#port franks

[mitalon39]

The King.

(artwork based on the song That’s Life by Frank Sinatra)

[puppy--jam]

Some days after watching Halloween 2018 I watched Columbo and I noticed something. Same floor pattern!

Yes, these are two diffirent places but it would be fun if it was one and same place, right? Columbo and Halloween crossover... I remind that Jamie Lee Curtis (Laurie) and Donald Pleasence (dr. Loomis) appered in Columbo series already (Donald as a murderer).

[bittyfromquotev]

WIP

[unes23]

Bette Franke at Ports 1961 FW14

[autistme]

GREAT QUESTION. YOU WILL NOW RECEIVE A LATE NIGHT INFODUMP.

TLDR; Yes hiatus is up to James, but no it's not based on the accident

SO. the 2020-2023 timeline is

>Against me! is working on 8th album >starts tour two (2) days before shutdown >tour is cancelled >Zoom/virtual shit is just out of the question >???? shit happens >guess we will just wait until the world is back >James starts making pedals in his basement and selling them >Laura works on and releases Stay Alive on her own in 2020 because even if she cant coordinate shit online, at least she can work on the remnants of the album on her own (most if not all of Stay Alive was already written [including Shelter in Place despite the name!]) >Laura does a few shows in 2021, releases an EP >Atom joins a new band and releases an album, also does touring drums for a few bands throughout 2022 >Andrew joins a duo and the two of them release an album >Laura starts doing actual tours again in May 2022, live demoing songs left and right >James, surprising even himself, becomes Frank's guitar tech for MCR+Dunes >Against Me! is finally confirmed to be on indefinite hiatus in August 2022 >well shit >Frank was considering starting ANOTHER new band with James and Tucker, no clue how that's going nowadays or if it was dropped >Atom gets in a motorcycle accident and breaks several bones >well shit >passage of time >as of 2023 Atom is now fully recovered and in a wild turn of events joined Alkaline Trio >well shit >Laura remains touring and is releasing another solo album soon

SO. what does this all mean.

>Atom is probably not coming back (although who knows!) >Andrew is a complete wildcard, I did not see his return coming at all in 2018 so like anything could happen if the band gets together again!

BUT

These two, while like obviously important to the band with Andrew being the longest running bassist and Atom being a year shy of being tied with Warren for longest running drummer, Laura can make the situation work as it has happened several times where either a drummer will leave OR both the drummer and bassist will leave the band within short time frames. It sucks but the band has managed to keep going twice with the rhythm section having to be fully replaced.

BUT

What matters most is James. James isn't TECHNICALLY a founding member but he is what made the band a 4 piece and his arrival (right around the release of Crime) is when the band really started Being Pretty Serious and like The Truest Lineup of the band to Laura. And so like he has stayed with the band for over 20 years through 8 entire members coming and going over the years. So like, Laura does not see the point in keeping the band name if the last remaining core member dips, at that point the band is just Not The Band Anymore in her eyes. So we just kinda wait for if/when James comes back. Like his pedal business is going super great for him, he's probably going to be Frank's tech for the Dunes summer tour since he posted from the rehearsal yesterday, and most of all there's always behind the scenes stuff exists that We Don't Know, so who knows what the future holds! Laura is keeping the faith that thing will be back eventually.

[jumbostickyrice]

That's Life on Expert | By Frank Sinatra | Full Combo

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"HEAVILY BOUND, TEMPLE NOW IN CELLS, WAS CHASED THROUGH MILES OF SWAMP," Niagara Falls Review. May 9, 1934. Page 1 & 14. --- Friend held him just as police rushed into the house today. --- IS TRUCULENT ---- All of family held; Boy gave police clue to the wanted man. ---- ST. THOMAS, Ont. May 9 - (CP) - Frank Temple, 50-year-old farmer charged with shooting and fatally wounding a policeman, was captured early today at West Lorne, about 40 hours after he fled home here following a pistol fight with three officers who sought to arrest him on a charge of bicycle theft.

Temple, whose pistol fire allegedly caused the death of Colin MeGregor, youngest policeman on the St. Thomas force, wounded another officer and his own son, Fred, was taken at the home of a friend, Richard Carnegie, West Lorne antique dealer.

Twenty-five officers of the St. Thomas, Ontario Provincial and Royal Canadian Mounted Police forces, had chased him through four miles of swamp and dense brushland to Carnegie's house. Temple appeared not to realise his refuge was known. Officers signalled to Carnegie and the antique dealer overpowered him as the officers rushed in.

