#can you give us a sneak preview perhaps???

[sapphire-writes]

The Campaign ~ Finale Sneak Peek

preview of The Campaign's final part

MDNI / 18+ / NSFW

a/n: hello my loves and happy valentine's day you filthy sluts 😼 I can't offer a full fic on this day of love and smut but I can give you a little something something from my faves. I can't promise when this will be out in full; life's been very busy (in a good way!). thank you for sticking around and I hope you enjoy 💞 wishing you all nothing but love!

update: OUT NOW READ HERE

💋 Jo

Aemond’s hand is held out before him, Jace’s necklace dangling from his slender fingers. The diamond J catches the light, sparkling. Your mouth goes dry, cheeks warming at the sight. Eyes lifting to meet his, you can’t find the words to speak.

“I’m sorry,” he starts, “Look….I never…this wasn’t…” Aemond takes a deep breath, steadying himself, “I’m not good at this.”

The J swings from the chain, a pendulum on a string. You can't stop staring at it, watching as it taunts you.

“I knew it,” you whisper, hand reaching up to your throat.

“It was just a game,” he insists, “Until it wasn’t.” Your eyes lift from the necklace, meeting his. “That night on the beach….” He lowers his arm. The pendulum swings. “Look if you don’t feel the same–”

Your stomach turns, the corners of your lips dipping into a frown.

“Go,” you breathe, barely audible.

Aemond tilts his head to the side and murmurs your name. Your eyes squeeze shut, chest tightening painfully as he does.

“I want you out.”

“What can I do?” he begs, “Please.”

“Go grovel to someone who cares,” you snap, eyes opening, a fresh wave of anger barrelling through you, “Storm’s End, perhaps? Seems like you have some making up to do with Floris.”

“I don’t fucking want Floris!” he snaps, “I want you.”

You freeze, breath-catching. 

“You don't want her?” you ask and he shakes his head, “Did you fuck her?”

Aemond’s eye widens, a fraction of an inch but it's noticeable. A bitter laugh leaves your lips.

“It was before we–”

“You men are all the same,” you seethe, glaring at him, “Pretty words and no action. Of course you fucked her.”

“Y/N, it was before us, before we ever–look I haven’t so much as touched her since we–”

“Well then here’s your chance!” you interrupt, “Go make up for lost time; I’m sure she’s a wreck. Wallowing on her yacht just waiting for you to jump her bones.”

Aemond flinches as though you’d slapped him. “Stop it.”

“You’re so talented with that tongue, useless apologies included. It’d be a shame to let it go to waste–”

“Seven hells enough!”

His yell silences you. You stand before each other, chests heaving with anger. You can't stand him. You hate him. And though the voice in your head disagrees, you ignore it, setting your wine glass down on the counter.

“You want forgiveness?” you ask, cocking a brow at him, “Get on your knees.”

catch up with The Campaign here!

link to other stories by me!

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thank you ✨

[silviakundera]

The Princess Royal ep 27 and 28

The moment when both Li Rong and Su Rongqing are like SHIT, your brother stepped into our game of thrones.

Damn it Su Ronghua, omg this is making me more heated than in the book.

now they're giving me the future flash of his death to make me sad but NO. NO! ACUALLY IDC. everything is your fault. 😤

blah blah romance with Shauggan Ya NO. NO NO NO. JAIL FOR 10000 YEARS

It's divorce era! SRQ's absolutely full proof plan has NOT devolved into a scenario that will lend PWX more power and cause his ex to soon start humping him like rabbits.... right... right?????

but who caresssss when my bro Cui Yulang is back in town 🎉

THE WAY HE HAS BOTH SRQ AND PWX SO PRESSED because they know he would hit that with the fury of god lololol

Look I do hate Consort Ruo but this whole poisoning the emperor thing is her 1 good idea

I am a simple woman who enjoys watching SRQ realize he's been clowned. And drunk Cui Yulang and exasperated Li Rong passing back & forth messages

Every time he brushes back a tendril of hair, I can hear her from the novel, "Be normal!"

They kept it! So I can be a softy and I admit was a bit charmed by this minor character when LR shared her view of someone with talent and perhaps desire to be of use, but who in her life never accomplished anything... and then he stops pretending to be a shallow pretty face for a moment to confess the real reason he wants to work for her is simply that he thinks she cares about people. I was disarmed by the way he doesn't think she'll believe that - but she immediately does (how few people have believed that about her, how few people have taken him seriously)

They even included PWX's petty ass fucking with the carriage 😭

Oh pleaaaaseeeeee Cui Yulang trying to come up with complaints about Li Chuan and everyone is like ?? ?? 😭😭😭

MY BODY IS READYYYYY for Li Rong digging a big pit with spikes and convincing Consort Ruo to enthusiastically jump in

Please don't let me down drama, I want that whole scheme!

For once the Su Rongqing and Li Rong scene actually worked for me. I did feel that moment where she bluntly references that this battle is heading in 1 direction: one of them will fall. We can see the blow hit both them. SRQ has been stubbornly in denial that this fight is against her faction but he's not taking her down - not truly. Not this time. But she just ripped all pretense away.

(this is where the story gets me to care about their dynamic. not as a love triangle, which it never really has been. but as 2 broken things that used to huddle in the dark to keep warm, now with a new chance in the light... and this is what they're going to do with it? fight to the death? it's sad.)

My darling Pei Wenxuan has not actually lost in brains from jealousy. Good for him.

(In the novel during this time he's secretly plotting shit about the exams and hiding it from LR, because of the whole 'we used to be the leaders of 2 competing factions in the last life' thing that LR was originally concerned about but then the glow of love made her stop being concerned about it, but guess!! what!!)

(I'm 98% sure they are gonna simplify that conflict.)

"Would you like to have the Inspectorate Office?" yaaasss lets goooooo

Su Rongqing, having no idea of wth is going on: Am.... I about to be clowned ?

as of Round 3 (work in progress):

Li Rong: 2

Su Rongqing: 0

Cui Yulang: my sincere love & devotion, whatever what's worth

[preview shows that next 2 episodes start some horny sneaking around ! whee!]

[ohtobeleah]

Sneak Preview of Was it Over? // Jake Seresin.

“Right—“ You agreed softly beside the man you loved so deeply that it burned. “Yeah, I’m really thankful you were so happy to take the kids with you to your mothers house this year.” To be perfectly honest you were expecting Jake to push back, ask more questions, be a little standoffish on the idea of you not being there for the kids on Christmas. But he never did, and you didn’t know what hurt more.

“They’re my kids as much as they’re yours—kinda think it’s the least I can do considering you have them all year round.” It was the tone you didn’t appreciate, the almost passive aggressive attitude that made you frown as you walked with Jake and your kids back to your car.

“You can see the kids anytime you like.” You tried to keep your head level, but the way Jake had said it made you question his motives. “I’d never stop you, if you wanna have them more often I’m sure we can—“

“Wasn’t that a big part of the reason you wanted to separate?” Jake interrupted before you had a chance to finish what you were saying. You’re about to say perhaps you could come up with a custody agreement. Something on paper that seemed fair to the both of you that took your work schedules into consideration as well as your living conditions, the kids schooling, holidays and extended family. You were happy to discuss it more, but this year that had passed the both of you by had gone in the blink of an eye. “You were stuck with the kids too much? Seems a little counter intuitive considering you’ve become their primary caregiver.”

“Jake—“ You sighed with a longing he’d missed. “Not in front of the kids, alright?” You were trying your best, truly. But here he was in all his glory, the love of your life and father of your children, telling you that you made a mistake. “We can talk about it all when we get home.”

“I’m not doing anything in front of the kids—“ Jake shrugged as he watched you unlock the car. “I’m just trying to understand why you can’t just admit why you really left.” Jake knew why you left, because of him. He knew he hadn’t done enough in your marriage to show you how much he loved you. He just wanted to hear you say it. That you didn’t love him anymore.

But you could never say that, because you never stopped loving him.

“You know why—“ You had to bite the inside of your cheek and grit your teeth to stop yourself from telling, Jake Seresin after all these years still managed to get under your skin with ease. “Again, not in front of the kids, let’s just get home.”

“You seem frustrated.” Jake teased, he knew exactly what he was doing. You always took the bait.

“Yeah, you’ve been here for five minutes and I’m already over it.” If you had rolled your eyes any harder than you did you would have fallen over.

“Little harsh—“ Jake chuckled as he placed Sammy into his booster seat, the little buckles that used to give him a hard time when the twins were younger were seamlessly clipped up in seconds. Jake made sure his youngest was safe and secure before he stood and turned his full undivided attention back to you. “I’ve missed you.” He said genuinely with a love so strong inside his heart you could nearly feel the warmth as he wrapped his arms around your shoulders and drew you in for a hug. “It’s good to see you, even if it’s just for one night before you go jet setting.”

With little hesitation yet melted into the man you had married all those years ago with ease. Jake was your home, your guiding light. This past year had been rough without him and you knew deep down it had been rough for him too.

But sometimes love just wasn’t enough to save a marriage.

“Yeah—yeah it’s good to see you.” Jake felt your arms wrap around his torso as you let your cheek rest on his shoulder. “I’ve missed you too.” Jake’s scent had alway brought comfort to you, the overwhelming warmth of cedarwood and notes of vanilla bourbon always calmed you, grounded you in reality. “I’m uh—“ You wanted to tell him the truth about what was going on, but you just couldn’t do that to him. You couldn’t ask that much of him. Not after everything you’d both been through over the last year. “I’m just happy you’re here for the kids.”

“Mum! Lennox won’t let me have the window seat!”

“I’m older than you!” Lennox argued back as Jake groaned into your neck.

“I’m not just here for the kids.” Jake pulled away at the sound of Lenny and Lucy arguing in the back seat over who was taking the middle seat. “But they’re a bonus, Honey.” He winked as he switched into dad mode and dropped his voice an octave or two. “Stop arguing, I’ll flip a coin.”

[localcuttlefish]

asks you about the lightning never strikes twice au

You and @thecatchat have opened Pandora’s Box, I will take this as my signal to never shut up

Strap in folks this is gonna be a Long Post, but I added visuals so bear with me on this

This AU relies heavily on a few assumptions about character personalities, and a few assumptions about how the entities work. 

