#in my red era ig just roll with it

[blankfaerie]

RED PYRAMID THING 2001 // 2024

[khwxbeeda]

Date Ideas: Desi Edition

I'm in my TS Lover Era and I need some Pune date ideas so uh.. enjoy my thinking process ig

A proper date: dinner and drinks. Proper manners and polite conversation over good food and good beverages/drinks. You and your date pretend to be very serious adults with very serious jobs, and when you walk out of the restaurant you share a secret laugh as if you've pulled the greatest prank ever.

Chaha date. Standing on the side of a road under the insufficient cover of the chai stall with your fingers gripping the edge of plastic cups or mud tumblers, taking a deep sniff and closing your eyes at the smell of veldoda that wafts up. Looking up and catching their gaze already fixed on you, and looking back down, feeling the heat spread over your cheeks. You attribute it to the chaha's steam, but you know that's a lie. When you look back up, they're wating for you. They wink, and you nearly drop your cup, making them stifle a giggle.

Kulfi date. It's a crowded lane and you cram into the little hole in the wall kulfi parlour that's been there since your parents were children, excited smiles on both your faces. You order laal peru and request them to sprinkle chilli powder on top. Your partner gives you a dramatic scandalized look that has you cracking up and orders a sitafal kulfi without the chilli, please and thank you. With a lot of whining and teasing and mischievous smiles, you finally get them to taste your kulfi, and it ends with them ordering it for themself. You lean back in your chair and grin smugly even as they roll their eyes.

Book thrifting. Hands held, you walk into your usual book shop, a smile lighting up your face at the familiar smell of mogra and yellowing pages that hangs in the little room. It's a tiny shop in the basement of a shady old plaza, but it always has the best second hand books. The idea is to buy a book you think the other will enjoy, and then discuss them when you are done reading them. You pick up Ruined by Paula Morris, because you remember the three M's that your date swears by: Magic, Murder and Mystery. This is a perfect blend of all three, and you rather think they'll enjoy it. When you meet them at the counter, they have Nashtaneer by Rabindranath Thakur in their hands. You both grin at each other.

Juna Bazaar is as crowded as always. You giggle as they grip your wrist and drag you from shop to shop, rambling about their lecture in college. The sonchafa that you had tucked behind their ear is still there, and it makes something warm settle in your heart. You keep your mind on the mission though: buy three of the most interesting things you see, and then explain why you think it is interesting. They gasp and snap up a beautiful crystal vial like a magpie. It turns out to be kajal, made the traditional way. "You have to!" they insist, "it'll look so good with your pretty eyes!" You turn red and accept the little wand, dragging it between your eyelids. When you're done, your partner stares at you with their lips parted. Just as you're about to wave in front of their eyes and ask if they're okay, they lean forward and steal a lightning-fast kiss. "Too darn pretty for your own good, you are."

Camp area date! You two take a whole day to just stroll through Camp, pulling each other into random shops and cafés, looking at everything and eating from restaurants and roadside stalls alike. Your partner drags you deep into a sketchy looking plaza, and you find a clothing shop that sells the most random fashion items. You go to an ittr and perfume store. You visit Pasteur Ice Cream, Cafe Peter, the chaat stalls near Clover Centre and the barbeque corn stalls a little ways from Kumar Plaza. At the end of the day, you go home and show each other all your purchases; they bought you a bejewelled purse that goes with that one pair of your heels and you squeal over it, you bought them a chandan attar because you remember them mentioning it being their favourite smell and they immediately rub it over their wrists with a bright smile.

The two of you are tucked into a little corner of the garden. Sitting on an old bedsheet with several lunchboxes filled with bhel, samosa, kaju katli, shrikhand, slices of mango and watermelon and a bunch of green grapes. Your phone plays a familiar tune— Ishq Wala Love, and you're mouthing the lyrics in the most dramatic style that you can, revelling in the laughter of your partner. There is a mogra cha gajra braided into your hair and three roses tucked behind their ear; your little gifts to each other. Their eyes gleam bright with mirth, lips curved upward into a wide grin, and you can't help but lean forward and press a soft kiss to their lips. This picnic date is the best idea you've had in a while, you think, and the late spring flowers in bloom are the perfect addition.

.

Tag list: @mad-who-ra @yehsahihai @natures-marvel @musaafir-hun-yaaron @hum-suffer @h0bg0blin-meat @orgasming-caterpillar @wyvrens @kanha-sakhi

[m3ang0thgrlfrnd]

mean!soft dom!stu brainrot<3 .

a/n - back in my poly!ghostface thirst era, i'm not apologizing either. this blurb was made a while ago and i published it on my old tumblr stuillyspsychogf , so if this seems familiar that's why . happy reading everyone <3 !!

content warning - overstimulation, coercion, manipulation (kind of?) , breeding/creampie ig , pet names, mocking. tell me if i missed anything.

There were tears in your eyes as you were on the edge of your third orgasm of the night.

"P-please.. can't take anymore." You whimpered out. It was barely even audible. But Stu heard you.

Stu pulled out of your walls slowly just to slam back into them a second later.

Stu's mouth hovered over your right ear panting heavily and breathing shakily for a few minutes before saying, "Sure you can, sweetheart. You've been such a good girl for me, you really want to stop now?" He asked before slowly pushing himself further into your pussy, hitting your g-spot which caused your toes to curl and your fingers intertwine with the white satin bedsheets.

You softly let out a string of moans, your back arching, before letting out a weak mumble. "N-... n-no."

Stu let out a breathy laugh before he pulled out some then pushed right back in, hard.

Stu let out a few groans of pleasure, rocking his hips into you with a rhythmic thrust, absolutely loving the sounds of your squelching pussy tightening on his cock. He felt like he was on Cloud 9, like he had found nirvana.

Stu's hands reached the front of your neck, bringing your ear up to his mouth."Such a fucking good girl, aren't you?" He cooed into your ear as you moaned and nodded your head, feeling your pussy getting impossibly wetter by his voice.

"Say it baby. Say that you're my good girl." He demanded you as he started fucking into you harder, making it impossible for you to keep in your scream.

He wanted to drive you over the edge, he wanted to see you break, wanted to see you cry. And he wanted to be the reason for it.

Stu tightened his grip on your neck, "Any time now, angel." He taunted you, a sick grin on his face as he watched you turn red in the face.

You brung your index and middle finger up to Stu's hands, and tapped them, signaling you needed to say something. Stu took his hands off of your neck, bringing his arm to it instead, but not choking you.

"I-I-.. I'm your-" You cut yourself off with a moan as Stu kept on hitting your g-spot over and over again, groaning into your ear as your cunt clenched on his cock.

"I'm y-your good g-girl, Stu! Fuck!" You cried out, the tears in your eyes rolling down your cheeks as you started to sob from the feeling of overstimulation.

Stu pulled out of you, the sound your juices sloshing out of your pussy. He turned you around, your face facing his, his facing yours.

He let the swollen red tip of his cock tease your clit, moving it up and down extremely slowly causing you to mutter a string of curses under your breath before slamming back into you.

"St-Stu!" You screamed so loudly you were sure the neighbours could hear you.

Stu grinned at you, "You're doing so good, Y/N. I'm almost there.. fuck!" He groaned out, his rhythm turning into an untimely thrust.

His face got closer to your neck as you tangled your hands into his hair, gripping on it so hardly like it was the only thing that connected you two. Stu moaned in mixture of pain and pleasure.

You could feel that you were close. "P-please, Stu! I'm gonna cum!" You cried out.

"Go on, angel. Cum for me. Let the whole fucking town know how good I'm fucking you." He said into your neck.

That was all the approval you needed as your third orgasm ripped through you. Your thighs shaking, your moans and screams getting louder as you let the hot white take over you.

It didn't take Stu that long after to cum. After a few more thrusts, he slowed down, a few mutters of your name coming out of his mouth, as he came deep inside of your cervix.

[dizaryswrites]

I have a confession to make!

I don’t know how obvious it is, but I actually haven’t read any comics 😅 I know, I know haha, it’s just I haven’t had the time! Luckily, I mostly follow blogs that I know are comic readers so I know what’s fanon and canon mostly. But since I will have free time in the summer, I was wondering if you have any recommendations on what to read and where to start?

Oh man I WISH I could be one of those blogs who snaps out the long scroll that just rolls down the hallway with a concise cross referenced list of top hits from every era and where to start with each character! But I am a book hoarder with not enough time on my hands so I haven't even read half of what I have, let alone all the back issues 😅

Here's some stuff that I really enjoyed as a new-to-comics-and-DC reader and in general (in mostly chronological order because that's how I arrange my comic books):

Batman: Dark Victory

I really enjoyed the mystery and early Batman days, plus Dick Grayson's debut! He is a delight. I didn't read Long Halloween which comes before this so I missed some context but I picked it up easy enough (also according to some reviews the mystery can be repetitive if you have read Long Halloween sooo win for me ig?)

Robin: Year One

I am determined to read this one soon. I've heard great things about it though so it's being added

Batman: Prodigal

I read this without reading a single page of Knightfall because I was getting interested in Nightwing and this was the earliest book that my library had available (I have given up on a chronological reading order since those early foolish days). I knew nothing and still really enjoyed Dick!Bats and Robin!Tim together. I need to reread this soon

Formerly Known as the Justice League

A limited run, 6 issues I think. Honestly I should just say Justice League International in general but I started with this mini for Booster Gold and Blue Beetle after seeing some funny panels online and I fell in love with that whole cast of losers (affectionate). It's not BatFam but so so fun to read (and JLI has some really poignant moments too)

Young Justice: A League of Their Own

SO FUN. Tim and friends dealing with just ridiculous scenarios LOL I'm only halfway through but it's great

Batman: Hush

I haven't read a lot of just Batman titles but I enjoyed Hush. It had some good character moments for Bruce that helped me understand the way he thinks a little more. I also hear Bruce Wayne: Murder/Fugitive is very very good but I haven't gotten around to it yet (a running theme)

Batgirl: Point Blank

Cass is a treat. This was the first volume I found of her's, haven't read the others yet, but even lacking context I really enjoyed her as the main character and her interactions with Steph, Babs, and Bruce.

Teen Titans (Geoff Johns)

This was one of the first series I started reading and it was a good intro for me, a completely new DC fan. It's Tim and his friends but more serious than YJ. I've read vol 1-2 and part of 3

Under The Red Hood

Classic for good reason. I haven't finished it yet (teehee) but the first half has been entertaining. Jason has had some um... interesting writing in his time. But I really enjoy the way he's written here. It's a good baseline imo. I've heard Lost Days is also good

Nightwing (Tomasi run)

I love Tomasi and this run was a lot of fun. Dick is funny while not losing his serious, capable edge, he interacts with people in his circles, and has some interesting introspection moments. There's a weird part of the plot about midway that definitely uses bad Asian stereotypes which is so disappointing. But after that it gets normal again 😅

Batman & Robin

This comes right after Tomasi's run and it's a mixed bag for me. It's definitely interesting seeing Dick and Damian learning to work together but I was still new to DC with little context for things and was also *so* put off by the art style that I don't remember it well. But I thought I'd add it anyway since it's an iconic moment for Dick!Bats

Batman and Robin (Tomasi)

I adore Bruce and Damian struggling together to discover what being father and son looks like for them. I adore Damian having growth. That's volumes 1-3. 4 is post Damian's death (and damn issue 1 is a well written look at grief), I haven't read 5 or beyond yet.

Nightwing (Rebirth)

The first Nightwing title I read. Looking back, the characterization is a bit weak in some areas, doesn't quite match how he's written in older runs, but it had good moments and kept me entertained. Especially!!! In vol 3 with Humphries's Judge arc

For more current runs, I'm really enjoying World's Finest. Waid's writing is good and Mora's art is just *cartoon heart eyes*. Bats, Supes, and teenage Dick Grayson are a fun trio. Amid other runs that had me tearing my hair out in disappointment or frustration, WF is a breath of fresh air.

