#but this one easily can be a name for some badass heavy metal band
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I made this dubious meme A WHILE ago. And I still laugh at it like a madman. So I figured I should share it
#i think fatal familial insomnia is one of my favorite prion diseases#not to say these are not bad of course#but this one easily can be a name for some badass heavy metal band#also Philip telling Hunter about their family but only about deadly genetic diseases that they all share is just the morbid humor i crave.#LOOK IN THEIR EYES AND ASK YOURSELF HOW MUCH SLEEP THESE TWO ARE GETTING PER WEEK.#THEY LOOK LIKE THEY ARE GOING TO DIE VERY SOON.#prion diseases#i'm so sorry#toh#hunter toh#emperor belos#belos
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The Winter Ghost - Part 13
Info: A Devastating car crash causes you to lose your memory and start over. The only thing left in the wreckage was the horrific nightmares which plagued your mind. If you knew what today would entail you would have just stayed in bed. But you didnât and because of that, everything you knew was about to change.
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader
Warnings: Swearing, angst, some smutty thoughts...Â
w/c: 2.2k
A/N: Lucky number 13! Iâm honestly so caught off gaurd by all the love Ive been receiving on The Winter Ghost. I see all your late night binge sessions and I am SO immensely greatful for your interest. When I first started writing this I didnt really think anything of it, but youve all lit a fire under my ass and for that, I thank you! So please, enjoy and reblog and like if you feel so inclined.Â
His hot breath fanned across your face, sending you into a frenzy like state you had never known before. Heavy breathing, mostly on your part as he placed excruciatingly slow kisses across your jaw. You needed him. More than youâd ever needed anything in your life. It made you sick.Â
âAre you afraid?â He asked in a low seductive voice. Swiftly he wrapped his metal fingers around your throat, applying enough pressure to make you gasp. You clawed at his chest, drunk on his murderous touch. You wanted him to make you hurt as bad as your heart did. You couldn't possibly hate a person more than you hated yourself right now.Â
âAnswer my question.â He shouted, sending a ripple of ecstasy through your body.Â
âNo. I could never,â You gasped, choking as the walls of your throat began to collapse.Â
âLiar.â He sneered.Â
You let out an involuntary moan.Â
âYou good, Y/n?â Sam asked, sitting next to you on the couch as he, Nat, Wanda and Shuri all ate breakfast around the kitchen island. Your hand was lightly wrapped around your neck where Buckyâs was just a moment ago.Â
âYeah, fine.â You squeeked.
But you weren't. You hadnât been since that morning in the hallway with Bucky. You could still feel the sting he had left behind from his touch. What was wrong with you? You couldn't even begin to unpack that question. Psychiatric help would be a start, though.Â
After your memory had returned, the nightmares seemed to subside, only to be replaced with the image of Bucky, devoid of all emotion, seething in rage at your quips. By the third night, you would have gladly have traded, knowing that this was so much worse.Â
You couldn't keep excusing your vile thoughts as his fault. They weren't, not entirely. You were the one waking up a needy mess every morning.
âHey.â Bucky's husky voice filled your senses causing you to stiffen at the sound. The team around you said their helloâs while you tried to refrain from gawking. You had done your very best to avoid him as much as you could, but there were only so many places to hide. Whenever you bumped into each other he would keep his head down and you would run in either direction.
âSteveâs on his way back today. He left to meet Vision and gather intel on an active Hydra base located somewhere on the border of Germany.â Wandaâs eyes lit up at the mention of the name. This must be the famous Android she's always gushing about. Â
âPack up⌠We ship out first thing tomorrow morning.â Bucky declared, peaking your interest. It had been way too long since you had been back in the field, this was amazing. You could feel the excitement bubbling out of your chest vanish when Buckyâs eyes glanced at you.Â
âY/n, you can uh, keep Shuri company while we're away.â You blinked at him, unsure if you had heard him correctly.Â
âNo fucking way.â You scoffed. You were not missing out on this opportunity to give Hydra a taste of their own âserumâ, so to speak.Â
âCaptain's orders.â He deadpanned, averting his gaze to the ceiling. You stared at him, lost for words with needy eyes. Heâd never tell you, but it terrified him when you looked like that. Small, fragile, though he knew better. He would kill himself before he tainted you. But that didn't make the idea any less intriguing.
âAnd since when do you listen to Captain's orders?â Nat spoke up before you even got the chance. You nodded violently, looking back to Bucky who only sighed.Â
âYou know very well why she can't go.â He muttered, fighting tooth and nail not to look at you again. You could sense his uncomfortability but you couldn't look away.Â
âSheâs not going, then Iâm not going.â Wanda sulked.Â
âMe too.â Sam mocked her tone. âSeriously, Buck. Sheâs a tank, we could use her.â He finished, more serious this time.Â
Bucky huffed, pinching the bridge of his nose between his flesh fingers. âYou gotta take that up with Steve. He and I aren't really on the best of terms right now.â He spoke, annoyance dripping from the last sentence.Â
âEasy, Iâll take care of it.â Nat said to Bucky, but she sent a wink at you.Â
You were so excited you almost leaped from your seat. You couldn't wait to blow some shit up!
âŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚ.
The next morning you woke up extra early, just to get a jump on everything. Nat had fought with Steve all last night, but eventually he conceded on the sheer fact that if you were there, it would mean double the Wanda power. This was a big base, one he had known of for quite some time now, but it required extra attention. They had been working on recreating your serum, but so far to no avail. You knew exactly where they were going wrong of course. But Steve explained they had been testing it out of Hydra members. The lucky few who survived may not have your powers, but they were still strong. Heâd need all the help he could get.
After you were packed you dragged your duffle to Shuriâs lab. She had been working on a few new weapons she wanted you to pack. Just in case, she said. You got there in no time flat, literally vibrating with excitement.Â
âYou're sure about this?â She asked.Â
âAbsolutely.â You beamed. She signed, and handed you a small ring.Â
âWhat's this?â You asked, holding the small band in your fingers.Â
âItâs a beacon. It will help you hold onto your borrowed energies for longer. Itâs like a mini you, only better.â She paused, âSpeaking of, are you going to tell me what's in that serum of yours or am I just going to have to keep guessing?â
âI think itâs better kept unsaid. That thing had already caused enough problems. No one should be burdened with it.â
âMaybe so.â She signed.
âThank you Shuri. For everything.â You half heartedly smiled but before you could leave her arms were around you, pulling you into a hug. You sucked in a breath and tapped her on the back in reciprocation. Physically affection was never something you were good at showing, try as you may.Â
When you finally pulled away she sent you a soft smile, and wished you good luck on the mission before you headed out the door.Â
âŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚ..
âNice of you to grace us with your presence.â Steve muttered, when you finally got to the jet when the rest of the team was loading up.
âIt is, isn't it?â You spoke sweetly, throwing your duffle onto the jet. You still weren't really sure where you stood with Steve. Of course you knew of the famous Captain America, even if you didn't remember a few weeks ago. But never did you imagine he would be such a class act dick. Or maybe he was just that way with you? The idea made you smirk, knowing you were the only one to really piss off the Captain was honestly the highest form of flattery.Â
You boarded the jet and noticed the rest if the team already suited up. The tactical gear Shuri had made you was tight, and Natasha was living proof of that. I mean, it wasn't fair she had the body of a trained ballerina and New York supermodel. The woman was easily the most beautiful woman you had ever seen while your gear clung to you in all the least flattering ways.Â
You quickly shook off the self doubt. It didn't matter how you looked, you were here to kick some ass.Â
Well, not exactly.Â
That morning Steve had announced that while the rest of the team âkicked assâ you and the Soviet spy would sneak into their mainframe and collect the data of whatever new evil scheme Hydra was working on.Â
Though you weren't thrilled to be stuck on recon duty, it was better than nothing. Besides, you were just a little rusty. Though Nat and Sam kept you busy and Wanda had taught you all her tricks, you weren't sure that if it came down to it you'd be able to pull the trigger.Â
Better safe than sorry.Â
âAre you nervous?â Bucky spoke under his breath, his voice deep and rough. You shivered at the sound. You hadn't realised until this moment that he was seated directly behind you.Â
âAre you?â You asked. You tried to add some bite to your words, but they left your lips softly. The tone seemed to surprise Bucky as much as it did you as he half expected to to tear his head off again.
âSometimes. But, not now.â
âOh yeah?â Words betraying you once again.Â
Ignore him.Â
Stop talking to him.Â
Stop. Talking.Â
Bucky's tongue slipped from between his lips, tugging on his bottom one slowly and effectively knocking you back from your annoying thought and to the glorious man sitting behind you.Â
âYeah. Got this new girl on our side. Sheâs a totally badass. I know sheâll watch my six.â He shrugged causing a small smile to pull at the corner of your mouth.Â
âHow do you know she won't just leave you for dead?â She asked, playing along. Part of you, however, was just a little curious. Part of you wanted to ask yourself the same question. In a second, would you protect the man who murdered Tommy? Honestly you weren't really sure.Â
âJust a feeling.â He spoke so casually. So sure, you wanted to believe him. It would be easy enough to feed him to Hydra, but you and him both knew you wouldn't have the stomach for it.Â
âHuh. You sound pretty confident in that.â You sneered sarcastically.
