#music as a connective force. we understand each other through this

[thaliagrayce]

everyone should go listen to the album Wu Fei & Abigail Washburn and feel connected to the world

[blueteller]

Do you know how smart Cale actually is? Like- what extent his intelligence can reach?

That's an interesting question! Let's take a look.

From what I know of IQ scores, anything above 120 puts you in top 10% of the population. So I easily see Kim Rok Soo!Cale belonging in that category; of >120 IQ. However, IQ had always felt a little vague to me. It's nice to have a number to put on a scale and all, but what does it actually mean in reality? Let's try this from a different angle.

Gardner's Multiple Intelligences model of divides talent into eight categories, plus one additional one:

Visual-spatial

Linguistic-verbal

Logical-mathematical

Body-kinesthetic

Musical

Interpersonal

Intrapersonal

Naturalistic

Existential

Why not try to measure him up against each one, as no person is actually intelligent in every way and not even a fictional character can excel in all of them (unless they're a Mary Sue or something lol).

Visual and spatial judgment stands for easy reading, writing, puzzles solving, recognizing patterns and analyzing charts well. I think Cale is definitely a pro in this category; he does loves reading and he's fantastic at analyzing data.

Linguistic-verbal is for remember written and spoken information, debates, giving persuasive speeches, ability to explain things and skilled at verbal humor. And while I constantly make fun of Cale for not being able to explain himself, he IS good at using the "glib tongue" and being persuasive, so I think he is very skilled in this category as well.

Logical-mathematical means having excellent problem-solving skills, the ability to come up with abstract ideas and conduct scientific experiments, as well as computing complex issues. Cale is an incredible strategist able to change his plans in an instant, so he is definitely a genius in this field.

Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence is a fun one, because I think it's the hardest one to judge, considering that he literally changed bodies. It of course stands for sports, dancing, craftmanship, physical coordination, and remembering better by practice rather than learning theory. Cale... does not like that. However, it doesn't mean he's BAD at it. If he was a genius in this field, however, I believe he would like it a bit more. Thus – I suspect he was average. In the past he was forced to exercise for the sake of survival, but once he was given the option of taking it easy, he quit instantly. He is capable, but does not have any particular predisposition for it.

Musical Intelligence drives me nuts, because we literally do not know, and I dearly wish I did. There was not a single mention of it in the whole series. As much as I want to believe in a cool headcanon of KRS being an unrealized musical genius... I think he was probably average or below average in this.

Interpersonal Intelligence stands for communication, conflict-solving, perception and the ability to forge connections with others. And while you might have some doubts about Cale, I say he IS a total pro in this. Those are all leadership skills, and Cale is one HELL of a great leader.

However...

Intrapersonal Intelligence is where Cale is severely lacking. It could be partially due to trauma, but I think at least some of it comes through his natural personality. It stands for introspection, self-reflection, the ability to understand one's motivation and general self-awareness; and that is Cale's biggest weakness, one that might actually cost him his slacker life dream in the end, due to all the misunderstandings he causes.

The last two, Naturalistic and Existential Intelligence types, are also not really Cale's forte. The first is for things like botany, biology, and zoology, paired with enjoyment of camping and hiking – none of which Cale actually does for pleasure, only because he has to. And yeah, farming is in that category too, but it's not like Cale is actually a real farmer just yet. And the second is for stuff like philosophy, considering how current actions influence future outcomes, the ability to see situations from an outside perspective and reflections into the meaning of life and death – and Cale is REALLY not interested in this type of self reflection.

Which leaves Cale with 4 types of intelligence he excels at, 2 which he is REALLY BAD at, 1 where he's below average and 1 he's probably average, with 1 left completely unknown.

Does this make Cale a genius? Pretty much, yes. Does it also make him stupid in very specific ways? VERY MUCH, YES.

[queenoftheimps]

Artistic Expression as a Form of Love: aka Some Meta About Interview with the Vampire

hey guess who spent all of today putting off a really boring work task

So I'm just suddenly just having a lot of feelings about how love is tied to creation in Interview with the Vampire.

Specifically, each character's artistic impulses and what they say about their relationships, and how they use their creative output as a sort of love language.

From the very first episode, we see hints of this. Miss Lilly asks about Lestat's music box, which plays a song he wrote for Nicholas once upon a time, evidence of his love for someone who's been dead for over a century.

He later writes his own song for Louis, 'Come to Me', and Claudia makes the connection explicit while deliberately poking at him -- he wrote a song for each of his true loves, but does one signal love more strongly than the other?

She's being facetious to prod at him, but the show seems to genuinely make the point that we can track each characters' relationships through the art we see them create.

After all, we see it with Claudia herself later -- even before there's any discussion of becoming companions, we can feel Madeleine's compatibility with Claudia in the way she makes dresses for her.

Madeleine dresses Claudia as the grown woman she wants to be seen as, as she really is, even before she fully understands the circumstances of Claudia's age. It's telling that in Madeleine's dying vision, the one that convinces Louis of her love for Claudia, that Claudia is wearing a dress that Madeleine made for her.

By contrast, we see how Claudia is incompatible with the coven in the role that they have quite literally written for her. If Madeleine shows her love by treating Claudia as an adult, the coven shows their lack of caring by creating artwork where Claudia is forced into playing a part that diminishes her.

In turn, we can see Claudia's enthusiasm for the coven tied into her willingness to perform -- she starts off trying to smile her way through the situation, before quickly growing tired of the performance (and, relatedly, the coven itself).

But then again, how does the coven show its real loyalties? Well, with a painting.

We don't know who painted Lestat (Armand, possibly?), but having artwork of him in a place of prominence is pretty telling. But then again, the theater's creation is itself a reflection of art as a signifier of love & bonding -- Lestat suggests a theater to a lonely Armand as a way to regain a family/coven structure, after the last one fell apart.

Which makes particular sense for Armand, the character who most explicitly equates artistic expression with love and understanding. We see him underline it in his own telling of his backstory -- "No one has painted me in over 400 years." He associates painting with being seen and cared for by his maker --

-- and yet we, the audience, can plainly see what a warped, toxic relationship it was from the painting itself : a whitewashed version of Armand's face that doesn't truly look like him.

Hell, we even see Armand's betrayal of Louis in the form of creative expression -- to quote Daniel, "He directed the play!"

His treason isn't just that he sold Louis & Claudia out, it's that he participated in a creation that would condemn them. Artistic expression shows us love and loyalty in this world, yes, but it can also be used as a tool of abuse or betrayal.

Which brings us to Louis, he who has the eye for art but maybe not the skill for it, who never said 'I love you' to Lestat and wouldn't call Armand his companion, who ultimately gives up on creation in favor of becoming a collector.

It's especially interesting that his abandonment of photography is also explicitly tied to the end of his visions of Dreamstat. Even the one photo he takes that garners praise is one he tries taking of Armand & Dreamstat at the same time -- as if the closest he can get to expressing love through creation is something that blurs the lines between both men he has complicated feelings for. (Note that the scene where he develops the photo is directly after the "Show me the only way you know how to love" sequence of Louis bashing some guy's head into a wall.)

Hell, if we want to take it even further, we can even see some of this pretense in the inclusion of the Fred Stein photos (assuming Armand actually did sneak them in). On one level, we can see it as Armand trying to build up Louis' happiness, but on the other, it's him trying to build up the image of their romance.

After all, if artistic creation is a sign of love -- especially to Armand! -- what does it mean if Louis is openly disparaging his own abilities to make anything at all?

Taking it further, what does it say that he and Armand have a collection of photos of various boys over the years and expensive artwork hanging on every wall, but Louis doesn't seem to have taken any pictures of Armand in almost eighty years?

And hey, speaking of fascinating boys: what does it mean when Louis hasn't made anything creative of Armand since the 1940s, but he has no problem writing a book for ten hours with some guy he picked up at the bar?

Hell, writing a book where Louis spends ten hours talking about his life and hasn't even gotten up to the part with Armand yet? The supposed love of his life doesn't even garner a mention, to the point where Daniel didn't even know he existed when he arrives fifty years later.

And what does it mean when that book you never wrote is a giant hanging thread in your life, enough to create a connection strong enough that you remember that guy fifty years later and go back to that writing it? Even over the objections of the love of your life?

Especially when find out that Daniel's entire writing career is sparked in part by inspirational words given to him by Louis -- a sign of their bond withstanding the test of time, enough to make them friends after a fifty year absence.

That said, if we're working with the idea of artistic expression as proof of connection -- especially when it comes to Armand -- then it also makes perfect sense why Armand would insert himself into the interview once he's been revealed.

Then it's no longer about Louis & Daniel, or Louis & Lestat, it's about Louis & Armand and artistic proof of their connection! They're both now creating a story, a book that will include their entire romance! It's the first time that Armand has had the possibility of being an artistic subject in decades, so no wonder he's quick to latch onto it.

Even then, though: I think it's interesting that when Armand is talking to Daniel alone, the first story he thinks to tell him about is his relationship with Lestat. Make of that what you will.

(Also, I've said this before, but I am very curious what Armand's feelings towards Daniel will be after having an entire book written in which he plays a starring role.)

I think that this is all very rich with subtext and possible further progression, especially since we are about to enter a season where a new book is being written by Daniel and there's going to be an entire tour's worth of music being performed, all of it ripe with potential for further relationship nuance.

And while I don't want to wander too far into book spoiler territory, I think this might even neatly factor into a potential Season 4 -- especially since book fans will know that a specific musical performance is the catalyst for a lot of what happens in The Queen of the Damned.

[runningfrom2am]

kinda famous - d.s

summary: after your debut album charts in the top 100, you somehow get invited to the obx3 premiere. you went there to make connections- but maybe not the exact kind you ended up leaving with.

wc: 2.6k

tags/warnings: no warnings! just a meet-cute :), drew x musician!reader

requests

nav/masterlists

February 16th, 2023

Not a day went by this past year where you didn't consider yourself incredibly lucky. Your debut album saw some medial success, landing you in the Spotify top one hundred with the help of a TikTok trend to some of the lyrics from your first single. You could hardly believe it was real, sometimes. What always helped, however, is having connections.

Your best friend was a makeup artist to the stars. Working on movies like Avatar and even a few marvel films, but most notably and most recently, she's been working with Madelyn Cline. They've taken a liking to each other, having been in touch about every event, shoot, and movie she's been working on in hopes of having her new friend styling her look for the occasion. Luckily for you, your best friend is your number one fan- and hardly ever does she have a client who isn't forced to sit through your album while she's blending out the makeup on their faces or curling their hair.

Madelyn, apparently, had taken a liking to it. In the words of your best friend, "She was just gushing over it! She requests your music every time she's in my chair. I swear." So that, is how you ended up at the OBX3 premiere, shaking hands with one of the most beautiful actresses of your generation while she complimented both your dress and your music.

"I am seriously such a big fan. B/F/N put me on and I am literally obsessed." Madelyn smiles, dropping your hand.

"Oh my god, you're such a sweetheart- stop." You laugh, waving her off.