Titans United: Bloodpact is a 6 issue limited that was also a really nice read. It's Dick's Titans but Tim is there too and I enjoyed everyone's writing.

The Human Target (Tom King) but honestly I was just losing my mind over Greg Smallwood's art and paneling the entire time. A masterpiece. I want to frame every page. I cheered when he posted inspiration threads on Twitter.

Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen

It's not Batfam but hear me out!!!! This comic had some of the sweetest moments between Supes and Jimmy and I wanted to grab literally anybody by the shoulders and shake them until they looked at the Lois, Clark, & Jimmy in the helicopter panel and GOT IT!!! Also it is so delightfully wacky and funny, I was genuinely laughing out loud. Steve's Lieber's art is the perfect pairing with Matt Fraction's writing.

AND SPEAKING OF!

This isn't DC at all but it's the series that made me (and so many others) really love comics and their storytelling potential. Matt Fraction's Hawkeye run, volumes 1-4. Between his writing and David Aja's artwork and color theory (and Steve Lieber's guest issue that literally gut punched me and changed how I saw later parts of the story, it was never just a filler issue to me, Steve) you get a great story that says so much with so little (in the best way) and is a visual treat as well. Chef's kiss.

Some other non-DC comics I really enjoyed are Die (imagine Jumanji but D&D and novels and oh look the consequence of your actions has grown up), Something is Killing the Children Vol. 1 (I am not a horror girly but I really enjoyed this, in no small part because of Dell'edera's art), Eight Billion Genies (the world population hits 8 billion and now everyone gets a genie, what could go possibly wrong), and Paper Girls which I'm about 2/3 through (picture stranger things but with time travel, spaceships?, and oh shit is future me lying??)

Damn, I guess I really did have a scroll's worth. 😭 Anyway, my recommendation for where to start with this list is...what does your library have available? Don't forget about the Hoopla app too, that's where I read some of these digitally. Or the used bookstore which is where I got 90% of my comics from.

But seriously! Just pick whatever sounds the most fun or has the character(s) you're the most interested in and go from there. Skip around on the timeline or go in chronological order. Whatever floats your boat! I think that's the really unique thing about comics. Plus if you can't figure out the context of what you're missing or what is happening simultaneously (because writers & editorial used to care a little more) you can do a quick google or (and I wish I had this with Batgirl) @cephalog0d has a pinned timeline master list. Incredible.

[foxes-that-run]

End game

Like all Ed features, End Game is Haylor. (Ed, the O.G. Haylor MVP) it was written a few weeks after HS1 was released. Unlike other Rep songs that were revisited and have Joe references, even when they started before they met. In fact the film clip is overtly Haylor. (below) in the BTS (at 1:55) Taylor’s gets text with a scrabble move, she considers, says it is a 'tight game' and decides to leave the other player suspended. Ed blushes.

When OOTW was released Harry’s IG went B&W for 2 years until he started solo promo, apart from a few scrabble boards (in screaming colour) I have a theory he & Taylor played remotely which is why they are colour and she included this.

Here’s some footage of Joe playing scrabble. ….oh sorry, wait, that’s Harry Styles: fan of Scrabble and texting T Swift. Look at her here in the reputation book with the players names covered.. I wonder why lol

Timeline

Ed Sheeran said he wrote his part in a hotel room in New York. He told Audacy that he went to her RI home and heard Rep then the next day wrote it in a hotel in NY. 14 July 2017. (2 months after HS1’s release) (He was also at Taylors NY Apartment 7 March)

I was playing Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, she has a place in Rhode Island, which isn't too far so she hits me up I go around. She plays me what turned out to be Reputation and End Game and I was like man this is I really like, can I do a verse can I like do a rap verse and she was like yeah for sure. So the next day i kind of I remember I was in bed and sort of woke up and i got my laptop out but the song just looped it and I wrote wrote this verse and I went in with max martin who she did the song with and recorded it and then future the verse and then Taylor wrote a verse and then yeah we shot we shot a video".

Film Clip

The film clip is less subtle in being Haylor, it takes place in:

Miami, where HS and TS hung out at Courtney Cox's house

Tokyo, where HS went on a 1D break as his first trip overseas without the band

London, where Ed, HS and Joe all live.

Haylor Easter eggs:

0:04 the ferris wheel looks like the winding wheel.

0:21 she is a passenger in a car at night

0:44 she wears a very Harry Gucci Jumpsuit

0:48 there is a polaroid

1:10 she is a single kitten mother, except Olivia is in her Rep Era lol

1:20 the 1989 Rolling Stone shoot, now in the dark with fireworks.

2:09 Taylor 'A' Swift wears an "A" shirt see: Harry's A tattoo. (When asked Harry said "uh... for my mum" which Louis said "No it's not not it's for a mystery blonde" (2:40)

2:39 she wears the Red/WANGBT hat and cane. She also wears the jacket from her red rolling stone cover.

3:13 there are 2 white bird statues that look like his chest tattoos.

3.30 she references the 1D One Thing MV bus scene

3:43 she visits this kebab shop, a similar one with a made up but similar name is in the 1D midnight memories MV. This tik tok is also about this being an ex’s kebab shop

Lyrics

I wanna be your endgame, endgame Big reputation, big reputation Ooh, you and me, we got big reputations, ah And you heard about me, ooh I got some big enemies (yeah) Big reputation, big reputation Ooh, you and me, we'd be a big conversation, ah

HS and TS have both had big reputations as long as they’ve know each other. Now both A-listers dating is a much bigger conversation than one dating anyone else. Her enemies of Scooter and the Kanye are relevant to the music industry.

I don't wanna touch you (I don't wanna be) Just another ex-love (you don't wanna see) I don't wanna miss you (I don't wanna miss you) Like the other girls do

New Years Day Taylor sings “Please don't ever become a stranger, Whose laugh I could recognize anywhere”.

I don't wanna hurt you (I just wanna be) Drinkin' on a beach with (you all over me)

Harry Styles Debut was released May 2017, 6 months before Rep. Harry told Radio 1 he had played it for Ed earlier. The album lays out a lot of hurt between them Taylor may not have known about in that detail. Drinking, beaches and being all over each other are solid Haylor themes, see Video.

I hit you like, "Bang" We tried to forget it, but we just couldn't

Haylor hit like a bang, they met in march, were together almost immediately, he had multiple tattoos that reference her by May and they both had new albums with songs they still perform about each other by October and November. Toe were friends for a long time first and were not yet public.

Reputation precedes me, they told you I'm crazy I swear I don't love the drama, it loves me And I can't let you go, your handprint's on my soul It's like your eyes are liquor, it's like your body is gold You've been calling my bluff on all my usual tricks So here's the truth from my red lips

There’s a lot of Haylor references here:

They told you I was crazy, I swear I don’t love the drama is a reference to 1989’s Blank Space

I can’t let you go, Handprints on my soul fits is a theme in 1989, MMIH, Stockholm syndrome, ready for it?, Harry’s House.

The truth from my red lips refers to Style, Two Ghosts and other lip related lyrics.

Finally Taylor uses gold to describe HS in Gold Rush: “Everybody wants you, But I don't like a gold rush, What must it be like, to grow up that beautiful?”

[memorymessage]

having an internal debate with myself on seriously considering the cessation of my lip picking habit

indeed

it's actually a foreign and weirdly terrifying idea. i have been peeling at my lips every single day since i was 14 or 15.

and i'm not talking about just picking off a few chapped areas—oh my, no. for over ten years, i have picked all the skin off my lips on a daily basis. all of it. the entire lip. i've even extended the border of my lip area and picked the skin around my lips.

the reason it's terrifying to even think about not doing it anymore is because i've grown used to seeing myself with completely red and swollen lips on a daily basis. like, that is my norm. before i pick my lip for the day, i feel like i don't recognize myself. i look so pale and deathly without the splash of color that is literal raw, reddened skin

but, like... i now use tinted lip balm. so... does it even matter that i keep picking my lips? should i seriously continue torturing myself like this every day? i can get lip color from my lip balm.

i don't even like my lip picking habit, either. i just feel like it has to be done. it's not like the satisfaction i get when picking at my eyebrows. i literally think of picking my lips like a daily chore—a job.

right now my lips feel like they're semi-healed. usually i have a thick, nasty crust that is essentially a clear colored scab (it's just like super, mega bad chapped lips) that drives me INSANE if i don't pick at it. but yesterday, i didn't pick at it because it was being too difficult and making me bleed a lot. now that they're starting to heal, it gets harder to pick at, because the chapped areas start softening and... becoming normal, ig.

and i had a thought like 'omg, i better pick them aggressively today. i can't let them heal. i'll look awful!'

but... yeah. i actually don't really know what my lips would look like fully healed. i've never given them that chance. i only see them when they're scabbed over and chapped (VERY pale), or picked swollen and red.

another end of an era if i actually decide to do this

bleach/dyed eyebrow era over

bleach/dyed hair era over

now damaged lips era...over?

(that's my lip skin... all over... my shirt...)

and when it bleeds, it does not stop bleeding! i've had to nurse my bleeding lips for hours and hours and hours. filled entire rolls of tissue paper with blood. it fucking sucks! why am i doing this!?

[boognish-worshipper]

Midnight City AU

this is an au where the main characters are all young adults!! (or millennials ig? they’re in their 20s basically) i gave a rundown of what’s what on a diff post,, i’m also splitting it up into diff chapters,, so this is gonna take a looooong time to finish. i’m posting this before i nitpick my writing to the max

it’s basically a lot of references to that point in time, artists, pop culture etc. all the chapters are named after songs from that era (including the name of this au bc i love midnight city and what better way to describe LS ‼️), and the lyrics r usually connected to what the chapter’s about, or about a character dynamic :D i hope this isn’t too cheesy, or sounds off ig. any typos in this were probably over looked bc i constantly reread my writing and rearrange stuff and make sure it sounds good 🥳 hope y’all enjoy !!! i’m also including a tag to find the chapters under :)

//Chapter 1: Crimewave

Trevor would never, ever admit it, but he had fallen into the category known as “post-hipster”. This was a strange era that began culminating, taking LS by storm. Whether he liked it or not, he could never avoid it. Even if he swore up and down he wasn’t like them, it was practically a paradox. Saying he wasn’t like them just made him a branched off version of the thing he denounced. Each aesthetic that was churned out as the 2010s rolled in were tied to a style, a sound, and Trevor couldn’t care less. It’s not like people liked what he liked. He didn’t belong to anything in particular, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t like them. If anything, he just became another obscure genre in the mix.

One of his favorite music groups was a Canadian duo called Crystal Castles. He enjoyed a good number of their songs, developing an interest for electropunk and pop punk. There was something unique about the sound, and it made Trevor feel special, like he discovered some sort of hidden treasure. He was into pop punk groups like Paramore too, but it was something about them that was just different. People knew Paramore. He often lingered around Sterling Lake, where other post-irony hipsters and classic hipsters resided, careful not to fully associate with them. After all, he apparently despised them, even though he participated in their strange… “culture”. If you could even call it that. From time to time he would find himself discussing his favorite artists with whatever semi-normal person was there, making a couple friends himself who weren’t the snooty kind he’d grown used to.

