#tour live: particular taste | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

okiedokrie · 4 months ago

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Meet Me In Amsterdam

Summary: "Minghao finds himself under a mentorship program from one of the most brilliant artist in the contemporary circle, where he meets Y/N and bond with their journey through art, overcoming traumas, and hopeless romanticism of the life and love around them. But all things come to an end at some point, the mentorship program ends, and they both go back to their lives. But they do meet again to finish what they started; 'if there is a next time, meet me in Amsterdam.'"

Characters/Pairing: Artist!Minghao x Artist!Fem!Reader

Genre: smut, some angst, fluff

AU/Trope Info: Non-idol AU!, idiots to lovers

Word Count: 10.8k

Warnings: Religious themes, implication of past sexual assault, homophobia mention, some cursing, food mentions, smut warnings under the cut

Rating: 18+

A/N: this is for the @svthub 2024 world tour collab! Thanks to @whipped-for-kpop-fics and @hobeemin for beta-reading!

Smut Warnings: oral (f receiving), sex in a church, unprotected sex, implied creampie

The air in Minghao's studio is dizzying. A broken exhaust and paint fumes don't really mix, and his open windows could only do so much. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. Touching grass may solve his problem, but he doesn't feel like dealing with the morning dew on the grass.

He quickly closed his windows before packing all his belongings in his commuting bag, opting to rush to a recent exhibit that opened. Minghao knew very little about the artist, but a change of scenery might help quell his throbbing headache.

Minghao took this opportunity to space out during the commute to the gallery, popping on his headphones and trying to ignore the touchy couples in the train car with him. He wonders what it'll feel like to find his person like them; Minghao only craves the warmth of another's arms.

He wonders what it'll feel like to fall for someone, to be comfortable with vulnerability and the trusting bond between two lovers. Ever the hopeless romantic, he'd love to love and be loved.

He snapped out of his thoughts when the intercom buzzed to life, announcing the arrival at Minghao’s stop. Adjusting the strap of his messenger bag, he pushed his way through the busy crowd to head out of the station. The walk to the gallery was calm and relatively quiet. This part of the city mostly had walking paths rather than roads, so it was really only bustling with people and the occasional bicycle.

Arriving at the gallery, the pieces were gorgeous, as expected. This artist was well known in the contemporary circle, so it's no surprise that the gallery is almost busier than the outside. Minghao felt drawn to one piece in particular, the warm tones, swirling and melting into one another, blending into a flame-like flow; it was stationary yet moving.

He hears a chuckle behind him, only to see an older man, about mid-forties, smiling at him. “I see you enjoy this piece; you have great taste. What's your name, boy?”

Minghao is a little flustered, but he introduces himself nonetheless. The man before him introduced himself as the artist and noticed Minghao's paint-stained hands before asking if he was an artist himself. Minghao confirmed the older man’s speculations, offering to show some of his work as photos on his phone. The older man was impressed by Minghao’s talent and potential, and he then mentioned that he had an apprenticeship program open, but it was in Amsterdam.

Minghao agreed a little too enthusiastically, seeing as this man quite literally defined an era of art in a way nobody else has.

It was only a few weeks after that interaction, but Minghao found himself on a flight to Amsterdam.

Taking in the city's air, Minghao feels a sense of dread washing over him, and the hustle and bustle of a new city scares him a bit. Being alone in a foreign land wasn't why his nerves were all over the place; no, it was the fact that he felt this opportunity wasn't meant to be his.

Sure, his mentor got the opportunity to see his work before he accepted the offer, but still, he feels this mentorship program would've been more suited to someone more fitting.

Nonetheless, Minghao is here now. And he swears he'll make the most of the time he spends here.

Taking one of the many old trains out of the airport, the rumbling train rails helped ground him a little; the sound was new and familiar at the same time. He thought back to his small studio back home, wondering how well it'd hold up in the year he'd be gone.

Minghao is snapped out of his daydreams when the train arrives at his station. He lugs his luggage to what will be his living quarters for the rest of his time here. Wiping his palms over his sweats, he finally takes the time to haul his bags over the stairs to the small apartment that was provided to him. His mentor mentioned that he has a roommate, another artist in the program, so he doesn't let his stuff get too comfortable in the main room.

Instead, he randomly picks one of the rooms, hoping his roommate doesn't mind. If they did, it's not as if he's opposed to switching.

He hums a simple melody while setting his bags to the side, still catching up to the jetlag and too tired to put anything away. He inspects the room, noting that it is a little dusty. He has to settle his sheets and wipe everything down before he can get too comfortable.

He thinks that heading out for brunch is a good idea, guessing that his roommate would most likely want to get situated in peace. He gets his wallet and phone and heads out to find somewhere to eat.

The streets weren't too busy. It was midday and the middle of the week, and most likely, people were still at their jobs. Still, they were full of people to the point that Minghao felt the pressure of needing to always be on the move. He constantly tried to go with the flow of the crowds while trying to find an establishment he could eat at, preferably something to quell his growing homesickness.

He stumbles across what seems to be a small business with very familiar-looking signs. Bingo! It's a Chinese restaurant! He thanks whatever force managed to lead him here before he enters the restaurant. The distinct smell of the classic spice mix calms his nerves, and his posture relaxes significantly.

The man at the counter doesn't look up from his paper, pointing at a booth near the back where Minghao could set his stuff before ordering. The curt behavior of the man doesn't phase him; in fact, it comforts him. He sets his bag down before standing at the counter, reading over the signs that were both in Mandarin and English. He starts ordering his food in Mandarin, finally getting the man at the counter to notice him. He nods in understanding, taking his order diligently before yelling his order at the cook at the back.

He pays, nods at the man again, and gets situated at his table. Getting comfortable with the smell of the food cooking and the chatter of the people around him. He fiddles with his phone a little, mindlessly scrolling through Instagram to see what his friends are up to. Mingyu got another modeling gig, Jungkook with his new single, and Dokyeom got to play Orpheus in Hadestown.

Soon enough, he doesn't realize how much time has passed, only noticing that his food was ready when the waitress hurriedly slides his food onto the table and takes his table number. Mumbling thanks, which he believes she ignores, Minghao starts to eat his food.

This is so good, actually; I need to post this to my story.

Minghao took a picture of his food. The digital camera shutter almost distracted him from the sound of someone bumping into the table next to him.

“Oh! Sorry, sorry!” A feminine voice said, frantically apologizing to the patron at said table, holding her hip. She desperately tried to wipe up anything that was spilled, apologizing profusely. Minghao got up from his table and offered to help her, wiping up the mess with her like the gentleman he was. Once the table was free from any spills, she apologized again to the person at the table and Minghao for troubling him.

“It’s fine; accidents happen all the time. Just be more mindful next time.” He says calmly, returning to his booth before a smaller hand grabs his arm.

“Uh, I can't find a place to sit. Would you mind sharing a table with me?” she asked shyly but politely. Minghao shakes his head no. Offering her a polite smile as they walk back to their now shared table, she leaves her items in his care before going to order her food.

Minghao finally gets to enjoy the food he ordered. The decadent aroma was mouth-watering, and most importantly, it reminded him of home. It helps warm him up, literally and figuratively. He chews slowly, savoring the flavors of his food as usual. He'd always been a slow eater, slow enough for the lady he shares a table with to get her food and finish eating with him.

They both get up from their table with a curt nod of acknowledgment. Thinking this would be the last time they'd ever interact, Minghao didn't bother introducing himself. And neither does she.

Yet, Minghao can't seem to shake the feeling of disappointment once he leaves her.

Minghao finally arrives at his apartment, ready to settle down after a long day of exploring the city and taking photos of places that inspire him. He closes the door, running a hand through his hair to look around the living room.

He nearly dropped his camera when he saw the girl from the restaurant staring back at him, and he almost dropped the tray of paints from the shock.

“What are you doing here?!” She asked, surprised and on alert. Minghao could only guess what emotions she was going through at that moment. A random man she met once is suddenly in her apartment. Oh dear.

Minghao starts to feel panic settle into him, too. Both of them look like deer in headlights, trying to make sense of the situation.

“Oh- uh- fuck, I live here!” Minghao says frantically, holding both his hands up in a show of innocence, showing his copy of the keys to their apartment.

Her posture immediately relaxed a little, “Oh uh, so, you're my roommate? I'm Y/n, by the way.” She says, still a little weary of him. He doesn't blame her; he did come in unannounced.

“It's nice to meet you again, I mean. I'm Minghao. Let's try to get along for this mentorship program, yeah?” He says, scratching the back of his head. “I'm gonna go head to bed; I'm exhausted from all the traveling, so uh, yeah.”

Minghao hoped his exit wasn't too awkward. Maybe it was, but he was too tired to deal with the intricacies of small talk. He changed his sheets quickly, throwing the old sheets into the wash before doing his nightly routine. He crashed into his new, cool sheets and drifted off into dreamland.

It was the next morning, and the warmth of the sunlight was seeping in through the cracks between the curtains. He blinks away the sleep from his eyes, rubbing his face into his palms. He sits up and shakes his head to fight off the rest of his fatigue. He was always a morning person, but the jetlag is making it a bit too difficult for him to uphold that.

His morning routine was simple: shower, get dressed, make-up and hair, breakfast, and out. He rarely breaks from this simple pattern, which consistently makes life easier for him. So it came as a surprise to him that he didn't have to make breakfast this time since his roommate kindly left a portion for him.

He thinks this is such a nice gesture to leave for the guy who scared her half to death yesterday. Maybe this was a sort of peace offering to make getting along easier? Either way, he won't complain—it's just another thing to make his life a little easier.

His roommate is nowhere to be seen, most likely already on his way to the studio to meet their mentor. So Minghao also leaves the apartment, making sure to lock the door on his way out. He pops his headphones on, listening to his favorite commute playlist with a lightness in his step, his messenger bag slung over his shoulder.

The train ride to the studio was calm; the morning train was much less busy than the afternoon one he took when he arrived, so he got the opportunity to sit down and enjoy the book he recently got. It was a story about two soulmates finding each other in the middle of a city that was new to both of them; he thinks that maybe he's starting to lean into the hopeless romantic stereotype that his friends would always compare him to, which, he could never beat the allegations.

His mind drifts to his art, and he describes how the romanticization of life became a heavy inspiration for his work. Minghao loves the strokes of color on the canvas as much as he loves life, and his passion for existence weaves itself between the fibers of his canvas.

After being snapped out of his daydreams by the conductor, he feels a sense of deja vu; he finds himself in his head constantly these days. He is always such a dreamer.

The doors of the train open with a mechanical hiss, old rails squeaking under the friction. He thinks the train still needs to go through the desperately needed maintenance. Same train, same. He thought to himself, stuffing his book back into his back with a huff.

Minghao takes in the scenery around him; this part of the city is much less busy than where his apartment was, so he could finally appreciate the city's beauty without the pressure of constantly having to be on the move.

His mentor's building comes into view. It is an older building; the exterior has long since been weathered, but history still makes it gorgeous. He noticed that buildings, most of them having yet to be touched since they were first built, added a charm to an otherwise monotonous city.

He pushes in the door, noting that his only option for getting to the studio is a set of ancient, creaky wooden steps. Minghao is lightheaded from looking at the flight of stairs, so he doesn't bother counting how many floors he has to climb just to get to his mentor.

I have to climb this every day. I don't need to bother with leg day here. He thought to himself, already making the long trek up the stairs.

It wasn’t that long—about 5 minutes of walking time—but it felt like an eternity to him. Walking was no issue; walking upstairs? Torture. The first treadmill was a step design, so it may not be an exaggeration.

Minghao finally reaches the top of the stairwell, pausing to catch his breath in an attempt to look presentable to his mentor and possibly his roommate. He stands by the door for a while, mentally preparing himself for the first day of the program. He arrives earlier than the agreed-upon time, so he's not in a rush to make his presence known.

He takes his water bottle out of his bag, puts cool water in it, and helps his poor self finally calm down from his mini workout. He curses whoever designed this stairwell. A five-story building should have an elevator, and arguing that it doesn't need one feels like a hate crime.

He stops himself before arguing with fictitious architects, who are probably long gone, about how old the building looks. Anyway, he finally has a hand on the doorknob to the studio; taking a deep breath one last time, he twists the knob and pushes the door open, the old wood creaking in protest from the force of him opening it. He cringes internally, the squeak passing straight through his skull, making him want to grind his teeth in annoyance.

Still, he doesn’t show his disdain for this geriatric building on his face since his mentor and roommate both whip their heads around to see him at the doorway. Suddenly, having two sets of eyes on you doesn't help the nerves.

He offers a polite smile, successfully fighting his grimace with a more pleasant expression. Both his mentor and roommate smile back. He noticed his mentor was a lot more relaxed than when he first met him, which makes sense. He is where he's most comfortable—in his very own studio.

Minghao feels the same about his tiny studio back home. He steps further into the bright studio, closing the door behind him. The studio's top floor and many large windows bring loads of natural light, making it feel more comfortable and inviting. Couple that with the fact that it's in a relatively quiet part of the city, and he feels as if his mentor really put thought into every detail of his permanent studio.

Minghao wonders when he will be able to get the studio of his dreams in his art career, but for now, he admires the studio. His mentor greets him and urges him to explore and get acquainted with the space. Since he'll be spending most of his time here in Amsterdam. Minghao nods, dropping his bag on the cubbies near the door and carefully walking around the studio, avoiding the items and canvases scattered around the floor. His mentor seemed to have an organized chaos mindset, seemingly not bothered by the mess or the health hazard tripping on any of these might cause.

He finds it amusing how much of his mentor he finds out about just from looking around his workspace. He has a husband, married young, it seems. He has twin girls, who he can only assume are grown now. He used to have a dog, a poodle named ‘Cloud’ despite being a black poodle. He made prints of older paintings before sending them off to an auction for fundraisers. He remembers those fundraisers very fondly, it seems.

Minghao also finds the bathroom and takes note of its location for future use; he’s definitely going to use that. He joins his mentor and roommate by the window, then takes the time to drink their morning coffee and watch the birds. His mentor offers him coffee, but Minghao asks if he has tea. His mentor confirms that he does and points toward his pantry, which is just a wooden cubby that he appropriated to be a pantry after he got tired of getting his snacks off the floor, sighting back pains.

Minghao calmly prepares his tea, passively listening to the conversation between his mentor and roommate. They seem to get along well. Maybe his mentor has some fondness for her because she reminds him of his daughters. He could only guess, though.

Minghao finishes making his tea and finally joins them by the window. “Are you guys birdwatching?” he asks, joining in the conversation.

“Yes! Mr. Jones was talking about how his youngest loved visiting his studio just to view the birds.” His roommate answers, his mentor confirming it. Though he does mention that she doesn’t visit as often—after all, she has a family of her own now—when she visits, she brings his grandchildren with her, which makes the old man happy.

He adopted his twin girls pretty early in life, seeing them as inspiration for most of his work. The way his mentor talks about his family and life with so much pride makes Minghao think about his future. He wonders if he’ll ever be as proud of his life as his mentor is, but considering he’ll be learning everything this man can offer, he’s pretty confident about that, at least.

After finishing their morning drinks, his mentor started his first assignment for them, one of many he’d assign throughout the program. His mentor was a patient and calm man. His instruction and tips for injecting emotion into your piece were very cohesive; it was almost like he got it down to a science. His enthusiasm and passion for his work were truly remarkable, and getting to witness it and learn from him felt surreal.

Minghao feels proud of having the opportunity to have him as a mentor. At the end of the day, instead of feeling exhausted, he's excited to learn more from him tomorrow.

You and Minghao are heading home together after a long day with your mentor, walking silently through the streets; you think that maybe he just doesn't like you, seeing how he practically jumps at every accidental graze of your hands with each other.

You don't really blame him either; your first impression wasn't exactly the greatest, seeing as someone cussed you out in the middle of a Chinese restaurant. That impression was a strong one, but unfortunately, not a good one.

Minghao and you shuffle into the same train car, getting pressed together as a consequence of rush hour. You try not to think about what your roommate, who is basically still a stranger to you, feels like. He's warm, and you can definitely feel that he is in shape. You definitely try not to think about how tall he is or how handsome he is.

He's so polite, too, and very gentlemanly. He's always conscious of his movement and language around you, protecting you from being squeezed in this tiny train car without him even noticing. It was basically second nature to him.

Oh, you're never going to survive with this man for a year; you're definitely not going to stay sane with him living with you. Your mind starts reeling, cursing whatever deity thought it was funny to send over a walking wet dream of a roommate to your sex-deprived self.

You'd hope Minghao doesn't notice how you fought for your life, trying to have decent thoughts. You felt extremely guilty for thinking of him as such, he's just minding his business, and you're acting like some horny teenager. You hope you don't offend him with how much you flinch in every interaction with him.

