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voxofthevoid · 8 months

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Amnesia Wednesday #6. This fic still isn't done. It's now novel-length. Don't ask me how 😭

I think it'll cap at 12 chapters and 65-70k though. It fucking better. This week's excerpt is from Chapter 10, unofficially titled "holy tonal shift, batman" and officially titled something a hell of a lot more melodramatic.

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They make it back to the hotel before dawn. The walk was long but silent. Yuuji refused to take the coat back, but he allowed Satoru to wrap an arm around his waist and gather him close, sharing his heat with Yuuji’s much colder body, and it slowed them down and weighed down the air, but it’s only now, barely a foot away from the door to Satoru’s room, that Yuuji detaches himself.

He says, “Goodbye—”

“Stay.”

All four of Yuuji’s eyes bore into Satoru in answer and question both.

“Stay,” Satoru repeats. “Or take me home. I don’t care. Just stay with me.”

“It’s a bad idea,” Yuuji says, tone strangely wistful. “I’m not the one you want, Satoru-san.”

“Who the hell cares what I want?” Satoru asks. “I need you. Isn’t that enough?”

For a moment, Yuuji looks like nothing so much as a disapproving parent. And then he blinks, every single eye screwing shut for a too-long instant before flashing open in a searing fury, and Satoru’s once again left with no words to describe everything brimming in there.

But all Yuuji says is, “Fine. I’ll stay.”

Inside the room, Yuuji makes a beeline for the bathroom, barely glancing at Satoru before he vanishes past the closing door.

He doesn’t lock it.

Satoru takes his time stripping, hanging up Yuuji’s coat beside his own and peeling off his few layers with unwarranted care. His shirt is half unbuttoned and his jeans pooled at his ankles when the shower starts running. Satoru stands there in his underwear for a long moment, a thumb tucked into the thin waistband.

He considers, for the second time in his life, letting go.

Yuuji doesn’t really react when Satoru joins him in the shower, only pressing closer to the wall to make room for him. They couldn’t do this back in Yuuji’s apartment, the bathroom there even more congested than the bedroom, but there’s plenty of space here.

Satoru ignores all of it in favor of plastering his body to Yuuji’s, wrapping both arms around him from behind.

Yuuji shudders like he’s cold despite the blistering water raining down on them.

“Satoru-san…”

Satoru presses his mouth to a wet shoulder. “Do you mind?”

“That’s the kind of thing you ask before you barge in.”

“You might’ve said no.”

Yuuji snorts. “You’re unbelievable, you know that?”

“I’ve been told,” Satoru murmurs, dragging his lips along Yuuji’s shoulder, to an equally wet neck. He noses aside a few reedy strands of hair to tuck his face into the curve of it.

Yuuji smells like nothing, washed clean.

Satoru still sucks him in by the lungful.

Soaping up is a complicated affair, mostly because Satoru refuses to detach himself from Yuuji. In all fairness, Yuuji doesn’t really try to dislodge him, not reacting beyond a half-amused, half-entertained huff when his first and only attempt has Satoru tightening his arms around him. He still does a decent job of lathering himself, soapy hands even making a firm pass over Satoru’s forearms.

“Let up a bit,” he says afterward. “I’ll do you.”

Satoru loosens his grip just enough for Yuuji to turn around in his arms.

One pair of Yuuji’s eyes meet Satoru’s own, while the lower set flit down his body. There’s more heat in the former than the latter, and it’s the kind that infects Satoru’s chest rather than his dick. Strong hands come to a gentle rest on either side of his throat, Yuuji’s fingers meeting around the thick column of Satoru’s neck. Yuuji massages the soap onto the skin there, and it’s a light, fleeting pressure, but Satoru feels branded by the promise in it.

“Yuuji,” he breathes.

Yuuji says nothing, spreading lather along Satoru’s shoulders and arms and chest and belly before pressing closer to get at his back. Satoru sinks into it, leaning some of his weight on Yuuji as slick fingers trail down the length of his spine and dig sweetly into the muscles on each side. There’s an unwarranted ease in the way Yuuji’s hand ventures even lower to cup Satoru’s buttocks and dip into the crack in between, circling around to slide soapy fingers over his pubes and thighs.

Satoru hasn’t been touched like this in a very long time.

Yuuji drops to his knees, and Satoru braces himself on the tiled wall to spare his own suddenly weak knees.

Yuuji’s quick but thorough, covering both of Satoru’s legs in the span of a minute. He rises in one sinuous motion, and Satoru’s forced to unhunch his body to make room for him.

“Hair?” Yuuji asks quietly.

“Yes,” Satoru croaks. “Please.”

A hand cups Satoru’s nape, drawing his head down to rest against Yuuji’s shoulder. He closes his eyes, the Six Eyes smothered in skin, as Yuuji works shampoo into his hair with gentle motions. Nails drag along his scalp, sending sweet little shudders of sensation down his spine.

By the time it’s all washed off, Satoru’s boneless, held up only by Yuuji’s strength.

Yuuji’s toweling him dry when Satoru kisses him.

“Satoru-san,” Yuuji murmurs against his mouth, “we shouldn’t.”

