#if you go early days route it can be about the people who dance on it like the regulars they had in the early days

[this-doesnt-endd]

I want to see a modern day american bandstand i feel like it would do relatively well i think it maybe could stand a chance if done right

[marzipanandminutiae]

Hi, this is a bit of a shot in the dark on my end, but I have a fashion inquiry (and I apologize if I sound ridiculous at all; I’m a bit at my wit’s end).

Is there a good way to research forms of casual Victorian garb? I feel like I’m going a bad route by inserting the word ‘Victorian’ into any search because it results in rather fancy things (or modern twists on such that are purchasable). Would it be wiser to site dates in search? Is this going to fruitless?

Sorry for taking up any time if this is out of wheelhouse. But if you do answer, I really appreciate it.

I'll do my best! Focusing on womenswear, because...well, that's what I know best. But if anyone wants to chime in about the gentlemen, please do so!

So, casual Victorian doesn't always read as Casual to us nowadays. Standards of casual clothing- that is, clothing one wears for everyday life when nothing special is going on -were rather higher than we have today.

This is an illustration of matchstick-makers in London's East End c. 1871, done by one Herbert Johnson. The women have their sleeves rolled up and aprons on, but when they leave the factory (rolling their sleeves down, adding hats to go outside- which most of them would have done; it was part of looking Respectable) they might be indistinguishable to us from any other women of the same era wearing not particularly bustle-y skirts. Some of them probably have on the commonplace Matching Skirt And Bodice dress format of the era; others have on blouses made from the same patterns as those worn by middle- and upper-class women.

Also note that they have on ribbons, chokers, earrings...they're just like us. They like wearing things that make them feel Put Together, even though they're doing one of the lowest-valued, most dangerous jobs open to women at the time. Because people have always been people, regardless of time or social class.

And for middle-class women and up, Casual might be even harder to distinguish from "fancy" to us today.

This is a mid-late 1880s day dress with a skirt length suitable for lots of walking, from Augusta Auctions. Could not tell you the social status of the woman who owned it, genuinely. Probably not the absolute poorest of the poor, but beyond that...this is a dress you could potentially wear to run errands. Even to go to work, if your job wasn't especially physical. Because. I don't know. It's a Day Dress. You wear it for day things. It's not especially formal, because then it would be made of a more delicate material and probably have a longer skirt (unless it was a Serious Dancing ball gown). Possibly also a lower neckline and puffed sleeves, if it was exclusively for the most formal events.

The idea that a dress was "fancy" just because it had ornamentation wasn't really in their cultural vocabulary.

Here is a group of women playing croquet in what looks like the early-mid 1870s. They're just hanging out! Having a good time! They're probably middle or upper class, but that's what they wear to chill outside with friends- to play a lowkey sport, even.

So yeah, it can be hard to map Victorian everyday clothing onto our "jeans and t-shirt" understanding of what makes an outfit casual. They had skirts and blouses for most relevant decades, but even those outfits often end up looking formal to us nowadays because of what I call Ballgownification- the idea that, since we only wear clothes that look even vaguely like what they had for extremely dressy occasions, we assume everything we see of their clothing was dressy.

(Someone please ask for my rant about Ballgownification)

Searching for "day dress," "walking dress," "blouse," "blouse waist," and "shirtwaist" (the last for the late 19th-early 20th century when that term became commonplace) might help. Best of luck!

[scaly-freaks]

inmate 13453

okay don't get excited, i just felt like writing a bit of a drabble to feel out the atmosphere of a potential start to this au (clicking the tag will give up the other stuff i've posted for it btw)

btw check out the playlist and the pinterest board made by @theageofsilver and @allicentsallure bc they're fab

cw: kidnapping

Soft seventeen.

Bambi eyes, bambi legs.

There’s a certain edge to the way people describe the age she’s at. Not quite eighteen, not quite legal, tangible as cherry juice on greedy fingers. She isn’t sixteen, sweet and tender. It’s a soft first step into adulthood, skirting the border, the in between, the unknowable horrors that lie ahead.

She fucking hates being seventeen.

It’s a shit number first of all. Odd numbers make her want to spew. They feel like nails on a chalkboard, polyester static on leg hair. She can’t even dance, so whatever ABBA are singing about doesn’t apply.

Amara sticks out her tongue and tastes the air as the breeze blows west. She swears she can get a sense of the world when she does.

Her stepfather mocks her for it. That blue-eyed, blonde maniac with the ugly Buick Electra he treats like a brand-name Italian from the southern coasts of Europe. He used to treat her mother the same. Until he began to tell Amara you look just like her when she was young. He leaves his porn tabs open on his computer, as if he wants her to know. ‘Teen’, ‘Latina’, ‘Stepfather’, ‘Rough’, ‘Face-fucking’, ‘Breeding.’

She doesn’t have a drop of Hispanic blood in her.

She really wants to tell her mother, but there is a chance her mother will look right through her instead. She’s been doing that a lot more nowadays. They can’t afford her meds anymore. She just sits on the porch and watches and waits. For what, is anyone's guess.

>> can you pick me up?

>> its dark

>> pls

>> sorry ik its inconvienant

'Step-Daddy' always replies quickly when it’s her. He has a heart next to her name on his phone. She never agreed to that.

>> it’s spelled inconvenient

“Suck my dick,” Amara tells the screen and switches her phone off before he can message again.

She can walk.

The route back runs dangerously close to the edge of the forest. All kinds rot away in there, but she doesn’t like to think of them by name. They’ll become real if she does. She wishes her mother had found a man who lived in the wetlands, and not here at the cursed border between life and the realm beyond. Marshes are easier to understand. Forests are cursed.

Still, life is horribly simple here. Her high school is placid and filled with the dull-eyed children of dull-eyed adults. The gas station where she works didn’t bother to interview her. She walked in and the guy behind the counter stared at her breasts until he remembered she had a face. Her breasts aced the interview for her.

Can I work here? Just until I graduate.

Sure, grab a nametag.

Four months later, and she doesn’t mind it anymore. Her brain shuts off. Her customers are a ragtag mixture of suspicious, ferret-eyed locals and the occasionally buoyant hiker from out of state. If she doesn’t look like she belongs, she’s pretty, and that usually gives people like her a pass. At least until the sleazy comments become ethnically charged. But even then, Amara has a way of making her eyes go ‘dopey’ and just smiling like she’s too slow to understand. Displaying discomfort is what eggs them on (kind of a nasty realisation she opened her eyes to one day).

An engine growls some way down the road.

Old Chevy pickup, faded gold.

She recognises it from the parking lot at the station near the end of her shift.

A guy stepped out, young, early twenties, with a shock of hair that looked white until she realised it was just really, really blonde. She remembers thinking it was odd. The range of blondes in town runs from deep and dirty to the artificial bleach rattled out of holographic boxes of dye. No one has hair like his. She’d have noticed.

His eyebrows were a little darker, and his lashes were darker still. He had a funny way of walking, and he looked at her like she had the head of a fish and the body of a human being. Amara did her best dopey eyes. She asked him if he’d had a good day, pointed out the offers they had on pork rinds. He didn’t say a word. His skin had smears of black grease, glistening with sweat and bronzed by the sun.

Deep blue eyes.

Horribly deep.

Not the kind you’d want to swim in. She likes a softer blue, blue like chlorine, reminiscent of the safety of swimming pools. His were anything but.

She picks up her speed, and for some reason, puts her phone to her ear as if mid-conversation. Nothing about him said he was dangerous at the time. At least not from the way he’d barely said a word or looked down at her body. He was just there, and then he was gone.

And now here he is again.

The Chevy hits the horn. He is creeping closer. Amara turns and waves at him to go on. She doesn’t want a ride. Why isn’t he rolling down the window to offer one though?

It slows to a crawl. Her throat closes up. She has a feeling speeding up will give him what he wants. He’s obviously trying to be a prick. But if she goes back to talk to him, that would be exponentially worse. She switches her phone back on and sees her stepfather’s message telling her to get back home herself after she didn’t reply to tell him her location.

She quickly shoots him a message, and prays he’ll respond.

He doesn’t.

Fuck it.

She walks faster. The Chevy matches the increase. Sweat blooms on the back of her neck.

Every woman has that oh fuck moment. That I’m going to be on the evening news moment. The please god if he catches me let him kill me before he gets to raping me moment.

None of that goes through her head. She keeps thinking of her mother’s cooking. Her mother hasn’t cooked in a year and a half, not since her mind began to slip. But Amara can taste the spices on her tongue, the way the rice was perfectly simmered, the cinnamon in the back of her throat, the smell that clung to the walls, the heat of it.

I wanna come home, Momma.

Her mother’s face gathers into shape in her head, built with sand particles and saltwater. When the Chevy roars, she starts running. Her mother vanishes.

The lights of the truck blink across the tarmac. It’s a signal. But it isn’t for her.

She looks over her shoulder, and she can’t see him.

Run me over. Leave me like carrion on the road. Let the maggots eat me. Don’t cut me up first.

He slows when she starts to tire out. Picks up when she tries again. No other car has graced this road since she first turned onto it. A sign points her to the right, ushering her deeper into the backwoods. The town is to the left.

He figures out where she’s going when she suddenly makes a dash for the bend in the road.

There’s no time to dodge the pickup when it goes for her this time. The wheels skid as he yanks it at an angle and blocks her way. The door flies open and misses her by an inch. His arm grabs for her. She dodges, animal fear and rust on her tongue. He still doesn’t say a word.

A heavy fist connects with the small of her back and she drops like a stone.

The pain is electric. Air turns her lungs into taut balloons, but she can’t make a sound. She twists around and the bruise forming over her spine grates. Adrenaline quickly numbs it as she lashes out with her arms and legs. Kicking, punching, scratching, biting. Her teeth hit home. A mouthful of tattooed flesh, car oil and sweat. Still no sound from him.

She never sees the fist coming, just like last time.

A blow to the head and lights out, nancy.

[thebunnyslibrary]

Bucky Barnes Valentine's Drabble ❤️

wc. ~1500

pairing. Bucky x Curvy!Reader

summary. Reader is alone and in the gym on Valentine's Day of all days. Until the man of her dreams Bucky Barnes wanders in and offers to be her sparring partner...

an. I had a last minute idea for a drabble......that then morphed into TWO ideas!! Bucky is first up and I have another idea with Loki that I should hope to finish in the next couple of days. (PS I haven't forgotten my last Ficmas fic. I just kind of hit a wall and i'm still struggling to get over it. Maybe this will help.)

Also big shout out to @chasingmidnights for helping inspire me today ❤️

Going to the gym wasn't exactly your first choice of things to start your Valentine’s Day; but here you were. You preferred to come early early, still dark out early, for two reasons. First for being a bit of an early riser yourself. Usually not as early as you were today, but enough that in the summer, you were able to hear the birds sing at breakfast.

 The second that there were less people to stare at you. Confident as you were in your curves, the world had not gotten used to the idea of fat people working out in gyms NOT to lose weight add you’d rather not start today, of all days, that way. Valentine’s Day. You had no real hatred for it. But you did get a little jealous sometimes when you walked in the office and saw so many other desks littered with flowers and candies. But you couldn’t recall a time someone had sent you so much as a single rose.

This year, you’d decided to take the self-care route. You’d ordered takeout last night and tucked it away in the fridge for tonight, along with a slice of your favorite cheesecake from the old-fashioned delicatessen down the street (family owned since the days Tony’s father running Stark Industries). You’d chosen not to weep for your singleness but instead use it as a night of rest and recovery. A good meal, a nice book and your favorite vinyl record along with a long soak in the tub were you self-loves tonight…and your now charging vibrator would take care of the other kind too.  You just had to make it through the day.

