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yoonpobs · 3 years

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bodyguard | kth | m

pairing: kim taehyung x oc

genre: enemies to lovers, Bodyguard!AU but oc is the bodyguard, fluff?

warnings: eventual smut, sexual tension, light choking, suggestive content bc oc is a minx and so is tae, i'll add as the story progresses, kim taehyung as a rich kid

words: 2, 138

summary: you protect taehyung from people but forget about the biggest threat. yourself.

“You’re who Namjoon hired?”

You’re used to having bewildered expressions when they find out that you out of all other possible candidates was what your agency decided to provide clients with rather than an objectively more stereotypical option—the big man.

But you were here for a specific reason and you knew that your duty lied in your responsibility to the man in front of you, even if his expression of doubt irritates you.

“Yes, Mr Kim. My name is ____.” You bow your head slightly, hands held together by your pelvis as you stand with your back straight.

The man in front of you glances over at his assistant, who only shoots him a firm nod as if to tell him that he was in fact stuck with you, despite all the uncertainties he may have.

Frankly, when Seokjin first recruited you into the agency, you were merely meant to be in charge of off-field duties and act as intel for field agents, but few of your previous mentors recognised your potential and physical agility when it came to mandatory training and pushed for you to be trained as an official agent rather than a tech lady.

You were lucky that a few of your colleagues had long ditched the misogynistic mindset that women were biologically weaker than men and would serve as a liability to the agency, but there were still a few higher-ups that were traditional in every sense that stuck their noses in your business when Seokjin would assign you to high profile clients.

Kim Taehyung was no different, but you were sure he fell into the latter of the traditional man. He did come from a lineage of old money.

“But you’re a … woman.” He says slowly, eyeing you up and down.

Even the outfit you were in was far off the usual appearance that most bodyguards would take on the first day of work. A long dress with a maxi slit by your leg, which left little to imagine what lies beneath. You bite your tongue to keep the snarky remark down and nod your head tightly to your new boss.

“I best fit the requirements you listed out to my agency.” Is your simple response.

His assistant steps between the two of you before your boss can say anything else, and based on your observations you note that he probably is the rationale behind Kim Taehyung’s mind; the reasonable and objective one.

“I’ll show ____ around headquarters just so she’s aware of the layout.” His assistant says hastily.

You don’t miss the last look your boss gives you, and all you do is bow your head before you turn on your heels, pulling out the gun in your garter and hold it behind your back—ready for duty.

“Jesus fucking Christ, _____.”

You’re used to hearing Taehyung sneer at you. It was something that you needed to get used to when you first were hired for the job because while he was known as an icon, a genius behind his father’s legacy—he was still wholly immature in every sense of a man child.

“Yes, Mr Kim?” You say blandly, flipping through the brochure that was laying idly on his coffee table; clearly ignoring the glare he was shooting you as he wraps the robe tighter around his frame.

Before he can open his mouth to yell at you again, you see the silhouette of the woman that was previously occupying his bed scurry past by the two of you, offering a meek bow of her head towards Taehyung before she’s out the door.

Your eyes follow her uninterestedly until you hear the click of the door, signalling that she was out and gone.

“What is your problem? Is my sex life something you need to protect too?” Taehyung spits.

You skim your eyes over his frame and spot a few marks littered along the expanse of his neck before your eyes rest on his tightened expression; your own one remaining impassive.

“My duty is to ensure you’re safe.” You remind him.

He scoffs, running a hand through his tangled hair—a clear testament to what he was engaging in before you had shamelessly kicked the woman out, mid-progression.

“Hyunbi is harmless.” He sneers at you.

You note that his erratic behaviour was likely a symptom of being cock-blocked, so you hold your tongue and just level him with an unimpressed stare.

“Hyunbi is the heir to the Im group. Need I remind you that her father’s company is the one that threatens your stockholders?”

Frankly, you try to engage with Taehyung on business matters as little as you could because all you were here for was to protect him and ensure that his head wouldn’t be served on the plate of an assassin that was out to get him.

You scoff to yourself because men were truly blinded by their desires and he would’ve risked his family’s fortune because he wanted to get laid.

“Okay, and? She was about to suck my dick not steal intel to the company.” He scoffs.

You don’t say anything but drop the files you found in her purse as you were doing your much-needed background checks on the woman that was visiting on such short notice, especially given the fact that she managed to bypass the system on being on the list before she was sent up.

The moment the beautiful women stepped foot into the apartment, you knew something was off about her. It was intuition from years of training under your belt, but also a womanly instinct. An intuitive sense that told you that she was going to wreak havoc if she could, and it was your duty to prevent that from happening.

“What’s this?” He picks up the documents to skim over the contents.

You don’t say anything but keep your eyes focused on his expression when you see it morph from confusion to realisation and pure mortification.

“She was going to blackmail me?” He asks in a disbelieving tone.

You nod your head.

“And if I hadn’t intervened then she would have probably falsely claimed that she was carrying your child.”

Taehyung shoves the documents aside and rubs his hands across his face, releasing a grunt as he lays back into the expensive leather of his couch.

“I can’t even get laid.” He huffs.

You roll your eyes.

“Taehyung,” You call out to him sternly, and when he opens one eye to look at you, only then do you continue, “You need to be more careful with who you fraternise with. You’re the CEO of the biggest manufacturing company in Korea and that is bound to make you a target to competitors. I can’t be cross-checking every single person you come across because my job is to protect you from physical harm—not be your mother.”

He narrows his eyes at you, and you see the petulance skim the surface of his iris as he leans forward, ensuring that his gaze is kept on your blank expression.

“So, that’s it? I can’t fuck around with anyone? Just because of my position? That’s a load of bullshit ____.” He snaps.

You purse your lips and give him a pointed glare.

“Stop twisting my words. Fuck who you like but be smart about who you stick your dick into.” You tell him lowly.

“Then I might as well fuck you, right? You’re the only person I can trust.” He sneers, leaning closer to you.

Your eyes widen, and your stoic demeanour is interrupted with his blunt words.

While you couldn’t deny that your boss was undeniably attractive, and alluded major sex appeal—he was still your boss and you would never cross professional boundaries no matter how much your body betrayed you. Even the Taehyung’s banter got much more … explicit and flirty, you brushed it off as him being himself. But he’s never explicitly stated anything like that before.

When you realise you’re gaping at him, you quickly try to compose yourself but unfortunately for you, he immediately catches on your surprised expression and bathes in it.

He smirks at you, standing up to walk across to where you were sat and plops next to you, a bit too close for a boss to be to his bodyguard.

“I’m right, aren’t I? You said to be smart and fuck someone who won’t have anything against me.” He whispers into your ear and you try to stop the shivers that travel down your body.

Taehyung notices how tense you are and reaches an arm to trail down your neck, slowly and teasingly until it rests on your hipbone.

You curse yourself for wearing only a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, since it was meant to be your day off until you were made aware of Hyunbi’s visit.

“Watch your mouth, Kim Taehyung.” You grit.

He snorts but nuzzles his nose into the column of your neck, and you feel the hot breath fan across your skin.

“You’re not denying it. Does that mean you want me to fuck you? Nice and deep?” He whispers the words against your skin and you can’t help the involuntary clamp of your thighs.

Taehyung, even as dense as he is, picks up on your movement immediately and reaches his other hand to keep your thighs apart, large hand sprawled across your thigh and you marvel for a moment at how big his hands are.

“Bet I could fuck the uptightness out of you, sweets.”

“Did you forget that I know everything about you?” You hiss, attempting to sound threatening but that only causes Taehyung to grin wider.

“Ooo. I love it when you get bitchy with me.” He teases, rubbing a circle with his thumb on your inner thigh as you feel desire pool in your belly.

“You’re insufferable.” You huff and you hate the way you sound breathless.

“Did I ever tell you how much your bitchiness turns me on? Always dreamed of shutting you up with my cock.” He confesses against your cheek this time and your eyes widen comically, your own hand clamping over his one over your thigh.

As Taehyung momentarily gets distracted with mouthing at your ear, you come to your senses and realise that you’re becoming the pawn in his game.

You quickly flip him over, until he’s settled under you with your knees sprawled next to his thighs, pelvis’ nearly touching as he smirks at you.

“Listen, Kim,” You whisper, leaning down until your noses are touching and you can spot every freckle on his face. He leans up to chase your breath but you don’t allow him the satisfaction of caving in.

“You’d never be able to handle my pussy.” You grin at him.

His eyes darken, and you feel his hands rest tightly on your hip.

You straddle his thighs and lean in until you’re sure his cock feels your pussy against him through the barrier of his robe and your shorts.

“Try me.” He challenges, mirth dancing in his eyes.

“You know why?” You lean into his ear to whisper, and your hands trail down his chest slowly and seductively until they reach the opening of the robe where his pelvis is, touch teasing and suggestive, especially when his breath hitches.

“Why?” He attempts to grind up to you, blinded by his carnal desire.

“Because …” You bite his earlobe and hear the grunt he lets out, cock unmistakably hardening until your core.

“Once you fuck me, you’ll never be able to fuck any other pussy without wishing it was mine.” You say as you pepper kisses down his jaw, right up to his chin until your lips are hovering above his.

But as soon as he attempts to close the distance, you push yourself off of him and return to your stoic and professional stance.

