#this song gets stuck in my head weekly

[cherulee]

think i met you in another life, so break me off another time 𓈒˚⭒

[raiiny-bay]

redhead :-)

[spurgie-cousin]

I’ve only ever heard of righteous gemstones in passing but that clip may have just convinced me to watch the whole thing immediately

It's hilarious, the cast is great and the soundtrack is unironically really good lol both their original songs and otherwise (it's not a musical but the show has quite a few original hymns and gospel songs that are both funny and catchy as hell).

It's a traditional Danny McBride comedy (something my religious mom would call occasionally "vulgar" lol) so just be aware of that if you're not familiar with his work.

[daz4i]

guess who recorded 3~ish of his songs (sort of) (kind of) (more like, how i want/plan them to sound if i could actually produce them somehow lol) (but that’s still a lot compared to nothing!!!!) 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[aethelwyneleigh27]

Ex-husband!Simon "Ghost" Riley Drabble

Hi lovelies! Lia here again, I've been quite busy with school so I hope you guys can be a little patient with content since I've been stuck on a slump and there's a lot of things I'm currently busy with at the moment because of school despite posting so much last week. Here's the weekly content and I hope you all enjoy :)

Also how do you all feel if I write works inspired by old gacha songs? And yes I used to be a gacha girly, it was some wild phase AHAHAHA

My CoD Masterlist

Taglist: @wishesforyou @puff0o0 @simping4konig @simp4konig @blingblong55 @azereus @rustic-guitar-notes @shadofireshinobi @thesnowurzikdjinn @09maruchan @anonymuslydumb @skeletalgoats @icarustypicalfall @ghosts-cyphera @cutenote @connorsui @capuccino192 @miss-gms-and-the-rotten-womb @celestialhole @the-second-sage @starryylies @everlastingmoonlightsworld @keiva1000

Brainrot, Ex-husband!Simon "Ghost" Riley who decided he wanted to get a divorce with you because things weren't working out between the both of you, so you had to share custody of your daughter.

You managed to get yourself together, having no time to grieve that part of you that he took with him because you had a little one depending on you. You loved that girl for all she was, however she brings you and Simon together.

Not that you resent her for it, god no, it wasn't her fault you and your husband couldn't see eye to eye.. that he refused to retire after everything, maybe it was just your paranoia getting to you. You couldn't stand the fear anymore, the fear of one day he's not the one you'll see when you open the front door but Price.

You forgot how difficult it was doing this on your own until now, you could barely get up, your head was actually killing you. You pushed through, making your daughter breakfast.

You felt like you were about to throw up, ears started to ring and everything else felt numb. The next thing you know was your eyes rolling back and everything going black, the last thing you heard was your toddler panicking, calling you over and over on the verge of crying.

All while you were unconscious, your little one runs to your room to look for your phone to call her dad.

"Listen I know we—" Simon said expecting you on the phone before getting cut off by his daughter..

"Dada! Momma's dead, dada. Momma's not breathing!" In a panic, she cried it out like a mantra. Simon was in a panic, he got up from where he was and was speeding towards what used to be your shared home.

The next thing you know, you were hearing the beeps of a heart monitor. All your senses were working, all except sight.. you didn't have enough energy to open them, in the coldness of your whole body from the well ventilated room, you felt warmth on your hand.

It was all too familiar, calloused but so gentle and warm. Simon.. it was Simon. All while processing this situation, all that's going through Simon's head are the what ifs.

"Fucking hell, help her.. My wife, she's been unconscious for thirty minutes. She's breathing but it's faint and she's burning" Simon almost yelled in a full panic, he was doing his best not to snap at the hospital staff but how couldn't he? Hadn't even realized that he called you something you weren't anymore, the title he took with him.

Your little one holding her dad's hand in the waiting room, she was observant, an emotionally intelligent little girl who holds her dad's hand. Simon keeps reminding himself to calm down, how much his bumblebee must be terrified, far more than he was so he takes her in his arms.

Sooner or later they were allowed to enter, doctor said you were stabilized and only collapsed from a horrid fever and so much fatigue. Thinking of losing you, just like that with no warning would be the second time Simon would lose you.

Now watching you unconscious, IV tube connected to you because of course you haven't been eating well either. It made him rethink everything, was it a mistake to give you those papers? Was it worth it losing the one person in his life who he would give his life for with no hesitation?

All he could do for now was sit next to you, no matter how long it takes for you to wake up because he doesn't have the strength to leave, maybe in a day or two but not now..

Part 2 anyone?

[fairysongs]

౨ৎ coming home too late﹕spencer reid .ᐟ

summary: based entirely on the song, coming home by beabadoobee. pure fluff.

pairing: spencer reid x fem!reader

includes: soooo much fluff, spencer’s pov, spencer is in love with reader, reader is just as in love with him, very small mention of depression, reader uses she/her pronouns, reader loves to clean, established relationship, derek morgan is spencer and reader's #1 fan, did i mention spencer is in love?

word count: 1.7k

a/n: eeeek my second fic!! i got so happy writing this. maybe the most sickening sweet thing i ever did do. i love beabadoobee's music so much i kinda wanna write a million different things based on her songs. Anyways..!!! as always likes/reblogs/feedback appreciated :3

spencer reid had never felt more relieved to be sitting inside this jet than he was right now.

sure, he’s happy every single time his team is able to wrap up a case. he’s happy every single time they catch the bad guy. he’s happy every single time justice is brought to victims and their families. he’s happy every single time he gets to come home and see you. he’s happy every single time he notices the way your eyes light up when you see him walk through the door. he’s happy every single time you throw your arms around his neck and he gets to pick you up, inhaling your sweet scent as if he’d never be able to embrace you again.

but this time it was a little different. it was currently 6:54pm in california where the latest case was. meaning it was 9:54pm back home. it would take approximately five hours to fly home and another thirty minutes to drive to his apartment. meaning he wouldn’t step through his door until way after three in the morning and he knew you’d be sound asleep by then. and it was saturday, a day that never held much weight to him until he started living with you.

he found out that you grew up with a rather strict routine in your home. your parents deemed every saturday ‘cleaning day’. every saturday you did your weekly chores and that habit stuck with you as you moved on to live with college roommates, on your own and eventually with spencer.

he remembers when he first asked you to move in with him. you’d been dating for about a year and a half at that point. he brought it up in a rather nonchalant way and he was so thankful you were not a profiler and couldn’t tell how hard his heart was beating inside his chest as he started to ask.

“you know… you sleepover here a lot. i mean, you have your own drawer in my dresser, your own space in my closet…” he started one morning, sipping from his mug of sugary sweet coffee. “your skincare stuff in my bathroom, your special shampoos in my shower… your little treats stocked in my fridge…” his lips started twitching, trying to fight the stupid large smile that wanted to show on his face.

you hummed in response, your fingers tapping against your own mug that was full of tea. you hated coffee. when he learned that he bought a box of your favorite tea and kept it stocked in his kitchen. “are you… complaining?” you asked, voice sort of quiet with uncertainty.

he shook his head immediately, realizing he wasn’t being as straightforward as he assumed. “no!” his voice squeaked slightly, causing you to raise your eyebrows. “no… no, i was just… i mean, you spend so much time here and i really love it. i love you being here with me and i… if you wanted to move in i would… i mean, i want you to move in. if you want to. please.”

thankfully your heart was just as pretty as you were and you didn’t let him nervously ramble for too long. instead you walked over to him, wrapping your arms around his neck. you stood on your tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. “relax. i’d love to, spencer. but i have to warn you, i’m quite a lot to deal with twenty-four seven…” he would just stare back at you, with nothing but love and admiration pouring from brown hues. he always thought you were so silly when you’d say things like that and he’d spend the rest of the morning telling you that while peppering sweet kisses to every inch of your skin.

he did learn very quickly just how serious you were about your routine. you woke up at six in the morning every saturday. you’d start in the bathroom, then make your way to the kitchen, then collect the dirty laundry from the week, then focus on organizing every little desk and shelf he had in his home. at first you wouldn’t let him help you, explaining that you didn’t want him to feel obligated in helping you with your own crazy little habit. he’d shake his head and just ask you what kind of laundry detergent you liked as he piled clothes into a basket.