Here’s my basis of knowledge upon which this entire AU is built:

We know Tim is mentally and emotionally checked out for the majority of Season 3. He’s antisocial, cold, and resentful towards anything regarding the institute and/or it’s employees. He doesn’t give them the opportunity to get close to him anymore, and therefore, he isn’t really fully informed as to what the archival team is looking into all the time (as evidenced by MAG 104: Sneak Preview).

This means he wouldn’t know much (or care much) about Jon going out of his way to seek out Jude Perry, and subsequently seek out Mike Crew. 

The events of MAG 091: The Coming Storm occur as normal. What I want us to focus on is the audio after the statement, of Daisy disposing of Mike’s body and attempting to execute Jon as well. We know that the location Mike is buried in has to be accessible by car, specifically by standard undercover police vehicles, because the audio recording is implicitly either from the trunk of the car or in a closed bag in the car. I tend to make the assumption that the burial location is in a clearing through a patch of woodlands off the shoulder of the highway, because Daisy would know that the highway is a very difficult place to thoroughly search for cadavers, and Jon confirms that he was dragged through a forest to be executed in MAG 132: Entombed. If I remember correctly, Daisy frequents this place, as confirmed by Basira in MAG 091: The Coming Storm. We will keep the presumed location of Mike’s unmarked grave in mind.

Now here comes some big leaps of logic from me. This is where it starts to get funky.

We know that in order to become an avatar, like, a real one, full blown inhuman, you need to die, or at least come close to death, as explained in MAG 121: Far Away.

Up until this point, Tim has not encountered such an event. He’s been tricked into a binding contract with The Eye after being traumatized by The Stranger, he’s held his own against The Corruption, he’s been trapped in The Spiral, he’s inflicted his loneliness upon himself, and god knows to what degree The Web has been stringing him along as it did to all the archival employees, but none of these experiences killed him, or even came that close to it. 

As much as I love Desolation or Stranger aligned Tim, we always forget that he is first and foremost an employee of The Magnus Institute. He’s got that Eye alignment set up for him from the start. Being that he hasn’t died, he isn’t an avatar, but he can tap into the power of The Eye to some degree, much like how Jon in S3 could, but obviously Tim’s dominion of The Eye would be much narrower, since he isn’t The Archivist. 

I would like to think Tim’s abilities are almost mundane to some extent, since he resents the entities and tries to distance from them as much as possible.

Perhaps he’s just really good at finding hidden things. Like in MAG 039: Infestation, when he conveniently fell into multiple canisters of fire extinguishers in a seemingly coincidental stroke of good luck.

That’s the assumption I like to make.

We also know for a fact that trying to escape The Magnus Institute will cause sickness. It happened to Tim when he tried to get away in MAG 090: Bodybuilder. We will keep this effect in mind for later, trust me, it’s important. 

Jumping back to Mike, we know that avatars of The Hunt are the only beings that can really put down another avatar (I forgot which episode this was explained but I think it was from late S3 or early S4, if I find it I’ll edit this and put the exact episode). Daisy, at the time of MAG 091: The Coming Storm, is not confirmed to be an avatar for certain if I remember correctly. But for sake of covering all our bases, let’s say she is. In MAG 132: Entombed, Daisy clarifies that The Hunt “was in me all my life. Telling me who to chase. How to hurt them.”

Daisy was never hunting Mike, though. She was hunting Jon, and Mike just so happened to get caught in the crossfire. Therefore, I would make the argument that The Hunt did not put Mike down, but it sure looks like it did at face value.

So, when she puts a bullet or two through Mike, I’d like to think that’s not enough to really do the job permanently. But what does incapacitate Mike is being completely separated from The Vast, stuck in The Buried. Almost a fairytale-esque sleep-like-death. 

From that, I would dare to assume Mike isn’t dead, but in a painful, paralyzed, eternal stillness and silence, being crushed on all sides and totally severed from that which he serves. He can’t even scream in the few fleeting moments of lucidity in his entrapped state because Daisy broke his jaw when she first attacked. He’s stuck in a half-coma underground.

The last piece of setup for this show is the fact that Tim values autonomy. We see this as he gets more and more frustrated with Jon hovering over him with accusations and micromanagements throughout S2, and Elias trapping him in his current job via supernatural means as revealed in S2 and S3. Granted, he’s not as outspoken about it as Melanie is in comparison, but he still values autonomy. He even dared Elias to kill him if Elias wanted to take away his freedom of choice so badly. “Kill me or fuck off.” (MAG 104: Sneak Preview)

From this, I’d like to assume that he tries to get away in smaller ways, like driving far away from the city of London just to see the stars. Simple things like that, so the institute doesn’t drag him back on a shorter leash, kicking and screaming. 

So, we have the setup. Where does that lead us?

We have a tired and stressed Tim, driving out on a long empty stretch of highway, feeling more and more unwell the further he gets from the institute, until he sees an undercover police vehicle whipping out of a shoulder on the highway. Once again, he has conveniently found something meant to be hidden. 

And of course, being of The Eye, he investigates. Almost instantaneously he no longer feels unwell. 

To his horror, he unearths Mike, discovering the potter’s field Daisy has been steadily adding to over her years in the police force. 

What really wakes Mike up, though?

Well.

There’s a few more fine details, but this is the general gist of it! Feel free to ask more, I’m gonna continue to put out content for this AU but I would love to know what people want to see from it!

[shewhowas39]

sneak peek of chapter 30: "A Smaller God"

looks like chapter 30 of Juniper & Starlight will go up later today! and as mentioned, i'll be taking a short hiatus after this to give readers a chance to catch up and new readers a chance to dive in, since this chapter marks a shift in the narrative as we finally take on the goblin camp!

in the meantime, though, have a little preview. in which Astarion is a menace.

***

The leader of these ogres calls himself Lump, and he proves to be surprisingly intelligent and verbose compared to his companions.

“Am I not astonishing?” Lump boasts. “A robust diet makes for a shrewd mind, you see.”

June expects Astarion’s remark before she even feels him pressing through the tadpole connection.

“Perhaps that’s why you’re so smart, darling! Turns out there are benefits to cannibalism.”

June tries to shove him out of her brain, much to her tadpole’s displeasure. It always seems to wiggle when the connection is used, joyous about connecting with its siblings in a way that makes June uneasy.

“I am a gourmand,” Lump continues, looking at June. “And you are a delicacy.” 

“Oh, you have no idea how right you are,” Astarion says, aloud this time. 

Behind him, Shadowheart rolls her eyes. 

“I’m sorry to say, I ain’t got a brand,” June says. “But you say you ain’t loyal to the Absolute yourself? So maybe we can figure something out here.”

“I am, by all accounts, a student of higher commerce and extortion,” Lump says. “Make me an offer. Tempt me.”

“We have that in common, my gluttonous friend,” Astarion looks to June. “Allow me?”

June shrugs. “Go ahead.” It seems reasonable to let the magistrate handle this negotiation. Even if that magistrate is Astarion. 

She worries she’ll regret this decision when Astarion grins, fangs glinting in the sunlight, before he turns back to Lump.

[faline-cat444]

Momdark

From what I have recently discovered this is another piece of Dexter's Laboratory that must have initially started out as the comic but then managed to get animated but not without some changes to the plot direction.Our first major difference is how the two start out.In the animated version we have the matriarch driving home from the store to be greeted by her kids...

...While Mandark is spying on them from his own lab and wondering how he can get close enough to Dexter in order to destroy him.Which of course leads him to get the idea of disguising as Mama.

The comic however initially leaves us in the dark of how he managed to capture her.The tank she's also being kept in also has a few fishy details.

The disguise montage also had a bit of extra bits as well as a correction of sorts.The comic excludes the bra-wearing and sock stuffing.

But both do show off applying the pillow butt which kind of goes out of order in the comic since in the preview panel Mandark put the gloves on.

Line delivery stays the same between both interpretations of this shot

The comic gives us no clear idea of what exactly was happening that Mandark was able to get the upper hand on the mother but the cartoon shows he timed it to sneak up on her when she went to get a grocery bag left behind in the car.So in the cartoon he's just acting like she just returned in the house with that final bag.Dexter and Dee Dee are already in the kitchen doing homework so Mandark uses this chance to try sneaking into Dexter's room...But before he can open the door the father enters the picture and brings up the issue of food.

The comic differs by having him pick the lock,thinking things are going easy and he could have pulled this scheme off ages ago,and walking upstairs to the door that leads to Dexter's bedroom only to be greeted by the siblings who are now heading downstairs because they want some dinner.

At this point Mandark is freaking out over the fact he needs to make something to eat in order to keep up the act.In both versions he ends up making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches but the cartoon adds the details he was originally supposed to make a chicken pot pie.

We soon enough reach the montage where husband/father,son,and daughter are asking for the help of a mother's touch for different tasks.Some of which are nearly identical copies but happening in a completely different order.

The cartoon adds that this is basically how the rest of Mandark's day went until night finally falls.Dexter demands a goodnight kiss from his "mother" which internally Mandark refuses to do but has to go through to not cause suspicion on identity.This segment is also where some of the more drastic changes begin to unroll.

Already disgusted from the fact he kissed Dexter he then comes quick to realize if that's a bedtime ritual then perhaps he can use this as an opportunity to land a smooch on Dee Dee.But she has other plans in mind involving bunnies.

But the most drastic change that had to go between the two mediums would in my opinion be THIS

After sleeping it off we get what's more-or-less a few more near shot-for-shot redraws but the comic brings a dog named Dreyfus into the mix who is a different design compared to the dog who we see the family owns when the plot finds its existence convenient.The cartoon also implies Mandark might know how to bake cookies while the comic has him just making sandwiches for everyone again.Every step Mandark gets closer to infiltrating the lab someone's calling on him to do something but in both he eventually has enough minutes to make it behind the bookshelf.Not sure how he was planning to destroy it in the cartoon but the comic shows he brought a mallet in order to smash things up...If it wasn't for the fact he was exhausted so he goes back downstairs and slinks onto the couch where the rest of the family is.

Somehow the statement of "You missed a spot" referring to the wet spot on the coffee table resonates with the real deal so she regains consciousness,breaks free from the tank,and crashes through the house window with mop in hand.Minor identity confusion on who is the "real" mother,Mandark caving in because he's realized he can't hold the act any longer(With the cartoon we also learn Mandark apparently knows how to give a good back massage).

