#but I know from the guitar that I'll just use it enough to not sell it but not enough to feel like it was a worthwhile purchase

[kanvasal]

I've got a fucking thought parasite

every time that I manage to convince myself not to buy the $400 thing because 'what if it ends up being an expensive thing that I don't use' it replies with "oh but it wasn't a big deal when you bought your $500 guitar?"

[steddieas-shegoes]

uh. what?

for @steddielovemonth prompt 'love is healing wounds'

rated m | 1,782 words | cw: injury recovery, mild blood, recreational drug use | tags: post s4, hurt/comfort, getting together, fade to black

💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

The stitches pulled and he couldn't get comfortable. He almost wished Robin hadn't made him get checked over, but anything that required this many stitches probably would've killed him if he hadn't. At least that's what Nancy said when he complained to her about it.

But now, Steve couldn't sleep, and sleep was apparently very important for healing.

The alarm clock next to his bed said 2:07 am, so calling someone was out. Going somewhere was also out, unless he wanted to go to the 24 hour diner alone.

Fresh air sounded good until he realized he'd have to either go for a walk in the middle of the night alone or sit by the pool alone.

He didn't want to be alone.

His phone started to ring just when he was considering taking a shower out of boredom.

"Harrington residence, this is Steve."

"So formal for two in the morning, Stevie," Eddie's laugh rang through the line and Steve couldn't help smiling. Something about Eddie's energy was contagious, a beacon of light when all he had was the darkness of his room.

"Didn't know if it was an international business partner for my parents. Happens sometimes when they forget time zones." Steve moved to the edge of his bed so the cord didn't have to stretch as far. "What are you doing up?"

"Had a dream about being eaten alive again. This time they managed to eat both of my nipples." Eddie scoffed. "Isn't one enough?"

Steve chuckled. "And you can't go back to sleep because you're scared they'll come take your other nipple?"

"It's a genuine concern, Steve! I have big dreams of piercing this thing and if they take it from me, what do I have left?"

"I think you'd probably just find something else to pierce," Steve shook thoughts of what that might be out of his head before they could take over. "So you can't sleep. You thought you'd call and wake me up to suffer with you?"

Eddie was silent for a moment before responding. "Did I wake you up?"

"No," Steve said quickly, not wanting Eddie to feel bad. "I was awake."

"Nightmare?"

"No, stitches are bothering me."

"You wanna come over? I found my hidden stash. Might help with the stitches," Eddie offered.

Steve probably shouldn't. He was on some pain meds already and if he got too fucked up, he'd probably cry. That's what happened last time he had some of whatever Eddie was selling.

"I'll come over, but probably shouldn't have anything. Robin would kill me if I end up in the hospital," Steve gave a half-truth.

"Yeah, she's terrifying. I'll leave the door unlocked."

Before Steve could tell him that was a bad idea, he hung up.

********

When Steve got to Eddie's, he let out the breath he'd been holding the entire drive. Eddie was sitting on the porch, alone, his guitar by his side.

Maybe he'd been playing already, or maybe he planned to play to help distract Steve from the way his skin felt like it was too much.

He got out of the car and waved when Eddie looked over at him with a smile.

"Didn't think you'd get here so quick," Eddie didn't bother standing up, Steve just knew to go sit by him.

But the steps on the Munson's porch were rickety at best, "temporary" according to the government officials who had stuck them here because they didn't think it was worth putting them in a home across town, and Steve's eyes hadn't quite adjusted to the dull glow of the light by the front door. He missed the top step and immediately fell, barely catching himself on the wood of the porch.

Eddie was helping him up immediately, doing his best not to make his own injuries worse.

"Shit, you okay? Wayne tried fixing it, but it just keeps getting loose."

Steve felt a stinging pain on his side, and when his hand grazed over the worst of his bites, he felt something warm and wet on his fingers.

"Shit," without looking, he knew he'd torn his stitches. "Eddie, I need a towel or something."

"Shit, that's a lot of blood. That's a lot of blood. It shouldn't be that much, right? Like even tearing your stitches, it shouldn't be-"

"Eddie." Steve poked his arm, stayed as calm as he could. He bled easy, so sometimes even small things looked worse than they were. "Towel."

"Right, yeah. Should you come with me?" Eddie shook his head. "I mean can you move? Should you stay here?"

"I'll sit here until I have a towel. Don't wanna get blood on the carpet."

"Got it."

Eddie still seemed unsure about leaving him, but must have noticed how much blood was soaking through Steve's shirt and rushed inside. He was back in less than a minute, a black towel in his hand.

"It's clean. It's the one I usually use for my hair, but I didn't get to fold it from the dryer yet. Um, just put pressure on it."

Steve knew what to do, was used to putting pressure on wounds, but appreciated Eddie trying to triage it anyway.

"You got a needle and thread, right?" Steve asked once he took his shirt off and put pressure on the bite. It was already bleeding much less, a positive sign that maybe it wouldn't be too bad.

"I mean, I do. I don't have medical tools that have been sanitized properly."

"You have water to boil and vodka?"

"Steve. I'm not fucking performing a medical procedure on your stomach," Eddie shook his head. "Do you have a death wish or something?"

"I trust you."

The words hung heavy between them, despite the fact it wasn't exactly news to either of them. They'd been through it all together, why wouldn't he trust him?

"Okay, let's get inside and I'll get everything ready."

Getting inside was easier said than done. The bleeding had mostly stopped, but the pain had really started to set in and every breath felt like knives stabbing into him.

"Deep breath, Stevie," Eddie said as he sat him down on the couch and helped him lay back. "I'll get you something for the pain."

"Something" was an edible, and Eddie seemed hesitant to give it to him, but all reservations Steve previously had went out the window as he felt his hands shaking from the pain.

Eddie prepared everything while the edible kicked in, checking in with Steve every few minutes to make sure he hadn't passed out or started bleeding again.

When the room started to feel blurry and his head felt light, Steve smiled over at Eddie, who looked nervous.

"Ready for your magic hands," Steve wiggled his brows.

Eddie made a strangled sound before leaning over the wound and wiping some of the blood away gently so he could see where to stitch him back up.

He worked as quickly as possible, humming softly to distract himself and Steve from what was happening.

Steve was high.

He was high and he was feeling good despite the needle in his skin.

He drifted for a bit, couldn't be sure how long, but eventually, Eddie was touching his cheek and making him open his eyes.

"Think you should stand up so I can wrap a bandage on it. Then you can try to shower off some of the blood if you want. Wayne got one of those removable showerheads. Feels fancy," Eddie said as he moved the hair off of Steve's face.

"Help?" Steve managed to ask.

"Yeah, I can help you with the wrap and start the shower for you," Eddie nodded.

"In the shower?" Steve asked.

Eddie paused. "I can keep us dressed?"

"But." Steve huffed. "Blood."

Eddie couldn't help but laugh at his confusion, Steve's lips pouting out and his eyes squinting. "Okay, okay. If you're okay with it, I'm okay with it. You're high as shit, man."

"I'm standing right on the ground," Steve waved his arms around him. "Or is the ground standing on me but the other way?"

"God, this is the best. Okay, let's go."

"Wait!" Steve grabbed Eddie's arms. "You should know something."

Eddie raised his brows in question. "Go on."

"I'm very in love with you. And also kinda hard."

Eddie blinked, not processing. Now he felt high.

"Uh. What?"

"I have an erection." Steve made a disgusted face. "Hate that word. Sounds so middle school sex ed."

"It is." Eddie shook his head. "I guess I meant more like, how and why and what the hell do you mean by it."

Steve giggled. "I said you had magic hands and I was right."

"Dude, I was literally giving you stitches. I am failing to see why that would make you hard."

"It's cuz you're so gentle and your tongue sticks out when you're trying to focus. And also I started thinking about what you'd do if I couldn't move," Steve sighed dreamily. "You have handcuffs."