“if you keep up with it weekly, then it won’t get out of hand and too big to fix.” you mumbled one time while scrubbing the dishes. “sometimes when the scaries got really bad, i used to forget to keep up with my cleaning. all the mess just made things more unbearable. keeping on top of it makes me feel more in control. even if the ‘cleaning’ one week is just refilling the toilet paper and doing one single load of laundry.”

he nodded his head in response, emptying the trash beneath the sink. spencer was nothing but soft with you, but even more so whenever you mentioned your struggles with depression or ‘the scaries’ as you called it. the two of you quickly fell into a habit every single saturday. you split the work load. you’d do the dishes, he’d carry the trash out, you’d fold the laundry, he’d vacuum the rug. he didn’t have to say it, you’d already know, but he enjoyed the structure of routine just as much as you did. the rest of your saturdays were spent on the sofa, your head in his lap while you forced him to watch your favorite childhood show. takeout food spread across the coffee table in front of you. there was so much comfort the two of you found in the domesticity of it all.

so, yes, he was a little bit upset he missed this saturday and was so ready to get home and pull you into his arms and never let go. he hadn’t noticed him spacing out, eyes focused on the same page of a book he was reading for five minutes, until he heard derek morgan’s voice.

“hey, loverboy!” spencer’s head snapped up, brows furrowing at the man giving him a cheeky smile. “you’ve been staring at that page for an eternity. what’s on your mind, huh?” he asked, although he already knew the answer.

you met the whole team ages ago and every one of them adored you but derek especially admired the way you loved spencer. he’d never say it out loud, unless it was in a teasing way to get spencer to blush, but he genuinely believed you were an angel sent to the boy genius. derek noticed how blissful you made him, how gentle you were and how safe he felt with you. how could his heart not swell in appreciation for the love you gave to his brother?

“i missed cleaning day…” spencer spoke, brows pulling together slightly. there was a soft sigh that fell from his lips as he pulled his phone from his pocket. your last text saying you were gonna stay up and wait for him even though you both knew that you’d fall asleep the moment you got comfortable.

“okay… and is that a bad thing?” derek responded, leaning back into his seat with a slightly confused expression.

“well, yeah. she likes cleaning every saturday and we normally split the work between us. that way we have more time to spend together.” spencer huffed and tucked his phone away again. he closed the book he was reading. “it’s more than just the cleaning, derek. i hate being away from her, you know? we never know when we’re gonna get called away on a case like this and i like spending as much time as i can with her. and i hate coming home late. it makes me feel like i’ve missed so much.”

derek breathed out a laugh but nodded, understanding all too well what he meant. emily prentiss came around the corner, one hand holding a cup of coffee and the other resting gently on spencer’s shoulder. “spencer reid, you have become the most smitten, lovestruck man since you met that girl. and it’s the most adorable thing in the world.” everyone on the jet chuckled softly at that, even aaron hotchner, while he blushed and adverted his eye contact towards the shaded window. he knew they weren’t laughing at him, more so showing an expression of how happy they were that he was happy.

he stepped into the dimly lit living room of his apartment at exactly 3:26am. the tv glowed over your sleeping body on the sofa, arms wrapped tightly around a stuffed red panda he gifted you a few birthdays ago. the netflix screen asking ‘are you still watching avatar: the last airbender?’ shined in his face as he leaned in to shut the machine off. he walked over to your sleepy state, a tiny smile growing on his lips as he leaned in to brush some of your hair from your face. he tucked one arm beneath your knees and held the other one to your arm as he carried you to the bedroom.

you stirred, humming softly as he quietly shushed you. “shh, hi baby. i’m home now. go back to bed, yeah?”

“how was the flight?” you asked in a soft whisper, ignoring his requests. he chuckled, shaking his head and he set you gently on the cushion of his mattress.

“it was fine. too long. i’m sorry i’m home late.” he was just as quiet as you, pulling the duvet over your body and tucking it at your shoulders. he picked up the stuffed animal that had fallen beside the bed and tucked it next to you as well.

“it’s okay. we always have tomorrow.” with your eyes still closed, you smiled as he kissed your forehead.

“yes, my love. we do, don’t we? i’m gonna get changed okay? go back to bed.”

“i’ll wait for you.”

when he was changed out of his work clothes and into his pajamas, he turned back and found you soundly asleep again. he let out a quiet laugh, got into bed and pulled you right to his chest. he played with your hair until he fell asleep too, no longer upset about the day he missed with you because you were right.

he always had tomorrow.

[daydreamgoddess14]

The Reading Rooms

Inspired by some other gorgeous individuals, I thought I'd try and compile some of my weekly reading into some kind of list. Since throwing myself into the Marvel fandom and actually writing for these characters rather than just reading, I've followed - and been followed by (cue fangirl shriek) - some epic blogs, and I want to be able to throw as many new readers and followers their way as I can.

Always remember to heed the warnings posted by the individual authors. What I'm happy to read may not be what you're happy to read, so I take no responsibility if you find something you're not into.

And finally, Tumblr is a community. Reblog, gush like you've never gushed before - I promise you, the authors below will love it, and love you for it! We write because we love to, but we share our work because we love the community of it. If you read something you like, let the world know! 💕

The List

Lessons in Love-Making by @artficlly. I've only read the first chapter so far, but this already has me totally hooked! Bucky Barnes x Reader.

Not a Fairy Tale Kiss (no names for this exist) by @azriona . This is the very definition of EPIC. A staggering word count, an absolute feat of storytelling. I've barely scratched the surface of this so far, but I'm loving every second. Posted on AO3, so head over there for your fix! Bucky Barnes x Reader.

@mrs-elsie-barnes , the writer that you are! I have a whole heap of recommendations here. First up, Policy & Procedure - if you like your Bucky Congressman shaped, this Bucky Barnes x Reader fic has your name on it. Then we have the little (slightly spoilery) Thunderbolts* drabble - Home Time - Bucky Barnes x Reader. Finally, we have the super hot - I've got to let you know (I need you tonight) featuring Joaquin Torres x Reader.

The 2k Drabble Challenge by @marvelstoriesepic is bananas. The dedication, the range, the heartbreak, and longing... ugh, these are all incredible, but my personal highlights are Misfire, Where We Were When The Stars Came Out, What the Mirror Doesn't Say & Tattoo Me In Flowers. Bucky Barnes x Reader.

Put Your Hands In Mine by @buck-star is so moving and vitally important. I loved it so much. Bucky Barnes x Reader.

Oil & Water by @flowersforbucky was so insanely hot it had me squealing. It is literally perfect if you would like to sit on that man's face. Bucky Barnes x Reader.

Charm and Claim by @ramp-it-up were both so excellent and super hot! Bucky Barnes x Reader.

@aquaticmercy is a genius and the writing is impeccable and when I tell you I RUN to every post... I've so much to catch up on, but Interstate Love Song was gorgeous. Bucky Barnes x Reader.

Let Me Hurt a Little Longer by @daxisyzz was so good! I loved the slightly manipulative POV, who wouldn't want Bucky's hands on them?! Bucky Barnes x Reader.

