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mysafehaneul · 11 months

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VIII. AQUAMARINE (M)

CHAPTER 8: THE GREAT WAR

Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6 , Part 7

JEON WONWOO X READER

WORDS: 30K (But since tumblr has decided to be a cunt so I have to upload them in 6 or 7 parts fml)

GENRE: ARRANGE CONTRACT MARRIAGE AU! ENEMIES TO LOVERS!

ANGST, SMUT, FLUFF.

The loudest noise in the world is sometimes the battle between the brain and our hearts, the war between your conscience and your desires. Yet the sad part is, no matter who overpowers the other there is no victory in this battle. Because a part of you always loses. But the point is not about win or loss, what truly matters is at the end of it all, you survived.

It was late afternoon, around 3 p.m. The sun hung in the sky, casting a warm and gentle glow over the city. You arrived at your office around noon after leaving the Jeon mansion at 9 a.m. Wonwoo had dropped you off at the office and then driven Noel and himself home. As you worked on your laptop, there came a polite knock at the door. The sky outside was painted with hues of orange and pink, a serene backdrop to your busy day. Rachel, your assistant, opened the door and informed you of a visitor.

"Boss, Rema is here," she said with a warm smile.

"Send her in and ring for some coffee and tea for us, please," you replied.

"Got it," Rachel nodded, her dimple showing slightly.

Rema walked into your office, her hair neatly pulled up, black pumps clicking against the floor. She wore suit pants and held her blazer and laptop case. Her expression showed signs of a long and tiring day. She chose the visitor's couch over the chair by your desk, kicked off her heels, and made herself comfortable.

"You don't mind, right?" she asked, referring to her relaxed posture.

You shook your head in a no and noted, "Long day, huh?"

"Just another never-ending one," Rema sighed.

You got up from your chair and walked over to the couch, sitting across from her with your legs crossed. Rachel soon arrived with a tray bearing cookies, coffee, and tea.

"Ah, the angel appears," Rema groaned humorously at the sight of the coffee, then greeted Rachel with a nod.

After a few minutes of companionable silence, Rema sipped her coffee while you absentmindedly circled your finger around the rim of your teacup, lost in thought.

"So, why have you called me?" Rema inquired.

"Why can't I call on a friend?" you replied.

"In the office," she raised an eyebrow.

"Well," you sighed, "you caught me. I called you for a reason."

"I thought so," Rema said.

You gave her a playful glare and continued, "Victor told me that Noella made her will when Noel was just 3 years old."

"How does he know?" Rema asked.

"Because he introduced the lawyer to her," you explained.

Rema hummed in understanding. You continued, "And I'm glad that she did. Noella has always been a planner." You smiled at the fond memories of the text chain she and Jeonghan used to have, where they shared house ideas, wedding plans, and more.

"I want to make a will," you declared. Rema placed her cup back on the table, her full attention on your words.

"Life is very unexpected, and I don't know what will happen tomorrow. So, I want to be prepared for the worst-case scenario," you said, expressing your reasons.

"Has something happened?" Rema asked with concern in her voice.

You hesitated for a moment, then replied, "Not really. It's always best to be cautious."

"Y/N," Rema insisted.

"What?" You sighed.

"Come on, don't chew on it; spit it out," Rema urged.

You weighed the pros and cons of telling her for a few moments. You decided that having a witness and her professional advice might be valuable. So, you took out your phone from your pants pocket and opened your SMS window. Then, you opened the message you had received at 5 a.m.:

"You shouldn't have stuck your nose where it didn't belong. Count your days."

Rema's lips pressed into a thin line, and her brows knitted together in concern.

"Have you told anyone about it?" she inquired.

You shook your head, indicating that you hadn't shared the message with anyone else.

"So, what are you going to do? This is serious; it could be counted as a threat," Rema pointed out.

"Well, this is somewhat normal. Remember when there was a lawsuit due to the employee's embezzlement, and I fired them? I used to get texts like that," you recalled.

"Y/N, that time it might have been drunk rambling, but this… this feels kind of serious," Rema replied with a worried look.

You considered her words. "Hmm. I want you to look into this number and find out the person behind it. In the meantime, I want you to help me make a will about everything, from assets to projects."

Rema nodded in understanding but brought up an important issue. "Well, assets, shares, and projects with sole ownership can be taken care of easily. But what about that resort, Oasis? It's a joint project, so we'll need Mr. Jeon's assent as well in the precedence of the will, considering he's the 40% partner as well as your husband. He doesn't have to be present; the presence of his lawyer would be enough."

"I see," you acknowledged

She picked up a cookie, tilted her head in confusion, and looked you up and down.

"Something's different," she noted, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

You furrowed your brows and reached for your tea. "What is?"

"You look different," Rema said with an air of intrigue.

You brought the cup to your lips, taking a sip. "How come?"

"I don't know, your eyes are clearer, your shoulders are straighter, and your skin is also gleaming," she observed.

You smiled against your cup. "I don't know what you mean. I haven't done any treatment since my wedding."

"No, no, this shine, it's… it's like an after-" She stopped mid-sentence and gasped, covering her mouth.

"Oh my!"

"What!?" you questioned.

"You had sex," Rema blurted out.

You choked on your tea and felt the heat rising in your cheeks. A fit of coughs overcame you.

"My goodness, Y/N!! You naughty girl," Rema teased.

You rubbed your chest, trying to calm down. "Ms. Sinha, this type of conversation is not to be initiated in a professional environment."

"Cut the bull, Y/N," she said.

"I am not liable to answer," you replied, the corner of your lips twitching upwards, trying hard to suppress a smile.

"Who was it? Was it good? Well, the way you're glowing, I'm sure it was!"

"I'm not telling you, and since you're so curious, yes to the second one."

"Was it a hookup?" she inquired.

"What? No, it… it wasn't a hookup," you admitted, realizing you weren't even sure what to call it.

"Then who was it?" she gasped again, this time in excitement, and started hitting the couch next to her.

"Oh my, oh my! You slept with your husband," she concluded and doubled over in laughter, still hitting the couch. You were relieved you hadn't chosen to sit next to her.

"So much for 'he's not my type' and 'this is just a paper marriage; it means nothing,'" she chuckled.

There are two ways to deal with a situation where your friend is right about something and you don’t want to admit they are 1. Deny their hunch 2. Remain silent. You chose 2 because your embarrassment was refraining you from speaking. And concentrate on sipping your tea.

As your mind wandered back.

…

The room was bathed in the soft, early morning light. The gentle rays of the sun filtered through the curtains, casting a warm, golden hue on everything they touched. Clothes were scattered haphazardly around the room, a testament to the passionate night of love that had transpired.

The air was filled with the lingering fragrance of your perfume from the night before, blending with the sweet, musky scent of intimacy. Your bed bore the tousled marks of your lovemaking, a testament to the fiery passion that had ignited between you and Wonwoo.

As your eyes fluttered open, you felt a solitary finger tracing a delicate path along the curves of your bare back. You turned to find Wonwoo gazing down at you, his sharp, intelligent eyes softened by the intimate moments you'd shared. He had removed his glasses, allowing you to see the warmth and desire in his gaze. His chin rested casually on his hand as he watched you with a mixture of tenderness and longing.

Wonwoo's voice was husky as he greeted you with a soft "Morning." You reciprocated with a mumbled response, stretching your body languidly. The soreness in your thighs and waist was a pleasant reminder of the intense night of lovemaking.

Curious about the time, you asked, "What time is it?"

"A few minutes to 6," Wonwoo replied as he moved a few stray hairs away from your face.

You contemplated the day ahead, mentioning your 1 o'clock meeting and your need to go, but Wonwoo hushed you with a gentle, "Shh, don't talk about work right now." He leaned down and buried his face in your neck.

Closing your eyes, you enjoyed the feeling of his hair tickling your nose and his breath on your skin. Your fingers started tracing patterns on his defined back, the muscles responding to your touch. You felt a pang of guilt for your actions the night before, but after multiple rounds of passion, you had little control over your desires.

Wonwoo began planting wet, open-mouthed kisses on the curve where your neck met your shoulder, followed by light nips and the warm caress of his tongue.

In your dazed state, you clutched his biceps and quipped, "Wonwoo, how can you still go on? Are you some kind of superhuman? We did it five times yesterday—"

He interrupted, "Five and a half. You fell asleep in the middle of it."

You felt his hips moving against your thigh, and something hot and throbbing brushed against your skin. The memories of the night before flooded back, igniting a familiar fire between you and Wonwoo.

Wonwoo pulled back the sheets that covered you, exposing your skin to the cool morning air, which caused goosebumps to rise across your body. Your hands reached down, and you took hold of his heated member. As your cold hands made contact with his sensitive sex, he released a low moan into your ear.

You began to rub your thumb over the head of his throbbing shaft, gathering the pre-cum that was leaking from the tip. Your fingers moved from the base to the top, using the slick fluid as lubrication. The rhythm of your handpicked up, and Wonwoo ceased his ministrations on your neck, his jaw slack with pleasure. Your other hand moved to his chest, fingers pinching his nipples.

"God, you wanna make me—" he began, but you increased your pace, interrupting him, "you make me wanna murder every bastard who got to experience this with you."

His face hovered over yours, and you could feel his member twitching and his thighs trembling. You leaned up, capturing his lower lip between your teeth, making him release a moan lost in the intoxicating moment.

"If that happens, you'll become a mass murderer," you said, every word dripping with seduction.

His eyes flashed open, hazy and dilated. Wonwoo removed his member from your hand and turned you onto your stomach, positioning himself behind you. He gripped your hips and arched them slightly, pushing your face into the pillow, muffling the sensations you felt as he rubbed between your ass cheeks.

You tried to protest, "Wonwoo, I was—"

But your protest turned into a moan as he entered you in one swift, deep thrust. He held himself up in a cobra-like position and began rutting into you. You were incredibly sensitive, so the penetration felt both intense and pleasurable. He lowered himself on top of your back and whispered, "Looks like your cunt now recognizes me," punctuating his words by dragging his thrusts, pulling almost all the way out before driving back in with force. "Do you feel how you grip me?" he added, his voice filled with desire.

"Yes, yes, yes, please move faster," you begged, your hand moving to grope his butt, emphasizing your plea.

He gave a throaty laugh at your desperation and reached under your pressed body to grab your breast.

"We have been at it since 1 a.m., yet you just can't get your fill, huh?"

