#grafitti bridge i love you

[bootlegmilhouse]

Some hyper specific northwest Florida Miku doodles

[mcytblrconfessions]

Asks have been boring lately. people need to go outside and do something mcyt adjacent and outlandish and then report back 🥱 Like let's get a little exciting. Anyway to be forreal this is boring but i did tag TINAROSE (hannahrose and tinakitten ship name) under a bridge yesterday. may their lesbian love live 4ever. speaking of lesbian love let's hear a shout-out to to whoever's putting demon girls all around my city idk who's tag it is but it's so cutes mwah mwah... no pics of anything thats never a good idea with grafitti. you just had to be there 😘

[pitchblackveins]

This is me asking about your queer analysis of Suburban Legends!!? Also no rush

THANK YOU

so one of my favorite things about the incredible tournament kelly is running over at @ohdorothea is that its forcing me to actually engage in analysis of songs i havent thought about too much. i'll see a poll with an answer im sure will be sweeping and think to myself huh have i even thought about ways the other song might be queer? and with regard to suburban legends i certainly had not and so i did and it turned out to be queer as hell.

this is long so i put it below the cut

so, when i first listened to suburban legends, i remember thinking it was a bop, but had a bit of a disjointed feeling––like taylor was mashing together different lyrics and song ideas that she liked in a way that was a little incongruous (which is something i think she does sometimes––sometimes it creates a masterpiece, like blank space, and there are some songs where i suspect shes done something similar and it hasnt worked as well). they're adults hiding stuff from each other, theyre in high school, theyre in the 1950s, they nearly live together, what gives. but it makes sense to me know. ahem

anyway. the song is bookended by the real facts of the relationship in the 2010s ( i will not speculate on who the song's about or even whether its about a real relationship). the chorus introduces a phrase––"we were born to be suburban legends"––and runs with it into the second verse, which imagines a world in which they could have become suburban legends, before heading back into the chorus, where the second "you kiss me in a way thats gonna screw me up forever" crashes us back into the reality of her relationship laid out in the bridge.

one could do a lot with the phrase "suburban legends." for me, it evokes two main concepts: a play on "urban legend" folklore, and a more literal reading of a "legendary" suburban high school couple. (these exist in media a lot but idk about real life im not from the suburbs) a couple that seemed picture perfect, the two most popular kids in school, prom king and queen, for years afterward younger kids are trying to live up to them. taylor plays with this idea & the idea of folklore––an urban legend may have its origin in something real, but they're generally understood to be myths, to be untrue.

the second verse paints an idea of how taylor could see them actually BEING suburban legends. its a hypothetical, a thought experiment, a fantasy. what does it mean for a couple to be born to be suburban legends? and more importantly, to fail to fulfill that legacy? we picture a couple so perfect they must be fake, so in love, larger than life, extroverted, charismatic, adored (the high school mini equivalent of fame). and yet. their mismatched star signs would surprise the whole school. why? these legendary couples always seem meant to be together. no one is surprised when the quarterback dates the head cheerleader. but its a fantasy, they dont get together. "when i ended up back at our class reunion walking in with you"––the implication that in this scenario, they went to school together but couldnt be together then, only got together as adults. but they never got together as adults anyway –– "you'd be more than a chapter in my old diary, with the pages ripped out." if taylor crushed on this person in high school, only her diary would know, and it would still be so painful (so shameful?) that she'd rip the pages out. of her most private space. she evokes the "1950s gymnasium," conjuring a specific vision of old teenage dances: back to the future, american grafitti, grease, knee length skirts, heteronormativity. they could never be a "real" suburban legend, they could only ever exist as a piece of folklore, unbelievable and probably untrue. why? you see where im going with this. its cuz theyre gay.

that interpretation of the second verse is what really struck me. but also may i present you:

you know what kind of kiss will screw you up forever? when you have your first gay experience and realize you do not get to have an easy heteronormative life. the kind of kiss that makes you realize you're queer. and she always knew it, that her life would be ruined. it would never be the way she pictured it (romeo save me....) because. gayness.

also "you were so magnetic it was almost obnoxious/flush with the currency of cool/i was always turning out my empty pockets" fits perfectly with my gay betty backstory but we dont have time to get into all that

[wetslug]

Saw your tags on the swimming home from the club post. Could you elaborate bc that sounds fascinating…

yes id love to!! so maybe i exaggerated a bit, i dont think these young men are trying to swim per say, but there's a phenomenon of inebriated young men being found, dead, in water. 2 guys proposed a theory that a ton of these cases..over multiple decades... were actually not accidents and were due to a gang of roving serial killers 😑😑 its called the smiley face killer theory because graffiti involving a : ) was photographed at all their chosen cases. anyone time a similar case comes out in the news u will see ppl linking it to this theory

obviously myself (and many others in the true crime space) think its bullshit because 1. a serial killer operating for 30 years is not unheard of but is rare 2. waterways like bridges, cannels etc where these men r found are often full of grafitti 3. a smiley face is such a common thing to graffiti 4. the draw drunk men have to water is global... no one knows exactly why but it may be to urinate, or because men are more likely to be walking drunk by themselves. its sad but its irresponsible imo to stir things up by saying it must be foul play bc theres..graffiti...

[barbietoiles]

Hi hi yes hello I'm just thinking at you. The whole subcultural connections is why an earlier passing thought of what about if they make somewhere in town graffiti is legal doesn't work. Because it's not just about the art, it's also about community and politics and relationship to property and a reclamation of space. Forcing graffiti into just the wall of one bridge sure means curious teens might stop tagging elsewhere, but not those for whom it is an expression of their beliefs ~Factorial

I dont live in an urban environment, but i would 100% be part of these communities if i did. My respect for them is immense, and id like to share some perhaps bittersweet stories.

I remember an occasion from long ago where a couple held a little event for artists to come and grafitti their walls (one wall? I for got specifics), on their legally owned property. It was overall a lovely experience and the end result was fun. But the local government still fined them for "damage of property" (they wouldve fined the artists but the couple took on the fine, if i remember correctly).

Even if this was mostly about the art, the effort which the couple put in to engage the community is so dear to me, and even my gran who doesnt like grafitti. I remember her cursing out the government, "how could they do this? How can they fine people for communal efforts"

My relative is a grafitti artist and he and his friend have made a mural on their property, its gorgeous, colourful and combining their two styles - chaotic geometry and chaotic freeflow. My godmother showed it to me while he was away. At the top of the wall where some drainage was broken, water was leaking and destroying the paint, and my godmother looked heartbroken while she explained how this is the only place they can do it, and even here they have a risk of getting into trouble. The mural faces the trees and only people who take the dog walking path have a chance of seeing it.

Ending on a happier story - theres a long wall that faces the highway at Vangažu city (Vangažu grafitti siena). Its a big backside of some garages. Grafitti artists i see in Riga, Sigulda and even at other places in Latvia all have gorgeous works on the wall, and its fully supported by the local government (they take pride in it too). A news outlet describes it as "a small, loud and colourful festival" and i love that description. When i traveled to and from home while in college it was a delight seeing it weekly. It changes often too.

A couple main-road bus stops in cities also have stylised grafitti with the city name.

I also started just thinking at you lol. Ithink here the grafitti culture is regarded in a mostly positive light by the average citizen, and it brings me joy. But i know its different elsewhere. Its heartbreaking that grafitti is considered as something only hooligans and criminals do (as if hooligans and criminals arent people who have value). And the other way around too - if you do grafitti youre a hooligan and criminal and any meaning and value you bring is now insignificant. I hope the perception changes soon.

[arcane-ish]

Timebomb Plot Bunnies - Bad Sex & more

So this smutty plot bunny jumped into my head. 

There are all these tragic timebomb smut pieces where they have sex just this! one! time! because either tragedy or because Ekko is abducted and so this is the one big exception. And not that I object to torrid, angsty, sometimes even violent sex (again natural since their most important scene in canon so far was their violent fight on the bridge), but you know, sometimes I crave the fluff for characters I like. 

Bad Sex

So.... what if that kind of big torrid, just!one!time! but the sex is pretty bad? Because they are both dumb teenagers with not that much experience? Bonus if Jinx is particularly bad because she lacks patience and self-control. 

And it’s like the kind of situation where you don’t really mind that the sex is bad because you are just so damn horny and in the end it’s still sex and you were still very horny. 