The Dog Tags series by @marvelwitchergilmore is brilliant! Part 1 is linked, be sure to check out the rest, and what a masterlist to get stuck into - especially for my Slow Horses babes because there's some River Cartwright in there, too! (cc. @cillmequick @dreamer-98 @annaelizabethhenry1 @liquid-confidenc3 💕)

Then we have @navybrat817 , who is pure genius and her post Thunderbolts* fic Not Exactly A Secret. Navy's setting up a Tower Shenanigans list, so expect more from the Thunderbolts*. As well as this, I read the excellent Late Night and Late Night Recap. Bucky Barnes x Reader.

I came across @jobean12-blog 's This Is Love this week, an oldie but a very goodie! Bucky Barnes x Reader.

If you haven't read Security Clearance by @societyfolklore yet, why?! This was soooo hot! Bucky Barnes x Reader.

And lastly, I'm sharing this little New Dad Bucky Headcannon by @sunday-bug , and lemme tell ya, it will not be the last thing I share of Sunny's! I can't wait to get stuck into her Masterlist because it's going to take over my life in the best possible way!

This covers everything I've read this week 🙌

God, I hope the links all work cos that took forever ���. Apologies for sharing via my own slightly unhinged reblogs. Next time, I'll try and make sure I share original links where possible!

💕

pressing post and hoping all the tags work 🫡

[live-laugh-legolas]

Hi it’s me again 💀 anyway my request—

The fellowship reacting to reader dancing and singing on a table then asking them to join them up there?

So fun! Idk if I need to put a warning but I imagined these being in a pub so alcohol is mentioned (please drink responsibly)

Tabletop Dancing

Aragorn:

-He watches with a smile behind his cup of ale

-Kinda like the smile he gives when he sees Merry and Pippin high as hell in Isengard

-He is very amused and loves watching you have fun

-But he was not expecting to be asked to join

-I don’t think he is much of a dancer and although he does sing, he doesn’t necessarily do it in a pub sort of fashion

-He won’t get up on the table with you

-But he will hold your hand and walk around the table with you

-Another reason he won’t get on the tables is because he is too tall

-I’m pretty sure he is canonically 6’6

-His head would bust a hole through the ceiling and scare the living shit out of the people in the room above

Legolas:

-He’s a little shocked at first

-Elves party different from other races; and this seems a bit… uncivilized

-But he is nothing if not open to learning new cultures and traditions

-He finds it very fun to engage in; much to his surprise

-I think movie Legolas may not want to get on the tables; but if we are going by the books then he absolutely will jump up and will walk around on the backs of chairs because he’s a show off

-He does fancy twirls with you

-He possibly accidentally throws you off the table doing this

Gimli:

-Ok; he is fully accepting of this and has no hesitation to join

-Dwarves love a good party, and especially this dwarf

-Even more so if he’s had a bit to drink

-Maybe don’t pull him up on the tables though

-Dwarves may be short, but they are solid and should not jump on tables if you want to have a table afterwards

-He will sing his heart out with you

-He is so loud it drowns you out but that’s alright

Boromir:

-He is clapping and singing along the whole time

-Like Aragorn he also is a bit too tall for table dancing

-However he is not deterred once he’s drunk enough

-He’s definitely a light weight though so it’s doesn’t take long for him to get up there and belting his heart out with you

-He steals the show if we are honest

-He will fall off the table

-Every time

Frodo:

-We know this Hobbit will get up on a table to perform

-He’s not shy to having a good time

-He is happy to be pulled up onto the tables with you to dance

-He definitely kicks a few cups over because he’s a little clumsy

-But no one can even be mad at him because he is so cute

-Seriously that smile is even worse than puppy eyes

Sam:

-Probably the hardest to convince to join you

-He’s just not one to enjoy being the center of attention

-But he loves watching you having a great time

-He will need to be a few drinks in to join

-He is more worried about you falling off the table

-He will kind of dance around the table but really he’s just there in case you trip

-He will be singing whatever song you were singing the next day

-It is stuck in his head and he’s much more open to singing when not in a crowd

Merry:

-It all depends on his mood

-He doesn’t want to say no to you and he does enjoy a good table tap dance

-However he also likes just observing the joyful scene

-He will sing duets with you

-He is less involved as Pippin though, and instead favors hyping you up over putting on his own show

-He joins in with cheers to call and response type songs

Pippin:

-You don’t even have to ask

-He’s already up there with you

-Every table is this a stage for this hobbit

-You two are absolute menaces but the life of the party so it evens out

-Full choreography

-You always get a standing ovation

-This is like a weekly thing for you two at least

-You guys have loyal fans

Gandalf:

-This old wizard loves a good jig

-At first I was thinking he would never get up on the tables

-But then I realized he absolutely would if he was drunk enough

-Idk why but I have decided he knows how to break dance but will complain about how sore he is the next day

-He will deny ever dancing on the tables or belting out songs

-He’s too old and dignified for that…

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

I hope this is a good enough response. I realize this isn’t really their reaction to the reader as much as just how they join in lol.

[number1jeonginstan]

Hiyaaa! Hope you’re doing well:) i was wondering if you could be open to writing a virgin!chan oneshot where youre his best friend who he’s crushing on and he wants to lose his virginity to you? Reader could be a dom so he’s turned on by that lol but he’s also a sensitive subby boy. - anon 🦋

A/N: This is actually the first time I’ve written a sub!reader, so I hope it’s good. Thank you so much for sending in a request and I really hope you liked it, I really enjoyed writing it because it was kinda cute in the beginning, also something about the game night Chan agenda is really my favorite for some reason! Also, welcome to the anon list 🦋

WC: 2.1k (oops!)

Minors don't interact, 18+

Pairing: idol!Chan x idol!(afab)Reader

Warnings: loss of virginity (chan), but not, protected sex (for the first time ever!?!?), blow jobs, aftercare is a must!, subby!Chan

You walked into the dorms for your and Chan’s weekly game night. It was a tradition the two of you made when you two became friends after you first debuted. Your friendship was quite spontaneous, you were walking around the music core backrooms, trying to find your manager and you ran into Chan. You both bonded over your love for anime since he saw that you had a Rukia phone case at the time. 

He eventually helped you find your manager, offered you his phone number, and told you to text him if you ever had any questions. You happily took it, not thinking much of it. The first time you texted him was three days after they won an award for their new song.

Chan was taken aback when he first got your text. He thought you were so sweet, offering to take you out to get ice cream to celebrate their win, and you happily obliged. From then on, the two of you have been stuck together like glue, or as much as you can be with your jobs. 

One thing you guys made a tradition of was doing a game night. Sometimes it would be with the other members, sometimes it would be just the two of you, it all depended. “Hey, you are finally here!” he beamed, running over and giving you a tight hug. 

“I’m only a minute late, you miss me that much?” you giggled. You both went to his room, the other members were back home for vacation, and since Chan’s family was back in Australia, and yours was back in America, you guys couldn’t visit them.

“So, what are we playing tonight?” you asked, sitting on the floor of his room. You always loved Chan’s room, the aesthetics were so nice, not to mention his bed was comfortable. Sometimes you would sleep over, or just take a nap while he worked. You never understood why he worked himself to the bone, but you knew he wanted to express his emotions through his music, and you were never one to stop him.

“I was thinking, Felix got me this game thinking it would be fun,” he said, pulling out a box of Jenga from his stack of board games. 

“Wow, Jenga, so original” you rolled your eyes. “It’s not your typical Jenga, it has truth or dare questions”

“Wait, that will be fun, I wanna know all of your secrets Channie,” you said pinching his cheeks. Sure he was older than you, but you loved treating him like he was a baby, it was fun seeing him all flustered.

“Do you want to set it up while I bring us some snacks?” He asked, putting the box on the floor and standing up. “Yeah sure, do you guys still have my favorite chips?” you asked, he simply nodded, heading out of the room as you took the pieces out of the box, stacking them up.