They all loved talking about how exceptional their taste in music was, a wide variety of people hanging around with their own cliques. Some liked Fall Out Boy, while others liked Blink-182, and then there were the weirdos who liked groups like Radiohead. Most of those guys were whiny, proclaiming how misunderstood they were. He knew maybe one Radiohead song at most (he definitely, definitely never cried to “Creep” and even if he did, so what) but never found himself willingly getting into their music. Then you had the nosedivr crowd, which consisted of mostly girls, and the occasional hipster guy that defected. Their taste was.. alright. Consisted of artists like Lana Del Ray and Marina and the Diamonds, who were their idols. He found almost everyone there besides the few friends he made kind of edgy, and not in the cool way. But he figured all hipsters and guys like them were kind of uncool. Don’t even get him started on those other indie rock types. God. He still came back as often as he could though, establishing some kind of routine. Most people there avoided him anyway, which he preferred. He had enough troubles with them in the past. There was one day he grew tired of the people gawking at him, and he launched a hipster right into the lake. So yeah, nobody within their right mind so much as looked in his direction. That was just how he rolled.

Today, he sat on a nearby bench in Sterling Lake’s park, watching some ducks float on water. His usual friends had been there too, seeing his clowncore buddy Wade with his cousin Floyd. Wade was extremely different than the pretentious fucks around them. He had a shit ton of piercings, and ICP was his favorite music group. Floyd on the other hand, fit right in. Almost too much, like it was something he was forced to do. But he did genuinely enjoy Weezer, of all things you could enjoy. Wade started waving at Trevor, while Floyd hid behind him. All he did was awkwardly wave back, turning his attention back to the lake. He liked Wade, but the clown stuff he wore sometimes spooked him. He didn’t pay much mind to his relative. Looking back across the water, he saw someone new, observing the area. Some dude a little above the average height, hands in his pockets walking around. He seemed a bit lost, and Trevor figured he should help if he was. After all, what was this guy doing here? New people didn’t show up often.

“Hey bud, you lost or something?”

“Oh uh, nah not really. I’m just looking for this girl I met a while ago, said she hangs out around here?”

“What she look like? I’m here pretty often.”

“Uhh kinda short, dark brownish hair? Wears fishnet stockings, high waisted shorts or whatever those grunge people are into.”

“Let me guess, she into the Neighborhood?”

“How’d you know?”

“Yeah, that’s Amanda, she’s a bit of a regular. Not too fond of me I must say.”

“How come?”

“She’s just petty towards me.” He said with a shrug. He didn’t feel like relaying his encounters with her if the guy was dating her or something.

“Oh… well d’ya think you could help me find her? I don’t really know anybody else here. I could actually use the help, since you know her.”

“Eh sure, why not.”

It’s not like he had anything better to do. The two began to walk around the park, gravel and dirt crunching beneath their feet.

“So.. what’s this place about?” The strange guy asked.

“Hm? Oh, it’s just one of those places the hipster folks meet up I guess. Don’t understand it much myself, nor do I really like them.”

“Then why do you come here?”

“Dunno. It’s relatively peaceful, those freaks keep to themselves.”

The man, who was only a smidge shorter than Trevor, glared up at him.

“Hey man, don’t call my girl a freak.”

“Ehh I don’t really count her in with the generic skinny jean wearing hipsters. More of a.. what is it called.. nosedivr type. Whatever that stupid website’s called. Why do you think she dresses like that?”

“Huh.. Never really thought to ask her.”

As he thought about the stuff Amanda wore, he took note of how the man next to him was dressed. He sported an olive jacket with a black turtle neck, and a plain pair of jeans. He wore beat up black converse to top it off, and a pair of Rimmers sunglasses sat upon his head. He looked simple, yet distinguished with the way he presented himself, hair neatly combed back. He figured the two would look nice standing next to one another. They would’ve made an attractive couple, if they weren’t dating already, the kind that turns heads. Trevor wasn’t like them. He wore a black beanie over his mullet, and his favorite pair of red Dix sunglasses rested on the bridge of his nose. The rest of his fit looked disheveled. He had thrown on a wrinkled top, solid black with little surf boards and cars along the bottom- he was a sucker for Hawaiian shirts. His pants were tan colored but had some bleach stains, with old combat boots on his feet.

“Yeah, we may not like each other but I don’t really consider her a freak like those guys.”

He jutted a thumb in the direction of a circle of guys huddled around a phone. The man holding the phone had strawberry blonde hair and a clean outfit on. An expensive looking outfit.

“Who are they?”

“The people here I absolutely cannot fucking stand. The genuine hipsters.”

“Oh.. and you’re..?”

“I’m my own kind. I’m not like these losers, all uppity and shit.”

“Right. Gotcha.”

They walked around a bit more before finding the group Amanda was with. She sat on a bench, chatting with a few girls who dressed similarly to her. All of them had black incorporated into their style. She herself had a black jumper on, tucked neatly into the front of her jean shorts. Just like the guy described, she had fishnets on under them, skater shoes to match. Loose braids fell on her shoulders, and a small black choker was wrapped around her neck.

“Oh, there he is now! Babe! Over here!”

She narrowed her eyes upon seeing Trevor standing next to him.

“Hello, Trevor.” She huffed.

“Relax, I was helping your boyfriend or whatever look for you.”

Her face softened slightly, but still kept a small glare in his direction. She pressed her lips together tight before replying.

“Thanks, I guess.”

“Yup.”

The man turned to face Trevor, sticking out a hand.

“Hey, thanks for showing me around. Trevor, is it?”

“Don’t wear it out.”

He shook his hand, noticing how soft it was. It was in stark contrast to his own, which was rough and calloused.

“Name’s Michael. I’ll see you around most likely? Thanks again.”

“Yeah, no problem.”

Amanda huffed again, nudging Michael’s shoulder.

“Let’s go hun, Bean Machine closes soon!”

“I’m comin’ I’m comin’!”

The two sauntered off, hand in hand. Trevor stood dumbly, watching them walk away. He was right. They did look good together. He wondered if he would actually see this Michael again, kicking a rock. He went back to the bench he originally sat at, putting his earbuds in, listening to some Crystal Castles again to pass the time. The beat thumped in his ears, and all he could think was how much better this shit was compared to that club music shit that played on every radio station in a 5 foot radius. He sat there, scrolling through his own secret nosedivr account, reblogging some photo of a lit cigarette. Right before a hand touched his shoulder causing him to jump.

“What the fuck- Oh. Ron.”

Ron was another friend of Trevor’s, a guy he had met outside one of the iFruit stores talking about how “they’re tapping the phones they sell in there!” and all that conspiracy nonsense. He was a paranoid guy, but Trevor kind of liked that about him. Those were the kind of freaks he liked. He was shorter than Trevor, sort of frail in stature. He wore a bright red windbreaker over a faded tourist tee that read “I went to Liberty City and all I got was this lousy t-shirt!”, along with khaki colored cargo shorts. It didn’t help that he wore some goofy looking bucket hat, and socks with sandals. He dressed like someone’s middle aged father.

“Trevor! Have you seen Wade around anywhere?”

“Last I checked, he was with Floyd.”

“Did he say where he was going?”

“Uh no, but my best bet is they went to that vinyl shop Floyd’s girlfriend works at.”

“Will ya come with me to find him?”

“Now why the fuck would I do that? What do you need him for?”

“Well I- I uh- um..”

“I uh! I uh! Spit it out Ron!”

“It’s about the Merryweather Night Club.”

Merryweather was a big organization that had a wide range of private clubs all over the country, and complimentary body guards to suit. They were all expensive as fuck, and anywhere they settled jacked up the prices of everything else. A lot of neighborhoods became gentrified as a result, and people actually considered it a good thing. What a fucking joke. Trevor of course couldn’t stand it. He hated bullies, and Merryweather was no exception. He’d been wanting to dismantle the club since they settled in LS, seeing as they only amplified the fake feel of the city. Let’s just say he’s gotten into more than a few scuffles with the club. And let’s just say it ended with someone getting stabbed as a result. The guy had it coming to him anyway. Between bouncers and the clubbers, they didn’t like Trevor or his kind loitering around the joint. It didn’t stop him from plotting some sort of revenge though. Ron per usual was on board, his reason being Merryweather’s violent history that had been swept under the rug. They were rather forceful relocating people who had lived in certain neighborhoods for years, Ron being one of their victims. Wade only decided to tag along because he wanted to be included.

“Ah fuck, what’d those bastards do now?”

“They’re throwing some big party!”

“…What fucking for?”

“All I know some guy’s coming to visit, somebody they labeled important and he’s-“

“Woah woah woah wait, Ron. Who?”

“Steve Haines.” He breathed out, careful not to be overheard.

Trevor’s eyes widened, his gaze shooting over to the posse he had poked fun of before. Steve was talking to the group, all of them doing that fake laugh they always did. God, even their humor was pretentious.

“Those fucking hipsters!” He hissed.

“I abhor them, you know that-“

“I know. I know. But, that Weston guy’s gonna be there with him-“

“Weston? Devin Weston?”

If Trevor hated hipsters, then he utterly loathed rich daddy’s money boys like Devin Weston. He had only gotten that stupid fucking night club because his father paid Don Percival enough money to let Devin do whatever he pleased with the Merryweather body guards. It was an elitist club, and they only allowed the best of the best in there.

“What the fuck’s going on there?”

“Something to do with those guys he hangs out with. I think they’re doing something major, expansion maybe-”

“And him and Devin are working together or..?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t hear much after that, that’s why I wanted to grab you and Wade and-”

“Then let’s fucking go get him, Ron!”

The two rushed out of there, heading for the vinyl store to look for Wade. Trevor knew a shit storm was coming, and he absolutely couldn’t wait.

//the next chapter’s gonna be longer i promise lolz

[shouldntcryoverit]

the art of discordance

a captain rex x jedi fic during clone wars era :))

no warnings i think uh yeah hope you enjoy let me know ig...

next chapter

CHAPTER ONE -

A new general. That’s what the rookies had heard, though Rex was reluctant to believe the Jedi Council had the guts to replace Skywalker. After a good few months, the captain had learnt of his general’s unique ‘disposition’, and getting a new general to step in was what he least expected.

That was until the ship landed just outside their camp and she walked out. Even from his position sitting further back on some crates, Rex could make out the figure, identifying her as one of the jedi knights, though which one escaping him. Perhaps the rumours were true.

He watched as she walked closer, hands placed purposefully and eyes wandering over the other two jedi in front of her. The commander crossed her arms defensively, though her master seemed unbothered by her arrival, excited even.

“master?” Ahsoka coughed

“oh snips!” Skywalker bleated with the same enthusiasm he had wagered throughout the interaction “this is Jaida Reyes”

“the one from your padwan stories?” Ahsoka said with smug conviction

“my reputation precedes me” her accent was crisp and calm, though her tone radiated a coolness that Ahsoka couldn’t help but feel distanced by “though i’d rather be known for my skills with a lightsaber than helping Akin steal from Obi-wan”

Ahsoka held back a snicker as Rex walked up to the three, absent minded as he double checked his comm.

“General Skywalker, we have the new coordinates” His attention tried hard to divert to the new face.

“ah thank you” Anakin turned to his friend “this is my captain, Rex”

Rex nodded at his introduction.

“i’m the new co-general, General Reyes” her face settled into the beginnings of a smile, but faultered and remained her neutral, placid gaze.

The young jedi watched with focused eyes as they walked the short distance towards the briefing tent. Already her presence seemed to spark rumours among the men, and she watched as the younger looking troopers sent her inspecting looks. It was to be expected, honestly she never wanted a big formal introduction, but she didn’t know that her arrival would breach the news so quickly.

When they arrived, the tent was half full. An open and decorated holo map was in the centre, with at least two clones at each marked entrance point.

“Boys” Skywalker called “we have a visitor”

She rolled her eyes slightly at the flamboyant gesture, but stepped forward anyway. “I’m General Reyes, apparently Skywalker wasn’t trusted enough to run his own battalion, so i got called in” Her hands rested behind her back, but a small grin encroached her face as the snipe made a few troopers smirk.

