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bjnurse · 5 years

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A Life With Imperatore

I wanted to give Diavolo lovers/fuckers a happier ending. <3 I hope this helps soothe any broken hearts. This is part 1 of 2 (maybe 3?). [Please excuse my poor theory behind GER.]

Read this on A03 here!

Reader x Diavolo

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The screen before you shows a happy ending. The good guys won and Italy is safely in the hands of Giorno and Mista. You turn off the TV, but that ending didn’t leave you feeling happy. You’re filled with anxiety and dread over the way your favorite died… is still dying? Constantly? It’s heart-wrenching to see your favorite character die, but to see it in multiples is torture.

“Thanks, Araki!” you sarcastically mutter as you walk into the kitchen for a snack.

You glance out of the window to the back yard and see someone laying face down in the grass. Your heart pounds, flooding your veins with panic. Not because how the fuck did someone get into my back yard? But because you recognize him. Purple pants, pink spotted hair, and the tattoos on his arms that’s...

“What the actual fuck?” A cosplayer snuck into your backyard?

Before venturing outside, you grab the bat that you keep by the front door for self defense. Luckily, it’s never been used like that.

You call out to the man but there’s no response. Nudging him with the bat warrants no response. You can’t help but to look at the muscular body before you and feel something… He does look like your husbando after all. Bending down, you turn him onto his back. You let out a shriek when he’s on his back and you see he looks exactly like Diavolo… You study the person before you. He’s breathing even if barely.

Just leaving him out here isn’t an option. After thinking for a minute, you run inside of the house and grab a spare comforter. Once back outside, you lay it out next to him. “Sorry.” You plead as you roll him back onto his front onto the comforter then roll him over one more time so he’s in the center of it. With all your might (thank god you recently started going to the gym again), you drag him into the house. Once in the living room, you collapse, sitting next to him and catch your breath. You keep the bat close by you just in case.

A bit of pink hair is out of place so you reach to move it, as you brush the strand from his forehead, you chuckle to yourself. The popular phrase comes to mind “kono Diavolo da” because after all “this is Diavolo!” You stop yourself… is it though? Is it really?

As you stand to get a bottle of water, you think of how Gold Experience Requiem works as you understand it… If Gold Experience Requiem prevents Diavolo from reaching his end it could be taking him to alternate universes at each moment of death. That though sends a pang to your heart- all of his deaths. You take a bottle of water from the fridge. Thinking better of it, you grab an extra one.

You sit down next to the man on the floor. If there is an infinite number of alternate universes then Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is as real as our universe. If our perception of that universe as an anime or manga is two dimensional then maybe bringing Diavolo into our three dimensional universe breaks Gold Experience Requiem’s loop? It barely makes sense in your head but it’s all you can come up with if this in fact is Diavolo.

Looking at the handsome man again. You swallow hard… how many times have you thought of kissing those lips… how many times have you thought of… you let your eyes trail down his body. You shudder at the inappropriate thought. You reach again to move hair from his face when his eyes flutter open. He starts breathing heavy, his brow furrows, his inhuman green eyes fix on you and he lets out a whimper. He curls into a defensive ball and starts babbling in Italian.

Fuuuuuck! It is him, but he’s pretty fucked up. You know better than to try to touch him.

“English?” You say, “do you speak English?”

He doesn’t respond to you, he continues to babble. You hope he understands, “I’m not going to hurt you. You’re safe here.”

He looks at you through his hands, “Safe? Nowhere is safe.” He nearly pleads. His Italian accent is thick but you can understand him well enough.

You want to tell him that you understand what he’s been through… but knowing Diavolo, that is the opposite of comforting. Instead, you sit with him. From what you have seen, death comes for him within minutes. If you can out wait that, maybe he’ll calm down. You can see his mind racing from the continuous torture that he’s been through. He’s exhausted and an absolute emotional mess. He needs time… which is ironic seeing how he’s always ran from time.

You decide to take the same approach as you would a feral kitten- let them come to you. Stay calm, quiet and be patient. Placing the bottle of water in front of him, you assure him again that you won’t hurt him. You sit back and get out your phone. You open Spotify and find a Frank Sinatra playlist. That’s what a mob boss listens to right? Besides, you don’t want to freak him out with music from the future, but you try not to think about that.

Absentmindedly, you softly sing some of the songs, as you sit and you wait. About the 5th song in, you see him relax. He moves his hands from his face and he looks at you, he studies you.

You smile kindly. “Do you like this song? It’s one of my favorites.”

Although you’re excited out of your mind that your favorite is in front of you, you play it cool as best you can. You drink from your bottle of water and gesture to his. Tentatively, he grabs for it, but he falls short. He tries again and reaches too far and knocks it over. He sits up and tries to take hold of it since it’s on the floor but he misses a few more times. You look at his face and don’t see a man. You see a boy who’s tired, scared and frustrated. You think of Doppio for a moment and feel another deep pain in your heart. You see tears starting to form in his eyes. In an instant the boy is gone and he looks at you with rage in his eyes, as he furiously yells at you in Italian. Although you can’t understand, you assume he’s accusing you of something with the way he’s gesturing. You look at him and put your hands up. “English please, Signore.”

He blinks at the title and starts over, he takes a moment to recall what he’s learned. His thick accent only makes his voice even more alluring. “What have you done to me?”

You chose your words carefully and try to speak clearly, “I haven’t done anything to you. I found you outside, you were passed out and I brought you into my house.”

Diavolo looks at you unbelieving but not untrusting. He looks around at his surroundings then back at you. He tries again for the bottle of water and grasps it. Holding the bottle in front of him, you can see how shaky his hands are. It takes a few attempts, but he manages to get the cap off. He looks at you then back to the bottle as he tries to drink from it. His shaky hand stops short and he spills water onto his lap. He hisses something under his breath in Italian and you assume it’s a swear.

You fetch a towel for him to clean up with. You reach out to hand it to him and he can’t quite seem to grab it from you. Instead, you take hold of his hand and put it into his palm. He clumsily dabs at himself while you go to the kitchen and return with a straw. Taking hold of the hand with the water bottle, you place the straw in it then sit down a few feet in front of him.

Awkwardly, you start some small talk. Since you know he’s so uptight about giving details about himself, you tell him about yourself. You try to earn his trust by trusting in him. After an hour of sitting on the floor and talking your stomach grumbles.

“I’m getting hungry, would you like to eat something?” You ask as you stand. Who knows how long it’s been since the last time the poor guy ate!

He just nods and attempts to stand. He nearly falls over, but you catch him and help him to his feet.

“Do you want to just stay here?” The concern is obvious in your voice, but you don’t try to hide it from him either.

Diavolo actually seems to blush, “I don’t want to be alone.” With his arm around your neck and you’re arm around his waist, you help him into a chair at the kitchen table. You place a new water bottle in front of him, but this time you put a straw in it right away to make things easier for him.

Your one sided conversation picks up again, but he’s more attentive this time and asks questions and comments. Once dinner is ready, you sit a plate and utensils in front of him. He has the same struggle with his fork and his food that he had earlier.

Without asking, you sit next to him and cut his food and offer it to him. You know if you offered to help like this, he would just turn you down. He’s a proud man who’s had his ego nearly demolished. He accepts your actions and eats with your assistance. You talk more and you can see by the time he asks for seconds that he’s feeling better.

When you’re both done eating, you place the dishes in the sink. Right now, Diavolo is your concern, you can worry about dirty dishes later. You help your guest to the couch and you sit and talk with him more. The more you talk the more he opens up. By now, he shares little stories or small pieces of his life. You both lose track of time and it’s late before you know it.

