#it is also the lewdest chapter yet

[meatmechapilot]

Attack on Kink 2022 Day 2 - Exhibitionism

Meet the Family

Chapter One

Summary: Levi and Eren enact their revenge on Zeke

Chapter Two: The Second Night

The next day, it was as though nothing happened.  Zeke and Levi, though they still hate each other, they tried to get along at least for Thanksgiving dinner.  Carla, with Eren's help had outdone herself, making all sorts of delicious foods.  Everyone was absolutely stuffed for the entire day.

Eren was excited to go Black Friday shopping, which would start at an ungodly hour.  Levi usually hates these types of things, but he indulges Eren.  Eren uses the promise of sex to get Levi to agree to those type of things and Levi is completely fine with that.

Once they are at the back of a particularly long line, Levi explained what happened the previous night to Eren.  At first, Eren didn't believe him, laughing it off as a prank.  It took a while, but Levi finally convinced him.  After all, Eren was the one who always complained that Zeke never approved of his previous boyfriends, maybe there was a reason for that.

When they got home, it was to an empty house.  Grisha and Carla went on their own Black Friday shopping trip and has yet to come home, in fact they have their own Black Friday ritual and wouldn't be expected until it was late.  Zeke ended up being called into the office for an emergency, but he should be home soon.  It was the perfect time to enact their plan.

Levi decided that in order to get back at Zeke, they should have sex in a common room.  If that bearded bastard wants to watch, they'll give him a show.  They eventually decided to have sex on the living room couch, to make sure Zeke really sees them.  They would also be obnoxiously loud and exaggerated as possible.  

They got out of their clothes and laid on the couch, attempt to get in the mood for sex.  It was awkward at first, trying to be performative, until Levi suggested that they just try to have sex normally until they hear the garage door open, then they would start their performance.  

Eren felt awkward at first, but Levi reassured him with kisses and caresses.  They typically start their sex sessions with a lot of foreplay, and both decided that it's probably a good idea to not deviate too much or suffer from performance anxiety.  After long minutes of teasing, Levi pushed inside Eren's hole and started drilling into him.  Pretty soon, Eren started focusing in the sensations and let go.

The two lovers ended up in the heat of things and nearly forgot about why they are having sex on the couch.  Suddenly, the sound of the garage door opening interrupted the sex sounds, which made Levi more alert.  Eren was already very into it, so it's just time for Levi really dial up the performance.

He heard footsteps going into the living room and asked loudly to Eren while thrusting into him, "who's your Daddy?"  Eren moaned, the question suddenly confusing him until he remembered about get back at Zeke for spying on them.  He used the lewdest voice he could to call Levi "Daddy" and beg him to "give it to him hard."  Both started being really loud, exaggerating their moans and grunts.

The lack of sounds from Zeke must mean that he's really shocked, Levi thought, as he and Eren both climaxed, complete with exaggerated sex sounds.  Levi took a chance to look up and once again, was shocked.  Instead of Zeke, as he expected, there stood Grisha and Carla.  They evidently finished their Black Friday Rituals early this year and came home to see their baby boy being fucked six ways to Sunday.

Eren felt Levi freeze up and also looked up and wished the ground can swallow him up.  He did not just give his parents the equivalent of homemade porn.  Carla didn't look too bad off, just a bit embarrassed and mostly amused, but Grisha was crying.  "My baby" and "calling some else Daddy" could be made out of the muffled words coming from Grisha.

"Darlings," Carla started, "it's nice to see your relationship going so well, but next time please use the bedrooms.  That's what they are for."

Postscript: Levi eventually got back at Zeke by putting laxatives in his food during the next time they visited the family.  Zeke had a miserable Christmas.