"Okay. Let's pause." Eddie let out a small hysterical laugh. "You want me to help you in the shower because you love me? Do you even need help?"

"Probably. But I also want help. And also you're a helper for me."

"What does that even mean? Where's Robin when you need her to decode what the hell you're talking about?"

"You're a helper for me! Because you help me be better about asking for help! And then you help!"

"Okay, that's. Good. I'm still not sure what's happening."

"You're gonna help me shower. I'm gonna try very hard not to come. We sleep?" Steve looked around Eddie out the window, like he was checking if it was still night time. "And then in the morning I wake up and get yelled at by Robin."

"Why would she-"

"The stitches. And the telling you I love you thing. She's gonna be real mad about that."

"Why?" Eddie felt like he was losing it. What was even happening anymore? How had he completely lost control of the night?

"She wanted to help me do a speech thing."

This was just getting more wild.

Steve needed a shower, and he needed sleep. Eddie needed a minute to gather his own thoughts.

"Shower. Sleep. Talk in the morning." Eddie raised his hand to cup Steve's neck. "Robin murders you after we talk."

"Deal." Steve's face sank, but he quickly perked back up. "But shower?"

"Yes, shower. Go, horndog."

Steve laughed as he half-limped to the bathroom, clearly feeling some pain even with the drugs in his system. Eddie followed and resisted touching Steve as much as possible.

Which ended up being about two minutes.

[gyuscoquetteribbon]

svt headcanons (crimes they'd be arrested for)

-> warnings: not anything in particular! It's pretty lighthearted <3

-> a/n: this is my first post ayyyy I've been wanting to get back into writing after my two year break and yeah :3 thought I'd just start with something light ig. my asks are open so you can send headcannon ideas !! id love to write about them !!

Seungcheol:

money laundering.

except its probably fake news and he was only suspected because people don't understand how bro is adorned in designer wear from head to toe even though he earns millions every year

Jeonghan:

online fraud.

definitely would try to sell severely damaged products online just to get rid of them and you can't even get spare parts to repair them because they're eons old

Joshua:

shoplifting.

i just know bro is SICK and TIRED of not being able to pay using card at certain stores in other countries so one day he just snaps and decides to throw whatever he needs into his bag and leave (he obviously fails at it)

Jun:

damage to public property.

he broke the bars that were meant for kids to hang onto.

Hoshi:

trespassing.

idk he just looks like he'd find a way into places even if there's barbed wires surrounding the area. its the furry in him.

also for speeding.

Wonwoo:

idk the term for it but illegal attainment of paid products from video games.

like bro definitely tried to cheat the system and sent a mail to the game services saying he paid for the weapons or whatever in whatever game he fancies even though he never paid for it just so he could have it for free (he was obviously caught)

Woozi:

cutie patootie could never do anything wrong 💗 (Physical assault except those claims were false. a passerby just happened to see him chase one of his fellow members ((mingyu)) with a guitar and thought he was gonna beat em up)

The8:

the government is scared of him.

Mingyu:

for not carrying his driver's license.

bro's luck is saur bad sometimes i just know he'd get pulled over on a day where he DOESNT have his driver's license with him.

Dk:

accidental tax evasion 😭

this applies for hoshi too. i can just picture them both seeing woozi filling out important documents and they ask him about it and woozi just mumbles 'paying my taxes' and these 2 adorable fools go 'WAIT OH MY GOD ITS TIME TO PAY TAXES ALREADY?????' and they're panicking and running around bc they do NOT wanna be shakira-fied

Seungkwan:

public nuisance 💔

all he did was argue with the bus driver for driving past his stop without even waiting long enough for him to get out of the bus (i'll personally get him out of jail)

Vernon:

i think he'd somehow manage to be a prime suspect for a crime that he did not even commit.

or illegal possession of weed in his car idk

Dino:

for being a part of a cult.

i just know he'd accidentally find himself in a cult and doesn't know how to get out of it without being their next sacrifice

[richardsphere]

Leverage Log: the Lonely Hearts Job

Well with a name like that, im expecting this to either be about con-artists cheating people on E-harmony, or a legitimately tragic story about love and/or loss...

---

Ok so Rich man arrives with armed goons (heck of a way to make a fist impression) and is crying within 2 minutes of the episode starting... I've said before that i want to see more of the marks' humanised so this promises to be an interesting episode. Nate: "There's no evidence of wrongdoing, She left you" Sophie (to nate): "thats harsh" Wellesley the fourth: "no it isnt".

This is a guy who knows how it looks, understand that it looks that way and acknowledges it openly. Its nice to see us go from last episode's overly naive Hurley to one of the more competent clients we've seen so far. "Whatever you want... its yours. Just find my wife".

I wonder whats going through Nate's mind in this moment. Here's a guy he's been scouting as a mark begging to be taken as a client...

Gut feeling: The second wife (the one who is missing) was actually the type of golddigger it looks like, but accounting for episode name. Its gonna be one of those "the mask grows to fit you" situations where they actually fell for the guy.

---

So Hardisons analysis implies this guy is like, legit as clients go. He's inherited old money not new money, which is the difference between "evil billionaire CEO" and "Born with privilege, gonna use it how I can". Basically: His great granpa would've been a Leverage mark, but he himself is a legit philantropist.

Meanwhile missing wife may in fact be a black widow. (luckily this client has his own goonsquad to protect him, so we dont need to leave Elliot behind to protect him)

---

Parker extremely annoyed she's not allowed to steal any of the rich folks' jewelry at the auction. The Boys deciding to have an auction-shaped dick-measuring contest.

Hardison wins the bid, we are reminded that one of Sophie's aliases is a duchess.

Ok so its an entire army of Sophie's.

Need to fight the ringleader, "pick a fight with Hardisons date". Well she did what you asked her to!

--- "I promise next time, i'll use the word argument instead of fight." Clear Comunication! If only people IRL would learn this lesson.

And once more the little Parker moments "what's a Hohe Minnie?", she's consistently the only member of the Young Thieves who takes an interest in the other people's jobs in the cons they're running. She's definitly being primed as Nate's eventual replacement (wether permanent or temporary).

---

Nate's pajama's. Sophie is loving the idea of a con where Nate has to "pretend" to wine-and-dine her.

I agree with Elliot, the moment it turned out they were grifters, the bet was off. But also, like that we once again get a nod at his cooking skills. "do you want me to teach you about the wines again?" "thats hurtfull and presumptious... but yes."

--- I love the way that Elliot punching the guy out is framed as a shot, good transition. Elliot bribing the guitarist, photographers commentary is great. "I picked you", such a simple statement, Every other member of the group was recruited by Dunevich, but Nate brought Sophie.

---

They found the wife. Suprisingly she isnt dead. (Meredith seems competent enough to tie off that loose end, and i think she could've exposited on the similarity to Nate falling in love with "The Duchess". But then, without recovering the wife Nate doesnt get to have a Favor for use in the season climax)

Seeing the gifts... Im 100% certain Elliot improv'd the guitar as well, that wasnt actually a Nate plan. Just Elliot.

Final tease with Latimer, he's a bit too much of a nothing-character to be truly intimidating, which means either the showrunners are making a mistake somewhere, or he's about to take a big fall to sell the credibility of the guy who he just called. Wait.... i just got a brainniggle. The story he tried to spin to Nate: "Someone stole a guy's patents", thats the same lie used in episode 1 of season 1. This in the same episode that had a reminder about the difference with Sophie and the other members of the team (on the subject of how they joined the team)

Is Latimer working for the Episode 1 mark? Or is my brain just doing that "i've connected the dots" meme?

Guess i'll see in time.

