#port famous moment

[portal-patters]

is anyone else going insane over the newest owen new life ep or is it just me

[dietcokegirly12]

“Under the Desk”

featuring chuuya nakahara ( ｡ •̀ ᴖ •́ ｡)

﹌﹌﹌ ˚♡˚‧˚🖇️✩˚ °✩ ﹌﹌﹌ ˚♡˚‧˚🖇️✩˚ °✩ ﹌﹌﹌

art credit: ichiroachiroi on pinterest

﹌﹌﹌ ˚♡˚‧˚🖇️✩˚ °✩ ﹌﹌﹌ ˚♡˚‧˚🖇️✩˚ °✩ ﹌﹌﹌

tags: voyeurism, oral (m!receiving), port mafia executive!chuuya!, slight boot humping, teasing, risk of getting caught, degrading

KINKTOBER OCT. 10 Ѽ

· · ─ /ᐠ - ˕ -マ Ⳋ · · ─ /ᐠ - ˕ -マ Ⳋ · · ─ /ᐠ - ˕ -マ Ⳋ · · ─

You knew this was wrong, but you couldn’t help it.

The Port Mafia Executive, Chuuya Nakahara and you, a member of the Armed Detective Agency.

If the Mafia were to find out, not only would you be taken to their famous torture chamber and executed, but Chuuya would too for traitorous connection to the enemy. And if Fukuzawa were to find out.. you didn’t even want to imagine what the repercussions would be.

It had all started when the Detective Agency was assigned a mission against the Mafia, in which they were believed to have interfered with important documents. In the heat of battle, a certain red-head had pinned you down, the cool barrel of his gun pressed hard against your temple.

"Cease your fire, or she dies!" he had threatened. Your body pressed flush against his, you could feel everything, and he suddenly shifted, something hard prodding against your stomach. Your eyes widened, but before you could say anything he was wrestled off you by Tanizaki.

The mission had concluded over an hour ago, with both sides ceasing, the Detective Agency finding a new lead on the case, with evidence and reason to believe the Mafia had been framed.

And here you were, sloppily making out with the Port Mafia Executive, Chuuya Nakahara as you lay spread out on his desk, his hands roaming your body desperately, reaching for any of you he could find, his hands coming up to squeeze your breasts.

"Knew I wanted you from the moment I saw you, princess." He moans. "Too bad a pretty thing like you 's in the Detective Agency."

You groan into his mouth, and quickly you shift to pull down your pants, his hands reaching for your shirt.

Suddenly, a sharp knock raps against the door, interrupting, as you frantically scramble off the table in horror.

Chuuya reacts quicker than you, roughly shoving you under his desk. “Stay quiet!” he hisses, and quickly straightens up the papers that had scattered. “Come in.”

Akutagawa walks in, dipping his head respectfully. “I have the report for our mission against the Detective Agency, sir.”

“Good. Did you include…” Chuuya’s voice drones on above you, and the conversation quickly turns boring as you hunch over uncomfortably, cramped in the tight space.

As subtly as you can, you shift, opening Chuuya’s legs to make more room, sliding in between.

He stiffens and quickly flashes you a cautious look, before returning his attention back to the man seated in front of him.

This gives you an idea, and mischievously, you scoot closer, sliding your hands up his thighs. Waiting to see if Chuuya would stop you, you inch your fingers higher and higher, pausing to splay them across his bulge teasingly.

When he doesn’t do anything but inhale sharply, instinctively widening his legs, you take it as an invitation, reaching for his belt.

Slowly, you unbuckle it, careful not to make any noise as you finally push down his pants enough for his thick, leaking cock to spring out. It was fairly long, but what was most impressive was its girth, thick enough that you couldn’t wrap your entire hand around it. The tip was a dark angry red, pearly precum beading out tantalizingly.

Gently, you grasp his weighty length in your hand, the muscles in his thighs jumping, and cock twitching erratically.

“One thing I couldn’t figure out though was when…” Akutagawa is still going on, oblivious to what’s happening under the table, the soft rustle of papers sounding above you as he pushes it over for Chuuya to examine.

You quickly seize this opportunity, taking only his weeping tip into your mouth, saltiness flooding your senses as you suck gently, your tongue flicking out to run over his slit. He instinctively jolts, his boot coming to prod at you in warning.

You smile up at him mischievously as he focuses back on Akutagawa, shifting to sit on top of his boot to relieve some of the aroused throbbing in your pussy.

“Fuck.. you know what, just leave it blank and I can take care of it..” You gently lave your tongue underneath him, swirling lazy patterns as you move ever so slightly, grinding yourself against his heavy shoe.

“Was that all, Akutagawa?” His voice turns slightly forced as he tries to steady his breathing.

“Yes, I just had one more question…”

Chuuya’s hands tighten around the desk, his dick throbbing weakly in your mouth. You can feel your slick pooling messily on his pristine black boots, a soft barely detectable squelching noise coming from your humping.

Without warning, he thrusts his boot up, the tip of it pressing at your entrance, making you inhale sharply, your eyes widening in surprise.

You see his lips curve slightly up in satisfaction as he waits for Akutagawa to finish.

"...and at that point, it got chaotic and I couldn't tell which members were where so what would I put?" he concludes.

In retaliation, you suddenly take his cock all the way into your mouth, the tip hitting the back of your throat, causing you to gurgle slightly.

Chuuya immediately surges forward, his hands coming to grip onto his desk with a slam. "What a stupid.. ah.. fuckin' question. You were the ambassador for the mission, it's your job to pay attention." This last part comes out slightly breathy, as he pants softly, jerking forward.

You start bobbing your head eagerly, building up a steady pace, as you shift into a more comfortable position, hoping Akutagawa doesn't detect the slight movement.

Akutagawa's shoulders slump in defeat. "I know. But you were there, you saw it. Things got out of hand and..."

Chuuya's eyes screw shut tightly, and when he finally speaks, his voice comes out strained. "Akutagawa, I think you should leave now."

The dark-haired boy immediately protests. "Really, I'm sorry for messing up! But I have to take this back to Mori so..."

"Leave!" Chuuya's voice raises a pitch, becoming slightly more frantic as you feel him begin to move his hips faintly, thrusting into your mouth.

Akutagawa dips his head in acknowledgment, as he begins to gather his papers. "Apologies." He mutters gruffly.

You listen to the soft rustling, and laugh to yourself as you notice how long he's taking, determined to make this as hard as you can for Chuuya.

You force him even deeper, tears streaking down your face at the intrusion, as you try your best not to gag, hollowing your cheeks around him, and bringing one hand up to fondle his heavy balls.

At this point, his breath is coming out in soft gasps, using practically all his willpower to stay quiet.

You hear Akutagawa's steps beginning to fade, and finally, the faint click of the door as it closes behind him.

Chuuya looks down at you, and upon seeing your fucked-out expression, drool dribbling from your lips as they stretch obscenely around him, instantly fills your mouth with spurts of creamy white, his hips pushing shallowly into you as he twitches, finishing with a loud groan.

You eagerly swallow every last drop, wiping your mouth in satisfaction as you gaze up at him, a small smirk tugging at your lips.

You don't get to enjoy it for long, though as he forcefully pulls you up from underneath his desk, and shoves you down among his fluttering paperwork.

"Was that fucking funny to you?" He growls, his flushed face hovering above yours, locks of red hair coming down around you. "Do you realize the trouble we could've gotten into if he had realized? I didn't take you for such a naughty little slut, sweetheart."

"Chuuya.." you begin uncertainly, but he cuts you off, rubbing his still hard cock against you with a harsh chuckle.

"Oh, you're gonna pay for that little stunt you just pulled, doll. Now turn around f'me."

tagslist: (ask to be tagged!) @kissesmellow21 @rosebluuod @sakui1

[fanfictionismyaddiction]

Charmed in Monte Carlo

Word count: 1.2k

Pairing: Lando Norris x reader

Summary: During a solo vacation to Monaco, Y/n's evening at the Monte Carlo Casino takes an unexpected turn when a mysterious flirtation leads to a charming and playful encounter

______________________________________________________________

Y/n had been planning this solo trip to Monaco for years. No one had ever been available to join her, but this time, she wasn’t going to let that stop her. She booked the trip, packed her suitcase with the finest summer outfits, and hopped on a plane to the luxurious city she had long dreamed of.

When she arrived, the bright Mediterranean sun greeted her, casting a golden hue over the pristine streets and sparkling water. Y/n immediately felt at peace, like she’d made the right decision to come here on her own. The first few days passed in a blissful blur of exploration. She strolled through Monaco's elegant boulevards, shopped at chic boutiques, dined in gourmet restaurants, and sat at sun-soaked cafés, content to people-watch as life unfolded around her.

Each café stop became its own little adventure. She sipped espresso in Le Café de Paris while tourists flocked to the nearby casino, and at a quieter spot near Port Hercules, she watched as yachts sailed in, glittering against the sapphire waters. She couldn’t help but imagine the lives of the people who owned them—what their stories were, how they spent their days. There was something about Monaco, the intersection of old-world charm and modern luxury, that felt intoxicating.

On her fourth evening in Monaco, she decided to visit the famous Monte Carlo Casino, the ultimate symbol of the city’s elegance and charm. This was the part of the trip she had been most excited about. She wanted to experience the casino’s history, glamour, and its opulence firsthand, even if she wasn’t much of a gambler.

Dressed in a sleek, fitted black dress with a plunging neckline that showed off just enough to be intriguing, she felt a surge of confidence. She paired it with strappy heels and a bold red lip, knowing she looked good but not caring if anyone else noticed. This trip was for her, after all.

The casino’s entrance was grand, with an air of exclusivity, but Y/n walked in as if she belonged there. Inside, the crystal chandeliers sparkled like diamonds, and the floor was abuzz with the sound of laughter, the clatter of chips, and the whirl of roulette wheels. Y/n’s breath caught in her throat for a moment, taking in the sight of it all. The grandeur was even more overwhelming than she had imagined.

Not wanting to jump straight into the gaming tables, she headed to the bar and ordered a cocktail—a French 75 to match the elegance of the night. She found a spot by the side, leaning against a pillar, the perfect vantage point to indulge in her favorite pastime: people-watching. From her spot, she observed glamorous couples dressed to the nines, elegant women draped in couture, and men in sharp tuxedos throwing around bets like they were nothing. It was fascinating.

"Looks like someone’s lost in thought," a smooth, amused voice said from behind her, startling her slightly. She didn’t turn around, deciding to play along.

"Is it that obvious?" she replied, taking another sip of her drink, a slight smile tugging at her lips.

"Only because you’re doing that classic lean against the pillar, drink in hand, gazing out like you’re in a Bond film," the voice continued, warm and teasing. "All you’re missing is a tuxedoed guy with a bad poker hand."

Y/n chuckled, keeping her gaze fixed ahead. "Are you volunteering for the role?"

There was a brief pause, then the man behind her laughed, the sound rich and genuine. "Not unless you’re looking for someone to dramatically lose all his money at blackjack. Though, I’m better company than most Bond villains."

"Confident, aren’t we?" she mused, entertained by his playful banter but still not turning to face him.

"Confidence is key, or so they say," he responded smoothly. "Besides, I couldn’t help but notice you standing here, looking like you belong in a movie yourself."

Y/n raised her glass to her lips, hiding her smile. Whoever this was, he was good—too good. The kind of flirtation that felt practiced but was enjoyable nonetheless. "A movie, huh? Does that mean you’re the mysterious stranger who makes me an offer I can’t refuse?"

"Something like that," the voice agreed, now sounding closer, almost as if he’d shifted behind her. "Though, I’d settle for a laugh and your company over a drink."

"Well, you’ve managed to get me to laugh already," Y/n replied, feeling a warmth in her chest that had nothing to do with her drink. She glanced sideways but still didn’t turn around, enjoying the anonymity of their conversation.

"I’d call that a win," he said, clearly smiling now. "Do I get a bonus if I keep you laughing?"

"Maybe," she teased. "But it depends on how good you are at keeping the mystery alive."

"Oh, I’m very good at keeping secrets," he said, his tone dropping playfully. "But I’ll let you in on one: I’m not usually this charming. I’m just trying to impress the most captivating person in the room."

Y/n snorted softly. "You’re laying it on thick now."

"Hey, if it works, I won’t apologize."

They went back and forth like that, the conversation flowing so naturally it felt like they’d known each other for ages. Y/n was curious but also didn’t want to break the spell by turning around. Whoever he was, he was making her laugh, and she liked the mystery of it all.

Eventually, though, her curiosity got the better of her. After yet another playful jab from the man behind her, she finally turned around, ready to face the charming stranger.

Her breath hitched when she saw who it was.

"Lando Norris?" she blurted, her eyes widening in disbelief.

The British Formula 1 driver stood there, leaning casually against the bar, a cheeky grin spreading across his face. "In the flesh," he said, raising an eyebrow. "You weren’t expecting me, were you?"

Y/n stared for a second, still processing the fact that one of the most famous young drivers in the world had been flirting with her for the past ten minutes. "I… definitely wasn’t," she admitted, her surprise morphing into laughter.

"Well, I’m glad I could provide some shock value," Lando teased, clearly enjoying her reaction. "But if it helps, I was enjoying being the mysterious guy behind you. You know, no fame, no racing cars—just a guy in a casino."

She shook her head, still smiling. "And here I thought I was just talking to some regular guy trying his hand at flirting."

Lando’s grin widened. "Oh, I am definitely trying my hand at flirting. Famous or not, that part’s all me."

Y/n laughed again, this time more relaxed. "Well, you’re doing a pretty good job. I’ll give you that."

"Only pretty good?" Lando raised his eyebrows in mock offense. "I was hoping for at least 'very good.'"

"Let’s just say the jury’s still out," she teased back, feeling a lightness in the air between them.

Lando tilted his head, considering her words. "Alright, fair enough. But how about I buy you another drink, and we’ll see if I can sway the jury in my favor?"

Y/n smirked, raising her glass. "You’ve got yourself a deal, Mr. Norris."

[invisibleicewands]

‘I wanted to be seen as the greatest actor of all time. Then I realised that was nonsense’: Michael Sheen on pride, parenting and paying it forward

He’s the feted star who cracked Hollywood, but it was only when he swapped LA for his home town in Wales that he was able to do his most meaningful work yet

By Simon Hattenstone

Michael Sheen has been fabulous in so many TV dramas and movies, it’s hard to know where to start. But perhaps his most memorable appearance came earlier this year in a TV show that didn’t require him to do any acting at all. The Assembly was a Q&A session in which he took questions from a group of young neurodiverse people. Sheen didn’t have a clue what would be asked, and no subject was off limits. It made for life-affirming telly. The 55-year-old Welsh actor was so natural, warm and encouraging as he answered a series of nosy, surprising and inspired questions. I watched it thinking what a brilliant community worker Sheen would be. And, in a way, that’s what he has become in recent years.

