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its-all-or-nothing94 · 10 months ago

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Like a Hurricane // JJ Maybank x OC - Part 1

Summary: Sky is a Pogue through and through. No one would doubt that. But what will happen if her Dad just disappears, and after nine months, she and her brother face the consequences with DCS? Sky tries to manage her way through a literal storm but also the storm of secrets, confessions, friendships, and... summer.

Masterlist

Warnings: language, use of alcohol, talk of death

Pairing: JJ Maybank x OC

A/N: And I'm back with an all-new Outer Banks story :) Yay! I got so invested in that show that I couldn't just binge-watch the whole show, as I didn't want it to end. And yes this is more a "reimagine". Don't @ me ;)

Summer.

Finally. We've waited a long time for the summer break to finally arrive. No more school, no more responsibilities. Not that my brother would care about that ever since our father went missing.

But hey, we're the Pogues, and our mission this summer is to have a good time all the time.

On the terrace of their new hangout, the Pogues lounged, beers in hand, basking in the golden-orange hue of the setting sun. The vibe was effortlessly relaxed and warm.

"That's what, a three-story fall to the deck?", Pope questioned, eyeing the boy teetering on the rooftop, beer casually in tow. "I give you about a one-in-three chance of survival."

The blonde girl with the side braid perched on a scaffold nearby, beer can in hand, gazed upward nonchalantly. "So?"

John B paused, wetting his finger and testing the wind. "Should I do it?"

"Yeah, jump", urged the blonde boy with the cap, sitting next to Sky.

Pope, brandishing a drill playfully, aimed it at John B. "I'll shoot you on the way down."

"You'll shoot me?"

"Yep", he replied with a shrug.

John B mimed a gun with his hand, pointing at Pope. "Pow!"

"They're gonna have Japanese toilets with towel warmers," Kiara announced, stepping out. She was striking, her light-dark skin and wavy hair catching the last light of day.

Beside Sky, JJ chuckled. "Of course. Why wouldn't they?"

Sky shared a knowing look with JJ, a sly grin on her lips. "You know what's next," she whispered, sparking a grin from JJ.

"This used to be a turtle habitat, but who cares about the turtles, I guess?" Kiara lamented.

"Poor turtles", Sky responded with playful sympathy, standing up.

JJ shrugged. "I can't have cold towels."

Kiara ignored him and looked up at John B. "Can you please not kill yourself?"

Sky jumped down from her perch, finishing her beer with a swift gulp. "I mean, one less Routledge, who gives a shit?" she said sarcastically. "Oh wait, me! I would give a shit. Get the fuck down, JB!"

"Don't spill that beer. I'm not giving you another one", JJ warned his best friend.

Unfazed, John B balanced precariously, but a sudden gust of wind caught him off guard. His beer plummeted to the terrace below.

"Of course you did," JJ grumbled.

Kiara turned away, shaking her head. "Smooth..."

The blonde girl sighed and rubbed her face. "Dumbass..."

Pope, peering over the balcony, spotted a security guard emerging from a parked car.

"Hey!"

"Hey, uh, security's here," he informed the others. "Let's wrap it up."

JJ looked around, glanced quickly at Sky, and smiled. "Boys are early today."

"Humpty Dumpty, let's roll," Sky said smugly.

"Yeah," John B agreed, walking down to the others.

"Let's go, boys," Kiara smiled, and they started to hurry.

JJ, teasing as always, exclaimed: "Gary, is that you?"

"Get down", Sky said to her brother.

JJ, still in light spirits, laughs as he sees that it is indeed Gary. "Gary, good to see you, man!"

They made their way downstairs, JJ's leaking behind. "JJ!" Sky laughed and pulled him along.

With Gary's backup close behind, the Pogues had to swiftly escape, leaping fences and dodging the guards. John B had the Twinkie, his van, revved up and ready. They piled in, laughter and adrenaline mixing, as one guard gave futile chase.

"Come on guys, you're giving him a heart attack," Kiara laughs, and Sky nudges her.

In high spirits, they sped off into the summer night, the promise of adventure ahead.

The Outer Banks, Paradise on Earth.

It's the sort of place where you either have two jobs or two houses. Two tribes, one island.

The nice side of the Island is called Figure Eight. It's the rich side of the island. Home of the Kooks. So, guess where we don't live.

And then, there is the south side or the Cut. Home of the working class who make a living busing tables, washing yachts, running charters.

The natural habitat of... drumroll please... the Pogues. That's us. Pogues, pogies, the throwaway fish. Lowest member of the food chain.

Okay. So, the downside of Pogue life is we're ignored and neglected. But the upside of Pogue life? We're ignored and neglected, which means we do whatever we want, whenever we want.

But who are we?

There's JJ. My brother's best friend since the third grade. Meaning that I couldn't get rid of him even if I wanted to.

He's about as local as they come. Latest in a long line of fishing, drinking, smuggling, vendetta-holding salt-lifers who made their living off the water. Best male surfer I know. But don't tell him I said that. I wouldn't hear the end of it. Mild kleptomaniac and a future tax cheat, for sure. And then there's his secret – a massive, undeclared crush on me. Of course, I'm totally oblivious to it. No one knows about it. Well, that's the story, as my brother would probably kill him anyway.

Then there's Kiara, or Kie, as we call her. My best friend and the only other female Pogue apart from me. When not saving turtles or, listening to Marley, or getting a dolphin tattoo (which, for the record, I totally didn't convince her to get – okay, maybe I did), she hangs out with us. We are all not really sure why, though.

So, she's a rich kid, actually. Foot in both worlds. Her family owns The Wreck, my workplace, this Outer Banks institution. Total cash cow with the tourists. We are not really sure how her parents feel about us, well at least about the boys, as I think they kind of like me.

All of the guys had a thing for her at least once.

And then there's Pope. The brains of the operation... finalist for the Lucas T. Vanderhorst Merit Scholarship. And probably the smartest person I know. He's a little bit of a weirdo, to be honest. His father's this legendary character, Heyward. Anything you wanted on the island, Heyward could get for you.

Now, I'm not sure Heyward knew what to make of his oddball son, but it didn't matter. He was a Pogue, just like the rest of us.

There's John B – my twin brother. At first glance, no one would peg us as twins. John B, with his dark hair and deep-set eyes, starkly contrasts my light blonde hair and grey eyes. But beneath these superficial differences lies an unbreakable bond. John B and I have always been incredibly close, sharing a connection that goes beyond mere appearances. He's the undisputed leader of the Pogues, a role he takes as naturally as breathing. In his leadership, there's a sense of adventure, a hint of recklessness, and a deep-seated loyalty that binds all of us together. His presence is both a guiding force and a constant reminder of the unspoken understanding and support we share as twins.

And then there's me, Skylar Artemis Routledge. Or Sky. Talk about a mouthful of a name, right? Thanks a bunch, Mom and Dad. As I mentioned earlier, I'm the younger twin sister of John B – younger by a mere four minutes, a fact he never lets me forget, flaunting it like a badge of honor. My world? It revolves around the thrill of surfing, the freedom of skating, and, of course, my fiercely loyal band of friends. Oh, and about the infamous "no Pogue on Pogue macking" rule? Guilty as charged. That's on me. Or, more accurately, it's because of my overprotective brother, who's made it crystal clear: nobody messes with his "baby sister." It's a title I wear with a mix of annoyance and affection, but hey, that's family for you.

John B and I call an old fish shack on the marsh our home, fondly nicknamed "The Chateau" by our dad. That's how he always referred to it, with a hint of irony and a lot of love. Our dad... he vanished nine months ago while chasing the legend of a shipwreck. In this day and age, who just disappears at sea?

I miss him every single day. John B does, too, the weight of his absence hanging silently between us.

Our mom is a different story. She left when we were just three, a distant memory more than a mother. Last I heard of her, she was in Colorado, or at least I think it was Colorado.

But we've still got Uncle T. Ever since Dad's disappearance, he's been our so-called legal guardian. Right now, he's off in Mississippi, busy building houses. That leaves just John B and me free to roam with our friends, masters of our own little world.

Three months after Dad was declared missing, they wanted to pronounce him dead officially. But John B wouldn’t sign the papers. He's adamant that there's no giving up until he sees a body. As for me... well, as three months stretched into six, my hope quietly faded away. I hate to admit it, but I've stopped expecting a miracle.

John B and Sky found themselves seated in the stark, clinical setting of the sheriff's office, facing a social worker named Cheryl. Her gaze fixed on the twins, who wore expressions of casual, almost practiced boredom.

"John, Skylar, it's come to our attention that you're unemancipated minors living on your own," Cheryl began. At this, John B and Sky shared a quick, knowing glance before bursting into laughter.

"No... Not really," Sky drawled, slouching further in her chair, her face etched with defiance.

"No," echoed John B, shaking his head.

Cheryl sighed deeply, intertwining her fingers with a look of forced patience. "I need honesty to help you two. That's what we're aiming for, right?" she asked, her eyes shifting between the twins.

"We're being honest," John B insisted as Sky puckered her lips in a mock pout.

All too aware of the teenagers' evasiveness, Cheryl let out another sigh. "Okay, then, when's the last time either of you spoke to your uncle?"

The twins exchanged another glance, their silent communication a testament to their unspoken bond.

Sky glanced at her empty wrist. "Uh... 34 minutes ago, to be exact."

"And when did you last see him?"

This time, John B chimed in. "Two hours and, uh... 43 minutes ago?"

Sky couldn't help but chuckle, biting her lip – a habitual gesture.

"John... Skylar, we're planning to visit tomorrow to speak with your uncle. If he's not there, we'll have to proceed with foster care arrangements," Cheryl explained, her tone a mix of sternness and concern. Sky scoffed at the notion. "I assure you, our goal is to find you both a safe, loving home."

They actually thought we were gonna be happy to hear that. Bullshit! I knew that they would separate us, and, almost as bad, they would get us to the mainland.

And that's where this story starts. Our dad missing, our uncle MIA, and the bride of Frankenstein threatening us with foster care.

That evening, the Pogues sat by a fire at the beach. They had fun, but one was missing. John B sat a bit further away and gave in to his thoughts. Sky sat next to JJ, who causally had his arm around her shoulders.

"What's up with him?" JJ asked, and Pope and Kie were looking at Sky.

She sighed and shrugged. "It's his way of coping, I guess... They-" She gulped and sighed again. "They want to swing by tomorrow, talk to Uncle T."

JJ pulled Sky closer. "Come on, they can't just drag your asses away. You're Pogues. You belong here."

Sky's smile faded a little. "Tell that to them."

JJ's smile faded as well, as he looked down at the blonde next to him. Kiara couldn't help but smile at the sight. She realized, for some time now, how much JJ liked Sky. Not just liked, but liked.

"Have you heard about the hurricane? It's heading right towards us", Pope then said and showed them the news channel on his phone, and Sky looked at him, sighing.

She wiggled out of JJ's arm and stood up. "Well, at least one good thing comes of it." She took out her phone, and the others looked at her, confused.

"DCS, how can I help you?" Sky tipped her finger to her lips. "Yeah, uh... I think we have to reschedule."

As Sky was at home later, thunder was crackling, and the wind took off. JJ sat on her porch on his phone. Sky just looked out to the ocean, wondering where her brother was.

"Hey yo, you know where John B is?" she turned and looked at JJ, who looked up at her.

He shrugged. "Nah, but my guess..." He pointed his head towards the ocean.

"He's really going for it, huh?" Sky muttered under her breath, turning back to the sea again.

JJ stood up and put an arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry, Barb. He's gonna be fine."

Barb. That was another thing. JJ called me that for as long as I can remember. Well, at first, it was Surfer Barbie, what many people call me, to be honest, so he just called me Barbie, and that morphed into Barb. He's the only one who calls me that.

Sky sighed once again and turned, walking into the Chateau. JJ looked after her with a questioning look, before he sat back down on the porch.

Shortly after, Sky walked out again with a Whiskey and two glasses. "Might as well..."

She poured some of the brown liqueur into the glasses and slid one over to JJ. He grinned at Sky and took it into his hand.

"The good glasses? What's the occasion?" he asked and winked at her.

"Don't know... When Aggie hits, they might break anyway..."