[mysteriouswolf]

Hi :3

Hey! Glad you somehow found your way here throughout this chaotic hellsite :D

I typically go by Mysterious or Raven, I'm a minor, and I use she/they pronouns

I mainly post about Hermitcraft/life series, but here's a bunch of my other interests as well :D

Mcyt (lil bits of dsmp, qsmp, empires, Xlife, + some others)

Alice Oseman (Heartstopper, IWBFT, etc)

Brandon Sanderson (Skyward, Cosmere, etc)

Percy Jackson

The Owl House

Good Omens

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

Kipo And The Age Of The Wonderbeasts

Persona (though I've only played 3-5)

Epic the musical (I was peer pressured by @royallygray /j)

Writing

Music/guitar

Reading

Art in general :3

The art in my pfp is by @kaereth and the art on my header is by @chrisrin!! (both amazing artists that you should totally go give a follow to)

DNI if you're homophobic, transphobic, or plan on spreading hate to people here.

If you are my mutual, I will probably tag you in a lot of tag games, lil things I think you would like, etc, so if you don't want me to tag you please send me and ask or message me!! Also, I don't tag every single one of my muts in every tag game, and I don't have any sort of system to how I choose, so if you see I didn't tag you in something IT DOESNT MEAN I DONT LOVE YOU I PROMISE (and feel free to join in anyways!!)

Please do not send me asks for donations for reasons here:

I am likely to block you if you do, as I have now clearly stated that it is against my boundaries.

Under the cut are: tags I use, some encouragement + love, some of my mutuals, and just general nonsense.

Tags (that I sometimes use) :D

#mysteriouswrites- All my writing (including stories, fics, poetry, etc)

#mysteriousanswers- My answers to asks :D

#mysteriousdraws- My art + sketches

#rambling- my silly lil random posts

#fave- MY MOST FAVORITE ART EVER THAT I THINK IS JUST AWESOME AND GO FERAL OVER

Some love for anyone who needs it:

I love you. I don't care if I've never met you, we were made from the same things as the stars, weren't we? That in of itself is beautiful- I will love you with the same mysterious adoration I have for the stars, and I just want you to know that I care about you. And I know sometimes things seem like they'll never be better, that it seems the entire universe is against you, but I'll always be on your side. You've got this. And I'm proud of you, no matter what you've done. Things get better eventually, I know they will- and it sucks waiting for things to come around, especially if they keep going down. But the sun has shone before, and it will again. And even in your darkest times, the stars are still shining their light into your soul to push you forward.

I love you. Stay strong.

Some of my mutuals who I love very dearly and would die for:

@royallygray The most amazing lovely creature to ever walk the stars and I love them to death <3

@charbeloved The person who I would literally sell my soul to, another glorious human who's remarkable

@geodetojoy Someone who I'd absolutely love to just run away into the forest with and never find our way back out again

@emmaestrella Another lovely silly human who's just incredible

@izoexa you are. so cool. just. vibes. yeah. :]

@t4tgempearl Juneeeeee (you will always be june to me) you're also just. super cool. probably who I've been muts the longest on this list :D

I love you all <3

[burritosandpeppermint]

UUUUGGGGGHHHHH

uuuuggggghhhhh

I'm not 100% sure how we got back here, folks, but I'm 100% obsessing over music and guitars for the first time since I was a teenager.

Guys...it's bad.

And for those who've known me for a long time here you may be hearing about this for the first time, but I could not get enough of playing guitars, reading about guitars, and listening to as much guitar music as I could when I was a teenager.

Could I actually play? Not really. I mean, not if you're talking about any lessons at all or trying to learn from a book or anything. I just kind of picked it up and kept playing around for years, just laying down riff after riff and playing with solo after solo. Just fucking around.

And then, eventually, I needed money and didn't have space anymore and I had to sell everything. I thought that door was closed by the time I was in my early 20's, starting to really work for a living and trying to live an adult's life. I looked back on those years a bit wistfully but with a real feeling that I had left childish things behind me...

Until the last month or so. I think I can point the finger squarely at us attending the Guns N' Roses show. Even with 100° F heat and me wishing that I had brought my earplugs I got swept away with it all, specifically with Slash. He'd change guitars regularly, usually for something that I was familiar with him playing. After the show I got curious and looked up his gear online to discover the web pages devoted to his guitars and his playing in general. Then I started Googling some guitars to see if they're still around, and any variations...and how have amps changed in the last 25 years...oh, emulators sure have come a long way...and they're fairly affordable...and while Fender's lineup has changed significantly since the 90s they still have a lot of decent guitars at reasonable prices...

All the while I'm also getting back into bands and songs I haven't heard in up to decades, just gorging myself on all the 90s rock I also "put away" at some point in my 20s, like one of my favorite bands, Hum, and getting into groups I could have really dug at the time, like My Bloody Valentine, and exploring newer stuff like finally getting more into Red Fang's discography...and then new bands and sounds spiraling off of those listens and searches...

And guys...GUYS...since I was into guitars this whole internet thing exploded, so I can hear guitars and amps and pedals and interviews that simply weren't available to me when I was previously obsessed. I can get a far better sense for things than driving an hour away to the nearest Guitar Center only to keep my hands in my pockets as I look at gear and equipment, too afraid to do anything in public, eventually going home and noodling by myself for a while.

And did you know that there are a ton of free or paid online classes where you don't have to interact with a human if it makes you feel self-conscious or anxious? And did you know that the Fender Mustang Micro Amp can fit in your pocket, has some EQ and preset sound options, a headphone jack, and can plug directly into your computer? And it's only $120 for an amp that's more versatile than the one I had 30 years ago AND it can help you can basically use it as a direct-to-computer recording device? And, holy crap, but GarageBand, while simple, is still a very competent recording suite and it's just free, right there on my Mac and everything?

Okay, breathing.

Because this is how it goes for me. I get all interested in something, all wound up, and I imagine how cool things can be, what I'll do, how things will turn out, all with an overactive imagination, until I'm just done with it and I move on. Except I don't know if I move on because I never follow through or if it's because I just fixate on things in a capricious manner. If it's because I never follow through then I should change that by following through (hello, writing ideas from five months ago that turned into nothing). But if it's because I'm capricious then I should just let it be and it'll ride itself out.

Now: how can I tell the difference without a lot of time, money, and effort? That's the question.

But it's been kinda fun as a weird hobby, just looking and reading and watching and listening. Maybe the fear of disappointment will be enough to keep me away from actually doing it, which isn't great, and maybe I should pursue more things that I think will bring me joy, even if I never truly get into it or keep it going for long, because life is short and pursuing happiness should be one of life's goals.

[invisibleraven]

Just, cut up the carrots without cutting up yourself. It’s not hard. Please. Okay, and you failed. Great. for the Greater Polyphantoms Polycule?

"Willie?"

He looked up, and saw Luke, fiddling with the guitar pick in his hands, his fidget toy of choice, and Willie grinned. "What's up Guitar Hero?"

"I need your help."

"Sure bro, what do you need?"

Luke blew out a breath and rubbed the back of his head. "So it's almost the end of the semester and I wanted to do something nice to like celebrate? Show everyone how proud I am of them for finishing school."

Willie cooed then gave a shit eating grin as Luke flipped him off. They were the only two not pursuing a post-secondary education, with his art selling well and working at the skate shop designing boards between competitions. Luke barely got his GED, so he riled against more school, preferring to write songs, find gigs for the band, and work on his parts of the demo they were oh so slowly recording.

Meanwhile everyone else was suffering through four years of college, with Carrie and Alex in Performing Arts, Flynn in Fashion Design, Reggie in Photography, and Julie in Musical Composition and Performance. Sure the band planned on making it big, but they all wanted to have back ups to fall back on, just in case.

So Willie was all for doing something nice for their partners. Except he'd never known Luke to be all that proficient in the kitchen. They all took turns cooking of course, but Luke usually made breakfast for supper, grilled cheese, or something from a can. "Okay, do you have a meal in mind?"