But once they part there is still this lingering feeling of maybe that could have gone better. 

And so they have to keep meeting in order to try again. 

Passing on what you learned 

Somewhat related/inspired. What if Ekko actually gets his experience with somebody else. Jinx is insanely curious/jealous and he brags about it, but graciously offers to pass on all the stuff he learned. 

(actually: now that I think about it, the same dynamic would probably work just as well in the reverse)

Exchange student!Ekko

I’ve been musing lately on how many Timebomb might actually find it easier to have a relationship if Ekko hadn’t known and been in love with Powder. So I was thinking, what about an AU where Ekko’s parents moved when he was just a baby.

And now he is coming back to Piltover and Zaun because he wants to study at the university there. And because the rent is much cheaper he has the idea that he will just get a place in Zaun. And he’s basically the new kid, going around Zaun, taking in the environment, being fascinated by Jinx’s grafitti. 

And Jinx notices him and is curious and follows him around. 

Ekko, prisoner of Silco 

Okay, okay, I see you “Jinx is a prisoner of the Firelights”, but how about “Ekko is a prisoner of Silco (without him knowing that Jinx and the Firelight leader have a connection) and Jinx taunts him through the bars and/or releases him”?

Has anybody done that yet? If yes, recc me, please!

Runeterra AUs

Pondering where else Ekko could have been raised made me actually think, what if there were Arcane AUs where the characters were raised in different regions. Bilgewater Pirate Timebomb? Noxian raised Timebomb? If Ekko and Jinx had been raised in Demacia, would they be undercover mages instead of Zaunite tinkerers? 

Switched Positions

I wonder, has anybody ever tried to do a “Silco picks up Ekko and raises him and Powder founds the Firelights instead”? (my first thought that was that that would be hard to pull off because it is hard to picture Ekko ever going along with Silco but also because Jinx would be a lot less likely to take no for an answer when it comes to retrieving Ekko from Silco. But then I remembered that that would be Powder, so maybe because of her guilt over what happened it takes her a lot longer to found the Firelights and to approach Ekko at all?)

Star Wars AU

Silco is a Sith master and Jinx is his student. When she killed him she now became a Sith master, she abducts Ekko to convince him to become her student. (off shoot off my Arcane Star Wars AU concept) 

[yourlocalsewerdragon]

You remind me of the foam cube pit at the gymnasium i go to for classes, vicious pillow fights, a pen flying across a piece of paper, the thrill of leaping off a high ledge knowing you'll be safe,you remind me of colourful grafitti on grey stone walls and glasses slipping down the bridge of ones nose.

Consuming cold drinks while walking on the sidewalk in summer heat, and mashing differeng colours of play doh together, the sheer nervousness and glee of a first prank, and that one frog thing i had to wear on my head for my first performance mmmmmyup :D

MMMMMM I LOVE THIS SO GENDER

[scrapyardboyfriends]

A Maxine episode...and I’m crying at work again. Shocking. Haha. 

And I actually watched the whole thing (a little confused cause I haven’t watched the last three episodes but whatever)

But anyway, I love Maxine and she’s perfect. 

Things I feel like she put in there just for us (me): 

“Lying liar who lies” “More kids” “I had a family” Paraphrasing but...the “stop treating me like a kid” line Aaron asking how Robert was before he even looked at the letter because that’s what he cares about most Robert’s car Aaron’s phone background still being the whole family including Robert and Seb Liv getting to actually say she misses Robert The “Aaron woz ere 2003″ grafitti Ross and Bex being boring I really did love the Cain and Aaron chat. It was exactly what I’ve been wanting from this story and I’m glad it was the two of them. One, because I do love their relationship. Two, because I think Cain is someone who Aaron would listen to more than some others at this point. Three, because it does tie into Cain’s own situation and I did really like his comment to Charity after when he said he didn’t believe a word of it. But I liked that Maxine used Cain to further spell out Robert’s motivations for both Aaron and the audience. I think it’s important to really get that across, that he was trying to do this for him even if Aaron hates it. And Cain really got to list out the points one by one that we’ve been saying for a while and I appreciated that. 

I loved Aaron saying that all he wants is Robert. That he doesn’t just want more kids, he wants them with his husband. That’s important to me. And of course I loved the fact that she had him say “more kids” and that he “had a family” because he did (does) and I want that to bode well for future Seb interaction. Come on Emmerdale. Give me single dad Aaron please!

I liked that in general people were a bit calmer with him today. Maybe it was the letter, maybe it’s Maxine, maybe it’s both. But you know Chas at least understood why Aaron was upset today so that’s a positive. And I liked Chas’s little sad face while she was reading Robert’s letter. 

I love that we got a bridge scene and a forest scene and a scene in Robert’s car. I want to cry about it too because these were all of their places together and now he’s on his own in them but he’s still thinking about Robert. 

I was really glad that they had that whole scene with Cain and let it settle, complete with a little banter about trees before Aaron got dragged into Liv stuff. I liked that he got to have his moment to be sad and talk about his husband rather than have to cut that short. 

I also loved the beginning with Aaron just getting back onto the couch under his blanket and saying he was taking a sick day because of his hand. That was kind of great. I also just love that he’s still on the sofa two months later. 

And the Liv seizure stuff...well...it was what it was. I’m glad that they actually seem to be diagnosing her with epilepsy this time. Or at least closer to it. Because it would have been dumb to never go anywhere with it. I HATED that Wendy found her. I’m glad Aaron did have his phone turned off so he didn’t have to talk to her. As for their little chat afterwards in the hospital, well, I’m glad she was finally able to talk about missing Robert herself. The conversation definitely had shades of the conversation she wrote for them back during the break up. I do wish Aaron didn’t have to constantly step up for her and I’m firmly on team “give him Seb” but I think this was one of the more well rounded conversations they’ve had since Robert’s exit. Not that I’m surprised Maxine was able to give them that. 

I am still concerned about Aaron just saying he’ll be better and try harder because he’s clearly still struggling as time goes on as we know from later spoilers so I don’t want him to try and force it. It at least seems like people are acknowledging the realities of his situation now. At least in this episode. So we’ll see where it all goes. I like that Cain brought up going to see his counselor again and that Aaron nodded to that. And that Chas said “we’ll get you both better”. That seems like progress. 

As for the rest of the episode...

The Panto stuff is a lot of fun. I loved Rishi trying to take the Landowner part and Kim coming in at the end. That was great. And I liked the Jacob and Leanna scene that led into Kim finding out about the role in the first place. I still think the Leyla/Liam thing is a little weirdly placed with Bernice just having left and Liam still thinking she’s coming back (for Christmas apparently). But I do enjoy them having scenes together in general so we’ll see where that goes. 

Nate is still the worst. But I was glad Cain was just like “I could bash your head in but then I’d have to care”. Cause #mood. And I liked the Cain and Charity stuff a lot, especially about the tree and him admitting that he didn’t think he could start over. 

I liked Noah being kind of gleeful that Sarah was going to be forced to invite Danny around. Danny is still a creep though. 

I feel kind of bad for Kyle being stuck in a house with two grumpy heartbroken men who snap at him but at least he got a giant Christmas tree out of it. Haha.

Anyway...I know Maxine is going all big time and writing for Doctor Who but I’m still open to her just coming back and writing every episode of Emmerdale because she’s so good. Everything flows nicely and her characterization is always so spot on and well rounded. 

[imdoingthismspaintadventure]

Worm 2.6 - In which we meet up with the Undersiders

I showed up in costume.  I didn’t care if they thought it was rude or paranoid, I would rather be capable of surviving having a knife pulled on me than play nice.

I said it last update and I’ll say it again: Taylor’s being really smart while making a very dumb decision

I had caught a bus from the library to my house and put my costume on under my clothes.  Most of the armor panels of my costume were separate pieces, held in place by straps that ran into slits in the fabric of the costume.  Not all of them were, though.

I really appreciate how badass and complex her costume is, having made it 100% herself! It’s probably on par with some professional ones!

I’d made some of the armor part of the bodysuit, I’d made narrow, rigid sections of armor running along the center of my chest, back, shins, wrists, hips and the tops of my shoulders. so that when I strapped the larger pieces on, grooves on the underside of the armor would fit over them and help keep them from flopping around.

And now it seems she has improved it, keeping it both practical and protective. I love it.

