#i’m gonna have to re-gif car lot in the future when i get back there too now that i think about it

[kaidanalenkosprmanager]

THE BEST OF EARTH: VANCOUVER

Featuring: Cmdr. Sophie Shepard, Maj. Kaidan Alenko, and Lt. James Vega With: Adm. David Anderson, Adm. Steven Hackett, & Flight Lt. Jeff "Joker" Moreau I don't like Anderson's orders either, but we don't have a choice. Without help, this war is already over. Mass Effect 3: Legendary Edition (2021)

[just-dreaming-marvel]

Out Of Time ~ 128

MASTERLIST

< previous chapter

Word Count: 3,500ish

Summary: Tony works to save Dr. Strange and Y/N. The fugitive Avengers find their way to the compound. (gifs aren’t mine)

As the alien started guiding the piece of pavement towards the giant circular ship, the cloak that was around Strange tore itself free and flew the piece of pavement away.

“No!” The alien yelled, following after it.

Iron Man and Spider-Man were both fighting off the large alien in the nearby park Tony had crashed into, when the pavement piece flew passed. All Tony could see was the cloak and the alien following, so he knew it was Strange and that he was in trouble.

“Kid, that’s wizard,” Tony told Peter, blocking an attack. “Get on it.”

“On it!” Peter replied, quickly swinging in that direction.

Spider-Man chased after the skinny alien, who was floating speedily and upright on a small platform of burbling debris. Swinging in between the pavement and the alien, Peter tried to tie up the alien. The alien attacked back, throwing a billboard at Spider-Man.

“Not cool!” Peter responded.

The alien bent all the utility poles in the path of the feeing clock, finally snagging the garment and ripping it loose of the pavement. Spider-Man re-arrived on the scene, finally noticing something.

“Uh, Mr. Stark? We have a problem,” Peter’s nervous voice rang over the comms.

“What is is kid?” Tony replied, still fighting off the larger alien. “I’m kinda in the middle—“

“Both the wizard and Miss Rogers are unconscious on the floating piece of road.”

“What?! I’ll be right there!”

Peter swung down to the pavement and stood on it, careful to not step on Strange or Y/N. Bending down, he went to break Y/N free when a cone of blue light began to pull the group upwards. Spider-Man jumped off, grabbing onto the nearest light post while using his webbing to try and keep the piece of pavement in place. The alien quickly uprooted the light post, sending Dr. Strange, the cloak, Y/N, and Peter on their way to the circular ship.

“Uhhh, Mr. Stark?” Peter called again. “I’m being beamed up!”

“Hang on, kid!” Tony responded.

Before Tony could fly over there, the giant alien he was fighting pinned Tony to the ground by his hammer that doubled as a claw. As the giant jumped towards Iron Man, blades ready to end the fight, he was sent through a portal instead. The alien turned and leaped  to return back through the portal, but Wong rapidly closed it and only the giant’s severed hand made its way back to the park. Bruce kicked the hand way with a noise of disgust. Iron Man then shook himself free of the weapon.

“Wong, you’re invited to my future wedding!” Tony exclaimed before beginning to fly towards the large ship. “Give me a little juice, FRIDAY.”

Iron Man’s foot thrusters suddenly morphed together into a single larger thruster, increasing his speed considerably. 

Peter, not being able to keep hold of the pavement piece, was hanging onto the ship as it flew up into space. The alien and the piece of pavement with Strange and Y/N on it, had disappeared into the ship. Tony knew that Peter wasn’t going to be able to hold on or breathe for much longer.

“Unlock 17-A,” Tony ordered FRIDAY. “Pete, you gotta let go. I’m gonna catch you.”

“But you said save the wizard!” Peter responded. Gasping from lack of oxygen, Peter ripped off his mask. “I can’t breathe!”

“You’re too high up. You’re running out of air.”

“Yeah! That makes sense.”

Quickly, Peter passed out, free-falling, but not before the pod Tony had set out reached him. It attached itself to him, becoming a new suit. Now being able to breathe, Spider-Man landed on the bottom part of the ship.

“Mr. Stark, it smells like a new car in here!” Peter commented.

“Happy trails, kid,” Tony replied. “FRIDAY, send him home.”

“Yep,” FRIDAY answered.

A large parachute extended from the new Spider-Man suit, spending him back towards earth.

“Oh, come on!” Peter shouted.

Iron Man latched onto the hull and cut a hole to board the ship, looking for wherever Strange and Y/N were taken.

“Boss, I have lifeforms detected in the ship,” FRIDAY informed. “One of them is most likely Agent Rogers.”

“Can you tell me if she’s breathing?”

A pause. “It appears she is.”

“Okay… I need you to—“

“I’m sorry, Boss, but we seem to be losing connection. We’re too far away from—“ Then FRIDAY”s line cut.

~~~

“Still no word from Vision?” The holographic image of Secretary Ross asked Rhodey. Rhodey was at the compound, dealing with the red tape.

“Satellites lost him somewhere over Edinburgh,” Rhodey replied.

“On a stolen Quinjet with four of the world's most wanted criminals.”

“You know they're only criminals because you've chosen to call them that, right, sir?”

“My God, Rhodes, your talent for horseshit rivals my own.”

“If it weren't for those Accords, Vision would've been right here.”

“I remember your signature on those papers, Colonel.”

“That's right. And I'm pretty sure I've paid for that.”

“You have second thoughts?”

“Not anymore.”

Suddenly, the fugitive Avengers (Sam, Wanda, Nat, and Steve) entered the room. Vision was being supported by Sam.

“Mr. Secretary,” Steve greeted, firmly.

“You got some nerve,” Ross said, hologram walking up to the Captain. “I’ll give you that.”

“You could use some of that right now,” Natasha replied.

“The world's on fire. And you think, all is forgiven?”

“I'm not looking for forgiveness. And I'm way past asking for permission,” Steve stated. “Earth just lost her best defender. So we're here to fight.” He took a step towards the hologram. “And if you wanna stand in our way… we’ll fight you too.” 

Ross turned to Rhodes. “Arrest them.”

“All over it,” Rhodey responded before swiping off the hologram. “That’s a court-martial. It’s great to see you, Cap.”

The two men hugged. “You too, Rhodey,” Steve responded before Natasha went to hug Rhodey.

“Well. You guys really look like crap. Must've been a rough couple of years.”

“Yeah, well, the hotels weren’t exactly five star,” Sam commented.

“Uh, I think you look great,” Bruce nervously walked in from the opposite end of the room. “Uh… heh… Yeah. I’m back.”

“Hi, Bruce,” Nat greeted softly.

“Nat.”

“This is awkward,” Sam whispered.

Steve looked around. “Has anyone heard from Y/N?” He asked. “She’d want to know—“

“She’s missing too, Steve,” Bruce interrupted. “When I found Tony to get his help, Y/N was with him.”

“She was… she was with him? But Y/N’s a fugitive as well. How—“

“Mr. Stark and Miss Rogers have been sneaking around,” Vision cut Steve off.

“What?!” Steve and Rhodey exclaimed.

“It’s been happening for about a year now.”

“Miss Rogers has been seeing Boss and Sergeant Barnes,” FRIDAY clarified. “Trying to work through her feelings.”

“Thats… and she never…” Steve was at a loss for words.

“You didn’t try to reach out to her either, Cap,” Sam said. “You even knew she was staying in Wakanda. T’Challa told you. And you refused to reach out.”

“What happened?” Steve asked, looking at Bruce.

“She got captured,” Bruce explained. “Tony went after the ship to protect her and the Time Stone.”

“Why don’t we take this into the other room?” Rhodey suggested. “Perhaps get you guys something to drink.”

They went into the next room over, each standing or sitting around the room. Bruce explained more of what happened and the other group explained what happened to them.

“So we gotta assume they’re coming back, right?” Rhodey questioned.

“And they can clearly find us,” Wanda added.

“We need all hands on deck,” Bruce stated. “Where’s Clint?”

“After the whole Accords situation, he and Scott took a deal,” Nat answered. “It was too tough on their families, they're on house arrest.”

“Who’s Scott?”

“Ant-Man,” Steve replied.

“There's an Ant-Man and a Spider-Man? Okay, look… Thanos has the biggest army in the universe. And he is not gonna stop until he... he gets... Vision's Stone.”

“Well then, we have to protect it,” Nat stated.

“No, we have to destroy it,” Vision said. "I've been giving a good deal of thought to this entity in my head, about its nature. But also, its composition. I think if it were exposed to a sufficiently powerful energy source, something, very similar to its own signature, perhaps… its molecular integrity could fail.”

“And you, with it,” Wanda said. “We’re not having this conversation.”

“Eliminating the stone is the only way to be certain that Thanos can't get it.”

“That’s too high a price.”

Vision took Wanda’s face gently with both hands. “With Y/N off world, only you have the power to pay it.” Wanda walked away, distressed. “Thanos threatens half the Universe. One life cannot stand in the way of defeating him.”

“But it should,” Steve said, looking at Vision. “We don’t trade lives, Vision.”

“Captain, 70 years ago, you laid down your life to save how many millions of people. Tell me, why is this any different?”

“Because you might have a choice,” Bruce suggested. “Your mind is made up of a complex construct of overlays. JARVIS, Ultron, Tony, me, the Stone. All of them mixed together. All of them learning from one another.”

“You’re saying Vision isn’t just the Stone?” Wanda asked.

“I'm saying that if we take out the Stone, there's still a whole lot of Vision left. Perhaps the best parts.”

“Can we do that?” Nat wondered.

“Not me. Not here.”

“You better find someone, and somewhere fast,” Rhodey said. “Ross isn't exactly just gonna let you guys have your old rooms back.”

“I know somewhere,” Steve stated. “Wakanda. But someone first has to explain how Y/N has anything to do with the Stone.”

“70 years ago, the Tesseract chose her to be the protector of the Stones,” Vision explained, knowing the story due to housing the Mind Stone in his head. “That’s how she survived the fall. The Tesseract holds the Space Stone. Her powers come for each of the Stones, so she has the power to destroy the Stones, by channeling them. Y/N is able to wield and control the all the Stones.”

“What I showed her…” Wanda said quietly. “It was the Stone… Y/N’s the key to stopping Thanos.”

~~~

T’Challa already knew Y/N was missing before Steve had contacted him. With Okoye and two other guards, he made his way to Bucky’s place. Bucky was throwing bags onto a partly-filled car, being watched by two village children.

“You’ll have the Kingsgaurd, and the Dora Milaje have been alerted,” Okoye told T’Challa as they made their way towards Bucky’s small hut. 

“And the Border Tribe?” T’Challa wondered.

“Those that are left.”

“Send word to the Jabari as well. M’Baku likes a good fight.”

“And what of this one?” Okoye looked at Bucky, just down the hill.

“This one may be tired of war. But the White Wolf has rested long enough.”

They made their way to Bucky. The guards set an elaborate and high-tech looking case down on the cart. They opened the lid to reveal the black and gold vibranium arm that Bucky had worn on Valentine’s Day.

Bucky sighed. “Where’s the fight?” He asked.

“On its way,” T’Challa answered. “And, Barnes…” The King glanced over at Okoye. “There’s something else. It’s about Y/N.”

Bucky was immediately alert. “What is it?”

“She’s missing.”

~~~

Dr. Strange was floating horizontally, face down, surrounded by dozens of long, glassy needles, as the alien interrogated him. Y/N was still unconscious, tied to the pavement off to the side.

“In all the time I’ve served Thanos, I’ve never failed him,” the alien told Dr. Strange. “If I were to reach our rendezvous on Titan with the Time Stone still attached to your vaguely irritating person, there would be... judgement.” The needles began to contact Dr. Strange’s face, causing pain. “Give me… the Stone.”

Tony was watching, hiding from above. After receiving a tap on the arm, Tony turned around, hand up and ready to shoot. Tony stood stand after seeing that it was the cloak.

“Wow, you’re a seriously loyal piece of outerwear, aren’t you?” Tony commented.

“Yeah, un speaking of loyalty…”

Tony and the cloak turn, completely shocked, to see Peter dropping down from above.

“What the—“

“I know what you’re gonna say,” Peter interrupted, holding his hands out.

“You should not be here,” Tony stated.

“I was gonna go home—“

“I don’t wanna hear it.”

“But it was such a long way down and I just thought about you and Y/N on the way—”

“And now I gotta hear it.”

“—and I kinda stuck to the side of the ship. And this suit is ridiculously intuitive, by the way. So if anything, it’s kinda your fault that I’m here.”

Both the cloak and Tony looked shocked, again. “What did you just say?”

“I take that back. And now I’m here in space.”

“Yeah.” Tony went to stand right in front of Peter. “Right where I don’t want you to be. This isn’t Coney Island. This isn't a field trip. It's a one-way ticket. You hear me? Don't pretend like you thought this through. You could not have possibly thought this through.”

"No. I did think this through.”

“You could not have possibly thought this through.”

“It's just .. you can't be a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man if there's no neighborhood.” Peter waited to get something from Tony, but nothing. “Okay. That didn't really make any sense, but you know what I'm trying to say.”

Tony let out a shaky breath. “Come on. We got a situation.” 

Tony led Peter over to where they could see Dr. Strange, Y/N, and the alien. Peter crouched down to study the situation and the cloak leaned over his shoulder.

“See him down there?” Tony pointed to Dr. Strange. “He’s in trouble. And Y/N laying over there as well. What’s your plan? Go.”

“Um. Okay, okay… uh…” Peter stuttered, trying to think. He and the cloak popped back upright. “Okay. Did you ever see this really old movie, Aliens?”

~~~

Meanwhile, the Stones were talking to an unconscious Y/N.

