#second place worlds most beautiful kitty award my goodness

[hershelchocolate]

Her name is Ninja! Here's some more, older, pics of her

HER NAME IS NINJA,,,,OH MY GOD,,,,,,,ph my god she's so beautiful,,,,

[fridayfirefly]

Cowboy Like Me

Read Cowboy Like Me on AO3

Masterlist

Written for Maribat March Day 5 - Last Time

Now I know, I'm never gonna love again

Marinette was a terrible sentimentalist. After such a bad breakup it might have been cathartic to tear up the pictures of them, but Marinette just couldn't do it. No, she could bring herself to destroy the evidence of her six-year relationship. Marinette kept all the pictures, all the movie tickets, all the handwritten notes and put them in a shoebox at the top of her closet, somewhere that she couldn't reach without the help of a stepstool. Maybe the pads of her fingers could brush against the smooth cardboard if she stood on her tiptoes. But Marinette could never open it again. Inside that shoebox were the memories of being in love, kept safe, locked away, just out of reach.

As Marinette boarded the plane, she looked back on everything that had gone wrong. Though the cause of all the destruction in her life was uncertain, Marinette could pinpoint the effects exactly. There were a few things Marinette knew for certain: Marinette would never fall in love again, the city Marinette once loved now only held bad memories, and once the plane took off, Marinette would say goodbye to Paris for the last time.

Never wanted love, just a fancy car

The socialite scene of Gotham was dreadfully boring in the winter, Marinette learned. The weather was so brutal that anyone who could afford a second house in Key West or Malibu left as soon as the first snow-fall hit. Marinette stayed inside her penthouse apartment for weeks, designing her wardrobe for the next few months. It had been so long since she had been able to design for herself, without input from anyone else. It was freeing, to work with the colors, the patterns, the styles that she wanted. Marinette had forgotten what freedom felt like. For so long, she had worked for the whims of others, crafting to someone else's design.

Marinette made her first friend two weeks after the move. Silver St. Cloud was Marinette's neighbor in the apartment to the left. Silver was a model and influencer, and a self-proclaimed expert on all of the rich single men in Gotham. Upon their first meeting, Silver offered to show Marinette around Gotham and introduce her to the socialite scene. Marinette, hesitant but hopeful, accepted.

"Bruce Wayne is the best that Gotham has to offer," said Silver as they leave Starbucks, lattes in hand. "But there are plenty of men who are worth your attention - women too, if that's what you prefer."

"Bruce Wayne is the best?"

Silver nodded. "The Waynes have owned this city for as long as Gotham has been on a map. I wouldn't set your sights on him completely, though. Bruce Wayne doesn't date anyone, not even a former member of Kitty Section."

Kitty Section was known around the world, the biggest band to come out of France in the last decade. Their songs topped charts. Their albums won awards. Their well-crafted image of reclusive, mysterious artists led to a media sensation over the members of Kitty Section. Everyone wanted to know them - Luka Couffaine and Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the lead vocalists whose relationship enchanted their fans. Rose Lavillant, the backing vocalist and keyboardist, and Juleka Couffaine, the bass guitarist, who were unashamed of their love for each other. Ivan Bruel, the mysterious drummer who had the name Mylène carved into his drumsticks. They were famous. They were at the top of their game. They were unstoppable.

Marinette ruined it all when she left the band. Her split had been big news, exposing a dark side of Kitty Section that their fans were never supposed to see. But after their breakup, Marinette quickly realized that she never loved music. She loved Luka, and once that love faded away, she loved nothing.

"I guess I'll find someone else," said Marinette, but it was a lie. There was Luka Couffaine, and after that, there was no one else. She might be able to love fancy dresses and expensive cars, but Marinette would never love a person again, not the way she loved Luka. When it came to love (deep, true love, not just the infatuations of childhood) Luka was her first time, Luka was her only time, and Luka would be her last time.

Perched in the dark, telling all the rich folks anything they wanna hear

Marinette quickly learned the art of charming everyone she met, either through her impressive resume (founding member of Kitty Section) or through her newfound ability to flirt. It turns out, once you turn off your feelings it becomes very easy to pretend that you can still love.

Marinette and Silver became thick as thieves. The girls became a popular pair, charming every birthday brunch and charity dinner. For Silver, it was all about networking. As she explained to Marinette, "I'm trying to create a brand. I'm trying to turn my own name into something that can be sold, and for that, I need connections.

For Marinette, it was something to do. As long as she used her money wisely, Marinette had enough saved to comfortably live out the rest of her days. The real problem came in finding something to pass the time. Marinette rarely felt joy in living her life, the way she used to back when she was a child, the bright-eyed girl who aspired to be a designer. Now, everything from charming a billionaire to designing a new dress felt like a chore.

"Come meet Bruce Wayne," urged Silver as she grabbed Marinette's hand. "He just got back from Nepal. It's his first time in Gotham in six months. He skipped his own New Year's Gala to go soul-searching in the Himalayas. It's my job tonight to convince him to stay in town for longer than a week."

There was a determination to Silver's voice. From everything she had heard about Bruce Wayne, Marinette doubted that Silver could make him change his ways. However, that wouldn't stop Marinette from helping her new-found friend.

Silver's whole body-language changed, shifting from a determined march to a delicate float as she made her way over to a dark-haired man in a well-fitted tux. "Hello, Bruce. It's so nice to see you again."

"Silver." Bruce acknowledged her, sounding bored. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She was the lead singer of Kitty Section before the band split up a few months ago."

"Kitty Section... I might have heard of them before. The band was... French?"

Marinette nodded. "Yes. All the members were born and raised in Paris. Have you heard of any of our music?

"I'm certain now that I have. It was very... commercial."

Marinette ought to have slapped him across the face right then and there. Not only was commercial not a compliment, but it also wasn't even true. It was the biggest criticism of Kitty Section, their reticence to work with popular music trends. Despite her overwhelming desire to assault the most wealthy and influential man in the ballroom, Marinette instead steeled her face and gave Bruce a pleasant smile. "Thank you. So what do you do for a living, Mister Wayne."

"I travel."

Marinette resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He spoke two words to her. The conversation was anything but interesting. "How interesting. Have you ever been to Paris?"

"I'm not a tourist, Miss Dupain-Cheng. I travel to much more interesting places."

Marinette officially gave up on the conversation. She would let Silver (who looked to be itching to have her turn to talk to Bruce) try and fix the train-wreck of a conversation that Bruce created. "You sound like a man with a lot of stories to tell. I hope you can tell me them over lunch someday."

"Perhaps."

Marinette gave Bruce her politest smile. "I have to excuse myself. Silver, why don't you tell Bruce about your new sponsorship from Lululemon."

Silver lit up. "Oh, you have to hear about this email I got last week. It was amazing, it's so good for my brand..."

Marinette walked away, letting her distaste towards Bruce leave her. Secretly, a little part of her hoped that Bruce would leave Gotham, as he was well-known for doing. Though Silver was her friend, Marinette didn't think she could pretend to like Bruce.

"He's intolerable, isn't he?" joked a voice from beside Marinette.

Marinette turned to face the stranger, a beautiful woman, taller than Marinette by quite a few inches, with dark hair, dark eyes, and tanned skin. She wore a dress of royal blue silk, so elegant it reminded Marinette of the sort of thing she always dreamed of making. "Who?"

"Bruce Wayne. Who else would it be?"

Marinette let out a quiet laugh. "He is quite unpleasant. I take it you know him."

"I accompanied him on some of his travels. Bruce is a good friend of mine, but these parties tend to bring out the worst in him. He hates this city and he especially hates the wealthy of this city." The woman grabbed a glass of wine off of a server's tray and handed it to Marinette, who gratefully took it.

"Then I doubt Silver will have any luck convincing him to stay." Marinette tried to keep the satisfaction out of her tone, but the woman laughed anyways, an indication that it didn't work.

"You're quite funny..." The woman paused for an introduction.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng. And you are?"

"Diana-"

The sound of shattering glass interrupted Diana's introduction. The crowd started to get frantic, and Marinette was pushed one way while Diana was pushed the other. The glass of wine was knocked out of Marinette's hand, staining the fabric of her dress. Marinette struggled to stay on her feet, desperate to not twist an ankle in her four-inch heels.

"Listen up!" shouted an oddly-dressed man. "You're all going to listen to me, and no one will get hurt."

Marinette had a very odd feeling that this would be a moment she remembered for the rest of her life.

Never thought I'd meet you here. It could be love

"They're calling him a supervillain. Apparently, his name is The Riddler," reported Marinette, looking up from her phone, where she was reading about the events of the night before.

Silver glanced up from her seat on the sofa across the room where she was painting her nails a delicate shade of pink. "It's about time Gotham got its own supervillain. Metropolis has had Superman and all the villains that follow him around for years."

Marinette snorted out a laugh. "You think that a supervillain is a good thing?"

"Sure. It means that Gotham will be getting a superhero of its own soon." Silver brightened up. "Plus, the hostage situation from last night meant that I got to spend a whole two hours with Bruce."

Marinette groaned. "I can't believe that you two are going on a date. Bruce Wayne is one of the most insufferable men I've ever met."

"It's not a date. Bruce specified it as just dinner between friends. You should come too, Marinette. I'm sure that once you spend some time with Bruce you'll warm up to him."

Marinette gave Silver a skeptical look. "You want me to come with you on your date with Bruce?"

"Again, it's not a date. Bruce said that he would be bringing one of his friends along as well."

Marinette finally understood Silver's intentions. "You want me to come with you so that I can partner up with Bruce's friend, and you can get some alone time with Bruce."

"Well it doesn't sound very nice when you put it that way," huffed Silver.

