#dave is always a big mood but that was the most relatable thing | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

letarasstuff · 3 years ago

Text

Ranting

(A/N): This was requested by an anon, I hope you like it :)

Summary: In the middle of midterms, Spencer's daughter has enough and for the first time in her life, she rants to the team

Warnings: one swear word, school, school stress, mental breakdown, shitty friends, a bit of angst (but there is fluff to balance that out), weird grammatical sentences that are according to google correct

Wordcount: 2.3k

✨Masterlist✨ _____________________________ As a teenager, Spencer was pretty closed off. But this had several reasons, like being a child (or moreover a teen prodigy) at college and getting his first Ph.D, or that he hadn’t had a safety net of people he could have gone to. So as he became a father himself, he tried everything possible to assure his own daughter that her feelings and thoughts are always welcome and valid.

Unfortunately (Y/N) herself has developed the same habit starting high school and ever since Spencer can’t do anything to get her to open up to him. It’s not like they don’t have a good relationship, they have one of the strongest father-daughter bonds the BAU has ever witnessed. The girl simply has other ways to cope with her feelings and how to act them out in the safety of her own four walls. Her father learned to accept it, knowing that he can’t and won’t force her to talk to him.

So what follows now not only shocked Spencer. But also his work family.

It’s the time every teen in high school dreads: Midterms.

A word a teacher can mutter and a shiver goes through the rows of students in the classroom. Or at least it feels like it to (Y/N). She takes her school work very seriously. In her mind every single grade determines her future.

The rational part in her knows that the grades in her sophomore year doesn’t matter. That they are even long forgotten when she graduates. There is just so much pressure on her. But it isn’t coming from her father.

Spencer is pretty laid-back regarding school. He knows his daughter is trying her best and that it’s just the tenth grade and not the end of the world. School is not everything life has to offer, especially he has to know it as a scholar and profiler flying through the country in a jet back and forth.

It’s (Y/N)’s classmates, who pressure her to get good grades.

“We depend on you and your notes”, Tyler exclaims as he jogs next to her through the busy hallway. “Ty, I know. But I don’t have the time to get them done for all of you to understand by tomorrow. They are still a mess that only I know to see through. I still have to finish my history project and I go to my Dad’s work this afternoon, which means I won’t get much done and I still have to do the homework I got today before sorting my notes for the test in two days.”

At her locker, the boy still doesn’t let go of the subject. “Do you want to say that our grades don’t matter as much as yours? Because this would be a true selfish statement.” Maybe it is the lack of sleep, because she pulled three all-nighters in two weeks, or the fact that she is slowly getting fed up being treated like an unpaid private teacher, but (Y/N) can’t stop her sassy answer. “Tyler, you wouldn't even know how to tell apart your ass from your head if it weren’t for me and my help in biology. You wouldn’t even know how to spell selfish if I didn’t let you copy my answers in spelling tests in elementary school.”

Done with the day and her friend’s shit, she slams the door of her locker shut and leaves a flabbergasted boy behind. Half an hour later the teenager enters the bullpen with her visitor badge clipped to the pocket of her sweater.

On the way there she was fuming. The audacity of her friends. It’s not only Tyler, who tried to get her notes of a unit, she was the only one listening, even though the teacher said loud and clear that this will be important for midterms. A few other friends out of the group she usually hangs out with texted her the same question of when her notes will be given to them. Understandably, (Y/N) comes into the office in the worst mood anyone from the team ever saw, including her own father.

“Hey Sweetheart”, he tries to greet her with a hug. Even though both of them are not big on touch, they are extra affectionate with people they are close to.

To everybody’s surprise, the girl takes a step back, effectively avoiding his open arms. “Hey”, she grumbles out before taking a seat in the chair already waiting for her. Nobody is allowed to sit in this one, except for her. Not even Derek has ever put his butt on this one, knowing the sacredness of it.

Without sparing anyone another glance, (Y/N) gets the needed stuff for that history project out and continues working on it. The team resorts to throwing a questiongly look to Spencer, who shrugs his shoulders with a look of despair. So everyone resumes their work without even daring to say a word.

The general silence is occasionally broken by an unnerved sigh leaving the teenager’s lips. “Is the conference room occupied?” She asks, her voice clearly showing how annoyed she is. Her father shakes his head. “No, not that I know of. Do you need help with your school work?” This is obviously the wrong thing to say. “Do I look like a baby? I don’t need anyone to help with that, I have been going to school for ten years now, I think I can handle this project as perfectly fine as I did since day one. It’s just your keyboard typing that will be the reason for my first grey hairs if I don’t get out of here soon.”

Quickly (Y/N) gathers her stuff and storms off into the conference room. Immediately the team crowds her father’s desk. “What happened?” “Who hurt her?” “Go, talk to her!”

“Guys, I don’t know what’s going on. I’m at the same loss as all of you. The only thing I know is that (Y/N) is under pressure, because it’s midterms. But judging by the way she reacted, I don’t want to go near her. It’s safer to try to defuse a bomb than talk to her in that mood. Last time I saw something similar, her favorite show was declared finished, got a revival and then didn’t get one and nobody mentioned it again. She was so mad, I think it took three years of her life.” A silence of uncertainty spreads through the room.

“What about we give her some room until she calms down?” JJ suggests, being unsure herself how to deal with a teenage girl. But the rest agrees and goes back to filling out their paperwork.

This continues for about 20 minutes, till a loud bang and a frustrated scream is heard followed by “DON’T THEY WANT TO GET IT OR ARE THEY JUST STUPID?!” Alerted by that, seven people (yes, even Dave and Aaron leave their offices, while Penelope was already in the bullpen) storm into the round table room only to see a more than outraged (Y/N).

“Sweetheart”, Spencer speaks to her in the gentlest voice they ever heard from him and slowly moves towards his daughter, “What’s going on?”

Her response is delayed by several deep breaths she has to take in order to be able to talk without seething. “ALL OF MY SO CALLED FRIENDS ARE ASKING ME FOR MY NOTES, like do I look like a personal tutor? And when I tell them that I got a life, a life outside of school and grades, because otherwise I go completely bananas, just like all of you say, they get mad. Now they act like I’m the most selfish person in the whole world. I’m so done, can’t they understand that they are old enough to take care of their own stuff? I’m not responsible for them, their grades or anything regarding their lives. Otherwise I would be the mother of at least four toddlers and one baby and at the age of sixteen I’m not ready for that kind of responsibility. I know friends are there for eachother, and I really don’t mind helping them from time to time. But what they are doing is terror. Terror.

“Oh and don’t get me started on their tormention if I get something lower than an A-. Then they suddenly transform into geniuses, like they suddenly know everything possible. Of course, I’m the dumb one. I should have studied more.

“I am under an insane amount of pressure, because I know they rely on me, but enough is enough. I tell them that if anyone asks me for anything school related again and they act like I owe them an answer, I’ll cut off all ties to all of them. What am I, a roboter just there for their needs, without some of my own?”

After her long rant, (Y/N) takes a couple more breaths. It’s pretty much the only sound right now, because the team is stunned. None of them heard her talking, no ranting, like that. Not even her Spencer has seen her like that.

Realizing what she just said, the teenager fidgets nervously with her hands. “I’m, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, you know, blow up like that. I, I really don’t know where this came from.” Nervously she scratches the back of her head. It really wasn’t her intention to let it out like that. Her plan was just to come home tonight and deal in the confinement of her own four walls with all of her feelings. It’s easier to be honest to yourself when you are alone than having an audience watching you losing it.

Suddenly (Y/N) finds herself engulfed in a massive bear hug. “Oh, my sweet sweet summerchild. You needed to rant to us and I’m so happy you did. Even though your uhm, friends, sound like big douchebags, we can help you sort something out”, Penelope tells her while keeping her arms around the teen.

“Just like lil mama said, we are here for you, Baby Reid. Don’t ever be afraid to tell us something, may it even be as small as you having stubbed your toe.” Morgan ruffles her hair and gives her a reassuring smile.

Just like them everybody shows her their support, be it encouraging words or affectionately gestures. Rossi invites her to a calm and quiet dinner at his mansion, cooking class included. Hotch assures her that she will get through this rough patch, with or without these fake people. JJ suggests (Y/N) comes over to her home and she can participate in a family game night at their home.

When it’s Emily’s turn, she makes sure to get her message loud and clear by looking the teen in the eyes (not as deep as it sounds, because some people make an intense stare really uncomfortable): “If those kids give you a hard time again, tell me. I’ll pay them a visit in classic protective godmother fashion, because nobody traits MY godchild like this. Just give me their names and I’ll handle the rest.” Obviously she doesn’t say this aloud in front of everyone, else Hotch will have her head, knowing she goes through with her threats. Instead she whispers it into the teen’s ear. Still, it makes (Y/N) smile, having such a strong support net.

Sensing the family’s need for time of their own to talk about the whole situation, the team leaves the room. Spencer gestures to her to take a seat after moving two chairs opposite each other. He wants her not to feel trapped.

“Do you still want to talk about it? It doesn’t have to be now, we can do it tonight, tomorrow, in a week or in a month. Just, please don’t shut me out. I know it’s difficult to be a teenager, especially in times like these. But it won’t do you any good keeping all of this for yourself. Today you took it out through anger. How will it look next time?

I don’t want to pressure you into talking. We don’t need to. We can find other coping mechanisms. We can try and reduce your stress. Anything. But we both know that this is not the right way.” While speaking, he takes his daughter’s hand, making her look up to him.

(Y/N) nods. Her eyes fill with tears. “I just can’t keep going like this.” She whispers, feeling all the stress, pressure and the intensity of the last few weeks crashing down on her. Quickly Spencer gathers her in his arms, letting her cry in his embrace.

After calming down, she looks up to her father with bloodshot eyes. “We can talk tonight. But I need you to do me a favor.” “Anything”, he assures her, stroking a hand along her back. “I, uhm, I need a new phone. I may or may not have thrown mine against the wall after getting a text from Tyler.”

Spencer looks at the crooked cell laying on the floor, the screen cracked. “I think we can get that sorted”, he tells her with a smile and gives her a kiss on the forehead.

The two of them leave the office earlier, having many things to talk about and many problems to solve. But with the help of her family (Y/N) gets through this, a time where people unfortunately only like her for her smarts and not being herself.

Taglist:

All works:

@dindjarinsspouse @big-galaxy-chaos @jswessie187 @kneelforloki

Criminal Minds:

@averyhotchner @mggsprettygirl @herecomesthewriterwitch @ash19871962 @ellyhotchner

#spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x teen!reader #spencer reid x daughter!reader #Emily Prentiss x teen!reader #Penelope Garcia x teen!reader #Derek Morgan x teen!reader #x teen!reader #x daughter!reader #reid!reader #criminal minds #criminal minds fanfiction #reader insert

707 notes · View notes

your-coquette-queen · 2 years ago

Note

I challenge you to tell me at least one thing you love about several of your rockstar crushes 😌

PAUL STANLEY:

AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH SO MUCH OML.

I think for him, it is largely because I can relate to him on so many levels. Whether that be how I feel around other people, issues that I have had with my family, or just my ideas on work ethic and goals, there are so many connections that I have to him. Also he was the first member I noticed when I got into KISS, and the person who really got me interested and wanting to learn and embrace the band!

Rachel Bolan:

I love his sense of humor, and how he is constantly in a good mood. He is always so sweet and it just lifts my mood.

Jon Bon Jovi:

THIS MASTERPIECE OF A CREATION TO THIS EARTH MUST BE PROTECTED FOREVER.

I love Jon becuase he is so sweet. He always looks so happy and he is so cute and quiet in interviews LIKE UGHHH HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE HIM. THIS MAN IS A MASTERPIECE

Izzy Stradlin:

Izzy is basically how I present myself to the rest of the world unless you get to me. I'm very shy when I don't know someone and people kinda see me as mean or distant lol. Like Izzy, once you get closer and warm up, I'm actually a friendly person (kinda like on this mess I proudly call my tumblr page) You all make me fell comfortable so I feel ok to share myself with you guys😊

Bruce Kulick: I have one word that I can use to describe this man: RESPECT. I have so much respect for him. One of the reasons why 80's is my favorite lineups is because of Bruce. He was always the quieter member which is nice when you compare to the craziness of everyone else, but I think it contrasts well. Also his playing is amazing! But more than this, I have so much respect for how he chandelled leaving KISS, and any other stuff KISS had done concerning him. I think we all know about Peter, and Ace too, however Bruce did a really good job of talking about it, without portraying himself as either happy nor sad. Obviously it is hard when you have to leave something you have been a part of, however it is always nice when you can look back on it fondly ( in contrast to a lot of what Peter has said- Peter fans DO NOT come at me for that. you know it is true) I think that is one of the reasons why it is so hard to say something bad about Bruce. He has always been super positive about his experience in KISS and stuff that has happened, and has moved forward and done other awesome stuff too. Honestly with his positivity, it actually reminds me a lot of Alice Cooper!

Dave Mustaine:

AGAIN. I have a ton of respect for him. The fact that after he got kicked out of Metallica (which would go on to become one of the biggest bands), he was able to move forward and make his own band, of which would become one of the big 4 thrash metal bands along side Metallica. Also I just think he is really funny as a person and a great dad! He also faced a lot of issues that he had to overcome that I find really inspirational.

Rick Savage:

Sav is just a sweet beautiful masterpeice that I love with all my heart. Need I say more?

Zakk Wylde:

I think that it is awesome that this kid, who was a major Ozzy and Black Sabbath fan, could go at like 19 (or 20 I can't remember right now haha) to becoming Ozzy's lead guitarist, and would go on to become one of the most recognized, and influential guitarists of all time. I love his relationship with Ozzy and Sharon, it is so beautiful, and I think he is a really nice genuine person too! Also his wife is an absolute sweetheart. I also appreciate all the respect he has for Ozzy and the great relationship they have maintained even after he has left the band and created his own. THE FACT THAT HE CALLS HIM THE BOSS STILL

... AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH>

IN CONCLUSION

Thank you so much for this ask!

This was really refreshing to do! I feel like a lot of the time, all of us (DEFFINETLY including myself) start to like someone more so for their looks and start to forget what made us love them in the first place. It was really nice to just go back and think about when I first got into someone what it was the made me love them, instead of just focusing on the appearance. It brings me back to when I first got into hard rock music, and I was just starting out and here for the music, not really caring about the musicians looks.

OBV I still love how they look too, however it is fun to just appreciate them for their work.

Thank you once again, and I hope this was an adequate response😂

7 notes · View notes

lifewithsyfe · 3 years ago

Text

PLAYING WITH FIRE

Not quite sure how to put this into words, but someone else needs to know what I know. This story can save so many people and I won’t feel right until it’s consumed by as many as possible. I can’t express how many times I’ve tried to get this out. I almost even gave up on it, but God wouldn’t let me. So, let me make another attempt at it - this is how I escaped the devil:

It was a Friday night, April 5th, 2019.

I’m at El Rey on U street, having a few cold ones by myself. Just got off work, taking it easy...

Then, I end up running into and old “friend” I used to hangout with. Known him for about 7 years at the time: (Dave) - tall, black, dreads, above average build.

After a couple of drinks, he asks if I want to hangout at one of his friends house. Said we can smoke there and that she has a lot of drugs.

So I accepted cuz I was originally going to let the night unravel on it’s own and it didn’t sound like such a bad idea at the time.

It was a habitual routine I developed during my heartache…

I’d go out alone, run into a group of people I knew, bar hop ‘til we ended up at an after hours spot (or someone’s place) and shamelessly sleep my next day away.

So we get to the front of his friend’s building and it’s like a 60sumn-year-old lady:

(Robin) - fat, white, short, blue hair, top row gold grill and “ride or die bitch” tattooed on the back of her neck (amongst a couple others, but that one stood out most cuz it was in my face, while she was unlocking her apartment door).

At first, I thought it was a descriptive-type of tattoo. Like, she was saying that that’s what she was.

But in retrospect, it was almost like it was something she was saying to me - you’ll see what I mean later, if you don’t get it now.

Oblivious to what was about to happen next, I continued to walk through that door...

Something felt off, but I just figured it would be something low-level weird.

I’m always seeing signs that show somebody dabbles in magic or the dark arts, but I figured “if I’m not actively practicing divinity or doing weird rituals, it won’t personally affect me…if I don’t create a ceremonial invitation, then I’ll be okay.”

Now, I’ve already had a good amount of spiritual experiences at this point (good and bad), but for some reason I just didn’t think anything like this would happen…at least not to me.

I thought I had it all figured out, cuz I thought I’d seen it all - or at least enough.

I should’ve known though…I was just so emotionally numb at the time, I was doing anything to feel anything.

I mean aesthetically, she looked like she’d have a few good stories or something. Needless to say by now, but I ignored the red flags.

So, moving forward...

We walk in, sit on the couch, watch skate videos and start breaking down.

After a few minutes of small talk, they offer me some acid from a vile. Emphasizing how it was very high grade stuff - but I didn’t need much convincing anyway.

I was very into psychedelics and considered myself extremely experienced in that realm.

But just because I did it a lot, didn’t mean I was. You couldn’t tell me I wasn’t though.

It was usually my go-to for when I needed that unrivaled escape from reality.

So yeah, I took the witch’s brew thinking it was something I considered fun.

Once it starts to kick in, I can feel her beginning to stare at me from the end of the room - with a big grin on her face.

She then suggested that I take my jacket off cuz I’m going to end up getting really hot, and cackled like it was the funniest thing the world to say.

It was something she said a couple of times too. At first I didn’t know exactly what she meant, I just thought she was a basket case - but she was implying that I was going to end up in Hell…you’ll see what I mean.

A few moments go by and they suggest we move the party to the rooftop cuz her place was limiting and we could see more from up there.

Plus, she wanted to blow bubbles…and I figured “tripping indoors is boring anyway, why not?”

Now because I took my jacket off and left it in her apartment, I began shivering after a while.

I didn’t expect for it to be that windy, I wanted a nice little breeze.

So she says she’ll get me one, cuz she had to go in for more soap anyway - comes back and asks to put this fur coat on me.

It was a nice coat, so I let her.

So I’m cozy now and she gives me a tour, showing me the cool visible parts of the city.

Telling me not to be afraid of my true potential and that I can obtain everything I want.

I was feeling pretty good about those words, until I thought “that sounds familiar…what if she isn’t speaking in general?” - but I just chalked it up to her being an old hippy.

She then grabs my arm and tells me to look at this red wall, as we walk to the other side of the building. I figured it’d be something visually enticing she was trying to share, but this was going to be her first attempt at hypnosis.

She asked if it felt like my soul was being massaged - encouraging me to ride it out. Essentially, trying to get me to put my guard down, saying “this is where dreams become reality.”

Then, I began seeing holographic outlines of people in the wall. The traces reminded me of a glowing snail trail.

Right after, I saw myself turn into a block of flesh and almost being slid into the wall if I stared any longer.

But like I woke up in one of those falling dreams, I snapped out of it.

With a laugh attached, she says “damn, almost!”

And that’s when I stopped letting myself be completely naive. The veil was clearly being lifted before me and I needed to be alert. It’s just, I had this slight muffle surrounding my common sense.

Now I knew hallucinogens were considered sorcery in the Bible, but I figured - one more time won’t hurt. It’s not like I wasn’t still smoking and drinking.

It’s just crazy, cuz it was after learning about what the fallen angels taught us, is when I decide trip again.

I blatantly chose to play with fire and defy God that night.

See, these hypnotic spells are telepathic contracts. Once the manipulator is installing a vision, it’s at the last second where it becomes your choice to see what happens next.

It nudges at your curiosity, feeling like it’s a part of the trip you’re supposed to let ride out.

But every time I almost did, my heart wasn��t having it and I’d snap out of it again.

Every time she would cast a spell, I could feel my soul almost getting pulled out - with a malicious presence surrounding me.

The goosebumps I got from this thing, felt like it was ready to defile me in every way possible.

In disbelief that what I thought might be happening, wasn’t - I tell myself “let me not cause a ruckus for no reason, I am trippin’ after all. Think of something positive.”

But now my eyes are shifting everywhere, cuz I keep getting a glimpse of whatever’s approaching.

Even with that many peculiarities, something kept me in denial.

Still though, she tries another set-up and tells me to look at how high up we are, as she gestured for me to look down from the rail. As if I didn’t already know, but I go cuz I also didn’t want to be rude.

So I grab the rail and lean over…

(Dave) says “don’t let go,” giving me this wide-eyed look with a smile and said “you feel it, don’t you?”

Then just like that, my heart jumped and my mind began getting flashes of demonic symbols and images like subliminal messages.

My vision was about to go black, like the circle closing at the end of a cartoon…until I snapped out of it and backed up with my head on a swivel, angrily questioning them.

That’s when I caught (Dave) behind me, quickly hiding his hands.

Now I’m on survival mode and it feels like I can’t even make a step without risking my soul. I can feel that I’m being made a fool out of, but of course they gaslight me and try to calm me down…

I still didn’t want to believe I was in this kind of mess, but I’d be naive to let all that slide so easily.

So with caution, I’m trying to plan my escape - playing it as cool as I can, but my body is getting heavier by the second.

She then lifts her speaker and says “listen to these different frequencies, it can change your mood.”

I really wasn’t trying to listen, because I needed to leave and I didn’t trust her at all now. Especially not with anything sound related.

But then out of nowhere, I hear a distorted garble come out of the speaker and hit my ear.

I said “huh!?”

Then (Dave) was like “oh, you heard that...?”

I looked away and acted oblivious, cuz I felt that if they knew I could hear that, they’d bring out the big guns.

(Dave) laughed, saying to Robin “wait, he still don’t know what this is yet?”