                Even though you were a desk jockey, there was a physical exam all SWORD agents had to pass. You weren't extraordinarily physically gifted, but you could kick but in Just Dance when you wanted to. Unfortunately, the virtual reality sparring simulator at the Avengers compound certainly wasn't as fun as silly dance moves to 70s music in your apartment You knew sparring with the examiner wouldn't be like this, but you had no one else to spar with. And that was where Bucky found you.  

"If you'd like I can practice with you, agent." He’d startled you as you quickly removed the virtual reality headset and turned to see him standing there. It was amazing how well he fit into modern clothing.  He was wearing a sleeveless shirt, showing off this metal arm. You’d never seen his arm this closes and you were in awe of the Wakandan craftsmanship. You'd long admired the former assassin, but never thought in a million years he'd notice you. He was the dark contrast to Captain America, the golden boy. Both were incredibly handsome but there was something mysterious about him that drew you to him. You could easily see why he’d been a lady’s man in the 40s. And you were just a desk clerk. You couldn’t compete with the women, all of whom looked like super models, that threw themselves at him.

You looked around, not seeing any one else and turned back to him, standing there and looking at you, a genuine smile on his face. You nodded and quietly responded.

"Uh...yeah. that would be nice."

Sparring with Bucky gave you a much better experience. Being able to actually fight someone who was there instead of just a simulation felt great. Even though you were sure Bucky was taking it easy on you, you were a lot stronger than you thought, not to mention quick. You were able to duck and dodge and lay a few quick jabs to his chest. And that was nothing compared to how confident you felt, and how good Bucky looked. He seemed to be enjoying himself, a smile never leaving his face. Once or twice you’d stared a little too long and he’d gotten a few jabs in, but you recovered quickly. 

 At one point he had his arms around you in a hold and you were amazed how warm he felt. His chest brushed against your back and you let out a little gasp that you prayed to God he didn't hear. But you saw the smirk play at his lips.

"Sorry, doll. I run a little warm cause of the serum."

"It's alright.” You said, sheepishly. “Your touch actually feels nice." You bit your cheek as you realized how wrong that probably was to say. To your surprise, Bucky didn’t mention it.

"Well the best way to pass a test is with the proper tools. Not with Tony’s toys." He said, rolling his eyes. “And your touch feels good too.” You raised your eyebrows in surprise before he continued “You’ve got a good strong grip.” He shot you a wink and you couldn’t begin to process what he meant when the sparring resumed. Bucky and you trained for a good hour or so and by the end you felt much better about the exam.

Bucky also took the time to show you a few new self-defense maneuvers. He was demonstrating a quick way to hit someone in the gut before raising your hands up to hit them in the face.

"It's one fluid movement." He guided your arms. By now you were CERTAINLY used to his touch. Especially in moments like now where you when his arms where wrapped around you to guide you.  You'd never felt more safe and secure.

"Like this...." You jabbed your elbows backwards before swinging are your arms up, hands closed together and you FELT the contact against Bucky’s nose as you'd executed the move perfectly. But your pride turned to panic as Bucky grunted, then started a fit of coughing as you realized what you’d done.

"Holy shit. Oh my God. I mean... oh shit. Uhm. Captain America is gunna kill me.... Sargent Barnes uhm...sir...?? Are you okay??"

Bucky coughed a few more times, before his breathing finally shallowed. His hand was clutch his nose, now paying attention to that and feeling to make sure it wasn't broken before he finally spoke to you.

“Well doll, I certainly didn't expect you to knock the wind out of me twice in one day. But I'll take it. And you can just call me Bucky.” He said and you felt like you were going to faint. Had he just said what you thought he did?

"Wha...what...? Twice?" you said in disbelief.

“Sure doll.” Bucky admitted. “First was when I walked In here today.  Though I have to say you've done it a few times before that" he admitted. “Like the other day when I dropped off that paperwork and you looked so beautiful in your blue dress.” He bit his lip, recalling the memory.

“You're not. You're not serious, right?” He couldn’t be.

“Yeah. Uhm. I am doll. I’ve been wanting to say something for a while but I was worried you were scared of me.”  Your heart twinged a little and you gently placed your hand on his mechanical arm.

“Not at all Bucky. In fact, I’ve liked you for some time as I just…didn’t think you’d notice me. You could have any girl you want and I’m just a desk clerk.” You said. “Not a supermodel or a superhero. Or anything special."

“Hey listen to me. You’re absolutely gorgeous doll. Why do you think I’m the one that’s always bringing you everyone else’s paperwork.” You thought for a moment before you realized it was true. You’d never noticed it but while you often saw other Avengers dropping off work to someone else, whenever something had to come to you, Bucky was always the one to bring it. “It’s the highlight of my day when I get to see you. His words, full of honesty and admiration made your heart swell. He placed his flesh hand over yours and squeezed it tight. You gazed into the crystal blue pools of his eyes as he broke the moment.

“Besides everyone knows it’s desk clerks that makes the world go round. Trust me, My ma worked as a secretary for a while. The stories she could’ve told.” You both laughed at that and you loved his laugh. You weren’t sure you’d ever heard him really laugh before. It wasn’t as deep or boisterous as Thor’s. Rather it pattered and reminded you of summer’s rain on a wooden roof. And you loved the way his shoulders shook, even if it wasn’t that big of a laugh.

“Listen, doll, I know it's super last minute...and if you didn’t already have plans tonight… I We'll never get a reservation anywhere. But you could come back to my place and I could cook you dinner? Maybe we can watch a movie?” Bucky asked. You smiled and happily replied.

                “It's a date.”

[mugloversonly]

It's about the journey

This is for week 2 of @softsteddieseptember

Summary: Eddie and Steve go on a road trip to visit Wayne. Prompts: "Telling someone about the relationship" "confessing your feelings" "road trips" and "dreams of the future" rated: T ao3

With their last bag packed, the boys jump into the van, Eddie acting as navigator for the first leg. Steve’s BMW was on a trailer hooked onto the back. The morning sun was barely starting to peak over the horizon by the time they reached Hawkins borders, the tranquility of the early morning would soon be disrupted by the hustle and bustle of the Monday commute.

The two sat in silence for the first few hours, save the soft radio and the occasional navigation from Eddie. A year ago Eddie never would have guessed that he could be this comfortable with silence especially when not alone. But now, it was calm, peaceful, and reminded him of Wayne. The whole reason they were on this drive was because of him.

After Eddie healed from the bats, and the shady feds paid them hush money plus the extra from the city, courtesy of one Nancy Wheeler who threatened to get Powell fired if they didn’t fork over some compensation for the manhunt, Wayne was finally able to retire. Eddie encouraged him to fulfill his life long dream of moving to Alaska and promised he’d be okay on his own. And he has been, really.

His friends from the Upside Down brigade have been wonderful, and recently he and Steve finally stopped dancing around each other. Thanks to the meddling kids, Steve admitted his crush on Eddie during a game of truth or dare. Without waiting his turn, Eddie dared himself to kiss Steve, and they’ve been going strong since. It blew that his band never went anywhere, but he couldn’t relate to them as much anymore. They were still friends, but they weren’t ride or dies.

He never lied to Wayne on their weekly calls. He was doing okay on his own, but he missed his uncle. His silence that hung heavy no matter his mood. He was a man of few words but you could almost always tell what he was thinking. Eddie missed his gossip sessions where he told him everything the neighbors have been up to, he missed that he always had a pack of emergency cigarettes, and a back up for those for when Eddie inevitably stole them. His uncle raised him, understood him in a way no one else could so this trip meant a lot to him. Steve understood that.

They were well on their way to the Indiana/Illinois border when Eddie spoke “We’re on the Lincoln Highway.” He said a bit of excitement in his voice. Steve glanced over in confusion.

“I thought we were on the I-30?”

“We are! But the route the I-30 is a part of is the route originally used back in the day. In like 1913 or something, it was marked the route as the first transcontinental road.” Eddie said casually. It always fascinated Steve that Eddie was filled with these random facts, who even knows something like that? “Have you driven this route before?” Steve asked.

“Nah, me and the band were researching routes to tour but we crossed this off our list pretty early on. It was so interesting though.”

“Why’d you cross it off?” Steve asked. It sounded like Eddie did a fair bit of research on it.

“Oh, Jeff’s grandpa told us there were quite a few sundown towns on this road back in the day, so we thought it was best to ignore it.” That was term Steve never heard and he said as much. “Oh! A sundown town is a town that isn’t safe for black people to be outside in after dark. People can and will hurt them and stuff.”

“How’d Jeff’s grandpa know about them?”

“Well, he was an adult in the 60’s first off. Even though we’re in the north didn’t mean there weren’t racists. And he was a part of the Black Panthers!” Steve’s first thought was of the comic book but he shook his head. He knew that wasn’t right.

“The black beret people?” Eddie nodded in excitement. “Weren’t they like...bad?” Steve asked hesitantly. Eddie smiled in understanding.

“I thought so too, but that’s because they didn’t believe in peaceful protests, not that I can blame them. God forbid the oppressed fight back, you know?” Steve hummed in agreement and the car fell into comfortable silence once again.

~~~

They stopped at a gas station a few hours into Illinois and refueled. Not only on gas, but on snacks and drinks. Eddie came out of the convenience store brandishing a Three Musketeers and a Milky Way bar. He held them up and smiled at Steve. “Did you know these are in the wrong packaging?” Eddie asked. Steve raised an eyebrow as the two got into the car and back on the road.

“What do you mean?” At Eddie’s giggle, Steve smiled fondly.

“Well! The candy bars were released at the same time and were accidentally shipped in the wrong packages. So the Milky Way was supposed to be the Three Musketeers and vice versa. It makes sense, the multiple layers and the chunk of nougat.” He opened both bars, took a bite out of both, before making Steve do the same.

“Huh! They actually taste good together.” Eddie nodded in agreement as they drove on.

~~~

In Wisconsin they switch drivers. Eddie worked a few summers as a trucker for the surrounding states so he could drive for a lot longer than Steve. He was doing his best to stay focused and awake, but since they were on the I-94 for a while, he ended up falling asleep.

He awoke to the sounds of Eddie softly singing under his breath. He expected something rock and roll like Def Leopard's new song but he was surprised to hear him singing something much different.

“Oh, I wanna dance with somebody,” Eddie sang as Steve pretended to still be sleeping. “Oh, I wanna feel the heee-at with somebody.” Steve couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody, with somebody who loves me” he finished overjoyed to hear Eddie’s startled yelp. “I didn’t know you listened to Whitney Houston, Eds.” Steve said, amused. “Doesn’t seem like your thing.”

“Hey! Whitney is everyone’s thing!” He exclaimed while his finger was pointed in Steve’s direction. Steve raised his hands in surrender.

“Will you dance with me Eds?” He flashed a cheeky grin.