I checked myself in the mirror before I left, and didn’t think anyone would notice unless I held a strange posture and they were paying a great deal of attention to what I was wearing.  I wore loose fitting clothes over the costume, – one of my larger pairs of jeans and a sweatshirt, and even with that, I felt painfully conspicuous

So she’s wearing casual clothes over her costume, and the costume is working right now as a kind of bulletproof vest while she goes to meet them, where she will presumably change to being fully suited. And going with civilian clothes and then changing out of view is a good way to protect her secret identity.

Taylor’s showcasing the appropriate amount of caution with this crazy plan.

I changed much the way I had the previous night, finding an empty alley, quickly pulling on my mask, pulling off my outer clothes, and stuffing the clothes into one of my dad’s old backpacks.  I’d hidden the backpack before I went patrolling last night, but today, I opted to take it with me.  I headed out the other end of the alley.

Aaand changed! Full costume mode now! The bug girl from the other day is back!

When I was a short distance away from the site of last night’s brawl, I sent a dozen flies out to scout.  I focused on what they were sensing.

I never realized just how excellent bug control would be for scouting ahead and cheking your surroundings.

I get the feeling this serial is going to ruin every other bug-based power in media for me, especially the ones that  use it only for  offense.

Bugs, it probably goes without saying, sense things in a very different way than we do.  More than that, they sense and process things at a very different speed.  The end result was that the signals my power were able to translate and send to me in a way my brain could understand were muted.  Visual information came through as ink blot patches of monochrome light and dark, alternating between fuzzy and overly sharp. Sound was almost painful to focus on, breaking down to bass vibrations that made my vision distort and high pitch noises that weren’t unlike nails on a chalkboard.  Multiply that by a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, and it was overwhelming.  When my power was new to me, I hadn’t been able to hold back. The sensory overload had never actually hurt me, even at its worst, but it had made me flat out miserable.   These days, I had that part of my power turned off a good ninety nine percent of the time.

This is actually really interesting! It seems her power let’s her see and hear through her bugs but doesn’t actually translate it to human terms

As such all she can see through one bug’s eyes are monochrome light and dark patches and all she can hear is distorted noises. And all of that multiplied by every single bug she has which amounts to a kaleidoscopic maelstrom of disruptive imputs that incoveniences more than helps.

It’s fortunate that she can turn that part of her power off, cause it could almost be crippling otherwise!

My preferred method of sensing things through my bugs was touch.  It wasn’t that their sense of touch translated much better than the hearing or sight part of things, but had more to do with the fact that I could tell where they were in relation to me.  I was acutely aware when they were very still, if they were moving, or if something else was moving them.  That was one thing that translated well.

Touch does work well though! So she can basically know where everything surrounding her is, based on where the insects she sent landed on; and she could also theoretically track the movements of people and their positions in relation to her. Not bad!

If she could interpret the other imputs she could have big brother-like control of all of her surroundings! I think this aspect of her power is far stronger than the pure offensive capability her swarm gives her.

So as I sent the bugs out to scout, the twelve sets of compound eyes first identified the trio as blurry silhouettes atop a larger, more defined shadow, backlit by a flare of white that had to be the sun.  I directed the flies closer, towards the ‘heads’ of the figures, and they touched down on skin. None of the three were wearing masks, which I deemed reason to believe Tattletale had been telling the truth.   They weren’t in costume.  There was no guarantee that the three were really Tattletale, Grue and Regent, but I felt confident enough to head around to the fire escape and climb up to the roof.

Huh so they did show up without their costume after all! That at least shows they are somewhat honest, even if it could still be a ploy. Seems like Taylor is going up to meet them!

It was them, no doubt.  I recognized them even without their costumes. Two guys and a girl.  The girl had dirty blonde hair tied back into a loose braid, a smattering of freckles over the bridge of her nose and the same vulpine grin I recognized from the night prior.  She wore a black long sleeved t-shirt with a grafitti-style design on it and a knee length denim skirt.  I was surprised by the bottle-glass green of her eyes.

So this is Tattletale then! Without her costume! She sounds very cute! I love that her vulpine grin is again the most defining characteristic. She changes her hairstyle in her civilian identity huh? That’s such a small detail but a realistic one, cause she is probably the one that has to hide her identity the most! The other ones all had full masks and other things to hide their identity, while she had a domino mask.

The smaller and younger of the two guys – about my age – was undoubtedly Regent.  I recognized the mop of black curls.  He was a good looking guy, but not in a way that would make me say he was handsome.  He was pretty, with a triangular face, light blue eyes and full lips pulled into a bit of a scowl.  I pegged him as having French or Italian heritage.  I could see where he would have girls all over him, but I couldn’t say I was interested, myself.  The pretty boys – Leonardo Decaprio, Marcus Firth, Justin Beiber, Johnny Depp – had never done it for me.  He was wearing a white jacket with a hood, jeans and sneakers, and was perched on the raised lip at the edge of the roof, a bottle of cola in hand.

Regent is european! Has a pretty face and a lean body, which seems like it’s not Taylor’s type, but she could understand how other people might fall for him. He’s currently chilling with a cola bottle on the roof which is a mood.

Interesting to see both Tattletale and Regent in such a casual way, after learning they were extremely misterious online.

Grue was startling in appearance, by contrast.  Taller than me by at least a foot, Grue had dark chocolate skin, shoulder length cornrows and that masculine lantern jaw you typically associated with guy superheroes.  He wore jeans, boots and a plain green t-shirt, which struck me as a bit cold for the spring.  I did note that he had considerable muscle definition in his arms.  This was a guy who worked out.

Grue is jacked up! Has a full-on superhero physique and jawline, even though he is a villain. He’s also black and rocking some badass cornrows!

He seemed the most straight-foward and direct of all of them last time, and was the one who approached Taylor.

“And she arrives,” Tattletale crowed, “Pay up.”

Regent’s scowl deepened for a second, and he fished in his pocket for a wad of bills, which he forked over to Tattletale.

“You bet on whether I would show up?” I ventured.

“We bet on whether you would come in costume,” Tattletale told me.  Then, more to Regent than to me, she said, “and I won.”

“Again,” Regent muttered.

Oh they are really fun

Seems like these two are the more playful ones of the group, and Tattle still seems really sharp with her guesses!

“It’s your own fault for taking the bet in the first place,” Grue said, “Even if it wasn’t Tattle, it was a sucker bet.  Showing up in costume makes too much sense.  It’s what I would do.”  He had a nice voice.  It was an adult voice, even if his appearance gave me the sense of a guy in his late teens.

And Grue seems to be the most careful and professional out of all of them.

Also this further supports my theory of Tattletale having some crazy mind power.

He extended his hand to me, “Hey, I’m Brian.”

I shook his hand, he wasn’t shy about shaking my hand firmly.  I said, “You can call me Bug, I guess.  At least, until I come up with something better, or until I decide this isn’t an elaborate trick.”

He shrugged, “Cool.”  There wasn’t the slightest trace of offense at my suspicion.  I almost felt bad.

I like Brian. I think he likes that Taylor is also being very careful. Also, are you really going to call yourself “Bug”?

“Lisa,” Tattletale introduced herself.  She didn’t offer me her hand to shake, but I think it would have felt out of place if she had.  It wasn’t that she seemed unfriendly, but she didn’t have the same aura of geniality about her that Grue did.

Lisa is a good name. Also yeah Brian seems effortlessly friendly.

With how nice they are being, it’s easy to forget these guys are teenage villains

“I’m Alec,” Regent informed me, with a quiet voice, then he added, “And Bitch is Rachel.”

“Rachel is sitting this one out,” Grue said, “She didn’t agree with the aim of our meeting, here.”

Alec huh? He’s still being quite reserved. Also seems like Rachel didn’t really care about meeting new possible members or was even against it.

Seems she really is antisocial, as her page said.

“Which raises the question,” I cut in, “What is the aim of this meeting?  I’m a little weirded out with you guys revealing your secret identities like this, or at least, pretending to.”

“Sorry,” Grue… Brian apologized, “That was my idea.  I thought we would make a token show of trust.”

Behind the yellow tinted lenses of my mask, my eyes narrowed, flicking from Lisa to Alec to Brian.  I couldn’t draw any conclusions from their expressions.

Huh, I initially thought this was a strategic maneuver but now I’m thinking that this was actually genuine.

“Why, exactly, do you need my trust?” I asked.