“We shouldn’t,” Satoru agrees, lips moving against Yuuji’s. “Let’s do it anyway.”

“You’re tired,” Yuuji says, the protest lacking any real fire. “You almost fell asleep in the shower.”

“So wake me up.” Satoru nips at his jaw, feeling the shiver that runs through Yuuji in his own bones. “And then put me to sleep.”

The towel falls from Yuuji’s hands, brushing Satoru’s back on its way to the floor.

He steps over it as he’s pushed back, feet sinking into plush cotton for an instant before they eat up the long stretch of cool tile from the bathroom to the bed. The back of his knees meets the bedframe, arresting their movement.

Yuuji raises his head from Satoru’s throat, a mad light spilling from his eyes.

“Tell me,” he says, “how he touched you.”

Something cold and blistering slinks down Satoru’s spine. “Yuuji—”

“Tell me,” Yuuji rasps, his voice edged with a hunger that devours desire to become madness.

Satoru closes his eyes for a moment.

He takes Yuuji’s hands and places them on his chest, and those long fingers curl viciously into the swell of each pectoral.

“Just like that,” Satoru murmurs, eyes still closed. “Touch me like you own me, Yuuji.”

#goyuu #jujutsu kaisen #jjk snippets #wip wednesday #my fic #fic: the ghost in me was true #... accidentally posted this instead of scheduling #but ok #I'll commit

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cassiopeialake · 1 year

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i get why ppl might not like shiv baby storyline because pregnancy/baby plots have a tendency to feel soapy and melodramatic but like idk. people getting pregnant does happen in real life? ( and i think it’s really interesting to explore that with shiv, someone who has a very complicated relationship with her own gender, and have her have to confront a physical reality of her own body and relationship with tom i know it’s often used as a way for writers to shit on female characters, to give them a pregnancy storyline because they can’t think of anything else interesting, but just consider this episode. that was like, the least interesting thing that happened to shiv this entire episode. so idk i trust the writers i don’t think they’re gonna stick her back with tom and a baby and a happy loving marriage, like they’re smarter than that. ALSO this season only takes place over 10 days right? 1 episode per day? so there’s a highly likely chance we’ll never know what she decides to do and it ends up being ambiguous.

#she strikes me as the kind of person who like. isn't comfortable having a body at all #succession

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aliveandfullofjoy · 10 months

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felt compelled to relisten to titanic for uh no particular reason (🫠) and good god maury yeston really has his fingerprints all over my heart. i know it’s melodramatic and occasionally clunky and soapy but it just works for me, lmao. the huge sweeping music, the huge sweeping emotion, the huge sweeping human tragedy!! it’s so special.

#and tunick’s orchestrations >>>>>

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chaos0pikachu · 2 years

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there is no way people don’t realize there is a whole storyline and plan happening beyond this episode they just wanna be mad at kinn for no reason and try not to understand him or his motives or the fact that he’s a mafia heir and then in the same breath they’re like wow vegas is so hot and every conversation he has had with porsche is definitely real and not at all manipulative ever like???? they really don’t think kinn has a plan they just think he is blindly trusting tawan????????? are we watching the actual same show what is happening also porsche is gonna be fine he is not a fragile piece of glass and we don’t get to accept his trauma and past and ignore kinns!!! like. even if this isn’t part of a grand scheme, it doesn’t matter how much he loves porsche trust issues don’t just fall away especially when he’s in the exact same scenario and has the same chances of falling and failing and it ruining him more than anything has like pls lets have some empathy and reasoning and understanding capabilities for more than one character there are still a lot of episodes and story to unfold and if they are gonna call for kinns head after every episode, well. it’s gonna be a long few weeks and every other character better get the same scrutinization and misunderstanding is all i gotta say

there is no way people don’t realize there is a whole storyline and plan happening beyond this episode

This is the struggle of watching a show week-to-week and it is what it is. I try to be neutral towards it because it's pretty typical and not worth getting to upset over. Like, do I wish folks wouldn't be overly reactionary, look at the bigger picture, etc? Sure. But I get it, people are passionate and I think that's a good thing as well.

I talked about this before but I think Kinnporsche has a lot of rewatchability to it, so if/when does fandom re-watches of the show in full, I can see fans realizing new things, or seeing new things (including myself in that) and I'm actually really excited for that!

try not to understand him or his motives or the fact that he’s a mafia heir and then in the same breath they’re like wow vegas is so hot and every conversation he has had with porsche is definitely real and not at all manipulative ever like?

I do think Kinn is a harder char to sympathize with and understand b/c uuuuuh who here is a member of the mafia? Tho I'm sure even mafia folks have hobbies so who knows, drop the ao3 link Mafia Dudes.