“I am somebody who loves you Stevie.”

~~~

That night they stayed in a motel in North Dakota right before the Canadian border. According to Eddie, he wanted to be well rested in case they didn’t let them in and he’d have to plead his case. Steve reassured him there wouldn’t be problems but Eddie didn’t trust it.

As they laid down, freshly showered, in one of the two queen beds in the room, Eddie was worried. “What is it baby?” Steve asked softly.

“Is this a good idea?” Eddie asked. Before Steve could answer, he continued. “I mean, us doing this. Wayne doesn’t live in Fairbanks, he lives near it but he’s got like 10 acres. That means he doesn’t want anyone there right?” The fear he felt at being rejected by his only father figure left was clear on his face. Thankfully, Steve knew just what to say.

“This is a great idea. And he’ll be so happy to see us he won’t care where we stay. You want to be with him and I want to be with you, it’s as easy as that.” Eddie smiled.

“Why are you doing this with me anyway?” Eddie asked. The two hadn’t been dating that long, only a few weeks, even if they had danced around each other for a year. In the grand scheme of things Steve being long distance would suck, but made more sense.

“Easy. I love you.” He said it so casually, like he’s said it a million times before, but here in this motel off the highway, was the first time he’s said it aloud. Eddie’s eyes welled with tears. Steve spoke again as they fell. “Plus, I know you. You’d say you’d be fine with being apart, but you’d be an anxious mess the whole time. I won’t let you self-sabotage.” Eddie leaned forward and kissed him softly. In it he poured all his love and thanks.

As they held each other and drifted to sleep, Eddie whispered into Steve’s hair, “I love you too.”

~~~

They’re half way through Canada when Eddie slams on the brakes, throwing him and Steve forward. “Eddie what the hell?!” Steve rightfully exclaimed. He pulled over to the side and shut the car off.

“Look at that big ass moose!” He pointed to the side of the road into the woods. There was a huge bull making its way down the road. “I’ve never seen one in real life!”

“I thought moose were like the size of deer?” Steve questioned. But the reality was this thing was over seven feet tall.

“Nah man. They’re huge. Hey fun fact!” Steve smiled, he loved when Eddie did this. “One of a moose’s main predators is an orca.” Steve furrowed his brows.

“That can’t be right. Orcas are whales right?” Steve asked.

“Yeah! Moose can swim really well and sometimes they swim in orca infested waters. Wild huh?” Steve chuckled. It felt like every day he learned something new from Eddie.

They watched the moose cross the road towards a herd of cows. “Do you think he’s gonna make baby moose?” Steve giggled. Eddie rolled his eyes and pulled them back on the road before agreeing.

~~~

They were only an hour from Fairbanks when Eddie started biting his fingers. “Eds?” Steve asked. Steve was driving the last leg, something they planned well ahead of time since they knew Eddie would be too nervous. Thanks to the foresight, they didn’t crash when he jumped a foot in the air as Steve’s hand hit his knee.

“Sorry, baby. I’m just...we should have called first.” Eddie said.

“I thought you wanted it to be a surprise.” Steve said, concerned. Eddie was nodding frantically.

“I did. I did. But...what if he doesn’t want me there? Or...or what if he’s like my dad. About us I mean.” Steve pulled onto the side of the road, turned the car off, and turned to Eddie.

“He won’t be.” Steve said with confidence.

“Yeah...but how do you know?” Eddie’s eyes were huge, wet, and pleading. The genuine fear on his face broke Steve’s heart.

“I don’t.” Eddie gasped shakily. “But I have a good feeling. Wayne’s been on your side no matter what, I doubt he’ll stop loving you because of who you love. Even if it is a cubs fan.” Steve smiled when Eddie laughed. The mirth slipped from his face as he thought.

“What do we do if he doesn’t accept us? Or he isn’t happy with the news?” Eddie asked. He needed a fallback plan.

“The second question is easier than the first. We turn around and go back to Hawkins. And as for the first question, we’ll do whatever you want.” Steve promised. If Eddie decided they needed to break up, they would, even though it would kill them both. If he decided to cut Wayne off, Steve would hold him through it. But Steve knew nothing like that could happen, Wayne wasn’t like that. “When it goes well, I won’t even tell you I told you so.”

~~~

An hour later, Steve pulled into Wayne’s driveway next to a car the boys didn’t recognize. His house wasn’t big by any means, but it was cozy. Three bedrooms, Wayne used one to hold his outdoor gear. The other was a guest room but he made it clear that Eddie would always have a room there. For that, Eddie was eternally grateful. He took a deep breath through his nose and let it out slowly through his mouth. “You ready?” He asked. Steve nodded and the two men got out of the car, meeting in the front. Steve took hold of Eddie’s hand, squeezing tight.

At the front door, Eddie’s hands shook as he raised his fist and knocked. Wayne opened the door, the confusion on his face melting into unadulterated joy. He yanked his nephew into his arms holding tight. Eddie’s arms held him just as close. “Why didn’t ya tell me y’all were coming boy? I woulda got yer bed ready.” Without letting go of Eddie, he walked back into the house. Steve followed close behind, making sure to lock the door, something Wayne and Eddie were more mindful of after ‘86.

“I wanted to surprise you.” Eddie admitted. “You remember Steve right?” Eddie asked. Wayne looked him up and down, clocking Eddie’s mood ring on his pinkie finger.

“You finally made him your boy I see.” He said but when Eddie pulled away to look at him, he was looking at Steve.

“He asked me, but yeah.” Steve blushed. Eddie stared, betrayed.

“You knew he liked me?” He glared at Wayne who laughed as he nodded. “Is that why you were so sure he wouldn’t hate me?” He stared accusingly at Steve.

“Boy, even if he hadn’t clued me in, I would never hate you for love.” Wayne reassured. Before Eddie could respond, there was a voice from the back of the house.

“Wayne? Honey who was at the door?” A woman came into the living room, looking confused then shocked at the visitors. She flushed, pulling her robe tight around herself. “Hi there. I’m Natalie.” She gave a small wave, before turning her wide eyes to Wayne.

“Sorry, love.” Eddie’s jaw dropped. “My nephew here surprised me. Eddie, Steve, this is my girl Natalie.” Wayne introduced. They exchanged greetings, Natalie excusing herself after to get dressed. Eddie and Steve made eye contact.

“You have a girlfriend?!” Eddie yelled. Wayne’s red face got redder.

Later, when the four of them were eating dinner when Steve asked if it was time. At Eddie’s nod he turned to the older couple. “We’re not just here for a visit.” He began.

“We’re renting a house on the land down the way.” Eddie blurted. “Our lives in Hawkins were fine, but I missed you old man.” Wayne’s eyes teared.

“You movin’ here?” Wayne confirmed. Eddie nodded but bit his lip nervously.

“Is that okay, dad?” He asked. Wayne stood from the table, yanked Eddie out of his seat, and hugged him tightly.