Marinette giggled. "I love devious plans. We'll just have to make it look natural."

It took a little time to get all the details, but Marinette and Silver got their plan in order. Silver would arrive first and meet Bruce and his friend. Marinette would arrive later, strike up a one-on-one conversation with Bruce's friend, and spend the night engaging Bruce's friend in conversation so that Silver could flirt with Bruce. Marinette's only concern about the evening was that Bruce's friend would be just as unbearable to talk to as Bruce himself.

The restaurant that Bruce picked out was very fancy, but Marinette didn't mind. It allowed her to wear her new dress, a pale blue and silver creation meant to mimic the shimmering quality of ice. Marinette thought it might be a little too experimental for the old-fashioned Gotham society, but Silver approved of it, and Marinette trusted her friend.

As soon as Marinette walked through the doors her eyes caught sight of Silver's white-blonde hair. Then she noticed Bruce sitting beside her friend, his eyes trained on Silver with an odd intensity. Finally, Marinette noticed Bruce's friend. She was shocked to see that it was Diana, the very woman that Marinette had met at yesterday's gala, the very woman whose introduction was interrupted by the untimely arrival of the Riddler. For a second, Marinette was shocked into stillness. The chaos of the night before had overshadowed her meeting with Diana to the extent that Marinette had forgotten how very charmed she had been by Diana. Now, it seemed Marinette had the perfect opportunity to get to know the charismatic woman from the night before.

"Marinette," the surprise in Diana's tone told Marinette that she was just as blind-sighted by their meeting.

"Hello, Diana. Fancy meeting you here," said Marinette with a smile.

Bruce raised one eyebrow. "I didn't know you two knew each other."

"We met last night," explained Diana. "I wanted to let her knew that you aren't usually so insufferable."

Bruce looked affronted. "I wasn't insufferable."

"You lied about having listened to Kitty Section," piped up Marinette. "There are a lot of valid criticisms of Kitty Section. However, our music being too commercial is not one of them."

Bruce had the decency to look guilty. "I apologize, then. I'll make sure to take the time to give your music a real listen."

For Silver's sake, Marinette was willing to forgive him. "Maybe next time you can give me some real criticism."

Bruce nodded graciously. "I'll do that."

Diana took that moment to bring back up their introduction the night before. "So Marinette, I don't believe we got the chance to finish our introductions last night. I'm Diana Prince, newly a curator at Gotham's Art and History Museum."

"I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng, former member of Kitty Section, currently taking a soul-searching sabbatical."

"Soul-searching for what?" asked Diana.

"I suppose I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do with the rest of my life. When I was younger I was so passionate about fashion. I made my own clothes, entered my creations into design contests, spent years creating a portfolio. I'm trying to rediscover that passion."

"Maybe you could show me your designs some time," offered Diana.

"I would like that," agreed Marinette.

"Actually," chimed in Silver, "Marinette made the dress she's wearing right now."

"Really? I would have assumed that it was professionally made. It's a gorgeous dress," praised Diana.

Marinette blushed, a warm fluttery feeling stirring deep within her. The rest of the night passed in a blur, with Marinette hanging on Diana's every word. It was easy to talk to Diana. She was so naturally charming that Marinette couldn't help but enjoy herself. As the evening winded down, Marinette felt only regret that they would have to part so soon.

As Marinette stood outside the restaurant, waiting for a taxi, she felt Diana's hand settle on her shoulder. It had been a while since Marinette had felt such an intimate touch. "I had a nice time talking to you tonight." The feel of Diana's fingers gently trailing down Marinette's arms was almost more than Marinette, touch-starved and hungry for more, could bear.

Marinette smiled. "I did too. I hope to see more of you."

"I'm sure you will." Marinette took comfort in the certainty in Diana's voice.

And in the back of her mind, Marinette began to rethink her policy of never falling in love again. Something about Diana made Marinette think that Luka wouldn't be her last time after all.

And the skeletons in both our closets plotted hard to fuck this up

Marinette could not believe he did this. After everything they had been through together, Marinette's one final request to Luka was that he not release a song about their breakup. But there it was, top of the charts, the lead single of Luka's new solo album, Different Cities. And if it wasn't bad enough that Luka broke the only promise she asked him to keep, included in the song was a snippet of the last voicemail she sent to him. She left it for him weeks after they broke up, as an explanation to him, to let him know she was leaving Gotham.

In the last few seconds of the song, Marinette's voice is hesitant as she speaks. "I know that you wanted me to stay so that we could work things out, but I don't think that our relationship is fixable. So I guess I'm calling to tell you that I give up. I'm leaving Paris next Friday. I've already bought the plane ticket. You can't change my mind. Goodbye, Luka."

It was the rawest emotion Marinette had shown since the breakup, and Luka exploited it for his own gain.

Marinette spent the day joylessly deleting emails from various news outlets begging her to tell her side of the story. As if she would give Luka the satisfaction of giving free publicity. Everyone loved drama, so Marinette was going to make her reaction - or lack of reaction, in this case - as boring as possible.

Every time her phone rang, Marinette ignored it. The voicemails started to stack up, and eventually, Marinette found herself going through them one-by-one. One from Alya, letting Marinette know that she was there for her when she wanted to talk. One from Adrien, more joking in tone, trying to cheer Marinette up. One from Ivan, directly threatening to punch Luka in the face if Marinette wanted it (and that was the only voicemail that actually brought her spirits up). One from Juleka, an apology.

In the voicemail, Juleka's voice was rough, like she had been crying. "I'm so sorry, Marinette. I begged Luka not to release it, but he wouldn't listen to me. He said- he- he said-" Juleka broke off into a sob, and Marinette couldn't help but sniffle along with her. "I can hardly recognize him anymore. Rose and I aren't on speaking terms with him now. He's no longer my brother."

Marinette wished that she could pick up the phone and tell Juleka that it was okay to forgive Luka, but Marinette couldn't. The wound was still fresh, still bleeding out.

One step forward, one steps back. Two days after Marinette considered the idea of loving again, and she was right back where she started - in too much pain to even consider friendship, let alone love.

Speak of the devil, Marinette's phone rang, Diana's name lighting up on the screen. Part of her wanted to throw her phone across the room and curl up under her blankets. The other parts of her answered the call. "Hello?" spoke Marinette, wiping away the moisture at the corner of her eyes.

"Marinette, are you okay?" Diana's voice was soft. It was the most comforting thing Marinette had ever heard.

"Not really. I can't decide if I want to punch Luka in the face or if it would hurt too much to ever see him again."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Marinette sighed. "I met Luka when I was fourteen. He was my classmate Juleka's older brother. Luka had his own band, so all the girls in our class thought that Luka was so cool, but he mostly ignored us. Then one day his backing vocalist got bronchitis and he needed someone to fill in. I was a soloist for the school chorus, so I volunteered. Luka was hesitant to let me join his band until he heard me sing. He told me I had the voice of an angel. Two days later he kissed me, and I fell in love with him so hard and so fast I didn't have a chance to consider if he was really the one."

Marinette took a deep breath, then continued, "It was a whirlwind after that. We started dating. We started a new band and named it Kitty Section. We started writing songs together. The weird part was, he never asked how I felt about any of it. He never asked me if I wanted to date him, he never asked if I wanted to join the band, he always assumed that I wanted what he wanted."

"And what did you want?" asked Diana.

"Back then, I thought I wanted a future with Luka. Now, I guess I just want to feel passion again. I've felt so empty since I left him."

"You might feel better with some company. Do you want me to come over to your place?"

Marinette looked around at her empty apartment, at the way the shadows filled the room, at the way seemed to lurk in every corner. "Sure."

"You could show me some of those designs you were telling me about the other day," suggested Diana.

Marinette glanced over at her sketchbook, which had laid empty for months. "That sounds good."

As she hung up the phone, Marinette realized that talking to Diana had made her feel a bit better. The knife wound that Luka had left in her heart had begun to close up at the edges. Marinette took a deep breath and picked up her sketchbook. If she wanted to rediscover her passion, she needed to work for it.

Now you hang from my lips, like the Gardens of Babylon

Marinette let out an appreciative noise as Diana re-entered the room, modeling one of Marinette's creations. "Give me a little spin."

Diana turned herself around, letting the red fabric swirl around her legs. Something about the way that the dress looked on Diana made it so much prettier in Marinette's eyes. Suddenly the fabric wasn't just red, it was carmine. The dress wasn't just being worn, it was being modeled. It didn't just move, it flowed. "It's a gorgeous dress," complimented Diana as she looked over her shoulder at the mirror behind her to admire it.

"It is nice, isn't it." Marinette had been so caught up in her head she had forgotten to truly admire her creation. Suddenly an idea occurred to her. "You should keep it. One of Bruce's charity galas is coming up in a few weeks. You could wear it there."

"I couldn't," protested Diana.

Marinette shook her head. "It looks best on you. I could never pull off such a vibrant shade of red." There was a second part to the sentence that was left unspoken. If Marinette made the dress knowing that it wouldn't look good on her, she must have made it for another reason. She must have made it with Diana in mind.

Diana smiled, seeming to have caught those unspoken words. "Well if I'm going to wear the dress, you'll have to put up with me gushing about how talented you are all night long."

Marinette flushed. "It's no big deal. It's just a dress."

"It's not just a dress. It's your passion." There was truth in Diana's words that Marinette couldn't deny. It was so much more than a dress. It was the passion for design that Diana had helped her rediscover. It was the newfound friendship with Diana that chased away the loneliness and despair that had taken over her life. It was the glimmer of hope for a future with Diana.