Diavolo said he’d sleep on the couch, but you insist he sleeps in the bed with you. You can tell by the dejected way he made the offered that he honestly does not want to be alone. This is made even more apparent by his insistence to accompany you to make sure all the doors and windows are closed for the night. There’s that Diavolo paranoia that you know so well.

You help him to sit on the bed. Rummaging through your drawers, you find something comfortable he can sleep in. An ex boyfriend's t-shirt and basketball shorts is all you can manage. You place the items next to him and remove yourself to the bathroom to change yourself.

Upon returning, Diavolo sits on the bed, shorts/t-shirt in hand with a dejected, pleading look on his face. Getting his bearings here is really straining on him. He went from being an Imperatore in his own eyes to being unable to dress himself or even feed himself. He doesn’t even need to ask for your help. You won’t put him through that. You know there’s nothing wrong with needing help, but if he asked for it, it would be another blow to his already shattered ego.

With a kind smile, you take the shorts from him. You stay as focused and as platonic as possible as you unbutton his pants. Pull them off of his hips and down his legs, you can feel your face hot as you’re probably blushing against your will. You remove his shoes, pants, and help him step into the shorts. You look up at him as you pull the shorts onto him and he’s blushing as much as you are. You see shame in his eyes. Once so proud, he hates having someone take care of him like this. Once so proud, he hates having someone take care of him, especially like this. In his adult life, he had acquired an incredible social status and influence. He had worked so hard to build his life, but that is all gone now.

With the shorts pulled up to his thighs, you help him stand and you put them over his hips. Once he’s seated again, you put the shirt on him and adjust the shoulders to sit properly on his muscular form. Your hands rest here and you smile shyly at him. He looks up at you with gratitude tinted with shame.

You swallow hard and tell him, “It’s alright. I’m going to take care of you. I’ll make sure you’re okay.” You help him into bed. Turning off the light, you hear Diavolo gasp at the darkness. You flip the light on again. “Are you ok?”

“Yes.” he says automatically, but you realize, he’s probably seen a lot of “darkness” lately. Turning on the bathroom light and closing the door over seems like a good enough compromise. A small beam of light streams into the bedroom and Diavolo is calmed enough.

Walk to the other side of the bed, you get in. You can’t help but feel your heart pound in your chest having this handsome man so close to you in your bed. You smile to yourself but you know nothing can come of it. He’s far too delicate at the moment. You lay there trying to calm the thoughts in your mind to welcome sleep when Diavolo speaks up.

“Cara?”

“Hmmm?” You reply sleepily. Turning to him, you see he’s sitting up and looking at you. His green eyes seem to glow in the dim light.

“Is this okay?” He gently moves your arm as he lays against you with his head on your chest.

“Of course!” You reply trying not to sound excited. You try to will the pounding in your heart to soften but you know it’s no good.

He rests his arm around your waist and your hand meets his bicep and you let your thumb rub circles into it.

“I’m sorry. I just feel so alone.” As he speaks these words, your thoughts go to precious Doppio and that sting of pain stabs your heart again. You hold back the tears that want to weld up in your eyes.

Trying to keep the shakiness from your voice, you reply, “Don’t worry. You’re not alone.”

#for the diavolo fuckers that i love so much!#next one won't be sfw...#diavolo #diavolo x reader #sfw #fluff #fluffy #jjba #JoJo's Bizarre Adventure #jojo no kimyou na bouken #jojo no kimyō na bōken #golden wind #vento aureo #my work #my writing #doppio mentioned

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teddyaltman-cardiogoddess · 4 years

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The Perfectly, Imperfect Valentine’s Day - Teddison

Here is a cute Fic about Teddy and Addison on Valentine’s Day. I wrote it about a year ago but finally gained the courage to post it. Let me know what you think! :)

Teddy hated Valentine’s Day. No, no, she despised Valentine’s Day. She found it tacky and unnecessary. She always thought of it as a day of forced sweetness and love, and honestly just a day for candy companies to make money. She ate enough candy throughout the year that she didn’t need a day to tell her it was acceptable.

Even though Teddy found the day repulsive, ironically enough, her wife adored the holiday. Addison became the helpless romantic when it came to Valentine’s Day. She loved the idea of having a day to celebrate love and she wanted nothing more than to do just that with her wife. She had planned a lavish evening for the two of them filled with a nice dinner at Seattle’s finest restaurant, naked massages by their fireplace, desert involving melted chocolate and naked bodies, and lots of wine and sex. However, that plan was shot to shit when they both got scheduled for the late shifts at the hospital.

Not only were they scheduled, they were completely booked with long surgeries, post and pre-ops, massive amounts of paperwork, and of course the many traumas of peoples’ romantic nights resulting in something more or less horrific.

Upon finding out about their schedules, Teddy was fairly happy. Of course, she would have loved having a night with her wife, but she didn’t want a day to tell her that it was special. To her, every minute of every day was special with Addison. It always had been. From their moments as acquaintances, their ongoing plans then sleepovers as best friends, and turned feelings of love and adoration for one another, it was all special, and not because a day told them so. However, seeing how disappointed Addison was, it crushed her. All she wanted for Addison to be happy, so if that meant sucking it up and getting cheesy, then damnit she was going to be provolone.

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Addison had just finished her fourth delivery of the night. Some were easy, some not so much, but seeing the happiness families shared after the hard work made it worth it. With each delivery she longed for the day her and Teddy had their own little bundle of joy. They were trying, but had yet to be successful. She shook her head of those thoughts and headed back to the floor to do her rounds.

Patient after patient, she checked and monitored everyone. Seeing the couples and families made her want to be with her love even more. She finally had the love of her life and they couldn’t even share a romantic Valentine’s Day together. The redhead sighed disappointedly as she left the room of a couple relishing in one another, and headed to her office to have a little break. She texted Teddy and wished her a nice evening, stating she missed the blonde doctor and how much she loved her. Addison yawned upon reaching her office, thinking of making herself a cup of coffee. That was until she opened the door to the most incredible sight she had ever seen.

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Teddy looked up in shock, her green eyes wide and mouth gaping. She wasn’t ready yet. She hadn’t finished setting everything up. She was supposed to have more time.

“What is this?” Addison asked with a wide smile.

Teddy felt weak in the knees when she saw her wife’s smile, but that just made her think of how much bigger and brighter it would be if she was able to finish.

“Get out! Come back in like…. fifteen minutes or so.” Teddy exclaimed quickly. “I was supposed to have more time.”

Addison couldn’t help but chuckle, it was official, her wife was the cutest. “My last delivery ended up being a breeze.” She replied softly. “Teddy, what is all of this?” she asked again, nothing but love in her voice.

Teddy threw her hands up in defeat and let out a sigh. “Well, this was supposed to be your romantic Valentine’s Day. I planned it out. I got done earlier than expected and we rode together so I was just going to wait around anyways unless something came in or someone needed me or whatever. But nothing is going right!” The blonde began to pace around the dark office, lit by lamps and a few candles she snuck in. “I called all of these restaurants to get food and no one was taking takeout orders. The cafeteria is closed, not that that would’ve been very good anyways. So, I had to go with Chinese and some left-over cheesecake I had in my office fridge. So great, right? Then I thought you needed flowers. No, not flowers, roses, rose pedals. You wanna know how hard that is to find this time of night on this day of the year? Which led me to getting someone to break into the gift shop and let me pay for the weird flowers they had left, which explains the weird pedal assortment all over your floor. There is music though! I put it on some Spotify playlist I found quickly, and-”

she stopped in her tracks when her wife was standing in front of her unable to hold in her laughter.

“You’re laughing. Why are you laughing? Because this is completely ridiculous? Because this is the least romantic Valentine’s Day you could ever imagine? Chinese food and left-over dessert I had yesterday? UGH!” Teddy was clearly beyond frustrated.

