#re: the foot hits the stage comment

[oldbaton]

ok one more thing about danny webb's performance as NY gov al smith. al smith was gov in the 20s and was this very blustery nyc working class guy. but also very jovial "look at dis guy ovah here!" type of thing. and moses and al had this working relationship that allowed him to build the roads.

he has one big scene in the first act where he drops by the office (which is a thing politicians used to be able to do. drop by places) to reprimand moses for starting work before he signed the legislation. and it was so good. because you saw how he connected with people and won so many elections in his life time. but you saw the holes in his ethics. he was also fantastically funny. the character also has a lot of mood swings and webb navigated them SO well. he mostly very jovial but when he looks moses and goes "youre going to do what i tell you to do" its so chilling. but then he goes back to being peppy and he makes it organic- not easy. just one of those delicious big supporting performances where he enters and the play shifts from when his foot hits the stage.

like the theatermania review got it really well:

"No actor is having more fun than Danny Webb as Governor Al Smith. Chomping on a cigar, swilling bourbon, and spilling political wisdom, he's like the love child of George Burns and Yoda. Moses is the sun around which this entire play orbits, but when Smith enters the room, the center of gravity suddenly shifts. Without telling us, Webb shows us how important executive support was to Moses."

definitely a personal fav stage performance of 2022.

[electrasev5nwrites]

Ninja Daily: Vapors 49

"It's weird not to have Hinata around," Karin groused. Aiko glanced at her cousin without pausing her push-ups. She made a noncommittal grunt in response. It was much less unusual for her—she spent a lot more time out of the village than Karin or Hinata did. Karin almost never left the village on missions except when posted with Hinata and Anko. Since Hinata was still training to be a tracker with her first team, she went on a fair few trips, but they were short.

This one was a bit longer, though, so Karin's restlessness made some sense… Even if her whining did demonstrate what Aiko thought was a strange dependency.

It wasn't like Karin and Hinata would probably be part of a permanent team. The only thing they were really learning from Anko anymore was her special serpentine taijutsu—they had already begun working with specific summons who were tailored to their specialties. With small, fast snakes, Hinata was a rather terrifying scout and infiltrator. Karin preferred to play with serpentine poison. It complimented her specialty in extracting, creating, treating, and reverse-engineering poisons. Although some of her summoned friends were tiny in hopes of using stealth, she generally preferred the shock and awe approach in an actual fight.

Aiko couldn't blame her. If you were going to throw angry, writhing snakes at people, they may as well be forty pound snakes. Why the hell not?

It did make sharing the house a little uncomfortable, to be honest. She had only managed to bring Pakkun over once, before he flipped his lip and started barking.

Apparently, dogs did not like snakes, in person or by scent. Training with the gigantic puppy Pakkun had introduced her to (a fluffy white dear called Mitsuo who she couldn't imagine actually getting in a fight. He was just so skittish and awkward—in that puppy stage where it looked like he was walking on stilts he wasn't quite used to yet after a sudden growth spurt) was complicated by the fact that he downright refused to come within a block of the place. Apparently, snakes weren't well trusted.

'Maybe Anko should move in here and I'll take her old place,' Aiko thought dryly. It wasn't the first time she'd had a similar thought. It totally sucked not to be able to spend time with her summons in the comfort of her own home. The training fields were okay, but… ugh. Just, ugh.

"Hey, are you listening?"

'No', she thought.

"Yes," Aiko said.

"You're a fucking liar," Karin muttered, collapsing indolently onto the pink towel she had stretched out on the grass. "I asked you to toss me the sun lotion."

"Why?" Aiko frowned. "If you're worried about getting burned, why don't go inside?" She quirked her head, and added, "or put clothes on." That was an itty bitty bikini right there. No wonder Karin was worried about tan lines. Nonetheless, she shifted her weight to one foot and kicked the bottle over. Then Aiko tossed her head to dislodge a bead of sweat threatening to roll down her forehead. Ew, so gross. As soon as she was done with conditioning, she would be going inside for a while, thank you very much. Her arms were starting to ache by that point. These types of workouts had been so frustrating lately. It was like no matter how much she worked, she just didn't get any stronger. Her arms had clearly defined musculature, but even Karin showed more raw power when she flexed. Karin hated working out!

Karin propped her torso up with her arms and gave a gusty sigh. "I don't know how I ever forget that you're so clueless," she muttered airily, tossing her hair back.

'Okay, those comments get really old. I guess that's enough push-ups.'

Aiko bent her knees to spring her legs up by her hands, re-situated her weight entirely on her feet, and grabbed her half-empty water bottle as she stood. Then she yanked the contents out in a thin spray that hit her cousin. Karin yelped like a Chihuahua, momentarily stunned by the cold. That delay cost her—Aiko had already given her a grin and shot back into the house.

"You're such a brat!" Karin hollered after her, holding her hands to her mouth. Aiko just snickered, pulling her tank top over her head on her way to the bathroom. It was probably really weird and wasteful, but she always showered and changed clothes between her conditioning workout and whatever else she did that day. It just killed her to wait around in dirty clothes if she didn't have to. She would be meeting with Kakashi in about an hour (hopefully, if he wasn't later than she'd calculated). Aiko wasn't entirely certain what he had planned.

It turned out to be a late day. An hour and a half came and went after she made it to the training grounds. Aiko didn't see hide nor hair of her wayward shishou until she finally gave up and sat down to open her lunch. It was almost one.

"This is not nine-thirty in the morning," she said flatly when she sensed his chakra signature. He just hmm'd and snatched a rice ball out of her tin.

"Really? I had no idea. You see, I was out by the gates, and I thought I saw a dog I knew. I was mistaken, but we had a lovely conversation anyway."

'I'm never sure if it's worse when his excuses are plausible.' She just rolled her eyes. "Yamato is right, you are a mooch, shishou."

"He said that about me?" Kakashi asked in a very false, hurt voice. When Aiko looked up, the rice ball was gone. Then he blinked, suddenly focused on her. It was a bit weird for a second, until… "Good lord, that outfit is an abomination. Did Naruto dress you this morning?"

She threw a cherry tomato at his head. He snatched it out of the air and popped it into his mouth. 'This isn't even that strange,' she pouted. A pink v-neck shirt and white shorts was a bit casual for her to actually work out in, but it was stupidly hot out.

"If you two are done flirting, I thought we were going to be doing some training?" Yamato drawled from somewhere behind her. Aiko made a sound that wasn't much more dignified than Karin's yip that morning and jumped, swiveling to glare at him. He grinned at her boyishly. "If not, I can come back later."

"We need to put a fucking bell on you, cat," she muttered grumpily. Stupid ANBU with their stupid sneaking. Stupid Yamato in particular with his uncharacteristic intelligence in finally figuring out that he could tease her back. Did he know something? Or was that just payback for the 'Yamato Nadeshiko' pun that he couldn't seem to shake? She hadn't meant for that to happen, to be honest. Stupid plebians should come up with their own jokes.

While she was sulking, she'd managed to miss Kakashi's reaction to being accused of flirting like a teenager. One eye narrowed. "You know, you've gotten a little fat," Kakashi mused with sugary concern, giving a slight cringe and obvious once-over to the younger man. "Tenzou, I really think it would be for the best if you ran a few dozen laps around the village to burn off that gut." He flopped down onto the ground and innocently blinked up at him. "We'll wait here for you."

Yamato sputtered, one hand jerking convulsively to his tummy at the same time that he attempted to correct Kakashi about his name, deny the accusation, and presumably whine about being set to run laps like a naughty genin.

Aiko wasn't entirely sure what all he said, to be honest. It was hard to focus when she was so busy trying not to snicker aloud.

'Whipped.' She mimicked the motion behind Kakashi's head, enjoying the way her senpai flushed.

"and you can join him," Kakashi added smoothly. "You'll get fat as a house if you keep eating like that."

Somewhat incredulously, she let her eyes slide over to her packed lunch. Two rice balls, some tomatoes, blanched sweet potatoes and peppers, and a box of grape juice were nestled around a piece of fruit—oh, no they aren't, she noted. Her shishou had already snagged her apple and was rubbing it casually against his pant leg with an amused mien that dared her to say anything.

'Maybe I should have brought another lunch so I could actually eat mine. Does the man just not know how to cook?'

It was hard to imagine him doing anything so domestic as putting together a packed lunch. …Though the mental image was adorable.

When she caught up to him on her second lap, Yamato turned to give her a superior expression. It was mostly ruined by the smirk tugging at his lips.

"Oh, shut up," she muttered, elbowing him in the gut. "At least I'm his apprentice, I have to do what he says. Why are you letting him boss you around?"

It appeared that the thought had never occurred to him before.

Aiko felt a little guilty. Yamato was a nice guy, if a bit of a chump sometimes. It was hypocritical to hold him to standards she couldn't perform to. "To be fair, I wouldn't want to tell him no, either," she sighed. "What if he got disappointed in me for being lazy or something?" She'd never really disappointed him before, and she didn't intend to start now.

"I know what you mean," the man at her side grumbled. In the same serious tone, he continued, "and that's why I'm going to finish my laps first." Her jaw dropped, and she unconsciously kicked up her pace to match his increase in speed. "It'd be a bit embarrassing to match the efforts of a Chuunin," he taunted mildly, easily increasing the size of his strides. It was a bit of a dirty trick to play on someone so short.

She actually didn't mind. 'I didn't know Yamato ever played. He usually seems so serious. First time for everything, then?'

"You wish." She shot back, now full-on sprinting.

He did win. By a good four seconds, which was a helluva long time between shinobi. She was fast, but he was ANBU fast. She faux-glared up at him, working to catch her breath. He looked smug, and then glanced at Kakashi as if hoping for approval.

He just raised an eyebrow, spectacularly unimpressed. She wasn't entirely certain, but it sounded like a disparaging, "puppies," left his lips as he turned away.

Yamato looked mildly devastated.

"What did you want, a medal? Maybe for him to jump out of a cake in his underwear?" she whispered to her companion. Kakashi twitched in a way that implied he'd heard the jab, but was already walking away.

She took the chance to glance over her belongings and take a long pull from her water bottle. As expected, her lunch box hadn't really been touched since she'd left. Kakashi had probably just been teasing, then.

"If you two are done flirting, then," Kakashi mocked with wording like Yamato's earlier. The younger man blushed pink on the tips of his ears. Aiko just rolled her eyes. As if.

"I was thinking that it was probably time to do some team training exercises. It's probably for the best you never had to use your new technique the last time we were out on a mission," he directed at Aiko. "Because I don't think you understand just how much it would disrupt team dynamics."

Yamato eyed her curiously. "So, am I finally going to figure out why you two were growling at each other for two months?" he asked innocently.

"Nope." Aiko popped the 'p' sound and fluttered her eyelashes at him.

"Don't tease my poor little kohai, Aiko-chan," Kakashi scolded absentmindedly. "Now. Do you have one of your special toys with you?"

'That sounded dirty', Aiko thought. Judging by the way Yamato blanched, he'd had similar thoughts.

"No." She shrugged. "But I could whip one up, if you have the stuff?"

She half-expected it, so she didn't even blink when he unzipped his hip pouch and dug out a brush, ink, and a little pad of unlined paper.

'Someone planned ahead today.'

"Make two," he said shortly. Aiko cringed. 'There goes almost half my chakra,' she sighed. But she nodded obediently and flopped down onto her tummy to work, crossing her ankles in the air behind her. She wasn't entirely sure if the other two did anything or just stared silently the whole time, because she was in a world of her own while she drew. Instead of completely making one before she started the other, she inked both out and then sat up. Aiko tucked one safely under the toe of her sandals to protect it from the wind. Then she drew her knees up to her chest and pressed the other one to the uncovered skin close to her heart, closed her eyes, and worked on infusing it with her chakra. No matter how much practice she got at this part, it seemed to be easier if she was in physical contact with the seal. (The closer to a large gate, the better).

It stopped accepting chakra with a shudder against her consciousness, so she blinked her eyes open sleepily and held the paper out to her shishou. "There's one," she yawned. Kakashi frowned down at her.

"Are they really so tiring? I didn't think…" he trailed off. Aiko shrugged, and answered the unspoken question honestly.

"I have no idea, it might just be me instead of the actual seal. But yes, this part wears me out."

He seemed to frown. "Can you make another one right away?"

"Oh yeah," she reassured him. "I've made up to four in a day before."

'Of course, I did end up in the hospital,' she reminded herself.

It was probably best not to share that part. It took a moment to gather her thoughts enough to ignore the persistent buzzing of the super-close seal in her shishou's hand. She hurried through the second seal, before anyone got bored enough to actually take a nap. Yamato didn't seem particularly thrilled when she'd glanced his way.

Kakashi must have noted the stutter that indicated she was done, because he gently tugged the paper out of her hands and exchanged it for a kunai with her first tag already on it before she'd even opened her eyes. "Once you've cleared your head, show Yamato your little trick, would you?"

She blinked the tiredness out of her eyes and managed a nod. "Of course." For a moment she just twirled the short knife between her fingers, coming back to the real world enough to pick a target. She almost wanted to play with Yamato by throwing it close to him, but that would be phenomenally stupid. He would probably reflexively move to bat it away, which would probably end with her getting cut up or knocked halfway across the clearing.

But on the other hand, she did want to showboat a little bit after he'd showed her up earlier. So instead, she tossed the seal-laden kunai directly up into the air, caught it and safely tucked it into her leg holster, and then gracefully flipped in the air twice before landing in a crouch.

'I should practice more of that,' Aiko silently decided as she fell. 'Is there any point in being this in-shape if I never pretend to be a gymnast?'

She desperately fought not to giggle at the slack expression on Yamato's face. It became easier when her shishou cuffed the back of her head. "Idiot," he muttered fondly while she yelped and jerked away. He cleared his throat. "Depressing, isn't it?" he addressed to Yamato.

Aiko furrowed her brow. "What?"

They ignored her. "A bit, yeah," Yamato agreed, sheepishly rubbing at the back of his neck.

She rolled her eyes. 'Ugh, they suck sometimes. I bet even Karin would have been impressed by that. The Hiraishin is cool, even if I do have something better.' The thought gave her reason to be smug even when the boys were mocking her, but she didn't want to let them know she had something else up her sleeve. It might be useful later. So instead…

"Are you done pretending I'm not here yet?" she demanded crossly.

Kakashi blinked lazily at her, as if he didn't understand why she would be grumpy. "As I was saying. We're going to spar, and Aiko is only going to use Hiraishin and taijutsu. You two against me."

Yamato frowned. "How is that working on team dynamics?"

Both of his companions gave him dry looks. "Obviously, he already knows how to work around it," Aiko drawled. "Besides, what kind of help from me could he possibly need fighting you?" She glanced at him. "Maybe he'd be desperate enough for my help if he was fighting the Hokage or something, but I sort of doubt it." She paused contemplatively. "I guess I could be a decent meat-shield for a blow or two, but I'm not very big… contrary to someone's claims earlier." She shrugged. "I could protect you from a Kage from like, your hips down," Aiko drawled.

It was only a slight exaggeration. She hadn't grown in a little over a year. Doubtlessly, even stumpy little Naruto had surpassed her.

Her shishou looked mildly amused, despite her glare. "Moving on."

'Actually, I was going to have Yamato make all the stupid mistakes and learn from a distance.' He smiled slightly underneath his mask. Honestly, how would he have learned to work around Hiraishin? He'd barely been Jounin when he'd last worked with Minato sensei. He would have to have been in ANBU to keep up in that sort of fight.

It was sort of adorable that the two in front of him deified him to such ridiculous proportions, even after he bullied them and took their lunches. There was probably something severely wrong with both of them.

"I would recommend taijutsu for you as well, Yamato," he added idly as if he'd never trailed off. "It would be a shame if you skewered Aiko." The boy glanced nervously as their kunoichi, who was displaying her usual failure to worry about the possibility of bodily harm. It was probably the biggest personality trait that linked her to her brother, but he at least had a terrifying giant demon in his gut that would feed him chakra if he was in danger. Aiko was just somewhat lacking in common sense.

That, or she trusted entirely too much that he would keep her safe from anything. That possibility was a little unnerving, so he dismissed it.

Yamato pulled his hands slightly away from his side, as if itching to make hand signs. Aiko rolled her neck in that creepy, boneless way of hers (the kid was far too flexible, even for a ninja) and fiddled with the kunai in her hands. Kakashi tucked the kunai he'd attacked the other seal to away safely in his thigh pouch. Best not to have anything sharp out.

"Let's try Chuunin level taijutsu first." He blinked at his subordinates—and then leapt backwards, dodging Yamato's premature strike and the way Aiko immediately followed, tossing her knife to his left and reappearing with a fist readied.

'Well, that's already annoying,' he noted, making a water clone in the trees and switching places with it. When the other two rushed it, he dismissed the clone and let them knock into each other in their failed, uncoordinated attempts to rush him. He didn't bother to suppress his snicker. That did mean that a moment later both of them were barreling up the side of the tree.

When he had finally tired out both of his subordinates, (and they'd stopped humorously smacking into each other) Kakashi called a halt to the practice, eying their pale-faced kunoichi warily. She was controlling her breathing in a way that indicated she was carefully modulating it to get the most oxygen possible, but not panting. It was a bit odd. He'd seen her use the Hiraishin a good forty times, which seemed to indicate that she had been practicing with the technique on her own a fair bit. That would have to end.

"Aiko, I don't want you to practice with the Hiraishin alone. Understood?"

For a moment, it looked like she was going to protest, but she nodded in acquiesce. He let a hint of warning into his tone. "I'm serious. Don't think I haven't heard that you hospitalized yourself the first time you tried."

The girl flushed bright red.

'That wasn't exactly what she told me,' he thought mulishly, not for the first time. It was hard to deny that his apprentice was growing up rapidly— she was keeping her distance (Though he didn't miss the impromptu cuddles. Really), getting a girlfriend, making the ridiculous failure in judgment that somehow allowed her to think he wouldn't take basic investigation measures like cornering Tsunade in her office and demanding access to Aiko's confidential medical information…

The Hokage hadn't even argued, which he was both pleased and disappointed by. It was less fun to make himself a nuisance if no one blinked twice at it. In fact, she'd already had the papers with her.

(He'd always been prone to finding amusement at other people's expense, but taking on the tribute of emulating Obito had provided nearly endless, light-hearted ammunition that safely steered him away from his own adolescent cruelties. Obito had always been the better person).

Kami, Itachi disliked that man. For him, that was a very strong expression of emotion, even if he never managed to state it outside of his head.

A deep chuckle filled the air, and Kisame leaned against the wall. He eyed his partner. "You know, we are eventually going to have to do our real jobs," he pointed out.

Itachi didn't bother to answer. He knew perfectly well that Kisame was itching for a real fight by this point. He had been avoiding working on their assigned jinchuuriki, but they would eventually have to take care of that. They would also have to provide assistance to their comrades.

He found the idea incredibly distasteful, even beyond what he had already been forced to do for Akatsuki. At least missions re-funding the treasury were much like any mission he could have performed in Konoha. Extracting bijuu was an abominable prospect, especially since every one that Madara gained only put Konoha in more danger.

At least he'd apparently stopped caring about what Sasuke did or did not do in his free time. Itachi was quite happy to discard those plans.

"You know, I don't think Sasori will wait much longer," Kisame rumbled.

He was correct, of course. They had not been pushed to hurry their capture of the jinchuuriki because they did not yet have the number and strength of personnel to conclude the extractions necessary. It would have been a wasteful effort to capture them and then keep them under constant guard until Akatsuki numbered enough S-class criminals (who were, frankly speaking, in rather short supply). But now that they had a full ten…

Doubtless, they would be brought to task if they accomplished absolutely nothing. It would be easier to volunteer his assistance to Sasori's efforts than move against Konoha's jinchuuriki.

Besides, Itachi couldn't help but morbidly hope that the mere sight of him would one day throw Deidara into such a rage that he detonated Madara.

A man could dream.

Kiba fidgeted, thoroughly sick of being professional. It boggled the mind that his team had been chosen for such a diplomatically sensitive mission.

'I mean, I get why it has to be done, but I don't get why it has to be us,' he groused.

Kurenai-sensei aimed a gently admonishing look at him as if she could peer directly into his soul with those red eyes of hers. Maybe she could. He huffed and kicked at the dirt.

He could accept that it was great that there was this terrible grain famine in Rock country, but-

Kiba wrinkled his brow. It sounded bad when he put it that way, but it really did make sense.

Everyone seemed to forget that he wasn't actually stupid, but he had noticed the way everyone had been on edge in the last year or so. The older population had acted as war might break out at any minute if they breathed too loudly. The aggressors in that theoretical war always seemed to be Rock and Lightning, two of the few powerful shinobi nations that didn't have some sort of alliance with Konoha. It hadn't actually gotten that far, of course, and it was starting to look like it wouldn't. No nation would be stupid enough to start a war on their own.

Rock must have been very desperate to come to the Fire Country for relief with their famine. The countries were on notoriously bad terms, two decades after hostilities officially ended. Kiba lived in one of the most prosperous agricultural countries in the world- (which was by far the largest) he had never known the possible effects of a single bad year of crops firsthand.

But he had read all about it in the Academy. More than one war had been started over a few dozen miles of fertile land, even in the lower elevations more analogous to Konoha. A place like Rock, where the climate necessarily restricted the variety of foods they could produce, was much more susceptible to being extremely affected by minor climate or social changes.

He understood why it made sense for Konoha to defang Rock by providing aid at a cost. If they didn't, Rock would still have civilians starving in the streets. When diplomatic actions failed, they would have to do something to feed their populace, even if that meant starting an unwise war. Of course, by going to Fire Country for help, popular opinion should swing somewhat in Konoha's favor, which would make it harder for the Tsuchikage to justify making trouble.

'Still don't see why they'd want a tracker team,' he pouted.

The supply caravan moving through friendly Wind Country territory now was rather large- if he'd been the one staffing it, he would have provided them with much more back up. They had a team of chuunin at the back end, but that was it. Considering how important this mission supposedly was, it felt like a rip-off.

Okay, so maybe it made a little bit of sense to have a tracker team, if only because trackers were also sensors by nature. Between his hearing, Akamaru's nose, Shino's bugs, and Hinata's creepy eyes and creepy snakes, they would know if a chipmunk sneezed twenty miles away.

But still, he grumped. This mission totally sucked.

[astrovian]

Richard Armitage tweets (13/09/21):

To the new owner, I’m delighted that Gizzy’s jacket found a new home. Thank you for sharing the beautiful story about your parents and for your generosity…here are some answers to your questions:

Question #1 from NJO (New Jacket Owner):

While he was filming Hannibal as Francis/Red Dragon, did he recall that in one of the first few Spooks episodes he was unpacking a box of personal items to decorate his new flat and one of the items was a photo of the Red Dragon and that Lucas was a fan of Blake’s? Question: Do you believe it to be simply a bizarre coincidence you were asked to play Francis or perhaps, could it have been kismet? Have there been any other similar kismet-like occurrences in any of your other works?

Re; Hannibal and M15 (you’re in the US!!!) I use William Blake a lot for research and inspiration but it was a coincidence.

Question #2 from NJO:

I’ve often thought that performing any Shakespearean play on stage would be quite a challenge in part due to the length of the monologues and soliloquys. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if Shakespeare had a hatred of actors, despite having done some acting of his own, and that writing these lengthy passages was an intentionally devious act to make life difficult for actors. RA has commented that he would like to play Richard III. Question: If you were put on the spot, say in an interview or a dinner party (presuming you weren’t too far into your cups) could you recite the opening soliloquy of Richard III by heart?

I absolutely could recite the opening soliloquy to R3. Probably would get a bit ‘paraphrasy’ according to how much I’ve imbibed!!!

Question #3 from NJO:

In almost every movie/TV show I’ve seen RA in, at some point, he picks up and carries a woman somewhere. Most of the time he’s carrying them to a bedroom. (How truly gallant of him to carry these women that are apparently so drowsy they cannot walk on their own to the bedroom to go to sleep?) Must keep this G-Rated. Question: So, Mr. Half-Century man, how is your back holding up?

My back is just fine. Looking for someone to carry me in my next role.!!!

Question #4 from NJO:

As we know, RA likes to write bios for his characters to help him realize the characters’ persona. The director of The Stranger, Danny Brocklehurst, took some of those ideas and added them to the series. While promoting it, RA stated that one of the story lines in the show was something that Richard had experienced himself. Question: Would you be willing to share what experience you and Adam had in common?

Adam Price has a conversation with Johanna Griffin (the amazing @SFinneranTV ) he tells a story about how he met Corrine; the story was peppered with real details about a time I was working in Africa. (Strike Back)

Question #5 from NJO:

RA has been filmed extensively on horseback. Actors often comment on how hard it is to get a nag to hit its mark while filming. According to the “Equine Actors Guild, **” (EAG) these beautiful stallions are well trained in their craft and their hooves do NOT miss their mark. The EAG suggests it is perhaps the fault of the actor on the back of the steed and not the mount itself. Question: Have you ever had trouble getting your hirsute, four-legged thespians to hit their mark? What about the two beautiful Borzoi in Oceans 8?

With regards to horses hitting their marks. I’ve had great experiences and made some firm equine friends on film sets. I did, however, ride a thoroughbred for a short time on Robin Hood, he knew showbiz was a step down from racing, and decided one afternoon to bail…

He tore the bit, and sped off with Gisborne on his back riding with only one rein. So the jacket might have some ‘sweat’ stains, but also I agree with the horse. Racing V Showbiz? No contest!!!

Question #6 from NJO:

WikiFeet, which I didn’t know was a thing until a minute ago, ranks RA’s feet 4.77 out of 5.0 compared to other famous people from Leicestershire. I am not a foot person and do my absolute best to not draw attention to my own feet and quite frankly I don’t notice other people’s feet, including RA’s. Question: How do inane “news” stories and rankings on such stupid things sit with you? As a shy(ish) woman, it would make me uncomfortable, and quite frankly, would chap-my-ass be I in your shoes – pun intended. At this point in your career, are you numb to the idiocy of this and can ignore it and move on with your day, or does it chap-your-ass as well, or do you adhere to the adage that all publicity is good publicity?

I rarely read anything written about myself, apart from items that are brought to my attention (by very kind friends). I try to keep my brain full of the useful stuff; there isn’t that much room for anything else.

[poppinisperfection]

Cool. || Peter Maximoff x Reader pt. 1 ||

Peter Maximoff x fem!human!Reader

(Y/n) is history teacher.

Requested.

Word Count: 3543

Notes: Peter acts a little strange in this, he's not being cold on purpose - so keep that in mind. Let's all presume (Y/n) is an independent woman who doesn't let an aloof guy ruin her day 💫 it's more of an introduction, so sorry if that dissapoints y'all. I hope you enjoy this extremely long piece of writing, let me know what you think. Requests are open 🙌

Taglist: @amourtentiaa @scorpionchild81

Masterlist

I flicked the indicator, as it clicked rhythmically and signaled my next turn. Grasping the steering wheel tightly, I wondered whether the direction I was heading in was the right one. My eyes drifted down to the small business card that was beginning to wrinkle from the amount of times it had been read and re-read.

‘Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.

407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center, Westchester County, New York’

With a deep breath, I pushed my foot gently on the accelerator and turned the wheel - solidifying my decision. I drove down the graveled driveway as the evening sun pierced through the acres of fields and forests that dotted the landscape. This place was unlike any school I had ever seen. I had taught at various institutions of all kinds during my training, but something about this place was like something out of a fairytale or Jane Austen novel.

The old academic building grew closer as I prepared to slow down my vehicle and stop at the entrance. I peered around, trying to see if there was any places dedicated for me to park; but as far as I could tell, this was the only appropriate place for me to stop. 

I pulled out my key and felt the car’s engine fade to silence. I didn’t notice how comforting the gentle grumbles of the vehicle had been until they were gone. Now, all that was left was my mind and the thousand worries that crashed around inside it. I'm not a mutant, but I often wonder if being anxious about everything is some sort of weird useless mutation that I unfortunately had. 

Before I could become consumed by my menial fears, the vintage wooden doors opened up as if on cue. A man in a chair wheeled out as his familiar face smiled at me, and I was honestly quite awe-struck by his sudden appearance. I had spoken to Professor Charles Xavier on the phone before (for the job interview), and I had watched him on television a few times, but something about actually being near him was so incredible. This man changed the lives of so many people, possibly even the world.

I took a deep breath in and returned the kind smile, opening my car door and placing my feet onto the ground - the gravel crunching underfoot.

"Professor Xavier, it's so good to meet you." I spoke nervously, unsure of what I should do with my posture. Should I shake his hand? Should I high-five him? Should I bow? Okay maybe those last two were a bit far-fetched...

"The pleasure is all mine, (Y/n)." A voice rang through my head, as if it were my own thoughts speaking to me. But I recognized the voice, a smooth English accent that belonged to the world's most famous telepath.

"Incredible..." I breathed. Some might find it intrusive or freaky, but I was quite honored and honestly dazzled by his abilities. A figure appeared behind the wheelchair-bound man, distracting me from my child-like awe.

"Don't be a such a show-off, Charles." my attention turned to a tall man wearing a pair of glasses and a smart checkered shirt. "Good Evening, I'm Hank McCoy." he piped up cheerily, holding out his hand for me to shake. I absentmindedly took it, a bit starstruck by the world-renowned engineer, scientist, blue-furry man, and genius.

"(Y/n) (L/n)." I eventually spoke up, causing Hank to raise an eyebrow at my words.

“’(L/n)’? You're the new history teacher?" I nodded at his question, "Oh wow, you came so highly recommend that I presumed you'd be a bit more... experienced?" he chose his words carefully as to not offend. I know that most people picture an old greying woman who wears outdated fashion when they think of a history teacher...

"Oh, I'm young, I know." I explained with a bashful chuckle. 

