#sleight of hand studios

[mountainsandmayhem]

Tess's Treasures

18+, MDNI

Pairing: Tess x Joel x OC!Female x Female!Reader Summary: After perfecting the art of pickpocketing, you’re invited to join Tess’s Treasures. They’re infamous around the QZ and the initiation process is not what you expect, but exactly what you need. CW: If you’re not into foursomes/bi girl shit then you are in the wrong place. MFFF, bisexual females, fingering, masturbating, oral, dirty talk, praise kink, degradation kink. Unprotected p in v. Overstim and squirting. Please read this at your discretion. If this isn’t for you, that’s perfectly fine. AN: You can thank @mermaidgirl30 and @littlevenicebitch69 for being good little girls and filling my mind with depraved and twisted thoughts. This fic has truly been a labour of love, taking me almost 6 weeks to put together and edit. I'm not the least bit sorry about the word count, grab a snack, probably some electrolytes and maybe some spare batteries lol. Special shoutouts to @pedritoferg for their kind words when my imposter syndrome had the best of me. As always, dividers and support banners by @saradika-graphics. Friendly reminder that I'm phasing out my tag list, follow @mountainsandmayhem-updates for new fics.

Word Count: 9005

Becoming one of Tess’s Treasures seemed like a fallacy, a pipe dream. A fairytale life only reserved for the most vicious females that prowl the shady streets of the Boston QZ, and you aren’t a killer. A thief, yes; but not a killer. Truthfully, you weren’t even sure if the organization existed. Sure, Tess was a real person, but did she actually have a horde of women she called her Treasures? 

She was infamous in the seedy underbelly of Boston, her and her henchman Joel. Granted, no one ever seemed to see Joel, unless he was about to kill you. And sometimes not even then, he was often hiding in the shadows, shadows darker than the demons that allegedly haunted him.

Outbreak day happened when you were just little, you don’t remember much of the journey from your old hometown to Boston. Everyone here is poor, doing what they can to get credits to buy basic human needs; making trades and swaps were what most people did. You, however, were much more clever. After discovering a book detailing the art of sleight of hand you started practicing, and now you can take anything, right in front of someone's eyes, without them noticing. 

Or so you thought. After stealing a pistol from a FEDRA officer and replacing it with a banana, all while having a conversation with him in broad daylight, Tess approaches you.

“Come to my apartment next week. I wanna see if you have what it takes. Mum’s the word.” It’s a hushed whisper as she passes you, slipping a small card in your back pocket as she goes. 

You follow the cards' instructions, arriving at the exact time, going up to the top floor and then doing two quick, sharp knocks on the worn out door.

“Enter,” Tess says from inside. The door creaks on your way in. It’s the hottest day Boston has seen in years, and even in your small sundress, the room is stifling hot. The air is thick with the smell of gunpowder and something else that you can’t quite put your finger on. There’s a fan oscillating in the corner, the paint chipped off the cage that protects the blades. As it blows warm air past you, you realize that the other smell is sex. 

Tess is sitting on the couch to the right of the door, two mismatched wooden kitchen chairs in front of her. Straight ahead from the door is a small kitchen, and to the back left of the studio style apartment is the bed. Unmade, sheets tousled like someone just woke up, but based on the heady taste of the air in the room, the messy sheets are definitely from two people rolling around in them.

“Come sit,” Tess says firmly. You click the door shut behind you and head to the empty chair that’s waiting for you. The other chair is occupied by a small brunette woman. She has long slender limbs and doesn’t look like someone who would hang out with raiders, poachers and drug runners. Her hands are folded in her lap, ankles crossed under the chair. She doesn’t look over at you.

Tess leans forward, spreading her denim clad legs wide and resting her elbows on her knees. “Do you two know who I am?”

You both nod slowly. Up close, Tess is terrifying. She could have you killed with just a snap of her fingers, and Joel would do it however she wanted. From what you’ve heard, very slowly was her favourite way to have people eliminated from this earth. Quick deaths weren’t something she enjoyed when someone had fucked her over. 

“Speak!” she commands. The brunette jumps and even though you’ve mastered the art of pushing your fears down and masking your emotions, a small butterfly flaps its wings behind your navel. 

“Yes,” you say hoarsely as a meek ‘yes ma’am’ sounds beside you.

“Good. So then you know the….perks of being one of my Treasures,” Tess’s eyes twinkle as she says perks like she knows something you don’t. Like it’s more than the better living arrangements, food and medical care. Better than a sense of family and belonging.

She continues, “I’ve seen both of you at work. You,” her steel grey eyes are laser focused on yours, “With your quick hands, and you,” she adjusts her attention to the petite woman beside you, “With your ability to talk a man into almost anything. Before you can officially call yourself my Treasures, there’s a small matter of your…” Her voice trails, mouth ticking up on one side as she cocks her head and drags her eyes across both of your bodies.

“Well, your initiation.” She leans back onto the couch, knees falling wider. One arm drapes across the back, the worn cushion deflating slightly. The other rests on her thick, toned thigh. “I take care of my girls, but they need to show me that they can listen.”

The air seems thicker, and harder to fill your lungs with. Every move of her eyes is suggestive. Is she saying what you think she’s saying? You feel yourself begin to soak through your panties at the possibility of getting to fuck.

You aren’t left wondering for long as she points a long finger at the girl beside you, “Stand up, take off your clothes.”

“W-what?” the girl sputters. 

“I said to stand up and take off your fucking clothes,” the words almost seem to burn as she repeats herself. 

The girl stands so quickly that the chair falls, making a loud crash against the worn hardwood flooring. She stares at Tess for a moment, unsure if she should pick up the chair before she decides against it and pulls her blue cotton baby tee off, revealing a lacy white bra underneath. 

“That’s it,” Tess groans. “Take off those little shorts next.”

With shaky hands she moves to the button fly, each drag of the metal on denim seems to echo in the silent room. Tess licks her lips as she slides her shorts down her legs and kicks them to the side. “Come here,” Tess says, her voice already husky and deep. The woman walks over to Tess, stopping between her spread legs. Tess’s strong fingers grip the girl's hips and she gasps. “Turn around,” she urges, dragging her fingers along her hips as the mystery girl spins.

“What’s your name?” Tess asks. The girl's bright green eyes land on you and you see her breath hitch in her slender throat. She’s petite, probably a few inches shorter than you and at least a foot shorter than Tess. You’ve always been attracted to both men and women and there’s no denying that this little stranger is absolutely stunning. 

“Lydia,” she croaks.

“Are you nervous, Lydia?” Tess asks, cupping the globes of her ass in her hands, kneading and squeezing. Spreading them gently, exploring what she’s about to claim as hers. 

She nods her head and lets out a shaky moan of agreement.

“Go pick up your chair and sit down, Lydia.” Tess swats her bum as she walks away and Lydia yelps quietly.

Tess’s eyes now come to you. Staring straight into your soul. I’m sure if she could, her eyes would incinerate your clothes right off of you. It’s intoxicating. You, unlike Lydia, are not nervous. Not in the slightest. If anything, Tess’s attention on you only makes you wetter. Your panties are practically soaked through already. “And you, my little thief. What’s your name?”

You say your name confidently and squeeze your thighs together, trying to ease some of the ache that Tess’s newfound attention is bringing to the apex of your thighs.

Tess whispers your name back at you and it sends a shiver down your spine. She continues, “Get on your hands and knees and crawl to me.”

Lydia swallows loudly beside you as you drop to the floor, crawling seductively to Tess, head held high. The worn hardwood planks creak under your weight. Even the floor is warm and sticky from the weather. You make it to her, sitting back on your heels like the good little girl you are. She leans forward and tugs on the hem of your dress and her syrupy voice says, “Arms up”. You lift your ass slightly and she slips your dress up and over your head. It was too hot for a bra today so you’re left in just a lacy pink thong.

“Mmmm, look at those pretty tits,” Tess hums, her fingers gliding along the plush soft skin of your breasts before ghosting over your nipples making the arm whoosh from your lungs. “You like that? Me touching your nipples.”

You breathe out a yes, eyes shutting as she pinches your pebbled buds roughly. “Oh god, yes.”

The old worn couch groans as Tess sits back, “Go take her bra and panties off.”

You climb to your feet and walk over to Lydia, holding out a hand and helping her stand. You move behind her and trail your fingers down the soft skin of her spinal column before popping the clasp of her bra. Lydia slides it off her body, arms crossing to block her now exposed breasts. Goosebumps rise across her from head to toe. You shush her and rub up and down her arms. Lydia relaxes under your touch and she drops her arms, Tess nods at you once, a silent encouragement to continue. You get down on your knees, hooking your index fingers in the waistband of her panties and sliding them down. Her round ass is in your face, she smells like fresh linen and rain. You fight the urge to kiss the sensitive little spot right where her ass crack starts.

“So fucking beautiful. Sit back down, Lydia.” Tess says and you want to cry out in protest. Her body is so enticing, soft and warm. She focuses back on you and says, “Stand in front of Lydia so she can take your panties off.”

You stand gracefully, biting your bottom lip as you maneuver yourself in front of Lydia. “Spread your legs,” you whisper, determined to help her so you can put on the best show for Tess. Lydia parts her knees and you twirl to face Tess, gathering your hair in one hand as Lydia slides your soaked panties down your legs. You kick them to the side and seductively drop your hair, smiling sweetly at Tess.

“Sit,” Tess barks. Lydia gasps behind you, but you like this; being told what to do. Commanded. Used. Tess continues after you sit, “I want you both to touch yourselves. Show me how you like it, but don’t come. You haven’t earned that yet. Understood?”

“Yes ma’am,” Lydia says, looking down at her hands. You nod eagerly, already sliding your ass to the edge of the chair and spreading your legs wide for her. Tess stares at your glistening core hungrily, leaning forward again to rest her muscular forearms on her knees. Her hair falls forward and frames her face. Her expression is hard, like you don’t want to disobey her in these moments. Brows are slightly knit together, lips in a thin line. She looks beautiful and dangerous, but as you bring your pointer and ring fingers to your entrance she softens a little, cocking her head to the side slightly. 

Lydia keeps her legs closed, slipping a finger down her slit and rubbing slowly from side to side. She whimpers silently beside you, glancing at you nervously. Your fingers easily slip inside of your soft, dripping hole. 

Tess’s eyes dance between the two of you. “Two very different girls,” she says to the room, neither of you stopping what you’re doing, both determined to become a part of her Treasures. “One of you seems shy, but I can work with that. Help you get out of your shell. And then there’s you,” her focus locks on you as she gets up with a grunt and saunters over to you. “You are a little whore, aren’t you? So eager to please.”

You feel yourself getting wetter at her attention and mean words. She pets your head lightly a few times, laughing quietly at how you lean into her touch, your eyes fluttering closed. Just as your lashes hit your cheeks she grabs a handful, pulls hard and gets within inches of your face. “You’re going to be a problem, aren’t ya?”

“No,” you gasp, your orgasm right on the precipice, so you slow your motions. “I’ll be good, Tess.”

“Did I say you could slow down?”

“I - I’m gonna come,” you whine. 

“No, you’re not. You just told me you’d be good. And good girls don’t come until they’re told.” She releases your hair and you suck in a breath. Tess’s presence is palpable, she seems to take up all the space and air in the apartment by just being here. “Do NOT come, that’s an order.”

Just as the last sentence leaves her mouth the door opens and the apartment gets smaller, like your whole existence is being put in a vacuum sealer. The deep chuckle that comes from whoever just entered makes your scalp prickle, but you keep your focus on Tess.

“What’re we doin’ here, Tess?” The voice is deep, with a slight southern accent highlighting an occasional word. It can only belong to one man, the only man allowed near Tess’s Treasures. Joel Miller. He’s feared and revered in the Boston QZ. Runs the drug trade that keeps both FEDRA and the seedy underbelly running. You’ve never seen him before, but you’ve heard stories.

“Recruits,” Tess says, walking over to Lydia, crouching in front of her. “This one is shy. The other one - well, I might need your help with her.”

Your clit feels like it’s zapped with electricity at her threatening promises and you moan loudly, pausing your fingers that have been plunging in and out of you as per Tess’s requests. “See,” she says flatly, hands massaging Lydia’s plush tanned thighs. 

You hear Joel’s heavy footsteps as he walks towards you, you can feel his heat and smell the tobacco coming off his skin. When he steps into your line of vision everything blurs. He’s beautiful and dangerous, but overall he’s the most incredible specimen you’ve ever seen. Your brain seems to go blank, like a hard reset, until all you see and smell and care about is Joel. You keep your eyes locked on his face, his brows crease, lips pressed tightly together. He plants his hands on his hips as his coffee and whiskey eyes slowly trail down your body. When he gets to your soaked and swollen pussy he licks his lips. “You gonna let her come?” He asks Tess but doesn’t take his eyes off you.

The fog clouding your brain clears and you glance towards Lydia and Tess. She has her legs spread and Tess is smiling encouragingly up at her, hand on top of hers, teaching her where to touch. 

“She can come when she’s earned it. Lydia’s earned it though. Haven’t you?” She nods at Lydia as she squirms in the wooden kitchen chair. “That’s it, show us.”

Lydia speeds the up and down motion of her hand sloppily, you can hear the wetness as her movements become more erratic. Joel’s eyes haven’t left you, still watching you fuck your fingers in and out of yourself, almost mesmerized by you. 

“Tess,” Lydia murmurs.

“Go ahead, baby. Come for me. Let me see that pretty little pussy twitch.” 

Lydia’s body starts to shake as she cries out, her hand slowing as she whines and moans, “Oh god. Oh god. Yesyesyes.”

