#ny post is trash

[cejav13]

Considering all the best of 2024 lists that The Bear is on, The New York Post’s opinion is quite comical. I am not surprised that the least creditable major news outlet in New York would have this take.

When you know what you know, there is NO NEED to entertain, what “THEY THINK.”

[stinkrascal]

all the shit i read on reddit about people living with roommates makes me so relieved that me and bf dont have any roommates because if i had to share my living space with someone who isnt my partner id actually die

[ibswarriors2nd]

Fuck around in the city and find out shitstains

[unforth]

New Danmei Publisher: Hai Tang Books

HEYO HAPPY SATURDAY THERE'S A NEW DANMEI PUBLISHER!

Hai Tang Books, a division of Hong Kong business Cherry-apple Cultural and Creative Limited, has formed in Flushing, NY, and announced multiple danmei licenses. Books will be in print and e-book as far as I can tell (EDITED: NO, it's looking like print-books only probably), and are licensed for distribution in the United States and Canada only.

Their website, Hai Tang Books, currently has a "down for maintenance" notice, but it was up earlier and multiple screen caps and such reflect the list of announced licenses (such as here on reddit and this post on bluesky.) There's also a list on Novel Updates.

Licensed Titles Are:

A Certain Someone (Moumou) by Mu Su Li

Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know (Mozun Ye Xiang Zhidao) by Cyan Wings

Guide on How to Fail at Online Dating (Wanglian Fanche Zhinan) by Jiang Zi Bei

I Can Do It (Wo Xing Rang Wo Lai) by Jiang Zi Bei

Mist (Bowu) by Wei Feng Ji Xu

Don't Pick Up Boyfriends From the Trash Bin (Buyao Zai Lajitongli Jian Nanpengyou) by Qi Jing Nan Qu

Marrying a Demon (Jia Mo) by Yang Su

The Approach/Descent From an Altitude of 10,000 Meters (Cong Wanmi Gaokong Jianglin) by La Rive Gauche

The Blue Dust Trilogy (Qianlan Huoxing) by Chu Tu

They've even shared some art:

I Can Do It:

Guide on How to Fail at Online Dating:

DVAWTK:

LOOK AT LITTLE YIN HANJIANG. LOOK AT HIIIIM *sob*

(Image source: https://bsky.app/profile/skyarise.bsky.social/post/3ldafjvvc2k2w)

Anyway. Very exciting morning in the danmei world!!!

[paiges-1vur]

pt. 1. | from across the crowd.. as always, enjoy loves <3 *prologue posted* 🏀⚡️🪩

“what.. you guys, why are you all looking at me like that!” my words led to only more strange looks. my friends all sat around me, mouths open. “tiff. oh my gosh. are you joking!” my friends all start bombarding me with insults and “i can’t believe you’s”

i seriously had no clue this girl even existed until my friends had shown me her.. ten minutes before the game started. while i didn’t even know of her existence, my friends seemed to know her whole life story.

“okay guys but should i put it on?” i ask the group around me. i mean, i was genuinely cold. i had goosebumps forming on my arms and legs from how cold it was in the stadium. i should have noticed something was off when i left my apartment and nobody else was in going out clothes.

my closest friend madisen, who also seemed to know the most about paige encouraged me to put it on. “she wouldn’t have given it to you if she didn’t want you to wear it.. right?” she says shrugging. i slowly pull the hoodie over my head, immediately feeling warmed up.

the hoodie says uconn basketball on it, and has paiges number and last name on it. im immediately flooded by her scent. she smells… really good. like a mix of musk, wood, and smoke. as the rest of the game plays out all i can think about is the fact that i’m wearing her hoodie. i didn’t want the moment to ever end. but it unfortunately did when the buzzer sounded and Uconn was announced the winner.

me and my friends decided to stick around after the game for a little while. they got up to throw out our trash, and empty drink cans while i tried to find paige. i wanted to thank her for lending me her hoodie. its the least i could have done.

as i get up to search for paige, i see her walk out of the locker room.. and walking up to me. she was smiling, standing in front of me, practically towering over me. to be fair, i am 4’11 but that is only due to terrible genetics, and a very short mother. “hey” is all she says, but its enough to make my heart beat faster.

“hey, your name is… paige right?” i say to her smiling innocently, pausing before saying her name, not sure if i had remembered it totally correctly. honestly i could forget my own name right now if she asked me for it. she laughs slightly before responding, “yea thats my name, you remember me?”

I try to play it cool. “well my friends wouldnt shut up about you the whole game” i say laughing. “i didnt even know who you were before i got here.. well they dragged me here, and then almost killed me when i didnt know who you were. long story” i say, trying to explain the crazy night i’ve had. she laughed harder than me, surprised at my confession. “oh.. so you’re telling me you just showed up here, not even knowing who i was?”

im slightly embarrassed, and i hope its not showing on my cheeks. “well.. I’ve never been a fan of basketball, so my friends knew i wouldnt come to the game. they told me we were going out to the bars tonight, and dragged me here. that’s why i was wearing such a… revealing outfit before you gave me your hoodie. bad outfit planning on my part. and yea to be honest i had never heard of you in my life” I try to explain clearly, but I’m not even sure if i believe this all happened in one night.

“oh, wow so you really had no idea who i was?” she sounds almost surprised at this fact. “no.. not really, why?” I say, a slight bit confused. i wonder if i should have known her.

“oh, here’s your hoodie, by the way” i say, pulling it off and folding it into my hands. im now left in ny old outfit. my jean mini skirt and Uconn tank top leave quite frankly, little to the imagination. im not very proud of how i look in this moment, but the least i can do is give paige her hoodie back. “nah, don’t worry about it you can keep it. you look..” her eyes roam my body quickly, “cold anyway. and it looks better on you than me.” i smile at her and slip it back on. the hoodie reaches my mid thigh, its so oversized. “thank you so much- again im so sorry i didn’t know the stadiums were so.. cold oh my gosh.” i say laughing.

she laughs too, looking down at me and smiling. she bites her lip, like shes thinking hard about something before she speaks again. “can i, ask you a question?” im suddenly intrigued why paige bueckers would want to ask me a question but i bite. “yea sure, go ahead.” i say smiling at her, awaiting her next words.

“you probably have a boyfriend.. right?”

[lillian-v-orchard]

How’s your get those photo’s of Mikaela’s home? And is that where Lily currently lives?

Lily posted them to win an internet argument about her FIL. https://web.archive.org/web/20240217114514/https://www.tumblr.com/alpin-the-floof/742522609910054912/i-am-sure-the-feeling-is-mutual-if-my-daughter-or Lily does not live with Mikaila she was only visiting Rochester NY to clean out the apartment when it got too bad for Mikaila to ignore. You know? Like Mikaila ignores most things. A apartment Lily claimed, after receiving horrified reactions for people, that it "wasn't that bad" I ask you. Does that apartment's state look in any way normal to you? These photos aren't of a place that is "A little messy" This is a depressive hole steeped in years of personal neglect. People have noticed that there are empty autoinjectors on the floor, covered in trash.

Mikaila swears she will never let her father make it that messy again. I don't believe her, this is depression and a deep one at that. Mikaila needs to be out of that place. Lily let her wife live in that trash pile for five years and counting.