The last thing you'd want is for him to think he was the problem.

Luckily for you, Minghao always seemed to be in his head most of the time, mindlessly picking at the stitching of his shirt and spacing out, it seems. At least you don't have to worry about him secretly being a mind-reader. The chances are low, but they're never zero.

You also take this as an opportunity to start spacing out, looking out the window to watch the buildings and trees pass by quickly, enjoying the golden glow of the setting sun over the city. This scene makes you feel bittersweet, as if another day has passed.

You wanted nothing more than to crash in your bed and sleep until the next morning, but for now, in the middle of this train car, you had to be vigilant of your surroundings. Not just because you're a newbie to this place but because you absolutely cannot get so distracted that you start to lean into your roommate like some deranged weirdo subconsciously.

The train conductor announcing your stop seemed to snap both you and Minghao out of your daydreams. “Could I hold onto you? I don't wanna get swept up in this crowd,” you asked politely, unable to meet his eyes.

“Uh, sure, hold on.” He said, adjusting his messenger bag so it doesn't block your reach of his arm.

Minghao navigates the flowing crowd with a form of familiarity. It surprised you how well he managed to adjust to the movement of such a busy city. Then again, he could have already come from a much busier city than Amsterdam. Still, you need to learn more about him to make assumptions.

Minghao weaves the two of you through the crowds and out of the station, successfully reaching fresh air once you make it to a calmer sidewalk that was already near your apartment. You wanted to ask him so many questions. You realistically had a little over a year to do so, yet you know how quickly a year actually goes by, so you wanted to work quickly, but not too quickly, that you scare the poor man away.

Arriving at your apartment, Minghao fishes his keys out of his pocket to unlock the door, opens it, and gestures for you to enter first. You say a small ‘thank you’ before entering, taking your shoes off at the entrance and hanging up your coat.

Minghao follows you after you hear the door click behind you. The shuffling of his items as they are hung indicates that he is settling down for the day.

“Hey, Minghao?” You start, wanting to lead a conversation to eliminate the awkwardness between you and your roommate; he hums, fully turning his body to you as if to signal that he is listening. “I just wanted to know what you thought of Mr. Jones. You know, not as a mentor, but as a person.” You asked, thinking it was a safe place to start getting to know him.

He thinks about it momentarily, “I can't say right now; I've only ever known him as a leading force in the contemporary circle, but other than that? Not much. Judging from his relationship with his daughters, he seems like a good father and good husband, as he still spoke about his husband fondly and was pleasant to be around. But other than that, I don't know.” He shrugged, “Why do you ask?”

“Oh, I don't know,” You answer truthfully, “I like him a lot; he reminds me of my dad somewhat, you know, except maybe less of a religious nut.” You joke, gauging to see Minghao's reaction to it; luckily for you, Minghao finds it funny. Offering a restrained pfft- at your quip.

“Yeah, I get that; my dad was the same too. But I like him a lot less than Mr. Jones.” He said through laughter, running his hands through his hair. “I'll go take a shower; see you around, Y/n.”

And with that, he disappears into his en-suite.

You celebrate the tiny progress you made with your roommate, and you get to exchange words with him that aren't just common pleasantries. This motivates you to fan the spark of this new friendship, and maybe more, if you play your cards right.

It's too early to say you liked him, but he is objectively very attractive. So you can't really blame yourself for ogling at him. Respectfully, of course.

You also prepare for your night routine, opting to go through your entire skincare routine for the first time in forever after showering. You put on your best pajamas and tuck yourself into bed, dreaming of the day your hot roommate sees you how you want him to.

Kidding, not really.

Minghao has yet to learn what he's doing.

He'd been staring blankly at his canvas for what seemed like a solid 20 minutes, these inner thoughts fighting for dominance and splattering their metaphorical blood all over the pristine canvas.

He wanted to paint something so badly, but alas, getting struck with a severe art block on the second day of his mentorship felt like a sick joke from fate. His mentor watches over their shoulders, monitoring their progress. He seemed to notice Minghao's growing frustration from being stuck, “I think you should take a break, son. You should enjoy some tea by the window and clear your mind to make room for new ideas.” he said gently with a hand on Minghao’s shoulder.

Minghao agrees with him, finally setting his brush down to make his tea as usual before getting comfortable on one of the chairs by the window. He watches the trees sway in the wind, the birds playing on a random rooftop, and the clouds drifting slowly. All of these help calm his racing mind, which is preoccupied with so many things to think about that he doesn't have room to think about new ideas.

Minghao has a nasty habit of overthinking and holding onto ideas that no longer serve him a purpose. He thinks back to the first time he did this, the day he decided to become an artist. He's always known that he wanted to be an artist. He was eight at the time, telling his parents about his dreams for the future.

Unfortunately, they disapproved of such plans. The first thought Minghao ever held onto was, “You need to aspire to get a real job, not just some useless skill that will leave you with no money.”

The second thought Minghao held onto happened at around the age of 17, just before graduating high school. He decided not to go to college, seeing that he still held out hope that he could become a great artist one day. He wanted to prioritize honing his skills, and his parents, once again, didn't approve of that.

That was the first time he ever felt fear from his parents. Before, he was only met with stern lecturing and maybe being grounded, but he never saw his dad that angry before or ever since. Since that day, Minghao has held onto the following: “If you're going to choose to throw your life away, then so be it. Just don't come crawling back here when you end up on the streets!”

Minghao doesn't want to recall the last thought he held onto; the memory is still fresh and feels like a weapon being used against him. He wished it didn't turn out that way, but it did. And there's nothing he could do to change the facts.

Minghao savors the flavors of his tea before finally trying his best to get rid of all those thoughts he holds onto. He's far away from his parents, far away from the people who could hurt him, and far away from the past.

He finally stops overthinking as soon as he sets his cup down, wiping off his palms on his pants before joining his roommate and mentor again. His head was finally free of any troubles he might've had. But he knows he's never truly free, only temporarily setting it aside to focus on his current goals.

He feels a sense of pride while he is painting this time. Strokes of vibrant color dance across the weaving of the canvas, and his brush glides smoothly and freely across it, finding a path of its own, making its mark like it was always meant to do.

In a way, it was freeing to paint without the pressure of making it look ‘good’, Minghao only had to focus on laying a color down the way it wanted to lay, and this show of emotion sparked a flame of determination in Minghao that he thought he lost so long ago.

Minghao finally sees the colors for what they are again, and in a way, he starts falling in love with creating again. His joy is evident on his face, and the controlled strokes slowly turn into free ones with every passing moment.

He looks away from his canvas once to look at you, and he smiles the biggest smile you've ever seen on him. And you realize his smile is contagious, absolutely stunning in a way you've never felt before.

That smile was detrimental to your poor little heart, your small crush on him only worsening. You think it's a bit unfair that the universe had to dangle such a gorgeous specimen in front of you. You didn't even have an idea if he was single or not. He could have a wife and kids back home and you'd be none the wiser.

Still, you enjoy his company while you can. After all, it's not like you applied for this mentorship just to mingle. You were here to learn under a great artist, and to gain the experiences necessary to advance your career and skill.

Having a hot roommate is a nice touch, though.

“Hey Minghao?” You ask from the living room, looking up from your book to look at him in your tiny kitchen.

“Yeah?” He replied, not looking up from the stove. It was the weekend, and Minghao offered to make dinner as you’ve been making breakfast for the past few days.

“Are you in a relationship? If you don’t mind me asking.” You asked, the question has been bugging you for a while now, ever since you realized your tiny crush. You’d feel incredibly guilty if he was in a relationship and you tried shooting your shot with him.

“No. But why do you ask?” He said simply, focusing more of his attention to not burning the food. Stir-frying the noodles with familiarity.

“Nothing, I just thought about it.” You paused, “We’re friends, right?” You finished with a question, thinking that maybe your line of questioning might be too much for someone who doesn’t even consider you more than a roommate.

“Of course. I like your company, I don’t have a reason to try and alienate you.” He said, now with more focus on you as he turned the fire of the stove down. Plating your food in one of the plates your apartment came with.

“Cool. We’re cool.” You said a little awkwardly, thinking that maybe your questioning was a bit too on the nose. Even if he wasn’t a mind-reader, he’ll surely be able to tell that you’re interested in him just from your weird line of questioning in recent days. Surely Minghao isn’t dense.

Minghao called you over to your dining room table, saying that dinner was already served. You rise from your comfortable position on the couch, making your way over to the tiny table in the space between the living room and kitchen.

“I hope you like the food, it's something I always used to make in college. It was one of the few luxuries I could afford, but it’s still very delicious,” he said, serving you a portion before taking some for himself.

“Thank you for making dinner. This looks amazing, I’m honored to try it.” You said, taking in the sight of the food that Minghao made with care. Minghao feels a sense of pride from your praise, sure, he’s not the best cook, but he’s definitely proud of the progress he made in recent years.

Cooking was one of the first skills Minghao had to learn when he got kicked out of his parents’ place. Having focused all his energy on studying before, he only really had the time to learn how to take care of himself once he was on his own.

Watching you eat his food enthusiastically made Minghao unexpectedly happy. Sharing something he was proud of is often how he tries to get close to people, the little piece of vulnerability made him feel closer to them, like offering a piece of himself to them.

To you, this may have felt like a simple dinner, a meal between two friends in the comfort of their own home. But to Minghao, this was him accepting you into his space. Finally being comfortable enough to associate you to a dish he holds almost sacred.

The days easily turned into weeks, weeks into months, and before you knew it, it's already six months into your mentorship program. The days began to blur into each other, the most interesting thing that happened in the six months was your budding relationship with your roommate, whom you found out to be as much of a hopeless romantic as you are.

Your weekdays were spent at the studio, diligently working under your mentor and improving your art. While your weekdays were spent unwinding and spending time with your new friend. Minghao's taste in movies doesn't differ much from yours, opting to watch romantic movies with happy endings.

It was during one of these movie nights that Minghao asked you a question, “Do you believe in true love? ‘The one’, so to speak. Someone that is a perfect fit for you as you are to them.”

You think about this question for a bit, “Yeah, I do. It's a little silly to ask for perfection, but if someone is perfect to you, I think that's pretty plausible. Though, I do think true love is more of a choice than just aimlessly searching for them, you know?” You answered carefully, eyes still glued to the tv screen.

“I see,” Minghao started, “do you have an idea what your ‘one’ might be like?” He asked, this time a little more determined to get a more pointed answer from you.

“Not necessarily, but I already have a feeling that I know them already.” You said, relaxing and leaning back onto the couch, “Or, at least I hope I do. And I hope they see me like that too.” You sighed, wishful thinking taking over you again.

Over time, your little crush on Minghao had grown into a genuine romantic interest, especially since learning that he was single a few weeks ago, you started to see him in a different light. Almost as if the confirmation of his availability gave your subconscious the green light to start thirsting over him like a horny teenager.

It also didn’t help that he got comfortable enough to walk around the house shirtless, or worse, with just a towel loosely around his hips, sitting low as he’s fresh out of the shower. This put you in a loop, almost all thoughts being occupied by him in a sick and twisted way.

Some days, you convince yourself that Minghao does this on purpose, trying to kill you in the reflection of the light from his sweet, wet abs.

“Y/n?” He said, breathless. With a whiny tone in his naturally airy voice.

“Hao? You’re back from your run?” You ask from the kitchen. Trying not to think about how delicious his voice sounded.

“Yeah, I picked up some bread on the way back. Thought it’s go well with the soup you’re making.” He replied as he placed a paper bag of fresh bread on the counter. You turn away from the stove to check out the selection he brought back.

“Hm, you got good taste. I didn’t expect any less.” You say with a proud smile, Minghao’s chest fills with a sense of pride as well. It was always validating to hear from someone else that they trusted your judgment.

The two of you had the day off today, your mentor visiting his daughters somewhere on the other side of the country. Giving the two of you free reign to settle chores that you haven’t been keeping up with.

Minghao offers to help you set the table, but you tell him to take a shower first. Letting that sweat dry on him might make him sick. Or worse, sticky.

He laughs that off, “Oh please, I think you’d want that.” He said suggestively.

That was a new development too. Minghao is getting bolder with his jokes. His jokes were always tasteful, never trying to push your boundaries. But sometimes you wish he did, just so you’d have the excuse to tell him how much you wanted him.

But for now, with Minghao not showing any interest in acting upon his suggestive jokes, you swallow down the urge to jump his bones. For now, at least.

Your mentor returned from his family visit the next day, with an assignment for both of you.

Sitting in the studio as usual, your mentor explains what your assignment entails, and how it’ll most likely span the rest of your time here in Amsterdam. He took it upon himself to assign it as a final project for the two of you, finishing this would finish their apprenticeship.

“A local cathedral reached out to me looking for my services. They wanted a mural painted for the interior because it started to look a little too clean after renovations. I think this would be a good opportunity for the two of you to show me what you’ve learned. I give you half a year to finish it, and then, you’ll be done with your mentorship.” He said, voice wispy like a proud father recalling the time when his children were just small, not looking at them, all grown up, he can’t help but tear up.

You and Minghao look at each other, unable to fathom this amazing opportunity that has presented itself to you. You and Minghao eagerly accept the offer, excitedly heading out to check out the said church so you two can plan out what to do for the mural.

The people attending the church are already briefed on the situation, happily showing you around their shiny new church, happy to find new artists to commission for this project. You and Minghao take photos of the interior, wanting to plan around the implements and fixtures, to give everything a cohesive look.

You and Minghao do this for hours walking around the city to look for inspiration along the way, taking in all the sights you didn’t have the chance to take in before. The city was filled with inspiration, ideas flowed out the both of you like a river, and it was so easy to find passion for this project. With a giant canvas and free reign to paint whatever, you and Minghao felt like kids at a candy store.

But suddenly, the sky started to grumble, clouds darkening in a tell-tale way. You hadn’t anticipated the rain, so you both scramble to find shelter as the rain starts to pour. Taking shelter under the awning of an abandoned shop, you both watch as the rain pools and puddles around you. You turn to Minghao, he was a little damp but relatively dry, water dripping from his hair, soaking into his clothes. His mouth was slightly parted from panting, the unexpected run knocked the wind out of both of you.

At that moment, Minghao looked delectable.

“Hao?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I kiss you?”

He only smiles at your question, leaning down to softly press his lips to yours. He had an arm around your waist to pull you closer to him, pressing his body to yours. You can feel the warmth of his skin radiating under his clothes, warming you up from the chill of the rain.

You felt a little light-headed, not just from the lack of air, but because you didn’t expect a random blurt of your desire would lead to Minghao kissing you breathlessly. Not that you’re complaining, not at all, in fact, this made you want him more, softly moaning against his lips before pulling away, remembering that you’re in public.

“Oh, wow, um.” You start, heads still spinning from the dizzying kiss Minghao had pulled you into.

He just laughed his signature laugh, joy coursing through his veins. How could he not be happy? An amazing opportunity to advance his career, getting to spend the day in the city with someone he cares deeply for, and getting to kiss her in the rain? Oh, he’s weak in the knees.

This day was perfect, you were perfect. Minghao couldn’t ask for anything more.

You and Minghao started the mural for the cathedral, buzzing with excitement for your first big project, as well as your budding romantic relationship with him. The two of you work on opposite ends of the mural, working to meet each other halfway, and taking the time to get the details down before moving on to the next section.

In a way, this was reminiscent of how you and Minghao are taking the steps to make this relationship work. Though unlikely that you’d meet like this, you still did, and you’d like to believe it was fate. Both of you agreed not to put a label on it just yet, just enjoying each other's company, and exploring the possibilities of this new romance.

You sneak glances at him every so often, his face scrunched in concentration, focusing on perfecting the sections of the mural he assigned himself to. And sometimes, when he looks back at you, his face instantly relaxes and glows. You love how expressive his face is, almost as if you could tell what he was thinking about at any point. It comforts you how open he is, knowing that he looks at you with genuine affection and adoration. It's fun, it's freeing to feel this way about someone who feels just as strongly.

The two of you worked on the mural until lunch when the two of you decided to take a short break, “Maybe I’ll take this opportunity to take you out on a proper date.” He said cheekily, offering his arm for you to hold.

“Oh, that’d be great. We keep passing by this one restaurant that I’ve been dying to try.” It was an open-concept place, clean and modern but it didn't give off “steak dinner” vibes, it just seemed like a nice sit-down place to have lunch or brunch, if you’re of the local housewife type.

Asking the waitress at the front for a table for two, the two of you were promptly seated at a table facing the street, offering the both of you the menu. Apparently, the menu changes seasonally, this time they offered a variety of vegan dishes, which intrigued you. You never realized vegetables could be cooked in so many different ways.

