#for some reason the first page is in rows of top to bottom??? and the second is left to right

[meadow-roses]

This is set around 15 years after "Dauntless" ends, Felix suddenly finds himself hundreds of years in the future on an alien planet. With no money, no idea where he is or how he got here, and no idea where his wife and kids are, Felix gets a job on a cargo ship headed to Earth in exchange for passage.

[hellaverseconfessions1369420]

Long confession ahead, apologies in advance.

Look, I don't get heated about shipping. I like what I like, and I look at things I like. If I don't like whatever someone is posting, I'll filter the tags, and if they aren't using the tags appropriately, I will block them. It's fairly easy for me to avoid ships I personally dislike most of the time. I do all of the things I'm supposed to, and yet I'm still having this problem.

There is one singular ship on God's green earth that kills all of my enjoyment for both of the characters involved, and it is radioapple. I have never felt such strong emotions about any other ship before in any of the fandoms I'm part of. It's fucking everywhere. I genuinely cannot use this website if I want to see Lucifer or Alastor fanart/fanfic, and I'm not moving sites.

But God. I'm so fucking sick and tired of seeing "this post contains filtered content: #radioapple." When S1 first came out, I counted 37 blocked posts in a row on top of #Alastor on one given day. I had to scroll through 37 blocked fucking posts before I found ONE that wasn't about fucking radioapple. And that isn't counting all the OTHER Alastor ships, because of course that's all anyone gives a shit about anymore.

I'm on mobile, so I can't use browser extensions to make Tumblr's filtering system actually do what I want it to (delete every radioapple post, forever). I also don't feel like buying a laptop for fucking Tumblr. I've been getting back into HH after falling out of it for a while for related reasons, and I forgot how much angrier and more unhappy I am coming out of #Alastor or (to a lesser extent) #Lucifer than when I went in. Which is super awesome considering they're my two faves.

I wish I was kidding when I say I have actually cried real tears more than once over this. I'm aroace, and I thought maybe for once I'd get to feel at least a little bit included and represented in fandom as a whole. I thought having a canon aroace character would be that for me, at least one tag I could semi-comfortably browse and feel like I'm actually part of shit and not a spectator for once, but obviously not. I don't even get to look at fanart of a character I enjoy without being constantly reminded of how different and alone I am, even when that character is different in exactly the same way as me. Even characters like Alastor that are written to be like me aren't written for me. Because why would anyone create anything for someone like me to enjoy when they could instead jam a little more sex and romance in there?

I once scrolled through #Alastor blocking all the radioapple posters for so long that I reached the bottom of the page. Tumblr would not show me any more posts and I had to reload it. I blocked 209 different blogs, and it barely made a dent. 209. I can't curate my way out of this. I genuinely think I just don't get to like those characters anymore, and it fucking sucks. I want my deer man back.

TL;DR: I cannot enjoy these characters I deeply relate to with how prevalent and fucking inescapable this one ship is, and I'm not sure how to fix it. Frankly I'm not sure it's fixable, but I would love it if this wasn't something else I just don't get to have like everyone else. Someone tell me what to do about this. I want to have fun too.

I understand why you would think that. I’m probably aroaceflux and I can see some alastor in me (aroacewise, not serial killer wise) and why you wouldn’t want to see the ships you don’t like. Unfortunately that’s how many fandoms work, they’ll just keep shipping.

to be honest, I don’t know what to say, but thanks for the confession and I hope things get better for you

[chvoswxtch]

hi court! this is daisyxchains. i’ve actually never sent a proper request before so apologies if this is a mess, but when i saw your requests were open i couldn’t pass it up. you’re an amazing writer in all the ways—dialogue, description, prose, characterization, etc.

anyway i’m a raging homosexual, and i feel particularly starved of karen page smut. i would say follow your heart, because i’m not particularly picky, but if you want some more specific motivation i’m also the anon who sent something forever ago along the lines of “her dressing you up, putting a pretty toy in you, and making you sit and wait while she works at her desk”

i can just imagine reader being the Worst while karen’s trying to work—begging for attention, talking her ear off until karen gives in (well sort of gives in, she’s gonna make you work for it)

those are my feral thoughts if you wish to pursue them. either way, thank you for all the amazing content you continue to provide the community <3

you know, i'm something of a raging homosexual myself (I hope you read that in willem dafoe's voice)

I want you to know the reason I took so long to write this was bc I had to keep taking breaks to calm myself down bc you have no idea how badly I want to be brat tamed by karen page 🫠

I don't know if this is what you were looking for but I made the executive decision that it was what you needed so pls sit back, relax, and enjoy <3

warning: gay as hell, dom karen, use of toys, explicit sexual content (minors dni) word count: 1.7k

behave.

The sound of a soft whimper cutting through the silent office made Karen’s bright blue eyes snap up from her computer screen and caused her taupe brows to pinch together. The second she caught sight of you, her previous confusion regarding the noise melted, and a wicked smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. You had managed to be so quiet for the past fifteen minutes that she had almost forgotten you were even there.

Leaning back in her chair, her tongue darted out to wet her lips, and she cocked her head to the side slightly while her eyes hungrily roamed over your vulnerable figure.

“You alright over there, pretty girl?”

Your eyes were screwed shut, and your top teeth had sunk so far down into your bottom lip it was a wonder you hadn’t broken the skin and drawn blood. A subtle nod of your head was all you could manage, but that wasn’t enough for Karen.

“Look at me when I speak to you.”

The harsh edge to her voice was laced with warning, and your eyes suddenly flew open. The instant obedience caused Karen’s lips to split into a wide tooth bearing grin. This was the most compliant, and quiet, that you had ever been.

“That’s better.”

Karen let out a soft sigh as her tongue glided along her top row of teeth, letting her attention focus solely on you for the first time all night. She had an important deadline to meet at the Bulletin, and she had to turn in her first draft to Ellison in the morning, but you had been acting like a needy brat the entire time she had been trying to work at home. Walking around the living room naked, kissing Karen’s neck while she was trying to write, even going as far as touching yourself on the other side of the couch while she was on the phone. You had been relentless, and Karen finally snapped.

She dragged you to her office at the Bulletin and forced you to sit in a chair in the corner, securing your wrists to the arms of the chair with leather cuffs and tying your ankles to the legs of the chair with two pairs of your own panties, keeping you spread wide open. She’d had you put on a lingerie top she had gotten you for Valentine’s Day that was blush pink, completely see through, and decorated with lace rose appliques. It was a size small on purpose, and she enjoyed the way your breasts were spilling out of the cups, and how she could see your hardened nipples peeking through the thin sheer fabric. 

Karen hadn’t allowed you to wear panties. She wanted to be able to see your pussy without anything in the way. There was a dainty silver chain around your neck, a diamond encrusted “K” initial settling between your collarbones; a visual reminder that you were hers. On your feet were sparkly silver platform pumps, secured with a strap around your ankles. They were the shoes you always wore when you really wanted Karen’s attention, and the closest thing you gave her to a warning about how bratty you intended to get that evening.

But Karen’s favorite part of the outfit she had picked for you was the toy that was currently nestled in your dripping wet cunt. The bottom half of the toy inside you was a little vibrating bullet and the top half was a red rose that suctioned on your clit. The speeds and intensity were controlled by a remote currently sitting on Karen’s desk.

The rules were simple. The more you acted out while Karen was trying to work, the harder she would punish you. You were to keep quiet and still, and if you could manage to do that while Karen finished her draft of her article, she would let you come. She had been edging you for the past hour and a half. It took you at least half an hour just to finally start playing by her rules. You had been begging and whining, bargaining and hurling empty threats, and at one point Karen had almost gagged you with your own panties. 

Right now the speed and intensity were set right in the middle. Not fast enough to make you cum, but not slow enough to make it easy for you to endure the delectable torment. Karen’s eyes were drawn to your soaked pussy. She could see you subtly grinding your hips upwards, the way your thighs trembled, how your wetness had leaked onto the seat beneath creating a tiny little puddle. You looked so…inviting.

When she looked at you, Karen noticed that your own eyes were wandering over her body with ravenous hunger. The deep v cut of her emerald green blouse showcased her cleavage, and there was even a tiny peek of the black lacy bra she wore that made you let out a soft whimper. Her dark blue jeans clung to her thighs like a second skin, and the way Karen sat with her legs spread slightly made you want to be on your knees between them, or on her lap riding her. You’d settle for anything you could get.

“I’m impressed, baby. You’re doing well. Being so good for me. Good girls get rewarded, don’t they?”

Nodding your head eagerly, you stared into Karen’s eyes, noticing their bright blue shade had darkened into almost a midnight blue. It sent a shiver down your spine. A dark chuckle left her lips as she suddenly stood up from her chair.

“You can talk, pretty girl. Tell me, do you think you deserve a reward?”

Your lips parted, but you weren’t sure how to answer. It felt like a trick question. The vibrations echoing inside your pussy and the faint suction stimulation on your clit was maddening. You couldn’t hardly form a coherent thought. You were so aroused, it was almost painful. For over an hour, Karen had been driving you towards the brink of an orgasm, just to rip you away from the tide at the last second. Your chest was rising and falling rapidly, your breaths quick and shallow, and your mind completely clouded with lust.

“Are you finished?”

The desperation saturating your shaky voice surprised the both of you, and Karen found it amusing. She took a few slow steps towards you, slipping her hands into her denim pockets while stopping just a few feet away from you. Just close enough for you to smell the spicy warmth of her familiar perfume.

“Not yet.”

A delicate whimper left your lips at her disappointing response, and you felt a pit of despair sinking in your lower belly. Karen arched one of her taupe brows at the noise you made, but waited to see how you would respond. Gritting your teeth, you gripped onto the arms of the chair, feeling your stomach muscles clenching tightly. You let out a shaky exhale, looking up at Karen with anguish shimmering in your eyes.

“Then no.”

Karen was surprised by your answer. You had always been a sassy, demanding little thing. But maybe you had learned how to behave after all. Glancing over her shoulder at her computer, Karen found herself at a crossroads. Her article was essentially complete, and the temptation to take you home and fuck you senseless was hard to resist. She was wet herself just from the sight of you, and she was curious to see how far she could take this new found obedience of yours. 

Turning her attention back to you, she took a few steps closer, staring at you as if you were a lamb headed straight for the slaughter.

“You need to come so badly, don’t you pretty girl?”

Reaching one of her hands out, she lightly caressed your cheek with her knuckles, and you let out a soft moan in response. It was intoxicating seeing how you reacted to the faintest of touches in this state.

“Yes.”

The sound of your voice was so desolate, so incredibly breathless and raw. It sounded like you were on the verge of tears.

“Oh, babygirl. You’re so pretty like this. Look at you, making such a mess. If I let you come, will you promise to keep behaving when we get home, and keep listening?”

“Yes…yes, God yes. Anything…I’ll do anything. Please Kar-”

“Shh shh shh, relax baby. I believe you.”

Karen pressed her index finger against your soft lips to shush you. Kneeling down in front of you, she slipped the drenched toy out of your cunt and pulled the rose away from your swollen clit, causing you to let out a sharp cry at the loss of stimulation. She didn’t bother untying you before diving in to devour your glistening pussy. 

A loud moan tore through your chest and echoed around the otherwise silent office. Karen easily slipped two of her fingers into your sopping cunt, fucking you relentlessly with them while alternating between sucking on your overly sensitive clit and flicking her tongue over it rapidly. After being edged for over an hour, Karen easily had you gushing on her tongue and fingers in a matter of minutes, and it was one of the most powerful orgasms you ever had. 

Your abdominal muscles contracted sharply while your thighs trembled violently, and despite your pleas for mercy, Karen wouldn’t stop. Her tongue collected every drop of what she had wrung from you, and she grinned against your pussy hearing your helpless whimpers of overstimulation. The high she felt from having this kind of power over you was more potent than anything she had ever felt. When she finally sat up on her knees and licked her lips, Karen wrapped her hand around your throat, and she leaned in to drag her tongue along your bottom lip, feeling the thrum of your heartbeat against her fingers.