Brian opened his mouth, then closed it.  He looked to Lisa, who bent down and picked up a plastic lunchbox.  She held it out to me.

“I said we owed you.  All yours, no strings attached.”

Oh, are they repaying her for the accidental favor she did to them the other day??

Without taking the box, I tilted my head to get a better look at the front, “Alexandria.  She was my favorite member of the Protectorate when I was a kid.  Is the lunchbox collectable?”

Oooh new name!! She’s a member of the protectorate, like Armsmaster was! She seems to be a long-time member given that Taylor was a big fan when she was a kid.

Alexandria...makes me think of Alexander the Great or the Alexandrine syllabic meter, or even the library of Alexandria, which all give feelings of past glories and idealized might. It just sounds grand.

“Open it,” Lisa prompted me, with a roll of her eyes.

I took it.  From the weight and the motion of the contents inside it, I immediately had a pretty good idea of what it was.  I undid the clasps and opened the box.

“Money,” I breathed, caught off guard by suddenly having so much in my hands.  Eight stacks of bills, tied with paper bands.  Each of the paper bands had a number written on it in permanent marker.  Two fifty each…

Lisa answered before I had the number totaled up in my head, “Two grand.”

I closed the box and did the clasps.  With no idea what to say, I stayed silent.

Woah that is a lot!

They seem to indeed be succesful if they can throw around these kinds of gifts!

“You have two choices,” Lisa explained, “You can take that as a gift.  A thank you for, intentionally or not, saving our ass from Lung last night.  And maybe a bit of incentive to count us among your friends when you’re out in costume and doing dastardly deeds.”

Her grin widened, as if she’d said something she found amusing. Maybe it was the irony of a villain talking about ‘dastardly deeds’, or how corny the phrase was

Oh fuck Lisa 150% knows about Taylor’s heroic intentions, at least on that night. With how much fun she had at the suggestion of Taylor doing “dastardly deeds”.

Whether she knows about this whole new plan of hers is another story. but this is indeed alarming.

She elaborated, “Between territory disputes, differences in ideology, general power struggles and egos, there’s a rare few people in the local villain community who won’t attack us on sight.”

“And the second option?” I asked.

“You can take this as your first installment in the monthly allowance you’re entitled to as a member of the Undersiders,” Brian spoke up, “As one of us.”

Undersiders huh? Interesting name, very teen group. I imagine it in an urban tag style. I like it.

So her options are to either take the money and leave (and be on friendlier tems if they meet again) or join their group

Something tells me Taylor’s gonna pick number two here, with that whole plan she had. Ooooh boy.

I shifted my gaze between the three of them, looking for the joke.  Lisa still had a bit of a smile, but I was getting the impression that was her default expression.  Alec looked a little bored, if anything.  Brian looked dead serious.  Damn.

That seems very in character with how little we know of them. Lisa the playful, Brian the earnest, and Alec the laid-back.

“Two thousand a month,” I said.

“No,” Brian cut in, “That’s just what the boss pays us, to stick together and to stay active.  We make, uh, considerably more than that.”

o.o Holy shit.

Also they do have a boss!!

Lisa smirked, and Alec chuckled as he swished the contents of his coke bottle.  I made mental note at the mention of this ‘boss’.

Lisaa what are you thinking about!!

Also good on Taylor for catching that.

Not wanting to get sidetracked, I quickly thought through the earlier part of our conversation in the context of the job offer.

I asked, “So Bitch didn’t come because she was against the, er, recruitment?”

“Yeah,” Alec said, “We voted on it, and she said no.”

Yikes, if she joins, Rachel miight be a problem.

“On the plus side, the rest of us voted yes,” Brian hurried to add, giving Alec a dirty look, “She’ll come around.  She always votes against adding new members to the group, because she doesn’t want to divide the money five ways.”

“So you’ve done this recruiting thing before,” I concluded.

“Uh, yeah,” Brian looked a touch embarrassed, he rubbed the back of his neck, “It didn’t go well.  We tried with Spitfire, and she got scared off before we even got to the job offer.  Our fault, for bringing Rachel along that time.”

“And then she got recruited by someone else,” Alec added.

Seems like Brian really wants to recruit more people to their team and they have been trying without much success before.

Spitfire seems like an obvious fire-based power with that name. Seems like Rachel was toxic enough to make her reconsider and join another team.

uuuh considering your history at school are you sure you want to do this??

“Yeah,” Brian shrugged, “She got snagged by Faultline before we got a second chance.  We’ve made an offer to Circus, too, and she told us in no uncertain terms that she worked alone.”

“Taught me a few new curse words while she did it, too,” Alec said.

“She was pretty vocal about how she flies solo,” Brian admitted.

More people!

We got Circus, who has a potty mouth and likes to operate solo, and Faultline, who also recruits!

Umm, Circus makes me think illusion-based powers? Or like body contortion? Maybe?

Faultline could be earth-based, earthquake related and such

“So you’re going the extra mile, with no costumes as a show of trust and a cash bonus up front, to get me to join,” I said, as the pieces came together.

“That’s the gist of it,” Brian agreed, “Long and short of it is, especially with Lung taken out of action and the ABB diminished by his being gone, there’s bound to be some pushing and shoving over territory and status among the various gangs and teams.  Us, Faultline’s Crew, the remaining ABB, Empire Eighty-Eight, the solo villains, and any out of town teams or gangs that figure that they can worm in and grab a piece of the Bay.  If it comes down to it, we want firepower.  We haven’t screwed up a job yet, but the way us three figure it, it’s only a matter of time before we end up stuck in a fight we can’t win, with Bitch as the only one of us who can really dish out the hurt.”

WORLDBUILDING TIME

It seems that Lung’s defeat caused a power vacuum, and now there are a lot of villain groups trying to fill it.

-Faultline’s Crew, presumably led by the aforementioned Faultline

-The rest of the ABB (Bakuda and Oni Lee I believe? )

-Empire Eighty-Eight, which I have no idea what it is about, but it has Empire on the title so that doesn’t sound good.

-Random Villains

-The Undersiders (with their “boss” leading them? )

It sounds like the events of the other day caused a big mess!!

“I just don’t get why you want me,” I said, “I control bugs.  That’s not going to stop Alexandria, Glory Girl or Aegis.”

More names!!

Alexandria, which makes me even more certain that she’s really really powerful

Glory Girl, which sounds like she’s revered and mighty

Aegis, which probably has some sort of super-defense, based on that name

And yeah Taylor probably wouldn’t do much against a high-ranking hero, to be honest, discounting the fact that she doesn’t want to go that road

“You fucked up Lung,” Lisa shrugged as she spoke, “Good enough for me.”

“Um, not really,” I replied, “In case you missed it, you’re the ones who stopped him from executing me last night.  That just goes to prove the point I was making.”

“Honey,” Lisa said, “Entire teams of capes have gone up against Lung and got their asses handed to them.  That you managed as well as you did is fantastic.  The fact that the asshole is lying in a hospital bed because of you is the icing on the cake.”

Oh what??

I thought she only distracted and weaked his group! He’s in the hospital because of her? Because of the poison?

My reply stopped before it even left my mouth.  I only managed a dumb, “Hunh?”

“Yeah,” Lisa raised an eyebrow, “You do know which bugs you had biting him, right?  Black Widow, Brown Recluse, Browntail Moth, Mildei, Fire Ants-”

“Yeah,” I cut her off, “I don’t know the official names, but I know exactly what bit him, what stung him and what the venoms do.”

“So why are you surprised?  A couple of those bugs would be fucking dangerous if they bit just once, but you had them bite several times.   Bad enough, but when Lung came into custody they had him checked over by the docs, and the idiot doctor in charge said something like, ‘Oh, well, these do look like bug bites and stings, but the really venomous ones don’t bite multiple times.  Let’s arrange to check on him in a few hours’.”

OH GOD

Tayor did you almost poison him to death accidentaly??

This was a regenerative dragon of hell and you almost KILLED HIM!! With bugs

Your power is a lot more fearsome than I thought

I could tell where the story was going.  I put my hands over my mouth, whispering, “Oh my god.”

Tattletale grinned, “I can’t believe you didn’t know.”

“But he regenerates!” I protested, dropping my hands, “Toxins aren’t supposed to be even one percent as effective against people who heal like he does.”

Oh my fuck did you go absolutely ham on him because he “could regenerate”?