I DO think it's weird to see folks on Twitter be like "omg Porsche should run off with Vegas" or "I wouldn't blame Porsche for running off with Vegas" which is a testament to Vegas' pretty privilege cause dude drugged and assaulted Porsche lmao like, he's playing Porsche his feelings aren't sincere. The only reason Vegas is even gunning for Porsche is b/c 1. his dad, Gun, told him to (ep02), and 2. he want to compete with Kinn and take away things Kinn's "things" (ep07)

That said, can't blame ppl for thinking Vegas is hot anon like Bible got it going on and human morals can't contain that

porsche is gonna be fine he is not a fragile piece of glass

I agree with this hard, Porsche is not so emotionally fragile as to breakdown at the slightest provocation by Vegas, Kinn, or Tawan. We saw that multiple times this episode actually, Porsche gave Tawan tit for tat at one point, and he doesn't rise Tawan's prodding at the end of the episode (Tawan btw has no personal space boundaries, he all invades himself on Kinn and touches Porsche at the end, and it's really disturbing both times). Porsche, if anything, seems pretty emotionally self-aware. When given the chance to remove himself from a situation that's upsetting him he takes that opportunity (ep05), he's been upfront with Kinn when he's upset or angry, or forgives him (ep05, ep6, ep08). Porsche can of course be vulnerable (ep04, ep05) but he doesn't simply break down in that soapy melodramatic way I've seen in fics it's just not in his character.

If anything, going by Porsche's char in previous episodes I could see him rejecting Vegas just on the basis that he wants to clear his name for his own pride.

it doesn’t matter how much he loves porsche trust issues don’t just fall away especially when he’s in the exact same scenario and has the same chances of falling and failing and it ruining him more than anything has like pls lets have some empathy and reasoning and understanding capabilities for more than one character

Kinn, weirdly enough, reminds me a lot of Jin Yu Zhen from Be Loved In House I Do. I remember seeing of folks be really frustrated with Yu Zhen's character, he loved Shi Lie why was he not communicating with him! Why was he not just being with him!!

But that's what trauma can do a person. Yu Zhen went through a really traumatic break up, so it always made sense to me that he struggled to deal with those emotions and be willing to take another risk.

I'd really recommend people check out the reddit sub r/survivinginfidelity to see some first hand stories on how horrible a betrayal of your trust can hurt people emotionally and mentally.

Obviously it's a little different for Kinn b/c his circumstances are so specific to the world of the show. I would HOPE that no one in fandom has ever had to kill their partner, after their partner sold their family out to their enemies, and that was seen as a personal failure by your father to be held over you for years, only for said ex to return from the dead. If that has happened to you, jfc hope you ok my dude.

But given Kinn's hyper-specific circumstances, I imagine it's pretty hard for folks to empathize with them and easier to see Tawan as "just an ex" rather than someone Kinn thought he murdered after a betrayal of Kinn and his family b/c Mafia.

My point is, I get it, but also you gotta look at these things not from a personal perspective, but from a story perspective. What makes sense for the world these characters exist in, not what makes sense in the we, the real people, live in. B/c again, idk about y'all but I never dated a Mafia Boss.

Think they make good sugar daddie tho like a bitch is struggling under this six dollar a gallon gas rates

#kinnporsche the series

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ceciliatllis · 1 year

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What do you think of 7 husbands of Evelyn Hugo? What do you think of Evelyn so far? 🙂

Hi there! Apologies for the delayed response and thank you for the message! :) This may be a longer reply as I actually finished reading it the other day so hope that isn't too bothersome aha. While I felt the story stalled at times and I was not super invested at the start, I became very engrossed in the second half and was intrigued to know how the lives of these characters unraveled. With Evelyn, I admittedly had a difficult time relating to her personally and really struggled to enjoy her as a character due to her calculating and self-serving qualities. Her repeatedly describing the allure she had over people around her and mentioning movie stars being the "chosen ones" because they were extraordinary and special compared to others became excessive. While I completely understand that she is a hardened, flawed woman who sadly learned early on she must take advantage of others in order to achieve what she wants to get ahead and does not make apologies for who she is as a person, people inevitably have an easier time appreciating characters who resonate with them on a personal level and I did not find myself experiencing that when it came to who she was as a person/her nature. With that said, I felt the story definitely picked up when Celia was introduced (which makes sense as she's the other half of the prominent romance of the book) and her relationship with Evelyn finally showed a different side to her that was human, tender, and more vulnerable.

While reading about Evelyn and Celia, I think it was made clear that Evelyn behaved in selfish and inconsiderate ways as a partner and didn't think about how her actions would affect someone she cared about. Not telling Celia about the full extent of her plans with Mick Riva, sleeping with Harry so that her personal dream of having a child could be fulfilled when there were other options (this really didn't make sense to me), once again omitting something from her when she didn't let her know about the on-screen love scene between her and Don before it was filmed; these were all choices that she knew would make Celia feel insecure and not acknowledging how they affected her fractured their relationship. Celia definitely had her fair share of flaws too of course; she dismissed Evelyn's sexuality and couldn't come to terms with it and also made some pretty demeaning comments about her when she was angry. I do have some issues with this author's style in that I wish she developed her characters and relationships better initially and provided them with more depth rather than TELLING the reader how they're supposed to feel about them - a clear example that comes to mind is Evelyn stating she and Harry were "best friends" very early on in the book despite not showing the reader any intimate exchanges between them that demonstrated how they became closer. With that said, I do appreciate how she shows that connections with people (specifically romantic ones) can oftentimes be tumultuous and deeply imperfect while still being fueled by a genuine bond between two people who are fundamentally incompatible as it's true to life. It highlights that people don't always make the right decisions and can be driven by pride and how that can hinder them from finding long-term happiness.