“I hope you’re not tired, pretty girl. Because you and I are gonna have a lot of fun when we get home.”

tags: @ninejlovebot @firesunflamed @oscarisaacsleftknee @ameliaswife @kmc1989 @mentallyunstablebish

[beesmygod]

"A GHOST STORY" IS A WEBCOMIC I MAKE THAT I WILL BE RE-POSTING, GRADUALLY.

the top row is from 2013, the bottom row is from the 2018 re-draw. the second row was made in 2019. this was another page where the original had too much information on it and it had to be split into two pages.

we finally hit a page i can look at and go "yeah i was cooking when i re-did this". it is vastly improved over the original in all ways. the art is still rudimentary and does not do anything exciting or unexpected, but the writing is far better and way more "human" than it was previously. the re-draw/re-write successfully conveys a conversation between these two characters as i know them today. maxine is stubborn and self-assured even when she's going to die. jack is passive to the point of being unhelpful and cowardly, even when he's going to die. they are both so stupid.

i miss writing them in the same room together. it's been so long. but it's for plot reasons. they will re-united and be dumber than ever. anyway, this is the stuff i feel more confident about presenting to people as "my work". it's still deeply imperfect and awkward but in ways that feel unique to me as a result of trying really hard to make something good. it sucks, but sucks in a way that i have been cultivating and fine-tuning over the course of several years. it demonstrates improvement, and goddamn if that isn't all i want more than anything else.

in the original page, jack and maxine have a panel where they're doing different poses that pants does in the webcomic "jerkcity" (now called some other shit i don't remember or care to look up. rands you're a bitch dude), which is made in the software "microsoft comic chat", which uses illustrations provided by comic artist jim woodring.

---

♥ read the comic: A Ghost Story ♥ support the comic for as little as $1 a month on Patreon ♥ donate on kofi ♥ pay what you want for the re-draw of the first chapter on itch.io

you can block the tag "#AGS repost" to keep this off your dash

[poirott]

this ^

Hello! Right? The editor is a mess, settings aren't user friendly, it takes 3 clicks to do the simplest tasks like uploading a gif or image from the harddrive. There's apparently a character limit for the caption area, there's not enough room for colorized text html because the code eats up too much space.

Gifs and images, once you upload them, are difficult to move around. Trying to "pull" and "push" a gif into a desired slot (left, right, top, bottom) has been so frustrating and far more difficult than such a task should be. It's like gifs are weighted down by rocks and won't slip into the correct slot. You have to re-do the order over and over again because they never appear in the slot they're supposed to. And sometimes the draft saves itself but other times it forgets the new steps you've made to the post and everything is lost again. You have to refresh the drafts page to see if the post is actually saved!

Then once you set up your gifs in the correct order, feeling like you've accomplished a Herculean task, and you re-edit text in the caption as a last tweak or something, ALL the gifs are in disarray for some reason and need to be re-arranged manually every single time you edit the text. It makes no sense. The code for the caption and the gifs shouldn't affect each other.

It takes me ages to post a simple photo set or a gif set with a caption. The code for the caption is long and overstuffed, further taking away room for colorized text that needs a lot more characters of code.

My temporary solution (that I'm still practicing through trial and error) is to get all the gifs/photos ready first, switch to html view and write the caption and color text as the very last step. This way, in theory, I only have to re-arrange every gif one more time, instead of several times, which is hard because it's my habit to tweak and re-tweak the text caption to my liking. Otherwise if I re-edit the text 10 times, the gifs are also messed up and in the wrong order 10 times. It still takes me several takes to re-arrange and edit because something always needs to be tweaked. It's like the new tumblr editor only saves the gifs/photos uploaded to a post, but not their order. The worst part is, it forgets I placed smaller 268px gifs side by side in a row, not in a column/top to bottom like one would large 540px gifs. Baffling.

The more stuff I find that's not working with the editor, the more frustrating sharing content becomes. Gif makers and other creators are gonna stop posting to tumblr if, on top of spending hours or days or WEEKS on gif sets (elaborate gif sets take a lot of time, energy and creativity), they also have to battle a stubborn, awkward editor that requires another 100 steps before the post is saved correctly for publishing!

Tumblr should have kept the legacy editor as a 2nd option for people who like the old version, and everything would have been fine. :(

[n41r]

Sorting My "Love and Berry" Cards Collection

So few days ago, for no damn reason, I suddenly remembers about my old obsession for "Love and Berry" and "Kitten Dance Channel"

I decided to open them and sort my cards collection out at that night

I'm only going to write about my Love and Berry cards tho, my collection for Kitten Dance Channel is not that impressive, since the game's machine kind of disappeared and I got busy with school at that year-

...I would love to be able to play either of this game again, tho I love them

TLDR; I have lots of cards, which some are bootlegs (but usable on the machine) and some are official Also, showcase of some of my favorite cards

So, let's start this long ass story

This album is already filled to the brim- I have more cards than it can hold, and kept the rest of the cards inside a plastic bag-

Which... is actually a good thing, because without young Ris knowing, this album is made of fucking PVC So most of the cards that are stored inside the album have become roughs and dusty-

But, it didn't really saddens, contrary to expectations

Why?

Because most of the cards inside the album are bootleg cards-

Okay okay, hear me out- I don't know how it is outside of Indonesia, but in this country, we have some vendors who used to sell Love and Berry bootleg cards in boxes for about Rp 20k - 50k (I don't remember the exact price anymore)

But funnily enough, even tho those cards are not official ones from the machine, you can use them on the machine-

I am not lying- There are some bootleg cards that can't be used on the machine out there, but the ones that I have here are usable and very precious to me-

Anyway, back to sorting-

The sorting started with dividing the cards' types and whether it was an official cards or not With the bootleg cards on the top row, the official ones on the middle, and another version of the bootleg ones on the last row

As you can see, my bootleg cards are a lotsa- As I have said before, I have unhealthy obsession with cards And even tho I never went out of my way to try to collect a complete volume like a mad man, this collection have a pretty concerning numbers-

((Please ignore my horrendous English, I was hungry and out of focus when writing this-))

As written on the photo, I have a total of 165 cards, in which 128 cards are bootleg, and 37 are official cards from the machine

Also, I'm planning on buying sleeves for the official cards, that's why I wrote down the size of the card- I'll probably put them alongside my Oreca Battle card pages, because why not? Both are my precious collection after all

And now, I hope I won't end up looking like bragging, but I want to proudly present some of my favorite cards from my collection,

First of all, the card I always use when playing,

The Magical Clock

This card add few more seconds at the dressing up part, which really help because my album is full, and it's kind of hard trying to scan through my collection because the lucky color is always random-

Here you'll notice I have two version of the card And it's because the yellow one is the bootleg one, while the pink one is from the machine-

And now, from the bootleg cards section,

Cherry Sweetheart and Lemon-Lime Twist

And side-by-side nonetheless~ These two are the costume that Love and Berry used in some of their official art~ I also have their corresponding footwear, but I kind of lazy to pull em out of the sleeve to photo-

Lace Lilac and Green Little Fairy

These two dresses inspires some of my OCs outfit, so they hold a precious spot in my heart~

Especially Lace Lilac, because my favorite stage ingame is the one with Blue Danube It was my favorite stage because,

Dresses and fancy gowns~

The arcade is noisy as heck and I remember Blue Danube by heart, so I always get perfect score at this stage-

And now, from the official cards section,

On the bottom row, we have lotsa of purple adjacent cards, because it was my favorite color at the time- I especially loved the Comfy Sweater one, because it's so cute- I also have a platform shoes card that goes very well with this card

And on the upper row... I included these cards because they felt extra special Why? Because this set of outfit is worn by Berry on the back of Ver. 15 cards!

I never get Love's outfit tho, but I do have her shoes Pretty funny, huh? I have a complete set for Berry's outfit, but only have Love's shoes-

And to end this card showcase,

Fitted Tee Girl

The outfit that Love wore on so many official arts for the game!!! Never get the shoes or any of Berry's outfit tho, but I'm so happy to have this one card~

And that's the end of it! I don't know if the machine for this game still exit within my country or not, but if by any miracle I would have an encounter with it, I would love to immortalize the memory, whether by recording or just photos

[skinsort]

Well I have no chill and spent like 6 hours on this today in lieu of anything useful. Basically I wanted to play around with transparency, gradients, and blurs, and much more abstractly a feeling of being kind of shoved through the skin a little bit with the italics and the off center layout. Most of that time was messing with extremely minute styling details. On the one hand I should probably fkin quit it with that, but on the other hand with something as abstract as the idea I had for this, spotchecking the feel as accurately as I can feels important. That feeling of driving through the skin is proving harder to make consistent, but I'm enjoying it all the same. I feel good about the hero and the navigation (aside from restyling John's dropdowns), they're responsive all the way through, but I have a ways to go yet on the categories and the forums obviously. I'm not sure I like them, but I think I have to finish the forum row first to see if the vision is good or just silly. If I don't like it, I know what the fallback is going to be at least (blur gradients, so many overlapping gradients).

If you code, I only really did one thing that might be new, and included the code for that below the cut.

The only real problem I solved so far was how to make the blur gradient spread across the entirety of the page, not just the view. I wanted the hero to be very clear, and everything behind the forums and stats to be blurry af so I can overlay text on them reasonably. Here's a little code snippet if you want to do a gradient similar that traverses the whole page (and not just the view height!). Put this in some script tags on your board wrappers. This basically listens to the page loading, or if someone resizes the screen, and then sets the height of the element that has the gradient on it- in this case blur-gradient. window.addEventListener('resize', setBlurHeight); $(document).ready(setBlurHeight)

function setBlurHeight() { const siteHeight = $(document).height(); $(".blur-gradient").css("height", siteHeight); } And here's the blur-gradient css:

.blur-gradient { backdrop-filter: blur(20px); -webkit-mask: linear-gradient(180deg, transparent, black 50%); position: absolute; z-index: -2; width: 100%; top: 0; bottom: 0; } blur-gradient itself is just an empty div with that class. It obviously doesn't have to be a blur gradient- you should be able to use this for any effect which you want to extend the whole vertical range of the page.

[47crayons]

so, you want to write a musician?

about me: i play viola and have experience in symphony orchestras, string orchestras, string quartets (+ a few other small ensembles), and solo performances. i've done some light composition, and have friends/family who play other instruments. while my musical history is extensive, by no means do i know everything or speak for everyone.

this guide will focus on classical music/how to portray classical musicians and things that aren't as easily researched.

quick overview of instruments in a typical symphony orchestra

upper strings (violin, viola), lower strings (cello, (double) bass; i've seen viola included here too, but it's more commonly classified as upper strings)

strings also technically includes harp and piano

woodwinds (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon)

depending on instrumentation, they may also have piccolo, english horn, bass clarinet, contrabassoon

saxophones are not traditionally in symphony orchestras due to it being a relative newer instrument! but this is changing because more contemporary composes are including sax parts

brass (trumpet, trombone, bass trombone, tuba, euphonium)

percussion (depends heavily on instrumentation, but common instruments are bass drum, timpani, snare, crash cymbal, xylophone, marimba)

some things you should research

where the hands are supposed to go!! i'd recommend you look at pictures of professionals in orchestra settings (ny phil, cso, berlin phil are all top tier). some musicians *coughs at yoyo ma* have less than perfect posture when they're performing solos (for the same reasons famous authors can break "rules")

necessary equipment including reeds, rockstops, different kinds of sticks/mallets, rosin, mouth pieces for whatever instrument you're writing

common misconceptions

loose/photocopied sheet music is not aesthetic—it's annoying and impossible to keep organized. folders and binders are fairly common especially when managing multiple ensembles.

original copies are often expensive and required to perform a piece (legally) for profit or otherwise (though i know a few people who have bent this rule)

not all performers are good composers (i myself have very little formal music theory training), but many composers have performance histories.

not all musicians can sing.

perfect pitch is both a blessing and a curse. notes can be slightly lower/higher but in tune with the context of the piece, which drives people with perfect pitch insane.

having perfect pitch does not guarantee someone will be a prodigy, and people don't need perfect pitch to be a talented musician.