He was unable to use the 32 calibre revolver found in his pocket. The pistol contained in its chambers three exploded cartridges and two live ones.

Apparently unconcerned and still truculent, Temple was brought back by automobile, heavily manacled. He was suffering from wound in his right hand, suffered, police believed, when he resisted arrest with a storm of bullets that enabled him to dart through the back door of his home.

In police headquarters this morning Temple sat waiting for a doctor to dress his wounded hand. He was uncommunitive about his wanderings, but revealed he had spent the first night of his flight only half a block from his own home, sleeping in a foundry.

Officers said they believed he had spent most of his time under cover, making his flight slowly and cautiously.

For 40 hours he fled with his wounded hand, fearing to draw police upon him if he sought to have it tended.

Somehow he appeared to have obtained food. He was in good condition when brought here. Officers asked him how he ate while he was a fugitive, and he answered gruffly: "How do you suppose?" He seemed unconcerned by the fact he will appear today before Magistrate C. F. Maxwell for preliminary hearing on charge of murder.

Vowed He Would Shoot Police said Temple had vowed he would not be taken for bicycle theft and that he would shoot the first officer who appeared for him. McGregor, it was found yesterday, had been shot with a notched bullet, calculated to inflict the greatest possible injury.

Temple is a lankily built man, apparently capable of considerable speed. His attitude towards his arrest, officers described as "inhuman." One policeman said: "He's not a sissy about anything."

His answers to questions caused. police to describe him as a "smart Alec."

First Sighted By Boy Temple's capture, affected under leadership of Inspector T. W Cousens of the London Division of the Provincial Police, came about eight hours after a boy saw him in the hay mow of Malcolm Me Neil's barn, near Dutton, The boy, a 16-year-old farmhand named McLellan, said he prodded the man with a fork as he was pitching hay.

The boy's story caused officers to concentrate near McNeil's home. They saw a man slip into the bushes at the edge of a four-mile stretch of swamp and pursued him. He best them across the swamp and took refuge at Carnegie's house, apparently thinking he had outdistanced his pursuers.

After his arrest Temple admitted he was the man the boy had seen.

Whole Family Held Temple apparently sought aid from Carnegie because he and the antique dealer were neighbors in the past when Temple and his family lived at West Lorne. Police here are holding all members of Temple's family who were at home during the shooting as material witnesses in the trial.

Fred, his son, is under arrest in hospital, charged with bicycle theft, and another son, Frank, charged with the same offense.

Police claimed Fred sought to help his father resist arrest, but said young Frank took no part in the fight.

[pastirc]

meadowbrook PA - sheppard house 1 by Doctor Casino Via Flickr: Sheppard House (Frank Weise, 1952): a crisp and nearly-minimal floating midcentury box, beautifully restored by new owners in the 2010s.

[siberian-tug]

OMG :0000

Hello Tugs fandom...I'm still on this :'] These are some very WIP WIPS for the Star crew. Had a lot of fun messing around.

I have a lot of lore already in my head so if anyone's interested I might make an info dump later.

Some Design notes and small ideas, I ramble a lot:

Hercules and Ten cents: tried to give them similar helm shape due to siblings, and I headcannon they have a minicon kinda like lazerbeak that they share.

Big Mac and Warrior: Only recently learned that they were siblings so same thing there. For warrior I wanted him to have a mask and visor. Because I think the other Stars worry for his safety and gifted it to him for extra safety measures.

Tophat: i made Frank and Eddie his minicons :] they tag along him and bother him constantly.

OJ and Grampus: Even though their cybertronians I think they have bad eyesight and use their glasses/goggles to see better.

Sunshine: also considered making him minicon size but I think he'll be average/normal height too.

Definitely will fix colors and make them look like they can turn into boats but I mainly focused on head shape :] Hope you all enjoy!

[gregpoppleton]

Australian Jazz 1920s-50s - Phantom Dancer 13 June 2023

Australian Jazz 1930s-50s is your Phantom Dancer feature this week. I’ll be giving a talk on jazz in Sydney in the 1930s-50s as part of ‘Send for Nellie’ by playwright Alana Valentine about singer Nellie Small at the State Library of NSW 6-8pm, Thursday 15 June. TIX and More Info: Send for Nellie The Phantom Dancer is your weekly non-stop mix of swing and jazz from live 1920s-60s radio and TV…

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

Good Omens graphic novel update: May 2024

Happy 34th birthday to Good Omens - published in May 1990. We don't need any extra reasons to celebrate Aziraphale and Crowley, but we're always happy to find some.