I was not a fan of the melodramatic plot-twist at the end related to Monique's father and I think the book would have felt more believable without it. I've noticed this author has a habit of making events in her books feel contrived and unnatural and I thought it was a soapy addition to an otherwise moving ending. I think the author wanted this reveal to be poignant but I found it completely unneeded (especially since there's a series of tragic deaths near the end and that reveal really removed me from the impact of those events since it feels jarring and out of place). The book has a perfect format for a miniseries which is why I'm confounded by it being turned into a Netflix movie. This is a narrative that needs to properly span years with characters who believably age as it continues so that it has an emotional impact and I don't think a film will have enough time to cover everything that the reader experiences. Overall, I do think it was a worthwhile book and it strongly emphasizes that the most valuable part of life is being authentic and finding connections with others.

#the seven husbands of evelyn hugo #evelyn hugo #celia st. james #taylor jenkins reid #re: ask #re: lit #re: thoughts #re: the seven husbands of evelyn hugo #this was way longer than anticipated so apologies if it's alot ahaha #many thoughts about this book clearly

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squeakygeeky · 1 year

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To Sir, With Love/Khun Chai Review

I’m going to try to write a review that doesn’t spoil anything specific past the first two episodes, but it will include general spoilers especially about the type of ending. So if you want to know exactly what you’ll be getting into before starting a 17 episode series with 1hr+ episodes, this is for you.

Tldr: To Sir, With Love was one of the most enjoyable things I’ve watched all year and I highly recommend it, even to people who don’t watch BL. I especially recommend it to fans of soapy period dramas.

Genre-wise I wouldn’t consider it a BL since there’s a lot going on besides a romantic relationship, but the central character is gay, his romance is the main romance, and the fact that he is gay is what drives the plot. It’s a Thai lakorn, but I haven’t seen any others so I don’t know how it compares to others. For me it was like the gay baby of a BBC period drama and a telenovela. Off the top of my head content warnings would include suicide, homophobia, child abuse and violence but I’m sure there’s more stuff, this is a melodrama.

For all that it is soapy as heck, it holds together pretty well. Sure, no one ever gets to have a private conversation and there are a bunch of essentially magic glittery poisons that people throw at each other in hilariously dramatic fight scenes, but people act in the way you would expect their characters to act (just, you know, turned up to 11 with evil cackling) and the aren’t a bunch of what I’ll call ‘random situations.’ ‘Random situations’ being what someone was used to describe the ‘plot’ of Unforgotten Night. Here, everything happens because people are scheming, and their schemes keep bumping into each other in interesting ways, and it all somehow makes sense within the context of the melodramatic world it exists in. It can shift from genuinely heartbreaking to absolutely bonkers, but not in a way that I minded.

This got long, anything spoiler-y is after the cut.

Premise: The story starts in 1931 with the powerful 5 Dragons Association, headed by a man named Song. His associates are Zhang (Song’s longtime associate and right-hand man), Ma (the ambitious gangster-type), Cai Xiaotong (a widow who runs a ‘tea house’), and Sung (who was basically minding his own business the whole series). Song has a first wife named Li, a secondary wife named Chan, and a mistress named Bua. Li’s son Tian was born a day earlier than Chan’s son Yang, so he will inherit his father’s position and Chan is not happy about that. However, the two brothers are good friends and spend a lot of time with Bua who is luckily sane and very nice, unlike their actual mothers.

At a 5 Dragons meeting, Ma outs Zhang, causing Song to give Ma control over their new coffee venture instead because he believes a homosexual can’t be a strong business leader. In the resulting argument, Zhang is kicked out of the 5 Dragons Association altogether, and shortly after Zhang commits suicide in front of everyone, cursing Song. Shortly after, Li realizes that Tian is probably gay and decides this secret must be hidden from everyone at all costs.

Fast forward to 1943 and the 5 Dragons Association continues to be successful with only 4 members, but Thailand is occupied with Japanese soldiers. Tian has grown up into a serious and responsible young man, while Yang is more carefree and prone to getting into trouble. Despite years of Chan trying to poison Yang against Tian, he has no interest in taking over the business and the two brothers are as close as ever.

Tian is well aware that he’s gay, but is hiding it from everyone but his mother and her loyal servant Jia. Jia knows how to make poisons and do martial arts and that will be important later. Chan discovers that Tian has a terrible secret that could lead to him being removed as heir and is desperate to discover what it is. Tian meets and falls with Jiu, a candy seller with a dark secret of his own, while Yang falls in love with and adorable scammer named Pin. Unfortunately for all parties, Tian learns that his mother has arranged for him to be married to Pin, and his father will make him his official successor contingent on this marriage.

The narrative structure actually reminded me a lot of UWMA. There was a tragic event in the past that started to play out all over again in the present, and the series hinges on whether history would repeat itself or if the characters would find a new way forward.

