastic bag onto her lap. It was full of snacks.

“Thanks for coming to get me, I owe you one now, ” she said, handing him one of the bags of chips.

“Of course, Cinder, I would do anything for you, ” the corner of her lip curved upwards as Kai’s cheeks heated, “that came out wrong. I meant that you’re my friend and such. Like the good moral movies where like the one friend reminds the other what friendship is truly about?”

Cinder snorted, “Like My Little Pony?”

“Isn’t that a TV show?”

“Same thing.”

“Is not.”

“Whatever, I know what you meant. Peony had made me watch enough TV shows and movies to last a lifetime.”

“Okay then, ” the rain seemed to finally thin during their conversation making it much more comfortable conditions for Kai to drive in.

Cinder had a habit of talking with her mouth full and the ‘good manners kid’ inside of him cringed. He hoped he hid it well.

Anyways Cinder explained why she was soaking wet at a gas station abandoned with snacks. She was bored and hungry and wanted something to do. So she walked to the gas station, alone, for snacks and a good walk.

Kai raised an eyebrow at that, “you live far away from me, how and why did you walk miles just for a bag of junk food?”

“People can do miraculous things when they are bored, Kai.”

“Yes, and penguins can fly if they really set their minds to it.”

“They are a bird so, hey, nothing’s impossible.”

“Who drove you?”

Cinder shoved a chip in her mouth, “Pearl,” she admitted reluctantly.

“What?”

“I skipped lunch and she knew I was hungry so she drove me here and left me while I was getting snacks. She also called me and said that it was a prank she couldn’t resist.”

“Oh, ” Kai said as they were pulling in his driveway. It was drizzling now so there was no need for the rain jackets.

“I’m also supposed to be at the garage until later so that's why I have to stay that long. If I come back early, Adri would get mad, and I don’t feel like getting yelled at today.”

“Ok,” he said as he walked out of the car.

He opened the door for Cinder and followed her inside. Nainsi and her friends did not move from before he left, but they switched shows. His little sister locked eyes with Cinder, immediately getting up.

“Hey Cinder. I did not know you two were hanging out today?” She said conspiratorially.

Cinder nodded, “yeah it was kind of sudden. Also, Peony is not with me, sorry.”

“That’s okay. I’m going back to my friends now. So you guys can ‘hang out’” Nainsi emphasized the last part then ran off to her friends.

“So, um, what do you want to do for an hour and a half?” he asked.

Cinder turned to him, “I don’t know, what do you want to do.”

“I don’t know.”

“Let’s just go to your room then.”

“Good idea, ” Cinder has been to his house enough to know the layout. He followed her to his room where she fell on the bed.

“Working under cars all day isn't good for the back you know, ” she explained, muffled by a pillow.

“I would expect so because your posture is not up to standards.”

She snorted, “I guess that’s true, ” Cinder sat up and leaned on the headboards, “sorry for taking up your space. And for calling you. Stars, this was a bad idea, you already have people here. I’m like an intruder-”

“Why are you apologizing so much? I don’t care if you light my room on fire, ” Kai accused. It was true, ever since he met her, she would apologize for every single tiny thing, as if every single wrong thing she did was unacceptable. He moved towards her to place a hand on hers, “it’s okay, Cinder. And calling me was a good idea because you saved me from the little demons.”

Cinder let out a genuine laugh that ended with a genuine smile. A smile that never ceased to make his heart twitch. He bashfully realized that he was still holding her hand.

Kai let go but she only grabbed his hand back. He watched her intertwine their fingers, trying to ignore the strong pounding of his heart. He dared to look up and realized that Cinder was staring at him.

He looked into her chocolate eyes that seemed to shine with stars. He wanted to dive into that sea of brown and lie there for eternity. As long she was there.

“Now kiss!” cried a shrill voice. Kai jumped away from Cinder, noticing that she copied his actions.

“Aw, come on just kiss already, the tension was so thick, ” said... Peony?

Cinder’s eyes widened, “Peony, what- how did- why are you here?”

“Well first, I was invited to the sleepover but I had volleyball practice so I had to come late. I just got here. And second, I saw Nainsi sneaking up here so I followed, and oh my stars, we ruined the money, didn’t we?” Peony looked at Nainsi.

“We did. Sorry guys, we’ll go now.”

“Yes, now you can kiss in peace, ” the girls left, leaving Kai very flustered. He glanced at Cinder and saw that her cheeks were also tinted pink.

“So, do you want something to eat, ” he asked finally. He could not bear the silence anymore.

“Yes, ” she nodded, although they already are in the car.

They got up to leave but before he could open the door, Cinder grabbed his wrist and pulls him down. The next thing he knew they were kissing. It was quick and soft and amazing. It felt like everything suddenly clicked and the world was righted. Like the stars finally aligned.

She pulled away and Kai could feel the heat in his ears. His heart was beating so loud that he was sure Cinder could hear it as well.

“Let’s go get some food, ” she breathed and opened the door. She was still holding his wrist, he realized. He intertwined their hands like before, but this time it felt more meaningful. It was like their hands now signified that they were more than friends. That they loved each other, even if they hadn't admitted it yet. But he could feel it and was sure that she could too.

They entered the kitchen and Cinder began to talk about food options but all he could think about was the kiss. He wanted to kiss her again. And to hold her.

Someone cleared their throat behind them, making them turn around. Nainsi, Peony, Emily, Geovanna, and Ben all stood with knowing faces. Nainsi smirked, “finally.”

Peony looked like she was about to explode with happiness, “I already told Iko. She’s ecstatic.”

Neither Kai nor Cinder said anything. Nainsi probably knew because of the looks on their red faces and told Peony. Then Peony told Iko and Iko probably told everyone in their friend group.

So now everyone knows.

“Just to be sure, you guys did kiss, right?” asked Emily.

Slowly, Cinder nodded. Kai opted to stare at his feet. Peony whooped, Nainsi squealed, Cinder blushed, and Kai groaned.

“Ok now we will leave you alone, for real, ” Nainsi promised, dragging her friends away.

“Why are there so many people here?” Kai murmured then turned to Cinder. She leaned on his shoulder. They were still holding each other's hand, “I really want to kiss you again, by the way.”

“Me too.”

“Okay then, ” he cupped her cheek with his free hand and kissed her. Cinder squeezed his hand affectionately. He once again felt like everything was where it was supposed to be, where he was supposed to be, and that was with Cinder.

Tagging: @just2bubbly @winterrhayle @jacihayle @shelbylmkaider @cerenoya @a-salting-the-world @ladyvesuvia @not-the-founder-of-rome @greenalmond @zephyr-thedragon @cinderswrench @cindersassasin @strawberry-seraph (these are just one-shot tags so please tell me if you want to be added or remove for these types of fics <3)