#who also tried making Emma feel like she fits

[yanderederee]

artist @gg_3go

❤︎

I love nerd!baji being silly goofy. Wanna call him Edward lolol.

#speaking of his alias #I have a childhood friend!oc #who also tried making Emma feel like she fits #by giving herself a English name #would y’all be interested in reading that #tokyo revengers #baji keisuke #tokyo revengers x reader #baji #baji x reader #keisuke x reader #tokyo revengers keisuke #tokyo revengers baji #fanart #nerd!baji #tokyo rev

[skelliko]

Can you do a Matsuno Chifuyu request with friends to lovers trope of Emma daring the reader to do a run and jump into his arms in front of the boys cause Emma’s sick of their pining?

Chifuyu matsuno |°- friends to lovers - g/n pronouns used

two friends, friends that just so happen to make the other's heart run a hundred beats a minute. friends, that talk about the other to their other friends enough to make a 60/60 marked essay. friends, that secretly make fake scenarios of the other before drifting off to sleep. things that just happen when two people get closer than others. that's normal, right?

"-oh yeah, and chifuyu will be there" Emma mentioned, she and y/n were making their way over to the basketball courts where they would meet with the boys, something about them having a small competition because someone wasn't able to have an agreement. and the two were invited for motivation, to cheer on or something.

just the mention of chifuyu made y/n feel fuzzy, their heart grew warm but at the same time, they felt a type of feeling that can only be explained as 'pining' the feeling of being warmed yet also saddened when realising the true meaning of their feelings. they're in love and is longing for him, but also understand that nothing can be done.

"wait he's gonna be there?" it was more of a repeated statement than a question, of course, chifuyu will be there, y/n just still needs to adjust to her thoughts and feelings. constantly being in denial.

Emma is aware of it all, so aware that it's starting to almost claw at her skin from irritation because all she can hear is y/n yapping about chifuyu and their friendship and how much her guilt and sadness eats them up. don't get Emma wrong though, she listens closely and takes everything into consideration however sometimes it may be a bit too much, it's like listening to a friend talk about their crush for the 20th time of the day but only keeps mentioning the same thing over and over.

though a little plan has settled into Emma's mind as well as a little devious smile. she knows y/n likes Chifuyu as more than a friend but this pining has gone way too far and y/n is in need of a little push otherwise this constant loop will never end. y/n would only be taking 360 turns thinking it would lead to somewhere only to end up in the same position.

Emma and y/n were nearing the basketball courts that's on the side by a park. a few people were around such as those who were walking their dogs or taking their toddlers out to enjoy the sun but it wasn't like anyone would disturb the basketball game that the toman boys were playing.

despite there being others in the court the first person that y/n had her eyes on was chifuyu. his blonde hair slightly rising up and falling as he tried to throw the ball into the net but missed making his face cringe a little at himself, but when he turned around to fit back into the game he couldn't help but notice y/n at the corner of his eye making his full focus to leave for a short moment.

it was as if he was struck with a sword in his chest due to their beauty, despite them being at a fair distance he could still make out their eyes that always makes him feel almost lost. though that trance was rid of after Baji slapped the back of his shoulder to get him back into the game, "they'll be watching, try and pay attention" baji knew what he was setting up in chifuyu's mind, though it couldn't be decided if that caused anxiety or determination knowing that y/n will be watching him.

before going back to the game chifuyu smiled and did a quick wave at both Emma and y/n before having his eyes back to the basketball and who's around.

Emma slightly nudged y/n with her elbow closely, "what if... you randomly hug him?"

"hug who?" -y/n

"I shouldn't need to specify, you know who" looking at y/n with slightly raised eyebrows knowing that the person is obvious enough

"...but we usually hug?? I don't see what the difference would be" not exactly enthused by the whole situation, always thinking about him and their friendly relationship causes some sort of desperate feeling to grow inside of her heart, like it's slowly breaking but at the same time also repairing itself with the good and bad feelings.

though talking about hugging him is causing y/n to feel a little giddy as if they haven't done that in ages. even though they have, probably last week

"no but I mean, unexpectedly... jump into his arms! that sort" Emma however had a wide smile on her face, she wanted nothing more than to see y/n get out of this confusing state and see them both finally make some sort of move.

"what?! I can't do that"

"yes you can! you mentioned you've hugged before, what's the difference?" mocking her previous statement

"no no there is a difference though, what if he doesn't like that and I ruin things?" a slight feeling of panic drove over them, just picturing out the scenario of them running up to him to put their arms under his arms and around him but it only being a one-sided excitement is giving themselves embarrassment. can't help but always think about the worst.

"oh cmon you're being dramatic, Chifuyu is the last person that would brush off a hug- especially from you!"

the boys were running around the court dribbling the ball while y/n and Emma stayed outside of the fenced area. occasionally the two would cheer for the opposite teams though it seems as if Emma's team has a higher advantage all because of draken's height. though Mikey and chifuyu on the other team have the speed making the scoring constantly switching.

(Mikey is ranked first, and Chifuyu ranked third in speed from the official rankings)

Sometimes Peh would yell at someone on his team for not being able to dribble the ball which becomes entertaining for y/n and Emma but not so to the others cause it just ends up being a petty argument, though I guess that'd be expected since he's the reason why the game has started in the first place.

"hey, I dare you to jump into Chifuyu" -Emma

"nu uh doesn't mean I have to" y/n shaking their head trying to protest the idea. it still seems like a bad idea though it doesn't mean that the idea wasn't growing onto her.

"don't nu uh me... I bet you want to~" She got closer to y/n to try and playfully pester them a little in hopes of them giving into the idea, "You'll run up into his arms and he'll be taken off guard a little bit but then swiftly gives in and wraps his strong arms around you-" Emma couldn't continue any more because she started to laugh at her own little sarcastic comment,

"what kind of fanfic did you take that from?" both of them having a small fit of laughter picture Chifuyu and y/n in different scenarios but they all came from cringy fanfics that they had previously read together out of boredom at a sleepover.

though in all honesty that's probably how it would play out... maybe. that dare was still playing over y/n's mind.

"I dare you, no buts or if's, it's final"

"why does it matter so much" y/n pouted a little

"it matters to me because-" *gasp* the final point of the basketball game between the boys were scored and the winning team was Mikey's. also the team that Chifuyu is in.

Emma nudged y/n almost frantically, way too frantically. and the both of them cheered on, even though Emma previously was on Draken's side she should still celebrate her brothers' victory. Even though the game on the outside seemed something minor and fun, for the guys it was competitive.

a minor disagreement between Peh and baji so the others chose to battle it out with a game. though halfway through those who had nothing to do with the disagreement, forgot what everything was about and just played like it was a regular game.

"this is your turn, go hug him" Emma leans to the side of y/n to quietly nag. though at that very moment it seemed as if y/n had their strings pulled because after hearing Emma's voice and making eye contact with Chifuyu, it was almost like a direct calling.

or maybe because on their side Emma gently gave y/n a push in the direction of the open gate of the fenced court, her balance got a little unsteady but after that push, it seemed as if the dare was non-negotiable.

slowly walking up and through the open gate soon enough turned into a little awkward run to then being a full-on run with a smile that just screams 'I don't know what I'm doing but I'll pretend I do' running straight towards Chifuyu. nothing else mattered to y/n at that moment, just him and needing his embrace.

he was casually standing around trying to catch his breath after all the running and jumping with the basketball, his body had grown extremely hot and sweat had built up on his forehead that Chifuyu then wiped off with the back of his arm sliding along to the back of his hand.

despite being on the winning team it hasn't really made him feel some emotion about it other than being glad it's over.

he's never once forgotten that y/n was there, part of the reason why his performance got a little worse than how it was in the beginning because his mind kept going back to her. he was like a little kid again trying to impress his crush from afar but kept failing because of a constant repeat of nervousness.

though without him knowing he never once disappointed her, the only reason why he keeps thinking that was because he's trying so hard to reach them but just doesn't know how to without wussing out.

the brief eye contact that they make always creates some sort of spark in-between them. it starts off as a small sparkler but then into a firework that shoots up but doesn't end up exploding. that's the situation they've always been in, hypothetically.

though this time it's different, it has to be, right? the eye contact broke but it felt different unlike any other time, it can't exactly be explained other than seeing it for yourself,

the other toman boys focusing on their loss/win of the game, while y/n got closer and closer his heartbeat quickened unsure of when they'll stop but upon seeing them not slow down he took his hands out of his pockets out of slight panic and as if preparing for collision,

"wait wai-" he panicked about how close they got to him and how they didn't stop, he didn't expect them to just jump up at him, but he didn't hate it.

y/n had gotten closer and without saying anything they jumped up at him and wrapped their arms over his shoulders and around his neck, he stumbled back a bit due to the sudden weight on him but he didn't think twice about holding them in place so that they won't fall off. one arm under their thighs and the other arm over their waist.

It caused the both of them to get butterflies in their stomach, it also felt like the butterflies were transferring through each other by how close they were pressed against.

chifuyu had a happy but awkward smile on his face, he's happy and excited but was unsure of what to say or do at the moment.

"wu- you alright?" he let out a small laugh too before looking over at y/n's face to see if they were in fact okay

"of course I am, just wanted a hug" they made eye contact and it was as if their shared smile was mouthing the same thoughts. 'I want this to last forever' but neither said anything.

though one thing that hadn't registered fully until this very moment is that everyone is watching, and if they weren't before when they firstly latched on, they certainly are now.

"oh shit, everyone's probably watching" Y/n quickly looked to the side and sure enough people were eyeing the two of them with their whispers and laughter, y/n quickly looked away from the group and showed movement of wanting to get back down to the ground however he didn't allow that.

"it's fineeeee, let them be jealous" he replied in an almost whisper with a small tease and his embrace squeezed a little signing that he didn't want to let go.

y/n's face started to heat up a little at the reply and didn't dare to look back up but instead hid their face by his neck. though that didn't mean that Chifuyu was getting all bold, nu uh, he was getting frantic in his mind thinking if he said the wrong thing.

but after noticing the group walk past and happily cheer him on even though it also kind of seemed like an average teenage boy mocking, it made chifuyu loosen up a little knowing that what's happening currently, is good. he didn't need to be reminded of that though but he just needed the reassurance either way.

"you guys should do that more often, it'd help the pinning" Baji quickly mentioned while walking past, he had a proud, toothy smile knowing exactly what he said to both of them.

y/n looked up a little after hearing those words and caught Baji's eye for a second before he left Chifuyu and them alone in the basketball court.

after the group left a few more seconds and he had finally let her down whilst asking a question,

"what made you do that?"

y/n was unsure of what to respond with, say something like 'i just wanted to' or say 'it was a dare'? which one seems more suitable currently?

"it was, um, a dare"

unaware of what y/n has now caused to spin in chifuyu's mind, saying that seemed to be an okay response, i guess it is the truth. though chifuyu didn't exactly take that lightly, in his mind he now has the thought that he's a side thing that can put targets on him for them or anyone now when it comes to dares, the moment seemed so put together and genuine that thinking about it now is just making his smile to weaken a little.

"oh, a dare" he's trying to keep his tone right but it seemed to go down a little as disappointment, even his eyes were avoiding them.

upon hearing his tone and taking a look at his face, y/n couldn't help but let out a panicked gasp, which definitely got his attention making his eyes fall back onto them. it clicked in that the previous response to his question could have been taken the wrong way, but looking back that probably shouldn't have been a questioned response since saying 'it was a dare' after doing the most butterfly-causing act is never the right response. what was y/n thinking?

"but it's not like I didn't want to though! I guess in a way Emma just suggested it" They quickly spoke up about it and explained a little, after some thought to this, it made his smile turn upwards again.

They both took a seat on the concrete floor with their backs against the fence, the court grew completely empty and the sun was almost setting making the sky to be a mix of yellow, orange and still a bit of blue. the rest of the group either went home or to someplace else.

"hey what did Baji mention before? about the pining" y/n mentioned out of curiosity.

"oh uhhh, that's..." he tried so hard to find any sort of right words to save himself here but he couldn't find any, his mind was so full yet he could hardly think and it almost seemed as if it was actually blank rather than full.

y/n saw chifuyu stumble on his words, avoid eye contact and the way his fingers would curve a little making his nails scratch the concrete floor a little. he was nervous, and yet this made y/n almost giddy because they knew exactly what pining meant, they knew exactly what Baji meant and they took in every expression and movement that Chifuyu made when they hugged.

"what if we went out?" y/n randomly blurted out making chifuyu to turn his head in an instant and make his previous, rushing thoughts silent.

"what do you mean by that?" chifuyu looked at them slightly confused, yet hopeful. going out can mean plenty of different things, but there was only one that stood out the most in his mind.

"like I don't know, just us two but..." they were going to continue on but by this time they were unsure of how to phrase it without maybe saying the wrong thing

"so, a date?" having a hopeful tone and smile, y/n shared the same smile and for a few seconds, silence lingered on by, but it was good silence, the type of silence that happens between two people before laughing or saying something that makes the friendship stronger.

"yeah, a date"

or, instead of making the friendship stronger, they make something new bloom. a relationship.