"Says the guy who can't keep his hands to himself ever since."

He grabbed a hold of your hair and tugged it.

"Nnghh," you moaned as he turned your face.

His hips picked up a feverish pace, and your voice grew louder. He covered your mouth with his, muffling your voice with his as your passion continued to build.

"What am I going to do with this mouth of yours," he muttered, his breath heavy. He found himself coming undone. "Fucking… fuck," he grunted against your lips. "Fuck, baby, please tell me you're close."

You were nearing your peak, and in response, you tapped the sheets next to you. Wonwoo grabbed your hands and interlaced his fingers with yours, feeling the unforgiving, delicious grip as he spilled inside of you. Ever since you told him that you had an IUD inserted, he couldn't help but finish inside of you. You were both too lost in ecstasy to care, and you buried your face in the pillow, your muffled moans of pleasure escaping into the fabric.

Those poor maids passing outside the room had likely heard your passionate encounter. Wonwoo convulsed with pleasure until his strength left him, and he dropped his sweaty body onto your back. His weight was crushing, and after a few breaths, he withdrew his now flaccid and sensitive member, the remnants of your pleasure and his spent essence spilling out of you. He flopped onto his back, catching his breath as he ran a hand over his hair and head.

"That was…" he looked at the ceiling, "amazing," he breathed out and laughed. Coming to a sitting position, he looked at you. Your chest bore the marks of his passion, with his fingerprints visible on your waist and your behind. You lay there with your eyes closed, your hands resting on either side of your body, savoring the afterglow

"Ya, you're not touching me for at least a week," you announced in the room.

"So, we're doing this again?" He teased.

"You want this to be a one-night thing?" You opened your eyes to look at him. "Fine, I guess." You rose up and reached for the shirt near the bedside.

He got up from the bed and handed you his shirt. "Did you like trampolines when you were young?"

You looked at him, confused as you started buttoning up his shirt. "Ya, why?"

He sat down next to you and put on the glasses he had thrown there the night before. "No wonder why you like jumping to conclusions so much."

He smiled at your glare and reached to ruffle your hair, then leaned down to plant a soft kiss on your cheek. "Let's talk about this at home. You can sleep a little more if you want. I'll wake you up when it's time."

His fingers traced the marks he left on your neck and the visible cleavage.

"Too much time here," he said, tapping your forehead. "Takes away your time here," he pointed to the ground, signifying your present moment, your reality.

"Understand," and all of a sudden, he gave a playful smack on your sex, making you jolt and yelp. You hit his chest.

"WonWoo!!"

He laughed and started making his way towards the bathroom.

"Asshole," you muttered and went back to sleep. 'Ahh, how will I walk now?' you wondered as you shut your eyes.

True to his words, he woke you up an hour and a half later. As you dressed up in the bathroom, there was a knock on the door.

"Just a minute," you called out.

"Babygirl, would you like to have breakfast in the room or downstairs?" Wonwoo asked.

You were a bit surprised. "Emm, do we need to have breakfast?"

"Yes, y/n, we need to have breakfast. How can you not be hungry with all the activities—"

"Fine, okay, downstairs, please," you cut him off.

You gave one final look around the room. It certainly looked a bit disheveled. "Can you send someone to pack our bags and tell my parents we'll be joining them shortly? Also, check if Noel is up. If he's not, ask Cecilia to get him ready."

The maid nodded at his words and rushed out of the room. As you were busy packing your laptop and jewelry in your bag, Wonwoo reassured you, saying, "Don't worry, they'll take care of it."

"Still," you replied.

"Come on, y/n."

You took your handbag and followed him out of the room.

The dining room was grand and stately, reflecting the opulence of the mansion. It was illuminated by a crystal chandelier hanging from the high ceiling, casting a warm and soft glow over the long, polished wooden table. The table was adorned with white, pristine tablecloths and fine china. The chairs were upholstered in rich velvet, adding to the regal atmosphere of the room. A large, ornate mirror adorned one wall, reflecting the room's elegance.

At the breakfast table, there was your parents-in-law and Judge Haeri.

You had trouble walking, but you'd like to think you masked it quite well. However, you noticed your mother-in-law and Jungkook's mother sharing a knowing smile. You decided to concentrate on the food.

"Good morning," you greeted the table.

"Morning," they replied. Your father-in-law gave a nod of acknowledgment and returned to his newspaper.

"Did you sleep well, y/n?" Judge Haeri teased.

You saw both mother and son avoiding eye contact and suppressing smiles. From under the table, you subtly stomped on Wonwoo's foot.

"Ouch," he said out loud.

"What's wrong?" his mother asked, concerned. "Oh, just almost spilled the tea, no worries," he quickly replied.

"Yes, and what about you, Aunt?" you inquired.

"Slept like a rock," Judge Haeri answered with a smile.

You reached for the orange juice and a slice of toast, and Wonwoo quietly placed an omelet on your plate, mouthing 'eat.'

"Where are the others?" you asked.

"Sleeping. It would be a world record if Jaehyun wakes up before 10," Judge Haeri said with a chuckle.

"He still does that?" your father-in-law remarked, turning to the next page of the newspaper.

Judge Haeri shrugged, "I've stopped trying to change that habit after Jungkook. No use."

The conversation continued with everyone concentrating on breakfast. Wonwoo chatted with his mother and aunt while his father contributed a few remarks when his wife chided him.

"Yeobo, how many times do I have to tell you not to read at the table?"

Just then, a dressed-up Noel, still half-asleep, walked into the room.

Noel climbed onto your lap and gave you a sleepy grin. "Tante," he mumbled, his eyes half-closed.

"Aw, my baby is tired," you cooed, ruffling his hair. You turned gesturing to everyone present in the room. "Noel, say good morning."

"Good morning," he yawned, and you quickly covered his mouth with your hand, amused by his sleepiness.

Their eyes were filled with love at his cuteness. Your father-in-law put aside his newspaper and they all smiled in reply to his greeting.

"Come here to Grandpa, Noel," your father-in-law called, and you kissed Noel's forehead. He hopped down from your lap and did his penguin walk to the head of the table. Your father-in-law picked him up and asked, "How was your sleepover? Was it fun?"

Noel nodded his head against his chest. "Yes, we watched Hercules and then played with cars. Somi even—," he yawned, and the older women were awestruck again, "then we jumped on the bed, but we stopped because Aunty told us it's not good to jump; someone can get hurt." He rambled sleepily, and you and Wonwoo exchanged amused looks as he sipped his tea. "Then we played a pillow fight and then fell asleep. Aunty put us to bed."

"Oh my, our Noel did so much! He must be tired," your mother-in-law cooed. "What would you like to eat?"

"Noel's face lit up. "Nutella bread."

Your father-in-law gestured to the maid to bring Nutella bread. As she left, you chided him, "Chocolate first thing in the morning?"

"But I wanna have it," he whined.

"Still—"

Your father-in-law interjected, "Let the child have what he wants."

You looked at him and then at Wonwoo, and after a moment's consideration, you agreed. "Fine, but have some water and fruit first."

He began pouting, but Wonwoo gently said, "Listen to your Tante, Noel."

Your father-in-law pushed a plate of fruit in front of Noel and softly asked, "What would you like first apple or banana?" He picked up a fork to feed himself.

You and Judge Haeri shared a smile before returning to your breakfast.

As you sat in the car, Noel now fully awake and engrossed in his tablet, you bid your parents-in-law and Judge Haeri goodbye. You kissed their cheeks, promising Noel would visit them soon.

When you tried to sit in the driver's seat, Wonwoo gripped your hand, his face slightly pale. "Please, Y/N, I insist."

You nodded and settled into the passenger seat. The drive was mostly silent. Noel was busy doing his online assessment homework, and you replied to Victor's email with the shortlist of representatives who would take over the legal matters of the Switzerland branch.

you felt a sudden, chilling sensation upon receiving as you opened an unread text from a private number. The feeling of fear, dread, and confusion washed over. It was like an electric shock running down your spine, making you turn your attention to the rearview mirrors, checking if there was anyone following your car. Then, you turned to look at Noel, who was still absorbed in his homework.

"Are you okay?" Wonwoo's voice was laced with concern.

You took a shaky breath and tried to steady yourself. "No, nothing."

"Are you sure?" Wonwoo's eyes flickered to you for a moment, then back to the road.

As the car passed through the scenic greenery, Wonwoo's voice broke through your tense thoughts, "You look like someone's chasing you."

You swallowed hard and glanced at him, "Are you feeling car sick? Do you want me to pull over?"

You leaned back in your seat, the picturesque landscape trying to offer solace, "No, it's fine. Just drive; I don't want to be late."

He persisted, his voice laced with concern, "You know you can tell me if something's wrong."

You responded with a non-committal hum, your fingers typing a message to Rema.

| Meet me in the office. In court atm | | It’s alright, just meet me when you get the time. But today itself! Ok, g2g, his lordship is here 🙇‍♂️|

You locked your phone and kept it inside your bag. There was no use overreacting; this wasn't the first time. Instead, you began making a mental checklist of all the things that needed to be done. As you contemplated your tasks, you felt a comforting hand on your thigh. You turned and looked at Wonwoo, even though his focus remained on the road. You simply rested your hand on top of his as the cityscape unfolded around you.

"Hey, Wonwoo, can I ask you something if you don't mind?" you inquired.

"Sure, anything," he replied.

"When you were young, did your grandparents give in to all your whims and demands and make your parents do the same?" you asked.

Wonwoo thought for a moment before responding, "Well, my parents were usually busy working, so my grandparents raised me. My grandma used to spoil me, but my grandpa made me work for it."

"Ah, I see," you replied, keeping your true thoughts hidden.

"Is this about what happened at the breakfast table today?" he asked.

You remained silent, but Wonwoo seemed to understand your silence.

"Y/N, they feel guilty about the time they couldn't spend with me when I was little. That's why they might be projecting it onto Noel, or if we have our own kids, onto them," he explained, his voice heavy with the weight of family expectations. "That's why they were so worked up when they thought Noel would be all we have."

You leaned over to check on Noel, who was sleeping peacefully in the backseat. "So they're holding onto hope for us to have kids of our own?"

Wonwoo sighed, his grip on the steering wheel tightening. "I just told them that to buy some time and understanding, you know."

