#maroon and white plaid laces yes but not red

[filthforfriends]

https://twitter.com/pacinosturner/status/1630988799491670018?s=46&t=s3VaA9nG9G01BKQ55DTbOQ

no thoughts head empty 💀 thomas raggi you are the man of my dreams

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[istheresomebodywhocanimagine]

Sweet Bird of Paradox

Sweet as the smell of success / Her body’s warm and wet / She gets me through this god awful loneliness / A natural high butterfly Oh I, / I need, need, need her.

The smells of the private room were dizzying to John. On one hand, a saccharine, citrus incense burned nearby, but the stench of sex was too powerful to mask. As illegal as it was, John figured that more than one man before him had paid a little extra for a little extra. Mixed together, it made sure the senses were overwhelmed by a sort of sweet debauchery, but the overindulgence wasn’t shameful to him. Not yet, anyways.

His calloused, aged hands gripped the armrest of the leather chair tightly as he looked around for a moment, the dim lights of the room making it hard for his eyes to adjust. He was teetering in on the scale around his mid 40’s, and most of his senses didn’t work quite the way they used to. He strained a little harder than he would have 20 years ago to see, and the music of the club just below was fainter than it would be to any 20 year old.

But he could still feel. God, could he still feel. Those hands that had created some of the most iconic basslines of the 70s and 80s, and every inch of skin on the attached body, felt everything.

Immediately following Freddie’s death, it was different story, sure. It was like the nerves had shut off – everything was numb, head to toe. His body desperately craved contact that would spark anything, and so he’d tried everything with Veronica, just so he could feel something. But touching her was like touching a wet blanket – it did mostly nothing for him, and if it did, it slightly repulsed him.

Shame and guilt debilitated him for a while. He couldn’t even bear looking at her, lest he reveal his aversion to her touch, and that purposeful avoidance had brought him here 4 months ago, a sophisticated, hush-hush exotic club where he’d immediately got a private room. He’d went through several girls on the roster before he’d found you. One dance, and his body felt like it was on fire. He was feeling again, just like he’d felt everything years ago. He was young again, and that scared him to no end.

So, he disappeared for a week. But then, he was back again, and asked for you by name every time since. You couldn’t even count on your fingers and toes the amount of nights you’d spent in John’s company. Some nights, you honestly would just sit and chat over a bottle of champagne. He was intriguing to you – never had you met such a quiet, reserved gentleman with so much to say in the middle of your place of work.

And he’d never taken advantage of you, not once. There was an odd sort of bond between you two, an inexplicable attraction, but you’d never even began to fool around with him. It was either a dance, the same you’d given tons of other men, or an in-depth chat that lasted well into the hours he’d pay for. At this point, you could usually read his expression and know exactly what the night warranted.

But tonight was different. As you stepped into the room, clad in a maroon red, strappy lingerie set covered by a creamy silk robe adored with red floral pattern, his face was unreadable. Letting the heavy wooden door shut behind you, you walked over to the minibar in the room, opting for the bottle of red wine tonight to match your lipstick and the towering heels that were adding a good half-foot to your height.

Carefully picking up two glasses with your free hand, you made your way over to the chair where John still sat motionless, following you with his pale grey eyes that matched the aging silver of his hair, which was crew cut and far shorter than his ‘do in the 70s, he’d told you. You did remember long hair being the standard in the 70s even if you were just a kid, so you took his word for it.

John moved his hand so you could perch on the wide armrest of the chair, his usually kind face riddled with conflict. But he still cleared his throat and managed to speak as you uncorked the bottle, pouring two glasses of wine.

“Red tonight?” he asked, his sweet-tempered, somewhat nasally voice making you relax as you realized he wasn’t in a foul mood tonight. Sometimes, he came in and didn’t really say a word for fear of revealing his moods like that, but you could tell through the silence anyways. “I thought you liked white whines.”

“I’m in the mood for a red tonight, is that a crime, John?” you asked, handing him a glass before holding out your own, smiling when he obligingly clinked his glass to yours, both of you taking a sip at the same time. A blood red swatch of lipstick was left on the edge of your glass as you swirled it around, looking down at the silver fox of a man while you draped your legs across his lap. A hand came up to rest on your ankle instinctively, his other still holding the wine glass as he keep his gaze on your face, seeming to be scanning you inside and out. “You’re quiet today. D’you want a dance?”

“No, no,” he quickly objected, and you could swear you saw a ghost of a smile cross his lips as he rubbed circles into your ankle with his thumb, his plain black sweater – or was it brown? You could never tell in this lighting – suddenly seeming to constrict his breathing as he took another drink of the wine before setting it down and tugging at the collar of said sweater. “I actually wanted to ask you something. Or give you a proposition, of sorts. It’s alright if you say no, I’ve just been thinking about it more lately and I wanted to see if the idea held any weight with you.”