 ♡----

#tokyo revengers #fanfiction #matsuno chifuyu #chifuyu x reader #baji keisuke #chifuyu #tr chifuyu #chifuyu matsuno x reader #friends to lovers #emma sano

[ouatsqincorrect]

Do you have any David and Regina headcanons for us?

of course!

they sword fight every now and then for practice (their secret handshake—which david makes and regina reluctantly participates in—involves mimicking a sword fight)

she introduces him to david bowie and he instantly becomes obsessed

regina has this pair of sunglasses david likes and steals often

you know how david holds the back of emma’s head when he hugs her? on a couple of occasions, he does this with regina too

they fight like siblings but at the end of the day, david fits that father role in regina’s life (and he takes this role very seriously)

he’s very protective of her, even though he knows she can handle herself

he’s also pretty aware that there are some people in storybrooke who haven’t forgiven her and while he gets why, he’s also 100% willing to fight anyone who tries to hurt her

even though snow is usually the one she goes to for advice, david has given regina a couple pieces of wisdom over the years that have truly helped her and that she thinks about often

regina doesn’t ask david’s permission to ask emma to marry her (emma proposes first but regina decides she wants to propose too). instead, in what she thinks is an intimating voice, she tells him she will marry emma whether he likes it or not and that ultimately it’s emma’s decision

david laughs and hugs her and tells her he’s just happy they finally figured themselves out

because really, he knows regina is only telling him this because she still has this tiny bit of fear that he and snow won’t accept them

or won’t accept that she, the former evil queen, is with their daughter

but david’s had an inkling about their true feelings for years now and he just wants to see them both happy

which is why he’s more than happy to have a father daughter dance with regina at their wedding (i know i’ve already talked about that hc before awhile ago but the way david knows regina doesn’t have a father figure in her life anymore and the way he keeps trying to prove to her that he’s got her is so important to me)

#regina mills #david nolan #david/regina #once upon a time #ouat #headcanons

[clumsykleptorocketscientist]

The Winchester Family: A Rant

Can I just say that Sheriff Jody Mills was more of a mother to Sam and Dean Winchester more than Mary ever was, even after Amara brought her back. Like I guess no hate to Mary...? But like isn't the whole thing about the Winchesters is that family isn't just blood. They developed wayy closer bonds than the ones with Mary, and I know it isn't necessarily her fault, but she wasn't there. Like I dunno, I just wasn't in love with Mary coming back, especially since when she did come back, it seemed like she saw they were grown up and like, didn't care..? Like it felt like she went "oh my job is done these are just two grown dudes that I gave birth to once." Like I know its a weird situation, but as a person who grew up watching Once Upon a Time, where like almost the same thing happened, with Snow, David, and Emma, I can't help but compare their reactions and Mary just didn't stack up.

Snow and David were so ecstatic to see Emma and tried so hard to make up for lost time and parent her as much as they could. They kept trying even as Emma pushed them away saying she was grown and that her and her parents were technically the same age. Throughout the show they found a way to still be her parents while still acknowledging she was grown. It was really beautiful to see, but in comparison Mary did not stack up.

Yes, she is a badass, and, yes, her identity should not solely surround her being the boys' mother, but that doesn't mean she shouldn't be a mother at all. It would've been nice to see her figure out a way to strike the balance the Snow and David did, and I never got that vibe. In Supernatural, it seemed the opposite. It was Dean and Sam trying to be her sons and she pushed them away for the same reasons. I'm not saying she was a bad person, or even a bad mother, as it was a really weird situation and I can't necessarily blame her for how she dealt with it. What I AM saying, though, is that her name had no right to be carved onto that table. Point. Blank. Period.

Also, by the way, since I'm complaining, that weird episode with the pearl thing that let John Winchester come back so they could have a family dinner?????? As if that could truly be what Dean desired. Are you fucking kidding me. John sucked, made them both feel like shit, abused them, and yet that was the "family dinner" we got. It's been a while since I watched the show, so Idk a timeline, but screw the timeline for a sec. Across the entire show, a true family dinner would be Dean and Cas with their son Jack, Sam as the Uncle with Eileen, Bobby and Jody as the Dean and Sam's parents (because, unlike Mary, I very much feel like Jody struck that balance even though they weren't her actual sons) and Jody's brigade of wayward sisters trailing behind her, Donna as like the step-mother or aunt (Idk how Donna fits, I just LOVE Donna), and Charlie as Sam and Dean's little sister. Jo, Ellen, and Ash pop in with Rufus as those family members that are close, but you can't quite pinpoint how exactly you're related to them. Bonus: Kevin and Linda Tran come over like friendly neighbors because, even though they have a family of their own, the Trans are definitely close to the Winchesters, though, whether they like it or not. As much as I'd like to add Adam (to make up for him being left in the pit), I have a feeling he wouldn't want to. He seemed like a guy who refused to subscribe to the idea that because they were blood, they were family. (Maybe Sam and Dean should've learned a thing or two).

TL;DR:

Sam and Dean had a much bigger, and better, family then just John and Mary, but it was never really acknowledged fully and in the best way.

#supernatural #mary winchester #sam winchester #dean winchester #jack winchester #castiel #jody mills #claire novak #charlie bradbury #jo harvelle #ellen harvelle #Ash #rufus turner #bobby singer #john winchester #kevin tran #linda tran

[hephaestuscrew]

I want to talk about this moment between Lovelace and Minkowski immediately after Cutter dies:

Lovelace GASPS in relief. Both women COLLAPSE, wounded, at the end of their ropes. LOVELACE Nice... shot. MINKOWSKI Couldn't... have done it... without you, Captain. You all right? LOVELACE No. You? MINKOWSKI No, I... I... yeah... LOVELACE Stay with me, Minkowski. MINKOWSKI Yeah... We're almost through this. We just... need to... get Eiffel... And off of their attempts to hold onto consciousness, we -

Firstly, the acting of this scene is incredible. (The timestamp is 1:42:26 if you want to listen back.) I'm in awe of the way Emma Sherr-Ziarko and Ceilia Lynn-Jacobs convey the sense of pain and exhaustion and relief and trying to hold onto consciousness. The kind of damage they've undergone has been very different - Minkowski bleeding out from her gunshot wound, Lovelace recovering from the external control that caused her to inflict that gunshot wound. But the way these experiences manifest in their breathless pained voices is pretty similar. There's almost a kind of unity in that.

I love that the first thing Minkowski and Lovelace do after Cutter dies, even as they are struggling to speak, is to acknowledge each other's contribution to this moment.

"Nice shot" feels like a comment more suited to congratulating someone on doing well at a shooting range than as a response to a friend successfully harpooning their evil boss. There's a casualness to it as a phrase that feels almost humourous in this context, but it also reflects the fact that there isn't really an established thing to say in a situation like this. (More below the cut)

Minkowski could have just taken full credit here - after all she's the one who fired the killing shot - but she doesn't. It reflects the ethos of this show that neither Cutter nor Pryce, the major antagonists, is defeated by a single protagonist alone, and that the protagonists themselves are aware of that.

This scene is an example of a kind of exchange we get a few times throughout the show, where a character asks another character if they are okay and the answer is a clear no. There's an conversation like this between Eiffel and Minkowski in Ep12 (EIFFEL: You okay, Commander? / MINKOWSKI : No, Eiffel. My second in command just betrayed me and tried really, really hard to murder both us. I’m pretty damn far from “okay.”), and between Hera and Minkowski in Ep29 (HERA: Commander? Are you okay? / MINKOWSKI: No. You? / HERA: No. But I will be.), and between Eiffel and Hera in Ep41 (EIFFEL: Are you okay now? / HERA: No, Officer Eiffel. I'm not. But... I'm going to be.) I think I've said this before in tags on a post, but there's something about that type of exchange that fits the tone of this show so well to me. Of course none of these characters are all right, not with what they've been through. But the asking is still important, because of the care these characters have for each other. And the honest answer is still important, because this is a show partly about communication and because sometimes the awful things need to be acknowledged.

I should probably also say that there are also plenty of instances in Wolf 359 where people falsely claim to be fine in response to questions like this. There's an awful lot of emotional repression and compartmentalising on that space station. Which makes it more significant when characters are honest about not being okay.

In this scene, Minkowski and Lovelace don't need to waste words on saying why they aren't all right. I picture them both looking down at Minkowski's wound as she speaks here. And they laugh, or as well as they can do in their current condition, at how absurdly obvious it is that they aren't okay. Maybe that attempt at laughter is a way to keep going. And they are both so determined to keep going.

Lovelace tells Minkowski "stay with me", even though Lovelace is struggling to remain conscious herself. There's something so tender about that to me, and it's particularly heart-wrenching given that Lovelace was forced against her will to fire the bullet that wounded Minkowski.

When Minkowski says "We're almost through this", it feels like a call back to her conversation with Eiffel earlier in this episode, when he said "We're almost through. Just one more day, and then we're done." The "this" in "almost through this" somehow holds everything that they've been through on the Hephaestus. The repeated sense that this is the last confrontation that they will face on that station is perfect for a finale. But there's also something very emotionally heavy about that finality, especially when spoken by a woman who is bleeding out from a gunshot wound. And yet through her exhaustion and her pain, Minkowski expresses hope that they will get "through this", that they are "almost" on the other side of the whole nightmare.

Neither Minkowski nor Lovelace even consider the option of not going to look for Eiffel (and Hera). It would have been perfectly reasonable for them to have gone back to the Urania to try to patch Minkowski up and to wait to see if Eiffel and Hera were able to join them. But these characters would never do that.

They go to look for Eiffel even though Minkowski has been shot and Lovelace has been subject to horrific external control. They go to look for Eiffel even though both of them are "at the end of their ropes" and struggling to hold onto consciousness. They go to look for Eiffel even though waiting on the Urania was the plan they'd agreed upon with Hera. They go to look for Eiffel even though, for all they know, Eiffel and Hera might have the situation completely handled, or might even already be safely on the Urania. They go to look for Eiffel (and Hera) because only once they are all together can they consider themselves "through this".

#It's surprising that I've barely talked about this scene #given that it is definitely one of the finale scenes that lives in my head rent free #I put Hera in brackets in that last point because they don't explicitly mention her #and the location aspect of 'looking for Hera' isn't quite the same #but I know that they wouldn't have left without her either #Also characters telling an injured/sick loved one 'Stay with me' is one of those tropes that really gets me #It's a way of saying 'don't die' without saying it (cos they don't want to say it) #It's a way of saying 'don't die' that disguises itself as says just 'stay conscious' #It's a way of saying 'don't die' that also says 'don't leave me. I need you here with me' #wolf 359 #w359 #wolf 359 spoilers #w359 spoilers #the empty man posteth #renee minkowski #renée minkowski #isabel lovelace

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

Ikemen Prince - Silvio Ricci

I'm not an expert at this, so my translations are gonna be pretty janky. Expect mistakes.

Slightly suggestive.

Translation under the cut.

Emma visited my room on Valentine's Day night and was dumbfounded by what she saw.

Emma: "Prince Silvio."

Silvio: "Yeah?"

Emma: "What's with all the jewelry and clothes?"

Benitoite Valentine's Day has the custom of devoting oneself to the person one loves.

(I get that she prefers feelings over stuff, and to be honest, I think I went too far, but一)

Silvio: "Well, today is Valentine's Day."

Silvio: "Still, I tried my best not to overdo it."

In response to my statement, I looked again at the gifts piled up in my room.

I think I deserved some praise for making enough room for two people.

Emma: "Um, I'm surprised at the sheer volume, but I'm happy."

Emma: "Thanks, Prince Silvio."

Silvio: "Well, you deserve this."

Emma: "Do you still think this is not enough?"

Actually, there were more potential gifts than I could fit in the room.

Emma: "Wait, no. Don't tell me."

Emma: "Even if you don't do this, I can still feel your love for me."

(She probably said that on purpose.)

(Also, she doesn't have to tell me that because I can see it every time she gives me a stupidly obvious response.)

(But looking at her, I don't think I'm telling her enough.)

Silvio: "I don't care what you say. Just accept everything quietly."

I picked out the clothes and jewelry from the pile of gifts that would suit Emma.

(Since I chose it, it will look good on her.)

Silvio: "You're so cute."

Emma: "R-Really? This is a bit embarrassing."

Silvio: "..............."

(Damn, my voice slipped out.)

I coughed to cover it up, but...

Emma: "Can you say that again?"

Silvio: "Don't get carried away."

Emma: "It's Valentine's Day, and I want you to spoil me.”

Silvio: "Fine, if you're going to insist that much, I'll tell you."

Emma: "Whoa!"

I roughly pushed her down on the bed, her eyes sexily shimmering as she looked up at me.

(I always go crazy when I'm with her.)

Silvio: "Everything I saw looks good and cute on you!"

Silvio: "Are you satisfied now? Or do you want me to say it one more time?"

Emma: "Once is enough! And please don't say that while blushing. You're making me even more embarrassed!"

Silvio: "Shut up! You ask me to do it!"

Emma: "Tyrant!"

Silvio: "So what!?"

As soon as she looked away, I felt my rationality slip away again.

(It's your fault for reacting so cutely.)

Instantly, something snapped inside me.

I kissed her roughly and pushed the tip of my tongue between her lips, causing her to let out a sweet moan.

Emma: "Mnn...ngh...Silvio..."

Silvio: "What? You became much quieter after I kissed you."

Silvio: "What happened to the energy you had just now?"

Emma: "If the person I love does this to me, of course, I'll become quiet!"

Silvio: "I take it back. You're not quiet at all."

(She should know that she only looks cuter when she argues with me like this.)

I quickly blocked her lips with a kiss and started taking her clothes off.

As soon as I stripped her naked, I cupped her breast, and she moaned even louder.

Emma: "I would be more obedient if you were honest with me."

Silvio: "Look who's talking. You're not always honest, you know?"

Emma: "I'm pretty sure I'm always honest."

As I put another mark on her skin, Emma smiled at me.

Emma: "I love you."

Emma: "Even though you're obnoxious, not honest, and a big tyrant, I still love you!"

Silvio: "What is this all of a sudden?"

Emma: "You said I'm not always honest, so now, I'm being honest."

Emma: "It's Valentine's Day, so love is in the air."

(It really throws me off when she suddenly acts like this.)

(And yet, I don’t hate it.)

I could frustratingly feel the heat gathering on my face as she spoke.

Emma: “Are you embarrassed?”

Silvio: “I’m not embarrassed.”

Emma: “But your face...”

Silvio: “Ah, geez! Shut up! I’m not embarrassed!”

Silvio: “You want me to be honest with you? Fine! Make love to me until I’m satisfied.”

Silvio: “And don't think you'll get away with this.”

Emma: “Ah!”

I clutched her hips and thrust harder as she wrapped her arms around my back, her chest hitting against mine.

(I feel so happy when I’m with her like this.)

(I can’t get enough of her.)