"Umm, I know everyone likes that chicken broccoli casserole you made not that long ago?" Luke suggested. "And maybe I could do some carrot cake muffins for dessert, I know those are Julie and Alex's favourites."

"We can do that," Willie stated, and accompanied Luke into the kitchen. "I'll handle the protein if you wanna start on the veg."

Luke bit his lip, looking at the vegetables before him like they were a foreign substance. Which, was fair because everyone usually cut them super smile due to Luke and Willie's texture issues, and Flynn's dislike for anything healthy. "What do I do?"

"Just, cut up the carrots without cutting up yourself. It’s not hard. Please," Willie said, handing Luke a knife and cutting board, letting him go as he started chopping up the chicken breasts into chunks until he heard a hiss and saw Luke sucking a finger into his mouth. "Okay, and you failed. Great."

Thankfully there was minimal blood to clean up, so with a bandage and fresh surfaces, Willie helped guide Luke's hands with no further injury, then helping him toss the carrots into the food processor. Sure, traditionally you would use a box grater to shred the carrots, but Willie didn't exactly trust Luke not to flay the skin from his knuckles with that.

Thankfully he managed much easier with the broccoli, and even managed to measure out the cake stuff fairly properly, even if Willie triple checked he was using sugar and not salt.

Soon enough the casserole was bubbling away and the muffins were cooling on the rack. Luke happily did the dishes, and Willie dried, the two of them harmonizing to a Beatles tune that was playing on the radio, with ample air guitar breaks on Luke's part and Willie bopping along.

"Honeys we're home!" Reggie called as he entered.

"Smells good in here," Carrie said suspiciously. "Did you two order supper?"

"No, I made supper!" Luke said proudly.

Alex screwed up his face but then relaxed when Willie assured him that he had supervised the whole process.

"Good job mi vida," Julie said, pressing a kiss to Luke's cheek. Then pressed a friendly one to Willie's temple. "Thank you for making sure he didn't poison us or burn down the house."

"Hey!" Luke argued, but then slumped. "That's fair. Thanks Wils," he held out a fist, which Willie dutifully bumped.

"Anytime bro," Willie replied.

Later they all sat down and tentatively dug into the meal, but then happily gobbled it down, everyone complimenting Luke and WIllie, though no one could hide the surprise in their voice as they did.

"Why did you make food anyways?" Alex asked. "I'm not complaining, especially since it gave me a night off. But what's the special occasion?"

"Figured you guys all deserved a nice meal after the semester ended," Luke said with a shrug. "I'll do something nicer when exams are done."

"I'd be fine with this again boy band," Flynn remarked. "You did a damn good job."

"Is there dessert?" Reggie asked. "Because otherwise I'm going back for thirds."

"I made muffins?"

"What kind?" Carrie asked with narrowed eyes.

"Carrot cake."

"My favourite!" Julie and Alex chorused, then turned to each other and simultaneously screamed "Jinx!"

Willie rolled his eyes fondly and got the muffins, everyone wolfing them down and agreed Luke could make them anytime.

"My fingers might not survive that," Luke said sheepishly, holding up his bandaged hands. "But thanks."

They all laughed, and then ensured Luke got to relax while the rest of them took care of dishes. Well, until Alex thanked Luke and Willie in his own way.

And Luke figured if he got a thanks like that every time he cooked, he might just do it more often!

[cbjustmusic]

In a very rare musical collaboration Joan Armatrading plays guitar on a Little Simz’s performance of “Heart on Fire”. ______________________ Heart on Fire Songwriters: Dean Josiah Cover, Cleopatra Nikolic and Simbiatu Ajikawo

Look, honesty between a seller and a buyer should be a given But man, I didn't know you were a liar Dropped outta college, still I made it through the wire We was tryna hustle whatever was 10 just for a fiver "Don't sell yourself short, miss", said the driver Was on my way to getting caught in the cross fire I mean, lavish living, dripping designer "Who you wearing", they so enchanted by attire

Hearts on fire, I bought the dream with every penny that I acquired It's a set-up, and you'll be next up to those prior Devil works hard, but the business works harder I vowed from now to work smarter They won't do it like us For the people, by us Why they wanna fight us? Spirit on higher God make truth of everything I desire

I don't need much as long as I got my baby, he a rider He sitting beside her, that's who she confide in They want you conniving, creeping with your side ting Making up a story that equals somebody buying New world order, 'cause life as we know is dying Not thriving, it's only a matter of timing, ain't it just Funny how you can literally give your everything Somebody gonna turn around and tell you you ain't gave enough

Danger, what you afraid of? Acknowledging it's impossible now to restrain her Worst thing I could've done is put trust in a stranger But that needed to happen for me only to wake up The suits will get in your ear when your shit popping Lies over flowing, and they ain't stopping You don't even recognise who it is that you're becoming They don't give a shit long as the gravy train running

My life is a blessing But it comes with the stresses And I can take it all Just don't let me down, when I'm in the fire

We all start off so pure Do it for the love, nothing more Nah, maybe to cop mum a house but nothing more Maybe to sort my cousin out but nothing more Maybe I'll get the new coupe and nothing more 15 to 100 shoes nothing more By the time you know it, that list never stop growing Then you don't know what you even do this for

Hearts on fire hearts on grandeur Ballroom gowns as champagne pours Is the after party a social party? With everybody talking the music should've been paused Marble floors, and tall glass doors is what you're in for Did you read the clause? It was never about looking for results Now, every time you do something, you need an applause

Please keep your head on when you're going through the maze 'Cause navigating the fame is something you're never trained for Tell me what you came for Wanted better days and now you're running away from that very thing you prayed for Tell me am I tripping or is the light blinding? Am I anxious or am I excited? Am I calm, or am I unbothered? Or maybe I needed my fire to be ignited? Hearts on

My life is a blessing But it comes with the stresses And I can take it all Just don't let me down, when I'm in the fire

My life is a blessing But it comes with the stresses And I can take it all Just don't let me down, when I'm in the fire

[yesyourstalker]

Part 3 I'm almost done I hope. I'm being honest I spent 3 hours cooking in 4 hours sleeping after

Warabi: so this is the store pretty big

Neta: Oh yeah, It's a pretty big place I'm going to need a lot of vendors and more artists to sell here. My main worry is that I lose my brand and my image , If we started out with underground bands, alternative music like metal and rock. If I start selling mainstream stuff I don't want to come off as a sellout

Warabi: I don't think that's going to happen. It's not like you're going to stop selling underground stuff it's not like you're going to stop supporting them either. You're just expanding your business to a broader audience the fact, you're worrying about your image and your brand just shows that you still care about your original customers.

Oshi: That's some great advice ink drop!

Warabi: mom!!! Uhhh what are you doing here?.... I thought you were on whale back island.... To get away from the snow

Oshi: we were planning on doing that until you're wonderful boss invited us to the party. I just couldn't miss that right shim?

Shimi: [eating] how much was the caterer here? These stuffed tentacles are good! Melts in the mouth.... This is the store? really big. You sure you have enough stuff to sell in here or are you going to stock 10 Rows of belts and jewelry to fill space?

Warabi: dad! That's rude!

Shimi: It's a genuine question. Do you have a layout plan or anything? What's the look you're trying to do

Neta:my original store kind of has a basement/ attic-like design, old vintage t-shirts, guitars, vinyl. someone's garage type feel.

Oshi: Oh so nostalgia... I like that

Shimi: I know a lot of people who are very good in interior design... [ eating] we just got our vacation home remodeled...... I can see if I can give you his number. Tell him the octavios sent you. They'll give you a discount.

Neta: thank you Mr. Octavio. I deeply appreciate this

Shimi: well that should count as a frosty fest gift cuz we didn't get you anything we didn't think we had to

Neta: oh That's good because you didn't have to do that. .