Your food was served, and the conversation between you and Minghao flowed like free orange juice refills. You both enjoy your lunch, more than you usually do, you don’t know if the food was actually good, or if the company just made it better, but either way, you don’t think you could enjoy a meal without Minghao anymore.

He’s just so charming, kind, and funny. So, so funny. The tables around you started to look at you two funny for all the giggles coming from your table specifically. The restaurant being open-air doesn’t even help to dampen the sounds of your joy, even the hustle and bustle of the street fade to the background with him. It’s just you, and Minghao, and the delicious veggies the two of you decided to have for lunch.

Lunch was over before you realized it. Minghao flags down the waitress, asking for the bill and paying for it himself, much to your protests. Yet, those fall on deaf ears as he winks at you. Offering his arm for you to take again before walking back to the cathedral to continue working on your mural.

The two of you continue to act like love-struck fools, much to the church staff’s chagrin, but it's not like either of you cared, you enjoy his company, and you, his. You haven’t brought up the kiss from before, but you wanted to, mainly to ask him for another one.

Minghao really wasn’t the type for much skinship, but it’s not as if he’s opposed to it. If you asked, he’d comply. He’s willing to do many things for you, or with you. Minghao thinks it’s too early to call it love, definitely, but it’s really really close to it.

He adores you to no end, no words could describe how much you became an important part of his life in just a few short months. And getting to work with you on this? He almost couldn’t believe it.

Growing up, he always thought love like this only happened in movies or books. But he’s living it right now. He’s living in Europe, doing what he loves the most, and finding an unexpected light in his life. Maybe life does have things worth worrying about.

Still, ever present in Minghao’s thoughts, is the sinking feeling of anxiety. It’s ugly, rearing its head whenever it can. The last time he felt this strongly about something, it nearly broke him. Minghap always felt too hard, nothing is ever ‘just’ happy or ‘just’ sad for him. His loyalty and devotion is both a blessing and a curse.

And yet, he still believes in love.

He’s a hopeless romantic, even if it’s scary, even if it’ll hurt, he still holds onto hope that he could get away with it. Making a religion of your lips, worshiping the false god that is your adoration for each other.

It’s ironic to think like that in the middle of a cathedral he thinks, yet, he’s not guilty, not after what the church has done to him, to his once level-headed father.

It was another day of working on the mural, this time, you and Minghao worked until the late hours of the night, until all the church staff bid both of you goodnight, leaving you two to work in the dim light of the chandelier.

“Hey, have I ever told you that this is the first time I went inside a church since I was seventeen?” Minghao started, concentrating on his section of the mural, painting the rosy cheeks of a cherub.

“Huh? No, you haven’t. Why did you stop going to church? If you don’t mind me asking.” You said, a little startled from being broken out of your concentration.

“It’s simple really, my values didn’t align with the church anymore. And, I may have been in love with a man at the time.” He joked, chuckling at the end of his sentence as if he was reminiscing about something humorous.

You nod, “You know, I haven’t been in a church for about as long.” you say, setting your brush down to continue speaking, taking a short break to avoid cramping your hand. “I didn’t like how I was basically brainwashed all my life to devote my time and soul to the church, I didn’t feel a connection to religion anymore, not after what my group told me after what that priest did to me.”

Minghao’s expression softened, shoulders dropping with his grip on the brush relaxing. “That’s terrible, I’m sorry that happened to you.” He said, also resting his brush. He walked towards you, offering a hand to help you get off the floor. You take his hand, muttering thanks, and you follow him to the back of the church, in the pews nearest to the altar.

“You know, sometimes I feel as if some unknown force led us to meet each other.” Minghao started, “Think about it, how is it that we’re the only two people in the mentorship program, and how have we managed to fit together so perfectly? I think,” Minghao pauses to lick his lips, “if it were anyone else, I wouldn’t have felt this way about them.”

“I know that confession was a little misplaced, especially after what you just told me. But I just wanted to give you context for my offer,” He said, taking your hand, the warmth of his palm radiating to yours, warming it up, “I want to give your power back to you, I like you a lot, too much really. Ever since that first day, you made me breakfast. And I’d do anything to take that pain away from you.”

“Minghao…” You said, “I like you a lot too. I’m flattered by your confession, and so moved by your offer. But I can’t seem to figure out what your offer is supposed to mean.”

“You were attacked at a church, violently, as if your body wasn’t yours for a time. I want to override those memories with ours, make it your choice. To have an outlet for your anger.”

You openly gape at him, not believing his offer. He wanted to…?

“Minghao, I want you.”

It felt cathartic to say that, especially in a place you’d never think to say that. It was satisfying as if a weight had been lifted from you, the burden of memory weighing on your chest being removed, like the first time you could breathe freely again.

Mingahao gently cups your cheek, stroking the flushed skin with the pad of his thumb, slowly turning your head to face him, his lips hovering over yours, “I want you too.” He said before locking lips with you.

Your hands immediately find their place at the back of his neck, fingers threading to the soft ends of his hair, pressing him closer to you, the warmth of his body radiating through his clothes. Your skin felt hot, like desire was just boiling under your skin, blooming on the surface as a flush of red. Minghao crowds you, kissing you with want, with need. He kissed you, letting his hands do what his lips wanted to, his faith turning into despair. The tragedy of not having a taste of your skin yet, swirls in his gut, manifesting in desperation. He kissed you with urgency, as if this was the only chance to have you like this, his greed taking over his thoughts as it filled his mind with images of you in the most depraved positions, your usually clean image tainted with evidence of his lust.

After all, Minghao is just a man, a man who now finds religion in your lips.

He reluctantly parts from you, surprising you with his strength but lifting you suddenly, walking the short way to the altar. His plans dawn on you as soon as you feel the cool marble under you, eyes rolling to the back of your head as you lock your lips with his again, moaning pathetically and the feeling of his palms snaking their way under your shirt, squeezing and kneading the flesh, taking handfuls of it as he needed it.

He parts from your lips with a whine, panting for air like just running a marathon. He only parts from you for a second, only for his mouth to connect with your jaw, placing open-mouthed kisses on it. Goosebumps litter your skin, his simple touch leaves you shivering in a way you didn’t think was possible. Your legs part and Minghao takes his place between them, now sucking and biting marks into your skin, maroon blooms all over your collarbones, as you pull him impossibly close, bodies flush together perfectly as if it was always meant to be.

You paw at his jacket, wanting to feel him without the barriers of fabric between the two of you. He frantically shrugged his jacket off, and pulled his shirt over his head without being prompted, using his weight to press you down into the marble altar. Takes his time to unbutton your shirt, kissing the skin with every button he undoes.

Warmth ripples under your skin like drops hitting the surface of a still body, each kiss sending a spark of heat directly to your core. Simple, but powerful. The way Minghao delicately worships your skin made a sense of serenity wash over you like a wave, crashing over your restless state.

Minghao rises to meet your lips, again, swallowing the sound of your moans, nipping at your lips. His hard cock presses into your core through his pants, layers of fabric between the places where you needed each other the most. Desperation turns into slight relief from the pressure of your bodies pressing together.

He takes his time to strip you of your effects, taking time to peel it off of you with care. This is the first time he's seen you in such a compromising position, yet you don't feel pressured or nervous at all. The way he looks at you, it's as if you hung the stars in the sky one by one, just for you to take them in your eyes, a galaxy of secrets waiting to be uncovered; and you're willing to let him explore.

Minghao falls to his knees, fingers pressing into the flesh of your thighs. He presses kisses on your kneecap, slowly inching his way to your core, lips brushing against your skin, making you shiver. You watch as his head of hair reaches the apex of your thighs, placing a kiss on your pelvis, right above where you need him.

He looks up at you briefly, eyes locking with yours as if asking for permission to just dive right in. You nod, giving him the silent permission to do so. He smiles, his eyes fluttering shut as his mouth connects with your core, lips wrapping around your throbbing clit.

Your back arches from the marble, hands frantically searching for his head, threading your fingers through his hair to get a grip on anything. The way the wet muscle that was his tongue guided the swirl of hot desire in your stomach made you dizzy, his eyes shut tightly, and small whimpers left his lips, making you feel the vibrations.

He ate you like a starved man, “Oh, fuck, please-! Keep going!” The frantic pace of his mouth and tongue got more desperate with your praise, your encouragement made him press his face closer to your core, his jose bumping your clit, making him breathe in deep, taking in your scent.

His eyes flutter open at the smell, eyes rolling to the back of his head, and a pathetic, high-pitched whine leaves his lips. His tongue pressed against the spongey spot in your walls, immediately this sends a shiver down your spine, your moans turning into desperate whines, grinding on his mouth.

And Minghao just stops to take it, exaggerating his moans to help you over the edge.

A knot starts to form in your core, only a mixture of pleas of his name leaves your lips as you topple over the edge, reaching your high. Your orgasm was blinding, a hot, white pleasure ripped through you, your body shaking from the impact of such a powerful climax.

Minghao groans as he savors the flavor of your release, drinking it like a sacred Ambrosia. He delicately licks at your folds, careful not to bump into your sensitive clit.

After being satisfied with cleaning you up, Minghao starts to unbuckle his belt, his pants hanging low on his hips. He finally takes his cock out of his boxer briefs, the tip is red and bulbous, angry and leaking. His mouth parts with a moan, licking his plump lips, finally getting the friction he so desperately wanted.

He gets on top of you, his warmth radiating off of him in waves. He brings a hand up to brush your hair away from your face, soaking up every detail, committing the look in your eyes to memory. He looks at you with adoration, eyes clouded with lust yet still shines with the respect he has for you as a person.

In his eyes you were perfect, especially with that fucked-out look on your face, panting and shaking under him.

He kisses you again, this time with less desperation. You could taste yourself on his lips, highlighting your desire for more. He finally guides his cock to your entrance, the tip of it bumping into your clit, a gasp falling from your lips.

You look up at Minghao, a halo of many colors forming around his head, the cross-shaped stained glass behind him glowing brightly in the full moonlight. If it wasn't for the depraved things he's done to you, you'd think that he looked angelic.

Finally, he slowly pushed his cock into you, a shaky breath leaving his lips, taking every ounce of self-control to not start frantically thrusting into you, letting you take the time to adjust to his size. Minghao was bigger than you thought he'd be, the sheer size of his cock stretching you deliciously.

He pressed your foreheads together, your breathing synchronized. You open your hand on his chest, pressing your palm over his heart, you can feel the steady beating of it, and you can feel him breathe with you. The silence only amplified the feeling of being connected, a kind of vulnerability that you’ve never felt with anyone else before.

You savor his warmth, his closeness to you, before asking him to move. He nods wordlessly, not trusting his voice at the moment. He was buried to the hilt, but he slowly started to pull back until only his head stayed inside you, only to push back in, a wet, lewd squelch of your juices mixing with his echo and rung in your ears.

He started to pick up his pace, intertwining your hands together to gain leverage. “Fuck, you feel so good babe, so warm. So perfect for me.” He said lowly, mind emptying all thoughts except for the feeling of you around him. He can't get enough of you, your image infecting his mind, making a home in every crevice.

Both of you were very vocal about how good it felt, pleasure rising to a pressure that made both of you light-headed, your grip on his hand tightening with every pointed thrust to the spot where you needed him the most.

His lips meet your neck again, more maroon marks blooming over your skin, marking you with evidence of him. He separated from the skin with a wet pop, his nose brushing against your cheek, his hair tickling the skin, “Please, I need you to cum around my cock. Don't make me beg for it, please, oh- please-” he whimpered in your ear, breathless from the force he was using.

He turns to kiss you again, both of you swallowing each other's whines and moans as your desperation grows stronger.

Soon, the coil in your stomach starts to tighten again, you can't hear much over the ringing in your ears, but you do hear the wet slapping of skin together, and the ragged breathing coming from the man above you. You barely registered your own orgasm, you felt like you weren't in your body, like your soul was floating in the space where you felt neither pain nor pleasure.

Tears ran down your face, your body shaking like a leaf. Minghao watched as your juices squirted out of you, coating his cock and legs with your release. This violently sends him into his own orgasm, barely catching himself with the altar as the force of it knocks the wind out of him, his knees shaking, barely able to hold his weight up.

He almost collapsed into you with how much his body couldn't handle the sensations, his hips never ceasing even with both of your oversensitivity.

He finally stops, both of you winded from the intensity of your sex. He kisses you with finality that night, right at the altar with the light of the cross over you.

It's been months since you and Minghao started the mural, and also started hooking up. The first time you slept with him was certainly not the last. You were sure you desecrated every inch of this sacred space, as well as every corner of your shared apartment.

But, all good things come to an end.

Today was the day you finally added the finishing touches to the mural, marking the end of your program, and the end of your time in Amsterdam.

Your mentor was pleased with how it turned out, he was proud of how far the both of you have gotten in your skills. And decided to throw a party in his studio to celebrate the completion of your final project.

You and Minghao skirt around the idea of what will happen next after the program ends, enjoying the company of your mentor and the few friends you've made in Amsterdam.

It was after the party that things finally started to feel grim, each item you packed into your suitcase felt like heavy weights or a nail in the coffin of your relationship with Minghao.

You couldn't fathom going back to reality, back to your lonely apartment without the anticipation of waking up and making breakfast for him.

You realized too late that you loved him.

“What happens to us now?” His question surprised you, you didn't think he was thinking about this as hard as you were.

“Well, we go back to where we came from. Go on with our lives, I guess.” You reply, too cowardly to admit what you truly felt, as it'll only hurt more.

“That's it?” He asked incredulously, “You don't want to even try to make this work?” His tone wasn't one of anger or disappointment, Minghao had always been an expressive person, but this was something worse. Hurt.

“Minghao I-” You start, but he cuts you off,

“Well, you know what? Okay. It's okay- just… if there's ever a next time. Meet me in Amsterdam. Please, at least, try for me?”

You nod, your breathing becoming shaky as tears begin to well in your eyes. You hug him tightly, almost as if it'll be the last time you ever see him.

But no, there will be a next time. No matter how long it'll take.

You let the tears fall when the plane finally took off.

It's been several years since your time in Amsterdam, your experience there marked you in more ways than one.

Your art career found success after the mural you worked on with him received critical acclaim. Opening galleries and exhibits all around the world, people enjoy the art you made greatly.

You find yourself in the place where it all started, Amsterdam.

“So, there really is a next time, huh?” You said, your voice was calmer than you expected it to be, especially with being overcome with such intense emotions.

Minghao smiles at you, wordlessly coming in to hug you.

“I'm not letting you go, not this time.”

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tears0fsatan · 5 months ago

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☆ 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐒

✦ ⊹ ˚˖ warnings... mentions m!reader a few times but can be read as gn for the most part lol, implied romantic/queerplatonic relationship but interpret it as you like, its pretty soft man idk what to say

:¨·.·¨ ♥︎ a.n... need more dateables content on my blog sigh>.<)) i began this all the way last year in april.... (∩﹏∩) i am slowly clearing out my drafts and reqs okay!!!! (i hope the halloween special final will be out before this years halloween...)

DIAVOLO !

now, we all know he's a bit ... behind on things outside of ruling an entire realm so he most definitely had to ask barbatos and lucifer for suggestions.

he was taking you all these fancy, bougie places with a clear itinerary in mind (thanks to the influence of a certain avatar of pride) that at the end of the day felt more like a tour of devildom than a date.

on the last of his planned out date, it ended up raining and the two of you somehow spent the last couple of hours talking to each other underneath the shade of a tree where you found out that all the dates were thanks to diavolo's right hand men.

after that talk you finally convinced him to take you places that were dear to him and to allow you to plan future dates as well.

he insists on paying, regardless of how much you protest and tell him that you also have pride as a man (it's just something you have to deal with sorry).

take him on a date in the human realm and watch as this scary ruler of all demons turns into a big baby, fascinated with everything (now its your turn to play tour guide).

if you get him one of those cheap, silly little keychains you find in gift stores, he'd treasure it for as long as he lives.

if you get anything matching (be it a shirt, keychains, plushies, you name it), he'll have the biggest sparkling eyes you've ever seen on a living being and beg you to wear it for the rest of your time in the human realm.

his favourite dates are the ones where you and him simply enjoy a cup of tea and snacks barbatos prepared in the castles garden glass gazebo (its domestic and he likes seeing you in his 'domain' so to say).

