#The Fab Trade

[paintermagazine]

‘Freckled’

Lucy Campbell (British surfing champion)

‘lucysurf’ (IG)

‘Jay McLaughlin (‘The Fab Trade’)’

[floralovebot]

to me, the fab five are a found family in an intentionally forced way. and i don't mean forced by the writers, i mean the characters themselves forced that relationship dynamic upon the group.

at first, they really were just some kids hanging out and occasionally fighting criminals together. they didn't consider each other family or even best friends. and even as they got older, they continued to think of each other in a very Just Some Friends kind of way. sure they got closer, but they weren't family by any means.

however, this dynamic changed drastically when they became adults because they were all neck deep in mental illnesses, people around them dying, and desperately wanting to live normal lives. a lot of other titans groups become found families early on in their teen/kid era, and it's easy to assume that the same is true for the fab five considering they're quintessential kid hero trope, but that's not the case for them. they only started to consider each other Family as adults and that was specifically because everything else in their life was falling apart and they latched onto their only lasting consistent.

i'm not saying that the fab five were naive in thinking that the others would always be around, but i am saying that for a very long time, they were always around. they were absolutely scared that someone would die, but they also knew they could actually count on each other in a way that they often couldn't count on their actual families. this is taken to an extreme when dick cuts contact with bruce, when ollie dies, when arthur betrays garth, etcetc. everything was falling apart, so they latched onto the last bit of their childhood innocence and accidentally started seeing each other as family.

they don't know each other but they do understand each other more than anyone else in the world. they're mean and petty and they would die for each other. they're unsympathetic and they would fistfight the others' mentors in a parking lot. they aren't family and they're the only family they have left.

the fab five specifically became a found family in response to their own families being at best, very hard to deal with, and worst, absolute dogshit. they forced that dynamic because for a while, they couldn't rely on anyone else. dick couldn't rely on bruce after their falling out, but he could rely on donna and wally, even if they didn't completely understand what was going on. donna will always be able to call upon the fab five - they will never, ever leave her, even when they're going through whatever relationship drama dc wants to write about. roy knows that no matter what he does or what they say to him, they'll always be there in the end.

they forced the found family dynamic!!! that's why it feels different and more complicated than other titan groups!!!!! they didn't naturally become a family, they forced it on the group because their actual families were falling apart and dying!!!!!

[modernmanblues]

t-minus 29 days until i see Eric’s bestie and partner-in-crime, Graham Gouldman 😎

[total-cards]

Part the Mistveil takes us on a journey to the hidden villages within Mysteria, introducing an array of new and exciting cards. As the first set to debut in Japan, Part the Mistveil is looking to be an exciting expansion to the world of Flesh & Blood! Have you pre-ordered?

[satorusugurugurl]

I Think He Knows

Summary: When your novel takes off and becomes a best seller, doors of opportunities open for you. You can work on the series you have dreamed about all your life. And you’re also given the chance to stay in a tiny cottage in Europe for two years to help with inspiration! Your best friend, Geto Suguru, shatters at the news. How could he possibly tell you how he feels when you’re leaving him? His opportunity appears right before him when you confess that your editor thinks a change of scenery will help with your not-so-steamy romance scenes. They’re lacking a particular spice because you’re a virgin. So, Suguru does what any best friend would do. He offers to teach you how things work. Will you cross that line as friends? Or will you both say goodbye?

Pairing: Geto Suguru x FAB!Reader

Word Count: 4,505

Warning: Language, suggestiveness, mentions of sex, mentions of death, depression, insomina

A/N: BestFriend!Suguru series is now our Saturday special!! Let’s goooooo!!! 😈💚

Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five Part Six Part Seven Part Eight Part Nine Part Ten Part Eleven Part Tweleve

Fifteen years ago, you and your family moved to Tokyo from the countryside due to your father’s job. You were so nervous, walking into your kindergarten class and holding your bag as your homeroom teacher introduced you to your new classmates. Everyone stared at you as you were ushered towards a table with two boys. One stuck his tongue out at you while the other colored with crayons.

“Oooh.” You said in awe, looking at the picture the dark-haired boy was coloring. “That’s pretty! Did you draw that?”

The crayon stopped moving as the dark-haired boy looked up at you for the first time. His dark eyes widened as he looked you over, a rosy flush dusting his cheeks. “I uhm,” his eyes darted back towards the paper, “yeah, I drew it.” You leaned in, your eyes sparkling in awe, as your classmate sucked in a deep breath as you got closer.

“So pretty!”

Swallowing hard, the boy continued coloring. “I-If you want it, you can have it when I’m done.” His voice is so timid that you almost don’t hear it.

“Eh?! Really!?” You smile, revealing a missing tooth. “Thank you—uhm, what’s your name?”

“G-Geto.”

“Thank you, Geto!”

“You’re welcome.”

That day marked the beginning of your friendship with Geto Suguru! You two have been inseparable ever since that day. You were having play dates and attending the same middle school, high school, and college! You even lived in the same apartment complex, just two floors separating you.

Suguru never once gave up on his passion for drawing, trading his crayons and construction paper for oil paint and canvas. You didn’t have an artistic bone in your body. You did, however, have a way with words. You were constantly losing yourself in characters you'd create and worlds you built, and you never thought of sharing them with the world until Suguru pushed you to do so.

You took his advice and submitted your novel to several writing competitions, not expecting anything to come from it. Boy, were you shocked when you won first place and were allowed to publish your novel! The publishing company loved the story, your characters, and the premise of it, so much so that they signed you on for a whole saga.

That was great! Your characters would finally be given the chance to shine. Their stories would be told! There was just one issue that you kept running into while working on the sequel. Your high-end fantasy novel was a romance between the princess of your series and her knight. You ended the first book with a very intimate kiss and confession. The whole purpose was to have readers wanting more, and they wanted more.