Fearing your conversation might wake Noel, you suggested, "Let's talk about this later." With that, you withdrew your hand from on top of his, allowing the two of you to continue your drive in silence.

Half an hour later, Wonwoo stopped in front of your office building just as you were about to exit. He said, "Aren't you forgetting something?" You turned back and took the laptop bag from the back seat.

"Are you sure you're not forgetting something else as well?" he teased.

You let out a sigh, then leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek, near his lips. You weren't exactly thrilled with him at the moment. He smiled and said, "Thank you for the kiss, but I meant your handbag."

You looked down and picked up your handbag from where it was by your feet. Noel started giggling in the back seat, and Wonwoo just laughed.

"You're unbelievable," you grumbled as you slammed the car door. You waved goodbye to Noel and gave him a flying kiss. He leaned against the steering wheel, waving back at you. You just gave him a glare before turning and walking inside the office building.

"Noel," Wonwoo said as they drove away.

"Yes, Dad?"

"Isn't your Tante cute?"

Noel thought for a moment and replied, "I think Tante is very pretty."

Wonwoo chuckled and said, "Well, there's no doubt about that."

As they both drove away, Wonwoo dropped Noel at home, changed his clothes, and then headed to the office. … "Ok, earth to Y/N," Rema snapped her fingers. "Come back, we were discussing something important here."

You shook your head slightly, refocusing on the conversation. "Yes, fine. I'll meet you by the end of the week with a rough draft. Please ask your asset manager to contact me. What are you going to do about Noel's custody?"

Rema leaned in attentively. "About that, listen carefully," you began.

Part 2

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ritchiepage2001newaccount · 2 months

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Isis claims its fighters managed to free more detainees under Kurdish control in Syria…

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FURTHER READING:

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sinvulkt · 1 year

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Angstpril: 5. CRISIS (Tooka)

@whumpril - Alt 10 - Search and Rescue

There was a tooka in the Gruyère. A brown, scarred-filled tooka with bright blue eyes. Its presence rang familiar in the Force, but it was so muted I couldn’t trace it. I tilted my eyes, squatting down to be at the feline eye-level.

“Hello there.”

It stepped toward me. I froze, confused. It was unusual for wild animal to be so unafraid in my presence. I was loud, forceful and bright in the Force. To most non-sentient life, I stank of threat, and they were all too empressed to scatter away. To most, but not to that one.

I observed the feline. It was well groomed and fed despite the apparent scars. I would have thought it to be one of the clones pet, where it its the total absence of marking. No collar sat on the tooka neck, and the fur was unmatted in a way that told there had never been one. No object or tattoo marking the animal as part of the vod colored the brown fur either. It was likely wild.

It stopped at my feet, mewing.

"Now, who might you be?"

I held a hand towards the strangely friendly tooka, trying to pet it. The next moment, a sharp pain pierced my hand. I retracted it, wincing at the scratch the skin now sported. “Ouch,” I glared at it. It didn’t even seem sorry for hurting me. It just circled me, relentlessly meowing and growling, its fur bristled all over. It was so calm a minute ago, what made it so angry now?

“Well. I guess it means we won’t be friends,” I sighed.

Not that I wasn’t used to animals attacking me after I cornered them. But it seemed like even the most friendly of tookas disliked my presence. I turned to leave, knowing crowding it more wouldn’t help. Hopefully, a clone would soon pass by this wall and notice it. They’d be more suitable to take care of the feline.

A few steps later, the feeling of someone following me bristled my feathers, and I glanced behind, curious. The tooka stared back, its gaze much calmer than before.

I stopped. It stopped.

I scowled at the blue eyed creature.

“You should decide. Are you friendly, or not?”

It meowed, as if answering my question, but didn’t otherwise move.

“I don’t speak cat,” I sighed. When I spun towards the next hall, it tensed, ready to follow again. Well if the tooka wanted to come… who was I to deny it? I took a few more steps, waiting for it to follow again, before doing a backward salto.

I landed with my hands on it, catching it by surprise. It tried to claw and bite at first, but soon calmed down when I kept my hold tight, stopping its escape. I stood back up, and it hauntingly settled in my arms.

“Now, there.” I looked at the ungrateful feline responsible for the aching pulse now irritating my arms. “Just bite if it gets uncomfortable, I guess.”

I spread my wings and took off with a jump.

The halls in this part of the ship were extremely wide- wide enough I could fly in them. It was far from standard: I had visited other battalion ships, and their halls were mostly narrow, prioritising the save of space. Every time I accused Aheka of having specially ordered this wide architecture so I could fly in-ship however, she denied it.

The truth was, I would have never been able to bear the long hours spent in hyperspace had I not have this space to stretch my wings. I looked at the tooka. Once again, I was overwhelmed by how familiar its presence was. Had we met before? But I would have remembered such a friendly feline.

Perhaps I had dream-traveled in its mind in the past.

Or perhaps its color reminded me so much of Rema I simply associated it too much with my Flock-sister.

“You look just like someone I know,” I told the tooka, petting the soft fur. It mewed in protest, sharp fangs flashing in the artificial light. “Just as grumpy too,” I chuckled.

I soon arrived in front of Rema’s room. She had closed herself in it a few hours ago, after declaring she wanted to work on the last Sith Artifact we found, away from dangerous grabby hands. Honestly, I had accidentally triggered the artifact one time. In the last month. But still!

The door was left jarred open. I frowned. Had she left?

“Rema?” I called. The tooka in my arm mewed, but otherwise no one answered. I cautiously entered. Was she taking a nap?

“Rema?” I called again louder, this time. "I want to show you something!"

Not a peep echoed. Not even the feline in my arms answered this time, opting to stare at me as if I was the dumb one. I glared back at it. I wasn’t the one who got lost in a ship traveling in hyperspace.

I stepped in. A soft light filled the room, the artificial sunlight having been left on. The desk was in disarray, papers scattered all over. A shudder shook my spine. It was as if Rema had vanished.

The tooka took advantage of my relaxed hold and graciously jumped onto the desk.

“Oh no you don’t,” I warned.

I scrambled after it, wincing when one of my wings knocked a finely structured stone out of its shelf. “Rema is going to kill me…” I mumbled.

I caught the tooka just as it reached a pen left behind on some important report. A few more papers flew away from the desk as the tooka struggled. Hopefully they weren’t the very very important ones, I thought as one was almost ripped in two by the sharp claws. Worse case, I reasoned, I could always claim without lying I wasn’t the culprit. The tooka did it, I told my scowling inner-Rema.

A few more struggles later, I finally succeeded in lifting the reluctant feline from the desk. I sported surprisingly few injuries, for the true damage I knew the sharp fangs and claws could do. It hissed at me as I left the room.

I ignored it, keeping a tight hold on it so it wouldn’t escape. The cat didn’t know what it risked. I was saving both of our lives.from a very angry clone.

“We disturbed Rema’s room enough for today,” I told it. “Let’s go.”

I hadn’t expected it to understand me, and was just hoping my voice would sooth it, but it calmed down and settled back against my chest. A fond smile curled my lips upward. Pat would have to be cautious if he didn't want his ‘cutest member of the Milk Battalion’ title to get stolen.

I was wandering in the halls, wondering what to do with the grumpy feline in my arms, when a bunch of fiery fur caught my eyes. Speak of the devil… I sped up.

"Pat! Look what I found!"

I held out my arms, wings excitedly spread, only to notice my hands were empty. When did the tooka slither off?

“You found… air?” Pat said confused.

“No, a tooka,” I answered, looking around for a spot of chestnut fur. “A brown, blue eyed tooka.” Sadly, the only feline in sight was my Padawan. I turned back towards him. “You wouldn’t have seen it per chance?”

"No…” Pat's eyes suddenly went wide. “Master… is there a wild tooka loose in the ship right now?"

“Maybe?”

“Master—”

“It’s fine~" I sing-songed. Allegedly, Pat’s fear was valid: last time I brought an animal onboard, the damage had been such we ended up stuck on planet for two weeks. How could I have known the big pterodactyl would take offense from the lights in the engine room? I wasn’t a brezak tamer.

"I’m calling Blue Milk," Pat deadpanned.

It would be fine… probably. There was already a tooka loose on the ship before I found it anyway. Plus, I still needed to check about Rema’s disappearance. Which meant I was very occupied, and couldn’t hear anyone’s lecturing. Beside for once, I hadn’t been the one to bring the tooka in the ship.

And perhaps tell someone Rema was gone. One day.

I left Pat chatting with Blue Milk, confirming my very busy schedule.

#angstpril2023 #starwars #fanfiction #day5 #crisis #whumpril2023 #whumprilalt10 #alt10 #search and rescue #star wars #fanfic #star wars fanfiction #sinvulkt fics #the amazing adventures of excentrics jedi #taaoej

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YEAR IN REVIEW

The 100 Best Songs of 2022

Bad Bunny, Beyoncé, Steve Lacy, Pharrell, and Quavo and Takeoff were just some of the artists whose songs this year we won't forget

BY ROLLING STONE

DECEMBER 5, 2022

WHAT MADE A great song in 2022? Was it an irresistible beat and a sense of humor? An introspective, bittersweet dream? An absolute dance floor banger? Was it lo-fi, high-res, loud, soft, twangy, poppy, sleek, distorted, hugely anthemic, or perfectly tiny? The answer was yes — all that and more. Or maybe it was a song that imperiously declared any and all doubters to be a bunch of munches. You’ll have to listen to all 100 songs here to be sure.

Find this playlist on Spotify.

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Bad Bunny feat. Bomba Estereo, ‘Ojitos Lindos’

KEVIN WINTER/GETTY IMAGES

Calling Bad Bunny unpredictable is starting to feel like a cliché, but his collaboration with the Colombian electro-fusion band Bomba Estéreo was a genuine surprise — and a standout on Un Verano Sin Ti that netted him a Record of the Year nomination at the 23rd annual Latin Grammys. Produced by Tainy, the track marries the best of Bad Bunny’s laidback baritone with Li Saumet’s spunky delivery for one of summer’s most wistful tracks. Saumet told Rolling Stone that her verses came to her instantly, a process she described as “very magical.” “That’s how things come together when they come from a real place,” she added. — J.L.