“Hank, you of all people should know greatness is not defined by age.” Charles turned to his colleague. 

“I read that you graduated Harvard at 16.” I blurted out. 

“15, actually.” McCoy mumbled humbly. Xavier gave a satisfied smile as his point was proven. 

“(Y/n) here was top of her class, and I have no doubt that she’ll be a wonderful addition to the school.” the wise mutant stated, assuring Hank and giving me a boost of confidence. “Come inside, Hank can carry your bags for you, won’t you?” the professor inquired cheekily as McCoy threw him a look of slight distain. 

“Somedays I wish I wasn’t born with super-strength...” the academic man shook his head - the comment laced with light-hearted sarcasm - before heading to my car and pulling out my two bags, not even giving me a chance to politely object to the offer. 

“Ignore him, he’s just grumpy because he’s not on the mission.” Professor Xavier chuckled, turning his wheelchair around and beckoning for me to follow him inside. 

“I only trust myself to pilot that beauty.” Hank mentioned wistfully, probably referring to his famous aeronautical creation.

“’The mission’?” I questioned with intrigue, trailing behind him and entering the grand entrance.

“The X-Men are on a routine escort mission for the President at the moment,” my attention turned away from the antique décor as I choked on my breath slightly at his words. Of course I had heard of the famous troop of mutant heroes, but it just suddenly became so real. I was living where the X-Men lived. You know, the same X-Men that saved the world from complete destruction. “I was hoping they’d be here to show you around - but duty calls.” Charles finished. 

“Oh of... of course, duty...” I managed to mutter out eventually, earning a slight laugh from the Professor. He didn’t need to be a telepath to read my mind right now. I was so obviously astonished at the whole situation. I couldn’t believe that I was finally here, after months of thinking, considering, and second-guessing. I knew it was a risk, and I couldn’t even return to my parents if it failed.

Let’s just say that my folks weren’t very supportive of my decision to teach at a 'mutant mansion', as they would call it. Maybe it was stubbornness, maybe it was bravery; but I ignored their advice and became determined to come to Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngers. Now it was my only chance, since my family won't be welcoming me back anytime soon.

I followed Charles around, as he showed me all the rooms and explained some of the history as Hank make the odd comment or interjection. Most notably that the house was actually only a few years old, owing to the fact that the school had been blown up and rebuild a year ago. That was a fact that I could’ve gone without knowing. All I could do was hope that it didn’t blow up again, or at least not when I was around anyway. 

"Your classroom will be right next to the library," Xavier motioned towards a pair of wooden doors that lay open for students to walk freely into, "and feel free to check out any of the books as well - I have a few secret shelves for teachers, with some unregulated research papers on pre-20th century mutations, if that sounds interesting to you?" he added with a playful smile, as I nodded my head in admiration. This place sounded like an absolute dream, and I've only been here for less than an hour.

-------

As we strolled (and wheeled) down the wooden hallways, I noticed the students disappear one by one. By the looks of it, the early night had truly set in, and the majority of children were either in their rooms studying or hanging out in a common area.

"I suppose there's nothing more we can show you until the class starts tomorrow morning, I was really hoping that the team would be back by now..." Xavier gave a short sigh and furrowed his brows slightly, "But I suppose I've prolonged your tour as long as I could. Perhaps Hank, you could show (Y/n) to her room and she can rest in preparation for tomorrow." his smile returned as he asked his colleague for another favor. McCoy nodded his head and gave me a polite smile, still carrying around my bags from earlier. Maybe he didn't anticipate the Professor giving such an expansive and detailed tour of the mansion, so the bags must've been getting burdensome at this stage.

The spectacle-wearing teacher walked ahead of me and strolled towards the grand staircase that lead to the upstairs area (which we had previously travelled to earlier, but it's mainly bedrooms that we couldn't intrude into). I trailed my fingers along the carved bannister of the staircase, admiring the craftsmanship. Considering the school had been blown apart; this place looked as though it was straight out of a historical drama. The Professor could've went for a more modern update, like the ones you see in magazines and government buildings - but something about the simplicity of 1980s architecture just seemed cold and clinical. I'm glad they kept the historical charm alive.

"So you're really not, well, you know..." Hank broke me out of my daydreaming as he turned his head slightly and paused at the top of the steps. It took me a second to register what he was asking, but then it hit me.

"A mutant? Oh," I gave a meek smile before answering, "No I'm just a regular 'homosapien', completely boring." my sentence ended with a light chuckle at my own expense.

"Then you'll be the first non-mutant teacher here, you're making history." McCoy replied with zest as he began to walk down the hallway again.

"I thought I was supposed to teach history, not make it." I chirped from behind him, earning a snort and chuckle from the nerdy fellow (I know, I know - I'm a superb comedian).

As we passed by the student rooms, I could hear the various sounds emerging from behind their doors. One was gossiping loudly to their friends, another was blasting ABBA and singing along, and I could've swore that I heard some quiet sobs escaping through the keyhole of one door. My face fell into a frown as we passed by, and Hank paused slightly, before turning to me.

"That's Sophie Smith's room, she's homesick a lot." he whispered to me, his features showing concern. "You might have her for a class, so maybe keep an eye out if she's struggling." Hank suggested, as my heart went out for this student. I gave him a nod before we continued on our neverending journey towards my room.

Eventually, we stopped at the end of a corridor and my guide dropped my bags carefully on the wooden flooring. He twisted the door knob with one hand, and I watched as the door opened and revealed my bedroom.

"’Home sweet home’, as the saying goes." Hank uttered with a light tone. I stepped into the room and took my bags from the floor, carrying them in with me.

"It's so..." I breathed, observing the room.

"I know, we were supposed to get the curtains changed last month, but there was a mix-up and it's been dela-" he tried to explain, but I cut him off.

"Oh no! I was going to say, 'It's so perfect'." I clarified, brushing off his embarrassment at the state of the curtains (which were beautiful anyway). I stepped forward and placed my bags at the end of the bed while gazing at the beautiful room. This place was growing on me more and more with each minute that passed. 

“I’ll let you get settled in for the night then, there’s a copy of your timetable on your desk - it has all the information you’ll need for classes and etcetera.” Hank gestured to the neat pile of paper sheets on the wooden desk, “There’s always food in the kitchen, feel free to eat whenever and whatever you want.” he added, as my attention turned to my empty stomach. I will definitely be visiting the kitchen after I get settled in. 

“Thank you, for everything.” I beamed, unable to truly express my gratitude. He returned the smile and nodded, before shutting the door and returning to his business. As soon as his footsteps disappeared, I fell flat on the quilted bedsheets and sprawled out, giving out a pent up sigh. It was the kind of sigh that released anxiety and replaced it with assurance. From the looks of it, things were going to be alright - and there was nothing more satisfying that knowing you made the right decision. 

My brief escape into my feelings was cut short, as my stomach audibly warned me that it was running low on fuel. I turned my head and looked over to the beside alarm clock, reading the time; ‘8:24p.m.’

“Hmm,” I mused as I considered my options, “I should probably read you first...” my eyes drifted to the timetable that sat untouched on the desk. My belly did not agree with this decision, as it grumbled once more. “Okay, alright... yeesh.” I placed a hand against my abdomen, trying to settle the noise. “Food first, read later.” I threw my legs over the side of the bed and resolved to make my way towards the school’s kitchen. 

-------

Finding the kitchen was no problem, as the Professor showed it to me at least three times earlier. I guess he really was trying to stretch that tour out as much as possible. A few of the older students who were hanging around glanced at me as I entered the room. I couldn’t tell if they knew I was a teacher, or if they just thought I was a new student; either way, they didn’t stick around to find out. The group of teenagers grabbed their snacks and left the room once their privacy was interrupted. Honestly, I just think they were gossiping about some pop music band and didn’t want a stranger listening - so I didn’t mind their swift exit. It left me with some privacy as well, which was nice. 

I noticed a small radio sitting in the window sill, and decided to switch it on to break the silence. A static noise rang out as I extended the antenna and turned the knob carefully. Soon a voice grew clearer, and I had reached a station playing something. I just let the song play out, since I didn’t want to bother with searching the airwaves for something else. 

I stepped over to the pantry and surveyed the contents carefully. I was starving, but I couldn’t figure out what for. I picked up a loaf of bread and placed it on the counter, deciding it would have to be a PB & Jelly sandwich. Grabbing a plate, I began to craft my makeshift dinner. Absentmindedly, my head began to sway gently to the tune that played through the tinny radio speaker. It was one of those cheesy love songs that are always playing these days. There was something so catchy about those songs, and instinctively I began to mouth the words and drift into an MTV daydream. 

My brief escape from reality faded away as I noticed a clinking noise coming from the glass and cutlery. It was almost like an earthquake, but I knew that New York was unlikely to experience that kind of disaster (well I hoped so, at least).

A bright light shone outside the window, and I stepped closer to peer out. The basketball court had opened up and revealed a massive basement beneath it. A few seconds later, a black jet descended gracefully from the dark sky and lowered itself underground while the whole mansion trembled with the power it created. I swiftly grabbed the jam jar as it almost slipped off the edge of the counter, and stared in awe. 

“So that’s where they keep it...” I breathed out as the basketball court returned to its normal state, as if nothing had happened. I stood in wonder for a few seconds, still holding the jar tightly in my hands. That was probably the most of the X-Men I’d be seeing tonight. I’m no expert on presidential mission debriefing, but I presumed the team of elite heroes wouldn’t be mingling with the common folk upstairs for at least an hou-

“Ugh, this song’s a real bummer.” 

I nearly jumped out of my skin as a voice suddenly quipped from beside me. My attention hastily turned to a combat uniformed young man - quickly flicking through the radio stations. I stared at him, half confused and half terrified of his sudden appearance. Slowly I began to recognize his features; silvery hair, aloof attitude, and of course, the recognisable X-Men uniform. 

“Hey - you’re that guy...” I tilted my head slightly as I spoke without thinking. In a split second, he appeared at the fridge wearing an entirely new outfit, this time more casual. The music had changed to something more rock-y and alternative, matching his aesthetic. I was almost certain of it. I couldn’t remember his name, but I’ve definitely seen him with the X-Men on the news. I was almost certain of it.

“Nah, you’re thinking of a different guy.” he responded without second thought, while lifting out a can of some kind of soda. I felt my mouth contort in confusion, bemused by his comment. 

“I...” my thoughts paused to phrase my words correctly, “You were just wearing an X-Men uniform, you’ve got to be him.” I managed to retort, causing the confident fellow to raise an eyebrow. With the blink of an eye, he had disappeared from my sight again. 

“So, you don’t even know his name - and you’re convinced he’s me?” the silver-haired guy stated nonchalantly from behind me as he sipped on his drink. I gasped and grabbed my chest in surprise, not expecting him to sneak up behind me like that. I gave a sigh and prepared to answer the question. 

“I know, I’m sorry.” I closed my eyes and wracked my brain for a moment, “Peter, right?” I sighed, finally recalling the speedy mutant’s name. I looked up at him and expected some sort of witty remark. Instead, he just stared at me for a few seconds. I avoided his gaze awkwardly and looked down at the jam jar that still sat in my hands. Clearing my throat, I placed it carefully onto the counter beside me - trying to distract from his sudden silence. 

“Oh.” I mumbled at the change of topic, “I am. Only arrived here a few hours ago. The Professor showed me around earlier, with Hank, I saw all the classrooms and it was really quite-” I harped on, “I'm sorry, I'm rambling..." my voice lowered, as I watched the casual fellow open up a bag of pretzels and munch on them absentmindedly. He gave a soft chuckle at my apology.

“So, you’re new here?” for the third time, he appeared in a different location, leaving me to turn around one more time. He faced away from me, opening a drawer and surveying its content silently. 

"Cool." he replied simply, placing a few more pretzels into his mouth.

"Cool." I repeated gently, trying to decipher his aloofness. This 'Peter' was blunt, distant, and almost cold. It was as if I had offended him somehow. I stared at my surroundings for a brief moment, before deciding to get off of the wrong foot.

"I'm sorry if I was rude earlier; or was it that I couldn't remember your name?" I tried to find the reason for his indifference, wringing my hands with nerves. Peter raised an eyebrow and scowled slightly at my question.

"Rude?" he asked with a shocked tone.

"Yeah, I thought I offended you?" I explained.

"Nah, nah, we're good." he shrugged my theory off and zoomed over to the bin, throwing the crumpled wrapper in it. "I gotta go now, X-Men stuff." Peter turned to me and excused himself. I gave a soft 'oh' in surprise, and held out my hand for him to shake (just a teacher habit, I guess).

"Nice to meet you anyway, Peter." I smiled at him. The silvery guy just stared at my hand and then looked back up to me - but for some reason, avoided my eyes.

"Cool." he said again, before disappearing from sight; leaving me standing there, alone, holding my hand out for no one. Slowly I lowered my wrist and cleared my throat.

"Cool..." I said to myself, still entirely confused by the interaction. My attention quickly turned to the change in music. The radio suddenly shifted from the grungy tunes, back to the end of love ballad that I was listening to earlier. He must've changed it back. I tilted my head and stared at the little radio in the window, listening and thinking.

Maybe he wasn't as cold as I thought. Maybe I'll try and get a better conversation from that silver-haired boy tomorrow. Maybe I'll get that handshake from him. Maybe.

Still, the only thing that matters right now is that I eat that PB&J sandwich.

-------

[untitledtheunknown]

Psychofans & Mediacorps

(Backstory and lore on some psychofan encounters and the attempted kidnapping of Kerry Eurodyne along with some related events with Johnny Silverhand. Written as a Screamsheet because I was bored, and this all isn’t 100% since actual events aren’t always fully disclosed. Word count: 2976. Sources at the end.)

Being a world famous Rockerboy is really all it’s chalked up to be, doesn’t mean there isn’t its fair share of snags along the way. Fame and glory comes with a heavy price tag many don’t realize as they’re building their way to the top. Blinded by having your name in the lights, seeing hundreds of thousands of fans all eagerly waiting to just get a glimpse of you. Night City Legend Kerry Eurodyne commented, “It’s scary. I mean, to think that one hundred thousand people are selling their souls to see you, and you’ve got them hanging on your every word.” The very fans that would kill for a chance to see their idols live, are the very same that would put them on Trauma. 

Not just the fans either. Corporate is everywhere, in everything. Fight the system through lyrics while making them richer all the same. Media giants like N54 and DMS buying up the whole show to beat on their chest about who has the most control. The issue comes with their greed for it, keeping those who give them wealth on short leashes. Best offers, benefits, prestige of having a higher name attached to yours. But when friendship runs deeper than the quick climb to fame, other options of “persuasion” may occur. Aggressive strategies to keep themselves on top, because the company always come first.

We’re going to start this article off on arguably a lighter topic, that being the psychofans. I say arguably because they can do just as much damage as the corporations, but it's usually a bit more controlled. We'll hit on that later. There’s the usual rush security, jump fences, steal an axe, the almost seemingly normal chaotic fan behavior you can expect at most high profile gigs. Don’t lie, there’s always one in the audience. 

The sudden rise to fame with Samurai also helped play a part in this erratic behavior, Eurodyne had previously stated, “One minute we’re chugging through our old numbers in some small, no name club to the same crowd; the next we’ve sold out Wembley Stadium and there are a hundred thousand killing each other to get a look at us.” This wasn’t much of an overstatement either. Samurai’s rapid rise to fame took a mere three weeks after signing to Universal Music to reach the number one spot on EuroRadio charts. Everyone wanted a piece of Samurai then, and following the break up in late 2007 that craving didn’t soon die out. 

A number of incidents have happened, being on world tours is a crazy place. Never really know how fans are going to act until you’re in the thick of it. Most these incidents happen backstage, after gigs, or just by random chance coming across someone on the streets, in the open. One particular incident was documented in 2020 in the following of Trauma Team’s Rich “Meatball” Cramer M.D., Lifeline Trauma Inc., Night City Branch #23. 

Broken card call, 15:55, to the Grand Illusion Dance Hall and Bar. Patient being none other than one Rockerboy, Kerry Eurodyne. Compared to the rest of the logs of the night this was a breath of fresh air for the Lifeline agents, not so much for Mr. Eurodyne who was being assaulted by a gang of young female fans. Teargas was dispensed and our Rocker was extracted from the scene. Kerry was in good health at time of extraction, footing the bill of the call to the studio as well as a new set of clothes. Lawsuits were never charged as the fans left enjoying the chaos. 

Another lesser known act back in 2043-44, while performing in Memphis TN an assailant got backstage and put a knife to Kerry’s throat. Intentions of the attack are unknown. Could have been a psychofan making demands of an idol, or someone who knew the net wealth of the name Kerry Eurodyne at the time? Either way the incident ended without bloodshed, Kerry was able to talk the assailant down and promptly knock him out with a stiff pour of that high life tequila. The rest was handled by the venue’s security. Unfortunately events like these are almost common for the stardom lifestyle. 

Lives are kept under public scrutiny 24/7. “Be prepared to have your private life open to the world,” Rockerboy, Johnny Silverhand, had mentioned in a column from Advice From the Pros. Name in the lights simply means just that, private life is on show as well and nothing can truly be kept secret forever. Kerry Eurodyne had added, “Cover your ass on your social life, the mediacorps are capable of setting you up bigtime in compromising situations… Make sure you know who you’re hanging out with, and something about their friends.” Not just fans and so called friends you need to watch out for, but the very people you sign yourself away with. 

Rockers Kerry Eurodyne and Johnny Silverhand are no stranger to this cold truth. Even mediacorps you don’t sign with will have motives, and often resources, to try and gain a signature. Corporations will often go after the output/input or family of the Talent instead of the Talent itself. However, big companies like DMS, the rival to N54 News, also have other methods to “persuade” a contract breach and change. Both Kerry and Johnny were targeted by this particular company, though this time it was Eurodyne dragging Silverhand into trouble. 

After the time Samurai had broken up for good, late 2007 early 2008 Kerry was looking for a decent solo deal. This was a gamble for most Labels at the time, Johnny was the frontman of Samurai, Kerry’s true talent had yet to really flourish into the Legend we know today. At this stage in their careers they were just some new-boy artists, that had a couple songs and albums that made it big. A lot of bands will have their handfuls of top sellers and then disappear into a faded memory. However, media giant DMS saw promise in Kerry, and they quickly came out with an offer for the young Rockerboy that would put him right back on the road to stardom. 

Kerry was going to take the offer until Universal came up with an offer that wouldn’t just set him up but Johnny as well. The two decided that the offer Universal had was too good to pass up, and with good reason. Universal not only was packaging the two Rockerboys together as independent solo artists, they were offering a better deal as a whole. Since Universal already knew them from Samurai, and knew what the two could produce, formalities of signing a new band was skipped. Re-signing with Universal gave them guaranteed concessions normally only offered to major bands or superstars. 

DMS didn’t come back with a counter offer, they came back with threats. Eurodyne, and those close to him, started to receive threats from the mediacorp, these quickly escalated to hired thugs harassing and assaulting everyone in the Rocker’s inner circle, as well as himself. A common tactic for many corporations to get what they want. However, Kerry wasn’t folding to their pressure, sticking with his decision with Johnny to sign to Universal. At this point the signatures were received and Kerry’s talent was the official property of Universal Music once again. This only made the situation worse, and turned into a rather rare occurrence for the music scene. 

Major corporations have a number of outlets that they have at full disposal to get what and whom they want, when they want. DMS is not unique in this fact, but they do have one of the more unique techniques. DMS is creative, deadly, and, for a corporation its size, dangerously agile. They are known for their aggressive and ruthless recruiting tactics, and they do not take “no” with grace. 

Eurodyne’s fate, to DMS, was sealed the moment they selected him, no matter his choice. DMS starts with a fair offer, most of it coming with the prestige of having their name backing you and their benefits package. In the case of Eurodyne, where this was not enough, DMS will call on their Special Recruiting Division, which is devoted solely to recruiting and converting people who are reluctant to sign to DMS. A fancy way of saying they send in their black ops section to perform extractions on those who are bound by contract or reluctant to leave their current company. 

Extractions are illegal, but the government is in the pocket of these corporate giants. Though they hardly ever send their own people, so even if the extraction does fail the proof of finding out who sponsored the extraction is normally too timely, over looked, or asking corpses. Most these companies hire Solos to get the job done, a number of groups exist in this profession alone. Extractions are unsettling common in the corpo world that counter extractions are budgeted into company spending plans. As well many big companies have jealousy protection, and pre-planned countermeasures to prevent extraction attempts of their employees or Talents.

Now, you may be asking yourself, “If they didn’t want to work for them before, what would kidnapping them do?” Well, DMS and other companies thought about this issue as well. How do you force someone to work for you? Blackmail is the obvious answer, to the Talent, to their friends, their family, etc. It's a simple fix that will get a result, but can’t guarantee the product. Its proven effective though, reputation is everything- threats to destroy that are not taken lightly. For a company like DMS, they have a one up on this if they can't get the Talent to see eye to eye with their terms. “Talent Indoctrination”, TI for short, otherwise known as brainwashing to the common choom. It's a program used for winning over people who express resistance to “joining the DMS family” even after extraction. 

TI is only a rumor outside of the highest levels of the corporation, and those who have been subjected to it. Luckily, TI section failures are rare, unluckily survival of TI section failures is even rarer. DMS, however, is willing to risk TI only on targets with a high enough revenue generation potential. Executives are more at risk than artists, given artists are seen as disposable and the average commercial shelf-life of a DMS Music artist is only a couple years. Most only making it an average of two before they’re dropped back to performing at clubs and bars for the same hundred fans, if that. 

This was the threat Kerry was under, one that became very real one fateful day when the Rockerboy was abducted by a group of hired muscle from the corporation. While Kerry was successfully kidnapped and relocated, the extraction itself failed due to intervention of Legendary Solo, Morgan Blackhand. Blackhand was able to capture all five kidnappers, alone, and turned them over to the Federal Authorities. Beaten, battered, and bruised but all five were alive when they were handed over. This act alone humiliated DMS, who was only found later on in investigation to have been the group’s sponsor. Its not unheard of extractions being foiled, but for a company like DMS it was a shot to their pride since Kerry would know it was them that called it. The real humiliation of it comes from the fact Blackhand snagged them all alive, allowing the truth to be exposed to the public, tarnishing that royal reputation of theirs, though no legal action would be taken.

Embarrassing a huge company like that puts a major target on your back. Legality they could care less about, but reputation is not something any corporation wants to gamble with. Morgan Blackhand would become a target for a later date, DMS wasn’t done with Kerry Eurodyne yet. Now, though, their attention was brought to one of the key elements for why Kerry declined their original offer; Johnny Silverhand. 

“They were threatening Johnny and I with things like government investigations and stuff. By the time that threat was made, we’d already signed with Universal…” Eurodyne recalled during an interview. It was true, DMS had dug not only into Kerry’s past life but Johnny’s as well. They were at the stage of “If we can’t have you, no one will.” While Eurodyne’s rap sheet was arguably cleaner, DMS was preparing to go full out, and all in to find anything they could. What they had as their ace was Silverhand’s military past, and they knew they could find the same information about Eurodyne as well or paint him for it. Both Rockers had served during the 2000’s Central American Conflict, Johnny’s desertion was all they needed to start the fire.

DMS was preparing to take this knowledge to the government, and at that point they could say and paint anything on Kerry as well. Their careers were about to end before they even began. Short on time, they did the only thing they could do, they went to Universal Music. With the counter threat of exposure of DMS’s corruption and abusive power over their Talents, Universal made their position clear. This was a PR move, DMS could go to their pocket government agents to have the Rockerboy’s locked away for life, but Universal was going for their public appearance. The ends didn't justify the means, DMS backed down.

Lawsuits were dropped, threats ceased, no more extraction attempts were made on either rockstar. They were given freedom to produce their albums and do tours under the protection of Universal. It wouldn’t be for another several years down the line when DMS would rear its ugly head back into their lives. Well, only in passing.

Denny, the former drummer of Samurai, had a new band called Mastermind that was being recorded by DMS Music. “She knows how I feel about them, but the contract they’ve got is suitable for her, so I’m not going to interfere as long as she is happy.” Kerry had stated on the matter back in late 2013, “Even now you won’t find Johnny or I saying anything remotely positive about DMS… I’m just glad no one was listening when I made certain comments or some of my fans might have taken those rash words to heart and we might have had some serious problems.” A tongue in cheek response to the 13 April 2013 Arasaka Riots led by Johnny Silverhand, under the old band's name of Samurai. Rioters killed 18 and wounded 51 on that night, gutting the Arasaka complex. An event that would only deepen the wedge between the two Rockerboys, yet redefine them entirely.

Silverhand, however, would be blackmailed again later on in 2009 by EBS Records to leave Universal and sign a solo contract with them. EBS had found out that Johnny was an AWOL U.S. Marine who had deserted during the Second Conflict. The blackmail attempt was quickly dropped as Johnny came clean himself, revealing all his secrets and shining light on the plight of veterans of the covert war, with his now famous album Sins of Your Brother. 

One thing the Rocker was known for was starting changes with his music, back in late 2012 Silverhand had an assassination attempt on his life believed to be sourced from Biotechnica do to their belief of controversal opinions to their practices heard on his album Clone Wars. Being forced to take several months of seclusion to let the heat die down before going on tour himself.

Given all of this, and much more, they had been relatively lucky. Maybe not with the fans, Eurodyne still faces the masses though in some more creative ways now. Having his biometric data copyrighted, and agreements with NCPD to monitor CCTVs for any unauthorized replications. Hasn't stopped some from trying, going as far as faking nudes that broke headlines awhile back only to have frisky imaginations shot down by his management. As far as Johnny goes, I don't think anything beats the rumor that was circulating sometime after the events of Arasaka Tower back in 2023. The idea some obsessive fan sneaked past security of the city to dig through the rubble, locating his body to put on ice and keep like some kind of memorabilia? It sounds crazy, but everyone in Night City knew what kind of fans Samurai, and more importantly, Johnny Silverhand had. Made it completely possible and people didn't really doubt that it could be true.

With corporations though, the two Rockerboys dodged a bullet. Multiples if you were keeping count. Others haven't been so lucky. A number of stories of Talents being threatened and giving into demands, multiple assassination attempts to end someone's career, Talents being kidnapped and tortured, so far as one account of a musicians hands being crushed to prevent preformances. From the outside being a Rockerboy looks like a party scene, and a lot of it is, but as the longest living in the scene will tell you, keep a Solo and a Netrunner you trust close on personal pay.

Events come full circle, once you make it to the big time stardom, the public eye notices everything, hangs onto every word. Talents like Silverhand and Eurodyne control the masses in the same way the corporations do. The audiences look to them for guidance, though in some cases the lessons are lost in translation. With everything from greedy labels making backdoor deals behind their Talent’s backs, something Kerry Eurodyne and Us Cracks went through this year, to psychofans making their own demands, to corporate reputation wars. Being a Rockerboy never gets easier, but few have hardly ever survived the test of time as Kerry has. An uphill battle from his earliest beginnings, to sitting on the Rockerboy throne of Night City, well into 2077 and still holding the title of "God of Rock" without a fault. 

Sources and Quotes:

Rockerboy Source Book

Backstage with Kerry Eurodyne page 7-9

Extortion. Bribery. Kidnapping. Brainwashing. And Other Nasty Tricks. Page 44-45

Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0. The Second Edition

Silverhand Update: Clone Tour Begins page 225

One Night with the TRAUMA TEAM page 231 

Live & Direct 

Diverse Media Systems “Technotainment” page 81-82

Solo of Fortune Vol II Source Book

American Angels: One of Europe’s Best Rates the Top U.S. Pros. page 63

Cyberpunk Red

Welcome to the Dark Future page 239

Cyberpunk 2077

Spector Melee Vendor Westbrook

Gig: Psychofans Gaston Slayton's computer

Shard Glam Now! - The Mag For Those Who Love This For Themselves

[klaus-is-the-real-number-1]

The day we caught the train (Slytherin!Five x Hufflepuff!Reader)

 missvifdor said:  It would be for Five Slytherins with a Hufflepuff reader 🤗 they are very opposite in personality but they complement each other. I love Harry Potter and the umbrella academy, so i'm glad you write about both 😄 thank you,

A/N: this was like kinda vauge so i made up like a story line i guess?? Its kinda a mess and really long?? hope this is ok!! I really like these because i used to be obsessed with HP, in this i imagine Five would be from the really posh part of london where, the reader being opposites to him would be from a northern town and theyre both in sixth year which is age 16-17, i had to do so much research for this lol

Words: 2711

Footsteps echoed through the long empty halls as curfew rolled around, the sounds of students rushing to get back to their dormitories after a long night of studying and hushed whispering of passwords was not an unfamiliar sound at this time of night. Pictures were left empty as their residents wandered away out of frame and the castle slowly went to sleep, except for the prefects. As the sun went down, the prefects got up to do nightly patrols to make sure no students were up past curfew, each house prefect patrolled their own areas around their relative commonrooms to catch any wrong doers, not that they were many.

Tonight was your turn, patrolling the basement level and the kitchen corridor around the Hufflepuff dorm room, waiting for anything exciting to happen yet you knew it never would. Hufflepuffs always had a strong moral code and a clear right from wrong, every single patrol you carried out during Fifth year when you were appointed prefect you never caught a single person, now part way into sixth year still not once incident had occurred.

Yet, for some reason, every patrol you had ended up with a certain Slytherin prefect following you around, Five. Five was unusual to say the least, he was a well respected and slightly feared student, cunning and determined, he had a close knit clique of fellow pure blood slytherins, yet for some reason out of everyone in the whole of the castle, he had a soft spot for you. Even though he’d never show it in front of others, during the light of the day he’d sneak in side glances and small smiles, especially in the first few years making sure no comments came your way about your muggle parents or your upbringing.

