#i don't know WHAT it is - just that it's so so american

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Hedy Lamarr (Samson and Delilah, Ziegfeld Girl)—Look. I'm sure someone has already submitted Hedy Lamarr because she was spectacularly beautiful, and a very strong lady too: she fled both an abusive marriage AND nazi persecution at a very young age and rebuilt a life for herself pursuing her love for acting all on her own!! Her career as an actress was stellar; while she began acting outside of Hollywood (her very first movie, Ecstasy, won a prize at the Venice Film Festival), she conquered American hearts very quickly with her first movie in the US, Algiers, and then just kept getting better and better. If all this isn't enough, she was also an inventor: her invention of the frequency-hopping spread spectrum radio transmission technique forms the base of bluetooth and has a lot of applications in all kinds of communication technologies. I think that deserves a prize, don't you?

Marilyn Monroe (How to Marry a Millionaire, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Some Like It Hot)— Ngl I thought you all were lying about sexual attraction until I saw Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

This is round 6 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Hedy Lamarr:

The only person you can find both on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and in the Inventor's Hall of Fame--her radio-frequency-hopping technology forms the basis for cordless phones, wi-fi, and a dozen other aspects of modern life. She was also passionate in her efforts to aid the Allies in WWII (unsurprising for a Jewish-Austrian Emigree to America), and her name served as the backbone for one of the best running jokes in what is possibly Mel Brooks' best movie. Look, Louis B. Mayer apparently believed he could plausibly promote her as "The world's most beautiful woman". Is an entire website full of people going to be less audacious than one Louis B. Mayer? I didn't think so!

Described as "Hedy has the most incredible personal sophistication. She knows the peculiarly European art of being womanly; she knows what men want in a beautiful woman, what attracts them, and she forces herself to be these things. She has magnetism with warmth, something that neither Dietrich nor Garbo has managed to achieve" by Howard Sharpe, she managed to escape her controlling husband (and Nazi Germany) by a) Disguising as her maid and fleeing to Paris or b) Convincing the husband to let her wear all of her jewelry to a dinner, only to disappear afterwards. Also she was particularly clever and helped develop Frequency-Hopping Spread Spectrum (I can't really explain it but anyway...)

Her depiction of Delilah and Samson and Delilah just lives rent free in my head. The woman was gorgeous.

One of the most beautiful women ever in film, spoken by many critics and fans. Beautiful shapely figure, deeper seductive voice, and often played femme fatale roles. She was also brilliant and an inventor. Mainly self-taught, she invested her spare time, including on set between takes, in designing and drafting inventions, which included an improved traffic stoplight and a tablet that would dissolve in water to create a flavored carbonated drink, and much more.

Gorgeous and brilliant pioneer of modern technology and the middle part.

Marilyn Monroe:

She's amazing!!! A classic bombshell, as well as a strong women who overcame so many obstacles. She also advocated for others, like Ella Fitzgerald.

That fucking saxophone that cuts in whenever she appears on screen in Some Like it Hot

I mean, it's Marilyn Monroe. She's adorable. She's gorgeous. She funny. She's the total package

She's the original American sex symbol, an iconic beautiful woman with eyes you could get lost in, legs for days, gorgeous hair, and a cute tummy. Her voice! Just listen to her voice!!!!!

She is considered one of THE sex symbols of the 1960s and one of the greatest actresses of all time! She HAS to be on this list!

no vintage movie woman is more iconically hot

People are most familiar with pictures of her in the white dress or the Happy Birthday Mr President one, but imo she is at her most beautiful and looks most comfortable when she is photographed by women like Eve Arnold

It’s Marilyn Monroe. If Aphrodite was an actual person, she’d be Marilyn. Do I really need to say more?

What can I say that hasn't been said? Marilyn's legacy is so much bigger than she was in life. She's a defining symbol of 50s and 60s Hollywood sex and it's obvious why. She was absolutely stunning and the camera loved her.

#marilyn monroe #hedy lamarr #hotvintagepoll #fuck that old woman #ladies 6 #Youtube

[il-miele-che-scrive]

Lando Norris and [Y/n] Wolff are an on-and-off thing, fans think they're all good after [Y/n] releases a song supposedly about Lando, but they forget he's not the only Brit on the grid.

username1 HE LAUGHS AT ALL MY JOKES

↳username2 AND HE SAYS I'M SO AMERICAN

username3 sorry but in which part is y/n american?

↳username1 her mother, Y/m/n Y/l/n, is American and Y/n spent most of her life in the US after Y/m/n and Toto divorced

username3 oooh good to know, thank you!!

username4 I'm so happy to know Y/n and Lando are still together after all

↳username5 But they were never official

username4 But it's obvious! They were seen on dates many times, hanging out around Monaco, not to mention every time Y/n is in the paddock she spends more time in the McLaren garage than Mercedes'

username6 my fav nepo baby <3

username7 damn Lando must be doing a good job lol

username8 Y/n finally released a love song, everybody thank Lando

username9 Weren't there rumours about them being over forever just during the winter break?

↳username10 Toto would find a way to get Lando kicked out of F1 if he ever broke Y/n's heart lmao

username9 What does Toto gotta do with McLaren?

username10 He's rich? Lol

username9 And? Stroll's daddy is rich as well yet he can't make idk Verstappen disappear lol rich doesn't mean he can do anything he wants

username11 Guys I have a bad feeling, we actually haven't seen them together in a long time , I'm afraid they might be actually broken up for good

↳username6 I wouldn't read too much into it, Y/n studies in Monaco so she isn't able to attend races right now

username11 You sure? Y/n hasn't made a single appearance since the season started

username6 The season started in the middle of her uni year lol you ever thought of that?

↳username7 this is literally a love song, how are we even wondering if they broke up? she wouldn't release this if they were done

username6 THIS!! I feel like this song is a confirmation from Y/n that all is good, maybe she was tired of people talking if they're broken up or not

username5 Then why don't they make it official?

username6 that's not a question i can answer

username12 "I'll go anywhere he goes" then why aren't you attending races miss girl? Education can wait

↳username2 lmao it literally can't wait

username13 "the books you read" ma'am, Lando looks like he hasn't touched a single book his whole life

↳username12 And it's not like he dresses that well either, his style is nothing special

· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

y/n's texts with Lando

· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

username1 All men are the same I swear

↳username2 nooo I swear there are good ones, but that's just not Lando

username3 excuse me sir, y/n has just written a love song about you

username4 NOOOO THE WAY HE PUT HIS HAND ON THE GIRL'S LOWER BACK

↳username1 Him and Y/n are done frfr 😭

username5 Do we know who the girl is?

↳f1gossip Not yet, but I'm sure we'll know in no time

username6 Wtf is wrong with you, it's not her fault Lando can't focus on one woman

username7 But there's no way she didn't know about him and Y/n ;)

username6 There is/was no "Lando and Y/n", they never confirmed a relationship

username8 He's just won in Miami, I was hoping they'd make it official after that :(

↳username9 Sameeee it would be so cool

↳username10 Literally same, it'd be perfect

username11 Lando Norris, you disappoint me again

↳username12 at this point Y/n must be used to that lmao poor girl I hope she finds someone better

username13 WHAT DOES TOTO SAY ABOUT IT?

↳username3 Whats he supposed to say? Y/n is a grown woman, stop treating her like a baby

username14 I swear if we see Y/n back again with him after THIS I'm gonna break some dishes

↳username15 Yeah I hope she'll find some self respect and finally leave his ass

username16 Y/n I beg you to leave him, the d can't be THAT fire

yn_wolff posted on instastory

landonorris replied to your story:

↳mind if i join?

yn_wolff:

yeah lol don't join

landonorris:

i was gonna sail today anyway, what if we do it together?

hey i think i see u thru my window who are u with?

yn_wolff:

with dad and susie

stalker ass creep don't get anywhere near me today

landonorris:

I see another man

who is he?

*seen*

y/n answer me who is he

is that russell?

fucking russell wtf is he doing there

he better keep his hands away from you

what the fuck why are u hugging him

yn_wolff:

i'm hugging george and I'll do something worse if you don't stop with ur stalker shit

landonorris:

what the fuck do you mean y/n

yn_wolff:

don't worry, I'm sure that blonde girl would love to give you a hug, you should go see her

landonorris:

she's just a friend

y/n you're mine

she doesn't mean shit to me

don't show my texts to russell

yn_wolff:

Hello it's George, stop texting my girlfriend or we'll have to tell Toto

landonorris:

girlfriend?

username1 Right after? The Lando thing was yesterday

↳f1gossip Yeah, and this was this morning

username2 Whats Y/n doin with George? 🤨

↳username3 in case you forgot she's y/n WOLFF, the daughter of Mercedes' boss which GR drives for

username4 After seeing Y/n's story I hoped she's finally spending some time with Lando but...

↳username5 Have u seen what Lando posted? 😂

username4 What did he post?

username5 Oh apparently he deleted it already lol it was a story

username5 Anyway he posted like a lowkey thirst trap pic and the music he added was Tumblr girls by g eazy lmao

username4 Boohoo consequences of his own actions catching up

username5 Yeahh and he especially chose the verse that goes like "fucking off and on, always stop and go, probably got someone, choose not to know"

username6 Guys, I say we take in consideration the possibility of 'so american' being about George

landonorris Monaco weekend 🇲🇨☀

view all comments

username1 Why do I feel like he posted this just so people think Y/n was there with him even though there's not a single pic of her? 😂

↳username2 Bro why he want her when he can't have her anymore?

username3 get over it, it's your fault

username4 I feel like he's tryna say "Hey guys look, Y/n took these pics" but why would we believe it 💀

↳username1 Exactly!! We all KNOW she most likely spent the day with George

username5 Now all i think about when i see Lando is the story he deleted 😭

↳username6 totally hahah he literally called Y/n a bitch but also admitted that he can't help wanting other girls

username7 Wait when did this happen? When did he say that?

username6 he never said that, it's lyrics of a song he posted but quickly deleted

username5 He immediately regretted hahah

username8 @/maxfewtrell Tell Lando to behave, why are you even helping him with this bullshit?

username9 It's too late, you had your chance FOR HALF A YEAR and still chose to lead Y/n on, now she got someone else and you're being petty

↳username10 She let him lead her on for half a year? Damn it he should pay for her therapy

username9 I feel like she really hoped she can change him but realized "if you can't change the man, change the man"

username10 Very accurate lmao

username11 Guys, I believe Y/n and Lando were a thing for much more time than half a year, it was going on for at least a year, they were just very secretive about it

username9 Well, good for her to finally get out of this shit, she deserves so much better and I hope George will give her that

username1 I bet Toto loves his new son in law

↳username2 He has to be very relieved to know Y/n chose George eventually

username3 We still don't know if they're dating, remember George drives for Mercedes

username4 I really hope Lando is crying rn

username5 Now Lando for sure can't trick us into thinking Y/n was with him lmao

username6 I love George for saving Y/n

username7 I love them, they're all so old money, Y/n and George are a great match

username8 MY DELULU IS BECOMING TRULULU

username9 This is our confirmation that so american is about George

username10 I feel like Y/n upgraded at some point but at one point also downgraded

↳username2 Let's not talk about it, we should be happy for her and George, at least he won't treat her like an option

username11 George is literally THE MAN for Y/n, I'm so glad she finally realized that

↳username12 Chill, let's not assume stuff before we have any statement from them, we all know where assuming can get us

username13 This is my old money dream

username14 HEAR ME OUT but I'd actually love to see George and Y/n get married one day

↳username12 THIS is exactly where assuming can get us

yn_wolff Oh you'll like him, he's really kind andhe's funny like you sometimes, and I found someone I really like maybe for the first time

view all comments

username1 I'm so happy for them I'm gonna cry

lewishamilton Invite me next time!

↳georgerussell63 Toto said it was family only, I'm sorry, Lewis!

↳yn_wolff Ask Ferrari to invite you wtf

username1 lmao only Y/n Wolff can talk to a 7 times world champion like that

username2 YESSSS IT'S OFFICIAL

↳username1 Y/n is officially free from Lando!!

username3 I love the vibes, I love the fact that Y/n is dating a driver from her dad's team, I love the fact that Toto accepts it

↳username4 He must've been going CRAZY when Y/n had the situationship with Lando

username3 Absolutely and I think we all know about Toto's anger issues lol

susie_wolff 💝

↳yn_wolff 🩷

ymn_yln I hope George knows he's welcome in America too 😊

↳yn_wolff Of course!! We have a plane on Friday❤️

↳georgerussell63 I wanted to take Y/n to Miami so we can visit after the GP, but she refused 😔

yn_wolff Shut up I have uni!!

georgerussell63 It can't be more important than me meeting your mum

lilymhe Beautiful couple 😚

↳yn_wolff @/susie_wolff it's about you and dad💕

lilymhe Might as well be 😂

username3 Susie and Toto literally are Y/n and George in like 20 years lmao

alex_albon Finally, no more secrets

↳username2 ALBONO KNEW?

username4 Phew I can't imagine how much stress it was for him 😂

username5 George just MIGHT be the guy which so american is about...

username6 Something about this relationship makes me feel so at peace and I don't even know them in person

charles_leclerc Someone check on Lando😂

↳yn_wolff Charles 💀

username5 Is he wrong tho

username7 I laughed harder than I should've

↳username8 Betting all my money he's regretting all his actions

username9 As he should tbh imagine leading sb on for about a year, people who do this are evil

username8 Yeah, that was so wrong of him

username10 No but I need to know what books George reads tho

landonorris 👍

↳yn_wolff Stalker ass you don't even follow me

↳username4 THE AUDACITY

landonorris I hope you'll have fun while it lasts

↳yn_wolff YOU'RE the one to speak about lasting

↳georgerussell63 Not your place to worry about it🙂

username5 THE EMOJI MAKES IT SO FUNNY FOR NO REASON

username1 "THE WAY YOU DRESS, THE BOOKS YOU READ" he dresses well✅ he looks like he reads✅

username2 He's the perfect man for Y/n frfr

username3 I'm so happy that it's not about Lando after all, I was like girl he's treating you like shit and you write a love song??

username4 I've been waiting for it for YEARS

username5 So they had a thing for no longer than since the end of winter break and already made it official

↳username2 Something Lando couldn't do for almost a whole ass year lmao

username6 But have y'all noticed how obsessed with Y/n Lando is suddenly?

↳username1 of course he is, that's how it works, he's been rejected so his fragile ego is hurt

username3 He's even liking fans' edits of Y/n😭man is manifesting hard but I doubt anything can help him

username7 Good to know George's hands are warmer than hell, they don't look like it

username8 Girlie deserved a man who doesn't have commitment issues aka is a real man, I'm glad she got him

username9 Y'all think Lando reads Y/n x reader fanfics?👀

↳username1 Totally

↳username2 I can imagine it

↳username3 He'll do it until his delulu becomes trululu (it'll never happen🔥)

username10 I'll laugh so hard if now Lando will now stop fooling around with other girls 😂

username11 Can't wait for a whole album full of love songs about him

↳username12 I don't think we'll have to wait for long

#f1 imagine #f1 x reader #f1 fanfic #formula 1 x reader #f1 smau #f1 social media au #george russel x reader #George Russell imagine #George Russell smau #George Russell social media au #Lando Norris x reader #Lando Norris imagine #Lando norris smau #Lando norris social media au

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

Hi,

I am very much not american so I must admit that my first impulse when seeing all the rap/racism discourse was something like "do I really need to consume more american culture, it's fucking everywhere already". Idk but to me it feels like american/english-speaking culture absolutely dominates a lot of the world, sometimes at the cost of out own cultures and languages, if something is in English it is "good", if it is in own own languages it is "bad". Musicians often start singing in English and more american-like after a while to get bigger. We value American culture and music, they mock our accents (and languages sometimes) and best case scenario see us as funny and silly.

Then I started thinking. Do you think that americans kind of see rap kind of like foreign music still? Like low-brow unexotic foreign music.

I don't know this is a really fresh thought and I'm not sure if I am explaining it very well.

hey first off I just want to say -

you are entirely correct in your reaction that people outside of America/the English-speaking world do not need more American culture thrust upon them! this discussion is extremely centered on Americans, the reception and reaction to rap within America, and excuses that white American use to avoid interacting meaningfully with Black culture, art, and ideas. while anti-Blackness as an issue obviously extends far outside of America, this particular conversation is deeply tied to American culture. I appreciate you pointing that out!

I also think you're point about rap, and by extension other Black artforms, being Othered in American pop culture. certainly in terms of language, African American Vernacular English (AAVE), which is utilized by many rappers, is still heavily disputed in its validity as a "real" language, with many dismissing it as a bastardized version of "proper" English and associating it heavily with those who are lower-class and uneducated. in a similar way to many international artists having to work in English to gain wider recognition and validation, many Black Americans are proficient in "code switching," the practice of switching between AAVE that they likely grew up speaking and an English dialect that is considered more "professional."

similarly, I think your use of the term "low-brow" is very apt. Black music has always been met with distrust and disdain by white audiences. there's a reason that so many people feel the need to bring up sex, drugs, and violence when they talk about rap; to many white cultural gatekeepers that was all rap was. (and, like, we should very much talk about why that is in and of itself a bad thing, when white crime is so often glorified in pop culture. why is the Godfather a classic masterpiece but Black men making art about their own experiences with racism, violence, poverty, and survival don't deserve serious consideration?) and that didn't start with rap! in the early 20th century jazz, also a Black creation, was seen as dangerous for promoting promiscuity among nice white teens. no matter what Black people make, white cultural gatekeepers will find a way to start a moral panic about it.

the reverse also happens as well, with Black people being treated as foreigners even in music genres that they helped pioneer. Black Americans were hugely formative in the early days of country, but are met with hostility in the contemporary country scene. Lil Nas X's Old Town Road was one of the biggest songs of the year it was released and undeniably country but was largely snubbed by country music community, and Beyoncé's new country album, Cowboy Carter, is a direct response to her hostile reception at the Country Music Awards in 2016.

the point being, yes, I don't think it's off-base to say that, to many Americans, rap and Black music and art generally are like... very optional and avoidable parts of pop culture in the way that more white-dominated genres are not, similarly to a lot of international and especially non-English art.

[andysorbit]

Fair and Square (M)

Idol!Mark x fem!reader

genre: smut, light fluff, blink-and-you'll- miss-it angst

warnings: overstimulation, dacryphylia, oral sex (fem receiving), unprotected sex (I'm not telling yall shit about protection. I ain't ya mama.), breeding kink, reader has a bellybutton piercing, slight degradation, mentions of cock warming

word count: 1.3k (I'm lying dude I do not have even a scrap of a clue)

hi @calibabii21... I apologize for the late birthday gift but... I intended to do damage with this one hehe. I hope I was successful 🙂‍↕️

graphics by @cafekitsune! thank you for what you do!!!

please reblog and leave feedback!

"Two months isn't even that long, Mark," You say into his fluff of hair. The unwatched movie plays as you hold him close and he nestles his head against your chest; his breath fans against your skin and all would be right with the world if he wasn't leaving for a South American tour in the morning.

"Don't gaslight me," Mark groans, "And you're still gonna wait til after I get back to get that bellybutton piercing, right?"

You fall quiet and look at the new movie that's loading on the television. Mark shifts to look at you, "Y/n, you gotta let that thought marinate... Like, babe... Two months is plenty of time to really make sure this is what you wanna do."

"Mark..." You say sitting up. "Jesus of Nazareth, I don't wanna debate this," he chuckles. You watch his gaze drop down as his cheeks burn red. After all this time, he still can't look at you for too long without getting flustered. "Bruh, I literally just sat up," You tease him.

"With the quickness," he shoots back, "At least wait for me to come back so I can hold your hand or something..." You shrug and lean forward to kiss him, eyes fluttering shut as you let him lead. "How could you leave me for two months? That's jerk behavior," You mumble against his lips.

"I thought two months wasn't even that long? See how you like lyin' to me?" he sighs; hands grabbing at your hips to pull you into his lap.

"Dude, what are you up to?" Mark asks you suspiciously. His eyebrows quirk up and he eyes you, "You have that face. Spit it out, Y/n, c'mon."

You shrug, the bellybutton ring is his surprise for later and as much as you would love to show it to him now, you know it'll be worth it to wait. His absence over the past two and a half months has been torture but it's all led up to a moment you know he'll love. Or at least you hope he will.

You turn to him and slip your arm over his torso, "I'm happy to see you. Stop being a jerk," You chuckle softly and with that, he's kissing you like it's the first time he's breathed since the last time he saw you, "You look prettier... That's kinda crazy actually because..."