As one final detail differentiating the scripts Mandark mentions he doesn't want to destroy the lab anymore before storming off back to his house.Taking back her official role Dexter's mother asks what the heck that statement about the laboratory was supposed to mean.All he says about it is "I don't know".

Our final scene in both takes is the trio demanding the actual woman to do some more tasks while she stares towards the reader/viewer.A minor error is in play for the cartoon since her ear has been miscolored as a part of her hair.

[takerentpe]

Creating a Coordinated Look: Matching Invitations to Decor

When planning a memorable event, attention to detail is key, and one often overlooked aspect is the coordination between invitations and decor. Whether you're organizing a baby shower decoration, seemantham ceremony, or godh bharai, ensuring a cohesive look from the moment the invitation is sent out sets the tone for the entire celebration. In this article, we’ll explore how to create a harmonious look by matching invitations to your event's decor, with a special focus on baby shower decor, seemantham decoration, and godh bharai decoration.

Make your baby shower event more special and amazing by selecting the best baby shower decoration themes from Take Rent Pe — an online supplier providing decoration setups on rent. With more than 100+ décor set ideas, pick your ones and let the team do the whole event management for you.

1. Understanding the Theme

The first step in matching your invitations to your decor is understanding the theme of the event. Whether it's a whimsical baby shower or a traditional seemantham ceremony, the theme will guide all your design choices.

Baby Shower Decor: For a baby shower, the theme might range from classic pastels to modern, gender-neutral designs. Consider using elements like baby animals, balloons, or floral patterns on your invitations to give guests a sneak peek into the event’s ambiance.

Seemantham Decor: A seemantham ceremony, steeped in tradition, often features rich colors and intricate patterns. Gold accents, paisley designs, or motifs of traditional elements like lotus flowers or diyas can be incorporated into both the invitation and the decor.

Godh Bharai Decor: Godh bharai decoration, similar to a baby shower but with cultural significance, often incorporates vibrant colors and cultural symbols. Choosing designs that reflect these elements on your invitations will help tie everything together.

2. Choosing Colors That Complement

Color plays a crucial role in creating a coordinated look. The colors on your invitations should not only reflect the theme but also complement the event's decor.

Baby Shower Decor: Soft pastel colors such as pink, blue, mint green, or lavender are popular for baby showers. If your event decor includes these colors, make sure the invitations echo this palette. For example, if you’re planning a pastel-themed baby shower decoration, use soft, muted tones in your invitations, perhaps with watercolor designs to add an elegant touch.

Seemantham Decor: For seemantham decoration, rich jewel tones like emerald green, royal blue, and deep red are often used. Invitations in these colors, perhaps with gold foiling or embossed details, will give guests a preview of the grandeur they can expect.

Godh Bharai Decor: Vibrant and festive, godh bharai events often use colors like bright yellow, orange, pink, and red. Invitations featuring these bold hues, along with traditional patterns, will seamlessly blend with the overall decor.

3. Matching Design Elements

Incorporating similar design elements in both your invitations and event decor can create a cohesive look that is visually appealing.

Baby Shower Decor: If your baby shower decoration includes elements like bunting banners, cute baby animals, or cloud motifs, consider incorporating these into your invitations as well. A hand-drawn style or minimalist design could be mirrored in both the invites and the decoration items like banners, table centerpieces, and wall art.

Seemantham Decor: Traditional motifs such as paisleys, mandalas, or peacock feathers can be elegantly woven into both the invitations and the decor. For example, if your seemantham decor includes intricate rangoli designs, consider featuring similar patterns on the invitations to create a sense of unity.

Godh Bharai Decor: For godh bharai, elements like marigold flowers, mango leaves, or traditional Indian art can be used on the invitations and then carried through to the event decor. This might include matching table linens, backdrops, or even custom decorations that reflect the designs on the invites.

4. Personalization: Adding a Unique Touch

Adding personal touches to your invitations and decor can make your event even more special. This is especially important for events like baby showers, seemantham, and godh bharai, where the focus is on celebrating the soon-to-arrive baby and the mother.

Baby Shower Decor: Personalized invitations with the baby’s name (if known) or the parents’ names can add a unique touch. This personalization can extend to the decor with custom banners, nameplates, or even themed photo booths that reflect the invitation design.

Seemantham Decor: Customizing the invitations with traditional blessings or family symbols can add a deeper meaning. These elements can be mirrored in the event’s decor, perhaps through custom-made wall art or personalized seating arrangements that honor family traditions.

Godh Bharai Decor: Personalized elements like monogrammed cushions, custom-printed tablecloths, or bespoke signage that matches the invitation’s style can enhance the godh bharai celebration, making it memorable for everyone involved.

5. Incorporating Cultural Elements

For seemantham and godh bharai, incorporating cultural elements is essential to create a meaningful and authentic event. This should start with the invitations and be carried through to the decor.

Seemantham Decor: Cultural symbols like the Kalash, conch shells, or traditional lamps can be used on invitations and carried through to the decor. These elements can be beautifully integrated into the event’s floral arrangements, stage decor, and even in the mandap setup.

Godh Bharai Decor: Symbols like the sacred thread, swastika, or elephant motifs are often used in godh bharai decor. Including these in your invitations will create a cohesive look, with matching decor items such as wall hangings, table settings, and stage designs.

6. Final Touches: Stationery and Signage

Lastly, consider how other printed materials at the event, such as signage, menus, and thank-you cards, can match the invitations and decor. This final touch will ensure a fully coordinated and polished look.

Baby Shower Decor: Matching menus, place cards, and thank-you notes with the invitation design will tie everything together beautifully. This might include using the same fonts, colors, or illustrations throughout all printed materials.

Seemantham Decor: For seemantham decoration, ensure that all event stationery reflects the traditional theme of the invitations. This could include custom program booklets, welcome signs, or seating charts that incorporate the same motifs and colors.

Godh Bharai Decor: Coordinating the stationery with the godh bharai decoration theme will add to the event’s festive atmosphere. Consider using matching fonts, colors, and designs across all printed materials, from welcome boards to favor tags.

Conclusion

Creating a coordinated look by matching invitations to decor is an essential part of event planning. Whether you’re planning a baby shower, seemantham ceremony, or godh bharai, paying attention to these details will not only impress your guests but also create a seamless and memorable celebration. By considering the theme, colors, design elements, personalization, cultural significance, and matching stationery, you can ensure that your event stands out as a beautifully coordinated affair. With Take Rent Pe, you can easily find all the decoration materials you need to bring your vision to life, ensuring every detail is perfectly matched and every moment is unforgettable.

[gaps-between-stories]

Fic Preview

Check out a sneak peek at an upcoming chapter in my fic Growing Sideways

Nearly flinging himself out of the car, he didn’t even bother to wait for Kiri, near sprinting across the parking lot until he was throwing himself into the lobby, whipping his head around as his eyes frantically scanned for – there.

And it didn’t matter, none of it mattered anymore because Stede was there. He was there and he was there and he was waving and smiling and moving through the crowd to get to him and he was there. 

Ed’s body crashed into his, arms wrapping themselves around him and holding him close and never ever letting him go again. 

Stede's hands found their places, one holding Ed's back firmly, the other cradling the back of his head, slowly carding through his hair. "I'm here, my love," he soothed, thumb gently circling on Ed's back. 

Ed nestled his face into the crook of Stede's neck, overwhelmed by the familiar scent of orange and vanilla, the feeling of Stede's arms holding him just right, the sagging relief that Stede was finally finally here. 

"I love you," he choked out a noise caught somewhere between a whine and sob, tightening his grip around Stede. It was the only thing his brain could produce right now, the only words coherent enough to share. He said it again. And another half dozen times for good measure, each one containing everything Ed wanted to say.

I love you. I missed you. I love you. I need you. I love you. I want to go home. I love you. I can't do this without you. 

All the while Stede continued to hold him, murmuring sweet nothings back at him as they gently swayed in the lobby of the damned municipal airport. 

After an indiscernible amount of time – it honestly could have been minutes or hours, as far as Ed was concerned – Stede pressed a kiss to Ed's temple, keeping his lips there as he spoke in a low tone just for the two of them, "I think we have company, dear." 

"S'just Kiri," Ed mumbled into Stede's neck, refusing to give even an inch of space between them right now. 

Stede let out a low chuckle, a sound that reverberated through Ed's own ribcage with how closely intertwined they were. "I don't think she'd be too keen to hear that." 

"M'not scared of her," he insisted, and he'd even halfway convinced himself he believed that when Stede started moving them. Ed gripped himself tighter around the other man, letting out a whine of protest veering just this side of panicked. "Don't - " 

"I'm not going anywhere," Stede immediately reassured, hands continuing their soothing motions across Ed's body. "Do you think we can walk, perhaps?" He prodded gently, taking a small step as if to demonstrate. "Get us into the car? It's a bit of a trek back, isn't it? And I think we've both had very long days." 

Shit. Stede had been traveling for over twenty hours, Ed realized with a jolt, immediately panged with guilt. Stede had to be absolutely exhausted right now, and here he was putting on a brave face for Ed because Ed didn't know how to keep it together in a public fucking airport. 

Ed immediately pulled back, against every instinct screaming in his body to stay close. "Fuck, shit, Stede, I'm sorry, I should have realized, I'm sorry, fuck, I'm sorry - "

"Hey now," Stede immediately hushed him, fingers brushing against his cheek, thumbing away the pooling tears. "None of that, alright?" His gilded hazel eyes searched Ed's own face, covering every inch as if trying to memorize the landscape.

[eloquentornot]

Important update for those of us speculating about Landscaping Your Mind!

Chapter 1 was not improvised during MCC!

Roughly 3 hours and 18 minutes into Scar’s VOD for MCC, Scar asked if he could post chapter 1 on Twitter, and Grian said he could after it was revealed. Then, Scar gives a “sneak preview” and starts reciting a slightly different version of chapter 1. At this point, Grian suddenly has the idea to “just put that at the end of (his) video” and says he’ll re-render the video with a black screen and chapter 1. Scar offers to record “a better one” saying that he “overdid that one” and tried to be more realistic with the other ones. Grian then says “people are going to be like, ‘what is this?? what is this?’” and Scar continues reciting parts of chapter 1, but a bit different. Then the conversation moves on.

