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sorchathered · 7 months ago

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Sweet Home Texas pt 1.

Summary- it’s here! Chapter one of my new series/ my submission for my birthday Rom-Com challenge! I am straying from the plot of Sweet Home Alabama a bit but I hope you all love it!

Pairing-Jake “Hangman” Seresin x oc (Ella Mcree Seresin), Bradley Bradshaw x oc (Ella Mcree Seresin)

Warnings- language, drinking, eventual smut

Stepping out of her shitty rental car into the dimly lit honky tonk parking lot Ella Mccree can already feel the pain of a headache forming behind her eyes. She flew out from San Diego on a red eye to get to this shithole, filled with enough anger to fly the damn plane herself. She swore when she was here the last time that she would never set foot in this damn town again and yet here she is, pushing through the sweaty bodies of horn dog cowboys and navy pilots to find the bane of her existence.

He’s here of course, holding court by the pool tables, looking every bit the cocky asshole he presents himself to be. He’s always been a bit of a douche, that was part of his appeal; well until it wasn’t. She couldn't help the way her stomach flipped as she looked at him, the memories flooding her mind would make anyone blush. First kiss, first time, her first everything had been with Jake Seresin, he was supposed to be the only one, but that hadn’t worked out as planned. Nothing had where they were concerned.

She squared her shoulders, his pretty boy looks didn’t work on her anymore and she was here in this tacky bar for a reason, he wouldn’t distract her. In her ridiculously expensive pumps and form fitting black suit she marched over to him and dropped her briefcase in the middle of the pool table, a chorus of what the hells ringing out as she rounds on him, perfectly manicured finger poking him in the chest, shock clearly written all over his face before he schools his features. She’d caught him by surprise; good, maybe this time he’d actually listen.

“Jake! You stubborn redneck hick, I swear to God if I have to cut your damn hand off and sign these papers myself I will.” If he was phased by her colorful vocabulary he didn’t show it, simply throwing back the rest of his beer and sitting it on the corner of the nearest table as he looked her over, the mischief in his eyes evident in his gaze.

“Hey baby, it’s been a while. How’re things at home?” He said with a grin, knowing it would absolutely irritate the shit out of her, he loved riling her up, it was almost like he had a death wish sometimes but then again being an ex fighter pilot just confirmed that.

“Hey. Baby?! Are you kidding me right now?! Oooh!! You are the most annoying person on the planet!” She said shaking her head jerkily and balling her hands into fists, she needed to get it together. There was a reason to be here, get it done and get the hell out of this town, don’t let him distract you Ella you’re better than this.

Someone behind her said something to the extent of damn I like this girl and out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of a brunette woman sending impressed looks her way. Well at least someone was entertained, she thought.

She leaned across him to grab the papers from her briefcase, his body stiffening under her and she knew despite his cool exterior she had him rattled. She ran a hand across his uniform top, noticing the falter in his grin as he blinked at her and slammed the stack of papers into his chest.

“I have sent these damn papers through your lawyer 4 times in the past 6 months and they keep coming back unsigned, if you are so incompetent that you can’t use a pen, maybe you shouldn’t be allowed to fly a jet, given your lack of a brain. Sign the damn papers Jake, it’s been 3 years. You very clearly aren’t interested in being a husband so why the hell won't you just divorce me?”

Everyone around them seems to go quiet at this, none of his coworkers even knew he had been in a serious relationship, let alone married.

He sticks a toothpick between his lips and pretends to mull over her words as she taps her heel on the sticky bar floor. She already knows what he’s going to say, the same bullshit line he’s given her their entire life. “You know damn well why Ella Bella, because I promised to love you til the day you die and as far as I can tell you’re still breathin’ so we’re still married.”

She rakes a hand through her wavy red hair and gives him a look that could burn the world down. “If I could go back knowing what I know now I’d have never made that damn promise. Stop holding me hostage and sign the damn papers, I’m not leaving town until you do.” She yanks up her bag and stomps out towards the exit, everyone in the group parting like the Red Sea to let her out. Meanwhile Jake still seems cool as a cucumber, completely unbothered as he lines up his next shot and chuckles as he watches her walk out of the bar.

“Uh you planning on giving us an explanation Hangman?” Natasha Trace is the first to speak up, she does enjoy seeing him brought down a peg from time to time but she’s pretty sure she’s seen him more upset over what was for lunch at the dining facility than he is right now.

“Oh that? Eh she’ll be alright, Ella is all bark and no bite. She knows how much I love her, just gotta remind her is all, she and I will be just fine when she comes to her senses.” He seems awfully sure of himself, but she’d noticed something he clearly didn’t. A big ass diamond ring on her ring finger, no wedding band in sight. She has a thought to say something but thinks better of it; let him crash and burn all on his own and maybe invite the girl out for lunch and some gossip if she can find out her number. Jake’s hometown is just a few miles out from the Kingsville Navy base they’re stationed at, maybe an old friend of his has her info, she files that away for tomorrow’s problems and grabs another drink.

Ella is heated, she clumsily fumbles her keys by her car door as she curses, she knew he wouldn’t go for it but damnit if she didn’t hope he’d come to his senses. They’d been split for almost three years?! What was keeping him from letting her go? Pride? Idiocy?! She didn’t have time for this, she had plans of her own and they didn’t include begging her delusional husband for a divorce for the millionth time.

Her phone began to buzz in her pocket as she finally got the car unlocked and settled into the seat. She heaved a sigh out and put on her brightest smile, answering the face time call with fake enthusiasm.

“Well? How’d he take it?” the raspy voice on the other side of the line says, tan skin and bronze hair and those puppy dog eyes she loves so much gazes at her over the screen, and he can tell she’s pissed. “About as well as I thought. I’m gonna be here a few more days I reckon, maybe I can get one of them to get him to pull his head out of his ass, because it definitely didn’t work like I hoped.” She says the last words with a waver in her voice, she hates that she’s tearing up over this.

Bradley Bradshaw sighs over the screen and runs his hand over his face, he knew it wasn’t going to be as easy as she thought. “Need me to come down there? I can hop a flight? We can order a pizza and get trashed.”

As good as that sounds, his presence would only make it worse, and they both know it.

“No baby, it’s ok. I’ll see you soon alright? I just need to go to my hotel and sleep, I’ll try again tomorrow. Maybe call Natasha and see if she can help me with some intel though? She seemed pretty interested in what was going on, and might be an ally.”

He knows Natasha Trace well, and she definitely would be very helpful if he asked, so he nods his head in agreement and ends the call with I love yous and promises of a back rub when she gets home.

He knows the bomb that’s going to go off as soon as Seresin finds out everything, but he also knows the real reason Jake won’t give Ella what she wants. It’s guilt plain and simple, and Bradley isn’t interested in watching his fiancée get hurt by his former rival anymore. Only Ella knows the whole truth, but are either men ready for it?

A/N- this is gonna be a doozy y’all, prepare for these three to be put through the ringer! Next week we’ll get some more on Jake and Ella’s backstory and why they fell apart, hope you enjoyed chapter one!

🏷️ tagging- @attapullman @seitmai @bobgasm @sailor-aviator @jessicab1991 @roosterforme @bradshawssugarbaby @mynameismckenziemae

#top gun maverick #top gun maverick fanfiction #jake seresin #jake hangman seresin #jake seresin x oc #jake seresin fanfiction #sweet home Alabama au #sorchasromcombirthdaycelly

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bekolxeram · 1 month ago

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Surviving the hiatus was... tough. All the fandom drama, the malicious parties taking things way too far for fanon, and the ensuing total bts blackout (especially for Lou). So maybe we got a bit too excited when we saw the 217 truck next to the 118 in the hangar. We had fun with it for a while, then we got our hopes up. I completely understand your disappointment and frustration, asking yourself why feature the 217 at all if Tommy was never going to be a part of the plane disaster arc.

Well, here's my theory:

I don't think the show is trying to send us some kind message with 217's presence here. I think they're simply throwing every single firetruck/ambulance they can get their hands on to bulk up the scene. All the trucks here with station number actually painted on, have been previously featured on the show, except for the 217 engine.

I was disappointed we didn't get to see the two big yellow ARFF trucks in action, but I believe they're actually old crash tenders belonging to the Ontario Fire Department, now used as reserves. You see the black bars on truck F? I believe they're stuck on to cover up the "ONTARIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT" painted on the side of the truck.

They can't bring the ARFF trucks along to shoot the emergency landing scene at San Bernardino, evidently. So they got left behind.

The 217 engine though, was at the scene of the landing.

Chances are it is owned by the show, not simply borrowed from somewhere else. I doubt they would get a firetruck with a completely new station number just to show it on screen for a couple seconds. I think they have at least a vague plan to majorly involve the 217, and very possibly Tommy, in a different story later on in the season. The 217 was never meant to be a big part of the plane disaster, the engine just got thrown on screen because they were taking every truck in their arsenal out to play with.

Instead of catastrophizing about Tommy's future on the show, may I suggest filling in gaps, playing with whatever tiny crumb of the 217 we've got, coming up with headcanon, writing coda fics, just enjoy the creating and imagining, until we meet again next week?

The ones on top and next to the 217 engine, they're very likely Tommy's co-workers. Who are they? What are they like? Are they close with Tommy?

#I'll be the fandom stabilizer #When you get ambitious #I'll be the the buzzkill to drag you back down #“Uughhhh Tommy fubfubfubfub chopper pilot no can fly vroomvroom plane arrrghhhh”#(jk I really hope i didn't come across that way)#When you start losing hope #I'll pick up the baton and be super delulu to lift you back up #Likely pissing off every single one of you in the proccess #911 spoilers #911 speculation #tommy kinard #bucktommy #tevan #kinley

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insomniwillow · 3 months ago

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Hello! Pairing: pissa Prompt: domestic fluff and lots of hugs/kisses because they miss each other so much

Thanks for the prompt! sorry it took so long, work has been kicking my ass. This is also about three times longer than i'd intended, but uh. it's fine, don't worry about it!

Read on Ao3 here!

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Phil and Missa kept missing each other, and it was honestly starting to drive Phil a little crazy.

He understood the importance of Missa's job, of course- it was the same one he'd done before he'd been gifted the life he had now, hard-core and thinly-tethered to the mortal plane. Escorting the souls of the dead and scattered was important, and most notably extremely hectic, so Phil couldn't and wouldn't begrudge Missa for being pulled away from this mortal plane as often as he was. But if Phil had to wake up to another lovingly painted picture of their family, or one of his kids telling him that he just missed apa Missa, dad, he was right here!

Well. He wasn't a hundred percent sure what exactly he would do, but it was getting to the point where he needed to do something.

Being a father to two rambunctious kids, no matter how well behaved they were, was exhausting for anyone, and he often found himself falling asleep in his chair during the middle of a bedtime story or song for the kids, the two of them tucked safely right alongside Missa's still-sleeping body. He was stressed from... basically everything on the island, and then the nightmares that followed purgatory, and the bunnies or whatever the fuck new government system was standing in for the Federation now- it was safe to say there were a lot of things pulling at whatever energy he had left, leaving sleep quick to come and just as easy to lose most nights.

It was a coincidence that none of his sleepless nights had coincided with Missa's waking up, but that didn't make it any fucking easier to deal with.

He hated tea and coffee, but he found himself making a mug of the stuff anyway, of both kinds, just in case. He busied himself with light repair work around the house as soon as his kids were settled, trying to keep himself awake by being up and on his feet. Lullah's little birdhouse needed a new roof, the clock was a minute too slow, the stove needed the soot build-up scrubbed away. The night outside grew darker as the hours slowly eeked away, and he was left with little more than a slightly more put together house and burning eyes, ready to resign himself to another near miss.

He folded his arms over his chest as he glanced towards the bed, the little lumps of his kids and the alluring thickness of the quilts strewn across the mattress. The still-sleeping body of his husband, sans mask, the barest glow of moonlight lighting up his features.