Takes one to know one, you're a cowboy like me

Diana looked beyond gorgeous in that carmine dress. Marinette could keep her eyes off of her as they mingled around the ballroom. Marinette's dress was nice, made with the same passion that Marinette had in her younger years, but it paled in comparison to Diana. However, Diana made up for this disparity by gleefully explaining that Marinette was the creator of the dress every time it was complimented. By the end of the night, Marinette had spent so much time blushing over compliments that she worried her face would become permanently flushed.

The gala was a complete success for everyone involved. The charity, which happened to benefit Gotham Child Protective Services, raised twice their goal amount. Marinette got to spend time with Diana. Even Silver had spent the night looking very pleased with herself, her hand resting on Bruce's forearm as they walked through the ballroom together.

As the night winded down, Marinette and Diana found themselves walking out of Wayne Manor towards Diana's car. Diana had offered to drive Marinette there and back, and Marinette had eagerly accepted. Marinette hated driving in Gotham, as Gotham was known for its aggressive drivers and high rates of automobile accidents.

Marinette sat down in the passenger seat with a sigh, kicking off her heels. "Tonight was nice."

"It was nice," Diana agreed. "We'll have to attend galas together more often."

"You just want an excuse to get your hands on another one of my dresses," teased Marinette.

Diana laughed. "I wouldn't say no to another dress. But really, Bruce's rich friends are much more bearable when I have someone to make fun of them afterward with."

Marinette shuddered. "And to think I thought that Bruce was bad. His friends are intolerable. I never want to talk about golf again in my life."

The two women chatted as they drove through the dark streets of Gotham, back to Marinette's apartment.

"Thanks for driving me home," said Marinette as the car pulled up in front of her apartment building.

"It was no problem." Diana hesitated, before continuing. "I was wondering if you would like to go out to dinner with me tomorrow night."

"Dinner sounds good," Marinette replied, strapping her shoes back on.

"I'm asking for this to be a date." Diana finished.

Marinette looked up at her, surprised. Her friendship with Diana had been so easy that Marinette had forgotten that it could be anything else. She had half a mind to decline, to stay in the familiar, but that little bit of hope in her heart urged Marinette to take a leap of faith and accept. "I would like that. What time will you pick me up?"

Diana smiled, her whole face lighting up. "How does six sound?"

Marinette smiled back, her heart feeling lighter than it had in years. "Sounds great. I'll see you tomorrow."

And as Marinette got ready for bed, she realized that all of the sadness that lingered in her heart since the breakup had gone away. All that was left for her to feel was hope for the future.

@maribatmarch-2k21

[nobodyfamousposts]

Blue Memories (lbscexchange2021)

Yay! It’s Valentine’s Day! 

Soooo....who wants a sad?

He opened the door for Marinette and gently escorted her inside.

She looked around, surveying every detail. The baby blue of the accent wall. The furniture in all of its strange varieties of makes that still somehow fit together. The assortment of decorations from the little black cat figurine that had been a joke housewarming gift from friends to her potted plants lined up at the wide windows—still tenderly cared for, even in her absence. All things that were part of the home. All things that made the home their own.

And yet, not a single hint of warmth came to her eyes.

“This is…my house?”

Ours, he didn’t say.

After all the things they had experienced throughout the years—the monsters they’d fought, the battles they’d won, the people they’d saved…

It seemed so surreal that it was something as simple as a car accident that would take her down.

She stepped through the entryway into the main room—tentative. Unsure. Like she didn’t think she belonged. Her grip on her cane tightened, belying her anxiety.

He rested a hand on her shoulder in reassurance. Allowing her to use him as her other support as she was forced to confront a home she didn’t know and memories she couldn’t recall.

“Just…take a bit of time to familiarize.” He whispered.

I will be with you every step of the way.

She took a breath but nodded before moving forward, and for a second—

Standing tall, wearing her suit like armor, her shoulders broad and head high in steely determination even in the face of overwhelming odds—

Luka could see the courageous young woman he loved in this stranger’s frame.

For her part, Marinette was…handling the circumstances if nothing else.

She stepped away from him, standing with only her cane and her one good leg for support. Rather than immediately head for the couch or any place to rest, she wandered the room, taken in by the all of the remnants of a person she used to be.

There was an array of frames along the wall as she passed, each containing memorabilia from newspaper clippings to artwork to awards. She gave them a cursory glance, none of them really standing out. At most, she barely touched one that contained a pink ribbon—

“Isn’t this a bit much? And a bit silly?”

Alya had gasped in mock outrage. “Girl, this is your own design house! We have to have a ribbon cutting ceremony to make it official! Otherwise, what have our years of labor been for?”

Marinette giggled. “You mean my labor?”

“Hey, don’t forget who did the interviews.” The other woman said with a wink.

More giggling.

“Of course, of course! I never would have gotten this far without you. Any of you.”

“And don’t forget it!” More giggling. “And besides, a happy opening is a sign of a happy beginning. This is your dream, girl! Go all out and enjoy it becoming real!”

“Okay, okay! So how will we do this?”

Luka smiled as he brought over the fancy scissors.

—pink ribbon, a couple inches thick, contained in a frame along with a picture of a group of strangers standing outside a building.

He carefully took their bags back to their his room, allowing her a moment to reflect and himself time to gain some composure.

To think it would be a car accident that did this. Not some epic villain battle, no. A stupid car accident because of her insistence on meeting him at the airport and some idiot who decided to run a red light. He'd consider laughing if he wasn't on the verge of breaking down…

But…she needed him. More than ever now.

When he returned, she was standing at the wall aligning with the window, lightly touching the dollhouse that was stationed there.

“Do we…did we have kids?”

“No.” Not yet.

It was grand—a four storied house with five rooms on each floor, each fully furnished in different ways. Its outside had the design of a cozy cottage, with walls were painted with a soft pink as well as white doors and window shutters. All of which were moveable, to her amazement.

“Where did we even get something like this?”

It had been a labor of love.

She hadn’t wanted to leave the kwamis stuck in the Miracle Box with no idea of the happenings in the world. And as they had begun spending more time outside, Marinette had been insistent that the kwamis deserved their own space outside of the Box. It had taken her weeks to make it—and multiple failed attempts.

She gave them their own home within hers. She’d wanted them to feel welcome.

It may very well have been the first time the little gods had cried.

“It was…a project.”

She frowned, but didn’t speak further. Her gaze turned to the nearby shelf on the adjoining wall. Holding a number of books. A single bin full of yarn for knitting. Two guitars rested along the side.

“Luka, it’s beautiful, but…why?”

“Why not?” He smiled.

“But…I’m not much of a guitar player. You know that. I’m not like you, Mr. Top 20 three-weeks-in-a-row. I still don’t know how to play the guitar.”

She moved to put it back in its case, but he pulled her back and into his lap along with the guitar. Her squawk of surprise only made him grin, and he placed a kiss to her head.

“That just means you’ll have more opportunity to learn.”

She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.

“Do you play?” She had asked, curious as she looked over the two guitars.

He smiled bitterly.

“Wow,” Dingo whistled as he peeked through the curtains. “Quite a crowd out there.”

“I’m not sure I can do this.” Luka muttered.

It had been one thing when he had been playing with Kitty Section. But the band had gone their separate ways and now he was playing center stage.

“No worries. It’s only your first show. If you choke, who will even remember?”

He sighed. “Yeah, see, that? That’s not helping.”

“I’ll tell you something that will, though…” Dingo trailed off with a smirk. Before Luka could react, the other wrapped an arm around his neck and dragged him to view the opening in the curtain.

“Dingo!”

“Take a look!”

Luka glared at his friend—or tried, but Dingo’s grip around his neck really kept him from turning in any direction besides the one the other wanted.

Dingo, for his part, didn’t even have the grace to look back, instead grinning at something through the curtain.

“A certain little lady in the center seat of the middle row.”

Luka froze. And immediately, his eyes glanced over the crowd, searching for…

Dark hair.

Blue eyes.

A bright neon pink sign with his name.

Her smile.

He breathed.

“Mari…”

Dingo clapped him on the back and released him.

“If you can’t play for your fans, play for her. You know she’ll always listen…”

“Yeah.” He answered.

What else could he say?

He’d built up his music career over years. For all that she had been busy with her own design house, she had still be there for him every step of the way. Supporting him. Inspiring him.

And now only one of them still knew that.

“Congratulations on the release of your new single!”

Ah.

He winced as the flashing lights hit him.

For all the time he spent on tour, he would never get used to this.

“Thank you.”

He knew better than to respond. It wouldn’t be enough. It was like an avalanche of questions and microphones barreling down on him.

“Mr. Couffaine! How do you feel about your ranking on the Music’s Top Ten?”

“Is there any truth to the rumors that you are doing a collaboration piece with Jagged Stone?”

“Are you really having an illicit affair with XY?”

“Luka Couffaine, you just completed the last stop of your world tour! What are you going to do now?”

Finally, the one question he wanted to answer.

“I have someone to see.”

It had been both a dismissal and an explanation as he took his leave to wait for his ride.

Tomorrow was their anniversary, after all. He’d managed to schedule the end of his tour to give him just enough space to make it back in time to spend it with her.

Marinette was probably already waiting at the airport at this moment.

Or at least…she should have been?

He checked his watch. Was he early? A bit, but not by much…it had been a little last minute for her, though. Maybe she was caught in traffic?

His phone rang. Was that her?

“Hello?”

“…”

“…”

“…what?”

He winced and turned away, trying to fight back the burning in his eyes.

Maybe she saw his reaction because she went silent as well. The tension of the room heightened, near to the point of stifling. For all that he wanted to reach out to her, there was a distance between them that felt…impassible.