This is lowkey hilarious. You almost stomped Lung accidentaly! Granted you almost died later buuut..

“They’re effective enough, I guess, or his healing stopped working somewhere along the line” Lisa told me, “By the time they got to him, the big guy was just beginning to suffer from large scale tissue necrosis.  His heart even stopped a few times.  You do remember where you had the bugs bite him?”

I closed my eyes.  I could see my reputation going down the tubes.   One of the spiders I had been using was the brown recluse.  Arguably the most dangerous spider in the United States, more than even the black widow.  A single bite from a brown recluse could make a good chunk of the flesh around the bite blacken and rot away.  I’d had my bugs biting Lung in the more sensitive parts of his anatomy.

“Let’s just say that even with the ability to heal several times faster than your average person, Lung is going to be sitting down to use the toilet.”

Okay first off:

BROWN RECLUSES ARE A BIG FUCKING NOPE. Thank god I don’t have any over here

Second:

DID YOU JUST ROT HIS DICK OFF??

“Okay, that’s enough,” Brian stopped Lisa before she could go on, “Lung is going to recover, right?”

With the look Brian was giving Lisa, I thought she might lie, regardless of the truth.  She shrugged and told me, “He’s already recuperating.  Slowly, but he’s on the mend, and he should be in good working order in six months to a year.”

“You’d better hope he doesn’t escape,” Alec said, his voice still quiet but bemused, “Because if someone made my man bits fall off, I’d be out for blood.”

Oh god he’s gonna be so pissed.

If he ever escapes you would have a giant scaly dragon wanting nothing more than to turn you into ashes.

Good results for your first night out!

Brian pinched the bridge of his nose, “Thank you for that, Alec.  Way you two are going, our potential recruit is going to run off to have a panic attack before the idea of becoming an Undersider even crosses her mind.”

“How do you know this?” I asked, within a heartbeat of the thought crossing my mind.  When Brian turned my way with an expression like he thought he had said something to offend me, I clarified, “Tattletale, or Lisa, or whatever I’m supposed to call you.  How do you know this stuff about Lung… or about the fact that I was at the Library, or that the cape was on his way, last night?”

Yess, tell us about your precognitive or psychic abilities Lisa!

“Library?” Brian interjected, giving Lisa another dark look.

Lisa ignored Brian’s question and winked at me, “Girl’s gotta have her secrets.”

“Lisa’s half the reason we haven’t failed a job yet,” Alec said.

“And our boss is a large part of the rest,” Lisa finished for him.

Huh! so the boss is also a factor for success.

Interesting

“So you say,” Brian grumbled, “But let’s not go there.”

Lisa smiled at me, “If you want the full scoop, I’m afraid the details on what we do only come with team membership.  What I can tell you is that we’re a good group.  Our track record is top notch, and we’re in it for fun and profit.  No grand agenda.  No real responsibility.”

Huh so they are keeping the full details for when she’s an active member of the group. That’s smart of them.

Also are they really just a group trying to make money out of petty theft and heists. No hidden agenda? Not even of the boss? Hmmm...

I pursed my lips, behind my mask.  While I had picked up some info, I felt like I had a lot more questions.  Who was this boss they mentioned?  Was he or she setting up other teams of highly successful villains, in Brockton Bay or elsewhere?  What made these guys as effective as they were, and was it something I could steal or copy for myself?

The theory that their boss is playing sponsor to a series of low-level criminal groups could be true actually! I got a feeling that there’s something to this boss beyond what these guys said.

Also you’re already looking how to minmax their way of working into something that can work for you? You’re very good at finding uses for everything.

It wasn’t like I was signing the deal in blood or anything.  I stood to gain so much.

“Alright then, count me in,” I told them.

Oh god Wildbow was there a way to make that first phrase any more ominous?

Taylor what have you done?

[tranquilitybasehotelcasino]

are you from michigan? the detroit area? i found grafitti on a bridge in belle isle that led me here

OH FUCK YES YOURE THE FIRST PERSON TO MENTION IT YEAH THAT WAS ME ALSO I LOVE YOU RANDOM CITIZEN

[cwuniv1200-blog]

~Blog Introduction~

Hi friends! 

I would firstly like to welcome you to my blog, a place where I am excited to share my ruminations and express my thoughts over the course of the next few months. My name is Claire Wright and I am a first-year Studio Art major at the University of Guelph. My interests in visual arts, as well as the art of language and poetry are widespread and varied. To me, performing or creating art is comparable to the act of breathing, something I need in my life in order to survive and function freely. Besides traditional practices of illustration and painting, I perform art in the little things I do every day, in doing things like organizing my hoarding table (a side table with various objects which either genuinely hold meaning or are assigned meaning by me)  in specific compositions, crafting outfits with contrasting colours and patterns, sketching people in public without them knowing, or making up vocal solos in the shower. I mean, this may not constitute as art for most people but to me it is and it makes me feel like I have a purpose and helps me cope. Something that I have not explored in depth, however, is the connection of artistic practice and graffiti, which is why I am so excited to explore this form of expression in this course.

Throughout my life, I have always been drawn to striking pieces of both formal and informal art. Although I have trouble recalling my first introduction to graffiti and public art, I do know that I have always been intrigued seeing vibrant pieces of graffiti sprawling across the sides of buildings and under bridges in my hometown of Aurora. My dad was a huge influence upon my love for all art forms, taking me to galleries in downtown Toronto, and appreciating works of graffiti along the way in alleyways and buildings on city streets. So to me, it has never been a question of whether or not graffiti is art. In my mind, it is. It is just another form of extending an idea or feeling through the arm and translating it onto a surface for people to view and enjoy. However, when it comes to tagging, as we brought up in our first seminar, the line between art and vandalism tends to become distorted. I have grown up with an understanding of gang culture as it relates to graffiti and hierarchical claiming of land and space. As I begin to reflect deeper upon it now, however, I can see the art even in the act of tagging. Artistic practices of calligraphy, typography, and graphics have existed for centuries and growing up I found myself fascinated at some of the ways in which these people designed their tags. It’s interesting, not only from a social and cultural perspective but from the perspective of design and expression as well.

As I got older and was able to explore parts of my town that are hidden away from the public eye, I began to find niches within Aurora and a neighboring town called Newmarket of places where graffiti was accepted and practiced. One spot in particular that I have visited frequently growing up and represents the sort of graffiti that exists around me is a spot under a bridge in Newmarket. In order to get there, you must walk along a hiking trail, follow the train tracks and trek through a dense forest area. But once you are under this bridge surrounded by the intermingling of colorful art and nature, there is truly an interesting air of serenity. Now, I’m not going to say whether or not I ever added to the artwork that was there, but I definitely felt the urge to leave a mark of my own on this place. And now that I have the opportunity, I am excited to grow my understanding of this form of expression and be able to converse and share with all of you!

Attached below is the spot under the bridge that I am referring to, as well as some other images from my towns grafitti and public art hotspots.

source: https://pixsilver.com/wpress/tag/graffiti/

source: https://pixsilver.com/wpress/tag/graffiti/

source: https://tpeproductions.blogspot.com/2014/09/graffiti-youth-art-and-tough-love.html

source: https://tpeproductions.blogspot.com/2014/09/graffiti-youth-art-and-tough-love.html

[houseofvans]

ART SCHOOL | Sheryo & The Yok 

Talented and world-traveling artist duo, Sheryo & The Yok are known for their massive murals and installations all over the world, inspired by their travels, cartoons, and psychedelic imaginations. Their passion for painting large scale murals and their vision for creating immersive art installations make them both inspirational and mind blowing to fans and artists alike. We’re excited to interview these spray painting nomads and talk about their travels, their art processes, and their upcoming projects which include “a crocodile temple in Singapore” and “a bat house/shack under a bridge in Berlin.”

Photographs courtesy of the artist | Top photograph by Rainer Christian Kurzeder

introduce yourself  Yok:  Im from Perth, Western Australia, One of the most isolated cities, surrounded by desert and ocean. Currently I'm  based in Brooklyn and some times Indonesia and sometimes Thailand and sometimes Australia. We are trying to buy some jungle/beach land in seasia and make a weird sculpture park of sorts. Sheryo: I'm from Singapore, I share a work/live space with Yok in Brooklyn, New York and sometimes hang out in different parts of SEAsia living the island life drawing painting sippin on coconuts amongst palm trees watching the surf.