Unintentionally, or intentionally letting me know.

So I tried to leave and they started laughing. Trying so hard to keep me there…

(Dave) said “you already ‘bouta do it, it’s better this way anyway.”

Then he was like “look at my hands, this shit trippy, right?”

Followed by him creating an infinity symbol with his waving hands.

Now this infinity symbol was made of light and floating in mid-air in front of him after he did it.

Right after that, he did the hermaphrodite/goat-headed deity’s pose, flipping his hands and head perfectly in a stiff dance.

Which then caused me to see it’s true form in my minds eye. I snap out of it once again, trying to get a hold of my reality.

Once I can see them again, it’s like time stood still and only I could move.

I’d look around and they’d be frozen.

At this time, I can hear them having two conversations, simultaneously.

All I caught was (Dave) say “he can’t hear us in this plane.”

Then as he slowly got up - like I was tuning through a radio, I hear a screeching static clear up. The sound then becomes like an electronic bleating and bellowing from a goat, in-sync, surrounding him.

At this moment, I’m a part of their their collective conscious conversation - essentially telepathy.

Then they began letting me know who they were.

Saying that they were angels, that they were around before us and that I can be like them.

The whole time they were talking to me, they were trying to weaken and hypnotize me with hand signs - trying to convince me. Thing is, when they did try to convince me, they’d always talk around the subject at hand - but once you know what the subject is, the situation becomes clear.

A lot of people might think they’d get physical and get out of there. I just don’t think they’d understand how it is fighting sleep paralysis, awake.

I also knew that one false move would take me to the ‘sunken place.’

I knew I couldn’t just stand there though, but right before I grab the door to get to the elevator, (Dave) says “okay, you gon’ be waiting on that elevator forever; this is a REAL trip…c’mon, I thought you liked this shit.”

Mockingly he asked “yeah, I guess you gon’ think twice about taking LSD again huh?”

I was thinking in my head “fuck, did I really just lose my soul? Is this how it happens? Is this where it all ends?”

I thought that was it, so I was about to give in and accept the offer - see what benefits I could get, if any.

Then from there, every time we almost sealed the deal, I would feel a hungry fire approach me from behind.

The one time I decided to look for where it was coming from, I got a vision with an orange blur in it - slowly materializing, until I could make something out of it. With the bit that I saw, I knew it was me being swallowed by fire and not dying.

Immediately after, almost as if I had touched the flames themselves, I yelled in confusion “wait, what? No! Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior!”

To which (Dave) nonchalantly responds “okay, you do that...that [N-word] died a long time ago.”

I look at him with disgust and continued to pray.

Telling God that He would never abandon His children if they encountered evil and that if there was a way for Him to save me to do it.

(Dave) says that I’m blowing his trip and leaves to the gas station.

At this time I could’ve left, but I still didn’t want to be alone in an elevator with him.

So as I’m praying, I begin to feel the dark grip they had on my heart loosen up. It was like my heart was pumping electricity throughout my body, then all around it. I could feel the forcefield - Christ had arrived and I could move my body freely. No more fear in taking the wrong step.

So on (Dave’s) way back, (Robin) announces it and says let’s go downstairs and get him. That’s when I hear (Dave) say - not yell, “open up” from all the way downstairs and I was amazed...I was like “wait, can he still hear me?”

With him responding “DUH! Damn, you some shit!” and continued on his way.

So if I was to leave, this was going to be my chance.

In the elevator she tries enchanting me again, but I rebuked every attempt.

I’m trying to maintain focus the best that I can, so I don’t slip - which made this elevator ride unnecessarily more intense than it needed to be.

Once the elevator door finally opens, I see (Dave’s) silhouette behind a thick glass rail, carrying an ominous slouch.

Walking towards me, he notices that I’ve calmed down. So when he sees my face, he smiles and asks “oh, you’re good now?”

I replied “I am and I’m not with the goofy shit y’all up to - I’m gettin’ the fuck outta here.”

So as I’m walking towards the exit, he yells “that’s not the way out!”

To where I respond “fuck y’all!”

You would’ve thought I opened the door before touching it, the way I left out so fast.

As that door closed, I did a little jog to get across the street.

But a few seconds later, I feel this tingle in the back of my brain, as though it had neck hairs that stood up.

I look over my shoulder and noticed he decided to follow me…of course. Shortly after I noticed him - with that bull-like slouch, he started running.

Now I was a little ahead of him, so I didn’t start running yet. I had to make sure I knew where I was going before exerting my energy.

Every time I moved my head, I could feel the tingle coming from his direction.

So there was no losing him - but I am fast.

I couldn’t call a ride because my phone was dead and I couldn’t go to anyone’s house at the time, cuz it was around 5am now.

As (Dave) got closer, I felt my vision going black and my body getting heavy again. A lot stronger this time…time to kick it into high gear.

Once it clicks into my head that the easiest place to catch a taxi in such a heated moment would be in Adams Morgan, an opportunity presented itself.

Ahead of me was a crosswalk and the orange hand was counting down it’s last seconds. Everything I ever learned told me I wasn’t going to make it, but I wasn’t going to stop running either.

So when my foot lands off the sidewalk, is when the cars to my left and right begin to move.

That’s when everything moved in-slow-motion…and a burst of energy launched me across the street.

I’ll remember that moment as my own Air Jordan.

That moment bought me time, but he kept going too. This is when I start hearing echoed garbles crawl off buildings and jump into my ear “you acting like a bitch - come back!”

Perfectly as if he was next to me…I look behind me and it’s like he hasn’t broke a sweat. Completely focused.

From the gas station diagonal to the 9:30 Club, to the McDonald’s in Adam’s Morgan.

My body wanted to give out most of the way, but soul wouldn’t allow it.

I just had to keep running until I found a taxi - which I did.

That’s when (Dave) caught up, yelling “you look like an unk right now!” cuz 4 taxis stopped for me in that intersection.

To where I respond “I don’t give a fuck, I made it out alive!”

I get in the car and tell the taxi driver to drive towards Maryland, that I’ll give him the address on the highway.

Finally, after surviving a living nightmare, I made it home.

I went to my room, played some worship music, got on my knees and wrung myself out of tears to Christ.

Afraid to sleep because I knew they could contact me in my dreams.

So I didn’t until the drug wore off in the afternoon the next day…

I even felt that burn on my back as if it was sunburn for the next couple of weeks.

I’m so grateful to still be alive, because I’m 100% positive I’d be in Hell (with something else in my vessel) if I didn’t call on God that night.

It was like I was tiptoeing on a needlepoint to keep my soul.

23 notes · View notes

shananigans402 · 4 years ago

Note

1-65 will do, please. Thanks fuck face :)

I knew exactly who this was and I was so tempted to not reply, but your punishment is having to read through all my answers and remember them forever or you fail the friend test. To everyone else, please do not click unless you want to be very bored, my answers are not interesting lol

1. Do you ever doubt the existence of others than you? Nope

2. On a scale of 1-5, how afraid of the dark are you? Assuming 5 is the most, 1. Maybe 2.

3. The person you would never want to meet? The person who sent me this (jk I’m excited for our eventual meet up where we hit up a strip club first thing 🙏)

4. What is your favorite word? I answered with ‘conniption’ the other day and still have not found a word I like more.

5. If you were a type of tree, what would you be? Already answered this, fruit tree! I also like palm trees, maple trees, and willow trees. I know that’s not the question, I’m just saying random shit now.

6. When you looked in the mirror this morning what was the first thing you thought? It took me a long while to remember where I was this morning. I honestly don’t remember, I was rushing to get ready for an early morning meeting.

7. What shirt are you wearing? My Orlando Strong shirt

8. What do you label yourself as? Lesbian

9. Bright room or dark room? Bright room

10. What were you doing at midnight last night? Sleeping? Possibly checking on a feverish little beeb who was going through it with her second dose of the vaccine.

11. Favorite age you’ve been so far? No idea. I like various ages for different reasons, but this age so far is not bad.

12. Who told you they loved you last? Probably my sister 🤷‍♀️

13. Your worst enemy? The person who sent this ask.

14. What is your current desktop picture? The apple pic of Catalina island that changes based on time of day (yes it’s the default, don’t judge me)

15. Do you like someone? Lol yeah I hope so 😂

16. The last song you listened to? Pretty Girl by Hayley Kiyoko

17. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up? Definitely @raginage

18. Who would you really like to just punch in the face? I feel like I can only attack Raginage so many times. Can I pick a fictional character? This week I was real mad at Dave in The Darkness. BaBe!

19. If anyone could be your slave for a day, who would it be and what would they have to do? Lol no one, you’re talking to a person who feels very uncomfortable with anyone doing anything nice for them.

20. What is your best physical attribute? (showing said attribute is optional) Not this again. Last time I said eyes? Still no pics, sorry

21. If you were the opposite sex for one day, what would you look like and what would you do? What would I look like? Do I get to design myself like a sim? I honestly don’t know what I’d do because I doubt the world needs another clueless white man walking around, so maybe just stay at home.

22. Do you have a secret talent? If yes, what is it? Nope. And my last answer to this was awful. I do think I have a fantastic ability to annoy my friends but in a way that’s just amusing/endearing enough to make them still want to talk to me 😌

23. What is one unique thing you’re afraid of? Unique? Uhm well my two big fears are confined spaces and deep water so a submarine is like my worst nightmare.

24. You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your disposal. Oh this is going to sound so odd. To be clear, I’ve had better sandwiches, but my go-to is provolone, turkey, roast beef, and spicy brown mustard or whole grain mustard. Please don’t judge me.

25. You just found $100! How are you going to spend it? Travel budget for future trips to visit my buds and get into trouble and eat food. I know $100 won’t go far, but it’s something.

26. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere in the world, but you have to leave immediately. Where are you going to go? Well, after my last answer I want to visit my friends! But there are too many people to visit and I only have one ticket. So change of plans. I’m going on a solo trip to Greece. Or Argentina. Or Iceland. Or Bali. Damn, I’m indecisive.

27. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. “Be brand-specific” it says. Man! What are you gonna say about that? Even if you don’t drink booze there’s something you can figure out… so what’s it gonna be? Rabble red blend. Just a solid red wine. Also because @viola-lloyds stole my answer the other day (Juneshine; to be fair I asked her this question but whatever) and I don’t want to copy her.

28. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place? Oh I answered this one, something about respecting others. Yeah, a nice rule like that. Want to establish some healthy communication on this island.

29. What is your favorite expletive? It’s still fuck

30. Your house is on fire, holy shit! You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don’t worry, your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely. So what’s the one thing you’re going to save from that blazing inferno? But what about my PLANTS. Can they count as loved ones? Probably my laptop, I know that’s lame but like...I have a lot of stuff on here. Or the collection of cards I have that my granddad drew little drawings in, I want to get them all framed.

31. You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be? To be honest, I don’t know if I’d change big life events in case it altered the trajectory of where I ended up. So idk maybe the ending of Bly, let’s give those lesbians have a happy ending!

32. You got kicked out of the country for being a time-traveling heathen who sleeps with celebrities and has super-powers. But check out this cool shit… you can move to anywhere else in the world! Italy! But wait, let’s get back to this sleeping with celebrities and super-powers bit...

33. The Celestial Gates Of Beyond have opened, much to your surprise because you didn’t think such a thing existed. Death appears. As it turns out, Death is actually a pretty cool entity, and happens to be in a fantastic mood. Death offers to return the friend/family-member/person/etc. of your choice to the living world. Who will you bring back? Oh that’s a really tough question. I always wanted to meet my great-grandma Olga because she seemed like a really awesome lady.

34. What was your last dream about? I can’t remember, this is bothering me because I wish I could! I’m sorry. My gf recently had a dream where I kissed a dude right in front of her. It made us both very uncomfy lol

35. Are you a good….[insert anything you’d like here]? I hate this question because I can only think of one thing.

36. Have you ever been admitted to the hospital? For surgery, yeah

37. Have you ever built a snowman? But of course!

38. What is the color of your socks? Not wearing any? I was wearing blue ones earlier. Jfc my answers are so boring.

39. What type of music do you like? Lots! I tend to listen to indie, classic rock, and some pop

40. Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets? Sunsets!

41. What is your favorite milkshake flavor? Chocolate or a variant (chocolate peanut butter, chocolate caramel)

42. What football team do you support? (I will answer in terms of American football as well as soccer) LA Rams or Seattle Seahawks. I know they’re in the same division. It’s tough. (Please don’t ask me why these teams)

43. Do you have any scars? Yep, mostly from burning myself on ovens. I simply get too excited for my food.

44. What do you want to be when you graduate? I...have graduated?

45. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Well bestie recently said I have “lesbian hands” and I think that’s code for man hands so maybe that hahaha

46. Are you reliable? I try to be!

47. If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be? How many more times will I watch The Darkness before I learn my lesson? (Related: When does other bestie finally admit to her fetish?)

48. Do you hold grudges? Not typically, no

49. If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature, what new animal would you create? A dog and an otter? Can we domesticate otters? No, a horse and a large bird, create a pegasus and then free travel.

50. What is the most unusual conversation you’ve ever had? Oh god. I don’t even know where to start today tbh. Damie and pokemon and cosycon and looming and feet and [redacted] and developing apps for VP. So many fantastic conversations.

In real life, probably the time I was at a laundromat in Italy and this guy wandered in with a beer, sat next to me and my male roommate, assumed we were a couple, and proceeded to give us bizarre life advice. I wish I could remember more of it, but it was so odd.

51. Are you a good liar? Hmm I’m okay at it I think, that is, I can convince people I’m serious when I’m actually joking. But I don’t like actually lying if it’s not just teasing someone.

52. How long could you go without talking? Probably a few days if I had to.

53. What has been you worst haircut/style? The haircut I got before studying abroad! It was too short and I was so sad.

54. Have you ever baked your own cake? For a birthday? No. For fun? Absolutely.

55. Can you do any accents other than your own? Not well, no

56. What do you like on your toast? Butter and/or honey and/or jam

57. What is the last thing you drew a picture of? My beautiful depiction of a scene of chapter one of Private Dancer.

58. What would be you dream car? An electric car of some sort. I don’t know enough about cars tbh

59. Do you sing in the shower? Or do anything unusual in the shower? Explain. Nope but sometimes I’ll play music and dance and maybe softly sing.

60. Do you believe in aliens? Yep! Definitely

61. Do you often read your horoscope? Almost never unless someone sends it to me.

62. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet? Already answered, A

63. Which is cooler: dinosaurs or dragons? Dinosaurs! 🦕

64. What do you think about babies? What do I think about them? They’re pretty cool. Just tiny little humans.

65. Freebie! Ask anything interesting you can think of. I was very nice and let you correct your mistake and submit one after the fact:

In your opinion what is the best thing you can cook, like your speciality? My favorite thing to make is pasta, I started making my own sauce and I’d love to make pasta from scratch sometime.

#read up @raginage #this is what you get #responding to these out of spite took far longer than i thought lol

6 notes · View notes

jess-the-vampire · 4 years ago

Text

Sky And The Forces Of The Multiverse, Chapter 38

Previous / Next

Mason was the perfect person to handle this.

He was a prince, so he could move around the castle, though he was under supervision.

He knew fae, he knew his grandfather who was questioning fae.

No danger, nothing too suspicious, it was more then perfect.

All judas had asked mason to do, was keep an eye on the situation and make sure fae split nothing dave couldn't know right now, and ask for the jar back so they had it in their hands for certain. With the potion back they could question everyone in the group for any foul play involved and check out every suspect on their list. To be fair, it's highly likely his grandpa would just return the jar to eclipsa, who might let them have it back.

But knowing his grandpa...he might also keep it, so better safe then sorry.

Truth potions didn't always help, but better in their hands then having it used and getting them exposed because of their own truth potion.

Mason skipped along the corridors to where his grandpa wanted to speak to fae, though actually, his grandpa knew he was coming. Mason having messaged him after judas texted him about the situation, and their grandpa loved their grandsons too much to really refuse them too much. Mason knew the girl he was speaking to and well, honestly after what landon said about fae the day before maybe he should have some help.

He'd worked with demons for so long, getting used to their habits and powers, making him quite remarkable as the first non-demon to truly rule the underworld.

But even he could still use help sometimes.

The mewman lit up at the sight of his grandson who approached him, giving the boy a big hug while minding his wings, "There's my little bat...oh hey...what'cha got there?". He unhanded mason and took a closer look at one of his hands, in which mason had a bag of seeds, "I wanted to give this to fae...so we could plant flowers together. Well, I guess I can't plant anything...but..".

But his grandfather gave him a hopeful smile, "Well, since you're helping me out, maybe your folks will lighten up a little more with those restrictions...ok?".

And mason's brown eyes seemed to practically sparkle, "Really?'

"Really.".

Mason flapped his wings as his grandfather faced the door, "So your friend's inside, she's young so we have to be gentle with her, we'll start with basic questions on the matter. Your grandmother is actually out to meet with her family for herself, so while she's out we're here to ask her questions and see if we can find out any more information...no more masked freaks are sneaking into my castle.".

"I don't think she's lying...", mason mumbled, his grandfather reassuring him.

'It's not that i think she's lying...but you never know if she hasn't said the whole truth or if maybe she has forgotten something..."., he patted mason's small head, "It's going to be just fine mason, for now let's just talk to her.".

"Ok."

Time to get to work.

"It's good getting to teach you kids, now you just keep an eye on your grandpa over here ok? I want you to watch my back", Mason saluted playfully back to his grandfather, dave nodding to the guards and opening the door. The room itself was small, not much except for a table, with chairs on either side. Considering they were speaking to a little girl they left her some juice and some cookies to eat while she was waiting.

Though mason did notice as they entered there was a little evidence of a few of fae's bad luck energy presence, scraps of what had probably been her previous chair around the room as she now sat in a more fire proof chair. Though his grandpa didn't seem to mind, his own family probably set more things on fire on a regular basis then an arsonist did in their lifetime, even by accident.

"Hope we didn't leave you waiting long young lady", The former king apologized as he took a seat in front of the girl, mason taking the seat next to him. "I hope you're comfortable, I don't want to make you nervous...I just want to ask you some more questions on the situation and-". Suddenly the mewman noticed the girl looked like she'd been frazzled, her hair wild and sticking out everywhere.

Before he could ask or freak out, the girl answered his question, "I had the hiccups...fire happened...". She said it so bluntly, was this supposed to be a normal occurrence for the girl? When tom was a baby he had accidents like that all the time so it probably wasn't that weird. He quickly cooled himself off, he was probably looking too deep into that considering the many other things he'd seen demons do.

"Alright young miss, so...you work in the stables right?", he fixed himself up and put on his best welcoming face. Though Fae clearly wasn't fazed or affected by it, she leaned back in her seat, munching on another cookie, "Yeah...I work in the stables to get more money for my family...It was the only job I could have here at my age...i'm too young to do anything else.".

"You been there long?".

Fae shrugged, "Not that long I guess...".

Helpful.

"So according to angel, prince angelus...he attempted to contact you through a note, you said you had accidentally burned the note, right? and you don't remember anything about what it said?", not that it mattered since they could just ask angel himself on the contents. Fae just snorted, "Yeah...pretty much, I don't know why you called me here, I've already talked about this stuff before.".

She took another bite, her one eye looking directly at the man, "You literally can just ask the guy himself what he wrote, not that it matters, he confessed he was asking for me to see him or whatever to give him help on their burglary...which apparently didn't end up happening because that one weirdo broke in without me or him. I don't know anything else really...".

"You sure?".

"What do you expect me to know? I never saw either of them in person before or after...well...knowingly of course...".

Mason looked to fae, before looking at the cookies the girl was eating.

Suddenly his face twisted in realization.

That's where the potion was.

Clever, he never would've expected it himself.

Though where the potion in the jar was, that was still a mystery.

Dave seemed to be trying to workshop what line of questioning to go too first before mason awkwardly raised his hand. "But wait...did anyone else ever well...mention anything about the break in when you were at work? I mean...any of the demons you were working with? I mean it was a big deal...one of them had to have said something about it right?".

"Well, of course they talked about it...when the robbery happened, all the castle staff was talking about it. In fact they questioned whether or not if someone snitched and we had a traitor amoungst our midst. But no one ever really found out if anyone was responsible. Though some people though it wasn't by the masked foe at all and was by just a random thief who worked here.".

"You didn't think anyone seemed suspicious?", Dave asked, piling onto his grandson's line of questioning.

"Everyone is suspicious around me...I don't really trust most anyone...but I've been out to get food sometimes and I could overhear other demons and monsters going off about the robbery too. Some going on about how sad it was...some impressed anyone managed to break into something so guarded and protected and then getting away with it...can't say they said much interesting...".

Fae's face then twisted, "But then again...I think maybe once I saw some cloaked woman eating at my regular shop, but i never saw her face, and she wasn't doing anything weird...just eating. The worst she did was anger some other demons who were chilling there but apparently she scared them off. I give her props, she must've been one scary chick.".

"How come you never mentioned her before?".

"Because I didn't see it as important, no idea who she was and had little reason to believe she was a criminal or anything...not like i saw her face. In the underworld people start fights and do stuff like that all the time, this isn't anything i'm not used to.". Dave looked to mason and they both looked to fae, what now? It could be a lead but it wasn't much of one either.

"Uh...umm...fae...could you describe her?", mason said, with his puppy eyes.

"Ugh...I dunno, black cloak that hid her face...only two eyes maybe...had magic...but monsters and mewmans can have magic so that didn't help at all. I guess because of the cloak they didn't want anyone to know who they were. I dunno, you'd have to ask the people who served her, they might of had a closer look on her face since I was further away.".