“The Assembly’s had more response than anything else I’ve ever done,” Sheen tells me. “Almost every day someone will come up to me and mention it, particularly people who have children with autism. They say it was just so lovely to see something where the interviewers were empowered. I had a fantastic time.” He replays some of his favourite moments: the young man Leo who took an age to start talking, and then delivered the most beautifully phrased question about the influence of Dylan Thomas on Sheen’s life; the woman who asked what it was like to be married to a woman only five years older than his daughter; and the question that came at the end: “What’s your name, again?” He smiles: “And Harry with the trilby on. Just the nicest man ever.” You came across as an incredibly nice man, too, I say. “Aw well, it’s hard not to be when you’re among all those amazing people, innit.”

Today we meet in London, ostensibly to talk about A Very Royal Scandal, a gripping mini-series about Prince Andrew’s infamous Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis – the disastrous attempt to defend his honour that sealed his fall from grace. But we don’t get to the show till it’s almost going home time. Sheen’s too busy discussing all the other stuff that matters to him, away from business.

Six years ago, he swapped life in Los Angeles for Port Talbot, the steel town where he grew up. These days he calls himself a not-for-profit actor – a term he happily admits he’s invented. “It means that I try to use as much of the money I earn as I can to go towards developing projects and supporting various things. Having had some experiences of not-for-profit organisations and social enterprises, I realised that’s what I want to do with my business. And my business is me.” He grins. There was a suggestion that he might stop acting in order to do good works, but he says that never made sense; only by getting decent gigs can he earn money to put back into the community.

It has to be said he’s got the air of a not-for-profit actor today – scruffy black top, sloppy black pants, black trainers. With a bird’s-nest beard and a thicket of greying curls, he looks nicely crumpled. But give him a shave and a trim, allow him a flash of that electric smile, and he could still pass as a thirtysomething superstar.

Sheen is best known for transforming into household names – Brian Clough in The Damned United; Chris Tarrant in Quiz; David Frost in Frost/Nixon; a trio of films as Tony Blair (The Deal, The Queen, and The Special Relationship); Kenneth Williams in Fantabulosa. His Prince Andrew is compelling; by turns petulant, pathetic, monstrous and poignant. He has a gift for inhabiting famous people – voice, body, soul, the works. He’s equally adept as a regular character actor – the dapper angel Aziraphale in Good Omens, pale and pinched as spurned suitor William Boldwood in the 2015 film of Far From the Madding Crowd, the tortured father of a daughter with muscular dystrophy in last year’s BBC drama Best Interests. He even plays a winning version of himself alongside David Tennant (and their respective partners Anna Lundberg and Georgia Tennant) in the lockdown hit TV series Staged.

But the work that changed his life was his 2011 epic three-day reimagining of The Passion on the streets of Port Talbot, involving more than 1,000 people from the local community. It was years in the making, and during that time he decided he would leave Los Angeles to come home. Initially, home just meant Britain, probably London. But the longer he spent with his people, the more it became apparent to him that home could only mean one thing – returning to Port Talbot, and helping the disadvantaged town in whatever way he could.

He admits that for many years he didn’t have a clue about the reality of life in Port Talbot. He had always lived in one bubble or another. His parents were hardly flush, but they had decent jobs – his mother was a secretary, his father a personnel manager at British Steel, and both were active in amateur dramatics. Sheen was academically gifted (he considered studying English at Oxford University before winning a place at Rada), a talented footballer (he had trials with Cardiff and Swansea) and an exceptional young actor. Then came the bubble of Rada and London, followed by the bubble of LA.

It was only when he started to work on The Passion that he began to understand his home town. One day he was rehearsing with a group in a community hall when he was approached by a woman. “She told me she was the mother of this boy who’d been in my class at school called Nigel. When I was 11, he fell off a cliff in an accident and died. It was the first time I’d known someone to die. She said, ‘I’ve started up a grief counselling group here. I have a little bit of money from the council because there is no grief counselling in this area.’” She’d had no counselling when Nigel died, nor in the 31 years since. “And all these years later, she’d set up a little grief counselling thing with a bit of money, so that was extraordinary to hear.” Next time he returned he discovered that the group no longer existed because of council cuts.

Every time he went back he discovered something new. He met a group that supported young carers. Sheen doesn’t try to disguise how ignorant he was. “I said, ‘All right, what are young carers?’ And they said, ‘They’re children who are supporting a family member.’ And I’m like, ‘OK, this is a profession, they get paid, right?’ And I was told, ‘No, they don’t get paid and our little organisation gives them a bit of respite – once a week we take them bowling or to the cinema.’ I went bowling with them one night and there were eight-year-old kids looking after their mother and bringing up the younger kids. This one organisation was trying to take these kids bowling one night a week, and then that went. No funding for that, either. That kind of stuff was shocking.”

As a child, SHEEN says he was oblivious to struggle because he was so driven by his own dreams. First, it was football. By his mid-teens it was acting. West Glamorgan Youth Theatre, which he calls “one of the best youth theatres in the world”, was on his doorstep. “The miners’ strike was on when I was 15 in Port Talbot and I wasn’t really aware of it at the time. That’s how blinkered I was, because I was so obsessed by acting at that point.” Acting wasn’t regarded as a lofty fantasy in Port Talbot as it may have been in many working-class communities. After all, the town had produced Richard Burton and Anthony Hopkins.

In his late teens, heading off for Rada, Sheen feared he would be surrounded by giant talents who would dwarf his. When he discovered that wasn’t the case, he suffered delusions of grandeur. “I wanted to be recognised as the greatest actor in the world,” he says bluntly. In the second year, the students did their first public production: Oedipus Rex. “I thought, well obviously I’ll be cast as Oedipus, then we’ll perform Oedipus to the public and when the world sees me for the first time I’ll be carried shoulder-high through the streets of London and hailed as the greatest actor of all time.” I look for an ironic wink or nod, but none is forthcoming.

Sure enough, he was cast in the lead role. “We did our first public production and I thought I was brilliant.” But nothing changed. It didn’t bring him instant acclaim. By the third night, he could barely get through the performance.

Were you a bit of a cock back then, I ask. He shakes his head. “No, I was having a breakdown. I was crying most of the time. I just fell apart. I spoke to the principal of Rada and I said, ‘I can’t continue at drama school, I have to leave.’ And he said just take some time off, which I did, and two or three weeks later I slowly came back and then completely changed the way I acted.”

Until then he believed acting was just about what he did. “I thought you just worked out how to say the lines as cleverly as you could; it had nothing to do with responding to other people or being in the moment. It was showing off, essentially. And there’s a ceiling to where you can get with that. That breakdown I had was because I’d reached the ceiling and didn’t know how to go any further. That’s why I fell apart.”

He gradually put himself and his technique back together. Was he left with the same ambition? “No. The idea of being considered the best actor of all time becomes nonsense.” In 1991, Sheen left Rada early, because he’d been offered a job he couldn’t turn down. He made his professional debut opposite Vanessa Redgrave in a West End production of Martin Sherman’s When She Danced. Theatre was Sheen’s first love, and his rise was meteoric. From the off, he was cast as the lead in the classics (Romeo and Juliet, Peer Gynt, Henry V, The Seagull) and the 20th-century masterpieces (Norman in The Dresser, Salieri and Mozart in Amadeus, Jimmy Porter in Look Back In Anger).

Sheen was doing exceptionally well when he and his then partner Kate Beckinsale moved to LA for her work in the early 2000s. She was four years younger than him, and already a movie star. Their daughter Lily, now an actor, was a toddler. He assumed that his transition to stardom in LA would be as seamless as it had been in Britain. But it wasn’t. His theatrical acclaim counted for nothing. In 2003, he and Beckinsale split up, but he stayed in LA to be close to Lily.

The first few years, he says, were so lonely and dispiriting. “I found myself living in Los Angeles, there to be with my daughter but just seeing her once a week. I had no career there – it was essentially like starting again. I had no friends and spent a lot of time on my own. It was tough. Slowly I realised how it was affecting me.” In what way? “I remember coming out of an audition for Alien vs Predator, to play a tech geek computer guy with five lines and really caring about it, and then thinking: ‘I can be playing fucking Hamlet at home, what am I doing, what’s this all about?’” He says he’d been so lucky – always working, never having to audition, getting the prize jobs. And suddenly in LA he was an outsider; a nobody.

He and Beckinsale are often cited as role models for joint parenting by ex-couples. In 2016, Beckinsale, Lily and Sheen staged a hilarious photo for James Corden’s The Late, Late Show, recreating the moment of giving birth 17 years earlier. Beckinsale reclines on a kitchen table with Lily sitting between her legs, as an alarmed-looking Sheen stands to the side. Have they always got on well since splitting up? “We’ve had our ups and downs, but we’re very important in each other’s lives. It would be really sad if we weren’t – like cutting off a whole part of your life. I’m not saying it doesn’t have its challenges, and I’m sure it’s been harder for her than for me.” Why? “Because … ” He pauses and smiles. “Because I’m more of a twat!” In what way? Another smile. “I’m not going to tell you that, am I?”

Sheen’s break in America came when he was spotted by a casting director who told him he would be perfect for a new project. Ironically, it was to play former British prime minister Tony Blair in a British TV drama called The Deal, directed by British film-maker Stephen Frears and shot in Britain. The Deal led to Frears’s The Queen, about Elizabeth II’s frigid response to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales leading to a crisis for the monarchy. Again he played Blair, this time riding to the rescue of the royals. The movie was nominated for six Oscars (Helen Mirren won best actress) and he never struggled in America again.

The longer he lived in LA, however, the more rooted he felt to Port Talbot. And the further he travelled, around the world or just in Britain, the better he understood how disadvantaged it was. “If you’re in Port Talbot one day and then the next you’re in a little town in Oxfordshire where David Cameron is the MP, it’s fairly obvious there are very different setups there. And that was connected to a political awakening.” He started to read up on Welsh history. In 2017, he returned his OBE because he thought it would be hypocritical to hold on to an honour celebrating empire when he was giving a Raymond Williams lecture on the “tortured history” of the relationship between Wales and the British state.

He began to reassess his past. “I became more aware of the opportunity I’d had in an area where there wasn’t much opportunity. At a certain point you go, Oh, people are having to volunteer to make that youth theatre happen that I’m a product of.” You’d taken it for granted? “Completely. I was happy to think everything I was doing was because of my own talent and I was making my own opportunities, and as I got older I thought maybe that’s not the whole story.”

In 2016, the long-running American TV series Masters of Sex, in which Sheen starred as the pioneering sex researcher William Masters, came to an end. Lily was now 17 and preparing for college. “I suddenly thought, Oh, I can go home now.” And six years ago he finally did – to Baglan, a village adjoining Port Talbot. Since then he has been involved in loads of community projects.

He mentions a few in passing, but he doesn’t tell me he sold his two homes (one in America, the other in Wales) to ensure the 2019 Homeless World Cup went ahead as planned in Cardiff. Nor does he mention that a couple of years ago he started Mab Gwalia (translating to “Son of Wales”), which proudly labels itself a “resistance movement”. On its website, it states: “Mab Gwalia believes that opportunity should not only be available to those who can afford it. The ambition is to build a movement that makes change.” Its projects have supported homeless people, veterans, preschool children on the autism spectrum, kids in care, victims of high-cost credit, and local journalism, which is a particular passion. “In the early 1970s in Port Talbot, there was something like 12 different newspapers. There are none now. None. Communities don’t feel represented, don’t feel their voice is heard and don’t know if the information they’re getting about what’s going on in the community is correct or not. Those are terrifying things, and without local journalism that’s what happens.”

Perhaps surprisingly, he’s even found time for the day job. Earlier this year, he played Nye Bevan in Tim Pryce’s new play about the founding father of the NHS. He also made his directing debut with The Way, a dystopian, and prophetic, three-part TV drama about the closure of the Port Talbot steelworks that results in local riots spreading across the country. How does he feel about the rioting that has scarred the country in recent weeks? “I feel the same way I think most people do. It was awful and terrifying. I worry about how much a hard-right agenda that has been growing for a long time has moved further and further into the mainstream and has clearly got more connected. It’s frightening.” Does he think the new Labour government can deliver the positive change it promises? “Pppfft.”He exhales heavily. “More optimistic than the Conservatives being in power.” Who did he vote for? “That’s my God-given right to remain a secret, isn’t it? It wasn’t the Tories!”

I ask if he’s in favour of Welsh independence. “I don’t know how I feel about it one way or the other, but I would like there to be an open discussion about everything that entails. The problem is when it gets shut down and you don’t get to talk about it.”

Would he ever go into politics? He looks appalled at the idea. “Oh God, no. No! I’d beawful.”Why?“Because I don’t want to say what other people are telling me to say if I don’t agree with it. Look at all those people who voted against the two-child benefit cap and had the whip taken away from them. That’s bollocks. People say I should go into politics because I’m passionate about things and I speak my mind. But then you get into politics and you’re not allowed to do that any more. I’ve got far more of a platform as myself. I can say what I want to say.”

Fair enough. I’ve got another idea. A couple of years ago he gave an inspired motivational speech for the Wales football team before the 2022 men’s World Cup, on the TV show A League of Their Own. Would he take the job as Wales manager if offered it? He looks just as horrified as the idea of a life in politics. “No!” Why not? “Because it’s a completely different profession. You need to know about football. I played football when I was younger, but I wouldn’t have a clue. Wouldn’t. Have. A. Clue. Just because you can make a speech doesn’t mean you’d be any good at that sort of stuff.” He says he was embarrassed about the speech initially, but now feels proud of it. “Schools get in touch and say, ‘We’ve been studying it with the class.’ I put hidden things in. There are rabbit holes you can go down.” He quotes the line, “You sons of Speed” and tells me that’s a reference to the idolised former manager and player Gary Speed who took his life in 2011. You can hear the emotion in his voice.

I’ve been waiting for Sheen to mention the new TV drama about Prince Andrew. Most actors direct you to the project they’re promoting as soon as you sit down with them. Let’s talk about the new show, I  eventually say.

This is already the second drama about the Andrew interview. Did he know that Scoop, which came out earlier this year, was already in the works? “Yes, I knew before I agreed to do this.” Was it a race to see which would get out first? “There was no race, no. We always knew ours would come out after.” What would he say to people who think it’s pointless watching another film on the same subject? “Ours is a three-part story, so it’s able to breathe a lot more. There’s a lot more to it. In our story, Andrew and Emily are the main characters whereas they were very much the supporting ones in the other one.”

Did it change his opinion of Andrew? “No. It showed the dangers of being in a bubble, having talked about being in a bubble myself! The dangers of privilege.” He talks with sensitivity about Andrew’s downfall. “The thing that really struck me was when Andrew came back from the Falklands there was no one more revered, in a way. I didn’t realise his job was to fly helicopters to draw enemy fire away from the ships. I couldn’t believe they would put a royal in that position, so he was genuinely courageous. He was good-looking, a prince, and had everything going for him. Since then everything has just gone down and down and down.” He’s had so little control over his life, Sheen says. Take his relationships. “He was told he couldn’t be with [American actor] Koo Stark any more because of the controversy. He was essentially told he had to divorce Sarah Ferguson because the royal family, particularly Philip allegedly, was concerned that she would bring the family into disrepute.”