How did you both get into art, and at what point did you start collaborating?  Yok: I got into drawing from watching cartoons, reading mad magazine and copying skate logos, Jim Phillips, Pushead, Marc McKee's, Guy Mariano  Accidental Gun Death graphic had a huge impact on me.  As did early Blind decks, alien workshop, Girl art dump. The Gonz! Sheryo: I've always Been drawing but it wasn't until I moved to Cambodia that I really thought about pursuing art full time. I met yok and we painted our first wall together almost straight away and shared similar influences. I got into drawing from watching a ton of cartoons all day everyday. Growing up i was into Reg Mombassa, Ren and Stimpy, Garfield. I still love watching cartoons now.

What are your individual art processes like? How have your processes evolved or changed?  Draw every day. Our process evolves constantly when we are on the road depending on what materials we can get our hands on, which is also why we tend to keep our color palette to red white black and gold.  You can generally always find a black white and red in a dirty hardware store in a remote part of Vietnam.We also try to draw everyday wherever we are. We try to keep a sort of visual diary of whats going on.

What are some handy materials you always take along with you? India ink, some brushes, black pens, adapter spray caps, portable speaker, a few words of the local launguage. This works wonders for getting walls or getting out of trouble.

What’s your approach to murals and larger works? What was the last one you finished up? The last wall we painted was a rooftop on brooklyn, we've been painting a lot more spontaneously  with friends. The weather's finally warmed up in brooklyn so Night rides, weekend sprays and beers on the roof is the way to go. We've been building installations lately based on all the shacks we've seen on our travels in se Asia. Recently we built  a Ping Pong Auto Shack in Detroit with 1x Run, a big furry psychedelic gargoyle head in Germany and also a Lion house in Singapore for Singapore art week.

What’s been your favorite installation or sculpture that you’ve created? We love the "Ping Pong Auto Shack" and the "gargoyle head" the best. The ping Pong Auto Shack was a fun one it was a Detroit inspired car garage meets Indonesian warung/shack, with a huge tigers head that you can walk trough.. We turned the inside into a tattoo shop with neon devils and sexy ladies, we lined the walls with flash sheets and Sheryo made a bunch of tattoo's, good times!  IF you didn't want a tattoo we served jungle juice rum drinks out of the bar that we made at the tail end of the Tiger.

In the past, you’ve collaborated with Vans!  What’s your ultimate dream collaboration project? We want to build a skateable sculpture/installation badly, as well as a greenhouse filled with plants and our wooden sculptures. Imagine a snake run but it's a wild triple headed cobra. Excellent.

You really have traveled so much and around the world.  What has that experience been like and where are you headed to next?   Last year was great! We got to see and experience alot of  hard to get to, small towns in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia.  Next is Shanghai, Colorado,Florida then Perth.

Where has been your favorite place that you’ve visited?  What was the coolest thing you’ve seen in your travels? One of the recent favorites was a trip to Ethiopia to teach art at a school for impoverished kids, we painted the outside of the classroom and hung out it was great. We were also invited to paint Ethiopia's first skatepark, The kids had only had the park a few weeks, and for some only been riding a skateboard for the same amount of time and they were shredding it.

Much like how Vans aren’t just one thing, what other things are you guys into or do, when you’re not making art? Yok's a surfdog. Shezzy's a lay-in-the-beanbag-sipping-pinacoladas-and-coconuts-at-the-beach-all-day-nerd.

Who are some of your favorite artists, past and contemporary? woah too many to list! i have new ones everyday. I really love to see the grafitti in the cities towns and villages on the road, in places in Asia where they are not really exposed to that kind of thing, so the results are usually fresh.

Favorite Vans? Old skools!!!!!

What personally do you guys look for in or like in art? What’s your taste like?  Wavyness, good line work, original idea's and subject matter.

What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t an artist? SHeryo:I'd probably be selling coconuts with secret shots of rum in a shack I built by the beach. Ill catch some fish and grill them for dinner and share it with my friends. I'll have a sick collection of machetes with super cool painted handles.  Yok: I would be there also on the hammock eating that grilled fish. Sheryo: maybe i will feed u that grilled feed with my hands.

What has been your favorite thing so far this year? What do you have coming up for the rest of 2017? We are building a crocodile temple in Singapore next and a bat house/shack under a bridge in Berlin . I'm really looking forward to the 2 projects and hope to make them as rad as possible.

Whose someone you’d like to see on our Art School Q&A next? Mark Mulroney, Ryan Travis Christian, The Gonz!Palladingdong, Benjamin Rawson, Clay Hickson!

Follow Sheryo & The Yok Instagram: @_sheryo Website: www.yokandsheryo.com  Facebook: @Sheryo

[fuckyeahfightlock]

OH HAI

Yes, that’s me standing upon the same steps Morrissey and the Smiths once stood upon. My friend, T, is a hero and a prince and took me absolutely everywhere that matters to a Smiths fan, including the Salford Lads’ club, which is in “a dodgy area.” As we pulled up, another fan was finishing up his Instagram photo shoot on the steps--he was from NYC.

But first!

In the morning sis and I went to Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry (the industry being cotton mills, which was also the industry in the city nearest where sis and I grew up, so that museum felt familiar--all mill cities feel the same), and the Manchester Art Gallery, which had a special exhibition on hot drinks that we enjoyed thoroughly.

After lunch, T picked us up and took us to the Lads’ Club, past a sign for Whalley Range (mentioned in Miserable Lie), pointed out “the ugly new houses” mentioned in Paint a Vulgar Picture, then to the house where Morrissey grew up

in “Stressford” (Stretford), which Moz would have you believe was pretty rough but which is typical suburbia--economically depressed during his childhood, to be sure, but there were worse places. Like all of us suburban punks, Morrissey wished he was harder and lower than he really was.

Down the road a bit is the famous iron bridge mentioned in Still Ill, which Moz would have walked over every day, to get to his primary school--where T’s brother attended a few years behind Morrissey.

I found it very architecturally interesting and to our delight it was lousy with Smiths grafitti

“Under the iron bridge we kissed. . .”

We drove through Rusholme, including the fairgrounds referenced in Rusholme Ruffians, then on to Manchester’s Southern Cemetery “where most Mancunians end up,” according to T. These are the famous “cemetry gates” from the Smiths’ song of that title. We imagined tortured teenaged Morrissey sitting on one of the wrought-iron benches reading his Keats and Yeats and Wilde. I wish I’d had hours to stroll; it’s a lovely, historic cemetery.

Not wanting to say goodbye right away to a friend I’ve known strictly online for about 25 years, we decided to get a drink at what used to be Morrissey’s parents’ local pub, The Quadrant, which had a memorial inside the door to the 1950s Manchester football team lost in a plane crash, which inspired one of Morrissey’s classic camp mayhem songs, Munich Air Disaster, 1958.

This pilgrimage was my favourite thing of our whole trip, for fannish dreams coming true, and for IRL time spent with such a long-time online friend.

Manchester! So this is the day we will definitely meet up with my longtime, online friend (alt.gothic.fashion represent!), who has promised to take me to some major Smiths/Morrissey landmarks, such as Salford Lads’ Club (famous location of Smiths band photos, and the music video for “Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One Before”–great photo op, and they have a Smiths room but it will likely not be open due to it being Sunday), the iron bridge referenced in “Still Ill” (”Under the iron bridge we kissed, and although I ended up with sore lips, it just wasn’t like the old days anymore. No, it wasn’t like those days–am I still ill?”), and the gates of Southern Cemetery (”A dreaded sunny day so let’s go where we’re wanted and I’ll meet you at the cemet’ry gates. Keats and Yeats are on your side–but you lose, because the wit, the love of Wilde is on mine.”).

Other things on my list are the John Rylands Library which I guess “looks like Hogwarts” but I’m not a Harry Potter person–it just looks like a beautiful building I’d like to see; Afflecks (thrifty/vintage shopping), and/or Manchester Art Gallery.

