#dreamer miami

[dreamer-garage]

by dallasinblack via instagram

[lavaa-baby]

I don’t have the words for this birthday but all I know is that I am here. Thankful for the ones that celebrated with me! Here’s to thirty-fun 🩷🩷♐️🥰🙏🏾

[gabrielerner]

Marco Rubio: el futuro secretario de Estado y su política estilo Telemundo

El senador Marco Rubio fue nominado por Donald Trump para ser el próximo secretario de Estado. Nació en Miami, hijo de padres cubanos que salieron de la Isla desde antes del triunfo de la Revolución; sin embargo, le gusta llamarse “exiliado”, habiendo llegado al mundo bajo la dictadura del aire acondicionado y las piñas coladas. El ‘exiliado’ de Fidel Pero Rubio está convencido de que él, en…

[boxboxblog]

A General History of F1: 2024

The 2024 season was a season for dreamers. Some of the most poetic wins and losses happened this year. There has been heartbreak, and heroics. Returns of a champion, and new winners. But that isn't exactly how the season started.

When Max Verstappen won the first few races, the racing world sighed and assumed it would be a 2023 repeat. While watching a driver dominate can be fun, most people were bored by how the season went. Where was the drama? Where was the spice? Where was the storytelling F1 is so famous for?

Now, I want you to imagine a voice, slowly getting louder, saying 'Incommmmmmming!'

The Australian GP was where Red Bulls luck seemed to end. Due to mechanical error, Verstappen retired on lap 4. Instead, the winner was Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, who had been the only non-Red Bull winner in 2023. Verstappen won many of the next races, however his victories were regularly interrupted by other driver wins, and their stories. I said it was a season for dreamers right? Let me tell you why.

The first dream that was achieved was by Mclaren's Lando Norris. A driver for the team since 2019, Norris won the Miami GP, his first ever. After 5 years in F1, this was a sweetly anticipated victory for Norris and Mclaren. He would go on to win in Zandervoort (Verstappen's home GP) Singapore, and Abu Dhabi, making him the closest to Verstappen in the championship fight. A shock considering Mclaren's form in recent years, however they were seen as the best car this year.

We also saw George Russell and Lewis Hamilton get Mercedes' first wins in years. Russell won in Austria and Vegas, and Hamilton won his home race in Silverstone, and in Spa. Many considered this win to be the return of a champion, as Hamilton had not won a race in some time by this point. It was a rather poetic win, considering it is his last year with Mercedes, the team who he won 6 championships with.

Oscar Piastri was another first time winner that left his mark, winning first in Hungary after controversial team orders, and then in Baku with a master class race. It is only his second year in F1 and he is quickly showing himself to be highly competitive.

Perhaps the biggest wins were for Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. Born and raised in Monaco, Leclerc was one of the few Monagasque drivers in F1 history. So when he won his home GP, the famous Monaco GP, there were tears in many eyes. He was the first hometown winner in Monaco in over 90 years. He then went on to win Ferrari's home race in Monza as well, and the Austin GP. A storybook year of home race wins for Leclerc.

Other than race wins, it was an interesting year in terms of lineup. There was been two mid-season driver swaps (Williams' Logan Sargent replaced by Franco Colapinto and VCARB’s Daniel Riccardo replaced by Liam Lawson), news of driver changes for next year, (Hamilton to Ferrari, Sainz to Williams, Nico Hulkenberg to Sauber, Esteban Ocon to Haas), multiple drivers leaving next year (Haas' Kevin Magnussen, Sauber's Zhou Guanyu and Valterri Bottas, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez etc.), and announcements of multiple rookies joining the grid in 2025 (Isak Hadjar for RB, Gabriel Bortoleto for Sauber, Jack Doohan for Alpine, Kimi Antonelli for Mercedes, and Ollie Bearman for Haas)

The season ended with Max Verstappen winning his 4th title in Las Vegas, and McLaren winning their first WCC since the 90s. All in all, crazy year.

Cheers,

-B

[yakuzacasual]

Game of choice

Round of rapidfire late-night thoughts based entirely in my own gaming experience of a european, and things i've gotten through osmosis.

What kind of games they play with Yagami, Kaito, Sugiura, Higashi, Tsukumo, Mafuyu, Saori, Hoshino, Kuwana

Yagami needs his mental stimulation, with how many cases of his end up being a literal wild goose chase. He would totally be into Layton games and maybe even Ace Attorney if we feel a little on the nose. Eventually falls victim to the Spike Chunsoft pipeline from Danganronpa, through AI: Somnium Files, to Zero Escape series. 999 is now his favourite.

Kaito only cares about multiplayer shooting games with his buds. Rainbow Six Siege, Battlefield, PUGB you name it - he probably tried it. Aside from CS:GO, he was banned from ever trying CS:GO by Sugiura. Got roped into Fortnite along the way and although he clearly enjoys it, he keeps complaining it's clearly for kids.

Sugiura plays pretty much anything popular - Minecraft, Fortnite, GTA, Valorant - usually just to kill time. He doesn't care all that much about having "experiences that will change the trajectory of his life forever", as Tsukumo puts it. What only a handful of people know, however, is that he is absolutely INSANE about Mirror's Edge. Go figure.

Higashi will let his history nerd run wild and will put his hands on anything samurai period drama adjacent. He's been through things such as Ghost of Tsushima, Ishin and will brave the toughest of challenges in Sekiro and Nioh for his dose of the good shit. Recently he's been even caught trying out Katana Zero and despite not being his usual kind of setting, he ends up loving it.