His grip on his arms tightened as his chest did, a squeezing burst of longing that sat thick in his throat, before he made himself turn away.

Going through the motions of getting ready for bed were familiar- getting changed out of his clothes, brushing his teeth, tying his hair off into a braid, making sure the furnace and the torches were put out. Their house had turned into a cacophony of bird calls and wind chimes, but night time was about as quiet as it would probably ever get. He sat himself down on the bed with a soft sigh, though a smile lifted his lips as he leaned over Missa's still form to tuck the kids' blankets closer around them, their cute little growling snorts making him giggle quietly to himself.

"Philza... ?" A voice came from right below him, making him jump a bit in surprise, looking down to see Missa's wide eyes looking back up at him. Phil's heart squeezed in his chest again, this time for an entirely new reason.

"Missa!" He whispered, just barely catching himself as he glanced over to the kids, still sound asleep, reaching to press a hand to Missa's shoulder. He could feel his elation rising above his exhaustion, and he smiled again, shoulders slumping a bit. "Heya mate."

"Que paso, Philza?" Missa murmured, his voice hoarse and worried as he sat himself up in bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He caught sight of Chayanne first, their son's little head pressed against his hip. "It's late, no? Did something happen?"

"No, no." Phil reassured him with a quick wave, reaching to take Missa's hand in his, and Missa flushed a bit, eyes wide again. "I just- wanted to see you. That's all."

"Oh." Missa said, voice a little high and Phil couldn't help but laugh at him- even after the prison and everything else, and Missa was still so easily flustered by a simple touch and sentiment. It was honestly cute, and it struck Phil then and there that he'd even missed something as small as that. "I missed you too!"

"It's been like, what, a month or two since the prison thing?" Phil said, giving Missa's hand a little squeeze. "I got all your paintings, but we just kept missing each other."

"Yep, yep." Missa agreed, though a little ruefully as he rubbed anxiously at the back of his neck, glancing away as he gently returned Phil's squeeze. "But um, I'm a little thirsty, so- sorry, I just-"

"Oh fuck me mate, you don't have to apologized for that." Phil scoffed, standing as he let Missa's hand drop to the bed again, turning back to the kitchen to grab a water bottle and handing it to him. He pulled some toast out of his inventory as well, noting how gaunt Missa looked, swamped with blankets and hair all messy as it hung around his face. "I'm glad I caught you though, I was just about to go to bed..."

"oh, of course! Debes estar tan cansado- ah, I'll let you sleep." Missa was quick to stutter out, reaching to throw his blankets off, but Phil caught his hand again with a snort.

"Oh, no you don't, mate." he playfully scolded, and Missa froze. "You think I haven't heard of the shit you've been doing trying to keep a distance from us? You're staying right here."

"But- Philza-" Missa fussed nervously, and Phil couldn't help his endearment at that too, even if it was tempered by exasperation. But at the same time, if Missa needed a little more reassurance, then Phil was more than happy to provide.

He dropped Missa's hand to cup his face again, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he pressed a kiss to Missa's lips, who froze again. His lips were soft against Phil's chapped ones, his face and hair soft against Phil's palm as he brushed a thumb along Missa's jawline before he leaned in a little closer, and Missa shyly pressed back, his hands reaching up to fist in the loose fabric of Phil's sleep pants as if to anchor himself in place.

Missa was flushed again when they finally parted, and Phil couldn't help but giggle at him, and then louder when Missa's hand came up to Phil's face to press a loud kiss to his cheek, with a 'mwah' to emphasis it. And then again to his jaw, then his neck, the sensation of it ticklish enough to make Phil laugh even harder, though he pressed a hand over his mouth to suppress the noise.

"Jesus, mate, you miss me that fucking much, huh?" Phil murmured in the space between them, using his hand on Missa's cheek to guide him up enough to press another kiss to his mouth, lingering a little as Missa melted into the touch. It was a little gratifying, right alongside Missa's clear eagerness, and usually Phil would be embarrassed by being showered in so much affection, but Missa had a way of making it funny, and thus more bearable. Easier to handle, physically and mentally.

It certainly helped that Missa was a good kisser when he was actually trying and, well, it'd been a while for Phil. He'd forgotten just how thrilling something as simple as a kiss could be.

"...Yeah?" Missa murmured, his voice pitched up and shy and Phil brought up a hand to cradle the back of Missa's head, pulling him closer and pressing a kiss to his temple, hopelessly endeared. "But... necesitas dormir, amor, you need to sleep-"

"M'ere," Phil muttered, rocking them both to the side to lay down on their bed, facing each other even as Missa gave a little yelp from the sudden motion. "There, better now mate?"

"Mmm..." Missa hummed in mock contemplation, brushing his messy hair out of his face to meet Philza's eyes, his own that familiar pretty brown. "I think your eyes need to be closed if you're supposed to be sleeping, Philza."

Even that sounded so nice, as his eyes burned with the effort of keeping them open for so long. He thought he could just barely make out the lightening on the horizon indicating early morning, but it was still dark enough that he, theoretically at least, wouldn't have any issue sleeping. Whether or not he stayed asleep was a different story entirely. Not to mention the irrational fear sitting in his chest as he stared at Missa, awake and beautiful and full of life as thin as Phil's own.

It was hard, and already his chest ached at the thought of waking up to a sleeping husband again, but at least he had this now, a quiet moment between the two of them.

He tightened his hold around Missa's body, pressing close and tucking his head to rest against Missa's collar bones, some stupid part of his brain soothed by the perceived safety of Missa's hold on him in return. Missa worked a hand through Phil's hair, scratching slowly across his scalp and Phil couldn't help but relax even further, eyelids fluttering a bit at the pleasant sensation. He could feel himself slowly falling asleep, could distantly feel the sensation of lips pressed against the top of his head, the words, "buenas noches, amor." ringing in his ear.

He couldn't remember a time he'd fallen asleep so fast, or slept so soundly, safe in his husband's arms.

#qsmp #my writing #qsmp pissa #pissa

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pleasestayawayidonotlikeyou · 4 days ago

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Can i have a sans and reader living trogether as a married couple?

Like paying rent and stuff, planing childreen and having discucions abaut some dumb stuff that the reader is mas abaut?

You can add NSFw if you want

Thank you for your time

Thank you for your request >:] no NSFW because I was too lazy to write it here 😞

Featuring: Sans

Masterlist

Stay at home husband.

It's not because he can't find a job, if anything he'd easily work at a McDonald's or a Starbucks, but 1- he would go insane with certain people and 2- Bud does NOT want to wake up at 4 am to go open the place, nah ah.

Plus, he's very good at household chores, he raised Papyrus without the assistance of his parents, so he learned to do them almost perfectly.

He'd have very dumb ""discussions"" with you, like why milk comes first than cereal or why blue looks better than violet on you.

Puts sticky notes with reminders on the bedside table when he's out.

Every time he goes to the store, always brings something you know you like, especially when you're mad at him because of something he did earlier.

Loves running his fingers through your hair and cuddling you after you had a hard day.

Sans would actually like a child of his own. He convinced himself that he'd be a good father, especially with you on his side, besides, his brother turned up pretty good, don'tcha think?

Talking about his brother, Papyrus would come check on both of you with his partner once in a while, sending texts and organizing family reunions.

Sans is real good with saving money, so it won't be a problem in the process of your pregnancy.

You'll 100% catch him writing down dad puns.

#undertale #sans undertale #sans x reader #sans #sans au #undertale au #utmv #x reader

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the-garbanzo-annex-jr · 2 months ago

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by Jack Elbaum

Despite the unanimous vote and the seemingly uncontroversial content of the bill, it garnered opposition from radical anti-Israel and progressive organizations such as Jewish Voice for Peace, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), and the Coalition for Liberated Ethnic Studies.

The bill “was surprisingly opposed by Jewish Voice for Peace, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), and the Coalition for Liberated Ethnic Studies,” JPAC wrote in a press release.

The root of this opposition, the group claimed, had to do with opposition to Israel: “They argued that Holocaust educational institutions should not contribute to Holocaust education if those institutions also support Israel.”

But JPAC noted that “all major US Holocaust educational institutions do [support Israel].”

“Despite such disingenuous opposition,” JPAC added, “the bill’s overwhelming bipartisan support in the legislature demonstrated the desire for such education.”

The Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC) was another organization that opposed Senate Bill 1277.

The legislation would “put genocide education in the hands of anti-Palestinian organizations that deny Israel is committing a genocide,” Lara Kiswani, executive director of AROC and a lecturer at San Francisco State University, told the progressive news organization Truthout.

The opposition to the bill was despite the fact the program would go beyond just Holocaust education.

“In addition to the Holocaust, educational groups about the Rwandan, Cambodia, Guatemalan, Uyghur, and Native genocides are members of the Collaborative,” JPAC noted. “Together, they develop curriculum, train 8,500 public school teachers, and educate one million students by 2027 – including teachers and students in every California local educational agency (LEA).”

Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) has a long history of celebrating and justifying terrorism against Israel. It created and distributed flyers that read “L’Chaim Intifada” at the height of the second intifada, which featured more than 130 suicide bombings against Israeli civilians and countless shooting and stabbing attacks. The flyer also included a picture of Leila Khaled, a Palestinian terrorist who hijacked a plane in 1969 and attempted to do it again a year later.

#holocaust education #california #cair #jewish voice for peace #justifying terrorism #holocaust #arab resource and organizing center #truthout

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thesharkbait · 1 year ago

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“ The Day We Met ” (M)

chapter two - bittersweet goodbyes

Chapter two - next

story tags/warnings : ot8/reader, male reader, polymerous pack, possessive hints, mature series, bdsm, strangers to lovers/mates, fantasy, courting, fluff, angst, mc is just a sweetie pie, male omega reader, alpha!seonghwa, pack alpha!yunho, alpha!mingi, beta!hongjoong, beta!yeosang, omega!wooyoung, alpha!san, alpha!jongho, mean wooyoung, wooyoung hates reader?, reader is the same height as woozi from svt, 18+ only no minors

chapter warnings : fluff between felix/reader, jealous joong?, this chapter is just y/n settling in mostly, bdsm mention, collaring

length : idk - med (?)

a/n note : (heart divider by @cafekitsune)

Leaving home had to be one of the hardest thing y/n has ever had to do. Having to part ways from the packs pups lead to many tears and cuddles, as they didn’t want there ‘second mom’ to leave. There would be no more singing nursery rhymes and rocking a sleepy pup in his arms to sleep. No more making funny faces to make a pup laugh or convincing them to eating with little airplane motions. No more waking up to birds chirping to the sound wind-chimers blowing in the wind with his best-friend knocking as his door for a morning walk in the never ending field of flowers. Y/n, even though his heart felt like it was being stabbed knew this wasn’t the end of the world even though the packs pup were like his own children, but it sure did feel like it. The life before him held many opportunities whether good or bad he was finally ready, he had to be. Gripping onto his light blue suitcase y/n looked up at felix once more with love-filled teary eyes.

This was the part he wasn’t ready for, the bittersweet goodbye. When y/n met felix they had just presented, even though they were both omegas they had loved each other dearly but they weren’t mates. They had experienced everything with each other yet this is where y/n would have to learn to survive without his best friend. He knew he couldn’t depend on felix for the rest of his life, “please lixie..don’t leave me” y/n whimpered out in a wobbly tone, his breath erratic. “Who will i aggervate when im bored, or when i run out of chocolate!” Felix knew the omega would be like this. He would be lying if he said this would be easy for the both of them. Change is never easy for anyone with a fragile heart, but they had to be strong. They would see each other again he would make sure of it.