drama in ensembles does exist, but it rarely gets in the way of rehearsal. same thing goes for good friends: if your characters have even a shred of common sense, they aren't going to be talking/messing around during rehearsal.

instruments (especially good ones) are extremely expensive. people very rarely store instruments on the wall or other displays for fear of falling.

instruments are very picky and require tuning every time. every time! it doesn't take long anyway. temperature and humidity can and will make instruments go out of tune or damage your instrument if not properly stored.

some people listen exclusively to classical music, but in my experience, that's definitely not the majority

like with anything, most musicians struggle with self doubt at one point or another.

musician culture

getting excited when we hear a piece we recognize

getting frustrated because we can't remember the name of the piece (after all, no lyrics to search)

being horrified when a non-musician actor is playing a musician. yes, we notice. yes, it's obvious.

if people are joking, it's likely to be about: violas (a quick search for "viola jokes" will tell you all you need to know) or trumpets (a reputation for being overly loud, playing and not)

putting stickers (places they toured, their orchestra, or just purely decorative) on cases is common, but not for everyone. same goes for pictures (of family, past concerts, or anything) on the inside.

scrambling for a pencil when the conductor says to mark something. pencils are a musicians best friend :D

asking (and forgetting) how to split double stops/two parts at the same time. sometimes one stand partner will play the top while the other plays the bottom, and sometimes this is split stand by stand.

this has NEVER resulted in a sexual top/bottom joke. please just. don't. also no g string jokes. it's just unrealistic.

awaiting the obligatory "it's one week before our concert, and you sound like this?!" lecture

not talking about music 100% of the time!!! they have lives outside of music (most of them, at least /j). especially to close friends, music is probably not going to be a conversation topic unless something is out of the ordinary (high stress, something funny from rehearsal, etc.)

bragging/talking about how often they practice is generally not welcomed. great, but other people don't need to hear it!

stages are hot and bright. there's no way a performer can see someone in the audience with the possible exception of the first row.

practicing

three words for you: love. hate. relationship.

slow practice (like really slow lots of people recommend half speed; good for focusing on the right notes, tone, phrasing, smooth transitions)

metronome practice (while playing, it's not annoying at all! it's helpful and requires a lot of focus; when NOT playing, it's annoying and loud because it needs to be heard over the playing)

drone practice (having a machine/website/another person play one note in the background; good for tuning and scales)

and too many more for me to detail

auditions

ensembles may have entrance auditions to determine who gets in and seating auditions to determine placement within the section.

adrenaline does not make us play better; it just makes us make mistakes. and then thinking about those mistakes causes more mistakes.

some instruments, especially those with less repertoire, have common excerpts that come up frequently (i can think of one in particular that i've played for three separate auditions this year).

stopping/starting over is not recommended ever, but if you do, it has to be 10x better. most audition judges aren't looking for perfection!! they want to see how your character can keep going after messing up.

sight reading (being given new music, having ~30 seconds to look at it, being asked to play) is never perfect. i don't care how talented your character is; if they think they nailed it, they aren't experienced enough to see all the phrasing/dynamics that they didn't incorporate. no one gets sight reading perfect!!!

perhaps most importantly, musicians are not all the same! they enjoy it for a number of different reasons and have diverse and interesting lives outside of music!!! more information about specific instrument groups under the cut :)

strings

callouses. with the exception of pianists, most string players (and especially professional ones) have callouses where they press down/pluck the strings. i also have one on my right thumb where i hold my bow. cellists and bassists might have them on their left thumb from playing higher notes in thumb position.

hickeys are also fairly common, though only some people get them. upper strings will get these by under their left jaw. cellists may have one from the wooden body resting on their sternum. some people (including hilary hahn and many many others) use a cloth for comfort and to prevent hickeys.

few people want a hickey, but it might suit a character who is constantly trying to prove themselves.

our fingers do not "glide" anywhere. you can get cuts/"string-burns" from pressing down too hard when shifting. cuts like those are the only reason someone's fingers will bleed, and it's rarer than you think.

upper strings are more prone to back/neck problems from the way they hold their instruments on one side. see also: shoulder pain.

finger cramps happen. they aren't too common, but most if not all strings have experienced at least one.

pianos require tuning every few years or else the chords will be out of tune. few pianists can tune their own instrument because of how complicated it is.

piano parts/accompaniments will have so. many. pages. a page turner may sit on the right of the pianist to turn the page.

woodwinds & brass

spit. so much spit. some instruments clean afterwards with a cloth; others have a spit valve which is as gross as it sounds.

proper embouchure, or how a musician uses the muscles in their face/lips, is tiring, and people actually get strong cheek muscles. they can also easily turn red, but it varies based on a person's facial complexion. see also: good lung capacity.

flute and piccolo are not dainty. piccolo requires as much air as a tuba. an old teacher of mine almost passed out playing piccolo when she was in college.

flutes and piccolos are high, but often not shrill depending on the level of the ensemble.

reeds last a few weeks (less if your character plays for hours a day) and can be expensive to buy.

keys and valves can get sticky especially on older instruments which can result in the wrong note or bad tone.

saxes, clarinets, flutes are more likely to "honk" on low notes.

oboes are more likely to feel "wispy" on high notes.

articulation comes from the tongue, especially for brass instruments, and conductors may ask for "tah" "pah" or "wah" sounds depending on the style of the piece.

percussion

callouses from the friction between hands and sticks/mallets.

there are so many types of sticks and mallets!!! make sure to take a look at what materials are good for what instruments/sounds.

cymbals, triangle, and bass drum are not easy to play, even though they look simple.

percussionists with the exception of timpani may play more than one instrument during a piece, and they're constantly moving around in the back during their rests.

percussion instruments are too expensive for most people to have everything they ever play. practice pads are very common in place of these instruments.

ability to play one instrument doesn't translate to different instruments. for example, many percussionists don't have experience playing set/drum set.

some of the things detailed here are heavily glossed over, so if you have any questions, i'd always be happy to talk about it with you; i may not have answers, but i will try to help as best i can!!!

since you read this far, have my favorite viola joke.

what's the difference between a violist and a large pizza?

a large pizza can feed a family of four :)

tagging some people who showed interest: @writing-is-a-martial-art @ashen-crest @kg-willie @owilder

[tu-sugar-mami]

You're an exchange student part 2:

You can read the first part here

You sit awkwardly on a gigantic chair while holding a lukewarm, barely touched cup of tea with both of your hands. Your back is straight and your shoulders are tense. You're starting to feel a bit sore after being still for a long time but you can't bring yourself to move.

After the incident with the first cultist —or what you still think is a cultist, the redhead girl— the tall lady took away your bug repelent and lighter along with your backpack, putting them on the top row of a nearby shelf where she was sure your little hands wouldn't reach.

If you're honest, you're not sure how you ended up sitting in the chair in front of the gigantic fireplace with many heavy comforters on you providing much needed warmth, feeling like an unexpected but not unwelcomed guest instead of the next sacrifice, but truly you're not complaining. This is thousand times better than to die outside from the cold.

As you sit there innocently waiting for the next important thing to happen, you can see that the two young women who arrived after you are exchanging a few words with Miss Tall Lady while taking off their coats to reveal several layers of winter clothes underneath. It's strange to you, but you pay it no mind. Every person takes different to the cold, after all.

The tall lady starts pacing back and forth in front of you heatedly talking, glancing at you once or twicce, and it's not hard for you to notice the strain and exasperation in her tone. Whatever she's saying sounds serious, but you can only make out a few words like 'offering' 'wrong' and 'mistake'.

Not knowing what to respond your find yourself distracted by the decor. Your eyes roaming every detail of the chiseled fireplace, taking in the most fine of the details. Then, is the stairwell that catches you attention and you can't help but to think it would be a great place to slide on a cardboard box.

"Are you listening to me?" A commanding voice and a snap of fingers brings your wandering mind down from the clouds and your neck snaps to face the woman. Her eyes are a beautiful golden, and you can't believe you didn't notice before.

"Your eyes are mesemerizing..." You say in your language, breathless, the words slipping past your lips almost as in a trance. Your gaze goes a bit down and your fingers twitch with a sudden desire to run them over those blood-red lips and feel for yourself if they are as soft as they look.

Miss Tall Lady looks thrown off by the foreign accent in your voice. It's definitely one she hadn't have the pleasure of hearing before and somehow makes her pause. Her mind might be playing tricks on her but why did whatever you said felt like some kind of compliment?

"Mother?" One of the young women from before asks tentatively. You don't know if you're right but you think the girls are the woman's daughters.

"Take this one to the library. I will follow shortly." Miss Tall Lady says before hurriedly walking away, though without losing her lady-like grace. Your eyes follow an hypnothic sway of hips going up the stairs before you sense a hand being extended towards you, expecting.

"Teacup, please." A blonde, very polite-looking young lady says. You jump a bit in your seat and inevitably blush, thinking for a moment you were caught in your respecful percieving, but to your relief the woman in front of you didn't seem to notice that.

"Uh..." You're not sure what Miss Blonde wants, but judging by the look she's giving you, you suppose she wants to greet you formally, so you do what any other civilized person would do. "Hi, it's a pleasure to meet you, miss." You say as you properly position the teacup in your left hand and with your right you shake hers. She's taken aback, but after a second of hesitation a smile breaks and graces her face.

A pair of loud laughs sound from behind the blonde. The young woman with the dark hair approaches you both from the side with an amused grin. "I like this one, Bels."

"An odd one indeed." Miss Blonde replies.

The last one of the unusual trio approaches on the other side of the blonde, the redhead you knocked out earlier. She looks at you intently. "Just so you know, no one besides mother sends me to sleep without consecuenses, little one." and punctuates her statement with a boop to your nose.

"Yes, yes, you'll get your revenge later, Daniela. Let's not keep Mother waiting." You're hoisted up by the hand. The warm comforters falling off your back and piling on the big chair, instantly making you shiver with the lack of heat. The three women walk away and you have no other option than to follow them.

The door is opened and inside you find yourelf gaping at the amount of books stacked on the big shelves. You can count with one hand the times you've been in a house that has its own library, but this one by far takes the cake. "Can i grab a book?" You ask to Miss Dark Hair, pointing to one of the nearestt bookshelves while giving your trademark Puppy Eyes.

"What? You want to read?"

"Book." You say, pointing again insistently to the bottom row of antique books.

"Sure, go have your fun while Mother arrives." Miss Blonde nods and you waste no time to grab the fattest, heaviest book of them all and sit on the floor with your legs crossed, only to sigh in dissapointment as the book is in a language you yet again can't understand. But as you flip the pages you can see that it has very depicting images of old eras that you find fascinating.

You don't notice the time passing as you 'read' undisturbingly, until a big hand is placed on your shoulder and you almost jump out of yor skin, closing the book with a snap, effectively losing the page where the images told you the process to make soap.

"Someone's been studying, i see." The Tall Lady from before stands before you in all her height and you cand help but to rake your gaze all over that goddess until you reach her eyes, not without your flushed face at the end. "So, i brought you here for a reason." She says while her hand motions you to stand. "Here at the Dimitrescu Castle we are in possesion of many doors to knowledge, which does include many books that offer some insight about other countries along with their tongues." You're nodding along whatever she's saying, not a single word ringing a bell in your understanding but to you it would be impolite to leave her hanging. Tall Lady stops in her tracks, in front of a very dusty bookshelf with even older books. Her hand goes from side to side selecting several books which she then hands to you.

You eye the books curiously and you notice that they're a vast collections of translating dictionaries, all varying in length and language. You kneel and start looking through them, being mindful of the most antique and delicate ones. You spot a thin one but with a very familiar dialect and you look up to give Tall Lady a toothy smile. "This one is! Uh... Wait, let's see." You open the book and look through the content searching for words. You stand and motion the lady to lean a bit and start pointing words.

'Student.'

'Cold.'

'Lost'

'Thankful."

As you keep making sense with the few words you're provided, the expression on the lady's face changes to a one of understanding and pity. She pulls out a very fancy-looking pair of glasses out from who knows where and takes the book from your hands, flipping through it's pages, looking for words of her own.