Tsukumo is a League of Legends youth survivor and years clean of the cancer that enveloped him. These days he's neck deep into jrpgs and visual novels of all kinds. Most notably, he is THE Xenoblade Chronicles fan and has played literally every entry in and adjacent to the Megami Tensei series. Refuses to talk about Persona though, absolute SMT truther.

Mafuyu is the absolute casual girly player, with hundreds of thousands of hours in between things like Fashion Dreamer, every Sims generation and a touch of Splatoon when nobody's watching. Was there back when Flash games were a thing, where she would spend all evenings on the dress-ups and Devillish Hairdresser. Probably played Stardoll or something.

Saori finds herself lured into the strange appeal of Cultist Simulator, which somehow escalated into her being insane about Lobotomy Company and Library of Ruina. I don't know either. Suffice to say, she enjoys card and management games, with a bit of weird fucking lore on the side. At times she emerges from her solo player cave to kick people's asses in Dead By Daylight - she can WRECK with any killer.

Hoshino was there for the Giant Dad phase and has, ever since, remained one of the greatest, most viscious Dark Souls PVPers. Bro used to have absolutely no mercy with his neigh beast skill in the game and if you squint, he might've won a DS speedrun competition once or twice. These days he only logs in to help in multi (think along the lines of Let Me Solo Her) and will not shut up about Disco Elysium.

Kuwana is yet to recover from Hotline Miami brainworms even though it has been literal years. He has tried his hand at similar recommendations like Superhot, Ruiner or Ultrakill but nothing has ever stuck quite the same way. Ends up replaying the games every year like a religious ritual. Might end up getting into Katana Zero, but ends up so pissed with the ending he vows never to give chances again.

[alldancersaretalented]

My fav solos this year

(please send anons or something, I'm down with bronchitis in 30°C weather :()

Solos

Avery Altobelli, Epic - "Heavenly Bodies" (Rudy Abreu)

Madisyn Amos, Elite Dance Pro - "A New Life" (Mandy Korpinen & Elizabeth Petrin)

Ellie Anbarden, P21 - "Somebody Help Me" (Madi Hicks)

Hallee Anderson, Larkin - "So This Is Love" (Kenzie Symanietz)

Harper Anderson, Concept Pavielle - "Paint It Black" (Brady Farrar)

Kennedy Anderson, VDA - "Come On Dreamer" (?)

Lilly Anderson, Larkin - "Cell Block Tango" (Michele Larkin)

Belle Marie Arauz, DT Miami - "How To Feel" (Ruby Castro)

Brielle Arias, Studio X - "Black And Gold" (Lia Dominique)

Finley Ashfield, Larkin - "Fools Who Dream" (Chelsea Jennings)

Melina Biltz, Rock - "Madness" (Crystal Huang)

Sofia Cuevas, Pave - "Locomotion" (?)

Kinley Cunningham, TheCREW - "Come Together" (Mollee Gray)

Aaliyah Dixon, Summit - "Take Me Oya" (Jay Jay Dixonbey)

Kensington Dressing, Evolve - "From The Ashes" (Chelsea Sebes)

Aria Du, Yoko's - "Je M'arreterai" (Megan Ellis)

Hope Edwards, OCPAA - "Winner Takes All"

Brinley Evans, Southern Strutt - "Silent Night" (?)

Gracyn French, P21 - "Chemtrails Over The Country Club" (Molly Long)

Kourtney Gampol, OCPAA - "Steam Heat" (Rachel Miller)

Regan Gerena, P21 - "That's Life" (Molly Long)

Lily Hackney, WFDC - "I Love You" (Gianna Adianez)

Sloane Hall, Southern Strutt - "Watch Me" (Leah Evans)

Lainey Hess, WFDC - "Between These Hands" (Gianna Adianez)

Reagan Hess, WFDC - "Twilight" (Gianna Adianez)

Izzy Howard, WDP - "Over It, Scene" (Maria Konrad)

Annsley Huff, Southern Strutt - "The Swan" (Shelby Barnes)

Desa Jankes, WFDC - "Find You" (Jessica Disalvo)

Eva Jimmerson, Renner - "A Mischievous Waltz" (Jordan Pelliteri)

Tayah Klimcuk, Pave - "Slow Me Down" (Courtney Schwartz)

Lily Knopps (Club) - "Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend" (Ashley Moffitt)

Mya Lanigan, Evolve - "Breakin' Dishes" (Lauren Herb)

Esme Lee, OCPAA - "Bring On The Men" (?)

Jillian Mahan, OCPAA - "London Bridge" (Hannahlei Cabanilla)

Savannah Manzel, Larkin - "Flowers In May" (Chelsea Jennings)

Scarlett Manzel, Larkin - "What A Feeling" (Chelsea Jennings)

Kennedy Marble, Club - "Mr. Monotony" (Jaycee Wilkins)

Taylor Morrison, DC2 - "My Discarded Men" (Tanya Emmer)

Avery Olsen, OCPAA - "Woman"

Helena Olaerts, Mather - "She Used To Be Mine" (Shannon Mather)

Roxie Onellion, Base - "Amor" (Kelly Inskip)

Addyson Paul, Pave - "The Garden" (Courtney Schwartz)

Emily Polis, VDA - "When I Go" (Jessica Malafronte)

Mila Renae, Studio X - "Voila" (Fiorella Baclit)

Dylan Reuss, OCPAA - "Favorite Crime" (Amy Berokoff)

Lola Rodi, Evolve - "Heavenly Bodies" (Chelsea Sebes)