Mark's random yap spirals is one of the reasons you couldn't leave this man even if you wanted to. It's a wholesome thing he just can't help but fall into when he's with you. You throw your leg over his and his gentle tangent fizzles out, "I'm not gonna be upset if you're trying to get me to nail you to the bed- I mean... I was only gone for eighty-three years... Actually... Come here."

Mark rolls onto back, t-shirt riding up to show the waistband of his CK briefs, "Come have a seat."

You straddle him, "Lazy boy," You chuckle and your hands press down on the firmness of his chest to steady yourself. "Like the sofa," he counters as he guides your hips to drag you back and forth over the swelling bulge in his pants.

"Mark... please," You beg, "Please... Want you so bad." Mark grips your thighs firmly; stopping the rocking motion for a moment, "Is there something you wanna tell me before I take your clothes off?" he asks you. Pausing for a moment you eye him; your mouth opens then closes.

"Is there, Y/n?"

You shrug, "I missed you?" You ask sheepishly. "You did it, didn't you? Of course you did cuz you're fuckin' hard-headed," he sighs and he lifts your t-shirt, "Oh... fuck."

Mark's expression softnes but his dick doesn't and he softly touches the piercing. It's his turn to buffer. Opening his mouth, he takes in a shaky breath before releasing slowly and you smile, "Markie Mark... Say something?" You pipe up.

Fingers still softly toying with the piercing, Mark looks up at you, "It's all healed up?" he asks. You nod.

"What the fuck did you do- get it the same day I left? Y/n, c'mon, baby, really?" he asks incredulously. He's visibly pissed but equally as turned on and you notice it but you pretend not to.

You frown, feeling guilty at the traces of disappointment laced in his tone. "No... I made the appointment the next day and they had a last minute cancelation so they told me to come," You explain. "Oh, okay cool so the very next day," Mark says sarcastically, "That's just great." "Are you mad at me?" You ask him softly. Mark shakes his head, "No way. I just... Like you always keep me in a good place mentally and sometimes I just wanna be your voice of reason and you say I'm your emotional bra so I just wanted to be there for you... Y'know... for support... because that's what bras do..."

You lean forward and kiss him softly, "You're right and I'm sorry," You whisper, "M'sorry... I just... I wanted to surprise you but also I got bored and... I know what you said and you were right but I... I thought maybe you didn't want me to get it done." Mark kisses you back, "Not you demoting me to shitty boyfriend. It's your body and I love you with or without the piercing. I like whatever you like... I'm a simp!"

Mark flips you both over and you softly thud against the mattress, "What's wrong with that?" You laugh. "Nothin'... Not a damn thing... Now... Miss Bellybutton Piercing... I can't let this slide so what do you think I should do?" he's still playful but his eyes are longing and he touches the cool metal of the piercing again. "I thought you said it was okay?" You say with mock disappointment, "I still have to pay for my sins?"

Mark nods, "Nothing is free." You bite your bottom lip and hold his gaze, "Is the price hefty?" You ask him quietly. He nods again and dips down to kiss you, "Oh, honey," he hums; scattering kisses across your face, "Oh, baby... sweetie... cupcake... cutie pie... babygirl..." he presses his tongue to the pulse at the base of your throat and drags it up your chin before pressing a hot kiss to your lips, "You have no idea."

You try to hold onto him but he moves down your body and leaves a trail of kisses as he goes. He stops at your bellybutton and licks the piercing and you skin shivers. The room heats up as Mark drags your panties down, "Make sure you keep score of how many times I make you cum," he bends your legs at the knees and parts them, "That's how many times I want you to tell me you're sorry, okay?"

You nod, "Okay... I'll try," You whisper as you squeeze your eyes shut. Mark nestles himself betwen your legs, "Look at me." You open your eyes and look down at him. Holding your gaze, he takes your hands and brings them to the top of his head, "No trying... Just do it. That shouldn't be too hard since you're so good at staying busy when I'm not around," he says and with that, he's devouring you.

His tongue strokes against your clit fervently and you whine, "Daddy, please!" The sensation is almost too much already. Mark hums, "Now it's 'daddy please', before it was 'yeah fuck that guy'... The nerve," he chides; playfulness lifting his tone a bit as he presses hot, open-mouthed kisses to your pussy.

"Daddy..." You whimper. Your thighs begin to shake and you wriggle your hips, "Gonna cum, daddy... love your tongue, daddy. Fuckin' love it." Mark flicks his tongue over your clit then sucks the pulsing bundle of nerves into his mouth. You reach down to grab Mark's hair and pull his head closer to you; hips bucking wildly and eyes squeezed shut. Your skin burns hot as you chase your orgasm and you cry out when the release washes over your body. Colors swirl behind your eyes and the bubble of pleasure that you were just floating in bursts.

Mark isn't even stopping to give you a moment to recover.

"M- Mark... fuck... Please, daddy... Please, baby..." You plead as you try to push his head away. Mark chuckles against your pulsing heat, "If you can beg and keep score then be my guest but if your apologies don't match up, I'm gonna start back at one but that's fair enough, right?" he explains teasingly. He sucks your clit back into his mouth and you squeal; not knowing of you want him to stop or not, you grab his hair.

He brings you to your peak again and you feel the tears beginning well up in your eyes, "No more, daddy... m'sorry! Oh fuck... daddy, please," You plead. Mark pulls back for a second, "Save the apologies for after. Stop cheating," he says smugly before pressing a kiss to you pussy. He rises up; sitting on his haunches, "Come kiss me," he says and waits for you with the faintest hint of a smirk.

You clamber over to him and he grabs the back of your head. You know how rough Mark intends for this kiss to be but as always, his adoration for you wins and he kisses you like you're his lifesource. "Taste yourself... How lucky am I, right?" he mumbles against your eager lips.

You whine again when Mark lets you go and you watch as he pulls his t-shirt off before staring at you expectantly. "I... What d'you want... what should I do?" Mark smirks, "Oh you're waiting for me to take your nightgown off?" he chuckles, "Get busy, miss independent."

You frown, "But you always do it... And you said before you were gonna do it." Mark slips his hand between your thighs, "Oh, but I also said before that you should wait for me to come back- stop cherry picking."

"I'm not, daddy," You beg. "And on top of that..." Mark ponders, "You said you'd wait for me to come back home but you didn't... Doesn't that make you a liar, baby? Huh?" he strokes you just the way you love it, "Daddy, daddy, daddy... Fuck me... Please, daddy. Oh my God, daddy," You release again, "Daddy, please... please."

Mark releases you and pushes you down onto the mattress, "How many so far?" he asks you softly. You freeze for a moment, your eyes stuck on his and your body shaking violently, "I- uh... three," You reply. Mark chuckles as he comes down to kiss you, "You weren't sure for a second. Love that..." he sits back up and pushes down the waistband of his Adventure Time pajama bottoms along with his briefs. He presses into you slowly and fills you as he bottoms out, "That pussy sucks me in every time, baby... Every fuckin' time," he rumbles against your ear; hips drawing back to pull out of you and he looks down at your swollen pussy to watch as his cock disappears inside you.

You spread your legs wider and accept him just as you always do. Eagerly. You shriek as his fingers draw circles against your clit, "No, Mark, no, Mark, no Mark," You babble as you finally break. Tears roll down the side of your head and your body jolts violently from the collision of his hips against yours. Mark laughs devilishly, "Aw, my baby... Is this too much for you?" he purrs. "Y-yes," You whimper. Mark shakes his head ever so gently, "No, it's not."

You whine louder and heave with each stroke of Mark's fingers over your clit. "You know I'm not gonna cum inside you tonight... Can't stop thinking about how good you'd look with my cum on your stomach."

You nod stupidly and clench around his thick cock, "Daddy," You groan and his fingers speed up. This time, you sob weakly as you come undone, body too weak to anything other than to lie there limply.

"I know you like this shit because you're such a nasty little girl. I don't like being mean to you but you make me do this, baby. You gotta listen to me sometimes. You gonna listen to me more often?" Mark lolls against the corner of your mouth. You nod.

"There you go lyin' again," he chortles, "Last one. Let's make it count." Mark pulls out of you and moves you onto your stomach. Raising your ass into the air, he gives it a slap, "Up."

You raise up and he pulls you close to him; his left arm circles across your torso and he guides himself back into you, "One more time, mama. You're almost done," he coos, "Cum on my dick, baby." His fingers press harder against you and you suck in a deep breath, clenching as Mark fucks into you. You cry; damp body spent and face wet with tears, you clench your pussy as you cum around his cock. Incoherent whines fill the room as you release. You see stars behind your eyelids and Mark pushes your upper half down, "How many times are you gonna apologize to me?" he asks as he grabs your hips. You let out a shaky breath and sob into the mattress; yelping in surprise when Mark pulls out of you and turns you over onto your back.

"How many times, Y/n?" he presses as he traps your arms above your head. "Daddy, please," You squeak desperately. Mark rolls his hips, pubic bone massaging your clit. "How many?" he repeats.

"Four?" You whimper with only a pinch of confidence. Mark quickly pops that bubble too.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Y-yes?"

"Was that a statement? It sounded like a question, Y/n. Are. You. Sure?"

"I am! I am, I am, I am... I'm sure... Daddy, please."

"Good... now apologize," he grunts, "Look at me and apologize. If you look away, I'll make you start over." You wriggle in an attempt to stop his hips from stimulating you so well. You look up at him, "Y- you... said- no... no more," You sob. "Okay so I lied... Are you gonna do something about it?" he asks you and you know he's checking to see if you're in need of the safeword. "I'm- so-rry," You hiccup as you hold his gaze; determined to finish what he started. He gives you a proud smirk, "You're so fucking pretty when you cry for me, baby... So gorgeous..." he praises you as his own orgasm builds up almost entirely. He's waiting for you to finish apologizing. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" You cry as you release one last time, body finally giving out. You shake and tremble as Mark pulls out of you, "Fuck, baby... Gonna cum," he moans as he squeezes your wrists and bot tighter. It hurts and you moan at the dull ache. Mark jerks himself off, finishing with a spent moan as he paints his cum across your lower abdomen; focusing especially on your piercing, "Yeah, baby... that's it," he mumbles and lays down on top of you

Your trembling body relaxes when Mark sandwiches you comfortably between his own body and the mattress and he kisses you as he eases his cock back into you, "Okay, young lady, good job." He flips you both onto your sides and you lay sticky against each other; thoughts of changing bed sheets and doing laundry miles away.

Mark kisses your cheek, "Are we good? Are we fair? Are we square?" he asks you playfully. He peppers kisses all over your face and you grab his chin to shower him in your own kisses of adoration. "Uh huh... we are. Yeah," You chuckle and he hugs you close, "Fair, square, and in love," he mumbles.

You nod weakly, "Hell yeah, dude."

Mark kisses your neck, "Oh, can tell you something?" he murmurs into your skin. You nod slowly, "Go for it, baby."

"So uh... you said I made you cum four times but I really have no fuckin' idea," he says as he bursts out laughing, "When I asked you if you were sure I was serious!" You rub slow circles into his back and laugh weakly, "I had a feeling you didn't know but at least you weren't a jerk about it," You hum contently.

"I dunno... I made my baby cry," he whispers smugly. You hug him closer, "Okay now you're being a jerk."

Thank you for reading!!!!

#andysorbit #k-labels #kvanity #nct smut #nct 127 smut #nct hard hours #nct hard thoughts #nct dream smut #mark lee smut #mark lee fic #ambw kpop #kpop ambw #ambw smut #nct x black!reader #kpop smut for black girls #kpop smut #nct #nct 127 #nct dream

[ldysmfrst]

American Mate (7) - Is This a Joke

Paring: Hybrid!BTS Ot7 x Plus-sized Human FemReader

Status: Ongoing series

Chapter number: 6 of unknown

Word count for Chapter: 7391

Work count for Story: 31,321

Genre: Hybrid Playmate Au inspired by works created by @yoongiofmine

A little about the author: I am a mother of two beautiful children. One of which is special needs, and on 3/28, they lost 75% of their vision. I started a Patreon if you feel the heart to donate towards helping with the medical costs of appointments, medication, and modifications to the house, which insurance doesn't cover.

Warnings: (I am not good at this, but I will try. Let me know if I missed anything!!) NOT BETA READ!! This story will have a bit of angst, fluff, smut, f/m, m/m, and m/f/m. This chapter does have Anxiety, arguments, comfort, Alpha Space, close proximity, and scenting.

Story Summary: The Hybrid K-pop group BTS is on tour in America; of course, things don't start out the way they should, but after an encounter with Y/n, things change but will everyone follow Fate?

Silence. 

Total silence.

No one was breathing. Hell, your heart even stopped. Did he seriously just tell you to become a playmate? How can he think that is even a possibility? It is not like one can just become a playmate.

Unknown to you, the pack's eyes shoot to Namjoon, just as shocked as you because he never shared this proposition with them before making it. That is not an option that they thought of.  The scents in the room turned this way and that with confusion, shock, and concern.

Why would he suggest that they limit their actions to only what a playmate can do? You are their mate. You are not a toy to play with. How does this promise anything besides you having to stay near them and service them as a companion?  

The whole idea of a playmate was to take care of them, be their friend, help them relieve stress, or become a rut fuck buddy. Playmates were never meant to be a long-term commitment. While they wouldn't mind you doing any of that as their mate, the title of Playmate would make you think of everyone as only a job, right?

Giggling rings in the room, and the sound causes everyone to snap their eyes at you as their thoughts come to a halt. Under normal circumstances, such an angelic sound would have them cooing. This time, it has their ears standing straight, their hackles raised, and their Alphas pacing in their minds. 

Your giggling bubbled to outright laughter as you looked at Namjoon with a slightly crazed look on your face causing his smile to change into confusion as his confidence in his choice melted away. 

"You're joking, right? Hahahaha. Pft... haha… playmate… me!" You looked around the room to see you were the only one laughing, which only caused you to laugh even more. Your scent was spiking in so many ways that the boys were getting dizzy from it.

"You have GOT to be kidding me. This is … am I a joke to you?" You stand abruptly and stomp closer to Namjoon and Seokjin, making the boys startle with your movement

“Do I look like a Playmate?” you ask while gesturing to your whole body and spinning around to accentuate your point.

"I have been doing nothing but abiding by Yoongi’s and the pack’s wishes since I got hurt,” with a deep breath, you close your eyes and stand as tall as your scent shuts off like it was never there to begin with.

“And now you are toying with me." Shaking your head, you mumble, “Just like everyone else.”

"Miss Y/n," Namjoon starts trying to explain himself, but all you can think of is excuses and lies which you have heard before that he might come up with if you let him keep going. 

"No," snapping your eyes open and pinning them on the Prime Alpha. 

"No excuses,” you step back.

“No lies,” another step.

“No more playing fun and games.” You turn to Jungkook with wide, panicked eyes, and you demand, “I need the address of this Airbnb so that I can call Derek or Evie to come and get me.”

“I want nothing to do with this sick joke,” voice cracking at your declaration. You must get out of here before you start crying, which is your next step. 

You really want to cry out of frustration because you thought they would be different. You may not consider yourself Army, but Lily was, and with how highly he talked about the kindness of BTS, you thought they would be different. 

Then again, it's you, the plus-sized four-eyed nobody. Why would the hottest band in the world treat you as anything other than entertainment to just pass the time.

You see Jungkook, one of two who actually helped you calm down before, ignoring you and nervously picking at the rip in his jeans. Then you finally notice that everyone is actively avoiding looking at you and realize that no one is coming to your aid. You stand tall and steel yourself to find someone who will, like their manager.

“I am going home.” Heading towards the hall, you are stopped by your black tail leash and a hand on your good wrist.  Taking a forceful breath, "Mr. Min."

You turn to face him, only to be met with powerful golden-yellow eyes that stop you in your tracks. You have seen them before, but they have never been this close. The molten gold bleeding into a darker brass surrounding the oblong jet-black pupil.

He steps forward to where you stand, making you practically nose-to-nose with the Alpha jaguar. His eyes searching yours. 

His scent crashes over the room like a storming ocean wave. Yoongi may not be the Prime Alpha, but he is strong enough to be one if he wants to be. It is this strength and dominance that cause the members of the pack to hold on to each other, waiting for his next move.

He slowly reaches up and wipes away a tear you didn’t notice was falling. Bringing the tear to his lips, his tongue darts to taste it, and his face scrunches with deep concern.

"Y/n scent gone. Tastes hurt. Pain," he says as his hand returns to your face, cupping your cheek. The warmth only makes it that much harder for you to keep your tears at bay. 

Yoongi moves to leave the living room with you in tow. He takes hold of your good hand and says, "Come. Keep Safe. Promise. "

You don’t answer, glancing down at the hybrids within your view. After a few more seconds, he looks past you with narrowed eyes at his Prime Alpha. 

“Leave alone." Making the decision for you, Yoongi, gently but without room for struggle, walks you out of the living room. 

Stopping in the hall, he looks at the door in front of him and then at the staircase down the hall. He turns to you. "Room?" He points to the closed door and then to the stairs. "Den?"

"Umm.." you look at the door, the stairs, and then back at the entryway to the living room. Looking at Yoongi, all you can think of is to get away from them all so you know your answer. "Den."

One moment is desperation. Next is shock, betrayal, anger, hurt, and now you shut your scent off. So many emotions in so little time, ending with you being pulled away by the protective jaguar from his packmates. 

The next thing Namjoon knows, a pillow hits the side of his head from an unknown packmate. Turning to look for who it was, he gets hit by another. This one, however, ends up landing on Seokjin as well, causing the shock that had settled over the room to break.

"What the hell was that?!?!" Seokjin demands after hearing you go upstairs with Yoongi. Standing up, he walks over to the other side of the room. 

"Prime Alpha, with all due respect… have you lost your mind?" questions Taehyung, leaning back on the couch with arms crossed as he does his best to hold his Alpha back from taking over and storming up the stairs after you.

"Guys, think about it! She can pay for her flat and keep her independence. Come on… just think, it would require her not to leave our side for the length of the contract," Namjoon defends himself.

"Yeah, the contract! That is all she will think it is—a contract. A job. We will only be a source of income for her, Hyung," Jungkook complains, his legs jumping with nerves. Throwing the pillows did his anger no good.

"Namjoon, you know the rules and regulations that fall on Playmates. You know that she won't qualify, and I am not just talking about the ridiculous physical standards that they have in place. She is supposed to take care of us and be there for us. There is cooking, cleaning, and stuff. How can she do that with a broken wrist, huh?" Hoseok chimes in. “How can you ask that of her?”

Standing from the chair, Namjoon circles around it. Gathering his thoughts, he rests his hands on the back of it, almost like it's a wall between him and his mates. "She will be able to care for us. Listen. Rules of a Playmate are pretty much what you said, Hobah.”

“Don’t you Hobah me right now, Namjoon! You are on thin ice. If you cost us our mate, you will not find yourself having a good time—at least not from me any time soon.”

“Sorry, Hoseok-hyung,” Namjoon says, his scent filling with a slight smokiness as he starts to understand just how much he may have messed up. 

“But really, think about it. The contract requires her to be with us at the packhouse or when we go somewhere, correct?"

Seeing his packmates nod, he continues, "This, technically, does not mean she has to do anything other than physically be there. No typing, cleaning, cooking, or labor of any kind. She isn’t required to do it unless we ask for it."

"She will take care of us by letting us care for her. All of our Alphas will be happy to do so while she is healing. We all know that Yoongi-hyung will not be able to perform or do anything well if he is concerned that Y/n is not healing well.”

“She already is instinctually being a mate, by allowing our Alphas to act on their instincts. Having her as a playmate will also be the best way for her to care for herself without financial stress. She is independent, and this way, she can keep that while learning to depend on us as mates."

"During that time, we will care for her and follow our instincts. We must show how well we can provide for her by tending to her needs, protecting her, and loving her as only her mates can."

"You want us to court her while she is our Playmate?" Jimin asks, watching the Prime Alpha nod. He looks around at the others, who now have contemplating looks on their faces. “I don’t get how this will work.”

"Namjoon, I can see what you mean and this may work, but what if she doesn't let us?” Hoseok questions.

“I want to cuddle with her, feed her, and feel her, but she wouldn't even take a bottle of water. She tried to run to a solo seat in the van to keep her distance from us. What makes you think that she would feel comfortable accepting our courting gestures?" Hoseok continues challenging the Prime Alpha. "What happens when we interact with each other? How will she be comfortable joining in or being around that?"

"Do what you did with me," Jungkook says shyly. "Show her that we are in it for more than just her being our playmate. That the companionship declared by the contract is required is not what we are wanting because we are wanting something so much deeper and stronger.”