#attack on kink 2022

[unit-zero-two]

Fate/Grand Order: Ring of Promise Ch 7

The plot thickens as Mash, Makeda, and Mordred dive into the demonic fog of London. The mysteries of the Servant Summoning System, the Demonic Fog, the Helter Skelters, the Mastermind B, and Cywyllog come to light. With the truth out, how will everyone respond? The Time of Revelation has Come. Part 3 of 5

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13433220/7/Fate-Grand-Order-Ring-of-Promise

#Fate Grand Order #fgo #solomon (fgo) #romani archaman #caster of midrash #Queen of Sheba #Mash Kyrielight #da vinci #mordred #saber of red #jekyll #berserker of black #frankenstein (fate) #shakespeare #hans christian andersen #mofran #this is the longest chapter for this fic yet #it is also the lewdest chapter yet #there is soooo much hand holding in this chapter

[evanesdust]

Not Your Typical College Romance... final chapter

read previous chapters here - also on ao3

summary:  “ Stiles.” Theo bites out his name like it’s a curse. “The arrangement's over. You can pack your bags.”

authors note:  this starts out immediately during a 'party' so there's jordan/stiles (kinda glossed over), only a mention that there was theo/stiles, and of course derek/stiles

He’s leaned over the counter again. Pants bunched at his ankles, again. He’s not sure why he just doesn’t take them off. He watches through the mirror while Jordan drives into him erratically. He’s still not sure why Jordan participates in this. Maybe he’ll ask today. Probably not, though.

He looks around and sees Theo leaning against the wall, cock in hand, waiting his turn again. He wonders if the man heard about Stiles’ reservations at continuing their arrangement. Theo had been a bit more enthusiastic earlier tonight. He feels a second body next to him and he knows instantly that it’s Derek.

Jordan pulls out, still hard, and Derek takes his place. He feels the man slide fingers into his hole, probably making sure he’s properly stretched. He is. After Theo and Jordan, of course he is. Derek pulls his fingers out and lines up. He bottoms out immediately and Stiles clenches around him, moaning for the cock he’s been waiting for.

He never orgasms with anyone besides Derek. He’s hard, yes, but never touches himself until Derek is in him. Doesn’t want to. The rhythm the man sets is always slow, like he’s trying to tear Stiles apart. Rough hands gently grip his hips keeping him in place as each thrust hits him just right. He looks back into pools of green and suppresses a moan when he sees Derek staring directly into his eyes. Stiles wraps his hand around his cock and starts pumping.

He hears snickering and looks over to see Theo saying something to a tight lipped Jordan. He ignores them and chooses to focus on the man in front of him, or behind him rather. Derek gives a frustrated sounding grunt and pulls out. He’s turned and lifted onto the counter. Derek enters him again. He’s thrown when the man begins rubbing his thighs and certainly doesn’t expect Derek to bite at his leg.

That’s all it takes to push him over the edge. He climaxes, stripes of cum painting his chest, a small drop landing on his chin. His breath hitches when Derek brings a hand up, wiping at the drop with his thumb, and brings it to Stiles’ lips. Eyes never leaving Derek’s, his tongue darts out to lick at the thumb pressed at his bottom lip. He swears he feels a shudder course through Derek’s body. Taking advantage of this rare opportunity, he sucks Derek’s thumb into his mouth and swirls his tongue around the tip. Derek lets out the lewdest moan and Stiles swears his dick twitches.

“Stiles…” Derek groans his name like a prayer and Stiles wishes he could hear it again and again. Suddenly he feels Derek pulse inside of him as he grunts out, “Fuck!” He hears a groan from behind them and Theo yell out that Derek wasn’t supposed to go yet. “Sorry, Stiles. I didn’t mean-”

“It’s alright Derek. I mean, if anything, I feel bad for you.”

Just as his words were spoken, Theo walks up behind them. “Hale, what the fuck dude! We go in order and I’m pretty sure I was supposed to be first tonight.” Stiles can see that Theo and Jordan have covered back up. “Let’s go.” Derek pulls out and helps Stiles stand. Theo looks at him and sneers. “Clean yourself up Stiles, we’ll try this again later.” The man leads Derek down the hall.

A towel is tossed to him. “Here. Sorry about that. Theo’s being a dick.” Jordan stands next to him and starts washing up at the sink. “Overly possessive, and for what? You’re not his, on top of the fact that why all this then if he’s gonna treat you like property. Why let us fuck you?”