Warabi: Dad,.... That are really nice moment and then you had to ruin it with the last- what the fuck?

Oshi: ink drop language!

Warabi: I'm sorry just give me one second....

_______________________________________________

Candi: Candi!?!

Candi: *gasp* oh my Cod! Shut the hell up. Are you kidding me? What are you doing here?!! Ahhhhhh

Candi: ahhhhhh Oh my god it's been so long!! girl What are you up to?

Candi: Oh you know. Just trying to survive.

Candi: I hear that, I hear that I looove makeup!

Candi: stop lying. I just smeared this shit on at the last minute hehehe you know I have no sense of time.

Mizole: I didn't know you knew each other. How do you know candi?

Candi: That's really none of your business

Candi: I don't have to tell you everything about my personal life. Go find Ichiya or something. Bye. Go.. cod that guy

Candi: Right.... He drives me out the wall everyday.

Candi: you know they dated?

Candi: hahaha Oh my Cod you have to tell me.... Oh crap...no no no ... I have to go. I'll be right back I promise. Just give me one sec girlie

_______________________________________________

Ikkan: so I yeah Mike Murrays actually played the sax around-

Baja: around 1989! But when Blue Ocean breeze came out-

Tao: He switched to a clarinet! It was like his staple instrument throughout the '90s.

Baja: He actually went through like five clarinets throughout those years. I think he's probably one of the most popular non-pop or rock idles out there.. but he's been gone for like 8 years and it somehow we still all know him

Ikkan: he Pioneered jazz..

Tao: oh yeah I'm a big fan of their later works it really influenced the ska genre

Ikkan: you see I used to dislike his later work when I saw The influencer had on other genre I took another like listen to it. It's really good! It's like an organized mess

Baja: right?! It's chaotic but smooth. He actually went to jelly Port for a tour and met up with Sting time stingers back in 01 which I guess gave him more of an influence to the newer albums

Tao: It's a Shame he died before they could release the album with the stingers I know there's a demo out there they release but it's hard to find

Ikkan: I've been trying to find it there is a specific website and the URL is in octarian so I'm trying to get Neta to- hm .... I'm sorry will excuse me for a quick sec.

_______________________________________________

Mahi: why the fuck are you here?!

Taka: I was invited of course. I can't miss an opportunity to be around my fellow artist. Why are you here you have no talent.

Mahi: I'm here because Neta wants me here! unlike you! You think we forgot how you treated him!

Taka: *pffth*.... how I treated him. As if taking him out to dinner, giving him a gift and being at his beckon call when he felt "lonely". He was honestly really sad.... But he is a sad person....boy he was hot tho...heh ..was

Mahi: you want to take this outside

Warabi: Mahi hay! the table is all out of drinks let's go get some more.

Candi: yeah let's just go to corner store. Their self checkout is still open let's just get some more wine and spritzer I am sober so I can drive so let's go. Let's go now. Mahi.

Mahi: [staring down taka]

Ikkan: mahi please don't ruin this event by a fight. Neta will never forgive you if you do.... Listen, go with Candi and Warabi and I'll handle this...

Mahi:...... Fine. .... I'll wait until the party ends

Ikkan: I'll get the bouncer.. kick them out before Neta - hi babe.

Neta: what happened? Why did everyone rush over here

Ikkan: Hi uhhh You're three employees are just going out to get some more refreshments they just didn't know how to

Neta: We have more in the back of my car they don't have to go out and......... Oh I see.....hey Taka......... I forgot I invited high tide

Taka: I was good to see you too. You look............ Uh

Neta:.............

Taka: I guess you stuck to the normal look huh... I like the glasses.....heheh..you look great heheheh . Man you let yourself go holy shit

Ikkan:ok that's it SECURITY!

Neta:.............. .. I'm going to get some air

Ikkan: I'll come with you.

_______________________________________________

Mahi and @fish-at-fish-fish-resort and gonna beat the shit out of taka after the party

[nepenthean-sleep]

did you end up finding gold or silver needles/pins to try? If so, what brands did you try? I can't find a carat rating for anything but JJ needles' straight pins and DMC. "gold eye" needles clog up all my searches ;__;

hello! so, the short answer: DMC 24K gold plated needles with vinyl gloves. available at joann's in the US.

the long answer, as i spent way too much time researching metal and needles this summer (as a disclaimer, i am not a doctor or scientist, i'm just a biology undergrad, this is not medical advice):

so a metal allergy can generally be nickel or chromium. typical sewing/embroidery needles are steel (which can have nickel or chromium as its an alloy) or iron with nickel plating. the nickel plating can come off as a result of interactions with body oils and sweat on your hands and fingers (hence why old needles tend to turn black; its revealing the iron underneath!). this is a problem with anything that touches your skin for a prolonged (like several minutes or longer) time: jewelry, belt buckles, guitar strings, sewing needles. the more "free nickel" (aka ions jumping off from the metal item to your sweat/body oils, because water is a slutty polar electronegative molecule, and into your skin and bloodstream) that gets exposed to your skin, the more the skin will react. so, for example, a necklace completely plated with nickel will cause a more intense reaction than a necklace plated with a gold-steel-nickel alloy. the concentration of nickel is the key here. however, if you have a nickel allergy, sometimes even smaller concentrations will cause problems.

the goal is to minimize contact with free nickel as much as possible. this can be done with a combination of things, including plating, use of gloves, creams and ointments, and surface treatments. i'll talk about these things later in the post.

i have looked extensively for non-metal sewing needles, thinking that there were surely some plastic, wooden, ceramic, or bone needles out in production somewhere in the world. weeks of searching brought up no results except for some "viking needles" on etsy that didn't appear to be thin enough for sewing. so, until these non-metal needles get developed one day, we are stuck with metal.

so here's the breakdown on metals (without links because tumblr sucks, and only for needles because i couldn't find ANYTHING for pins):

TYPICAL SEWING NEEDLES (STEEL or IRON w/ NICKEL PLATING): has the most amount of nickel (up to 100%) and is the worst for allergies.

STAINLESS STEEL: there are multiple different types of stainless steel. stainless steel often contains nickel and chromium in different quantities. it can be safe for some people with nickel allergies because the concentration is lower, but there is still often nickel and chromium in it. TheNeedleLady.com (US) and PONY make and sell stainless steel "hypoallergenic" needles.

SURGICAL STEEL: a type of steel used for medical equipment and tools. has the least amount of nickel and chromium and is considered safe for nickel and chromium allergies because the concentration is low enough. this is also the reason why this type of steel is used medically. i haven't been able to find surgical steel sewing needles online.

PLATINUM: John James (UK) makes platinum-plated needles, but i am not comfortable recommending them because platinum is technically a heavy metal. :(

10K-14K-18K GOLD: 41.7% (10K), 58.3% (14K), or 75% (18K) gold alloys. an alloy is a metal mixed with other metals. these other metals can be steel, silver, titanium, or (you guessed it) nickel and/or chromium. generally the higher the gold content, the safer it will likely be. however, these gold alloys can still cause problems for those with nickel and chromium allergies. TheCrossstitchGuild.com makes and sells gold-plated needles in the UK. i contacted the shop's owner and she doesn't know what the karat of the gold plating is, but it is 2 microns thick.

TEMPERED STEEL: heat-treated steel or iron. if it's pure steel, it's likely fine for nickel allergies. however, some tempered steels are made with alloys that contain nickel or chromium (like in tool steels) among other metals. PONY makes tempered steel needles (half-painted) of multiple lengths, sizes, and head shapes called PONY BLACK, but these needles are only available for purchase in India, the UK, and the EU. if you're in north america, you can find them on etsy or at TheNeedleLady.com.