They clinked the glasses together and smiled at each other before taking a sip.

Forty-five minutes later, the almost full bottle was empty, and Sky sat on the porch bench with JJ, her legs over his lap. JJ has his hands on her shins and caresses them absently.

The conversation, deep and meandering under the influence of alcohol, takes a turn as JJ gazes into the distance, where lightning from the approaching Hurricane Agatha flickers ominously. "Barb," he slurs slightly, "have you ever thought about, you know, dating one of us Pogues? Like, hypothetically speaking?"

Sky, her head leaning back, a relaxed smile on her face, responds with a teasing lilt, "JJ, you know the rule. No Pogue on Pogue macking. John B made it pretty clear."

But JJ is undeterred, his eyes intense. "That rule is bullshit. It's just something John B came up with, so we don't mack on you. But seriously, what if? What if the rule didn't exist?"

Sky turns to face him, her expression softening in the dim porch light. "What if, huh?" she muses, the alcohol making her thoughts swim. "I don't know, JJ. It's a weird thought. We're like... family, you know?"

JJ nods, serious. "Yeah, I know. But sometimes, I think, 'What if.' What if the person you're supposed to be with is right in front of you, and you're just too blind to see it because of some stupid rule?"

The confession, raw and honest, hangs between them. Sky looks into JJ's eyes, seeing the vulnerability and sincerity within. "JJ, are you asking if I've ever thought about you that way?" she whispers, the storm's energy charging the air around them.

JJ meets her gaze, his voice earnest. "Maybe I am. Maybe I'm tired of pretending that I haven't thought about it. About you."

The intensity of the moment builds, mirroring the storm's crescendo. But then, Sky, sensing the conversation veering into serious territory that she's not ready to navigate, especially not under the influence, lets out a laugh. It's light, an attempt to diffuse the tension.

"JJ, you're drunk, and your emotions are all over the place. It's just the whiskey talking."

JJ's gaze lingers on her, a mix of longing and frustration in his eyes. "Maybe," he concedes, "but what if it's not? What if—"

Skye cuts him off with a light laugh, leaning in to bump her shoulder against his. "Oi, Bandolero, trust me. You're going to wake up tomorrow and realize you were just feeling extra sentimental because of the storm and the whiskey."

A little later, as the conversation drifted and the storm raged outside, Sky and JJ succumbed to sleep on the porch. Suddenly, Sky felt a persistent poking at her cheek.

Blearily opening her eyes, she was jolted awake by the looming figure before her, illuminated starkly by a flash of lightning.

"Jesus fucking Christ, are you out of your damn mind?" Sky exclaimed, her words directed at her drenched brother, who stood before her, surfboard in tow.

The commotion roused JJ, who blinked groggily at John B.

"That's your concern? What the hell are you guys still doing out here? Get inside!" John B barked, hauling Sky to her feet.

Sky, unimpressed, retorted as she was ushered inside, "Look who's talking, big bro. Did you seriously try to surf in this mess?" Behind them, JJ, barely awake, stumbled into the living room, collapsing onto the pull-out couch.

John B paused, eyeing his best friend's form. "What happened to him?" he asked, amusement lacing his voice.

Sky, smirking, replied as she headed to her room, "Dad's Highland Park. Turns out our Bandolero over there isn't as seasoned a drinker as he likes to claim." She paused at her door, glancing back at John B. "Good night."

"Night," he responded, his smile lingering as he made his way to his own room.

#Outer Banks #JJ x OC #JJ Maybank #John B Routledge #Outer Banks x OC #Outer Banks x Reader #OBX #OBX x reader #JJ Maybank x reader #Well I really really love the character JJ Maybank

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tenofcups-tarot · 4 years ago

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Three Pile Pick-a-Card

If you noticed I forgot to upload a pick-a-card last Sunday, no you didn’t. <3

Here is this week’s (10/11 -10/18) pick-a-card however! Before scrolling, take a second to close your eyes and focus on the question of “what do I need to hear this week?” Then, go with your gut and make your selection below however you see fit: by your favorite stone, favorite number, or some other way. When you’re ready, you can find your message below.

Pile 1: Green Jasper – Princess of Cups

Pictured is a young woman holding a turtle, sharing a swim with a dolphin who holds a flower in its mouth. Above them is a crescent moon.

If you’ve drawn this card, you may normally be a sensitive, romantic type, but have found yourself struggling to maintain such a personality. You may be struggling creatively or feel as though you have no time to be creative at all.

Alongside the green jasper, you’re being urged to rebalance yourself and remember to address your creative and emotional needs and make time for them! This may be extremely hard to do at this time, but ask yourself what steps you can take to do so.

Personally, I’ve made a commitment to write creatively for at least 15 minutes every time I have to do a new homework assignment. A loss of 15 minutes of work time shouldn’t do too much damage but writing for only 15 minutes multiple times a day will sure go a long way.

This week, find a way to rebalance work and play, even if it’s in a small way.

Pile 2: Angelite – Ten of Wands (R)

Pictured is an older woman with ten ‘wands’ atop her head. The implication is that its hard work, and the word ‘oppression’ is noted at the top of the card. However, the card is in reverse, so this interpretation is altered slightly.

If you’ve selected this pile, you may have too much on your plate and are struggling as a result. You may even have set your plate aside, procrastinating, because it was too daunting to manage, and now it’s piling up even more so.

With the Angelite, I’m getting the sense that you’re being asked to self-reflect and communicate these struggles to someone. Reach out and ask for help. If you’ve been completely overwhelmed, you may even take the time to consider if this is something you can and should set aside permanently. Is it a good use of your time?

This week, look at how you’re spending your time and see if there’s a better alternative.

Pile 3: Purple fluorite – Six of Wands

Pictured is a young woman surrounded by five lit torches, while she holds a sixth one in her hand. They key word here is ‘victory’ and she does look rather triumphant.

If you’ve selected this card, you’re likely about to be recognized for some of your accomplishments after a period of hard work. You may yourself recognize your own hard work and should certainly take time to be proud of yourself and all that you’ve accomplished so far. Celebrate!

With the fluorite, I get the sense that you’re not used to giving yourself credit and rewarding yourself for all that you do, but the fluorite insists upon it and refuses to allow any ‘bad vibes’ of that kind.

This week, acknowledge how far you’ve come, celebrate, and then keep going. You haven’t reached your final destination yet.

Blessed be,

Strength <3

#tarot pick a card #pick a card #tarot reading #tarot #strength #also if i identified any of the stones wrong feel free to let me know lmao

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starblazerm31 · 5 years ago

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37. Accidental kiss 💋 for Asra and MC pre plague :3 plz

Here you go my dear, I hope you enjoy it!

I’m still up for writing a few more of these, so hit me up! Might even do a couple for my MC/OC! Prompt list here.

As usual, fic below the cut!

Ko-Fi ☕

It was mid-day, and my shop was empty. That wasn’t a surprise; the festival going on in town square pretty much assured that today would be slow. I wasn’t worried about the lack of customers, though. I had filled some rather expensive orders for one of my regulars the day before yesterday and that meant that I could afford the repairs that the shop needed, plus put food in my belly for a little while. In fact, when I closed I intended to head to the marketplace to give Selasi a bit of business plus grouse about the festival. It wasn’t one of my favorite holidays; some silly thing Count Lucio came up with to honor yet another one of his favorite pets.

The man would do so much better if he just opened up a zoo for all of the animals he had. Let the kingdom share in the beauty. But no, he hoarded it all to himself while the people paid for it.

The only sound in the shop was my breathing as well as the cloth I rubbed the glass countertop with. So the sudden knock at the door sent my heart straight into my throat. I took a moment to still my heavy breathing before placing the cloth down and heading to the door to open it. On automatic, I said “Welcome to-”

I was greeted by the shy smile of Asra.

“Hello, MC,” he said.

I gave him my brightest smile. I always loved his visits.

“Hello, Asra! Come in!” I moved to the side so he could enter. "How are you? Enjoying the festival?“

Asra chuckled. "I set up my tent with the other vendors in the square and made some money. That’s about all the enjoying I did.”

I laughed. "Well, a festival celebrating turtle doves isn’t exactly my idea of a great party.“ I closed the door with a sound click.

“I don’t think I’ve ever done so many love readings in my life,” Asra said, running his tan hands through his fluffy white hair. "And it figures; love readings aren’t my strong point. I had to fake some of it.“

I nudged him in the arm. "But you’re an artist at faking,” I said. "Were your customers happy?“

"Of course.”

“Well, there you go.”

Asra laughed. "You’re right, MC.“ He looked around. "Slow day?”

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah. The boredom isn’t so bad; I just keep myself busy.“

"I can tell,” he said. "The shop looks so clean. And is that Dragon’s Blood you’re burning?“

I beamed. "It is! My aunt always said that a clean workspace enhances concentration, protects against evil, and attracts good vibes and customers. And Dragon’s Blood makes sure you’re never low on power.”

I stood behind the counter and put my cleaning cloth away. Asra leaned forward, resting his elbows on the glass surface.

“And it must work; I felt the strongest urge to pay you a visit today.”

His lavender eyes sparkled through his white lashes. I felt my face flush slightly.“So is this visit business or pleasure?” I asked, weaving my fingers together.

“Can’t it be both?”

Now my ears were burning. "Of course.“ I stood up straight. "I got an order of crystals in yesterday, would you like to see them? They aren’t charged; they’re specifically for my practitioner clients.”

Asra brightened up. "Your so gifted,“ he said. "How did you know that I came to you for exactly that?”

I felt a fit of giddy giggles well up from my core. "As you say, I’m gifted.“ I gave him a wink and went into the back, grabbed the basket full of gleaming crystals, and set it on the counter for him to inspect. He picked up a few and held them up to the light.

I couldn’t help but marvel at him for a moment. Ever since I met him at the Masquerade, he had been there, in the back of my thoughts. I recalled the way he weaved his magic for onlookers, how etherial he looked. How when I approached his tent, he extended a small crystal ball and asked if I would like a glimpse into my future. I remembered how his crystal ball rolled around his fingers, up his arm, around his shoulders, down his other arm, and into his outstretched palm. And I remembered his eyes peeking right above the crystal in my field of view. He was beautiful.

"These are perfect,” he commented. "How did you come across them?“

I gave him a coy look. "A good magician never reveals their secrets.”

Asra returned my coy look, only with a hint of slyness. He reminded me of a snow fox. "What if I shared some of my secrets with you?“

I looked thoughtful for a moment. "Perhaps. What secrets can you share?”

His eyes narrowed with the most alluring smile I had ever seen. "All kinds.“

We stared at each other for a moment; I could feel the heat in my entire face. I reached down and picked up a glittering blue crystal.

"Well, this one came from a traveling merchant who had just gotten back from Prakra,” I said, rotating the stone so that the candlelight could shine through its facets. "He thought it was just a pretty rock with no magical properties, so I got it for a good price. If only he knew what he had found.“

Asra leaned in closer. "And what did he find?”

I leaned closer as well, the crystal all that hovered in between us. "This one can radiate healing energy if you charge it on a rainy night under a new moon. It would be an amazing tool for a healer or doctor.“

I stood up and turned to reach for a potion. "And if you-” When I turned back around, my elbow caught the edge of the basket and tipped it off of the counter, causing all of the glittering crystals to scatter on the floor. My cheeks shone with embarrassment.

“Oh my…”

Asra immediately bent down. "It’s alright, MC, I can get them.“

"No, no, I can’t let you clean up my mess. Here…” I rushed around the counter and bent down next to him, my hands clumsily snatching up crystals left and right and piling them back into the basket. I reached for a crystal that had landed a few feet from the counter and turned to put it in the basket; but it fell from my fingertips as when I turned to reach for the basket, I found my lips fully connected to Asra’s. His face shone with a deep blush, as I knew mine did as well. He moved backward quickly.

“I am so sorry, MC, I didn’t mean-”

“I’m sorry, Asra, I didn’t know I had moved so close-”

“Not that I’m upset, it was lovely-”

“You have very soft-”

We paused for a moment, staring at each other awkwardly. Then we both burst out laughing.

“Here, there’s only a few left,” Asra said, picking up the last of the crystals and putting them back into the basket. I took it from him and placed it back on the countertop.