“You’ll be fine pup, plus i will be calling you every chance i get. You better not forget about me when your all coupled up with your new pack okay?” Letting out a hearty laugh felix wiped away y/n’s never ending tears, the chestnut haired omega always got emotional went it came to just about anything. It was then everything dawned on felix as he felt his own tears falling down his face. It was then everything dawned on felix as he felt his own tears falling down his face as he heard y/n beginning to sing his favorite nursery rhymes like he would do for the pups but now it was for felix.“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine you make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know, dear how much I love you please don't take my sunshine away..” Looking over one another's features for the millionth time felix gently caressed y/n's cheeks placing a passionate kiss on his lips, “i love you see you soon” y/n smiled through the tears before they parted ways entering their planes.

The betas had spent all morning cleaning up around the house along with a overly excited alpha seonghwa getting ready for hopefully their new pack member and omegan helper. It was safe to say that the pack was restless. Luckily the pack seemed to get a few hours asleep before being waken by yunho double check over everyone. “I dont see why everyones so excited, we are perfectly fine without some outsider who probably smells like some country whore” wooyoung gritted out as he brushed his teeth with a sleepy jongho who was getting dressed. Not everyone in the pack was happy with what was happening that being their beloved omega wooyoung. Although this wasn’t a surprise for the rest. Wooyoung was one of the most territorial in the pack while their pack alpha was the most possessive. Wooyoung couldn’t see how everyone was actually excited with having another omega, wasn’t he enough? Plus how would the new omega even fit in, he was the same height as woozi yet wooyoung didn’t find it cute as he did with his hyung.

Yunho went up to the omega embracing him from behind followed by gently nuzzling into his neck to scent him, “be nice it’s not as bad as you think? i though you wanted to be the head omega, you did say you wanted someone to take care of like we take care of you. We love you, i love you we are not replacing you. We all decided this together remember? We need this to go well, for everyones sake” the alpha hummed out trying to calm and reassure his annoyed mate. As the pack alpha, yunho understood where his mate was coming from and why he was acting this way. He knew wooyoung wasn’t actually upset but pent up in. The alpha was probably the most excited for having the chance at having someone to help balance the pack. Don’t get him wrong he loved his pack with his whole being but he always felt as if something was missing and he knew everyone else did too.

Fighting between the pack had gotten worse over time, with the uneven number of omega and alphas only made the fights more intense. Not to mention having a pack full of doms made ruts and heats harder on the betas especially yeosang. Wooyoung was more dominant than some other omegas in the industry were but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t give up his control some times. He loved his alphas and had no problem dominating his betas in bed but everyone knew he wanted another omega too, yet he was stubborn and refused to let anyone near his pack.

“Lets go everyone! We have to be there by three o’ clock, manager-hyung said their already at the facility!!” hongjoong and yeosang’s voice rang out sweetly while rushing everyone out the door and into the van. Seonghwa beating everyone to the van took his place in the front, “do you think their a girl or a male? i doubt it will be a male meaning how they are almost rare to find but by the description i think their a male.”

“They said their from a secluded pack so im guessing a girl” mingi stated confidently before being shoved to scoot over by a cranky san. “Would yall shut up already?! God we better be stopping for coffee before we get there”

One thing about coming from a secluded pack in the woods to a big city wasn’t the big buildings and fancy hotels no no it was the amount of people. Not only was y/n’s hand shaking from being nervous he was also excited, so much that he happy scent began to feel almost suffocating in the small car for the company’s designated driver. The drive to the company building from the airport allowed him two hours to take a cat nap and mentally prepare himself for his new lifestyle. Being a omegan helper meant he was to act as the packs personal mate which meant he was there to offer them comfort, affection, scenting or anything the group particularly needs. They also help with heats or ruts which in this case he will as both partys gave their consent.

As the car pulled up to the company y/n hurried with gathering his hand held things such as his phone and shark plushie, before he went to get his suitcase from the trunk. Luckily, the worker assigned to him didn’t seem in a rush but only annoyed as he struggled for a bit. Y/n made sure to put on his best friends large hoodie for extra comfort in the car before the arrived or else he is positive he would have been scolded. “Welcome, i’m Kim, i will be guiding you to hopefully meet the pack who you will be joining to be their new omegan helper.” Y/n quickly bowing in respect before going to shake her hand only to be politely denied which made him slightly embarrassed. Choosing to brush it off he followed behind her to one of the empty rooms with a large two way mirror. It was as if y/n was in some foreign paradise. The building was gorgeous and unlike any back where he stayed but he would have to just get used to if he was going to be working for a famous group.

“Here you will wait and since they already know you scent from your application i will bring you a piece of their clothing for you to scent. If all is well you may enter through door beside the mirror whenever you are ready. Also you can see them but they cant see you so don’t worry everything is still anonymous.” she stated calmly before closing the door. Pulling out his phone he quickly texted felix that he had arrived to the building followed by a string of messages about the size of the building and how fancy looking it was.

Glancing around the room y/n rolled his suitcase to the two way mirror while clutching his plushie he stared at the mirror at the eight men starting to fill the room. “Oh my god” he whispered to himself in amazement it was like looking at god like men. It was then when he started to feel underdressed. Nibbling on his bottom lip y/n shifted in his spot beginning to think he was at the wrong place, “..maybe i should have worn something else.” Once attempting to fix his fluffy head of curly chestnut brown hair he sighed in defeat. Broken from his star-struck state the worker walked to him handing him a heavily scented hoodie but this time from the presumed pack alpha. Clutching the cloth he took a cautious whiff, peppermint, he identified almost instantly holding the hoodie close to himself feeling his heart begin to race it made him feel a sense of safety. “I’d like to meet them now if thats..okay” he stated softly with butterflies in his stomach. Nodding her head in relief Kim, his designated omegan worker, grabbed y/n’s suitcase and opened the connecting door while y/n stood behind her.

“I will be just outside the door if you need me” kim gently pulled y/n from behind her earning a betrayed look from the omega. Kim whispered to him a few encouraging words before exiting the room with a kind smile. Gripping onto his suitcase handle and hand held things which now included the pack alphas hoodie y/n inhaled a shaky breath. “I- hello im y/n l/n, its a nice to meet you all. I promise to do my best and help the pack” his voice wavering.

The silence that filled the room almost made the omega follow her yet the next thing that happened surprised him. Suddenly he was being embraced by a cheesing beta, “Oh my gosh you do smell good just like chocolate cake and oh god you’re so small!” hongjoong embraced the omega in a bear hug with a smile that could heal the world. Y/n felt like his heart was going to jump out his chest as he began purring softly. Yeosang joining in hugged y/n from behind. He could almost cry from the betas hug alone it felt like home.

“i told you they would be a girl!” screamed a proud alpha. “um im sorry? im a boy did i enter the..wrong room i was told to come in here if i accepted the scent on the hoodie” y/n questioned pointing at the cloth in his arms, he was almost embarrassed but by the woodsy-peppermint scent filling the room he was sure this was the one. Seonghwa tried to hide his laughter as mingi fell quiet his face slowly turning pink.

“Im sorry for that, hello y/n im Yunho also the packs alpha that was Mingi one of our alphas. Thank you for accepting us really, you dont know how long we were searching for a omegan helper that met our requirements. One that could well handle all of us” yunho spoke up from behind hongjoong who was still holding onto the omega.

“Joongie you have to let him go so we can finish introducing,” reluctantly the head beta let go only to be replaced by a smiley alpha. “Hi i’m Seonghwa another alpha that was hongjoong our lead beta, then theres yeosang a beta he’s a real sweet heart i promise, and this is jongho an alpha he’s also our maknae. Then there is san an alpha, and our precious omega wooyoung.”

Y/n stood in silence remembering each name, face, and scent. Yunho, pack alpha woodsy-peppermint, mingi - cinnamon, seonghwa - red wine, hongjoong- hazlenut, jongho - bonfire and smores, yeosang - honey and fresh flowers, san - freshly made coffee, wooyoung pack omega - vanilla. Suddenly when he was remembering the last one the omega scent seemed to turn slightly bitter as he made eye contact, did he do something wrong? Walking up to them he bowed respectfully maybe he should apologize yet when he went to speak he was cut off.

“You just got here and.. i cant stand you already” the packs omega gritted out before walking out the room pulling san with him. The packs head beta sighed acting like nothing happened while releasing calming pheromones. He knew the omega was upset but not then the way one would think so he wouldn’t mention it. It would take some time before wooyoung would actually get along and talk to their new pack member normally. Especially when y/n came in smelling like other unknown omega. “Come we already got your room ready i think you will love it, here let me get that for u” pulling y/n’s suitcase hongjoong led them to the van they originally came in. “Don’t mind him he didn’t mean what he said okay? He is just not in the best of moods today.” Yunho spoke softly not to scare y/n while gently placing his hand on the omega’s lower back to guide him out the door.

Walking into the packs penthouse y/n gasped as he toed off his shoes. This was nothing like at his old pack house, no it was more spacious not to mention expensive. There were no pups running around playing tag resulting in stuff being knocked over or any babies begging to be held. No field to go running through to make flower crowns. “Come ill show u to your room, me and sangie decorated it. We tried to make it seem like you were back at home but we didn’t know really how so we just kinda made it soft looking?” hongjoong said with a giggle setting the omegas luggage don’t on the floor. The beta couldn’t seem to stop himself from helping the omega. He was just so genuinely happy that he couldn’t help wanting to know everything y/n was willing to tell him. It had been a while since the pack had been interested in meeting someone new that would potentially become apart of their pack. “I can help you unpack if you’d like. Also if you don’t mind me asking, how was life back where you’re from i mean like in a secluded pack and all.”

Y/n listened to the beta ramble on. Hongjoong hadn’t left his side since they met back at the facility, even when they got into the van he insisted that y/n sat by him. Even now that they are at the packs house when the others went to the pack alphas den the beta stayed. “That would be great, and well it sure is different than being here i mean in the city and all not to mention a different country” y/n giggled he couldn’t help but be flustered by the other giving all of his attention to him. “Back at home me and lixie’s job was to watch over the packs pups while the parents did their own jobs within the pack. I loved my job the pups were like my own in a way, they would even call me momma at times” y/n smiled at the memories his scent becoming sweeter. “i would sing them to nusery rhymes and put them to sleep while lixie feed and played with them. Back at my old home there was lots of woods and spacious fields so me and lixie would go on picnics almost everyday.”

Hongjoong unpacked the omegas clothes while listening to him share his life stories, this was all new to him as none of his pack members ever lived in a secluded pack. Picking up one stack of folded clothes he paused. These didn’t smell like y/n, no these weren’t his. Why were someone else’s clothes with his? Jealousy ran through the betas body almost instantly. Why was he jealous already over someone he had just met him, yet he couldn’t help feeling jealous every time the omega mentioned his friend by their nickname. He felt as if the omega was already theirs. Now that he thought about it why was he wearing someone else’s hoodie.

“Oh here ill do those” y/n quickly suggested while picking up felix’s heavily scented clothes. Taking a deep breath before shoving half of the stack of clothes into the dresser leaving the other half on his bed to include in his nest. “Is everything okay? if you’re hungry i can cook something this is the last of my stuff here.” The smiling omega stood up dusting off his legs while watching the beta.

“oh no im fine i mean yes, yunho wants to have a meeting all of us tonight to make sure everything was covered on your application like the packs ruts and heat schedules. Also he wants to make sure the other more personal things are covered” fake smiling hongjoong joined y/n standing. Guiding y/n to the kitchen joong showed him where everything was before excusing himself. “If you need help with anything just call out”

Once he was by himself a call rang through his phone the name sending a bright smile to y/n’s face. “Lixie!! what took you so long to call me back?” the omega whined with a playful pout as he set up his phone to pull out the ingredients to make a small meal for the hungry beta making sure to include the rest as a thank you gift.

“Im sorry baby i had to get settled in first. How has my precious omega been hm? are they treating you well?” felix said while staring at the now busy y/n. “Are you about to cook?”