She smiles and leans in, resting her hand on your shoulder as she whispers in your ear. "Between us, I can't confirm anything just yet, but I'm working on getting you a soundtrack offer for season four."

You gasp, your hands flying up to cover your mouth to hide your shock. "No- you're literally joking!"

The blonde smiles and shakes her head, giggling and clapping her hands together excitedly. "We all listen to you on set- it's growing on the producers I think."

"Oh my god- Obviously I am so down! Allegedly, of course." You smile, winking at her.

"Yes, of course, Allegedly." She laughs, matching your wink. "I have to run, but we'll jump in for some photos together on the carpet, yeah?" Madelyn grins, giving you a quick hug and brushing past you in the direction of the curtain where everyone lines up for photos.

Feeling absolutely giddy, you're quick to lift your dress and shuffle over to the makeup room, where B/F/N was still working with some other clients doing some touch ups. "Oh my god!" You smile as you approach her chair, where she's just wiping up. You cringe internally at the sound of your music playing over her desk speaker, hearing the way you swore that the man you wrote this song about was the love of your life, and you'd be a fool to let him go. It wasn't long after the release that you ended up having to, discovering he was cheating on you with a girl from his hometown.

"Y/N! Hey girl! Did you get to talk to Mads?" She asks, looking back at you over her shoulder.

"Yes! And I have some serious tea to tell you later. Well- not serious, but good! It's definitely tea." You explain vaguely, knowing she'll understand.

"Yay! Okay, we'll debrief after." She nods. "Did you talk to anyone else?"

You instantly shake your head as she turns to face you. "God, no, I'm petrified." She doesn't answer, holding her finger up in your face and digging through her kit and pulling out a brush.

"Look up." She says, pointing to the ceiling and you oblige as she touches up the shadow under your eyes and brushes away some flaked mascara while she talks. "You need to. You've got to make some more connections- I can't carry you forever." She teases, placing the brush back in her belt when she's done. "They're a lovely cast, trust me."

You nod a little, taking a deep breath. "I just like... don't know what to do. Do I just walk around and talk to people?"

"That's the beauty of it! You're already doing it. Just show that stunning face of yours to the cameras with this beautiful dress, smile, make small talk, and opportunity will fall into your lap. I know you- everyone will love you regardless." She muses, quickly adjusting the waistline of your dress. "And report back to me- of course."

"You're not gonna come? I want some pictures with you. The world needs to see the artist behind this face." You grin, gesturing to your face of makeup and wiggling your eyebrows.

"Yes, of course." She giggles, smacking your shoulder playfully. "I'll change and come find you."

You smile and clap your hands together, bouncing in your heels. "Let's go together! I think I have to because I'm basically your plus one."

"No- absolutely not." She dismisses you quickly, closing up part of her kit and doing some quick organization. "You, my dearest Y/N, need to prove your independence in the industry. Just because you put out your Lover Era album doesn't mean you can't stand proudly on your own after the breakup. Your energy will draw all the cute boys to you. I just know it." She jokes at the end, but you know she's serious about her sentiment.

Your breakup wasn't fresh anymore- she was right. It didn't hurt and keep you up all night over heartache that you had assumed would never get better. You're thriving now, you feel like yourself again. "That's not why I'm here and you know that." You giggle.

"Of course not... It just would be a nice bonus." She shrugs. "Now shoo! You're distracting me. I'll see you in a few." She pushes you away, winking at you before returning to her cleanup duties.

You take a few breathes as you turn around, making a conscious effort to smile as you walk over to the curtain where crew is organizing people and sending them out onto the carpet.

Luckily, you spot the bar not far away, and quickly make your way over to grab a quick glass of wine before you have to step out. You try to sip on it casually, not wanting to draw attention to yourself, but craving the buzz and freedom that comes with being a little tipsy around strangers.

"You're Y/N L/N, right?" Someone approaches you, and you quickly turn to the source of the voice.

"Yes, that's me." You smile, securing your glass in one hand before holding out your hand to shake. The woman takes it, smiling politely as she shakes it.

"Lovely. We're ready for you whenever, just go check in with that lovely gentleman by the curtain and you're free to walk when you're ready." The woman smiles, quickly taking off to go deal with more crew business.

You lean back against the bar, nursing your drink still and glancing in the direction of the dressing rooms and hoping your best friend would walk out in time to join you. You give it another minute as you finish your drink, feeling adequately warmed by the alcohol in your system before approaching the curtain.

"Hey! Nice to meet you, I'm Y/N L/N." You greet the man with the clip board and he nods, giving you a thumbs up and holding the curtain back for you to step out. You take deep breaths and focus on smiling (and not tripping) as you take the few extra paces behind a wall before you'll be in view of the many cameras you can already see flashing at the cast and their friends standing already in their full view. You hear lots of voices as you walk up, but they somehow get a million times louder as you step into the lights.

This isn't your first red carpet, but it is your first premiere. Besides the backdrop curtain, they have a variety of props from the show, including the Twinkie itself, making you giddy with excitement. You make a mental note to yourself to not leave without a picture of you behind the wheel for your instagram.

"Y/N! Look over here!" You hear a dozen voiced calling your name and you decide your best move is to smile and wave, stopping and placing one hand on your hip and just glancing across the whole crowd of camera men and interviewers behind the small fence. You give it a few moments to capture hopefully enough photos for their portfolios before an interviewer pulls you over to chat with them.

"Y/N! So nice to meet you. You look absolutely stunning!" They grin, shaking your hand and holding the mic up to your lips.

"Hello! And thank you so much! It's lovely to meet you too. What's your name?" You ask, smiling at them and giving a quick wave to the cameras still flashing in your face as they record you with one closer up.

"I'm Noah. I'm with Netflix just documenting everyone here tonight." He grins. "So, we were all excited to hear you would be coming tonight! Are you a fan of the show?"

"Oh my god, I'm a huge fan." You gush, looking around at the other people on the carpet. "I was just so lucky to be invited- I was ecstatic when I got the invitation from Madelyn. So nervous, though. So, so nervous."

"I can't imagine!" He chuckles, agreeing with you. "If it makes you feel any better, we've heard from a few members of the cast that they were looking forward to meeting you."

"That does actually help a lot, thank you." You giggle, a blush covering your cheeks. "You mind telling me who, though? I'd love to know who wants to talk to me and who I should probably not bother." You joke.

"Oh, nobody to avoid here. This is one of the nicest casts I've ever worked with." Noah assures you, wrapping an arm around your shoulders. "That being said, the boys seemed extra keen." He winks, making you laugh.

"Oh god, okay, I'll keep that in mind." You go along with it, looking around and seeing the rest of the cast goofing off a little ways away.

"So, I have to ask, Y/N- keep in mind you don't have to answer if you don't want to, about your breakup- how are you doing? Your album is absolutely amazing, you told a beautiful story, but we've all heard about what happened afterwards." He says, and you glance down nervously, trying to maintain your smile as best you can.

"Yeah, totally. Uh-" You pause for a second. Your ex has never been in the public eye- you were highschool sweethearts, which gave your album a sense of purity and authenticity that was almost rare in modern music. With that, however, comes a responsibility to keep him out of public scandal in the fallout of the albums success. "I am doing really well. I believe my ex is as well. Of course he was always a huge inspiration for me, and he always supported me and my dreams, so I know he's still cheering me on, which is a nice feeling." You nod, smiling as Noah drops his arm from around your shoulders, patting your back.

“Well, you’re stronger than I am because I would want him to be punching the air right now.” Noah laughs.

“No! God, no, I’d never want that for him. I wish him all the success in the world, which just means something different for both of-“ You try to explain, when you get bumped from behind and stumble slightly forward. You let out a little squeak and try to turn to look what happened when someone steadies you by your waist.

“Sorry, sweetheart. Didn’t mean to knock you there.” A man chuckles, making sure you’re steady before letting you go. You’re met with blue eyes that reflect the lights and the matching colour of his suit just beautifully, and you quickly recognize him as Rafe- quickly racking your brain for the actors name. Drew- yes. That’s it.

“No! No you’re fine- I was in the way.” You say sheepishly, laughing it off and adjusting your dress again.

“Drew, Welcome back! While I’ve got you both here,” Noah says, holding the microphone up to him as he nods, leaning down a little in anticipation of the question. “Have you listened to Y/N’s album? We were just talking about it.”

Drew nods, smiling and locking eyes with you again briefly. “Yes, of course. It’s both Maddie’s favourites right now, they’ve always got it playing on set. If it wasn’t so good I’d be sick of it.” He chuckles.

“Aw- thank you!” You grin. “Thanks for listening even if it’s against your will.” Your eyes connect again and you feel yourself blushing once more, he just has this aura about him that shows he’s really listening and really cares what you have to say. “Not to plug it here or anything, but we’re almost at ten million streams on spotify so I’m feeling really proud of it, it truly was a passion project for me. Sorry…” You explain, looking back at the interviewer again, trailing off when you realize you’re acting selfishly.

“No, don’t apologize. You worked hard on it- you deserve to talk about it.” Drew cuts in before Noah can speak. “Everyone stream it- you won’t regret it.” He says, pointing to the camera.

“Yes, absolutely.” Noah agrees. “We won’t take up any more of your time, but I’ll let you know we’re all looking forward to your next album already.” He smiles, giving you a quick hug.

“Thank you!” You wave as him and his crew are quick to move onto someone else. You take a deep breath, turning and jumping slightly when you see Drew still standing there, looking down at you as you clasp your hand against your chest. “Oh, gosh. I didn’t know you were still there.” You giggle, quickly adjusting your hair.

“Sorry.” Drew chuckles, holding his hand out to you. “We haven’t properly met. I’m Drew. Or you might know me as Rafe, I guess.”

You smile, taking his hand and shaking it. “Y/N. You might know me as the girl who got cheated on right after releasing an album about how amazing her relationship is.”

This makes him laugh, dropping his head back as he lets go of your hand. “Hey, it’s good to have a sense of humour about it I guess.” He says, locking eyes with you again. His charisma is truly captivating- it’s rare you meet someone in the Hollywood scene who seems to care about anyone other than themselves.

“I’m coping.” You shrug, laughing it off with him.

“Let’s grab a few pictures together, then maybe a drink?” Drew suggests, guiding you back towards where the rest of the cast was taking photos with the beat-up van parked on the carpet. “I’ll introduce you to everyone.”

“Yeah! Yeah- thank you.” You smile, glancing over your shoulder and seeing your best friend stepping out. She quickly waved at you, giving you an excited look and a thumbs up, which you return behind his back.

No doubt the pictures of this moment will embarrass you tomorrow, but at least the debrief with your best friend in the uber home will have a lot of good things to cover.

taglist: @slut4drudy , @madelynie , @mutual-mendes , @sadfury (i just tagged some mutuals who like my other stuff so if you want to be added or removed lmk!!)

reblogs and feedback are very appreciated as always :)

[ephie-om]

This one's for all the feral Asmo enjoyers

Song: Love Bites (So Do I) - Halestorm

CW: GORE, VIOLENCE, (there's a lot) sexual harassment

Day 5: Asmodeus

Asmodeus mills about amongst an assortment of demons, chatting with anyone who looks his way. He thrives in social scenes, especially ones where the dress code is in his favor. Tonight he squeezed himself into a sinfully tight black satin dress with a draped open back. Thin gold chains drape over his shoulders and connect at his throat to form a choker. He bats his lashes at whatever demon he likes, and not one of them fails to blush at the perfect picture he creates.