“excuse my fellow jedi, she’s never been good at taking second place” Anakin fired back, earning another set of grins.

Reyes crossed her arms as her smiling face resumed the same placcid one she’d kept previously. “i have heard nothing but good things, and i look forward to serving with you.”

The Captain moved forward from the side of the room and clicked to change the holo map, it made a small beep as he did.

“The 212th met a settlement of droids over this side of the ridge. Last report was that they were able to move forward at the threat subsided.”

“so what does that mean for us?” Jaida’s brows furrowed as Rex layed the plans out for her. Already her mind was scoping escape routes and vantage points, but she remained seemingly unbothered by the conflict describes. Rex couldn’t help but feel unmotivated by her apparent lack of interest.

“our initial plan was to take out the last forces left on the planet after the seppie defeat, but intelligence believed the 212th accidentally did it for us”

She scoffed “so we’re here for a clean up?”

“hope you brought something fun to do” Ahsoka scorned.

The efforts were limited within the first hour. Already the men were tired of the same scenery and nothing but expansive flats. The sun stood high in the sky, illuminating the landscape in a orange hue. It wasn’t hot nor cold, everything about the mission mediocre, something Reyes particularly hated. It wasn’t just her with an annoyance, she could sense the captain’s distrust. She understood it, only hoped it wouldn’t comprimise her efficiency.

As if nothing interesting was ever going to happen, a yell from a trooper a little further ahead broke the methodical thump of the machinery.

Soon followed was the sound of gun fire. Each shot was slow, until finally the enemy was visible.

“Find cover!”

“you did say you wanted action” Anakin quipped, earning an actual chuckle from her usual pursed lips. It almost caught Rex off guard.

It was unavoidable, the lack of cover meant the men were almost completely exposed, accept for the three jedi that stepped forward, sabers ignited.

Reyes was a new sight, though she didn’t look out of place on the battle field. Her lighsaber was different, instead of the usual one blade, hers had two, both green and glowing as she tactically spun it round and round, catching blasts as if it were sport. Even her fighting style seemed new, she fought with elegance and structure, each blow purposeful and strong.

Her focus was planted entirely on the enemy ahead, so much so that she failed to notice the trooper settling down beside her.

“karking droids, never seem to die” she muttered, deflecting a few more blasts.

A muffled laugh came from beside her and the familiar blue and white etched her vision.

“I’d get used to it general” a trooper grinned

Jaida turned and grimaced, an offering of acceptance. As she refocused her mind to the task at hand, a thought slipped through.

“trooper, get those three and come with me”

Her request caught the clone beside her off guard, but he complied none the least.

The five of them rounded behind the line of defence, all the way to their republic.

“uh, sir, what are we doing?” a soldier with a hand print on his chest asked, gingerly as the new, seemingly scary, general climbed onto the side.

“if i can prime the ignition gear and jinx the starter cable, I can force it into their ranks and it’ll, with any luck,” she popped her head up with a half devilish grin “turn them all into scrap parts”

It was the trooper with the cog on his helment that relaxed first “heh, they teach you that at the temple?” he quipped

“nope” she gestured for them to cover her as she popped open the side “they taught me it on florrum” she said with a smirk, before diving back into the mess of wires and sparks.

Jaida’s plan worked, and effectively too. After a very short battle, the men finished their sweep and prepared to bid the timeless campaign fairwell.

Once back on the ship, most clones settled down for the trip back to Coruscant, and Reyes followed suit, though only subtly checking that everyone was well and okay, before continuing her sweep on the ration packs. After she deemed her check satisfactory, she retreated to the command rooms. The door slid open and revealed Rex standing over a report, absent minded to say the least. His shoulders tensed momentarily as the door swooshed, and she noticed the sour taste that seemed to flood his tongue when he met her eyes.

Jaida cleared her throat, and planted fists against the table, propping herself up.

“i’m sorry, we lost men” Jaida spoke calmly, slightly softer than her usual tone.

“with all due respect sir, you don’t seem all that bothered.” Rex mentioned.

“captain” “it’s not something i’ve grown accustomed too yet” Jaida countered, though her argument didn’t cause Rex’s stance to loosen. She cleared her throat

“i’ve lost people before, and I know what it’s like to loose someone in battle, though i don’t know what it’s like to loose your brothers. i did not want this” her tone was instructive, but it softened all the same and her true compassion fell through.

Rex paused for a moment and met her eyes again “i shouldn’t have blamed you, my apologies, general”

“relax, captain”

“it’s uh, Rex, sir” he corrected. It was when he lifted his hands to the side of his helmet that Jaida realised she had never actually seen his face. It came off, and revealed a strong jaw and cheek bones, all toned perfectly set. His eyebrows arched above his eyes, a slightly different shade of golden brown than his brothers. Of course the main difference was his hair colour, short and stark blonde.

“Jaida” her response made Rex frown ”if i have to call you by your name you have to call me by mine. Jaida” she explained

“sounds fair”

“good” she smiled for the first time, and Rex liked it.

————————————

The night after an assignment was always filled with either anecdotes or silence, a relief or devastating. Jaida watched as the men loitered around crates of rations and equipment, all with distant smiles; tired.

She had previously been stuck at the medbay after the medics caught sight of her, a few gashes on her cheeks the real cause - nothing bacta wouldn’t heal, but she learnt quickly of their head medic, Kix, and his ability to scare even Jedi into looking after themselves. After making peace with the captain, a warmth had begun to spread about her.

Now, she stood against the cold duraplast walls of the Resolute, picking aimlessly at the scarce red dirt left on her hands.

“You okay Jay?” the question broke her mindless thought.

“yeah, i am” she looked up to her friend knowingly, Anakin grinning as he always did.

“Generals!” a trooper with geometric tattoos called out “come sit with us”

She turned her head sharply and gazed over the haphazard array of lounging clones

“I ought to check the ration packs” she tried to excuse.

“you should take one sir” Another clone encourage lazily “deserve it after that rescue”

She blinked for a second, unsure if it would make more sense to agree or deny. Before she said yes or no, Anakin had already collected her on his way to his own seat in the game.

Jaida sauntered over and handed each clone a bar before taking one herself, sitting down cross leggedly just as graceful as she did anything.

“sir, i don’t like it” she spoke between chews “name’s Jaida”

“well, Jaida, general’s told us a little about your career together, got any stories?”

“many” Jaida gave the first ghost of a smile any of them had seen from her yet, however small it may have been, and lent backwards against another log “Anakin ever told you about the time we climbed to the very top of the temple walls?”

[isolemnlyswearpevensie]

Soft Static Skies on Early Mornings | Peter Pevensie x Reader

Warnings: Unresolved angst ig 

Time/Era: Prince Caspian

Word Count: 1k

Summary: Peter and Y/N can only be together in the early mornings before anyone wakes. When Caspian, Y/N’s older brother, catches them, all hell breaks loose. 

Request: Can I request a Peter imagine where the reader is Caspians little sister and they have a secret relationship and he finds out about them possibly catches them kissing like sis can there be some angst bc we love it

A/N: I’m not 100% sure how I want to portray/characterize Peter yet, so I hope you still enjoy! He’s not my favorite character, so I am trying my best. Thanks for the request :)

masterlist  | read on ao3

The early hours of the day were always the most peaceful. The only sound that filled the air was snores, the forest was just beginning to stir and the sky was filled with pastels. On this particular morning, Y/N was laid in the grass admiring the sky. The grass pricked against her arms as hey were folded behind her head and stuck to her dress that bellowed across the ground. The morning sky always reminded her of static electricity; the muffled lines where the colors blend make the sky look slightly blurry. 

Y/N always awoke much earlier than the rest of the castle. Not only did she enjoy the serene atmosphere of the new day, but it was the only time she could spend time with her boyfriend. She wished she could be public about her love for the High King, but it’s just not realistic at this point in time. 

Y/N was the younger sister of Prince Caspian, and Prince Caspian did not like King Peter. Right when Caspian was just starting to gain a following and respect from the Narnians, Peter came and took that all away. Not on purpose as he is the High King, but it still hurt Caspian to no end. 

“Hey, Princess,” Peter’s silky voice cuts the morning air. He laid beside Y/N and looked up at the sky. 

“Why must you call me that?” Their voices were soft so they wouldn’t wake any of their party up. Both Caspian and Edmund were asleep very close to the pair, and awaking either would jump-start the journey for the day. 

“Because you’re a princess,” Peter rolled over onto his side and grinned at his girl. “My princess.”

“Does that mean I have to call you King?”

A beautiful smile graces his face. “No, just Peter is fine. Unless you’re into the whole King Peter thing.” 

“Okay, Just Peter. I don’t think Edmund would appreciate you stealing his title, though.”

Peter rolled so she was laying right next to Y/N. He was on his side, head propped up by his hand. Peter’s face hovered above Y/N’s and he looked into her eyes. 

“Pete, what if they wake up?” Her eyes move from her boyfriend’s square jaw to Caspian’s sleeping form. He looked peaceful and happy in his slumber. Peter pressed two of his long fingers into the side of Y/N’s face and turned her head to face him. Their eyes met instantly and the air was knocked out of Y/N’s lungs. His eyes had darkened since the last time she looked at them and his lips were scrunched. The light from the sunrise contoured his face beautifully, making his jaw look even sharper than normal. He positioned his body so he was leaning above her, his mouth mere inches from Y/N’s.

“Don’t worry about them, Princess. Focus on me.” He licked his lips and started to lean in. His large hand cupped her cheek and his fingers danced across her skin. Even though Y/N had been dating the boy for a few months, his upfront attitude made Y/N nervous. He wore all of his emotions on his sleeves, whereas Y/N liked to keep her guard up. Peter took her out of her comfort zone in the best way possible, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t make Y/N’s heart beat a mile a minute. 

Peter’s lips covered Y/N’s with haste, almost desperate to feel her lips against his. He wished desperately that he could kiss her anytime he wanted, but Y/N made it clear that she didn’t want to upset her brother. 

“Get away from my sister!” Caspian said suddenly, lunging towards Peter with his sword drawn. Peter rolled off of Y/N and to his feet, somehow drawing his own sword in the process. By this point, the entire camp had awoken and were on their feet. Edmund rushed to Peter’s side, his own sword drawn and ready. 

Caspian swung at Peter, a loud metal-on-metal clash echoing against the trees. Y/N pushed between the two men and both stopped their movements. While it was always risky jumping in between a fight, Y/N knew neither boy would hurt her. 

“Caspian! Stop it! Peter didn’t do anything!!”

“Yes, he did! I saw it with my own eyes. He was all over you! Y/N, I told you to stay away from him.”

Peter didn’t drop his sword, the surprise on his face turning to anger. “Stay away from me?! What are you? Her babysitter?”

“No, I’m her older brother. And you, an older brother yourself, should know that you don’t go after someone’s little sister!”

“She’s more than capable of taking care of herself.” He pushed Y/N to the side gently before walking towards Caspian. “And by the way, she’s the one who asked me out.”

“I don’t care who asks who. You should know better.”

Peter’s face contorts and crunches, slicing his sword directly at Caspian. This only fuels Caspian’s hatred for the King and he attacks back. The two were a fury of clashing metal and cuss words. 

With one final slash from Caspian’s sword, Peter let’s out a grunt and falls to the floor. Upon further investigation, Y/N sees a large slash mark across Peter’s chest. The material of his shirt was ripped in a diagonal line and the white linen was stained red. Y/N instantly fell to her knees. 