The former king was left in thought, this was a lead, but if it was a good lead was not very clear. They could track this woman down and find out it was some random demon who was just in a bad mood that day. It was clear they needed more and mason felt goosebumps, if his grandpa asked anything in relation to the rescue of nora or about the truth of the situation they were doomed.

Mason quickly but in with his own question once again, "Fae...uh...was this the only time you saw that person there? I mean I know you didn't SEE them see them, but you know what I mean". Fae shook her head, "I don't think so...I assume they were new because no one else seemed to recognize them, but like...I never saw them any other time I went there.".

"Any other suspicious characters?".

"Down here, everyone is suspicious, but like...I go to a coffee shop, not a criminal bar".

"Have you ever -", but mason cut the man off again, his wing blocking the way.

"Have you ever seen that mask anywhere before? Doll-like? with lipstick? Do you have any idea where they might've been able to get it?", he must've seemed kinda rude to his grandfather, but he had to be careful. Though his grandpa seemed to chalk it all up to his grandson being excited more then anything, moving the wing out of his way and waiting for fae's answer.

"Well, masks like that can be found anywhere all across mewni, some are magically enchanted, it's not that weird. But because they're anywhere you can't nail it down just anywhere. I only know about them because I live on mewni and the people of mewni can be weird sometimes. But whatever, I can't really clearly explain much about that without it.", in which dave looked to mason.

"We have pieces of it...we should have those closely examined, maybe figure out what the mask is made of."

"I guess we're done then...", mason started, "Not much else we can ask about...".

"Well hold up mason, give me a few minutes.".

Mason pouted and sat on his seat, looking at his grandpa more closely, "Alright, so this seems all good and dandy but I also want to know...". Mason felt sick, what question could he ask next to stop his grandpa? Something stupid would be too obvious of him and then he'd look more silly to the adults then he felt they already saw him as being. He almost wanted to hide in his wings.

"I wanted to know if you were interested in a different job here at the castle? Something more well paid?".

Phew.

Fae didn't seem nearly as phased she was under a truth potion, that or, she was actually so much of a honest person nothing felt off about anything she was saying at all. Though she did seem surprised by the offer, "Anything would be nice...though I kinda liked working with the horses...they're friendly and I can't ruin nearly as much there then anywhere else.".

"We'll talk about it further later on them...", the king smiled, patting his grandson's back, "Hmm, i want to question further but i'm not sure what I should ask. I don't wanna let this go until i'm sure we got everything, don't wanna have to keep calling this young lady back over and over. Mason wondered what he should do next when the desk on front of them collapsed, grabbing everyone's attention but fae's.

She seemed pretty unsurprised actually by this result, the most surprisingly thing was it feel apart instead of combusting into flames.

The former king was just thankful it didn't crush any of their feet.

After quickly checking mason and fae for any injuries, he quickly left the room and called for the guards to get the table out of here and cleaned up. Leaving mason with the small bad luck demon, if only for a minute or so till his grandfather got back. He awkwardly let his legs dangle in front of him before putting his arm out to hand over the seeds to fae.

Fae quickly looked between him and the seeds, wondering if he was serious.

"This some secret message or something?", she was probably expecting judas or landon to contact her since they had kinda been for updates but mason quickly shook his head to correct the matter. "No I just wanted to give you it...Cause uh...I want us to be friends...if that's ok? I thought I could give you a gift, so...here's some flowers...they're actually supposed to bring good luck to whoever plants and takes care of them."

Fae actually seemed surprised, and maybe even a little touched.

"You still want to be friends with me? I kinda got the impression I might've scared you off or was too mean to you to have you want to hang out with me again".

"Yeah, of course! I want to have a fresh start, so we can hang out without any of the well...stuff this time".

Fae took the seeds, "I'll probably burn them before I get back home though...you might prefer to keep them". But the boy insisted, "Nah, i got them for you, besides, they're fireproof! Only way you'll get them killed is through neglect...if you want...you could have me help you take care of them. I'm great with plants, so yeah, then we could hang out without it being...weird.".

She actually almost seemed smile.

"That's...really nice of you actually, especially considering your grandpops truthpotioned me.".

Her words made mason suddenly freeze in place, though fae didn't seem too surprised or offended by this knowledge.

"Wait...you knew?".

"I'm not an idiot..., of course I knew, but like...I have nothing to hide...so honestly waste of his time. With my luck if i tried to lie it would've come regardless, but I'll admit, hiding it in the cookies was a good idea."Well, at the very least fae wasn't taking much offense to the whole thing, so at least that was alright. "So I guess you came here just to give me the seeds?".

"Well...yes and no.".

She raised her one eyebrow.

"My grandpa doesn't know some important stuff you can't tell him about...ok?".

"Is that was this is about?", she huffed, "Well, geez...I didn't know you didn't tell him all this stuff, always guessed you lucitors were a lot closer and told each other everything." Mason tapped his fingers together, "It's uh...more complicated, I mean, mom and dad will probably tell him soon but y'know like...just not right now?". Fae gave him a smirk, shaking her head.

"You mean like how you were planning to tell your brothers how you felt? By hiding in the stables?"

"Hey no fair, they're entirely different!", his wings were outstretched in irritation and fae just let it go. She didn't even know the full story of everything going on and there's no way she could guess exactly why this was as big a deal as was. Mason calmed himself down, he needed to be more adult right? Take this all seriously and not get worked up about that.

"We'll tell him...just not yet...".

"I'll take your word for it mason...".

"Don't blame me...it's really important...I promise.".

Dave reentered the room once again, a new table with him, a foldable one so if it broke it'd cause less of an accident. He smiled upon seeing the kids getting along and seeing fae holding mason's seeds, checking the table to make sure it was sturdy before taking a seat. "Sorry about that...hope I didn't leave you kids hanging for too long, I've never seen a table break like that.".

Fae and mason exchanged looks.

"Anyways...fae...back to questions, so...I want to know something else if that's ok.", oh great, more questions mason had to worry about, "Fae...is there anyone else we can further talk to about what's going on?". Fae was quick to answer and mason felt his claws sink into his seat, "Sky or judas...maybe that nora girl, maybe landon". Though as the words left her lifts mason let out a sigh.

Those were all people his grandpa knew were involved to an extent, thank goodness.

"Well...I suppose if mason doesn't have any more questions...I'll hand you over to tom.".

Wait...what?

"What about dad?", mason said, tugging on his grandpa's shirt, now much more nervous. What was happening? Handing fae over to his father? He didn't know his dad was apart of this whole thing, did they talk sometime no one really had seen? His dad knew the stuff going down so nothing fae could tell him was dangerous or risked anything, but this came super unexpected for the demon.

"Well as i stepped out, I figured i'd let thomas give it a shot with questions, give you a break young man, we'll go out and get something to eat if you don't mind.". He was being so sweet but mason came here to make sure he kept track of the truth potion as well and there was no jar in sight with the stuff. His dad knowing about the stuff they got into? Sure, he already knew.

But now he was being dragged away from the actions and his task.

"Wait wait...but I could help papa! We don't have to-"

"Sorry mason, but papa insisted I leave with you and not get you too involved in a lot of this stuff...not that I agree with that...but I guess for now I have to listen to him because I can't exactly sneak you in here.". He patted mason's head, "I'll make it up to you later ok? I still appreciate you helping me out with this, we'll try and get you more experience later.".

Mason pouted, dave saying farewell to fae as they left, mason looking back at her with sad eyes.

The door was closed and outside was tom, mason's papa, smiling and standing before them, looking to his father for updates. "I'll be heading to my office to make a report based on my notes, be gentle with her, she seems like a nice kid.". Tom sighed, "I agree, though don't worry about me, i'm used to dealing with rather moody kids on the regular after all.".

Mason pouted, making tom smirk even further.

"Point proven.".

"You'll have to touch on some new angles, it was hard to get a lot out of her or get a lot of new leads. But we might be able to work with it...you might have to get star for further help with some aspects. You just update me ok?", tom nodded, they still seemed to be conflicted with each other, but at least having them work together was an improvement.

A common goal they could work together on.

Tom patted his son before entering the room, mason being forced away from the scene by his grandfather. He looked back at the door, did he do a good job or had he possibly failed? His grandfather was still unaware but he was still empty handed, what should he do? Ask him right now? Wouldn't that seem suspicious? Mason wasn't supposed to know right?

For now, one thing was clear.

He still had work to do.

"Alright, so you went into the queen's mind?", globgor tried to poor them more of his tea, though unfortunately by this point it was a lot more cold then the first time. Too much time talking to these kids and still waiting on eclipsa, the poor monster was friendly, but was having a hard time with these kids who weren't entirely pleased with his love right now.

Sky looked about ready to give up and leave actually.

"Unintentionally, but yes...".

"Eclipsa's been in my mind before, entirely different spell of course but yours was made for more then one person so it was more helpful in the long run since star doesn't really like using eclipsa's spells anymore.". He handed them their cups though sky took hers more aggressively, "But i'm glad hearing it worked out, i've dealt with those parasites before actually...".

"You have?", angel asked, taking a sip.

"I was in a war, they tried to use one on me, and even eclipsa had one sent to her, neither of us ended up affected but some of our friends...did...it's not a fun process...when the thing takes you over you become a husk of your former self, your body is a puppet for this new being to live in till it drains you entirely. The worst part is you never know until it's too late, you think someone's ill and then they're gone soon after...your mom's lasted the longest out of anyone, somehow still able to talk on occasion and remember.".

"I'm sorry to hear...".

"The worse part is i think the one sent to me was by Seth of septarsis, real nasty fellow...a fellow monster too.", he growled at the mere mention of the lizard, "You never know who to trust really...though I guess I should be lucky I never fully trusted seth at all, he was a shady fellow and it figured he would try and remove me from the picture quietly if he could.".

"Could someone be doing that to mom...?".

"Could be, could not be...if they are, we'll catch them though.".

Angel's ears pressed against his head.

"Life on mewni still isn't a perfect place...but it's far better then 300 years ago, that's for sure.".

"Still could be better though."

"That...I can't deny.".

"Well the commission are still terrible people", sky hissed, "Still just as bad as they were years ago, this time they just can't arrest whoever they like based on their terrible evidence and all that...yeah, sure, they're trying to do better...but...ugh...every time they touch a scene the first thing they do is look for someone else to blame and It's annoying.".

"Well you know how I feel about them...", globgor grumbled, "Perhaps if they really want to actually help...they might be better off not being in charge of these missions after all, just go out and find time to learn and pull themselves together. " He made a good point, those guys never really lived a day in their life not being in charge of the universe or magic or all that.

Well actually hekapoo probably did but still.

"Yeah but doesn't that mean all their jobs are left unattended? Like whose gonna work them?", the commission were made for the jobs they worked, no mortal being could really handle it like them. Then again, sky didn't know how much work they even did, and maybe having other people do their job differently could actually be a vast improvement...you wouldn't have immortal jerks taking advantage of their power and immortality to make everything how they wanted it to be.

Actually, that was a good idea, a really good idea.

Globgor could tell sky was thinking about it and smirked to himself.

"And the mewmans say you won't be an important queen, I don't see it. I think with you in charge we might finally get some changes even your mother couldn't get to happen, and I for one, can't wait to see what you come up with.". Sky's eyes then turned to her wand, especially the crystal in particular, before looking back to the kindly size-shifter.

"So...omni works with mutliple dimensions right? And alternate timelines?", she took another sip of her tea, her prince companion also looking at her curiously, before it came to him why sky would want to ask such a question. Globgor shrugged to himself though, leaning back in his seat, "I'm no expert on the guys sadly...but I believe that's what he does...indeed, after all you considered asking him to send your sisters back before deciding not to.".

"Just making sure...it just...reminds me of something".

"You think he did it?", he raised an eyebrow at the princess who didn't really have a proper answer for him on that one.

"Not sure...I mean we guessed maybe so we said nothing because of it to him...but I also feel like if the team were really behind it to some how put me in a crystal...they would've fabricated more evidence or something to get us in trouble. I mean, hekapoo CAN clone herself and that nonsense, and they are all have knowledge of the butterfly family but like...they wouldn't get caught like Her did, hekapoo can literally just portal in and out.".

"Maybe they wanted to get caught?", angel suggested, coughing, "I mean...I'm not an expert it's just...getting caught doesn't always mean a bad thing for a criminal right?".

"Hmm...I guess that's an option?".

"Well he's not wrong", glogbor chimed in to the princess, "It's easier to take themselves look innocent if they can pin it on someone else and make the person seem like someone entirely different from any of them. Getting caught can also mean putting everyone off the scent and go looking for someone else while the culprit hides in plain sight.".

"Who do you think is under the mask?".

Me?", the monster king scratched his head, "No idea...though a sick part of me wants it to be the commission, even before what happened when eclipsa took care of you and almost got you hurt, your mother and us were in debate about how to treat the commission for their misdeeds. Star of course elected to keep them working but under her foot, but me and eclipsa were a lot more strongly against it since well...they could abuse it again. Granted now, maybe she's starting to wish she agreed with us way back then".

"Not surprised...", sky muttered under her breath, " Well if you ever catch them just tell me I guess...you guys apparently have a secret place of your own, maybe you're secretly neighbors with them.". Her statement seemed to amuse globgor though he was more then happy to take care of the culprit if the opportunity arrived, whether next door or not.

"What exactly would you do If you ran into them?", globgor's eyes looked into sky's as she gripped her cup a little tighter then before, her voice darker and face angry. "Oh...next time I see them after what they put me through, what they tried to do angel, what they did to nora, and what they could do to judas, they're going to wish they hadn't bothered showing up at all.".

Even angel could tell she was serious, especially after how she acted when she saved him, he almost seemed a little scared as he kept eye contact away from her.

Though globgor was a bit surprised at sky's reaction, taking her teacup from her before she broke the thing, "Easy princess...go too far and the mewmans will only have more of a reason to not like you then before, I would know. Though you have every right to be mad, especially considering angel might not have been here otherwise...frankly we're lucky no one else has been critically hurt.".

"I don't think killing is exactly what they want...", angel said softly, "It would be pointless to do unless they felt they had to...and I had betrayed them and could sell them out and get them into trouble...I get the impression if no one was there to save me, they'd have tried to pull the whole thing off as some sort of accident. And no one would have thought any wiser...", he grimaced at that, no doubt imagining how bad that situation would have been

"Well at least that's good...maybe...", well it wasn't GOOD good, but at least they could feel better thinking maybe Her only got like that if they felt they had no other choice in the situation. Granted, it was still bad, but at least it put less people at risk. They just have to be as careful as possible crossing her path if they ever did anytime soon.

She wasn't hunting angel right now, but she'd be mad at him being saved, and that still meant the boy was in danger until they were caught.

Suddenly the door burst open and the three were soon accompanied by the familiar green-haired queen in her usual dark attire and looking rather excited to see the kids once again in her small tower. Sky almost wanted to give up and run out but she really just needed to suck it up and stop letting her messy emotions ruin her day, especially with angel next to her.

Before eclipsa could even speak or reach out to them sky already stated their business directly to her.

"We need a charm...like luna's...now.".

Eclipsa seemed a little taken aback, but not entirely surprised either by the greeting, still smiling despite the tension.

"Well um...alright...", she hugged and kissed her husband before looking around her room, though she was not going all that fast.

The room was deathly silent.

Awkward.

"Well um...globgor...how has your day been?", eclipsa said, going through her shelves, trying to make some small talk to make the situation a little less awkward if possible considering the situation. Not that sky was making it easy for her, sky held a grudge, angel new well about that, and right now she was way more mad at eclipsa then she was to angel.

"It's been...alright.".

That was probably code for "It was alright but not so much right now".

"Good...", they sure weren't speaking to each other like nothing was wrong, this was the most awkward they'd ever been around each other from the times sky had seen them together. Guess they couldn't exactly pretend sky wasn't in the room with them, still rather mad, it was pretty much a damper on the mood when someone who you betrayed was plopped down in your makeshift mini home.

Though Eclipsa did attempt to try and break the tension a little, just not to sky.

"Angel dear, how are you feeling?", eclipsa said in her sweestest voice, still looking through her things.

Angel didn't look sure if he should speak to eclipsa, or keep following sky's silent anger as to not possibly offend her in any way by talking to the woman who betrayed her. But he mustered up the courage to speak to the woman instead. As annoyed as sky could be to this, Eclipsa was partially the reason angel's life had been saved anyway and he did quite miss her.

"I could be better, considering the situation.".

"i heard...mind parasite huh? What a nasty little devil to have. Did globgor tell you we had to deal with a few back in the day?", angel nodded and slumped back in his seat, "Did...you ever save anyone who had them?". Eclipsa turned her head to globgor whose expression told angel any and all of the cures and spells to stop the creatures had come after their time.

How devastating.

"At least these days things have changed enough to help creatures who could only suffer back in the day, never thought I'd see the day the spiderbites would finally eradicate their own real spiderbites. Though their princess is luckier then most by already being immune to that kinda stuff, slimes are quite interesting that way...though personally I found them boring when i was younger...did you know they tend to only use the name "Slime"?".

"Look, do you have the charm or not?", sky was getting impatient here and they had other things to do today.

"Alright alright, hold on...I don't have nearly as many of the ingredients close by as I did the last time.".

She started pulling out a few books and a couple herbs from her shelves and cupboards, "When I saw poor luna on the floor last time I got the impression someone tried to take over her body and whipped one up to ward the spell away, but these things have rare ingredients. Otherwise I'd make you all a charm to keep you safe...though the magic only lasts so long anyway unless you keep enchanting it.".

"Does luna know how to re-enchant it?"

"Luna's clever, no doubt she either looked for it in the library or went though my books when I wasn't here when she knew it could be useful. Honestly I get the impression considering how suspicious she was of me she went through this whole room to see if she could officially clear me or not. Though even now i'm not sure where she stands on me, though honestly she has snapped at me as much as you have recently...".

"She snapped at you?".

"I might of went into her mind a bit, nosed around, she wasn't a fan.".

"Is anyone a fan of that?'.

Eclipsa only sighed to herself, "Probably not but I couldn't help but peek, she's got quite a mind that one. Truthfully what she needs is to stop working and connect, form friendships and bonds...her mind is nothing but work and if not that, it's about stuff she has to do in the future. She wasn't a fan of any of my suggestions and we didn't part on the best of terms.".

"Did...you see her before she left?".

"Yep...yes I did.".

Eclipsa and globgor exchanged looks and sky found herself suspicious.

"Do you...have any idea where she went?".

"Yesssss...nooooooo", eclipsa's voice and tone almost sounded playful and sky found herself more suspicious. "Hold up, yes or no? Since when have you guys had info on where luna went? No one has had any idea, not even judas. You knew something about this and never told me or my mom or anyone? Not that i'm thrilled to want luna back or anything but...seriously?", she stood up, facing the couple who shrugged.

"Well we don't know where she is...we...had someone well...keep an eye on her".

"You tagged her?!".

"Well, we had someone else tag and follow her around so...yes? As far as we know everything gone smoothly though luna may know she's being followed considering how smart she is.". Eclipsa was already standing, fiddling with her hands, "Me and globby though maybe to keep an eye on her and soon enough after she left they followed suit and have been watching her since.".

"Who...exactly?".

Then angel jumped in, coming to some sort of realization, "Hold on a second...wild guess but...could they be...katrina's partner by any chance? We never found out their mission and why they've been out, and surely you would know them since you know katrina correct?". Their faces were a dead giveaway, and sky had to be impressed with angel's new detective skills.

Even if this might just be another wild guess he took that just worked out for him.

"Well you see...".

Sky was dumbfounded.

"You sent a SPY after her and didn't tell anyone?! The two of you decided to keep that to yourselves when everyone's been worried and freaking out about luna just up and leaving?! I thought you and mom were-".

"Dear, they're a spy for a reason, they're supposed to be undercover...besides...you don't really want to force luna back here when she wanted to go out herself do you?", she wasn't wrong, sky didn't even stop luna from leaving. Now she was upset they could find luna and bring her back? She should at least be thankful luna was well...alive at the very least and they had some idea where she was.

"She's...ok right?", she said quickly, just to make sure before she relaxed.

"As far as we know, if she had been hurt we'd have told you right away.".

"Just...making sure...good..good...thank goodness...".

"We you worried about her? ", eclipsa said with a twinge of amusement in her voice, " She might not be the easiest to get along with but i think she'd be touched you care so much about her despite how much she cut herself off from everyone. That was probably true despite the girl's shell, though sky then remembered she was trying not to speak to the queen and was now trapped in conversation with her.

And quickly shut her mouth to go back to sulking.

Eclipsa came back with the necklace prepared and noticed sky's attitude and she seemed to look a tad sadder, "Dear...I know you're mad but I still want to help you, I still want to talk to you, it's ok if you're mad at me, you might be mad at me for awhile...but I do want to help you and I do want the best for you. I hope eventually you can learn to forgive me.".

Angel put down his cup on the table in front of him, stretching out his legs, "Well...um eclipsa...it might not matter but sky here wants this charm to well...help my mother. " This didn't seem to surprise the queen at all, in fact she actually seemed more delighted sky cared more about helping angel then she did about giving eclipsa the silent treatment.

"Well then, that's wonderful to hear angel, i hope this can help her if you truly think it might work.".

Though in her mind sky could hear the biggest reason eclipsa found it wonderful was due to sky's willingness to put angel over her current feelings towards eclipsa. She found herself rolling her eyes at the meer thought of it, and returned her focus to what eclipsa was doing. She was clearly enchanting the object, but it seemed to be a tad more troublesome then it appeared.

Eclipsa for one, put several small spells at it, then sprinkled it with magic, then did a few MORE spells on the charm. Was luna's this enchanted as well? And everyone said landon was too exposed to magic radiation these days. Luna we walking around with a charm that could burn dark magic by just touching it and melt it into nothingness like it was acid.