'Stay.'

'Dinner.'

'Sleep.'

'Rest.'

She points word by word and you get the hint. You nod eagerly and smile. Tall Lady smiles back at you and for a second there you feel your heart paralize. You could have sworn you saw a pair of unusually long canines on that pearly white smile. But surely you're just tired, right?

"Daniela, please take our guest to one of the spare rooms." The lady says gesturing to the red-haired young woman.

"Yes, Mother." And the next thing you know your being lead by the arm out of the room.

Once you're gone the tall lady's whole demeanor changes to one of anger and she let's out a frustrated sigh. "The nerve of those villagers. To send a foreigner as the monthly offering! No wonder why the man-thing you brought was insisting it was a mistake."

"They're not respecting the deal, Mother. Should i make them understand who they're dealing with?"

The Tall Lady's pointer finger rests on her lips as she thinks. "No. I'd like to have a word with the leader." She put the book on a the nearrest table with a bit too much force, snapping the poor table in half. "Bela, bring him to me."

---------

Part two is up. Less comedy, more plot. This isn't planned to be long so maybe this will only have one or two more chapters.

@thejennystuttle

[xacheri]

Brower Electric - Commit #3 - Service Information Tree

This commit used a Bootstrap 5 Grid to build an information tree for the site.

On Desktop:

On Mobile:

In Between:

The HTML:

First, I set up a container div with a width of 90vw and 5% on each side. This keeps everything in the middle and at least 90% of the width is used.

The Bootstrap 5 Grid system is a framework for flex-boxes. Basically, they set up the rows and columns classes for me, with pretty extensive responsiveness and including table/grid-like tools that let you adjust the size of the cols without sweating.

By default our cols are not flex containers, so we added d-flex and related attributes so that we can position the column content using flexbox tools.

The middle row flex-wraps in reverse so that even though it's positioned opposite the others on desktop, when wrapped, it reverses itself back to a sensible position.

The reason that I have both an image and a surrounding wrapper is so that I can flex position the image to keep it in line with the rest of the page. The border is applied to the image directly though.

The middle cols contain the lines. This was the biggest challenge. The lines are contained in a positioned (relative) wrapper stretched to fit the div. Because the wrapper is positioned but not flex, I can use absolute positioning for my line spans. This is desirable because flex positioning, which I generally like better, does not let you overlap your elements as easily. Took me more than an hour to figure out this solution.

The vertical line is 350% height in the top div, but not present in the middle div. This is to work around the row padding and stretch across all rows. The last div has a 100% height vertical line to help hide make sure the line does not cut short as the page flexes. This took me like 10 minutes to come up with but it was a satisfying fix. Maybe writing the div outside of the rows and positioning it in regard to the whole section of the page could be better though.

The CSS:

The CSS is comparatively simple since Bootstrap lets me do a large amount of the styling on the HTML doc.

Every row child has a top and bottom padding, additionally they position themselves across the row with equal space in between.

The linewrapper stretches to fit it's div with width and height at 100%. Because it's relatively positioned, I can play with absolutely positioned elements on the inside.

The vertline, as mentioned earlier, has 350% height, no width. a 6px black border and is absolutely positioned 50% from the left border of it's wrapper.

the hlines are similar. Absolutely positioned 50% to the left or right of the wrapper, with a 3px solid black border. The width of the line is 60% so it goes through and under the image. The treeimageWrapper has a z-index of 4 so that the lines go under it.

The treeimage has a 3px black border.

I added one media query to the tree images to make sure they are at least 30% of the viewport in terms of width on desktop. Without this, you get some baby-sized images.

Conclusion:

I think that learning to develop is a lot like learning to play chess. When you practice chess, you get better in two ways: 1) You get used to stretching your brain in the chess direction and 2) You have at least some memory of how you have solved similar problems in the past.

It took me a few hours to write, what I realize now that I review it, is a small amount of code. I'd say more than 50% of the code I write, I delete and rewrite before I actually solve the problem. I think that as I solve more problems like this, my memory of their eccentricities will strengthen and I will be able to write quick solutions because, well, I've already solved it.

You can visit the site's github repository here: https://github.com/Xacheri/BrowerElectric

[apinktrashworld]

The Camp

masterlist

Jungkook x reader | angst,  fluff | friends to lovers au

wordcount: 2.4k

You and a few friends are going to a camp for a month, you find yourself growing closer to Jungkook though he’s your best friends ex.

For a long time, you and your friends had signed up for a camp to help volunteer. Works that needed help such as the environment, the old and homeless, hospitals and different orphanages etc. The list went on of what you could do to help. Wanting to help out as much as you can, you signed up for every possible thing on the list. The camp was set for a month. You scanned the brochure the camp had given out, you saw food was provided and the food schedule was written on the next page. There were pictures that showed people working and smiling, scanning every smile you could see you hoped to feel the same and to have a constant smile on your face throughout the camp. You had always cared about stuff like this and you wanted to help out as much as you could. You wanted to make a difference in the world and make it a better place. 

When you had told your four friends about the camp they looked like they were about to laugh, not quite thinking you’re being serious. You just stared at them waiting for them to finish so you could explain your reasons. As you did, they seemed to get more and more interested and wanted to come along with you. Now it was your time to laugh. Knowing them, they didn’t want to leave our little small town for an entire month to do volunteer work when you finally were free from school. You stopped laughing and stared at them with a smile on your face, meeting eyes with Taehyung looking dead serious. When no one said anything you made the biggest grin ever, in which they all returned. You yelled out how excited you were for this and they all started jumping and screaming with you, hugging and dancing in excitement.

That was two weeks ago, and now you had finally arrived at the camp. You and your friends stepped off the bus with your luggage and stood in a row, staring ahead. You felt ready for what was to come and looking to your side, you saw Jungkook, Jimin and your best friend, Irene gathering their luggage. Jungkook and Irene used to date a few months ago but stayed on good terms in order to keep the group together. You especially were thankful for that since you had grown so close with Jungkook and not wanting to choose between your best friend and Jungkook. 

The boys knew each other since childbirth and had stuck together ever since. Jungkook and Irene met through a mutual friend and grew close. As time went on, Irene dragged you with her to meet her new friends and Jungkook did the same with Jimin and Taehyung and just like that you hung out everyday. You thought you had found the best group you could ever find and would constantly thank them in your head. They made you happy and you could trust them with all your secrets. The more time the group spent together, the more did Jungkook and Irene take interest in one another and the two eventually started to hang out alone. One thing turned into another and suddenly they were a couple. You could tell how much Jungkook liked Irene and you were all for it, shipping them like crazy. Then Irene got in one's head and started telling you how Jimin had started to like you and tried to set up the two of you. It worked. Before you had never seen Jimin more as a friend but ever since your friend pointed out his interest in you, you suddenly noticed those quick glances he threw at you from time to time and his attempt in trying to flirt with you. Suddenly, you found yourself to like Jimin back, although not being as obvious as he was, you did not dare a single look towards him, being too afraid to meet his eyes and him seeing you blush. You did not dare talking to him more than a few words and a few attempts of flirting (though the flirting did not land whatsoever) in fear that your voice would shake or stutter. Irene noticed this too and practically forced you to talk to Jimin. You two agreed on a date and you shared a kiss or two, however the romance died pretty quickly after that, still, you care deeply for each other. Irene and Jungkook dated for three months before they broke up, Irene made the decision. She felt as if she wasn’t in a relationship with Jungkook alone and instead felt like she dated the whole group. When she told you this, you felt extremely guilty, you felt as if you were to blame for the relationship not working out. Irene is not one to open up about her feelings and prefers to keep them to herself in order to remain strong. Although Irene didn’t show her heartbreak, Jungkook however, got heartbroken. He loved Irene, and sometimes you think he still does. Wanting to help, your own heart breaking upon the sight of him, you tried showing him that you’re there for him. He refused to meet up with the group and started drinking up his feelings. This went on for a month. Irene broke him out of his bubble, talking out and listening to him, both crying and hugging and agreed to remain friends. It was hard for both of them at first, but soon it grew easier for the entire group.

Now, three months later, we’re here, standing with our hands full, Taehyung’s struggling to hold onto his bags but insisting he should take some of yours too because “a fine dame like you shouldn’t carry such heavy stuff”. Looking away from Taehyung, looking straight ahead to see where you’ll spend your life this month. Seeing people walking and laughing as they talk. Some are picking up trash and others are carrying boxes from a place to another. A huge smile spread across your face as you take the place in, you were happy you were to do this. Gathering your luggage you call for the others to get going. You all started walking towards the huge building that most likely was the barracks and the reception. It was a big white building with what seemed to be three floors. Walking up the stairs to the entrance you hear as the rest of the group are struggling to walk. Going in, you are welcomed to a group of men smiling and greeting you all. They’re wearing blue t-shirts with a text on the chest that says “Helping Hands”.

“Hi, welcome to Helping Hands!” one of the boys said with a big smile on his face, handing out four identical brochures as you had looked at before. Taking them, you hand out each of the brochures to your friends. “I suppose you are checking in?”

You nodded at his question. “Yes, it’s me, Taehyung, Jimin, Jungkook and Irene, we’re signed up for a month here” you say with an uncontrollable smile. You feel the rest of your group's eyes on you as they silently laugh at your excitement. 

“Alright, I just need all of you to sign this paper and then I will show you to your rooms” the boy informed you, gesturing to you to follow him. He stopped by a desk and placed papers with a lot of text on it. Quickly scanning through it, you signed it and handed the pen to Irene. You all signed the papers and moved on to get your rooms sorted out. Walking through a long white corridor with several doors on each side, you thought to yourself that it looked like some kind of mental hospital due to the empty walls. Not thinking too much of it, you walk through the corridor. The man stopped by one of the doors to your right and gestured for you and Irene to go inside. Inside you saw three other girls standing by each bed.

“This is your room girls, the boy’s room will be a few doors down the hallway.” the guide said and continued his walking.

The boys looked at each other then at you and Irene, thinking all of you were going to share a room. You simply shrugged your shoulders at them before turning around, catching a glimpse of Taehyung and Jimin who are both watching the girls behind you. When you turned around you saw the girls blushing and smiling. One of the girls snapping out of it, stepped forward and greeted you. Her name was Jiwoo and has a smile as an angel. Her hair was long and brown that framed her face in a way you never succeeded with, dark brown eyes which almost looked black and a voice which could make birds sing along with her. She was absolutely stunning. Jiwoo then introduced the two blushing girls behind her, Sun-hee and Mee-yon. All of them are beautiful and you found it hard to look away, your chin almost dropping at their beauty. Irene got you back to reality and introduced you to the girls. 

Getting to know each other, you learned you were all the same age and had a lot in common. You and Mee-yon especially loved taking trips and finding new places, Irene and Jiwoo got along due to them having the same major. You were really thankful for getting roommates such as them rather than girls who won’t share a single glance with you. You and Irene chose the bunk beds closest to the door, you being on the bottom bunk and Irene on the top.

A few minutes later, there were a few knocks on the door, opening up you see it’s the boys, all of them trying to squeeze through the door to look inside. Almost falling in, they stumble on their feet, smiling. Jimin and Jungkook turn to you and Irene while Taehyung gets busy trying to get acquainted with your roommates.

“Why did you get a much nicer room than we got?” Jimin whined as he turned to investigate your room again. “You even have flowers!” he exclaimed, pointing at the vase full of flowers on the table in the middle room.

“You should see ours…” Jungkook finishes as he looks down at you. Looking up at him and letting out a little chuckle. Not breaking eye contact, you quickly turn to Jimin who’s still scanning every inch of the room. “How are your roommates?” you ask, shifting your eyes between Jimin and Taehyung. Taehyung’s smoothly flirting with all three of the girls without them noticing. Jimin sits down on your bed, getting at home immediately. “It was empty when we arrived, have yet to meet them.” he says.

