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destructive-path · 3 months

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having ‘single hot lesbians in your area looking to fuck!’ ellie brainrot…..

tags: 18+ NSFW (duh) swearing, smut, strap usage, theres a x video linked for ur pleasure that loosely inspired this….

a/n: i had a much better ending to this but tumblr deleted it so sorry if the ending SUCKS also not proofread ( i have a gun ) IM LAZY

“fuuuuck.”

your grip tightens around your phone when the mystery woman you have been chatting with sends you a picture of herself.

the photo cuts off just below her nose, so you cant make out her full face.

her mouth is slightly agape.

the picture is illuminated by a red light.

the woman is wearing a black tank top and black jeans. she is slumped in a sitting position with one hand resting on her crotch.

its just bright enough for you to notice a tattoo on her forearm.

“fuckfuckfuck.”

this cant be real. is this real? she was hot. you couldn’t even see her face but you knew, she was hot.

“okay…”

hesitant to strike up a hookup with a possible catfish you took a second to consider the worst outcome of this situation. eventually you decided it was worth the risk, the longer you stared at the image on your phone the more the voice of reason dissipated. too eager to peak behind the curtain you let curiosity win.

when are you free?

E. 1 hour. you know the motel on 5th?

the creepy one or the 50s themed one?

E. …

E. the creepy one.

a regular romeo

E. 1 hour.

see you then xx

you clutch your phone to your chest and start to feel slightly manic. were you actually about to slut yourself out to some stranger you met online? on a website you found from a porn ad no less. apparently so.

with a toss of your phone across your mattress you sought out the bathroom in order to prep yourself for the night ahead.

—

this place wasn’t as bad as you remember, still creepy…but it had a solid remodel that eased your senses.

when you make it to the correct room number you stop for a moment just before your knuckle comes in contact with the door. should you turn around and forget this whole thing? being just inches away from your goal really made reality set in. before you can lower your fists and turn away the door swings open in front on you.

she looks even better in person. taking in the whole picture of her leaves you speechless. god those eyes. she was such a cruel thing to leave them hidden, you think.

one of her eyebrows raises at your frozen nature. but she doesn’t say anything and just leans against the door frame with her arm resting above her head.

“e-ellie?”

you question. with your hand still stuck in a fist formation as if you were still going to attempt to knock on the door. unable to move due to pure shock, you wait for an answer whilst the woman in front of you observes your state for a moment.

she gives your body a once over then steps aside to give you access to enter the room, still saying nothing.

“ill take that as a yes”

you say and make your way past her, twisting to the side due to the fact that she didn’t give you much room to enter the space anyway. once you land in the middle of the room your cheeks grow hot.

theres a king size bed in the middle of the room. for some reason the sight of only one bed makes you sheepish. it makes sense, you and ellie didnt link up to have a sleepover in some shitty motel in separate beds. still you couldnt help but feel nervous at what was to occur on that bed in the next few hours.

“youre late.”

finally she lets you her the sound of her voice. it shocks you. its more delicate that you imagined, its laced with some bass and a hint of rasp but still its, almost soft?

“im sorry?”

she’s unimpressed by your apology and growing clearly suspicious of your fidgety disposition.

“…”

you swallow thickly feeling intimidated by her stare. your eyes leave hers for a moment to observe her physique. her photo holds up in person.

ellie is less revealed in front of you currently contrasting to the image she had sent you earlier. a black button up hangs loosely around her shoulders, the top few buttons are left unclasped revealing the valley of her chest. you can spot freckles there. the shirt is cropped right above her belt buckle to which she fastens her equally loose fitting jeans. it creates a silhouette around her that makes your thighs rub together slightly.

“you’ve never done this before have you?”

you had stared entirely too long and you cursed yourself for it.

“are you- damn, is it that obvious?”

she leans into the doorway smirking slightly as she turns her head away from you. she’s attempts to hide her amusement, but you catch a glimpse of her grin.

“mhmm.”

she nods and bows her head. her tone reads like shes doing her best not to laugh at the current situation. like she should’ve known you would be this lost sort of thing, unsure of how to proceed with this sort of exchange. the notion has you riled up. she didn’t know you. what right did ellie have to decide that you were a prude? even if that wasn’t the case, you didn’t come here to be laughed at.

“so what your some sort of veteran?”

pure sass. ellies biggest vice. she hated retaliation from others.

“fuck off.”

you relished in the feeling of finally making her show you an emotion other than contempt.

“oh? its okay if you want a badge, just say so….”

your smiling now but as soon as you watch the woman push her weight of the wall and begin walking towards your direction you wish you hadn’t begun this dangerous game.

“careful. dont start something you cant finish.”

you were definitely in over your head.

—-

(consider)

if constantly chasing absolute pleasure was a sin, you were going straight to hell.

ellie had ruined you.

you werent sure how long it had been. whos sweat was sliding down your sides as ellie strapped into you with unparalleled precision. but you didnt care. everything had become so slippery, including your thoughts.

you had hooked up with other women before but never like this.

ellie was a grandmaster of pleasure. the bed room her chessboard. each move she made knocked over a piece of your fortitude. until you were left with no choice to fore-fit complete power insuring her victory in this match. having become bored of the somewhat vanilla hookups you endured, you sought out something a little more, dirty. something more raw, dangerous. maybe it was the thrill you chased, but there was one thing you knew forsure. ellie was filth personified.

if it were possible you would spend the rest of your life in the walls of this motel room. after what you could swear had been hours of experiencing pleasures (that you didnt know existed) you sought out more to no end. to ellies surprise, your stamina was impressive considering how foreign you seemed to intamacy this intense. something about that intrigued her deliciously. she had made it a point to see how far she could bend you until you broke. she wanted to see you cry. to scream her name for everyone in the motel to hear.

what ellie didnt expect is that she would begin to fold first.

you were so eager. the woman had flipped and fucked you every which way until her body was sore. but still you wanted more. your thighs were spread and knees pointed to the sky as ellies own resolve began to crumble. she supported her weight with her palm to your waist as she gave you what little energy she had left. too stubborn to let you steal an orgasm from her she struggled to fuck you at a consistent rhythm. you could feel her hips stuttering and the mere thought of her beginning to snap only made you move your hips against her faster.

jesus you were practically fucking ellie yourself now. even though she wore the strap it was you who was in control. every movement of your hips pressed the back of her harness in a way that massages her clit perfectly.

grip tightened on your hips as ellie began to chase her own high at the feeling of you rubbing against her.

“keep going. just like that.”

the sound of your voice oozing desperation, it was music to ellies ears. she was barely moving at this point losing strength by the second at your words. bending down to hear you closer she settles in your neck.

“yeah?”

she encourages more of that sweet music leaving your lips. the more moans you surrendered the more whines ellie rewarded you with. creating a symphony of lewd noises. the melody you two created so easily only fueled the fire in the pit of ellies stomach, which was now something closer to the size of a bonfire. her composure was burning at the seams and the only thing that eased the singe she felt was the taste of your sweat on her tongue.

once her mouth began its advances on your neck you could tell she wasn’t going to last much longer. you could feel the way she sucked on your skin like it was medicine. your pussy had brought her to a fever pitch and she would do anything to let it break. her tongue danced on your jugular and she swore she could taste your pulse. the suction she created with her lips left behind precious pink and purple marks in places where you couldn’t hide them if you tried. not that you cared, ellie made you feel so good you wouldn’t dare protest in fear you might miss a pleasure you were sure no one else on this earth could give you.

just a little longer, a little deeper you thought to yourself as your hands floated to the plush of ellies ass. pulling her so close to you that you began to feel her cock in the spot that made your whole body vibrate.

“t-there!”

you shout as your body resumes its involuntary progressions towards the womans hips. the pace of your hips doubling in speed finally makes ellie shatter into a million tiny pieces.

“w-wait baby im-“

you didnt mean to become obsessed with the feeling of it all. the way she thrusts into you until she cant move her hips any more, the feeling of her falling ontop of your body completely limp. the way her cock reaches so deep in you is too tempting. it feels so foreign and you feel so good that you have to see it through. until your broken and unable to move a muscle. you cant help but obsess with how she sounds in your ear while you buck your hips into hers. unraveling in your grasp.

you don’t pay ellie any mind as she comes while you roll your hips into hers. you cant. ellie had taken so many of your orgasms tonight that you relished in being the one making her succumb to a moaning mess. a string of ‘oh gods’ leaving her lips until finally she was chanting nothing but your name until you were seeing white.

with a final arch of your back at your release your bodies collide, the feeling of white hot pleasure mixed with skin to skin contact makes you both hum. your hand wraps around her back scratching there harshly before you bring her body back down to yours landing on the mattress with a soft thud.

two idle minds were all that was left in this space, too dumb to remember how to complete the simple act of breathing. neither of you can move as you desperately seek out any air to return to its rightful place in your lungs. needless to say it took a moment for you and ellie to form a coherent thought. or a coherent breath.

when a sliver of life entered ellies system she used her minimal strength to leave her home in your neck and support her weight just enough to remove the toy buried in you. the sight had stolen a chunk of strength. she sighed shakily at the way a string of your slick connected to her cock whilst she pulled away. the action causing her head to fall on your chest in awe. ellie was weak.

“perfect.”

you could barely hear the sweet complement leave her lips. before you could comment on it she placed a kiss on your sternum and trailed upwards until she met your lips in a tender peck. each time her lips made contact with your skin you twitched. even the smallest kiss left you feeling over stimulated.

you couldn’t help but curse yourself knowing that you just had the best sex of your life with a stranger you met online in a motel, and that if shed ask, you would definitely do it again.

****

#def dont follow in the reader’s footsteps #ellie williams #ellie the last of us #tlou2 #the last of us #tlou #lesbian #ellie tlou #ellie x you #ellie x reader #ellie x y/n #ellie williams smut #ellie smut

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sukioyakio · 6 months

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Yandere nerd!miguel

this isn't about the famous nerd!Miguel that @nymphomatique made,but yall should go over to her, and read her storys)‼️‼️🤭😔😖💅just another thought lingering in my mind. I did not pro read,so sorry for the mistakes

Where nerd!miguel is kinda (very) popular around campus,with his height being like an building,and his semi built body,of course he was going to be popular but the only thing that people would say that bad is his nerdy looking face,but even with it,it not bad.

But every popular students is bond to have bullies,and nerd!miguel has these bullies.Who were jealous of him,that he was going out with girls,talking to them,and going out to party's with the guys.

One day he getting bullied behind the school building,he getting punched,kicked,pulled, tossed away,but he has an unfazed face,as his nose is bleeding from one of the people who were bully him,and this is where you came from,you who were lucky enough to have come towards his way,As you heard some people laughing,and talking.you got curious and walked an little more and saw the bullies punching nerd!miguel, as she took out her phone and recording them doing this,for an short while,and then yelled at them.

"Hey!!what the fuck is wrong with yall!?! Do y'all seriously think beating up someone is going to get you guys anywhere?!" She says with an serious tone of voice,as she quickly got their attention, as they soon stop what they doing

"Haha..how about you go mind your business and continued to walk,right little girl? One of the bullies say to her,as he rolled his eyes at her words.nerd!miguel who was looking at reader,and recalls never seeing her before in the campus," maybe an new student" he says to himself,but something about her pulls him towards her

"Hehehe..you guys really want to do this for your third year of college? You literally have no fucking life .You guys have 5 seconds to leave before I post this recording online and to the principal and y'all parents" she says with an very serious tone of voice and a sarcastic smirk on her lips,as she put her hands in her jacket pockets,and stand there,waiting.

"she look like she w-wasn't kidding about it" the other guys says in an nervous way, "yo, I think I'm going,because I don't want my college degree being mess up" he says as he starts to walked away with an scoffs,as the other two did the same thing as well,not wanting to have their college degree mess up.

After they left she went up to Nerd!miguel,and blend down to miguel,which he was sitting on the ground with an bloody nose and one of his cheeks were purple.As she touch his wound,and looked at miguel and noticed that his glasses are broken, "hey are you ok?can you see me?" She says in an worry yet concerned voice about his wounds,nerd!miguel swear she sounds like an angel,so beautiful and her face was something that made him feel alive,like he heart beat for the first time,he just nodded in response.

As reader swear she saw something change in his eyes,but shake the thought. "Are you able to walk?,umm mr-" she says with an concern voice and got interpret by him "miguel ohara . . . and yea ill be able to walk" he says in an casual voice as if he didn't get beat up an few second ago, "well ok miguel ohara,let go so you can get checked by the nurse" she says with an calm voice and extend her hand in front of him,nerd!miguel just fell in love with her,the way you said his name was so sweet,like pure honey,an angelic voice, he had to hear you more,he had to have you,he had to make you His,make you Mine.

QUote : by my friend

“if you wish hard enough it will come true in an unexpected way”

✌️

I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE IT

Sneaky link

#miguel o'hara fluff #miguel ohara fanfiction #miguel o’hara x reader #miguel o'hara #miguel o'hara x reader #across the spiderverse #yandere miguel o'hara #yandere!miguel o’hara #yandere #tw yandere #soft yandere #yandere male #yandere x you #random thoughts #pls send feedback

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irisposts · 1 year

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you & me [1]

college au!! it’s the infamous enemies to lovers trope. more like the reader hates ellie lol and ellie’s along for the ride. this chapter is pretty lighthearted :) lemme know what you think!

edited: yes/no

a/n: there is like the smallest easter egg to the game and show!! hint: it’s about joel miller

you weren’t a fan of room 926. every couple nights, they mocked you out of sleep. playing their stupid guitar and band music. it was almost as if they believed they were the only occupants of the dorms.

you now scratch at a plastic bag around your hair, arms crossed as you wait before their door. you curse to yourself, quickly realizing how utterly- ridiculous you must look with a shaggy bathrobe and hair pinned underneath a crinkly target bag. but it’s 1am and you give yourself grace. you tap your foot impatiently, knocking at the door again.

“hey!”

annoyed, you start pounding at it to make a statement. you’re so into it that you don’t notice the door down the hall open. a guy around your age pokes his head through. “hey!” he snaps his fingers to grab your attention.

you momentarily stop, “…hi?”

you pull your robe tighter, hoping the bag doesn’t crinkles as you move.

“could you do me the biggest favor?” the guy starts off sweet. “…but could you please shut the fuck up? people are trying to get some sleep here.”

your jaw hangs low, in shock.

even more so when you don’t get the chance to defend yourself as he slams the door shut just as quickly as he had opened it. you turn back to 926, this time your fist is going through this door. you swear it. just as you muster the strength to punch through, the door swings open.

you hand quickly falls down to your side. your cheeks grow warm at the woman leant against the door frame by one arm.

you swallow down the lump in your throat. “ellie.”

you’d be a liar to say you didn’t like ellie’s voice. it’s rasp—yet soft. something unique to only ellie. “y/n.”

lord she sounds heavenly, you wander if your knees could turn to jello in an instant. ellie makes that seems possible.

your heart pounds against your chest, she wears the infamous at gray hoodie. you admire the way her hair is pulled back into a low bun, and the strand of hair that swings besides her cheek.

your eyes wander off to the side. you notice a familiar face in the room. “dina?”

she’s sat on the opposite bed of the room. she looks up at the call of her name. she gives a curt wave, and offers a gentle smile. you go to save back but ellie has stepped forward, closing the door behind her. for a fleeting moment you can’t help but feel the faint pain of jealousy stab at your heart. you take a step back as well, feeling ellie’s presence to be too much for you.

she now leans onto her side along the door frame, scratching nervously at the nape of her neck.

you fight the urge to look into her eyes. but it proves difficult—ellie towers over you. it’s only by a few more inches, but it’s enough to make you feel inferior at times. and you despised it, disposed her. and to add fuel to fire, you hate to admit the truth—but elliie is hot. for a means of simpler terms. . she has both girls and guys alike fawning over her on campus, despite the fact she only playing for one team.

you suck on your teeth ready to get this over with. “can you keep it down, please.” you place a hand on your hip.

ellie ignores your request and points to your head. “what’s with the bag?”

“what bag?”

ellie chews on her bottom lip, her finger makes a circular motion around her head. she’s so sarcastic it makes you ill.

“protein treatment i saw online. you know what—” you shake your head not wanting to start the usual banter between you two. “—it’s late, okay?” you motion to the space between you too. “and if you forgot, we have class tomorrow…”

ellie runs at her face, sighing. “i’m aware.”

she looks back to you, and then it’s at that moment you realize the redness in her eyes and the smell off her clothes, you sniff. scowling in distaste “are you high?”

ellie blinks. “…no…?”

you squint your eyes and exhale. “look, i don’t care, but can you and your girlfriend please keep it down please?”

you notice a flash across ellie’s eyes. “yeah, yeah sorry. won’t happen again.”

“‘mhm.” you turn back towards your room. not believing a word, but also not wanting to drag this on for much longer.

ellie fiddles with her two fingers. not particularly of wanting this fleeting interaction to end. “hey, 925?”

you roll eyes, pivoting your hips to briefly look back. “yeah?”

ellie crosses her arms, growing serious for a moment. “i never got a chance to thank you about the other day….”

you blink. “don’t mention it.”

you turn to push down on your door knob. “night ,neighbor.” you swing the door open, slamming it shut behind you.

leaving ellie alone to stare at the numbers 925 to mock her back…

#x reader #ellie williams #the last of us #tlou #ellie williams x reader #ellie x reader #ellie x y/n #ellie williams x female reader #ellie #ellie williams x you #ellie x you #the last of us ellie #the last of us masterlist #wlw #you & me

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smoshyourheadin · 14 days

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Sunshine and Soda Cans

Part 3 - Refreshing

“oh my god tell me EVERYTHING”

angela runs up to you as she hears your keys in the door, practically tackling you for information.

“okay! okay! so, well, we were editing, and then we streamed, and then i drove him to his apartment, and we kissed, and i dont know!” you retort, flopping down on the couch. “also wheres that ice-cream?” you ask her with puppy dog eyes.

“oh shoot yeah! ill grab it,” she scurries off for a minute, and returns with two bowls of vanilla ice-cream topped with strawberry slices. “here you are m’lady”

you hiss as your skin touches the cold bowl

“okay, so, how did it happen? was it good? do you think he likes you?” she begins to spew questions at you.

“one at a time jelly, jeez! okay so , it happened when we were outside his apartment, yes it was good, and i think so? maybe? i hope so at least.”

“well,” she says with a huf “if he doesn't like you he’s missing out!”

you giggle at her, and turn on tangled for the hundredth time this month, it’s your guys’ favourite. you curl up together under a blanket, and drift off.

the weekend goes on pretty smoothly, you and angela just hanging out. then monday comes around.

“cmon (y/n/n) wake up! we’re gonna be late!” you feel the mattress dipping, and rub your eyes.

“huh-“ you reply groggily, and then you realise whats happening

“ANGELA STOP JUMPING ON MY BED!” you laugh at her energy, as she flops down beside you. managing to hoist yourself out if bed, you throw on a sweatshirt and linen pants. on the way to the office, you guys stop at coffee bean for smoothies, which angela almost spills everywhere.

walking into the office, you spot spencer and give him a sweet smile. but he freezes up and just walks away.

what?

you shrug it off, and continue on through the day.

at around 2, you’re about to start shooting an aitah video with spencer and, obviously, shayne. but spencer is being really avoidant, not looking at you while kiana tells you about the shoot. so you chase him up just before the shoot, because you don’t want that tension on screen

“spencer hey,” you jog up to him in the kitchen as he grabs a mt dew kickstart. “whats up? why are you being weird with me? have i done something?” you look into his eyes as you ask him, and you can see his sadness.

“no, i just, i don't know…” he starts to trail off “i just feel like i forced you to kiss me when you didnt want to and i feel really shitty about it and i-”

“hey,” you gently grab his hands “it’s okay, it was nice. i liked it” you smile, and kiss him on the cheek, turning away to go get ready for the shoot. you feel the heat in your cheeks.

during the shoot, you and spencer share the chunky knit blanket as shayne reads you some of the most outrageous stories you’ve ever heard, and you wonder how people online are comfortable enough to say this kind of stuff

afterwards, as you begin to leave, spencer catches up with you.