He beckons a server over with a crook of his finger and thanks the demon with a wink as he's handed a flute of champagne. He sips idly, trying his best not to transfer too much of his lipstick onto the glass, when he spots a cute demon.

The other demon is massive, nearly bursting out of the suit jacket he wears, and Asmo is sure he struggled putting that tie on. Well, he reasons, he'll just have to teach him by taking it off. He watches for a few moments, trying to decide on the best approach. His black nails click against the stem of the glass idly as he observes. The demon fidgets awkwardly with his sleeves, never quite making it into a conversation with someone else. Asmo clicks his tongue in pity and starts to move in, when someone gets there just before he does. A smaller demon sidles her way up to him, pressing in hip to hip. She makes a joke, trying to put him at ease, at which he laughs haltingly.

Being the Avatar of Lust bestows upon one an incredible ability to read body language, and Asmo quickly picks up on the larger demon's discomfort. Every few seconds he tries to inch away, but the smaller one refuses to let him go. Asmo moves imperceptibly closer, ears straining to pick up on their quiet conversation.

“...awfully handsome, you know, and it would be a shame to let you go home alone.”

“I-I’m quite alright alone, actually, I'm very good at it-”

“You're cute when you pretend not to know what I'm talking about.”

“I don't know, really…”

The smaller demon shows her sharp teeth in a wicked smile and inches her hand around him. His eyes go wide as she digs in her claws with a firm grasp on his ass, and she laughs, such a sweet sound to come from such a repulsive mouth.

Asmo sets his drink down with an audible clack and moves in for the kill.

His honey eyes sharpen as his demon form threatens to leak through. A pink shimmer begins to rise from his body. His heels echo through the room as he walks, focused only on his goal. The crowd of dancing demons falls to the side to give him a clear path, and the noise of conversation dies, leaving only the music.

His nails dig into the offending demon's arm and he rips her hand away. Her eyes flash as she turns to meet him, bright blue clashing with coral. She recognizes the Avatar quickly, backing half a step away.

“I could be wrong, but I'm fairly sure he isn't interested.” He speaks with deadly calm, his anger only betrayed by his crushing grip. The demon balks, fear in her eyes, but not enough to back down. “Asmodeus,” she purrs, her words laced with poisoned honey. “I thought you, at least, would understand. Sometimes demons like us can get what we want, and other times we have to take it,” she snaps out, wresting her arm free.

Asmo looks down at her silently for a moment, weighing his options. “I'll tell you clearly. Either you leave and find someone who wants to be with you, or I rip you apart.”

The room is silent now, all eyes turned towards the three figures near the center. Each word spoken resonates throughout the room with deadly force. The large demon is cringing away from the scene, unsure if it would be safer to run.

The smaller demon smiles, scarlet against white. “You wouldn't dare.”

Wings and horns burst out in a millisecond, claws scrabbling against the floor. Asmo's jaw cracks at the hinges as he opens his mouth wide and bites down on her shoulder. He goes through skin, muscle, tendons, and crunches down on bone until he can taste the marrow. Her scream reverberates in his ears, and her claws scratch up and down his back. He smells his own blood, which only spurs his rage.

He tears to the side, shredding the joint until her arm dangles limp from his mouth. He tosses it to the side just as she sinks the sharp point of her tail inches into his side. A curse in an ancient demonic language hacks from his throat as the tail splits open into spikes, tearing him from the inside. Bright pink bleeds from his eyes as Asmodeus’ roar splits the air. The skin on the tips of his wings and back of his heels start to bubble with a sickly fuschia glow. The pustules burst as fast as they grew, revealing wicked curved barbs dripping with poison. His mouth splits open vertically, four sets of teeth snapping in the air.

His left heel slams into her leg and swells as it pumps poison into her veins. She screams again, and her limbs seize as the toxins overtake her within seconds. The room is breathless as all four jaws wrench open, then snap closed with a wet crunch over her head. Her body twitches, once, twice, then falls limp. The saliva works for a few seconds to dissolve her neck, and the headless body falls to the floor. His head rises from the mangled corpse on the ground and crunches down on her skull. Chunks of brain matter dribble out through the gaps in his teeth, dotting the floor amidst chunks of flesh and bone. He swallows, the thick mass oozing down his throat.

His humanoid form returns bit by bit, barbs receding and jaws knitting together. A trail of gore leaks down the front of his dress, the shiny fabric doing little to hide the thick layer of blood. His blazing eyes sweep the crowd keeping a safe distance from him, and his lips curve into a satisfied smile. Let them try to take advantage of someone again. He’ll find out, and when he does, they know what awaits them.

[runninriot]

inspired by the prompt Love is being able to say you’re sorry and mean it by @eyesofshinigami for @steddielovemonth day 23

sorry, not sorry

wc: 1688 | rated: t | tags: Robin Buckley is fed up with her idiot friends, Steve Harrington and Eddie Munson are oblivious and they’re bad at feelings, Love Confessions, Idiots to Lovers

„Why should I say sorry when he is the one acting weird. I didn’t do anything! It’s not my fault he doesn’t like me.” Steve looks at her, lips forming a bitchy pout, acting annoyed at her for bringing it up – like he really believes his own words and Robin is the one who just doesn’t get it.

Robin rolls her eyes.

God, she wants to strangle him sometimes. And Eddie, too. They are both so stupid, acting like they don’t like each other when everyone and their mother can see the longing looks they throw at each other whenever they are in the same room.

It’s been driving her mad.

They’ve been dancing around each other for weeks now, putting up fronts, acting like they just barely tolerate each other’s presence. Like they are forced to get along because of their mutual friends.

It’s bullshit. Sure, these two would’ve never met if it wasn’t for the little shitheads they both took under their wings (or maybe Dustin and his friends are actually the ones that took Eddie and Steve under theirs because the teens are clearly a lot more mature than these two idiots) but now that their worlds have collided, it’s so obvious that there is a connection between them neither wants to admit to.

   “You could’ve at least asked him to come?”

   “Robs, he didn’t even look at me when he came in earlier. What makes you think he wants to come to my place when he made it clear that he hates everything about the idea of spending time there?”

Steve is having a party on Saturday, invited everyone over, except for Eddie. Not because he purposely meant to exclude him but because Eddie’s been teasing him about it all week. Whenever Steve mentioned his plans, Eddie made a silly comment about how lame it sounds. ‘Bet the music will be all pop and no taste.’ – ‘Just beer? Come on, Harrington, grow up.’ – ‘Oh, a sleepover? Great! Are we gonna do pillow fights and face masks and all that fancy shit, too?’

Yeah, maybe Steve has a point. Eddie really didn’t make it seem like he wanted to be part of it. And it’s not really Steve’s fault for not understanding that Eddie is doing that out of self-protecting reasons. That he’d rather pretend to hate the idea of spending the night at Steve’s than having to live with the rejection of Steve not wanting him there in the first place. Steve is oblivious.

And obviously, Eddie is too.

And okay, Steve hasn’t exactly been showing Eddie that he cares for him either. Always pretends to be annoyed at him. Always bitching about the stupidest and most inane things like – ‘Yeah how about you grow up Mr Dungeon Master?! Aren’t you a little too old to keep playing games with teens?’ – ‘Jesus, Eddie, you know there’s a thing called hair brush one can use to tame that frizzy mop on your head?’ – ‘No thank you, I don’t want to be driving around in your van. That thing looks like it’s gonna fall apart any second.’

They’re constantly bickering and bantering, always so quick to be at each other’s throats. That is, until they think that no one is looking.

Because Steve actually loves to listen to Eddie talk when he’s leading the teens through a campaign, uses all these various voices to interpret the different characters he created.

And Robin just knows Steve’s finger itch to take care of Eddie’s unruly curls himself but he would never offer, would never say it out loud.

Robin can see the way Eddie’s gaze follows Steve around Family Video when he’s talking to her while Steve is attending to another customer – a sickly sweet smile on his lips, with eyes that are basically heart-shaped.

The way he blushes whenever Steve walks around shirtless and in his stupid, tiny shorts (ugh, men), tries and fails so hard every time not to stare with his mouth hanging open.

It’s like they’re both so desperately trying to convince themselves that they hate each other, when all of their stolen glances and hidden smiles keep giving them away.

   “You know how stubborn he is. I am pretty sure he would’ve said yes. But you didn’t ask and maybe now he thinks you don’t want him there. Did you think about that?”

Steve worries his bottom lip, looks like he’s contemplating what to say.

   “He hates me,” is all he offers and the sadness in his eyes breaks Robin’s heart.

-

   “Talk to him, Eddie.”

   “Pff, why should I? I’m not that desperate to attend some stupid party. What do you want me to say to him? Hey, sorry for making fun of you, could I maybe still get a pity invite so I don’t have to spend my Saturday alone and miserable while you’re all having a fun time? Yeah, no. Thanks.”

She’s gonna lose it with these two at some point. Robin has been trying. Beating around the bush, talking about that stupid party like it is the real problem just because neither Steve nor Eddie are ready to admit what it is really about.

   “What if I want you there. You’re my friend and I want to spend time with you too.”

   “I appreciate it, Bucks. I really do. And I love to hang out with you any time. But this is Steve’s party and if he doesn’t want me there, I have to accept it.”

She wants to shake him. Yell at him to drop the act and be fucking for real, just once.

   “Edward Albert Munson.”

The use of his full name has the desired effect of getting his full attention, eyes blown wide and his expression a mix of appalled and impressed.

   “Can you, for the love of anything that’s holy, stop pretending to be so above everything and just tell him already?!”

She knows it’s a little unfair to put that burden on Eddie when she could’ve told Steve the same. But she knows that between the two, Eddie will be easier to convince.

   “What are you talking about?” Eddie tries, but the blush on his cheeks tells her he knows exactly what she means.

   “You know what I’m talking about. I’m sick and tired of watching you guys pining for each other when you could’ve been making out for weeks now if you would just fucking talk.”

   “What?!” This time, Eddie seems genuinely stunned.

   “You two are perfect for each other. You’re both incredibly stupid and so far up your own asses, that you don’t see what you’re missing out on.”

She crosses her arms before her chest, suppresses the urge to smile triumphantly when she sees Eddie crumble as the realisation hits.

-

Steve is in the kitchen, preparing some snacks and drinks, when the doorbell rings. Everyone is already there, they’re all in the living room having a great time, so Steve thinks it might just be their pizza delivery.

   “Robs, can you get that?”

There’s no answer. Either she doesn’t hear him over the music or, more likely, she ignores him. Steve huffs, drops the bag of chips on the counter and goes to open the door.

He’s fumbling with his wallet, not even looking at the person standing on the bottom of his front steps, when a familiar voice gets his attention.