You peel your eyes away from her and squeeze every muscle in your body as tightly as you can, holding on, not letting yourself come. Looking at Joel makes it nearly impossible not to tip over that very tantalizing edge, so you clamp your eyes shut. “Tess,” Joel says, his voice a baritone whisper. “You’re torturing this one, look at her.”

He’s right, she is torturing you; but, what Joel doesn’t know is that you love it. You love being denied just as much as you love being used. You love being pinned down or tied up. You love having your throat or pussy or ass fucked in any and all positions known to humankind. The world is a dark and horrible shit show, but sex? Ya, sex makes you feel alive. 

“Torturing her would be not letting her touch herself at all. She should be thanking me.” Tess turns her attention back to Lydia, helping her stand up and pulling her to the couch. “You did such a good job for me. You looked stunning as you fell apart.”

You open your eyes at the movement of them. They stop and stand facing each other in front of the couch as Tess removes her shirt, her breasts are small and perky with light pink nipples. Joel looks away from you, staring appreciatively at the woman he’s sworn to protect. She pops the button on her jeans. “Take them off her, Lydia. Tess shouldn’t have to work this hard,” Joel commands. 

You whimper at the timbre of Joel's voice when he’s giving instructions and his eyes whip back to you. “You like that, don’t you? Being told what to do.”

“Yes, oh god, please can I come Tess,” you cry, eyes still locked with Joels.

“Lydia is going to lick my pussy, Joel is going to move out of the way so I can see you, and when I say you can come I want you to be loud. I want to hear those slutty little moans. Got it?”

Joel doesn’t hesitate, stepping behind your chair. He must be leaning over you because you swear you can feel his breath on the shell of your ear. Tess sits on the couch and tugs at Lydia’s wrist gently, encouraging her to kneel in front of her. “Come on,” she whispers and then places her finger at the top of her pussy. “Just lick and kiss right here. You can do it.”

Lydia moves slowly, giving you a knowing glance over her shoulder as she gets into Tess’s desired position. You suddenly realize that she’s more clever than you initially thought. She’s not shy, she knows exactly what she’s doing. Tess likes to lead, so she acted like she needed the guidance. And now she’s come and you haven’t. Tess’s head falls back, jaw going slack as Lydia tastes her. 

“Does that turn you on?” Joel whispers, his warm breath hitting your neck. “Seeing Tess being eaten out. She deserves that every day, you know. She’s gonna take such good care of you, so you better care for her.”

“I will,” you mumble. “I’ll do whatever she needs. Whenever. Fuuuuck.”

“Look how wet you’re getting, I don’t think you can hold it for much longer.” He’s taunting you now. “Little thing loves to come, doesn’t she?”

“No, Tess gets to - oh god - she says when,” you’re squeezing as tight as you can, holding back the orgasm that’s right there, like a seesaw teetering, so close to tipping to the other side and slamming through you. 

Lydia slurps at Tess, you can hear her sucking at her clit as Tess moans and tangles her fingers into Lydia’s hair. “Yes, that’s it. Fuck, right there.”

You let out a breathy whine and Tess’s eyes come to you. “Ssshh, not yet. Oh shit, Lydia. So good.”

Joel laughs into your ear. “Just come, what’s the worst she’s going to do? Spank you? Let me fuck your throat? I bet you like being punished.”

You shake your head, trying to block out all the lewd mental images he’s creating. “No, Joel.” you huff, refocusing on holding it in, thinking of all the unsexy thoughts you can as you watch Tess, waiting for your time. 

Tess’s legs begin to shake, “get ready, baby. We are going to come together.” 

Your wrist begins to ache, it feels like you’ve been fucking yourself for hours. “I need to, please. You look so - “

She cuts you off, “Joel, take over for her. I’m gonna come.”

Joel practically leaps in front of you, grabbing your wrist and pulling your drenched fingers out while slipping his two thick fingers into your mouth. You bob up and down on his fingers still looking at Tess. Her eyes are glazed over, and a bead of sweat slides down the line of her toned stomach and lands in her belly button. 

“Now, Joel,” she whines and Joel wastes no time slamming his fingers inside of you. You cry out at the stretch, pleasure mixing with pain before he pumps his fingers forward. “Come right now,” Tess says. 

You look down at Joel, his thumb coming to caress your swollen bundle of nerves and you cry out, the room filled with your loud moans just like she wants. You hear both her and Joel encouraging you. Joel’s Texas twang washing over you,  “that’s it, fuckin clenchin. Fuck you’re so tight.”

Joel is relentless, curling and dragging his fingers in and out of you as you writhe in your chair. “Tess, oh god, yes.”

Joel's other hand slaps the inside of your thigh, “LOUDER!” he demands.

You squeal at the hot pain that splashes along your thigh, “hhnnngg, thank you. Fuck.” Your pleasurable moans turn into whines of pain as the overstimulation starts to seep in. You try to pull back and bring your knees together and Joel lets out a growl. He looks up at you dangerously and your stomach clenches. This is the wild, animalistic Joel Miller that everyone fears. 

You start to panic, he’s not stopping and you don’t know if you can take much more. You’re so wrapped in his onyx gaze and a mix of fear and arousal that you don’t notice Tess behind Joel until she speaks. Her voice is soft yet firm as she cards her fingers through his greying curls, “Joel, that’s enough.”

He blinks hard, seemingly coming out of some sort of trance, and then slips his fingers from you, strings of milky arousal coating his fingers. “Good boy,” she whispers. “Help her up, but you don’t get to touch either of them until I say so.”

He nods and then stands, helping you up. Lydia is lounging lazily on the couch, her face still glistening with Tess’s juices. Your knees shake underneath you and Joel wraps an arm around your waist. You’ve had plenty of orgasms in your life, but never one that deep and strong. Your pussy is aching and you just want to sleep.

Tess sits on the chair that Lydia was on and spreads her legs slightly. “Lydia,” she crooks her fingers at her, calling her over. “Turn around, pretty girl. Straddle my thigh.”

Lydia follows Tess’s instructions, that fake nervous pout of her lips on display for Joel. Clever, very clever, you think through heavy eyelids. 

“Joel, help her on the other thigh and bring that chair.” Joel guides and steadies you as you sit on Tess’s thigh, then places the extra chair in front of the three of you. “Use the chair for balance,” Tess instructs, her hand running up and down your spine gently. 

You both lean forward, your sweaty palms slipping slightly against the wooden chair. You both gasp quietly as your swollen clits press into her muscular thigh, as she caresses your backs and hips. Joel sits on the couch across from you, one arm draped across the back and his legs spread. He watches you intently, eyes blown out and curls sticking to his forehead. It’s not lost on you that he hasn’t focused much attention on the other girl. You look over at Lydia and she’s smiling flirtatiously at you. Your faces are just inches apart and she nudges at your nose with hers.

“Ladies,” Tess starts, “this is the part where you show Joel what you can do. He’s going to kill people for you, and when he does, you need to repay him.”

You graze your lips against Lydias, her skin tastes like peaches and Tess’s cunt. 

“Pretend my thigh is Joel's cock, show him how you’ll ride him.”

You flick your attention back to Joel, and his expression shifts from hard to a tortured need. You rake your eyes down his strong chest, still concealed by that fucking denim button up that you want to rip off with your teeth. He’s dangerous and could easily snap your neck with two fingers, but fuck, if that doesn’t make you want him more. Lydia presses her lips to your throat and you start to grind back and forth on Tess’s thigh. 

You continue to take in Joel’s body, stopping when you get to his lap. Your eyes widen at the distinct outline of his hard cock pressing behind the zipper of his jeans. Your bottom lip slips between your teeth as you lock eyes with him again. His coffee coloured irises are almost onyx as he shifts in his seat. He wants you - just as much as you want him, and you just hope that you can break him enough so Tess lets him have you. 

Tess’s strong hand travels up the smooth skin of your back, tangling her hands in the hair at the nape of your neck. “Tell Joel how good it feels, baby. Lydia, keep kissing her.”

Lydia’s lips suck at your skin. “Mmm, fuck Joel. Feels s’good. Wish it was your big cock filling me up, sliding in and out of my tight, wet pussy.” Tess tugs at your hair to open your neck more for Lydia and you yelp.

“Keep talking, baby girl,” Joel says, his hand moving to palm himself over his jeans. “Tell me what you want.”

You grind harder into Tess’s thigh, between the sting in your scalp from her hand, Lydia’s soft lips on your neck, and Joel’s intense stare, it almost becomes hard to breathe. Every bit of their attention is on you.

“I-I want you to, mmmm, to pin me down,” you take in a shaky breath, never taking your eyes off him. “To f-fuck me…from behind. Want you to f-fill, oh god, fill me.”

Joel pops the button of his jeans, reaching down his pants to grip himself through his tight grey boxers. You continue breathily, “Wanna feel you spank me. Slam inside of me. Dominate me.”

“Good girl,” Tess says, releasing her grip on your hair and pulling Lydia off your neck, before pressing in between your shoulder blades until you’re flush with her thigh. You crane your neck to keep your eyes on Joel, looking at him through the wooden slats of the back of the chair in front of you. “Your turn, Lydia. Tell Joel what you want.”

She clears her throat before beginning, “If he killed for me, I wouldn’t make him do any work. I’d lay him down, lick and kiss every inch of him before sliding him in my mouth. Taking him deep, cradling his balls with my hand. I’d swallow every drop.”

Joel lets out a noncommittal grunt, almost like a secret language between him and Tess. Joel leans forward and removes his denim button up and t-shirt in one swoop. His tanned and toned chest makes your mouth water. His chiselled pecs and soft belly have trimmed salt and pepper hair dusted across them, he toes off his shoes and then lifts his hip, sliding his jeans down his legs. His skin glistens with sweat and you want to lick it all off of him, drink up his salt and musk, his innate Joel-ness. 

“Come here, Joel.” She says. 

“Sit up,” she says softly to you. Joel stalks forward like he’s about to claim what’s his and your pussy clenches around nothing in hopes that it’s you.

“Ride my thighs, girls. Whoever cums first, Joel gets to fuck.” You spit into your hand and reach between your legs, gently spreading your lips and coating yourself in saliva.

A deep, “holy fuck” leaves Joel's lips at the sight of you. Yes, he definitely wants you just as much as you want him. You move your hands from the chair to Tess’s knee and grind your hips in small, slow circles. Your arms push your tits together for Joel. Beside you, Lydia stops moving. She sits as still as a statue, looking over her shoulder seductively at Tess. A loud slap fills the room, followed by a lust filled moan that you didn't think Lydia was capable of. 

“Tess,” she says, all airy and breathy. Her tone feels sweet on your skin. “I don’t like sleeping with men.” 

You keep grinding, your focus on Joel. He’s so close that you could reach out and grab one of his muscular forearms. You’re going to fuck him. You want to fuck him. Any way he wants. Any hole he wants. None of it matters, you just want to feel him, smell him, taste him. 

Tess lets out an impressed sigh. “You’re even more amazing than I thought, Lydia. Had me telling you how to lick a pussy, how to touch yourself. But you already know. Don’t you?” She slaps Lydia’s ass again and the loud noise even has you clenching. Fuck, you want Joel to spank you. Or Tess. Even Lydia at this point. 

It’s wrong. And taboo. But who can say what’s right or wrong in this new world anymore? 

“You are going to have to do things for Joel, little temptress. It’s part of the deal.” You see Tess’s hands come to Lydia’s hips, encouraging her to grind at the same pace you’ve set. “So ride me. Let me feel that slick little pussy, let me feel it quiver on my thigh.” 

Things are quiet for a moment, just the squelching sounds of both your cunts gliding along her smooth thigh. You lean into Lydia, desperate for more. More what, you aren’t sure. Just more.

She responds to your touch, her nose brushing your cheek before you turn into her and kiss her deeply. Slanting your head to taste her tongue against yours. She’s sweet, like strawberry jam. Lips so soft they almost don’t feel real. Her teeth clamp onto your bottom lip and you cry out. The perfect amount of pain to increase the pleasure between your legs. When she lets go you’re panting. 

“She’s close, Tess,” Joel murmurs like he knows your body so well, but he’s not wrong. He continues speaking casually to Tess as if you aren’t in the same room. “Do I really get to fuck her if she cums first?” 

You grind down harder, kissing Lydia again. You love them talking about you as if you aren’t here. Making the decisions for you. 

“As soon as she cums, you take her to the bed.” Tess’s strong hand lays a sharp slap on the meaty globe of your ass and you crumble. 

“YES!” You scream, convulsing as the pleasure courses through you. You look up at Joel through your lashes, jaw slack, voice weak and desperate. “Joel. Please. Please.” 

He drops his boxers and his thick cock spring free. Slapping against his belly. The tip is smooth and leaking, he’s bigger than you thought and somehow your throat dries out as your cheeks fill with saliva. As you come down from your second orgasm you realize that you can do this. You are going to do whatever Tess says and become one of her Treasures. 

“Think you can take him?” Tess hums as Lydia falls apart beside you, moaning sweetly. Tess adds, “Good girl, Lydia. So perfect when you cum.”  

You decide to take a page out of Lydia's book and act innocent. “N-no,” you stammer. “It’s…I don’t…it’s too big.” 

Joel snorts, “You’re not a very good liar my little slut.” 

Before you can respond he’s lifted you up and over his broad shoulder. His skin is warm against your belly. You giggle mischievously as his hands dig into the plush skin on the back of your thighs. He can so easily overpower you, so easily destroy you - mentally and physically. And you’d let him, and to make it worse, you’d thank him afterwards and probably ask him to do it again. 

He drops you on the bed. “Don’t move.” 

You nod and swallow the dry lump in your throat. You definitely want this, even if you shouldn’t. Even if that logical voice inside your head is screaming at you to put up the wall, block him out like you do with everyone else. But the infinitesimal hint of softness in his face that can only be seen by the two of you keeps you sucked in. He won’t hurt you, no. Something in his eyes gives him away, he wants to please you with those hands that have brought pain and torture to so many others. 