I wiped the tears of laughter from my eyes and Asra offered me his hand to help me back to my feet. From down the street, we could hear sudden cheers.Asra cleared his throat. "Looks like I might have another string of customers,“ he said. He looked to the basket and then back to me.

"If I buy all of them, can I see you again when you close the shop?”

I smiled serenely. "You can see me whether you buy them or not.“

His face lit up like the moon. "Great!!”

He smiled at me for a moment; he looked like he could walk on water. Before I knew it, my hands had reached out to him and pulled him close by the shoulders. I placed a gentle lingering kiss on his lips.

“I can’t wait,” I said, once parting.

His eyes looked heavy. "Neither can I.“

He snatched up the crystals and put them in a bag, replacing them with a satchel of coins. He turned and headed towards the door. He gave me one last stunning smile before slipping soundlessly outside.

#the arcana writing prompts #accidental kiss #the arcana #the arcana asra #asra x mc #asra x apprentice #starblazerm31 fics

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evilringsandthings · 5 years ago

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Headcanons/Rambles/Info because I have no self control

Tw: Drug use

Mack actually wasn’t reborn with blonde hair. Since he was just an extension of Malik’s trauma and anger, he ended up having to have an entire body made for him. There was no pre-existing framework like Atem and Ini. So when he woke up, he had dark brown hair. He’s gone through great lengths to dye it and due to that it’s pretty damaged.

Continuing from above, Mack still feels as though he’s a shield for Malik. He doesn’t understand that Malik has since moved past his trauma and is perfectly fine and capable of protecting himself. Mack doesn’t yet feel connected to himself as a person, and instead still feels as his only purpose is to shield Malik from harmful things. This leads to a lot of strain in their relationship.

I’ve mentioned before but Jonouchi, Anzu, Shizuka, Honda, Kaiba, Ryouji, Isis, and Rishid have NO idea Mack, Atem, and Ini exist. Yugi and Malik have kept their lips sealed about it.

The tattoo that Yugi and Atem got together was something they did during the first months that Atem was back. Atem wanted to truly make this body his own so he got some sick ink. Yugi was actually the one who sketched up the idea. The tattoo includes the date that Yugi solved the puzzle, the date Atem left, and the date he returned. Yugi already had the dates for solving the puzzle and the date Atem left.

Yugi is NB and transmasculine. I’ve already mentioned this but it’s so far back I might as well say it again. He had begun HRT in highschool but didn’t get top surgery until after Atem had left. So when Atem finally returned, he was both happy and excited for Yugi but a bit sad only for the fact he hadn’t been there to support Yugi through the healing process.

Atem and Yugi are not in a relationship AT ALL. Are there romantic feelings? No. Are there platonic feelings? Yes but a bit more intense than your normal platonic relationship. Do they love each other? ABSOLUTELY!!!! Atem is currently trying to figure out how he feels and how he wants to proceed with Yugi. Yugi is quite patient and supportive of Atem, and dates others on the side. One of them is living quite close.

Mack is in Domino! He moved from Egypt to study in Domino for a fashion design degree. He had thought about going into Egyptology (just like Yugi had) but ended up choosing another path. He’s got a job at the local museum and his siblings visit often

Isis and Mai are married. They’re wanderers and usually spend their time traveling to different countries. Mai never liked the idea of settling down somewhere and decided to drag Isis on her adventures. One thing led to another and they ended up eloping.

Rishid still lives in Egypt. Since the whole pharaoh thing prophecies and magic shit is over, he’s opened up the tombs for tours and such. He also takes visitors on other tours! He’s quite content and visits Malik quite often.

I know I’ve said it before but Yugi owns his own game design corporation that’s partners with KaibaCorp. It started out quite small but has grown exponentially. Yugi and Kaiba have grown quite close over the years, having been each other’s only true comfort when it came to mourning Atem. They had a connection with him that the others couldn’t understand. They found solace in each other’s company. Their dynamic is quite odd and it can be seen as hatred to the untrained eye. But there are many sleepovers and late night talks they’ve shared that say otherwise.

Due to staring at computer screens all the time, as well as sitting in the dark staring at said screens, and some other factions, Kaiba has glasses now!!!! He looks lovely but he hates them,

Seto’s style has actually settled down a lot. He’s retired the straps and leather and trench coats. You can now usually see him in a nice suit, or a casual turtle neck with a loose cardigan or coat. He even invested in a pair of sneakers due to Yugi’s request he stop always wearing dress shoes.

Mokuba!!!!! Baby boy is absolutely vibing! He joined his school’s baseball team and got a full ride scholarship to college. Very talented and very sports oriented! He got into self defense after how many times he’s been kidnapped and owns like 6 dogs with insane names.

Ryo and Yugi have lunch together a lot! They’re quite close and Yugi is one of the only people that Ryo will act like himself around. Ryo acts extremely tough and standoffish towards Ini for reasons that will be revealed later. But he’s hardly the stoic asshole he’s been portrayed as so far. Many layers. Like an onion. Ryo is Shrek 2020

Mack is a hella stoner. There. I said it. The man smokes weed and even makes his own edibles and shit. Malik doesn’t know about it but even if he did, he wouldn’t give two shits. Just as long as Mack doesn’t crash the car or touch his bike then they’re good. Mack will usually let Ini join him if Ini’s anxiety has been really bad. Ini enjoys it.

Out of all the houses the trio (Atem, Mack, and Ini) stays at, Mack’s place is the most. It’s usually because Malik is gone so they can be as insane as they want. But Mack’s room is in the basement and conisists of two mattresses stacked on top of each other, hello kitty sheets, two pillows, and a thin bright yellow blanket. A small tv with an Xbox, a pile of clothes, pizza boxes and Mountain Dew bottles everywhere, and his electric guitar and drum set in the corner.

The Trio has a pretty close but unconventional bond. Their relationship with each other is pretty odd and even Yugi, Malik, and Ryo are confused about it. The Trio really just vibes, but they’re all extremely physically affectionate with each other. Always touching, always together, they can look at each other and have a conversation.

Ini, Mack, and Atem all share a birthday. This “birth” day relates to the day that they were reborn and brought back from wherever. Atem’s memories of his past life in Egypt are too fuzzy for him to remember his actual birthday. So they go with the day they were all brought back,

Ini and Mack share a good bond. Both are people who are trying to figure themselves and orient a place for themselves in the world. Ini is the product of a true second chance and Mack is the product of someone that had experienced so much hatred, anger, pain, and abuse. They understand each other’s feelings in a way that not even Atem can relate to.

While Malik was the first to acknowledge out loud that Ini wasn’t TKB or YB, Atem and Mack both knew. Atem knew something was off about the way that Ini interacted. There was no malice. No flicker of familiarity from TKB or YB in Ini. That’s why he was so willing to listen to Ini when he apologized.

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ninja-go-to-therapy · 5 years ago

Text

Humiliation

@badthingshappenbingo

Prompt: Humiliation

Fandom: Ninjago

Character: Cole

Trigger Warnings: creepy!whumper, and just like... general uncomfy vibes associated with the aforementioned warning. If that sounds like it would bother you, please don’t read!

A Christmas gift for the incredible @razzle-zazzle! Hope you like it :)

Cole woke up really, really cold. Like, so cold his entire brain was numb. So cold that he was almost certain he was dead.

Something was moving underneath him. It was rough and bumpy, and it was uncomfortable, but it was hardly anything compared to the temperature.

He groaned and opened his eyes, and only then did he fully comprehend what was actually going on. He was being dragged. In the snow.

“What the hell?” He said, or tried to say, at least. His words were slurred and slippery.

Whoever was dragging him didn’t seem to hear, or maybe they just didn’t care. They just kept dragging him.

Cole shivered. He wasn’t dressed properly for the weather, and the cold had already seeped into his bones. He couldn’t recall ever being this cold, even when they’d gone to Birchwood Forest (and that was supposed to be the coldest place in Ninjago).

His wrists were shackled, his hair and clothes were getting snagged, and his brain felt kind of clouded over.

“Let me go,” he said, but his mouth was full of cotton, his limbs were made of lead.

Once again, his captor paid him no mind. They just kept dragging, and dragging, and dragging, until finally, they came to a stop. They dropped him, and his leg (from which he’d been dragged) fell to the ground limply. A dull pain reverberated through it, but he hardly even noticed it.

Whoever it was that had kidnapped him looked kind of familiar, but Cole couldn’t quite put his finger on it. His captor was young, muscular, and almost attractive — though he would probably be more attractive if he wasn’t a kidnapper. You know, setting the bar high.

Cole struggled to stand, or at least sit up, but he was stuck on his back, staring up at the gray sky, and for the first time he really sympathized with turtles. Maybe VSCO girls had it right.

From flopping his head side to side (at first just to get the hair out of his eyes, and then in a poor attempt to look at his surroundings), he could tell he was somewhere remote. There were a few trees, a little hut, and a tall wooden pole, and that was about it.

“Come on, pet, let’s get you up.” His captor muttered, supporting nearly all of Cole’s weight as they helped him up. Cole had no choice but to let himself be practically carried by him once again, but at least this time he was upright for it.

He was led to the pole, his arms were raised, and his handcuffs were hooked above his head. When all was said and done, his feet were just barely off the ground. The unfortunate part was that the strain on his arms was already becoming prominent.

“You’re gonna be so pretty,” his captor said, touching his cheek with some sort of twisted, condescending fondness. He was taller than Cole, but not by much. He was just the right height to be about even with him while Cole was being suspended.

“Lemme down...” Cole slurred, weakly kicking his legs. Of course, it hardly did anything, and he was left feeling much like a fish caught on a hook.

“Aww, drug’s still affecting you, huh? Don’t worry, it’ll wear off soon.” He said, “Now, be a good boy and stay here.” And with that, he went off into the hut, leaving Cole alone.

The world was quiet, like someone had muted it with a TV remote. The only sound Cole could really hear was his own heart pounding. No birds chirped and no wind whistled, and he almost found himself wanting his captor to come back, if only to fill the silence with something.

It wasn’t long before he returned, with two large boxes, stacked atop each other, in his hands.

He set them down, then opened the one on top. Cole couldn’t see what was inside, but if the growing smile on his captor’s face was anything to go by, it wasn’t anything good.

His captor rummaged in the box for a moment, then stood, having produced a pocket knife.

“Hold still, we wouldn’t want to make a mess,” he said, bringing the blade to just above Cole’s shirt. Cole stiffened, holding his breath. His captor sliced the blade through the fabric cleanly until his clothes lay in a pile around him.

If Cole had been freezing before, there was no word for this. The cold hit him so hard his vision went white. He couldn’t feel anything, his mind and his body were detached from each other, he was going to freeze to death.

Something wrapping around his neck brought Cole out of it. He couldn’t tell what is was, just that it was itchy and odd. It almost felt like... tinsel?

“What are you doing?” Cole slurred, jerking his neck in a pathetic attempt to get it off. His captor just laughed, continuing to wrap the tinsel around him.

It was tied right, almost digging into his skin. It was looped and knotted and when one string of it was gone, another was pulled from the box and began where the last ended.

The strain on his arms only increased.

“You’re doing so well, you’re gonna look so pretty for me,” his captor murmured against his ear.

Cole shuddered. This guy was fucking psychotic. He’d lost his mind — or maybe he’d never had a mind to lose in the first place.

When the tinsel was gone, out of the box came Christmas lights. It wasn’t hard to figure out what would be done with them.

The lights were wrapped around him even tighter than the tinsel was, each knot accompanied by a sadistic bit of praise from his captor. “So pretty,” his captor would say, “you’re so, so pretty, pet...”

The worst part was that Cole couldn’t do anything about it. His body refused to obey him, the most he could do was flop his legs back and forth, which, needless to say, accomplished nothing.

For some reason or another, he was unable to summon his powers. Maybe the handcuffs holding him up were vengestone, or maybe he was just too weak. It hardly mattered what the reasoning behind it was.

His captor ran a hand through Cole’s messy hair. Cole wanted so desperately to tell the guy to fuck off or kick him in the groin, but somehow, he didn’t think it would accomplish anything.

The longer this went on, the colder Cole became. Every time he thought he was at the coldest possible temperature he could ever be, he found himself proven wrong. He was shivering bad enough that his whole body was practically spasming.