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Sky Ferreira, ‘Don’t Forget’

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Pop disruptor Sky Ferreira’s first single since 2019’s chaotic “Downhill Lullaby” is a colossal synth-pop anthem with a vengeful streak — “I won’t forget, I don’t forgive,” she wails on the chorus. Ferreira’s petulant alto is made for sentiments like the rancor and anger that animate “Don’t Forget”; when swirled into the echoing synth strings and overdriven guitars, it sounds even more menacing. Ferreira’s second full-length, Masochism, has been on the verge of coming out for about seven years, but if “Don’t Forget” is any indication, its eventual arrival will be a gift to the patient. — M.J.

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Rema, ‘Calm Down’

REMA/YOUTUBE

Rema likes to call his spin on the Afrobeats sound “Afro-rave.” Is it much different than regular Afrobeats? Not a ton. Is it sublimely lovely all the same? Yes it is. Rema is the kind of singer who savors simple pop pleasures; the gently rolling “Calm Down” is literally about trying say hello to a girl who’s mellow and dressed in yellow, with a track that’s appropriately warm, bright, and captivating. The big-eyed wonder in Rema’s voice makes it sound like he’s the first guy ever to behold the majesty of girls or colors. — J.D.

Gunna, ‘Banking on Me’

WILL HEATH/NBC/NBCU PHOTO BANK/ GETTY IMAGES

So much of the polarizing discussion about the state of R&B hinges on the way that artists have fused the music with hip-hop — a style popularized by many others, and now embodied like no one else by Gunna. Over tender Metro Boomin production, he croons to his fantasy girl, telling her exactly why she’s his type. “Know you fuckin’ a man that’s made, hey/Keep it low-key, she ain’t after fame,” he sings on his straightforward love note. Instead of leaning on a Nineties R&B sample, he channels that energy in his own manner, stretching out over an unconventionally lengthy three-plus minutes. Released on Valentine’s Day, it’s a song that displays Gunna doing what he does best over the kind of production that allows him to do so. — A.G.

King Von and 21 Savage, ‘Don’t Play That’

KING VON/YOUTUBE

King Von’s “Don’t Play That” starts by letting the beat run for eight bars. The Kid Hazel-produced track employs the kind of electro-pop loop an indie act might license for a car commercial. But then Von subverts the mood with his characteristic menace, matter-of-factly rhyming, “I did a drill with a face mask/I wash my hand with the Ajax.” The late Chicago rhymer delves into a gritty, braggadocious verse, and 21 Savage follows up with the same. Von was known for rhyming over sinister, high-octane production, but “Don’t Play That” shows what he could do over a more palatable soundscape. His effortless delivery radiates the vibe of a burgeoning master of his craft. It’s tragic that “Don’t Play That” instead became the lead single for a posthumous album from an artist slain before his time. — A.G.

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Marshmello and Tokischa, ‘Estilazo’

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Tokischa has a rare gift for provocation that’s yielded some of the most exhilaratingly unfiltered music on the planet, along with some of the worst tweets this side of the guy who made The College Dropout. On her single with the boldly behatted DJ/producer Marshmello, she pulls off one of her most stunning coups: taking a mainstream EDM beat as big and empty as they come and making it thoroughly, distinctly her own. Boasting about sex, drugs, and other pastimes over a high-gloss house vamp, she vividly renews the commitment to hedonism that underlies all great dance music. If she can make Marshmello cool, what can’t she do? — S.V.L.

Kaitlin Butts, ‘What Else Can She Do’

We’re all familiar with the sad country song about a woman stuck in a one-horse town, slinging hash in some roadside dump as she dreams of a big, wide world she’ll probably never touch. Oklahoma singer-songwriter Kaitlin Butts gives us something different; in her devastatingly sung version, the woman makes it out of Nowhereville but washes out because, “Her small-town pretty didn’t play in the city too well.” Too proud to go back home, she throws on her apron and heads out for another 12-hour shift pouring coffee for strangers. The result is a perfect shot of Red Dirt naturalism — Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie by way of Kacey Musgraves’ Same Trailer, Different Park — and proof that Butts is herself deserving of much bigger things. — J.D.

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Pheelz and BNXN, ‘Finesse’

PHEELZ/YOUTUBE

This was the year of stacked vocals in Afropop, in which tracks like Wizkid’s “Bad to Me” and Burna Boy’s “It’s Plenty” featured what sounded like a mass of mighty but whimsical singers. Pheelz and Bnxn’s “Finesse” came earlier, though, and used the trick to delightful effect on its carefree hook, in which the Nigerian artists throw caution and money to the wind. In March, it was one of the most Shazamed songs in the world, and deservedly so. — M.C.

Lizzo, ‘About Damn Time’

KEVIN WINTER/GETTY IMAGES

“I write songs about feeling confident!” Lizzo proclaimed in a Saturday Night Live sketch last April, about the time this bumping disco strut debuted. The bit was a joke, but that line wasn’t, and “About Damn Time” is the best proof possible. Lizzo has never sounded so effortlessly celebratory, and the easy groove, which samples the World’s Famous Supreme Team’s early-Eighties bubblegum jam “Hey D.J.,” fits her like a pair of faux-snakeskin boots. No wonder — co-producer Ricky Reed’s endlessly uncoiling bass line delivers a good time all by itself. — M.M.

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GloRilla feat. Cardi B, ‘Tomorrow 2’

GLORILLA/YOUTUBE

GloRilla’s come up has been one of the joys of 2022, recently culminating in her breakout hit “F.N.F (Let’s Go)” earning a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Performance. It’s a particularly appropriate category for GloRilla, as part of the magic of her tracks is her raw delivery. The visceral umph that punctuates her bars on “Tomorrow 2” could make you twist your face into a grimace. Then, the gleeful venom of Cardi B’s uber-quotable verse could make you laugh in disbelief. “Long ass weave, it be ticklin’ my ass crack/Wonder what I’ll do tomorrow that these hoes will be mad at,” is one of many Cardi couplets that make her so loveable.–M.C.

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FKA Twigs feat. Shygirl, ‘Papi Bones’

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FKA Twigs is as celebrated for her dancing as she is for her avant-garde, experimental R&B, but it wasn’t until this year’s Caprisongs that she focused on making sweaty, beat-driven songs meant for everybody to dance to. “Papi Bones” taps into the star’s Jamaican heritage and features an excellent cameo from British DJ and artist Shygirl. The result is a sexy and fun anthem for all the “champagne bubble girls” and a perfect step forward for Twigs. “I grew up listening to Afrobeats on pirate radio stations, or when I was a teenager, at Notting Hill Carnival,” she said earlier this year. “So I really wanted to show that side of myself, and connect with who I was when I was around 16 or 17 and started seeking out music and clubs and people that represented my heritage.” — B.S.

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Smino feat. J. Cole, ‘90 Proof’

SMINO/YOUTUBE

Smino and J. Cole share a penchant for unearthing the intertwined roots of hip-hop and the blues with tender melodies and concerns — and that’s why they made such an excellent duo when they reconnected for “90 Proof.” Romantic love is Smino’s central meditation on the track, backed by warm guitar and crisp drums; the kind of love that stretches and molds you into something different, maybe better. Through most of his quick but hefty verse, Cole’s cautious gloating deviates from Smino’s thematic path, but the Dreamville head takes melodic cues from the St. Louis rapper’s template. It’s some of both of their best work this year. — M.C

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Seventeen, ‘Hot’

HYPE LABELS/YOUTUBE

Seventeen’s popularity grew exponentiallythis year following the release of their fourth studio album, Face the Sun. The 13-member South Korean group known for self-producing, both in songwriting and choreographing, filled the album with hits like “Cheers” and “Darling,” but “Hot,” the lead single, towers above them all. You can’t help but to “drop it like hot, hot, hot” when you hear the Wild West-inspired guitar strum that kicks off the track. — K.K.

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Wizkid, ‘Bad to Me’

WIZKID/YOUTUBE

Wizkid’s tour-de-force couple of years celebrating the success of Made in Lagos and its hit single “Essence” could have made for a tough act to follow, but the Nigerian superstar took on his follow-up in stride. “Bad to Me” was the lead single off his latest album More Love, Less Ego, and it further solidifies him as the type of genre-unifying pop superstar music very much needs. The slick tune is an infectious, fun victory lap for the star — don’t be surprised if it’s heating up everyone all winter long. — B.S.

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Alex G, ‘Runner’

ALEX G/YOUTUBE

One of the year’s most memorable indie songs, and an instant standout from Alex Giannascoli’s God Save the Animals, “Runner” contains lines both pure of heart (“I like people who I can open up to/Who don’t judge for what I say, but judge me for what I do”) and utterly dark (“What’s a couple grand rolled up in your pocket?/I won’t tell nobody, baby you don’t tell nobody”). Giannascoli plays every instrument on the song — including synthesizer and drums — to create a blissful, free-wheeling rocker with comforting echoes of Tom Petty. Need proof? Listen to the chorus of “Louisiana Rain” right after “Runner,” and you’ll see what we mean. — A.M.

Blackpink, “Pink Venom”

BLACKPINK/YOUTUBE

When Rosé yells, “I’m so rock & roll!,” believe the woman. Blackpink kick down the door in their summer hit “Pink Venom,” an unbelievably fun raising-hell anthem full of Eighties hair-metal glam. Even the song title sounds like the name of a tribute band playing Poison and Def Leppard covers at the sleaziest bar in town. The Blackpink queens warn you not to mess with them, because you can’t handle their “Pink Venom,” boasting in Korean and English. It peaks as Rosé sneers, “Look what you made us do,” proving that bad blood is a universal language. — R.S.

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Ozzy Osbourne, ‘No Escape From Now’

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More than half a century has passed since Black Sabbath invented heavy metal as we know it, but on “No Escape From Now,” a track off Ozzy Osbourne‘s Patient Number 9 album, he and his Sabbath bandmate, guitarist Tony Iommi, have rooted themselves in the present. “Gone are the yesterdays,” Osbourne keens over Iommi’s brooding riffs, “Tomorrow’s getting cold … There’s no escape from now.” As on the best Sabbath epics (and this song stretches nearly seven minutes), the pair find a syrupy groove that evokes several grim moods, from the dark to the really dark, with help from Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and producer-bassist Andrew Watt. It’s only a partial Sabbath reunion, but it lives up to the legacy of the Iron Men. — K.G.