Addison, still chuckling, came up and stopped Teddy in her tracks. She rubbed her wife’s shoulders comfortingly, feeling the tenseness easing slowly. “Honey…. this, this is the most perfect way to celebrate that I can think of.”

Teddy rolled her eyes, “Oh please, you’re just saying that. What about all of your lavish plans for us?” She reminded her, because this was no match compared to Addison’s night.

Addison waved her off, “Teddy, sweetie, just being with you is all I need. The other stuff is just extra. But knowing you did all of this for me…on your least favorite day…well, there’s no other way I’d rather spend tonight.” She smiled, reflecting nothing but love in features.

The blonde smiled in return and kissed her wife slowly and passionately as she began to sway them to the music. “Maybe this can be our tradition…well hopefully not at the hospital. But something simple and goofy and…and perfectly, imperfect.” She suggested.

Addison couldn’t even try to agree as much as she would’ve liked to, words didn’t do it justice. “That sounds perfect. Of course, hopefully at home so we can do a lot more things than we can while at work…” she trailed off and slid her wife’s scrub top to the side as she began to kiss her shoulder.

“Maybe Valentine’s Day isn’t all that bad.” Teddy hummed in pleasure. She could get used to this tradition, she could get used to anything with Addison.

#Teddy Altman #Theodora Altman #Addison Montgomery #Addison Forbes Montgomery #Grey's Anatomy #grey's anatomy fanfic #Grey's Fanfiction #Grey's Fanfic #Teddison #Teddison Fanfic

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vampirefreakism · 5 years

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The Scientist (Chapter 33)

Summary: In the events following Asgard’s destruction, Loki finds himself on Earth seeking refuge to await the inevitable. Much to his surprise, it comes from a source he would never have expected.

Warnings: none

Word count: 3.5k

A/N: God let’s hope this shows up in the tags and stays there. The AO3 and Spotify playlist are linked in the Masterlist. I haven't stopped or deleted anything. I also posted this on Wattpad so check me out on there if you like!

Masterlist

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As one song transitioned to the next, Loki glanced away from his book to the back of the CD case. Luna wasn’t around to enjoy the music with him – the reason he spent most of the morning sending high praises to the Allfathers. She would be able to tell how quickly he lost interest in the wonders of evolution over a new album. New for him, normal for her.

Marking his place, Loki put his book down and strode over to the newly set-up record player. He traced a finger around the edges as he tapped his foot to the beat, imagining how a track might sound played through it. It escaped him as to why Luna would need another thing to play music. ‘You have one already,’ he had reasoned, but it was a lavish gift from Stark. It would have been rude to not accept it.

Loki had the privilege of carrying the boxes into her apartment and assembling everything with her. A different science than he was used to, but it was no less entertaining. Ignorantly, he had pondered out loud which album they could play. ‘We don’t have the proper format,’ Luna told him and expanded on what a vinyl record was. Loki remembered them from a trip or two to Earth during the early 20th century. A surprise people still used them, but he figured it was purely for the nostalgia.

He pressed the on button on the front, awakening the turntable. It spun clockwise in a lazy fashion. Loki was tempted to lift the cover and touch it. Feel the material move against his skin, but Luna was firm. ‘Don’t touch it unless you’re putting a record on. It has to be kept clean.’ Would she be able to tell if he defied her? Perhaps. She was more perceptive than he previously took her for.

Feeling peckish, he switched the turntable off and grabbed his phone on the way to the kitchen. Peter teased him with the promise of sending pictures of the inside of his school and his other friends. It was a naughty and dangerous idea, and Loki was all for it. Finding nothing of interest on the counter or in the fridge, he settled for an ice cream pint. No need to worry about his hand turning blue, so long as he was alone.

Loki’s phone pinged to life as he was finishing the first half of the container. It was a message from Peter. He shook his hand out, getting some warmth back into it, and opened it.

‘Hey! Im in math. Is boring’

Attached is a hastily-taken picture of a whiteboard covered in diagrams and equations. Portions of it were blocked by the many students in front of Peter’s phone camera. Loki snickered and typed out his response.

‘doesnt look so’

Two minutes pass by – enough time for Loki to fish out a few more scoops of ice cream – and Peter messages him again.

‘its one of my best subjects so it doesn’t bother me too much. Ned and MJ are in another block from me so I miss them’

Loki's brow creased. He held his spoon in his mouth, so his hands were free.

‘MJ?’

‘oh yeah right you don’t know her. Shes my other really good friend’

‘what’s she like’

The long delay for Peter’s return message put Loki a bit on edge. Intent on calming his nerves, he put the rest of his ice cream away and ventured to Luna’s room. He could hear his music still, only muffled a little.

Beneath her bed sat a row of shoeboxes, containing everything but a pair of shoes. The first Loki opened housed all of Luna’s keychains and charms. A few piqued his interest; a simple black skull, a Darth Vader figure, a mini Mjolnir, and a crescent moon with two stars attached. He smirked, turning over the little moon in his hand. He expected no less from her.

Through the concluding music, Loki’s phone chimed anew with a message for him. Careful not to step on the charms littering the floor, he shuffled back to the kitchen and opened up his device. Again, it was from Peter.

‘hey! Srry for the wait. Teacher almost caught me txting lmao’

Loki grins.

‘first rule of mischief: never get caught’

‘ooh neds here now. He says hi’

Attached is another picture, taken at a low angle, of Peter and Ned. Both boys smile into the camera as Ned waves down to it, greeting Loki through the phone.

‘hello ned. Grand to see you again’

‘we r at lunch now. MJ is here too’

This photo was not of either of the two boys, but of their friend sitting across from them at a table. The friend – Loki assumed – was MJ. She held a book in one hand as she shot someone an irritated look.

‘is this MJ?’

‘yeah. We interrupted her reading but its ok XP’

‘does she know about me being here?’

A pause in the messaging held the air still. It was as though Peter deliberated in secret. Loki was impatient for the outcome.

‘no, but she might suspect. She’s really observant. Lolol shes already commented on my txtin’

‘may not be wise to communicate in front of people’

‘maybe not. txt u later?’

‘sure’

‘kk! Talk l8r!’

A loud silence took the apartment once more. Loki was desperate to banish it, so he started the album over again. He didn't mind. It wasn't the first time he'd exhausted the work of a musician in a day.

Feeling antsy, he went back to Luna’s room. He always liked looking at her little treasures, no matter if they were new to his eyes or if he’d seen them ten times before. Tucking her box of keychains back where it belonged, he moved on to another corner of the room: her closet.

Clothes were always crucial to Loki. Being a royal meant looking his best, both in the ballroom and on the battlefield. He was consistently stereotyped as the brother with the more developed fashion sense, but Thor knew his way around an outfit as well as he. Presentation was critical in any scenario.

Loki pried the door open as careful as he could, should anything come tumbling out. Luckily, everything inside was placed smartly and in order. The upper shelf supported a few boxes and spare sheets, the clothes hung on the rack in a beautifully organized fashion, and the remained floor space kept extra bags and larger boxes. Many places to start, not enough time to go through them all.

He started with the clothing. It was a surprise to see Luna hanging her T-shirts and long-sleeved shirts up as Loki preferred to fold his, but he liked it. It made them look neat and presentable. Beside them, her pants were placed in the same way. She had a few different kinds, so Loki took a look at each.

He’d seen her in leggings and joggers in the house and the gym. Which one she wore all depended on her mood and how the day went. One pair of dress pants sat suspended amongst them. Her skinny jeans – a black pair and a dark red pair – she wore any time they went out. Today, she put the dark red ones on for work, leaving Loki with the black pair. He tried to pick a favorite, but Luna wore both exceptionally well.