   “Hey, Steve.”

   “Eddie? What are you-“

Steve’s heart suddenly picks up speed when his eyes drift to Eddie’s lips, a small, shy smile tugging at the corners.

   “I wanted to apologize. I’ve been-“

   “No problem, man! I gotta say sorry, too. I should’ve just invited you and stop making such a big deal out of it.”

   “Not about- okay, yeah that too but- I’m sorry for being a dick. I’m sorry for- for not being honest with you. And I get that this not the best timing but a little bird told me to man up and-“

Steve’s mind is racing. He doesn’t have a clue where Eddie is going with this. Or maybe he does but he doesn’t want to hold up his hopes because surely, Eddie isn’t going to say what he wants him to.

   “I’m not sorry for making you feel like I don’t like you because the truth is, I don’t.”

Steve looks down at his own feet, needs a moment to process, a moment to breathe.

    Huh?

  “It’s more like, I’m totally gone for you, Steve. I want you in ways that scare me. I’m sorry for making you think I’m not head over heels in love with you and your stupid perfect hair and your annoying kindness and just... everything about you that’s had me losing sleep for weeks now.”

  “Oh.”

   “I’m sorry, Eddie,” he says when he looks back up, tries not to sound too excited because he feel like he deserves just a little revenge for the way Eddie phrased his earth shattering confession and nearly gave Steve a heart attack with it.

But then Eddie’s eyes fill with tears and there’s defeat written on his face and-

 No, that’s not what Steve wants.

   “I’m sorry for not doing this sooner.”

He surges forward, nearly misses a step when he flings himself at Eddie, wraps his arms around the other man’s neck and draws him into a kiss.

The kiss is desperate, full of regret for depriving himself of the wonderful feeling of Eddie’s plush lips on his. Dripping with want, spilling all the words he didn’t say, words he wants Eddie to know, to feel in every part of his body.

    I’m sorry for not telling you that I love you.

They are too caught up in the moment; too busy making out to notice Robin standing in the doorway, who came looking for Steve. There’s a huge smile on her face and she knows she’ll regret it because they will be insufferable together. But right now, all she is sorry for is not stepping in sooner.

Because they might be idiots but they’re her idiots and they deserve to be in love.

[alleiradayne]

I haven't said much personally about Veilguard besides sharing my Rook and a few other silly things, but I do have a couple thoughts now that I'm so very far into my playthrough (halfway at about 50 hours).

I know the music hasn't hit like some hoped it would. I agree that it is not as good as Inquisition. That's still my favorite OST of the series. I understand BioWare wanted a new composer for the next game because each game has had a different composer. But given how very connected Inquisition and Veilguard are, I disagree with that premise and thought they should have stuck with Morris, and not only for that reason. He's a fucking musical genius.

All that said, I do enjoy Zimmer's and Balfe's work on this OST. It's not bad. I was shittalking the main theme for weeks after it came out but when you mash it up with the actual opening of the game, it fits. And I like all the softer versions of it, the less complicated takes with less instrumentation. And there are other tracks that call back to Inquisition. No, I'm not referring to the cameos where Morris's actual tracks were used. I'm talking about Zimmer/Balfe's new content where they threaded callbacks to Inquisition. Once I finish the game, I'm going to do a much deeper analysis of the Veilguard OST, but for now, I'm enjoying it as I play the game (I don't want to listen to the OST before I finish the game itself).

A couple other thoughts in shorter form:

The combat is fun. Compared to previous games, it's dynamic enough that, while there are patterns, you still have to be on your toes. Yes there's the rock, paper, scissors of get rid of armor, get rid of barrier, then spam left click/spells. But you know what, compared to the previous games, I'm enjoying that. It's a nice change of pace. I'm also playing a Mourn Watch Death Mage, so there's some nice flavor there.

Skin texture sucks. It's too smooth. It gives everyone a cartoonist look. I hate it.

Hair is fucking gorgeous. I just wish there were more styles I liked.

The story and quests are fantastic.

I find the dialogue to be a fun balance between seriousness, camp, and exposition.

Now on to my biggest fucking complaint about the game so far and given what I've read (without spoiling anything), I'm ultimately going to be disappointed in the long-run by the romances. My mage committed to Emmrich and I love him. He's wonderful. Read on for some spoilery-ish facets of his romance.

SPOILERS

He's an artist. Both with his magic and his words. He's sophisticated and overly romantic in such a respectful way. Rook's interest in him takes him by surprise because I believe canonically there's an age gap (that I headcanon away), but it's adorable. Plus, graveyard dates. He's very Gomez Addams but without all the public displays of affection (which I also headcanon away because fuck that noise).

END SPOILERS

My last point in the spoilers section about Emmrich's romance is my biggest complaint of the game. There's very little actual romance! And it's because you can't roll up to your companions at any given time and open a dialogue with them. There's no open conversation option. You only get to talk to them if they have a time-sensitive marker or a quest marker on their icon on the map. No free smooches on the ramparts!

And the romance moments we do get are so few and far between in a game that is absolutely massive, not in terms of map size this time, but in terms of content. There is so much good content (as opposed to the shit side quests of collecting 10 bear asses in the Hinterlands of Inquisition). The side quests all feel directly tied to the area's story so they all feel worth doing. We're never doing dumb shit like drawing constellations in the sky or finding shards through tranquil mage skulls (don't ever forget that they used the skulls of mages forced into tranquility specifically for this purpose).

Now I'm not through the whole game yet, but I'm hearing and seeing that there's next to no nudity. Given that on top of the lack of open convos and sparse romantic content, I'm bummed. I still love Emmrich, and I know I'll enjoy the others when I do get to them (because I plan on it). But damn. I was hoping for Desk Scene (iykyk) levels of spice outta this crew.

That's it. Halfway through the game and this is how I feel so far. I'm thoroughly enjoying the game and will continue to binge it. I have Rooks planned for the rest of the companions, too. Femme elf rogue crow to romance Davrin, femme qunari warrior lords of fortune to romance Harding, femme human shadow dragon rogue to romance Neve, femme elf warrior veil jumper to romance Bellara, masc elf mage grey warden to romance Lucanis.

I'd like to see your thoughts!

[the-blog-of-gog]

Is it okay to have a digital altar to a deity in Animal Crossing?

Absolutely! Using a digital space like Animal Crossing for your magickal practice is not only okay, but it can be a profoundly creative and effective way to connect with your chosen deities or spiritual forces. In the realm of Neo-Technomagick, the digital and physical worlds are interconnected facets of the greater reality/ the Omniverum, where every space — whether digital, material, or conceptual — holds potential for magickal practice. Your digital altar in Animal Crossing can serve as a potent focal point for your intentions, rituals, and spiritual connections.

Here are some ways to enhance your digital altar in Animal Crossing:

Infuse Intent into the Design: As you create your altar, consider the symbolic correspondences of the items you place on it. Choose colors, objects, and layouts that align with the deity or spirit you are honoring. For example, if you are building an altar to a goddess of the moon, use blue and silver elements, crescent shapes, or items that evoke the sea or nighttime.

Daily Rituals and Offerings: Engage with your digital altar regularly, much like you would with a physical one. You might set aside a specific time each day to visit your altar in the game, light digital candles, or place offerings. In the game, you could offer fruit, flowers, or crafted items as a gesture of devotion or gratitude. The act of doing so, even in a virtual space, reinforces your spiritual intention and connection.

Incorporate Sound and Movement: Animal Crossing offers various music tracks and sound effects. Choose sounds that resonate with the deity or intention of your altar. You can even create a ritual dance or movement in the game to accompany your practice. This could be as simple as performing certain actions (like clapping or cheering) or creating a sequence of movements that feel meaningful to you.

Sync Your Digital and Physical Spaces: Create a corresponding altar in your physical space, mirroring the elements in your digital game. This creates a bridge between the digital and physical realms, amplifying your magickal intent. When you interact with your digital altar, do the same in your physical space — light a real candle, place a crystal, or meditate. This practice aligns both realms, creating a powerful synergy.

Document and Reflect: Keep a digital or physical journal to document your experiences, thoughts, and any signs or synchronicities you encounter. Reflecting on these moments helps you deepen your understanding of your practice and the connections you are making through the digital altar. You could even create a dedicated scrapbook in Animal Crossing using in-game patterns or designs.

Use In-Game Events to Mark Ritual Occasions: Align your digital practices with in-game events or celestial movements. For example, you could hold a ritual or celebration at your digital altar during an in-game festival or when the full moon rises in the game’s sky. This syncs your personal practice with both the game’s internal rhythms and the larger cosmic cycles.

Engage with the Community: Share your altar and practice with others, whether it’s with friends who visit your Animal Crossing island or by sharing screenshots and experiences on social media. Engaging with a like-minded community can amplify the energy of your practice and provide new ideas and inspirations. Remember, the true power of any spiritual or magickal practice lies in the intention behind it. The digital realm, like any other, is a canvas upon which we paint our will, belief, and creativity. By treating your digital altar with the same respect and dedication as a physical one, you are reinforcing your connection to the divine and the endless possibilities of the Omniverum.

[livsbrutalitys-blog]

May I request Fem!Reader gets a makeover after joining the Judgement Day & Damian (who disapproved of her joining) is left awestruck.

Enemies to lovers?Damian priest x fem!reader

use of y/n :)

requests are open!!

As the loud music blared through the sold-out arena, the anticipation in the air was palpable. The audience, a mix of die-hard wrestling fans and curious onlookers, waited with bated breath for the newest addition to the infamous Judgement Day to make her grand entrance. Y/N, a female wrestler whose reputation for being fierce and fearless had preceded her, stepped out onto the ramp, her eyes scanning the crowd hungrily. She was about to embark on a journey that would change her life forever, joining forces with the enigmatic Damian Priest and the formidable Rhea Ripley. But little did she know that it was Damian himself who would have the most profound impact on her.

Dressed in a sleek, black bodysuit that hugged her curves and accentuated her athletic physique, Y/N's new look was a far cry from her previous attire. Her long, sleek hair cascaded down her back, framing her delicate features. As she strutted confidently toward the ring, the crowd erupted into a frenzy of cheers and chants. Even Damian Priest, who had initially been skeptical about her joining the group, couldn't help but feel a surge of respect for her.

The match began, and Y/N's skills were on full display. She moved with the agility of a panther, taking down her opponents with ease. Damian, watching from the sidelines, found himself increasingly impressed with her abilities. As the match progressed, he began to see past her new look and appreciate the raw talent that she brought to the ring.

After their victory, Damian approached Y/N backstage. "Look," he said, his voice gruff but sincere, "I want to apologize for how I acted earlier. You're a damn good wrestler, and I'm proud to have you in our family. You've got drive, and that's something we need more of." Y/N looked up at him, a mixture of surprise and gratitude in her eyes.

"Thank you, Damian," she said softly. "I've always admired your skills in the ring, and it means a lot to me that you're giving me a chance to learn from you." Damian nodded, feeling a strange warmth in his chest. He hadn't expected to feel this way about her, but there was something about Y/N that drew him in. Maybe it was her determination, or her willingness to push herself to be the best. Or maybe it was simply the fact that she looked damn good in that new outfit.