Your reader wanted more Ilaus and Oaklynn, more kisses, sweet whispers of nothing, and steamy smut. The readers wanted to see the lovely, innocent princess and her hot knight getting freaky. Which you were all down for! You wanted them to get to that point as much as your readers! You wanted Oaklynn to be face down getting plowed by Ilaus more than anyone else! You had written their story and made them suffer; they deserved to be happy with each other.

So why was writing sex scenes your kryptonite?!

You anxiously watched Nanami Kento, your beta reader and editor, scroll through your phone and read the latest pages you had written. His face was stoic, unreadable as his eyes glimpsed over the screen. Your leg bounced as he put your phone down, his eyes focusing on his mug before he sighed.

“Oh my god, you hate it.” Anxiety settled in your gut. “It’s terrible! I knew it sucked.”

Nanami winced, his eyes not meeting yours, and he brought his mug to his mouth and took a sip. “Why did you call his penis ‘his raging meat stick’? Like it was a slab of salami?” Your friend watched you slam your head gently against the table. “And for her, you called it her fairy cave?” This time, your friend didn't wince; no, the bastard chuckled.

“This isn't funny, Nanami!”

“I know,” he took another sip, “look, it's not bad; I just think if you're going to write a sex scene, you need to refer to the genitals as genitals and not lunch meat and damp mystical caves.”

“L-Like use the word penis?”

“Or cock, dick, not meat stick.”

“Shh!!” you reached over the table, covering his mouth with your hands. “We're out in public!!”

Nanami pulled back away from your hands. “Oh please, we know Gojo and Sukuna. They are more foul than that.” He had a point; the two could make grandmothers cry with their colorful vocabulary.

The first half of your novel was easy to write—lots of action, passionate kisses, and dialogue. The middle had hit you with a brick of writer's block. This was your first time writing anything remotely spicy other than making out with tongue. The scene you were stuck on right now wasn’t even a full-on sex scene! That made it so much worse! They were pleasing each other in a tent with just their hands! It's a simple mutual masturbation scene.

But using a meat stick and a fairy cave would not cut it. And the next couple of chapters were due to your agent in a week. If Nanami pretty much flat-out told you these scenes sucked, there was no way in hell you would be turning this in to your agent.

“Fuck, Nanami, what am I going to do?”

“Scrape it and rewrite it.” Feeling your gaze on his, Nanami breathed out a breathy huff. “Look, it's not terrible, trust me; I know you're capable of more.” Your trusted friend chuckled as you puffed out your cheeks.

“Oh yeah, scrape it; maybe I'll use a hot dog instead of a meat stick this time.” What were you going to do?! There was a week to turn the poorly excused terrible smut you'd written into something that would please Nanami, your agent, and the publisher.

Nanami patted your shoulder as he collected his stuff. “You know, sometimes our own experiences can help.” Great, now you were frustrated and a blushing mess!

“I-I can't do that!”

“Well, then read some erotic novels for inspiration if you have any questions if you don't want to use your personal sexual experiences.”

“That’s not what I me—”

“Look, let's meet on Tuesday for lunch, and you can show me what you have then. I gotta run to class; I’ll see you then.”

With a heavy heart, you watched your friend rush out of the café and return to Campus. Nanami was full of good ideas. Using one's own experiences was a good muse. It was something you would do if you had any experience. The number one reason you had so many issues writing smut seems like this was because you were a complete and total virgin.

That was the sole reason why writing sex scenes was your kryptonite. Because you had zero experience, writing about something you had no experience in was hard. So Nanami’s advice, while appreciated, was utterly useless. You had no experience, and there was no way you were hooking up with some random person to inspire you.

Oh well, you had a lovely long week to try and fix the monstrosity you had created. It wasn't like your agent would call you out of the blue! Yeah, you had a week! A week! It was all good!

A bag slammed on the table as you packed your laptop and notepad. With a squeak and a jump, you turned to see your agent staring down at you—a look of dismay and stress plastered over her face.

“U-Utahime?” Her expression remained the same as she adjusted her baseball hat. “H-Hi, what's up?”

“Meat stick?”

“Fuuuck.” you cried out, throwing your head back.

“I come in to give you good news, and I hear that Nanami is saying you're struggling with the sex scenes?” She sips her coffee anxiously, her foot tapping against the tile floor. “You told me it was a romance? And you can't write sex scenes?!”

You hushed her, standing up and putting your index finger against your lips. “Shut up! Please! I'm working on it; I'm just struggling!” Utahime laughs, crossing her arms over her chest. “I'll fix it! I promise you’ll have a super spicy mutual touching session by next week!” she gives you a skeptical look, one you're pretty sure was on your face as well. “B-But what good news do you have?” Your agent and friend relaxes as she grins.

“You know that cottage that you saw online? The one in Europe that inspired your book?”

“The one that I can't find? Yeah, I know it.”

When you graduated high school, you and Suguru had stopped at a bookstore while shopping for supplies. You were grazing through pictures of European castles when you saw this darling little cottage. It looked similar to the cottage in Sleeping Beauty. It was made of stone in the woods beside a river where a water mill ran.

The cottage was gorgeous; it got your creative juices flowing. You imagined characters living there, and it was honestly the inspiration for your book. You desperately searched for it. Wanting to learn more about the cottage that had inspired your fantasy world, you couldn't find a lick of evidence. You had been under the assumption that it was either destroyed or didn't even exist. So you had given up on finding it two years ago.

“Well, your lovely agent made a few calls and sent out some photos, and she found it.”

“Shut up bitch.” Utahime just smirked, pulling out her phone. “Oh my god, oh god! Are you serious?!” Her phone slid across the table, the screen illuminated by the cottage that inspired your novel. “Ahh! Oh my god!”