“More than, son. More than.”

~~~

That night as they lay in their new bed facing each other, Steve asked the question. “What now?” Eddie sat in thought for a moment.

“I always wanted my tattoo license, and you can go to culinary school like you’ve always wanted. Then, when we get more settled, a dog, cat, maybe a kid. The goat kind and human kind.” Eddie propositioned. “How does that sound?”

Steve smiled softly. “Sounds like a dream Eds.”

[lovelyyandereaddictionpoint]

The joke demon is here

And remember that Exsotica in the red light district that people make wild rumors that the most beautiful and enchanting oran is a kind yokai or something

Liked it started by one of the low rank ladies and as they where getting harassed by a costumer Exsotica open the sliding door without her veil/hat as it a rare for them to do and it scared the costumer out and made sure they are alright while giving them her ready made remedies out of her kimono sleeves; due to Exsotica keep on getting gifts she something share or give to the other girls ( Daki gets some nice hair ornaments and silks to be safe )

Or

Some of the kids or servants who works around the area sometimes sneek to an area that the rumored Exsotica tends to go when she have free time and say if you hear her sing with bunch of cats with her you get good luck, say a poor traveler who hear her sing as they are there to get medicine for a love one and they got it the same day, or maybe someone hear her sing and they gotten some money bonus as they where struggling

Exotica | Rumors

Rumors are bound to spread when you’re the talk of the town

Both the girls and the consumers that continue to fight for the chance to so much as get a glance at you

The girls may start it first, purposely spreading your medicinal and business prowess where many will hear

Is it kind of scummy

Yes

But it certainly helps when you happen to solve these problems

You can’t fix everything and the rumors of you being a yokai help with that

“Oh, Exotica must have been punishing you for something!”

But I doubt the girls would genuinely believe this 

Having access to you directly certainly changes their view of you

Some may think you’re a descendant or a reincarnation of some benevolent yokai

But for the most part, they gather that you’re just an immaculate human

Because despite your fame and accomplishments they see you’re humanity

The corners you continue to bang your hip against 

Or the flowers you like so much triggering allergies

They see you for you 

Admiring the things that you do even when no one is watching

But for those who look from the outside 

You can be anything yokai, angel, demon

Whether fantasizing about your singing, your dancing, painting, heck even your accounting

Your hobbies are a blessing for both those in the know and the ones who are left fantasizing from afar:

Rukia listened. Something she couldn’t help but do in a place as busy as the Yukaku District. It was exhausting to constantly hear every creak, every whisper, every scream while she was doing her job. The glorious occupation of being a handmaiden for The Exotica! It meant many things including hearing the various rumors and gossip stemming from the house you are in. 

“Did you hear Exotica gave that one guest a cure for their illness.”

“But that couldn’t be the medicine they produce? Its supposed to be a minor assistant in creating some much needed antibodies.”

“Shuuush! You’re so boring! Can’t you just let it be?It just makes people more eager to visit.”

“Why you–”

Hearing the girls giggle as they walked through the hallways Rukia also could hear the gasp of a client. Before watching the man scurry out the house, no doubt to share whatever he took from that. She shook her head continuing on her route to the linen closet, earlier she had been tasked with changing Exotica’s sheets. It was an honor to do something like this, especially since so many degenerates were willing to pay for them.

Passing by the various rooms tending to the guests that bled into the early morning, the whispers of your name were just about everything she could pick up. It was a normal occurrence that even guests who would pay for others would still ask about you, it was what exalted your name all the more. 

But it didn’t compare to seeing the real thing. The real (Y/n) behind Exotica being just as fulfilling. Speaking of, Rukia arrived to your room which was meant to be unoccupied only to find her master humming in the silence of the room. At a time where you should be preparing to rest you were humming. Letting your head sway to an unfamiliar tune just letting yourself run on the tired musings to let you go. 

Rukia decided she’ll stagger her steps if only to give you the moment to be yourself.

It's her greatest honor...to keep you happy.

[letters-to-lgbt-kids]

My dear lgbt+ kids,

Many years ago I watched a documentary about interabled couples (meaning that one partner is disabled, the other one isn't).

They interviewed multiple couples and asked how they met, what their friends and family think of the relationship, things like that. I don't remember most of it (I can't even tell you if it was an actual movie-length documentary or just a short piece in the local news) but there was one story that always stuck with me:

An autistic man had a crush on a woman he regularly saw at his doctor's office. So he decided to write her a letter. He wrote down a detailed description (if I recall correctly it was multiple pages long) of how their relationship could look like: date ideas that would be safe and enjoyable for him, situations in which he may require her support or help, possible communication struggles they may face and ideas on how to deal with them etc. The next time he saw her at the doctor's office, he handed her the letter. She read it, smiled and said "This says you can't go dancing with me because loud music overwhelms you. But I really love dancing. Could we dance at home if you are in control of the music volume?". He said "Yes" and she said "Okay, then let's do that"... and they have been a happy couple ever since.

I love that story. Honestly, I wish someone would come up to me and hand me a letter like that!

There are so many unspoken rules in the dating world that (neurotypical) people oftentimes just expect you to know and understand - especially the whole "be mysterious, play hard to get, don't scare people off by being too honest" stuff can be really confusing! His letter feels like an antidote to that. He clearly communicated his individual set of "rules" (boundaries, needs, wants). It may be my autism speaking, but this sounds like the ideal way to start a relationship for me: they were both on the same page from the get-go rather than having to guess what the other one wants.

As someone who has been rejected for being too honest and talking about boundaries too early, it feels comforting to me to know that someone did exactly that and was so successful with it.

I mentioned this old story to a friend a few days ago - and they didn't think it was cute. In fact, they were shocked and disgusted by it. That sounds incredibly toxic, they said. You can't just hand your partner a set of rules at the beginning of the relationship and demand they stick to them forever. Those things need to be an ongoing conversation that both partners get to contribute to. Love isn't a business contract that one person writes and the other just signs off on. Treating it like one is a red flag. And quite frankly, they'd feel super creeped out if a quasi-stranger wrote multiple pages about a relationship they didn't even agree to yet!

And you know what? I absolutely believe that my friend is right - and I also believe that I am right. It could be cute and it could be a red flag.

This goes for all kinds of relationships but it's especially important for those of us who have unique or less common "rules"/needs (which could be because you are neurodivergent, disabled or chronically ill but also be lgbt+-related, e.g because you are ace or aro): Doing things differently is not by default toxic - and not by default wholesome, either.

That letter could be a great starting point for healthy ongoing communication in a relationship... and it could also be toxic if it is used as a binding contract that doesn't allow any further conversation.

Apart from a few obvious exceptions, we can't really make a definite list of things that are always good or always toxic when it comes to dating/relationships - we need to think of things in context. And that goes for the "standard route" as well as for more unique approaches.

With all my love,

Your Tumblr Dad

(P.S: For the record, I'm sure that the couple in the documentary does have ongoing, healthy communication!)

[deathbydarkelves]

🪶☀️Elor'belo -- The Long Sun festival☀️🪶

In a moment of autistic genius, I came up with a whole new kaldorei holiday, centered around a long-distance hippogryph race. Big ol' info dump incoming.

Throughout the year, as the nights and days lengthen and shorten, Elune and the sun (or An'she, as I'll call it/him from now on. I know that's the tauren name but I think it works for the kaldorei to call him that too) are constantly in a race against each other. As An'she tires in winter, the days shorten and Elune overtakes him. Then as she tires in summer, the nights shorten and An'she overtakes her.

So, every year on the summer solstice, the day Elune is most tired from racing An'she, kaldorei hippogryph riders race him in her stead. They race from dawn to noon, traveling east to west and ending at the peak of Mt. Hyjal, the highest point on Kalimdor, to intimidate him with their racing prowess even when he is highest in the sky. Then as he falls, exhausted, Elune can continue the race again. In 7-8 hours, the racers cover almost 350 miles/~560 km. They start in eastern Hyjal the moment dawn breaks, then fly down to Ashenvale, then weave back up through the mountains to the peak of Mt. Hyjal.

Now, since the in-game world is TINY, I've decided to approximate Kalimdor's "real" north-south length to be ABOUT 4,000 mi/6,400 km. That makes it a bit smaller than South America. Or, because this is how my brain processes distance: Sam and Frodo would have to walk their path from the Shire to Mordor 2-3 times (depending on who you ask) to cover the same distance.

With that in mind, here's a rough approximation of the route, using the wonky proportions of the in-game map because I haven't made my own yet (</3):

The race has changed over time. Historically, it went from dawn to dusk, starting in Azshara, going through Ashenvale, some years going as far west as Darkshore, then ending on Mt. Hyjal. But over time and as circumstances on Kalimdor changed, the race was shortened both in time and in length. Lots of riders and hippogryphs alike would become dangerously exhausted during the historic 14-16 hour long race, Azshara is mostly Horde territory now, Darkshore is... not doing so hot right now, and so on.

Here's a, again, very rough approximation of the historical route:

And that's the "official" race, which is often initiated and attended by the High Priestess and Archdruid themselves. There are multiple smaller festivals/races across Kalimdor, but they all follow the same concept: race An'she east to west from dawn to noon, and end at the highest point possible. Some places even still run from dawn to dusk, as some believe the health risks are just something one has to deal with when racing a god, and that they're worth it to race on Elune's behalf.

Besides the race itself, the night prior there's always a huge festival with food and song and dance to hype up the racers. And the night after the race there's even more, this time with additional ceremonies, prayers, and offerings to Elune to help her get her "second wind" as it were.

Importantly, the overall spirit of the race and festival is one of friendly competition. The kaldorei aren't, like, ideologically opposed to the sun lol. It's vital for most life, and they know that. They race An'she to keep things fair between him and Elune.

And, of course, Elor'belo exists as a way for people to get together and enjoy good food and music, and cheer for their favorite racer(s). Here's some of the sorts of characters you might see competing because I need practice drawing hippogryphs anyway:

Miscellaneous notes:

The race distance is meant to be almost the maximum distance someone could ride in the time given. Only about 20% of racers can even do so with minutes to spare, with the remaining 80% finishing in the early-to-mid afternoon. But in the event someone does reach Mt. Hyjal well before noon, there's a second leg that takes them through Nordrassil's branches up to its very top. Very few people have ever completed that second leg before noon, and it's a very good omen for the rest of the year when someone does.

Different species of hippogryphs have different top speeds and stamina levels. Each has its own pros and cons when it comes to a race like this, which relies on both speed and endurance, and you'll always see a wide variety in the competitors.

On a related note: In the days of Queen Azshara, hippogryphs were selectively bred for different appearances and endurance levels, etc., like horses. That practice ended after the Sundering because in the new, more druidic culture of the kaldorei, it became a bit of a controversial topic to breed creatures as intelligent as hippogryphs. As a result most of those breeds are extinct now, but a handful of them are still kicking around with their own self-sustaining populations. That piebald one pictured above is an example.

The quel'- and sin'dorei have their own version of Elor'belo where they race Elune on the winter solstice. Since there aren't very many Thalassian words (with translations), and no fanmade dictionary I'm aware of, I'm thinking of just calling it Elor'elun ("Long Moon").

Baldur by Faun is the song that gave me the idea for this entire thing. I highly recommend giving it a listen, it's a bop.

[stoopid-turtle]

made-up thoughts about dd's gender presentation

Okay, the gender post! Honestly, dd's gender presentation is something I think about a lot (ok, I just think about everything dd-related a lot), so here's a post about it. A couple disclaimers on the way down though.

Gender is weird

Um, so gender is complicated and deep. I'm not gonna delve into that too much. Just know I'm not saying much about dd's gender identity, because that's too speculative for me and I don't tend to analyze how people might feel their gender inside.

So this is all about gender expression or performance. The way he presents himself to the world. This includes stuff like clothing, ways of talking, makeup, mannerisms, etc. Anything we can see when we watch him.

For those more into the advanced gender convo, yes yes, gender is a social construct and there's nothing inherent about, say, a tuxedo that makes it a "man's" outfit. Fully onboard with that. But for simplicity's sake, let's shortcut to acting as if we buy into how society genders random stuff so as to recognize that a tux is "male-coded" by just about every society in the present day. Everybody swims in these waters, and they perform their gender with the understanding of how their society assigns these arbitrary gender assignments, so let's just deal with that for this convo. /obligatory gender theorist disclaimer