He walks back over to Tess and Lydia who are completely entranced with one another. Lydia is now sitting fully in Tess’s lap. Her back pressed to Tess’s front, both her legs draped over Tess’s as she pressed kisses along the tops of one of her shoulders and rubs her fingers gently from her pussy up to Lydia’s. Joel kneels in front of them, both of their legs spread, wet pussy’s glistening and on display for him. The sight of Joel Miller on his knees does something unexplainable to you. He’s so goddamn delicious. 

He looks over at you again, that softness still coaxing you deeper into his web, tangling around you, claiming you. His large hands cup Tess’s inner thighs and then he dives into both their pussy’s. Jealousy swirls in your stomach as he draws a sloppy wet line from Tess’s entrance to her clit, then up to Lydia in the same manner. 

“Oh, fuck Joel,” Tess cries as Lydia whimpers.

“Too much, baby?” he says gruffly to Lydia who nods before burying her face into the crook of Tess’s neck. “Little more, m’kay?”

He licks at them again, Tess’s moan ending as Lydia’s starts. Joel doesn’t stop. He uses long languid and lazy strokes of his tongue as he eats at both of them.

“J-Jo - fuuuck Joel!” Tess murmurs, her head falling back and mouth falling open in a silent scream. She wraps her arms tightly around Lydia as her legs start to tremble. Joel’s deltoids and biceps flex as he pushes to keep her thighs apart.

“Fuck, Tess.” Lydia purrs, “You look so goddamn hot when you cum. Suck on her clit, Joel. Make our girl squeal.” You can hear him slurp her swollen and twitching nub into his mouth. As it slips along his soft and puffy lips her pained sounding moans start to become mumbles of pleasure. Joel works her through her orgasm, not stopping until he knows she's good and sated.  

Lydia reaches back, twisting to kiss Tess deeply and then whispers into her lips. Whatever she says gets Joel's attention and he releases her clit with a pop before looking up at the two women. You haven’t moved from where Joel left you, as fun as being a brat is, he could probably dish out a punishment so intense that even you would break and use whatever safe word he gave you. Lydia whispers more, Joel smirks at whatever she’s saying and then the three of them all slowly turn to look over at you.

Fuck

Joel stands, his hands coming to the outsides of Tess’s knees and guiding her as she closes her legs, then he gives a hand to Lydia to help her stand before repeating the same with Tess. He stands tall and broad, completely naked and fully erect between these two powerhouse women, linking his fingers with Tess and smiling over at her. She gives him a little nod and your stomach flips as your pussy clenches.

This is it, you think.

“Little slut,” he says deeply, “‘M’gonna fuck you now, while they hold you down. Understood?”

You try to say yes, but just air seems to leave your lungs. Tess and Lydia climb along each side of you, hooking their arm under your leg and pulling back to open you for Joel. Your arms are trapped under their bodies as they lay beside you.  You’re pinned and exposed; fully at Joel, Tess and Lydia’s mercy. 

The bed dips as Joel settles between your thighs, his large body looms over you, resting himself on one forearm beside your head, his other hand wrapped around his cock, running it up and down your folds.

“So wet for me. So soft,” he presses the fat tip of his cock at your entrance and you gasp. “Shit! S’tight too, baby girl.”

Tess and Lydia nuzzle into you, lightly dragging their noses along your neck and jawline. “J-Joel, fuck me. Pleaseplease. Fuck me”

Joel presses his hips forwards, and the thick, smooth mushroom head of his cock pushes at your weeping cunt again. “Look at me, little slut,” he rasps. You don’t hesitate, look at him with big innocent eyes, biting your lower lip. He spits into his palm and then coats his throbbing dick with it, fisting himself up and down. He raises an eyebrow at you cockily, “Say it again.”

“Fuck me, fuck me, please!”

Without warning Joel slams into you, stretching you painfully and your body jolts. You try to slam your knees together but the naked women on each side of you keep you spread open widely for Joel. “Shit baby,” he says through gritted teeth as his body folds over yours, his hands caging all three of you in. Tess nips at your neck, while Lydia sucks at your earlobe after whispering, “Relax, little slut, we all got you.”

Your lungs slowly come back to you. You take a deep, full breath in, and it feels like you haven’t taken a proper breath since seeing Joel for the first time. As you exhale you’re completely surrounded by Joel Miller. His large body is all you can see and feel. Meanwhile, all you can taste and smell is his tobacco scent and the salt of the sweat that coats his tanned skin. You’re addicted, you want to be able to inject him right into your veins. Your pussy relaxes around him and the pain ebbs into pleasure, and you need more.

“More, please more,” you murmur into his neck.

“There she is,” Tess whispers in your ear and you whimper.

“Say it again,” Joel commands.

“Fuck me, Joel,” you cry. “Please, fuck me. Make me your little slut for real.”

Lydia giggles seductively in your ear, pulling you into her tighter.

“Open her all the way for me,” he says to the other two. “S’too tight for me.”

He sits himself up and your knees are pulled open and back. Joel keeps his eyes locked on yours as he tilts his chin a bit and splits on your already soaked pussy. His veiny hands come to the back of your thighs, squeezing and massaging at your sensitive skin.

“Think I should fuck her, Lydia?” He starts, and soon they’re talking about you again as if you aren’t even there, the slick walls of your cunt fluttering as they speak.

“She's been good, hasn’t she?” Lydia says in a syrupy aroused tone.

“No she hasn’t,” Tess says between kisses along your jawline. “She’s a thief. She’s a bad girl.”

Joel slaps the inside of one of your thighs, with just enough of a flick in his wrist that it immediately sends a zap of pleasure toward your clit. Lydia feels you relax more into her grips, “She likes it when you hit her, Joel”.

“Of course she does,” Tess moans. “She’s a little slut.” She hits the t at the end of the word hard and Joel slaps you again. Right in the same spot, precision that you’ve never known before from a man who kills without being seen. 

“Should feel how tight she is, maybe she had us fooled,” Joel says, eyes shifting between the two women, wholly avoiding your gaze. You’re so desperate for his attention, and the humiliation of him not returning it arouses you so much more than it should.

“What’d’ya mean, baby boy?” Tess asks, her warm breath hitting your neck, causing a shiver to run down your spine.

“Like a virgin, squeezin’ me like a vice.”

“She’s shakin,” Lydia adds. “Poor girl.”

“You two don’t stop kissing her while I do this,” they both nod and he flips his attention back to you. “I wanna hear you screamin’. Got it, little slut?”

You shudder under his intense stare. “Yes, yes, Joel. Please, just fuck me. Pleeease!”

He pulls halfway out and then slams back in, his heavy balls slap at your taint and asshole, your needy high pitched moans filling the room. Your whole body constricts around Joel and as it relaxes it feels like heaven. No one has made your body feel like this. “That feel good?” Joel says tauntingly, his hands gripping into the back of your thighs.

“Please - fuck, yes. More,” you mumble, almost incoherently. 

“Show our girl, Joel. Show her what he can have once she’s my Treasure.” Tess commands.

What’s that saying, ‘You say jump, I say how high’? Well, when Tess says jump, Joel is already mid jump, doing it exactly how Tess wants it. He’s already dragging his cock out slowly, all the way to the tip, before slamming fast and hard back into you.

“Harder,” Tess growls, biting your neck as Joel repeats the motion. Lydia squirms against you, her soft warm skin slipping along the thin sparkling layer of sweat that coats your body. “Look at her. Pliant, soft. Letting Joel do whatever he wants.”

“That’s cuz she’s a good girl,” Lydia moans, kissing the sensitive skin under your earlobe. 

Joel brings one of his hands to cup your chin, his thumb running around your bottom lip softly. “Gotta relax for me, little slut.”

You take a breath and as you exhale you can feel the grip your pussy has on his thick cock loosen. “That’s it. That’s my girl.”

“Good job, baby girl,” Tess whispers, kissing at your throat again. 

“Fuck her now, Joel.” Lydia says, “We got her.”

Joel sets a quick pace, slamming in and out of you. His name and a string of swears leaving your lips with every thrust, just the screams of your pleasure and the squelching of your pussy filling the room. Tess and Lydia whisper praises as Joel is possessed by your cunt. Pounding and pounding into you without pause. Over and over, he’s relentless. A man possessed. You can’t help but wonder if he’s like this with all other women or if this is just for you. His hand falls from your chin, landing beside Tess’s head on the mattress, the other still gripped to your thigh. His short nails dig into your skin, leaving you marked with signs of him. 

“That’s it,” Lydia hums. “Taking it like such a good girl.”

Tess’s teeth lightly scrape at your jawline. “Come on, baby. I wanna see you come again.”

“So fuckin’ pretty when you come,” Joel says each word at the end of his harsh thrusts. His voice is gravelly and deep. Seeping under your skin and into your DNA, the very fabric of your being. You belong to him, no questions asked.

“M-more. I - more - please.” You aren’t sure what you mean by more, but Joel seems to know your body better than you as he sits himself back up and brings his thumb to your clit, teasing it gently and you writhe under him. It’s almost too much but you need it, and even more, you need Joel not to stop.

He hammers into you again, slower this time, but still with an intense flick of his hips at the end. The leaking tip of his cock pressing against the perfect spongy part behind your clit.

“Can see you in her stomach, Cowboy.” Tess moans. Both the women feather long, lingering kisses along your neck. The juxtaposition of their soft actions and the bruising dance of Joel’s hip is just as confusing as it is arousing. 

“Rub her clit a little harder, Joel. I think she’s getting close.” You clench around him at Lydia’s words and cry out loudly. 

He swirls his thumb easily along your lubricated clit, the mixture of both of your arousals and his spit making it slippery. “Ohgod, hnnnnggg, J-Joel pleasepleaseplease.”

“Sssshhh, baby,” he soothes, pausing with his hips pushed flush to your ass. “Gotta relax, remember?”

You whimper in agreement, nodding your head as you try to slow your breathing and your heart rate. “There she goes,” Joel moans as your pussy walls flutter and then relax.

He starts to fuck you slowly, circling your swollen velvety nub with the rough pad of his thumb. His other hand leaves your thigh, massaging your breast, pinching at the nipple with his thumb and forefinger. “Fuck, you feel so good. So tight. Gonna fill you one day.”

“Today, please!” you protest through a salacious moan.

“Tell her,” he says to the women holding you in their arms, speeding up the circles of his thumb.

“Lydia,” Tess whispers, like it’s a secret just for the three of you, “Tell her your plan.”

You’re lost in a daze as Lydia says your name into your skin. When you don’t respond she nips gently at you and says, “Baby? You with me?”

“Y-yes. Fuuuuuuck,” you say wantonly.

“Joel is gonna make you cum, then pull out and cum all over our faces. After, we are going to lick it all off each other.” She says it with a hint of mischief and lust in her voice.

The three of them praise and encourage you as Joel keeps fucking you and rubbing your clit at the same time. You have no idea how long you’ve been in this apartment, how long you’ve been floating on a vibrating fluffy cloud of pleasure and craving. Whispers of “Good girl”, “so pretty”, and “fuck listen to how wet you are” travel through you.  

The electric currents of pleasure that sizzle along your skin all come to the base of your spine. Pressure building, so very close to exploding around all of you. “Come on, little slut. Let go for me.”

Lydia and Tess say ‘Come on’ and ‘relax into it’ at the same time.

“Shit, J-Joel,” you whimper. A tear runs down your cheek.

“I know, I’m here,” he says, voice slightly softer than earlier. “I know.”

The pressure becomes unbearable and then everything snaps. Your pussy flutters as the pleasure starts to consume every single inch of your being. Your vision blurs, every muscle going lax as you twitch unconsciously underneath him. 

“Good girl. Yes, that’s my good little slutty girl,” he growls. Your orgasm continues to tear through you, ripping you in half and you know when you come down only Joel will be able to stitch you back up again. 

Joel presses his large palm to your mound, and just as you feel yourself start to come down you’re on the precipice of another orgasm. “Got another one for me, baby?”

“Yesyesyes - yeeesss,” you’ve forgotten words, you’re just a bundle of pleasure. No muscles or bones or thoughts of your own. Just a pliant body, that’s fully under the control of Joel Miller. 

Your second orgasm hits you hard, tearing anything you had left in half. “She’s gonna squirt,” Joel mumbles.

“Just let it go,” Lydia whispers, suckling on your earlobe. 

You push into the feeling, letting it overtake you as liquid gushes from your cunt, coating Joel's pelvis and pooling on the bed below you. It splashes as Joel keeps up his pace. You scream out in pleasure. Lydia and Tess talking you through it quietly, “Good girl. Stay relaxed for me,” Tess says as Lydia adds, “Let it take you, we’re right here.”

The pleasure starts to ebb, it’s becoming too much as Tess whispers, “Breathe, baby girl. Just breathe.”

“Can’t, Tess.” you whimper, turning your face towards her. “Please,” you plead. If you learned anything from earlier, it’s that only Tess can make him stop. 

“Ok, baby, you’re ok,” she hums. She looks up at Joel above all of you and drops her voice, “That’s enough now, Joel.”

Joel pulls away from your clit and you sigh in relief, both his hands coming to your breasts, squeezing them roughly as his thrusts become sloppy. “Get ready,” he huffs through gritted teeth. Both Tess and Lydia scoot up so their faces are pressed against yours.

Joel slips out of you with a lewd pop and practically bends you in half to get over your faces. “Open your mouths and look at me,” he commands. The three of you obey, anything for the man who is going to kill for you or defend you to the very end if need be. 