“I also got in touch with the owners of the cottage. And when I told them a best-selling novelist was in love with their cottage, which they just so happen to rent out, they offered for you to stay there.”

“Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!”

“Maybe staying here will get your creativity flowing! Help you with the next few novels.”

Your body was vibrating in excitement. “Oh my god, yes! A week here would be great!” A low ‘uhm’ from across from you drew your attention from the phone to your agent. “Or a weekend?” she shook her head.

“They offered it to you for longer than that.”

“Seriously? How long are we talking?”

Utahime’s smile was wide and warm. “You’re gonna need a few bags.”

The second you left the coffee shop with a coffee in one hand and a brown paper bag in the other, you bolted down the street. Your meeting with Utahime went so well! You couldn’t wait to tell Suguru all about it. By the time you reached the apartment complex and his door on the third floor, you were panting.

Glancing at the handle, you luckily didn’t find a tie on it, meaning he didn’t bring home some chick, so it was safe for you to come in if you wanted. He did that for you after you walked in on him eating some bimbo out on the kitchen counter. Knowing it was safe, you unlocked the door with your spare key and headed inside.

The smell of paint was strong, meaning Suguru was in the zone and probably had been for hours. Meaning he hadn’t eaten. He was so lucky to have you as his best friend in the whole world, or the man would have starved.

“Suguru~!” Stepping through the apartment, you followed the sound of alternative music toward the spare room, which he’d turned into his makeshift studio. Stepping inside, you didn't find him, but his easel had a new canvas.

Quickly rushing forward, you stared at it, and your heart sank. Suguru had sketched out an aquarium, the base colors down, and a girl stood in front of the tank. The colors hadn’t been placed on her, but you knew who she was from the ruffled sun dress she wore to the braid that cascaded down her back.

“Riko.” Her name tore at your heart as you reached out to touch the sketch of the girl who had been taken far too soon.

Before you could touch the canvas, a creaking floorboard had you pulling away, rushing far for the easel. Your best friend walked in, a fresh mug of water in his hand, while he scrolled through his phone in the other.

God, how he had changed in the fifteen years you’d been together. His hair was longer, pulled in a bun; his bangs hung in his face. Suguru’s left arm was inked with a dragon; it swirled around the head of it tattooed on his shoulder. His lip was pierced along with the cartridge of his ears, and he was wearing his black gauges. That boy you met in class was now a man who was shirtless and covered in paint.

Suguru finally looked up; seeing you standing there startled him, causing him to spill water on the floor. “Fuckin’ hell!” He yelled, putting the mug down to grab the edge of his tables covered with tubes of paint. “You little fuckin’ shit.” His words held no heat as you placed his food and coffee down.

“Oh please, you’d starve without me. I tried calling you when I came in.”

“I was in the kitchen.”

“No, you weren’t.” You sat on the table inches from where Suguru stood. “I walked through there; you sneaking a girl down the fire escape? Not wanting me to catch you doing something indecent again?”

There was always a playful, teasing tone between the two of you. Especially now that you were older and he was a man whore. His dark eyes narrowed as he grinned, slotting between your legs as he sipped coffee.

His eyes trailed over you. “Why would you be jealous if I was?” You shook your head as he pushed your hair back. “Damn, I was just talking to Satoru.” Suguru rolled his eyes as you whistled. “You would like.” He ruffled the top of your head.

“Nah~ I’ve seen you go down on a girl.” He opened his mouth again. “And no, I’m not jealous; I just don’t wanna see you going at it.”

“Yeah, he said we’re all going out tonight; something about that sushi train place.” He pulled out the sandwich you brought him, taking a bite. “Said we had to celebrate.”

“Oh, we do.” Suguru swallowed the mouthful of food. “Because I got some great news today.”

“Really? Did Nanami like your new pages?” He stepped away, grabbing the mug of clean water as he stepped back in front of the canvas.

“Well, no, but that’s a whole other situation.” The excitement buzzing in your chest could no longer be held in. “Utahime found the cottage!”

Suguru perked up, knowing exactly what you were talking about. “Shut the fuck up, she did, where?!” He’d helped you search for your inspiration for hours; he knew how badly you wanted to go there.

“It’s in a wooded area in England. Super pretty! The owners have read my book and offered to let me stay there!”

“Well, that’s gre—”

“For the next two years!!”

Glass shattered, leaving both you and Suguru in stunned silence. Your best friend was pale, the color leaving his cheeks. His eyes were distant as you looked down, seeing the water spreading over the floorboard, sliding under Suguru’s bare feet.

You were the first to move, not to pick up the glass but to grab Suguru’s face gently. He was as still as a rock; he only got like that when he had flashbacks to that night. Seeing that he was painting Riko must have meant he was stuck in that moment from your second year of high school.

He shut his eyes tight, leaning into your touch, cluing you in. It wasn’t a flashback. He took a deep breath before lifting you, putting you off to the side, away from the glass. Something wasn’t right with Suguru; you knew it from his lingering touch and the lack of light in his eyes.

“What time did you get up?” You asked as you bent down, helping him pick up shards of glass.

“Are you going to leave?”

“I asked you a question first. What time did you get up?”

“Three this morning. Are you leaving?”

Peering up, you found his eyes focused solely on you. “I’m uhm—I’m waiting for Utahime to contact the owners.” He gritted his teeth, his eyes returning to the glass on the floor. “It’s not set in stone yet, Suguru.” You gently nudged his hand with yours; those words had him relaxing a bit, like relief was washing over him. “Why were you up at three?” He stood up, tossing the broken glass in the trash.

“Nightmares.”

“About Riko?”