“You have a meeting with your investors in twenty.”

Taehyung gapes at you, the outline of his cock clear against the thin material of his robe as he releases heavy breaths of want as he looks at you in disbelief.

“You can’t be serious.” He snaps.

You shrug your shoulders and cock your head to the clock behind him.

“Good luck getting ready, Kim.” You say with a final smirk, enjoying the fact that you had him frustrated and high.

“This isn’t the end, _____.” He says lowly.

“You better hurry up and hope you finish in less than twenty minutes.” You tease, and you see the tip of his ears burn.

“Maybe I’ll give it five.” You say, flipping your hair over your shoulder and making sure to add a little sway to your hips when you walk away.

You briefly hear a fuck being uttered when you open the door to leave, and you feel triumphant with what you left him with.

#bts fic #bts imagine #bts fics #bts imagines #bts fluff #bts smut #bts taehyung #bts v #taehyung x reader #taehyung fic #taehyung imagine #taehyung fluff #taehyung smut #kim taehyung x reader #Kim taehyung smut #kim taehyung smut #smut #fluff #taehyung enemies to lovers

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lady-divine-writes · 3 years

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Kurtbastian one-shot - “Inflated Egos” (Rated G)

Summary: When Kurt takes one of his students to compete in their first competition after landing their Axel, Kurt is confronted with the conundrum of choosing good sportsmanship or doing anything you can to win...

And Sebastian and Blaine are of no help whatsoever. (2080 words)

Part 69 of Outside Edge

Read on AO3.

“I wanna add the Axel!”

"I know you do, Kevin. It's exciting to land your Axel. But we can't add it to your routine last minute."

"Why not!? I know the perfect place for it!"

Kurt sighs, steering his precocious pupil down the corridor that leads to the ice, rehashing this conversation they've had close to a hundred times over the past three hours.

“You can't add the Axel because you're competing at a level that doesn't include Axel."

"But this isn't a technical competition!" Kevin argues, the words tumbling around his mouth as if they don't belong. "I'm skating spotlight artistic! I can have an Axel in my program. They just won't score it!"

"Wow. You have such a firm grasp of the rules and qualifiers for a ten-year-old. Almost as if someone fed them to you... " Kurt shoots his boyfriend a dirty look. Sebastian shrugs, but he doesn't look the least bit guilty.

"It might be considered bad sportsmanship, and that could lower your score,” Blaine adds, inching in on Kurt's side of the argument. He has nothing against Kevin adding the jump. It would add pizzazz to his program. But judging at the ISI level can be ambiguous, to put it nicely. Not like in higher levels where it's required to put real-time scores on a readily available screen throughout the performance for transparency. If a judge doesn't like your music or your costume or your coach or you in general for whatever reason, a skater can lose fractions of a point.

And those add up.

Most ISI judges coach competitors, and they tend to favor skaters in their own skating clubs. Scratches magically disappear if a coach happens to know the performer, knows that they've done better in the past, and cuts them some slack.

It happens more often than the casual onlooker may think.

Kevin is a talented up-and-comer who hasn't ruffled anyone's feathers (that Blaine knows of), so he doesn't see how one little Axel could sully his reputation. And Kevin is correct - it's not technically against the rules for his event class.

It's just frowned upon.

But if Blaine joins the Kevin-Sebastian tag team, that would be three against one, and that wouldn't be fair to Kurt. Kurt is looking out for his skater like any good coach would. Bad scoring won't tank a judge, but bad sportsmanship can kill a skater's career before it starts.

“I know the kids at the rink love this event, but I've never competed in spotlight artistic," Kurt admits. "Only technical. So I don’t really know what to expect.”

"I didn't either," Blaine chimes in. "My coach was adamant that it was a waste of time for serious skaters."

“I did a few," Sebastian says, "when I was part of Elite."

Kurt peeks over at his boyfriend, lips twisted behind his mask in an amused grin. "Why? That doesn't seem like Elite's cup of tea."

"Because coach wanted our names on the board for every event possible - technical, spotlight, shoot-the-duck, spirals... "

"What sort of routines did you do?"

"Nothing too impressive. Not like my technical programs. I was a big Avengers fan, so I stuck with that. I was Thor one year. Had a Mjölnir with lightning coming out of it and everything."

"Oh, please tell me there's a video of this somewhere!" Blaine begs, clasping his hands together in front of his chest. "I would pay good money to see it!"

"You can't afford it," Sebastian says, blowing him off without a glance. "You had to have a prop for spotlight, but coach always said it was about the skating, like every other event. Or it was." He raises an eyebrow at a tractor prop covered in LED lights, quietly questioning, "What the hell song is that for?" as it drives by. "Something tells me that may have changed a tad.”

“Ya think?” Blaine chuckles, pointing to three skaters dressed in inflatable T-Rex costumes pulling an animatronic Indominus Rex the size of a VW bus behind them.

Kevin gasping diverts their attention to a podium covered in holographic wrap, a giant "diamond" mounted on top spinning slowly, throwing colored beams across the floor, pushed by a young lady dressed as a one-eyed spy. "These props are awesome!" he says, his own small prop clutched in his right fist.

"Maybe next time, we can wrap you up in Christmas lights and glue drones to your shoulders to make you fly," Sebastian suggests. "Eh, Kevin?"

"Can we?" Kevin asks, bouncing on his blockers, excited at the prospect of taking his hand-made Elvis costume to the next level.

"No! Kevin doesn't need any bells or whistles," Kurt declares, unsure what Christmas lights and drones have to do with Elvis. "His routine is about his skating. Props are just gravy. We don't need more. One is enough."

"Yeah. Right. Okay," Sebastian and Kevin grump. Even Blaine looks disappointed.

So when Kurt hears a chuckle, his ears prick up, and his head turns.

Everyone he sees around them seems focused on their warmups. No one is paying attention to them. But off to his right, he spots a brown-haired woman, her smiling green eyes darting their way, then back to the ice. When she looks back and notices Kurt watching her, she knows she's been caught and waves their way.

"I'm sorry," she says, trundling over. "I didn't mean to overhear, but I was wonderin'... are you fellas new?"

It's not often that Kurt walks into a rink in Ohio and isn't immediately recognized. But unlike Sebastian, he enjoys the anonymity.

"Let's just say I am," Kurt says. "What am I missing?"

"A lot." She laughs again so hard, she snorts. "I'm sorry. Saying it's about the skating is admirable. That's what it should be about. But it's not. Not in this category. It's about the props. The bigger the prop, the better. You have to use every advantage you have if you want your skater to come close to winning a medal."

"Not everybody thinks that way," Kurt argues.

"Oh no? Do you see that boy over there in the gold crown?" She motions with her head past the crowd to where a boy slightly older than Kevin, dressed in pale blue and gold brocade, warms up. "That's Michael. He's skating as Tommen from Game of Thrones. His dragon prop is programmed to roll around the ice on its own. It even breathes fire! And at the end, he's going to jump out a tower window."

"Wow," Sebastian says when he catches sight of said tower. It has to be made of styrofoam. The skaters are responsible for getting their props on and off the ice by themselves. There is no way this kid would be able to push his tower around unless it was constructed out of foam. But it looks like stone. It stands at least six feet tall with a platform roughly three feet up and outfitted with a cushion for Michael to land on, painted to look like a cloud that will blend in with the ice. "Kurt, you're super dramatic and stuff. This sounds right up your alley! How about we sign you up for the next go-'round? You can do an excerpt from Wicked. Or Phantom of the Opera! We just need to find you a cape, a mask, and about seven dozen candles! Whaddya say?"

"I say it depends on which testicle you want to lose," Kurt mutters, hoping the bubbly stage-mom dressed in head-to-toe flair doesn't hear.

"Look, it may not be my place to say," she starts. "You are his coach and all, but... uh... " Her eyelids narrow. "What event is your skater in?"

"Thirty-seven," Kurt says.

She sighs, looks strangely relieved. "Okay. My Maggie's in twenty-three."

Kurt's brow furrows. Then he rolls his eyes, realizing she asked to make sure Kurt's skater wouldn't be competing against her daughter after she imparts this valuable nugget of information.

"If you want some advice, let him add the Axel. His prop is a little... well, it's a little... " She glances down at the object Kevin is strangling in his grip, searching for a polite word to describe it "... puny. He'll need a little oomph. Ooo!" She yelps so suddenly, all four boys jump. "I almost forgot! I have a boom box in my trailer from Maggie's last spotlight! It's got a detachable disco ball and flashing strobe lights! It would go great with his costume!"

"Is it big?" Sebastian asks, infuriating Kurt by getting caught up in this woman's prop propaganda.

"It's the size of an Irish Wolfhound!"

"And they're big," Blaine concurs, sharing a nod with Kevin, then Sebastian.

"Oh, I couldn't put you out..." Kurt tries, but she shakes her head, refusing to let him turn down her offer.

"Nonsense! I'm parked right outside the loading doors! It'll take five minutes to get!"

"It couldn't hurt," Blaine says, having the good sense to move away after.

Kurt can't reach him, but he fixes him with a glare that could melt glass.

"You can't honestly believe the skating doesn't matter?" he says, not directed at any one person.