[musicallyrich]

Crate Digger’s Corner: The War On Drugs- Lost In The Dream [Secretly Canadian, 2014]

Crate Digger’s Corner…by DJ Musically Rich

(If you’d like to listen to a track from the album as you read, go to the end of the post to start the song)

Have you ever listened to a new album, and swear that it must be a lost classic from a different era? Songs sound familiar but you know you’ve never heard them. It sounds like a number of bands from that era, but you can’t quite put your finger on which one would have made this album. Then, once you listen enough, you hear some modern touches in the playing, production, etc. that you see that some of this was influenced at a more recent time than where you would have placed this “lost” album. That is how I feel about The War On Drugs- Lost In The Dream. When I first heard this album, it felt like a lost Dream Pop album from the 1980’s. The melodies are beautifully languid, with tons of reverb thrown onto everything (although, the amount of reverb used does vary from song to song for effect).

The album opens with ‘Under Pressure’ that builds from an out of phase rhythm track and slowly builds with hazy guitars and keyboards being played for effect, until it all comes together  to lead to a catchy, almost Cars-like, ‘80s anthem. That leads to a bit more up-tempo song in ‘Red Eyes’ that continues to push the retro feel of and expand the sound of the album. ‘Suffering’ is a sparse sounding song with some very nice relaxing guitar riffs that back the verses. ‘An Ocean In Between The Waves’ opens with another rhythm track, that once the bass locks into its groove with it becomes a pulsating vehicle that feels like the constant rolling of waves. As it builds, it begins to cross the Dream Pop with a feel of a little more rock from the New Wave side of things. ‘Disappearing’ floats off into the ether, which leads to the much more grounded ‘Eyes To The Wind’. With its shuffling opening by acoustic guitar and some pedal steel in the background (which continues subtly on and off throughout the song), this song sounds a little like if you mixed ‘The Tennessee Fire’ and ‘Circuital’ My Morning Jacket eras and tossed in just a bit of Bob Dylan. Then, there is the atmospheric musical interlude (it could also be considered an extended intro for the next song) ‘The Haunting Idle’. ‘Burning’ builds out of the fade out of the instrumental into a solid driving tune with a little bit of a Springsteen feel. The penultimate (and title) tune ‘Lost In The Dream’ is a taste of the cosmic country sound with even more effects and reverb thrown in. The final song is ‘In Reverse’. It opens up with some quiet music floating about and the sound of something approximating the sound of crashing waves (or maybe they are using a field recording) and keyboard effects that seem to approximate seagulls. It’s a song that makes you feel like you’re riding off into the sunset.

One band that I did not mention, but I felt they have a large influence on the musicality of when the band “jams out” a bit more, is Sonic Youth. When The War On Drugs goes into their instrumental sections, the whole band just sort of rides a soundscape-ish sound throughout the sections. It is reminiscent to me of the instrumental passages of a song like ‘The Diamond Sea’ by Sonic Youth, obviously with a shorter time span and less distortion, but the idea of not really having anyone soloing and the entire band just, kind of, hovering all the way through and keeping it interesting to listen to is similar between the bands.

This is a great listen that touches on many influences and sounds like it could have been an album from the ‘80s. It is also an album that will hopefully lead some people to not only discover this band and album, but to also discover some of the many influences on The War On Drugs.

Stars: 4.5/5

Available on: LP/CDS

RIYL: Kurt Vile-Bottle It In, My Morning Jacket- Circuital, Courtney Barnett- Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit, (this one’s a little out of the box, but I think fits extremely well) Zero 7- When It Falls

To see photos of other albums in my collection follow my IG: djmusicallyrich

To listen to a track from the album…

[badsithnocookie]

Hi red sith master of salt! I have another strange question. Do you think that grey sith/ jedi is really possible? Yeah, they are some in the history (jedi at least) and there is the tittle of "Darth Occlus" IG but... but meh. Should it be really neutral or balanced with the both side? And how will be their eyes color? I don't think one yellow and one blue is possible, it will be strange... :v

mmm this is my favourite kind of opinion, because i always lose followers over it

at the risk of being a lawyer for a moment, it really depends a lot on what people mean when they say “grey”. a lot of the time the kinds of people who carry on about grey jedi (and or sith, but one usually only sees ‘grey’ in relation to jedi) are the kind of person who has missed the point of star wars entirely and or is mostly a reactionary edgelord

the popular definition of “grey jedi” is like. a jedi who cares about balance in the Force, rather than the light side specifically, which is what fandom/the EU associates the Jedi with. but like. here’s the thing. go back to the OT sometime, and you’ll find little to no mention of the light side - that’s largely an EU construction. the “darkness” that Palpatine and Vader use is an unnatural corruption, it’s hatred and despair and suffering given physical form and imposed on the galaxy by way of Vader’s boot on their necks. the Jedi seek balance, to restore the way of things as they should be, to liberate those in pain and suffering, to bring an end to tyranny and exploitation. anakin was held up as special because he was believed to be fated to bring balance, not to swing hard for the dark and or light.

so like. if people care about, like, balance, man, then the jedi is what they’re after. not “grey jedi” who “aren’t like other jedi”, but regular, run-of-the-mill jedi, who follow the jedi code and strive to achieve personal clarity and serenity, as well as to alleviate suffering and tyranny.

it’s... one of the things that drives me up the wall with EU writing of the jedi - and yes, that includes kotor and swtor. swtor touts Voss and Zakuul as “special” and “better” because they’re like, balanced, man, but so should the jedi be, if they were actually written as jedi (and not strawman versions of the PT jedi).

the other big reason that i loathe “grey jedi” advocates is that. star war is fundamentally about making Big Moral Choices. do you fight tyranny, or do you roll over and let it do its thing? worse, do you sign up to serve it, entirely willingly? do you sit by and do nothing in the face of suffering and oppression, or do you stand up and fight it? do you face your demons, or do you flee?

the idea of “grey morality” advocates that not only is there a neutral path here, but that it’s actively the superior one. that doing nothing in the face of tyranny is not just acceptable, but preferable. that those who commit acts of genocide are on equal moral footing to their victims, and that taking sides makes you as bad as they are.

which. i find abhorrent on a personal, moral level, but even if i didn’t - it’s not star wars. it flies in the face of everything that star wars believes and is built on. “grey jedi” fans will shit on the jedi for their supposed inaction on PT-era slavery, but have no issue with turning around and then asserting  that taking a neutral stance on slavery is in fact morally superior to opposing it.

so, like. no. i don’t believe that a “grey jedi” is really possible. i am of the firm opinion that most “grey jedi” advocates are either projecting their issues with religion onto the jedi, reactionary edgelords, or some combination of the two, and that the concept of a “grey jedi” fundamentally misunderstands both the jedi and the star war.

(i also gotta be honest, most sith stans/fans are edgelordy enough that they’ll settle for regular sith, not least because they parse light and grey sith as something Almost Jedi, which given the reactionary nature of most sith stans/fans is more than enough to put them off)

(non standard Sith is a whole nother barrel of eggs - Sith are un-Jedi, but positing an un-Sith Sith prompts the question of why aren’t they then Jedi, what precisely comprises a Jedi, how much EU bullshit am I having to work with here, why do I expend all this energy on someone else’s IP when i could just redirect it to write something of my own, etc)

-

as far as eye colours (and other markers of Force corruption) goes: it’s one of those visual shorthand for corruption/corrupt use of the Force, so if a non-standard Jedi (or non-standard Sith, for that matter) has gone off the deep end and is for-want-of-a-better-term DS, then they’d end up with the visual markers - drawn, pallid skin, yellowed and bloodshot eyes, etc. if a non-standard Jedi/Sith is not revelling in oppression and youngling murder, on the other hand, they’d probably just have their natural eye colour/etc.

[bears-n-bottoms]

Hello, friends~

As many of you know, I put Kim Jongin on blast a week or two ago, because this is the second (2nd) time he's uploaded a picture of himself in dreads to his IG, and I was Sick And Tired™. I've been riding for Jongin since he was masquerading as a dom top (if you don't know, you don't know), so that shit rly hurt my feelings.

Anyway, there's no real reason for me to be bringing this up, I just wanted to assert that Jongin wearing dreads is Wrong.

Moving on…

What I *actually* wanna talk about is what has been a v hot topic in EXO's fandom for years - how badly managed/promoted EXO is.

Now, before I begin, I will not entertain the idea that SM is somehow mistreating EXO because they aren't getting as much of a promotion push than their juniors. While it does suck that SM seems to just throw EXO albums at us and expects us to be content, you will not call that mistreatment.

NCT and Red Velvet getting a bigger promotional push than EXO is not mistreatment, it's just business.

Business that I'd like to explain to y'all, because I've been thinking about recently this, and it rly does go deeper than ~EXO doesn't rly need it anymore~.

So!! The year is 2012. Unbeknownst to my Black ass, SM is gearing up for the debut of their newest boy band, codename EXO, with a ridiculous ass teaser campaign.

No seriously, 18 teasers and you haven't even unveiled a debut song yet?!?!?! Flagrant.

I wasn't with EXO since The Beginning™, but close enough; I happened upon EXO-M's version of What Is Love while looking for sumn to watch on tv, and my wig was immediately blasted to space dust. What is Love wasn't the first K-Pop MV I saw that night (it was either B.A.P's Warrior or miss A's Touch), but it was the one that stuck with me.

See, I had no idea who or what a K-Pop was outside of vaguely knowing a few idol groups friends tried to put me on previously. It was *Jasmine voice* A Whole New World~ for me, and EXO was on the fast track to becoming my very first bias group. MAMA was an overdramatic mess that I absolutely fucking loved, and you couldn't tell me their debut EP wasn't The Shit™.

A heaux still Rolls Like A Buffalo™ to Two Moons, bitch!!

Fast forward one (1) year, and EXO are back (as twelve) with their first album (and K-Pop's first million seller in over a decade) XOXO. Girl, when I tell you replayed that album like it was the one thing holding me together… I was a whole MESS!! I'd become more of a full fledged K-Pop fan in EXO's absence (more on that later), but I was overjoyed to have my boys back.

Now, why am I going over this?!!? This is all fairly common knowledge among EXO L, but many of the current generation EXO L rolled up on EXO during their EXODUS/Love Me Right era. Which was 2015. So you have a bunch of EXO L who, first of all, are part of a whole new generation of K-Pop fans who consume K-Pop very differently than those of us who were fans back in 2012.

K-Pop standom these days is very social media focused, with many of our favorite idols having SNS accounts of their own where they interact with us. K-Pop fans these days are practically spoiled with content when idols aren't promoting/on tour. It rly feels like idols never truly ~go away~, because if they did, it'd leave an opening for someone else to take their place.

Something we saw when group B.A.P filed a joint lawsuit against their management agency and disappeared for a whole year.

This is where, I think, a lot of the "EXO Isn't Promoted" foolery comes from; EXO are not heavily on social media like many of their current generation contemporaries are. They don't do v lives like them, and have very few reality shows focused on them. Coupled with the fact that much of the content we do get from EXO is behind a pay wall, I definitely understand where the frustration comes from.

But let me add another layer to this, kids. It's my belief that SM doesn't feature EXO like that, because EXO were supposed to redeem SM in the public's eye for the JYJ/Hangeng lawsuits. But they, instead, embarrassed the absolute shit out of them.

Ooh, I bet y'all are all sat at attention now.

Level with me here, folks - EXO was SM's first debut since the Hangeng/JYJ cases blew up and rained doo doo flakes upon SM's reputation. SM had just renegotiated contracts with all their debuted acts to show that they aren't the monsters that JYJ and Hangeng were making them out to be. EXO was supposed to be SM's redemption arc, but there was one little problem - a 6ft stunner by the name of Kris Wu.

Fun fact - Suho, Jongin, and Kris were my original biases in EXO. Bet no one saw that coming.