Riko Amanai was a person Suguru didn’t like talking about. He went to therapy for what happened, but her death left a mark on him that probably would never heal. He had his good months and his bad months. Between the canvas and the nightmares, you knew he was going to have a hard time this month.

You didn’t push him; you hated to pry that part of his life. That didn’t mean you weren’t there for him, though. If he wanted to talk to you, your door was always open. There had been many nights when he would show up and ask to stay in bed with you. Those were the nights when nightmares were too much to handle when he had too much on his mind. Those were the nights you both stayed up, talking about life, your novel, or his work. They were also the nights you both fell asleep in each other‘s arms and got some of the best sleep of your lives.

“Suguru—?”

“I’m going to grab the broom. Just stay here.” Suguru grabs a white sheet and covers his newest canvas up before heading out of his room towards the kitchen.

Great, you just had to go prying into his trauma. What the hell is wrong with you? He would’ve talked about it with you if he wanted to talk about it. It was wrong to dig into what was happening in his mind. You worried so much about him, and sometimes you forgot you had no right to question him.

Despite your prying and prodding questions, Suguru was still warm to you. He wrapped an arm around you and plopped down on the couch with you while he finished eating breakfast and drinking coffee. He showed you some of the paints he wanted to get the next time he dragged you to the art store. Suguru acted like everything was normal when you both knew it wasn’t.

He was masking; he often did when he didn’t want to talk about what was going on in his mind. Or when he didn’t want to worry you. You could easily see through his façade, but you weren’t about to ruin the rest of his day with your questions. You lay there on the couch with him, listening to him talk about his paints and the commissions that he had received.

The mundane conversations lasted until four o’clock. The two of you freshened up before heading downtown to meet your other friends for your not-so-celebratory dinner. Satoru had invited almost everyone you knew. Nanami, Shoko, Sukuna, Haibara, and Yuki cheered when you two entered.

You were pulled towards the bar by Shoko and Yuki, who squealed over how lucky you were to have found your cottage. Suguru snatched a beer from the bucket on the table, chugging it as he sat beside Satoru. The white-haired man hissed out a sigh, his arm wrapping over Suguru’s shoulder as the two watched you closely.

“I can’t believe they offered her to stay there for two years.” Satoru purred out. “Like fuck, it’ll be weird not having her here.”

“Please shut the fuck up.”

Satoru pulled his dark sunglasses off, glaring at his best friend. “Who pissed in your cereal?” He paused, pursing his lips together. “Oh right, the girl you love is leaving you. I have an idea; tell her how you feel!” A handful of gyoza is shoved into Satoru’s mouth.

“I can’t. You know I can’t.” Nanami glanced at the two before him, gulping down his beer. “If I tell her, it’ll be like I’m holding her back. I can’t do that.” As he steals another glance at you, confusion, doubt, and anxiety settle in Suguru’s stomach. “If she wants to go, she can go.”

Thankfully, after his little rant, the conversation drifted from you and focused on school. The whole night, no one brought up the cottage, nor you leaving yet. As you assure them, nothing is set in stone yet, but finding out where your inspiration was was enough to drink to.

The happiness that seemed to radiate off you made Suguru feel bittersweet over the whole situation. He was happy for you. He knew how much finding that cottage. He spent his free time looking into it for you. But he could never find anything. He desperately didn’t want to go either. You were his best friend. You had been for fifteen years, and he was utterly in love with you, but he didn’t want to cross that line.

Now that there was a possibility that you would be leaving, he regretted all the chances he had to cross that line, and he never took it. That’s why he slept with so many girls who shared attributes similar to yours. Some of them had your eyes, others had your hair color, and there were just some of them that looked similar to you. It was a way to cope with being unable to tell you how he felt. But at least he didn’t ruin your friendship.

Between the lack of sleep and the new fear of losing you, Suguru needed something more potent than beer. He shimmed over to the bar, ruffling your hair as he passed you. As he leaned over the bar, waiting for his drink, Nanami squeezed in next to him.

“I think I know why she might be leaving.”

“Huh?” Suguru’s pierced brow lifted in confusion. “Why would there be a reason for her to leave? She’s always wanted to go to that cottage.”

“She offered to stay there to help with her writing. I may have called Utahime and given her a heads up about the pages I read today.” Nanami sipped his drink. “We both agreed that change of scenery might help with her writing.”

“The fuck do you mean?” A twinge of anger flashed over Suguru’s face. “Her writing is the best. There’s nothing for her to work on. She got published, for God's sake.”

Nanami chuckled nervously. “There’s no doubt that she’s a talented writer. While her dialogue and kissing scenes and her world-building are superior to other authors, I’ve read for. Her romance scenes are atrocious.” When Nanami saw the look of bewilderment on Suguru’s face, he nodded. “By romance, I mean sex scenes.”

“Well, she’s never had a boyfriend; I don’t think she’s even kissed someone.” Nanami makes a humming sound of understanding as a revelation overcomes Suguru. “Do you think if her sex scenes get better, she might now want to leave for as long as she said?”

“Maybe. But it’ll take a miracle for her sex scenes to improve.”

A miracle that Suguru was willing to provide. If he could help you, maybe, just maybe, you might consider staying if you’re given a chance to leave. And if he’s lucky, perhaps he would finally find the strength to tell you how he felt. Downing his drink, he rushed back to the table, grabbing your hand.

“Hey, can I talk to you?”

Your eyes glitter, making Suguru’s heart thunder. “Sure!” He drags you through the crowded restaurant, pulling you outside towards the alley. “What’s up?” God, you look so pretty with flushed cheeks.

“Nanami told me about the sex scenes”

“That traitor!” You pout, tilting your head back with a grumble. “Fine, go ahead and make fun of my usage of deli meat for describing genitalia.” The teasing never comes. Instead, Suguru's musky, earthy smell crowds you as he slams his hands on either side of your head. “S-Sugu?”

