#boom beach 10 years

[ranaissingle]

Whispers and Melodies (Pt. 2)

Part 1 Part 2

Summary: She has heard a deep melodic voice speaking to her from a faraway place for decades. Anything from snippets of a longer conversation to roars that shook the very earth she walked on.

Rating: T (For now)

Word Count:

A/N: This story is shaping up to be over 10 chapters so I am trying to queue up some chapters to post with some kind of regularity lol. I hope you enjoy this one! Also, I have created a tag list so comment below if you would like to be tagged in upcoming parts!

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Past (Sometime before Amaranths's Rule UTM)

Rhysand sat at his office in Velaris pouring over mountains of paperwork that he had allowed to pile up right before starfall. He’d spent the better part of 3 days working through the aftermath of the holiday, and he sat now at his desk, he wished he had some type of escape or distraction from the mountain of work that always seemed to follow him. 

A melodic breeze seemed to enter from the window as the trees and winds intermingled before filtering their way through the large windows. The breeze carried notes that came in quick succession and seemed to echo off of each other. The soft feminine voice almost caressed Rhysand's cheek and winded itself around him in a blanket of warmth. He hadn't realized how cold he was until that very moment. His back and arms slowly untensed themselves as he relaxed further into his chaise and as soon as Rhysand felt like he could finally go to sleep, the voice seemed to fade back out the window and only left Rhysand craving more. 

Page break and POV switch (Same time period)

Y/N sat out enjoying the weather amid the hot summer. She had laid out various fruits, bread, and spreads to snack on while she read and hummed away her evening basking in the sun. The wind carried a gentle breeze and various little creatures scurried their way across the grove. All at once, it seemed like the ambient noise around her had become muffled. As if someone had placed a pillow over her ears. Slowly, a voice from the outside seemed to filter through whatever was muffling her hearing. It was laughter. Booming laughter made some deep unknown emotion bubble up inside her. Something that made her heart ache most deliciously. A small smile crept upon her face as she looked out into the distance the first to find where the sound had been emitting from. Nothing but trees and willowing branches blew in the wind, not a soul in sight. The laughter slowly fizzled out as if the sound was creeping back into the forest from whence it came. The retreat left her feeling cold as if a winter breeze had made its way to her from the winter court. 

Rhysand slowly pulled open the door to the room he had been occupying and stepped outside the threshold of the door. As the hinges creaked, the woman’s chopping ceased as she placed her knife on the cutting board before wiping her hands on her apron and turning around. Rhysand strengthened his stance even as the muscles of his thighs burned with the strain. 

“Who are you and how did I get here.” Rhysand’s voice came out firmer than he had thought himself capable of. The woman narrowed her eyes at him and cocked her head to the side.  

“I found you passed out on the beach. You are quite lucky the tides did not pull you into the depths before.” 

Her lips quirked up at the idea as if she was thinking about that very outcome. Rhysand squared his shoulders and steeled himself further. He couldn't be sure that this woman did not have evil intentions. If there was anything he had learned in his 500 years of life, it was that he should never underestimate an opponent just because they were a female. 

“Why would you help me then? Is there something you want in return?” 

Rhysand was grateful enough for the help that she had provided that he was willing to give her something in return. The female rested all of her weight on one leg as she turned her eyes up to the roof and began to contemplate what she would want. She was likely going to ask for a pile of gold or a new cottage of some sort. She looked like she had run through a million possible answers to his question when all at once her eyes widened and her posture stiffened as she blurted out; 

“Waterdrake scales! Could you get me water Waterdrake scales? A lot of them?” 

POV Switch To Y/N

Why did his voice sound so familiar? She swore she’d heard it before but couldn't

Y/n’s hand tightened on the side of the counter that she had been gripping with all of the mother’s strength. What ingredient could possibly stabilize the potion she was working on? She had tried every single combination of Honey possible but it always reduced the potency by some amount. She needed it to be as potent as possible in order to ensure its effectiveness. Firedrake scales were known to increase the shelf life of a potion, but that wasn’t exactly what she needed. She needed something to make sure that the reaction between the crawfish shell and fennel root did not take place and that their effects were enacted on the patient independently of their effects on one another. Could dragon bone work? No, that would just react with the fennel root and make the whole mixture useless. But waterdrake scales? Yes, those could work; it would keep the potion cool enough to prevent reaction while also having a cooling effect on the body when administered which would help with the fevers that often accompany blood loss. Yes, this was perfect! Before she could get any sort of reign on her excitement. 

Y/n blurted out, “Water drake scales! Could you get me waterdrake scales? A lot of them?”

POV Switch to Rhysand 

This female had gone insane. Water Drake scales were the rarest type of scales. Asking for them was equivalent to asking for something more valuable than the cauldron itself. Never mind that he was sure Velaris did indeed have Warwe drake scales, what could this female possibly need water Drake scales for? Rhysand lets his lips quirk up on one side as he takes in the female. 

“What would a spritely female like you need with water drake scales and how are you so sure that I could be the one to provide them for you?” Rhysnad crossed his arms over his chest and stared her down. 

Y/n rolled her eyes while she looked him up and down. “You carry yourself in a manner that befits whatever rank you possess.” She takes a deep breath before continuing,”I have seen a great many males like you, they traipse around as if they own the land they walk on, they trample over the plants and never leave a place the same as when they found it. Your kind is the reason our world will never have any semblance of peace for more than the time it takes to heave a breath.” 

“Oh? You have come to this conclusion after knowing me for all of 10 minutes have you?” 

“Not quite I think. You seem to be less…? Just less I suppose. I can’t exactly put my finger on it but you do not suck the air out of a room the way your brethren tend to. I’ve come to conclusions about your brethren, not necessarily you, it seems.” 

Although Rhysand still did not look pleased, he had already decided to acquiesce to her demands as soon as she had spoken it. He was grateful, after all, for her help in his recovery.  But, he was not going to fetch the scales by himself. If she wanted to get her hands on those scales she would have to contribute to the journey. 

“Alright, if you want the scales you shall have them. However, I am not going on this journey for the impossible by myself. I know where to find them so we can get started whenever you are ready. 

She smiles slightly before speaking. “I think that our journey might have to be held off a couple of days at least.”

Rhysand took the bait. “What, not up for the challenge?”

“No, I’m up for the challenge. You, however, are not.” The smirk on her face was undeniable and Rhysand felt a laugh make its way up his throat. The female was right he was not up to any kind of journey where he would be forced to sleep on the cold hard earth and eat whatever gruel he could salvage. All at once he felt the exhaustion flood him as his body realized he would not be traveling anytime soon. 

She seemed to notice this and anticipated Rhysand’s legs giving out under him before he realized he was getting closer and closer to the polished wood of the floor. She skillfully wrapped her arms around his torso and slowly lowered him to the ground. 

“We need to get you to bed. I already made breakfast so I’ll bring some to you as soon as you’re tucked in. 

Rhysand chuckled, “I’m not a child, gods, you’re more demanding than my brothers.” She cocked her hips to the side before placing her hands on her hips as she stared him down. Rhysands smile never left his face as he raised his palms in defeat and raised himself to his knees before turning on his heel and entering the room he had previously come out of. As the door clicked shut behind him, Rhysand stood in the middle of the cozy room. He hadn’t smiled in 50 years. The muscles felt strangely tight from lack of use. He knew he had to get back to Velaris as soon as possible; his family was probably wondering where he was. But, despite his best efforts he couldn't bring himself to winnow home. It was quite peaceful in this little cottage by the sea. Rhysand eventually sat on the bed and leaned back on his arms as he stared out of the large window across from the bed. It seems Amaranths's reign managed to evade this section of the fae kingdoms. 

Y/N rapped on the door 3 times before opening the door and walking inside. Rhysand smelt a fragrant aroma of ripened fruits and something else warm and minty. She walked up to the small wooden table next to the bed and placed a tray on it. 

“I’ve made you a fruit salad, bread and herbs, and tea. I would make you something more hearty but, considering how malnourished you were upon your arrival, I feel it’s best to start you off on some simpler foods.” Rhysand looked up at her, “Thank you for the meal.” She tilted her head to the side slightly and smiled. “Could I check your temperature?” She raised her hand up towards his forehead but kept her hand from actually touching him. He took the time to look up at her from where he sat on the bed. He nodded his head and waited as she brought the back of her hand to his forehead and placed her hand on her forehead as well. 

“You’re temperature is slightly above what is normal..” The frown on her face deepened as the gears in her mind began formulating some combination of herbs and elixirs to lower the fever. Rhysand kept his gaze on her as she started counting on one hand and mumbling soft indescribable words. Her eyes flicked down to his and she said,“ I’ll have to give you some ginger and chamomile to help lower your fever. ” Her touch felt cool on his warm forehead when he swore he felt his temperature lower a fraction. She then slowly brought her hands down to his neck before looking at him to ask for permission once more. Again, he slowly nodded his head and she pressed one of her delicate fingers against his skin. She removed her finger quickly and kept her gaze on that section of her neck. “It appears as if you are also dehydrated.” 

Her voice trailed off as she continued moving his head slightly. Curiosity overwhelmed him so Rhysand asked, “ You could have done all these tests while I was asleep, could you not?”. She smiled slightly at him as she removed her hands from his cheek and neck and placed them back in her lap. “I don’t think you would have wanted that.” Her gaze settled on him in a way that made shivers run up his already sore spine. Rhysand answered with his own poor excuse of a smirk.

“Eat up, I will start preparing the provisions for our journey and bring you some more water”. She turned to the door and softly clicked it shut behind her. 

Y/N did not expect that being so close to the man would have made her heart beat so fast. The hair on her arms stood up as she attempted to take deep breaths to calm her racing heart. She needed to get started on the preparation as well as figure out the dilemma of how she was going to replicate the properties of water drake scales without having to put them in every single batch of her remedy.  

Rhysand relaxed back into the bed cradling him and felt the tension in his muscles trickle out and gather underneath him in a pool of warmth. They wouldn't be going on a journey, he was sure Majda had some water drake scales stocked up and he planned to winnow them into Velaris as soon as he was better. But she didn't need to know that yet. He quite liked the tranquility of the little cottage on the sea and intended to stay here as long as she would permit him to. Funnily enough, he didn't care to go back home.

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A/N: this had too many POV switches for my taste so I won't be doing that again lol I know it's been a while since I posted but I am trying to get back into the groove of things haha

TAGLIST: @nebarious

[lomltrentarnold]

❛ alleged girlfriend. (part 2) ❜ — trent alexander-arnold

❪ part one / part two ❫

warnings : childhood best friends to lovers, mutual pining, smau at the end.

hana’s notes : hey y’all!! you don’t have to read the first part to understand this one, it can be read as a stand-alone 😘 got me giggling while writing this fr (i am mentally ill) hope y’all like this <3

MAIN MASTERLIST

┆ ° ♡ • ➵ ✩ ◛ °

Sneaking out of a party with Trent wasn’t something new. You have been doing it since you were fifteen but you were amazed how it still had the the same rush 10 years later.

Sounds of laughter boomed around the beach as Trent almost lost his balanced and trip for not looking straight up front. He was looking at you, but you didn’t want to dwell to deep on that.

“Watch where you going, T!” you giggled, fingers tightening itself around his, as he almost took you with him to face plant onto the sand.

He chuckled, “Sorry!” pulling your body closer to his, trying to keep steady. His hand instinctively rested on your waist, thumb running over your hip.

And maybe he just wants to be close to you, but you didn’t need to know that.

The party quieted down when you both stepped outside, the music sounded like it was underwater, making the night more peaceful. It was lucky that the party was on a beach house. The smell of salty ocean already hitting your nose.

There were people scattered along the beach, most of them were in groups and some of them you’re assuming were couples.

You suddenly felt awkward walking alone with Trent. But then you immediately stuffed that thought away.

Best friends walk together along the beach, while holding hands and giggling, right?

“What‘s going on in that pretty head of yours?” Trent asked, you were more quieter than usual and he could feel you losing yourself in your thoughts, so he wanted to know what you were thinking.

Your hands were swinging back and forth between you two, the wind kissing your skin, your hair flowing along with it. Trent caught himself staring at you multiple times, but that didn’t mean anything. He was just distracted by your hair movement.

That’s normal for best friends, right?

“Nothin’, I’m just—“ you sighed, shoulders relaxing, “—happy to be here. I missed this.”

I missed you. You wanted to add.

“Ya didn’t miss me?” he smirked, bumping your shoulder’s together.

Damn it, can he read minds?

You lightly scoffed, shaking your head, “Yeah, sure.”

Comfortable silence hangs between you two as continue to walk along the beach. The sound of the waves hitting the shore filled in the atmosphere, it made you feel at home. Finally.

Your eyes wander around the dark night sky, grinning wildly when you spotted twinkling stars and a full moon. “Trent, look! It’s a full moon!” you gushed out excitedly, pulling on Trent’s sleeve, and pointing at the sky. Your gaze never once left the scenery. You have always love the moon, ever since you were kids. It’s nice to know that some things never change. Trent’s gaze was stuck on you. The way you look under the glimmering night sky, made his heart rate speed up.

But, It’s okay to think that your best friend is pretty, right?

Trent couldn’t help himself. He reached in his pocket, taking out his phone and taking a picture of you.

He just thinks it’s a pretty scene and he needs to keep the image forever. That’s normal for best friends, right?

When you heard a camera click off behind you, you snapped your head towards Trent. Noticing the that he was taking a picture of you. “What’re you doing?” you nervously laughed.

“Nothing.” he huffed with warm cheeks, acting like he didn’t just got caught red handed. Before turning off his phone and putting it back in his pocket.

You rolled your eyes, as you slowly stopped in your tracks.

“Ya feet hurt?”

Sometimes you hate how he can read you so well.

You nodded, “Yeah.” a small pout forming on your lips and Trent has to force himself to not stare at it for too long.

“Come ‘ere.”

Trent sit down on top of the sand, pulling you down to sit next to him.

The night flew by, conversation went on as you both talked about your careers, family, friends accomplishments, drama, everything honestly.

Trent looked at you as the conversation died down. Big brown eyes stared into yours, it made your stomach flutter. You sighed, eyes involuntary dropping to his lips. You were hoping that he didn’t notice, but when you saw the slightest smirk curve up on his lips, you think you got caught red handed too.

“Trent?” you softly whispered, afraid to break the comfortable bubble you both were in.

Trent’s raised his eyebrows, encouraging you to continue.

Pausing for a moment, you shyly said, “I really do missed you.” you dropped your head a little. The eye contact was getting a little too intense.

Suddenly you felt Trent’s fingers brushing on your chin, tilting it up, so that you would look at him. “I really missed you too.” he muttered, warm breath hitting your cheeks.

You don’t know who leaned in first, but you reacted to it naturally. Body moving forward as Trent did the same. But just before anything could happen, a voice disturbed you.

“Trent!” Marcel’s yelled — Trent’s younger brother — causing you both to back away.

You think you heard a faint damn it from Trent but you weren’t too sure.

Was he disappointed that he didn’t kiss you? Was he mad that he tried to kiss you? We’re you both really going to kiss?

Marcel’s footsteps drew nearer as he continued to call out for his big brother. “What are you doing out here— oh.” he stopped midway, eyes darting between you and Trent, and the distance of you both. “Sorry, if I interrupted you guys.”

“Yeah, you kind of did—“

“It’s alright, Marcel.” you cut off Trent. Hands moving to hold his in a comforting manner, brushing your fingers across his knuckles. You smiled at the young boy and asked, “Is everything okay?”