When he was wrapped entirely in the lights, his captor stopped. Cole wondered if maybe, hopefully, he was done. Maybe he could just be left alone to die like this.

Out of the box came a star shaped tree topper. His captor seemed to be aware that it would be rather difficult to get that to stay on top of a person, and so it was placed on top of the pole.

The lights flickered on. He’d never felt so humiliated. Not even when he’d been seven, and fallen flat on his face trying to do a triple tiger sashay. Not even when Lloyd had found his private sketchbook, which he never showed anyone.

“Look at you...” his captor said, “tied up all pretty for me like a Christmas tree... what would your little friends say?”

They would help him. They would save him. They wouldn’t think it was his fault.

“They’d think it was pathetic, wouldn’t they? A good ninja would never let himself be so vulnerable.”

They would understand. They would...

“Hell, a good ninja would never let himself get captured like this in the first place.”

He wasn’t going to cry. That was what he wanted. He could hold himself together.

“Maybe by the time they find you, you’ll already be dead. A corpse, hanging limp from a pole, wouldn’t that just be the loveliest present?”

Cole squeezed his eyes shut. In doing so, tears managed to escape, and rolled down his face, but like everything else, he couldn’t do anything about it.

If he really wanted to, he could try to convince himself that it was the drugs making him so emotional and vulnerable. But there was no point, and the tears continued to fall.

“Or maybe they won’t find you at all. Maybe they’ll give up looking...”

They wouldn’t they wouldn’t they wouldn’t.

“Or maybe they won’t care enough to look at all.”

He wanted so desperately to cover his ears, to block it out, do something, anything not to hear it. But he was too weak.

“Or I could let them find you. Leave you as a nice little Christmas present in the middle of the city — anyone could see you. Everyone would. They would never forget it.”

The tears built up behind his closed eyes. They wouldn’t forget it. Everyone would know how weak he was — how easily he could be defeated. The ninja would finally realize how worthless he was as a part of the team.

“God, that’s tempting. But you’re mine now, pet, and I’ve never liked sharing. Maybe I’ll just show you off... get some nice pretty pictures of you and post them online.”

Tears burned with more than shame when you were in such a state of cold.

“Yes... I think that’s the best solution, don’t you?”

It was so hard to think when you were trying so hard to contain your sobs.

Something shuffled. Sounds that were too quiet and too loud and everywhere in between.

“Smile for the camera, pet.”

- - -

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oh-so-scenarios · 6 years ago

Text

damn but, you is amaze… ♥| Part 12

↠ Prince Jungkook ends up meeting his Cinderella, and he tries to find her before the clock strikes 12 and the fairytale magic fades.

**A/N: Errors, there are spealling and grammar errors. will fix them later! Idk how I feel about this chapter...not my best work in my opinion.

◀ last|part twelve|next ▶

•Masterlist•

Y/n sat staring at her phone. The messages from Jungkook continue to pile up. For the past few days, Jungkook has been sending sweet messages, not expecting a reply.

Jungkook: Good Morning Y/n, I hope you have a wonderful day!

Jungkook: Good night sweetheart, sweet dreams.

The early morning shines through her bedroom window while she sits at the edge of her bed. Sunny sits at the desk settled not too far away. She stares at Y/n waiting for a response to the question that has been hanging in the air.

It is the day of the Spring Gather Ball. The media is buzzing as Kings, Queens, and royalty from different nations land in Korea. Media are already trying to sneak in to catch a glimpse of the decorated hall. Performers and the entertainment are already doing rehearsals in the hall. Social media is already flying with tweets.

What Y/n didn’t know was the special performances would be available on a live stream through the Royal Family’s official website. It seems there is a bigger audience this year, all waiting for the Prince’s mystery girl.

The question that is hanging about is whether Y/n wants to go. Unlike last time, Sunny won’t be there to encourage her. She’d be there on her own, to face the Prince.

“I made the nail appointment for 9am, so it’s up to you Y/n.” Sunny urges. Y/n doesn’t respond but looks down at her phone again. The screen was black and before she could unlock it, a ding sounded from the device.

[8:12 AM] Jungkook: Good morning sweetheart, I hope you slept well. I am hoping to see you tonight. Have a wonderful day :)

She sighs and nods, slowly getting up from her bed. Sunny squeals in excitement, springing up from her seat.

“Perfect! I’m so glad you’re going!”

Y/n doesn’t have the energy to respond, making a slow walk toward the bathroom. She sets her phone on the bookshelf by the bathroom door and proceeds to complete her morning routine. Her pace was slower than usual, anxiety running scary thoughts in her mind.

After stepping out the shower, she puts on her bathrobe and makes her way out the bathroom. She finds Sunny on the phone.

“So it’s done?” She mumbled with a smirk on her lips. She brought her finger up to her mouth, biting her nail. As she met my confused gaze, her smile widened.

“Thanks, Marco! You’re the best!” She hangs up the phone, turning around to show Y/n a big smile.

Y/n leans back, fearing what Sunny could be planning. Her proud grin only gets larger as she sees Y/n hesitate.

“Who is Marco and what has he done?” Y/n questions as she makes her way towards her bed. She begins to lotion her body watching as Sunny giggles to herself.

“Marco is a guard at the Spring Gather today, I know you don’t like a lot of attention so I arranged for him to sneak you in the side door. The whole grand entrance walk down the staircase is so not your style.”

Y/n hums in agreeance, and though she doesn’t show it; she’s very thankful to Sunny for caring so much to go out her way.

Y/n stops what she’s doing, letting her mind drift as Sunny runs around the room getting things prepared.

“Sunny,” Her voice comes out soft, and distant. She’s becoming lost in her thoughts, her mind wandering into the far future.

Sunny stops her movements to stare at her frozen friend. When Sunny doesn’t reply, Y/n continues to speak her thoughts.

“A lot is going to change after tonight, isn’t it?” Y/n didn’t need to know Sunny’s answer because she already knew the answer.

Rather than answer the question, Sunny moved onto a different topic. She was worried that Y/n was going to chicken out, and was hoping to keep her from overthinking.

“Get dressed, we have to go to the nail place and after that, I’ll help you learn how to keep a low profile at these events. When all that is done with, we gotta go to hair and makeup.”

Y/n rolled her eyes and fell back onto her bed. She stared up at her ceiling, keeping a grip on her towel so it didn’t slip off her body.

“It’s going to be a long day.” She whined. Sunny poked her head into the girl’s view, blocking the plain ceiling her eyes were focused on.

Sunny’s blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail, with a few short strands flying loose and around her face. Her oversized shirt that held the logo of some old rock band was slipping off her shoulder yet she still managed to look amazing.

A wicked smirk pulled at the corner of her slightly chapped lips, “If you’re lucky, it’ll be a long night too!”

Y/n scoffs at her words, reaching around her to grab a pillow. However Sunny moves faster, dodging the pillow Y/n throws.

“Sunny! Stop having such dirty thoughts!”

“Have you seen that man? He ain’t my type but I know you’re in for a good time.” Sunny winks before exiting the room.

“Jungkook!” The Queen called her son who ran from her once again.

“Jungkook!” She shouted even louder, picking up speed. Her green sundress flowed in the wind as she chased after her son, nearly knocking over some of the ball preparers in the process.

“Stop him!” She yelped, causing her son to throw a glance over his shoulder. He meets her eyes and snickers at his mom’s antics. Jungkook thinks he’s in the clear from his mom’s demanding questions when he crashes into what he thinks is a wall.

He stumbled back to meet his father’s vexed face.

“Father.” He muttered. Before he could collect himself, his mother’s warm hands clamped onto his shoulders. She stood at a short 5’2, but she held onto her son for dear life.

“How long are you going to avoid our questions?” The King asked staring at his flustered son, “your mother and I have the right to know about our future daughter in law.”

Jungkook shook his head at his father’s words and gently brushes off his mother’s hands.

“That’s just it, I don’t know if she’ll even appear tonight, she doesn’t like the spotlight and she really doesn’t like the talk or marriage so soon,” Jungkook explains.

“Well, what did she expect? You’re going to be King, you need a Queen.”

“Please for the love of God stop saying that! I don’t need someone who fits the role of Queen, I need someone who fits me and is right for me.” He argues back to his mother. He runs a hand through his hair, leaving his parents in stunned silence.

They didn’t think their son had thought so deeply about someone to marry. He never really showed much interest in who his Queen would be. The King and Queen were expecting a swift arranged marriage being enough for their son, but now they see that they were wrong.

“So this woman,” The King speaks in a softer tone, “this mystery woman if she appears tonight what’s the goal?”

Jungkook shrugs, “I don’t know what the goal is...I just want to see her.”

“So the goal is just to see her?” The queen mirrors her son’s words.

Jungkook laughs awkwardly, “Yeah, see her, talk to her and get to know her better.”

There is a silence between the three before both parents share a look with each other. In a wordless exchange, the King and Queen come to an agreement. Both nod at the same time, taking their son by surprise.

“If the goal for tonight is just to see her then that’s it. We won’t push you on it, but if things are going well..try to at least let us say hello. We promise not to scare her off.” The King states bring a big smile to their son’s face.

“Great!” Jungkook chimes, his smile only staying on his lips for a brief moment.

The question is if she’s going to show up. Jungkook says goodbye to his parents before continuing down the hallway. He makes his way to his room, pushing open the wooden double doors. He shuffles to his bed, catching a glimpse of the suit picked out for him. It was something simple. A black thin fabric turtle neck with a black suit jacket, a thin silver chain, and a red pocket handkerchief. He throws himself on the bed, laying on his stomach with his eyes closed.

Though it seems that his whole mind is wrapped around Y/n, he also has to make sure to speak to the Kings and Queens from different nations. He remembers his father mentioning the important diplomats he needs to get familiar with. He groans and digs into the pocket of his jeans. The regular texts in the group chat with the guys. Yet. notification from Instagram.

He opens the app and goes to his direct messages. Y/n read it but did not reply. Jungkook closes his eyes in defeat, dropping his phone on the bed beside him.

“Please Y/n,” He whispers to himself, “Please be here tonight.”

He stays like that for some time, not moving and almost falling asleep till his phone pinged. Jungkook moved quickly, hoping to see Y/n’s name. It was the group chat instead.

From Jin: Good vibes and good luck for the ball tonight! See yall at 7!

Jungkook could only close his eyes and try to resume the half heart rest he was getting.

“Done!” Sunny shouted as she finished Y/n’s hair. Y/n stared at herself in the mirror, gawking at the person staring back at her. Her make up was done beautifully while her hair was pulled into an exquisite updo that looked like strands of hair were graciously laced together. Y/n’s make up was simple with a neutral eyeshadow look and a deep brown matte lipstick.

“Y/n, you look beautiful!” Sunny exclaims, “Jungkook is gonna lose it when he sees you! Ugh, he’ll probably ask you to be his Queen right there and then!”

Y/n rolls her eyes, but can’t rid the big smile on her lips.

“You think so?” Y/n nervously twiddles her fingers, not able to part her eyes from her reflection. She looks beautiful, but she’s thankful to Sunny. The person in the mirror isn’t unrecognizable. She still looks like herself.

“Absolutely. Now let's have you step into the dress.” Sunny scurried over to the large garment bag that was hung up in Y/n’s closet. The dress was beyond belief and the fact that Sunny was able to pull it together so quickly is even more amazing. Y/n stands up from her seat, dropping the silk robe she was wearing to reveal her undergarments. Sunny quickly takes the dress out, preparing it for Y/n.

Once ready, Y/n steps into the dress and Sunny helps her put it on, closing the buttons in the back. After managing to get her heels on, Sunny helps Y/n pack her clutch purse.

Sunny exhales, her lips spreading into a huge smile. She looks Y/n up and down, “You look amazing.”

Y/n looks down at the red sparkle ballgown that reaches the floor with a bit of a train. The off-shoulder straps and v neck that showed just enough cleavage seemed to not take too much away from her. Y/n was worried it would look more like the dress was wearing her.

But, she should have known that Sunny would get it right and that she did. The feeling of being dress up like this made everything feel more real. She was going to meet Jungkook.

She lets out a shaky breath, her eyes dashing to the clock. 7:02 PM.