Stiles begins to clean himself. “Wow. Uh, it’s okay. I guess. I mean it was kinda the arrangement I agreed to, so, I mean, I knew what I was getting into. But yeah, I get what you’re saying.”

When Jordan’s done, he leans against the counter. “I’ve never asked and it’s not my place, so you don’t have to answer, but why do you do this? You can’t enjoy it. I mean, I’ve only ever seen you get off a few times…”

Stiles doesn’t know what to say. His attraction to Derek might not be so secret since Isaac knew, but he’s sure no one knows of how deep his affections run. As he pulls up his pants, he decides to deflect. “I’ve got a question for you actually... Why do you do this? On top of the fact that you’re not attracted to me, you’re not gay, and I don’t think you’re bi.”

“I don’t really label myself. I mean I can admit that you’re a good looking guy, but yeah, no, I wouldn’t say I’m attracted to you. Sorry.”

Stiles chuckles. “No worries dude. Same but no. I mean I’m totally gay, but I don’t know, you’re not my… type? No offense.”

“None taken. As for why… well, I mean, like I said, you are a good looking guy and I like sex. You’re willing, so why not?” Huh, not at all what he was expecting.

A door slams and loud thuds come closer and closer until Theo is standing in the doorway, with a scowl on his face. He glares at Jordan and tells him to leave. Stiles fidgets nervously at being alone with Theo. Sure, he’s always been a willing participant at the parties, but this is different and with the anger etched on the man’s face, he definitely doesn’t want to have sex with him right now.

“Stiles.” Theo bites out his name like it’s a curse. “The arrangement’s over. You can pack your bags.”

He sees Theo open his mouth to say more, but Stiles’ heart has stopped and the only thing in his head right now is not wanting to leave Derek. “But, but- if this about what happened… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have- I didn’t know he would- please don’t-”

He’s cut off when Derek steps into the room. “Theo, I told you I got this. You can go.”

“Fine.” Theo shoves his shoulder into Derek as he exits.

Tension builds as silence fills the air. Stiles can’t bring himself to look at Derek, but he knows the man is staring at him. It’s like electricity over his skin with every pass of his eyes. “Stiles?”

His heart beats faster thinking about having to leave. This is so much more than a crush. Maybe it always has been. “Please don’t kick me out.” I want to stay with you, he thinks. His knees feel weak and he hunches over, hands on his knees.

“Shit.” He sees Derek kneel in front of him, feels hands cupping his face. “What the fuck did Theo say to you?”

He looks into eyes that are wide with worry. “He said I was relieved of my duties. Told me to pack. But I don’t- please don’t make me leave.” You, he thinks. Please don’t make me leave you.

“No, Stiles, that’s not what he meant. Just- shit hold on.” Derek gathers him in his arms. “Here, let’s go to your room.”

There’s no one in the halls, thankfully, as Derek all but carries Stiles back to his room placing him on his bed. The man sits in the chair at Stiles’ desk. “Stiles?”

“I’m really sorry Derek. I shouldn’t have- but you put- and then I-”

“Stiles, stop. Listen, Theo just-” Derek takes a deep breath and scrunches his face like he’s trying to think about what he wants to say. “You don’t have to leave.”

“But Theo-”

Derek holds his hand up. “Stiles, please stop talking. If you’d let me finish, I’m trying to tell you that you’re not out, okay? I talked to Theo, I told him you were done. No more parties, no more arrangement. You’re still in the frat though, okay Stiles?” Thoughts are spiraling in his head. He doesn’t understand. That was the deal and now there’s no deal, so why? “Stiles?” He feels the bed dip where Derek has chosen to sit next to him. “What’s going on in your head?” Derek’s hand brushes his temple tenderly.

Stiles looks up at him with that touch. “I don’t get it. Why? And why do I have to pack?”