Reaching into the fridge he replied calmly, “Yes im making something small yet fulfilling. Its gonna be a thank you meal for them accepting me and all. Maybe ill even make your favorite cookies.” Exhaling y/n washed his hands to begin mixing the dough for the sugar cookies.

Felix shook his head knowing this wasn’t the only reason his best friend cooking and baking cookies,“what happened you only make my favorite cookies when something has happened, or do u miss me” felix said teasingly while making a kissy face to the camera making y/n roll his eyes.

“They are all nice really..and i just miss you a lot thats all. This is gonna be the first time i have to shower alone” he stated softly while cutting up some meat for the handmade ramen he was making for the pack. Y/n didn’t want to tell him how hurt he was when one of the packs members didn’t bother to hide how much he disliked him already. Not only that but how it was their omega who seem to be upset with him. He would have been fine if it wasn’t a fellow omega, omegas normally stayed together. “But i have your clothes to help build my nest with so ill be okay”

After a few hours of talking with felix, y/n reluctantly hung up the phone. Nibbling on his bottom lip he began wrapping up the small batch of cookies he made just for the other omega, “maybe he will like these too.” Placing the wrapped cookies on the counter he wrote a small note, for wooyoung-hyung only from y/n ending the note with a small heart. Y/n smiled to himself hiding the gift somewhere he knew the omega would find them.

Later that night in the living room sat the whole pack and y/n. Yunho holding a cheery yeosang in his lap with while the rest sat in a circle around them with y/n towards the middle. “As you may know, in our pack we are quite possessive with whats ours. Some more than others like joongie and woo, as you’ve see in the application process. There is a few packs like ours such as BTS, SF9, NCT and OnlyOneOf, but before we go further into that as pack alpha i would like to make sure that what you agreed to in your file is correct. In your file you said you are comfortable and consent to bdsm related things correct?” San wrapped his arms around wooyoung scenting him as his cat-like eyes made eye contact with y/n, he started whispering to the omega in his lap with a sly smirk.

“Yes i consented to it now in person and on file. I also agreed to helping with the packs needs, of any sort” breaking eye contact, y/n spoke confidently. Although his voice seem to come out softer than intended. Y/n was no stranger to such topics as he and felix often talked about it, they even went as far as trying it out them selves. This was how the omega found out his preferences, without a doubt he was a submissive. It was more than obvious that he preferred not being in control which was why yunho didn’t bother questioning y/n on such. Yeosang then slide off the alphas lap going to sit by his fellow beta who was becoming restless, “calm down baby he’ll be ours soon, go sit behind him. i’ll keep watch of the others.” Slowly sliding behind y/n hongjoong pulled the omega into his lap. Gliding his nose against his neck hongjoong glanced at wooyoung smirking. Keeping eye contact he continued to lightly scent the omega in his lap. The beta knew what he was doing, placing a short kisses on y/n’s scent glands, teasing the glaring omega across the room. Y/n leaned back into the betas chest as the smell of hazlenut washed over him. Letting out short breaths, y/n held back a whimper his face flustered as his eyes glossed over he mumbled out, “..please joongie.” The beta to chuckled before lightly shushing him.

Walking into packs nest Yunho grabbed a small jewelry box, glancing at the black velvet collar inside. The elegant looking collar had the groups name branded on the front followed by white lace, a small sliver bell in the front, and a keyhold in the back.

#kpop #ateez #ateez x reader #ateez ot8 #ot8 x reader #omega male reader #omegaverse #mingi x reader #hongjoong x reader #seonghwa x y/n #wooyoung x reader #yeosang x reader #jongho x reader #san x reader #kpop fanfic #ateez fanfic

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atiny-for-life · 4 months ago

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Creative Spotlight #2: Park Seonghwa

Masterlist

Intro: With so many new Atinys coming in, I figured now would be a good time to shed some light on all the boys' creative solo projects over the years, big and small.

ASMR

Lover of ASMR Seonghwa started his own ASMR series following a one-off video back in 2020:

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Titled Mars ASMR, the series kicked off in 2020...

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... with the most recent one being released 2 years ago:

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In 2021, he also appeared on M2's K-Pop ASMR series, Tingle Interview, with Hongjoong (Seonghwa did a great job, of course, while Hongjoong tried his best... buddy was just a little lost sometimes):

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Seonghwa was also featured on his favorite ASMR YouTuber's channel, Soy ASMR, with Wooyoung (once again, he did a great job - Wooyoung on the other hand kept trying not to laugh or seem weirded out until she brought out the snacks and told him eating could be an ASMR thing - then he was fully on board):

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Imitation Soundtrack

While playing a smaller role, Seonghwa was also a part of the Imitation cast, together with Yunho, San, and Jongho, and thus a member of the fictional group Sparkling, which means we get to see him perform on several occasions throughout the show.

They toned down their actual skills significantly for the sake of looking like rookies on the show, but damn, if you were around at the time Imitation was airing, you'll know how iconic these songs were for the fandom (more on that on the other three's posts):

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Cover Songs

Released in 2021, Seonghwa released a cover of Lauv's The Story Never Ends set to a vertical black and white video with the instrumental arranged by Hongjoong which was super clean and pretty and builds both instrumentally and vocally in the last third with layered harmonies:

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In 2022, Seonghwa dropped a cover of Pink Sweat$'s At My Worst, recorded and mixed by Buddy, and sharing many baby pictures in the video since it was a birthday present for himself and us. It's a very cozy and sweet song:

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Last year, he came back with Troye Sivan's Angel Baby, recorded and mixed by Maddox and arranged by Hongjoong:

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The video has the vibe of getting brought along on Seonghwa’s travels while we get to listen to warm and comforting vocals. He's being very playful and cute throughout the clips, matching the cozy energy of the song. If you were looking for a comfort video on a draining day, this is it.

Fashion

Seonghwa made his Paris Fashion Week debut on September 27th, 2024, styled in designs by Isabel Marant the day after hinting at his appearance there via his Instagram stories. He's now the fourth Ateez member to participate in Fashion Week, alongside San, Hongjoong, and Wooyoung.

Pictures of his outfit were shared by him on his Instagram and his appearance was also included in the guest list reported on by Vogue since he was invited to "an intimate dinner Thursday night, [hosted by Isabel Marant], celebrating both the brand’s 30th anniversary and its first return to Los Angeles in ten years".

His outfit for the main show was now also posted on his Instagram.

On October 23rd, 2024, the Behind the Scenes video for his appearance here was released in the form of a half-hour vlog which kicks off in Korea before he heads on the plane.

While in the car in Paris, he tells us about how hard all the staff worked to ensure he'd be able to attend and make his dream come true, which includes the retelling of a conversation he had with the CEO of KQ (Ateez's dad) so, of course, Seonghwa had to imitate his voice as always:

As a proud member of "clothes have no gender" Ateez, we also get to see him make the conscious choice to wear something from the women's side of the collection (and we love him for it):

While in Paris, we get to see him talk to the staff, wear several unique outfits we've also seen on his Instagram before, and, finally, attend the show itself where he evidently had a lot of fun. The video ends in his hotel room where he expresses his gratitude to the members and Atiny in an emotional speech which was very sweet but also somewhat sad since he doesn't seem to fully acknowledge his own efforts:

#seonghwa #park seonghwa #ateez

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runwayrunway · 1 year ago

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No. 1 - Lufthansa

We begin with a large fish even by the standards of the large pond in which we operate. A very intentionally chosen large fish. Deutsche Lufthansa is Germany’s flag carrier and the second largest carrier in all of Europe by passenger volume. In 2018, they unveiled a new standard livery for their fleet of airplanes, and it...well. It’s this.

Even the presentation - good lord, is this an auto show?

My feelings on Lufthansa’s 2018 livery are visceral. There’s no mental evaluation required, no taking it in, thinking about the choices made - I look at the modern Lufthansa livery and immediately, profoundly know that I hate it. And that’s not just because of the specific choices made - which are bad - but because of the space they occupy amidst a creatively barren wasteland within livery design. This is going to be a very long post, which isn’t standard for this blog, but my goal for an introduction is to break down exactly the sort of design that made me feel the need to start doing this to begin with.

But in reality that’s only the beginning. Yes, Lufthansa’s livery is specifically disappointing, but it is so much more than that. It is the purest distillation of the greatest challenge aviation faces today, far weightier than scheduling issues, outdated IT, and runway incursions. It is not the worst example of it, not in the slightest, but it is a large airline which has a very textbook presentation of symptoms and thus feels like a great example to describe exactly what I hate about this sort of design. Let me explain.

Essentially, airlines have found a formula. It goes as such:

Almost entirely white body. (There is a name for this trend: Eurowhite.) In some cases, there may be a colour on the underside, generally either a light grey or whichever secondary shade the airline has committed to. In the case of this Lufthansa livery, it is just white.

Aside from the white body there will be either a single colour (generally some dark blue, or less often some sort of red) or a few colours, usually but not exclusively on flag carriers to match their national branding. (The proliferation of red, white, and blue flags out there means that a disproportionate number of airline liveries are these colours.) Unless it is literally just a white plane meant to be as generic as possible for short turn-overs when leasing, it will at least attempt to have some sort of design, but it will be minimal, and:

All of the detail will be on the tail. There may be coloured winglets or engine nacelles, but other than that it is only at the rear of the plane that you begin to see any interest. Usually this is just a logo, though it may be an abstract design which looks like a default tumblr header. It will often only be on the tail, with nothing at all on the body proper.

The name of the airline written in a sans-serif typeface which is set as default on at least one word processor. Rarely will anything creative be done with this. It will (usually, except in egregious cases) match the impotent attempt at graphic design which has been confined to the empennage and it will have all the charm of a large retail chain’s flyer describing the benefits you’ll definitely totally get if you work for them - sickeningly corporate. Low-cost airlines may slightly vary the theme by putting their website onto the livery, either towards the back or just instead of the airline’s name. The brave will also write it on the ventral fairing, but most don’t even bother with that simple act. Some airlines have their name written in the language spoken in the country they’re based in, usually beside the English text, but most are only in English despite operating in countries where this is not the most widely spoken language.

Not every livery which has these features is badly designed, as seemingly small changes can make all the difference. There is the occasional livery that fits most, if not all of these features that has some clever tweaks or design choices which makes me actually think it’s fine, acceptable, maybe even decent. (I have taken the initiative of making sure a few of these are among my early posts, just to demonstrate that it can be done). And some airlines depart from this entirely and come up with something even more hideous. Yet I somehow find myself respecting even these more than I do Lufthansa.

The Corporate Standard Livery Design (Lufthansesque design, if you will) is - and I do not think I am being dramatic at all here - an epidemic. Taxiing through most airports, you sometimes have to actually try to tell the planes parked around you apart in the sea of red, blue, and mostly white. And I spend a lot of time looking at planes.

These liveries do not only fail to inspire me. They instill in me a profound disgust. They are not trying to be good. They are trying to be what I described earlier - decent, not worth complaining about, because that’s cheaper and easier than designing something good. Graphic design is not anyone’s passion here. They’re just trying to toe the line. They’re so poisoned by the modern minimalist-design brain virus that they don’t realise that to be acceptable a livery this simple needs to do something interesting. There must be a creative decision made somewhere, a compelling feature, or you may as well be flying an MLA-formatted plane. In their striving for adequacy they become not just ambient, but lukewarm. They are a bottle of water which has sat in the sun for so long that when you drink it, even though you’re overheating and parched, it feels only negligibly better than the air you’ve been breathing in.

To be fair, I do not only hate the Lufthansa paintjob because it exemplifies whatever-ness. Even in an industry saturated with gross in-flight nothingburgers served with some stale biscuits and a paper cup of Lipton tea, Lufthansa manages to offend in specific and unique ways.