As they continued to talk, the tension between them began to dissipate, replaced by a sense of camaraderie. They exchanged stories about their wrestling careers, their hopes and dreams for the future. Damian found himself leaning in closer, hanging on to every word she said. And the more he listened, the more he realized that Y/N wasn't just another wrestler - she was someone he could truly respect and admire.

Meanwhile, Rhea Ripley watched them from a distance, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. She could see the connection forming between Damian and Y/N, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. After all, she had been the one to bring them together. As they continued to chat, the atmosphere in the room seemed to shift, becoming charged with an electricity that could only come from two people who shared a deep understanding of each other's passions.

[commsroom]

i think it's worth noting how individualism and the "big picture" in wolf 359 are not opposite ideas, but in service of the same goal: people that serve systems, rather than systems that serve people. goddard's recruitment tactic (in its moderately less coercive form) is an appeal to meritocracy and exceptionalism. a once in a lifetime opportunity to be part of something, to matter. it's a lie, of course. but that's the promise.

goddard futuristics and the dear listeners are parallel forces with compatible goals. cutter's proposal is a humanity without humans (save for the select few, like him, who get to make the choices), and that's perfectly acceptable to the dear listeners, who have no concept of the individual. the dear listeners are the only truly non-human characters in wolf 359, and they're narratively presented as a hollow reflection of humanity - borrowing eiffel's voice + appearance, unable to understand music - the ability to replicate, but not create. i think the implications are pretty clear, in the context of wolf 359's anti-corporate themes.

back to goddard's recruitment: minkowski wants to prove herself, to be in command, but she's initially too caught up on doing things the right way to be a leader for the people around her. the only tip in the dssppm she forgets is the one about effective communication. even her musical: hera is the only one willing to take part, and minkowski will only give her a small role. hilbert is a scientist who seems to believe he alone can revolutionize medicine, with no outside input or cooperation. of course, he not only fails, but his research results in further harm. goddard selects for people with this type of self-centered ambition... and also for people who are deeply isolated. eiffel and hera were not recruited through flattery. they're company property, and they've always been aware that their 'choice' was either 'agree to this' or 'we'll make things worse for you until you agree.' even with such a small crew, this creates an underclass, and a very pointed attempt at division of interests. and explains a lot about s1 dynamics.

which isn't to say eiffel and hera don't have their own problems re: communication. goddard's AI program is inherently isolating and pushes for ruthless competition under threat of death. hera isn't used to being able to trust people, and is extremely reluctant to accept help, even while she's suffering. eiffel, as the communications officer, is an advocate for communication and an effective mediator, but he's also extremely self-centered. it's very purposeful that eiffel's part of shut up and listen is paralleled by maxwell's logs about the dear listeners: "i've spent so much time thinking about how we're going to get a message across, and i haven't been thinking at all about reception. but what if the first challenge is figuring out how to listen? how much have we already missed?"

wolf 359 is a show that highly values the individual, personal identity and personal connection, but with the condition that connection is key. every person matters, but no one can make it alone. at the heart of the show, what you have is a group of very willful, very disparate personalities who have to learn how to see beyond their own assumptions and understand each other as full people with their own lives and desires and interiority - and then learn to move forward together. ultimately, it all comes down to that exchange between hilbert and eiffel: "you did not beat me. you needed help from AI, from minkowski." / "uh, yeah. it's called being part of the crew. you ever meet anyone that could get things done all on their lonesome?"

[umadosedepascal]

MASTERCHEF FAIL | Pedro Pascal x f!reader | One shot

Written by Santa Trindade

Banner: @ithedevilsbaby

Made in Brazil

Pairing: Pedro Pascal x f!reader

Summary: With a busy schedule, Pedro finds some time to spend with you. You promised him to cook his favorite food. Maybe things get out of hand and dessert comes before dinner.

wc: 4.7k

rating/warnings: [no minors][sex in the kitchen][unprotected PIV][smut][first person][oral sex][f receiving] [m receiving][Pedro a little dom] [curse words] [fingering] [daddy kink] [chocolate in sex]

Weekends are always a box of surprises, I never know if he will be available, in the middle of so many jobs.

I understand when he needs to be away, sometimes we can see each other only in the middle of the week, a quick date, but as a good surprise, here I am.

I pick up my phone in the middle of the bed sheets and see that it's 7:32 p.m., it's Saturday, it's cold and there's a light rain, the day flew by.

Whenever we decide to watch something together, we spend more time trying to choose a movie than actually watching something, and when we finally choose and finish watching it, it's already night time.

I’m so hungry and even before I can say anything, Pedro says…

“You promised you would cook for me today, remember?“

He says excited as he pulls the duvet of my body and gently caresses my right thigh, which shivers at the same moment I feel his fingers.

“How could I forget? You spent the day saying you went shopping just to taste my food“ I answer between laughs while I pull him for a lazy kiss before getting out of bed.

“I want to see if you didn't forget anything.”

I leave the room heading towards the kitchen, Pedro comes right behind me going down the stairs yawning and commenting on scenes from the movie, laughing at me saying that he knew when I confessed to having dozed off in some parts of the movie.

I go into the kitchen and open the fridge, while I see it inside it I'm mentally checking everything I'm going to use is there. I let out a little laugh and bite my lip when I see that he bought chocolate, the same ones I once mentioned are my favorites.

“Got everything you need, babe?” He asks as he sneaks up approaching me, he runs his hand over my waist and pulls me making my body close to his chest, feeling his lips on my neck kissing me, then I answer..

“You did pretty well, you got the essential” I say laughing when I feel his beard tickle me. I turn my body facing him, pushing the fridge door with one hand.

“Now you can leave it to me”

Pedro stares at me raising his eyebrow after asking for the second time if I want help, even though I say that he doesn't roll his eyes mockingly, he gently kisses my neck and raises his lips to my ear and says…

“I'm excited to know if your food tastes as good you do.. my sluty chef.”

I laugh loudly and squeeze my hands on his chest, playing with the lace of the sweatshirt he wears, in an attempt to disguise how just a few words coming out of his mouth can affect me so much.

He lets me go and turns towards the cabinets and I open the fridge again taking everything I need, trying to force my brain to concentrate and ignore the distraction that is Pedro walking through the kitchen.

_It's a fucking distraction_

The rain is constant outside, some thunder mixes in the midst of our conversation,

Pedro tells me how chaotic the traffic was today, he tells me while he helps me get the ingredients from the pantry, so I ask him

“How was your day babe?” He responds excitedly while distributing the ingredients across the countertop

“Was amazing, got to meet a lot of great people and had a blast... Even got this jeans... Humm do I look sexy for you all jeans?”

I approach him with a jar of sugar in my hand, I say…

“You are so sweet i can't put more on you now... Let's turn on the music?”

He turns around and turns on the speaker that is on a small shelf next to the closet and asks me to connect my phone to whatever I want to hear.

*The Weeknd- After hours*

I decided to cook for him something quick and delicious, a truffled parmegiana with rice.

I ask Pedro to finish picking up the dry ingredients in the pantry while I start cutting the chicken breast and seasoning it before sealing and putting it in the oven.

“Do you want help whit that?”

He says approaching me, passing one hand on my thigh and the other hand he puts on my hand that holds the knife.

“Babe, get some wine for us? But come back here closer...”

With a quick kiss on my neck he moves away and seconds later comes back with a bottle and two glasses, he serves us and walks towards me, behind me.

He holds the glass with wine with his left hand and the right he takes my hair off my neck and starts taking light bites on the uncovered skin, he says that the smell is wonderful and that he can't wait because he is starving.

He brings his body closer to mine, resting his cheek on my head, he hugs me and stays there, just feeling my body in his and listening to the music. I can still make some movements with the knife, cutting the meat, but it's getting so hard to resist.

_He knows the power he has over me and he abuses it_

I let go of the knife when I feel his hands holding me and turning in front of him

“That chicken takes some time to cook huh?” He asks and I say yes, sliding my hand through him, landing on his cock that is already hard.

I look into his eyes and say..

“You always have to tease me huh?” He laughs and shrugs, as if he doesn't know what I'm talking about.

“Aren't you hungry Pascal? Let me cook for you.”

He removes the cup from my hand and puts it on the side, on the countertop and presses his body on mine, his hands holding the edge of the countertop, holding me there, between him and the marble.

My eyes sweep his face, his beard starting to turn gray, some gray strands on his chin, it makes him so fucking sexy.

“I could eat another incredibly tasty thing and I would be satisfied.” He talks and puts his hands on my waist, pulling me closer, through the fabric of his sweatshirt shorts I can feel exactly the position that his cock is and I feel him pressing against me.

_Fuck_

I look into his eyes and drag my hands inside his t-shirt, feeling his hot skin automatically shiver when I run my nails through his ribs.

He is hot, I inhale the perfume, still feeling present, but the smell of his skin surpasses any expensive fragrance.

I feel his breath close to my face, I look into his eyes and there are those abandoned puppy eyes, but there is also a look that asks what my next step will be.

“What if I cook for you and then you choose whatever dessert you want.” He raises an eyebrow and smiles in the corner, biting his lip and presses the cock more on me, his hands go down to my ass and squeezing, he kisses my neck and between kisses he says

“You know I can be really picky about desserts, right?” He says and run his tongue from my collarbone to my ear biting.

“I'll give you whatever you want.” I answer and pull him by the back of the neck, gluing our lips, his stache has some wet threads of wine, his tongue tastes like wine and danger, I bite his lip and pull between his teeth and he sighs squeezing my ass harder.

“You won! But will you please let me help?” He says and kisses me again, this time in a hurry.

His lips are soft and overwhelming, the taste of wine only makes everything more intoxicating, and for a second I forget that I should be making a dinner!

Pedro squeezes my waist more, pushes me a little and presses my ass against the kitchen island, I feel the cold marble on my legs. He moves the hair that is over my shoulder and gives a soft but warm kiss, that's enough to make my whole body shiver.

He is calm and patient in all his actions, without the slightest hurry. The tic tac of the oven timer mixes the music, it makes my thoughts about dinner get lost.

_I can't think with him so close to that_

He kisses my neck and soon his breathing starts to get panting, just feeling his breath makes me horny. He presses his cock against me, every time I run my fingers around his neck I feel the pulsating vein against my skin, I run my fingers through the curls of his hair.

“Are you going to help me or make me burn the food?” I ask almost in a whisper trying to hold the moan stuck in my throat while he squeezes my ass shamelessly rubbing his cock on me.

“I'm helping babe...” He says in a fun tone of voice as his hands rise back to my waist, he lifts me up making me sit on the bench

“... I'm helping to kill time while the food is in the oven.”

He says that and runs his hands through my legs making them open automatically, he stays between them, his right hand slides from my thigh to my ass squeezing the flesh. His left hand goes up crawling down my back until it reaches the back of my neck, he holds me there completely at his mercy.