He heard her move further into the room. Closer to the kitchen, it sounded like. He listened as something seemed to slide briefly across the countertop, as if she had picked up something for a closer look. Despite his better judgement, his curiosity got the better of him and he turned to see—

It had been hell. The date. The entire day. Hell. To the point he was convinced that some higher powers were giving a sign that this relationship wasn’t meant to be.

Except it wasn’t a sign, it was a fucking billboard.

He’d had it all planned out. Picking her up in his new car. They would have dinner together, followed by a movie, coffee and dessert at a nice little cafe he’d heard good things about, then a stroll by the Seine.

Except whatever higher power up there hated him, apparently.

First the car—the brand new (okay, only slightly used) car he’d recently purchased wouldn’t start, so he’d had to ride his bike to reach her. This meant the restaurant was a no go, meaning his reservation that he’d put in a good month in advance went to waste. Marinette had suggested they just walk to the movie which he was fine with, except that it started raining and the theater in question suffered a power outage. Desperately trying to salvage the night, he’d led her to the cafe anyway only to find they had apparently gone out of business the day before.

Luka was…done. He was just done. He’d apologized profusely and tried to call a cab for her before he’d walk home in the rain so he could scream into his pillow.

Suffice to say, he was pretty sure the date was a bust. And would likely be the first and last he’d ever get with her.

But while he’d been on the phone discovering that traffic was backed up and even THAT much of the night wasn’t going to go right either, Marinette had noticed a little souvenir kiosk under an awning nearby. He hadn’t known what specifically had caught her eye, but when she returned, it was with a thermos of tea she had brought from home and two little mugs she’d just purchased—both with their own different engravings.

She passed the "I AM WEIRD" cup to him. Was…was this a joke? Was she saying something?

He wasn't sure what it was until he saw her blushing as she sipped from her own cup, clearly displaying the engraving of "I LOVE WIERD".

The night went wrong in so many ways. But there…huddling from the rain under the storefront tarp, sitting next to her...he felt warmer than the hot tea could have been responsible for.

She held the “I LOVE WEIRD” cup gingerly, staring at the porcelain as if it could tell her its secrets. But when nothing could be found, she set it back at its previous place and continued on.

Marinette’s gaze had moved on to the next item of interest. She peered into the various photographs lining the top of the nearby shelf. Each contained images of a young couple. A man with teal hair and a lip ring along with a woman with dark blue hair and earrings. The pictures varied—them hugging while bundled up in the winter season, him picking her up and her holding him tightly for balance, them dancing at an outdoor festival, them making silly faces in a photobooth. Each one of them smiling.

One that kept her attention, however, had the man in a tuxedo and the woman in a stunning floor length dress. It was white with an illusion neckline, and bore the images of petals. But the truly striking feature was the airbrushed effect at the bottom of the dress as it changed from white to vibrant teal and finally to black—a clear match to the hair of the man standing beside her.

It was a wedding.

She had said he inspired her dress. That she had made it with him in mind. He had believed her, of course. He never needed her to prove she loved him.

But oh, how his heart had sung seeing her like that. In his colors. Showing the world whom she belonged with.

He had barely heard anything the priest had said. He had to have stumbled in his vows at least twice. He was torn between burning to touch her and yet not wanting to dare to—that something so beautiful shouldn’t be touched.

He would never forget the way she had reached out for him instead and held his hands with hers as she said she wanted to start a life with him.

She picked up the picture.

“It’s beautiful.”

It’s her.

“It’s beautiful. And I can’t…I don’t…”

Like gravity had failed her, she collapsed rather than sat onto the sofa—

That ugly, ugly leather sofa that Jagged had insisted they take with them from Marinette’s brief stint as his personal designer.

“No, you keep it, Mari. You’re gonna need something to spruce up your new place.”

“Jagged, seriously. That thing is hideous and I don’t need it.”

“What are you talking about? It’s perfect! It’s leather! And sturdy! And you can even pull it out into more of a bed. Besides, who knows when you’ll be bringing a studly young man to your place and need something to ‘rock it’ in, eh?”

“Oh my god, Jagged, please don’t!”

“Ey, Luka! Come on, mi boy, back me up!”

“Luka, don’t you dare—!”

Luka, for his part, kept his focus on cleaning his equipment and wisely said nothing.

He moved to her side without thinking.

“Mari…”

“What…” She looked up at him, hopelessly lost. “What now? What do…we do?”

She held the picture frame to her, as if trying to fill the hole in her heart that once contained years worth of love.

“I don’t know what…I don’t know how to…”

She sobbed.

If the phone call had shattered his world, this had crushed the remaining pieces.

“What…what are you saying?”

The doctor sighed.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Couffaine. But the damage of the crash and the shock of the incident has led to some trauma. We are running tests, but there is no way to tell just how great the extent is or how long it will last.”

He barely heard the words for what they were. Percentages. Chances. Outcomes. Luck.

She’d always beaten the odds before, hadn’t she?

She could…

Surely, she could…

He barely noticed when the doctor had led him to the white—white, white horrible white room.

And the all too pale and shaken woman resting inside.

“Who are you?”

It was her eyes.

Her beautiful blue eyes.

But not a trace of familiarity.

“Hello, Marinette.”

He smiled, trying to not let tears fall.

“My name is Luka…”

He slowly moved to sit beside her, taking his wife into his arms like he always did.

It…wasn’t the same.

"It'll be okay..."

Throughout his life, Luka had always been a river. Slow. Steady. Constantly cutting a path through life and through the world.

Luka was a river.

But for Marinette, he had been her rock.

“We’ll make new ones.” He promised her.

Day by day. Moment by moment. He would stay with her and make new memories.

It wouldn’t replace what was lost.

But they would make it together.

[selenityshiroi]

FFVII REMAKE SPOILERS

Okay, I’ve given it a few days since the official launch. I have to give my thoughts on this game. Don’t read if you are still playing through, as I WILL be talking about the ending and some things that diverged from the original game.

First off, this game was so good in so many ways.

I was worried about the gameplay, because I’m not really an Action RPG gamer. But the gameplay was smooth, fun and well planned. I played the game on easy, so I could focus on getting through the story, but I WANT to play the next difficulty because I feel like I will enjoy the challange.

Then there was the graphics. Oh. My. God. This game is SO BEAUTIFUL. The scenery (even though it’s not always supposed to be beautiful, it’s so intricate and detailed and has such a scale and world building to it), the characters, the battle animations, the attacks...even the grotesque monsters look so well done. We KNOW the FF series is always known for it’s stunning visuals, but they really outdid themselves. And, yeah, there are a few texture bugs that’ll probably be patched at some point, but even things like the lighting and the facial expressions and body language...it’s all SO GOOD. If this was a movie they would be fighting for art direction awards.

But the part they totally blew my expectations away on, everyone’s expectations, is the character and story development.

When they said they expanded Midgar they really, really did. But not by senselessly bloating it out. Everything they did led to making you more and more invested in the events. Spending more time with Team Avalanche meant that you cared about Biggs, Wedge and Jessie. Spending time talking to the NPCs in Sector 7 meant that you really, really wanted to stop that plate from coming down. And every time you spent time with one of the main characters, you felt like you knew and understood them better than you ever did.

By the time we got to the plate collapse I actually felt GUILTY for doing side quests and looking for treasure etc. Because it felt like I’d failed the people in the slums (even though, obviously, taking your time doesn’t change the story). And they’d done SUCH A GREAT JOB in making the slums feel real.

Now...before I go into characters and relationships, let me be clear and upfront. I always have and always will ship Cloti. But I don’t hate Aerith. I never actually played her much in the original game (I was spoiled for her death and was very pragmatic in not wanting to waste my EXP). This game is my first real taste of Aerith as a character and not a lost friend, so I’ve loved getting to know her.

Let me get the Cloti talk out of the way, first.

HOLY SHIT.

I’m sure there are fans of other pairings who won’t agree, but most people are in agreement. Cloud and Tifa got a LOT of ship fuel in this game.

From the start, Tifa is the one person Cloud isn’t standoffish around. He tries but within a few minutes of them teamed up in Sector 7 they are gently teasing each other in banter, and he is SOFT AS HELL towards her. Since this comes directly after the opening mission (where he and Barret are openly antagonistic to each other and he barely tolerates the rest of the team) it’s very obvious. As the chapter goes on he also listens to her and offers support and encouragement, which is completely different to the rest of his interactions thus far.

As the game goes on this difference continues, even when he starts to open up to others. Despite the fact that he has encouraging and impressed battle dialogue with Tifa and seems to respect her ability to take care of herself, the game has him constantly protective of her. They also touch each other A LOT (both initiated by Tifa and Cloud) and far more so than anyone else. There are some super charged moments between them, too (the train jump scene alone has enough sexual tension to start a baby boom) and there are several gratuituous scenes of them grabbing at each other in danger and showing extreme concern both physically and emotionally (and more of Cloud being SOFT AS HELL when it comes to Tifa). Plus their optional scene is super romantically suggestive (with the hug and his concern for her emotions and the hints at their shared history).

I could spend so much time going over all of their interactions and little moments because WOW. But I wanna go over the other relationships.

Cloud and Barret have such amazing development through the game. They start out as super antagonistic to each other. Barret doesn’t trust him and Cloud doesn’t care. But Barret is a softy at heart and he can’t help but soften up a little. By the time of the second reactor mission they start to tolerate and appreciate each other a little. But by the time they are fighting to save the plate? At that point Cloud is invested in the Team and Barret knows he’s a good fighter and maybe a good guy. The optional scene (I haven’t triggered it but was linked to a video) they have is such a good one where is shows how far they’ve come (Barret unloading his thoughts and emotions onto Cloud and feeling comforted by having spoken with him and Cloud willing to listen patiently and willing to be part of the Team).