He just gave you a small shrug, leaning back into his seat and pulling his bluetooth earbuds out of his back pocket. He offered one to you casually. Before you could protest your arm shot out and took it, placing it in your right ear.Â
âI like to listen to music before a mission. It calms me.â He suggested, opening his phone, scrolling through his songs before the intro to Highway to Hell began playing.Â
A grin spread across your face âI love this song!â You beamed.Â
âI know. I remember you telling me something about spending an entire year listening to AC/DC causeâ your dad loved their music. I downloaded a few of their albums after that. Not exactly what Iâm used to, but definitely good ass kicking music.â He nodded.Â
That stopped you dead in your tracks. You couldn't help the smile that faded quickly from your lips at his words. You were, to say the least, shocked. You must have mentioned your love for the band at some point, but honestly couldn't for the life of you remember when. Â
But he did. And he listened to it because you liked them.Â
âHuh.â You repeated, turning back around and trying to suppress the butterflies that began erupting out of your stomach. You could hear Bucky behind you drumming his hands on his thighs along to the song. You couldn't help but giggle at how offbeat he was.
âTake off in five minutes. Everyone ready?â Nat spoke through your coms. Everyone gave a thumb up as the jets engine whirled on, vibrating through the aircraft.
You listened carefully as your song faded away and the next one took its place.Â
Do I wanna know? If this feeling flows both ways?
You could physically feel Buckyâs mood shift behind you. The Super Soldier serum granting you access to his quickened heart beat and the lyrics mirrored the every present emotions you had been feeling this week.
Sad to see you go. Was sortaâ hopinâ that youâd stay.Â
You let your mind wander as you listened to Bucky hum along quietly to the song, low and soft. The sound sending chills down your spine as the memory of your dreams from the past few nights replayed over in your mind.Â
Baby, we both know. That the nights were mainly made For sayin' things that you can't say tomorrow day.
Buckyâs lips trailed along your swollen throat, the feeling of pleasure over bruises he had left behind caused you to moan in ecstasy. The way he kissed you, not like before. This time full of lust and something dark. His hands dipped under your shirt, the feeling of hot and cold sending you over the edge as your eyes rolled back in your head. You wanted nothing more than for him to throw you against a wall, any wall and tear you limb from limb.
âI like this song too.â Buckyâs breath fanned across the back of your ear, rocketing you back to the Jet that was beginning to take off. You looked around the small space, praying that Bucky was the only one to notice your breath hitch in the back of your throat.Â
Any reminisce of the idea that you had to stay away from Bucky shattered into a million pieces. The hate, still ever present, but you knew damn well that would be the best part. It only fueled your desire. He was going to be the death of you.
Or even better, you'd be the death of him...
.....................................................................................................................
A/N: Gah! Thank you for reading! And thank you to @cutie1365â for being the best hype woman/ editor around lol. Leave a like or reblog if you wanna show some love. I hope yallâ are having a great week!Â
@kalesrebellionâ
@projectcampbellâ
@calwitchâ
#msmarvelwrites#marvel#marvel fanfiction#marvel fanfic idea#marvel smut#marvel imagine#marvelfanfic#bucky x reader#bucky barns imagine#bucky barns x reader#bucky barnes smut#bucky x y/n#bucky barnes x reader smut#bucky barnes reader insert#bucky barnes#bucky barnes fluff#bucky barnes angst#bucky fluff#bucky#bucky barnes fanfiction#marvel fanfic series#marvel civil war#winter soldier x y/n#winter soldier#the winter solider x reader#the winter ghost
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Ghost concert on Acid
Back in September a friend of mine introduced me to Ghost, showed me some of their more popular songs and music videos and my fancy you could definitely say was tickled. I was instantly drawn to the costumes and the theatricality of them. Iâd continue to listen to their more popular songs like Square Hammer, Cirice, Rats, Dance Macabre etc.
He invited me to come see them with him on their Ultimate Tour Named Death in SLC, Utah. I was immediately down. I was so looking forward to this show but had no idea what exactly I was in for.
In the parking lot he offers me some LSD and he was expecting us to just microdose but feeling brave I decide on taking the full tab. Things feel pretty normal as I groove to Twin Temple, the Satanic doo-wop band whoâs opening for them. I look over to my friend, he has another tab of LSD on his fingertip and offers it to me. We both take an additional tab, weâre going in balls deep now.
Twin Temple ends their set and the audience waits with anticipation. I start to really feel something as I watch the people in the pit from the seats above; they move around like their own living organism. Suddenly, black out. The audience roars eagerly waiting for the show to begin. They kick it off with Ashes immediately followed by Rats and just rock my dick off immediately but even the instant dick rocking couldnât prepare me for what was to come. Cardinal Copia is just mesmerizing to watch on stage. Itâs immense fun to watch him dance around and sing all so passionately, and his intense sexual charisma is just hypnotic. Heâs especially delightful in between songs. He holds the audience in the palm of his hand. Then he ominously utters âWeâll see how well we get to know each otherâ I now know shitâs gonna get crazy. The Cardinal asks the crowd âAre you all feeling tingly yet?? No? Weâll get you there.â Iâve no idea what thatâs about.
Iâm now tumbling down deep, dark mental roads during this badass satanic spectacle. The two Ghoul guitarists begin a riff off. A Heavy Metal Ghoul Duel if you will. My mindâs digging far down into my soul as these two masters of their instruments pull out deep rooted interpersonal quandaries from within my psyche. Itâs like each guitarist is a little ghoul on my shoulder and each have their turn making their solos a chance to make their case. The Ghouls guide me down this train of thought as the black guitar Ghoul leads to the thoughts âYouâve always been curious of Satanism but thatâs not you. Youâre really not a Satanist.â Iâve never seriously considered the thought of being a Satanist. The Ghoul with the white guitar brings me to âOh? And Whyâs that? What exactly about it do you not agree with?â. I think to myself âOh shitâ. I donât disagree with any of their ideas necessarily. Independence from Religion and being the Master of your own reality sound pretty fuckin cool to me. I stand in awe as these two ghouls shred opposite the stage from one another across the checkerboard floor. Itâs like a mental chess match and itâs no question that by the end of it the white guitar ghoul was the victor. âIâm just tripping, Iâm on drugs.â I think to myself. âJust because the white ghoul won the guitar battle doesnât mean Iâm a Satanist now...but also it doesnât mean Iâm not...Iâll keep an open mindâ. The song continues to rock on and they just absolutely dominate the arena. After the song, the audience blows up with applause. I clap. Man, I clap so hard. I clap so hard I can hardly feel my hands and before I know it, I feel this insane vibrational aura around my hands. The Cardinal speaks with certainty âOh yeah, Youâre feeling tingly nowâ.
Holy fucking shit.
Miasma starts. Iâve never heard this song before but Iâm instantly digging it and jamming away and then Papa Nihil appears out of thin air in a cloud of white fog with this epic fucking Saxophone solo. This is easily the coolest fucking thing Iâve ever witnessed. A Satanic Pope with sunglasses fuckin blowing everyone away on a Sax like Bill fucking Clinton on late night. What could be cooler?? Itâs equal parts mind blowingly ridiculous and hilariously awesome.
Now Iâve been to concerts where during a song Iâve thought to myself âThis is fine but I canât wait for the next songâ. This is not one of those concerts. Iâm totally enthralled by every single set entry. Every single god damn songâs just incredible. The whole show is an audible and visual feast. There are times I catch myself just gazing into the stained-glass style mural in the back. Thereâs a faux painted portrait of Papa Nihil in the center of the mural. Spirit starts. Papa Nihilâs forehead breaks into fractals and starts to dance and weave into itself infinitely. I begin to suspect Ghost has tons of fans who trip and itâs just a thing that Ghost is aware of. I donât know how true this is. Either way the idea is entertaining.
From the Pinnacle to the Pit has me staring at the stage during a guitar solo as I literally feel my fucking face melt off. Meanwhile slowly forming a grin on my face like some crazy demon man just to have a *POP* sudden burst of fireworks into a blackout that slaps that silly fucking grin off my face and my jaw nearly drops to the floor.
I start to notice that some people just are not as into the concert as I am. Iâm assuming they are just Mormons and/or other religious folk who showed up unaware of how inherently Satanic Ghostâs music is.
SpĂśksonat begins, itâs very dark on stage but there are these bright blue/violet shapes beaming out from the darkness and some people around me get headaches and exit. I interpret this as weak-minded religious sheep/mormons whose meek minds canât handle Ghostâs awesome and enchanting music. Theyâre too buried in their illusory faith. Again, idk how true this is but I love to believe this. Itâs definitely what I believed at the time of the trip.
He is starts. I begin to realize. This is my new faith. I am in awe. The song is composed and performed with such conviction and love, I think to myself âIf this is Satanismâs attempt to convert me and this much effort was put in to this to make it this beautiful... I just donât want to refuse.â The next song begins. Mummy Dust. Which in the Cardinalâs words is âSo gosh darn Infernally fucking heavy that it will not only wobble your asses but it will TICKLE YOUR TAAIINNNTSâ and tickle my taint it does.