BARBATOS !

picnics. with your favourite snacks he's prepared from as early as the night before.

appreciates every moment alone with you especially since it's rare for the two of you to be together without the others around.

he always goes for something he knows you'll like, and if you don't enjoy a particular part of the date he'll keep it in mind.

the most important part of the date to him is seeing you happy and being in your company.

thought there would never come a time where he would be peeved by diavolo calling for him until one day the demon lord forgot about his date with you and wondered where he went.

after that diavolo encouraged barbatos to go out with you more often (would not take no for an answer no matter how much barbatos tried to turn him down).

he'd be a bit hesitant to go to the human realm since he'd be so far away from diavolo but the thought of being alone with you is just so tempting (he's a demon after all) he can't decline.

if you bought him a little plush keychain TRUST it would be posed carefully in the kitchen where he can see it every day while he prepares the de facto demon kings meals.

he would take you to the most unknown and hidden spots in devildom that even diavolo wouldn't know of their existence and turn it into a frequent rendezvous spot (and perhaps it excites a small part of you, perhaps because it's more or less a secret that only you and barbatos share).

SIMEON !

simple minded. likes going anywhere with you.

gotta say though, he especially likes the way your eyes crinkle when you smile after tasting a homemade sweet treat.

doesn't have an ideal date with you but dates where you two bake together are his favourite.

also note. he will tear up if you turn the tables on him and prepare him some treats of your own specialty (his only smiles wider when he hears you grumble about being as much of a househusband as he is).

even if you make something that could rival solomon's cooking, he'd still eat it with a smile (because you made it all for him and he would be a fool to pass it up).

if you guys go out for a stroll in any of the three realms, he'd always have his hand on you (fingers intertwined with yours, arm coiled around your waist and such).

he'll find some small treasure from the date and keep it tucked away somewhere.

loves taking pictures with a polaroid so he can treasure the memories (he especially loves taking candid pictures of you, especially while eating one of his sweets of course).

be prepared to gain weight if he takes you up to the celestial realm, he will make sure you eat every single angelic dish until you couldn't do so much as waddle around.

likes taking you around the celestial realm and telling you all the stories of his past and some passed down stories from other older angels.

while passing through the many gardens of the celestial realm, he'll sneakily pluck a flower or two for you until you end up with nothing less than a small bouquet (and more often than not getting a rather lengthy scolding from michael).

SOLOMON !

you know that UR card of him where he takes you on a magic carpet ride??? yeah expect that sort of shit constantly.

he is so fond of you and your reactions and that just makes him wanna toy around with you all the more.

he's not ashamed to cause a ruckus in all three realms as long as he can see you either laugh until tears gather in the corner of your eyes or cling onto him while half heartedly yelling at him, he's willing to pull out all his little tricks up his sleeve.

he is such a menace but you can tell he puts a lot of thought and care into his surprises, you can't find it in yourself to be upset with him (and truth be told you do enjoy the rise he brings out of you).

during a rare moment of vulnerability, he'd take you around his hometown and reminisce his youth, telling tales of ancient memories that only he would remember (noting the way his eyes shone with an emotion you couldn't quite pinpoint).

never one to dwell in his nostalgia for long, he would take you to another spot and spin some hauntingly believable ghost story just to scare you (whether you believe it or not, solomon will most definitely try to sneak in a few spooks here and there especially with magic).

after he would torment you and every other living being in his vicinity, he'd like to end the day by doing something comparatively calmer and laid back, perhaps something as simple as cuddles, reading together (or maybe even him reading to you), or watching a movie.

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sofs16 · 1 year ago

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us first

thank you for this request:)))

++ added hate to reader because ………..

(after writing this i realized it’s kinda angsty oops im sorry lmk if u want me to redo this 😓)

with busy days apart and the media digging into you, sometimes there were more downs than ups in a week. charles had been off racing and being a singer, it isn’t easy to always attend.

there was a particular struggle for a while at the passionate tifosi who worshipped charles. of course you understood them, but it got to a point your faith in whether you were good enough for charles was wavering.

charles was amazing on and off camera and track. he made sure to take the relationship at a pace well for both of you. he always defended you against such comments even when he wasn’t asked to, often his pr team even scolded him for being too aggressive.

liked by charles_leclerc, carlossainz55, scuderiaferrari, and 6,799,696 others

yn nd that’s the end of our life support tour 🥹🫀🌠 thank you for being lovely, monaco!

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sharl55 🤮🤮🤮 Horrible wag. You never show up at races and are never there for Charles. He deserves better.

⤷ charles_leclerc Please stop commenting horrible things about Yn. She does support me and likewise, I support her music. I don’t deserve her.

⤷ yn i love you charlie 😭

it’s nights like these where you and charles get to see each other not through face time. your schedules aligned finally when you got to spend nights under the same comforter.

with the monaco gp this week, and the tour ending today, these were nights where you and charles stayed in.

you bought face masks and food on your way home while charles bought some wine and ingredients for baking and cooking.

you set your keys down on the table when you made it into yours and charles’ shared apartment.

“baby?” you heard from the kitchen “hey charlie” you slipped behind him and kissed his neck as he smiled, shaking his head. “you’re late” he scolded lightly.

“i know, i know! but- i was deciding if we were goijg for strawberry or cucumber face masks” you held the bag up. “you got both, didn’t you” he raised a brow “..yeah” you laughed and made a beeline to the bedroom “‘m gonna change and we can start!” “take your time!” he replied

you giggled, changing into charles’ pajamas since they were always so comfortable. you ran to the kitchen and helped charles in making the ravioli you both wanted

“that comment was so infuriating like- did you see that? the one under your post today?” he asked, stirring the pasta in the pot while you hopped on the counter top, something he always scolded you for.

“yeah… it’s okay. you didn’t have to reply but i appreciate it” you looked at your slippers as you swung them around. he sighed and walked over to you, holding your chin lightly.

“do not listen to them, okay mon amour?” he looks into your eyes “mhm” you smile, getting lost in them.

“besides…” he walks back to the pasta “they are not the ones who get to taste my amazing pasta” he holds it up proudly and you laugh, shaking your head as he puts it in your plates.

you go to the bedroom and move the blankets over to the living room as you light the candles and turn the television on. charles sets the plates on the table and you sit on the couch, waiting for him already holding your plate.

he comes back with two glasses of wine and you put on harry potter on the tv but it’s playing at a volume less than 10.

you both face each other and laugh, talking about random things going on. he talks about his nerves for the gp, especially that it’s his hometown, but he’s glad you’re coming because you haven’t been able to go to the last 4 races. charles brought ninetnedos and you both raced each other at some point.

you both eventually fall asleep on top of one another on the couch.

charles.jpg

liked by pierregasly, and 73 others

charles.jpg i love my girlfriend

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carlossainz55 sending this to yn

⤷ charles.jpg No! This is so I can obsess over her quietly.

liked by charles_leclerc, and 11,191,201 others

yn a weekend well spent with myyyy loveeee 💌

view all 2,696,606 comments

charles_leclerc That last video was not necessary😊

charles_leclerc

liked by yn, and 10,579,708 others

charles_leclerc Ma belle! My talented and beautiful girlfriend 😘

view all 1,282,696 comments

charles_leclerc Send her hate and I will send you 10000 photos of her and you will love her and you will stop.

yn my scrumptious, handsome, cutesey, fatherly, talented, fast, racer, amazing, cool, chill bf who helped me fulfill my grumpy x sunshine trope dream. loveu

⤷ charles_leclerc So much to unravel but I am NOT grumpy. ⤷ landonorris yes you are

ynchar YN AT THE PADDOCK. WE WON!

liked by charles_leclerc, and 20,282,585 others yn bet that person who called me a bad wag has never attended a gp like me 😉

view all 4,383,595 comments

charles_leclerc You should talk like this more.

⤷ yn anyone comes for my man I WILL FIGHT. I CAN FIGHT.

stcharles I love how Charles comments in every post of yn 🥹 ynsbabe petty yn is so iconic😭😭😭😭

0ferrari0_ love my queen

#f1 fanfic #f1 imagines #formula 1 #charles leclerc #charles leclerc fanfic #charles leclerc x you #social media au #charles leclerc imagine #charles leclerc 16 #charles leclerc x reader #charles leclerc one shot

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gingergofastboatsmojito · 29 days ago

Text

Jeremy and the minorities he loves to represent and apparently was born to

This post by @freedelusionshere cracked open a pattern that was right there in front of me for a while now and I hadn't really been paying attention to:

Jeremy Allen White's career choices

I won't go over every single role he ever played but overall his taste is quite distinctive and particular, he's into the marginalized, the anti-heroes, and the minorities.

He's not afraid of having to dive deep into his dark side to play addicts, disabled, depressed, suicidal, and traumatized human beings who struggle with mental health issues and don't always win their battles or are elegant about it.

His most famous roles are Lip Gallagher and Carmy Berzatto

Both addicts, the product of a traumatic upbringing with abusive parents and absent parental figures, with older siblings who played roles in his characters' lives that they shouldn't have due to the dysfunctional family dynamic they lived in.

He also played Kerry Von Erich, who lost his battle with addiction and a part of his leg as well and whose whole family was part of the problem, no matter how much they loved him. Kerry Von Erich was a fatal victim of his toxic environment and upbringing.

More about Carmy and Kerry's parallels here:

In Cornflower (short-film) Jeremy played the big half-brother of this little girl whose mother killed herself and he was in charge of "protecting" his baby sister from the news and sending her away

youtube

He's the Boss, the chef, the champ, the protector in his own fucked up way, but not really because he plays the shadow aspects of all those characters, otherwise, he's just not interested.

Jeremy once said (for GQ magazine) that if he played the romantic lead in a rom-com it would also have to be very sad.

And now, when he steps into The Boss' shoes leather jacket he doesn't play the idol, the icon, but one of his darkest moments.

Deliver me from nowhere

The movie tells The Boss' story during a time of his life that he described himself as dark and challenging, filled with isolation and loneliness.

I read Warren Zanes' novel a few months ago when I found out that JAW had been cast as the lead and LOVED IT. He also wrote Tom Petty's bio, which I haven't read yet (but definitely will because I love Petty) and served as VP of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, back when I still gave a fuck about it.

Zanes' Deliver Me from Nowhere captures that feeling completely. No wonder JAW felt compelled to play that part.

Nebraska, Springsteen's album (1982) was his 6th studio album and followed the widely successful and critically acclaimed album: The River and it was off-beat compared to its predecessors because it contained darker and more solemn lyrics but most importantly because The Boss lived up to his nickname and fought his Record label at the time (Columbia Records) refusing to tour to promote it. As a result the album only reached number 3 in both USA and the UK.

Bruce was going through a lot and having a hard time coping with fame and struggling to balance his personal life with his career, re-defining what the concept of "success" meant for him.

The book goes over that struggle and inner turmoil, it says it got to the point where the album was recorded by a Springsteen who literally couldn't get outta bed to do it. It was recorded in his bedroom.

The author says:

"Nebraska is the recording that matters the most in Bruce Springsteen's career. But not because of the hits it contains or it's renowned or because of its generation of young people played it on repeat while they searched for themselves in bedroom mirrors. It needs a different measure. Springsteen made the record when he was the object of tremendous expectations. (...) They were waiting for Born in the USA and that's not what they got, the truth was that Springsteen was a little lost."

Again, no wonder JAW got cast for this role.

I wish nothing but the best for him and I expect nothing but the best from his performance. I'm sure that it must be terrifying for him having to sing for the first time but the way I see it only 2 outcomes can come outta that: either he rocks or he's dubbed by The Boss himself who rocks even harder, so I'm cool.

This is the beast JAW has to tame (And make it relatable, moving, and hopefully award-winning):

The album's reverb-laden vocals and mood combined with dark lyrical content have been described by music critic William Ruhlmann as "one of the most challenging albums ever released by a major star on a major record label"

Source: Wikipedia.

I'm positive he can do it and I'll be there, watching and crying as he does.

Remember to follow my tag #Gingerpovs 💋

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collapsedglasshouses · 10 months ago

Text

PLEASE SHUT UP || Nick Ruffilo x fem!Reader [Part One]

DIVIDER ART WORK BY @saradika-graphics

PICTURE FOUND ON PINTEREST

REQUEST [by @yumikitten]: I'm just gonna keep on this Ruffilo train if everyone is okay with it. Ahem. What if Y/N and Nicholas got into a fight? Something that really made them snap and started yelling at each other, saying things they weren't really meaning? It could also just be something super silly tbh. We've all been there. 😅 But Nick finally gets suuuuper tired of screaming at each other and just kisses her to shut her up, which then leads to makeup sex. 😉 I could see him spitefully telling her at some point that he's gonna have to remember this if it got her to shut up so quickly. 🤣 Please don't feel obligated. 😁 My mind is just going zoom. 💕

A/N: FIRST OF ALL, I'M DEEPLY SORRY THIS TOOK ME SO LONG. I had a severe writers block over the last couple of months and couldn't bring myself to work on requests. As compensation i have decided to make a two-parter out of the request. The setting is a maybe a bit different than expected but I hope you like it anyways! Part Two will hopefully be posted soon! ♡♡♡

WARNINGS: angst, cursing, fear of failure, fighting, small room, ... (let me know if i missed something)

TAGLIST: @measuredingold @cncohshit (Let me know if you wanna be added to my general taglist!)

Ever since Y/n had been a child, she was surrounded by music. Her dad was the guitarist of a local rock band and her mom had been playing the violin since forever.

She remembered clearly how her mother had told her that one of the first things she did as a child was smash hey tiny little hands onto the piano that stood in the family’s living room.

As Y/n grew older, her taste in music also changed. Even though she had been learning to play the piano since the age of just four, she noticed how her taste shifted from soft and classical music to later pop and then heavier stuff.

Maybe it had been some kind of rebellion in her teenage years, maybe it had been her father’s taste in music that influenced her or maybe it was her first ever boyfriend who introduced her to Bring Me The Horizon, when she was just fourteen. All Y/n knew, was that she soon found herself sucked into the world of metal and metal core.

It was no shock to anyone close to her, when she was hired to play the keyboard in a band called Bad Omens.

She had met Noah through mutual friends while gaming during the pandemic and they soon became close friends. The band had been working on their third album back than and though it sounded more than good when Y/n first listened to it, Noah thought something was missing. That was when Y/n came into the picture. She had delivered them some parts that amazed the boys so much that they offered her a place in the band. She had gladly accepted it.

Since than the band had been thriving. From tours all over the world, making Y/n travel to parts of the world she had only imagined as a child, to streaming records that made her dad jump in excitement, every time she visited her hometown. Everything was going well for the band.

For Y/n in particular though, nothing was well. Nothing had been like she hoped it would be. While she had grown close to three of her bandmates, one seemingly hated her guts without explanation.

At first, Nick and she had gotten along quite well. She remembered nights where they sat outside and chatted about the most random things while seemingly not getting enough of each other’s presence.

But over time, things had changed. First, he started to distance himself to the point where it couldn’t be called anything but avoidance. Soon, the complaining began. He began to roll his eyes when she said something that made the others laugh. He started making snarky side comments every time she did something slightly different in her performance. Nothing Y/n did was good enough in Nick’s eyes and hell did it annoy her.

She couldn’t wrap her head around what she did to him to make him act that way towards her, considering she was the only one that suffered under his behavior. With everyone else, he was an angel on earth. Always sweet and caring.

Even though she missed the time where Nick acted like that with her, she began to mirror his demeanor. She began to criticize him just as much as he did with her. She was so fed up that she even started to loathe the time she needed to spend with him in one room.

Saying that was difficult was an understatement. Everyone noticed how they started to act and soon the mood started to deteriorate because of their behavior.

But the breaking point was only yet to come.

The stage was set, the lights were dimmed, and the crowd buzzed with anticipation. The band was about to kick of another concert on their tour and Y/n could feel the familiar hum of excitement and nervous energy that waved through the packed room. This was nothing new for Y/n, yet tonight was different. There was an additional weight pressing on her tense shoulders – the intense gaze of Nick, whose eyes seemed to bore into her from across the stage.

As Y/N's fingers glided over the keys, she couldn't shake the feeling that every note she played was being criticized. She stole a glance in Nick's direction, only to find his expression unreadable, yet filled with an intensity that made her uneasy. The rhythmic thump of the bass only increased her anxiety, and the once effortless connection she felt with the music began to waver.

In the midst of a song, Nick shot her a look so disapproving, Y/N lost it. She stumbled over a chord, the crooked sound echoing through the venue. Panic set in as she struggled to regain her composure. She knew the crowd hadn’t noticed but for her it was a disaster. For the rest of their set, her heart seemingly jumped out of her chest in a mix of fury and anxiety. Nick's disapproving glares persisted, each one a sharp stab at Y/N's confidence. The usually seamless collaboration between band members now felt like pure pain to Y/n. All she did for the rest of the evening was desperately trying to avoid the heavy judgment of Nick’s eyes.