Sweaters and jackets squeezed in next to them. Luna possessed a broader assortment than previously believed. The first of the group Loki spied was the sweater she wore the day they went to the aquarium. It was light grey with a graphic on the front of a dark forest. Loki passed a hand over it, tracing the trees from the exaggerated sharp tops down to the bases on the drawn ground. Simple and practical yet stylish and unique. He snuck a hand into the sleeve, feeling the inside. It was soft and plush, like wearing a blanket. A whisper of jealousy passed through his head as he imagined feeling something so comforting against his skin; a far cry from the leather and rougher fabrics of his homeworld.

He peeked at the others he hadn’t seen: a black pullover with a small cartoon alien spaceship on the left side of the chest, a dark grey hoodie with a geometric skull design, a plain black suit jacket, and a notably large black hoodie with a four-letter abbreviation embroidered broad across the chest. Loki tilted his head and unhooked it from the bar. In front of the mirror, he held it up to his frame. In theory, it could fit him, but the forefront of his mind was occupied by one question: why was it so different from the others? Looking crossly at his reflection, Loki stepped back from the mirror and put the sweater back. Better for him to move on to something else lest he leaves a trace of his meddling.

Shoved into the far side of the closet were the clothes he considered to be more formal and fancy. Things Loki never bothered to think he would see, much less worn by his friend. His eyes were first met by a dress. Luna never seemed the type to wear such a garment. Loki found it difficult to imagine it on her, but he kept inspecting it. It was black with a fit-and-flare shape and long sleeves. The fabric was soft and stretchy, and the neckline left less to the imagination than Loki was used to. He tucked it back and pushed it towards the opposite side. Enough with it for now.

The outfit behind it lay draped over the hanger in three pieces. To the untrained eye, they were indistinguishable as to what they might be. Possessing such a sight, Loki took a bold step, unhooking the hanger and laying it on Luna’s bed. One piece had a red-to-black gradient, the other was plain black, and the last was small and wine red. He took the black garment out first and held it at eye-level. Seeing it clearly, he discovered it to be a long skirt with a drawstring waistband. The fabric was a bit flimsy, as though it was meant to go underneath something. He set it down – keeping its proposed purpose in mind – and picked up the gradient piece.

The color shifted along the entire length of the cloth, and it was long. It looked to be a scarf or a wrap skirt. Perhaps it could be both at the same time. The fabric was soft, and Loki couldn’t stop touching it. It was made of silk and felt like cool water in his hands, flowing and moving as though it was alive. He hastily pulled up his sleeves and let it fall across his bare arms. To say it was heaven to touch would be an understatement. He could wear an entire robe of the material and never want to take it off.

He retrieved the final raiment and held it as he did the skirt, feeling the soft material. It was made of stretchy velvet and resembled the sports bras Luna kept in her drawer set. The neckline of the tiny top scooped a bit lower than the one on the black dress, and the short sleeves were made of embroidered red lace. Loki turned it from back to front and back again. It held no zipper, buttons, or strings to tie. Only a simple tug was needed to put it on.

Loki lay it down and stepped back. With all the pieces on display, he surveyed them properly and built up the outfit in his mind in various ways, but nothing seemed correct. Again, he was at a loss. But, to his luck, Luna’s voice came floating into his mind as he recalled a past conversation.

“I do have one, and I like it a lot, but it’s nowhere near as nice as that one.”

One. One what? Loki had an idea and a heavy feeling.

Racing out of Luna’s room, he charged through the open space to the picture of Luna’s mother. The one of her wearing an expensive saree. His eyes widened, realizing he'd snooped in the wrong place and disturbed the wrong item. Loki glanced at the kitchen clock. He had enough time to put everything back before his friend came home. He walked back to Luna’s room, swallowing nervously.

Gently, he ran his fingertips along the saree wrap cloth, feeling the energy it held. This was Luna’s one. Her one outfit representing her culture and heritage – what made up the core of her being – and he’d gone and disturbed it without a care in the world. For shame. Loki groaned and closed his eyes. He had an apology ready, but no one to apologize to.

He closed his eyes and, with his soul, reached out to Luna’s ancestors. Her family members from the mother country. The ones who survived so she could exist. Loki acknowledged the boundary he crossed and asked for their forgiveness. He folded and hung the clothes back where he got it from, hoping they would listen and grant his request. Feeling light in his chest, he smiled. They knew he was sincere.

Loki pushed the clothes into the order he found them in and closed the closet door. Enough snooping for today. He shut the bedroom door on his way out and ambled to the kitchen for an apple. The skin was crisp and the inside as savory as he liked. The apartment was quiet again. For now, Loki deserved it. A bit of hushed contemplation would do him some good. It was a curve, but he was learning.

Throwing the apple core away, he rinsed his hands and got a fresh glass of water. He took the book he had been reading and sat in the armchair by the window. Luna warranted a bit of good behavior from Loki, even though she was not there to see.

--------------------

Close to 3pm, Loki’s phone dinged with a new message from Peter. He marked his spot in his book and opened the text.

‘finally done! Wow the day felt long’

Loki grinned and responded.

‘I bet’

‘so where r u now? R u at the compound?’

‘no, im in lunas home’

‘ooooooh what do you do there all day’

Loki paused, deciding what to tell him.

‘read her books, watch her movies, listen to her music’

‘noah fence, but that sounds kinda boring :P’

“‘Noah fence?’" Loki muttered under his breath. "Oh, ‘no offense.' Right.”

‘it can be, but we go to the compound on Saturdays and out anywhere else’

‘nice nice nice! U comin by this weekend??? to the compound???? ?????’

Loki snickered at Peter’s apparent excitement. He humored the boy.

‘I might’

‘pls bcuz I have some stuff I wanna show u’

‘looking forward to it’

‘:D I have decathlon practice now, so txt l8r??’

‘sure. You know where to find me’

‘lol yeah’

Loki didn't bother texting back. Peter was busy studying with his friends, or so he imagined. He got up and turned his music back on, again, not bothering to change the CD. Good music deserved to be listened to.

His enjoyment was short-lived as his phone rang with a different tune, this one constant and more musical. Luna had shown him what it meant. Someone was calling him.

Loki looked at the screen and saw Luna’s name lit up. He pressed the green button and held it to his ear.

“H-hello?” he spoke.

He heard a light muffled gasp. “You answered! Yay!” Luna praised.

Loki smirked. “Yes, I did.”

“So, uh, hi.”

“Hi.”

Loki heard a distant cough. “Um, what are you doing right now?”

“Waiting for you. Listening to music and reading.”

“What are you reading? Anything interesting?”

"Oh, yes. In fact, it’s one of your biological science books.”

“Ooh, which one?”

Loki read the cover. “‘Four Billion Years’ by William Loomis.”

“Mm, good choice.”

He opened the book to a random page as though Luna was watching him and he had to prove it. “The genetic code is so complex. It’s no wonder you study it.”

“Yeah. There isn't a dull moment with it. So, which artist are you listening to?”

“A wonderful lady by the name of,” Loki picked up the CD case, “Marina.”

“Oh! Awesome!” Luna exclaimed. “And how do you like her?”

“Very much. She’s fantastically accomplished.”

“I had a feeling you would like her stuff. Which song do you like most so far?”

“I couldn’t possibly choose. They’re all good.”

“Just one. The other songs won’t feel less liked, I promise." She giggled, and so did he.

“Let’s see.” Loki flipped the case to the back and read the track list. "Uh, ‘Fear and Loathing.’ "

“Ooh, nice choice. I love that one. They're all good. I have several favorites.”

He hummed. “So, what are you doing now?”

“Taking a bit of a break. I called to tell you that I’m going to be late. Traffic is horrible right now, so it’s not safe for me to leave yet. I’m also working out some ideas for a new experiment.”