Kiss the Go-Goat is yet another excellent groovy jam but then Dance Macabre comes on right after, ooooh shit buddy I get excited. I start clapping and dancing, I stand up on the stairs, grab the railing and whip my hair around. I dance my god damned heart out and as I dance I see the Cardinal walk to the left side of the stage and he looks right at me, I fucking felt it. He nods approvingly and returns to performing. I finally feel like I fully understand the lyrics as I see this song live. âJust wanna be, wanna bewitch you all nightâ. Thatâs Tobias Forge not just saying he wants to be with us all night but he wants to enchant and perform for us all night because that is what this brilliant master of his craft was born to do. He has as much fun as the audience does at these shows, if not, more. This song wouldâve been a damn fine closer but as stated in the lyrics, he didnât wanna end like that.
Square Hammer hits and it hits hard. People are losing their minds, myself included. Still riding the energy of that last song, I head bang my soul out of my damn body. Once again, I fully understand the lyrics. âAre you on the Square? Are you on the level? Are you ready to swear right here right now, before the devil?â. I realize absolutely fucking am. When the show ended The Cardinal waved everyone goodbye and you could see how thankful he was for an audience and Iâm still not sure if this was the drugs or a special effect (pretty sure it was the drugs) but each band member appeared to have strings like a marionette while waving goodbye and bowed to the audience and the audience appeared to having strings too. It looked like a lighting effect but I still have no idea how that happened, most likely a hallucination. So fucking cool regardless.
I left the arena drenched in sweat, baptized into a new yet familiar world. I donât see life the same way I did before (but hey, thatâs LSD for you). I realized through this trip how badass the symbol for rebellion against tyranny really is. Along with the profound nature of freedom from religion and realizing self divinity; that you the individual possess powers of a god and most importantly, I just had a good fucking time. My first Ghost concert was a religious experience and one hell of bash. Theyâre easily my favorite band now and Iâve been listening to all their albums on repeat and I canât wait till I can see them again.
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My Clown Claude
Tucked away in the hidden levels of Pike Place lies a treasure chest of sorts, one you would experience only in dreams (or nightmares). A sweet elderly man welcomes you to The Antique Touch, where miles upon miles of vintage salt and pepper shakers smile both kindly and eerily. It is here I experienced love at first sight, an authentic Seattle meet cute. A lone clown, without a pepper shaker clown to call his own, drew me in. I immediately purchased this mystical joker and gave him a home on my windowsill, among my everlasting flowers and disco ball light. Named French by a british boy, Claude is the light that keeps me going during these rainy Seattle days. This blog post is dedicated to him, and the music he would listen to if his ears werenât made of porcelain. Claude, if youâre alive and move around my room in the twilight hours, I hope you know I love you and your cute little burnt Sienna cheeks.
âFifty-fifty Clownâ - Cocteau Twins
Ignoring the Claude related pun, Cocteau Twins never fail to impress with their tantalizing rhythms and rhymes (on the rare occasion one can actually understand what Elizabeth Fraser is saying). âFifty-fifty Clownâ immediately draws listeners in, with a hypnotizing beat and a synth effect throughout the song that sounds as sweet as candy. I imagine Claude listening to this as he puts his makeup on before a night out on the town, or while driving late at night through the PNW. As for us living beings, âFifty-fifty Clownâ (and the majority of Cocteau Twins hits) is a song for dancing, crying, loving, or simply staring at the ceiling for an undisclosed amount of time.
âNightcallâ - Kavinsky
âNightcallâ begins with the sound of coins clinking together inside a telephone booth. As a person makes a call, a wolf howls in the back, and all at once Kavinskyâs atmosphere engulfs us with a sticky, tangy, mind bending groove. With the help of Lovefoxxxâs voice, this track creates a dreamy, almost supernatural world in the span of 4 minutes and 18 seconds. Claude would listen to this track as he was driving away from a late-night robbery gone wrong, with tears in his eyes and money in the backseat. You can listen to this track while you dance in your room and reminisce about your pre-pandemic life, as I do about eight times a week.
âHeavy Waveâ - Motorama
Off Motoramaâs 2015 album Poverty, âHeavy Waveâ brings a taste of summer to the usual dark feels that surround Russian new wave/post punk music. Frontman Vladislav Parshinâs dulcet and phantom-like voice leaves listeners in a head bopping trance, while the accompanying bass line adds a steady beat throughout the entire ditty. Claude would listen to this song while he was folding his laundry on a breezy summer day, reminiscing about the lover he left behind in Italy. For non-clowns, this tune is perfect for the ephemeral moment in day when the sun is released from behind the grey Seattle clouds and everything feels a little more okay.
âFade To Greyâ - Visage
I discovered this song while watching the fantastic Xavier Dolan film, Laurence Anyways. Iâve linked the exact moment itâs used in the movie so folks can see how brilliant it is! What can I say? The buildup throughout âFade To Greyâ is genius, and the addition of French lyrics by Brigitte Arens makes it even more layered and spellbinding. Claude would listen to this song while at a badass 80s dance party, and you can listen to it whenever you want to feel like the main character.
âThe Chauffeurâ - Duran Duran
Wish I was exaggerating when I say I have listened to âThe Chauffeurâ 40 times a day this past week. I canât place a finger on what my infatuation stems from- is it the otherworldly beat? The Ocarina riff? The quintessential lyrics? Or is it the fact that all three of these things make me feel like Iâm floating in the astral plane each time I listen? Whatever it may be, this is easily my favorite song as of late, and I hope it can find a home on one of your playlists as well. Since Claude lives in my room, he would listen to this song from the top to the bottom of the day, most likely because Iâve forced him to.
âReflektorâ - Arcade Fire
A stunner from Montreal natives Arcade Fire, âReflektorâ features a french pre-chorus from RĂŠgine Chassagne and backing vocals from the one and only David Bowie. Accompanied by the heavy synth and rhythm throughout the entire song, this hit feels like a metallic grey spaceship from another world. Thereâs tons of interpretations to this song and instead of giving my own take, I encourage you all to give it a listen and make it mean whatever you want it to. Claude would listen to this song while on psychedelics as he saw his clown friendâs face melt away, and you can do the same! Cheers!
âVanessaâ - Grimes
Easily my favorite Grimes song, âVanessaâ is a dreamy ballad about the pains of loving. The repeated chorus reminds me of âNobodyâ by Mitski, minus the emotional breakdown. Instead, Grimes seems to become more and more apathetic about their situation throughout the song, and their voice almost blends into the synth beat by the end. Claude would listen to this song while getting over a breakup, and you can listen to it while ignoring the fact that Grimes is married to Elon Musk (???).
âMaiâ - Videoclub
Since Claude is a French name, it was only natural for me to feature a song from French teen duo Videoclub. Even for people sans Francais, âMaiâ offers a candied background melody for any daily activity. My favorite line would have to be âMe nourrir uniquement de la nuit et de ses dĂŠfauts, et de sa folieâ which roughly translates to âFeed myself only of the night, of its flaws and of its madness.â, which is pure beauty. Claude would listen to this song on a train to Paris, and you can listen to it on the bus or light rail whilst staring out the window and pretending youâre in a music video.
âThe Upstairs Roomâ - The Cure
A hidden B-side gem from The Cure, âThe Upstairs Roomâ features the iconic Cure sound with classic Robert Smith lyrics. Fun, simple, sweet, âThe Upstairs Roomâ is a reliable tune for any time of the day (or night). Claude would listen to this song in the middle of a midlife crisis as he shaves his head in his roommateâs bathroom. You can listen to this song while doing the same activity, or to fuel your motivation whilst writing term papers late at night that are due in twenty minutes (I can vouch from personal experience that it does work!).
âMelody (1983 Radio Version)â - Plustwo
This might possibly be one of the most addictive songs I have ever heard. From Italo-disco band Plustwo, âMelodyâ is a reliable hit for the times you feel nostalgic over Euroraves and disco balls. The four members' voices weave in and out of each other throughout the song in perfect harmony, never overlapping others or becoming too overbearing. Claude would listen to this song at three in the morning after seven cups of coffee, and you can listen to it to groove with friends at a safe six feet distance.
I hope Claude and I were able to introduce you to some new songs and I hope you enjoyed getting to know him through this post. If I ever catch Claude moving around in the wee hours of the night, Rainy Dawg Blawg will be the first to know.
Till next time! - Naomi Zamarripa
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Written by @ikhnyshy (aka Water Lock) and drawn by me. This is our contribution for the Nalu-Gruvia Big-Bang: Enjoy!
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Phantom Lord Girl â Water Lock
Three days had passed since the attack.
All the clues had finally led them to a warehouse located in a dark alley. The building itself was tall and lugubrious. The atmosphere was cold and dismal as he approached the building, it's windows either broken or closed off with wooden slats. The large doors were made of a heavy metal that were difficult to knock down, luckily, they'd already planned an entrance through other openings. Above the doors hung a white sign, large, black letters adorning it forming the words "Phantom Lord."