Exactly on queue, a familiar sound of footsteps echoed down the staircase leading to you corridor only to stop short at the last step. A small ‘lumos’ echoed throughout the quiet hallway before Fives head pops into view, checking it was actually you there before a large smile breaking on his face as he walked into view. “Hey.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be on patrol?” You smile to him as he got closer, crossing your arms over your chest.

“They know it’s me on, no one would dare try anything.” He smirks knowing he was right, striking fear into everybody, except you. His eyes soften and his tone became gentle when he was speaking with you. He’d always been like that, from your first journey on the Hogwarts express, talking the entire train journey up, secret library meeting when you both realised things weren’t as simple as just being friends. Things got difficult when blood ‘purity’ came into play, when suddenly you couldn’t be friends, which hurt.

The dimly lit hallways excentrated his features, his sharp jaw and high cheekbones cast shadows on his face and neck, yet his dimples still shone through when he smiles and breaks up the harsh exterior that he puts on. Stepping closer, you lifted your hand to run it through his hair, watching his face break out into a smile and wrap his hand around your waist. Small displays of affection weren’t uncommon between the two of you, only increasing through the years of being at Hogwarts. “I’m so glad you stopped gelling your hair back.”

“Don’t remind me.” He rolled his eyes, remembering his poor style choices of his past. You move your hand and run it down the side of his face and across his jaw, taking a second to admire him before dropping your hand.

“I’ve gotta go, my shifts nearly over.” A sad looking smile broke over his face as he slowly lowered his hand from your waist. “I’ll see you tomorrow though.” You say as you lock eyes with him.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” He repeated back to you. He smiled and started walking towards the stairs, just before his foot touched the first step he turned back to you. “Goodnight, y/n.”

Dueling was always one of the most exciting parts of Hogwarts, it was a welcome break from the immense workload that sixth years had to deal with. In sixth year you were expected to be able to cast non-verbal spells, a mentally challenging task where some were better than others. Over the past month your defence class had been working tirelessly on being able to cast successful non-verbal spells with the promise of having a period where you would be duelling, which was exciting for everyone involved, a chance to show your abilities and represent your house.

“I’m going to be pairing you up today,” Your teacher spoke to you all as he was stood on the dueling table, met with a grumble from the students. “With student of the same ability.” He continued, seemingly unaffected by the disappointed sounds of the sixth years. “When I call you out, both of you will come to the stage.”

Cheers and boo’s echoes throughout the room as students from different houses duled, light flying from wands as students desperately tried to conjure spells without speaking, some pulling through well where others barely being able to produce anything at all. Tension rose throughout the room as more people slowly got paired off, everyone wondering who would be the next pair.

“Y/n and Five.”

Smiling, you walk up to the stage and face Five, seeing a small smile emerge from his stern expression. Wands at the ready, you wait for the call to start from the teacher, already knowing your strategy. The air turned heavy and the room turned quite as everyone was ready to watch the duel, you were both the highest achieving students in the class and people were eager to see who would be the best.

Then it started, Five casting the first spell only to have you deflect it, causing a gasp to echo through the room. You knew it would be a risky move to cast a spell that hadn’t been taught, a spell that wasn’t even in the curriculum. It was the only way you had ever found deflecting a spell without having the spell hit your opponent, Five was stunned for a second before hitting back with another spell, only for you to deflect it again and again and again. Waiting for a hesitation from Five to strike and then you got it, a gap in his relentless spell casting when he took a second too long to think about his next spell. 

Before he could blink, he was thrown to the floor with his wand flying out of his hand as you hit him with expelliarmus. Cheers erupted from students interspersed with nasty comments from the Slytherin students, you walk over to Five who was winded from his fall on the floor. Offering your hand he goes to take it before hesitating, under the watchful eyes of his Slytherin clique he lowered his hand and picked himself up, brushing down his robes. 

“Right!” Your teacher stood up on the stage with you and Five. “Class is dismissed, remember to keep practicing these non-verbal spells.” Your eyes never left Five as your teacher spoke, you felt a stinging sensation wash over your eyes accompanied by a throbbing in your chest at his actions. You shook your head and turned away, unable to keep looking at him without bursting into tears. 

“I need you to stay behind.” He turned to you, giving you a stern look only to soften when he saw you in near tears. Slowly, everyone left the room, either going to the library or commonrooms to await their next lesson due to the early finish. Closing your eyes, you gently tapping the lids with your fingertips to try and ease the stinging feeling, you take a deep breath before re-opening your eyes.

“Am I in trouble?” You say as you sit on the side of the duelling stage, legs swinging as you play with your hands.

“Not exactly,” He sighs, sitting in a chair facing you. “Where did you learn that?”

So you start to explain, lying as you went, as you explained you started to immediately regret even casting the spell in the first place. In fourth year you were spending a late night in the library, trying to find any books to help you excel in your classes, you had piles of books in front of you and then one book you opened had sheets of parchment paper interspersed with the other pages filled with spells that weren’t on the curriculum. It was filled with defence spells, jinxes, curses and more, it had been your guide ever since you found it. This, however, was not what you explained to him, simply saying you were doing some reading and found it and were unable to find the book again.

You could tell he didn’t believe you, but sensed that he wouldn’t delve too far into your story. “You can’t pull anything like that again,” He looked at you for a response so you just nodded. “I won’t go any further with this, you can go.”

The rest of the day went slowly, doing everything in your might to avoid Five, you had been patient with him all these years and him not even wanting to let you pull him up because of his little gang looking at him hurt, it stung. You know he’s loyal to his house but after 6 years of always hiding and sneaking around you just couldn’t bare it anymore, couldn’t bare the fact that Five had let this wizarding class war consume him.

Post day was always fun, hundreds of owls flying into the great hall and dropping off post from friends and family at home, some received letters while others got large packages sent in. Bruce was your barn owl, he was large, brown and robust, he would usually reside on your parents farm, being well loved and looked after by your whole family whilst you were away but always knew when you needed him in the castle.

In he came, swooping down with a letter tied to him and landing elegantly in front of you. Petting him with one hand while the other unties the letter, excited chatter filled the room as most other people were doing the exact same thing, wondering what their loved ones had sent them. Carefully opening the letter, trying not to tear the envelope, your eyes scan over the hand-written letter, smiling at all the information that was written in great detail.

At the very bottom they’d attached a photograph of them all together smiling, along with your dog and a few other animals they all looked after. As you were smiling and showing your friends you felt it get pulled out of your hand; turning around, you were met with one of Fives Slytherin friends waving your photo around, calling on his friends.

“Ere’ give it back.” Getting up, you try and swipe it from his hands only for him to hold it higher, scrunching it as he did.

“What are you going to do about it, mudblood-” Before he could finish his sentence the photo was snatched out of his hand by Five, lightly tapping it with his wand and the photo returned to pristine condition before handing it back to you with a small smile.

“Behave.” Five said to him, pulling him away from your table and back to theirs. A smile snuck onto your face as you sat back down, Five had never done anything like that outside the darkness of the library or the nightly patrols, let alone in front of his friends. 

Then, very slowly, he started to actively integrate himself into your life, talking to you in class, helping each other with homework after classes and even sitting with you at lunch on a regular basis. Building up your trust for him again, building up your friendship publically even with all the snide comments other people gave him, he ignored them all for you.

As winter rolled round, snow dusted the castle and surrounding areas as if it was a cake getting doused in icing sugar about to be presented for a meal. Cold nipped at your noses as you made the trek into Hogsmeade, students rushing to buy last minute presents for loved ones before christmas break as well as a stream of students flocking to the Three Broomsticks to get their last sips of butterbeer before the train journey home.

The Three Broomsticks was so full that students were being turned away, it was bursting at the brim with some students even even sharing chairs. The atmosphere was buzzing with excited students, conversations so loud that you couldn’t even hear yourself think. Five and yourself had been lucky, opting to come to the pub first thing then doing your christmas shopping, finding a small booth hid in the corner.

“So are you excited to go home?” He was wrapped up in a hoodie and jacket, a discarded hat and scarf lying on the table, leaving him with flushed cheeks and tousled hair. 

“I ain’t going home,” You say, taking a sip of butterbeer. “I never have, I’d have to get the muggle train back north, costs around 100 quid each way.” You tap your fingers against the half empty glass. “Canny afford it.” 

“You’ve never gone home for christmas?” Sadness was present in his eyes as he locked them with yours but you just shrugged.

“It’s not that bad, it’s like, my sixth year staying so everyone is just used to me now, I get to phone home and they basically give me access to the kitchen and all the teachers who stay put on interest lessons and such.” A breeze caused you to shiver, wrapping you jacket tighter around you. “I also help with the animals.”

Upon seeing you shiver Five leant over the table to wrap his scarf around your neck before gently tucking a strand of hair behind your ear; the small display of public affection causing you to blush. Once you’d finished your drinks you head into town, looking down the alleys for all the little shops you could find, looking for the perfect gifts for your family, asking a slightly unenthusiastic Five for a second opinion and just receiving a series of raised eyebrows or nods of his head. 

Taking your time to walk back to the campus, Fives hand had found its way into yours, swinging your entwined fingers as you went. As the large castle came into view a bittersweet feeling washed over you, knowing that Five and everyone else would be leaving for the holidays tomorrow while you stayed at the castle. Even if the empty hallways felt like home there was always a pang in your chest on christmas morning, even if it did ease off during the day whilst sat round with friends and teachers, it still made your chest throb.

Joy was evident in the great hall, everyone talking loudly and laughing with their friends knowing they won’t be seen for the next two weeks, an exchange of gifts and cards being passed around. Slowly, everyone faded out to the dining hall, getting ready to get on the Hogwarts express home, you passed around hugs and goodbyes as your friends left the common room, all of them leaving cards and parcels by your bed and made you swear not to open them until christmas day. 

All morning you were looking around for Five but were never able to see him and as everyone left for the station you were convinced he had gone. Defeated, you walk through the empty hallways to the great hall for the regular meeting where the staff discuss the rules with the rest of you who had stayed behind. You heard a voice call your name behind you, quickly turning around, you see him. “Five?”

“They needed a male prefect to stay on campus,” He says as he gets closer, grin covering his face. “So I volunteered.” Instead of answering you just throw yourself at him, embracing him in your arms. His arms instantly wrap around your figure, resting his chin on the top of your head.

“Thank you, Five.”

[marvelfansince08love]

Beneath your scars

Word Count: 3597

Pairing: Wilhemina Venable x Female!Reader 

Prompts: “You deserve more than this” “You think I’m beautiful” “I can’t live...not with you” “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Warning: angst with a happy ending, mentions of fighting and scars, Mina showing her vulnerable side. NSFW 18+ you’ve been warned lmao. 

A/N: For anon, I hope you enjoy reading. I loved writing this and messing around with Mina’s vulnerable side and delving into her character a bit more. 

Tags: @waitingfortheendtocome​ @natasha-danvers​ @imnotasuperhero​

I do not own this gif! 

Prompts 1,8,11,17 Being with Wilhemina Venable was like being on a roller-coaster. You enjoy the ride while it's at its peak heading for that blue sky but then it drops making your stomach curl, wanting to close your eyes as tight as possible while you weave through sharp corners just hoping to get back to the peak within the clouds again. 

You see, being at the peak close to the clouds was when you were at your best with Mina, you both may not admit it but you enjoy being around each other, you enjoy talking into the late nights after a hard day. Mina would travel home from work and take the first exit straight to you without realising it but you'd be there by the door, glass of red in hand for her and her favourite meal set at the table. You'd smile knowingly at her tired face and without a single word uttered you'd take her into your arms and hold her tight. You've both never brought up your relationship status, too scared to ruin what you've created but you both knew it was something special.

Six months down the line and you are still riding that coaster higher and higher into the clouds. One dark night you decide to change up your routine by driving to her home after a stressful day at the office to surprise her. You see, working for the rival company of your lover can be difficult and you both try not to delve into too much information about the companies in fear of clashing and ruining your private bubble you both have created. 

You see to an outsider, your relationship looks  like the classic same-sex relationship with passion and love, but the thing is you and Mina haven’t reached that stage of your relationship yet. Sure, you share heated kisses and flirt like real lovers but your relationship is much more deeper than that. You are each other's comfort, someone to hold tightly to at night when you need it; always full clothed per Mina’s request, who you can moan to about your day, to watch out for you outside the office. 

You both work such demanding jobs it’s difficult to make the relationship any more than just two close friends enjoying each other's company, it would just complicate things or at least, that’s what you keep telling yourself. 

You pull up into Mina's private driveway, already knowing that she's aware of your arrival from her private security cameras. She stands by the large doorway leaning slightly against her cane, dressed in her signature purple colour. However, one thing that catches your eye making you smile softly is that her usual classic ponytail that holds her beautiful red hair in place is now loose and draped softly down her back.

‘And I get the privilege of seeing her like this’ you think smugly, while gathering your work bag and walking casually over to her.

As you reach the last step towards her front door you smell that familiar scent of vanilla that surrounds the redhead making you sigh, already feeling the tension from the day falling away from you. Mina pushes off of her cane gently and takes a step forward, her hand grasping your work shirt and tugging you close until you feel those cherry red lips lock with your own making you hum lightly.

"That has been the best greeting I've had all day," you comment as you lean back slightly allowing one of your hands to comb through her hair basking in the softness of it.

"Oh? Well I hope I'm the only one who gets to greet you like this or else, I'm going to have to use this cane to whoop some bitche's ass," she murmurs, pulling you close once more and placing a dominant kiss to your lips before leading you into her home. You trail behind slightly admiring the sway of her hips as she takes you through into the kitchen. You place your bag by the doorway before taking a seat at the kitchen table.

"Oh, you’d use the cane now, that's hot." You tease, wiggling your eyebrows playfully at her as she brings over a bottle of red wine to the table before scolding you teasingly.

"Watch it you or I just might," she walks over and places an empty wine glass next to you before placing a gentle kiss to your temple and taking a vacant seat to the side of you. 

You both continued on with your night laughing and ranting about anything and everything, you tease and joke to make her laugh and smile because ‘oh what a beautiful smile she has when she shows it’. After a while, you move towards the living room area and lounge across the sofa, Mina's back against your front as you sit upright against the arm of the sofa. You twirl a stray lock between your fingers as Mina reads from her latest book, you place gentle kisses at the back of her neck making her hum in satisfaction, her head rolling to the side an inch giving you more access.

"Mmm don't start something you can't finish Y/N," she mutters, eyes still glued to the pages of her book. You chuckle quietly before moving her hair to one side and planting a wet kiss on her neck.

"Who says we can't finish hmm?" Mina quickly turns over so she's chest to chest with you, her book falling to the floor as her lips meet yours in a heated kiss. You continue to clash lips, biting down on her delicious full bottom lip making her moan quietly. Hands move to caress one another, her cold hand making its way under your shirt making you squirm as they connect to your warm skin. Her finger tips tentatively graze across your stomach as if hesitant to continue further, you grab a hold of her wrist and bring her hand further up your shirt encouraging her silently to continue. Your hand reaches behind her back grasping the metal zipper of her dress and slowly dragging it down, Mina freezes above you suddenly and rips away from you so quickly you feel like you’ve experienced whiplash. 

You blink a few times trying to gather your bearings again from within the mist of pleasure you were just experiencing. Quickly sitting up, you eye Mina’s guarded form as she quickly re-zips her dress, her face stonic as you practically sits on the armchair, as far away from you as possible. Your heart beats rapidly worried that if you make the wrong move, you’ll scare her away. 

If you have learnt anything about Mina in the last six months, is that Wilhemina Venable may be a hard-ass but underneath that stonic exterior is just a frightened woman wanting to be loved and accepted.  

“Mina are yo-”

“I think you should leave,” She harshly demanded, standing quickly and readjusting herself while grabbing a hold of her cane by the sofa. You stand cautiously and approach her like a frightened animal, stopping just a few inches away watching as her eyes focus on something over your shoulder avoiding your gaze. 

“Miss.Y/L/N, if you could please leave and make sure to delete my number, your presence is no longer required.” Her tone unsympathetic, her lips pierced in a sour fashion. She turns on the spot and heads for the door, the only thing echoing around the room is the sound of her cane hitting the expensive flooring as she approaches the front door. 

You stand still in shock at her suddenly harsh demeanor before shaking your head in disbelief. 

“No.” 

Your defiance causes her hand to pause, hovering over the doorknob she turns her head slightly in your direction from the open doorway facing into the living room. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t think your simple mind heard me clearly. I.want.you.to.leave.” She punctures those last few words carefully making sure you heard her loud and clear. 

“No. Not until you tell me why you are going all HR Venable on me. You know I know you better than that!” You grate, anger and confusion raises inside you like an exploded rage of fire. Your voice shakes slightly as you try to hold back your emotions.

‘If Mina can hide behind her devil mask, so can I.’ You think internally. 

“Why do you defy me, Y/N? I’m asking you politely to leave my home, don’t force my hand.”

“Not until you tell me why you are kicking me out. I’m sorry if I overstepped any boundaries, but from what I could hear and feel, you wanted me just as much.” You state, cringing inwardly at your poor choice of words. 

“Don’t tell me what you thought you felt Y/N. I owe you nothing, now get out!” Her raised voice startles you slightly, making you pause thinking of your next move. 

‘You push her to open up, she’ll only close off more’ You remind yourself, deciding to try a different approach. 

“Okay, you want me gone? I’ll go. But first, I want just one answer from you. You at least ‘owe’ me that much,” You compromise, watching as her eyes flash with confliction and hesitance. She moves reluctantly away from the door and towards the open living room still keeping her distance but showing she is willing to listen, her cane stands in front of her with two hands placed atop of it as she stands tall, her eyes holding yours steadily. 

“I’m listening,” 

“Are you afraid of what I’ll think if I see your back?” You ask, making sure you get to the point, knowing how much she hates riddles and pussy footing around questions.

You watch as she visibly flinches at the mention of her condition, her throat bobbing as she struggles to find the right words. You hold your breath for a single moment waiting for the harsh backlash of your question, but sigh subtly when her eyes drop to the floor. Her stoic mask slipping away, showing her true fear and insecurity. 

“Yes,” she barely whispers, making your heart break at the sight. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” You ask, feeling your own unushered tears build watching as she struggles to gather herself, her chin trembling. 

“Because... You deserve more than this… this ugly monster that I am, that hides behind thick purple clothes and her cane.” She laughs humorlessly, shaking her head slightly still keeping her eyes locked onto the flooring. You step closer to her, taking your time to courge her reaction to your approach. 

Once you stand in front of her, you place a finger underneath her trembling chin and lift her face towards your own, making her eyes lock with yours. 

“Wilhemina Venable, you look at me and you listen carefully to my words." You pause, making sure she understands. "You are not a monster and you certainly aren’t ugly. When I look at you, I see a brave woman trying her damn hardest to fight her demons day in day out just wanting someone to help take those demons away and love her for who she is… A beautiful woman who has the most blinding smile to grace this world. "I could die today and would be thankful that your smile was the last thing I saw.” You declare softly, your eyes pleading for her to understand to listen to your words. Her eyes glisten as a single tear drops from those big brown eyes, you move your hands to cup either side of her face brushing the strayed wet tears from her cheekbone. 

“You think I’m beautiful,” She murmurs delicately. A soft frown appearing on her features doubting your statement. You kiss her tear stained face lightly and brush your nose against hers, hearing her unsteady breath as she comes to terms with your declaration.

“Mina, I think you are so much more than that. I know you only wanted this arrangement to help fill some of that physical contact that you’ve been missing lately but I… I can help but feel this is so much more than that now, and if you will allow this to blossom into something worth investing, then I’m all ears. I’m dedicated to you a hundred percent. We all have our demons Mina, we just gotta choose a partner who's willing to help us fight them and to hold our hand when things get rough but, I can’t live...not without you Mina, you are all I have.”

“You deserve more than this.” She insisted, moving her face away from your own as she goes to backtrack towards the front door. 

“When I was 16 I got into my first fight on the streets. I was low in cash but I was good with my fists, some low run of mill back alley street fighting business. The guy I owed money for offered me away out of my debt, so I took it. That’s where I got my first knife scar,” you confess making Mina pause in her steps. She turns back towards you, a confused frown settles deep between her sad eyes but her silence indicates that she wants you to continue with your confession as you slowly unbutton your white work shirt, revealing a simple black bra, you watch as her eyes take in your form zoning in on the individual white lines that scatter across your torso and shoulders. You turn around slowly to reveal more small scars that pattern your back as you let the white material drop to the floor, leaving you bearing your very own hidden past.

“A few weeks later, my debt seemed to be stacking rather than actually going down, so I ended up participating in more than just one fight. That deep red scar near my shoulder blade was from an infected shiv that some amateur thought would win him the fight, he got pretty beaten up for that slip up. They may have been cruel to think of such an idea but they did protect their fighters.” The silence in the room became deafening and you were about to turn around when you heard the sound of her cane hitting the floor softly making you pause as you felt her hand wrap around your bicep as soft lips brush gently around the pointed out scar making you shiver under the touch. 

“You deserved more than that,” she mutters against your skin, almost echoing your words. She squeezes your bicep indicating for you to turn around and face her. Once you face her, you take in her conflicted expression as she debates her next move. You watch in awe as she drops her cane and reaches behind her grabbing onto her own zipper and unfastening the tight dress until she is stood bare, her breast cupped perfectly in her lilac purple bra and fitted thongs showing her curves beautifully. She clears her throat and stands tall, her eyes slowly reaching your own as she holds your gaze. 

“When I was thirteen, I cried for hours to my parents about how painful my back was, particularly around my spine. The pain was excruciating. I've never felt any like it in my life. Kids snickered and pointed at me in school for having this disgusting black back brace

 A couple of years later when I was 15, they operated on it; called it a spinal fusion but the metalwork failed to attach properly. Just another one of god’s cruel tricks,” She breathed unsteadily, trying to stop herself from sobbing. You feel your heart breaking for a young Mina just trying to grow up in a world where people only saw her as a freak for trying to stop herself being in pain. 

“Don’t.” 

“Don’t what, Mina?” 

“Don’t look at me like I need sympathy.” She hoarse, her chin trembling. 

You walk towards her, holding her gaze. You continue to brush past her shoulder softly watching as her eyes close as she realises your intent. You take in her back carefully making sure to take in the scars around her curved spine, lightly tracing the area with your fingertip before pressing a light kiss to one of the scars feeling her shiver and tremble as she silently sobs.

You go to step away, thinking you had overstepped but before you can think, Mina turns around and pulls you close, nose to nose as your hands wrap around her elbows. 

“Take me to bed Y/N, make me forget.” She demands desperately. Your eyes darken at the request as you take a hold of her hand and escort up the stairs of her elegant home.

You notice her hold tighten as she takes the stairs with caution, realising she has left her cane in the living room. You step in front of her and pull her in for a heat kiss before reaching your hands around her thighs. Understanding your intention, Mina allows you to pick her up, wrapping her legs around you as you hold her tight, mouths never leaving one another, making her moan.

“This is the only time I will ever allow you to pick me up, Y/L/N.” She murmurs against your mouth.

“Does that mean there will be more times?” You ask teasingly, as you softly spank her ass while rushing up the stairs. A nipple to your neck is your only reply. 

You enter her bedroom and gently lower her to the bed as you peel away her bra making her gasp lightly as her nipples perk from the cool air. The soft moonlight's glow surrounds the room making her brown eyes sparkle against the light as you softly push her down into the cotton linen. Mina groans at your delicate slow approach, making you grin softly at her impatience.

“Y/N, i’m not a delicate flower. Fuck me,” she moans scooting higher onto the bed, but you can see the slight wince she makes while trying to lie flat. 

“Shh baby, I got you.” You joke as you bring her left leg up, bending it at the knee before kissing it and  leaning over her body slightly as you place her plush pillow under her neck and upper back.  You see her sigh appreciatively at the better position knowing it eases the pressure from her back before you continue to leave wet kisses up her bare thigh, biting softly at the delicate skin leaving your own work of art along her pale skin. Her hands come up to your buttoned up black trousers. 

“You are far too overdressed, sweet girl.” She hoarse as she makes quick work at dragging them down to your knees. You push off the bed to get rid of them before climbing back onto the bed and kiss her navel and up towards her breasts as she squirms beneath you making you chuckle huskily, your lips hovering over her own red ones.

“So impatient, Ms.Venable.” You tease, as you suck against the delicate skin on her neck. 

You continue to tease and pleasure her all the while making sure she was comfortable throughout. You both make quick work at riding all underwear as you hover above her, gently rubbing her bundle of nerves with your index finger watching her moan and wither below you. You continue your steady pace until her hips are thrusting higher wanting more contact. You ease a finger into her entrance watching her mouth open wide at the new sensation as she rides your single digit while continuing to torture her clit with your thumb. 

“Mm.. more.. I need..ahh.. I need more,” She breathes, stuttering over her words as she rides out her pleasure. You kiss her moans silencing them with your mouth and tongue. You continue your pace before inserting another digit watching her eyes roll back in pleasure. 

“Yes…I... That’s it baby,” her words of satisfaction eggs you on to increase the pace making her cry out loud.  

You watch her reach her peak as she grabs tightly to the back of your head bringing your forehead against hers as she allows her own release, making you moan with her. 

“You look so good coming undone beneath me.” You comment smugly, knowing just how much Mina loves to be in control of things and being on top.

“I bet you would look even better beneath me.” 

“Wha-” Before you can finish your word you're suddenly laying flat on your back staring up at those big brown eyes and devilish smirk as red hair flows beautifully acting as curtains hiding our faces within her red hair.  

“Mmm, your right. The view up here is much better." She mocks, her eyes flash teasingly, making you shiver at the sight. 

“Do your worse, Venable.” You challenge, settling into the soft mattress. She places scattering kisses on your scars making sure to appreciate every single one until she reaches the final one just below your navel, smirking up at you. 

***

As the sunlight seeps through the window greeting you to a new day,  you think back to the late night as you bask in the weight that lays against your body. Soft snores coming from the naked redhead, smirk slightly as you realise two things from last night. Mina has a very talented tongue and one wicked mouth that you know you will continue to love for all your days and second, you will continue to show her just how beautiful she is both inside and out. 

[newstfionline]

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

FBI Data Show An Unprecedented Spike In Murders Nationwide In 2020 (NPR) The number of murders in the United States jumped by nearly 30% in 2020 compared to the previous year in the largest single-year increase ever recorded in the country, according to official FBI statistics released Monday. The data show 21,570 homicides in the U.S. in 2020, which is a staggering 4,901 more than in 2019. The tally makes clear—in concrete terms—just how violent last year was. The overall violent crime rate, which includes murder, assault, robbery and rape, inched up around 5%, while property crimes continued their long-running decline and dropped 8% from 2019. But the spike in murders jumps out in the FBI report because of the sheer scale of the change. Jeff Asher, a data consultant who studies crime rates, said the increase is the largest since national records began being kept in 1960s. The homicide rate thus far in 2021 is up 10% from last year.

Haitians returning to a homeland that’s far from welcoming (AP) Deported from the United States, Pierre Charles landed a week ago in Port-au-Prince, a capital more dangerous and dystopian than the one he’d left four years before. Unable to reach his family, he left the airport alone, on foot. At least 2,853 Haitians deported from Texas have landed here in the last week with $15-$100 in cash handouts and a “good luck out there” from migration officials—many setting foot in the country for the first time in years, even decades. More than a city, Port-au-Prince it is an archipelago of gang-controlled islands in a sea of despair. Some neighborhoods are abandoned. Others are barricaded behind fires, destroyed cars and piles of garbage, occupied by heavily armed men. On Saturday, a local newspaper reported 10 kidnappings in the previous 24 hours including a journalist, a singer’s mother and a couple driving with their toddler, who was left behind in the car. Even before the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse a in July, the government was weak—the Palace of Justice inactive, congress disbanded by Moïse and the legislative building pocked by bullets. Now, although there is a prime minister, it is absent. Most of the population of Port-au-Prince has no access to basic public services, no drinking water, electricity or garbage collection. The deportees join thousands of fellow Haitians who have been displaced from their homes, pushed out by violence to take up residence in crowded schools, churches, sports centers and makeshift camps among ruins. Many of these people are out of reach even for humanitarian organizations.

Some Bolsonaro supporters have called for a military takeover of Brazil. Why do they wave the American flag? (Washington Post) On the day when Brazilians celebrated the nation’s independence, when thousands of protesters this month called on President Jair Bolsonaro to lead a military takeover of the country, a middle-aged man set out onto the streets of Brazil’s largest city, cloaked in the flag. The American flag. Wilson Gomes, 56, strutted down streets thronged by thousands of Bolsonaro supporters, the Stars and Stripes draped across his right shoulder, demanding radical change in Latin America’s largest nation. The time had come to do away with the Brazilian supreme court, which he said had been corrupted by a kleptocratic left and was unfairly targeting Bolsonaro and his supporters. The only way to save the constitution, he said, was to suspend it. At far-right rallies all over the country, where many have called for supreme court judges and opposition lawmakers to be removed, the American flag is now a staple. Supporters wear cowboy hats and belt buckles emblazoned with Texas longhorns. In a country that has more traditionally viewed the United States and its intentions with suspicion, the sudden appropriation of American symbols has exposed a political paradox at the heart of the Bolsonarista movement. A group that many here believe wants to subvert, if not overthrow, Brazilian democracy has chosen as one of its banners the flag of the world’s oldest democracy. “The Brazilian right and American have an agenda in common,” said Sèrgio Sant’Ana, president of the right-wing Conservative Liberal Institute.