When eclipsa was finished, it glowed for a few seconds before becoming a regular looking charm, similar to luna's.

And Sky almost seemed...astonished in a way, at least for how quickly and how dangerous this thing probably was. Eclipsa smiled to herself and fixed her hair, clearly proud of how she got the charm ready so quickly. "Usually is you screw a single one of those spells up, the whole thing can blow up and I just got this place kinda cleaned up, so good thing we didn't have another one of those..", she brushed her hands together as sky took the necklace looking charm.

"You sure this thing is...safe?".

"Dear the only creatures who don't think it's safe is those with dark magic in their veins, if i still had my dark magic scars on my arms it would actually burn my hands just touching it, which is exactly why I enjoy my gloves. With those on you can make sure you don't get burned by anything of pure magic, soon that charm will wear out though, so i promise it won't be so magic engrossed for long. Pure Magic doesn't always counter dark magic, sometimes it's the other way around, but this one is extremely strong so nothing that bug could produce could fight back".

"Yeah...this...won't hurt the queen right?".

"Nah, just the bug, the queen herself has not dark magic in her system itself...", then she turned to angel, "She doesn't right? Because if you think she's in pain now that will be 10x worse on her.". But angel happily shook his head, "No nope nope...just the possible bug, thank you for that...uh...I'll make sure if i'm ever corrupted in the next few hours never to touch it".

"Good...anything else kids?".

"Nope, we're good.", sky was quick to head for the door, grabbing for angel to take him with her, though angel had used his legs to grip the sofa and keep sky from dragging them out of the room at all, the boy clearly not ready to leave yet. Sky seemed more then annoyed at this fact, but grumbled and leaned against the entrance, sulking, but not wanting to leave without angel.

"Angel? What's up?".

"Um...Eclipsa...if it it's ok for me to ask...have...you seen...my...father anytime recently...after the trial? I...haven't really properly spoken to him in a long time and I never saw him after the trial so...", well jeeze, now sky just felt bad for trying to make angel leave when he had something like that on his chest. The spider eagerly awaited an answer as eclipsa looked to her monster husband.

Globgor coughed, "We caught him recently actually...but well...he was rather busy...mostly interviewing for the paper about the trial and everything that occured, plus your kingdom right now is still dealing fresh with your mom's current situation and the trial too...so...yes".

"Oh...".

"However! I think he's going to attempt a visit to see you soon enough once he can.", Eclipsa said quickly, "Dear, your father misses you so much, he was emotionally drained after that trial but forced to leave to deal with the kingdom, it's just too much to deal with right now. ". The prince still seemed to be rather dissapointed though, wondering if maybe his father was still highly upset with him and just didn't want to see him at all.

It was hard not to get that impression at least.

Eclipsa's motherly instincts kicked in fact, trying to make the prince feel at least a little better, "Angel dear, I can assure you once your father is able to he will be here to see you and talk to you, I know It must be hard not being able to speak to your father at all with all this going on. But the situation has impacted everyone in many different ways, including him.".

"I just wish it felt like he was trying to speak to me...or that he wanted to see me...", this would've been one of those times a compact would have really come in handy to help the poor boy and sky felt almost like she should ask angel if he wanted to borrow hers. But eclipsa seemed to have read her mind on that and pulled out her own compact, "Do you know your father's number? I assume he might have a compact or a mirror?".

"I don't know his number...I never had to memorize it before...".

Right, that did makes things more difficult.

"Well, next time I see him i'll tell him to come over here and see his son...alright?", this seemed to put some light in the boy's eyes, he did trust eclipsa after all. He sent eclipsa nod her way as he followed sky out willingly, though sky did look back at eclipsa before leaving. The door slamming behind them as eclipsa and globgor exchanged glances from the interaction.

"You should probably talk to sky...", the monster took the teacups from the table, giving the tea a taste for himself. His wife seemed to agree, though she knew sky wouldn't be that easy to convince. "I know...but you know i only did it to protect her...and if she doesn't see it that way, that makes it a lot harder to really have us...well work the whole thing out.", she plopped down on the seat next to him, lying against him.

"Well...maybe you should regain her trust again?".

Eclipsa pressed into his body further.

"Well...how do you propose I do that?".

"SKY! ANGEL!"

"Yo nora!"

The slime girl hesitated before pulling sky and angel both into a quick hug, before nervously looking towards the spider woman still lying on the bed. "I've been by her side for hours, keeping an eye out on her. I assume you're either here to visit or have some news to help me?". And that's when sky pulled out the charm, the suddenness spooking the slimey girl.

Nora looked instantly confused.

"Isn't that...luna's?".

"No...it's just...a charm like luna's.".

Nora blinked at it, clearly remembering how this same charm literally burned and seemed to murder a dark magical charm during her rescue. She seemed a bit hesitant to be around it, but then again, she wasn't an expert on magic and magic already made her nervous so sky couldn't blame her too bad on this one. The other princess was quick to ease nora before she got further worried though.

"It's going to try and draw the parasite out a bit, weaken it, then we can deal with it further", she explained it like that was super obvious to nora and nora just had to trust her instincts on this one. "Well...I guess you can give it a shot...but I have to report this to my mother, she should know just in case...y'know", it must've been weird for nora to be helping her mom out like this.

Especially since she both had been doing stuff behind her back, and had blatantly attacked her, even if she gave that up to help.

It felt like...working for the enemy but also not.

"I guess that's fair...", there was no point in arguing with it, especially since Queen Spiderbite was trying to save the queen and Angel sure wouldn't oppose it either. Sky placed the charm next to the occupied bed, Angel just staring at his mom, "If this all does work...I'm...what if she really does end up mad at me for everything I did? I...I didn't even want to be in the same room with her like this for weeks...".

"Your still worried about that...huh?".

He nodded, "It's...hard to not be.".

"Angel...trust me...your mom really loves you...if...this does all work out...she'll love you no matter what.", the boy seemed to appreciate this coming from sky, and nora approached writing more notes in her tiny notepad. "So...tell m more about this charm...what uh...is it supposed to do exactly? I mean, i know it's to help...but...how does it...uh...work?", and the princess of mewni was left stumped.

Even she had no idea.

"Uhhhhhhh...maybe you should ask eclipsa...we got it from her.".

"Oh...eclipsa and you spoke? Wasn't that...awkward?".

"Yes...", she said bluntly, "Yes it was.".

"Oh...sorry.".

"Don't worry about it, anyway how are things going on your end...?", Nora put down her notepad, the girl shrugging awkwardly and not exactly making eye contact. Clearly her end wasn't going so much better, and it wasn't a surprise why. Her mom and dad were in troubled after what happened at the trial, and now nora was working with them to help angel and it was probably incredibly awkward.

Like, extremely awkward.

"Nora...she didn't say anything...mean right?".

"No...", she mumbled, "Nothing mean...but...y'know...there's a lot going on right now.".

Yeah no kidding.

"Is judas coming to join us soon?", she asked rather innocently, smiling, "I haven't really gotten to see him all day, I'm sure he's busy and everything...I...just like talking to him.'. Sky shrugged and took a seat nearby, "Judas hasn't gotten back to me actually...I asked for him to help get our truth potion back, but that's about it...he was with his brother I think...".

"Oh...ok...well I hope he speaks to me soon. You just let me know".

"I'll send him a text right now actually...see what he has to say...", she gave the other princess a hopeful smile as she sent a text his friend's way, hopefully things were going well and he could get back to her soon on any updates.", Angel had approached nora in the meantime, and she seemed happy to actually see him, not hiding from him nor worried he'd bring up their families's past.

"You look well...mostly...".

"You seem to be feeling a little better then before...", she noted, "Your hair seems looser then before though...". Which was true, Angel's hair was in a ponytail as it usually was, but it rested on his shoulder, and it wasn't as tight, almost an in between of his usual look and how loose his hair had been when he wasn't trying to make himself look good in his sadness.

"Judas said the same thing when I saw him last...well...this morning when I saw him...", angel looked down at himself, "I may be turning into him at this rate, i already smell and dress like him...". This got a chuckle out of nora, "Well, that's not such a bad thing, at least it's better then being dirty and naked around here, it's...nice to get our of the stuffy clothes sometimes.".

"I second that", sky said, raising her hand, "Some royals wanna wear dresses and suits everywhere but it's all so uncomfortable...even when I make dresses I try and tailor it to me...".

"That's pretty great sky!".

"I actually did offer to like, help make jude's coronation suit but like...he wants such a boring coronation i'm not sure anything I make will fit his tastes...though right now i think his coronation might be set back or cancelled with everything going on. Maybe he'll change his mind about his coronation and do something he really truly wants to do but that's on him...", the mention of this caught the royal's eye.

"You were going to make him a suit? Like his very own coronation suit for him?".

"He's my best friend...it's a big day for him, I make clothes, what better gift then give him the suit he'd be crowned in?"

She shrugged though, still typing, "But no word on that from him so not much I can do about it...plus so much else has been going on i barely have time to make anything overall.". This seemed to make nora sadder, thinking about just being unsure if he should have a coronation that he really wanted or one that just made him look better for the people.

"You should make it".

"Hmm?", sky looked up from her compact, nora speaking a little louder this time.

"Make him a suit anyway...he's your best friend, even if he won't wear it for his coronation...you should make it for him.". She was almost stern about it, making it clear it did bother her that sky would even reconsider not making something so special for her best friend. Though Sky was quick to catch on, "I might...It's...I don't wanna force anything on Judas right now...I just...don't think it's a good idea.".

"I kinda...", angel scratched his head, "Well...prince lucitor should be allowed to be happy but wouldn't be bad to go against what he wants?". Angel clearly cared about Judas himself but in different ways then sky and nora, sky was judas's long time friend, and nora was a more new friend who bonded with him emotionally. Angel was new and had a bit of an emotional bond but also was more practical, well, more practical then he used to be.

He wouldn't wanna force anything on judas either, he'd seen the boy stressed and frustrated enough as is.

And now he seemed to regret speaking up, both pairs of eyes looking towards him now.

"Uhhh...i'm not saying he might not want it, it's just...he...seems to have enough to worry about then dealing with his coronation...and everything with that.", Nora and Sky shrugged his answer off, sky instead changing the subject to avoid getting into a fight. "Anyway nora...so...It turns out, eclipsa's tracking luna, she sent a spy after her...apparently luna ain't as cut off as we thought."

And indeed, nora's expression changed and her mind focused elsewear.

"Wait...luna? Where is she? Is she close by?".

"No idea... I just know eclipsa has her tailed...I'm telling judas about it now, he's going to want to know this...he was pretty crushed about luna leaving without saying goodbye to him", not that judas would get back to sky right away, but this was worth mentioning to him of all people. If anything it might make him feel at least a little better knowing luna was probably ok for certain.

"Oh...he hasn't talked about her much since she left has he? I know they were at least a little close and everything".

"No...not really...he kinda had to think about everyone else at that point and just hope she came back...and I get it", Sky finished texting and put her compact away, "Angel however has gotten pretty good at figuring stuff out himself it seems...so...maybe...we outta ask katrina a few more questions on who her partner is that's tagging luna and try and contact them.".

"Wait why?".

"If luna knows anything, we should ask her, and only this spy person truly knows anything about that. We find the spy and then we talk to luna directly about what she found, if anything. She said she might come back but we can't promise that...so...".

"We saw her earlier, it probably would look suspicious if we headed back over there to prod her about her partner.", the prince was right about that, they'd have to give it at least a few days to come up with a way of getting that out of her. But it was a real lead, and that was better then nothing. The only real question was if they should ask her mothers for help.

After all, they held more power over katrina and despite how helpful she could be, she wouldn't just give them her partner's number in a flash. She would however, tell her moms if they so much as asked, but then again, luna would probably be very unpleased with them sending people after her. Telling her mom left a number of other problems to come into focus after all.

"We could try the truth potion...", she mumbled, "Maybe that would have less risks...".

"Yeah but...if katrina catches you doing that, your mom is probably going to find out about it...right? ", that was...also true, if anyone were to detect a truth potion it would be a spy of all people. Sky got up and off the bed, "Alright fine, I guess I just gotta inform mom about this whole thing and get her help...guess it's better then getting in serious trouble.".

Then her compact rang, pulling it out to take a look.

"It's judas.".

The others looked to her with mild concern.

"Everything ok sky?".

"I'm...not sure, he's coming over here now actually...", and soon enough the doors opened, judas entering, followed by celeste. "Mom and Dad came to pick up landon and we were allowed to leave while they talked, what's this about you guys knowing where luna is?",He looked a mix between panicked and relieved, part of him had probably been worried sick about her being out there by herself even despite how powerful she was.

He even startled everyone as soon as he opened the door.

"Judas...you ok?".

The demon breathed, before a smile came across his face.

"Yeah...I think...I'm finally happy to have some proper good news for once.".

Star was still processing this information, though sky wasn't exactly giving her a break or slowing down on it either. The queen had been in the middle of doing some research in her own office when all the kids burst in to tell her luna had a tail on her. Judas didn't even protest against telling the queen, perhaps feeling similar to sky in the fact she'd be more helpful to finding luna then not.

Though what was most surprising, was this didn't seem to shock star, not at all.

With everything she'd been through in her life it seemed nothing really fazed her as much as it had before, betrayals, attacks, magical mayhem, she'd seem most if not all of it and this was far from the first time she dealt with the former queen of darkness. Thinking back to all their past issues and wondering if maybe she and eclipsa had more to talk about then she thought.

Her face soon enough, became a grin as she leaned back in her chair and tapped her forehead.

"Of course eclipsa did...I should have known.".

She tapped at her face and shook her head, "Thanks for letting me know, i'm going to have a talk with katrina and see what she might add, she might not know the extent of her teammate and what they do but getting in contact with them and learning what they know sounds like a good way to get a lead on this. Plus we can make sure luna is well...safe out there.".

Sky wondered as her mother paused, if she was still processing the fact luna was technically her own daughter or not, though star quickly shook it off.

"I'll let jackie know immediately to help out as well.".

"Wait...jackie?", sky stood up from her seat inn front of her mother, leaning against the desk, "Isn't jackie staying here to help with the whole "Evil bug" thing? She's kinda your expert right?". Though star shook her head, "She's actually with Queen Spiderbite right now, telling her everything she knows on the matter, and she already made her reports on that journey. So once she's done, she's free to go on another mission.".

"I'm not sure that's a good-".

"Sky, Jackie is Luna's superior...well...was...even considering the uh...circumstances, jackie is the best one to handle this. We can't send just anyone out there, plus jackie knows her at least a little better then any of us do...in terms of her skills.". She wasn't wrong, Jackie was trained for this kinda stuff and probably could handle it just fine, though one reason luna probably left was to avoid confronting her other mom.

Having Star know was awkward enough, she probably didn't want to confront the other who she worked under for a bit.

"Does jackie...?", in fact sky didn't remember jackie ever talking about luna much since what happened and since she left, and she started wondering if maybe there was something up. "I mean i'd be weird but maybe not that much weirder then you all already knowing uh...the truth about them, though i'm not sure how that would make her feel...".

"Not yet...i've been on the fence about telling her, I mean, marco's actually all for it because they think jackie can handle it and it would help us to talk to her, but i'm not so sure.', the queen tapped at her desk, rocking in her chair for a bit, "I'm worried if jackie knew she'd have a harder time doing her mission, this situation's too important to have my top knight distracted and worried like that.".

She had a point.

"Is it...distracting for you?", angel spoke up among the small crowd, the queen looking at sky and then celeste, "Maybe a little more then i'd like to admit, there's admittedly something fascinating about meeting those from alternate realities, especially ones where I well...may have lived entirely different lives. Though i am trying to avoid dealing with it honestly...it's...gotta focus on the criminal right now.".

"So is jackie going to bring luna back?", judas crossed his arms, worried about exactly what the extent of having jackie be the one going out to get luna was. Luna would probably attack jackie, whether on accident or on purpose of she found out jackie was spying on her or tried to take her back. Even if luna didn't use magic she would still be hard to force anywhere.

"Not exactly...not yet...we'll talk to katrina's partner, get some info, and then we'll see about luna coming back. I don't want her out there alone with the situation at hand but I don't think we can force her back either when she wanted to go out and help." This seemed to ease judas a little bit more, though not entirely considering luna's fate was unknown still.

"How soon are you gonna send her out?".

"If possible, by tonight.".

"Went through all that trouble and mom confiscated our charm necklace..."

"At least she's considering using it at all, she just needs to confront the queen about it...you'll just let us know the results right nora?", judas looked over to nora, who clutched her notepad in her arms, "Right...I'll have to see what mom thinks of it...but...you still got it, that's pretty good if anything.". Though the girl seemed to be thinking of other things, her eyes looking in the distance.

Probably about her mom and the convo about judas earlier.

"How's landon doing anyway?", sky mumbled, looking to celeste and judas who exchanged looks. Celeste simply shrugged and Judas looked indifferent, "No idea honestly, we talked to him and well...we may of gotten to him a little but it's hard to say, he did however...want to take this fall for this because he didn't sneak into her office because of us...he did it on his own."

"Well...ok, I guess that's...something.".

"There are just...there's a lot of issues we need to work out between us...", that was the most simple way of putting it, "But this time he did help us...turns out...what he found...he found the mask. It apparently cracked and broke in the magic dimension.". Sky seemed rather shocked by this, after all, that meant the person was running around without their mask right now.

"Mom didn't mention it at all back there...", then again, who knows if anything would've turned up by now when they spent so much time dealing with literally everything else. Though as she was thinking about it judas seemed to have read her mind on his end, the demon patting her shoulder to ease her on her mother not mentioning it to her, sky was clearly still touchy about that.

"No need to, haven't had enough time to examine it...plus I think my dad told me your mother handed it off to your other mother to look over instead since she has more freetime.", mom janna huh? Guess that at least kept her from spending all her time pulling pranks and picking mushrooms and doing all the other stuff she did rather then her job.

"Your dad mentioned it?".

"When they came to pick up landon they mentioned they handed the "Artifact" up to janna, don't worry it's not because they didn't want to tell me what it was...I think they assumed landon told me already anyway...they are just trying not to speak too much about stuff like that in public...so that's their code word for it". Celeste sighed, huffing and closing her eyes as she caught up with the two chatting friends.

"I feel like this is my fault.".

"What?", the darker haired princess said, toning down her voice as they passed by some guards.

"I literally encouraged landon to be sorta like this...to go out there, and not care and do whatever he wants, I was the one who got him into our kinda group with luna and that made him mad and ugh look...I...I had good intentions...I just didn't think he'd put himself in danger...", her voice grew softer, celeste had been ok taking risks before but something seemed to have changed inside her.

"Celeste...?".

"Look I didn't meant for it to get so far but...this whole thing just makes landon more unhappy...i made him unhappy...".

She pouted, crossing her arms and hunching herself over, "And before you say it isn't...I know he was super mad about this before, but I just know he wouldn't be trying to be the hero If i hadn't gotten him into this mess in the first place. ", she refused to have sky or judas reach out to hug her or comfort her, shaking her head and grumbling to herself as they walked.

Holding onto her disguised wand-bracelet tightly.

This really bothered her, didn't it? No one was used to celeste getting so...emotional about stuff like this, at least beyond being mad or ticked off. Celeste didn't share how she felt much, nor did she really talk to anyone in general. No one seemed to know how to react but if on instinct judas's big brother instincts had kicked in at seeing the crying girl in front of him.

"Celeste...hey...you wanna talk?", she turned to look at judas, stopping in her tracks, "What else can i really say? People don't like me, I screw up every friendship i'm in, and i'm useless on this team to you guys...end of story.". She was back to being her usual angry self, though this time there was a hint of sadness in her voice, whatever this was it had been building up for awhile.

"Celeste...hey, hold up...", Judas was quick to stop her from leaving, "Don't talk about yourself like that...we don't hate you.". Celeste was sniffling, batting at her eyes, "Don't mess with me judas...I know people don't like me, I don't get along with people and I don't try to get along with people...you guys barely even speak to me...and that's because I didn't even really want to speak to you either...".

Then she turned around, red faced.

"Don't look at me like that...I-I just...I pushed everyone away and my only friend here is more miserable and angry and getting himself in trouble because of me...i'm driving myself insane, and I can't explain it...I'm just so...angry and upset and...I miss home.". She was breaking down and almost on instinct as a brother judas went in to comfort her, not hugging her right away but easing her into it.

How long had this been building up inside of her?

It felt like it had been building long before she even arrived in this universe.

The others watched as judas just let celeste cry into his shoulder, clinging onto her technical half brother and letting it all out of her system. Celeste wasn't much for physical contact, nor showing her emotions like this with other people, but at this moment she couldn't hold it in much longer and she found herself pushing her face further into his shoulder as the others came up behind her.

They joined judas in a bit of a group hug.

Angel and Nora didn't even know celeste super well, but felt compelled to join in, no doubt the breakdown affecting them just as much considering how many breakdowns they had or even sky and judas had during all this. The Hug went on for a few more minutes before it seemed celeste had finally calmed down, and while she didn't smile exactly, she did let out a small "Thanks" as everyone discarded from each other.

"We should get going back to the underworld, i'll check up on mason and sunny will join us soon i'm sure...", judas wrapped his arm around celeste's shoulder, "I'll update you guys soon, and you do so for me...just...call me if you need anything...or well...actually I should be calling you sky, considering your our new leader.". He patted his companion as nora went in for a hug with judas herself.

"Hope I see you tomorrow".

"Hope tomorrow is more normal so seeing each other won't feel incredibly awkward and scary".

That got a laugh out of her.

"Yeah...me too...".