His hand is tight around his cock, pumping himself quickly, the cords of muscle and veins along his forearm start to pop. His balls are full and heavy, tight against his body as he edges closer to his release. You stare at him, soaking in how wrecked he looks as he gets closer. His brows pinch together, onyx and whiskey flecked eyes looking only at you before his face goes lax and he lets out a deep, loud moan. Warm ropes of opaque white cum paint your faces.

As soon as he’s done he pulls away, Tess and Lydia letting go of your legs as the three of you kiss and lick at each other's sticky faces. Joel tastes better than you could have imagined, a heady mix of saltiness that leaves you insatiable for more.

Joel sits back on his heels watching the three of you slurp him up. He has a proud smirk on his face and when your eyes find his he winks at you before getting up and grabbing a towel off the top of the small dresser near the bed. Tess says something hushed to Lydia as you and Joel look at one another. Lydia pressed a kiss to your cheek before getting off the bed and following Tess into another room, the unmistakable sound of the shower alerting you to where they’ve gone.

Joel climbs beside you, looking down at you hesitantly. “You ok?” he whispers.

“Ya,” you sign sleepily. “I’m ok, Joel.”

He brings the towel to your thighs, soaking up your arousal. “I didn’t hurt ya?”

The towel ghosts along your swollen folds and you gasp, turning your head into Joel’s strong upper body. “I know, sorry.” He hisses, hating that he’s causing you discomfort. “But I gotta clean you up.”

He dabs gently with the soft towel causing an aftershock that shakes through your body and you feel yourself squirt again. Not nearly as much this time but a euphoric moan leaves your lips. Joel tucks the towel between your legs and guides your face up to meet his. His brown eyes burn themselves into your soul, “do you need more, baby? Just tell me.”

“It’s sensitive,” you whine.

He lifts an eyebrow slightly, “does it hurt?”

You stick your bottom lip out and nod sadly.

“Need me to kiss it?” he asks gently, his hooked nose rubbing against yours. 

You look at him hesitantly. Of course, you want Joel’s plush lips on your pussy, but a flap of a butterfly wing could probably cause you to implode at this point. 

“You can say another time,” he whispers, lips hovering over yours. He doesn’t know where this side of him has come from. Joel Miller is a simple man. Murder who Tess says, fuck any one of her Treasures that offer to get the adrenaline out afterwards, then leave them in their apartment pumped full of his cum. He usually can’t wait to rush back to his apartment to take a shower and shoot back a mix of whiskey and sleeping pills. But with you, he feels the need to care for you afterwards, and he has a strong feeling that you’re going to be a very large distraction in his life from now on. 

I’m fucked, he thinks to himself.

You lean forward to sponge your lips against his. He kisses you sweetly, pulling you in tighter as you hum contently into his lips.

“I don’t think I can tonight,” you say softly after breaking the kiss. 

“That’s ok, little slut.” He rolls onto his back, pulling you with him so you’re resting on top of him. Legs straddling his hips and your head resting on his chest. You shiver against him, tucking your arms into your body. His hands scramble for the blanket, wrapping it around the two of you, kissing the top of your head. “Tomorrow, after Tess officially makes you her Treasure, that will be your gift from me.”

You nod into his chest, he smells like gunpowder, fresh sawdust and sweat as your eyelids become heavy and the world seems to slip away. You have trouble sleeping normally, I mean who wouldn’t in this fucked up new world you’re all in, but with Joel, it happens almost too easily. Sleep just takes you to a deep and uninterrupted place for who knows how long. But when you wake you’re in a large grey t-shirt in a small bedroom, not the same one you fell asleep in. You hear the peaceful and melodic breathing of someone beside you. You move slowly, peeling open your eyes to see Joel sleeping beside you. The moonlight dances softly along his face, grey hairs glinting in the light. He looks so peaceful, nothing like the man that was crazed by your pussy early. He’s still visibly dangerous, but fuck is he beautiful. 

I’m fucked, you think to yourself.

Tag list:

@corazondebeskar @hiddenbabynyc @rainstorms-library @smutsmutslut @sullyrocky44 

@keylimebeag @pimosworld @casa-boiardi @pedritoferg @paleidiot

@lorilane33 @pansexual-potatoes @jessthebaker @jasminedragoon @koshkaj-blog

@pedroswife69 @strawberri-blonde  @none-of-this-makes-any-sense @iloveenya

@javierpena-inatacvest @blazeflays @akah565 @pinkiec6-rubi @pedroshotwifey

@iluvurfather @ashleyfilm @mermaidgirl30 @untamedheart81 @littlevenicebitch69

[respectthepetty]

Jack & Joker - Wild Ass Theories

Yin and War are hot. I wanted to start with a fact.

Also, Jennie is in the next episode, so our girl is living her best life!

Theory #1 - The heist happens soon

Random: The two guys Hope sends to go after Joke are the same men who end up tied up by this woman and her people.

Hope seems to be from Jack's neighborhood in the opening scenes, so did Jack teach him how to fight and become an enforcer?

I only have a thirty image limit, but this is vision from the trailer:

Jack goes to collect money from Tattoo and Hoy, but lets them off easy

Later, Hope hits Tattoo with a pan because he feels Jack took it too easy on him

Hoy and Tattoo try to ambush Joke because they think he is the only one who can get Jack out of this business

Joke flips the tables and ties up Hoy while asking more questions

They plan the heist because they need money and to get Jack's attention

Hoy and Tattoo are seen doing something to Aran's bag,

And Joke apparently takes the necklace right off of Aran's neck when the model passes out on the runway with the bag and Tattoo right there, so wouldn't Hope realize who is involved?

So is this why Joke goes to hide out at Jack's house after he gets away from the fight with him? And Hoy and Tattoo spill the beans about where Joke is and this is this why Hope and Jack are fighting outside of Jack's house? I think so!

Theory #2 - Rosé is going to fund Jack's school

The sweet rich girl wants to eliminate debt and help the poor. Plus Jack, at some point, stands in as her bodyguard. That's all I got. *shrugs* It's a vibe.

Theory #3 - Joke's hand tattoo is Jack

Not really a theory but more of an observation because Jack's best skill is sleight of hand. He was able to steal Carbon's wallet without Carbon noticing which is why Carbon couldn't find it to pay.

And Joke switched the tests by distracting the boy when he took his wallet, only two snatch the answer keys when the boy starting arguing with the other one.

Joke has been at this for a bit because he had several aliases.

And the reporter said previous to the most recent store robbery, Joke had committed five other robberies.

And every time, he left behind his signature frowning face symbol, but five years later, he has as smiling face tattooed on his hand, which, once again, is his biggest asset, so does he have it to remind him to do better whenever he wants to use his skills again?

Because he once ruined the happy boy's life who is the basis for the tattoo?

But on his other wrist he has both the frowning face and the smiling face depending on how it is viewed, so is it both of them?

Not related, Joke has a tattoo on his chest. Zoom in.

Theory #4 - Jack will give Joke the ring

Jack gave the boss this ring as collateral, and it has sentimental value since the opening credits show it has two names on the inside (his parents) and Jack's on the outside. In the final scene of the trailer when Joke kisses Jack (after opening his martial arts studio?), there is a glimmer on Joke's hand that has the smiling face tattoo. I think it's the ring!

Theory #5 - Colors

The boys aren't really a Black Brooder and a Red Rascal.

Like they are now, but they aren't. *squints*

Jack was a Cyan Cutie.

He was loyal.

He was chill and happy. (shirt reads "happy place, happy place" over his heart)

Joke was a "standard" blue boy who was intelligent in overlooked ways.

But Joke's red shows up when he is Joker because his braces were red in the exam con.

And his tie was red in the bank con.

So I think even though times have changed, and they have absorbed their current colors, the blue will still be shared between them.

Because it will show up again.

Theory #6 - Aran is Tattoo's boyfriend

I want Mark and Prom to kiss so badly in this show that I'm going to single-handedly sail this ship, so I think when Hoy and Tattoo surprise Jack and Joke, Aran is standing next to Tattoo. It doesn't make sense if they robbed him, but he is the only extra boy with an earring in his left ear, the hair lines up, and he would wear a shirt like that.

Give them to me!

[husbandhoshi]

i raise you nerd!wonwoo who is fully a virgin but learns there's a huge market for raunchy guided audios. and he may not be brave but he is certainly an opportunist--how hard would it be to just make stuff up for 30 minutes, anonymously, and not even have to turn on a camera? he might as well start saving up for a new computer (he does, quickly).

and wonwoo's little one-man project does quite well. it's much easier to moan into a mic when no one is watching. he learns his fans like being called all sorts of things--slut, princess, darling--it's all the same to him. he'll call anyone anything for a quick buck. no one has to know he gets all hard under his sweats, lets his muscles tense up thinking about actually calling someone that, right in the hook of their ear, as they curl up into him. that's between him, his fist, and the nebulous image of a hot girl on her knees that he has tucked in the back pocket of his brain.

so what's he to do when you, one of the most popular camgirls on the site, reaches out to him for to collaborate? it's free money, you tell him over the phone. just give me a call when i'm on air, and i'll spread my legs. easy.

you're right--it is free money. he's saving up for one of those pastel studio ghibli clackity keyboards, and he was never above good business. what you're not right about is the easy part. he learns it is not easy to watch the slow drag of your fingers down your chest, a wicked sleight-of-hand that would almost seem like magic if he wasn't the magician. touch yourself, he says, voice shaking for the first goddamn time in his life, and he almost forgets he's not just one of your spectators. show me how much you want it.

impatient, are we? your voice practically melts out of his speakers and he's two neurons away from saying, yes, yes, wanna see more, like some crazed, horny idiot blowing up your chatbox. instead he calls you sweetheart, angel, every once-practiced word tumbling off his tongue like he's learning to speak again as he watches your palm dance against your perfect little cunt. this is not easy either. the only thing saving him from coming all over himself is the fact that he’s still got a show to run.

the stream ends without a hitch on your end--after all, it's just another tuesday for you. for wonwoo, on the other hand, dick in one hand and his phone, loaded up with your profile page, in the other, is a lot worse for wear.

next week? you text him. yeah. i'll call you when you're on, he replies, the one and only time he lets his dick do all the thinking. good. i like surprises, you tell him.

it's only when he finds himself pulling up your old streams during one of his recordings when he thinks you might not like surprises as much as you say. he thinks of his voice, gravelly with want, pulling those pretty fingers to your tits, your swollen mouth, your pussy. then his hands, inexperienced and clumsy, over that wickedly soft, lonely skin.

you might like surprises, but wonwoo certainly doesn't. unluckily for him, this isn't an easy one to get out of.

[therosefrontier]

TWST Family Lore: Heartslabyul Part 1

As a fanfic writer, the family question has been coming up a lot for me with these guys, especially with me wanting to potentially actually write these unseen family members that get mentions thrown out there, so I started collecting information, and then, I thought I'd make a post about it! This first part is just Heartslabyul, about their family members and what we know about them (that I could find, anyways), plus some of my thoughts/guesses. This very well might not be exhaustive, but maybe if I see something more I'll add on!

That said! Spoiler warning! I am including info from various vignettes, card voicelines, and events, including JP server only cards, but I will try to avoid too many specific JP event story spoilers (which in this post is pretty much just a lot of White Rabbit). I include main story stuff from book 1 and also the first part of book 7 (which is out in EN), but nothing from the rest of book 7 which is out in JP. Which probably doesn't have anything Hearts-related anyways (I do not know)? I might be waiting for the rest of book 7 to come out before posting a Diasomnia edition to this, though...

So anyways! Let's get to it!

ACE TRAPPOLA

He has an older brother (seven years older than him, as mentioned in his school uniform vignette), whom he seems to be fairly close with. We also have mention of his dad, but so far, as far as I can tell, there is mention of no one else. He does mention his parents in the plural once: in his ceremonial robes voicelines, he says that "I think my brother was happier than my parents when we found out I made it into this school." We also know that his brother was a student at NRC himself and was also in Heartslabyul, which may very well be one reason for his enthusiasm at his little brother getting into the same school. At the freshmen orientation ceremony, Ace shows no surprise to getting chosen for Heartslabyul, assuming that he'd end up in the same place as his brother (Ace robes vignette).

But first, Ace's dad! He gets mentioned in his birthday boy vignette. He is not a mage (implying that, perhaps, Ace and his brother get their magic from their mom's side? As it does appear to be a genetic thing of some sort according to some mentions, but also, it can skip generations, as is seen with Epel), but he is really good at old-fashioned magic of the sleight-of-hand variety. When asked what got Ace into sleight of hand by Yuu for the birthday interview, he says it'd be his dad, who was "ridiculously good" at it.

(image credit: Songstress Studios)

Ace goes on to say that he learned the "nuts and bolts" of it from his brother, whom he believes was also inspired by their dad, and he also says that whenever he visits home, he and his brother will show off to each other and challenge each other to spot the trick!

Ace also talks about his brother in relation to learning tricks in his dorm uniform vignette. He shows sleight of hand tricks to his dormmates, and when Riddle shows surprise and awe over the 'pick a card' trick he's definitely never seen before, Ace says that he reacted in pretty much the same way when his brother first showed it to him. When asked about his brother, Ace says that he "started playing around with cards for funsies" while he was a student, and Ace later learned from him, but not directly. He never gave away the secret, but Ace learned by watching him. (And he learned well, too! Ace has been shown to be very good at this, also coming up notably in the Fairy Gala IF event, for instance).

(image credit: RedAngel)

Earlier, Cater had asked Ace to show him the secret, and Ace made a deal with him for it since he'd never do it for free, and after hearing Ace's story, Cater guesses that Ace's mentality of never giving away anything for free could have come from his brother.

It also seems that Ace's brother was absolutely the type to tease him. In his birthday boy vignette, Ace tells a story of how on his birthday, his brother gave him a box with a fancy watch inside, which got Ace all excited, but then he clarifies that the watch was *his* watch, not Ace's. Ace's gift was the box. His brother afterwards fills the box with candy, but Ace was not amused.