“I have a proposition.” His voice purrs out, making your heart race spike. “You’re struggling with the sex scenes. That’s why you’re thinking of leaving, right?”

“Y-yeah, and?”

“What if I help you? If your sex scenes get better, do you think you might not need to leave for two years?”

Heat begins to fill the tiny space between your bodies. You feel your exhaled air mingling with the others. Fuck was it the alcohol?

“I-I mean, maybe I wouldn’t need to leave for so long. Maybe just a week.” There’s a gleam in your best friend's eyes. “But how are you going to help me?” His mouth inches closer, and you can feel the heat as he leaves an inch away from your lips.

“I can teach you.”

(TBC)

Forever Tag List:

@darkstarlight82 @pandoness @nealeart @simp-plague @sugurubabe

[starkid-innit]

Starkid Innit Friendship Bracelets

A PSA to everybody going to starkid innit, after hearing people’s thoughts the consensus on dress codes seems to be wear whatever you want and cosplay is encouraged

However I've also decided I'm going to officially declare project friendship bracelet a GO

(yes we are full on stealing this from the swifties but opportunities for a big UK starkid event don't come around very often and I'm determined to make the most of it)

So hopefully we'll get lots of people making cute (or unhinged) friendship bracelets and we can all share/trade them at the concert and it will all be very cute and please can we actually make this happen?

I'm counting on people to commit to this otherwise I'm going to feel like a right idiot, but it would be fantastic if loads of people got involved!

Also if you could help me to spread the word that'd be fab. I'll do my best but I have made a grand total of 20 tweets and 0 tiktoks in my time lol

Thanks for all your support, I can't wait to see what you all make, and I leave you with this inspiring image of this afternoon's creation:

[fitsofgloom]

"The Hypnotic Eye," a wondrously Psychotronic '90s Dallas-based cable access show. It was a fab assemblage of movie clips, music videos, vintage commercials, trailers, sketches, and more, all of it blended up in an experimental Cuisinart. It was helmed by the great Joe Riley -- a talented latex mask maker, monster movie maven, and member of The Church of The SubGenius -- and hosted by a foam puppet cyclops named Icon. This became a cult phenomenon in the days prior to the advent of the Internet age, with fans outside of the Dallas area trading tapes via post.

[casket-of-imps]

have an angsty cherri cola headcanon bc @cowboycatss sent me a little cat doodle that made my day and i hear they like to kick that guy <3

so after the fab four die, some killjoys make a shrine for them in the basement of the diner, and they put up little trinkets they had from the fab four (an old drawing party had done for someone, a rag kobra used to clean his bike, jet's trusty wrench, the shell of an old bomb ghoul made, etc.). and people don't own shit in the zones, but cherri's become like the defacto owner of the diner now, but it's turned into a kind of public place now. at first he thought it was a good idea, bc the fab four never got a burial and they were heroes that deserved to be remembered--and even if was painful to have such a blatant reminder of them, of his cowardice and failure, it was good for others to have a place to mourn.

but then, people start bringing in not things that had belonged to the fab four, but offerings and prayers. cherri watches the four friends he loved actively pass into legend, his old crew having their humanity traded for godhood. he knew party and jet and ghoul and kobra, and of course he wants people to remember them and know their story and their sacrifice but destroya he didn't know people would start worshiping them. and with every little too-personal relic someone manages to find and add (a journal of jet's secret poems, dogtags ghoul almost never took off, gloves with kobra's blood on them, poison's bad luck beads), the more it makes him want to throw up and tear down the altar--but then he'll see some young 'joy kneeling down with tears and wonder in their eyes, and he knows that he can't. they aren't his to know anymore--he gave up that privilege.

[harrisonarchive]

At the Top Ten Club in Hamburg, Spring 1961; photo by Jürgen Vollmer.

“I was very impressed by John. Probably more than Paul, or I showed it more. I loved John’s blue jeans and lilac shirt and sidies. But I suppose I was impressed by all the Art College crowd. John was very sarcastic, always trying to bring you down, but I either took no notice of him or gave him the same back, and it worked.” - George Harrison, The Beatles Authorized Biography (1968)

George Harrison: “My parents both liked music; they used to go out dancing a lot. And when I first wanted a guitar, my mother bought me this very cheap guitar worth three pounds, ten shilling, or about six dollars. And she didn't mind that I used to stay up until two in the morning polishing my guitar and trying to learn how to play. Later, when I got to know John and Paul, she used to love having them around singing in the back room. She was very encouraging about that.” Q: “You met Paul first.” GH: “Yeah, Paul went to school with me. I met him when I was about twelve years old. So I had this guitar, the one I just talked about, and Paul had a trumpet for some reason. His father, in his earlier days, had been involved in a little dance band. He was a piano player. So there was a lot of music in Paul's house too. But when we started hanging out together, that’s when Paul realized that he wasn’t going to be able to sing and play the trumpet at the same time. So he traded it in and got a guitar.” Q: “And somewhere along the line you got introduced to the Quarrymen.” GH: “That’s right. Paul had a friend [Ivan Vaughn] who was in his class at school and he lived by John. He took Paul to meet John, and then I met him, and the rest is history!” - WNEW-FM, 1987

“[John] was a very funny fella. And we had a lot of laughs. When we were doing this record for [Cloud Nine] ‘When We Was Fab,’ I thought a lot about John, because he wrote, I think, the best Beatles songs that I can think of — like ‘Walrus,’ ‘Glass Onion,’ and ‘Strawberry Fields.’ Those obvious John-songs. You know, I miss that side. I miss that in music, when I listen to other records. There’s nobody who does anything that’s that neat; that fun and unusual and sarcastic and loving… he was great, he was brilliant, and he was a great soul. Still is.” - George Harrison, Guitar World, April 1988 (x)

[paintermagazine]

‘She’s all at sea!’