Kris was always an oddball in EXO. Sure, he definitely fit the look of a K-Pop idol, but man's had far bigger aspirations. Ones that routinely got him in trouble with management. Remember that year long hiatus EXO took after their debut?!?! Rumor has it that it was caused by SM exiling Kris back to Canada, because of tensions between him and one of EXO's managers.

EXO returning as twelve was also, allegedly, because SM wanted to keep tabs on Kris, while also trying to bolster EXO K's popularity in Korea. Allegedly, tho.

Kris saw being in EXO as a way to jumpstart a career as a Chinese entertainer, but he ultimately decided that it wasn't worth it in the end. In May of 2014, he filed suit against SM to have his contract with the agency terminated.

Once again - why am I bringing this up?!! This is all common knowledge in EXO L circles. Well, it was extraordinarily shocking at the time.

As I've stated previously, EXO was SM's first boy band since the JYJ/Hangeng lawsuits. They had just finished renegotiating contracts with all of their active idols to comply with new rules and standards set in place by the government. For all intents and purposes, SM should have had no problems, like the Tinashe song.

But they did.

Kris, in many of the infamous press releases he released in reply to what SM was saying to the media, painted a very familiar story to many of us. He alleged that SM greatly limited his creative freedom, and treated him like a manufactured product. I remember him saying he felt like a box, at one point, and that hit me hard. He also alleged that SM worked him so hard that he developed myocarditis (a heart condition), and that there was rampant favoritism (claims that would also be backed up by a lawsuit launched by Luhan).

It was not a good look for SM, fam.

As a result of Kris' suit, the fandom was split. You had one camp that supported Kris, and another that supported SM/EXO. It didn't help that many of the EXO members spoke out against Kris, with Suho (the leader) saying he was being irresponsible and he needs to come back so they can work this out.

Messy™

Later that year, Luhan went onto launch his own suit against SM (which was more supported by the fandom *is totally not bitter anymore*), citing almost exactly the same complaints as Kris while also going so far as to allege that the Chinese members had different contracts than the Korean ones.

And if you thought that was bad enough, seemingly RoD member Tao decides he's done with the bullshit too, and files his own lawsuit against SM. DURING EXO'S CALL ME BABY COMEBACK PROMOTIONS!!

TALK ABOUT MESSINESS, SIS!!

Say what you want about Tao, but he rly does know how to cause a scene, and I admire that.

So yeah… Talk about a public relations nightmare.

Korean netizens were firmly on SM's side during this entire trial, but Kris, Luhan, and Tao managed to deal an even greater blow to SM's rep than JYJ/Hangeng did. Not that I think it's right, but it's plenty clear why SM doesn't rly feature EXO much anymore.

Not only are they getting older (Xiumin just enlisted a month ago), but SM is clearly trying to move past EXO, as a group. Which idk how they're gonna do that when they routinely refuse members who are not Baekhyun or Jongdae solo opportunities, but whatever. With NCT taking off (pun intended) everywhere except Korea, it's going to be quite a while before the EXO name gets retired.

[bjrdonghyuck]

Producer, Producer - Haechan

Requested; uh,,, kinDA idk it’s dedicated to @hyncks  though uwu ♡

Genre; producer reader, fem to male trans reader, lgbt+, idol haechan, angst to fluff, bullet because gAh ihavenotimetowritelatelyhhhhhhhhhimsupersorry

Summary; when it gets leaked that one of nct’s producers is trans, havoc ensues, what would be even more scandalous would be if they found out said producer was dating one of the nct members. 

Warning; transphobia, homophobia, if you’re either leave nOW, slight angst ig, word vomit, unedited. 

lmao this is reALLY bad but it’s the best I could do in 45 minutes :’) 

gay trans producer + haechan being a cute boyfriend

dONE 

jk its late and my brain gave away it’s last braincell trying to set up a desk lamp

sO

You were a producer for nct and all the guys were so loving and supportive you busted some uwus. 

they lowkey thought you were cute and you miGHT have awoken the gay in them

taeyong and mark were always thankful that you seemed to never sleep (not in a bad way idk how to word thisnjwnvjnd) so that when they woke up at 3AM on a wednesday and called you to throw song lyrics at you, you were already ready to write them down and get to work. 

you were young though,,, like,,, too young to understand some of the things Taeil says

so you stuck around the dreamies!

because lowkey you found haechan vry vry vry vry VRY cute

but only lowkey y’know

you’re whipped

but you never talk to him because how could i talk to someone that perfect without getting flustered?????? 

so you hang around the dorms to compose songs with mark and try to build up the courage to talk to haechan

but that never happens so it’s just composing with mark and hanging out with everyone but haechan

but every time you even sneak a glance at him you bust an uwu, are struck with motivation, and get mega inspired to write about his ANGELIC looks

so you had been their producer since chewing gum

and mark had noticed all your weird glances about a month after their final promotion

boi figured shit out

and suddenly you were forced to attend their friday night movie binges and somehow always manage to get shoved right up next to haechan

which mean you gotta keep your eyes very focused on whatever’s playing, get flustered, turn very red, and try not to explode

one night they managed to convince you to sleep over after movie night had run late and they deemed it unsafe for you to return to your home

BUT GUESS WHAT

you’re shorter than all the boys

and you want to know who’s shortest out of all the boys? hAECHAN

so guess who’s clothes were forced into your arms by the evil satan in the dorms, Mark?

hAeCHAN’s

you didn’t know that though

you thought they were mark’s or some shit

so after changing you went into the living room because, ‘sleep over on the living room floor’ was jeno’s theme for the night

mark was like uwuwuwuwuwu

the boys were like isn’t that haechan’s?

haechan was one flustered boy 

really flustered

the way his clothes hung off you? adORABLE

those sweater paws you were rocking weren’t helping him either

you, clueless, plopped down next to mark and whiNED about how his clothes were way to big

“those are haechan’s.”

you shut up real quick

flustered times 3847897859239084

you were pretty sure even your feet were blushing

and from that night things eSCELATED

suddenly you found yourself sitting to haechan on your own, playing games with him and before you new it, you were victim to clingy and cuddly haechan

not that you were complaining

a few months later he would make frequent stops to your studio to make sure you were taking care of yourself

if you were composing at the dorms he would stay up with you as long as he could to keep you company, admiring your features and cute glasses framing your face

did he ask you out during chain era? yes, yes he did. 

nct members fawned over you two daily

one of the old nct managers was fired after some issues and left quite angrily

the next day you woke up to 847 messages and 23 missed calls

damn ig you really can’t sleep without missing something

of course you called back haechan first

“HOLYFUCKY/NTHEYKNOWYOU’RETRANSANDAREFREAKINGOUT!!!!”

‘haechan w h a t?”

basically the whole company was in shambles

toxic fans everywhere were freaking out because the producer of nct’s music was trans?

suddenly people didn’t like it?

because you were trans?

whatthefuckm8

people saying your music was shit was really starting to get to you after a couple days

you were told to stay in your apartment for a while and stay low so,, no haechan

hate just kept rolling in and you felt bad because it was affecting all 18 members, not just you

sm was probably going to fire you too

so you just layed in a puddle of sadness and angst, in the dark, without internet, and alone

good shit

nct was panicked because ummm where’d our producer go, sm sunbaenim :))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

haechan was extremely mad with nctizens aND allkpop for their very creative title, “nct producer revealed to be used-to-be-woman-now-man nctizens are demanding answers, all nct songs revealed to be horrible” which made him lose so many braincells he had to borrow some from lucas

he finally managed to sneak off to your apartment to find a lump on a bed

got right to work patching you up and helping his wonderful boyfriend get back on his feet

got you fed, hydrated, cleaned, and charged up within an hour and thirty minutes

got soft while drying your hair because you were trying so hard not to fall asleep it was adorable

then had mixed emotions when you opened a jar he couldn’t open with ease

made sure you knew that your music was perfect in all ways humanely possible before encouraging you to continue writing songs

shooed your thoughts of transphobic people on the internet from your head

and then got to work

he found a picture that shipper!mark had taken where you two were playing video games together and you were sitting in his lap while his arms wrapped around you

low quality and all, no editing, haechan uploaded it to instagram, no caption

did you two get hate? yes

did sm fire you? no

you two were too valuable to loose lmao

after a while they calmed down

it’s not like you shoved it in their faces

haechan was scolded but ehHH

it was worth it for you

he made sure to make you feel confident in yourself and your gender

because fuck those haters

you are perfect in all ways and he wouldn’t have you any other way ♡

[theurbanologist]

Hub Fans Bid Summer Welcome

Summer is inevitable.

It does not care if we are ready for it. The progression of time measured in hours, days, weeks, and months or other markers leads to its arrival. 

And here it is, bright and hot.

Every year I find that its presence is felt a bit more acutely.

When I woke up on my trip across the country 25 years ago, I always wondered what each summer day would bring. There was so much to do, so many new sidewalks, and the hope of new conversations.

I still feel that excitement, even if it does take me a bit longer to get up, aided by the promise of coffee to help shake things loose.

In that spirit of shared urban experiences, I recently asked a few Boston friends to tell me about what they like to do in the summer.

Their words inspire me as my own work continues this summer on my book.

* * * *

Stroll on the Greenway - Running between Chinatown and the North End the Greenway includes lots of fun spots in between. Take in the changing plantings, what’s blooming, what’s about to. Find your new favorite art. Watch the clever birds flocking in the trees around this “Harbor Fog” sculpture. They‘ve figured out the cool fog is motion-activated. On hot days, they await the next walkers and then swoop down through the cool mist.

At the North End, grab lunch at the Boston Public Market (buck a shuck or lobster rolls at Red’s Best, Ramen at Noodle Lab two faves) and eat in or picnic in the park.

Speaking of the North End, grab a sandwich at Monica’s on Salem St and maybe even a split of wine along the way for an impromptu picnic. Don’t forget the best cannoli from Maria’s.

At the other end, Chinatown holds many delicious treats, too. Relax in the garden, and take a photo safari capturing the iconic images like the paifang or gate, the fountain, the roast ducks hanging in the windows, or numerous murals. (If you want to learn more and taste more, come join me on a Chinatown Tour!)

Harbor Walk is the bright point in the Seaport development boom. Enjoy the fire pit while watching the sailboats on the harbor.

The ICA has a beautiful view, and built in steps. Summer Thursdays it’s the place to be for free music concerts.

https://www.icaboston.org/calendar/harborwalk-sounds

Taking a walk along the Charles or in the Public Garden. Bring your phone or camera and snap some IG ready or postcard shots. Check the fountain commemorating the advent of ether. Imagine the early days of surgery? Yikes.

It’s a beautiful fountain and a nice corner of the park. (Arlington and Marlborough, in case you did not know)

Admission is free to the BPL and the BPL offers discounted and free passes to many museums in the city (plan ahead). The Gardner is free on some days and many discounts apply (is your name Isabella? You get in free! Is it your birthday? Free!) check both sites for more details.

Jacqueline Church, is the founder of Boston Chinatown Tours. She can be found Between Dumplings, strolling the Greenway, the harbor  walk, or otherwise eating and drinking her way around the city.

A concert by the Landmarks Orchestra on a Wednesday evening at the Hatch Shell on the Charles River Esplanade in July or August. These free concerts are a great treasure in our city and they are an excellent way to spend an evening. It is beautiful to watch the sun go down over the Charles River as well while listening to some excellent music.  

Another great summer activity is the Dewey Square Thursday evening block parties on the Greenway.  Admission is free and the beer and wine is cheap and the setting is energetic.  

It's a nice way to end the day or start the night.

Adam Castiglioni is a Boston hospitality expert.

You can buy snacks aboard the Harbor Islands ferries, but that’s a rookie move.