And in other notes:

He is bad at cooking, according to Ace, who says he "doesn't know a cake from a steak" (school uniform vignette).

He taught Ace how to "kill time in the dorms" (school uniform vignette).

He took a theme park management internship in his fourth year at NRC, and he's continued to work there after graduation (Book 7, Chapter 4).

(Also, this thing about the theme park might be a reference, maybe?? In the Tokyo DisneySea park, there was this "villain recruiters" show that ran from 2015 to 2018, featuring original minions of various Disney villains who would make a pitch to invite guests to join the "Villains' World," and there was a Queen of Hearts card soldier character named Jack Heart, whose costume design does resemble Heartslabyul's! And he does the heart thing with his hands like Ace does in his official art! So, might have been inspiration? Anyways, this tumblr post by ceeyuin666 has a nice summary of it so there).

Anyhow, back on track and back to the school uniform vignette, Ace mentions how before he came to NRC, his brother would "take him about everywhere," which does seem to imply they spent a lot of time together, and he also seems to have been a big influence on Ace. For better or worse :). In this vignette, Ace does a favor for Trey in exchange for a slice of cherry tart, when tips for the history test were what he really wanted, a second motive Trey totally expected, and when asked if he was lying about loving cherries so much, Ace said that he wasn't: his brother told him "the most convincing lies are sprinkled with a dash of truth." Knowing Ace, Trey is not surprised.

(anyways I really want to meet this guy so please Ace hometown event please!!)

DEUCE SPADE

(translation credit to Ekala on Youtube!)

He has no siblings and was raised by his single mother, whom we have actually met! In the JP server, anyways! She shows up in Deuce's hometown event, the White Rabbit Festival. So, we have a name! Meet Dilla Spade (or Dilah? Dira? Deela?)! Romanization isn't clear yet; I'll just say "Dilla" for now. Also, we find out she's a delivery truck driver for the thematically-named White Rabbit Delivery company.

Deuce is shown to have been very close to his mom growing up, noticeable enough to the point that his old middle school friends teased him for it and called him "childish" (starsending vignette). We find early on that this is an important part to his story—when Deuce was in middle school, he was acting like a delinquent: skipping school, disrespecting teachers, being reckless and getting into fights. Then, one night, he overheard his mom talking to his grandma (only mention of his grandma that I know of, but, noted that she's in the picture too!), and he could tell that she was crying. She was feeling like a failure of a mother, and said that "maybe she never should have tried to raise him herself." Deuce, however, doesn't blame her at all. Seeing her like that really shook him up, and he resolved to "never do anything to make her cry" again. This is his motivation for wanting to be an honor student; he wants to be the opposite of what he was before and prove himself. He wants to be "someone she can be proud of."

As far as I know, we don't have any mention of Deuce's father or what happened to him. From context and with what his mom said on the phone that day, she might have been a single parent from the start, with the father never being in the picture.

Deuce, in talking to Silver during Silver's Wish in the Starsending event upon Silver mentioning his father in his wish, talks about his mom and how she raised him as a single parent, saying "I know she's had her share of hard times... So I just want her to be happy now. I'd love for her to live a long life." In chapter 10 of the event, Deuce wishes to be a police officer, specifically a magic marshal, which is a hard job to get, saying that he is "sure my mom will worry a lot less if I get a respectable job." He also talks about this in his event vignette! He reveals that upon getting a bad reputation at home, people stopped trusting him, and they'd accuse him of things he didn't do, but if he said he didn't do it, there were always two people who believed him: his mom and the neighborhood police officer. The officer would always come by to talk to him and hear him out, and both he and his mom were very grateful for that. Deuce says that if he could be like that, maybe his mother wouldn't worry so much, so he decided that he wanted to be a police officer.

At the end of the event, in chapter 12, Dilla calls Deuce in excitement over the falling stars in the sky. In response to Deuce saying that yes he saw it, because he's a Stargazer, his mom replies that "Night Raven College couldn't have asked for a finer Stargazer than you." And she says she's proud of him and it's really sweet :)

And then he starts crying happy tears :)

Anyways! Deuce's character arc can be a whole essay in itself, so back to his mom! Some of the stories we got include:

"Battlefield" Sales Shopping. Dilla would bring Deuce with her when shopping limited-time sales, which she seemed to seek out actively. Deuce recounts spending "forever" thumbing through pamphlets looking for sales, and Dilla would then coax him into coming with her, saying things like "Deuce is so strong, and can carry a lot." Deuce remembers getting shoved around a lot by the other customers, and so, he takes his sales quite seriously today (school uniform vignette, new year's vignette).

Spring cleaning! Or, winter cleaning? Dilla and Deuce would go on a cleaning frenzy after the holidays and before the new year, because “if the house is clean, we’ll feel renewed too” (new year’s voicelines)

In his apprentice chef vignette, Deuce recalls how recently, his mom got sick with a cold but didn't tell him until she was better. This made Deuce sad, because he wished she would depend on him a little more when she was struggling, so he was motivated to learn to cook so he could be more dependable.

Also in his apprentice chef vignette, Deuce says that he did help his mom "a little" with cooking back home and knew how to dice vegetables, and the ghost chef was impressed by his skills! So she seems to have taught him well.

In her own words she claims that she is not very good at cooking, but she does know a lot of egg dishes, because Deuce likes them (White Rabbit, 2-4)

She would bring Deuce to the office sometimes, so her coworkers know him (White Rabbit, 3-10). In the event, they were a little nervous around him at first but then were surprised to find how different his behavior was now compared to middle school, and they complimented him on getting into NRC.

She made Deuce a bunny outfit for the White Rabbit Festival long ago, saying that Deuce was complaining over not having anything special to wear, and she didn't have the money to make or buy an outfit, but she asked her coworkers for some spare fluff and made it work. She looks back on this fondly, saying she was just happy to see Deuce having fun at the festival. (chapter 6)

She is great with cars, but terrible with electronics (White Rabbit Festival, birthday boy vignette). Deuce has to show her how to do stuff and recounts “fixing” home devices by simply changing the batteries, and he is the one to set up appliances at home, as she refuses to read instruction manuals. She only uses her smartphone for calls and pictures. Dilla calls cars "trusted partners" but says that electronics are too “self-important” (White Rabbit, Chapter 2-6).

In this scene, Dilla also praises Deuce in front of his friends for "fixing" so many electronic things around the house, which embarrasses Deuce as he does not think it was that big of a deal. She also mentions embarrassing stories like she knows full well what she's doing, teasing in a very affectionate kind of way.

I do wonder if Dilla dragging Deuce onto shopping trips all the time was in part her way of finding ways to spend time with him. She really seems to care about him a lot, and quality time is something that means a lot to her, but perhaps she also struggles with connecting and really getting through to him. In White Rabbit, she mentions sadly how she used to take Deuce to the festival every year, but then he lost interest. Deuce sees this as normal, but it seems there were some growing pains there.

Also on another note which I honestly just find funny, there is a point in White Rabbit where Dilla is worried about Deuce having gotten hurt, and he says it's fine because he's "used to it," and she's just like...I don't how I feel about this but I support you! (sorry Dilla, your son's a budding shounen protagonist and his school's a disaster magnet. He's going to get so used to this haha)

One more thing we really get to see from the event, Dilla definitely seems to have nerves of steel, too. Not revealing too much about what happens, she doesn't back down from this gang that is harassing her festival stall that her coworkers are terrified of, and then joins in with the idea to challenge them without hesitation. Deuce seems to allude to this when introducing Epel, saying that he thinks they'd get along because Epel has "grit and iron courage," as if he sees his mom the same way.

Going back to Deuce's story at the beginning...I feel like this is pretty significant, too. The impression I get from all of this is that she's scrappy and resourceful, strong-willed and vigorous, someone who'll keep an easy sense of humor and a smile in the face of a challenge... but also, she's someone who will bend over backwards to hide her struggles, such as when she hid her being sick with a cold from Deuce. Which is to say, she doesn't seem like the type to be brought to tears easily. This being just speculation on my part, but what if, that day Deuce overheard her on the phone, that was the first time Deuce really saw her break down like that? His mom, the strongest person he knows, the one always keeping up a smile? Although, in the background, she probably hid so many of the struggles she did have? Just saying, it'd have a lot of impact, I'd think...realizing the turmoil he put her through to get her like that...

But that said, I think it's important to note that she cares about him a lot, and she is proud of Deuce and who he's become, and I don't think that hinges at all on him becoming an honors student. Deuce struggles to try to make himself more reliable, but Dilla says as much in White Rabbit: he doesn't have to "go overboard." It doesn't have to be complicated. She just wants him to live life and be happy, simple as that. And also he could come home every once in a while, too :)

[byneddiedingo]

42nd Street (Lloyd Bacon, 1933)

Cast: Warner Baxter, Bebe Daniels, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Guy Kibbee, Una Merkel, Ginger Rogers, George Brent, Ned Sparks. Screenplay: Rian James, James Seymour, based on a novel by Bradford Ropes. Cinematography: Sol Polito. Art direction: Jack Okey. Film editing: Thomas Pratt, Frank Ware. Songs: Al Dubin, Harry Warren. Costume design: Orry-Kelly. Choreography: Busby Berkeley.  42nd Street is only mildly naughty, bawdy, or sporty, as the lyrics of Al Dubin and Harry Warren's title song would have it, but once Busby Berkeley takes over to stage the three production numbers at the movie's end, it is certainly gaudy. What naughtiness and bawdiness it contains would not have been there at all once the Production Code went into effect a year or so later. It's doubtful that Ginger Rogers's character would have been called "Anytime Annie" once the censors clamped down, or that anyone would say of her, "She only said 'no' once and then she didn't hear the question." Or that it would be so clear that Dorothy Brock (Bebe Daniels) is the mistress of foofy old moneybags Abner Dillon (Guy Kibbee). Or that there would be so many crotch shots of the chorus girls, including the famous tracking shot between their legs in Busby Berkeley's "Young and Healthy" number. Although it's often remembered as a Busby Berkeley musical, it's mostly a Lloyd Bacon movie, and while Bacon is not a name to conjure with these days, he does a splendid job of keeping the non-musical part of the film moving along satisfactorily. It helps that he has a strong lead in Warner Baxter as the tough, self-destructive stage director Julian Marsh, balanced by such skillful wisecrackers as Rogers, Una Merkel, and Ned Sparks. But it's a blessing that this archetypal backstage musical became a prime showcase for Berkeley's talents. Dick Powell's sappy tenor has long been out of fashion, and Ruby Keeler keeps anxiously glancing at her feet while she's dancing, but Berkeley's sleight-of-hand keeps our attention away from their faults. Nor does anyone really care that his famous overhead shots that turn dancers into kaleidoscope patterns would not be visible to an audience in a real theater. In the "42nd Street" number, Berkeley also introduces his characteristic dark side: Amid all the song and dance celebrating the street, we witness a near-rape and a murder. It's a dramatic twist that Berkeley would repeat with even greater effect in his masterpiece, the "Lullaby of Broadway" number from Gold Diggers of 1935. Berkeley's serious side, along with the somewhat downbeat ending showing an exhausted Julian Marsh, alone and ignored amid the hoopla, help remind us that the studio that made 42nd Street, Warner Bros., was also known for social problem movies like I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang (Mervyn LeRoy, 1932) and the gangster classics of James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, and Edward G. Robinson.

[ahhscheisse]

May 16, 2000! 23 years since this fucking amazing record was released. I was just eight years old, if I did the math right (doubt it), and I loved it then and I love it now.

It’s always difficult for me to say what song is my favorite, but I will say the one I listen to the most off of Binaural would probably be either Parting Ways or Sleight of Hand, but - and maybe this sounds a tad nuts - I put their studio albums on while I sleep at night. Either all of theirs or all of theirs and all of Soundgarden’s - so most nights, I listen to every Pearl Jam studio album. Reason being is because my parrots need roughly 12 hours of dark, so I put the music on low and when every album has played, I wake the kids up and we start our days. 11 hours and 37 minutes and counting (please release new music, Pearl Jam, that would be so legitness of you).

Anyway, this record blows my mind and feels like how the ocean is like outer space in certain ways. Does that make sense? Between the vibe of the music, the album art and how they perform the songs? Incredible. It’s like breathing underwater. It’s like being at the bottom of the ocean, the deepest, darkest part, watching bioluminescent fish swim above your head like stars, and you’re untouched and unbothered by the pressure. It’s pretty tight.

PS: Swollen face + neckbeard? Cringe!! I’m cringing!! Don’t point it out!! Gross!!

[herbrokenmelodies]

feeling a little bit spontaneous

who: Himiko & Charlie @ofpantheons where: Sleight of Hand

Things were busy, busy, busy when it came to staying on top of the events with the club. Halloween season just ended and it meant that Thanksgiving, Holiday Season and New Years was right around the corner. The next two months were going to be her biggest money makers, especially with her the upstairs seem to be booking up too as many wanted to make sure they finished "business " in time for the holidays. There was quite no rest for the wicked, she was either up most nights making sure everything was running smoothly with little sleep, self care mornings and back to schedules, orders and deliveries with another fun night in between. Sometimes mid week could be her busier times over over the weekend. And some way, Himiko always found a way through.

And today retail therapy was going to be her best friend! Since becoming unlikely friends with the best tarot reader, Dolly, she had been expanding her normal areas to show. Especially as a lady of business, she was all for supporting smaller business as they all had a personal touch, like the way she tried to with Abyss. Suddenly her eyes caught sight of a little place called Sleight of Hand . "I tots love that name!" her interested was peaked and before she knew it, Himiko was walking in.

It was a tattoo studio. Brilliant! She had been debating one for a while. She waves to get anyone's attention, whilst looking at the art around already stifled for choice.