"Not very subtle, huh?" The Official Fullbuster mumbled sarcastically before sneaking off to the side of the building to access the basement. "Now's not the time to be sarcastic," His partner's voice rang in his hears through the communicator, "We have to make them pay for what they did to Levy and the others," Natsu all but growled the words, fury obvious in his voice.Â
They had been called in the early morning, ordered to report urgently at the station. Five criminals had slipped into the building at night. They had swiftly taken out the guards, and vandalized the building to the point where it was almost destroyed. They burned files, exploded the pipes flooding the corridors, lifted all the tiles on the first floor, and somehow blew up the roof on the station. That wasn't what pushed them to their limit, though, the state they found their comrades Jet, Droy, and Levy...that was what angered them to no limit. The three were unconscious when they found them. When they arrived and saw the blood trickling from their wounds down their necks as well as their hands and feet tied to the chairs...they erupted in fury. It was not difficult to guess who had perpetrated the attack. In an act of absolute arrogance, the criminals graffiti the walls with the name of the band "Phantom Lord", painted on the bodies of the officers the symbol of the gang and left a metal plaque that read "Kurogane was Here." Either they were stupid or they wanted to be found. It didn't matter, though, because they will have revenge for what was done to their comrades.Â
As Gray approached the building, adrenaline coursed through his body, his muscles tensed as his heart raced. It was a feeling that he enjoyed, being in action, catching criminals and doing justice. This mission was special because he had the responsibility to punish those who had dared to hurt his comrades. Gray felt the anger build in him as he thought of them. No one messes with the Magnolia Police. He would show no mercy with these criminals.Â
Gray approached the door only to be met with a lock, good thing they'd prepared for this. He quickly froze the lock, and broke in with a thud. The basement behind the door was dark, the only light coming from the alley through the open door. Gray wiped his forehead, humidity was present in this room, filling it with a penetrating smell. The officer covered his nose with a handkerchief, while keeping his other hand on guard. His blood rushed with anticipation; he was eager to meet one of the members of the band. The spacious underground room was filled with wooden boxes, some covered by sheets and gray with dust. Looking up, he noticed thick black pipes that ran the length of the roof...Â
"This humidity really sucks," He murmured to himself, annoyed by the sticky and deep steam that flooded the place as well as his body. "Humidity chases Juvia..." He heard a female voice and turned to see who it was, but there was no one behind him. "It's annoying and sticky," The voice continued. He looked back to the front as he heard the voice only to be met, again, by nothing. He noticed the monotonous and somewhat dull tone of the speaker, as if there was a great pain behind her words. "Nobody wants Juvia..." The voice trailed off, "Because the humidity is always with her..." "I'm Officer Fullbuster," He announced, looking for any hint of the woman, "All members of Phantom Lord are arrested for attacking officers inside the Station," "To arrest Juvia," The woman said, "You would have to catch her first, officer," She said, her monotone voice filling the silence in this basement. Was she making fun of him? He couldn't be sure, but judging by her voice she didn't seem to be kidding. "And to catch her, you would have to be able to see her." The voice said, taunting him as he looked every which way. "Get out now!" He shouted, his voice hoarse, already annoyed that he couldn't find her, "I'll handcuff you and you'll come with me to the station!" "Are you going to handcuff Juvia?" She said, hesitation filling her voice.Â
Gray heard this and could almost feel the embarrassment in her voice. Realizing how his previous statement sounded, he immediately felt ashamed at the possible implication. "That's not what I meant," He claimed, making his intentions clear. The humidity was getting deeper and Gray noticed how difficult it was to see once he was away from the source of light, almost completely encompassed in darkness. "I'll put the handcuffs on you," He said, once again clarifying what he said. The response he got was not one that he was hoping for. He heard a high squeal echo throughout the basement, "So bold!" "I'm going to arrest you! That's what I'm saying!" He exclaimed, his cheeks flushed with frustration and embarrassment. Having enough of this, he launched his ice attack to the front, watching as the cold transformed the humidity into fog, a whitish mantle rising from the ground. "You're attacking Juvia," The voice claimed, "Then she-ahh!" Gray looked up just in time to see something falling from the ceiling. He stretched out his arms instinctively and caught her in time before she hit the ground. The low light of the basement let him see a glimpse of bluish long and curly hair...as well as the brightness of her widened eyes. "You saved Juvia..." She mumbled in shock, bringing her hands to her face, "You're like a knight," "A what?" He shook his head, "No. I'm a cop and you're under arrest," It was like his words didn't reach her, because without reason she clung to his neck in an effusive hug. "You're the knight Juvia has been waiting for," She said happily. "Hey," he said, feeling slightly uncomfortable with their current position, "I told you I came to arrest you," he untangled himself from her arms, "Now turn around so I can handcuff you and-," "Oh yes, handcuffs..." She trailed off, stretching her hands out to the front and allowed him to easily slip the handcuffs around her wrists.Â
By the light that came in from the outside, he could see her long, dark, leather jacket that covered a blue corset and a skirt of the same color, of a lighter fabric. When he looked up, he noticed how she was staring at him, her cheeks flushed a little as a smile graced her face. Gray didn't understand why she was looking at him like that, he scratched his neck behind his head, finally decided that he should take her to the patrol car. Then he would be able to help his partner capture the other members of Phantom Lord.Â
"Walk." He told her firmly, "You will come with me to the station," "Gray," a voice said in his hear that he identified immediately, "We need you to confirm your location," Lucy said to him, her voice ringing through the radio. He felt his prisoner tense in front of him, he could feel her body trembling. "I'm taking a suspect to the patrol car, Lucy," He told her, "Then I'll go back to help Natsu," "Ok," She responded, "Do you need any help with the suspect?" "No, I think-" he started, but before he could say anything else, the girl broke loose from his grip. The handcuffs fell to the ground, much to his shock, he wasn't sure what was happening. "Who is Lucy?" She asked, her voice no longer sounded monotonous or sad, nor did it have that sweetened lull from a moment ago. She seemed angry and annoyed, but why? So Gray did the smartest thing he could think of. "Huh?" He asked intelligently. "Is she...a Love Rival?" The girl asked almost threateningly, a dark aura surrounding her. With her hands at her sides, she summoned a torrent of water and shot it at Gray. He defended himself with an ice shield, though, right before it hit him. "What's going on?" He asked confused, "A moment ago you seemed willing to surrender!" "Juvia will not give herself to a liar like you!" She replied angrily. "Liar? What are you-" He started but was once again interrupted by another torrent of water that broke his shield and threw him against the boxes behind him. "Juvia will not forgive you!" She all but spat, she was furious and the officer had no idea why, "She will not forgive that Lucy either," She said, venom lacing her voice as she said the name. "Why are you mad at Lucy?!" He asked, beyond confused as to what was going on. "You defend her?!" She asked, her eyes blazing, "She is a Rival of Love!" She exclaimed before attacking again, causing Gray to hide behind a pile of boxes, trying to understand what was happening. Water started to accumulate on the ground as attacks followed one after the other, remains of boxes and objects floated around the place. The officer quickly looked for a spot from which to attack so he could immobilize his adversary. He frowned as he rested his hands on the surface of the liquid that covered the ground, concentrating on his ice, freezing the water throughout the basement except where he was hiding. The attacks stopped, finally allowing him to come out of hiding.Â
His scanned the area before his eyes focused on her. She was standing, completely frozen up her knees in ice, enclosing her long boots. He allowed himself to observe her a little more before quickly turning his eyes away. Despite her badass attire, she had a rounded, delicate face, her eyes were large and expressive, and her figure... The officer cleared his throat, trying to push those thoughts to the back of his mind. He wasn't supposed to be having these thoughts about his "suspect." It was not the time to think if she was cute, or if the way she inflated her cheeks in annoyance, trying to get away from the ice, was sweet or tender... "You can't escape anymore," He told her, "Do you give up?" He said as he held up his spare handcuffs, showing them to her, a smile of victory on his face. Her response was to look at him, and then blushed again. "Juvia..." She started then trailed off. "So your name is Juvia, huh?" He said as he approached her and placed the handcuffs on her wrists, feeling her gaze follow his movements, "I'm Officer Gray Fullbuster and you're under arrest for vandalism."Â
___________________________________________________________
Despite the damage they caused, the members of Phantom Lord didn't have a severe punishment. The maximum penalty went to Gajeel Redfox, who pleaded guilty to beating officers on duty; as a sentence he would have to serve a month in prison and six months of community duties within the Station. The young gang member shouted in the corridors of the court that he preferred more jail time before working with a bunch of cops. The rest of the gang, though, received diverse penalties based off on the damage they caused. Juvia received the least of the punishments, having to remain only three days detained inside the station. Gray understood that flooding the corridors of the building was not a very serious offense, it seemed more mischief than a crime. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the fate of the girl with blue hair. She didn't seem like a bad person, but someone must have influenced her badly...maybe she didn't have any good friends that were there for her...Â
___________________________________________________________
Two days had passed since the mission.Â
It was also the second day of Juvia's arrest as well as the day Gray decided to visit her in her cell. He found her sitting on the prison cot, hugging her knees to her chest, her head on them watching the raindrops pound against the glass of the only window in the place. "Hey," He said awkwardly as he scratched his neck, unsure of what to say, "I'm sorry you have to be here," He said, attempting to start a conversation. She didn't say anything. She didn't even look at him. She just shrugged and continued staring out the window. But after a moment of silence, she did. "It doesn't matter," She said solemnly, "Juvia has nowhere else to go," "What do you mean?" Gray asked curiously. "Phantom Lord was disbanded," She said, finally turning to look at him, "That was her home," "Did you live there?" He asked and looked down, his hands holding the cold bars of the prison., "I'm sorry," "You are very kind, Gray-sama," She said, her eyes filled with warmth. "Gray-sama?" He was confused as to why she would give him such an endearment. "Juvia is glad she met you,"A small, sad smile made itself known on her face, "She always thought police officers were bad...then she met you," her blues eyes pierced his, "She was wrong," "How are we bad?" He asked, slightly offended, "We're here to take care of people." "Will you take care of Juvia, Gray-sama?". "It's part of my job, isn't it?" Before he could even comprehend what was happening, she jumped up and threw herself towards the bars. The sad expression from before completely gone, now replaced by an immense smile, her fingers brushing his as she clung to the fence, causing the officer to remove his hands in alarm. "Juvia will also take care of Gray-sama!" She exclaimed, her excitement contrasting her previous state. "I don't need you to take care of me," He growled, uncomfortable. Before more could be said a strange grunt rumbled in her cell. Juvia covered her stomach with her hands, her cheeks flushing as she looked down in embarrassment. "You didn't eat?" He asked, only for her to shake her head, "They didn't bring you anything?" He was slightly outraged. She didn't respond. "Those idiots," He groaned, "I'll be right back," He left to get her some food.Â