Silvio: “I love you.”

Emma: “Prince...Silvio...”

Silvio: “I ain’t gonna say it twice.”

Emma: “Hehe, Okay. I’m so happy.”

She was breathless, but Emma still smiled softly.

Emma: “My gift is not as many as yours, but I’ll give all my love to you instead.”

Silvio: “That's a bold thing to say.”

Silvio: "I'm going to hold you so tight you won't even have time to chat, so get ready, Emma."

(I can't say the words easily, but this is my way of loving you.)

On Valentine's Day, many lovers made sweet love to each other.

Emma was smiling so much that I couldn't help but be embarrassed at her clumsy words and touches.

-END-

#ikemen prince #ikeprince jp #ikepri spoilers #ikepri silvio #silvio ricci #ikepri #cybird #ikepri jp #ikepri translations

[anise495]

Ep 1x06 thoughts because I'm seeing a lot of negative discourse about how Daemon and Rhaenyra were portrayed this episode.

To me the entire point of 1x06 was to show that Rhaenyra and Daemon are extremely depressed. Not just sad and unhappy, depressed. It's common to think that depression means staying in bed all day, crying, not bathing, etc. Depression is also living your life while feeling numb on the inside. It's coming home at the end of the day, staring at the wall and doing nothing. It's avoiding doing things you love because the thought of feeling anything is too painful. And the people who care about you will notice for better or worse, something we see in spades in 1x06.

Rhaenyra tried so hard to make her life work after nothing went the way she wanted. She kept up a public and personal relationship with Laenor while having a relationship with Harwin (RIP best baby daddy ever). She produced three male heirs even if you ignore the obvious issue of their parentage (and as other posters have pointed out the boys father shouldn't even matter). It appears she's always tried to at least be civil to Alicent and gives her an olive branch to stop things before they get too far out of hand.

Rhaenyra ended up with the life she never wanted and despite trying her best to fit into it her efforts were never enough. Alicent (and definitely Larys) spread rumors to undermine her at every turn until within what appears to be 48 hours everything falls spectacularly apart. All Rhaenyra's spark has been bullied out of her until you see the muted, shut down woman we're introduced to in 1x06. Emma D'Arcy did an incredible job of conveying this. Rhaenyra's small smile at the end of 1x06 when she sees Dragonstone gives me hope we'll start to see her more engaged in future episodes.

Daemon shows his depression through his almost complete disassociation from everything. This is a stark contrast to his dangerous silence in previous episodes. Laena calls him out on it for the 100th time and Daemon knows. He knows he isn't being a good husband and father but he just can't care because it means feeling something again and that ended disastrously 10 years ago. So he did what he could with his lot in life but, like Rhaenyra, it wasn't enough.

People are criticizing how he acted in the birth scene. Honestly who can blame him? It's another repeat of watching Aemma lose baby after baby until she was finally murdered and it's a direct connection to Rhaenyra expressing her dread of child birth. His face wasn't blank, it was resignation. Whatever the choice would have been a part of Daemon knew Laena's odds of survival were slim. RIP our badass dragon-rider. Again, it sounds like we'll see him start to wake up in 1x07.

The 10 year time jump did mute the emotional weight the writers wanted to convey with Harwin and Laena's inter-personal relationships and deaths. It did something else important though. It showed how fragile things really were. Those 10 years were a holding pattern and the moment one thing went wrong it all burned down and forced Rhaenyra and Daemon to wake up. They're stuck in the game whether they like it not.

#daemon targaryen #rhaenyra targaryen #house of the dragon #house of the dragon spoilers #hotd spoilers #harwin strong #laena targaryen #laena velaryon #daemon x rhaenyra

[pynkhues]

Ohh, if you're doing recasting of things, any thoughts on The Philadelphia Story and/or The Big Sleep? Rewatching TPS for the nth time the other night got me pondering

Ooo, those are both hard ones! I find a lot of Old Hollywood classics a challenge, probably because they're so iconic and engrained in pop culture, but also because acting styles have changed so much since the 1940s and 50s. To try and fit actors into the roles kind of feels like it fundamentally changes the tone and style, but that's not necessarily always a bad thing, haha.

Still! Let's have a go.

(Quick note: since all the actors in The Philadelphia Story were in their late 20s to mid 30s when they shot it, I've tried to cast actors in that age window, even though I think you could age all of them up given the nature of the story.)

Mia Goth as Katharine Hepburn's Tracey Lord

I kinda just think Mia Goth can do most things, haha, but I actually think she was a revelation in Emma, which is - I'm pretty sure - her first foray into a genre outside of horror and sci-fi. She's got such a warmth in it, especially opposite Anya Taylor-Joy who I mmm, Struggle With as an actress. I feel like she could deliver just the right amount of chaos as Tracey, while also holding her own charisma-wise against Hepburn's boundless screen presence.

Paul Mescal as Cary Grant's Dexter Haven

This was actually the one I struggled with the most, because it's hard to find an actor who could balance dickishness with genuine charm these days in the way that Cary Grant (and a lot of the Golden Age Hollywood men) could. If anyone can do it though, I feel like it'd have to be Paul Mescal.

Dev Patel as Jimmy Stewart's Mike Connor

Funnily enough, I've actually thought Dev Patel and Jimmy Stewart have a similar energy on screen for a while? I'm not sure how to describe it, but there's a sort of warmth and affability to them even when they're playing characters that should feel - - I don't know. Harsher maybe. Anyway, I love them both as actors, and I think Dev could make Mike as easy to fall-in-love-with as Jimmy did.

Molly Gordon as Ruth Hussey's Liz Imbrie

I suddenly realised that everyone I've recast so far is either British or Irish, haha, so let's add an American to the mix! I have a big soft spot for Liz, and a big soft spot for Ruth Hussey too (The Uninvited, my beloved). Having her sort of wry, gentler energy to offset Katharine Hepburn's and the rest of the cast's highly strung chaos has always been something I've really liked, and I think Molly Gordon could bring something unique to the part.

Harris Dickinson as John Howard's George Kittredge

Can you believe John Howard was only 27 when they shot this? WILD. The George role is a pretty thankless one, especially between Cary Grant's scene chewing and Jimmy Stewart's effortless warmth, and I think it's a testament to Howard that you can see him as a viable option for Tracy at all. I've seen Harris Dickinson in quite a few things now, and think he can have a pretty grounding presence in a lot of more absurd premises (Triangle of Sadness and Scrapper spring to mind), and I feel that's what a role like this needs.

The Big Sleep feels a bit harder, but I'll have a think! Bogie and Bacall are just so iconic, haha.

#thank you! #this was a hard one actually #it'd be interesting to go a bit older #it's kinda wild to think about katharine hepburn being a divorcee at 33 in 1940 but then again maybe not haha #i do think the tabloid arc kinda needs the cast to be this age #as i feel like it wouldn't be such a headline story in the plot if they were older #but who knows #recastings #welcome to my ama

[emdeedot45]

EmmaxAldon - To the Core

I loved the chemistry between these two in Fubar... couldn't resist writing a little something for them!

* * *

Emma sat on the steps outside the cabin, staring up at the stary sky. The past few weeks had been nothing short of weird.

After fleeing from the wedding, they’d ended up in a remote cabin the CIA had used as a safe house, while they awaited further instructions on what they needed to do next.

Standard procedure when your identity was compromised.

But that wasn’t really the weird part.

No, the weird part was the group of people she was with.

She had her team of course – her dad, Roo, Barry, and Aldon. Then there was her family too – her mom, Oscar, Romi and...

But then there was also Donnie and Carter. The two very unfortunate souls who were dragged into this complete shit show. They shouldn’t be here. Her worlds were colliding in uncomfortable ways, and she didn’t know how to handle it.

She’d worked so hard to keep Carter separate from her life in the CIA, and now it had all gone to shit.

But Emma was wiser now. Working with this team had somehow made her more self-aware. That she needed to own her decisions. That sometimes the ideals she built up in her head could never exist. Should never exist.

And that maybe the ideal wasn’t what she thought it was. Maybe the ideal was something else entirely. Something that had caught her completely off guard.

“Penny for your thoughts, Brunner?”

Emma turned her head and saw Aldon standing behind her, his hands shoved in his pockets.

There was no doubt that his stupid cute face was an ideal – especially when he looked at her like that.

She shook her head before turning back to look at the stars, “You don’t want to know.”

She heard the wood decking creek behind her before Aldon lowered himself down beside her. “Try me.”

Emma sucked in a breath, “I am... thinking about love.”

“Love?”

Emma turned to look at him with a teasing smile, “Yeah, love. You know that intense feeling of deep affection for someone or something—”

The corner of his mouth slowly tipped up, his eyes scanning her face.

Emma gulped.

How could his light perusal send her into an internal spiral? She was a spy for gods sake! She should be calm.

Then again, her dad was a prime example of how love had no rules. It wasn’t something we could ever control no matter how hard we tried. No matter how hard we tried to make love fit a mould that suited us.

“I know what love is, Emma.” Aldon responded quietly, his eyes still firmly on hers. “My mom always told me that love should rock your world to its core. It should rock it in a way you don’t ever want to come back from.”

“That’s pretty profound pooh bear. Didn’t you tell me that the only way to do this job was to not get attached to other people?” She said with a light laugh.

Aldon lifted a shoulder, “Just because I’ve never experienced love – or I’ve chosen not to experience it – doesn’t mean it doesn’t or cannot exist. Maybe it’s sometimes worth the risk. But I’m definitely open to have my world rocked.” He finished with a wink.

Emma let out a playful scoff and rolled her eyes. Trust Aldon to turn something sweet into something sexual. She knew in that moment that the CIA’s very own HIMBO struggled with vulnerability – and it was all too relatable.

He did have one up on her, however. He had been open with her in that bunker and in the aftermath. Talking about his past and his choices. About how she was making him rethink those choices. About how she was worth the wait.

And what had she done? Thrown it all in his face. Showing such little regard for his feelings. He wanted to be a choice, not an afterthought.

She wanted him to be a choice too.

And she knew that he could be.

“I think I liked the idea of Carter.” She blurted out, kind of unexpectedly. She figured if she’d started, she may as well continue. “Stability, normality, calm. I tried to force him into this ideal of what I wanted my home life to be but it just – it doesn’t exist. It can’t exist. Not in my world.”

“I think you can still have all of those things in this job. You just have to have it with the right person.” Aldon replied.

“I’m not sure what the right person could be in this job.”

“When you know, you’ll know.” Aldon replied with such conviction in his voice.

Emma looked at him. How could someone who had never experienced love be so sure? Then again, she wasn’t exactly a good example of what it looked like to love someone. What did she know?

“I’m really sorry, Aldon.”

Aldon raised a brow, “Looks like I’m the next stop on the Emma Brunner apology tour.”

She chuckled, “Looks like it. I was unfair to you. I used you without any regard for your feelings and I lied about it afterwards. It did mean something to me. I’m just still working out what.”

Aldon slowly nodded, “Maybe it’s the start of a love that will rock your world to its core.” He replied with a grin.

Emma let out a breathy laugh, “I think it would take a lot to rock my world given the life I live.”

Aldon stood up, walking a few paces in front of her. He turned around and placed his hands on his hips. “Challenge accepted.”

Emma was stunned to silence. This man was something else. Arrogant, indecent –

Who was she kidding?

He was confident, thoughtful, protective, sexy – and he just got her. He knew what she needed, and he understood her heart. Her flawed heart that just needed some work to get in the right place.

To get in the right place to love someone like they deserved to be loved.

“You’re confident. I’ll give you that.”

That was all Emma had in her to reply in that moment. The rest had to wait.

“I told you that you were worth waiting for, Emma. But that doesn’t mean I can’t give you a little nudge in the right direction.” He commented before he turned and started to walk away. He paused and turned around again, “How do you feel about being serenaded?”

Emma snorted, “Don’t you dare.”

Aldon nodded, “Hm. Thought so.” He teased with a wink before walking away again.

Man.

She was in trouble.

#Fubar #Emma Brunner #Aldon Reese #EmmaxAldon #Emma x Aldon #Fubar Spoilers #Fubar Fic #Netflix

[grimmswan]

Love Bites (But So Do I) part 2

For Captain Swan Supernatural Summer 23

Once Upon a Time : Captain Swan : Supernatural Steampunk AU

“This situation seems dodgy to me.” Killian observed, looking over the file. “These attacks seem too well planned. Too calculated. The residents, as well as the staff, were never in the house during an attack.”

Emma agreed with her partner.

“The beast destroys the door getting inside the home. Overturns and breaks several pieces of furniture. But is careful opening up cabinets?” She looked at Killian. “When we’ve had to force our way into places, you’ve never needed to splinter the entryway door. It’s like this beast is going out of its way to prove its wild and violent.”

Sensing there was more to this case than simply a werewolf on a rampage, the two thought it wise to go undercover.

By blending in and mingling with the types of people who were targeted, they hoped to discover the truth about the thefts.

But first, they needed to visit a friend who would fit them out with reinforced armor.

Love Bites

“I think you’ll like this.” August, the second finest craftsman in the city, held up a sleeve made up of copper and leather. “It will fit over your arm when you’re in your wolf form. This will give you an advantage over any opponent.”

The leathers would do well to protect Killian from an attack.

Sliding it on, Killian shifted, getting a feel of the fit.

“You look incredibly sexy.” Emma purred, running her hands over his leathers and chest. “You should wear these at home. We can break them in.”

“Not just yet, you two.” August said with a laugh. “We need to make a few more adjustments for the fittings to be perfect. The last thing we want is your armor slipping off during a fight.”

While Killian dealt with his armor, Emma looked around the shop

“Is the werewolf your lover?” Geppetto, August’s father, and the one who taught the second best craftsman everything he knew, asked.

“He is my mate. My husband. My partner in all of the ways that matter.”

“He will be eternally devoted to you. If you should ever take another lover, he would likely go insane, and become savage. He exists solely for you, now. If you grow tired of him, it would be better to kill him, than break his heart. I would advise caution.”