“It’s good to be fashionably late.”

JUNGKOOK SMILED and waved as he and his family entered the ball, escorted by the claps of all the guests that were in attendance. His eyes scanned the big ballroom to the best of his abilities. His eyes settled on as many faces as he could, hoping to find Y/n’s beautiful eyes looking at him.

To his disappointment, those kind eyes were nowhere to be found. As he and his parents reached the bottom of the staircase, a microphone was handed to his father. Cameras flashed as media captured the moments. It was at that moment that Jungkook became aware of the flashing lights. His mind was so preoccupied with searching for Y/n, he almost forgot the eyes of the media on him.

He didn’t realize that as his eyes scanned the vicinity, the media watched expectantly hoping to catch the moment Jungkook locked onto his future Queen.

Noting her son’s look of disappointment, the Queen leaned over to whisper words of encouragement to her son, “I’m sure she’ll be here, son. The night has just begun.”

Jungkook shared a small smile with his mother before tunning into his father’s speech.

“...having all of you here is such an honor and we are thankful for coming to celebrate the Spring Gather with us. The ball is the celebration Spring ending and entering the 6th month of the year. We are halfway! Please enjoy the entertainment.”

The King ends quickly, prompting applause from the audience. The entertainment begins immediately. A world famous children’s choir is performing, their glorious harmonies and vocals filling the hall. Some people were watching while others danced and mingled.

Before Jungkook could make his way into the flood of people, his father stopped him.

“Remember son, smile.” That’s all he said before releasing his son. Jungkook slowly walks into the congregation of people, meeting familiar and new faces along the way. Stopped by the Prime Minister, Japan’s King and Prime Minister as well.

They no longer saw Jungkook as the small boy who hid behind his father. They were speaking to him on policies and how he plans to rule as King. Jungkook honestly felt overwhelmed at first, almost wanting to search for his dad in need of help.

Yet, as time went on, he found a way to relay his feelings and plans in his own way. Jungkook managed to escape the diplomats conveniently finding his group of friends.

“There he is,” Yoongi said as Jungkook approached them. The guys were all gathered around the table that held the food drinks. Jungkook wordlessly grabbed a glass of what seemed to actually be white wine. He took a small sip before turning his back to his friends.

“She hasn’t shown up huh?” Namjoon questioned. Jungkook shook his head, searching the crowd once more. The handsome Prince felt his hope slowly leaving him as he continued to search the room.

“Have you guys seen anyone arrive? Have you seen anyone walk down the stairs that you haven’t really seen before?” Jungkook questioned his friends.

“Nope,” Hoseok answered, “The media has been keeping their eyes peeled just as much as you have. She would have been bombarded with cameras and questions of who she was before you could even find her.” The Duke took a sip of his wine, his eyes also darting around the hall.

Jungkook took another sip of his wine, his eyes now focusing on the opera singer that was belting a lovely piece on the elevated stage across the hall.

“She could be running late?” Jin suggests, trying to ease Jungkook’s tension. Jungkook stands with the guys as they talk and watch the opera singer.

“I'm going to get air.” Jungkook suddenly says, setting his glass down and making his way through the people to get to the glass double doors that lead to the garden. The garden was decorated beautifully with lights and the warm summer air complimented the decor. Jungkook needed to catch his breath. The different smells of perfume as different Princesses and diplomat’s daughters approached him were starting to make his head spin.

It was only 8:26 PM and he already wants the night to end. He reached the doors, surveying the hall once more. Media already has their cameras pointed at him but he doesn’t pay them much mind, proceeding outside anyways. As he slowly strolls down the walkway line with beautiful rose shrubs, he comes to the big fountain in the middle of the garden. It was lit up, water streaming from the porcelain fish figurines at seated on the top of the structure.

The large circle base of the fountain was filled with water and as Jungkook approached closer he heard voices.

“Well, I think singing in your choir is probably a lot more fun than being a Princess. Princess’s actually have a lot of hard work.” A voice teased. Jungkook found himself slowly walking around the circle base of the fountain, to see the speaking person. He came to an interesting sight.

The children who previously performed gathered around a woman in a red gown. She sat on the rim of the fountain speaking to the children kindly. All Jungkook could see was her backside, but that all he needed. He swallowed as he felt his hair begin to pound in his ears. It felt like his whole body was pulsing as he took a shaky step closer.

“Oh, the Prince!” One of the little girls chimed, grabbing the attention of all the other children. She points Jungkook’s way and the sudden attention made him stop walking. Jungkook watched as the woman rose up from her spot, turning around with curious eyes.

Y/N FROZE WHEN she met Jungkook’s wide doe eyes. In that second, it felt like electricity was running through her system. All she could hear was the breeze blowing gently and her heart pumping blood.

Say something...say something! Y/n’s lips parted but it seemed like her voice was trapped in her lips.

“Sweetheart…” was all that left Jungkook’s lips. He sounded out of breath like he had the air knocked out of him.

“Is the prince here to see you?” One of the kids asked, snapping Y/n out of her trance. She presented a nervous smile, not sure how to reply to the girl’s question.

“If the prince is here to see you, then you are a real princess!” The girl squealed in excitement, drawing out a chuckle from Jungkook. Y/n’s gaze moved back to Jungkook as the kids slowly said their greetings. His focus was on the kids for a moment, leaving Y/n to take in his appearance.

She exhales, her chest rising and falling dramatically. There is no way he’s real. Such a beautiful and radiant man stood in front of her. She was stunned. The aura radiating off him is too strong. She wonders if that’s what was causing the tingles she felt when she first met him at the previous ball. She felt confident until now.

The air around him was on a different level in itself. He’s a prince. A Prince. He’s going to be a King. She felt herself growing intimidated again.

She remembers standing in the shadows, watching as he and his parents descended down the stairs. It felt like she was watching a movie. Watching from afar as he spoke with world leaders and diplomats.

He’s a natural. That simple man she was speaking to through Instagram is a big deal.

Second-guessing herself for a moment, she took staggering steps backward. The children were making their way back inside, giving Jungkook the chance to bring his attention back to Y/n. He looked up just in time to see her retreating back. He felt his heart drop a bit.

Before he could think, his body moved.

“Sweetheart, wait.” He calls out, jogging to keep up with her. He jogs in front of her, blocking her path. She nervously keeps her eyes on the floor, taking in a deep breath and catching Jungkook’s subtle cologne.

“Were you trying to run from me again?” He jokes, hoping to lighten the tense atmosphere. Y/n can’t help but giggle, managing to peak up at the shy smiling man in front of her. Once he’s caught her eyes, she can’t look away. There it is, that electricity again, Another shaky breath escapes her lips as he takes hold of both her hands.

“I feel like I had so much to say and now that you’re here...it’s all left me,” Jungkook speak honestly.

Y/n giggles, understanding his words. She looks down at her hands in his and wonders how such a simple gesture was able to erase her doubts. Why does this feel so natural? The longer he held her hands, the hotter her body felt.

“I think I’ll start by saying, thank you for coming. Also, I am sorry for the way I spoke to you at the mall. It was so rude and unfair to you.”

“I-it’s okay, I understand that it wasn’t anything personal...you had a lot of girls coming up to you. How were you supposed to know it was me?”

“Still, I want to apologize. I am sorry, I hope I am forgiven.” He raises an eyebrow and Y/n narrows her eyes at him. She slips her hands out of his to fake think.

“Mh, I’ll probably have to think about that and get back to you.” She teases.

“Your friend isn’t with you tonight?” Jungkook holds Y/n hand again, and starts guiding her on a walk in the garden.”

“Nope,” Y/n says, “And it’s really too bad...the drinks are actually alcohol this time.”

“I knew you’d like that! I was expecting sparkling cider again, but I got a big gulp of white wine.”

“Sparkling cider is no fun!”

They both strolled through the garden, chatting and cracking jokes like they’ve known each other for years. The stars twinkled beautifully in the sky but that wasn’t enough for Jungkook to take his eyes off Y/n. He felt his heart swelling up with happiness the more they spoke.

He could almost see the walls of worry breaking down as they spoke. Once she stepped out of her shy shell, her personality was shining through. Jungkook wasn’t sure what to call the soaring feeling that had overcome him when he was with her, but he knew that he didn’t want the night to end.

Y/N’s POV:

We walked around in silence for a few minutes. It was a comfortable silence, Jungkook’s hand wrapped gently around mine. My eyes wandered around a bit, taking in the lovely garden and twinkling stars in the night sky.

I could feel Jungkook’s eyes on my profile but I was too nervous to make eye contact, feeling chills go down my spine as I watched his eyes grow darker out of the corner of my eyes. His eyes stayed on the side of my face for a while, slowly trailing down to my neck and lingering on my chest for a few seconds before coming back up to my face.

“So, you’re going to become King soon,” I say a matter-of-fact, finally meeting his intense gaze.

He nods and speaks meekly, “Yes. I knew it would happen eventually, but it’s coming faster than I expected. I’m starting the necessary studies to take the crown.” He squeezes my hand as if to convey just how nervous he is.

“What type of king do you want to be?” I’m not totally sure why I brought this topic up. I was trying to distract myself from the heat that was growing throughout my body.

He sighs as if the question was one he was waiting for, “Rather than what kind of king do I want to be...what kind of king do you think this country needs?”

I was taken off guard, not expecting him to bring the question back around to me. I stopped walking, making Jungkook do the same. He turned his body to face me, one hand resting in the pocket of his pants while the other held my hand, his thumb drawing circles on the back of my hand.

“I think this country needs a king who wants to see the people reach their highest potential. Not only working to grow the country among others but working to also grow the people in the country. Programs for those who want to go to college but can’t afford it. Programs to grow the talents and interest of the younger kids. Working to those who are too old to work, yet have no money saved for retirement.” I paused, trying to read Jungkook’s expression.

He was listening and watching intently. His lips were turned up in a small smirk, but not in a teasing or belittling way. He was happy with what I was saying.

“I think this country needs a king that can work for a better future for his people. Someone who is passionate, caring and ready to work. I think you’re all those things, so don’t doubt yourself Jungkook. Lead with your heart also well as your mind and you’ll be fine.” I finish my short monologue, smiling up at him.

He let go of my hand and place his hand on the small of my back. He slowly brought me closer to him, staring down at me fondly.

My lips parted while my heart picked up the pace.

“You always seem to say the right things. What else do you have under your sleeve?” His voice falls to a soft whisper, his eyes flickering from my eyes to my lips.

“I don’t have anything under my sleeves, I’m just plain old Y/n who takes pictures. Plus my dress doesn’t have sleeves.” I giggle at my own remark, also making Jungkook giggle.

Before I could finish my small laughter, Jungkook brought me closer to him, our chests basically touching. It all happened so quick, him leaning close, my eyes fluttering closed and slight brushing of his lips on mine. As if he was testing the waters.

That slight touch was enough to run chills up my back cause me to tremble slightly. I didn’t have to open my eyes to know he was smirking at me. His lips met mine again. This time stronger. His lips were so warm, smooth and welcoming.

Our lips parted for a moment before resuming. He was kissing me like it was the only thing he knew how to do. Sometimes my lips capturing his, or his capturing mine. Both my hands slid up his chest, causing what sounded like a growl to escape his lips.

His other hand placed itself higher up on my back. He tilted his head a bit deepening the kiss. It was like we couldn’t get close enough, and though my legs were turning to jelly, I’ve never felt so secure in a person’s arms before.

I pulled back from his lips for a few seconds to catch my breath. Our foreheads touching, I opened my eyes to see his eyes still closed. I leaned up, kissing him again. Slow, and short kisses, followed with heavy breathing in between.

“Jungkook are you out her-- Oh! Oh, I am so sorry!” The voice said. I swiftly stepped back from Jungkook, turning my back to the new man in embarrassment.

“Jin Hyung, what’s up?” Jungkook said casually. I straighten my dress a bit planning to turn around the man Seokjin who I think is a Duke when my eyes settle on something. I focus till I recognize what seems to be a camera lens, about three of them,

It feels like my blood freezes over. Were we being watched the whole time? D-did they get pictures of us?

I am taken out of my internal panic by Jungkook’s voice.

“Y/n?” He calls me. I spin around to meet his curious eyes, “Everything okay?”