Admin

Thank you to everyone who has completed the PledgeManager so far; as mentioned, this will be open through 2024 into early 2025 to complete. A few key queries that have arisen in the past month:

I ordered via Kickstarter, but when I go onto PledgeManager, it is setting me to Human Tier and/or asking me to pay again. Please check the email that you are using on PledgeManager. The email to access PledgeManager must be the same as the one you used on Kickstarter for the system to connect your account to the order; if your email is not showing a prior order, please try your other emails, or drop us a message from the account you pledged on (and are, presumably, reading this from!) and we can confirm the email address linked to your pledge.  

I have been charged twice for shipping. What do I do? We have raised this with PledgeManager, and they say it is a known issue that can occur via Stripe, but it is easily fixed. Please contact support@pledgemanager.com with information on your order, and note that your shipping has been charged twice, and their system can verify this and process the refund swiftly and easily.  

I need to change my address. How do I do that? We have left the option to update your shipping address open on PledgeManager and will do so for as long as possible. Per PledgeManager, here is a step-by-step on how to change your address: Return to your survey (which you can also do by visiting my.pledgemanager.com and using the ‘Forgotten Password’ option if needed) and scroll down on the receipt page. There, you will see the below button. After clicking that, you will be taken to the first page of the survey and will just need to click through to the shipping page. On the shipping page, you can use the ‘Create New Address’ button to enter their updated address. 

If you have any further issues or queries, visit the central FAQ page as your first port of call.

Good Omens items...

The desk at Good Omens HQ is slowly filling up with prototypes, the latest of which appears to be as popular as Aziraphale and Crowley, and for good reason. We are, of course, talking about the ducks. Here's an early version of the duck mug:

We've got some early prototype designs of the trading cards too. Illustrator Steve Gregson has begun work on the base card deck illustrations, to be unveiled in future, and designs for some of the variants are fully underway. Here are some early samples of graphic novel variant cards from Colleen Doran, and Rachael Stott's Crowley:

The base packs (Hellhound+) currently include 80 cards, and have caused quite heated games with those who have test-played it so far on their attempts to thwart (or indeed cause) the apocalypse. Hellhound+ backers will also get a booster pack alongside the main game. Rarities for sharing at random in these orders are shaping up nicely too. Hoping to share some of the base pack design imminently.

If you've been wondering what your other alternative cover choice is, alongside Rachael Stott's (Serpent+), then wonder no more: here is Frank Quitely's take on Aziraphale and Crowley, ready to shine on your shelves.

Update from Colleen

We often end with an update from Colleen, whether that's her art, or her shots from her studio. However, we thought it was about time we invite Colleen to update you herself, so we are handing the rest of this month's over to your ineffable artist for a glimpse inside the process of making Good Omens. Enjoy.

---

As you may imagine, I’m having a wonderful time working on the Good Omens graphic novel. The Dunmanifestin team asked me to pop in and give you a look at my process.

The task of adapting a beloved novel into graphic novel format is a complex, wonderful sort of pressure cooker. Even without the well-publicized complications I got smacked with over the last year, it promised to be an intense, time-consuming project.

The graphic novel is about the book and not the show. Getting Michael Sheen and David Tennant out of my head was quite a task. I’ve seen it dozens of times and I adore it, but I to had devote a lot of time to re-reading the novel and listening to the audiobook to clear my head of them. 

The few times I allowed myself to watch the show again screwed me up a bit. So, I won’t watch it again until I am completely finished with every drawing. Maybe a view-a-thon will be my reward for finishing the book. 

But I’m getting ahead of myself. There’s still a lot to do, so let me show you it.

Before we knew the Kickstarter fundraiser would do well, the graphic novel was to clock in at 164 pages. After the good news of the Kickstarter success, I got permission to take the story to 200 pages. That meant a major rewrite and redraw on some dozens of thumbnails and layouts.

And you guys are getting a much longer book.

Not complaining one bit. I was so happy to get more space to give breathing room to the ending.

Anyway, here's a look at my workspace.

To the left is my laptop computer with the script. The laptop is connected to my graphics computer via ethernet, and all my reference is on the main system, from which I share files.