“I’m not foolish enough to ruin my own happiness. I know what I have. And I know I would never find anything better. Anyone who tries to come between my beloved and I should be the one to take caution.”

“No one will take you from me.” Killian growled, coming up behind Emma and wrapping her in his arms. “I have lost too much. I won’t lose you.” He buried his face into her hair, deeply inhaling her scent, seeking comfort.

She lifted her hand and stroked the side of his face. Turning her head toward him, she looked at him in adoration. “My beloved beast. We will destroy whomever is foolish enough to try to come between us.”

They paid the craftsmen for the items, then said their goodbyes. Eager to return home.

Love Bites

Emma sighed happily as she laid naked on the bed. Her lover, in his wolf form, hovered above her with blatant hunger in his eyes.

She widened her legs and stretched out her form, placing her hands above her head, allowing her lover full access to her body.

He licked a long stripe up her body. Starting between her legs and moving over her stomach and breasts.

"Oh Killian," she moaned, "I love your tongue."

That seemed to encourage him to continue licking her.

She loved getting him riled up, so that he would pounce on her and ravage her.

She also loved it when he would take his time and worship her body with his eyes, hands, and tongue.

Emma discovered that the werewolf’s libido increased with the approach of the full moon. Though there was never a night where Killian didn’t want her, he always needed her the week before and the week after a full moon. In the days surrounding the slimmest moon phases, he was not as desperate to have her and Emma was able to play with and tease him for much longer.

There were times he would not be able to control himself. His desire for her would cloud his judgment, making everything disappear save for the urge to press himself to Emma.

She had to laugh at times when she would be doing something as simple as taking a dust rag to a high reaching shelf. Just as she had stretched out her body, Killian would be right behind her, rubbing his prominent organ against her ass.

“Emma” He would groan. Panting heavily as he tore their clothes from their bodies.

Sometimes he would simply wrap his arms around her and hold her to him as he thrust into her. Other times he would carry her somewhere, so he could have more leverage.

Emma was certain that if she hadn’t been a vampire, she would have horrendous bruises all over her body from her werewolf lover.

She could honestly say she had never been happier in all of her existence. Every moment was filled with joy, and immense pleasure.

Well,,,almost.

The one thorn in her side was her ex, and sire, Neal.

They had only known each other a few months when he had turned her.

She had not consented to being turned. He had done it without her permission or informing her.

His motive? He had wanted to keep her young and beautiful forever.

He had assumed that she would stay with him. He had believed that she would be dependent on him.

He had been severely mistaken.

As a human, Emma had always been independent and resourceful. Being turned into a vampire did not change that.

It had not taken her long to figure out everything she needed to.

She had encountered another female vampire who had helped her adjust to her new existence.

Emma was in a junkyard, destroying everything as a way of stress relief.

The two had gotten to talking, and soon Emma had obtained a job dealing with nuisance to society.

Neal hadn’t liked it. Had repeatedly demanded that she quit, and return to him. That she owed him for the eternal life he had given her.

She had repeatedly told him that she wanted nothing to do with him. That she owed him nothing, except for a great deal of pain if he continued to bother her.

Neal had been especially livid when he discovered that she had been partnered up with a werewolf.

He had stormed into Nemo’s office, demanding that he fire Emma.

“As Emma’s sire, I have authority over her.” He stood as straight as possible to make himself appear taller.

He was still much shorter than the water demon.

“You have no power or authority over anyone. Even if I thought there was merit to your concern, I certainly wouldn’t dismiss the lady without reason. Sires only have influence over their progeny if the progeny has feelings for their sire. The laws of the vampires, and of the supernatural council make it clear; if Emma doesn’t want you in her life, then you won’t be in it.”

Neal was forced to leave. Obviously seething with anger.

He regretted turning Emma.

The strength of the mind, will, and spirit often lended to a vampire’s powers.

So though Emma was younger than Neal, she was stronger, faster, and more agile.

To put it simply, she was a more powerful vampire.

If he had kept her human, he would have had the advantage.

But he had feared her losing her beauty.

And now he had lost her.

But he vowed that he would find a way to make Emma obedient to him. 

And kill her werewolf lover.

He often said so right in front of them both.

Usually right before he ran away.

He was no match for Killian or Emma separately. Facing them together would be certain death for him.

They didn’t see Neal as a threat. But they also didn’t put it past him to find something that he could use to gain an advantage.

@cssns

#captain swan #once upon a time #emma swan #killian jones #vampires #werewolf #emma x killian #emma x hook #cs ff #love bites but so do i #grimmswanfic

[eventinelysplayground]

Here's my entry for @judejazza and @nightghoul381 event #falling4youccc. I used the prompts Stars by Simply Red along with warm in your arms because it fit well. It's my first ever event entry so hope everyone enjoys, I have used caps for his name when it's alter/wicked Keith talking. I also plan for to have a prequel epilogue and sequel for this as it works with other ideas that have been floating around in my head. I don't know who made the banner but they did a great job and thanks for letting us use it.

A Starry Night

It was a clear night, the sky above filled with stars while a warm and gentle breeze blew around them. Emma and Keith were strolling along a little used path when he took her by the hand and veered off to the left. After awhile they came to a clearing with one big willow tree and wildflowers growing all around.

Emma: Oh wow it's so beautiful here, and you have such a great view of all the stars! Thank you for bringing me here.

Emma stared up at the stars for a moment then turned to face Keith who was now sitting up against the willow on top of a blanket.

Keith: I'm so happy you like it, I apologize for not bringing you here before now but I'd forgotten about this place myself until the other day. I'm so terribly sorry.

Emma quickly walked over and sat beside Keith placing a hand on his arm.

Emma: You don't need to apologize it's alright, though honestly I'm a bit surprised you forgot about a place like this.

Keith: Well....that's because this is somewhere HE would come not me.

Emma: Oh....

Emma looked away from Keith. Her voice had been hoarse and barely above a whisper and her heart clamored uneasily.

She thought about the last time she had spoken to Wicked Keith, it was almost two weeks ago now. He had escorted her back to her room after the ball leaving her at her door saying he'd be back in a bit but it wasn't him who had come back. Ever since then Wicked Keith had been avoiding her, at first she had just thought he wasn't comming out for some reason but it went on for too long. Then yesterday she had seen him talking with Liam and when she approached them Wicked Keith switched out as soon as he saw her.

Keith: Emma?

Keith's gentle voice broke through Emma's thoughts.

Emma: Sorry l, what were we talking about?

Emma felt Keith's large fingers running through her hair then his other hand cupping her cheek turning her to face him again.

Keith: I have something I need to tell you. Will you just listen to me until I'm done?

Emma's heart sank and all she could muster was was a small nod. Yet she held Keith's gaze, his golden eyes seeming to search her own. At last he released her both of them facing forward as Keith let out a sigh.

Keith: HE'S terrible for making you so worried and hurting you like this. I'm even worse for not doing anything about it until now. I just thought he would talk to you himself soon I never thought....

Out of the corner of her eye Emma saw Keith turn to look at her but she couldn't face him.

Keith: I've tried talking with HIM but he's being stubborn about this and won't say anything to me. I'm not entirely sure what's going on I can't follow along with what he's actually thinking but I can tell you what he feels.

Emma drew in a sharp breath and clenched her hands in her skirts while panic continued welling up inside her.

Keith: You make him so incredibly happy Emma, he loves every little thing about you and enjoys every moment he spends with you and treats you better then anyone else. Liam has said if he would show him even a fraction of the respect and kindness he shows you he'd be much more pleasant to deal with. The way he loves you....honestly I've though for quite awhile now that he lov...

KEITH: That's enough already!

Emma startled and quickly turned to look at Keith.

KEITH: It's late and gonna get cooler, we need to head back.

Emma stared at Wicked Keith momentarily dazed. He had quickly stood up and she reached out grabbing on tightly to the hem of his cloak.

Emma: Wait...please!

Emma's voice was almost frantic and it halted Keith in his tracks.

Emma: I don't know what's happened lately but I don't want you to hide anything from me remember? Even if it's going to hurt me I want to know, and the sooner the better.

Emma hadn't been able to look at Keith as she spoke. Her voice was so faint and trembling it surprised her while tears had started streaming down her face. Suddenly she felt his warm fingers grasp her chin tilting it upwards forcing her to look at him. He was knelt in front of her staring at her.

KEITH: Normally I love your reactions, but not this time.

Emma found herself lost in his golden gaze while his free hand awkwardly wiped away her tears.

KEITH: It's all true. Everything he said and more summing it all up...I love you with reckless abandon.

Emma's eyes widened and she felt her body start to release some of the fear and tension that had piled up.

Emma: Then if you still love me why have you been avoiding me?

KEITH: Cause for one of the rare times in my life I was dissatisfied with my actions.

Emma: What? I thought I...

Emma's words were halted by Keith's finger pressing firmly against her lips and she blinked at him in surprise.

KEITH: Just listen for now will ya.

Emma nodded.

KEITH: You did so well as hostess for the Rhodolitian delegation while they were here, too well. What started out as happiness and pride at your knowledge and love for Jade, you showing them around town, tea parties in between official business where you just beamed at them talking about your life here and everything else it all very quickly turned into jealousy and...

There was an awkward pause. Emma noticed Keith tapping his fingers against his leg and she waited for him to keep going.

KEITH: It's bad enough having to share you with him, then all that time you were spending with those two when I always want to be the only one you see, the only one you ever think about and smile for, the only one you dance with...

Emma: Keith I...

Emma started to interrupt but Keith covered her mouth with one large hand.

KEITH: No talkin!

Emma sighed in frustration but nodded anyways. Keith studied her for a moment then shifted so he was sitting leaning back on his hands.

KEITH: You know about that Dukes daughter that's been hanging around lately trying to weasel herself up to me. Well she took the delegation from Rhodolite being here as her opportunity to ramp things up, she figured you'd be to busy entertaining them and could use it to try and gain some advantage or favor.

Emma frowned, she remembered talking about the lady in question with Keith before. Apparently hers was one of the families that disliked the fact her and Keith were together and their attitude only worsened once they were officially engaged. They had subtly pushed their daughter in front of Keith before and it had hurt her feelings each time but it never crossed a certain line. Then she noticed it getting worse just before the delegation arrived, bordering the line of unacceptable more than once. Now that she thought about it she hadn't seen the Dukes daughter since the night of the ball.

KEITH: Both of us have treated her with the minimum politeness decency requires. We've started pawning her off to Liam or other nearby servants when she tries talking to us lately. I made a mistake that night at the ball though.

Emma thought back to the night Keith was talking about. The ball had been so much to plan, Keith had offered his assistance whenever she needed it and with his help it turned out spectacularly. She tried to pinpoint any single event that had happened during it, then she recalled seeing Keith talking to the Dukes daughter when she was dancing with Nokto and her brows furrowed.

KEITH: Watching you and Prince Nokto dancing together just made my jealousy worse. I know I said it was fine for him to dance with you but his dance skills are some of the best I've ever seen and I hate to admit it but you two looked great together.

Emma was about to open her mouth in protest but she quickly shut it when she caught Keith glaring at her.

KEITH: I guess she thought you dancing was a perfect opening and she came over talking and being all flirty. I was in a fowl mood and feeling ignored so this time I actually bothered to talk with her. Nothin more than safe conversation topics but I guess that spurred her or her father on I'm not sure which. I had planned on giving you a gift after the ball for all the hard work you did on it, that's why I left you at your room I realized I forgot it.

Emma glanced down at the dainty bracelet around her wrist. Keith reached out almost at the same time lifting her wrist to his lips and planting a kiss on it.

KEITH: When I went back to get this she was waiting just down the hallway from my room. She briefly struck up a conversation then came closer and wrapped her arms around my neck. I was livid and asked what the hell she thought she was doing, apparently she took the minimal courtesy as encouragement and then that conversation while you danced as an invitation. It was dealt with and you won't ever see her anywhere near the palace again but I felt so angry with myself.

I knew her actions had already been bothering you in more ways than one. Thinking about how what I had done had cause her to go so far this time and was going to cause you more pain and even jealousy, I wasn't happy about it and I needed to just get away. I didn't intend to stay hidden that long from you but when I looked at you I just felt awful all over again and couldn't bring myself to have to explain it to you.

Emma felt weak and had so many emotions swirling inside her at once she wasn't sure what to say. Keith suddenly let out a loud self depreciating laugh.

KEITH: Liam might be right, maybe I am 5 years old.

Emma looked up at Keith and smiled. Then she remembered the look on Liam's face yesterday.

Emma: Wait is he the reason the other Keith wanted to talk to me?

KEITH: Ya he had dealt with the aftermath of everything that night so he already had a pretty good idea of what was going on. Then when I disappeared like that, he smacked him on the head and demanded an explanation among other things.

Emma let out a laugh snuggling up to Keith wrapping her arms around his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her in return.

Emma: I'll need to bake him something special as a thank you. Though had you just told me from the start rather then hiding from me he wouldn't have had to hit you.

KEITH: Ya ... We really should be heading back though last thing I need now is for you to catch a cold.

Emma: I'm fine wrapped up in your arms, it's so warm and cozy. Can't we stay just a bit longer?

Emma looked up at Keith and he smiled.

KEITH: I guess so, if that's what you want. Listen I'm not the one thats good at apologies but I'm so sorry Emma.

Emma felt Keith's warm lips on the top of her head and they had never felt so good.

#ikemen prince #ikepri #ikemen prince keith #keith howell #falling4uccc #ikepri keith

[kallie-den]

Lifestyle Journalism Ch. 2

Emma is a journalist investigating abuses of mind control, but when  she encounters Amara, a personal trainer with ties to the elite, she  finds her intelligence and her career slipping away. Will her friend  Mel’s warnings reach her in time? And who is really behind Amara?

Chapter 1

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---

A little over a week after Emma’s first encounter with Amara Rodriguez, she once again found herself stepping into the personal trainer’s apartment. Amara greeted her, as ever, with a warm, friendly, encouraging smile.