Throughout its long history Lufthansa has had a handful of different liveries, but from 2018 onwards this has been the situation. They’ve never been brilliant, but it’s only gotten worse over time. I normally would commit to a separate post for historical liveries, but in a move that I don’t foresee becoming particularly common I’d like to talk about the history and evolution of Lufthansa’s liveries from the golden age to now - the fall, if you will.

(image: lufthansa bildarchiv)

Their early liveries were already pretty much plain white or metal, but they still had a few features that made them seem a bit less like photocopy paper which was meant to be printed plain blue but only got through a tenth of the sheet before ink ran out. To begin with, they used a lighter blue and combined it with a vivid yellow to add some actual visual interest. The layering of the yellow over the blue where it curves around and below the nose and on the ends of the tailplane actually draws the eye. The font choice is nice and legible, spaced apart in the center of the fuselage. I imagine it was easy to read even from far away. (Shame it’s a bit blocked by the wings from some angles, though.)

(image: lufthansa bildarchiv)

This early 707 design keeps the cheatlines extending past the nose but makes them sharper than the ones on the Connie to match the sleek profile of the jet. Back when this plane was painted adding white to your plane was a choice rather than the thing everybody was doing, which allows me to respect it for the choice it was instead of considering it the factory default. The bottom half, denoted by the cheatline, is left unpainted, which only adds to the sleekness of the overall profile, and the text is clear and plain but still aesthetically pleasing. The 707 is by modern standards pretty antique-looking; you can take one look at one and tell it isn’t particularly streamlined. This paint scheme, though, makes the plane look sharp and aerodynamic, despite not being revolutionary. I would go so far as to say I like this particular livery. This is, unfortunately, as good as it gets.

Oh. Oh no...

Let’s assess the damage here. The cheatlines now simply meet at the front without wrapping down to the belly of the plane and the nose is a simple black tip. I like it when airlines paint their planes’ radomes, and I wouldn’t mind it here if not for what it was replacing. The font has been replaced with a generic sans serif font which is closely spaced and put up into a corner, like the name on a homework assignment - it’s not really part of the total package, just there for administrative purposes. Most upsetting to me is the tail. While I wouldn’t say I love the little section on the old plane, it at least felt like it belonged there, creating a second blue-and-yellow layer above the white. Its placement on the fin above where it begins to taper gives the plane a bit of an aerodynamic feel. It’s certainly not changing the world, but it feels at home in the livery.

The new fin is a sharp downgrade. With nothing to mark the transition the fin abruptly goes from the white of the upper fuselage to a shiny blue which contains an enclave of the only yellow to be found on the entire aircraft. This makes the yellow stand out, as it has nothing to tie it in with the rest of the plane, and the fin itself feels almost like it’s been Frankensteined onto the fuselage from a different plane by a different airline. There’s nothing to mediate the transition from a block of white to a block of blue, like how the cheatline separates white and grey. It just is blue now, stop asking questions. This also means that the only part of the plane that the eye is really drawn to is...the tiny portion of the whole that is the fin, which may as well be floating detached in midair.

This is foreboding. Knowing what I know now, it feels like looking back at when a romantic partner began to act strange years later, after the divorce, as you walk by the house he bought with his mistress.

(image: g najberg)

The most recent, and only, time I flew on Lufthansa was in 2014 and was aboard one of their 747-400s. (Actually, if you’d still like to fly on a passenger 747, Lufthansa is basically your only option.) At the time, they looked like this. This is...just sad. They got rid of the cheatlines, because that’s trendy now, and they painted the whole plane white and made an attempt at lip service to the old metal lower half by painting just a bit of the plane grey, like if a human stepped into a puddle of paint that only covered the very sole of their foot. And I’m being generous by showing a 747, a plane which inherently makes any livery look less boring by being interestingly shaped itself, instead of the classic slightly pointy single-decker tube. Not to mention the double-decker design makes the text vertically centered instead of the default Lufthansa look of awkwardly shoved nearly all the way up the fuselage.

In defense of the modern livery, it’s possible to argue it’s an improvement on this. Honestly, looking at them next to each other, it’s difficult to pick out which one I find less defensible.

But then you see��D-AIDV, an A321 painted in a heritage livery, and you feel the immediate, visceral “no!!! no go back!!!” as you remember that this is a false dichotomy and we could have something so much better if they weren’t peer-pressured into generic modern design.

And for what? For this?

(image: hvdfonts)

For the third time, I remind you of what we have been reduced to. We have achieved a state of reductio ad absurdum where this barely qualifies as a design. This plane is more or less a white blot. You can put as many insets as you want and it is still a white blot.

I am relatively sure that the font used is literally Helvetica. EDIT: I have been informed that it is not, in fact, Helvetica, but a custom typeface that happens to look almost exactly like Helvetica. This is, in my own opinion, worse! They did apparently use Helvetica in the past, though. Here is a very detailed description of the design process of the font, which manages to contain a grand total of zero ideas.

I would hate this on its own already, but it’s also so closely spaced and located so far up that it makes me feel like I’m suffocating. In my own experience as a dyslexic person, kerning is the single weightiest feature when it comes to if I can easily read something or not. While Helvetica, ugly though it may be, is generally considered a very legible font, any benefits from that are more than cancelled out by committing to making sure the entire name of the airline fits between the frontmost two doors with room to spare. It feels almost hostile.

Now, all given, I at least somewhat enjoy the shade of blue used for this livery, which is darker than the normal fare. I do miss the way the grey broke up the endless white space, though, and I mourn the yellow even more - in addition to being something to look at, losing it has also lost any visible reference to the flag of Germany, the country for which Lufthansa is the flag carrier. They don’t even have the black part of the German flag despite that being basically free. If they went for black instead of dark blue I would honestly respect this a hell of a lot more. One of the most recognizable flags in the world and instead your airline looks like a discount SAS.

Yeah, I said it. If we want to go even further with comparisons by including airlines that aren’t Lufthansa, this is basically the SAS livery. Except not, because the SAS livery does a lot that this doesn’t.

This is about Lufthansa, not SAS. I’ll look at SAS soon enough, because comparing their look to Lufthansa’s has made me appreciate it in a way I never used to. But I don’t think I need to elaborate too much for it to be clear why SAS’s livery works and Lufthansa’s doesn’t, despite the superficial similarities. SAS took their absolutely horrid previous livery and turned it into something which might not wow anyone but at least feels uniquely theirs, while Lufthansa had something which accomplished much the same and then diluted it into nothingness, Eurowhite writ large. Two washes and you’d wonder if your Lufthansa flight is actually a Smartlynx lease.

The way that the blue slices into the bottom of the fuselage and doesn’t fully cover the tailfin is...something? It’s a design element. It’s not nearly enough to save it, but it’s a design element. However, this presents another issue specific to Lufthansa’s paint job, best demonstrated with a specific plane:

(image: lufthansa)

Lufthansa is the world’s largest operator of the Airbus A340, a somewhat eccentric airplane which is perhaps best thought of as a four-engined A330. I love this airplane, and am delighted seeing it overhead on my walk home from work, because Lufthansa is kind enough to operate a daily service with it to my home airport, but that’s beside the point. The point is this: what I have pictured is specifically the A340-600, which is the world’s second longest in-service airliner. Yes, longer than the A380 and the 747-400, and, in fact, only shorter than the 747-800. With a plane this long, the Lufthansa livery creates an incredible look of rear-heaviness. This plane looks like it should uncontrollably pitch up until it’s perpendicular to the ground every time it takes off. Of course this effect is less pronounced on shorter aircraft, but it’s still there, and I dislike it.

You can barely even tell there’s paint at all on a much smaller plane! And the white bit on the front of the rudder which looks okay on a conventional empennage looks downright horrible when it’s only on the very tip of the t-tail’s forward point.

Oh, and when you take the windows out for a freighter conversion it gets even worse.

This is a generic-brand airplane. It genuinely reminds me of generic branding. There is a specific brand that has this exact appearance and I can’t remember what it is but it’s right there and I’m fairly sure I’ve seen it at CVS. I don’t think that’s what you want to go for when designing an airline livery, especially for an airline representing a country, but if Lufthansa wasn’t going for that they’ve failed.

__________________________________________

Overall, Lufthansa’s livery is superbly boring and not terribly well thought out. It’s not worth this absolute dissertation on its own, but I’ve singled it out to complain about general trends, and for that I probably owe it an apology. Said apology is predicated on the fact that it is still a very underwhelming and bad design which could have used a lot more thought. There are a million ways this could have been made decent, and none of them were implemented because that would have taken effort and time and creative vision. I think this post actually required more time and effort than Lufthansa put into designing their planes.

That said, Lufthansa gets a final grade of D. It’s...bad, it definitely is. There’s the vague flavour of the start of something, like the very distant smell from a barbecue happening three blocks away, but is that really even a redeeming factor?

No. The second-largest airline in Europe should be able to do better. If I have to stare at rows upon rows of their planes any time I’m at a German airport, they should have the decency to make them interesting to look at.

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unmotivatedwrit3r · 2 years ago

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One More Sleep pt.1

batboys x reader

(A/N): Happy Holidays all! I was listening to this song and decided to write a blurb series about the batboys getting home early Christmas morning and have actually stuck to it so here's part 1! Part 2 will be out tomorrow but what it contains will depend on what I get written in the next 24 hours so we'll see what happens. [Edit: find pt. 2 here.] Many thanks to Red for brainstorming help. This series wouldn't exist if not for them. Also thanks to my sister who has read these and deemed them "tooth-rotting fluff." She's a Duke fan despite knowing nothing about DC other than what she hears from me.

And I've decided to dedicate these two parts to my lovely mutuals so @citrinesparkles, this one is for you. I hope you enjoy!

And Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!

total wc: ~1800

warnings: non-graphic mentions of injury, exhaustion, specific mentions of Christmas, so. much. fluff.

Dick Grayson

wc: ~700

Dick yawns as he glances up at the screen in the airport. Baggage claim 6 holds the bags for the nonstop Christmas Eve flight from California to Gotham, apparently. He checks his watch: 1:30am. Well, Christmas now. Usually his family doesn't take commercial flights back from missions, but Dick’s cover demanded he take one from San Francisco to Gotham so he could use visiting California as his excuse.

Dick hikes his bag a little higher on his shoulders, wincing a little as his elbow tweaks even with the brace, and heads to the escalator that would lead him to the baggage claim. This early on Christmas morning, the airport is quieter than usual and the everyday Gotham bustle has been replaced with a weird sort of hollowness ringing in the air. Dick stretches his neck out—sore from hours on the javelin then the plane—and stops short. He can feel a smile spreading across his face. It’s nearly 2am on Christmas day and yet there you are: standing by the baggage claim with a thermos in one hand, the other crossed over your chest. He sees the moment you lay eyes on him in real time, when your eyes light up and a smile splits your features, and there’s a beat of warmth in his chest. He gets to have that—no one else.

Dick picks up his pace as you head towards him. And then your arms are around him and the solemnity of an empty airport can’t get to him anymore.

You pull back first, arms around his neck shifting for one hand to cup his face before you pull him to a kiss.

“Merry Christmas, Dickie,” you say, forehead resting against his temple.

“Merry Christmas, babe,” Dick whispers. He pulls back this time, his left hand winding around your free one. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

You smile, handing him the thermos.

“Bruce sent me the flight details—it’s hot chocolate, I made it before I left—Bruce sent me the details and I said I’d pick you up to surprise you.”

Dick squeezes your hand as the two of you walk back towards the baggage claim. It’s moving now, a stilted circling around, though there are no bags yet.

“Best gift I could have asked for.”

“Oh so you don’t want the matching sweaters I bought for us the other day? Okay then.”

Dick hands you the thermos so he can grab his suitcase as it appears around the bend, playing devastated.

“Oh come on babe you know I have a weakness for sweaters,” he teases. You take the suitcase from him as soon as it touches the ground, swapping it with the thermos, and pull your linked hands over your shoulder, guiding him out of the airport and into the cold Gotham air. His energy is flagging now, even as the wind bites at his face, adrenaline from seeing you fading back into the after-mission kind of tired that a half-nap on a plane can’t fix.

