#desperate straights

[jt1674]

[mr-craig]

Fun fact: The lyrics of this song by Henry Cow & Slapp Happy…

…gave us the title of this Cardiacs song:

[reckonslepoisson]

Desperate Straights, Slapp Happy / Henry Cow (1975)

Slapp Happy and Henry Cow’s first collaborative record, as one might logically expect, was split between moments of the former mellowing out the latter and of the latter freaking up the former. I like Desperate Straights most when Henry Cow’s aloof technical prog is smothered by Slapp Happy’s pillowing grace, though don’t care so much for Dagmar Krause’s attempts to get wacky with piercing, hammed-up wails. 

Pick: ‘Strayed’

[mr-craig]

Some Questions About Hats

Can one wear uncanny hats? Can one weather hats? Can one wear feather hats?

Concentrate on irate hats Radiate from hats When sated, vacate hats Doors of open water Elicit ooh and ahhing Can the wet attract a hat?

Can hats favour fire? Can a hat aspire to higher things? Can one pit hats against vicious things? Pernicious things? Liquorice fish with wings? Can hats favour fire? Can a hat aspire to higher things? Can one dismiss hats as simple things? Vapid things? Scant, evanescent things?

- Peter Blegvad, 1975

[ghost-bxrd]

Prompt:

It’s not that Jason forgot, per se.

But between smuggling a toddler out of the League of Assassins, trekking halfway across the world, and finding a suitable hiding place that’s also child friendly… well, it kind of slipped his mind that he’s supposed to be… dead.

Something that comes back to bite him in the ass when he takes Dami out for some ice cream and just so happens to run into non other than Brucie-fucking-Wayne

[egophiliac]

have you seen the new nightwear groovy? alas, the dream of the animal onesies or the pillow fight groovy are dashed 😞 - i have yet to see the card's story but i assume that yuu is interviewing the boys again this year like the birthday boy cards cause there's no other characters in the card (?)

I too am disappointed that we didn't get a big full-on pillow fight. 😔 but he DOES battle by throwing his pillow, so at least we get some cushion action in there!

it looks like this round of birthday cards aren't going to be interviews/conversations, at least not for most of it -- the first part was Jamil talking to Ortho (who he duos with) about what his dormmates are doing for his birthday (they're setting up a surprise party/parade (because Kalim) but they're doing an extremely bad job of it and he's having to go around making sure that they don't screw it up) (being Jamil is suffering). second part was Jamil talking to his (unvoiced mob) roommate and answering Crowley's School Improvement Survey (he wants bigger bathrooms) (also a fridge in his room) (actually, make that a whole kitchen) (but mostly bigger bathrooms). then third part was his ~morning routine~, aka talking to himself about his hair and makeup, as one does in a visual novel. it's less cohesive than the previous birthday stories, but it's all pretty chill and there's some fun stuff in there! (Najma sent him hair stuff for his birthday that's way too fancy and he can't decide if she did it to annoy him or not. truly, being Jamil is indeed suffering.)

if all the cards are going to be about nightly/morning routine though, we're going to absolutely melt when we get to Vil, brace yourselves

[pocketgalaxies]

C1E60 || C3E88

[sunburstsandmoonshadows]

it remains extremely funny to me that freddie wong accidentally (?) made Dan Fucks, embodiment of pleasure, so distinctly ace-coded. like, Dan talks a big game about sex and seems to view it as interesting and desirable, but when presented with such an obvious in for it he completely ignored Avaricci's come-ons to just talk about non-sexual pleasures like goddamn cold pillows. he's not paying attention to sex at all when it's not personally convenient or expected of him to do so.

100% Elias is ace and just doesn't realize people genuinely crave sex and it's not a metaphor or exaggeration like it is for him yet. bless him.

[magicpiano]

DCxDP AU: The Ultimate Enemy + The Flash

One of the speedsters (doesn't matter which really) is one of the few survivors of the apocalypse and he just figured out who Phantom is. He can save the world, all he has to do is go back in time and kill Danny Fenton.

Which seems like a great idea, right up to the point where he finds Danny and realizes he is just a 14 year old kid......

[megafart1]

Fiddauthor doodles

*leaves this politely on the floor and scurries away*

yeah. enjoy ^_^

[serpentface]

Hey bro you want some stew haha (Brakul at the age of 18 being hit on by what would soon become an off and on lover of three years, another herder from the neighboring Silde-Urbinnas tribe named Dirgrani.)