“(y/n)!” he shouts, catching up with you at your desk while you pack your bag “so um, i was wondering, and obviously feel free to say no, um, if you’d want to go to the fair with me on friday night?” he looks nervous, almost as if he feels he shouldn't ask you.

“yeah, yeah that’d be nice” you smile at him, and his eyes light up at your statement. he thanks you, and says he’ll text you about it later. walking outside, you meet angela and hop in the car.

“what’s got you in a good mood? you’re only ever this quiet when you’re happy. what happened? DID SPENCER-” she begins to interrogate you as you pull out of the lot

“yes, it’s to do with spencer. he asked me on a date.”

angela gasps so loud you swear she could break glass.

“OHMYGOD FINALLY!! I THOUGHT HE WAS IGNORING YOU THIS MORNING BUT HE WAS PROBABLY JUST NERVOUS OH MY GOSH IM SO HAPPY FOR YOU!” she bounces in her seat, rattling the car. you laugh, leaning away from the hyperactive puppy of a best friend you have.

over the next few days, you and spencer start hanging out a lot more and get a lot closer. you find yourselves sharing longing gazes across rooms, staying up late into the night just talking about life, and discovering things about each other you didn't know. each moment you spend together feels like a lifetime, the bond between you two deepening with every laugh. and then you realise something. you wanted to spend all you time with him.

fuck.

friday evening rolls around, and you’re sat at your desk finishing an edit, and waiting for arasha to bring you a coffee, when spencer walks over to you. his hair is messy, and he’s wearing a plaid shirt tucked in his worn in dickies, with a denim jacket over the top. he looks beautiful.

“you ready to go?” he says, cocking his head slightly

“just give me a minute, im just finishing up this edit and arasha’s bringing me coffee. but feel free to hang out here while i finish up!” you say looking up at him with a smile.

you finish the edit, and arasha walks over with courtney and shayne, and coffee in her hand.

“sup lovers! (y/n) here’s your overly sweet coffee,” she sets it down on your desk, then taking a sip of her own “so, big plans tonight spencer? you’re dressed up…” arasha says slyly, raising an eyebrow

“i mean if taking (y/n) on a date is big plans then, i guess so” spencer smiles at her

“HA! I KNEW IT! IAN AND YOU OWE ME 10 BUCKS EACH” courtney fist pumps the air, and shoves shayne in the shoulder

“ugh why do you always have to be right! you suck!” he dejectedly pulls a 10 dollar note out of his back pocket, and she pinches it with a “thank-you!”. you just look at them all, mouth agape.

“you placed bets on this!?” you look at courtney in shock.

“i mean, obviously. i knew you liked him, but we placed bets on how long it would take for anything to happen. my guess was a month and a week and hey, here we are”

“huh, weirdly specific but… go you!” you smirk at her, standing up to slide your jacket on.

“well, if you’ll exuse us, we have oversized bears to win” spencer smirks and holds his hand out for you to take, as you walk out the office together.

“awh,” tommy says, walking up to the three of them who were lingering near your desk “they’re so cute together!”

“sup nerds, what are we talking about?” ian jumps in

“ian give me my 10 dollars, spencer and (y/n) are going on a date as we speak” she grins at him

“ughhhhhh, fineeeeeeeee. you’re the worst court”

you and spencer hop in the car, and drive off to the fair, and as soon as you arrive, you run and buy a tub of cotton candy.

as you walk around, arms linked with spencer, you drag him to all the shitty games that you’re convinced are rigged.

“what!! no i definitely hit that one!” you stomp your feet like an upset child at the coconut shy, frowning because you didn’t get the giant giraffe teddy.

“watch this” spencer says confidently, and you gawk at him as he hits all the targets perfectly.

“how the hell did you manage that!” you say in amazement

he just laughs and passes you the giraffe “years of playing video games sometimes pays off”

you take the giraffe, and decide to call it amanda. so obviously, you send her a picture

amanderp 😚

———

you: [picture of you and the giraffe]

you: guess what i named it

amanderp 😚: giraffey?

you: nope, meet amanda ;)

amanderp 😚: omg i love you!! can she live at your desk? i want to meet her 😆😆

you: of course! i’ll bring her in on monday :))

you and spencer continue to sort of just walk around, giggling with eachother. as the night comes to a close, you get on the ferris wheel.

“its so pretty up here” you look out across the fair, the lights dancing over peoples faces as you sit at the top.

“yeah, makes you realise how pretty other things are” you turn to look at him, and he’s already looking at you. he looks at your lips, then back into your eyes. you close the distance between you both, pressing your lips together sofly, bringing your hand up to his hair and gently running your fingers through his curls. you break it apart, foreheads presses together, and he giggles

“hey whats funny!” you pout, sitting up and looking him in the eyes

“you taste like cotton candy. you taste like you. just overly sweet.”

you cant help but smile, leaning on his shoulder and lacing your fingers together. he looks down at you, and in that moment, you became his sunshine.

——————————

a/n: AHHH ITS FINISHED!! thank you all so much for the love on this series, it was so fun to write and it’s been so nice seeing your guys’ comments 💛💛 requests are open <3

#spencer agnew x reader #spencer agnew #smosh #shayne topp #courtney miller #arasha lalani #amanda lehan canto #angela giarratana #ian hecox #smoshyourheadin

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writingseaslugs · 10 months

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Ignihyde: When They're Sick

Broskis, do you know how hard it is to write about an advanced AI robot kid getting sick? I had to actually use my brain to figure out how it might work, but I’m proud of what I ended up with, so I guess it all ended well. Please do enjoy!

Disclaimer: All characters in this series are aged up. For more information about my version of this world and the type of reader you can expect, please click the “Au Information” below!

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Ignihyde: When They’re Sick

Oddly enough, when your diet consists of nothing but junk food, and you stay awake all night, it’s not uncommon to become sick. Idia knows this and tries to take somewhat decent care of himself, but it’s not going to stop him from eating noodles for every meal and sleeping after the sun has long since come up. In summary…Idia often finds himself sick from his own doing. This normally wasn't a problem since he could do online classes and had Ortho taking care of him, but when his beloved little brother happened to have gotten a virus somehow and was barely functioning. This meant Idia and Ortho were left to their own devices in trying to not die from a common illness and a computer virus.

Idia Shroud

Honestly Idia simply doesn’t care when he’s sick. Oh so he can’t sit on his computer all day without wanting to pass out? That’s fine, he has a handheld console and mobile games he needs to catch up on anyway. He isn’t the best at taking care of himself, which is why Ortho is normally the one to do it. When Ortho isn’t around…Lord help this man. He will be gaming even in death; health be damned. He will ignore all signs that his body is telling him to rest and continue to stay awake too late and chug energy drinks, even if he knows it’s going to make him worse.

How you found out he was sick without Ortho being there to inform you had to be some sort of magic. Idia is reluctant to even let you into the room, but he acknowledges the fact that you simply won’t leave and will bust down the door if he doesn’t; so he allows it. He’s going to be humiliated at the fact that you need to take care of him, and will constantly be saying that he’s gross and you shouldn’t get near or else you might get sick too. Ignore him and take care of the boy, he needs it. He can be scolded for self-deprecation when he’s all better, for now just assure him that he’s not gross and if you didn’t want to help him, you wouldn’t be there.

Honestly he doesn’t really need a whole lot of medication to make him feel better, the bare minimum is required. He might complain about it the entire time, but in the end he’ll take whatever you’ve brought. He swears up and down it won’t be very helpful, but after he starts feeling better he’s singing a different tune, but silently. He at least won’t complain when you hand him some pills anymore and take it without question. He’s going to call them stamina potions though to make himself feel better, saying he needs them to get rid of the sick buff he’s dealing with.

Unless you’re going to be chilling with him in his room for the entire time he’s sick, you’ll need to raid his bedroom and take away all the energy drinks, snacks, and instant noodles. They’re gonna make him feel worse but if he’s hungry and needs a boost of energy, he’s grabbing those when you’re not around. Thankfully he’s too ill and socially awkward to leave his room while he’s dying from a cold, so he won’t go out and grab things he doesn’t need. Leave him some healthy snacks and water bottles when you leave, and when you come to feed him make sure it actually has some nutritional value. His body might not know what to do with vegetables right away, but it’ll sort itself out in due time.

He doesn’t want to talk about it when he’s better; acting like it never happened is the best way to go about it. He will thank you a few times, and if you’re a gamer expect him to be sending you new skins for your characters, or dlc to your favorite games. He won’t say it’s for helping him while he’s sick, but you’ll know. He knows as well; and Ortho especially knows since the moment he’s back to normal he’s interrogating his brother about how he miraculously got better.

Ortho Shroud

Ortho isn’t going to be getting sick in the traditional way since he’s a robot, but something like a virus could cause some serious damage. Of course it doesn’t ever really happen, but sometimes things can’t be accounted for. One wrong site with the right kind of hacker and it’s over. Virus was installed and now Ortho is all out of sorts while Idia is trying to figure out how to get rid of it. If it’s a complex one…well it might take a day or two.

Ortho is still functioning to some degree, but his battery life keeps getting sapped and he’s constantly sitting on a charger and a little mopey that he can’t do what he normally does. It’s probably why he messaged you, since he can’t exactly assist his brother either. The moment you find out you better be over there to help out the little brother. The poor dear is going through it and doesn’t even know what’s wrong. For all he knows, it could infect his memory database and destroy everything he’s learned about you. So just sit there and help him out.

Laughter is the best medicine in this situation, so as long as you’re not bothering Idia, feel free to try and make Ortho feel more comfortable. Grab your phone and watch stupid cat videos, talk about something random that’s happened in your day, and play some multiplayer games on handheld devices. He’ll instantly be feeling lighter and more like himself, even if he does have to constantly reboot throughout the entire day.

While Ortho is rebooting or recharging and is offline, you might as well help Idia in any way you can. As long as that man is functioning, Ortho can be fixed. So maybe just bring him something to eat, maybe grab some water. It’s all for Ortho in the end anyway, and Idia will thank you for helping him. You might be asked to help him figure some simple things out, or check on Ortho as well.

Once the virus is cleared from his system he is going to be so energetic and asking to go and do things with you. He doesn’t even know how to begin repaying you for this, but he promises once he figures it out, he’ll let you know. He’ll be asking Idia for advice, but the poor man doesn’t have a single clue either. It’s the thought that counts, and just seeing Ortho being peppy and energetic again is all you really need, especially when you discover that nothing is permanently damaged in his hard drive.

#Twisted Wonderland #Twisted Wonderland x Reader #TWST #TWST x Reader #TWST Wonderland #Twisted Wonderland Disney #TWST Disney #Idia Shroud #Idia Shroud x Reader #Idia x Reader #Ortho Shroud #Ortho Shroud and Reader #Ortho and Reader

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an-annyeoing-writer · 6 months

Text

vampire!Baekhyun x Reader: sweet bloody talk. [+18]

Word count: 7 479

Date of release: 5th November 2023

Warnings: s*xual content, mentions of blood.

Author's notes: @synthetickitsune I swear I had the entire draft ready before you posted yours, but I feel like we have one shared brain cell for some things LOL

The first thing you took note of upon entering the club was that the music was better than you expected from the mediocre and obscure premise. This type of music was not something you usually heard in dancing places – it was more on the heavy side, and it gave off the vibe of 80’s goths and black platform heels adorned with spikes. Not your regular music choice, but you couldn’t say that you were disappointed.

It was supposed to be just a few hours of relax. You felt a bit distraught recently, with books and other home entertainments feeling like you’re starting to drown in a routine. You needed a variety, even though your friends group consisted mostly of people who didn’t care for parties, and you yourself had no idea as to what people are supposed to do at one. Even the club was something you found online and not through a recommendation. You were shamelessly aware that you chose it just because the menu appeared cheaper than in others, and they would let ladies in for free if they wore heels. A bit sexist in your opinion, but free entry was free entry after all.

The place wasn’t too crowded, but the spots by the bar were all busy, and with the customers gathered around – a lot of them for such an early hour – you quickly came to a conclusion that you’d rather sit down somewhere else and look around to see if there’s anything for you to do.

You hated dancing.

It’s not that it was impossible to sway from one side to the other on repeat. But you were awfully aware how lame it must have looked while done by someone who didn’t represent excess of physical appeal, and so, since it didn’t bring you any joy either, you avoided it at all costs. For the same reason, the dancing floor was definitely not an interesting place to look at. And besides, everyone was still too sober for their dancing skills to become entertaining.

The spot you found, a bar chair by a tall, round table with the top made of glass, was a good lookout point. A row of tables like such was on a not so tall podium along the wall, so the heads of the people were a bit below and you could see the entire ground floor of the club very well. Guests were still coming in.

There was a part of the club, though, that, although in the range of your sight, didn’t appear reachable at all – the upper floor. A balcony with glass balustrade shined above the heads of all people gathered in the dancing floor. The VIP zone.

Your eyes, bored of looking down, traveled up automatically, trying to have a look at anyone there. You suspected that the VIP zone of such an average place was occupied by college students and corporates going at party nights. In fact, the only person that was looking out the balustrade at the moment, with his eyes fixated somewhere by the bar, was a tall and well-built boy who could as well be a basketball player, dressed in a simple t-shirt and sweatpants. You snorted quietly, realizing that in any of the books you read, he would be a multimillionaire, spotting an average girl in the crowd below, falling in love at the first sight…

“Whatcha looking at?”

You jumped and almost fell off your chair at the voice that sounded out next to you.

Your eyes shot to the person who was currently sitting in the chair next to yours, watching you with a polite, non-intrusive smile. Although the fact you didn’t notice him join in freaked you out, he didn’t appear ill-intended. Yet, you didn’t miss a small smirk in the corner of his lip at the sudden reaction that you graced his question with.

“Oh… Nothing, really, just people” you answered, composing yourself. A small part of you wanted to carry on some sort of conversation just to not stay completely alienated for the rest of the night. But the remaining part of you had no idea, how. “How’s your evening?” you asked out of no better choice.

The man leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, and smiled widely, acknowledging that you’re not against the interaction.

“A bit boring, to be honest. I came here with some friends, but they all already busied themselves with stuff. What about you? Who did you come with?”

His voice was tender and careful, and his face looked very soft. You took a moment to acknowledge a simple baseball cap on his head, pulled on a bit too low so that he had to tilt his head backwards to see what’s on his eye level. He also wore a black, plain bomber jacket that made you think he’s a part of some college team – but there were no logos or other signs anywhere that would hint to his affiliation. In fact, you quickly came to the conclusion that it’s just his fashion choice.

“I actually came here alone” you blabbered without a second thought. “I’m not really a party person, to be honest…”

“Oh. I can tell.”

“Huh?”

Should you feel offended? Your face must have betrayed the uncertainty, because the man’s eyes widened and he visibly panicked at the social mistake.

“No, wait, sorry. It’s just that… if a stranger asks you about who you came with, even if you come alone, you should lie. It’s dangerous to let people know that.” he elaborated.

That actually made sense, you realized. Heck, you must have really had no self-preservation skills if you didn’t think of that before.

“Oh… I, um, thank you? For letting me know?” You scratched your head awkwardly.

He pressed his lips together – you took note of how his cheeks looked sort of cute and squishable when he did that – and smoothly hopped off the seat.

“I think it’s the time for me. Thank you for the talk.” He nodded his head politely and turned around, disappearing in the crowd before you could react appropriately.

You let out a defeated sigh. You came to this party to have a relaxing evening, but you must have messed up your possibly only chance to have a conversation with someone sober and not a creep. People were starting to slowly get drunk and you had a feeling that anytime soon, the only people coming up for a talk would be drunk college boys that the club was at this time of the year full of.

You glanced hopefully up at the glass balustrade of the VIP zone, but this time there was no one in sight.

It must have been around midnight when you looked at yourself in the club’s bathroom mirror, taking note of the tiredness heaving down your features. You were bored out of your mind, the music was echoing in your skull way too loud at this point, and the little alcohol you had in the meantime only made you a bit distraught rather than relaxed. Those were signs that it was definitely the time to go home.

You wrapped your trench coat around yourself as you left the building and went into the dark street. Cold wind hit your ankles, clad in nothing but a thin layer of stockings that you wore underneath the dress.

You stood nearby the main entrance, reaching out to your phone. You still contemplated whether to order a ride or to seek a cheaper alternative, seeing as the travel by feet must have not been too far from there, and maybe even you could even catch the night bus?

“Hi, are you alone?”

You whipped your head to where the voice was coming from, way too close for your liking.

A man was approaching you at a pace you weren’t sure if you should be comfortable with. His eyes were shining from the amount of alcohol consumed. He swayed to the sides ever so slightly as he walked.

It took you a solid moment to realize you’ve seen him once before – on the balustrade. He must have been on his way home as well.

“Um… I’m going home” you replied a bit shakily when he approached you. With how much taller than you he was, he didn’t have to try hard to hover above you in a hopefully unwittingly threatening posture.

“Will you be okay? I can get you a ride” he spoke sluggishly.

You couldn’t tell just how wary of him you should be; although he didn’t seem ingenuine and it was just the alcohol that made him appear creepy, you reminded yourself that it’s still a stranger. You glanced towards the club – the entry was a bit too far for your liking, but unless he became physical, you should be able to get back and ask for someone to help you out, was he to become too pushy.

“Please let me get you home” he suddenly spoke, sensing your unease. “I won’t bite you, I promise” he added. “I’ve already had enough for today, they don’t taste any good when I’m this drunk” he kept on blabbering and you lifted your eyebrow at the peculiarity of his statement.

“Chanyeol? What the hell are you doing here?”

The two of you turned around to look at the man coming from the club. The silhouette was too dark with the lights in the background, so you couldn’t make out his features well.

“Nothing” the man answered, shaking his head. “I just met this girl and she’s alone and I told her I won’t bite her but I think she’s scared of me” he whined.

Only when the newcomer came close enough, you realized that he also is not an unfamiliar face. The baseball cap betrayed him even before his squishy cheeks did. He spared you a glance and tilted his head to the side, apparently also acknowledging that you’re not a complete stranger. His eyes fell on his friend again.

“Aish, how would you get her home when you’re this drunk? Come and join the rest, we’ll be going home soon.”

“Then you take her home. She’s alone, Baekhyun, girls shouldn’t be alone. What if someone bites her when she’s alone?”

You frowned deeply, having no idea about what was all this weird conversation about. The man – Baekhyun – glanced at you once every few seconds, as though checking your reactions, and he was clearly displeased with the way things were going. He finally sighed.

“You talk too much, Yeol. Come on, let’s go.”

The man named Chanyeol huffed, but finally gave up and started moving back towards the entrance.

Baekhyun stayed behind, only making sure that his friend has gone in the right direction, and then looked at you with his face unreadable.

“Sorry for that. He didn’t mean anything bad, he just doesn’t control his tongue when he’s drunk.”

“Yeah… I could tell… Sorry.”

He lifted his eyebrow.

“Don’t say sorry when you haven’t done anything bad.”

“Oh. Right.”

“Are you sure it’s just parties that you’re not into? It looks like you don’t have much human interaction at all” he commented with a smirk. You laughed awkwardly.

“I usually handle it better, really. Not like, very good, but I swear I’m not an alien.”

He laughed warmly.

“Thank God, I was starting to consider giving you a ride too, but what if I had to get you back on another planet? Don’t have enough gas for that” he joked. It was quite lame of a joke, but you couldn’t help but utter a small laugh. After a bit of alcohol and at this hour, it was hard not to go alone with the lame sense of humor.

“Was it your way of offering a ride?” you dared to ask.

Baekhyun grinned.

“Maybe. Would you like?”

“I…” You bit on your lip, suddenly realizing that the offer had probably more to it than a mere act of kindness. “…don’t want to give you hope for something I can’t give” you stated carefully.

The man’s smile fell.