He remains calm and making every movement in such a precise way that it is agonizing, it only makes me more and more horny, he acts in such a way that it seems that he wants to taste every inch of my skin, without haste, as if the world were frozen and only the two of us were there.

Pedro slides the hand that was on my ass into my blouse, he finds my nipple goosebumps already, he squeezes and rolls between his fingers, at the same moment a moan escapes from my lips, this makes him growl low.

“We can't now Jose...” I talk trying to look like I want him to stop, but my body betrays me, my back arches while he pulls my blouse to get tangled over my breasts. The cold air makes me shiver, but his warm hands make me pulse. He bends slightly, just enough to run his tongue through my nipple, I watch his tongue rotate through my nipple and soon I see and his mouth cover my breast, sucking, delighting in my body.

_This is a fucking hot view_

“humm.. dessert cannot be served before dinner” I say

“I know babe, but can I taste just a little bit?” He asks looking at me with those puppy eyes, his mouth goes down my belly, leaving licks, but soon rises again to my breast.

“You are so fucking hot... Let me try just a little bit.”

His words cross me like a sharp knife, I feel my pussy so wet.

He gets up dragging his lips through my skin and kisses me in a way that takes the air out of my lungs. His hand is playing with the jeans in my shorts, going towards my pussy, the way he releases my lips with a bite and watches his fingers play with the button of my jeans is so hot.

He slowly opens the zipper, he looks into my eyes when I let out a moan in anticipation to feel his fingers on me

“Are you horny?” He speaks with a low laugh, he says that and looking into my eyes I feel him slide his middle finger into my panties, the feeling of his finger against my swollen clit is surreal.

'TRIIIIIIN'

The oven timer goes off, making us look scared at the oven. He laughs shaking his head and says

“It looks like dessert will really only be served after dinner anyway...”

Pedro is still between my legs, my hands holding the waistband of his shorts, ready to pull and finally feel him, with a sigh I move away from him and lean enough to reach the button to turn off the oven and tell him

“I'll let it a little bit open so we can have more time and don't burn it... The only thing I want it's you burning inside me...”

He takes the glass of wine next to me and takes a big sip, as if he were recovering, he speaks softly

“This is the way babe”

*OCT 33 - Black pumas*

Pedro puts the wine glass in place and pushes me to lie on the bench, his hand goes back under my blouse, grabbing my breasts, interspersing between one and the other, with his free hand he pulls my jeans by the legs and throws it to the floor, he passes his finger through the side of my panties, going down my groin until he reaches the center of my pussy he pulls the fabric to the side and rubs my clit and slide his finger to the end into me. The way he does it makes him use his thumb to stimulate my clit, with circular movements he looks at me, watching my whole body, smiling he watches me melt on his fingers.

I feel like cursing him screaming, but I also feel like just obeying everything he says.

He speeds up the movements of his fingers and says

“My dinner is you now! Do you understand?” I feel the orgasm coming, so close, I'm not able to answer I just fall on his fingers, cumming slowly feeling my body vibrate, my legs shake and start to close, he quickly removes his hand from my breast and holds my thigh stoping me from closing them, I just close my eyes and feel the pleasure taking over every cell of my body.

When I open my eyes I come face to face with Pedro licking his fingers with my cum, his eyes half-closed watching me, he’s lust in desire.

“Would you like something to fulfill you now?” He holds the cock drooling from pre cum

I'm not able to say anything, I just shake my head as if I were talking

"Yeah you motherfucker you did it!"

He positions his cock in my entrance and puts everything in, he moans low but hoarse, he holds my thighs and looks me in the eyes, biting his lip he starts to put slowly, he is looking me in the eye and his cock going in and out of me.

It penetrates me slowly but accurately, reaching a specific point inside me that makes me arch my back.

“like that huh?”

“Do you like it when my cock goes in like that slowly?”

“Do you want faster?”

“Say little girl.” Every word he says is a slow and lazy lunge inside me.

“Yes please fuck me! Please...”

So in a silent torture he stop moving and looks at me, his eyes pass from mine to my lips.

I try to raise my hip in the failed attempt to rub myself on it, at least one touch!

“I'm starving babe, let's eat? “ He says casually, he grumbles and takes his cock out of me and puts on his shorts again, he extends his right hand to me and smiles raising his eyebrow.

I can't believe it.

“WHAT? PEDRO? ARE YOU CRAZY? “ I say loudly in shock.

He laughs and picks up the glass, after a long and seemingly eternal sip of wine he shakes his hand ordering me and pick it up.

“I'm hungry babe... I said.”

I get up from the bench and he holds me by the waist and pulls me out, when my feet touch the floor my knees falter, but his hands hold me firmly. He brings his lips closer to mine listening to him say

“Just put on your panties, ok? I'll be waiting for you at the table.” He says and leaves as if nothing had happened.

I feel my heart racing.

“Jose Pedro Balmaceda Pascal come here right now! Are you insane?”

I'm alone in the kitchen, looking around not understanding shit.

_Am I hallucinating? Did he really leave me like this? _

I shake my head in an attempt to lighten my thoughts, I run my hand over my forehead and feel the thin layer of sweat that has accumulated. I still see myself naked and alone in the kitchen.

_Do you want to play Jose Pedro? Let's play then_

I put my panties on and I feel my pussy protest still wanting more, I put on my blouse and everything seems uncomfortable, I just want his cock until I forget my own name!

I serve the food, I do it in the best way I can, although I'm soaked and piss off I don't want it to be an ugly dish, after tidying up I put it on a tray and go towards the living room.

Pedro is sitting at the table quietly, he has his head turned towards the fireplace, the crackling fire mixes with the music, the room has low lighting, shades of red and brown take over the place.

I put our dishes on the table and he looks at me and gives a mocking smile.

_Breathe deeply, he's playing with you_

*Love is a bitch - Two Feet* starts playing, and that's enough to get me into the game he wants.

I sit at the table in front of him, and take the glass of wine, without taking my eyes off his I take a long sip, I put the glass back and with my index finger clean the small drop that has accumulated on my lip, sucking my finger.

Pedro lets out a small cough and straightens up on the chair, he is as horny as I am, but this provocation is hot and none of us wants to finish.

He looks at his plate and takes a bite, he chews slowly looking at me, his eyes never lose mine.

“Hmmm this is wonderful...taste amazing “ He says that while passing his finger on the corner of his mouth and licking, the same finger that was inside me a few minutes ago.

I don't say a word, I just get up, take the bottle of wine, and approach him, I bend in an exaggerated way, wanting him to see all the curves of my body, I fill his glass.

With a slap on the table he pushes the chair back and a growl comes out of his throat

“Fuck dinner! I'll eat you until you scream so loud.” So that's enough for him to get up and push me to the wall, my back hits the wall, my head hits, but I don't care.

He holds me tightly against the cold wall, his body so close to mine that we could merge.

His breathing is getting faster and faster, all my brain thinks about is feeling his cock pulsating against me. With a quick movement Pedro turn me against the wall, my back that were cold from the wall now find his chest hot, even through the T-shirt he wears I can feel.

His hands go to my hips, he pulls me making me lean towards him, he slides my panties down my legs, bending down along with the fabric, he takes it off my feet, and before throwing it in the middle of the room he inhales my smell…

With a deep voice he says slowly as he goes up until he stands behind me.

“I tried babe... I swear i tried... The food “ He talks whining, his right hand circles my body and goes towards my pussy, he rub my clit but soon slides his finger inside me again.

“Was really good... Oh fuck! But all I can think about is your pussy, let me eat that pussy babe”

I can't think of anything else, he knows that my answer will be a big yes, everything he asks I will say yes, I just need him to fuck me now, in every way he wants.

I turn my head and look over my shoulder, he looks beautiful, his eyes focused on my body, his mouth slightly open, the impression he gives is of a hunter watching the prey.

One hand he holds my waist firmly, the other he keeps it in my pussy.

“I've wanted this since the moment i walked into this kitchen, please... Please Pedro just fuck me!”

My supplication is like gasoline for the fire that is his body, he quickly moves away from my body and removes the clothes, throwing it everywhere, he holds the cock dripping pre cum and rub through my pussy, the right hand goes back to my clit, squeezing, teasing.

He grabs hard holding my waist so hard that I know that tomorrow I will have marks, his moan with every thrust is so tasty, I could hear it forever.

Pedro pulls me close to his chest, the hand that was on my waist goes up to my blouse, in a silent order I finish taking off my blouse.

He wraps an arm in my belly and a hand he rests on the wall, so it seems that his cock reaches deeper inside me, directly to my G-spot, I'm so close.

“Your food is really good babe... But damn, look what you do to me” He whispers in my ear as he gets harder and harder, our moans mixing the songs.

Pedro takes his cock out of me and guides me to the couch, he sinks his face into my neck and slide it back in, he punches it hard, it hurts a little.

He holds my left leg and puts it over his shoulder, my hands go to his back, sliding down his already sweaty, he kisses me and bites me in such an intense way.

*Post Malone- Circles* starts playing, making everything more intoxicating.

Pedro moans low and grunts in my ear, I look for his lips again, I don't want to stop kissing and biting those lips.

He feels that I'm almost cumming and so does he and that makes him intensify the thrusts, the way he holds me

_He knows, he notices my body_

“I want to cum inside you babe... But I know you like to swallow”

Our bodies slippery with sweat, he takes off his cock and sits on the couch desperately, I kneel and start sucking hard on his cock, he holds my hair and cums in my mouth, making me taste him, he moans my name softly and says “yes...yes...have it all.. aah fuck!”

I swallow every drop, I keep on my knees and watch him thrown on the couch, the irregular breathing he asks me

“What about that chocolate i brought to you?”

“Hmmm” I smile and get up, my whole body shakes, my legs are wobbly, I go to the kitchen and get the chocolate bar and then I think about melting it

As soon as I finish, I put it in a pot and return to the living room, Pedro is still thrown on the couch, the only difference is that now a joint is stuck on his lips, he raises an eyebrow for me when he sees me holding the bowl.

“What are you up to baby girl?”

I smile maliciously at him and get closer, put one leg on each side and ride on him, his hands go straight to my breasts, playing with my nipples, a caress full of lust.

None of us are satisfied yet.

I take the weed from his lips smoke it and slowly bring it back to his mouth

The way he's being on the couch is the perfect angle for what I have in mind. I dip a finger in the chocolate and feel that it is at the ideal temperature, I take my finger to his lips, and lick and kiss, removing any remnants.

He moans softly and says it's delicious.

I take more chocolate and make it drain from his neck to the nipple, I slowly lick everything, taking some bites, some light ones, some stronger ones that make him grun.

“Now I'm your dessert my little bitch?” He asks having fun with what I'm doing.

“Yeah daddy... What could be better than you with chocolate?”

I get up and kneel between his legs, putting the pot next to him, I dip my fingers again in the chocolate and let it drip on his cock, which is already hard again, I watch the chocolate drip from the head of the cock to the base. I hold his cock and lick everything, feeling the taste of his skin, the cum and the chocolate, all turning into a new flavor.

I take more chocolate and let drops spread on his thighs, lick slowly and bite, leaving a small bite mark on the left thigh.