As a young unmarried man, Brakul had the responsibility of bringing his family's cattle up the mountain to their clan's summer pastures for grazing. He had been doing this since he was 14 and wasn't fond of it- Brakul heavily favored the comforts of home, and this was three months of living mostly on milk and dried bread, sleeping out in the cold, and squaring up against the occasional particularly intrepid hyena, all with nothing but cattle for company. He had a marriage engagement secured for when he returned in the fall, which he was fairly excited about as it would get him out of the task of summer herding for good.

He met Digrani up at pasture that year. Brakul had been seeing evidence that someone was trespassing on his clan's land and grazing cattle there, and finally encountered the culprit two weeks in. Dirgrani was friendly and charming, and Brakul was very, very easily persuaded out of chasing him off with a stick, instead agreeing to let him share the pasture.

The two of them struck up a friendly relationship, and would stop to chat and share food whenever they met up. Dirgrani, being a decade older and significantly more experienced, picked up on Brakul's sad wistful gazes and frequent excuses to disappear behind some rocks and jack off. Dirgani quickly went from casual flirtation to openly coming onto him. Brakul had a few prior sexual experiences with women but never someone he was actually attracted to, and he accepted these advances and got his shit absolutely rocked. The two stuck together for the rest of the season, meeting up every night to make camp together. When the time came to part ways, they agreed to join up again the next year and continue as they were. Brakul was thrilled at the prospect and completely and utterly head over heels enamored with the man.

Brakul broke off his engagement upon his return (very rudely at that, which caused problems for his clan) and put off any further attempts at getting hitched in favor of continuing his summer herding and seeing Dirgani again. This went on for two more years, with the two joining up in the pastures and seeing nothing of each other for the rest of the year. As time wore on, Brakul became fixated on the notion of working out some kind of arrangement where he could stay a bachelor and live with Dirgrani year-round. Marriage was a firm expectation of life and avoiding it as such would be highly frowned upon, but not unheard of. The Bict and Silde Urbinnas tribes had fairly good relations, and even if Brakul didn't contribute to his clan's wellbeing with the security of marriage, he figured could still provide through close connection to an ally.

His romantic outlook on the situation came to an end when Dirgrai firmly rejected this concept. It finally got through Brakul's head that Dirgrani had no such interest and was mostly just fucking him because he was there, decent company, willing and eager, and it helped pass the long days of boredom and loneliness up at pasture. Brakul handled this badly and blew up at him, and initiated a physical fight. He lost, badly, and Dirgrani stole all but one of his cattle in retribution and ditched. This was the last time they ever saw each other.

Brakul returned home heartbroken and humiliated and having to explain in detail to his extremely aggravated mother where the fuck their cows went. Feeling depressed and tremendously guilty, he finally conceded to courting Sirudan, a cattle-wealthy and dear childhood friend of his, and would marry her the following year.

This affair would continue to haunt his life for the next couple years. Brakul having strained some of his clan's key relations by playing fast and loose with his marriage proposals and then 'losing' all but one of his mother's cattle was already embarrassing, which was compounded by word that a Silde-Urbinnas man was bragging about having repeatedly fucked a younger Bict-Urbinnas herder (who was very enthusiastic about taking it 'like a woman'!) and effortlessly stolen his cattle. Most people in Brakul's life managed to put two and two together, which utterly humiliated him and felt impossible to live down.

Sirudan was a good friend to him and (though Very put off by all this) didn't hold his failures over his head, and encouraged him to just put it all behind him. But Brakul was scared to death by his wife's impending childbirth and haunted by memories of a time where he felt happy, in love, and with hopes of a fulfilling future. When he would later find himself in a friendship and burgeoning romance with a man who was genuinely enamored with him, he was fully primed to skip out on his wife and child, put absolutely Everything behind him, and chase after that possibility of a new life. And so it goes.

[jt1674]

[t4toro]

hey sorry but they goyified your inherently jewish written character. yea. yea no they tried catering to a wider audience. yea they made him scorf down a pile of bacon. i’m so sorry

[turtleblogatlast]

What if the tracker Donnie put in Leo worked the entire time Leo was bouncing around the universe?