Karol G and Becky G, ‘Mamiii’

KEVIN MAZUR/GETTY IMAGES

A meeting of two goddesses: the Colombian pop/reggaeton queen Karol G and the L.A. pop singer Becky G. They’re not exactly in a forgiving mood. In “Mamiii,” they drag their no-good exes for one of the year’s fiercest and funniest break-up songs, choosing violence in every possible way over a lilting guitar. The stars destroy any two-legged rat of a man who ever did them wrong, and if he wants to get back in touch, he should call “1-800-jódete.” (In other words, “fuck off.”) It’s a tribute to sisterhood as well as rage, proving that both of these Gs know how to twist the knife. — R.S.

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Jelly Roll, “Son of a Sinner”

JELLY ROLL/YOUTUBE

A longtime fixture of Nashville’s rap underground, Jelly Roll made a turn toward country with his latest project and revealed himself to be a great singer with a raspy tenor. Born Jason DeFord, Jelly Roll sings believably and candidly about his struggles with addiction in “Son of a Sinner,” trying to feel OK about being “somewhere in the middle” and “just a little right and wrong” instead of always squeaky-clean. It was a story of personal struggle without a tidy ending, but it turned out to be one that a lot of people understood very well. — J.F.

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Oxlade, ‘Ku Lo Sa — A Colors Show’

URIVALDO LOPES*

When Asake — the Nigerian street-pop star whose debut album seemed to have generated the biggest buzz of the year — told his friend and peer Oxlade that he had a hit on his hands in “Ku Lo Sa,” the singer was skeptical. Asake was one of the first people to hear the song that would soon go global, and knew its tender pleas, pointed hook, and delicate rhythm were irresistible. “He was like ‘Yo, the song is going to go crazy,’” Oxlade told Rolling Stone. “‘I was like, ‘Ehh, every song, everybody says it’s going to go crazy.’” Over 150 million streams later, it looks like Asake was right. — M.C.

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Earl Sweatshirt, ‘2010’

EARL SWEATSHIRT/YOUTUBE

“I’ma need a bigger bag for the cohort,” begins Earl Sweatshirt on “2010.” The former Odd Future rapper has evolved into one of the genre’s great abstract artists, depicting his all-too-public life in poetic yet incisive terms. Over a tickling keyboard beat from Black Noi$e that sounds like a light sprinkling rain, Earl remembers a youth spent with his mother “rockin’ Liz Claiborne” and recaps a journey of “triumph over plight and immense loss.” The wordplay may not be easy to decode. But the imagery he conjures, thanks to lines like “rainy day came, couldn’t rinse the stains off,” will resonate with anyone. — M.R.

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Omar Apollo, ‘Evergreen’

CHRISTINA HOUSE/LOS ANGELES TIMES/GETTY IMAGES

Love triangles are brutal; being the side that’s cast out when the two others form a line is pure agony. That’s the cruelty that Omar Apollo excavates on “Evergreen,” as teardrop guitar licks spill against the soft edges of his falsetto. Apollo packs it all in there — anger, anguish, self-loathing, doubt — but still builds to a bridge bursting with defiant confidence: “You know you really made me hate myself/Had to stop before I break myself/Shoulda broke it off to date myself.” Apollo has always excelled at these kinds of songs, and it’s thrilling that such a superb display of his skills has finally scored him a well-deserved place on the charts and the broader pop ecosystem. — J. Blistein

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Muna, ‘Home By Now’

CHELSEA GUGLIELMINO/FILMMAGIC

Muna have a reputation for not giving a fuck. But “Home By Now,” the highlight of their self-titled album, is a surprising pop lament placed amid brash confessionals. The narrator of this song is unsteady on their feet, but they’re not so much desperate for a doomed relationship, as they are reaching for the feeling of shelter, a place to rest. The song acts as a much-needed momentary retrospective in an otherwise future-forward album, and it adds to the queer themes richly embedded in Muna’s work. “Home By Now” is reminiscent. It’s longing. It’s the feeling of driving in a tunnel with the windows down— recalled long after the car is parked. — C.T.J.

Asake feat. Burna Boy, ‘Sungba (Remix)’

ASAKE/YOUTUBE

It’s a little wild to think that Asake’s current reign as Nigerian pop’s streaming record-breaker only began this year. Within one month of the release of “Sungba,” from his debut EP, a remix and video with Burna Boy made the already-formidable track a powerhouse — Burna even performed it solo at his history-making Madison Square Garden show, sending the audience into an uproar. An electric meeting of the South African house sound amapiano and Nigerian flows, the “Sungba” remix demonstrated the strength of Asake’s sound, and he hasn’t let up since. — M.C.

Midland, ‘The Last Resort’

MIDLAND/YOUTUBE

Move over the Eagles’ “The Last Resort,” there’s a new “The Last Resort” in town. This great Midland song is more proof that Nashville has become America’s leading soft-rock exporter (c’mon, L.A., this is supposed to be your thing). It’s top-shelf Buffett-core, a smooth, heartbroken ballad from the saddest bar on the beach, with steel guitars coming down like a tequila sunset. Midland sing about going down the coast, chasing a case of the blues as big as the ocean, and it goes down so well because, deep down, the dude in this song isn’t some self-pitying bum — dude knows, it’s his own damn fault. — J.D.

Sam Smith and Kim Petras, ‘Unholy’

SAM SMITH/YOUTUBE

If Sam Smith planned to come back with a bang after their 2020 LP Love Goes, “Unholy” proved to be the perfect song with which to do so with. Accompanied by the sass of trans pop star Kim Petras, Smith “threw out the rule book” and stepped away from his signature ballad sound to create a catchy, dirty song about a “daddy getting hot at the body shop” behind mummy’s back. The sexy banger quickly skyrocketed on the charts, making Petras and Smith the first trans and nonbinary artists to reach Number One on the Billboard Hot 100.–T.M.

NewJeans, ‘Hype Boy’

HYPE LABLES/YOUTUBE

With its addictive choreography and catchy chorus — “‘Cause I know what you like, boy/You’re my chemical, hype boy” — this was a standout from NewJeans’ hit-filled first EP. “Hype Boy” lets each member’s voice really shine through, and Hanni notably contributed to the cute lyrics that encapsulate young love (“got me chasing a daydream”). NewJeans’ peers and seniors in the K-pop industry, like Stray Kids, StayC, Twice, and even JYP are still covering the “Hype Boy” dance at events and concerts. RM of BTS was also recently captured singing and dancing along to a recent performance. It’s the kind of phenomenon that makes it clear NewJeans have hit on something special. — K.K.

Carly Rae Jepsen & Rufus Wainwright, ‘The Loneliest Time’

CARLY RAE JEPSEN/YOUTUBE

Carly Rae Jepsen always knows how to find the emotional core of any glossy pop confection, and her wonderful team-up with Rufus Wainwright ranks right up there with her finest moments. “The Loneliest Time” is a classic disco duet about two old lovers breaking free from a breakup of Shakespearean proportions to get right back where they started from, with Rufus and Carly sharing a chemistry on the level of Stevie Nicks and Kenny Loggins in “Whenever I Call You ‘Friend’,” which is to say, as sweet as it gets. — J.D.

Villano Antillano, ‘BZRP Music Sessions #51’

It seems like it would be massively intimidating to stack up to the talent that Bizarrap, the rising Argentine producer, regularly features on his ultra-popular BZRP Music Sessions — but the Puerto Rican rapper Villano Antillano barely batted an eye when she took the mic for a knockout video that blew away the Internet (155 million YouTube views and counting). Antillano, who has broken barriers as a trans woman in pop, storms onto the song with a barrage of flexes and double-entendres, wiping the floor with her haters. All hell really breaks loose once Bizarrap accelerates the beat: Antillano whips out a black handheld fan, waving it triumphantly with each explosive bar. — J.L.

Zach Bryan, ‘Something in the Orange’

MICKEY BERNAL/GETTY IMAGES

The breakthrough single from Oklahoma-raised singer-songwriter Zach Bryan is a bare-bones showcase for his weathered wail and painfully precise descriptions of how heartbreak can ravage the mind. Accompanied by a ghostly slide guitar and his own strumming, Bryan pours out his heart to a straying lover, with the encroaching dusk — the “orange” that bleeds into all of Bryan’s imagery — serving as a harbinger for a long, lonely night of solitude. Bryan’s lament smolders with regret and anger, threatening to burst into flame at any moment. — M.J.

Noah Cyrus, ‘I Burned L.A. Down’

NOAH CYRUS/YOUTUBE

The Cyrus family legacy runs from “Achy Breaky Heart” to Plastic Hearts, but youngest sister Noah Cyrus goes her own way on “I Burned L.A. Down,” a highlight from her debut album, The Hardest Part. It’s a stark acoustic country-pop burner about feeling trapped in a one-sided relationship with a California guy — and maybe also with California. Cyrus mourns, “You can’t make a god of somebody/Who’s not even a half-decent man.” It’s a West Coast cousin to Taylor Swift’s “Maroon,” feeling lost in a city where you used to feel at home, after your heart gets broken there. — R.S.

Megan Thee Stallion, ‘Plan B’

MEGAN THEE STALLION/YOUTUBE

When Megan premiered “Plan B” during her Coachella set this April, heads exploded. The scorn in her precise raps for an ain’t-shit ex was incinerating, each diss hotter than the next. “Popping Plan B’s ’cause I ain’t planned to be stuck with ya,” is mild compared to everything that comes after. And with the threat to reproductive rights becoming especially dire two months after the song’s premiere, “Plan B” is an incredible assertion of those rights’ importance. — M.C.

Ashley McBryde, Caylee Hammack, Brandy Clark, and Pillbox Patti, ‘Bonfire at Tina’s’

ASHLEY MCBRYDE/YOUTUBE

Country rebel Ashley McBryde turns this old-school drinking song into a future-school celebration of sisterhood. “Bonfire at Tina’s” is the highlight of Lindeville, her concept albumabout a small town full of wild characters, inspired by the great Nashville songwriter Dennis Linde. She sings about a group of rowdy girlfriends who don’t always see eye-to-eye — but they watch each other’s backs, pour each other drinks, light each other’s joints. She shares the microphone with Brandy Clark, Caylee Hammack, and Pillbox Patti. As she warns, “Small-town women ain’t built to get along/But you burn one of us, boy, you burn us all.” — R.S.