He return your smile, “Yeah, I need a ride home and all of my friends are just about wasted.” he winched, looking at you and Trent apologetically.

Trent nodded his head in understanding, “Oh, well then.“ he stood up, pulling you up with him. “Let’s go home.”

You nodded, and moved to stand next to the younger boy, wrapping your hands around his shoulders. “So, what has been going on with you?” you asked, Marcel eyes lit up as he caught you all up with his stories from the walk to the car and the drive home. Not noticing how Trent was looking at the you with the fondest look on his face the whole time.

But that’s normal for best friends, right?

• • •

trentarnold66 posted on their story!

YOURUSERNAME just posted!

yourusername absolutely adore beach nights <3

view the replies!

user1 is she with Trent????

andyrobertson So that’s where you guys went 🤔

→ yourusername he was the one who wanted to go out 🙄

→ trentarnold66 Hey! You didn’t say no 🙄!

→ andyrobertson Okay, relax. You both are acting like an old married couple.

virgilvandijk The view is beautiful 😍

jordanhenderson I love the view 😉😍

→ curtisjr Me too mate!

→ _fabio.10 I agree!!

→ judebellingham i am onboard!

→ harvelliot So gorgeous ❤️

→ yourusername what is going on here 🤨

user2 omg is this the girl ???

user3 I love her relationship with the team 😭😭

user4 i ship her and Trent 💕

→ user7 me too!!

user5 they look so cute together 🥺🥺🥺

user6 OMG IM SCREAMING

user8 mom and dad

user10 Back off Trent is mine 🙄

→ user12 NO HE’S MINE!

user11 who is she

user9 this poor girl is gonna be so confused when she reads the comments 😭😭😭

footballcelebritynews just posted!

footballcelebritynews Trent Alexander-Arnold seen with the same girl again after a private party last night!

view the replies!

user1 they look so cute together!!!!

user2 y’all need to chill they’re just friends

user14 we lost him guys 😕

user3 who even is this girl?

user4 Post about Bellingham.

user5 is this the girl from trent’s story????

→ user8 I think so

→ user9 Yupp

user14 heart been broke so many times 😔

user15 no Trent give me a chance!!!

user6 Why is she suddenly everywhere?

→ user7 right?!!!! she came out of nowhere and now she’s suddenly close with trent and the boys??? somethings fishy 🤔🤔🤔

→ user11 I think she’s a clout chaser

→ user10 maybe they have known each other before 🤷‍♀️ common sense is free guys

→ user12 nah fr 💀

user13 the people that are acting like they actually have a chance with trent LMAOOO

reblog for a kiss <3

[foundtherightwords]

As the Sun Will Rise - Chapter 17

Pairing: Grunauer (Overlord) x OFC, Beauty & the Beast retelling

Summary: After losing most of his unit in a disastrous D-Day mission, Derwin Grunauer returns to his hometown near Miami, body riddled with scars and heart heavy with guilt, only to find his neighbors shunning him due to his German name. He retreats into his family mansion and remains there, unwilling to rejoin the living, until the day Alba Reyes turns up at his door with a basket full of warm bread. As the daughter of a Cuban immigrant, Alba knows something of being an outsider, and when she offers to work for Derwin as his housekeeper, it is not only to pay off her father's debt to the Grunauers, but also because she feels some connection to the reclusive young man. When that connection develops into something more, they must overcome both the town's prejudice and their own doubts to find happiness.

Chapter warnings: non-explicit smut

Chapter word count: 5.9k (sorry this chapter is a bit longer than usual; I tried to break it up but couldn't, so here we are)

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 - Chapter 12 - Chapter 13 - Chapter 14 - Chapter 15 - Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Derwin had never looked forward to Christmas, even when he was a boy. His mother's ill health meant that every celebration had to be carefully timed and always ended too soon, or else it would tire her out. And later, after she'd passed away, seeing all the other happy families had only reminded Derwin of how small and lonely his own family was. His father had tried, bless his heart, but he had never been much good at being fun or spontaneous, poor old Dad, and Christmas with just the two of them had always been rather awkward.

This year was the first time Derwin had been excited for Christmas. A cold front had come in, turning the air crisp and cool outdoors and making it cozy indoors, and for once the Christmas decorations fitted right in, as did the scent of pine needles from the tree and the smell of cinnamon and cloves from the cookies that Alba brought—they weren't Cuban, but, as she explained, her father understood the need to cater to their American customers. However, the real reason Derwin was excited, and nervous as well, was that Alba had insisted on him spending the day with her family, no ifs or buts about it.

"I want them to know about us," she'd told him. The way she'd said us went straight to his heart, so casual, yet with so much love and even a touch of pride as well, and he couldn't refuse her, even though he was quaking at the thought of Mr. Reyes, with his booming voice and critical eyes, judging Derwin as his daughter's suitor. But Derwin knew sooner or later they would have to face that particular hurdle, and with Alba there with him, he would be able to get over it.

The other reason he was nervous about Christmas was that Alba's plan didn't stop at Christmas dinner with her family. Apparently Frank knew a valet at some swanky hotel in South Beach and had managed to secure tickets to a Christmas dance there, and he had invited Beatriz and Alba along. So for the past week, Alba had been trying to persuade Derwin to join them.

"What on Earth would I do at a dance?" he'd said, gesturing to his cane. "I'd be the laughing stock."

"Nonsense. You danced perfectly well that night with the storm, remember?"

As if he could ever forget. But they had been alone then, and had the entire living room to themselves, and he'd still managed to nearly knock a lamp off a table with his cane. In a crowded ballroom, with other people around? Forget about it.

"Besides, you still owe me a proper date," she added.

It was true. It had been two weeks since their outing on the boat, and although they laughed about it with each other, Derwin still felt a twinge of embarrassment whenever he remembered it.

Not wanting to turn her down outright, he'd only given her a non-committal "I'll think about it." Alba refused to leave it at that and had been asking "Have you thought about it yet?" every day since.

Now, as he was putting the finishing touch to Alba's Christmas present, she burst into the study with a look that indicated she was going to ask that question again. He hid the present in a drawer and looked up sheepishly.

"It's three days away, you know," she said. "If you're not going, then at least tell me, so Frank can give our tickets to someone else."

"You're not going?"

She shrugged. "I don't have a date, do I?"

"Look, Alba," he began, reaching for her hand to soften his words. "I'm really sorry, but I don't know if I can..." He knew there was a very good chance that he would have fun if he went to the dance. He'd always had fun whenever he went out with Alba, not because of anything they did in particular, but because he liked being with her, simple as that. But he wasn't sure if he could face a ballroom full of people just yet, even with her by his side.

Alba peered at him for a moment or two, and a twinkle came into her eyes. She went to the gramophone in the corner, selected a record, and put it on. "This gentleman obviously doesn't believe in making love," she sang along with the music while dancing toward him, a mischievous smile on her lips. "What do you think, Otto?" Alba asked. "Isn't this the perfect song for Derwin or what?" The dog, lying in a patch of sunlight on the floor, tapped his tail in approval. Traitor.

Alba turned smugly to Derwin. "See, even Otto agrees."

Derwin tried to keep a stern face, but he couldn't help laughing at that. "Yeah, because he loves ganging up on me with you," he said.

Alba was now in front of him. "The gentleman obviously doesn't believe in moonlight walks," she continued singing and tugged at his hands, trying to get him to dance with her. He grinned but refused to budge. He was enjoying this too much. "Alone with a girl and he'd faint—"

"That's clearly not true. I'm alone with you and I haven't fainted yet—"

"Yes, that's just what he'd do. He's one of those gents who just hasn't the sense to thrill to a kiss." Here she bent down and gave him little kisses in time with the music. "Like me"—one on his forehead—"and you"—one on the tip of his nose—"and you"—and finally, one of his lips. "Well?" she asked, smiling down at him.

Still sitting in his chair, he grabbed her waist and yanked her close, so their noses and lips met, fitted together like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. A laugh of surprise escaped her throat and died away immediately when he pressed his mouth to hers. The last notes of the song died away, and a delicious silence followed, broken only by a whisper from Derwin, "OK, I'll go."

***

That Saturday, Derwin felt a bit like Cinderella before the ball as he brushed his best and only suit, brought years ago for his high school graduation, which thankfully still fitted him. Alba was coming by with Frank and Beatriz in Marty's car, and then Alba and Derwin would take their own car and meet up with them at the hotel. Alba had insisted on going in separate cars, and Derwin smiled to himself, knowing it was her subtle way not only to have some privacy to themselves, but to give Frank and Beatriz some as well. Marty and Claudia, unfortunately, had to miss out, as their baby was too small to be left for a whole evening.

He was wrestling with the bowtie in front of the mirror in the hall when he heard the sound of tires on the gravel, followed by voices calling "See you there!", and then the car drove away again. Otto stood by the door wagging his tail, looking a little confused that Alba was arriving at night and coming through the front door instead of the back as usual.

His eyes still glued to the maddening bowtie, Derwin heard the swishing of her dress before he saw her. Then he looked up, caught her reflection in the mirror, and whirled around, dazed, the bowtie forgotten around his neck.

Alba was wearing a yellow dress, the same dress they'd seen in the shop window, the one he'd offered to buy for her and she'd refused. He was right. The dress fitted her perfectly, not just in the way it hugged her shoulders and waist, molded around her breasts and arms, and fell in graceful folds around her hips and legs as she walked, but also in the way it framed her like a golden halo, lit her up both from the outside and inside. It was like a miniature sun had suddenly appeared in his darkened front hall.

While he gazed at her with his mouth open, too stunned to say a word, she walked to him and gave him a peck on the lips, as casually as she had done every morning. "I'm afraid you're on your own with that," she said, nodding at the bowtie still dangling around his neck. "I'm no good at that sort of thing."

Derwin recovered his wits and shook his head. "It's OK, I got it." He finished tying the bowtie, ignoring how lopsided it was, and turned to her again, unable to keep his eyes off her for long. "You look—" Words failed him. "—gorgeous," he finished inadequately.

She smiled, looking both shy and proud. "I told you I'd buy the dress myself, didn't I? Wish I had enough money for the shoes as well." She glanced down at her feet, clad in her old off-white sandals. "But they don't show, so who cares, right?" She fixed his bowtie, then stepped back to look him over with a critical eye. "You look very handsome too," she said. "But something's missing."

"What?"

Alba's eyes landed on the bowl of frangipani flowers set on the side table near the door. She dug in the junk drawer and came up with two safety pins—Derwin was again astonished at her ability to find things in his house that he didn't even know existed. These she fixed to the back of two of the largest and freshest flowers, pinned one to his lapel, and gave him the other to put on her hair, which was swept back in soft waves over her forehead and pulled into a chignon in the back. "No, not that side, the left side," she said, turning her head so he could pin the flower in place.

"Why the left side?" Derwin asked, curious.

"When Raf was stationed in Hawaii, he told me if a woman wears a frangipani flower over her left ear, that means she's in a relationship," explained Alba, a faint blush turning her cheeks pink and making her look even prettier.

"Oh" was all Derwin could say, but his heart leaped and jumped. He looked at the two of them in the mirror and wondered, not for the first time, how he got so lucky.

"Ready?" she said, putting her arm through his.

"Wait." He held her hand. "I have something for you too."

He went into the little broom closet at the end of the hall and brought out the box he'd put there that morning. Inside was a pair of gold shoes, the shoes that had been on display along with the dress. Alba's eyes popped when she saw them.

"How did you—?"

"I had a hunch." It was more than a hunch. After he'd agreed to go to the dance, Derwin had driven back to the shop to look at the dress, hoping Alba would let him buy it for her this time. When the saleswoman told him a young lady had bought it already, he'd known right away that it was Alba. So he had bought the next best thing.

He motioned for her to sit down on a chair. Then, kneeling in front of her, he took off the sandals and slipped the soft gold leather over her stockinged feet.

"Now I know how Cinderella must have felt," Alba said, turning her ankle this way and that so she could get a better look at the shoe.

Derwin smiled. "Cinderella tries on the shoe after the ball," he reminded her.

"How did you know my shoe size?"

"Lucky guess," he said, not revealing that it was the saleswoman who had helped him.

"Thank you."

"Can't you thank a fellow better than that?" he asked, lifting his face to her.

She leaned down and kissed him, softly at first, and then again, not as softly. His hands were still on her ankles, and he slid them up, caressing her legs, until he reached the bare skin between her garter and her stocking. "We really have to get going, you know," she said, but didn't stop him.

"It's called being fashionably late," he murmured, smiling against her lips.

***

"Where have you been?!" Beatriz exclaimed when Derwin and Alba finally pulled up in front of the hotel. "We've been waiting for almost half an hour!"

"Sorry, we got—delayed," Alba said with a conspiratorial grin at Derwin. Beatriz raised an eyebrow at that, but made no further comment.

Derwin shook Frank's hand and saw his own emotions reflected on the other man's face—fluster, excitement, and even pride, as he looked upon his date. Clearly, this was a big night for Frank as well.

"Come on, the band's starting already," Beatriz said, tugging Alba toward the staircase leading up to the hotel's front doors, where the crowd, glittering women in their evening gowns, starchy men in their black and white tuxedos and dinner jackets, was streaming in.

"Relax. It's called being fashionably late," Alba said and winked at Derwin, who couldn't help grinning back. He extended his arm to her, and they walked up the steps, followed closely behind by Beatriz and Frank. Through the double doors, they could glimpse the inside of the ballroom, where a giant Christmas tree stood reaching all the way to the ceiling, dazzling with tinsels and baubles. More tinsels and baubles hung from the ceiling, reflecting the light from the chandelier, making Derwin feel he was outside in the middle of a bright summer's day. Tables with bowls of punch and snacks stood on either side of the vast ballroom, and at the far end, the band sat in front of a brocade curtain, striking up a lively jazz number.

Giggling in excitement, the girls and Frank ran on ahead, but Derwin faltered. It was too bright, too loud, too crowded, and the old trembling feeling in the pit of his stomach was coming back. He paused at the top of the stairs, trying to steady himself by tightening his grip on the cane. Alba turned around and took his hand in hers, concerned.

"You OK?" she asked.

He took a deep breath, finding strength in her hand. "Yeah," he managed to say.

"You sure? We can leave, if you're not feeling up to it."

He would not ruin this for her. "No, it's fine. I'll be fine." He smiled to reassure her, and they went to the door. A man stood there in a black tux and a collar with so much starch that Derwin wondered how he could even lower his chin, taking tickets from the guests.

"Welcome, sir," he said monotonously, taking the tickets from Derwin and Alba. "Welcome, madam." Then his eyes landed on Frank and widened slightly. "I'm sorry, but he's not allowed here," the man said to Derwin, mistaking him for the leader of the group.

"What?" Alba and Beatriz said in unison.

"Indians are not allowed here," the man repeated, a cold edge to his voice.

"But he has a ticket—" Beatriz protested.

"It is our policy," the man said. His neck, if possible, got even stiffer.

"Where is this policy written, then?" Alba asked. "Show me. Is it printed on the ticket? Is there a sign at your front desk?"

"It's an established custom," the man said, inexorably.

Derwin looked at Frank. A flush darkened Frank's swarthy face, and his hands were balled into fists, but he kept his chin up and his back ramrod straight. "It's OK," he said quietly. "You three go ahead. Don't spoil your evening because of me." He turned and started walking down the steps. Beatriz looked close to tears. Alba's nostrils flared in a way Derwin recognized, but she kept close to Beatriz and watched Frank go helplessly.

A sense of déjà vu washed over Derwin. It was like that day at the diner with the black couple all over again. Except back then, he had stood by, not doing anything, only feeling hot shame burning his insides. He didn't know that couple. But he knew Frank.