He came back in, holding two bottles of water as well as a bowl of chips. He popped one in his mouth, sitting on the floor facing you. “Okay, you start” you grinned, taking the chip that was in his mouth and eating it. 

“Yeah yeah, just don’t cry when you lose” he grinned. You just glared at him, there was no way in hell you would lose. 

“What is the most embarrassing moment you’ve had in front of others?” you read out loud, it was your turn and you had yet to lose. “Ummm, I think it’s the time I was changing into an outfit for one of our performances, we don’t know what happened, but I guess my boobs were too big or something because the shirt ripped as soon as I put it on, and it wasn’t like I gained weight or anything because it was loose at the stomach.” 

You started laughing at yourself, reminiscing the way your stylist and you were both in shock. What you didn’t see was the blush on Chan’s cheeks and how his ears got a bit red, thinking of how you looked without your shirt on. 

Before he could imagine it more, he coughed, taking out another block. “Where is the craziest place you’ve had sex?” you said, looking over the stack to read out the block. 

Chan’s voice became an octave higher “How can they ask such a question?” he asked, a bit bewildered. “Come on Channie, you have to answer it!” 

“I can’t” 

“Why not?” you whined, wanting to know

“I’ve never done it” 

“What!” you screamed out loud. Chan just covered his face embarrassed, he didn’t need you to think he was a virgin. “I mean there is nothing wrong with it, but that’s so crazy to me. Like you are obviously a really attractive dude, with a great personality, and you have a great body and smile” you kept rambling on, causing him to blush even more.

“You think I’m handsome?” he asked, a bit perplexed. “Yeah, of course, I mean have you looked at yourself in a mirror? Like you are one of the most attractive dudes I’ve ever met.”

“Can I ask why though?” 

“I just came here at a young age, as you know, and I just didn’t find anyone to have sex with” he shrugged, calming down from his previous state of embarrassment. He took a swig of his water as you asked him a question.

“Oh, do you want to have sex with me?” you asked nonchalantly. Chan choked on the water unsure of where your ask was going. “WHAT!” he shouted, not trying to hold back his surprise. “I mean, only if you feel comfortable, I just don’t think you want to die a virgin” you shrugged, taking a sip of your own water. 

“Okay, yeah” he whispered. It was at that moment, the atmosphere changed. The air around you had become more sultry as you climbed into his lap, knocking down the Jenga tower in the process. “Oops, guess you were right, I did lose” 

Before he could even reply, you captured his lips in a kiss. He groaned in your mouth as you began to slowly grind your hips into his. “Why don’t I take you to the bed?” you asked, pulling by his collar. 

He just moaned as his back hit the bed, you began to straddle him, your knees around his hips as you rubbed your clothed pussy on top of his covered cock. “Be a good boy and take off your shirt” you said, kissing his lips again. 

He groaned again as he removed his shirt showing off his abs. “Fuck” you groaned, running your finger on them. “I should have asked to do this sooner” 

He just whimpered underneath you, feeling overstimulated. It had been weeks since he touched himself. He had never felt this way, he couldn’t fathom what was happening. The feeling of your pussy rubbing on his cock was getting to be too much. “Fuck, if you keep doing that, I’m gonna cum in my pants” he moaned out loud. 

“Aww baby” you brought your hand to his face, “maybe I want you to.” You grinned, getting off of him and taking off your shirt and the shorts you were wearing. His cheeks blushed red as he saw you in your underwear and bra. The accentuated every single curve and mark on your body and he loved it. 

“Be a good boy and lift your hips for me” he simply nodded, allowing you to take off his shorts and boxers. His cock slapped his stomach, the red tip already covered in his pre-cum. He moaned feeling the cool air hitting it. “Wow, you are so big, can’t wait to suck on it” 

Chan’s eyes opened in suprise as you took his cock in your hands, slowly sucking at the lip, given it kitten licks “Fuck feels so good” he whined beneath you. You ignored him, going back to sucking cock. 

You needed to stimulate yourself as well, so as you kept sucking his cock, you took one of your hands, removing your underwear, and began figering yourself. You continued to suck, adding a finger in at a time, knowing you wouldn’t be able to take his thick cock without stretching yourself out. 

He looked down at you, moaning at the sight of you fingering yourself as you continued to take him down your throat. The moans eliciting from his mouth made you wetter, moaning on his cock as your fingers were thrusting faster inside of yourself. 

You began to take him deeper, your nose beginning to hit his pubic bone as you bobbed your head up and down. You could feel him twitch in your mouth, and his moans were getting louder. “Fuck feels so good, omg, I think I’m going to cum” 

Just before he was going to cum, you took your mouth off his cock with a pop. He whined at the loss of your mouth on his cock. “Please, I was going to cum, why would you do that” 

Tears began to form as he felt bottled up, barely being able to take it anymore. “Oh baby boy, don’t cry” you said, wiping the tears off his face. “Just wanna make you cum in my pussy, is that okay?” 

He nodded, feeling eager to feel your wet cunt on him. “Baby, do you have a condom” you asked, kissing his lips once again. He nodded, pointing to his dresser, “The second drawer, Han bought me a box as a joke, never thought they would come in use” 

“Well tell Han thank you, now go rest your back on the headboard, I want to ride you” He simply nodded, sitting up and pushing his back onto the board, allowing you full access to him. 

“You are so beautiful, I’m so excited to have your cock inside of me” you giggled, rolling the condom onto his dick. He moaned at the sight of your small hands wrapping around his throbbing cock. “Fuck” he groaned out loud, causing you to giggle again. 

You rested your knees on both sides of his thighs, running his cock in between your slit, allowing your wetness to cover it. Before he could even think, you slammed the entirety of his cock inside of you, moaning at how well he fills you up.

“Oh my god” you moaned out loud, his cock already hitting that one spot inside of you “it’s like your cock was made for my pussy, I don’t think I’m ever going to let you go”

You kissed his lips again, moaning as you began to move up and down on his dick. “Fuck, your pussy feels so good, it’s clenching me, I don’t think I can last long” he moaned again, feeling your walls clenching him. It was all becoming too much.

You knew he was close, but you were too, the thought of corrupting Chan was took much for you. You began to move faster on his dick. “Fuck, I’m going to cum, please let me cum” he moaned.

“Don’t you want to be a good baby and let me cum, or are you selfish?” you asked, not stopping your pace. “Rub my clit baby” you said, gliding his fingers down to it, and showing him what pace you wanted it at. You moaned feeling his thick fingers rubbing it as you continued to move on his long cock. 

“No, want to be a good boy, want to be such a good boy for you” he moaned again. That was all you needed to cum, your walls spasaming around his dick, your pace didn’t falter, wanting to ride out your high and cause him to cum too “Please let me cum, please I’ve been such a good boy” 

“You have haven’t you? Cum baby, cum in my pussy” that was all he needed, you rode out the both of your highs.

As you came down, you rested your head into his chest, feeling over-exerted. “I hope that was a good first time, sorry if I was too rough” you said, kissing his lips again. 

“If you want me to go, I totally can” before you even said anything else, he kissed you this time. 

“You aren’t going anywhere, you are mine now. We are going to go take a bath and eat whatever you want” You looked at him puzzled, "Was my crush on you not obvious???" You just giggled, "I don't think it was, maybe I need another kiss to reassure me"

He placed another kiss on your lips, this time it was soft and sensual and not lustful like before. He picked you off the bed, took you to the bathroom, and filled up the bathtub with hot water and bubbles. 

After it was filled, you both sat in, your back pressed against his chest as he massaged your shoulders. He kissed your shoulder, whispering in your ear “Thank you for the best first time ever, but for this second time, do you think you can be my good girl?”  