On my older projects, I dutifully printed out every bit of reference. I think this is the first project where I’ve done all reference and organizing on my MAC.

As you can see, I draw comics the old-fashioned way – by hand – and there is my script on the computer.

But I do all the coloring on this project on the MAC. I know some people hate Photoshop, but even if I wanted to switch, I don’t have the time to dive into a new system.

That entire box with all the narrow drawers in it you see there contain Good Omens pages in varying degrees of completion. Finished pages are at the bottom with layouts, pencils, and partial inks toward the top. The middle drawer contains templates, French curves, and a ruler.

The box isn’t fancy art studio equipment. It’s just a Childcraft brand puzzle storage rack. I realized a long time ago the heavy wooden bookcases, puzzle racks, and construction paper storage made for children’s classrooms made great modular storage for professional art spaces. It’s solid as a rock, heavy so little children can’t tip it, and I can move it and rearrange my space however I like.

The final art is drawn on 11”X14” Strathmore 500 acid free Bristol.

I do all my prelims as tiny “thumbnail” sketches, some in ink, some in very loose pencil. I keep them organized in this Levenger notebook. The thumbnail paper is both Canson brand, and Blue Line Pro, and both are acid free. Blue Line Pro is good for ink, but Canson is better for pencil because it has more tooth. I usually use Canson.

Using the Levenger hole puncher, I perforate my pages and keep them organized in a Levenger Circa system. It’s pricey, but I love it. There are other brands far less expensive, however.

The ruler shows how tiny the thumbnails are.

If the storytelling is clear at this small size, then it will be clear in the final.

I redo quite a bit as I go along, as you can see from the sequence below.

From thumbnail:

To pencils:

Since I did multiple rewrites, adding a large section at the end and popping in earlier scenes I originally had to skip, this meant redoing almost all the page numbers about 4 times.

Nearly went barmy.

I use the construction method of drawing, as you see. This is an old-school technique. Some people seem to assume that artists always use computers and tracing for their drawings, but most cartoonists of my generation work extemporaneously. There’s quite a bit of noodling around and searching in the sketches. Using too much reference often results in stiff, dead work.

In comics, it’s very important to make sure you’ve considered word balloon placement when designing a page. The script for Good Omens is more copy-heavy than most modern comic book scripts because I want to preserve as much of the clever original language as I can.

Here I scramble about working out the word balloon space allowance.

Here’s a deeper look at the process for page 2 from thumbnails to final color.

Now here is where things get a little weird. What you’re about to see is a process called flatting.

If you color a comic without first flatting the art, you are consigning yourself to many extra hours of labor and frustration.

Flatting is a way to tell the computer to select areas inside the black lines so that whenever you click on that particular color, you can paint inside that area perfectly. Since the computer only understands 1 and 2 - or on and off - when you tell that computer to stick to that area, that is what it will do.

There are computer programs that you can use to create your flats. I use Multi-Fill. The results are uniquely ugly, but they get the job done. Here is what that looks like.

Absolutely hideous.

But pretty much all I have to do from this point on is click each block of color and change it to whatever I like. The result is this:

I also experimented with selecting areas of the line work as color holds, but I’m getting into more complicated color technique than we may have time for at this point. But from here, I can start painting.

And the painting stage looks like this.

Since I wasn’t entirely sure exactly how I wanted to approach this color style, I took screen shots of some of the changes I made as I went along. In the shot at the left, I’ve given Aziraphale’s heavenly self a golden glow by using a color hold on the line. But I found it needed more contrast to make his figure pop, so I darkened it in the next shot.

I use the computer to create the initial flats, but I either do the final flats myself, or I have help from Julmae Kristoff and/or Dee Cunniffe.

The flats are (usually) not intended to be part of the final work. They are a technical tool.

For example, here are the original, computer-generated flats for one scene in Good Omens.

And here are the secondary flats by Julmae Kristoff.

And here is my final color work.

Since I’m running behind on the book, I’ve brought in Dee Cunniffe to do some extra color work. He is a wonderful colorist, as well as an excellent flatter. I’m not sure to what extent I’ll be handing pages to Dee at this point, because I’m very controlling, and I want to make absolutely certain there are no stylistic anomalies in the art, and I want all the Crowley and Aziraphale pages for myself, is that too much to ask?