[melancholicstation]

Do wanna run marathons in Long Beach by the sea? — a john f. kennedy jr one-shot

taglist: @obsessedwithjohnjr @vanillqcoke @rocker-chick-7 @ultr4v1ol3nt @violetharmonsfavgf @strip-weather-forecast @darcyspirits @fortheloveofjos @h-l-v-kennedy-blog @h-l-vlovesvintage @bluelancergirl @snowsgames @salvatoresablondie @dulcegal @kennedyism @bloxholden35 @kimcrystal123 @astro-vibes-bro @absurdlyvintage @jackiesgirl

SUMMARY: After a round of bad luck after bad luck with guys, Bobby, who has come to be a father figure of yours concocts a plan to set you up with his Bachelor of a nephew: John F. Kennedy junior, only neither of you quite know it yet.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: in this au bobby is still alive and works at the innocence project post his presidency. for a while it truly stumped me on what a man like him would've done if he lasted through 2 terms of a presidency and had to get a new job 🫠 also what should we name this reader!?

warnings: nothing just cute flirting, mean-ish jfk jr, use of the word bitch, kissing, bon*r but nothing beyond that, face touching

words: 1,759

Upper East Side, NY. 1995

Your conscious mind is rudely pulled back into reality from it's own sleep-induced bliss-state as you hear sounds akin to that of a racoon rummaging inside an opened trash chute.

As your eyes adjust to the change you start to get a feel for your surroundings. Nothing similar to a trash can—no quite the opposite. Instead of a grimy green, slick covered dross habit you had found yourself in a place you'd come to know as familiar: miss bouvier's new york townhome, or as you'd come to call her: Jackie.

You recognise yourself to be in her living room fit with a vast bookshelf, a safe haven for her over the decades you'd presume. Shrouded and protected by the novels and their winding tales—as if the paper thin pages were her coat of arms.

After your eyes had adjusted to the light, your whole body slowly seems to return to itself as your sensory receptors pick up the velveteen settee: in a swirling pattern of pink against a midnight black background.

Behind you sat a bookshelf wall to wall with books, so packed in fact that a ladder sufficed to be put in to explore the contents sufficiently. Glancing up the first book you lay your eyes upon is Works of Aeschylus. Instantaneously you are transported to how you got here in the first place—

*flashback to three hours ago*

You're regretting about all the romantic decisions that led you up to this point: crying the lobby of a Manhattan high-rise, embarrassing the hell out of yourself. Even in front of all the guys who looked like they were playing parodies of themselves on SNL. Despite not being blood Bobby was always the one you'd call when the going gets tough.

So that's how you got here: clad in nothing but an old heather-grey knit romper that you'd "stolen" from your recreational sport team in college and a pair of joggers with embroidered golfing patches—you knew they were less than fashionably conscious but damn! were they fucking comfortable.

Unsurprisingly you see Bobby bounding out the elevator, just on time, making his way over to you, encasing you in a fatherly hug before you can even mutter out a conversationally polite greeting of "hello" or "hi".

He doesn't say much, he never really does when you get in this state over a boy. To be quite frank he's fed up—no not at you, never at you: but at those douchebag boys who could never to measure up in any measure of a man. He knew he, or his brother's for that matter, weren't exactly angels in the fidelity department but they'd never have had the gall to run games like these boys have played on you.

And to top it off he'd just got off from a phone call from John last night saying that he wouldn't come to thanksgiving—too worried that the family will tease him for not bringing a girl home 4 years in a row.

While you silently cry in the taxi on the way home—well not to your home or bobby's instead to Jackie's home in manhattan: according to Bobby he'd been cat-sitting for Jackie while she sailed through St-Tropez for the weekend so that's where you two would be headed.

In between your crying and unbeknownst to you, Bobby concocted a plan to kill two birds with one stone...

Mysteriously informing you he'd ride with you to the townhouse and ride all the way back to his office, apparently he'd forgotten to some important papers to leave at Jackie's in his office. Assuring you that he'd be back before you knew it.

*end of flashback*

Your disturbed once more by the sound you presumed had woken you up in the first place and are met with a disturbing sight John no less than 5 five metres away from your splayed out frame: crouching over a filing cabinet aptly disguised as a chest of drawers.

You'd never really got along with John, not with his smug nature and ability to deflect questions with ease that he didn't feel bothered to pay attention to. Truthfully it was like a dance of tango even trying to engage in a conversation with him: so you never really tried. Bobby had always tried to ingrain you into Kennedy family traditions: knowing your rocky relationship with your own family. So you would talk to John in passing but never for too long: though it was long enough for you two to start a Cold War of passive aggressive passes of mash potatoes every holiday season.

Now to any other women aged 25-40 in America this sight would be a dream come true what with John clad in a simple button down shirt, and loosely tied linen slacks: none drawing attention away from his sharp jaw and frustratingly kissable lips, resembling the shade of a rabbit's tongue.

"Oh so sleeping beauty does wake!" You startle at the arrogance simply seeping out of his vocal cords.

"Pretty sure sleeping and being comatose are two different things, Jackass." you curtly reply while moving up into the slightly less demeaning positioning of half-sitting half-laying: hoisted up by the refined floral patterned cushions splayed about the living room.

"You say such pretty things to me, Y/n!" John says, motioning his hands in a fake swooning gesturing his hand to his forehead faking feeling faint.

"What're you looking for any way? Snooping in one me sleeping. I didn't take you for a peeping tom, maybe I should have."

"Oh don't flatter yourself. Bobby called me."

My body quickly turned cold why would Bobby call him, at this hour of night? I knew them to be close but not—calling at all hours of the night for favours—close.

"Now why in the hell would he do that John-John?"

"Would you shut up with that? you know I hate that nickname. Bob called me cause he needed me to bring some of mom's papers to the office."

How peculiar, you thought. Didn't Bobby just say, mere hours ago, that he'd left papers for Mrs Kennedy in his office? Not finding it particularly relevant you decline to tell John this fact.

"Why would he call you? He'd have a better job getting Freckles to go find it first."

"Stop that will ya? To be honest I think he's just giving me something to do I guess he feels sorry for me. Y'know about the Claudia stuff."

A melancholic stupor falls over his face, and you start to feel like you're talking to a real human being: y'know with feelings and thoughts. Seemingly some of the hubris had fallen from his features at the mere mention of that girl. You'd heard that Jackie never liked her found her too eccentric for her likening.

Uncomfortable with the certain intimacy he'd uncharacteristically shared with you, you try to lighten the mood

"If you want some basic bitch, go to the Beverly Center and find her. I'm sure the girls down fifth avenue would simply fawn over just the sight of you."

"Don't act like you're any different. You fawn over as much as the rest of them, nothing better to do", he says with a performed confidence.

"For the record I did have things to do. I don't normally mop around like you tell Bobby I do all damn day"

"Oh yeah? What things do you have to do?"

"Not much at all but I strain to think of it as your business"

"Well you are my business!"

You scoff "Oh-oh I'm your business now? Is that it?"

"You've been my business since the minute a saw you sleeping on the couch with tear stains on the pillow"

Time slows for several moments, shit how long had he been here to see you crying?

As if he can read your mind he answers your question with his next breath

"Don't worry I didn't see anything. Just saw the remnants on your pillow but it was enough to make me want to knock the teeth out of whatever boy made you like this." John says while still desperately trying to find Bobby's magically disappearing and reappearing file to deal with his uncomfortableness at his own outburst of sincerity. A mode unfamiliar to him normally.

Betraying yourself you blush like a schoolgirl, tipping your chin to your neck, the acetate claw clip clipped into your hair dragging along the base of your neck.

Slowly John makes his move towards you: precise and monitored. As if you're a wounded dear he doesn't want to scare off. Brushing a hand across your check: making his way down to tug on your bottom lip.

As if operated by magnetic pull, you meet each other's lips. Surprisingly either of the two do not fight for dominance, instead you two fall into a routine not dissimilar to that of a dance in which you both inhabit spaces of dominance and submission. A true push and pull.