Did he end up feeling more empathetic towards him? “No!” he says sharply. Then he softens slightly. “Well, empathy? I felt I understood a bit more – because that’s my job – about what was going on. But he’s incredibly privileged and has exploited that. It seems like he has a lot taken away from him but probably rightfully so.”

A Very Royal Scandal is like The Crown in that it’s great drama but you’re never sure what’s real. Are Andrew’s lines simply made up? “It’s a combination of research and stories out there, and little snippets and invention.” While Emily Maitlis is an executive producer, Andrew most certainly is not. “Well, that’s the real difficulty for our story,” Sheen says. “On the one hand, you’ve got Emily as an exec, so you know everything to do with her is coming from the horse’s mouth. But everything to do with Andrew, not only is it really difficult to get the actual stuff, also we don’t know what he did.” He pauses. “Or didn’t do.” He’s talking about Virginia Giuffre’s allegation that Andrew raped her, which he denied. In the end, Giuffre’s civil case was dropped after an out-of-court settlement was reached on no admission of liability by Prince Andrew, with Giuffre reportedly paid around £12m.

I had assumed Sheen would be a staunch republican, but he doesn’t feel strongly either way. “There are lots of positives about royals, and lots of negatives.” His bugbear is that the heir to the throne gets to be Prince of Wales. “Personally, I would want the title of Prince of Wales to be given back to Wales to decide what to do with it, and I definitely think there’s a lot of wealth that could be used better.”

The biggest change for Sheen since returning to Wales is his family life. In 2019, he revealed that he had a new partner, the Swedish actor Anna Lundberg, that she was 25 years younger than him, and that she was pregnant. They now have two daughters – Lyra who is coming up to five, and two-year-old Mabli. As well as Staged, the couple have also appeared together on Gogglebox. They look so happy, nestling into each other, laughing at the same funnies, tearing up over the same heartbreakers. She also seems naturally funny. Given that two of his former partners (Sarah Silverman and Aisling Bea) are comedians, have all his exes had a good sense of humour? He thinks about it. “Yes. Yeah, you’ve got to have a laugh, haven’t you?” And he’s always got on well with them after splitting up? “Yeah, pretty much.”

When asked about the age difference between Lundberg and him on The Assembly, he acknowledged that they were surprised when they got together. “We were both aware it would be difficult and challenging. Ultimately, we felt it was worth it because of how we felt about each other, and now we have two beautiful children together.” He also said that being an older father worried him at times. “It makes me sad, thinking about the time I won’t have with them.”

Does being a dad of such tiny kids make him feel young or old? “Both,” he says. “My body feels very old. But everything else feels much younger. I’m 55 and it’s knackering running around after little kids. Just physically, it’s very demanding. And I’m at a point in my life where I’m aware of my physical limitations now. But in other ways it’s completely liberating, and I’m able to appreciate it more now.”

Has he learned about fatherhood from the first time round? “Yeah, I think so. I’m around more now. That’s a big part of it. When Lily was young, I was in my early 30s and doing films for the first time, so Kate would stay in Los Angeles with Lily and I would go off and do whatever.” Did Beckinsale resent that? “I don’t know that she resented it. Kate was doing better than me in terms of profile at the time, so it was different. Given that we then split up and I saw Lily even less, I very much regretted being away as much. So this time I wanted to make sure that wasn’t the case. That’s partly why I’ve set up a Welsh production company. I don’t want to work away from them as much.”

Talking of which, he says, what’s the time? “I’ve got to get back to my kids.”

On his way out, I ask what advice he would give his younger self. He says he was asked that recently and gave a glib answer. “I said buy stock in Apple.” What should he have said? He thinks about it, and finally says he’d have no advice for his younger self. He’d rather reverse the question, and think what his younger self would say to him if he tried to advise him.

“I saw an amazing clip of Stephen Colbert saying your life is an accumulation of every bad choice you’ve made and every good choice you’ve made, and the great challenge of life is to say yes to it. To say, ‘I love living, I embrace living.’ And in order to do that you have to embrace all the pain, all the grief, all the sadness, all the fucking mistakes because without that you don’t have all the other stuff.” He’s on a roll now, louder and more passionate by the word. “And I’d hate it if someone came and went, ‘Don’t do this, no do that.’ Then you just sail through your life. It would be death, wouldn’t it? So I’d tell my older self to go fuck himself.”

[thatonebirdwrites]

Dress

Kara received the invitation in a rather perplexing way. Spray-painted onto the windows of her apartment, it read: 'To: Kara Zorel, From: you-know-who, Location: Smithsonian Museum, When: Tonight. Dress-up buttercup.'

Of course her adversary would find the most ludicrous way of inviting her to what was definitely a planned heist. Lena Kieran Walsh had gotten quite cocky in the past year, and it annoyed (but also aroused) Kara to the fullest. It's like Lena wanted to be caught by Kara, and yet every time Kara showed up, she was always too late. She refused to admit most times Lena simply outwitted her as if this traversing the world, stealing priceless artifacts was just a game to her.

Her boss, Alex Danvers, wanted progress, something beyond a report of the latest theft and diatribes exchanged. In fact, the entire team would be patroling tonight, considering the high stakes - Lex Luthor's gala to present the newest artifact to a priceless collection. One hailing from the tomb of Medb in Western Ireland.

So Kara sifted through her closet and decided on a dress that would be easy for running. Because running was definitely on the menu. Lena couldn't seem to resist setting up a outrageous chase through the city after a heist.

What she did with the stolen goods, Kara hadn't quite figured out either. But tonight she planned to do just that. A confrontation that would hopefully blow Lena's irritating smugness out of the water.

>>>...<<<

The Smithsonian that night was packed with rich heirs and heiresses, the elite of America, and many a diplomat or politician. Appetizers did little to stave off Kara's growing hunger, most of them ridiculously tiny portions and oddly French-sounding in name. The wine flowed freely, a port from Italy, which reeked of money.

Lex Luthor, a famous technologist and bombastic billionaire, had gone all out to pattern the gardens of the Smithsonian with extremely expensive decorations. All because he'd acquired an ancient artifact from Ireland of all places, and he had donated it, in a sweeping mound of generosity, to the Smithsonian. All to help fund his newest venture, an archeological dig somewhere in Africa.

Kara didn't really pay attention to where Lex focused his digs, but this one held a hint of racism. His charisma caught the eye and ears of everyone there, well, almost everyone. Halfway into his long speech, which extolled his own virtues and gave lip service to the team actually leading his digs, Kara had grown increasingly bored.

Her eyes roved over the crowds until she sighted another bored individual. This one dressed in a scarlet dress with a tantalizing low-cut, incredibly high heels -- how did anyone walk in them? -- and gorgeous black hair that framed her face.

A very familiar face in fact.

One that sent a spark of desire through Kara, which was swiftly accompanied by a rush of shame.

She really should not be this turned on at the mere sight of Lena Kieran Walsh. In fact, she should arrest her immediately.

Instead, she sidled over to Lena's spot at the far-left side of the crowd. "Fancy seeing you here," she murmured when she stopped at Lena's side. She kept her gaze on Lex, who stood on the makeshift stage, his arms lifted as if conducting an orchestra, while behind him a ridiculous 3D representation of the artifact floated above the projector.

"Indeed." Lena smirked, her gaze also on the overblown man. "It would seem fate has brought us to this singular moment of triumph."

Kara raised her eyebrows. "Oh? A word of praise for your adversary?"

Lena snorted and sipped what looked like wine, but Kara doubted it was. The woman had never drank anything that she did not bring and open herself. A fact Kara discovered three heists ago when she'd attempted to put a sleeping agent in the drinks, only for it to knock out half her own team and Lena completely unaffected. Alex definitely had been sour after that blunder, so no, Kara suspected it to be colored water at best.

"Hardly. No, tonight sparks the start of his downfall." She winked at Kara. "I merely refer to what is soon to transpire, an event for which you will play a crucial role."

"Crucial? I've gone up in the world." She kept her tone dry and unaffected, but inwardly she preened at the praise. Last heist, when Kara had nearly caught Lena, she'd been a few seconds shy of grabbing Lena's arm before Lena leaped off the building and into the open doors of a hovering helicopter. Kara had almost jumped after her, only to stop at the edge, dizzy by the twenty-four story drop.

Alex had been furious at the near-miss. "Where does she even get these escape vehicles? Next time, I don't care what you do, just capture her for good. We can't afford another disaster like the last one."

Here she stood next to Lena, and instead of immediately taking her into custody, she was what? Flirting at best? Being a gay fool? Maybe Alex's threat to take her off the case was correct. She'd become too used to Lena's cloying words and shenanigans.

Lena swirled her drink and tilted her head, one eyebrow rising. "I see you listened to my invitation. Dressed to the nine." She clicked her tongue in approval, while her eyes raked over Kara's light-blue dress that hugged her torso but flowed loose over her legs.

Kara tried not to blush, but it was hard with how hungry Lena's expression was. "Seemed appropriate for the circumstances."

Why was Lena's smiles so mind-numbingly adorable? It made it difficult for Kara to think of anything but kissing those lips. She bit her lip and tossed the thought into the stratosphere. Her focus splintered by Lena's closeness, and a need to gently and stealthily move them slowly toward the nearest exit. Where Kara hoped to finally arrest her.

Lena sipped her drink and nodded toward the still-ongoing monologue of Lex. "To think he believes himself to be the star of the show. Wouldn't you agree he's a side character at best? Red-shirt at worst?"

Ah, Lena had let slip a Star Trek reference. Kara logged that detail along with the past slips in prior heists, where Lena had quoted Star Wars, mocked Indiana Jones, and compared Kara to the bumbling but pretty fool from some Superhero film.

"Red shirt for sure." Kara nodded and considered whether she had time to nab a drink and better food before Lena started her show. "I take it he is not crucial to your plan."

"Plan?" Lena laughed softly. "What makes you think I plan anything, Ms. Kara Zorel?"

"A brilliant villianess as yourself hardly leaves her hidey hole without one. I expect to be bedazzled." She really couldn't resist this banter, could she? She planted her hands on her hips, one finger flipping the cover on her stun gun.

Lena's gaze shifted to Kara's belt briefly, before she sipped her drink and returned to watching the endless monologue of the most irritating technologist in history. "I hear your job is on the line, and yet here we stand. Deriding the one who speaks."

How Lena knew that was beyond Kara, and it wasn't necessarily her job on the line but more her team's job since the Interpol higher-ups had been very unimpressed with their record thus far.

"What makes you think I don't have my own plan?" Her fingers inched closer to the stun gun. It'd take only a second to whip it out, stun Lena, and slap on the handcuffs. It's the spectacle Kara wanted to avoid. Last thing she needed was newspapers to focus on her. This detective gig was Kara's chance at redeeming her family's rather dark history, one riddled with eugenic viruses and bioweapons. No, she had to find a way to lure Lena further from the crowds and blinding lights Lex likely installed to focus on his grandeur.

Lena gave that an undignified snort. "A plan requires significant preparation, my dear agent. That's hardly your purview, isn't it?"

Kara sidled carefully toward the nearest door, and Lena seemed content to move with her. She wasn't even resisting, which had Kara very confused. This seemed far too easy. "How rude," she scoffed. They were a few feet from the door now, "I'm a great planner. Why I'm assigned to your case."

"Oh, come now, we both know that's not true." The taunt in Lena's voice, the way she swept her gaze over Kara's body, and the slow move toward the exit -- all culminated in Kara ambushed by a growing lust. She was tempted to just kiss Lena senseless in the stairwell beyond that exit door, while hand-cuffing her.

Lena would probably make a kinky joke and find a way to escape before the other agents secured her fully.

That tended to be Kara's luck in past attempts, like in Belize, or Paris, or Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Each one she'd nearly captured Lena, only for her to somehow escape restraints or leap off a building and survive. It was aggravating but also hella hot.

Two feet from the door now and still Lex droned on and on. The crowd grew restless, a few people had wandered away from the stage to examine some of the pieces the Smithsonian had put on display for this event. Each one encased in incredibly hard to break glass and a field that would shock anyone who dared to put their hand inside.

"It seems the crowd grows restless." Lena grinned and dropped her glass -- liquid and all -- in the trash bin by the door. "I believe it's time to give them the show they've, unknowingly, been waiting for, don't you agree?"

"Of course." Kara took the chance. She gripped Lena's arm, maneuvered her into the hallway, but before she could slap on hand-cuffs or even whip out the stun gun, Lena pressed her against the wall, her hand over Kara's clavicle, and kissed her soundly on the lips.

Sparks danced through Kara's body, and she couldn't stop the slight moan nor how she kissed back with a desperation that left her wet and ashamed.

Lena pulled back, her heterochromatic eyes almost black from her blown pupils, her breaths as heavy as Kara's own. "You truly are wasted on Interpol," she said. "Now I must be off. My people's heritage needs a'saving."

A strangle tingling swept over Kara's lips, and she felt woozy, the colors of the hallway far too bright. "Did you poison me?" She swayed on her feet. Lena split into three people, and Kara couldn't decide which one was the prettiest.

"Hardly. It'll last only an hour. A highly amusing hour." Lena smirked again, her triplicate forms mirroring the movement with one hand on her hip. "I'm told it'll give you quite the trip, and that is what you want, right? An out of this world adventure."

"Oh definitely." Kara stumbled forward to try to embrace one of the three Lena's. She needed another kiss. Maybe more than a kiss. In fact, dancing sounded like the perfect adventure. "Hey, don't go, lemme give you a dance."

Lena's finger tapped Kara's nose. "Maybe next time."

Kara grinned and managed to nab one of the three Lena's. She twirled her into a waltz to only music Kara could hear.

As the real Lena Kieran Walsh escaped to steal Lex Luthor's newest stolen artifact, Kara Zorel danced with no one in the concrete stairwell.

[zairene]

AS A BOYFRIEND osamu dazai

* ˚ ✦ synopsis: how osamu dazai would be as a significant other.

* ˚ ✦ genre: headcanons !

* ˚ ✦ warnings: not spoiler free + mentions character death in anime + mentions of suicide.