Doechii & SZA, ‘Persuasive’

PARAS GRIFFIN/GETTY IMAGES

Doechii scores her most undeniable track yet with “Persuasive,” teaming up with SZA for the killer remix duet. The song evokes a druggy up-all-night vibe where falling head over heels in love can feel like being blunted out of your mind. She keeps singing the sleepy hook, “She’s so persuasive/That marijuana/She’s so flirtatious,” over a moody Seventies R&B groove. SZA adds her signature swagger, demanding, “Get off my balls, I said it nice.” They keep coming back to the key question, “How does it feel to be you?” The answer: damn good whenever “Persuasive” is playing. — R.S.

Burna Boy, ‘Last Last’

BURNA BOY/YOUTUBE

This heartache anthem was a huge hit for the Nigerian superstar, topping Billboard’s Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart and racking up more than 100 million streams on Spotify alone. You can hear why: The beat samples a different love-gone-bad anthem, Toni Braxton’s 2000 hit “He Wasn’t Man Enough,” creating a seductively moody bed for Burna Boy to vocalize with canny self-assurance. Burna’s delivery is both elegant and a little broken as he laments lost love and turns “I need igbo and shayo” — weed and booze, basically — into a sung hook that lit up stereos from Lagos to L.A. — C.H.

Rina Sawayama, ‘This Hell’

RINA SAWAYAMA/YOUTUBE

There are so many amazing lines in this bonkers country-pop bash, from “Got my invitation, to eternal damnation” to “Fuck what they did to Britney, to Lady Di, and Whitney.” But the award goes to the opener, where Sawayama utters “Let’s go girls,” effortlessly invoking Shania Twain. Artists from other genres dabbling in country music is nothing new, but Sawayama does it better than nearly anyone here, proving she’s just trying to have a good time — while also inspiring change. “I get messages from people who connect the idea of country music with their conservative parents,” she told Twain in their recent Musicians on Musicians interview for RS. “They’ve been like, ‘You’ve taken trauma out of the genre. Thank you.’” — A.M.

Ice Spice, ‘Munch (Feelin U)’

WORLDSTAR HIPHOP/YOUTUBE

Bronx rapper Ice Spice landed one of the year’s breakout hits with “Munch (Feelin’ U),” a track that found her blending the rhythmic aggression of drill with a cool vocal style. On musical terms, she sounds unflappable, dismissing suitors and gawkers alike. Ice Spice’s image was as omnipresent as her music this summer, as fans debated her come-up. Only time will tell if “Munch” is just a TikTok-fueled one-off or the start of something bigger, but for now we’ll keep it on repeat. — M.R.

Pusha T, ‘Dreamin’ of the Past’

PRINCE WILLIAMS/WIREIMAGE

The simple, Donny Hathaway-sample-driven backdrop of “Dreamin’ of the Past” was the perfect canvas for Pusha T’s winding raps, which touch on everything from bankrolling Christmas with drug money to his annoyance with women who can’t pronounce the name of a luxury fashion house. Kanye West, who produced the song, offers a quick, smart, but slightly troubling verse; his reflections on finance, faith, and family feel foreboding given all we know and have seen of him now. But this is clearly Pusha’s show.— M.C.

Yahritza Y Su Esencia, ‘Soy El Unico’

YAHRITZA/YOUTUBE

When Yahritza Martinez first played “Soy El Unico” for her brother Armando, he was surehis 13-year-old sister was playing a cover. It’s for good reason: The stunning acoustic ballad, steeped in the traditional ballads and corridos of her parents’ native Michoacán region of Mexico and guided by Martinez’s stunning old-soul vocals, sounds like it’s existed forever. The reality is that the devastating torch song, which Martinez wrote by observing teenagers around her going through heartbreak, is a bonafide hit: After going viral on TikTok earlier this year, it topped the Latin music charts and racked up nearly 100 million streams on Spotify alone. But even if it hadn’t become nearly as popular, it’d still be the most astonishing debut single of the year. — J. Bernstein

Kendrick Lamar, ‘N95’

KENDRICK LAMAR/YOUTUBE

Kendrick Lamar’s “N95” opens with a flurry of commands: “Take off them fabricated streams and them microwave memes.” His intro hearkens back to De La Soul’s 1989 track “Take It Off,” yet Lamar is not only distinguishing himself from his peers, but also confronting a world tentatively lowering its N95 masks amidst the ongoing Covid pandemic. “Bitch, you ugly as fuck!” he exclaims before adding “you outta pocket” in a different tone of voice. With moody, bass-y production, this is Lamar confronting societal clichés with restless intellectual fervor, and claims that he doesn’t care about the consequences. — M.R.

Drake feat. 21 Savage, ‘Jimmy Cooks’

DRAKE/YOUTUBE

Nestled at the end of Drake’s club-music adventure Honestly, Nevermind, “Jimmy Cooks” finds the 6 God on familiar ground, snapping and talking trash with 21 Savage. “Love the way they hang babe, fuck the silicon,” he opines lasciviously. “I be with my gun like Rozay be with lemon pepper,” adds 21. The track is split into three parts, including a Memphis rap-sampling intro as well as a beat apiece for the two rappers, and they bounce around the track with effortless bars, completely in the pocket. — M.R.

Harry Styles, ‘As It Was’

KEVIN MAZUR/GETTY IMAGES

The lead single from Harry Styles’ third album balances its agitated inner monologue, where the shape-shifting pop star picks at the details of a relationship in crisis, with spun-sugar synths that give cover to his torment. From its playful opening — Styles’ goddaughter Ruby giggling “Go on, Harry, we want to say goodnight to you!” — to its singsong bridge, during which Styles’ thoughts are ping-ponging around his head at “high-speed internet” velocities, “As It Was” paints an unusually vivid picture. Everything might seem fine on first glance, but it all becomes more troubling (“What kind of pills are you on?”) with each repeated glimpse. — M.J.

Beyonce, ‘Break My Soul’

MASON POOLE*

What timing! Beyoncé’s spiritual successor to Johnny Paycheck’s immortal “Take This Job and Shove It” came into a post-Nomadland world of increasingly transient work. By year’s end, it could have been written for the engineers flocking from Twitter. The record hit like a shock wave — was Beyoncé really doing house music? She was, indeed — and her interpolation of Robin S.’s classic “Show Me Love” and sample of Big Freedia’s New Orleans bounce classic “Explode” (“Release ya job!”) has already helped pivot the wider pop world to house as a lodestone. — M.M.

Pharrell feat. 21 Savage and Tyler, The Creator, ‘Cash In Cash Out’

PHARRELL/YOUTUBE

Pharrell came back strong with “Cash In Cash Out,” with a little help from the all-star duo of 21 Savage and Tyler, the Creator. Pharrell neither sings nor raps on the track — he just keeps that hypnotic, minimalist 808 loop pumping, and with a beat this cold, that’s all he needs to do. 21 Savage flexes his rudest humor, boasting, “She swallow all my kids, she a bad babysitter/Kim Jong-Un, in my pants is a missile.” Tyler, on a roll after Call Me If You Get Lost, reports that he refused a multi-million-dollar show — “I declined because the stage didn’t match my ethos” — and slips in the boast, “Going both sides, you could say I’m B-I.” — R.S.

Quavo and Takeoff, ‘Hotel Lobby’

AARON J. THORNTON/WIREIMAGE

When Quavo and his nephew Takeoff seemingly broke with Migos member and cousin Offset and dropped “Hotel Lobby,” it seemed like an escapade before the band eventually got back together. Now, after Takeoff’s senseless murder in November, the duo’s side project has taken on tragic significance. As always, the Atlanta rappers float together like Golden State’s splash brothers. Takeoff brags how his “diamonds be dancing like Bobby [Brown],” while Quavo warns he’s “claiming that stick/Nigga made one wrong move, just popped him.” It hurts to think that the fun wasn’t meant to last. — M.R.

Rosalia, ‘Despecha’

XAVI TORRENT/REDFERNS

In conversation, Rosalía dazzles with an encyclopedic knowledge of genres, exploring sounds that aren’t her own with a sheer, genuine love of music. That same sincerity comes through in songs like this one, which she premiered during this year’s epic Motomami tour. “Despechá” uses a mambo piano line as starting point, then delves into merengue territory chiseled by touches of avant-pop. Her respect for the bounce of the Dominican Republic’s most trusted dance format is poignant, but it is the soaring energy in her vocals that moves this summertime single closer to the sacred ground she’s aiming for. “Despechá” suggests that Rosalía’s future experiments in global hitmaking may be just as inspired as the milestone that was Motomami. — E.L.

Taylor Swift, ‘Karma’

TERRY WYATT/GETTY IMAGES

“I’m still here.” With three words, Taylor Swift not only cemented Midnights as a middle finger to the people who prayed for her downfall — she sealed this song’s fate as its album-defining hit. Yes, “Anti-Hero” is the single, and “Maroon” is the one your moody friend keeps quoting. But “Karma” marries Swift’s mastermind lyrics (check out how “Karma is my boyfriend” shifts from smirking metaphor to lovebird literality as the song goes on) with the sleekest, most flexible production tendencies from longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff. When the track list was first released, some fans fixated on the hope that “Karma” would relate to a long-rumored lost album. But any disappointments about getting an easter egg wrong were swept away by a tenacious revenge song so quintessentially Swift that the tour choreography is practically decided after one listen. — C.T.J.

Steve Lacy, ‘Bad Habit’

SCOTT DUDELSON/GETTY IMAGES

Steve Lacy says “Bad Habit” clarified his vision for his stellar album Gemini Rights, which, sure, is about a breakup, but also about the parts of you that pulse and pull and contradict and coexist all at once. It’s fitting, then, that its thesis track cruises like a daylit ride through a psyche in healing, at once peaceful and turbulent. Lacy’s lyrics make peace with the parting and long for reunion; he knows he has power, but gives some away. There’s musical genius in making melancholy groovy enough to soundtrack the summer and soar to the top of the charts. This thing happened for a reason. — M.C.

Beyonce, ‘Cuff It’

MASON POOLE*

Ranking one Renaissance cut above them all is no small task, but the impact of “Cuff It” is undeniable. It has thrived as a single, replete with jovial dance moves that spread like a contagion — and It’s strikingly placed on an album where sequencing is integral to the experience. At track four, the immediacy and ease of its funk is in sharp and exhilarating contrast to the shadowy electronic music that comes before it. As soon as “Cuff It” starts, we’re jetted to an ethereal disco in outer space, welcomed at the doors by the genre’s greatest practitioner, Nile Rodgers, who co-wrote the track and plays guitar on it. Aided by the Chic icon’s magic touch, Beyoncé reached the pinnacle of the modern throwback. — M.C.