"Wait...I've seen your face before...haven't I?" Himiko questions before even dropping an hello.

[theoriesanddocuments]

Alfred Leslie (American 1927-2023). Portrait (of Virginia Wright) 1974. Oil on canvas, 61 3/4 x 49 5/8 inches. Seattle Art Museum. Source.

This portrait, of Seattle collector and museum benefactor Virginia Wright, was hanging in the lobby of the Seattle Art Museum on my last visit there, and a conversation about the various awkwardnesses in the painting inspired me to include it here. Leslie, an Abstract Expressionist painter who switched to realistic figuration after a fire destroyed his studio and archive, employed various physical distortions in his work; here, the oversize hands and strange displacement of her left shoulder (especially when viewed against the angle of the armrests) combine with harsh lighting to produce an unusual, imposing presence. Alice Neel and Philip Pearlstein were figurative artists of the same period who employed similar distortions.

A subtle detail on the cuff of her sleeve caught my eye. Opaque paint covers and obscures the canvas weave across the entire surface of the painting, except in this one place, where a thin brown wash only partially hides the texture of the support; it looks as if he may even have sanded or scraped the wash down slightly to exaggerate the contrasts. This is artistic sleight of hand: actual fabric texture representing the woven fabric of her garment.

[90363462]

Taylor Swift Serves “Karma” to Kanye West 13 Years Later – And It’s Magnificent

Steven JohnOctober 26, 2022

The bizarre story of the feud between Taylor Swift and Kanye West, a feud that for many years also involved West’s now ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, began in a moment seen by millions on live TV and replayed countless tens of millions of times in the years since. Surely you know the exact moment well, but just in case it’s not on your mind, or to get it there freshly, let’s do a quick revisit.

The date was Sunday, September 13th, 2009, the place was New York City’s Radio City Music Hall, and the event was the MTV Music Video Awards. As Taylor Swift, then just 19 years old, took the stage to accept an award for the Best Female Video of the year, Kanye West, then a 32-year-old man, rushed onto the stage and ripped the microphone from the teenager’s hand. 

West shouted: “Yo, Taylor, I’m really happy for you, I’mma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos of all time!” 

RELATED: Taylor Swift Makes Surprise Appearance at Nashville Club that Launched Her Career, Inspires Fans With Her Humbleness

West then raised a middle finger to the audience and stormed off the stage, soon to be ejected from the awards ceremony, and leaving a befuddled Swift — and a befuddled audience and world at large — to wonder what had just happened.

And though few could have known it at that wild moment, one thing that had happened was the commencement of a bitter feud that would simmer, and at times flare, between West and Swift for years to come.

A Look at the Long and Storied Feud Between Kanye West and Taylor Swift

Kanye West and Taylor Swift at the VMAs (2009)

As noted, it all started on that fateful Sunday night in September of 2009, a night which Beyoncé apparently cried behind the stage, shaken by what West had done, while Pink is said to have told West off right to his face.

The day after the incident on stage, West said on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno that he had been wrong for what he did, and on Ellen he would later blame the outburst on emotions and alcohol — in other words, he was drunk and out of control, and it wasn’t his fault. Swift later revealed that in the first few days after the VMAs, West called her and offered a seemingly sincere apology, which she accepted.

RELATED: Kanye West’s Difficult Battle with Bipolar Disorder

If he apologized and meant it, and she accepted it, would not that be the end of the story? Yes, but the story doesn’t end there.

The next year, in 2010, Swift released a song called “Innocent” which was an ostensible sleight aimed at West. Among other lyrics, it contained the barbed and very specific line “32 and still growing up.” Remember West’s age at the time he ran onto that stage?

Then, in mid 2013, West went ahead and fully withdrew his apology, saying: “I don’t have one regret. If anyone’s reading this waiting for some type of full-on, flat apology for anything, they should just stop reading right now. I have, as a human being, fallen to peer pressure.” To be clear, he meant he had “fallen to peer pressure” to apologize for interrupting someone else’s moment and making it fully apparent he felt he was in the right.

Are Taylor Swift and Kanye Swift Friends Now?

Taylor Swift craved Kanye’s respect | Life Stories by Goalcast

Copied

Surprisingly, in 2015 there was a thaw and even a warming between the two. They were seen in close proximity at an awards show and West even teased at an upcoming collaboration, saying: “he wants to get in the studio, and we’re definitely going to go in. Any artist with an amazing point of view, perspective, fanbase, I’m down to get in the studio and work. I don’t discriminate.”

Swift quickly denied these plans, saying they had no collaboration planned, but expressed personal fondness for the man. And later that year, in a moment that would have been hard to believe six years earlier, Swift introduced West at the MTV Video Music Awards and even poked fun at his wild intrusion in 2009. Swift has gone on record with Billboard, saying she believed West was two-faced.

RELATED: Amber Rose Exposed Kanye’s Cruel Bullying And Used It To Create Something Incredible

But in early 2016, things took a turn for the worse again. In his song “Famous” on the album The Life of Pablo, West included the lyrics: “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex. Why? I made that bitch famous.” The entente was over.

A bit later in 2016, as she accepted a Grammy award, Swift spoke out, clearly referencing West when she said, in part: “…to all the young women out there, there are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame. If you just focus on the work, and you don’t let those people sidetrack you.”

Taylor Swift and Her Feud with The Kardashians

Kim Kardashian, then still married to West, would later claim Swift knew of the lyrics all along and was faking being hurt by them, but Swift denied this while, admirably, supporting Kardashian, saying she knew the woman was under pressure, and not swiping at her or West.

RELATED: Why Kim Kardashian’s Redemption Arc Is Surprising, But Powerful

There was much back-and-forth between the West and Swift camps for the rest of 2016, and in 2017 Swift released a song that seemed to again swipe at West, “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things.”

Despite that, from 2018 through 2019, things calmed down again, but then, even as West’s life began to fall apart, the confusion over whether or not Swift knew of the lines in “Famous” resurfaced and set But now, a couple more years on, it seems the feud is over, and not because the two are chummy again, but because West is heading down and out and Swift is riding high.

A look at Swift’s Song “Karma”

Is Taylor Swift’s song “Karma” really about Kanye West? The singer hasn’t said so is playing her cards close to her chest and has yet to talk about the theories on her song but on close inspection of the lyrics, a guess yes seems a safe one. Consider the opening lines:

“You’re talking s–t for the hell of it Addicted to betrayal, but you’re relevant You’re terrified to look down ‘Cause if you dare, you’ll see the glare Of everyone you burned just to get there It’s coming back around

And I keep my side of the street clean

You wouldn’t know what I mean”

Does that unnamed “you” sound like anyone we know? Maybe someone who was recently excoriated for antisemitic remarks? Or someone who couldn’t well keep quiet while his family was being dragged through a horrid divorce? Someone who has now lost major partnerships with brands like Adidas and who is being routinely lambasted in the media and mocked on social media? Someone, in other words, like Kanye West?

RELATED: Taylor Swift Discovers Pregnant Fan Is Homeless And Shocks Her By Buying Her A Home

And then let’s take a look at Taylor Swift’s reputation right now — and yes, that should call to mind her 2017 album named Reputationthat topped charts and sold more than a million copies in its first week of release. Swift is generally considered to be smart and savvy, polite and caring, strong but kind, and very much in control of her career and her image. 

In other words, she is almost the polar opposite of Kanye West, who is wild and unhinged and controversial and who very likely does, as Swift sings in “Karma,” feel frightened to have that proverbial look in the mirror given how many people he has wronged — or “burned” as she puts it — along the way.

Taylor Swift Proves the Best Way to Fight Back Is to Simply Live on Your Own Terms

Over the years, even as Kanye West has grown ever more publicly unhinged and erratic and has fallen farther and farther from favor with fans and his own family, Taylor Swift’s proverbial star has only risen. Granted, at last check West’s colossal wealth of around $2 billion far outstrips Swift’s estimated $450 million, but this only proves that money is a poor measure of character — and besides, Swift is wildly wealthy anyway, and is more than 12 years his junior at that.

The most impressive thing is that, despite the fact that she could take jabs at West whenever she wants and in ways that would be seen around the world — Swift has nearly a quarter of a billion followers on her @taylorswift Instagram alone, for example — she has rarely taken a swipe at him. It’s as if she cannot be bothered by the pettiness of it all. 

RELATED: Taylor Swift Pays $6k to Cover a Fan’s College Tuition – And Changes Her Life Forever

Swift was deeply rattled by that moment at the MTV Music Video Awards as she has admitted in interviews many times. Surely she as dealt with much anger and anxiety and frustration caused by West over the years, and admirably she has, for the most part, done just that: she has dealt with it.

The Taylor Swift Lesson

There is a certain graciousness in allowing the hate and turmoil to run off your back that many find difficult. It’s never easy to turn away from the drama but instead lean into what you know you can control, love, and ultimately succeed at.

If “Karma” and other Swift songs are about West, perhaps she’s been doing a bit more than keeping her chin up and living her best life. Perhaps this lyrical wordsmith has taken a note from arguably the finest wordsmith of them all, William Shakespeare, who wrote: “If you wrong us, shall we not revenge?” Indeed West wronged Swift, but she has won the day.

KEEP READING: 

What You Need To Know About Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez’s Alleged Feud

Steven John

Steven John is a writer based near New York City (after 12 years in LA, four in Boston, and the first 18 just outside DC). When not writing or spending time with his wife, son, and daughter, he frequently jogs and bikes, sometimes gets in a kayak, and occasionally climbs mountains. He writes for several major outlets, and his novels can be found on his website stevenjohnbooks.com

[blackboxoffice]

Resounding success of ‘Black Panther’ franchise says little about the dubious state of Black film

by Phillip Lamarr Cunningham, Assistant Professor, Media Studies, Wake Forest University

When Marvel Studios released “Black Panther” in February 2018, it marked the first Marvel Cinematic Universe film to feature a Black superhero and star a predominantly Black cast.

Its estimated production budget was US$200 million, making it the first Black film – conventionally defined as a film that is directed by a Black director, features a Black cast, and focuses on some aspect of the Black experience – ever to receive that level of financial support.

As a scholar of media and Black popular culture, I was often asked to respond to the resounding success of that first “Black Panther” film, which had shattered expectations of its box office performance.

Would it lead to more big-budget Black films? Was its popularity an indication that the global marketplace – the real source of trepidation about the film’s potential – was finally ready to embrace Black-cast films?

With the release of the massively successful “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” in November 2022, I expect those questions to reemerge.

Yet as I review the cinematic landscape between the original and its sequel, I am inclined to restate the answer I gave back in 2018: Assumptions should not be made about the state of Black film based on the success of the “Black Panther” franchise.

Reason for optimism

Prior to its release, the producers of “Black Panther” faced questions about whether there was a market for a Black blockbuster film, even one ensconced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

After all, since the Wesley Snipes-led “Blade” trilogy, which came out in the late-1990s and early 2000s, Black superhero films had experienced diminishing returns. There was one notable exception: the commercially successful, though heavily panned “Hancock” (2008), starring Will Smith.

Otherwise, Black superhero films such as “Catwoman” (2004) and “Sleight” (2016) either flopped or had a limited release.

Furthermore, until “Black Panther,” no Black film exceeded a $100 million budget, the average benchmark for modern Hollywood blockbusters.

Nonetheless, despite these early concerns, “Black Panther” earned the highest domestic gross, $700 million, of all films released in 2018, while earning $1.3 billion in worldwide gross, second only to “Avengers: Infinity War.”

“Black Panther” emerged at the tail end of what many industry experts considered to be a surprisingly successful run of Black films, which included the biopic “Hidden Figures” (2016) and the raunchy comedy “Girls Trip” (2017). Despite their modest budgets, they earned over $100 million apiece at the box office – $235 million and $140 million, respectively.

However, both films were mostly reliant on the domestic box office, especially the R-rated “Girls Trip,” which was only released in a handful of foreign markets. Conventional wisdom has long held that Black films will fail abroad. International distributors and studios typically ignore them during the presale process or at film festivals and markets, reasoning that Black films are too culturally specific – not only in terms of their Blackness, but also their Americanness.

Films like “Black Panther” and the Oscar winning “Moonlight” (2016), which earned more on the international market than the domestic market, certainly challenged those assumptions. It has yet to upend them.

Black films after ‘Black Panther’

What do those Black films released in theaters in the nearly five years between “Black Panther” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” tell us about the former’s impact?

The simple answer is that the original “Black Panther” has had no discernible influence on industry practices whatsoever.

Since 2018, no other Black blockbuster has emerged, save for the sequel itself. Granted, Black filmmaker Ava DuVernay’s remake of “A Wrinkle in Time” (2018) reportedly cost an estimated $100 million; however, while Black actors portrayed the protagonist and a few other characters, the film features a multicultural ensemble cast – which, as scholars such as Mary Beltran have pointed out, has become the primary strategy for achieving diversity in film.

Even if one were to include “A Wrinkle in Time,” the grand total of Black films with budgets exceeding $100 million is three, with the two “Black Panther” films being the others – all during an era in which there have been hundreds of mainstream films with budgets exceeding $100 million.

Otherwise, most of the Black films released in theaters between 2018 and 2022 typically were low budget by Hollywood standards – $3 million to $20 million in most cases – with only a handful, such as the 2021 Aretha Franklin biopic “Respect,” costing $50 million to 60 million.

Perhaps the most notable change has been the medium. Many Black films now appear on either cable networks that cater to a Black audience – namely Black Entertainment Television and, more recently, Lifetime – or on streaming services such as Netflix. Tyler Perry, the most popular and prolific Black filmmaker of the modern era, has released his latest films – “A Jazzman’s Blues” (2022), “A Madea Homecoming” (2022) and “A Fall from Grace” (2020) – directly to Netflix.