As their performance ended, Y/n felt empty. Heavy tension lingered in the air when they went backstage to compliment each other on another successful concert, but Y/n couldn’t bring herself to feel good. She fucked up bad and only because Nick couldn’t stop with his childish behavior.

After Noah and Jolly comforted her for a second, she came to a stand in front of the bassist. The rest of the guys walked away to calm down, while Y/n’s eyes bore into Nick’s.

Without even thinking, she dragged him into a small room filled with technical stuff.

“What the fuck are you doing, Y/n?” Nick protested as she closed the door behind them.

“What the fuck I’m doing? Could you tell me what the fuck your problem is, Nick?” She shouted at him, not holding back one bit.

“I did nothing.” He quickly defended himself and wanted to grab the door handle, but Y/n walked between him and the exit.

“Keep your fucking judgement to yourself next time.” She warned him and looked into his blue eyes. The rage that fumed inside of her quickly caught up to him.

“Maybe don’t fuck up your notes next time.” He hissed at her.

In the dimly lit room, Y/N couldn't hold back her frustration any longer. "Nick, you can't just keep brushing off my opinions about fucking everything!"

Nick's eyes flashed with irritation. "Well, maybe if you understood music better, your opinions would matter."

The words hung in the air, heavy with tension, as Y/N shot back, "You know, not everyone worships your bass lines, dickhead!"

“Oh, come on, are we this low now?” Nick mocked her and tried to get out of the room again.

“I’m not letting you get out of this room until you finally tell me what the fuck I did to you, Nick.” She fumed at him, her back now pressed against the door.

As the argument escalated; Y/n trying to get answers, Nick trying to avoid the talk; both felt a surge of anger and hurt. But suddenly, Nick, became quiet, took a step forward, his eyes meeting Y/N's defiant gaze.

“You really don’t get it, do you?” – “What?”

Before Y/n could react, Nick grabbed her face and, with an unexpected intensity, kissed her. Time seemed to stand still as Y/n noticed what was happening. She was confused but at the same time she couldn’t bring herself to push him off her. Her eyes fluttered shut as another feeling entered her.

Need.

A feeling she had been suppressing since the second he became cold towards her. She wrapped her arms around his neck while he pressed her firmly against the door. It was a kiss full of anger, frustration but also passion as Nick devoured her lips. Soon he travelled down to her neck and even though a small Parton her was still furious about his action, she definitely needed him more than anything in this moment. He bit her exposed skin, not caring a single second about the marks he was leaving on her as she whimpered in pure bliss. When she tugged at Nick’s hair, he softly moaned against her neck, signaling her she wasn’t alone with her thoughts.

Right as his hands started to travel down her shirt, she remembered what was going on and grabbed his wrist.

A stunned silence enveloped them, broken only by Y/n’s words as they looked into each other’s eyes. "You can't just kiss me to end an argument!"

Nick looked at her with wide blown pupils. It looked like he tried to find his words, but nothing came out.

“Oh look at you, now you can’t even talk to me anymore.” Y/n mocked him with hate in her voice, before she pushed him away from her. She left the room with agony.

She hated Nick for making this whole thing even more confusing than it already was. But she knew one thing.

This was never happening again…

PART TWO COMING SOON

#bad omens fanfiction #bad omens fanfic #bad omens fic #nicholas ruffilo fanfic #nicholas ruffilo fic #nicholas ruffilo x reader #nick ruffilo fanfiction #nick ruffilo x reader #nick ruffilo fic #bad omens rpf #collapsedglasshouseswrites

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faketrex · 5 months ago

Text

Slowly but surely approaching the end of this caper... but first, Alex and Henry need to kick off their best friends tour.

To be continued.

...

SHARING A SLICE... part 5

RWRB, rated T, 750 words (this part).

(click here for part 1) (part 2) (part 3) (part 4)

...

“Alex.”

Blearily, Alex blinks up at the ceiling.

“It's time to wake up.”

The voice is familiar but weird, like listening to a recording of himself. Alex rubs a hand across his eyes and looks over toward the sound of a floorboard creaking. That explains it: his own voice always sounds strange outside his head.

“Go away, Evil Alex,” Alex mumbles. “I'm tired.”

“What?”

“Why no eye patch, Evil Alex? You always have an eye patch.” It doesn't matter. Alex closes his eyes. Since he's still dreaming, he can get some more sleep.

“Get up, we've got brunch reservations and you should shower first. Unless of course you have a fetish for bees? That certainly wasn't on your Wikipedia page.”

“I – bees?”

“Cake contains sugar, Alex. Are you always so obtuse in the morning?”

Cake. Alex snaps awake. He sits up, but Henry-as-Alex has already disappeared through the doorway. “I thought you were my evil dream twin!”

“Your phone won't stop vibrating,” Henry calls back. “Does the name ‘Bug’ sound familiar?”

Fuck. Alex needs to text June – calling would be better if she's blowing up his phone, but June would see through Henry's shitty subterfuge in a second – and then he needs to – “Did you say brunch?”

“We're leaving in thirty minutes.”

Alex showers and brushes his teeth in record time. It's not easy getting clean while trying to ignore, like, all of his borrowed body – Henry's body – but he manages, mostly. Surprisingly, Henry's pretty fit. Alex had assumed all those beach photos were airbrushed.

Back in the living room, he finds Henry wrapped in a robe on the loveseat, scrolling on his phone.

“Why aren't you dressed?”

Henry looks up. “For the same reason you're wearing a towel, I assume. Going through your suitcase would have felt rude.”

“I'll dig out an outfit for you if you get one for me, just try not to – what the fuck did you do to my hair?”

“Nothing.”

“You must have done something, it never looks like that.”

“I didn't–”

“Did y'all ever have guillotines in the U.K.?”

“Charming suggestion, Alex, don't hold yourself back on my behalf.”

Alex keeps his commentary to himself while he's standing six inches away from Henry, trying to fix his hair from an unfamiliar angle, and even while they’re getting dressed – except for some entirely valid criticism of Henry's boring ties – but it's all fair game once they're seated across from each other, pretending to enjoy one another's company.

“You look exhausted,” Alex begins.

“Why, thank you, your royal highness. I didn't sleep much last night.”

“Maybe I should have warned you, I have insomnia.” Alex waits while the server sets down his coffee and a pot of tea for Henry. “I don't know if insomnia is a brain thing or a body thing, though. Hey, does this coffee taste weird? How often do people try to poison you?”

Henry takes a sip from Alex's cup. “It tastes fine. As a world-class insomniac myself, we may never know the answer to that particular question, but it seems we've already determined that taste is a matter of body, not brain.”

“What? How?”

“I don't like coffee.” Henry blinks at him slowly, obviously, like he's waiting for Alex to pick up on a secret code. “Usually.”

“Oh.” They swap drinks. “Anyway, I didn't know royals ate brunch,” Alex continues once he's sipping his Earl Grey and – as if things weren't bad enough – actually enjoying it.

“Alas, man cannot live on ribbon cuttings alone,” Henry quips, so deadpan that Alex nearly snorts. “Brunch was easier to arrange than any other morning appearance, given the spontaneity of today’s... excursion. Shaan is still organizing our afternoon engagements.”

“He's getting everything cleared, right?”

“Of course.” Henry smiles at the server as they arrive with their food. There's no hesitance to it, not like the smiles Alex has seen him wear in photos. At least Henry’s not a dick to service industry workers.

“In normal circumstances, there wouldn't be any public royal appearances the day after a royal wedding.”

“Yeah?” So they're breaking rules by trying to fix everything. Good to know.

Henry nods. “In an effort to avoid stealing attention from the all-important pomp and circumstance, you understand.”

“Well... seems like that ship has already sailed.”

“Boy howdy,” Henry drawls, sipping his coffee. “I do believe you might say we’ve dulled their sparkle.”

Alex can’t help it this time: he laughs. When Henry grins back, Alex isn't even thinking about the cameras.

...

(Part 6)

#faketrex writes #fic: sharing a slice #fandom: intro to international relations #rwrb fanfic #rwrb fic #firstprince

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sabrinacdaily · 2 months ago

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Full Interview/Article By Lucy Feldman Below The Cut!

'Sabrina Carpenter is settling into a tiny banquette, one leg in pinstripe capris folded onto the bench, when she orders a… cappuccino. The obvious joke hangs in the air. “I've intentionally stopped myself from getting them now,” the “Espresso” singer says. The last time she was at this particular French restaurant in downtown New York, they surprised her with a round of espresso martinis.

It’s the kind of thing that surely happens all the time, now that the 25-year-old artist—unmissable with big, bright blonde curls and a 5-ft. frame—has rapidly become one of the most famous women in pop culture. To say that “Espresso” was one of the songs, if not the song, of the summer hardly captures the extent of her reach. The disco-inflected bop, released in April, became her first to exceed a billion streams on Spotify, where it hit No. 1 globally. But Carpenter’s buzz only got louder in June when she dropped the music video for “Please Please Please” (another Spotify global No. 1), co-starring her rumored boyfriend, the Oscar-nominated actor Barry Keoghan. And the singer sent the internet into a full-blown tizzy in August when she released her clever and cutting, genre-blending album Short n’ Sweet alongside another viral video: a campy, Death Becomes Her-influenced love-triangle romp, co-starring Jenna Ortega, for “Taste.” The album, now certified platinum, hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 at release and became the third biggest debut of the year, trailing only Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter and Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department.

Carpenter is everywhere. Swift, Beyoncé, Adele, Christina Aguilera, and Selena Gomez have all sung her praises. If you didn’t catch her on the season finale of Saturday Night Live, you probably saw her on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon. If you didn’t see her at Coachella, you definitely tuned in for her performance at the VMAs. And if you missed her opening for Swift on 25 stops of the Eras tour, you cannot be helped. The moment Carpenter herself says she knew she’d reached a new level: when there was a joke about her in Dan and Eugene Levy’s opening monologue for the 2024 Emmys. “That was probably the first time I was like, Oh, I'm not even there.”

When we meet for an afternoon pick-me-up, just over a month has passed since the album release, and Carpenter has been going nonstop. She’s back home in New York after the first three shows in her sold-out, 33-date Short n’ Sweettour, fresh off an 11-hour bus ride from Detroit. Hence the need for caffeine. “TMI,” she adds, “But I’m in my luteal phase, and just feeling like a monster.” When the server comes by with coffee, she orders a chocolate mousse for us to share.

Carpenter may appear to have materialized from nowhere as a fully formed pop star, but she has been grinding for 16 years. Growing up in East Greenville, Pa., she started posting videos of herself singing on YouTube when she was 9. Her big break came at 13, when she landed a role in Girl Meets World, a reboot of the classic ’90s series Boy Meets World. Carpenter makes a point to note that she signed with her first label, Disney’s Hollywood Records, at 12—before she booked the TV show. “I knew that I wouldn't be able to thrive as a recording artist the same way I would have been able to working on a show as a child actor,” she says, “which I know sounds weird to have that perspective at 12, but I was really lucky to.”

Carpenter released four albums with the Disney-owned label between 2015 and 2019 and continued to act, in movies like Adventures in Babysitting, The Hate U Give, and Tall Girl. But she couldn’t quite break through to the mainstream as an artist. “For a long time, I was constantly guided and misguided,” she says. “I'm so grateful for all of those times where I was led astray, because now I'm a lot more equipped going into situations where I have to trust my own instincts.”

Her 2022 album Emails I Can’t Send—her first more adult project on a new label—was an opportunity to do just that. She put out a collection of songs about heartbreak, attraction, and scrutiny that were wiped clean of Disney’s perfectionistic sheen. “My last album was f-cking sad, straight up,” Carpenter says. She describes the first stretch of the pandemic, when she was 21, as a time when she realized she wanted to “make some mistakes,” or at least be less hard on herself. “I wanted to make sure to still be young while I’m young… To go through your life trying to be a little robot angel, you’re going to have a lot of regrets later,” she says. “That’s also why during that time of my life I was a little bit of an emotional wreck.”

The album contained songs that fans connected with tantalizing gossip, having deduced that Carpenter might have been the “blonde girl” described as winning over the person (purportedly fellow Disney actor Joshua Bassett) who broke Olivia Rodrigo’s heart in “Driver’s License.” Carpenter’s song “Because I Liked a Boy” seemed to respond: “Now I'm a homewrecker, I'm a slut / I got death threats filling up semi-trucks.”

“Because I Liked a Boy” made an impression during Carpenter’s Eras tour performances—but it was another song, “Nonsense,” about getting tongue-tied around a crush, that got new audiences hooked on the cheeky sensibility she's become known for. Carpenter says the tour with Swift, where she had no set, dancers, or props for her act, taught her how to stand in front of a crowd alone and put on a show. It stirred up hype for a tradition, which had begun on her Emails tour, where she delivered a punny new outro for “Nonsense” each night, creating viral clip after clip as the lines got more suggestive and ridiculous. One night in Australia: “Broke up ’cause the size was underwhelming/ Tried to give him pointers, wasn’t helping/ Maybe I just need a boy from Melbourne.” She confirms that she’s done with the bit, at least for now. “The extreme ‘it's over forever’ is just not in my repertoire. Maybe I’ll feel random one day and bring it back,” she says, but, “that was for that album, for that era. You’ve got to keep a thing good.”

Carpenter may be only 25, but she is coming into her own with the earned confidence of a veteran, and she knows how to give the people what they want. Her brand—she’s short, she’s funny, and she’s horny—is specific enough to feel authentic but also general enough to capture an ever-broadening audience. And she’s not afraid to make a joke about herself. “If you want to call me a Polly Pocket, a Bratz doll, I don't care,” she says. “You'll meet me and then you'll be like, damn, she talks a lot more than the dolls do.” It takes a certain amount of time under pressure to build the sense of self that Carpenter embodies—we’ve seen it this year with artists like Chappell Roan and Charli XCX, too. It’s hard to remember now, but even Swift was once a rising country-music star trying to break into the mainstream.

Jack Antonoff, who worked with Carpenter on multiple Short n’ Sweet tracks, was following her career long before they collaborated. “I look at all Sabrina's work, and she's just crystallized more and more,” he told TIME in a recent interview. “I guess the lesson there is there was nothing wrong. It was just about staying the course. That's really what it is to be an artist.”

Carpenter is reaping the benefits of her persistence. “There were so many things I dreamt of doing as a little girl I got to do this year that felt like such a cool, sweet, little bucket-list moment for my younger self,” she says. “I literally threw up when I found out about SNL. Not to be graphic.” The VMAs performance was another dream realized. “I grew up watching those performances and being like, I want to do that. But then it all just seemed so—not even out of reach, just like I had a different plan in my head of when it was all supposed to happen,” she says, meaning it wasn’t supposed to take this long. But now that everything has unfolded the way it has, Carpenter can see the advantage. “I feel so prepared for these moments,” she says. “If I was even 17 or 18, I think I would have been way, way more nervous and intimidated.”

The next thing that could make her throw up with excitement, if the call came tomorrow: “If I could perform at the Grammys.”

As polished and well-packaged as the Sabrina Carpenter brand is, it’s her willingness to be messy that really makes it all work. In Short n’ Sweet, she’s in turns cocky, desperate, petty, brutal, deliriously horny, and not all that pressed. The effect is that, no matter the drama at hand, Carpenter refuses to take herself too seriously. “I like the fact that I just put out a song that starts with ‘I can't relate to desperation,’ and then I’m putting out the most desperate possible sounding chorus I could in my life,” she says, of “Espresso” and “Please Please Please.�� “The idea is like: if everything is super calculated, then the second you make a statement, that's who you are for the rest of your life—as opposed to it being like: or you can be super confident one day and then the most emotional wreck the next day.”

Carpenter describes Short n’ Sweet as a “time capsule” of a certain period in her life, and a few songs on the album seem to, fairly overtly, reference a relationship she had with Shawn Mendes during off-again stretches of his past romance with Camila Cabello. (See: the lyrics of “Coincidence” analyzed against timelines of who was seen where with whom. See also: the roast ballad “Dumb & Poetic,” “Taste,” and a particularly savage line of “Slim Pickins.”) Likewise, casting Keoghan in the video for “Please Please Please,” a song about begging her actor boyfriend not to embarrass her, pretty much eliminated the possibility that anyone would think it wasn’t about him.

Carpenter won’t say specifically who she was thinking of when writing any of her songs—no savvy pop star would—but she is willing to talk about the feelings within them. “It'll probably bite me in the ass at some point,” she says, knocking wood, “but it's been a really therapeutic album to be able to just say what I'm thinking.” One example: “Please Please Please” captures a love-hate dynamic that will be familiar to anyone who’s found themselves wondering if they’re in the wrong relationship. “I’m so blunt and forward. I feel like, what is the reason that we're all hiding from each other when these are just real things? Sometimes men embarrass you. That's super normal,” she says.