I use Faber Castell Pitt Artist pens for my inking. I sometimes use an old-fashioned crowquill as well, but Faber Castells are easier to control, and the ink uses real pigment instead of dye like many markers. All of my originals are created with longevity in mind: acid-free and lightfast. I want the drawings to be fade-proof.

And that is a quick tour of the work so far.

A thousand thanks to Neil Gaiman and the Dunmanifestin team for their incredible kindness and patience, and that goes double for all Good Omens supporters out there. Your indulgence is appreciated more than I can adequately express. I am truly sorry to have been the cause of the delay in the book, but I can only make it up to you by doing my very best.

And that is what I am doing.

BTW, many years ago, I found a little yellow duckling who was getting beaten up by the other ducks, so I saved him and took him to my home to live until my parents adopted him, since they had a nice yard and a pond, and I didn’t.

He had a birth defect and could not fly, which is probably why the other ducks were pecking at him.

He got to stay in the family house, and eat goldfish crackers, and swim in the tub. Eventually they built him his own house. We called it the Duck Majal.

He lived for ten years.

I named him Fred because I’d been watching Breakfast at Tiffany’s when I heard him quacking for help that day we met, and Holly Golightly’s brother was named Fred.

So, here’s to you Fred.

Until next time.

[hometoursandotherstuff]

$1.985m is pretty cheap for an iconic home like the 1894 Winslow House, Frank Lloyd Wright's first commission as an independent architect. Located in River Forest, IL, the 5bd, 3.5ba, 5,000 sq ft home already has a pending sale after only 17 days on the market. And, the current owners recently did over $1m in renovations- so it's really a bargain, if you're rich. Let us peasants take a look inside.

How about your own tunnel? Actually, it's a porte cochere, and look at the platform so you can enter and exit the vehicle comfortably.

Lovely carved oak front door.

This is so different, and a little more elegant, than Wright's later designs. Would this be considered an Inglenook?

The living room looks very formal and tailored. Look at the large built-in seat by the window. I like how they did the walls.

The windows are lovely leaded glass. If you were short of funds after buying the house, you wouldn't have to worry about buying seating for awhile, at least.

The library. Wow, there are so many built-ins in this home.

Isn't this a gorgeous entrance to the dining room? I have to say, this may be my favorite Wright house.

Nice ceiling, more built-in seating, and look at the columns. Very unlike Wright's usual style.

He really went bonkers with the built-in seating.

This is an enclosed sun porch. You can see the outer brick walls of the house.

I guess they redid the kitchen, and I can't decide how original it is. The only thing that would be original are the high upper cabinets, but I don't know about anything else.

It has quite a large pantry that's very pretty.

Nice everyday dining area.

Guest half bath has a vintage sink and new toilet.

The stair railings remind me of a harp.

The bedrooms are plain. They have nice moldings, though.

They renovated the baths.

Most older homes don't have walk-in closets like this.

Maybe this is the primary bedroom.

Original fireplace in the family room up here.

Finished attic is more of an office area, but it could be anything, really. I like the nook that the desk is in.

Lovely grounds.

Two patios.

The garage has a separate residence.

Could be a guest apt. or rental.

It has a cute outdoor area, too.

Look at the path around the garden. The lot is .67 acre.

https://www.redfin.com/IL/River-Forest/515-Auvergne-Pl-60305/home/13325458

[chuulyssa]

𝐓𝐎𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐈𝐓 𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑, 𝐈'𝐋𝐋 𝐁𝐄 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐔𝐍 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 !

tw mentions of self harm, hurt & comfort, fluff, pm!zai, mentions of odasaku's death & grave

song forever winter tv ftv taylor swift

pair pm!zai x reader

wc 2.2k

You were the sun to his winter.

At least, that's what you liked to call yourself when you were alone. You would never dare to say it in front of him, though; he would only laugh, dismissing your words with a teasing remark. To be frank, you weren’t quite sure what to call the relationship between the two of you either. From an outside perspective, it might have seemed like you were just good friends — or perhaps, hopelessly lovesick. But up close, when the world wasn’t watching, you both knew you were just confused teenagers, trying to find your way through a life that had no room for love. In the Port Mafia, emotions were a luxury that neither of you could afford — especially for the Demon Prodigy, the emotionless killing machine.

Was it love? You didn't dare answer. Your circumstances forced you not to. But it was true that you were one of the three people Dazai had ever opened up to. It was true that you were the one he would lean on to in his most vulnerable moments. It was true that you were perhaps the only other person to have seen him without his bandages. He wouldn't hide himself from you. He was a shadow, and you were his light.