I think this shows that chapter 1 was already recorded before MCC, and that perhaps originally it wasn’t going to be part of the episode. Perhaps they intended it to be, but while editing the advert they realised it didn’t fit in. During MCC, Grian had the idea to add it to the end of his video, so perhaps it wasn’t necessarily planned to be part of the story...

But here’s the thing about making stories up as you go along. You can decide later if something was relevant or not, if it wasn’t originally planned to be. The fact is that the black screen at the end with that part of the audiobook is part of the video now. And with how Scar would have posted it to Twitter if Grian hadn’t had the idea to put it in at the end, (the spooky rift ending probably already filmed too by that point) we likely would have been able to hear and react to it either way.

Grian knows how his fans react. He knew we would be interested by the weirdness of the advert, just as he knew we would like his whole weirdness theme this season. Ultimately it’s too early to tell whether or not the advert is relevant to the story of the season as a whole, but I certainly don’t think it’s impossible that it is, and in a season as weird as what Grian’s going for, it’s only natural to investigate and speculate about anything that stands out as much as that advert did.

[izzabeean]

Bad Behavior : Preview

summary : Toji lives a dark unfulfilling life. He works but just enough to keep him afloat, then spends his free time drinking and participating in one-night stands. He doesn't see much of a future until he meets you.

pairing : fushiguro toji x fem!reader

warnings/tags : 18+, alternate universe - office, angst, fluff, smut, eventual romance, alcohol, falling in love.

genre : angst + fluff + smut

word count : 1,863

a/n :  hihi! I am overly excited to share this preview of a series with Toji Fushiguro I’ve been planning for a while now. It’s been something I’ve been drafting on and off and only thought today (December 31), since it’s his birthday, would be the perfect day to give a sneak peek.

Toji is one of my favorite characters – beside’s Itadori because he is an angel sent from above – in the Jujutsu Kaisen series. Personally, I feel like there’s so much depth to his character even though it’s touched on very shortly in the manga series (promise no spoilers for this one). And though some of you may disagree, I certainly sympathize (?!?) and fully understand why he acts the way he does.

this series is an office au and it will be very spicy and juicy – so minor do not interact. I will be taking my time releasing chapters, unfortunately, I won’t have a timeline since I work but I will do my best!

full chapter will be updated in a week!!

please enjoy it, I hope you like it xx

18+ minors dni!!!

masterlist

Condemnation. At what cost does the mind forget the daily ritual of self-punishment? Is it once the body has drunk all the rich desires, feeding off every last drop to find the essence of happiness? 

Perhaps for the average man, but not for Toji Fushgurio.

On the contrary, poisoning his mind with stimulants such as alcohol and gambling just reminds him more of that useless entity he embodies. Even the talent he has to undress women he’s said only a couple of words to doesn’t mask the void he feels in his chest. He can’t forget. That is his weakness – his mind in the past and his present only hanging by a thread. There’s not much use for him in this world except for money and maybe the occasional body that he can fuck so he isn’t completely gone. Besides, he doesn’t think he’ll be able to go on much longer.

The darkness in the room surrounds him, only accompanied by a tiny desk lamp illuminating his keyboard. Once again, he’s left alone in the office only in hopes that the overtime he’s giving will bring his check out to a better sum. All he does is work. And sleep.

Work. Drink. Sleep. Wake up. And do it all over again.

It’s all he’s ever done. All he’s ever known since he walked out on his family. Maybe it was the only sane thing he’s done his entire life. Or maybe he wasn’t man enough to own up to being a father. He tries not to think about it. The thoughts only haunt him, clouding his mind of what’s truly important at the moment.

Money. Drinking. Fucking. Sleeping…

He wakes himself up from nodding off at his desk and checks the time. 8:00 pm. It’s still so early even for a weekday night and he hopes his age isn’t wearing him down. He can’t be one of those people that go to bed at 9:00 pm – that wasn’t something he would do. Right about now, he’d be heading to a bar.

So he turns off his computer and scoots out of his desk before turning the lamp off, the only light illuminates from the hall towards the elevators. He grabs his coat and makes his way out of the building. 

He craves the touch of whisky on his lips. Only the good stuff. He likes it neat – nothing but whisky in the glass. The malty flavors dancing on his tongue, the sting of the liquid running down his throat then warming up his chest. One of the best feelings he can have in a day.

The pub, a block down from the office, is his usual spot. He goes enough that he’s met every bartender and doesn’t even need to order when he sits down at the bar. They give him a nod pouring the golden liquid into a crystal glass and Toji licks his lips. Not even an exchange of words – just the way Toji likes it. 

He takes a swig of the smokey liquor, his eyes lighting up at the ingestion of what can only give him peace of mind. Too bad he can’t just sit here forever, sulking in existence, but down the bar, in his peripheral, a woman sits drinking alone. She’s chugging back a pint of beer, looking unusually rough, like she’s had a tough day. As she puts down the glass on the bar, she doesn’t look half bad – not quite his type but she will do. Slamming back the rest of the whiskey, he stands up walking towards the woman. She looks a bit startled by his appearance, something that brings a sparkle to his eyes as he pulls the barstool out.

“Can I buy you a drink?” Toji asks, sitting down next to the woman. Her lips slightly upturned to a smile to the offer and nods with a ‘sure.’

Everything after that goes quite fast for Toji. He doesn’t really remember the small talk they exchanged before both leaving the bar after a few drinks. All he remember’s is her offering to go to her place and getting a cab to her apartment that was halfway across the city. Boy, her cunt better be worth it, he thinks to himself. And it was – to a point, though she did a good job sucking him off beforehand. When it was his turn, he tortured her clit just until she was about to come undone, but before she does, he grabbed his cock and puts it inside her, a hiss exhaling past his teeth. The sex is quick as she hasn’t been one of his favorites, but he would be stooping fairly low to admit he had one. He has no right to. 

He snarls out a low groan as he follows to his peak, finishing inside the stranger with his fingers almost bruising her hips. A euphoric sensation fills his mind, much better than any glass of whisky. Pulling out, he lays beside her on the bed, his mind high off the toxic dopamine. His chest is heaving as the woman curls up beside him, arm draped across his chest and he can feel her starting to drift away into slumber.

Toji remains awake, waiting. Waiting for the moment she’s in a deep sleep, so much so that he can pry himself away from her affection and leave. And he does without a peep, doubtful he will ever see her again.

All is quiet in the city as the winter chill tries to bluster through his jacket sobering him up. He walks down the street taking out a cigarette, striking a light to inhale the toxins. It’s about 2:00 AM now and he has to remind himself that he has to go to work in 6 hours. It’s too late for another drink, and it’s too late to wander around the city. Plus, it’s unfathomably freezing and he needs to get back to his place.

Spotting a cab, he calls it over, taking out his personal ashtray to put out the cigarette. This was the part he always hated the most, the trek back home, wishing he could snap his fingers and be in his bed. It was also always a pain to pay for his drinks, pay for someone else's drinks, pay for the cab to their place and then pay for the cab back to his place. He isn’t made of money. Though sometimes he wishes he was.

His place is old and unkempt with the paint on the wall peeling and a mess on the floor making it difficult to find your footing where ever he steps. The growing pile of garbage, the atrocious stench first smelled upon walking in. It’s clear that Toji doesn’t care. And why would he when he has nothing left to lose?

Upon entering his apartment, his intoxication faded, his hormones settled, and he starts to feel the pressure building in his chest. The never-ending cycle persists with the company of his own thoughts and they just wouldn’t shut up. The constant reminder of his unremorseful indecency, his immoral transactions and exchanges. There wasn’t a question – he knew he was a bad guy. But at least he could still sleep at night

Another day breaks and another unsatisfying day at the office to temporarily distract Toji. Honing in on a project that he could by far care the least about, but he knows if he does well, a pay-grade could potentially be talked about.

“Yo, Fushiguro,” a voice calls out forcing Toji to look up from his work. His co-worker, Shiu Kong, approaches him with a smile – ​​an average build adult man with short spiked black hair and a thin mustache. “Heard you stayed here late last night. The director seems to be quite impressed.”

“I could care less what the director thinks,” Toji mumbles. “You know what I am here for.”

“Power? Your own office to complete your ‘private’ meetings?” Kong replies with a laugh, only to watch Toji continue typing. “C'mon Fushiguro, you’ve always been the same since I met you, you never change.”

“Likewise,” Toji jokes before watching a bunch of co-workers run across the room to the hallway leading to the elevators. “What’s gotten into them?”

“Oh, you haven’t heard?” Kong asks. “They’ve hired someone new in HR.”

“Can’t seem to keep them for more than a month?”

“I suppose, but rumor is she’s a smoke show.”

Toji raises an eyebrow as a commotion at the front causes everyone to burst, running back to their desks. The entire office is silent as a hushed ding sounds, declaring the elevator has arrived. The clack of heels hits the floor as low chatter sounds in the background. Toji and Kong wait as the sound of heels comes closer, unsure what to expect. A tension fills the room until the voices reveal two familiar faces that were late for work. 

Kong snickers, “Guess we won’t know.”

Toji returns back to his work, unamused. Rumors like that always happen here and it ends up being some deranged old man. It’s obvious people just like to talk, it’s the most exciting thing for people who work here. And yet, part of him hoped that the rumor was true.

He’s working late again and he’s the only one in the office. He can feel the end of the project just at the tip of his finger while he’s typing, but it’s a Friday evening and he’s run out of motivation. He sighs tilting his head back to look up at the ceiling. 

“I need a drink,” he says before turning his desk lamp off, putting on his coat. He nonchalantly walks to the elevator and pushes the button whilst thinking about ending the week with a more expensive whisky, and maybe hitting up a club instead.

“Good evening,” a soft voice sounds breaking Toji away from his thoughts. 

He looks beside him and he sees you. He’s never seen you around the office before and wonders how he hasn’t. There’s a slight pout on your lips and your brows furrow into a frown. He’s caught between thinking you’re just trying to look intimidating or you’re actually in an unpleasant mood. 

“Hasn’t your mother taught you it’s rude to stare,” you say sensing his gaze, eyes still looking forward.

“Bold of you to assume I actually have a healthy relationship with my family,” he replies. He’s a bit put off by your comment but doesn’t really mind the tenacity behind your words.

You turn your stare to Toji, looking him straight into him.