"Of course, I believe the skating matters," Maggie's mom says. "But in this event, you have to have some sort of edge. Especially when you're up against stuff like that." She points past them, her eyes traveling up, way up, and Kurt's heart sinks into his stomach before he even turns around.

”Jesus Christmas,” Sebastian moans, staring at the monstrosity traveling their way - the biggest, gaudiest, parade-style float he has ever seen indoors, decorated to look like a six-year-old girl's dream: the base wrapped in tons of fluffy pink tuille intertwined with hundreds of white twinkle lights, crystal baubles and gold balls hanging from fishing line so they look like they're suspended in air, no less than three machines spewing bubbles straight up, a hidden fog machine obscuring the view slightly with pink mist, and in the center, a whole family of inflatable rainbow unicorns on an elevated platform, each one rotating independently, all surrounding a cocoon of pink satin pillows where a skater sits, carried onto the ice by this cotton candy throne. “I’m not even skating, and I’m suffering from some serious prop envy.”

Kurt stares at the thing as it passes by, its smug passenger waving at them like they're peasants waiting for crumbs of stale bread, until the image is burned into his retinas. He looks at Kevin and his pathetic prop - a lime-green inflatable guitar his mother bought for five dollars at the last county fair. There's something wrong with it. It keeps deflating at the neck. Kurt brought a hand pump with him, one he uses to put air in his yoga ball. One of Kurt's jobs as Kevin's coach is to fortify the thing before Kevin takes to the ice. He tosses it about three seconds in to his routine anyway.

Because it's not the star of the show.

Kevin is.

Kevin could probably skate circles around half these kids, but if what Maggie's mom says is true, he doesn't have a chance simply because they didn't think to look for anything larger for him to hold than this defective pool toy. Kurt finds it horrible that Kevin has lost before he even begins because his prop is less in-your-face than everyone else’s.

Excuse him for thinking that a skating competition would be judged on skating!

Kurt isn't necessarily proud of his next few decisions since they play into the "anything to win" mentality. But later, Sebastian will convince him he wasn't elevating Kevin so he could win. It was leveling the playing field so he had a chance.

And Kurt can live with that.

"Sebastian? Blaine?"

"Yeah, babe?"

Blaine debates calling Kurt babe, too, if for no other reason than to rankle Sebastian, but now might not be the best time. "Yeah?"

"Could you please escort this kind woman to her trailer and retrieve the enormous boom box she has graciously offered to lend us?"

"On it," Blaine replies.

"Yessir." Sebastian gives Kurt a playful salute, then hurries away, led by the now effervescent woman who couldn't be more thrilled than if they were outfitting her daughter.

“And Kevin?”

“Yeah, coach?”

Kurt puts his hands on Kevin's shoulders and gives him a reassuring squeeze as they watch that grotesque, bubble-spitting giant take the ice. “Add the Axel.”

#kurtbastian #sebkurt #sekurt #kurt hummel #sebastian smythe

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reachexceedinggrasp · 4 years

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Okay, so for my clannibal people, I have two recs where something very like The Dynamic has recently appeared in media. The first one has far more caveats than the second, but the first one is also the one where the ship is canon and has kissing.

The Method a Russian series from 2015 (it’s on Netflix). It’s about a young ingenue who decides to become a cop because of lingering trauma around an unsolved violent parental death (check), she’s accepted as the protege of an eccentric genius (check) through somewhat shady circumstances with some kind of ulterior motive (check). He, the eccentric genius, is not a serial killer- he’s a detective, but he is an absolute human disaster whose erratic behaviour and extremely questionable morals are tolerated by the police because they can use him as a weapon. He has totally killed people.

‘Byronic Hero’ is a vast understatement.

This show is grim, graphic, and very dark; it takes an extremely dim view of humanity in general and it doesn’t provide the hope or catharsis that Clannibal does- the protagonist does not get to have it all, so be forewarned on that. The implicit worldview and assumed ethical framework of the series is honestly appalling and the main characters are all fairly reprehensible by the end, so if you’re not prepared to deal with a whole lotta ugliness I would say don’t watch it.

The selling point to me is that the characters are interesting and the ship is very compelling. Again, it’s canon, so you will get satisfaction, but the actual romance is somewhat subtextual most of the time. Their connection is the lynchpin of the series, but it’s more about the protagonist’s ‘education’ into his world and an exploration of what that world is than it is focussed on them falling in love. He has no illusions or intentions about having a future (with her or otherwise), he’s trying to pass on his ‘method’ to a worthy successor, so his attitude is heavily informed by that. She is being broken of what idealism she ever had (told you it was grim).

Anyway, their relationship is very fucked up and the series has a legit horrifying (also aggressively stupid) conception of what mental illness is like, but it was very engaging and it was totally unapologetic about the romanticism of the dark love story, so there is a lot there for you if you want to see something like a Clannibal dynamic again. Just don’t expect the positive turn or healing. The ending is not happy or hopeful in any sense. You could make a good argument it’s a full-on tragedy, though I don’t think that’s quite the intent. And the tragedy is Titus Andronicus. If that gives you an indication of how grim we’re talking.

The plot does completely fall apart by the end (it’s like if OUaT were an r-rated crime show, it becomes that much of a mess), but the acting is good and it remains very compelling because of the characters.

Tell Me What You Saw a kdrama from this year. THIS is what I’m talking about. A young ingenue decides to become a cop because of lingering trauma around an unsolved violent parental death (check), she’s accepted as the protege of an eccentric genius (check), through somewhat shady circumstances with some kind of ulterior motive (check). She has to go visit him alone in a giant, creepy old building where he is confined (ooo, new check). He, the eccentric genius, is on the side of the angels and is again not a serial killer lol. He is a legendary criminal profiler and ex-detective who spends most of the series as a somewhat morally ambiguous anti-hero. He’s brilliant, he’s troubled, he broods and plays mind games from on high, and he’s always 17 steps ahead of you. I love him. Also, crucially, he is hot:

The first six episodes have great build-up to a not-totally-unpredictable but still fairly epic twist and then, sadly, the following episode is a bit of an anti-climax from what felt like it should be the jumping off point where the series kicked into high gear but turned out to be a bunch of wandering around aimlessly in very loosely connected episodic plots. There’s narrative justification for this, but I did feel like someone slammed on the breaks and switched gears. It takes a while to regain momentum and is never quite as focussed or well-balanced again.

The pros of the series are its very strong characters played by mostly very strong actors, quality atmosphere, great action, good suspense, and loads and loads of interesting relationships brimming with potential. The one that interests me most being, of course, the one between the protagonist and the profiler. It’s pretty much exactly the clannibal dynamic- he picks her apart and challenges her for his own reasons and then comes to enormously respect her; she is at first intimidated and angry but gives as good as she gets until she reaches a point of growth where she can challenge him in return. And, in the end, he has helped her self-actualise and become who she wanted to be and she helps him heal from his past to the point she can radically alter his outlook on life.

Their relationship is ultimately very positive for both and remains central to the series throughout. There are complicated feelings at play that are given some time in the spotlight, but it is sadly underdeveloped from what it should have been imo. Especially on his side. And there is no romance or explicit attraction, though I think the show supports her at least having a crush on him. If it had ‘gone there’ it would not have shocked anyone, let’s put it that way. They could have gone there. It is one of those flawed canons with good characters super ripe for fic. (Please watch this show and write fic so I can read it, is what I’m saying.)

The cons are that the story ends up being ridiculous on multiple levels and there are some intensely irritating moments of characters being profoundly idiotic and unreasonable just to keep the plot going. Incoherent motivation, mainly for the heroes, is a BIG problem. Apparently rampant police incompetence (including from all the main characters) is the second biggest problem. There is a fantastic female character who is the team leader for our main cops and she gets hit with both of these possibly the worst of anyone. The big reveal about her also makes no fucking sense. There was a maybe cliché but perfectly serviceable route they could have gone instead without changing anything, it seemed like they were setting it up, but they just go with... nothing. And in retrospect this undermines her entire character for the whole series. Which hurts because she was genuinely awesome.

So yeah. There are logic problems and all three ongoing major questions in the overarching story basically have terrible ‘solutions’, but it is extremely well-made in every other respect and the characters remained compelling enough that I couldn’t stop watching. The single-episode mysteries are usually very good with good pacing and satisfying resolutions. It’s consistently entertaining despite the frustration and it manages to pull out a fucking GREAT A+++++ ending right when you’re about to get super pissed off about more deterministic grim teenage nihilism ruining everything. The protagonist got to learn from all her experiences without losing her optimism, rise above adversity and be rewarded for her faith, and it was honestly so nice to get that. So unexpectedly hopeful and uplifting. I love a story that gets dark but never despairs.

If they make a second series with the same cast, I will be there with bells on.