Macron says Europeans need to stop being naive and assert independence from the United States (Washington Post) French President Emmanuel Macron urged Europeans to "come out of their naivete" on the world stage and assert their independence from the United States, sending one of the strongest signals to date that the diplomatic crisis prompted by a disrupted submarine deal could have long-lasting repercussions on transatlantic relations. Speaking alongside the Greek prime minister Tuesday at a news conference to unveil a major Franco-Greek defense deal, Macron said the Europeans should make themselves “respected.” “For a bit over 10 years now, the United States has been very focused on itself and has strategic interests that are being reoriented towards China and the Pacific,” he said. “It’s in their right to do so,” he continued, but “we would be naive, or rather we would make a terrible mistake, to not want to draw the consequences.” Macron’s latest remarks come as he appears to position himself as the next leader of Europe, an unofficial role so far largely attributed to German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

China energy crunch triggers shutdowns, pleas for more coal (Reuters) China faces mounting pressure to ramp up coal imports and ensure supplies to keep lights on, factories open and water flowing as a severe power crunch roils the northeastern industrial heartland. With electricity shortages sparked by coal shortages crippling large sections of industry, the governor of Jilin province, one of the hardest hit in the world's no.2 economy, called for a surge in coal imports, while a power company association said supply was being expanded "at any cost". News organisations and social media carried reports and posts saying the lack of power in the northeast had shut down traffic lights, residential elevators and 3G mobile phone coverage as well as triggering factory shutdowns. A utility in Jilin even warned power shortages could disrupt water supplies at any time, before apologising for causing alarm. The power crunch has taken hold as a shortage of coal supplies, toughening greenhouse gas emissions standards and strong demand from industry have pushed coal prices to peaks. Goldman Sachs estimated that as much as 44% of China's industrial activity has been hit by power shortages.

American siblings trapped in China under three-year ‘exit ban’ finally return home (Washington Post) China allowed two U.S. citizens, siblings Victor and Cynthia Liu, who were prevented from leaving the country for more than three years, to return to the United States on Sunday. Cynthia and Victor Liu are the daughter and son of Liu Changming, a businessman wanted on fraud charges in China. The siblings went to China in June 2018 to visit relatives but were barred from leaving, while their mother, Sandra Han, who made the trip with them, was detained. Their lawyers and the U.S. authorities described the move as an attempt to pressure Liu Changming into returning to China to faces charges—despite the siblings saying they had not had contact with their father in years. Victor and Cynthia Liu’s lawyer Marc Ginsberg told the New York Times that he believed a Sept. 9 phone call between President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping had “helped to break a logjam” and contributed to the siblings’ release. He added that the siblings would have no comment for the news media.

Japan to lift all coronavirus emergency steps nationwide (AP) Japan’s government says the coronavirus state of emergency will end Thursday so the economy can be reactivated as infections slow. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced Tuesday that virus restrictions will be eased gradually. With the lifting, Japan will be entirely free of emergency requirements for the first time in more than six months.

Taliban issue no-shave order to barbers in Afghan province (AP) The Taliban on Monday banned barbershops in a southern Afghanistan province from shaving or trimming beards, claiming their edict is in line with Shariah, or Islamic, law. The order in Helmand province was issued by the provincial Taliban government’s vice and virtue department to barbers in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital. During their previous rule of Afghanistan, the Taliban adhered to a harsh interpretation of Islam. Since overrunning Kabul on Aug. 15 and again taking control of the country, the world has been watching to see whether they will re-create their strict governance of the late 1990s. During the Taliban’s previous rule, the conservative Islamists demanded that men grow beards. Since being ousted from power following the U.S.-led invasion in 2001, shaved or cleanly trimmed beards have become popular in the country.

Violence in Nigeria (Foreign Policy) At least 34 people were killed in northern Nigeria following an attack on the village of Madamai in northern Kaduna state, state security commissioner Samuel Aruwan said on Monday, blaming unidentified assailants for the attack. The assault, which Aruwan said took place on Sunday, came the same day that 22 Nigerian security personnel were killed in an attack on an army base in Sokota state, also in the country’s north. In recent weeks, Nigerian states have introduced restrictions on residents in an attempt to stem the violence, attributed to so-called bandits as well as the Islamic State’s West African offshoot.

A Crypto-Trading Hamster Performs Better Than Warren Buffett And The S&P 500 (NPR) What if we told you there was a hamster who has been trading cryptocurrencies since June—and recently was doing better than Warren Buffett and the S&P 500? Meet Mr. Goxx, a hamster who works out of what is possibly the most high-tech hamster cage in existence. It’s designed so that when Mr. Goxx runs on the hamster wheel, he can select among dozens of cryptocurrencies. Then, deciding between two tunnels, he chooses whether to buy or sell. According to the Twitch account for the hamster, his decision is sent over to a real trading platform—and yes, real money is involved. Look, we’re not telling you to follow in this hamster’s financial decisions or that this process is scientific in any way. But what we can tell you is his portfolio is up nearly 20% since he started trading in June, according to his Twitter account. And as of Sept. 12, Mr. Goxx was performing better than Bitcoin, the Nasdaq 100, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway and the S&P 500.

[cilldaracailin]

Play The Game

Hello my Tumblr lovelys :)

And finally I have made it back with the next part of Play The Game and I hate to say it, but it is also the last part of this particular adventure for Robyn and Taron. 

Thank you so much for all the love, comments, followers and reads on this one. It’s been a fun adventure.

I don’t really have anything else to say except enjoy and yeah... I enjoyed writing this part :)

Suze xx :) 

4

“I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.”

“Are you going to be singing the songs the whole way back to the hotel?” Laughed Taron once Anthony had closed the back door of the car.

“You knew this. I warned you.”

“So I take it you enjoyed the musical?” He asked, shifting in his seat so Robyn could sit a little sideways against him.

“Oh it was just stunning. The music and costumes and cast and the whole production. Thank you so much for asking me to come Taron. I would have come to see it anyway at some stage but this was just perfect.” Robyn went back to humming as she sent a quick text to her mam telling her how her evening had gone, popping her phone back in her clutch. She pulled out the receipt she got Taron to sign. “I am going to frame this.”

“Really?”

“Well I don’t have your autograph.” Robyn crossed her legs, leaning a little more into Taron and held the little piece of paper which had been in her clutch from the last time she used it, the index finger of her right hand running over Taron’s signature.

“I wrote a note on your rocketman DVD.” He reminded her, the fingers of his left hand making light circles on her bare shoulder.

“That was a personal note, not an autograph. It is very different.”

“You could have just asked me for one.”

“I may ask you for another one. I am going to frame this one and then sell it on eBay for hundreds of pounds especially when I say it’s from me!”

“Then you have to split it with me. It’s is my name you are selling.”

“Or I could just photocopy this one.” She grinned shaking the paper at him. “No one would know!” Robyn giggled as Taron tried to pull the paper from her, but she quickly pushed it in through the left arm hole of her dress and into her bra.

“Robyn I will go in there for it.” Grinned Taron, his eyes darkening, knowing exactly where Robyn had pushed the page.

“I have no doubt but you won’t.” She countered.

“No I won’t but I could and would.”

“But you won’t.” She repeated.

Sighing Taron nodded. “I won’t.”

Robyn nodded and leaned back against him smiling as Taron loosely draped his arm around her shoulders again and she happily sighed, starting to hum once. It was a very quick drive back to the hotel and just as she had comfortably settled against Taron, the car stopped and Anthony had opened the door to let them out.

“I will see you tomorrow at half five?” Asked Anthony once he closed the door of the car again.

“Yes please.” Confirmed Taron.

“Well I will see you then. Have a good night.”

They waited for Anthony to get back into the car and drive away before they made their way into the hotel. It was a quick walk to the lift and back to their hotel room, Robyn opening the room this time as she minded the key in her bag. Turn down service had been and gone and she squealed when she saw the two chocolates on the pillows, picking them up and throwing one to Taron who caught it, grinning as he unwrapped it and popped it on his mouth.

“Yum.” He smiled walking over to the bed and sitting down, loosening his tie a little. “Happy you got your chocolate?” He asked her as she sat beside him.

“Hmm. Very.” Robyn watched from the corner of her eyes as Taron stripped himself of his tie and opened the top two buttons of his shirt. “Do you want to go and have a drink or anything before we hit the hay for the evening?” She asked him as he slipped his jacket off, her eyes not missing the wince he tried to hide as he let the material fall to the bed just by shuffling his arms a little.

“Is it ok if we skip it?” He said turning to look at her. “Normally I’d say yes and happily sit and nurse a beer but I’d rather just lay on the bed and watch some TV.”

“Of course. I am very happy to do that.”

“You sure?”

“Absolutely. Even after a cosy nap earlier, now that the excitement has died down a little, I am very much open to relaxing on this bed and watching TV. I vote for PJ’s and pie.”

“Pie?” He asked confused. “I understand PJ’s but pie?”

Robyn smiled as she got to her feet. “Give me ten minutes to take this face off and I shall reveal all.”

She walked towards the bathroom and as she walked balanced on one foot so she could take her left shoe off and then her right, throwing them on the floor under the desk. It always felt great to be out of her heels and she enjoyed the softness of the carpet and then the coolness of the bathroom tiles under her bare feet. She turned around to close the bathroom door behind her and her smile faded as she saw a look of pain on Taron’s tired face, his two hands on his shoulders as he rubbed them hard, his chin against his chest. She knew he had been hiding the whole evening and hiding very well the ache he was feeling but even if his face as he sat watching the musical didn’t convey the truth of the soreness he felt, his eyes did. Taron’s beautiful eyes always gave away his true feelings and emotions and after seeing the look of misery in his green irises for most of the night, she could see he was now finding it harder to physically hide how he was truly feeling. As she closed the door, she knew her surprise for him would make him smile, but it wouldn’t really help his shoulders. “Some paracetamol and if I can convince him a little shoulder massage.” She said to herself.  

After flushing the toilet and washing her hands, Robyn looked in the mirror and grinned that she still looked pretty well put together, her hair still crimped and holding its shape. She routed through her toiletry bag for her make-up remover and as she pulled it out, knocked over Taron’s leather brown wash bag from the counter, sending it falling to the floor.

“Shit.” She cursed and bent down to pick it up, putting his toiletries back in. The last thing she picked up was a piece of scrap paper which looked very familiar with the light blue lines. She unfolded it, turned it over and her head titled as a sad smile filled her face. “One shoulder massage” She read aloud. “Taron.” She sighed as she stood up with his wash bag in one hand and the page in her other. Placing his wash bag back on the counter she laid the page on top. She quickly took her make-up off and washed her face, rubbed some moisturiser in and brushed her teeth once she was done. She searched through her bag on the counter and once she had found the two things she was looking for, made her way back into the bedroom with the hand written page she had given Taron for Christmas.

Taron was still sitting on the bed with his hands on his shoulders, his eyes closed. He hadn’t heard the bathroom door open and only realised she was finished when he felt the bed sink beside him. He quickly moved his hands and gave her a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “All done?” He asked her.

“All yours.”

Nodding, Taron stood up and made his way towards the bathroom. “I am just going to take a quick shower.”

“Taron?”

“Hmm?”

“Want to use this after your shower?” Robyn held up the piece of paper to him and he padded slowly back over to her and took it from her.

“You found this?”

“I accidently knocked your wash bag over and it fell out. So, would you like to use it after your shower?”

“I am good Robyn. The shower will help.”

“Like shit it will.” Replied Robyn sternly. “You forget who you are talking to Taron. I know you very well.”

“Robyn…”

“Why did you bring it?” She gently pulled the page from his hand and she waited a few seconds, watching as he tried to come up with an answer but his blank eyes met with her concerned ones. “You brought it because you wanted to use it and it didn’t just slip into your wash bag by itself.” Taron felt his shoulders drop along with his head to his chest. “Go and shower and then come back out to me and we will make use of this voucher.”

“You wouldn’t mind?” He glanced her way, feeling better in himself about bringing the voucher with him, especially when Robyn was so willing to follow through with it.

“We going to have the talk about presents again?” She responded with a half grin.

Taron smiled a little. “No, we don’t need to have that talk. We definitely don’t need to have that talk.”

“So…”

“Give me five minutes.” Taron turned and headed back for the bathroom, grabbing a pair of sweats and a t-shirt from his case on the way to change into once he was out of his suit. Robyn’s belongings were neatly lined up on the sink and it always made him grin when he saw the travel bottles of creams and liquids, she brought with her. Robyn wasn’t one to fuss too much but she was still a woman at heart and had her own favourite products she liked to use. He quickly stripped himself of his suit, hanging it back up in the bag that still hung in the bathroom and as he waited for the water of the shower to heat up, brushed his teeth, using Robyn’s toothpaste, Taron forgetting his own. He rolled his neck slowly hearing his bones creak and crack as he moved his shoulders round a little too. It was the last hour of re-shoots and his fall from the top of a yellow cab that had left him so sore and tender but he hadn’t told Robyn that. He lost his footing and slid down the front windscreen of the taxi and then onto the hard ground on his shoulders and back of his neck. He didn’t know how his head hadn’t hit the ground but after a check-up by the onset medic, he was given the all clear immediately. The fall had hurt though and the continuation of filming hadn’t helped when what he really needed was an ice pack and some rest but with half an hour before the sun went down, he got back up on the taxi cab, shook the pain away and carried on filming, knowing he had time off once he was back home to rest. He just hadn’t told Robyn what had happened because he knew she would worry about him, knowing her protective nature of him would come straight to the forefront. This weekend was his turn to look out for her and he wouldn’t have it any other way but he wouldn’t refuse her offer of a shoulder massage even though he pretended she didn’t have too. He was almost desperate for one and had to keep his face straight from showing that need he felt.

Fully stripping down, Taron carefully stepped into the shower and stood under the hot spray, the water flattening his hair against his forehead and he closed his eyes and just stood. After about a minute he moved so the focus of the jets of water was on the back of his neck and the thundery downpour and force of the shower definitely helped to knead some of the knots out. Steam rose all around him and he could see the mirror fogging up and feeling a little overheated, his thoughts on the single-minded subject of Robyn’s soft hands, he turned the dial from hot to cold, allowing the change in temperature to cool his heated body down. The shoulder massage voucher Robyn had given him for Christmas had been constantly on his mind, more so than the back massage as he knew a shoulder massage was more likely than a back one and knowing how delicate and gentle she was as she ran her fingers through his hair, he shivered in anticipation of what was about to happen. Closing his eyes, he had etched in his memory the feeling of how she traced the features of his face the time he fell asleep against her in the tent they made for his sisters and knowing how intimately wonderful that felt especially when he pretended to still be asleep when he was actually awake and he had no doubt that her hands on his shoulders would be just as tender.

The cold water that had been needed, now made his body shiver and letting the water run over his face once more, he turned the dial to shut the water off. He ran his hands through his wet hair, squeezing the water out, shaking once more as the chilly drops, dripped down his back. He very carefully stepped out and quickly dried himself off, pulling on his sweatpants and t-shirt. He rubbed his hair hard, trying to get most of the wetness out, laughing at his reflection in the mirror when he was done.

“Really need a haircut.” He said to himself, not bothering to fix the fuzzy mess he was left it. Even though it felt longer, he opened the bathroom door five minutes later and strolled back into the bedroom. Robyn had changed out of her dress and was wearing a pair of blue shorts and a black oversized t-shirt, that came off her right shoulder and she sat on the bed with her legs crossed, the television on in the background.

“How are you feeling?” She asked him as he walked over to her. “And loving the hair.” She laughed a little at his dishevelled appearance, his hair sticking up everywhere.

“Better thanks. Showering always helps and yeah, the hair. In need of a cut.” He sat on the edge of the bed and as he had hoped, Robyn’s hands went straight for his hair, flattening it down for him.

“Just a trim.” She said.

“Because you got just a trim?”

“I desperately needed a haircut and my hair was so long it really was just a trim and my hair is still long. You only need a trim. I like it this length.”

Taron smiled. “I know but I will probably get it cut a bit shorter and don’t pout at me. Hair grows. You told me yourself.”

“Knew that would back fire on me.”

Taron’s grin faded a little as his eyes caught the piece of paper he had torn from his voucher book on the bed. “You don’t have to do this Robyn.” He picked up the page from the duvet. “I didn’t bring it so…”

“Taron…” Robyn interrupted him and took the page for him. “I gave you that book of vouchers for you to use them and you brought it with you because you wanted to use it and I am so very happy to pay up for you now. Who knows when we will see each other again?”

“St Patrick’s Day.” He answered.

“That is three weeks away and not certain.”

“Then at RENT.”

Robyn frowned at him. “And that is even further away.” She reached for his hand. “I gave you that present because I wanted you to use them when you needed them the most and right now this…” She placed the page in his free hand. “… This is something you need and would like. If I didn’t want to do it, I wouldn’t have given you one, let alone five.” Robyn let go of his hand and patted the bed in front of her. “Come and sit down in front of me.”

He hesitated a little, not wanting to rush, to show her how eager he was and then climbed up onto the bed and sat in front of her crossing his legs, smiling at the confused look she wore. “What?”

“It’s a shoulder massage rocketman. I need to get to your shoulders. You have to turn around for me.” With a little sheepish grin, Taron moved and turned around so his back was facing her.  “And this is going to have to come off too.” Robyn lightly pulled on the bottom of his t-shirt.

Taron nervously laughed and gripping his t-shirt, quickly pulled it up and over his head, taking it off completely throwing it to the side.

“Take this.” Robyn handed him a pillow from the bed. “You can either sit with your legs crossed and hug the pillow or bring your knees to your chest and use the pillow on your knees to rest your head on.”

Going with the second option, Taron pulled his knees to his chest and balanced the pillow on them. With his arms hugging his legs, he rested his head on the soft cotton of the pillow. The position placed an uncomfortable strain on his shoulders and he loosened his arms a little so his back wasn’t pulled too tight.

“You ok there Taron?” Robyn asked him, her eyes roaming over the freckles and moles on his back and the smooth skin that was longing to be touched. Telling her heart to slow down, Robyn was slightly regretting some of the vouchers she had wrote for Taron’s Christmas present. She hadn’t really thought the process through and that it would be her hands on his skin. Robyn had held Taron in her arms before when he was shirtless but that was before her developing feelings were so intense and she had to wriggle her fingers and shake her hands a little, feeling a wonderful but yet a jumpy drop in her stomach as she got ready to give Taron one of his first shoulder massages.

“Yeah, I’m good.”

“I have some oil Taron which I use as a moisturiser for my own skin and I am going to use that for your shoulders. It’s by a brand called Nuxe and it’s got a little fragrance to it but nothing overly strong and I also have a tube of that medicated rub I gave you when you were at my house last year. Then when we are done, I am going to get you to take some paracetamol and then we can get to the pie.”

Taron face broke into a grin and he looked over his shoulder at her. “You are full of surprises. What have you got up your sleeve?” He fully grinned as she winked at him, laughing a little as she used an index finger on his jaw to gently push his face back around. “You can be so secretive sometimes.”

“And that is why you love me.” She replied confidently, moving to sit on her ankles right behind him. “Now you never answered me when I said I would be using a little oil on your shoulders.”

Taron nodded. “That’s ok Robyn. You don’t have to explain anything to me. I trust you.” He knew he wasn’t cold, even after his cold shower and the hotel room was toasty warm but he still felt little shivers running down his spine and Robyn hadn’t even touched him yet.

Rubbing her hands together to try and warm them up as she knew her hands were always cold, she gently placed them by his neck, feeling him jump a little at the first contact but once she slipped her thumbs up the nape of his neck and into his hair, his whole body relaxed to her touch and once she started to move her thumbs in slow circles on his skin, his body further loosened up, easing the pressure with which he held himself against his knees, his shoulders rising and falling with a deep breath. Robyn played with his hair for a little while, giving Taron a chance to get comfortable. “Close your eyes rocketman and just stop thinking too much.”

Once she knew he was completely at ease and not going to jump when she touched him again, she reached for the gel and small glass jar of oil beside her, poured a little of each onto the palm of her right hand, and once she had rubbed her hands together, hovered over his shoulders for a second before she placed them on his neck again her thumbs rolling in easy circles on warm skin. “Taron?” She asked hearing a whisper of a groan from him, stopping her thumbs from moving immediately.

The groan left his body involuntarily and his squeezed his eyes shut with embarrassment when Robyn heard it, her wonderfully caring hands lifted from his neck. The combination of the slick oil and the feathery caresses below his neck were incredible, the light pressure she used perfect on tender muscles. Burying his face into the pillow, he was glad that his silence was enough for Robyn to replace her hands on his shoulders and this time with a bit more pressure, she worked her thumbs a little deeper into his skin, making trails down in-between his shoulder blades and back up to his neck, her long fingers sweeping over his shoulders to his collar bones.

Robyn took Taron’s continued silence and deep breathing as permission to continue with his massage and she went a little harder with her movements and a little lower too, smoothing over his shoulder blades. She moved her thumbs back down his back, tracing the line of his spine as she went, moving even more slowly as her eyes were distracted by the beauty marks on his back, her index fingers tracing over them. Applying firmer pressure, digging deeper into his skin, Robyn smiled as Taron moved his head on the pillow so she could reach more of his neck and she moved her hands at a snail’s pace back up to his neck and while her fingers kneaded the front of his neck, her thumbs worked the stress tenderly from him. She was completely in her element, so glad Taron had brought the voucher with him. She absolutely hated massages, except for when he played with her hair but had always been told she was good at them, good with her hands and if she could help alleviate some of Taron’s sore muscles, she was more than willing to help him, probably enjoying having her hands all over him more than she should. With every stroke, Robyn could see his tense muscles slacken and whereas before his shoulders were held tight, now as her hands moved further across the top of his body, his arms fell down by his sides, his face turning sideways on the pillow.

“You ok rocketman?” She asked quietly.

“So good.” He cooed back to her. “Best Christmas present.”

“Not as good as my Care Bear.” She laughed back at him.

“Uh-uh.” Taron replied. “Care Bear’s don’t give massages like you do.”

With a laugh, Robyn knelt up on her knees and she poured some more of her expensive body oil onto the palm of her hands with some of the gel and once spread over her palms, moved back to his shoulders, concentrating now on his actual shoulders. As she knelt behind him, Robyn was taken aback by how broad Taron actually was and she rolled her thumbs across his warm soft skin, smoothing over the light dusting of freckles on his skin that she hadn’t seen before. She had been in so many tight hugs with him and even fallen asleep on his shoulders but it was only now as she faced his bare back that she could take in his stunning physic and frame. His training for Eggsy had him in peak shape, not that she was bothered by his fit physic, knowing herself it wasn’t exactly her preferred body type and she could feel the tightness of his muscles as she rubbed his shoulders, making sure she didn’t knead into his skin too hard. Some parts of his upper back had been the cause of his twinges during the day and she didn’t want to hurt him more. She had a feeling his tough re-shoots were the root of his discomfort but was keeping the reason why to himself and she didn’t want to push him for an explanation. So instead she dipped her hands down his arms, feeling the little bump of the scar on his right upper arm as she palmed her way back up and down a few times, before moving over towards his neck, her thumbs circling in that spot she knew could make Taron almost turn to jelly. She could feel him push the tiniest bit back into her thumbs, so continued in that same spot, dipping up into his hair every now and again, taking her time and kneading his neck lovingly.

“You ok for just a little more pressure Taron?”

“Give me all you got chicken.”

“You sure? I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t Robyn.” Taron turned to look at her and nodded her way. “Honestly you won’t hurt me and I would be very happy for you to go a little harder.” His cheeks immediately tinted and he lifted his head, the pillow falling from his knees as he sat up. “Jesus Christ, why do I always put my fucking foot in my mouth.”

Robyn stretched over him and picked up the pillow. “I can go harder for you.” She answered placing the pillow back on his knees. “And you only get your words muddled when you are either knackered or completely comfortable. Now, get yourself settled again and just let me know if it’s too much.”

Still wishing he could eat his previous words, Taron snuggled into the pillow on his knees, letting his arms rest by his sides as before. He was in absolute heaven and what he thought was going to be a loving tender massage was so much more. He knew Robyn was so talented with her hands and loved every head massage she had ever given him, the delicate face one nearly coming out on top but it was nothing compared to how she manipulated her hands on his upper back and shoulders. The moment she ran her two thumbs down his spine, he had to hold his moan of pure delight in and only wished she pressed harder into his back, needing to feel a much more intense kneading and when she had asked him if she could massage his skin a little harder he could have turned around and hugged her tight. The cooling effect from the pain relief gel along with the slickness of the oil felt so sensual and as Robyn increased the strength at which she was rubbing his shoulders, her thumbs were digging so wonderfully into his raw and tender muscles that had been aching since he came back from New York. Soon he got his wish of deep pressure on his spine and couldn’t help but push his back into her hands, smiling as she repeated the motion once again and again. His whole body went limp and he hoped she hadn’t heard the guttural moan that came from the back of his throat as she put a lot more force into her movements, really grinding into his shoulders and it felt so gratifying and pleasurable. The tension and friction he had been cursed with since he fell was being kneaded away with a strong fluid movements and Robyn wasn’t going easy on him which he was so thankful for. He needed this. He desperately needed someone to just not be afraid to go a little harder with his back and shoulders and as her thumbs moved to that wonderful soft spot at the nape of his neck that she found so quickly when she hugged him, his eyes rolled a little, if felt so good.

When Taron asked her to go harder, Robyn didn’t hold back and put a little bit of her body weight into her movements, smiling to herself as she moved her two hands from one shoulder to the other and back to his neck, Taron moving back into her hands a few times, which gave her the confidence to push just a little harder into his skin. Her eyes were following the movements of her hands and his skin rolled with her thumbs as she pushed into his shoulders, hoping she wasn’t hurting him but as his whole body leaned further into his knees and feeling his deep breathing under her hands, she took it as a sign that he was thoroughly and literally under her thumb and relishing in every moment and move she made and increased the pressure just a little more. His skin was toasty warm under her hands and as the oil soaked into his neck and shoulders, she knew it would only make his silky smooth skin under her palms so much more so. The expensive oil she used to rub his back also had a slight hint of shimmer in it but Robyn just hadn’t told Taron that. It was barely noticeable and as she dragged her thumbs from one shoulder to the next, it could only be seen when his body caught the light in a certain way. Robyn wasn’t worried about him finding out either, knowing he was going to shower in the morning anyway and the shimmer would wash away under the water. As her thumbs made their way down his spine once again, she was sure she heard another moan of appreciation from him, Taron’s face moving into the pillow once more and she ran them very slowly back up to his neck, her two hands moving through his hair before brushing over his shoulders and down his spine again.

She took no notice of the time or how long they sat on the bed together, Robyn just wanting to give Taron something to not only relax him but to thank him for looking after her so well on the red carpet but when she felt it had been at least half an hour since she started, she knelt up to her full height and dragged her two hands up through his slightly damp hair, pulling gently, Taron catching on quickly that she wanted him to lift his head from his knees. Robyn sat back down on her ankles and guided Taron with her so his back now rested against her chest and his head was under her chin. With his new position she was able to rake her fingers through his hair easily, her nails scratching his scalp deliciously, her fingertips running in soothing circles over his temples, forehead and top of his head.

“The voucher was only for a shoulder massage.” He replied a little sleepily.

“Want me to stop?”

“Absolutely not.” Taron moved so his legs were stretched out in front of him, leaning right into Robyn behind him and closed his eyes. “How am I going to repay you for this?” He questioned as his arms lay by his sides.

“You don’t have to pay me back. It was your Christmas present and you already have. Tonight was amazing.” Robyn kneaded his head, a little harder than she normally would but hearing no complaints from Taron, she kept the pressure up for a few minutes, her hands moving back and forth through his hair and over his forehead. She smoothed her two index fingers over his eyebrows and carefully down his nose, one finger at time, running under his eyes and back to his eyebrows, repeating the movements a few times, her hands then sweeping back through his hair. As she traced down his temples and back up again, she knew Taron was completely in a trance and haze of glorious of pleasure as he lay against her with his arms resting by his sides palm up.

Deciding she was going to take a huge risk, hoping it was going to pay off, Robyn slowly moved her fingers down his face and neck, her hands then resting on his shoulders. With slow and purposeful movements, Robyn advanced her hands down his chest, her eyes locked on his stomach waiting to see if his breathing changed as her fingers slipped through the wonderfully soft hair on his chest before she travelled back up to his shoulders. Taron didn’t even move an inch and his breathing was still steady and controlled. It was a completely different story for Robyn and her heart was racing in her own chest and it took all of her inner strength to keep her hands from shaking as she took another chance to travel her hands down his chest again, lingering a little on centre of his sternum where only five months ago she had performed CPR on him. Without thinking Robyn ran her fingers in circles over the spot, soft delicate twists and turns now compared to the rough powerfully thrusts she had made on him before. Closing her eyes, she shook the imagines of an unresponsive Taron from her mind and concentrated on how she was practically running her hands all over him and he was letting her and kept her eyes focused on slow rise and fall of his stomach as she gently caressed his chest once more, smoothing over his collar bones and then the strong muscles of his arms.

“Robyn?” Taron’s voice was as quiet as a whisper.

“Hmm?” She asked, her hands grazing down his arms slowly.

“I don’t have a voucher for this.”

“I know.” Robyn brushed her fingers over his chest again. “This one is on the house.”

Taron was in complete and absolute heaven. He thought the shoulder and neck massage was wonderful and so soothing to his aching muscles and as always when someone played with his hair, he was putty in their hands but when Robyn pulled him against her, his body nestled so comfortably against her chest, Taron found a position and new comfort he never knew he needed. He had never been given such attention before, his whole body was on fire from her touch but he felt so calm and relaxed. His time on set had been cruel and hard, his body put through the mil by Matthew but now as he lay against Robyn , he couldn’t even open his eyes to look to look to the woman who so tentatively moved her hands down his chest and over his heart. When Robyn lingered over the centre of chest, his whole body heated up and he hoped Robyn hadn’t felt the increase in his body temperature. When she had previously been incredibly rough with him, her hands leaving bruises on his chest, Robyn’s nimble fingers were running in the sweetest of circles on his skin and it felt so comforting for him. Taron didn’t remember the CPR only feeling the after effects of what Robyn had done for him but as her hands moved over his chest again, Taron knew the motion of what she was doing was of vital importance to her and was happy to let her have her moment with him, not really wanting to ask her to stop as he was very much enjoying the new take on a shoulder massage. If Robyn needed the time to place her hands on his chest to feel him breathing and his heart beating, he was always willing to let her do it, even remembering that he had told her to do so when he stayed with her once they had left Florida. As far as he was concerned Robyn basically had every right to his heart, because he had his because of her.