“You can’t stop what’s coming… it will come, no matter what. You are being saved for the final battle… we will stop you from doing anything to prevent what needs to happen. What’s supposed to happen… someday, you will understand. There are things meant to be learned, things meant to happen, that we will not let you stop… use your powers wisely.”

She gasped quietly, waking up. Y/N quickly studied her surroundings. She could feel the Time Stone close before she noticed the predicament Dr. Strange was in. The glass spikes were pressing into Strange’s skin, causing him to let out a groan.

“Painful, aren’t they?” The alien taunted. Ebony Maw, the name was, Y/N finally getting inside his head. “They were originally designed for microsurgery. And any one of them—“

There was a thump behind Maw, he turned to see Iron Man standing there. Tony’s hand repulsers were ready to fire. Y/N closed her eyes and focused on getting out of the utility ropes without making a big scene.

“—could end your friend’s life in an instant,” Maw continued.

“I gotta tell you, he’s not really my friend,” Tony responded. “Saving his life is more a professional courtesy.”

“Ah, yes. It’s the girl you’re really after.” Maw walked slowly towards Iron Man, beckoning very large metal objects to float behind him. “Too bad you’ve saved nothing. Your powers are inconsequential compared to mine.”

“Yeah, but the kid’s seen more movies.”

Iron Man fired a rocket from his shoulder which pierces the side of the ship to Maw’s right and began to suck everything out with depressurization, including Y/N. She quickly portaled herself to behind Tony, relieving herself from the binds. Maw was sucked out into space quickly. Dr. Strange was pulled loose of his bindings and the needles, also heading for the hole. The cloak quickly wrapped around Dr. Strange, trying to keep him inside. Strange and the cloak lost their grip, but Spider-Man shot a web strand, holding him in place. Or trying to. 

The web broke, sending both Strange and Peter towards space. Suddenly, Peter’s suit releases metal spider-like arms, keeping him from being sucked out. Y/N quickly portaled Strange behind her.

“Yes!” Peter shouted, looking at the metal arms. “Wait, what are those?!”

Using the metal arms, Peter leaped to get to a safer place. Tony quickly sprayed nano-particles onto the hole to plug it. Spider-Man landed on his new legs, quickly retracted them. He found the cloak hovering next to him. 

“Hey, we haven’t officially met,” Peter said, offering the cloak his hand. It ignored it, going straight to Strange. “Cool.”

Tony’s suit quickly disappeared back into the arc reactor as he rushed to Y/N. He grabbed onto her arms, examining her body for any injuries.

“Are you alright? Are you hurt?” He asked. Tony’s hands found a place on her cheeks. “Tell me you’re—“

“I’m fine, Tony,” she responded. “I’m fine.”

He gave her a kiss before pulling her in for a hug. “I was so worried.”

“I’m fine.” She hugged him back, breathing him in. “I’m fine.”

“We’ve gotta turn this ship around,” Strange stated.

“Yeah. Now he wants to run,” Tony replied. “Great plan.”

“No, I want to protect the Stone.”

Tony walked towards the front window, showing that they were speeding. “And I want you to thank me now. Go ahead, I’m listening.”

“For what? Nearly blasting me into space?”

“Who just saved your magical ass? Me.”

“Technically it was me,” Y/N added.

“I seriously don’t know how you fit your head into that helmet,” Strange scoffed.

“Admit it. You should have ducked out when I told you to,” Tony continued. “I tried to bench you. You refused.”

“I tried to bench your girlfriend, yet she refused as well. And, unlike everyone else in your life, I don’t work for you.”

“And due to that fact, we’re now in a flying doughnut billions of miles away from Earth with no backup.”

“I’m backup,” Peter said, raising his hand.

“No. You’re a stowaway.” Tony pointed his finger between himself and Strange. “The adults are talking.”

“I’m sorry, I’m confused as to the relationship here,” Strange said. “Wh—what is he, your ward?”

“No,” Peter responded. “I’m Peter, by the way.”

“Dr. Strange.”

“Oh, we're using our made-up names. Um... I'm Spider-Man, then."

“Peter,” Y/N muttered, rolling her eyes.

“This ship is self-correcting its course,” Tony stated. “Thing’s on autopilot.”

“Can we control it?” Strange asked, walking closer to Tony. “Fly us home.”

Tony, looking out in space, was lost in bad memories. Of going through the portal, of what Wanda showed him. 

“Tony?” Y/N called softly, stepping towards him. She was concerned. 

“Yeah?” He responded. He met her gaze briefly, quickly looking away cause it was not the time for him to be freaking out or for her to be reading him.

“Can you get us home?” Strange asked.

“Yeah. I heard you. I’m thinking… I’m not so sure we should.”

“What?” Y/N questioned. “Why?”

“Under no circumstance can we bring the Time Stone to Thanos,” Strange stated. “I don't think you quite understand what's at stake here.”

Tony talked over to Strange. “No. It's you who doesn't understand, that Thanos has been inside my head for six years since he sent an army to New York and now he's back! And I don't know what to do. Because I am not sacrificing Y/N for the sake of the universe, for whatever the Stones have told her is her destiny. So I'm not so sure if it's a better plan to fight him on our turf or his but you saw what they did, what they can do. At least on his turf, he's not expecting it. So I say we take the fight to him. Doctor. Do you concur?”

Strange was silent for a moment. “Alright, Stark. We go to him. But you have to understand... if it comes to saving you or the kid or the Time Stone... I will not hesitate to let either of you die. I can't, because the fate of the universe depends on it.”

“Nice. Good. Moral compass. We're straight.” Tony stepped over to Peter, formally tapping each of Peter’s shoulders. “Alright kid. You’re an Avenger now.”

“You skipped me,” Y/N said, walking up to Strange.

“Excuse me?” He questioned.

“You said that if it came between saving Tony, Peter, or the Time Stone, that you’d choose the Time Stone… but what about me?”

“You and I both know, Y/N, that the Stones will not let you die until you have completed what they need you for. No matter what that may be.”

next chapter >

PLEASE FILL FREE TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS AND THEORIES! 

DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE QUESTIONS AND ONESHOTS ON THE MASTERLIST. MANY OF YOU HAVEN’T CHECKED OUT VALENTINE’S DAY, I SUGGEST YOU DO!

NOTES: from now on the taglist when be added by a reblog. I will reblog it using my second account, @just-dreaming-marvel-2​​. Just so that my main page doesn’t get too cluttered.

If you want to be added to the tag list, please dm me or send in an ask.

[chuckbass-love]

Johnny protective over sue fic?

Hey lovely. Thank you so much for your patience, i know i’ve made you wait a long time for this one but i hope it’s worth the wait.

Disclaimer: My work is not to be posted anywhere else other than MY Tumblr, Wattpad and Ao3 without my permission. However, reblogs are welcome.

Pairing: Johnny Storm x Sue Storm & Johnny Storm x Fem!Reader

Summary: After Reed and Sue break up, Johnny vowed to never let anyone hurt his sister ever again. Now Reed is back and it’s clear they are getting close again, will Johnny allow Sue to give him another chance?

A/N: I’m sorta re writing the events of how Sue and Reed got back together in this. Just a little note so no one comes for me saying this never happened😂

Warnings: Angst, some comedy and language. No real warnings i guess.

Word Count: 3,429

GIF NOT MINE!!! Credit to @emilysblunt go check them out❤️

Protection

“I can’t keep having the same argument with you” Reed huffs, pacing back and forth whilst Sue is sat on the edge of the bed, head in her hands and practically sobbing her eyes out over all of this.

“Clearly you don’t care then. If you can’t even bother to fight for this or make it right” she yells back, standing up now, practically toe to toe with her boyfriend.

“I don’t understand what you want from me. We already have something great and you want more now?” he sighs, resting his hands on his hips as he looks away.

The thing is, from an outsiders perspective. This relationship couldn’t be more perfect. Just two people madly in love. But to say the inside view is different would be an understatement. All Sue has ever wanted was security, knowing she’s loved and knowing that she’s taken care of but of course Reed has failed to provide that for quite some time now.

She’s been asking more about settling down, getting their own place or maybe even just moving in with him and talking about marriage and kids. You know, the future.

However her pestering has done more harm than good. It clearly struck a nerve with Reed, her boyfriend of 2 years. Almost 3. They’ve been together all this time and he still can’t treat her as though she’s the one.

It’s almost as if he’s allergic to a little commitment. Which if she asks him, he denies it, making up some excuse he concocted in that tiny pea brain of his. 

Plus not only is Sue nagging but Johnny is too.

“When are you gonna ask my sister to move in?”

“Are you gonna pop the question or what?”

And now, Sue is at it again. With her questions and her theories about why he doesn’t want to live with her.

“Is it because you don’t love me? Is that it? Because if it is, i’d rather you just say it no-”

“Of course i love you Sue it’s never been about that” he snaps, making her step back out of fright. He rarely looses his cool. Something is definitely up with him.

“Well then, what is it? Why can’t you just commit to me”

“Maybe i just don’t want to live with you, is that so hard to understand?”

Her eyes widen as tears start to drown her vision out. She can feel her lips quivering.

“W-what?”

“You heard me. Now. Can we just forget about it?” how dare he. After all she’s given up for him.

“Oh we can forget about it alright. We’re done”

Before he can even convince her to stay, she’s collecting her stuff.

“Just because living together isn’t an option, doesn’t mean we can’t still make this work” he shouts from the bedroom whilst she’s in the closet and once she emerges from it, she rolls her eyes.

“Almost 3 years later and you still lack balls. I’m though with this. It’s over Reed. Have a nice life”

The door is slammed on her way out and all that’s left now is the memories they made together in this room. All of their fond memories. Memories of love and peace. True happiness. But not anymore. Now he’s all alone and he has no one else to blame but himself.

Sue stands outside of Reeds apartment, crying in the rain whilst also trying to see the screen of her cellphone, she needs to get away from here. And fast.

“Johnny, can you pick me up?”

“Please, i wouldn’t ask if i wasn’t desperate”

Shortly after, he hangs up, turning to you.

“Who was that on the phone?” you ask, strolling out of the bathroom drying your hair with the fancy white robe that has your initials threaded ever so beautifully on the upper left hand side wrapped around your damp body.

“It was Sue...” he draws the name out, clicking his tongue, unsure of how to say he has to abandon you for a while.

“Is everything okay?” you stand between his legs after tossing the towel into the hamper and he rests his hands on your waist “she needs me to pick her up from Reeds place” 

But you have no issue with that. From the moment you and Johnny got together, it was abundantly clear how protective he is over Sue. Despite her being his older sister. He’s made it his duty to be there whenever she needs and from what he could hear over the phone, she needs him. Now more than ever.

“Go” you say softly, barely above a whisper as you lean down to press a quick kiss to his forehead.

“But, i don’t want to leave you. We had plans”

“Johnny, look at me. Go. She obviously needs her brother right now and who am i to interrupt that? Just know you can always bring her here if you want, i won’t mind. But whatever you decide, text me. Okay?”

He just stares up at you with pure adoration and respect. You’re everything to him and it shows.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I just really love you, so much” your heart warms and your knees turn to jelly.

“I love you too ya big goof, now go get your sister”

A quick make out session later and he’s on his way, speeding of course to get to her within record time. Once he arrives, he’s lost for words. 

She gets into his car, sobbing like he’s never heard or seen before. Words aren’t even able to come out of her mouth and seeing as he got her from Reeds place, he must be to blame.

“What did he do to you?” he growls through gritted teeth, gripping the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles turn white “Sue what did he do to you?” he asks again, hoping for an answer this time. So she starts to slow her breathing, wiping tears before turning to look at her younger brother with a look of heartbreak.

“I asked him about me moving in again” little pauses in between are taken for her to gather herself “we got into a huge argument about it and unlike our other ones, it ended in me finishing with him” she barely finishes the sentence without breaking back into hysterical crying. 

Although she finished with him, she didn’t want to. She just couldn’t handle his inability to take their relationship seriously and take the natural next steps in their relationship.

As two grown adults, it’s only natural to move in with each other at this point. And he won’t do that, he’s unable to commit.

“Right, wait here” he unbuckles his seatbelt but Sue stops him before he can even get out “Johnny, no. This is over, i ended it. All i want is to go home” she pleads, pulling him closer. He gives her a hug before sighing and putting his seatbelt back on and turning the key in the ignition to pull out of the space he’s in.

“Where’s Y/N?” she asks, checking the back seat, as if somehow she missed any signs of someone else being in the car. What with all of her crying, it’s possible.

“She’s at her place, that reminds me actually, i’ll call her when we get home” he responds, weaving through the traffic and trying his best to get his sister home efficiently. She could really do with her own bed to relax as much as possible.

“Didn’t you have plans to stay at hers tonight?”

“Yeah, we planned a movie night. Why?” he says, stealing glances occasionally to check she’s okay.

“Omg, Johnny. I’m so sorry. You know what, drop me home and go back to her, I’ll be fine once i’ve got a huge glass of wine and a bubble bath” he can see right through her pretences, she’s only saying all of this to get him to do right by you. After all the two of you did have plans.

“No. I’m staying in with you. You need me right now. Y/N is fine, she told me to stay with you”

“Johnny, she’s also a priority. I’d hate for you to make plans and ditch just for me”

“I’m not ditching Sue, i’m being a supportive brother. I’m coming home with you and that’s final”

Wow. She’s never seen him so angry, so assertive.

Usually it’s her taking care of him all of the time. How the tables have turned.

“Did you eat with Reed before the argument or are you hungry?” 

She shakes her head “i’m starving” 

Pit stop at McDonalds it is then. 

And as soon as food is devoured, she takes her bath and then gets ready for an early night, a much needed one for that matter.

Johnny sits on the edge of her bed, talking with her about everything that went down tonight.

“I don’t get it Johnny, almost 3 years with him and he still can’t commit to me. Why?” tears fill her eyes and he looks down, it’s hard to see her like this, knowing he can’t do anything to take the hurt away. All he can do is just hold her and tell her how much he cares.