Costumes: The costume design in this series was excellent. I don’t know much about Chinese and Thai fashion history, just Western, but I could tell what era the show was supposed to be set in by clothes alone, which is really all I ask for in terms of historical accuracy. And they went beyond that and put hats on people (ask any historical fashion lover in your live about hats and hairstyles in historical fiction, I dare you). The only garment I questioned was Yang’s one inexplicably slutty polo shirt. The costumes looked great, and they suited each character’s status and personality.

Characters: There were a lot of characters, but I didn’t find them that hard to keep track of. I think this was partly because they had distinct personalities and motivations, and also because they were pretty much all there from the beginning, it wasn’t like new characters were suddenly getting introduced for drama.

The female character were especially great, even when they were being completely terrible. They all had so much to do, and although the rivalry between Li and Chan drove most of the plot, there were also some great team-ups between the women.

Tian, Yang, Jiu and Pin were a whole set of cinnamon rolls (plus Bua). I appreciated having genuinely nice people to root for, and their niceness never felt bland or boring. Tian was caring and self-sacrificing without having to be completely passive, Yang was cheeky but always loving, Jiu had a completely understandable motivation for the bad things he did, and Pin was clever and funny.

Tian and Jiu had great chemistry. I loved their romance and although there was definitely an element of love at first sight, their relationship definitely developed over time. This was a low-heat series, but what heat there was all went to them and not Yang and Pin, which I appreciated. Yang and Pin were also great together, though. Tian and Yang had an amazing brotherly bond despite everything and that was one of my favorite things about the show.

Ending: The ending was super happy, but then in a way that I thin fit because everything had to circle back to Zhang’s suicide in a way where either something equally tragic had to occur or tragedy had to be thoroughly averted, and this was ultimately a *fun* series, not a tragic one. Several characters died during the climactic events, but not a single cinnamon roll. This was not a show where the gay couple had to leave everything behind and run off in order to be together. Tian did not have to enter into a sham marriage or do anything secretive anymore. In fact, Tian didn’t really have to compromise anything in order to live happily with Jiu. Yang and Pin also got to be together, but it ended with the focus on Tian and Jiu, not with Yang and Pin’s wedding, which I felt like it easily could have. I can’t name a single historical anything were a queer couple got an ending this happy (but if you can please tell me so I can watch it).

#to sir with love #khun chai #ql

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allisonreader · 2 years

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Oooh, the Rude and the Restless for the ask game? (Great title btw)

Thanks, I’m pretty pleased with the title myself. And yes, it is a play on The Young and the Restless because I feel like this story could lean very soapy and melodramatic. As well as having a loosely based inspiration from Beauty and the Beast. In this case the Beast is the Rude and the Beauty is the Restless. Mr. Rude will end up losing his voice for being so rude to Miss Restless. Through each other they heal though.

How typical. His little brother wasn’t here. Acting the baby middle child like always. There was a reason that he hadn’t asked his brother it be a groomsman. Being late was only one part of it. But, he wasn’t there to be thinking about his brother. He was going to be marrying his bride in what could only be a matter of moments now. She was going to come down that aisle looking like a vision in white and they would start their lives together. He was ready for it. The music changed slightly for the bridesmaids and flower girl to walk down the aisle before it started to swell for his bride. Who never came through the door. They were now waiting awkwardly for Ethel to come down the aisle. First it was five minutes, then ten and 20. Their guests were getting restless. He was getting restless. Still there was no bride. One of the bridesmaids left to see what the hold up was. Only returning to say she could see no sign of her. Starting a desperate search for her. His heart sank. He hoped nothing was wrong. He couldn’t understand what could have happened to her. As far as he had been aware, she had made it to the church. Certainly if she had gotten sick she would have told someone? There had to be some reason that she wasn’t here. No one could find her though. Nor could they get ahold of her when they tried to phone her. He ended up sitting outside on the steps of the church with his head in his arms. He was starting to feel like a fool. If she wasn’t sick or injured, then she left him at the alter, waiting for her to never show up. What happened? Where did things go wrong for her to leave him waiting like that? This was by far the most humiliating thing that had happened to him. When did things go wrong? Why did she agree to marry him if she wasn’t going to go through with it? Was it intentional? Had he done something that she’d want to leave him in one of the harshest ways possible? Until he spoke with her, he didn’t think he’d know.

It was late the next day when his brother turned up.

"So where were you? Since you weren’t at my disaster of a wedding."

"Nowhere in particular."

"For the entire day?"

"What happened that made it such a disaster?"

"If you had come, you would have known that Ethel never made it to the ceremony. Nobody has been able to find her or get in touch with her either. I just want her to be okay...."

"I’m sure she’s fine. She probably just got a serious case of cold feet. She’ll probably turn up."

"That doesn’t help."

"Relax Rupert. She’s a woman. They’re fickle creatures and she’ll probably be back before you know it."

It took three days for Ethel to make an appearance. She had her ring box in hand.

"I don’t deserve this." He ignored her trying to give the ring back to him for the time.

"Where were you? What happened?"

She looked down and away from him, biting her lower lip.

"Rupert... I- I started to panic and I made a poor decision that hurt you... I ran. I couldn’t walk down that aisle to you. When I would try to go that direction... I would freeze. I only intended to go outside for a moment, but I couldn’t make myself go back inside. Then Jeremy came across me and offered to take me away so that I could calm down and face you. I knew that I shouldn’t accept, but I did."