Looking around the room with his big doe eyes, he continues, “She doesn't seem to mind cuddling with me. Next time we cuddle, maybe someone else can join. Or Anyone can try to just cuddle with her, and then if we are cuddling with each other, we can invite her to join in."

"Jungkook is right. Baby steps are our best bet," Namjoon smiles knowing he has the youngest on his side now. “She may not even know what hybrid courting looks like.”

“Y/n has seen plenty of playmate and client interactions. Two of our mates already connect with her on an instinctual level. Since none of us use playmates for our ruts, that won’t be required for her as our playmate.”

“She doesn’t know that though, Hyung,” Jimin whines, “How do we let her know that part but also that she isn’t going to be a regular playmate for us, like the one who left us?”

Silence fills the room as everyone is deep in thought. 

Hoseok jumps up, “What if we showed her the other contracts we had had? Show her that we are exclusive to packmates for our ruts. This way, she doesn’t think we just want her for sex but for friendship to start with?”

Smiling at his words, Namjoon adds, “Good. Now, we just need the rest of us to follow Yoongi-hyung and Jungkook.  We need to find ways to deepen our connection with her. Show her how we interact as mates, then our desire for her and what we are meant to be for her.”

"Wh… What happens when the contract ends?" Taehyung worries. 

After a beat of silence, Soekjin speaks up while looking down the hall, "When the contract ends, we hope she understands that she is our mate and we did our job to prove we are the mates she deserves."

“But first, we need her to understand that she is worthy of being a mate, to begin with,” Hoseok adds.

‘Become our playmate... become our playmate… Our Playmate.’ The words are replaying in your mind. His look of confidence is seared into your brain. Pressing your palms to your eyes as hard as possible, you try to think of what is going on in his head to propose that idea. 

The door opens, and you drop your hands to see Yoongi standing a little to the side. “Den not…um… no time but ready,” he says, looking around the room and then back at you.

“I understand you haven't settled in yet. Alpha, may I come in?”

At his nod, you went into the room. It looks similar to the guest room, but it is a bit larger. There is a bed on each side of the room, with a lovely natural wood shelving unit splitting the room in half. There are plenty of windows to brighten the space on both sides.

On one side, luggage lies unopened on the bed. On the other side, luggage is opened on the ground, and some clothes are tossed around. Looking over your shoulder at the Alpha, you hug yourself and wait for him to tell you where to go. 

Yoongi notices your hesitance and starts gently pushing at your upper back. He then guides you past the bed to the attached bathroom you didn’t notice.

Inside, the marble on the counters and walls is beautiful black, white, and gold. There is a double sink, a shower that looks like it has enough shower heads for an entire house and a large jacuzzi tub. 

You get lost in wonder at the richness of the bathroom alone, and it also allows Yoongi to hug you from behind, catching you off guard. 

“Y/n, sorry. Pack, sorry,” he says softly as he rests his head on your shoulder. “Take bath. Relax. Then talk. Towel and clothes on toilet. Outside. I will guard.” 

With that, he leaves and shuts the bathroom door. 

Well, that apparently was not a suggestion, but a bath does sound nice, and it would be the easiest way of keeping your brace dry. Moving to the tub, you turn on the faucet and take notice of the different bath salts, scrubs, and bombs.  

After picking a violet and vanilla bath bomb, you slowly undress. Yeah, buttons are not your friend anymore. Slipping into the bath, you think about your day. So much has happened in the last 24 or so hours.

1 - BTS shows up two weeks early when the big shots are still gone. 

2 - They hate all the playmates we offered for whatever reason.

3 - You (and they) sent mixed signals from the moment of arrival.

4 - Yoongi and you got into an accident.

5 - You broke your wrist, which will take forever to heal.

6 - They want you to be a playmate.

Now, you are kicking yourself for not attending some of the seminars on the second gender of hybrids. You essentially learned what you do because you grew up with Evie and her pack.

Your mom had moved you and your brother to California when you were still in elementary. Your brother, however, was in high school already and had a tendency to travel whenever he could. You might as well have been an only child. 

When you were unloading (getting in the way of) the moving truck, the neighbors noticed your attempts to help and decided to have you come over to their house. Once the beta Tabby hybrid noticed you ‘helping,’ he introduced you to Evie, and that was it. The two of you were hardly ever separated to the point Evie’s family included you in some of their pack trips. 

The only thing was that Evie’s pack didn’t have an Alpha, so you never got a chance to learn anything about them. With how strong Evie’s dad, Earl, was, the pack never sought out an Alpha. You didn’t have much exposure in Colorado, and as far as you knew, Alphas were not very common to run into. Plus, you were human, so why would it be something to worry about to begin with?

Well, apparently, you should have learned something when you took the job at PMS because now you were surrounded by Alphas with little… actually, let’s be honest, no knowledge aside from what you have learned since they walked through the office doors.

“Manager-nim, we need your help. Miss Y/n’s wrist is broken, and she cannot use it for upwards of eight weeks.”

Taking a sharp breath, Manager Sejin starts formulating options: “How did she take it?”

“Well, she took that rather well. She is rightfully concerned about how to function in her day-to-day life without her dominant hand. Also concerned with her… umm… her employment,” Namjoon beats around the bush, not wanting to get yelled at by his manager for his proposal like he was from his pack.

Silence is what comes from the other side of the call. “Manager-nim?”

Placing the container, he is holding down and braces himself against the counter. Manager Sejin has been with the pack since the beginning, and he knows when Namjoon isn’t saying what really needs to be said. “What did you do, now?” 

“I offered her to stay at the packhouse as I should, being the Prime Alpha. Told her we would care for her til she healed and that she would not have to worry about paying for anything while she was here. She did bring up concerns about her flat and other bills,” he paused, taking a breath, “ so … itoldhertobecomeourplaymate.”

The next thing Namjoon hears is animalistic chattering intermixed with very human cursing. Yeah, that’s not a good sign. The manager is skilled at keeping his hybrid hamster behaviors at bay unless there are very strong emotions involved.

“Manager-nim, you see, it would keep her with us so that we can fulfill our responsibilities as Alphas. It would allow for her to still work, keep her flat, and not compromise her finances. Plus it will allow her to get to know us while convincing her that she is our mate.”

A deep sigh is heard, “And how did she take that?”

“Umm.. not well, actually,”

“I can tell I am going to get a migraine from this,” Manager Sejin rubs his temple. "Continue.”

“She laughed, but not in a ‘that is funny’ kind of way but more of a ‘that’s crazy’ kind of way. She flat-out refused and wouldn’t let me explain before she basically said we were playing a mean joke on her.”

“Let me guess– none of the pack tried to help convince her of this GRREEAAT option of yours?”

“They didn’t know. Actually, I just kind of blurted it out,” Namjoon sighed. “I was panicking.”

“It serves you right to have her refuse you. Hell, I would have, too, if I were her. Namjoon-ssi, you should know better! For someone so intelligent, sometimes you are…” sigh. “Never mind. Where is she now? Do I need to get a van ready? Do I need to get the lawyers ready?”

“No, no van or lawyers. Well, she did threaten to call her friends, but that was before she left with Yoongi-hyung.”

“SHE LEFT WITH YOONGI!!” Sejin jumps up from leaning on the counter and dashes towards the front door.

“NO! No, no, no… he went back into Alpha Space. He told me to leave her alone and took her up to his den.” After a brief pause, he said, “It sounds like she is taking a bath. Hopefully, she is calming down. Jin-hyung is going to go and talk with them.”

Putting his keys back down, Sejin sighs in relief. “If anyone can get you out of this mess, it’s going to be him. Namjoon-ssi, I think you are an amazing Prime Alpha, but you always get weird when you get a new mate. I thought by now you would be better at it.”

“Namjoon-ssi, I am going to look into how to modify their contract with our lawyers. IF, and this is a big if, she agrees, then you may have something. Is that okay?”

“Please, Manager-nim. Maybe if she sees what we mean written down, it will help as well. Oh, and the pack wants her to see our previous agreements with other playmates.” 

Namjoon takes a deep breath as he ends the call. He nods to his mates to confirm that their manager is working to help make this happen, allowing the pack to relax. 

The turning on of a shower indicates that you are most likely just rinsing off from your bath and should be out soon. The pack turns to Seokjin as he narrows his eyes at Namjoon.

“You need to find a way to apologize. You need to apologize to all of your mates for springing this on us and be ready to work your ass off trying to prove yourself to her as a mate.” Standing up, Seokjin takes one last look at the hopeful faces of his loved ones, “Let me try and fix this.”

Looking at the clothes that were left for you to change into, you debate on even trying. You are not sure if they would fit but you remember seeing the random lives Lily has shown you and note that Yoongi tends to wear baggy clothes. 

You also know that whenever you are around Derek, and he is in one of his moods, he always feels better when you and Evie wear clothes he keeps in his apartment for the two of you that he has scented or has worn himself.

The struggle to put on your undergarments with damp skin ends in frustration. You give up, and they join the bundle of your clothes on the floor next to the sink. So, you go ahead and wear the provided sweatpants and hoodie, which luckily fit sans underwear. 

The smell of petrichor surrounds you, making you smile. Your family and friends always thought you were strange for loving the smell of fresh rain and wet earth. 

Looking at yourself in the mirror, you are happy at how soft and comfy the clothes are. The pants were tight on you but not comfortably, and the hoodie was long enough to cover your backside, so no one would be able to tell you weren’t wearing anything under them.

Wait… what does the big V stand for on the hoodie? You were curious enough to look at the tag, which proudly states that you are now wearing a Valentino Hoodie, of all things. 

Fuck! Why can’t he have a normal person’s hoodie for you to wear?

This is totally not like the Walmart sweater you lounge in at home. You don’t even want to try to figure out where the pants are from. For all you knew, you could pay rent with the money you were wearing.

Walking out of the bathroom, you have tried to twist a towel around your long hair and toss it on top of your head to reveal that Yoongi is no longer alone in the den.

“Welcome to our den, Y/n. Sorry, it was not ready for guests, but well, you know. We all got here at the same time,” Seokjin says with a shy smile while Yoongi’s eyes roam your form covered in his clothes.

“Oh, I understand, Mr. Kim. I am sorry for coming into your den without your permission. I didn’t realize it was a shared den until after I was inside,” you bow slightly in apology, sending your hair towel spiraling to the floor. 

Grabbing the towel and standing up, you look around, not sure what you should do since Yoongi and Seokjin have taken the bed, and there is no other seating on this side of the room. Looking back at the two Alphas, you smile shyly. 

“Come here, dear. Let Yoongi-ah dry your hair while we talk.” Seokjin pats the bed between the two of them, and Yoongi holds up a hair brush.

“Yes, we do need to talk,” taking a deep, calming breath of petrichor, you move to sit cross-legged on the bed with your back to Yoongi. His hands go to your waist to help you scoot into the right spot.

“Comfy?”

“Yes, Alpha. Thank you for your help, and don’t worry about brushing too hard. I am used to having a multitude of knots that won’t come out.”

You don’t get to see Yoongi's look of confusion, but you do see Seokjin’s concern. “My hair likes to curl when wet, and so it knots up really fast. I washed my hair this morning, so it's just wet from lying in the bath. There are no products in it.”

Seokjin chuckles, “Y/n, you are more than welcome to use anything we have while you are here. Yoon offered you a bath, which means you can use anything he has to offer.”

“I used the violet and vanilla bath bomb. Yoongi said to relax, and the smell of vanilla always helps me do that.”

A bright smile graces both of the Alpha’s faces at your confession. The mate scent is a comfort for you and that makes them feel more at ease.

“Dry and brush now. Relax more. Time to talk,” Yoongi says as he starts to gently dry your locks with the towel you brought out with you. 

“Are you okay if we talk, Y/n? I know today has been a lot for you. I will respect your request to leave you alone if you really want,” Seokjin calmly states, but the pained worry in his expression has you nodding your head for him to continue. 

“I will not excuse what Namjoon did. He didn’t talk with the rest of us before he proposed what he did, so we were shocked, as you were.”

“He didn’t? Is that why Yoongi said the pack was sorry?”

“I am sure Yoongi heard us confront Namjoon once we knew you were upstairs. So yes, the pack is sorry that the idea of you becoming our playmate came out so… abruptly.”

Narrowing your eyes at his choice of words, you state, “But you are not sorry that he went for that option in the first place.”

Taking your good hand, Seokjin pushes out his cherry scent along with the vanilla to help keep you calm as he continues to try to salvage the offer.

“Y/n, I am going to be straight with you. Our Prime Alpha will have a lot of begging to do to be back in the good graces of the rest of the pack for how he handled this, but what he offers… makes sense.”

When you hear this, a scowl grows on your face, but as the scent of cherries, rain, and vanilla fills your lungs, you pause. “How? Why? I mean, like… really, how?”

Pulling your hand closer, Seokjin focuses on rubbing his thumb on your forearm, his wrist brushing on yours. His eyes focused on the movement while trying to think of the best way to explain the situation. 

Yoongi takes this moment to rest one leg on each side of yours and scoots closer, “I brush your hair.”

“What do you know of the Playmate contracts?” inquiries Seokjin.

“Oh. Ah… Well, I know there are two kinds: Companion or a friend contract and Partner or rut and heat-based sex contract. Both can be done individually, as a group or as a sub-group. Doctors, lawyers, and managers are also involved. Honestly, that is all Derek’s department. I just schedule meetings and set up health screenings, and such. From my experiences, most of the American Hybrid Idols only take partner contracts.” 

“You are not wrong about the types, but it seems you don’t understand their limits or allowances. Also, what one idol does will not imply what others will do.”

“I get that, but Derek said that due to hybrid health, most, if not all, companion contracts will have to include some form of partner option for heats and ruts.”

A soft huff is heard from behind you. You start to turn to look at Yoongi, only to have one of his hands slide around your shoulder and up your neck to your jaw. Your breath hitches at the movement, and you will yourself not to melt into a puddle. 

“Keep looking at Jin-hyung, Y/n. Your hair is almost done.” Yoongi orders before moving his hand away and goes back to brushing the last bit of your hair. 

Blinking your eyes open you see a smirk on Seokjin’s face as his white little fluffy ears twitch around in amusement. “Sorry, Alpha.”

Looking past you, Seokjin says, “Welcome back, Yoongi-ah. Is your Alpha settled now?”

“Yes, Hyung. She smells like me, and that calmed him down quickly, though her own sweet pea scent has not come out yet.”

Looking at your injured wrist, it dawns on you that you must have turned off your scent again. “Sorry– again. I seem to do that without knowing sometimes, but it will come back eventually.”

“No worries, dear. Anyways, back to the contacts. Our Prime Alpha is having our previous playmate contracts brought over for you to review.”

This comment has your eyes snapping to Seokjin quickly, as those are normally kept quiet, “We want you to see that we have never taken a playmate for more than a companion. All ruts are handled within the packmates because we are a mate-bonded pack.”

“Oh, so when he suggested I be your playmate, it wasn’t a sex-driven thing…” you nod in contemplation, “but that still doesn’t explain why. I mean, it explains that you aren’t taking advantage of me, but still…”

Pulling you against his chest, Yoongi hugs you close. Leaning to where you can see his face, he smiles, “We would never take advantage of you and do not think that because our past playmates were not a sex-driven thing we do not find you appealing.”

You blush at the implications of his words. Unable to hold his gaze, you try to clear your head and look to the older Alpha, “How can I be your playmate?”

“Simple. Care for us.”

“Like it is that simple. I have a broken wrist.”

“Caring for us, for a pack of Alphas, is different from how you have to care for your family pack.” Seokjin explains, “You were injured in an accident involving this pack. We all know that you are going to need assistance not only in caring for yourself but also for your things.”

“As a respectful and responsible pack of Alpha’s, we are following our instinct and culture, to provide for you during this time. As Prime Alpha said, while you are with us, you will pay for nothing. If you are contracted as a playmate during that time, it will also allow you to pay for your personal debts.”

“Y/n,” Yoongi calls for your attention as he hooks your legs over his and turns you to see him better. “We… actually no. I will speak for myself. I will not be able to function well knowing that you are on your own trying to make things work.”

With his eyes flashing to his Alpha briefly, “My Alpha and I are not going to be able to go about our schedule without worrying about you all the time. At this point, I would prefer you to stay as close as you can to me or a packmate. I can understand that it can be a bit much.”

“Having you by our side,“ Seokjin chimes in, “granting our Alphas to express the instinct to care for you will be your way of fulfilling the contract.”

Looking between them both, your head swims, “What about the domestic stuff? I hear about playmates talking about laundry, making sure their idols eat, and stuff like that.”

A clearing of someone’s throat quickly draws your attention to the den door. A few other packmates are shyly standing just outside the threshold. 

One of them, Jungkook, says, “You won’t have to do any of that. Y/N, we just really want to take care of you. We want to treat you right. We want to support you.”

“Come in, my loves,” Seokjin calls. At his permission, Jungkook bounds forward and kneels on the floor at your feet, resting his head on your knees again. Taehyung joins him on the floor and leans against Seokjin. Hoseok and Jimin also sit on the floor. 

Looking toward the door, you wait for the Prime Alpha to come in, too, but no one else does. Confusion and almost a hurt look come to your face for a moment before you look at the boys present. 

The next to speak up is Hoseok, “Namjoon is waiting for Manager Sejin downstairs. He didn’t think you would want to see him right now. He knows he went about this the wrong way, but let him come to you, and don’t go easy on him. His Primeness can be on his knees and grovel a little, it won’t hurt him.”

This causes you to blush and giggle, causing the whole room to smile. The scents of cherries, rain, snickerdoodles, ebony, oranges, and lilac fill the room like potpourri with a warm vanilla underneath. Slowly, you start to relax a little more as the scent of your (unknown to you) mates rolls over you.

You lean into Yoongi, “Thank you all for coming up here. Seokjin explained to me what Prime Alpha did was a surprise for all of us,” you look around at the boys on the floor as they nod.

“It is just so much right now for me. I am overwhelmed. I know now that it wasn’t meant as some big joke, and you are trying to follow instincts—instincts that I don’t know anything about. So, if you would explain to me what you each would be expecting, I think that would help.”

With a soft bump of his nose on your cheek, you look at Yoongi, “You already know where I stand. My Alpha made that clear outside on the deck before this whole mess.”

“I want to make sure that you are eating well so that you can be healthy and happy,” Seokjin claims.

“For me,” Hoseok says, “I want to help keep you laughing during the hard times.”

“A friend. I know you have your family pack, but I hope to be your friend while you are with this pack. Be someone you can go to,” Jimin shyly says while looking around at his mates and then you.

“Expression: I hope to help you find a way to express yourself with confidence around me and others,” Taehyung adds.

“Cuddles, pets, scratches, umm... More cuddles. Just think of me as your personal stress ball or life-sized stuffed bunny,” Jungkook purrs as you run your fingers through his hair.

“I will be whatever you need me to be,” Namjoon says from the hall just out of the doorway. "And I will do what needs to be done to earn your forgiveness and your trust as Prime Alpha, even if I have to borrow some knee pads.”

Namjoon looks around the room with a hesitant smile and settles his gaze back on you. “Miss Y/L/N and mates, please join me and Manager Sejin downstairs. We have some things to discuss.”

“He wasn’t lying.”

“Who?” Manager Sejin asks.

“Seokjin. I mean, Mr. Kim… he said that they never took a playmate for more than being a companion. None of these have the rut clause, and to top it off, most have a clause to ensure that the playmate understands it is not even on the table for discussion.”

“That is correct, Bangtan only satisfies their ruts within their mate-bonded pack. They ask for playmates to have someone other than their mates to find friendship with and hang out around. It can be a bit much, even with them being mated, to always have a bunch of men around.”

“Friendship, I can do that, but I cannot do all the other services listed in these contracts. Manager Sejin, how will this even get approved by PMS? I don’t qualify to be a playmate.” 

“Miss Y/n, sit down and let us go over the contract that Namjoon-ssi and I had drafted for you. Maybe that will help if you see the modifications which have already been approved by your employer.”

Taking a seat, the two of you go over the contract clause by clause. It broke down to basically say,

1—You wouldn’t be expected to do any housework, cooking, lifting, working out, driving, or video gaming (Manager Sejin said it needed to be in there because of the maknae line) until medically cleared.

2—The Prime Alpha himself would pay for all of your personal expenses while you were staying at the pack house during the contract period.

3—BigHit would grant a salary that was more than enough to pay for your flat, utilities, and other regular bills. To be honest, it was enough to pay off your useless student loan, too.

4—The contract lasted for 8 weeks and can be extended or modified at your request and the Bangtan Pack's agreement.