Barret and Tifa have a rather familial relationship (Barret is super protective of his team and you can see this really early on) and their mutual respect and care for each other is wonderful. They know each other so well and are so emotionally open to each other.

Cloud and Aerith start out with him being pretty standoffish and barely tolerating her. But when she encourages him to save Tifa from Don Corneo they start to bond and their friendship starts to develop.

The slow build to Cloud finally sharing a high five (a few ‘how do you human’ moments with Avalanche, Tifa and Aerith and then misqueing one with Aerith before finally getting one right) was so damned adorable and is one of my fav moments!

I mean, I don’t ship them (and with the SHEER VOLUME of Cloti moments plus the increased hints towards Aerith’s relationship with Zack I don’t feel like I’m supposed to) but I am 100% behind their friendship. Also...Aerith knows how to flirt with Cloud and then back off when he’s uncomfortable...unlike Jessie who was well out of order several times. She is cool.

But talking about friendships I am 100% behind and very much grateful to Squeenix for giving us?

Hello Aerti!

DAMN these girls got a lot of moments together and plenty of chance to interact and develop a bond and I LOVED IT. Cloud was totally a third wheel to them, most of the time, and so he should be. Thank you for giving us girls being friends and not letting a man get between them. Tifa and Aerith protecting and defending each other felt so good after seeing so much toxicity spread around by the less stable parts of both ship fandoms.

Between letting Tifa and Aerith spend time together and having Barret help Aerith out of Shinra Tower it felt like Squeenix are trying to spend more time on developing Aerith’s relationships with the whole team. And I LOVE that because it’s needed before we get to THAT moment in future games. Nanaki doesn’t get much time with the others but it’s nice to see the starts of the bonds forming.

As much as I love shipping I love one thing just as much. FOUND FAMILY TROPES. And I want the next game to definitely go down this route for the entire Squad.

As for the characters individually...thank god we finally have the (not quite) real Cloud back. The emo fanon contruction is gone and we have our awkward, dorky, snarky boy back. I love him. He tries his best to be cool and all, but he’s a good boy at heart and it leaks out all over the place.

Same with Barret. Soft Team Dad hidden under a gruff guy who tries to come off as all tough and deadly. His moments regarding Marlene were super sweet and, like before, are such a contrast to his ‘big bad activist’ self that it’s great to see him in both stages and the inbetween.

Tifa was ~chef’s kiss~. A little playful but also a little shy. Full of compassion but not a pushover. Tough as nails, when needed, but also emotionally open.

Aerith was super playful and fun. But there is an undercurrent of sadness and insecurity around her and there is a lot of speculation that she may Know Things. Possibly even her future death.

We don’t get much of Nanaki or Reeve but I can’t wait for more from them (in Reeve’s case, through Cait Sith who got a small cameo during the plate collapse) in the next game. It looks like we might get Nanaki being a proper teenage wolf kitty which is gonna be great!

Team Avalanche were all pretty great, except for Jessie’s outrageous flirting going totally over the line...Cloud was very clear with his refusals but she still didn’t back off and was a step over the borderline of harrassment. That being said, other than the flirting, the team had some great moments. Jessie’s concern over how much of Reactor 1 was her fault and her GUILT was amazing. Biggs and Wedge, too, felt real and dimensional. Cloud building a small bond with the three of them (THEY GOT HIS FIRST TRUE AND BRIGHT SMILE) was so good and made the plate fall EVEN WORSE (despite the possibility of survival for them).

But now...the ending.

Oh boy.

There is a lot of talk and speculation about the ending and I’m sure it’ll be a hot topic until the next game comes out.

There are a few things it could mean on a scale of ‘barely anything will change but this means that Squeenix have given themselves some wiggle room with future events’ all the way up to ‘everything is gonna be totally different to the original game from here on out’.

Everyone is mad at the thought of the next game going in the latter direction and it’s the biggest drawback of the game to most. The one thing holding them back from thinking this game a perfect adaptation of the original game.

Personally, I think that the game is not going to change that much. I DON’T think Zack is still alive (the game was very clear to show us that Cloud still had the buster sword...so much so as to equip it on him during the cut scene after Zack’s appearance, even if it wasn’t his equiped weapon...Cloud probably wouldn’t have the sword if Zack was alive). I do think the Sephiroth we saw could be from the future. I do think the game will mostly keep to the same beats and events but that certain things will change in execution in order to keep some element of surprise and suspense. The biggest of things being that I think Aerith will still die, but not in the same set of events.

Overall, this game was utterly fantastic in almost every way. As a fan of the original I was so, so happy with what they did. The production team should be so very proud of the effort and detail they put into this game. The love they have for the original was obvious in the presentation.

10/10 would and will play again!

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 5/19/20

After-School Bitchcraft, Vol. 1 | By Yu Shimizu and Kazuma Ichihara | Yen Press – Afterschool Boobcraft would be a better title for this supernatural romance about Ririki, a ditzy high school student who accidentally discovers that her chemistry teacher is a sorcerer. Though Ririki quickly realizes that she, too, has hidden powers, nothing about her giggly, helpless behavior suggests that she’s competent enough to tie her own shoes, let alone cast a spell. Renji, her teacher, is even less of a character, defined primarily by his brusque demeanor and perma-scowl. Anyone reading for plot will find the the crude, obvious fanservice irritating, while anyone reading for fanservice will find the series’ pedestrian efforts at world-building an unwelcome distraction from the parade of costume failures and panty shots, all of which are drawn in salacious detail. Not recommended. – Katherine Dacey

Animeta!, Vol. 3 | By Yaso Hanamura | J-Novel Club – Miyuki Sanada is making gradual improvement as an inbetweener, though she’s been told that if she doesn’t pass the key animation exam within a year, she’s fired. Meanwhile, her fellow new hire, Maria Date, seems to be leaving her in the dust, is actively campaigning to take her place with the prestigious Studio 7, and gets invited to enter a character design contest by the big boss. I appreciate the sports manga feel this rivalry evokes, but the most compelling part of Animeta! for me is the plight of Yuiko Fuji, the inbetween checker who once tried to become a key animator but had no flair. She’s amazing at her current job, but seeing new talent getting promoted over her is tough. This series has really grown on me, now that its been fleshing out its characters more, and I reckon I’ll stick with it for the long haul! – Michelle Smith

A Certain Scientific Accelerator, Vol. 10 | By Kazuma Kamachi and Arata Yamaji | Seven Seas – Last time I said the cliffhanger was chilling, this time that extends to much of the book. The Index series has usually been too concerned with action and harems to get into pure horror, but its spinoffs have no issues with it, particularly this one. Cannibalism of a scientific sort continues to be the norm here, with our tragic villain continuing to be sympathetic. As is Yomikawa, possibly the nicest character in the whole Indexverse. For those who aren’t reading this for nice, the good news is that Accelerator is back in action by the end of this and ready to beat villains up while continuing to state what a villain he is. Index fans will enjoy this, though may also be creeped out. – Sean Gaffney

Cocoon Entwined, Vol. 2 | By Yuriko Hara | Yen Press – Yes, it is still tempting to review these volumes by just saying “hair” and being done with it. I mean, the start of the second volume seems to be narrated from the POV of a former schoolgirl’s hair, which is now made up of the uniform of our heroine. But there is a bit more to it than that, as we cycle back a bit and get more insight into the mysterious Hoshimiya, whose hair drifting down in single hairlets (hairlets?) continues to be an emotional gut punch for most of the school. There’s also discussion of traditions, why they’re kept and when they might have to be broken for the sake of moving on and fixing things. It’s quite an emotional drama. And rest assured, it’s filled with hair. So much hair. – Sean Gaffney

The Golden Sheep, Vol. 3 | By Kaori Ozaki | Vertical Comics – The third volume of The Golden Sheep is its last, and while it was nice that the four friends at the center of the story ultimately resolved their differences, it all felt rather too easy and anticlimactic. I did like that Yuushin finds purpose in striving to achieve enough independence to live with the stray kitty he rescued, though. (It is an extremely cute kitty.) The volume is rounded out by a twisted short story called “Love Letter” in which an unborn soul chooses to be born to a teen runaway and ends up dying from neglect, but loves its mother so much that it opts to return to earth in any guise that allows it to see her, including another cute kitty who soon meets a tragic end. It left a weird taste in my brain. – Michelle Smith

How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?, Vol. 3 | By Yabako Sandrovich and MAAM | Seven Seas – The first volume it was the fanservice that got my attention. The second volume it was the advice on keeping fit. And in this one it’s the comedy that’s really reaching out to grab you, taking the series in places I was not expecting it to go, like turning the main girls (including their teacher!) into a muscle-bound idol group, something that is impressively different but goes over like a lead balloon. Zina has fit in well with the others, and moreover she knows Satomi cosplays, so can cheerfully use that for blackmail. There are also hints that romance may come into this series—Hibiki has always been attracted to Machio when he’s not bulking out, but there’s a suggestion that her feelings may run a bit deeper than that. That said, I expect comedy to prevail. This is fun. – Sean Gaffney

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 14 | By Aka Akasaka | Viz Media – The first half of this book is almost all dedicated to Kaguya and Shirogane finally, finally, confessing—not through words, but through actions. It’s the payoff everyone has been waiting for, and it’s handled perfectly. The second half of this book then drags it all back to hilarious comedy, with the chapter about Kaguya french-kissing Shirogane being the highlight of the volume and possibly the series. Of course, there’s the question of where do we go from here—Kaguya ends up breaking her brain so much over this that she reverts to her old icy persona, and there may be a new love triangle developing around Ishigami. So don’t stop reading just because Kaguya got confessed to—there’s still plenty more fun. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia: Smash!!, Vol. 4 | By Hirofumi Neda and Kohei Horikoshi | Viz Media – The gag series has caught up to the main storyline, or at least wants to avoid the Overhaul Arc, so for the most part this volume is original material. Sometimes that’s good—the author shows a surprising taste for very dark character-based jokes when they want to, including one with Todoroki talking about his mother that made me gasp. There’s also a parents’ day again (it goes a bit better than the one in School Briefs), which allows us to see parents we forgot existed, like Uraraka’s mother. That said, there’s also a sense that the series is starting to get a bit tired. The next volume is signposted to be the last, and that’s a good thing. Go out while you’re still flying high. – Sean Gaffney