“Hey, Emma!” she said brightly. “Ready to work up a sweat?”

“You know it!” Emma replied, just as brightly. She followed Amara into her home gym and immediately started changing into the bright pink workout outfit Amara had lent her.

This was the fourth time she’d come to see Amara, and already, it was all becoming a habit. She showed up, got changed, asked Amara a few questions, worked out, and left. Emma wasn’t sure how to feel about that. It wasn’t supposed to be a habit, after all. Her interview with Amara should have been a one-time thing. But somehow, every time, she ended up exhausted and disoriented, struggling to remember what she had been meaning to ask. She barely remembered the second half of any of their sessions. It was getting frustrating.

But it wasn’t all bad. Amara seemed happy to keep meeting up with her - just as long as Emma kept up their bargain. Exercise in exchange for questions. Even that was starting to feel like a win-win. The day after her first session with Amara, Emma’s body had ached like hell, but after a week, the benefits of regular exercise had already started to appear. She felt more energetic, less sore, and more confident. Mel’s home-cooked dinners were helping with that too, probably. As it turned out, a healthy lifestyle felt pretty great!

Emma didn’t even mind that she was struggling so much with her investigation into abuses of mind control and hypnosis in the city’s fitness scene. Somehow, whenever she sat down and tried to focus on her work, she ended up feeling far too light-headed and distracted to make any real progress. Muckraking was starting to feel boring, somehow, and whenever she reviewed her notes at the end of the day, they were always riddled with typos and mistakes.

That should have been eating at her, but… it wasn’t. Emma just felt good. It was irrepressible. Perhaps it was the power of exercise. Perhaps she was simply warming to the idea of taking a break from her work, as Mel had proposed. Either way, Emma wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

“OK, Emma.” Amara clapped her hands; Emma knew that meant they were ready to get started. “How are you feeling?”

“Good!” Emma replied, truthfully. “I think I’m getting the hang of this whole exercise thing. I actually went out for a morning jog yesterday.”

“That’s great! I’m proud of you.” Amara smiled. “We’ll make a regular gym bunny out of you in no time. Although, it would be remiss of me not to mention that, if you truly want to level up your exercise game, there’s one thing that really does the trick: hypnosis.”

A shiver ran down Emma’s spine. “Yeah?”

“It’s what most people pay me for,” Amara told her, smiling. “And it’s part of my regular service. Hypnosis is great for self-improvement. It makes it easier to focus. Easier to push yourself. If you wanted to, I’d love to start incorporating it into your workouts.”

“I… I dunno.”

Emma found herself a lot more indecisive than she would have been a week earlier. She was a lot more alert than the average person to the dangers of being hypnotized by a stranger, but Amara didn’t feel like a stranger. Emma trusted her. In particular, she trusted her exercise advice. Maybe hypnosis would be a big help. It wasn’t like every single hypnotist in the world was some rich asshole trying to turn people into helpless drones, after all.

But there was something else. Another factor, putting its finger on the scales: Emma had started finding hypnosis incredibly, incredibly hot.

Hypnosis wasn’t exactly an uncommon kink. Far from it. Given how the rich and elite wielded it as a tool of power, it was an easy thing for people of a certain persuasion to end up fetishizing. That was new to Emma, though. Somehow, recently, whenever she was blowing off some steam in private, she found her thoughts turning in that direction.

She couldn’t stop thinking about how it would feel to slip under someone’s hypnotic spell. The particular fantasy that kept haunting Emma was all about having the smarts and quick-thinking she was so proud of stripped out of her head, and being turned into one of those dim-witted, brainwashed bimbos that sometimes clung to the arms of powerful hypnotists. She fantasized about being stared at, posed, and put through the motions of dancing, or exercising, or performing, always while she was naked, or else wearing something pink and skintight.

It was embarrassing. But it also made her cum like nothing else, and a tiny little part of her was shivering in anticipation at the thought of finding out what hypnosis actually felt like.

“It’s OK if you don’t want to,” Amara added. “I know you’re wary, and that’s totally understandable. I won’t push it on you. It’s just that I think it could really help, especially with the concentration problems you keep having with our interview.”

Emma blinked and looked at her. “It could help with that?”

“Of course,” Amara assured her. “There’s nothing like hypnosis for giving you a little clarity of mind.”

That was all the excuse Emma needed to succumb to temptation. She remained a little skeptical but, deep down, part of her wanted to give hypnosis a shot. She wanted to indulge this new desire of hers. If it did help with her work too, that was just a silver lining.

She’d just have to make sure Amara didn’t notice how aroused hypnosis was making her.

“OK,” Emma said, a touch breathlessly. “OK. Yeah. Let’s give it a shot.”

Amara reached over and clapped her on her shoulder. “Atta girl.”

Emma blushed.

“So, um, what do you need me to do?” she asked, hoping to hide her embarrassment. “Do you have a pocket watch I should be staring at? A metronome? Do I look deep into your eyes?”

Amara laughed. “Only if you think they’re pretty. I like to do things a little differently. Have you heard of kinesthetic inductions?”

“Hypnosis with movement.” Emma nodded.

“That’s right,” Amara said. “Let me show you. Close your eyes.”

Emma was a little unprepared for how quickly things were moving, but nonetheless she obediently closed her eyes. A moment later, she felt Amara take her hand and lead her a few paces away, to stand on one of her exercise mats.

“Good,” Amara told her. “Now, focus on your body. Just like when you work out.”

Emma nodded. That was easy. Amara was even talking to her like she did when she was working out, in that voice that was so confident, so soothing, so easy to obey.

“Good,” Amara repeated. “I want you to visualize where you are right now. The room around you. The way you’re standing. The way I’m standing. Picture it all, in your mind’s eye. Can you do that?”

Emma nodded again. “In your apartment,” she murmured. “In your gym. You’re holding my hand.”

“Very good,” Amara said. “Keep your eyes close. I want you to notice the way that, already, your mental image is starting to fade. We forget things so quickly with our eyes shut. Where exactly are you standing? What’s right in front of you? Which exercise machine is that, over there in the corner? Maybe you remember. Maybe not.”

As soon as Amara mentioned it, Emma’s mind’s eye was starting to blur. Where was she standing? Amara had guided her to walk a short distance with her eyes closed. How many steps? How far had she moved? She wasn’t quite sure.

Emma started to feel a little dizzy. She squeezed down tighter on Amara’s hand.

“I’m here,” Amara said soothingly. “Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”

She reached out and rested a hand on Emma’s side, steadying her. An immediate wave of calm washed over Emma. Amara’s touch was familiar. She was used to Amara touching her and guiding her when the personal trainer was showing her how to exercise properly.

This was no different. She just had to let Amara guide her.

Amara tugged gently at her hand, and Emma took careful, tentative steps after her, moving where she was guided. With each step, it became more difficult to picture exactly where she was standing, and, with that reference point gone, everything else started to dissolve into mist.

“It’s getting harder to picture, isn’t it?” Amara seemed like she could read Emma’s mind. “That’s OK. I want you to simply let that happen, Emma. Take some deep breaths, and let your mental image of this room fade away.”

Emma did her best to obey. Once she accepted what was going to happen, it all started to fade away much, much faster. Soon, Amara’s touch was her only lifeline.

“It’s only natural,” Amara continued. “Images fade. Memory fades, and it’s OK to forget. Forgetting means less distractions. Less distractions means it’s easier to stay focused. And we want you nice and focused, don’t we Emma?”

“Yeah.”

Emma nodded too. That was a mistake. Nodding triggered a wave of dizziness. She felt like she was about to lose her balance and stumble, but Amara steadied her - this time, by placing her hand firmly on the top of Emma’s head.

“Focus, Emma,” Amara encouraged. “It’s OK. You’re not going to fall over. I’ve got you. Nice, deep, calming breaths.”

“OK.”

Amara’s words were already having a deep effect on Emma. As soon as Amara told her to be calm, she was calm. Emma realized she was rapidly slipping under hypnosis. That thought excited her, making her heart race even as her breathing slowed.

“Keep your eyes closed,” Amara repeated. “Look around, in your mind’s eye. What do you see?”

Emma made one last attempt to reconstruct the room around her. She failed. It was gone. She simply didn’t know where she was, where Amara was, where anything was - and without those reference points, it felt like the walls around her had all receded into infinity, leaving her standing in a void.

“Nothing,” Emma replied. Her voice sounded like it was coming from very far away.

“That’s right,” Amara said. “There’s nothing. Where are you? Where are you, that there’s nothing?”

It took Emma a long time to answer that question. “I’m… nowhere?”

That didn’t seem right, but it felt right.

“You’re nowhere,” Amara confirmed for her. Amara’s voice seemed to be coming from everywhere at once, and unlike Emma’s, it was intimate and close. “And all this nowhere? All this nothing? It’s all inside your head.”

“Yeah…” Emma breathed. She felt so much more empty.

“There’s nothing inside your head.”

“Nothing… inside my head…” Emma echoed dreamily.

“And when you’re nothing and nowhere,” Amara continued, “there’s no up.”

She used her hand to tilt Emma’s head upwards. The sensation of her orientation changing was disorienting, but strangely, Emma didn’t feel dizzy. She had Amara. Amara was her anchor.

“There’s no down.” Amara tilted her head down. “There’s no left. There’s no right.”

As Amara moved Emma’s head around, Emma was haunted by the phantom sensation that she was spinning, even though she knew she wasn’t. She was standing still, in place. But the spinning wouldn’t stop.

“And if there’s nothing,” Amara went on, “if you’re nowhere, then there’s nothing beneath your feet at all, is there?”

“N-no,” Emma whispered.

The void was deepening. Maybe she was spinning after all. She didn’t know. She couldn’t tell. There was nothing.

“And that means,” Amara concluded, “there’s nothing to stop your fall.”

Before Emma could comprehend the meaning of her words, she felt Amara rest a hand on her chest and push. Hard.

Emma fell backward, far too disoriented to catch herself. She was nowhere and nothing. She was spinning, and there was nothing beneath her feet. Nothing to catch her fall. Even as her brain screamed at her that she was falling, Emma turned as limp as a rag doll. To her, she was simply falling into a void, and the void went on forever and ever.

She never hit the ground. Amara was right there to catch her, wrapping up the journalist in her powerful arms and supporting her entire weight. But for Emma, the sensation of falling never stopped. It went on and on. There was no end to it. Nothing. She simply kept sinking.

Carefully, Amara tipped her back upright. Emma found her footing again, but only by instinct. Her head was blank.

“Open your eyes,” Amara instructed.

Emma obeyed, blinking a few times as she was dazzled by the sudden brightness. Having her eyes open did nothing to stop the sensation of infinite falling. Her vision was strangely distorted; it was like she was looking at Amara from down a very long telescope. Everything besides the personal trainer was indistinct; out of focus.

“You know that you’re completely hypnotized now,” Amara told her. It wasn’t a question.

“Yes,” Emma answered. An electric shiver raced down her spine.

“Good.” Amara was smiling. “This is what falling feels like, Emma. Falling into trance. I want you to memorize it for me. And whenever I tell you to ‘fall’, it’ll all come rushing back. Understand?”

“Yes.”

“Good girl.” Amara clapped her hands together sharply. “OK, Emma. Time for our interview.”

Emma blinked again, the loud noise helping to shock her back to awareness. But the sensation of falling was still there in the pit of her stomach, and the void that had been all around her was now inside her head. It was all so strange. Could she really interview someone like this?

Amara had said it would help, though. Emma couldn’t muster enough willpower to disagree.

“O-OK.” Emma set her hypnotized mind to the task of trying to come up with a question. “Um…”

“Why not start with something nice and casual?” Amara suggested. “Just to get warmed up.”

“Right.” Emma was grateful for the advice, but she still found herself drawing a blank. Her thoughts were unbelievably sluggish, and the simple knowledge that she was hypnotized right now was a thrilling distraction. “Like… uh…”

Amara laughed gently. “Why don’t you ask me my favorite color?”

As soon as Amara suggested it, it clicked into Emma’s head as the perfect question. “What’s your favorite color?”

Amara tilted her head to one side, amused. “Pink.”

Emma blinked. She’d never seen Amara wear pink; her workout clothes were always black. “Really? I’m surprised.”

“Pink is just such a lovely, bright color,” Amara explained. “I love looking at it. Don’t you? Doesn’t it just make you feel happy? Bubbly? Full of energy? It’s perfect for working out.”

Emma nodded, eagerly absorbing Amara’s words. Clearly, she had been right about hypnosis. Concentrating on what Amara told her was proving effortless.

“Just look at you, in those pink clothes,” Amara added. “You seem a lot happier whenever you put those on. It puts a smile on your face. Maybe even makes you a little giggly. Pink is great.”

Again, Emma nodded. She felt like she knew exactly what Amara was talking about.

“How about you?” Amara asked. “Got a favorite color?”

Emma was surprised by the question. She’d never really thought about it before. But one obvious answer came immediately to mind.

“Pink,” Emma replied, still in that distant, vacant tone of voice.

Pink made her happy. Pink made her bubbly. Pink made her full of energy. It made her smile and giggle.

“Oh?” Amara cocked an eyebrow. “Guess I nailed it with your workout gear. Looks like we won’t need to find you anything else after all.”

“Right,” Emma agreed. Pink was perfect. Why would she need an outfit that wasn’t pink?

“Next question?” Amara prompted.

“Yeah.” This time, Emma tried her hardest to come up with something. She couldn’t let Amara give her all the questions. That would be embarrassing. “Um… what… what do you like so much about exercise?”

It was lame, she knew. Another softball. But better than nothing.

“That’s easy,” Amara answered. “There’s so much to love about it. It’s good for you, right? Exercise is very healthy, and I love feeling healthy. Who wouldn’t? Who doesn’t love knowing that they’re giving their body the best? Not just exercise - diet, too.”

That made perfect sense. Emma nodded.

“Just look at you, for example,” Amara went on. “I can tell how much better you feel, now that you’ve been living a healthier lifestyle. I’m sure you can too, deep down. Regular exercise, better meals… it’s honestly a little bit addictive.”