Judas quickly pulled sky and angel into a hug as well, "And you two better not do anything stupid without me...but update me on luna if anything comes in, or if anything comes up from eclipsa that we didn't know before...". Sky and Angel smiled through judas's gripping demon strength, the demon taking celeste's hand before they flamed to the underworld.

"Guess it is getting late isn't it...", sky rubbed at her forehead before looking to her companions, "Care to join for a mostly normal evening again? This time you get to eat with my parents instead". There was no guarantee it'd be less awkward or any better then yesterday's dinner after the trail but at least it wouldn't have nearly as much tension as yesterday.

And her companions were quick to agree.

Walking with the princess down the halls together, hoping the worst was over.

#star vs the forces of evil #svstfoe #svtfoe #sky and the forces of the multiverse #tomco bby #spiderslime #janstar bby #starco bby #eclipsa butterfly #globgor #star butterfly #king lucitor #my art #fanfiction #fanfic

8 notes · View notes

930club · 4 years ago

Photo

We recently chatted with Jamie Stillman, owner and mastermind of Akron, Ohio’s Earthquaker Devices, one of the leading innovators in guitar pedals/effects. We touch on everything from general guitar nerdery to how the pandemic is affecting the day-to-day operations of EQD. You can delve more into everything Earthquaker Devices related here.

Dave Kezer [9:30 Club]: There’s a joke that anyone who starts to listen to rap immediately wants to try to rap. It seems like anyone who starts to build guitar pedals immediately thinks they can start a pedal company. What do you think it takes to actually get a company off the ground in a sustainable way?

LOL! I used to make a similar joke that every guitar player with a soldering iron is a pedal company. It used to feel that way, but I think the craze has died down. It takes a lot of patience, hard work, and (possibly most importantly) good ideas to build a stable effect pedal company. They almost always start out as a hobby and it’s good to realize when it has moved beyond that point. In my case, it was very important to realize when I was in over my head and when to bring on people who have real knowledge in handling the business on a day-to-day level and have the ability to look at the bigger picture. I have punk rock business skills which worked up to a point, but I’m better suited to the creative role.

In your EQDQ&A Ep. 1, you joked about how long it took you to truly start understanding the differences/complexities of gear. I nerd out on gear so much that sometimes I lose focus on just enjoying playing instruments for the sake of it. How far is too far when it comes to putting every facet of gear under the microscope?

I think the threshold is different for everyone. There are people who won’t settle down until every piece of gear they own is top of the line and Reddit approved and there are people who don’t give a shit if their cable crackles if it moves a certain way. I put myself in the middle. I don’t really care about the proven quality or name brand of whatever I’m using, and I just make sure it works 100% of the time whenever possible. I make an exception on pickups, cables and power supplies because I think those are the most important part of the equation for me personally. I’ll always use the best I can find, and I decide what is best by putting it to use and seeing how it performs.

Your feature on the Rainbow Machine focuses on the usability of weird pedals. Have you designed something so weird that it is truly unusable?

Personally, I don’t find the Rainbow Machine to be so weird, but a lot of other people do, so we ran with that. I know the “pixie trails” function of the Magic switch is obnoxious, but I think it’s cool. There are way weirder pedals out there, lol. I’ve definitely designed things that I thought were cool but not exactly functional in every setting, but I usually work to make them more multi-dimensional. There’s only one that I’ve been working on for a really long time that has a million controls with minimal functionality. I’m not sure I’ll ever finish it but it’s (kind of) fun to keep trying once or twice a year when the mood strikes.

Are there any guitars that you’re completely satisfied with and won’t continue to modify? It seems like for gear people (myself included), a piece of gear will operate at 99% of its maximum potential, but the search for that 1% will make your brain itch forever and lead to continued modification.

No, I constantly modify all of my guitars lol. I change pickups a lot, more than anyone should. The closest I think I’ve gotten to “perfection” would be my stock Nash Telecaster and a heavily modded Fender Jazzmaster. The Jazzmaster is a 60th anniversary that I gutted and replaced almost everything except the neck and body. It has Seymour Duncan custom shop ’59 humbuckers for Jazzmaster with 500K push/pull pots for coil tapping and the rhythm circuit is removed. It also has locking tuners, a Mastery vibrato, bridge, and string tree. It still feels too new, but it sounds perfect.

Your Reverb “Does This Work?” interview focuses on old effects and their tendency to break down over time. What are the typical things that cause old circuits to stop working?

In my experience it has been dust, humidity, and neglect resulting in bad switches, corroded solder joints, cracked wires and dried caps. I never get around to fixing my old gear though. I’ll get in there if I really want to use something, but I’ll usually turn it over to Joe Golden, our in-house repair wizard. Most of the broken gear in the Reverb video is still broken…

Two of my favorite EQD pedals are the Tentacle and the Acapulco Gold, if not simply because there are one/no options to choose from when getting sounds. I tend to get freaked out when I see a pedal that has 4+ knobs, which is something I’m working on, haha. Where do you draw the line when it comes to simplicity vs. versatility when designing pedals?

I used to have a “whatever it takes” approach to design as long as it wasn’t confusing for the general user, but I’ve been moving towards a “less is more” approach. I don’t think pedals should require hours of reading manuals and menu diving to use. The faster you can get to making actual music the better. That’s not to say I don’t have some elaborate, sometimes confusing, products in the pipeline but I’m generally leaning towards simple design.

Don’t mean to be a bummer, but I have to ask — how has the pandemic affected EQD’s business operations? If I understand correctly — it seems like your builders are assembling pedals at home?

We have taken the pandemic very seriously. We knew the shutdown was coming and some of our employees had already been working to get things in place to make the transition to home building as easy as we could. We had almost 50 employees working from home for almost three months and the production capacity was greatly reduced. We didn’t ship any product for about two months. We kept all the employees on the payroll and had regular Zoom meetings to keep everyone up to date on what we were doing. Now, as of June 16, 2020, we are still mostly working from home but we have a skeleton crew in the shop so we can populate PCB’s more efficiently and start shipping product. We completely rearranged the shop to spread people out and invested a lot of time and money into making it a safe and sanitary workspace. We have gone above and beyond all the recommended protocols — too many precautions to list. It would be very hard to catch any illness inside EQD now.

Do you have a favorite “Let’s Go!” guitar riff? For example, whenever I’m driving and “Unchained” comes on the radio, I dime the volume and start driving like a complete lunatic.

I’m pretty reserved but, oddly enough, “Unchained” is also one of my favorite riffs ever! I think I play it at least once every time I pick up a guitar. Also a big fan of “Siberian Khatru” by Yes once it kicks in. Same with “In the Light” and “Rain Song” by Led Zeppelin and anything on Sonic Youth’s Sister. I guess these are more riffs that I wish I wrote than riffs that make me lose my shit. I guess most of them also make me sound like a real dad rocker too.

Is there a piece of gear you’ve spent a completely stupid amount of money on simply because you had to have it?

Yes, a Sunn Model T and it was worth every penny! It’s the most perfect amp I’ve ever owned.

Not asking you to talk smack, but do you have a “Dumbest Pedal Ever Designed” award in your head?

I’ll keep my mouth shut on this one.

Finally, have you been through D.C. while touring or seeing shows? Anything about D.C. venues or the music scene in general you’d like to share?

I’ve been through D.C. about six or seven times, maybe more. I’ve always held D.C. in high regard because of Dischord records and bands like Ignition, Bad Brains, Jawbox, Fugazi, etc. 9:30 Club is actually one my favorite venues ever. I’ve been through twice when I was tour managing and the staff was super friendly and accommodating, which is unfortunately rare in the touring world. It also has the best green room of any venue I ever worked in; the bunks are a nice touch!

— Dave Kezer

#9:30 interview #930 interview #earthquakerdevices #jamie stillman

2 notes · View notes

makistar2018 · 6 years ago

Link

10 Years Later, Taylor Swift’s ‘Fearless’ Still Slaps

When it was released in 2008, Swift’s sophomore album launched a thousand takes. Today, it’s best remembered as a simple time capsule

By LAUREN M. JACKSON November 12, 2018

Taylor Swift during the "Fearless" tour at Madison Square Garden on August 27, 2009 in New York City.

Theo Wargo/WireImage for New York Post

Like Propel water, The Scarlet Letter and mechanical pencils, Taylor Swift’s Fearless pairs well with the sporadic squeak of team-issued sneakers, overpriced hot lunches and the kind of angst that defines comfortably suburb-bound teenage years. Sliding open the album on Spotify with my iPhone 8, I can still feel my limbs stretched in all directions, hear the snap-crackle-pop of a dozen adolescent girls’ joints going through the motions of yet another warm-up to what would become the soundtrack of my high school varsity dance team’s inner and outer lives, as well as leave poptimism forever changed.

I am 27 now, still anxious but inflexible, no longer clinging (as) tightly to singular albums to tell the emotional landscape of my life — but back then, Fearless was god. Swift was barely into legal teenagedom when compiling her sophomore album’s original 13 tracks, but more than the happenstance near-synonymy of our ages (I’m younger by 1 year, 6 months, 27 days), the four-walled, high school claustrophobia induced by the album is a matter of skilled musical mood setting. From the first downbeat of the inaugural title track to the last flippantly rebellious “hallelujah” on “Change,” Swift traps us in the mind of an ungainly teen as she was once trapped, as I was, as so many others wading the ambiguity between comportment and desire that doesn’t quite end when gowns come on and caps fly up.

Like so many notebook pages on the golden screen, Fearless is filled with boys. Stans and haters have their theories, but I like to think of each song as an archetype, less true stories of relationships gone sour than a young woman’s true to life hetero-ethnography. There are the boys who do good — the “Fearless,” “Love Story,” “Hey Stephen,” “The Best Day” boys (the last a tribute to Dad) — the boys who nurture and love intensely. They do all the usual country boy things, all the usual cinematic things: driving slow, kissing in the rain, flouting archaic inter-familial squabbles. They honor their promises and, most of all, leave the narrator better changed for her affection.

These boys who do good are short-lived. By Track 2, “Fifteen,” we’re already checking in to Heartbreak Hotel for the upteenth time with an account of that age generic enough to warrant a fan-made montage of clips from Degrassi: The Next Generation. The song tells an allegedly universal story of freshman year woes, complete with riding in cars with senior boys who also play football (because of course). It’s saccharine, sung in the vernacular of normative coupling that would become Swift’s enemy in the gossip pages. But the limited lexicon is not necessarily untruthful. “Fifteen” has aged about as well as anyone would expect, but some of those refrains make me yearn for arms long enough to slap all the powers that be responsible for belittling the whims of young girls. And according to the greater duration of Fearless — tracks like “White Horse,” “Breathe,” “Tell Me Why,” “You’re Not Sorry,” “The Way I Loved You,” and “Forever & Always” — the greatest threat to the happiness of teen girls are boys.

November 2008 looks rosy from here. America had just elected its first black president, the man who promised too much hope and change to possibly be true, but faith felt good back then. Men had committed just five mass shootings over the past year with one more on the way in December (2018 has 307 mass shootings to its name so far). The nation boasted just under 150 recognized active white supremacist groups (that number would climb to over 1,000 during Obama’s presidency). Global finance was in crisis but cable networks were still winning Emmys. Amy Winehouse was alive. Kanye still made sense and a bright-eyed, hair-tousled new country darling was exclusively concerned with dating, rather than local politics.

Like any celebrity who is also a woman, but also in a lane quite her own, Swift’s relation to mainstream feminism wanes and waxes with the season. A female artist beloved by the girls for whom her songs are written, Swift and her music are therefore more scrutinized, more rigorously excavated for signs of harmful messaging than her male singer-songwriter peers. Fearless frayed Swift’s reputation in a way that wouldn’t let up for years, if ever, largely because of its critical success. Swift took home four Grammys at the 2010 awards, including Album of the Year, beating the Dave Matthews Band’s Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, The Black Eyed Peas’ The E.N.D., Beyoncé’s I Am… Sasha Fierceand, most egregiously, Lady Gaga’s debut studio album, The Fame. The perceived slight invited robust inquiry into this supposed album of the year, and the aesthetic discrepancy between the two quickly turned to politics.

Autostraddle’s Riese called Swift “a feminist’s nightmare,” the enemy of “brave, creative, inventive, envelope-pushing little monsters” everywhere. An accompanying infographic, “a symbolic analysis” of Swift’s works to date, cataloged her most damning motifs, including “virginal” imagery, “the stars,” “crying,” and the 2AM hour. At Jezebel, Dodai Stewart agreed that Gaga was the rightful winner, speculating that in a race between “Gaga the liberal versus Taylor the conservative,” the latter “makes the Academy feel more comfortable.” One joy of pop culture is the revelation of how melodramatically things can change. Last month, Swift announced her endorsement of Tennessee Democrats Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper for the midterm elections; meanwhile, Lady Gaga hews the path of glamorous respectability on her lengthy A Star Is Born Oscar campaign.

Feminist readings of Fearless weren’t wrong, exactly. Allies on the album come in strictly male form, while other girls are competition for Swift’s persecuted first person. Even the red-headed bestie Abigail becomes a lesson in chastity, losing her virginity — “everything”! —to the boy who broke her heart (the foil to Swift’s main character, whose dreams of living in a big ole city protect her from such a fate). The charting single “You Belong With Me” is a bouncy jaunt through the valley of me versus those other girls. The video that won Best Female Video at the MTV Video Music Awards over Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” — to seismic effect — stars Swift as both the frizzy blonde, bespectacled weirdo in band and the sleek brunette cheerleader with the man (Lucas Till who now plays MacGyver on CBS). In true romantic comedy fashion, Good Swift, clothed in white, ends up with the guy in the end, defeating Bad Swift, whose only crimes it seems are great taste in footwear and not appreciating her high school boyfriend’s likely moronic sense of humor. Both the song and video became emblematic of a kind of Swiftian all-for-one girl power. Her 2017 video for “Look What You Made Me Do” resurrects and buries all sorts of Swiftisms, including the iconography of the uncool girl who features so heavily in the Fearless-era of her oeuvre.

Pop music exists not to elevate our souls or our politics, but to safely wade in the muck of our pettiest appetites, whether they come with trap drums or in serenades. Pop music deserves interrogation, but it will never exceed us. Fearless was a diary, sounding like the selfishness that bubbles up regardless of one’s intellectual or political guards against it. The debate it ignited wouldn’t happen were it released today, amidst all this. It’s a relic of a time when determining exactly what an album meant, culturally and aesthetically, was a crucial discussion to have in public, when nuance had stakes. Compared to the basic moral tenets we now expend so much of our energy defending, such communal acts of criticism feel small and regretfully scarce. Fearless was a moment, now relegated to a time capsule, no longer a prompt.

Rolling Stone

#taylor swift #fearless #rolling stone #2018.11.12

3 notes · View notes

echelonfiction · 6 years ago

Text

Thinking Of You: Chapter 6 - not like usual

AN1: It’s just fanfiction, i mean no disrespect

AN2: I had a chapter of brightlights ready to go but my computer died a bout a monthag and /that/ seemed to be the only thing tht hadnted backed up, enjoy some TOY

Warning: , drugs, alcohol

Tagging @fyeahproudglambert @meghan12151977 @msroxyblog

(ask to be tagged)

Chapter 6

“Chester, what do I do,”

“Is she actually... oh my god, she said she was exhausted but doesn’t everyone say that,”

“I think maybe... I don’t know,” Mike laughed.

“Maybe most people say it, but those who fall asleep really are,”

“No, I didn’t” I groaned as I opened my eyes. My hands were tucked under my armpits my head was rested on someone’s shoulder I looked up at Mike he looked nervous. “I’m sorry,” I whimpered.

“It’s okay,” he said I sat up holding my own head noticing a drool patch on his shirt. Both our eyes with to it then to each others.

“I’m sorry,” I said again, I could feel my cheeks as the heat rose in them.

“It’s okay,” he said as I grabbed a napkin and his shirt wiping it off. “You must be really spent,” he said I looked up at him. he didn’t seem mad at all.

“That’s not an excuse,”

“Tatiana,” Mike laughed. “It’s not a big deal,” I turned to the table and threw the napkin on it.

“Tatty,” Chester said I looked up to him. His face was soft. “Why don’t you have your dinner and not think about it,” he said. I looked at the food I’d ordered on the table. “It’s really not the end of the world,” he said softly.

“You’re right,” I laughed looking between him and Mike. It really wasn’t an issue, embarrassing but I was fucking tired. “Want some of my fries as an apology?” I asked pulling my food tray to my knee, half leaning it on Mikes' knee as well. He looked nervously at Chester who must’ve told him to in some secret bro code.

“Sure,” Mike laughed.

I walked into the bedroom. I’d finally sorted everything out into a good routine, work aside, sometimes I got some free time. Shannon was looking at his phone.

“Are you ready bear?” I asked.

“Yeah, babe, I was just putting some feelers out for something good,”

“Not really a vital, Shan” I smiled.

“maybe” he smiled as he walked to me. “But fun!”

“Right?” I turned to him

“Besides, you’ve been so uptight lately,” he said with a smirk. “It wouldn’t hurt you to lose your mind for a little while.”

We got to the club, I don’t know why I felt so uncomfortable here.

“Leopard girl,” I heard and looked over to see Chester’s friend Brad waving us over.

“Hey,” I called back giving each person I knew a hug as I approached. “Guys, this is my amazing boyfriend, Shannon.” I said pulling him into me, “Babe, that’s Chester, Brad, Dave,” I said realizing Mike wasn’t here. Shannon gave a nervous wave to which he got a bunch of hi’s

“yo, Tatty,” Chester called. “This is my wife, Talinda”

“Hey,” Talinda waved.

“Hey” I grinned, nice to finally meet you,”

“You too,” she smiled.

“sit down guys,” Chester said, Joe was grabbing drinks, I’ll get him to grab you some,”

“sure thanks,” I smiled sitting down next to Shannon.

“Where do you know these people from, again,” he asked. “Those loon groups you attend?” I looked into his eyes and took a deep breath.

“I know Chester through the group,” I told “He come through work or Burger King a couple of times when I’ve been studying,”

“Right,” he sighed.

“They’re not loons,” I told calmly. He looked into my eyes.

“Babe,” he laughed.

“I go there too,”

“I know,” he said pulling my hair over my shoulder. “You’re better,” he said kissing my cheek.

“Tatty,” I looked up at Chester, “Joe will bring your drink soon,”

“Sure,” I smiled. “Are you guys nearly set up?”

“Yeah, I think Mike’s just,”

“Chester, there’s a problem with the, oh hey Tatiana,” he said walking over giving me a huge hug. “I’m glad you came,”

“Mike,” I cheered. “Same, this is my boyfriend,” there was an awkward silence before Mike moved and shook Shannon’s hand. “Shan baby, this is Mike,”

“Hey bro,” Mike said happily,”

“Hey,” Shannon said sarcastically before Mike sat next to me.

“So, you’ve been well?” Mike asked.

“Yeah, crazy busy,” I laughed. “But I think I’m starting to find a balance,”

“Getting back up on top of your leopard stuff?”

“slowly,” I said. “I caught up on all the stuff I needed to submit, but need to catch up on the readings and shit,”

“You’re smart, you’ll get there,” he smiled.

“Thanks,” I laughed. “How’s your week been?”

“Decent,” he nodded. I felt Shannon tense a little. “I have to do a sculpture now, from that drawing,”

“Oh, you made it so complex,” I worried grabbing Shannon’s hand holding it tight.

“Yeah, it’s going to be a bitch,” Mike laughed.

“Mike,” Chester called we both looked over. “What was there an issue with?” he asked as Joe started handing out drinks.

“Oh, right,” Mike laughed. “I’ll catch you later, Tatiana, thanks for coming,”

“Sure,” I smiled as I was given my drink. I leaned back into Shannon as he said thanks to Joe. “I always get nervous when I am about to hear new music,” I told Shannon.

“You do?” he half laughed.

“Yeah,” I smirked. “Like what if they’re shit and I have to pretend they’re good,”

“do you pretend I’m good?” he asked looking into my eyes. I had a feeling he was asking about something not music related. But I wasn’t biting. I wanted a good night and I wanted a good night with him.

“I know you’re the best,” I told. Moving closer to him. “But you’re oh-so-naughty,” I kissed him.

“Oh, really?”

“mhmm,”

“You need to show you deserve to know exactly how much,” he said grabbing my thigh kissing me deeply.

“Challenge accepted.” I grinned.

We sat with each other, Shannon and I eventually broke off a little-going to the bar acting kind of like a normal couple for the first time pretty much ever. The band started they were loud and grungy I watched as they sung and really owned the stage.

“wow,” Shannon laughed.

“What I looked over at him

“Your friend has some lungs,’ he admitted, Mike got his turn he put his guitar over his shoulder and started. “wow,” Shannon scoffed. “Homeboy is rapping,” I looked at him. His eyes were dark. He was turning in to dark Shannon who was a fucking jerk.

“I think they’re great,” I said honestly stirring my drink.

“I figured you would,” he said kissing my cheek. “Hey, will you be okay here for a bit?” he asked looking at his phone.

“why?” I snapped.

“I’ve got to go meet someone,” he said looking at me. “Don’t give me that look, I told you I was putting feelers out,”

“I don’t want to do it, Shan,”

“Don’t want us to both have a good night?”

“Yea- “

“Watch your friends play, I’ll be back before you know it,” he said kissing me before walking off. I turned back to my drink and it was almost like the music changed to suit my mood. It went from some kind of regular rock song to the lowest grungiest guitars I’d heard in such a long time. The song hit in just as I looked up the boys were going crazy on stage, Chester started singing something about bliss, ignorance something about being one step closer to the edge, being ready to break, wanting to disappear. I found myself staring at my drink. I felt this song at my core, by the time it got to the bridge it broke for a moment before Chester started screaming ‘shut up when I’m talking to you,’

“Where’s your boyfriend,” I heard I looked up, Chester’s wife.