Then, why, you wondered, was he trying so hard to?

The dim, amber glow of Bar Lupin cast long shadows across the polished wood, the clinking of glasses and low murmurs filling the air like a quiet hum. You had been looking for Dazai everywhere since you received the ominous text from him.

zazai :3 1:03 A.M.

im sorry for everything

He was nowhere. Not in his container, nowhere in the headquarters, even Chuuya didn't know where he had gone. It was all your fault. You should've known earlier. He’d been distant lately, more so than usual. Now, about three hours later, after driving round downtown and coming back up, you hoped to find him here, at the one place that still held a sense of comfort for him.

As you pushed open the door, the familiar scent of whiskey and old wine greeted you. Your eyes quickly scanned the room, landing on the figure slumped over the bar. Dazai. His shoulders were hunched, dark hair falling over his eyes as he stared blankly into a half-empty glass. His fingers were coarse and brittled — of course, he had been refusing all the meals you invited him to. The sight of him like this, so utterly broken, sent a sharp pain through your chest.

You approached slowly, hesitating for a moment before sliding onto the stool beside him. “‘samu?”

He didn’t look up, didn’t acknowledge your presence at all, and for a moment you wondered if he even realized you were there. His eyes were glossy, cheeks red from the alcohol in his system. But then, he sighed wearily.

“What are you doing here?” His voice was hollow, devoid of the usual teasing lilt.

“I was looking for you,” you admitted softly. “You can’t just text me stuff like that and expect me not to panic.”

A bitter laugh escaped him. “Worried about me? That’s a first.”

You winced at the coldness in his tone, and for a moment you wondered if he wanted you here at all, but you couldn’t back down now.

“You know there hasn’t been a day I’ve spent without worrying about you. But you’ve changed.”

“Changed?” He lifted his chin from the table top and rested it in his hands, sparing you a glance. “I am but your poor little kitten.”

“You are planning something, Dazai.”

He didn’t reply, choosing to instead play with the hem of your shirt.

“Answer me. What did Odasaku tell you? Why are you behaving like—”

“Would you look at the time? I almost forgot what sleep looks like,” he interrupted, getting up and throwing his coat over himself.

“Dazai,” you called, but the door closed and you were alone again.

--

The clock on your wall read 5:00 a.m. when the loud, insistent banging on your door jolted you awake. Who could it be so early in the morning? You stumbled out of bed, rubbing your eyes as you made your way to the door. As soon as you opened it, Dazai nearly fell into you, the smell of alcohol heavy on his breath. He was wasted, more so than you’d ever seen him. Had he returned to Bar Lupin after you had left? Or did he have a stock of alcohol? He must have stolen some from Chuuya.

He leaned on you heavily, hair cascading down his face and brushing your neck lightly. You didn’t say a word, just wrapped an arm around his waist, guiding him into your apartment after closing the door. The usual sharpness in his eyes was dulled, replaced by a glassy, unfocused gaze that told you he was far from sober.

The world outside was still dark and unsettling. But inside your small apartment, there was solace, calm, and a rare tranquility he always said he liked. Maybe that's why he showed up tonight after shunning himself away from you.

You led him to your bed. He sat heavily on the edge, his head drooping as you knelt in front of him, hands working with practiced care to pull off his shirt. His skin was warm beneath your fingers, and as the layers of fabric fell away, you saw the bandages that crisscrossed his torso, stained and frayed from neglect.

“I have some in my drawer,” you said quietly, moving to rummage through the drawer to find bandages to replace his old ones.

Your hands moved instinctively to them, but the moment you touched the first strip of cloth, his hand shot out, gripping your wrist with surprising strength. His eyes, though clouded with drink, held a trace of fear, of vulnerability that he rarely let anyone see.

“Samu,” you whispered softly. “Trust me, yeah?”

For a moment, you thought he might refuse, that he would pull away and shut you out like he had so many times before. But then, slowly, his grip on your wrist loosened, and he moved his hand away, giving you silent permission.

You carefully began to unwind the bandages, each layer revealing the scars beneath. Your heart clenched at the sight of them, the wounds that had never truly healed. But you didn’t let it show, didn’t let him see how much it hurt you to see him like this.

Gently, you applied medicine to his scars, wrapping the fresh bandages around him twice, making sure they were secure, desperately hoping they would help heal them. You looked at him. His eyes were closed as if he were trying to block out the world.