"You were with my brother?"

"I was... He took me to his place and we started talking before it lead to more. I can’t marry you. It wouldn’t be fair to you."

"He lied to me. He knew where you were. How worried about you I was. And you were with him!"

"I know that I’ve hurt you but it’s for the best that this happened now."

"What would have been the best is if you had never said yes, if you knew you couldn’t marry me."

oOo

Work had become his saving grace in the months after his wedding fiasco. When he was at work he didn’t have to think about what Ethel and Jeremy were up to. He didn’t have to see them or see them or speak to them. Both were banned from his office.

His sisters were sweet and always were trying to cheer him up. Claiming that Ethel and Jeremy were very mean to him and would give them the silent treatment. He always told them they were sweet, but just because he wasn’t speaking with their brother, didn’t mean they shouldn’t speak with Jeremy. Their issues should remain with the brothers.

His mom understood why he wouldn’t come over when Jeremy was. He knew she felt bad. As if she had part of what happened.

“I never should have encouraged you to get engaged. Maybe things would have turned out differently.”

“You couldn’t have known mom. It’s not your fault.”

He just wasn’t going to let himself be hurt again. So work had become his life.

He spent most of his day there. Working way past the hours that most of his staff did and much longer hours than his dad did. He was often the first one to arrive in the morning and the last to leave. If he left at all.

Now his dad thought it would be a good idea for him to hire a secretary. In hopes that it might encourage him to lessen his work load.

He didn’t really like the idea.

It meant possibly bringing another woman in. He didn’t think he’d be able to trust any woman in that position.

What if they played with his heart again? There was a chance that he’d be lied to and played like a fool. It was a risk he didn’t want to take.

He held off for weeks before his father threatened that if he didn’t hire a secretary, he would. Giving him no choice on who he hired.

Begrudgingly he went through the process. He was sharp and to the point with all who he interviewed. The young woman he hired didn’t last long.

She had started flirting with one of the accountants and he might’ve gotten a little too harsh with her when he told her such behaviour wasn’t acceptable.

She quit soon after.

The next one his dad hired for him. As gruff and rude as he was to her, she never backed down. Which was probably why his dad hired her. Because she certainly wasn’t good at her job. Things were constantly being misfiled and paperwork seemed to go missing.

After a long talk with his dad, it was agreed that it was for the best that she was fired. It had only been three weeks since she started.

The next one lasted three months. She was good at her job, didn’t flirt with anyone in the office and seemed to put up with his crankiness. Until she stopped showing up to work one day.

It was a few days after she stopped showing up that he found out why. She had gotten married and had only intended to work until she had gotten married to help pay for her wedding. Something that she had never disclosed when they were discussing the terms of her employment.

He didn’t want to hire another secretary after that. He was done with women and their lying manipulative ways. When he told his dad that, he just sighed and told him to give it a couple of weeks before he considered never again. He might change his mind if he had to do everything again.

His dad was right. It was too much for just him anymore. Even with his early mornings and late nights. He broke down and started looking for another secretary.

His mom sent him a young woman to interview. “She might be just who you’re looking for Rupert. I don’t know her personally, but I’ve been told that she’s punctual, a hard worker and looking for a change.”

“Are you suggesting her for the secretary position or trying to set her up with me mother?”

“Rupert! I wouldn’t dare! This young lady is looking for a job! She’s in no position to be looking for a relationship currently.”

“Whatever you say mother.”

“I know you are cross with me, but one day you will have to move on from Ethel and Jeremy’s poor choices. The longer you let those emotions fester, the more bitter you’re going to become. You’ve already become so bitter and untrusting. I don’t want to see you get to such a place where you feel like you can never trust again. This young lady I have mentioned has had a hard time of it recently-”

“Fine, put her into the list of candidates and I’ll consider her.”

“Thank you. You should be gentle with her Rupert. You should know-”

“I’ll find out everything I need to know about her if I end up interviewing her.” He was done with the conversation, as much as he knew his mom meant well. He wished she’d leave him alone about it.

The young woman that his mother had mentioned did end up being one of the ones he interviewed. The last one.

She was quieter than the rest. Remaining formal even as he asked her his most pressing questions. Especially after having seen her engagement ring.

“Do you plan on getting married anytime in the near future?”

“No. Marriage is not in the foreseeable future. If it is, it is a great many years to come in the future.” And said no more than that on the topic.

He took a couple days to decide, but Miss Hazel Bellaraine was the best choice. She caught onto the job quickly and proved to be just as hard of a worker as him. She often came in early and left late. They remained completely professional. Not once did they speak about their personal lives. He didn’t even see her engage that much with the other girls in the office and certainly never flirt with any of the men.

He had even overheard her brush off the office gossip about him.

“Mr. Olaine is a mean one. He’s always cold and rude.”

“Perhaps he has a reason. I wouldn’t know as I only speak business with him. It might be a good idea to try that yourselves instead of gossiping about the boss’s son.”

“He’s never had a secretary last longer than three months. That’s not gossip. Just a fact.”

“That has nothing to do with me.”