Amaya Rodriguez, DUC Miami - "3 Breaths" (Chelsea Sebes)

Elsie Sandall, Club - "Beneath The Mask" (Chelsea Jennings)

Emma Santos, Studio X - "Have A Little Faith" (Avery Cardozza)

Berkeley Scifres, P21 - "Cornet Man" (Molly Long)

Tatum Self, Club - "Gorgeous" (Jaycee Wilkins)

Everleigh Soutas, DCDF - "Something New" (Molly Long)

Kayleigh Stoler, Enthusiasm - "Medusa's Curse"

Sailor Stormoen, Larkin - "Bloom" (Chelsea Jennings)

Kiera Sun, WDP - "Mist" (Renee Kester)

Macey Strickland, WFDC - "Heavenly Bodies" (Chelsea Sebes)

Ellary Day Szyndlar, Club - "Over The Rainbow" (Mark Meismer :()

Sylvie Win Szyndlar, Club - "Magic Within Me" (Chantel Aguirre)

Ella Venerio, DUC Miami - "Beneath The Surface" (Chelsea Sebes)

Greta Wagner, Summit - "Me And The Devil" (?)

Tinsley Wallace, Renner - "Broken Wings" (Chelsea Sebes)

Skylar Wong, Woodbury - "Just A Room" (Ricky Ubeda)

Fiona Wu, Yoko's - "Voila" (Erin Lamoyne)

Aliyah Yen, P21 - "Mink, Schmink" (Molly Long)

[justforbooks]

Wynton Learson Marsalis (born October 18, 1961) is an American trumpeter, composer, and music instructor, who is currently the artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has been active in promoting classical and jazz music, often to young audiences. Marsalis has won nine Grammy Awards, and his oratorio Blood on the Fields was the first jazz composition to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. Marsalis is the only musician to have won a Grammy Award in both jazz and classical categories in the same year.

In 1983, at the age of 22, he became the only musician to win Grammy Awards in jazz and classical music during the same year. At the award ceremonies the next year, he won again in both categories.

After his first album came out in 1982, Marsalis won polls in DownBeat magazine for Musician of the Year, Best Trumpeter, and Album of the Year. In 2017, he was one of the youngest members to be inducted into the DownBeat Hall of Fame.

In 1997, he became the first jazz musician to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music for his oratorio Blood on the Fields. In a note to him, Zarin Mehta wrote, "I was not surprised at your winning the Pulitzer Prize for Blood on the Fields. It is a broad, beautifully painted canvas that impresses and inspires. It speaks to us all...I'm sure that, somewhere in the firmament, Buddy Bolden, Louis Armstrong and legions of others are smiling down on you."

Wynton Marsalis has won the National Medal of Arts, the National Humanities Medal, and been named an NEA Jazz Master. In 2001, he was also named a UN Messenger of Peace.

Approximately seven million copies of his recordings have been sold worldwide. He has toured in 30 countries and on every continent except Antarctica.

He was given the Louis Armstrong Memorial Medal and the Algur H. Meadows Award for Excellence in the Arts. He was inducted into the American Academy of Achievement and was dubbed an Honorary Dreamer by the I Have a Dream Foundation. The New York Urban League awarded Marsalis the Frederick Douglass Medallion for distinguished leadership. The American Arts Council presented him with the Arts Education Award.

He won the Dutch Edison Award and the French Grand Prix du Disque. The Mayor of Vitoria, Spain, gave him the city's gold medal, its most coveted distinction. In 1996, Britain's senior conservatoire, the Royal Academy of Music, made him an honorary member, the academy's highest decoration for a non-British citizen. The city of Marciac, France, erected a bronze statue in his honor for the key role he played in the story of the festival. The French Ministry of Culture gave him the rank of Knight in the Order of Arts and Literature. In 2008, he received France's highest distinction, the insignia Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. In 2023, he won the Praemium Imperiale.

He has received honorary degrees from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami (1994), University of Scranton (1996), Kenyon College (2019), New York University, Columbia, Connecticut College, Harvard, Howard, Northwestern, Princeton, Vermont, the State University of New York, and the University of Michigan (2023).

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[apollos0rchid]

Hello!!

about me

my name is leonardo but you can call me leo :)

im a 14 year old trans boy, but ive been too scared to present :,( and my birthday is in april

i am an age dreamer trying to regress!! i mostly dream around 4-6 and im trying to let myself fully regress but its hard to let go (￣^￣)ゞ this blog is my kinda main(?) but if i ever want to post something not safe/appropriate for kids id post it over on my other blog: @arr0w-0f-artemis

interests

i like dinosaurs, bugs, and all sorts of other things in that ballpark!! my favorite subject is science, but i love to learn no matter what the subject is!! ive been procrastinating a bit, but i sometimes play guitar at a begginer level :) i also have a pet ball python named pearl and i love her with all my heart (*´꒳`*)

some fandoms im in are: the umbrella academy, stranger things, sherlock + sherlock and co., csi: miami, and many more!!

my favorite color is the yellow-y orange up above but i love a couple shades in all colors

other

i believe i may be autistic though i havent got a diagnosis :( i often misunderstand social cues so please be patient if i dont always understand what you mean (*´-`) im also not very good with small talk so if i sound a bit dry its cause i dont know what to say (´∀｀*)

DNI if: ANY type of age kink, nsfw, not safe for children, trans/homophobic and other things of that nature

(this is pearl btw)

[winchestergirl2]

SHIP AND LET SHIP

List your 10 favourite pairings you shipped throughout 2023 ✨ _______________________________________

Thanks for the tag @deanbrainrotwritings 💖

Most of these are from older shows that I've rewatched in 2023. In no particular order here, they are...