Maybe Donnie ended up making a spaceship for them to go out into space and find Leo, constantly having to change course when they see his tracker spontaneously move somewhere else. It’s annoying that the tracker moves so often, but it’s also a relief, because if it ever stopped moving, or worse disappeared, then…

At any rate, space adventures for all of them as Donnie, Mikey, and Raph (+ others like April and maybe the Caseys) try to get Leo back and Leo keeps desperately trying to get back home, not knowing his family was coming for him.

[broareweabouttoviberightnow]

"Well someone's home early." Darry ruffles Pony's hair as he tries to slip past him 'n into the hall. Pony ducks under his hand, makes a small noise in hello. Darry immediately straightens up, notes the lack of work shirt he left with this mornin'. "Ponyboy Michael back it up 'n bring it here."

Pony lets out a long groan but turns 'n trudges back. Darry rakes his eyes over him. Pony stares at the ground. "Why are you back so early?"

"'Cause I got fired ok! Jesus!" Pony throws his arms up, stomps the ground, 'n whips his head to look back at his older brother.

"You what?" Pony lets out a huff 'n quick smart Darry's hand flies up to cuff him around the ear. "Pony this is the fourth time what the hell happened? And let me tell you it better be a damn good reason."

Pony can only match Darry's glare for a moment before he drops back down to starin' at the carpet. "I kinda called a customer a bitch."

"You huh?"

"Look, Darry, you weren't there so lay off, ok! She was talkin' to me like a was trash, alright? I dunno. She was actin' like I was stupid 'n she called me a son of a bitch 'n I told her I wasn't her damn son last I checked." Pony hitches his shoulder 'n Darry is suddenly glad Pony's scowlin' down at the carpet by the way his lips twitch. It wasn't funny.

"Ponyboy Michael since when has it ever been ok in this house to call a woman that?"

"Since she deserved it real bad." Pony mutters 'n Darry's fingers catch his temple. "Ow."

"I outta skin you just for that."

"Aw, Dar, look. I'm sorry, ok? I ain't discriminatin' or nothin'. If she'd have been a guy he would have been actin' like a bitch too." Pony scuffs his toe on the floor 'n Darry shakes his head in bewilderment.

Glory, sometimes Pony would say somethin' 'n it would make Darry feel like he was twenty 'n Pony was fourteen again 'n Pony's moods were enough to make him want to put the kid's head through a wall. 'N then he'd blink 'n they were sixteen 'n ten 'n he actually would. But that one hurts a bit 'cause then they had someone to holler 'n make them make up.

"Pony, how old are you?" Pony rolls his eyes, already knows Darry's line.

"Too old?" Pony glances up 'n Darry arranges his features into a passable impression of their ma's does it look like I'm laughin', mister? glare.

"Too damn old." Darry nods firmly. "You're sixteen now, Pone. You need to get a hold of that mouth. How many times are we gonna have to have this conversation?"

"Too damn many times- yeouch!" Darry's palm clips the back of his head 'n Pony's hair falls into his eyes.

"Don't you go gettin' fresh with me lil' boy." Pony's dry humor suddenly falls away 'n he's spittin' mad.

"Darry, you wouldn't get it, alright? I'm sick of workin' for a bunch of assholes who treat me like shit 'n takin' bull all day from people who look at me like I was born to spit shine their shoes. You just don't get it." Darry sighs, rubs a hand over his eyes.

"Pony, c'mere." This has become their routine. Back 'n forth, stern, sarcastic, angry, tired. Pony seethes but allows Darry to push him to drop down into one of their kitchen chairs. "I wouldn't understand, kid? I've been bustin' my back since you were twelve on the roofs of people who think greasers were born to bag their groceries 'n clean their floors. If anyone gets it, Pone, I do."

Some of the tension drops out of Pony's shoulders 'n he worries at his lip.

"You think Soda likes havin' to work on the cars or people who treated him like a failure 'n a dead-end dropout when he quit school?" Pony winces but Darry is damn tired of havin' to chase the kid around his own self-righteousness so he drives the lesson home with, "Do you think Dad liked patchin' up shingles from dawn til dusk? Or ma washin' the clothes of the women she used to meet after school who married up 'n moved west 'n forgot all it took was a bit of bad luck to end up right back on the East side? Sometimes the world ain't fair, Pone. Don't mean you get to lose your temper every time someone gets your goat."