A large friend graces your acquaintance and attention: in the shape of a prominent mound in his trousers, which he laughs off clearly embarrassed from getting this worked up over a 5 minute make-out session.

In the throughs of passion the papers John had been sorting through crumple slightly. That sound is what precisely stops his movements: clearly coming back to his senses and remembering that he'd promise Bobby that he'd find the papers.

Conflicted on how to move forward. John takes a big swing

"Y'know is there any chance you'd wanna come and rive with me to Bob's office, there's this Italian place we could eat at if you're hungry? Don't get me wrong I'd love—" gesturing down to the mound in his slacks "—to continue this further but I just can't let him down."

"Nah I get it. And I guess I'm a little hungry" you try to perform nonchalance to your detriment.

Chuckling at your faux coolness, John rises to stand wringing his large veiny fingers

"I'll go head and ring Bobby so he knows we're coming up, and meet you downstairs, alright?"

"Okay" you reply still out of breath as you watch him leave the living room and grab his Nokia 1011. Mortified yet extremely pleased with yourself you grab one of Jackie's refined choice of couch furnishings and yell into its feather filled centre.

A yell filled with utter disbelief and a renewed hope for the future—or at least for the rest of your night.

[formerheroeswhoquittoolate]

okay so for those of you who haven't met me (most of you) I really like thinking about the way people talk (tone, inflection, accent, speech patterns, et cetera) and I'm tired so I'm extending this to the batfamily here we go here's my thoughts, unrequested and only slightly edited:

dick: sounds a bit like a male pop singer (think brendan urie but without the whining or busting his voice with drugs and bad technique). dude has a killer falsetto and can hit some of the highest notes in the house, beat out only by steph. saw a headcanon somewhere about him growing up speaking romani because of his parents and having an accent as a child that comes back when he's hurt or tired and honestly 100/10 it's part of this headcanon (and if you know where this post is please tell me! it's not mine and I'd love to give credit). you can also hear it in the way he says a couple less common words but his accent otherwise sounds exactly like bruce's.

jason: doesn't have the deepest voice of the batfamily; he's third deepest after bruce and duke. his tessitura (comfortable vocal range) is big though and his voice pitch changes a ton with his mood. he's got a soft r that the other bats don't have (think ny or boston) that he learned from his mom. his falsetto is trash but he is one of the better singers in the family. all low notes. you should hear him do the song the dwarves sing in the beginning of the hobbit.

tim: his voice is a little scratchy but it's not too noticeable. damian is the only batboy with a higher voice; tim and cass are at about the same pitch. he's a tad self-conscious about how he sounds in general and heavily mimics so he's got bruce's crisp ts and a softer r like jason's. he says "ahm" instead of "um" and that's not really common in gotham so nobody really knows where he's gotten that from. he's definitely more monotone, for a lot of reasons, and tends to emphasize his words by changing in volume rather than pitch.

damian: he's like twelve so his voice hasn't dropped yet but he wants it to be lower like his brothers. he's got just a touch of an arabic accent so his speech is a little more melodic and much like tim he's a mimic so he has bruce's ts and a few sporadic romani and aave quirks from dick and duke respectively.

duke: second lowest voice of the batfamily. the kid's quiet and his speech is usually peppered with aave although he's often a little self-conscious about it around the primarily white batfamily and especially white upper-class bruce. doesn't sing in public but he's good at it (he refuses to acknowledge this)

cass: okay she hardly ever talks but when she does it's slightly lower in pitch than what people expect. she typically speaks in broken english (well that's canon not headcanon) and it's always the same way as someone else in the batfamily speaks, usually babs, steph, duke, or jason since she spends the most time with them. she's barely ever louder than a kitten sneeze.

stephanie: holy shit the girl talks fast. she's got the highest speaking voice too by a few steps. gorgeous soprano but only about fifty percent of the time. loses her voice completely when she gets sick and turns into a raspy old lady. has an absolute knack for impersonations, not necessarily in terms of pitch but in speech patterns/rhythms.

barbara: right in between tim/cass and steph in terms of pitch. she uses very precise language and there's often random hacker lingo in there. she's also surprisingly loud and can out-shout any of them except for alfred.

and finally, bruce: deepest voice by a step or two. his batman growl is actually slightly higher in pitch if you listen closely enough which jason finds hilarious. he's got very crisp ts as a result of being raised primarily by the very british alfred and he often takes his time speaking especially in meetings.

[not-goldy]

Jk-tkk never had say. Its about Tae & Tae-tkk feelings. Tae- tkk hate JK and Jk-tkk let them call the shots cause they're weak. I'll tell you what. Come sit next to me Jk-tkk who fled. I'll defend Jk with you. However, if you're still a Jimin/Jikook hating tkk at heart, even if you left that Tae biased Jk hating cult, sorry but you can still sit & fight alone.

Notice a pattern?

'Tae travels with friends.' Tkk: So glad he's having fun. 'Jk travels with Jimin.' Tkk: Selfish prick only cares about himself.

'Tae releases a show with friends.' Tkk: Make it a #1 show, watch & support, we love Wooga. 'Jk has a show coming.' Tkk: Boycott, don't watch, we want it to flop.

'Vmin at Tae's fanmeet.' Tkk: They're so cute. Tae loves his soulmate/BFF. 'Jk shows up to Jimin's rehearsal.' Tkk: Trash JK faking content for cameras. 'Tae shows up to his Wooga friends show.' Tkk: He's so supportive of his friends. 'Jimin supporting Jk in NY & Jk's BB #1.' Tkk: What about Tae? Of course Jk's doing fanservice.

'Tk make a TikTok together.' Tkk: Look at our babies showing off they're in love. 'Jk makes a tiktok with Mingyu.' Tkk: Don't watch it's for clout, he's disrespectful to Tae. 'Tae out everywhere with Friends without Jk all chapter 2' Tkk: We support this freedom & love his friends. 'Jk out with 97 line, Jimin, friends, family without Tae' Tkk: Where is Tae? All Jk's friends are trash.

'Jk watched Jimin content & supports him' Tkk: Fanservice whore pushing others, while Tae suffers. 'Tae posts about Lisa, members, Wooga. Tkk: He's so supportive of literally everyone.

'Tae doesn't post about Jk's BB #1.' Tkk: crickets 'Jk says congrats to Jimin on his award.' Tkk: Can he stop hurting Tae & ignoring him.

'Tae dates Jennie in their faces.' Tkk: This is all Jk's fault. Drags him & Jimin for it.

'Tae says he's happy to separate for Military, even tho he had the option to enlist with Jk. No tattoo or any excuses. Tkk: Jk is a selfish bastard who enlisted with Jimin instead of sacrificing himself for Tae. Lets make his life a living hell while he is in the military and can't defend himself & keep it up until he discharges.

They hate every single moment he's there with Jm.

Watch them gag and bully anyone who would bring it up after his service and watch jokers cave and delete their posts about jikook serving in MS together

[hesperocyon-lesbian]

Hi, I just wanted to send you a message to ask what you’re trying to achieve when you reblog posts slamming Kamala Harris? How does it feel helpful to you? This is a genuine question that I’m asking in good faith. Palestine being your single-issue voter stance is very honourable if that’s how you want to vote but you have to be realistic that that’s just not even a policy on the ballot for November.

Dems and republicans are both total trash on the topic of Palestine. But trump will gladly encourage escalation and I would not be surprised if him gaining power led to atomic bombs being dropped on Palestine. He’s literally said he wants Isreal to get it over with. He viscerally hates Muslim people and the Middle East.