1. Piper Halliwell & Leo Wyatt (Charmed)

2. Annie & Hughie (The Boys)

3. Caleigh & Eric (Csi: Miami)

4. Jordan & Marie (Gen v)

5. Phoebe & Cole (Charmed)

6. Lorelai & Luke (Gilmore Girls)

7. Max & Logan (Dark Angel)

8. Pacey & Joey (Dawsons Creek)

9. Clark & Lois (Smallville)

10. Charlie x Amita (Numb3rs)

(Couldn't add an image for this one)

Tagging (no pressure) @soaringeag1e @wayward-dreamer @hintsofhoney @thebiggerbear @mind-empty-just-fictional-people

[blackcharactertournament]

Black Character Tournament: Left Side!

adding a post break to make this more rebloggable

—

Chidi Anagonye | The Good Place vs Bow | She-Ra & the Princesses of Power

Marina Ida | Splatoon vs Youngblood Ra | Roleslaying with Roman

Barret Wallace | Final Fantasy VII vs Lunella Lafayette/Moon Girl | Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur

Lucas Sinclair | Stranger Things vs Gus Porte | The Owl House

Carole Stanley | Carole and Tuesday vs Garnet | Steven Universe

Aisha/Layla | Winx Club vs Carter Kane and Sadie Kane | The Kane Chronicles

Martha Jones | Doctor Who vs Death | Sandman (TV)

Finn | Star Wars vs Oluwande Boodhari | Our Flag Means Death

Leshawna | Total Drama vs Sonic the Hedgehog | Sonic the Hedgehog

Jodie Landon | Daria vs Helen Brand | Glass Onion

Wolf | Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts vs Benson | Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts

Mike Hanlon | IT (Steven King) vs Burton Guster | Psych

Flow | Roleslaying With Roman vs Nasuada | Inheritance Cycle/Eragon Trilogy

Jordan Hennessey | Dreamer Trilogy vs Ava Coleman | Abbott Elementary

Duke Thomas | DC Comics vs Mel Medarda | Arcane

Molly Blyndeff | Epithet Erased vs Michael Burnham | Star Trek Discovery

Neena Thurman (Domino) | Marvel comics / Deadpool 2 vs Nyota Uhura | Star Trek The Original Series

Gregory Eddie | Abbott Elementary vs Kipo Oak | Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts

Elena Amamiya | Star Twinkle Precure vs Simon Aumar | Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Karli Morgenthau | MCU: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier vs Enfys Nest | Star Wars: A Solo Story

Connor Hawke/Green Arrow | DC Comics vs Myla | One Last Stop

Winston Bishop | New Girl vs Khalil Harris | The Hate U Give

T'Challa | Black Panther vs Dr. Charlotte | Falsettos (Revival)

Gigi Thompson | Inside Job vs Isaiah | One Last Stop

Ivan Taylor | The Wilds vs Nathan Byrne | The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself

Miranda Bailey | Grey's Anatomy vs Essun | Broken Earth Trilogy

Agent 355 | Y : The Last Man vs Audacious Opportunity (A.O.) Rooke | Friends at the Table (Partizan)

OJ Haywood | Nope 2022 vs Nubia | Wonder Woman

Mr Nancy | American Gods vs Storm | X Men

Ambrose Spellman | Chilling Adventures of Sabrina vs Louis | The Walking Dead Game

Angela Moore | Boy Meets World vs Hilary Banks | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Junko Saotome | Nana vs Wes Gibbins | How to Get Away with Murder

Turk | Scrubs vs Wallace Fennel | Veronica Mars

Frozone | The Incredibles vs Kendra Young | Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Joelle Brooks | Dear White People vs Sans | Undertale

Anissa Pierce/Thunder | Black Lightning vs Koriand'r/Starfire | Titans (DC TV show)

Andre Harris | Victorious vs Sara | Over the Garden Wall

Samol | Friends at the Table vs Taion | Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Emerald Haywood | Nope (2022) vs Genly Ai | The Left Hand of Darkness

Sarah Miller | The Last of Us (TV) vs Pinkie Pie | My Little Pony

Muhammed Avdol | Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure vs Dr Foreman | House MD

Efi Oladele | Overwatch vs Jason Hauer | We only find them when they are dead

Bram Greenfeld | Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda / Love, Simon vs Zélie Adebola | Children of Blood and Bone

Nick Fury | Marvel vs Sam Wilson | MCU

Uniqua | The Backyardigans vs Alexx Woods | CSI Miami

Rue | Euphoria vs Bill Potts | Doctor Who

Nadine Ross | Uncharted series vs Jalil Sherman | Everworld

Baal (Valentine) | The Wicked + the Divine vs Jamal Saturday | Locke and Key (comics)

[f1-disaster-bi]

YOU READ ALL FOR THE FUCKING GAME. SHUT UP. HOLD UP. FOR REAL???

Oh my soul. F1 and aftg is my obsessions. Full stop. Went from aftg to f1 and both are on my mind 24/7 nonstop. Head Canon for me, the foxes definitely attend like Miami gp. And ofcourse neil would be obsessed with McLaren and all the orange. Lando being a little shit would be Neils favourite and timid Oscar would be Matts.

I have! I read the series for the first time in 2019, and I have reread at least twice a year since then and I just adore it. I also read TSC the minute it came out and stayed up all night reading it.