The fire of Loki’s interest was stoked. “Oh?”

“Mhm. It’ll be a DNA manipulation using CRISPR like last time, but I would have to redo an RNA template for the new organism.”

“Which one might you be using?”

“Zebrafish. I want to test healing time.”

“Why use a new one when you already have the first one?”

“Because zebrafish are larger than the worms and transparent, so I can see all the inner workings, even the blood vessels in real-time. I can nick one a little and see the movement of the cells as it heals the wound. They also have an organ system similar to humans so I can visualize things more easily than with a worm.”

Her job never ceased to capture him. He felt like he could watch her work all day.

“Amazing,” Loki breathed out.

“Yeah! I've seen a bunch of videos where they do that, and it's really cool, so I'm hoping to get some good results. Even if they don’t change from the average results of a non-mutated fish, it’s not nothing.”

“Of course, but may I speak freely?”

Luna chuckled low into the phone. “You may.”

“I think you will get a difference." He didn't wish to give anything away, but he was confident she would get something. If the worms could produce ice particles on their own, the fish would do the same.

“I will keep that in mind.”

“I suppose I should let you get back to work.”

“Yeah, I have some more things to finish up before I leave. Hopefully, the traffic will be a little more merciful on me.”

“Here’s to hoping.”

“Hm, yeah. Well, bye, Loki. See you at home.”

“Yeah. Bye.”

Loki listened to the buzzing silence on the other end of the line. Pressing the red button, he set his phone down and wandered back to the record player. A present from Stark. Luna got a pair of socks from Peter. And what from Loki? Nothing. As he pulled gently at the string bracelet around his wrist, he thought of her. Luna was the best friend he wished he had earlier in his life but never got. Now, he had her, but how has he repaid her kindness?

Loki gave to his kingdom for four years as its king, proving to his people he was better than the person he used to be. He had the capacity but lacked the resources. What could only he offer? Stark and Peter had more stable connections, but what did Loki have? What did they have together?

He looked around the room and noted all points of interest. They shared film, music, food, and dancing. Yes, dancing was a good place to start. She only did it with him. With nothing Asgardian to gift, he would have to settle for something earthly. Something she didn’t currently possess but would greatly enjoy.

Loki perused the CD shelf. He knew most of the artists, but he didn’t know what Luna didn’t have or if she would like something new. His eyes flitted from album to album and stopped on one he recognized: ‘Led Zeppelin IV.’ Their first dance was in there. Reading the spine of the case, Loki laughed under his breath. Luna was influencing him again, making him sentimental. But now, as an idea formed in his head, sentiment felt good.

His phone dinged, providing a momentary distraction.

‘done with the stuff. About to go on patrol so my messages will be here and there’

It was from Peter. Perfect timing.

‘alright, but one thing before you go’

‘yah??’

Loki took a deep breath and, with shaking hands, typed out his question.

‘how much do you know about vinyl records’

----------

Taglist: @the-doctor-9-10 @pinkieperil @sherlockfan4life

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ohwhatamessiam · 7 years

Text

Give -Part 2

Summary: Bucky and (Y/N) had an amazing yet brief relationship in Bucharest before all hell broke loose. Two years later they reconnect in a bar in Brooklyn, but things have changed and neither are the same as they were before. Will their relationship survive or is a break up inevitable?

Pairing: Bucky Barnes X Reader

Word Count: 2.2k

Warnings: Language, angst, discussion of illness (stomach virus) and fluff I think is all for this slow burn.

Author’s Note: Hi again! This is part 2 of my submission to @bladebarnes’s #bladehits2kchallenge with the song Give by You Me At Six. It’s still all first person narration and I’m sorry that I suck, but parts 2 through 5 (maybe even 6) will all be completely flashbacks. But like cute or emotional flashbacks that I promise will hopefully be good. A god bless your beautiful soul to @lostboyinneverland for beta-ing for me again, I love you my bologna eating friend. Also here’s a Spotify playlist to listen to while reading the entire fic. Hopefully you all will like this and please bug me if you do!

And if you haven’t read Part 1 yet, please do!

The first time Bucky Barnes spoke to me was on the same busy street lined with vendor stalls. It had been 2 days since Bucky caught me snorting at his hair, and both days were spent inside my studio since it had been pouring rain in Bucharest. That alone time meant I hadn’t be able to get his strained smile off my mind.

Although the rain hadn’t completely stopped, it lightened to a sprinkle during the early afternoon on the third day and I needed to leave the apartment. Surprisingly, there were a few vendors open and one that I found easily was a candle stall. There were several people poking around, buying different size candles, and speaking much more fluent Romanian than I could fully comprehend. The little bit I could catch was discussing different apartments losing their electricity and needing light.

I snuck into the corner of the stall, picking up a couple of the pillars to smell. They each had different fragrances like lavender, lemon, and rose, but nothing too sweet or artificial. One of the signs at the stall said “3 pentru 10” meaning that 3 candles would equal 10 lei, the currency in Romania. I picked out 2 rose and 2 lavender and lemon scented candles and showed them to the man behind the stand. “Cât de-, de mult… pentru patru?” I stumbled, wanting to know how much 4 candles would cost.

He pointed to the sign that said 3 for 10 and I repeated my question again, knowing that I wasn’t fluent enough in Romanian to haggle about the candle prices. I felt Bucky’s strong and quiet presence behind me before he spoke, a flicker of familiarity and warmth spreading up from my gut. Pulling a tight yet polite smile across his lips, he approached the table and began speaking to the man. They went back and forth quickly, and I could barely keep up with what they were saying, but I caught that Bucky kept asking for the cost and that the stall owner was possibly trying to up the price of an extra candle.

After another moment of quick negotiating, Bucky turned to me, his blue eyes holding my gaze for the first time ever. In perfect English with no accent he said, “He wants 13.50 lei for them.” My eyes widened as I registered that he must not be from Romania, but I nodded, placed my candles on the table and dug into my wallet for the 13.50. His voice had sounded gruff when he spoke to me, but in Romanian he sounded smooth, almost musical. As I handed the man my money, Bucky’s covered fingers placed the candles into a brown paper bag quickly. After the man had waved me off, Bucky shoved the bag into my hands and turned on his heel.

I spun around to follow him, weaving past the few people on the street but he moved so much quicker than I could. “He-hey!” I called out as I followed him across the street, pulling the hood up on my jacket. “Mulţ-, uh, thanks!” He looked over his shoulder at me, his baseball cap shielding his eyes, and nodded. He turned his focus back to the street and continued to stalk away from me, but I wasn’t letting him go that easily. I picked up my speed and followed him for half a block until he stopped at a corner to wait for some cars to pass. “Hey! What’s your name?” I asked as I caught up with him, my breathing uneven.

“Why do you need to know?” he asked, his voice coming out low and gravely again. He turned to look at me, his blue eyes appearing gray and becoming harsher as his jaw tensed.

“Well we’re neighbors, and if I’m gonna keep seeing you around and you’re gonna go out of your way to help me, I should at least know your name.”

“You don’t need to know my name. You need to work on your Romanian,” he snapped, catching me off guard and almost making me flinch. He noticed how I reacted to his small display of aggression, and I saw his eyes soften the tiniest bit as he dropped my gaze and continued walking.

I ignored my nerves and continued after him. “Oh, come on. We don’t have to be best friends, I’m just new here and having a vaguely familiar face around would be nice.”

He came to an abrupt stop, causing me to nearly crash into him. Turning to face me, he let out an exasperated sigh, “You’re not gonna stop following me, are you?”

“Nope,” I smirked as I tilted my head to the side.

He looked away from me and took in a deep breath as he tightened his fingers into fists. As he exhaled he dropped his gaze back to me and spoke quietly, “My name is Bucky.”