Robyn lingered over his upper body for another minute or two, selfishly taking the time to draw shapes and designs on his chest, enjoying the slight intimacy Taron was giving her, glad he was doing so as she suddenly felt a strong need to feel a steady heart beat under her hands. Sometimes, the reality of what they had been through, would come back to the forefront of her memories and being able to feel his beating heart, always calmed the slight anxiety she felt as she thought about Taron not breathing under her hands. Almost reluctantly, Robyn ran her hands once more over his body once more, before moving back to his head.

“So, you going to tell me what happened on set?” She asked him, as she dragged her fingers through his hair.

“What do you mean?” He asked quietly, his eyes still closed.

“You are sporting some bruising on your left shoulder. Did you not notice how I kept the kneading lighter on that side?”

Taron sighed. “No.” He opened his eyes. “I was lost in a haze of pure happiness.”

“Want to tell me about it?”

“Not really.”

“Shall I ring Matthew?”

“I slipped off the roof of a yellow cab, slid down the windscreen, bonnet and to the ground, banged my shoulders and neck off the curb.”

“Taron, Jesus, why didn’t you tell me? I could have hurt you.”

“I got the all clear from the medic on site.”

“I still could have hurt you.”

“You didn’t.” He felt Robyn take her hands from his hair and rest on his shoulders. “You didn’t.” He repeated. “It felt so good Robyn. I can’t even explain how good. I wish I had of brought another voucher with me so I could get another one.” He lifted his body from hers and spun around so he could kneel opposite her. “I know you worry about me and I also know I can’t tell you not too but if I was to tell you about every time I hurt myself on set, I would probably be ringing you at the end of every working day with about ten stories of a caught finger, or bumped head. It’s just natural on such a physical set and I promise I was absolutely fine after I fell. Just a little sore.”

“I still could have really hurt you Taron. I really applied some heavy pressure into your shoulders at one point.”

“And it felt amazing Robyn. I am so glad you asked me if it was ok. I really really needed that extra hard pressure.” Taron rolled his shoulders to prove a point. “See no twinges any more.” He half grinned. “And you know you can do this whenever you need too.” He lifted her hand and placed it onto his chest, over his heart. “Whenever you need too.” He repeated. “It’s beating because of you.”

Without hesitation, Robyn threw her arms around his neck and have his body a tight squeeze, her palms resting flat against his bare back. “Thanks for letting me do that Taron.”

“Anytime you need to Robyn.” He kissed her temple and hugged her close to him. “But we may have to replace the free head massages with free shoulder ones.” He grinned as she let him go quickly, ending their hug.

“You have four vouchers left. Use them wisely.” She replied reaching her hands up and brushed his hair from his forehead, keeping her hands in his hair so it was spiked up a little. “Next time you need to warn me if you’ve had a fall Taron. This…” She raked her hands through his hair again, her voice deadly serious. “… Is very different from this.” Her hands ran the whole way down the back of his head and to his shoulders which she gentled rubbed. “I am not a professional and just good with my hands, as you have told me before so I should be aware before I even touch you if you are carrying even the lightest of injuries. A simple wrong move could be disastrous.” Her hands wandered down his arms and to his hands.

“I will make sure you know if I am carrying a somewhat of an injury next time.” Taron gripped her hands tight. “I will have to return the favour some day.”

“No need.”

“What?”

“I hate massages.”

Taron’s eyes opened wide. “Shut up.”

His words made her laugh. “I don’t like them.” She said again.

“What is wrong with you?” He asked letting go her hands dramatically. “You don’t like massages?”

“You know how tickly I am and I just don’t like them.”

“I have given you a massage before.” He titled his head to her.

“You have played with my hair before. It’s different.”

“And I have rubbed the back of your neck and your head.”

“Still different rocketman.” Robyn climbed off the bed.

“I am going to change your mind someday.” Taron reached for his t-shirt and as he pulled it back on, immediately noticing an ease with his movements. “Hey I have given you a massage before.” He said excitedly, fixing his t-shirt and getting off the bed, walking over to where Robyn was routing through the mini fridge, rolling his shoulders feeling such a relief from the pain he felt during the day. “In the 7/11.” He continued. “When I rubbed the aftersun into your shoulders. That was a mini massage.” Robyn looked up to him. “And you didn’t flinch away from me.”

“That was because you were helping me with the horrible sting I felt from the sunburn and the aftersun was helping to take the burn away.” Explained Robyn as she got to her feet with a frosted plastic box in her hands. “Different situation and it wasn’t technically a massage.” She closed the fridge with her foot.

“I bet I can change your mind.” He grinned. “When I come visit next month, I will change your mind.” Robyn didn’t answer him but walked around him and the bed so she was at her side. “I will change it.”

“You can try but there is no guarantee.”

“I like a challenge.” He winked. “What you got there?” The frosted box intrigued him and as Robyn settled herself on the bed, he moved around the opposite side of the bed.

“Pie.”

“Pie?” Taron got up on the bed and sat right beside her. “What you been up to now?”

“Take this.” Robyn handed him a fork, which he did, staring at the piece of cutlery as he held it, still completely puzzled but once she opened the tuber ware box on her legs, his eyes lit up.

“You absolute dream!” In the box were two pieces of key lime pie, nestled together in neat triangles, a blob of cream on top of each one. “Where have you been hiding this?” He asked watching as Robyn pushed her fork into her slice and ate it with a grin.

“I wasn’t hiding it. It was in the fridge.” Robyn smiled at the childlike grin that Taron wore as he took his own bite from his slice.

“You need to stop bringing baked goods with you every time you visit me.”

“You really want me to do that?” She asked, handing the box to Taron so he could get better access to his share. “Not bake for you?”

Taron stopped mid-bite and shook his head. “Ignore everything I have just said. Always bring me yummy things to eat when you visit me.” He finished off the rest of the zesty treat on his fork. “Yours tastes much better than mine.”

“I don’t believe that for a second.” Robyn reached over and took another piece of pie to eat. “It’s a fool proof recipe.”

Taron leaned happily against the pillows behind his back and he sighed as he chewed away. “Any more surprises for me?” He asked.

“I am all out.” Robyn answered simply. “But I also want you to take these.”  Hidden in her free hand she had two pain killers. “The shoulder rub is only temporary. These will definitely help more to take the ache away.”

“Do you just keep a supply of these for me?” He asked her as he handed her back the box and his fork to hold.

“Not necessarily for you but I have a stash.” She watched as he got off the bed and walked to the fridge. He stood a little straighter and his eyes were definitely brighter and as he carried a bottle of water back to the bed, his was smiling widely. “Sometimes I drive up to Newry in the North of Ireland. It’s only about an hour and half away from Kilcreen and because it is technically part of England, things are much cheaper like paracetamol and I can get a packet of sixteen for forty pence instead of a pack of twelve for two euro fifty. I stock up so I always have them.”

“Should I be a little worried?” He asked after he had settled himself on the bed. “Please tell me you buy other things and not just medication.”

“I buy other things. Normally spend the whole day walking around.” As Taron took the tablets from her, she took another bite of her slice of pie. “Ireland is quite expensive so I take advantage of part of the UK being in Ireland sometimes.” Once he had taken a drink and placed the bottle on the bed between them so Robyn could use it to drink from too, she handed him back his fork, satisfied he had taken something that would further ease his achy shoulders.

Taron dropped the fork on the bed and took the box from Robyn and reaching in, lifted his slice out, taking a large bite from it, grinning as Robyn rolled her eyes at him but copying him, she picked up her slice too ate it from her hands.

“So good.” He sighed, leaning back against the pillows. “Aren’t you cold?” He asked her as she moved to lay next to him, her legs crossed at the ankles. “Shorts? In February?”

“That time of the month.” She replied to him as she brushed her hands together to get rid of the remaining crumbs on her fingers, her slice all eaten. “I always run a little warmer and you are always warm so I picked something a little lighter to wear.”

Taron, who was finished his surprise treat, moved so his left arm was resting alongside her right one, for once feeling that her hand was actually warmer than normal. “Anything I can do for you?” He asked her remembering that last time he had been around her when her monthly visitor was around.

She pulled on his hand and he let her guide his left arm to her lap. “I am good. Last time was a one off. I just know I will be warmer than usual so came prepared with shorts.”

Taron looked down to her hands, his eyes closing as she made feather light touches up and down his arm, her fingers making zig-zag patterns along his skin. He naturally just sunk a little lower on the bed and let his cheek rest on her bare shoulder that was on show with the way her over-sized t-shirt sat on her frame, understanding more now how she explained about how her body temperature was a little warmer than usual, her skin soft and balmy om his cheek. Robyn had a knack for being so gentle with her movements when it was needed and she now traced his arm so lightly as if a harder touch would break him, already having used her strength to knead his shoulders so wonderfully. He felt like he was in a complete dream world, as Robyn took to now massaging the skin on his arm. He opened his eyes when he felt her swirl her finger in the same spot a few times and he grinned as he realised she was running over his moles on his arm.

“What are you doing?” He asked as her as she moved to another one near his elbow.

“You have so many of these.” Robyn moved her hand back down towards his wrist, his arm hair silky under her fingers and she stopped as she spotted another two moles.

“Not as many as you.” He laughed as she tapped each one along his arm and up past his elbow.

“Yours are here all the time. My freckles fade.”

“Not these ones.” Taron copied her movements and stretched over to use his right hand to tap her own freckles.

“I like yours.”

“Meh.”

“What’s the meh for?”

“They have been photoshopped out before from a few photoshoots I have done.”

“What?” Robyn stopped rid stroke, her fingers hovering over his arm.

“Particularly the mole on my neck.” He had to lift his head from her shoulder as Robyn moved suddenly and he started to fall. “It’s all true chicken.” He saw the looked of disbelief on her face.

“But why?” She asked and automatically stretched her arm over to his neck.

“Guess it’s not perfect enough for them.” He couldn’t help but smile at the scowl she wore and let her lift his chin a little and her eyebrows stayed furrowed as she ran her fingers lightly over his mole on his neck. “I know what you are going to say.”

“Fucking vain tosspots.”

Taron chuckled. “Ok maybe not.”

“You are perfect Taron.”

“And there it is.” He grinned, his smile widening as she still frowned.

“I hate that you have to be subjected to that shit Taron. It’s so mentally draining and just disgusting.”

“You are so wonderful Robyn and with you around, I don’t need to worry about people taking my moles and freckles away.”

“But they shouldn’t do it Taron.”

Still smiling, Taron moved a little further down the bed so he could lay his head back on her shoulder and draped his left arm back across her lap. “It’s just the way it is Robyn.”

“Well I love your freckles and moles.” She said firmly. “I love all of you. Every bit.”

“Every bit.” He grinned as she started to stroke his arm again.

“Every bit.” She confirmed, her whole hand moving up and down his arm.

“I love every bit of you too but probably your hands the best, especially at the moment.”

“Mr. Egerton is a little softie at heart, isn’t he? You love these cuddly and cosy situations.”

“I don’t get them very often Robyn and normally only in private when I am with you.” He admitted. “I don’t really have anyone who is willing to give me the hugs and cuddles or such soothing massages.”

“Deian?” She asked with a little laugh.

“Dear God no.” He laughed. “Just no.” He snuggled a little more into her, closing his eyes, feeling a little tired as the heat from her body and the movement of her hand on his skin, helped to relax him completely. He felt her kiss his head and without a second thought, turned to lay on his left side so he could lean a little better against her, moving his left arm, so his right arm was now slack against her stomach.

“I like these moles too.” He heard her say and felt her gentle touch on his other arm. “And these ones.”

Robyn, now with Taron’s other arm, could touch and caress and examine his beautifully soft skin, her fingers running over tendons and veins on the back of his hand, feeling strong defined muscles under his skin. She was completely in her element as she lay with Taron, finally getting the chance to do what she had been desperate to do to him since she was sitting with him in the 7/11 and that was to get to his wonderfully strong arms and his hands. She continued to draw patterns on his toasty skin, over his moles and freckles and rub back and forth over his arm hair. She eventually linked her fingers with his and she smiled happily. He hadn’t been in a bad mood when they met that morning but she knew something was up with him. Now as he nestled into her, not only was Taron much more content in himself but Robyn was doing what she loved doing best, looking after the man in her arms who had spent the whole day making sure she felt entirely comfortable and her heart was filled with nothing but true and honest love for him.

Taron felt his face was going to start hurting from the permanent smile that filled his cheeks and he opened his eyes as he felt Robyn trail a finger down his nose and back up again. “I am really starting to understand why you like that so much. I don’t know how to describe it but it is wonderful.” Robyn’s body moved under him as she laughed and he watched as she moved her legs a little, crossing them at her ankles, her right ankle over her left. “Chicken?”

“Hmmm..?” Robyn hummed as she brushed his nose again.

“Why are your legs all bruised?”

Robyn’s hand stalled on Taron’s nose and she looked to her legs which had little bruises below and above her knees, some darker ones on her thighs. “Along with my busy week of paperwork I also had to fill in for one of the girls as she was out sick so I was in the Preschool room with the children and walked into the furniture a few times, maybe the tables too.”

“You really do bruise easily.” With his position, Taron was able to reach down and delicately stroked the blue tinted skin of a bruise on her right thigh.

“You have no idea. I am so used to adult sized furniture in the office that I forget when I am in a room and catch myself on the corners of the wooden play kitchen a lot, normally when I walk past it.”

“It’s kind of depressing in a way but I am glad I was caught under the shelf in the 7/11 and not you. I know how bruised I was afterwards but I would have hated to have seen the bruising on your skin.”

“It would have been pretty grim.” She agreed. “It doesn’t help that my iron levels can be low.”

Taron moved to sit up against the pillows so he wasn’t leaning on her shoulder any more, his whole face turning stern. “We have had this conversation a few times before. Should I be getting my serious lecture face ready for you? Low iron can be dangerous Robyn.”

Her heart swelled as she saw the genuine concern on his face and she knew he would be ready in a heartbeat to tell her off for not taking more red meat into her diet. “You don’t have to tell me Taron.”

“Sometimes I feel like I do have to tell you and look after you too. I think you forget to do so. You are too busy looking after everyone else.”

“You look after me.” She told him. “Every time I come and see you, you look after me.”

“I feel like I might be the only one who does.” He answered her. “And cwtch doesn’t count.” He quickly added, earning a grin from her. “You need to take care of yourself Robyn and I mean that. It’s ok to stop and breathe and do things for you. I was serious when I told you this morning that you are going to burn out. You need to slow down.”

“Says the actor who can work a sixteen-hour day.”

“Who gets breaks during his day and a few weeks after and in-between filming. You work every single day with only an hour lunch.”

“I have some days off coming up.”

“And when I come to visit, we are going to do lots of relaxing and sleeping and baking.” He was glad to see her smile. “I don’t want to have to come and visit you in hospital Robyn.”

“You won’t Taron.” She assured him. “You won’t.” She placed her hands on his cheeks and kissed his forehead.

“You can’t distract me with kisses Robyn.” He closed his eyes and inwardly sighed as her lips found the corner of his. “Robyn…” He opened his eyes and was taken back at how close her face was to his. “You are a tosspot.”

“And you are wonderful caring man. I promise that I will take it easy the next few weeks in work.”

“No overtime.”

“No overtime.” She repeated.

“And lots of Taron cuddles starting now.”

With a little change of position and making sure they were tucked under the duvet cover, Robyn found herself in what had become her usual cuddling position with Taron, her head on his shoulder while his arm wrapped around her shoulder, tucking her into him. She didn’t get a chance to move her arm over his waist, as Taron pulled her hand over his stomach himself his own hand now trailing shapes up and down her arm, repeating the same tender touch she had been using with him. “I love you.” Taron whispered so quietly into her hair that Robyn didn’t hear him. He smiled as her hair was still crimped and in her plaits, enjoying the extra warmth her body provided him which he easily felt through his t-shirt. He found himself becoming more and more protective of the woman in his arms, each time he saw her and knowing how hard she worked, almost until she was dead on her feet, even more so and after how she had so lovingly just cared for his whole body with her hands, he was more than willing and ready to look after her. He wished he could whisk her away for a few days where it was just the two of them, both just spending the time together like they did when they were in her home but with their lives so busy, they were lucky to get a weekend together and he knew he was going to do everything to try to get to her for St Patrick’s Day, just wanting to spend more with her, just to make sure she was taking care of herself while letting her do the same for him.

[hmel78]

In conversation with Dave Sturt ...

GONG

In September of 2016, ‘GONG’ released their new album “Rejoice! I’m Dead” Some say it couldn’t, or shouldn’t have, be done. How could Gong exist without Daevid Allen? 

For those who are unaware Daevid passed away in March 2015. ‘GONG’ has had many, many line-ups - Formed when Australian beatnik/freak Daevid Allen quit ‘The Soft Machine’ and moved to France at the tail end of the ’60s. Since debuting in 1970 with “Magick Brother”, the band have remained fluid, even playing without their founder from the mid-to-late ’70s; fracturing and reassembling and constantly taking on new shapes and forms: an undeniably amorphous unit. David Bowie told Vanity Fayre in 2003 that Daevid Allen’s “Banana Moon” is one of his favourite albums, and today everyone from indie artists Temples and Ty Segall to hip hop artist Madlib and techno DJ Surgeon are inspired, and borrow, from ‘Gong’s’ music and ideology. The funky grooves, avant-garde flourishes and counter-cultural stance is timeless. So timeless that ‘Gong’ is proving that it can fully exist, even without their creator and guiding light.  “Rejoice! I'm Dead! came together over several weeks in an East London rehearsal studio. It depends on your knowledge of ‘Gong’ history and what you may feel constitutes as a Gong record, but “Rejoice! I'm Dead!” is classified as their 28th album and it would appear that the ‘Gong’ legacy is the strongest it has been since 1974 . In the words of bassist Dave Sturt: “You bet it's a fucking Gong record!” The current line-up features  Kavus Torabi (vocals/guitar), Fabio Golfetti (guitar/vocals), Dave Sturt (bass/vocals), Ian East (sax/flute) and Cheb Nettles (drums/vocals) - and unanimously they have taken on the mantle of “steering the Teapot further into outer space and the inner ear” ... Helen Robinson caught up with Dave Sturt recently, to find out more ...

HR :  ‘GONG’ has had a total of 52 official members in its 50 year history ; 47 past and 5 current.
What is it about ‘Gong’s’ music which compels musicians to continue to hold the band together in some shape or form?

Dave Sturt : An interesting question..... The Gong family is really unlike anything else. It's so much more than the 5 or 6 musicians on the stage. It's a worldwide collective of freaks, mystics or those who just don't quite fit in to the mainstream .... those who are searching for a different way to be.  It's an ongoing adventure- may it never stop. 

HR :   When you first joined in 2009 you were the new guy! Did you jel straight away? Had you been a fan prior to joining? 

DS : I knew of Gong back in the 70s but it wasn't until the 80s when I began to really appreciate what they had created. I had latched on to the Steve Hillage Band first - I really loved “Fish Rising”. So it was a real honour to audition for the band with Steve and Miquette. I felt comfortable right from the start. My personal journey melded with Gong's at just the right time – I had experience of many kinds of music but needed a focus. Gong wanted a creative bass player with something to offer . . . kismet!

HR :    At the time - alongside Daevid Allen - the line-up consisted of original member Gilli Smith who had returned to sing vocals, with two of the 1970’s staple members Miquette Giraudy, and Steve Hillage - what was it like having them all reunited in the same creative space?

DS : It was a privilege but, initially daunting. I had briefly worked with Daevid a few years before but to have them all in the same rehearsal room was something else. 

I began to get to know them properly in the tour bus around Europe - promoting the 2032 album.  They were all incredibly bright, free thinkers- truly inspiring. 

HR :    2012 saw another big shift in the band’s line-up -  you stayed ; was that by choice, or at the request of Daevid?  Who decided on who was going to fill the positions?



DS : Well I was very keen to continue with the band but it was Daevid who chose the line up that best suited his vision of where he wanted ‘Gong’ to go. On tour he spoke many times of his wish for Gong to continue without him and he chose pretty well.

HR :    Have the rotations of band members been essential to keep it fresh for the main body of songwriters ; for something ‘new’ to be brought to the table?  Or was it simply a tough band to exist in?

DS : Daevid never wanted to play safe. He always wanted to be surrounded by creative people so I guess that was the driving force.  Since Ian east and I have been involved the biggest change was when Steve and Miquette left to re focus on System 7.  Daevid was keen on making the band more guitar focused so Fabio was invited to join - and then later Kavus got the call. 

HR :   You’ve been with the band for the longest, out of the new line-up - do you feel that you have the chemistry right this time, to move forward as a unit and stay together?

DS : Absolutely - no question. This band is a perfect mixture of passion, skill and creativity. The gigs are a blast from start to finish – and we also have a great crew including the Fruit Salad lightshow and projections.

It feels slightly odd – being the longest standing member! It has been a bizarre eight years.

HR :    Following Daevid’s passing in 2015, and Gilli’s in 2016 - did you all consider calling it a day, or is it always going to be imperative to keep their spirits alive through the music?

DS : It was Daevid's wish that the band should continue. We were keen to carry on but unsure that it would work without him. We had gigs booked to promote the I See You album but Daevid was too ill to join us from Australia so Kavus took centre stage and we were astonished by the response. Also, previous members of Gong were very supportive.

Gilli's last tour with the band was in 2012 – and her health was failing then. She had to miss some of the concerts because of a broken foot. Our last gigs with her were in Japan and she spent the last few years of her life in a care home where she held court and entertained guests up until the end.

HR :   Cue studio album #28 - “Rejoice! I’m Dead”. 
It features Steve Hillage, Didier Malherbe, and Graham Clark, along with some post-humous vocals from Daevid. 
Did you feel that you needed to include these in order to transition the band from what was always essentially Daevid’s project, to a new stage in it’s development?

DS : That was partly the reason, but it felt completely in keeping with the the direction of the album. I was particularly keen to include the track Beatrix. It was such a lovely moment that I'd captured on my hand held recorder. We were in an apartment in Brazil - Daevid was listening on headphones to a jazzy musical idea of mine - and he began to improvise a poem about a very special woman in his life. It was so sweet and poignant. 

The album is obviously a reflection on Daevid and life and death so it's seemed completely right to have his presence in there . . . . it really felt as though he was in the studio with us as we composed and arranged the tracks

HR :   The album is receiving some rave reviews, and doesn’t seem to have disappointed the loyal following - were you nervous prior to it’s release, or confident that what you had produced was going to hit the proverbial nail?

DS : We were supremely confident that we had created something really special. The process of composing and recording was a joy. We just followed our own inner voice – without any pre-conceived direction - everyone contributed with ideas that we then arranged, juxtaposed and honed into a beautiful shiny thing.

HR :   With the current line-up being a relatively new group when it comes to working together as ‘Gong’ (not essentially new to each other), how difficult was it to write new material in the vein of some 50 years of compositions, which for the first time were not under the creative influence of Daevid, Gilly, or other alumni?

DS : We are all composers as well as players – and four of us wrote or co-wrote most of the tracks on the previous album I See You so we had no problem in continuing the process. The main key difference was the lyrics. We had no intention of pretending to write like Daevid or Gilli – that would have been completely bogus. Instead Kavus developed the main lyrical ideas throughout the time that the tracks came together – and a truly fine job he did! I wrote the lyrics for the track Model Village – the first time that I'd attempted such a thing.

HR :    For anyone who may be unaware of Gong, and their impressive back-catalog - could you describe the new album in a nutshell, and give virgin listeners an idea of what they can expect?

DS : The title – Rejoice! I'm Dead! - is a line from a poem of Daevid Allen's – 'All I Ask'. It completely summed up Daevid's attitude to death and it informed the concept of the album. That transition into the great unknown – something we all will face at some time. So – should we face it with fear and trepidation or embrace it as part of life's great journey? No one gets out alive so let's enjoy life, live it to the full and don't waste it by worrying about something that you can't avoid.So, the album is euphoric, inspirational and slightly ironic, with the occasional social comment. Musically it is, in turns, powerful; beautiful; intricate; and mystical.

I think I've finally achieved my aim of playing on, what may well be recognised eventually as, a classic album.

HR :   And down the line ... The band claim they you will continue to ‘fly the teapot further into outer space, and the inner ear! 
 Is it likely that any past members will be invited back to the fold for future projects?

DS : It's said that once you've been a member of Gong you never leave - so the door is always open. It's a very friendly, co-operative family – so everything is possible.

HR :   Outside the Gong realm, your solo album “Dreams and Absurdities” was released in 2015. Given all your other commitments, how long was it in the making? 

DS : Dreams & Absurdities came together slowly. It would have happened sooner if I hadn't been so busy over the last 10 years. I have a classic bass player mentality – I'm very supportive and unassuming and I give my all to whichever project I'm working on – which has meant that my solo album never became a priority, until, for some reason, everything fell into place.

HR :   It’s a  purely instrumental  record  - a departure perhaps from the music that people are used to hearing you play. Does it reflect your personal musical comfort zone?

DS : Well, some people will be very used to me working on instrumental albums. I recorded two with Jade Warrior and three with Cipher (my duo with Theo Travis). I find great beauty in instrumental music – especially when it evokes emotions of longing and soundscapes of imagined worlds.

HR :    The album features  a number of impressive guests - notably your  Gong colleagues, and Bill Nelson.   
Bill describes you as “an artist of the highest calibre” - coming from him that’s quite a recommendation isn’t it?!

DS : I am still truly astonished that I have been able to work with such great musicians – and to be held in such high regard by them is overwhelming. I've played with Bill for over 10 years now and it's been a joy. I was a big fan of Be Bop Deluxe and Red Noise and I've had the honour to play material from both bands with the man himself.

HR :   You’ve worked with a number of high profile musicians during your career - what was the most challenging project t o be part of?  And if you could collaborate with anyone at all - who would it be?

DS : The most challenging was probably a session early in my career when I was hired to play on an album by a Canadian band called Strange Advance. Also playing on the album were drummer Andy Newmark (John Lennon, Pink Floyd, Roxy Music) and Earl Slick (David Bowie). It was produced by the great composer and arranger Michael Kamen. It was a huge learning curve for me. It was a great experience but I felt that I was hanging on by my fingertips! In the end, things didn't go well with the producer/artist relationship – and the album was re-recorded in Canada with different musicians.

Who would I like to collaborate with? That could be a very long list! Peter Gabriel, Harold Budd, Jan Garbarek, Andy Partridge, Kate Bush, Steve Jansen, Bill Frisell, David Torn, Michael Brook, Zakir Hussein, . . . I could go on . . .

https://www.davesturt.co.uk/

[jq37]

thoughts on this week's ep?

**spoilers for broadway brawl**

***Before we start, I remembered as I was typing this one of the important notes I lost from last week’s recap: Interesting that Christmas seemingly went off without a hitch. I expected Santa to come back into play somehow (like, someone would check on him to make sure Christmas was still on or he’d call them in to help or something) but he hasn’t, at least not yet.***

My guys, my guys, my guys. Was that something or was that something?

I think I am on record as saying that combat is my least favorite part of ttrpgs generally speaking because I’m here for the RP but when a combat episode shines it really freaking shines (see eg: that first combat ep of Bloodkeep where everyone went full Galaxy Brain except for Matt who couldn’t hit a single thing) and this is such a good example. This is easily a top five ep of the season for me, maybe top three so let’s get into it and break down why it was so awesome.

We start right where we left off with Titania and members of her court having come into the theater to beat the tar out of Misty mid-show.

Quick note: At the end of last ep, it was set up so that Misty was thrust on stage right after hearing the mirror was on stage which would place this fight right at the top of Act 2 but at the start of this ep, Brennan seems to indicate that it’s taking place during what would be the closing number. Which would make more sense but imagine you go see a play, the first act is super dope, and then the second act is an insane, minute long fight that’s pretty unconnected to the plot and then a buff, naked, beautiful man tells you the show is over and you should leave. Wild. Anyway.

Pixies with tommy guns in inherently funny.

So one of the things that makes this fight really great is the way it directly ties into the story in a way besides “These bad guys are in our way.” Misty is using this show as a part of her reincarnation spell so if the show is messed up, it fails and she’s on her last life. Brennan has a cool mechanic of making her roll death saves every round at a difficulty lower than her modifier (which is s/t crazy like 11) but that gets harder with damage done to her and performance checks failed by other players who decide to jump on stage. It’s a great way to make the battle feel like it has more personal stakes and it’s my fave original Brennan mechanic since the Family in Flames Sophie’s Choice situation.

(I love that the death save counter is changed for theater comedy/tragedy masks for this. Nice touch.)

Em, Esther, and Wally are also at the fight which is clutch.

Also, Sondheim is specifically here which is an insane detail to add just because.

WILD that no one knows what’s going on with the ritual initially because, as Lou almost does, getting all the civilians out is the smart move and it would COMPLETELY ruin Misty’s plans instantly.

Lou having Kingston take the stairs bc’s he’s 50+ years old and has no time for that nonsense has equal but opposite energy to him doing extra rolls for Fabian to do unnecessary parkour before a simple attack because Fabian’s Like That.

Murph fireblasts the hell out of Titania’s foot soldiers right off the bat from outside of counterspell range which is very cool.

“Give me a performance check for the cockroach.”

“You’re upstaging me bitch?”