Reblogging posts that highlight that only help trump’s campaign. The things that are useful for Palestinians are showing up at protests, contacting representatives to maintain pressure on them, and donating to gofundmes and refugee charities for Palestine. Undermining what is already an uphill battle for the dems, in what will affect the whole world if the republicans win in November, is only damaging to the state of the world.

Do you genuinely think that people are making their voting decisions based on a niche communist blogger reblogging posts and articles about things she’s actually done?

Anyway, the moments when politicians need support most are the best moments to pressure them. You’re talking to someone who went to a DAPL protest outside Hillary’s NY campaign headquarters in very late October 2016. If talking about what Kamala has done and what she’s failed to do is harming her campaign then maybe she should cave to the pressure

[bcacstuff]

Gosh, Sam's time of activity on IG makes me dizzy. Where is he? LA, NY, or could be back in UK?

Gosh, you know what makes me dizzy? (not everything in this answer is aimed at you Anon, but also at many other Anons in my inbox)

All these Anons that are confused or want to connect him so badly to some woman who is at the other coast....

Isn't it oibvious? Just look at the times of his latest stories. Yes, yesterday he reposted a story from brooklynprla quite early for LA, but you know a jet lag isn't only about sleep, it's also about being hungry at weird times. After that he posted his LA post about TCA and stories around 9am LA time. Another reposted SS story at 2pm LA time and last story at 11pm. His usual late evening scroll.

8 hours later, his first story today at 7.14am LA time. So totally obvious and his usual activity times fitting the LA time zone.

That last SS repost already doesn't fit East Coast time, as that would be 2am, and you'd think he'd have something else to do at 2am if he were at some East Coast city with the woman Anon's constantly try to sent me...

You really should stop looking at women like that. What part of this post do you not get.

PS. Every Anon in my inbox containing a name of a woman who isn't relevant at all atm. will simply be trashed. Making assumptions without any relevance does not help either. So don't waste your (nor my) time. Thank you.

[foxes-that-run]

I don't wanna live forever

In the video Zayn arrives in a classic convertible, similar to Blank Space. She 'called out' Harry's cars in KoMH "'Cause all the boys and their expensive cars / With their Range Rovers and their Jaguars"

Then the hotel looks a lot like the Bowery Hotel where Harry stays in NY. Also, not to sound flippant... but it's Zayn and Taylor.

Harry and Taylor refer to Hallways in 10 songs and in the Perfect MV.

There are white roses throughout which Taylor pulls apart. Since Red, TS Roses have been about Harry, he has a rose tattoo. On their May anniversary in 2013, she posted roses saying she thought something would grow. She threw white roses in the Blank Space MV.

The people in the background are dressed like Harry and Taylor at the Victoria Secret show, which is also the subject of So it Goes.

They trash the hotel room, which mocks Perfect's MV. 1D's made a mess, Taylor and Zayn smash a mirror and a lamp.

i don't wanna live forever came together very quickly. wrote it with taylor and sam dew and produced it at home mostly on paper sounds. recorded taylor at my house. zayn sent parts from LA – we did it in a week basically. i've never had something come out that quick — jackantonoff (@jackantonoff) December 9, 2016

Zayn said that Jack approached him, then Zayn spoke to Taylor who already knew the track. I think given the importance of Jack and Taylor's relationship it's more likely Taylor choose Zayn and Jack was an intermediary than Jack raising it.

The collaboration itself is enough to confirm who it is about and caused a directioner-swiftie Twitter fandom storm. Many viewed it as a way for them both to mess with Harry, I think in part it is a response to Perfect. To suggest it's not about Harry for either is... a choice.

When was it written

Jack and Taylor were in the studio recording the bulk of Reputation in September 2016, Zayn was was in LA then, so maybe. But Fifty shades wrapped in April 2016 and it was likely wanted then.

Live performances

Taylor performed it 7 times in promotional events and then only twice in concert, interestingly both times was it the first week of June:

June 9, 2018, Manchester's Reputation Surprise Song. They were in a good (and maybe more) place then. Also Harry's hometown (he was in Florida)

June 3, 2023, Chicago Eras surprise song. It is sadder that above, the MH split announcement was 2 days later so maybe related. Haylor relations seemed warm before and after that.

Taylors split from CH and Harry left to shoot Dunkirk in June 2016. From I did something bad / High Infidelity / Ole we know CH was over earlier and they had spent some time together in February and April 2016. Playing this in June, when Harry left for Dunkirk and his IG going colour after the 2016 Met Gala has me side eyeing the end.

Lyrics

[Verse 1: ZAYN] Been sittin' eyes wide open Behind these four walls, hopin' you'd call It's just a cruel existence Like there's no point hopin' at all

Eyes wide open is a reference to Eyes wide Shut, the Stanley Kubrick erotic psychological drama. Like Fifty shades is features a masquerade party.

Harry and Taylor refer to waiting for calls in: AYHTDWS "Here you are now, calling me up, but I don't know what to say" August "Cancel plans just in case you'd call". Maroon "the rust that grew between telephones" FTDT "Even my phone misses your call, by the way"

Cruel existence is a theme of referring to their relationship as something they are trapped in. Cruel Summer "It's a cruel summer with you", MMIH "Cause once you go without it / Nothing else will do" and others. Taylor also had no hope in Treacherous "This hope is treacherous"

[Pre-Chorus: ZAYN] Baby, baby, I feel crazy Up all night, all night and every day Give me somethin', oh, but you say nothin' What is happening to me?

Taylors pre-chorus is the same but "I gave you somethin', but you gave me nothin'"

IWYW has a similar line "You always knew how to push my buttons / You give me everything and nothing" and Say "don't go" "I said, "I love you" (I said, "I love you") / You say nothin' back"

[Chorus: ZAYN] I don't wanna live forever 'Cause I know I'll be living in vain And I don't wanna fit wherever I just wanna keep calling your name Until you come back home x2

Taylor has referred to not wanting a life without Harry in Is it over now? "Oh, Lord, I think about / Jumping off of very tall somethings" Hoax " Stood on the cliffside / Screaming, "Give me a reason"" This is me trying "Pulled the car off the road to the lookout / Could've followed my fears all the way down"

In Where do broken hearts go "Now I'm searching every lonely place / Every corner calling out your name / Tryna find you but I just don't know / Where do broken hearts go?"

I don't want to fit wherever seems a response to Perfect "Or the arms that hold you any time you want them / But that don't mean that we can't live here in the moment / 'Cause I can be the one you love from time to time". HS had not been available because of the band, but wasn't in 2016 when Taylor wanted someone there for her but I expect was focused on his solo career and Dunkirk so not in the band or available. To me this line could be why it still didn't work out.

[Verse 2: Taylor Swift] I'm sittin' eyes wide open And I got one thing stuck in my mind Wonderin' if I dodged a bullet Or just lost the love of my life, oh

In second Verse Taylor has let it go, dodged a bullet/lost the love of her life is pretty straight forward - but it's an interesting link to Love of my Life on Harry's House which was still 6 years away. (yes I know his only 13th track on the album he released on their 10th anniversary is about England.... ....)

[Bridge: Taylor Swift, ZAYN, Both] I've been looking sad in all the nicest places Baby, baby, I feel crazy I see you around in all these empty faces Up all night, all night and every day I've been looking sad in all the nicest places Give me somethin', oh, but you say nothin' Now I'm in a cab, I tell 'em where your place is What is happening to me?