I have all three books and TSC on my Kindle and on the Kindle app on my phone. I have also ordered the special edition of the series from Rainbow crate the day they dropped after saving up for it, and am patiently waiting for them to drop the shipping date because I ordered in March and I'm just so excited to get them 🥺

The series has such a dear place in my heart and I actually reblog a good bit of fanart and posts about AFTG on my main blog where I reblog all my normal/nerdy/tv/book/poetry stuff to keep it seperate from this blog (@lost-within-a-dreamers-dream)!

As for your head canon, I absolutely can see Neil just picking the orange team because "close enough" but in my little word, the funniest thing is that Matt and the girls and maybe Andrew would be the only ones actually interested in F1. Neil doesn't care because it's not exy, but he goes because they've been invited and Andrew seemed interested.

Meanwhile my guy Kevin is in a corner with Neil with an exy match pulled up to try watch, and he's mumbling about there not being decent court near enough to where they're staying and Andrew straight up refuses to drive Kevin to a court because "suffer, Day"

[mrsemilybartrum]

OFFICIAL Draft for Thank You For Being a Spy:

PROLOGUE

Coco felt the resistance from the tumblers of the door lock as he stuck in his only key to Richmond Street. The doorknob turned, and Coco opened the door. A loud creak cried out from the door hinges like someone crying out in pain. It was hard to believe that after all those years the house on Richmond Street would once again be operational. The dramas that played out within these walls, beneath this roof. Entire lifetimes were lived and rendered and lived all over again. And then, one day, the program ended.

The house hadn’t been occupied by residents since the early nineties. There was a thick, fuzzy layer of dust collected on what items were left inside to rot after the government left her to die. The house on Richmond Street was a national treasure, though. Even if nobody had ever really known the truth, Coco did. Dusting off the house was like breathing life back into the people who came before, those long gone now. Coco always loved this part of his job. Each time he reopened a residence, it reminded him that he was making a difference in the world one house at a time.

            Coco took in a deep breath of stale air and nostalgia. One minute he was in Miami in the twenty-first century. The next, it was 1985 and he was being called the “Fancy Man” by some crude Italian woman. My, how times and things have changed since then. But then again, things have only stayed the same, it would seem.

The smell of moth balls made it even more real. For a split second, he could swear he could hear Sofia’s slippers shuffling off of the hardwood floors as she headed toward the cookie jar for a saltine cracker. How he missed every single one of the men and women he served over the years. It was like all his memories flashing before him as he walked to the door to answer it. He even saw a house in Cleveland that was a special op in the 2010s.

A doorbell broke Coco’s train of thought.

He was no longer back in 1985 Miami or 2010 Cleveland. He was present in 2023 Miami. And he wasn’t sure who would be already ringing the door bell when the four hadn’t even been selected yet for the mission. Coco went to the front door quickly, just in case the visitor was a superior officer who didn’t like to wait.

Carved deep inside the back of the front door was an exclamation point, as clear as day. He thought back to the origin story of such and odd quirk, and he thanked God that nobody had dare sand the fine work out.

An operative using the handle Dorothy Zbornak carved the exclamation mark into the back of the door the day she arrived to start her mission. She wasn’t what you would call superstitious, but she was a dreamer. She dreamed of a quick mission, in and out in a matter of months. What she got took seven years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Regardless, her true purpose was a successful mission. She got just that, and to this day the tradition continues.

Coco turned the old-fashioned knob and pulled the door open. The creaking noise was much worse than when he had arrived. Coco would be getting that sprayed down sooner rather than later. When he saw who was standing on the other side of the door, he almost let out a huge gasp. It was the director of the whole department.

“Looks like this place needs a good cleaning out and maybe a good renovation. Maybe some upgrades with décor and function? And a good airing out. Come, help me open all of the windows, Coco,” the Director said in a rush. The Director seemed to be in a hurry for some reason. Coco couldn’t help but notice she was half dressed.

The Director was tall, lean, and tan. Many people often confused her with a celebrity they couldn’t quite place or assume she’s an influencer. She was younger than Coco, but not by much. She was wearing a crochet crop top that could easily be confused as a bathing suit cover. Her shorts were pleated khaki Bermudas from the GAP. She had clearly been crying, and she didn’t belong there in Coco’s domain. He had a job to do. She was not authorized to be there bossing him around, so why was she there?

Coco stopped the Director in her tracks and demanded to know why she came. She was noticeably crying harder as she came to terms with what she had to tell him. She took a deep breath, and she finally spit it out.

“Do you remember the agent who went undercover as Olga in Cleveland back in 2010? I believe you worked with her at least on that occasion?” The Director asked softly as she wiped away tears.

“Yes, Betty. She was part of my first solo assignment back in Miami in 1985. My first job alone was at this house on Richmond Street, and Betty was undercover here as a lady named Rose Nylund. Why do you ask?” Coco questioned. He was pretty sure he already knew what she was going to say next. Betty was reaching a hundred at that point. He shuddered before he could even hear the words come from the Director’s mouth.

“Agent Betty White, who faithfully served our country during the Cold War and later on during the Global War on Terrorism, went to be with the Lord last night Coco.” The Director said in somber tones, almost rehearsed. The Director hadn’t known the women who last occupied the house on Richmond Street, but everyone knew them. The Golden Girls, they called them.

Even inspired a TV show with the same name, but the world never knew the ladies were all unrelated spies there getting paid to pretend to be Rose, Blanche, Dorothy, and Sofia. Agent Betty White was the last of the original Golden Girls. She was vital in the success of the 2010 Cleveland campaign. Agent Betty White saved thousands of lives, animals, and humans alike in her service to her craft.