“I don’t know, all i know is he’s a fool. You’ve done a lot for him, supported him during some hard times and he can’t even move in with you. It’s weird and i don’t trust him now”

“I love him so much” she pulls her legs to her chest, burying her face in between her knees and suddenly all the tears she’s held back for the last couple hours pour out.

“I know, come here” he scoots closer, holding her in his arms and rocking her back and forth to somehow soothe her.

“He’ll never hurt you again, i promise you that. I got you. Shhh” her tears wet his shirt until eventually she starts to feel sleepy, lying down and closing her eyes.

“I’ll always take care of you” he whispers, pressing a kiss to her forehead before he gets up to leave the room.

Nothing will ever hurt his sister again, he swears it.

-----------------------------

Fast forward, 2 years later and here you are. In bed with Johnny in the place you still don’t share together. Not because he doesn’t want to, but because you’re both still young, you don’t want to rush anything when you’re both so happy with how things are.

“Good morning baby” you hear as you sit up to find Johnny in the doorway, naked.

“Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes, huh?” you smirk, unable to refrain from biting your lip. He stalks towards you before joining you on the bed and pulling you on top of him.

“Johnny” you squeal, leaning down to kiss him and let’s just say, any time you kiss this man, it gets heated. How can it not when he looks so good.

“I say we ditch all plans of going out and stay in bed all day long” 

You nod your head in agreement “won’t get no objections from me” 

The two of you giggle, kissing once again before his phone interrupts the fun.

“Hello” he says, more like he’s asking a question than greeting someone “Sue? What now?” he groans, rolling his eyes to which you shove him for.

“As in the next hour? Why? Ugh fine, i’ll be there” he hangs up, chucking his phone down on the bed and getting off to head into the bathroom.

“What is it?”

“She wants me to join her for some job she’s doing for Victor” 

“Can i know what job?”

“Not exactly, or at least not until i know the full story myself. I’m gonna shower, okay? Then i gotta go?”

You nod with a pout, not wanting him to leave. He’s been quite present lately with you. Never missing dates or important anniversaries and he’s been more charming than usual but now he’s leaving. You know that you weren’t gonna have him wrapped up in your apartment forever though. 

He showers as quickly as possible, dressing himself in whatever clothes are left in your closet from this last week spent at yours.

“I love you, okay? I’ll come back afterwards to make it up to you” you stand on your tip toes, kissing him deeply before he really needs to leave “i love you too and you better”

And just like that, he’s gone.

-------------------------

“This better be good, or els-”

“Johnny”

“Victor” he mutters, Johnny has never been keen on Victor and it shows. The way the creep is constantly all over Sue like a rash trying to charm her all the time. It’s downright annoying and hard to watch.

He knows his game and he figured him out a long time ago.

“Johnny” Sue waltzes in, hugging Johnny the second she can.

“So, what am i here for?” he asks, taking a seat but now in walks Reed Richards and Ben Grimm. Ones a douche bag and the other is an even bigger douche.

“Oh i don’t think so, no way. What is he doing here?”

“Johnny, calm down. Reed presented an idea to Victor” Sue explains, even she’s keeping her cool more than he is and she’s the one that was left shattered by Reed.

“No. I refuse to be involved” he steps up to Reed, jaw clenched and fists ready to punch him “you know you’re lucky, if it were up to me then 2 years ago, you’d have had two black eyes and now, there’s nothing stopping me from beating your ass”

Ben separates the two, Reed wouldn’t of done shit. But Johnny certainly would have.

“I know, i messed up Johnny. Sue knows that too. I apologised. She moved on and now i just want to get through this without more aggravation”

He speaks sense but no way is he going to allow Sue to work with this man. He’s horrible, he’s never had an ounce of respect for her, if he did then he would never have allowed things to end the way they did and he would never have gotten involved romantically if he didn’t want to settle down.

“I don’t care. You and me, outside now” he pokes his chest, moving past Ben to get to him before he makes the first move by pushing Reed, sending him stumbling backwards.

“Not gonna fight back, huh? No balls left? Oh wait, you didn’t have any to begin with” 

Sue widens her eyes as Victor and Ben chuckle a little. It’s funny seeing little old Johnny wound up like this but to see him mocking Reed, someone who’s been known to be stuck up. It’s amusing.

“I’m not gonna fight you Johnny, it’s not worth it” he holds his hands up in surrender.

“So it’s not worth it, just like you deemed my sister unworthy of your commitment then, is that it?”

“No, i loved your sister very much” he tries his best to talk Johnny out of punching him to the floor but it’s too late. His fist collides with his face. Sue yells, rushing to Reeds side instantly despite Victor being present, she’s always cared for Reed. Even after all that went down, he was her first love. 

“Johnny. That was completely unnecessary” her scolding has him even more angry than he was a second ago.

“Unnecessary? Sue the bastard had it coming” his best efforts to justify his behaviour are just ignored like they mean nothing to her “Johnny, he’s a colleague now. And so are you. So you can either apologise and move on or go home. Maybe Y/N can talk some sense into you”

He scoffs, turning his head to the side and resting his hands on his hips and after a couple minutes of silence in which Sue spends cleaning Reeds bloody nose up, Johnny finally gives in.

“Fine. I’m sorry Reed” 

Reed holds his hand out to shake Johnny’s and he obliges. Now maybe the work can commence.

------------------

Weeks after returning from space and Johnny is just starting to figure out his power, much like his sister, Reed and Grimm.

But one thing he just can’t figure out is what the hell is going on between Reed and Sue.

“Babe” he calls and you appear in the doorway to the living room “yes?” you ask, brows raised.

“Have you noticed Sue and Reed getting closer?” his brows furrowed, signalling that he’s thinking which is sometimes dangerous for Johnny, when he thinks to hard, he stresses and when he stresses sometimes it can trigger his power.

“I mean, they did used to date Johnny, they’re gonna have some kind of bond”

“Yeah but i mean, close as in flirty” he shudders at those words, the thought of his sister being flirty with a guy makes him cringe.

“I dunno, ask her what’s going on if you wanna know so badly”

“No. I can’t do that, i’ll be meddling and she hates when i do that”

You shrug at him now before going back to baking cookies. 

You have a point and so does he, surely if he wants to know so badly he can just ask, Sue would probably prefer that as opposed to him snooping around but also it would still be seen as meddling which is wrong.

She swore she’d never go back to Reed and he swore to prevent her from doing so. After all, she deserves better and he can never commit.

Once he’s showered and up for the day, he agrees to meet Sue and the others at Reeds place to do some experimenting with these new abilities should he say.

“Whaddup sister, douchebag, rock” he pretends to tip his hat at them all as he enters but soon notices Reed and Sue stood awfully close.

“What’s all this then?” 

They step back almost as if they repulse one another before turning to face Johnny “you’re here, great. We can get started” Sue smiles acting weirdly suspicious.

“Not until you two tell me what’s been up with you? You’ve been very cosy lately, what’s going on?” 

Reed glances at Sue briefly before they both blurt out “we’re dating again”

Oh hell no.

“Not on my watch you’re not. Sue he hurt you i don’t get it”

“Johnny i get that you’re protective but i’m okay. I’m a grown woman and besides, we’re taking things very slow this time”

“She’s right, we aren’t going to rush anything and-”

“I swear, if you hurt her again, i won’t hold back, you’re a dead man” their faces inches apart and you can practically hear Reed gulp out of fear. Johnny isn’t usually taken seriously but with how he punched him weeks ago, Reed is certain he’ll live up to that promise and finish the job.

“I promise, i’ll take care of her, for real this time”

“You better”

Seconds later Grimm interrupts, coughing “if you two pussy’s are done having a moment, can we please get me out of this awful state”

“Aw what? You mean you don’t wanna remain a big rock forever?” Johnny smirks, waiting for Ben to growl and punch something “I suppose at least with your usual form, you’ll have ears”

Queue the rest of the day consisting of yelling and threats of fights. But they wouldn’t have it any other way. 

All Johnny has to do is keep an eye on Reed.

------------------------------

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LMK if you wanna be added to my tag list, thanks....

[thegayhimbo]

True Blood Season 1 Review Part 1 (Spoilers Ahead)

It’s been about 2 years since I first saw season 1. Contrary to the hundreds of GIFs and posts that I’ve reblogged about True Blood, I’m a lot more familiar with the later seasons of the show than I am with the first season. When I first viewed season 1, it didn’t click with me, and the only reason I sat through it is because I had seen clips from season 2 that convinced me the show was worth watching. I’m not someone who usually gets into the vampire genre (aside for a brief period of time when I was in middle school), but something about True Blood hooked me in and got me to watch it. I can’t say that it’s a show I completely love, but I am inspired to talk about it.

In any case, I’m doing a rewatch for the first time as a way of getting closure on this show, and maybe moving on so that it isn’t in the back of my head all the time. I also wanted to view the show with fresh eyes, and see if my opinions changed while watching it.

This review will be split into 2 parts because I’m realizing that I have a lot to say about season 1, and it’s gonna get lengthy. Part 1 will just focus on my general opinion about the season. Part 2 (which will be posted a few days from now) will focus on my thoughts about how the vampires ar portrayed on the show.

Overall, my opinion about season 1 improved a little bit during rewatch. It’s not my favorite season of television (and Lord knows there are issues with it), but it’s a lot better than I remember it being. The casting is stellar, and I didn’t have any problems with the actors or how they played their characters. The interactions between the characters kept me engaged even when the main story started to drag (more on that in a minute).

While re-watching season 1, I was surprised to pick up on some subtle aspects that had been planted by the writers in season 1 that I missed the first time around, and that would come into play in the later seasons. For instance:

Sookie mentioning that her cousin Hadley had been missing for over a year since she ran away from the rehab center that Gran paid for, and that she didn’t know how to get hold of her (all of which makes sense come season 2).

The appearance of Theodore Newlin (Steve Newlin’s father), his subsequent death in the 3rd episode, and Steve Newlin taking the reigns of the Fellowship of the Sun

Bill warning Malcom, Liam, and Diane that he knew of “higher authorities” than Eric, and Diane saying “Well she can suck on sunlight for all I care” (All references to Queen Sophie Anne).

Diane mentioning that Bill “used to be fun” and that he had a very “sizable appetite.” Also, the reference to Bill having a sexual relationship with Diane in the 1930s (which is around the time he left Lorena). 

Jason telling Amy about how his parents died, and how he felt responsible for it (the death of their parents becomes a major plot point later on).

There’s a lot to be said about the way the later seasons handled its arcs, but I think the writers were planting seeds in season 1 for future stories and twists that would be revealed down the road. Some of them were capitalized on. Others weren’t. 

I will say for the record that I firmly believe the twist about Bill that gets revealed in season 3 was planned by Alan Ball and the other writers from the beginning of the show, and it does color the way I view Bill’s character and his relationship with Sookie, even in season 1. I should also point out that one particular aspect of the season 3 twist came directly from the books (and those who have read them know what I’m talking about here), so there’s that. Again, I’ll go more into detail about the Bill/Sookie relationship and my thoughts on it as I go through this rewatch.

In regards to the main story about a serial killer coming to Bon Temps and Sookie trying to figure out who it is, I will admit that not only did I NOT find this story engaging anymore, I thought it DRAGGED and should have been resolved within 6-7 episodes as opposed to 12. It’s a lot less thrilling when you already know who the killer is, and while there are some nice clues and red herrings that get dropped, the constant attempts at misdirection (like that scene when Sam goes over to Dawn’s house and sniffs her sheets, or Jason consistently being framed for murder) feels time-consuming instead of fun. It doesn’t help that the story loses momentum halfway through the season, and gets bogged down by all these other subplots that don’t connect to it at all. 

Also, I didn’t pick up on this the first time, but rewatching has helped me realize there are some irritating plot holes with the story I couldn’t overlook. For instance:

In one scene, Sam goes to Dawn's house to sniff around and pick up Rene's scent. Later on, he’s at Gran’s house after Gran died where he also should have identified that same scent since Rene climbed through the window. And considering that Rene spent a huge amount of time at Merlotte's and interacted with Sam on many occasions, Sam should have been easily able to associate Rene's scent with the scents he found at the crime scene, and figured out early on that Rene was the killer. So why does it take him so long to connect two and two when Sam already knows what Rene smells like?

Likewise, it's been established that vampires have a good sense of smell. Bill was around Rene in several scenes, and should have been able to pick up his scent at Gran's house after she was murdered. So how come this doesn't happen?

On top of that, when Bill gets interrogated by Andy and Bud about Gran's murder, he claims that he heard a car (most likely Rene's) pulling up across the cemetery to Gran's house. He also claims that vampires had heightened senses. However, when Sookie finally reads Rene's mind in the season finale, it's shown that Gran screams and Rene shouts at her before killing her. So if Bill could hear Rene driving up to Gran's house.................then how come he didn't hear Rene and Gran shouting at one another before Gran got killed?

For that matter, why did Rene go over to Gran’s house in the first place? He knew that Sookie was going on a date with Sam. He saw them leave the church together, and he had no idea when Sookie was going to be back. It came off like really poor planning on his part for someone who’s been methodical about how he killed people up to this point.

Also, why didn’t Rene throw away the video he took from Maudette’s house, as well as the tape on bulding a Cajun accent? That seems incredibly stupid leaving that stuff around from someone (like Arlene’s kids) to find, especially since he no longer had use for that stuff.

There’s also the way Sookie’s mind reading abilities work. I thought the way that was handled was not only inconsistent, but that it also didn’t make sense how she didn’t pick up on Rene being the killer in the first place. Everything about that screamed “plot convenience.”