“Sorry, I didn’t get a good look at you, you have family trauma written all over,” you exclaim flatly. When he doesn’t reply, you let out a little chuckle. “I’m kidding, you know.”

He only lets out a scoff. “You should probably work on your tone.”

“I’ve been told that all my life and seems like I’ve never changed.”

The elevator dings, announcing its arrival and you take a step towards the lift, Toji following a few steps behind. Both standing silently in the elevator, he finds himself being at a loss of words.

[jojotichakorn]

speaking of jealousy and wai i do wonder what exactly that part of the trailer where he pushes pat back and asks if he’s looking for pran is about. you could guess it’s just wai not wanting pran to be talked to by one of the engineering guys but at this point they’ve made a truce and it would make sense for the two leaders of the group to be in contact? so i’m wondering where exactly this reaction from wai is coming from like is he protecting pran bc pat did something wrong maybe idk.

also pat and wai were about fight each other at the rugby games in the trailer and my current prediction for that is they’re either fighting specifically over pran OR (which i think is more likely) pat’s being a bitch to him bc his jealousy stars so he’s giving snide remakes to wai and then they try to figure bc of them riling each other up so it’s still bc of pran they’re fighting but only bc pat is being an ass to him out of jealousy maybe. like the engineering and architecture guys are calling a truce but i have a feeling pat is going to start to feel a whole new dislike specifically for wai soon

ok, so in general i think that we are actually far from having made a truce because at present pat had to literally lie and use the engineers' dislike of architecture students to convince them to help them. and considering the preview for the next episode, we can see that there is still a lot of tension. and to be honest, i don't know when a truce will happen, but i assume somewhere around the time when pat and pran's friends either figure out or are told how close they are. considering the fact that they are both "leaders" of the groups, their relationship should work like glue. but so far, i am working under the assumption that they are reluctant allies at best.

in that case, in terms of the first moment, here it is:

it's presented in the context of "why are you sneaking around?" and i always supposed that it was just pran's friends finally figuring out that pran and pat are close, while they are still pretending not to be. they are supposed to be hiding around, but with time they will definitely become more obvious, especially to their friends, and i feel like this is just built up frustration from that and a final sort of "ok, what the fuck is going on here?", which is what i think will lead to pat and pran telling at least pran's friend group about them (in what context it will be at that point - whether platonic or romantic - we shall see).

as for the second moment (apologies for the messy screenshots jfkgjfdlkjgjdf), here it is:

and from it, i definitely get the vibes of pat suddenly attacking wai. because (as it might not be very clear from the screenshots), if you rewatch this moment in the trailer itself (it's at 2:40), you will see that pat rushes towards wai, and i personally feel like wai just sort of pushes him away rather than it being a two-way conflict. this, i feel, is also supported by the fact that not only is no one dragging wai away from pat, but pat's friends are also actually dragging him away from wai, which considering everything that we know about pat's friend group, he must be acting incredibly unreasonably at this moment if they find it necessary to stop him. all of this makes me think that this is because of pat's (unfounded) jealousy towards wai.

i don't think they will ever be fighting over pran, for two reasons:

first of all, it would not make sense for wai to have a crush on pran just because the series simply has no time to end this kind of an arc in a satisfying way and it could serve no purpose to the story because the only character who could benefit from such a storyline would be wai, and - no offense - but he is very much a background character, and they don't have the time nor the incentive to explore his character in depth.

second of all, the space that wai takes up in the narrative is very similar to pa's at this point, except wai is to pran what pa is to pat, and he is perhaps not as knowledgeable and not as intentional in his role. however, considering the fact that they continue using him as a sort of push for pran to think about him and pat (he is the one who asks about the secret crush, he is the one who convinces pran to go to the rooftop, he is the one who narrates the whole romeo and juliet thing), it's very clear that his narrative role is to be someone who offers one of the main characters some much-needed perspective.

[bananaofswifts]

Taylor Swift Turns on a Facsimile Machine for the Ingenious Recreations of ‘Fearless (Taylor’s Version)’: Album Review

Swift recreates her entire 2008 album literally down to the last note, then gives herself room for stylistic latitude on six never-before-recorded "vault" tracks.

By Chris Willman

Swift recreates her entire 2008 album literally down to the last note, then gives herself room for stylistic latitude on six never-before-recorded "vault" tracks.

There is no “best actress” award at the Grammys, perhaps for obvious reasons, but maybe there should be this coming year. And the Grammy would go to… Taylor Swift, for so persuasively playing her 18-year-old self in “Fearless (Taylor’s Version),” her beyond-meticulous recreation of the 2008 recording that did win her her first album of the year trophy back in the day. It’s impossible to overstate just how thoroughly the new version is intended as an exact replica of the old — all the way down to her startling ability to recapture an untrained teen singing voice she’s long matured and moved on from. It’s a stunt, to be sure, but a stunt for the ages — mastering the guile it takes to go back to sounding this guileless.

There are two different, very solid reasons to pick up or stream “Taylor’s Version,” regardless of whether you share her ire for the Big Machine label, whose loose ways with her nine-figure catalog precipitated this, the first in a six-album series of remakes where she’ll be turning on the facsimile machine. One is to marvel at her gift for self-mimicry on the album’s original tracks, where she sounds as possessed by her younger self as Regan ever was by Pazuzu. The other reason is, of course, to check out the six “vault” numbers that Swift wrote during that time frame but has never released before in any form, which dispenses with stylistic fealty to the late 2000s and frames her “Fearless”-era discards in production and arrangements closer to “Folklore.” Those half-dozen (kind of) new tracks really do sound like modern Taylor Swift covering her old stuff.

But those original lucky 13? It’s the same damn record… which is kind of hilarious and marvelous and the kind of meta-ness that will inspire a thousand more think-pieces than it already has, along with possibly efforts at forensic analysis to figure out how she did it.

It would not be surprising if, as we speak, Big Machine was putting a combined team of scientists and lawyers on the case of the new album’s waveform readouts, to make sure it’s not just the original album, remixed. Honestly, it’s that close. The timings of the songs are all within a few seconds of the original tracks, if not coming in at exactly the same length. The duplication effort doesn’t allow any detours. If “Forever and Always” had a cold open then, it’s going to have a cold open now. If the 2008 “That’s the Way I Love You” had slamming rock guitars with an almost subliminal banjo being plucked beneath the racket, so will the 2021 “That’s the Way I Loved You.” A drum roll to end the old “Change”? A drum roll to end its body-snatcher doppelganger. And if she chuckled before the final chorus of “Hey Stephen” 13 years ago, so will that moment be cause for a delighted giggle now.

Of course, much analysis will be put into whether the new laugh is a more knowing-sounding laugh. And that will be part of the fun for a certain segment of audiophile Swifties who will go looking for the slightest change as evidence of something meaningful. When “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” first came out weeks back to preview the album, there were reviews written that swore she’d subtly changed up her phrasing to put a contemporary spin on the song. And maybe they were right, but, having done a fair amount of A/B testing of the two versions of the album, I found myself feeling like I do when vinyl buffs insist there are significant sonic differences between the first stamper version of an LP and one that was pressed a year later. If you can spot those very, very, very modest tweaks, go for it.

But my suspicion is that if Swift has decided to turn a phrase a little differently here or there on this album, or done anything too differently aside from brighten the sound, she’s doing it more as an Easter egg, for the people who are on that kind of hunt, than anything really designed as reinterpretation. Because the last thing Swift wants most of her fans doing is A/B-ing the two versions, the way I did. The whole point is to have folks retire the OG “Fearless” from their Spotify playlists, right? The Swift faithful were already threatening to rain down damnation on anyone caught sneaking an audio peek at the old version after midnight. What she intended was to come up with a rendering so faithful that you would never have a need to spin the vintage album again. In that, she has succeeded beyond what could have been imagined even in the dreams of the few self-forgers who’ve tried this before, like a Jeff Lynne.

Is there any reason to find value in the new versions if you couldn’t care less about the issues of masters and contracts and respect in business deals that made all this strangely possible? Yes, with the first one being that the new album just sounds like a terrific remastering of the old — the same notes, and you’d swear the same performances, but sounding brighter and punchier just on a surface level. But on a more philosophical one, it’s not just a case of Swift playing with her back catalog like Andy Warhol played with his soup can. It’s really a triumph of self-knowledge and self-awareness, in the way that Swift is so hyper-conscious of the ways she’s matured that she has the ability to un-mature before our very ears. With her vocals, it’s virtuosic, in a way, how she’s made herself return to her unvirtuosic upstart self.

On Swift’s earliest albums and in those seminal live shows — at the time when she was famously being told she “can’t sing,” to quote a song from the follow-up album — there was a slight shrillness around the edges of her voice that, if you lacked faith, you might’ve imaged would be there forever. It wasn’t. That was partly youth, and partly just the sheer earnestness with which she wanted to convey the honesty of the songs. She’s advanced so much since then — into one of pop’s most gifted modern singers, really — that the woman of “Folklore” and “Evermore” seems like a completely different human being than the one who made the self-titled debut and “Fearless,” never mind just a woman versus girl. It wouldn’t have seemed possible that she could go back to her old way of singing at the accomplished age of 31, but she found and recreated that nervous, sincere, pleading voice of yesteryear. And maybe it was just a technical feat, of temporarily unlearning what she’s learned since then, but you can sense that maybe she had to go there internally, too, to the place where she was counseling other girls to guard their sexual virtue in “Fifteen,” or wondering whether to believe the fairy tale of “Love Story” or the wakeup call of “White Horse,” or proving with “Forever & Always” that writing a song telling off Joe Jonas for his 27-second breakup call was better than revenge.

If at first you’re not inclined to notice that Swift has re-adopted a completely different singing voice for the “Fearless” remakes, the realization may kick in when those “vault” tracks start appearing in the later stretch of this hour-and-50-minute album. The writing on the six songs that have been pulled up from the 2008 cutting room floor seems primitive, even a little bit by the standards of the “Fearless” album; there are great lines and couplets throughout the rescued tracks, but you can see why she left them as works-in-progress. But she doesn’t use her youthful voice on these resurrections, nor does she employ the actual style of “Fearless” very strictly. Of course, she feels more freedom on these, because there are no predecessors in the Big Machine catalog she’s asking you to leave behind. Her current collaborators of choice, Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner, divided the co-producing work on these fresher songs, as they did for the two all-new albums she released in the last year. (The “Fearless” recreations are co-produced by Swift with Christopher Rowe, someone who worked on remixes for Swift back in that era.) They co-produce the vault songs in a style that sounds somewhere between “Fearless” and Folklore”… a more spectral brand of country-pop, with flutes and synths and ringing 12-string guitars and a modicum of drum programming replacing some (but not all) of the acoustic stringed instruments you’d expect to be carried over from “Fearless” proper.