Looking sad in all the nicest places reminds me of:

This is me trying: "And it's hard to be at a party / When I feel like an open wound/ It's hard to be anywhere these days / When all I want is you"

Hit's different "Freedom felt like summer then on the coast / Now the sun burns my heart and the sand hurts my feelings"

Take the cab to his place is also similar to other times they go to each others house:

DBATC: "I Take the long way home"

Wish You Would. "It's 2 A.M. in your car / Windows down, you pass my street / The memories start" and "It's 2 A.M. in your car / Windows down, I pass my street / The memories start"

[Outro: Taylor Swift, ZAYN] I just wanna keep callin' your name Until you come back home Until you come back home

Finally, home is an important concept to them. Generally, they refer to each other as home. However in this song and Sweet Creature, "Wherever I go, you bring me home Sweet creature, sweet creature When I run out of road, you bring me home"

Sweet Creature and IDWLF were both written in 2016 they refer to HS coming home to her.

The lyric 'And I don't wanna fit wherever / I just wanna keep calling your name / Until you come back home". Is a hope that eventually they will be together, but accepting not yet. This idea is in several songs:

HYGTG "Broke your heart, I'll put it back together / I would wait for ever and ever (I want you for ever and ever)"

Suburban Legends " When you told me we'd get back together / And you kissed me in a way that's gonna screw me up forever"

Someday "Someday maybe when we're old and gray / We could be in love once more / Till then I won't give my love away / Darling, I'm forever only yours"

Something Great: "One day, I'll come into your world and get it right / I'll say we're better off together here tonight"

Happily "We were meant to be but a twist of fate / Made it so you had to walk away."

Satellite "Spinning out, waiting for ya to pull me in / I can see you're lonely down there"

[writerpey]

Regressor Carmy Berzatto

I haven’t seen ANY agere content for the bear! and you know what they say… if you want a thing done, do it yourself. so… here’s an incredibly long post all about carmy as a regressor! side note: this is probably my favourite agere piece I’ve ever written. I just love the show so so much and understand carmy’s character very deeply (TW for bereavement, anxiety, typical carmy things etc etc)

Carm regresses for blatantly obvious reasons. His tumultuous family structure both before and after Mikey’s death, his time spent in New York under a verbally abusive head chef, and his overall inability to cope with it all. There’s a deep longing in him to go back to a time before he knew something was terribly wrong with both his family and himself.

He started regressing for the first time when he moved away from home to New York. Carm started paying more attention to the haze that would cover his eyes and grip his heart tightly when he felt so anxious it’d make him sick, his confusion from the familiar sensation of panic fading interchangeably into an odd feeling of comfort that he simply didn’t have the strength to hold off. As he spent more time working in NY, the feeling grew and grew, until one night he found himself coming out of his haze and realizing (as if a lightbulb appeared above his head) that feeling like a kid again, feeling small, helped the hurt in his heart go away, if even for a moment.

Carm started regressing in small ways. He’d make a comfort meal that reminded him of good times spent with his mom, or he would have the TV playing cartoons in the background as he perfected a veal consommé. He lied to himself about it in the beginning, convincing himself he needed the noise of the television to replicate what being in the kitchen was like, or that he wanted to see if he could perfect his mother’s recipes.

He didn’t truly understand how deep his regression went until Mikey passed. The child inside him cried out for his big brother, in desperate heaving sobs that left Carmy in a ball on his living room floor and his fingers in his mouth. Carm spent many nights battling horrid panic attacks by curling up on the cold floor in this manner.

And so while The Beef was sinking and Carmy was in charge of it all, he stayed afloat amongst his nightmares and reality which was the nightmare by regressing.

Carmy is a sweet, quiet and stuttering little. Always a shy boy, from his childhood onwards, he’s the least likely person to tell anyone about his regression, let alone his anxiety and trauma. So he spends most of his time regressing alone. Carm loves to draw and colour and make art when he’s regressed, usually sketching his favourite cartoon characters or funky dish ideas that come to mind even when he’s small. Most of his works of art end up crumpled and thrown in the trash because of his self-conscious nature, but occasionally he’ll be very happy with his work and he’ll put it away at the bottom of a drawer somewhere to look at when he’s little again.

He’s also keen on cooking when he’s little, but doesn’t do a very good job at it. His patience is even shorter than when he’s big, and his attempts at cookies have ended up in frustrated tears and an empty stomach. Carm has a tough time getting enough to eat when he’s regressed, and so he ended up freezing portion-sized meals that are simple for him to warm up when he’s feeling small.

Because Carmy is naturally shy, he has a difficult time accepting some of his traits and desires when he’s regressed. He doesn’t have anything child-like aside from a plush puppy that he keeps stuffed away in his dresser under a thousand white t-shirts, and it only comes out on nights when he’s feeling significantly smaller than usual. Its ears have been chewed at and its stuffing is lumpy, but Carm would rather set fire to his restaurant than walk into the children’s aisle of a store and buy another plushie.

Carmy is an emotional little. When he’s happy or excited his eyes practically twinkle and sparkle, and when he’s upset or embarrassed he turns red from his ears to his neck and his eyes prickle with hot tears. A tell-tale sign that he’s about to cry is when his bottom lip trembles or he runs to hide somewhere. Being in a small, dark space makes Carm feel safer to cry.

Nat and Richie are the only two people who truly know about Carm’s regression. He told Nat, in a longwinded roundabout way that made half the sense he wanted it to, but Richie found out by coming over uninvited and interacting with a Carmy who was half regressed and half trying to act like his usual self. A screaming match about Richie being an everyday asshole and Carmy being a stubborn asshole ended with embarrassed tears running down Carmy’s face and a rather shocked Richie. Richie drew Carmy into his arms and apologized while Carmy failed in shoving him off and instead quietly accepted the comfort.

Carm’s regressed at work before, a prospect drawn on by a panic attack outside during his break from being overstimulated in the kitchen, alongside the impending feeling of doom that came with the thought that he wasn’t good enough to be at the helm of anything, let alone Mikey’s lost dream.

Upon coming back to the kitchen, he completely shut down, frozen in place with his eyes focused on nothing, his mind somewhere else. Richie’s concerned utterances of ‘cousin’ and the feeling of his hands patting his face and shaking his shoulders brought him back to the surface, his eyes wide and terrified when he looked up at Richie. One glance around the kitchen to see Syd staring at him with a mixture of pity and concern made a garbled, strange sort of whine leave his throat, and Richie immediately led him back outside. The older man knew what was going on when Carmy declined a smoke with a jerky shake of his head, and called Nat to take him home.

Nat doted on Carmy like a mother when she got him settled into his apartment, the younger completely silent and meek as she bustled around his bedroom, fluffing pillows and bringing him hot tea that he accidentally sloshed all over his sheets. She uncovered his plush puppy from under one of his pillows and he had smacked it out of her hand while holding the tea. He practically cowered when she stared him down angrily, and reluctantly accepted the puppy when she picked it up and pushed it into his arms with a resounding, “that wasn’t very nice, Carm.” It’s safe to say Carmy didn’t call her for over a week afterwards, ashamed to have let her see him in that state. Telling her about his regression by no means meant that he would ever feel ready for her to really see it. His puppy was back to being jammed in his dresser in no time. But Nat was more than happy to be able to take care of her brother, content with seeing him deal with his feelings in a way better than fading after a panic attack and cussing out his employees and chain smoking. It did break her heart a little to see him so much like the baby brother she once knew, but it wasn’t as if it was unfamiliar territory to take care of him.

Carmy’s regression took on another layer when he decided to close The Beef and start fresh. Syd seemed to make sure of it, at least. She had no idea he regressed, and the thought of her finding out squeezed Carm’s insides with a vice grip. But her kindness and willingness to forgive him when he slipped up helped him to focus— both on the restaurant and the thought that maybe he could be kinder to himself when he felt small. Syd made him feel small sometimes, and not in a way that was an escape from his own issues, but rather a warm, safe place to come to when he felt comfortable, alive, and strangely contented. Her reaction to his food art did that, for one.