Her words struck a chord with Emma. It was like she couldn’t even imagine Amara being wrong. She could feel it too. Addictive.

“And the raw sensation of exercise? That’s definitely addictive,” Amara added. “It’s physiological. All those endorphins, bubbling up in your brain while you work out. I just can’t get enough of it.”

Emma nodded eagerly. She’d noticed that as well.

“It makes it so easy not to think. Overthinking is such a problem, isn’t it?” Emma nodded emphatically at that. “It’s so hard to ever truly shut our brains off. Thinking too much causes so much anxiety. So many problems. Sometimes, it’s nice to make ourselves dumb instead.”

Emma shivered. Something about the word ‘dumb’ echoed deliciously through her body.

“I can imagine it’s the same for you,” Amara suggested. “It must be nice for a brainy journalist like you to stop thinking for a change.”

“Oh yeah,” Emma replied, with genuine enthusiasm. “It’s… it’s nice to be dumb.”

“Yeah?” Amara’s smile curled. “You like getting dumber?”

“Getting dumber feels good.” The words came to Emma’s lips effortlessly, like a mantra. And there it was again - that delicious shiver.

She was starting to love being hypnotized. After all, hypnosis made her dumber.

“Good.” Amara laughed gently. “But that’s not all, you know. I also love the attention.”

Emma’s ears perked up. “The attention?”

Amara nodded. “Absolutely. Working out gets you a lot of attention. Who doesn’t love a girl who’s in good shape?”

She flexed slightly, demonstrating. Emma’s eyes widened.

“But,” Amara added, like it was an afterthought, “you must already know all about that.”

Emma was sure she didn’t. “What do you mean?”

“You love attention, don’t you?” Amara said. “After all, you’re a journalist. Journalism is all about being in the public eye, right? Getting readers? Making big headlines?”

“I… guess.” Emma had never thought about it that way before, but she supposed Amara had a point. It did always feel good when one of her stories broke big. It was rewarding. “Yeah.”

“It’s natural,” Amara affirmed. “Attention feels good.”

“Yeah.” Emma was quickly growing more comfortable with that.

“You love attention.”

“Y-yeah,” Emma conceded. “I love attention.”

That brought forth another shiver of excitement. She was discovering so many new things to love recently.

“And exercising is a great way to get it.” Amara shrugged. “Well, there you have it, Emma. That’s why I love working out. Health, attention, and getting to dumb down a little.” She grinned. “I’m sensing you get what I’m talking about.”

Emma did. She really did. She understood Amara perfectly.

“Anyway, that’s probably enough warm-up,” Amara said. “How about you ask me one of your real questions, Emma?”

“O-oh! Um. Right.”

Emma frowned. Despite how focused she felt, she was still having trouble remembering what she was supposed to be asking Amara. Her head was swimming with fantasies and thoughts - about exercise, attention, hypnosis, and so much more. Her investigation was starting to feel like a distant priority.

Her investigation. It came back to her in a rush. Emma decided to go for the big question, now that she had hypnosis helping to sharpen her mind.

“I… I think that some personal trainers are exploiting people using hypnosis,” Emma said slowly. She needed to get this right - even if she still felt like she was falling. “Using the pretext of exercise to turn them into perfect, brainwashed slaves for whoever is truly controlling them. Amara, have you ever mind-controlled someone against their will like that?”

She wasn’t expecting Amara to admit to anything, just hoping that she might volunteer some information, or give something away in how she reacted. The last thing Emma had expected was for Amara to answer:

“Yes. I’m doing it to you, right now.”

Emma twitched, alarmed. “E… excuse me?”

“You heard me.” Amara sounded deadly serious.

“That’s… that’s funny.” Emma giggled nervously.

“I’m not joking,” Amara insisted. “I’m brainwashing you against your will, right now.”

A shiver of danger raced down Emma’s spine. The sensation of falling that she was still feeling in the pit of her stomach turned much worse, and her head was throbbing with sudden vertigo.

“But…” Emma said, frowning. “You asked. I… I let you.”

“Yes,” Amara replied calmly. “That’s what you think. Because I made sure you’d think that way.”

“B… but…”

Emma felt like the floor was once again collapsing beneath her feet. She wanted to argue, but her thoughts kept turning back to one, deeply troubling question:

If Amara was telling the truth, how would she even know?

And the worst part was, she couldn’t run. She couldn’t fight. She couldn’t assert control.

She was hypnotized.

She was so deeply focused that all she could do was stare at Amara, dumbfounded, as Amara continued to reshape her reality.

“Fortunately,” Amara continued, “you don’t need to worry about it. Because you don’t really care.”

Emma frowned. How could Amara say that? Of course she cared! This was exactly the kind of thing her work was devoted to.

Amara noticed the way Emma was starting to twitch and shiver. “Calm down,” the personal trainer said soothingly. “Remember, Emma. This is just an interview.”

Somehow, that made perfect sense to Emma, and she was instantly calm. The obvious, glaring contradiction in her circumstances and her reactions didn’t even register with her.

“Right.” She replied dumbly. “Just an interview.”

Of course. She’d carried out hundreds of interviews. What was there to be so worked up about?

“Just an interview,” Amara repeated. “You know how interviews work, right? You ask the questions. I give you the answers.”

“Right,” Emma said again. It was obvious, when Amara explained it to her like that.

“I just gave you an answer,” Amara explained slowly. “Would you like to ask me a question about it?”

“Uh…” It took Emma a long moment to think of something. Even the events of a minute or two ago were becoming foggy. “Yeah. Yes. Um… why… why don’t I care?”

It felt like a very strange question. But it was the only one that seemed to fit, given the answer Amara had supplied her with.

“Well, let’s see,” Amara replied, smirking. “You told me that you came here for your investigation, but that was a week ago, and you keep coming back. You don’t seem to do a whole lot of journalism with me. You just spend most of your time here working out. Isn’t that right?”

Emma mentally reviewed their last few sessions. It was. “Yeah.”

“That’s where all your time and effort is going.” Amara nodded. “Working out. So, isn’t that what you’re really here for?”

Emma’s brow twitched, but Amara’s logic was undeniable. Or at least, she couldn’t make herself think quickly enough to find fault with it. “Yeah…”

“You’re really here to work out,” Amara affirmed, cementing that thought into Emma’s mind. “Not for your investigation.”

“Y-yeah…” Emma agreed, with only slight reluctance.

“So,” Amara concluded. “You care about working out. Not about your investigation. Not about your journalism.”

“I…” That was a harder pill to swallow. Emma’s head started to turn from side to side in instinctive denial. “I… don’t…”

“Relax, Emma,” Amara chided. “Remember. It’s just an interview. Relax, and fall.”

Emma fell. Emma was always falling, and once again, she was still.

“If you cared so much,” Amara told her, “wouldn’t you spend all your time interviewing me, instead of working out?”

“Yeah…” Emma agreed dreamily. It was so easy to accept what Amara told her. Much easier than thinking for herself. Hypnosis made her too dumb to think, and she was so deeply hypnotized.

“So,” Amara pressed. “You don’t care.”

“I… don’t… care.”

Hairs raised on the back of Emma’s neck as she finally agreed, warning her of the danger. But moments later, she felt amazingly free. It was like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She didn’t care.

“You don’t care about your investigation,” Amara repeated. “Not compared to working out, anyway.”

Emma nodded. It was getting easier to accept with each passing moment.

“And that’s why you don’t need to worry about being hypnotized,” Amara concluded. “About being brainwashed. It doesn’t matter to your investigation. You care about working out. And hypnosis is very, very good for helping you to work out.”

“Right,” Emma agreed. It all seemed so much simpler now, and she was grateful to Amara for explaining it to her. She was learning so much from this interview.

“Speaking of which,” Amara said, grinning. “I think it’s about time we get to the real reason you’re here.”

She reached up and clapped her hands together in front of Emma’s face. To the hypnotized journalist, the sharp, loud sound was like a thunderbolt, jolting her back to awareness. Immediately, the details of the conversation she and Amara had been having started to recede from memory - but that bubbly new lightness remained.

Emma didn’t care. She was just here to work out! It was such a relief.

“So how was hypnosis?” Amara asked.

“Great!” Emma replied brightly. She didn’t remember much of their interview, but that wasn’t very important.

Hypnosis was good for working out. And hypnosis made her dumber. And getting dumber felt good.

“Glad to hear it,” Amara said. “Ready to get down to business?”

Emma nodded. This was what she was here for. Her pretty, pink outfit was filling her with energy, and the knowledge of how healthy she was being put an extra spring in her step. She loved working out.

Especially because each exercise left her just a little bit dumber.

“Well, before we get started, I have an idea,” Amara said. “You’ve got your phone, right?”

“Sure.” Emma slipped her phone out of one of her pockets, before giggling absently. “I… don’t know why.”

She had a strange feeling that she’d brought her phone here to take notes on her interview with Amara, but that seemed silly. The interview wasn’t important. She was here to work out.

“Fortunately, I do,” Amara laughed. “Do you have an Instagram account?”

Emma nodded. She’d started it for her work, although it had more or less fallen into disuse. Which made sense, since she didn’t really care about her work very much.

“Time to put it to good use!” Amara mimed holding up a phone to take a high-angle selfie. “You love attention, right? Show your fans a nice peace sign!”

***

A couple of weeks later, Emma was in Mel’s apartment, working out. That was nothing unusual. Emma had ended up practically moving in with her best friend. It seemed to make sense - Mel had the space, enjoyed her company, and Emma was already obligated to be there every evening for dinner. Why bother heading back to her own place each night?

The exercise was normal too, now. Emma’s thrice-weekly sessions with Amara were no longer enough. Not even close. Working out had become an obsession for Emma, and accordingly, she had taken up jogging, bought an exercise mat and a set of home dumbbells, and had a whole series of exercise routines she kept to diligently, morning and night.

Working out was her calling. Emma understood that now. It felt good, on so many levels. Better than her old work ever had. These days, she barely even thought about journalism.

“Emma!” Mel called out, from the kitchen. “Food’s ready, babe!”

Emma quickly finished up her set and headed over to the dining table, where Mel was serving up a meal of grilled chicken breasts, lentils, and some green vegetables. Fortunately for her, Mel seemed more than happy to cater to her newfound love of health foods.

As Emma sat down, she whipped out her phone and took a couple of quick pics of her meal. They’d go down great on her Instagram. Emma’s socials had really been blowing up, ever since she started posting about her fitness journey. Making connections with other, similarly-minded girls was so much more fun than all the boring, serious stuff she’d been using social media for before.

“Um… hey, Emma?” Mel called out. “Earth to Emma? Your food’s gonna get cold.”

“Oops!” Emma giggled, putting down her phone.

She’d been distracted, checking on the comments and views on the pre-workout selfie she’d posted earlier. It was funny; Emma had never really used Instagram much before, but now, she constantly caught herself scrolling for hours and hours, hopelessly lost in the thrill of all that attention.

Emma loved attention.

“Emma, are you doing OK?” Mel asked. Emma realized her friend was staring at her with concern in her eyes.

“Sure!” she replied brightly. “Don’t I look like I’m doing good?”

Mel nodded. Emma knew there was no disputing that. She was in the best shape of her life. Thanks to all that exercise, her body had become sleek and toned, shedding all the puppy fat she’d been carrying around before. She was starting to look like a model.

“I just…” Mel pressed hesitantly. “You seem a little… distracted lately.”

Emma giggled again. “I guess.”

It was hard to deny, but Emma wasn’t troubled by it. She felt great.

Mel wasn’t to be dissuaded by Emma’s upbeat mood. “Hey so, how’s your investigation going?”

“Uh…” Emma blinked. “My… investigation?”

“You know, that fitness piece,” Mel prompted. “Abuses of hypnosis. Stuff like that.”

“Oh!” Emma giggled. She hadn’t so much as thought about it in days. “I guess it’s… like… what do you call it? On the back burner!”

“I see.” Mel tilted her head, staring at Emma intently. “I’m surprised. You seemed so passionate about it!”

“I guess.” In truth, Emma barely even remembered. “But, like, priorities change. I figured you’d be totally pleased! You were telling me to take a break.”

“True,” Mel conceded. “I’m glad you’re taking some time off, babe.”

“Uh-huh!” Emma agreed. “Anyway, I think I was kinda wrong about some stuff.”

“Yeah?”

“I was soooo worried about hypnosis.” Emma giggled. “But now I, like, know better! Hypnosis is great.”

Hypnosis made her dumber, and getting dumber felt good.

“Right…” Mel said pensively. There was an odd look on her face. “I… you’ll still be careful, right? People still know you as a serious journalist. I really wouldn’t want someone, um, taking advantage. Say, when you’re out jogging, or on your way to Amara’s.”

Emma just giggled yet again. “You worry so much!”

“I guess I do, babe, when it’s about you.” Mel’s face relaxed into a smile. “Anyway, I’m glad to have you around more often. It’s nice. And I sure don’t mind the view.”

Mel winked, and Emma dissolved into yet more giggling. She knew what Mel was alluding to. Her dress sense had certainly taken a turn. She was currently wearing a pink sports bra, and a pair of pink and white dolphin shorts - and that was it. Nothing else.

All the better to get the kind of attention Emma craved. It was the same reason she’d started getting serious about makeup. Whatever made her Instagram selfies blow up harder.

And of course, attention from Mel was nice too. Very nice.

“O-K!” Emma chanted as she finished her meal, before bouncing up out of her seat. “I’m gonna get ready to take another jog around the block. I’ve still got, like, a little more energy to burn off.”

“Sure thing, babe,” Mel replied. “Just… remember what I said, alright? Be careful.”

Emma giggled. “You got it, bestie!”

She could tell Mel was worried, but she wasn’t really sure why. As far as she was concerned, it was all very simple.

Exercise felt good. Exercise got her attention. And exercise made her dumber.

Getting dumber felt good.

It was as simple as that.

What was there to worry about?