[starshideurfics]

Thirsty Thursday - Ring my bell, part 4

Part 3

steddie, omegaverse, flagging/signaling culture, mdni 🔞

Steve and Eddie spend the late fall and early winter meeting up as often as they can to fool around. Eddie’s got his club and his band and his dealing at high school parties, while Steve has his job and Robin and the special weekly Scoops Troop hang. They still find plenty of time for each other, Eddie sneaking into Steve’s bedroom on nights when the elder Harringtons are in town, Steve arriving at Forest Hills minutes after Wayne leaves for the late shift.

Most days Eddie is too impatient to wait for Steve to wash off his blockers, so he usually greets Steve with a kiss, then drops to his knees so he can scent him properly. Which quickly becomes him peeling Steve out of his jeans and putting his tongue to good use. He’s so pussy-drunk by the time he’s made Steve come that it only takes a few strokes to have him shooting off in Steve’s hand.

After, Steve will shower, toss Eddie a washcloth for his own mess, and they’ll spend whatever time they have left cuddled up close, talking about anything and everything.

Steve tells Eddie about the weird things customers say and the games he and Robin make up to pass the time. How much his dad keeps pushing for him to apply for a mailroom job at his firm, and how he would literally rather eat glass.

Eddie will talk through the puzzles and traps he has planned for the upcoming Hellfire session, trying them out on Steve to check the difficulty—Steve even helps him build a puzzle around basketball, telling him, “Lucas will get it, don’t worry about them getting stuck.” He’ll do his reading for English aloud so it sticks better in his head, Steve curled up against his chest, struggling to stay awake. Or, on nights he’s feeling particularly brave, Eddie will pull out his songwriting notebook, and show Steve the song he’s working on about him.

They’re spending New Year’s Eve alone at Steve’s house—his parents are in Paris for the holidays—all of their friends thankfully busy so they don’t need an excuse to blow them off.

“Wayne working tonight?” Steve asks as he opens the door on Eddie’s smiling face, his cheeks pink from the cold.

“Nah, he’s out drinking with his buddies. Told me not to wait up. Told him I was spending the evening elsewhere, and with how much of your scent is in my room… He’s figured out I’m seeing someone…” Eddie looks at him with worry in his big, dark eyes. “Is that okay?”

They had both decided to be quiet about all of it: the whole scentmates-hanging out-fooling around-thing until Eddie’s done with school. But Wayne is important to Eddie. The warmth in Steve’s chest is back at the thought of someone else knowing, at it being someone who cares about his alpha. Having someone who will support them without making it a big deal.

Steve doesn’t say all that, just murmurs, “Yeah, you can tell Wayne as much as you want.”

“Thanks, Puppy.” Eddie practically tackles him in a hug, purring as he realizes Steve is already blocker-free for the night, and tucks in tight to his neck. “You should stop wearing them,” he mumbles, not even kissing his neck, but licking it, tongue stroking his mating gland over and over.

“How about you let me close the door so we don’t heat the whole neighborhood.”

Eddie giggles, but complies, allowing Steve to close the door and lead him to the living room where Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve is already playing on the tv, volume turned down low. “I wanna be able to scent you all the time,” Eddie pleads, tossing his leather jacket on a chair and plopping onto the couch.

“Then everyone else could, too. Pretty hard to keep things low-key if everyone can tell I’m the source of all the new scents on you.” And it’s not like Steve is the one pushing for their quiet arrangement; Eddie wants it too.

“Just want people to know you’re taken,” Eddie says softly, whining as Steve straddles his lap and pulls him into a kiss. “Don’t have to know you’re mine yet, just… Taken.”

Steve remembers then, the alpha who had seen his necklace at work a few weeks back and asked him on a date. Eddie had been back in the Horror section, and he’d heard it all. He made Steve come on his tongue three times that night, and Steve had honestly forgotten all about it.

“I could say the same thing,” Steve says, just as soft. He takes Eddie’s left hand in his, taps over his rings, and comes up short. The pig head ring is gone. Eddie doesn’t have any more sniffing to do. In its place is a bird with a forked tail, wings and tail wrapped around Eddie’s middle finger. “Eddie?”

Eddie looks down, smiles to himself when he sees Steve has noticed the new ring. “It’s a swallow. They mate for life, and they migrate really far, but they always come home. I don’t plan on going far, but I promise I’ll always come home to you, Stevie.”

Lifting Eddie’s hand, Steve places a reverent kiss to his knuckles, then he pins him back against the couch and melds their mouths together in a greedy kiss.

It’s easy to stay there, making out, grinding down against Eddie’s rapidly hardening cock, so Steve does, lets his body do his talking for the moment. His scent blossoms and mixes with Eddie’s, making the living room smell like a proper den, and he wishes with all his heart that they could simply have this all the time.

But when Eddie leaves in the morning, Steve will have to spray air freshener to cover over their mixed scents. His parents can’t come home to the house smelling like an alpha they don’t know, and he isn’t ready to have anyone—even Robin—commenting on his scent at work.

Steve pulls back with tears in his eyes, ready to whisper apologies in Eddie’s ear, but his alpha is smiling up at him. “It’s okay, Puppy. I understand, I promise I do!” Awkwardly, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small, velvet box. “I thought this might help.”

Eddie opens the box and reveals a tiny key charm, claw clasp at the top so Steve can easily clip it on or take it off his necklace. So his parents won’t ask questions. But he can have it any other time. Robin will give him shit about it, but maybe he’s ready for Robin to give him shit about it.

“I love you,” Steve blurts, snapping the jewelry box closed so his gift doesn’t get lost, and taking Eddie by the sides of his face. “I love you.”

Eddie grins, and guides Steve’s face down to his, foreheads touching as they breathe one another in. “Love you, too.”

part 5

[jennyfromthebes]

2020-02-22 at Swedish American Hall, San Francisco CA, taped by LMGBTapes

I've been regularly getting this song stuck in my head for like a month or two now; this recording is from a run of three solo shows at the beginning of 2020 that ended up being the only shows that tMG played for a year and a half. That run of three shows is absolutely phenomenal and well worth listening to if you're a live tapes enjoyer!

The Mountain Goats collection on the Live Music Archive has 450+ live recordings and spans from 1992 to present day! Live Tapes Tuesday is a weekly post aiming to make the extensive collection a little more accessible by spotlighting a different tape every week. // What’s the Live Music Archive?

[keyboardsmashess]

Stars, Stripes, and Stage Lights

Chapter One: Bang Bang

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC

Warnings: language, eventual smut (but not in this chapter), fluff. MINORS DNI. A/N: We're BACK BBS! Welcome to part two of the Marvel Keyboardsmashiverse! This work can definitely be a standalone, so if you're new here don't fret, but you may encounter some unfamiliar OCs if you don't read my first work in this series (The Siren, or The Heart of the Matter) first. Anyway, happy Marvel Monday lovelies 😘 I missed you! Let me know if you want to be on the taglist!!

Summary: When HYDRA targets Pop Princess Kassie Cantor for reasons unknown, Steve Rogers has no choice but to accompany her on the rest of her tour. His goals are simple: keep her safe and figure out what HYDRA is up to. Romance is nowhere on the list - especially not with a popstar known for her hyper-girly image and lyrics full of innuendo. Can Steve complete his mission? Can Kassie crack the soldier's armor? Find out in Stars, Stripes, and Stage Lights.

Chapter Directory

WE WEEKLY MAGAZINE

What Can’t Cantor Do? by Miranda Morris

For this week’s Celeb Scoop, I sat down with America’s new princess of pop, Kassie Cantor. She gave me the Scoop on her album, life on tour, and her recent split from actor Luke Anders.