* ˚ ✦ author’s note: my first BSD post !! enjoy the new content! <333 ( also, i did try to take a more canon approach to this just so i could practice characterization ! feel free to critique anything or give some feedback in general ! )

the famous osamu dazai. a young man who’s enemies shouldn’t be exactly proud that they are his enemies. a man who has too many tricks up his sleeves, and always seems to manage to get himself out of the stickiest of situations. a man with convoluted emotions that no one could ever quite understand, except for his closest late friend sakunosuke oda.

but even in the darkest of moments, dazai still has a lighthearted side to him despite the enigmatic façade he keeps all the time. due to his past, i could find it very difficult for him to fully commit to anyone exclusively.

not saying he would sleep around a lot or have a significant amount of women on his roster, but due to his job and the way he views humanity and what it means to be alive. dazai finds little to no joy in living—so why would he even try a romantic relationship?

so, in these terms, you were not an exception.

at first, he viewed you as this beautiful girl he could finally do a double suicide with. after being the third woman to join the armed detective agency, he never really attempted to hide himself from you. so you saw all of his unwillingness to live very quickly and admittedly it made you a lot less attracted to him.

yes, he may have had the looks but his personality was an entire red flag for you. he never liked talking about himself or his past. he doesn’t open up. he’s serious, but not in the way you would want him to be with you. he’s serious about his job, he’s serious about the armed detective agency, and he’s serious about the relationships he has with the people around him.

but he was never serious about himself.

he knew this and never noticed how many people cared about him. but that’s not his fault, especially since being in the port mafia has extremely distorted his morality.

and over time, you learned to accept this side of him. you learned that you could never truly understand the mind of osamu dazai unless he decides to have that conversation with you.

after a plethora of missions alongside dazai, you did notice your growing feelings for him. the charming and overly dramatic side of him paralleled with an excessive amount of wisdom that grew on you. dazai knew his way with his words, and did he maybe try to woo you here and there? of course.

dazai was no fool, he knew about your feelings for him. he found himself also feeling the same but wasn’t sure how to express them. this feeling was somewhat unfamiliar. he knew how it felt to have feelings for someone but to also want to have a romantic relationship with them? he was stuck.

he was scared. he didn’t want to get you, someone he cared about, to get wrapped up in his business. for his enemies to become yours, and for you to fall victim to their wrath. causing dazai to lose someone else that gave him a reason to keep living.

so a lot of your interactions, before getting together, consisted of you blatantly flirting with each other during work or just in general.

but when you both finally decided to give things a shot, boy did that change things for both of you and the agency in general.

you both were a secret at first. it was obvious you both had something going on but no one had gotten a confirmation so no one assumed. this was all stopped when atsushi, of all people, walked into the office hallway at the wrong time.

there were you and dazai, having the most heated makeout session ever. atsushi was for one, a little traumatized, he’s never seen dazai in this way nor did he ever predict he would. he stood in silence while the both of you were frantically trying to fix yourself as if he didn’t stumble upon the whole scene. atsushi was at a loss for words. “i’m-i’m… just gon—gonna…” he bolted out of the office after he just came to the conclusion he was not gonna be able to talk to you after seeing that.

safe to say that he looked neither of you in the eye for about a week. but best believe he did blurt it out randomly on a quiet day in the office, and that’s how news spread. y/n and dazai are officially dating!

now, onto the actual relationship and not the buildup.

fresh into it, things didn’t change. besides the fact you both had exchanged numbers by then and you could see him outside of work and at your home as well. you both still had the same dumb arguments as you had before but with a heavy amount of tension this time.

once you both get comfortable, PDA is your fucking thing. sitting on his lap while he worked or him always having his arm wrapped around your shoulder or waist. you could say he was doing all of this just to spite kunikida! he was.

dazai is romantic when he puts the effort in. some of your dates are followed with a nice candlelit dinner in an extremely fancy restaurant, or just you or him going to one another’s place just to feel each other’s presence.

there was versatility, and you liked that.

you began to see more of a vulnerable side of dazai as time went on. he started to share more of his life piece by piece to you. you were patient with him, and he appreciated that. he never goes into explicit detail about every little thing about himself, but you can tell he’s trying to change for you as his love for you blossoms into something he never thought could be possible for him.

you both still have your disagreements here and there, and arguments with him are extremely painful. they aren’t rare but they aren’t common either. most of the time it is just petty arguments, just a few minutes of bickering, and dazai is already attached to your hip smothering you with kisses just to show how sorry he is.

painful arguments consist of the both of you not talking for days on end. having to see each other at work made it even more difficult, and when you both weren’t talking, yosano is always coming up to you because it is obvious something is wrong between you too. you reassure her things will be fine and you still love him all the same.

making up with dazai is surprisingly easy. the no communication stage isn’t, but once you both have had time to calm down and think about the situation, he is more than capable of having a mature conversation with you and mending things.

osamu dazai is not the perfect boyfriend, but he isn’t a bad one either. he is someone who would come with a lot of baggage and patience—learning that he’s not someone who easily communicates his feelings and would rather keep up the mysterious act to the grave. nonetheless, dazai is trying. he’s attempting to change and seems a lot healthier these days ever since he’s been with you. things are positive overall, but this also includes your cooperation and being able to handle him as a person and not just as a boyfriend.

(📦) — BUNGOU STRAY DOGS TAGLIST // n/a . . .

(📝) — TAGLIST FORM :: sign to be apart of the taglist!

[velvetsainz]

okay now that i’ve finished my general surgery rotation, lemme #decode some of these carlos post-op pics i’ve been seeing for the girlies 🤭

- someone had to shave his pubes for that lower trochar port…

- and multiple someones def saw his junk………….no comment

- he also would’ve looked so dumb intubated 🫶🏻 (just think of him with the snorkel like that one pic)

- i wonder if they used his bellybutton as a port or if they did an incision just above that…#justlaparoscopicthings (that shit would huuuuuuurt)

- this is def right after surgery, right after he woke up from the anesthesia, hence why he looks straight ZOOTED

- also note the shitty bed vs the next pic = just out of surgery

- he barely knew what was going on & probs fell asleep like 10 minutes later

- “i lived bitch” vibes and i love that for him

- he just got the news: he’s pregnant (look away, give him some privacy omfg) ((he thought he couldn’t have children))

- they really didn’t scrub the betadine off him huh 💀

- i love that they chose this moment to take the pic

- he looks so befuddled & absolutely lights-on-but-no-one’s-home

- as i told @multiseb21 “he just Looks Like That”

- this is probs the next day in rounds before he left the hospital lmao

- “smooth operator” bracelet you’ll always be famous 🫶🏻

- hairy chest carlos i looooove youuuuuuuuu augheee

- carlos #confirmed ipad baby (he would’ve loved those dancing fruits 😔)

- he’s in a hyperbaric chamber (it, like, forces oxygen into your tissues under pressure to theoretically help you heal faster) ((the use of it in a totally healthy person immediately post-op is pretty negligible—it’s better for people who have chronic wounds/ulcers))

- also he’a apparently watching band of brothers so we do know he has good taste

- rip to everyone on the outside tho that shit had to be BLARING 💀

BIG TAKEAWAYS: he is baby and i would like to take care of him thank you 😌🫶🏻

[theoutcastrogue]

A handful of people in Pompeii that were killed by the devastating eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 are not who experts thought they were, according to a team of researchers that recently collected DNA from the individuals’ remains. The team’s findings—published today in Current Biology—spotlight previous incorrect conclusions about relationships between the residents of Pompeii and reveals new insights about the demographics of the Ancient Roman port city. “We show that the large genetic diversity with significant influences from the Eastern Mediterranean was not only a phenomenon in the metropolis of Rome during Imperial times but extends to the much smaller city of Pompeii, which underscores the cosmopolitan and multi-ethnic nature of Roman society,” said Alissa Mittnik, an archaeogeneticist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and Harvard University, and co-author of the study [...] Demographically, the team found that five individuals in Pompeii weren’t so genetically associated with modern-day Italians and Imperial-period Etruscans as they were to groups from the eastern Mediterranean, the Levant, and North Africa—specifically North African Jewish populations. Pompeii was an important port in first-century Rome, so it’s not a huge surprise that it had representation from across the Mediterranean—but the genetic stories of the studied individuals verifies it. [...] “This study illustrates how unreliable narratives based on limited evidence can be, often reflecting the worldview of the researchers at the time.” One particularly famous set of remains revisited by the team is that of an adult with a golden bracelet and a child—the child being on the adult’s lap. Long interpreted as a mother and child, the remains actually belong to an unrelated male and a child.

"Unrelated." This gutted me, for some reason. Reminded me of Watchmen and what I think are some of the most memorable panels in the history of comics.

There's a catastrophe, a colossal explosion, a disaster that we know claims the lives of millions. We know it's happening, we know there's a "psychic shockwave" involved. And there's two people we've been casually following from the start of the story, ordinary people in the street, unlike all those costumed heroes running around. They're not very good and they're not very bad. They're just people. One is an old man running a news-stand, the other is a young kid who reads pirate comics. They don't like each other. They're rude to each other, generation gap and all. Two minutes ago they learned they share a name, and managed to share an almost kind word, and they're about to start fighting again. They're just people, right? And then the disaster happens. We don't see it yet. The blood and gore will be witnessed in the next issue. For now, the background fades to white, and we only see them.

They drop what they're holding, they hug, the old man puts his arms protectively around the young kid, and they fade. They fade into the shape of the Watchmen logo, ubiquitous throughout the comic, and then they fade out. White panel. There's nothing left. And off-panel, the Ozymandias quote.

Watchmen primarily aimed to evoke nuclear war, and the "psychic shockwave" clearly stands for the blast of a thermonuclear explosion. What makes the sequence gut-wrenching is the hug (so tender and so futile), the fade-to-white (a negative space so understated and so enormous), and the penultimate panel: an after-image frozen in time, declaring forever "once there were people here". Just like the plaster casts of Pompeii, just like the stones of Hiroshima.

Hiroshima, August 6th, 1945: the shadow of a person who was disintegrated at the moment of the blast. The steps and the wall were burned white, except the portion that was shielded by the person's body. (These steps were cut out and are now inside the Hiroshima Peace Park museum.) Photo by Yoshito Matsushige, whose films were confiscated and didn't get printed until the U.S. occupation ended in Japan in April 1952.

[kyouka-supremacy]

BSD Drama CDs Masterlist

Due to post limitations I had to move this section from the main bsd masterpost to its own post. Now updated to include the complete album track listings and character songs, as well as new translations. Please listen to the Chuuya / Akutagawa / Kajii dramas, they're too good to miss.

• Drama CD 1: Somewhat Extraordinary Days (playlist)     1. Swept Away by the River, Dazai Osamu and One Person More (alternative translation)     2. A Bored Famous Detective (translation)     3. Forgot the Request (alternative translation)     4. Yosano Akiko's Heart-Pounding Dissection Works (translation) • Character Song Mini Album Vol.1     1. Young Boy, Run Under the Moonlight (Atsushi's character song)     2. The Detective Agency During a Publicity Conference!? (translation)     3. Goodbye to the Attempt on Eternity (Dazai's character song)      4. Kunikida's Critical Moment!?      5. Unclouded by my Ideals (Kunikida's character song) • Character Song Mini Album Vol.2      1. Labyrinth Deciphering Game (Ranpo's character song)      2. Return of the Detective's Good Mood (no translation avaible :( )     3. The Way of Honest People (Kenji's character song)     4. The Port Mafia Did Something Wrong!?     5. Bewitching Screens (Tanizaki's character song) • Character Song Mini Album Vol.3      1. From the Trembling Dark World (Akutagawa's character song)      2. Kajii's Science of Cooking!? // Alternative translation      3. DARKNESS MY SORROW (Chuuya's character song)      4. Lunch Time, Accidental Mischief (part 1) (part 2)      5. An Inquiry Into Irreversible Phenomena, With Specific Regard to Changes of State (Kajii's character song) • Short Drama: Welcome to Hot Springs (Armed Detective Agency) • Short Drama: Welcome to Hot Springs (Port Mafia)

[thatsmzbitchtoyou]

Stranded FINAL Chapter 5

Summary:  Tossed overboard and lost at sea, Bucky washes up on an uninhabited island.  Injured, lost and scared, with little to no wilderness training, he fights to survive.  But is he really alone?

Warnings: bodily injury, mentions of sexual harassment/assault, eventual smut

Previous chapter

Bucky was quiet from then on.  He knew he was being ridiculous, but couldn’t find it in himself to try to be better.  He started messing with the plane’s motherboard after finding a manual under one of the seats.  He had taken a few classes in school about electronics and needed something to keep his mind off of the unlivable situation he lived in now.  

A few weeks later he figured out how to turn it on, the plane thrumming as he picked up the radio and held the button.  Static rang out in the cabin and he smiled.  It was worth a try, right?

“Hello?  Can anybody hear me?” He said loudly into the receiver.  He waited a moment before trying again.  “We are stranded on an island.  Last known location was near the southern coast of Costa Rica.  SOS.”  He waited again.  He thought he heard a blip of some kind of noise, but it quickly disappeared back into static.  He sighed and repeated the message one more time before leaving the radio on for a few more minutes, then turning off the plane altogether.  

He did it every day at about the same time.  He never heard anything, but he figured that at least it was something new to try.  The sour mood between him and Y/N eased up slightly, but the tension was still there.  At night they didn’t dare touch each other as they slept next to each other, and if they woke up entangled they would quickly apologize and move away like each other’s touch stung.  

Bucky woke up one morning to a strange sound.  He waited until he heard it again and then shot up out of bed.  The jostling woke Y/N.  “Buck?  What’s going on?”  Bucky ran out of the plane and towards the beach he had washed up on.  The blaring noise happened again, and as he broke through the tree line he saw a huge cruise ship coming their way.  He started laughing and waving his hands above his head.  “We’re here!  We’re here!”  

He could faintly see a few people aboard waving back at him.  Bucky turned back to the tree line and saw Y/N slowly walking out of it.  She gaped at the ship coming toward them.  “It worked!!  Y/N it worked!”  Bucky ran up to her, picking her up and twirling her around.  Y/N barely reacted, her eyes still watching the ship as a few smaller boats were lowered with people in them coming to shore.

“The radio?”  Y/N asked, her eyes finally meeting his.

“It worked,” Bucky breathed, surprised by himself.  “We’re saved.  We can go back home.”  

Y/N broke down into sobs, sinking down to her knees and crying heavily as Bucky held her.  The small boats finally made it to the shore, some people walking up to greet them and helping them grab what they wanted to keep and bringing them back to the cruise ship.  

They were hurried along to the doctor on board to be assessed, then given a shared room to get clean and settled as the ship moved back towards a port in Costa Rica.  The captain asked them a lot of questions and gave them his phone to call whoever they could think of.  News spread on the ship quickly of the rescue mission and that one of the people was the famous lost singer.  

Y/N and Bucky hid in the cabin they were given, not wanting to be hounded by passersby and watching eyes.  After another dinner had been brought to them Y/N stood out on the balcony, watching the water and the sunset.  Now that she was cleaned up Bucky found it even harder to look at her.  The wild nature of how he’d found her would probably always be his favorite, but this clean, glowing woman in the setting sun was another nail in his coffin.

Bucky approached her, standing next to her and leaning on the balcony like she was.  They stood together for a moment before the sun disappeared off the horizon, then Y/N quickly turned and went back inside.  Bucky sighed then followed her in.

“How much longer are you going to ignore me?” He asked.  Y/N looked at him in shock.  “Or are you just waiting til we make port and then you’ll be whisked off to your awaiting entourage and try to forget this ever happened?”