“Oh, he had to go meet a friend, He said he’d be back,” I smiled.

“Good, come hang,” she said grabbing my arm pulling me over to her table right by the stage, I barely had time to grab my drink, let-a-lone say no. I was now apparently watching the band with her. “They’re good huh?”

“Yeah,” I smiled. “Such an individual style.”

“I agree, I could watch them for hours.” She said I smiled at her as she started watching them, her eyes trained on her husband. He held the stage so well, I watched them all do their thing until my eyes noticed Mike. He was everywhere. All over the place like a bunny on speed, pressing this button and that button all the while still having a great time on stage with his friends. Every time he smiled, I did too.

“Have they been a band long?” I asked.

“Kind of,” Talinda said. “Like not as long as Metallica,”

“Fair,” I nodded.

“Chester moved from Arizona a few years ago to be the singer, they’re really starting to get somewhere,”

“Oh, nice,”

“Mike and the other guys were a band before that, but Chester really meshes with them,”

“I can tell,” I smiled. “Did you move here with him?”

“No, we met here,” She told. “I am also from Arizona but we met here,”

“That’s cool,” I nodded.

“Are you from Cali?”

“Yeah,” I smiled. “My mom’s family is out of Long Beach, my dad out by Modesto,”

“Oh wow,” Talinda laughed.

“My parents thought LA was pretty central,”

“What about Shannon?”

“He’s from Louisiana,” I said. “He and Jared moved here for Jared’s career,”

“Jared?”

“Shannon’s brother, he’s great,” I admitted. “He wants to be an actor,”

“Oh,”

“He’s actually good though,” I laughed. “But I think He’s a better singer,”

“He sings too?”

“Yeah, he and Shan are in a band as well,”

“Oh, that’s awesome” Talinda cheered. “Maybe they can tour with Linkin Park?”

“Linkin Park?” I questioned. Talinda pointed at the stage. “Oh, right,” I laughed. “I’m so dumb,”

“Nah,” she laughed with me. “I don’t think they’ve said it once,”

“Alright, Ladies and Gentlemen,” Mike called from the stage. “We want to thank you all for coming out and being such a great crowd,” his eyes flickered to mine. I think. Probably not. “This is our last song, we’re Linkin Park, this is Papercut,”

“There we go!” Talinda and I said in unison.

“This is a really good song,” Talinda said, I smiled at her and listened. It was pretty intense, fear of the night, paranoia, the words struck something in me, then the way it was arranged at the end. I found myself completely mesmerized by Mike. “He’s cute, huh?”

“Huh?” I looked at her

“Mike, he’s cute,”

“Oh,” I looked at him pretending I hadn’t yet. “I mean, he’s not ugly,” I admitted. “He’s got a nice smile,” I said. “But I have a beautiful boyfriend,” even if I was major pissed at him right now.

“Okay,” she grinned at me like she was keeping a secret.

“Don’t do that,” I warned with a grin.

“Hey, I’m with the singer,”

“I like drummers,” I laughed as they finished up the song. Chester was off stage Talinda was instantly all over him giving him kisses and praise. The other guys went to their respective partners or guests. Mike came to the table that I was standing up. “That was kind of amazing,” I told him as he at wiping his face with a towel he was given at some point.

“Kind of?” he laughed looking at me out of the side of the towel.

“Yeah, I’d give you the hugs your band was getting but it would be weird,” I admitted.

“Only for you,” he grinned starting to catch his breath. I looked away “Drinks,” he cheered as the bartender brought a tray of what everyone was drinking, including me, which was weird. Chester came over grabbing his drink.

“What’d you think Tatty?” he asked.

“I thought you guys were great,” I admitted. “I don’t know how you guys aren’t touring,”

“We might be soon,” Chester admitted.

“Sweet,” I grinned. “I really liked the last song,” I admitted. “and the shut up screamy song?”

“Shut up screamy song?” Mike laughed.

“You know, the angry one,” I said. “shut up when I’m talking to you,” I sang half-heartedly.

“One step closer,” Mike said.

“Yeah that one,” I smiled “And the last one, the lyrics were hype,” I admitted.

“thanks,” Mike smiled.

“And the rapping over the rockfish sound, it’s pretty epic,” I said he looked in my eyes.

“Thank you,”

“You’re welcome,” I said proudly.

“Where’s Shannon?” he asked looking around.

“Oh, he had to go meet a guy,” I shrugged. “He’ll be back soon”

“Oh,” Mike looked away to Chester who was talking to some guy. I watched his face for a moment, so sticky and sweaty, his hair was up spikey as from the towel just now. The sweat was right down his neck into his shirt, I felt a hard lump in my throat that I had to swallow as I looked away. It doubled back as a slight cough as I took the next mouthful of my drink.

“You good?” Mike laughed.

“Yeah,” I smiled. “Wrong hole,” Mike busted out laughing I don’t know why but I joined in.

“what the actual hell,” He laughed turning to me.

“What?” I laughed.

“you don’t just say that in public,” he laughed.

“you’re dirty,” I said pushing him away.

“I’m dirty?” he exclaimed. “You said it,” I shook my head and went back to my drink as arms went around my waist.

“you look like you’re having fun,” my boyfriend whispered into my ear.

“Even more now you’re here,” I said turning and wrapping my arms around him. Kissing him, but he didn’t take it properly. He pulled back for a moment showing me his tongue with a pill on it. I rolled my eyes and kiss him anyway. Taking the pill with a chaser of his kiss. “Babe, you should’ve stayed for longer, the set was awesome,” I said bringing Mike back into the conversation.

“I heard the start,” he said. “It was pretty good,” he said.

“Thanks, Man!” Mike said offering Shannon a high-five which somehow turned in to a high-five hug over the top of me.

“You guys been playing together long?” Shannon asked.

“Few years with Chester,” Mike told, repeating the story Talinda just told me, a moment later Chester had joined Shannon and Mike in a conversation of band talk. Shannon wrapped his arms around me but wasn’t paying attention to me. So, I turned mine to Talinda. I was enjoying being out and not being completely bat. Shit. Crazy.

#Shannon Leto #chester bennington #mike shinoda #jared leto #linkin park #fanfic #fan fic writing #fan fiction #fan fic #music #echelon #30 Seconds To Mars #Thirty Seconds to Mars #echelon fiction #30secondstomars

18 notes · View notes

bugheadfamily · 6 years ago

Text

Bughead Family Discord Member Spotlight

Graphic by: Katie ( @betty-cooper )

This week the spotlight is on Bridget (@duskyblossom)! Click the read more link below to get to know our member!

Spotlight by Mila, @jughead-jones

Bridget | @duskyblossom

Name: Bridget

Age: Old enough to do Lego.

Location: Somewhere in this crazy universe.

Any other languages aside from English people can contact you in?: I would say a little bit of French but probably best not to haha.

Favourite Riverdale characters and ships?: Betty, Jughead, Cheryl (after she reconciled herself), Mary, Midge (rip), Valerie (somehow fell off the face of the earth?), Fred! My favourite ships are definitely Bughead and Choni, they’re just so adorable!!

Favourite moments from S1 & S2?: My favourite episode was 2x09 because of how the writers executed it, I know a lot of people disliked it but I thought the storylines in that made sense (Not because of the lack of bughead, I liked the actual CONTENTS and not just the shipping aspect.) 2x12 was also really good! In terms of bughead content,obviously 2x12 and 2x14 were the most bughead filled parts of Season 2, but I really liked 2x05 because man, that pulled at the heartstrings. Stuff like the ‘I believe you, Jughead.’ scene was what made Season 1 really cute in terms of Bughead. I also really liked the dynamic they had between Betty and Jug in S2.

What are your hopes for S3?: In terms of Bughead, I really want to see RAS giving them a chance to act like real teenagers not 25 year olds. I want to see them being all cuddly and just being happy for once!! I’m also super intrigued to see where the serpent storyline will go, and how Betty will interact with Gladys and Jellybean.

Other fandoms you’re into?: Nothing, really. I used to be a huge Hunger Games and Harry Potter nut, so you can still talk to me about those! I also LOVE The Office, it’s my other favourite TV show!

Something non-fandom you love?: Reading, art, and baking!

What are some of your favourite movies/TV?: Oh, BOY. This question is really hard. For TV, obviously Riverdale is my number one, but The Office US comes a close second. I got so invested in The Office and it was so difficult to see it end. For movies, the Sound of Music can’t really be beat in my books. It’s such a timeless classic that i’ve loved forever. La La Land is my VERY close second, that film was and still is the death of me. Lady Bird was an INCREDIBLE film, I really related to it and its bittersweetness and sentimentality! And classic musicals like Mamma Mia and Grease.

Favourite books?: I read a lot, so I’m so excited to share some of my faves! Obviously the Harry Potter series, that influenced me a lot. The Hunger Games trilogy was also really gripping and I loved that. The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon was so enlightening and I loved that. The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Saldinger, such a classic and I loved the way it was written. Turtles All The Way Down by John Green is a really good book that brings light to mental health in a less harsh sense which is perfect for me. I’m also reading The Circle by Dave Eggers at the moment which is great so far!

Favourite bands/musicians?: I don’t really listen to anyone in particular, but my 2 favourites are Adele and Sam Smith.

If you could live in any fictional world which one would you choose and why?: I feel like everyone says this, but probably Harry Potter. I wouldn’t want to risk the chance of getting murdered in Riverdale tbh!

Favourite food?: This question is so so SO difficult but I’d have to say shoestring fries with aioli and a huge side of salad.

Favourite season?: Spring! All the flowers bloom and all the baby animals are born, it’s starting to get warmer but it stills rains! Everything about it is just wonderful.

Favourite plant?: Baby’s breath! It’s so delicate and sweet.

Favourite scent?: Starfruit or vanilla bean. Starfruit is such a fresh and pleasant scent, while vanilla makes me feel all cosy and calm.

Favourite colour?: Pink, pink, pink!! I love it so much.

Favourite animal?: Can I be boring and say dogs? I just love them.

Are you a night owl, an early bird, or a vampire?: Can I say none of these? I love sleep so mornings are not for me, and being a vampire is a big no-no. So I guess I would say night owl, as I’d rather go to sleep late than wake up early.

Place you want to visit?: All over Europe - it’s such a beautiful and interesting continent.

Do you have pets?: If you do, tell us a little about them: Yes I do! I have a schnoodle (schnauzer + poodle cross). He is the cutest little thing and always gives me snuggles even though he really just wants food haha. I love him to death.

Tell us a little about yourself?: I mean, what’s there to tell? Hmm… I guess I could say I’m a creative person. Work that I’m not inspired by is really difficult for me such as areas like mathematics or science. I’ve always been a creative soul, I much prefer the arts over sitting at a computer and typing equations or finding out molecular structures. That stuff just doesn’t interest me! I’ve always been a girly girl at heart, as I said before I adore the colour pink and cutesy things. Tying in with being a girly girl, I’ve been a hopeless romantic since I can remember. I feel like I always look at the idealistic side of things, which doesn’t help me being a perfectionist. To all the people who aren’t perfectionists, lucky you. It’s beyond frustrating when something isn’t how I want it to be. Making art and other things is a challenge for me, if I’m not completely happy with what I’ve done, I will throw it out. There’s a running joke that I’m not allowed to give up on a piece anymore because I’m that bad! I’ve always been super academic, I’ve never been one for sport as it doesn’t activate my mind as such. Although I must say, swimming is something I’ve always been good at. I’m such a water baby! I’m super in to fashion and photography, it really interests me how you can express yourself through simple things like what you wear. I think that’s it!

Fun or weird fact about you?: My pinky finger on my right hand moves completely on its own. I can move it up and down without any of my other fingers moving. I haven’t met one person who can do it too!

Asks for fanfic authors:

How long have you been writing?: About 3 years now!

Which is your favourite of the fics you’ve written?: Well I mean My Muse Yet My Saviour as that’s the only thing I’ve done in the bughead fandom so far!

Favourite fic/chapter/plot-point/character you’ve ever written?: Probably Chapter 9 of MMYMS. (Spoiler if you haven’t read it!) I was really glad I got to incorporate Jellybean into the story and write her out in my own way as I’ve seen other writers do before. I can’t wait to see how she’s portrayed in S3!

Which was the hardest to write, and why?: All of it, to be honest. Writing is difficult for me as I get bored easily with a lot of things and I have to push myself to put out the best content I possibly can.

How do you come up with the ideas for you fic(s)? (examples: Do you draw inspiration from real life? Listen to music? Get inspired by TV/movies?) Do you have an process to your writing?: Can I say my brain? I just make stuff up as I go along, and somehow make it work! There’s no rhyme or reason to my writing either - I just word vomit onto my document and then organise it!

Idea that you always wanted to write?: Just normal, teenagery bughead. I think that’d be adorable!

Favourite character to write?: Betty - she has so much versatility and you can create a lot of dimension with her!

Best comment/review you’ve ever received?: All of them. I’m so appreciative of all the praise I get, it really motivates me to create more content. Thank you to anyone who’s ever commented, I appreciate you!!

Best and worst parts of being a writer?: Best is probably having that creative outlet to share your work and ideas. It gives me a chance to share all my thoughts and feelings in a way and I love it! Worst is probably the time it takes. Mostly I don’t have enough free time to write and when I do I’m not in the mood. Finding that balance is really difficult.

Do you have any advice to offer?: Keeping working hard! If you don’t push yourself, your work won’t be of your best ability. Giving yourself a challenge shows off your skills and makes you work harder than before, which really pays off.

This is the second instalment of Bughead Family’s Member Spotlight series. Each week, a member’s url is selected through a randomizer and they will be featured in a spotlight post. In order to participate, please join the Bughead Discord (more information found here). Thank you.

#bughead #riverdale #bughead family discord #member spotlight

16 notes · View notes

laetro · 3 years ago

Text

Archer Dougherty: Experiment to Eliminate Fear of Failure

Archer Dougherty strongly disbelieves in nurturing a “signature style,” instead of encouraging artists to constantly experiment with thought, concept, visual language and so on. Mostly self-taught while social media was still in its infancy, she dove into an exploratory approach to develop her skill and vision through a mixture of learning from failures and little successes. Not trying ensures one is not a failure but neither a success, she realised.

For over ten years, Archer Dougherty specialised in design and 2D work, drawing being her favourite mode. Though she studied sculpting and print-making at her local state university, Archer trained herself technically in contemporary art through emerging social media. She loves football, hiking, Shiba Inus and dreams of having a farm populated with mini animals.

ORDER A CUSTOM ILLUSTRATION

Q. What got you started as an artist and what path did you take thereon to grow and evolve at your craft?

Archer Dougherty: It may sounds cliché but I’ve drawn it ever since I can remember. I always gravitated toward art, so my career was simply a natural outgrowth of that relationship. I tried to pursue a formal art education but couldn’t afford to go to a proper brick-and-mortar art school and the internet wasn’t much of a thing in the late ’90s. So, I attended my local state university and studied sculpting and printmaking there but was discouraged from focusing on anything narrative.

After academia, the internet was gaining traction and the backlash in my mental space resulting from an education that didn’t ignite any real passion launched my true artistic training. Books, an infant YouTube, Facebook, and an even newer Instagram put me in touch with contemporary art which was being done in the ‘now’ and seemed important. I began my technical training through these channels and have been flying along this learning curve ever since.

Q. What would you say is your signature style in your works and what is your process to achieve it?

Archer Dougherty: I don’t relate to the phrase “signature style.” I think it is used way too often to catalogue for branding purposes, which has a use in the larger market, but it should not be a “goal” in itself for any artist in terms of the artistic process. When younger students are bombarded with art through social media, as they are now, and see profile after profile showcasing a very polished and specific personal visual language, they grow walls around their thinking, making them single-mindedly pursue the idea of a “signature style.”

It inhibits growth and takes up way too much mental space in anyone’s head, especially for those starting. I believe in pursuing ideas and experiments, technical and conceptual stepping stones and failures, and that your language will mature as you make mistakes and learn what appeals to you both spiritually and intellectually and what does not.

Simply copying or attempting to imitate a style to follow someone’s career arc will end up making you feel like you have to wear a suit that no longer fits, though it’s what everyone has come to expect. The way my art looks and feels has come through years of absolute and abysmal failures at every technique and visual language imaginable while also recognising those small successes which add up to a rich and fulfilling personal output.

It is a massive additive compilation of preferences in art history, literature, movies, comics and illustration. These preferences are arrived at simply by trying new things all the time. A lot of artists are afraid of failure but they don’t realize that failure isn’t even a thing until you try. If you don’t constantly try, you won’t be a failure but neither a success. You won’t be anything at all.

Q. What subjects, mediums and tools do you most like to work with?

Archer Dougherty: I sort of work with everything. My current technical preferences are oil on board, traditional, Procreate and the iPad digital. I prefer environment design and experimenting with colour psychology on my iPad. When I paint in oils, I prefer symbolist portraiture.

Q. What do you suggest artists and clients both should keep in mind to work together efficiently?

Archer: Communication and transparency. Understanding the other party’s priorities is essential so that both can understand each other’s point of view and reach a solid mid-point.

Q. How do you achieve a sense of 2D realism, symmetry and depth across your works?

Archer Dougherty: I’ve put myself through a decade of learning to ingrain the fundamentals of things such as an approach to realism, value structure, anatomy, light, form, mass, composition, colour, etc. I use those learnings to create from my mind when I want to. Actual symmetry is utilised in a lot of art, native art and, I suppose, one could say a great composition utilises a form of visceral symmetry.

If you don’t constantly try, you won’t be a failure but neither a success. You won’t be anything at all

Q. What kind of projects are you currently working on and what kind are you looking to work on in the future?

Archer Dougherty: My projects vary greatly, depending on my mood. When I die, I will have so many unfinished works that my family won’t be able to sell any of them. In terms of future projects, I have many animated shorts and self-published printmaking collections mulling around in my head. Narrative painting projects and the likes, too. Pinpointing one and beginning is ninety percent of the work.

Q. Could you please highlight some of your most notable works and why you find them noteworthy?

Archer: I have a singular notable work that no one has seen. In my opinion, it is the culmination of years of introspection, practicing self-awareness and reflection, learning largely academic techniques and then learning to be alright with abandoning them when it suited the work. It is the result of self-discipline and self-abandonment and a study of the essence.

It is the one piece in which I can say I was fully immersed, mind and body, from beginning to end and it is mine in its entirety, called “Metempsychosis: The Transmigration of Souls”, an ink, oil, shellac and wax medium on seven panels across seven feet. I’ll get it framed one of these days.

Q. What has been your greatest insights as an artist, with time?

Archer Dougherty:

1. Discovery – that I didn’t have to look or feel or make art like anyone else to make great art was possibly this discovery.

2. Cross-discipline learning is the greatest asset you can have to make richer and fuller art throughout your life. Study the sciences, literature, poetry, humanities, etc.

3. My penchant for the “big questions” allowed me to pursue my visual language on a level that both challenged and fulfilled me. I used the thoughts surrounding these questions to ask more questions rather than be plagued by a lack of answers.

4. Art is the reflection of a thing, not the thing itself.

Q. Who has been your favourite clients to work with and why?

Archer Dougherty: Modern Eden Gallery in San Francisco remains one of my top favourites. They are generous, truly care about their artists’ wellbeing and prioritise good relationships. They are good people. Dave and Brett from Laetro have quickly made the top of the list, as well, through their generosity, vision, intelligence, and communal priorities.

I also loved working with Magnetic Dreams Animation Studio – the same adjectives tend to apply to the people who make my top clients list. I feel that communication, a mutually beneficial relationship, and empathy are important in any client relationship.

#Archer Dougherty #Laetro #art #artist #Digital Art #support artist

0 notes

cookiedoughmeagain · 7 years ago

Text

Haven DVD Commentary: 2.11 - Business As Usual

There are two commentaries for this episode. Here are some notes on the first one:

Shawn Pillar: Executive Producer of Haven and Director for this episode Brian Millikin: Script Co-ordinator and writer (though not for this episode)

Topics covered include:

“The way we talked about this episode in the writer’s room as as part one of a two-part season finale.”

Shawn being delightfully enthusiastic about getting to direct a whole episode.

It’s a big episode because everything changed at the end of the last one with the Rev’s death. “Haven has been flipped upside down. Duke is now on the path to learning about himself.”

The stretch of road by the sea that we see the runners running along is somewhere they have shot at a lot, including for episode 13, the Christmas episode.

Shawn enjoying the aerial shots, because he is terrified of heights and he was in the helicopter shooting them.

Shawn enjoying directing Adam Copeland, “Edge” because he is “a very natural actor who just keeps getting better every episode.” And how it was fun to direct him because he’s a great performer and “comfortable in his own skin” and loved to be directed; he’s a director’s dream because did everything exactly as he was told. “Either you’re a really good actor, or I’’m a fantastic director … hopefully it’s both.”

Brian talks about when they were hiring him and all it really took to make the decision was when they watched his retirement (from wrestling) speech on YouTube.

This being an interesting episode for showing a bit more of how the Troubles (and fear of the Troubles) are affecting the town e.g. the bystanders watching the argument between Stu and Patrick. “The cat is getting out of the bag.” “We wanted to try and escalate the level of tension in the town following the Rev’s death,” and in a way that starts to pull at Audrey and Nathan. And how the episode gives us a better sense of Haven as a town.