Of the previously unheard tracks, Swift was right — she’s always been her own best self-editor — in putting out “You All Over Me” first, in advance of the album. With its imagery of half-muddy stones being upturned on the road, this song has advanced lyrical conceits more of a piece with the level of writing she’s doing now than some of the slightly less precocious songs that follow. Still, there’s something to be said for the sheer zippiness with which Swift conveys teen heartbreak in “Mr. Perfectly Fine,” which has a lyric that shows Swift had long since absorbed the lessons Nashville had to offer about how to come up with a high-concept song — the concept, in this case, being just to stick the word “mister” in front of a lot of phrases relating to her shallow ex, as if they were honorary titles to be conferred for being a shit, while she employs the “miss” for herself more sparingly.

Some of the remaining outtake songs go back more toward the sedate side of “Fearless”-style material; she didn’t leave any real bangers in the can. “We Were Happy,” the first of two successive tracks to bring in Keith Urban (but only for backgrounds on this one), employs fake strings and real cello as Swift waxes nostalgic for a time when “you threw your arms around my neck, back when I deserved it.” It’s funny, in a good way, to hear Swift at 31 recreating a song she wrote at 17 or 18 that pined for long-past better times. The next song, “That’s When,” brings Urban in for a proper duet where he gets a whole second verse and featured status on half a chorus, and it’s lovely to hear them together. But, as a make-up song, it doesn’t feel as real or lived-in as the more personal things she was writing at the time — and the fact that its chords are pretty close to a slightly more balladic version of the superior “You Belong With Me” was probably a pretty good reason for dropping it at the time.

the 18-year-old Taylor Swift is a great place to visit, but “Folklore” and “Evermore” are the place you’ll want to return to and live, unless you have an especially strong sentimental attachment to “Fearless”… which, sure, half of young America does. It’s not irreconcilable to say that the two albums she issued in the last year represent a daring pinnacle of her career, but that “Fearless” deserved to win album of the year in 2008. Has there been a greater pop single in the 20th century than “You Belong With Me”? Probably not. Did the album also have lesser moments you probably haven’t thought about in a while, like the just-okay “Breathe”? Yes. (I looked up to see whether Swift had ever played that little remarked upon number in concert, and according to setlists.fm, she did, exactly once… in 2018. Because she’s Taylor Swift, and of course she did.) It’s not certain that her duet with Colbie Caillat really needed to be resurrected, except it’s fun, because hey, she even roped former duet partners back into her time warp. But there are so many number that have stood the test of time, like “The Way I Love You,” an early song that really got at the complicated feelings about passion and fidelity that she would come to explore more as she grew into her 20s… and just kind of a headbanger, too, on an album that does love its fiddles and mandolins.

It doesn’t take much to wonder why Swift put up “Fearless” first in this six-album exercise; it’s one of her two biggest albums, along with “1989,” and it’s 13 years old, which does mean something superstitious in the Taylor-verse. In a way, it’ll be more interesting to see what happens when she gets to more complicated productions, like “1989” or “Reputation.” But maybe “Fearless” did present the opportunity for the grandest experiment out of the gate: to recreate something that pure and heartfelt, with all the meticulousness a studio master like Swift can put to that process now, without having it seem like she’s faking sincerity. Let the think-pieces proceed — because this is about six hundred different shades of meta. But, all craftiness and calculation aside, there’s a sweetness to the regression that’s not inconsequential. It harks back to a time when she only wondered if she could be fearless, before she learned it the harder way for sure. What they say about actors “disappearing into the role”? That really applies to Taylor Swift, playing herself.

[jadevalentine-writes]

WIP Wednesday - Demon Ink - Chapter 28 Preview

CW: NSFW (at least the first half)

Wei Wuxian mourned a lot of things on Tuesday morning. He missed the luxury of waking up in an actual bed, stretched to his full length, instead of contorted on a worn out couch. He lamented waking up to the sound of something heavy dropping in the apartment above him instead of the gentle caress of Lan Wangji's lips against his neck. Most of all, he yearned to wake up next to his boyfriend. Such a fantasy was not feasible on the narrow couch that served as his bed, so he spent the first few minutes of his morning reliving the previous morning instead.

Wei Wuxian had finally made good on his promise to bequeath Lan Wangji with a brain melting blowjob. Wei Wuxian had to resort to more pouting than he thought was necessary, as well as using the excuse that it was like another birthday gift, but it was all worth it in the end. He liked the way Lan Wangji blushed, from the tips of his ears all the way down to his toes, his perfect chest a lovely shade of pink as Wei Wuxian swirled his tongue around the head of his equally perfect dick.

The noises Lan Wangji made were pretty, too. He was not as loud as Wei Wuxian, and it took Wei Wuxian a while to figure out that he made noise at all, but once he did, he picked up on them quite easily. The small grunts of satisfaction. The breathy inhale when something felt just right. The sound of his name, said with an absolutely wrecked whisper. 

The last one was Wei Wuxian’s favorite. 

“Wei Ying!” 

Lan Wangji’s head was thrown back on his pillow, his left hand caught in a death grip on the bed sheets while his right lay loosely on the crown of Wei Wuxian’s head. Wei Wuxian thought it should be reversed, but that would come in time. And judging by the way Lan Wangji panted, so would Lan Wangji. 

Wei Wuxian hummed as he slid down further and was pleased when Lan Wangji’s back arched. Lan Wangji’s dick felt like it paid a brief visit to Wei Wuixan’s tonsils before he reluctantly withdrew. 

“Yes, dear?” Wei Wuxian asked innocently as he pumped Lan Wangji slowly in his right hand, careful to avoid the already sensitive tip. “Is something wrong?”

Lan Wangji somehow mustered a glare at Wei Wuxian, though it was severely weakened.

“I’m…close,” Lan Wangji gritted out as Wei Wuxian continued to stroke him. 

“Mm, that’s the point,” Wei Wuxian said cheerily with a grin. “But I can stop if you don’t like it.”

“No,” Lan Wangji said quickly. When Wei Wuxian momentarily stilled, he continued, “No, don’t stop.”

Wei Wuxian stretched his slightly numb lips into a wicked grind. “With pleasure.”

A few minutes later found Lan Wangji rapidly tapping Wei Wuxian’s shoulder, the agreed upon signal that he was close to climaxing. Lan Wangji wanted to give Wei Wuxian a choice. Wei Wuxian chose to swallow. And he did not regret it one bit, even when Lan Wangji sheepishly asked if it was “unpleasant”. 

“It was a delicacy,” Wei Wuxian teased as he kissed his way up Lan Wangji’s body, from his thighs to his throat. He attempted to kiss his lips, but Lan Wangji playfully shoved him away. Wei Wuxian chuckled. “A delicacy I definitely wouldn’t mind having again.”

“Mn.” Lan Wangji closed his eyes as he cupped one side of Wei Wuxian’s face. “Give me a few minutes.”

“Only a few minutes? My, my, Lan Zhan. You are insatiable.”

Back in his apartment, Wei Wuxian sighed. They had proceeded to attempt round two, only to be inevitably interrupted, but not before Lan Wangji had managed to sneak a hand into his shorts. If he focused, he could still feel Lan Wangji’s warmth as they curled together on the bed. It was a far cry from where he was now. 

Wei Wuxian was just weighing the merits of carrying out the aborted round two on his own, as he was already half-hard, when he heard the bedroom door crack open. Wei Wuxian snapped his eyes shut and stilled. Perhaps, if he were lucky, A-Yuan would just play quietly while he remained horizontal for at least a half an hour longer. Instead, he heard the sound of small bare feet cross from the bedroom door to right next to him. 

“Daddy?” A-Yuan whispered. “Daddy?” A small hand pushed gently at Wei Wuxian’s shoulder. 

Wei Wuxian shifted and groaned. “Mmm?”

“Daddy, wake up,” A-Yuan whispered. “Pwease?”

Wei Wuxian pressed his lips together to keep from smiling. Then he opened his eyes and we met with A-Yuan’s face level with his own. His hair, despite being pulled into a low ponytail before bed, was a wild mane of wisps and tangles. Wei Wuxian smiled as he knew he sported something similar. 

“I’m up, my love. What is it?”

A-Yuan folded his lips in and wiggled his mouth and Wei Wuxian braced himself for what was inevitably going to be a lie. 

“Bongo wet the bed,” A-Yuan blurted. 

Wei Wuxian blinked. “Did he now?” 

A-Yuan nodded furiously, he almost toppled over. Wei Wuxian instinctively grabbed his upper arm to steady him and then looked down. He had heard A-Yuan’s bare footsteps earlier, so he really should not have been surprised that he was not wearing any pants. Or underwear. 

“Did Bonjo wet your pants too?” Wei Wuxian asked with a concerned frown. 

A-Yuan nodded solemnly. “Uh-huh.”

Wei Wuxian chuckled as he slowly sat up. His back popped in protest, especially after two nights of sleeping on a real bed. “Alright, how about you go put on some underwear and I’ll see if Granny Wen will let us use her washer and dryer, hm?” 

As Wei Wuxian watched A-yuan’s bare bottom retreat to his bedroom, he sighed fondly. All in all, it was a normal start to the work week.

[shewhowas39]

chapter 19 sneak peek!

working on chapter 19 of Juniper & Starlight! not sure yet when this will be up. Monday or Tuesday, i hope? but this one is gonna get spicy. here's a little preview before the spicy bits start. the lead up, if you will.

***

“Are you all right?” she asks. 

Astarion has to resist the urge to wince at the genuine worry in her voice. He’s still not used to people showing concern for him. It’s part of what he wants from her, of course, and yet it still itches, like a shirt made of cheap fabric. 

“Oh, yes, quite fine,” he answers. “My backside might be a bit bruised, however.” 