***

“Four!” Emma chanted, counting her sit-ups as sweat dripped from her brow to stain the pink exercise mat underneath her. “Five! Six! S… s… um…”

“Seven,” Amara reminded her, smirking.

“Right.” Emma giggled. She was turning into such an airhead. “Seven! Eight! Nine! Ten!”

“Alright!” Amara reached down to help haul Emma to her feet. “Great session today. Good job.”

“Yay!” Emma bounced in celebration, before reaching for her water bottle and taking a nice, big mouthful. As she did, she looked at herself in one of the mirrors lining the walls of Amara’s home gym - and liked what she saw.

After weeks of healthy living, she’d decided it was time for a small makeover. Emma had gone blonde, and she loved it. She’d been buying lots of new clothes, too. All pink, of course. Nice, bright colors like pink and blonde were perfect for her new mindset. And accessories like her pink water bottle and pink hairband really helped with her Instagram engagement.

Emma was rapidly becoming a social media diva. She just couldn’t help it. She loved the attention.

For that matter, she could see Amara checking her out in the mirror too. That made Emma giggle and preen. She loved all kinds of attention, and she knew lots of girls who loved her new, athletic body.

It was kind of a shame that Amara seemed reluctant to put the moves on her. The tall, buff personal trainer was incredibly hot, and Emma’s sex drive had been through the roof lately.

“OK!” Amara announced. “Let’s do a quick breathing exercise to cool down.”

“Sure!” Emma replied brightly. She was up for anything, and she knew what breathing exercises meant.

Hypnosis.

“Emma,” Amara said slowly. “Fall.”

Emma’s eyes fluttered as she let the bliss of trance take her. It was such a thrill, knowing that one little word from Amara was all it took nowadays.

Emma loved hypnosis. Hypnosis made her dumber.

“I want you to take some deep breaths for me, Emma,” Amara began. “And as you do, feel your heartbeat gradually returning to its steady, normal rhythm.”

Emma nodded sleepily. She was already so deep. All of this was completely familiar; they did it at the end of every workout session now.

“Now,” Amara continued, after a few moments, “I want you to take an extra-deep breath for me. And as you do, I want you to think about all the things that have been distracting you from your work-out goals over the past few days. Whatever those might be - stray thoughts, random pieces of information, unhelpful memories - I want you to feel them all gathering up in your chest as you inhale.”

Emma nodded again. This, too, was a familiar exercise. At the end of all their workouts, Amara helped her to forget things. This time, a whole bunch of old memories came to mind; for some reason, Emma kept catching herself reminiscing about high-school English class. She’d read so many books back then! Books with big, long words she didn’t understand anymore. She gathered up a bunch of thoughts about politics, too. It was annoying how they buzzed around in her mind whenever she caught the news.

“And now, breathe out,” Amara instructed. “And as you do, imagine all of those thoughts that you’ve been gathering up being pushed out of your body. Imagine them blowing out of your lips, and feel them slip out of your mind at the same time.”

Emma breathed out, and all those thoughts and memories left her, turning into nothing more than thin air.

She sighed happily and giggled a few times. She loved getting dumber like that. It made it so much easier to focus on working out! Plus, the way Amara used hypnosis for it was so hot. It was like one of her naughty little fantasies come to life.

Emma felt like, maybe, a long time ago, something about that might have bothered her. But at this point, she really couldn’t remember.

And she liked it that way.

Amara clapped her hands to wake Emma out of trance. “Perfect,” the personal trainer said. “I think we’re done for the day. Unless you want to ask me any more questions, that is.”

Emma tilted her head to one side, curious. “Um… questions?”

“You know,” Amara prompted, “for your investigation.”

Dumbfounded, Emma simply blinked. “What investigation?”

A grin slowly crept across Amara’s face. “Actually, don’t worry about it.”

“OK!” Emma accepted that at once. She loved not worrying about things.

As Amara watched the former journalist gather up her stuff, she reached for her phone. It was time. Emma was absolutely perfect. Amara sent one, simple, fateful message to her employer.

She’s ready.

---

I would like to express my gratitude for the generosity of  all those who  support me on Patreon, and to give a special thanks to  the following  patrons in particular for their exceptional support:

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Finally, special thanks to ntad for commissioning this story!

#story #Lifestyle Journalism

[anna1306]

It is such a stroke of luck that now you are also into the quarry. Well, I want to ask you to write something about Nick x fem!reader (if you're not comfortable you can make gn!reader) who is chubby. One of the kids said something offensive and Nick came to calm down the reader at night when he heard that she was crying bcs of that kid.

This is my first Quarry request, and it is absolutely cute. At some point it became a little bit self-indulgent, sorry about that. Hope you will like it and ask again if anything! C:

Be safe out there and remember to take care of yourself

Nick x Chubby!Reader

What could be better than having a river in a summer camp on a sunny day? Even if everyone, including councelors should have been swimming under supervision of each other, it was a blessing. This whole camp was a beautiful blessing.

"Y/N, are you going or not?" Emma almost jumped through the door, being her usual cheerful self. You turned away from the mirror and smiled a bit.

"I am. Just adjusting swimsuit, bought it right before the trip here." You glanced at yourself one last time in the mirror. You had bought one-piece swimsuit, not daring to buy something more open because of the kids around. Emma rolled her eyes when she heard about it, as "tan isn't going to sip through the fabric, you know". But you were comfortable and still felt like it was good.

"At this point and with this speed you are going to swim at night, really." She scoffed, and you both went out, after you tugged some t-shirt over your swimsuit. You felt joyous and happy. Sunny day, warm water, you loved kids, company was great. Why worry?

"Hey, girls!" Jacob waved from the shore, seeing you both approach them. He was carrying some kid on his shoulders, the sight that made you smile a bit and shove Emma at the side.

"I can already see the child with your eyes on his shoulders." You smiled innocently, earning a groan from her.

"Don't go into that." She warned you, going to the kids, playing with something on the shore. Apparently she was going to sunbathe in her bikini and not even touch the water. You shook your head, taking your t-shirt off. You wanted to swim and fresh up a little bit. And occasionally watch over the kids. Suddenly you were hugged by the girl.

"Y/N, I want to swim, but I am afraid." Sarah, if you remembered her name correctly, said timidly, making you smile.

"Then let's go together, I can show you how to swim." You smiled, taking her by the hand. She nodded and you both carefully strolled to the water. Kaitlyn surfaced from the river and waved you over.

"Hey, little buddy, you finally got some braveness in you." Apparently this girl tried to swim earlier, but she didn't dare.

"Yes. Y/N will help me with that!" She exclaimed, immediately blushing after that. Kaitlyn smiled at that and looked at you.

"Now I am jealous, she rejected me and came to you!" She admitted. You knew she wasn't serious, but couldn't help but smile at this. While the girl hung out near you, you unbuttoned your shorts pulling them down.

"Because you are... Unreliable and Y/N is big enough to hold me!" You froze for a second from the surprise of hearing those words. There was nothing that serious, but... Big?

"I am sorry?" You asked Sarah to repeat again. Kaitlyn looked between you two, quiet amused as she forgot all about other children she watched over.

"You are big! You can hold me and I won't... Drown." The girl shrugged and looked at you, suddenly blushing again. "Did I say something wrong?"

"What? No, no, dear, I just... Lost in thoughts." You suddenly didn't feel like swimming and stopped with your shorts still being on your thighs.

"But you are big! The one that never gonna drown, like life preserver!" Some boys screamed and giggled. You lowered your eyes to look at yourself. "I bet you can fit half of the camp on you if we were to drown!" These were jokes. Bad ones, but jokes, they were kids! But you couldn't help, but wonder. Was this bad choice of a swimsuit? Were you really that big? You tried to lose some weight, especially here, where you ought to do some physical activity or sports. But apparently you were doing a bad job in it. You buttoned your shorts again.

"Hey! No dessert for tonight!" Kaitlyn snapped back at them, already out of the water and near you. You saw Emma striding to the loud boys. "Don't listen to those punks, they are kids."

"I know, I... I don't feel so good, I guess I better go back." You whole good mood was gone. "Jake, can you help Sarah swim?" You looked at the boy, who darted his eyes between you all.

"Ah? Oh, yes, sure." He put the boy down and went to you. "And... Y/N, don't.. listen to those, I just... You aren't slim, this is truth, but... You are still... You."

"Thanks..." You nodded to Jacob, already numb to the things he had to say, slowly stepping away to the way you just came. He might have meant well, but was doing not good job in it. Before Kaitlyn or anyone could say another word, you were off, getting your t-shirt on your way back and just putting it on. It was big, so it should have hidden you well. You were all to aware of the looks you got.

"Hey, Y/N!" You heard Abby's voice and glanced at her direction. She was walking with... Of course Nick. They looked too sweet together and you couldn't help, but get jealous sometimes. She was so much better than you, Nick had to choose her over you at some point. So you just fastened your pace, just to get to the house and lock yourself in it. All you wanted to do besides that - burn the goddamn swimsuit.

***

"What's up with Y/N?" While Abby was gathering kids to go to the drawing class, Nick hung out with Kaitlyn. She sighed.

"Said she wasn't feeling well, but refused any help. But that's bullshit." Kaitlyn usually held back her language around children, but they were huddled near Jacob in water and near Abby, who were helping them gather their things along with Emma. "Some boys said she was 'big'."

"Wait, big?" He asked, clearly confused.

"Aha. Dressed up and was gone faster than Flash. Jacob added one too, but he's just an idiot." Kaitlyn scoffed. Nick looked at the boy in the water, who laughed at some kids' joke. There was sudden rush of anger towards him. You were very close to Nick and very important, he had a huge crush on you. It took him forever to gather his courage and ask you out. So for him to hear that Jacob said something rude to you was a huge anger wave. But he wasn't gonna do anything to him. He wasn't some kind of animal. "Don't worry, she just needs some time alone."

"What?"

"You have your emotions written all over your face." Kaytlin scoffed. "Give her some time. But not too much, she may overthink something. And don't worry about Jacob. I'm gonna kick some sense in him."

"Yeah, you sure will." Nick smiled a bit, nodding. He looked up at Abby, who was waiting for him to help her get the kids to the drawing class. He definitely had to visit you later.

***

You didn't leave the cabin. You just stayed at your place. Thankfully you didn't have any activities you had to participate in this day, so you could afford that. Emma came in hours later, chatting about warm water, all the fun they had and plans for the evening. She didn't even asked if you were okay. You were grateful for that, not feeling like discussing anything with her. She called you to join them for the dinner, but you refused. You couldn't possibly think about putting any food in yourself.

You just wrapped yourself in baggy clothes, hid legs under the blanket and layed there. You tried to read something, but understood quickly that it wasn't very effective. Your thoughts were louder than any plot twists. So you just layed there.

You were big, you knew that. Emma or Kaitlyn were slimmer. They were followed, one by Jacob, probably the most popular guy in his school. The other one by both Dylan and Ryan. Even if they eye-sided each other at the same time. In your mind they were happy trio. But you...

Your romance with Nick was slow. Even if both of you decided to try anything romantic and not friendly on the second week, it was still slow. You had to still tell yourself that they were friends with Abby, and that everything was in question since you both should have moved after the summer was over. You cared for each other, but... Nick was children's crush. Kind, pretty, talking with accent... They loved him. You knew Abby had a crush on him before you got together. So for him to still be with someone like you...

You burrowed yourself under the blankets further, groaning at frustration on yourself. You hated how you felt. Hated how you thought. But couldn't do anything about it. You had read enough shit on the Internet about 'loving and accepting yourself'. It was easier said than done. When everyone preferred slimmer people, you had to really try to find good clothes and just build your confidence step by step just to have someone ruin it in several words. You weren't mad at kids, they didn't know any better, and Emma made sure to give them lecture on people's boundaries. But still you couldn't help but wonder...

Quiet knocking on the door made you shiver. You looked at the door and realised it had already gotten dark. You sat in your bed, but weren't able to do anything or say before Nick opened the door.

"Y/N?" He carefully called you, looking into the dark house. You sighed and lit up the lamp near your bed.

"In here." You called out, closing your eyes from the sudden light. Nick smiled, entering the house, but furrowed his brows, noticing how you were. It would be amusing to watch his emotions all over the place, if not for your stupid thoughts.

"Are you cold?" He asked quietly, closing the door behind him. You shook your head and smiled weakly.

"I'm fine. What are you doing here?" You asked. Maybe you got lucky and Kaitlyn or Emma didn't say anything to him. It was your problem, not his.

"I heard you... Weren't feeling well." Nick came closer to you, sitting on your bed awkwardly.

"I'm better now. Just have to have some sleep and I'll be fine in no time!" You smiled at him, trying to be brave, and he even smiled back but you could see how strained this smile was.

"Yeah... Kaitlyn told me what happened." He finally blurted out, not used to playing around. You looked away and sighed, of course they spilled the beans.

"It's nothing. Just... Some hard truth and..."

"It's not truth at all! This kid is stupid!" He objected.

"He's ten."

"He's ten AND stupid." Nick didn't step back. You scoffed at this and shook your head. "And Jacob is an idiot because he can only get cute girls like him as he is too dumb for someone like you to look at him." You looked at him in disbelief. You had never heard Nick talking something like that about any of your friends. He took your hand, kissing your fingers and blushing a bit. "My point is - you are beautiful. More beautiful than anyone I know. I like to cuddle you, like to hold your hands and I absolutely love giving you my hoodies!"

"You are always grumpy when I take them." You answered, smiling weakly. Your doubts and bad thoughts slowly went back to the periphery of your mind. They would come back later, you were sure of that, but for now this little ray of sunshine by the name of Nick worked his magic pretty well.

"You think so..." He mumbled. Your heart clenched. How could you even possibly doubt someone like him?! Nick was the most honest person you had ever known. He couldn't play you, even if he wanted to, his lies always were obvious.

"Come here..." You whispered, turning on the side and making some room on your bed. Nick readily layed down, hugging you close to himself. Suddenly you felt very hot under all these layers of clothes. You kicked the blanket down to free your legs. In a minute you both were hugging each other, your head on his shoulder, legs intertwined with each other.