ANODIZED ALUMINUM: aluminum that has been electrically treated to increase hardness. many knitting and crochet needles are made of anodized aluminum and are personally what i use for those crafts. however, SOME anodized aluminum is made from aluminum alloys which can sometimes contain nickel. i have not found sewing or embroidery needles in anodized aluminum online.

TITANIUM COATED: titanium coating/plating. titanium can have alloys with nickel or chromium, but titanium itself is generally considered safe enough to be used in orthopedic or dental implants. Superior Threads makes titanium coated machine needles called ORGAN and can be purchased at SuperiorThreads.com, if you need to change your machine's needles. hand needles are available for purchase at HudsonSewingStudio.com.

STERLING SILVER: 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals (typically copper but also germanium, zinc, platinum, silicon, and/or boron). however, sterling silver generally does not have nickel or chromium in it! i have not found needles in sterling silver online except for some manufactured before 1940. keep in mind that many needles marketed or listed as "silver" do not contain any silver and are just referring to the color of the metal. these needles are often nickel-plated so beware.

24K GOLD: 100% pure gold. has no nickel or chromium as it is pure gold and not an alloy. the safest option unless you also have a gold allergy. DMC makes 24K plated needles, but i do not know the plating's thickness. PONY also makes 24K plated needles, but i do not know their plating's thickness either.

it might be worth to buy some needles and test them with a nickel detection solution like No Nickel or Nickel Alert (these are in the US, i don't know about other countries) to be sure that they are nickel free. i would do that with any needles that are not 24K gold plated.

now, almost all needles, regardless of plating, are internally iron or steel or steel alloys, and could contain nickel or chromium. plating should be at least 2 microns thick. however, as part of natural use, the plating of your needles will flake off with time. therefore, it's important to extend the life of your needles' plating. one option is to contact your local jewelry stores and see if they offer 24K gold-plating (or other plating, such as silver), as many do, and get your needles re-plated.

another way to extend the plating's life is to use gloves. i personally like vinyl gloves, as cotton and other fabric gloves retain a lot of moisture which could affect the plating in the same way as your skin. another option is to use a protective cream or chemical barrier cream (containing EDTA) on your hands and to reapply as directed. a third option is to use a solution like Nickel Guard on the needles and to reapply before use (and possibly during and after, depending on how much you sweat).

i hope this was helpful! if anyone has any additional information or corrections, feel free to message me or add on to this post. wishing you luck with your future sewing and/or embroidery endeavors, and i hope you're able to find needles that are safe and work well for you.

[dollarbin]

Dollar Bin #12:

Mickey Newbury's Live at Montezuma Hall / Looks like Rain

I don't recommend you storm your local Dollar Bin in desperate search of this double album from Mickey Newbury.

Rather, I insist that you do so. Now.

You're still sitting there, so I'll explain what you'll get for your dollar: a seemingly unedited concert from 73 on Disc 1, and a full reissue of Newbury's 69 studio record, Looks Like Rain, as a bonus disc.

Today, on its own, copies of Looks Like Rain cost $30 to $100 or more. And that's if you are lucky enough to find a copy. As near as I can tell, just about all of Newbury's catalog is stone cold out of print in every purchase format from download to 8 track. Newbury's grandkids must have Ph.D's in economics and some kind of master plan; or they're just pissed.

But fret not. No one need pound the pavement or their discogs keyboard. No one need take out a home loan for a copy of the original record. Looks Like Rain is waiting for you in the Dollar Bin, attached to the Montezuma concert. I saw four available copies last week alone.

And so, let me now declare that this double album Is The Soundest Investment Of 2023. You heard it here first day traders: don't buy low; don't sell high. Buy Mickey Newbury.

Let's start with Looks Like Rain.

1969 was a pretty big year in music, yes? Astral Weeks and Electric Ladyland came out in late 68, so let's start the countdown of epic greatness there. The Velvet Underground, Five Leaves Left, Everybody Knows This is Nowhere, Dusty in Memphis, Abby Road, The Band, Songs from a Room, Let it Bleed, At San Quentin, In a Silent Way, Clouds: 1969 is not a good year in music, it's The Best Year in Music. Fairport Convention managed to release not just one, but three timeless records all in that one year.

You won't find Looks Like Rain listed alongside those albums on any best-of lists. But that's only because people are dumb. After all, look at the current presidential polling.

Newbury's 69 record offers glorious space between every note, much like Van Morrison's phrasing in Astral Weeks' or Young's soloing in Down By the River. Take a listen to She Even Woke Me Up To Say Goodbye. The percussion and choir are barely there; a song that could be 45 seconds long, start to finish, gloriously stretches itself out to shimmer and glow, then gives way to the pulsing rain.

Newbury's lyrics throughout this record are often timeless, much like Leonard Cohen's own writing from that year. Sure, no one, short of T.S. Eliot with his patient etherized on a table, can stand alongside Cohen when he compares a bird on a wire to a drunk in a midnight choir, and no one else in that, or maybe any, year could rewrite Genesis's story of Issac as an updated Masters of War complete with a peacock waiving its fan, but Newbury offers us miniaturized perfections that set the stage for Kris Kristofferson's imminent arrival the following year. Just listen to him describe a lost love:

It's not her heart Lord, it's her mind.

She didn't mean to be unkind.

Why, she even woke me up to say goodbye.

I could go on and on. The album, with its sitars, sound effects and transitional whistling, is as experimental for country music as Abby Road or In a Silent Way were for pop and jazz respectively. Newbury's vocals ache and individualize - no one else will ever sing like this - in ways Lucinda Williams, Tom Waits and Tom Petty would spend their entire careers emulating. Nothing here is dull; everything is wholly original. I'd happily eat Newbury's poison red berries any day; and I'd chase them down with Van's cherry wine.

Just listen to T. Total Tommy. The rain gives way to a Fotheringay-like guitar piece that merges with Kenny Buttrey's insistent cymbal work (which he'd forever cement in all our minds through Heart of Gold two years later) and a beautifully bent bass line. Newbury overlays this lovely tension with his own midnight choir, finger snaps and lead vocals that are somehow wise, sad and joyful all at once. Some men kill with bullets, Newbury tells us. Others, use a pen. I'd happily listen to 16 more verses of this song but Newbury shuffles off early as we rush to flip the record.

And remember: this is just 1/2 of what you get from this Dollar Bin diamond.

Live from Montezuma Hall finds Newbury playing the part of Jerry Jeff Walker's wise uncle. At the same time Walker was guzzling Sangria in Luckenbach, Newbury was greeting his audience with humble, often incomprehensible, hilarity. But sides of the record start with Newbury rambling, first about a pot smoker halfway up in the audience, then second about a neighbor of his parents' hound dogs. I have no idea what he's saying some of the time but I love every moment, and I can understand why Kristofferson, Jennings and Nelson all bowed down to this guy even though the record buying public largely ignored him.

Both of his side opening rambles give way to foot stompers, then we dive straight into some of the best white guy soul music I know of. But there's a problem lurking on Side 2...

I imagine that one of the biggest reasons Newbury's music hasn't taken off this century is the nature of his most famous song, An American Trilogy, which Elvis co-opted throughout the 70s. I'm a dad to three cool kids and they always perk up when Newbury is playing in the house. But every time American Trilogy starts up on the turntable I rush to turn it off. It's 2023. Black Lives Matter, and no one reasonable, including me, is real excited to hear Confederate marching music, even if Newbury is doing the singing.

It's a shame. If Newbury, who died over 20 years ago, had lived to see the present moment, he'd have had the chance to speak about the song and put things in better perspective. Gordon Lightfoot did a wonderful job with this kind of thing at the end of his life by frankly apologizing for the mysogenistic nature of many of his early songs.

Not everyone gets this kind of thing right though. Stephen Stills is still alive and well, and he has yet to apologize for his entire body of work. He should do so.