"Hang on a minute," he said, grabbing Frank's arm. "Frank, where did you serve in the war?"

"The 124th Infantry," Frank said, puzzled. "The Pacific."

"I was in the 82nd Airborne," Derwin said to the man at the door. "Frank Howard and Derwin Grunauer. You can look us up if you don't believe me. And think what it means to your hotel's reputation when words get out that you deny two GIs entrance to your Christmas ball."

The man spluttered. His shirt collar seemed to wilt in front of their very eyes. Finally, after one more look at Frank, and another look at the crowded ballroom behind him, he said, through clenched teeth, "Perhaps an exception can be made for our men in service," and yanked the ticket out of Frank's hand. "Enjoy your evening," he added, with a look that implied he wished they would all drop dead.

"Thank you," Frank said to Derwin, as they walked into the ballroom. "But you didn't have to do that."

"Yes, I did," Derwin said. He was sick of standing by the sideline, sick of watching all the injustice, and sick of feeling helpless. No more, he told himself. From now on, he was going to take whatever life threw at him, both the good and the bad.

Next to him, Alba said nothing, only squeezed his hand a little more tightly. When Beatriz and Frank weren't looking, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and that was all the reward he could ever want or need.

The dance was in full swing by the time they entered the ballroom. Beatriz and Frank joined the crowd immediately, busting out some complicated moves to the cheerful sound of "Don't Sit under the Apple Tree." The beat was fast, too fast. Derwin didn't know how he could manage it with his cane. But Alba was prepared. She wove her way through the crowd, leading him to a quiet spot on the edge of the dance floor. Here, she put an arm around him and lifted his hands to her waist, while resting her other hand on his cane, just as she had when they danced together during the storm.

"We don't have to impress anybody," she said. "Just move to the music."

And so they did. They stood there, arms around each other, swinging and tapping their feet to the music, out of the way of the other dancers. Some people threw them curious glances, making Derwin's skin itch like ants crawling all over him, but Alba put a finger on his chin to direct his attention back to her, and he breathed more easily again.

After a few songs, Derwin's leg started to protest, so he got himself a glass of punch and sat down at a table, while Alba, at his urging, went back and danced with Frank and Beatriz. Derwin watched her with the same wonder tinged with wistfulness he always felt whenever he looked at her, wonder that a girl like her would want to be with him, and wistfulness that she was forced to rein in her vivacity to stay by his side. But that night, with his newfound determination, he no longer felt so wistful. Alba chose to be with him. And he would do everything he could to make sure she never had to regret it.

The band was coming back from their break. Though his leg was still complaining, Derwin walked up to the stage and spoke to the band leader. He turned around to see Alba smiling at him. "What'd you just say to him?" she asked.

"You'll see," he said. "Or, should I say, you'll hear."

Her eyebrows went up. She soon got her answer when the band launched into a slow rendition of "Green Eyes". Only when the vocalist started singing, it wasn't "Green Eyes", it was "Aquellos Ojos Verdes", and Alba's mouth dropped open in surprise. Next to her, Beatriz also grinned, delighted with this reminder of their childhood memory.

"May I have this dance, señorita?" asked Derwin, extending a hand toward Alba.

Still smiling, she placed her hand in his. He led her to the middle of the floor, swinging his cane in a wide circle. The crowd parted around them like a current. To hell with those people. Let them stare. Let them see how lucky he was to have such a beautiful girl in his arms. Let them be jealous.

As they danced to the song, turning and twirling as they had the night of the storm, something strange happened to Derwin. He looked into Alba's green eyes, felt the warmth of her body close to his, smelled the familiar scent of the frangipani in her hair, and let the music flow through him. And the rest of the ballroom faded away. Even the band vanished, leaving behind only the sound of music, like magic. All his worries disappeared. There was no one else in the world but the two of them, there was nowhere else he'd rather be, and more importantly, he knew that there was nowhere else she would rather be either.

Even when the song ended, they remained in their embrace, smiling at each other.

"You're full of surprises, aren't you?" Alba whispered.

He tilted her face up. "Oh yes," he said. "And here's another surprise for you..."

Before their lips could touch, a voice said behind them, loudly and rudely, "Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

Derwin whirled around. Sauntering toward them was a tall, handsome, dark-haired man in a white jacket, followed by several cronies, decidedly less handsome and less well-dressed. There was something vaguely familiar about the dark-haired man, but Derwin couldn't place that arrogant face.

Beside him, Alba let out a groan.

"Not happy to see me, Allie?" the dark-haired man said. He was coming quite close now, close enough for Derwin to smell the reek of alcohol on his breath. "I've missed you, you know."

Alba tugged at Derwin's hand. "Come on, let's go," she said, but the dark-haired man blocked their way, while his cronies formed a wall behind them. Beatriz and Frank, noticing the standoff, were approaching with concern.

"Now that's very rude," the dark-haired man said to Alba. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your—date? I don't need an introduction to know who he is, though. Grunauer, is it?" He barely even glanced at Derwin, as if Derwin was some vermin not worth his attention. "Really, Allie? Him? You threw me over for a cripple?"

Alba's eyes flashed with the green fire that Derwin had come to know quite well. "I didn't throw you over for anyone, Grant," she said, voice dripping with contempt. "When are you going to get it through your thick head? We are not together. We have never been together. And we're never going to be together!"

As she mentioned the name, Derwin suddenly remembered where he'd seen the dark-haired man before. "You're Gastin Grant," he said. "From Grant's Land. You offered to buy my place."

"That's right, buddy." Grant sneered at him. "And mark my word, I'll get my hand on that place eventually. Just as I'll get my hand on this one—" He reached out and grabbed Alba's arm, wrenching her away from Derwin.

Derwin pushed at Grant's chest. It was rather like pushing at a brick wall, but he did it anyway. "Let her go," he said.

Grant grinned at him. "Or what? What are you going to do about it, cripple?"

A red-hot veil of rage fell over Derwin's eyes. A small crowd was now gathering around them.  Frank stepped in. "Hey, there's no need for that kind of language—" he said. Grant nodded at his cronies, who knocked Frank to the ground. Beatriz ran over to help him up.

Derwin looked at Alba, still struggling to free herself from Grant's iron grip, and tried to swallow his anger. "I don't want to make a scene," he said to Grant. "But if you don't leave right now, I'm going to—"

WHAM! Grant's fist flew out of nowhere. Blindsided, Derwin went sprawling on the floor. Through the ringing in his ears, he could hear Grant taunting him, "Going to do what? Think you can threaten me, cripple? Get up! Get up and face me, or are you too much of a chicken shit who can only shoot others when their backs were turned?"

Derwin scrambled for his cane, trying to push himself up, but black spots were swimming in front of his eyes and he couldn't see.

"He's not a chicken shit," he heard Alba's voice say quite calmly. "You are."

There was a sharp thwack, the crowd went "ooh", and something collapsed beside him with a heavy thud. Next thing Derwin knew, Alba was helping him to his feet. "You OK?" she asked.

His eyes cleared, and he saw that Grant was curled up on the floor, a hand clasped to his bleeding nose. His cronies were staring at Alba with something akin to awe as they slowly dispersed, dragging their fallen leader with them.

"Here." Alba led Derwin to a table, where she put some ice into a napkin and placed it on his cheek. That was when Derwin saw that her knuckles were scratched and bleeding.

"You're hurt," he said.

"It's nothing." She tried to pull away, but Derwin held her hand and put some ice on it as well.

Beatriz and Frank came running over. "Alba!" Beatriz exclaimed. "That was—"

"If you're going to say it wasn't ladylike of me, you can zip it," Alba snapped.

"No. I was going to say that was awesome." Beatriz grinned at her sister. "Grant's a heel. He deserves it."

Before Alba could answer, the pompous man at the door came toward them. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave," he said, clearly relishing it.

Alba, apparently still in a belligerent mood, jumped up to protest, but Beatriz held out a hand to stop her. "Let's go," Beatriz said. "This party blows anyway."

"Bea!" Alba looked shocked. "Language!"

Beatriz shrugged. "What? It does." She took Frank's hand. "Come on, Frank, let's go." She winked at Alba, and they all left the ballroom with their heads held high, ignoring the stares of the other patrons.

***

Alba was still shaking with rage when they got into the car and drove away. She knew she shouldn't have lost her temper like that, but Grant had gotten her so angry that she couldn't think straight. She had been looking forward to this night for so long, and now it was ruined. And just when everything was going so well too!

"Are you OK?" asked Derwin. "Do you want me to drive?"

Alba forced herself to breathe normally. No, she would not let Grant's cursed mug darken her moods anymore. "I'm fine," she said. "Do you mind if we drive around a bit before going home? I want to get some air." Frank and Beatriz were going to a club over on Cocoanut Grove, but Alba didn't feel like accompanying them. She just wanted to make sure she and Beatriz came home around the same time, to avoid any awkward questions from Papi.

"I'd love that," said Derwin with a smile.

They drove slowly down South Beach, past the hotels and nightclubs on one side, with their glittering lights and laughing partygoers, and occasional glimpses of the murmuring ocean on the other. The windows were rolled down, and Alba's anger soon melted away in the cool December air. Eventually, they left the swanky hotels behind and came to a deserted stretch of sand. The lights of downtown shimmered behind them like stars, and the causeway, the one they'd taken to Key Biscayne months ago, curved palely across the dark waves like a sliver of the moon.

"I'm sorry we have to cut our night short," Alba said.

Derwin shrugged. "I've had as much dancing as my legs can take, I think. And we're still here. The night is not over yet."

"Are you all right?" she asked. He was still holding the ice wrapped in a napkin to his face, and the melting ice was dripping down his wrist.

"Oh yeah." He put the napkin down and felt about his face. "The swelling's gone down. What about you?" He gestured to her hand.

"It's just a scratch." She took her right hand off the wheel and stretched it across the seat to show him. He took it in his hand, wrapping his fingers around it, gently running his thumb over the scratches and massaging her wrist, which was still sore, despite her attempt to make light of it.

"One hell of a right hook you got," he said, grinning. Then he sobered up. "But I can't keep letting you fight for me like that. That's twice now..."

Alba twined her fingers through his, squeezing his hand. "I like fighting for you."

Derwin was still caressing her hand. Then he lifted it and pressed a kiss to her bruised knuckles. Under his soft, fervent lips, the smarting from the scratches vanished instantly, and Alba could feel tingles running up her arm, toward her chest.

"Could you pull over?" Derwin said.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just that I really want to kiss you and I don't want us to crash."

Something in his eyes as he said it made her pulse beat wildly in her breast. "Can't you wait until we get home?" she asked with a teasing smile.

"No, I don't think I can."

Alba had barely pulled over under the low branches of a coconut palm when Derwin drew her to him and started kissing her as he'd never kissed her before, his mouth insistent and demanding, a hand behind her ear, the other running over the bodice of her dress, caressing her side with grasping, impatient strokes. Usually it took some coaxing from her to get him comfortable, and even then he remained shy and hesitant. This passion was new, and just like his confidence when they went out on the boat or when he confronted the doorman at the hotel, Alba found it electrifying. She twisted, trying to get closer to him, but the wheel and the dashboard were in the way.

"You want to move to the backseat?" she murmured against his lips.

His eyes widened, and for a second, Alba's heart faltered. Oh no. What would he think of me now? What kind of girl would suggest such a thing...? But he only said "Yes" in an excited whisper, and was out of his seat in an instant.

Alba scrambled out of the driver's seat. They opened the doors at the same time and fell into each other's arms in the back. Derwin's jacket came off, followed by his bowtie. The buttons on the front of her dress came undone, by his hand or hers, she didn't know, and the dress was pushed down her shoulders, along with the straps of her slip. He fumbled with the clasps of her bra.

"Just pull it—here—let me—" Alba reached behind her, trying to help him undo the clasps.

"Ow," he mumbled as her elbow brushed across the bruise on his cheek.

"Sorry." That set them giggling like two idiots, his face pressed into her neck, his breath tickling her.

"Aren't you going to make it better?" he asked, and she placed her lips to the bruise, just as he'd done for her. Her tongue grazed across his scar, and he moaned softly.

They kissed again, kissed until their lips were bruised, until they had drunk up the lingering sweetness of punch on each other's tongue, until the coolness from the ice evaporated from his cheek, replaced by a warming fire that burned between them. Somehow her bra ended up around her midriff. Then his lips trailed down her throat to her collarbone and her breasts, and her laughter turned into quickening gasps. She lifted her hips, needing some friction, some pressure, something to relieve the building, throbbing heaviness between her legs. The movement only resulted in her sliding off the tiny seat, and she would've ended up on the floor if Derwin hadn't sat up and hauled her into his lap. Laughing, she half-rose to straddle him and banged her head on the ceiling. It only made her laugh harder, and Derwin was laughing as well. Then she sat down, with him fitting perfectly in the dip between her thighs, and their laughs died off as they looked into each other's eyes, breathless, waiting. 

"Are you sure about this?" Derwin asked.

They were in his car, panting like they were both on fire, with his shirt unbuttoned and her dress half-off, and he still had to ask. But she wouldn't want him any other way.

"Yes," she said. "What about you? Is it enough of a proper date for you?"

He grinned. "Well, we've had two half dates, and two halves make a whole." He brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "But—"

"You won't get me into trouble," she said firmly, catching his meaning. "I trust you."

There was that quivering little smile again. "Do you?"

"Yes."

Still he hesitated, his fingers dancing over her spine and shoulder blades and the back of her arms, sending delicious shivers all through her. Then he blurted out, "We can get married."

"What?"

"Not right at this moment. But tomorrow. Or Monday. We don't even have to tell anybody, just go to City Hall and do it quick, the two of us," he said in a rush. Clearly it was something he'd just thought of.

"So you can make an honest woman out of me?" she said, laughing.

"Or so you can make an honest man out of me."

Alba gazed at him in the yellow light of the street lamps. She ran her hand over his features and saw in them not just the face she'd come to hold so dear in just a few months, but also his heart, his kindness, his strength. She thought about how her life had changed since he came into it, and, for the first time, thought about their future. Then she dropped her hand and said, with not inconsiderable regret, "... No."

Derwin's face fell. "You don't want to marry me?"

"No, no, cariño," she said quickly, "it's not that I don't want to marry you. I don't... I don't want to marry anybody. Not yet. You do understand that, don't you?" But even as she said it, she knew he understood. He always did. "Besides, I don't think we should get married just to have sex," she added, her cheeks heating up again. "What if the sex turns out to be bad? Where would we go then?"

"You think it'll be bad?"

"I don't know." She leaned down and whispered, teasing his ear with her lips and her tongue, "Why don't we find out?"

And they did. As their mouths and hands and bodies found each other again, and at last, at last, as ecstasy crashed over her like waves crashing over the sand outside, Alba realized that the night was far from ruined. Quite the opposite.

Chapter 18

Here's the song that Alba sings: The Gentleman Obviously Doesn't Believe (In Love)

Taglist: @kitkat80, @hahahafucku

[kaedeharakaori]

𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄

𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒏��𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒔 || 𝘍. 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘴 (Masterlist)

ﾟ ⋆ ﾟ ☂︎ ⋆ ﾟﾟ ⋆

SEASON ONE: We only see each other at weddings and funerals

ﾟ ⋆ ﾟ ☂︎ ⋆ ﾟﾟ ⋆

New York, 2019.

Located in the depths of the mansion, deep within the gated halls of the east wing, in a panic room where no such powers can be used, lie a sleeping beauty, or should I say, the Umbrella Academy's Siren, Mikayla Hargreeves.