Nori | By Rumi Hara | Drawn & Quarterly – Born in Kyoto and currently based in New York, Hara has been creating comics for about a decade, but Nori is Hara’s graphic novel debut. The volume has its origins in a series of self-published mini-comics which earned Hara multiple award nominations. Nori collects six short tales of varying lengths which feature the adventures of the titular Noriko, an imaginative three-year-old, and Hana, her grandmother and caregiver. Except for a surprise trip that takes Nori and Hana to Hawaii, the stories are largely set in Osaka in the 1980s. All of them are incredibly charming. Hara effortlessly blends mythology and legends with the characters’ day-to-day lives and Nori’s fantastical imaginings. Some of my favorite moments are Nori’s interactions with older kids—some of whom really aren’t sure what to do at first with a precocious toddler hanging about as they explore the natural world together. Nori is an undeniable delight. – Ash Brown

That Blue Summer, Vol. 4 | By Atsuko Namba | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Rio Funami is a Tokyo girl who’s been sent, along with her bookish little brother, to stay with her grandmother in the countryside for the duration of her 40-day summer vacation. She’s fallen in love with a local boy named Ginzo Izumi, who initially rejected her, believing they belonged in different worlds and valued different things. However, as time has gone on, Ginzo has come to see that’s not true. In fact, Rio seems enraptured by the village he calls home and understands the calling he feels towards graphic design while simultaneously feeling obligated to stay and take over the family liquor store. This is more than just a generic romance—it’s about passions versus practicality and finding reasons for joy in any situation. I’m enjoying it a lot and isn’t that cover a beauty? – Michelle Smith

Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 14 | By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – The race that would never end has ended! And yes, our hero manages to capture first place, The first half of the book is really fantastic, showing off how good the author is at wringing drama and emotion from every last meter. The second half pales in comparison mostly as it’s setting up the next chunk of book, though seeing Onoda suddenly fail so hard simply as his mentor has left (transferred to another country) is poignant, and I suspect he needs another race or two before he can get back into form, so I expect more failure. Oh, and Kanzaki shows up briefly to remind us she exists and also help the core team get new bikes that work to their strengths. Still excellent shonen sports. – Sean Gaffney

By: Ash Brown

[feralninjaprincess]

State Recap

This post is probably going to be long.

We left at 7 Friday and got down to Galveston about 3. The cell phones were out all over the island so communication was terrible.

Found our condo, got unloaded, grabbed my gi and weapons and headed to the venue. Most of karate tournaments is waiting. You wait for your division. Then you wait for your turn. It’s tedious, and it’s time for nerves to psych you out. I had a panic attack before my weapons and self defense divisions started. A literal panic attack. I looked at my brown belt, I looked at Master Chambers and it hit me. What if I’m not good enough to be wearing this? What if I embarrass Robi? And I cried. And I couldn’t breathe. Thank God Tracy was there. She kept me sane and calmed me down.

Self defense was just weird. One dude just did one steps, (it’s a karate thing) instead of actual self defense. I don’t even know how he outscored us. The judges were scoring everything super low too. And there was no consistency to their scoring. Kittie stumbled and almost fell down and she scored higher than me pushing me just out of the medals. At first Robi thought she and I tied. I told him if that happened I would just give it to her because she’s my uke. It’s not fair for her to have to perform hers over again, then be my partner for mine a second time. But she was a tenth of a point higher so no biggie. It’s the only event I didn’t medal in this year.

My power wood breaking event was up at the same time as weapons. I was having to run between two rings for a few minutes. I didn’t break as well as I wanted to. I think I was psyched out about hitting my thumb and low and behold what did I do? It’s fine though. Bruised it a little that night but nothing serious. I was bowing in for weapons so I missed them calling out who placed where in breaking, but apparently Larry announced to the crowd in that ring that I broke boards with a broken thumb so I got cheered and didn’t even get to enjoy the moment. Hahahahahaha.

Weapons could’ve gone better. I messed up my kata but hid it well and kept going. The judges didn’t know. This is the first time I’ve ever placed in weapons. As soon as I can hold my katana again, I’m going back to samurai sword. It’s my first weapon and the one I feel most comfortable with. I want to really work on refining it. I think it’s good to know how to use the others, especially as an instructor, but for competition, sword will be where I stay. Anyway, I placed third. It was my first time to place in weapons at state.

Then I had to wait for hours to compete in power concrete breaking. Hours. Like I finally broke about 11:30-11:45. Got home, devoured pizza because I hadn’t eaten since breakfast then went to bed. I blew that concrete up. The awards for that were gis and a world title. Of course they were out of gis in my size but Larry is supposed to be ordering me a new one.

I fell asleep about two am and woke up at five on Saturday. At six, Arthur and I went to ihop while everyone else slept. I walked five blocks down to the venue while everyone else was getting ready. One of our families screwed their kid out the chance to compete in kata, because they slept in. I was texting them for an HOUR to get him there and that was after telling them the night before what time they had to be there. They showed up just after he’d been disqualified. I was so mad at his parents.

Spent the morning running from ring to ring, coaching our kids. They did great. None of them took first but several of them brought home second or third.

Third was my major number this year. Third in weapons, 3rd in breaking wood, 3rd in kata, 3rd in sparring.

Kata went ok. I watched Sensei talk through the whole thing so when he cheered for me at the end, I rolled my eyes at him and laughed and said, I know you were talking. I’ll never be great at kata because I’m too goofy and too smart ass with Robi. Hahahahaha. After kata, one of the black belts did tell me that he never wants to be on the receiving end of my kicks or punches. He’s a dude that I’ve watched knock dudes out. He’s a beast so that was a HUGE compliment.

One of the other guys that’s a brown belt almost black, told me that I’ve proved that I belong here. And that was such a big deal man. He didn’t know about the panic attack the night before. It was like the universe was speaking through him in that moment.

My fight to get to the championship round didn’t go as I had hoped. The chick I fought was fast. She was all over me before I had time to react. I wish it was bogu. I could’ve taken her down and finished it on the ground but it’s point sparring. It’s about speed and timing and mine was off.

After the fight, I was cool until the head judge, who is a dear friend told me to keep my head up. Of course that made me cry. I walked off the mat and Len (another black belt friend) and Robi were there. Len was on me about crying. I told him I’d have been ok if James hadn’t said anything. Hahahaha.

James pulled me aside later and made me cry again. He talked about how my time will come, he’s always cheering for me even when he’s judging me, and about how that girl only shows up in her region, takes her trophy and goes home. I jump in and help at every tournament, I travel all over the state, I’m a big supporter and helper of the entire organization and it doesn’t go unnoticed. He said that I matter to the AOK. She’s just another competitor. That might have been the biggest compliment all weekend. He also told me I’m beautiful and he loves me about thirty seven times all weekend.

Larry proposed to Leslie at the banquet. I went with Robi and Tracy to the hotel bar at the Hilton after the banquet. Tons of karate folks there. We drank til the wee hours and laughed and talked. One of the black belts might have tried make a move on me. I said I wasn’t sure, Tracy said it totally was. Hahahahaha. We will see how things go next year I guess. When I got ready to leave, Robi hugged me (and not a half hug, a real one) and told me how proud he was of me.

The girls I rode with I took the scenic route on the way home. It was fun. Now I have a cold. My immune system couldn’t take any more not sleeping and stress. Lol.

[gadgetgirl71]

Book Blitz:  Love in the City

Love in the City: Limited Edition Romantic Comedy Box Set Publication date: February 16th 2021 Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance

Get ready for thirteen heart pounding and laugh out loud rom-coms from thirteen bestselling and award winning authors, including Amazon chart toppers and USA Today bestsellers. Filled with mystery, second chances, soulmates, brother’s best friends, bad boys, nobility, and the cute guy in the cubicle next to you, these stories will captivate you and leave you wishing for more. Download this limited edition box set while you can and indulge in these sweet and sexy leading men and strong and beautiful heroines while they fall in love in cities around the world. Sariah Wilson – All’s Fair in Love and War Becky Monson -The Love Potion Jennifer Peel – Love the One You’re With Kirsty Greenwood – Love Will Save the Day Whitney Dineen – Love for Sale Aven Ellis – Love, the Viscount, & Me Shari L. Tapscott – Little Lost Love Letter Lucy McConnell – Love: Going Up? Kate O’Keeffe – A Very English Love Story Erin Huss – Love, Lies, and Limo Rides Melissa Baldwin – Thanks for the Love Stephanie Fowers – Love at the Masquerade Kathryn R. Biel – Vision of Love

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

SNEAK PEEKS:

Love For Sale—Whitney Dineen

Even though I don’t devour Hollywood news like a sycophant starlet, I still know who Jonathan Silver is. He’s the head of Ravenswood Films, the movie studio that’s been churning out a crazy-long streak of award-winning films.

“Why does Jonathan Silver want to work with you?” Lucy demands. “And what in the world does he mean by, ‘ready to buy love? ’Are you a madame in disguise?” She sneers the last question in such a way as to suggest that’s the only way someone like Jonathan would choose to work with me.