Coco had finally realized that he had just been sort of kneeling there, just lumped over with grief. The last of them was now gone. And on the day, he was to begin preparations for the reactivation of Richmond Street. He was hoping he could’ve picked Agent White’s brain on four semi-retired agents who’d want to come back to work for a mission. Instead, he would mourn his dear friend with a slice of cheesecake in the kitchen. For some reason, that idea seemed the most appropriate.

CHAPTER ONE: AGENT ABREU AND THE EXPLODING HONDA

The Director was furious. All four of the women who signed up for the project on Richmond Street were gone. In an instant, the entire program was at risk. To make matters worse, the mission was extremely important for national security.

            Director Kelly Abreu wasn’t new to this life or world. This wasn’t her first rodeo. It might be her last, though, if she doesn’t figure this out. These moments were the worst for several reasons. Working in spy work for the government wasn’t for the faint of heart or those who form attachments to life or people. This was exactly why you never got attached to anything – or anyone.

            She was in her car when she got the news of the tragedy. Director Abreu couldn’t take it anymore. She found a safe spot to pull the vehicle over, and she got out of the driver’s seat. Taking a deep breath, she tried to compose herself and keep her nerves about her. She couldn’t hold it back anymore, though. She wanted to cry, puke, and scream all at the same time. She bent over to put her head between her knees.

            And then, it happened. She lurched up everything that had been on her stomach for the last two days, which wasn’t much more than stomach acid and coffee. She seldom ate when she was in dire straits or in high-speed mode. Not eating made it worse for her, as she could only taste bile. The stomach bile made her hurl even more.

            Once Director Abreu finished emptying the contents of her stomach, she opened the back hatch to sit in the trunk of her car. She grabbed a bottle of water from the kit in the back of her car and rinsed out her mouth. Then, she let out a scream that would’ve awakened the dead. Why did this have to happen?

            All four of these women were selected by the best staffing board ever put together. The entire process was top secret. How these four women could’ve been targeted and snuffed out before they ever began was concerning. There was a leak somewhere, and it had just costed four women their lives. Not only did she and Coco have to start all over with no time at all to find new agents, but she also had a serious security breach to deal with, as well. Grieving would have to wait. At least she was able to get two of those three urges taken care of for now. Crying for her four dead agents would have to wait until the nation was safer.

            That’s always the case, isn’t it? In life, we never get time to process things, to slow down and really digest what we are going through. Agent Kelly Abreu decided it was time to keep moving. If four of her agents were killed, then she could be next. She opened the driver’s door and sat down in her vehicle. She pushed the ignition button and the car revved up. The engine had made this weird noise, she thought.

For a split second her heart stopped. She thought about her mortality. She was certain that the car would explode just then, and she was half expecting her life to flash before her eyes. Instead, a belch of gas came up from her stomach, and she burped. A burp is better than a bomb, I suppose.

She turned on the radio to get her mind off her troubles. That always helped her when she needed it. Distraction is a progress promoter, most of the time. Even Thomas Edison said so, and he was the biggest cheat in history. Andrew Gold came through the speakers. The opening notes were probably the most famous opening notes of any song in America. “Thank you for being a friend… travel down the road and back again… your heart is true. You’re a pal and a confidante…”

Agent Kelly Abreu was in full chorus mode whenever her phone began to ring.

“And if you threw a party, invited everyone you knew. You would see the biggest gift would be from me. And the card attached would say thank you for being a friend.”

The phone went to voicemail, and she kept going with the song. It was a favorite of hers given she was a big Golden Girls fan. That show was inspired by the real Richmond Street. The whole operation was almost blown because of that show. But, they managed to save the program by convincing one of the stars to leave the show at the height of its success.

The phone rang again, and this time Kelly answered it.

            “Agent Kelly Abreu, how may I help you?” she asked before anyone could speak on the other end. Kelly hated wasting time, and she wanted to get on with her solo concert. Her government-issued Honda had great speakers, who was she to let good resources go to waste? She didn’t manage to look at the caller ID before she answered. She may not have answered it at all if she had seen it. It was a restricted call.

            All she could hear on the car speakers from her Bluetooth was clicking and breathing. In an instant, she realized how bad she just screwed up. She didn’t hesitate. She grabbed her backpack from the front seat. She put the car on cruise control, and she opened her driver door. She jumped out with a tuck and roll that would permanently scar her with road rash.

            Her Honda went rolling down the two-lane country highway like something out of a movie scene. She covered her head and waited for the explosion. Every bone in her body was sore, as it had been a while since she had to tuck and roll out of a car planted with a bomb. That clicking noise on the phone was a dead giveaway. She should’ve looked at the Caller ID.

            She felt herself over as she looked for serious injuries. She didn’t see any, but she sat still for a minute more. And then she heard it. Her government-issued Honda had already careened off of the road and into a ditch at this point. But what was that other sound? She couldn’t quite figure out what she was hearing through the adrenaline and the confusion. She stood up to look over at her car.

            “HELLO? KELLY?? ARE YOU THERE? THE LAWYER HAS OUR DIVORCE PAPERS HERE IN HIS OFFICE. KELLY?” her soon-to-be ex-husband was begging through the car speakers.

            It took three more minutes for the reality of the situation to sink in for Kelly. She dusted her butt off, and she started walking toward her Honda. How on earth would she explain this to the office? Her car had already crashed into the hilly part of the ditch. She walked up to the driver’s side. Her phone was still in the dash holder, so she reached in to grab it.