WW: Thank you so much for taking the time to sit down and talk with We Weekly, Kassie. It seems like you barely have a free moment these days!

KC: Oh my gosh, I know! I’m so grateful to the fans for how they’ve responded to Holy [Cantor’s recent chart-topping album], and getting to extend the tour? Insane!

WW: I actually just got word that Holy has gone platinum this week - how does it feel to have one of the most popular albums on the charts right now?

KC: I just have to say again how grateful I am to my fans - they’ve really shown up for Holy and I couldn’t be more excited to see their response to it. And it’s been so much fun seeing how many people know the lyrics on tour.

WW: Speaking of your tour, you’ve just added twelve new stops across North America. Do you ever get tired?

KC: Me? Tired? No way. The Holy Tour has been nothing but energizing. I mean, I get to hang out with, like, eighteen thousand of my closest friends every night while we sing and dance to songs I wrote - it’s a total dream come true.

WW: Still, a schedule like that can take its toll. I have to ask - did your tour have anything to do with your recent breakup?

KC: Oh, gosh. Um, no - not exactly. Relationships are hard for everyone, you know? And then with the extra pressure of being in the public eye, sometimes things just don’t work out. Luke and I decided that we weren’t working anymore, and luckily we both have plenty of creative projects to focus on instead.

WW: How do you feel about the recent appearances he’s made with his co-star, Amber Reynolds?

KC: If he’s happy then I’m happy. They were both great in The Saturn Chronicles, and I wish them nothing but the best. 

WW: So the breakup anthem everyone seems to have stuck in their head isn’t about Luke Anders?

KC: Well… let’s just say sometimes I’m allowed to be more honest in song lyrics than I am in an interview.

That sounds like confirmation to me, readers! You can find the Luke Anders breakup anthem “Like I Used To” and the rest of Holy in stores now, or - if you’re lucky enough to snag a ticket - you can hear it live at one of Cantor’s twelve new tour dates.

🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶

“I’m telling you guys, it’s just another weirdo with way too much time on their hands.” Kassie focuses on touching up her lipliner in a compact mirror. “You need to chill out.”

Her publicist and agent exchange looks. 

“Kass,” Rick says, voice gentle. “Susan and I both got letters. At our home addresses. That’s a big deal, kiddo.”

Kassie rolls her eyes. “She’s the best publicist in the industry right now, and you work for New York’s biggest talent agency. I could probably find your addresses with, like, a five second google search.”

“Kassie, you know I wouldn’t be pushing for this if I didn’t think it was serious. Do you have any idea what a nightmare it is to cancel a show this last-minute?” Susan doesn’t look up from her phone, but her voice sounds grim.

Still, Kassie plasters on her signature megawatt smile and stands, flipping her long blonde ponytail over her shoulder. “Well, it’s a good thing I’m not going to cancel, isn’t it?”

Susan sighs and finally lifts her eyes from her phone screen. “This is a bad idea.”

Kassie adjusts the hem of her miniskirt casually. “If anything goes wrong, I’ll make sure everyone knows you were both in camp ‘bad idea,’ okay?”

Susan rolls her eyes and Rick fiddles nervously with his watch.

Kassie accepts the sparkly, purple mic from a tech with a dazzling smile and winks at her team. “It’ll be fiiiiiiiine,” she sings, before turning and striding confidently onto the stage. Anything they might’ve said in response is quickly drowned out by the crowd of cheering fans, and she takes a deep breath once she’s at her mark for the first song.

“Hello, New York!” She places her hands in a prayerful position around her mic. “Are you feeling holy tonight?” The responding screams are deafening, and Kassie smiles widely.

It’ll all be fine.

🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶

Despite being able to stand completely still for hours in some of the worst conditions imaginable, Steve Rogers is very uncomfortable. A week ago, he would’ve said he found this music perfectly fine - catchy, even - but that was before he saw the songs performed live and started to understand the double-meaning of some of the lyrics. Now he isn’t sure if he’ll ever be able to listen to them again.

He leans over to the person standing next to him. “Are you absolutely sure you didn’t make the intel up as an excuse to drag me here?”

Cleo rolls her eyes. “That would be a lot of fucking work just to get Captain Party Pooper to ruin my night.”

Bucky leans behind his girlfriend’s back so Steve can hear him. “I saw the report, Steve. HYDRA definitely has something planned.”

Steve frowns. “I still think we should have stuck with watching the exits.”

“I’m telling you, we have a better vantage point from here!” Cleo says, but she undercuts her own point a bit by belting out the lyrics to the song’s chorus along with almost every other person in the stadium.

I’d say I wished you well

But I don’t, and you can go to hell

Why don’t you sell your pretty lies to someone else?

I said we’re done, we’re through

Here’s looking at you

Because I bet she doesn’t do that special thing I do

Or love you like I used to

Steve has to resist the urge to cover his eyes when, at the second-to-last line of the chorus, the singer drops to her knees facing away from the audience and bends backward until the crowd can see her upside-down face, moving her microphone like… Well, like something that shouldn’t be done in public, if Steve is being perfectly honest. 

Cleo laughs at his obvious discomfort, and Steve rolls his eyes. “I’m going to go check the perimeter,” he says, because it’s a good idea and also, he needs some air.

Bucky nods and Cleo waves a hand dismissively, not even looking at him. He’s barely made it into the aisle, though, when he hears an explosion coming from the stage. Steve whirls around, grabbing his shield from where it’s been strapped to his back, and starts pushing against the sea of screaming fans as they try desperately to flee the stadium.

Onstage, the singer - Kaci or Kassie or something like that - backs away from the hole that’s been blown through the stage floor, terror written across her face. Steve picks up the pace, resorting to elbowing people out of the way to get through the crowd.

“Sorry, excuse me, so sorry, excuse me ma’am.” He apologizes out of habit as he nears the edge of the stage. A few security guards have made their way up, but when Steve sees the five HYDRA operatives climbing out of the hole in the stage floor, he knows that this isn’t a job for a security guard.

He throws his shield at the first man’s head, climbing seamlessly onto the stage and catching the shield as it bounces back to him. Cleo levitates up next to him, now wearing her Sirensuit, and Bucky isn’t far behind. Cleo handles one of the four remaining HYDRA agents as Steve engages two in hand-to-hand combat. He blocks a stab at his neck, disarming the man and sending the knife hurtling across the floor toward where the fourth and final operative is closing in on the singer.

Steve ducks to avoid a swing from the second agent he’s fighting, popping up and moving several steps away from them. Before they can advance on him, he throws his shield and it hits the first man, ricochets off his head, and takes the second man down before returning to Steve like a boomerang. He locks it into place on his forearm and turns to save the singer from the fourth man, but freezes at what he sees.

 The singer is standing with her hands in the air and a panicked look on her face while the HYDRA agent tries to staunch the blood leaking from the knife wound in his shoulder. Steve hurls the shield to knock the man out just to be safe and nods as Bucky begins restraining the unconscious agents. He strides over to the panicked woman.

“Holy shit, I think I stabbed him!” she says, voice feminine and airy despite nearly being kidnapped. She’s still standing with her hands up, like someone is holding her at gunpoint.

“It’s fine, ma’am - you just got his shoulder,” he says comfortingly, but she backs away from him slightly. Steve realizes that he’s towering over her, her head barely above his shoulders, and a small part of him imagines how delighted Cleo would be to find someone even shorter than she is. In an attempt to help her feel a bit safer, though, he holds out his hand. “My name is Steve Rogers. It’s nice to meet you.”

She finally lowers her hands and shakes his with a blank look on her face. “I’m Kassie.” She watches as Bucky restrains the stabbed man and carries him away. “Am I in trouble for stabbing that guy?”