Another great thing about this fight is that because of it’s theatrical nature, everyone’s RPing it more than a usual battle ep (or more intensely maybe is what I mean).

Titania hypnotizes Don Confetti and his goons into fighting for her.

“She doesn’t know she’s in a play but she does sing most of her dialogue which is helpful for you.” Titania is just Like That.

Pete drops an erupting earth and drops a sick 37 damage on those same minions Kug got.

I didn’t notice before but yeah, Ally does roll die like a f-ing beyblade champion.

Emily hearing Murph’s low key, offhand comments and cracking up is great.

“Get Sondheim!” (Emily and then Ally: WHAT?!)

Actual living dude Stephen Sondheim being involved in this fight is just so ridiculous and fun and crazy.

We go around to Misty’s turn and she has to beat a 28 (upped from 10) and she fails which feels worse than a normal failed death save somehow.

Lou, in a very good RP move, tells Pete to tell Misty to end the show so she can tell them not to so the group has a valid reason to not evacuate which is a thing they (or at least him and Ricky) would obviously want to do.

Sophie, the madwoman, jumps out of the balcony, grabs a costume, then runs on stage. Emily’s glee at being told that her grabbing the costume will give her advantage is great. She’s always trying to figure out how to make the most of her moves. She is the living embodiment of the concept of method to madness (which is from Hamlet since we’re talking Shakespeare today). 

Ox is constantly dying (Brennan!) but also it’s like, why was he even there before the fight started? I’ve never seen a non-service dog in a theater.

Ricky: Is this part of it?

Oh, forgot to mention that everything that happens on stage is kinda shielded by the Umbral Arcana so everyone watching thinks it’s part of the show, which is a cool plot detail.

Ricky gets fULLY NAKED (Emily, with perfect comic timing: Now do I roll with disadvantage?) and leaps into the fray. He casts Protection from Evil and Good on her which (1) He does by Magic Mike body-rolling on her while he’s naked and considering how much shorter she is that her raises some interesting questions about positioning and (2) is the most clutch use of this spell I’ve seen in a while. It’s a spell I always wanna take as a Paladin because it makes sense character-wise, but I’ve never been able to actually use it because we’re never fighting fiends, fae, or celestial.

Brennan’s dime change change reversal of the critic’s comments on Ricky’s body rolls when Zac re-rolls his 11 makes me glad I never had to face him in a debate team setting.

Ally: What’s Esther’s deal ;)/Brennan: *Esther’s Weapon Stats*

“Your only secret you’ve ever had in your life is that you have a crush on her.”

Wally has a beautiful singing voice and a working knowledge of Midsummer's which is wild.

Lou’s periodic, “My man”’s when Ally/Pete does something cool. He’s very dialed into being Kingston.

Ricky’s aura keeps everyone near him from being charmed and Misty saves everyone else w/ a nat 20 counterspell. Few things in D&D are more satisfying than a well executed counterspell.

Titania trying to get Pete to be her consort or something when he just over the super posh Priya is very funny.

“I mean between me and Sondheim, get Sondheim!”

“DO WE HAVE HOMEWORK TONIGHT?” (“We did have homework.”)

Anyway, Misty has one success now!

Misty tries to use puppet to get Titania to drop her crown and it doesn’t work. Brennan says the crown is Crown of Stars which I looked up and it’s actually a spell, not a physical crown, but I’m assuming he used the mechanical effects of the spell on a physical item.

Brennan doing all these musical/singing bits when he absolutely doesn’t have to. I love it.

I love Ricky and Sophie being the two martial fighting heavy hitters of the group. Like, the two fighters, having the spellcasters’ backs.

I hope the one kung fu fan in the back of the theater never sees another Broadway show again because he’s gonna be so disappointed. 

“I’m just so inspired by that beautiful penis.”

Murph, out of character, verbally acknowledging how insane what they’re doing is. I love when someone pauses in a game of D&D to just recite what’s currently happening out of context so everyone can appreciate how crazy it is. D&D. Gotta love it..

Emily and Siobhan have a quick conversation in the background about whether Sondheim did Les Mis or not (not, that’s Claude-Michel Schönberg) while Brennan and Murph are Ring nonsense.

I also was mildly suspicious of Alyssa so I’m glad Kingston checked her out.

The entire roast of Brennan when he’s selecting D6s is an instantly iconic D20 moment. I can’t do it justice. You kinda just have to see it.

“Someone call Wizards of the Coast!”

Em, Wally, and Alyssa go out when Titania puts out a huge spell that blinds Kug.

“Yummy, yummy, tastes like ass.”

On Misty’s next turn, she rolls a fail which makes it 2 failures to 1 success. Brennan mentions that a nat 1 counts as 2 failures and a nat 20 counts as 2 successes. I’m sure that won’t be relevant later because you can’t foreshadow things when dice rolls are completely random.

Misty fails on puppet again again and Titania goes full Wicked Witch of the West on her and starts Jonesing for those shoessss.

Emily’s Emily(tm) move of the session is doing a flying leap at Titania, hitting her with a stunning strike and having Brennan retract the Box off Doom he was pulling out because she can’t save when she’s stunned. She just plummets out of the sky.

Don Confetti respecting the sacrament of marriage as he goes full Opera ghost and tries to garrote Sophie.

Ricky (still naked) grabs the crown from Titania, tosses it to Misty, and, with some improv and a good charisma roll, makes the show suddenly make sense to the very confused but entertained audience.

I’m so glad that Murph decided to turn into a bear and that they made the Winter’s tale ref. I should have had faith in Brennan and Siobhan, the theater nerds. Exit pursued by a bear y’all.

Lou and Emily bonding over being proud of their die for rolling well when they lend it out for a big roll.

Really wish Pete had wild magic surged in this fight. Just to add that extra bit of chaos. 

With a very good turn (no damage taken, no performances failed) Misty only has to avoid snake eyes to get through this turn. She leapfrogs over that low bar and rolls a nat 20, instantly fulfilling her win condition. At this point, the play is superfluous and Titania is still down.

“Brennan lost and now he knows reddit is gonna eat his ass.”

OK, remember how I said earlier that Misty seems like the kind of character you nudge a little temptation at just to spice things up? Yeah, her killing Titania and getting the crown of the Seelie Fae makes me a liiiitle apprehensive, but we’ll see how that turns out.

“I killed my queen! This is America we don’t have royalty here.”

“Bear, I don’t know who you are, but take me on your back, let me ride on stage.” —creator of West Side Story, Stephen Sondheim

Misty charms the critic at the show to make sure they get a good review which is such a fae thing to do.

Kingston’s clearly not loving attacking Don and Co. post “real fight” what with his whole Do No Harm thing (well, that’s Dr’s but same principle applies I assume) is a good character detail. For that matter, so is Ricky just taking Titania’s crown and not beheading her which he super could have done while she was down but it would have been very incongruous with everything else about him.

Brian “This isn’t Loony Tunes” Murphy throws Sondheim as a projectile weapon at a pixie who snaps the pixie’s neck and then does a monologue at the audience.

I love it when someone rolls low on an insight check and Brennan gives them useless info and then they repeat it in their character’s voice.

4 mins from the end of the ep, Siobhan realizes there are two Perrys in this story for the first time and has a bigger reaction to that than almost everything else in this ep except her nat 20.

Ricky looks for costume faun legs to cover his fully out dick instead of costume pants or even his own pants.

Misty starts glowing with reincarnation energy and she runs into her dressing room for privacy. Also, she still super hasn’t told anyone what’s going on. (ALSO, assuming she’s gonna make the world think she died, it’s gonna be wild for the company of the show to have their leading lady put on the performance of her life and then die on opening night).

“Who am I to refuse a crown when it’s placed so deftly upon my head?”

You know that behind the scenes thing where Brennan is like, “Yeah, I knew Siobhan was gonna steal that book,”? I got some of those vibes during the crown scene.

The implications of what Misty did are gonna be left until next ep but Brennan says something about her creating her own court and it looks like she’s recruiting followers in the promo. IDK how I feel about that (these stories tend to have great power--especially tied to powerful magical items--as a corrupting force) but I am very excited to see how it goes down! See you then!

[hardeepcox]

Visa Run #3

 Before I start this, I want to add that during Visa Run#2 my dad, Poomi and I found May at the Foxzee’s bargirl place. Business was dead though because of Chinese New Year and actually it felt pretty awkward. I also want to add May had acquired a laugh that seemed more like a maniacal cackle, true story. Seems hilarious now though oh my god. May and I had been messaging every now and then so we stayed somewhat in touch, but when we met this time the atmosphere just felt really awkward. She told me how less fat I now looked and then invited me to play pool. She destroyed me in the first game. We had a re-match, and the bar boss then told her to let me win (thanks for the intel Poomi [he understands Thai]). Dude I am so bad at pool that I actually sunk the 8 ball too early and managed to lose again. I give up at pool, another awkward beer later, I can hear Poomi’s soul faintly saying “true…. yup….” (this is his catch phrase and also the mantra that I mentally tell myself to be chill). He’s bored, and honestly so am I and my dad. We end up spending that night roaming around and drinking beer in random places, pretty chill.

  Okay the ACTUAL Visa Run #3

This was my third and final visa run thus far. And for some reason I found myself going to Bangkok ALONE.

 The dumbass company that I work for (whose name I won’t say but rhymes with ee em gee) said we had to go to a capital city to get our new visas, we couldn’t go to the Cambodian border and get new visas like literally every other English teacher in the city. This then became my one shot at exploring Bangkok again on my own and getting to know this city better.

 Day 1 The first stupid thing I did.

 I didn’t know that there was a metro train going straight from the Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok to my hotel, so I got stuck in multiple cabs during rush hour, got sent to the wrong address, and walked for over an hour while dragging my carry-on luggage. Yeah it sucked but dammit it looked so cool. After walking under and over a sketchy bridge or two, I finally got to my hotel. Damn it actually looked pretty nice, well on the outside at least. I definitely killed a few roaches in my room that night. I only had 2 nights so I planned to make the most of it.

 The second stupid thing I did.

I went to the one place that I had only heard about in legends… Nana Plaza. I was now experienced in the partying ways of Thailand, these guys don’t fuck around. I took a Grab motorbike taxi to the place, and the driver drops me off right outside the beginning of a street full of bars. They seem to be stemming from this big place that looks like an outdoor shopping center at your local suburban neighborhood, except for all of the stores were replaced with strip-clubs. Read that again, and nope I am actually not exaggerating. Imagine an outdoors shopping center where you would expect to see Baby Gap, Auntie Annes, Toys r Us Express, Hallmark, CVS Pharmacy, and a local tae-kwon-do dojo, but they have all been replaced by strip-clubs. Yeah and lots of red colored lights. I took a lap around the bar in the center, and the music was absolutely pumping in every single one of the surrounding rooms. I walked up to the second floor, and it got a bit more intense. I think or at least it seemed to me like this floor was the ladyboy floor. Two ladyboys would stand by the entrance to the bars and hit you with something, like a small whip or something. Not my thing, if you’re into this kind of stuff, well then hey you do you bro. Nana’s Plaza is a bit much for me at the moment so I step out to see some of the smaller local bars. My method of choosing which bar to enter first is to listen for the one that starts playing reggaeton first. A couple beers later I’m kinda tipsy, so I go BACK into Nana’s Plaza. I somehow stumble straight in and a lady tries to pull my arm. “Real girls here in this bar” she says. I reply, “what about that bar straight ahead?” She goes “I don’t know.” My drunk logic says this person is trying to reverse-psychology my ass, I’m going straight into the ‘I don’t know room,’ fuck it. She lady is surprised while I zoom past her into this unknown abyss.

I walk into this room, and I see a stage with a pole with a bunch of girls dancing. I take a seat right in front of them, which I usually refer to as the “splash-zone.” I sit down and order a local beer, probably a Chang, and suddenly all the girls that were dancing began to line-up in a horizontal line in front me and give me the sad puppy eyes. They want me to choose one to sit next to me. I go “hey actually I just wanna drink my beer.” They try to look even sadder and bummed out. I try to ignore them. After a couple awkward sips of my beer I figure well I guess I’m supposed to actually choose one in this place. So I pick the one that I think is the hottest. She’s happy that I chose her and she sits on my left. Immediately she grabs my left hand, puts it over shoulder, under her bra, and suddenly I’m holding her boob. I was like damn that was quick uhh I’ll just keep chillin and sipping on my beer. She tells me she’s a university student, and some point makes a comment that I find confusing. I don’t remember what she said, but my response to that was “wait…. Is this a ladyboy bar?” She says yep and laughs her ass off. I go “wait so all those hot girls on-stage are actually dudes?” She says yep. I go “ohhhh… okay then cheers!” And we have a beer. I look across the room and I notice that the bartenders are also ladyboys, but not the kind that look like supermodels. They are just regular dudes, with guts, who want to be women. At that point I realize that being a ladyboy is not necessarily just about transforming yourself into a supermodel, some dudes just want to be chicks. And hey I can respect that. You do you bro. Anyways, my ladyboy then says, “hey I have milk too.” I say, “shut up no you don’t.” She goes, “wanna see?” I reply, “um fuck YES.” The ladyboy pulls down her bra, squeezes her nipple, and a few drops of white liquid come out. I’m like “duuddeeee that’s fucking awesome!” and I give her a high-five. She asks me, “wanna taste?” I say “dude fuck youuu” and we are hysterically laughing our asses off. Then she decides to take it up a notch and asks me if I wanna take her back to my place for 3000 baht. I say nah sorry I’m not into that. She replys, “oh it’s your first time? Okay then half price.” I say, “nahh sorry I’m not down.” Eventually she gives up and start to go back with the rest of the ladyboys. Before she leaves she says “can I get a tip?” I had already paid for the beers so I was like, “why?” But I just want to leave so I give her a 100 baht so she can go away. She then says, “can I have 200 baht more? I want to buy food.” I say “uh hell no.” She smiles and slithers back into the darkness. And I proceed to get the hell out of that place.

 The third stupid thing I did.

 I was hungry, and I was determined to eat some mozzarella chicken at Family Mart. I walked around Bangkok drunk as hell, through random streets, looking for a Family Mart. I find nothing but back to back 7-elevens and I am so incredibly annoyed. I eventually give up and get some basil rice with chicken at a 7-eleven. After over an hour of roaming around the city and looking for Family Mart, I hail a street taxi and head back to the hotel. Day 1, complete.

 Funny enough… in the morning I walk outside my hotel and there is a fucking Family Mart literally across the street. I scurry my way across the street and go into Family Mart, mozzarella chicken here I come! I then realize, they only serve this dish in Vietnamese Family Mart… not Thai Family Mart… fuck me.

 Damn Bangkok, you always find a way to surprise me you sly bastard.

 *I forgot to mention that earlier during Day 1, I had to stop by the Vietnamese Embassy in Bangkok to get a new Visa. This was the whole reason of me being in Bangkok in the first place. The office which handles Visa applications is literally a hole in the wall, literally dude. And what’s funny is that it’s located in a reallyyyy nice part of town. It honestly felt like Northwest Washington DC, but of course the hole in the wall just felt like an actual hole.*

  Day 2

 I decide to explore the city on foot. As I stroll around, I see my hotel is located on Sukhumvit 71, near a Muslim community on one side and a bargirl community on the other side. Super interesting, I hadn’t seen this often in Asia except for in some streets near Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City. I ordered a coffee, I think the lady was a Thai Muslim and she was super nice. But of course… no coffee will ever compare to Vietnamese coffee, the best in the fucking world. I only drink milk-coffee, for some reason it tastes like home. I explore a bit more and I notice the metro station is literally next to my hotel. Jesus I’m an idiot, but okay lesson learned. Anyways I can walk for hours, so I keep going like the energizer bunny. I get some spicy Thai food near a gas station, it was like spicy garlic chicken with rice, veggies, and a fried egg on top. Dope. I crushed it. My mouth was on fire and I was craving caffeine again so I walked to a nearby coffee shop and sipped on some damn good local coffee. I used the coffee shop’s wifi and I called a Grab taxi to take me to Sukhumvit road near the Hilton to reminisce the good old times I had previously had with my dad, Paper, and later on Poomi. I get there and I am walking for hours again, enjoying every second of it. I get lost, and suddenly come across different streets that I have seen before during my previous trips. I am absolutely loving this, downtown Bangkok is becoming more and more familiar. Also keep in mind that I am eating random foods along the way. Damn downtown Bangkok is amazing, I estimate it’s about 20 years ahead of Ho Chi Minh City in regards to development. Sky train, subway, and advanced technology every step of the way. As I continue roaming around I start to feel tired and I think about going back home, also I’m full. SUDDENLY. I find myself resting on a walking bridge in between two shopping malls, and I see a fucking TACO BELL! Dude! My first Taco Bell outside of the US! I rushed in there and ordered a taco combo meal with beef. So full but so worth it. I decided to keep walking so I could burn at least 2% of the calories I had been consuming that day. It starts getting dark out, and I can feel the vibe of the city changing. When the lights go out in this concrete jungle, the night beings come out to chill. I only have this evening left in this trip so I decide to make the most of it, let’s go to Soi Cowboy!

 I start walking towards Soi Cowboy on foot (soi means “side street” in Thai), and now it’s dark. Tons of working girls are sitting on the sidewalks, all trying to get your attention. The streets definitely feel more intense than in the morning and afternoon. I keep walking and walking, and eventually I make it! I start walking towards Soi Cowboy and along the way there is a little bar next to the street playing some rock music that catches my attention. I decide to keep this spot in mind. I walk into Soi Cowboy. This shit feels really intense when you go alone, and the strippers or ladyboys are out on the street pulling people into their bars. I decide that I had enough of this shit last night, I’m going back to that street bar I just walked by. I walk to the street bar, get a chair, and start sipping on a Chang beer. Two older ladies are working there and letting the customers choose the songs. Dude if you let me DJ at a bar you KNOW I’m gonna play reggaeton, 100% chance. One lady has good English so we are chatting, the other lady doesn’t speak much English so she sits behind me and starts massaging my shoulders. This lady massaged my entire upper body while I sat there that night, I never even asked for a massage. These ladies are bar-ladies, so they will ask you to buy them drinks. I figure ah hell why not, it’s my last night and I am actually having a good time! We must have been like 4 or 5 beers in when the massage lady says, “hey choose any bottle and I’ll buy you a shot.” I know what’s going down… these ladies are trying to get me to blackout! I, having much experience in blacking out, have an idea. Most Asian girls that I’ve met don’t know much about the strength of liquor/spirits, whatever you want to call it. I look at the options: vodka, tequila, gin, absinthe, jagermeister, you know… the classics! Somehow, I notice a lonely bottle of Malibu, this is a fruity flavored rum with a relatively low alcohol percentage. These ladies don’t know the difference between Malibu and Jose Cuervo, so I order a bitch shot of coconut Malibu and gulp it down. The ladies then expected me to blackout any minute…. Any minute now….. umm…. Anyyyy minute now?! Nope. I was just tipsy and feeling good! So I decide okay I’ll call it a night, time to call Grab. I get the bill it was about 3000 baht! Ouch, but I had a good time so it’s cool. Then the lady with good English asks me, “would you like to take my friend home?” She was referring to the massage lady, who by the way had already digivolved a couple decades ago. I kindly refused. Then, the massage lady asks me for a tip, she had massaged me over an hour non-stop. By now I was tipsy, but I remembered the ladyboy last night asking me for a tip at Nana’s Plaza twice, and this time I was like aw helll nooo. I didn’t tip the massage lady and she was angry as hell, she wouldn’t even say goodbye to me. I called a Grab bike, and he was out there waiting for me in a crowd full of cabs trying to pick-up other drunk, idiot foreigners. Cab drivers of different ages would stand in my way as I walked to my Grab driver, and me being a drunk asshole was actually shoving them to the side! Haven’t done that ever before or since, but I think I was just drunkenly annoyed at people trying to constantly scam me. I finally find my Grab driver and I hop on.

A slight drizzle begins and I don’t have a raincoat, but damn does it feel amazing. As the motorbike speeds up, the light rain hits my face harder. I open my arms wide like wings and I feel like Leonardo Dicaprio in Titanic. I survived day 2, and the next day I had to catch a flight back to Vietnam with a new Visa. Success!

I was supposed to visit Thailand again in June, but yeah goddamn coronavirus hit so… that’s not gonna happen. Until next time Thailand!

[sooghostwriter]

Bodyguard

Pairings: Do Kyung Soo x OC

Genre: Mature,  Romance, Angst (But not love angst), Smut in future chapters

Warnings: Main character under trauma.

Summary: Ae Ra is a singer who has been receiving threatening messages and letters for a while now, but she didn’t give them importance. Until one day the sender decides to act and kidnaps her. It’s then when her agency decides that she needs protection, so they hired two bodyguards for her. Mister Do and Mister Park.

Chapter 3 

After almost an hour, Mister Min walked outside her room with his cellphone on one hand and another cellphone in the other hand. He appeared flustered, but Kyung Soo could swear he looked taller “Everything is settled, I need to go to the agency right now to re-negotiate some contracts, I leave her under your care, she is going to sleep now” Kyung Soo bowed at him as he dashed to the elevators, but saw in surprise how he walked back to where he stood “How did you do that?” He asked pointing at him with one of his phones “Do what sir?” “She does what you say, that surprised me from the beginning, but this! Tell me, how you convinced her to take this break, I have been working with her for 6 years, and she only took a month off to finish her piano studies in England, what did you say to her?” Kyung Soo went over his talk with Ae Ra, and there were a lot of things that he said that could have pushed her in to take this decision, but he was sure that it came from inside her, he just showed her the possibilities. And also, he wasn’t going to tell someone else about the talk they had. It was a private matter of hers “I don’t think I said much, I just showed her that option…and after everything that happened, I think she was wishing to do this” Mister Min nodded, accepting his answer and walked away nodding to himself “Mister Do!” He shouted from the elevators, calling his attention “I like having you here!” Kyung Soo bowed at him, trying to control his smile.

++

Ae Ra’s room was now filled with cute boys. Baekhyun was right, she did have a harem. 

Sehun was packing her suitcase, Chanyeol, Kyung Soo and Baekhyun were talking in a corner of her room and Minseok was flat ironing her new light brown hair “Are you really so scared of taking a break?” He asked over her shoulder, as she bit her thumb “Yeah, this is very new to me, I have been working like this since I was 17, first training, then when I debuted… I haven’t taken a break ever, and now is so strange because the instructions from the agency are to come back whenever I feel ready, when is that?” Sehun answered as he sat on top of her suitcase so he could close it “Whenever you feel like you are ready, is not that hard to understand”

“Yeah, the day you feel like you need to be back on stage is the day you come back to Seoul” They made it sound very simple. In fact, the harem made all this look very simple. As soon as she went out of the hospital, Baekhyun rented a house in the countryside. She was planning on going to her parents’ house or a hotel in Jeju island, but they had different plans “No, you need fresh hair, you need good food, animals, mountain, fireplace, you need earth, and you need us, that’s why we took some days off so we can come to you and help you settle” Her make-up artist informed her three days ago, and now he and her bodyguards were planning the meals they were going to have. Sehun was opening a second suitcase to put all her clothes in and Minseok was massaging her hair with some fragrant oil. 

She announced in her social media that she was taking a short vacation. She didn’t look the comments, scared of what she could find there. Her agency got a lot of calls from magazines asking if it was related with her current situation and they answered that - It had to do with it, but it wasn’t the only reason- Mister Min didn’t touch the issue, he was all smiles. And that meant good news because that man didn’t know how to fake a smile. So if he was happy, it was because there were reasons not to be worried. So, when she walked out of her place with her backpack and her guitar, she only focused on not slip on to the wet pavement. She promised herself that all worries were staying there.

Mister Yo borrowed them one of his cars and they drove for 5 hours to the small village were their temporary home was. Chanyeol and Kyung Soo sat in the front since they were driving, and the rest stayed in the back.  A part of her was getting very emotional with the idea of this trip. She never had this kind of trips. She did travel a lot, and in the company of those three guys, but it was for work, so there was always some stress involved. Train her voice, go over her choreography and work on her next record as she was touring with her most recent one. Traveling for work was never really traveling. But now there was none of that. This was the beginning of her vacation.

They arrived on a two-floor house at the foot of a hill. There were three’s around it, hiding it from the highway, and chickens and ducks walking around. Chanyeol parked the car in front, and gave them a signal to stay there “Kyung Soo and I need to go first to check the house” They all nodded at the same time and saw the two bodyguards walk inside the house and move around opening curtains and checking the locks of all the windows “Hey Ae Ra, is it true what Mister Min said? That you decided to take this vacation because of something that baldy told you” Ae Ra looked at Baekhyun a bit agitated, why did he know that? “Don’t call him that, and yes, he convinced me” “Wah, and he convinced you about telling people about the attacks too, wah, he has a lot of influence in you uh?” She looked at him not quite grabbing the mining behind the way he formulated his question, word-wise, and tone wise. Behind him, Minseok and Sehun were nodding, holding their laughs “Cut the crap, what are you implying?” “You like him” Answered Sehun, moving forward, grinning stupidly at her “You like your bodyguard” She felt the sweat forming in her lower back and nape. She felt her ears go red, and the chuckles from her friends confirmed her that she was must surely blushing “We are not messing with you, we are on board” Minseok told her, trying to control his giggles “Yeah, but just so you know, we will try to get you two alone during this vacation” Baekhyun stuck his tongue and avoided a swat from Ae Ra “I swear to god, if any of you makes it weird, I’m getting a new staff, got it?” “I’m open to lose this job if it means that you are getting a boyfriend” He joked again, but this time Ae Ra was faster and she hit him straight on the head “Hyung, stop it, look, we are supporting this, but we promise that we are not going to make any of you uncomfortable, not because of you, but because we are scared of him, and everybody calm down they are coming here” Sehun came back to his previous position, and the three of them went serious. Ae Ra was the only one still in shock. And she didn’t even have the opportunity to deny the accusations. Because she had to, since they were false accusations. The opening of her door brought her back to reality, and the first thing she saw was Kyung Soo offering his hand to help her go down. She could feel those three traitors biting back their laughs behind her “I’m ok Mister Do, thank you” He nodded and took back his hand, making way for her to go down. Of course, as soon as she touched land, her left ankle betrayed her and she ended up landing in Kyung Soo’s arms, which by now were definitely used to catch her before her face landed in the ground.  He, as the eternal gentleman, only helped her regain balance again. He didn’t comment on her blushing or her embarrassed silence. But she saw out of the corner of her eye how the other three, including Chanyeol, were looking away, hiding their laughs from her and Kyung Soo’s view.

That afternoon they focused on organizing everything. Fill the refrigerator, distribute the rooms and unpack. As soon as she was ready, Chanyeol came to check on her. And for some reason he explained to her why he came in and not Kyung Soo “He is preparing dinner now, so I came instead” As if he was apologizing. Or she was just being paranoid.

After dinner, they watched a movie and then went to sleep. They were all very tired and had plans for the next morning. Baekhyun promised a river and animals. She put her pajamas on, and before she went to bed, Baekhyun came to wish her good night and give her a tight hug. That night she was able to sleep. It took her an hour, yes. But she didn’t wake up until the next morning. She had a couple of nightmares, but nothing too terrible.

Their first three days went by slowly. They were completely relaxed, enjoying life with no worries. She took long walks with her friends, devoured the food that Kyung Soo cooked for them and read the books she brought with her. It was a nice bubble to live in. All those things kept her away from the worries outside. There were moments when she completely forgot why she was there. Only at night, she would remember. The nightmares refused to leave. But she realized that every night they lost a bit of strength.

It was clear that for Sehun, Baekhyun and Minseok, Ae Ra was more than just the girl they work with. They treat her like a little sister in every sense.

Chanyeol and he were the same. There was a distance between the three of them, mostly because that’s how they planned it on the first place. She still called them Mister and they called her Miss, but that was only a formality. Chanyeol would call her Miss Ji, and then joke about how lazy she was. Of course, Kyung Soo didn’t go that far. He just stayed on the background. Laughing with them of course, talking with all of them. But always looking and earing, answering only when requested. That was just his personality. He was the quiet one. At least around strangers or acquaintances. He liked that about himself though. It made him more observant. And during the last days there, he did that. Observe.

Observe Ae Ra closely. He had seen her at her worst, and he was making sure how she was evolving. He was pleasantly surprised. The first thing he noticed was the lack of visits to the bathroom. She was enjoying her meals happily and after she was done she just stayed seated at the table or go somewhere with her friends. No more vomiting, no more lump on her throat. That was the best sign he could see.

She looked less afraid too. One time the lights went out for a minute as she was washing her face in the bathroom. He dashed to the bathroom in case she needed help, but he stopped at the door after he could hear her humming. The light came back soon after, and as he walked away from the door, a small smile on his lips, he heard her say “I’m okay” Kyung Soo’s smile grew wider.

It was clear she wasn’t sleeping well, she was somnolent most of the time. And a couple of times when he walked outside her bedroom past midnight, he heard her whimper in her sleep. But he knew it was going to be like this. If anything, Ae Ra was recovering very fast. Trauma is a toxic disease that takes quite a while to go away. He knew that. He has seen it. But Ae Ra was strong, he knew that much. He suspected it just by seeing her as a fan. But now that he met her in person, he was sure.