“Suck bitch get daddy's cock clean so I can shove into that pussy huh” He says and holds my hair in a ponytail, he raises his hip and starts fucking my throat as if it were my pussy, making me choke I scratch my nails on his thighs, this seems to stir him up and makes him push the cock more in my throat, my lungs burn in search of air.

He pulls my hair, making me look into his eyes, my eyes are full of tears, he holds my neck and squeezes and pushes me to lie on the floor.

Pedro starts distributing bites over my belly, licking and biting until he reaches my breasts, he holds my right nipple with his teeth, biting until I arch my back with burning, soon he licks and sucks slowly.

His cock rubbing on my thigh, Pedro moves far enough to take the chocolate and spread it over my breasts, he sucks and licks and bites every little piece of skin.

“Damn this is the dessert I always want to eat...fuck bitch!”

He kneels between my legs, his left hand he holds my knee, leaving me more open, his right hand he holds his cock by the base and rubs the head of the cock through my swollen clit, he beats and rubs, he stays in this torture for a few seconds, almost making me cum like this

“Fuck me now!” I whine loudly

He starts slapping me, slaps me on the thighs, chest and face, so he holds my neck and says

“Beg just beg and I'll give you what you want”

“Please, I beg you please fuck me hard!” I say in the midst of moans

He slides his cock no mercy, taking a scream out of my throat, he sinks his face into my neck and moans my name in my ear, he curses disconnected things, I can barely understand when he grumbles "slut bitch bitch"

My nails scratches his back.

“Scratch me, show daddy how dirty you are...”

I moan more and squeeze my pussy on his cock, Pedro puts his hand between our bodies and begins to massage my clit, his middle finger circulating in a torturous way, without stopping to fuck.

He speaks in my ear, he moans as if he were suffering, but it is also a hoarse, almost animalistic moan

“Cum for daddy honey, cum on daddy's cock and scream, I want it!”

He orders and my body obeys, I cum strong, my back arching, my breathing heavy and difficult. He doesn't stop masturbating me, he says

“One more time babe, one more..”

My body seems to obey everything he says, I enjoy again as strong as the first.

“Now I'm going to cum inside you so you can have my cum everywhere!”

He goes harder, holding my neck and looking into myeyes he pushes it three more times and cums hard inside me, I feel the hot jets of cum filling me.

Pedro collapses on top of me, he laughs weakly and kisses my face, and gives one last lick and bite on my neck that still some chocolate.

“Let's take a shower?”

—————————————

Thanks for being here and read our delusional fics, likes are appreciate, comments even more. If you want to ask anything, blast it!

[daphdarling]

Hi! I hope your day is going great^^ and I would like to request a haikyuu match up🧚‍♀️I go by she/her and would like to be matched with a guy;

Some ideal traits for my partner would be: organized, reliable, smart, not extremely energetic so we can match in calmness (my social battery is crap), gives great hugs but most importantly someone that can ground me;

My personality mostly consists of being extremely shy at the beginning, clumsy, daydreamer, smart but once in a while can say some really dumb things, romantic at heart, germophobe that faints in overcrowded rooms, introvert and analytic ( Love to analyze concepts and people), kinda nerdy I like to randomly discuss math and computer science, my MBTI type is INTP;

Hobbies: painting, listening to music (literally my lifeline, mostly listen to Arctic Monkeys, Chase Atlantic, The Neighbourhood, Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift and Lana del Rey), programming, writing, certified bookworm, watching movie commentaries, debating, discussing existentialism, car karaoke;

Basic appearance: short and a little chubby with long brown hair and brown eyes, and lots of freckles:)

Thanks so much for making time for this!! Remember to take breaks at times and drink water^^

YOUR MATCHUP IS…

SHINSUKE KITA!!!

Personality Match:

Kita is organized, reliable, and grounded—traits that would be very comforting for someone who values calmness and stability. He’s often the level-headed and responsible one in his team, and while he doesn’t exude a lot of outward energy, he has a quiet strength and an ability to stay calm under pressure. This would mesh well with your introverted, analytical nature. Kita’s sincerity and reliability would offer the grounding presence you're looking for in a partner. You'd likely feel very safe with him because he respects boundaries and takes things at a steady, thoughtful pace, giving you the space to open up without feeling rushed.

Romantic Connection:

While Kita isn’t overtly romantic, he’s very thoughtful and attentive. He shows care through actions rather than words, which would likely resonate with your romantic heart, especially since you seem to prefer meaningful, quieter expressions of affection. He would be the type to listen deeply to your thoughts and provide calm, steady support when you need it. His more reserved personality would also balance well with your own quiet nature. If you ever feel overwhelmed, Kita’s gentle, grounded presence could help center you, offering a sense of security and understanding.

Hobbies and Activities:

Kita is a bit more focused on volleyball and his team, but outside of that, he’s quite a reflective person. He might not share all of your specific hobbies (like painting or programming), but he would appreciate your love for deep conversations about existentialism and complex concepts. He’s someone who enjoys peace and quiet, so you could bond over more calm, intimate activities like reading, discussing philosophy, or even listening to music together. Kita's balance and reliability would also make him a perfect partner to enjoy cozy, laid-back evenings with, perhaps indulging in your love of movie commentaries or simply enjoying each other's company in silence.

Looks and Vibes:

Kita is the picture of calm and order, with his neat, composed appearance and quiet confidence. His style and demeanor would likely complement your own, with his understated elegance contrasting nicely with your more relaxed, freckled, and laid-back vibe. Kita’s presence isn’t flashy, but it’s steady and comforting, creating a good contrast with your introverted energy. There’s something soothing about his serious yet gentle nature that would make you feel at ease in his presence.

Final Thoughts:

Kita would be a grounding force for you, offering the calmness and stability you desire in a partner. His reliable and organized personality, combined with his thoughtful nature, would allow you to feel safe and supported, helping to alleviate any anxieties you might experience in social settings. His quieter, introspective nature would match well with your own, making him someone who could share meaningful moments with you, whether discussing philosophy, enjoying music, or just being present in each other’s company. You would find comfort in his grounded, reliable presence, and he’d likely appreciate your deep, intellectual side, valuing your unique perspective on the world.

[chevelleneech]

Jikook enlistment

Whenever I’m back in my BTS bag and am thinking about the members being in the military, thus about Jimin and Jungkook having enlisted together, I am reminded of my deep curiosity as to why they chose the buddy system.

And I’m not talking about fandom theory wise, but a genuine why. Which we are not entitled to and do not ever need to know, but it doesn’t stop the wondering, because how and why did they choose that? I would even question if it was something all of maknae line applied for, but Jikook got, but I don’t think that’s how it works.

From how I understand it, applicants have to apply at a certain time and with full paperwork as to why they and their buddy should be allowed to enlist together. Meaning, having multiple applications seems like a sure fire way of being denied, because you’re no longer asking for specific person to not do it alone with, but for anyone to help you, which I imagine goes against the “tough it out” mindset of the military in general. Thus, I land back at having no answer and being curious, lol.

Because on one hand, joint enlistment insinuates JM and JK are the closest, but at the same time I think all of BTS are extremely close. So this line of thinking would imply they value their bond slightly more than they do the ones they have with the others, and chose to go together instead of sticking it out alone like the rest have to. But thinking that feels wrong in some way, because I really don’t think they’d do that. I don’t think they’d choose an option the others don’t get, thus putting their friendship above the ones they have with everyone else.

On the other hand, there is the “taboo” subject of them potentially being in a romantic relationship or situationship, which would arguably make their joint enlistment more sensible. Because if you have to pause your life for a mandatory detour that you know you might struggle through, yet get the chance to do it with the person you have romantic feelings for… I do think most people would. But this thought is so heavily frowned upon, because it’s “invasive” despite being a very realistic theory, so I’m not going to dig further into it. I’m not aiming to start drama.

The last thought, is one people who dislike them often toss out, which is: fan service/forced. I do not think this theory holds any weight, because their company is not with them when they sign their military contracts. They will have had all the time in the world to tell whomever handles that paperwork they do not want to enlist together, and only applied for it because their company forced them to. Which would have likely caused a stir and made headlines, seeing as the military can’t be paid off by a music company, and Korean media would leap at the chance to put Hybe on blast.

So at the end of it all, I’m left with the same curiosity. How and why did Jimin and Jungkook decide to enlist together? Because from the outside it seems like such a serious commitment when you think about how serious the military is. When you think about how it’ll affect one’s mental and emotional health, and how confining it would be to be sort of forcibly connected to another person. Which isn’t new for JM and JK.

Having the same schedule and being made to essentially wake up, work, and sleep alongside each other is what they did during the bulk of their time in BTS. But that fact really only adds fuel to the fire of why it would have made more sense for them to enlist alone. This would have been their first true time having long stretches of space away from the group, yet… they literally said, “No thanks.”

Thus yet again… I’m stuck wondering, lol. Again, it’s not my business and I’m under no impression that it is. But I am genuinely interested in learning what their bond is like, because that’s a lot of love to house for someone (platonic or romantic). They would have only had to spend 18 months apart, yet they sat down and made the decision to do this together, knowing the older members did not have the option and that Tae would be left unable to apply with either of them once they applied.

Do y’all get what I mean? If we strip away all of our bias opinions, Jimin and Jungkook did a serious thing. They chose each other despite the fact that it sets them apart from their closest friends. Despite the fact that it sets them apart from any other idols who have enlisted (as far as I know— because the one group I heard who enlisted together, did so simply back to back, not by way of the buddy system). They put this spotlight on their relationship themselves, and it intrigues me greatly as to why.

One last possibility could be mental health reasons, as they could suffer from things we truly have no idea about, and they need each other more than the others do. But knowing a little about the state of all of their mental health’s based on what they’ve told us, it’s kind of disrespectful to paint JM and JK as severely struggling to the point of adding trauma for the sake of a hypothetical.

Anyway, this was just me rambling about my constant curiosity regarding such an important decision. I know it’s not my business, I know I’m not going to get an answer. I just find it fascinating that they made this choice, knowing how people view them already. Some people will take it as confirmation of deeper feelings, while others take it as confirmation they’ll do anything for media attention. I’m just on the outside of both, because one theory is the most sensible given the context regarding their bonds with other members, but no matter what… there is no definitive answer. Only Jimin and JK have that.

[moonasheschevalier]

My take on Tatsuya Kitani's Rapport, why it's freaking gorgeous and why this work is about Ulquiorra and Orihime (Ulquihime).

Note: to understand better it is highly recommended to (re)read official BLEACH: UNMASKED chapter. [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]

Part 1

The very first thing we see is a strange buildings formation in the middle of nowhere. Reminds me a bit of Las Noches in Hueco Mundo. Two structrures. yet again, in the middle of nowhere.

What these 2 places have in common?

I. Being surrounded by sea: - sea of water (Rapport) - sea of sands (Las Noches) Also, here are my bonus headcanons: - water theme = Orihime (Rain) Water theme - the symbol of Life's force (human, alive)

- sands - ashes - sands (ashes) theme - Ulquiorra (Arrancar/ the "dead")

from the Rapport vid and lyrics:

It is very surprising to see that somebody else mentions or uses the water theme regarding Orihime or Hueco Mundo again. Previously I saw something like that in the Bleach 6th opening (for the Arrancar Arc).