Looking out the window you see the sun is shining. Now that you’re here you’d like to get to know the place. So you suggest that you all take a stroll around the camp, in which Irene says she wants to do that later since she wants to sleep, Jiwoo, Sun-hee and Mee-yon agree with her, claiming they want to unpack their belongings. That brings you to Taehyung, Jimin and Jungkook, looking eager at each of them as they look back at you. “I’m down.” Taehyung shrugs and Jimin and Jungkook nod towards you.

Walking outside, the sun hits your skin. You’re wearing a white crop top with blue jean shorts that go down to your knees. Feeling the breeze pass through your legs you take some steps until you were stood on the grass. Turning around, you see three boys fanning their hands on their face, all three of them wearing black sweaters and hoodies with jeans. Sighing, you silently judge them for wearing such warm clothes in this weather and predict all the complaints that will come.

After the walk, you return to your room. You had met a few new people that joined your stroll and showed you around, telling you how stuff works around here and so on, hearing heavy breathing and small complaints about the weather here and there from the boys. They can only blame themselves for that. It had now become dark outside and a little cooler so you wanted to fetch a sweater. While back at your room, Irene and your roommates were sitting on opposite beds playing cards and talking. You greeted them and told them you were going out to the beach with the beach and asked if they wanted to come along. They said yes and now you all headed towards the boys room. Knocking at the door and opening it the same second, you were greeted with the boys along with two new unfamiliar faces. They all turned their heads towards you. You apologized for stepping in since you thought only Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook were inside. The two new people just smiled looking at the group of girls which just entered their room. “No worries love, I’m Hoseok and this is Namjoon” one of the men said and pointed at his friends next to him. Not gonna lie, they both looked rather attractive and fun to be around so you asked them if they wanted to come along to the beach. When you did, Jungkook, and Jimin snapped their heads towards you with a stern look on their faces. Confused, you looked away from them and met eyes with Hoseok and Namjoon, seeing their pretty smiles. “We’d love to,” Hoseok said, seeming thankful for your invite. Returning the smiles with an even greater smile. Then you headed out, all of them grabbing a sweater to drag on, the boys oddly quiet while Hoseok and Namjoon tried getting to know you and the girls.

Arriving at the beach, you all sat down on the sand, kicking off your shoes in order to bury your feet in the cool sand. Namjoon and Hoseok sit on either side of you, perhaps a little too close but you didn’t mind. You talked about your life and they did the same. Leaning back on your arms, you look straight out into the water. Seeing Taehyung teasing Jiwoo and Mee-yon by splashing water on them, hearing them laugh made you chuckle to yourself. Jungkook and Jimin sat in front of you whispering to each other, every now and then glancing back towards you. It didn’t seem like Jungkook and Jimin liked their roommates very much, you had yet to figure that out but for now you just wanted to enjoy the moment and look ahead of what was to come this month. 

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 307: The One With Shindou

Previously on BnHA: Endeavor and Hawks (and Jeanist too, although he didn’t really do anything, but BY GOD, WHAT IS UP WITH HIS NECK) held a press conference and were all, “everything you’ve heard is true, so we would just like to say, from the bottom of our hearts... our bad.” U.A. opened its doors to the public as an evacuation shelter. Deku and All Might told basically EVERYBODY about OFA, which is absolutely wild, and yet somehow we hardly paid any attention to this at all. Mostly because the chapter ended with Deku being all “I WALK A LONELY ROAD, THE ONLY ONE THAT I HAVE EVER KNOWN” and peacing out of U.A. to embark on a solo journey of angst. So this is either gonna be the best or the worst thing that ever happened to this series, so TIME TO FIND OUT WHICH IT IS.

Today on BnHA: Horikoshi is all “so who do you guys want to see next? Deku? Bakugou?? Well how about SHINDOU?” Shindou is all “hi :) I’m Shindou :) :) remember me :) :) :)?” Horikoshi is all “I’m so sorry for depriving you guys of Shindou for so fucking long, how about an ENTIRE CHAPTER ALL OF HIM” and then he REALLY FUCKING DOES IT because, I don’t know?? Did we make him mad?? Am I being punished for something I did in a past life?? It really is, honest to god, seventeen whole goddamn pages of Shindou, punctuated by a few pages of Muscular, and topped off with one (1) whole appearance by Deku at THE VERY END. And we don’t even get to see his face. I am beside myself lmao I’m sorry you guys, you can skip this recap if you want. Or just skip straight to the end, because movie 3 promo.

“long time no see” now what could this mean?? can’t think of too many characters this phrase would apply to right now. although I can think of one big one, and I know that fandom has been trying to manifest his deadbeat ass to finally show itself for years now. could it finally be that time? if Hisashi shows up and debunks DFO a big chunk of the fandom is probably going to riot lol

(ETA: why oh why did I get my hopes up like that lmao. I’m pretty sure Hisashi doesn’t actually exist and Deku was either immaculately conceived, or the stork really did bring Inko a lil green baby from the cabbage patch.)

anyway, so the chapter is opening on this random scene of CRIME and DISARRAY

was this all done by that big villain from the previous chapter? utility poles knocked down, random holes in the sides of buildings, and it looks like this one car pulled over in a hurry and the driver just hopped out and ran

who are these people talking

OH NO, OH GOD

I am immediately struck by the urge to push Shindou off of this ledge. is that mean? probably that is mean, but also fuck this guy lmao. every year you cheat someone out of their well-deserved spot in the popularity poll, and every year I want to punch you in your stupid face for it

bah. and how are you doing, Tatami. love that hero name even if you do have arguably the dumbest superpower in the entire series

listen, though. here I am shitting on these Ketsubutsu kids for no good reason, and I’m sorry about that, and truthfully it’s mostly because I just want to see Deku and/or Kacchan and so it’s hard to give a fuck about anything else right now. BUT, I will immediately cease and desist ALL of my complaining if this means we also get to see my best girl Ms. Joke, omg. Horikoshi please

sdlkfjlskalk

FUCK YOU SHINDOU OMG. I’M SORRY GUYS I CAN’T HELP IT, EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM IS SO EMINENTLY PUNCHABLE AND DETESTIBLE. IT’S LIKE SOMEONE COMBINED WESLEY CRUSHER WITH JEAN RALPHIO

but LSKJFLEK at this random reminder that Bakugou refused to shake his fucking hand. like, that’s his “fun fact” apparently lol. it’s what he deserves

also living for this “cringe” here, too. fuck you Shindou. I am so, so sorry to any Shindou fans out there you guys because I’m just going to be like this the entire time he’s here. the hate is flowing through me

how has it been three whole pages and I still have to look at his stupid face

anyway so it seems like the kids are having to pick up the slack for Old Man Samurai and all those other assholes who retired. I’m guessing the U.A. kids will be seeing a lot more action as well

but in the meantime let’s hope no villains attack here all of a sudden, because all Tatami can do is make herself shorter while Shindou creates an earthquake to bring the entire building down around them dflkjslk

these guys don’t particularly want to go with them and I can’t say I blame them

so now Shindou is saying that yeah, they can probably handle the looters and such by themselves, but it’s a different story when it comes to the Noumu and the escaped Tartarus prisoners. Shindou how dare you make a reasonable point that I can’t immediately argue with

he says that one of the escapees was sighted in the area, so that’s why they’re trying to evacuate everyone

and the guy disagrees and says he doesn’t trust the heroes and thinks they’re pompous

fdskljk. fucking...

ME: Horikoshi can we please stop and get Deku HORIKOSHI: we have Deku at home THE DEKU AT HOME: 

Horikoshi. please. we get it, the civilians don’t trust the heroes anymore. I UNDERSTAND. I COMPREHEND THIS. so unless there is some other point to this scene I respectfully ask that you hurry things along because omg

did Tatami always have this habit of speaking in meme language and such? I thought that was Camie’s thing but hey

listen, I’m here for anyone who’s willing to drag this man down into the depths of the earth. I would just also rather not spend the entire fucking chapter on this oh my god. Horikoshi do you have any more of those chapters where things happen in them?? those are good, I like those

YESSSSSS FINALLY

so whoever’s on the other end of the call (ETA: it’s that rock-looking guy who can harden anything that he touches. why does BnHA have so many hardening powers) is telling them to run because there’s apparently a villain heading right for them, oh my

WHO IS HE

depending on who it is I can’t promise I won’t be rooting for them over you, buddy

ohhhhhh shit

huh. well that’s... hmm... but on the other hand...

okay lol no, I know it’s bad. Muscular fucking LOVES murdering kids. not even Shindou deserves that. I’m sure he has a family that loves him and stuff. and Tatami seems like a sweet girl. they don’t deserve to be murdered

that is the question isn’t it? are we really going to spend the entire chapter with Limbs-Retracting-Girl and her boyfriend, Joseph Gordon-Levitt from (500) Days of Summer??

YES OMG

YES PLEASE CALL YOUR SENSEI. my god do you know what I would give to see Ms. Joke take down an S-class villain??

(ETA: all I’ll say is that we were robbed here, you guys.)

now Tatami is running away while Shindou stays behind omg

Horikoshi I know I said I hate the guy, and I do, but my god. seems I don’t hate him half as much as you do you. been nice knowing you Shindou my man

are you serious Tatami really ran all the way back up here to try and evacuate these guys one more time

SHE’S SUCH A GOOD PERSON omg if you assholes don’t listen to her you deserve to get murdered

BRO

HORIKOSHI DID YOU REALLY FUCKING DO IT I CAN’T BELIEVE IT

LOL OKAY NO, SO FAR HE’S ONLY MESSED UP HIS FACE

WHAT A SHAME WHAT A TRAGEDY. THE WORLD MOURNS

okay but seriously, now he has to be dead

r.i.p. Shindou. he died doing what he loved, talking a lot and being utterly useless

then again, damn Shindou are you really gonna come out here and be a badass?? gonna make me eat my words there kiddo?

I have absolutely no idea if I should expect this to work or not. all I know is that this is page 14, and so it would seem we really are going to spend the entire fucking chapter on fucking Shindou. this beautiful chapter had so much potential, Horikoshi. and now look at it. I hope you’re happy

nope it didn’t fucking work at all lmao

IT’S JUST LIKE I SAID. r.i.p. you pretentious handsome lump

OHHHHHH SNAP

DEKU YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO LOL. anyway but it’s good to see you!! it’s good to see ANYONE other than these guys sob but especially you

FINALLY SOMETHING COOL OMG

somehow Horikoshi actually made the bunny mask look badass?? I don’t think this is sustainable, but I am here for it while it lasts

Shindou should by all rights be nothing but A HANDSOME PASTE at this point lol but WHATEVER. it’s BnHA; getting smashed into walls and cliffs has more or less the same consequences as being set on fire. slap a band-aid on it and you’re good to go

we are REALLY ENDING IT HERE huh

well. and that’s it. I just did not care about any of that lmao. a rare dud of a chapter. well, but we’ve had something like ten in a row that ranged from “pretty good” to “amazing”, so I guess that’s fair

anyway I feel like I owe you guys something other than endless bitching and moaning, so! BONUS:

now this is more like it

first of all, I’m absolutely living for this promo’s “YEET THE CHILDREN OUT OF A HELICOPTER” vibes. FUCK YEAH WE’RE HEROES BITCH

is Deku wearing a jetpack/parachute?? let’s hope he is because I’m assuming he doesn’t have Float yet, so if that’s not a jetpack then it is a LONG WAY DOWN kiddo

these maniacs actually got Deku to wear something other than his red shoes holy fuck. I’m speechless. are we sure that’s not an imposter??