She was slowly becoming one of the few women that he might actually trust and respect. She was always on time or early. Never did she pry into his personal life or ask about his wife or lack there of. In return he never pried into hers and tried to keep his crankiness in check. Until he was blindsided by his family nearly a year after her hired Miss Bellaraine.

As soon as he entered his parents house for a barbecue that weekend. They had decorated for a party, but it wasn’t any of their birthdays nor any anniversary that he was aware of. He had a bad feeling that he wasn’t going to like what this turned out to be.

His little sisters rushed him when he entered the back yard. Hugging him tight.

“What’s this for? It hasn’t been that long since I last visited.”

“We know!”

“We just want you to know that we love you lots. No matter what.” That was as concerning as the looks his parents were giving him.

“What’s going on? Why does everyone look so guilty?”

“Because we are guilty!” Cried out one of his sisters.

“What does that mean?” He demanded of his parents.

“You never would have come if we warned you...”

“Warned me about what mom?”

“You’ve been doing so much better recently...”

“Mom...?”

That’s when he saw them. His brother and a visibly pregnant Ethel. Clearly that’s what the celebration was for.

“Who thought surprising me with this would be a better idea than not giving me any warning?!” He immediately turned around and marched inside. He had vaguely heard that they had eloped a few months ago. At the time he had been glad that there was no wedding to celebrate their union. He probably would have tried to ruin it in some way. As it was, he felt like they were rubbing it in his face that they were happy. Living the life he was supposed to have with Ethel, not Jeremy. Ethel had been the love of HIS life.

At least he thought she was. Why did no one get that? Jeremy was stealing what should have been his life, without consequence. His dad followed him inside.

“Rupert, this has gone on too long. You need to get over yourself and move on.”

“How am I supposed to do that? How do I move on? When every time I see my brother and his now expecting wife, I see the life I should have been living? I was the one who was supposed to marry Ethel. We had talked about having kids! We had planned a wedding! Only for her to literally leave me waiting at the alter, looking like a fool, as she fooled around with my younger brother! Not having the courage to even try to explain that she couldn’t go through with the wedding before it was to late. Having my brother lie about where she was until she finally had the courage to talk to me after the wedding was long past. Jeremy didn’t even try to hint that she was okay while I was worried sick. Wondering if she was injured or dead somewhere. How can I be happy for them, when they killed my happiness? Tell me that father. How do you move past that kind of betrayal? How can I join this celebration of new life, when I’m still mourning the life I never got to live. Enjoy the celebration of your first grandchild, because I can’t. I will be mourning the fact that the woman I was going to marry is making me an uncle instead of a father. Good-bye dad. I’ll see you at work. I won’t be coming by again for a long time.”

He didn’t wait to hear what his dad was going to say. Ignoring him as he left and drove away. His anger at being caught off guard carried into work. Being harsher and ruder with everyone than he might have meant to, but also not caring if he was a terror.

He felt like a terror.

Dealing with people was the last thing that he wanted to do. He was relieved to see that Miss Bellaraine seemed to be holding up against his terror of a mood. At least he thought she had been.

“Mr. Olaine?” She poked her head inside his office door. “May I speak with you for a few minutes sir?”

“Fine. What is it.” He motioned her inside and she closed the door behind her.

“I would like to request a few days off a couple of weeks from now...?” She was fiddling with that damned engagement ring he had never seen her without.

“You’re just like the rest of them.” Why should he have expected anything else.

“Excuse me?” She asked indignantly.

How dare she take that tone with him. Why should he have to explain what he meant.

“All women are manipulative liars just trying to get your own way. You just want time off so you can sucker whomever it is you’re wanting to marry.” Even to his own ears he sounded bitter and scathing.

“I won’t allow you that time off. If I do, you’re only going to break your contract and never return.”

“I have earned that time off. I have had nary a sick day to this point. I’ve always stayed late and come in early. I don’t know why you think I would break my contract, but it isn’t fair to assume such. I have done nothing to earn your distrust.”

“Liar!”

“What is the lie? When have I ever lied?”

“You have lied from the beginning! You’ve always planned to get married and leave! You’re just like the last girl! You’re just as manipulative as the rest. Lying as much as they did as well.”

“How dare you! You know nothing about me! What you know, is that I come in and work hard. I have no plans to marry! I have never lied to you. Nor have I tried to manipulate you. I don’t know who hurt you so, but you will not take it out on me. Deal with your pain on your own time.”

“You haven’t the slightest clue about the pain I’m dealing with. I never should have hired a woman for your position. You’re more trouble than you’re worth! It was foolish of me to that you would be any different from any of the other woman having held this before. It just took longer for you to show your true colours. You’re all just like her! Selfish, manipulative liars! Only caring about yourselves! Who cares who else gets hurt! As long as it’s not you! Rip out whomsoever heart you want! It doesn’t matter as long as it isn’t yours! How pathetic. Get out! Leave! Don’t ever come back! I don’t need another manipulative woman in my life!”

She let out a shaky huff and released her clenched fists. She shook her head a little.

“I don’t know who this is about, but it’s not me. I have pain of my own. I certainly don’t need yours. I will be taking the rest of the day off. As well as the rest of the week. I will see you next week. If you can be more civil again. Not taking your problems out on me. Good day Mr. Olaine.” She slammed the door behind her as she left.