East vs West

I'm in the US, and I fully recognize that there are different norms for gender in Eastern cultures. A lot of the things that read as "feminine" to Western eyes is more neutral in the East, such as long hair or makeup. (I've read a fantastic tumblr post that went into this in-depth but, alas, I can't find it now. You will notice throughout this post that I am extraordinarily bad at refinding things)

On top of that, idols, in specific, often have quite feminine stylings to Western standards. In the East, the vibe I get is that idols are seen as more androgynous (though still threatening to some forms of masculinity).

I can only speak from my own very westernized perspective, so take it with as much salt as you want. I reserve the right to change my mind about everything later, anyway.

Basically, I have 3 main points here, starting with:

1. DD's early styling was more femme than he would ordinarily gravitate to

There's a moment I think about a lot. This one, specifically, set a month and a half after UNIQ's debut. The band is on a Chinese talk show and the host enthuses about them.

(also, baby DD rapping Love the Way You Lie is just....well, it's a thing that happened) (some US context: Love The Way You Lie was an Issue Song pointedly about domestic violence with Rihanna - an artist who had been a victim of a highly publicized dv assault - as the chorus singer and Eminem - a rapper with a history of misogynist lyrics (with a song about murdering his ex-gf) - doing the rap. It had a weirdly sexy music video with that lotr guy and was also a thing that happened)

DD is 17 years old here--a baby--and he's, frankly, adorable. He notes that he's been training for 4 years (I'm so curious about what idol training looks like, tbh), which wows the host.

But the part that I think about a lot is when the host expounds at length about how beautiful and like a girl dd is. DD has a girl's hairstyle (i've had that exact hairstyle at multiple points in my life), and the host says at various points that he's "more beautiful than girls", that girls will envy him, that he is very very pretty, that if she were a man, she would fall in love with him. The basic upshot here is that much is made of his feminine looks, and I get the vibe that his styling is more femme than typical, even for an idol.

At the same time, I think about this moment of dd in a dance competition in 2011, before his debut. DD's main passion has always been dancing, and he went into hiphop dancing, as shown here. He also attempted breakdancing while younger, though an early injury apparently kept him from going that route (I swear I've heard this somewhere, but can't find where. Link me if you know).

DD was interested in the more macho-types of street dances. Hiphop isn't as dominated by men as breaking is, but it's still has more of a masculine culture than jazz or, you know, waacking.

I think a lot about a kid who wanted to spend his life dancing, who went through idol training to debut as the femme maknae of a group. It was a weird fit for him, and I think his movement away from that initial look reflects that.

At the same time, I want to go back to something I find significant about his talk show appearance.

When asked who is most popular among girls, everybody (dd included) points to dd. (A bandmate also jokes that dd is most popular among men). A 17-year-old kid who just debuted a little over a month ago with a femme style is already getting fawned over by fans and older female hosts. However weird it could be, it's gotta be a huge ego-boost at a formative time to get the positive feedback to that look.

I think (and putting on my speculation hat here) that this is important for dd's performance of gender as he gets older.

Which brings me to the next main point:

2. DD enjoyed his more feminine idol look bc he knew it made him attractive

I suspect dd came to some acceptance of the more femme styling (once he moved away from the white peony look) primarily because it got him so much fawning.

I imagine idol training goes into how to create a public persona for oneself, especially given how much idols are supposed to reveal of themselves. Letting fans feel that they're getting an intimate look at the real person, while still maintaining the privacy of their actual personal life, is a skill, and I expect it's second-nature to dd at this point given how long he's been in the industry.

This isn't to say that dd's fake or that the dd we see publicly isn't "really" him. But it is a carefully presented version of him that intentionally keeps his private life private.

There's really 2 periods where we probably see the most authentic, unfiltered dd: the early UNIQ days, when he was still getting the hang of the ent industry (though that's complicated in that he was also young and under pressure to perform a certain way and had not developed the skills/experience/cache to set limits, hence him doing a lot more cutesy stuff that he refuses to do as he gets older); and the bts footage for CQL, as he did not expect those to be so widely seen. Even the unscripted stuff like DDU and SDC allows for some intentional presentation of himself in a way the more candid bts moments did not.

That's a bit of a digression, actually, but it's important because I think this public persona, especially the idol persona, is more femme than dd would normally style himself (as in, how he would style himself if he weren't an entertainer). The result of this is that we see some contexts, such as the CQL fanmeetings where dd wears women's outfits, where that idol style is intentionally deployed. Part of the point of fanmeetings is fanservice, and dd's feminine presentation, linked as it is to his idol image, is wholly about pleasing the fans.

There's reason to believe that dd was never too much into those stylings because he intrinsically enjoyed them. He's said multiple times in interviews that he prefers going without makeup. This isn't too telling because, hey, makeup can be uncomfortable to wear. Especially stage makeup.

But there's an interesting compilation of interview clips where dd reveals his complete lack of even any interest in makeup, referring curious interviewers to talk to his makeup artist and explicitly associating makeup with women (I have looked everywhere for this. I swear I saw this compilation on YouTube but now I can't find it. This is unfortunate bc this particular video really made me think about dd's gender presentation). And of course, his attempt to do someone else's makeup was...adorable. This is not a guy who wears makeup for the joy of it. He wears it because it's part of his job.

This isn't to say that dd looks down on it. Not at all. We only have to look at his defensiveness of the idol look to gg during the bts to see this. I don't think he's at all bothered by makeup. He just accepts it as part of his career.

(I have a completely made-up story in my head about how gg's preference for no-makeup dd was a major romantic thing bc it's gg liking the real dd, not the idol persona that everybody else fawns over. And how, once dd realized that gg was paying him a compliment, it gave him big feels. This story is definitely not real)

This all is gonna lead me to my last main point:

3. DD's probably okay taking on a more masculine style now bc it fits more how he would naturally dress himself

Like millions of other people, I really dig the idol look. When I was doing my initial dive into turtledom and read about some of the Chinese censorship of idols in recent years, I was initially put out because...idol!dd!

(Ok, as a queer person, I also have big solidarity feels and stuff, but that's a whole digression)

But then I began obsessively watching browsing dd stuff on YouTube and I came around to thinking that while I love and miss idol!dd, I don't know that dd is too shook up over it.

In my view, dd sees that type of styling as a role to put on for certain performances. Now that it's out of style, so to say, he switches to something else. It goes along with some other career transitions he's making, such as focusing more on film. I think this may just let him go with a more "natural" styling (basically, how he would style himself if he weren't a celebrity).

(I do think he likes dyeing his hair fashion colors, but that's not necessarily gendered. He's had plenty of dyed hair looks that are still masc)

When I think of things like that...well, I still personally miss idol!dd because that look really works for me. But I'm not bothered on his behalf because I don't know that he feels particularly constrained by the idol crackdown (at least with regards to no longer being able to present with an idol style; there are other aspects of the politics that may feel constraining, but that's a whole other digression). If anything, it provides a good reason for him to move away from idol-dom in his career (which he'd have to do at some point as he ages).

To wrap this up, I've felt horrendously guilty that the first photo on this tumblr wasn't even of dd or gg, so i'm gonna end this with a photo of idol!dd. I'm not gonna say it's my favorite look, because it's just cruel to make me pick a single favorite. But this is one I think is pretty.

[jhilsara]

I Can See You

Pt. 1/ Pt. 2/ Pt. 3/ Pt. 4/ Pt. 5/pt. 6/Pt. 7/Pt. 8/Pt. 9/ Pt. 10/

Pt. 11/ Pt.12/Pt.13/Pt. 14/Pt.15/Pt.16/Pt.17/END

Mariana Jimenez-Watson or MJ works in a normal pub living life paycheck to paycheck. Nothing exciting happens to her except the occasional drunk getting thrown out. She's 24 working away and finds a wrench thrown into her very boring life. His name is Hobie and she thinks maybe, a little excitement isn't awful. In fact she might start to crave some change for once.

Small moments of Hobie meeting his world's MJ. AKA I made an MJ variant and I think she's neat.

Chapter 16

Mariana usually never gets off earlier than closing time. Today was one of those rare days that she got to leave around midnight instead of the early hours of three in the morning, or worse four.

She waves goodbye to Andy and the new girl who’s taking over her last few hours. Andy’s training her so they aren’t under staffed.

She leaves out the back and is ready to head home, maybe have a few hours of peaceful time to read or even catch up on a show or two.

She walks off down the street alone, it’s one of those nights that Hobie’s out patrolling and he can’t walk her home. Which wouldn’t bother her normally. Except about two blocks into her walk she feels like she’s being watched.

She stops and looks around, and the streets not dead, but the people walking are all tipsy walking to their next destination. No ones prying eyes are on her. She looks up, but still nothing. No one’s creeping on her looking out their flats windows, or at least that she can see.

She bites her lip and tries to push the sinking feeling away. She starts to walk once more. She makes it another block before the dreadful feeling consumes her. She doesn’t stop to look this time. She deviates her route. She isn’t walking home, not like this.

Not when she’s being followed. Part of her wonders if it’s that one patron from the bar, but he was arrested.

She shudders at the memory. She tries to not run, or quicken her pace. She knows one of the clubs down this road so she’ll just go there at least until they close. She sees the line to get in and she goes and waits. Her friend Sam works as the bouncer here and she greats her happily.

Sam’s like most bouncers, broad as a barrel and built to handle unruly crowds. She’s standing her post, arms crossed, looking intimidating without even trying. She’s more than glad Sam’s working tonight.

“I didn’t know you were swingin’ by tonight!” she says with a wide smile.

She returns it, but talks to Sam through her teeth, “I think someone’s following me...” She says in a tight voice.

Sam nods and rubs MJ’s back reassuringly. “Got it, go in and find Karla, she’ll get you situated.” She tells her.

She nods her head and dips inside, quickly walking over to the bar that Karla’s at. She’s shaking a bit and she’s never been happier that she’s close to the other bar workers in the area.

“Hey Karla,” she says leaning onto the bar.

Karla whips her head around and the smaller women looks more than happy. She smiles bouncing over to the end that MJ is standing at. She greets her happily.

“What are you doing here? Thought you were working tonight.” She asks her with a curious look.

MJ sighs and gives her the same story she told Sam at the front. She’s wringing her hands together nervously because the last thing she wants is to have another stalker.

Karla nods and tells her other bartender that she’s going on her fifteen. She pulls MJ to the back, which is much quitter from the booming music of the dance club.

“Do you have anyone you can call?” She asks MJ with concern.

She nods, she knows she’s calling Hobie. There’s no question there.

“Yeah, I got someone. I’m gonna call him and hopefully he picks up.” She tells her.

Karla nods and crosses her arms, “If he doesn’t me and Sam can take you home, or you can crash at our place. I don’t want you alone…not if you think you’re being followed.” Karla says nervously.

“I mean, especially after that other stalker almost attacked you… I don’t want another situation like that.” She tells her friend looking at her with worry.

MJ feels fear grip her heart at the memory, but she shakes it off. “Promise I’ll let you know. I’ll be fine though Hobie always answers when I call.” She reassures her friend.

Karla raises a brow, “Hobie? Is he the one you’ve been mucking about with all the time these past few months?” she says a little accusing, but MJ knows she’s being curious not mean.

She feels her own face burn a little and she nods. “Yea, we just, we get each other.” She shrugs trying to be indifferent.

Karla doesn’t buy it, rolling her eyes, “So he’s your boyfriend yea?”

“No, we’re…” MJ starts but stops…she feels her shoulders deflate. “I don’t know what we are…I just don’t want to lose him…he’s special.” She murmurs looking up at Karla.

She nods in understanding. “That’s how I felt about Sam, and now we’re married.” She says knowingly.

“Just don’t wait around too long, yea? I don’t want you to push someone away who could be good for you.” She tells MJ softly.

MJ nods solemnly, she doesn’t want to think about it. She’s scared, mostly. She doesn’t want to ask to define their relationship, because after everything with her mother… she loves him. She knows she does.

But she doesn’t know if he loves her. That is what scares her.

Karla’s break ends and she leaves, giving MJ a firm hug.

MJ doesn’t hesitate to call Hobie, still feeling the pit in her stomach from being followed. One problem at a time.

“Hey, you okay? You never call this early.” His voice slides through her speakers, easy and calm. It relaxes her. She can hear the cars in the distance, he’s probably on a building.