He felt strangely responsible for the girl. He was the one who arrested her, and it wasn't like he hadn't captured someone before, so why? He couldn't explain why all of a sudden he was so interested in a delinquent. His only obligation was to catch her and then turn her over to the justice, however, it was not a part of his job to worry about her let alone to take care of her meals or her general comfort. But Gray couldn't help feeling that the girl was out of place here. She didn't belong in here. The jail was no place for someone like her. She wasnât evil. She didn't deserve to be behind bars.Â
Leaving the station, he made his way outside. The rain had diminished to a simple, copious drizzle. He walked a couple of blocks to find the food store and smiled when he noticed that it wasn't too crowded, so he would be able to get back quickly.Â
After getting Juvia some food, Gray returned to work with his torso wet from the drizzle. At some point, he had removed his uniform shirt (and who knows where he threw it). In one of his hands, he was carrying the bag of snacks he had chosen to share.Â
"Hey," Natsu said as Gray walked by, standing in front of him, looking at his bag curiously, "What's in there?" Gray rolled his eyes, his companion sniffed the air as if he were a dog. "Oh," Natsuâs eyes lighted up with excitement, "Did you buy Caramade Franks?" Dragneel showed his teeth in a smile that was way too wide. "It's not for you Flame Brain!" He answered annoyed, seeing how his partner's eyes shone with hunger fully focused on the bag. "You can't eat all of that alone, Ice Boy," Natsu said, smirking, "You don't have enough stomach." "Who said I was going to eat them on my own?" He retorted, and then made his way, deciding that he didn't want to discuss this matter with Natsu (or anyone else for that matter, he hoped he didn't cross any of his other partners on the way). However, much to his luck that wasn't the case. Cana was leaning against the bars, one of her typical side smiles planted on her face as she tipped a bottle of wine in front of the barsâŚÂ
"C'mon," She said to the detained, "Have a drink with me. It must be horrible to be locked in there, don't you wanna drown your sorrows a little?" "Thanks, but Juvia does not drink alcohol," answered the muffled voice from the other side. Gray approached the girls, a frown adorning his face. "Hey, leave her alone Cana," He said, the brunette responding with an annoyed look. Then, being Cana she bounced right back, giving him a smile, "Oh Gray, you comin' to join the party?" "The only one partying here is you," He pointed out, "Why are you drinking so late anyway?" "Don't be so boring," She groaned, then took off from the cell and made her way down the hall from where he came, "For your information, tomorrow is my day off. I'm celebrating!" She said, throwing a cheeky smile over her shoulder before turning down the hall.Â
Once Cana was gone, the officer turned his attention to the girl inside the cell. The ex-Phantom Lord member looked at him with flushed cheeks, her eyes tinted with a glimmer of dreaminess. It was not the first time she had looked at him like that, and he could not help but feel somewhat uncomfortable when he noticed itÂ
"Here," He said to Juvia, extending the bag with food in it, after taking out his part. "Gray-sama brought Juvia some food?" She asked hesitantly, her eyes shining with something Gray couldn't put his finger on. "The idiots who were guarding you were supposed to take care of that," Grabbing a chair to place it next to the cell, "I don't know what those imbeciles were thinking," He said, feeling frustrated with them. It wasn't until Gray looked up that he noticed she was still standing in her place, watching him surprised and bewildered, "What's wrong?" He asked curiously. "Are you going to eat with Juvia?" She asked, her eyes questioning. Gray thought it was obvious considering he was already opening the wrapper of his food when she asked him. "Well," He said, "Of course," "But..." Juvia started but the noise of her stomach roared once again, Gray looked at her with a sympathetic smile and nodded at the edge of the bed, which was next to the bars. "Let's eat. I think your stomach does not want to keep waiting," He said, his eyes amused. "Gray-sama...?" Juvia asked. "Mhmm," Gray responded. "Why are you shirtless?" She asked, a blush gracing her delicate cheeks.Â
___________________________________________________________
Gray forgot that it was his day off, but he remembered that this was the last day of Juvia's sentence. The officer wondered what the girl would do once she was free. Juvia told him that she was alone and had nowhere to go. She had not mentioned it, but Gray worried that she might end up in Phantom Lord or some other gang in the city againÂ
She told him that the reason she joined the group led by Jose Porla was because they accepted her. That acceptance had a price, Juvia had to participate in the activities of the band even if she didn't like them. Although it was uncomfortable, she got used to doing what they asked without question, and ended up flooding the station.Â
Despite being deprived of her freedom, she confessed that she felt very comfortable in the cell. Apparently, he wasn't the only one who had visited her, several of the girls had come and talked to her and had shown her a very warm side of the Police, one that she never expected to feel from other people. That day, his day off, he spent it talking with Juvia. He got to know her and let her know him. They talked until the Chief arrived to finally open the cell, letting her free. Her sentence was fulfilled.Â
"Juvia is sorry for all the problems she has caused," She said remorsefully, bowing a little as she held onto her small hand luggage where she carried her few belongings. Her eyes filled with tears as they focused on the smiling faces of the officers. She stopped and looked at everyone, especially him, and smiled broadly before turning around and leaving through the glazed door of the building.Â
He was not the only one worried, he could tell from the look on his companions' faces that they were thinking about the fate of the blue-haired woman who was walking down the street. Alone. With no one to turn to and so inclined to get into trouble...But there wasn't much they could do for her, they could only hope they wouldn't find her in the same situation as before.Â
When night came, Gray went to his apartment, rejecting his team's offer to go for a drink before heading home. He didn't feel good. For some reason, he was a little down and with a too intense sting that attacked him from the base of the spine to the shoulders. He just wanted to eat something fast, take a shower, and go to bed, maybe even watch some television before giving into precious sleep.Â
___________________________________________________________
Gray awoke abruptly to the annoying sound of the alarm clock shrieking next to him on the bedside table. He lazily pulled an arm out from under the sheet and hit it to turn it off. To his half-asleep ears came the strange sound of something frying in the kitchen. His nose began to wake up as a delicious aroma greeted his senses, also coming from his own apartment. Startled at the realization, the officer got up from the bed and left the room totally disconcerted.Â
Much to Gray's surprise, when he entered his kitchen he was greeted by Phantom Lord's girl cooking scrambled eggs in his kitchen wearing a pink apron over her leather clothes. "Juvia?!" He exclaimed, "What are you doing here?!" She simply turned and gave him the sweetest of smiles. "Gray-sama!" She exclaimed happily, "You're awake!" She removed the pan from the fire and approached him, immediately engulfing him in a hug, her arms surrounding his neck. "Hey..." He said uncomfortable, gently moving away from her embrace, "What are you doing here." He asked, trying not to sound too harsh. "Juvia had nowhere to go," She looked down, "And Gray-sama said he would take care of her," "This is not what I meant," He answered, scratching the back of his head uncomfortable as he sighed, "Guess it doesn't matter now, though. Since you made breakfast, let's eat," He said, walking over to the coffee pot that steamed with fresh coffee. He poured himself a cup when he noticed that she had prepared a cup of tea for herself. "Juvia was thinking..." She started, her voice coming out slightly nervous as she stirred the infusion slowly, "Gray-sama...do you think Juvia could become a cop?" "Hmmmmm," He finished swallowing what he had in his mouth and looked at her seriously. He could tell that she had been thinking about the subject for a while. It was not something that she had just decided to ask for the heck of it. "You should talk to the chief," He finally answered, thinking carefully of what he should say next as to not offend her, "After all, even if it wasn't for something serious, you were arrested and...you did damaged the police building,"Â
However, it didn't look like his words affected her at all as she just shrugged her shoulders simply, as if she were a little girl who was being scolded. "But," Gray started again, "We all know you're not a bad person, maybe they will give you a chance," He said, almost cautiously, not wanting her to get her hopes up. "And Juvia will be Gray-sama's partner?" She asked, curiously, again that dreamy expression making itself known in her eyes as well as those flushed cheeks. Gray looked at her, dumbfounded. And once again responded very intelligently. "Huh?" He asked her, confused. "Gray-sama and Juvia will work together!" She squealed happily.Â
Gray didn't know what she was imagining, not that he was sure he wanted to know, but surely it had nothing to do with the daily work of the police. She held her face as her eyes stared at absolutely nothing, while her mouth transformed into an immense smile that babbled incoherently about "couples", "love", "destiny", and so many other things that Gray didn't even want to begin to understand.Â
"You will have to go to the Academy, study, and pass the exam," He said, wanting to make sure she knew it wouldn't be easy. "Study?" Juvia asked him, her eyes twinkling with curiosity. "Of course," He responded, taking another sip of his coffee, "You are not a police officer from one day to the next," "Oh," She said, looking somewhat disappointed as she drank some of her tea, placing it on a plate and then shrugged her shoulders, "It will take more time than she thought, but Juvia can do it," She said firmly, her eyes filled with determination. "Okay then," Gray said, finishing his coffee, "We will talk to the boss and get you started," "When Juvia graduates, will she be Gray-sama's partner?" She asked, repeating her previous question. Gray smiled and extended his hand, "It's a promise. When you become an Agent, we will make a team."Â
Studying, graduating, and being part of the squad seemed like a good fit for someone like her. Things would definitely change for Juvia, in a good way that is, and Officer Fullbuster was relieved to know that she would stay away from troubles if she joined the Fairy Tail Team.Â
"Juvia is so happy!" She squealed as she got up from her chair and threw herself at him with open arms, completely disregarding his hand. To say the least, Gray was surprised by the forward action, but he accepted the hug, surrounding her waist with his arms, sharing her happiness, and wishing that she really started a new path in her life. One that he would gladly accompany her on.