“Don’t ever worry about things like that. It’s not your problem if someone gets hope for something you never offered yourself. I just felt like giving you a ride, you don’t need to think of ways to return a favor or anything.” He appeared satisfied with his speech, and hid hands in the pockets of his jacket, soft and reassuring smile returning to his face.

You released the breath you didn’t realize you were holding, a relief washing over you and a smile appearing on your own face as well.

“That’s… nice” you only answered. “In this case, I’d love to get home with you. I… I mean-” you realized your words were a bit ambiguous. “…You know what I mean.”

Baekhyun only laughed warmly.

“I know, I know. Come on, I parked nearby.” He pulled car keys out of his pocket and swung them in the air. “But, by the way, don’t just accept rides from strangers. It’s dangerous.”

Baekhyun’s car was more comfortable than the public transport you were used to, and also sitting in the front felt way nicer than the backseats of a taxi. The music was calmer and quieter than in the club, and although it also wasn’t the genre you were used to, it almost lulled you to sleep as the two of you sat in a pleasant silence for about half of the ride.

“Won’t your friends get worried that you didn’t come back to them?” you eventually spoke, trying to start a conversation. Your time together appeared to be limited, and you didn’t want to waste a chance to get to know the man better.

“I shot them a message” Baekhyun replied with his gaze fixated on the changing lights and the cars in the intersection. “I wasn’t drinking because I was supposed to be their ride but they also met some people at the party, so they’ll be fine” he elaborated.

“Ah, I see. Well. I’m lucky that you were supposed to be the ride anyway” you shrugged. Baekhyun smiled at that but didn’t continue the conversation.

You were still a few minutes away from your apartment and you really, really didn’t want the ride to end so quickly. Even silence in Baekhyun’s presence was just too comfortable. How was it possible that you felt so much ease with a man you barely met? Maybe it was because his comments regarding your safety seemed to be genuine, and you appreciated them. Maybe they were just his way of getting your trust, but you just didn’t seem to mind.

There were still other questions you could use to get him to talk to you.

“I just recalled, what were those things your friend was talking about? I know he was drunk, but he mentioned biting like two or three times. What’s up with that?”

Baekhyun’s eyes narrowed slightly. Slight tension in his jaw didn’t pass your attention either.

“Uh…” He shrugged after a moment of thought. “Consider it an inside joke in our group of friends.”

“An inside joke?” You genuinely laughed. “Maybe you’re the aliens? What if your car gets me on the Moon instead of home?”

The man laughed awkwardly.

“Well, we’re peculiar in our own ways. But I promise the car is earthly” he assured with a grin.

You knew the area pretty well and it didn’t take long before you arrived at your address, Baekhyun’s car coming to a stop almost opposite of the building entry. The man turned the engine off and got up, opening the door for you before you even prepared yourself to leave the vehicle. You got out hurriedly and quickly straightened your clothes.

“You good? You got everything?” he asked, glancing at the seat to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything. You nodded.

“Thank you. Really.”

“You’re welcome.” His voice was tender and calm, but you had a feeling that the unspoken question is there.

You cleared your throat.

“Um… Would you… like to come upstairs?”

“Hm?”

Because of what he said before, you were certain he did not want to make any assumptions or take things for granted. Yet, you didn’t want to leave him in the dark, and you were positive that for his honesty, he deserved some transparency from your side as well.

“Just…”

Yet, were you ready to offer more than you initially planned? What was there to lose, after all?

But how would you feel if he rejected you, or if you didn’t meet the expectations – that was so not like you to offer such a thing, and you never wanted to have short-term partners to begin with.

But Baekhyun clearly was a gentleman, and if he was to reject you, it would have to be out of care and not because you disappointed him. Or at least you desperately wanted to believe so.

And besides, why would he reject you if he went out of his way to give you a ride home? Even if he was mature enough not to expect anything, it’s not like he would offer it to someone who didn’t spike at least an ounce of his interest.

“[F/n]?”

You jumped at the sound of your name; you must have drowned in your thoughts instead of answering the question.

“Oh. Sorry. I um… It’s not a situation I’m usually in. But I just… don’t want this evening to end this fast.”

“You know you don’t owe me anything, right?” He announced calmly, but there was some shade of threat in the way he said it, as if there was something urging him to give you the last chance to take it back and part your ways.

“I know. That’s why I don’t promise anything. But I want to try. You’re… fun to be around.”

At that, his face instantly lightened, and he chuckled softly.

“Thank you. You’re fun to be around, too.”

The night was chilly, and so you welcomed with gratitude the warmth that surrounded you the moment you entered your apartment. The place was rather decent as for one person inhabiting it, and you rented it at a rather cheap price from an elderly lady who at some age decided to move in with her family. Although you were allowed to refurnish it, you actually enjoyed the old style of creaking floor and black-and-white pictures on the walls covered in an old wallpaper. Even the old TV remained in its place, although it wasn’t catching the signal anymore. Baekhyun looked around curiously.

“You live here alone?” he asked.

“Yeah. But it’s not mine, I’m renting for another few years” you elaborated while taking off your coat and shoes, motioning for Baekhyun to do the same. “I’d like to buy my own but it’s still a while before I can even afford a mortgage.” The man nodded slowly in acknowledgment, following you cautiously as you soon entered the kitchen, turning on all the small lights on the way, making sure that the whole apartment was at least partially lit. “Bathroom is over there if you need” you briefly waved in the right doors’ direction. “You want something to eat?”

Baekhyun’s metaphorical ears perked up. He saw you point at the fridge.

“Oh. Maybe later, thank you.”

“Later?” you grinned. “Just how long are you planning to stay in here?” you teased.

“Hm.” He smiled shyly. “As long as you let me” he purred. You were focused on checking the cabinet’s contents for some quick snack when you heard him shift right behind you, hands hovering around your waist, although not touching just yet.

Your breath hitched. A pack of chocolate chip cookies slipped out of your grasp and fell on the counter below.

“Dammit” you mumbled, reaching to pick it up.

When you turned around, Baekhyun was sitting at your small table, elbow resting on the tabletop and chin on his hand in a fairly confident, although charming – in a way – pose.

“You want some?” You asked mindlessly, putting the cookies on the table and sitting on the second chair awkwardly.

“Later, thank you” he repeated; you internally cringed, realizing it made it seem that you didn’t listen to him earlier.

“Want something to drink then? I imagine you must be at least a bit tired after the party” you offered, feeling a bit awkward about eating the cookies all alone and not providing him with any sort of entertainment in the meantime.

“Don’t worry. It’s nice to just rest in the quiet after all that loud music” Baekhyun said with a gentle smile.

“Is that really so? Or do you just avoid midnight snacking?” you teased, trying to at least carry on with a small-talk.

You caught him stare straight in your eyes, and you felt a shiver run down your spine at his unreadable face.

“I actually believe that a good snack is a good snack regardless of the time” he announced in a tone that made you wonder.

He stood up right as you finished your cookie and came up to you. You observed him curiously as he knelt down, slowly finding himself between your parted knees.

His eyes never left yours, watching out for any signs of discomfort or disagreement.

You felt taken aback by his boldness, feeling your face heat up at the unusual closeness, but you definitely weren’t about to refuse.

His hands finally touched your knees, leaning on them for stability. Your dress was riding up a bit, but not enough to show anything yet.

“May I?” His lips hovered over the skin of your thigh where it was already exposed.

You almost caught yourself nodding mindlessly, but the loud pounding of your heart brought you back to reality.

“W-what?” you stuttered.

“Kiss your leg” he specified with a small, warm laugh that both calmed you and embarrassed you even more at once. “May I?”

“Yes” you answered quickly before you could lose control over your voice again.

More serious again, Baekhyun leaned down and pressed a slow, chaste kiss into your heated skin. Then another, a bit higher, but still as if the edge of your dress was a border he wasn’t going to cross. His both hands massaged the outer sides of your knees.

“You’re so nervous” the man noted, at which your face got even redder.

“Well, uh…”

“Do I make you shy?” he teased. You stuttered incoherently in response.

Baekhyun let out a soft laughter, pushing himself up and extending his hand to help you up as well. You followed and fixed your dress in hurry.

“U-uh.”

You awkwardly wavered your hand towards the bedroom’s door, hoping the man gets the hint, knowing that your voice would betray you completely, were you to utter such a bold request.

But he didn’t even look in that direction, his hand reaching to your chin instead and he lifted your face up, placing a small kiss on your cheek.

“Oh. Thank you.”

At that, he laughed even louder.

“Thank you? Really?”

“What else was I supposed to answer…?” you huffed, not sure if he was trying to insult you with the mockery.

“No, no, don’t worry, it was actually quite a cute thing to say” he explained.

“Oh, well…”

His fingers gently brushed your lips, and all the thoughts left your mind as you let him maneuver your face towards his. Warm breath hit your nose as he looked down at you from up close, all small details of his face so sharp and clear, and his glistening eyes fixated on the way your face subtly changed in reaction to his doings.

He tilted his head to the side, smirk present on his soft-looking lips, and you felt as though at that exact moment, he had you right in his grasp – up to the heart of yours beating exactly as he conducted, you thought.

With another peck to your other cheek, he suddenly pulled away.

You swayed, feeling like you’re going to collapse the moment his fingers no longer kept your face in place. You were lightheaded. Baekhyun was proud of himself.

He stepped towards the corridor that led to your bedroom, and this time, it was you who followed.

He crossed the door, glancing over his shoulder as if to make sure you’re not lost on your way.

And right when you thought that at least this small part of your way will be peaceful and almost boring, this one, small thing came to your vision, turning everything upside down.

Right ahead of yourself, behind Baekhyun’s silhouette, on the wall. A mirror, adorned with an antique, golden frame, one you used every day to get ready, one that had been there ever since you remembered, and one that was the last thing in the world you’d expect to surprise you.

You looked closely; your eyes couldn’t be possibly playing tricks. It was just you with all the walls and furnishings that you knew.

But Baekhyun, standing there and glancing at you, did not reflect in that mirror.

You froze in place, staring in your own eyes of the reflection. The man’s smile fell, noting the sudden change of mood. Catching your gaze, he followed it, turning his back to you. His own eyes finally fell on the mirror and he gawked.

“Oh. Oh, wow.”

Without waiting for you to speak any of the thoughts currently hurling in your mind, he slowly walked over to the mirror as if just about as surprised as you were, but with genuine curiosity as well. His hand reached but stopped right before touching the smooth surface, and instead grazed the mirror’s frame, admiring the piece of fine furniture.

You stood in your place, still uncertain how to react. But he did not seem as confused, you realized – as if, although not expecting the phenomenon, he knew exactly what it was caused by.

“Fascinating…” he finally spoke in a soft voice. “Really, I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen one like this” he talked with childlike thrill. “It’s old, isn’t it?” He looked back at you, but his smile fell once again, noting you were nowhere close to sharing his excitement.

He let go of the mirror’s frame and took a step towards you, face tense and determined.

Something in you screamed, some sort of self-preservation instinct reminded you of its presence, calling out to you: this is a threat! This isn’t normal! It’s a sign, run!

Can’t move.

You stood there, completely stunned, as Baekhyun finally closed the proximity, finding himself right in front of you.

Was it some sort of manipulation, or was it just you – that the fear in your guts somehow mixed with arousal?

“What… is that?” you dared to ask in a tone as tough as you could make it.

He stepped that one step too close, making you stumble backwards. One step more, one more, and he had you leaning against the wall by the bedroom’s door, somewhat cornered, yet with enough room to flee if you so wished.

“If…” Hearing his voice this close made you flinch slightly, and he turned his tone down a bit. “If you tell me to leave, I’ll leave. I’m not going to hurt you.”

The last words made the heart thump in your chest.

“But… you could.”

“I could.”

“Were you going to?”

He didn’t reply for a moment, breathing in deeply.

“Not… much.”

You stared at him, still uncertain and confused.

“Who are you?”

He stepped back again. Your eyes moved between his silhouette and the mirror behind when he stood right next to it, giving you the best picture of his non-reflecting self.

“I’ll give you a fun fact instead” he announced, lips curling into a grin again. “Your mirror is very old. I actually don’t remember the last time I’ve had this happen to me. Because mirrors nowadays don’t do that. Do you know why?”

You had no clue what he was going at – you shook your head.

“Because mirrors nowadays are usually made of glass and aluminum. Or stuff like that, I’m not so sure, really” he shrugged, unbothered. You still weren’t able to finish the thought off, a small piece still lacking for you to understand it. Baekhyun sensed that, and he patiently continued – speaking the last few words to put all of the puzzle together for you. “What they used to be made of in the past?”

You gawked at him.

“…” The breath got caught in your throat. “Silver. They… They used to be made of silver.”

“Voila.” Baekhyun spread his arms, as if presenting himself to you. “And before you try to think of all the possible creatures that have silver allergy written into their lore, just know I’m not the only one you had a chance to meet tonight.”

You recalled the stranger you met at the bar, Baekhyun’s friend whose words had spiked your curiosity the moment they echoed in the dark street.

I won’t bite you, I promise.

What if someone bites her when she’s alone?”

His eyes sparkled as he watched all the small bits come together in your head. Slow enlightenment displayed within your facial expressions with hundreds of subtle emotions, and piece by piece, the deduction snowballed, becoming more and more apparent, bared for him to drink the sadistic satisfaction from.

That was when you recalled his own words.

A good snack is a good snack regardless of the time.

“You… were going to bite me?” you finally uttered, voice breaking with every syllable.

He let his arms fall to his sides, smile softening, head tilted slightly backwards – your eyes spotted his fangs, sharper and whiter than human teeth, exposed by him for you to admire.

“If you tell me to leave now, I’ll leave” he repeated, but his tone made it clear that he already knew you weren’t going to do that.

In fact, even you knew from a while ago that your curiosity was too strong to let him off the hook – you felt like you caught a sort of urban legend, and you’d hate yourself for letting him flee without getting a hold of all his secrets.

Ultimately, though, it was the sensation of getting preyed on by him that – you realized – lit a fire inside of your body, and made your insides burn with want.

“Stay, please” you uttered in a small voice, as if too shy to request something this impure. “I want to know… more” you whispered, convincing yourself to look back at him. Your eyes fell on his fangs again, so unnaturally sharp despite not appearing that much longer than in a human. You recalled when he kissed your thigh earlier, and shivered, realizing how close it was, how easily he could have…

“You’re thinking too much” he suddenly interrupted, noting that you were so endorsed in the chaotic train of thoughts that you were just hyping yourself into anxiety at this point.

He lifted his hand towards your face, slowly and carefully, as if to test the waters. You weren’t sure if you should let him. Maybe, in some twisted way, it would be easier if he didn’t ask – if he just grabbed you and forcefully bit into your neck, so you could experience that mysterious sensation of falling a prey to possibly the only creature on the earth that could realistically impose threat to the mankind. You felt a nervous, but exciting sensation in your gut.

You didn’t even manage to react before his fingers gently brushed your cheek. You were already a goner, leaning into his hand on instinct. The fear became thrill instead.

“Here you go, good girl” he whispered with content.

Not waiting any further, he leaned down and buried his face in the crook of your neck. You let out a small whimper when his lips touched your heated up skin. You felt his fangs graze the sensitive surface, but no pain followed, only the sweet feeling of a chaste, open-mouthed kiss.

“Oh…”

He kissed slowly down your cleavage, hands running down your silhouette along with his lips. He breathed into the space where the hem of your dress ended, not daring to go further. You were still stunned, still too shaken to invite him in, but you didn’t oppose even one bit when he put his hands below your thighs and lifted you up, your arms automatically anchoring around his neck.

He was so gentle with you when he carried you over to your bed and placed you down on your back with utmost care. The bed sheets were cold below your body, your dress doing close to nothing to soothe the sudden sensation. But Baekhyun’s – against what you would think – was impossibly warm against yours when he hovered above you for a few moments, your legs wrapped around his waist just a bit longer. He placed another kiss on your cheek.

“May I?” you whispered.

“Hm?”

“Kiss your lips.” You cupped his face with your hands. “May I?”

“Go ahead.”

It seemed like he did it on purpose, not leaning in to make it any easier for you, and you had to strain yourself to reach him. Your lips touched, the sensation – absolutely breathtaking. His fingers gently wrapped around your neck, pushing you down into the mattress, but following the motion with his own mouth, deepening the kiss with a sense of roughness, overpowering you in a way. He nibbled at your lower lip, letting you feel the sharp edge of his fangs.

“Will you bite me?

“I think I will.”

“Why haven’t you yet?”

He broke the kiss and smirked down at you.

“Are you impatient?”

“Do you want me to beg for it?” you uttered, trying to sound irritated, although at heart knowing that you were close to doing so anyway. You were, in fact, impatient.

“Maybe later. Will you?”

“I…”

He didn’t let you finish, his grip on your thighs suddenly strengthening and you yelped, feeling his nails dig hard into your flesh. Your breath instantly quickened, sensation quickly becoming unbearable.

Taking all the time in the world, he finally released the hold, stroking your abused skin in comfort instead.

“Easy, love. See? It’s just my fingers. You wouldn’t take my fangs just yet.”

He knelt back between your legs. Your dress’ lower hem was almost at your underwear from being carried by him earlier, and Baekhyun’s hands traced up your bare thighs, once again taking note of any sign of discomfort or displeasure.

You felt nervous, more than ever. Not only because you weren’t used to such casual endeavors. Something in you felt stressed about disappointing such a superior creature, still feeling like it’s a one-in-the-lifetime chance that you got.

Baekhyun seemed to sense your worry perfectly, and he leaned down to ground you with a kiss to your knee.

“You’re beautiful” he spoke with no ounce of hesitation or doubt. “And you smell delicious” he added. Such a peculiar thing to hear, you thought, yet your face heated up, as if the second compliment was much more meaningful than the first. “May I… taste you down here?” His hand slid down your inner thigh, stopping at your dress.

You opened your mouth, but, quickly realizing your voice won’t align with your intentions, you instead nodded – a bit too eagerly, involuntarily holding your breath.

He took all the time in the world, allowing you to get accustomed to his touch as he slowly lifted your dress, finally displaying your underwear, at which you let out a small, shy whimper. He pushed the fabric even higher, and you took the hint to sit up and take it off fully, now left in nothing but a black lingerie – a set you almost only wore to parties when you wanted to feel especially well put-together, and now you silently thanked yourself for this habit.

He now moved up and kissed the skin between your breasts, smoothly tracing his lips down to your stomach and stopping briefly above the hem of your panties, fingers hooking around the edge. With one last glance at your burning up face, Baekhyun slowly pulled your underwear down, taking his sweet time and enjoying the way you only squirmed quietly, held right at the edge of sanity with such a simple interaction.

“Breathe” he reminded you, discarding the fabric to the side, his own exhale hitting your private parts, now exposed for him to see.

He placed yet another comforting kiss on your mound.

“You’re okay, you’re safe” he whispered.

Although his words comforted you, he didn’t wait for you to calm down; quite the opposite, in fact, when he finally put his mouth around your pearl, overwhelming you with just the proximity. His eyes were fixated on yours in a predator-like way, drinking in your reactions and gaining sadistic pleasure from the way you could no longer control your body.

The room filled with wet noises that mixed with your own voice. Your moans slowly became more and more obscene as Baekhyun’s mouth worked shamelessly around your private parts with care, yet ease, as if he knew all bits of your body and didn’t even need to think twice, getting all the sensations, all the pressure, all the pace – perfectly right, pulling you further and further into the immense pleasure.

You were ready to relax and fall deep into the sensations, when he suddenly dug his nails into your thighs again, forcing you awake.

You yelped and tried to squirm away, but his hold only strengthened. Your breath hitched when you took the cue to stay still until the grasp once again dissipated.

“Don’t you feel too good?” he mocked. You glanced back at him – his eyes were shining red, face darker than just moments ago, threatening.

“B-Baekhyun…”

Should you feel scared at that moment? Should you understand that this man was a monster? Maybe. But it felt just too good to be in his hands, to be toyed with and hurt so sweetly. It was like a reward to know that out of all people, he chose you as his prey. There was some primal pleasure in being this little, naive girl that fell right into his trap, that allowed him to sweet-talk her into giving up her will of survival.