The other thing I noticed is that a lot of the problems that fans complain about in the later seasons (added side-plots, deviating from the books, added supernatural creatures, plot holes, inconsistent mythology, characters making stupid decisions, the focus on vampire politics, the problems with the Bill/Sookie relationship, etc) can all be traced back to season 1. To give a few examples:

There were a BUNCH of side-plots in season 1, from the Jason/Eddie/Amy arc to Tara’s exorcism and her conflicting relationship with Lettie Mae to Lafayette’s hook-up with the closeted gay senator to Sam’s backstory to Bill’s trial and so on. I didn’t have an issue with this because I get the idea was to do world-building and show different sides to the characters (if anything, I found the side-plots more interesting than the main story), but I always find it odd that one of the biggest complaints about the later seasons was the added side-plots and how people couldn’t follow them. Frankly, I thought they were pretty easy to follow, and could even be engaging at times.

Even in season 1, the show introduced other supernatural creatures besides vampires. Sam was revealed as a shapeshifter, Maryann was introduced as this unknown entity (and would later be revealed to be a Maenad), Sam mentioned the existence of werewolves to Sookie, and even Sookie was implied to be a supernatural herself because of her ability to read minds. Add in the fact that the books had a plethora of other supernatural creatures (werepanthers, faeries, demons, witches, etc) that were bound to be introduced, and I think it’s pretty fair to say that this show wasn’t always going to stay “grounded in realism” like some people complain it should have been.

Vampire politics was always there from the beginning: The show was NOT subtle about its “vampires as a metaphor for oppressed minorities” message that it kept shoving out there (and again, I will talk more about that in my part 2 review because there’s a lot to be said about they way vampires are portrayed on this show). Characters like Nan Flannigan and Steve Newlin were introduced in season 1 (albeit regulated to TV) as well as organizations like the American Vampire League (AVL) and the Fellowship of the Sun (FOTS). There was already a conflict within the vampire community between vampires who mainstreamed and vampires who wanted to keep killing humans like they’d done in the past. Bill’s trial gave an extremely ugly look into how vampires dispensed justice among their own kind. And there were constant references to the VRA (Vampire Rights Amendment). This show was pretty clear from the beginning that the driving force behind this story was about whether or not vampires could integrate into human society and co-exist peacefully with humans.

Also, in addition to the added side-plots, we also had the expansion of characters like Lafayette (whose character was completely different from the books) and the introduction of Jessica (who wasn’t in the books at all). Basically, this show was already beginning to deviate from the books even before the later seasons happened. 

The way V works in this universe is all over the place. For some people (like Jason and Amy) it acts like an LSD drug, whereas with Sookie, it just gives her heightened senses and dreams about Bill. Lafayette does briefly tell Jason that V has different effects depending on the individual, so maybe this really isn’t a plot-hole. However, at the same time, it just feels like V was whatever the writers wanted it to be. In other words, inconsistent mythology was already a thing in season 1. 

As for characters doing stupid stuff, this came as a surprise to me as well, but it isn’t just limited to Jason. Some examples include:

Tara deciding to drive drunk down the road in the middle of the night while downing a bottle of Vodka (and later getting arrested for it).

Sam sleeping on the same bed as Sookie in dog form, even though he knew (or should have known) that he could transform back into human form while sleeping, and Sookie would see him naked (which is exactly what happens).

Lafayette deciding it’s a good idea to sell Jason V instead of just giving Jason the Viagra he requested in the first place.

Bill letting Diane, Malcom, and Liam into his house when he knew Sookie was coming over to give him the numbers for the electrician. Also it was pretty stupid of him to not consider how Diane, Liam, and Malcom would react to seeing Sookie, or whether or not Sookie would be scared off by the way those three were acting.

Bill deciding it’s a good idea to mouth-off to The Magister about mainstreaming when a.) It is painfully obvious that the Magister doesn’t care about seeing humans as equals, and b.) Bill stands the risk of angering the Magister and making his situation worse than it already is.

Andy’s insistence that Jason is good for the murders without considering all of the evidence, and his refusal to admit he’s wrong. That, and he sucks as a cop.

Sookie using the gun to attack Rene, run out of the house................and then throw the gun into the bushes instead of keeping it as a weapon to defend herself.

Bill choosing not to erase the bite marks on Sookie, which could have made her a target for other people who hated fangbangers (although it’s debatable whether or not this was stupidity on Bill’s part or if this was done intentionally). 

And I’m sure there are plenty of other examples, but my point is that Jason isn’t the only one making stupid decisions here. Again, YMMV on whether or not a character’s stupidity makes sense in the context of the story, or if it just screams “plot convenience,” but it was there. It seems like Jason gets made the scapegoat by fans for everything that was wrong with the first season whereas the problems with other characters/stories get ignored because of inherent biases in the fandom.

I know it sounds like I’m ragging on this season, and I guess in some ways I am because I’ve long been tired of the constant bashing of the later seasons, as well as the excessive hate that gets directed at some of my favorite characters (Jason and Tara) while everyone consistently ignores the other problems with characters and stories that existed as far back as season 1. I am being genuine when I say that season 1 had its moments (the Tara and Lafayette moments were probably the highlights of that season) and it was better than I remember it, but it’s not a favorite of mine. I don’t really see myself going back to rewatch season 1 as often as the other season. And if it had been the only season of True Blood they made, I probably never would have watched it again. Like I said, something about season 1 just didn’t work for me, and I think a lot of that has to do with the show placing more emphasis on the character’s flaws over their redeeming qualities. It was season 2 rectified this and helped to soften the characters in a way where I cared about them. 

Stay tuned for Part 2 where I’ll give my opinions on how I think the show handled vampires. 

[fromzerotoeuphoria]

me watching Free!: Take Your Marks!

(reposted from  original blog, Aug 2, 2020)

I can’t believe it’s pretty much been a week since I watched the Timeless Medley films 1 and 2, and now I’m finally watching Film 3: Take Your Marks.

I’m super excited but also a lil anxious because my RinHaru fangirl-heart needs to be FED and I know I will implode out of frustration if I don’t get any quality RinHaru content.

Yes, I know it’s an addiction, but at this point I really don’t care ✌🏾😎

Anyways, I’ll be live-journaling my thoughts while watching this again. Honestly, the only reason I do this is because I actually love going back and re-experiencing my initial reactions. Again, addicted.

Plus I really wish I had better journaled my thoughts while watching Season 1, but who knew I was gonna be snatched by the throat and dragged down deep into the murky depths of this anime. Well, ya live and ya learn.

Disclaimer: this is literally just the random thoughts that came to me while watching the film live, so it’s neither coherent nor is it a proper review; I was too caught up in watching the movie, screeching into my hands every time Rin Matsuoka came on screen, and finally coming to grips within myself to the fact that I actually was in love with this beautiful red-haired sharkboy.

Well, without further ado, let’s get into it.

✧   ✧   ✧   ✧   ✧   ✧   ✧   ✧   ✧   ✧

Free! Take Your Marks

• Episode 1 • 2:23 AM | Rin’s been on screen for like 45 seconds and already he’s making me smile like an idiot UGHHH. Even just a minute in, it seems like flickers if his elementary school-self are shining through in the way he readily agrees to help the Iwatobi gang with their video project. He’s so willing and happy to help, it’s like I’m watching Little Rin  😭😭😭💖

✧

2:32 AM | Aww why does Haru not like Kisumi?? :((( I like him! Even in middle school, Kisumi was so chill and kind and just an overall nice kid. Aww, come on Haru! 🥺

✧

2:44 AM | I’m GAGGING OMG WE ARE SEEING MORE OF RIN’S PERSONALITY (when he’s not all emo) AND IT’S LITERALLY GROWN UP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RIN AND SHANJSNSJSJS I’M LIVINGGGG

Seriously why the heck is he making me all giddy like this >_A LOT to handle and I’m over here melting at 3 o’clock in the morning. 🥴

(I’m really crushing on Rin Matsuoka WHATTHEHECK)

✧

2:50 AM | Honestly though Makoto is so sweet and I actually love his and Rin’s friendship too, I wish we got to see more of it. I’m so happy for Makoto and his dream, babie you’re gonna do so well as a coach! 🥺💙

✧

2:53 AM | OMG IT JUST HIT ME! I BET I KNOW WHO THE OLD SWIM COACH WHOSE APARTMENT HARU IS TAKING OVER IS!!! Omg it’s totally that guy friend Starting Days, the quiet nice student coach who had the eye surgery. I forget his name but I’m certain it’s him!

   //

SEE WHAT DID I TELL YOU the old tenant is the Haru and Mako’s middle school student teacher swim coach!! XD (still forget his name tho)

✧

• Episode 2 • 3:02 AM | Oh good GRACIOUS, Rin with a ponytail though T_T

BLESS.

✧

3:20 AM | So Ikuya’s older brother from Starting Days is at the same hot spring as the Samezeka gang and now he’s talking to Sousuke (who’s totally growing on me more and more) and eeeek I’m actually really looking forward to interactions! Also…dang he and Sousuke are like…really attractive. Could they be the best looking guys on the show??? 👀

✧

• Episode 3 • 3:32 AM | Am I going to take this moment to point how Rin and Haru are both sitting up front in the car??? WHY YES I WILL TAKE THIS MOMENT TO POINT OUT HOW BOTHRIN AND HARU ARE SITTING UP FRONT IN THE CAR (as opposed to any other pairing just sayin 😌) 

   //

Okay but the way the camera zoomed in on Haru’s face when Rin was leaving and Nagisa told him to make sure he visits them *cue rinharu fangirling*

✧

• Episode 4 • 4:00 AM | This boy I swear. 

Rin is freaking CRYING at a cheesy sad romance movie I LOVE HIM I LOVE HIM I LOVE HIMMMM.

Also ilowkey think I may love Ikuya too, lil babie 🥺 I hope he’s not a jerk in Season 3 and doesn’t become annoying with the whole Haru-drama, because he’s a lil cinnamon roll and I wanna love & protecc.

✧

4:10 AM | okay sorry but not sorry to be that person but like RIN OMG!! 😍😩 The way he’s totally being such a knightly older brother to Gou—even though he’s under the wrong impression that Gou is dating Momo—is so cute and sweet and wow, I literally love him. I’m over here dying at the way he’s all concerned about Gou and how he accepted the duel with Momo over her and just, UGH THIS ANIME BOY THO

✧

4:19 AM | I’m actually about to VOMIT OMG, this has all gotten hilariously out of hand and now Haru thinks Rin is quitting swimming and he’s having an intense heart to heart with Rin, telling Rin how HE’S the reason Haru was able to move towards the future and UGH THIS RINHARU MOMENT IS LITERALLY EVERYTHING OMG I’M DYING AND RESURRECTINGGG 😭

(gifs by @sapphiresflame​)

   //

Okay literally Haru is shouting out Rin’s name when Rin dove into the water during their relay, and the look of awe on Haru’s face when Rin dove in over his head is EVERYTHINGGG MY RINHARU HEART IS THRIVING Y'ALL

(gifs by @sapphiresflame​)

*cries in RinHaru*

✧

4:31 AM | THE WAY IM JUST AJSNSJSNSSKKBCUEHDH this episode was so sweet and hilarious and IMINLOVEWITHRIN and just wonderful! This was my fav episode out of the film, it was just so sweet and everyone came together to give Rin a going away party. Seeing Samezeka and Iwatobi both having fun together was so touching, and it was Fun who brought them all together. Really goes to show how special Rin is to everyone; Coach Sasube even was looking on at Rin interacting with everyone and had flashbacks of Lil Rin laughing and having fun with other back then. Rin really leaves a mark on everyone he comes across, and I adore him for it. I actually want to be like that to be like Rin in that way. Wow. I love these boys and I love Rin’s friendship with all the people in his life and I LOVE RIN MATSUOKA.

Now time to finally move onto Season 3! I want to so badly do it right now, but it’s really late on a Sunday and it really sucks trying to document my thoughts on the same device that I’m watching the anime :P But I will definitely be starting it soon, no procrastinating like I’ve done with AOT and Haikyuu, PROMISE!

[dreamin-of-somewhere-else]

Brown Cardboard Box

Characters: Dean x sister!reader, Sam [mentioned], Lisa + Ben.

Words: 2400-ish.

[Previous character death.] - That’s the only warning I can think of really.

A/N: Hey guys! Guess who wrote a fic instead of studying for a Spanish test? Anyways, I started re-watching season 6, because I wanted watch a few souless!Sam episodes, and after 6x01 I got this idea. So the fic takes place in between season 5 and 6. 

Not my GIF

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Sometimes you imagined what it would be like if you didn’t live the life. Wondering. Making up your own little scenarios and such. How you would live in Lawrence, and how you would have actually grown up there, how you would maybe have a pet (probably a dog, satisfying Sam’s everlasting love for them), how you would have childhood friends, how you would do sports in school. How you would all graduate and then how you would go to college. Grow up. Meet a partner (hopefully). Maybe have a family of your own someday.

Now, in this very moment, you were standing here with a brown cardboard box in your embrace. A single brown cardboard box containing whatever sad excuse of a wardrobe you had, as well as the few things that actually were yours. Photos, diaries, a gun and so on. You were moving into your own place. You never thought the day would come.

You had imagined it though. In your daydreams, infinite fantasies. In those, you were moving out to go to college. That wasn’t the case right now, but that’s whatever. You were getting your own place.

You never even had your own room. It was a big deal.

In your daydreams, you had imagined your mom and dad being there, helping out. But more importantly, your brothers. They had been there too. Now, your logic, the rational part of your mind, was telling you that it was probably unlikely. You were the youngest, so Dean and Sam had probably already moved out. Heck, maybe they would have been on the other side of the country. But still, your daydreams had no limits, and you always had wanted them there. Part of the scene, in frame. There when the cameras were rolling. Wishing you luck.