John being this serious was nothing new to you, so you nodded along and sipped your wine as he spoke, arching an eyebrow and cocking your head to the side in curiosity afterwards. “What’s on your mind, then?” you asked, the shoulder of your robe slipping to the side and down your arm just a bit. But John’s eyes didn’t wander, not for a moment, instead staying trained on yours as he replied without missing a beat.

“I know you’ve said you don’t like it here before. Some of the men are too rough or go too far, is that what you said?”

“Well, yes, but it’s a living.” You grimaced as you spoke, mainly trying to convince yourself you didn’t hate the work more and more recently as the men got braver and stupider. “Why do you ask?”

“What would you say if I offered to get you out of here?” John’s face was dead serious as he spoke, and you held back a laugh that was bubbling to your throat as you furrowed your eyebrows, realizing he wasn’t joking. Was he proposing an arrangement? “I can put you up in your own place, away from here, pay you weekly, and I’d come visit you there instead.”

“Oh, so you call this visiting me?” you teased, climbing up from the chair and eluding his grasp as you finished off your first glass of wine. Grabbing the bottle of wine by the neck, you poured yourself another one as you focused on the stream of red liquid splashing into the glass. Just beyond that, John still sat there, the same expression as before, cool and controlled. “I bet that’s not what your wife calls it.”

“Not important,” he dismissed, quickly disposing of the topic of Veronica. He’d told you about her months ago – the kids, the separation, the rough patch, his bender, reconciliation, and then now, the stall, the filibuster. And it wasn’t like it bothered you – half of your clients were married men, you had to shed yourself of that morality quick. You just wondered what this proposed arrangement would mean in terms of his family. “I can send you to Bali, Cancun, Hawaii, wherever you want to go. All I ask is that you let me get you out of here.”

“Why?” you asked suddenly, sitting the wine bottle down on the table and standing with your free hand resting on your scantily clad hip as you let the other hand rest down at your side, daintily holding on to the wine glass by the rim. “Why do you want me out of here so bad?”

“Well, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that I’m partial to you. And you deserve to be somewhere that doesn’t make you miserable. Go on, tell me you’re not miserable here and I’ll leave you alone about it from now on, I swear it.” His vowels were getting more and more clipped as his voice was laced with just a hint of excitement, knowing he’d presented a very good point.

Pursing your lips, you scanned your eyes over John’s entire body, starting at the dark leather dress shoes that almost matched the chair he was in, all the way to the collar of the plaid shirt peeking over his sweater’s neckline. Then to his hair, silver strands slowly transforming to a very soft brown-grey at the top of his head, all uniform in length, so clean-cut, like John. And yet, he was an enigma, the least clean-cut personality you’d ever witnessed.

“Alright. What’s the catch?”

welcome to spring break by whitney! i’m on a partial hiatus, so this is what i’ve lined up for my absence. let me know what you think of this one, leave comments, feedback, anything! the brian one will be out tomorrow, and the roger one wednesday - leave notes on the one you like the most, and i’ll chose whichever one seems to be the most well-received to start a new series once TNC is over! have a great week yall <3

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Tagged by: @wilhelminafujita @cptaincarswell & @dahlwyn - Thank you so much for the tag! 💖 Love this challenge!

Tagging: @arnyan @sungoddessra @bluerosesburnblue @gryffinpuffthunderbird @unforgivablecurse-breaker @thesafewordispeaches @poulaind @no53472 @missnight0wl if you want to/haven’t already and anyone else who wants to! =) (I know I'm probably forgetting people, I'm sorry!)

Original Template: X 

Nereida Adelyn-Keira Black:

Hair: Wavy black hair with red tint, mainly visible in sunlight; normally keeps its around shoulder length or a little longer - likes it long enough to put up into a ponytail

Complexion: Pale, basically glow in the dark =p (Irish, French, and English heritage plus growing up in Canada means white and no tanning =p)

Wardrobe: Dark and edgy but also casual and a little sporty. Plaid shirts, rock band t-shirts, sweatshirts, and jumpers all layered under her classic leather jacket (a staple!) normally paired with boots or sneakers and yes, sunglasses - her light colored eyes are sensitive to light! She wants to be comfortable and warm but also look like a tough badass so no one messes with her =p

Element: Water/Ice - Perhaps it’s being part Undine, but she has always found the water calming and peaceful.

Besides her ancestral ties, Keira appears calm and chill on the surface and is always there to do whatever she can to ease any of her friend’s worries and bring them peace. She is smart, quick-witted, intuitive and thinks things through before reacting.

However, she can quickly become dangerous, aggressive, reclusive and restless - volatile. While appearing calm on the surface, inside there’s a lot constantly going on inside her mind, emotions in constant turmoil. Hates showing her emotions/being emotional.