I nodded, “Yeah.” I turn to face the new man with a small smile. Jungkook’s hand rests on my waist like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

“Hi, I’m Y/n, it’s so lovely to meet you Duke Seokjin.” I bowed, earning a chuckle from both men.

“Please, there is no need to bow to me Y/n, and call me Jin. I’m just an older more handsome version of Jungkook.” He teased. Jungkook rolled his eyes at his hyung’s words.

“Hyung please!” Jungkook whined.

Jin shrugs looking my way for support, “I mean, did I lie?”

I opened my mouth to reply when Jungkook spoke, “We probably have to make our way inside,”

“Fair warning,” Jin begins, speaking to me more than Jungkook, “everyone already wants to know where the Prince has disappeared to….so when you walk in everyone’s attention is going to be on you Y/n.”

I take a deep breath and glanced at Jungkook who smiled encouragingly.

“So once you step into that room your face is gonna be known to the world so I’d take a moment to catch my breath.” Jin mumbles. Jungkook playfull hits his hyung earning a shocked look from Jin.

“What did you hit me for?!” Jin shouts.

“You’re not helping her nerves at all hyung! Why would you say something like that?” Jungkook urges.

“If you don’t want that attention, I could have someone sneak you out?”Jungkook offered.

“It’s fine, let’s go and get it over with,” I muttered walking ahead of the two men and towards the doors.

“She’s spunky.” Jin comments, “I like her.”

I stopped at the double doors, waiting for the two men to catch up.

“Let’s get this done with, I’m gonna have to get past the cameras to grab some wine,” I say throwing Jungkook a smirk. He wraps an arm around my waist and though I’m shaking in my boots right now, I won’t let him see that.

He opened one of the doors for me and I stepped back into the hall. It seems that everyone was watching another performance. Some of the media took glances at me and didn’t think anything of it till they saw Jungkook trailing in behind me while Jin followed. Once Jungkook took hold of my hand, the camera flashes were beyond belief.

However, it didn’t seem to bother him, I shielded my eyes from the lights, not really able to understand any of the questions being yelled at me. It wasn’t long before some tall and heavy set men placed themselves between the media and Jungkook and me.

“See, all you gotta do is ignore them,” Jungkook whispered in my ear, and then we proceed into the hall, all eyes on us as he led me towards the table that had all the drinks and food.

I tried to keep my breathing steady with all the eyes on me and tried not to see so eager to grab a glass of wine. My attention was on seeming unfazed that I didn’t notice the dukes watching me down this glass of wine with a new found fondness.

“Oh,” I said out loud, “I probably look like I have a drinking problem but I don’t I promise.” They all started laughing at my words.

Seokjin, Namjoon, Yoongi, Hoseok, Jimin, and Taehyung. Jungkook’s small and only group of friends. They were all very excited to meet me, not hesitating to tell me about Jungkook’s nervous moments.

Taehyung, in particular, was trying his best to calm my nerves and I am very thankful. None of them mentioned anything about me being Queen and I was glad. Though it seems that the word was being shouted at me by the media and reporters.

“I am not gonna tell them about the ice cream incident!” I hissed at Jungkook who couldn’t hold back his laughter.

Jimin’s eyes lit up, “No, no tell us!”

“Okay so she was--” Jungkook begin but I placed a hand over his mouth.

“Nope! Nope! Nope! We are not going there! You don’t see me airing out that time you had issues with oatmeal.”

“Oh man, Jungkook told you about that?” Namjoon chimed, “If your ice cream story tops that then we gotta hear it!”

“I’d rather jump from the balcony of this palace!” I exclaim removing my hand from Jungkook’s mouth.

“That’s a bit extreme,” Hoseok added, “Jungkook will just tell us the story later.”

I scoff, “Of course he will.” I playfully glare at him, only for him to scrunch his nose and smile.

I felt like I was already part of the friend group, giggling as the guys tried their best to embarrass Jungkook in front of me.

The night was slowly coming to an end and slowly music is playing as people pair up to slow dance. I exhale in relief, realizing that the night is almost over and it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

Though it seems that I relaxed way too soon.

“Y/n,” Jungkook whispered into my ear. His hand rested on my back and he leaned towards me, his lips right beside my ear.

“Yes?” I reply, turning my head to face him. The playful air changed suddenly. His lips centimeters from mine. I turn back around to look at the guys who were joking around once more.

“I’m so glad you came today, and I know I may have already pushed you out of your comfort zone...but can I ask one more thing of you?”

“Okay,” I agree, “I’ll cost you though.” I keep my eyes forward. “You’ll have to make up to me.”

I looked up at him once again, grinning slyly. It felt like we were in our own little bubble for that moment. Even the increasing camera flashes couldn’t break my attention.

I like him, a lot. Maybe too much and that’s okay. He’s right, I am way outside my comfort zone but since it’s with him...it’s okay. Maybe I can get through this, as long as it’s with him.

“Make it up to you? How should I do that?” He whispers eyes flickering to my lips.

“Wow, you two are like this already? Please get a room!” Yoongi wines. Jungkook turns to stick his tongue out at his hyung.

“Hush up Yoongi, I think it’s cute!” Hoseok scolded, “Please continue.”

Jimin’s brows furrow, “I just think Hoseok is a pervert!”

“If thinking new blooming love is cute and deserves room to grow means I am a pervert than okay!” Hoseok defends.

My cheeks heat up at the mention of love, but it Jungkook doesn’t even notice.

“Anyways,” He says loudly to shut down the bickering of his friends. He turns back to me with a soft look in his eyes.

He hesitates, biting his lips nervously, “My parents want to meet you. Just briefly. It’s nothing formal or official, they are just curious.” He nearly pleads, beaming at me with an uncertain smile.

I don’t answer right away, my mouth opens as if to speak. Meet his parents? At a public event like this? No matter if it’s a formal meeting or has anything to with possibly becoming Queen, the media will see it and label me as the Crowded Princess and future Queen.

“Sure, I’ll meet them.” I finally say. Honestly, it was worth it, seeing the huge smile on Jungkook’s face.

“Great! We’ll say our greetings to them then I can take you home? It’s been a long night.”

We walked through masses with the occasional hellos to Jungkook. I could just about see the King and Queen in sight and I spoke suddenly.

“You think they’ll like me?” I spoke in a small panic.

“They’ll love you Y/n, don’t worry.” He reassured me. We caught their attention as we approached. Actually, we caught everyone’s attention. The eyes of every single person were on Jungkook and I as we approached the King and Queen.

The Queen was smiling kindly at me, and it was clear that she was eager to speak to me.

“Hello son,” The King said to Jungkook. Jungkook got his height and stature from his father for sure, but he looked a lot more like his mother. The same sweet smile on her lips was copied onto Jungkook’s face.

“Mom, dad.” He greets them, slowly pushing me forward. I didn’t realize that I was practically hiding behind him.

“This is Y/n.”

I bow at a full ninety degrees, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” My voice was a little shaky, but I doubt it was noticeable. I stood up straight and was immediately pulled into a hug.

“It’s so nice to meet you Y/n!” The Queen almost sang. There was an audible gasp in the room. The Queen’s action wasn’t expected and I froze up in her arms.

She squeezed me tightly, “I wanted to meet the girl that has my son’s head in the clouds!”

She pulled back from the hug and smiled widely at me, “It’s so wonderful to meet you. Ugh, I really didn’t expect my son to find his Queen so quickly.”

If I was stiff before, I’m a plank of wood now.

“Mom!” Jungkook hissed, noticing my reaction. The Queen hopped back, covering mouth with her hand. At that moment, the older woman looked like a scolded child.

“I’m sorry,” She spoke in a hushed voice, “I wasn’t supposed to say that.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at her cute action, “It’s okay your highness.”

“Oh stop with the formalities! I’m Mrs. Jeon!” She chimes.

“It’s wonderful to meet you, Y/n. You’re a very beautiful young lady, my son has good taste.” The King said grinning widely.

I had the urge to bow again but didn’t get the chance as the Que-- Mrs. Jeon stopped me.

“Nevermind the bowing, tell me more about yourself.” She hooked her arms with mine and began strolling. I looked over at my shoulder at Jungkook who was trying to follow after us. His father stopped him, speaking with him as well.

Mrs. Jeon and I walked around a bit as I spoke to her about my work, my education and family background. I didn’t feel any judgment as I spoke with her and she often cracked jokes making me believe Jungkook’s goofiness is as a result of his free-spirited mother.

“I am so glad I was able to meet you tonight. I promised my son I wouldn’t come on too strong but I failed horribly. I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable. To non-royals, our dating and marrying process can seem rushed.”

“I was a bit thrown off, but it’s okay. I understand it’s all in the best interest of Jungkook.”

“I hope we’ll keep seeing you around Y/n.” The Queen’s voice was softer.

“You will,” I said, confirming her unspoken question.

I wasn’t with the Queen for much longer, Jungkook coming to snatch me away from his mother. We said our farewells, and though he apologized about his mother over and over again; I assured him that I enjoyed talking to her.

We departed quickly, saying goodbye to his group of friends and sneaking out without media catching us.

And the end of the nice brought us to the back of a fancy black SUV parked outside my apartment complex. Jungkook’s driver kept his attention forward as Jungkook turned to face me.

“I don’t want to let you leave..” Jungkook spoke softly.

“Really?” I said, finding myself scooting closer to him. His hand that was resting on my thigh moved its way to the small of my back.

“Kind of scared you’re going to disappear on me.”

I pouted at his words, “I won’t disappear on you. I gave you my phone number and you know where I live silly. You’ll totally see me again.”

I leaned forward to peck his lips. When I pulled away, his lips followed mine. He kissed me again, long, slow kisses.

I was the one to pull away, earning a small whine from him.

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” I said as I caught my breath.

He nodded eagerly and kissed me once more, “Yes, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

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vinylexams · 5 years ago

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Heavy Heavy Low Low - Courtside Seats to the Greatest Fuck of All Time⁠

⁠ @heavyheavylowlow38 #heavyheavylowlow #hhll #deathwish @deathwishinc⁠ ⁠ I’ve been lucky as hell recently to snag insider info on some killer reissues and this one is no exception. You all already know how much I love HHLL, especially Turtle Nipple…, and through serendipity I got connected with Robbie from the band a few months back. I got to hear about how they are coming back to life after some years focusing on other projects, growing up and growing out, and evolving as musicians and artists in the process. They’ve worked with Twelve Gauge Records to put Courtside Seats on vinyl for the very first time and after they announced it on their platforms and immediately sold it out, they’re pressing another batch that you and the HHLL lovers in your life can and should snag before that pressing sells out, too!⁠ ⁠ What’s even more exciting is that I got to pick Robbie’s brain in typical VE fashion and he’s indulged me with all sorts of info about what they’re up to, whether or not we can expect new music, and some feel-good stories about huffing air duster and ripping shit up in an old warehouse on the California coast. Here it is in its unedited glory, but first…head to the website to pre-order your copy and then head to Robbie’s Indiegogo campaign to learn more about his upcoming short firm that’s scored by Nick from Tera Melos! ⁠https://deathwishinc.com/products/heavy-heavy-low-low-courtside-seats https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/morning-deliveries-short-film#/

INTERVIEW

First and foremost, it’s been a minute since we’ve heard from Heavy Heavy Low Low and then out of nowhere you sprang back to life in 2019. What motivated you all to pick up this project again? I’m not sure what motivated it. We had always been trying to jumpstart the whole thing again for some time and I think that it might have been a case of everyone’s lives slowing down and examining that time with a weird reverence. I can only speak for myself. The boys are all in school or doing their own thing.