Darkness was all she saw, it was all she could feel.

"Please... let me out of here." She begged desperately as if it was all she could ever do, it was the only thing she could do.

'You should have never went on that mission, little one. You were warned.'

It was an eerie voice lingering in her dark world, the same voice that told her not to go on that mission that costed Mika her life. The very mission that killed someone important to her.

-

New York. November 11, 2005.

Exactly three years after

Number Five disappears.

It was another normal day for the Hargreeves children, them having fun out in the courtyard, Luther sitting under his favourite tree, looking out for his siblings, Vanya in her room, beautifully playing the violin, Diego somewhere in the kitchen waiting for his mother to finish up their snacks.

"Ben!" Klaus excitedly called out, "Look at this, I can float!" Demonstrating that he can somewhat hover over the grass, a mere 10 centimeter height.

"That's amazing, Klaus." Allison clapped proudly about to sit next to Luther under the tree.

Now, my dear readers, you might be wondering where the little siren is. Little Mika was stood in front of the fireplace, her eyes fixed on the portrait that hung above her head.

"Its been exactly three years since you've gone." She whispered as tears were about to fall, "Give me a sign, Five. Please, give me a sign that you're still out there."

Mika wiped the tears that have now fallen on her blazer sleeve and kneeled in front of the fireplace, "I miss you so much, there was never a day I wouldn't think about you."

"How could you leave me just like that?" She now cried which alerted Diego, who was now making his way towards the girl.

Just as Diego was going to comfort her, an alarm rang throughout the mansion, signalling the kids that there was about to be a mission.

"Gather up, there is an important mission I'd like to announce." Sir Reginald Hargreeves voice boomed from the top of the staircase as the remaining six children stood, waiting for their father's command.

Vanya who quietly stood in the corner whispered, "Why do I feel like something bad is about to happen?"

-

Florida. November 11, 2005.

Exactly three years after

Number Five disappears.

The sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden hue over the Florida beach. The mood was somber, but there was no time for reflection. From the ocean's depths, a swarm of menacing water creatures emerged, their grotesque forms glistening in the fading light.

Luther, with his superhuman strength, charged forward, swinging a piece of driftwood like a club. Each swing sent one of the creatures reeling back into the water.

Diego, with his knives shining due to the sunset, moved with lethal precision, each blade he owned was finding its mark in the soft underbellies of their enemies.

Klaus, though initially hesitant, summoned the spirits of sailors who died at sea to aid in battle, spectral figures pulling the water creatures away from the shore.

"Everyone, stay focused!" Allison called out, her voice cutting through the chaos. "I heard a rumor, that you can't breathe!" As her power twisted the realities of the creatures, they convulsed and collapsed as they gasped for air.

Somewhere on the beach was Ben, his monstrous tentacles unleashed from his chest, fought valiantly beside his siblings. The horror of his powers was a stark contrast to his very sweet and gentle demeanor, but today, Ben was using his powers with deathly efficiency.

On the edge of all this chaos stood Mika Hargreeves, sinking her feet into the wet sand. As a siren, her powers were tied to the water, yet she had not unlocked her full potential as all the enemies she fought before were on land.

Today, however, she had no choice but to jump into the sea. She slowly lowered herself into the depths, feeling the cold water swirl around her ankles, then her knees, and finally her waist.

Seeing the siren, Luther called out to her, "Mika, are you sure about this?"

"I have to, Luther. We have no other choice."

As the water enveloped her, Mika felt a strange energy coursing through her veins. Her senses sharpened, and an uncontrollable force surged within her. Her vision blurred, and she fell into an unconscious state, her body contorting as her powers took over. Her once human form began to morph, scales appearing on her skin, her eyes glowing a haunting blue.

'Beneath the waves, where shadows play,

A song of sorrow calls today.

Come closer now, drawn by the tide,

In the depths, where secrets hide.'

An eerie melody began to emanate from Mika, an ancient song that reverberated through the water and air.

'Silver moon, light our path,

Guide the lost through ocean's wrath.

Waves will cradle, voices blend,

In the deep, where dreams descend.'

The creatures, drawn to the sound, became entranced, their aggression turned into confusion, while her siblings were struggling to battle out the song. But the power was too much for Mika to handle, and it lashed out uncontrollably.

With the sudden burst of energy, the beach fell silent, and the ancient song was left unfinished. When the remaining members of the Umbrella Academy gathered their bearings, they found Ben lying still on the sand, his face pale and barely breathing. Allison on the other end screamed, rushing towards her other siblings. The remaining sea creatures, who were still disoriented by Mika's song, retreated back into the ocean, their threat momentarily neutralized.

Luther and Diego rushed to Mika's side, pulling her out of the water. She lay next to Ben unconscious, her transformation slowly reversing. Klaus ran and knelt by Ben, tears streaming down his face as he glanced at both his siblings.

"No, no, no, this can't be happening." He whispered.

As the siblings were grappled with grief and confusion, a familiar figure appeared at the edge of the beach—Sir Reginald Hargreeves. His face was impassive as he was surveying the scene.

"We cannot afford to have this distraction." Reginald said coldly. "Allison, you know what you must do."

Allison's eyes widened in horror. "No, I can't—"

"You will." Reginald interrupted, his tone stern and would not accept any argument.

"I heard a rumor..."

End

ﾟ ⋆ ﾟ ☂︎ ⋆ ﾟﾟ ⋆

Hello, my dears

I hope you enjoyed this one

It dives into the depths of

Mika's forgotten past

What do you think will happen

if she finished her song?

[marimayscarlett]

I know it's by now an exhausted topic but I wasn't around for that era so hopefully you can enlighten me about Richard's wedding. From the few photos that I've seen I'm so confused. It looked a beach wedding but then also very public? Lots of random people and then in one photo there was a whole film crew? Not like wedding videographer but a boom guy and a huge shoulder camera..? Also, do we know where it was? New York? And lastly, did only Till attended? I know it was a rough time for the band and maybe emotions were too high for some to attend but idk. Richard said he proposed after just 3 days so I always thought the wedding followed very soon after.

Hi 👋

I also wasn't really around for this era, since Richard married when I was about 5 years old, but I try my best to gather the information I have 😌

First of all, here's an article about the wedding by the German magazine Bravo including an English translation:

Caron and Richard married on the 29th of October 1999 and indeed had a beach wedding at the Montauk Beach in Long Island, New York. Since Caron is jewish, they had a jewish ceremony performed by a rabbi and Richard composed the music for said ceremony - apparently quite sad music, of which he said he maybe subconsciously foreshadowed some events in his marriage 👀 (mentioned here around the 10 minute mark).

The wedding was somewhat big with about 100 guests in attendance (so I guess the 'random' people you recognised were just guests), and except for Flake, everyone of the band attend with Till being Richard's best man. I think the 'rough time' for the band only started after the wedding, since Richard left New York three days after the ceremony to work on a new Rammstein album which turned out to be the 'Mutter' record. We have to be careful not to make the infamous 'Mutter era' responsible for everything we see in this time period and apparently, everyone was still quite friendly with each other here 😊 I could be totally wrong, but I don't quite think the conflicts where already there/that high as they turned out to be later.

And wedding movies were a thing back then, so maybe that's the reason for the camera man?

Caron and Richard seemingly were introduced to each other in the summer of 1998, other sources state they dated for 9 months before the wedding. Richard took Caron's name and used the double name Kruspe-Bernstein until their divorce was finalised in I think 2005.

Here are some pictures of the ceremony, including the bride and groom, Khira Li and Margaux:

[snackugaki-jestsjapesjokes]

blep blah, here have some old ass backrooms doodle content when the topic of "the beach episode" concept came up bluhp blooh brain nyooming but art hand isn't arting

i think what is super cute in modern fandom expression that I've seen is that in terms of making OCs or AUs is that sound seems to have a bigger role now than from what I remember when I was young. which I'm thinking has a lot to do with being able to clip audio easily or being able to make multi-track playlists whenever. y'all out here with reels of your art with voice claims and some of the most thoughtfully and artfully crafted soundtracks-- not even playlists, some of that shit is a straight up soundtrack level be real

89% tempted to try one of those shady "free" video/audio editing programs to make a LoFi chill beats study girl visualizer playlist with my iteration's boys ...

anyway gonna contemplate music headcanons for my iteration under the cut

From Turtle Tracks fan letter section, Archie run, #24

so real quick, my iteration is literally just them chilling, hanging out, being together in their mid 30s- early 40s, and then sometimes flashing back to their child/teen years in the 90s because tl;dr i have miiiiiinor beef my childhood turtles weren't quite as "90s" as they "could have been" (nvm I'm cackling at the milennial pop culture refs in Mutant Mayhem drop kicking me back into my adolescence)

but mehehehehe, keeping that they listened to Public Enemy and The Jungle Brothers

and aside from Top 40 musicians of the time... I feel like being outsiders themselves, having to sneak around to explore and learn about people and what's above the sewers had them eavesdropping into a lot of nighttime venues and getting into the underground and various niche subculture scenes that daytime Top 40 didn't play.

cannot tell me the lights, thumping and noise from bands playing hardcore or house or hosting cyphers or raves didn't attract these curious and funky little green dudes like moths to a flame

... Leo definitely fell in deep with the gregorian chant phase, soothing sounds of nature fads , a big fan of Orbital and he fell into that electronic, house, trance, eurodance rabbit hole right after. he also got into Celtic folk music but when his brothers caught his ass studying Michael Flatley to incorporate Riverdance footwork into his ninjutsu he got teased so mercilessly that he took great care to hide listening to it... which just made his stealth better so joke's on them heehoo

Not to mention they're from New York City, the underground music scene is always bangin' no matter the decade; feel like rap and punk got a lot of tracks on their mix tapes back in the day

Raph getting into the metal scene in his own exploring the city trips, and then progressed to music with that boom bap sound (cuz baby boy needs a way to come down off those high intensity moods idk ijs)

Donnie... just the amalgamation of his brothers, he needs that background noise while he's chewing on schematics and protoype development, he would definitely have been the mixtape maker/recording bootlegger (along with Mikey)

Mikey absolutely tagged along with his brothers sometimes whenever they went to their spots for music, though he himself backflipped into ska 'cuz Mikey is always for the people

my tmnt  iteration (where everyone made it past their 20s, splinter’s alive just old, venus is here, and they deserve some goddamn respite and shenanigans)

tmnt  iteration part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6 | part 7 | part 8 | part 9 | part 10 | part 11

tmnt  iteration omake 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11

lny visit 1 | 2

Keep reading

[tokillamockingbird427]

May i ask for some Merrick hc? He's so sweet, but gets so little love

<3 MERRICK <3 *Slam dunks him like a basketball*

Definitely the guy who pretends to be a hardass but is a massive softie at heart. And it's hardly that. He's just very frank with his words and isn't very affectionate, but he really does love his team. They're everything to him. He's winning if they're doing well, and there's nothing Merrick likes more in life than winning.

Classical music enjoyer.

Pretends he doesn't understand the bear jokes made about him. Absolutely is aware what a "bear" is in regards to the gay subculture. Thinks it's so fucking funny and quietly eats it up every time. He also enjoys that they'll call him "papa bear" sometimes, always teasing and sometimes as a ref to the gay-subculture joke, but it makes him feel nice that they more or less know he's there to protect them.

The rock! Not Dwayne The, but he's the guy on the team everyone can rely on. If there is nothing else to hold onto, there is Merrick. He is aware and very proud of this fact.

Very good cook! Kinda specializes in Italian american food. Really likes pasta.

Incredible guy to have a heart-to-heart with. For someone who seems pissed 98% of the time he's actually very laid back and non-judgmental, so mixed with the stalwart protector vibes and boom: Like every Ghost (Or even just teams they work with for long enough) will recall some convo they had with him that just let the world stop for a moment. Shit is healing magic. Has been in the past and will be in the future a good solid shoulder to cry on. (Just not literally. Please, he has tissues. Spare his shirt.)

Absolutely so adores the boys, even if they don't really realize it. Like even over his other teammates he's known longer, he just adores them to no end. They're Elias's kids, he'll say, he owes it to the man to look after them. But that's not his only reason, and it's hardly a reason at all. Logan and Hesh are his boys. (Yes, even Riley falls into this.) Was crushed after the beach when he realized the consequences of letting the boys go after Rorke. He lost. And Merrick hates nothing more than losing.

Hates mint flavored anything. Even toothpaste. Especially ice cream.

Merrick is unflinchingly loyal to Elias, to the point that he could point at a cliff and say "Jump Tom!" and Merrick would fly off without even a chute to slow him on the way down. It's not something even Rorke got from him, and it only cropped up once Elias took lead of the team... after Caracas.

Actually likes kids. He wouldn't mind having some of his own, but work comes first, so he's alright with just spectating rather than being a parent. Plus, he's not very sure how he'd do with the 24/7 care of a kid. Playing with them and babysitting is one thing, raising a child is another. That's a can of worms he'll leave well alone...

Mama's boy. For life.

A guilty man. He doesn't like to talk about it, unless the situation calls for it (Like during a heart-to-heart.) but it's not that he thinks he's a bad person: He just thinks he could have done better. Related to him liking winning and hating losing... he remembers each tally on either side of the board.

If you wake him up before 10 on a Sunday you better have a damn good reason. Someone dying isn't even a good enough reason. He's slept through base attacks.

Favorite color is teal, and there's a reason for it: His high school sweetheart, whom he dated for all four years and broke up with because he went to basic, ADORED the color. Painted her room the color, her nails every Friday, every notebook she owned was a shade, etc etc. He's not still mopey over her or anything, he just hasn't found a different color he'd care to like as much as teal.

Dog guy. Absolutely pats the shit out of Riley, who cannot get enough of it. He does have a favorite dog breed, American pit bull terriers cus of their big heads, but German shepherds are alright in his book.

Beard care to the max. Oils and combs and that shaving foam pot with the bristle brush. Hesh came to him wanting some advice for his own facial hair and Merrick had never been so ready for anything in his life. Broke that shit down like the birds and bees talk.

Will take the clothes off his back for someone he cares about, will ask them why the fuck they don't have their own?

All of the people he's ever met in his life remain important to him in some way shape or form.

[serious-tabaxi]

Ok, so, This is all set within the fictionally metropolis of Midnight Park, a city of 10 million on the shores of the Maryland coast. Midnight Park is a very divided place, with the tech moguls of the Silicon Heights looking over the squalor of Hooverville, the lush gardens, parks, and graveyards of Greenbelt being leeched of life from the smog of the Production Quarter, and the ever-watchful eye of their heroes of the Luminary Society just can't pierce through the shadowed allies and tunnels their rival villains lurk in.

First up on the hit list is Squall, Dr Simon Gale, the oldest of the villains who looks a bit like an cantaloupe balancing on top of a bowling ball, or some hybrid of that guy from those Boom Beach ads that was a meme a few years back with classic Eggman or Doc Ock. They were bullied for their looks during their childhood (especially by one Benedict Bright who you'll see later) and would grow into a meteorologist and climatologist, top of their class. Unfortunately, they were cursed to became one of the first to realize the potential dangers of climate change back in like the 90's and nobody took their observations seriously, reminding them of their childhood torments. In a fit of rage, the used experimental equipment for inducing artificial rainfall to turn a light drizzle into a pounding storm, flooding Midnight Park and dawning the modern age of heroes and villains. Unfortunately, they're ego would only grow and they'd slowly begin to see themself as the arbiter of natures wraith and be blinded to the cruelty of their actions.