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ML Secret Santa
Merry (belated) Christmas @nayawata it is I, your gifter for the @mlsecretsanta with a fic about the OTP
Paris, France | July
She graduates. One day, she is at universitĂŠ, and the next, she is not. The morning after her final exam, she slips downstairs for breakfast and instead finds an envelope.  Â
Her parents' latest attempt to stop her from being so easily scared is three months in a city she doesn't know with a language she barely speaks. All expenses paid. She leaves in three months. Merde.Â
Sydney, Australia | OctoberÂ
Itâs a jarringly young city. Everywhere Mylène looks she expects to see historic architecture and instead sees nothing beyond the nineteenth century. Her auntie chatters good-naturedly from the drivers seat which is on the wrong side of the car. Everything is strange and it feels a little like she canât breathe and she cant make a sound and she is so so glad when the car stops and she can get inside the house and play her song and feel like she is still at home.Â
The first two weeks she only leaves the house with one of her cousins or aunts, too scared to venture outside without some kind of security net. They take her on outings every few days, doing the tourist shtick at what is probably their attempt to make her feel welcome. The multiple trips to the city arenât too bad, but when they head anywhere else she feels off kilter. The ocean is too big and the countryside is too foreign. The suburbs are too sprawling and quite frankly she doesnât even know where to start with the birds.Â
November
She goes for a walk alone the first week of November. Three pictures of the waterfront reflecting the clear blue sky later and she realises she is lost. Very lost. She isnât even sure which way is home. She would like to say she was brave enough to find her own way home but the truth is that pedestrianâs hassle her along until she crashes into something large and solid with an eep of surprise.Â
The large and solid something responds with a grunt that shocks her into leaping back. And looks up. And up a little more to find the somethingâs face shuffled into a terrifyingly grumpy glare. She shrieks and cowers a little before the glare retreats into something a little closer to concern.  Â
Sheâs fumbling out an apology as best she can manage and trying desperately not to give in to the urge to flee when the man in front of her guides her gently to a bench. âAre you okay?â he asks and she canât help but suck in a breath at his accent because it is wonderfully, blessedly French.Â
âTâes Français?â She hopes he understands what she is trying to say.Â
He starts in surprise. âOui.â She canât help the wave of relief that sweeps over her and switches to French for a more coherent apology.Â
The guyâs name is Ivan and he doesnât know how to get back to her auntsâ place, but his english is much better than hers and he is brave enough to ask for help and big enough to hide behind when the strangers get to be too much. Mylène thinks she quite likes this arrangement. It takes a full hour to find home, and she is glad for Ivanâs company.
He slips her his phone number moments before she shuts the door. Merde.
Three days pass before she even has the courage to save the string of numbers to her phone. Two more before she sends through a safe, neutral, hi this is mylene :)Â
Ivan replies twenty-seven anxious minutes later. hey mylene good to hear frm u glad u hadnt lost my no
sorry, she repliesÂ
dw i was jst disappted i might not get to see u again
oh i d like that
me too this wknd?
Deep breath. yeah i d like that
sat 1pm we can try tht walk again?
yes please
He arrives at the front door at five minutes to the hour. Sheâs been ready for the past ten minutes, but she still jumps at the sound of the doorbell.Â
This second walk is far better than the first, even if there are more people out on the weekend. They find their way to a market near a library and Mylène canât help but feel a little nervous but Ivan is quietly reassuring. He buys her a little pin for her bandana and his face when she pins it straight to the fabric is something she really wants so see again.
She learns a lot about Ivan that day. He likes heavy metal, hates the heat, tries to be gruff and intimidating but cares too much to pull it off convincingly.  Â
She tells him about Paris, how scared she is of just about everything because so much of it is just too much a lot of the time, that she likes cats better than dogs, about her dadâs job, and that her deepest desire is to be brave.  Â
Ivan returns her confidences with the slightly ashamed admission that he is really not a cat person and Mylène giggles at his despondency before rushing to reassure him that she doesn't hold it against him.Â
Later, she texts him. the cat thing is mostly because they re quieter also because of the superhero he was kinda sweet
hte who
chat noir the paris superhero a couple years back in the news a lot both him and his partner total badasses in spandex
oh that superhero
i met him a few times he was at our school on superhero business n stuff he was really kind little dorky
that school that was awlays in the papers was urs?francis dupain or smth i almost went there
francois dupont yeah that was a crazy time scary too wait what dieu we might have been classmates thats so weird i was turned into one of the monsters one time
oh no
there was this mean girl she teased me and i ended up a monster
you could never be a monster mylene
no like an actual monster type creature monstrous from a horror movie pink jelly thing horrificater i scared people and kidnapped them i don t remember what happened much but everyone was really nice to me for a while after
wait the first time that was u in there
yeah that was me
wow working through that must have been hard
i had help chat noir came and talked to me a few times my parents really helped im glad u had that
December
There is no snow for Christmas this year. She gets a second summer instead, of the kind that Paris rarely sees. Ivan texts her every other day to complain about the heat. Her aunt takes her to the beach, and Ivan shows up in a pair of stupidly bright shorts that apparently were a gift from his sister. They make her laugh, and he grins.Â
 you re really easy to talk to ivan um thanyk u no really it s really nice i like it
âŚ
sorry if i made it weird i just mean t like we re friends i like talking to you
mylene its fine im sorry i dont take compliments v well it means a lot that u can say that thank u
He hands her a parcel a few days before Christmas. Inside is a pin she recognises from - oh. Its Ivanâs. From his favourite band. âYouâre giving me this? Havenât you had it since you were a teenager?âÂ
âI⌠I want you to have it, to remind you that you can be brave.âÂ
âZombie Skull Crushers is going to remind me to be brave?â She hates the plaintive note that her voice holds.
âYeah, doesnât it just sound brave and badass, just like I know you can be?âÂ
She hugs him, tight and grateful.
âThankyou, Ivan,â she chokes out. âItâs the best present anyoneâs ever given me.â He hugs her back, gentle and easy as breathing.Â
She almost forgets the parcel tucked into her bag but presses it into his hands right before she leaves. âJoyeux NoĂŤl, Ivan."Â
Her parents fly in for Christmas itself. She goes to meet them at the airport and the moment she sees them both she runs for them. Her dad catches her as she leaps and her mum folds into the both of them and she burrows in between both of them and doesn't leave their side if she can help it from that point on.
Paris, France | January
She leaves for home with her parents. The plane lands and she gets off and everything is so wonderfully familiar but she feels strangely untethered. Her home is still much as it was when she left, and her room is identical save for more dust than normal.Â
And she canât quite work out what is missing until her phone buzzes insistently and she drops her unpacking to fumble for her phone and check the screen.Â
Theyâre all from Ivan, and she realises as she reads through them itâs him sheâs missing. Heâs worked his way under her skin, going form imposing to reassuring too easily.Â
miss u already mylene
Oh, merdeÂ
i rly had a great time with you when i go back home to chatres in abt a month can i see u on the way thru
What?
Two months and it had never come up how close he lived to Paris. To her. And she wantâs to see him again and isn't that incredible. Mylène doesnt know what she ever did to deserve such a gift but thereâs only one thing she can doÂ
of course i want to see you too i didn t know you lived so close
His response is almost immediate yeah crazy huh
A month of of texting back and forth follows. Ivan is beautifully poetic when he tries, and Mylène learns ever more about her new friend. When Ivan returns to France, he knocks on her door when sheâs the only one home.Â
âHey,â he says, like. a month of separation hasn't stood between them like anticipation. She stretches her arms around his waist as far as she can and laughs with joy at the tidal wave of affection swamping her chest. He curls his much longer arms carefully, fondly, around her back.  Â
âI missed you. Please donât ever stay away that long ever again,â she mutters earnestly into his chest. His arms tighten a fraction, before he shifts one hand to tilt her chin up so he can look her straight in the eye.  Â
âNever. I promise, Mylène, I wonât ever stay away from you for very long anymore. I donât think I could.âÂ
She believes him when he looks at her like that, like he wants to see right through her eyes into her soul and know it intimately. Three days later he asks her on a date.Â
She says yesÂ
They go for a walk.  Â
She tucks her hand in his and the world feels a little less terrifying when she does.