Bad Bunny, ‘Titi Me Preguntó’

KEVIN WINTER/GETTY IMAGES

The good news: Bad Bunny brought frantic dembow beats, a classy sample by bachata master Anthony Santos, and a coda with a dash of Latin psychedelia to the global mainstream. Even better? He did it all with panache and a healthy sense of humor. Using the archetype of the concerned Latin American aunt asking about her nephew’s potential girlfriends as a starting point, the Puerto Rican icon launches into a hilarious tirade of salacious puns to a bouncy party vibe that — in typical Bad Bunny fashion — unexpectedly morphs into moody self-reflection. More than any other track off Un Verano Sin Ti, “Tití Me Preguntó” showcases Benito’s unbridled creativity, his eccentric pop genius. — E.L.

CONTRIBUTORS: Jonathan Bernstein, Jon Blistein, Mankaprr Conteh, Jon Dolan, Brenna Ehrlich, Jon Freeman, Dewayne Gage, Andre Gee, Kory Grow, Christian Hoard, Maura Johnston, CT Jones, Michelle Hyun Kim, Kristine Kwak, Ernesto Lechner, Julyssa Lopez, Leah Lu, Angie Martoccio, Michaelangelo Matos, Patricia Meschino, Tomás Mier, Mosi Reeves, Rob Sheffield, Brittany Spanos, Lisa Tozzi, Simon Vozick-Levinson

IN THIS ARTICLE:

Bad Bunny,

best songs of 2022,

Beyonce,

Harry Styles,

ice spice,

Taylor Swift,

Year in Review

MUSIC

MUSIC LISTS

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ghanamusicblognetwork · 2 months

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Rema Collaborates With Shallipopi and ODUMODUBLVCK On New Album ‘HEIS’

The highest praise Rema could receive is likely that he has always had a clear vision for his art. Rema (born Divine Ikubor) has exuded the aura of a generational genius since declaring himself “the future” in 2019. His ethereal melodies, dynamic stage performances, and captivating visuals have inspired a new generation of budding artists while serving as a beacon for Afropop’s global rise. Much…

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nexaelevator-blog · 4 months

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Top 10 Commercial Elevator Manufacturers in karnataka

The Indian elevator market has been growing significantly for the last few years by lips and bounds. With the rapid urbanization and the development of infrastructure, IT industries, and various corporate offices, the use of elevators has increased remarkably. The percentage of high-rise buildings is also increasing day by day. Hence, the demand for elevators is ever-increasing and will remain so. Residential and commercial elevator manufacturers are making their futures for this unexpected increase in installations.

Data published by a reliable source declares that the Indian elevator market was $1466 million (US) in the financial year 2022. The prediction tells us that in FY2028 the market will reach USD 2083 million with a CAGR (compound growth rate) of 5.82%.

Understanding the bright future of the elevator industry, people have started their business with elevators- some of them are experienced and others are novices. Some of them are licensed and the others are without it. The most interesting part of this fact is that most clients cannot understand the licensed and qualitative commercial elevator manufacturers in India. If you want to learn the top 10 best elevator manufacturers in Karnataka, you can choose this company.

How to choose the best Commercial Elevator Manufacturers in India?

There are a lot of companies in India that run elevator manufacturing and installation services for residential and commercial purposes. Today, you will learn how to choose the best Commercial Elevator Manufacturers in India. Here are some pro tips:

The elevator company must be licensed

ISO 9001:2015 quality certification is great for a company

The elevator installation companies must use modern technology

They must use high-quality Indian parts or import from foreign countries

They should have IS installation compliance

The elevator engineers must have the idea to relate it for the purpose

They must have customized features to develop a new elevator

They should have quick emergency service

They should have quite a large network for quick installation and elevator delivery

Local reputation matters most for an elevator manufacturer

They should have the installation capacity of the capsule, MR and MRL elevators, and all

Great ratings and reviews on Google and Trustpilot

We are not going deep into the factors as we need to discuss more about the reputed elevator manufacturer in India. However, the top 10 elevator manufacturers are selected baselessly but with the above-mentioned justifying points.

Top 10 Commercial Elevator Manufacturers in India

1. Nexa Elevator

Nexa Elevator is the best elevator manufacturing company in India. There are a lot of companies in India, but this company has unique creativity, installation supremacy, IS compliance elevators, and safety installations. The service quality of the company is always at its best. They reach the destination whenever any client calls for assistance in an emergency. With a wide network of engineers, installers, service providers, and many other services, you will get top-class service satisfaction from Nexa Elevator.

The managing director of Nexa Elevator Pvt. Ltd. is Rajesh G. He has immense expertise in elevator technology. A team of experienced technicians, engineers, and planners have been thronged into the company to uplift it to a magical height. They have the solutions for achieving the topmost height in digital simplicity and user-friendliness.

The company professionals in a nutshell:

Mridula Sridhar Naik-CEO

Mr. Rajesh G- Managing Director

Suresh Babu- CFO

Ramya V- Senior Sales Coordinator

Jyothi G- Purchase Executive

Shiju Soman- Project Manager

Santhosh G- Project Coordinator

Harish Raj- Senior Service Engineer

Sushmitha M- Service Coordinator

Nexa Elevator: Mission and Vision

Their mission is to offer superior design, robust housing, modern features, and economical elevators that reduce power consumption remarkably. The notion of the company is to offer superior technological implementation in the elevator technology with maximum longevity where innovativeness will work to satisfy clients of all types.

They ensure certified components from Germany and certified from the Netherlands. So, your installation will get superior quality from Nexa Elevator. Besides, they maintain IS (Indian Standard) compliance to meet the compliance of Indian elevator installation technology.

Being originated in southern India, Karnataka, they provide top-notch services to clients all across Indian cities. Professional designers and elevator engineers design flawless bespoke elevators to meet your requirements.

The company is ISO certified (ISO 9001:2015). That means that the quality of installation, design aspects, longevity, and service quality is excellent. They are quality Commercial Elevator Manufacturers with Roomed or Roomless Elevators.

The most important part of the elevator company is that they never rely on artificial advertisement and promotions to increase their sales. When the company installs the best quality elevators, the clients promote their names to other clients. This popularity has increased across India, and their business has a great height. In the last few years, their elevators have experienced less than 80% fewer complaints compared to other elevator manufacturers anywhere in India.

Types of Elevators They Deal With:

The types of elevators they install in the office accommodation are as follows.

Residential lifts

Home lifts

Commercial lifts

Goods lift

Hospital lift

Structure lift

Apart from these categories, they also install elevators of all types of technological implementations. They have hydraulic, MRL, or MR elevators as per the demands of customers. To get room less Elevator Manufacturers, everybody can choose Nexa Elevators.

2. Schindler Group

The next comes to Schindler Group. They demand that their elevator transport more than 2 billion people across the world every day. They have elevation technology to implement on new elevators. They are experts in establishing escalators as well.

About Their Company

They are one of the leading companies in elevation technology. Along with urban development, they arrange for organizing the cities with escalators and elevator technologies. They have various types of elevators to bring innovation inclusive in technology and make the high-rise building easily moveable. They install elevators for the present and future generations where longevity is the prime superiority.

Product And Service Satisfaction

Schindler has smart and sustainable technological implementations in vertical transportation. Depending on the load of people or materials, they install the elevators that match the building’s high-rise. They ensure the safety and security of the companies.

Global Presence

Schindler is not only present in India. It also has a global presence including another 100 countries. Their service is available for 1,000 branches worldwide.

3. Otis

Otis is one of the world’s most popular companies. However, they have grabbed a larger part of India’s vertical transport technology. Though Nexa Elevator is one of the best Commercial Elevator Manufacturers in India, Otis is reputed across the world. This company can install both elevators and escalators.

The company started its journey in 1853 and was recognized for its safety, innovation, and technological implementations for vertical transportation.

Otis has a presence in southern India, including Karnataka, Bangalore, and other parts of the area. They have the elevator installation capability for residential and commercial buildings of all types.

4. KONE India

KONE is a multinational company and one of the most reputable companies in India in installing elevators and escalators. The quality of their installations is surprisingly excellent. You can get KONE with dot com domain for international entity and KONE with dot in domain for Indian entity.

They provide Room less Elevator Manufacturers, as well as roomed elevators across India with all modern technological implementations.

They are an eco-friendly company and try to comply with Eco-friendliness with elevator technology.

5. Toshiba Elevator Room less Elevator Manufacturers

Toshiba Elevator and Building System Corporation originated in Japan but it emerged in India in April 2011. With the vision of offering world-class technology in elevator technology enriched with Japanese technology which would be safe, energy-efficient, and safe for people of high-rise buildings and corporate entities.

They entered India with a promise to provide top-notch technological implementations in vertical transportation. Toshiba Corporation has a long technological supremacy for a long history of 140 years. They try to supply state-of-the-art Japanese technology for high-class elevators on a comprehensive budget with a pledge to quick service and longevity.

They provide all types of modern elevators that include, MR, MRL, and capsule elevators.

6. Fujitec

Fujitec is also one of the best Commercial Elevator Manufacturers originated in Japan but entered India with the pledge to offer top-class Japanese technology to the Indian urban areas. They are renowned for not only elevators of all types but also escalators of superior types. Moving walkways is another achievement for Indian modern urban cities.

The consumer satisfaction rate of the company is also high. If you consider the top ten Commercial Elevator Manufacturers in India, you cannot differentiate much about their services and authenticity or longevity and service satisfaction. They also install elevators of all types in southern India including Karnataka. You can choose them among one of the top 10 best elevator manufacturers in Karnataka.

7. Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation is also a great Japanese company with a diverse range of elevators. They also install escalators along with top-class elevators. The price range of reliable elevators and related services is not as costly as people cannot afford. Their price and related technology are excellent and matched. So, when you require technology-enriched elevators with safety and security, but the price would be reasonable, you can contact the installers who supply Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. This company is one of the best Room-less Elevator Manufacturers in India. Their service in residential and commercial elevator installations is incomparable.

8. Hitachi Lift India Pvt Ltd

Hitachi-inspire the next! They are one of the most reputed Japanese companies that provide top-class elevators in India. They have entered India to spread Japanese supreme elevator technology in India. Their service is diverse, and they provide premium elevators, escalators, and moving sidewalks. They are not only providing higher safety in elevator technology but also the modern world requirement for energy-efficient elevators. Besides, they use top-notch elevator components imported from Japan in their own company. Their service is available in the entire India including southern India, Karnataka, Bangalore, and all other reputed cities.