Now, starting to see crowds sing along with her on tour, she’s recognizing how relatable that song in particular is. “This just really hits for the girls that have every right to go back to someone who isn't good for them, and know that those mistakes are absolutely human to make, and repeatedly.” She takes a bite of chocolate mousse, a dollop of whipped cream and a few cookie crumbles on top. “The amount of times that we've all been with people we shouldn't be,” she continues. “We either learn it the hard way, or we are a miracle and we end up marrying that person.”

When the lights dim before Carpenter takes the stage at Madison Square Garden two nights later, the collective scream is head-splitting. She dashes onstage in a towel that she opens, eyebrows raised, to reveal a glittering yellow Victoria’s Secret bodysuit. The show takes off from there, an hour and a half of glitzy group dance sequences, intimate ballads, and winking innuendos set in a two-story New York City penthouse. There’s a fireplace in the living room, a moody, after-dark balcony, a pink satin bedroom, and even a bathroom, where, in an offbeat highlight of the show, Carpenter sits on a toilet and ruminates as she sings about a hot dummy who jerked her around. “Some songs feel like bathroom thoughts to me, like when you're at a party and you go to the bathroom to cry or judge yourself in the mirror,” she says. “It's comical but also brings a little groundedness to the show.”

Despite Carpenter’s years of experience—including opening for Swift on the massive Eras tour—the intensity of playing her own arena shows is new. “The first two shows, there were enough technical difficulties to ruin my life,” she says. There’s a part when she gets lifted 18 feet into the air on a giant heart—on the first night, she got stuck at the top. “I was up there far longer than I was supposed to be,” she says, a reminder of why, after seeing Matty Healy perform on a rooftop set for a 1975 show, she thought playing with heights on tour would be too scary. Suspended over the crowd in Columbus, Ohio, she just kept singing and hoped that someone offstage was working to get her down. (They did.) “If one thing malfunctions, it can affect the whole show,” she says. “So I've just been learning, rewiring my brain, to be able to handle stuff like that.” Aside from tech issues, the hardest part is not tripping—Carpenter is constantly running up and down stairs. There was no intensive pre-tour training regimen, and her body is feeling it. “I've started doing ice baths like a little spiritual man,” she admits, a tad embarrassed.

Throughout the concert, Carpenter quite literally wears her sexuality on her sleeve. “Femininity is something that I've always embraced. And if right now that means corsets and garter belts and fuzzy robes or whatever the f-ck, then that's what that means,” she says. She adds a babydoll negligee over the bodysuit in the first act, changes into a black lace catsuit and slips into a slinky robe, both by French designer Patou, in the second, and, in the final set, steps out in an ultra-sparkly two-piece halter top and skirt from Ludovic de Saint Sernin, made with crystal mesh donated by Swarovski. Carpenter’s stylist Jared Ellner teases that there will be different lyrics printed onto Carpenter’s tights throughout the tour: they did “Taste me” for night one and “I’m working late” for Madison Square Garden. The singer notes that this is the first tour where she has doubles of her outfits. “In the past it would be like, if that outfit has stains on it, good luck,” she says. Some of the corset dresses she wore on the Eras tour were in pale colors: “I would sweat, and it would just be terrible.”

With all the lingerie and innuendos in mind, I ask Carpenter if, a generation later, she has been spared the vilification that artists like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera suffered for daring to incorporate their sexuality into their work. “No, I definitely get that as well,” she says. She’s trying to remember that social media is an echo chamber. “Someone told me this, whenever I would get upset or feel like I'm the only one getting criticized for something other people are able to do seemingly so freely: I'm the one that's seeing all the negative sh-t about myself. My friends don't see that.”

Artists like Madonna, Aguilera, Spears, Beyoncé, and Rihanna all helped pave the way, Carpenter says. “But you'll still get the occasional mother that has a strong opinion on how you should be dressing. And to that I just say, don't come to the show and that’s OK. It's unfortunate that it's ever been something to criticize, because truthfully, the scariest thing in the world is getting up on a stage in front of that many people and having to perform as if it's nothing. If the one thing that helps you do that is the way you feel comfortable dressing, then that's what you’ve got to do.”

Her approach seems to be working. “Juno,” a seductive pop song that references the 2007 teen-pregnancy movie, brings a show-stopping moment when Carpenter drops into a suggestive position and delivers the line, “Have you ever tried this one?”—then rises into the air on the heart-shaped platform. At Madison Square Garden, she bends on her knees, whips her hair, and jumps up and down above the crowd, ebullient.

Somewhere in the arena is Carpenter’s mom, seeing the show for the first time. Her dad and 94-year-old grandfather came to opening night in Columbus. “My fans online are like, I can’t believe she's bending over in front of her grandparents!” Carpenter says. “I'm like, girl, they are not paying attention to that. They’re just like, I can’t believe all these people are here.”

It feels a little absurd to ask Carpenter what’s next—she’ll be on the road through March, and isn’t that enough? But she’s already tinkering with new songs (a constant practice) and she hints that there are “a few projects” she’s working on for after the tour. In the nearer term, Halloween is coming up; she’ll go big, and she’ll take it as a massive compliment if you choose to dress up as her. And in December, she’ll release a holiday special on Netflix. “It's an hour of literal nonsense,” she says. “If people are expecting boring, me singing by a tree, it's not that. It's so fun, so chaotic. There are so many guests that I’m excited about.”

To Carpenter, it’s all still a bit surreal. She says she’s been looking out at the crowds at night, checking to make sure they’re really all there to hear her songs. It makes her easy to root for: the girl who found her way into this world before she knew who she was, finally finding the success she’s worked so hard for only now that she can trust herself to do it all her way.

I make a comment about how much experience she has behind her, despite being so young. She says thank you, and it’s clear she means it. “People like to make you feel like, when you’re above 21 in this industry, you’re haggard,” Carpenter says, her laugh filling the air. “But I’m trying to remember that I’m still quite young.”'

#*ours #sabrina carpenter #time magazine #time 100 next #time 100 #scarpenter #interview #long post #short n sweet tour #sabrinasource

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mothgodofchaos · 23 days ago

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Wine

This was inspired by living near a winery for a bit, and the views are absolutely breathtaking in the fall.

Darkiplier x GN!Reader, TW: alcohol Words: 980

You had dragged Dark along with you to a local vineyard to see the sights and do a bit of wine tasting. His drink of choice is usually whiskey, but he wanted to indulge you in something a little different, perhaps find something new to enjoy together. He dressed up in one of his more casual suits, happy to have you on his arm as you walk into the winery. A tour guide greets the two of you as they wait for the tour time to start, although glancing around makes you realize that it may just be the two of you and your tour guide. A few more minutes go by and the clock chimes, signaling the tour guide to begin taking you through the winery.

Maybe it’s the fact that neither of you had been on something like this before, but it’s hard not to find what the guide is saying fascinating. He visibly perks up when you show interest, and begins rambling about things you’re sure most guests don’t get to hear. You pass by the large casks of aging wine, the fruity smell filling the air as he describes the exact process that goes into each of the flavor profiles. Not that you particularly understand what all of it means quite yet, but it’s definitely interesting to hear someone speaking so passionately about something.

Dark leans down a few times to speak to you, making the occasional comment on the sheer size of some of the casks, or how he doesn’t quite understand why people want their wine to taste like wood. You chuckle at his confusion, giving him a kiss before resuming the tour.

The three of you get down to the wine tasting room where quite a few tables made of repurposed wine barrels sit about. A tiny cafe sits off on one wall, and you spot that they’re busy preparing something as you’re sat down. Your guide hurries off to go grab the wines for the tasting, leaving the two of you alone together. Dark grabs your hands in his, rubbing his thumbs along your knuckles.

“Are you enjoying yourself, my love?”

“Honestly? Yeah, I’m having quite a bit of fun. I love how enthusiastic he is about the whole process, I’m sure we would have been far more bored in a larger group or with a different guide.”

“He definitely is passionate, I suppose we all find our passions in various parts of the world. A world without passion seems like it would be rather… dull.”

Dark raises one of your hands to his lips, kissing your knuckles gently.

“You certainly have brought more passion into my life again, my darling.”

“Awww, old man getting all sentimental on me?”

“Oh hush.”

The two of you laugh, you covering your mouth for just a moment before he reaches for your hand again. A waiter brings over a charcuterie board of small bites, making Dark release your hands in order to clear the way. Displeased by being blocked from showing you affection from risking getting goat cheese on his sleeves, he grabs your stool from under the table and drags you over next to him, interlocking your fingers together.

“Missed me that badly?”

“Is a man not allowed to hold his darling’s hand while they’re on a date?”

“He is.”

You give him a quick kiss as the guide returns with a few bottles of wine, setting them on a table with a couple glasses for the two of you.

“Oh good! They brought the tasting menu over to you as well. This will make this go a lot smoother then!”

He goes through each wine, recounting the tasting notes and the particular ingredients in each of the pairing bites of food, going into detail on how much effort was put into trying to get all the pairings perfect. You discover one in particular that you like, and Dark sees how your face changes when you taste it.

“Do you like that one, love?”

“Oh yeah, that one’s amazing.”

“That’s one of our more popular ones! I believe we have some for sale up in the shop right now.”

Dark nods up to the guide, turning back to you.

“Shall we get a bottle? If you like it, I think it’s a good idea.”

Normally you’d turn him down, but this time you agree. He softens, squeezing your hand under the table as the tastings continue. Dark seems to find his own favorite as well, making a mental note of the bottle as the guide gathers up his things.

“Well, the shop is over that way, and please enjoy the view of the vineyard from our balcony if you have the chance!”

The two of you give your thanks as Dark puts you on his arm again, walking you up the stairs and into the stop. Shelves are filled with bottles of various colors, fancy labels decorating the glass. But before you get too deep into the aisles, Dark pulls you in a different direction. Large french doors open out onto a balcony with cast iron railings, overseeing the colorful vineyard as it’s bloomed into fall colors. The sight is breathtaking, seeing how the colors of autumn swirl together to create the landscape before you.

You look up at Dark, and see he was watching you the whole time you looked out onto the scenery.

“You look beautiful today.”

It catches you off guard, but meeting his eye, all you see is love in his gaze. His hand holds your cheek, pulling you to his chest as he kisses the top of your head. He lets you go again, just admiring you.

“Alright, let’s get your wine before this old man starts getting sentimental again…”

“I don’t mind. I wanna stay here a bit longer.”

He’s never been happier to hear you say that.

#darkiplier #dark #markiplier egos #wkm darkiplier #wkm dark #darkiplier x reader #dark x reader #wkm darkiplier x reader #wkm dark x reader #a heist with markiplier #ahwm #who killed markiplier #wkm #midnight mint #chaoswrites

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cherrylng · 2 months ago

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Headline - Bruce Springsteen [ROCKIN'ON (June 2001)]

We've come this far, Bruce Springsteen. An astonishing live recording and a tasteful DVD tell the story of the E Street Band's complete revival and the new revival of ‘Born in the USA’.

Bruce Springsteen released the live album "Live in New York City" and the DVD "The Video 1978-2000" two years ago, which recorded the incredible energy and excitement of the world tour that lasted for over a year after the legendary E Street Band was reunited after an 11-year hiatus. "Live in New York" is, of course, a record that will probably go down in history as the explosive rock and roll of the finally reunited E Street Band can be fully enjoyed! However, "The Video" also complements this live release by chronologically tracing the last twenty years of blues footage, and is a truly moving experience. This is because, when you follow the footage featured in "The Video" chronologically, you can reaffirm what Bruce was forced to do to reunite the E Street Band. The last part of the DVD in particular is a completely new version of Bruce's biggest hit, "Born in the USA", and the live performance of this new version of "Born in the USA" is also a climax of the live album, which is very moving. The reason is that the new grasp and presentation of "Born in the USA" has been a major issue for Bruce since the break-up of the E Street Band.

The appeal of Bruce, for example, who was a worn-out rock 'n' roll prisoner in the late 70s footage that opens "The Video," was that he sang rock 'n' roll with a drive that was extremely autobiographical and self-sabotaging. And the driving force behind that drive was the miraculous band called the E Street Band. Bruce finally released "Born in the USA" and the album in 1984 to bring together his songwriting and activities up to that point, and in fact, this album brought astonishing sales to Bruce, who had never had major status until then. Bruce himself must have aimed to reach a wider audience with this album, and perhaps that is why every song is surprisingly clear and polished. However, the song, which was originally intended to be about ‘the sadness of being born in America’, was so clear and energetic that it was interpreted as ‘the pride of being born in America’, and ended up being used as a right-wing campaign song for the US presidential election. The result was a complete backfire. This was the start of a long period of trial and error for Bruce, who, as if possessed by something, toured the world for two murderously long tours before abruptly disbanding the E Street Band in 1989, the cornerstone of his career, and going solo. It was during the solo tour of "The Ghost of Tom Joad" in 1995, more than ten years after the song was first released, that Bruce was finally able to perform "Born in the USA" in a new way that conveyed the original message in a rough yet positive way, far removed from the original. Moreover, this album was a departure from his earlier works in the sense that the autobiographical element of singing Bruce's own story had all but disappeared from his songwriting. However, the tension in Bruce's songs on this album and on his solo tours was greater than ever before, meaning that Bruce was now able to freely express and universalise his impulses as songs without regard to form. It was only because of this that Bruce was able to obtain the new form of "Born in the USA".

The end result was the E Street Band reunion world tour, which is included in this live recording. Ever since I witnessed Bruce screaming "Born in the USA" while playing the bottleneck like crazy on that '95 solo tour, I had been waiting for the day when the E Street Band would come back, but this reunion tour was an emotional one, with Bruce and the E Street Band exploding into cathartic rock 'n' roll that far exceeded my expectations, and this live album also beautifully conveys that. The number that starts off the album is an unreleased song that Bruce happened to remember while editing the compilation album "Tracks," and there are many classic songs from the past, including "Born in the USA," and new songs that have a somewhat tranquil feel, perhaps due to the influence of his solo days. On the other hand, when I look back at "The Video," I think about how cool the old, sloppy Bruce was. However, now that his hair is thinning and he's beefed up, Bruce is even cooler than he was back then. It's because I think that today's Bruce is playing an immeasurable rock 'n' roll that goes beyond what he was playing back then.

—Takami Nobuyuki

#Bruce Springsteen #my scan #translation #ROCKIN'ON #ROCKIN'ON June 2001

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candypalace · 2 years ago

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Translation: Gekirock Magazine Dec 2022 (Kai, Uruha)

the GazettE: the band's potential in a flawless expression. 20th anniversary best-of album drop.

Time flies, and in the course of 20 years, the GazettE has gone through a lot of changes. Their new release, 20TH ANNIVERSARY BEST ALBUM HETERODOXY -DIVIDED CONCEPTS-, is a “best-of” album categorized by three concepts: "SINGLES", "ABYSS" and "LUCY". The band is also taking the opportunity to confront their past albums during [the GazettE LIVE TOUR2022-MASS/PHASE 02 "The Unknown"], which will continue until December 21st. Here, we will ask a few questions to Uruha and Kai, the guitarist and drummer of the GazettE, about the circumstances behind revisiting and bringing the band’s past together.

ー the GazettE is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary in the midst of the Japan tour MASS / PHASE 02, where in addition to the songs from the latest album MASS (2021 release), past songs are also performed at various venues. Uruha-san, Kai-san, how do you feel about performing at all those shows so far?

KAI: Rather than saying that the reason why the contents of this tour are a close look into our past is because this year is our 20th anniversary, it’d say it’s because MASS is our 10th album, and we’ve been playing shows in different places to combine it with our past works. It’s also because we have not done a tour with a concept like this before, to tell the truth, and it started with us thinking: “Well, this will be interesting!”. Since some of the songs from past albums will be performed live for the first time in forever, it’s also true that the performance aspect was more difficult than I had expected (laughs). However, when we actually tried it, the results were pretty good! We found the differences in the set lists each time very interesting and enjoyed every single live so far.

URUHA: Each album naturally has a different “color”, so when we combine our newest album with songs from our older albums in one show, it’s very important for us to highlight these different “colors”. That being said, the number of albums we’ve released so far is quite big. Realistically, it would be difficult to play every single song in our discography, so we generally play about five songs for each concept. And yet, by playing those five songs at each live show, we’ve been able to create an atmosphere and space on the tour that we haven’t had before. I think there’s a great synergy between the songs on MASS and the songs from each of our past albums.

ー By the way, why did you decide that you will be choosing exactly 5 songs for each live performance?

KAI: When we were discussing this with the members, someone suggested that we exclude the songs that we already had on MASS / PHASE 01. And we also thought we should play songs that express the essence of each album more vibrantly than others.