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Best of COVID-2019: (Late) 2019 End of Year Wrap-up
Even though weâre well into 2020, most of us would probably swallow a pill that makes us forget the year so far. With a new job, I got too busy to do an end-of-year wrap-up of my picks for the best albums, movies and shows of 2019, so assuming youâve swallowed your Hindsight Pill⢠(get it?, cause hindsight is 20..ok, fair if you stop reading now) hereâs my take on the best music, movies and shows of 2019. Maybe youâll find something to make the rest of quarantine a little better.
ALBUMS
Remind Me Tomorrow by Sharon Van Etten on Spotify
Itâs hard to find a better album this year. Itâs heartfelt, gentle in places / wild in others, it pushes her sound forward from her more folky records of the past and gives us the opportunity to gaze into this sensitive she-hulk of an artistâs soul.
Favorite Track: Jupiter 4 - Jupiter 4, a song by Sharon Van Etten on Spotify
Lux Prima by Karen O on Spotify
This concept album by Karen O (âYeah Yeah Yeahsâ) and Danger Mouse (âBroken Bellsâ, âGnarls Barkleyâ) can best be described as a record composed by badass feminine superhero from the future who has a nostalgic fascination with soundtracks from 70s European love story films. Itâs phenomenal. The chord progressions are unusual and interesting. The vibe is consistent throughout. Itâs a great record to listen to intentionally or a perfect soundtrack to a day outside with friends.
Favorite Track: Nox Lumina - Nox Lumina, a song by Karen O, Danger Mouse on Spotify
Lana Del Rey - âNorman F*ing Rockwellâ (censored for my mom)
I get it. You stopped following Lana after âSummertime Sadnessâ. Sheâs not your jam. Sheâs vapid. Thereâs something about her appearance that you donât like (Didnât she get her lips done?). She doesnât make serious music. Hereâs the thing though: Youâre f*cking wrong (censored for mom). LDR is one of the most prolific songwriters and performers weâve got. This artist has evolved with each album and the songwriting keeps improving. This is her best album to date. The lyrics take on deeper themes than her prior records and any ego on previous submissions seems to have been replaced by a general comfort in herself and the discomfort of her experiences and relationships (fictional or not). This is also her release with the lightest touch. Sheâs not pushing the LDR persona anymore, sheâs being herself â take it or leave it. Itâs her, your little Venice B!tch (censored for mom). Hi, mom!
Favorite song: Venice Bitch, a song by Lana Del Rey on Spotify
Phoenix by Pedro The Lion on Spotify
This is my favorite artistâs first studio album in 15 years. (!!!) Itâs not technically fair to say that because he released several color records in the interim. As a largely one-man show, the DNA was very much the same. But this is a true return to form for the the man known as David Bazan that Iâve been following carefully for 20 years and have seen live too many times to count.
This is a concept album (most of them are) about his experience growing up in Phoenix, AZ. But itâs more about growing up than about Arizona. I got goosebumps and watery eyes the first time I listened carefully to the lyrics of âYellow Bikeâ which tells about the experience of getting your first bicycle as a little boy around 1990. For me, this was the apex of my childhood. Absolute freedom and the ability to easily join any pack of desperado bike kids.
The album hits hard with the catchy hooks, introspective lyrics, challenging topics and excellent production & instrumental performances only using standard rock staples like guitar, bass and drums (with a couple quick appearances of an organy synth).
Lyrics, melody & a great beat. This is a fantastic rock album.
Favorite song: Yellow Bike, a song by Pedro The Lion on Spotify
WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? by Billie Eilish on Spotify
Much has been written about this wunderkind. You know her. Itâs a great album. She has a promising career ahead of her.
Favorite song: when the partyâs over, a song by Billie Eilish on Spotify
SOUND & FURY by Sturgill Simpson on Spotify
This album slays. Itâs a badass rock album. If you donât know Sturgill Simpson, heâs technically a country act⌠BUT! Heâs entirely rejected the conventions of modern country with its shallow lyrical content, right-wing dog whistling and computer-assisted faux harmonies. He sings about psychedelics, his problems with religion and also covers 80s synth-pop in country ballad fashion. Well, forget all that for this record. Itâs a banger. This record sounds like Waylon Jennings was cloned 100 years in the future and brought back just to record a ZZ Top album. Major leap for this artist. One of the best of the year.
Favorite song: Make Art Not Friends, a song by Sturgill Simpson on Spotify
ANIMA by Thom Yorke on Spotify
Weâve had a complicated relationship with Thom Yorkeâs solo work. As the lead singer of Radiohead, weâve had to give deference to literally anything with his name on it. But his prior solo works have waded into the avant-garde and weâre entirely listenable in a casual way throughout. This has changed. This record is a masterwork. In fact, it demanded a beautiful short film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (âThe Masterâ, âThere Will Be Bloodâ) released on Netflix earlier in the year featuring no dialogue and Thom and his wife is choreographed love affair starting during a mundane commute. My favorite track is the most peaceful and introspective on the album.
Favorite song: Dawn Chorus, a song by Thom Yorke on Spotify
Fear Inoculum by TOOL on Spotify
Itâs TOOLâs first album in 13 years. WHAT. Itâs fantastic. Worth the wait? Hell no because thatâs too long to wait for almost anything. There are people with Snapchat accounts that werenât alive when â10,000 Daysâ came out (2006). 728,000,000 people (presumably, all TOOL fans) died since their last album. I canât, in good conscience, condone the deprivation of 3/4 of a billion people like that. But itâs SO good. This is metal for people that donât like metal (I donât really like metal).
Favorite song: Pneuma, a song by TOOL on Spotify
Screamer by Third Eye Blind on Spotify
I may be literally this bands only fan still paying attention, but I donât care. Theyâre still writing fantastic tracks. This was one of my heavy-hitter bands in high school. I learned every song from their first two albums on the guitar. Then I stopped paying attention for like 13 years. In 2016, I ran across a new single by the band and went in with a lot of trepidation. Most bands from your high school years should probably leave it there. There's nothing worse than a band desperately trying to stay relevant with weak ass releases well beyond their shelf life (cough Goo Goo Dolls ââ They've put out 4 albums in the last 10 years. đ¤Śââď¸) But then I heard Third Eye Blind's pro-Black Lives Matter track âCop vs. Phone Girl, a song by Third Eye Blind on Spotifyâ released in 2016. Go back and listen to that one. It's not only catchy as hell, but it's got a gut punch of a message about how shitty is it to be a well-meaning black student in a white-dominated power structure that's supposed to be a safe place like school.
Well 2019âs âScreamerâ doesnât disappoint either. Itâs all the same energy and hooks of the bandâs early sound with an updated feel and sensibility that still feels like a relevant rock album. All the same things you came to Third Eye for in the past is right here waiting for you on âScreamerâ. I know Iâm gonna get some flack for this one, butâŚshut up.
Favorite song: Ways, a song by Third Eye Blind on Spotify Bonus points if you catch the âOutside Landsâ ref.
i,i by Bon Iver on Spotify
Short review for people who know how to pronounce the name correctly: Itâs a Bon Iver record. Listen to it.
Longer review: Itâs pronounced âBone ee-VAIRâ based on the French bon hiver, meaning âgood winterâ. If this is news to you, hereâs a nugget from an interview where the main figure in the band explains it:
When I was living up north I wrote a letter. Iâd come across a story about this Alaskan town that the people, the first snow of every year, they come out of their houses and gather in town square. They hug and kiss each other and they say âBon Iver.â I was like, âwhatever that is, thatâs cool!â ⌠Then I found out how itâs spelled and it was sort of disappointing. I didnât like how it looked. It didnât have any emotion. Looking at it didnât make any sense. I wanted to look at it and feel something. It was sort of a compromise. I sorta wanted it to be like âBon Iverre,â sort of like how I saw it, but that didnât look good either, so I just decided to chop off the âh.â Bon Iver | Pitchfork
OK, now that youâre caught up. I guess you havenât been paying attention, but Justin Vernon or Bon Iver (DBA) is one of the luminaries of the music industry. This grammy-winning dude-band has collaborated with Kanye, Jay-Z, James Blake, Travis $cott, Poliça, Ani DiFranco, Vince Staples, Eminem, Bruce Hornsby and more. But if you need me to explain any of this to you, do yourself a favor and go back and listen to his other 3 studio albums. Every one of them is treasure.
Favorite Song: Hey, Ma, a song by Bon Iver on Spotify This song makes the top 5 of all the tracks heâs released.
MUSIC - Honorable Mentions
Amyl and The Sniffers by Amyl and The Sniffers on Spotify
Two Hands by Big Thief on Spotify
I vs I by Alex Ebert on Spotify
Face Stabber by Thee Oh Sees on Spotify
Infest The Ratsâ Nest by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard on Spotify
MOVIES
Hail Satan? (Hulu)
JustWatch
Hilarious look at a group trying to make Free Speech really free.
youtube
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Duh. Also I got low-key obsessed with cults after I watched this.
MONOS
Incredible Spanish language drama about child soldiers in South America. Great acting by unknowns.
youtube
Green Book -Duh
Duh. Won an Best Picture.
Parasite
Duh. Won Best Picture.
Joker
Duh. Won life.
Greener Grass
JustWatch
The weirdest movie I saw all year. Bizarre and hilarious. Written by the two actresses who star.