Taking my small victory as it came, I gave him a toothy smile and stuck my hand out to shake his, “It’s nice to meet you Bucky, I’m (Y/N).” His eyes dropped to my hand and he stared at it like it was a foreign object. After a moment of awkwardly leaving my hand outstretched, I shrugged and dropped it. His dark blue eyes met mine once again and regarded me with a nod. I nodded back and just as quickly as he had stopped in his tracks, he turned and continued on his way. This time I didn’t follow him, but called out, “See you around.”

The first time I saw Bucky Barnes blush was in the doorway of my apartment. There was one more day of rain in Bucharest after I’d first spoken with Bucky. The day after that when the rain cleared up, I decided to adventure a little further into the city. I’d gone to a museum and a couple old churches, and on my way back to my apartment, I stopped at a small restaurant and ordered some food. Unfortunately, I found out about 3 hours later that whatever I’d eaten either wasn’t cooked, or my body just couldn’t handle it because I was up all night vomiting. Even after my stomach was empty I didn’t stop dry heaving until the next morning. When my stomach eventually calmed down, the rest of my body was so tired I passed out on my bed.

I didn’t stir until there was a series of loud thuds against my front door. I shot up out of my sleep too quickly and had to regain control over my gag reflex before I could even place my feet on the ground. The knocks started again and I pushed myself off my mattress and padded to the door. Peeking through the tiny peep hole, I caught Bucky’s sharp jawline and chin-length brown hair before I registered that he was there. I paused with my hands flat against the door and looked at what I was wearing. A pair of boyshorts, sports bra, and tank top would have to be good enough today, and I wiped around my mouth to make sure there was no drool or dried grossness left on me.

Unlocking the door, I realized my breath probably still smelled like vomit but I gulped my concern and tried to put on a pleasant smile to greet Bucky with. His left hand paused in mid air as if he was about to knock on the door again, and then he tucked his hair behind his ear and shoved the gloved hand in his jeans pocket. His right hand was tucked behind his back. “Hi,” I croaked out of my sore throat.

“Uh, um, hi,” Bucky stammered out as he glanced at my hair and clothes. His eyes settled on my feet and he pulled a brown paper bag out from behind his back. “I uh, heard you up last night, with all your ugh, sickness.”

“Oh god, I’m sorry if I kept you up,” I apologized as I dropped my gaze to his chest. Somehow he was wearing two shirts and a jacket over. I leaned a little closer to him while placing my hand on the door frame, focusing on his face again.

“No, no, I was just a jerk to you a couple days ago,” he said as he shook his head and then finally held my gaze, “And you said you didn’t know anyone here so I figured I’d do something to apologize.” He lifted the bag a little higher between us, prompting me to take it from him. “It’s supa de pui cu galuste, it’s the Romanian version of-.”

“Chicken noodle soup,” I finished for him as I accepted the bag. “Yeah, I know.” I peeked into the bag and found a quart sized container filled with soup, a sleeve of crackers, a bottle of ginger ale, and a bottle of Gatorade.

“You know the food better than you know the language?” he asked, his brows furrowing.

“Yes, yes, very much so,” I nodded as I turned on my heel and walked down the hallway to place the bag on my small kitchen table. “But admittedly, I’m much better with other languages than I am with Romanian.” Bucky stepped tentatively toward my door, pausing in the door frame and causing it to squeak. “You can come in, if you want.”

“No, no, I’m okay.” He hesitated in the doorway, peering around my apartment without ever entering it.

“Yea, it’s probably best, you don’t want to get sick if this is a stomach bug,” I said as I took the drinks out of the bag and placed them in the crappy, old fridge.

“Oh uh, I didn’t know if you’d drink either of those but I heard those are good for stomach issues.” I glanced over my shoulder at him and nodded before I shut the refrigerator door. “And um, I haven’t been sick in a long time.”

I walked back to the doorway, staying just a couple feet in front of Bucky, taking in his raised arms that were placed on either side of my door frame. His body language told me he was slowly becoming more relaxed with me, and as he settled into my doorway his shoulders appeared even broader and his biceps pulled against his jacket. I had to force my attention back to his face, yet I wanted to reach out and touch him or even yank him into the apartment. “I mean, that makes sense, you’re built like a fucking truck,” I said as I lifted my hands towards his shoulders but stopped myself before I touched him.

When I shifted my focus back to his face, I caught a slight flush spreading across his cheeks and that his blue eyes had gone wider than usual. “Ugh, sorry,” I clasped my hands in front of me, “I know I don’t know you very well and cussing doesn’t make the best impression.”

He leaned a little farther into my doorway, causing his hair to fall over his face as let out one of the most beautiful sounds I’d ever heard, a low, soft chuckle. “No, no, it’s okay. I used to be around more language, it’s just been a while. Even then, women didn’t curse around me much.”

At that moment, I knew I’d do anything to hear that chuckle again. I tried not to wring my hands together too tightly as I tried to handle the butterflies rising from my stomach. “I’m normally a little better at filtering out my language unless I’m with certain people, but I’ve been kinda sick so I guess my filter’s gone.”

“It’s okay, you just surprised me,” he started as he swiped his hair back behind his ears. We both heard a set of footsteps somewhere on the stairwell behind us. “But it was a good surprise, I promise.” He tilted his head to the side and gave me a smirk, “It reminds me of home.”

“Home?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Ugh, Brooklyn actually.” He removed his hands from my door frame but kept his relaxed body language as he looked at me, a small smile pulling across his lips as he thought about home.

“Ah, then you’re used to hearing way worse,” I nodded and peaked past his shoulder. The footsteps got closer, and when they sounded like they were a few floors away from us, I saw him stiffen, erasing every inch of comfortability between us. Noticing how he continued to stare at me but that his eyes had gone distant, I knew he was focusing on whoever was on the stairs instead of me. “But ugh, thanks again for the soup, I really appreciate it.”

He shifted his attention back to me and nodded, “You’re welcome, feel better.” He took a couple steps backwards, placing distance between us.

“I’ll try, and um, I’ll owe you dinner or something for this,” I added as he got closer to the flight of stairs above my apartment.

“You really don’t have to,” he said with modesty, causing the corners of his eyes to crinkle.

“No I should, and we can figure that out later,” I answered as he stepped onto the first stair. “But thanks again, see you around.” He gave me a polite wave as he continued up the stairs and I closed my door a moment later. I watched him take the rest of the stairs to his apartment that were visible through my peephole, and tried to not focus on the fact that I’d maybe, just possibly, invited him over for a date.

Tags: @irishdancr24 @fangirlisms-22 @suz-123

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes #bucky barnes imagine #bucky x reader #sebastian stan #seb stan #marvel fanfic #bladehits2kchallenge #bladebarnes #writing #sorry if this sucks it's literally the first time bucky actually speaks and idfk but this might be too cute for post-tws bucky #maybe not i don't fucking know

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thedancingsoldier · 5 years

Text

I’ve been wanting to share this for a while now. I’ve also been wondering if anybody would care, and I’ve come to the consensus that it doesn’t really matter. I just want to share something that I’ve felt for a long time that I couldn’t share with people, my taste in music. I’m starting a tradition, sharing my top favorite songs for the year (however many there may be). Spotify shared with me my top listened songs of 2018 and I’m sharing the songs that kept giving eargasms with each listen.