URUHA: In terms of the melody, we also decided to avoid choosing only those songs where singing is emphasized over the instrumental part, and we tried to balance each block of the set list.

ー In the midst of all this, HETERODOXY will be released to commemorate the band's 20th anniversary, and as you can tell from the title, it is a voluminous three-piece product. It seems that “3 CONCEPTS” means that the songs are categorized as “SINGLES”, “ABYSS”, and “LUCY” and are divided into 3 discs. How did you come up with such a compilation that condenses 20 years of the band in this best-of album?

KAI: I think the fact that best-of albums naturally start with singles is definitely not unusual. But in our case, this alone would not exactly strike home. Doesn’t “best” for the GazettE mean showing all our colors in various forms? With that in mind, we decided to divide the songs into three separate discs: "SINGLES", "ABYSS" and "LUCY". "ABYSS" and "LUCY" in particular have a very familiar ring to them and give you a taste of our two extremes.

URUHA: Right, because for the GazettE, "ABYSS" and "LUCY" mean the duality that has been our definite part since forever.

ー Looking back, in 2011, there was a FC-only 2-day live "LIVE TOUR 2011 TWO CONCEPT NIGHTS ABYSS/LUCY ~Two different faces, decadence and instinct, two polar nights~" and in 2017, Halloween shows called "HALLOWEEN NIGHT 17 THE DARK HORROR SHOW SPOOKY BOX 2 ABYSS-LUCY". So, probably the fact that the keywords "ABYSS" and "LUCY" express stillness and movement is already well known to the GazettE’s fans.

URUHA: In terms of sound differences, generally "ABYSS" is centered on the dark worldview that the GazettE creates, while "LUCY" is more aggressive. Both sides are the essential components of the GazettE, and we wanted to convey that in our best-of album.

ー So HETERODOXY is a flawless selection of songs that combines the catchiness and pop sensibility of the singles with the darkness and intensity at the heart of the GazettE.

URUHA: Yes, exactly (laughs).

KAI: I guess you could say that it is as "flawless" as it can get (laughs).

"If I didn’t have a strong mentality, it wouldn’t be surprising if I shattered over and over again"

ー The hardest thing must have been choosing entries for "ABYSS" and "LUCY".

URUHA: We had an online meeting with the members about that. We put the songs on a spreadsheet and discussed it like “ahh, right, mmm, maybe this”. I think it felt close to how we decide on a live set list.

KAI: At that time, when we listened to some songs again, we thought, “Is it really so that an intense song = a “LUCY” song?”. Even for “ABYSS”, it doesn’t necessarily mean that if a song is a ballad it’ll be included there. For some of them, there were specific comments such as, “Isn't it too beautiful a song to be included in "ABYSS"?". So the entries for this best-of album were selected not only by their melody, but also by considering the deeper meaning and characteristics of each song.

ー It seems that this best-of album project also involves remastering, so considering that different ages of production had to be put into a single album according to its concept, was there anything that you had to order the band to do?

URUHA: What we mainly focused on was the length of time. This time we were not looking for any particular change in sound quality, and we only made some adjustments to the sound level when all the songs were laid out on each disc, based on our current sensibilities. We didn’t consciously change the songs just because they’re old.

KAI: This time probably all the members were thinking in the same way, and I didn’t really have to say anything. We simply adjusted the acoustic pressure so that no piece feels out of place when you listen to the disc.

ー So when you listened to HETERODOXY after the remastering, did you notice anything that made you realize that you have grown or changed?

URUHA: Huh, did I... When we’re playing songs from the past on the current tour, I feel that how I’m producing the sound is different between now and the past, so there’s no doubt that the quality in all aspects is now better than it was. Of course, that was the best we could do back then, but I can feel the change.

KAI: When I listen to it, I also feel “Oh, this kind of phrase was very characteristic of me at that time,” or “Oh, so this is the kind of sound I used to make at that time”. In the end, I have always aimed to surpass my past self, and when I look back on my work, I can clearly see that trajectory in the sound.

URUHA: It depends on the song, but I feel that the guitars used to be more clunky in the past (laughs). As time goes by, I definitely feel that the band is becoming more harmonious in terms of sound!

KAI: Really, in our early days, we didn’t even do any pre-production before recording. Back then, I often didn't know what the other members were going to play when we were recording the drums (laughs). I think the biggest change was that from a certain point on, I learned how to properly grasp the composer's intentions while also understanding what everyone else was doing and coming up with my own sound.

URUHA: Even though we have our own ideas about what we want to do, the GazettE’s current style is to produce sound while complexly looking at the whole picture from the listener’s perspective of how cohesive we are as a band. I think over the past 20 years the GazettE has gradually learned that sometimes it’s important to cut out unnecessary things.

ー To put it simply, even just comparing DIM (2009 release), which had a particularly dense sound, and your latest release, MASS, you can tell that the sound is very different, right?

URUHA: If we go further back to NIL (2006 release) or STACKED RUBBISH (2007 release), in retrospect it feels that the combination between guitars is “hard to see”. Solos and other interactions are fine, but I feel that there were unexpectedly many small places on the underside where we conflicted.

ー Can I now ask Kai-san, as the drummer of the GazettE, what is your greatest weapon at the moment?

KAI: It’s difficult to explain in words, but first and foremost, it’s the fact that I’m in a position to create a sense of dynamics in the band's sound. I think this is the role I was meant to take on. Our basic style right now is that the melody, lyrics, and the so-called emotional parts of a song are left to other parts of the band, and I’m in the background supporting them and bringing out the dynamics.

ー Uruha-san, same question for you. What is your greatest weapon as a guitarist of the GazettE?

URUHA: It’s satisfying that the more I pursue the way I use physical equipment, the playing method and technique, the more interesting they become and the more my skill grows, but I feel like it’s not the most important thing here. What I personally want to polish is my sensitivity, and I think it would be ideal if I could use that as a weapon.

ー So it seems that the members have been diligently working on themselves over the past 20 years. If there was anything you have been able to "obtain" in these 20 years, what is it? I am sure the list of those things is long, but I would like you to focus on just one.

URUHA: A strong mentality, I think. It’s something I’ve been able to obtain only because I’ve been in a band for 20 years. If I didn’t have it, it wouldn’t be surprising if I shattered over and over again (laughs). There were a lot of times when I refused to give up.

KAI: To be honest, I’m glad that we became a band where the members are able to discuss things properly with each other. If we didn’t, I think we would have disbanded by now. Discussing solutions to problems is one thing, but in our case, even when something generally bad happens, the five of us complain to each other (laughs). So I think our strength lies in being able to share and confront things together.

ー Were there times when you sublimed the frustration by turning it into a song?

KAI: There definitely were. That's what I call having a strong emotional strength (laughs).

URUHA: In a way, that’s because we are a rock band. Like, if something pisses you off, you turn it into sound. I think that has always been in the foundation of the GazettE.

ー Ah, the fact that HETERODOXY is now being released to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the GazettE makes me deeply emotional.

KAI: When you listen to our best songs, I think you can cover the GazettE's past and present at a glance.

URUHA: This is without a doubt a package that will show different people what kind of band the GazettE has come to be over the past 20 years.

ー I can understand that! Finally, please tell us about the GazettE's vision for the year 2023 and the future.

KAI: With the release of our 10th album, MASS, and the band’s 20th anniversary, we have reached a lot of milestones recently. Even though there have been some irregularities because of corona, I think that from 2023 on there won’t be any more special topics in various aspects. For the GazettE, 2023 is the year when we’ll return to our usual business, and our fans may be wondering, “What are you going to do after the 20th anniversary?”. I think we’re entering a period where we need to show our fundamental strength as a band. We want to continue our activities so that everyone can feel what the GazettE is all about, cherish what we’ve been protecting, and challenge ourselves with new things.

URUHA: I think that the process of revisiting past songs live and releasing the best-of album in honor of our 20th anniversary gave us a good impulse for the coming year and beyond. When we faced our past again, we were able to reconfirm and gain a deeper understanding of who we as the GazettE are, and now we are well-prepared to create something new from this point on. Looking forward to moving on to the next project!

#the gazette #interview #heterodoxy

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fructidors · 11 months ago

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HI so i'm thinking about burning a CD with live versions of mountain goats songs, however i am not well-versed in the world of the mountain goats so. what would you recommend? (the CD can be up to 80 minutes long :))

YEAHHHH so as you're probably aware the world of mountain goats live recordings is unimaginably expansive and i am by most standards an amateur at traversing it BUT i do have lots of advice :D

there really is no such thing as a bad mountain goats show. even the ones with awful crowds or where the band isn't doing so great are bound to have some very very bright spots. at the same time, the mountain goats have a 30+ year touring history, with lineups varying from john alone, to the full four-piece current permanent ensemble, to the five-piece current touring ensemble, to on one remarkable occasion john with a medieval a cappella quartet, to absolutely everywhere in between, so everyone is bound to have their own tastes.

as such, a really good way to find tmg shows is to just look through the mountain goats wiki! they have over 1500 shows listed, the general majority of which have archive.org recordings. they also have every live show any particular song was played at listed-- most of my favorite shows i've found through looking through all the various performances of my favorite songs. there are also a lot of great recs over on r/themountaingoats. but here are some of my personal favorites:

the bottom of the hill shows!! the bottom of the hill is a small venue in san francisco that the mountain goats have played at quite a few times over the years, and for some combination of reasons the shows there always turn out ridiculously special. any mountain goats fan will point a new tmg live listener to the bottom of the hill. the rather infamous recording of no children sung entirely by the crowd took place there in 2006. the recording of california song i sent you was from a show there in 2014-- which by the way contains the entirety of transmissions from horace (an early tape that was later released as part of the compilation ghana), which is why there might be a lot of songs you don't recognize, and also why they played so many fan favorites to close it out (as compensation)(denton AND you were cool. WHAT A NIGHT). everything from no children on in that recording is pure gold. the show there from the next night is roughly the same in content but the rendition of the best ever death metal band in denton they close with is one of my favorite live tracks of all time. and finally a show there from 2008 was videoed in full by paste magazine!! (here is the archive.org version for audio files) this is SUCH a good show oh my god. the two really standout numbers in my opinion are not actually by the mountain goats-- one is ace of base's defining europop number the sign, which has been. drastically reimagined by the mountain goats. the bottom of the hill performance is punctuated with stories about john's own personal history with the song (which, if that appeals, check out this version too), and is just generally iconic. and also intense. SPEAKING OF INTENSE the other is houseguest-- which is a song by franklin bruno (who john was/is in a band called the extra glens/glenns/lens with) that john has played live quite a bit. this particular performance is really just my favorite because you get to watch john stalk around and lean out over the crowd like a vulture or perhaps some kind of crow. for the audio alone honestly i would recommend the version from this 2008 show. (fun fact about me personally the first time my mom ever left baby me alone with my dad overnight was to go to this exact show!! i am still mad at her for not taking me)

the fall 2005 tour!! the really cool thing about this tour is that at the time, the mountain goats were still comprised of just john darnielle and peter hughes (bassist), so typically live shows were very stripped down and a far cry from the aforementioned five-person full band they tour as now. but on this tour, their opener, the prayers and tears of arthur digby sellers, joined them for a few songs each set, which meant they had much fuller band (DRUMS!! MORE GUITAR!!) while also still being very much sunset tree-era mountain goats and BOY is it special. highlights include: the version of tollund man from toronto which doesn't feature the larger band, but john does incorporate a mangled paraphrase of the final couplet of shakespeare's sonnet 73 (this thou perceivest, which makes thy love more strong / to love that well which thou must leave ere long) into the song; the performance of palmcorder yajna from the same night where john replaces the "send somebody out for soda" line with "send somebody out for ATIVAN;" and of course, against pollution knitting factory halloween 2005 (audio). you probably noticed me posting the youtube video of this every day of october. it's my second favorite tmg live recording of all time (after bottom of the hill california song). john is in a priest costume which adds the most je ne sais quoi ever to the song (which is about going to church and shooting a guy. amongst other things). the video and audio are not clear at all but you must understand that is what makes this performance SO. it's SOOOO. in conclusion:

(do christians have high holidays. i'm so jewish i'm sorry)

the webster hall 2009 show!! this show's from the life of the world to come tour which is why there are so many songs named after bible verses (unsure how familiar you are with the life of the world to come but i feel like it has some you vibes). they were touring with violinist owen pallet at the time which means we get going to bristol & hebrews 11:14 with string accompaniment!!!! this show literally never fails but the absolute highlights for me are deuteronomy 2:10 (although deuteronomy 2:10 is one of my favorite songs in the entire mountain goats canon so it's rare to come across a version i dislike), enoch 18:14 (which is actually an unreleased outtake from lotwtc-- the version you see online the most is from the lotwtc film but this one is full-band and prefaced by a long john story about video games)(if the latter appeals, i'd check out thank you mario), quito (which is probably best appreciated as part of the larger we shall all be healed album but the full-band version here SHINES), and of course full band going to georgia!!! i understand solo going to georgia purists so so well and there really is nothing like shouting the words back to just john and his guitar but there is SOMETHING in full band going to georgia that i suspect is rather close to real actual apotheosis. if the former appeals more though i am emotionally attached to the version from last august because i was there (one of only 7 times he's played it since 2012!) and it was the best day of my life but objectively this 2007 version is probably better.

also!! i've done something very similar with a tape! it's probably the most care i've ever put into a tracklist and remains one of my favorite tapes i've ever made-- finding tracks for it is how i found most of what i just recommended :) here's the setlist:

ignore the blank spot i tried to put in abandoned flesh from the aforementioned august show i went to but it turned out really bad for some reason so i wanted to put in shower from the show two days before john got married but then i forgot. anyways YEAH THAT'S ABOUT IT! lmk if you want more specific reqs or about any mountain goats thoughts ever anytime :DDD

#can you tell i love parentheticals. my beautiful wife parentheticals.#also i loveeee the mountain goats. if perchance you couldn't tell #thank you for the ask this was so much fun to put together <33

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momentsbeforemass · 1 year ago

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Coffee

I have a friend who is very particular. He wants things just so. If something doesn’t meet his standards, he will complain about it. Endlessly.

He has yet to have a decent cup of coffee.

I learned this going to all of the big-name coffee places with him. Then, when none of those measured up, going to all of the most micro-batch, one-off, exclusive coffee roasters you could think of.

It was an amazing tour of the coffee of Chicago. And it was that tour, accompanied by his endless soundtrack of complaints, that showed me what was wrong with the coffee.

Him. He was what was wrong with the coffee.

It wasn’t that he had exquisite taste. It was that he was exquisitely skilled at finding fault.

Because he was busy finding fault, he missed out on some of the best coffee I’ve ever had.

I know this, because I went back to some of those places without him. When I didn’t have someone telling me how awful they were, it turns out they were great.

It easy to laugh at someone who does this to themselves. Piling up preconceived notions and finding fault, until they keep themselves from enjoying…pretty much anything.

But it’s not just the dynamic that we see playing out in today’s Gospel, with its violent rejection of Jesus.

It’s a trap that all too many of us fall into with our relationship with God.

We miss out on God’s best for our lives, because it doesn’t meet our preconceived notions. We keep ourselves from being able to enjoy all that God has given us, because we’re too busy finding fault.

It’s not that God isn’t pouring out His grace upon us. It’s that we are so wrapped up in our ideas about God, about how things have to be, that we aren’t able to receive what God is giving.

When we get stuck like that, it’s easy to blame God.

Even though we’re what’s wrong with the coffee.

When we get stuck like that, the only cure is God’s grace. To ask God to take away our love of fault-finding.

To ask God to give us a desire for Him, not our ideas about Him.

Today’s Readings

#Coffee #Ideas about God #God #Jesus #Catholic #Christian #Church #Complain #Fault Finding #Rejecting God #C.S. Lewis #Moments Before Mass

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hlficlibrary · 1 year ago

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Any new canon or semi-canon fic? When they were in the band and follows loosely canon events (LOT, FITF world tour, etc…)? Thank you :)))

Hi, anon! You're very welcome! So there are a lot of canon ones that are fluffy little domestic fics, but I got the feeling that's not really what you were looking for. So I went with ones that had more canon type events in the fics...

Looking At The Stars (Wishing You Were Them) by therogueskimo

2016 - Harry gets a very important phone call

Harry hears back from his Dunkirk audition.

(This one is part of a series of canon events)

Words Weren't Enough by red_panda28 / @red-pandaaa

Louis wandered into the living room, just watching Harry play for a bit.

It made Louis’ heart crack a little, seeing him like that; hunched over the keys, the muscles on his back tense. But it was a quiet sniffle that Louis finally jerked into action, carefully approaching the slumped figure on the piano bench.