In a surge of confidence, you put your hand on top of his head, pushing him to resume what he was doing so well just moments ago. Baekhyun didn’t object, only letting out an amused huff when his lips wrapped around your clit once again, sucking on it gently and letting you once again melt in the sweet sensation. Your fingers clutched his hair, letting you release some of the tension, and when he hummed into your skin, you held it so tightly you for a second worried about causing him pain.

But he didn’t say a word and you quickly realized, it must have not bothered him in the slightest. His eyes slipped closed, now fully fixated on devouring you, hands holding your hips down to prevent you from squirming, hold just a bit too strong, just to cause you the slightest amount of pain, just to remind you what he was capable of.

Your whole body trembled, approaching the sweet release. Baekhyun’s mouth was relentless, and he read your reactions perfectly, his pace and movements perfectly designed to drive you insane.

With your thighs pressing together, you clutched his hair even harder. You were starting to convulse, letting out incoherent whimpers. Baekhyun’s fingers, dug into your thighs so strong you wouldn’t be surprised if they drew blood, no longer hurt – it was all mixing together, the proximity of his existence alone already overwhelming your senses, but the passion, the warmth, the textures, the sounds – it all sucked you in further and further, riding you off any remains of sanity that you may have had left.

Suddenly, right as you were about to reach the peak, everything stopped for less than a second; a void so sudden you didn’t even manage to register it.

And then, like a thunder through your body, Baekhyun’s fangs pierced the soft skin around your clit. He sucked hard on both your blood and your pearl, and you instantly came undone, crying out in pleasure and agony.

Your vision went white for what felt like ages and you felt like you were floating in the outer space; for those heavenly moments, you were not even sure if you’re still alive, but your thoughts mingled and dissipated too fast to formulate a coherent sentence. Whether Baekhyun was still there or not, you would not be able to tell; your mind was blank, and he could as well have left you moments ago – except the pain that was slowly starting to materialize again was an excellent proof that he was still present, and when your body finally came down from its high, you managed to register him down there, still between your thighs, with his arms wrapped around them in an almost loving-like manner.

You had absolutely no idea when did he bit into your thigh instead, letting your most fragile bits calm down from the overstimulation, but it looked like he was so endorsed in tasting your sweet blood that it took you a few long moments before he finally acknowledged you’re watching him. Your lower body was limp, small shivers running here and there, but any pain no longer present, your flesh too worn out to take note of it.

Sensing your gaze, Baekhyun slowly pulled his fangs out of your skin, carefully as to not damage it further, and then sent you a smug, bloody smile, hand caressing your hip.

“Welcome back” he spoke. “Took you a while.”

You tried to push yourself into the sitting position, but even your arms wouldn’t listen, and you fell back down in exhaustion.

Maybe it was merciful of him to climb up and hover above you, letting you look at his full figure even when you could no longer move to watch him yourself. A drop of your blood slipped from the corner of his lip, landing on your own. You curiously reached to it with your tongue, and Baekhyun didn’t wait a second, pressing his lips into your own, taking that sweet droplet back but giving you a taste of the metallic flavor in its full glory. A short, but rough nib to your lip made you let out a small, helpless whimper, tears emerging in the corners of your eyes – with the amount of overstimulation, even that much was already too much, and you were so worn out, so weak, so overdone.

“Just a bit more, love.”

His lips once again found themselves on your neck, kissing so tenderly that you barely felt it.

The prickling pain that followed no longer caused you to recoil; your body was growing weak, too weak to handle it anymore. You were getting drained beyond the stage of quick recovery, and you could tell, there was nothing you could do at this point to stop it.

Just a bit more, just a few more sips.

“You taste so good.”

Biting into the top of your breast now, closer to your heart. You didn’t feel it anymore, only phantom sensations somewhere far away.

You were at the brink of unconsciousness when he finally pulled away. A bit carelessly, he knelt up and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, dark burgundy-shining eyes fixated on your fading ones.

Although you still had it in yourself to look back at him, the world around you was gradually collapsing, and it was only those burgundy eyes that kept you right above the surface, but so about to drown.

“My… I may have overdone it. Are you still there?”

He sounded marginally worried, as if coming across a small incident, and not a human life that was on the line.

You blinked and moved your fingers ever so slightly, just to let him know you’re still conscious, although barely.

The man smiled at that softly, clear relief washing over his face.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be okay. I’ll make sure of that.”

He reached to your cheek, patting it gently. It felt a bit grotesque; his skin was so warm as opposed to yours, chill from the lack of blood and paler than ever.

But his touch felt nice, and, although you knew that the slumber you’d fall into would not be natural and the next hours would possibly decide your fate, it felt like you were falling into a dream instead; you were growing addicted to his presence, and you could do nothing to stop it. You were a goner.

“I’ll make sure of that, because I cannot possibly waste a fine snack like you. It’s just the beginning, love. Better recover fast.”

Ahh, I'm actually proud of this one, hope you guys enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing! Also don't hesitate to let me know your thoughts, and hopefully, more vampire content will be coming in the future!

#vampire exo #exo x reader #vampire baekhyun #baekhyun x reader #exo fanfiction #exo reader insert #exo x you #baekhyun x you #vg: exo #vg: baekhyun #vg: fanfiction

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antialiasis · 5 months

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Chess (2018 Kennedy Center revival)

So I was just going to briefly mention all the other different versions of Chess I have consumed in the big essay post I’ve been writing on and off, but there was just too much to say about this one which made it really awkward to fit it in, so fine, here is another individual chesspost. Nearly 7500 words of rambling under the cut, oh my god.

This production represents the latest official full overhaul of Chess. It sports an all-new book written by Danny Strong, also known as the actor who played Jonathan on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which is some whiplash (Sarah Michelle Gellar is apparently a big Chess fan, too). It was later staged again as a concert with some further modifications in 2021, but I listened to an audio bootleg of the 2018 version. (There exist some videos of it online, but only scattered bits.)

The Story Changes

This version has London’s basic plot structure with the distinctive two chess tournaments (this time four years apart, which is neither the original number nor the actual number of years between world chess championships), but rearranges Act I, adds a lot more quippy dialogue and swearing, reinterprets the characters, and recenters real-world politics in the whole thing — sort of the exact inverse of what Chess på svenska did with the material. It opens with “Difficult and Dangerous Times” to set the scene in the Cold War and features the Arbiter narrating with sardonic omniscient commentary between songs/scenes throughout, which does feel a bit more consistent than the Arbiter suddenly having a narrator role for the duration of one song in Act II.

All the main characters in this version are reinterpreted with significant new background context, which is a very interesting way to rewrite it that I definitely dig in principle. For example, Florence’s first scene here involves Walter threatening her with deportation from the US unless she can make Freddie behave for the duration of the tournament. Most versions of Chess make the political scheming very symbolic and vague — exchanges of mostly unnamed political prisoners or handwaved concessions — but this version is noticeably specific, with specific nuclear arms treaty negotiations that the CIA believes would be negatively affected if Freddie keeps openly antagonizing the Soviets. She tells Walter to go fuck himself (told you it adds more swearing) and that nobody can control Freddie Trumper, but ultimately she doesn’t have much of a choice but to reluctantly play along. This addition recontextualizes her character and her interactions with Freddie in Act I a fair bit — it’s pretty significant, after all, that she is under threat and may lose her home if she doesn’t somehow control what she really can’t.

Meanwhile, Freddie himself here suffers from a full-on mental illness which he takes medication for. Walter asserts on a phone call early that they’re dealing with a “genuine paranoid schizophrenic”, but then later calls him a “bipolar bitch”; I take the blatant inconsistency combined with the obviously insulting nature of these remarks to mean probably we’re not meant to take either of them at face value, but these two lines from Walter are the only ones suggesting any specific diagnosis. (I unfortunately suspect Danny Strong didn’t have a specific condition in mind and research it so much as just slap him with a Generic Ambiguous Mental Illness for which he takes Pills.) One way or another, Freddie’s ambiguous mental illness gives him bouts of intense paranoia, driving him to do things like trashing his and Florence’s hotel room to look for listening devices at one point. Florence keeps insistently, frustratedly telling him to just take his goddamn pills even as he’s in genuine distress; it’s pretty uncomfortable, and also definitely one of those things that are at least more human when his episodes could cost her the only home she has: she’s desperate and in distress too.

(I do kind of feel as if this whole bit would make more sense if Florence and Freddie had a strictly business relationship here to start with, instead of being explicitly portrayed as a couple — when they have a committed intimate partnership going on, one would think Florence getting deported would also be pretty obviously significant for Freddie, and Florence quietly playing along with the CIA and crossing her fingers that she can indirectly coax him into behaving with seemingly no serious thought given to whether it’d be better to just tell him why he needs to stop feels stranger. The scene with Walter sounds like Walter/the CIA are not aware of their romantic relationship and Florence wants to keep it that way — they both refer to Freddie strictly by his full/last name and as “her player” — so I guess Walter would have assumed she wouldn’t tell him, but surely the calculus would at least look a bit different to Florence herself. Even if it just prompts her to realize Freddie would still be liable to react by becoming even more erratic and vocal about his paranoias, that feels like it’d be significant enough, at least for her feelings on this relationship going forward, that it never actually coming up or being suggested within the story starts to feel marginally odd. Not a major complaint, though, just a bit of overthinking.)

Freddie in general is noticeably portrayed much more sympathetically here than usual throughout. Where other versions of Chess tend to present Freddie as an attention-seeking drama queen who plays up ludicrous arbitrary demands for money and press, here things like his walkout from the first chess game are made to come from a much more genuine place: he has major sensory issues and is intolerably thrown off balance by distracting noise and lights (which really are deliberately arranged to sabotage him). “Florence Quits”, the song with the misogyny verse, usually reads as being triggered by his jealousy and inability to accept that Anatoly’s just playing better than him, but this version makes it feel more about how he feels persistently gaslit about the ways he’s being sabotaged than anything else: he accuses the Soviets of having a hypnotist in the front row to throw him off (which they do, and Freddie literally saw him and recognized him) and Florence of working for the CIA (which she has been, if not by choice) while they deny it and brush it off, and the tense opening notes of the song play under him desperately yelling “You’re lying to me! You’re all lying to me!” (Which doesn’t make the misogyny okay, obviously, but it does make it feel more like a desperate, paranoia-fueled lashout where you don’t know how much he really means all that.)

When he subsequently forfeits the match against Anatoly, he makes a speech that sounds absolutely despairing where he says chess has been taking a toll on his health since he first became champion at eleven years old, and he doesn’t feel he can trust anyone, even himself. In Act II, before “The Interview”, he even actually apologizes to Florence for how he treated her; heck, his motivation for going so hard after Anatoly in “The Interview” itself is portrayed as being that he is genuinely disgusted by Anatoly leaving his family so callously (which is a lot of fun given Freddie’s own issues about his father leaving him and his mother behind) and wants Florence to hear the truth about what a despicable man he is, which is still unpleasant to her but clearly comes from a much more sympathetic place than either simple spite or reluctantly complying with Walter’s orders.

As for Anatoly… he was taken from his parents when he was a small child to be groomed by Molokov and the KGB into becoming a chess champion, and he’s well aware from his very first scene that the state had killed the previous Soviet champion after Freddie unseated him. (Freddie excoriates the press early on for not covering why the former champion disappeared off the face of the Earth because they’re too busy bashing Freddie, which sounds like paranoia, but the narrative has actually told us Freddie is right and they really did execute him but no one but Freddie seems to notice or care — another way in which Freddie is jarringly sympathetic here. In general, Freddie is portrayed as paranoid, and the other characters treat him like he’s just paranoid, but the narrative keeps proving Freddie’s paranoia right.)

Anatoly, though, isn’t afraid of the same fate, because “The state cannot execute a man… that is already dead.” (This general sentiment could press my buttons, but it just feels super corny and melodramatic the way it’s presented and performed, especially with that dramatic pause in there.) He is deeply depressed, thinks his marriage to Svetlana is fake and his kids hate him, and says repeatedly in Act I that he hates chess and just wants to be free of it, though he also describes a particular championship match he watched as the only time he’s felt love. At the end of Act I, he defects to the UK along with Florence as usual (his defection fully blows up the treaty Walter was worrying about despite Anatoly’s victory, so Florence’s refugee visa is indeed revoked, and that’s why they end up in the UK). Theoretically he should be free of chess now, but it bothers him intensely that he only won by forfeit (here they never finished playing a single match), resulting in him returning to defend his world champion title, and win it ‘properly’, four years later in Bangkok against Viigand.

Unknown to Anatoly, by Act II, after the election of Ronald Reagan, the Soviets are extra on edge and believe a planned NATO military exercise is actually the US mobilizing for a full-scale invasion of the Soviet Union. Walter tries to convince Molokov it’s just an exercise; Molokov insists unfortunately the generals are going to believe it’s an invasion and be ready to retaliate unless Viigand wins the championship (if Viigand wins they will take it as a ‘sign of goodwill’ from the US, which will change their minds on the apparent invasion because, uhh, unclear). Throughout Act II, the larger stakes in this version are set up to be that if Anatoly should win the match, the Soviets are liable to start a nuclear war.

Does Walter go to Anatoly to frankly tell him that apparently the Soviets have lost their minds and are basically threatening nuclear war over a chess match and try to convince him to throw on that basis? Does Molokov realize that if he’s telling Walter to go rig the chess match so the generals will call it off, he clearly doesn’t actually believe that the US is about to invade, so probably he should be trying to convince the generals not to go for the nuclear option himself? No, of course not; this is Chess, so we have to have the songs that are in Chess. So instead, Walter and Molokov just go through the same indirect schemes as usual to unbalance Anatoly and convince him to throw the game, with some minor twists. Molokov actually actively threatens Svetlana with being sent to a gulag to die if she doesn’t convince her husband to return — and Svetlana does straight-up tell Anatoly this, only for Anatoly to brush her off and tell her they won’t do that. Florence learns the same from Walter and initially dismisses him, and fully doesn’t believe him about her father being alive, but does ultimately sympathize with Svetlana and worry for her, which I like. But Anatoly is obsessed with winning this championship above all else and fully convinced Molokov is bluffing.

In the end, he plays the game to win, oblivious to the nuclear threat; as he checkmates, Walter makes a desperate phone call to his superiors to call off the training exercise. (Why he didn’t just do that immediately when Molokov told him the Soviets were taking it as an attack, instead of spending all this time playing along with this elaborate chess mind game, is a mystery.) Only… they don’t, and the Soviets watch with their fingers on the nuclear button, but ultimately they don’t fire. The Arbiter’s narration informs us this was the closest the world ever came to destruction, even closer than the Cuban missile crisis, and that this then served as the wake-up call that prompted negotiations about nuclear deescalation.

Anatoly, meanwhile, returns to the Soviet Union as usual, this time successfully exchanging himself for Florence’s imprisoned father, and Walter gives the two of them visas so that they can return to the US together.

Broad thoughts

I feel profoundly weird about the mixing of real-life history and completely fictitious alternate history here — you can’t just assert in narration that the fictional events in your musical were what taught the US and Soviet Union that maybe they should just talk to each other, while making a specific comparison to an actual thing that really happened, after spending the musical asserting that the Soviets murdered chess players for losing the world championship. I think mixing history and fiction can work fine if we can imagine that for all we know this is what really happened, or alternatively that this is what might have happened in some alternate universe similar to but distinct from ours. But here, we’re creating highly significant and publicized events that are obviously fictional, making it absurd to pretend this is what really happened, while also presenting these fictional alternate-universe events in objective hindsight narration alongside real events that happened in the real world and as a supposed cause of them. This ending narration just feels like it’s weirdly trying to have its cake and eat it too.

All in all, though, I think this is definitely one of the most interesting efforts to rewrite Chess. It definitely has something it’s going for, there are several neat ideas in it, and in particular I appreciate that it tries to give extra attention to the characters, more context to their actions, and more messy, humanized depth, inner conflict, and complicated motivators and stressors behind what they do. I genuinely enjoy what it’s doing with Freddie in Act I, in particular, even though it feels somehow both jarringly like it’s woobifying him (I genuinely think he ends up coming across as the most sympathetic of the three mains here, with so much of his erratic, childish and unpleasant behaviour being recontextualized to be more understandable and the way his hatred of the Soviets keeps being validated by the narrative) and like the narrative is weirdly harsh on him (this much more sympathetic Freddie who suffers from an actual mental illness is treated like absolute irredeemable scum by every other character including the fourth-wall-leaning narrator, even more than usual).

I also think the restructuring of Act I was pretty solid for the most part, though there’s definitely some awkwardness, like how Freddie’s expanded encounters with the press sort of clumsily repeat the same beats a bit. On the one hand, I can get what Danny Strong was going for in choosing to introduce everyone first and then go into “Merano” instead of doing several minutes of narrative meaninglessness before the main characters are even introduced; on the other hand, that kind of just half-defeats the sole original purpose of “Merano”, which is to provide a very jaunty more stereotypical musical theater song so that Freddie can be introduced via barging in and interrupting it with his very different vibe, and if I were Danny Strong I would definitely have just removed “Merano” at that point. But the “Difficult and Dangerous Times” opening works great, and it nicely avoids the “almost nothing of note happens for nearly forty minutes” and “several meaningless fluff songs in a row” problems of the London script, introducing conflict and stakes early and keeping the narrative going.

Ultimately, though, a lot of what it’s trying to do doesn’t quite come together to me, and some of it is variously misguided or just strange.

The Politics

To start with, I can definitely get wanting to emphasize the role of Cold War politics in the narrative, and I basically enjoyed the increased political focus and higher stakes in Act I — but I don’t think making Anatoly unwittingly almost start a nuclear war works here, or fits properly into this narrative at all. The Soviet generals have to be holding idiot balls; Molokov has to be holding an idiot ball; Walter has to be holding the biggest idiot ball of all; and most importantly, the ludicrously massive stakes being pasted on top of the match despite none of the main characters even knowing about it means we zoom thoroughly out of the character drama of the situation: “Endgame” just becomes grotesquely trivial with that hanging over it without Anatoly’s knowledge, rendering the actual drama of the climactic song completely irrelevant to what’s really at stake.

I also dislike, in a version that emphasizes the politics, how distinctly slanted it is. One of the things that I like in the London strain of Chess is that Walter and Molokov are both slimy, manipulative bastards in different ways, both sides’ political actors cruelly toying with the lives of the players for their own impersonal ends; the righteousness of each state as a whole doesn’t really matter to this story, only the impact that the whole conflict and the mutual scheming has on the main characters’ lives. But in this version, the Soviets and Molokov are cartoon villains who literally abduct children to force them into chess camp and then murder them if they don’t win the world championship, while Walter may be a condescending asshole who’s willing to threaten Florence but is distinctly the ‘good guy’ in his interactions with Molokov, which comprise most of his screentime, especially in Act II. Walter even gets a humanizing moment where he explains he has a nine-year-old son and has nightmares about him suffering a nuclear winter (Molokov, meanwhile, tells Walter in Act I that Anatoly is like a son to him but could not more obviously not care about Anatoly at all when he proudly presents his new champion material Viigand in Act II). I just find it really detrimental to Chess’s narrative to make it about Soviets Bad, US Good, and more so the more you focus on that — to whatever extent you highlight the politics in this story, it should be done in a way that’s about how the political machinations of the Cold War impact the character drama at the center of it, and it’s distracting when instead you make it into a loosely related B-plot about Walter’s desperate diplomatic efforts to stop the evil Soviets from destroying the world with their shortsightedness.

I think a successful more politically-focused Chess could definitely exist, but I think it’s always going to function best if Walter and Molokov feel at least narratively like just about equal scumbags. It’s not even impossible to imagine nuclear weapons and mutually assured destruction coming up in the course of it — but it needs to be using that to make us enraged at all of this on behalf of Anatoly/Florence/Svetlana/Freddie, not enraged at Molokov on behalf of Walter.