#1: Little Mix & Sharaya J: Strip

An eargasm as soon as the song came on. Then the lyrics themselves just seep into my skin and just says something to me, inspires me to love me for me. (Even if the song is for women specifically, I can relate to some of the lyrics) also lets not forget about them harmonies that are just magical! Love me some little mix harmonies 😍

#2: Pretty Sister & LDN Noise: Tears

LOVE THIS SONG! The voices the beat, the rhythm! #loveofmylife The producers of this record put they foot in this one. I love EDM anway so this song was a major plus. When the song comes on it’s acapella for a minute then the beat comes in, and hypes you up. By the time the first verse comes in, they know they have you hooked so the first verse is a regular verse, then the chorus comes in and hypes you up again. This song I’ve loved since early 2017 and it was one of those songs that barely anybody knew about and I still love it and think about it to this day!

#3: LDN Noise: Finally

Another song by LDN Noise that takes the cake for me. This song came out this year however. This song is in this list because it’s so close to Their song “Tears”. In terms of sound and beat and rhythm, as well overall effect to me. This song takes on a house sound. Don’t get me wrong though the song. Is repetitive, but the breaks in between and the differentiation in beats sometimes throughout the song, is enough for me to ignore that.

#4: Little Mix: The Cure (Stripped)

Now this song is slow, as well as acapella. And as I had said before I live for Little Mixes harmonies as this song is chock full of harmonies. It’s nothing but voices. Their harmonies are heavenly, as well as their solo voices. The lyrics are the same, heavenly, relatable and real. The only bad thing about this song, is that it’s short. It’s one minute and 47 seconds.

#5: Troye Sivan: Seventeen

This masterpiece, as told by Troye Sivan himself, was remade multiple times until they got it right, and they got it right to the point. I myself relate to this song so much. The song is basically saying, a 17 year-old boy had a sexual relationship with an older man. That’s basically what this song is describing. I had a brief relationship with an older man when i was 20. He was 43 and an army veteran. I’m saying brief because it was only 10 months. This song said it all. The aura of this overall song is SO GOOD. The vocals, the music, the drums all encompasses the whole mood that this song is.

#6: Olly Murs: Take Your Love

At first listen this song can fade into the background for some people. But for me I live for songs that can use tropical house sounds, and make it their own. Olly Murs is one of those examples. The song is talking about a person that the main character is in love with. He’s looking at this persons current boyfriend, and seeing that the current boyfriend doesn’t do anything worth this persons time, he’s swooping in as the best friend “taking his love away”. I love this. It’s like the best friend of this person, is already in love with this person, so the boyfriend not being a good boyfriend is even better for the main character. I’m living for this story.

#7: Clean Bandit, Marina & Luis Fonsi: Baby

The overall feel of this song, feels SO GOOD! That chorus is heaven! Clean bandit did what? THAT. Adding Marina from Marina & The Diamonds was check #1 for a good song. Adding Luis Fonsi was check #2 for a good song and popular song because of the Hispanic representation, as well the Hispanic musical influence in the instrumentation. Living for this whole ensemble.

#8: Jade Novah: Cosmic Love

Sultry af. Effortless. Lovely. EVERYTHING. It’s a R&B masterpiece. The best R&B song I’ve heard this year, in my opinion. Also, Jade Novah herself is a goddess, and her voice is so dang soothing, I don’t want her to shut up 😍

#9: Lali & Pabllo Vittar: Caliente

YASS BOO! This is everything! EVERYTHING! A Brazilian drag queen, and a Latin pop star, IM LIVING! Where do I start on this song????!

The beat? EVERYTHING!

The vocals? LIVING

The rhythm? 😩👌🏾✨👌🏾✨👌🏾✨

I obviously don’t understand what they’re saying, other than the title of the song (Caliente - hot). That’s it, I’m living.

#10: Loud Luxury & Brando: Body

UGH. Just UGH. This is Loud Luxury’s first single that is not a remix they did. And they did it effortlessly. It’s like when the song is playing I don’t want it to stop. I do want to say this though, it’s another tropical house/ dance-pop song. But I love it, I’m living for it. It’s everything in my opinion.

#11: Sabrina Carpenter: Sue Me

SPEAK TO ME SABRINA. Sue me for looking so cute today, sue me for looking so gorgeous today! Songs either get me by lyrics, one of a kind vocals, or the beat. This one was lyrics. Sis gave me those lyrics! Also that R&B Influence she threw in there, icing on the cake. Amazing.

#12: Alessia Cara: All We Know

You have no idea how bad I wanted to hear new music from Ms. Alessia. I loved her first album and her second album is no different. Also plus, her second album came 4 days after my birthday (November 26) so that’s awesome☺️👌🏾 Now this song is one of those stand out songs, other than the singles obviously. The groove is so smooth. The transition between the hook and the chorus is perfection! The vocals are amazing as always! Also I love that she cusses now 😅. The downside is that I can’t play some her songs around kids because of the cussing but, the songs are still good.

#13: PRETTYMUCH: Jello

There’s In Real Life, Why Don’t We, Next Town Down, and PRETTYMUCH. The boy bands are back after a brief silence from One Direction. PRETTYMUCH is one of those good boy bands that are coming back (I’m not saying the-not-so-good ones). And this song is evidence of it. It’s a perfect mix of 90s Hip-hip and today’s pop. The vocals maybe auto tune but, the sound is there and for me that’s enough to grab me ☺️

#14: ZAYN & Nicki Minaj: No Candle No Light

This song caught me off guard in a good way. I was listening to ZAYN’s new album “Icarus Falls”, and near the end I was expecting more shower songs more emotional songs, and then this song comes on like a lightbulb. The beginning didn’t entice me, the beat drop did. That Caribbean/ tropical house sound he included in this song, was different to me and I like I said before, I love different ways people use tropical house. This way was complex, and everything! It was clubby, it was true to its Caribbean roots, and the fact that he added nicki onto this track is extra points. I don’t know why this song doesn’t the recognition that it needs????

#15: Kim Petras: Can’t Do Better (Justin Caruso Remix)

There’s certain remixes of songs that makes my ear have a eargasm and this one is one of many. This house club mix of Kim Petras’s song is amazing. It creates a whole different feel to the song. It’s an addictive remix.

#16: Hailee Steinfeld & Aris Archontis: Back To Life (80s Remix)

This is perfect 80s nostalgia! That’s it! It’s perfect 80s nostalgia! Then adding Hailee’s vocals! YASS

#17: David Guetta, Bebe Rexha & J Balvin: Say My Name (Corey James Remix)

That bass has me shook forever. I will say this though, Bebe Rexha has some good songs, but ever since she died her hair blonde, I feel like I’ll never get the Bebe Rexha sound I fell in love with at the beginning of her career with her black hair. Now, like I said she has some good songs that I’ll listen to, but other than that? No. But this one, (even though it’s a remix) I fell deeply in love with this. The heavy bass added on with the Latin beat and then Spanish language added into the lyrics, EPIC! I honestly will never get over that’s bass though, it’s everything 😍✨

#18: Mind Bath, Ouri & Forever: Flower Tattoo (Ouri Rework)

Eclectic. Is what comes to mind with this song. The bare bones of it all. The bass, the drums, the vocal effects. It’s so little, but so right!

#19: Dua Lipa: Bad Together

This is a song that stands alone in this list, in my opinion, and that’s what makes it apart of this list. It’s dark sound, heavy vocals, and naughty lyrics, makes it a song that I can listen to over and over again. This song talks about a pair of people that’s so right together, but they’ve both done bad things. It’s lyrically perfect, sonically soothing and smooth. I’ll never get over this song.

#20: Miguel: Vote

This song snuck up on me. I was watching the movie, Crazy Rich Asians. And I love watching the credits because the credits always have a song that they didn’t play during the movie, and in my opinion the song is always underrated. This is one of those songs. The funk of this song makes you want to dance, and then add Miguel’s timeless voice that’s just the icing on the cake. It’s so refreshing to hear this sound again.