“Um… no?” She hesitates but sighs. “I’m at Spring Awakening, you know the dance club a few blocks down from the pub?” She tells him.

He hums in acknowledgement. “What’s wrong?” He asks her, voice calm, but she hears the wind. He’s already moving.

“Nothing technically, but, I don’t know, I felt someone watching me? Does that make sense? Someone was following me.” She tells him.

“If you think you’re being watched, odds are you are. I’m comin’.” He tells her in a firm voice.

“Can you stay on the phone with me?” She asks hesitantly.

He gives a soft chuckle, “Was plannin’ on it luv.”

It doesn’t take him more than ten or so minutes to get there. He knocks on the back door and she lets him in.

“You doin’ alright?” he asks her softly, holding onto her arms gently.

She nods, “Better now.” She tells him. “Let me go tell Karla I’m leaving, so she doesn’t worry.”

He nods and let’s her go back. She returns within ten minutes and he walks out the back with her. He’s still in his spider suit. Hoping it’ll keep anyone away.

“Do you want to walk home or swing? I could lose anyone if we swing.” He says with a smug tone.

She rolls her eyes, but the idea of being followed is enough to make her want to swing over walking. Even though she hates being up in the air. She doesn’t know how Hobie doesn’t get sick from it, but he’s built different. Literally.

He easily wraps his arms around her firmly and shoots a web. She’s flying off the ground and she squeezes her eyes shut.

He goes the long way, taking a couple of wrong turns just in case. She knows he has that… spider sense? She thinks that’s what he calls it. She really isn’t sure. She just knows that he senses danger much quicker than she can. So, she’s hoping that if that was going off he’d tell her.

He finally makes it to her complex and they both enter through the back. Hobie stays downstairs to wait it out. Just in case they were followed. She makes it to her flat and quickly goes in. She doesn’t bother turning on the lights and just drags herself to the bathroom.

She gave Hobie a key and he’s let himself in a million times. She’s ready to shower off the pub and the anxiety that’s still rattling around in her gut.

She takes a long shower, burning her skin with the hot water, her maroon hair falling down her back as she rakes her hands through it with shampoo. She tries to not think about the fear that gnaws at the back of her head. She’s okay, nothing happened. Hobie’s here and she’s safe.

She’s helped Hobie take down the Vulture, a Lizard, and the Green Goblin. She can handle some weirdo trying to stalk her. She’s dealt with worse.

She takes a shaky breath and finishes her shower.

When she exits the bathroom to the living room, Hobie’s sitting on her couch in his casual clothes just waiting for her. His head looks up as he hears her footsteps.

“Good?” He asks softly pressing a soft kiss to her temple.

She nods, “Just exhausted now.” She tells him truthfully.

“No one followed, promise.” He says as he stands up and stretches, “Go to bed, I’ll be in there soon. I need to shower.”

She gets up to grab him an extra towel and tosses it to him. “Your extra clothes are in the top drawer.” She tells him.

“I know!” he smiles brightly and pops into her room shuffling for some spare clothes before he closes the door to her bathroom.

She double checks to make sure her doors are locked, front and patio. When she’s satisfied she finally crawls into her bed. She tries to wait for Hobie but it’s a losing fight against the heaviness of her lids. She feels the weight shift as he gets under the covers and she rolls to find his body heat, but she’s already blissfully asleep. The last coherent thing she can remember is his arms slotting around her waist.

The next shift she has isn’t until that following Tuesday. It’s one of their slowest nights and honestly, they tend to only keep one bartender on.

She’s alone behind the bar, with one waiter and maybe about twenty patrons. It’s been a very slow night.

It’s around one in the morning and she needs to take out the trash behind the bar. She ties it all up, tells Mark, the waiter on shift, she’ll be right back.

Once she’s out back by the dumpster, she has that sinking feeling again. Like she’s being watched…or hunted.

She tosses the trash into the dumpster and before she can even turn around to look at her surroundings, she hears screaming and sees people running out of the pub. She doesn’t get a chance to see what’s happening before the pub explodes.

The explosion sends her across the pavement, rolling and debris falling on her. Everything hurts, searing pain goes down her body and she feels like she’s spinning. She can’t hear anything besides the ringing in her ears. She tries to open her eyes, but all she sees is smoke and fire.

She doesn’t even know where she is in comparison. The pub seems so far away, but too close at the same time.

She needs to push herself up, she has to get out, she’ll suffocate from the smoke if she doesn’t.

Her body barely moves and the burning pain that shoots up her right leg tells her it’s broken. She looks down and sees a large chunk of the brick wall is on her right leg. She squeezes her eyes shut and tries to think, but everything is spinning behind her eyes and she thinks she’s going to vomit from it all.

First things first, she has to at least pry herself out from under the wall debris.

She manages to sit herself upright and starts lifting what she can. It’s not as if the whole wall fell on her, but it’s big enough that her arms are shaking. She’s able to lift enough to shimmy herself out, but it hurts so much she’s sobbing. Once her broken leg is far enough away she drops the wall back down roughly and she falls flat on her back. Taking in deep breathes.

There’s still smoke everywhere and she needs to try to crawl away.

She sees yellow and green lights fly above her, quick and speedy and not normal street lights. She would know those lights anywhere. It was the bottom of the Goblin’s glider.

Suddenly she’s being swooped up off the ground and is flung in the air. She thinks it’s Hobie for a moment, but when she can finally open her eyes she’s staring at the mask of the Goblin.

“What-” she tries to talk but the smoke filled in her lungs makes her hack like crazy.

The Goblin jostles her and she shrieks, they cackle in response.

She struggles against them, shoving herself and trying to kick with her one good leg. “Let me go!” She spits out trying to shimmy herself away.

The Goblin’s flying on their glider faster than Hobie swings her above the city. Maybe this wasn’t her best idea, but it had to be better than being kidnapped.

“You’ll get put down, eventually.” They say in a clipped tone that makes her feel like they are talking about putting down an animal instead. It sends a shudder down her back.

She’s starting to panic and she has no idea where she even is. Suddenly the glider has a force pulling on it, and it almost sends her flying towards the ground. The Goblin’s grip on her is tight, almost bruising.

She tries to look for the source but she hears it before she sees it.

“Kidnapping now? That’s how low you’ve stooped?” It’s Hobie. His words might be the usual light joking tease he pulls when he fights, but the way he says it isn’t. His voice is hard and short.

He’s angry, in fact, she doesn’t know if she’s ever heard this tone in his voice.

“Looks like the Spider found it’s bait!” The Goblin cackles out, easily cutting away the webs to fly above.

“If you want her you better cast your web Spider-Man! The clocks ticking.” The Goblin goads him. He flies off and in the distance, MJ can see it.

It’s the Old York clock tower. It’s the highest structure in the city. Suddenly she feels her stomach drops. She shivers and the adrenaline shoots through her. Out of all the things she thought would happen today, being tossed off a clock tower like a rag doll wasn’t on it.

She starts to thrash against the Goblin but they just tighten their grip, and MJ feels the pain shoot through her broken leg. She cries out in pain.

“Mariana!” She hears Hobie shout for her, voice loud.

The Goblin flies to the top of the clock tower and hovers, waiting. Hobie lands on the tower, sticking to the side and glares up.

She feels the Goblin move her and dangle her above the city. “I’m tired of these games we play Spider-Man, and I’m getting tired of your little friend either interfering with my other chess pieces or almost killing me.” They hiss out.

MJ is clawing onto the arms of the Goblin tightly, she’s never been more afraid than in this moment. She bites back a sob.

“Not so brave now are you? You little brat!” the Goblin yells pulling her up to their face.

“Leave her alone, she has nothin’ to do with me! She’s just a random woman.” Hobie growls out, trying to dissuade the Goblin from doing anything drastic.

“Oh please, she’s important to you. You think you’re so smart, the both of you.” They say glaring down at MJ.

“You sent me to the hospital… I almost died because of that little flare gun stunt you pulled. You didn’t think I could see you, in the smoke, right? I made the tech on this suit, of course it can see through smog and smoke! I saw every little detail on your face little girl…and I’ll see your fear when I end your life.” They snarl to her.

Hobie tries to move to grab her, but the Goblin whips their head to look at him, releasing one hand from her to hover over the bombs on their belt.

MJ looks at the Goblin, and her own stubbornness might be the death of her but she doesn’t care, she’s more angry than scared right now. A fierce glare covers her face, replacing any other emotion. She sees the bombs that the Goblin’s hand hovers over on the utility belt and she gets an idea, it’s stupid, but it’s better than nothing. She erratically flings herself, to grab for one of the bombs on the Goblin’s belt and because their only gripping onto her with one hand, she succeeds surprisingly.

“I’m not afraid of a monster who hides behind a stupid goblin mask and bombs… and for the record, maybe don’t carry all your bombs underneath your glider where it’s an easy target.” She bites out. She hits the button to activate the bomb.

The Goblin, either in fear or shock, loosens their grip and drops her. It’s what she wants. She throws the bomb up, and it contacts the bottom of the glider. This time, a much bigger explosion than what her flare gun had set off.

She feels herself falling, she can’t see much beyond the smoke. She feels a little dumb in maybe her last moments, she thinks maybe her life should be flashing before her eyes but it’s not.

All she can really think about… is Hobie.

Beyond the smoke, she sees something falling towards her. She can’t make it out but it’s coming towards her quickly. She hopes its not the glider, she can’t dodge that in the air and she’d rather gravity be her demise than anything from the Goblin.

It’s not though, it’s Hobie. She sees his Spider-Man mask first as he falls towards her. Arms stretched out to grab her.

She laughs, it’s not funny, she’s just hysterical right now. She reaches toward him. Her barrels into her, wrapping his body around her tightly. She clings her arms to him, and feels the momentum of them falling together.

He keeps a good grip on her and shoots out a web, hurling them somewhere else.

She really might puke, she probably will once this is all over.

Hobie takes his time, swinging them and shooting different webs to slow down their momentum until their both safe on the ground. He lays her down, holding her head.

“What the actual fuck is wrong with you?!” He says in a clipped tone, but she can hear the fear behind his voice.

She’s breathing heavily, trying to calm down her own heart rate. “I… I need a hospital.” She says before turning away from him and vomiting on the street.

He picks her up gently when she’s done and goes in the direction of the nearest hospital, which thankfully isn’t far.

“What were you thinking? You could have died Mariana…” He hisses out to her, voice shaking.

She shakes her head, “They blew up the pub Hobie…they were trying to kill me…I was just taking them out with me.” She replies, voice raw and quiet.

“Fuck, Mariana…” He whispers to her. He’s looking ahead, he can’t look at her right now or he’ll crack. She can feel him shaking.

“It’s okay, I’m okay…we’re okay.” She tells him.

He’s shaking his head aggressively. “It’s not okay, none of this is okay. You almost died because of me.” He says in a tight voice.

He makes it to the hospital and rushes in, immediately the A&E staff are up and rushing over to them. He hands Mariana over to them. She starts to shove the workers away from her, this conversation isn’t over.

“Don’t you dare push me away because of this! Do you hear me?!” she shouts after him, as she is being dragged away to a room to be looked at.

“I’m serious! You promised!” She disappears behind the doors and the last thing she sees is Hobie flinch at her words.

The nurses that surround her are actively looking and prodding her, she cries as they touch her broken leg, and in the midst of everything the adrenaline stops and the exhaustion takes over.

Suddenly the world goes black.

Tag List: @missshelleyduvall

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[afpwestcoast]

The UC Theatre, Berkeley, CA, 12/31/23

As I was about to board my flight from Portland down to Oakland who should run up - after boarding was well in progress - but Amanda Fucking Palmer herself, with a large bag from Powell’s Books over her shoulder, which is so on-brand it’s not even funny. The whole crew was on the same flight with me. Cosmic coincidences.

The inimitable Kat Robichaud dominated as Mistress of Ceremonies, and she brought along some friends from the Misfit Cabaret, so this promised to be a great night from the start.

Kat kicked things off with her original song Charade, then The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence provided a series of short, pithy blessings for the new year that managed to be funny, touching, and queer in equal measure.

Snatch Adams did an amazing burlesque routine involving a leaf blower and a giant balloon that she somehow got completely inside … and then removed her clothes.

Another original from Kat, and an extremely sexy dance from Aurora Rose, and it was time for the Dresden Dolls.

In 2017 Amanda did an NYE show a week after having a miscarriage and barely made it through the show. This show was similarly performed amidst some personal tragedy. Amanda had just learned that a good friend from New Zealand - whom she was actually en route to go visit - had died suddenly and tragically. And the longtime landlord / den mother of the artist collective Cloud Club, where Amanda “grew up” as an artist, was in hospice on his death bed (he passed early on the 2nd). While she did talk about this a little on stage for the most part she just powered through and delivered a killer show.

My favorite way to ring in the new year is with Amanda and/or the Dolls, and this show went a long way towards explaining why. Flamboyantly talented people providing astounding spectacle; who could ask for anything more? Halfway through the show my friend Nikki turned to me and said, “I can’t imagine being happier than I am right now!” I couldn’t agree more.