--

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the graveyard, the air thick with the scent of blooming flowers and the lingering silence of the departed. You made your way through the rows of tombstones. Dazai had skipped the Port Mafia meeting, and they had sent you to find him so the boss could berate him yet again. You didn't want to, but you knew where he would be.

As you approached Oda’s grave, you saw him. Dazai stood there, hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable as he gazed at the headstone, communicating silently with the still rock. The wind rustled through the trees, carrying with it the faint scent of rain. You hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath and walked towards him.

“Dazai.”

He didn’t turn around, but you could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his jaw clenched as if bracing himself for what he was about to say. “You shouldn’t be here,” he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

You stepped closer, refusing to let him push you away. “You skipped the meeting.”

“Ah, you’ve come for that. I should’ve known he would send you to see me.”

You walked closer to him, and he glanced back at the sound of your footsteps. “You know Mori won’t let that slide.”

“Why don’t you tell him I don’t want to work anymore?”

“Because you say that all the time.”

“What if it is real this time?”

You paused, searching for confirmation in his eyes for what he had just said.

“Oh,” you said, when you couldn’t find a contradiction. “You’re leaving.”

“Yeah,” he hummed lightly, still not looking at you.

“And you are completely sure.”

“Yup.”

“You won’t change your mind at all.”

“That’s right.”

Beat.

There was a moment of silence.

Finally, he turned to face you. And you saw what you were looking for.

“Now you will say something cheesy,” he said. “Something like, ‘I can’t live without you, please don’t go.’”

You turned pink, and he smiled, albeit it was a bit forced.

“But would you believe me if I said that?” You asked.

“I would, although I hope it isn’t true.”

--

The atmosphere in the corridor outside the boss's room was suffocating. You stood there, anxiously waiting for Dazai, knowing that he was probably getting scolded for skipping that important meeting earlier. You were more worried about what Dazai would end up saying, now knowing that he was going to leave the Port Mafia.

“You can't just leave the Port Mafia alive!” You exclaimed. “You were the one who said that.”

“Oh, then in that case, I think I would be the first person to do so! Or, on second thought, the second person, after Ango, of course,” he replied cheerfully.

When the door finally creaked open, you were taken aback. Dazai stepped out, looking as carefree as ever. His hands were casually tucked behind his head, and there was a cheerful grin across his face. It was as if the reprimand he’d just received had not had the slightest effect on him.

“Oh, you waited for me?” he said teasingly. “Let’s go to your house.”

You blinked, trying to process the abrupt shift in mood. “Yeah, I did,” you replied, your voice laced with confusion as you fell into step beside him.

How could he be so cheerful today, after that night in your room?

As you both walked through the winding hallways of the Mafia’s headquarters and out into the quiet streets, the tension began to ease. Dazai broke the silence. “You know, I met a wonderful girl today.”

His words caught you off guard, and you turned to him, surprise evident on your face. Dazai wasn’t one to talk much about girls or dating — at least, not unless it was related to a mission, in which case he would manipulate the lady and leave her broken-hearted the next day. You were glad that never happened to you though.

“You’ve started dating?” you asked, trying to sound happy for him.

“Mhm, maybe,” he flashed you a sly grin.

“Well? Mr Romeo, Who is she?” you pressed.

Dazai hummed thoughtfully before answering. “Oh, I visited Odasaku’s grave earlier, didn’t I? I bought flowers from a shop nearby. The girl working there… well, I think she might be even prettier than the flowers she sold me.”

You felt as though the world had tilted off its axis. “Oh,” was all you could manage to say. You smiled weakly.

He had just betrayed you thrice in the span of three hours, first by dropping the bomb that he was leaving you, then cheerfully brushing off whatever trouble he’d gotten into with Mori and now by nonchalantly mentioning a girl who seemed to have caught his eye.

Maybe this was something you could learn to live with. Maybe.

--

It was quiet — too quiet, the kind that weighed heavy on your heart in this night. You knew why Dazai had insisted on staying the entire day, and deep down, you dreaded it. This was going to be the last time he stepped foot in your home, the last time he sat on your soft couch, the last time you would share this space that had become a sanctuary for the two of you.

He sat across from you, his usual air of casual indifference replaced by something far more somber. He hadn’t said much since he arrived, and that silence had been deafening. You could feel the distance growing between you, an invisible chasm widening with each passing second.