Lucy Campbell (British surfing champion)

Instagram: ‘lucysurf’

‘Jay McLaughlin (The Fab Trade)’

[queen-of-hellfire666]

Evil [Joel Miller X FAB!Reader] part 1

You guys asked and I promised. Writing begins now! Have a Joel Miller x reader my filthy little demons ❤️ this one was asked by quite a few so I’m incorporating 3 ideas/asks. Please if you feel uncomfortable at all with this do not read! Other than that please Enjoy! Ps. This one is lengthy and I might make it two parts. Looks like this is two parts people.. please enjoy. Idk how to feel about it.

Warnings: mentions of smut (flashbacks), attempted SA (I’ll add a trigger warning to the part ) FLUFF, some angst, fluff and comfort!! Age-gap, cussing. (Obv)

2 months since Joel left. He was traveling with that girl, taking her somewhere. You had went off on your own, leaving the QZ was the best ting you could have done. You loved Joel but knew he’d never love you the way you love him. The girl amused you for the short time you knew her. She was.. mouthy.

The woods were dark and tiring. You had to stop and rest a few times but you were back on the trail. It had gotten colder now, probably about to snow in the mountains. You just hoped for Joel’s safety. There was a village ahead, possibly could be something good. They looked like they had a fire so what’s the harm?

You walked right up into the camp and was greeted by a man.. the preacher there. Something seemed off with him from the jump but it was warm there and you needed a place. “Hello, My name is David. Welcome. You must be hungry! Let’s get you inside and get you warm dear!”

Dear.. how that made you uneasy. “Thank you for your kindness but I just need some supplies and I’ll be on my way.” The boys around you have a chuckle. “Oh no!” David insisted. “You must stay! It’s been awhile since we have had a guest! Especially one as pretty as you!”

The food tasted different here, something off. Everyone eyeballed you in a way that made you uncomfortable. You took up sleep for the night in a small room by yourself. David insisted you stay longer but this place seemed fishy.

By the time you woke up the next morning David and his men had left out to hunt. Not for food. They had brought back a deer, causing people happiness but they were on a man hunts you heard the talk, the people were strange. ‘It’s almost like a cult..’ you thought to yourself.

It took awhile to pack all your stuff up including new items you traded with them for. As you finished up David opened the door. “Y/n was it? I really wish you wouldn’t go..” he shut the door behind him. His demeanor was menacing.. evil. “Now.. we could work out.. these woman around here don’t understand like you do.” He got closer, leaving no room. “David I-I’m not very interested in anything.. I have someone waiting-“ you started.

“Someone better?” He reached out for your face, you flinch in the process. He grabs your hair and strokes it. what was this man on? “God brought you to me for a reason.” He started. “Stay with me and be my wife.. we can lead these sinners..”

“Get off of me.” You growled. “See.. I don’t think that’s what I want.” He smiled. “I won’t be your wife, or have any part in your cult.” You spit back at him. “What a shame. I liked you.” He snapped his fingers and the door opened. Two men grabbed you, one knocking you on the head.

Your vision was blurry.. you slowly came to in a cell. A little girl on the other side.. she looked familiar. “Holy shit.” She mumbled. “It’s you.” She got up walking over. “Y/n? It’s me! Ellie? From QZ and Marlene?” She shook you. “Ugh.. yeah yeah.. hi kid..” your head was spinning. Everything didn’t register. “Wait.. where’s Joel?”

She took a big gulp. “Shh.. they can’t know. He’s injured bad.. I got him some medicine but he’s hidden.” She whispered lowly. “Look these people are crazy.. the guy wants to marry-“

“Marry you?” You finished her sentence. “How.. how did you know?” She asked, taking a seat next to you. “I was the second bride.” You teased with a flinch as your head felt dizzy.

“That gash is pretty bad..” Ellie seemed concerned. For the first time you realize why this was so important to Joel. Joel has a soft spot for this girl. She was important and it impressed you how grown up she acted. Before you knew it the girl was up and yelling at David and his men. “Look fuck you guys! She’s hurt and she needs help!”

“Ellie.. Ellie it’s okay.” You reassured. “Y/n no it’s not! Joel would kill me if anything happened to you!” You looked up confused. “What are you talking about?” You used the bars to steady yourself and get up. “Your all Joel has thought about! I hear him say your name in his dreams.. when he got hurt you were who he talked about. Said some nonsense of sweet words and nights or something.”

-Flashback-

“Joel this is wrong.” You giggled as he hoisted you up on the counter. “You sayin’ we should stop?” His southern drawl had a small hint of teasing. “No god no.. just.. get these off me.”

“Easy now tiger.. there’s people around here.. not just us in this building.” He teased again.. like he was dragging it out. Your lips crashed on his, everything felt so warm.. so right. Before you knew it he was inside you, everything felt so right.. everything in the moment at least..

-End-

“Earth to y/n!” You snapped up looking at Ellie. “Dude- Dude.” She stuttered. “A-A finger!” James and David both came back in. “Grab her.” David ordered. James grabbed Ellie and threw her on the table. “WAIT NO!” You squealed. “STOP!” David smiled. “Don’t worry, you’ll get your turn.” David laughed out a sick laugh. “NO WAIT! IM INFECTED!” She screamed out. Your eyes went wide.

“Really?” David growled. “So are you.” Ellie breathed out. “Roll up my sleeve! LOOK AT IT!” She yelled at them. “I’ll play along.” David rolled up her sleeve after stabbing a knife next to her head. “What’d you say? Everything happens for a reason right?” Ellie sighed.