Shouto has the funniest falling position I’ve ever seen. I’m assuming his left arm is not in fact tucked under his leg like it appeared to be at first glance?? like, wtf is the outline of your body right now Shouto

this is what I think it is after careful analysis, but at first I thought this kid had some hidden contortionist abilities

and then there’s this guy

I MISSED YOU YOU BIG GOON. loving the new gauntlets!! and he’s changed up his impractical metal neck thingy into arm thingies! but most importantly, ARE THESE WHAT I THINK THEY ARE

ARE THOSE WEENIES. KACCHAN. KACCHAN HAVE YOU GONE NATIVE OMFG

and meanwhile, look who’s with them! Endeavor makes perfect sense of course, but Hawks is a very welcome surprise. does this mean we can expect to see Tokoyami too? because I would fucking love that

lastly, so this confirms the whole “world heroes” thing! which we all pretty much guessed anyway lol. I wonder if this movie will take place in another country (fingers crossed). the city in the background doesn’t look particularly familiar, but this image probably wasn’t meant to be analyzed in that way lol. anyways, looking forward to this so much, PLEASE GIVE US A TRAILER SOON omg

[rimaiahwrites]

Untitled—

Chapter six

Erik slowly pulled his arm from underneath Israel's head without waking her then pulled the covers up to her face, since he had it freezing in his loft.

He swung his Heavy leg over the edge of his bed and stepped on his hard wood stairs that laid up to his bed slowly so it wouldn't creek or crack. He slipped away from the comfort of his bed and made it out of his room without a sound. Even though the sounds of his bare feet slapping against the floor in the hallway was still heard, Israel didn't make a move.

He flicked the lights on in the kitchen, and snatched the refrigerator door open. He mostly had vegetables, fruit and water.  It had been like that since He had started a healthy life style after he came back from the navy.

He grabbed his glass bottle of water and chugged it down. That early morning thrust was real. After he was done he refilled the bottle of water before putting it back in the fridge for his afternoon workout.

Erik went back into the living room and pulled his rug back to reveal his hardwood floors. He pulled one of the wooden boards up and reach up inside to grab his father's old leather Journal. It was slightly beaten up from the many years of his father using it but none the less it was still very beautiful.

his balcony doors blow open from the Wind and he pulled the cream white Curtains back and stepped out. The air was cool but not to cold.

It felt good against his skin. Over the few markings that he had on his  torso- about 400 plus, all in rows around his torso. Some were still healing and sensitive.

Erik was actually still surprised that Israel's nosey ass hadn't spotted them on him yet. He knew that once she had, she will ask him a Thousand and one questions about them. And Erik wasn't really ready for that since he knew he couldn't tell her the real reason he marked himself, at least not yet.

He sat in the big chair that he had hanging to the top of his roof. It swayed from side to side when it was windy or when ever Erik sown it himself. It was soothing though. His balcony was one of the places he liked to meditate and clear his mind. He could look down below, and see businessmen in suits and looking for a taxi, and kids heading off to school with big backpack bouncing against them from running to the bus stop. It was regular city life for him.

He loved the city but hated the memories it came with. He had lost to much in it. First his mother then his father, and so many of his childhood friends had lost their lives to the city they called home. So many time had the city almost taken his life as well, from being beaten on the street by police officers, or being held at gun point at 15, by a local drug dealer that Erik had considered one of his niggas.

The city had done him so wrong but yet here he was, still living in Oakland. Just in a better spot then the apartment that he had spent ten years of his life in.

Erik sighed and sat back down and open his father book. He liked to reread it to keep him motivated and focused on his Destiny. The foreign words of his father language, that he had learned to read over the years, popped out against the old- now brownish- paper. Erik flipped to the page titled, the prince is here.

My son, my prince, my happiness have finally arrived. More Beautiful then I could ever imagine, dark brown eyes like his mother and a head full of thick black kinky hair like me.

The happiness that spread through my body the moment my eyes laid on him I knew I was in love. This was a different type of love, not like the kind of love you have for your mother or your wife it was a kind of love that only a mother or father could have for their child-

Erik read with tears beaming his eyes. Not letting them fall once. Erik slammed the book shut clenching it in his hands, as he leaned forward staring at it. It didn't make him sad, it made his angry. He was so angry at his father and it confused him so deeply since he knew his father had no control over what happened to him.

Maybe it wasn't anger towards his father, but pain that he turned into anger like he always did. And he was tired of it, the anger that had been building up inside him ever since he found his father dead, on his Apartment floor with panther Panther  claw marks in his chest, that came from the man his father called brother.

That's where his real anger was towards, his family. Erik couldn't even call it anger, it was rage. He knew that once he met his uncle all hell was going to break loss. All the pain and rage he had inside of him was going to be released. As soon as he got to wrap his hands around T'chaka fat ass neck, and hear that satisfying crunk that came after he squeeze with all his might. And then his cousin t'challa, was next because he knew that once he killed T'chaka his son was going to go after him. But he was going to prepared.

Israel rolled over on the bed and look over the loft bed. Erik wasn't in the living room or kitchen. She had thought that maybe he had left, until she saw the balcony curtains blow up from the door being open. She smiled slightly and peeled the thick blankets back and headed down the stairs. The little cracking sounds the wooden stairs made as she tip-toed down  sparked Erik's interest, he closed the opened book again, and sat it behind the pillow he had on his swinging chair.

He leaned back into the door frame and spotted Israel on the stairs with a grin on her face. "Hi." She whispered softly so her voice didn't sound raspy from not talking for hours at a time.

"You always wake up in a good mood?" He asked getting up from the balcony ground and walking up to her. She chuckled and shrugged. "When I get a good night of sleep, yeah." She said looking down at him into his eyes, that were still slightly red from earlier. Since she was about three stairs above him, She placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned towards him. "Um...Thank you for last night, I had fun. It was the first time in a long time that I have felt like someone actually wanted to hang and spend time with me..." she admitted, looking down at his chest as she fiddled with his shirt. He rested his hands on her waist and squeezed lightly. "You don't have to thank me princess, I enjoy hanging wit' you." He spoke softly, brushing her face with his knuckles. Slightly pushing her face to the side.

Her gut felt bubbly with happiness, and her cheeks were starting to hurt with how hard she was smiling. And Erik only made it harder for her to stop from the way he was looking at her.

That look he gave her. The one were he would title his head like a puppy and lick his lips while keeping Direct eye contact.

The thigh clenching look if you will.

"You hungry?" He asked, picking her up and swinging her off the stairs to the bottom. "No not really, I don't like to eat breakfast that much because I'm never that hungry." She said sitting at the kitchen counter. His eyes raised and he turned to her.

"You gotta eat breakfast Israel, that's the most important meal of the day." She rolled her eyes because she had heard it so many time before from her mother. "I know I just don't like breakfast-"

"I'm making you breakfast, and you gon' eat it." Erik said turning around to the refrigerator to grab the stuff he needed.

And A word wasn't said as Erik handed Israel the plate of two prices of Turkey bacon one pancake, and a small glass of a mango kiwi and strawberry smoothie that he sweetened with orange juice.

He tried not to give her much but she still felt like it was to much food for right now. It he gave it to her at like 12 am in the afternoon she would most likely still be hungry afterwards.

She stared at the plate and then back at Erik, a pout on her lips. He nodded his head, as if telling her to go ahead and start eating. She sighed and grabbed a fork and began to eat, Erik as well. But his plate was stuffed. Three pancakes, three prices of bacon, and the rest of the plate was taken up by the four scrambled eggs. He was a big boy and needed all the food he could get.

"Is it good?" He asked, month full of food.

"Yeah, it's good even though your Force feeding me it." She chuckled taking another small bite. Erik gave her a close month smile, chewing his bacon aggressively.

"You'll get used to it, eventually your body will want to eat in the morning, anyway your parents call you yet?" She shook her head, taking a sip of her smoothie. "No, I don't know what's going on but hopefully my mother calls soon to fill me in and let me know they made it there safe." She said her thoughts wondering off a bit.

After they were done eating Erik decided he wanted to workout at his favorite boxing gym. So they both got dressed quickly, Israel just put on a white oversized t-shirt and a pair of gray leggings and her white nike sneakers, while Erik wore black baseball shorts a dark gray workout shirt and black running shoes.

Once Erik grabbed his bag they were at the door and headed to the gym.

Erik turned into the parking lot Of his boxing gym named the home of Apollo Creed. Israel raised her eyebrows but she went with it. Erik opened her door while he throwing his gym bag over his shoulder. "A boxing gym?" She questioned following him inside the cold building. There was about ten different sweating men hitting at punching bags or at their couch Gloved hands.

"Yes, that's what the sign says right?" He chuckled dropping his bag on the floor. She rolled her eyes at his slick reply and plopped Down on the bench near his gym bag, "you didn't tell me it was a boxing gym but k, smart ass." She mumbled, watching him watch her while he put on the thin black gloves that fighters put on before the actual boxing gloves. He was clearly not new at this because he wasn't paying much attention to his movements, he was staring at Israel. Something she had noticed he tends to do a lot. But they were even because she caught herself staring at him today more times then she'll like to amid.

"Come on," he smiled pulling her across the gym catching some of the busy men eyes, there was a couple of "damn Erik who dis?" And "this yo new girl?" Erik only grinned, winking at them. While Israel tried to hide herself behind him. Erik noticed and chuckled softly before hugging her to his side.

"You bout to get a couple of boxing lessons for free, by thee Erik Stevens." He sang playfully making her crack a smile. He turned around to look in the big box of gloves and found some pink ones from the little 15 year old girl that used to box here. They looked like they could fit. "Come here, gimme your hand." She slide both her hands in the glove and smiled at how cute they looked on her. "Tiny ass hands," Erik mumbled jokily making her roll her eyes and giggle. "Big ass hands...hulk smash face ass 'I'm Wreck-It' neck ass-" She shot back. he laughed loudly throwing his head back before telling her to "shut the hell up before I knock you out." She just rolled her eyes.

" Ok we're gonna start with a simple, 1,2." He explained taking jabs at the air, making his Biceps and man Titties bounce, In the form fitted workout shirt he changed into in the car. She copied the simple move but aiming at his hands this time. "Ok we gonna do that same move but with a duck added to it," he beamed, excited that she was catching on so soon. "Hit, hit, duck." She moved fast dodging his hand. "This is kinda fun but-" Israel began but was cut short by a high pitched voice and a light skin girl with long loss curls came walking to Erik.

"Erik?! Is that you?!? I haven't seen you in so long," she was so tall that she was almost Erik's height. Israel felt like a child standing next to them.

"This is my homegirl from back in the day, Erie." Israel smiled and waved shyly. "Aw is this your little sister?" Erie smiled sarcastically bending down a bit sticking her hand out for Israel to shake, Israel's smile dropped and things got awkward quickly when Israel didn't grab her hand and only stared at the girl.

"Um Nah this is a good friend of mine, but uh it was nice seeing you Erie." Erik chuckled while dismissing the girl trying to hold in his laughter.

"Oh...well I'll see you later I guess, you should Dm some Time so we can really catch up without..." She tailed off glancing at Israel before smirking at Erik and walking off, making sure to make her ass bounce with every step she took. Israel tore her eyes from her and rolled them. While Erik was busy starring at her ass Israel began to take her gloves off, using her teeth to undo the Velcro on her gloves. The tearing sound brought Erik's attention back to Israel. "What are you doing we still-"

"I'm not really feeling it anymore plus my arms are already getting tired." She huffed swinging her arms back and fourth trying to shake the 'soreness' out of them. Erik mumbled a "yeah already." knowing why she wasn't really feeling it anymore, he left her to sit on the ground while he went and found his trainer, RJ. Erik had been working with Him since he was 15, RJ was one of the only people that Erik felt like care for him when he was Foster care. RJ had found Erik fighting a boy a little older then him outside of a gas station and praised him for how good of a fight was and encouraged him to get into. Erik was definitely hesitant about it at first but RJ eventually convince Erik to do it especially since he was going to be training him for free. It was a way for Erik to blow off some steam with all the Pent up anger he had for the world, RJ was just happy to keep him off the streets. He knew the kid was A genius, he was too smart to end up in jail or dead.