#21: Netta: Toy

This song caught me way off guard. This song won the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest. Netta Barzilai is Israeli and she won with this song. I was expecting a slow ballad or empowering song. I got empowering definitely, but slow? But, not by any means. This song is an enigma in itself. Ms. Barzilai uses chicken sounds (that she makes herself) in the song, but the overall empowering message of, “I’m not your toy, you stupid boy” is EVERYTHING. I’m living for her and I might have to catch up on my Eurovision knowledge because Ms. Barzilai definitely sparked some interest in me for next years contest 👌🏾

#22: Netta: Toy (Sagi Kariv Remix)

Now, this was my first listen into “Toy” itself I listened to the original after I listened to this. Obviously I fell in love with this. It’s so house, club, gay club music. I could vogue the house down to this remix. It compliments the song so well, as well as her voice too. Everywhere is my runway with this song. 🙌🏾

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airadam · 6 years

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Episode 109 : Sunny Days, Dark Times

"If you mad, take it up with God, it's how he designed me"

- Havoc

My goodness, it was tough to get this episode completed - but here we are, celebrating the ninth birthday of the podcast! Thank you all for your continued support; it's knowing that you're waiting for the show every month that keeps it going :)

As mentioned on the show; RAICES (Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services) could make very good use of donations right now.

Beatnuts show, September 19th, Whiskey Jar, Manchester - catch me on the wheels in the early going!

Twitter: @airadam13

Playlist/Notes

Nas ft. The-Dream & Kanye West : everything

It seems that seven-track albums are the style right now. I still need to give "NASIR" some more listens, but this song stood out by a mile to me on the first hearing. I'm not here for Kanye West right now but he and his team do nail the production on this one, and he and The-Dream knock the sung vocals out of the park. Nas' mostly solid rhymes, with some gems in there (especially the third verse), are somehow my third favourite thing on this song, which is at least partially due to the seeming anti-vaccine sentiment in the second verse. He's either wrong, or just dropped some clumsy lines - you be the judge.

Power Glove : E-240

Power Glove are an Australian who the gamers amongst you may know their work from the soundtrack of "Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon". They're mostly known for 80s-style synthwave, but this has more of a chilled 90s vibe, which I think they execute really well. You can get this on their "EP II".

Agallah : Don't Wanna Be The Last

I think this was the track that made me go back and check the catalogue of the group who were sampled by Agallah for this beat! This is taken from his "Doomsday" mixtape and has been a favourite of mine ever since I was bumping it in a red Corolla like the Puerto Rican driver in Masta Ace's "Born To Roll" and the "J.A.N" re-record :)

Rapsody : Special Way

Going with another repurposed 80s ballad on this one, with Khrysis on production. A song of love, delivered in Rapsody's flawless style, this is yet another great track from "She Got Game". Have you got yourself a copy yet?

Rakim : Remember That

I really didn't appreciate "The 18th Letter" enough when it first came out, but I keep going back to it and finding tracks I unjustly overlooked. This particular one finds Rakim reminiscing over his early experiences of Hip-Hop and the NYC club scene of his youth, with DJ Clark Kent supplying the beat.

Devin The Dude : Gotta Be Me

I can't say I can relate to the smoking experience, but this is a tune I enjoy nonetheless! This is the title track of his seventh album, with Cozmo basing the instrumental on a classic soul number, and Devin's lyrics making the whole thing a great summertime tune.

The Mouse Outfit : Children Of The Stars (Instrumental)

Just the beat from one of my favourite tracks on the "Escape Music" album - gorgeous production work. Do pick up that album if you don't already have it, along with their latest release "Jagged Tooth Crook".

Jasiri X : The Whitest House

You can always rely on Jasiri X to be the man with the take on current events, and this is a heavy one. It opens with a sample of the author and educator Ta-Nehisi Coates before the beat drops in and Jasiri tackles the evils of the Trump regime. As usual, the best place to get his singles is on his Bandcamp page.

The Alchemist ft. Mobb Deep : Carved In Stone

A longtime favourite of mine from the excellent "Insomnia" compilation, with raw Mobb rhymes (including this month's epigraph), and Alchemist killing it on the beat - I don't know where he got the sample, but it's a great one. Listen closely and you'll hear it's an example of a no hi-hit drum part, with kicks and handclaps along with some low tom-type rolls making up the entirety of the drum programming. Rhyme-wise, the late great Prodigy opens things up but I think Havoc absolutely shines here!

Smoke DZA & Pete Rock : Last Name

Given the names of the two artists who created the album, "Don't Smoke Rock" is just the best possible name. Apparently a new album is on the way, but for now have a sample of the first collaboration. The beat isn't one that immediately makes you think of Pete Rock but obviously has the quality, and it suits the MCing perfectly. Smoke DZA does have a kind of smoked-out vibe, but is right on top of things at the same time here.

Blu & Nottz ft. Exile : The Man

I don't know if it's just me, but the first verse sounds very different to the other two - and is clearly the best! Blu & Nottz' "Gods In The Spirit, Titans In The Flesh" is a new release but essentially a merge of two separate EPs that the pair had previously released, with this track originally being on "Titans In The Flesh". Nottz, though mostly known as a producer, gets on the mic here to close the track and definitely shows he belongs, but Blu just kills that first verse.

A Kid Called Roots : Hip-Hop

He may not be a household name, but A Kid Called Roots (I presume it's like A Tribe Called Quest or A Pimp Named Slickback, you say the whole thing) has quietly produced for quite an array of artists, from Canibus to Xzibit. This beat is from the 1997 "Hydra Beats Volume XIII" collection, with ten tracks from this producer - all named after a producer or executive, except this one, it seems!

DJ Jazzy Jeff ft. The Trinity: Wide Awake

The third instalment of the "Magnificent" series seems to have quietly snuck out, but it's an album well worth checking out! Rhymefest, Dayne Jordan, and Uhmeer make up the on-mic crew for this track, with crystal-clear rhymes over lush production. A nice extra touch is Jeff's scratching with a famous sound much beloved by the turntablists of the world!

The Foreign Exchange : June

It's somehow unfair that Phonte is such an amazing MC and got that singing voice, but we're the beneficiaries when he gives us stuff like this! Phonte and Nicolay's joint project has gone from strength to strength, with this new single being another gem in their catalogue. The low notes give us the high point of the production, with Nicolay killing it on the synth bass!

Children of Zeus : All Night

Last month we had the A-side of this single, but I just couldn't resist that "You're A Customer" sample after all! Konny Kon and Tyler Daly each shine at what they're best known for on this cut, with the overall result feeling like (in my opinion) a super-upgraded version of what some of the R&B/rap combination tracks were trying to do in the late 90s/early 00s. Big tune, and one which sets the table for the release of the long-awaited debut album "Travel Light" in July!

Smith Brothers : Real Live

Nothing conscious or pretty here, just pure gangster business from Smoothe Da Hustler and Trigger Da Gambler as The Smith Brothers (they actually are the Smith brothers in real life) on this 2000 single. I thought the beat here was a good one to blend to from the CoZ track, with the staccato synth line and tough drums. I only have this as a promo 12", which unfortunately doesn't have a production credit printed, but DR Period might be a reasonable guess.

DJ Spinna : Let It Speak

It's always a good time to play some Spinna, and with him being under the weather recently, right now it's doubly so. Dope beat from the "Unpicked Treats Vol 1" compilation.

Mobb Deep : Play

This may be one of the only ever completely radio-friendly Mobb Deep tracks! I don't think this is a well-known one, but I originally heard about it on the Juan Epstein podcast. From the soundtrack of the Keanu Reeves film "Hardball", this one sees Prodigy and Havoc doing it for the kids but absolutely maintaining their own rugged style. If you ever stumble upon the original sample, I think you'll enjoy that track too.

Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!

Check out this episode!

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