Good riddance.

#answered asks #the rude and the restless #is this too long to include it all probably

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madisondiazwrites · 26 days

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!!SURPRISE RELEASE!!

For months (maybe even years), I’ve wanted to find a way to write unhinged novellas alongside my more thoughtful romance novels. A beast lives inside, and I needed a place for that part to really shine, especially because I personally love reading depraved novellas.

This story came to me a few weeks ago, and it poured out of me in three sittings. I’ve reviewed it several times and received feedback from readers before hitting publish. This has been inspirational for me, so I’m excited to share!

Why Alexandra Madison? I wanted to make the branding for my novels completely clear. Madison Diaz will still write wholesome contemporary with plenty of heat and spice. Alexandra Madison will write depraved, unhinged novellas. So when you see advertising for one or the other, you will know!!

If you’ve enjoyed Jessa Kane, Jenika Snow, and Cassie Mint, then you will love this novella.

FATHOM’S DEEP is an MMF 3r0tic romance novella filled with explicit situations not suitable for those under the age of 18. This story is depraved and has the perfect balance of melodramatics and fun. Join these three on an adventure filled with MF, MMF, and MM scenes that bring the triad together for their big HEA ending!

✨What ARC Readers Have Said:✨

“You’ve got the slightly surreal and melodramatic tone these books usually have down. A bit soapy. Just enough. Never too much.”

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“The way you’ve differentiated between Kai and Reed is so good. A lot of these books are written as if all the encounters could be swapped between chapters or even books, but you’re doing character work in the smut scenes. This is great.”

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#contemporary romance #romance #romance books #writers #smut #spicy content #new release #kindle unlimited #kindle

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adamwatchesmovies · 6 months

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Pandora (2016)

Can we make a rule to outlaw crying during suicide missions? We know someone’s going to die. It’s in the name! Pandora is a nerve-wracking disaster drama that gets bogged down by endless weepy scenes during the end.

In South Korea, Kang Jae-hyeok (Kim Nam-gil) has no choice but to work at the local nuclear power plant. There aren’t many other jobs in town. When an earthquake causes one of the reactors to overheat, things go from bad to worse. As the president and his government debate whether to tell the country what happened and risk causing panic, the size of the disaster continues to grow.

As of 2021, there are 26 nuclear power plants in South Korea - a country that measures a little more than 100,000 square kilometers. By comparison, the United States measures nearly 10,000,000 square kilometers and has 60 nuclear power plants. That’s a lot of nuclear power in a densely populated country. The fear that something might go wrong is genuine. This fear is made manifest in this film in multiple ways. Jae-hyeok’s father and grandfather both died because of the plant but his family discourages him from seeking employment elsewhere. Practically everyone works there. The danger is simply part of their lives and no one doubts the building’s ability to withstand any earthquakes. In fact, people are so nonchalant about the plant, the director appointed to supervise its operations (Song Yeong-chang) knows nothing about the way it works. When things go wrong, he’s of no help. Neither is the government. All they're doing is covering up the impending disaster. Seeing this, you’d think if anyone would be ready to step up and do the right thing, it would be the people who work at the plant but once the alarms start going off, everyone panics. No one is interested in staying behind and making repairs.

It’s a rather bleak outlook on life that's also hard to discredit. We’d all like to think that places this sort of danger could arise are full of people who've been trained properly and understand what needs to be done. As Pandora makes it clear, to the people working in the nuclear plant, this is just their 9 to 5 job; it isn’t a calling or a cause they’d give their lives for.

When the situation is dire, Pandora is frightening and thought-provoking. When things start to look a bit brighter, it gets soapy and melodramatic. It doesn't take a physicist to realize everyone inside the plant is living on borrowed time. It's a nuclear disaster. Unfortunately, the movie plays it out like it’s a big, shocking reveal. Everyone sheds tears, throws things in frustration, and screams at the unfairness of the world. You get it. Things are tense but the disaster is still ongoing. You want to shake these people awake so they understand that millions could die if they don’t stop feeling sorry for themselves and get their butts in gear. Things really start to drag as big speeches are made, people ask dumb questions about the survival rate, everyone who’s still alive sheds tears and it all comes down to a big heroic sacrifice that I don’t think actually needed to happen. A final desperate gambit is proposed and looking back, I'm not sure if it makes all that much sense. Either someone didn’t think things through or it’s just another way to milk more drama out of the scenario. I suspect it’s a little bit of both.

Pandora is engaging during the first half, enough for you to mostly overlook the way it lays it all so thick during the second. At 136 minutes, it’s too long and there’s an error during the conclusion that takes away from the emotional impact it would’ve had - an impact that’s already deflated by the knowledge that the characters are going to die from radiation poisoning anyway. I wish I could say I recommend it. Maybe if you’re looking to make a similar movie and you want some ideas you can steal. (Original Korean with English subtitles, June 6, 2021)

#Pandora #movies #films #movie reviews #film reviews #Park Jung-woo #Kim Nam-gil #Song Yeong-chang #2016 movies #2016 films

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