The Character Work

Meanwhile, I do basically like the setup and recontextualization done for all of the main characters in Act I, but unfortunately none of them quite delivered as well as I hoped in the end.

Let’s start with Florence. I actually quite liked the deportation threat, putting Florence herself under personal pressure in a way she usually isn’t. I dig characters being put through the wringer and making decisions under stress. But the story doesn’t quite do anything with that other than using it as silent context behind her early interactions with Freddie and technically as the reason she and Anatoly move to the UK offscreen. We don’t, for instance, ever see Freddie learn that that’s why she moved or that he was unwittingly indirectly responsible for that, or otherwise address that in any way, and as far as Florence in the rest of the story is concerned, it might as well never have happened — we never see her having any kinds of feelings on it, or even confronting Walter about that nasty little part he played in her life when she meets him again (she doesn’t even comment on it when he offers her the chance to go back to the US at the end!). To an extent this is, of course, because Florence being deported was never originally part of the story of Chess, so of course it doesn’t come up in any song or have any significant specific impact on the core series of events — but if you’re going to add it in at all, you really ought to be taking that somewhere in the rest of your additions that isn’t just briefly handwaving that she gets to go back at the end.

Like Long Beach, this version brings Florence’s father back at the end — but unfortunately, it feels really unearned here. Compared to other London variants, it actually ditches the bit of “The Deal” where Florence is tangibly emotional and riled up by Walter’s offer of her father — she fully dismisses the idea of her father being alive as bullshit, and instead it’s Svetlana who moves her to have doubts when she sees her begging Anatoly to return on video and realizes Svetlana still loves him. I do really like that, by itself, and it’s probably my favorite thing about this version’s portrayal of Florence; her empathizing with Svetlana to the point of feeling genuinely guilty for having taken her husband from her, and believing maybe the right thing to do would be if he went back to Svetlana for her sake, is actually very good, serves as a great lead-in to “I Know Him So Well”, and makes Florence’s character feel far more sympathetic in a production where she’s otherwise pretty lacking in that department. But it leaves us with no emotional connection whatsoever to Florence’s father — we’ve only heard her mention him twice before Walter’s offer, very briefly, in Act I, and not really with any sense that she misses or is all that invested in him. Seeing her reunite with him means nothing for her or her arc; it just comes out of left field, and winds up being another thing slanting this version towards Good Guy Walter, Bad Guy Molokov, what with Walter offering her visas back to the US for both of them seemingly out of the goodness of his heart.

It would have been possible to actually build up to this in a way that would make it satisfying. Florence and Anatoly have several conversations; we could have used some of those to have Florence actually talk about her father and how she feels about him being gone, and that could have been part of building up her relationship with Anatoly, made it meaningful that Anatoly’s parting gift to her is to ensure her father’s return. I suppose Danny Strong’s thought process may have been that if he built up Florence’s father too much, that should become her main concern once Walter brings that into it, and he wanted her concern to be about Svetlana instead, which I guess is fair; it also means Anatoly only really has to dismiss the potential harm to one other person in his obsession with the winning the game. But if you do make the decision to not build up her father, then bringing her father back is not an ending that makes any sense, and there was no need to do this — they could have easily cut out all suggestion of her father being alive entirely and it would only have made things smoother. I think the only reason she gets her father back in this one is in some hasty effort to make Florence’s ending less bleak, but because it doesn’t have any emotional resonance, it’s just not the right way to do that here.

Speaking of Florence and Anatoly, the romance here… once again has some neat, interesting things it’s going for but doesn’t quite come together as a whole. The two of them do have some actual conversations where they bond a bit, which is already a marked improvement over the default London script — but their very first conversation features Anatoly asserting out of nowhere that Florence has “a way of brightening his spirit”, despite not even knowing her, which isn’t super convincing and just comes off kind of creepy-awkward. Florence asserts a few times that he’s sweet and kind, but we don’t really see much of him actually coming across as sweet or kind — his lines tend to be either melodramatic or sardonic moping interspersed kind of jarringly with awkward jokes. He’s less charming or sweet and more like a lonely, kicked dog, which is fine if Florence is into that but doesn’t quite make her descriptions of why she likes him ring true.

This production actually goes back to the concept album a bit when it comes to Florence and Anatoly — namely, more than political manipulation and external pressures forcibly tearing them apart from the outside, there’s a more substantial internal tension between them as Anatoly genuinely simply prioritizes winning the chess match over her and dismisses her as she tries to question him about Svetlana. The two approaches can both work but do different things for the narrative; this internal approach puts more focus on the personal conflict and character drama and makes the relationship more interesting, which is definitely good, and in principle I think this is built up to in a pretty solid way here — Anatoly, raised to become a chess champion to the exclusion of all else, being maddened by the notion of not actually beating Freddie in Act I and needing to prove he deserves the championship to himself in Act II before he can feel “free from chess” works as a coherent reason for him to be so strikingly, unhealthily obsessive about it.

But I think the biggest problem is that Florence and Anatoly individually don’t hit well enough as characters to create investment in them. Florence is ultimately not developed enough and mostly just acts kind of unpleasant, especially to Freddie, all the way up until that Svetlana bit in Act II. More importantly, I just can’t like or understand or sympathize with Anatoly at all, beyond recognizing that core of what his arc is going for. Part of it is probably down to the writing of his lines, which I’m just not a fan of in general. I already named one example from his first scene. Here’s how Anatoly and Florence’s very first conversation starts:

ANATOLY: It’s not his fault. This game drives us all crazy. FLORENCE: I’m fine. Aren’t you even a little bit scared? ANATOLY: Of Trumper? FLORENCE: No, that they’ll kill you if you lose. ANATOLY: Oh. To quote the great Leo Tolstoy, “Even in the valley of the shadow of death, two and two do not make six.” FLORENCE: What does that mean? ANATOLY: I don’t know exactly, but it is very Russian.

I just don’t find this dialogue very convincing. Why is he reciting a dramatic irrelevant quote if he doesn’t know what it means and just thinks it’s “very Russian”? It feels like a generic quippy exchange off a snarky TV show. Does Anatoly use humour to cope with his situation? Not really; this is pretty much the only time he says anything that might be taken as that. This feels like a joke that’s there only to get a laugh out of the audience, not because Anatoly would actually tell it — and consequently, it doesn’t tell us anything real about Anatoly. Meanwhile, Florence responds to this with “Oh, you’re funny,” as if that’s one of the reasons she falls for him when I would decidedly not name that as a character trait he has. I feel like most of his dialogue just doesn’t have a great sense of character — in stark contrast to Freddie, who oozes character. I can’t get a good sense of who he is and how he thinks. He’s just there. And this also makes it harder to see what Florence sees in him and believe in the relationship.

Moreover, this Anatoly just comes across as kind of a terrible person, not in the fun coherent intentional way Freddie is a terrible person but in a flat, confusing and kind of unintentional-seeming way. Svetlana here is actually really sympathetic, with lovely little additional bits of dialogue that make her feelings hit harder (her voice as she tells Anatoly that “You left us!” breaks my heart), and this is possibly my favorite version of Svetlana in any Chess. But Anatoly is really, really terrible to her, by which I don’t even mean the cheating on her but the bit where he keeps angrily insisting to her face that she never loved him and she brainwashed their children to hate him and of course they’re not going to kill her (hey, Anatoly, guess who’s already well aware that the Soviet government in this universe is not above executing people over chess?).

And even that could be made understandable, given his situation — he could just be in hard denial about it because the thought of them having been suffering with him gone and being punished for his actions is so horrific he just shuts it down — but there’s never any sense that that’s what’s really going on. We don’t see him privately upset about the possibility later, for instance — he just keeps insisting the same and dismissing Svetlana to Florence, too. We know it’s not that it’s true — we see Svetlana admit to Molokov that even though he ruined her life and she never wants to see him again she still loves him, and we hear her sing “Someone Else’s Story” and “I Know Him So Well”. Nor do we ever get any hint at exactly what Svetlana or his kids did to make him think this of them, if anything (his own kids!). Anatoly just seems to sort of bitterly, adamantly believe this for no reason at all. And that makes it impossible to empathize with. Okay, sure, Anatoly, you were taken from your family as a child, but that really doesn’t even start to explain any of this. There could have been ways of making it feel at least believable, tragic in a deeply fucked-up way, but the story here just doesn’t do the work. And once again, Anatoly being so unpleasant for no reason just makes it harder to feel at all invested in his relationship with Florence or sad when they part.

The best fix here isn’t quite obvious, and I can’t say I envy Danny Strong trying to put all his neat little ideas together and make them work. If Anatoly were to appear substantially conflicted about Svetlana and put any real stock in Molokov’s threat, that would render “Endgame”, where he doubles down anyway, kind of jarring and inexcusable as he’d be not just refusing to return to her but refusing to care if she is killed. So in order for this to properly work with “Endgame”, he probably does need to be very deep in denial about whether they’d really kill her. I think what I would do, if I were writing this plot where groomed-as-a-chess-champion Anatoly knows the Soviets killed Boris Ivanovich and they’ve threatened to kill Svetlana too, is to emphasize better how irrational Anatoly is being and try to show it more as a consequence of growing up among the constantly plotting KGB.

Let him go off on a proper paranoid rant to Florence about the reasons why he thinks Svetlana is just plotting against him, and some innocuous things he saw his kids do once that mean she brainwashed them. When Florence tries to challenge him on how batshit he sounds, he just storms out, saying she’s being taken in by their lies and just wants to sabotage him, and disappears — and she doesn’t see him again until he appears at the final game and plays this manic, desperate match while insisting to himself that Svetlana and Florence both just never understood him and hated his success. Afterwards, we can perhaps see him finally, quietly asking Molokov if they’re really going to kill her, showing that on some level he already knew the threat might be real and had just firmly blocked it out (in the actual ending as it is Molokov simply tells him unprompted that she really will be punished unless he comes back, and he just asks why with no addressing of his previous adamant insistence that that wouldn’t happen). His and Florence’s final conversation could then involve a bit more of a reckoning with that and with what his relationship with Svetlana was really like, through a more honest lens.

I’m actually pretty tickled by this scenario because that would really drive home a pretty fun parallel between Anatoly and Freddie — which in hindsight I think this version must in fact have been trying for, but didn’t quite do in a focused enough way for it to really hit. Anatoly and Freddie are both chess players with deeply abnormal childhoods and bouts of paranoia that cause them to behave in toxic ways, which ultimately drives Florence away from both of them.

This production shows the first chess game as the “Chess Game” instrumental playing under Freddie and Anatoly having alternating inner monologues about the game and their issues, deliberately drawing a comparison between the two of them; they both say they hate chess, that they don’t feel like real human beings. It’s not exactly subtle, but I liked the way this was used to build up their respective brain gremlins and was intrigued by the parallel being set up. I didn’t feel they ultimately did much with the parallel, though, because the story then didn’t really continue leaning into it much from there. By emphasizing this Anatoly’s paranoia as paranoia and not just as him legitimately thinking the marriage was never real and the KGB wouldn’t kill her, we could properly build the story around that parallel, and I would genuinely dig that.

The one place after the chess match where the actual thing does sort of try to get at the Anatoly/Freddie parallel again is in the dialogue scene that precedes “Endgame”. This scene is not sung (though it has the “Chess Game” instrumental in the background, which connects it neatly to that previous bit comparing the two of them), but it’s clearly based on “Talking Chess”: Freddie approaches Anatoly to tell him Viigand’s weakness lies in his King’s Indian Defense, and:

ANATOLY: Why are you helping me? FREDDIE: Jesus Christ! Am I the only one who cares about this game? ANATOLY: It’s more than a game now. There is so much more at stake than who wins or loses. FREDDIE: No! No, winning is everything. Fuck politics! Fuck the KGB, fuck the CIA, fuck them all! We are the ones who have dedicated our lives to chess. We are the ones who have given up everything for greatness — our childhoods, our sanity, our loves. Anatoly, we’ve sacrificed everything. They’ve sacrificed nothing. What’s the number one rule of a chess champion? ANATOLY: Play to win. FREDDIE: As long as you do that you can never lose, even if you do.

Much as I love “Talking Chess”, though, this on the surface similar scene just didn’t feel right in this context when I listened to it. In Anatoly’s last scene here, he told Florence firmly that he just wanted to win and that his marriage with Svetlana was never real and it’s all KGB mind games. Him going “It’s more than a game now, there’s so much more at stake” suddenly now comes out of nowhere — if he believes that now, it could only be if he actively reconsidered something offscreen, but he doesn’t say anything elaborating on what he’s thinking now or what he might have reconsidered or why, just that vague, generic line that contradicts everything he’s expressed up until this point. It’s another example of Anatoly’s dialogue just feeling really flat and meaningless to me — his lines here don’t say anything, just serve as vague filler to prompt Freddie onward. And because unlike London proper the setup leading up to this is all about him already being absolutely determined to win the game at all costs, this just feels redundant, unnecessary, going through the motions of something that’s in London without realizing that with the changed context it doesn’t quite make sense anymore.

I think that’s unfortunately the case with Freddie a bit here too. I enjoyed Act I’s quite different take on Freddie, and his establishing narration for Act II petulantly stating Anatoly won the championship last year “by forfeit, I might add”, and “The Interview” is recontextualized in a very fun way as I mentioned before — but after that it feels like Danny Strong doesn’t quite know what to do with Freddie anymore and just has him sort of arbitrarily go through the motions of London in a way that doesn’t necessarily hang together with everything he’s established of Freddie so far. It made sense that this Freddie, despite being decidedly hostile towards Walter and the CIA, conducted the interview to show Florence what a bastard Anatoly is — he’s not doing it for Walter, he’s got his own reasons to want to do it once Walter’s shown him the Svetlana video. But I find it a lot harder to swallow that this Freddie — whose usual problem seems to be that he’s compulsively blunt about how he really feels — would then be easily persuaded to play his part in “The Deal”, which involves exaggeratedly trying to be all buddy-buddy with Anatoly. Maybe if there was better setup around it, like with “The Interview” — but “The Deal” only has seconds of kind of half-assed leadup here, and from there it moves directly into “Pity the Child” (after a segue featuring the recording of Oppenheimer quoting the Bhagavad Gita, because nuclear war).

Freddie’s next appearance after that, then, is this “Talking Chess”-esque dialogue where he’s realized the parallel between the two of them, how they’ve both sacrificed everything for chess and the political schemers have sacrificed nothing and that’s why he should play to win. I can appreciate how the low point of “Pity the Child” would trigger that particular realization, contemplating how much he lost and sacrificed to achieve his status in the game and perhaps afterward realizing Anatoly is the only other person here who might understand that. That feels like it basically tracks and is interesting.

But… it also means that fun very specific contempt for Anatoly in particular based on him having left his family like Freddie’s own father did is just kind of… gone, I guess, or at least Freddie doesn’t consider it relevant enough for it to stop him from going out of his way to pep Anatoly up for the game with no mention or hint of it. (At least Freddie probably isn’t aware of the threats made against Svetlana in particular, so he doesn’t know Anatoly winning would shatter his family even further.) And we’ve lost the bit in “Talking Chess” where the notion of the political scheming actually leading to Viigand winning the match just personally offends Freddie because Viigand is not even that good; instead Freddie is just putting forward “Play to win” as some kind of general inviolable chess principle, which is kind of generic and not nearly as characterful, in my opinion. I’m not saying we ought to have had the “Viigand is mediocre” bit here — I don’t think it would quite fit in for this Freddie, whose feelings about chess itself are very conflicted and who is more concerned with showing up these political hacks who have sacrificed nothing while they sacrificed everything — but as a Freddie moment I would really have wanted to end on something stronger there than this vague assertion that “The number one rule of a chess champion is to play to win.”

Like in London, this is Freddie’s last substantial scene, but he does have a part in “Endgame”, and it’s also an interesting one: he gets Sixty-four squares / they’re the reason you know you exist (but not the preceding How straightforward the game…), but also a couple of other verses usually sung by the chorus, and the lines he gets are clearly very purposefully chosen to reinforce that final resolve regarding the sacrifices they’ve made for greatness, which I really appreciate: Listen to them shout / They saw you do it / In their minds no doubt / That you’ve been through it / Suffered for your art and in the end a winner and They’re completely enchanted / But they don’t take your qualities for granted / It isn’t very often / That the critics soften / Nonetheless, you’ve won their hearts / How can we begin to / Appreciate the work that you’ve put into / Your calling through the years / The blood, the sweat, the tears / The late, late, nights, the early starts?

All in all, Freddie is still definitely my favorite part of this Chess, but while the parallel itself is neat it’s too muddled and I find the second half of Act II pretty uneven for him. What would I do if I were writing this bit?

I’m not totally sure how I’d want to tackle “The Deal”, but as for the “Talking Chess”-but-not scene: I would ditch the bit where Freddie is trying to advise Anatoly on strategy and the bit where Anatoly is apparently suddenly not determined to play to win just so Freddie can then tell him he should be again. None of that is contributing anything in what this version has been building up. Instead, they just sort of bump into each other, Anatoly fresh off his paranoid rant to Florence about Svetlana, Freddie fresh off “Pity the Child” and the strange realization Anatoly might be the only person who’d understand him a little bit. At first they just sort of stop and look at each other. Freddie starts, guarded, with some kind of oblique accusatory prod about the leaving his family thing, which he still deeply resents.

Anatoly has calmed down now, but he tells him what he told Florence: that it was always a fake marriage, a fake family, that the video was just a lie set up for him by the KGB, that Svetlana had brainwashed their children to despise him.

This incidentally plays into Freddie’s existing preconceptions pretty well. He’s probably not instantly convinced but it checks out enough he’s willing to reluctantly leave it alone for now. Probably mutters something like, “Fucking Soviets.”

Anatoly says something like, aren’t you going to try to make me a deal to get me to throw the match and go back? Freddie says no, fuck that. Says the whole bit about how we are the ones who have dedicated ourselves to chess, who have sacrificed everything, childhood, sanity, love, and they’ve sacrificed nothing. Why should we listen to those CIA and KGB assholes? Draws out that parallel. The two of them are probably standing in symmetrical positions on the stage.

Anatoly just nods slowly, agreeing. “I would have beaten you.”

Freddie scoffs and says, “Dream on,” but not quite with the spiteful arrogance he would’ve said it in Act I.

Then they part, and we move on to “Endgame”. The scene isn’t about Freddie helping Anatoly, or about Freddie convincing Anatoly to go for the win; it’s about the Freddie/Anatoly parallel, about Freddie realizing it and in his profound loneliness finding a smidge of connection with this guy he hated because he’s the only one who sort of Gets It, and about showing how Anatoly’s conviction has developed since the first chess match where part of his inner monologue went, “I can’t beat him, he’s too good.” Anatoly is so ready to prove that he really is the world’s best chess player.

Conclusion

Man, this version is so interesting. It’s a mess, but it’s a fascinating mess with a bunch of tasty potential and a real sense that Danny Strong had some genuine thoughts on what the show was missing and how to rework it to fix that, even where his attempts were ultimately confused and don’t succeed. In some ways it’s the most me-core version of Chess and in other ways it’s deeply antithetical to me and in most all ways it’s trying to do something neat but does it in a flawed way. Special shoutout to this Freddie, who honestly deserves better than this Florence.