But what caught your attention the most was they had left out the clause regarding ruts. 

“Manager Sejin, What about the rut clause?”

“Ah yes, let me get Namjoon-ssi for that one,” he says while getting up and retrieving the Prime Alpha from the living where they were all waiting.

“Hello, Miss Y/L/N, Manager Sejin said you had a question about the contract for me?” Namjoon questions as he takes a seat on the other side of the table next to said manager.

“Yes,” you sit up, trying to maintain professionalism. “I have gone over the contact, and while your manager has done well explaining it, I have one that, apparently, you must answer.”

Looking him dead in the eye, which causes the Prime Alpha to shift in his seat, you ask, “Why is there no rut clause in the proposed contract? I thought you said that was in it?”

It was cute how red his face became when you asked, “Umm… well... There are a couple of reasons.” Licking his lips, Namjoon glanced at Manager Sejin, who only looked amused and couldn’t wait to hear what he would come up with.

“Firstly, right now, none of the pack are set to have a rut within the time that Dr. Blackwell said you would need to heal. However, and I guess this is more of the real reason why some of the mates have expressed a concern… well, the pack is not…”

“Prime Alpha, I get it. The elder Mr. Kim and Yoongi expressed that I may be appealing,” you smile only to cover the small pang of hurt as you say, “but that doesn’t mean any of you would want me that way.”

Manager Sejin shakes his head as confusion fills Namjoon's face, ”No, no… God, why am I so bad at this?” Namjoon says, running his hands over his face.

“You are appealing, very much so, and the rut clause is not in the contract because the pack doesn’t want you to think that skinship is off the table,” Jungkook startles the three of you from the hall.

“I'm Sorry, Joonie-hyung. We could all hear you floundering, and I couldn’t take it anymore,” he says, walking in and sitting next to you.

“Thank you, Kookie. You all know that I can get lost for the right words sometimes.”

“Mr. Jeon, why would not having the rut clause in the contract make you think that?” you ask, turning to give him your full attention.

“Skinship consists of many things: hugs, holding hands, sniff kisses, pecks on the head or cheeks, massaging, cuddling, and scenting, to name a few. At this point, you and I have done a few of these. You also have done some with Yoongi and…”

Jungkook takes hold of your good hand and brings your wrist to his nose. Sniffing, a smile beams on his face, and his leg starts to bounce, “Yep, and you were also scented by Jinnie-hyung.”

“Miss Y/L/N, many playmates take these actions as openings or requests to have intercourse with us. That is not what we have wanted from any of them. Therefore, it is why that rut clause is always added to their contracts,” Namjoon adds. 

“Oh. I am not used to skinship outside of my family pack,” glancing at Namjoon and then at Jungkook. “But… It did feel comforting with Yoongi’s hugs, your cuddles, and the elder Mr. Kim’s scenting. While I am not used to it, it does feel nice.”

A slight blush heats your face and neck. Thinking back to the comfort of Yoongi holding you, the calmness Jungkook and Seokjin brought you, and the warmth you felt in Hoseok's arms. All the men in the room smile at your confession.

“Good, I would have been very sad if I had to stop cuddling with you, Y/n,” Jungkook says while playing with your fingers. 

“Miss Y/n,” Manager Sejin calls your attention, “Does that mean you will sign the contract?”

Your eyes drop to the paper in front of you, the empty line above the word ‘playmate’ waiting for your signature. Taking a deep breath, you smell the vanilla again, this time mixed with a leather-like smell and cookies.

“What happened?” asked Taehyung.

“Did she agree?” inquired Jimin.

“Don’t tell me – we lost her already,” demands Seokjin.

Yoongi stands from his seat and makes toward the dining room to try one more time to talk you into staying. However, he stops when you enter the room, holding a packet of papers.

“Yoongi, Hoseok, Taehyung, Jimin,” you call their names as your eyes look over the room and come to an end on the last one, “Seokjin.”

The boys and their Alphas shudder at having you say their actual names. Each step forward, like you are taking a roll call as they wait for some indication as to what is going on.

With a deep and respectful 90-degree bow, you say in Korean, “My name is Y/L/N, Y/N. I put myself in your hands as your new playmate.”

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[fairuzfan]

Genuinely wondering what your thoughts are on this?

https://theconnector.substack.com/p/if-its-not-helping-then-shut-the

actually i already talked about this article and org here: https://www.tumblr.com/fairuzfan/734485147403108352/hello-i-dont-know-if-this-is-appropriate-pls?source=share

I think my opinion on *some* parts have changed (not in a positive way, i still think its a pretty annoying org) but i recommend reading bds' statement about standing together. that sums up my thoughts pretty well.

but on a more personal note, this part really pissed me off:

why are you singling out palestinian-americans as if we're clueless fuckers who never have spoken to palestinians in palestine? are we the thing that stopping you from achieving full rights because you find us annoying? the fuck?

speaking personally, i seek out accounts from palestinians in palestine to inform my opinions. most palestinian scholars (which im not one yet but i'm familiar with them) do that. so like, whats the goal here, mentioning palestinian americans as uniquely terrible to the cause? we learned from our parents and grandparents who are nakba and naksa survivors. be for real, making us seem like we're little babies who don't know anything.

also mentioning some 'israeli' guy who got shot in massafir yatta instead of focusing on massafir yatta itself....? are we just completely glossing over the systematic violence that allows for massafir yatta to happen? like they don't even address the unique violence palestinians face. they just paint this is "ohhh but both sides suffer :(" and equate 'israeli' inequality with palestinian inequality as if 'israelis' of any status dont also participate in putting down palestinians??

anyways boycott standing together.

[wardenparker]

Hummingbird Has Landed, ch 13

Marcus Pike x female reader Co-written with @absurdthirst

After the debacle of his failed engagement and relocating to Washington to take charge of his task force, newly minted Special Agent Marcus Pike is ready to get back out into the dating pool once more. A slew of bad dates has him feeling a little down, and he takes an old friend up on an invitation to get away and get his head on straight. Imagine his surprise when he finds not only fresh air, but his soulmate as well - hiding in plain sight but in the unlikeliest of places.

Rating: M for Mature but this blog is always 18+ Word Count: 14.5k Warnings: *Blanket warnings for this series: occasional mention of American politics, pregnant character, food/alcohol consumption, mentions of clothing/regulated dressing for occasions, mentions of therapy because we believe in self care here, reader is in a previous relationship, love triangle, reader is mentioned as turning 30 during the course of the story, dom/sub dynamics* Shitty exes being shitty, anxiety, stress of confusion, attempted sabotage. A bit of dirty flirting in there for good measure. Summary: When you and Marcus stumble upon the perfect place for your engagement party, things get complicated by Sam's plans to rent the very same venue. Notes: I'm sure I missed some errors in the proofreading, but such is life. Please enjoy, my dears! Chapter photo from Monticello's website.

Ch1 ~ Ch 2 ~ Ch 3 ~ Ch 4 ~ Ch 5 ~ Ch 6 ~ Ch 7 ~ Ch 8 ~ Ch 9 ~ Ch 10 ~ Ch 11 ~ Ch 12

The idea happened a bit by accident, but a few days after your goddaughter was born, once Sydney and Juan and Constance were comfortably and safely at home, Marcus had convinced you to take the last of your days off and go out to Monticello with him for some fresh air and historical tourism. The numerous tours and lunch at the café on the vast grounds are exactly the break that you need, and you're bent over the map together on the sunny grounds when you tilt your head and look up at him beside you.

"Ya know..." The idea is just a hum in the back of your throat. "I bet they're booked ages in advance to do events here...but it might be worth asking if they have an opening or a cancellation sometime soon."

"What are you thinking of having here?" He's not even arguing against the idea, just trying to get a feel for what you are starting to plan. "I don't think we can build our house here." He teases, having nearly gone cross eyed from going through house plans with you over the last two days.

"No, we're definitely not doing that." You roll your eyes playfully and nudge him. The work on the house is finally underway and now you've moved on to talking about decorating so it feels like square one of an entirely new project instead of just a new phase on a continuing one. "I was thinking it would be a hell of a place for an engagement party if they have an opening before Thanksgiving. But I doubt it."

Marcus contemplates it, looking around with his hands on his hips and hums. "I think it would be good." He agrees before glancing back at you with a smirk. "There's only one way to find out if they have any dates available." He teases. "We've got to ask."

"Gee, what a shocking idea." When you poke him in the side it comes with a giggle and you motion back at the visitor's center behind you. "Let's go see if anyone is in to chat with us about it."

Marcus snickers, wrapping his hand around your waist and tugging you closer while he snatches up the map with his free hand. "Let's go. Touring can wait."

Inside the Visitor's Center, the middle–aged woman sitting at the desk is pleasantly chatting with the last guests of a long line before turning her smile on you and Marcus. "Well hello there dears," she greets, just as pleasantly as a sunshiney summer day. "How can I help you?"

“My fiancée and I were hoping to talk to an events coordinator?” He glances back at you for confirmation at the title and when you nod, he turns and beams at her. “Is there one available, or do we need to make an appointment, Miss….” He glances at her name badge. “Amber?”

“Well certainly there is, but she is just finishing up a meeting at the moment.” Amber glances at her computer screen and back again without the smile ever leaving her face. “They should be done in just a few minutes if you’d like to wait and speak to her afterward?”

Marcus turns back to you, “do you want to wait, sweetheart?” He asks, rubbing your waist gently. Still proud as a peacock at being your fiancé.

“Why not?” There’s still a chance that there are no openings anytime soon, but waiting around for a few minutes to ask won’t hurt anything.

“Wonderful.” Amber picks up the telephone on her desk and pushes a few buttons with that everlasting smile on her face. “I’ll let her know she has someone waiting. May I have your name, sir?”

Marcus smiles as he gives your name and tries not to smirk when it’s obvious she recognizes the surname. “And Marcus Pike.”

“One moment, please.” The conversation that Amber heads into the receiver is hurried and she tries not to be terribly animated but you catch her glancing up at you once during the frazzled conversation and you smile kindly in response.

Marcus leans over and nuzzles your neck. “Hopefully she’s a political support of your mom and not firmly against her.” He teases quietly.

“Fingers crossed,” you laugh back quietly.

Marcus chuckles in your ear, holding you close as you both politely wait for the phone call to be finished.

When Amber sets down the receiver, she offers you and Marcus a warm smile and motions to a set of chairs to your side in the lobby of the Visitor's Center. "Melanie will be right with you. She will only be a few minutes more."

“Thank you.” Marcus thanks her sincerely and guides you to the chairs.

It's about ten minutes later than a tall, pretty blonde in a floral dress appears from around a corner, leading two people back toward the lobby of the building. If you hadn't watched them come into view you would have said it was too ridiculous. Too much of a coincidence. But there they are – Sam and Vanessa side–by–side with a notebook and pen in Vanessa's hands and Sam gesturing authoritatively all the way.

Marcus stiffens slightly, his hand squeezing yours gently and he wonders if he should stand and greet them or pretend that they aren’t known to you or him.

It only takes a split second, but the decision is taken from you almost instantly. Sam spots you from across the lobby and pauses only momentarily before aiming the group of them directly for you instead of toward the exit. “Looks like we’re doing this,” you murmur to Marcus, and stand with his hand still in yours as your exes approach.

“Congressman Chase, Vanessa.” Marcus greets both of them politely, if a little stiffly. Formal. Something that couldn’t be misinterpreted by anyone as rude. “What a surprise to see you both.”

“Well this is a surprise.” Sam doesn’t offer to shake Marcus Pike’s hand or yours, barely looking at you while the well–dresses blonde that had been walking with them senses the tension right away.

“Congressman. Miss D’Amario.” She looks nervous too, by association. Unlike Miss Amber at the desk, she knows exactly who is in front of her. “Let me just get you that last brochure, shall I?”

Marcus doesn’t say anything else, just rubbing the back of your hand gently and watching as the blonde guides them back towards the desk. “Well, I’m not sure why they are here.” He murmurs quietly.

“Who knows?” You huff quietly, holding onto him for stability. “Maybe the same reason we are.”

“No, no.” Sam’s voice is distinct in the echoing building. “We want to have the event at the house.” He is insisting loudly. “Not on an overlooking lawn.”

“I’m very sorry, sir, but as I explained to you, we have four locations across the grounds for private events.” With the patience of a saint, Melanie explains yet again. “Each location has multiple rooms available for hosting. However, the historical house is not one of them.”

“That’s is not good enough.” Sam tried charming her, but now it’s time to be serious. “Don’t you know what this is for?”

“Yes Congressman, you’ve been very clear about that.” Her painted on smile is placid and professional, even if her nerves are fraying slightly. “But with respect, even if the president wanted to have a campaign event here, the house would still not be an option.”

“There has to be a way to make this happen.” He glances over at you and Marcus, frowning slightly at why you are here. Another symbol of why he is having to fight so hard to make things happen. You’ve screwed him over.

“It is not an option we have available.” The woman’s eyes track his, glancing over at you in the lobby. She knows the ticking time bomb she has in her hands. She had been following the new first family in the news since the election. “And I assure you that our answer for anyone else will be the same.”

The shift of her eyes irritates him. Signifying that he’s not the most important person in the room. Clenching his jaw, he shakes his head. “I would hate for this to descend into a legal battle.” He speaks as if it’s not a threat but then he shifts topics. “What days are available?”

“If you are looking to hold an event next month, our lawn here is entirely booked aside from the night of Saturday the fourteenth. We had a cancellation that night. Otherwise we have smaller spaces available on several days but your maximum capacity for the event would be sixty people.”

"That will not be enough for our needs." Sam insists. "We would need the entire venue."

"We will be happy to accommodate the number of guests you quoted on the lawn on Saturday the fourteenth." The otherwise very pleasant looking blonde smothers a sigh of frustration and hands a brochure over to Vanessa, who accepts it with a snap of her hand and clips to the folder she is carrying. "Beyond that, our next available date to accommodate that many guests would be in January."

"Fine." He's not happy and he will be having a word with the proper people to get the answers he wants. "We will let you know, but pencil us in."

"The date will be held for twenty–four hours. At which time I will be happy to accept your deposit or establish an alternative plan with you for another space on the property, otherwise the availability will be released to other clients." When she smiles this time there is a measure of relief in it. "If there is anything else I can do for you, or anything other questions I can answer for you, please feel free to contact me. My office hours and direct line are listed on the card that I gave to your assistant."

Vanessa straightens slightly, tall and proud beside Sam. Her eyes flicker over to the pair of you to see if you are watching. Curious to know why you are here and desperate to not appear that way.

“Fine.” Sam bristles, disliking being told ‘no’ and placing the blame squarely on one single set of shoulders. No one had told him no while he was publicly dating the First Daughter. His effort to organize re–election events shouldn’t be nearly this hard, but here he is. Having to take meetings himself instead of making a simple phone call or just sending Vanessa on his behalf. But without knowing for certain why you and that FBI lackey of yours are here, he wants to see if he can at least eavesdrop on the beginning of your meeting before he leaves.

When Melanie shakes hands with Sam and Vanessa again, turning to walk towards you and Marcus, the two of you stand. “Thank you for taking the time to see us.” He starts, offering the slightly frazzled woman a sincere smile. “Hopefully our questions won’t be too arduous.”

“I’m sure they won’t be.” She wants to say that nothing would be as arduous as the meeting she just took, but that would be less than professional. She shakes your hand in turn and motions toward the direction she had come from with the congressman. “Why don’t we go to my office?”

Marcus does the polite thing and nods to Sam and Vanessa, a little surprised when the woman who had ended things with him amicably turns her head to snub him. He doesn’t say anything, just guides you to office, following behind Melanie at a few paces.

“Here we are.” Down a hall and up a few stairs, she stops and opens the door of an office to let you and Marcus inside. “My name is Melanie O’Neil and I’m the special event coordinator here at Monticello. I understand you’re interesting in planning an event with us?”

“Sweetheart?” Marcus looks towards you to take the lead, smiling softly.

"We were hoping you might have availability in the beginning of October, though I know that is short notice," you explain, but you did hear her rattle off some dates to Sam in the lobby. "We're interested in having our engagement party here."

“Engagement?” Her eyes widen happily as she takes in the sight of a happy couple in love. “Delightful.” She shuffles through the book and nods. “We have Saturday the fourteenth, I’m afraid that it is the only date available.” She tilts her head. “Someone else has expressed interest, but they have not paid to reserve it.” She would not feel bad about direct Sam Chase somewhere else.

"That would be fine with us, but I insist on waiting the appropriate twenty–four hours to give the other interested party their fair chance." You won't have Sam whining to some blogger about how you stole his venue space. That just won't fly. "Can you tell us a little about how you organize the space or if you have caterers on site?"

“It is the lawn area.” Motioning to the large detailed map of the event areas, she indicates a gorgeous area close to the water. “We can set up the space to accommodate practically any needs. A dance floor, a bar, string lighting.” She explains. “Tents are approved but they have to be provided by Monticello, to make sure that we don’t have someone coming in and destroying the grounds. Catering can be provided or you can invite someone in to cater for you.”

“That all sounds very reasonable.” The pricing is also reasonable for the location and what is being offered, and Melanie shows you and Marcus a brochure of price packages. “So we could select to have you provide the bar, tents, tables, chairs, lighting, and a dance floor…and we can bring in our own catering?”

“Absolutely.” She agrees with a nod and smile. “We pride ourselves on making sure that our clients have the best possible time.”

“And…” Glancing over at Marcus and then at the door where Agent Bailey is currently standing as nonchalantly as possible while keeping her eyes open. “You won’t have a problem with having the Secret Service on property?”

“Oh no.” If she’s shocked by the question, she doesn’t show it. “We will follow the lead of your security at all times. I do have to warn you that there are other events that day, but we keep the spaces separate.”

“That’s wonderful.” It’s hard to believe that anyone would have a problem doing business with this woman, but then…some people are quite picky. And you know Sam is one of them. “Honey, did you have any questions or ideas?” You ask, wanting to make sure Marcus is in on this planning.

Marcus considers the space and looks towards you. “Live band?” He asks. “Can there be speakers placed?”

“Certainly.” Melanie smiles at that and scribbles an additional note in the pad in front of her. “We have a bandstand ready to be put up when needed. As long as we’re not talking about a full scale orchestra, that can be accommodated.”

“No, nothing like that.” Marcus laughs. “I don’t think we would want to be that pretentious for an engagement party. We just want to have fun, right Birdie?”

“I don’t even want a big orchestra for the wedding, let alone the engagement party.” You agree, laughing a little at the very idea of it. It’s utterly ridiculous. You’re not orchestra people even if you do both like classical music sometimes. “No, I think we’re talking about something very reasonable. Nothing too big or too nit–picky.”

“I think that’s the best option, a live band and then we have a playlist for when they are taking breaks.” Marcus agrees looking towards Melanie. “Do you have a lot of bands that you work with? I’m not too familiar with the scene here.”

“We have a few.” She nods, turning to her computer, presumably to print out a list. “Mostly the kind you would hire for a wedding. Cover bands like that get a lot of work out here.”

“I would imagine they would.” Marcus agrees, looking towards you. “What do you think, sweetheart? Unless you have someone specific?”

“No, I think that sounds perfect.” Live music is definitely something you both feel strongly about, and it continues to incorporate local artists into the fold of every one of your events. It’s an excellent plan. “Can I leave you my number, and ask you to give me a call tomorrow to tell me whether or not Congressman Chase decides to take the date?” You ask Melanie as politely as possible. “If he doesn’t, I think we’ll be very glad to have it.”

“I will most assuredly call you.” She promises with a smile, hoping that she deals with you instead of the congressman.

“Then how about a tour?” You suggest, offering the woman a smile.

“That would be wonderful.” Marcus agrees. “If you have time, of course.”

“Of course.” Melanie stands from her desk again. “Come along with me.”

******

“What if we just stayed here?” You groan for the second time this morning, burrowing deeper into Marcus’s side in bed as the sun rises higher in the morning sky. It’s early but you have a lot to do. His parents and a few other friends and family are arriving this morning for the engagement party tonight. The planning had gone well for being such short notice, but that still doesn’t mean you want to leave the warmth of your fiancé’s side just yet. There are a thousand things to do today before the party tonight, but you’ll manage. You just want a few more minutes of quiet with Marcus before facing it all.

“Then we will have a party that will be will be talked about for ages.” Marcus hums in amusement. “An engagement party where the couple doesn’t arrive.” He rubs your back gently. “We could start a new fad.”

“It would be very mysterious of us,” you snicker, knowing you and Marcus are some of the least mysterious people on the planet.

“Yes it would. I think everyone would start a manhunt for us.” He laughs.