I imagine you’ve all been working on different projects since HHLL went on hiatus. Do you have anything that you or the rest of the band have worked on that you’d love us to know about? Danny has gotten pretty popular in the Kendama world. Chris is studying various forms of martial arts. Roo is endlessly going to school and currently scoring independent films. Chip is heavily involved in competitive fishing. I’ve been making short films when the situation and my wallet allow it. We’re all crazy excited about finally owning Courtside Seats on vinyl for the first time. Aside from bringing that album onto the vinyl medium, the pre-order page notes that there’s new artwork, too. What can we expect from that? When we made the CD we weren’t expecting to sell any really.. I did the art and Matthew printed them all at his job. Him and I folded every crease, glued the o-cards and vacuum sealed them all. I think it sold out almost completely at the record release show. We made the same amount of records as we did the original cd (500). The artwork for the original CD pressing was done on sketch paper without any comprehension of what could be done with drawn art and a scanner. Matthew was the computer wizard and back then, young and silly, it was all done on the cuff. The new art is a bit more modern and plays with mortality. Court-side Seats to The Greatest Fuck of All Time being a front seat view of a an ordinary, bumpy ride through life. I’m proud of it. What’s it like to bring back an album from the earliest parts of the band’s career? Do you still identify with the music? It is odd. It was a truly surreal time and place. We were out of our fucking minds. We recorded it in Mountain View, Ca in this giant warehouse that tapered into gutted office spaces. It was a weird white collar tomb on the outskirts of Silicon Valley right before the real tech boom. In the big part of the warehouse where we’d enter there were giant mounds of clothes meant to be donated to some third world country. We’d burrow tunnels in them and do huge dramatic flips from pike to pile. There was an aisle of outdated medical equipment waiting to be sent that we’d stalk through in the dark. It was a strangely magic place. Once you got through the warehouse you’d get to these office stations that had been fashioned into recording studios and that’s where we birthed this thing. We were so misguided. The amount of compressed air that we inhaled should have killed us. I contribute a significant drop in IQ to that shit. Smoking copious amounts of weed from gravity bongs. Recording with a hip hop producer, Deegan. Never a disagreement. It still feels like it was some strange purgatory of youth. I don’t miss it, but it was beautiful. Does this mean there’s hope of having Everything’s Watched, Everyone’s Watching on vinyl sometime, too? So, there was a guy who was very adamant about putting that record out on vinyl. We had a dialogue going for the better part of a year and apparently he had been in contact with Rhino Music and Warner, the two companies that hold the licensing to that album. He had received word that it’d cost an impressive amount of money, but he still wanted to shoulder it. Mind you, this dude didn’t have a label, he just wanted to put this thing out and apparently hadnt thought that all out. Time goes by, I’m waiting, not worrying one way or the other. One day I get a link from a friend, a Christian college website detailing that dude had been arrested for kidnapping and assault. Very sad situation. Dude seemed semi normal. Anyway, that was the last effort I’d seen put into that. I’d love to contribute new art to that release if any go-getter wants to try their luck. I’ve loved everything HHLL put out, but Turtle Nipple is in my top 10 list of favorite albums of all time. What was the writing the recording process for it like and how did the band feel about the new creative directions on it? EWEW was half previously recorded material re-recorded and half material written a year prior, kind of forced into a studio with producers we had no previous rapport with. Those producers/engineers were incredible human beings (RIP Tom Pfaffle! See you in the mindfog) but we were very young punk kids thrown into a foreign land where we had our agents visiting and there were platinum records on the wall and it was a total barrage of privilege and excess. It was beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t feel soul in that record. Turtle Nipple is a dense trip through time and the record I’m most proud of in our discography. I don’t remember how long we had to record it, I do remember that it was the only time we’d been given to experiment and layer our sensibilities in an environment that catered to them. Sam (Pura) was a perfect conduit to that vibe and time and space and it really came out just how it should have. I think about that album as a 70s exploitation directors filmography.. it veers violently from genre to genre and while most of the stories are fiction and far from personal testimony, theirs a peek into some shared insanity contained throughout. George Cosmatos wandering through a punk club on an edible. I think that that album is our bands true personality. Sam is a member of our band whether he’s playing with us or engineering for us. He gets us. I love the idea of an alternate reality where we had lasted a bit longer and did an album with Steve Albini. He’d probably hate us, but I love those ‘What If?’ Scenarios. I’ll ask the question EVERYONE has been asking so it’s on the record somewhere: Does this mean we can expect new material or a new album soon? Maybe even a tour? We have a new EP in the works. We have some of it recorded with Sam. We’ve posted a couple clips on Instagram. We’re incredibly busy and spread out in our personal lives. Chip in TX, Dan in FL, Roo in OR, Rob and Chris in CA. Adulthood is a bitter, pulpy drink! We are going to be playing again. We won’t be leaving the West Coast. We had our fill of middle America and the travel involved. We have talked to some of our buds from our early days of touring about playing alongside (opening for) them for a limited run in 2020. I think that qualifies as a tour. Also, if anyone wants to fly us to Europe to play a festival in 2020, we’d like that. It’ll be an interesting year. How does it feel to be welcomed back by so many adoring fans who still love your music and are hoping for more after a long hiatus? It’s incredibly humbling. I have heard from people throughout the years about how we had affected them and it was always just strange to me. I’m pretty self deprecating, so I just don’t understand how some shit I wrote could mean much to anyone. My mind is just a shotgun blast of panic. I guess all of ours are? I love my band mates and their talents, though. So I understand the sorta sirens draw to the greater extent. I think they only got to show themselves slightly, too. Weird existence. Give us a piece of band trivia you’ve never shared in an interview before! Gees. There is a step-in part to most 15 passenger vans. It is a black, hard plastic. It meets with where you close the sliding door. When we had no bottles to pee in, we would just piss in ‘the step’. This thing was a den of germicidal activity. Trash and piss I don’t think we ever truly cleaned that thing. What’s odd is that we so rarely got ill on tour. The Step kept us healthy on a steady diet of trash and piss and general scum. Finally, this isn’t a question but the hidden track on Turtle Nipple is a fucking masterpiece and I wanted you to know. Thank you! I think that may have been my idea to add some weird 70s funk into an old track of ours. I think it turned out cool, but I think it betrays our vibe on that album! I wish it’d have devolved into some weird, primitive Altered States shit.

#heavyheavylowlow #hhll #deathwish #vinylrecords #vinylcollectionpost #metal #nowplaying #vinyls #recordcollector #vinyladdict #vinyligclub #vinylcollective #vinylexams

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joyandmeliawrites-blog · 6 years ago

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The Bible Class and Ninja Turtles

My heart dropped to the bottom of my soles as I dropped Elijah off at my woman bible study’s child care. The neon lights at the ceiling pierced through my eyes, giving us a cold vibe…while all we need was warmth. The loud laughter of the other kids eager to learn only maximized my son’s struggle. The whole scene gave us a sinking feeling that everyone was doing alright but us. He was sobbing, tears welled up in his eyes. “But when are you going to pick me up? I am really scared” his words faint and jittery. I kneeled down, cupping his face in my hands. “Elijah, look at me. I will always go back to get you. You see that clock on the wall? When the short hand reach 11, that’s when I will be done with my class and I will pick you up. You are here with great teachers. I will be right back” With that, I gave him a quick kiss, hugged him tight, and gave the volunteer teacher one last empathetic look before I walked out the door. “Good luck!” I sent a signal through my eyes. She really needed that, I thought. She obviously looked nervous the minute Elijah walked in her classroom. “It’s THAT kid again”, she must have thought.

2 hours have passed. 2 hours of MY time, MY study, MY need. We were learning about David’s last days, how passionate he was to his God up until his last breath, despite his sin and never-ending struggles. I NEEDED this study, I thought to myself, trying to justify the fact that Elijah might be crying his eyes out in the other room right this second. I felt selfish, uneasy, but I still tried to focus. It has been my long-term DREAM to share the gospel effectively and I needed to be equipped. Back in 2003, God gave me this clear vision of a huge crowd, a stage, people in darkness, HIS WORDS, and the words apparently coming right out from my mouth. I didn’t believe in that vision for the longest time (uhm, hello low self-esteem), until one day pastor gave me a chance to speak in our church revival service back in 2011. I think that day I might have found my life calling. I was scared as hell, but once I was up there, I fell in love with the crowd, the stage, the thrill, the excitement, the healing, His words…His people. The altar calls. I wanted to support that dream by going to bible school, but there is NO WAY we can afford it right now. So a FREE woman bible study every Thursday in a local church 15 minutes from my house seems like a legit solution for now…. or so it seems.

I went out of my session feeling soo refreshed and equipped. But not for long. My heart sank again when I saw Elijah sitting on the Children Director’s lap, IN THE HALLWAY, still sobbing profusely. Did he really cry non-stop for the past 2 hours? Talking about grit! The strict children’s director started to give me all these negative reports in front of my son. The words “disobedient”, “defiant”, “disruptive to the whole class flow” were used repeatedly. My son was still crying his eyes out, I have never seen his spirit so crushed… so defeated. He looked at me as if he was saying “I’m so sorry I failed again today”. I kneeled down and said to him, “Elijah, I see you’re struggling, it’s okay. I will help you, we will try again next week”. Mrs. Jenny, the director, then said to me “I don’t know what else we’re going to do with him, Joy, we tried everything”. With a polite smile, I said to her, “Well, he seems to be struggling still, how about we keep helping him? Isn’t it all that we learn around here, Mrs. Jenny?”

With that we said thank you, and we left.

The most discouraging thing about this drama is that it has been going on in the past 4 months! The same scene happened EVERY SINGLE WEEK since December when I started the bible class; the crying, the tantrums, the melt downs. I tried everything on my end too; disciplining, encouraging, preparing, bribing, threatening (desperate measures, don’t follow my footsteps). Nothing works. Thursdays are becoming one of my most stressful day of the week! So that day, after the same incident happened again, I just chose to bring him to our favorite ice cream place. I might be tired, or sleepy, or I just didn’t have the energy to deal with it that day…so I just spent time with him, stress-eating ice cream, and he was back to his sweet loving self again. By now, I started to revisit my decision to force him to go to bible class every Thursday. Don’t get me wrong, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE LOVE LOVE the class, but I definitely need to seek wisdom from God again about this whole Elijah situation. He was probably just not ready. I might be doing a good thing by going to a bible study, but not every good thing is urgent…and not every good thing is God’s will.

That night, as I put him to sleep, I laid besides him and hugged him tight. He talked about his favorite characters of Ninja turtles and how he loved his ice cream time with me today. As I watched him falling asleep, I studied his face…his features….his tiny ears who failed to listen today. My heart was overwhelmed with love. Gosh, he is SUCH a perfect gift for me, failures and all. I wondered if this is what our Father feels towards us every time He sees us struggle and fail. As I whisper a silent prayer for him, God gently put these words in my heart.

“Joy, whatever you did for the least of these…. you also did it for me” (Matthew 25:40 NIV)

The least of these.

The struggling one.

The failing one.

The littlest one.

The weakest one.

The defiant one…as what Mrs. Jenny said.

Tears fell down my face….and suddenly my all stresses were gone, my heart at peace. God can raise anyone to become the preacher of His words. My ministry will ALWAYS be there, but Elijah only has one mother. He will be four only once….and for now, he still needs his mommy.

The least of these. The words resonated so clearly in my heart. God was asking me that night. “Will you stay home with him for a bit longer? There will come a day when he’s going to be out of the house most of the day, and you can pursue your dream as much as your heart pleases. But for now, will you stay, serve, and train him…just for a bit longer?”

The answer was clear.

So today, we stayed home. (Hey, it’s Thursday!)

Instead of learning about David’s battles strategies, we drew Ninja Turtles battling Shredder in his drawing book.

Instead of crowds in my mind, I picked up cookie crumbles for a millionth time during these 11 years of staying home with them.

I made him soup and he tried to make me coffee.

I taught him to read and write. I lingered at these moments a bit longer this morning, without having to rush to our classes. I enjoyed how he is a leftie, and how he wrote his little i’s with HUGE dots like lollipops standing next to each other. I loved how he can’t pronounce his R’s correctly. He still says things like wainbow or ninja tewtews.

The least of these.

My peaceful Thursdays are back.

Lastly, as I read my devotional this morning, I got my confirmation.

My fave author Lysa Terkeurst was writing about seasons. One day she was travelling and visited a friend in another town. On their drive home from the airport, she noticed that the city has been hit by an early snow in the middle of fall. What caught her attention wasn’t the 20 inches snow on the ground, but the broken trees and the branches that piled up on the streets. Because it was still fall, the leaves hadn’t dropped, and the trees couldn’t carry the extra weight. So they broke. Lysa then wrote that this is what happens when snow comes early. The trees weren’t designed to face snow before releasing their leaves. They weren’t supposed to carry more weight than they should. They weren’t made to carry two seasons at the same time.... and neither are we.