Next up is Tox, Dr Garrett Adams. Dr Adams wasn't anyone special, just some humble chemist working for Venture Chemicals Co in the Production Quarter. That all changed during Squall's storm though. The floodwaters caused the chemical vats to burst and spill, dissolving several workers alive whilst Garrett was stranded in the rafters above where they're body slowly absorbed the fumes. Their skin and fat began to melt off their muscle and bones as it turned to wax from chemical exposure, soaking in chemical fumes and radiation as Adams used what first aid supplies he had to stave off death. By the time the floodwaters receded, Him and the chemicals had become one, a congealed mass of atomic tallow and luminous green organs within in endless agony that warped his mind into nothing but an abyss of hate. hate. hate. hate.

Then is Everyman, Tomas Jackson. Jackson was some unremarkable middle-aged conservative man who believed in standing for what you think is right and a growing resentment for the government. That was, until, some random no-name crook broke into his house and stole a family heirloom, his grandmother's old necklace, at which point he attempted to follow shotgun in hand to get it back. When he couldn't and the police also failed to find it, he was filled with rage and vowed to take makers into his own hands. Doning a home-forged steel helmet, gloves, trenchcoat, and voice changer, they set off into the night with a shotgun, a dream, and a very black-and-white sense of morality. These days, many of his fellow hands-on right wingers have donned similar costumes and joined him in his secret lair, the Halls of Justice, to find, torture, and execute whoever they deem guilty.

Mister Bones, Benedict Bright, was a bully growing up, especially to a young Simon Gale. His parents own a large carnival boardwalk by the name of the Bright Time Mile in Founder's Bay. His father died when Benedict was in his twenties and gave him control over the park. This was not a good idea as Mr Bright thought that the fear on the faces of others was just the funniest thing ever and slowly but surely made the park more thrilling, more threatening, more terrifying so he could laugh at the helpless scared children. He got a degree in sociology so that he could be even better at scaring people until they lost their minds and had his engineers work on developing advanced animatronics capable of free motion and though. Eventually, the Bright Time Mile's fear factor was toned down significantly to attract new guests and Mr Benedict started to dress in a more fitting costume, red and black with skeletal bodypaint. However, soon after this refurbishment, reports started to come out. Of of man in a black and white pinstripe suit, skull-faced gasmask, wide brimmed hat, oversized blood-stained mallet, and a simple wand loaded with a radioactive isotope that would melt the flesh right off your bones, and this man would chase you down without relent or remorse laughing at your screams until you could scream no more or grew too brave, at which point they'd get bored and leave.

Amp, Ruby Neumann, was the daughter of a German immigrant and was a lover of all things adrenaline-pumping, especially hardbass music. When they reached adulthood, they attempted to start a band, Bloodboil, but it never got off the ground. After that, she became a audio engineer and pioneered some interesting techniques. During a job under Benedict Bright to try to create audio disks that hum at just the right frequency to cause hallucinations, the hero Technopath broke in and gave chase, causing the equipment to short out and drive several other workers deaf. She escaped but lost the research for the disks but came to realize something; being chased... is actually pretty fun. She crafted a custom sound-suit covered with speakers that sounded at a frequency that could shatter stone and a sonic blaster that would rupture flesh and became a mercenary for the various gangs of Midnight Park, serving under them for the ultimate thrill.

And last for the villains is Krake, Richard Steinman. you already know about them. A cosmetics surgeon and geneticist who helped transgender and non-binary people transition until they had an otherkin awakening themself and was hit by a gnawing, insatiable longing to be an octopus (or, rather, the BODY of an octopus, they already were one in mind) even though they knew that they could reach reach it until Squall's storm created Tox and Midas, neither of which can really be considered human anymore and gave poor Steinman hope that they can achive their heart's desire with enough equipment, chemicals, and test subjects and so set up a secret lab in the Midnight Park underground where they performed inhumane experiments attempting to crack the code of transformation, eventually managing to figure it out and partly turn themself into an octopus, the happiest day of their life, but now aware of the toil they've reaped on the innocent citizens of Midnight park, all the friends they've lost and traded for power-hungry gangsters who wanted power for cheap, and these days they cry themselves to sleep every night,

However, now, it's hero time.

First is co-founder of the Luminary Society, Silver Sentinel. Henry Steele was a car mechanic in Founder's Bay until getting a new job as an engineer for Benedict Bright at the Bright Time Mile designing animatronics. He did this for some time before slowly realizing that what Bright wants aren't just animatronic mascot characters, but androids, semi-aware fake people, and that just didn't sit right with them and so they left, turning back to their old work for a while before bumping into an Everyman recruiter who conviced them to serve under the forces of "Justice", taking a box of mechanical limbs from their old job and created a primitive suit of power armor to boost his strength. After about a month though, he realized that Everyman was just a butcher, killing any who he arbitrarily deemed "Guilty" and moving one actually without doing anything to make Midnight Park a better place and so, left them. He wondered guilty and aimless for some time before meeting Coldheart and founding the Luminary Society to atone for their past sins, establishing a strict code of honor to make up for it.

Of course, Next up is Coldheart. Emeline Eaton was a skier, the best in all Midnight Park in fact. She would ski down the slopes of Appalachia every winter preparing for the day she could enter into the Winter Olympics, her personal dream and everyone believed in her. One winter when she was setting off, a strange man in a hazmat suit approached her, not a single snowflake on their body preaching how fit she was. She listened, confused, until the figure proclaimed how much he DESPISED health as they took off their hood, revealing the vile molten features of Tox right before Emeline punch him right in the face in response, only for Tox to merely laugh as the chemical cocktail begain to make her flesh melt too arm-first. She fell on the ground and rolled down the slope, slamming right into a frozen lake. She awoke later that month after the thaw with bluish frostbite skin and discovered that no level of cold effect her anymore but if she were to ever rise above the freezing point, she'd begin to melt like Tox. She lived for a week sleeping in mall freezers and walking around with a sack of dry ice tied to her back before meeting Silver Sentinel, who rigged up a crude insulation suit to keep her cool and together they formed the Luminary Society.

Midas, Dr Gianni Agneas, was a quantum physicist specializing in using particle smashers and accelerators to transmutate old or synthesize new elements. He was working on an experimental device he named the Philosopher's Engine that could transmute any one substance into any other when Squall's storm hit, lightning striking the side of the lab and causing the machine to go haywire spouting particles and radiation until it exploded, knocking Gianni out in the process. When they awoke, Everything left in the ruins had been transmuted, including themself, they had been turned to a scintillating rainbow of elements such as lead, bismuth, and sulfur and whatever they touched would itself be transmuted into something different. After a few years as a medical oddity, they had learned to control their powers, being able to choose what they turned what into, joining the Luminary Society and turning enough trash into gold to allow them to buy an abandoned observation tower to turn into their headquarters, the Luminary Spire.

Technopath, Nathan Sutton, isn't from Midnight Park, he's not even from the east coast. Born in the state of California as the son of the tech billionaire Dell Sutton of Telekinetics Inc, Nathan never faced much hardship growing up and so spent most of their time reading comic books and watching movies. They were big fans of stories about cowboy and pirate vigilantes and secret spies infiltrating the lairs of megalomaniacal masterminds. After hearing of the Luminary Society following the purchase of the Luminary Spire and their growing awareness of their father's love of money over them, he underwent an experimental surgery to have Telekinetics Inc technology installed into his body, becoming a cyborg with built-in radios and electromagnets granting them powers like remote usage of electronics, telekinesis, and more before moving to Midnight Park and applying for the Society several times before getting approved as their youngest member. Silver Sentinel is something of an idol of theirs and they seem potential in the young cyborg and have taken them in as a pupil.

Nightshade, real name Sophia Burke, always preferred plants to people. Plants wouldn't bully you for being weird, plants would always listen to what you have to say, plants would never be "too busy" to pay attention to their child. As she grew, she got a degree in botany and toxicology whilst studying abroad. When she came back however, She discovered that her parents had been murdered. No matter how strained there relationship, she still valued their lives and so went out to try to find the killer, Using her knowledge to blend into the plantlife and apply subtle poisons to their enemies to render them inoperable. Eventually she found the culprit; Everyman, Her parents were corrupt it turns out and had been engaging with drug smuggling for the black market and he couldn't let that stand. Shaken to her core by that discovery but still wanting to put a stop to Everyman's crimes and not believe that they're strong enough, she joined the Luminary Society to train, though her willingness to kill give her a strained relationship with the rest of them.

And that's it. That's them, my boys!

i imagine at least Menoa would, in response to Everyman's semi-fascist outlook, make himself into a hero called "Nuance" that would show up to every attempted murder, and debate the murderer in the middle of them attempting to do the murder.

meanwhile Akari would be the one who actually prevents the crimes.

sorry i'm thinking in terms of me ocs.

[hit-song-showdown]

Year-End Poll #16: 1964

[Image description: a collage of photos of the 10 musicians and musical groups featured in this poll. In order from left to right, top to bottom: The Beatles (x2), Louis Armstrong, Roy Orbison, The Beach Boys, Dean Martin, Mary Wells, Gale Garnett, Frank Wilson, The Supremes. End description]

More information about this blog here

A lot happened this year. To get the obvious out of the way, this is the first time (and far from the last) we're seeing The Beatles featured on these polls. Like Elvis Presley in the previous decade, so much has been said about the cultural impact of these artists that I feel intimidated to give my two cents. At this stage in their careers, The Beatles offered a middle ground between their rowdier skiffle roots and the squeaky-clean look of teen idols at the time -- which clearly worked for teenage girls in the early 60's. Much like in the 1950s, we're seeing another rock and roll boom, but this time the genre is pulling from other contemporary influences. Especially doo-wop, as seen with The Beach Boys. Parallel to the British Invasion, surf rock will also become a major staple of the decade.

This moment in the 1960s also marks the mainstream rise of another monumental cultural force: Motown Records. While the label was founded in 1958, this is the moment where more Motown acts start crossing over into the mainstream charts, as seen with Mary Wells and The Supremes. The significance of a Black-owned label achieving major crossover success can't be overstated. The Motown sound would soon become synonymous with the 1960s, and we will continue to see their influence (both direct and indirect) beyond.

As an aside, it's interesting to finally get to the years where my parents remember hearing these songs. Apparently Last Kiss was not the only "tragic teen love car crash" song. "Teenage tragedies" were a popular subgenre at the time, and cars became a more popular inciting incident for said tragedies as automobiles became a more prevalent part of teen culture. Here's an NPR interview about it (transcript included).

[lana-llama-in-pajamas]

Your not 12 anymore

I know it’s a sus title you’ll get it Jebus.

Chapter 1

Cameras flashed as you smiled and posed, distant pop played as more people joined you holding you close and sticking their tongues out and laughing. It felt like a dream hazy and euphoric, a gorgeous woman pulled you away holding you close as she lead you to a room full of dancing and the pop music you heard getting louder “damn, I think the coke is getting to you” she yelled “next time don’t let Lana pressure you too much ok?” She held you close again making sure your body movements matched hers, she was right but that’s the life of a pornstar no?

“What’s your current body count?” A bald douche asked waiting to make a point stared at you and a few of the girls that were at the party a few days ago “maybe we should start with how much you paid all of us to be here. Since you lied about not having to pay for women” you said blank faced as the girls giggled making him stare daggers at you “listen here FEMALE. Your low value and that’s the only reason you’re being paid” he lowkey yells trying to control the narrative and himself “next time pay us more than 500. Byyee” you got up, the other girls followed as a hurl of insults were thrown by the red pill and his goonies.

“Omg I’ve never walked out of one of those things before” one girl laughed hugging her friend “his fault for paying us first” you explained walking to your car “dumbass” jona yelled back towards the dinky office were the podcast was held, you and jona got in your car still laughing and waving to the others before driving off “wanna go eat?” You asked focused on the road while jona turned up the speakers “ugh I wish but I have a shoot tomorrow so all I’m eating is salad, tell you what when it’s over let’s gorge on sushi” she said excitedly clasping her hands together “I’m down. I gotta do a video tonight actually” you sighed.

You finally got to the rented mansion getting out with a duffle bag “y/n! You made it!” A muscle bro went to hug you, “names chad, been in the game 4 years” (haha funny), the ‘game’ was what everyone called the industry. It made it less awkward, . You walked in together Chad going on and on about whatever, you genuinely didn’t care you saw him as a check and he probably saw you as the same. The mansion was amazing, the ceiling was so high you had to turn your head all the way to see the top. the front door lead to the living room where you could see cameras wires and boom mics, an old man walked over in a baseball hat, matching shirt and jeans "ah the stars, heres ya scripts. go get ready and come down so we can talk more and start, bathrooms upstairs are all yours" his voice was gruff as he winked at you, you nodded not wanting to give him any indication that you hated or enjoyed it. chad turned to you happy as can be "you wanna brain storm ideas while you do your makeup?" you turned and walked up the stairs sighing "sure chad" he followed like a puppy setting his stuff at the door as you walked in placing your makeup bag down "your gonna..sit on the floor?" you asked sitting at the vanity seeing chad avoid the inside of the bathroom as he sat at the door "just wanna give you space" he looked up from his script, it almost made you smile but you turned back to the mirror "theres specific positions but other than that he wants me to be flirty and you oblivious, think you can do that miss tutor?" chad chuckles drawing on his paper. you looked at the script reading the title:

hot innocent tutor gets dominated by jock staring- y/n L/n chad lexing mostly improve. actors can create story that must last 10 minutes before actual porn scene.

you scratched out 'innocent' with a eye liner before going back to your lips "wanna be funny and see if he catches on?" you asked hoping chad would get your mean

"this isn't a beach this is a bathtub lady!" chad immediately blurts out making you laugh "ooh pretty laugh" he wiggled his eyebrows "shut up!" you said between breathing "but yeah that basically but reversed" you explained now smiling at him "great! imma go shave and change" he grabbed his duffel bag and rolled away on the floor making you laugh again, now you kinda felt bad for being cold, but it seems hes used to that. soon you were finally done and put on your outfit, pulling your skirt up you could feel eyes on you so you quickly fixed it and glared at the door....to see nothing, you looked around and yelled for chad but only got the shower running as a response. the 'eyes' felt like daggers to you, almost supernatrual. your heavy breathing turning into a mini panic attack as you walked around the hall opening every door and looking into every corner you finally walked back into the bathroom closing the door and locking it, hoping you were just getting withdrawals or just nervous,

You could hear your own heart in your ears.

Your breathing.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

You shrieked looking out to the window to see a figure for a split second before it disappeared. Chad ran in a towel trying to open the door “y/n?? You ok?” You turned to the door scrambling to open it “the window! Chad look!” You pointed and in your fear opened the window to see…nothing just a tree “it’s just shadows” he chuckled closing the window “it’s ok” he held out his hands to you and you obliged hugging him, he patted your back like a friend before you both let go “you look good” he winked “come with me to change and we can head downstairs, no scary monster will get you” he held out a hand that you took. You were starting to really like Chad, even if he was calling you crazy.

The scene went as expected, one minute your insulting this ‘jock’ the next he was holding you up like a pretzel. And yes you both had to cut a few time to laugh at your improv. In the end you both laid in an Alaskan king bed blinded by studio lighting and an ugly middle aged man clapping “beautiful! I like the bit there with the tongue” he wiggled his eyebrows as you and Chad just side eyed, Chad getting the hint you were uncomfortable “awesome man, we’re gonna go shower” he slapped his sweaty, fluid covered hand on the man’s shoulder before gesturing you to go first, “gross lexing” the director slapped his hand away “my wife bought me this shirt” the director deadpanned “your checks will be in the kitchen. My assistant will escort you out.” He huffed motioning everyone to wrap up and go home. You leaned your back up against the shower wall as the water hit you, Chad used the other shower so you were alone. You heard the door and remembered chads bag was in the room so you weren’t alarmed, until you could hear the door creak as you were covered in shampoo “Chad? I don’t think your stuff is in here” you yelled out wiping off your face about to scream before your mouth was covered by a dirt covered hand “boo.”