Varsity level is this: stop for your favorite bagel along the way, arrive at Long Wharf early enough to snag a copy of Spare Change News and lounge in one of the Adirondack chairs inexplicably placed seaside.

The bagel is for once you’re on the boat, watching the skyline shrink as you approach Spectacle Island. But it never goes away.

There’s plenty to see on the island - the sea glass, the nature trails - but the city’s most peaceful summer moment is to be found laying afloat in the harbor, partially submerged, watching that skyline and heading only waves, feeling both relaxed and energized, linked to both the modern city and the timeless ocean, at once a part of the city and refreshingly apart from it.

Katie Lannan reports on Massachusetts political matters for Statehouse News.

My grandfather used to say that South Boston was the city’s best kept secret.  The neighborhood is surrounded by Boston Harbor, we are close to downtown, and it’s rich in history, making it one of the best neighborhoods around.

Taking a walk on Day Boulevard along the beaches is a simple summer joy. Start at Carson Beach and walk your way along the beach line all the way out to Castle Island.  I always plan to stop at Sullivan’s for some fried clams or an ice cream.

On Thursday evenings in the summer you can enjoy a sunset tour of Fort Independence.  Free tours are also available on Saturdays and Sundays from 12pm-3pm. Another Southie summer bucket list item for me is to to head to Coppersmith’s Airdeck.

This gorgeous spot has a view of the city skyline, tasty food, and pitchers of red and white Sangria served via a vintage Airstream trailer-turned-full service bar. It’s a bit of heaven right here in Southie.

Maureen Dahill is the publisher of Caught in Southie and a South Boston resident.

The best place in Boston for families to be in the summer is Castle Island. It seems like everyone in the city knows this fact already: The cars routinely back up all the way to the Farragut statue on a nice weekend day.

What’s the appeal?

Well, there’s the inexpensive food at the Sully’s snack stand, for one. My go-to choice is the baked haddock. Not quite Legal Sea Foods, but better than most restaurants in Southie, and half the price.

There’s no better vantage point in the city to watch the various jets and boats come in and out of Boston’s port. Every foot of the 2-plus mile loop around Pleasure Bay offers great views for cyclists, runners and walkers. (The grilling/picnic area is also unlike any other in the city – it’s why so many parties get held there.) The causeway barriers help ensure deep enough water for swimming, even if the tide is low. If you’re lucky, you’ll find hermit crabs hanging out just below the surface.

And this is all in the shadow of a 19th century granite fort. (If you time it right, you can get a free tour of the spooky corridors behind those walls.) Getting there can be challenging, given the traffic. Best to park by the statue on or near Farragut Road and walk the boardwalk to the island. (Several Southie bus lines also swing down Farragut). Or show up later in the day, as sun-weary visitors make their departures, opening up parking spots.

Jon Chesto is a business reporter at the Boston Globe.

Boston and I first met on an idyllic family trip, many summers ago. 

We sank into the sunny days, savoring the luxury of a week away from work and school and predictable pursuits. Adventure, please! 

We hiked the Big Dig-era Freedom Trail, toured museums, marveled at the Aquarium. The city skyline, a silver streak rising from the sea, dazzled without being showy. The red cobblestones and black lanterns of Beacon Hill held magic, like an old stage set we’d stumbled across from another century. 

Tired but ready to keep going, we refueled with fresh ice cream on Newbury Street, a jaunt through the long-lost fairy-and-griffin shop, and an afternoon race through the Coop’s tall fortress of books.  There were fried clam rolls loaded high and quiet, calmer moments in Old North Church. For a week, it seemed like early American history held still enough for us to see it. Click!

Every year, as the swan boats begin their stately circuit in the Public Garden, I smile over that summer. For, a little lighter after the students’ exodus, Boston still has many charms. 

Take the newly renovated central Public Library, which opened in 1895 as “a palace for the people.” Sun-dappled pockets of shade set off the courtyard, a favorite reading nook. Murals by John Singer Sargent, Puvis de Chavannes, and Edwin Austin Abbey share real estate with shifting art exhibits, live concerts, miles of manuscripts, and plenty of books. 

Walk through worlds at the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center. Page through President John Adams’ personal library. Dig into transcribing anti-slavery archives. A lunch hour spent in the Boston Public Library, lost between the lions, can make your summer sing.

Sara Georgini is a historian at the Massachusetts Historical Society and series editor of the papers of John Adams. 

Here are my thoughts on a good (possibly great) summer day in Boston.

For me, a good start to a summer day in Boston would be to get an egg & pepper omelette on a bulky roll from Sammy Carlo’s on Bennington Street in East Boston. Steve Schire and his family have owned the business for decades and it reminds me of the morning bustle I’ve found in other locales, including Chicago’s Valois (Cafeteria) and the long-gone Tio’s in Seattle.

Take that sandwich over to Constitution Beach and watch the planes take off from Logan Airport. Go stand on the pedestrian bridge over the Blue Line and think about “Where are they all going?”

After a time, you might say “Where I am going?”

Jump on the Blue Line at Orient Heights and take the train inbound to the Aquarium. You’ll pass under water, but you won’t get wet, which is always a treat. Up, up, up and away to the Long Wharf, which used to be much, much longer, but times change.

For a few bucks, you can get on the passenger ferry here to Charlestown and the shipyard where the USS Constitution resides. It’s the cheapest way to get on the water, short of jumping into Boston Harbor, which quite frankly, sure it’s clean these days, but yeah, no thanks.

The 15 minute ride lets you see the vertical expansion of East Boston writ large in upscale residences and a range of pleasure craft bobbing along. You can spend a few hours wandering above the shipyard, up and down and around Old Ironsides and around Dry Dock Number 2, which is just as good as Dry Dock Number 1 and do not left anyone tell you differently.

Even if you have been here before, you’ve never been here with the teeming throngs you’ll find that day, and if you listen closely, you’ll hear a new set of reactions to Boston, cities, and tourist locales that you’ve never heard before. People make stories about places through the stories they tell. And when we listen to those stories that they tell we have new stories.

[surveystodestressme]

85.

5000 Question Survey Pt. 22

2001. Can you believe that we have only gotten through two fifths of this survey so far? i believe it 2002. What is your opinion of Dave Coulier? i have no idea who that is 2003. If you were to a write a Choose Your Own Adventure book, what would it be about? horror 2004. What was your best find from a flea market, garage sale, ebay or thrift store? huh? 2005. What do you not have enough money for right now? a new car

2006. Do you believe that Teras for Fears were right when they said, “Everybody wants to rule the world?” eh 2007. What is the design on your beach towel? i don’t have a beach towel 2008. What stirs something deep and animalistic inside you? mean fucking people 2009. Have you ever cross dressed (even as a joke)? no 2010. Do you own anything with a rainbow on it? yes lol my boyfriends mom buys pj pants for everyone on christmas and this year she got me rainbow pants with minions on them....... i’ve NEVER even seen despicable me 2011. What would be the worst object for a child to take on a long car ride with you? a loud handheld game 2012. What’s the Best Beatles song in your opinion? help 2013. Why do you suppose that diary sites are more popular with females than males? idk 2014. What do these color combinations remind you of: orange and pink: ice cream pink and green: fruit green and gold: nature purple and gold: idk gold and red: royalty red and white: america blue and grey: the beach 2015. What is one selfish thing you tend to do? let people buy me stuff 2016. When do you think technology will catch up with the Jetson’s? idk 2017. What made you laugh today? my lab partners 2018. Do you ever stick your entries in any of the diary circles? no. 2019. Can you freestyle rap? i could try but it wouldn’t be that good 2020. Are you: stylish? somewhat shiek? huh? smart? i think so 2021. Do you find you self only buying brand name products? i do not care about name brands 2022. Would you ever want to buy an article of clothing or an accessory because you saw a celebrity wear it? i don’t pay attention to celebrities enough 2023. What song do you feel the sexiest dancing to? buttons by pussycat dolls 2024. Who do you know who looks silly when they dance? my dad 2025. Sweaty sex or clean sex? a lil bit of both honestly 2026. Which is more important to you: being kind or being right? i mean both honestly. 2027. Can you do any special dances like swing, tap, or ballroom? i used to do tap 2028. Are you scared of monsters? nada 2029. Who would you like to remind people of? idc 2030. Do you walk to school or do you bring your lunch? neither???? 2031. Rate your skills from one to ten (10 = you are the best at it): socializing: 5 making friends: 5 working with computers: 5 arts: 7 crafts: 7 dancing: 2 skating: 6 talking other people into things: 8 writing: 9 living life to the fullest each day: 5 cooking: 3 gardening: 2 cleaning up after yourself: 9 playing poker: 1 surviving in the woods: 3 managing your time: 8 attracting the opposite sex (or same sex if you prefer)? 4 2032. Have you ever been to an indian reservation? nope 2033. What is going to happen tomorrow that you can celebrate, even if it’s a little thing? idk 2034. Do you save things for special occasions or is everyday a special occasion? i save things. 2035. What is one thing you are terrible at: saving money 2036. What’s your favorite: rap song: love the way you lie country song: we danced industrial song: idk. cover song: cant help falling in love with you punk song: idk odd song: cotton eye joe 2037. What do you get your teacher or your boss for the holidays? not a thing lol 2038. Do you like to read books by Virgina Wolfe? never read any. 2039. What is your favorite tv show from when you were a kid? spongebob 2040. What is now proved was once only imagined. - William Blake. What do you imagine? the future. 2041. What has been passed down through at least two generations to you? nothing 2042. Do we live in a particularly bad age for romance? i don’t think so 2043. Have you ever cheated on someone? nope Do you believe that once someone is a cheater they can never be trusted? yes 2044. Have you ever gone: christmas caroling? nope pumpkin picking? yeah on a hay wagon ride? yes on a romantic valentine’s day date? yeah to a new year’s eve party? a couple times to a memorial day parade? yeah to the Macy’s thanksgiving day parade? maybe in the past to search for gold coins on st patrick’s day? no. 2045. Have you ever done any modeling? nope 2046. Would you consider yourself to be psychologically damaged? not that i can think of 2047. How aware are you of the reasons behind your actions and words? very aware 2048. What is the sickest you ever drank or drugged yourself? i haven’t had any really bad experiences tbh. it’s always a shitty time when i’ve thrown up from alcohol but i’ve never blacked out. 2049. Would you prefer it if clothing was optional? no lol. 2050. What is one interesting fact about you: i collect shot glasses 2051. Are more people depressed because they are alone, or are more people alone because they are depressed? they’re more depressed bc they’re alone probably but there are way more complicated reasons as to why people are depressed 2052. Have you ever gotten a mug, t-shirt, key chain, etc. that was personalized with your picture? no lol 2053. What was the last thing that you experienced for the first time? i don’t know 2054. If you were going to die tomorrow and you were leaving a postcard for someone to read after you were gone what would it say? i dunno. 2055. If you were about to be executed what would your last request be? tell my family that i love them 2056. What kinds of people do you find intimidating? too many people lol 2057. How much conviction do you have in your feelings and beliefs? quite a bit. 2058. In your house where is the: crazy glue? in the junk drawer flashlight? above the snack cabinet 2059. Out of everyone you know who has the most personality? there’s plenty of people lol 2060. If you could go back in time to experience a musical movement or era, which one would you choose to live through? none 2061. Do you suffocate people with your love? sometimes 2062. Do you feel your life is charmed? no. 2063. What character do you identify the most with from Winnie the Pooh? piglet 2064. When do you do your best thinking? in the shower or on the toilet 2065. What motivates you? food 2066. Look back at all the people you’ve dated. Has there been a pattern? not that i can think of 2067. Things change but what will always remain the same for you? i don’t know 2068. Is divorce something you would ever consider or do you feel that marriage is permanantly binding? i would preferably not get divorced. 2069. What’s the strangest movie you ever saw? the abc’s of death 2070. If you could go into virtual reality and set up your life there to be perfect and it would seem real but not be real would you trade your life now for the virtual life? it’d be cool but no 2071. Does it seem like life is more difficult for you than for anyone else? nope 2072. What are you grateful for? everything i have. 2073. What was a choice that you didn’t want to make but you had to? idk. 2074. Have you ever had dental surgery? no. 2075. At what point exactly are you grown up? when you  have bills and you feel like you’re drowning 2076. If there was a weight loss procedure that would destroy your ability to taste food so you wouldn’t be tempted by junk food, would you have it done? absolutely not 2077. What is one thing that happened that you never expected? finding someone i love who actually loves me back 2078. If you called one of your friends and they said “It’s nothing personal but I don’t want to talk to anyone right now,” would you take it personally? nah, i’ve had moments like that too so i can understand 2079. What is your favorite girl’s name? i don’t really have one 2080. Do you ever feel guilty for being more fortunate than others? not really. 2081. If you had to wear a shirt with one word on it for a year, what word would you choose? kok 2082. What is evian spelled backwards? naive 2083. You drop 10 pounds of feathers and a ten pound bowling ball off the top of the same building. Which will hit the ground first? they both weigh the same, sooo both 2084. Even though you may never get what you want, are you happy because you’re trying? yes 2085. If you started a petition what would it be about? idk. 2086. When was the last time you asked someone to do something and they said no? everytime i ask jack to do something he says no but does it anyways 2087. Do bad things happen to you on friday the 13th? not that i know of. 2088. What’s your favorite: Madonna song? - John Lennon song? - Michael Jackson song? billy jean Doors song? - Rolling Stones song? - David Bowie song?- Elvis song? cant help falling in love with you 2089. If you had started a relationship with someone and they said that it would be best if no one knew about it just to see how it goes, would you be offended? it depends ig but id feel like they just wanted to hide me 2090. Do you know any self defense? not really How about CPR? i know the concept of it but ive never really practiced or anything 2091. If you had to look into a mirror and see your naked soul stripped of all delusions and pretenses (Never ending Story style)could you handle it? maybe 2092. Are you a genius? no. 2093. How did you find out that Santa Clause wasn’t real? i got a letter from ‘him’ and the handwriting was the same as my dads 2094. Which is your favorite tarot card? i dont do that shit 2095. Does the internet separate people or connect them? both. 2096. Have you ever written a letter to a soldier? my brother and my sister and some of my friends when they were all in the military 2097. Does pain and fear make you feel alive? to a a certain degree 2098. Are you: good looking? yeah thin? no. happy? yes successful? not yet confident? for the most part 2099. Are you decisive or wishy washy? in between. 2100. Do you feel pop stars should be morally responsible to set a good example for their fans? it’s nice but they shouldn’t be obliged to.