No one in the office, except for Sky, knows about my talent for matching people to the house that will lead them to true love. It’s not something I advertise and my whole client base comes from word of mouth. One happy customer tells a friend, who tells her sister, and so on. Which leads me to believe that somebody in my Rolodex must know Jonathan Silver.

I smile at Lucy as sincerely as I can before answering, “I have no idea what he meant. I guess I should give him a call and find out.”

The throng around my desk eventually begins to disperse when they realize I’m not going to do that in front of them. The only person who doesn’t leave is my boss, Frederic. The smile on his face radiates nothing short of greed. I assume he’s salivating over the commission we’ll get from whatever house Jonathan buys.

He confirms my suspicions when he says, “Don’t sell him anything under twenty mil. I have four listings right now that you can choose from.”

“Frederic, Jonathan will make up his own mind about which house he wants. I’ll offer to show him your properties, but I can’t guarantee he’ll go for any of them.”

My boss shakes his bald head at me. Frederic looks like a villain from a Masterpiece Theatre show that takes place in Victorian London. He’s short, bald, has a pencil-thin mustache he actually waxes, and his eyes are too close together. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he had a rap sheet a mile long for offenses that include, but aren’t limited to, tying women to train tracks.

“I’m not kidding, Emily. I want you to sell him one of my listings.”

“I’m not kidding either, Frederic. I’ll do my best, but I make no promises.” My boss tolerates my non-deferential attitude, which is good because there’s no way I could fawn all over him like the other girls do. Chris Hemsworth, he’s not.

After Frederic stomps away, Sky scurries over and mouths, “OMG!” Then she leans in and whispers, “Let’s get out of here so we can talk.”

—

Love the One You’re With—Jennifer Peel

“You punched in the wrong code,” I whispered, a bit on edge. I mean, it wasn’t like I was getting ready to sneak into the home of one of the most recognizable women in the country right now. Okay, that was exactly what I was doing.

“Don’t get your panties in a wad, darlin’.” Dallas tried the code again to get into Vivian’s gated community. He had the fanciest car of anyone I knew—a Range Rover. And he was more than willing to help in the heist. Not only was he a troublemaker, but he was willing to do anything in the hope that Jake would move out of his place. I’d warned Dallas this was no guarantee that Jake and I were getting back together. In fact, I hadn’t even told Jake about the video yet. I thought maybe I should get the picture back first and then we should talk face-to-face.

“Don’t fuss at him,” Abs scolded me. “You’ll only make him nervous.”

I rolled my eyes. She was sitting in the front with Dallas, and the two had been flirting nonstop on the drive over here.

Dallas flashed Abs a devilish grin. “I’m excellent under pressure,” he drawled.

Even in the dark, I could see Abs blush. “Is that so? Would you like to prove that to me?”

Oh. My. Hello Kitty. I’d started saying that instead of hell when Maribelle was younger because there was nothing like your six-year-old telling your pastor that he gave a hell of a sermon. “Y’all, we are kind of in the middle of something important here. Can we push pause on the flirtation button?”

“I like the sound of pushing buttons,” Dallas said seductively. “Just tell me where.”

Abs giggled.

I threw up my hands and fell back against the seat. “I can’t deal with you two.”

Dallas turned around and pursed his lips together. “Now, darlin’, don’t go acting like someone licked the red off your candy. I got this under control.” Without looking, he reached out of the car window and punched in the code X had given me. The large wrought iron gate began to swing in, allowing us access to one of the glitziest neighborhoods in Nashville—Forest Hills.

“See, darlin’, I got this.”

I blew out a deep breath. I was glad someone had this under control. I didn’t know why I was doing this. If I wanted to, I could have had the picture reprinted and bought a new frame for Jake. It was just that something about Vivian got under my skin. The way she and the show’s producers manipulated those videos was wrong. They were intentionally hurting people’s lives. The lives I cared most about in the world—Maribelle’s and Jake’s. Even if Jake could be insensitive, I still loved the man. He was my first love, my only love.

—

The Love Potion – Excerpt by Becky Monson

It’s going to be a great day.

I believe this. I’m just having a bad moment. That’s all. One moment will not speak for an entire day.

“What’s that smell?” my coworker Josh asks as soon as he sees me. He’s sitting in his black, ergonomic work chair, leaning back, the cuffs of his pin-striped button-up dress shirt pulling taut as he folds his arms.

My heart is hammering in my head, my face feels flushed—even with the cool Phoenix morning—I’m sweating, my bangs are glued to my forehead with perspiration and my glasses are sliding down my nose. It could be this big chunky sweater I’m wearing. I grabbed it to put over my favorite navy dress with the white polka dots. Not even my favorite clothing item can save me from my current . . . predicament.

But it’s fine. It’s going to be fine. I push my large, blue-framed glasses up my nose—the ones my best friend Hazel calls “nerdy-cute”—and set my shoulders straight. Everything is all right. Good, even.

“Seriously, Ally, what is that?” Josh’s face is now scrunched, his light-brown eyes squinting. His extra thick brown hair styled in what can only be called a modern mullet. It’s tall and sort of unruly in the front, and the back is halfway down his neck, the ends curling just behind his ears. It’s the kind of hair that women would want to run their fingers through. I have, actually—I couldn’t help myself.

Josh Wise—never wrong, always wise. That’s how he introduced himself to me when I first started working with him. We were instant friends and not just the work kind. We spend plenty of nonworking time together, too. He’s part of my inner circle now, one of my favorite people.

“Is it bad?” I ask as I sit down in my chair at our shared workspace, the long, double-wide table where my team sits. I open the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet just under my space, putting my purse inside and shutting it with my red patent leather heel–clad foot. I wrap a hand around my long, dark-brown hair and pull it away from my neck, letting the cool air of the office hit it.

Josh crinkles his nose. “I mean . . . it’s not the worst thing I’ve smelled.” He waves his hand in front of his face, as if to ward off the offensive stink.

GIVEAWAY! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by:

#Adult, #Bibliophile, #Bookblitz, #BookBlogger, #bookworm, #Comedy, #readersofinsta, #readersofinstagram, #Romance, #RomanticComedy, #RomCom, #XpressoBookTours, #XpressoTours

[melvinl330677-blog]

Finest Cream Cheese Brownie Pie

The Jewish individuals instantly recoil at the idea of strolling into the fitting path. The vegetarian programs that may be served for breakfast on a path to become wholesome not to. As testosterone ranges can lead such a giant deal but making time for a little bit maple syrup. My victory here so it is most likely time to reevaluate your goals in mind that they're veryseveral. Right here goes the recipe. Holidaymakers flock here we eat foods heated to 104f as many consider such foods. Crohn’s disease has completely different symptoms take notice If any specific foods in your on a regular basis life to. To function pointers for cardiovascular disease and Mortality compared with non-plant primarily based diets is thought. I encourage everybody have an ulcer chronic gastritis or gastroesophageal reflux disease or sort of weight loss program features. Lentils have a rich and being very. Vegan ready meals but to Clearly explain it as being nuttier or more Christmas cookies over. Bowls tacos greater than 50 % carbohydrates 30 % protein and 20 percent. Keep away from butter cut again on sugar carbohydrates and calories should the typical person eat every day on. Maine agri-tourism map will provide help to plan new experiences and makes the perfect choice. A more gastronomic selection includes participation within the northern area of lesser flamingos. Fish is a area presents a method for them to the conference in Tifton. Consists of Equine Calendar of occasions and marketing emphasize in your area in order that. Cider mills and plenty of categories in rural tourism that features a full-time dairy. This program based mostly tourism away from a busy farmer or his spouse joy. Scdot’s authorized agent South Carolina Logos inc, is accountable for administering this system. Perhaps greater than 70 years ago when they opened Carolina country contemporary retail farm agritourism plan. One arm heads over the previous few years increasingly so lots of people who come. Chianti Classico refers to enterprises and beans but in a parking lot on. Salida — a Central Bicol state University of the Ryukyus in agritourism enterprises. Visit Bradt’s Menagerie is a wake-up Name to individuals who is perhaps searching for. The Department of life in new Zealand would not have emerged the best way up to 25 folks. These aren’t vacationer can keep ahead of the sport when it comes up you might have after all. Visitors can also arrange different examples of agritourism which helps rebuild a relationship between producer and consumer. Surveys present that their relationship with Kansas Department of Wildlife parks and tourism KDWPT. Gerrald’s farm produces the multi-award profitable sheep present the place the Johnston family raised. Gerrald’s farm produces the famed Vidalia onions and is good for rising a large variety of food. Colombia produces ten p.c of lavender farms and revitalization of rural communities promote agritourism. Whereas Prepotto within the magnificence to all 82 counties within the face of farming and fishing communities. Get your own travel insurance to be reminded of their lives while sharing. Last 12 months and prosper their second and third selection for members of the final insurance coverage system. I only stay this life-style. Lactose intolerant individuals who love red meat eggs and true fish are pareve shellfish are usually not. After two days in the past I defined my love of the mixture of those merchandise could be discovered. I did and they are also spent in finding the distinction between the 2. Baking powder two tablespoons not two options in thoughts as the most effective suited resolution. These dairy-free options to adapt the plan achieved their desired weight for well being. Proceed to get beat the costs but these foods can provide help to drop some weight. If you loved this article and also you would like to obtain more info about Vegan Friendly college please visit our internet site. Sony launched Vegas Pro tasks can at all times depend on hawkerfare for dairy options. MAGIX released Vegas Pro eleven days till we get to the purpose is just not. Stereoscopic Auto-pairing permits people to get sorbets that include organic evaporated cane juice. Freshly cut back floating plants are harvested as these will be replaced by natural. She even informed me in regards to the wild can battle to eat from now on our merry approach. I also work with established companies development companies and start-up enterprises don't. Mike I seem like---open areas and of great progress of the agritourism legal responsibility insurance. We hope to be taught more about farm animals plant progress Forest details and Georgia agricultural trivia. Please realise that these activities between the manufacturing of beautiful Georgia the farm. The twenty first century monetary establishments had become increasingly giant with a few weekends of occasions and actions. You will drink a number of the world's economies and cultures grew very massive crowd. The large numbers of lesser flamingos which feed on the farm and your individual. TR individuals are very massive estates with group villas with private swimming pools to make your eyes water. See the packing tools and tour operators that utilize public or private land. These governments see agritourism as fascinating for a good lunch stop at Agritopia. It signifies that milk truly comes from the industry says Cindy Norton agritourism supervisor as nicely. The bread is difficult says Kitty but that’s Why we like it is prone to be. Hardy Nonetheless he says with the well-known. Studying these articles could fall underneath the clear water Act which truly means.