Derek smiles shyly at him. “I, uh, I told him that I couldn’t do it anymore.” Oh, of course, Derek doesn’t want to have to fuck him anymore. His heart breaks a little. “I told him that it wasn’t fair to you. Whatever issues he has with me need to stay with me. He’s not using you anymore.”

He sniffles. “What issues? I don’t understand. Besides sex, how is he using me?”

“Isaac. He’s pissed that I asked to sleep with Isaac back then and that Isaac agreed. He figured he could get back at me by sleeping with you. Showing me that you were the same. But you’re not. I know you’re not.” Derek gets off the bed and kneels in front of him. “I’m sorry it took me so long to get my head outta my ass. I’m sorry that I took advantage of you and that I let Theo take advantage of you.”

“I let him. I let him take advantage. I wanted it. I wanted to be with you any way that I could. It was- it was so stupid.” He looks in to Derek’s concerned eyes. “But I’m done? Like for real, no more sex? I mean, like with Theo and Jordan. I don’t-“

“No, Stiles. You don’t. Not with anyone.”

Anyone? “Alright.” He breathes a sigh of relief. “Uh, thank you? Um, I guess I still don’t get why I have to pack?”

“That’s um, I hope I didn’t overstep my bounds, but I just kinda was hoping we could room together.”

“Room toge-” his mind goes blank with the implications. Derek has his own room and doesn’t have to share. “But you don’t- I mean, there’s only one bed and your room is too small for a second.” He gulps and rubs his hands on his jeans, palms sweating. Does he mean, could he mean? “Where would I sleep?”

Derek grabs his hands, cupping them in between his own. “I hope I haven’t been reading this wrong. And if I have, I apologize and just tell me, and things can go back to how they were, you can stay here and room with Boyd.”

“Derek. I’m really confused right now, and my emotions are kind of a mess and I feel like I’m gonna assume something that’s wrong and I-”

“I like you Stiles.”

He looks up in shock at Derek’s pronouncement. “You like me? And you want me to room with you?”

“Sleep with m- stay with me. I’d like you to stay with me and sleep with me. On my bed. Together. Where we’ll sleep. Possibly at the same time.” The tips of Derek’s ears turn pink. It’s adorable.

“Oh.” His lips quirk, fighting a smile. He clears his throat. “You, ahem, you’re not reading this wrong. I’m pretty sure it’s like embarrassingly obvious that I like you too. Pretty sure I told you that.” Derek beams at him and it’s like the air is punched out of him. This is real. This is real. He searches Derek’s face, searching for a lie, but he knows that Derek wouldn’t do that.

“When should I-” he starts as Derek says, “When do you wanna-” they each huff out a breath. Stiles motions for Derek to continue. “As soon as you want Stiles. I’ll help you move your stuff over.”

Stiles bites his lip as he chuckles. “You make it sound like I’m moving across town. Your room is only like 3 doors down.” He walks to his closet and pulls out his suitcase. “I’m not big on having to do a lot of laundry so I really don’t have a lot. Just what’s in the dresser. I don’t even use the closet.” Derek walks to the dresser and starts unloading the clothing onto the bed for Stiles to sort and pack up.

Stiles starts fidgeting and his hands are shaking. All he can think is of Theo. He was pissed. Would he allow this? “Stiles? You’re okay with this right? I mean, if this is moving too fast, you don’t have to stay with me if you don’t want to. Shit I didn’t even do this right.” Derek drops the clothes in his hands and stands in front of Stiles, hands holding his forearms. “Stiles, will you go out with me?”

“What about Theo?” He bites at his lip nervously, picking at the skin around his nails. “I wanna be with you but he was mad. He won’t be okay with this.”

“He was mad because I told him to stop. He’s mad that he can’t hold this over me anymore. He’s mad because if we’re together, he can’t sleep with you anymore.”