Shawn talks about how Brian started with them as an intern after college, and was assistant to his father Michael Pillar. And after “years of toiling with us on our different shows; Greek and Deadzone and Wildfire, Scott Shepherd and Matt McGuiness and Sam and Jim,” took him under their wing and decided he should write an episode this season. He wrote an episode which Shawn directed. But “being the writers assistant in the room gives him an unique perspective on every episode and he becomes the guy who has to co-ordinate the scripts and type in changes and …. Type up all the notes and keep the writers organised. So in some ways, he knows where the bodies are buried more than anyone.” And Brian agrees that he probably does know the show better than anyone else.

Shawn talks about how one of the things he wanted to do in directing the episode was to have the camera moving. “I think it adds a lot of tension, and a lot of mood.” And he says that in this episode “basically every single shot is moving.” In some ways it shoots faster, and looks better than when you don’t move the camera. He adds that it’s “a little tougher to edit sometimes”. Brian says he loves it and that “you can always tell when Shawn Pillar has directed an episode,” from whichever series it is, and adds that it “brings a lot of energy.”

The talk about the importance of picking the right locations for each scene so that they flow together, and trying to anticipate what the DP is going to want to do with the lighting, and what the art department is going to want to do with the background etc.

Shawn refers to directing as “the most fun I’m allowed to have. Normally I’m fixing problems; this time I got to create my own problems and fix them myself.”

As we see Duke on the phone to Evi’s mum, Shawn talks about wanting to feature the whole boat set, and how there was originally much more to this conversation but they had to cut it. But they originally would have shown Duke on the phone in the distance walking back and forth across the set and would have shown more of the set because there’s a lot of it which we never get to see which is a shame, “because the sets are gorgeous”. So “let’s pretend we’re making a feature film” and shoot lots of wide shots rather than just relying on close ups all the time.

As we see Duke read ‘Crocker’ on the lid of his silver box, Brian talks about how they have been waiting all season to get back to this point. “We introduced this box back in episode four” and now seven episodes later they finally got to bring it back. And Shawn talks about how a lot of the set up they laid for the season got paid off in this episode, which spiked the arc of the story telling to the finale, which then itself sets them up for season three.

Shawn talks about the woman who plays Colleen Pierce; her name is Crystal Allen, he describes himself as “a huge fan” and says that she “was almost Evi.” She was one of the final three for that role. And he talks about one of the advantages of his role in relation to this episode is that he didn’t need to do any casting; he was able to use people he already knew and whose work he admired, including for both Colleen and Stu Pierce.

Brian talks about the evolution of ideas from a storytelling standpoint i.e. how the episode evolved in that the original idea was for something where it looks like a Troubled person is killing other Troubled people. And then we find out that it’s someone has framed a Troubled person as a weapon against all Troubled people. Originally there was going to be a group of people that had kidnapped Stu, and a race against time to get to him, but “based on some network notes” that was condensed, and that allowed them to get to some of the other things in the episode they wanted to get to; e.g. the plot line with Duke and Dwight, and Audrey and Lucy, and Audrey and Nathan’s interactions which “came to dominate the episode; in a good way.”

As we see Audrey and Nathan argue in the interview room after Nathan lets Patrick go, Shawn talks about liking this scene as the first time we’ve ever really seen Audrey and Nathan argue. And how it was a pleasure to get to direct that, and to be able to let them play with it, and how he pushed Emily and Lucas to fight and to be more intense, and then pulled them back for another version. And then they cut together the best moments from all of those different versions and that it worked out really well.

They both comment on the “return of the tandem bike” as we see Vince and Dave bringing more copies of the Herald. And Brian comments that he loves the TOWN GRIEVES newspaper headline. As Duke talks to the Teagues, Shawn comments that this is a good example of the value of staying in wide shots and medium shots for longer, because it shows of the town (of Lunenberg) in the background. And that it was nice to be able to do that because although they go to Lunenberg for Duke’s boat “rarely do we get to shoot in downtown Lunenberg”.

And then they comment on the divide that we see between Vince and Dave, and “seeing that they’re on two different sides of something that we don’t totally understand”. And what a great job the actors always do with these characters. “You can tell that they love each other and hate each other”. And about Vince and Dave as being brothers first and foremost, but then also enemies, and you “see that bubble up sometimes, that they have a differing agenda.”

And they agree that “Eric Balfour is always fantastic, and always finds ways to pull it off the page and make it a little bit funny, a little bit quirky.” “I think he makes everything better.”

They talk about how there are a lot of fathers and sons in this episode in terms of Nathan missing his father and living in his shadow, and Duke discovering things about his father, and also Duke and Dwight talking about their fathers. And Shawn continues, “And Vince, we may find in Season Three …” and then Brian interrupts him to compliment the camera work and we never get back to the point about Vince.

They talk about the Duke and Dwight fight sequence, noting that “Eric is a trained fighter” and obvious Adam came to Haven from wrestling, and so him and the fight co-ordinator were able to work with the actors to get their suggestions for it as well. He comments that they shot the scene really fast with a hand held, and mentions that the key that flies out from the box was CGI.

They note this is the first real fight they’ve done in Haven and that fight scenes can be tricky because they take a long time to shoot and there can be safety issues. Adam was injured in his previous career as a wrestler, so they wanted to be very careful not to ask him to do too much “Because a) I love the guy, and b) we definitely need him in work the next day”. Shawn also notes that “there was a stunt man ready to step in for Adam, but he didn’t quite match.” So they staged it in a way that Eric took the brunt of most of the hits.

Adam got smashed in the head with the candy glass, but they only had the budget for two or three of those, and Shawn was worried that Adam might get cut, so they shot everything else until they were happy and then did the glass smashing after. He adds that a lot of the choreography was more between the actors and the cameramen and that worked because the less rehearsed the fight is the more real it feels.

They both agree that they love the scene where Nathan and Audrey talk (argue) in the car, and Shawn adds that it was shot in two separate bits, because the wide shots were shot on location in Lunenberg and the closeups were shot a couple of weeks later in Chester, with fake backdrops outside the windows.

Brian talks about the shooting schedule, how they shot Duke’s phone conversation with Evi’s mother, and Duke and Dwight’s fight, and Duke and Dwights conversation, all in one day; one day in the boat to shoot all the inside boat scenes. They had a day in Lunenberg. A day on the boat outside.

They talk about how visible Duke’s boat is in Lunenberg and how you can just walk about and see it, and how they have both met fans there. And Shawn talks about meeting a couple of fans “I think they were English and they happened to be in town” and he invited them to come to set and they came to the boat and “we gave them headphones and let them listen to us filming”. [I am not jealous at all, oh no :/ Who are you, English Haven fans? I want to hear all about it!]

For the scene where Audrey and Nathan argue while Patrick is tied up on the other side of the room, they shot this in Lunenberg; inside the building that we see Patrick coming out of earlier. For the part where Audrey goes upstairs, they shot part of that ahead of time, because Emily was down at Comic Con, and then part of it (the parts with real fire) were done on the soundstage with a stunt person. So they didn’t have real fire in the actual building; there they shot with Emily and just smoke and CG fire, and then cut in with the stuntperson running through real fire. And the smoke we see coming out of the building from outside is the actual building they were in, with CG smoke. When Audrey kicks down the door to go into the room to find Stu, they “cheated” in that Emily kicked down the door and then actually came back into the same room they were already filming in. So basically when you can’t see Audrey’s face, that’s the stuntperson on the stage running through real fire, and where you can see Emily’s face, that’s her on location with CG fire added after.

As we see Duke and Dwight on Simon’s old boat, Shawn says “We cheated Duke’s actual boat in Lunenberg, as this other boat. Because, a boat’s a boat, you can’t really tell the difference.”

On small spaces like inside the boat where they couldn’t fit dolly track, they shot with handheld cameras to keep the movement and the energy up.

Brian talks about the initial reaction to the idea of Simon hiding stuff on his boat; “a lot of people thought that didn’t make any sense at all” that you could hide something on a boat that well. But Matt McGuinness (who co-wrote this episode) is himself a sailor and insisted on it and threw in all this boat terminology to convince them.

As Sal comes down the ladder, Shawn says, “I love this actor; he looks perfectly Haven. I’ve been saving him for a while to use and I finally selfishly had to put him in my episode.” He was originally brought in for a different part in another episode and it was felt he wasn’t right for that part, but “when we need a pirate, when we need a salty old dog” he would be perfect. He adds that the first time round the actor was playing it “a little too drunken, a little too piratey” so Shawn told him “just be yourself” and he was brilliant. There was a lot more to this scene that was quite funny between him and Eric, but it got cut for time.

They mention for the Stephen King fans that the name of the previous owner of the boat (Ray Fiegler) was a Stephen King reference. Brian adds that it’s his job to get in as many Stephen King references as he can, so when the script gets changed he just quietly puts them back in.

They note that the concept of the meeting of Troubled people was a little controversial among a lot of the writers and producers, the idea of the Troubled getting that organised, and this well known. But he says he thinks they pulled it off and it works. Shawn adds that it’s a natural escalation; if you’re going to keep things realistic, then the town is eventually going to notice at least some of what’s going on, and they’re going to start talking about it.

They add that was one of the challenges in working on Dead Zone; not making Johnny Smith too famous, so there they always kept people skeptics. But in this show they have to walk that same fine line where some people don’t believe in the Troubles, some people believe because they live it day to day, and then some people are scared of the Troubles/Troubled. Which Shawn adds “I think is symbolic of other social issues … and I think that’s one of the great things science fiction can do is take contemporary issues and put them … in a context that allows you to examine them in a different way.”

Brian asks Shawn about the shooting of Nathan and Audrey’s kiss and how they went about it, and Shawn says that his mom was on set for the shooting of this episode and they have this thing where they always show the pilot for a new show to his mom and “if she cries, then we know that it’s good.” So she is their test audience. And his mom was there on set for the blocking of this scene [which Google tells me means “working out the details of an actor's moves in relation to the camera”] and “she started crying during the blocking … and I was like ‘people, my mom is crying, this is a great scene’. And so that was hilarious and awesome and we knew it was going to be a great scene.”

Shawn adds that this is something that the two actors have been wanting to play for a long time “and I was honoured and privileged that I got to direct it, and it was really fun. They did a really good job.” And he remembers the cameramen being really enthusiastic about it as well during filming. And he says it was “really cathartic to finally shoot this scene.” And Brian agrees that “it’s so heartfelt.”

When Nathan starts to say something and then cuts himself off with a “never mind” Shawn says that there was no line there. There was something they had that they didn’t like and they cut it, and not knowing what to put in its place they used the “never mind” as something realistic that people do.

They note that at this point the episode turns, because the case of the week is ended and it becomes all about Audrey going to see Lucy and the fall out with Duke and “it’s a unique episode in that regard”.

They note that the important line in this scene is when Nathan says, “I hope you come back and tell me what they are,” because there is a sense that he could lose her. He knows she has a bigger role to play, though he doesn’t know what it is.

This was a difficult episode to get it to not be too long. A lot of times if something’s long you cut out the not-great stuff and find you’re too short, but with this one there was so much to they really wanted to include that it was difficult; “everything worked, everything was good, all the acting was good, it just looked beautiful, and it was such a fully packed script that it was really difficult” to cut it down to the right length.

As Audrey and Lucy are sat down to talk, they comment that the only issue was this scene was that it started raining, so that as we are looking at Lucy, it’s not raining; when we’re looking at Audrey it is raining in the background, “but hopefully nobody notices that.” That scene was shot in Chester; the production office is in the background. They’re just down the road from where they shot Duke on the phone by his car in the previous episode, and the soundstages are just up the street in the other direction.

They talk about Audrey (or her previous Lucy incarnation) as a living time capsule, a bag of evidence that Audrey left for herself; this warning that she left with Lucy a long time ago.

They talk about loving this episode for the fact that it is really significant in terms of the relationship between Audrey and Nathan, but then when Audrey learns about Simon Crocker being after Lucy, it also becomes really significant for the relationship between Audrey and Duke as well.

They talk about the shot were we look down on the Rouge with Dwight on deck as Duke finds the box, this one:

And then where the camera tracks down closer to them. “This was an incredible shot; one of the best shots we’ve ever done in the history of the series”. It was technically difficult to do because it was actually done on the boat, and with the right equipment it would be easy; but they did not have that type of crane, so it was really complicated (“a ballet dance”) to move down and keep the shot straight. “Our whole camera team really had a tough time pulling that off, but they nailed it and it looked pretty damn smooth. It looked like we had the most expensive equipment in the world and actually we didn’t.”

They talk a little as well about maximising efficiency by shooting multiple things from the same crane angle to save time.

They made two versions of the silver box; one was just a solid wooden thing that didn’t open, for when it was pulled sideways out of the can. They talk about how there was a lot of discussion for a long time about exactly what weapons were going to go in the box “we were emailing photos of weapons from Assassin’s Creed for months”.

The blood on Duke’s hand was CG effects added after; they didn’t have time to “mess around” with blood on the set. As Dwight flies across the Rouge, that was a stunt man and a crane pull that was anchored on a pole that is there that is actually used for fishing nets.

There were a couple of shots in this scene (shot on three cameras) where one of the other cameras was visible in the shot and they had to CG that out.

The scene of the meeting in the Herald at the end; when they were shooting this, Adam Copeland had a 104 degree fever.

There were also various comments throughout this about how everyone did a great job; writers, actors, cameramen, crew; in relation to the sets and the music. I didn’t write all the names down, but; everyone did a great job.

As ever there is always the possibility that I have got their voices muddled up at some point.

#haven syfy #haven dvd commentaries #2.11 - Business as usual #long post

10 notes · View notes

minrazinc · 7 years ago

Text

My personal experience with Shatner part 4

ok I will just copy and paste from my old post in his fan club Facebook group, because I’m lazy to write another one. :) It was later October last year.

Because of Sandy and Dave's suggestions, I guess I really could write something down to share this amazing experience, of seeing his Shatner's World for three times for the past three days.

Probably lots of self-related nonsense and poor English writing. Not a serious review or something, just a fan's perspective. Please bear with me.

Compared to many of you, I'm still quite new-ish...Only when STB came out and I decided to give it a shot did I finally find out and become obsessed about this great franchise, and came to know about this great man. I read his autobiographies, one by one, and completely attracted by his rich life experience and colorful personality. I can say it is his uniqueness that leads me to explore more about Star Trek not the other way around.

Ok so as I read about his life, I got to know his classic background and theatre experience. I'm a total theatre geek by the way. It's also something that's not very popular from where I come from, so when I finally found it out I became obsessed. So that part of him connecting to my other love excite me. I got to know his Shatner's World project and all I can think about day by day is I wish he could do it again. Or if I can travel back in time to see his touring in 70s, or to 50s seeing him do The World of Suzie Wong, that could work too! Some times before he announced this year's tour, when I went to Broadway, I even walked around Music Box and said to my self: please please come back again.

And guess what? Boom! He did! Do you have some magic power that can make my wishes come true, Bill?

So I carefully watch all 7 theatre's news, seeing them when to sell tickets, planning my journey, and so on. Most of them were settled in May and June. I planned to see all 7 performances at first, but I only bought 5 tickets, plus one for my friend at the end. Well in reality I only made it to 3. Planning can never catch up with changes, can it?

I also can't drive, and his touring is around Missouri, where the transportation you can just imagine. I think I can manage to go to three cities is quite magical already, not to see I found places to stay, have food... kind of remind me of his hitch riding experience before he went to college? Something he said when he talked about this experience really touched deeply in my heart, that is "you can never learn more than when you're on a trip and don't know the destination." I can really feel that, since I think I'm right in such situation. From the second performance to the third, Overland Park, some of my planning went wrong, I almost imitate him, making a board saying "student...seeing the US", standing on the road to see if someone could kindly take me for a ride or something. (Nah...just kidding)

But after all, I did see him, in theatre, on stage, doing his best, which makes everything worth , that's the most important part. Before I could actually walk into that theatre, I was thinking how would his one man show be different from panels at conventions, since both are he talks about himself. When I actually see it, I got my answer, completely different. Shatner's World is staged, written, designed and he's playing the role of Shatner, sort of, in my opinion, while at conventions he's more about himself. Do I enjoy him playing Shatner, aka another level of himself? Of course! I think "Shatner" could probably be my favorite role of his.

When the show was about to start, the intro music of TOS plays. In three shows I watched, audience at different cities had different reactions. At Johnson county community college, the audience was really exited as the music starts, and that kind of worship feeling is really exited for me as well.

Many of stories he talks in the show are in "Up Till Now", so I'm quite familiar with, but still very happy to see him actually act it out, like coco the gorilla story, and him seeking rats, and anecdotes with his parents. I remember just reading those words was already extremely enjoyable, and always gave me better mood for the day, never could imagine see him actually perform it could be way more pleasant.

One of the moments that left me with great impression is his recall of those days in Stratford. I really like his Transformed Man, mainly because of the classic literature part he did in the recording, especially Henry V's "Once more unto the breach" speech, which I think is so suitable for Captain Kirk, and all the classic heroism type of personality deep within him. I always thought I could be so satisfied if one day I could see him do it live.

And guess what? He did! Again Bill you definitely are wish satisfier! Magical!

I was so amazed by the power came from him, both for Henry V and Tambourine the Great, though he just did for a few words, but grabs everyone's attention in the room. The audience just suddenly became absolutely silent, like they don't believe what just happened and their brain stopped working. And at that moment, Bill was very complacent, he would utilize that silence and said "yeah and the audience at that time was just...silent. " And everyone in the room follows his lead, without any extra noice, normally.

I said normally, because you couldn't control everything, even for Bill. At the third performance, in Overland Park, someone unfortunately coughs at that supposedly "absolutely silent" moment. Bill added "No one coughs." The audience just suddenly burst into huge laughter. "And no one laughs! " Bill pretended to be a little angry. Everybody just laughed more hardly, including me of course, and I probably was the one laughed the hardest at that moment, because I knew this is outside their script, and Bill just improvised. I was so happy to finally see what his improvisation looks like, and his casual interaction with the audience as well. I like his stories about Suzie Wong so much, mainly because of the way he used his improvisation to save the show. I think he's so genius on this part, so every time he did it it's like a treasure for me.

He did the show differently every day. I saw many of my favorite shows multiple times, but never have I saw one like his that never bored me, and made me feel like I'm seeing it for the first time every day. I think Omaha is his first during this tour, so he's fully charged and really passionate, even his speaking speed is faster than usual. From first to second, Omaha to Branson, staff told us he drove there, which almost needs for 6 hours? I experienced it so I know how tired he's supposed to be, but on stage he's just still energetic as usual, like Superman! Or at least have a Vulcan's strength. He's so professional and so passionate about what he's doing, and I could feel that, which made me feel the same way as well. But I don't think the audience in Branson is as great as the other two. Many came late. Though in recording announcement Bill emphasized not to use any recording device, but there were still many people take out their phone. But that doesn't bother him (yeah he wouldn't shout at the audience like when he's in Suzie Wong's days. Shame). In Branson's performance, he and his cute co-chair had a little argument, so his good partner almost threw him off ground, which is quite dangerous. And the audience had some worried sound as well. He just smiled and took care of this little incident easily "these chairs, they don't work the same do they?" Everyone laughed, and he changed a position to make sure of his own safety. I noticed at the third performance this thing didn't happen again.

Because he probably had a good rest at Friday night, and the distance between Overland Park and Branson is not crazy as between Branson and Omaha, also the audience in Overland Park was great, he's amazing again on Saturday. Besides the little improv on "silent" part, another little incident happened at the end. He missed the first lines in "real", but he catched up perfectly with the rhythm again. I'm sure anyone who never heard of this song wouldn't notice any problems. Lol.

So...even though this is not my first time seeing him, as I said I have some weird obsession with theatre. Seeing him in a theatre is still a dreamy experience for me, because of what he wrote and talked about his great days in theatre, like suzie wong, like Henry V, which indicate his colorful personality so well. So when I finally got to see it, as one of thousands audience sitting there, seeing him doing those imitations, comedic performances, classic performance, seeing him being silly, being poignant, and even feeling his casual eye contact, it's really a spiritual experience for me, exactly what's like for him when he's with his "stealing motorcycle" or horse. To be more sentimentally exaggerated, theatre is my cathedral and I got to see a God there.

And I had two photo opps with him. I’m satisfied with the first but not so much with the second. However, after I left the theatre after the third show, I tweeted him about how much I enjoyed it and I love him improv that night. He replied to me asking if I was following him, with an amusing emoji. Even though he replied to me so many times I couldn’t even remember, and I know it’s not a big deal, he likes to interact with people on twitter, I was still super exited that night, ‘cause his tweet was showing like, somehow he recognized me at that moment. And it feels sooooo good to actually to show the actor your praise for his work. More to that, after he ended his tour last year, and like a month or so passed, he came to our fanclub Facebook group (not the official one which is much larger), read my post, and “likes” it. I know I’m bad in English, and that just makes me both embarrassed and hysterical. When your favorite actor read your “review” of the show, is there anything more wonderful than that?

part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4

That’s the end of it, for now. Look forward to TWOK screening in March :)

#William Shatner #shatner experience #part 4 #star trek #Jim Kirk #james t. kirk #shanter's world #stage #actor #theatre review

3 notes · View notes

jess-the-vampire · 7 years ago

Text

Small Baby, Big Problems

She was not fit to be a mother.

At least it felt like that half the time.

Tom was practically the size of a pebble in comparison to her, too small to even lift with her fingertips. It was like from the moment he was born she was unable to hold him, unable to play with him, unable to do all the things mothers were supposed to do.

Accidentally hitting chandeliers, being unable to sit in chairs, and not being able to enter rooms were infuriating enough. But nothing compared to the fury and heartbreak she had the moment she realized being a mother to her son was somehow a danger to his life.