She disconnected the Bluetooth on the device, and then she walked up to the highway to get better reception.

“Rico. Are you there? Rico?” Kelly asked.

“Yeah, I know you’re busy. Are you okay? It sounded weird for a minute and I was worried I was interrupting important things.” Rico inquired.

“I’m okay ----” BOOM! The minute she confirmed she was alright, the Honda she had just tucked and rolled out of was engulfed in a sea of flames and fury. Her car exploded so hot and violently, she was tossed thirty feet from where she stood.

Agent Kelly Abreu lay face down on the pavement, her face torn up from the pavement. Her phone was knocked out of her hand and broken. She had hoped that Rico still remembered the drill. He should’ve; he used to be an agent himself. She decided it wasn’t safe to stay on the main highway, so she headed toward the wooded area to the right of the roadway.

Her backpack had everything she needed to get herself straight. She had water, survival gear, and food. She even had a burner phone with a prepaid phone card to load it with airtime. Hopefully, the blast didn’t break anything in her bag. Up ahead, she could see a stream and some larger rocks displaced from when they constructed the highway back in the 30s.

When she reached the rock, she sat down on the flattest one. She opened her backpack and started to get to work. Luckily for Kelly, everything was fine in her bag. She activated the phone, loaded the airtime, and called the only man she could ever trust, Coco.

[bobbydearest]

Hey y'all just a heads up this coming Monday during basically the late afternoon I will be going MIA for a temporary amount of time due to having to go through tsa, find my gate then board the correct plane to Miami FL, remember that my over head suitcase an under seat carry-on bag have to be grabbed beforei get off, locate the first floor baggage claim and go out the doors across from the luggage claim belt, as well as pay attention to locate my ride....

The MIA is just me not posting or being able to respond to any of u lovlies dms,asks, or anything like that but I'll post some pictures while I'm down there after I get adjusted...

P.S. sending lots of love to all of you gorgeous people also if any of yall are ablento id recommend investing in N-95 respirator masks if the air quality isn't healthy

@jobean12-blog,@theycallmebecca,@hobis-hope94,@holylulusworld,@jewels2876,@cheeky-foxx,@beka-dreamer,@sweater-daddiesdumbdork,@everyone who I forgot to mention but i try to interact with if/when possible

[songsofprotestpeacerevolution]

Immigrant Song · John Daversa Big Band · DACA Artists

Multi-Grammy nominee John Daversa brings us a deeply personal, emotionally stirring and timely project that gives voice to young undocumented people known as ‘Dreamers,” children who were brought to America through no fault of their own and raised with American culture and values. There are 53 Dreamers featured on this recording, representing 17 states and 17 birth countries. There are spoken intros from nine Dreamers, telling their heart-wrenching stories in narrative or poetry before the musical track ensues. Some of these will leave you in tears. The music sometimes stretches boundaries as a few selections move into a kind o Charles Mingus Bid Band territory but mostly they are patriotic, hopeful, and uplifting.

Daversa is a trumpet and electronic valve instrument (EVI) master as well as a composer, arranger, and bandleader. He’s also the Chair of the Studio Music and Jazz Department at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music. As a father and educator, he has deep connections to young people and respects his ancestral roots, with blue collar grandparents who immigrated from Italy. The decision of this Administration’s decision to rescind the DACA policy, struck a nerve. “I wanted to provide an opportunity for Dreamers to share their stories through music,” says Daversa.  He continues, “You don’t need polemics or a bullhorn to make yourself heard. The young people I worked with are just amazing, and I want this project to reach a wide audience, so that others could be touched, as I have, by their abundant courage and hope.”

[The rapper on Immigrant Song,] Caliph came here from Senegal at age seven, earned a University scholarship but couldn’t attend because of his immigration status.

https://glidemagazine.com/214046/john-daversa-and-his-big-band-featuring-daca-artists-bring-poignant-stories-to-american-dreamers-voices-of-hope-and-music-of-freedom-album-review/

[tj-dragonblade]

Rules: tag 10 (or less) people you’d like to know better. Tagged by @the-cloudy-dreamer​ , @amielot , and @violetequus8 , thank you!

relationship status: 20+ years married favorite color: Purple and/or green. Dozens of tints and shades of either. song stuck in my head: The Cure - Lovecats three favorite foods: Cheeeeeese; all kinds of cheese. Currently craving the gyro that I had at the state fair last year. Blueberry pie. last song listened to: Alestorm - Bite the Hook Hand That Feeds dream trip: Listen I could pick a dozen places to go, but it's the Getting There that I'm truly after; I want long cruises. I want to get on a boat in New York and sail to California via the Panama Canal. I want to cruise from Miami to wherever in the Mediterranean and then turn around and sail back. Vancouver to Hawaii to Australia and back again. Let me live on the damn ship til I'm sick of it. It'll take a long while. last thing I googled: Property value stuff for work

Do not have the brainspace for sorting tags tonight, my apologies. Would you like to do this? Please feel free. Tag me when you do. Even if we've never spoken. Start something idk. Go for it.

[lmjupdates]

IN CONVERSATION WITH LAUREN JAUREGUI

Interview by Jana Letonja

Multi-platinum Cuban-American singer-songwriter Lauren Jauregui has projected her voice across popular culture, including collaborations with everyone from Halsey and Steve Aoki to Ty Dolla Sign and Russ. Her sophomore EP ‘In Between’ was released on 26th May.

Lauren, your new EP ‘In Between’, which was just released, dives inward to craft an ode to the process of becoming one’s true, whole self. Tell us more about the inspiration and meaning of this EP.