Now, I know nothing about Newbury's politics or attitude towards people of color. But, happily, a full listen to Live At Montezuma offers a strong potential defense against the idea that he was a racist through and through. His intro to Cortelia Clark, and the song itself, offers, to my privileged white ears anyway, the strong hope that Newbury could be deeply thoughtful and caring towards people less privileged than himself.

Okay, we talked all that through. Let's go out on a high note, shall we? Take a listen to another of Newbury's timeless classics, this one from Frisco Mabel Joy, then go spend all your hard earned cash on every Newbury record your local Dollar Bin offers. I promise great returns on your investment.

Hope you all are well. Thanks for reading.

[artdecosupernova-writing]

OC Kiss Week Day 7: Sloppy

WIP: WASTE Pairing: Guetry x Oren Timeline: before shit went down, obviously CW: drug use, drug mention, sexual situations Rating: M Words: 845

***

Playing a show while zooted to oblivion on reaver rock has always been one of my favorite things to do.

Alec hated it, of course, but she always preferred me to be high under her supervision rather than to do it alone, or, worse yet, with Oren. However, despite spending the majority of my high times around her—on show nights, anyway—I still had to go back home to Oren.

And sometimes that was even worse than the drug.

One night in particular, I dragged myself through the front door of my Node apartment to find him sitting on the couch, a pipe already prepped for me and outstretched in my direction.

"Man, I dunno," I muttered, propping my beat guitar against the wall. "I'm coming down hard."

"This'll help," he said. "You'll sleep better."

I sighed and rubbed my hands over my face...my soft face, my pillow face that always puffed up when I was coming down. Sticky with dried sweat and warm, and gross. "Yeah, I feel like shit."

He handed me the pipe as I dropped onto the couch beside him and lit up.

"You didn't come to the show?"

"Nah," Oren said, wrapping an arm around me. He loved it when I was at my lowest, loved it when I didn't have the energy to be anything but pathetic. "I was tired. I'll be there next time, garçon."

He never was.

The smoke in my lungs numbed my skin and once the air started to feel like fur, I climbed onto Oren's lap and drowned him in lazy kisses, peeled his shirt from his body, and marked his shoulders with my teeth.

I'm taller than him, but not by much, yet it always surprised me when he could maneuver me by carrying me or laying me over the coffee table, or even the times he would fuck me against the wall or...whatever. Truly, the sex was nothing special. As it was happening the rock made it seem mind-blowing, which I think was part of the reason Oren would make sure I was high when we did it half the time.

Another reason was that he liked to test his products on me, too, but that's neither here nor there.

I left my room as common morning broke and started to put the rock away, head pounding and the rest of me sore from being a bit too rough with Oren. He came out sometime later to find me still trying to tidy up, which was slow going due to having just been body-checked by a passing lenayan dreadnought.

"No, no," he said, taking the box of rock from me and setting it back on the coffee table before I could stuff it into my stash safe. "This is the one I'm selling later."

"Oh, shut the fuck up," I groaned.

He grinned. "I could make you breakfast. How's that sound?"

"I guess." I grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat at the island in the kitchen. "How much is this haul gonna net you?"

"Twenty-five easy," Oren said, bare chest puffed with pride as he baconed my eggs and sausaged my toast. I don't know what that means, either. "How much you need for that new drum set you wanted to give Alec?"

I waved the thought away, nursing the cold bottle and relieved the headache was on its way out. "I've got enough. I just got my deposit from the vineyard the other day."

"Right, right." Oren glanced at me from the stove. "That reminds me...how's Gisella been, d'you know?"

At the mention of my mom, my hand tightened around the beer and I turned a lethal glare onto him. "And why the hell do you want to know that?"

"I'm just curious."

"I told you to stay away from her. She's actually trying to get clean for once."

He shrugged. "Okay, relax. I just..." He grimaced and took the pan off the heat. "Well, this is, what, attempt five? You don't really believe it'll stick after so long, do you?"

The smell of food and the physical hell racking my bones were the only things keeping me from vaulting over the island counter and braining my boyfriend with the frying pan. That was a startling realization, but I didn't feed the intrusive thought too much. "You see why it's extremely fucked that her former drug dealer is pretending to be concerned about her trying to get clean, yes?"

Oren, sensing that I had cleared the pathetic stage and was no longer in the headspace to take his shit, nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry, garçon."

I rolled my eyes and took the plate of food from him. "Come eat with me."

We shared breakfast, which helped return some of my strength to me. I showered and lit up again, which returned the rest of it, and then I left the Node altogether for an assignment I was given to take down an allegiant base on Voka.

And if you were wondering, yeah, my mom relapsed the next week. Wonder why.

[dancing-to-architecture]

23 - Van Halen - 1984

Starting with a sentence that is pretty much guaranteed to piss off my dad: i was never a big Van Halen fan. (Look, if you heard "Right Now" as many times as i did growing up, you'll understand.)

That said, a few of the songs on this one are among the songs by them that i do actually like, and the cover art cracks me up every time i see it.

Also, my wife is exactly one day older than this album, and i just think that's neat.

• 1984-

Spacy synthy intro song. Not what i was anticipating this album to start off like. Kinda dig it, though.

•Jump-

An absolute classic. As I'm fond of saying: "it ain't about the fall down, it's about the bounce back", and that's the whole idea of this one.

Also, that guitar solo is fucking insane.

•Panama-

One of the songs that broke Noriega, and i think the govt used it solely because of the irony of the title being used against a Panamanian asshole dictator.

Personally, i like the idea of using songs over bombs in combat. Fewer pieces of bodies to pick up afterwards.

That said, what the actual fuck does the nation of Panama have to do with this song that's about a hot lady being described somewhat like a sports car? The world may never know.

Fuckin banger, though.

•Top Jimmy-

(But, i hardly know Jimmy!)

Holy shit, Eddie, are your fingers okay? Because goddamn that's some fast fingering on those harmonics.

Top Jimmy cooks, you say? Well, let him fuckin cook!

Another kick-ass solo, naturally.

Didn't know this one before today, but it fuckin slaps.

•Drop Dead Legs-

To be honest, i always figured Diamond Dave was a tits man, but apparently he also appreciates "a giant butt". Good for him.

All in all, gotta say that ZZ Top wrote the better leg-song.

•Hot for Teacher-

A song that has been relevant a number of times in my life, and that's all I'm gonna say on that matter.

That drum intro absolutely whips ass, and the guitar coming in only makes it better.

It's a little skeevy, lyrics-wise, but overt horniness can't stop it from being an all-time banger.

•I'll Wait-

Oh, that early-to-mid 80s synth. 😍

Kind of a weird one, since it's literally just about jerking off while looking at a legally-distinct-from-a-Playboy magazine. Not the best song on the album, for sure, but it's interesting enough to keep my attention.

I still can't believe this was a single, though.

At the end of the day: the centerfold isn't gonna fuck you, dude. Oh wait, shit, you're David Lee Roth... never mind, yeah, she might, actually. Go for it, bro.

•Girl Gone Bad-

"I'm in love with a prostitute", the spiritual prequel to "I'm in Love With a Stripper", i guess?

•House of Pain-

Just couldn't fuck dirty enough for that girl, could ya? Or, from a different, much darker point of view, kinda feels a little Josef Fritzl-y.

So, yeah, this album is pretty fucking great, (surprising nobody, considering it's their best-selling album).

Funny (but also lame as shit) fact: "The front cover was censored in the UK at the time of the album's release. It featured a sticker that obscured the cigarette in the putto's hand and the pack of cigarettes.".

For real... Are y'all okay over there?

Favorite Track: Hot for Teacher. Every aspect of it just kicks ass.

Least Favorite Track: House of Pain. On one hand, it's creepy. On the other hand, it's very creepy.