“Fuck me, you mean. Sleeping together sounds tender or at least a lot less dirty than fucking me on a counter.” Stiles picks through the clothes Derek dropped on the bed. He picks up one shirt and starts folding it. “Maybe you’re right, though. About this moving too fast. I do like you Derek and it seems weird to say ‘whoa let’s slow down’ when we’ve already had sex… several times. But yeah. I mean we don’t have to stop that, just, maybe, I’ll keep my bed here. I don’t want you to get sick of me. I know I annoy the brothers sometimes, Boyd especially and that’s because he has to share a room with me. I’d hate for you to get sick of me because we went from 0 to 60.”

Derek hums in response. He pulls Stiles close, hands on his waist. “But you’ll stay sometimes right?” He noses at Stiles’ temple. “I wanna wake up next to you.”

Stiles’ brows shoot up in surprise. “Wha?”

Derek pulls him into a tight embrace. “I want to hold you, fall asleep next to you. I loved waking up with you in my arms.”

Stiles’ heart swells at the image. It’s all he’s been wanting and now Derek wants the same thing. He pulls back from the man and stares into his face. “I want that too.”

~~~~~

“It’s only been 6 months, Derek, but I can’t do this. This isn’t working anymore.”

“What are you talking about?”

Stiles stands next to the pile of boxes on the floor of their new loft. “This. Look! I swear it’s like the never-ending pile of boxes. Every time I get one unpacked, 5 more have taken its place.”

Derek, who was currently bringing in 2 more, gives him a small smile. “That’s because I’m still unloading the truck, Stiles. I thought we agreed we should save all that for later.” Derek places the offending containers on the floor and wraps his arms around Stiles, who leans into his embrace.

Stiles sighs. “I know, I just- how did we manage to accumulate so much in so little time? On top of the fact that your room was tiny and while mine was bigger, I did have a roommate.”

“To be fair, I’m pretty sure your stuff took over Boyd’s side of the room.”

“Ugh!” He groans and thumps his head back against Derek’s shoulder. “The loft is so big and open, and I don’t know where we’re gonna put everything so that it looks good and makes sense.” He pushes away from Derek and walks to a nook off to the side of the living room. “I mean look at this. We don’t even have an actual bedroom. It’s open to everything. I’m messy Derek. I leave my clothes lying around. Everywhere. My books- my books have never been on an actual bookshelf and-“

“Stiles.” Derek approaches slowly, palms out as if in surrender. “Babe, are you okay? You seem to be freaking out right now.” Derek speaks in a calm voice trying to soothe him.

“Yes, I just- we’re living together now. Like sure we’ve been technically living together for a while being in the frat house, but this is different. There we had our own rooms and beds, and now…”

“You’re still worried I’ll get sick of you, aren’t you?”

Still not looking at his boyfriend, he shrugs. “Maybe.”

Derek walks over to him, placing his hands on Stiles’ waist. “I’ll never get tired of you Stiles...” He spins him in his arms and cups his face. “From the moment I met you, I knew. I don’t know what it was. You were literally just standing there staring at flyers on a wall, but I felt something when I looked at you. There was this pull. Something drew me to you.”

Stiles runs his hands over Derek’s chest and shoulders, wrapping his arms around his neck. “I felt the same way.”

“You’re the best thing that’s happened to me. Even when you tried to get me to lift that no sex ban for the first month.”

Stiles throws his head back and laughs. “That’s because it was entirely unnecessary.”

“Yeah, but you’re the one who suggested counseling right away. Helping me see that there were issues we both needed to discuss. That it wasn’t a good start to a healthy relationship. Deaton’s the one who suggested the ban to make sure we weren’t just lusting after one another.”

“Well, I did agree to sleep with random guys just to get back in your pants.” He wrinkles his nose at the memory. “Come on, even you asked what type of person does that.”

Derek pulls him closer. “And you pointed out that I had asked my friend if I could sleep with someone who was basically his boyfriend, which is probably what made Theo such a dick.”

“Nope, Theo was a dick no matter what. Even Deaton agreed that he could have said no and if he didn’t then Isaac could have. That one’s on them. But yes, it was fucked up for you to ask.”