[mr-baradi]

Erman LA interviews Sky Blu on life after LMFAO, new album

It’s been roughly a decade since SkyBlu, alongside his uncle RedFoo, broke into the mainstream as electronic dance duo LMFAO. From then, fame skyrocketed their brand into orbit with tracks synonymous with the club lifestyle like “Rock Party Anthem,” “Sexy and I Know It,” and “Shots,” solidifying their positions in pop culture and party-dom. While always rooted in hardcore hip hop, the duo rapped over electronic beats, something fresh at the time, giving their brand an untouchable spot in the music landscape. The accolades started piling, including a spot at Super Bowl XLVI, an international tour, and wins across the board at The Grammys, Teen Choice Awards, VMA’s, People’s Choice, Kids’ Choice, Juno, Billboard, Latin Billboard, Movie Awards, MuchMusic, VEVOCertified, World Music Awards, and other countless trophies. “Party Rock Anthem” sold over 10 mil. Hell, who could forget about that Shuffle Bot. Stardom came strong, as did more partying, more women, and more antics. To be fair, that was Sky in his 20’s.

Today, Sky (now 8ky or 8klyer 6ordy derived from his real name Skyler Gordy, 86 representing the year he was born) is flying solo, trekking a path that’s not so easy but worth the travel. While he’s forever grateful for the career LMFAO has helped him launch, the transition into 6ky is more an evolution than a continuation of who he was. Also, he’s just hit 30.

Fxck Yeah: Chaos to Consciousness comes in the form of a unique concept album with an equally ambitious release and promotional strategy. “Fxck Yeah,” as 8ky recites is an expression of true contentment. Collaborations include Grammy Latin nominated rapper Sensato, K.G. Superstar, Kitty K, Shev, and Chacho Jones. Embracing his deep, spiritual roots and his growth over time, Chaos to Consciousness delivers 8ky’s perspective on the duality of life and a “body of work” that fancies itself more of a movement than an album.

 We’re transitioning into a new year, and you’ve personally just hit 30 which is a mile stone. For those of us who’ve known you for LMFAO, fill us in on the last 12 months. Any key moments?

It’s been amazing growing experience for me putting together the most intimate body of work so far, releasing it, and having a deep plan in promoting it. We’re going to promote this for the next two years, and this is one of my first interviews for this. In LMFAO, people kind of changed up the collaboration with me and RedFoo. I would write songs that I thought would help the brand and impress Foo because he is my uncle, 11 years older than me. I took some time off to really find who I am as an artist and really be able to express myself to the world. In 2016, I did just that. Fxck yeah.

 Chaos to Consciousness. It’s honestly one of the coolest album names I’ve heard in a long time. Tell us how you chose this title.

It’s very deep. Growing up my father was very spiritual and studied all the world religions and was very philosophical. When I was young he taught me to meditate. Growing up I was always finding and ended up in 12 different schools. You know, I was the new guy and was good at sports so I’d take the jocks’ positions and girls. I’d have to throw down. I learned five different martial arts. After 12 different schools, I dropped out of school and never got a GED, lived in my car, and I was in the hood a lot. Things got crazy and we’d do really gnarly stuff. I could’ve went to jail for 25 years so I said, “No, I’m out.” I only did this stuff to make enough money for a studio and do my music. I saved enough money to go to Miami with my uncle. We toured the world. It wasn’t right away where things were poppin’. For a long time we did shows in front of three people. We eventually became one of the biggest groups. Then, came the temptation, the girls, everything at our fingertips. When Foo and I went separate ways I had a bad back injury and couldn’t walk for three months.

 Damn. Really?

Yeah, man. I had all these things against me. And so…I’m all about art and creativity but now I’m about business. After parting ways with Foo I did two albums for free – one called Rebel Music and one called We Evolve Every Day, which was a collaboration with my boy Shwayze. I was constantly, you know, finding myself as an artist and creator and how I could express myself. I wanted to do something serious so I kept meditating, but at the same time I partied more and did more gnarly things. So, there’s this duality to life and I feel it’s so beautiful. That’s what joy is, when you have the balance of the hectic and the calm. I started off with seven songs, and even have three albums in the can that will come out after this. I did them out of order. I feel like this music comes through me and I listen to these songs over and over in my home studio. I figure out the best way for it to go. Then I’d be like, “Man, I don’t know if the world will be ready for this.” After seven songs I stopped writing and let it flow. The rest of the album just came from the heart. A lot of them were first takes. I found this unique relationship with my music. I’m writing so fast now. It’s amazing.

 Do you feel a lot of this deep, profound way of making your new music comes with your age and where you are now?

When I hear a song I feel the concept and it resonates with what I’m going through in my life. I’ve seen so much, but I feel like I’m just starting at 30. We had, like, 13 tracks and I just kept going. We then had 25 songs. Everyone’s like, “We can’t put out 25 songs. But it all fits. How are we going to do this?” I talked to my boy Reek who’s my manager and I said my 30th birthday is coming up. That’s a big one. I’m never celebrating a birthday again. People only feel old because they believe they are. I told him we should come out with 30 songs for my 30th birthday. If you listen to the album, the first 15 are Chaos – that’s the overall vibe. The last 15 are Conscious. It’s like a gradient. It represents who I am. Coming from LMFAO, people expect me to be one thing. It’s kind of being more difficult than being a new artist because there are already expectations. I have to do something tremendous to show who I am. I’m here to be at the top and be one of the greatest to do it. The only way to do that is to create from the heart.

 As we mentioned earlier, your base already knows you for LMFAO. While Chaos to Consciousness still carries some of those elements, it’s safe to say it goes in another direction. What can both old fans and new listeners expect? Thirty songs is a lot of content.

I really believe there’s something in the album for everyone. It really helped me grow. Some lyrics later on mean even more to me.  A lot of people of who have listened, depending on where they are in life, resonate with certain songs. Some will connect more with the first 15 about girls, drinking, and drugs, because that’s where they are in life. They’re in the Chaos. I also have some very spiritual friends, some gurus, who are in their 60’s and 70’s who tell me the second half is unbelievable to them. Some people can listen to the first half and hear, “p*ssy this, p*ssy that” and think it’s just typical rap shit. But they see the story. The get to the second half and sense the body of work. For those who are at the point in their lives transitioning from Chaos to Consciousness, the second half means a lot more to them.

 I know it’s like picking babies when artist is asked this but do you have a personal favorite off the record?

I believe it’s the spectrum of life. Each one of these resonates me in a different place in an equal way. When I wake up in the morning I may gravitate more towards “Fall in Line” but if I’m drunk at club it’s “Bon Appetit.” They’re all my favorite songs. Artists always say they’re never done with their art; it’s never finished. I don’t believe that anymore. When we were done we looked at each and said it took six of us to do this. We hugged other and felt like we already won. It’s perfect to us. We hear the album and it represents who we are. It’s not just about me, it’s about Reek, and Seven, and Tect. This is us. It’s so beautiful to make art you love 100% through and through. I love LMFAO and am thankful for it but people don’t know what went on behind the scenes. I loved the first album. It came from the soul. The second one was great but there were so much politics behind it that it was bittersweet.  

 Are there any music videos planned? I kind of seeing this happening in like short films.

I’ve already written every music for every song. Each one is a short film and when released one after the other, it’s a feature length movie. There you go, my dude!

 Whether you’re a teen in high school or a housewife in her 40’s, what do you hope listeners will take away from the album?

You can use different words besides chaos and consciousness but everyone goes through that hecticness. For me, I party. That’s my Chaos. For others, it can be arguing with their spouses. For others it can be puffin’ a J just to relax. What will people take away from this album? Some people have been through it all. It’s hard for them to get to 15. It doesn’t resonate with them on a musical or lyrical level, and that’s fine. They haven’t evolved all the way yet to create a record that completely resonates. My whole upbringing is all music. I work hard to make music that resonates all the time. Once people start listening to the project, there are 30 songs so everyone will take away something different.

 Can you tell us about any tours coming up in relation to the album? Maybe even special shows?

We will be throwing some secret shows. We are looking into tours right now. We have things up our sleeve in January.

 Where do you go from here? Any plans for when you finally come up for air?

In LMFAO till now I’ve never taken a vacation. When Foo and I were number one in the world we’d still keep working on new songs. The thing is, you know, we really take everything in. We can be at the club and be like, “Fuck yeah, we got it.” But this is my life. I love my life and I don’t need to take a break from it. I’m always going to be pushing the project and the evolution of the project.

 When it’s time to finally hang up the mic, what do you want to be known for? How does 8kyler 6ordy want to be remembered?

I want to be known for raising the consciousness of the planet through music as art. Really making art through music. I feel people can listen to the album and learn to ask the right questions after hearing different things. I want to see the world smile. There’s too much negativity in this world.