She'd probably attempt to hold him, but even she knew the risk wasn't worth it. She thought about this as soon as they found out how small the baby was, they were almost worried he wouldn't have been able to be born considering the size, and she was sure that's when she officially started worrying she was a danger to him. Tom was a miracle, a precious miracle, the last thing she wanted was to see him hurt and she made that obviously clear from then on.

Dave noticed that fast, as the tasks that took care of Tom regularly went to him

He held Tom, tucked him in, burped him, fed him, played with him, bathed him, and did all the other things a parent should get to do with their child. His wife was almost nowhere in sight, and whenever she was she just stared at him and Tom longingly.

Dave felt bad, he had the advantage to be able to take care of the child because he was the size of most creatures on mewni, but not everyone clearly did.

He's tried to talk to her about it, but there were times she clearly didn't want to talk judging by her silence.

She just sat there, staring off somewhere, keeping her thoughts to herself and not responding to Dave whenever he tried to comfort her about it. Dave tried his best to say it's ok, and things will improve but there wasn't he could do about the situation.

A few comforting hand hugs and smooches were not going to fix this.

She spent more time in her room as of lately, and Dave decided not to bother her, she clearly wanted some space and bothering her didn't seem to be helping. Taking Tom with him, it wasn't long before he was sitting down with the Butterfly's at their dinner table for tea.

Or er, sitting down with Moon specifically, River went off to go do "Treaties", which Dave knew he meant "Fighting Monsters" in River speak. Moon didn't seem to know about that though, so perhaps it was best to not get involved in their business.

Tom sat on his father's lap, only 5 months old and asleep. Moon sipped her tea and just stared at him and Dave could feel his protective instincts kick in and hold him slightly closer to himself at the sight of Moon's gaze upon his little boy. Moon ended the awkward silence rather quickly, "So, I choose not to say anything because I didn't want to question it too hard, but...I have to, why did you bring your son here?".

Dave took another sip of tea, refusing to look Moon directly in the eyes, "Because i'm his father..."

"Yes, that I know, but why is he here?", She asked again, a little bit more impatient this time.

"Why not?", he responded bitterly.

Her eyes narrowed," Because he's a baby, he's too young to be here, couldn't you have left him back home with Wrathmelior since she decided not to come today?". Dave resisted trying to let any of his anger get to him, although his annoyance was showing "No, I couldn't, so now he's here so i can watch him, can we move on now?".

"No we can't, it sounds like there's a problem with leaving him at home?", Dave said nothing, choosing to ignore the queen. Moon's eyes narrowed, "It's because you don't think Mel is capable to take care of Thomas on her own, isn't it?".

Dave scowled at her, "No, it's not, Mel is more then capable to love and care for anything and anyone!".

"Then why is thomas here...?", she asked again.

"because she doesn't think the same way!", Dave raised his voice, practically yelling for a moment, then he looked to his lap, thankfully Tom was still asleep and he hadn't woken up at all because of him. "S-she doesn't think she's capable to take care of him like a mother should...s-she doesn't want to be in the same room as Tom half the time..".

He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down so he didn't wake up his sleeping son, "He's here because someone needs to watch him, and right now i don't feel comfortable leaving him with a sitter, so I didn't have much of a choice...".

"I'm sure someone could have watched him...", Moon added, "You're the king i'm sure you know plenty of trustworthy-". Dave held his hand out to silence her, "Don't, Tom gets dirty looks for what he is no matter where he goes and he's only a baby, right now I feel comfortable keeping him in sight and i don't suggest telling me i'm being dramatic because i'm worried for my family...".

Moon silenced herself on the matter, "Well, if you only trust him between you and Mel, then you better talk to her...". Dave took another sip of his tea, he was calm now, but he still glared at Moon. "Tried, she doesn't want to talk about it, she ignores my presence each time...like she doesn't even think i'm there...", he glanced at his son, who was leaning more into his arm.

Moon resisted the urge to make a joke about their height differences and moved on.

"But she knows i'm there...and i'm just trying to help but...she's just in a deep mood and I can't break her out of it...I just think having me take care of Tom makes it worse for her, but someone has to take care of him...she wants to be a mom...", Moon sighed, "Well you can't give up, if talking isn't working it's time to do something else...".

"I'm not letting you or anyone do magic on Tom to make him bigger...no way...", Dave said right away, Moon shrugged, "It was worth a shot, since we can't just shrink her...that would be too easy, but no ,she and her type had to have an immunity to mewman magic...".

"I just wanted to not let this get to her but...i guess i can't relate...", Dave bit his lip and stared at his lap in shame, "I wish there was more i could do...".

Moon looked at him sadly, and tried to smile, "You know it sounds odd coming from you, to give on something that matters so much to you...". Dave looked up at her in question, "What are you talking about Moon?, she shrugged and looked down at Tom.

"Well, your parents and the demons of the underworld weren't fond of you being the new king of the underworld, that didn't seem to stop you...", She started, "When they told you you wouldn't be able to have a kid, and any kid of yours would never be accepted that didn't stop you, why should this?".

Granted, Moon knew she was one of the people who thought they'd never be able to have kids, but that was besides the point.

Dave bit his lip, "I dunno...I just...". Actually he remembered a time well back when Wrathmeloir was crying over the fact she might not be able to have a baby, lava tears streaming down her face, it made the day she found out she was pregnant all the more special to her.

She never looked so happy and excited in her life.

And now, all that almost seemed to be gone. She loved Tom, that was clear, but that only made the situation worse as time went on. Dave almost felt himself crying for a second there before he wiped his eyes and cooled himself down, he held Tom close and stood up.

"Thanks for the tea moon, but i-i'm gonna head back home, I...need to put Tom to bed somewhere better and I have things I need to take care of...", He whistled for his carriage and it rose out of the floor in a whiff of fire much to Moon's displeasure.

She groaned, "Fine, take care...we'll try and meet up again with our spouses next time...I'm still not sure exactly what treaties River is doing but this is the third even this week he's missed because of them..."

Dave rolled his eyes and strapped Tom up in his baby seat, "Ok...".

"And dave?"

He looked up at her.

"Good luck and take care.", She said gently, Dave smiled and closed the door of his carriage before they descended back into the underworld.

Dave entered their bedroom carefully with Tom in his arms, opening the door slightly to see the demon queen facing away and sadly looking at a wall. He sighed and made his way over to Tom's crib, placing the sleeping baby inside and tucking him in before turning to his wife.

She didn't even acknowledge he entered the room, nor did she when made his way onto their bed with the lift and took a seat next to her, leaning against her gently. He didn't know what to say first, he knew he just had to say something to her and silence wasn't an option.

"Mel...we need to talk...", He started, "And I know I've been trying to talk to you for awhile but...I just...I want you to listen ok? You don't have to reply to me or say anything or whatever, I just...I need to talk to you...". Wrathmelior didn't say anything but she did make a growl of acknowledgement to let him know she heard him.

"Mel,We both love Tom, he's our whole world now and we're gonna do all we can to be great parents...but...you're not getting a chance to be his mother. You seem so scared to even touch him, and...it hurts to watch you cry like this...it's not fair you have to watch him grow up without you...".

She turned her head away slightly and Dave started to pet her slightly, "I know it seems hopeless now, that things aren't going to change, but we're not going to let this stop you from being a part of Tom's life...we wanted to be parents, and we're going to be parents, both of us..."

She turned to stare down at him with all three of her glowing eyes, before Dave felt himself being picked up by a much larger hand and raised up to be right in front of her face. He was used to this of course, but it was always surprising when he didn't see it coming beforehand.

Dave sat down in her hand and looked right at her, before continuing, "Tom needs you just as much as he needs me, and I need you too, I'm still...I'm still a hothead and i get angry sometimes and I just...Tom deserves to have someone as caring as you looking out for him and I don't want anything to stop that...". Wrathmeloir growled, finally speaking to him, and Dave turned red, "No, i-i'm not...i'm not, sometimes i'm worried i'll snap in front of him and he'll be scared of me...".

Her ears drooped and Dave felt one of her fingers pet him, he gave a weak laugh, "I guess we're both scared to hurt him one way or another...aren't we? Scared to be parents...". He felt tears coming on and he wiped them away, "I-I'm sorry, i'm making this about me, and your issues are much more important an-".

He felt her lean in and kiss his small forehead, and he closed his eyes. He could tell she was trying to let him know his issues were just as important as hers, and maybe he was going to choose not to think he deserved that kind of sympathy but right now it seemed to give him enough strength to continue.

"Mel, we've...we've conquered a lot together, a lot that we thought we couldn't...and I just...I don't want us to give up now. I know it's hard for you especially and...I'm gonna do everything I can to help you be the mother you wanted to be...". He let tears flow more freely now, "I want to be parents with you, nothing will change that, I think you're more then capable to take care of Tom and If you need help I'm here for you...".

She gave him a smile and nuzzled up to him, and he pressed his forehead to hers.

"It's nice seeing you smile again...", He said softly, trying not to cry, "I missed that...". He kept nuzzling to her for a little while till he heard some small noises going on in the background, Wrathmeloir turned her head to see Tom was awake in his crib now. She allowed Dave to step off her hand and to the floor and he quickly made his way to Tom and picked him up, but Tom turned his head to face the giant demon and reached his little hands out to her, making more noises.

Dave smiled gently, "I...I think he wants to see his mom...".

The giant demon crouched down and looked at the smaller demon, and reached a hand out to him, only pressing her finger to him, which the tiny demon tried to grasp with his tiny hand but to little success. He was laughing though, holding onto her finger. He didn't seem scared of her at all, or even of the mewman holding onto him, just wide awake and ready to chew on whatever he could get his little claws on.

Dave and Wrathmeloir looked at each other with happy smiles.

"We're gonna make this work...not just for us, but for him...".

#star vs the forces of evil #svstfoe #svtfoe #Wrathmelior Lucitor #King Lucitor #tom lucitor #moon butterfly #tom the demon #my art #fanfiction #fanfic

109 notes · View notes

yuniesan · 7 years ago

Text

Girl Meets Season 5 - Episode 9 - Girl Meets the Problem with Dating

Synopsis: What can you expect when you’re finishing high school? For Riley her entire world will turn upside down and picking up the pieces will bring her and her friends closer together.

[Previous Episodes]

Episode 9 - Girl Meets the Problem with Dating

Maya learned in the seventh grade that Mr. Matthews worried the most about Riley dating Lucas, to the point where he had given her a cell phone just so she could send him messages about what the two of them were doing. He hadn’t outright said it, but it was implied and she knew it. So every once and a while she’d send him a message, this is what going on… this is what they’re talking about… don’t worry too much.

Riley didn’t know about this, it was the one thing that she had never told her best friend for life about because in the end Maya wanted someone to worry about her like that. Maya got her wish when her mother married Shawn, he worried and showed her that her mother worried as well. So when Riley took care of Maya’s problems she didn’t worry too much about it because it was Riley’s way of helping her. So of course sending messages to Mr. Matthews was Maya’s way of helping Riley.

Except she hadn’t expected to keep doing it until the last year of high school, and she hadn’t expected Josh to start helping her with it.

“I know my brother worries, it has a lot to do with Riley being born so close to when I was born, and how she was born right after September 11th, he worries too much,” Josh said while they sat at a café not too far from the park that Riley and Lucas were having a picnic.

“What happened when you were born?” she asked not knowing the whole story and being curious about the guy she’d known almost all of her life, the one who she was falling deeply in love with.

“Well I almost died,” he said with a sad look on his face that made her heart break just a little bit. “There were complications, and I was born premature… I’m amazed Shawn hasn’t told you because he was there. He’s a part of my family, him and his brother both, and in a way I’m the baby brother he never got to have even if we’re not blood related and now he gives me the same look Cory gives Lucas.”

Maya took him in her arms and hugged him tight, she realized at that moment that there could have been a million ways everything could have been different in their lives, but she was happy for the moment she had met Josh Matthews.

“You know I was under the impression that you were some hardcore bad girl, but I have a feeling that the older you get all there was… well it was just an act in a way.”

“You’re not allowed to tell anyone or I’ll kick your ass,” she said smiling.

Josh laughed before pulling away, “We’re on recon today, but who said that this can’t be a date,” he smiled at her. “So if they notice us they’ll just think it’s a coincidence.”

“That sounds like a plan,” she said as the both went back to watching the couple across the street on a fall picnic. “You know I don’t understand how they can have a picnic in November, it’s cold out here.”

“Well you know Riley she loves to do all kinds of things, plus if I had to think about it from Lucas’s side in all of this well it just means more time to cuddle, I mean look at them,” he said nodding his head towards the couple.

Maya watched as Riley snuggled up to Lucas’s side and he put his arm around her, while all around them leaves fell in orange and red.

“They started dating in the fall, it could be why it’s so special to them,” Maya said smiling.

Josh took her hand in his and gently squeezed it, bringing her back to where she sat, she could have that, she could have it with Josh. Simple moments was all it took to make it real, and she hadn’t even noticed how they were slowly making their way through her life.

“We started dating towards the end of winter so maybe we can do something then,” he said pulling her hand towards his lips for a quick kiss. “Normal couple stuff.”

“I’ll be eighteen next year, so it wouldn’t be so awkward for you to date me either,” she said jokingly. “You know with that whole three years thing.”

Josh laughed at her. “I know that I’m never going to live that down, seriously. But I also know that if that’s what you want to remember when we have a fight in the future, for now though can we let it go.”

“For now, but next big fight we have I’m going to bring it up and then laugh in your face.”

“That’s fine by me,” he said as he leaned in to kiss her.

It was a quick peck on the lips, but the two of them had been so wrapped up in one another that they hadn’t realized that Riley and Lucas had moved on from their spot. When Maya finally noticed she didn’t know what to think about how they had gotten away.

“Don’t worry too much, they’re allowed to be alone,” Josh said smiling.

“No they aren’t, her father makes most of us watch them to make sure nothing happens, especially when they’re supposed to be ‘alone’,” she said using air quotes with her fingers.

“Well maybe it’s time that my brother learns to let go, I mean she’s applying for colleges and you’re all going to be gone next year, for all we know they could both end up in Texas, or Philly, or Canada.”

Maya groaned before looking back at Josh. “This was not my fault, whatever he asks just say you distracted me because I’m not in the mood to deal with the wrath of your brother.”

Josh laughed as he pulled her up, “Come on let’s go on a real date.”

“Are you sure they didn’t see us?” Riley said as Lucas pulled her down the street. They had seen Maya and Josh hiding inside of the Starbucks across the street from the park when they decided to eat their lunch in the park.

Dates have never been easy for the two of them, mainly because Riley was almost certain that they were always being followed. The only time they had been left alone was for her sixteenth birthday and that was because they had planned a surprise party for her. Other than that day Riley would see Maya with Josh, or one of them, sometimes Zay, who brought Cassie with him when they started dating. Farkle and Smackle followed them sometimes but Riley was almost certain that they had done it so that they could understand normal couples. To Riley nothing about being followed was normal, nothing about her entire relationship with Lucas had been normal.

“Don’t worry Riley, they didn’t see us, now let go to the movies, and watch something until it’s time to have dinner,” he said pulling her away.

“I feel bad for them because my dad is going to freak but,” she said as she pulled him closer to her and leaned against his arm. “I just want one date where we’re not surrounded by people.”

“Okay, so movie, then Dave and Busters then home,” he said as they walked from Union Square Park all the way to Times Square. It was a long walk but they held hands the whole time and it made Riley smile.

She had wanted normal, but she couldn’t help but worry what would happen the moment her father realized what had happened. She turned off her phone and just decided to live in the moment for once. When she had decided on turning her phone off Lucas had smiled before turning off his. This day was just for them and no one else.

The theater was empty when they had walked in so they picked seats in one of the corners near the exit, because as happy as she could be about being alone with Lucas, the seat also gave her the advantage if anyone had found them. When they sat down Lucas laughed before kissing her on the forehead before walking back out to get their snacks. When Lucas came back and sat down she was so happy that she was bouncing up and down.

“Riley,” he said laughing at her. “Stop jumping up and down.”

“I can’t I’m so excited to see this movie,” she said smiling as he handed her the popcorn and set the drink down between them. One drink with two straws, and Riley knew that it was lemonade because they had drunk soda with their lunch.

They mixed their snacks, and Lucas put the popcorn bag between them with the soda on Riley’s side. He always put it there because he knew she would put too much popcorn in her mouth and almost choke on it, it was something that happened whenever they went on their dates and she smiled every time. She put her head on his shoulder as the previews started and they watched the movie in silence, laughing when something funny happened. Every once and a while Lucas would watch her as she laughed at the screen and she looked back at him smiling before he would give her a quick kiss.

Making out was never on the agenda when they went to the movies, and it wasn’t because they hadn’t wanted to, it was mostly because they truly enjoyed watching movies together. With the price of going they had to enjoy every minute of the movie. When the credits began to roll they waited as everyone slowly made their way out of the theater. That was when Lucas leaned in and gave her a soft kiss, it tasted like butter and chocolate, and those were two things that she would always associate with Lucas Friar.

The rest of the day was spent paying games at Dave and Busters, and eating dinner. Riley was so full when she was finished and so happy that she knew it had been a good day.

“Come on, we’ll walk home to burn off all that food we ate,” Lucas said taking her hand and pulling her down the street.

“This day was so perfect, and it’s all going to end the moment you get me to my front stoop because my dad is probably having a coronary right now from the fact that my phone’s been off this entire time.”

“Yeah well it’s the price we pay for trying to date like normal people.”

“Normal, what exactly is normal? I swear I wouldn’t be surprised if he transferred to teach wherever I go to college.”

Lucas laughed and then stopped walking to look at her. “Please tell me you’re kidding.”

“I do not kid when it comes to my father’s need make sure I don’t do anything normal.”

They kept walking while Riley thought and hoped that her father wouldn’t go that far, especially since he had become more and more protective the older she got. Sighing as they walked to her front door she knew what was coming before they made it up the stairs.

Her father ran out the door and grabbed her just as her mother walked out from behind him and glared at him.

“Cory I knew where they were going, Lucas sent me a list of everything that they were going to do, and honestly most boys wouldn’t do that, so if you don’t stop acting unreasonable, I swear I’m going to divorce you.”

“But Topanga she turned off her phone,” he whined to her mother. “That’s against the rules.”

“Cory there are no rules, except in that thick head of yours,” her mother sighed. “Riley say goodnight to Lucas and fast.”

Her father was being dragged away by his collar, while he whined about the rules that everyone but him swore didn’t exist.

“Goodnight Riley,” Lucas said kissing her quickly. “Go upstairs before your dad fakes a heart attack.”

“Okay,” she said smiling. “Night Lucas.”

She watched him walk away before going upstairs to face the meltdown of the century, well at least one of them. When she walked through the door to see her father pacing back and forth while her mother set a bowl of ice cream in front of Auggie.

“How was your date sweetie,” her mother said but the minute Riley tried to say anything her father made a noise.

‘Fine,’ she thought to herself. ‘Two can play that game.’

“Well let’s see, it started with a picnic in the park, because of course we had to give Maya and Josh something to report, which will all be on dad’s phone,” she said smiling while her mother just looked shocked. “When they were distracted Lucas and I rushed off so that we could make it to the movie without being followed.”

“Cory you were having them followed?” her mother said her eyes wide. “How many times has this happened.”

“This was the…” he started but Riley interrupted.

“It’s been going on since seventh grade, except back then it was just reports on how me and Lucas were talking to one another,” she said before continuing. “Then when we started officially dating it was always double dates, or hanging out with friends because of course everyone was always around… well except on my sixteenth birthday. Lately when we’re actually alone, someone is usually at a nearby café, or a few rows behind us at the movies, and sometimes at a nearby table talking about how much of a coincidence it was that they were there.”

“Cory,” her mother said but Riley held up her hand.

“Dad, I love you but you have to stop, if it wasn’t Lucas, it would be someone else, dating is normal and honestly I would like to go out on more dates that didn’t involve chaperones following me around.”

“Sorry,” he said as he sat down on the couch. “I may worry a little too much.”

“It’s okay, but maybe step back just a little, I don’t mind doubling up or going out with everyone else, but once and a while, I want it to be just me and Lucas. I mean I know you and mom didn’t have grandpa following you around. He trusted you, so maybe you should put a little of that same trust in Lucas.”

“You grandfather trusted me because he was afraid of Shawn, only to tell me that I was the one he should have worried about… but I guess I took his words to heart.”

“My dad loved me,” her mother said. “But he also trusted my judgement and I know you trust Riley’s, Cory… sweetheart it’s time to let go.”

Her father sighed. “Fine, two dates a month alone, other than that you have someone close by, or you hang out at the café or here.”

“Deal,” Riley said smiling.

“And you can’t turn off your phone… ever.”

“I won’t I only did it today because mom told me to, but she didn’t know that I get followed around.”

“I’m still made about that,” her mother said. “Cory, Riley and Lucas are allowed one extra date a month for the next three months for that stunt.”

“Are you reverse grounding me?” he said looking shocked at what was happening. “But I’m an adult.”

“Yes you are and you should act like one,” she said.

Riley sat next to her brother and put some ice cream in a bowl as the two of them watched their parents arguing about being adults.

“So Lucas said we could go to the basketball game, Knicks versus Mavs, can we still go?” Auggie said scooping up some more ice cream into his bowl.

“Yup we have the tickets and we’re going so you better be ready for my epic freak outs,” she said smiling before hugging her brother.

“It’ll be a double date,’ he smiled at her.

“Yes it will be.”

#Girl Meets Season 5 #riley matthews #lucas friar #RileyxLucas #rucas #rucas fanfic #rucas fanfiction #maya hart #Josh Matthews #joshaya #cory matthews freak out coming #Topanga is a goddess #Auggie is adorable

31 notes · View notes