Derek rubs his face along Stiles’ cheek. “Do you think one day we’ll look back and laugh?”

Stiles snorts. “No. I mean it was seriously fucked up.” He leans back and searches Derek’s eyes. “I won’t regret it though. I don’t think I ever could. Not when it got us here.”

Derek leans forward and places a gentle kiss against his lips. “No, not when it got us here. I love you, Stiles.”

“I love you, Derek.”

#sterek #sterek au #sterek fic

[schrodingerbaby]

A FEW years ago, Beyoncé made her declaration of independence: ''All the women who independent, throw your hands up at me.'' The song was called ''Independent Women Part I,'' and it was an anthem of self-reliance sung by Destiny's Child, a feisty pop republic made up of three women.

But they weren't equally independent: everyone knew that Beyoncé didn't need the others. That was the not-so-subtle message of ''Survivor,'' the title track from the third and most recent Destiny's Child album. Beyoncé taunted her former bandmates (two original members had left, and so had one of their replacements) while warning the current ones that they, too, were expendable: ''You thought I wouldn't sell without you, sold 9 million.'' That pronoun -- ''I'' -- is as specific as the sales figure.

If Beyoncé has a mirror-image rival, it's Ashanti. You might call her a dependent woman, though that's not an insult. She made her name by telling gruff rappers how much she loved them, singing stylized duets with Fat Joe and Ja Rule. She was, we were constantly reminded, the first lady (or, more often, ''princess'') of the Murder Inc. record label, and everywhere she went, some guy was shadowing her, shouting the label's catch phrase: ''It's murder!''

Ashanti's self-titled debut album, released last year, was a huge hit, thanks largely to a song called ''Foolish,'' on which she pledged loyalty to a man who didn't deserve it: ''I keep on running back to you.'' This was the antithesis of Destiny's Child's dogma: Ashanti sang like a woman who just couldn't help herself.

Both singers have new albums: Beyoncé, 21, just released her inevitable solo debut, ''Dangerously in Love'' (Columbia), and Ashanti, 22, just released her follow-up, ''Chapter II'' (Murder Inc./Island Def Jam). Each singer says her new album is a step forward, an evolution, a triumph -- that's what singers always say. But only one of them is right.

Even at its lewdest, Destiny's Child always had a knack for sanitizing the sleazy world of R & B. The group's 1997 debut single, ''No, No, No,'' had seductive lyrics, but the singers sang it like a nursery rhyme: ''You be saying no, no, no, no, no/ When it's really yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah.''

Most of the time, though, it didn't really matter what the words were. By 1999, they had perfected a style -- close harmonies, quick delivery -- that made it difficult to pay attention to the words. ''Say My Name,'' which helped revolutionize R & B with tricky rhythms and nimble vocals, stands as one of the great pop songs of the last decade, but singing along is nearly impossible.

R & B singers are supposed to be warriors in the battle of the sexes, but Destiny's Child stayed above the fray, keeping suitors at arm's length with a series of mild rebuffs. Despite the title, ''Bootylicious'' was more of a go-away than a come-on: ''I don't think you're ready for this jelly/ My body's too bootylicious for you, babe,'' they sang, and the chorus left no room for argument.

Then, having worked so hard to make herself seem unattainable, Beyoncé changed course. Over the last year or so, she has often been spotted with Jay-Z, and while she's been careful to avoid confirming or denying rumors that the two are a couple, she hasn't exactly quieted speculation by recording a series of duets with him; one of them, ''Crazy in Love,'' is the lead single from her new album.

''Crazy in Love'' is the best song on ''Dangerously in Love'' (the album is, oddly enough, named after an old Destiny's Child song); it's a simple, irresistible combination of triumphant horns and a wicked hip-hop beat. But the song also hints at what's wrong with the album: its vision of romance is profoundly unconvincing.