Dick blinks his eyes open and he’s standing in front of your car. He opens the passenger door on autopilot, dropping his bag at his feet and placing the thermos into a cup holder in the center console. He climbs in and pulls the door shut before putting on his seatbelt and leaning against the window. Behind him, the trunk slams shut. The driver’s door opens and you turn the key in the ignition, sparking a burst of warm air from the vents. Dick shivers, still leaning against the car window.

Your hand, cold from outside, finds his and squeezes. Dick squeezes back, eyes half lidded now. He wants nothing more than to turn on the radio and sing Christmas songs with you for the 25 minutes it’ll take to get to his childhood home, but he’s quickly losing to his exhaustion.

There’s a nose pressed briefly against his cheekbone and warm lips pressed to his cheek for just a second before they withdraw.

“Take a nap,” you suggest. You selflessly know what’s best for him, always. Making sure you know a million times over will just have to be his new year’s resolution. He’s too tired now. “I’ll wake you when we get to the manor. Everyone’s already expecting us down at noon tomorrow. We’re doing brunch.”

And Dick, warm in adoration and surrounded by pine-scented car air freshener, lets his eyes flutter closed.

Jason Todd:

wc: ~450

The first thing Jason sees when the door opens is the clock above the electric fireplace, 3:02am blinking at him in red. The second is the christmas tree, bathing the living room in a soft glow. The fact that the tree is on tells him you’re not asleep in bed. If you were, you’d have left a lamp on for him. Jason feels his lips quirk up as he strides further into the apartment. There you are, on the couch, like you try to be every night he’s out late. Sometimes you wait him out: finish a book or binge watch a TV show. Sometimes, he gets home to you passed out on the couch.

Tonight, you’re dead to the world, snoring faintly. Jason feels something in his chest squeeze pleasantly. You’re wearing his long-sleeved tee, wrapped in the blanket Alfred made him years ago. He is yours and you are his, and if the fireplace doesn't say that well enough, then the matching apartment keys certainly do.

Jason detangles you from the blanket before pulling you into his arms. He’s done this same song and dance time and time before—you lose the battle to sleep more than you win—but the knowledge that you love him enough to try still sits heavy in his chest. All these years in, and he can’t believe you choose him every night. Guilt settles in his chest as he places you on the bed, red sheets and holiday comforter pulled up over you. It’s Christmas morning now; he’s missed Christmas Eve. Again. And then he turns to the dresser and sees his santa pj pants and a shirt laid out on top and remembers that he’s so much better with you than without you and maybe that’s selfish but it’s Christmas and he’s allowed to be selfish just this once.

A quick face wash, change into pjs, and one teeth brushing later, Jason’s crawling into bed. His hair is mostly dry from the shower he took at the batcave before he headed home, and he’s more grateful now that it’s not dripping down his neck than he was when Dick was needling him about it in the batcave.

Your eyes blink blearily when he pulls the blankets up around him.

“Jay?”

You’re moving towards him before he can respond and Jason’s arms come up automatically to wrap around you.

“Yeah,” he answers. His voice is hoarse, stripped from him by the unadulterated care you show him, even half-asleep.

“Hm. Merry Christmas. I love you,” you say, shifting your head to rest on his chest.

You’re asleep once more before his voice unsticks, and he tightens his grip, pulling you closer against him.

“I love you too.”

Duke Thomas:

wc: ~650

Duke opens the door to his shared apartment at 12:30am on Dec 25. He’s actually earlier than he thought he’d be. The snow that made his trip longer let up enough to let him head home 18 hours ago, which means he gets to wake up Christmas morning with his partner and he’s ecstatic.

The first thing he hears is a rustling of paper and a frantic “Waitwaitwaitwait, close your eyes!”

Duke stops short, one hand over his closed eyes and the other shutting the front door behind him.

“My eyes are closed,” he informs you, a smile crossing his face. He missed you so much. Duke can hear as you stand up and walk over to him, socked feet light on the floor.

“Keep your eyes closed,” you warn as your arms wrap around him. He obeys even as he tips his head onto your shoulder. You smell like laundry detergent and holiday candles and home.

A crushing hug later and you pull away, a hand on his back nudging him towards the bedroom. He nearly trips trying to kick off his shoes and lets you guide him. Once he’s crossed the bedroom doorway, Duke turns around to look at you. You’re in Christmas pajamas and your hair is messy, but your eyes are shining brightly even in the dim light. You pull him down for a quick kiss.

“I’ll let you know when I’m done wrapping, okay? Now take a shower, you smell like a gym locker room.”

Duke laughs and ducks his head down for another kiss.

“I’d argue but I’ve also been smelling me recently so I agree.” You laugh back at him, squeezing his bicep before you turn back to the living room.

“Love you!” Duke calls out as he closes the door.

“Love you too!”

Duke’s halfway through his shower before he realizes that he hasn’t wrapped his gifts. Okay, that’s not exactly fair. He’s wrapped some of them, when you and he wrapped everything for your respective families together before he left. He hasn’t wrapped your gifts. You take great joy in teasing him about it every year. He remembers to shop but always forgets the second step so you usually do it together. Except he can’t wrap your gifts with you there and now it’s Christmas and he still hasn’t done it.

“Hey starlight?” Duke yells from just outside the bedroom door. He’s got a hand over his eyes again even though they’re closed, and is dressed in a t-shirt and pj pants—the pants match yours: dark green with Christmas lights on them.

“Yeah sunshine?” You call back. It’s a little absentminded, and he smiles at the routine call and response. He can’t remember when it started, but you started calling him sunshine at some point and you’re the nighttime to balance his day so he ran through a few and that one stuck.

“Can I have the wrapping paper?” There’s a pause and then a laugh.

“I’ve just got to cut paper for this last present and then I’ll bring it over.” There’s a little bit of shuffling and then scissors cutting paper and then a roll of wrapping paper bumping against his free hand.

“Have fun,” you tell him, and he can hear the smile in your voice. “I’ll knock when I’m done.”

Duke’s working on his second gift when there’s a knock on the bedroom door.

“When you’re done, I’ll be on the couch.”

“Thanks, starlight!” Duke calls back through the door. Two more gifts and he’s finished, and he opens the door to walk back into the living room. Duke leans the present against the ones already at home under the tree then stands up, eyes flicking to the clock before landing on you.

“Bed?” You ask, reaching a hand out.

“Bed,” he agrees, taking your hand. Sure, it’s Christmas already, but the presents are second to eight hours wrapped in each other’s arms.

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burningexeter · 1 year ago

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Here's what may very well be in my opinion one of the most interesting pieces of "What Could Have Been" or "cancelled media" that I think could've actually been awesome. So here's everything that I was able to gather on it and it was a looooooooooot.

Originally back in 2011/12, Dwayne McDuffie conceived of and was looking to develop a Gwen and Charmcaster spin-off series which he mapped out a fair amount of it and actually planned it out through-and-through. But what ended up happening to throw it out the window was as simple as can be — Dwayne McDuffie died. Therefore it ended up getting replaced with the still polarizing Omniverse.

So let's begin, shall we:

The tentative title for the series or rather idea was "Where The Magic Happens", named after the Ultimate Alien episode of the same name. Ledgerdomain was to be one of the main primary locations in the spinoff.

It was to take place a week after the events of UA's series finale and pick up Charmcaster's storyline from where it left off with the episode "Couples Retreat". Dwayne McDuffie liked both characters so much that he thought the two could hold their own show together.

Ashley Johnson and Kari Wahlgren were obviously gonna reprise their roles but Gwen would've had a different look from time to time. As in sometimes she would be in her AF look and other times she would be in her UA look.

The premise was essentially gonna be this:

Gwen and Charmcaster were gonna become unlikely and hesitant allies who team up to protect Ledgerdomain and fight crime with Gwen deciding to use her powers to help others full on and Charmcaster doing whatever it can to save her home.

A main plot point would've been Gwen developing a type of PTSD due to several things she's been through throughout the previous three shows, especially this scene from the OG episode "The Return". Being crushed by a tower as a child is giving her reoccurring nightmares that begin affecting her life only for Charmcaster to help her through it seeing as she owes it to her after "Where The Magic Happens" and "Couples Retreat".

On top of that, it would've also explained why the events of the OG Ben 10 happened coincidentally during the summer road trip as a sort of crawling out of the woodwork.

One thing that was to be featured in this series were easter eggs and references to the events of other media that heavily implied a shared universe. For example, in-passing they were to bring up the T-Rex from Isla Sornia Site-B rampaging through San Diego back in the late 90s. Sound familiar?

Another thing is it's still unclear as to whether or not Ben would've appeared in the show as either a cameo or a full on appearance in an episode. So that's still up in the air.

As far as I can tell, a three part pilot was written by McDuffie along with a series bible as he pictured the show running for five seasons but so far nothing has been released. Understandably.

An interesting thing here is there was gonna be a flashback episode that would've been set after the events of "Secret Of The Omnitrix" where Charmcaster kidnaps Gwen from her home for one final confrontation.

Another juicy tidbit would've been a reoccurring villain that ultimately becomes the main antagonist as the show progressed - in this case, it's a pastor who develops dangerously unstable telekinetic powers after surviving a plane crash. McDuffie wanted Clancy Brown to voice him.

Other actors that McDuffie wanted for the show were Michael Jai White, John Lithgow, John Kassir, Geno Segers, Mae Whitman, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, Morena Baccarin, Greg Abbey, Powers Boothe and Will Friedle. Cool.

One thing that was to play a major role was a large book that Charmcaster's written during her time in Ledgerdomain that chronicled the history of magic in the world as well as how the numerous alien races play a part in its creation.

Unfortunately here's the last piece of information that is available or I can find on this cancelled spinoff and it's a good one: Dwayne McDuffie wanted to have comic book-inspired title cards for the episode and he was eyeing Tim Jacobus as the artist to design them.

So yeah this would end up being replaced by the still very polarizing Ben 10: Omniverse and top it off, McDuffie passed away.

But it's still interesting nonetheless. Would any of you have loved to have seen this show.

Let me know what you think of all this.

#Ben 10 #spinoff #cancelled #Gwen Tennyson #Charmcaster #Dwayne McDuffie #Cartoon Network

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isfjmel-phleg · 2 months ago

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August 2024 Books

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (reread)

Reread in preparation for a visit to Orchard House.

Finch House by Ciera Burch

I read this one in its entirety on the plane. An atmospheric and heartfelt example of the middle-grade spooky-mysterious-house subgenre that I find myself drawn to over and over, but I was left with some unanswered questions in the end that could have been more thoroughly resolved.

The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubraker Bradley

I wanted to like this one more than I did, but there were some content concerns for me. Similar thematically in some ways to Good Night, Mr. Tom, but takes the POV of the evacuee child rather than that of the adult who takes them in.

The Pinballs by Betsy Byars

A slight book but featured the development of a very genuine bond among three mismatched foster children with a variety of painful histories, which made it memorable.

Louisa May Alcott: A Personal Biography by Susan Cheever

Found among my library's collection and read as part of my pre-Orchard House research. Cheever tends to get a bit too swept up in setting the broader historical scene to get too close to her subject, which felt unfocused to me.

Fox Farm by Eileen Dunlop

Ostensibly about caring for an abandoned young fox but in fact about a boy with abandonment issues learning to bond with his foster family. Dunlop (in other works as well as this one) writes complex family dynamics well, and I enjoyed this one.

The Treasure Bird by Peni R. Griffin

Clever middle-grade mystery set around San Antonio (an area I've visited a lot, which made it extra fun for me).

The Lion of Lark-Hayes Manor by Aubrey Hartman

Middle-grade intrusive fantasy. I'm trying to remember why it didn't do much for me. It was probably characters or themes.