#musicals #chess musical #chess the musical #ramble #review

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tumbleweedtech · 1 month

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Oh get fucked you dipshit. No one bothered with you or cared about your ship until you started attacking people for the "crime" of liking a different ship than you. I'd forgotten you existed and was all the better for it. Sure, fine. Vernilla forever, it's vanilla and boring and stupid, just like you. I shall stop enjoying the fandom I'm in, that has nothign to do with you, and come back just to write you some stupid blonde bimbo who lays back to get fucked in boring, uninteresting, and unpleasant ways by some smelly fucking war criminal who barely gets it up because he's too goddamn old and tired. He's just huffing and puffing away on top of her like some pathetic lump. How's that for pillow princess, you dumb fuck? At least check if 1) people are even still in your fandom, or 2) taking prompts, you utter fucking shit stain. You are the worst part of fandom. I wish your computer would melt. You do not deserve the internet. I hope your phone battery never holds a charge, every plug in your home fries the motherboard of every computer you have forever, and every ship you ever love is never, ever more than a rarepair that only you and the nice people you trick with prompts bother to write for. You lost any chance at kindness and/or respect from me when you attacked people who had nothing to do with you, when you sent inappropriate gifs to minors and you harassed people WHO HAD NEVER EVEN WRITTEN ROCHE BEFORE. Now go away, @whereisvernilla . Go the fuck away and don't ever come back. Because all you're doing is making me hate Ciri as a character since you can't fucking comprehend that people not writing your ship doesn't mean they dislike it, or dislike the characters. IT JUST MEANS THEY LIKE OTHER THINGS. Fucking moron. I swear to god if you had two braincells it'd be because one was solely dedicated to keeping you breathing, you goddamn idiot. I swear to every god you don't understand the concept of fantasy, of preferences, or consent. You keep telling us to go to hell. WELL BITCH ILL MEET YOU THERE. this is the fucking stupidest motherfucker I have ever met both in person and online and i've met some really, really fucking stupid people.

And for everyone who has no fucking idea what's going on, sorry. This dipshit has evaded blocks, sent emails, dms, asks, both anon and not, full of bigoted slurs, she's stolen fics and art that she's edited and reposted, she's sent sexual things to minors, she's sent sexual things unasked for to people, she has been asked, told, demanded, and reported. She comes around every now and then and Drums up drama crying about how no one likes her ship when all we were doing was cheerfully enjoying doing our own things and ignoring her. Note: Been dealing with her bullshit for years now. Yelling at her makes her leave me alone for a few months.

#martmarina #marinamart #marinadk29 #marinakd29 #lovelycasualdetective #vernon roche #cirilla fiona elen riannon #Ciri #Vernilla #Ciri x Vernon #vernon x ciri

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popcornforone · 8 months

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Professional

A Dieter Bravo Fan Fic

I for ages have been trying to write Dieter. One of my friends adores him as their favourite Pedro, & I keep toying with ideas & it’s never stuck, but today (8 August) for some reason it has & I’ve started writing him & I have spent the entire night writing him & loved every second. I think I’ve done him justice.

Synopsis:- Dieter has been nominated for another Oscar, & so is coming onto your critically acclaimed talk show ahead of the awards. The two of you just need to keep it professional.

Word count: 7800

Warnings: DO NOT READ IF YOH ARE UNDER 18. PIV mirror sex, mentions of drug & alcohol abuse, rehab, mentions of mental health & other illnesses & injuries including strokes, sex in a place of work, swearing, secret relationship,mentions of the mile high club.

Thank you all so much for reading this, I hope you’ve enjoyed this interview styled fic, all feed back is always welcome

“Lemons Laugh Longer than Leopards” you say into your microphone as you test it, walking into the room to do your interview. It always makes whoever the runner is with your coffee laugh, which then always makes you smile & then, because you are smiling, it will make whoever you are interviewing for the 30 minutes with series, automatically open up to you. This shouldn’t be a problem today though, todays guest you need to be professional & not be your true self.

The room is set up simply as usual. You usually make sure whoever you interview is offered a throw for their arm chair or cushion, but today with who you are talking to, you know exactly what they need. The two arm chairs & table set up as they usually would be. Black leather but not the kind that leaves marks or gets sweaty. One you can easily lean forward & make movements to show that you are in charge of the interview & that this is your talk show. You’ve come a very long way in no time at all. The pandemic suddenly saw your talk show viewership online increase dramatically. Your format always used to be remote before you started to make it big a few years ago, so you were all set up to just do it again, & then just send it to an editor & producer to adjust it, your much more professional that you were when you started, & your guests are now much more high profile & need less convincing then they used to, to spend 30minutes talking with you.

“Mr Bravo…” you stand up from your arm chair, as he walks in & extend your hand. He’s actually put an effort in today. So many times have you interviewed or seen this man just in his green Bath robe or in his sweatpants, his tummy hanging out. Too often have you seen the fall out from the nights of partying. But no today Dieter has a dark shirt on & some comfortable trousers. For him this is as smart as he will get for any interview. Only a red carpet or Oscar appearance will make him dress fancier.

“Long time no see” he cackles as he shakes your hand & you raise an eyebrow.

“Professional Dieter, remember…”

“Yes I know, I know, a lot of strings have been pulled yada yada, i get it I do, I’m trying to care & for once, I actually really am” that makes your smile even bigger as his make up is touched up & his own microphone is tested for volume. He’s trying to play this straight too. Your can tell by the look in his eyes as he removes his sun glasses to do the interview that this is him being genuine.

His hair is still wild which you can tell the people on your show aren’t happy about. You can hear them chatting in your ear piece that they will give your prompts for. But you & Dieter don’t want the internet to turn him into another meme. Baby chicken did make you both laugh previously but you want this to be an interview that will go down in history. That when people on youtube type in Dieter Bravo Oscar interview, in years to come, see yours as one of the top mentions, but for the right reasons.

“He’s here & has put effort in, knock it off” you whisper into your microphone, but you do it loudly enough that he can hear. You sit down in your chair & adjust your own outfit. Your tailored trousers & black jacket shine & gleam in their Prestine state, your silver heels look good with your black nail varnish on both your hands & feet. You’ve done that on purpose but no one except Dieter has noticed at all. Dieter has also noticed, that under that jacket there is no top, just a black lace bra.

“So much for keeping it professional” he mumbles under his breath as he sits in his chair. His mind now wondering slightly but then when he sees you casually smiling, he remembers he’s here to be interviewed, not look at how see through your lace is.

“Are you happy to start Dieter?” You ask as you tap your iPad on for your few notes, not that you need them, you know exactly what to ask the soon to be double Oscar winner. He gestures to the runner for a bottle of ice water which is brought over.

“Well maybe an extra hour in bed this morning would have been nice, but managers are managers & interviews have to happen” he smugly says as he checks himself out in the mirror to the side of him, making sure he’s happy.

“Did you look at roughly what I wanted to ask? I will deviate slightly, you know that, but it will stay towards what you were shown?”

“I know how your interviews go, we’ve done this a hundred times. it’s chill, I’m chilled you’re calm, we will have fun” Dieter winks & sits back in his chair. “Do your worst darling”

5,4… the count down starts in your ear ready to go & start interviewing the actor the world is desperate to hear from. You smile straight down the camera, take a deep breath saying in your mind it’s just Dieter & begin.

“Welcome to 30 minutes with… on this awards special we are talking to the current toast of Hollywood, the man who everyone wants to see on the big screen, the man who everybody has to talk to & get a selfie with. Oscar, Bafta & Emmy award winning actor Dieter Bravo. Dieter has been gracing our screens at home & at the cinema for over 20 years although he will still claim to only be 25. He claimed the lime light more in 2010 when he appeared in sci-fi thriller Beyond the Void, & has also stared in the movie The Letters & Flash Drive the HBO series. But he received global recognition for his supporting role in Your So Vein which won him countless accolades, including best supporting actor at the Oscar’s. Since then he has appeared in Cliff Beasts & now with his latest role in Isolations, he has once again picked up awards galore with the Oscar’s still to come in 5 weeks time” Dieter is very impressed with how professional you are reeling off all of his major achievements. Not once do you look down at your notes or an autocue, you do it professionally & in one take. He nods in admiration, which could be seen as him being proud of his own work but you catch a glimpse out of the corner of your eye that actually, those nods are all for you.

“Dieter, thank you so much for coming in to chat to us today for 30minutes, I know the world wants to speak to you but I just had to get in their first & you couldn’t really say no to an old friend could you?”

“The pleasure is all mine, I watch this show in my trailer on YouTube, me & you we go back to when you only used to have 5minutes with people” he chuckles. Dieter clearly has done his home work for the camera to show this is going to work, & be more than just the standard 30mins you get with other Hollywood big shots, & this makes you smile.

“Well you know more than most that I’ve come along way since then, much like you” you smile back, your trying to not let it show that you’ve known each other for longer than either of you care to remember, even before the 5minute videos, of crashing red carpets together. “So Dieter congratulations, another Oscar nomination, you already have a golden globe & a critics choice award for isolations, the BAFTAs are at the end of next week, how does it feel to get all this support & love for a role that’s gripped so many people?” You have to start with praise, you know that Dieter keeps things very close guarded in his life, both his troubled past & his private life. Buttering him up a bit might make him open up.

“Thank you, I know you’ve seen it, your not just saying that because you have to”, he starts off by shifting in his chair a little to get comfortable “getting the plaudits from your piers is always a nice thing. It always makes you so happy that you’re doing what you do. That it means something. But I do projects for me. I do it because it’s either something I’d like to watch myself, like Cliff Beasts, but I also want to do something that a challenge, you know. & sometimes the fans might be like the fuck has he made this or why is he a small part in that, but it’s just the way I flow, & I work. & when I find that grove I know if I’m putting in a good performance or not, & with Isolations it happened just as I hit the sweet spot in all the points in my life.” It’s a very honest answer from Dieter, probably one of the most honest answers anyone’s ever got from him & you on your little show have received it. Isolations might not just be changing Dieters life, it could be inadvertently about to change yours. Your producer however is moaning in your ear that Dieter swore, but you don’t care, they remind you to raise your hand slightly to tell them they may need to edit something for a of cleaner version.

“So are you saying that there are some performances you don’t give it all to?”

“Do you always give 100% every day?” He asks back accusingly.

“I always set out to Dieter”

“Well I always start to each project with that mind set. Some along the way you realise aren’t going to be your best piece of work, or you realise the story isn’t coming together, so then you just need to enjoy the experience. Have fun with the role.” You don’t press him he just follows on with “in 2015 I made a film called Above the Climb, it got slated, the lead in it Spencer Cable had to do so much damage control & took the flack from it. & we both sat there day 20 of filming going, this film is rubbish should we just have some fun & ad-lib some of this. The scene we did on the fly & the little side comments were deemed by everyone who saw it as the best parts of the film. We were proud that we made it enjoyable for others & we also got a kick out it” Dieter talking about Above the Climb in these terms is expected, but to be so honest about the process is so refreshing to hear an actor say that they don’t always have good days.

“I mean we can’t all be Tom Hanks can we & I can’t be Graham Norton” you joke & Dieter laughs. He’s always said you haven’t made in it life until you’ve got drunk on Nortons sofa for his Friday talk show, & he knows when this interview is done he will be hopping on a plane to do just that.

“Well you are my warm up for him.” Your banter & conversation is so organic. This is so natural to you both.

“That’s the best compliment any interviewee has ever given me” your smile is so genuine & so is his back to you. For all of 2 second you pause before realising you can’t stare into those deep brown eyes all day, & look at him twitch his pinkie ring. You’ve got questions to ask.

“You don’t like talking about your personal life anymore, but we all know you’ve had let’s say an interesting past…” you know your pushing the envelope here especially as he edges forward in his chair. Dieter has been known to walk out of interviews which go too far especially since the last Cliff Beasts film.”…in away did your past help you develop more of the character of Jackson in isolations? Was there any part that you thought could have been crossing between fiction & reality?” You’ve asked this in a clever way which he is impressed with. It’s not a oh how are you now off the drugs & the hundreds of crazy parties, you’ve asked it in a way where all he had to do is talk about the film.

“Jackson does embody some of my less desirable traits for sure. I had been off the coke since the end of the lock downs, the world saw my near death experience in the press. It was scary & I did after a while lock myself inside my head, my demons did try & take over, but it did take a lot of support & loyalty from the friends around me to get me through it. Those who really know me got me through & I listened to their stories of me & my trauma before I started filming. I got an insight as to what it was like to put up with me & that made me realise even more how much these people cared for me” Dieter isn’t showing off. So often in interviews Dieter is the show off, stealing the spot light. But here his vulnerability is showing. You want to portray him for the man he really is, be it the man with the ego & also the man who is behind the persona the world sees.

“Would you say there are people who you thought were there for you who then weren’t?” As you ask this you see Dieter raise an eyebrow. You have known Dieter for a while, you know the circles he frequents & those who have always used him for personal gain, claiming to be friends, clearly in it for themselves not caring who gets hurt along the way.

“A few, I know who they are, & I know they didn’t want their reputations tarnished, but now they all are sitting there not being interviewed by you” Dieter firmly says back. You know this is the end of this line of questioning based on his body language. You know which 3 people this is, & you gave him a chance to call them out. A more intimidating interviewer would press further for names & gossip, but you would like to keep the status quo with him so leave it there.

“No they aren’t, you are. & not only are you here but as an Oscar Nominee again, is there anything you are experiencing differently with a second nomination that to the first time” you face returns to a friendly one which he reciprocates.

“People take me more seriously this time on the consideration circuit”

“How so?” You look shocked at his answer. This is Dieter Bravo, a name the world wishes they could have even glimpse at their script or return their phone call.

“First time people thought I was there as like a reward for my hard work. That I didn’t deserve it.” You go to shake your head & interrupt but he stops you before your lips can even part. “You don’t have to pretend. I know you didn’t, but a lot of people thought I was there to make up the numbers & said my win was a legacy win. It was only before this film came out that those critics re assessed Your So Vein & went okay maybe he can act. I felt a bit more validated this time. It feels more just. I did deserve my other Oscar, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I would have been gutted if I’d lost, but I won. I’m a winner it’s what I do.” Confident Dieter is coming to the surface now. You know confident Dieter is a pleasure to talk to.

“You’ve always said Your So Vein was fun to work on even before you got your recognition for it, & you’ve already talked about having fun on set. Is there any film you’ve enjoyed working on the most or was there a particular actor or director that was more fun that you thought would be?” Dieter sips his iced water as you say this & his eyes light up, he likes questions like this. If he had a tail it would wag.

“I adored & had the most fun making Sunship the 6 part comedy tv show I made. I was killed off in episode 6 but it was so much fun & I love how it kept going on for another 4 seasons. But as far as movies Lyra Watson is hilarious. At no point did a days filming on Bookworm ever feel like work, we laughed so much, & you can really see that when you watch the film back. It’s not often you get to be a ditsy bank robber is it?” He starts to laugh at his own memories of filming Bookworm & then he winks at you. You actual had a cameo in that film as a writer who smacked him across the head with a book. Something that you should have been on set for 2hours for, took 7hours due to the fact you just both kept acting up.

“Well I’m gonna say nothing, I know what a blast that film was” you say. You’re trying not to laugh too & it’s the first time since you’ve started talking with Dieter that you look at your iPad to check where you are at & also to see how much time you have left. Plenty, you think to yourself & then continue.

“So when you look back on your career like we are today, is there a role you wished you’d done differently? Or is there anything that you think with the knowledge you have now, that you think actually…”

“Beyond the Void!” He answers straight away which shocks you , both in his actual quickness to answer & that he picked the thing that made him a well known actor.

“Really!?” You reply high pitched which he smiles at, before then repeating it calmly & more professionally for the recording.

“There is nothing wrong with my role or performance in Beyond the Void, but I wish I’d have been more prepared for how my life changed because of it. I was I naive & suddenly had all this fame & could do what I wanted. Everyone assumed I’d be fine.”

“So you’d want to warn your younger self?”

“Yes, I’d tell them to still act the same but I’d tell them no meth, no 4am orgys & no burger eating challenges. The life style & that level of fame was fun but it made me out to be much more of a party boy than I am” Dieter is being the most frank he’s ever been in an interview. Maybe it’s because it’s with you & the vibe you have together, but not even Norton would get this out of him. He’s giving you the goods & you aren’t even digging for them. You can hear the producers in your ear going his people won’t want this. But you know Dieter. If he’s said it he won’t want to redact things, he will want this in full to be broadcast to the world.

“That’s very honest of you Dieter, do you think due to this past, it allows you to be more honest now that you’re looking back”

“Can I just say thank you…” you raise an eyebrow “… you just said looking back & didn’t say mistakes. So many people say that I made bad mistakes that clouded my judgment, but I don’t regret it, I just wish I knew the effects of it even if it was like 5minutes before I took that drug or had to go have an std test. I would do it all again because it’s made me who I am & im happy where i am in my life. I like my slightly dangerous play boy reputations, hell I’ve got parts due to it, but I just wish I had a small warning. Mistakes mould us to make us better people.”

“Wow” you say out loud & it takes you a few seconds to register your reaction to Dieter revelation & you being a professional recover form it “so many people would sit there & say it was a mistake or say no I’d rewind the clock & change it, but for you to sit there after everything, especially your stroke, & say you would do it again, is almost inspiring. I’m not saying it’s okay to take drugs or have sex filled orgys…” your producers haven’t even told you to apologise for that but you know impressionable teenagers are a huge part of your audience especially on tiktok & Instagram “…but the fact that you are saying you have got through it & yes you can get hold of more help than others struggling with it, but it’s also easier for people in the public eye to relapse.” You pause. You take a deep breath & then share a personal moment between the two of you that the world doesn’t know, but will now.

“I was there the day of your stroke, I called the ambulance, I went with you to hospital, I sat there & watched you go through hell in your hospital bed & then in your detox afterwards. Everyone knows we know each other, & that we have known each other for years, long before we both gained the fame, we now both have. To see you in that state knowing my friend was struggling & was in danger, it was horrible. To see you now thriving, surviving, living, im not afraid to say that I am so happy each time I see you.” Dieter can hear the emotion in your voice. You’ve always told him how happy & proud you were of him now, but you’ve never gone into that much detail about it & you’ve just talked about it for the world to hear. He puts his hand on his chest showing his anxiety at what you’ve just said & you copy him. There’s a few moments of unspoken silence between the two of you, before you calmly & professionally continue your professional interview with your close friend. You will always be there for each other.

“You aren’t on twitter anymore, but you do promote self care a lot on Instagram. Because, like you have been in the last few minutes, been so honest about your struggles do you see yourself as a mental health advocate?”

“Not really” Dieters voice sounds a bit pitched, he was clearly moved by your supporting words a minute ago. “I just want people to look after themselves & realise it’s okay not to be okay & that if they want to talk people out there will listen & if they want help it’s okay to ask for it. But if they don’t, the world needs to understand people deal with it differently” he runs his hand through this untamed hair as he says this. Watching that large hand go through his locks always to this day always catches you off guard.

“Do you think talking about your own struggles helps?”

“Yes. I like to talk. I know I give off the bad party boy style, but talking even if it’s just going urgh my life or being honest that you’re not enjoying something is important. Sometime you just need to cut the bullshit out” you nod in agreement while waving your finger in the way of the editing booth. His swear words will need bleeping unfortunately despite you & your audience knowing exactly what he will be saying.The producer in your ear sounds happy that you picked that up this time.

“Do you see yourself as an Instagram influencer?”

“Ha” he cackles & you snigger too, you know he hates that phrase. You always pick on him for what he puts on there or mucking up his stories or taking a selfie that’s a video. “I hate that word. Influence haha. Freeloaders more like. Oh it’s all got to be on Instagram or it didn’t happen. I know I use it, but I do it for me for work not so I can get a contract or sponsorship. Everyone wants their 15minutes of fame but no one wants to work for it. Yes I am Privileged & so are you to be in our positions we have now. But we earned it. We did it the hard way & we made it. This new generation are easily disposable, the tiktok trendies with only a 30seconds attention span, that we have to condense an advert down to to get viewers for our show or movie. It’s pathetic. & fuck I sound old moaning at that” he sinks back into his chair after his rant. Dieters always talked about earning your place in the world, & you know he won’t get cancelled for this rant, it’s actually much more restraint than he could have been. You then both look at each other & start properly laughing. You can even hear production laughing in your ear.

You look at your tablet you’ve covered most of what you wanted to but it says you’ve got about 6minutes left before you need to tie off the interview, so you go a bit left field.

“Who’s going with you to the Oscar’s? A family member, a friend, a special person?” He raises an eyebrows because you both know the answer & you wanted to see if you could trip him up in his comfortable state.

“That remains to be decided” he says rubbing his hands together, eyes telling you to move on along with a few more things.

“Do you know what you’re wearing to the Oscar’s?”