[walterfilmmemorabilia-blog]

8 Great Black Jazz Musicians

BY BILL REED

In the first half of the 20th Century these eight, great black jazz musicians, who helped to create one of America’s unique contributions to the musical canon, come alive in the wonderful posters, photographs and promotional pieces that are part of Walter Films’ collection of African Americana. Jazz, a music genre that originated in the African American community, is known for its soulfulness and complex musical variations.

MILES DAVIS

BACKGROUND

One of the greats in the pantheon of African Americana is Miles Davis (seen above). Davis picked up the trumpet at age 13. Before it was all over, he’d won just about every honor and glory a jazz musician can achieve, including six Grammys and numerous best-selling albums. The Grammy Hall of Fame inducted ten of his releases, including 1949’s Birth of the Cool, and, from a decade later, Kind of Blue. *

The groundwork above and much more was laid down when, in 1944, he relocated to New York City. He soon became part of the wellspring of the new jazz sound, known as be-bop. His contemporaries included the likes of bandleader Billy Eckstine, alto sax giant Charlie Parker and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie.

Before long, Davis became well-known enough to start up his own small music group. It included name musicians, like Sonny Rollins and Art Blakey. Its descriptive title . . . “The New Sounds.”

ON THE WAY UP

In rapid order came two record contracts. The first was with the noteworthy Prestige outfit, followed by a mainstream affiliation with none other than one of THE big three record labels, Columbia.

THE “IG TIME

There are far too many highpoints to address here; however, two of which cry out are the album Kind of Blue (1959), which became the most significant selling jazz album of its day, and the Miles Davis- [arranger] Gil Evans big band trilogy: Miles Ahead, Porgy and Bess and Sketches of Spain. One of his major European engagements included a period of early ‘50s residency in France where he was awarded the rubbed shoulders with the likes of Jean Cocteau, and conducted an affair with singer Juliette Greco.

FINAL DAYS

Davis’ later years were filled with many health issues resulting in the musician’s death at the relatively young age of 65. Inasmuch as this WalterFilm photo of Davis does not seem to appear in other known jazz collections, it should be regarded as rare.

SARAH VAUGHAN

TWO LEGS UP

No doubt about it. The numbers one and two female jazz vocalists in the golden age of the art form were Ella, Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. Three-quarters of a century later, that still — more or less — holds true.

Along the way, there were many memorable recordings, and the winning of countless awards, including four Grammys.

Though Sarah came along a decade-or-so later after Ella, like “First Lady of Song” Fitzgerald, she got a head start by winning the historic talent contest at Harlem’s Apollo Theater.

One of her very earliest sides, “Lover Man,“ (1945) found her backed by Charlie “Bird” Parker (also in this WalterFilm collection) and Dizzy Gillespie. Several decades later, France’s Michel Legrand made a recording with Vaughan. He remarked of her, “She sings from the stars.”

Not long after completing her final recording in 1990, “Sassy,” as Vaughan was lovingly nick-named, passed away.

DUKE ELLINGTON

There is little question that Duke Ellington was the most famous, respected, charming, talented, elegant figures of the jazz musician and “beyond category” a definition oft-used to describe him.

The elegance of this WalterFilm poster gives some sense of how much admiration his label, Victor, accorded him. The Master had been primarily with that label from 1924 onward, with stops along the way at Columbia, Capitol, and Bethlehem records.

Flash forward to the end of his life (in 1974), and Ellington had created music for just about every form of show business, including theatre and film.

The Duke once claimed that the only reason he kept his band together was so that he could hear what his imaginary musical notes on paper sounded like in real-time. A hang-up for which we, his listeners, are eternally grateful.

This retail store advertisement (above) does not appear to have been recycled into any other Victor placement, i.e. catalogs, record jackets, etc., which would make it doubly rare.

NANCY WILSON

RIGHT OUT OF THE STARTING GATE

Born in Ohio, jazz vocalist Nancy Wilson, after much performance time on the road, arrived in New York City in 1960. She soon signed with Capitol Records. Right off, she had the good fortune to record with the label’s stars Cannonball Adderley and George Shearing.  Both recordings were hits. It probably helped in marketing Wilson that she was exceptionally attractive.

Wilson would have a successful career with Capitol, lasting from that start in ‘60 to 1971. She would also have success on TV–with her own show, in nightclubs, jazz festivals, etc. Her honors were many, including multiple Grammys and the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change.  She continued to perform and record with other labels until 2011. It was then that she remarked: “I’m not going to be doing it anymore, and what better place to end it than where I started, in Ohio” –– her last professional engagement.  She died in 2018.

CHARLES MINGUS

VERSATILITY PERSONIFIED

It was a long row to hoe for this master musician, from the ‘40s L.A. Central Avenue Swing-to-Bop crossover scene. Eventually, however, he could be found starring at the likes of major Japan concert halls.  In 1971, he even recorded an album while performing there.

TRACKS RECORD

Mingus had first recorded in the early 1940s. The overall sound was much like swing stars of that era, such as Benny Goodman. However, a Mingus 78 rpm disc from just a few years finds this player/composer/arranger thoroughly ensconced in the bubbling bop cauldron.

Later in his career, Mingus could be found versatile enough to be performing with players from any era. An example: an early Sixties trio of Mingus, vibist Red Norvo and guitarist Tal Farlow.

WAY TOO SOON

Although Mingus died at 56,  his name remains high on the list of jazz greats. Two major documentaries attest to this.

MUSICAL INTEGRATION

In addition to his significant seven-decades-long career as a jazz musician, bandleader, vibes player, African-American Lionel Hampton (1908-2002) is also remembered for another undertaking. In 1936 he helped Benny Goodman tear down the walls between white and black musicians in  “live” performances.

Years later, Hampton observed: “The Benny Goodman Quartet made it possible for Jackie Robinson to get into major league baseball. This was such an important development that we just cannot fluff it off or forget about it.”

This re-formatted groundbreaking Goodman Quartet would end up playing at the likes of the Waldorf-Astoria.

Of interest is the number of awards Hampton received along the way, including the National Medal of Arts and several Honorary Doctorates.

Somewhat ironically, Hampton’s big band ended up lasting even longer than Goodman’s. It has the distinction of giving jazz vocal stars Betty Carter and Little Jimmy Scott their first big.

CHARLIE PARKER

FAST FORWARD

Starting in the mid-Thirties, alto saxophonist Carlie Parker found himself inspired by the swing era likes of Ellington and Basie. But not for long. It would not be stressing things too much in calling this Kansas City, Missourian, “the man who invented modern jazz.”

Parker has received numerous forms of tribute, including documentaries, biographies, and stage productions, with one of the most well-regarded being the big screen docudrama, Clint Eastwood’s Bird.

As noted in the description of the press kit herein for director Clint Eastwood’s daring work, the film “remains one of the few classic movies about jazz.”

Sadly, Parker dies at the implausibly early age of 34. One can only wonder how he would have developed artistically if he had been given more time. Parker is a prime example of The Good Die Young.

COUNT BASIE

ON THE T.O.B.A *

Starting in show business, pianist Count Basie worked as a back-up player on the historic black vaudeville circuit, the Theater Owners Booking Association *. Eventually, these musical meanderings landed him in Kansas City, Missouri. It was there, in 1935, that he founded his first big band, which would endure for the next half-century.

Basie didn’t leave his Jersey home (and place of birth) entirely behind; he would become widely known as “The Kid from Red Bank.” It stuck with him for the rest of his life.

However, a few of the noteworthy Basie instrumentalists and singers who gained early-on professional experience include Lester Young and Freddie Green, and songsters, Joe Williams and Jimmy Rushing.

The Count was especially popular with Jewish comedians, namely Jerry Lewis (Cinderfella) and Mel Brooks (Blazing Saddles).

WALTER FILM’S AFRICAN AMERICANA COLLECTION

WalterFilm.com offers a range of African-American Cultural History that celebrates the achievements of black actors, black artists, black musicians, black athletes, black politicians, and other members of this country’s African-American Community. To see the extensive vintage original collection click on this link; African-American Collectibles and Black Memorabilia,

OUR GUEST AUTHOR

BILL REED

Bill Reed is a journalist and writer whose articles on show business, the arts, and popular music have appeared in a wide variety of publications, including Rolling Stone, the San Francisco Examiner, International Documentary, and Japan’s Swing Journal. Among his books are: Hot from Harlem: Profiles in Classic African-American Entertainment, Brains as Well as Feet, Early Plastic: A Memoir, and Shared Air: My Six-Decade Interface With Celebrity. He as also worked as a video jack-of-all-trades for the Criterion Collection, and produced many jazz recordings for SSJ Records, Japan. More: https//musicians.allaboutjazz.com/billreed

Blog is originally published at: https://www.walterfilm.com/8-great-black-jazz-musicians/

It is republished with permission from the author.