“For fuck’s sake Bucky,” Y/N grimaced.  “It’s like you don’t know me at all, after what, almost a year on the island together?”

“Apparently I don’t, because you won’t speak to me.  You won’t even look at me most of the time.  I really thought that maybe someday if we got off that godforsaken island we’d have a chance at a happy life together.  You made it pretty clear you wanted me,” he said as he walked up to her.  Y/N backed up until her back hit the wall.  “And I’m pretty sure I made it clear I wanted you.  So now that we’re free, and safe, did you change your mind?”  He gave her a wounded look as he tried to control his frustration.  “Or was I just a convenience to you?  Something that made you feel good for a minute?”

Y/N looked hurt at his words.  “Of course not, Buck.”  He stared at her and waited.  She sighed and hung her head.  “You scare me.”

Bucky recoiled at that.  “Scare you?”

“Yes, you scare me.  Because from the moment I saw you I wanted you,” she said, her voice raising.  “Not just because I was lonely.  And I fought, I wrestled with myself that entire time, to keep it friendly.  We were using each other to survive, to have companionship in the struggle.  And then you helped me not freeze to death, and then you looked at me like that,” she gestured towards him.  “And then I was weak and wanted just a moment of something good, just one moment to feel you.  And you gave it to me, and it felt so good, I didn’t want to stop.” Her eyes closed and she rubbed her temples with her fingers.  “But I couldn't handle it, being near you, after that.  I wanted more, all of it, all of you, what we could be.  And now we’re safe,” she looked back up at him.  “And now…I’m scared of what this means for us.”

Bucky sighed again, a small smile on his lips.  “Well we’re here.  We’re going home.  And we can make that whatever we want it to be,” he stepped toward her again, reaching for her hand and lifting it to his lips, kissing her knuckles.  “All I want is you, lovey.  I’m all yours.”  

Y/N gave him a dreamy look, her eyes fluttering at the feeling of his lips on her skin.  “I’m yours,” she whispered back to him.  

Bucky couldn’t wait anymore and gently grabbed her face and kissed her.  Y/N immediately responded, her hands winding around his waist and pulling him close, a soft whine passing her lips.  Bucky walked backwards until his legs hit the bed behind him and he sat, bringing her with him to straddle his lap.  His hands slid from her face down to her waist, settling on her hips and pulling her flush to him.  Y/N was feeling him all over, her hands gripping his shoulders, the back of his neck, his face, his arms, everywhere she could reach.  He opened his mouth and tasted her lips with his tongue, making her whimper and opening her mouth to let him in.  

Y/N scratched her nails down his scalp and he moaned into her mouth.  It all felt so good, too good, that he felt like he was vibrating from the inside out.  His hands slid to her butt and he pushed her down onto his growing erection.  Y/N gasped, her hands pulling the hair at the nape of his neck.  Bucky started kissing down her cheek to her neck, licking and sucking different spots, finding out what she liked.  When he reached the top of the sundress someone had given her from the cruise gift shop he pulled the straps down and started kissing the swell of her breasts.

“Oh god,” Y/N sputtered, her hips starting to grind down on him.  She started pulling at his shirt, which he quickly helped get off before going back to her chest.  Her fingers softly ran along the scar on his sternum then her nails scratched down his chest, making him slightly rut up against her hips.  He suddenly turned so that she was laid on the bed and he crawled over her, pulling her dress down til her breasts were exposed then hiking up the bottom half of the dress til he could see her pussy.

“No underwear?” Bucky breathed incredulously.

“Well when you haven’t worn them for a few years…” Y/N teased, giving him a shrug.

Bucky moaned as he looked at her, one of his hands reaching down and his fingers exploring between her legs while he went back to nipping and licking her breasts, his tongue flicking one of her nipples as he found her clit.  She arched her back at the dual sensations as she choked out a moan.  Bucky’s thumb rubbed and flicked her clit while his other fingers slowly entered her.  He groaned from feeling how wet she was for him.  As he pumped his fingers in and out her moans became increasingly louder, her legs shaking and her hips bucking against his hand.  He kissed back up to her mouth and pumped his fingers faster, curling them slightly inside her.  Y/N panted against his mouth, feeling the tightening deep inside her get pulled taught until it snapped and she yelped as she came around his fingers.

Bucky kept pumping until her hips stopped shaking, then he pulled his fingers out and tasted them.  “Taste so good, Y/N,” he groaned as he shifted himself over her.  He shimmied out of his pants and underwear and pulled her legs up and over his hips.  He dragged his cock through her wet lower lips, the head rubbing on her clit and making her whine.  “We don’t have any protection…” 

“We can figure that out later,” Y/N said hoarsely.  “Please Bucky, let me feel you.”

Bucky thanked the scientific gods for after-sex birth control as he held his cock, pumping it a few times before lining himself up with her.  He slowly pushed the head in, making her mouth drop open, a long groan coming from each of them.  Y/N’s feet hooked behind his back, pulling him in faster.

“Fuck, Y/N, you want my dick that bad?” Bucky gasped.  Her pussy felt like it was swallowing him whole and he had to wait a moment so he wouldn’t immediately lose it.

“I need to feel you…all of you, everywhere,” Y/N said, her hands scratching up and down his back.  

Bucky could tell she was touch starved but wasn’t prepared for how badly she would want him.  The thought flattered him but made his heart ache for her.  “I’ve got you,” he promised, keeping his upper body close to hers.  He rolled his hips, making her eyes roll in her head.  “I’ve got you, Y/N.  My girl…”

He thrust slowly at first, letting her adjust to him and feel him fully.  Y/N’s brow furrowed, her eyes shut tight, her hands sliding down to his butt to pull him in again then tickling up his sides.  Bucky had been with people before, but none of it had felt this intimate, this special or personal.  He picked up the pace of his hips and thrust a little harder, helping him reach a little deeper.

“Buck…” Y/N moaned, kissing his cheek and down to his neck, licking and sucking along his throat, her fingers running through his hair again.  Bucky’s hips shook as he thrust even harder.

“God, Y/N,” he moaned into her ear.  “Taking me so well…so deep…you feel perfect.”  He kissed her again, their tongues entangling as he thrust in and out of her.  He could feel her pussy flutter around him and he shivered.  “You gonna cum?  Cum all over my dick?  Huh?” he spoke against her lips, not letting any space come between them.  

“Fuck yes,” Y/N said, then sucked his bottom lip into her mouth, nipping it with her teeth.

“Gonna fill you up–”

“Please,” she gasped, her back arching.

Bucky slipped a hand between them and started flicking her clit as his hips pummeled into her, chasing his own release.  “My girl…my pretty girl…” he grunted.

Y/N tensed as she came again with a loud strangled moan that he quickly covered with his mouth.  Her pussy squeezed his cock so hard that he gritted his teeth, a long whine coming from his throat as he came inside her, continually rutting against her to make sure she could feel it all.  Y/N groaned feeling him fill her up, a little bit of cum dripping from in between them.

They panted against each other as they tried to breathe normally again.  Bucky’s face was tucked against her neck, his lips randomly kissing her neck and her ear, whispering praises to her.  She shifted her arms so that she was holding him around his shoulders, her fingers running through his hair like they used to when they would fall asleep together in the plane.  She started humming “Nature Boy” softly like she used to and he smiled.  When she finished the song Bucky sighed and squeezed her.

“God I love you,” Bucky sighed.

Y/N tensed slightly and looked down at him.  He looked up at her to see her reaction.  She was smiling softly and leaned down to kiss his nose.  “I love you, too,” she said quietly.  

***

Bucky had been right about one thing.  Once they made port Y/N was surrounded by people and cameras that separated them.  Bucky was greeted by his parents and sisters, their tearful reunion recorded for the world to see.  Y/N’s family tried to whisk her away but she wouldn’t leave without Bucky, pushing through photographers who were screaming questions at her and him and their families.  Airport and police officials took them all away to a private room and asked Y/N and Bucky extensive questions about what happened to them.  After a few hours they were finally released, and Y/N jumped into action with her family and people who had been involved with and in charge of her estate upon her disappearance.  She arranged for everyone’s flights home and figured out a time for her and Bucky to get back together soon once everything calmed down and they got things settled in their lives.

“This isn’t goodbye,” Y/N said, tears falling from her eyes as they held each other.   “You hear me?  I will get things settled and come get you.”  Bucky nodded, a few stray tears of his own falling that she quickly wiped away.  “You’re mine.  And I’m yours.”

“You’re mine and I’m yours,” Bucky repeated, kissing her nose.  “I love you.”

“I love you,” Y/N said, her tears falling more heavily.

They separated, each of them going back to their respective homes.  Bucky had a slow, steady flow of tears the whole way home, his family trying to console him.  He cried for the friends he’d lost and all the questions the officials had about them and having him go through what happened the day of the storm.  He cried for being able to see his family again.  He cried for the fact that he had survived and was rescued.  He cried for finding love that he so far had only gotten to enjoy for a short period of time, and he wasn’t sure when he’d feel it from her again.  Bucky was a mess as he tried to get back into normal life.  All the things he used to take for granted now were overwhelming.  He couldn’t sleep when she wasn’t there next to him to hold him.  The silence in his life was so loud without her there always humming or singing a song.  His parents tried to get him to cut his hair but he wouldn’t because he knew when the time came that she would want to run her fingers through his hair again.

A few weeks later he got the call and was instantly on a plane.  As scared as she was of flying it was the fastest way to get him, and so he found himself on a private plane.  Y/N had been able to get her estate fixed and was bringing him back to her.  The minute he was on solid ground Y/N was running to him on the tarmac, jumping into his arms then holding, crying and kissing each other.  She brought him to her apartment that she was renting for the time being.

“How have you been?” she asked once they were finally alone.

“Not great,” Bucky said honestly, a grimace on his face.

“Yeah me neither,” Y/N laughed sadly.  

Bucky pulled her close, holding her face in his hands as he just sat and looked at her.  “Can we just…lay down?”

“Yes,” she whispered, staring at him like she was memorizing him all over again.

She led him to her room and they changed into more comfortable clothes and got into her bed together.  Bucky snuggled into her chest as she held him, her hands running through his hair.  He breathed shakily.  It was like he was taking his first full breath in over a month.  Y/N moaned as she felt him against her.  “It’s been too long, my love.”

“Never again,” Bucky sighed.  

“Yeah you’re not going anywhere,” Y/N snorted.  “You and I are going to go get a house together.  And anywhere I go, you go.  I mean…” she looked down at him.  “You can obviously say no…”

“Please,” Bucky scoffed.  “I’m not going anywhere.  You’re going to get so sick of me.”

“Impossible,” Y/N scoffed back at him.  

As they cuddled Bucky felt like he could finally relax.  He was willing to give up anything he ever wanted or planned just so he could stay right there with her forever.  As hard as the experience had been, he was grateful to have been stranded with her. 

THE END! I hope y'all liked this one. And I'll keep churning out more stories as they come to me. Thank you for the likes, comments, follows and reblogs!!

[skzhocomments]

hiii! so i saw your post about the prompts so a random number i would say 81 with hyunjin

thank you 🫶🏻

General Masterlist

Request me a story

Thank you for your request ♥

---

Writing Prompt 81 - A prince sleeps with the pirate captain to get them out of the city AU - Hyunjin

Word count: 4.7k words

Wattpad | AO3

~

Writing Prompt 81: A prince sleeps with the pirate captain to get them out of the city AU – Hyunjin

~

“So, how much longer until we’d get to the Capital?” Seraphine asks, her eyes burning with excitement, auburn as her hair.

“We’re almost there, Captain. Should be getting there in about 3 days’ time. If not for this storm…” One of her subordinates – Felix – answers, briefly glancing outside through the small round window in Seraphine’s cabin.

“It’s fine. We’ve sailed on rougher waters. Ah, I can’t wait to see the Capital. They say it’s the most beautiful city in the continent. I can already picture us roaming around and taking everything we deserve. Do you think ships can sink from too much gold on board?” She chuckles with amusement.

“I doubt it, Miss.” Felix chuckles.

“I’ve heard the Capital is famous for their rare spices. Saffron and anise are native to this part of the continent, after all. We need to make sure to get our hands on them to get even richer once we live this place.” Seraphine contemplates out loud.

“We’re not even there yet and you’re already thinking of what to do when we leave.”

“Why, of course! I need to know what our next move is, always.”

“That’s why we’ve chosen you to be Captain, Miss.”

“Anyway.” She waves her hand around dismissively. “Any news on the imperial navy? I hope those plans still stand and we’d be able to get to the port without any fights.”

“I hope so too.” He chuckles. “They shouldn’t be stationed near the port unless they’ve discovered it. It’s quite stressful, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. But we need to do this, Lix.”

“I know…” Felix looks away briefly. “We’ll take our revenge, don’t worry. Those bastards will pay for what they did to our families.”

“We’ll make sure of that.” Seraphine nods.

“I’m afraid we’re biting off more than we can chew, though…” He hesitates.

“I’m not. This is what we’ve prepared for our whole lives, Felix.” She reassures him, and both of them stay in silence as the ship goes through the large waves, passing through the thunderstorm.

~

Fortunately, the pirate ships arrived at the secret port safely, and all the plans Seraphine’s father made were still actual.

It’s the perfect moment to strike, when news of the King falling ill started spreading throughout the continent. Seraphine knows this is the best time to cause havoc and steal to her heart’s content, to take back just a little bit of what the Kingdom took away from her family.

Her father used to be a simple man, working on fishing boats to bring in the Capital’s largest supply of fresh seafood, and, if lucky, of oysters and pearls. He was an honest, respectable worker, always on time to deliver the goods no matter the season, but although he was respected throughout the Capital, he was still just that. A regular man.

His demise was falling in love with a woman. Seraphine’s mother was part of one of the most elite families of the Kingdom, who, of course, would’ve never accepted a poor man dating, let alone marrying one of their daughters.

Her father fought tooth and nail for their love, and so did Seraphine’s mother, but when she fell pregnant out of wedlock, her family turned their backs on her and started interfering with his work. He got fired in no time, and no matter where he’d try to find a job to feed his pregnant girlfriend, he would get rejected.

Her mother was faced with two choices: give birth to the baby and give it away in order to be allowed back into her family – although her chances of marrying a reputable man were non-existent to say the least, considering her past history – or give up on her life as nobility and struggle. She chose the latter.

With no job in sight and a family to feed, Seraphine’s father had to resort to critical measures. He began working off the books on a couple of smaller ships, and when even that failed to bring in enough gold, he had to do something else. He found a band of pirates willing to take him in due to his experience on the sea.

He became part of their crew in no time and things were good for a while. Despite fighting his principles of being honest, he embraced his new lifestyle of stealing and smuggling goods in and out of the Capital. The happiness didn’t last much, though, because when the King found out of all the misdemeanours caused by the pirates, he banished them all from the Capital. He was forced to run away with Seraphine’s mother, who was 8 months pregnant at the time.