"Don't doubt yourself, darling, please. It hurts me to know that you think something really low about yourself. I know it can be hard with opinions of others or clothes or something like that, but I am with you."

"You aren't gonna be with me after the summer." You scoffed and earned a kiss on your head.

"There are phones for that. And besides, we live not so far from each other and can meet up if anything." He objected and you relaxed completely, trying to believe in his optimism. "And till the end of summer I'm gonna protect you!"

"Sure you will." You smiled at him, hugging him tightly.

"I won't let some insufferable kid or even Jacob tell you something like that! You are my girlfriend! My beautiful, smart and perfect girlfriend! And they are stupid for not seeing anything behind their... Their prejudices!" He exclaimed, both ashamed by his outburst of emotions and eager to protect you. You kissed him on the cheek.

"My fierceful protector." You giggled, earning a smile from him. "So I should not worry for my safety?"

"I will protect you even from any bear! With bare hands!" He showed you his hands, now more calm that he got you cheered up.

"You will get bitten before you protect me." You laughed, smacking his side.

"I will protect you even if I got bitten!" Nick answered more quietly, snuggling to you. It was good evening. You both were joking, he was hugging you, you were relaxing in his arms, you both loved each other and it seemed that even after the end of summer you would be happy with each other.

#the quarry #quarry #the quarry imagine #quarry imagine #nicholas furcillo #nick furcillo #nick quarry #nick x reader #nick furcillo x reader #x reader #reader insert #female reader #nick furcillo imagine

[rxnefairs]

Top Model ft. The HOTD Cast

Get this cast on every reality show that has ever existed.

Milly Alcock - Questioning everything. Awkward laughs and awkward smiles the whole way through. What she lacks for in height she makes up for in charisma. Constantly whispering to herself don’t trip don’t trip don’t trip.

Emily Carey - Absolute boss. She’s so used to walking in platforms in real life that the heels they wear in the show don’t bother her. Probably practices their catwalk to Taylor Swift songs. She and Milly are two awkward turtles together, it’s adorable.

Emma D’Arcy - Purposely gets themselves eliminated in the first round because runway modeling just isn’t their thing and they know it. Already eliminated but stayed for moral support. Is Olivia’s personal hype bestie and makes fun of Rhys.

Olivia Cooke - She’s the one that’s dancing across the runway instead of actually walking. Shoulder shimmying her way along the catwalk. Constantly making faces when she’s being fitted for clothes. Blows kisses to Emma when they’re watching.

Paddy Considine - Takes this one EXTREMELY SERIOUSLY. Puts on his best model face every time and really feels himself on the runway. Will fight Eve over who has the best catwalk. Channels his inner RuPaul and ✨struts✨

Matt Smith - Doesn’t even try but everyone is swooning anyway. He’s just so suave and very cool about everything. It’s all so effortless when he’s on the runway. Routinely makes fun of Paddy.

Fabien Frankel - He’s a hair toucher. Always running his hands through his hair no matter what the task is. Smiles like Prince Charming from Cinderella. All in all, very charismatic.

Rhys Ifans - Makes a fool out of himself and knows it. Will overdo his walks to make the rest of the cast laugh. Tries to trip Fabien when he’s walking. Probably requested to walk to the Barbie Girl song.

Steve Toussaint - Totally out of his element this time but does his best anyway. Gets eliminated after Emma does and he has no problem with that. Sits next to Emma as they make fun of Rhys together. Also fangirls over the wife.

Eve Best - Genetically blessed. Literally built like a supermodel. Complains about the heels 24/7. Always cheering on her other cast mates. Has the best catwalk of the bunch and Paddy is bitter about it.

#never letting the eve best supermodel thing go #argue with the sidewalk #hehehehehe #milly alcock #emily carey #emma d'arcy #olivia cooke #paddy considine #matt smith #fabien frankel #rhys ifans #steve toussaint #eve best #hotd #hotd cast

[that-was-anticlimactic]

okay so awhile ago @zukkaoru and i made a nerdy prudes must die au for bsd and we kind of went off with it and the soundtrack is stuck in my head so look at who would be who (explanations under the cut):

kunikida - grace chasity

yosano - steph lauter

dazai - pete spankoffski

ranpo - richie lipschitz

poe - ruth fleming

chuuya - max jägerman

fukuchi - wiggly

bram - nibbly

sigma - blinky

fyodor - tinky

nikolai - pokey

gin - kyle

tachihara - jason

jouno - detective shapiro

tecchou - officer bailey

mori - mayor lauter

elise - miss tessburger

cheerleaders - higuchi (brenda), naomi (stacy), kajii (brooke)

kyouka - reese

jun’ichiro - joey's bbq monologue guy

atsushi - bbq jon/trevor

kenji - bbq angela

akutagawa - bbq mariah/caitlyn

mushitaro - corey dorris' cop (f-ing transcendent cop)

mark - dan reynolds

john - donna

hirotsu - miss mulberry

nathaniel - boy jerry

guy koyou tried running away with - mark chasity

koyou - karen chasity

margaret - bryce’s reporter

louisa - paul

lucy - emma

kunikida as grace bc he has all his ideals and he's just so... idk how to describe it in a way that doesn't sound mean bc i mean it so affectionately but he has the vibes of slowly losing his beans. also... just PICTURE him singing "dirty girl" YOOOOO and like if you ship kunichuu, then it's also kunikida freaking out bc he's thinking romantically about someone from the mafia. also he deserves to go wild <3

yosano as steph bc Vibes <333 dazai as pete (and this is not shipping yosano and dazai... they're just friends in this) bc he's smart and would 100% get all caught up in something like this also bc we're making chuuya max so like they're rivalry tehe. now i know you could argue that atsushi should be pete and akutagawa should be steph... but this stemmed from kunichuuzai, sooooo. dazai could also be steph, but we thought that yosano fit steph better than pete

ranpo as richie bc there was literally no good place for ranpo. he's too smart. but richie is also smart and it'd just be silly. maybe now ranpo can live (for a lil bit oops) the childhood he never had...

poe as ruth bc he would KILL "just for once" look me in the face and tell me i'm wrong

chuuya as max bc gravity powers and dead!max's powers are similar, chuuya has the anger issues to be max, plus he and kunikida would get to sing "dirty girl" together. i also feel like "literal monster" could be a song in reference to chuuya and i feel like (in a kind of self-deprecating way), chuuya would sing that about himself

we made the decay of angels the lords in black bc it FIT!!! fukuchi as wiggly bc leader, bram as nibby bc... vampire... mouth..., sigma as blinky bc they've got eyes on the casino and know everything about all the staff and customers and such, fyodor as tinky bc tinky is prolly the most sadistic one, and nikolai as pokey bc nikolai is most likely to cause a musical apocalypse

gin as kyle and tachihara as jason is just so silly~ and hirotsu as miss mulberry bc he's trying his best to wrangle a bunch of depressed teenagers all the time. higuchi, naomi, and kajii are the cheerleaders (we invented a third one specifically for kajii) bc we think they'd be good cheerleaders lol

jouno as shapiro bc VIBES and wants to uphold the law and tecchou as bailey would just be SO FUNNY and they would just annoy each other soooooo much! we made mushitaro corey dorris' cop bc it would be funny

mori as the mayor is great bc yosano is steph... and that's just depressing ya know? and then elise as tessburger for obvious reasons

we just thought mark and john would be a funny dan and donna tbh. margaret as bryce's reporter specifically so she can blame nathaniel hawthorne. nathaniel as boy jerry bc ViRgiNiTy RoCkS

jun'ichiro as joey's bbq guy bc let's be real... jun'ichiro is an AMAZING actor. kenji HAD to be in th ebbq monologues bc cows. then akutagawa is a theatre kid i know this he told me personally (or he would be if he wasn't in the mafia and had a family and went to school). atsushi is kind of there just so we can hear him say, "my barbecue" the way jon does lol

#hi grace sorry for posting this i started having feelings and we went off with this tbh #feeling s #bsd #npmd #ada #tehe #i would. i want to see kunikida and chuuya sing dirty girl. #ngl i think the best part of this is the lords in black #we did a GREAT job there #okayyyyy that was enough procrastinating :/ grades are due tomorrow at 9am and i have sixty things left to gradeeee

[rei-caldombra]

Yubisaki to Renren Anime Episode 8 and 9 Review - Friends and Lovers.

Back to the lovely world of Yubisaki to Renren, this time covering episodes 8 and 9. As usual there will be spoilers. Also I just noticed while I was finishing this that the flags match the colors of one of the characters they are nearby. If I wanna go into overanalyzing mode maybe the flag positioning symbolizes how Yuki and Rin are very close without any issues between them while the green flag being between Kyouya and Itsuomi symbolizes how there is actually a hidden rift between them. Who knows… I don’t actually think there is anything to the latter while the adorable friendship between the former is very clear. 

Every single character in this show is gorgeous at all times, even in casual mode. We got deep into Shin’s backstory in episode 8, with it explaining Itsuomi’s relationship with him as well as his relationship with Emma. What I am taking away from Shin’s character is that he is very insecure, feeling inferior to Itsuomi. And that still seems to be affecting him now. Both in high school and in the present day, even with Itsuomi being off the table romantically he is unable to be honest with his feelings towards Emma. He is unwilling to be honest because he is assuming he would never be picked over Itsuomi even if he is not available. The girl Shin was dating in high school hit the nail on the head, he tried to use another girl to get over it but clearly could not shake his feelings. This leads to a one sided relationship that she is understandably upset by.

The above dramatic line goes to show how deep his insecurity runs, where he can directly lie to everyone when he has the perfect chance to be honest. This can also be seen as his speaking this out loud to try to convince himself that this is how he should think. I have struggled a lot with an inferiority complex, especially in high school, so I can relate to where he is coming from. It makes it even harder to change the status quo they are stuck in after Emma remarks on how nice their relationship is. The character animation continues to be really good in this episode, the way Shin’s mouth moved when he was hesitating to tell her how he feels accentuates the emotion of the scene by better matching the voice acting. This is a struggle that looks like it will continue amidst everyone else having very successful romantic pursuits as we see in episode 9. 

This is my favorite outfit of the ones they showed at the beginning of episode 9, I love her hair with the black shirt. One thing that a series can do to really engross me in their world and characters is showing them with lots of different outfits in their daily lives. It breathes a lot of life into the characters, making them feel more natural and real. I appreciate when characters don’t seem like they must have a closet full of the same outfit they wear pretty much every day, and have no interest in fashion or expressing themselves. It also gives the audience more displays of the character’s identity and personality. How much this matters can depend on the show, but for slice of life and romance I really think this can make a big difference on immersion. If the characters are in situations where you are constantly looking at them in largely static ways, it is easier to pick up on details like this. In a romance show it can especially matter because they are in situations where they want to look attractive, stand out more or less, etc. It is also better on the fundamental level of making the visuals less samey. Different outfits can be a notable way for people to remember segments of the story too. Another show that does this really well is Demon Girl Next Door. I’m really happy to see this concept that I'm fond of being present in Yubisaki to Renren. 

The sign language bootcamp is such a fun idea that fits perfectly for the characters. This was a great way to create new situations for the characters to be in for romantic shenanigans that feels like a completely natural outing for them. We got some notable progress between Rin and Kyouya and some sweet moments between Yuki and Itsuomi. I adore the moment when they point out random objects in their vicinity and have Yuki translate them. It was so natural and funny. We also got to make the point again of how seriously Itsuomi takes learning sign language while the others are trying but not as serious. 

The mature tone that the show carries when it comes to the romance really comes through with the conversation between Kyouya and Rin. Kyouya has the perspective of someone older (they apparently have not confirmed his exact age so I am gonna go with my gut and assume he is around 6+ years older than them) who is not looking to go through the motions of playing the romance game with lots of people. He was previously in a long term relationship and that is seemingly what he desires. He is the type of person who would only put the time and energy into attempting a relationship with someone he could take seriously. This is a feeling I know resonates with a lot of older people who have moved past the type of thinking you see in romance involving younger characters. The point of not wanting to spend the energy on romance is a feeling a lot of people in general can relate to. It takes a lot of mental energy that is already taken up by everything else in life, which I appreciate the show acknowledging. The maturity of the characters is also shown with Emma directly shutting down her coworker rather than letting his advances drag on. 

Continuing with the above point of emotionally mature characters, It's so nice seeing characters be direct with their feelings in a romance. Kyouya wasn’t certain if he was picking up on her intentions or not, but when presented with the chance he made the effort to bring it up and get the confirmation. Rin was nervous around him but when the situation came up she came right out with her feelings in a way that fit the conversation. He even opens up about his deeper feelings, such as feeling jealous over the phone call and being childish. That last point felt perfect, as even more mature adults still have their issues and insecurities. He may be notably older than the rest of the main cast but he still has things he can be immature over. It’s very satisfying to see characters be emotionally open and vulnerable when they have taken the time to have that openness feel earned through their friendship. I was afraid her twisting her ankle would be used to put off this conversation, but it didn’t really do that. While we did not get a clear answer as to if they are now dating, they both clearly made the feeling known to each other that they are interested in giving it a chance. And I am totally fine with their relationship moving forward in that kind of context. It does not need to be as black and white as dating or not, with their feelings known I am under the impression that they are going to see where things go naturally. Which is a valid way of growing closer romantically. I’m glad we got this focus on Kyouya that really gave us the first proper glimpse into who he is deep down, and excited to see where it goes. Honestly I was not expecting things to go this way. I thought Kyouya was not going to be interested. I correctly picked up on Kyoya’s not being as gung ho about romance, but did not think he was going to be interested in Emma. I do not oppose this development though. And at the end we get just a bit back into Oushi who is also harboring long held feelings that are not being made known. More on that next episode.

And that’s another 2 great episodes covered. This show continues to not have a single dip in quality or have anything I feel critical about. I can’t wait for more! Thanks for reading!

#anime #review #winter 2024 anime #blog #yubisaki to renren #a sign of affection