Y/n:

[ignisuada]

that's it, you're being forced to read about my superhero boys.

Ok, so, This is all set within the fictional metropolis of Midnight Park, a city of 10 million on the shores of the Maryland coast that can be imagined as a parallel to the real world’s New Orleans. Midnight Park is a very divided place, with the tech moguls of the Silicon Heights looking over the squalor of Hooverville, the lush gardens, parks, and graveyards of Greenbelt being leeched of life from the smog of the Production Quarter, and the ever-watchful eye of their heroes of the Luminary Society just can't pierce through the shadowed allies and tunnels their rival villains lurk in.

First up on the hit list is Squall, Dr Simon Gale, the oldest of the villains who looks a bit like an cantaloupe balancing on top of a bowling ball, or some hybrid of that guy from those Boom Beach ads that was a meme a few years back with classic Eggman or Doc Ock. They were bullied for their looks during their childhood (especially by one Benedict Bright who you'll see later) and would grow into a meteorologist and climatologist, top of their class. Unfortunately, they were cursed to become one of the first to realize the potential dangers of climate change back in like the 90's and nobody took their observations seriously, reminding them of their childhood torments. In a fit of rage, they used experimental equipment for inducing artificial rainfall to turn a light drizzle into a pounding storm, flooding Midnight Park and dawning the modern age of heroes and villains. Unfortunately, they're ego would only grow and they'd slowly begin to see themself as the arbiter of nature's wrath and be blinded to the cruelty of their actions.

Next up is Tox, Dr Garrett Adams. Dr Adams wasn't anyone special, just some humble chemist working for Venture Chemicals Co in the Production Quarter. That all changed during Squall's storm though. The floodwaters caused the chemical vats to burst and spill, dissolving several workers alive whilst Garrett was stranded in the rafters above where they're body slowly absorbed the fumes. Their skin and fat began to melt off their muscle and bones as it turned to wax from chemical exposure, soaking in chemical fumes and radiation as Adams used what first aid supplies he had to stave off death. By the time the floodwaters receded, Him and the chemicals had become one, a congealed mass of atomic tallow and luminous green organs within in endless agony that warped his mind into nothing but an abyss of hate. hate. hate. hate.

Then is Everyman, Tomas Jackson. Jackson was some unremarkable middle-aged conservative man who believed in standing for what you think is right and a growing resentment for the government. That was, until, some random no-name crook broke into his house and stole a family heirloom, his grandmother's old necklace, at which point he attempted to follow shotgun in hand to get it back. When he couldn't and the police also failed to find it, he was filled with rage and vowed to take matters into his own hands. Donning a home-forged steel helmet, gloves, trenchcoat, and voice changer, they set off into the night with a shotgun, a dream, and a very black-and-white sense of morality. These days, many of his fellow hands-on right wingers have donned similar costumes and joined him in his secret lair, the Halls of Justice, to find, torture, and execute whoever they deem guilty.

Mister Bones, Benedict Bright, was a bully growing up, especially to a young Simon Gale. His parents own a large carnival boardwalk by the name of the Bright Time Mile in Founder's Bay. His father died when Benedict was in his twenties and gave him control over the park. This was not a good idea as Mr Bright thought that the fear on the faces of others was just the funniest thing ever and slowly but surely made the park more thrilling, more threatening, more terrifying so he could laugh at the helpless scared children. He got a degree in sociology so that he could be even better at scaring people until they lost their minds and had his engineers work on developing advanced animatronics capable of free motion and thought. Eventually, the Bright Time Mile's fear factor was toned down significantly to attract new guests and Mr Benedict started to dress in a more fitting costume, red and black with skeletal bodypaint. However, soon after this refurbishment, reports started to come out. Of of man in a black and white pinstripe suit, skull-faced gasmask, wide brimmed hat, oversized blood-stained mallet, and a simple wand loaded with a radioactive isotope that would melt the flesh right off your bones, and this man would chase you down without relent or remorse laughing at your screams until you could scream no more or grew too brave, at which point they'd get bored and leave.

Amp, Ruby Neumann, was the daughter of a German immigrant and was a lover of all things adrenaline-pumping, especially hardbass music. When they reached adulthood, they attempted to start a band, Bloodboil, but it never got off the ground. After that, she became an audio engineer and pioneered some interesting techniques. During a job under Benedict Bright to try to create audio disks that hum at just the right frequency to cause hallucinations, the hero Technopath broke in and gave chase, causing the equipment to short out and drive several other workers deaf. She escaped but lost the research for the disks but came to realize something; being chased... is actually pretty fun. She crafted a custom sound-suit covered with speakers that sounded at a frequency that could shatter stone and a sonic blaster that would rupture flesh and became a mercenary for the various gangs of Midnight Park, serving under them for the ultimate thrill.

And last for the villains is Krake, Richard Steinman. A cosmetics surgeon and geneticist who helped transgender and non-binary people transition until they had an otherkin awakening themself and was hit by a gnawing, insatiable longing to be an octopus (or, rather, the BODY of an octopus, they already were one in mind) even though they knew that they could reach reach it until Squall's storm created Tox and Midas, neither of which can really be considered human anymore and gave poor Steinman hope that they can achieve their heart's desire with enough equipment, chemicals, and test subjects and so set up a secret lab in the Midnight Park underground where they performed inhumane experiments attempting to crack the code of transformation, eventually managing to figure it out and partly turn themself into an octopus, the happiest day of their life, but now aware of the toil they've reaped on the innocent citizens of Midnight park, all the friends they've lost and traded for power-hungry gangsters who wanted power for cheap, and these days they cry themselves to sleep every night,

However, now, it's hero time.

First is co-founder of the Luminary Society, Silver Sentinel. Henry Steele was a car mechanic in Founder's Bay until getting a new job as an engineer for Benedict Bright at the Bright Time Mile designing animatronics. He did this for some time before slowly realizing that what Bright wants aren't just animatronic mascot characters, but androids, semi-aware fake people, and that just didn't sit right with them and so they left, turning back to their old work for a while before bumping into an Everyman recruiter who convinced them to serve under the forces of "Justice", taking a box of mechanical limbs from their old job and created a primitive suit of power armor to boost his strength. After about a month though, he realized that Everyman was just a butcher, killing any who he arbitrarily deemed "Guilty" and moving one actually without doing anything to make Midnight Park a better place and so, left them. He wondered guilty and aimless for some time before meeting Coldheart and founding the Luminary Society to atone for their past sins, establishing a strict code of honor to make up for it.

Of course, Next up is Coldheart. Emeline Eaton was a skier, the best in all Midnight Park in fact. She would ski down the slopes of Appalachia every winter preparing for the day she could enter into the Winter Olympics, her personal dream and everyone believed in her. One winter when she was setting off, a strange man in a hazmat suit approached her, not a single snowflake on their body preaching how fit she was. She listened, confused, until the figure proclaimed how much he DESPISED health as they took off their hood, revealing the vile molten features of Tox right before Emeline punch him right in the face in response, only for Tox to merely laugh as the chemical cocktail begin to make her flesh melt too arm-first. She fell on the ground and rolled down the slope, slamming right into a frozen lake. She awoke later that month after the thaw with bluish frostbite skin and discovered that no level of cold affected her anymore but if she were to ever rise above the freezing point, she'd begin to melt like Tox. She lived for a week sleeping in mall freezers and walking around with a sack of dry ice tied to her back before meeting Silver Sentinel, who rigged up a crude insulation suit to keep her cool and together they formed the Luminary Society.

Midas, Dr Gianni Agneas, was a quantum physicist specializing in using particle smashers and accelerators to transmute old or synthesize new elements. He was working on an experimental device he named the Philosopher's Engine that could transmute any one substance into any other when Squall's storm hit, lightning striking the side of the lab and causing the machine to go haywire spouting particles and radiation until it exploded, knocking Gianni out in the process. When they awoke, Everything left in the ruins had been transmuted, including themself, they had been turned to a scintillating rainbow of elements such as lead, bismuth, and sulfur and whatever they touched would itself be transmuted into something different. After a few years as a medical oddity, they had learned to control their powers, being able to choose what they turned what into, joining the Luminary Society and turning enough trash into gold to allow them to buy an abandoned observation tower to turn into their headquarters, the Luminary Spire.

Technopath, Nathan Sutton, isn't from Midnight Park, he's not even from the east coast. Born in the state of California as the son of the tech billionaire Dell Sutton of Telekinetics Inc, Nathan never faced much hardship growing up and so spent most of their time reading comic books and watching movies. They were big fans of stories about cowboy and pirate vigilantes and secret spies infiltrating the lairs of megalomaniacal masterminds. After hearing of the Luminary Society following the purchase of the Luminary Spire and their growing awareness of their father's love of money over them, he underwent an experimental surgery to have Telekinetics Inc technology installed into his body, becoming a cyborg with built-in radios and electromagnets granting them powers like remote usage of electronics, telekinesis, and more before moving to Midnight Park and applying for the Society several times before getting approved as their youngest member. Silver Sentinel is something of an idol of theirs and they see potential in the young cyborg and have taken them in as a pupil.

Nightshade, real name Sophia Burke, always preferred plants to people. Plants wouldn't bully you for being weird, plants would always listen to what you have to say, plants would never be "too busy" to pay attention to their child. As she grew, she got a degree in botany and toxicology whilst studying abroad. When she came back however, She discovered that her parents had been murdered. No matter how strained their relationship, she still valued their lives and so went out to try to find the killer, Using her knowledge to blend into the plantlife and apply subtle poisons to their enemies to render them inoperable. Eventually she found the culprit; Everyman, Her parents were corrupt it turns out and had been engaging with drug smuggling for the black market and he couldn't let that stand. Shaken to her core by that discovery but still wanting to put a stop to Everyman's crimes and not believe that they're strong enough, she joined the Luminary Society to train, though her willingness to kill gave her a strained relationship with the rest of them.

And that's it. That's them, my boys.

Those are some rad fucking boys you should write a book or something man

[wasteland-squog-baby]

Ok, so, This is all set within the fictionally metropolis of Midnight Park, a city of 10 million on the shores of the Maryland coast. Midnight Park is a very divided place, with the tech moguls of the Silicon Heights looking over the squalor of Hooverville, the lush gardens, parks, and graveyards of Greenbelt being leeched of life from the smog of the Production Quarter, and the ever-watchful eye of their heroes of the Luminary Society just can't pierce through the shadowed allies and tunnels their rival villains lurk in.

First up on the hit list is Squall, Dr Simon Gale, the oldest of the villains who looks a bit like an cantaloupe balancing on top of a bowling ball, or some hybrid of that guy from those Boom Beach ads that was a meme a few years back with classic Eggman or Doc Ock. They were bullied for their looks during their childhood (especially by one Benedict Bright who you'll see later) and would grow into a meteorologist and climatologist, top of their class. Unfortunately, they were cursed to became one of the first to realize the potential dangers of climate change back in like the 90's and nobody took their observations seriously, reminding them of their childhood torments. In a fit of rage, the used experimental equipment for inducing artificial rainfall to turn a light drizzle into a pounding storm, flooding Midnight Park and dawning the modern age of heroes and villains. Unfortunately, they're ego would only grow and they'd slowly begin to see themself as the arbiter of natures wraith and be blinded to the cruelty of their actions.

Next up is Tox, Dr Garrett Adams. Dr Adams wasn't anyone special, just some humble chemist working for Venture Chemicals Co in the Production Quarter. That all changed during Squall's storm though. The floodwaters caused the chemical vats to burst and spill, dissolving several workers alive whilst Garrett was stranded in the rafters above where they're body slowly absorbed the fumes. Their skin and fat began to melt off their muscle and bones as it turned to wax from chemical exposure, soaking in chemical fumes and radiation as Adams used what first aid supplies he had to stave off death. By the time the floodwaters receded, Him and the chemicals had become one, a congealed mass of atomic tallow and luminous green organs within in endless agony that warped his mind into nothing but an abyss of hate. hate. hate. hate.

Then is Everyman, Tomas Jackson. Jackson was some unremarkable middle-aged conservative man who believed in standing for what you think is right and a growing resentment for the government. That was, until, some random no-name crook broke into his house and stole a family heirloom, his grandmother's old necklace, at which point he attempted to follow shotgun in hand to get it back. When he couldn't and the police also failed to find it, he was filled with rage and vowed to take makers into his own hands. Doning a home-forged steel helmet, gloves, trenchcoat, and voice changer, they set off into the night with a shotgun, a dream, and a very black-and-white sense of morality. These days, many of his fellow hands-on right wingers have donned similar costumes and joined him in his secret lair, the Halls of Justice, to find, torture, and execute whoever they deem guilty.

Mister Bones, Benedict Bright, was a bully growing up, especially to a young Simon Gale. His parents own a large carnival boardwalk by the name of the Bright Time Mile in Founder's Bay. His father died when Benedict was in his twenties and gave him control over the park. This was not a good idea as Mr Bright thought that the fear on the faces of others was just the funniest thing ever and slowly but surely made the park more thrilling, more threatening, more terrifying so he could laugh at the helpless scared children. He got a degree in sociology so that he could be even better at scaring people until they lost their minds and had his engineers work on developing advanced animatronics capable of free motion and though. Eventually, the Bright Time Mile's fear factor was toned down significantly to attract new guests and Mr Benedict started to dress in a more fitting costume, red and black with skeletal bodypaint. However, soon after this refurbishment, reports started to come out. Of of man in a black and white pinstripe suit, skull-faced gasmask, wide brimmed hat, oversized blood-stained mallet, and a simple wand loaded with a radioactive isotope that would melt the flesh right off your bones, and this man would chase you down without relent or remorse laughing at your screams until you could scream no more or grew too brave, at which point they'd get bored and leave.

Amp, Ruby Neumann, was the daughter of a German immigrant and was a lover of all things adrenaline-pumping, especially hardbass music. When they reached adulthood, they attempted to start a band, Bloodboil, but it never got off the ground. After that, she became a audio engineer and pioneered some interesting techniques. During a job under Benedict Bright to try to create audio disks that hum at just the right frequency to cause hallucinations, the hero Technopath broke in and gave chase, causing the equipment to short out and drive several other workers deaf. She escaped but lost the research for the disks but came to realize something; being chased... is actually pretty fun. She crafted a custom sound-suit covered with speakers that sounded at a frequency that could shatter stone and a sonic blaster that would rupture flesh and became a mercenary for the various gangs of Midnight Park, serving under them for the ultimate thrill.

And last for the villains is Krake, Richard Steinman. you already know about them. A cosmetics surgeon and geneticist who helped transgender and non-binary people transition until they had an otherkin awakening themself and was hit by a gnawing, insatiable longing to be an octopus (or, rather, the BODY of an octopus, they already were one in mind) even though they knew that they could reach reach it until Squall's storm created Tox and Midas, neither of which can really be considered human anymore and gave poor Steinman hope that they can achive their heart's desire with enough equipment, chemicals, and test subjects and so set up a secret lab in the Midnight Park underground where they performed inhumane experiments attempting to crack the code of transformation, eventually managing to figure it out and partly turn themself into an octopus, the happiest day of their life, but now aware of the toil they've reaped on the innocent citizens of Midnight park, all the friends they've lost and traded for power-hungry gangsters who wanted power for cheap, and these days they cry themselves to sleep every night,

However, now, it's hero time.