“Hey, darling.”

OR Louis finds Harry practicing the piano piece for his last show late at night, and there are some tears, memories and playing the piano together involved

let the feeling last by shiptattou / @wecantalktomorrow

Louis had been waiting a long time for the euphoria of moments like these. To feel such pride radiating through the room for him. He spent far too long in the spotlight for an image that had been forced upon him, built to show him in a particular way. A way that was nowhere near an actual representation of himself. He worked as hard as possible to create a safe space for himself and his fans at his shows, one that represented his authentic self.

He knew that his fans heard him. They could hear him screaming at the top of his lungs in the only way he knew how while still tangled in the false sense of leniency that came with his current contracts. It still did not match the feelings that came with moments like tonight, the overwhelming sense of love and belonging.

Let Me Taste Your Silhouette by LetTheMusicMoveYou / @letthemusicmoveyou28

Harry’s pulled out of his swirling thoughts then by the insistent buzzing of his phone again. He groans and reaches over to decline the call, except that it’s not Jeff calling this time.

It’s Louis.

Despite it being a rather warm day in London, Harry can feel the goosebumps raise on the skin of his arms. And for once he doesn’t really know what to do. For some reason, it hadn’t actually occurred to him that Louis might try to reach out.

Except that Louis is reaching out, which must mean he’s seen the picture.

(Or the one where Harry accidentally posts a picture to his main Instagram story instead of only to his close friends, and he just happens to be wearing a 28 Official Programme shirt. Louis happens to notice).

#ask #anon #ficrec #minificrec #canon #letthemusicmoveyou #therogueskimo #shiptattou #redpanda28

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lightandspark · 1 year ago

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Relationship Headcanons in the Ark and Nemesis and more + Humanformers Headcanons

(They are all from Cybertron still and they live for a long time.)

Arcee, Frenzy, and Nova Storm are trans females, Exhaust, Rewind, Tailgate and Sandstorm are trans men.

Lady Silverbolt, Knockout, Ratchet, Jazz, Blaster, Eject, Rodimus, Bumblebee, Mirage, First Aid, Streetwise, Sideswipe, Cosmos, Dead End, and DragStrip

Ratchet is a tired mom to everyone sighing heavily as she drinks her energy coffee. She in particular fond of First Aid, Velocity, and Minerva (her medical students) and Silverbolt (the air commander and new tired mom to a bunch guys: Fireflight, Air Raid, Skydive, Tracks, Powerglide... While oblivious to Slingshot’s feelings for her.).

Grapple and Hoist are equilivent of Tired Uncle and Fun Uncles to the factions.

Greenlight and Arcee are the matchmaking Aunties. Though. Greenlight is younger than most of her colleagues but counts.

Tracks, Powerglide, Seaspray, and Crankcase each had a chaotic adventure that resulted them finding love with different species.

Raoul basically gave Tracks a tour around New York City, at night, where the fun shows and Tracks immediately fell in love.

Astoria went on a wacky adventure with Powerglide when the Combaticons chased them around her birthday.

Seaspray fell in love with a mermaid, Alana and it's adorable.

And Crankcase punched Shockwave in the face for trying to experiment on Cons4Eva.

Rewind, Tailgate, and Swerve are best friends and discuss their chaotic love life together. How Tailgate and Swerve fell in live with a Decepticon while Rewind has a bad taste in mechs.

Eject, Frenzy, and Rosanna have girl nights out and have their own fun. Rumble chaperones relunctly.

Tracks, Sunstreaker, Blurr, and Mirage (Knockout, Drag Strip, and Starscream) are adamant on keeping their good appearances and always get a little nasty and snappy if they come back on a mission looking... Messed up.

Lightspeed and Lightbright are BEST FRIENDS. Lightbright loves teasing him about his crush on Afterburner while he supports her relationship with Sparkstalker.

Starscream fell in love with Windblade at first sight. They met before the full war broke out when he, Megatron, Soundwave, Tarn, Skywarp, and Thundercracker visit Caminus to discuss with her and Lightbright’s adopted creators to let them integrate the girls in their noble cause. It was at dinner and during that time, the two were making eyes at each other but after she and Lightbright went to bed, Windblade went down for more energon only do freeze as she overhead a ‘malice discussion’ between Megatron and his men. The rose tinted glasses fell off her face and she immediately told Lightbright, the two were then ushered out by their carrier to make an escape.

Lightbright teases Windblade about Starscream and Starscream gets teases about Windblade by Skywarp and Thindercracker.

Both older siblings get revenge when Lightbright falls for Sparkstalker, Thundercracker catches feelings for Marissa, and Skywarp has something going on with Frenzy.

Sandstorm and Octane grew up together and they two mechs always knew they were IT for each other... But as the war broke out, Octane thinks Sandstorm can do better than him. He was a coward and trouble always found it's way to him.

Sandstorm tells him, that he only loves him. That Octane always done his best to protect him and let's him know when danger was on it's way, giving Sandstorm time to warn his faction on time as Octane unknowingly risked his life for Sandstorm countless times as he only focused on Sandstorm saving him.

First Aid and Streetwise are chaotic roommates.

Ratchet and Knockout both use to work in the same ER at one point, prior to the war. Knockout was the gorgeous doctor that everyone has their eyes for while Ratchet was quite the looker too... She was Dr. Pharma’s favourite. She can't say the same about him though despite he WAS a good doctor.

Knockout met the love of her life: Breakdown in the ER as he came in with a broken arm and immediately he shyly blushed and was so respectful. He had his charms that immediately caught her attention and he listened to every word she said and complimented her respectfully... She fell in love hard.

Mirage grew up in high society and was tired of mechs like her sire and his political/high society friends ruled over and how her sire controlled her life... It was no surprise when she rebelled and ran off to join the war. Good thing she kept her Outlier abilities secret like her dear carrier suggested.

She admired Hound. Seeing how Hound seemed so free, rock climbing, hiking, laughing beautifully in genuine happiness... Primus, she wanted to be like Hound... Though, she excuse the mud.

Jazz and Blaster are beautiful singing sirens that captive everyone. The two girls are simply beautiful and Jazz was once singers at local bars with various admires. Prowl frequented one of them to see Jazz, captivated by her voice, her beauty, her sizzling and sensual movements, the alluring look she gave him... Or he hoped she was looking at him.

His pet ‘bird’ Green loves her too, always landing on her hand or forearm and seeing her tend to his let with so much care and gentleness, Prowl wound up daydreaming a life with her even more.

Blaster pursued a career in reporting, always getting stuck in weird situation with Cosmos, that's how she met Soundwave after he saved her when she put her nose in the wrong place and at the wrong time.

Soundwave mused, seeing this lost and sharp tongued journalist full of sass and charm. Getting her run her mouth as she thanked him and went on and on, noting how smooth her movements were and how her hips turned... She snapped her fingers at him and asked with a cheeky grin ‘if there was something he liked looking at’... First time he caught himself tongue tied after getting caught.

Their cats, Steeljaw and Ravage seemed to have a certain rivalry going on.

Sideswipe is the younger twin sister to Sunstreaker, mischievous and full of fun. Often dragging Bumblebee, Rodimus, Lightbright, and sometimes Windblade for the fun of it. Sunstreaker realizes that he went to war and got a few extra sisters that he is stuck with forevermore. Not that he was complaining as he would kill anyone who harmed them.

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker both grew up to a hardworking but loving sire with a repair shop. Their beloved carrier, a sweet and lovely femme, past at their birth. Sideswipe took the appearance of her carrier while Sunstreaker was very much his sire’s mechling in appearances.

Rodimus is usually recklessly finding adventures outside of base to which Ultra Magnus is adamant she stays put where she is safe... Ultimately going after her and the two get wound up in a crazy adventure.

Greenlight, Perceptor, Nautica, Glyph, Lancer, and Skyfire always know when something bad happened in the lab... Kind of hard to miss since Brainstorm and Wheeljack were openly discussing excitedly on their new experiment in front of them and ask of any of them would like to join them... Hard pass. They sigh heavily with crossed arms or hands on their hips as they walk in to see both of them groaning face first on the floor or dangling upside down on a chair with the lab completely in near ruins AGAIN... Ratchet is never pleased whenever her ex conjunx and his science buddy comes into the medical bay AGAIN but oh well.

Smokescreen and Bluestreak teases Prowl so much about him and Jazz, playfully nudging him. Smokescreen jokingly saying if Prowl didn't take his chance he might so, earning a nasty glare from Prowl. The trio unaware that Jazz heard everything nearby, finally making herself known as she hunters past with a cheeky and coy smile she tossed over her shoulder with the same alluring look to Prowl. Prowl swallowed hard and immediately went after her, while leaving Smokes and Blue feeling hot and jealous.

Inferno and Hot Spot worked together in the same Fire Department. Along with Firestar, Flare Up, and briefly Red Alert.

Inferno often playfully teases Red Alert, making him go red as he tried his best to glare and snap at her but she only laughs whole heartedly and slides off. Seeing that flicker of amusement and fondness, Red Alert always hope she would be back.

Fort Max and Cerebros (his best friends) LOVE teasing him for it. Red Alert and Cerebros had a flirtation but that stopped when Cerebros and Fort Max got together.

Red Alert and Prowl HATE each other. Doesn't help their offices are right across from each other.

Red Alert and Smokescreen never really speak to each other, but Smokescreen was once in love with Inferno, who was unaware.

Bluestreak had a crush on Hound.

Bumblebee is now the baby sister of both sides. Hot Shot and Rumble are the baby brothers.

When Starscream isn't commanding his seekers or going head to head with Megatron, he goes into the lab to do science with Sparkstalker and Bitstream, sometime Sky Byte. One of the few times he can relax and enjoy himself.

Knockout has energon coffee breaks with Moonheart and Glit, the trio becoming great friends as time past on. Spinister and Slipstream sometimes join them.

Knockout and Thunderblast DON’T get along. Nor does she or LunaClub do.

Knockout and Trickdiamond get on easily.

Breakdown and Dead End do feel out of place with the Stunticons, especially when Drag Strip and Wildrider make it hard to work in teams. Breakdown and Knockout share a room as a couple so thankfully he doesn't deal too much with them anymore.

Dead End gets a arrangement to work with the Combaticons and gradually accepts it as to get away from the rest of the Stunticons. (beside Breakdown as they keep in touch)

Moonheart gets heartbroken when she found out about Soundwave and Blaster immediately backed off. Sound wave never knew about her feelings and she wasn't going to embarrass herself... She was found by Blitstream, who sat by her to give her as much comfort as he can.

Lunaclub was SHATTERED when she realized Starscream and Windblade and asks Trickdiamond and Lunaclub “WAS I REALLY THAT STUPID!?” because it was right in front of her the entire time.

Hot Spot has his charm that penchant many ladies... But he doesn't swing that way. Sorry. People did thought that he had feelings for Silverbolt or Inferno but that wasn't the case.

Cliffjumper and Arcee are best friends and he teases her about the beautiful Greenlight.

Arcee and Greenlight unofficially adopted Tailgate as their son and made sure Cyclonus know that he should treat their baby boy well.

Chromia and Ironhide unofficially are Windblade and Lightbright’s parents and made it hard for Starscream and Sparkstalker for getting their blessings.

Greenlight, Lightbright, Windblade, Alana, and First Aid read romance novels and discuss with each other... They share with some of the rest of the ladies and their friends. Sandstorm enjoys them as well as he thinks about Octane.

First Aid likes to read sexy and spicy stuff~

Octane, Swindle, and Trickdiamond are always willing to cause a fun hassle and schemes. Exhaust and Loudpedal often join them as the guys are always in for some extra fun.

Mirage and Sideswipe are friends but Mirage and Sunstreaker CAN’T stand each other.

Blurr has a HORRIBLE love life. Rodimus always finds herself patting Blurr on the back soothingly. If not her, Springer takes over. Blurr simply had a bad taste in mechs or all the wonderful femmes are taken.

Perceptor had a crush on Drift at one point but was left one sided as Drift had eyes for Ratchet alone. She never realized Brainstorm’s feelings as anything romantic until further down the line.

Perceptor 🤝 Silverbolt: OBLIVIOUS to MECHS aka THE LOVE OF THEIR LIFE WHO HAVE FEELINGS FOR THEM (Brainstorm and Slingshot)

Pharma HATES Drift. What DID Ratchet SEE in this GUTTER RAT!?

Bluestreak grew feelings for Jazz too, but Jazz only had eyes for Prowl and Prowl only has her spark alone. It did cost a rift between Prowl and Bluestreak for a while.

Ratchet and Wheeljack are amiable exes and root for each other in their love lives and who they give their romantic sparks to. They had adopted dinobots together, who impronted on them as their parents. Drift cool with it as he and Wheeljack are buds and Ratchet sighs heavily with a tired smile.

Lancer and Arcee hate each other but do look out for each other. Lancer because she still cares for Greenlight and knows how much she loves Arcee. Arcee because though Lancer is the one who hurt Greenlight by breaking her heart, Greenlight forgave Lancer and would be devastated if THEY BOTH did.

Mirage, Blurr, and Tracks talk about fashion... Eventually letting Sunstreaker join them. Blurr is the only one who is friends with him.

Beachcomber, Seaspray, and Hound go on nature expetitions together, the trio nerd out together and later Skids and Alana join them too.

There is nothing romantic between Lancer and Greenlight anymore, strictly workplace relationship that turned into an respectful friendship of sorts. Greenlight’s eyes and spark is only for Arcee and Arcee alone.

Arcee and Chromia trained Road Rage and Tap Out. They tease them about their respective relationship with Nautica and Glyph.

Greenlight, Velocity, and Nautica are best friends who drink together, teasing about each other’s love lives.

Flare Up and Warpath enjoy sparring together~. Poor Beachcomber walked in several occasions that left him flustered.

Vortex and Brawl tease Blast Off about Cosmos, acting like annoying older brothers to him.

WheelJack is friends with Dot and Alex Malto and he is the cool uncle to their seven children.

Sleeping Titans’ conscious take forms within animals. Lodestar takes the form as wolf-dog that follows Lightbright everywhere and if not her, then Windblade or Hot Shot. Then eventually Lightspeed and Sparkstalker.

The Dweller had lured Windblade to possess her and Starscream had to save her as the Titan was looking for any vulnerable City Speaker to capture.

Sunstreaker has this weird… Thing… named Bob that he sort of adopted.

Thundercracker truly fell in love with Marissa when she gifted him Buster.

Kup is adopting all these children as his grandchildren.

Optimus is adopting them as their father.

Lightbright went into war with one sister (Windblade) came out with her sister, three more sisters (Sideswipe, Bumblebee, Rodimus) and three new brother (Sunstreaker, Thundercracker, Skywarp)

Megatron... He is simply going to support them in his way.

Ironhide, Optimus, Wheeljack, and Kup walked some of these mechs and femmes down the altar.

Starscream and Soundwave did the same for their faction.

...

TracksRaoul

AstoriaPowerglide

SeasprayAlana

SandstormOctane

RodimusUltraMagnus

GreenlightArcee

KnockoutBreakdown

MirageHound (potentially)

RatchetDrift

JazzProwl

BlasterSoundwave

WindbladeStarscream

NauticaRoadRage

GlyphTapOut

FlareUpWarpath

Are all absolutely SHAMELESS when showing affection. There is something going on between Perceptor and Brainstorm at the moment but neither one are sure yet. Same with Velocity and Firestar, these two are still discovering their relationship. Ironhide and Chromia make you feel like you are watching your parents kiss.

InfernoRedAlert

SilverboltSlingshot

MoonheartBlitstream

LightbrightSparkstalker

TailgateCyclonus

SwerveMisfire

CosmosBlastOff

Cons4EvaCrankcase

GrappleHoist

LightspeedAfterburner

MarissaThundercracker

FrenzySkywarp

ExhaustLoudPedal

SlipstreamFlameWar

CerebrosFortMax

All them get shy but smiling like dorks in love at every signs of affection.

One Sided Relationship/Love:

Moonheart to Soundwave

LunaClub to Starscream

Nova Storm to LunaClub

Perceptor to Drift

Slipstream to Windblade

Lancer to Greenlight (exes)

Pharma to Ratchet

Thunderclash to Rodimus

Bluestreak to Jazz

Bluestreak to Hound

Smokescreen to Inferno

Smokescreen to Mirage

Dead End to Breakdown

Brawl to Knockout (sort of)

Onslaught to Silverbolt

Vortex to Silverbolt

Blurr to his several unrequinted loves.

Disaster Love Triangles that came to play:

Lance x Greenlight x Arcee

Pharma x Ratchet x Drift

Swindle x Blurr x Hardhead

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