Times were rough, and the seas were even rougher. With no proper care and no possibility to access any type of healthcare on land, Seraphine’s mother died giving birth to her, and her father, blinded by grief, swore on his life that he will take revenge on everyone who turned their backs on them: the nobility, the Kingdom… he swore to come back one day and wreck as much of the Capital as he could.

Grief is a way too profound emotion… it wraps time. Her father got stuck in this never-ending circle of hatred, his life ambition becoming solely taking revenge. He ended up becoming Captain of the pirates and grew their riches as much as he could, in order to ensure having a formidable fleet to return secretly to the Capital.

He planned and planned for years, each crew member aware of his schemes and totally on board, as all of them held a grudge against the nobility. They all shared similar stories, similar fates.

However, life is sometimes way too short to fulfil all your plans, and Seraphine’s father ended up losing his after an on-going battle with a mysterious sickness that rendered him bed-ridden in the last years of his life.

Even after he was gone, the pirates’ hatred still remained, and his ambitions lived on. Seraphine ended up following in her father’s steps, becoming the youngest Captain this band of pirates has ever had, and ever since, they’ve began crafting their plan together, building from where her father left off.

They would start slow, a couple of petty thefts here and there, until they’d make their way to the larger businesses and burn them to the ground.

The plan was almost flawless, and with the pirates finally back in the Capital after more than 20 years away, they were ready to execute it. It’d be the biggest they’d ever strike.

~

“Feels good to step on land after so many months.” Seraphine exclaims, stretching her limbs.

“Right? Ahh, I missed it.” Felix smiles sincerely. “I can’t believe we’re finally here.”

“Don’t go too far, Lix. You and I need to stay near the ships, alright?”

“Got it, Miss!” Felix reassures, but still ends up disappearing after a while.

He’s always been a curious child, Seraphine knows, and even if he is already 24, he still acts childish, unfit for his age.

She could never blame him for it, though. The only thing they've ever known was how to live on a ship, so the Capital is bound to be interesting enough and make him want to explore to his heart's content.

~

Thanks to the secret port her father informed them of, all their ships were safely anchored, giving the pirates the opportunity to go in the Capital as they pleased.

And so, they did. In just a few weeks, they stole goods and food, jewellery, and so much gold, they could simply go back to the seas and starts anew in another Kingdom. Seraphine’s eyes sparkle at the thought of all the gold they’ve taken, and she is truly impressed with her people.

However, she is quite surprised that the imperial army is finding it so hard to find the culprits and the reason of their economy plummeting, and she vaguely remembers her father’s warnings that the King is truly sharp, and he’d figure out quickly. With them still able to be in the Capital almost a month after they arrived, she realises that the rumours must be true. He must’ve truly fallen sick.

~

“Miss, the imperial army has discovered the port.” Felix rushes in her cabin as Seraphine is admiring the jewels they’ve managed to steal so far.

“Took them long enough.” She chuckles.

“What will we do?” He is anxiously pacing back and forth. “They brought this letter-”

“Let me see.” She snatches it from his hand and notices the imperial seal.

Opening it hastily, she lets out a laugh.

“What?” Felix asks with a chuckle.

“They apparently don’t want to fight us. They must be afraid we’d make a fool out of them. They proposed a treaty.”

“Really?!” He gasps.

“Let me write a reply and invite the King here.” She laughs again and begins drafting a reply. “If they want to talk us out of the Capital so badly, let’s meet them.”

She writes a list of demands for the King that she doubts would be met. 5000 gold coins – enough money to last them for generations – a couple of jewels, permits to enter the Capital whenever they pleased and the opportunity to trade honestly, without stealing, and most importantly an apology. She feels like everything they’ve caused so far throughout the Capital is enough, but she doubts the pirates’ negative feelings are settled.

An apology from the King would suffice, maybe.

She hands Felix the envelope, and to her surprise, another letter comes the very next day, with the royals accepting a negotiation.

~

“Miss, the King is not here. His son is.” Felix informs her, making her raise an eyebrow.

“The prince?" She asks, and Felix nods. "Alright. Let’s do this.” She stands up. “Guide him here. No guards.”

She is once again surprised that they accepted this rule when she sees the Prince step inside her chambers. He is either a fool or willing to grant her everything she’s asked for. She shall see.

“Hello.” He smiles shortly as he enters, and the first thing Seraphine notices about him is his beauty. He looks elegant and proud, and she’s never seen anyone look this good before.

She’s used to people looking rough. This man, however, is the exact opposite. He looks like the prince you’d read about in fairytales, his black hair styled to perfection, his clothes immaculately white and gold, and his crown steadily on top of his head.

Truly a sight to behold that takes her breath away momentarily. However, she must represent her people, so she won’t stray away, no matter how handsome this man looks like.

“Good day.” Seraphine smiles as well, showing him to a chair. Of course, she doesn’t bow. He might be a royal, but he is on her ship, so she holds the most power.

She almost wants to ask him to bow to her instead, but this thought brings a chuckle to her lips, so she refrains from making such demands.

“I’m a busy man, so I’ll get straight to the point.”

“Not so fast.” She laughs. “What’s your name? I must know who I’m speaking to.”

“Hwang Hyunjin.” The Prince speaks. “To whom do I owe the pleasure?”

“So proper.” She chuckles yet again. “Name’s Seraphine. Now that we got acquainted, please, go ahead. I’m all ears.”

“We’ve analysed your… proposal. And we’re willing to meet some of them, to a certain point.”

“Which is?”

“2000 gold instead of 5000. You’re asking for an absurd sum. Besides, I’m quite certain you’ve already gotten more than enough jewels to sell abroad, considering by what you’re currently wearing.” Hyunjin points to her neck and arms, adorned with multiple necklaces with various precious gems that sparkle brightly even in the dim light of her cabin.

She intentionally decided to dress up for this meeting: a short skirt and a ruffled white blouse with a generous neckline, jewels all over her body – not only around her neck, but also on her thighs, ankles and wrists – just to show him how much they’ve taken, and to send the message that they could take so much more.

“Hmm…” She contemplates. “I shall think about it. What else?”

“The passes for the Capital… I am unable to grant you that. A pass means freedom to conduct business, as you are aware, but a bunch of thieves shouldn’t have that.” He replies with a fake smile, his words spitting poison.

“Thieves?” Seraphine laughs once more. “Hyunjin, darling, almost every person on board my ship used to be an honest working member of your Kingdom. But your father, who, as I can see, hasn’t bothered to grace us with his presence today, made sure that none of them can call this place home anymore. I am simply asking you for the rights you’ve taken away from us. Some of my people still have families they’ve been unable to meet due to this… ostracising by your father.”

“My dear,” he counters, “as you might be aware since you’ve struck at the perfect time, the King is gravely ill. Our Kingdom needs stability, which is why I’ve even considered some of your ridiculous demands. I’d say you should accept them. We’re giving you much more than you deserve, anyway.”

“Hyunjin, let’s not be rash.” She smiles. “It’s clear to me that we are in a very interesting power imbalance here. You’ve come here to ask for my help, to leave your city alone. I am willing to do just that. I don’t want anything to do with your rotten Capital. However, for my crew, I am willing to turn a blind eye from everything you’ve done, as long as you give them the opportunity to come back here if they wish.”

“Seraphine, don’t fool yourself, please. My army could defeat all of you in just a couple of days. Do you really want a blood bath? I am willing to apologise to your crew on behalf of my father. This is why I decided to come here unguarded in the first place. However, be rational. We can’t possibly give you that sum of money, jewels, and on top of that, passes to the Capital. You can pick those that are the most valuable to you and your crew, and I shall promise you in return that no blood will be shed unnecessarily.”

“Who knew such a pretty mouth could spew so much bullshit?” She stands up and walks towards him. “Hyunjin, darling, you’re the soon-to-be king of this Kingdom. You can give me anything, can’t you?” She asks cunningly, a smirk adorning her lips.

“As long as you keep things rational, I could. But just so you know, the fact that I came here in the first place goes against everything I’ve been advised. I want to rule differently, not through war and endless battles. Let us not fight, dear. Leave my city quietly, won’t you?”

He doesn’t move at all in his chair as she approaches him, his confidence quite alluring.

“Let’s do it a bit differently, then. You will give my people passes to the Capital, and instead of giving me gold and jewels, how about…”

Seraphine raises her hand and touches his crown, slowly taking it off Hyunjin’s head.

To her surprise, he lets her do whatever she pleases, so she doesn’t hesitate to put it on her own head.

“This should sell for a pretty penny somewhere.” She finishes, leaning back and supporting her weight against her desk.

Hyunjin stands up and grabs her hand, looking into her eyes, and she feels a rush travel throughout her body at the sudden touch.

“My crown?” He laughs.

She straightens her back and faces him properly, their bodies so close, she can feel his breath on her lips.

“Mhm. I’ve always liked gold and beautiful jewels, and your crown has just that. It’s so pretty, darling.”

Hyunjin smirks and leans in closer, whispering in her ear.

“As long as you give me your word that you’d stop terrorizing my people, I could give you so much, dear. Even if you are a thief, I’m certain your word weighs something.”

She looks up and meets his eyes once more, placing her hands on his collar and holding tightly.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” He warns.

“Hyunjin, you might be a prince, but your rules don’t apply on my ship.” She smirks. “I have more power than you in this very moment, you should know.”

Touching royals is prohibited, but she couldn’t care less about their meaningless rules that only work in their favour. She dislikes inequality. Even if she is the Captain of her ships, they’ve always treated each other as equals, and everyone is deserving of respect no matter their status.

“You’re quite outspoken. As expected of a pirate.” Hyunjin replies, smirking himself.

“And you’re quite confident, as expect of a royal.” She scoffs.

“You know, if the crown wouldn’t suit you that well, I would’ve been quite upset by this blatant disrespect. However, I can’t help but notice your beauty, dear Seraphine.”

“Oh, my. I’m flattered.” She jokes. “You don’t look so bad yourself, prince.”

“So, what will it take after all to get you out of my Kingdom, sweetheart?”

“Are you trying to flirt with me to get me to leave?” She lets out a chuckle. “It’s not gonna work, sweetheart. I’ve told you my updated terms. Passes and an official apology for my people and this crown. You can keep your gold and jewellery. See? I’m willing to negotiate with you.”

“Is that so?” He chuckles. “Does it give you a rush of power to wear my crown? I bet it feels really good.” As he says this in a menacing tone, he brings his face even closer, making a jolt travel through Seraphine’s body.

He is way too close, intoxicatingly close, and despite the fact that they are enemies, she can’t deny the effect he apparently has on her body. But still, she didn’t come here to play, and besides hatred and possible desire, there’s no other feelings between them.

“It does, I won’t lie. Is this how you feel when you wake up in the morning and put it on your pretty head? Do you spend a lot of time in front of the mirror admiring yourself?” She mocks, making sure to use the same condescending tone he’s been using by calling her pet names.

Hyunjin doesn’t move away. On the contrary, he stays close, putting his hands on top of hers that are still on his collar, forcing her to let go of his clothes. He guides her hands down and keeps holding onto her fists as he looks her in the eyes with the same determination she’s showing him.

“Why, is this what you’re going to do every day if I give you my crown?” He chuckles. “And here I thought you wanted to sell it, beautiful.”

“I don’t know, Hyunjin. It might give me a rush, but do you know what truly makes me delighted? The thought of all the money I’ll make once I sell these jewels I’ve stolen.”

As she says this, she snatches her hand away from his and brings it to her neck, making sure to drag her fingers deliberately slowly over the golden necklace right on top of her décolletage.

Hyunjin’s eyes follow her movements closely, as the hand that previously rested on top of hers finds its way to her waist.

“Passes for a handful of your people – not all of them – and my apology.” He speaks, his eyes darting back to hers.

“A handful of them?”

“The ones that directly attacked the Capital won’t be allowed to stay here. I hope you understand my reasoning, but no one would feel comfortable knowing that they’re trading with a bunch of pirates that previously stole their goods.”

Seraphine thinks long and hard for a few moments. Despite having an advantage over Hyunjin, she knows that this wouldn’t last much longer. She is still facing the most powerful army of the continent, and it’s a surprise that Hyunjin wanted to talk in the first place.

If they were to fight the imperial army, they might win a few battles, but at what cost? They would eventually end up losing everything they worked for, and God knows they’ve already caused a lot of damage, even more than they were initially expected.

Being a leader is tough, and although Seraphine wants to believe in her people’s victory over everything else, she must be realistic. They’ve already gotten way more than they hoped for.

Being a leader means knowing when to back down.

“… Fine.” She says after a while. “Passes for some of my people and an apology sounds reasonable enough.”

“I knew we would eventually see eye to eye.” He smiles.

“And your crown.” Seraphine adds, Hyunjin’s expression becoming more amused.

“No.” He shakes his head. “A kiss.”

“A kiss?” She laughs in disbelief. “I don’t want that from you, Hyunjin.”

“Seraphine, with how you’ve been looking at me for the past thirty minutes, I’d say you’re right. You’d like way more than that, wouldn’t you?”

He moves the hand from her waist up, until he cups her right breast, and with his other hand still holding onto her fist, he raises her arm and guides it around his neck.

“Says you, who’s been invading my personal space for the past 10 minutes.” She laughs.

“You don’t seem to mind.” Hyunjin counters.

“It seems to me you’re the one who’s hoping for that kiss.” Seraphine smirks cunningly. “And with how comfortable you seem to be touching me, tell me, prince, should I give it to you?”

Hyunjin chuckles, and everything happens swiftly. His mouth falls on Seraphine’s, who’s kissing him back and bringing him closer, her fingernails digging in the skin of his nape.

He lets out a soft moan as she bites his bottom lip, his hands moving to her waist to raise her on the desk. It’s not the most comfortable place to make out on, but it provides enough comfort to allow Hyunjin to press his upper body against her even closer as their kiss deepens.

He places one of his hands firmly against her thigh, right on top of her jewellery, and squeezes tightly.

Seraphine gets slightly frustrated with how difficult it is to take the Prince’s clothes off – the million buttons she has to undone, which she feels are so unnecessary. Why does the nobility want to dress up so proper, she wonders?

In contrast, her ruffled blouse is quick to fly off her body, leaving her naked and exposed, if not for the many necklaces and jewels adorning her chest.

“My darling, you are indeed a beautiful pirate princess.” Hyunjin breaks the kiss to admire her as she leans back on the desk.

“Oh, yeah?” She chuckles. “Why don’t you do your duty and kneel in front of this princess, then?”

The power dynamics strikes her once more, giving her another rush as Hyunjin kneels down in front of her, raising her skirt and removing her panties slowly.

He begins kissing his way up her thighs, spreading her legs apart and connecting his mouth to her core, licking stripes skilfully as she rolls her head back and moans.

“My fucking God, you’re sweet.” He compliments, revelling in her taste, his tongue drawing circles on her bundle of nerves, listening to her hurried breaths and making sure to give her pleasure.