#clannibal #media recs #tell me what you saw #the profiler is very OP in the best way I love this character type and I'm not ashamed #give me a super OP mess and I'm so happy #(as long as the narrative realises that they are a mess)#( if it doesn't then it's just ugggggh and probably heading for PCM at best and studom at worst)#anyway this is the same actor as played the insane love interest in Fated to Love You #Korean Johnny Depp #jang hyuk #he's pretty great #he's also an ex-boxer and real life martial artist whose entire body is rock hard so he's got that going for him as well #this show is very nearly Peak Aesthetic for him (all black clothes sunglasses shoulder length hair unnnf)#he needs the long hair #short hair does not suit him #(I realise I'm biased but it really doesn't)#this opinion has been reinforced mightily by this show and the show I watched him in where it was even shorter than in the shit half of FtL #(which is Wok of Love which I do not recommend at all it's terrible)#although that show also had bad lighting/direction which I'm sure didn't help #I mean it's Peak Aesthetic until they inexplicably decide to dress him exclusively in giant fluffy coats he never takes off (yes i'm salty)#why does this character have five different giant black coats what's that about #back to TMWYS now btw #my tag rambles are getting more confusing #he had a smart peacoat in the beginning and then it's all huge parkas #I understand it's apparently always freezing in studios and it was winter but cold is temporary looking cool is forever lmao #kdrama

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slipping-through-my-fingertips · 4 years

Text

Now Put Your Hands Up

New fic!! AO3 link here

Summary: Tina and Brittany teach Burt Hummel “Single Ladies”

Missing scene in “Goodbye”

Burt Hummel liked to think he knew his son fairly well. These last couple years he felt like they were finally moving towards each other again. He’d lost Kurt after Elizabeth passed. They were both grieving. Sometimes Burt forgot that he didn’t just lose his spouse, Kurt had lost his mother. It was easy to chalk Kurt’s behavior up to grief.

The hiding in his bedroom. Exiling himself. Cooking dinner for the two of them. For the most part, doing the cleaning.

Burt missed his wife but he knew she was never coming home. Every day, he waited for a Kurt that he remembered to walk through the front door. He never came. It was always this new Kurt that Burt didn’t know how to connect with even though he tried to talk to him at dinner and when they’d watch tv together.

Then, two years ago Kurt wandered into the garage as light on his feet as ever. Burt never understood Kurt’s careful footsteps because no one could hear anything over the noises of their machines. Hell, they screamed at one another to talk shop. He remembered that conversation perfectly. When Kurt had joined glee club, Burt was disappointed it wasn’t a sports team but Kurt never was the kid to follow the norm. It had been so long since he had seen his son smile like he had when he talked about singing and dancing.

Burt chuckled when he remembered thinking Beyoncé was one of the girls in glee and Kurt had corrected him.

“No, dad, she’s, like, the biggest pop star in the world.”

As nice as this trip down memory lane was, Burt was no closer to knowing what to get Kurt for graduation. This kid was the hardest person to buy for because the only things Kurt wanted and didn’t already have were too damn expensive.

Cause as funny as it would be to see the look on Kurt’s face if Burt got Beyoncé to come to his graduation party, it just wasn’t plausible. He could already see Kurt’s jaw-dropping. But that wasn’t possible, this was a small town in Ohio and Burt could not afford her.

“Hey dad,” Kurt said, coming in through the front door.

“Hi bud, how was school? Where’s your brother?”

Kurt was sliding off his shoes.

“School was good. Tina made it through a love song without crying.”

“And Finn?”

“He left with Puck.” Kurt shrugged.

“That means we’ll have another mouth to fed at dinner,” Burt said.

“Maybe two?” Kurt questioned, already pouting hopefully. “Blaine wants to study together.”

“Yeah okay, Blaine can come over.”

“Thanks, Dad! I’m going to call him now.”

With that, Kurt went up the stairs. Burt rubbed his eyes and tried to focus again but all he could think about was Tina crying in glee club. She must’ve been so happy to sing a solo and not let a tear fall. Burt tried to remember the last time he saw her.

Feels like years but it was probably only a week or two ago. He definitely remembers the first time he met Tina. They were still at their old house. Kurt’s bedroom was in the basement because he wanted more space or something. Brittany and Tina were in those dance outfits, leotards maybe? There had been music playing. That “Single Ladies” song by Beyoncé.

Kurt had looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him. Tina and Brittany were confident and curious when Burt interrupted them.

It was at that moment, they started to understand each other again. All because of some Beyoncé song. Wait, Beyoncé!

Burt knew exactly what to get Kurt now. He just had to get some phone numbers.

***

Dinner was a short affair. Puck and Finn wanted to play video games then Blaine and Kurt wanted to study some more. Burt reminded both pairs to keep their bedroom doors cracked open. Carole laughed at his antics from the kitchen.

“Let me help you clean up,” he told her.

“You know they’re going to make out anyway, right?” she asked.

“Who’s they? Finn and Puck or Kurt and Blaine.”

Carole laughed again. “I was thinking Kurt and Blaine but you’ve got a point. Finn and Puck do act like a couple sometimes. I swore they were holding hands when they came in earlier.”

Burt smiled at her as she closed up the dishwasher and started it.

“Movie?” Carole asked.

They went into the living room. Burt sat down and put his arm around the back of the couch and Carole snuggled into his side.

“What would I have to do to get Finn to keep a secret?”

“That depends,” Carole said. “For how long and from who?”

“A week or so. It’s for Kurt.”

“I think letting him pick the next two Friday night dinners might do it. And maybe a weekend off from the shop.”

“Hard bargain.”

Carole looked up at him. “It’s worth it.”

As it turns out, Carole was right. Finn was more than willing to hide the fact that Burt needed Tina and Brittany’s phone numbers. He decided it was best to not ask Burt why and just be satisfied with choosing this week’s dinner.

Burt came across another bump in his plan. What were these two teenagers going to think about an almost 50-year-old man texting them? This was weird and kind of creepy. He shouldn’t do it but on the other hand, it was for Kurt and Finn already gave him their numbers.

Of course, Carole was at work so he couldn’t ask her advice.

Burt: Hi girls, it’s Burt Hummel. Kurt’s dad. I was hoping you two could help me out with Kurt’s graduation gift. I’d appreciate it if you could keep this from him because I want it to be a surprise.

Tina, surprisingly as it was during the school day, got back to him instantly.

Tina: Mr. Hummel, Tina here. I’d love to help. What’s the present?

Burt: I need help learning a dance routine.

Brittany: Kurt’s fabulous. I love everything he does and I love dancing. Want us to come after school to help?

Burt: I’m so thankful for both of you being willing to help out. Kurt’s out with Rachel this afternoon so it’d be great if you could meet me at the garage. I don’t want to risk him coming back early.

Wouldn’t it be a twist for Kurt to come down the basement, slightly horrified, by his father dancing to “Single Ladies” with two of his glee club friends?

Burt was going to make sure it was a surprise but on his terms, not Kurt’s.

As they said they would, the girls met him at the garage. He had cleared a spot out back for them to practice. Rehearse, the Kurt in his head corrected.

“So, what's the big number?” Tina asked.

“6.02214076 × 1023,” Brittany recited.

“What?” Burt asked.

Brittany repeated herself then said, “it’s avocado’s number.”

“Don’t you mean Avogadro’s number?” Tina corrected.

“I’m pretty sure it’s avocado.”

“Anyway,” Burt said, changing the subject, “to answer your question, Tina, it’s ‘Single Ladies’.”

“Ooo, yay! I love that one,” Brittany said, clapping.

“Let’s start with your feet placement,” Tina told Burt.

She tapped his legs and positioned him correctly. Brittany stood in front of Burt to show him the specific step and Tina stood next to him to help configure his body the right way.

In just over an hour, Burt knew the order of the steps. Now, he had to learn to be in sync with his dancemates. He tried to tell them he only needed lessons, not backup dancers but the girls insisted. The dance was simply not the same without backup.

When he got home from the shop that night, with a promise to Brittany and Tina for one final rehearsal before their performance, he caught himself humming the tune of “Single Ladies”. He assumed he was going to have to learn the words too. Brittany said it helped sometimes to use the lyrics as a guide to remember dance steps. Tina disagreed, she liked to memorize lyrics so well that it was second nature to sing while dancing. If she focused too much on the words, she’d lose her place in the dance.

His singing and humming only escalated after their second rehearsal, which Burt had totally nailed the performance on his second try. Burt made an effort to stop himself when Kurt was around not wanting to risk him asking questions. There was no doubt in Burt’s mind that Kurt would start to investigate why his father was suddenly a Beyoncé fan. He might even convince Burt to buy tickets for her next tour. As much as Burt was enjoying “Single Ladies” he had no desire to be dragged to a concert.

On the day Burt was sitting on the edge of the stage waiting for Kurt, he wasn’t nervous. This performance was going to be great. The only concern he had was whether Kurt would like it or not.

#glee #my fics #missing scene

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silver-lily-louise · 4 years

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Souls are a Serious Business

She doesn’t have all of her memories back, not yet, but she’s still collecting little fragments every other day; the way light catches in a familiar stained glass window, or the thwack of a bō, or the burn of a particular rune triggering a sudden recollection. But she’s gained something different today, a security that slots into place as some fear inside her is soothed – because now, she’s tied to the Shadow World in a way she wasn’t before.

In which Clary and Izzy become parabatai.

Read it on AO3, or below!

~oOo~

‘…If aught but death part thee and me,’ Izzy says, her voice strong and clear, her stance tall and proud. ‘If aught but death part thee and me,’ Clary repeats, a little breathless under the weight of commitment, because this is it.

With the final lines spoken, the bond shimmers fully into place, and Brother Zachariah smiles. ‘Isabelle Sophia Lightwood, and Clarissa Adele Fairchild. You are now parabatai. May the Angel watch over you and all those you protect.’