“Probably not the best idea,” you admit, even if it makes you laugh. “Since the Secret Service would be involved in the manhunt.”

“Millions of taxpayer dollars, wasted.” He snorts, smirking at you slightly. “All the helicopters they would bring out.”

You snort, looking up at him in the morning light and sigh dramatically to get one more laugh from him. "I guess we should get up then, huh?"

“If we have to.” This time, he’s the one pouting. “Our honeymoon needs to be someplace quiet. A cabin in the mountains. Where we just stay in bed all day.”

"You know you can go stay at the hotel where they filmed Dirty Dancing, right?" As you drag yourself out of bed on the morning of your engagement party, talking about your honeymoon sounds like the perfect conversation.

“Really?” Marcus hums, intrigued by the idea. “It’s really up in the Catskills, isn’t it?”

"It is." Unconcerned with wearing anything night for the first part of the day, you go straight to your closet for jeans and a t–shirt. You'll change into the silver cocktail dress you have picked out later tonight. "And they supposedly really lean into the Dirty Dancing thing, which is fun."

“I’m sure Agent Bailey would love an isolated cabin to have us locked away.” He teases. “If you want to look into that, I’m completely game.”

“It’s a far cry from our original idea.” Which is neither good nor bad, just worth pointing out. “Paris is very different from a cabin in the Catskills.”

“That’s true.” Marcus stops and turns to you. “I love the idea of both, each for very different reasons.” He admits with a grin. “Whatever you want, as long as I’m with you, I’ll be happy.”

“We could always make up a little list?” You offer, ultimately pulling an old college t–shirt out of your closet with a clean bra. “And then narrow it down after we settle on a wedding date?”

“That works for me.” Marcus agrees, watching you as you start to get dressed. It’s probably his favorite part of the day, unless you count undressing.

"Where else might you want to go?" He's watching carefully and you wiggle your hips a little in his direction.

Marcus grunts, feeling his body respond to the little tease and he’s honestly wondering if he can take you back to bed for another hour. “Um…you pick.” He tells you. “A beach?”

"The beach is good." If you reach for a pair of nearly non–existent panties just to keep teasing him? Well, who can blame you for that? "Sand and swimming and sunny skies. Are you thinking Mexico or Mediterranean?"

Marcus blows out a breath when you pull out the see through lace that is literally just scraps of cloth posing as panties. “Mexico would be nice. Somewhere off the beaten path?”

"Someplace with a little bungalow and a private beach?" Since Marcus likes to tease you just as much as you like to tease him, you don't feel bad for even a second about bending over dramatically in front of him so he can have the best view of your ass when you put your panties on. "Hawaii could be fun, too."

“Too many people.” He immediately grunts. “Too many cameras.”

That makes you smirk, and you throw it over your shoulder at him. “So you’re looking to have me all to yourself?”

“Absolutely.” He nods immediately, finding your eyes for a moment before he goes back to ogling you. “All mine.”

“Well that’s true even if we go someplace not isolated.” Deciding to continue messing with him just a tiny bit, you grab your tightest jeans to slip into while you’re still talking. “I’ve been yours since the day we met.”

“But I’m thinking more of being able to strip you down whenever I want.” He admits with a grin. Completely unrepentant at the idea. “Maybe not even pack clothes.”

“If that’s what we’re going to do, we can lock ourselves in the house and Door Dash every meal.” You remind him, finally going to put on your bra and shirt. “Our honeymoon is a chance to have an adventure together. A sexy adventure, but still an adventure.”

“Get your head out of the gutter, got it.” He winks and shoots finger guns at you playfully. “Like it said, just ideas.”

“Listen,” you grin in response to his silliness. “If we decide on a winter wedding, we’re absolutely going someplace tropical to get away. I’m not looking to put snowshoeing on our itinerary.”

“So an Alaskan dog sledding race is off the table?” He jokes, snickering to himself.

“You don’t like snow either, Texas.” But both of you laugh, and as you shimmy into your t–shirt you’re already feeling better about the day. “Also…I don’t think a winter wedding sounds ideal. Even DC gets snow, and we lose any chance of having part of the night outside.”

“Yeah, I’ve never understood the ‘Winter Wonderland’ theme some people go for.” He admits with a huff. “Freezing my nut— uh, toes off doesn’t sound fun.”

“No,” you snort and tug him up out of bed to get dressed with you. “Freezing your nuts off does not sound fun.”

“Caught that, huh?” He huffs, even if he’s well aware that you don’t mind that kind of humor. “I don’t think you would like it either. You seem to like that part of my body.”

“I like that part of your body very much.” Your smirk is puckish. “Just as much as you like my tits.”

“Don’t forget your ass.” He reminds you, smirking as he pulls off his sleep shirt to get dressed. “I like that too. Oh and your thighs.”

“I like all parts of you and you like all parts of me.” You bite your lip unconsciously when he starts to change, always admiring of your fiancé in as many ways as he’ll let you at any given time. Marcus isn’t vain. He doesn’t dedicate himself to cut abs and weight lifting. But he does go to the gym to be in shape for his job and that combined with his love of food has made him broad and strong with a layer of cushioning softness that you adore.

“Then it sounds like we are a perfect match.” He winks at you as you eye him. Turning around and wiggling his own hips playfully, even though he has a flat ass.

It gets a snort and a giggle from you, and you swat at him playfully. “Do you want to go downstairs for breakfast or have something up here?”

“Completely up to you, love.” He promises. “I’ve heard rumors that Syd has been haunting the kitchens with a snuggly little Constance strapped to her chest.

“I keep telling her that maternity leave exists for a reason, but she can’t stay away.” Not that you blame her. You know for damn certain that you won’t be able to stay away from the inn after you’ve had your kids, either. “Let’s go down and say hello.”

He snorts to himself, well aware that he will be fighting the same battle Juan is when you are recovering from giving birth. “I think we need to just build her a house on the property too.” He tells you. “Make sure she’s close enough to rest.”

“The house is almost done.” Just one more month, according to the contractors. “Maybe we should keep the apartment up here as a resting space for the staff for a while? Before we turn it into a guest suite.”

“Orrrrrr…” Marcus tilts his head as he looks around the apartment. It’s not large, but it’s large enough. “What if we turned it into a small area for a nanny?” He asks. “Someone to come and watch Constance and the future Pike brood for us?” He had been thinking about it and it seemed like a good idea and it would allow everyone peace of mind in knowing the kids are close.

“That…” Your eyes flick up to his, wistful smile tugging at your lips and warmth blooming in your heart. “Sounds like a wonderful idea.” Marcus has an uncanny ability to see the future so clearly that it might make you envious if you weren’t so grateful to have him as your partner. “I genuinely love that, baby.”

“You do?” He asks, wondering if you are just agreeing to it because you are so in love with him right now. “I figured it would be a good way for you to see the babies, ours and Syd’s, anytime you get a chance.”

“It’s a lot more practical than driving them to daycare in town only to come back here for work.” Instinct and affection make you want to snuggle into his side again, but you know you have things to do around the possibility that your baby goddaughter is downstairs make you reach for a cardigan instead of your fiancé. “I think it’s smart. And will probably save us some anxiety in the long run.”

“I think so.” Marcus agrees quickly. “There’s someone dedicated to watching them, so work can be uninterrupted, but you can see and snuggle them when needed.”

“Don’t pretend you won’t be working through your lunches sometimes just to get home to them sooner.” It’s an image you can see so vividly that it almost makes you glow, knowing how much Marcus is looking forward to being a father to as many kids as you can manage together.

“Have to make it home before the sun goes down.” He scoffs. “How else will we play ball? It can’t be in the house.”

“The only balls anybody’s playing with in the house are yours when I give you head,” you tell him unequivocally, nudging him toward the bedroom door once you’re both dressed to go brush your teeth together so you can go downstairs and eat.

He snorts in amusement, although he can’t deny that you do play with his balls while you are blowing him. Smacking his lips to your cheek before he loads up your toothbrush and then his, he winks in the mirror – thoroughly enjoying the everyday chores with you.

You’re on your way downstairs within about fifteen minutes. Agent Bailey is downstairs by your office when the elevator opens, having opened up to giving you more space now that you have an armed federal officer in the apartment with you every night. Around the corner and into the kitchen, you have to smother a squeal of delight when you see Syd hovering by the line with little Constance in her baby carrier strapped safely to mama’s chest.

“Told you.” Marcus bumps your arms and immediately grins when he sees the little girl. Shes not too old to stay awake for long and she’s snoozing peacefully while the chaos of the kitchen goes on around her. “This has to be her lullaby.” He jokes. “She grew in the womb to it.”

“Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness.” You scurry to Sydney’s side without hesitation to hug her gently and peer into little Constance’s face. “Hello angel! Oh my goodness she’s so sweet when she sleeps!”

“She’s actually one of those babies that sleeps better amidst the noise!” Sydney laughs and rubs her daughter’s back through the sling, leaning against you instantly. “You caught me, huh?”

“I’m not even cross that you’re poking around work while you’re supposed to be resting because you brought the baby,” you admit, although you restrain yourself from doing anything besides admiring Constance. Waking her up by accident would be awful. “Are you guys feeling okay about coming out tonight?” Juan’s mother had assured her son and daughter–in–law that the baby would be in expert hands if they wanted to make the engagement party their first outing since her birth. And you had also assured them that you wouldn’t be offended if they only came to the party for dinner and headed home before the dancing to be with their little girl.

“I’m looking forward to it.” She admits with a lopsided smile. “Just forgive me if I text my mother–in–law six hundred times to check on her?” She asks, knowing you would never be upset about that. “I don’t know how we are ever going to drop her into a daycare. That’s if we find one that will open up in the next six months.” They have been on a wait list for the daycare of their choice since she found out she was pregnant. There are still twelve other couples on the wait list ahead of them.

“Marcus actually had an idea about that.” A proud grin to your fiancé on the other side of the kitchen where he is getting your breakfast from Syd’s sous chef lights up your whole face. “Why don’t we bring dinner over to your place after the weekend is over and the chaos subsides, and we’ll tell you about it?”

“Of course.” She grins at the way the two of you had made deep and lasting plans. Knowing you deserve all that and so much more. “Indian?” She suggests. “I’m craving curry.”

“We’ll get take out from Rasika. Whatever you want.” While it might be one of your and Marcus’s favourite take out spots, it’s also a favorite of your friend group so that is an easy answer. “And you text home as much as you need to tonight, love.” Casting your eye from mother to daughter, your smile softens and your heart aches from wanting one of your own. “This little angel is worth it.”

“Isn’t she?” Like any new mother, her daughter is the most perfect thing to ever exist. “She’s feeding for longer. She ate four whole ounces yesterday when Juan fed her a bottle.” She’s pumping and they are bottle feeding to make sure Juan gets his own bonding time with Constance when Sydney isn’t breastfeeding. Plus there are times the still recovering mother is too tired to do it. So it helps them tag team their newborn.

You and Syd can and have cooed together over her growing girl for hours at a time, so you don’t even realize you’ve been standing there for ten solid minutes being an absolutely doting pair of sentimental idiots until Marcus comes up behind you and gently slides one hand around your waist.

“You need to eat, sweetheart.” He reminds you, whispering in your ear as he watches the baby sleep against her mother’s chest. He’s gotten to hold her for a bit, but he lets you hold her more when the opportunity presents itself. “We have a lot to do before the party.”

There are two plates with pesto–prosciutto breakfast panini on them sitting on the counter nearby along with two oversized ice coffees and you relent, leaning back against Marcus after giving Syd one more gentle squeeze. “You’re right,” you sigh. “I just want to stare at this little nugget of a baby forever.”

“I know.” Marcus chuckles. “How many times have you thought about having our first since she’s been born?” He teases, knowing he’s also been hit by baby fever as well.

“Like fifteen times a day every single day.” You can’t help but laugh, knowing he feels the same, and you let him peel you away from the baby reluctantly when Syd’s sous chef has a question for her. “Fifteen is a minimum estimate, by the way.”

“I was honestly thinking it was more like thirty.” He laughs. “I’m about that too.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t wait a whole year to get married?” The idea hums through you with excitement. Being able to have a wedding date by tonight would be a fun little plus.

“When’s the last time the roses bloom in the Rose Garden?” Marcus asks, knowing you want to have your wedding there.

“September, really.” The first week of September would be a full year from when Marcus proposed, which seems tidy to you in a way you weren’t expecting but makes you smile. “What if we did early September? Would that step on Constance’s first birthday?”

“I think we should talk about it with the parents, but I don’t see that being a problem honestly.” Marcus hums happily.

"I heard parents!" Syd calls across the kitchen, fearless in the face of a miracle baby who truly can sleep through the chaos of a kitchen. She bounces subtly as she walks across the room, making sure her daughter is comfortable against her chest, and leans against the counter where you and Marcus are having your breakfast. "What's up?"

“We were talking about wedding dates.” Marcus admits, glancing at you with a small smirk. “We don’t want to schedule something to step on the birthday girl’s toes.” He reaches out and caresses the sleeping baby with the back of index finger.

"Were you guys thinking of doing it in September?" She asks, eyes sliding over to you and when you nod through a bite of food she smiles. "What if we pick a different weekend?" Sydney suggests. "I don't want to suggest doing the baby's birthday in place of a day–after brunch or anything. So we can just do two weekends in a row?"

“Or we could.” Marcus offers with a grin. “I know my family is up for celebrating a baby’s first birthday. Especially since they are going to fall in love with her tonight.” He warns. “Constance will be gaining a lot of aunts and uncles.”

"We weren't really planning on having a day–after event anyway," you assure her. There are already so many wedding events on your plate that adding one more sounds overwhelming to you. "What if we added more of Juan's family to the wedding guest list so they'll already be in town, and the next day we can all relax with something much more casual? It sounds...kind of perfect, actually."

“I think that Juan would like that. I thinks it’s perfect.” Their friendship had grown even closer and Juan had confided he wanted more time with his family. It’s the perfect opportunity. “We can book out the inn, right?” He asks you. “And get more hotel rooms, of course.” He chuckles. “My mom has already said she wants to stay here but the Watergate Hotel is calling her name.”

"We could have Connie's birthday here?" You raise an eyebrow to Syd in question. "We'll be surrounded by family and friends and you'll barely have to roll out of bed to get here." The Badillo house is close by and you and Marcus will be more or less in the inn's backyard.

"Comfort food, family event, and very casual." Sydney laughs, but she is nodding her head. "Sean has been a great sous chef. I know he can handle that even with my nitpicky ass hovering over everything."

“It sounds like we have a plan.” Marcus agrees. “So I think our wedding day needs to be the day before little Connie’s birthday.”

"September ninth." Of course you and Sydney say it at the same time, grinning at each other. Constance was born in the wee hours of the tenth.

"That means it will be a long weekend for people. It will be good to give them the date well in advance." It will be beautiful, is what it will be. Beautiful, and fun, and an occasion well worth celebrating.

**

His suit and your dress in the trunk of the car, Marcus steers towards the venue happily. “So we start getting set up, the band should be there first, right?” He asks. “Get the sound check done before the other vendors?”

"Yeah, that's what we planned on." A White House photographer will also be on hand, documenting the event for any press that Annette deems appropriate. You've left it entirely to her. "Melanie will be there to direct traffic, and she has a room for us to change and keep personal affects in."

“My parents are landing in about an hour.” He reminds you. “They will be out here to help and generally support us as soon as they drop bags in the hotel.”

"Selena, Leo, and Clark are all meeting us out here around the same time. They're riding together." The contingent from Dallas that has moved to DC in the last few months have banded together well and are all excited to join the next board game night. Bringing your friends and his together has been exceptionally easy.

“Perfect.” Marcus chuckles. “It’s a good thing the bartender will be showing up next.” He jokes. “Seriously, if we need to get any last minute items, mom said she’ll send dad.”

"I'm just glad we decided not to do flowers." It had been Junie's idea. During the Friday night dinner after you had booked Monticello, the discussion at the table had turned to decor and when your mother's ideas for florals got overcomplicated it had been your sister who suggested having a few large, live plants amongst the tents and lights and candles on the tables instead. "Melanie pulled those potted plants and light plans out of nowhere and I love her for it."

“I think it will make the wedding even more special.” Marcus admits. “Flowers don’t need to be at every event.”

"The rose garden is going to be spectacular." Your genuine excitement for that is infectious enough that it makes Marcus beam brightly at you as he pulls his car into the large lot around the Monticello visitor center.

“Wow.” Marcus frowns slightly as he sees all the vendor vans. “Are they early?”

"They must be." You check the time on your phone and frown to see that it is a full forty–five minutes before the caterer is set to arrive, and two of the vans nearby are marked with a florist's logo. "Maybe it's for one of the other locations on the property? Melanie did say they had multiple events tonight."

“That has to be it.” He agrees, although he knows the other venues have their own designated parking on the other side. He sends you a smile as he parks. “Let’s go get started.”

Melanie is waiting for you inside, smiling and ready in the lobby. “It’s so good to see you!” The nice thing about her is that she seems to actually mean it. “Your caterers just got here, and the florists are starting to unload. We’re doing great for time.”

“Uh...” Marcus shakes his head and looks towards you. “We don’t have a florist.” He reminds her. “The potted plants were what we decide, right?” He asks, wanting to make sure that the plan hadn’t changed.

"And I confirmed the arrival time with the caterers this morning. They aren't supposed to be here for another hour." Your worried eyes meet Marcus's and then Melanie's. "I think there has been some kind of mix–up."

Her brow furrows for a moment and she nods. “I will go make sure they aren’t supposed to be on the other side of the mansion.” She decides, sure that it’s a simple mistake.

"I'm sure it's nothing." The words come out of your mouth but you aren't convinced. Instead, you squeeze Marcus's hand in yours and head to the small room beside Melanie's office to store your party clothes and purse until you're ready to change.

“I’m sure it will all be worked out.” Marcus promises, reassuring you even if he has his own worry. “Come on, let’s go see the space.”

Once your things are stowed away, the pair of you step outside to the lawn to check out the tents, lights, and plants as they should be finished being put up. But instead of seeing potted plants and fairy lights there are sunflower arrangements and autumn harvest centerpieces stacked out on the banquet tables. Even the tables have the wrong color tablecloths – deep navy instead of the seasonal shade of red that you had picked out.

“Well, shit.” Marcus huffs, clearly seeing the problem and he quickly steps over to the young lady that is directing the flowers. “Excuse me.” He interrupts politely. “I’m afraid there is a problem.”

"There is?" She looks spooked, almost like a deer in the headlights with the large arrangement of flowers in her hands. "I'm sorry, I'm not sure–who are you, exactly?"

“Sorry.” He’s always going to fall back to manners, so he offers her an apologetic smile. “I’m Marcus Pike and this is my fiancée.” He introduces you. ���We are setting up for our engagement party tonight and we don’t have floral arrangements.” He explains kindly. “Are you sure you have the right spot here? I know there’s several events happening tonight.”

“Oh!” She laughs in obvious relief and digs in her pocket to pull out some folded paperwork to show you both. “I think you’re in the wrong place, Mr. Pike. We’re setting up for Mr. Chase.”

Fuck. Marcus feels you tense beside him, but he shakes his head. “No, I’m sorry, but I’m not in the wrong place.” He tells her kindly aware that she is a vendor caught in the middle of something. It’s not her fault. “My fiancée and I rented out this space for tonight. Mr. Chase must have gotten his dates mixed up.” Marcus is well aware that isn’t the case, but he won’t air dirty laundry in front of her. “Here.” He pulls out his own contract for the venue that he had slipped into his pocket, always one to cover his bases and he’s glad that paid off.

“That’s weird…” Looking at both contracts, the florist frowns heavily and offers you both an apologetic expression. “Let me get my boss. Hang on one second,” she says before scurrying away.

“Shit.” Marcus hisses, turning towards you. “What are the odds it’s a mix up on Melanie’s part?” He knows the answer, and so do you.

“Zero. That woman is so meticulous it makes Juan look scatterbrained.” Closing your eyes against the frustrated outburst that is pushing on your chest right now, you lean into Marcus and exhale slowly. “I honestly can’t believe he’d go this far.”

“Just plaster on that amazing customer service charm and I will dazzle them with kindness.” He murmurs, leaning in and kissing your temple. “We have the contract for the venue.”

“I love you.” Murmured words aren’t enough to keep your heart from pounding with anxiety, but his arms around you are. Marcus hugs you tight and you just find yourself wondering what the hell happened to turn Sam into this vindictive monster…or if he was always this way and you never knew him at all.

“I love you too, sweetheart.” He promises. “It’s just a small bump in the road.”