Final Word by Janet Sumner Johnson

I enjoyed this one more than I expected to. The mystery and spelling bee aspects were fun, but I really liked the exploration of the family dynamics and how the protagonists' assumptions about the rich relatives who have been absent from her struggling family's life (including her late father) are challenged and complicated. Also lots of Jane Austen references. The father and his siblings are all named for Austen characters, etc.

Drowned Amnet by Diana Wynne Jones

I'm not completely sure how I feel about the Dalemark series so far, but Jones as ever has a gift for striking characters and worldbuilding and Twists.

Marmee and Louisa: The Untold Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Mother by Eve LaPlante

A descendant of Abigail May Alcott's family writes with an emphasis on Abigail's background, character, and accomplishments, and I came away with a new appreciation for her and her impact on her daughters (and, indirectly, through her inspiring one of the most beloved mother figures in literature).

Eden's Outcasts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father by John Matteson

On the other hand, I would like to go back in time and fist-fight Bronson Alcott, but he would probably just lecture me on my moral failings.

The Curious Vanishing of Beatrice Willoughby by G. Z. Schmidt

Interesting premise but I didn't warm up to the execution.

Ivy Larkin by Mary Stolz

I didn't warm up to this but can't remember why.

Comics

Wayne Family Adventures Volume 4

Read originally in webcomic form but reread in the print edition.

#random personal stuff

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eptodaytommorowforever · 7 hours ago

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Events In The History And Of The Life Of Elvis Presley Today On The 12th Of November In 1972

Elvis Presley Tour And Show Comes To San Bernardino CA.

A look back at Elvis Presley's 1972 outstanding concert at swing auditorium in San Bernardino CA

Sunday night, Nov. 12, 1972. The Santa Ana winds were howling, so typical of San Bernardino in November. And it was cold. But a sold-out crowd stood patiently to have an audience with The Legend . Elvis Presley was in the Swing Auditorium.

The Swing was the place east of L.A.'s Fabulous Forum to see virtually every top name act in the rock world, circa 1964 through 1981. Located on E Street, the auditorium was built in 1949 on the grounds of the National Orange Show and was named for Senator Ralph E. Swing, a San Bernardino legislator. What a glorious barn it was and what history played out on that stage. The Rolling Stones did their first American concert there in June 1964. The place rocked until a small plane crashed into it on Sept. 11, 1981 and the auditorium had to be demolished. One of the last shows played there featured Iron Maiden.

In between, rock royalty were regulars. Fleetwood Mac played more than five times. The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Jefferson Airplane, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Cream, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Black Sabbath, Ramones (as opening act), Chicago, Jethro Tull, Alice Cooper, the Grateful Dead (multiple times), Faces with Rod Stewart (also multiple times), Santana, the Kinks, Janis Joplin, Eric Clapton, the Beach Boys, and more. Look up how many of these acts are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Just about everybody but the Beatles made it to the Swing.

Prior to the modern rock era, Bob Hope was almost an annual fixture at the Swing during the National Orange Show Fair. Other notables who performed there in the '50s and '60s included Sammy Davis Jr., Jack Benny, Judy Garland, Jerry Lewis, and George Burns. But never had a King played there before that night.

Yet, it wasn't as if Elvis Presley had never been to the IE. He did own a house for several of the Priscilla years in Palm Springs and was known to do some boating in Big Bear Lake. Many scenes of the totally forgettable remake movie 'Kid Galahad' were shot in Idyllwild. And, some of the outdoor footage in 1964's 'Kissin' Cousins' was shot in the San Bernardino Mountains. Still, this was different.

Elvis Presley's nationwide tour began at Madison Square Garden in New York, a city he had never before performed live in. The four concerts there were sold out and got rave reviews. At 37, he was 'lean, tanned and greasily handsome, his coal-black hair glistening with an oily 1950s sheen', as the New York Times' Grace Lichtenstein put it. At a press conference before the Madison Square Garden appearance, he was asked about the secret of his longevity on the pop music scene. 'I take Vitamin E', he told reporters.

From New York, the tour moved west, passing through cities like Milwaukee, Chicago, Wichita and Tulsa before continuing on to Las Vegas. Elvis stayed there for most of October before continuing the tour, which took him to Texas, Arizona, and into California. He hit Oakland, then San Bernardino, where he performed two sold-out shows - one on Nov. 12 and another on Nov. 13. rom there, he headed to the Long Beach Arena for two shows, the last stop before catching a plane for Honolulu where the tour would wrap up. Originally, the Honolulu show was planned to be broadcast worldwide by satellite, but the broadcast date was changed to early 1973 so it wouldn't conflict with the release of MGM's musical documentary Elvis on Tour. No matter. The show (actually four of them) went on. And in Honolulu, as well as in other cities on the tour, fans of all ages crowded concert venues to get a live view of the King.

So it was in San Bernardino. The Swing could hold about 10,000 people with a concert take of around $60,000. On that cold November night, fans crammed into the sold-out auditorium. With reserved seating, there was none of the festival seating chaos that marked the Swing rock shows - kids pushing and shoving and fighting to get to the stage area. This crowd was real diferent. I was way too young at 21. For the usual Swing rock show, most of the concertgoers were my age or younger. The guys had long hair, wore boots, Levis and denim work shirts (think the cover of a Creedence album.) The girls went braless, wore tight jeans or peasant dresses. There were always more guys than girls.

For Elvis Presley though, these fans had jobs, mortgages, and kids. The women clearly outnumbered the guys. They wore bright yellow or orange dresses, lots of makeup. Hairspray was huge. And, there were more than a few suicide blondes with hot pants and go-go boots. (I would never have sat on anything in the Swing in hot pants.) Jean Naté was locked in mortal combat with Charlie in a fragrance war. My Sin perfume held its own. Smoke from the bathrooms came from real Marlboro men (and women.)

My seat was in the cheap section - off to the side and high up, close to the glued-on tinsel that was a prominent feature of the Swing. The place always had a peculiar smell. Close to show time, greedy Colonel Tom's minions were at the stage hawking T-shirts, photos, and other assorted gee-gaws. I wonder just how much of that cash Elvis Presley received.

Finally, the lights lowered. The band started playing the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Then, there he was - The King. He was resplendent in a black and red concert suit.

Though his show was typical of his Vegas show that he performed at the International Hotel (later known as the Las Vegas Hilton and now called the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino), it didn't matter to his loyal subjects. He was live in San Berdoo! Old ladies screamed. It was hard to tell from my cheap seat, but I believe there were a few panties thrown at him.

His voice and physique were in A-plus form. He ripped through concert standards such as 'Polk Salad Annie', crooned to crowd favorite 'Can't Help Falling In Love', and did a couple of religious numbers with the gospel group J.D. Sumner and The Stamps.

No Elvis Presley show would be complete without the hits 'Hound Dog', 'All Shook Up', 'Jailhouse Rock', and 'American Trilogy'.

His band and entourage - the Sweet Inspirations, legendary guitar hero James Burton - provided a full sound that could not be duplicated by the typical four-man rock act. It was a show truly becoming of a King. The crowd responded as if seeing him for the first time. Bedlam broke out among the thousands of fans.

After about 90 minutes, despite fans calling for more, Elvis Presley left the auditorium for the San Bernardino Hilton, about $60,000 richer. I was a poor college kid. I went to Del Taco. What a Sunday night! rare candid photo's one captured of elvis presley leaving Oakland CA captured here by a female ep fan boarding is executive chartered jet heading to San Bernardino CA and performing here at this show wearing the white pinwheel jumpsuit and the white cape and the lions head belt captured by a fan audience member who was at this show concert.

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sappymix1 · 2 months ago

Note

↻ FLIP FLOP let it flood let it flood!

↻ FLIP FLOP: send me a scene from one of my fics and I’ll describe or write it from another character’s POV!

the way I did not remember this fic at all and had to read it back Anyway. obvious is to do george's but. here have this

sapnap: [8 ball: your move!] sylvee: ur going to miss the ball drop thats like sacred religious sylvee: sacred religious sylvee: sacred religious sylvee: oh my god sylvee: ill film it and send it to you its okay sylvee: [8 ball: your move!]

A nonstop steam of texts had been buzzing against Sapnap’s thigh for hours, depleting the battery until it was half, then a fourth, and then a tiny orange sliver that looked like citrus and tasted like the soap Dream’s mom bought to sit next to their kitchen sink that one time he didn’t rinse it out of his water bottle well enough before he went to the gym. It was Sapnap’s own fault, really. Except it wasn’t. He had shown up with a partially used up battery to begin with, laying in bed too lazy to pick up his laptop but still wanting to watch a valo stream on his phone right after he had woken up a few hours earlier and not bothering to plug it in on the drive over.

But how was he supposed to know how badly George’s flight would be delayed. Fucking storms over the midwest, taking Sapnap’s evening plans and throwing them against a wall until they shattered into a billion irreparable pieces. Taking all of their plans and wrecking them. A fitting end to a cluster fuck of a year, maybe; George on a plane, Sapnap wasting the end of his phone battery on phone games, Dream doing, well. Sapnap really didn’t know what Dream was doing. Drowning himself in the aforementioned kitchen sink, maybe, as the hours without George slinked past.

Sapnap sighed, slumping down in one of the uncomfortable airport chairs, and he dropped his phone to rest against his stomach. The uneven purple fabric of his shirt pulled around it, as he settled in to wait sans distraction.

Well, sans distraction other than Sylvee sending him an unsteady video of the ball drop on her TV featuring both of her cats and her narrating what they were doing. He liked that one. Even though it had immediately followed him promising that she definitely did not need to film the ball drop for him for a long list of reasons beginning with that he had been planning on coming over primarily to get wasted with his friends, not so much he cared that much about the holiday itself.

It was almost two in the morning when George seemed to just pop into existence in front of him, hovering in front of Sapnap’s bare knees suddenly with a dark backpack slung over his shoulder when he opened his eyes.

Sapnap didn’t jump, but that was mostly just because he had been on the verge of falling asleep. “Hey,” he said. “You didn’t text me.”

George blinked at him, eyes wide. He looked tired. Eye bags heavy, hair all messed up. Then again, it was two in the fucking morning, and he had been in an airport or on planes all day. “Yes I did.”

Sapnap picked up his phone from where it had fallen down along the seat, in between the rough fabric and his thigh. It was dead. “Oh.” He yawned, big and swallowing up his whole body, and when his eyes popped back open, George was yawning too. “Okay.” Sapnap stood up, stretching his shoulders. God, his entire body ached. He shoved his dead phone back into his pocket, rattling around with his keys, and he threw his arm lazily over George’s slumped shoulders. “C’mon. Let’s get you back to your boy.”

#mental illness #asks #anon #sappy.ao3 #<- lmao

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aardvaark · 5 months ago

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heyy was wondering about your leverage takes, do you have any favourite endlessly rewatcheable episodes?

this is ben from @transsophiedevereaux fame btw

hi!! and ooh good question, i do have some particularly rewatchable faves! it depends what im wanting to watch/think/feel at any given point, though.

if i want a funny episode, i go for the wedding job, the juror #6 job, the mile high job, the gone fishin’ job, the boys night out job & the hot potato job. i think wedding is the most comedy-heavy of season 1 at least & i love how the wedding con makes them all do the weirdest stuff. like, sophie is so wrapped up in her own emotions about romance & relationships that she tells the bride to be to "never put your faith in a man", has the most awkward convo with nate where she thinks he’s asking "where are we at" in their relationship rather than the CRIME AT HAND, and then her line of "is this about fear of the russian mob, or fear of intimacy?" is just. absolute gold. one of my fave ever sophie lines. and everyone’s reactions are priceless.

for The Feels TM, i watch the grave danger job, the san lorenzo job, the inside job & the long way down job. but especially long way down. "i want to do the right thing!" "it makes us, us" um someone is cutting onions nearby im not crying im notttt!!

for the action - so my favourite cons/heists - i watch the order 23 job or the first & second david jobs. i also love the eliot moments in order 23 & the sophie moments in first & second david.

while i love all the characters, and i think they’re all very well-made and im Rotating Them In My Mind all the time lol, parker is def my favourite. so episodes that feature her prominently or have lots of her character development are often my faves - especially the juror #6 job, the stork job, the future job & the long way down job.

i have to fly often and i really, really hate flying. ironically i watch the mile high job on planes and its somehow calming despite it being about a plane very nearly crashing lol. so i rewatch that pretty often. i love (world’s worst) flight attendant!parker & bickering married couple nate x sophie. but mainly - hardison in that ep?? fully being his genius self and tons of classic hardison comedy beats. love it.

wow i have given the most ridiculously long answer to this oops lol. thanks so much for asking :) <3 !!