Now, in the real world, present time, Dean was here. It felt good and reassuring and it almost brought a smile to your face. Almost. It had, if it wasn’t for the fact that Sam wasn’t here.

Sam was dead. The cold hard truth that always caused a paralyzing pain through your body, twisting your stomach, and it felt like you couldn’t breath. It’s amazing (in an absolutely horrifying way) that a word can do that to you. But it could, and it kept being proven to you.

Sam wasn’t here. He wasn’t by your side, he wasn’t helping you carrying boxes (that should have been more than one) to your car. He wasn’t smiling. He wasn’t even grunting in mock annoyance when you would have given him another thing to pretty please fix for you, like helping out with a second box. He wasn’t here to give you a goodbye hug. To tell you to stay safe and take it easy, or he (and Dean) would come and get you back home. He wasn’t here to wish you good luck. Or to ruffle your hair.

Sam was burning in hell, alongside with Lucifer and Michael. It still didn’t feel real, it was too absurd, too scary. Too disturbing. But the dull, but ever so lasting, throbbing pain inside of you, clenching your heart, told you otherwise.

Instead of Sam, there was Lisa and Ben. Dean’s new family.

Okay, you shouldn’t say it like that. Dean had told you off, saying that it wasn’t true. ’Don’t say that (Y/N).’

And maybe it was your realistic, fine, maybe cynical, viewpoint — but it kind of was the truth. For now, at least until Sam was back (because, yes, you would get him back). But, well, maybe for the future too. Who knows if he even wants to return to the life. Most people probably wouldn’t. Who would want to continuously risk their life for strangers, spending their life in a car, missing out on what most people just simply considers life. Why would you do that when you could have a real home, a partner, a kid, real food everyday, friends, stable routines? All that with a quite a lot higher percentage of a chance making it to a tomorrow.

Pretty much no one.

”Are you sure about this? I mean, you could just stay here?”

The voice is distant, kind of feels like you were underwater and someone was trying to talk to you from above the surface, but the words quite never reached you. You were too occupied with absentmindedly watching the beautiful speckles of light dancing in the water, broken sunlight, created by the water surface.

”(Y/N)?” Your big brother calling on you again brought you back from the sea of thoughts.

”Huh?”

”I said, are you sure you want to do this?” He gestured with a hand towards the cardboard box in your arms. ”You could just stay with me, Lisa and Ben. Right, Lis?”

Dean looked over his shoulder, where the dark-haired woman and her son stood. Her arm was gently draped around the preteen’s upper back, as they stood huddled together, watching you with kind, respectively curious eyes.

”Yeah, of course. The guest room’s always available—” Lisa nodded, but you interrupted her.

”Thanks, Lisa, I appreciate the offer. But I’m good.” You reassured her, and then looked back into Dean’s solemn, green eyes.

The truth was that you sort of felt like an outsider. A guest. You didn’t fit in. You were a piece of a different puzzle, a stray piece that got mixed up and ended up in the wrong box. This wasn’t your family. It never was meant to be. Dean was your family though. Dean and Sam.

But you couldn’t keep on living here. It was hard enough these first three weeks. It was hard leaving too. But your intuition, your gut feeling, was telling you that it was the better option. You didn’t wan’t to descend upon them anymore, gate-crashing. It was time for you to leave and go on — by yourself.

Because this, this was Dean’s. Dean’s own little family. That was ’stupid enough to take him in’ (not your words). Dean, who had been yours (and Sam’s) for all your life. Who laid down anything for you, no matter if you told him not to. And this was, for the first time, only his, and it was cosy, loving, and safe. And you didn’t want to ruin that, not for the world. It was his, and you wanted him to have it.

Speaking of Sam, you were going to find a way to bring back your other big brother. You would not stop until you got results, or you died. That was the only two possible outcomes. And that was a promise.

Dean’s lips curled into slight grimace that you could tell was supposed to be a little smile. He didn’t like this. Even though it was for his best. But he tried, for you. It hurt to look at him though, so you turned to Lisa. She immediately opened her arms, and you gratefully gave her a hug.

”Thanks for everything Lisa. Really. You took us in when we really needed it.” You pulled back from the hug and met her chocolate gaze. ”Tell me, whenever, if there is anything I can do to make it up to you. I owe you, big time.”

Lisa just smiled. ”It was nothing.”

You rolled your eyes slightly, but laughing a little meanwhile, to show that you weren’t serious. You would object, if you didn’t know that Lisa would immediately do the same, and you would just continue that way, forever.

You turned to Ben next. He was still in the age where hugs, if they weren’t from his mom, still were kind of awkward, and frankly uncool. So you settled on reaching out a hand, which he took and shook. And then, quickly before he could protest, you ruffled his hair.

”Promise me something Ben?” You asked, as you slightly bent down to his height. Then you pointed at Dean. ”Keep an eye on that one for me, would you? He can be pretty good at getting himself in sticky situation, but if you check in on him every now and then, I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

”Yeah.” Ben grinned slightly as his round eyes turned to Dean, excited and proud that he had gotten that mission. To keep an eye on Dean. ”I promise.”

”Great.” You grinned back.

You glanced sideways, and caught Lisa smiling. And Dean… Dean himself looked even more emotional.

”Well,” you said as you bent down to pick up the box that you had sat down on the pavement by your feet before hugging Lisa. ”I probably should get going.”

Dean nodded, pensively.

”Bye, (Y/N).” Lisa waved.

”Bye!” Ben echoed behind.

You smiled, before starting walking away from their porch and towards your parked car on the street. Dean followed next to you, if not slightly behind.

Once you reached the car, it was quiet for a moment. But, with you and your brothers, silence wasn’t awkward or scary — sometimes it was needed. And you three could always tell when. So you just waited for Dean collect his thoughts. Soon enough he did speak up.

”You sure you don’t wanna stay here?” He pressed a last time, gruff voice laced with hope, his green eyes almost pleading.

”I need to go, Dean.”

”Why?”

The question left his mouth before he could stop it. It was innocent, almost childlike. It made you feel guilty.

”You know why, Dean-o.” You smiled sadly. ”This is for you. Not for me.”

Dean nodded and looked away. He kind of looked teary eyed, but you weren’t going to point that out.

”I’m gonna be less than an hour away.” You tried to lighten the mood. ”It’s nothing. You can visit whenever, easily. And you better.” You quickly added that last sentence, while you nailed him with a hard gaze.

Dean chuckled just a little. You smiled. It was nice to know that you still knew how to get a laugh out of your brother. Still had it in you.

”I promise.” He smiled back, this time an actual one, as he repeated Ben’s words. ”If you promise to swing by here every now and then.”

”Deal.” You agreed, and you fell in silence again.

Dean looked sad. Actually even more so than you had expected.

You could imagine how he was feeling. How he didn’t want you to go your separate ways. Because, in a way, that meant that Dean lost another sibling. That it would only be Dean, on his own in the world. Of course, he had Lisa and Ben. But they weren’t you and Sam, because you two were a part of Dean. Lisa and Ben were a part of the world Dean had to face.

It was hard for Dean to let you go. All his life, he had been watching over you. Keeping you right by his side, under his protection. Hunting together. Dealing with the crap life had thrown at you. Seeing the country with you. Meeting new people with you, sharing friends. Basically doing everything together. And now you wouldn’t even live together anymore.

Slowly, you turned around to your car, that you had been facing away from whilst talking to your oldest brother, and opened the passenger door and placed the cardboard box in the seat. It wasn’t like anyone was sitting there anyway, like it had been for all your life. You were truly on your own now.

When you turned back towards Dean, he surprised you by enveloping you with his arms, clutching tight, hiding his face in your hair. You gently patted his back, and held on tight as well.

”I’ll miss you, squirt.” He murmured quietly, but loud enough for you to hear it clearly. The words tugged at your heartstrings, and suddenly you doubted your decision.

But, then you regained your determination again. Dean’s life. Dean’s family.

”I’ll miss you too, jerk.” You smiled into his shoulder. You really, really would.

It wasn’t like you never would see each other again. But when you go from living with a person, seeing them everyday — to once every two weeks, once a month or maybe even every other month — it was difficult. Especially when this person was not only your brother, but your best friend and right now the only person you had left of your family.

But you let him go. And he lets you go. After placing a lingering hand on his cheek, giving him a final smile, you walked around the car, and got in behind the wheel.

Hand placed on his hip, Dean ran a hand over his face, thinking that you wouldn’t notice, but you did. You didn’t point it out though.

You closed the door, and started the car. Rolling down the windows, you said goodbye to Dean once again. He appeared at the window, sending you a shadow of a smile.

”Good luck, (Y/N).” He said with a gentle voice, slightly strangled, if not.

”Good luck, Dean.” You responded. Always good luck to you. You and Sam.

Then he tapped the car twice before straightening up. You nodded meanwhile.

It was hard to press down on the gas, but eventually you just did. Driving away from the Lisa’s street, you looked through the rearview mirror. There you saw them, Dean, Lisa and Ben, all waving at you. You stretched out your arm through the window by the driver’s seat — that also was rolled down — and waved back. Soon, they were out of sight.

The weather of this moment was beautiful. It was a sunny and warm evening in May (one of your favorite months). Everything was mildly lit up in this golden light, and the sun was about to set on the blue sky decorated with pink and orange tinted clouds. The wind, as you drove, tousled your hair.

You glanced over at the brown cardboard box — that was just sitting there in the passenger seat — and that’s when you saw the old photos sticking up from the bundle of flannel that you had quite carelessly thrown in there.

You took your eyes away and focused on the road. You didn’t even need to inspect the most visible photo, to know what it pictured. You had already seen it so many times, in fact it was one of your most prized possessions.

It was one of you, Sam and Dean all together, smiling. It was taken a few years ago. You were only 18 in that one, barely an adult. Sam was 22 and fresh out of college, and Dean — full on laughing — was 26, wearing John’s old leather jacket, as well as the amulet and was happy to have his little siblings together and right by his side again. So that he could watch out for them like the mother hen he was and tease you senseless like the annoying bastard he also could be.

You missed those times. Of course you did. But more than that, the photo built onto the burning fire of pure determination to get the three of you back. You were going to take another photo like that, all three of you together, smiling happily.

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[demitgibbs]

Patti LaBelle Dishes on Lip-Syncing ‘Divettes,’ Aretha Franklin Rivalry

Is there a singer more real than Patti LaBelle? The 73-year-old legend of song (and shade) is a firehose of strong-minded opinions, and in an age that has some tight-lipped “divettes,” as LaBelle calls them, refraining from saying “too” much, the ever-honest LaBelle is, refreshingly, that rare freewheeler who revels in being blunt AF.

In 2014, she told me she no longer considers herself a diva because “all these little heifers who can’t sing are called divas.” The word, she observed, is not “cute anymore.” Now, after our recent warm phone reunion while doing promo for her new jazz album, Bel Hommage, she who has given the gays so much, from music and pies to a bevy of side-eye-serving GIFs, still has more to give – even her own precious pie-making time.

“I really like talking to you,” she tells me when I start to wrap the interview. My allotted time has long passed, but she’s not done. And by the end of our 25-minute interview we’ve covered generous ground: why she’s “still standing” thanks to the LGBT community, President “Trumpette” and his Twitter-proposed ban on transgender people in the military, her music-biz foes (and how Aretha Franklin is not one of them) and how you “may see me as a diva and that’s a compliment to those who think it’s a compliment.”

Q: Last time we had a gay press chat it was shortly before you had me twerkin’ on your stage here in Detroit. I still can’t believe you let me do that. What’s the craziest thing a gay fan has done on your stage?

A: Gosh, I don’t really know! Maybe you! I know I’ve had a lot of gay men on my stage during Lady Marmalade and they go way out because once they’re up there they say, “I’m here with Ms. Patti’s microphone and I’m gonna wear it out.” I’ve had so many do so many things that I can’t tell you specifically one.

Q : I don’t know if he was gay, but in Vancouver last year, a fan got frisky on your stage and…

A: Showed me his ass?

Q: Is that what he did?

A: Yeah! He mooned me! Because he came up and I was looking at him through the whole show and I said, “Oh, he’s an enthusiastic fan,” right? I try to look at the people that I’m gonna bring up, so I brought him up thinkin’ he was cool. He did his little shake and then turned around and pulled his pants down. I had on high pumps. I kicked that ass.

Q: You even called him a “bitch.”

A: I did! I did use a curse word. And I felt so bad. He took me to that limit. I said, “How could he take me there?” And they had it on TMZ or whatever. I said, “It’s true.” Gotta protect myself. (Laughs)

Q: I was happy to see that you did NYC Pride this summer. Is there something special about performing for an all-gay audience?

A: That night it poured, so when Deborah Cox was on she did three songs and then had to be rushed off the stage. It could’ve been shut down ’cause it was so bad. Everybody got drenched. So instead of my going on at 9, I went on at about 10:15… and they were still there!

My whole thing is, when I knew I was doing gay Pride, I said, ‘I’m gonna wear something beautifully outrageous, and I’m gonna have that old Patti LaBelle hair that I used to do with the fans and all that jazz. I said, I’m gonna wear that hair! And from the time I went on until the end, they never stopped yelling for more. I mean, when we were pulling out in our car, they were still, “More, more, more!” They were so enthusiastic. But what I did: I wore that old hair, and a lot of people who didn’t know me from the ’80s – we got some bad press for it – and I said, “You know what, I did that for my queens. They understand it.” It was for you guys. But I enjoyed doing it. And then the wind knocked that sucker down. I said, “OK, I’m gonna have to kick it up.” (Laughs)

Q: Ha! Who would give Patti LaBelle crap for her hair?

A: People who didn’t really understand where I was in the ’80s. You know, some of the younger kids – they don’t have a clue who Patti LaBelle or Labelle was.