“I hope you’re right.” It’s terrifying to think that things might go so entirely wrong so early. It isn’t something that sits well with you, especially not when you have almost a hundred people coming tonight.

“It will.” He promises again, kissing your forehead again. “We have a legal contract.”

A serious looking woman with short gray hair and a clipboard comes back with the girl who had scurried away, and she introduces herself only to Marcus with forceful authority. "I understand we have some confusion on our hands?"

“Yes madam.” Marcus shows her the contract that Melanie had given him, clearly stating the space and date were his and gives her an apologetic smile. “I’m afraid your client is mistaken.”

"I'm sure that's not right." The prim woman doesn't even look at the paperwork that is being presented to her. "The Congressman was very specific in his planning and we are right on time in setting up for tonight."

“The Congressman was mistaken.” Marcus insists, a little more firmly. “The First Daughter signed this contract to rent this space tonight for her engagement party. Which the President will be in attendance for.” Titles seem to impress this woman, so he throws out a few that are sure to get her attention.

"Let's see if we can't get all of this sorted out." Melanie has appeared, looking frazzled but quickly recomposing herself with a young man in tow behind her. "It seems that our event staff did not verify paperwork for the caterer or florist when you arrived." She offers the gray–haired woman a professional smile, but you get the impression that the kid behind her with his tail tucked between his legs is going to get his ass kicked for this mistake. "May I see both sets of reservations, please? I'm sure we can get this cleared up quickly."

Marcus steps back and lets Melanie take over, sure that she will be able to clear things up quickly. He turns to you and gives you a reassuring smile.

"Well, I'm not sure what went wrong." After looking over both contracts, Melanie holds tight to both and looks between her actual clients and the florist who apparently should not be here. "But unfortunately, Congressman Chase never reserved this date or location with my office, did not make any payment on the space, and certainly is not hosting an event here tonight. So I'm going to have to ask you to leave, I'm afraid. We do have a contracted event here tonight and our security will be very tight."

“I’m sorry?” Blinking owlishly, the prim woman shakes her head, obviously not used to being told no. “Congressman Chase has a campaign event here tonight. Many important people will be here.”

"More important than the President of the United States?" Melanie challenges, not backing down. What she does, though, is turn to you and Marcus and apologize. "I will take care of this. If you would like to have a seat inside, I will absolutely come and let you know when everything is resolved."

“Thank you.” Marcus takes your arm and leads you towards the building so Melanie can deal with things. “You might want to call that White House press person.” He murmurs quietly. “I have a feeling Chase did this on purpose.”

"I don't know what the hell we did to deserve this," you huff, pulling out your phone to call Annette. She's probably on her way to the venue already but you know she was coming with her husband so hopefully he's driving and she can talk.

“I think he’s got a fucking screw loose.” Marcus mutters, shaking his head at the increasing antics the congressman is pulling.

When the call connects you have to swallow a sound of relief mixed with frustration. Getting to talk to Annette is a relief but you're so frustrated you could scream. "Annette? It's Birdie. We, uh...we have a situation. It appears that Sam Chase has attempted to double book the same venue as us for tonight."

“Oh dear.” The soft sigh is one of practiced patience, having put out many a fire in her day. “It’s not a mistake on the venue?” She clarifies.

"No." You shake your head as though she can see you, but it's just an emotional reaction. "Miss O'Neil is certain there was no mix up in the booking, but there are vendors here to set up for a campaign event that is definitely not supposed to be happening." Glancing up at Marcus beside you, you sigh softly. "Marcus and I suspect that Sam is trying some kind of indecipherable stunt. To make us look heartless or something equally outlandish. Like we stole his venue, I guess."

“Gotcha.” Her voice is slightly terse but it’s not towards you. “I will start making calls to his office right now. You just hang tight and I’ll be there in a few minutes. Don’t worry.”

"Thank you, Annette." Your eyes close against the sinking feeling in your stomach that the night is starting to unravel at an alarming rate. "We'll see you soon."

You end the call and Marcus reaches for you, pulling you into his arms. “It’s okay, sweetheart.” He soothes you, quietly.

“She’s almost here.” The urge to cry out of sheer frustration is strong, and you bury yourself in Marcus’s chest for strength. “What in the hell did we do to deserve this?”

“I don’t know.” He answers honestly, unable to fathom the malice behind the way Sam Chase is operating. “But we will show him that we are not to be messed with.”

“How?” The question is incredulous, but it’s honestly because you’re feeling so at sea with confusion in this whole situation. “By running to my mommy about it? The President can’t kick a Congressman out of power for being a dick to her daughter.”

“By showing him that he holds no power over us.” It’s a bit unsatisfying, being the bigger person and not using his own status to make like difficult for Congressman Chase, but he wants to be above reproach when shit hits the fan. And he has no doubt it will.

“Ugh, that’s so unsatisfying,” you groan, unknowingly echoing his thought exactly. It’s a small mercy to have the same thought, though, and you both laugh. “I want to nail him to the wall but there’s no crime against being an asshole.”

“I know, but he wants to get under your skin.” He reminds you softly. “That’s the entire point of this, I think.”

“Well he’s succeeded.” As much as you hate to admit it, he really has. He’s made you feel guilty and selfish for wanting to celebrate your love with your soulmate, which isn’t fair in the least.

“I know.” Marcus kisses your forehead again. “I’ve never wanted to hit someone more in my entire life.” He huffs. “Not even Patrick Jane when he convinced Teresa to choose him.”

"And that guy was an asshole," you huff, having heard the entire story from Marcus early on in your relationship.

“Yeah…he really is.” He chuckles and pulls away slightly to look into your eyes. “He did me a favor.”

"I don't know what I did to deserve you." His kindness and his support mean the world to you, and the ugly realization that if Marcus had not appeared in your life like a whirlwind that you might still be with Sam? It stings your heart in a way that isn't quite aching or envy but that smacks of bitter regret.

“Just being the most wonderful woman in the world.” He teases, nudging his nose against yours.

"Hardly." Or, at least, it doesn't feel like it right now. But you sigh, letting yourself settle against him and accepting the kiss he offers you before you stand straight again. "We should change a little early," you decide after a moment. "Present a united front of joy instead of looking like we're not quite prepared."

“Whatever you want to do, sweetheart.” He will follow your lead of course, wanting you to feel in charge. Especially with the turn of events.

"I think it might be better." Or, at least, it well help you feel less at sea. Because right now you just feel like you're floundering in uncertainty. "Especially if we have to deal with Sam directly."

“Do you think that he will actually show up?” His brows lift and he doesn’t like that prospect at all. Sam has been exhibiting dangerous behavior, even if he can’t prove it has been him behind the vicious rumors.

"At this point I'm not really sure what to expect at all." But confidence comes from all places, and if right now it comes from putting on the beautiful dress that Alex and David helped you pick out and going out there holding Marcus's hand? Then so be in. Sam does not get to ruin to night, and he does not get to ruin your joy. "But I guess I would rather be mentally prepared for the worst."

“Whatever happens…” Marcus smiles at you proudly. “I’m going to be right there beside you.”

**

It takes nearly a half an hour to calm down, change clothes, and do your make up, but once you’re ready you head back outside with Marcus to find Agent Bailey waiting for you in the lobby and a commotion outside. “What’s going on?” You ask, though you’re afraid for the answer and not even sure if she will know.

“Miss D’Amario is trying to get the Congressman on the phone,” Agent Bailey explains. “Your vendors are starting to arrive and Melanie had them prepping so they can set up the second the others are cleared away.”

“Vanessa is here?” Marcus looks around warily and spots her standing off to the side looking slightly frazzled as she furiously types on her phone.

“Awesome.” The obvious sarcasm in your voice comes out in a huff. Your exes always being together is more like a Nightmare Team than a Dream Team.

“I’m going to talk to her.” Marcus decides, done with them upsetting you.

“I’m going to stay nearby so that I can intercept anyone who arrives,” you decide. Going up on your toes to give him a kiss, you brush the sharp lapel off his blue suit and offer him your most encouraging smile. “Go get ‘em, Slugger.”

Marcus smiles at your reassurance, but it drops into a frown when he turns and walks towards Vanessa. He’s tired of the games and now, he’s going to face the problem head on. “What is going on, Vanessa?” He demands when he reaches her side. “This is getting ridiculous.”

“What’s going on is crossed wires.” She doesn’t look up from her phone. She doesn’t need to. She still knows Marcus Pike’s voice. “I don’t know how this woman could possibly have booked us both tonight and now she’s playing dumb and getting defensive about it.”

“She’s not playing dumb, but I’m disappointed you are.” Marcus states flatly, sighing softly. “This little game you and Chase are playing needs to stop.”

“I’m not playing dumb.” Vanessa defends, brow furrowed in frustration as she looks up at Marcus after hitting the send button on her text. “The Congressman booked the location himself. All the other vendors were booked by me personally. We’re supposed to be here.”

“Did he forward you the contract and emails?” Her reaction is more honest than he expected and the fact that Sam booked the venue makes him wonder if she was kept in the dark. He pulls out the contract he had tried to show the vendor earlier. “Where is this if Chase actually was double booked?”

“He has the contract. I’m trying to get ahold of him to get a copy right now.” She huffs, frustration and uncertainty lining the worries creases in her brow. “Why couldn’t you two have just had your little party at her hotel anyway? Isn’t that what the place is for? You don’t need the clout of a place like Monticello.”

“Why should she always have parties where she’s doing most of the work? This is our engagement party.” Marcus fires back, unable to believe the condescension in her tone. “What do you have against her, Vanessa? You ended things with me not the other way around. And I thought we ended on good terms.”

“She’s a snob. And dishonest, too boot.” Vanessa doesn’t hold back, obviously pushed to the edge of whatever manners she usually has by the situation at hand. “Almost an entire year in the campaign trail as her mother’s Golden Child preaching freedom of affection and holding Sam up to be the next Jack Kennedy and then she flips her entire platform on a dime when she claims to find her soulmate. It’s pandering, Marcus. And I honestly thought you were better than that.”

“I am her soulmate, Vanessa.” He murmurs quietly. “We didn’t know when we met. I figured it out, that night you broke up with me. Hell, she knew before I did and didn’t say anything because she was with Chase.” He sighs. “So freedom of affection means you can’t choose your soulmate?” He asks. “What about you? You chose your soulmate when you broke up with me. Should I have been spiteful?”

“I always wanted my soulmate.” Vanessa defends, standing up a little straighter and squaring her shoulders. As it that stance somehow gives her a moral high ground. “I support him, and take care of him, and do whatever he needs. That is what love is.”

It clicks, like a bolt of lightning. “It’s Sam, isn’t it?” He asks. “Your soulmate is Sam Chase. That’s why you are doing this.”

The frown on her face flattens into a thin line, unwilling to say a single thing against the man she’s been loyal to for years now. “If I can’t give him the position he wants, I can at least help him make up for what he’s lost,” she reasons, not thinking for a moment that Marcus would understand. He isn’t ambitious the way Sam is. He doesn’t want to lead. To mold an entire nation. Dating the First Daughter was supposed to get him there in leaps and bounds.

He shakes his head sadly, hating to see that Vanessa is blind to what is happening. Willingly looking the other way. “Are you happy?” He asks. “Not being enough?” He folds the contract up and puts it back in his pocket. “If losing access to the White House on a personal level is a detriment, then he’s not a very good politician.” Marcus turns around and starts to walk back towards you.

“No one gets into the White House without knowing someone.” She tells his back, tone laced with bitterness because, No of course she isn’t happy, but why does her ex boyfriend have to be the one to point that out to her? “Just like you don’t get to Hollywood or a record deal or a place in an Ivy League without it.”

He doesn’t answer her, knowing that nothing he says will get through to her. She’s blinded by her loyalty to Sam and her utter devotion to the idea that she should support her soulmate no matter what. It’s a twisted logic and he feels bad for her. When they were together, she was a sweet and earnest woman, looking forward to having a family and building a life with her soulmate.

When Marcus comes back to your side he looks sad rather than angry, and you frown all the more deeply for it. “What’s going on?” You ask gently, letting him lean into your side for comfort. “What did she say?”

“Well….I figured out why Vanessa is so blindly helping Chase with his revenge.” He sighs and glances back at the other woman. “She’s his soulmate.”

“Ah shit.” It was somehow in the back of your mind the whole time, you realize, and now that he’s said it there are puzzle pieces that click into place all too easily. “So this…all of this really is just about the fact that I dumped him?” It makes your skin crawl to think about, a grotesque and unsettling feeling that you know is going to haunt you far longer than you want to admit.

“He wants the White House one day.” He reminds you. “I’m almost positive that he either made promises to people because of having access to the President, or was using that relationship to bolster his career.”

“Well that doesn’t make me feel used and disgusting at all.” You cringe, eyes set down on the sturdy flooring beneath your feet. It’s worse than disgusting, actually. It’s downright humiliating. You’d fallen in love with his act. Bought it hook, line, and sinker. Meeting Marcus may have snapped you out of it, but you had still be entirely fooled for a year.

“Hey.” Marcus reaches for you, rubbing your arms and pulling you closer. “Don’t blame yourself, sweetheart.” He hums. “Chase is a man who put on an act to get what he wants. He has fooled plenty of people.”

“Please know that none of this is because I missed him or still had feelings for him.” Careful not to get makeup on his shirt, you tuck into Marcus’s embrace and breathe in the strength of him. “I’m embarrassed at being taken in so completely. And love you impossibly more for being such a good, honest man.”

“I don’t think you feel anything but heartbroken that he could feign affection for his own personal career gain.” He promises. He would have thought it was because of his feelings for you that he was reacting so badly to this, except for what Vanessa had told him. “Even if you still had feelings for him, I would never expect you to turn off a year of emotions like a switch.” He’s secure enough in your love that there is not any reason to doubt you or be jealous.

“Whatever I felt for him started dimming the second I met you,” you assure him. Even though you and Marcus are strong in the love you have for each other, a bit of reassurance never goes amiss. “More than anything I’m upset with myself for being so blind to his true intentions.”

“Honey, you can’t always see the darkness in someone’s heart.” He reminds you, not wanting you to feel guilty. You have nothing to be upset about. Your intentions have always been good.

“So what do we do now?” He seems to have the answers tonight and there is comfort in that — on top of which, he is the one who talked to Vanessa. “Is she backing down? I don’t want to have to have an altercation.”

“I don’t think she knows what is going on, to be honest.” He admits, looking back at the very flustered woman. “I told her that if it was a venue mix up, the congressman would have a contract.”

“Vanessa does all his bookings.” You look up at him in confusion. “Shouldn’t she have the contract?”

“She said he booked the venue and she booked everything else.” He explains, shaking his head. “It’s pure fucking malice.”

“He never booked it.” The realization kicks you in the gut with the force of a wild stallion. “He’s going to go to the press with a story about us stealing his event venue to make us look bad.”

“What better way to do that, with all the press already here for his ‘event’?” His smile is brittle and humorless.

“I heard the press.” Annette comes swinging around the corner and into view like she’s late for a cue on stage. “Tell me what’s going on, kids. I’ll handle it from here.”

Marcus looks at you for the go–ahead and when you nod slightly, he turns to the White House press agent. “We think Sam Chase did this deliberately.” He explains quietly, not wanting the conversation to go beyond the three of you. “Vanessa D’Amario is his personal assistant and apparently his soulmate.” The older woman’s eyes widen in surprise. “She says that Chase personally booked this venue and she booked the vendors. I think he set this up, knowing we were considering this place to force some kind of public ‘they are pushing their weight around’ accusation.” When it’s voice out loud, it sounds like some kind of conspiracy theory, but he knows it’s true.

“Interesting…” Annette looks between the two of you and offers you both what she hopes is a reassuring smile. “If all of that is true, which sounds alarmingly plausible, by the way…well, it means doing a little politicking of our own. Are you two going to be okay if a little press leak happens ahead of your party?”

“Whatever we need to do.” Marcus agrees easily and then looks at you. “What do you think, sweetheart? I think we’ve been on the defensive long enough. Time to play a little offense.”

“There was going to be press coverage for this party anyway, so why not?” You shrug slightly “Do whatever you think will help, Annette.”

“I’m on it,” she promises, disappearing again in a flash with a wink and a thumbs up.

“Well, if anything, we can prove when we sent out the party invites.” He reminds you with a shrug.

“Annette seems to have it in hand.” The best you can do right now is shrug and check your watch. “Your parents, my siblings, and the first carload of our friends should be here soon.”

“We are a little bit behind, but nothing we can’t deal with.” He promises.

“At least I can hear the band doing sound check.” That in and of itself is a huge relief. It means things won’t be too behind schedule. “Let’s go see who’s here.”

“Of course.” Marcus grins at you. “Maybe we stop by the bar and grab a drink to calm our nerves.”

“Slow sipping,” you agree with a nod of your head. “It makes me extra relieved that we have those charcuterie tables as part of our appetizers. Even if the caterers get held up with the other things, people can graze.”

“You loved that idea and I have to admit that it’s a good one.” He steers you towards the lovely little alcove that the beer, wine and cocktails will be handed out from. The bartender is already set, since the venue provides ice and he is handing you drinks in no time.

The first to arrive are Marcus’s parents. Matthew and Donna practically smother the two of you in hugs immediately, so glad to be here to celebrate that they’re buzzing. How handsome Marcus looks in his suit, how lovely your dress is, the perfect warm autumn night for the party, they’re just delighted to be there and a balm of positivity over your soul.

Marcus points his father to the bar while his mother coos over you with a proud smile. Donna Pike absolutely adored you, it was evident from the way she always asked about you and reached out to you without him as an intermediate, wanting to forge a relationship with you separate from her son.

“We’re so glad you were able to come up on short notice.” It’s a relief (one of many tonight) to have such a good relationship with your fiancé’s mother, and you walk with Donna toward the bar with Marcus walks ahead with his father. “We both would rather have waited on the party than do it without you here.”

“The good thing about what I do is that I can teleconference when needed.” It’s not something she employs all the time, but her only child’s engagement party warranted the change of pace.

“We’re grateful.” Especially now that their presence is a calming balm over both you and Marcus. “And I thought…while you’re here…I was hoping to ask a small favor of you?”

“Anything.” The answer is immediate and doesn’t need any consideration. “What do you need, sweetheart?”

“I was hoping you would be willing to come to lunch with me tomorrow,” you glance up at her with a small smile. “At the White House. For a little wedding planning.” It’s both to include your future mother–in–law in planning that she will not be close by enough to really take part in, but also to have your family around you for an afternoon. “My grandmother’s wedding dress has been passed down and I’d like for you to be able to see it. You know, before any decisions or shopping or anything happens.”

“Oh…” she exhales softly, tears immediately making her eyes water and she nods. “Absolutely. It would be— of course.” She insists. “I would be delighted to come to such an important event.”

“I know it will be hard to have you included in most aspects of the planning,” you explain, wanting to make sure she understands how much you’ve thought about this. “So I wanted to have to you included in the most important ones.”

“And I would have understood if you hadn’t included me at all.” She folds you into another warm hug. “Thank you. And I have something for you.”

“Oh?” In all the commotion you can’t think what it would be — after all, you and Marcus had specified that gifts were not necessary in your invitations for tonight.

She pulls back and reaches into her purse for a card. "I know that we aren't supposed to bring gifts, but..." She looks fondly to where her husband and son are at the bar talking and smiling. "It's the groom's family's responsibility to take care of the rehearsal day and I want you to plan exactly what you want."

“Donna.” She knows very well that you and Marcus are doing well in your careers. Well enough to be able to build a house and plan for a family and all sorts of other things. “You really didn’t have to.”

"Yes we did." She tells you with a small smirk. "You have made Marcus completely happy and that is worth more to me than the national debt your mother inherited."

There is the barest moment of pause before you snort, and you and Donna both bust out giggling. “Well, thank you.” You’ll open the envelope later with Marcus, but for now you give her a very tight hug. ��I’m sure everything will go smoothly. It’s just the nerves of everything.”

“Anything else we can help you with?” There’s the briefest flash of unhappiness on your face before you hug her and she knows it’s nothing between you and Marcus that caused it.

"Not at all." Their being here is wonderful, and they're helping financially when they're not obligated to. That is more than enough. "Why don't we grab you a drink and we can take a look around. The view from here is beautiful."

“You have chosen a gorgeous venue.” She marvels, even as the people working continue to bustle around to put the event together.

After procuring a glass of the same spiked hot apple cider that you're drinking for Donna, you turn to look around the lawn with her and actually let yourself smile. "We were here for a day out after our goddaughter was born and we fell in love with it," you tell her. "It was perfect, so we dove in and talked to their event coordinator that day."