Apollo 11
INCREDIBLE documentary about the first moon landing mission featuring a ton of footage Iâd never seen and assembled into such a magnificent narrative. You feel like itâs happening in real-time today. The last time mankind was united around one hope.
youtube
SHOWS
The OA - Season 2 (Netflix)
This was one of the most beautiful creations Iâve seen. Epic followup to the first season which seemed like an impossible act to follow. Netflix canned the show, but thereâs still hope it will get a resurrection through another venue.
Watchmen (HBO)
This is a sequel to the critically acclaimed graphic novel from the late 80s. You should read the novel first. As stated two sentences ago, this is a sequel set 34 years after the events of the novel.
The Boys (Amazon)
This is the first realistic superhero story. Why have we always assumed that those with superior or supernatural powers would be intrinsically good and seek to served mankind? Regular humans donât even act like that toward each other. In this world the soops are like paid athletes and are secretly total pricks. Well made and begging for a second season.
Chernobyl (HBO)
Havenât seen this? What is wrong with you? Itâs in the top 5 highest rated shows of all time on IMDB. One thing Iâll note is that it did a good job separating the characterization of the soviet people from the soviet government. The everyday soviet people in the story came out looking like heroes while the government lived up to its reputation. It made me a lot more curious about soviet history which has led me to other movies, books and Wikipedia rabbit holes. Watch this for the historical value, at a minimum. Itâs not as gory as you might be afraid it is.
Love Death + Robots (Netflix)
I love sci-fi and I love weird animation so this just brought it home for me. The episodes are often short and sort of feel like Twilight Zone episodes, each with their own mini narrative or moral lesson. Each episode is made by a different creator or team, so the variety is part of the curb appeal. Great binge material.
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Knocked Loose â A Different Shade of Blue
A Different Shade of Blue is the second full length album that Knocked Loose has put out and god damn, its heavy. This hardcore/metalcore or whatever genre you want to put them in, I donât care. Either way, itâs dark and heavy, just the way I like it.
When Knocked Loose first hit the scene with their debut album, Laugh Tracks, I knew they would leave their mark on the metal community. Their sound is nothing out of the ordinary: nasty riffs, badass breakdowns, and 2-stepable riffs that will make you move your feet.
Their latest release, A Different Shade of Blue, was a highly anticipated album from the band. After releasing âŚAnd Still I Wander South and Mistakes Like Fractures, I was SO ready to see what else Knocked Loose had up their sleeves. When their newest album first came out, and when I heard the opening track Belleville, it made me wanna punch things. The brute force that the opening track came out with set the tone for the rest of the record.
The beatings continue the more you listen to this record. A Serpentâs Touch features Emma Boster (a queen), vocalist for Dying Wish!! When I heard her come on, I started freaking out because I was not expecting a collaboration. There are more riffs, more breakdowns, and groovy parts as each song progresses and I guarantee that you wonât be standing still while listening. Your neck will be hurting from all the headbanging that is in your future.
Guided by the Moon is probably one of my favorite songs just because of the nasty 2-step riff that follows after Bryan Garris yells, âthis is a different shade of blue.â This song has a dark, eerie, feel to it. It also has some chants in the song that I can already see people yelling back at Garris live. You should also check out Forget Your Name. The face crushing riff in the beginning is awesome and if they play this song live⌠letâs just say chaos will consume us. Â
Unlike Laugh Tracks, there are no barking noises (like Counting Worms), but this record is a lot darker, heavier, and more metal. When watching an interview with Garris, they didnât mean for this record to be as dark. It just âturned outâ that way. WELL THANK GOD IT DID!!!
A Different Shade of Blue is definitely a big contender for album of the year. The combination of everything on this record is simply amazing and it has been on repeat since it was released. Itâs as if you can feel the bandâs energy oozing off of this record. Their energy is strong, either just on a record or live. You have this constant feeling that the band is all up in your grill, demanding your attention. That is what I love about this band. They immediately put out this intense energy and we so easily feed off of it. Well done, Knocked Loose.
Overall, this is one of my favorite releases of 2019 and I canât wait to see them in October. My body is ready.
Favorite song(s): Forget Your Name, A Serpentâs Touch, and Guided by the Moon
Rating: 9/10
What is your favorite song off of A Different Shade of Blue?
Stay Metal,
THE SAW Â
#knocked loose#a different shade of blue#knocked loose a different shade of blue#album review#wknc#wknc 881
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Top 5 Records of 2017
1.     Foo Fighters â Concrete & Gold
Phew! The only way I can start to talk about the new Foo Fighters record is to wipe the anxious sweat off my brow and emit a giant sigh of relief. After a nearly a decade of spotty releases that often sounded more committed to grand gimmicks than to solid songwriting, the Fooâs returned in 2017 with a completely âthemeâ-free album that finds the band at precisely where they should be 22 years into their career. Â Concrete and Gold is recognizably Foo Fighters, but the production of Greg Kurstin brought out dynamics and sonics that the band hadnât ever explored before. The record finds the band utilizing lush vocal harmonies, tower-of-sound guitars, and some of their more left-of-center influences to create a beautiful slab of rock and roll. âRunâ is their best âheavyâ song since the 90s, âLa Dee Daâ finds Dave screaming with a ferocity that almost conjures black metal, and the title track sounds like the love-child of Black Flag and Pink Floyd. As the most exciting record in a long time for one of my favorite bands, Concrete and Gold easily takes my #1 spot for 2017.
2.     Run The Jewels â RTJ3
I know, I know; RTJ3 technically dropped on Christmas last year. But its physical release came in 2017 and it was such a profound addition to my listening this year that it would just be unfair to not include it here. Itâs abundantly clear from the get-go that El-P and Killer Mike are both unfathomably and equally talented rappers with a chemistry that is uniquely electrifying. Musically, El-Pâs beats on RTJ3 are consistently original, fierce, and catchy. Lyrically, the duoâs mixture of tongue-in-cheek braggadocio with their well-read references and progressive politics is both poignant and potent. Theyâve developed their synthesis beautifully over the past 4 years and the high stakes of the world today have brought them to create their best record yet (beating out RTJ2 by just a hair though!). The 1-2 punch of âTalk to Meâ and âLegend Has Itâ would seal the deal on this record alone, but thatâs just the beginning. Stay for âStay Goldâ and âHey Kidsâ featuring the wonderful insanity of Danny Brown. Fuck it; just listen to the whole record. You wonât regret it.
3.     St Vincent - Masseduction
Annie Clark has always been an enigmatic artist; throughout the past decade that sheâs blessed us with her talents, St Vincent has been a project that she could use to shape-shift through varying aesthetics and instrumentations. On her 2017 release, MASSEDUCTION¸ we find perhaps her most jarring transformation yet: full-on pop star. Though her 2014 eponymous record hinted at more experimentation with electronics and a poppy aesthetic, she went for broke with this new album. Aside from bursts of her always badass guitar playing, this record is composed of mostly synthetic instrumentation, which, combined with a set of vulnerable and raw lyrics, creates a dichotomy that is beautifully evocative. Despite being a departure from her typical sound, Ms. Clarkâs talent as a songwriter is in no way less apparent. The songs on this record run the gamut of emotions; slow, pulsing opener âHang on Meâ sets a mournful, yet optimistic tone, while âLos Agelessâ is a dense, bouncy, tongue-in-cheek ode to the city of the (almost) same name. On the other side of the coin, you have the serene, bare ballads âNew Yorkâ and âHappy Birthday Johnnyâ that address loss in their own ways. All in all, donât let the electronics fool you; MASSEDUCTION is yet another wonderful, heartfelt addition to St Vincentâs catalog.
4.     Slowdive - Slowdive
One of the more exciting reunions of the 2010s was that of the shoegaze giants Slowdive. After returning to the stage in 2014 for some extensive touring, the band holed up to craft their comeback album, which was finally released this past Spring. Completely eschewing the rule of reunion records, Slowdive may actually be the bands finest output yet. As their leanest record in terms of tracks, the band trimmed the fat that their younger selves may have been too inexperienced to let go by the wayside and created a concise collection of blissful, hazy tunes. Right out of the gate, the ethereal âSlomoâ sets the stage with an echo-laden instrumental intro that gives way to a beautifully fragile croon from frontman Neil Halstead. His vocal interplay with co-vocalist Rachel Goswell is a hallmark of the record, as they spiral their way through the lush waves of tracks like âStar Rovingâ and âNo Longer Making Timeâ. A truly special set of songs from a truly special band.
5.     Mark Lanegan â Gargoyle
Given his status as a personal favorite artist of mine, I may be a little biased towards Mark Lanegan, but thatâs only because he is so astoundingly good! As one of the few artists Iâm aware of who has put out a record every single year since the early 2010s, Lanegan still manages to sound fresh and invigorated with each release and Gargoyle is no exception. Born from a combination of Laneganâs own compositions as well as those of collaborator Rob Marshall, Gargoyle is a darkly woven tapestry that defies typical comparison. âDeaths Head Tattooâ kicks the record off sounding something like New Order gurgling their way through a lake of molasses, while âBeehiveâ buzzes along with a nearly cheerful refrain of âhoney just gets me stonedâ. âEmperorâ will put a swagger in your step and âFirst Day of Winterâ is the sonic equivalent of a solitary walk through a midnight snowfall. Â Markâs perennial midas touch shows no signs of wearing off and weâre all the better for it.
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