“Ahhhh,” you screamed of frustration, and he chuckled lightly. “You’re really, really leaving, aren’t you?”

He didn’t meet your gaze, half-assed smile still on his face, his eyes fixed on the floor as he nodded.

The words hung in the air, heavy and final.

“What about us?” you asked, your voice trembling slightly.

“Us?”

“Don’t,” you warned. If he was just gonna pretend that there was nothing between you, you didn’t need to hear it.

“What do you wanna do?”

“I don’t know, moron.”

“Ah, fuck,” he ran a hand through his hair. “Well, this complicates things. Pack your stuff then.”

“What?”

“We’re leaving.”

“Just like that?”

“You wanna hand in a resignation?”

[unes23]

Bette Franke at Ports 1961 FW14

[siberian-tug]

Finally I'm not the only nerd on Tumblr now lel

Please note that I am new to Tumblr, and have no idea what's going on over here. I'm mainly just like researching information about TUGS, mainly relating to its deleted scenes and cut content.

Will post fun facts about TUGS mainly on here, to help further spread the heaps of TUGS information I have in my brain. Whenever I do that, it will be under the hashtag: #tugs fact of the day

Until then!

[maxarchive]

Fear, faith, friendship: Inside F1’s most precious relationship

[...]

When now-triple world champion Max Verstappen was first promoted to the Red Bull team mid-season in 2016, race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase was tasked with moulding an 18-year-old possessing both supreme talent and a frank demeanour with only a few days' notice.

"I had experience working with multiple drivers before Max, and that was one of the biggest helps in terms of hitting the ground running with him. I think if I would have been a newbie to my role - I won't quite say he would have eaten me alive, but I'm not sure he would have had that respect for a junior engineer."

Their relationship was an immediate success. Verstappen became the youngest race winner in F1 history, finishing first on his debut at the Spanish Grand Prix. But, generally, the first few years of Lambiase and Verstappen's partnership were spent chasing perennial frontrunners Mercedes.

"Max learned some really harsh lessons in the two or three years before 2021. His racecraft really was something that we focused on, making sure we were just picking up points when it wasn't possible to win a race. We were concentrating on building his consistency, needing to be finishing every race, maybe not putting himself in a situation where he can end up in a 50/50 accident with another driver."

[...]

Sometimes, though, tension between driver and race engineer can spill over in the most high-pressure moments.

Now in his ninth season working with Verstappen, having won the championship in each of the past three seasons, Lambiase's voice is a staple of every F1 broadcast and has become recognisable to fans all around the world.

The pair's success does not mean their communications are entirely straightforward.

"I think it is inevitable in any relationship that there are disagreements. The first port of call is acceptance of that. Secondly, you need to have faith in each other that it is for the greater good rather than there being any kind of malicious undertone. That is at the core of the relationship. As an engineer, I need to understand that ultimately Max is in the hot seat, not me. So while we are all working in a pressurised environment, the driver is at a level well beyond that. As an older citizen I would like to think I am mature enough to step back and let him vent when necessary, but to also make him understand why decisions are being made. If I was a yes man, I would have been gone long ago. We have just got that honesty in the relationship between us that we can be blunt and straight-talking when needed."

As well as coping with adrenaline themselves, race engineers must manage the pressure on their racers.

The 2021 campaign was arguably the most intense in F1's 74-year history. After an acrimonious year marked by heavy collisions between the pair on track and serial sparring between their respective team principals in the paddock, Verstappen and rival Lewis Hamilton's title fight came down to the wire at the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

"I wouldn't want to repeat 2021 in a hurry. It was incredibly competitive on and off the track [but] sometimes I think it went beyond the realms of sport. In terms of taking that pressure away from Max, I tried to stress with everybody here that we continued as normal. We treated every race as a single event rather than trying to look too far down the line at what could be."

[...]

In some cases though, the idea of starting afresh following the end of such a deep connection doesn't appeal any more.

"I honestly see Max as a younger brother. We can talk about anything and anyone at any time. We're at the point where we just felt completely relaxed and at ease with each other. Maybe I am speaking out of turn, but I don't think I would have any interest in working with another driver now. Having had the success that we have enjoyed together with Max, working with one of the greatest talents that the sport has ever seen, I don't think it would be fair on another driver, from their perspective or mine, to try and replicate what we have achieved with Max."

In Formula 1, as in all our lives, the magic of the most special relationships will always remain utterly unique.