The angers dropped right out of Pony 'n Darry sighs, pulls his chair so the kid can lean against his chest. He does without hesitation.

"I'm sorry, Dar. Sometimes... I dunno. It ain't fair. You're ten times the person those assholes in their fancy houses will ever be. Soda don't deserve to be treated like he's stupid. I just... I dunno. How do you deal with it?" Pony pulls his head back, blinks up at him with those green eyes that look like the sea after a storm's rolled through.

"Y'know... back when I first started workin' with Dad, a thousand years ago," Pony snorts, "I was mad about that all the time. God, I couldn't stand the way they looked at him. The way they talked about us. I didn't know how the hell he did it." Darry strokes his hand absent-mindedly through Pony's hair 'n he presses closer to him.

"It was just too much for me one day. We were behind schedule 'n behind on men 'n the guy who had hired us was hollerin' his head off 'n I turned right around 'n socked him right in his nose." Pony sits back suddenly, eyes round in surprise.

"You?" Darry chuckles, brushes Pony's bangs off his face.

"Yeah, kid, I don't know why you're so shocked. We've had enough fights to last a lifetime." Pony rolls his eyes, shifts around in his chair.

"I guess, I dunno. You always have it so locked down."

"Yeah, well, I do now. But it took a lot of time. Glory, maybe you were too young to remember properly but I swear sometimes I turn around 'n it's like dealin' with a younger me." Darry snorts at a memory 'n Pony raises an eyebrow. "I remember one time ma had gotten so sick of me 'n she told me she hoped one day I had a kid just like how I was to give me the same grief. Glory, I think she'd be laughin' now."

Pony's smile is a little wet but it's there 'n Darry won't mention it as long as Pony doesn't point out Darry wipin' at his eyes with the back of his sleeves. "What did Dad do? When you punched that guy?"

"Well, he was plenty mad. He sat me down 'n I told him it was unfair that we had to take whatever kinda treatment they decided to give us. 'N he grabbed me by the shoulders 'n looked at me like he always did when he was real serious 'n he said Darrel you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar."

Pony's face twists up in confusion 'n Darry laughs. God, he could look straight back through the years 'n picture himself starin' up at their dad the same way. "What does that have to do with anythin'?"

"I'll tell ya, kid. He dragged me back in the next day 'n made me apologize 'n then he shook the man's hand 'n left him with this sticky sweet smile 'n promise that he was real sorry for me 'n my behavior. Then he hauled me up a ladder 'n showed me how he would repair the man's roof so it would hold for another six months. Exactly. 'N when we left he shook hands 'n left him his card with the offer to come back if anythin' else ever went wrong. 'N you know what? The man was so impressed with his attitude 'n his work when that roof went up again in six months he called dad right back."

Darry chuckles 'n refocuses on Pony whose jaw is damn near on the floor. "That true?"

"Now, don't go makin' a liar out of me. Every word."

"Shit. You know? That sounds just like Dad."

"And he was right. Look, it sucks kid. It does. People are never gonna look at you like they should. There are always gonna be assholes who think they're better than you. You keep your damn head up 'n it doesn't matter at all. You fix the roof. 'N if it leaks you make sure you make yourself a lastin' impression."

Pony bites his lip, plays with the bottom of his shirt. It takes another minute but he nods, shoots Darry a lil' grin. "You know, I'm sure I left an impression."

"Yeah, like the type of impression I'm about to leave on your ass, kid." Pony yowls indignantly 'n dives off his chair to get away from Darry's snatch. Darry doesn't go for him again, settlin' for rollin' his eyes 'n not meanin' it at all.

"Hey, Dar?"

"Yeah, kid?"

"I'm gonna go back to the store tomorrow 'n ask for my job back. D'you mind... vouchin' for me?" Darry studies him for a moment. Pony's heart always was too big. The unfairness would always hurt. But the kid would figure out how to muddle by. Darry had.

"Sure, Pone. Just this time? Don't go ruinin' my reputation by callin' no one a bitch." Pony grins 'n opens his mouth. Darry cuts him off with a pointed finger 'n a raised brow. "Even if they deserve it real bad."

[imprettysureicanhearyou]

genuinely don’t believe dream is gay and the stans can hate me for that all you want but like christ. i think i’d still be mad at him for all the weird queerbaiting even if he did like men.