This project is I feel titled pretty appropriately. It is a collection of songs, opened by a spoken word piece also titled ‘In Between’, which I think really captures what this project means. The ‘In Between’ is the space before you fully arrive,so these are pieces of figuring out and releasing to be honest. I’ve held these songs for 5 years, so it’s good to just let them go and for everyone to be able to hear and feel and live with them.

Your new single from the EP, ‘Wolves’, features Ty Dolla Sign and Russ. It marks your first collaboration with Ty Dolla Sign since 2017. How was it collaborating with him again, after such a long time?

I have a lot of respect for both Ty and Russ as artists and humans and I consider them both friends of mine. They’re two people who have always uplifted, supported, shown up and helped guide my spirit in this industry, so working with them on this song was an easy choice, especially back in 2018 when it was made. I’m grateful they both still believed in it the way I did and still do. The message is timeless. It’s about finding your light and purpose and allowing yourself to chase your dreams and visions outside of the constructs and BS they feed us.

The first two released singles from the EP are a poignant ballad ‘Always Love’ and vulnerable and intimate ‘Trust Issues’. What are the stories behind these two personal and deep singles?

They both are branches on the same tree of time. ‘Always Love’ is an ode to unconditional love and the way that I love. I wrote it when I was trying to process my feelings of a breakup. And ‘Trust Issues’ stemmed from the same period of healing, where people start entering your life or you’re lightly dating again, but you’re warning this lover that you’re probably not in the best time to be getting too involved in a relationship.

Your first album ‘Prelude’ showcased every side of you with no shortage of spirit, sensuality, style and soul. How does ‘In Between’ differ from it? And in what ways does it connect to it?

To me ‘Prelude’ and ‘In Between’ are sisters. They’re songs that came from the same version of me. The naive, stubborn, healing, grateful, excited, scared, passionate, present, ambitious dreamer that allowed me to get to where I am today and these songs are her exploring her healing, heart and self. They would’ve been part of the same project once upon a time to introduce myself, but I’m not her anymore. I’ve grown and she’s evolved, but these songs are still as much a part of my journey as the ones that will come from who I’ve been since you all last heard from me. So they had to be heard.

Who are your biggest musical inspirations and influences and why?

I honestly have a really wide range if I’m being real. I’m heavily inspired by pop, r&b, alternative rock music. I love salsa, boleros and reggaetón. I was heavily influenced by growing up in Miami and around my dad who was in a bunch of bands and always playing the drums and music in the house. I love a whole wide range of things. It’s hard for me to fit into a box, but if I think of who I’m inspired by, I’m inspired by all the badass songstresses, songwriters and producers like Hayley Williams, Amy Winehouse, Erykah Badu, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, Summer Walker, SZA, Kali Uchis, Jhene Aiko, Christina Aguilera, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, P!nk, Lana Del Rey, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Kaytranada, Shakira, Celia Cruz. I like people who tell their stories through their music. I love Jazz too. I’m hard to pin, which is my strength and weakness I suppose. I’m versatile.

You’ve collaborated with many artists, from Halsey to Steve Aoki to Ty Dolla Sign and Russ, who are all from different genres. How do you choose who you’re going to collaborate with? What makes it exciting to create outside of your genre?

I don’t believe I’ve defined a genre for myself as of yet. Like I mentioned, I’m influenced by energy from a lot of different genres, so getting to explore making music with artists I’m friends with and look up to and am inspired by is really my only goal with collaborations. Having fun and creating interesting things with other creatives is a blessing.

Tell us more about your songwriting process. What usually inspires you the most when writing songs?

I feel very inspired by love and being alive. The sounds and whatever the producer and I are feeling that day usually drive the direction the song goes in. I love exploring a concept from beginning to end and for the music to align with the words. I usually start off with a track and then build the melodies by playing around until I find what I like and then write the words.

Being in the spotlight can be challenging? How do you deal with it?

I’ve been doing this for a while, so I think at a certain point there was acceptance. I’m grateful to do what I love and I focus on the real love and support around me. Just stay grounded and true to myself at all times.

Lauren, you also actively speak up for social justice initiatives, including human rights, women’s and LGBTQ+ rights. What are your views and opinions on these pressuring matters?

Well, that’s a vague question, but I think my overall opinion in reference to the why is just that I believe we are all worthy of safety and a right to live life joyously and as ourselves, no matter our identity. I believe we all deserve to have the right to life, freedom, clean water and foods, shelter and autonomy over our bodies and minds. That’s what I believe and I just try my best to speak that truth to power as often as I can when handed a mic. I also believe it’s extremely important to be as loud about love as possible for this world to even remotely begin to shift into one where that can be a reality for everyone.

Now that your new EP is out, what is coming up next? Can you share a bit about your upcoming projects.

I’m focused on ‘In Between’ right now. She’s really fresh and new in the world, so I’m going to let her take a breath and live a little. In the meantime, I’ll be creating for my debut album while traveling a bit this summer and I’ll be going on tour in the Fall.

talent LAUREN JAUREGUI @laurenjauregui photographer BRIANNA ALYSSE @brialysse photo editor KWAMI LEE @notemplate.xyz stylist RAZ MARTINEZ @itsmerazzie make-up VITTORIO MASECCHIA @vittoriomasecchiabeuty hair NATHANIEL DEZAN @nathanieldezan producer DANIELLE HAWKINS @daniellehstyles @tunnelmediagroup editor TIMOTEJ LETONJA @timiletonja