“Well the bathrobe isn’t designer chic is it?” He cackles “I’m not wearing a standard tux, let’s put it that way.” You both seem to be enjoying these quick simple questions so you throw a few more in.

“Favourite character you wished you’d played & why?”

“Ferris Buller, iconic, feel good & fun”

“What’s your favourite film to put on to cry?”

“Up” Dieter is just going along with the rapid questions. You’ve not even asked, just both have a mutual understanding after all these years of how your show works. Long gone are the 3am podcasts on trying to make it in the industry or the 5minute YouTube shorts. But your format has always been honesty & Dieter has always been happy to share.

“Sweet or Salted popcorn?”

“Why?” He stops dead in his answer “why do you always have to ask this? It’s a deal breaker I know but I’m never answering not in front of the camera, all popcorn is delicious”

“Chicken” you giggle.

“Sorry?

“You heard me, baby chicken” he was once turned into a meme when he had his hair slicked back for an event, that he looked like a freshly hatched chick. It’s a good thing you know each other so well, as when your eyes meet you both fall apart in hysterics.

“& I thought you were gonna be professional” Dieter roars back slapping his leg as he bends over, tears almost falling from his face as you try to calm down to regain your composure to end the interview. “Ooh that takes me back to the food old days, when between us we had 20 fans & 16 of them were yours” he laughs before gathering himself again.

“Then maybe we should end with a question like back in the day Dieter.” You raise an eyebrow so he can work out what you’re about to ask him.

“Oooh a throw back yes please, bet you didn’t do this with DiCaprio.” His smirk shows that you both have each other in the palm of your hand. A smirk that gets all men & women into his bed, the smirk of seduction.

You mute your ear piece & face Dieter square on, as you can hear the Gallery panicking that this want pre planned. They have no idea how Dieter is going to react to whatever you know spontaneously ask.

“How about one last time we do a never have I ever…” you wink. “For those of you who haven’t followed my career, I used to end all my podcasts & interviews with a never have I ever questions which then I’d respond to & do my own, so for example Clare Blip has never watched a Harry Potter movie…”

“No way!” Dieter exhales

“Well she might have done now, it was 3 years ago, she had some lockdowns to do them in. Anyhow Dieter do you want to go first or should I?” You lean forward trying to guess what he’s going to say. You feel as excited as the first time you came up with the concept, it’s such a brilliant way of finding information out about other people. You were shocked no one had done this before.

“I’ll go first…” he says licking his lips & rubbing his hands he’s got a good one, he was always king of this when you used to play it on the episodes he came on. “Never have I ever…” he’s not lost his touch as he pauses for dramatic effect “… received a love letter or email”

“Awww Dieter really?”

“Yep not even a valentines card”

“Ooh that makes me feel sad.”You go to reach his hand but realise he’s a bit to far away. “Okay I have, I did last Valentine’s Day, it was really sweet, & I had no idea & im very lucky to have him in my life” you smile trying not to make eye contact as you think of your own one to say. “Okay my never have I ever is…I have never dated someone to get ahead in this world, I’ve only ever dated for love or a relationship”

“Really?” Dieter asks suspiciously, “what about” you shoot him a look “okay okay, your asking questions not me. Obviously I have, you know I have, the world knows I have, but that was me high on life can you blame me?”

“No, not really” you say sighing as your tablet hits the end of the silent timer.

“Dieter Bravo, today has been more than a pleasure for this episode of 30 minutes with, I know we’re friends & have known each other for longer than we both care to admit, but it’s just so easy talking with your professionally & personally, I hope you’ve had an enjoyable time on the show”

“I have thank you so much for having me on, for taking me seriously, but I do miss the 3am podcasts we used to do.” Dieter sits back in his chair as you do all the boring generic goodbye for your show & then you also record a couple of trailers & do a few quick photos together before you head back to your dressing room to get changed.

Your flight doesn’t leave for a couple of hours but you can’t wait to get out of your tailored trousers. There’s only so much your large Holdem in knickers can do, they do a bloody good job keeping your tummy flat but you can’t wait to put on a comfortable dress with leggins & be sitting in business class soon drinking a mimosa before your flight. The door clicks & you smile as you hear it shut. You know what’s coming next. Large hands come around your waist & start unbuttoning the jacket you are wearing.

“Was that good baby?” Dieter moans in your ear before he turns you around.

“You were very professional my sexy trash panda, not once did you let it slip that we’ve been in an exclusive relationship for the last 11 months” your hand goes into his beard, enjoying the prickles against your palm before your lips finally meet his. You have wanted to kiss him all day but know only a handful of people on set know your dating, let alone that the week after the Oscar’s you are marrying the world a most eligible Batchelor. His kisses are always so passionate even when they are small but todays feel like fire. The aren’t entirely forbidden but neither of you can hold back anymore.

“I doubt what I’m about todo is at all professional” his eyes pop wide when he sees how lacy your bra is under the jacket, almost see through. “Ooh baby, you practically had theses two on show for the world to see, but they belong to me, my hands & my mouth” he says as his shirt comes off & his trousers pool around his ankles. Your hand that’s not roaming his hair as you make out caresses Dieters own tummy, sinking your thumb into his belly button a few times to make him gasp. Soon his own hands have dealt with your trousers too.

“You did lock the door baby?” You pant as you start unhooking your bra.

“This isn’t my first back stage dalliance baby, you know that…”

“Yes because I walked in on you once when…”

“Yes I know, I know I … oooh baby” Dieters has a brain malfunction as your breasts are now free. His hands go straight to them. Your breasts aren’t small, but his hands are so large they eclipse them. While he does this, your own hands go inside his briefs, making sure he is ready for a few moments time. Taking his length & starting to enjoy how hard he gets.

“Ooh Dieter, my sexy lover, fuck me like you’re at a sex drunk orgy” you moan. Professional you all of 15mins ago would be lived at how quickly your begging for 2015s celebrity sex pest to take you in a place where other people could potential interrupt if they have the right key, but it’s not like this is a one off. Dieters been officially yours for almost a year, with no one else on the side for him. You’d been a friend with benefits over the years, if one of you broke up or needed pleasure, if the other was in the same country, you’d both try & get to each other, to satisfy each others desires. You’ve done this after about a year into knowing each other. This right now though is more than that. It is love & passion & desire, no-ones taking it away from either of you.

Baskets of hair & make up products slide off the dresser which he tries to catch in his eagerness to lay you down & start fucking you. You love his clumsy little nature & grab 2 products that you know cost a lot before reaching over the the chair to put them in before you ask him how he wants you.

“I think lie on your side if possible baby, that mirror is big. If I get you at the right angle I can watch you take my fat cock, watch it make you flutter, another memory for the lonely nights without you.” He says as he rolls your massive knickers down & his face gleams as he lowers you onto the dresser. “You know your Bridget Jones knickers are always a huge turn on baby, but I don’t actually care about your little rolls, you don’t care about mine, I love to embrace your body in every respect.” You got to say oh ahh to Dieter, but your mouth falls open doing an ooo noise when he removes his briefs. Your handy work has left his shaft leaking already. This is going to be so passionate you might break the dresser as he slides his way towards you once he is also perched on it.

He swipes his penis through your arousal.

“Dieter my love please, I want you my love, I need you, want to sit on the plane to London thinking about how good you feel.”

“Who says we’re not joining the mile high club?” He says his smile twitches.

“That’s creepy…” you start but then in unison you both then say “…but I like it” quoting one of his Cliff Beasts lines. He then silences you by thrusting deep inside you in one motion, filling you up so you take all of his penis. “Fuck me” you moan.

“I’m going to baby, god you always feel so good” he says as another firm thrust makes your body quiver, thighs already trembling. “Why did I ever share this pussy with so many other men for years?” This makes you moan. Dieter had never admitted he was jealous of other men you saw & dated when you had a casual relationship, but clearly today has made him really open. He starts to move which makes your pelvis & hips respond in pleasure, rolling for him.

“Look at you baby” you eyes are drawn To your mound which is experiencing pleasure, “ooh no baby, look in the mirror” the hand that was on your shoulder holds your chin so you can see the whole view. There are your reflections. You’re on your side, your hair already becoming disheveled as he moves back to holds your shoulder & grips your arse. His movements deliberate, his rhythm found, the pounding of your pussy has begun, watching it go inside you, as you love the feel he has as he drags your walls. You’re gripping to the end of the dresser by your head, your other hand moving to help keep you going to make sure you get off. You look at the state of the both of you & a small smile forms on your lips, especially when sweat drips from his untamed hair on to your body bellow. He’s going for it & you look so bloody sexy. “Does my girl now realise how sexy she is? Does she realise that your pussy is perfect for my penis? Do You enjoy the view? Should I go faster? Harder? Deeper?” The last word was said almost menacingly, it was deep & it make you clamp around him, which in turn makes him do all 3 of those things, as he exclaims “fucking love how tight you feel when I turn you on baby, why did I waste time with others, we were both fools”

“Dieter, fuck, yea that feels, oooooh yeaaaaa, don’t stop baby” looking at the two of your bodies getting sweaty & fucking the other until neither of you can function anymore is addictive. You know why Dieter wanted to take you here. This will not just be in his mind for a while but it will be in yours too. It’s his side profile that’s making you moan. His face is glistening, as the sweat pours from it. His well defined features looking so feral & full of desire as he starts to look at your body to make sure you are feeling all of it. the little oohs that escape his mouth each groan, his lips that are so plump parting as he pants. He might have been deemed a sex pest but it’s because of all those dalliances & late night orgies that you are getting the full experience. You are feeling all of him. Everyone else Dieter has ever slept with, means that you gets nights of unadulterated pleasure & lust.

“God you’re loving this, so responsive today baby, oooh fuck yes” he’s moaning throughout this sentence as you keep whining. You didn’t know your body could quiver like this & your added friction from your hand on your clit is making your grind faster. The stimulation is incredible & you can feel every motion.

“Dieter oh baby, you have me, have me, oh fuck just like that” your eyes have now left his face in the reflection. No longer watching his eyes go squid ink black, as his teeth snap almost as much as his body. Because that’s where your eyes are. On his thighs that are so thick, then & his hips generating all the thrusting power as he goes deeper inside you. He has trimmed but he’s not clean shaven, but he knows it makes his penis look longer, not that you need anymore, he’s the biggest you’ve ever had. There was more reasons as to why you always came back for more, but feeling how deep he went inside you, the only man to make your scream, finding the sweet spot that he hits multiple times each session without even trying, that definitely made sure you never said no to Dieter.

“Keep moaning baby” Dieter starts to pull your hair, which makes your body jolt & you gasp for air. You’re so turned on. You’re so feral. Your pelvis moving with your hips, clamping around him every few thrusts, gyrating for all of his desire. “I like it when you moan, it reminds me how needy you are for me.” He’s moaning too, loving how your body has started to shake. Both your climaxes building up. Watching your nipples get hard, looking at how well you take him. You really were made for each other & as the mirror starts to steam up from your panting & heat from your sweat builds up you both know you’re almost there.

“Oh fuck Dieter yea”

“You like this baby?”

“Yes”

“More mirror fucking going forward?”

“Oooh yesss”

“So tight, why you so good?”

“I’m yours, only yours”

“Remember that baby”

“Ooh fuck Dieter, I can’t control it”

“So wet, fuck, so good”

All these sentances in a quick exchange are panted out inbetween moans, he can’t go any faster & you have lost control of your body rotating your lower body anti clockwise. The build exquisite, the orgasm is going to hit tou hard, & it’s time for your body to give in. You bite your bottom lip & gasp as Dieter growls.

“Soak me darling. Make sure I’m yours”

“Fuck fuck fuck oh god yessssss” you gush & let go, eurphoria sweeping across you, clamping & covering his penis with yohr cum as you scream his name at the end of your extended deep moan. “Fuck baby yes yes oh fuck”

“Yea yea that feel so so, oh fuck” Dieters own praise of you going through your own high springs him into his own. Lashings of sperm fill your core, painting your insides, oozing into you. Your body slowly stops shaking as your intense pleasure slows down as he then also make his way down from a high he hasn’t experienced in year. Maybe the best random sex he’s ever had.

“Fuck me daring, that was another level” he eventually says once his heavy breathing has slowed down & he hops off the dresser & helps you sit up. His lips finding your for the first time in about 20minutes. Frenzied to start like your both getting out the last few bits of passion, but by the time you break apart & he tucks your hair away from your face, it’s sweet & a kiss not from a famous party boy but if a loving caring fiancé.

“I promise you DiCaprio didn’t get that service baby” you eventually say as you sigh & wrap your arms around him. Holding Dieter after sex has always been your thing, even when you were just fuck buddies & he’s never pushed you back ever.

“I mean I wouldn’t have been angry if he had. He’d be jealous he didn’t get you all the time…”

“I’m also to old for him” you snigger “what he gets…”

“Isn’t you darling. He can have all those models & wannabes, but he wishes he had someone like you baby. His loss my gain” Dieter says this while peppering your neck with kisses before slowly taking you off the dresser. “You were something else just then, I could have gone on for much longer, but I just couldn’t hold back, I needed to let go baby”

“I’m not complaining baby, my body shook in ways I forgot it could” you say as you walk over to the sink to clean yourself up. There’s no shower in this dressing room at the studio. You throw Dieter a cloth too. “I know it can’t always be like that baby, I think we were just in the mood.”

“Why can’t it?” Dieter asked as he finishes his own clean up & finds his clothes. “I want you to always have a fantastic orgasm baby, I want your body to move like that, & tremble each time we fuck”

“Is that a promise Dieter?” You say as you work out where your normal non interview clothes are & start to get dressed too.

“Well let’s get on this plane to London & see if the altitude makes you ever sexier baby” Dieter says.

“Dieter, I’m not sure if anything is going to match that ever, watching our reflections & getting lost in a moment was just so intoxicating” you say as you lick your lips & finish putting your clothes on.

“You liked it?”

“No” you wrap your arms around him “I loved it.”

“Good girl, my very good girl…” Dieter gets lost in your eyes seeing the genuine glimmer behind them that filling with more desire. His lips taste delicious as you both just can’t control yourself, as you both are showing such love & lust for each other. “Maybe we can get a later flight to London…” he raises an eyebrow.

“That’s not very professional baby” you say as your lips part before colliding passionately again.

“It may not be, but it wouldn’t be the best image if we break the on plane toilet from having too much sex would it?” The glint in his eyes as he clicks the door to unlock it, ready to walk you out of the studio complex to take you to more pleasure before you both hop on that flight. You both need this desire out of your system in the best way possible. An afternoon of hotel sex might just keep you both in check until your plane lands on the other side of the Atlantic.

#fanfic #my fics #smutt #pedro pascal #no minors #over18 #pedro pascal characters #pedro pascal cinematic universe #pedro pascal fandom #pedro pascal character fanfiction #pedro pascal fanfiction #dieter bravo fanfiction #dieter bravo #dieter bravo fic #dieter bravo smut #dieter bravo fan fic #the bubble #cliff beasts 6

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neptunedivine · 1 year

Text

astro observations pt. i

✧ neptune in aquarius generation ✧

(tw: possible conversational topics)

Hi everyone! I wanted to first say thank you so much to everyone who liked, reblogged, and/or followed me after my recent post. I wasn’t expecting that response at all and it really made my week!! I also wanted to mention that I am not an astrologer, I’m a computer science student (whose semester starts in a week) so consistency isn’t a strong suit rn. Regardless, I appreciate the support. 🥰

Here are a few observations I’ve noticed with the Aquarius Neptune Generation (as someone with this placement) - I do relay my points back to astrology but these are just my opinions. It’s okay to disagree! :)

✧ for context, Neptune rules over the zodiac sign Pisces and themes of dreams, illusions, mystics, intuition, imagination, etc. Aquarius and those who carry placements in this sign (more obviously if the placement is prominent) express characteristics of intelligence, invention, humanitarianism, friendliness, altruism, and reformation.

fake activism ✧ I feel like a lot of people in this generation are only activists online, or the power they either choose to or believe that they have is digital. Like they will repost an infographic about a human rights issue but won’t make any physical permanent change (i.e. a donation or bringing it up in conversations with their friends to spread more awareness). That activism and reformation being talked about is the Aquarius feature, but the lack of permanence is the Neptunian feature.

✧ I could go deeper into this but I feel like the discussion could be seen as controversial, so I’ll spare the details.

fake wealth ✧ There are a lot of influencers and people on the internet that flex their wealth online. Presenting this false persona of themselves. In reality, this isn’t true. I feel like a lot of the time we’re told this but without knowing how many people are doing this. Traditionally the 11H is governed by Aquarius and one of the themes of the 11H is community, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a lot of people. I feel like when Saturn transits Taurus in the future, this could come to light?

(Saturn will transit through Taurus until fall 2029, go retrograde in Aries until spring 2030, and will remain in Taurus until spring 2032)

✧ The only reason I infer this is that Saturn returns are like check-ins to make sure you’re putting in the work to take care of yourself, your life, and your decisions relating to your Saturn placement. If you have, you will be rewarded by Saturn, and if not you will be disciplined. And something about lying to people about your wealth seems valid of that discipline.

being chronically online ✧ This one annoys me because I swear the world would be a much better place with common sense and critical thinking skills…anyway. A lot of people try to be a voice for what they view as an underrepresented community, without questioning the validity of their statement.

today someone in a comment section on my fyp said that “being chronically online is an insult to chronically ill people” 😐😑😐

that’s all for now. see you later!

#Neptune #neptune in aquarius #11H #11th house #astrology #astro observations #astrology observations #astrology opinions #saturn in taurus #Aquarius

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opinated-user · 2 months

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Yet more sister ocs with a remarkable bond. My God. And might I add, the parallels to her childhood with Courtney made me feel ill.

i read a little more on this and apparently, even after the big sister is married, she's still going to sleep in the same bed with her sister... and her wife. this, ladies and gentls and non binaries, is the smell of copium at maximun potency. i told you all that incest fetish was the comfort blanket of LO and this is a further example of that. this is just another of her "extremely intimate and close, but not sexual, i swear" sisterly relationship that lately come out even more whenever she is upset by something. probably by Courtney reminding her that they were never like she dreamed them to be and they were never going to be. on top of all of that... besides the almost incest angle of it all, i actually do not appreciate how this Iris character is written just about in general. she's supposed to be an autistic non verbal person, but she's really just nothing at all but a source of angst to be comforted by Kiera. what does Iris like? nobody knows. what does Iris do on her free time? nobody cares. what are Iris opinions on anything? nothing that doesn't involver her sister apparently! Iris doesn't have any friends. Iris doesn't have any hobbies. Iris doesn't talk to anyone for any reason, not even by typing. non verbal autistic people are just like that. they never find community or people who share their interest online, no, no! non verbal also means that they can't type in the internet to find those people! that's totally how it works! only Kiera understand her and therefore only Kiera can be her friend... by sleeping on the same bed as her as adults. by all means, she writing "gentle codependent sisters who sleep in the same bed as full grown adults" is worth pointing out, but let's not ignore this also another example of LO's ableism that watches disability as either punishment or a source of angst for mediocre dramatic moments.

#lily orchard

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1nt3rn3t4ng3l · 6 days

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I feel like I’m different beings.

Ok I should explain I feel like I’m multiple beings I don’t think I have DID or OSDD but honestly I’m so lost rn so nothings off the table But still I feel very much like I’m multiple beings

There’s me in my dreams[I have MaDD so this may make sense][I say me without quotation marks here cuz this feels more like me but it’s still…not?][im more unhinged, “sexual”, feral and aggressive but with a very chaotic and sporadic aspect to it]

Then there’s “me”[me is in quotations cuz it’s not ME if that makes any sense] at school/public/around adults wich it’s like a very jarring switch in personalities,demeanor,and just the way “I” hold “myself” it’s kinda a haze and “I” just dissociate[caused by C-PTSD and DPDR I think] but again it’s not “me” it feels like a full different being like a changeling that’s pretending to be “me” and acting human when it’s actually not at all..but I mean it’s helpful I hate adults and crowds and school[those things trigger me ALOT it’s awful][it’s not like I’m masking tho this is a completely different thing] sometimes this thing or [Ig me???] comes out online and those posts have a very very different feel [at-least to me] then my other ones

And then there’s Me the one that’s speaking[hi]now I feel like me but with a bit missing[I will get to this a bit later] I’m more me completely and unapologetically mentally ill but yeah yeah that’s the end of this :3

There’s “past me” but I can GUARANTEE YOU she’s a separate being I don’t know why I don’t know how this happened but she’s not me I would say she was “me” from age 1-10 and then she kinda just started slipping away?