First is co-founder of the Luminary Society, Silver Sentinel. Henry Steele was a car mechanic in Founder's Bay until getting a new job as an engineer for Benedict Bright at the Bright Time Mile designing animatronics. He did this for some time before slowly realizing that what Bright wants aren't just animatronic mascot characters, but androids, semi-aware fake people, and that just didn't sit right with them and so they left, turning back to their old work for a while before bumping into an Everyman recruiter who conviced them to serve under the forces of "Justice", taking a box of mechanical limbs from their old job and created a primitive suit of power armor to boost his strength. After about a month though, he realized that Everyman was just a butcher, killing any who he arbitrarily deemed "Guilty" and moving one actually without doing anything to make Midnight Park a better place and so, left them. He wondered guilty and aimless for some time before meeting Coldheart and founding the Luminary Society to atone for their past sins, establishing a strict code of honor to make up for it.

Of course, Next up is Coldheart. Emeline Eaton was a skier, the best in all Midnight Park in fact. She would ski down the slopes of Appalachia every winter preparing for the day she could enter into the Winter Olympics, her personal dream and everyone believed in her. One winter when she was setting off, a strange man in a hazmat suit approached her, not a single snowflake on their body preaching how fit she was. She listened, confused, until the figure proclaimed how much he DESPISED health as they took off their hood, revealing the vile molten features of Tox right before Emeline punch him right in the face in response, only for Tox to merely laugh as the chemical cocktail begain to make her flesh melt too arm-first. She fell on the ground and rolled down the slope, slamming right into a frozen lake. She awoke later that month after the thaw with bluish frostbite skin and discovered that no level of cold effect her anymore but if she were to ever rise above the freezing point, she'd begin to melt like Tox. She lived for a week sleeping in mall freezers and walking around with a sack of dry ice tied to her back before meeting Silver Sentinel, who rigged up a crude insulation suit to keep her cool and together they formed the Luminary Society.

Midas, Dr Gianni Agneas, was a quantum physicist specializing in using particle smashers and accelerators to transmutate old or synthesize new elements. He was working on an experimental device he named the Philosopher's Engine that could transmute any one substance into any other when Squall's storm hit, lightning striking the side of the lab and causing the machine to go haywire spouting particles and radiation until it exploded, knocking Gianni out in the process. When they awoke, Everything left in the ruins had been transmuted, including themself, they had been turned to a scintillating rainbow of elements such as lead, bismuth, and sulfur and whatever they touched would itself be transmuted into something different. After a few years as a medical oddity, they had learned to control their powers, being able to choose what they turned what into, joining the Luminary Society and turning enough trash into gold to allow them to buy an abandoned observation tower to turn into their headquarters, the Luminary Spire.

Technopath, Nathan Sutton, isn't from Midnight Park, he's not even from the east coast. Born in the state of California as the son of the tech billionaire Dell Sutton of Telekinetics Inc, Nathan never faced much hardship growing up and so spent most of their time reading comic books and watching movies. They were big fans of stories about cowboy and pirate vigilantes and secret spies infiltrating the lairs of megalomaniacal masterminds. After hearing of the Luminary Society following the purchase of the Luminary Spire and their growing awareness of their father's love of money over them, he underwent an experimental surgery to have Telekinetics Inc technology installed into his body, becoming a cyborg with built-in radios and electromagnets granting them powers like remote usage of electronics, telekinesis, and more before moving to Midnight Park and applying for the Society several times before getting approved as their youngest member. Silver Sentinel is something of an idol of theirs and they seem potential in the young cyborg and have taken them in as a pupil.

Nightshade, real name Sophia Burke, always preferred plants to people. Plants wouldn't bully you for being weird, plants would always listen to what you have to say, plants would never be "too busy" to pay attention to their child. As she grew, she got a degree in botany and toxicology whilst studying abroad. When she came back however, She discovered that her parents had been murdered. No matter how strained there relationship, she still valued their lives and so went out to try to find the killer, Using her knowledge to blend into the plantlife and apply subtle poisons to their enemies to render them inoperable. Eventually she found the culprit; Everyman, Her parents were corrupt it turns out and had been engaging with drug smuggling for the black market and he couldn't let that stand. Shaken to her core by that discovery but still wanting to put a stop to Everyman's crimes and not believe that they're strong enough, she joined the Luminary Society to train, though her willingness to kill give her a strained relationship with the rest of them.

And that's it. That's them, my boys!

The boys. They be back in town?

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Researchers study the roar of SpaceX's Starship and its impact on communities and the environment

What does it feel to like to witness a rocket launch—not just any rocket, but SpaceX's Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket in the world?

BYU student Noah Pulsipher, who witnessed a Starship launch in October, described it:

"It was the loudest thing I've ever heard, for sure. You can feel the sound whipping over your body; it feels like it's almost pushing you back sometimes," Pulspiher said. "And then, all around me, car alarms are going off and dogs barking—things like that. It's a powerful experience."

Pulsipher is part of BYU's Physics and Aerospace Student-Centered Acoustics Laboratory (PASCAL), led by physics professor Kent Gee. Gee, who has spent his career measuring high-amplitude sound from rockets such as NASA's Artemis I, said the sound from the Starship launch was unique.

"It's got this low-frequency rumble that's just overwhelming," Gee said. "And then on top of it, you have this kind of high-frequency popping. I call it crackle. It's a very unique sound experience."

Rocket acoustics, while felt, can be objectively measured. Pulsipher and Gee, along with four additional BYU collaborators, recently published a paper in JASA Express Letters about noise measurements at Starship's fifth flight, including the booster landing and sonic boom. The sound was extraordinary: even 10 kilometers away, it was as loud as a rock concert. At 20 kilometers, it rivaled the noise of a table saw or snow blower. At 30–35 kilometers, the sound was still as loud as a vacuum cleaner or hair dryer.

Their study also compared Starship's acoustics to other powerful rockets. One Starship launch produces the noise equivalent of 4–6 Space Launch System launches or at least 10 Falcon 9 launches. With Starship launches projected to increase to 100 per year, Gee said the noise could have significant implications for nearby communities, including window rattling, disruption to sleep, setting off alarms and even disrupting wildlife populations.

"We are a space-going people now and it's a delicate balance. How do you balance that with making sure you're being a good environmental steward? Our research will see what the impacts are on threatened or endangered species in the region, as well as the impact on community life."

Currently, there are no regulatory guidelines on noise levels for rockets. While PASCAL's work isn't focused on policy, their data could help inform decision-makers and communities as spaceports become more common.

To prepare for Starship's sixth flight on November 19, the PASCAL team transported three pallets of equipment to Texas, including computers, data acquisition systems, GPS, microphones, and windscreens.

"This is a unique opportunity for students to participate in something like this," Gee said, noting that BYU is the only university studying rocket noise to this extent.

For Pulsipher, the thrill of a rocket launch never fades.

"It's always incredible to see the rocket go off," he said. "First you can see the light coming off and then a little bit later you hear the sound and your jaw just drops. That's a really fun experience. I always look forward to that."

TOP IMAGE: The BYU PASCAL research team from left to right: Kent Gee, Makayle Kellison, Noah Pulsipher, Logan Mathews, Grant Hart, and Mark Anderson in Boca Chica Beach. Texas. The team performed acoustical measurements at SpaceX's Starship's fifth flight and is set to perform additional measurements at the sixth launch in November. Credit: Logan Mathews

LOWER IMAGE: BYU researchers set up acoustical instruments around the launch site to analyze sound levels from the rocket. Credit: Logan Mathews

[starseneyes]

Chenford REWIND - Lucy Chen / Tim Bradford - The Rookie - Season 4 Eps 10 & 11

Howdy! I had a request for 11, but since I've already done 9 (and didn't want 10 hanging out by its lonesome), I thought I'd pair them together.

SPOILER ALERT: If you're new here, please know that spoilers are part of the gig. Yes, it's an unpaid, voluntary, unsanctioned gig... but I take it seriously (well, seriously enough). So, there'll be spoilers of these episodes and all the episodes before. But I try to keep my foreknowledge out of these.

If you're ready (and I know I'm ready), it's time to dive in!

"Heart Beat" AKA Kojo Sniffs a Bitch

Peroxide Princess at Tim's

I can't tell you how hard I rolled my eyes when I saw her in his house in the first place. Like, okay, I get that they're adults, yada, yada... but the immature teenager in me wanted to throw bleach at the screen to try to sterilize Tim's house remotely of her gritty, sandy presence.

Like, I need to find a can of some cleaner that'll erase her... like a "Bitch BeGone" in a spray bottle.

Tim's making breakfast, and she feels like she has to remind him she doesn't like it. But, Tim's pretty good at taking note of those details. And it's not for you, Beach Bitch. It's for Kojo! The bestest puppers in the world.

And Kojo. doesn't. like. Bitch Barbie. at. all.

Good instincts, Kojo! Good boy!

"How long have you had him?" "Uh, a year. He was Lucy's but she couldn't keep him."

Because Daddy and Mommy have to deal with joint custody for a while. You, Side Piece, can see yourself out the door any time. All you'll ever be is a footnote at the bottom of one page of the book of Chenford's love.

Yes, I'm in a salty mood. But at least my ire's directed at a fictional character, right?

"So, how's it going with Ashley?" "Good. Although there was some weirdness this morning."

You mean the fact that you're dating her instead of Lucy? Yeah, we spotted that weirdness, too.

But aside from that, I want to mention the awesomeness that is Season 4 Tim talking "personal life" with Lucy in the Shop without hesitation. He's so comfortable with her, now, that this particular rule no longer exists.

Plus, if he's talking to Lucy about his placeholder girlfriend, he can further distance himself from any feelings for Lucy.

"I don't think she likes Kojo." "So you broke up with her? That's, that's too bad."

Boom!! Lucy knows how it should be. Now, all you've gotta do it dismiss Not-Lucy and get on the right track, Tim. Kojo's trying to guide you to the right path. Listen to the pup!

"I liked her." "Since when? Last time we talked about her you gave me grief because she's a lifeguard."

This from "He's a fireman" Tim Bradford!? REALLY!? And suddenly getting "rigorous training" at the Fire Academy is good enough for you? Wow, you really like to make excuses for this girl to justify why you're dating *checks notes* a lifeguard.

Also, not used to Lucy giving Tim grief. Like, I thought that was an interesting line the first time I heard it, because Lucy's usually a very open person. Unless there's some sub-conscious jealousy afoot. Hmmm.

"But you know what, it is a moot point because she does not like Kojo. First of his name. King of canines. Destroyer of chew toys. So, clearly, Ashley has got to go."

Lucy "the right one" Chen, everyone! Speaking for every member of the Chenford fandom in that moment.

The Temporary Inconvenience Calls the Wife for Help

Lucy's surprise at hearing Ashley's voice is evident, and I'd be wondering what hoops she went through to get that number, m'self. Sure, you can meet at a party anytime, but folks don't just give out phone numbers willy nilly. So, who gave it to her?

And I'm going to skip most of this conversation because we all know Plot Device isn't gonna last.

"Kojo is just like... well, I mean, he's kind of just like Tim."

I'm sorry. I have to pause and get into the psychology of this a little. Because Lucy. Picked. A. Dog. Like. Tim.

Like, she picked out someone she wanted to live with her, to be a part of her daily life, to possibly cuddle in bed with her... who reminds her of Tim.

Lucy, you're a psych major. You can figure this out!

"He's big, gruff, a whole lot of bark, but you know, underneath all of it, he's a, he's a sweetheart."

Lucy is allowing herself to think about Tim in all his facets, and as she does, she can't help but fall into the best parts of him. And as soon as she utters that last line, her brow furrows and she physically turns away from him.

Why? Perhaps because thinking of his softer side felt safe. But as soon as her mind started moving, it went places she (and he) avoid in Season 4.

One. Damn. Spark. in episode 1 and the two of them are running scared.

"You know, you should tell Tim how you feel."

So should you, Lucy Chen.

Lucy Meets Chris the CrabApple

Moment one and I want to put a hot stake through his heart and call it a night.

Like, we can stake him, right? That's okay because it's fictional and he technically won't feel it?

I mean, I've heard there were people who didn't absolutely hate Chris at the first moment. Like, I never hated Rachel. I liked her. I just didn't want her for Tim forever. He needed that transitional girl.

But Ashley and Chris just get under my skin in the worst way.

Some people might argue that Lucy and Tim "started at odds", but that was different. Tim was Lucy's training officer and took a hard-nosed approach. Chris is just an asshole.

James and Wesley Go Out

Look, I know this is a Chenford Meta, but I have to call it out because I love it. I love watching these characters slowly become a family.

"Why is my girlfriend calling you?"

"Because I'm dating her to get away from you. She's not supposed to close the loop!"

Like, seriously, the boy is delusional right now.

"And you're so concerned about my love life because..." "Because I don't wanna drive around on patrol with you while you are moping about screwing this up."

Lucy is being a good friend. She thinks that Tim isn't interested in her (because, obviously he wouldn't be dating someone else if he was, right? Oy, these two are idiots).

"Look, if you like this girl, you should listen to her."

But if he really liked this girl, it wouldn't take Lucy stepping in to help.

Think about it—she helped Tim with Rachel with the birthday present. She's helping Tim with Ashley with Kojo. Tim so would be dumped lickity split without Lucy's help.

Take the hint, Timmy.

"When have I ever moped? I don't even know how." "Mmhmm."

Why do we spell "moped" and "moped" the same way? Like, "he moped while riding his moped" is a real sentence. English is a dumb language.

Also, fans of 5x10 (and many other episodes) note that Tim does this eyeroll quite a bit and usually in relation to Lucy... good or bad.

"End Game" AKA A Safe Home

"... the clown from the DA's office..."

Yes, Tamara. Yes. Speak truth, little sister. That clown doesn't need to be anywhere near our girl Lucy.

"Tyler's lucky he has you looking out for him. I knew I was."

That's what Lucy does. That's who Lucy is. For all the times her family didn't look out for her, she's going to look out for others times a million.

"Everything okay?"

I love how he looks from Lucy to Chris, like, "Do you need me?" And when she shows she's fine, he hangs back and lets her do her thing. He knows Lucy can defend herself. But he's not going far in case she needs to tap him in.

"Can you believe the nerve of that guy, calling me dramatic?"

Tim tries to look like he has no idea what she's talking about... but c'mon. He knows his girl. And she does have a flare for the dramatic... especially when she's been up all night and is dosing caffeine like a drug.

"Um, do not start."

Married. They talk to each other like they're a couple all the time in Season 4, and they don't even realize it. They've spent so much time filing away that moment between them in his house that they've convinced themselves they're immune to it... the pull that's drawing them nearer one another.

"Exactly how many cups of coffee did you have this morning?" "I'm just going to apologize to you right now." *Tim eyeroll* "Um, it's gonna be a really long day for you, and, and I'm sorry."

Hey! The eye roll of "I don't know how to mope" is back already! But, seriously, Tim, when y'all eventually get your act together, you might want to invest in decaf.

"Alright, how do you want to handle this?"

He's letting her take the lead, and I love that. Tim knows how to do this, of course, but he understands the bond between Lucy and Tamara is strong.

It'd be easy for Tim to give instructions, even though he's no longer her TO. He doesn't even giver her an anecdote or experience—because he trusts Lucy.

"I know what to do as a cop, and I know how to do it as a roommate, but, you know, those are different approaches." "Just be a friend. And if you need a cop, tag me in." "Thank you."