9. Hyundai Elevator Co. Ltd.

Being a reputed South Korean elevator manufacturing and installing company, Hyundai Elevator tried to spread its business to the entire world. Apart from elevators, they have another mechanical service related to vehicles. However, they are not involved in vertical transportation, they are connected to surface transport vehicles.

Hyundai Elevator is well known for its reliability, performance, safety, and low power-consuming features. The services providing associates involved in their services are also supportive and reach the spot to solve the issues immediately. You can choose them for installing the best elevator in Karnataka.

10. Johnson Lifts Pvt. Ltd.

Johnson Lifts Pvt. Ltd. is an Indian company. They have excellent expertise in manufacturing elevators and installations for all commercial and residential accommodations. They can offer you customized elevators in your budget range or with the fulfillment of other requirements. There is no idea from where they receive their elevator components. It might be from India or any other country.

They can also provide you with the MR, MRL, and other modern type elevators to southern India and some other parts of India. You can contact them to get premium services and quality components to fulfill your requirements. You can also get customized elevators from them.

These are the most reputed Top 10 Commercial Elevator Manufacturers in Karnataka, India. You can choose any of the companies if you require commercial or residential elevators of any type. If you want to choose the best elevator manufacturers in Bangalore or anywhere in southern India, you can proudly choose Nexa Elevators as they will provide you with top-class technology, imported components, top-class safety assurance, and power-saving elevator installation promises. The cost of installation and services is also less than your imagination. So, you can choose them confidently.

#automobile elevator manufacturers #capsule elevator manufacturers #customised elevator manufacturers #elevator manufacturers #elevator modernisation services #glass elevator #hospital elevator manufacturers #hydraulic elevator manufacturers #hydraulic home elevator manufacturers #kone elevators #Commercial Elevator Manufacturers #10 best elevator manufacturers in Karnataka #Room less Elevator Manufacturers

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sophiegold123 · 5 months

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Analytical Application 5: Gender and Sexuality

Queer Gaze:

In Jack Halberstam's "Looking Butch: A Rough Guide to Butches on Film," the term "queer gaze" refers to a way of looking that challenges traditional heterosexual and patriarchal frameworks through a queer lens. It challenges binary codes of visual pleasure proposed by psychoanalytic film theory, emphasizing the fluidity and multiplicity of sexual desire and identity and reimagining of spectatorship beyond traditional frameworks. Within Halberstam’s text, they reference Valerie Traub’s “The Ambiguities of 'Lesbian' Viewing Pleasure.” In which Traub suggests that the "queer gaze" can be invoked within mainstream heterosexual films, such as Black Widow (1987), “Traub suggests that Black Widow represents lesbian desire between its two protagonists and "solicits a 'lesbian' gaze at the same time that it invites male heterosexual enjoyment".” (1) She is highlighting how the queer gaze involves the ambiguity of viewing pleasure and the multiplicity of spectator positions, challenging binary ways of looking.

This panel image from The Sandman (1988-1996), “A Game of You” (issues 32-37, page 340) can be seen through the queer gaze as the visual representation challenges traditional norms of gender, sexuality, and visual pleasure. The depiction of same-sex intimacy, of two women in a relationship holding each other, offers an alternative perspective on love and desire while simultaneously allowing a reimagining of spectatorship beyond traditional frameworks. The women in the photo are disrupting traditional notions of femininity within gender norms as both of their hair are cut short. Viewers are encouraged to adopt multiple positions of identification with the image as the women challenge heteronormative definitions of sexuality and gender. This further emphasizes the ambiguity of viewing pleasure and the multiplicity of spectator positions that Traub mentioned while helping define the queer gaze. Furthermore, one of the women is topless; the queer gaze challenges the tendency of the male gaze to objectify women's bodies for the pleasure of male viewers. Instead of portraying the topless woman as an object of sexual desire for a male audience or as vulnerable to the male gaze, the queer gaze portrays her as an active participant in her own sexual expression and desire. The queer gaze allows engagement with the image from a multiplicity of identities within spectators, therefore not confining the interpretation to a singular, male-centric perspective.

Male Gaze:

In "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema," Laura Mulvey addresses the concept of the male gaze in cinema and its implications for the portrayal of women. The male gaze refers to the way in which visual media, particularly cinema, is structured around a heterosexual male perspective and traditional films present men as active, controlling subjects and treat women as passive objects of desire for men in both the story and in the audience. This does not allow women to be desiring sexual subjects in their own right. Such films objectify women in relation to ‘the determining male gaze’ presenting ‘woman as image’ (or ‘spectacle’) and man as ‘bearer of the look’. Mulvey declares that in patriarchal society ‘pleasure in looking has been split between active/male and passive/female’ (2). Men do the looking; women are there to be looked at.

The panel image from The Sandman (1988-1996), specifically from "A Game of You" (page 449), portrays the male gaze in action. Here, a man working in a comic store treats the character Barbie as a passive object of male desire. Within this lens, the spectator viewing the panel is also compelled to adopt the male perspective, exercising control over the gaze and objectifying Barbie in the process. The worker’s objectification is evident as he crudely comments on her breasts, reducing her to mere body parts. His behavior is echoed by other men in the store, who join in laughter at his remark. This collective reinforcement of the male gaze serves to perpetuate traditional gender roles and power dynamics. Barbie's observation that the man appeared "really amused" by her interest in comics further highlights the gendered expectations imposed by society; that only men are meant to enjoy superhero comics. Instead of encouraging her exploration of new interests, the man's reaction belittles her, contributing to the perpetuation of patriarchal norms.

Gender Performativity:

In this panel image from The Sandman (1988-1996), “ The Doll's House” (issues 9-16, page 288) the character Rose goes to a drag show in which her landlord, Hal, was performing in. “Hal” transforms into “Dolly” when he/she does drag and this shows the performative nature of gender. Rose states “I’d been to see Dolly’s show. That was what Hal called himself, when he was herself.” This emphasizes how gender is constructed through societal norms of gender roles and how gender is a performance of these norms. Drag performances provide avenues for resistance and subversion within the constructs of ideologies that aim to impose subjectivity upon us. Through drag, the norms and expectations dictated by these ideologies are challenged and even rendered ineffective. Through visual media like comics, the complexities of gender construction and performance can be brought to the forefront, encouraging critical reflection and promoting inclusivity and acceptance of diverse gender identities.

Gender norms:

Judith Butler in her essay “Gender is Burning: Questions of Appropriation and Subversion” defines gender norms as societal expectations and standards that dictate how individuals should behave, dress, and express themselves based on their perceived gender identity. These norms are often reinforced through cultural practices, institutions, and discourses, shaping individuals' understanding of what it means to be masculine or feminine. Butler's analysis suggests that gender norms are not inherent or natural but are instead socially constructed and performative, meaning that they are enacted and reproduced through repeated behaviors and interactions. She states “Identifying with a gender under contemporary regimes of power involves identifying with a set of norms that are and are not realizable, and whose power and status precede the identifications by which they are insistently approximated.”(5)This suggests that aligning with a particular gender involves conforming to a set of norms that may or may not be fully achievable, that these norms hold power and authority independently of individual identifications.

In this panel image from The Sandman (1988-1996), “A Game of You” (page 443), the character Wanda's transphobic aunt reinforces traditional gender norms by insisting that individuals must adhere to predetermined gender roles assigned by society. She articulates the belief that one's gender identity is determined by a higher power and that deviation from these assigned roles is unacceptable. The aunt specifically mentions adhering to norms such as wearing colors associated with one's assigned gender. She states “you mustn’t go trying to change things.” This dialogue is in light of Wanda's recent tragic death. Wanda’s aunt shows no empathy for her and calls her death a “mercy”, further stating “otherwise he’d probably have died up the line from Aids or some such”. Wanda’s aunt is implying that any deviation from these norms would lead to dire consequences. This highlights the pressure placed on individuals to conform to binary gender categories and by admonishing any attempts to challenge or change these norms, the aunt perpetuates the marginalization of individuals who do not fit neatly into traditional gender categories.

Sex/gender binary:

Judith Butler's work in "Gender is Burning: Questions of Appropriation and Subversion," deconstructs the sex/gender binary. Butler argues that gender is not an inherent or stable characteristic but rather a performative act. The sex/gender binary traditionally categorizes individuals into two fixed categories based on biological sex—male and female—and assigns corresponding gender roles and expectations. However, Butler challenges this binary by asserting that gender is a social construct performed through repeated actions and behaviors rather than an innate attribute tied to biological sex. In her view, this performative aspect of gender destabilizes the binary notion of sex and gender, opening up possibilities for individuals to subvert or challenge traditional gender norms.

In this panel image from The Sandman (1988-1996), “A Game of You” (page 413), the character Wanda tells Maise Hill about her transgender experience, and disrupts the sex/gender binary. The phrase "I was born a guy" recognizes her assigned sex at birth based on physical and biological characteristics. This aligns with the binary notion of sex, where individuals are categorized as either male or female based on biological attributes. The statement "now I'm a gal" highlights the individual's gender identity, which differs from her assigned sex at birth. Wanda's self-identification as a woman and her expression of gender as an internal sense rather than strictly tied to biological sex serves to disrupt the binary understanding of sex and gender. Furthermore, the phrase "although I haven't gone all the way" suggests a nuanced understanding of gender transition. Wanda acknowledges that her transition may not conform to expectations such as undergoing surgical procedures. This highlights the diverse ways in which individuals navigate their gender identities, showing how gender and sex are not binary and there are not just two fixed categories based on biological sex.

Footnotes:

Jack Halberstam, “Looking Butch: A Rough Guide to Butches on Film” in Female Masculinity (Durham: Duke University Press, 1998) 178.

Laura Mulvey, “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” in Film Theory and Criticism (New York: oxford University Press, 2009), 715.

Judith Butler, “Gender is Burning: Questions of Appropriation and Subversion” in Feminist Film Theory a Reader (New York: Washington Square, 1999,) 338.

Butler, Judith. “Gender is Burning: Questions of Appropriation and Subversion,” 339.

#@theuncannyprofessoro #oxyvisualanalysis #gender #sexuality

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