“It’s a mixture of homey and sophisticated.” She admires. “I think it’s very fitting for the two of you.”

"I think that's sort of the vibe we're going for with everything," you admit, sipping your drink beside her. "Comforting and fun Americana, but a little sophisticated."

“I think that you’ve nailed it, love.” She agrees, taking a sip of her drink and humming in approval.

"I'm really glad you're here." And while you know that isn't something a lot of people say to their in–laws, you count yourself as lucky. "And I'm just as excited for tomorrow as I have been for tonight."

“I am too.” She admits with a grin. “I am just happy to be included.”

**

On the edge of the lawn, nearest the parking lot, Annette has intercepted the first batch of friends and family to arrive with a plan and a spark in her eyes. "Alex! June!" She knows the First Children well, and Sydney Badillo as well, flagging down the new mother and her husband when they get out of their car. "I'm very glad to see you all."

“I wonder what this is about.” Juan murmurs to his wife, taking her hand after he rounds the front of the car. “I don’t know.” Sydney frowns slightly, knowing that you hadn’t said much about Annette doing the publicity for the party, but it’s unusual to have her meet them out in the parking lot. “But we will find out.” She murmurs before sending the older woman a warm smile. “Annette! Lovely to see you.”

Alex’s soulmate David, his brother Noah, and Junie’s soulmate all pile out of the cars as well, followed closely by the arrival of Marcus’s cousin Selena and his friends that had moved to DC. This is Annette’s army assembled, and she smiles at the large group. “I wonder if I could ask a favor of all of you?” She poses, knowing there will be a few skeptics in any group. “We’ve had a little mix up here tonight but everything will go smoothly will your help.”

“What happened?” Alex demands, aware more than Junie about all the negative press surrounding you and Marcus lately. He and David both agree it’s a smear campaign.

“It’s not necessary to go into deep detail,” Annette insists. She doesn’t want anyone being pointed or cruel tonight. “But there is someone trying to claim that Birdie and Marcus stole this venue from them for an event tonight. They don’t have any proof that they booked it, of course, but I suspect they’ll try to go to the media with a story for the morning. So I was hoping I could get all of you onto your social media accounts tonight with positive posts from the party and a few mentions about how excited you’ve been for this?”

“Done.” Junie immediately agrees. “I’ve got photos of the invitations to the party when I opened them. I’ll post those with the ‘it’s finally the day!’ theme.”

“We’re on it. A hundred percent.” Alex agrees, glancing up at David and getting a nod from his partner. They don’t have to be told to know who is behind this, and they’re going to do their part to stop the stupidity.

“Do we have an official Insta for Birdie’s wedding?” Junnie asks. “Or should we tag mom’s White House account?”

“Definitely tag the White House.” Annette nods, but she chewed over the question. “But we should do a tag for the event, and maybe a tag for the First Kids? What do you think?”

“It is our sister.” Alex muses. “We should also do a tag for the engagement. Something like fairytale2017 or something as equally disgustingly cute.”

“Maybe we could think of something unique and a little catchy?” Sydney suggests, pulling out her phone. “Something we can use through all the events?”

“Birdie&Marcus’TilEternity?” Junie offers, a slightly dreamy smile as she thinks about soulmates. Since discovering her own, she’s become more of a romantic.

“It’s a little long…” Alex chews on the thought. “FirstWife2018? Like a reference to being the First Daughter?”

Sydney laughs softly, shaking her head. “It would work,” she admits with another laugh. “Except he’s been married before. So technically she’s the second wife.”

“We will come up with something.” Annette agrees. “May I text you all when it’s decided.”

“Of course.” Selena nods her head along with several of the others. “We already have a group chat for planning their combined bachelor/bachelorette party. We can do a version of that group that has you in it, too? In case you need us again.”

“That would be perfect.” Annette agrees. “I will not text without a good reason, I promise.”

There is a little bit of back and forth conversation, but Alex adds Annette’s number to a new group chat with everyone involved and renames the new group Mythbusters with a giggle.

“Oh that’s good.” Sydney snorts when the welcome text pings through and quickly responds with who she is so Annette can associate numbers with names.

“It’s the Congressman, isn’t it?” Selena asks, saving Annette’s number to her phone like the others.

Her brow wings up, nothing getting by the friends and family you have, but she doesn’t answer in the affirmative. “We would just like to get ahead of any potential issues a quickly as possible.”

“That’s yes, in White House Staffer,” June translates for anyone who isn’t familiar. “And I can finally say with glee that something about that guy always felt off to me.”

“I tolerated him.” Sydney admits. “I know Birdie would huff, but he just always was so smug. I wanted to slap him.”

Alex offers here a high five for that and Juan nods in agreement while Annette bites her lip from saying anything unprofessional. “How about something cheeky?” She suggests after a moment, when the murmurs about disliking Congressman Chase have subsided. “The press called her the First Princess after she and Agent Pike were photographed dancing together. Maybe we can do something with that?”

“#PrincessPike2018.” Sydney supplies immediately and Juan chuckles. “They will love it and she will be a tiny bit embarrassed when it trends.”

“Which is perfect.” Selena agrees. She’s taken to this new group of friends like a duck to water, sense of humor included. “We can also do a plain and simple #PikeWedding2018 for all the event photos we’ll end up posting.”

Juan nods. “Well, the official day should have the hashtag #WhiteHouseWedding2018.” He offers.

“Perfect.” Annette agrees with that right away. It’s good social media coverage in every way. Let’s use #PrincessPike for anything relating to Birdie as a bride, #PikeWedding for planning and events, and then #WhiteHouseWedding for the day.”

“That sounds like a plan.” Everyone nods as Sydney answers. “We will start posting things now. Tagging them and Monticello for the engagement party.”

“I appreciate all your help.” Annette steps away, as if she is releasing the group into the wild. “We’ll nip this in the bud and have fun doing it.”

“Is there anything else we can do?” Junie asks seriously, her hand in her soulmates and looking determined.

“Help your sister have a great time.” Annette tells her seriously. “Right now she’s a bit stressed, and nervous. Just go celebrate with your family and she’ll feel better being surrounded by it all.”

“That’s easy to do.” Alex grins. “Come on, Junie.” He chuckles. “Let’s go lovingly bully our older sister.”

**

"Baby, come here. You have to try one of these." The catering company had agreed to tweak their stuffed mushroom recipe to meet the one created by the Kennedy family's personal chef as written down in his cookbook, and the result is absolutely stellar. "Tell me this isn't the best stuffed mushroom you've ever had in your life."

He hasn't strayed from your side for more than a few steps, so it's easy to come closer. Grinning as he opens up for you to feed him one of the stuffed mushrooms, closing his eyes in utter delight as the flavors burst on his tongue. "Oh god, we are keeping the leftovers, right?" He moans.

"Absolutely." You grin and giggle a little that his face matches yours perfectly. They're little bites of heaven. "I have half a mind to have these at the wedding, too."

"We should." He agrees quickly, picking up another bite off the table and offering it to you since you sacraficed one of your mushrooms for him.

Without looking, he has grabbed one of the little cornbread cups filled with pulled pork with has been your other favorite bite at the beginning of the party. You hum around the delicious choice and sigh happily. "Everyone seems to be having fun. And the band is great, thankfully."

"They are good." Marcus has been impressed with the range of songs they can play, but it's to be expected for a good wedding band. "I'm so glad that tonight has gone off with little more than a slight hitch." He leans in and kisses your cheek. "Everything worked out."

"Fingers crossed that the rest of the night runs as smoothly." It's almost time to start dinner, which will surely come with a couple of speeches but should be a beautiful meal. This catering company is fantastic and the two sisters that run it deserves as much recognition as you can possibly heap on them. They, along with the band, will hopefully get lots of coverage from the White House.

"It will." Marcus doesn't mention that there is the best security that could possibly be provided by the Secret Service at this event. He pecks your lips. "Tonight is amazing and it will continue to be so."

"Are you sure about that?" Having not seen her in a while, it is a surprise when you glance past his shoulder and see Vanessa approaching from the corner of the lawn.

Marcus hisses a quiet sigh and squeezes your hand. "I'll ask her to leave and then I'll have someone escort her out." He tells you quietly, waiting for you to agree with a quick nod before he moves to intercept her.

"I come in peace." Vanessa insists, holding up a hand briefly as though it were a white flag.

"I'm not sure that I believe that." He admits, not calling security over simply to avoid a scene. If he can get her to leaving willingly, it would look better.

"I just came to tell you that my vendors are packed up and we're leaving the premises." She's feeling deflated and frankly embarrassed by being stuck in the middle without any kind of life preserver. The shouting match she had with Sam over the phone inside the Visitor Center did not help. At this point she just wants to go home and open a bottle of wine.

His brow lifts in surprise, sure that she would once again insist that this was their venue. "I have to say....I'm surprised that no guests of the Congressman have shown up." He comments quietly. "It's…almost as if they weren't invited."

"Please don't prod at me." Vanessa huffs, shaking her head slightly. At this point being kicked while she's down would be deserved but humiliating. "I just spent forty minutes making phone calls and having arguments. I have no idea what happened, but it's–it is what it is."

"I'm sorry." Marcus apologizes and bites his lip for a moment. "Why don't you join us for a drink?" He offers, motioning towards the bar. "I'm sure you could use one?" He wants to know what has transpired but he also wants to prove that, despite everything, you and Marcus are not her enemy.

"That...doesn't feel appropriate." It's kind of him, but Marcus is kind. That is part of him. "You guys enjoy your party. It...it looks nice. And the hashtags are a cute touch. Very media friendly." Vanessa sighs again and her deflation happens all over again. "I should...I should go. There are campaign events to plan. Even if this one sort of...imploded."

"Listen...." Marcus frowns slightly and looks over at where you are watching him with avid interest. "I know that we are kind of on opposite sides of the sand, but Birdie and I— we aren't— we don't wish you and the congressman anything more than happiness." He offers softly.

"It's all a little complicated," she admits, though she doesn't relish it. "Sam feels so strongly about this whole situation having two sides but I have to admit that I feel like that attitude is starting to do more harm than good."

"I think it is too." He agrees, nodding and offering her a small smile. "If you need anything..." The offer dies, unspoken, but it's there in case she needs it. Vanessa bites her lip and looks conflicted so Marcus takes that as his cue. "Have a good night, Vanessa." He offers before he turns back to return to your side.

"Is everything okay?" There wasn't any shouting or any real fighting that you could see, but Marcus looks upset when he comes back to you.

“Yeah, it’s good.” Marcus reassures you, rubbing your shoulder and bringing you closer for a kiss. “I think – I hope – that she’s starting to see the light in this entire situation.”

“Some cracks in the shiny veneer of it all?” You feel bad honestly. Vanessa might be blindly loyal but she never seemed outright cruel to you.

“I think so.” He hums. “She desperately wanted her soulmate, so I think she justified a lot in her mind.”

“I feel so bad.” There are a lot of people in the world who suffer in different ways for want of their soulmate, and Vanessa might not be your favorite person but she still doesn’t deserve to have that kind of pain.

“I do too.” Marcus admits, but he shrugs. “No one ever said every soulmate match was good.”

“I’m just glad I have you.” Your arm around his waist and your head momentarily on his chest are so grounding and so incredible calming. Just because you could weather the storm of the old without him by your side doesn’t mean you ever, ever want to. Not anymore. Not now that you know how much better it can be. “I love you, Marcus. More than words.”

“You are part of me.” He promises. “My soul, my heart, my thoughts.” He smiles softly, unaware that the moment is being photographed and posted online with the captions declaring true love was real.

“I’m stealing that for my wedding vows,” you chuckle softly, admittedly because you’re so choked up in the moment.

“Steal away, sweetheart.” He kisses your forehead and sighs, letting the problems of the day fade and just reminding himself that everything is perfect now. He has you.

______

Master Tags: @pixiedurango @chattychell @winter-fox-queen @lady-himbo @artsymaddie @princess76179 @paintballkid711 @missminkylove @pedrosbrat @ew-erin @sarahjkl82-blog @sharkbait77 @justanotherblonde23 @lv7867 @recklesswit @mylittlesenaar @f0rever15elf @gallowsjoker @steeevienicks @athalien @sherala007 @skvatnavle @thatpinkshirt @jaime1110 @girlimjusttryingtoreadfanfics @goodgriefitsawildworld @greeneyedblondie44 @littlemousedroid @harriedandharassed @churchill356 @ajathegreats-blog @haylzcyon   @beardsanddetectives @kirsteng42 @ladykatakuri @adancedivasmom @madiebear @tanzthompson @emilianamason @bigsdinger @xocalliexo @pedr0swh0r3 @avaleineandafryingpan @charlyrmv @avidreader73 @iceclaw101 @loveslide @elegantduckturtle @becsworld @julesonrecord @its-nebuleuse @itsrubberbisquit @mikeyswifie @guelyury @lizzie-cakes @for-a-longlongtime @vabeachazn @purplerain04 @weho2kcmo @madnessofadaydreamer

HHL: @haileymorelikestupid @anoverwhelmingdin @storiesofthefandomlovers @missladym1981 @babeincolor @angelofsmalldeath-codeine

My Masterlist!

#Pedro Pascal #Pedro Pascal character fanfiction #Pedro Pascal fanfic #Marcus Pike #Marcus Pike x you #Marcus Pike x reader #Marcus Pike x female reader #Marcus Pike x f!reader #The Mentalist #soulmate au #First Daughter reader #Juan Badillo #Graceland #Juan Badillo x f!OC #Juan Badillo x OC #PrincessPike2018 #PikeWedding2018 #WhiteHouseWedding2018

[thatdebaterguy]

So, I'm not big into Eurovision but I know Israel participates so I was paying some attention to it this year and.. yeah it went how I'd imagined. What's curious though, is all these people claim they've been against the 'genocide of Palestinians' for ages, but how come when Israel won just a few years ago, there were no booing, no protests, no mention of Palestine, it was all about the singer, her song about female empowerment, but this year, it's all about Palestine, politics, not the song, not the singer, only about Palestine? This woman doesn't represent the IDF, she's a musician representing her country, not her government but her culture, and she never went around saying 'kill all Palestinians' she just sang, but suddenly she's some war criminal who deserves to be boo'd off stage?

These people just hop on whatever they consider trendy and ride it like a meth addict rides their high, it's ridiculous, you think you'll stop a war booing a singer? It's like people thinking that boycotting Microsoft or McDonalds will stop the war in Gaza, cause yeah American companies that don't sell arms or weapons are definitely the ones propping up this war, it could neeeever be Iran propping up Hamas, that's preposterous!

#politics #israel #palestine #current events #gaza #hamas #eurovision

[tubapun]

Thinking about Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost and how it kinda has a message about how a lot of pilgrim type nostalgia and Americana is such an idealized view of the past that refuses to actually acknowledge the pain and oppression inherent to the era.

This little town in Massachusetts literally builds a "puritan village" and uses the story of a witch who supposedly used to live there to bring in tourists, claiming the village being built disturbed her spirit.

And none of the folks in charge know she was actually a witch!! As far as they know, she really was just a Wiccan who was persecuted by Christians for her faith and who was murdered despite doing nothing but helping others with her healing herbs!! And like!! I feel like that's a political statement, especially for the 90s, that feels very large!!

It's essentially saying: Americans will mythologize their own history and in doing so obscure the harm it caused!!

There's no acknowledgement of the natives in the film at all. No thought spared to the slaves or indentured servants. And that makes some sense given it's a kids movie. But given the context of the story itself, it almost feels intentional. Of course this pioneer town would fail to acknowledge the fact that its built on stolen land and by unpaid slave labor. That doesn't sell tickets!!

In the same vein, the leaders of the town make the witch's ghost "real" by having folks dress up as her to scare people, secretly. That way they're able to tell the story of the witch they killed and not have tourists grapple with the truth of the witch trials. No instead they go "oh well its good she was killed" and continue to come because it's the real supernatural!!

And then yes immediately after it turns out she was a witch, but it doesn't absolve the townsfolk of what they did. They didn't actually think she was an evil witch. All the sightings of Sarah Ravencroft are fake. With all they do they're able to escape the truth of what they're celebrating. They market themselves on nostalgia and this "pure" unsullied past full of whimsy.

The past wasn't a time of pain and suffering for the exploited!! It was a silly time, look at the stocks and throw tomatoes and giggle cause it's all in good fun!! Don't think about who would actually have been in them. Don't think about who taught the pilgrims about the crops we show being grown. Don't think about how white the town is. And was. Or who used to be here. Or who was considered "a witch".

I don't know man!! Scooby-Doo does this a lot!! It makes statements but it's never clear how intentional they are cause it's Scooby Freaking Doo!! I love it!! AAAA!!

#scooby doo #mike watch #scooby doo and the witch's ghost #i feel like im shoveling dirt into my mouth to determine if its umami or sour #not to say this film is dirt or bad #but rather that to try and get a comprehensible stance from this franchise on any issue is as absurd as trying to get a soil flavor profile

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Jane Fonda (Barbarella, Sunday in New York, Barefoot in the Park)—Feminist icon, LGBTQ+ rights activist since the 70s, Civil Rights and Native American rights advocate, environmentalist… she really is THE woman ever

Eartha Kitt (Anna Lucasta, St. Louis Blues)—My friend and I have a saying: NOBODY is Eartha Kitt. A thousand have tried, and they've all come up empty and will continue to do so. Everyone knows her for something: from "Santa Baby" to Yzma in Emperor's New Groove to Catwoman to making Lady Bird Johnson cry for the Vietnam War. She was a master of comedy and sex, an extremely vocal activist, and she aged like fine wine... I honestly don't know what I can say about her that hasn't already been said, so I'll stick to linking all my propaganda. Like what else do you want from me. She was iconic at everything she ever did. Literally name another. How can anyone even think of her and not want to absolutely drown?

This is round 6 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Jane Fonda:

"I assume she's already been submitted but I gotta make sure. I think there's an element to movies like Barbarella or her segment of Spirit of the Dead of those having been directed by her husband, who famously made movies about her being hot, and the incredible costume design also helped, but good lord. Look at her"

"She was so pretty, dear lord! She was and still us stunning. She’s great at comedy and drama."

"Shes so hot im so gay for me i will let her hit me with hers car"

"Gorgeous and also still getting arrested at climate protests, which is sexy behavior"

"Watching her in Barefoot in the Park seriously made me, a straight woman, question things"

"PLEASE I LOVE HER SO MUCH"

"Her vibes in these movies are so interesting because she, the daughter of an Old Hollywood star, went on to make both poignant dramatic movies and the some of the silliest things you've ever seen but even in the silly space adventures and sexploitations there's always this undeniable gravitas to her. It's like she's able not to take herself very seriously but at the same time never stops having this grace and elegance and makes it all work together. And she's always been very politically active which is also sexy. Her famous mugshot is from 1970 so right at the cutoff mark but come on"

Eartha Kitt:

"A hot vintage woman who was not just known for her voice, beauty, poise, and presence, but also her unapologetic ways of speaking about how she was mistreated in the show business as a girl who grew up on cotton fields in South Carolina in the 1930s through the 1940s coming to Broadway first and then Hollywood."

"Have you watched her sing?? Have you seen her face?? Have you heard her talk?? How could you not fall instantly in love. She makes me incoherent with how hot she is."

"She can ACT she can SING she can speak FOUR LANGUAGES she is a GODDESS!!! Although she is (rightfully) remembered for her singing, TV appearances (Catwoman my beloved), and later film roles, her early appearances in film are no less impressive or noteworthy!! She’s an amazing actress with so much charisma in every role. She was also blacklisted from Hollywood for 10 years for criticizing the Johnson administration/Vietnam War, so. Iconic. Also Orson Welles apparently called her “the most exciting woman in the world.”

"She had such a stunning, remarkable appearance, like she could tear you to shreds with just a glance- but the most undeniable part of her hotness was her voice, and it makes sense that it's what most people nowadays know her for. Nothing encapsulates the sheer magnetism of her singing better than this clip of her and Nat King Cole in St. Louis Blues, she pops in at 2:49. Also I know it's post-1970 but her song that was cut from Emperor's New Groove is likely to make you feel Feelings."

"Even with as racist as Hollywood was in the 1950s and 60s, Eartha Kitt STILL managed to have a thriving career. She also once had a threesome with Paul Newman and James Dean, and called out LBJ over the Vietnam War so hard that it made First Lady Johnson cry. Eartha Kitt was talented, sexy, and a total badass activist."