Annotated Set List:

Good Day (Brian on guitar to start)

Sex Changes

Gravity

Modern Moonlight

My Alcoholic Friends

Shores of California

Welcome to the Internet (Bo Burnham cover) - Before this song Amanda often asks, “Are there any young people in the audience?” and she typically chooses one to serenade during the ‘Waiting for YOOOOOU!’ bridge. Tonight this turned into a bit of a bidding war in which we started at 18 and worked our way down to 5. At one point Brian became an auctioneer, “I’ve got 16 here do I hear 15? 14! 14 going once, can I get … 13 over here!”

Mandy Goes to Med School

Amanda said she wanted to repeat the collective primal scream they had done last NYE, and while that’s true the tradition actually started at the very first solo show Amanda did in the States post COVID in August of ‘22.

“Close your eyes, and on the count of three I would like you to scream as loudly as possible to release the good, the bad, the ugly, the better, the unfulfilled, the loneliness, the whatever you fucking went through last year it’s now gone and you’ve got about an hour to sit with it if you wanna be sad or happy and then it’s all gonna go away and we’re gonna go into 2024 into a bucket of unicorn dreams!”

PRIMAL SCREAM!!

Mister God

Amanda said that she and Whitney had come up with a working title for the new Dresden Dolls album: Downer Bangers (“That was my nickname in high school!” quipped Nikki.)

“I found out this morning that a really good friend of mine from New Zealand just died really suddenly and tragically, and I’m in the middle of losing someone else in my life, and it’s just one of those days where you’re like, ‘This is happening, and I still have to play a show.’ This has happened to me enough that I know how to do it, but I’ve gotta tell you that it’s still really weird to get up in front of everybody while I’m going through what I’m going through. And here’s the great thing about being in the Dresden Dolls: I have a song for that! So I’m gonna play it.”

Houdini

Another Christmas (Brian on guitar, Amanda on jingle bells)

Amsterdam (Jacques Brel cover) (Brian on guitar, Amanda on beer) - At the beginning of the second stanza Amanda lost track of the lyrics. “In the port of Amsterdam, there’s a sailor who … ”

“Dies!” I helpfully yelled

“Dies … sorry, Tom.”

Hey don’t apologize to me; I live for this shit!

Missed Me - Brian has taken to really going all out on this one, often performing entire melodramatic vignettes. Tonight he just … left. Got up, left the stage, disappeared. He has played with briefly “leaving” during this song, but this time he was just gone. And Amanda had no idea what was going on. She was talking to the crowd - he’s really gone, I’m all alone, what do I do? sort of thing - when a large, potted plant crept up behind her. As Brian was creeping about the stage hiding behind the plant like a cartoon villain Amanda said, “This is the same guy who during soundcheck was like, ‘Let’s keep the intro really short.’” The antics went on so long that Amanda got flustered and got confused about where they were in the song. She looked at me and asked, “Is this right?” I gave her a big thumbs up.

Backstabber

Astronaut (A Brief History of Nearly Nothing) (Amanda Palmer cover)

Mrs. O - Quick restart after Amanda thought she detected a medical issue in the crowd, something that happened at both the LA and SD shows earlier in the month. It was a false alarm, and the band played on.

Delilah (featuring Kat Robichaud AND Whitney Moses (the OG!)) - Double Delilahs for double the pathos. Before starting Amanda entreated the crowd to sing along. “I want you to sing this song tonight for someone who needs it. And that someone might be you.”

Sing - Amanda was keeping one eye on the clock and the tempo on this one was a bit faster than normal so they could get it in before …

MIDNIGHT! Balloon drop! General pandemonium!

(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!) (Beastie Boys cover) - Everyone on stage!

Coin-Operated Boy

War Pigs (Black Sabbath cover)

——

Girl Anachronism

Photo Gallery: Preshow family portrait.

Destiney performed as a living statue before the show.

Snatch Adams, ladies and gentlemen.

The Dresden Dolls!

Welcome to the Internet

Another Christmas

Amsterdam!

Sometimes you just can’t see the drummer through the trees.

Dual Delilahs!

MIDNIGHT!!!

Submitted without comment.

Good night!

Traditional selfie with Whitney Moses and post-show family selfie featuring Michael!

[10dance]

10 Dance Pilgrimage Route!

As many have pointed out, some of the backgrounds in the 10 Dance manga are based on real locations in Ginza, Tokyo. Back in 2019, the exhibition catalogue contained a small map of the area listing out some famous 10 Dance spots. There have been more locations since then, and after saving those spots, I visited and took photos! I will be sharing the locations for anyone visiting to plan their route as well. All under the cut.

At a glance, these were the spots I went to. As you can see, they are all pretty close to each other and are definitely walkable, but it’s a workout... The red spots appeared in chapter 34, the purple spots appeared elsewhere in-story, and green spots are the bonuses. I didn’t go in any particular order, but I will talk about them in order of appearance in the story.

🟣 Sugiki Dance School

The first, prominently featured location in the story. Some others wrote blogposts about it before so I had a vague idea that it was on Miyuki-dori Street years ago, but it was hard to find exactly what block. Then I found the signature angular balconies! In the story it was always after hours, so I did not see the ornate gate on the first floor during the early evening, but the Brioni store is the closest match. The side with the balconies is opposite a store called Breitling if you want to catch the perfect view (barely visible in this picture!).

🟣 Sukiyabashi Park

We are all very familiar with The Park, aren’t we? The Shinyas sure do spend a lot of time there dancing, but unfortunately, Inoue draws the older version of the park before its renovation a few years ago, so the park doesn’t look like the manga anymore. But the spot is still there, and I’m hoping the Shinyas will return to it someday. As I walked around the updated version of the park, I kept envisioning the Shinyas meeting up here, sitting on a bench or dancing under the clock tower... it felt very real. This park is just a few minutes walk from Sugiki Dance School, making it the perfect after-hours practice space and very easy to reach for us.

🟢 (Bonus) - Bar Zikkai

For those who have been in the fandom for a while, you might know that the 2019 exhibition teamed up with Bar Zikkai to make character cocktails for Suzuki and Sugiki. I remembered it was in Ginza, but I didn’t expect to run into it on my way to the park! Maybe this is the bar that Sugiki really likes, who knows...

🟣 Seiko House Clock Tower

This building is not only featured in the manga (in this exact angle) a few times, it is also a tourist spot known for its clock tower that stands out from other modern buildings surrounding it. The Shinyas have been shown to dance near it on the cover page of chapter 13, and I was determined to find that spot! It’s a busy intersection, so I couldn’t get a picture that is as quiet as the artwork depicts it, but it’s still a beautiful view. The street lamps and subway entrance have both been upgraded which goes to show how long 10 Dance has been serializing. (Sorry for the blurry paper!)

🔴 Dai-ichi Life Insurance Building

This location has only been shown once in chapter 33. With its giant decorated doors, I assumed this was an entrance to a museum or a bank. Google reverse image search tells me it’s an insurance company building, haha. To find this exact view, you’ll want to be facing away from the Shin-Yukaruchō Building, but it’s very easy to find with a little walking around. After taking this picture, I went ahead and stepped on the spot the Shinyas stood in the drawing.

🔴 The Peninsula Hotel

This is another spot that was shown in He Is Beautiful. I forgot how I found it, because the text in the drawing was hard to read, but here it is! In the first picture you can almost see where the Shinyas stood. It was a little bothersome since people were frequently passing by or standing around... A detail that struck me was that even the differences in tiles were noticed by Inoue-sensei — you can see that reflected in the manga! She pays so much attention it’s crazy.

🔴 Marunouchi Ekimae Square

And there's the final spread from He Is Beautiful, with the Shinyas dancing in front of the popular tourist spot of the Tokyo train station. I insisted on coming before the sun set so I can get a similar lighting, and yes, the sun was in the opposite direction, but it cast a gorgeous glow on the building which is a nice feeling too. I went a little further back than the square to get the right frame; the street lamps and trees all match!

🟢 (Bonus) - Marunouchi Subway Line

The kiss in the subway in volume 3 is a truly unforgettable scene in the series, and I couldn’t help but get excited as I got on the Marunouchi subway car. The car layouts won’t always be the same, but I have seen others that match this chapter cover to a tee. I did not get to Kasumigaseki (the station where the Shinyas were seen by a stranger) since I had to get off at Tokyo station, but I was still overcome with emotions as I took this picture before people started coming in.

And those were all the spots I found! Going on this short trip around Ginza made me so close to crying as scenes of the Shinyas dancing in the dead of night on the same streets surfaced in my mind. Although they are fictional characters, it felt so cool to trace their steps knowing that they, and Inoue-sensei in real life, have been here before. If you have the time during your trip, definitely plan for an evening walk in this shimmering part of Tokyo!

(I will update this post with a link to the Google Map if people want it)

[nono-bunny]

Genuinely impressed by how realistic Barbie and Her Sisters in a Pony Tale (God that's an unnecessarily long title) is when it comes to horse etiquette, especially when it comes to Stacie

I rode for a good couple of years, so this is probably the first hobby~ movie I've seen from Barbie so far where I actually like,,, know a thing or two about the main subject (pretty much all of the others before it are ballet ones I think, and I never got very far when it came to my dancing lessons lol)

It's really cool watching Stacie fumble her mounting, brushing, and riding (mostly due to poor communication with her horse) and being able to actually SEE what she's doing wrong rather than just being told by the story she is, like! Sure, it's all pretty basic stuff, but it's also clear because of it that the people working on this movie were passionate enough about it to learn how to portray all of that in such a clear way, and that makes it really fun to watch!

Stacie getting up on her horse again after a bad, scary fall is a relatively minor plot-point, but it's still one I personally appreciated a lot- falling from a beast that can crush you in a second is REALLY scary, and getting back up again isn't to be taken for granted! She's shown to be really scared and a bit traumatized by the jump that she fell during, and I like that! It's more than understandable, and I admire her for giving it another shot and learning how to make it work together with her horse! It can be very easy to start to resent your horse after something like that, and she definitely starts off down that route where fear is about to get the better of her, so I'm genuinely happy for her that Barbie helped her past that hurdle. Your first big fall is the scariest and it can very easily cause people to quit altogether, but it's definitely a fear that can be conquered and overcome! I had a real big fall pretty early after I started riding, and it's to date probably one of the most surreal experiences I've ever had in my life, but I had the instructors and other kids there with me in the aftermath, so I got back on and kept riding for years after that! And I still for sure fell again after that, and eventually I did stop riding because for some reason I became scared over time, which honestly, is probably had a lot to do with the fact that I didn't have my own horse and had to switch horses a lot, and it's exhausting when you're constantly having to learn how to handle a new horse... And also that one horse I was paired with for A WHILE that was honestly probably way too small for me because I kept falling forward on her mane (which was highly unpleasant for both of us). Like, fr, horseriding truly is a rich person sport lol, it's so much easier when you just have your own horse that you can form a proper connection with!!! Anywayyy

I love that you can really feel both the stable camaraderie AND the underlying animosity born out of jealousy that, in my experience, at least, was a staple of my horseriding days, like! Everyone is there to have a good time with horses, but at the same time there's a lot of envy towards "the good riders", the ones who participate in all the competitions and are treated a bit like celebrities (and sometimes act like ones because of it), like!! Yeah this Barbie movie 100% nailed the vibe it was going for!! Financial troubles? Horses running away? Those are the sort of things that make everyone band together because ultimately, most everyone just wants these horses to be as safe and comfortable as possible!

I was also really scared they were going to make Etienne the villain so I'm glad he wasn't, even though his fat, scheming, ALSO french brother being the villain is not a much better look, but like... Good for Etienne, I like him, he seems like a good coach who has to deal with a lot of shit and takes it all with grace because he loves his job! I was really happy with the way they showed that Philippe was the outlier in terms of poor sportsmanship and desire to just profit off of horses, and that even his coworkers and family disapprove of his behavior. Like! You can win all the races, but that won't matter to anyone if you're also a nasty person to be around... Those kinds of people are very much still present in the horseriding circuits, but they suck and that kind of behavior is really not acceptable

This movie just?? Really brought me back to those days in the best way possible, it's so much fun and genuinely a good film, and like! For something with that kind of name I was expecting it to be either really boring or really lame (Perfect Christmas is the perfect example, god that one sucked), so it was a really nice treat for it to be especially good! All the sisters got their own neat plots that worked well too, I feel like I was about equally invested in all of them which was great! God, please let the other Barbie&co films be just as good!!

[bohemiandreams]