II. ArchitectureAmong the Rapport's music/video staff you can find the architecture designer's name: Daichi Yamaguchi. Ulquiorra's name originates from Patricia Urquiola, Spanish architect and designer (the info's from Bleach book MASKED). III? The buildings holes reminds you of Ulquiorra - either his Second Release hole in chest or his eyes. Mostly eyes, I believe.

I really love to say, that the "Las Noches" we see in Rapport, not only represents the LN, but also - Ulquiorra's inner world. Which makes seeing Orihime-like figure there only more fascinating.

(very good shot of Ulquiorra-like? figure standing in front of the buildings formation, it can be seen through him, pretty good way to depict what's inside someone's head/mind/heart).

The incompleteness of the male figure (not fully human) vs the female figure (full human). Also the way black and white opposite, connect, blend, divide, transform into each other? The cinema of yin and yang in the clip, i swear.

Next shot. The dark figure falling into a tree.

In the UNMASKED Ulquiorra says that the only thing that brought up his attention was the crystal tree in Hueco Mundo. There he felt nothingness, he felt something finally, thus he felt happy, he felt happiness just because he was able to feel. Also, as it was mentioned in one meta, Ulquiorra, after a hard fight for survival and being completely alone, was lying in-between the tree's branches, being relaxed and feeling something (the great nothingness and happiness from feeling nothingness). Some fans saw parallels between him being relaxed, even off guard there and being with Orihime later (same chapter), where he even fell asleep in her room, on her couch. I won't bring up all the parallels between Ulquiorra's view on happiness and being with Orihime, it was done in metas and longreads before me, however, i can suggest reading JENNY_JADE's analyses. Those are beautiful.

Next scenes from a falling person's POV: branches. vs the crystal tree from the Unmasked:

I've been trying to connect Orihime+Happiness (tree moment) from the Unmasked FOR YEARS. And here, in Rapport, it was done so beautifully! Look at all those orchids. From that point it kinda reminds me of the crystal tree formation from the Unmasked.

Why Ulquiorra's? Because Papa Aizen said so. Ulquiorra became the Las Noches "prince" for a day, lmao. Well, the one in charge of all Las Noches circus till papaizen gets home. So, yeah, technically a prince.

Another beautiful parallel between Ulquiorra and Orihime - the prince and princess. It looks like to me he imagines her in the very center of his world.

[gayanimebitches]

ok. migi & dali opening. i am going to talk about it now.

throughout the opening we see so many Things. the entire series up until the second to last episode, i hadn't paid that close attention to it because god that song is a banger and honestly i was more focused on the music than the animation, despite being captivated by it every episode. but that episode for some reason. i paid more attention that time and had some Realizations.

one question i've had every single time the opening has played has been "why does one of them take the cherry pie and the other does not?" throughout the opening the two of them are seen doing the same things, effectively mirroring each other, which makes sense considering it was most of the plot for the first few episodes, so i really didn't think about it too much. but with that pattern established, it's extremely strange when, at the end, one of them strays from the shared course of action to take one of the slices of cherry pie that's sitting on the chairs.

another thing i noticed when i actually paid attention was that the one in the shadows in all their activities is always dali.

and if that's not enough, we have this shot of migi and dali as sun and moon respectively, and i think we all have enough media literacy to understand the implications of that.

then we have this shot of them, showing migi floating higher and dali sinking lower.

all of these screenshots to say that the opening animation tells us exactly what the series, or at least the part that the anime currently covers, is about at its core. we see it in the series time and time again as these two try to make their way through the world.

migi is portrayed in the series as somewhat childish, frequently to a fault - generally more hopeful in what he believes, which shows in his actions and the way he interacts with others in a genuine way. dali is severe and bitter, much more driven by the idea of getting revenge for their mother, seemingly just for the sake of it at this point, and being willing to do it at any cost because he doesn't value anything other than his brother.

migi sees the good in things and, while still helping dali with their shared goal, is genuinely enjoying his life with this family and in this town. dali, on the other hand, is dedicating everything he has to their goal, not caring or bothering to invest any part of himself into anything else. (this is portrayed also by migi being in the light, enjoying the activities he's doing, and dali being in the shadows, spending all his time trying to solve their mystery.)

this conflict of priority between them results in the fight they have in episode 9. a showdown between hope and despair, over a bike in a river, all as a result of migi's off-comment about wanting to eat cherry pie again.

and now the bike. they state this explicitly in the dialogue, but it's the first gift migi has ever gotten. so when dali throws it in, he does not hesitate even a little bit to jump in and get it. the bike is meaningless to dali - just another thing to toss and discard for the sake of moving forward. he gives up on everything so easily because he never bothered getting attached in the first place. he's so quickly ready to abandon anything and everything aside from migi. there's no way that he can be happy like that and migi knows that. migi is all he has and they both know that.

the jealousy he expresses is just jealousy that migi is able to find happiness and value in things other than him while he's unable to do the same, as a result of his bitterness and his fixation on finding their mother's killer. he's jealous that migi is growing closer to other people and making connections that are important enough to him that he's not willing to just throw them away with the toss of a bike.

so he takes his brother down. he forces his head underwater, and asks if he's still thinking about that cherry pie (THIS LINE IS SO FUCKING GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!). he tries to drag migi down with him into his own despair, tries to convince migi that his beloved cherry pie isn't really all that important. that it's not worth as much as migi's acting like it is.

he tries to literally beat the hope out of migi. he is so desperate to be hopeless that he beats the shit out of his brother over and over about it.

but, of course, that would never be enough to stop him.

and we're back to the cherry pie. dali finally caves and agrees to go back and try to sort things out, not because it's what he thinks is best for their safety, but because it's what migi wants for his happiness. he realizes that he'll only continue to hurt migi if he pushes his own cynicism on him and forces him to leave everything behind, since he had the guts to get attached. even though dali doesn't really understand the value of the cherry pie, he sees how much it matters to his brother. he sees his resolve to experience those small moments of happiness again.

the cherry pie is taken from migi's side of the shot.

throughout the entire story, migi has been the one to see the value in the simple things, like taking walks with the dog, having friends to hang out with and do wacky bird shit with, riding a bike, and eating cherry pie together. he is not afraid to experience joy and is willing to fight for it, for both him and his brother, even if his brother doesn't see the value in it quite yet.

migi will see the good in things. he will have hope for the future. and he will take the cherry pie.

[slavghoul]

Short interview with Joe & Tobias from Rolling Stone l’Hebdo n°113

They've been listening to each other for years, but Joe Elliott (Def Leppard) and Tobias Forge (Ghost) only recently met to record a new collaborative version of the hit 'Spillways'. The connection was immediate. The two musicians show that despite the generation that separates them, their passion and talent are in tune.

Joe Elliott: The intro to "Spillways" reminded me of "Jane" by Jefferson Starship or "Hold The Line" by Toto. That's what I like! When I joined my band, I had the whole legacy of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, who had the rock in them, but they never forgot the melody. "Spillways" is for me the perfect hybrid of what people expect from Ghost and what they don't.

Tobias Forge: I was partly formed with underground extreme metal, where the music is more atonal, loud, brutal and fast, that's why Ghost has this evil aura about it. But I also grew up with AOR. Ghost combines those two elements. I wanted Ghost to be like a 70's band trying to create music that was futuristic and scary at the same time. I love "Jane" by Jefferson Starship. I play it on the drums as part of my gig prep routine.

Joe Elliott: I remember when I discovered this song. In the UK, as a young adult, we didn't have rock on the radio, apart from a show on Friday nights between 10pm and midnight when no one was listening, and on Sunday afternoons when everyone was away at the football match. "Jane" made the top 40, not many rock songs have had that. As well as being a great single, "Jane" is an exemplary vocal performance!

Tobias Forge: I never saw myself as a singer, I became one by force of circumstance...

Joe Elliott: Me too!

Tobias Forge: Of course, I love punk and other less vocally demanding music, but one of the things that makes AOR stand out from the crowd is the incredible talent of the singers, whether it's bands like Journey, Foreigner, Kansas...

Joe Elliott: It turns out that my favourite singers aren't really singers, but they get their talent from their interpretation of the lyrics. Steve Walsh from Kansas could sing the phone book, but my favorites are the ones that make my hair stand on end, like lan Hunter, Joe Strummer, Michael Monroe... These guys may be screamers, but they know how to interpret the lyrics. When "School's Out" came out, people wondered if Alice Cooper was singing or barking. When asked what I wanted to do, I said I wanted to be somewhere between Phil Mogg, Bon Scott, Phil Lynott and Gary Holton, with influences from Alice Cooper and Johnny Rotten. We can't all be Freddie Mercury. When I listen to myself on the album On Through The Night (1980), I hear a guy drowning. He does his best, but he doesn't have it all together. Mutt Lange later helped me to find my voice, and from then on I was on my way, it just took me longer than most singers. But you Tobias, you can sing! To hell with humility!

Tobias Forge: I think half the work comes from being comfortable with your voice. I've learned to love working with it. My "hit radar" doesn't always work, sometimes there's that magic moment when a song screams that it's going to be a hit. This was the case with "Spillways" or "Square Hammer". But "Cirice" wasn't originally intended to be a hit, I wanted to make it more progressive. When I played it to my daughter, she said it was her favourite. That's how the song was redesigned as a single, which got us a Grammy! Success is very hard to determine when you're writing, it's the audience that decides. On the other hand, I couldn't understand why "Mary On A Cross" didn't do so well. But in the end, it just took it a little longer.

Joe Elliott: We all say to each other in Def Leppard, "In a parallel world, this song would be a hit". It turns out that nowadays, hits don't happen the way they did in our time. It used to be that you'd make a single, it'd get picked up, played on the radio, and then you'd make a video for it and it'd be on MTV. Everything has changed since then. It just so happens that the Bank Of Dave movie has completely resurrected our song "Kick". When we did that song, we knew it was going to be the first single from Diamond Star Halos. We felt the same way about "Fire It Up" (on the same album) and "This Guitar". We've never questioned our songwriting skills, which get better with time. Some of our big hits still leave us confused! (laughs) As Tobias said, we play some of our songs to our kids and if they say "play that one again", we're onto something. They know better because they have the heart, they don't calculate anything.

Tobias Forge: That's what I say to people who tell me they can't write a song. It doesn't matter, it's what you feel that counts. The Ramones wrote some very direct songs, but a lot of them weren't that successful. While ABBA wrote some pretty technical songs, a lot of them are pretty hard to play. They made their songs accessible, especially with the vocal melodies. A lot of people in pop say "don't make it too complicated". Yes, do make it complicated if the song demands it! You have to follow your instincts.

Joe Elliott: We musicians are a special breed. As soon as we started talking it was like we'd known each other for ten years. I also hope that one day we can sit down with our guitars and a bottle of wine and see what comes out.