#eartha kitt #jane fonda #hotvintagepoll #fuck that old woman #ladies 6

[shirtlessradfahrer]

So I've been politically active since before I was even eligible to vote. I've followed North American politics near religiously since 2014, and I've been a card-carrying member of my country's most prominent left-wing party since before the start of the pandemic. I barely slept at all during the week Ukraine was full-scale invaded, and I've been stressed about it every day for the last two years, given that my grandfather was born there and I've very much wanted to visit someday. And this was all before the horrific debacle of October 7th, and the subsequent atrocities committed against Gaza practically every day since. Lately I've weaned myself off a lot of international news and been more active in local politics because that's where I feel my efforts have been more effective, but...

...the reality is I am tired. I am so fucking tired.

I blacklisted just about everything remotely political when I made this blog because I wanted this space to be my escape from all of that. He is my escape from all of that. A badly needed one, because between the state of the world, the state of my country, the state of my workplace and the state of my personal life, my mental health has been....not very good for most of this decade and last.

I know this is unhealthily cynical, but as someone who had some pretty shitty friends in the past, and continues to have some incredibly shitty family members, including my own father (who, despite having Käärijä levels of charisma and putting on an excellent act in public, has repeatedly hurt me and let me and others down when we needed him most)....I expect famous people I admire to disappoint me. I very much expect famous men I admire to disappoint me. It may be in three days, or in three months, or in three years, or in thirty years, but it will happen at least once, if not multiple times.

Which is why I don’t-and never have-looked up to musicians or any other celebrity for guidance on my political or moral beliefs. It's a surefire way to set yourself up for not only disappointment but feelings of betrayal towards someone who was never "loyal" to you in the first place. And I wish so many people didn't learn that lesson far too late.

I don't like Jere Mikael Pöyhönen because of his insightful commentary on the state of geopolitics. To be extremely blunt, I like him because he's hot and he entertains me, both of which bring me happiness. Once I no longer feel that happiness, I'll move on to other interests, just as I always have. It would be very nice, however, if that day came in thirty years rather than in three. Which is why I felt relief when he expressed his wish to remain politically neutral, even regarding politics in his own country.

That being said....am I disappointed he went to you-know-what? Yes, for reasons both political and non-political. Am I disappointed that he willingly interacted on camera with you-know-who? Yes. In fact there are several things he has done and people he has associated with that I'm not particularly happy about. But in this case do I understand WHY he went and why he interacted with them? Also yes.

I don't believe he had any malicious intent, quite the opposite. His kindness is both his greatest strength and his greatest weakness-he is kind to the point that he foolishly undermines his own credibility. I don't know if there's an equivalent of Hanlon's Razor in Finnish but it goes "never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity".

And.....well. This is a guy who couldn't tell the Ukrainian esc23 representatives from the Greek ones. Who didn't know what the trans flag was until he was personally handed one last year. Who, AFAIK, has never received any sort of higher education (vocational school would still sort of be considered such where I live, but whatever) not that that automatically makes someone "smart" and others "stupid", but it can and often does help with understanding international issues. And based on my overall experience with hockey fans/players (of which he's both)...they typically aren't terminally online debating anything besides individual player and team statistics.

So I'm not shocked that he didn't think about how Just Being Nice on camera with that representative would look to others outside of his own bubble. How that would not have looked particularly "neutral". But he should have, considering this isn't the first time he's had to deal with angry internet mobs coming after him for a relatively minor mistake. Considering his favourite band got into very hot water last year and dealt with the controversy very poorly for too long.

Is it fair that I can block some tags, turn off the tv, and get on with my day, while he has to worry about his image the moment he leaves home? No. But...this is the inevitable downside of the life he wanted. Unlike me, he now has an audience of millions, a not-insignificant number of whom are going to be thinking about this stuff, meaning he needs to as well. And if not, he needs to pay someone to think about it for him. Goodness knows he can afford it now. I can do without all that pyro if it means none of us have another week like this one.

#käärijä #sorry this was still more rambling than i intended #but i wanted to give personal context as to why i appreciate his neutral stance #and why i don't like putting celebrities on such high pedestals #also fuck the ebu #for so many reasons #they don't deserve him

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

Why would a battle fought 54 years ago provide key insight on what Hamas' strategy is today?

Asymmetric Warfare. It's a term that most people don't really understand. Before I did this, I was a United States Army Green Beret and I did a couple of combat tours in Iraq. And needless to say, asymmetric warfare was kind of our thing.

So, in practical terms, it is a type of war between belligerents whose relative military power, strategy or tactics differ significantly. And as a result of this, the weaker opponent will use unconventional tactics in order to maximize one's strengths against a stronger opponent's weaknesses or vulnerabilities.

For instance, an Insurgent force does not have the freedom of movement or firepower necessary to attack a forward operating base or a heavily armed column. So instead, they focus on softer logistical targets. They may choose to use a remotely activated roadside bomb instead of engaging in direct fire.

In many situations, the weaker adversary has fewer personnel and resources. And so, a significant part of their strategy is to preserve those limited resources and use the munitions that they have to the greatest possible advantage.

But here's the thing. To pull this off long term, you generally need a consistent means of supply combined with enough territory to hit, run and then hide. And Hamas doesn't have these things, at least not in sufficient supply to win against the IDF.

So, what's their strategy? What can Hamas leverage that will allow them to conduct offensive operations against a much stronger opponent and then avoid getting destroyed by the IDF's vastly superior military capability?

And the answer to that question as horrific, as it is, is civilian casualties, but probably not the ones you're thinking.

To understand this, let's discuss that example 54 years ago. The Tet Offensive in the Vietnam War virtually wiped out the Viet Kong. It was by every objective measure, a complete tactical failure. But strategically, it was invaluable. Because while achieving none of its military objectives, the Tet Offensive shattered Americans' perspective on the situation on the ground.

Opponents of the war were able to effectively use the offensive as a demonstration of the futility of American involvement. Hollywood, Academia and many in the mainstream media went to work convincing the American people that the war couldn't be won. Or perhaps just shouldn't even be fought. And in a representative government, when the electorate decides that a war is lost, it is, regardless of the situation on the ground.

Now, understand something. I'm not making an argument for the pros or cons of fighting the Vietnam War. I'm merely illustrating a point about modern Asymmetric Warfare. The lesson of the Tet Offensive is when fighting the West, you don't defeat their military. You win their electorate. And the way to do that is through the institutions which shape culture in the West, namely Hollywood, the Media and Academia.

If Hamas had decided to engage in a conventional military attack directed at only legitimate military targets, the IDF would have effectively destroyed their war fighting capability within days, and Hamas knows it. So, they engaged in asymmetric strategy.

Once we understand this, their actions on October 7th, as horrific as they are, begin to make more sense. Hamas didn't just target civilians because they were easy targets or because they despise Jews, although both of those things are true. The attack and the subsequent taking of hostages was actually designed to elicit a major response from the IDF.

But why? Well, maybe it's because to achieve their strategic objectives, Hamas needs civilian casualties. And more specifically they need Palestinian civilian casualties. And this is why.

The two entities in this conflict that lose the most from a greater peace agreement in the Middle East are Iran and the terrorist organizations they support. Upsetting this process requires much more than the random launching of rockets into Israel or strikes against legitimate military targets. The IDF is more than capable of handling such incursions, and the Israeli people have become all too accustomed to weathering such attacks without demanding an overwhelming military response. something more significant was required.

And October 7th created the kind of conditions that demanded a significant and sustained response. They needed something so obscene that Israel would have no choice but to hit back hard.

And this is where the second component of Hamas' strategy plays out. How to get Palestinian casualties. Any government actually worried about civilian casualties dedicates resources to evacuating their own civilians from hostile areas and attempts to separate the civilian population from legitimate military targets. So what conclusion should we come to when a governing body decides to do the exact opposite?

In this asymmetric environment, Hamas is not only incentivized to kill Israeli civilians, they're incentivized to maximize their own civilian casualties in the short run in order to elicit Western intervention on their behalf. As easy as it might be to explain Hamas's strategy away as nothing but mindless bloodlust, it is actually more sinister than that.

Hamas is responding to the incentive structures certain elements within the West have created. Hamas understand that the real Battlefield is not in Gaza but in the streets, University halls and newsrooms of the West. And so that is their target. And while a ceasefire seems like a humanitarian response to the tragic death of civilians, leaving Hamas intact as an operational and governing body will ultimately just reinforce that the perverse incentive structure remains the same.

And that while the West may claim to "not negotiate with terrorists," they always seem to force Israel to as soon as it becomes politically inconvenient for them.

So here's the hard reality. If you actually want to achieve anything resembling a lasting peace in this part of the world, you're never going to achieve it by creating conditions where terrorists are incentivized to hurt both the civilians of their enemies, and their own in order to achieve their political objectives.

==

This, of course, was completely obvious from the moment of the al-Ahli Hospital hoax, where Western outlets worked overtime to spread Hamas propaganda without regard for truth, all the way through to the present-day "protests" which are anything but organic or grass-roots.

#Nick Freitas #asymmetrical warfare #propaganda #hamas propaganda #hamas #hamas terorrism #IDF #Israel #israel defence forces #oct 7 #october 7 #october 7 massacre #terrorist attack #Tet Offensive #Vietnam War #religion is a mental illness

[dailyrothko]

Thoughts on Barnett Newman? Since his "Stations of the Cross" series is right next to a room of Rothko paintings in the national gallery I was curious about what you think of him, personally I prefer Rothko's work but Stations of the Cross is nice imo :)

I do like the Stations of the Cross, and it's really nice the way the NGA has them all together much more effective as a group I think. They are my favorites of his paintings.

Newman was a writer and become a painter later than Rothko or Gottlieb or Still. I think there was tension about him as he was seen to be getting on the bandwagon. They say Gottlieb was enraged called him "Bullshit Barney" (i think that's right, something like that). But depending on who you ask, Rothko was less wound up about it, I think he didn't feel as threatened. However, Clement Greenberg, the most influential critic of the time, embraced Newman and didn't like Rothko. To me it's all politics but I think it may have hurt Rothko's feelings, he was sensitive.

Newman appealed to Rothko's intellectual side but they were very different. Newman affected a pose, wore a monocle, posed in a suit with a cigarette holder. Everyone seems to say he was a very smart person but some of his peers I think were less impressed with his actual painting. One annoyance was that he apparently changed the dates on some paintings to make it appear as if he had done them earlier than he had.

I hesitate to say anything is 100% true, I only know what I read.

Jack Tworkov said, "I think that Rothko's struggle was an intense one. And now that I know his work much better, his earlier work that I've seen a great deal more of, I can now see what he started from, what he worked through in order to get where he did. Whereas Newman began painting I think in 1947 with that stripe and that was it."

Without being even more digressive, I do think as a society we place too much emphasis on the single artist and whole genius idea. People are parts of groups and their groups are part of a society that has different functions depending on when they exist (Tworkov has good things to say about that). Ginsberg had the Beat poets, for instance, it's part of a bigger tapestry, if you will. I think Americans love this genius myth, (everyone is a goddamn genius, apparently)and that obsession fuels the art world too. There are plenty of painters who do great paintings as good as anyone, but if they are not anointed, they don't sell the same, so i think it invites the idea that one artist is the best and the others must be lesser. If you're an Orson Welles type, you are great but also great at fueling your myth to get work, other people just don't have it in them. Newman could play the whole game a lot better than Rothko.

For me, I do like his paintings and especially Stations of the Cross, but I would say I find his painting less deep than Rothko's. He kind of stuck to a simpler thing than some of the artists of the period. It's not about these personalities really, it's about the art. But I thought I would give some Rothko context to your question.

#mark rothko #markrothko #rothko #daily rothko #dailyrothko #abstract expressionism #modern art #questions #barnett newman

[ackermental]

It's another year when the Eurovision winner has over 100 points less than the real winner aka the public favorite.

I'll keep saying it until I die: people know best, we don't need jury.

Yes. Even with Israel comming second. It still wouldn't have won. Even after EBU decided to break apart the public vote by allowing Americans to vote - it's still not enough. I don't think many of you understand what it says about European community (hint: it means that most of us have awesome taste actually).

EBU was (and still is) mad as fuck ever since it found out that the public hates ballads, that we love languages other than English, that Europe is so much more than just Western Europe, that folk songs and representing your culture (that might not be white, protestant and english culture) can get you far.

And if any of you believe that juries throwing 12 points at one country, until its impossible for us to make a difference, is just a coincidance and is in no way rigged, I honestly pitty you for your blindness and naivety.

EBU finally found a way around public vote last year and the formula is working splendidly.

This competition was dead long before Israel was allowed to participate.

#eurovision

[ballet-symphonie]

what's the deal with joy womack ? I got into ballet after the whole scandal at the bolshoi and i've always heard bad things about her but I don't really know the story. Also she apparently lied about her position at POB?

Ooof I'll try to do the quick version based on what I remember, she is basically one drama after another, she tends to...misrepresent information. She left BT after saying she had to pay or even sleep with someone to get soloist parts. This was disputed by some, and confirmed by others.

After she went to work i the Kremlin Ballet Theatre of Moscow, she became a leading soloist with them, despite often calling herself a principal. There was some tension here as she was making vlogs filming class despite her coworkers asking her not to and occasionally sharing some no-so-nice information about her coworkers, things got messy when she divorced her ex and she left, even after she got promoted to principal.

After Kremlin, she won a prize at Varna in 2017, did some unsuccessful company auditions, and did short stints at Universal Ballet in Korea and guesting around Bulgaria and Poland. At one point she was going back Russian State Theatre Arts Ballet Pedagogy and Choreography (GITIS) for higher education in pedagogy. She has repeatedly expressed disdain for both the American and Russian systems, and there is a lot of speculation that this, along with her desire to be a principal *asap* hindered her career.

She was at Boston Ballet for a short period, but didn't like the setup, said she preferred being in Russian/European companies where they provided more individual coaching and often more benefits (housing) and with low layoffs...yet she has also repeatedly complained about the low pay/exchange rate when she was working in Russia. She left here when COVID happened.

After trying a couple of times, I believe she got a "contractuelle" position at POB, where you're generally hired for specific productions (eg, something with a huge corps, or for a specific choreographic nice that a dancer excels in). POB, with its extremely involved hiring and promotion systems/competitions, takes a while to move dancers into the corps sometimes. I'm not sure if she was offered a corps contract and didn't take it, or didn't get one, but regardless, she's no longer working with POB.

And now, if you go to her website she's starting a foundation and a school and company....? This is in addition to her freelancing around and the project prima bars that I think no longer exist and some film work. She's just a lotttttt and does not portray herself as the most self-aware or humble person.

As far as my personal interactions with her go, I know she came to audition at my company before I started my professional career and was not accepted. I took a couple classes with her in NYC by chance, the diva attitude was overtly present.

I didn't do much googling here, of course open to corrections of this mass of speculation

#a rather dramatic post from me lo #enjoy

[fighting-these-demons]

Hello Internet Stranger looking up G Gundam on Tumblr dot com!

This is an idea for a fic set in an Alternate Universe involving Queer Non-Canon Relationships between the characters of the series.

If you are not looking for this content please scroll on.

If you ARE looking for this content - and you're ok with reading my and other's Headcanons for this Alternate Universe I've haphazardly spun up -

Then go ahead and feel free to:

Check The Tags Of This Post For The Pairings

and click the Read More below!

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

Ended up outlining a completely different fic as a Segway for an explanation instead of making progress on the Royal Flush Haunted Honk AU's Clown Motel Fic like I wanted to but uh....

For y'all's review for the AU: A Prequel Outline - Divorce Saga Domon

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Hey real quick - I'm thinking of maybe changing the timeline to 2 years post canon as opposed to 3 years and change post canon.

The reason being: I had a thought that this scene could either be part if the fic or if it's getting to big then it could be a stand alone tie-in prequel fic as part of this AU but - like

Immediately Post Divorce Domon Needs Space and runs off. As one does. And he runs to Earth because he just wants to Get Lost for a while.

He has Argo smuggle him out to avoid detection.

Argo has Andrew help stow Domon in a storage hanger of a Neo Canadian supply ship that's returning to the US - they have trade often enough and share agricultural resources - which leads to Domon ending up in New York when he hits Earthside pavement.

He's privately worked on his English the last couple of months and after being dropped in New York with a different hairstyle, outfit, and accent he's unrecognizable. 

He considers making his way west to get some solitude in the wilderness, but something about that initial plan feels off now that he's on the ground.

Chibodee is also Earthside for a special series of prize fights aimed at raising charitable appeal for the US in the eyes of Neo Americans.

Domon decides to hit up Chibodee for a fight on a day between matches hoping it'll clear his head and give him the clarity to decide on a course of action. What ends up happening is an unexpected heart to heart via blows and a breakdown.

Domon is happy for Rain and Kyoji, and he knows it's not true; but he feels like he lost a piece of himself when his relationship with Rain fell apart.

Domon's instinct is to run after that but Chibodee knows this city and Domon doesn't hide out for long before Chibodee drags him back to his place to stay and just "Chill out and breathe. You don't have to be anyone but yourself here. You can take as long as you need to find out what everything changing means for you." Friends and teammates stick together.

So Domon spends a few weeks with Chibodee sparring and hanging out in New York. Chibodee does a frankly awesome job at containing his feelings because he's focusing on Domons feelings and being a good friend first and foremost. Whatever he's feeling can wait until after Domon is done going though it.

There's a bit of a twinge in Domon's heart as he leaves that he can't really place.

After he returns to Neo Japan and gets settled back into life with his family, The Dreams start.

They're mainly set in New York. Small things first like noticing Chibodee's smile and his eyes. Then sparring sessions that begin to turn lurid.

He thought these kinds of dreams would stop after he was married.... he doesn't know what to do about this.

I just figure it gives more clarity and sense of time for the journey from Comphet Marriage Dissolution to Feelings to Confession. Idk.

But I got stuck on a bit and then had this thought and needed to get it down before I lost it and it was so long it made sense to make it its own post as opposed to several replies.

The Maize and Clown Motel will probably still be 3 years and change post canon for clarification.

@thedragonchilde @amplexadversary @youreaclownnow

#Domon Kasshu/Chibodee Crocket #Royal Flush #Chibodee Crocket/Domon Kasshu #Royal Flush Haunted Honk AU #mobile fighter g gundam #I imagine he hasn't had time for a Big Gay Crisis yet but the time is absolutely now #Kyoji absolutely helps him through this crisis because he had a normal environment and university to figure his own shit out. #Kyoji has to figure out WHY Domon is imploding and explosive and avoiding everyone a second time though. #This doesn't seem related to the Divorce but it doesn't seem immediately obvious either. 🤔 #Cue Schwarz FINALLY getting a fucking break and immediately coming to stay with Rain and Kyoji at their place. #Domon was aware that they had been living together in Neo Japan briefly before Schwarz was called back to Neo Germany for questioning #Once his rank was stripped of him he was back with Kyoji for a short period before the Divorce as part of Kyoji and Dr. Kasshu's study of #DG Cells. Once they had a breakthrough - Schwarz was sent abroad with a small military group and Doctors Without Borders group to assist #With immediate infection cases on behalf of Neo Japan as part of reparations. So Domon hadn't seen him in quite some time. #Domon certainly wasn't expecting to see him in the garden when he rounded the corner of the Mikamura residence #Leaned over Kyoji who appears to have been working outside on his laptop. Fingers intertwined a hand on Kyojis jaw and locked in a kiss. #Which ends pretty much instantly as they sense Domon and break apart. It occurs to Kyoji and Schwarz that Kyoji never #Got the chance to actually tell Domon much about himself and the man he'd grown into while Domon was training in Hong Kong with Master Asia #This might be a pretty significant shock to him. #I can't decide between Domon running from his Gay Revelation or IMMEDIATELY Losing His Shit at the thought of Rain's SECOND marriage ending #And knowing for sure now the reason why his and Rain's marriage didn't work out. He really does prefer men. #Bu HOW DARE Kyoji do this to her!!! She's been through enough!!!! This will HURT her SO BADLY!!! (Projection of guiiillllttt) #Back to square 1 fir a moment like damn #And once he starts fighting Kyoji about it (Thank God the ressurection gave them the option to make Kyojis new build similar to Schwarz's) #It comes out that Rain cant go through this AGAIN and he won't let him do this to her! Her honor means something to Domon #And it should mean something to Kyoji too as HER HUSBAND #Kyoji and Schwarz catch on the Again bit and Kyoji makes it clear that Rain has known about his situation with Schwarz since they returned #That they're quite literally inseparable and that Rain married him knowing this. She's fully aware and an active participant. #Domon takes a leg sweep and doesn't quite make his recovery as Schwarz steps in #Pinning his arms and one leg in place so he can't run from Kyojis question. Kyoji grabs Domon's hair to turn his head and asks