“Sorry.” June scrambles off of him and gets back to her feet. “I didn’t mean to knock you down. I saw you struggling to close the book and I felt a whole lot of necromancy and I got real scared something bad was about to happen to you and…” She trails off as Astarion also stands, dusting off his trousers. He watches her eyes dart to the book and then back to him. “How’s that going, by the way?”

“It’s a unique read, certainly,” he says, tossing a glare at the book. The two dark amethyst gems on hte cover seem to stare menacingly back at him. “A tome of necromancy guarded by spirits.”

“I take it those were the voices I heard when I touched it?” 

“Yes. They became louder when I opened it, surging into my mind. I can’t reason with them. They exist to protect that book.” He walks over and picks up the book, grimacing at the faint sound of whispers, taunting him from the shadows. “Someone went through a lot of trouble to protect this tome,” he says, more to himself than to June. “It has to be something more than a book of cantrips.”

“Astarion.” June takes a step closer to him, her eyes the color of midnight in this dim lighting. “I know you’re hoping to find something useful in there, but that thing is dangerous. I can feel it. I ain’t telling you not to read it, but please be careful.” She offers a smile that seems rather sad. “We already got one crazy person in the party. Don’t wanna add another.”

“You’re right,” he says. “I’d hate to be as mad as Lae’zel.” He’s pleased when that earns a little chuckle from her. “But perhaps you’re right. It may be best to put it aside for now.” Astarion sighs and scowls down at the book. “I still think it may have the key to giving me an edge over Cazador, but I can’t learn anything as long as those spirits remember their mission.”

“We’ll figure it out,” June says. “I promise.” 

He raises an eyebrow at her. “We?”

“Of course. I ain’t just gonna leave you hanging out to dry when all this mindflayer business is done with. Like I told you, Astarion, you’re my friend.” 

Her friend. 

Astarion moves his gaze back down to the book and away from June’s face. He needs to be careful. Last night, he’d nearly confessed everything to her. He’d been so surprised by her easy trust in him and so confounded by her declaring herself to be his friend that he’d nearly let the monster crawl out of the void in his chest and claw its way up through his throat. He’d nearly let the guilt he’s been avoiding looking in the eye go free. 

Thank the Gods she’d had one of her visions and hadn’t heard the first part of his admission. And thank them again that she’d kissed him and shut him up completely. 

In theory, he already has what he wants. She is concerned for him, she trusts him, she seems at least somewhat invested in his well being. That should make him feel good. It should mean his plan is working. Or perhaps even that it’s unnecessary at this point. But Astarion doesn’t trust it. He doesn’t trust that it can be that easy. And he certainly doesn’t trust that, if he told her the truth of his intentions, she’d still call him a friend. 

No. He needs to be careful and keep that guilt chained up in the darkest part of his soul, away from the light of day. He needs to not feel it. To not feel anything. 

But, by the Hells, June, with all her painful sincerity and her big, sad eyes, really makes that difficult sometimes.

“Well, if nothing else, perhaps I can beat Cazador to death with it,” he says, waving the book around theatrically before shoving it into his bag and silencing the voices in his mind. “But you came over here looking for me. Did you need something?”

“I actually came to see if you needed something.” June says, gesturing to her neck. 

“Oh!” Astarion’s mood instantly picks up at the prospect of her blood. “Now that you mention it, darling, I am feeling rather peckish.” He sidles up beside her, slipping an arm around her waist. “Your tent or mine?”

***

readers of J&S know that things get a little steamy once these two are alone in a tent together... this chapter is gonna take that to a new level. i'm excited!

[joonie-beanie]

Consequences

Pairing: Lucifer x Reader

Word Count: 2,093

Preview: Lucifer is described as a sadist, and as his favorite toy, you learn this first hand.

Sometimes he can be gentle but…tonight, he intends to make you cry.

So, I’m cross-posting this chapter on Tumblr, because why not.

This is from my series on AO3 called “Devil Doms” (basically, a collection of one-shot smuts revolving around the Obey Me boys). If you enjoy this read, and want to see more, please click the link above and head over to read the rest!

Lucifer can be nice…when he wants to be.

His love making with you ranges anything from “soft, doting romantic interest” to “hardcore, hogtied dungeon master”. And currently, on a scale of one to ten— (one being gentle vanilla sex, and ten being “Lucifer may be the king of sadists”)—the situation you’re in is about a 9.5.

You’d known this morning—when Lucifer had curled a finger beneath your chin, guiding you into a tease of a kiss—that today, you were in for a treat. There had been a distinct twinkle in his crimson eyes—one that you knew from experience spelled out trouble—but you were hopeless to escape.

If you ran, Lucifer would pursue you—like a predator hunting prey—and pay you back for your disobedience. You had learned this once, after he’d instructed you to come to his room at a specific time, and you had forgotten. He had immediately tracked you down—displeased to find you with Mammon, of all people—and dragged you into his room.

The next morning, you could hardly sit, or stand. Your ass had been so bruised that any simple movement became a reminder to not forget Lucifer’s orders.

However, today, you haven’t disobeyed. You haven’t done anything to warrant his wrath.

Lucifer just loves to be mean.

“Please,” you beg him, your voice coming out in a near whisper as you attempt to catch your breath. The bed frame rocks with each of Lucifer’s powerful thrusts—wet noises filling the spacious room as your arousal begins to pool against the sheets.

Every inch of your pretty pussy is on full view—your ankles wrapped with red rope and secured to the headboard above you. There’s a pillow beneath your hips, propping your body off the mattress for more comfortability in the position, but also so that Lucifer can pound into you while truly seeing all you have to offer.

He watches the way your clit twitches—desperate to be touched, even if just for a moment. He knows it’s your favorite spot, which is why he purposefully ignores it.

Once before, he’d made you cum in less than 2 minutes, just by holding a vibrator to the small bundle of nerves. It’d been quite an enjoyable experience to observe—you, writhing, your body shifting from zero to a hundred in such a short span of time. But now…now he has no intention of letting you climax so quickly and painlessly.

“Hnn–!” you gasp as Lucifer tugs at the clamps on your nipples. Your breasts ache—small red squares dotting the soft skin in the places he had attached clothes pins earlier on. Each one had made you want to cry—your flesh feeling like it was burning as he put them all in place, and then slowly plucked them off one by one.

And, just when you had believed he was finally done torturing your chest, he’d pulled a pair of chained nipple clamps out of nowhere—tightening them until you were hissing from the pain.

Now, as he fucks you, each tug of the clamps has your pussy clenching around him. Despite how it may hurt, every mean action Lucifer inflicts upon you makes you wetter—more desperate—and that’s what he craves.

“Please, Lucifer,” you beg once more, your gaze watching him as he studies the space between your bodies.

“Don’t let this come out,” he responds, completely ignoring your words. His fingers reach down to press against the jeweled plug currently filling your ass. With each of his thrusts, the toy threatens to push out of you.

“You won’t like the consequences.”

You can only nod, gasping for air as the intensity of the current situation begins to overwhelm you. You’re completely helpless to him—both your arms and legs tied above you, and all of your most sensitive parts at his disposal.

At this point, you’re not sure how long this session has lasted, but it has to be drawing near an hour. He’d spent lots of time breaking you into perfect submission before finally fucking you. The pain of the clothes pins on your tits had just been the final straw in breaking you down.

You’d promised your body, and mind—begging him to take you however he desired, so long as he properly touch you. And, after throwing you onto the bed, tying you so truly had no way to resist, and shoving a plug into your ass—he had.

His dick had pushed between your walls with no hesitation—gasps and whines sneaking past your lips as his girth stretched and filled you. Lucifer didn’t give you time to adjust to the intrusion, his hips bucking into you with fervor as he began to pursue his own release.

After all, as the perfect slut, your orgasm shouldn’t matter, right?

“Please, please let me cum,” you try again, tears wetting your eyelashes. Lucifer’s hard gaze shifts up to you, and he sees the desperation painted on your face. A sick pleasure grows in his gut.

“Are you sure you want to?”

You nod quickly, and Lucifer sighs.

“Fine then.” He reaches to the side, producing the vibrator that makes you cum in record time, and your eyes go wide. Dread seeps into your bones as he grins down at you—truly a sadistic bastard—and he presses the head of the toy to your clit.

“But only if you can last 30 seconds.”

He hits the power button, and cranks it up to high. Immediately, your skull is pressing back into the mattress, a frustrated and desperate sob ripping from your chest as your leering orgasm rockets to the surface.

“Fuck,” you bite, genuinely attempting to hold your climax at bay, but it’s hopeless. Your spine curves, eyes rolling back as your walls tighten around Lucifer’s cock.

“Y/N–,” he begins to warn, but it’s too late. With a guttural moan, you find your release. The waves of pleasure course through your lower half—both your pussy and ass riding out the sensation. However, unlike your pussy, which is being forcefully stuffed with Lucifer’s cock—your ass has nothing holding it back. So, the plug subsequently slips from inside of you—falling against the messy sheets—and almost instantly you feel Lucifer’s length disappear from between your walls.

You begin to whine—missing the feeling of him—but the sound quickly changes to a cry when something quite large shoves into your other hole. Your legs strain against their restraints, eyes flying to Lucifer as he gives the chain on your chest a poignant tug.

There’s displeasure in his eyes.

“You didn’t listen,” he says, his hips grinding down against your own. Your mind is overwhelmed—too many feelings assaulting you at once. Your orgasm has yet to entirely fade—your walls still grasping around nothing—as Lucifer begins fucking your ass just as roughly as he had your pussy. The sensation is foreign, and perhaps a bit painful, but you’re sure that’s the point. He’s never used your ass before now, but considering the orders you’d failed to heed, re-stuffing your rear with his own length is truly the only fitting punishment (or, at least, you’re sure that’s what Lucifer is thinking).

“Fuck, Lucifer,” you sob, exhausted. Your legs go limp against their bonds, your body becoming nothing more than Lucifer’s play thing as he claims your ass as his own.

You gaze follows him as he drags two of his fingers between your sopping folds. When he reaches his hand forward, instinctively, you open your mouth—tasting yourself on your tongue as he shoves the digits inside of you. You gag as he ventures farther than he knows you’re comfortable—a new bout of tears welling in your eyes—but Lucifer doesn’t plan on giving you any mercy.