-

It had been two hours since Erik had been training and two hours since Israel been sitting on the hard floor but she barely noticed the numbness in her butt and legs because she was to busy drooling over Erik's delicious body, it was shiny in sweat and his movements were Swift and fast. The faster he hit the punching bag the more his muscles jumped and bounced, Israel don't know how many she licked her lips or clinched her thighs together but she knew her lips were going to be raw and she would have to take a shower as soon as she got home, she didn't care though it was Worth it. She'll sit here all day and night if that meant she could watch him. She wasn't the only one enjoying this whole situation so was Erik. he knew she was watching his every move, she tried to act like she wasn't but she made it very obvious that she was checking him out, but he liked the attention. He liked how easily he can drawl women's attention without even trying. He had her eyes glued to him, not only hers but Erie's too. He caught her staring at him multiple times but instead of scaring away whenever he caught her she locked eyes with him, giving him very seductive look. Erik only chuckled at her Poor attempt and backed over to Israel to grab his ice cold water bottle. Her breath hitched as he reached over her, his hot body almost pressing against her. The scent of his sweat and actual body odor mix with his deodorant made her mouth water. She wanted so badly to reach up and touch his torso but held herself back, sparing herself the embarrassment of rejection. "Are you done?" "Yeah Come on someone wants to meet you before we leave," he said grabbing her hand to help her off the ground. The feeling in her legs started to come back finally as she made her way over to the punching bag. "Israel this my nigga RJ, we go way back." RJ smile brightly at the girl and extended his hand out to her. "Nice to meet you." She beamed at the handsome older man, holding his hand longer then she intended to. RJ didn't mind at all though. They both broke apart when Erik cleared his throat real obnoxiously eyeing the both of them like they stole something from him. "Nigga Y'all tryin' fuck later or what? The fuck." Erik hissed bluntly more so towards RJ, he was way to old to be looking at Israel any type way. He was in his early 40s and Israel was in her late teens, that shit didn't really sit right with Erik. Israel became tense and RJ just dismissed Erik's out burst rolling his eyes and punching him In the arm with the foam glove.

"Shut yo dumb ass up Erik, anyway it I was just trying to see what your name was and shit for later..." Erik's face scrunch up in discussed as he pulled Israel behind his back. "Nigga you old as dirt still trying to flirt with young girls....grow up." Erik chuckled grabbing his bag and Israel's hand pulling her behind him. "Ok and? I'm aging like fine wine, ain't that right baby girl?" He raised a eyebrow at Israel making her turn her face away to hide her smile from the both of them knowing that they'll probably just clown her. "More like milk, anyway I'll see yo old ass later." Erik dabbed him up and left making sure Israel was right behind him. He opened the door for her and she climbed in, putting her Seatbelt on without him having to tell her too this time. Erik got in next making the car bounce a little from how big he was. "Don't pay that old ass nigga no attention, he do that to all the girls that come in to the gym. He swear he's charming-"

"Welllllll......" Israel tailed off

"Woooooow....." was all Erik said before slumping down into his seat. "He fine." Israel laughed widely shrugged her shoulders. "Hell Nah He could be your dad or some shit he's like that old ass uncle at the cookout that get drunk before the party even start." Israel giggled wildly because she does really have a uncle that showed up to the family events already drunk. After their laughter died down things got quite. Like it always seemed to happen when they were by their selves. It wasn't necessarily a awkward Silent just a little uncomfortable, the type when you don't know what Else to say to keep the conversation going but Israel still enjoyed his company.

It was nice finally being around a man, it felt familiar to her. She was always only around boys and men growing up most of the time since she had no younger or older sister in the house, plus the girls that she did have In her family like her aunts and older female cousins were rude and bitchy for no reason so she stuck with just hanging around the boys. it was what she was used to and most comfortable with.

Erik's deep voice shook her out of her train of thought and now her eyes were staring into his trying to focus on what he was talking about. "Huh?" She said trying to process what he said. "I'm gonna drop you off at home."

She pouted and huffed out her breath before mumbling "I don't want to go home, why can't I just stay with you?" Erik chuckled dryly. "Because I got other shit to do Israel." The sternness in his voice jumped out and Israel was just about to let her bratty personality show but quickly caught herself.

She was really quite the rest of the ride this time, extremely quite. Erik only chuckled at her for being mad that she was going home instead of with him, but he didn't give a fuck. He had other shit to do like he said.

"So you not gon' talk?" She shrugged before turning on the radio. Erik turned it off. "Don't touch my radio, answer my question."

"What?" She asked as if she didn't hear him the first time round. "You wanna stay with me?" She nodded with puppy dog eyes. He almost melted. Almost.

"Mm." He hummed pulling up to her house. She pouted And huffed, annoyed with him playing with her.  "Whatever." She snapped before grabbing her phone out of his lap and slamming his car door shut. She heard Erik's annoying laugh loud and clear as she stomped her way up the steps to her door. Erik's slowly pulled away making sure she got in safely and when she did he speed away.

Soon as he stopped at a red light he grabbed his phone and went to his new contact: Israel (with the pleading face emoji) since it described her best. His fingers work at the speed of light as he tried to send the text before the lights turn green.

Good night, princess. Imma see you soon so you don't gotta pout and shit alright? He sent and almost instantly she read it. The gray dots appeared and vanished then reappeared and then her rely popped on his screen. Ok :) it was simple but it made him smile.

He almost sent her a text back but decided to just leave it at that. She was happy and fine now so there was no need to reply back.

_________

Sorry about the weird spacing in some areas Tumblr be weird sometimes with that. 

[beesmygod]

"A GHOST STORY" IS A WEBCOMIC I MAKE THAT I WILL BE RE-POSTING, GRADUALLY.

the top row is from 2013, the bottom row is from the 2018 re-draw. however, we are now well into 2021 with the re-draw. it turns out the previous pages were 2020 and not 2019. as you can see there were massive gaps in the creation process as a result of needing to prioritize and maintain the comic's 2x a week schedule. its ok, my art got better in between time gaps.

and thank god for it. still some weird ass choices in the re-draw when it comes to lighting, framing, etc. but the new pages are VERY reasonable and the art is able to share space with the speech bubbles instead of having big speech bubbles and tiny figures. the page was split much more evenly with the action flowing more naturally and "breaking" at more natural places.

i like jack's shrug face. i like that they clearly have their backs against the door now throughout the whole thing (mostly) after jack joins in instead of just posing them however i wanted without consideration for the fact that something is banging down the door. there are jokes but they're contrived in the way that most comic dialog is contrived. i think the new pages really work, as opposed to the old ones.

i remember feeling a lot more confident about the way i was re-interpreting pages by this point in the re-draw process. i think it shows. thank god i feel better about this i was so worried i was going to be in artistic hell the entire time i was forcing myself through this re-post process. but its okay?? ish.

i do wish the re-draw was the version of my comic people read en masse because i simply think its better but that's life i guess. i would like a way to allow people to read it for free since trying to sell it flopped really hard. again, that's life. it's data i'm still trying to interpret lol.

---

♥ read the comic: A Ghost Story ♥ support the comic for as little as $1 a month on Patreon ♥ donate on kofi ♥ pay what you want for the re-draw of the first chapter on itch.io

you can block the tag "#AGS repost" to keep this off your dash

[peachy-panic]

Only Temporary: Sebastian Tate

Hello. I was completely blown away by the positive response I got on the first piece of Jaime’s story (title under construction). Thank you to everyone who had a kind word to say about it! You made me really happy I made the mildly frightening choice to post.

In the interest of acclimating to the no-rules, freedom-to-post-out-of-order structure of this community, I wanted to introduce a new piece of the puzzle this time, with a new character that will come into play later.

Also, this piece goes into a little bit of the details, but for frame of reference on the BBU-adjacent thing: this story takes place in a not-so-distant future of the BBU, where WRU has undergone some changes. I look forward to exploring this world building more as I go.

Anyway, I’m rambling again. Thanks for reading. Here it is:

WARNINGS: General BBU warnings, talk of institutionalized slavery, classism, and general terribleness of large corporations. Referenced past homophobia and rough parental relationships, briefly implied/referenced non-con.

When Sebastian reflects on the day he graduated from med school, a sort of emptiness is the memory that first bobs to the surface. Among the cheers and camera flashes in the crowd, white coats and proud smiles, what Sebastian recalls most vividly from that day is looking out into the sea of parents and families and people there to support their loved ones on one of the biggest days of their lives, and not seeing a single person that had come for him.

What should have been one of the happiest moments of his life had been quickly overshadowed by the sinking feeling that none of it mattered as much as it would have if he had someone to share it with. Like there was something so fundamentally wrong with his life, that even something as objectively good and right and decent as becoming a doctor could be dulled over into a feeling of nothingness.

Perhaps, he thinks in hindsight, that moment had been foreshadowing for the following months ahead of him.

Watching rejection after rejection pour in from his top residency programs had felt like nothing short of his own personalized nightmare. He had spent several nights in a row on the phone with Alex, his undergrad roommate and only friend, clamoring back from the edge of many a panic attack, spiraling into all-out existential dread about the future and the past and what all of it meant for him if he couldn’t land an internship, let alone a real job out of school. To his credit, Alex never gave up hope in his friend. Or at least, he did a decent job hiding it if he did. Which was probably exactly what Sebastian needed to get through that particularly dark time in his life, and a good reminder of what a solid friend he had. Even if it was a party of two.

Unfortunately, Sebastian did not have the same faith in himself.

He was able to keep up some facade of optimism as his top five were picked off one by one. Telling himself, despite his devastation, that they were a pretty far reach, anyway. Even with good academic standing, it was famously no walk in the park to land yourself at John Hopkins or Mayo as a first-year. He even maintained a brave face as his first few safety programs reached capacity and moved forward without his name on the roster.

It wasn’t until he received his final rejection letter from some internal medicine place in Bumfuck, Idaho that he felt himself slip into dangerous territory. Sebastian knew himself well enough to know his own depressive patterns by then, and he knew it was only exponential decay from there.

Rock bottom came, as it did, in the wee hours of the night, after a full bottle of wine. Alone in his small apartment, surrounded by half-packed boxes with no destination, Sebastian found himself sprawled out on the floor with his laptop hot against his thighs. He couldn’t have explained why he opted for a privacy browser, but something about it allowed him to justify the words that he typed into the search bar.

It was a new low, and one he had sworn to himself he would never stoop to. Yet there he was.

He gave himself a moment to reconsider, to back out of what was undoubtedly a morally-gray train wreck waiting to happen as his thumb hovered over the enter key. And then the alcohol decided to override his moral compass.

Facility Care is the open secret of the medical profession. It comes with its fair share of stigma, and rightfully so, but it is notoriously easy to break into and pays a decent wage.

There are two types of people who end up stooping to that kind of employment. More often than not, it consists of doctors and nurses who had their licenses revoked or suspended somewhere along the line and needed a way back in. As far as Sebastian understood, they aren’t terribly ridgid about the particulars of each circumstance. After all, in the eyes of the law, the patients they would be treating are a price tag away from being entirely expendable.

The other percentage of Facility Care workers, and the reason Sebastian found himself staring at his too-bright computer screen with a sinking feeling of dread that night, are young medical graduates who find themselves in a tough spot. It isn’t difficult to spell out the logic behind that one when you open the WRU CAREERS tab on the home page and see the bright white words printed across the top of the screen:

LOAN FORGIVENESS.

It is shamelessly predatory and aggressively capitalistic, but Sebastian supposes that particular exploitation is pretty far down on the list of transgressions for an institution of legalized slavery. A few broke and hopeless medical students were hardly going to keep the Powers That Be up at night when they were able to rest easy under the weight of hundreds of thousands of stolen lives.

The whole thing is part of the massive PR overhaul the company did a few years back. In a world that was slowly inching toward civil activism and with the accessibility of platforms like social media to hold them accountable, WRU had to adapt to survive. Adaptation, in this case, took the form of changing the barest of minimums in order to keep themselves above board — to the public eye, anyway. Anyone who dares to take a closer look at the policy changes can see that it’s bullshit.

Changing ownership conditions to a rent-by-contract basis isn’t the humanitarian move they try to paint it as. In the end, it probably just equals out to more money in the company’s pocket when they can get more return on their “investments,” and a larger chance of exploitation for the people being moved around.

Getting rid of the Romantic division is an entirely meaningless gesture when they are still loaning out human beings with no legal rights and the inability to say “no.”

And offering an open job market with good wages and healthcare options to lower class individuals is a pretty convenient way to mute the backlash.