I love her little head tilt to him. There's something so comfortable about it, so relaxed, so lived-in. It's so far beyond Sergeant/Officer relationships.

And, even in a moment of kindness, Tim's brain slips into a sports reference. I know I keep saying it, but someday you'll come to appreciate those, Lucy.

Plus, in a shallow moment, can I appreciate Tim being in her apartment, again? It's truly the little things.

"And if you were desperate enough, there was always Swiping."

The silent communication on this is beautiful. Tim furrows his brow and cocks his head. Lucy looks back to Tim, and he barely had to shake her head before they both know... they don't know.

And watch Tim in the background as he processes what it is. I've said it before, but Eric Winter is Tim Bradford when the camera is rolling, even when he's out of focus.

"You okay?"

He's getting so good at reading her. I mean, he clocked this one in seconds. And we all know how important it is for him to know that she's okay.

There was a time he'd bark at her to try to get her to focus up, but we’re so far past that.

"As close as we are, there's a lot she won't talk about." "Look, don't' take it personally. She might just have a hard time opening up to you."

Like her future adoptive dad, right Tim? Seriously, I have always seen a lot in common between the two, even though they are completely unique individuals.

But, I do think Tim's life experiences will help him be a better Dad to Tamara someday... if Chenford get their act together, of course.

"But I'm sure Tamara will share when she's ready to."

Ah, Tim Bradford, how I love you finishing sentences with prepositions. And I don't mean this in jest! It was drilled into my head in grade school to remove that happenstance from my work, right?

But if you're writing scripts... people don't speak in perfect English all the time unless that's the world you've created. If you're aiming to tell a story in our world with characters that ring true, their dialogue can't be perfect or it starts to come off as unbelievable.

Yes, I know there are writers like Sorkin and others who have their own dialogue style entirely, but I would argue that's creating a world separate from ours where everyone speaks in a certain manner.

So, I get a special warm-and-fuzzy feeling with the dialogue, especially Tim's, sometimes. He's so bloody real.

"Hey. How are you holding up?" "It's just a lot. Being back here."

Lucy knows psychology, but she also knows trauma, and poor Tamara had a lot. Yes, they are roommates, but they are so much more than that.

Lucy is the first adult Tamara trusted. The first one to really fulfill their promises. The first to give her a truly safe space.

We know Lucy had this place before Jackson moved in, so she could make the rent on her own. Taking on a roommate was more for Jackson than it was for her.

So, after his death, she likely took it all back on herself and didn't charge Tamara a thing to live there. Lucy really has taken on a motherly role with Tamara—giving her space to grow and heal.

And, oh, who knows more about that than Lucy Chen? With Tamara, Lucy has created an environment she wishes she'd had growing up—one filled with love and acceptance.

But that doesn't mean she won't check in. Good moms do, right?

"Are you okay here?" "Yeah. Yeah. I'm good." "Okay. Alright."

Melissa O'Neil nails the "mom tone" of not-quite-believing-you-but-letting-you-go-because-she-doesn't-have-enough-info-to-hold-you-back

"Hey. Are you okay?" "No."

Tamara hugs her mom—melting into her because it's too fucking much. And Lucy Chen is there to hold her adoptive daughter, to give her the support she needs, to never crowd, but always make herself available.

Whenever she gives Tamara a sibling, that's gonna be the cutest family ever, right!?

Chris is Full Squick

I've heard there were people who really liked him for her at some point. And more power to them. But, for me, he reminds me of some of my mom's exes and it's not a good comparison.

Like, there were guys who'd buddy up to us because they wanted to sleep with my Mom. That's what this whole scenario feels like, because I didn't see any real change indicated in Chris that makes this choice make sense.

It feels like Tim's helping this kid hoping to win favor with Lucy in a manipulative manner. And I could be reading way too much into it. But this scene made me mad uncomfortable the first time I watched it.

"Thank you." "For?" "Everything. For all your help. For this bed. For getting justice for Becca." "You did that." "And thanks for helping me leave it all behind. Because if it weren't for you, I probably would have ended up like Becca eventually."

"There but for the grace of God go I." I've thought this so often in my life—that if not for the kindness of others, we would have lost everything.

My husband was laid off the same day I had the preparatory internal ultrasound for our fourth IUI. We've been trying to get pregnant for several years with no success, but the doctors were optimistic.

We literally had 12 hours to decide if we were going through with the insemination, because I had to give myself an ovidrel shot that night. We talked about it, prayed on it, and went for it.

Twins. Twin baby boys who were the greatest gifts after years of heartache. But how could we provide for them on my income alone?

We worked through it during my maternity leave. Matthew's parents had sponsored him to return to school to get his teaching license. He was a few months away from graduation, and I was prepped to go back to work. We had a plan.

Until I almost died when the twins were 9 weeks old. A life-saving surgery and weeks of recovery later, we had twins on specialized formula we couldn't afford because I could no longer breastfeed.

My father took us in. I paid mortgage on an empty house for 10 months while we turned off the utilities so we could afford the boys' formula. So many people stepped in to help us, to give to get preemie clothes for the boys, to help with the medical bills.

The NICU completely forgave the $45,000 facility bill, leaving us only with the $77,000 doctors' bill, which was mostly covered by insurance. It took us 2 years to pay off our portion on monthly plans for my sweet Middle's 12-day stay.

But... imagine all that without my father, without our friends, without the doctor who saved my life, without the local twin organization that donated formula and toys to the kids, without the pediatricians' office that donated formula to us, without the stranger who saw us walking and handed me $50 when I couldn't afford groceries...

I've seen the other side. I've heard stories of people who tragically lacked the support we had. There but for the grace of God go I.

Tamara's situation is completely different, of course... except that someone who owed her nothing came alongside her to give the support only she could give.

Lucy saw a "girl in trouble" and became her lifeline. She became her family. She became her home.

"Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore. You're safe."

"Safe". Lucy and Tamara's whole relationship began because Tamara stole Lucy's safe place—her car. But as soon as Lucy saw someone needed "safe" more, she parted with her safe space.

Now, "safe" is a warm bed and a door that locks, and someone who cares about her. That's what Lucy wanted for Tamara from the very beginning, right?

She wanted this girl who had struggled not because of her own actions, but because of her parents' choices... to be safe.

"But at some point, you might wanna talk to someone before it sneaks up on you."

Lucy knows a lot about trauma, and Tamara knows it. I think that's part of what makes Lucy's statement here so powerful. It's not hollow, filled with the thoughts of someone who thinks they know better. Lucy is the voice of experience, here.

And she's trying to pass the wisdom down to her daughter without Tamara having to go through the pain Lucy did to learn it. Isn't that what we all try to do as parents?

We try to guide our kids to not make our same mistakes, but also give them the knowledge and wisdom we gained when we did.

Feeling a little sentimental on this one. Those of you who've been around know that while I thought Chenford was "cute" at first glance, I wasn't really hooked from moment one. But I was hooked on Tamara and Lucy's relationship.

I was so badly bullied in school. So lonely. So once I was a Senior, I found Sophomores to adopt. They were my girls, and nobody better mess with them, because I was a Senior, and I finally had some power. I was determined to use it for good.

I've stayed in touch with all three. One's married with three beautiful boys. One is married with two sweet, super smart kids. And the other is engaged to the love of her life, and gearing up to be a kickass stepmom. They've gone completely different directions in their careers and lives, and I'm so damn proud. They've all made their way.

Some of the greatest things we can give others are our time and attention—our compassion and empathy.

Watching Lucy give this girl the home she wishes she'd had, the security and safety to knows Tamara lacked, and the Found Family that often sticks closer than blood... it struck a nerve. A good one.

Thank you so much for reading this little Meta, and to the folks who requested 4x11. Can't wait to see you on the next!

[jules-has-notes]

2019 VoicePlay summer activities — fun in and out of the sun

After a whirlwind spring full of travel and nearly nonstop video productions, the fellas took things a little easier for the summer. That's not to say that they spent those months chilling on the beach, of course. They just mostly stuck closer to home and worked at a more reasonable pace.

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Freedom!

The guys did get a bit of downtime at the beginning of July, hanging out with loved ones. Eli and Ashley took a trip to upstate New York to spend a week with her family, then popped back to Florida for a few days with his. Meanwhile, social media addict manager Geoff caused some unintended mischief during his leisure activities.

(Sadly, the instigating video does not seem to have survived.)

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J.None celebrated Independence Day not once but twice with Paradigm Party Band at Icon Park in Orlando. During at least one of their sets, the band backed J for a performance of his latest original song, "Back At Home", which he would release in both audio and video formats a few months later.

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A post shared by J.None 🧈🎶 🎙📝🎬🎹🎸📽🤣 (@itsjnone)

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From melacholy to joy

When the weekend came around, the guys rolled out two new music videos that evoked very different emotions. VoicePlay released a gentle, heartfelt ode to friendship with their cover of Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors". Then PattyCake unleashed the next episode in their Villains Lair series, gleefully highlighting some of their baddies' vanity.

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A few days later, Layne and Tony headed back to the PattyCake studio to film two more Villains Lair episodes in as many days. The next installment featured a motley gang of sidekicks, and the season finale was filmed out of order so that they could include Emoni Wilkins as Ursula while she had time to come to town.

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Hallelujah

The following weekend, J.None spent his Sunday sitting in with the backing singers for Kris Williams at the House of Blues gospel brunch.

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singing "Expectation" by James Fortune during soundcheck for the HoB gospel brunch with Kris Williams

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Christmas in July

VoicePlay gave their fans plenty of time to plan for the holidays when they revealed the first location in their upcoming Warm Up tour. They would be returning to the Gaylord Palms resort in nearby Kissimmee for a holly jolly good time.

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The next day, they provided another gift in the form of the delightful "Aca Top 10 – Sitcom Themes" video that they'd recorded the previous month.

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"They really like us!"

August started with a bang as the A Cappella Music Awards winners were announced, and VoicePlay took home the title for Pop Group of the Year.

They also got to celebrate some friends, since Home Free repeated as Entertainers of the Year (once again beating out Pentatonix), Tim Foust garnered Composer of the Year (edging out both Chris Rupp and Peter Hollens), and Chris's new group 7th Ave took home Quartet of the Year. Sadly, Earl lost Male Vocalist of the Year to another worthy contender, Cody Qualls of FACE Vocal Band, a group of fellow Sing-Off alumni from the first season.

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Since it had been quite a while since their last version, the boys put together a new Patreon promo, thanking their existing patrons and giving a gentle nudge to potential new supporters.

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Music, music, music

The next weekend brought another music video double feature. VoicePlay offered up a beautiful rendition of "Bridge Over Troubled Water". Then PattyCake released their next Villains Lair episode, starring a huddle of loyal henchmen that they'd filmed the previous month.

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The week after that, the guys headed to a fun new location for their next music video, a retro-inspired update of the doo-wop classic "Sh-Boom (Life Could Be a Dream)".

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Further festivities

Saturday brought a chance to celebrate Eli with a 40th birthday party that was apparently such a rager** that the only photographic evidence on Ashley's Instagram is a couple shots of their sleepy dog and a sink full of dirty dishes in the aftermath.

** for suburban, middle-aged values of "rager"

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The next day, VoicePlay announced the earliest show in their holiday travels, this time a double-header with Cimorelli, a family of musical sisters based in Nashville. The two groups would be heading to Waukegan, IL in mid-December.

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The following weekend, J.None headed home to Virginia Beach (with his nephew in tow) to perform at the annual Kids Bash fitness event, organized by his older brother.

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September began with a surprise for a young friend. One of the guys' theme park pals had a daughter who was both a big fan of the group and a talented singer in her own right. When mama Michelle asked VoicePlay to film a brief message for Adriana's fifteenth birthday, the youngster couldn't have expected the opportunity that would come with it.

Needless to say, she was a little stunned. Stay tuned for the product of that collaboration.

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Up, up, and away

As the first weekend of the month approached, Layne and Tony headed north to Napierville, IL so that they could be on hand for the final rehearsals and opening night of Danny Gonzalez and Drew Gooden's "We Are Different People" tour. PattyCake had produced videos for the team to play during the shows, as well as creating their color-coordinated wardrobe.

While Tony headed home, Layne scooted over to Fort Wayne, IN to meet up with the rest of VoicePlay for a corporate gig.

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After a few days at home, the boys headed out again for two nights in Lincoln, Nebraska. The UNL Bathtub Dogs were their opening act on the first night, and the local paper provided a very nice recap and review of the evening.

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The day after they returned home again, J.None met up with his Paradigm pals for a fun surprise birthday party at a local venue.

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Let the good times roll

Near the end of September, VoicePlay gathered at the PattyCake studio to film their big spooky season production number for the year, "Oogie Boogie's Song" from The Nightmare Before Christmas.

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They closed out the season with a trip to the northwest for a show in Burley, Idaho, where the audience included a busload of students from a local school.

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The last few months of the year would bring even more live shows, music videos, livestreams, family time, and milestones, but all of that will get their own posts in due time.

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Brazil’s hinterland now resembles Texas

It is a land of “roughs”, not playboys

THINK OF BRAZIL and, if you’re like most people, you’ll think of palm-lined beaches, samba and caipirinhas. The cliché needs updating. In the past two decades the centre of political and economic gravity has started shifting from the humid coasts, to which Brazilians were said to cling “like crabs”, to the vast, arid plains of the interior. Its soundtrack is sertanejo (country music). The preferred beverage is cold beer.

Brazil’s census, its first in 12 years, showed a notable trend when it was published in June. Seven of the ten municipalities that have grown most are in the farmbelt in the southern half of the country and the centre-west. The population of the centre-west, which includes the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul plus the capital, Brasília (see map), grew by 1.2% a year, more than double the national rate. The south-east still has the most people and money—São Paulo state alone produces a third of Brazil’s GDP and is home to a fifth of its population. But even within that state, it is in the farmbelt where the population and economy are growing most.

Migrations within Brazil are nothing new. A movement from the poor north-east to the industrial hub around the city of São Paulo did much to shape the country’s economy and culture in the second half of the 20th century. Brazil’s current president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, is the most famous of the millions who made that journey. After a famine struck his birthplace in Pernambuco, his mother packed her eight children onto a pau de arara (macaw’s perch), a flatbed truck, and headed south. Lula rose to prominence as a trade-union leader in the car industry near São Paulo. Now when people leave the poor north-east they tend to head to the interior. What has changed is the perception of which activity can offer better lives, says Carlos Vian of the University of São Paulo. “Before, it was industry; not any more.”

The magnet that drew Lula to São Paulo has lost strength. In the mid-1980s manufacturing accounted for a third of Brazil’s GDP; now it represents just 10%. The country’s surplus in manufacturing trade, $6bn in 2005, became a deficit of $108bn by 2019. Productivity in manufacturing and services has stagnated or shrunk.

Cultivation, the basis of Brazil’s economy in the 19th century, has made a comeback. The country still exports coffee and sugar, which were once grown on plantations worked by slaves. Since the early 2000s voracious demand from China has encouraged a rise in production of soyabeans, grains and meat (see chart). Agricultural exports as a share of the total have more than quadrupled since 2000, to 40%. Today the sector accounts for a quarter of GDP and employs a similar share of workers. From 2002 to 2020 the economy of Mato Grosso, the soyabean heartland, grew by 4.7% a year in real terms, more than that of any other state and more than double the national rate.

The agri-business boom is slowly changing demography and culture. In the 1970s, more than four-fifths of population growth occurred in the biggest cities. In the past 12 years, during which the population grew more slowly, two-thirds of the growth has taken place in mid-size towns.

Continue reading.