Her praise of his drawings made him less critical of his own when he was regressed at home, and the mere thought of her being impressed put the softest of smiles on Carmy’s face after he drew the latest dish she had been working on. He smacked it on his fridge with a magnet and didn’t take it down even when he was no longer feeling small.

Even just the domesticity of having Syd over to test new dishes and techniques made him more comfortable and willing to embrace his inherent small-ness. He liked being around her outside of the restaurant, her company giving him a sense of family without the sting of Mikey’s memory. Carmy found himself thinking about her more often when regressed, daydreaming about how she would treat him and quietly asking his puppy what it thought of Syd.

With newfound confidence from Syd’s steadying presence in his life, Carmy was willing to throw crayons into his basket while doing a grocery run. On top of the crayons came a head of lettuce, and then beside it his favourite childhood snack. He allowed himself a little more happiness, a little more to make him smile instead of climbing into his closet with his hands over his ears.

Things were far from perfect, but Carmy knew that if any part of his long broken heart wanted to heal, he had to be willing to let his regression — and his loved ones — be a part of that process.

<3

[jerzwriter]

First Date

Based on this ask from @lexicook74-blog, Trystan takes Carolina out on an official first date now that they are out in the open. This is pure, unadulterated fluff with a twist of sarcasm that makes them... them. I hope you enjoy it! 💗

Book: Crimes of Passion (Post Book 2) Pairing: M!Trystan Thorne x F!MC (Carolina Rose) Category: Fluff (with a twist of NY) Words: 2,495 A/N: @choicesoctober - Celebration - because an official first date for these two is something to celebrate! Also, @choicesprompts Flufftober - First Date

It was difficult to tell who was most excited to be back. Carolina had always known she was a New Yorker through and through, but her time in Drakovia had solidified that commitment. Now, she even loved the things she hated about her hometown. Although, she was pretty confident her romanticization of smelly trash bins and subway rats had just about run its course. For Trystan, it felt like a dream he never dared to believe had come true. No longer in exile, no longer forced to live a life his birth alone decreed. For the first time in his life, he knew freedom, and it couldn’t be any sweeter.  

But their return to the Big Apple wasn’t all fun and games. Mafalda wasn’t exaggerating about the amount of work awaiting them back at the agency. But they were eager to get back to it, working long days that often drifted into the night, which is where they were now.

The clock struck eight, and the sun’s few remaining rays washed the office in a soft, amber glow. Trystan placed another cup of coffee in front of Carolina, and she rewarded him with a tender smile before quickly returning to her work. He picked up a folder to do the same. But, when his cup of java did nothing to help his exhaustion, he leaned back for a quick break, studying his favorite subject as he did... his precious Carolina.

Love was an amazing thing. There she was with her hair in a messy bun, raccoon-like dark circles under her eyes, and while a coffee-stained shirt was the norm for Detective Rose, today, it was paired with a little spaghetti sauce from dinner. Still, as Trystan took her in, he was sure he had never seen anything more beautiful. Carolina glanced up and caught him staring. If she weren't so tired, she would have something witty to say, but sticking her tongue out at him would need to suffice. Pleased that she was being more immature than him for once, Trystan let out a chuckle. This was worthy of marking on the calendar, but so was something else on his mind.

“Today is Thursday, is it not?” He asked.

Carolina thought so but looked at her phone for good measure.

“Thursday it is,” she smiled. “The days seem to be melting into one another, don’t they?”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. We need to do something about that.”

“What do you suggest?” she asked as she closed her notebook. “Quitting the agency?”

“Of course not! But even Mafalda said we’ve been overdoing it since we returned. So I declare this weekend a work-free zone. Besides, we have plans.”

“We do?” She asked with a scrunched nose. 

“We do now,” he smiled. “We have never been on a proper date, and it's time we change that.”

“Trystan,” she rolled her eyes. “We’ve gone out plenty of times.”

“Gone out? Yes. But a proper date? No.”

“What do you call all the times we’ve gone out to eat?"

“Obtaining sustenance.”

“And when we went to the Yankee Game?”

“The game we attended with Luke and Ruby? Where I had to whisk you away to a private area just to kiss you?”

“Only for the kiss cam to snag us,” she laughed.

“Exactly! Had it been an official date, and the kiss cam had caught us... I would have given them quite a show.”

“You make a point,” she concurred.

“I make lots of them, Carolina,” he smirked. “If only you paid more attention.”

He quickly dodged the rubber band ball she threw his way.

“Maybe we should go to another Yankee game,” she laughed. “Clearly, my pitching isn’t what it should be.”

“I’m sure sure more Yankee games in our future,” he smiled. “But this time, allow me to spoil you... I can’t think of anyone more deserving.”

“Babe... I’m a girl from the Bronx; a Yankee game is spoiling me.”

“Understood, but can I please spoil you Drakovian royalty style for just one night.”

Carolina tapped her chin. “Drakovian royalty style. Hmmm. I suppose I'm willing as long as it doesn’t involve poisoning or knife fights.”

“I promise to leave those parts out,” he laughed. “Though a little wrestling at the end might be in order.”

“I wouldn’t object to that,” she laughed.

“Then that settles it! Saturday night... we have a date.”

~~~~

Trystan didn’t give away any details, only telling Carolina to wear something fancy and to be ready at six. Normally calm and collected, finding the perfect outfit was sending Carolina into a tizzy. Fortunately, Ruby was available for shopping and to help keep her friend grounded.

“You’re already his girlfriend,” Ruby laughed as her friend tried on her umpteenth dress. “You don’t need to put this much pressure on yourself.”

Carolina’s head popped over the dressing room door. “Yes, I do. It’s our first official date, and I want it to be... perfect. Besides, I’ve never gone out with anyone routinely followed by the paparazzi. If I end up on Page Six, I want to be killing it!”

“Killing it might be the wrong choice of words, considering it’s you two we’re talking about. And I’m sure you’ll look more spectacular than any of those snobby socialites on Page Six. Carolina... take a deep breath and just enjoy this.”

Across town, Trystan wasn’t faring much better. Luke was unwillingly getting play-by-play details as Trystan finalized plans.  

“So what do you think?” he finally asked. 

“What do I think?” Luke scowled. “I think this is the most bourgeoisie itinerary I’ve ever heard of.”

“Is it wrong for me to spoil the woman I love occasionally?”

“I suppose not,” Luke resigned with a sigh. “As long as you don’t do it too often. Otherwise, I may have to reconsider being seen with you in public. You’re already bad for my rep.”

“It’s not the first time I’ve heard that, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.” Trystan laughed. “But as long as Carolina is happy to be seen with me, that’s all I need.”

Luke shook his head mockingly. “You know, I would have never imagined you as a love-sick puppy when we met.”

“Funny, I never saw you that way either... then you fell for Ruby. Should we discuss that?”

Luke cleared his throat and returned his eyes to his laptop. “Why would we discuss that when I have to help you plan your date.”

“Sneaky way out... but at least I’ve got you where I want you,” Trystan winked. “Now, put your work away. You can come to help me select Carolina’s flowers.”

“Flowers?” Luke groaned.

“Yes. And after my date, I should probably help you plan a date for Ruby. Obviously, you need my help.”

“I may just take you up on that,” Luke grinned.

~~~~~

Saturday rolled around quickly, and Tommy did a double take when a tuxedo bedecked Trystan stepped out of a limousine in front of his bar, turning all heads his way. Even in a city used to sophistication and excess, Trystan had a way of commanding everyone’s attention.