Furthermore, no other Black film has approached the financial success of “Black Panther.” Granted, several Black films have fared well at the box office, especially relative to their production costs. Foremost among them is Jordan Peele’s “Us” (2019), which cost an estimated $20 million, yet earned approximately $256 million worldwide despite its R rating and the fact that it was never released in China.

Whither Black film

Without question, large budgets and commercial success are not the only measures of a film’s value and significance.

As has historically been the case, Black film has managed to do more with less. The critical acclaim afforded to films such as “BlackKlansman” (2018), “If Beale Street Could Talk” (2019) and “King Richard” (2021) reflect this fact. All reflect trends in contemporary Black filmmaking – comedies, historical dramas and biopics abound, for instance – and were made for a fraction of the cost of both “Black Panther” films.

In truth, the zeal with which some cast “Black Panther” as a bellwether for Black films is part of continued haranguing over their viability, particularly after the #OscarsSoWhite movement that drew attention to the lack of diversity at the 2016 Academy Awards.

However, its positioning as a Disney property within Marvel’s transmedia storytelling effort makes it so atypical that its success — and that of its sequel — portends little about Black film.

[endysfrair]

Gamescom 2024 "The Heart of Gaming" #1 🎮

🎮 The first selection of games from Gamescom 2024 with the beautiful name "The Heart of Gaming" 🎮

1. Island of Winds

Tags: adventure, puzzle, exploration, 3D

My selection opens with a breath of fresh air into the gaming world - a game based on the folklore of 17th century Iceland. The realism of the graphics, coupled with the vast locations and mythical creatures that are unusual for us, attract attention. There is a feeling that the game will seem boring to many, especially considering the game's tags. Despite the release in 2025, there is not much time left, so it is worth focusing on advertising and hoping that the game will not have stuffy moments, because in combination with dim, foggy locations, this can ruin the game at its beginning.

2. Hotel Galactic

Tags: colony simulator, base building, cute

A simulation game inspired by Studio Ghibli films, the goal is to build a nice place for tourists with the help of a small team of characters. The trailer makes it seem like the game will be similar to Spiritfarer. But based on the gameplay seen on the stream, where there was nothing but running characters with resources for construction, as well as cooking, in which the player does not really participate, the hope fades that the game will not be similar to mobile games, like the well-known Cats & Soup.

3. Symphonia

Tags: precision platformer, challenging

A challenging sleight of hand game with a beautiful trailer in the style of the Hollow Knight games. Saturated colors and location details hold attention, and their diversity allows you to look at each location for a very long time. Painfully bright colors are not used, which makes the game pleasing to the eye and interesting in the dynamics of the main character's movements.

Your Shadow Cultist

[pathfinderunlocked]

Halfling Duchess - CR3 Humanoid

A halfling with noble blood, and something else lurking in the blood as well.

Artwork is concept art for Seraph of the End, by Yamato Yamamoto, copyright Wit Studio.

I sort of imagine that, in a setting where magic can come from your bloodline, nearly all major noble families are probably sorcerers. This particular one has very few powers, however. Something dark lingers deep inside this deceptively helpless-looking individual, ready to one day emerge, but it's biding its time.

In the meantime, this halfling noble enjoys screwing with people by pretending to be a human child. Sometimes this tactic gets people to ignore her and talk in front of her when they ordinarily wouldn't. Sometimes it simply lets her go out in public without being recognized.

She has an unusually high amount of wealth for her level because, well, a duke or duchess is typically the second highest rank of nobility, right underneath the king. This wealth would be enough to bump her up by 1 CR, but it's canceled out by her having basically no combat abilities except Wasting Ray. She definitely needs bodyguards. If dealing with her as an adversary in a purely social encounter, treat her as CR 4.

Halfling Duchess - CR 3

Dressed in incredibly fine clothing of glimmering silk, the figure sitting at the dinner table drinking tea appears to be a noble child, who motions for you to sit down. It's not clear where the duchess is, or why she's wasting your time by subjecting you to interacting with this kid.

XP 800 Halfling Sorcerer 2 / Aristocrat 3 LG Small humanoid (halfling) Init +1 Senses Perception +6

DEFENSE

AC 19, touch 15, flat-footed 17 (+2 deflection, +2 Dex, +4 mage armor, +1 size) hp 18 (2d6+3d8-5) Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +11; +2 vs. dominate and possession Immune detect thoughts, discern lies, attempts to magically discern alignment

OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft. Melee unarmed +1 (1d2-3) Ranged mwk light crossbow +6 (1d6/19-20) Special Abilities wasting ray (7/day)

Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 2nd; concentration +6)     1st (5/day)—ears of the city, speechreader's sight     0th (at will)—detect fiendish presence, detect magic, detect poison, message

Bloodline daemon

BASE STATISTICS

Without mage armor, the duchess's statistics are AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 11.

STATISTICS

Str 5, Dex 13, Con 8, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 19 Base Atk +3; CMB -1; CMD 12 Feats Childlike, Eschew Materials, Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Skill Focus (Sense Motive) Skills Acrobatics +1 (+6 to move through larger foes), Bluff +14 (can take 10 to convince others of truthfulness/innocence), Diplomacy +15, Disguise +8 (+10 and ignore race/age penalties to appear as a human child), Knowledge (arcana) +6, Knowledge (history, local, nobility) +7, Perception +6, Sense Motive +15 (+18 to notice when someone is enchanted or possessed), Sleight of Hand +3 (untrained); Racial Bonuses +2 Bluff, +2 Sense Motive (+4 to notice when someone is enchanted or possessed), +2 Sleight of Hand Languages Common, Dwarven, Gnome, Halfling SQ attentive, bloodline arcana (daemon), irrepressible, shiftless, underfoot dodger Gear potion of cure moderate wounds, wand of mage armor (40 charges) (already cast), cloak of resistance +2, ring of protection +2, ring of mind shielding, 250 gp

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Daemon Bloodline Arcana (Su) Whenever the halfling duchess casts a spell that kills one or more living creatures with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher, the caster level of any spell she casts in the next round increases by +1 for each creature her first spell killed. This ability does not stack with other effects that increase her effective caster level, and she cannot gain a bonus greater than 1/2 her Charisma modifier (typically +2). The second spell the halfling duchess casts must be of an equal or lower level than the first one.

Wasting Ray (Sp) 7 times per day, as a standard action, the halfling duchess can impose either starvation or thirst upon a living creature she can see within 30 feet. This requires the creature to make a Constitution check each round (DC 10 + 1 for each previous check) to avoid taking 1d6 points of nonlethal damage. The creature must continue to make these checks until, as a full-round action, it quenches its thirst or sates its hunger (see starvation and thirst). The halfling duchess can only apply this ability once every 24 hours to any given creature. Creatures that do not need to eat are immune to this effect.

Underfoot Dodger (Ex) City-dwelling halflings do not treat crowd squares as difficult terrain and they gain a +5 bonus on Acrobatics checks to move through the spaces of larger foes.

[andronicmusicblog]

Everything Announced At Today's Xbox Partner Preview

Today’s Xbox Partner Preview showcased 14 games across 30 minutes, some brand new, some long lost, and others newly christened with release dates. Here’s a quick rundown of everything announced.

Unknown 9: Awakening - Summer 2024 First announced at Gamescom 2020, this supernatural third-person action game showed its first signs of life in over three years with its first gameplay trailer. It stars Haroona, a woman gifted with supernatural powers used to battle enemies across an Indian city. You can learn more here.  Sleight of Hand - 2025 This third-person, stealth-focused noir deckbuilder is directly inspired by Metal Gear Solid. You can learn more here.  The Alters - 2024 We learned that 11bit Studios’ body-duplicating sci-fi adventure, in which a miner must survive a hostile planet by creating multiple versions of himself, is coming to Game Pass when it arrives this year. It also got its first gameplay trailer. You can learn more here.  Creatures of Ava - 2024 Co-written by famed scribe Rhianna Pratchett, the lead writer behind Tomb Raider/Rise of the Tomb Raider, among other tiles, Creatures of Ava is an empathy-driven action-adventure game about taming and protecting creatures to rescue a planet from a life-threatening infection.  Roblox’s Griefville X Chucky Crossover - Available Now The typically kid-friendly Roblox gets a dedicatedly mature update in the form of the horror-themed Griefville. Kicking off this new location is the murderous arrival of Chucky.  The Sinking City 2 - 2025 Frogwares’ The Sinking City gets an encore next year. The Lovecraftian survival horror game takes place in a twisted version of Arkham in 1920s America.  S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Legends of the Zone Trilogy - Available Now GSC Game World has remastered the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. trilogy for consoles. The collection includes Shadow of Chornobyl, Clear Sky, and Call of Prypiat. You can learn more here.  Monster Jam: Showdown - 2024 Monster truck fans have a new Monster Jam racing title to look forward to this year. Events include freestyle and off-road racing.  Persona 3 Reload Expansion Pass - 2024 Although many of us are likely still getting through Persona 3 Reload, our stay has been extended thanks to an expansion pass. Released in three waves throughout the year, the pass adds the fan-favorite epilogue of Persona 3 FES, dubbed Episode Aigis - The Answer (in September) along with new background music sets and a Velvet costume. You can learn more here.  The First Berserker: Khazan The upcoming single-player action game set in the Dungeons and Fighters universe got another impressive gameplay showing. Unfortunately, it still has no release window. Tales of Kenzera: Zau - April 23 Ahead of its April 23 launch, Tales of Kenzera: Zau got an in-depth gameplay walkthrough showing off the side-scrolling action game’s mechanics.  Frostpunk 2 - July 25 Frostpunk 2’s new trailer revealed the game is coming to PC Game Pass when it launches on July 25. The game is also coming to consoles (and Xbox Game Pass) at a later date.  Final Fantasy XIV For Xbox - March 21 Final Fantasy XIV will fully launch on Xbox on March 21. The popular MMO is currently playable in beta on the platform, and the launch comes ahead of the summer release of the game’s next expansion, Dawntrail. You can learn more here.  Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess - 2024 First announced last summer, this colorful Capcom title blends stylish swordplay with real-time strategy elements. You’ll battle supernatural monsters, rescue villagers, and use resources to fortify a village and defend it from invading beasts at nightfall. You can learn more here.  What was your favorite announcement from the Xbox Partner Preview? Let us know in the comments!

[jcmarchi]

Everything Announced At Today's Xbox Partner Preview

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/everything-announced-at-todays-xbox-partner-preview/

Everything Announced At Today's Xbox Partner Preview

Today’s Xbox Partner Preview showcased 14 games across 30 minutes, some brand new, some long lost, and others newly christened with release dates. Here’s a quick rundown of everything announced.

Unknown 9: Awakening – Summer 2024

[embedded content]

First announced at Gamescom 2020, this supernatural third-person action game showed its first signs of life in over three years with its first gameplay trailer. It stars Haroona, a woman gifted with supernatural powers used to battle enemies across an Indian city. You can learn more here. 

Sleight of Hand – 2025

[embedded content]

This third-person, stealth-focused noir deckbuilder is directly inspired by Metal Gear Solid. You can learn more here. 

The Alters – 2024

[embedded content]

We learned that 11bit Studios’ body-duplicating sci-fi adventure, in which a miner must survive a hostile planet by creating multiple versions of himself, is coming to Game Pass when it arrives this year. It also got its first gameplay trailer. You can learn more here. 

Creatures of Ava – 2024

[embedded content]

Co-written by famed scribe Rhianna Pratchett, the lead writer behind Tomb Raider/Rise of the Tomb Raider, among other tiles, Creatures of Ava is an empathy-driven action-adventure game about taming and protecting creatures to rescue a planet from a life-threatening infection. 

Roblox’s Griefville X Chucky Crossover – Available Now

[embedded content]

The typically kid-friendly Roblox gets a dedicatedly mature update in the form of the horror-themed Griefville. Kicking off this new location is the murderous arrival of Chucky. 

The Sinking City 2 – 2025

[embedded content]

Frogwares’ The Sinking City gets an encore next year. The Lovecraftian survival horror game takes place in a twisted version of Arkham in 1920s America. 

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Legends of the Zone Trilogy – Available Now

[embedded content]

GSC Game World has remastered the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. trilogy for consoles. The collection includes Shadow of Chornobyl, Clear Sky, and Call of Prypiat. You can learn more here. 

Monster Jam: Showdown – 2024

[embedded content]

Monster truck fans have a new Monster Jam racing title to look forward to this year. Events include freestyle and off-road racing. 

Persona 3 Reload Expansion Pass – 2024

[embedded content]

Although many of us are likely still getting through Persona 3 Reload, our stay has been extended thanks to an expansion pass. Released in three waves throughout the year, the pass adds the fan-favorite epilogue of Persona 3 FES, dubbed Episode Aigis – The Answer (in September) along with new background music sets and a Velvet costume. You can learn more here. 

The First Berserker: Khazan

[embedded content]

The upcoming single-player action game set in the Dungeons and Fighters universe got another impressive gameplay showing. Unfortunately, it still has no release window.

Tales of Kenzera: Zau – April 23

[embedded content]

Ahead of its April 23 launch, Tales of Kenzera: Zau got an in-depth gameplay walkthrough showing off the side-scrolling action game’s mechanics. 

Frostpunk 2 – July 25

[embedded content]

Frostpunk 2’s new trailer revealed the game is coming to PC Game Pass when it launches on July 25. The game is also coming to consoles (and Xbox Game Pass) at a later date. 

Final Fantasy XIV For Xbox – March 21

[embedded content]

Final Fantasy XIV will fully launch on Xbox on March 21. The popular MMO is currently playable in beta on the platform, and the launch comes ahead of the summer release of the game’s next expansion, Dawntrail. You can learn more here. 