Q: So what do they know you for?

A: I have no clue.

Q: I’m thinking, “But that is part of your legacy.”

A: Yeah, they’re Patti latecomers.

Q: Speaking of Deborah Cox, a lot of people don’t know that Montell Jordan wrote “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here,” but you didn’t love it and then it went to Deborah…

A: Deborah always says I’m her reason for being in show business because I let the song go and she got it. That’s her start. After that, I started performing that song at my show and told the audience, “This is the song that got away.” But I’m happy it did because I love her.

Q: Have you given up a lot of songs that became hits?

A: Right?! Well, this is the first time for me. But I’ll know the next time to hold onto something that sounds halfway decent.

Q: I read Hello, Dolly! came your way years ago, before it hit Broadway, but that you passed on it. When the role ultimately went to Bette Midler, were you kicking yourself for not jumping at the chance?

A: Nope, I didn’t. ’Cause you know what: That’s a big piece of work and I think Bette Midler can do it much better than Patti LaBelle. I thought about it after she did it. Might I do it in the future? You never know.

Q: Do you pay attention to the memes and GIFs of you throwing shade that people love to share on the internet?

A: Yeah, I see them. And you know what, I’m honored! (Laughs) And whenever I see something that’s not totally positive about me, I say, ‘God, at least they thought about me.’ It’s really the way to look at these situations. But at the end of the day I know who I really am… and that’s a cool chick! (Laughs)

Q: Has your son given up on keeping what you say in check?

A: Well, he tries. Lately, he hasn’t had to because I’ve not been saying anything out of order. But I know he’s always waiting and when I do he’ll take me to the side: “Mom, could you not say that ever again?” I say, “OK.” Something happened about two weeks ago and I’m trying to remember what it was. This time it was about… God, what did I do? I’m always doin’ something and he’s always reprimanding me for it.

Q: Do you ever regret things that you say?

A: My God, about 50 million things. I’m full of regrets. But you know what, I’m honest. So it will come out and I’ll say, ‘God, I didn’t mean to say that.’ But it’s too late. And I’m not gonna whoop myself up for it.  I did it and I’ll do it again. I know I’ll do it! I do have my little cop son watching me, so I try to be nice.

Q: Three years ago you told me you don’t call yourself a diva because “all these little heifers who can’t sing are called divas.” But then, after that interview, you did VH1’s Divas Holiday: Unsilent Night last year and then Daytime Divas this year. Now, Ms. Patti, I feel like you’re sending me mixed signals here.

A: (Laughs) No – no, mixed signals! If I do Daytime Divas, which I did, and if I did Divas the concert, of course, I’m gonna be in it, but I’m not saying, “I’m a diva.” People look to me and may see me as a diva and that’s a compliment to those who think it’s a compliment. Like I said, Lena Horne and Dinah Washington and all those beautiful dolls back in the day, they were divas. These little divettes walking around – I don’t wanna put myself in the same sentence with some of these little kids. So, I’m not a diva; just a singin’ fool.

Q: People are under the impression there’s rivalry between you and Aretha Franklin, but you recently quashed that rumor when you said, of anyone, you’d most want to duet with her. Why do people think you had a beef? And what’s the deal with women constantly being pitted against each other?

A: I’m not gonna be pitted against any lady in this industry. I do my job, I sing hard and I sing well, and I love what I do. If another lady finds that as being too much for them, or whoever might feel I’m being too much, that’s their problem. But I’ve never had beef.

Now, there are a lot of ladies in this industry who don’t care for Patti LaBelle – and some gentleman, also – but I look at them and I smile. Because what can I do? I can’t change your mind, boo, because I don’t wanna change your mind. You go on thinkin’ about me the way you think. No – but I haven’t had beef with anyone. I’ve had a lot of dislikes. But I pay no mind. I keep moving and I don’t stop to talk about the ones who talk about me.

Q: Let’s talk about food. You know how people say gays don’t eat carbs?

A : Gays don’t eat carbs – who said that?! Every gay guy I know, they eat carbs. (Laughs)

Q: And they eat your pies?

A: They eat my pies, honey! And my peach cobbler. You have to go to Walmart, or I’ll have to come and make you one personally. One more thing about food: I start taping my cooking show soon and Laverne Cox is one of my cooking buddies.

Q: Regarding Bel Hommage: If there’s ever an album that pays homage to you the way you pay homage to artists such as Nina Simone and Frank Sinatra on this album, who would get your blessing to cover your songs?

A: Oh, I would give Fantasia blessings. And Ledisi. The little singing girls. The ones who can really, really sing.

Q: What does it mean to you to be able to “really, really sing”?

A: Someone who can sing without someone in the studio tweaking what they just sang because it was so flat or whatever. Sing straight out in the studio, record without all those little gimmicks. Some of them are lucky because they end up selling a lot of music, but a singer is a person who goes out there and throws down. Just get on a microphone and sing. Phyllis Hyman was that girl.

Q: Would you still regard a “singer” as someone who can throw down in the studio but lip-syncs live?

A: Oh, a lot of them lip-sync. But they lip-sync and they do it so well you can’t tell that they’re doing it. But I can always tell. I can always tell. I’ve never done that.

Q: What gives them away?

A: Their mouths sometimes miss the movement! (Laughs) Your mouth should be making a certain movement when you sing a certain note, and they miss sometimes. But that’s what they do for a living. I don’t do that.

Q: So we’ve got Fantasia – who else is on this covers album?

A: Ledisi, Andra Day, Emeli Sandé and Leela James – my God, that girl can sing. I love these ladies.

Q: Why have you never duetted in the studio with your goddaughter, Mariah Carey?

A : I don’t know. We always talk about it when we see each other.

Q: Maybe you two can hook up for a song on your dance album, which I believe is in the works. Hopefully we don’t have to wait as long as we waited for this jazz album.

A: Right?! Not 10 years, that’s for sure. I have not started working on it. I’m working on a Christmas album at the moment and old R&B favorites of mine from back in the day. And that… the uptempo music, I call it (laughs)… that will be done as soon as I do something with these other two projects, but it’s definitely in the mix.

Q: Will it be for the gay clubs?

A: Oh yeah, for the gay clubs. You know what, I was so angry with myself when I did NYC Pride. There was a song that I recorded many, many years ago called “Land of the Living.” I meant to do that that particular night and we didn’t have time to rehearse it, but I’m gonna put stuff like that back in my show.

Q: Why did you want to perform that song at NYC Pride?

A: Because there are so many gay men who were there who might be going through something with life. You’re in the land of the living, so act like you’re living. I just know what gay men go through and I wanted to put that song in the air, but I will.

Q: There couldn’t be a more perfect time. There is so much happening in the world. Maybe you heard, but Donald Trump said trans people are no longer able to serve in the military.

A: I know! My friend told me. They’re banned from service, according to the Trumpette. Ain’t that a witch.

Q: Do you think about your legacy, Patti?

A: I just want to be honest and truthful, and I want people knowing that when I did whatever I did, it was all the way. Never half percent, always 100 percent. One-hundred percent in everything: my cooking, my dressing, everything. If I can’t go all the way, I won’t go halfway. I have to go all the way. And just how honest I am – they can remember that. The more honest I am, the better I get by, the more things come to my plate. Everybody knows that if you give Patti something, it’s gonna be quality. That’s just how I work.

Q: Any last words for your gay fans?

A: I just want all of my gay fans to know that I will always be here for them the way I am: honest, to the point, and loving my gay fans even more and more each day. I mean, when I think about it, the gay fans are some of the reason – one big reason – I’m still standing, ’cause they loved me when other people tried not to. Everybody always says, “What makes gay men like you?” “I have no clue,” I say. I still don’t. But I know that love has lifted me up for many, many years. As long as I can stand on stage and my gay men and lesbian women see Patti LaBelle as someone who’s always been honest on stage – you know, I’ll stop and have to go to the bathroom and I’ll let them know I’ll be right back. A lot of cutie girls stand up there and they pretend for the hour or however how long and that’s just gross. It turns me off.

Q: They pretend like they wanna be there?

A: Yes! And everything you see of them is gonna be mechanical. Gladys Knight – she’s a raw girl. And whenever you see Gladys, you’re gonna see a different Gladys. If you just saw her show five nights in a row, she will not do everything the same.

Q: You just want something real.

A: It has to stay that way. Chris Azzopardi is editor of Q Syndicate, the international LGBT wire service, and has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. Reach him via his website at www.chris-azzopardi.com and on Twitter (@chrisazzopardi).

from Hotspots! Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2017/08/17/patti-labelle-dishes-on-lip-syncing-divettes-aretha-franklin-rivalry/ from Hot Spots Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.tumblr.com/post/164291355555

[cynthiajayusa]

Patti LaBelle Dishes on Lip-Syncing ‘Divettes,’ Aretha Franklin Rivalry

Is there a singer more real than Patti LaBelle? The 73-year-old legend of song (and shade) is a firehose of strong-minded opinions, and in an age that has some tight-lipped “divettes,” as LaBelle calls them, refraining from saying “too” much, the ever-honest LaBelle is, refreshingly, that rare freewheeler who revels in being blunt AF.

In 2014, she told me she no longer considers herself a diva because “all these little heifers who can’t sing are called divas.” The word, she observed, is not “cute anymore.” Now, after our recent warm phone reunion while doing promo for her new jazz album, Bel Hommage, she who has given the gays so much, from music and pies to a bevy of side-eye-serving GIFs, still has more to give – even her own precious pie-making time.

“I really like talking to you,” she tells me when I start to wrap the interview. My allotted time has long passed, but she’s not done. And by the end of our 25-minute interview we’ve covered generous ground: why she’s “still standing” thanks to the LGBT community, President “Trumpette” and his Twitter-proposed ban on transgender people in the military, her music-biz foes (and how Aretha Franklin is not one of them) and how you “may see me as a diva and that’s a compliment to those who think it’s a compliment.”

Q: Last time we had a gay press chat it was shortly before you had me twerkin’ on your stage here in Detroit. I still can’t believe you let me do that. What’s the craziest thing a gay fan has done on your stage?

A: Gosh, I don’t really know! Maybe you! I know I’ve had a lot of gay men on my stage during Lady Marmalade and they go way out because once they’re up there they say, “I’m here with Ms. Patti’s microphone and I’m gonna wear it out.” I’ve had so many do so many things that I can’t tell you specifically one.

Q : I don’t know if he was gay, but in Vancouver last year, a fan got frisky on your stage and…

A: Showed me his ass?

Q: Is that what he did?

A: Yeah! He mooned me! Because he came up and I was looking at him through the whole show and I said, “Oh, he’s an enthusiastic fan,” right? I try to look at the people that I’m gonna bring up, so I brought him up thinkin’ he was cool. He did his little shake and then turned around and pulled his pants down. I had on high pumps. I kicked that ass.

Q: You even called him a “bitch.”

A: I did! I did use a curse word. And I felt so bad. He took me to that limit. I said, “How could he take me there?” And they had it on TMZ or whatever. I said, “It’s true.” Gotta protect myself. (Laughs)

Q: I was happy to see that you did NYC Pride this summer. Is there something special about performing for an all-gay audience?

A: That night it poured, so when Deborah Cox was on she did three songs and then had to be rushed off the stage. It could’ve been shut down ’cause it was so bad. Everybody got drenched. So instead of my going on at 9, I went on at about 10:15… and they were still there!

My whole thing is, when I knew I was doing gay Pride, I said, ‘I’m gonna wear something beautifully outrageous, and I’m gonna have that old Patti LaBelle hair that I used to do with the fans and all that jazz. I said, I’m gonna wear that hair! And from the time I went on until the end, they never stopped yelling for more. I mean, when we were pulling out in our car, they were still, “More, more, more!” They were so enthusiastic. But what I did: I wore that old hair, and a lot of people who didn’t know me from the ’80s – we got some bad press for it – and I said, “You know what, I did that for my queens. They understand it.” It was for you guys. But I enjoyed doing it. And then the wind knocked that sucker down. I said, “OK, I’m gonna have to kick it up.” (Laughs)

Q: Ha! Who would give Patti LaBelle crap for her hair?

A: People who didn’t really understand where I was in the ’80s. You know, some of the younger kids – they don’t have a clue who Patti LaBelle or Labelle was.

Q: So what do they know you for?

A: I have no clue.

Q: I’m thinking, “But that is part of your legacy.”

A: Yeah, they’re Patti latecomers.

Q: Speaking of Deborah Cox, a lot of people don’t know that Montell Jordan wrote “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here,” but you didn’t love it and then it went to Deborah…

A: Deborah always says I’m her reason for being in show business because I let the song go and she got it. That’s her start. After that, I started performing that song at my show and told the audience, “This is the song that got away.” But I’m happy it did because I love her.

Q: Have you given up a lot of songs that became hits?

A: Right?! Well, this is the first time for me. But I’ll know the next time to hold onto something that sounds halfway decent.

Q: I read Hello, Dolly! came your way years ago, before it hit Broadway, but that you passed on it. When the role ultimately went to Bette Midler, were you kicking yourself for not jumping at the chance?

A: Nope, I didn’t. ’Cause you know what: That’s a big piece of work and I think Bette Midler can do it much better than Patti LaBelle. I thought about it after she did it. Might I do it in the future? You never know.

Q: Do you pay attention to the memes and GIFs of you throwing shade that people love to share on the internet?

A: Yeah, I see them. And you know what, I’m honored! (Laughs) And whenever I see something that’s not totally positive about me, I say, ‘God, at least they thought about me.’ It’s really the way to look at these situations. But at the end of the day I know who I really am… and that’s a cool chick! (Laughs)

Q: Has your son given up on keeping what you say in check?