David and James bantered back and fourth Ellie grabbed the knife and stabbed James in the face, grabbing the door to the cell as she fell. “Y/n!! Come on!” She screamed. Ellie ran out as David shot at her, you grabbed some things and chucked it at him.

“Ellie hide.” You whispered. You both ran into a locked room, no way out. “No wait out girls.. the doors are locked.” Somehow in the midst of the moment a piece of firewood caught fire after Ellie threw it. You both hid as he locked the other door. “Ellie I got it.. when I grab him and throw you the keys.. run.” You whispered to her, giving her a quick hug. The girl was scared.. in shock. “Ellie… y/n..” he called. “YOU DONT KNOW HOW GOOD I AM!”

“You see I’ve changed my mind, I’ve decided you do need a father.. both of you.” You ran out and grabbed David from behind, he slammed you down, laughing at your failed attempt. You were weak, worn down. he kicked you in your side, making you yep. David grabbed both your wrists with one hand.

(TRIGGER WARNING NOW)

You wiggled and screamed, tears rolling down down your face. “I thought you knew? The kicking and fighting is the part I like the most!” He grabbed your pants, yanking them down. “NO!!” You screamed digging your heels down. “There’s no fear in love.” He had his pants unbuckled and almost off when Ellie comes from behind, knocking him off. It gives you time to grab a knife and plunge it into his chest.

Over, and over.. and over. Blood was all over you.. you looked up to see Ellie frightened.. you let out a blood curing scream as Ellie unlocked the door. Ellie ran out, looking for someone to help anyone.

(END OF TRIGGER WARNING)

The flames around you burned.. you laid there, crying. You didn’t know why. It made you feel sick. “JOEL!” Ellie yelled and grabbed him, hugging him. “Joel please.. y/n-“ Joel’s eyes widen. “Where is she?” Ellie brought him back to you quickly. “Y/N?!” You heard him yelling. You couldn’t register anything. Your head was spinning. Everything hurt. You felt someone grab you, screaming and kicking as they dragged you out. He grabbed your face as you were in the snow.

“Hey, hey it’s me.. hey it’s me.” He held your face, tears freezing to your face as your screaming stopped. “I-I..” words were gone. He pulled you into a tight hug. “Shh.. I got you baby girl.” You sobbed as he hugged you. His words were soft, sincere. “Joel..” Ellie whispered. He nodded and slowly got you up from the ground. “Come on.. let’s get you somewhere warm.”

[crashqu1nn]

KILLJOY OC‼️

This is Crash Riot!

Any killjoys mentioned in this are other ocs I have so disregard it

Any killjoy terms refer to the dictionary

- [ ] Gets around on roller skates like show pony

- [ ] Toxic targets younger sister

- [ ] Known for having a sharp tongue

- [ ] Wears one specific shirt that cherry bomb gave her when they were younger and refuses to take it off even though it’s falling apart

- [ ] Raygun says KABLAM! in reference to her beloved comics

- [ ] Nose is ALWAYS sunburnt

- [ ] scar from a run in with Val Velocity

- [ ] Belt stolen from toxic target

- [ ] Known in the zones for trading items for piercings

- [ ] Hates Val velocity for obvious reasons

- [ ] Often goes on missions with the Fab Four (it’s my oc and I get to choose the lore!)

- [ ] Does not understand how vend-a-hacks work and has to get Violet veil to help every time

- [ ] Book buzzer

- [ ] Is teaching the girl to read

- [ ] Always chewing gum

- [ ] has inhaled gum multiple times and toxic target has had to give her the hiemlich

I forgot to draw her mask so stay tuned for that

@thankyouforthev3n0m

[missfreija]

You have to love the hypocrisy of the show acting as though being a pimp is so much better than being a slave owner; like it isn't still human trafficking, and as though in that time and place, black women wouldn't have suffered the most from it. It's a seriously disgusting thing to pretend that it's this cutesy, morally fine thing to do: if they're fine with Louis being a sex trader, than they should have been fine with portraying the actual story of the books - he's meant to be a passively bad person. The story is about evil deserving empathy. It would be different if they used the fact that he's a pimp to explore the fact that he's always profited off of human lives and was passively evil in life, that would have been different (though that's exactly what the books do, so it still would have worked with the original story and then the show might have been good), but it was used as a way to make Louis a morally fine uwu baby. I fucking hate it. It's disgusting for the show runners to pretend sex trading is okay and doesn't harm people, it's dishonest to pretend the show is a discussion about the legacy of race in America without actually discussing the way in which black women suffered as a result of misogynoir and how they were sexualised and their sexual exploitation was ignored (but we all know how the show feels about black women given what they did to Claudia), and it's ridiculous to pretend that it's a gothic story when it veers away from the moral complexities inherent to the gothic genre. It's a poorly written, malicious, badly developed show with subpar actors, and I hate how popular it's become. It feel as though it's defiling the legacy of the books. And apparently Marius is a pimp now too. I hate even engaging with it, but I had to vent. I hope it gets cancelled as soon as possible and the fan base dies down, in the meantime, I'll try to enjoy the books and the circle of book fabs that remain here. Of which your blog is a wonderful example. Love to you, hate to AMC.

I absolutely agree with every single word lol. As a woman and as a iwtv fan i am disgusted by the treatment of women in this show, but apparently the show writers and the majority of audience don't care about women representation, neither black nor white. Also the fact that they portrayed the sex workers (in the few scenes where they appear) as 'relaxed' women that seem to have a friendly attitude towards Louis (who in this show possesses a strong ambition for business) is weird and gives to the viewer a distorted view of reality. The narrative focused a lot on the issue of racism, so why not showing briefly the suffering of black prostitutes? Because the male gaze doesn't want to recognize it? I don't know. And don't get me started on the other female characters.