[taigas-den]

I've about had it

with my side job I do for the nature center. I decided I'm done when I got called a Nazi today. I staff a new park on the weekend for overtime pay. This park has been there as just an open area for people to go to for decades. It got wiped out in a huge flood a few years back and was closed off because it wasn't safe. After some restoration work it's finally opened but as an official Historic Site now. This place is a waterfall, an old bridge, and tons of Grafitti. The bridge is the historic part. The grafitti is what makes the locals love this place. The grafitti started 30 years ago and it's become a local tradition to either add to it or just go see it. There are some really talented artists and then there are just taggers. There are hundreds of gallons of paint on this trail. There is a ton on the bridge, which I have no issue with, and then there's even more on the rocks and the only tree that's easily accessible. That's where I draw the line. But, it's already been done and has been done for decades. Well, now that this place is a historic site, it's owned by the county. It now has a huge metal gate, hours, restrictions, and enforcement of the law. People get trespassing tickets and vandalism charges now and that's very new to this area. The locals are pissed. Daily we get comments like "so, how have you guys ruined/destroyed/fucked up this place now?" or "are you removing the Grafitti? oh no! why?" or "I've been coming here since I was a kid and remember when I could be here at night/in the winter." or "why are your hours so short? why aren't you open during the week?" etc. I've had a woman demand to speak to my manager because she couldn't figure out how to get to the park before it closed 3 days in a row. I've had a woman and a man try to start shit with me because we were closing in 7 minutes and they just walked up. There have been people threatening violence to the volunteers and swearing at them or flipping them off. There has been entire groups of people trying to come to the park 20 min after we closed and then getting pissed at me personally because we close at 4. There have been people sneaking through the other passages to get into the park and try to avoid the staff. The list goes on. Now, the parking lot fits 10 cars total. We get almost 500 people every day we're open. I'm essentially a glorified parking assistant. Today I stood by our "parking lot full" sign for 6 hours straight. Deadass. No joke. I sat for maybe 3 minutes today and spoke with 417 people. So, our parking lot is constantly full and I get the pleasure of turning handicap people and family groups with kids away or tell them to park in the dirt pull offs at the bottom of this very dangerous hill and have them walk up. There was a kid who almost got hit because of that a few weeks ago. There are almost car crashes daily because of this stupid hill and people trying to stare into our park to figure out what it is (even though we have 3 large signs that say what we are), not to mention the people that stop their cars in the middle of the road and expect me to come to them so they can ask if there's parking (there's not. That's why our parking lot full sign is up. The one I'm standing next to that you're ignoring) or ask what we are (again. big ass signs everywhere). It's a fucking death trap and I get the joy of putting people in that situation. Now, most of the people coming to the park since we've been an official park are tourists. They come from all over the country to see the area and look at the falls or the Grafitti. The locals are, rightfully, pissed because they can't get in to the park because the lot is full of tourists! I don't blame these guys for being mad. I agree with them. The government has no place to take this place over and restrict local access to it. The damage is done in regards to the paint. That can't be undone. By having this place available to paint, the painting is limited to this area. People need a way to express themselves. While I'm sad they painted on the rocks, it's too late to do anything about it. The amount of money it would cost to properly remove the paint off the rocks is astronomical. This county can not afford that, not to mention the other parks facilities that are already established and really could use that money. I 100% agree with the locals but while I'm in uniform I can't agree with them. I hate it. I understand their frustration but was it necessary to call me a Nazi?

[iamcrystalmaiden]

Go Israel 2016

2016 is by far the most exciting and the most wonderful year of my life. A lot of really awesome things happened and I am just blessed. This year, I was fortunate to visit and see the place where Jesus Christ was born and where he died; the place where he promised to save us all.

Never in my wildest dreams have I thought that I’ll be able to go in Israel but then God made everything happen. I was able to be here in this amazing country. Before, I even said that if I’ll be given the chance to travel to Israel, I can die without any regrets. And, yes, now I can live life better and not have any regrets in life.

Who would have thought that I’ll be able to travel to Israel, especially with the restrictions that my workplace has. I am currently working here in Saudi Arabia and my passport or anyone’s passport in that matter shall not be stamped by Israel. Or else, I will be deported and can never go back in the Kingdom forever. But, God has been really great. He made sure that there are ways for expats like me to go to Israel without getting my passport stamped.

We chose the Jordan MW Tours travel package that was from Jordan to Jerusalem. Through Jordan, we crossed the border via King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge going to Israel. We went pass the immigration of Jordan and got exit stamps and went to Israel. They are providing a little piece of paper that is similar to a passport with regards to all the important information. They’re not putting stamps in anyone’s passport in the immigration because most of the tourists are also going in and out of other Arab countries. And, like Saudi Arabia, any other countries in the Gulf will not allow anyone to return to their country if there is any sign of entry to Israel. Actually, it was very risky on our part, but we just had to do it. And, I am so overwhelmed with happiness that we did. Or, I will end up regretting this decision for the rest of my life.

In Jericho, Bethlehem. The lowest place on earth.

At the Manger Square with my mom.

The Church of Nativity.

Where Jesus Christ was born.

Going around downtown Bethlehem looking for rosaries.

There are so many to choose from.

.

.

One of the hardest part of traveling is the moment where you want everyone to be in (at least) one decent photo together.

I am not someone who knows a lot about history or about the war that there is between Israel and Palestine. It just feels scary having to see all these “walls” or the Israel West Bank barrier as they call it. It is a very tall wall surrounding the area. It’s also very thick and strong, according to our guide. It has grafittis all over it. It tells about the war between the Hebrews and the Palestines, and the Muslims and Christians and Jews. It is complicated. It’s as if I feel the tension going on between them. I don’t know. It’s just weird.

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The tomb of the Virgin Mary.

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There is so much beauty inside this church.

WOW!

I do hope there will be #PEACE on earth. The sooner the better. I am praying hard for it.

Israel is amazingly beautiful.

Truly, Israel is a country blessed with all the wonderful things in this world.

The Hebrew language is so great. If I have all the time and energy in the world, I’d love to study it.

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The tomb of King David.

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Thank you guys. :D You were all very nice and helpful. I know it’s part of your job but still. Thank you. :D

Had one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had in my entire life. :D Thanks to our sponsor Ate Dulce for treating us here at Azzahra Pizzeria. It’s located in Old Jerusalem.

Yummy!!! :”>

Say Pizza!!!

The forever awkward me. Our 2nd day in Jerusalem.

The walled city.

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I’ve been wanting to have great jumpshots, but they’re all a failure. I’m not sure if it’s because of the way I jump, or because of my mother’s lack of photography skills. :)))

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The stations of the Cross. Although, unfortunately I wasn't able to get pictures of all the stations due to the number of people flocking around it.

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The church of the Holy Sepulchre is where the tomb of Jesus Christ lies.

I am always stunned by these beautiful works of art.

Another lovely artwork. It’s magnificent.

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The Western Wall

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They said that when one prays here over the wall, their prayers will be sent immediately to God and it will be given. They said that the wall serves a bridge between man and God.

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There’s a lot of churches in the area. And, there’s actually different kinds of crosses for each religion that worships Christ. 

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The famous Blue Mosque. Unfortunately, it was the hajj season when we came to Jerusalem, so the mosque was closed for the visitors.

The birth place of the Virgin Mary.

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Lunch Time. :D

Time to eat and refresh. It was a very tiring day yet I feel so much happiness within me. It’s the best trip ever. Thank you God for everything.

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I won’t let a day pass without a selfie. :D LOL

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Yummy!!! :D

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We went to Tel Aviv city. A 2-hour drive from Jerusalem. It’s amazing. Israel is soooo pretty. If I could just live here, I will.

At Yarqon County.

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At the Old Jaffa. My goodness, this city is a mixture of the old and the new and there’s nothing more beautiful than this. I’m truly, madly, and deeply in love with it.

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Last day ootd in Jerusalem. Goodbye!

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Always. And not just in Jerusalem but in the whole world.

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The Garden tomb.

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He is not here for He is risen. Praise be to God.

Again, I will be forever grateful and blessed for having this opportunity in my life. I love you my Lord.

Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

- Psalm 107:8-9

Crystal maiden

[ashafriesen]

7 Days And 6 Nights Portugal Itinerary

7 days and 6 nights Portugal Itinerary

Last year was a little low for me when it came to travel, due to family issues. Last November, when I realised that hubby was traveling to Portugal for work, I seized the opportunity. November is also a month when my Anniversary falls so this became a trip for just the two of us :). If you have been married like me for 16 years you will realise how much these breaks are important for bonding.

A lot of people combine Spain with Portugal but I would not recommend the same as there is enough and more to see in Portugal itself, especially if you are constrained for time.