[ticiie]

got tagged by bestie @wunderlichkind to answer these, thanks a bunch 😘

nickname: had to endure some pretty embarressing ones while growing up, the one that stuck is tit (yes, you read correctly, my sister is the one to blame)

sign: leo

height: 163cm

last thing i googled: the opening hours of the drugstore close to where i live

song stuck in my head: 'Wyss' by Les Touristes

no. of followers: 39 lol

amount of sleep: i love a good 9 hours but recently i've only been getting around 4 or 5 decent ones a night thanks to overthinking so one might guess how thin my skin is rn 🥴

lucky number: none but i'll keep the 1425 in my brain for every new day to come

dream job: although i know i'll probably never switch to a whole new one because i just love selling books so much, i'd like to try something in the sports branch, retail or help organising a competition for instance...who knows where i'll end up 🤷🏽‍♂️

wearing: jeans, a shirt i got from the mens section, an oversized zip-up hoodie and outworn sneakers

movies/books that summarize me: no clue at all tbh

favourite instrument: biased by the fact that i (used to) play both i'll have to say acoustic guitar and ukulele. i also love the sound of violins/string instruments in general tho

aesthetic: not really an aesthetic but something along the lines of too much/not enough caffein and working at ungodly hours

favourite author: oh boy, way too many...but Benedict Wells and Ferdinand von Schirach will always stay on top of that list

favourite animal noise: not exactly generated by the animal but i love hearing cow bells from far away while hiking in the mountains 🤗🐮

random: i feel like very little people know this about me so why not share it on the internet? 😂 public transport, especially the local train line that runs in a circle around the part of eastern Switzerland where i live, has a calming effect on me, just like walking through busy streets/stations/airports and all those sorts. I have .0 clue where the reason in that lays so if anyone knows an explination to that, hmu cause i'd like to know 😂

once again tagging fellow bestie @aprilkindkunst (no pressure tho) and anyone who feels like joining in! 🎉✌🏽

[colourmepurpsblog]

Carlie Monroe (JOURNEYS)

Hey, the name is Carlie. Some people call me 'Lee' for short. I never really took to it, but I let it slide for some folks. My life? It's not too shabby...damn, the creator told us to be, "transparent". Well, here goes.

My dad passed away recently. Like right around the summer before senior year type of recent. He was a repairman - the best repairman you could find actually. He got hurt trying to fix a faulty speaker at the local bar. To say it traumatized the patrons would be an understatement. My Uncle Laffy broke the news to me while I was hanging out at the Laundry with him. I was heartbroken. He was my best friend in the entire world.

My mom and I always had a rough relationship, I don't think she ever really wanted kids, if I'm honest. We were always at odds, whether it was about our taste in music, movies, or fashion - everything was something to clash over. After I came out in freshman year, whatever poor relationship I had with her completely vanished. I don't even think she was ashamed of me because I'm gay, I think she just needed an excuse to get away from me. She took the opportunity though, claiming she couldn't have someone like me in her home. The person who stood up for me? My dad. He told her that if she was going to put me out, she should put him out too. Trust me, that's exactly what she did.

We stayed with my uncle for a few months before my dad finally snagged him a nice enough place for both of us. We even got a cat! Her name is Chestnut. Everything was great until..well, you know.

Working two jobs to survive is hectic. Not to mention that this is also my senior year, and I have to at least show up to my classes. After dad passed, I knew I couldn't go back to my mom's place. Even if I could, I'd never inflict that type of emotional pain onto myself. Uncle Laffy offered to let me come stay with him, but I refused. Leaving the house meant they'd have to sell it eventually, and that's the last thing I'd want. There's too many good memories there for me to leave it behind so soon. It's a struggle, but one I'm willing to go through if it means I can feel close to dad for a little while longer. My uncle and I settled on him, helping me with bills whenever he could.

I have good things, too, though. A group of friends who I love to death, Chestnut, Uncle Laffy's shop is doing well, I took up the guitar recently. And oh! How could I forget about her. Yasmine and I finally made it official over the summer. I wish I could've seen the look on the old man's face. He spent the two years I had a crush on her teasing me about it.

Everything isn't perfect, but I know I'll manage. My dad always told me that moment matter what life did to try to mess with me, I always rose to the occasion somehow. I just wish...he was here to tell me I'll actually be okay in the end. Here's to hoping that crazy old man is right about me.

[ugh154628]

how are you doing outside of this situation? i hope life is treating you well!

Aside from the extreme stress of all of this, I'm doing alright! ❤️ I'm currently half way through my internship to finish up getting my Business degree this December, and I may have a management opportunity ahead of me this upcoming year, which is awesome. Work is also going well, and I've also been able to save a decent chunk of change for my financial goals, particularly getting my new acoustic/electric guitar (I dont have a combo one like that yet and been needing one for awhile), my new poi fans, and a down payment on a home loan. I'm definitely not rich but I'm starting to get to the point that I'm not broke, can actually afford things I want and not just what I need, and I can actually build a savings for the first time in my life. I've also been making a lot of art on the DL. I stopped posting about it after chelsey and brandi bullied me for it lol. I like to keep it more private on social media now. I think I would rather keep it lowkey and surprise people with it at events anyways. I'm planning on vending my art soon! Selling my used clothes has been going well too. It's been a nice side income. Oh and I get to see one of my top 5 favorite EDM artists a second time in the same year in a couple weeks! Super excited for that. 😁

Another small thing I'm excited about is my Halloween costumes. I'm going to be one of my top 10 favorite pokemon Dragonair for the 31st and then, I'm doing a Deidara and Death the Kid gender bender next weekend for a few shows, too. My dragonair stuff all came in but I don't know if my stuff for the other two are going to come in on time though. 😭 I'm more excited to cosplay pokemon though. I've been thinking about it and I think it would be cool to just start cosplayong human versions of pokemon in general. There's more freedom/creativity with what you can do with pokemon costumes and I think I'll really enjoy cosplaying my favorites over time. Might make an Instagram just for cosplaying pokemon? 🤔

My boyfriend and I are also in the midst of planning a bigger festival. I'm definitely going to keep hosting Dubbed n' Confuzed over time, but we are planning and splitting the costs of a multigenre outdoor fest for next summer and I'm really excited for that! We might be able to do Dubbed n' Confuzed, too, but it depends on how things go woth our careers/paying off debt and if we can save up our down payment goal for a house to buy next year and still be able to afford more than one outdoor event. We might be able to pull it off, but its up in the air right now.

I'm also very happy for him because he is getting enough money next year (under personal/negative circumstances that I can't really discuss mind you) to afford to get the rest of the equipment he needs to really pop off with his production business. His involvement with local promoting has been going awesome, too. Even better is that he has some amazing performance opportunities at a couple big festivals next year. He started producing his own music, and he's doing great with it as well. I'm really proud of him and we have one hell of a summer ahead of us. One of the festivals he is likely performing at is one I've been wanting to check out for a long time, too! Still sending it to dancefest next year on top of that since we got the early bird tickets on discount. It's a great festival if you're into EDM btw, 10/10 and highly recommend it if you like smaller festivals with fully EDM line-ups.

In general, both of our careers are advancing and we're both about to pay off our debt and save a decent amount of money for a house together, gonna save money/cash in my gold inheritance for my half on a down payment and then he's going to match whatever I can save. We will be able to get a better house than we originally thought since we are getting increases in our income by next year and I'm happy about that. Can't wait to officially be a home owner and with the man I love. Hoping we can get a fixer-upper in the country side with a little land, fingers crossed.

I think 2025 is going to be a good year, lots of weight will lift off both our shoulders financially, we're getting serious about building our lives together, and lots of fun / good things coming for both of us in general.

Thank you for asking me this tbh. I've felt pretty suffocated by this other situation and haven't really been thinking about the positive stuff much until I was asked.