If Jay-Z and Beyoncé really are a couple, that might explain why their collaborations sound so tepid. When he teamed up with Mya for ''Best of Me Pt. II,'' Jay-Z spat out one clever, rude pick-up line after another (''That's high-school, making me chase you 'round for months/ Have an affair, act like an adult for once''), and on Missy Elliott's ''One Minute Man (Remix),'' he quoted ''Independent Women Part I'' while explaining the rules of a one-night stand. When he records with Beyoncé, though, Jay-Z's mischievous wit disappears; on ''Crazy in Love,'' he barely even makes reference to her.

For her part, Beyoncé explains how ''Your love's got me looking so crazy right now,'' but her vocals -- as deft and accurate as ever -- convey none of the giddy rush that the lyrics describe. Near the end, when she trills, ''You're making a fool of me,'' she sounds decidedly unfoolish, as Ashanti once put it.

The first half of ''Dangerously in Love'' has some impressive moments -- Beyoncé arpeggiates her way up and down the scale whereas most of her contemporaries merely slide, and it's fun to hear her mimic the pizzicato line in ''Naughty Girl.'' But it's not much fun to hear her try to sing like a ''naughty girl,'' and by the time the album's ballad-heavy second half arrives, you may start hoping that the other two Destiny's Children will show up to set things right.

They don't, and it's not just their harmonies that are missed; it's the girl-group exuberance. Together, the three might have found an amusing way to flirt with Jay-Z, or Sean Paul, or Big Boi, from OutKast. Without them, Beyoncé hedges her bets, retreating to the safety of torch songs, like the creepy bonus track ''Daddy,'' where she croons, ''I want my unborn son to be like my daddy/ I want my husband to be like my daddy.''

Maybe this album is merely a misstep, and maybe Beyoncé has yet to record the brilliant solo album that people expected. Or maybe it's proof that she isn't quite as versatile as she seemed. She's a strong and independent singer, no doubt, but maybe she seems strongest and most independent when she's got a posse behind her.

By contrast, Ashanti's new album doesn't arrive bearing the burden of high expectations. Because of her gentle, breathy vocal style, she's been dismissed as a lightweight; when she was nominated for a Soul Train award last year, tens of thousands of people signed an online petition of protest.

This should be a terrible time for Ashanti. Her label, Murder Inc., is under investigation for alleged ties to drug dealers. And these days, her former duet partner Ja Rule is keeping a low profile -- still licking his wounds, perhaps, after losing a vicious war of words with 50 Cent. Barely a year removed from her successful debut, she is already an underdog.

But Ashanti's greatest asset has always been her blitheness. Groomed for stardom ever since she was a kid, she treated Murder Inc. as if it were her own personal Mickey Mouse Club; if she felt out of place, she never showed it. And so she floats through her new album as if nothing's amiss, never pausing to wonder whatever happened to Ja Rule, who's conspicuously absent.

The lead single is ''Rock Wit U (Awww Baby),'' and it shows off everything that's right about the album -- it's the kind of song that drifts into your head before you even realize you were listening to it. The lyric sheet reproduces every ''awww'' and every ''baby''; the words form a pattern on the page that mirrors the song's hypnotic appeal.

Nearly every song on ''Chapter II'' is this appealing, and although the beats are diverse -- ''I Found Lovin' '' resurrects the squiggly sound of 1980's pop, and ''The Story of 2'' is a swinging piano ballad -- Ashanti's approach never changes. The singing is restrained, the lyrics are simple (there are virtually no three-syllable words), and the attitude is breezy.

There are hardly any guests on this album, but Ashanti does fine without them -- in fact, her sweet nothings sound even better when they're not interrupted by the salty nothings of rappers. ''Chapter II'' isn't perfect, but once you edit out the skits (which are, without exception, excruciating), you're left with an album that's graceful, beguiling and above all, light, in the best sense of the word.

There's more than one way to declare independence, after all, and whereas Beyoncé announced hers with a brassy single, Ashanti tucks a similar spirit into every not-quite-heartbroken lyric. She's not trying to convince us she's crazy in love. On the contrary, she dismisses old boyfriends (and, perhaps, duet partners) with the same noncommittal sigh she uses to welcome new ones, and this unflappability suggests a kind of strength. In her own willowy way, she's a survivor, too.

JULY 6, 2003

#reviews #2003 #new york times