Steve chuckles and shakes his head. “No, ma’am. You were just defending yourself.”

Suddenly, a man and a woman rush onto the stage, both of them frantically checking Kassie for injuries. “Oh my god, kiddo, are you okay?” the man asks, sweating profusely.

Kassie waves her hand dismissively. “I’m fine, Rick.”

The woman has a phone in her hand and her eyes dart back to the screen every few seconds. “Okay, great. In that case, we really need to get you backstage to start figuring out a statement. A few fans were injured leaving the stadium, so you’ll have to be apologetic about that, but you’ll also want to -”

“Excuse me,” Steve interrupts. “But we’re going to need to take Kassie here somewhere safe to ask her a few questions. We need to figure out why HYDRA was targeting her.”

Rick turns, wide-eyed, to Steve. “Yes, of course, Captain. Whatever you need!”

The woman rolls her eyes but nods. “Fine, I’ll just put something generic out for now. Kassie, call me the second you’re done with… whatever this is.” She stalks off the stage, heels clicking with every step.

Kassie blows out a huff of air. “Alright, let’s get this over with.”

Steve frowns. “D-do you want to… change?” he asks tentatively. “Before we go?”

Kassie looks down at her outfit - a very short skirt, a top that isn’t much more than just a bra, and heeled boots that come up to her knees. With a glint in her eye, she smiles and surprises Steve by taking his arm. “No, I’m perfectly fine. Lead the way, Captain America.” 

He blushes at the way she says his name - almost sultry - but forces his face into a mask of calm confidence as he escorts her out a back entrance. Bucky snorts a laugh, and Steve shoots him a glare as they climb into one of Tony’s team SUVs. 

We may only be a handful of blocks from the Tower, Steve thinks, but this is going to be a long drive.

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 10/8/2024

The Boy is out of my house. end of an era. formally adopt the boy for only twenty of god's own dollars here!

listening

i really really love reading perfume reviews and i would love to start describing songs like a perfume reviewer but maybe this song is not a great one to start out with: the ghost inside by broken bells, off their 2010 self-titled album. it got stuck in my head bc it is sort of the ur-example of 2010s indie rock. you have to listen to it but after you listen to it you know i am Right. kind of a bonkers scifi music video with mostly practical effects and actress christina hendricks (interview here).

thank u spotify weekly recommended playlist bc i had completely forgotten about broken bells. i think i found them through one of those little music cards starbucks used to give out?

-

reading

The Blood Trials (Book One of the Blood Gift Duology, Jan 2023) by N.E. Davenport. i KNOW i originally put this on my holds list bc of a tumblr post but i cannot find that post again.

explaining the plot of this book to my best friend involved saying the phrase "and then THE BLOOD EMPEROR" a lot. there is no short way to explain the plot of this thing.

Blending fantasy and science fiction, N. E. Davenport’s fast-paced, action-packed debut kicks off a duology of loyalty and rebellion, in which a young Black woman must survive deadly trials in a racist and misogynistic society to become an elite warrior. It’s all about blood. The blood spilled between the Republic of Mareen and the armies of the Blood Emperor long ago. The blood gifts of Mareen’s deadliest enemies. The blood that runs through the elite War Houses of Mareen, the rulers of the Tribunal dedicated to keeping the republic alive. The blood of the former Legatus, Verne Amari, murdered. For his granddaughter, Ikenna, the only thing steady in her life was the man who had saved Mareen. The man who had trained her in secret, not just in martial skills, but in harnessing the blood gift that coursed through her. Who trained her to keep that a secret.

this is a "graduate or die" book that i would normally say is YA but the protagonist Ikenna is ~20ish and there are two quite explicit sex scenes. so i feel it veers more new adult? what if you learned to be an ancient greek spartan praetorian but also had blasters? that's what this school is.

this is a military scifi that is also a murder mystery (HELL of a dense concept to pick for a debut novel) that gets SO yuckydisgusting with loving descriptions of military training wounds and a cannibalism scene (not by our protagonist) i had to skip over. i think this would be terrific for locked tomb girlies but it is at the bleeding edge of my tolerance level. i am a noted big baby about gore, so ymmv.

tumblr user kay, why the fuck did you keep reading it? one of the best technically written debut novels i've ever read. extremely compelling in how the narration is from Ikenna’s point of view and she has almost all the murder mystery pieces but fails to put them together bc of personal flaws and foibles. and she is so good at tripping face first over those flaws and foibles it really effectively distracts you from the pieces of the murder mystery! she’s so so so good at making the worst possible decision (in hindsight) at any given point. all her decisions have complex hidden downsides but at the same time she could not have made any different decision. failsafes her grandfather put in place fail bc of the way she interprets them. she is a very good soldier but less good as a strategist. terrible as a politician. this sort of thing.

she is quick to act and quick to decide, and allies and enemies flip fairly quickly without much hemming and hawing. once she has definite proof of betrayal or alliance, she accepts it and charges on. i think the occasionally flimsy lead up to these flips is one of the book’s weaknesses, but i also think it’s one of Ikenna’s major weaknesses. im not convinced the author handles doling every clue out or how the very complex political situation clicks together Well, but Ikenna’s reaction and dealing with the fallout of these things is very believable and well done.

VERY rapid pace— reminds me of The Hunger Games, where Suzanne Collins’ background in TV helped her know when to break chapters. there aren’t any lulls where I lost interest— i read this book in basically one sitting overnight.

-

watching

meandering through a playlist of oscar-nominated shorts: the 1951 UPA black comedy musical film noir short "Rooty Toot Toot" has been one of my favorites so far.

it's so hyperstylized and so gleefully minimalist. the background characters, even though they are mostly just blobs and circles, are notably diverse for 1951. let's yoink some more background from the description/TCM:

Hubley brought in a number of interesting collaborators on Rooty Toot Toot. Dancer Olga Lunick was hired to choreograph the ballet-style dance moves. There was no rotoscoping involved; her moves were only referenced by the artists and animators, not slavishly traced. Paul Julian designed the backgrounds and utilized some non-typical techniques; in his essential history of UPA, When Magoo Flew: The Rise and Fall of Animation Studio UPA (Wesleyan, 2012), Adam Abraham quotes Julian on one of them: "'I found a kind of oddly corroded gelatin roller - an ordinary print roller that had been pitted and pocked in some way, chemically.' With this device, he produced distressed-looking backgrounds that suited the sordid tale." In addition, Hubley and the studio brought on jazz musician Phil Moore to write the score. Moore had done orchestrations for many MGM musicals in the 1940s, but uncredited--this would be a rare on-screen credit for the black musician. Legendary animator Grim Natwick also joined the crew. Natwick had been active since the silent era and had designed and animated Betty Boop for the Fleischer Studios. He went on to work on such key films as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Gulliver's Travels (1939). For Rooty Toot Toot Natwick animated the memorable shots of Nellie Bly on the witness stand.

-

playing

i don't have anything fun to say about genshin this week. prepare for me to lose my mind next week about hot ocelot lady.

-

making

sanitized/enzymatic cleaned everything orange boy touched in my office and the office bath, bc he was so full of love and also worms and boysmell. i believe the stink has been defeated, but only time and the girls will tell me. unforch, i will have to sanitize and destink the bathroom Again at the end of the month bc a new outside boycat will be recovering here after his neuter. this time i am Not paying for it and he already has a home lined up! it is a complicated case with a friend's exit from a Situation and it is not fully mine to tell. can't believe this office and office bath have been like a revolving door of cats this summer/fall. phil only got fulltime house privileges at the end of june-ish.