The room erupts into respectful applause (and one whooping cheer that Clary recognises as Simon), and Izzy’s professional composure breaks, her face splitting into a beaming smile as she squeezes the hand still linked with Clary’s own. ‘We did it,’ she says.

Clary laughs, pulling her new parabatai into a quick hug, a little giddy with the sudden doubling of her own happiness, her ribs feeling fuller for the second heartbeat she recognises beneath them now. ‘We did,’ she agrees. Not for the first time, her stomach twists in a strange sort of nostalgia and comfort – because she’s back. She doesn’t have all of her memories back, not yet, but she’s still collecting little fragments every other day; the way light catches in a familiar stained glass window, or the thwack of a bō, or the burn of a particular rune triggering a sudden recollection. But she’s gained something different today, a security that slots into place as some fear inside her is soothed – because now, she’s tied to the Shadow World in a way she wasn’t before. This bond is pretty much a magical guarantee of what Isabelle’s been telling her ever since her memories started to return, and brought with them the fear of losing all of this yet again: If the angels want to take you away from us a second time, they’ll have to get through me first.

With the ceremony over, the congregation start to advance, offering congratulations and well-wishes – and there’s a lot of them, both from within the New York Institute and from certain delegations of the Clave. Izzy’s Head of the Institute, after all – her parabatai ceremony was always going to be something of a political spectacle.

But eventually, the more politically-motivated guests politely take their leave, and their family are the only ones remaining in the ceremonial hall.

Simon is first – vampire speed and all that – and he darts from one side to the other for a moment, seemingly not knowing who to approach first, before apparently coming to a compromise and just pulling both of them in for a hug at the same time. ‘Congrats, you two,’ he says, flashing Clary a bright smile before turning to Izzy and giving her a gentle peck on the lips. ‘See?’ Izzy says, still grinning. ‘Not freaky at all.’ Simon looks back at Clary, his jaw dropped and his eyebrows knitted indignantly together. ‘You told her I said that?’ he asks accusingly. Clary shrugs, stifling a laugh at the look of utter betrayal on Simon’s face. ‘I mean, she’s my parabatai and my boss, Si. There’s not a lot of room for secrets.’

‘I don’t suppose you teach classes on that philosophy, do you?’ Alec asks, slinging an arm around Izzy’s shoulder as he gives a pointed look at the space behind Clary. ‘Hey!’ The offended voice comes from over her shoulder, and she smiles, leaning back as a circle of arms appear around her. ‘I tell you stuff. Eventually.’ She feels herself being turned around, and then she’s face to face with her boyfriend, automatically stretching up onto her tiptoes as she loops her arms around his neck. ‘Congratulations,’ Jace murmurs, his brashness fading as it always does when they’re like this, gazing at each other and letting the rest of the world fall away. Clary’s chest floods with a familiar warmth, and she pulls him down into a kiss.

Several minutes later, Clary and Izzy have almost made the complete rounds of congratulatory family members. Izzy is, apparently, determined to hug each and every one of them. In the spirit of family unity, Clary tries to follow suit, and almost makes it – even managing to secure a one-armed half-embrace from Alec – but then her and Robert’s eyes meet, and they freeze for a moment, before mutually extending their hands instead. There’s awkward, and then there’s awkward, after all. Maybe they’ll cross that particular bridge when she and Jace get married someday.

In any case, the last person Clary gets to – after extricating herself from Luke’s too-tight bear-hug, which possibly cracks one of her ribs but also makes her laugh because it’s so like old times – is Magnus, who was previously engaged catching up with Brother Zachariah when she glanced over. Now, however, his attention rests fully on her, and he gives her a warm smile as she steps into his arms briefly. ‘Well, Biscuit, how does it feel?’ ‘Good,’ she says honestly, returning his smile as she steps back, snaking her left arm around Jace’s waist again. ‘I’m glad we went through with it. Thanks for your advice.’ Magnus waves a hand dismissively. ‘It was nothing.’ He glances down at the spot just above her left hip, where the combo of low-rise pants and crop top leaves the new rune proudly exposed. ‘Left hip again,’ he says thoughtfully. ‘Is it always placed there, then?’ Clary frowns, unsure of the answer – but at that moment Alec appears again, looming out of the crowd on the right and coming to stand beside his husband. ‘Not always,’ he says, gesturing at the rune, ‘but it’s a pretty common placement. It’s fairly accessible, and easily displayed, which has some ceremonial importance because of the nature of the bond. But it’s not as high-priority to reach and reactivate as things like strength or iratze.’

‘…Okay, starting to feel like I should have done some research before today,’ Clary says sheepishly. ‘This could have gone pretty badly, apparently.’ Alec shrugs, but he smiles a little, too. ‘Izzy had you covered, she knows all this stuff. You wouldn’t have ended up with it somewhere ridiculous, like your shoulder blade.’ Despite his airy tone, the comment sounds pointed to Clary’s ears – and a second later, she’s proved right as Jace sighs. ‘More than a decade ago, Alec,’ he says wearily. ‘Let it go.’ Alec raises an eyebrow in a way that suggests he is very much not going to do that, and Clary grins.

‘Well, regardless,’ Magnus says, as Izzy and Simon appear from the left and join their little circle of conversation. ‘It’s… an apt placement.’ His eyes seem to spark a little, and Clary narrows her own in suspicion. ‘What do you mean?’ ‘Oh, nothing,’ Magnus says nonchalantly, even having the gall to throw a wink in her direction. ‘You’ll have to forgive an old man his little jokes. It’s not important.’

Clary frowns – but she hums in a grudging semi-agreement, preparing to let it go and change the subject. She’s interrupted, however, by Simon’s sudden laughter. ‘Oh my god,’ he says, and he looks practically gleeful. ‘He means that you’re joined at the hip.’

It takes half a moment to sink in – and then all three siblings seem to react at once. Alec rolls his eyes (though it’s Magnus, so he smiles too, of course), Izzy honest-to-god giggles (apparently, dating Simon is increasing her tolerance for stupid jokes), and Jace groans loudly (‘Come on, seriously?’). Magnus, for his part, shrugs – and then subtly offers Simon a low-five, which is quickly and eagerly accepted.

Clary, meanwhile, just smiles, looking around at her re-found family. These are some of the biggest players in the Shadow World, unbelievably powerful in terms of both magic and politics.

They’re also a bunch of idiots, and she is so, so lucky to have them back.

~oOo~

#shadowhunters #shadowhunters fic #shtv #clary fairchild #isabelle lightwood #shs #mine

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housebeleren · 5 years

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The Mythic Cycles of M20

Hooo boy, Core Set 2020 is upon us. Previews are in full swing, and predictions are running rampant about what the new Standard format is going to look like, as well as what cards will see play in other formats.

So far, I’m stoked for the design of M20. There are some phenomenal reprints, some powerful new cards, and a surprisingly nuanced take on a core set limited environment. Not to mention, Chandra realness for the gawds, henny! Seriously, I’m loving the Chandra focus, & look forward to seeing what they do with it.

With that in mind, today I want to take a look at the Mythic card cycles that have been previewed so far, and try to get a sense of what cards are going to be powerhouses in each format.

Mythic Planeswalkers

I’m always torn about having so many Planeswalkers in the core set. It just adds so much to the format. On the other hand, I am beyond stoked to see more designs for Vivien, Sorin, and Yanling. Living for it, really. Let’s do a quick rundown of each ‘Walker by format relevance.

Limited

Chandra, Awakened Inferno - This ends games. She’s the Liliana, Dreadhorde General of the format, & is a true bomb.

Ajani, Strength of the Pride - This takes over games. If they can’t remove him right away, he’s going to snowball fast.

Mu Yanling, Sky Dancer - Yanling’s biggest weakness is her low starting loyalty, and she’s a weaker topdeck than some of the others. But if you get her out turn 3, she can generate a huge early advantage.

Vivien, Arkbow Ranger - Hard to cast on curve makes her one of the weaker picks for Limited. You’ll still play her, since her abilities are generally useful for Limited decks, but the others are better.

Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord - I doubt the Vampire deck will come together in Limited, and if it doesn’t, Sorin isn’t worth much.

Constucted

Chandra, Awakened Inferno - See above. She ends games. The can’t be countered clause is more relevant in Constructed and makes this a fantastic foil against Control decks.

Ajani, Strength of the Pride - I’m sure this will find a home in Standard.

Mu Yanling, Sky Dancer - If mono-Blue is still a thing going forward (or after rotation), I suspect Yanling will have a part in it.

Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord - This Sorin provides some much needed interaction for the Vampires deck, and I can see him having a home there until rotation.

Vivien, Arkbow Ranger - I’m sorry, I don’t know what deck wants this.

Commander

Ajani, Strength of the Pride - Ajani knocks Chandra off the top spot for EDH recognition. There are plenty of decks with incremental lifegain triggers that will enjoy his first two abilities, and the fact that he can ult right away if you have high enough life is bonkers for decks like Ayli or Oloro that will be more than happy to use him as a 4 mana Plague Wind.

Chandra, Awakened Inferno - This Chandra is surprisingly durdley, but the fact that her +1 scales for multiplayer goes a long way to making this playable. But despite the similar mana cost, she’s no Sun’s Champion.

Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord - There are tribal Vampire decks out there that would run this, though the most competitive ones may find it’s too slow.