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess – 2024

[embedded content]

First announced last summer, this colorful Capcom title blends stylish swordplay with real-time strategy elements. You’ll battle supernatural monsters, rescue villagers, and use resources to fortify a village and defend it from invading beasts at nightfall. You can learn more here. 

What was your favorite announcement from the Xbox Partner Preview? Let us know in the comments!

[musicmoney]

Musicmoney meets DJ M3 for Mustache Disko Vol. 3

Dj M3 has staked his everlasting claim in the Bay Area music community in 1990 as a key promoter and DJ, roles for which he took on the abbreviated appellation of M3, short for “Makes Me Move”. Begun as a fluid, down-tempo approach, M3 eventually evolved his sound to the expression of Deep House , Disco and Tech House chuggers he is known for today. Manny quickly developed his own legendary party brand Green Gorilla Lounge underground, and clubs night parties along Anthony Mansfield. He started sharing the decks with industry icons with bookings across the globe, He also started Disco Knights at Burning Man. Thus further developed Manny’s acumen for rhythm and cultural finesse, priming him for several collaborations with Phil ‘Rene’ Collis of Bachelor’s of Science and setting the stage for their alliance as the stealthy duo Sleight of Hands. Having seen releases through his own label Green Gorilla Lounge, as well as Smoke ’N’ Mirrors, Om, Sirenum, and Chillin’ Records. M3 has notably performed at the San Francisco Treasure Island Music Festival 2014, Outsidelands 2013, and Coachella 2013 as Sleight of Hands. And Coachella as Dj M3 2012

With past projects including the Tweakin’/ Black Pancake record shop and Triple Crown Nightclub under his belt, Manny has moved forward embodying his passion for music as of the founder of the record label Green Gorilla Lounge and co-owner of SF nightlife staple Monarch nightclub and Great Northern .When not in the studio, M3 can be pushing his signature sounds DJing in nightclubs, bars, and undergrounds all over the city. There is no doubt M3 is thoroughly invested in his lifelong relationship with music and art and culture. Looking to the future. 2020 will see a kick of release from the green gorilla lounge. BE ON THE LOOKOUT!

https://ra.co/dj/djm3

[cyarskaren52]

these are the films that deserve the golden popcorn and others that deserve rotten tomatoes

The 10 best movies of 2023 (and 4 worst)

EW critics rank the films that stood out for both good and bad reasons this year.

Updated on December 8, 2023

The movie theater became a party again, and not just because the patron saint of cinemas Nicole Kidman declared it so. Barbenheimer, Tom Cruise, the Eras and Renaissance concert film extravaganzas, and the TikTok trend-spawning onscreen antics of Barry Keoghan put people in seats in a big way, even as the Hollywood industry at large had been dealing with months-long writer and actor strikes. Of the titles that stood out for the right reasons, here are the best movies of 2023, as selected by EW's critics — plus a few that stood out for the wrong reasons.

The 10 Best Movies of 2023 

10. 'Barbie' 

Barbie breezed into the summer to paint the world pink. The movie takes what could have been an extended Mattel commercial and channels the complicated legacy of the beloved doll into a story about the toxic impact of the patriarchy and the pressures of performative femininity. With a touch of studio system whimsy, director Greta Gerwig trusses up her feminist fantasia in a Technicolor musical package replete with some of the best jokes of the year. Margot Robbie perfectly treads the line between blissful ignorance and tongue-in-cheek awakening as Barbie, while Ryan Gosling is divinely goofy (and surprisingly vulnerable) as "just Ken." But perhaps the movie’s greatest sleight of hand is its ability to puncture the fantasy of Barbie’s Dream House and pack an emotional wallop while never losing its sense of humor. Life in plastic is decidedly not fantastic, but Barbie is SUBLIME! — Maureen Lenker

9. 'The Boy and the Heron' 

Legendary director Hayao Miyazaki has been threatening to retire for more than 20 years now, vowing with each new film that this one reallywill be his last. Thank goodness, then, that he reneged on that oath and returned for his first film in a decade, the moving and magical adventure The Boy and the Heron. Inspired by the 1937 Japanese novel How Do You Live?, Miyazaki’s latest is a lavish and heartrending saga, following 12-year-old Mahito (voiced in Japanese by Soma Santok and in English by Luca Padovan) as he grapples with the death of his mother and finds himself sucked into a mystic world of talking birds and twisty dream logic. In many ways, The Boy and the Heron feels like a culmination of Miyazaki’s many interests: the destruction of war, the magic and mystery of flight, the inherent unknowability of death. The original Japanese voice cast is extraordinary, but the English dub also deserves praise, with a stacked cast that includes Dave Bautista, Florence Pugh, Mark Hamill, Christian Bale(who returns to Studio Ghibli to voice Mahito’s father, almost 20 years after starring in Howl’s Moving Castle), and Robert Pattinson (who is delightfully unrecognizable as the heron, shapeshifting between graceful bird and crotchety old man). Mahito’s dream world swings between inviting and horrifying, populated by adorable, blobby creatures and cannibalistic parakeets. But how lucky are we that it’s a world we get to visit? — Devan Coggan

8. 'The Holdovers' 

Seacia Pavao/FOCUS FEATURES

Of all the presents the year in cinema brought us, the fact that oft-cynical director Alexander Payne delivers the most earnest, feel-good movie of the year is the most surprising. The Holdovers, shot with the grit and lived-in warmth of a 1970s picture, follows a group of misfits thrown together over the 1970 holiday break. There’s curmudgeonly history professor Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti at his most humane), grieving school cook Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph defining the power of smiling through tears), and troubled student Angus Tully (revelatory discovery Dominic Sessa), left behind by his own family. The film embodies the Christmas carol lyrics of “muddling through somehow,” blending the inherent melancholy of the season with timeless themes of generosity of spirit and goodwill. The Holdovers is a new holiday classic in its blissfully unsentimental tale of found family, a bittersweet reminder that sometimes the greatest gift of all is connection. — M.L.

7. 'Poor Things' 

Yorgos Lanthimos/Searchlight Pictures

Poor Things offers up a female Frankenstein mixed with 19th-century bildungsroman as it follows Bella Baxter (a piquant Emma Stone), a reanimated corpse who embarks on a journey of self-discovery under the lascivious guidance of Duncan Wedderburn (a deliciously unhinged Mark Ruffalo). Bursting with visual exuberance, Yorgos Lanthimos’ film is a feminist parable of desire and a life lived unapologetically. Through the unique eyes of Bella, Lanthimos crafts a tale that is both a feast for the eyes and the soul in its reminder that the mere act of being alive is fascinating. That’s certainly true when a film this provocative, romantic, poignant, and daringly funny is there for our viewing pleasure. — M.L.

6. 'May December' 

Francois Duhamel/courtesy of Netflix

Like the petals of a flower or the wings of a butterfly, there are many rich layers of meaning to Todd Haynes’ latest masterpiece. On the surface, the story of Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore) and her much younger husband Joe (Charles Melton, in a heartbreaking performance) bears a strong resemblance to the real-life tabloid story of Mary Kay Letourneau and her student-turned-lover Vili Fualaau. But May December smartly sidesteps the lurid details of true-crime stories in favor of even more unsettling ideas. Instead of seeing how Gracie took advantage of Joe back then, we get contradictory memories explained to Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman), an actress seeking to play Gracie in a movie. As the lines blur between fact and fiction, reality and entertainment, May December raises big questions (What is the difference between love and seduction? Is adaptation inherently exploitative?) and teaches us not to expect easy answers. — Christian Holub

5. 'Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret' 

Since its publication in 1970, Judy Blume’s novel has been an enduring favorite with young readers, a heartfelt ode to growing up (and all its accompanying horrors). It’s also a book that Blume herself has fiercely protected, and the author refused to sell the film rights for more than 50 years, until she met with writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig (The Edge of Seventeen). The resulting film adaptation was well worth the wait, as Craig delivers a sharp, funny, and devastatingly relatable tale, following preteen Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson) as she navigates a move from New York City to the Jersey suburbs. The film retains the book’s 1970s setting, but Margaret’s struggles feel enduringly timeless, as she grapples with religion, awkward first kisses, and the general gruesomeness of puberty, guided by geeky dad Herb (Benny Safdie) and frazzled mother Barb (Rachel McAdams, in a warm performance that deserves awards attention). Like the book, Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret is an instant coming-of-age classic, the kind that will remain relatable for years to come. — D.C.

4. 'Saltburn' 

Perhaps no film is more polarizing this year than Saltburn, a perversely Gothic take on obsession, wealth, and desire that pulls precisely zero punches. Barry Keoghan leads a stellar ensemble as a wolf in sheep’s clothing, Oliver Quick. It’s a magic trick of a performance, riveting in the sheer audacity and abandon with which he attacks his most outrageous scenes. When rich, pretty boy Felix (Jacob Elordi) invites Oliver home to the titular manse for the summer, it sets in motion a tragic spiral that draws Oliver into the orbit of the Catton family (brought to life by one of the year's best acting ensembles). With Promising Young Woman, Emerald Fennell established her wholly unique voice, but Saltburn refines it, soaking her provocateur's lens in the excesses of old money and the mesmerizing power of want. There’s no wilder ride at the movies this year, nor one more visually arresting. Saltburn made us lose our minds — in the best possible way. — M.L.

3. 'Killers of the Flower Moon' 

It’s easy to imagine what Killers of the Flower Moon might have looked like in a lesser filmmaker’s hands. David Grann’s 2017 book centers on the Osage Reign of Terror, when white settlers in 1920s Oklahoma systematically targeted and murdered wealthy Osage people. Another director might have tackled the topic as a dusty period piece, one that keeps its victims (and murderers) at arm’s length. Instead, Martin Scorsese and co-writer Eric Roth literally climb into bed with their subjects, zeroing in on the marriage between Osage woman Mollie Burkhart (Lily Gladstone) and her white husband Ernest (Leonardo DiCaprio). The result is a film that’s part crime epic, part gut-wrenching marital drama. Over the course of its three-and-a-half-hour runtime, Killers of the Flower Moon spotlights the inherent sickness of the American Dream, revealing an unflinching look at greed, murder, race, and power. Scorsese recruits several of his frequent collaborators for the effort, including DiCaprio and Robert De Niro as Ernest’s powerful uncle. But it’s Gladstone who serves as the film’s beating heart, elevating every frame with a silent glance or a carefully chosen line. More than anything, she makes Mollie feel alive, a reminder that this hundred-year-old story is closer in time than you might think. — D.C.

2. 'Past Lives' 

Much has been made in recent years over the disappearance of heartwarming Hollywood romantic comedies, as superheroes and other blockbuster franchises sucked up all the big-screen oxygen. Maybe that’s why Past Lives, whose writer protagonist Nora Moon (Greta Lee) wonders if she truly belongs with her husband Arthur (John Magaro) or her long-lost childhood sweetheart (Teo Yoo), made such an impact this year. But though there are laughs to be had in Past Lives (Arthur’s novel, which we see him signing in bookshops, is literally called Boner), Celine Song’s directorial debut is definitely more of a romantic tragedy, thanks to the most emotionally devastating gut punch of the year. Still, it feels like a necessary corrective to Hollywood’s recent obsession with the multiverse (represented by some of the worst movies of 2023, as you can see below). Outlandish villains from beyond time and space are tired at this point, but anyone can relate to wondering what other directions your life might have taken. — C.H.

1. 'Oppenheimer' 

Theory and practice. Those are the two poles that define atomic physics, international communism, and Christopher Nolan’s magnum opus. When viewers first meet Cillian Murphy’s incarnation of J. Robert Oppenheimer, he is a theoretical physicist so in tune with new scientific ideas that he can literally see the beauty of the quantum world all around him. He is also a young idealist who can’t help but be sympathetic to the socialist movements that sprouted up across the world between the two great wars. Over the course of the movie, Oppenheimer works hard to bring his ideas into practical reality, only to realize afterward that he may have destroyed the very things he loved so much. Full of big ideas, breathtaking spectacle, and incredible performances, Oppenheimer(along with its eternally entwined opposite, Barbie) points the way to a bright new future for Hollywood movies, while also reminding us not to take the stability of our own world for granted. — C.H.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: All of Us Strangers, Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Asteroid City, M3GAN, Priscilla, Anatomy of a Fall, The Zone of Interest, Suzume, John Wick: Chapter 4.

The Worst Movies of 2023 

'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' 

The herald of superhero fatigue, the harbinger of CGI overload, Quantumania is superhero movies at their worst. And considering how much was riding on the film setting up Jonathan Majors as the new Thanos for the next "phases" of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it's shocking how complacent this movie feels as just a thoughtless product of the MCU algorithm. Who knew Marvel's smallest hero could make such a big mess? — Nick Romano

'Ghosted' 

This dreckish action rom-com made Chris Evans “America’s Ass” in a new sense, with its flaccid pairing of his fish-out-of-water farmer and Ana de Armas’ CIA agent, who has more chemistry with her gun than her costar. Swipe left, trust us. — M.L.

'The Flash' 

This bloated DC dud is utterly devoid of charm or wonder, trading actual storytelling for an endless parade of fan-servicey callbacks and desperate cameos. Also, between this, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Loki, and Everything Every All at Once, we’re officially calling for a moratorium on multiverse stories. The upcoming Spider-Verse sequel gets a pass, but everyone else? You’re on thin ice. — D.C.

'Expend4bles' 

More energy went into where to place the "4" than this franchise that should've retired long ago. — N.R.

Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.

Related content:

The 10 best TV shows of 2023 (and 3 worst)

See top 2024 Oscars contenders for Best Picture, Actor, Actress, and more

Wonka review: Timothée Chalamet leans into sense of pure imagination in musical prequel

Sent from my iPhone