“You’re quite good with words, who knew you’d be so good with your tongue, too?” She compliments back, when his tongue moves inside her opening, preparing her for what’s to come.

“Do you like my tongue that much, pirate? Will you let go for me?”

“It takes more than that to make me come, Prince.” She chuckles lowly. “Why don’t you come over here and show me what else you’re capable of?”

“So demanding.” He laughs. “I shall.”

He stands straight and unbuckles his belt, removing his white trousers and taking out his hardened dick. He doesn’t hesitate to press it against her pussy, making her lick her lips in anticipation, and with a swift motion, he bottoms out into her.

“Fuck, you’re so tight.” He groans. “You take me so well though.”

“Come on, Hyunjin, don’t stall.” She commands, and with another chuckle, Hyunjin listens and begins setting a steady pace, moving his hips perfectly to graze her sweet spot with each push of his cock inside of her.

“Shouldn’t feel this good.” Hyunjin closes his eyes shut, trying his hardest not to cum first, but Seraphine is sure making it difficult with her nails scratching his arms softly.

“It does, though.” She affirms, letting out a moan as she feels herself getting closer. “Keep that up, will you? I’m almost- oh, God!” She exclaims letting her head fall back once more, welcoming the bliss of orgasm.

Seeing this beautiful sight, Hyunjin can’t hold back any longer, and he ends up releasing himself with a final push and a loud groan.

As he separates himself from her, he pulls her up to kiss her one last time before both of them start getting dressed.

“I think it’s time to sign on your promises, Prince.” Seraphine says, her breath still hurried and her cheeks slightly flushed.

She stands up and grabs a piece of paper, beginning to draft a contract between her and the Prince. She makes sure to include every term they’ve spoken about – except for the crown, which she realises was a way too big power play – and when both parties seem satisfied, Hyunjin signs and stamps his seal.

“I believe an apology is due. Bring out your crew on the deck.”

They both exit the room together, moment when Hyunjin’s guards and Felix run to them.

“Negotiations took longer than expected. I was almost about to barge in.” Felix says, his face worried, but noticing Seraphine’s mild expression, he grows calm.

“Felix, please bring out everyone, the Prince has an announcement to make.”

~

Keeping true to his word, Hyunjin apologizes in front of everyone on behalf of his father, and informs Seraphine’s crew that they are welcome in the Kingdom, as long as they give their word to stop causing havoc.

To her surprise, her people’s hearts are settled with this, and most of her crew decides to reject the offer of staying in the Kingdom for good. However, knowing that they are welcomed back whenever, they thank the Prince for his consideration and bow to their Captain, pledging loyalty and thanking her for making this possible.

“So, I guess this is it.” Hyunjin turns to Seraphine. He wants to grab her hand and touch her one last time, however, with so many eyes on them, he refrains to do so, but she is able to read some sort of longing in his eyes that she can’t quite put her finger on.

“Let us never see each other again, then.” She nods with a sweet smile, grateful that she finally completed her father’s mission.

She is finally a free woman, devoid of any obligations.

She is free.

“Will you ever come back?” Hyunjin asks, his tone slightly hopeful.

“Why, do you think you’ll miss me?” She chuckles. “I thought you said I should leave this city and never return.”

“Well… I did say that. However, in case you decide to visit the Capital again… you know where to find me.”

“Should I request an audience to meet His Highness, then?” She smirks.

“No.” He shakes his head. “This shall suffice.”

With these words, he takes off his crown and places it on top of her head, leaving her speechless.

“If you don’t sell this, showing it to my guards should be enough. They’ll know you’re not a foe.”

“Thank you, Prince. I shall think about not selling it, then.”

They smile briefly before they both nod at each other, and with this, Hyunjin takes his leave.

Seraphine turns to her crew with a genuine smile adorning her lips, and addresses them warmly. These people decided to follow her, to trust her, and to stay by her side even if the Prince offered them a place in the Kingdom, which she couldn’t be more grateful for.

“It’s time for us to go. Our job here is done.”

~

As her crew prepares for departure, Seraphine rests her hands on her ship’s railing, watching the vast sea that awaits them with awe.

She wonders if she will ever come back, if she will ever see Hyunjin again, and she thinks about the crown resting in her treasures chest where she locked it securely.

She doesn’t think she will have the heart to sell it, after all.

~The End~

[justherefortua]

finished the young blood book! Though it’s definitely YA rather than as mature, it gave me a lot of nostalgia for the post-S1 fics where people thought they were goin gto be ported to childhood, and I thought the little details and the way the characters were characterized was actually really good! I loved how many parallels there were to canon and the further elaboration on the day to day life of the Umbrella Academy (and Viktor)

I wouldn’t take the book as a 100% canon source, but here are some disconnected small details that I enjoyed: SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT

- Twice trying to wrangle the hargreeves is referred to as “herding cats”, which is very accurate

- Grace custom sews their outfits and adjusts them for each member 🥺🥺🥺🥺 Luther gets a new one every time he grows, Diego has secret compartments for his knives, Ben has tentacle openings, Viktor’s looks a little too big on him

- I could definitely see how this Luther turns into S1 Luther but also he’s such a good guy. He just wants to help people and receive hugs

- Diego;;; my goodness. He loves his mom and also very much has a black and white view of justice. This is when he figures out he likes all black utility gear rather than the uniform

- Allison )::: allison )::: It’s so weird to see her feel out of place among other girls considering she grows up to be a famous actress but I think it was a good moment, as well as foreshadowing for her whole issues with the rumors

- Klaus is so vibrant here. He learned how to hotwire a car (They call Hargreeves’ car Hermes) at 12 from a ghost, regularly sneaks out of the house through the sewage system (the siblings refuse to do this) and is the life of the party

- Five was mentioned and acknowledged a couple times and every time it made me go ): The revelation that Ben had a daily check-in with Klaus asking about whether he could see Five or not and always believed Five was out there somewhere destroyed me. My crumbs ): oh ):

- Ben is my favorite character so I’m so glad he gets a POV here and an actual voice! He definitely has a good heart but also definitely doesn’t fall into the solely “shy and totally passive” stereotype <3 also im just happy for content of umbrella ben i miss him

- Viktor!!! He isn’t sure if Mom claps for his violin because of if he’s actually good or. He’s very lonely but the kids do include him a little bit which is lovely. Definitely some parallels to S1 canon. Also! Some Viktor trans moments where he ruminates on that for a little bit without knowing the actual cause, the mirror line has relevance here. I thought it was handled nicely but obviously I can’t speak on experiences that aren’t my own.

Other misc details:

- Ben gets calmer under high pressure situations and therefore becomes pretty good at pool despite never having played

- Klaus likes to jump from roofs for the fun of it and just thinks his body is extremely resilient to head trauma. Klaus. Klaus no. 😭

- Diego uses “Boy Scout” as a insult for Luther, who doesn’t mind because Boy Scouts are supposed to be dependable

- Diego has always been pretty good at dancing

- The Umbrella Academy never stick around to clean up after themselves on missions

- Ben and Viktor can fit together in the passenger seat

- Favorite meals: Ben likes PB+J and potato chips, Klaus likes bubblegum ice cream, Diego likes roast beef, Luther hamburger and fries, and a hot dog for Allison (though according to her it hasn’t been her fav food in years, and also she forgot Five’s favorite and Viktor’s favorite)

- Klaus listens to heavy metal (to drown out the ghosts), Allison likes pop music

- Viktor learned how to drive one year before this book, taught by Pogo. He has his license! Klaus knows how to drive too but he drives much more recklessly lol

- Allison once had a solo magazine cover and she can’t remember whether she rumored for it or not (foreshadowing)

- Ben has never told anyone that the tentacles hurt when they come out ())):) [BODY HORROR TW] They are also literally slithering under his ski, he can feel em with his organs, and the skin is tender where they come out

- Allison knows CPR. and uses it after one of the siblings has a near death experience 👍

[pinkpogiclub]

comprehensive list of my favorite cycling moments in no particular order

the Mont Ventoux incident: twelfth stage of the 2016 tour de france. Sir Chris Froome is comfortbaly leading both the stage and the GC, wearing the maillot jaune. Less than 1k to go and the unthinkable happens: too many people are standing on the road and one of the motorbikes at the front suddenly brakes, resulting in one insane shot of Richie Porte face-planting against the camera. The result? Both Bauke Mollema and Chris Froome crash (no injuries for them, luckily) and Chris Froome's bike BREAKS. PANIC. It's very important to note that at this point team cars are stuck behind and are unable to reach him (both because of the narrow street and the absolutely staggerig amount of people there). So what does Chris Froome do? He starts running marathon style, ready to defend his advantage on the other GC guys tooth and nail. In the end he did keep his lead (after a bike swap from hell and twenty minutes under an amount of stress that could have killed a horse) but BOY was it an Experience to watch live.

the tiny couch of Milano-Sanremo 2023: otheriwise known as the one bed trope cycling adaptation and, in my opinion, a mandatory addition to every post-race waiting room. Not a single person on this couch wanted to be there apart from pippo, who was doing a very bad job at hiding his amusement. Look at this, incredible.

Lorenzo Fortunato's win and Alberto Contador's consequent metal breakdown: overall an incredibly wholesome moment from the 2021 Giro D'Italia. Lorenzo Fortunato (then 25 years old, relatively new and upcoming rider) attacks on the Zoncolan, one of the most famous and gruelling climbs of the Giro: everybody’s rooting for the kid, who then goes on to win the stage all by himself, reaching the top through apocalyptic weather. Admirable, right? Well, while all this was unfolding, Alberto Contador (who was at the time Eolo-Kometa's team manager) was live on Insta pacing around and having an absolute Moment on camera, literally hyperventilating and crying, begging everything and everyone for his protegé to win. He then went on to promise to ride from Pinto (his hometown) to Milan as a celebration. Iconic.

Sepp Kuss' Vuelta victory: AKA the birth of a legend and of my personal GC Kuss agenda. Vuelta de España, 2023: domestique extraoirdinaire Sepp Kuss wins his first stage and he's VERY elated about it (as we all are, tbh), smiling and high-fiving people even before crossing the finish line. On the podium he truly becomes man of the people by chugging down half a bottle of champagne without batting an eye: man of the people right there. By this point no one is really thinking anything of it, we’re all just vibing, happy for a rider who is partecipating in his THIRD CONSECUTIVE Grand Tour of the year. But THEN. It slowly starts becoming clearer and clearer that Jumbo-Visma (rip) has not one, not two, but THREE (3) possible final GC contenders, which is alone a very bonkers concept. In the end Sepp manages to keep the lead despite what looks like a messy (?) situation management from Jumbo-Visma and a stage finish on Angliru where the Jumbo-Vismen seem to be riding all for themselves, sprinting away from Sepp. All in all a display of incredible strenght by both the team (winner of ALL three Grand Tours with THREE DIFFERENT riders. INSANE) and Sepp himself.

Last time trial stage of the 2020 Tour de France: I could easily write a PHD thesis about this day alone. NOTHING encapsulates the drama of sports quite like this particular moment. In one already very odd Tour de France, ridden in mid-September due to Covid restrictions, Primož Roglic absolutely DOMINATES the GC from the very beginning: his team is strong and he keeps the yellow jersey up until the end, to the point where nobody really expects anything major to happen. Cue Tadej Pogačar (called by the italian commentators "il ragazzino terribile" aka "the terrible boy"), fellow countryman of Primož: he’s won a couple of stages and he's shown his worth, finding himself in a very honorable second place in the GC with a 57'' gap from the leader. Which could mean nothing. SO. Here comes the final TT, the very last chance for riders to try and make up some time before Paris: Primož is an excellent TT rider and he's got enough time over Tadej, which should grant him a comfortable victory or, at least, not too much lost time, right? WRONG. OH BOY. Tragedy unfolds as soon as Tadej starts his race and makes it clear that he's out for BLOOD: he clearly doesn't care about second place, he wants the yellow!!!!!! And so we're stuck at home, watching silently as this KID slowly makes up time, second by painful second, all while Primož is having the mother of all shit days on the bike, struggling so much that it becomes harder and harder for him to maintain his hard-earned lead. Tadej goes on to win the stage (surpassing Tom Dumoulin and Wout van Aert, who had both ridden an incredible TT) and, more importantly, his fist Tour at just 21 years old. I still get chills thinking about it. Fun fact: in Paris, Tadej wil also wear both the white and the polka-dot jersey. Totally normal behaviour.

Giulio Ciccone and his close call with excommunication: Tirreno-Adriatico 2023. Giulio is giving out an interview to a fellow italian journalist after the stage, when suddenly one team car speeds up behind him and very narrowly misses him, almost clipping his bike in the process. The result is Giulio breathing life into the infamous "porca mado.....nza", which is a revised version of an extremely NASTY type of blasphemy against the virgin mary. Iconic in its own way, threatened to take down catholicism as a whole in one clean swoop. 10/10.

Geraint Thomas' leadout for Mark Cavendish: last stage of the 2023 Giro d'Italia, Geraint Thomas has made peace with the fact that he’s lost his chance at winning La maglia Rosa. The peloton is steadily approaching the finish line and sprinters are getting ready to give it all for the win: suddenly, we see Geraint Thomas putting himself right in front of the leading group, effectively becoming Mark Cavendish's leadout man, guiding him to a beautiful final win in Rome (mind you, this was supposed to be Mark's last year before retirement). They're not teammates, so Geraint Thomas had no reason to do it except for the fact that he's known Mark for the better part of twenty years and he wanted to help him: INSANE narratives, we all cried at the sight of the two old men embracing eachother like little kids. SIGH

2023 Road-Race World Championship. This place has everything: rainy weather, beautiful landscapes, highland cows, Mathieu van der Poel taking a dump in a newly renovated house, childhood rivals standing together on a podium, Pogi in neon green. Also known as the day Mathieu van der Poel went from Good Rider to Insane Supernatural Being: from attacking with 20k to go in what probably was the hardest course ever designed in a Road Race World Championship ever, falling down while all the team cars were unreachable, tearing off a piece of his own fucked up shoe because it was bothering him, to winning while sopping wet and crying. INSANE. Bonus: this absurd newspaper front page that I wish I had framed in my living room.

[bluemooniegif]

Let's talk about Coats in Bungou Stray Dogs, and what they mean

[i.e. a repost of perhaps my most famous BSD analysis ever]

Mild spoilers for Beast, Dark Era, and Dazai, Chuuya, 15 ahead! (I'm thinking of posting an explanation of how the Beast Universe works soon anyway... lmk if that's something you'd like!)

If you've come across this theory before (uve most likely seen me talk about it on tiktok or youtube), you've probably heard already that the coat or outerwear a character is wearing (especially if it's different from the rest of their outfit) is indicative of the persona that they're trying to project.

You may have noticed, for example, that the colour and the way that Dazai wears his coat changes depending on the organisation and universe he's in. Let's start by taking a look at his Port Mafia outfit from the Canon universe:

As you look, remember that Dazai joined the Port Mafia against his will. He only joins because Mori promises that if he's useful to him, he'll provide Dazai with a quick and painless way to die:

And now I want to get into why Dazai doesn't actually want to die, but that's a whole other post for a later time.