Mu Yanling, Sky Dancer - As tempting as her ultimate is, it’s going to be real hard to get there, as even with Doubling Season, it takes her 3 turns to go off. But at least her tokens are real things, if she gets there.

Vivien, Arkbow Ranger - Again... I still really don’t have a clue what deck wants this, and her ultimate is a total blank for EDH. Whomp whomp.

Legendary Wedge Creatures

Can I just say, “FUCK YEAH!” These are super exciting Legendary creatures, and they were clearly designed for Commander, but some will also see play in Standard. Also, we got a bonus one with Rienne as the Buy-a-Box Promo, so I’ll add her to the mix as well.

Limited

Omnath, Locus of the Roil - Okay, hear me out. Of all the Limited themes, I think Elementals will be one of the easiest to achieve, and any deck running these colors will incidentally have some. Since he doesn’t require 3 colors on turn 3, he’s a touch easier to cast, plus Green is generally the best at splashing anyway. Even alone, he’s a threat that keeps getting bigger each time you drop a land, and if he has any buddies with him, he’s going to run away with the game. I think he’s a pretty reasonable bomb.

Kykar, Wind’s Fury - Kykar a 3/3 Flier for 4, and that’s solid in my books. You’re also likely to have enough noncreatures in your deck to get a few triggers out of this, at which point you’re way ahead.

Yarok, the Descrated - Casting Yarok shouldn’t be too hard at 5 mana, and a 3/5 Deathtouch, Lifelink will gum up the board pretty sufficiently to start getting value out of it. There are some phenomenal ETB creatures in this format, particularly in Blue, which has Cloudkin Seer, Frost Lynx, and Octoprophet, all at Common. I predict Yarok will be great in Limited.

Kaalia, Zenith Seeker - The biggest strike against Kaalia is her casting cost. It will be difficult to reliably cast her on turn 3, and even if you do, she’s not even remotely busted. Her ETB is almost entirely just flavor text in Limited, though with some Uncommon dragons in the set, it’s not inconceivable that you’ll hit value off her once in a blue moon.

Kethis, the Hidden Hand - Kethis is a big ‘ol meh in Limited. Hard to cast for a creature that’s barely above curve for Green. Honestly, I’ll pass.

Rienne, Angel of Rebirth - Lol jk. Rienne isn’t a thing. She ain’t in packs!

Constructed

Kykar, Wind’s Fury - Ooo, I bet there’s going to be some disagreement here. However, I think Kykar has the best shot of making it in Standard. Jeskai tokens is almost a thing with Saheeli & Hero of Precinct One anyway, and could really be a thing after rotation, when the main things that punish it (ahem Chainwhirler) rotate out. Though losing Heroic Reinforcements will be a big blow to the deck, so hopefully something replaces it or we get a reprint.

Kethis, the Hidden Hand - I’m reaaaally unsure about this one, but if there’s ever a Standard format that can make this work, it’s this one. This is some sort of an Abzan superfriends build, and we even have the Legendary sorceries like Urza’s Ruinous Blast to support the theme for a few months. This card has until the Fall rotation to shine, when all of Dominaria leaves, but I suspect there will be something here til then.

Kaalia, Zenith Seeker - I’m honestly not sure about this one, but there’s a chance that she’ll find a home in some sort of Angels build, which has been on the fringes since Guilds of Ravnica.

Yarok, the Descrated - Muldrotha the Gravetide decks have been chugging along as a variant of Sultai Midrange for quite some time now. The deck is going to lose the Explore package it relies on so heavily right now, but it’s possible that some form of this could resurrect with Yarok.

Rienne, Angel of Rebirth - I’m not sure what deck this could be, but it’s too powerful of an effect to ignore. If she were Mardu I’d say she’s a slam duck for the Aristocrats deck, but in Naya I’m just not sure there’s a home.

Omnath, Locus of the Roil - Elementals strike me as the next Dinos. There will almost be enough of a deck there to make it in Standard, but it will probably always be just shy of what it needs to be top tier.

Commander

Yarok, the Descrated - No questions here. Yarok is the best new general to come out of this set, hands down. It’s this set’s Muldrotha, and I’d be shocked if it isn’t the most popular Legendary creature here.

Kykar, Wind’s Fury - This one is a little less certain, but what makes me pretty convinced it’s real is the third ability. Sacrificing a Spirit to make a mana is mostly flavor text in Limited & Standard, but in EDH this has potential to fuel some pretty potent spellslinging.

Rienne, Angel of Rebirth - Rienne was pretty clearly designed for Commander, so I’m not surprised to put her here. She’s a unique twist on Naya decks and I think people will have fun brewing around her.

Kethis, the Hidden Hand - Again, super tentative about Kethis. There’s something really interesting here, and I’m getting a whiff of combo potential. I don’t know exactly what it is yet, but it involves Paradox Engine, Saffi Eriksdotter, a sac outlet, and a bunch of mana dorks. Worst case scenario, it’s an Abzan deck & therefore not hard to break.

Omnath, Locus of the Roil - People have wanted a Temur elemental deck for a long time, and now it’s here. And honestly, he’s pretty good. It’s not going to be hard to have “Landfall: Draw a Card” turned on pretty quickly in these colors. Elementals are a little on the derpy end of tribes for EDH, but I suspect it will be a fun deck to play, if not super competitive.

Kaalia, Zenith Seeker - I’d have ranked Kaalia higher if it weren’t for the fact that she’s overshadowed by, well... herself. Kaalia of the Vast is a known busted general, and the main place I see Zenith Seeker is in the 99 of that build. That said, if I were to rebuild my Kaalia deck, I’d do it with the new version, to make it a little more fun.

Cavaliers

I’ve gotta admit, I’m a sucker for cycles like this. Titans, Avatars, now Cavaliers. No matter how lame, I’m 100% down. I will say, however, that the lack of symmetry involving the Red cavalier not having a simple keyword ability (Haste? Trample? First Strike? No?!?!) is making me a little crazy. But that said, let’s see how they’re gonna do.

Limited

Cavalier of Gales - I might be crazy here, but on base stats alone, the Blue cavalier is the best by far. Its ETB isn’t quite as useful as the White one, but its shuffle effect on death is way more useful and provides some degree of inevitability for your deck. I’d always run this

Cavalier of Dawn - Being able to destroy any permanent is big game, but leaving behind a 3/3 matters more in Limited than any other format. The death trigger is rarely going to matter, but the base stats make this a monster that’s going to be hard to attack through, and the flexibility on the ETB trigger is still excellent.

Cavalier of Night - It won’t be hard to have a cheap creature to sacrifice in exchange for your opponent’s best creature, and the best part is, once this dies, you’ll get it back! That, and the Lifelink on a creature this big makes racing nigh impossible.

Cavalier of Thorns - This is the best showing the Green cavalier will have, and it has a lot to do with being a giant fucking monster with Reach. Seriously, nothing is getting through this guy. His ETB is mostly fluff, since he’s likely to be close to the top of your curve anyway. But his death trigger is reasonable for Limited. Redrawing your best card in the graveyard can be significant, so I’d still run this every time.

Cavalier of Flame - Gahhhhh why don’t you have Trample?! Or Haste?! Anyhoo... the difficult thing in Limited is you’re often only going to have a couple of cards to chuck to this, and chances are only a one or two will be lands, making the death trigger... meh. (Though it does make Evolving Wilds better.) Most of the time, it’s going to be a 6/5 with firebreathing, which is still excellent. Make no mistake, all of these are Limited bombs, so you should pick all of them when you can. But be careful, none of them are splashable.

Constructed

Cavalier of Night - Black decks in Standard will almost always have sac fodder for this, and rebuying dead creatures is a phenomenal deal. I would run this as a 1 or 2 of in Aristocrats decks, no question.

Cavalier of Dawn - There’s no doubt that the unconditional removal is fantastic, and I can definitely see this having a home in Standard. Whether there are artifacts & enchantments to buy back is another question, which is why I put the Black one first.

Cavalier of Flame - In Standard, the rummaging is even more useful than it is in Limited, and you’re more likely to be able to get value out of its death trigger. When Red decks want to pivot to midrange, I can see this as a definite sideboard inclusion.

Cavalier of Gales - This card is in a weird spot, where I predict God-Eternal Kefnet will just generally be better in all situations. Still, it’s got some potent abilities, and there’s a shot it sees some play.

Cavalier of Thorns - Yeah... I’m just not seeing it. The ETB trigger is too minimal to risk running this out only to have it killed before it gets a chance to do anything. And its death trigger is mediocre.

Commander

Cavalier of Dawn - I’d consider this a new format staple. It gets rid of any threat on the board, and this is the format where you’ll have plenty of Artifacts & Enchantments to buy back when it dies. Plus, the combo potential is off the charts, since it can go pseudo-infinite with Animate Dead and a sac outlet.

Cavalier of Night - A lot of the same goes here. Black decks will have plenty of fodder for its ETB, and there’s plenty to resurrect when it dies. One fun combo is with Pit Keeper or Cadaver Imp, both of which can return it back to your hand when it dies, then serve as sac fodder for when you recast it.

Cavalier of Flame - EDH is the primary home for this guy, as wheel effects are always in demand. Decks like Lord Windgrace in particular will enjoy this card, since they’ll be able to maximize the death trigger.