[graysongraysoff]

Tagged by @takethewatch to post the first ten songs on my Spotify On Repeat playlist on shuffle so let's do this thing:

Wouldn't You Like by TROY - Starting off strong with a banger (I am going to think they are all bangers I fear that is why they are on repeat lol). I've been listening to more EPIC: The Musical recently because one of my cousin's kids is really into it and I want them to think I am cool, lol. Easily my favorite song from the Circe Saga, very catchy, gets stuck in my head all the time, thenk you Jorge for casting Hermes so right.

abnormalize by Ling tosite shigure - This is the opening to the anime Psycho-Pass which honestly?? Underrated show. And underrated OP!!!

Itty Bitty by Ashnikko - I fear I may be entering my Ashnikko era tbh bc every song of hers that Spotify has served me has slapped, but this one especially so. Just a crazy catchy hook. And yes okay fine I associate it with my OC Hikaru when she's in her slut era after she graduates from high school but before she starts working in Tokyo. I will not be shamed!!!!

It's Alright by Mother Mother - CRIES DEEPLY THIS IS A YUJI ITADORI SONG!!!!!! (Side note I love that because my cat's name is Yuji I have to specify when I am talking about the character lol.) My bestie played this for me in the car a while back and said it was Higuruma re Yuji and I have not been able to separate it from that context since, as far as I am concerned that is literally what it is about. Like it's ok!!! It's not your fault!!! You don't need to shoulder so much responsibility!!!! WAH!!!!

Sports car by Tate McRae - I literally have no memory of this place lmfao I have no idea how this song got here like who is she??? Like it sounds sort of familiar so it must be on a playlist I listened to a few times or something but it does not stand out to me the way the others have so far. I mean it's good though I guess???? Lmao.

dead2me by Ellise - Fucking LOVE!!!!!! This song to the point I'm worried I'll wear it out lol. "Said you'd die for me... so do it," like everyone yassed!!!!!! Extremely iconic. The little "aahh-AH!"

JOYRIDE. by Kesha - I mean, what can I say that hasn't already been said. She truly ate with this one.

I'm So Happy by Bruses - Glad we got both Spanish and Japanese represented on this list lol. This was on a Discover Weekly I believe? And I immediately sent it to my sister, lol, bc I knew she would appreciate a Spanish language bop. I love that it has like a distinctively Latin beat but it's still very much a dark pop song with great use of autotune and some deep vibey electronica energy.

Six Hundred Strike by Jorge Rivera-Herrans and Steven Rodriguez - I saw a TikTok edit of Roy Mustang burning the fuck out of Envy set to the part of this song where Odysseus is torturing Poseidon and I mean. I mean!!!!!!!

The Giver by Chappell Roan - The thing that gets me about Chappell Roan (in addition to the fact that her voice is beautiful and her style is such a seamless and unique blend of different genre influences and I'm in love with her) is that lyrically she is just such a good writer. Like in a funny way she reminds me of how I feel about the band CAKE (who incidentally also blend a lot of genre influences in a very unique way) — when I was first introduced to CAKE as a kid I remember literally thinking like when teachers say "Well music is technically poetry!" like this is what they meant, and I feel the same way about Chappell's lyrics. She's just so clever, like not only will she carry a really inventive extended metaphor through a whole track but she makes it sound easy. This one isn't a metaphor, exactly, but the way she dances around the song's theme of "I will make you come" without ever saying anything really sexual and yet still managing to sound completely natural??? Like it's not the kind of innuendo that makes you roll your eyes, it is actually just so gracefully done. Like the finesse!!!!

Can you TELL that she was my top artist last year??? 😆 Glad I got this opportunity to simp over Chappell Roan's lyrics for a bit with you all.

For this meme I would like to tag: @arealcrow, @boltlightning, @humblegoat, @appolojustice, @pyrrhlc, @kitterjitters and @antique-romantic! And as always anyone else reading this who wants to give it a shot ❤️

[solid-six]

get to know me

tagged by @judyalvqrez! thankss!

Favorite colors: Greens are usually my favorite, but my closet is almost entirely black. Late-blooming goth stuck in f-ing Florida.

Last song: Earlier I was listening to MOTHERLESS by Killer Mike!

Currently reading: Working on The Trinity of Fundamentals by Wisam Rafeedie. I was supposed to be part of this bi-weekly reading group here locally that have been meeting and discussing it per-chapter, but it took so long to ship to me I missed the first few sessions and now I'm way behind...

Currently watching: My partner and I have been verrrrry slowly trying to catch up on Arcane. We'd seen the first season when it came out, and we rewatched it and are now like...4 episodes into the second season? Idk, it's really pretty, but like...I may be in the minority here, but I can't stand all the council-y 'behind closed doors' stuff, it's sooo boring! They're like 'hey, you want a super slick stylish cyber-/steam-punky show with two dope leads with gatlin guns and bombs and huge gauntlets?' and I'm like HELL YEH and then they're like 'Well 3/4 of every episode is the council scenes from star wars with a bunch of characters steepling their fingers and leering, have fun!' We'll finish it eventually by my gOD lol. Don't kill me, I know ppl are feral over that show and I don't dislike it, it's just A Lot.

Currently craving: Those nerds gummy-clusters, whatever they're actually called. We call it our 'aquarium gravel' lol and I could go for a bag right about now.

Coffee or tea: Lately it's been tea, I'm addicted to the raspberry-hibiscus target-brand tea with honey and lemon, I drink like 4 of them a day. I used to be a HUGE coffee drinker, but sometime over the last few years I stopped being able to enjoy it regularly. But If we're out somewhere that has it, I will ALWAYS get a cafe con leche, and I always end up craving coffee and making some when playing a Remedy game...wonder why that is...

Hobby to try: Honestly, I don't need any more hobbies right now, I'm neglecting the ones I already have! For the new year, I'm making goals of reading more, (used to read voraciously and have only read like...3 or 4 books this whole year?), and working on my sound art stuff, maybe posting some of it?

Current AU: I don't normally have AUs in my head, but what's funny-weird is that literally like a few hours ago I jokingly posted this - but also watched Coraline, (one of my favorite movies Ever), for like the 100th time recently and...

CORALINE IN THE WRITER'S ROOM AU

tagging @fozzieosbourne @greenkngt @variousblarghblanks @the-labyrinth-of-me and @cowboygirlfriends

[nabi-unveiled]

Weekly Wrap-Up #2: The Fun Continues

It's been two weeks since I took myself off mute, and I'm having a blast. Writing for fun here has also greatly helped me get the stuff I'm writing for work out of my head (when I'm not working). Drawing boundaries with my work has never been my strong suit so that's been a great side effect of this adventure. I no longer feel like I'm working all the time. I was actually surprised by how many shows I watched this week, because it was a busy week and my brain was primarily stuck on When it Rains, It Pours.

Properly Watched: When it Rains It Pours (on repeat), The Heart Killers, ThamePo, Sangmin Dinnaew, Perfect 10 Liners, Fourever You (finale), Your Sky, Boy Next World, FC Soldout, FlirtMilk, My Dating Sim (background rewatch of movie)

Chose to Skip (for now): Impressions of Youth, Ossan's Love, I'll Turn Back This Time

Top Moments of the Week

When It Rains, It Pours - Everything about this show. Everything. It's beautiful and moody, but it's also gritty and real. There's symbolism and layers upon layers of meaning. I have been counting down hours to episode 5 since I finished episode 4.

ThamePo - The air hockey match was wonderful. The symbolism of what was truth, what was a lie, and the nature of their friendship was so well constructed. The title song was a great pick as well.

Honorable mentions to Fadel's breakdown in Style's embrace, Yotha/Gun's "Are you hurt?" exchange, and Teerak's dad apologizing to Muenfah. All great.

Any other week, they might have taken significant mental real estate. But my brain was and is still stuck in the underground of Tokyo anticipating where the feet are going.