#wren speaks #leverageposting #leverage #asks #ask #i really need to get a consistent ask tag dont i

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mollymauk-teafleak · 1 year ago

Text

can I go where you go?

I wanted to write something short, sweet and featuring old married navy pilots. Huge thanks to @hangsters who is my favourite person on the planet.

Please reblog and go comment over on Ao3!

------

Maverick knows theres a lot he isn't very good at. He's not good at following orders. He's not good at playing by the rules. He's not good at listening.

But one thing he was always good at was flying planes. And now, he's not a naval aviator anymore. He's a retired naval aviator.

So what the hell is he supposed to do now?

------

He was never Maverick in his dreams.

In there, he was always still Pete Mitchell, even now, even after forty years. In fact, they were one of only two places where he still was.

It was like real life but viewed on a screen that was blowing in the wind, things trembled and swelled and shifted in front of him. He reached for the throttle but missed it the first few times, groping blindly as the sky outside of the windshields shimmered in nonexistent heat. But Pete didn’t need to see anything to know the danger was out there, the black shapes hunting him down, faster and meaner than he could ever be. Pete was running out of time, he knew that with the cold, chilling certainty of a dream. When he was awake, he always saw that way out, even if it was one he had to make himself, but there was no winning against his own mind. They had minutes, maybe seconds.

But those seconds didn’t just belong to Pete Mitchell. He had Bradley in the seat behind him, at least mostly Bradley. Sometimes things would shift and it would be Goose behind him, laughing and grinning, unaware of death standing just at his shoulder. But even when it was Bradley, he spoke with the voice of his younger self, a voice that sounded like it should be coming from somewhere around Pete’s hip, clinging to his leg, begging him for help. It’s not working! And it wouldn’t work, there was no ejecting from this.

I’m sorry. Alarms were blaring, the wind was rushing. The blues of sky and sea condensed into smoke, a fire they were flying right into and couldn’t avoid. I’m sorry. Pete was talking to Goose, to Carole, to Ice, to Bradley and it wasn’t enough for any of them. I’m sorry.

The moment the fire engulfed them, his eyes snapped open, same as every other time he had this dream, leaving him lying on his back in a tangle of sweat damp blankets. There were worse nightmares, that was for sure, he could at least instantly wake up and tell himself you did it, you pulled it off, you got the kid home safe.

But the weight on his chest didn’t lift, even as their bedroom came into focus around him, as the sound of soft breathing beside him replaced the sound of the screaming alarms and whistling air that would run out too soon. The dream had let him go but the anxiety was still hissing in his nerves and churning his stomach.

He was never Maverick in his dreams. But at least he always got to wake up and know he was Maverick, that he owned that name completely and earned it every day in the air.

This morning, he wasn’t so sure.

Maverik had opened his eyes to a perfect Saturday morning. He didn’t know what time it was, it was an hour late enough to honey the room with warm sunlight. Not quite the fierce San Diego heat, just the promise of it, not too much that he couldn’t turn and burrow back under the blankets. Not something Mav had ever actually done before. Navy pilots didn’t tend to sleep in on Saturdays.

But he wasn’t a navy pilot anymore. And he had no idea what retired Navy pilots were supposed to do.

He’d known it was coming for a while, disentangling from the bureaucratic monster that was the United States military took a hell of a long time, even when you were sleeping with the guy who was meant to be in charge of it all. There had been months between him and Ice kissing on the carrier after the Dagger mission, that moment where he’d realized he was done, that he wasn’t strong enough to live any more moments thinking he’d never see his family again, and right now. The morning after his last official day of service.

He was probably supposed to have spent those months processing everything, coming to terms with his decision. Ice had tried to coax him into conversations a few times over the last months. Not outright, they’d been together long enough for him to know better than that. But there had been strong hands on the small of his back in quiet moments out on the deck, a shoulder for him to lean on for a few minutes of silence after he’d finished his request letter but hadn’t had the courage to put it in the envelope yet. Spaces where Mav could have taken the lid off a little, shook things out at Ice’s feet and let him hold him in one piece if things went bad.

And lying here now, no longer a Naval aviator, wearing a set of dog tags around his neck that were just a symbol now, Maverick really wished he’d taken those chances, stepped into those spaces. Maybe he’d know what to do right now if he had. Because all Mav had as far as plans went was to try and not throw up.

“I can feel you vibrating, Mitchell…”

Mav started guiltily, only now realizing that he was tapping his fingers on the mattress and bouncing his heel, “Shit…”

Ice’s chuckle was rough with sleep, his eyes slightly clouded when he rolled over to smile at Maverick, though the creases around his eyes hadn’t changed since ‘86. He hadn’t wanted to wake him, finding the sun up before his husband must have happened only a handful of times. But he couldn’t lie and say the moment Ice wrapped his arms around him, he didn’t breathe a little easier.

“It’s okay. Wanted to be up with you anyway,” Ice’s voice didn’t lose its rough edge, he always sounded like he’d just woken up lately and that was on a good day. But it was a strong vibration against Maverick’s ear as he burrowed into his bare chest, “You had a nightmare?”

It wasn’t a question really. Ice knew him too well, enough that he’d also know it wasn’t the nightmare that was upsetting Mav.

“Yeah…” Maverick’s fingers found the chain around Ice’s neck, the one that matched his own, letting the familiar coolness of it make him brave, “Ice…I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now.”

He felt lips against his forehead, pressing softly, “Sweetheart…”

Maverick sighed, “You can tell me I’m an idiot. I know I should have figured this shit out about three months ago.”

Ice snorted, shifting onto his back and bringing Maverick with him, letting his husband sprawl, cat like, on his chest. Roughened fingers trailed down his spine and softened the knowing smirk on Ice’s face.

“Sweetheart, you wouldn’t have got this figured out in three years and we both know it. This was always going to hurt a little, even if you had listened to me.”

“Well, good thing I didn’t bother doing that then,” Mav muttered against Ice’s skin, still warm from the sheets, still smelling faintly of soap from his shower before bed.

He could feel Ice smiling as he traced his spine up and down, “Well, we’re here now and there’s no time like the present. So what’s bothering you, sweetheart?”

Maverick tried to marshal the thoughts that were forming the small storm in his stomach. He felt the urge to clam up, lock down, to preserve some of the easy confidence that shielded him along with the sunglasses and leather jacket. But he had none of that right now. He didn’t need it, not with Ice, he never had.

“I…I guess I’m not sure how to…not be a pilot?” he wound his fingers more securely in the chain of his husband’s tags, “I don’t remember liking myself a lot before I was one.”

Ice’s lazy grip on him tightened a fraction, “That wasn’t you. It was where you were and what was happening to you. You’re so far from that, sweetheart, and you’re sure as hell not going back.”

Maverick nodded, finding it so much easier to believe things when Ice said them, like there was some magic in his calm, authoritative voice that made things real, “I know that. I do. I mean, fuck, if you’d told that kid that one day he’d be wearing a set of dog tags that said Captain ‘Maverick’ Mitchell…”

“Not to mention the Admiral’s wedding ring,” Ice teased, hand slipping down to lightly squeeze his hip where he was ticklish.

“That too…” Mav jerked, grinning crookedly, shifting so that hand could slip a little further, “But you know what I mean. That I’d have my wings, that strangers in the store would call me ‘sir’ without even thinking twice. That I’d be someone’s dad.”

“The best dad she could ask for,” Ice added, “But you know none of that goes away just because you’ve retired, sweetheart.”

“Yeah…” Maverick murmured, though it sounded like he wanted to put a question mark at the end.

Ice made a gentle noise, rolling them so Maverick was pressed down into the bed, so he could find that anxious gaze and hold it.

“Mav. All of those things you love about yourself, the Navy didn’t give them to you. You earned them. You worked hard for them and whether you’re a Captain or not, no one’s going to take them from you.”

Maverick exhaled softly, leaning into Ice’s hand, pressing a kiss to his palm, “But…what do I do now? Without the Navy telling me what to do?”

“As if you ever listened in the first place,” Ice flashed him a smile, holding Maverick’s face between his hands like he was something precious, “Well…if you need to be told what to do, then here. We’re going to get out of bed, we’re going to shower. I’m gonna go first because you say I take forever and you’ll sneak in with me and let me wash your hair for you…and then you’ll steal my shirt for when we go get breakfast together. We’ll go to the same place we always go, where the waitress flirts with you but she flirts with me more. And I’ll have to order an extra hash brown because for some unknown reason, you always steal mine rather than just order your own. And then we’ll walk along the beach, you’ll kick water at me because you always do…and then we’ll come home and watch the game, you can tell me all your incorrect opinions about the 49ers. And you’ll fall asleep on my shoulder and…and I’ll remember that I’m the luckiest man on the goddamn planet.”

Maverick swallowed, feeling heat prickling behind his eyelids when he blinked, “Yeah? That sounds nice.”

Ice brought his forehead down to gently rest on his husband’s, “And after that…well, we’ll figure it out. Together.”

Maverick put his hands over Ice’s, tangling their fingers together, feeling something unbreakable in that, “If every day looks like that one? Count me in, sweetheart.”

Ice’s lips were warm on his, sure, certain. From that one point of contact, Maverick could feel color flooding in, the sketched out, empty version of his body he’d woken up in suddenly becoming real, becoming completely his own again. He let go of Ice’s hands, wrapping his arms around his husband’s broad shoulders, following the chain of his dog tags again. He kissed him back, fingers tracing old scars on Ice’s skin that Maverick could map even better than his own, ghosting over freckles he knew like the constellations, until the breath in his lungs was more Ice’s than his.

“Do have one…one small note…” he panted against Ice’s lips, “Any room in that schedule for you to rock my world, sweetheart?”

Ice flashed the smile that had been making Mav’s knees weak since the eighties and probably would still when they were in their eighties, “I’ll make time to do it twice...”

Maverick’s head fell back against the pillows, his grin crooked and wholly his own, “God, I love you…”

“I love you too, Pete Mitchell…” Ice left him with a kiss on the cheek before moving down his body.

The world became the warmth of the morning sun on his bare skin, the comforting weight of Ice against him, the brush of his lips trailing from his neck to his chest to his stomach to the inside of his thighs. A world he could feel comfortable in, one made with a space for him, one that Ice had given him and he’d earned himself.

There were two places where he was still Pete Mitchell. One was his nightmares, where it was a way to cut him down, to send him spinning in free fall without his wings and shatter on the ground

The other place was in Tom Kazansky’s arms. And there it was only because Ice loved every single part of him, he would put him back together and not change a single thing. He could be Pete Mitchell, he could wear the name he’d been given before he knew he was a man. He could be Lieutenant, he could be Captain, he could be wearing whatever name and Ice would see the same person and love him the same.

Pete Mitchell took a breath and started looking forward.

#icemav #top gun #top gun fic #tg86 #tgm #pete mitchell #tom kazansky #iceman #maverick #tom iceman kazansky #pete maverick mitchell #please reblog and comment!

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