What happened to Claudia was completely avoidable and unnecessary and still rj opted for this version and said that the r4pe was 'a horrible thing that happened to her, but it has toughened her up'. I guess it is a self-explanatory sentence. I can't even imagine how SA victims felt while hearing him say it. It completely downplays the trauma of SA and implies that women get something positive out of it. I felt that episode and the scene in one of the first episodes where Louis burns the tapes of the '70 interview (the book….) were disgustingly disrespectful towards Anne Rice and her fans.

Last year I got into a heated argument with some show fans on twitter because they kept reiterating that 'at least prostitution gives more freedom to women/people than slavery', 'louis is a good pimp, he treats his girls with respect', 'he defends the prostitutes from cruel men' , 'at least he didn't enslave my ancestors unlike book louis', it was annoying and i was astonished of reading all their statements, very misogynistic.

Regarding pimp Louis: not only this is a way to avoid probing into the character's psyche/moral (and not include one of the most important themes of the novel), but it is a way of de responsabilize (and deny) the past. Louis is a man of his time and, with an accurate work of writing, it would have made sense to contestualize his privileged position and explain what it meant for him to be in charge of a plantation, it would have been interesting to show what it meant to be a landowner and slave owner at the time and the consequences of his actions reflected on his slaves, maybe introducing some of them into the narrative in a more concrete way (or do the same with the pimp/brothel storyline in the show, because it's equally evil), since it is a topic basically not explored in the book. But the showrunner decided that nowadays one should not represent these issues on tv and you have to disregard the past. It is extremely hypocritical.

And it's awful that for this reason they chose another historical setting, changing century and not addressing the fact that there were just as many issues in 1910/20 as well; apparently for the writers the XX century was a historical period with minor social problems where no difficulties existed (aside from racism, it was pretty much the most prominent theme in s1). And I doubt that the reconstruction of the New Orleans society of the time is faithful lol (and where is the voodoo?). All this imo denotes great laziness in the writing.

And clearly this series does not belong to the gothic genre, it's more a teen drama. Beyond the surface level thrills, the gothic literature holds a profound mirror to the complexities of human psychology that here are totally absent. I also doubt that the show writers did extensive research on the figure of the vampire in literature.

We were all eagerly waiting for the cancellation of this garbage that is NOT iwtv/tvc and the immediate disappearance of the show fandom ahahah but unfortunately it has been renewed for s3 😔

Thank you for the compliments mwah! hugs!

[total-cards]

Grab an awesome deal on our site right now! The First Edition of Flesh & Blood Monarch is now on sale, meaning you can pick up a whole booster box for £94.95, which is a huge saving!

[blood-injections]

The fabulous four were dusted years ago, but they still haunt the zones. Their names are spoken in reverence, like the Witch's, but sometimes in spite too, because nobody likes heroes anymore. To most zonedwellers, at this point martyrdom is nothing but suicide, an easy way out. You can say you died for your cause all you want but at the end of the day theres four less pawns on the board and if they were still here maybe they'd be overthrowing the king instead. It's different, running to Battery City instead of from it, many still think the faulous four were insane for it. Sure, they had a reason, but many argue it wasn't good enough. You don't just trade four lives for one like that, not in war. It's bad strategy. 

Whatever. In reality, most zonedwellers just don't care anymore, those legends are legends now, all thats left of them are their names, heavier in some places than others.

Like here, at the crash track, everyone knows of the Kobra Kid. His name is traded like a dietys among the racers, as if hes some god that can grant you luck in a race if you leave the right offering by the starting banner or whisper the right words under your breath. More than the rest of the fabulous four, Kobra Kid carved out a place for himself here, a trench of a legacy through zone four that everyone that races or watches them knows, the fastest 'joy to ever grace the tracks, they say, and even dead, the Kobra Kid remains such, standing tall as reigning champ in what remains, the records that no racers yet to beat. 

It seems that out of respect, no one even tries. It's become a superstition, that if you try to break one of Kobra's records, it's bad luck, like shattering a mirror or walking under a ladder, they say that on your next race you'll spin out or pop a tire or break a leg for real, that you'll be luckier than usual if you don't break your neck. 

Hardly anyone that hangs around the crash track anymore actually knew him, but everyone still knows his story, its whispered in the stands like gossip, killjoys discussing the kid that came along and grew up fast, watching races first, then one day showing up with his own bike he had saved up carbons for, then he made a name for himself quick, because the kid was a damn natural. He could race the track like an ospery flies, cutting through the sand with a grace unlike any other. Eventually he didn't just master the track, he became it. Older joys say you had to see him racing to believe it, the jumps he could make, the turns he could spin, the times he could set. They say that after he was ghosted with the fab four, the crash track, a place so full of life all day and night, was empty for a week. 

Barren. Nobody raced, crews didn't hang out, for a week there was no life, no music. It felt more like a graveyard. Some sat in the stands and watched the tumbleweeds blow across the track, waiting for a race that never started. It was a long moment of silence, and by the end of the week, apparently candles lined the track, the whole track, one big altar to the lost racer. 

Then, everyone came back, as if they had all unspokenly agreed to, and people raced again, seeing that red motorbike in the corner of their eye, keeping speed with them, they say, until a bend, then it will dissappear, and they know that if they turn to look, it will disappear too. Maybe its actually him, haunting the track, maybe its just a mirage, because he may be gone but the desert remembers, the crash track remembers. Nobody knows, but those older joys, the ones that knew Kobra, that raced with him, hardly any of them race anymore, they're fully able to, there’s just no fun in crossing the finish line and being neck to neck with a ghost.

Ao3

[daksart]

I'm on Cara!

For those who don't know, Cara is a new site/app that is similar to twitter in design but is tailored to artists. You can upload to a portfolio and interact with other artists without all the other bs. and best of all, it's Anti-AI image gen!