It was Thursday and Sehun had to leave because of work. Kyung Soo prepared a farewell meal with Sehun’s favorites dishes. He looked a bit giddy when Kyung Soo asked him what food he liked. Kyung Soo liked Sehun. He was a good guy. A big softy. He was making Ae Ra laugh all the time, as he was paying attention to her well-being all the time. He was very funny and he made a good match with Chanyeol. He felt a bit sad with the news of him leaving so soon, that’s why he decided to cook for him. Chanyeol and Minseok were going to drive him to the train station after lunch. That morning, as he was starting to prepare lunch, Ae Ra came into the kitchen offering help “I’m not a good cooker, but I know how to use a knife, so can I help you? I want to thank Sehun somehow” He accepted happily, asking her to chop the green onions. Thanks to her help, lunch was ready sooner than expected. Before they started eating, Ae Ra raised her glass to make a toast and everybody at the table quieted down “Before our Sehun goes, I’ll like to thank you guys for being here with me, supporting me” She said looking at Baekhyun, Sehun and Minseok “And taking care of me” She said looking at Chanyeol and him “Thank you, that’s all, I’m not good at this, I’ll write a song, that’s easier for me” They all start laughing clinging their glasses together “Of course we are going to be here with you, I can’t trust that you would take care of your hair, and also who was going to trim Kyung Soo’s hair” Minseok added, patting Kyung Soo in the shoulder, and he involuntarily passed his hand over his head “Thank you for that” He answered shylly “Is ok, your hair does grow quite fast though, you are very masculine uh?” Chanyeol laughed next to him, and as he turned to hit him, he saw Ae Ra smiling nervously.  He noticed that she always did that when Chanyeol messed with him. He didn’t know why. He was glad they all enjoyed his cooking. It was modest, but they all prize it fervently “Miss Ji helped me, so she should get some compliments too” He answered, a bit embarrassed “I only cut stuff, you are the one with the gift” She winked at him, and Kyung Soo felt a rush of heat move from his nape, around his neck and then down his chest. That was one of her signature gestures. She always ended her tv performances with a flirty wink but getting one live was very overwhelming. He laughed shyly, and everybody around him laughed at him, or with him. Soon after they were done with lunch, Chanyeol and Minseok left with Sehun to the train station. When Sehun came to say goodbye to him, he gave Kyung Soo a short but tight hug and said to him “I’m sure you will keep taking care of her, thank you for that” and patted his arm fraternally. Kyung Soo only nodded at him, copping Sehun’s gesture. They both smiled at each other before Sehun walked inside the car. After that Ae Ra went upstairs to fetch her book and left him and Baekhyun at the living room. He was going to offer him a coffee, but he excused himself “I’m going to go for a run” He said and went upstairs to his room. Before he went into the kitchen he heard some mumbling at the stairs, followed by a strident laugh from Baekhyun and an exasperated shriek from her. She appeared at the kitchen door just when he was putting the coffee inside the machine “Want some coffee?” He offered. She only nodded and went back to the living room. He added one more coffee spoon to the filter and waited for it to be done.  He already knew how she liked her coffee, and he felt a weird sense of proudness because of that. He walked into the living room holding both coffee’s and left hers in the coffee table in front of her. She was sitting on the couch, relaxed, with a book and a notebook on her legs. She thanked him for the coffee, taking a sip from her cup “Perfect” She mumbled to herself, and Kyung Soo felt that weird sense of proudness again. He sat in the couch just in front of her, without anything to do. It was about to get uncomfortable, at least for him, when Ae Ra draw his attention to her “Mister Do, I weight myself today, I gained 3 kilos” She could barely control her smile, proud of herself “Congratulations, I have noticed that you have been eating better” She nodded enthusiastically “Yes! I feel better” “What about sleeping?” “Mmm…is…still tricky, is not as hard as before, but I have a lot of nightmares” Kyung Soo realized this was the first time in a while they sat down to talk. He felt a strange familiarity with the current situation. He was glad she was sharing all this with him, mostly because that meant thrust “What happens in those nightmares?” She looked at the notebook on her hands, playing with the cover “I’m writing them down, once we are back at Seoul I want to start therapy, and probably they will be interested in them…they are quite random, is like all my fears or traumas from childhood are coming back, all my insecurities show themselves in my nightmares, so there isn’t a clear pattern, some of them are kind of ridiculous, some of them are terrifying” “And they keep you up during the night” “Most of them, sometimes I wake up terrified, sometimes…so…sometimes…something happens in the nightmare and everything gets fixed so I don’t wake up” He was dying to ask what happened, what change those nightmares into dreams, but he saw how suddenly she got nervous, stuttering, so probably she didn’t want to share that part “You are having those nightmares every night?” “Yeah, but some nights are worse than others, which gives me a bit of hope…right?” He nodded, it was a good signal “Coming here has helped you, Miss Ji?” “So much, I know that Baekhyun brought me here to isolate me, sooner or later I have to come back and probably I’m going to have a relapse, but I also think that he brought me here to create a cushion, so whenever I feel terrible, I can just come back here, at least in my mind” They exchange a smile and Ae Ra went ahead “I’ll remember the time he fell into the lake, when Sehun freaked out because of that sheep, and when Mister Park almost fades because of that cricket on his pants, I’m going to remember waking up to that beautiful view outside my window, share breakfast with all of you, enjoy the delicious meals you prepare, write in peace, read, laugh…this has been overwhelmingly beautiful, sorry” Her voice broke at the end, and his heart clenched. She tried to hide her crying, but it was late to control it. Kyung Soo was fast to hand her the box of tissue. She apologized to him, and he was clear to make her see that she didn’t need to apologize “I’m just very emotional lately, yesterday a butterfly got into my room and I cried for an hour because of how pretty it was” “Miss Ji, that is totally normal” She thanked him again and grabbed another tissue to clean her tears “I’m glad you decided to go to therapy, everybody around you is doing all they can to support you and help you, but there are a lot of things we can’t do or say, and there’s also a lot of things you can’t share with any of us” She looked at him, her eyes big, a bit swollen and red by the crying, but dry now “I’m doing the right thing right?” “Of course” She smiled brightly, and he mirrored her smile “Thank you for sharing this with me Miss Ji” “No, it’s me…I have to thank you Mister Do” They could be like this the rest of the afternoon, so Kyung Soo accepted her words and changed the subject “For dinner I’ll cook whatever you want, to celebrate your weight gain, what do you want?” She giggled shyly and took a second to think about it “I think this is the first time I celebrate a weight gain, we have to celebrate it right? Then I want fried chicken, can you cook that?” “Of course, I’m going to call Chanyeol and tell him to buy some fresh chicken” He got up in search of his phone and left her free to do what she had planned. As he was speaking with his partner, he saw her seated at the couch, writing down things on her notebook, her smile refusing to leave. His too.

+++

“Ae Ra?” She heard a whisper calling her name “Are you up?” It was Baekhyun’s voice from the door “Come in, what happened?” Baekhyun got in, closing the door behind him, and sat next to her in the bed “Nothing, I wanted to chat with you, what were you doing?” Ae Ra showed him the book she was reading, and he scrunched his nose, taking it away from her and leaving it on the nightstand “You can do that later, I came to gossip about you” “Baekhyun is not gossiping if it is about me, and if it is about Mister Do I’m killing you with this pillow” “Oh come on! Tell me, what did you guys do yesterday when we left you alone?” Ae Ra was suddenly shocked by his words, the we in it was so suspicious. We, as in we plan it, we executed, we are dead “Baekhyun, please don’t tell me you planned this” “No…” He hesitated “No what?” “I didn’t plan, it was Sehun and Chanyeol…and me and Minseok” Ae Ra grabbed the pillow she was going to use to kill him and stuck it to her face just to hide her shout of frustration. They were all dead to her, even Chanyeol. She felt how Baekhyun was giggling next to her, so she shouted into her pillow again “Come on, stop it, if Kyung Soo hears you he will get super worried” She threw her pillow at him, and in his attempt of dodge it, he hit the back of his head with the wall. She felt so happy when it happened “I can’t believe you got Chanyeol involved too, he is his partner!” “Ok, that’s why I came to gossip, of course I want to know what you guys did yesterday, but I’m sure nothing will come out from those lips, so here is the gossip” “Baek…” She warned him, but he ignored her “This is the thing, Chanyeol didn’t need to go with them, I could have go with them, or only Minseok right?” He waited for her answer, but she only stared at the wall with her arms crossed, and he ignored her completely “But Chanyeol proposed that idea to us, we give it the thumbs up, and then when he told Kyung Soo about him going with Minseok he wasn’t against it” “So?” He gave her an exasperated look “You know him, he could have said no to him, don’t go is unnecessary, because it is! He came out with a lousy plan and a lousy excuse, but Kyung Soo accept it” “Please go to the point of all this” “He wanted to spend time alone with you dummy!” Ae Ra laughed bitterly, shaking her head “What about you?” Now her friend was the clueless one “What with me?” “Technically he and I weren’t going to be alone, you stayed here” “He knows I go for a run every other day at that time, he is like a freaking CIA agent” “So your gossip is that he wanted to stay alone with me” He nodded smiling sassily and Ae Ra pushed down the giddiness that the idea caused her. She took a deep breath and then turned to Baekhyun “Look, It was really good talk to him, he listens and gives advice like no one, and that’s all I’m going to say, but I don’t like this…childish behavior of planning things and talking about us behind our backs” “Us?” He joked, moving his eyebrows up and down suggestively. Ae Ra was done “Leave” Baekhyun got up faking fear, laughing all the way to the door, and before going out, he looked at her and repeated “Us” Doing that thing with his eyebrows again. Ae Ra grabbed the book she was reading and threw it to the door. Baekhyun laughed again and dashed outside the room and closed the door.

++++

Sunday's in the countryside were as lazy as in the city. They got up late, except for Kyung Soo and Chanyeol obviously, and they move from couch to couch watching movies. After lunch though, Ae Ra got a rush of energy and felt like dressing more presentable and go out for a walk. She came downstairs and her friends were still lazing around in the living room playing video games in the TV “I want to go for a walk” She said, “Go then” Answered Baekhyun changing positions on the couch next to Chanyeol “No one is coming with me?” She saw how Kyung Soo looked at Chanyeol in silence for a couple of seconds but was ignored by his partner “Kyung Soo, could you go? I’m about to destroy Minseok here” Ae Ra didn’t miss the look Kyung Soo gave to Chanyeol, it was hard to decipher though. She was able to read the faces Baekhyun and Minseok though. She was about to lose it. Baekhyun was laughing mischievously, trying to hide behind a pillow. And Minseok’s grin was really getting into her nerves. Thank god Kyung Soo distracted her by patting her arm “Let me go for my cellphone and jacket and I will be with you” She couldn’t find her voice, so she only nodded. Her friends were about to say something, so to save their friendship she walked to the door.

He was thankful to his friend. He just wasn’t planning on recognizing it to his face. Ever. Is not that he was wishing to be alone with her. It’s just that more than a week with his partner and her friends was like a lot, and Ae Ra was peaceful, not like the clumsy giraffe of a friend he had. He didn’t want private time with her. He wanted private time. Just that. Ae Ra wanted to walk up the hill and hopefully reach the highest point. He liked the idea, she promised a beautiful sunset from there. It was a very easy walk. Not too steep and with a very clean and safe path to follow. Also, Ae Ra was very agile. She had good reflexes and her steps were light and fast. She was quiet too. Only commenting on the flora and the noises around their path  “Are you afraid of any animal Mister Do?” “No, not at all, I love animals” “Then you must like it here” She said, stopping to catch her breath “Very much, this morning a couple of ducks were at the kitchen door asking for food, I was so bewitched by them, they were so cute and yesterday afternoon when Chanyeol and I went for a run we met a herd of sheep’s, and their owner had just shear them, they looked very cute” She smiled at him the entire time, crunching her nose “I can tell you really like it here because you just said a lot in one go” He felt a bit embarrassed all of the sudden so he started walking ahead “I always talk a lot with you Miss Ji” She laughed behind him, reaching his side “That’s true, I was being unfair” They started walking side by side, slower this time since the top of the hill was closer. They walked in silence, but Kyung Soo saw a permanent smile on Ae Ra’s face, and he was carrying the same smile on his face. The owners of the house and the land where the hill was located, had taken good care of it. At the top of the hill, under a couple of tall trees, there was a set of seats made with wood. They were just in front of an opening where you could see the big expanse of land around the house. This was the first time he was seeing this “Is beautiful, isn’t it? When I came here with Baekhyun the other day I cried” She laughed at her own statement, but it made sense to him. He wasn’t about to cry, but his chest felt tight with emotion. Ae Ra took off her backpack and sat at the benches patting the space next to her, inviting him to take a sit. He slid next to her, taking the bottle of water she offered him “Isn’t it nice to work with me, I bring you to nice places, see?” “I have to recognize that despite…you know…the rest, working with you is really nice” “Yeah, despite all that” She said looking with disdain to the side “Hey, don’t think about that” “Don’t worry, I wasn’t…I haven’t think about it actually, not too much” She took a long sip from her bottle and hold the water in her mouth, moving it from one side to the other “I’m curious though, I wonder if the police found anything during this days” “If you want we can call Mister Min and ask him”

“I would like that, curiosity is killing me” Kyung Soo took his phone from his pocket, so he could make the call but she stopped him “Not now Mister Do, don’t ruin the moment, let’s call him once we are back at the house ok?” She was right. Good news or bad news could interrupt the relaxing encounter with nature they were having now. Kyung Soo put his phone back in his pocket and sat more comfortably on the bench, enjoying the bright green landscape in front of him. This was really a view and an environment he could get used to. This view and this air could help anyone feel better. Kyung Soo needed to thank Baekhyun for having the brilliant idea to rent that house and bring Ae Ra here “Mister Do?” Kyung Soo looked at her, and she was handing him an earphone “I want to listen to this song, but I feel rude putting on my earphones and leaving you out, wanna listen to it with me?” He grabbed the little red piece and put it on his ear. She looked for the song on her cellphone, and he focused on the view in front of him again, it was impossible to get tired by it. He heard her whisper ‘Found you’ excitedly and the music started playing. And Kyung Soo froze.

He knew that song, he knew that song so well. “I wrote this song when I was 20, I was going through some terrible things, my grandma died, my manager left me after he got in an argument with the agency, there was a terrible rumor regarding me and a possible unwanted pregnancy and to top it all, a classmate exposed my terrible math grades, I was scared, sad, angry and embarrassed, all together, and one night, after I cried my ass off, a sat down and I wrote this song, but it was too personal so I put it at the end of the record, is not very popular, although I always sing it at my concerts, but is the song that fans comment to me about the most” Kyung Soo was listening in awe. He didn’t know any of that. As she said, the song was the last one of the record, and it didn’t quite fit with the rest of the songs. He always thought it was a filling song. They were one song short, so they just threw it in. He didn’t know it carried a deep meaning for her. She kept listening to the music, staring at the sky and Kyung Soo couldn’t move his eyes away from her. He was witnessing such an intimate moment. But he didn’t feel like an intruder. They were sharing it. That song meant a lot to her, as it meant to him. But she didn’t know that. And he felt like she should. She deserved to know. Since he started working with her, Ae Ra has opened her heart and mind to him. Always looking for a light to follow on his words. But he wanted to tell her that her words were a light on the path of someone very important to him. That her words, helping his friend, helped him too “I know this song very well” He said, loud enough to bring her focus to him. She immediately searched for his eyes “You do?” She asked surprised “Yeah, actually, this song turned me into your fan” He admitted, looking at his hands, feeling embarrassed “Please tell me” She turned off the music and took the earphone from his ear. She turned around on their seat, facing him, giving him all her attention. Kyung Soo felt a bit uncomfortable under her stare, so he kept his eyes fixed on his hands “Some years ago my best friend, who is like my brother, got into a car accident and lost the movement of his legs” “I’m so sorry” She sounded really sad by it, so he smiled at her, showing her that it was a matter of the past “It was very hard for him, he was depressive, he didn’t leave his room, rejected therapy, didn’t want to use a wheelchair and at one point, became suicidal” “Kyung Soo” He heard her whisper, and felt her cold hands grab his “He is fine now, don’t worry, but it was so hard, and I didn’t know what to do for him, because I knew that the reality of people around him, the ability they had to walk and run caused him great pain, he didn’t want to see me, they hospitalize him and two weeks passed without being able to see him, then one day I get a call from his sister that he wanted to see me, I literally ran to the hospital and I find him watching something on his computer laughing his ass off, I walked in his room and he shouts at me, Hey! Come here, I’m watching Ae Ra’s videos, you like her?!” Kyung Soo smiled at the memory. He remembered how much he cried when he saw his friend smile again at some sketch she was doing on a TV Show “I knew who you where, but never listened to your music, so he showed me some of your videos and one of those videos was the live performance of this song and he said, This song saved me, what she says here woke me up from my nightmare, and we listened to the song, and I immediately understood why it meant so much to him” “I can’t believe my rants about feeling misunderstood and alone could help your friend who was going through something so much worse” She said looking at her hands grabbing his, a light blush on her cheeks “Remember when I told you not to look down on the importance of your existence, because you are definitely helping some people?” “Of course I do, I have been thinking about it since then” Ae Ra scratched her neck nervously “Well, this is what I meant with that, I know how important your existence is because I saw it, first hand” Ae Ra stood up and Kyung Soo felt his hands tingling. He tight them in a fist and then relaxed so they could be back to normal. She stayed up, giving him her back, her hands resting on her hips. The wind moved her hair looking like a superhero from the back “I know I don’t have that much importance in this world, you pick up a stone and 100 like me come up from under it, I know that, I’m not unique and I’m not irreplaceable, but this is my job, this is my passion, and there are a lot of people out there whose life’s I had improve with my work, they need me, they need me now and in the future, and I’m going to be there because I’m going to keep doing this, I’m going to keep giving support to your friend, and every single one of my fans, and a couple of psychos are not going to stop me from doing so, we need to go back to Seoul” Kyung Soo went back to bodyguard mode and couldn’t avoid sound a bit apprehensive when asking her if she was sure “Yes, I’m better, I need to start treatment, and I need to help more in the investigation, and I need to go back to work, I need to write and compose, let’s go back to Seoul” She was giving a statement, but it sounded like a question to him. He knew it was safe to come back. He had spoken with Mister Min and in his words, things have been calm over there “If that’s what you want, let’s start to prepare, I’m going to call Mister Min” She turned to him, relaxing her stand, and came back to her seat “Thank you for being here, I know it is a bother…” He was quick to interrupt her “Is not, your agency asked us to be here, is our obligation” Kyung Soo regretted saying those words immediately. He was trying to make her feel less guilty, but those were clearly not the right words. She looked disappointed at his words, and it stung his chest, so he corrects himself “Is an honor to be here working for you, and I’m having a great time, we are having a great time, Chanyeol likes working with you too” She laughed, and Kyung Soo released a long sight, he needed to be careful with his words “Thank you” She whispered, putting back her earphone, giving one to him. The music resumed from the beginning, and they stayed in silence looking at the landscape.

+++++

After dropping Minseok and Baekhyun at their place, Chanyeol drove them to Ae Ra’s house. She was looking forward to being back at her cave. She had a lot of drafts for new songs. When they stopped at Baekhyun’s house, Kyung Soo moved to the back seat next to her. He looked serious as always, in work mood, so she didn’t suspect anything. Chanyeol started driving and Kyung Soo turned to her. A cold shiver ran down her back, not a good one “Miss Ji, I spoke with Mister Min” “He had bad news, didn’t he?” He only nodded once “They keep sending threatening letters to the agency, every time from different addresses, the police look into it and they are all fake addresses, no fingerprints either” “What do the letters say?” “The same as always” She looked away and closed her eyes, trying to control the wave of fear and anguish that took over. This wasn’t over. They were still out there, they never stopped stalking her. Months have passed since the first letter, two attacks happened in between, and they were still free. They hadn’t given up. They will never give up until their sick fantasy of seeing her dead could come true. She was terrified now. She wanted to leave Seoul again. She needed the safety of anonymity. Miss Ji? She heard a voice, so distant it was almost imperceptible. Miss Ji? This time it sounded closer, louder. She wanted to open her eyes, but she couldn’t. Then she felt something tight around her hand. A warm, soft hand holding hers “Miss Ji?” This time the voice was loud and clear. And it was familiar and reassuring. She opened her eyes and found Kyung Soo in front of her. His eyes round and dark, eyebrows furrowed in worry. He had one hand on her neck, checking her pulse “Are you ok?” He asked, examining her face “Yes, yes, I’m ok, I’m sorry” “I think you passed out” “No! No, I didn’t I’m ok” Kyung Soo came back to his position, but his right hand remained holding hers “Miss Ji, we can go to a hotel, or back to the countryside if you wish” Chanyeol offered from the front seat, his face also covered in worry “No, I’m ok, for real” “Miss Ji, I told you once I need you to speak up, to ask for help, you are not ok, at least recognize that so we can make it better” Chanyeol had stopped in a red light and turned around to look at Kyung Soo “Hey, don’t…how?...you are right but don’t talk to her like that, she doesn’t need a nagging mom right now” “No, is ok Mister Park, he is right” She clenched Kyung Soo’s hand and closed her eyes agaShe had to ask for help, but she didn’t know what she needed. What help she needed. She was afraid. But going to her house was the safest idea. A hotel carried bad memories for her. They had already broken into one of them to leave a threatening message. Going back to the house in the hill sounded nice, but she wasn’t going to let them drive five hours back to that place again. Her house was safe. Kyung Soo made sure of it. No one ever sends letters there. And she wanted to sleep in her bed, take a bath, and start working on the dozens of songs she composed on her vacation “Mister Park, let’s go to my house, I think is the best place where we can be” “Understood” Ae Ra looked at Kyung Soo, she wanted to know if her decision was the right one. He held her stare and gave her a single nod, clenching her hand and releasing it. She didn’t like the weird feeling in her stomach when the warmth of his hand wasn’t there anymore. His hand rested about 5 centimeters away from hers, and she was dying to reach at grab it. To feel that reassurance again. But that was inappropriate. Very much so.

Before she could get inside her house Chanyeol went in and leave her with Kyung Soo in the car. It took him some good 20 minutes to be done “Sorry, I checked the garden too and the studio downstairs, it’s all clear, let’s get you inside”.

Chanyeol took her suitcases upstairs meanwhile she ordered some food so they could have dinner. Kyung Soo walked around the house, double-checking apparently.

After dinner, she went upstairs to take a shower and go to bed. She was collecting her dirty clothes when Kyung Soo knocked her doorframe letting her know that he was there “Chanyeol just left since he drove all the way here, I told him that I will take this shift, you need anything?” “No, I’m ok, I’m going to leave this on the laundry room and then I will sleep, you should do the same, you know you can use all the things available here” He bowed at her, a soft smile on his lips “I’ll do that then, remember whatever you need I will be in my room, ok?” “Yes mom” She joked, and Kyung Soo answered with one of those childlike bright smiles that she got to see so sporadically. He turned around to leave, but she stopped him, calling his name “I just…I know you say I don’t have too, but I just wanted to thank you for everything, for protecting me, from them and from myself, for being honest with me and for saying the things and need to hear, so…thank you Mister Do” He didn’t turn around. She could only look at the back of his head. He was calm, she could hardly see the movement of his shoulders with his breathing. His voice sounded serious and deep when he finally spoke “Miss Ji, I will stay next to you until this all goes away, doing what I have been doing until now or whatever you need from me, not only because it’s my job, but also because I owe you this much, I will bring back calm to your life, as you did with mine” He hesitated before taking a step ahead and walk to his room. He didn’t give her the opportunity to answer him. Although she didn’t know what to answer. She was completely lost of words. He breath stuck in her chest. The back of her neck burning. She tried to occupy herself on her unpacking, sing something to keep her mind there and not stuck at that moment some minutes ago. But it was so hard. By now it was so hard to look at Kyung Soo as just her bodyguard. How not to? He was always focused on her well-being and safety, he never hesitates when it came to attacking to protect her, he would literally shield her with his whole body. And he was always there, opening doors for her, quiet and stoic. Always in her space, leaning down to whisper something at her, holding her for comfort, talking to her so she could organize her mind, open up and talk. And also, he was cute as hell, attractive in such a classic way. Ugh. What a cliché. There were movies about that. The star and the bodyguard.

The next morning, she woke up after barely sleep the night before. Although it was good insomnia because it wasn't caused by fear. It was just giddiness and nervousness. A funny feel on her tummy at the thought of Mister Do. She skipped breakfast and went down to the basement into her studio. She locked herself there and wrote two full songs about Kyung Soo.

-----

Note: Is it normal that you get emotional with your own writing?. As I was writing the conversation they had in the living.... it touched me.

[rkkyungsoo]

‹ red camellia. ›

group performance solo: shangri la - vixx {1:15 to 5:03} - line distribution

Five companies, five contestants in each team. Four companies were called and twenty hopefuls found their place for the semi-finals. One corner of Kyungsoo’s lips lifted in a bitter, but also knowing smile as he turned, his gaze met halfway by Suwoong’s dark eyes. Only one company team left and neither of their names were called. This means, ladies and gentlemen, that the Susoo cousin duo were selected to be in the same group. Kyungsoo wanted to be optimistic, but let’s not lie to ourselves - this was going to be the shit show of the year.

tw; anxiety, panic attack

Five minutes into the practice studio and Kyungsoo felt an incoming migraine. First of all, there were too many people in the room: the contestants and three whole coaches. Most of the contestants were excited about the coaches, with the most notable one being the youngest Eric. The kid was practically over the moon at the fact he was to be aided by his biases - the wonderful Luxe girls. Seolhyun was also supposed to be Kyungsoo’s bias from the bullshit he spewed during the audition when they asked about his music taste. He was aware he should at least try to look excited to see her, but all of the noises and contrasting smells in the room was making him want to throw himself out of the window.

Except they were not on the ground floor and he might actually break his legs. Can’t have that, can we, especially when he had to dance again! Oh joy, just when he thought his dancing days were over, fate laughed into his face and sent him straight back to hell.  

Little known fact about Kyungsoo, he’s always struggled with some social anxiety. Over the years, he’d improved exponentially to the point where it no longer affected his daily lives. In the MGA so far, Kyungsoo managed to glide by social situation without too much trouble, mostly because he had fewer people to work with and viewed the judges/audience as background whenever he was on the stage. This week, however, there was no escape. With eight units of breathing homosapiens in the room, the clamminess of his hands were really setting in.

in his moment of distraction, he did not even notice that Suwoong had come up behind him and was marching him towards one of the cameras. His cousin, using both of his index fingers, was pressing against Kyungsoo’s cheeks and forming his lips manually into a smile. Bewildered, Kyungsoo initially flailed until he heard Suwoong’s voice introducing him. He imitated Suwoong during one of the interviews and now the other was unknowingly returning the favour. To be fair, Kyungsoo thought his imitation of Suwoong was better because at least he tried while Suwoong just sounded like a baby.

Once Suwoong finished his poor mimic of Kyungsoo’s voice, he peeked out from behind him and said “I am Suwoong!” in his regular cheery voice. Forming Vs with his hands, he greeted the camera once again with enthusiasm. Kyungsoo, supposing he should do more than just stand there, offered an awkward smile (this time on his own) and stiffly brought up a ‘V’ finger sign of his own.

On that very first day of practice, Kyungsoo was almost glad for Suwoong’s presence. The other knew him, at the very least, and was able to realize when all of the voices was beginning to overwhelm him when they were making the song selection. Whether or not Suwoong shushed everyone on purpose, Kyungsoo did not know (okay fine, he was pretty sure Suwoong did it for him but a part of him didn’t want to acknowledge it!), but felt a wave of gratefulness nevertheless. Perhaps, he thought innocently at that time, it wouldn’t be so bad having his cousin in the same team. Maybe they could make it work and actually behave like supportive family members instead of rivals, you know, for the first time in their entire life.

It was wishful thinking and the very next day, they had their first argument.

It was Saturday and they had all the parts divided. Suwoong took liking to one of Kyungsoo’s parts, and thought he should be the one to do it. Kyungsoo, who had been mostly silent and focused on learning the choreo, looked up from the ground with a glint of resentment in his eyes. He already had the least amount of lines among the singers and now his cousin wanted to casually rob him of another? The coaches asked Suwoong to try out the part and Kyungsoo must admit, Suwoong looked good doing the movement. His cousin was tall, slender, too pretty for a guy and did ballet. Kyungsoo was a logical person and saw no point in denying his cousin’s visual impact.

Coach Cheri told them to fight for it, to prove to everyone who deserved it more. Kyungsoo, who had been sitting at that time, stood up and gently pushed his way into the centre of the room where Suwoong and Eric were standing. “I would like to keep my part,” he said, his voice not loud but firm. He didn’t need to raise his voice, though, because the room was quiet and people were respectfully giving him the attention. Perhaps a few of them were just shocked by the fact he so readily defended himself, since he barely spoke two sentences to anyone so far.

“I’ve proven that I can embody the dark, mysterious aura from my past performances and I won’t disappoint the audience with my voice.” Why give one of the most beautiful vocal parts to the dancer, just because he was nice to look at? “Please allow me to demonstrate.” With that, he stepped up, waiting for Suwoong to move away so he could take the place that should have been his in the first place. He performed, only those few seconds, keeping his voice clear throughout the line but also making sure that last word mysterious linger.

Coach Cheri directed her gaze towards her fellow Luxe member, Ella, and the latter decided Kyungsoo should keep the line.

He exhaled with relief, not realizing he even held his breath in the first place.

From there, the rift between him and Suwoong only widened. The dance choreo wasn’t impossible, but it was challenging. There was this one set of footwork that was more difficult than the others and Kyungsoo struggled in getting it right. As he had always been his own worst critic, Kyungsoo’s frustration level was already high before he noticed Suwoong’s eyes, watching him through the mirrors.

“Let’s start again from the beginning,” his cousin said, looking away. Kyungsoo knew what that look was for - it was an accusation. A silent why can’t you keep up? Indignation rose in his chest, only to be swiftly pushed down. Kyungsoo knew he wasn’t the best dancer, but to be fair, in this practice room, he was also not the worst. if he had to judge, he would say he was right in the middle - not nearly as good as the dancers but a bit better than the other vocalists. So why was Suwoong so dead set on making him miserable?