Spain With Kids: Our Family Trip & Travel Experiences In Spain

Our journey started on not such a great note because our flights got cancelled a day prior, so we had to rebook and we reached a day  later than expected and at midnight to Porto.

We chose an apartment very close to the Douro river, at a walkable distance to all the main attractions in Mouzinho Oporto tourist Apartments, a small but cozy studio apartment for two. Here are details of my 7 Day and 6 Nights Portugal Itinerary. Hope this helps you plan your vacation. 

PORTO: Portugal Itinerary

On our very first day in Porto, it was pouring from the word go. It was super cold but we managed to cross bridge over the Douro river to go to the city across which is called Gaia.

The bridge that connects Porto And Gaia

While we all know Porto as a beautiful city by the Douro river and is famous for its Port wine, in actuality, Porto has nothing to do with Port wine! The Port wine actually was brought to the limelight because of the British and some of the famous and the oldest wine cellars belong to them and while port wine is actually produced in the Douro valley, 140 kms away from Porto.

The city of Porto along the Douro River

It is stored in Gaia in wine cellars and not in Porto. The ones to visit are Calem and Sandeman for sure. You can book online in advance or buy tickets over there, but do check on their tour timings online. They have fixed timings and if you just land up like us, you can waste a few hours with nothing to do.

The Calem Wine Cellar, Gaia Wine tasting in Calem

Enjoying my glass of port wine at the wine tasting in Calem

The entire city is located on hill tops, so you see bunch of old colourful houses from the river and its bridge. A walk by the river or a river cruise is highly recommended. The cruise is just 15 min and in that time you can see all the 6 bridges and go to the point where the river joins the sea. Porto has beautiful view points from where you can watch the sunset. Its undoubtedly is one city that has one of the most beautiful sunsets.

Beautiful sunset in Porto

The things to try when you are in Porto is definitely Portuguese Nata( an egg yolk Tart), Super Bock Beer and Francesinha( I am aware that this word is made by joining France and Sinha and I wonder if we had anything to do with it ????). A very interesting story around Nata is that it was discovered because the nuns used to use egg white to starch their clothes and a lot of yolk was wasted so hence this sweet was invented. It’s yummy, by the way. While I have an egg allergy, I tried it and loved it.

Superbock beer and Portuguese Nata- a must try in Portugal

Francesinha on the other hand is a lethal layers of sausages and meat combo with cheese and sauce on the top and the Portuguese claim that it’s so lethal that you can have this only once a month. There is a vegan version too, I skipped this one but if you are a meat lover, it’s a must do.

Francesinha

The best way to discover the city of Porto is by foot. The streets are cobbled so I would definitely suggest to wear comfortable shoes. I was grateful for my sneakers. I would recommend two nights and if you can extend then do visit the Douro valley tour from here.

Porto city view

P.s.- A lot of info here courtesy the walking tour I did with SANDEMANs NEW Europe 

LISBON: Portugal Itinerary

On Day three, we took a train to headed to Lisbon. It’s just 2.30 hours by road or train from Porto. Luckily for us the weather was wonderful here, with an occasional shower here and there. Lisbon is a metropolitan city but the history and culture of Lisbon is as bewitching, or more, as Porto. We stayed in the Corinthia Hotel here but would not recommend it as it’s pretty much away from main tourist attractions. Stay in Alfama area. 

Grafitti in Lisbon

If I could sum my entire stay in Lisbon, it would be in three words – history, culture and Gastronomical experience.

As usual, I started exploring Lisbon on Day 4, with free walking tours to understand the city and its culture well. This time I chose Take Lisboa tours and I found our guide Yuri extremely passionate about the history of the city which made the tour even more interesting. 

If you look into the history of Portugal, it has had its share of downs, with invasion by Napoleon, the great earthquake of 1755 which nearly wiped out 85 % of the city and the reign of Salazar. They finally got their independence with the famous ‘Carnation Revolution’ in 1974 and it’s only after that their economy started growing. So it’s a European nation that’s still evolving. What will strike you is the friendliness of the locals and you will feel at home at once.

Lisbon has distinctive areas which you need to visit

Baixa – This is downtown, starts around a famous square (Rossio) and ends  at Praca de Comercio.

Chiado/Bairro Alto – Here is where you find the night-life. Portugal is known for bar hopping and nightclubs.

Alfama – Old neighbourhood around the castle. This area was initially the habitat of prostitutes and had hamams as it was rich in hot springs. Legend goes, the word Alfama comes from ‘The Hamam’.

Av de Liberdade – Do not miss the “High-end” shopping in this area.

Belem – Here is where you find the most historic monuments and the famous pastry, Pasteis de Belem ie historic cream tart

Docas – marina area with restaurants and night life

 Parque das Nacoes – The new modern area of Lisbon

Of these I would totally recommend walking tours of Baixa, Belem, Alfama and Chiado. You can explore these areas later at your ease in the day. 

It’s also one of the cheaper European countries so will not create a big hole in your pocket. Of course, you still have to look out for pick pockets.

My absolute recommendations of things to do in Lisbon

Do the heritage tram route of 28 or 24.

28 number heritage Tram Lisbon

View points – Cafe Bellissimo near Carmo covent, Belem tower, and St George’s castle.

Eat at bistros, vintage cafes and michellen star restaurants. Food is reasonable unlike most other European countries.

Walk around in the Chiado area, Alfama, Belem and soak the culture. Visit the Jerenimos Monastery, museum of coaches, Lisbon Cathedral, Carmo Convent etc.

Cathedral at Lisboa- The structure that stands tall even after the earthquake

If you have time- visit the LX factory. An offbeat place with multiple boutique shops and restaurants. Loved the vibe there. The place is famous for products it makes from corks so definitely buy a bag, shoes or hats made of it. It’s a great tool for recycling.

A chocolate cafe at the LX factory, Lisbon

Learn about the famous poets of Portugal- Fernando Passeo, Luis De Camoes, Almeida Garret to name a few.

Posing with Fernando, the poet

*Go to a Fado concert- The powerful music style is described as nostalgia and longing. * Check out graffitis across the city. You will also realise where Mario Miranda derived his inspiration from.

Graffiti in Lisbon

*Drink Green Wine- yes, it’s a thing and has only 6% alcohol.

Green wine- a must try in Lisbon

*Do Tagus river cruise if you have the time. *The nightclubs and bars in Lisbon are open till 9 am!!! They really party! And Bairro Alto is your area to be.

You can walk everywhere but remember it’s all uphill and downhill mostly and cobbled streets. Uber is super cheap, so use that when needed.

SINTRA: Portugal Itinerary

Day 5, we decided to explore  the lazy, small, historic town nestled in the hills about a 30 min ride from Lisbon called, Sintra. Being stationed a bit up it’s temperature is always a little lower than Lisbon unless I, like an eternal optimist decided that it’s going to be a sunny day and it really was!

The Whimsical Pena Palace At Sintra

I did a private tour to Sintra with my friends, since hubby was busy. We walked through the city centre and the by-lanes soaking the entire vibe of the city.

Sintra

With My Friends in Sintra

The vibe of the town of Sintra

Things that we missed and would like to do the next time is the Moorish castle and the Quinta da Regaleira – A lavish mansion and fascinating gardens that contain hidden tunnels and secretive religious symbolism because apparently the person who owned it was a free mason.

Quinta Da Regaleira

Our guide Feliciano from GetYourGuide took us to this non touristy beach, Praia da Adraga, which had beautiful waves, caves and a cove from where the waves would break and come like a froth to kiss your feet. It had to be my most favourite place to visit.

Praia da Adraga beach near Sintra

Our last stop was lunch at a beach town Cascais further away where my girlfriends and I finished off a pitcher of Sangria, listening to some College romantics in a town square. Unfortunately, I don’t have pics of this place. This place also has the biggest casino so do visit if you like casinos.

This is how wonderful my holiday was. We were in Portugal for 7 nights and I liked just walking around the place. If I had to go back here are a few places I would like to add to my itinerary;

Aveiro – aka Venice of Portugal

 Coimbra – Seat of oldest University of Europe

Evora – Old Roman Capital and centre of wine regions, Alentejo

Faro – Capital of Algarve, touristy beach region of Portugal

Geres national Park- to enjoy the amazing landscapes

Have any questions about Portugal? Planning a trip there? Comment below and I will get back.

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