Cavalier of Gales - Brainstorm is good. And there might be flicker decks like Brago or Aminatou that will run the Cavalier just for that, though there are plenty of better options if that’s what you’re looking for. The shuffle trigger is unfortunate, and the Scry 2 on death is barely a thing in EDH, so I’m not very hopeful for this guy.

Cavalier of Thorns - Bad E-Wit is bad. I’d run E-Wit, Greenwarden of Murasa, Den Protector, Seasons Past, Regrowth, Noxious Revival, Wildest Dreams, and a whole host of other garbage before I’d run this. Why couldn’t they have made his ETB a full tutor? And why couldn’t they have not had him self-exile on death? No one knows.

Leylines

Haha psych! Yes, I titled this post “The Mythic Cycles”, but I’m going to include the Leylines & Temple Lands as well, because they’re also excellent and important. So yeah. Leylines are back! The Blue, White, & Black ones are reprints, and the Red & Green are new, all with phenomenal new art by Noah Bradley. Love seeing these, and as always, some will see extensive play, and some will see none whatsoever (I’m looking at you, Red & Green ones).

Instead of going over each one, let’s just do this lightning-round style!

Limited - Don’t play any of these. They’re all universally terrible in Limited.

Constructed - Sanctity and Void are already all-stars in Modern & sometimes even Legacy, and I could see Sanctity also making an appearance in Standard whenever Burn is good. Anticipation is completely undermined by Teferi, Time Raveler also being in the format, since he’s pretty much just better always. Abundance and Combustion will not see play in any 60 card format, as Abundance is overshadowed by Nissa, Who Dominates Standard, and Combustion is just bad.

Commander - The real news here is that Anticipation and Void are both getting much-needed reprints, as these see fairly consistent EDH play. Sanctity is mediocre in EDH, but a few enchantment heavy decks like Estrid or pillow fort Marchesa make occasional use of it. Abundance could see play in a mono-Green deck with tons of dorks, like Freyalise or Ezuri. Combustion is still bad.

Scry Temples

Oooh those are sexy. I have no shame to admit that I love these lands. They’re so elegant in design, and such perfectly evocative concepts for artists to illustrate. These new artworks are gorgeous, though they do all look like they are intended to represent Theros, and it would have been interesting to put them on a different world. That said, if we get a return to Theros with the ally-colored lands later this year, I will 1000% stop my bitching and just be happy.

As for ratings, what’s the point? 10s, 10s, 10s across the board!

Seriously though, these lands are made for Standard and will be a critical part of the format once the Checklands rotate out, and I love having these on hand for EDH as well, where they’re about the most useful of all taplands.

So that’s it. All done with the major cycles from Core Set 2020. What’d I get wrong? What’d I get right? Only time will tell, hennnny.

#MtG #core set 2020

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thesinglesjukebox · 4 years

Video

youtube

LEYLA BLUE - SILENCE

[5.73]

Next up, some less nihilist Blues...

Natasha Genet Avery: Leyla Blue captures the many discomforts of unrequited lust with just a few precise images: zipping yourself into "jeans too tight," traveling in the "drizzling rain" for a minute-long interaction that your crush will likely not even register, trying to quell your anxiety in the bathroom with lip gloss and a motivational speech in the mirror. "Silence" is a happy marriage of form and function, the swelling synths are an uneasy, blaring heartbeat, and the ascending melody of the bridge mirrors her mounting distress before bubbling over to the nervous, sharp exhales of the chorus. I've been there, and I feel you, girl. [7]

Kylo Nocom: "Silence" hits on the same notes of relatability as Alessia Cara's "Here" -- compare "fake friends" to "the girl who's always gossiping about her friends," or "a song I hate" to "this music I don't listen to" -- but Leyla excises the condescension in favor of deeper introspection. Her internal monologue traps itself in a loop of aversion and infatuation, begging to be heard yet never spoken. But the clash between the "1950" beat and Leyla's Maggie Rogers-esque belting sullies the message. Throughout the song she's alternately overcrowded by production or vocally overworked, an effect akin to screaming into a pillow: something that ought to be an act of release, instead dampened by fluff. [4]

Kayla Beardslee: "Silence" feels both unignorably loud and helplessly restrained. The production swoops and spins, chorus playing in enjoyable ways with, well, silence, and Blue switches effortlessly between crying out and crooning. The lyrics deserve attention too: I can overlook the awkward stretching of breathe into "braaathe" for vivid lines like "half drunk in the drizzling rain" ("drizzling" is such a luscious adjective) and "remix plays on cheap speakers / Of a song I hate," a line tailor-made for grumpy music critics. For a debut single, this is impressively self-assured. [8]

Alfred Soto: The arrangement hairpins with the fuck-this abandon of a newbie hoping this isn't her only chance to impress, and, impressively, Leyla Blue's swoops and shouts are up to them. But the arrangement is also so of-the-moment that I fear the record company people will turn her into another Billie Eilish clone. [6]

Katherine St Asaph: [INT. HELL, EXCEPT IT'S ACTUALLY A NYU SONGWRITING SHOWCASE] FAMILY/FRIEND/FACULTY/FLAK: What a great voice she has! FAMILY/FRIEND/FACULTY/FLAK: So unprocessed. [PRODUCER(S)(???) POM POM: [bubbles is silent, and somehow even more silent during the pitch/shifting.] FAMILY/FRIEND: Has she ever thought about trying out for American I-- FACULTY/FLAK: We don't do that anymore. [One of the HANDFUL OF PEOPLE PRESENT WHO ARE NEITHER FAMILY, FRIEND, FACULTY, NOR FLAK attempts to speak, but is cut off.] FAMILY/FRIEND/FACULTY/FLAK: Isn't she like really young, 19 or whatever? Like that Billie Eilish kid. [A FLAK, upon hearing mention of the No. 1 artist in America, grabs their phone and immediately begins tapping out emails, during the song.] FAMILY/FRIEND/FACULY/FLAK: So talented at that age. FAMILY/FRIEND/FACULTY/FLAK: I love the part where she's all, you know, you remember that part, 100% that badass bitch? So refreshingly honest. [NON-FAMILY/FRIEND/FACULTY/FLAK opens their mouth again, but the sound is lost amid the growing mass of vibrato, smoggy and peanut-butter-thick.] FAMILY/FRIEND/FACULTY/FLAK: So real. [1]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: The production tricks make "Silence" interesting, but only superficially. Its sparseness is a double-edged sword: it justifies every swelling synth and familiar vocal manipulation, but the song underneath the veneer is perceptibly thin. [5]

Nortey Dowuona: Warming bass, flat drums, multi-tracked choirs and clipped snaps watch Leyla irritably put up with her ex's corny nonsense. [6]

Michael Hong: Leyla Blue plays with the drawn-out confession of a crush and the tantalizing silence spent waiting for a response, stretching both moments across an eternity. It's yearning but cautious, obsessed with the more crushing possibility in the final line: "I don't wanna hear you say you don't want me too." [7]

Iain Mew: The cluttered arrangement and Leyla Blue's intense commitment make me think of force-of-nature songs overwhelming by removing any space for resistance -- mostly, of Natasha Bedingfield's "These Words." Pulling that off at a slower tempo is a hell of a challenge, though, and for every "remix plays on cheap speakers of a song I hate/teardrops in the bathroom" brilliantly amping up pathos, there's a crack that lets out the pressure "Silence" was building. The biggest one is the way that the chorus lands on the word "too" like it's a stunning twist when it conveys no new information, unbalancing the whole narrative. [5]

Oliver Maier: "Ultralight Beam" by way of Alessia Cara, even sharing her penchant for #relatable, self-conscious detail and party-averse constitution. There are some good lyrical touches here: how Blue unmasks her own, initially cringey "badass bitch" line as bravado, the siren simile unusually applied to a boy, the jeans line being smart enough that I can forgive that "breathe" doesn't remotely rhyme with "rain" or "wait". The song falls apart a bit, though, in the execution. The patient, minimal instrumental is clearly meant to evoke the silence, punctured with a wink by the (nauseating) gospel delivery on the hook, but this restraint is gradually abandoned, dulling the contrast. If the negative space is the point, then it's counterproductive to belt and flex showy vocal runs all over it. Not that "Silence" would have to be totally barren to pull off the trick credibly, but the bombast obscures its potential. [4]

Jackie Powell: At first, "Silence" seems like a paradox. Leyla Blue's dynamics reach far beyond forte every time that layered chorus drops. But in a behind-the-scenes video about the recording sessions, producer Kellen Pomeranz said the first draft of the cut was called "self-inflicted pain," and the final song symbolizes Leyla's mission of as an artist: putting her pain into a positive place, or better yet, a more productive space. In the video, she called the developing track a song with a "Lorde-'Royals' R&B vibe," but the difference between "Royals" and "Silence" is that "Silence" masters the dynamism. Its brilliance is in how loud its explosions are; Little's catchy minimalist loops and transitions are bland in comparison. Screeches, "shhushes," the do-do-do-ooo-duhs laced underneath each hook, and the voices -- including that of the actual guy in question -- make "Silence" resemble a ride on your favorite roller coaster. I say "favorite" because the lyrics reflect a common conundrum: a story where fear wins but mustn't remain victorious. Anticipating and avoiding rejection is staying on the coaster, which leads to sickening results. Then Leyla administers tough love, serving as her kicker. Silence might be a choice that's self-inflicted, but now we know that we aren't alone in screaming in it. [10]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

#Leyla Blue #pop #music #music review #Amnesty Week

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silver-lily-louise · 5 years

Text

Hope (Critical Role, Vox Machina campaign - alternative events)

Post-102, ‘Race to the Tower’. An idea of how things might have progressed if the Raven Queen had refused, and Vax never came wandering back to his family in the Feywild.