A: Well, he tries. Lately, he hasn’t had to because I’ve not been saying anything out of order. But I know he’s always waiting and when I do he’ll take me to the side: “Mom, could you not say that ever again?” I say, “OK.” Something happened about two weeks ago and I’m trying to remember what it was. This time it was about… God, what did I do? I’m always doin’ something and he’s always reprimanding me for it.

Q: Do you ever regret things that you say?

A: My God, about 50 million things. I’m full of regrets. But you know what, I’m honest. So it will come out and I’ll say, ‘God, I didn’t mean to say that.’ But it’s too late. And I’m not gonna whoop myself up for it.  I did it and I’ll do it again. I know I’ll do it! I do have my little cop son watching me, so I try to be nice.

Q: Three years ago you told me you don’t call yourself a diva because “all these little heifers who can’t sing are called divas.” But then, after that interview, you did VH1’s Divas Holiday: Unsilent Night last year and then Daytime Divas this year. Now, Ms. Patti, I feel like you’re sending me mixed signals here.

A: (Laughs) No – no, mixed signals! If I do Daytime Divas, which I did, and if I did Divas the concert, of course, I’m gonna be in it, but I’m not saying, “I’m a diva.” People look to me and may see me as a diva and that’s a compliment to those who think it’s a compliment. Like I said, Lena Horne and Dinah Washington and all those beautiful dolls back in the day, they were divas. These little divettes walking around – I don’t wanna put myself in the same sentence with some of these little kids. So, I’m not a diva; just a singin’ fool.

Q: People are under the impression there’s rivalry between you and Aretha Franklin, but you recently quashed that rumor when you said, of anyone, you’d most want to duet with her. Why do people think you had a beef? And what’s the deal with women constantly being pitted against each other?

A: I’m not gonna be pitted against any lady in this industry. I do my job, I sing hard and I sing well, and I love what I do. If another lady finds that as being too much for them, or whoever might feel I’m being too much, that’s their problem. But I’ve never had beef.

Now, there are a lot of ladies in this industry who don’t care for Patti LaBelle – and some gentleman, also – but I look at them and I smile. Because what can I do? I can’t change your mind, boo, because I don’t wanna change your mind. You go on thinkin’ about me the way you think. No – but I haven’t had beef with anyone. I’ve had a lot of dislikes. But I pay no mind. I keep moving and I don’t stop to talk about the ones who talk about me.

Q: Let’s talk about food. You know how people say gays don’t eat carbs?

A : Gays don’t eat carbs – who said that?! Every gay guy I know, they eat carbs. (Laughs)

Q: And they eat your pies?

A: They eat my pies, honey! And my peach cobbler. You have to go to Walmart, or I’ll have to come and make you one personally. One more thing about food: I start taping my cooking show soon and Laverne Cox is one of my cooking buddies.

Q: Regarding Bel Hommage: If there’s ever an album that pays homage to you the way you pay homage to artists such as Nina Simone and Frank Sinatra on this album, who would get your blessing to cover your songs?

A: Oh, I would give Fantasia blessings. And Ledisi. The little singing girls. The ones who can really, really sing.

Q: What does it mean to you to be able to “really, really sing”?

A: Someone who can sing without someone in the studio tweaking what they just sang because it was so flat or whatever. Sing straight out in the studio, record without all those little gimmicks. Some of them are lucky because they end up selling a lot of music, but a singer is a person who goes out there and throws down. Just get on a microphone and sing. Phyllis Hyman was that girl.

Q: Would you still regard a “singer” as someone who can throw down in the studio but lip-syncs live?

A: Oh, a lot of them lip-sync. But they lip-sync and they do it so well you can’t tell that they’re doing it. But I can always tell. I can always tell. I’ve never done that.

Q: What gives them away?

A: Their mouths sometimes miss the movement! (Laughs) Your mouth should be making a certain movement when you sing a certain note, and they miss sometimes. But that’s what they do for a living. I don’t do that.

Q: So we’ve got Fantasia – who else is on this covers album?

A: Ledisi, Andra Day, Emeli Sandé and Leela James – my God, that girl can sing. I love these ladies.

Q: Why have you never duetted in the studio with your goddaughter, Mariah Carey?

A : I don’t know. We always talk about it when we see each other.

Q: Maybe you two can hook up for a song on your dance album, which I believe is in the works. Hopefully we don’t have to wait as long as we waited for this jazz album.

A: Right?! Not 10 years, that’s for sure. I have not started working on it. I’m working on a Christmas album at the moment and old R&B favorites of mine from back in the day. And that… the uptempo music, I call it (laughs)… that will be done as soon as I do something with these other two projects, but it’s definitely in the mix.

Q: Will it be for the gay clubs?

A: Oh yeah, for the gay clubs. You know what, I was so angry with myself when I did NYC Pride. There was a song that I recorded many, many years ago called “Land of the Living.” I meant to do that that particular night and we didn’t have time to rehearse it, but I’m gonna put stuff like that back in my show.

Q: Why did you want to perform that song at NYC Pride?

A: Because there are so many gay men who were there who might be going through something with life. You’re in the land of the living, so act like you’re living. I just know what gay men go through and I wanted to put that song in the air, but I will.

Q: There couldn’t be a more perfect time. There is so much happening in the world. Maybe you heard, but Donald Trump said trans people are no longer able to serve in the military.

A: I know! My friend told me. They’re banned from service, according to the Trumpette. Ain’t that a witch.

Q: Do you think about your legacy, Patti?

A: I just want to be honest and truthful, and I want people knowing that when I did whatever I did, it was all the way. Never half percent, always 100 percent. One-hundred percent in everything: my cooking, my dressing, everything. If I can’t go all the way, I won’t go halfway. I have to go all the way. And just how honest I am – they can remember that. The more honest I am, the better I get by, the more things come to my plate. Everybody knows that if you give Patti something, it’s gonna be quality. That’s just how I work.

Q: Any last words for your gay fans?

A: I just want all of my gay fans to know that I will always be here for them the way I am: honest, to the point, and loving my gay fans even more and more each day. I mean, when I think about it, the gay fans are some of the reason – one big reason – I’m still standing, ’cause they loved me when other people tried not to. Everybody always says, “What makes gay men like you?” “I have no clue,” I say. I still don’t. But I know that love has lifted me up for many, many years. As long as I can stand on stage and my gay men and lesbian women see Patti LaBelle as someone who’s always been honest on stage – you know, I’ll stop and have to go to the bathroom and I’ll let them know I’ll be right back. A lot of cutie girls stand up there and they pretend for the hour or however how long and that’s just gross. It turns me off.

Q: They pretend like they wanna be there?

A: Yes! And everything you see of them is gonna be mechanical. Gladys Knight – she’s a raw girl. And whenever you see Gladys, you’re gonna see a different Gladys. If you just saw her show five nights in a row, she will not do everything the same.

Q: You just want something real.

A: It has to stay that way. Chris Azzopardi is editor of Q Syndicate, the international LGBT wire service, and has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. Reach him via his website at www.chris-azzopardi.com and on Twitter (@chrisazzopardi).

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2017/08/17/patti-labelle-dishes-on-lip-syncing-divettes-aretha-franklin-rivalry/ from Hot Spots Magazine http://hotspotsmagazin.blogspot.com/2017/08/patti-labelle-dishes-on-lip-syncing.html

[hotspotsmagazine]

Patti LaBelle Dishes on Lip-Syncing ‘Divettes,’ Aretha Franklin Rivalry

Is there a singer more real than Patti LaBelle? The 73-year-old legend of song (and shade) is a firehose of strong-minded opinions, and in an age that has some tight-lipped “divettes,” as LaBelle calls them, refraining from saying “too” much, the ever-honest LaBelle is, refreshingly, that rare freewheeler who revels in being blunt AF.

In 2014, she told me she no longer considers herself a diva because “all these little heifers who can’t sing are called divas.” The word, she observed, is not “cute anymore.” Now, after our recent warm phone reunion while doing promo for her new jazz album, Bel Hommage, she who has given the gays so much, from music and pies to a bevy of side-eye-serving GIFs, still has more to give – even her own precious pie-making time.

“I really like talking to you,” she tells me when I start to wrap the interview. My allotted time has long passed, but she’s not done. And by the end of our 25-minute interview we’ve covered generous ground: why she’s “still standing” thanks to the LGBT community, President “Trumpette” and his Twitter-proposed ban on transgender people in the military, her music-biz foes (and how Aretha Franklin is not one of them) and how you “may see me as a diva and that’s a compliment to those who think it’s a compliment.”

Q: Last time we had a gay press chat it was shortly before you had me twerkin’ on your stage here in Detroit. I still can’t believe you let me do that. What’s the craziest thing a gay fan has done on your stage?

A: Gosh, I don’t really know! Maybe you! I know I’ve had a lot of gay men on my stage during Lady Marmalade and they go way out because once they’re up there they say, “I’m here with Ms. Patti’s microphone and I’m gonna wear it out.” I’ve had so many do so many things that I can’t tell you specifically one.

Q : I don’t know if he was gay, but in Vancouver last year, a fan got frisky on your stage and…

A: Showed me his ass?

Q: Is that what he did?

A: Yeah! He mooned me! Because he came up and I was looking at him through the whole show and I said, “Oh, he’s an enthusiastic fan,” right? I try to look at the people that I’m gonna bring up, so I brought him up thinkin’ he was cool. He did his little shake and then turned around and pulled his pants down. I had on high pumps. I kicked that ass.

Q: You even called him a “bitch.”

A: I did! I did use a curse word. And I felt so bad. He took me to that limit. I said, “How could he take me there?” And they had it on TMZ or whatever. I said, “It’s true.” Gotta protect myself. (Laughs)

Q: I was happy to see that you did NYC Pride this summer. Is there something special about performing for an all-gay audience?

A: That night it poured, so when Deborah Cox was on she did three songs and then had to be rushed off the stage. It could’ve been shut down ’cause it was so bad. Everybody got drenched. So instead of my going on at 9, I went on at about 10:15… and they were still there!

My whole thing is, when I knew I was doing gay Pride, I said, ‘I’m gonna wear something beautifully outrageous, and I’m gonna have that old Patti LaBelle hair that I used to do with the fans and all that jazz. I said, I’m gonna wear that hair! And from the time I went on until the end, they never stopped yelling for more. I mean, when we were pulling out in our car, they were still, “More, more, more!” They were so enthusiastic. But what I did: I wore that old hair, and a lot of people who didn’t know me from the ’80s – we got some bad press for it – and I said, “You know what, I did that for my queens. They understand it.” It was for you guys. But I enjoyed doing it. And then the wind knocked that sucker down. I said, “OK, I’m gonna have to kick it up.” (Laughs)

Q: Ha! Who would give Patti LaBelle crap for her hair?

A: People who didn’t really understand where I was in the ’80s. You know, some of the younger kids – they don’t have a clue who Patti LaBelle or Labelle was.

Q: So what do they know you for?

A: I have no clue.

Q: I’m thinking, “But that is part of your legacy.”

A: Yeah, they’re Patti latecomers.

Q: Speaking of Deborah Cox, a lot of people don’t know that Montell Jordan wrote “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here,” but you didn’t love it and then it went to Deborah…

A: Deborah always says I’m her reason for being in show business because I let the song go and she got it. That’s her start. After that, I started performing that song at my show and told the audience, “This is the song that got away.” But I’m happy it did because I love her.

Q: Have you given up a lot of songs that became hits?

A: Right?! Well, this is the first time for me. But I’ll know the next time to hold onto something that sounds halfway decent.

Q: I read Hello, Dolly! came your way years ago, before it hit Broadway, but that you passed on it. When the role ultimately went to Bette Midler, were you kicking yourself for not jumping at the chance?

A: Nope, I didn’t. ’Cause you know what: That’s a big piece of work and I think Bette Midler can do it much better than Patti LaBelle. I thought about it after she did it. Might I do it in the future? You never know.

Q: Do you pay attention to the memes and GIFs of you throwing shade that people love to share on the internet?

A: Yeah, I see them. And you know what, I’m honored! (Laughs) And whenever I see something that’s not totally positive about me, I say, ‘God, at least they thought about me.’ It’s really the way to look at these situations. But at the end of the day I know who I really am… and that’s a cool chick! (Laughs)

Q: Has your son given up on keeping what you say in check?

A: Well, he tries. Lately, he hasn’t had to because I’ve not been saying anything out of order. But I know he’s always waiting and when I do he’ll take me to the side: “Mom, could you not say that ever again?” I say, “OK.” Something happened about two weeks ago and I’m trying to remember what it was. This time it was about… God, what did I do? I’m always doin’ something and he’s always reprimanding me for it.

Q: Do you ever regret things that you say?

A: My God, about 50 million things. I’m full of regrets. But you know what, I’m honest. So it will come out and I’ll say, ‘God, I didn’t mean to say that.’ But it’s too late. And I’m not gonna whoop myself up for it.  I did it and I’ll do it again. I know I’ll do it! I do have my little cop son watching me, so I try to be nice.

Q: Three years ago you told me you don’t call yourself a diva because “all these little heifers who can’t sing are called divas.” But then, after that interview, you did VH1’s Divas Holiday: Unsilent Night last year and then Daytime Divas this year. Now, Ms. Patti, I feel like you’re sending me mixed signals here.

A: (Laughs) No – no, mixed signals! If I do Daytime Divas, which I did, and if I did Divas the concert, of course, I’m gonna be in it, but I’m not saying, “I’m a diva.” People look to me and may see me as a diva and that’s a compliment to those who think it’s a compliment. Like I said, Lena Horne and Dinah Washington and all those beautiful dolls back in the day, they were divas. These little divettes walking around – I don’t wanna put myself in the same sentence with some of these little kids. So, I’m not a diva; just a singin’ fool.

Q: People are under the impression there’s rivalry between you and Aretha Franklin, but you recently quashed that rumor when you said, of anyone, you’d most want to duet with her. Why do people think you had a beef? And what’s the deal with women constantly being pitted against each other?