So, Dazai joins the Mafia, rather begrudgingly, and dons the relevant 'uniform' as he does. This is necessary to show Mori and he other members of the PM that he is committing to the role; it is necessary for survival.

The important thing to note here, however, is that he wears his coat off-the-shoulder. Of course, this could just be chalked up to the questionable fashion standards of teenage boys, but when we consider that the coat is like a representation of the Mafia's values... it becomes an indication that Dazai is putting on a persona; one that he's ready to throw away at the drop of a hat. The are three reasons I know this is how he feels for sure:

we saw the exact moment Mori recruited him, and how reluctant he was to join;

he actually did throw it all away the second he had the chance;

Beast. let me explain.

Have a look at Dazai's outfit in Beast, where he takes on the role of Mafia Boss:

There are several notable differences here, but for a moment I just want to focus on the fact that he's wearing his coat properly. That was the one thing that really struck me as significant the first time I read BEAST: in the world where Dazai has to fully commit to the role if he wants his plans to work out, he pushes himself to play the part, regardless of how he feels.

The next huge difference lies in the bandages: here, his left eye is covered, whereas in the Canon manga his right eye is covered. There are several theories we could derive from this: a popular one is that each eye represents light and dark, respectively. In the Canon universe, Dazai covered the eye that saw the light, so he could more easily resign himself to living in darkness. Then, Oda pulled the bandages away, and he found himself running towards the light. I could talk about this for hours, but for the sake of brevity... ouchies.

Moving on. Another thing to note is that, duh, there's a bigass scarf around his neck here. Why? How? It looks an awful lot like Mori's... which could mean nothing. Just like how his ADA coat looking like Oda's could mean nothing. Haha so normal guys don't even worry about it!!

ANYWAY. Coats. Isn't it interesting that Akutagawa also properly wears his coat (a hand-me-down from Dazai, nonetheless) and spends a vast majority of his time trying to prove that he is worthy of being in such a high position within the PM? Isn't it interesting that his ability, the entire reason he became the Mafia's guard dog, relies on that very coat? His entire personality and reason for living becomes so entrapped within Rashoumon that the two are practically inseparable.

In Beast, when he's given a coat that echoes that of Oda's, he still uses it (via Rashoumon) like a shield, and like a weapon... but he tries to learn how to be more gentle. The beginnings and intentions are almost the same, but the outcomes are totally different. Which is very telling. I'll let you connect the remaining dots on that one.

Now, there is one more Mafioso character who wears his coat off-the-shoulder in Canon. But for some reason, in BEAST, he doesn't wear a coat at all... Strange, right?

I am, of course, talking about Chuuya. And the thing about Chuuya is that defining the representative idea of his coat is much more difficult than it was with Dazai, purely because there was so much going on at the time he joined the Mafia. He was betrayed by his closest family, while simultaneously feeling like he betrayed them. He had no choice but to accept Dazai's offer, which was actually Mori's offer. He'd been backed into this corner by Dazai, but also by the Sheep, and he'd lost everything, but was being offered all the things he used to pine after: answers, protection, relative safety. Maybe even family, something he could devote himself to- but all this lay in the hands of the organisation he'd promised to eradicate. He was going through it, as the poets say.

Personally, if I were to assign his coat with a specific ideal/persona, it would be this: acceptance of the Mafia, and hatred towards Dazai. Just like Dazai, wearing his coat off-the-shoulder indicates that he doesn't fully prescribe to their ideals... but in this instance, it also means that he doesn't truly hate Dazai like he claims.

I know, fork in the kitchen. But I also want to point out something that helps drive this perspective home for me: whenever they fight together, as Soukoku, Chuuya takes his coat off. He has a lot of fighting quirks, actually- he always keeps his hands in his pockets (something that is echoed by Dazai ohmygod I cry whenever I think about it), takes his hat off for Corruption (this is discussed in-depth in Storm Bringer), takes off his gloves when he wants to ramp up Tainted Sorrow. But, just like the coat, this only happens whenever Dazai is around. Chuuya literally and figuratively bares himself to Dazai, which can be read as something necessary for him to be saved by No Longer Human, yes, but it would be remis of anyone to ignore the fact of their trust in one another.

There's one more reason that I think these two ideals are so intertwined: it is, you guessed it, Beast!

The interesting thing is that here, where you'd almost expect him to wear something similar, Chuuya simply doesn't have a coat at all. Why is that?

If we follow the same logic that we did for Dazai, we can assume immediately that Chuuya doesn't want to hide behind a facade here. He has no facade to consider hiding behind. He's honest about his work with the PM, and open about his complex feelings towards Dazai- mostly his hatred, though that manifests purely because he's frustrated; a part of him knows Dazai can be doing better, or working differently, but he can't understand why. Or maybe he does understand why, and this frustrates him even more.

It's extremely complicated, and I feel like the way I've said things makes no sense, but I hope it's at least got you thinking. What does this truly mean for Chuuya? What does it mean for Atsushi, who doesn't wear a coat in canon, but does in Beast?

(I already have a post delving into Atsushi's character design, which I think is genuinely one of the coolest things ever!! I don't discuss Beast in it, but it's a great starting point if you're interested <3)

I feel like I've rambled on too much, but I'm fighting brain fog rn so this is as coherent as it gets. I hope this has helped you learn something, or made you interested in delving deeper into costume design in BSD as a whole. I kiss you mwah!!!

[empiredesimparte]

Live broadcast of ‘Le Sacre de Napoléon V’ on the national channel Francesim 2, hosted by Stéphane Bernard

(Stéphane Bernard) The Emperor will become a quasi-sacred figure through the anointing: it is a sort of transfiguration. The imperial canopy conceals this profoundly sacred moment because the rite must remain a mystery to the common mortals. We are witnessing a revival of the triple blessing from the Reims ceremonial of the kings of Francesim. Their Majesties, kneeling before the altar, receive the triple anointing from the Pope: one on the forehead, the others on both hands. First the Emperor, then the Empress.

In his prayer, the Pope asks God to bestow the treasures and graces of His blessings upon the Emperor. He prays that the Emperor will govern with strength, justice, loyalty, foresight, courage, and perseverance. The Emperor must combat Evil and defend the holy Christian Church. The Empress, for her part, receives God's support, and that of Christ, to preserve the Empire and the French people for eternity.

(Stéphane Bernard) Such a ceremonial highlights the spiritual and mystical dimension of the imperial monarchy. It is a moment steeped in tradition, where every gesture, every word, carries deep symbolism, reminding us of the sacred bonds that unite the sovereign to his people and to God. (Mgr. Morlot) Almighty and eternal God, who have decreed that, following the example of David, Solomon, and Joash, the foreheads of Kings and Emperors should be adorned with a diadem, so that, through the brilliance of their gemstones and the splendor of their ornaments, they might serve as a vivid and striking image of the majesty that surrounds you to the peoples while they reign on earth…

(Mgr. Morlot) … Pour out, we beseech you, your blessing upon these crowns, so that your servant Napoleon and his spouse, who will wear them on earth, may shine with the radiance of all virtues.

(Pope) May God encircle your brow with the crown of glory and justice...

(Pope) ... May He arm you with strength and courage so that, blessed by Heaven through our hands, filled with faith and good works, you may reach the crown of the eternal kingdom…

(Pope) ... By the grace of Him whose reign and empire extend throughout all ages and ages. Amen.

(Napoléon V) Amen.

⚜ Le Sacre de Napoléon V | N°11 | Francesim, Paris, 28 Thermidor An 230

While the bells ring out and the cannons roar, the Emperor and Empress of Francesim are crowned at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. It was broadcast live on television by Stéphane Bernard, the famous journalist for the crowned heads in Francesim.

Beginning ▬ Previous ▬ Next

⚜ Traduction française

(Stéphane Bernard) L'Empereur va devenir un personnage quasi-sacré grâce à l'onction : c'est une sorte de transfiguration. Le dais impérial cache ce moment tout à fait sacré car le rite doit rester un mystère pour le commun des mortels. Nous assistons à une reprise de la triple bénédiction du cérémonial de Reims des rois de Francesim. Leurs Majestés, agenouillées devant l'autel, reçoivent du Pape la triple onction : une sur le front, les autres sur les deux mains. D'abord l'Empereur, puis l'Impératrice.

Dans son oraison, le Pape demande à Dieu de répandre les trésors et les grâces de Ses bénédictions sur l'Empereur. Il prie pour qu'il gouverne avec force, justice, fidélité, prévoyance, courage et persévérance. L'Empereur doit combattre le Mal et défendre la sainte Église chrétienne. L'Impératrice, quant à elle, reçoit le soutien de Dieu et du Christ, afin de conserver l'Empire et le peuple français dans l'éternité.

Un tel cérémonial met en lumière la dimension spirituelle et mystique de la monarchie impériale. C'est un moment empreint de tradition, où chaque geste, chaque parole, porte un symbolisme profond, rappelant les liens sacrés qui unissent le souverain à son peuple, et à Dieu.

(Monseigneur Morlot) Dieu tout-puissant et éternel, qui avez voulu qu'à l'exemple de David, de Salomon et de Joas, le front des Rois et des Empereurs fût ceint du diadème, afin que, par l'éclat des pierreries et la splendeur de leurs ornements, ils fussent aux des peuples, pendant qu'ils règnent sur la terre, la vive et frappante image de la majesté qui vous environnement...

(Monseigneur Morlot) ... Répandez, nous vous en conjurons, votre bénédiction sur ces couronnes, afin que votre serviteur Napoléon et son épouse, qui les porteront sur la terre brillent de l'éclat de toutes les vertus.

(Pape) Que Dieu ceigne votre front de la couronne de la gloire et de justice ; qu'il vous arme de force et de courage, afin que, bénis du Ciel par nos mains, pleins de foi et de bonnes oeuvres, vous arriviez à la couronne du règne éternel...

(Pape) Par la grâce de celui dont le règne et l'empire s'étendent dans tous les siècles et les siècles. Amen. (Napoléon V) Amen.

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

“Being a pirate is all about going your own way.” // “Come with me, Buggy!!”

is this post totally redundant after the similar post i made last week? idk. i guess the main difference is that this time i’m looking at the same topic in an unambiguously romantic light? the shipper goggles, as they say, are on, and i want to talk about these scenes in that context. so, if you’ll forgive me for repeating myself a bit, let’s talk about this again:

as much as i enjoy the heartbreak of “they always thought they’d be together but miscommunication tore them apart” takes on shanks/buggy, the very first flashback we get about them—the first things we learn about them at all, really—tells us this isn’t true.

and i think what we get is more romantic.

Chapter 19, Pages 12-13. i know last time i said they’re at most 12 here, but looking at these lanky-ass teenaged designs that’s nuts. i fully believe oda hadn’t thought through their ages/the timeline at this point, and they were originally supposed to be about luffy’s age when buggy got his devil fruit. which is not relevant to this post in any way, but it’s my post so i get to go off-topic if i want.

Shanks and Buggy have their own goals as pirates, and at this time they understand them to be mutually incompatible. Buggy thinks Shanks’ travel-and-adventure-oriented take on piracy is soft and foolish; Shanks doesn’t care for Buggy’s exclusively treasure-focused take. They’re sometimes friendly, sometimes not, they’ve fought side by side, but they know this time as allies and crewmates is temporary. (Buggy plans on taking his treasure map and the Devil Fruit and leaving the crew immediately.) Maybe they’ll become friendly rivals, ‘fighting to the finish’ when they run into each other like Roger and Whitebeard do, or maybe the next time they see each other they’ll literally fight to the finish. Who knows?

“That’s also what being a pirate is all about.” It’s very sensible behavior. Smart planning for the future.

Which means the contradictory ways they act later—Buggy secretly deciding to follow Shanks, Shanks bluntly asking Buggy to come with him—are not about these characters thoughtlessly clinging to the status quo. They are not in a “we were always together and I never thought that would change” situation. Deciding to stick together is a considered, emotional decision: “I know we don’t make sense together but I don’t care, I want us together anyway.”

Chapter 1082, Pages 8-9. i was cursed the moment i saw these pages with Unable To Stop Thinking About It disease; only time will tell if seeing it animated makes it worse or cures me.

This argument is a codependent breaking point. Buggy’s pinned all his dreams on Shanks, hoisted that poor boy up on a pedestal, and it all falls apart when Shanks reveals thoughts and plans that don’t match Buggy’s perception of him. He can’t bear to be around him now that the false image has been revealed. (Shanks, poor thing, seems to have had no idea any of this was happening.)

But if Shanks hadn’t said no to Laugh Tale in this moment—or maybe if he’d offered a soft no of, idk, “okay, sure, once we’ve got a strong enough crew”—Buggy would have gone with him, still projecting wildly onto Shanks. He’d convinced himself that being a member of the Pirate King’s crew was enough for him, that he didn’t need to be Pirate King himself if Shanks got the title and he was with Shanks.

…but would he have actually liked being a member of that crew?

Like, looking at the things the Red-Haired Pirates do, would Buggy have enjoyed being one of them? Wandering East Blue, hanging out in friendly port towns, collecting treasure here and there but spending a lot of time getting drunk and making friends with the locals? Eventually becoming famous for having a large, weak fleet of subordinate pirate crews Shanks has to sometimes physically step in and protect?

God, no, he’d’ve been miserable. Just seething with thwarted ambition, furious at the perceived disrespect. A real power hungry first officer stereotype, the kind of character that makes you think, Why’s he working for this guy if he hates him so much?

And Buggy must have suspected it would go something like that. But if Shanks hadn’t rejected Laugh Tale, he would’ve gone with him anyway.

(Better to be miserable with you than a loser on my own.)

Or say Buggy agreed to come with Shanks. Obviously his presence wouldn’t change the crew makeup significantly enough to skew the Red-Haired Pirates towards his way of thinking, but for the sake of argument: if he had convinced Shanks to do things his way, would Shanks have enjoyed the kind of piracy Buggy engages in? Taking over and destroying East Blue port towns, ordering your crew killed on a furious whim, single-mindedly hunting down treasure maps and single-mindedly hunting down treasure chests and paying no attention to anything along the journey? Eventually becoming the boss and administrator for a bunch of bounty hunters and mercenaries?

No way; most of that behavior is totally repellant to Shanks. If he let Buggy do that kind of thing under his banner, you’d be left wondering What happened to his morals? Why does he let this guy walk all over him?

And Shanks knew the kind of pirate Buggy was and wanted to be. But he asked Buggy to come with him anyway.

(Better to be miserable with you than have fun apart.)

It’s hard to see a way to make these very different styles of pirating work together. It’s probably doable… with a lot of compromise and honest conversation. The younger Shanks and Buggy had a point, when they said each going their own way was the obvious choice! It was certainly the easier one. Was it the happier one? Who can say.