It wasn’t like his cousin was direct. No, it was actually quite the opposite. Suwoong was subtle with his critics, and all the while still using that annoyingly sweet nickname Kyungie. To a less observant pair of eyes, Suwoong’s comments may not seem directed at Kyungsoo at all, but they’ve grown up together and he knew how Suwoong thought and what his small behaviour changes meant. From the way coach Ella narrowed her eyes, he’d say she caught on as well.

Move that foot a little, Kyungie. We are not getting it, let’s try again. It looks sloppy, we have to start from the top.

Those seemingly general, yet so very pointed comments, along with his already overflowing frustration with himself eventually built up to an explosion, and it happened on Sunday morning.

Suwoong had made another one of those comments with a barely detectable trace of genuine irritation. Kyungsoo’s fingers clenched around the handle of his fan as all of the anger that he kept pent up erupted in his chest, coating his inside with scorching hot rage. Who the hell died and made Suwoong the boss of him? Who gave him the right to keep nitpicking on him like this even though he was neither the worst dancer nor slacking. He was trying to do it right and had never used the fact he was a better singer against his cousin in anyway. How was this fair?

Kyungsoo couldn’t move, and he couldn’t speak. Anger made him tighten his grip on that fan until he felt its wooden edge pressing into his palm. It actually hurt, but not nearly enough to distract him from Suwoong’s voice. His cousin had noticed that he was no longer moving and asked for them to re-start. Kyungsoo, however, remained stationary.

“Are you not taking this seriously, Kyungie?” Suwoong actually sounded annoyed this time and that nickname of affection never sounded more artificial.

“I’ve been here since 5AM every weekend morning and am always one of the last to leave. Just because I am not yet as good as you doesn’t mean I am not trying!” There were exams coming, so much homework that he needed to take care of. Since the start of this survival show, his grades were taking a hit. Kyungsoo, who had always cared so much about his academics, opted to turn in papers late so he could work to not disappoint those watching him. Dancing, it was really fucking hard. One of the hardest things he had to learn and he had so little time to get it right. As a prideful person who needed control over every aspect of his life, just being in this room and opening himself up for criticism hurt. Sometimes Kyungsoo wanted to shout out the window what am I doing here? Wasn’t it his dream to go into business and become a rich ceo? Their family had wealth and influence, a few cards in the right pocket and he’d be rolling in cash. Business, damn, he was good at that stuff too. So why was he here, doing things he wasn’t good at and was continuing to struggle with?

It was as if somehow, while exploring a whim, he discovered a dream. Possibly the dream. And it was breaking down all of his walls and re-shaping his carefully constructed life. It felt too wonderful to walk away from, but it was also sort of killing him.

Kyungsoo threw his fan - part of its paper surface damp with perspiration - onto the ground. It landed with a soft but also ominous thud. Someone had turned off the music and the other contestants were looking at each other as they took in the severity of the situation. “You tell me if I am taking this seriously or not.” He raised his voice for the first time in...forever. He was never the type to yell, especially in public setting. This was something new, even to himself.

“Let’s have a break, please,” he said, eyes lowered. It was as if yelling took away his anger and left him only with shame. He should be better than this, should have held it in better...what was happening to him? He walked out of the practice room and no one attempted to stop him. Ten minutes of cooling down in the bathroom later, he returned to find the studio mostly empty. Apparently, Suwoong, Heejin and Eric headed out for lunch and Hyojin disappeared off to the convenience store. Kyungsoo didn’t mind and instead, found himself appreciative of the silence.

He picked up his fan from the ground and sat down, his legs too exhausted after an entire morning of practice. Seconds ticked by and the once comforting silent became grating as his outburst earlier returned to haunt him. In an effort to distract himself, Kyungsoo decided to practice some of his arm movements. One of the most difficult parts of this entire choreo was fan control, how they must ensure the fans opened fully on beat. While trying to perfect this, they broke quite a few fans already and that number was only going to increase as the days went by.

He flicked his wrist and the fan opened half way. He tried the same movement except this time harder and the prop nearly flew from his hands. Slightly frustrated, Kyungsoo took a few breaths to calm himself before attempting again. He just needed to figure out exactly how much force he needed to put into his hand and-

There were warm fingertips against his skin and he flinched in response. It was coach Ella, who must have sneaked upon him while he was focused on his fan work. She seemed unfazed by his response and tried once again to help him manoeuvring the fan, telling him about how to position his hand to make things easier. Eventually, they got off of the floor and she started helping him with his other dance parts. Ella was surprisingly patient as he explained what he wanted to achieve - as dance wasn’t his best skill, Kyungsoo was less focused on giving extra flair and more concerned about doing his part perfectly, paying attention to every detail. So the woman gave him advice on how he should stretch out his hand out, point his fingers and not clench his fingers into fists to give that extension. She also coached him on a turn he has to do near the middle of the song, how he should use his long sleeves to his advantage to make himself look longer and more graceful.

They talked about his outburst and while she did reprimand him on the lack of professionalism associated with throwing down his fan, the idol also showed some sympathy with his situation. Upon learning that Suwoong was his cousin, she even shared about her own MGA experience with her family. Their conversation eased away some of Kyungsoo’s discomfort and as they worked, Ella even took a hold of his hands at some point to show him how it should be done properly. Up close, he must admit that she really was an attractive woman. A faint blush eventually swept across his features. Oh, how the Luxe fanboys must be screaming with envy right now.

His smile, though small, became genuine as he tapped into the flow of the dance after the tutorial session. When Hyojin returned to the studio and saw his relaxed expression, the other contestant was decidedly relieved and ran to his side like a happy doggo. Kyungsoo took the sandwich Hyojin bought for the two of them at the local convenience store and petted the other male gently on the shoulder with a ‘thank you’. Hyojin attempted to sooth him and tried to convince him to play nice with Suwoong, to which Kyungsoo responded with a nod.

His mood was improved for the rest of the Sunday afternoon, but the anger returned during his car ride with Suwoong. His cousin decided to call him insufferable and Kyungsoo fired straight back. He ended up having to pull over at the side walk and the two of them really let each other have it. The conversation ended with Suwoong ditching the car and walking out into the night. Kyungsoo, though still livid, recalled the fact his cousin was a dumbass used to being driven around. “Where the hell are you going?” He demanded, rolling down the window and driving along Suwoong, who was stomping away dramatically. “To the trains!” His cousin responded, to which Kyungsoo could only offer some serious eye rolling because the other was going in the wrong direction.

Somehow, this actually eased the tension between them. From their conversation, Kyungsoo had at least gather that Suwoong was more comfortable criticizing him because he was family and at the end of the day, they’d never be able to hate each other. “Get back in the car,” he called out with some gentle reluctance. Suwoong tried to give him the ‘hmph’ at first, but as soon as Kyungsoo actually turned the car around, he hopped straight in. Kyungsoo hated to admit this, but even though his cousin was super annoying, high maintenance and picky, he was also kind of cute.

The two of them made up Sunday night and Suwoong came up with some reputation repairing ideas. They grabbed coffee and doughnuts to bring for the Monday practice and offered their apology to the group. Funny thing was neither he nor Suwoong enjoyed doughnuts but it felt like the right thing to bring. Hyojin sensed this was a good opportunity for a heart-to-heart and everyone made a circle. He talked about the tension, even going back to last week and expressing how he felt about Taeyang being eliminated instead of him. Hyojin was open and honest in a way Kyungsoo would likely never be but those admirable traits likely contributed to his later success collaborating with Eric. It really seemed like the two were working out their differences, just like he did with Suwoong. After that, they were back to practice, full speed ahead.

On Wednesday night, the contestants provided the three coaches each a fan with some written comments and their signatures. It was a cute gift idea. Kyungsoo struggled to find the right words so instead, he just wrote ‘thanks for everything’ along with a little drawing of a camellia flower, which he shall represent on the stage. He had always been a man of fewer words, this was his best effort but hopefully the coaches would understand. They all helped him a lot - Cheri with the vocals, Ella with the dance and Won with his hair. Yes, hair was part of the performance and Kyungsoo wanted his hair to be bouncy and soft so it would react appropriately to the natural wind effect generated by their fans. Coach Won, bless him, sent him a picture of his shampoo bottle straight from his own shower upon Kyungsoo’s request.

The performance day came and the stage was more beautiful than ever. Dressed in their long, traditional robes and equipped with a fan, the group introduced themselves as Youths over Flowers. Each of them introduced themselves then with their real name and their flower representation. Kyungsoo chose for himself Camellia, because one of his lines mentioned a red camellia and he took quite a liking to the vivid imagery it created. “I am Do Kyungsoo, Camellia of Youths over Flowers. Camellia flowers symbolize faithfulness and I promise to always be loyal to my audience. Thank you, I love you.” Ahh, he said it and it was every bit as embarrassing as he expected. Thankfully, Kyungsoo had a fan to hide behind after he delivered the shameful mini speech. His fan, same colour as everyone else, had a camellia flower drawn on it. The same flower was sewn into the bottom of his robe with silver thread by a skilled seamstress they were able to find.

As everyone finished the introductions, ending with Suwoong’s cringy fest, it was finally time to get into position. They hauled Suwoong back towards the centre of the stage, so he could stop talking about how he intended to take everyone’s breath away. Once they were in their starting positions, however, all signs of fun and games were wiped from their expressions. This was semi-finals and they had a show to put on. Kyungsoo had a feeling, that despite their struggles this week, they were going to give the audience a performance they’ll remember for a long time.

Music started and a thin layer of fog covered the surface of the stage. The lights were dimmed, a soft red that was almost romantic. They moved as one, extending their arms and flicking their fans. There was a satisfying sound as their fans collectively turned into half moons, perfectly on beat. It was a seemingly simple movement that took an insane amount of practice to ensure synchronization.

Kyungsoo will admit, when he first realized they’ll be dancing with fans, he thought of geisha dancers and that idea made him slightly uncomfortable. It wasn’t like he did not appreciate the beautiful geisha or looked down upon their career, but it wasn’t a character he could fully embrace. So, he allowed his memories to roll back, recalling a story he once heard about a tyrant king. To dethrone the king and end his reign of terror, a group of skilled assassins were recruited. Knowing the king’s paranoid nature, they disguised themselves as dancers and put on an entrancing performance. Their beauty illuminated the night and the king was so seduced that he did not realize his life was in danger until the dagger was buried deep into his chest.

They hid their faces behind the fans and Kyungsoo did not know what imagery his teammates summoned for characterization but when he pulled back his fan to reveal his eyes, he was out to kill, just...in the sexiest way possible. Rolling onto one knee, Kyungsoo listened to Hyojin as he calmly opened up their song. Suwoong was the next to take centre as the rest of them dropped. Heejin appeared after, her voice clear and sweet, giving perfect entrance for their first and very brief rap part. After that, Kyungsoo got his first chance to be heard. They got into a line with Kyungsoo in front, he swished his fan as he sang, making his movements fluid and dramatic as his teammates did the same with theirs behind him.

낮과 밤이 전부 너야 빈틈 없이 꽉 채워

Eric joined him at the end of that line, boosting the vocal with a brief snippet of rap.

The next part of choreo had more difficult footwork, so Kyungsoo and Suwoong switched their parts from the original song and put Suwoong in the front so he could shine as a dancer.  

His next part came when they formed a straight line across the stage. Kyungsoo turned to face the audience, gently tossing the right corner of his robe as he moved so the fabric swayed in the air.

밤의 안부에 널 닮은 붉은 동백이질투해

The fan, which had been pointed upwards in the air, became a half moon with a single flick of his wrist as it was brought, after a few swirls, to the front of his face. Kyungsoo smiled, but there was no moment to linger as they collectively turned with the exception of Suwoong, who moved towards the centre of the stage from the right, only to give it to Eric as the rap part came. Kyungsoo must say he was very impressed with Eric. They had perhaps only one or two rap lines in this song but were mostly singers or dancers. If their 15-years-old powerhouse didn’t step up, perhaps they would have to crop the parts out and miss out on that beautiful rap-singing contrast. Kyungsoo thought the kid did very well.

As soon as Eric’s part finished, Kyungsoo’s began:

일렁이는 내 맘도 낮과 밤이 전부 너야

This was the part where he had to raise his arms and spin. He practised this with Ella specifically, remember her tips on extending his arms and using the loose fabric of his sleeves to add to the illusion of height. This part was...slightly feminine, but they were at the point of go big or go home, and Kyungsoo practised this part too many times to still feel embarrassed about sliding a hand almost sensually down the side of his face and neck.  

The chorus came once again and same as before, Kyungsoo switched places with Suwoong so his cousin could dance closer to the front of the stage. Hyojin started the chorus and Heejin finished it, giving Suwoong his time to show his vocal capabilities (which had vastly improved over the week) as they took the choreo to the floor. Hyojin went into the centre, raised his hand and sang with passion, which was Kyungsoo’s cue to get back into the centre, where he sang his lines and rested his head against Eric’s shoulder. The fluid movement almost reminded pleasantly him of his dance performance with Hyunggu a while ago.

신비로워 아름답고 따뜻했고

This was the part he fought for and he intended to make the most out of it, especially the half a second of pause he and Eric get at the end of their partially joined line. Kyungsoo looked towards the audience - the actual live audience, full of anticipation. He raised a brow as a corner of his lips tilted in a teasing smile. It was an expression that hopefully said you have no idea what’s coming.

Because they didn’t.

The stage suddenly became darker and the great wafts of fog which had disappeared after their song intro returned with vengeance. The light was blue instead of red, almost giving that day turned to night vibe as they danced. Kyungsoo and Suwoong switched places seamlessly, using the dim lighting to their advantage. Some of them jumped while others still did the full spin and gave the illusion of a jump. Their robes flowed and it was as if Youths Over Flowers were turning into fans themselves in the mysterious indigo light. They brought their hands to their lips, gave a light shh as if warning their potentially shocked audience to hold back those gasps because it wasn’t over.

The dance break itself wasn’t exactly technical, but it was very eye catching.

When the blue light faded and the stage was bright again, Heejin’s high note pierced through the air and each of the singers got a line before the song came to an end.

단 하나 너만 알아 찾아 헤맨 그곳 바로 너야

They posed, again as one to the beat of the final few notes. Then, before the stage darkened, they turned around and once more, flicked their fans out in perfect synchronization. That sound of fans opening, very similar to the one the audience would have heard in the beginning of the song, marked the end of their performance.

They thanked the judges and the live audience. Kyungsoo reached behind his back and tugged discreetly on Suwoong’s sleeve. “Good job,” he mouthed. That was his favourite stage to date and he felt, at least, that it was worth all of his efforts.

@rksuwoong, @ericxrk, @hyojinrk, @rkheejin, @rkwon, @rkcheri & @rkella

[omoghouls]

Oooh, then can we get Omega wetting himself in front of Papa II?

Absolutely omg  I've been meaning to write something for Omega ;u; Hope this is okay! (I had another idea after watching a couple interviews, but I had already this started 😂)

Two hours. 

It was two hours of the echoing sound of his humming voice behind the door, two hours of waiting besides said door. 

"He ain't comin' out 'til he's got the scowl imprinted perfectly with his make up," a nearby voice commented.

The Omega ghoul glanced over to the fellow quintessential, watching as the lankier ghoul adjusted his cassocks belt in the thin mirror hung slanted on the wall.

"Well, he has to show it some how, can not have others think he can smile," Omega softly gave, receiving a sharp tooth grin from the now chuckling guitarist and a slap on the shoulder.

"Ja, you're right but, could 'least have the decency of not hogging the washroom," Alpha said, his claws leaving the bigger ghoul's shoulder as he started to walk out, turning back as he looked to the ghoul still planted to the ground.

"You comin'? Still got a bit before the show, Air found a pretty nice spot to chill," the ghoul said.

Omega gave a small wave of his hand as to dismiss, "Would love to but," he paused, glancing to the closed door, "Papa said he wanted to speak to me, might as well do so sooner than later," Omega explained.

Alpha tilited his head at the other ghoul, staring at him for a moment before shrugging walking out of the room.

The moment he was alone, a low groan escaped past the quintessential ghoul's lips, slightly crumpling into himself.Papa hadn't wanted to see him, not to his knowledge. 

Rather, he had wanted in where the man was. 

It was his fault really, waking up late that morning, over indulging in the coffee in hopes of it helping perk himself awake during practice. 

Had it been an outdoors venue, Omega would have already pissed outside, find a porta potty in a heartbeat. Omega pressed his thighs together, however, that was not the case. He began shifting from foot to foot as he waited, occasionally glancing down the small hall. 

'There are washrooms in the open area, bite the bullet. He is not coming out anytime soon.' He thought to himself as he took a slow step towards the arch way.

'Kssh'

The Omega ghoul's eyes widened when the sound of rushing water hit his ears. The ghoul let out a trill of surprise as urine quickly soaked his inner thighs, dampening his boxers. Clawed hands soon jammed between his trembling thighs as he attempted to regain his composure. 

His options were dwindling fast, he knew he wouldn't be able to walk the length of the hall let alone make it to the washrooms. Omega bit his lip as he scuttled over to the door; his free hand knocking quickly against the door.

"P-papa," he swallowed back the urgency, "Are you, are you almost finished?" He asked, toes curling in his shoes he waited for acknowledgement.

"Just a minute, ghoul," the second Emeritus said as he continued on with his task, seemingly unfazed.

Omega crossed his legs, being unable to block the noise of the rushing water caused his body to slowly give.

"Papa, please I-!" The ghoul's voice cracked, his composure crumbling as his bladder threatened futher, sending streaks of urine to drip down his legs, the droplets forming beneath him. 

He gripped himself over his cassock, knees buckling as the droplets quickly formed a growing puddle.Omega had gotten caught up within keeping his is last threads of control he hadn't heard the door creaking open.

"Ghoul?" 

The ghoul's heart stopped as he heard the voice that slowly trailed as the hissing sound continued from the ghoul. 

Eventually the stream tapered off, leaving the two to stand in silence. Omega did not dare look up, the heat burned his face as his shoes squeaked in the mess.

"Ghoul, look at me," Papa said, his voice the same monotonic tone as always.

The ghoul's baby blues met the mismatched eyes of the Emeritus heir.

"Why didn't you say why you needed in there?" He asked, loosely guestruing to the washroom behind him.

Omega priced his lips together, "I, I know it takes you a while to finish your appearance so I didn't want to," he paused, trying to find the correct wording, "disturb you with this."

The Emeritus raised a brow, arms folding over his chest as he scanned the ghoul up and down, "So, you tried to hold it? Knowing your urgency was too great to be waiting as long as you had?" He questioned, moving from his standing point, walking over to the small rack in the room.

Omega fiddled with his mask, tugging it lower, leaving the questions in the air as he watched the man pushing through the articles of clothing.

"Yes, your Emeritus. I apologize for causing this, mess," he recoiled from his own wording of the situation.

The ghoul's heart ticked rapidly as the Papa came close to him once more, pressing a spare uniform into the open palm of the ghoul.

"You are a grown ghoul, my star pupil, I suppose you would have a better judgment over your capacities," the man paused, looking to the ghoul with a small head tilit, "Now, go,clean and re-dress that is the priority right now. We will find something to clean the floor after," Papa explained as he gently nudged the bigger ghoul towards the washroom. 

Omega could have sworn he saw sympathy gleaming from the man's eyes as he stepped into the washroom. The ghoul placed the clean uniform on the edge of the sink as he began to undress, cringing as the now cold material clung to his body.

At least this had happened here, rather than on stage Omega supposed to calm his racing mind as he quickly cleaned up. As he rebuttoned the cassock, Omega peeked outside the door, surprised to see the Emeritus heir standing at the doorway to the room. 

"Papa? Why are you?-"

"So no one comes in while you are re-dressing, and I left my gloves in there," the man said point blank as he smoothed his papal robes.

The ghoul felt his face warm from the guestre of the Papa, he quickly grabbed the leather gloves, handing them to the man. Omega fixed his fascia, glancing to the side before speaking.

"Thank you, Papa," the quintessential said.

Papa looked to the ghoul for a moment, waving a small wave of dismissal, a nonverbal understatement.

"Come now, it's getting close to the concert," the Emeritus said as he began to walk down the hall.

Although they walked in silence, Omega felt no tension in the air. He smiled a bit under his mask from relief.

[rogerlad]

The City of Rose & Sun: Part Five

A/N: Okay you guys. She’s long. But the overwhelming support I have gotten for this particular writing is honestly tear jerking. I just started doing this for fun and it’s turned into something so many of you love and appreciate. Thank you, so so much. Part Five is dedicated to everyone who has liked, re-posted, commented, and messaged me with support. Now, here we go.

The City of Rose & Sun: Part Five

You braced yourself as the autumn air nipped at your cheeks, hustling down the cobblestoned path. You kept rhythm as your new converse shoes slapped the pavement. You found yourself humming a Buddy Holly tune as your turned up the lane. You had only walked past a few houses, but already you could feel your nose was about to run. You walked up three steps, and knocked on the red door in front of you.

“Oh, Rosanna!” Mrs. May exclaimed, swinging open the door. ‘Come on in child, you must be froze half to death. Oh, don’t mind the noise, they’re in the cellar.” You knew your way through the house, and after neatly setting your shoes aside, you let your ears lead the way. It was an awful ruckus.

“Rose, you’re here, finally!” Brian said, setting his red guitar aside. You smiled at him, before taking a seat on the old couch, the one Mrs. May refused to have sitting in her parlour any longer. 

“Alright lads from the top.” Brian directed. He had wanted you to come over, and listen to their new music. You had heard them play before, but since a record deal might have been in the making, Brian wanted an honest opinion. They we’re quite good actually, and you found yourself tapping along to the beat. Roger smiled as you, as he caught your foot bouncing in sync with his drums. It was the first time he had ever smiled at you like that. Like he was the sun.

After the boys stopped playing you clapped your hands, gaining an approving look from John, and a bow from Freddie.

“So, you liked it?” Brian said grabbing your hands, and pulling you from the couch.

“Oh I loved it!” You exclaimed. They all smiled, very happy to have seen that you loved their work. Brian quickly excused himself to grab celebratory beers for everyone, John went with him to help. Roger pulled a cigarette from behind his ear, and lit up. How on God’s holy earth did he make that look so hot. You thought to yourself. He winked at you, as he caught you starring. You looked away quickly, blushing. When you turned back he was standing next to you now, gently tucking a blonde strand of hair behind your ear.

“You look very pretty today Rosie.” He whispered, you could hear Freddie snort from the other side of the room. You were so enwrapped in his presence you hadn’t taken notice of Brian and John’s return down the stairs, until Brian coughed loudly at the beautiful man in front of you.

“Rose, dear, I think there’s a bag of crisps up stairs, would you mind?” Brian asked you, you nodded your head more than happy to oblige. You made it to the top of the stairs when you over heard your mop headed friend.

“Taylor, you make a pass at her again, and I will have a new drummer in this band before you know it. She is off limits. I will not be her shoulder to cry on when you break her heart.” He said sternly. His words shocked you. Brian had always been protective of you, but never, ever, like this.

“Fine man, I’ve got plenty other tail to chase.” Roger replied, and you scowled. Typical Roger. Like anything would ever happen between the two of you any how.

“Nice Shoes.”

His words were sharp as ice, and they cut deep into you. You felt physically ill, but you didn’t want to show anything, you did not want to confirm his suspicions. Before you could reply, you locked eyes with the blonde man strolling towards your table with a croissant in hand. Grinning like the devil, eyeing you up. You tried to telepathically warn him to take the seat next to Freddie, and not you.

“G’morning.” He said, sliding into the empty seat by your side. You groaned internally. Way to keep it subtle, Rog. The boys all exchanged good mornings, and you watched as Brian had to force his out, except it wasn’t a good morning at all.

“You’re late.” He said monotone, staring harshly into Roger’s eyes. Roger took a bite out of his croissant, and slowly and discretely slid his free hand up your leg, causing you to jump a little, before he gave your thigh a squeeze. He left his hand there, and you were relaxed by it.

“Sorry, had a long shower.” He grinned, squeezing your thigh once again. Really subtle. Really. Brian let out a huff. “But I went over the lyrics, and they’re good man.” He removed his hand from your thigh, and slide the notes out of his shirt pocket. Freddie grabbed them quickly, reading every word a mile a minute, Deacy peered over his shoulder and nodded in approval. 

Roger’s hand had made its way around the back of you chair, and you watched Brian clench his jaw so hard you feared his teeth would shatter. You coughed quietly, and Roger quickly retreated.

“Well, shall we hit the road? Mike Douglas wont interview himself.” John offered, sensing the tension between you and Brian. You internally thanked him, as you all cleared the table. 

You had all dispersed to grab your luggage, at the request of the band’s manager. There would be no partying tonight, it was straight to the next city after the show. You had been thankful to learn that. It’s not like you had exactly been in the partying mood.

“Excited for the interview?” You asked Brian as you wheeled your suitcase down the hall. No response.

“Bri- what’s going on?” He sighed for a long moment.

“Nothing, I just-it’s nothing. Bad dream, really.” He continued on towards the lift. 

The entirety of the interview had been tense. Brian refused to look at you, or sit anywhere remotely close to you. He also had been avoiding Roger. He was not his usual happy, cheery self. He was mad, and you knew it would not be long before he exploded. 

You were arriving at the concert hall now, and the boys were getting ready to practice their set. You had chosen to hang back with John after the Interview, knowing Brian had no interest in the likes of you, and you didn’t want to seem too friendly with Mr. Taylor.

“Think he knows?” John whispered, as you walked down a corridor.

“Oh, he knows. Well, he knows something.” You gulped, the feeling of nausea taking over again.

“It’ll blow over, just give him space.” Deacy offered to you, but you knew in your bones that was furthest from the truth. You opted to sit on the left of the stage, crossed legged while they all set up. You were thankful you brought a pad of paper and a pen, so you could write to your parents to pass the time. You had told them of all that you had seen so far, although really it had mostly been the four walls of your hotel room, but you expanded the truth a bit; you had been getting quite good at that. You mentioned how you were excited to see them in a few months, and that you were on the adventure of a life time. 

You had been quite involved in your words when you heard a distinct symbol, where there should not have been a symbol. Freddie had continued singing, but Brian had stopped playing all together, causing the rest of the band to fade off. 

“What the fuck was that Roger.” Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Brian’s fist clenched at his side.

“Relax you wank, it was a mistake.” Roger retorted, adjusting his drums.

“You just can’t do anything right, can you?” Brian shouted back at Roger. You realized you were standing now, watching with the same awe struck look as Freddie and John.

“Excuse me?” Roger stood now too, throwing his drum sticks to the side.

“You can’t bloody well play drums right, and you can’t keep your dick in your pants long enough to sing the ABC’s!” Brian was standing nose to nose with Roger, and your heart was in your throat. You moved quickly, grabbing Brian’s arm, but he shook you off. 

“Have I done something to upset you?” Roger egged him on, his fists were clenched now too.

“Oh, like I’m supposed to ignore the fact that your shagging my best friend?” Brian said, his tone wasn’t as harsh. No, it was sad.

“Bri-”

“And you!” He cut you off. You took a step back, at his harsh tone.

“You’re supposed to be my best friend Rosanna, and here you are fucking Roger.” You felt water brim in your eyes.

“Brian, I’m not fucking anyone.” You’re voice was soft, almost in audible. Roger was now standing next to your side, defensive.

“Right, like nothings going on here. Tell me another lie why don’t you?” He said, he was hurt, and it killed you that you had been the one to hurt him.

“I’m not fucking anyone.” You repeated again, tears spilling onto your red cheeks.

“You were there last night, in his room. You were the girl he had over weren’t you? Hiding in the bathroom like a coward. Don’t you dare lie to me Rose.” He said, you could swear you saw steam pooling out his ears.

“I-I’m so sorry Brian.” Your head fell into your hands, and Roger pulled you in tight.

“You’re a shit friend Roger...and so are you Rose. You belong together.” Brian stormed past the both of you. Leaving you there to sob into Roger’s chest. He was gently hushing you, stroking your hair, but nothing-nothing would take the pain away.

“It’s going to be okay Rosie.” Roger said, soothingly. He gently placed a kiss on your lips. You grabbed his cheeks gingerly, and kissed him back with a deep and sincere passion.

“Promise me?” You asked, as you pulled back. Your green eyes locked with his blue ones. You swore you could see the depths of the oceans in those eyes.

“I promise.” He kissed the tears that raced down your skin, before pulling you into the safety of his chest once more.

John had offered to chase down Brian, although you knew, it should have been you. Freddie demanded to know what was going on, and to Roger’s dismay you told him everything. Freddie held your hand as you spoke softly, the odd tear running down your face.

“He will forgive you my petal. You know he will.” He said. You had expected a more dramatic reaction from Freddie, but you felt he knew and understood the pain you were going through, and the betrayal you felt.

“Well, he’d better come back soon or we’re gonna preform like absolute shit tonight.” Roger said, taking a long drag from his cigarette. Freddie sighed deeply, as Brian and John walked onto the stage.

“I don’t want to speak to either of you, but we need to practice.” Brian said. He didn’t make eye contact with anyone, he just picked up his guitar and began strumming. You excused yourself as they all began to rehearse again. You found a dingy washroom in the back, locked the door tightly, before sliding down the the floor. 

“What are you doing, Rose?” You asked yourself out loud. You wish someone else had answered back. You were startled when you heard a tap on the door. You fumbled to stand up, and opened the door, expecting to see, anyone really, but not who had been standing there.

“Brian...” You were more than shocked to say the least. He looked broken, defeated and as though you had dragged him a mile through the trenches of war.

“It’s only a verse, but I wrote it for you.” He said, handing you the crumpled notes that had been passed around the breakfast table, earlier that day. Before you could utter a single word, he was already walking off. You stared blankly at him for a moment, before reading the scribbly lyrics.

She’s trapped in a glass vase

A Rose with the softest face

She long’s to fly with the doves

I want her to be free, my love.