A: I’m not gonna be pitted against any lady in this industry. I do my job, I sing hard and I sing well, and I love what I do. If another lady finds that as being too much for them, or whoever might feel I’m being too much, that’s their problem. But I’ve never had beef.

Now, there are a lot of ladies in this industry who don’t care for Patti LaBelle – and some gentleman, also – but I look at them and I smile. Because what can I do? I can’t change your mind, boo, because I don’t wanna change your mind. You go on thinkin’ about me the way you think. No – but I haven’t had beef with anyone. I’ve had a lot of dislikes. But I pay no mind. I keep moving and I don’t stop to talk about the ones who talk about me.

Q: Let’s talk about food. You know how people say gays don’t eat carbs?

A : Gays don’t eat carbs – who said that?! Every gay guy I know, they eat carbs. (Laughs)

Q: And they eat your pies?

A: They eat my pies, honey! And my peach cobbler. You have to go to Walmart, or I’ll have to come and make you one personally. One more thing about food: I start taping my cooking show soon and Laverne Cox is one of my cooking buddies.

Q: Regarding Bel Hommage: If there’s ever an album that pays homage to you the way you pay homage to artists such as Nina Simone and Frank Sinatra on this album, who would get your blessing to cover your songs?

A: Oh, I would give Fantasia blessings. And Ledisi. The little singing girls. The ones who can really, really sing.

Q: What does it mean to you to be able to “really, really sing”?

A: Someone who can sing without someone in the studio tweaking what they just sang because it was so flat or whatever. Sing straight out in the studio, record without all those little gimmicks. Some of them are lucky because they end up selling a lot of music, but a singer is a person who goes out there and throws down. Just get on a microphone and sing. Phyllis Hyman was that girl.

Q: Would you still regard a “singer” as someone who can throw down in the studio but lip-syncs live?

A: Oh, a lot of them lip-sync. But they lip-sync and they do it so well you can’t tell that they’re doing it. But I can always tell. I can always tell. I’ve never done that.

Q: What gives them away?

A: Their mouths sometimes miss the movement! (Laughs) Your mouth should be making a certain movement when you sing a certain note, and they miss sometimes. But that’s what they do for a living. I don’t do that.

Q: So we’ve got Fantasia – who else is on this covers album?

A: Ledisi, Andra Day, Emeli Sandé and Leela James – my God, that girl can sing. I love these ladies.

Q: Why have you never duetted in the studio with your goddaughter, Mariah Carey?

A : I don’t know. We always talk about it when we see each other.

Q: Maybe you two can hook up for a song on your dance album, which I believe is in the works. Hopefully we don’t have to wait as long as we waited for this jazz album.

A: Right?! Not 10 years, that’s for sure. I have not started working on it. I’m working on a Christmas album at the moment and old R&B favorites of mine from back in the day. And that… the uptempo music, I call it (laughs)… that will be done as soon as I do something with these other two projects, but it’s definitely in the mix.

Q: Will it be for the gay clubs?

A: Oh yeah, for the gay clubs. You know what, I was so angry with myself when I did NYC Pride. There was a song that I recorded many, many years ago called “Land of the Living.” I meant to do that that particular night and we didn’t have time to rehearse it, but I’m gonna put stuff like that back in my show.

Q: Why did you want to perform that song at NYC Pride?

A: Because there are so many gay men who were there who might be going through something with life. You’re in the land of the living, so act like you’re living. I just know what gay men go through and I wanted to put that song in the air, but I will.

Q: There couldn’t be a more perfect time. There is so much happening in the world. Maybe you heard, but Donald Trump said trans people are no longer able to serve in the military.

A: I know! My friend told me. They’re banned from service, according to the Trumpette. Ain’t that a witch.

Q: Do you think about your legacy, Patti?

A: I just want to be honest and truthful, and I want people knowing that when I did whatever I did, it was all the way. Never half percent, always 100 percent. One-hundred percent in everything: my cooking, my dressing, everything. If I can’t go all the way, I won’t go halfway. I have to go all the way. And just how honest I am – they can remember that. The more honest I am, the better I get by, the more things come to my plate. Everybody knows that if you give Patti something, it’s gonna be quality. That’s just how I work.

Q: Any last words for your gay fans?

A: I just want all of my gay fans to know that I will always be here for them the way I am: honest, to the point, and loving my gay fans even more and more each day. I mean, when I think about it, the gay fans are some of the reason – one big reason – I’m still standing, ’cause they loved me when other people tried not to. Everybody always says, “What makes gay men like you?” “I have no clue,” I say. I still don’t. But I know that love has lifted me up for many, many years. As long as I can stand on stage and my gay men and lesbian women see Patti LaBelle as someone who’s always been honest on stage – you know, I’ll stop and have to go to the bathroom and I’ll let them know I’ll be right back. A lot of cutie girls stand up there and they pretend for the hour or however how long and that’s just gross. It turns me off.

Q: They pretend like they wanna be there?

A: Yes! And everything you see of them is gonna be mechanical. Gladys Knight – she’s a raw girl. And whenever you see Gladys, you’re gonna see a different Gladys. If you just saw her show five nights in a row, she will not do everything the same.

Q: You just want something real.

A: It has to stay that way. Chris Azzopardi is editor of Q Syndicate, the international LGBT wire service, and has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. Reach him via his website at www.chris-azzopardi.com and on Twitter (@chrisazzopardi).

from Hotspots! Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2017/08/17/patti-labelle-dishes-on-lip-syncing-divettes-aretha-franklin-rivalry/

[thebiggaylion]

Hardwell @ EDC Orlando 2016

Welcome to July!  Hope my American friends had a nice Independence Day, and didn’t do anything dangerous.  Gotta keep your precious selves ready for this year’s EDC events, right?  Tickets for EDC Orlando 2017 go on sale next week, and pricing was just announced via the normal channels a bit ago.  I’m excited!  Alright, let’s focus on this week’s #ThrowbackThursday.  Last week was my first time, so I figured this week would be my most recent time!

Oh, also, this is a big post, so it's the first time I've found it necessary to provide a three part breakdown!  Wow!  So, should this post you're reading now is not displaying properly, use those links to break it up a bit.

Being the go-hard that I am, I make sure to get there as early as I can (looking this good takes TIME, honey!) and stay as late as they’re open.  So, the final set on Day 2 of the most-recent year is where we’re at this week.  I’m sure you guessed it already (as if the title wasn’t a dead give-away), but it’s Hardwell!  Very highly praised by the industry and fans, this was the first time I had seen him, and he did pretty good!

YouTube | Facebook | Instagram Now those are some cool visuals.  Look how intricate!  Looks like they’re gonna burn every effect they have, given who it is and it being the end of the festival haha Mike Cervello & Cesqeaux - SMACK! https://soundcloud.com/barongfamily/mike-cervello-cesqeaux-smack-out-now-free-download

YouTube | Facebook | Instagram Well, that’s pretty!  I decided I wanted to see how that came out using slow motion feature in iOS, and here it is!  I think the high contrast caused a bit of detail to get lost, making this video not AS exciting as I would have hoped.  However... Hardwell ft. Jolin Tsai - We Are One (Instrumental) [Unreleased, will add Soundcloud link once Hardwell posts it!] Calvin Harris - How Deep Is Your Love https://soundcloud.com/calvinharris/how-deep-is-your-love

YouTube | Facebook | Instagram I discovered in creating this post that the normal speed video is all that’s saved as a video in iOS, at least when it comes to what’s accessible via Windows via USB/Samba (nerdy tech talk!).  There’s an AAE file that contains the edit information, but the original file is untouched.  iOS just knows to work with them in tandem, but not Windows of course.  As such, here’s the normal speed video as well!  How cool! Hardwell feat. Jolin Tsai - We Are One (Instrumental) [Unreleased, will add Soundcloud link once Hardwell posts it!] Calvin Harris - How Deep Is Your Love https://soundcloud.com/calvinharris/how-deep-is-your-love

YouTube | Facebook | Instagram After fooling around with the Slo-Mo function of the iOS Camera app, I decided I’d better not miss this moment because I was messing around with technology haha Hardwell feat. Jolin Tsai - We Are One (Instrumental) [Unreleased, will add Soundcloud link once Hardwell posts it!] Calvin Harris & Disciples - How Deep Is Your Love https://soundcloud.com/calvinharris/how-deep-is-your-love Hardwell & MAKJ - Countdown https://soundcloud.com/hardwell/hardwell-makj-countdown-original-mix-download

YouTube | Facebook | Instagram I noticed that those hieroglyphics that Insomniac likes to use are bordering the live video.  This video’s initial purpose was to document those hieroglyphics for me, so I could decipher them later.  In 2015, I deciphered a much shorter phrase that was bordering the top of the DJ booth area, but this was much smaller and longer, and I didn’t wanna fuss with it and miss the show.  But, I got nothing but time now haha... it reads: Alright, alright, I haven't deciphered it yet BUT I WILL... lemme finish this post and I'll come back and edit this sentence! Hardwell feat. Jake Reese - Mad World https://soundcloud.com/hardwell/hardwell-feat-jake-reese-mad-world-hoa237-rip-out-now Garmiani - Bomb A Drop https://soundcloud.com/garmianiofficial/garmiani-bomb-a-drop-out-9-febdim-mak

I debated posting this one.  I saw some totems and signs during EDC Orlando 2015 that I groaned at, and after learning lots more about the depths of this pretty gross person, I was surprised to see more at EDC Orlando 2016.  Trump ain’t PLUR, PERIOD.  His words, his actions, nothing about it.  Sure, this was made for a laugh, and this was back when most people thought he was a joke and could not seriously take the elections that year (EDC Orlando 2016 was the weekend before Election Day in the US).  The husband of the guy behind The Big Gay Lion saw a Facebook post showing off this totem ahead of the festival, and I took a picture of it so he could see that I ran into it “in real life”, plain and simple.  Groan!

YouTube | Facebook | Instagram So that this point, I moved up into the VIP area and onto the viewing deck.  It was busy BUSY!  I’d not been up there during the final set of any day or year prior, so maybe this is normal.  Definitely a different crowd up there.  Older folks (not a lot of 20-somethings, based on a visual analysis haha), a bit less rowdy, etc.  Honestly, the reason I moved is because I was planning ahead.  I wanted to get out of the festival exits when it was over quicker than I had in previous years!  Unfortunately, you don’t get a great perspective while you’re up there (totally understandable), and you don’t get to experience the cool effects like the confetti cannons! https://soundcloud.com/steveaoki/kid-cudi-pursuit-of-happiness">Kid Cudi - Pursuit Of Happiness feat. MGMT (Steve Aoki Remix) https://soundcloud.com/steveaoki/kid-cudi-pursuit-of-happiness DJ Snake - Propaganda (TJR & Nom De Strip Remix) https://soundcloud.com/djsnake/propaganda-tjr-nom-de-strip

Download High Res (86.9 MB) | Download Low Res (8.3 MB) I love the color scheme on this crystallized Night Owl!  Effects were going off, and I figured this would be a great time for a future animated GIF!

YouTube | Facebook | Instagram Kinetic Temple is definitely firing on all cylinders now!  The only effects missing are the front-lit panels on the walls and the flame throwers on the top! Martin Garrix & Bebe Rexha - In The Name Of Love (W&W Bootleg) https://soundcloud.com/kevin-antonio-blandon-meza/martin-garrix-bebe-rexha-in-the-name-of-love-ww-remix-1 Hardwell & KURA feat. Anthony B - Police https://soundcloud.com/greatest-ids/hardwell-kura-you-aint-ready-extended-mix

YouTube | Facebook | Instagram Okay, things are really popping off, and I’d love to get them in Slo-Mo, so I did it again!  Lots of goodness came from this second attempt, so I’m glad I went for it. Hardwell & KURA feat. Anthony B - Police https://soundcloud.com/greatest-ids/hardwell-kura-you-aint-ready-extended-mix

YouTube | Facebook | Instagram I’m especially glad I went for it, now that I know that both the normal speed and slow motion content are available to share with you all! Hardwell & KURA feat. Anthony B - Police https://soundcloud.com/greatest-ids/hardwell-kura-you-aint-ready-extended-mix

YouTube | Facebook | Instagram The guy behind The Big Gay Lion is married, and his husband picked Darude’s Sandstorm out of something... a mix, or a video, or something he had seen.  He didn’t believe his husband, but he was totally right!  Now anytime he hears Sandstorm, he’s reminded of his hubby ❤ so he took this video for him!  Even a decade later, this song still gets people going.  I guess that’s why they call them classics! Darude - Sandstorm https://soundcloud.com/darude/sandstorm-radio-edit Lookas - I Can't Get Enough https://soundcloud.com/lookasmusic/cant-get-enough

YouTube | Facebook | Instagram It’s not often one gets a video of literally the end of a set, and only the end!  Talk about timing haha!  I think it’s cool how quickly Kinetic Temple can shut down and look ominous, literally seconds after being alive and awe-inspiring!

After walking back to the car (I parked a bar the guy behind The Big Gay Lion is friendly with, to save on parking costs... but MAN, it was a WALK!), and getting some pretty long looks from nearby bar patrons, I was finally off my feet and headed back to real life.  My new mane looked great this year, but MAN it was tight on the head!  It might show up in a future post, but I pretty much had bruises from the rainbow headband in my forehead for the next few days haha.  Beauty is pain!

So, I’ve done the first and the last, now I just gotta fill in the middle!  I’ve also got posts planned (in the long run) about makeup, costuming, jewelry, etc.  And let’s not worry just yet about my content for this year haha!  And if you need it, check out all three parts of this long post.  Love ya’ll, see ya next time!  🏳️‍🌈🦁❤

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