And as you get older, you start living differently. Your life begins to move in a reverse mode. You spend your Saturdays in bed, wrapped in blankets, watching foreign cinema that you have never watched before instead of partying with your friends. You take out the trash every day, you change your sheets every three days. You don't always have to be the first person in line. Traffic doesn't bother you. You put your favourite songs in your car and take the long route home. It feels a little like your own personal concert. You don't need another person to go to the movies with you. You order for one in a cafe and sit beside the glass window watching the roads, people, the way winds blow, and the branches of trees. There is a certain satisfaction in knowing that you have finally learned to live all by yourself.

You miss winter nights, but the ones from seven years ago in your hometown where your father and you lit a bonfire outside your garden and sat for hours talking about stars and planets. You remember your uni friends, and sometimes it leaves a bitter taste in your mouth, and sometimes it makes you laugh in the middle of a restaurant where you are on a blind date. When he asks you about it, you say nothing, but you make a mental note of checking up on them online. You realise that you aren't afraid of heartbreaks and rejections anymore. It's all part of life anyway.

You watch a lot of YouTube makeup tutorials at 1 AM on a Friday night when you have nothing else to do. You experiment more with yourself. You wear all the clothes that you weren't so sure about. You put green, lavender, blue eyeshadows and draw pretty siren or rhinestone looks instead of going for something plain. You save up for the trips that you were dreaming to take. You meet your friends over Sunday brunches, you wear more colour than just dressing in boring monochrome. You buy a lot of plants and think about getting a cat. You listen to a lot of artists, and you finally find the one that you can listen to at night. You learn the things that you wanted to learn as a kid—French lessons, keyboard, horse riding, and cooking. You take care of your body and your mental health, and you learn how to say no, even when you hesitate. You invest in funds and think of buying a house, and it doesn't feel like a grown-up thing anymore. It just feels right. Or maybe you invest that money in traveling around the world. You don't overthink or hyperventilate so often because you have accepted that life has always been uncertain and that is the only certain thing about it.

You stop kissing people you didn't like much, or date out of convenience. You think of being with someone kind and nice instead of romanticising red flags. You choose your mental peace over chaos. You do not worry about your social media followers; you like the silence of a Sunday morning. You take trips on your own; you pack your picnic baskets and read books the same way you did when you were little. You leave parties early, but come home and dance to some techno song while you make pasta and sit on your balcony. You love your body more, and you accept people for who they are. You learn to cut off friends who gossip behind your back; you learn to prioritise yourself over others. There's no more waiting for the apology letters from your parents, and you're finally fine with it. You learn that you can miss people, but if they don't make a conscious effort to get you back in their life, they won't earn a place in yours.

And when you feel lonely, you don't run away from yourself and your feelings. You understand that only when you have acceptance, you will let people love you in the way they can, and you will love them, too, in the way you can. You know that there are things you cannot control, so you let them be and live anyway. You take more pictures of the skies and mountains, your friends, and yourself. When you find something extremely beautiful, you absorb it with your eyes first because you know that some things are better kept in your memories than your phone gallery. When your friends ask you about your love life, you aren't so bothered because you had made a lot of mistakes when you were young, and you had hurt yourself and ruined your heart for the ones who didn't deserve you. You smile and say that you are okay, and you really, really mean it because all your life you have sought validations from others, but this is the first time in a long time when you have begun to see yourself as someone important, too. And all the love that you were searching for elsewhere, you finally start to look for it within.

- Rae Pathak, friday reminders.

illustration by Haylee Morice

[fishsticksloser]

Christmas Valentine

Warnings: slow burn?, swearing, kinda angsty? it's Harry, fake dating, fluff, so long...

A/N: I'm so sorry for the person I become while I play Harry's route... Also let's pretend Harry has a house

𝓜𝓪𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓽

You stood on Harry's front porch. It was cold, snow blew all around you, but you were having trouble bringing yourself to knock on the door. You were having a Christmas party with some friends and everyone had a date... Except you. You lied to your friends and said you were dating a guy, you just didn't know if he'd be able to make it. You didn't want to go without someone... Being the 27th wheel was too much, plus you didn't even know half the people that were going. Harry was your one and only chance.

"Hello?" Harry opens the door. "What the hell are you doing out here? It's freezing." Harry pulled you inside, closing the door behind you.

"I have a favor..." You shiver, the temperature change smacked you in the face.

"I don't do favors." He huffs, dragging you to the fireplace.

"Please, Harry," you begged. "I'll do anything."

"What do you need?"

"I'm going to a Christmas party with my friends in a few days and I need a date... I lied and told them I had a boyfriend but I can't go alone. I don't have anyone else."

"You want me to go to a party and pretend to be your boyfriend?"

"Pretty much."

"No."

"Wha- Harry!" You called as he walked away. "Harry, please."

"I don't like parties..."

"It's not going to be huge or anything."

"But it's still a party. I don't get anything good out of this."

Harry was quiet, standing in the doorway to the kitchen. His eyes scanned you. He knew he could trust you, you were his best friend, he'd do almost anything for you. It wasn't that he didn't want to help you, but he just really hated parties.

"We get to hang out, free food, beer, plus I'll owe you so I'll do whatever you ask. If you feel more comfortable with the mask, then wear it."

"No."

"I'll give you a marble."

"Can we leave early?" He asks.

"Of course!" You smile.

"Fine."

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

You had your arm in Harry's as you 2 made your way to the front door. Harry had what you prepared in his free hand. You knocked on the door and your friend who was hosting answered.

"Welcome, come in, relax. Dinner will start soon." They said. Then they turned to Harry. "And who's this!?"

"Uh, Harry." Harry answers, shaking their hand.

"It's nice to meet you."

You both step in, walking to the dining room. You're other friends and their s/o's greeted you and introduced themselves to Harry. He gave a half smile, shaking their hands.

"So, how long have you 2 been together?" One asks.

"About 3 months." You answer.

"Things must be pretty serious for you to bring him." Another points it.

"It is." Harry shoots.

"Really?" Someone asks. "That's so good to hear!"

Harry shoots you a look of 'please make them shut up' look which you chuckle at. Harry sat next to you, his arm resting on the back of your chair. He seemed to relax and possibly be having a good time as more people came in.

Dinner began and you made sure Harry ate well, you knew his eating habits. The chatter slowed as people were too busy enjoying the food. Once dinner and desserts were fine, you all retired to the living room. Music was playing as couples mingled and some danced.

"I think I'm about done." Harry leaned down to whisper in your ear. You nodded, you knew he wasn't good in social situations.

"Okay, let me go and take care of it." You said, but he stopped you.

"Not yet." He huffed, pulling you into him. You gave him a confused look. "We have to look like a couple, right? We should enjoy this evening."

Harry pulled you closer, turning you to face him. You 2 danced to the music, it was soft, you almost couldn't hear it. His arms were around your waist, yours were around his neck. It was nice, your crush on Harry only seemed to grow. You never imagined Harry being a dancer, much less being okay with people watching you 2. As the song ended, he hesitantly pulled away, you were a little sad.

"Are you ready?" You ask, softly. He nodded and you went to excuse yourselves.

The host was a little disappointed, but understood. You both grabbed your things and says your goodbyes. You both got into his car and he started driving you home. The ride home was quiet and full of tension, you weren't sure why.

"Have a good night." Harry said, his eyes still trained on the road.

"You too." You got out and headed to your front door while he drove away. Once inside, you pulled your coat off and hung it up.

What was with Harry?

After dancing with you, he got cold, distant. You wondered if you had done something wrong... Of course you had, you invited him to a big party with people he had never met before. You sighed, you knew he was tired, so you'd talk to him in the morning.

Your thoughts were cut short due to the knock at your door. You opened it to see Harry, a little disheveled, his nose red from the cold. You stepped aside and he came in, pulling his gloves off.

"Are you okay, Harry?" You ask. "Is something wro-"

He kissed you.

You pulled away a little due to pure shock. His cold hands were on either side of your face, you had ahold of his shirt. His lips were soft and calculated. Harry tilted his head a little too deepen the kiss and you felt your heart jump.

There was no way this is actually happening.

Harry pulled away, his hands still on your face. He searched your eyes, what he was looking for, you didn't know. You still had a tight hold on his shirt, you were afraid he would regret this. His eyes were dark, they seemed almost angry. Maybe he was angry with you, this was his payback for the party.

No. Harry could be mean, but he wasn't cruel. Even if he didn't know how you felt about him, he wouldn't do something like this.

"Harry." You let go of his shirt, you don't know what he was thinking. His hands fell from your face.

"I'm sorry." He said. You're heart sank, he hadn't meant it. "I should've asked."

Asked!? He was worried about not asking before he kissed you!?

"You're worried about that!?" You ask.

"I didn't get it wrong?" He questioned, his head tilted a little in confusion.

"Absolutely not." You laughed, pulling him back to you. You kissed him, one of your hands on his neck. He smiled softly into the kis, his hands on your waist.

[popentertainmentmusic]

SPINNING GOLD (2023)

Starring Jeremy Jordan, Wiz Khalifa, Jason Isaacs, Jason Derulo, Jay Pharoah, Michelle Monaghan, Dan Fogler, Sebastian Maniscalco, Winslow Fegley, Ledisi, Sam Harris, Caylee Cowan, Chris Redd, James Wolk, Tayla Parx, Lyndsy Fonseca, Peyton List, Pink Sweats, Casey Likes, Alex Gaskarth, Michael Ian Black and Vincent Pastore.

Screenplay by Timothy Scott Bogart.

Directed by Timothy Scott Bogart.

Distributed by Hero Entertainment. 137 minutes. Rated R.

Neil Bogart was a larger-than-life legend in the music business, even if very few people other than music nerds like me still have a clue who he was.

Bogart ran Casablanca Record and Filmworks, which after a very rocky start became the most successful independent record label of the 1970s. Bogart worked with and/or discovered such acts as KISS, Donna Summer, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Bill Withers, The Village People, Parliament/Funkadelic and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. He worked hard, lived hard, partied hard. He ran up monumental debts and threw legendary parties. He ran afoul of music biz execs and the mob. All of that before dying way too young at 39 of cancer.

It's a fascinating, under-explored story about the highs and the lows of the music business in its glory days. Bogart’s son Tim has long felt that it was important to tell his dad’s story and has been working to get his dad’s story on film since the 1990s. (Early on, Justin Timberlake was in talks to portray Bogart, although eventually he had to drop out because his musical schedule was packed, and he could not fit it in.)

Now, finally, after decades of waiting, Tim Bogart has gotten his father’s life story onscreen. He did it in a way that his own dad would appreciate – going the independent route and taking on the tough work (screenwriting and directing) himself, and basically willing it into existence.

“Getting that story out… is… moving for me,” Bogart told me in a recent interview. “I do think this is a great parallel in the perseverance and the dream I had in making it.”

Bogart has captured a fascinating look back at the wild west days of the old music world, sex, drugs and rock & roll back when it was safe and normal. Like many recent music biopics, Spinning Gold is a mix of hard reality and fanciful romanticization. Sometimes it feels like a serious gangster drama of the 1970s, at other times a jukebox musical with some damn good music provided by current singers playing the legends of days past.

While most of the celeb singers have the voices to pull off the roles, they mostly look almost nothing like the performers they are playing, such as Donna Summer, Gladys Knight and Bill Withers. Also, a personal note to Wiz Khalifa, in 1976 almost no one had nose piercings, not even someone as wild and funky and willfully out there as George Clinton. So you may want to take those things out when portraying a real-life character from another era.

However, I suppose this is not supposed to be a tribute act. The song is the thing, and mostly the re-recordings of legendary hits of the 1970s work surprisingly well.

Holding it all together – the ringleader of the film portraying the ringleader of Casablanca – is Broadway and TV star Jeremy Jordan (Newsies, Little Shop of Horrors, Supergirl) who can access both Bogart’s showmanship and hard-nosed determination. It’s a fascinating bit of myth-building.

“That was kind of Neil's vibe,” Jordan told me in that same interview. “He just wanted to make you dance and wanted to entertain. He was a showman.

“He's writing his own ending, and it is really kind of beautiful and magical and different in that way,” Jordan continued. “We don't feel tied to ultra reality, and this is the exact perfect way that this happened. It doesn't have to be [real] because it was sex, drugs, rock and roll. It was the journey as opposed to the actual truth of it all.”

You could say that about the 1970s in general.

Spinning Gold is spinning some fascinating tales of life on the periphery of superstardom and the high you reach by going all in and creating some genre-defining art. Plus, it’s got a great beat, and you can dance to it. What more can you ask?

Jay S. Jacobs

Copyright ©2023 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: March 31, 2023.