Carolina’s uncle shook his head with a grin as Trystan approached the bar, a dazzling bouquet of cream-colored roses in his arms.

“You know, my niece likes the simpler things in life,” he teased.

“Obviously!” Trystan scoffed. “She’s in love with me, after all.”

“You might be many things, Trystan, but I’m confident simple isn’t one of them.”

“You can say that again,” Carolina replied from the top of the stairs.

Trystan took one look at her, and his jaw went slack, the flowers in his hand falling to his side. Carolina’s smile grew exponentially as she descended the steps in a stunning, barely there champagne lace slip dress that hugged her every curve. Flirtatiously draping the fringe shawl the saleswoman swore would complete her look over her shoulder, she sauntered to Trystan with a wink.

“So, you like then?”

 “Like...” he gasped, unable to come up with any words.

“Are you sure it’s not too much? I don’t really go on fancy-ass dates like this often.”

“Carolina... you are perfection...” he marveled. “Too much? Too much for whom? I assure you, I can more than handle this.”

“All right, you two!” Tommy barked. “I know you’re consenting adults, but can you please save that part of your date until you’re not standing in front of me in my bar!”

“Of course, Tio,” Carolina laughed, her eyes lighting up when Trystan handed her the bouquet. “What are these for?”

“They’re roses for the most beautiful Rose of all.”

A blush rose to her cheeks as her eyes rolled toward the ceiling. “Do these lines work on most people?”