Essentially, you can tie a system of slavery and abuse up in a bow and make it pretty on the outside, but at the end of the day, it’s still fucking slavery.

Not that he has any room to criticize now. Now that he’s one of them.

In the end, Seb tries to justify his decision a few different ways. He is, after all, more or less a young man alone in the world. The odds are stacked against him and have been for a while. With only his own two legs to stand on, the only force stronger than his internal ambition is his instinct for survival, and he’s been running on those fumes for longer than he can count.

He had lasted less than two months under his parents’ roof after he came out of the closet at eighteen. It wasn’t exactly a surprise for anyone involved; Sebastian’s parents had known about (and subsequently bottled) his… urges… since he was in high school. Probably before that, if he is being honest with himself. And Sebastian, for his part, had spent the better part of his teenage years mentally preparing for the inevitable. He can recall long, late nights he had spent crying into his pillow and the perfectly-scripted ‘coming out’ speeches he recited to his mirror when he was one-hundred percent sure his parents were asleep.

Of course, none of the preparation had been anywhere near adequate when he actually found himself wilting beneath the heat of his father’s glare, the weight of his mother’s grief.

But. He had recovered. That is the point he tries to remember when the memories sting fresh beneath his skin, even all these years later. He has more-than proven himself to be a survivor. He has worked harder than anyone he knows for every scholarship, every grant, every dollar to put himself through school. Sacrificed nights out and real relationships for night shifts at shitty diners and long weekends cramming for exams. It hadn’t been easy, but he considers it the price he had to pay for his independence. For freedom, to live the life as the person he is meant to be, despite his unfortunate odds. He spent years telling himself it would be worth it. That one day, his hard work would pay off.

He can’t stop now.

Sebastian doesn’t have the luxury of taking time off to reroute when his navigation has gone amiss. He is walking the precarious line of rapidly accruing interest and student loans and a dwindling savings account, and there is no safety net below him.

Beggars can’t be choosers, and as it turns out, beggars sometimes have to compromise their moral integrity in order to survive.

It’s only temporary.

That is the mantra that gets him through the (half-drunken) application process and the (disturbingly lax) interview process. It is a job. One job. In the medical field, though the details are up for debate, and it is real-life money for rent and food and a savings that will hopefully be sizable enough to get him where he really wanted to be. Which is… really, anywhere else.

He can do ‘temporary.’ And perhaps, some misguided part of him thinks he can do some genuine good from the inside, too. ‘Be the change you want to see’ and all that.

It is a far jump from the floor of his apartment, sloshed and exhausted and desperate, to the cold, sharp reality of walking into his place of employment on his first day of work. Ironically, it feels a lot like an echo of the emptiness from his graduation day.

‘Sterile’ doesn’t quite cover it. ‘Sterile’ is the expectation of any well-respected medical establishment, but the inside of the facility walls has been wiped clean of far more than bacteria and germs. It is completely devoid of humanity. The long corridors that connect the medical wing to the general ward are windowless and dimly lit by flickering fluorescent panels that had make his head pound for the entirety of his first week.

He is given an office, though it is a term he, himself, might use loosely, as it is more akin to what was probably a storage closet before the old prison had been converted into the state’s training headquarters. It leaves him just enough space for a small desk and two chairs. On his first day, he asks if it is okay to bring in some personal items to spruce the place up. The older, balding doctor who had been assigned to show him around merely shrugs, and Sebastian decides to take that as a yes.

The small, pink-framed photo of a six-year-old Sebastian Tate in his grandfather’s white coat and an old-school stethoscope around his neck is hardly enough to make the place cozy from the corner of his desk, but it’s a good enough reminder of why he has to make this work.

‘It’s only temporary.’

‘Be the change you want to see.’

He will do his best.

[concerthopperblog]

The Triumphant Return of Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que!

It is hard to believe but we are already at the 11th Annual Papa Joe’s Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que, but it seems like this festival started only a few years ago. So many incredible and unforgettable memories over the years from such greats as Ricky Skaggs, Drive-By Truckers, Willie Nelson & Family, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, The Avett Brothers, Old Crow Medicine Show, Greensky Bluegrass, and Trampled by Turtles just to name a select few. After taking 2020-2021 off (for obvious reasons), this year’s Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que took place on October 14th-15th, 2022 and was held at the Columbia County Fairgrounds in Grovetown, GA. I will also note that despite missing two years in a row, I am going to continue to label this as an “annual” festival because we can’t blame them for taking a pause for the cause. Much respect to all the people involved with making this passionate festival happen. Let me tell you, I really missed this hometown festival immensely. Since my first year attending Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que in 2012, I made it a point to attend this festival whether it was doing photography or just attending as a fan. What did Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que have in store for us with #11? Well let’s just dive right into this lineup and discuss how it all went down!

Starting off this year’s incredible line up is none other than St. Paul & the Broken Bones and Leftover Salmon, followed by the legendary Tanya Tucker, Punch Brothers, The Del McCoury Band, Yonder Mountain String Band, North Mississippi AllStars, The Lil Smokies, The Vegabonds, Daniel Donato's Cosmic Country, Fireside Collective, The Heavy Heavy, Little Roy & Lizzy Show, Tall Tall Trees, Sam Burchfield, and Grassland String Band! This lineup is stacked from top to bottom and there are so many reasons why everyone had a great time listening to music at Papa Joe’s Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que. Personally, I have been chasing a few of these artists on this year’s lineup such as The Del McCoury Band, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, and the Punch Brothers. Finally, 2022 would be my time!

Day one (Friday) kicked off with some great music from a Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que vet. It was Athens, GA very own Grassland String Band (and they will be the first to tell you that they are not a string band). Their latest album, Grassland (Still Not A) String Band, was released on August 26th, 2022, and has made some major splashes across the music scene. You can follow this link to their Official Bandcamp page and check them out for yourself! Next up would be none other than the well-known bluegrass great Del McCoury and his band. As stated previously, I had been wanting to see Del McCoury perform for some time now and I was very excited to finally witness greatness. Getting the opportunity to see Del McCoury > The Heavy Heavy > Punch Brothers with a couple, close friends was some of the best times as we bounced between stages before the final two (2) acts for the evening.

Performing on the same stage about an hour after The Del McCoury Band, the Punch Brothers came up to entertain those eager, bluegrass fans who waited patiently for their set. Closing out the New Belgium Saloon Stage were The Vegabonds, a new southern/country/blues/jam rock band for me hailing from Nashville. And closing out the Main Stage (and headlining Day one) was Birmingham’s very own St. Paul and the Broken Bones, a southern soul band that made an impression on many fans who were not familiar with their incredible and vast discography.

The second day (Saturday) started off by catching the very last few songs of Tall Tall Trees. Wow! All I can say is that this one-man band was spectacular and everyone who came early will agree with me. Don’t believe me? Head over to Tall Tall Trees Official Bandcamp page and hear for yourself! North Mississippi Allstars was next up on the Main Stage, this was also a band that I have yet to see perform live. So, I was intrigued to witness their set. Let me tell you, I was very impressed by their bluesy take on Southern/jam rock. For those who do not know, the band was formed by brothers Cody and Luther Dickinson in 1996. Luther was also the former lead guitarist for The Black Crowes during 2008-2013 and has also played with the likes of Lucero, Jim Lauderdale, John Hiatt, and John Hermann to name a select few. Head over to their Official Bandcamp page today and check them out!

Saturday also had some moments in the schedule that, for me, made for some excellent memories as these three bands performed their heart out for the crowd: Fireside Collective > Yonder Mountain String Band > Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country.  I have heard about Fireside Collective only through their music popping up on my Amazon music channel here and there. What I had heard in the past was great. Watching them perform live was even better! I cannot recommend enough that you find the opportunity to go see Fireside Collective perform live.  Yonder Mountain String Band (YMSB) came on the main stage before Tanya Tucker and the headliner for Saturday, Leftover Salmon. Let me tell you that they did get that stage warmed up for them with some wicked, good selections from their amazing discography. You can read more about YMSB by following this link to check out Chris Griffy’s review of the band’s release, Get Yourself Outside.

One of the major highlights for my weekend was getting to see the next artist performing on the New Belgium Saloon Stage, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country. Imagine if Billy Strings and Sturgill Simpson had an offspring, then you get the awesomeness that is Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country. The final three performers for the evening would be: Tanya Tucker > The Lil Smokies > Leftover Salmon. What is there to say about Tanya Tucker that has not been said before? She has been an icon in the Country music scene since her career started in 1971. What an incredible set by Tanya and the crowd sang along to just about every song she performed. Of course, you know she played “Delta Dawn” to the delight of the crowd. It was truly a great experience especially for a 13-year-old girl in the audience who was a huge fan of Tanya Tucker. Closing out the festival was this year was Leftover Salmon. Leftover Salmon (Boulder, Colorado) is a Cajun/progressive bluegrass/jam band that is no stranger to performing at Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que (2019). I could not think of any other band to close out the return of Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que than Leftover Salmon and I hope they found some new fans who may not be familiar with their feel good music.  

Now that we discussed the weekend’s activities, let’s talk about two more attractions at Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que: the plethora of tasty food vendors AND $6 domestic/craft beer (and I do mean REAL craft beer) tents with over 80 flavors to choose from on location! This year’s brewer’s lineup included Monday Night Brewing, Reformation, Savannah Brewing Company, Jekyll Brewing Company, Southern Brewing Company, Red Hare Brewing, Riverwatch Brewing, Dry County, Wild Leap Brewing, Akademia, Holy City Brewing, Duclaw Brewing, Sibling Revelry Brewing, Upcountry, Commonhouse Alehouse, Wicked Weed, Bell’s Brewing, Elysian Brewing, Goose Island, Breckenridge, Lonerider, Columbia Craft, Deschutes Brewing, and Slow Pour Brewing. To me, that is one amazing lineup for a craft beer selection that rivals many festivals across the Southeast.

Believe me, I am a proud beer snob and I do attend a good number of festivals. I would gladly pass on the status quo domestic brands in a heartbeat with no qualms about it. For those who do not care about craft beer, they also had some of the classics like Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, Shock Top, and Yuengling. Plus, many ciders, wine, and alcoholic cocktails thanks to Cutwater Canned Cocktails and 2nd City Distillery. With regards to the dedicated food vendors, there were some amazing places to fill up while enjoying some great music. Between various BBQ vendors, tacos, pizza, Italian ice, and some other tasty items, Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que has you covered with some quality food when those hunger pains hit between sets!

After another successful Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que, we can only dream for our favorite artists/bands to be added to next year’s lineup. Who do YOU think will make the cut? All I know is that regardless of who plays this event you will find me front and center! I.C.Y.M.I. - Check out the 8th Annual Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que, 9th Annual Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que, 10th Annual Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que, and 11th Annual Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que photo galleries! Want to check out the 9th & 10th Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que annual recap? Then follow this link to the review of the  9th Annual Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que and 10th Annual Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que.

Curious about Concerthopper? You can find more music related articles, interviews, various photo galleries, indie music reviews, our very own ‘Bars & Bites’ section, our exclusive “She Said, She Said” column, or become a Concerthopper at www.concerthopper.com. Sign up for our monthly newsletter by following this link: The Setlist! Please ‘Like’ our page on Facebook and follow us on Instagram to stay up to date in 2022, on all music related events/festivals such as: Snowblind Festival, Trinity of Terror Tour: Ice Nine Kills + Black Veil Brides + Motionless in White, Meshuggah: Live at The Tabernacle, I Prevail & Pierce the Veil: Live at Buffalo Riverworks, Bilmuri: Live at The Masquerade, Thievery Corporation with Emancipator: Live at The Tabernacle, Counterparts: A Eulogy For Those Still Here Tour @ The Masquerade, Jake Hill: Live at The Masquerade, A Day to Remember: Reassembled Acoustic Theater Tour (Kodak Theatre), Big Something: Live at Variety Playhouse, and Jinjer: Live at The Tabernacle by following us on all social media formats: Concerthopper on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  Also, you can follow my personal concert hopping on Facebook and Instagram for even more photos not available on Concerthopper.com.