She can appear cold hearted, be ice cold, particularly when seeking out vengeance for those close to her, and tends to put up walls between her and others. Despite being able to connect and be understanding and compassionate towards most people, she can remain mysterious at the cost of keeping those close to her at a distance. She’s afraid of getting hurt.

Season: Fall/Autumn - The crisp air, foggy mornings, rainy days, changing of the leaves - it may be a seen as a symbol of ‘death’ but it’s also a symbol of change and rebirth and transition. The season fills her with energy and hope. Rainy fall days snuggled up by the fire are her favorite. It also is clearly the season with the best fashion (right, Andre?). 

Animal: Arctic Fox - Her patronus. Cunning, stealth, persistent, independent, mischievous, charismatic, and adaptable. “Arctic fox people tend to be sly, graceful, and have a near magic ability to make something out of nothing, utilizing even the most limited of resources… They can con their way out of everything. They will do whatever it takes to survive.”

(Cunning, resourceful, and willing to do whatever to survive - yep, she’s definitely a Slytherin =p)

Accessory: Celtic Warrior ring - Warrior shield with snake knot/Wuivre on either side. Given to her by her mother, from her mother, and so on. This family heirloom passed down through their maternal (Irish) side of the family symbolizes protection and eternal loyalty and love. 

“The Warrior Shield was inspired by the Ardagh Chalice, an important part of Irish culture. Echoes the shape of ancient Irish battle shields and is a symbol of strength, loyalty, and bravery.”

The serpent is Celtic mythology is a sign of rebirth and healing. The snake knot, or Celtic Wuivre, is a “warrior’s protection symbol” (thought to be inspired by the Greek’s ouroboros) “symbolizing strength and says to give love and power to whoever possesses it.” 

Texture: Leather & Lace - Tough and edgy, cool to the touch, protective but still delicate and beautiful and even elegant yet sexy. Perhaps also symbolizing her distinguishing leather jacket she normally wears, in a way a possible connection to Sirius who she is very similar to, a sort of symbol of her rebellious and ‘outcast’ place in her family, and even the wizarding world (at least in the UK), but still her ties to the pureblood, elite, noble House of Black. She may not be warmly welcomed into the Black family by all but she is proud to be a Black nonetheless. 

Home: Keira and Jacob have had a few homes in their day from Ireland, Canada, to England. Keira loves (may demand it…) having a fireplace in her room and likes to have a little sitting area in front of it (it was a good thing bedrooms in 12 Grimmauld Place had fireplaces or she’d have to do some more remodelling! Her room in Canada also has a fireplace). 

She normally decorates with darker, cooler colors (black, purple, grey, green, etc.) and prefers natural light or light from the fireplace. She loves having a good view, would like to be able to see some trees and/or water from her room, and would have balcony and/or window seat - she normally can be found sitting by the window as it rains with the fire going nearby. She is neater and more organized than her brother. While the darker, cooler toned decor may come off as cold to others she finds it calming and comforting and the jewel tones and fireplace provide warmth. Normally her and Jacob share a bathroom, a Jack and Jill one, that connects their rooms. 

Alpharden Jacob-Taylor Black:

Hair: Black hair with red tint, visible in sunlight, darker than his sisters. Wavy, especially when grown out but normally keeps it short.

Complexion: Pale but not as much as his sister and is able to tan (much to her resentment)

Wardrobe: Casual and sporty but also a bit grungy with a little edge. Has a leather jacket but it’s not as much of a statement piece for him as it is for his sister. T-shirts, plaid shirts, hooded sweatshirts, jeans, sweatpants, beanies/toques.

Element: Despites his Undine part, Wood/Earth would be Jacob’s element. 

Fearless, resilient, strong, sturdy, kind, and funny but impatient, impulsive, unapologetic, bold, aggressive, strong temper, and can be insensitive. Leadership -They lead with determination, have a lot of drive, always seeking out how to grow and expand. They can come off as harsh or intimidating but are actually kind, generous, and funny - outgoing and sociable. 

“Wood people see the bigger picture, find solutions, seek out the best in things, and make changes. Woods are doers. They turn ideas into action. Woods exude confidence and don’t let much stand in their way. If they can imagine it, it can be done. They know what they want, are decisive, make things happen, and push themselves to the limit. Once they make up their minds, there is little that can convince them that someone else’s opinion is right. Woods know they are right, which acts as fuel for their strong drive, but doesn’t always bode well for their personal relationships.”

Season: Winter - Jacob loves the cold weather, the picturesque snow on the trees, the sound of skate blades on ice. He loves winter activities and would spend all winter outside if he could - it seems to bring out his playful side more. The chill air on his skin invigorates him. 

Animal: Bison - His patronus.