“I got you, didn’t I?” he smiled, then offered her his arm. “Now, let’s go, your chariot awaits.”

~~~~~

 A half-hour later, they were at Per Se, sitting at one of the finest tables in the house with a million-dollar view of Central Park West. 

“I hope you don’t mind that I didn’t opt for a private dining room,” Trystan said, pulling back Carolina’s chair. “But now that I can finally show you off, I want to ensure everyone can see us.”

“I don’t know,” she snickered. “I usually demand the private dining areas when on a date. All of the finest pizza joints in town have them. Of course, they’re usually reserved for kid's birthday parties, but still....”

“Yes, well, I’ll see if I can arrange for a balloon sculpture later on.”

“That would be perfect! Just skip the clowns!” she beamed as she perused the menu. “Now, tell me, do I have to eat fish eggs or snails here?”  

“Not unless you want to.”

“Yeah, hard pass.”

“Don’t knock it, Carolina. You’ll never know if you’ll like something unless you try it.”

“Hey, don’t act like I never leave my comfort zone. I did allow myself to fall for a cocky, exiled would-be-king, after all.”

“And how did that work out for you?” he asked smugly as the waiter approached.   

Carolina greeted the server with a wide grin, then shot Trystan a look. “I suppose I could start with the escargot... I just hope I don’t live to regret it.”

After dinner, the couple briefly strolled around Central Park, his arm slung casually around her shoulder. “So, you didn’t hate the snails,” he teased.

“I suppose if I were starving to death, and that was my only option, I wouldn’t turn them down,” she chuckled. “Now, the lobster tails, on the other hand...I’d never say no to them. But why did you tell me not to order dessert? And please... don’t be cheesy and tell me you’re dessert.”

“You underestimate me,” he laughed. “Dessert will be cheesy, but it’s not me... at least not yet. But first, we have to go to the heliport.”

“The Heliport? Why? Where are we going?”

“Downtown,” he answered with nonchalance.

“Downtown? You are aware the limo could take us there.”

“Of course,” he grinned. “But the traffic is woeful. Besides, I know you know this city like the palm of your hand, but you’ve never seen it this way. It’s breathtaking, and while I’ve seen it from the sky before, I simply have to experience it with you.”

“And why is that?”

He smiled like an impish schoolboy and merely told her she’d see, but once they were in the air, she understood.

“Oh my God, look at it!” she gushed.

Her city looked quite different from ten thousand feet above. Each one of its millions of lights twinkled like little stars that looked close enough to touch. She couldn’t turn her head away. But the only view Trystan was interested in was her; he was confident it was the most beautiful of all. He gently took her hand and held it for the remainder of the flight, peppering her hair with little kisses for good measure. Carolina closed her eyes only once, just long enough to take a deep breath and remind herself that this wasn’t a dream.

Back on solid ground, she still felt like she was walking on air. Enthusiastic as a child, she practically skipped through Greenwich Village, never letting go of her prince charming’s hand. 

“And did you see when we turned by the Brooklyn Bridge!” She beamed. “ I thought I would scream. It was so amazing! And the lights... there were so many lights! Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?”

Trystan tugged her hand, stopping her in her tracks. His eyes locked on hers as he brushed a tendril of hair away from her moonlit face, his thumb trailing across her lower lip.

 “I assure you, I have.”

Carolina lifted herself up on her toes as their lips came together; her arms wrapped around his neck, and his hands found their way to her hips... the night just kept getting better.

“So, you don’t mind being spoiled?” he joked.

“Hmmm. On occasion. This has been magical, but then again... it’s always magical when I’m with you, and I don’t need all the extras to make it so.”

“Then you’ll love dessert,” he assured as they stepped in front of Veniero’s. “Nothing fancy at all.”

“You know about Veniero’s?” Carolina asked, duly impressed.

“Please. Do you take me for a Neanderthal?”

“No, just Drakovian,” she smirked. “Did you know they have the best cannolis in the city?”

“Yes, and I know how much you love a good cannoli.”

“I feel like there’s an inappropriate joke in there,” she giggled as he opened the door. 

“There is,” he agreed. “But we’ll save that for later.”

They ended the night sitting on a blanket underneath an old tree in Washington Square Park. Street musicians played nearby but couldn’t drown out the stream of little pleasure-filled sounds that escaped Carolina’s beautiful lips.

“If anyone were to hear you, they wouldn’t think a cannoli was the causation,” Trystan smiled.

“Please, this is Washington Square Park... no one is going to judge my cannoli kink.”  She snuggled up next to him and held him tight. “I hope you don’t take this the wrong way...” she started, as a look of worry crossed his face.

“What is it?”

“Everything about tonight has been just perfect... the limo, the fancy restaurant, the helicopter ride... you really had me feeling like a princess.”

“But?”

“But just being here with you, kissing, snuggling, and watching people go by....”

“My luscious cannoli....”

“The cannoli from Vaniero’s,” she laughed. “There’s nothing better than this.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” he replied, wiping a bit of cannoli cream from her lip. He pulled her close for a lingering kiss. 

“So, since this first date went so well,” she started. “Can we have an official second date? Next Saturday?”

“I’d be delighted,” he grinned. “What would you like to do?”

“Oh, no! I’m planning this one. Now I have to spoil you... Bronx style.”

@choicesficwriterscreations

Tagging others on reblog

[eretzyisrael]

By Rich Calder and Matthew Sedacca

Far-left billionaire kingmaker George Soros has funneled more than $15 million since 2016 to groups behind this month’s pro-Palestine protests, where demonstrators openly cheered Hamas militants’ craven terrorist attacks on Israel.

A Post examination of Open Society Foundations records shows Soros’ grant-making network gave $13.7 million of the money through Tides Center, a deep-pocketed lefty advocacy group that sponsors several nonprofits who’ve justified Hamas’ bloody attacks while claiming Palestinians obsessed with the eradication of the Jewish state are the real victims.

Tides’ beneficiaries include Illinois-based Adalah Justice Project, which on the day of the Oct. 7 massacre posted a photo on Instagram of a bulldozer tearing part of Israel’s border fence down and a caption: “Israeli colonizers believed they could indefinitely trap two million people in an open-air prison… no cage goes unchallenged.”

Members of the Palestinian advocacy group occupied California Rep. Ro Khanna’s office on Oct. 20 to demand he sign a resolution calling for ceasefire in Gaza. Adalah’s members also co-sponsored a rally that same day in Bryant Park where hostile demonstrators spewed antisemitic chants and waved a sign that read “I DO NOT CONDEMN HAMAS.”

It also gave $30,000 in 2020 to Desis Rising Up and Moving, another co-sponsor of the Bryant Park protest where 139 people were arrested, financial records show.

Open Society Foundations gave $60,000 in 2018 to the Arab American Association of New York, a group co-founded by politically connected activist Linda Sarsour that helped plan a hate-filled “Flood Brooklyn for Palestine” protest in Bay Ridge on Oct. 21, where protestors called for the eradication of Israel and held a sign of the Israeli flag in a trash basket that read “Please keep the world clean!”

Open Society Foundations also awarded $1.5 million to Adalah’s founding nonprofit, Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, but only $800,000 of it was received before the legal center cut ties with the American organization in 2018. The legal center says its mission is to promote human rights in Israel.

Other Soros-backed, Palestinian advocacy groups whose members have been spewing hate at rallies since the massacre include Jewish Voice for Peace and If Not Now, which received $650,000 and $400,000, respectively.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: NY Post Editorial Board

Published: Apr 25, 2024

At least one elite university is effectively resisting the pro-Hamas occupiers: In fact, Harvard just literally poured cold water on a nascent encampment.

After protesters set up dozens of tents in Harvard Yard late Wednesday, the university set off sprinklers from 2:30 a.m. to 4 a.m. Thursday morning as temps dipped into the 30s, flooding out the colony as students futilely tried to use buckets to stop the streams.

And what an elegant move: no confrontation, no conflict, just a pointed message to rabble-rousers to move along.

Looks like forcing the resignation of former President Claudine Gay may actually have begun to make a difference.

In earlier “preventative medicine,” the school on Monday locked the gates of the yard, limiting access to only those with student IDs, while posting signs warning that no tents or tables would be allowed.

All this signifies a marked departure from the environment under Gay, who allowed aggressive anti-Israel protesters (and their antisemitism) to run roughshod over the rest of the student body and trash the university’s reputation, going so far as to run cover for them in front of Congress.

It seems Harvard’s interim president, Alan Garber, learned from her mistakes, at least enough to stifle protests that break college rules before they explode into campus-wide disorder.

We still think institutional, long-term improvement requires changes from the Harvard Corp. board on down, but progress is still progress.

And, in the meantime — mind the puddles.

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By: Emily Crane, David Spector and Patrick Reilly

Published: Apr 25, 2024

Harvard University’s anti-Israel tent encampment was temporarily thwarted overnight — by a slew of sprinklers that flooded protesters’ tents – as demonstrations rocked other campuses across the country.

Dozens of sleeping protesters who were trying to catch some shuteye were disturbed when the sprinklers suddenly turned on in the middle of the Ivy League’s Cambridge campus.

“As protesters spend their first night in the Harvard Yard encampment, the biggest threat to their stay has not come from administrators or Harvard University police officers, but the Yard’s sprinklers,” the Harvard Crimson student-led paper said early Thursday.

The first sprinkler switched on just outside the encampment in Harvard Yard at about 2:30 a.m. as temperatures dipped to 36 degrees.

[ Sprinklers disrupted Harvard University's anti-Israel tent encampment overnight. ]

Then, just before 4 a.m., a sprinkler located in the middle of the tents started spraying out water, prompting students to quickly start handing out buckets.

“Two more sprinklers turned on at the edge of the encampment near Massachusetts Hall,” the newspaper said in a live blog update at 4:05 a.m.

“The sprinklers began to hit tents on the edge of the camp before protesters rushed over to cover the sprinklers with buckets and sit on them.”

Harvard’s Palestine Solidarity Committee said in an Instagram post some of the students’ tents were flooded with freezing cold water after the 4 a.m. burst. A video showed a student struggling to readjust a tarpaulin in a wet tent.

Protesters met and discussed how to handle the situation through another night and later moved their tents and supplies to other patches of grass away from the sprinklers, The Crimson reported.

The Post has reached out to Harvard for comment.

More than a dozen tents popped up at the $79,500-a-year college Wednesday after a rally against the university’s suspension of the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee.

Trying to stay ahead of planned protests that have already disrupted Columbia and New York University, Harvard locked most gates into its famous yard ahead of classes Monday and limited access to those with school identification.

The school also posted warning signs about setting up tents or tables on campus without permission.

As of Thursday, no arrests had been made.

The waterworks came as anti-Israel protests popped up on college campuses across the nation – including at New York City schools such as Columbia University, New York University, Fashion Institute of Technology and CUNY’s City College.

Across the Hudson River, Princeton University’s anti-Israel encampment failed to launch Thursday when two grad students were arrested within the first 10 minutes of the demonstration.

Achinthya Sivalingam and Hassan Sayed were busted shortly after the first tents went up, according to the Daily Princetonian.

“It’s a big flop,” said counter-protester Laurie Feldstein.

Professor Max Weiss delivered a long speech that was difficult to hear over the sound of patrolling helicopters overhead – he read a poem from a Palestinian writer which says that Jews “evolved backward” from “victims to victimizers.”

After police escorted another speaker, Chris Hedges, off campus, a demonstrator brandishing a sign calling for freedom for jailed Palestinian terrorist leader Ahmad Sa’adat led an enraged crowd in a chant of “there is only one solution Intifada revolution.”

Fireworks erupted during an afternoon press conference when a protester shouted “Hamas are freedom fighters” at Jewish student Max Meyer. By mid-afternoon, the crowd thinned and the demonstration took on more of a picnic and group hangout vibe.

Elsewhere, in Georgia, Emory University’s demonstrations got nasty as uniformed officers from the Atlanta Police Department, many with shields and gas masks and pellet guns, descended on campus after an encampment was set up on the main quad Thursday.

One video posted online showed a protester tackled to the ground and tased by police. The doctoral student who took the video told NBC News officers used tear gas, which was also reported by the student newspaper “The Emory Wheel.”

Activists said in a statement police used “pepper bullets, tear gas, and tasers for the simple act of camping out on a school lawn.”

Noelle McAfee, chair of the school’s Philosophy Department was filmed being detained, Atlanta News First reported. 

Economics professor Caroline Fohlin was also arrested, per CNN.

Boston police arrested more than 100 demonstrators at Emerson University after tearing down an encampment there around 2 a.m. Thursday. The university canceled classes for the day, NBC Boston reported.

They were cleared out from their position in an alleyway in just 30 minutes. In total, 108 were taken in custody. Four police officers were injured, one serious, cops said.

Across town at Northeastern University, Boston police surrounded another encampment erected by hundreds of students and faculty in the school’s Centennial Common, according to the student newspaper The Huntington News. No arrests were made by Thursday afternoon, local outlets reported.

Meanwhile, the University of Southern California canceled its main commencement ceremony for graduating students next month over “new safety measures in place,” school officials announced Thursday.

Police arrested 93 student protesters at USC on Wednesday.

The decision comes a week after USC barred Muslim valedictorian Asna Tabassum, a biomedical engineering student, from delivering a graduation speech over security concerns.

The main stage ceremony, which was scheduled for May 10, traditionally brings all 65,000 students and their families together. The university said it plans “new activities and celebrations” for students.

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The wet, upper-middle class children will see themselves as victims of an unprovoked attack. And never spot the hypocrisy.