And then there’s me during shifts[fictotype shifts tho] wich depending on what past life the shifts from my personality,demeanor,style and way of life can just FLIP[I don’t know really how to explain this so imma leave it at that]

And then there’s Sidereus[wich yes I’m going to refer to it by a name] wich is what “takes over” when Im experiencing delusions. Wich is CONSTANTLY so he’s always kind of on the uh how to say this…in my brain monitoring[?] what’s happening and when the delusions start to just get worse[wich happens a bit] it just..steps in? Takes over? I mean it IS an omnipresent being wich is what my delusions are so honestly at this point I think the delusions of being an omnipresent being comes from them and aren’t even delusions. The immortal+being a digital being delusions though are cuz I have Cotards syndrome so when I refer to delusions in this post I’m talking about these

Anyways ummm if anyone has an idea of what’s going on please tell me I’m so so fucking lost and I gen can’t cope with not knowing what this IS please please I swear I need answers ;A;/nf/gen

Ps: I don’t experience blackouts….actually wait no that’s a lie I do I suffer from dissociative amnesia and have blackouts when dissociating and sometimes I do things I have absolutely no recollection of and wouldn’t normally do [like one time I snapped out of dissociation and I wasn’t on my bed anymore and I was on the ground and my whole room was completely reorganized in a AWFUL way and I had a breakdown bc WTF just happened]

#nonhuman #alterhuman #kintype #otherkin #otherkin community #nonhuman community #mental illness #maladaptive daydreaming #c ptsd #complex ptsd #cotards delusion #bpd #actually bpd

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jpitha · 1 year

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Just a Little Further 24

Part 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Well.

This is new at least.

I've never had to quell a riot before.

Empress, please. This is more a brawl. When there's a riot, we'll let you know. We have seen riots, and this is no riot.

Okay, fine. There's something like two dozen people here and I see what looks like to be more security people, Mariens and Aviens and some Azurians on the edge of things, trying to get a handle on what is going on. Note to myself, I should go visit their offices later. Chairs from nearly restaurants have been taken and broken into clubs, and there is shouting and smoke and the clashing of flesh on feather on bone.

Wait, why is there smoke?

"Ava, Um'reli is there a fire here? I see and smell smoke."

"Um, one moment Melody.... Yes, there is a report of a small fire, but there's also this warning - it says something like Fire Suppression Offline, local assistance is needed." Sounds like we had some kind of Starbase wide fire suppression system but it doesn't work anymore."

All the Builder controlled parts of this place are broken. What is going on here? Was it on purpose or did they just fail because nobody was around to maintain them? "See if you can get it back online. It doesn't have to work forever, just to see if we can knock down the smoke. Turn the air scrubbers and air cycling too here, I don't want people getting ill from the smoke."

"On it, Melody." Um'reli is checking into it while Ava is helping with an overview of the area. It's a wide open area, kind of like the promenade on the lower level, but this area is... nicer? It has parks and gardens! We need to come up here more often. Why is it so drab down closer to the docks.

Well, it's nicer when a riot isn't going on I mean.

Sigh. Fine. Let's stop the riot and figure out what is going on. I take a moment and concentrate, and my crown and wings spring into existence. In fact, let's make those wings bigger and brighter. I'm going to need to be seen and heard. I connect to the Starbase, locate the local public address system - mentally wave to Um'reli and Ava as I go by! - and then...

S̴̨̲̗̥̯̯̩��͒̎̔̽͊̐̚ṫ̸̝̱͈̙̆͋̌o̴͎͗̌̿̀̍̏̿̚͝p̸͚̐̀̕ ̶̯̌̈́f̵̤͙̪̖̗͖̳̼̺̐̏̊̒͒̈́̀̚̚i̵̡͈̼̱̭̼̻͖̳͋͒̄̊̾͌g̵͚͐͆̀͂͑̌h̶̛̤͙̆̋̍̄͑̓͠t̶̘̖̪͒́i̴̢̞̜̠̠͋n̷̛̪͚͙̞͚͒̀̃̔͂͊̊g̶̢̡̠͍̥̙̹̼̓̃͗ͅ!̶̨̥͎̄͘͝

I swear, it never gets old. Like I pressed pause on a video, everyone immediately stops. I put some work into my command this time, I specified fighting so that they can still move and breathe, but sure enough, everyone stops.

I put a little extra oomph into my presentation and tower over everyone. They turn towards me, fearful and I have their attention.

"Now then. What is going on here. Why are you fighting?"

Everyone starts talking all at once.

"-They started it when-"

"Those liars said that the Empress wasn't-"

"-There isn't enough food for-"

Wait that one. Another one about food? I heard a few of those at the presentation earlier.

"Cease your chatter. You. What was that about food?" I point to the Azurian close to me who mentioned food when they were all talking at once.

"Empress, the results of the last two harvests have been 15 and 20 percent lower than in previous seasons. The population here isn't dropping either. If this keeps up, the garden planetoid won't be able to support us!"

Okay that's serious, but it's not like ' drop everything and have a riot' serious - at least not at the numbers they gave me. What else is going on?

"Thank you, it's important to learn this. Please come to the Throne later and explain to me in more detail about your concerns. That's not enough to have a riot though, is it?"

"Oh the riot? No, that's not about the food supply. It's about them-" They point across the plaza "-not believing that you're holy."

Oh.

One of them, a Aviens, shouts from across the area "You're just someone who showed up and got lucky! You're not holy at all!"

Hisses and curses from this side of the plaza.

Awkward.

Well hold up now. This isn't fair to me. I never said I was holy, they just decided.

You did elevate The Smell of Soil After Rain to bishop during that presentation yesterday. I wonder if they're going around causing trouble in your name.

Hmm.

I stride out across the plaza to the other side. As I approach the people who think I'm not holy they shrink back. I wonder why for a moment and realize my wings and crown are still burning bright. Oops. Nothing like trying to convince people to stop arguing about my alleged godhood while looking like an angry God. I tone down the wings and crown (but I don't remove them entirely) and approach the Aviens who yelled that I wasn't holy. "Was The Smell of Soil After Rain coming around, giving you a hard time?"

The Aviens visibly crumbled. "They said that my family would be forgotten if I didn't attend services. That you ordered it. They said they'd remove my children from school."

What.

"What? No. Absolutely not. I am Empress, I don't need to be your God too. So long as you recognize me as Empress and Builder that's enough. Worship the way you please, or don't worship at all. Atheism it not forbidden."

I turn back to both sides of the crowd. "I will not punish those who choose not to worship me! So long as you accept that I am Empress, that I rule here, that's enough. Nobody here has to also worship me. I will... speak to my Bishop about their... enthusiasm. Nobody here will be compelled to worship. So please. Return to your homes after you assist the security forces here in cleanup."

Everyone looks around at each other, then back at me, still with crown and glowing wings, then back at each other and starts picking up litter and broken pieces of chair.

I turn back to the Aviens who I was talking to, put away my wings and crown and kneel down gently to speak just to them very quietly. They look up at me wide eyed.

"Just for your own information - and if pressed by anyone else I will deny it forever - you're right. I'm just a person who did something stupid, and now I'm Empress. My name is Melody, I like coffee and computer systems and being able to have time alone to read." It's almost a whisper.

They blink in surprise. This was completely unexpected for them. "Hi Melody, my name is Roar of Thunder and I work in an office building down on the docking level. I'm not entirely sure what our job is, but it's not difficult work. I enjoy cooking during my free time."

I stand back up. "It's wonderful to meet you Roar of Thunder. I love your name too." I look around as people continue cleaning up. "Tell you what Thunder. Come up to the Throne tomorrow. I bet we can find a more... stimulating job for you with us."

"That's... that's a wonderful opportunity Empress. I will be there tomorrow."

I spend a few minutes helping clean up the riot. I mean, why not, I'm here already, everyone will love it, and it's something to do. In the meantime Ava and Um'reli seem to get the fire supression going enough to fog some water over the smokier parts of the plaza and soon enough the smoke has dissipated and things are - if not clean - then at least cleaner. I give my thanks and as I get up to leave, one of the Mariens in the security coloration approaches me.

"Empress, thank you for coming up. We didn't even get to report back to headquarters that a riot had broken out yet, how did you know?"

This time I grin impishly. "This is just one of the things that can happen now that the Builders are back. We have eyes and ears all over and can assist quickly when needed. If you'll notice, we even got the old fire suppression foggers going in this sector. Hopefully soon we can get them operating everywhere again."

The Mariens looks amazed and salutes me sharply, then bows. "I am known as Kilad, Empress. I know my supervisor would love to thank you personally."

Ah wonderful! I was hoping to go see more of the security forces. What a nice coincidence.

"Please lead the way Kilad. I would love to meet them."

Kilad walks me across the plaza and through a park. There are trees and greenery, but of course I don't recognize any of the plants. They're very dark green and fragrant though. I wonder if they originated on a planet that has a dimmer star than Earth or our other colonies. Less light might cause them to evolve darker coloration to squeeze every drop of energy out of a weaker star.

We walk through the park and come out in another plaza, just like the one near the train station. At the far end of this one is another large, original looking building made out of the same stone as the Starbase and Administration offices and Bank. Clearly some of the institutions here were original - or the buildings were and they have been repurposed.

Kilad opens the door and I follow. Inside is a bustle of activity. Mariens, Aviens, and all the others are here. The Mariens are all colored the bright yellow of security while those without chromatophores are wearing smart yellow uniforms. Kilad walks up to a low desk in the back of the atrium. There's an Azurian sitting there in a yellow uniform with silver piping along the top. They must be the supervisor. Kilad salutes the Azurian and gives a report.

"Kilad, returning from the suspected riot near the hub station. Suspicions were confirmed, it was a riot between people arguing about the holiness - or not - of the Empress. Luckily the Empress herself showed up to quell the riot and explain that while people can worship her if so desired nobody will be forced to. She also explained that she will speak to her new Biship, The Smell of Soil After Rain about his proselytizing and ask him to tone it down." Kilad gestures behind themselves to me. "Additionally, the Empress herself is here, she'd like to speak to you."

At that, the Azurian looks behind Kilad and nods. I love how it seems like every single Azurian doesn't really care that I'm the Empress. It's refreshing. "Empress." They nod. "Thank you for your assistance, and for the official confirmation that nobody is required to worship you."

"It's quite all right. I'm glad to be able to get the word out that worship is not compulsory. Everyone is free to worship - or not worship - however they see fit. Can you explain to me what the role of your forces is here? It doesn't have to be a whole history, just the basics."

"Yes, Empress. We are the Security force on Reach of the Might of Vzzx" He pronounces Vzzx with a pop on the end. "This station is 100 people, and there are at least a dozen more across the whole of the Reach. We mostly help settle small disputes, assist with investigating petty crime and quell the occasional riot. For the most part, the residents of the Reach are relatively calm and open to working together. There is friction here and there, same as with anywhere, and with living spaces so tight conflict can break out. But, there is a strong sense of collaboration and community here too. You probably saw people cleaning up the riot they caused after it was quelled. That's not because you were there, that's a normal occurrence"

"Do you know any history? Do you know the role of your forces when they Builders were here in force?"

They indicate no, and seem a little sad about it. "Few records exist from then. When I was young, I asked some of the oldest staff here and they made it sound like things were much the same back then as now. It was probably different in that there were Builders able to detect and react to things sooner - like you and your Builders did today - but I imagine the day to day operations were much the same then as now."

"Thank you for the history lesson. What's your name?"

"I am Commander Sep."

"Thank you again Sep!" I incline my head slightly and walk out. I do wonder if I'm being too casual with everyone for a moment, but really this is who I am, how I want to rule. I hear FarReach's words and I'm reminded that she thought I was changing. That's not what I want to happen. I'm going to keep on walking around and talking to people and trying to learn as much about my new home as I can.

My new home. That's what the Reach is.

And I'm here to protect it and its residents.

I spend the evening up here visiting shops, talking to people, trying to learn as much as I can. It turns out most everyone here went down to the Throne this morning, so people are open later today to allow folks who missed their morning shopping to be able to get things.

I stop by a restaurant that looks nice and go to get dinner by myself. After I shoo away the entire staff who practically fell over themselves to be the one who took care of me and gently remind them they have other patrons who also need help, I enjoy my meal and even try out some of the tea that everyone here seems to drink. It's no coffee, but it's pleasant in its own way. It's hot and sweet and herbal and smells slightly of anise. I should see if I can get more to bring back. I think Um'reli might like it.

After dinner, I stroll slowly back towards the train and connect to the Reach and look for Ava and Um'reli. "Ava, Um'reli, where are you?"

"We're back at the Royal Dawn. Where are you Melody, it's so late!"

Is it? Hmm, I should figure out timekeeping here. It's hard to believe it's only been a few days since I left FarReach, I'm probably still on ship's time.

"Oh, after the brawl, I went and met the Security forces up here, and then I walked around talking to people, and got a nice dinner. Um'reli you have got to try this tea they have! I think you'd really like it."

"Oh? Thanks Melody, I will check it out next time we eat. Um, are you coming back? Omar is back too, he has a report about the High Line."

"I'm walking back to the train station now, I'll be home in a bit. No more than half an hour probably. Omar, do you want to tell me about it now while I walk or wait until I get back?"

"How about when you get back Melody. It still odd talking to people like this, it feels like I'm having a discussion with myself."

"Sure thing Omar, see you in a bit."

I make my way back to the hub station just as a train pulls away. As I watch it go, an Aviens is running down the platform. "No no no no, I can't miss my train! They're going to be so mad!" They reach the end of the platform and their feathers ripple and they look despondent.

"What's wrong? What about the next train?"

They look up at me and then see who I am and jump a little." E-Empress! I didn't expect to see you here. Um" And they bow.

"Yes yes, that's fine, but not really necessary unless I'm like, doing royal stuff. What's the matter? You sounded so sad."

"Oh Empress, that was the last train! There isn't another until tomorrow! I have to get back down to my home, my parents are going to be so upset to find out that I missed the last train home again and have nowhere to stay." They're practically in tears.

"Oh no! Well, I have to get down a level too so I can go home. I had no idea that was the last train - I'm still getting used to time here, it's different than where I'm from. Let me see what I can do. What's your name?"

"Oh, thank you, thank you Empress! My name is Sound of the City."

"It's so nice to meet you Sound of the City! Let's see about finding a way for both of us to get home."

I lead them to a seat on the platform and sit next to them. They snuggle up next to me and yawn deeply. Surprised, I look over and realize they're so young! It's just a child. If they were human, they might be a teen. All the more reason to get them home. I lean back a little and connect and search for the train subsystem.

Ah, there it is. They were right, that was the last scheduled train. Luckily though, when you're a Builder, you don't have to worry about things like schedules. Let's see, what train is closest... hmm? Whats that? There's something here marked 'Royal transport - offline' and it very close. Looks like it's over in a siding near here.

I dig a little deeper and it seems like it's a whole train just for the Empress. They must have used it when the previous Empress was traveling around the Reach. I remember in my dream how proud Aeche was of the transit system, I wonder if this was related to it? Well, it's the closest train, and this way I won't mess up tomorrows schedule either. I touch the train gently, and it activates. Basic systems check indicates nothing is wrong. I call the train. After only a minute, there's the trilling chime that indicates a train is coming.

"Sound, look. I found a train."

They blink sleepily and look up and gasp at what they see.

I have to admit, it is impressive. The Royal Transport is a subway train, but turned up loud. It's royal blue and gold and gilded with sweeping flowery designs. It's only three cars - the other trains seem to be between 6 and 10 cars - but what it lacks in length it makes up for in elegance.

I'm almost sad that the station is empty, this is something that needs to be seen.

"This train is beautiful, Empress! This is how we're going to get home?"

"Yup. It's the Royal Transport. It was designed for the Empress to move around the Reach in style."

We approach the door and I step in. It's carpeted! It's so plush. Sound of the City stands at the door, not coming in.

"What's wrong Sound? Come in"

"A-are you sure? It's a train for the Empress."

"And as Empress, I'm telling you it's fine. Please, come aboard. I'll take you home. It's only two stops."

I reach out my hand and they nervously take it and step in. The doors hiss shut behind us. I lead us to a seat and we both sit down. Only after we are seated does it begin to roll away, nearly silently. Sound once again snuggles up and is nearly asleep instantly. While we ride I search the train mentally. Oh! There's a log! The last time this train was used was...

74 years ago? That's it?

My head spins a bit. That's not that long at all. The Administrators had said that there hadn't been an Empress for 'three generations' I guess if they're not that long lived that could account for it. Also, given the robustness of what we build for space on our side of the galaxy, it would explain why things didn't really break down over here. It would also explain why the Gate system was almost completely intact. 74 years though. That's hardly any time at all in an interstellar empire.

But, the K'laxi! My last memories were of touching the Gate and doing an upload before going to visit them. They said that their histories and religion that mentions me and the Gates is a thousand years old.

What happened? Why were the K'laxi ignored? When did the last Empress touch the directory stone? The timing of everything doesn't make sense.

I really have no way of finding out here. Once High Line has been refitted, I think I need to go to the Wilds of Besmara, that mostly destroyed Starbase we saw first and see what happened there.

Then, the train rolls to a stop. Just as silently the doors hiss open and were back at my station. "Sound, wake up, we're here." I say gently. They rustle and blink and realizing they were sleeping on the Empress jump up, embarassed. "I'm so sorry!"

I laugh gently. "It's find Sound. I'm pretty tired too. Let me walk you home."

This is the latest I've been out, and the Reach is so quiet! The lights are down low, but it's still easy to see. Sound said they lived close to the station and they lead me there. It's a little block of apartments in between the bank and the Administrative offices. Convenient location, I bet this place was expensive.

As we approach the door, an older Aviens opens it ahead of us. Clearly upset they point a finger. "Sound of the City, you are late. How did you even get home, the last train arrived a while ago. Were you wandering around causing trouble after you got here?"

"No Father! I was working late to help Gemli finish up inventory and ran to catch the last train. I missed it, and thought I was done for when..." Sound gestures behind them to me. In the low light, I flare the crown and wings just for a moment and darken them again. There's a gasp and the adult Aviens bows low. "E-E-Empress! What are you doing here?"

"I too missed the last train home, and ran into Sound of the City weeping that they were going to be in trouble and had no way of getting home. I was able to call the Royal Transport and bring them and myself back home. I just wanted to make sure they made it home safely. I don't believe Sound should be punished, it seems that they got caught up helping a friend."

"O-of course Empress. Sound, get inside and wash up, it's past bedtime." Sound of the City hesitates a moment, then runs up and hugs me tight. "Thank you, Empress." and they wave and run inside.

"You're very welcome Sound of the City." I look at their parent and narrow my eyes just a bit. "They did not bother me, they did not put me out, I was helping because I wanted to. Do not give them trouble about this."

Their head bobs a nod. "Of course Empress. Thank you Empress, I really am grateful you brought them home. They get caught up helping friends and lose track of time. It's a regular occurrence with them."

"There are worse problems to have than being late because one is helping friends. People like that are what makes the Reach home."

"You're absolutely right Empress. I will do well to remember that."

"Good night then."

"Empress." The bow again and close the door gently.

I walk home, my head filled with worry about why the timeline for things isn't lining up. Something is wrong here.

Part 25

#humans are deathworlders #humans are space orcs #humans go on adventure #humans are space oddities #sci fi writing #writing #humans and ai #humans and aliens #the k'laxiverse #jpitha #just a little further

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