Strong-willed, protective, strong, emotional, quiet and friendly but have a strong-temper.

“Few possess just the right strength of character for their patronus to take the form of a buffalo. Those that do are dedicated individuals who are fiercely protective of those close to them. Anyone foolish enough to attempt to harm another under a buffalo’s care is unlikely to come out unscathed. They are fighters. When all is well, they are placid but often outgoing, with strong personalities and who like having fun with those they bond to. They are steadfast friends that enjoy being helpful and lending a hand to complete a task, or just making someone feel better.”

Accessory: Celtic Warrior ring - Warrior shield with snake knot/Wuivre on either side. Given to him by his mother, from her mother’s father, and so on. This family heirloom passed down through their maternal (Irish) side of the family symbolizes protection and eternal loyalty and love. 

“The Warrior Shield was inspired by the Ardagh Chalice, an important part of Irish culture. Echoes the shape of ancient Irish battle shields and is a symbol of strength, loyalty, and bravery.”

”The serpent is Celtic mythology is a sign of rebirth, healing. The snake knot, or Celtic Wuivre, is a “warrior’s protection symbol” (thought to be inspired by the Greek’s ouroboros) “symbolizing strength and says to give love and power to whoever possesses it.” 

Texture: Weathered Tape Over Smooth Wood - The rough, weathered tape protects the wood from wear and tear and breaking. While normally seen as strong and sturdy, wood can be worn down and broken after experiencing frequent pressure and strain. 

Jacob may give off an intimidating exterior, he’s truly warm and friendly. But he can quickly become protective and angry especially when those close to him are threatened or hurt. He may also like to come off as tougher than he actually is since he can be rather emotional, much more so than his sister.

Home: Keira and Jacob have had a few homes in their day from Ireland, Canada, to England. While he has yet to experience staying in 12 Grimmauld Place, his room decor is similar to Sirius’ with warm Gryffindor colors or reds/maroons and golds mix with earthy tones (and his room in Canada also has a fireplace like his room would have in 12 Grimmauld Place). He prefers the warmer colors to his sister’s cooler ones, so his room is always comforting and inviting, despite also being messier than his sister. He too prefers natural light from large windows and can be normally found lounging on his bed, strumming a guitar or tossing a ball in the air or against the wall in a lazy practice for his Quidditch skills. Normally shares a bathroom with his sister that connects their two rooms.

[filthforfriends]

Okay gonna keep this brief. Lace code uses the color of shoe laces, generally on doc martens, to communicate identity. It started with the punk scene in the 80s. Generally

Red = neo-nazi

White = white supremacy

Yellow = anti-racist

Green = neutral towards racial issues

Blue = cop killer

Purple = gay pride

Black laces lost their meaning as docs were popularized

Docs don’t sell red laces for this reason. The closest you can buy is maroon plaid ones because plaid is neutral. They also don’t sell white laces individually, they only come pre-laced with certain white shoes.

But anyone can like the color red or white, and lace their boots accordingly. So it’s not fair to judge just any kid whose favorite color is red. That is the second complement of lace code, the style of lacing.

Neo-nazis and white nationalists ladder lace their boots to distinguish between people who like wearing white shoe laces from fellow racial supremacists. What does ladder lacing look like? Check out Thomas’ shoes.

I do not think Thomas is identifying himself as a racist, I think this was a stupid mistake. You say I shouldn’t critique him personally? Fine. But someone should have caught this since red and white laces are “earned” is certain circles by committing a hate crime. It’s despicable symbology and he’d be horrified.

His stylist should have known, and I will die on this hill. A person who has studied the history of rock and roll fashion in depth should have known, and might’ve. They may have echoed the sentiments of “lace code is dead so why does it matter?” Lace code will be dead when Doc Marten’s carries red and white laces with the 7 million pairs of shoes they sell a year. This is their current ad campaign for their laces

Black, purple, and yellow = punk kid, gay pride, anti-racist

If the stylist didn’t catch it then someone on their publicity team should have. Some roadie from back in the day should have smacked him upside the head. Yes I’m annoyed with Thomas for not knowing anything about the punk scene considering they borrow their stage antics from that genre. And major components of their style. And their attitude. And their cover songs. For fucks sake they did IWBYS with Iggy Pop!! And now they’re preforming I Wanna Be Your Dog in white ladder laced docs 😡

But they hire people to deal with this stuff for them because they’re so busy. The whole team failed him 🤦🏻‍♀️and at a music festival of all places. I just hate the whole situation on his behalf and on behalf of people who understood the symbology.

What really pisses me off though, is the people saying that lace code doesn’t matter. As if signifying to a Person of Color or a queer person that you are their ally could ever be pointless. If wearing yellow or purple laces makes one marginalized person think “at least she’s on my side” it is worth it to me. If it’s not worth it to you thank shut the fuck up