~oOo~

Vax is gone, his body turned to dust, and his soul stands once more in the court of the Raven Queen. He pleads with Her to send him back - ‘My family is in danger,’ he says. ‘The world is in danger.’ But She has ever been a necessary force in the universe, not a kind one, and his duty is not to Exandria but to Her will. ‘I am sorry, my Champion,’ She says, and he’ll never know if She means it. ‘Some turns of fate are too brittle for even you to bend.’

***

In the Feywild, Vox Machina grieve.

Keyleth tells them that she has an idea, a way to possibly bring him back - but they don’t have twenty-five thousand gold’s worth of diamonds right now, nor do they have the means for Scanlan to create them. By the time they acquire all the materials and complete the ritual, it may be too late to stop Vecna doing something truly cataclysmic. So instead, they put aside their heartbreak, and swear to return to that plan once Vecna is defeated.

Vex plants a kiss on the Deathwalker’s Ward before it is consigned to the Bag of Holding, whispering a promise into the feathers. It’s not like he’s in there, Keyleth thinks - but although her anger is vast, it does not yet outweigh her kindness, and so she says nothing.

***

‘Vox Machina have returned,’ the guard says, and Taryon gets on his broom, hurtling from the castle down to the town itself and landing heavily in the street before his friends. ‘What happened?’ he asks, eyes darting between them all in a rushed headcount. ‘The necklace - I felt -’ He stops short as his brain catches up to his terrified heart, and he realises who’s missing.

Vex steps forward. ‘Darling, I know you wanted to return home,’ she says, and her eyes are a little shinier than normal, but her voice is steady and determined. ‘But this is worse than we thought. And we need your help.’

Once they return to the castle, the whole story of their venture to Thar Amphala is told, and Taryon’s fear grows with each word. For all his posturing and ego, he doesn’t feel like a hero at this moment, just a foolish child who went looking for adventure and is now in severe danger of biting off far more than he can chew. But he isn’t a child. He’s a member of Vox Machina, and right now his best friend is looking at him with a thousand worlds of pain in her eyes, asking his help.

He inhales as much courage as he can, and puts on his most dashing smile. ‘Well, it seems we have a new quest, friends. Now, we simply need a plan.’

***

Their plan feels haphazard as always, and their hearts are filled with vengeance, grief, and desperation. But they do what they can to gather strength and allies, and the days pass far too quickly for a team who already feel like they’re running out of time.

Somewhere along the way, Scanlan finds himself sitting alone, absentmindedly humming to himself and turning over the vial of Vax’s ashes in his hands. Even with all the time they’re putting into this preparation, all they’re risking for this, it’s hard to imagine that it’s going to be enough. ‘Definitely wouldn’t hurt to have one more champion on our side, though,’ he says quietly, staring down at the vial. ‘Wish we had a way to just bring you back already.’

Perhaps it’s the sheer depth of feeling behind those words, or perhaps it’s the recent blessing of the Knowing Mistress, but even as he speaks he can feel magic swirling within. Powerful magic, more than his usual fare - too much to contain, and even though he has no idea what’s going on right now his hand flies up on instinct to release it.

With a flash of white light, a huge glass boulder appears on the ground before him, and he yelps and jumps to his feet. ‘What the fuck?!’

A few seconds pass, and his heart hammers in his ears. He glances around, but there’s nowhere around him that this boulder could have come from - and besides, he knows where it came from, he felt the magic leave him and conjure it. He gingerly takes a step forward, putting his hand out to touch the cool, smooth surface. As he moves, the rock catches the light in a familiar way, and he gasps. It’s not glass, he realises. It’s the biggest fucking diamond he’s ever seen.

The pieces click into place. Wish we had a way to bring you back. They need diamond for the ritual, the one Keyleth was talking about - ‘Keyleth!’ he yells, as loud as he can. ‘Keyleth!’

The rest of the party come sprinting towards the sound of his voice, slowing in confusion when they see the rock before him. ‘Good gods, what is that?’, asks Percy. ‘It’s a diamond,’ Vex answers automatically, staring in bewilderment even as her keen treasurer’s eyes recognise the precious stone.

Scanlan laughs out loud, because her confirmation means he was right, means that this might work. ‘Yes, and I’d say it’s worth around twenty-five thousand gold, wouldn’t you, Vex?’ ‘I mean, with the size of it, probably-’ She cuts herself off, eyes widening, and Scanlan’s grin grows as he watches realisation dawn on the faces of the others, too.

We’re bringing him back.

***

The Raven Queen watches the golden glow dance before Her as the threads of Fate rearrange themselves. Wish, She thinks, shaking Her head. Changer of so many destinies. Strange that mortals should have such power. The threads twist further still, wrapping around each other like ivy and rising up - before they begin to fan out again, diverging and contorting like the branches of an ancient tree.

She hums thoughtfully as the glow fades from Her sight, then blinks, summoning Her Champion to Her side. ‘Do you hear them?’ She asks him.

His look of confusion shifts to one of pain and longing as he listens for a moment, the voices of his loved ones reaching him once again. ’I hear them,’ he says, voice barely above a whisper. ‘Why can I hear them?’ ‘Because they attempt to summon you back to their side. This is no idle chatter, but the sound of resurrection, Vax’ildan.’ He looks down, and She feels his hopeless grief. ‘They can’t. My body was destroyed - there’s nothing for me to go back to.’

She steps down towards him, falling into Her human shape. He does not know he can go back, She thinks. I could keep him here.

But the moment of temptation quickly fades. The threads have already been woven, and it is no foul parody of life his loved ones attempt to bring him into. His duty is to Her, but Hers is to Fate - and though it be through mortal voices and arcane power, Fate has spoken.

She reaches forward, gently lifting his chin until She can see the tears in his eyes. ‘You will return to me soon enough, my Champion,’ She murmurs, mostly as comfort to Herself. He seems to register what She says, but before the shock on his face even has time to bloom into joy, She kisses his forehead and he vanishes. Her regret is soothed by the silence of Fate around Her, disturbed but yet unbroken.

***

Vax rises. (Nothing is promised, but witnessing one miracle is enough to make them believe that they may be granted another. Perhaps we stand a chance, hope whispers in their hearts.)

Vecna falls. (It is not without cost, but battling nightmares has long since taught them how to repair and rebuild in the morning. If we are strong enough to defeat that, we are strong enough to fix ourselves, hope whispers in their hearts.)

(Hope is wiser than all the gods.)

~oOo~

#critical role #critical role fanfic #vox machina #vax'ildan #cr fanfiction #cr #mine

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silver-lily-louise · 5 years

Text

Hope (Critical Role, Vox Machina campaign - alternative events)

A/N: After Vax is disintegrated by Vecna in episode 102, Sam says ‘Hey! Liam can be Taryon now!’ I know that he was just winding/cheering them up, but it got me thinking - I would kind of love it if Liam had played as Taryon for the following episodes. I think he could have done a really good job of it, for one thing. For another - and this is my main point here - it would have been a still-sensible alternative to the revenant development, and drastically increased Vax’s chances of sharing in the happy ending.

So here’s an idea of how things might have progressed if the Raven Queen had refused, and Vax never came wandering back to his family in the Feywild.

~oOo~

***

In the Feywild, Vox Machina grieve.

***

He inhales as much courage as he can, and puts on his most dashing smile. ‘Well, it seems we have a new quest, friends. Now, we simply need a plan.’

***

With a flash of white light, a huge glass boulder appears on the ground before him, and he yelps and jumps to his feet. ‘What the fuck?!’

The pieces click into place. Wish we had a way to bring you back. They need diamond for the ritual, the one Keyleth was talking about - ‘Keyleth!’ he yells, as loud as he can. ‘Keyleth!’

We’re bringing him back.

***

She hums thoughtfully as the glow fades from Her sight, then blinks, summoning Her Champion to Her side. ‘Do you hear them?’ She asks him.

She steps down towards him, falling into Her human shape. He does not know he can go back, She thinks. I could keep him here.

***

Vax rises. (Nothing is promised, but witnessing one miracle is enough to make them believe that they may be granted another. Perhaps we stand a chance, hope whispers in their hearts.)

(Hope is wiser than all the gods.)

~oOo~

#critical role #critical role fanfic #vox machina #vax'ildan #keyleth #taryon darrington #scanlan shorthalt #the raven queen #vecna #mine #of all the things that would make me write vax-related fix-it #i didn't think it would be sam's joke about liam playing taryon #BUT HERE WE ARE #idk i just think that would have easily made room for vax's true resurrection #because idk if the revenant thing would have happened without the factor of 'the campaigns winding down liam cant roll a new character NOW'#maybe it would but i personally doubt it #i also didn't expect this to turn into a story about hope but there you go #cr #death cw

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