“Suck,” he commands, and you obey. Your eyes are out of focus as you look at him—his strong, toned body flexing with every movement. His fingers curl against your tongue, his other hand moving to grip the chained clamps, and you scream as he abruptly tugs them. The strength applied to the action rips the clamps from your nipples, but Lucifer is quick to silence your cries—his fingers once again venturing deep and making you gag.

Now, you’re truly at your breaking point—tears escaping the corners of your eyes as he continues to ruthlessly fuck you. At this point, he’s simply chasing his own release, and how you feel about it doesn’t quite matter, now does it?

Mind a bit numb, your lips enclose over his fingers, half-lidded eyes zoning on him as you begin sucking on the long digits once more. Lucifer’s stare is still trailed on the space between your bodies, his free hand gripping your thigh tightly. The Avatar of Pride gets sick pleasure out of seeing the way your pussy clenches—desiring to be filled while he fucks your ass instead—the cute, puckered hole being nothing short of abused by him.

“Mm,” the small groan is muffled behind his closed lips, but you note the way his eyebrows pinch together. Lucifer’s face becomes a bit pained, and you know that he’s finally going to cum. You clench around him—his fingernails digging into the soft flesh on your thigh, and you’re sure you’ll be bruised, but—

Lucifer hisses quietly, his hips smacking against you one last time before he finally unravels. He bottoms out inside of you, his seed painting your walls and marking you as his. Your tongue swirls around his fingers faithfully, and after a moment he pulls his hand from your mouth—a trail of spit stretching between your bodies.

Then—for the first time in a while—Lucifer’s eyes rake over your form, taking in the sight of you. Your tits, pussy and ass are red with abuse. There are marks on your thighs where he’d grabbed you, and tears on your blushing face—your skin damp with sweat, and eyes clouded from exhaustion.

Beautiful.

Gently, he pulls his softening length from inside of you—eyeing your fluttering hole as it attempts to readjust to not being filled—a small dribble of his cum dripping out of you.

“Lucifer…,” you breathe, voice quivering.

“Shh,” he responds, bending down to press a kiss against your soon-to-be-bruised thigh. He then reaches over you—his fingers working to unknot the rope holding you in place. You’re a little impatient as he works—desperate for a taste of affection after being used by him for so long. (You’re almost positive this is the longest period of time he’s tortured you to date).

Luckily, Lucifer is versed in his knowledge of rope work (strangely, you have Mammon to thank for that) and manages to free you quickly. Your legs and arms feel the strain from being stuck in one position for so long, and Lucifer helps you ease your limbs down onto the mattress. Once more comfortable, he immediately leans over your torso and cups your cheeks with his hands.

“My love,” he speaks, drawing you into a kiss. You press into him, craving his touch. He only calls you such sweet things when he’s satisfied, and because he knows you need to affection. Despite his sadistic nature, he is not a fool who overlooks proper aftercare.

“You did so well.”

You’re too tired to respond. You simply reach up to hug him, and the Avatar of Pride chuckles. Settling beside you, he holds you to his chest—his lips pressing into your hair as he rubs a hand between your shoulder blades.

For a short while, you both stay like that—his warmth seeping into your bones as you slowly release all the tension held in your body. Once you’re finally relaxed—breathing slow, and deep—Lucifer shifts.

“Will you be alright if I leave you for a moment? You need water, and I can clean you up.”

“Please,” you respond, nodding. He presses one last kiss to your head, and then scoots off the bed. As he walks towards the bathroom to gather what he needs, Lucifer glances back at you—your naked body snuggled beneath his covers—and a sense of pride settles in his chest.

You are his to have.

And as much as he can’t wait to learn every little spec of information about you—

He just as much can’t wait to push you to your limits.

A grin pulls at Lucifer’s lips.

Frankly, he’ll make it a point to do both.

[erosianexile]

Apocalypse In December 2016, I had this dream and texted the whole thing to my husband at 5am. Names of friends have been replaced. The aesthetic of the dream inspired me while working on my fantasy series, Night Gem. And the text in the photo is a quote from the book. I was in some ocean city with a weird electromagnetic building and I kept having visions – or maybe watching previews – of this giant building which looked like a crystal lump from afar, lighting up electrically and sinking into the ocean.

I remember walking past the building with you on the bridge in the same place where I had seen the vision of something odd exuding weird light and blowing up. So one day I went into it. I seemed to know my way around. The decorations were amazing low yellowish light, bone made art, wooden bookshelves, combo between rustic and steampunk, but the steampunk vibe was not explicit. As I walked through the aisles, I saw Brady, my first love.  It was still the same setting, but felt like a dimension somewhere had shifted.  I was emotionally by myself, you weren’t in my heart yet.

I locked eyes with him and we moved through the shelves in the shared mindset (I could feel it) that we needed to work this out once and for all. So we talked in these dark kind of serious but nostalgic tones for a bit.  Then some women saw us. They looked like they were part of the setting… their style was in line with the rustic steam punk vibe, and it felt as though they knew something about us on a level that we needed to be cautious of.  So, we headed behind bookshelves quietly and then, as we rounded corners, I looked over and saw the woman following us and her two friends.  She was black looking with long hair and gigantic heart lips, bold as fuck, with a small dark gold axe in her hand and leathers on her body that signaled me she was some kind of warrior.

She looked over at ….Salvador (our soul brother).  It was as though he had been the one sneaking through the shelves with me, and his outfit suggested familiarity with the place… he was either from there, or knew about it and dressed to match.  But this was his full style, like his real heart was born in this outfit. There was bone and claw jewelry involved. The woman stared at him. She wanted him. He and I knew we needed to keep to ourselves and somehow, I knew he felt like he could not let her find something out.  So I looked at him and he was staring at her, unflinching, but I know he also knew I was watching and was telling me he would take care of this and confuse her (not in words).  But I looked at her. She looked like evil other-planet warrior leaders in her vibe and garb, confident, in charge and ready to have her way.  I did not know fully what that meant but I guessed, as I watched her watching him, that it was at least partly sexual.

I looked back at…you.  She was looking at you and you at her, but you looked more statuesque, more ..dangerous.  You had an outfit similar to how that place was and how Salvador’s outfit suited it, but you were a darker evolution or perhaps something more base.  The sense i got was “bone claws.”  And bone necklaces with claws and another that had special power.  And snake rings on your fingers. Blackness around your eyes like those photos we took, and you staring through it in a similar way.  Destruction was near and it was inevitable, but you didn’t give a flying fuck..bring it on.  That was your vibe.

As she stared at you and you at her, you glanced at me, met my eyes and had a smile in your eyes. It wasn’t obvious.. it was a kitty glare, with some sarcasm. But I knew, I knew you were going to lure her from afar but if she got too close… destroy. She looked at me and said something. I forgot but something like, I will have him. None can resist me.   I knew.no other could resist her. But I had no shred of doubt.. I knew resistance would be a much better outcome for her than what was actually going to happen, but I didn’t know what it was. I said to her go ahead. Try . But I think I only said it with my eyes. She said aloud, something like: are you sure. He will not resist. I saw no point denying her the right to move in on you because I knew from how she stood that she did not see me as an obstacle.  I could say no, he’s mine, but it would mean nothing.  In her mind (the energy gathered from below the hips which was thinking for her, both about sex and conquering or destroying in a bigger way) you were already hers physically and she was doing me a courtesy by pretending I had the option to give you away. If I said no, it wouldn’t stop her, but would signal weakness or provoke a physical brawl that I could not win. She had that axe, and the look of a woman who could conquer cities in one night. Her friends would also do her demands, slim short haired sleek beauties with no soul. I looked at you. You would not budge – your eyes said so. I looked at her, signaling to go ahead, with a half smile like: how do you possibly think you can break through what we have? I was not worried; I found it amusing and absurd.  I said either aloud or to myself , something like “i dare you.” She approached you.  As you stared at her coming towards you, your body language revealed she was going to lose. You were so solid it warmed my soul, but it was also unsettling. Salvador, when he was there, had the look of knowing he was in control (though I was not convinced, but at the very least that was his aim).. you had the look of, do whatever you want but if you cross this point and come too close… OBLITERATION.  

But you did not think it was destructive. She deserved it, it was a dare, she could still have time to leave, and her friends would be stupid as fuck to not run away afterwards.

She got to you and there was a stare down, very brief and fleeting, but it felt like time slowing down. Then she reached forward to choke you, probably only to induce a rush but not to kill you. One of the snakes on your fingers suddenly hissed and wrapped itself around her finger, then her neck. As the snake choked her and she tried to choke it, which lasted only seconds and happened so fast that I’m not sure what happened and who was hurting who, the world turned to.. light.  A magnetic unnatural light that felt almost not there, like it sucked us into a void. I watched you and you watched me but there was no time to move; everything was changing to another dimension where there was no form, even though perhaps it was temporary, and not like death. I knew though, in that last moment, that although you were in obliterating mode, you had no idea this would happen. Then I was watching through the eyes of someone else, a middle aged male reporter watching the same building from across the water, and someone beside him took footage.  It was the same crystal edged bizarre structure falling into the water while light came out of it everywhere that I had seen in my visions.  And so many I loved were inside.. including myself.

The world was shaking, darkening. We have to stop it, a voice shouted. The world is ending! It finally happened!  Etc. But while some panicked, some seemed to feel there was a way to stop it and things could change. Darkness swallowed the world as all of these sentiments floated around and I realized that was why Salvador was there. But his presence opened the path to something base, and you had somehow moved through it and materialized in that spot. No matter what Salvador or we had done, this would have found a way to happen. The electromagnetic dimension and time shifting energy of the place had a mind of its own and we were instruments to enact its will, you most of all, Salvador more of a messenger. And I was your reason to not go along with the flow of the place, to obliterate the forces that be, rather than to lose your soul. You changed the rhythm of life. Salvador and I both danced right along with it and you heard it best somehow. Your danger outfit, the black around your eyes… you were the destruction while also being the only one that did not play along. Or perhaps that is exactly what you did.

But now our only hope to be together or be the same again was out of our hands. And I don’t know what form we were in or how we could come out if we ever did. But I felt we would emerge and our souls would be charged with something very, very powerful that would require training and presence of soul to control. We would be the next force to set the other forces. Not gods but beings of energy that glowed from within us and could be so powerful that it was a responsibility to channel it.  But that was only how i felt, if we emerged at all.

Maybe we were just stardust.