“A tree can’t embrace winter unless she lets go of fall. Like a tree, a woman can’t carry the weight of two seasons simultaneously. In the violent struggle of trying, she will miss every bit of joy each season promises to bring and in the process, she will break. So, we must release. Release brings with it a gift of peace. There are some opportunities that we need to decline today, some things we need to say no to, good things in the past that we need to let go, things in the future that just need to wait... so we can focus on the BEST THINGS that we have today! Then and only then, can our beautiful bare winter branches receive it’s snow.”

So for now, I’m going to embrace my ninja turtles and cookie crumbles season…. until my season of crowds, stage, and altar calls come in the future.

For now, I gladly welcome my peaceful Thursdays back while slowly sipping my coffee.

Joy.

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wineanddinosaur · 4 years ago

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The 28 Best White Wines for 2021

For years, the most popular white wine grape on the planet has been Chardonnay. Winemakers love this French grape because of its ability to grow anywhere, as well as its malleability in the winery. We have become used to a certain style of Chardonnay in the U.S: deep, golden-hued wine with dollops of vanilla and butter and often a smack of sweetness from its high alcohol content. But we have evolved. We still dig deep and big Chardonnay, but winemakers across the major wine regions in the U.S. and abroad are showing that there’s more to this grape than wood and butter.

All of this is to say that, in my fourth year as VinePair’s tastings director, I have seen how diverse wines from this grape can be. It’s a grape consumers and wine pros alike should be paying attention to in 2021, which is why I’ve included a lot of Chardonnays on this list.

That said, there is so much awesome white wine that I want to share with you — some made with grapes you know and love, and others you may never have heard of. The bottles on this list are wines that I sip and immediately want to share, teach about, and watch wine lovers get excited over. I’m hoping this list will do that work.

These are the wines I feel we should celebrate this year. White wines from Austria and Oregon made from the same grape with different expressions. Blends from the Rhône that shine, and aromatic Italian island varieties thriving in the Central Coast. For me, wine is all about exploration. I want to try it all, at any and every price point. As I stated in my red wines roundup, wine is for everyone. Whether the white wine is $14 or $84, there is always a new white wine to experience, or a new style of something you love.

Enjoy this list, and know that this is just the beginning. These wines will start you off, but if you like what you see and taste, explore more in the region and style of that wine to see how diverse white wine can be.

Under $15

Boekenhoutskloof The Wolftrap White 2019 ($10)

South African wine is so innovative. The region is full of exciting blends and unique styles of varietal wines. From the most affordable to the most age-worthy, there is so much to explore. This wine is a great start. The blend is wild, but it works. For the price, it’s a nice, earthy wine and smells like almond granola, pears, and honey, with calm acidity. Keep an eye out for more awesome things from this country.

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Saget La Petite Perrière Sauvignon Blanc 2019 ($11)

This is a great option if you like the steely angles of wines from Sancerre. You get wafts of white pepper and pears, with bracing acidity. The fruit is ripe, the mouthfeel is bone dry, and it’s affordable enough to buy a few bottles for a picnic. Make sure you bring some goat cheese.

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Loveblock Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2019 ($13)

Wines from this region all have very similar aroma profiles: bell pepper and sweet cut grass aromas, with gassy acidity. The style is pretty consistent. This bottle has all of that, but in the right places. The bell pepper is muted a bit by a nice saline quality. Instead of being overly sweet, it’s fruit-forward, allowing the lively acidity to hold everything in place. It’s a kiwi Savvy B to seek out.

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Line 39 Chardonnay 2018 ($10)

Party time! This wine smells like mangoes and pineapples, and the acidity winds through the wine like a good time. It’s under screw cap and ready to get down. What I’m saying is that there are a lot of cheap bottles of Cali Chard out there. This one is a solid grab and go.

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Cavit Pinot Grigio delle Venezie IGT 2019 ($8)

This is the best deal on the shelf if you’re staring at a bunch of Pinot Grigio. You may know this wine already. It’s everywhere. But I feel I just need to reinforce the workhorse nature of this bottle. It’s crisp and refreshing. The fruit is balanced with the acidity. It’s a straight-up legit, solid, everyday white wine that will please all the palates.

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Famille Perrin Luberon ‘La Vieille Ferme’ Blanc 2018 ($8)

Citrusy and thirst quenching, round and juicy, this is a great wine for well under $10. This winemaker has a knack for making balanced wines at a very low price, and this is one of them. It’s solid, and a great grab and go. Feels like a case buy.

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Château Chatelier Bordeaux Blanc ($12)

There are some places in Bordeaux that make wine white fetching well-deserved high prices. But there are a lot of exciting options from this region that are well below $20 and are delicious for everyday drinking. Bordeaux is often blended with Semillon for a smack of sweetness and Sauvignon Blanc for a shot of acidity. The result is something like this great bottle. Salty and bright with grippy fruit, it’s sure to be a crowd pleaser.

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Decoy Chardonnay ($14)

This is another great cheap bottle of Chardonnay. It’s tart and smells like bananas and vanilla. It’s not very oaky, but it does have wooded vibes and good depth for the price.

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Herdade do Esporao Reserva Branco ($13)

Some of the most solid, affordable, and balanced white wines on our market are from Portugal. So when you see one, grab it. This wine is bright and balanced, with fun, fizzy acidity. The palate is round, refreshing, and will raise an eyebrow or two.

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Jadix Picpoul de Pinet 2019 ($13)

In the town of Pinet, locals nosh on piles of sea urchins and bivalves fresh out of the salty Mediterranean — washing it all down with their local, cleansing and refreshing Picpoul de Pinet. This bottle — crisp and vibrant with mildly tart fruit — will take you there.

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$15-$30

Anne Amie Vineyards Pinot Gris 2019 ($19)

Last year, VinePair had the chance to taste a lot of wines from Oregon and discovered that the state has so much more to offer than just Pinot Noir. White wine grapes like Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, and Pinot Gris are also thriving there. If the latter varietal interests you, this bottle is a great starting point. It has nice, broad depth with good acidity to hold up the slight weight.

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Treleaven Reserve Chardonnay 2019 ($20)

New York, stand up! The Finger Lakes has become a national focus for wines made from Riesling. And man, are they great. But Riesling’s lean balance shows in other white wines from this ancient glacial land, such as this Chardonnay. This style is soft and creamy, with moderate acidity balancing a slight grip on the palate.

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Gundlach-Bundschu Estate Vineyard Gewürztraminer 2019 ($21)

If you have never tried wine from this grape, then this is a great start. Gewürztraminer is a very expressive wine and can overwhelm the senses if even slightly out of balance. This bottle is harmonized in every layer. It smells like honey flecked with white pepper and has deep fruit balanced by frothy, vibrant acidity. You could sip this with some pad Thai or spicy wings, or you could just sit and enjoy it alone. It’s that balanced.

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Jefferson Vineyards Viognier 2019 ($30)

Virginia is one of America’s most exciting up-and-coming wine regions. Thomas Jefferson would be proud. Speaking of TJ, this wine comes from land he once owned. The Viongier grape is quickly finding its spiritual home here and showing some true balance. This one smells like orange blossoms and honey. It has good depth and moderate acidity and a nice medium weight on the palate.

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Selbach-Oster Riesling Kabinett 2018 ($23)

This is a great Riesling for people who are not sure they like Riesling. It’s lush and alive with bracing acidity and a subtly sweet vibe. It’s very balanced and easy-drinking. Instead of the normal spicy food pairing recommendation, I’m going to say the subtlety here is real, so a legit cheese selection or a berry tart is the way to go.

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Inama Vin Soave Classico DOC 2019 ($15)

The wines of the Soave are so satisfying. If you like Pinot Grigio but need just a little more weight, these wines — plus a Caprese salad — are a whole afternoon. This bottle is one of the best on the market and will show how this region rolls; a shy depth on the fruit with a welcoming broad palate.

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Mullineux ‘Kloof Street’ Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2019 ($17)

Here’s another reason to focus on South African wine. This is such a classic yet unique representation of Chenin Blanc. It’s deep, filling your brain with salted honey. Vibrant acidity comes in fast like a sun beam livening things up. It’s that brightness that makes this usually weighty white stand out. If you like Chardonnay, give this wine a try.

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Alpha Estate Single Vineyard ‘Turtles’ Malagouzia ($19)

It takes a minute to sound out Mah-la-goo-zee-ah, but you’ll fall in love with the wine before you learn how to pronounce it. There is a whole world to explore in Greek white wine, as they have unique aromas and structures not seen in other wine regions. This wine smells like honey with a whiff of aloe. It has a wispy refreshment kind of mouthfeel, and you’ll find yourself grabbing a bunch of bottles of this for a summer day.

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Tablas Creek Vineyard Vermentino 2019 ($28)

Beyond the many styles of Chardonnay, there and so many white wines to explore in California. Vines from all over the world are thriving in the Golden State’s soils, thanks to winemakers’ skilled hands. This very Italian grape is making itself home in Paso Robles. This wine is like walking past a honeysuckle bush while eating a juicy pear. It has a crack of crispness on the palate and will make you forget your love for Pinot Grigio — if only for a second.

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Ridgecrest Estate Grüner Veltliner 2019 ($24)

I’m telling you: Oregon is coming for you with great white wines. The state is almost becoming Grüner Veltliner’s new home. This wine is all creamy lemons and apples. It has a nice slight depth with a bit of a grip. What a great addition to the already impressive diversity of American wine.

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$50 Plus

Dutton-Goldfield Rued Vineyard Chardonnay 2018 ($55)

The Russian River alone produces a wide variety of Chardonnay styles, but what I find interesting about this one is that it has direct connections to the grape’s home in Burgundy while being uniquely American. This wine is laser-sharp, yet grippy and deep. There is a subtle hint of oak, and enough acidity to balance everything out. It represents the elegance that only California sun can give Chardonnay.

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Hyde de Villaine Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay ($76)

Carneros, one of the cooler subregions of Napa, has the right moderate macroclimate for stunning Chardonnay. Please be sitting down when you first sip this golden wonder. It’s so balanced, it’s maddening — with whiffs of fancy French butter and hints of caramel that are harmonized by wiry acidity winding through the wine like a whisper. Sharing this bottle will be an exercise in patience.

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Jermann ‘Were Dreams’ Venezia Giulia IGT 2017 ($63)

If you listen to VinePair’s “Wine 101” podcast, you know how much I love Friulian wine. While there are many absolutely wonderful white wines from grapes like Ribolla Gialla and Friulano, this region is also known for excellent wines made from French varieties (some of the best Merlot in the world, in my humble opinion). If a Chardonnay could be soulful, this is what it would feel like. It smells deep and nutty, like almonds and honey. There is a lean channel of acidity running through the wine and letting the depth sink into your palate. What a great wine.

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Domaine Matrot Meursault Les Chevalières 2018 ($71)

With all the Chardonnay being made around the world, we can never forget its true home, Burgundy. And specifically, the chaotic soils of the Côte de Beaune, where this grape emanates it’s inherent characteristics like nowhere else. This wine is bone dry, with a layered creamy depth on the palate. The acidity is nervy and keeps depth and brightness in their corners, holding everything in place. The mouthfeel of this wine will make you stop for a second and think.

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Raul Perez Ultreia ‘La Claudina’ Godello ($71)

Godello deserves your attention. It was once almost extinct. Then, it was brought back to life as a focused, low-yielding Spanish grape, making refreshing and concentrated white wines that sing with cured meats and fancy cheeses. This bottle has a slight grip that contrasts the rich, deep fruit. But that depth is lifted by just enough acidity that brings in aromas of caramelized pears and honey.

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Domaine Huet Vouvray ‘Clos du Bourg’ Première Trie Moelleux ($77)

South Africa is killing it with Chenin Blanc, but like Burgundy, we can’t forget this grape’s original home in the Loire Valley of France. I feel that sometimes, wines from Vouvray can be a bit confusing. This bottle is a good starting point. It has good depth and grip, with moderate acidity balancing the sweet weight and wafting up aromas of honeyed fruit. Pairing this wine with goat cheese is a dream.

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Weingut Hirsch Lamm Gruüer Veltliner ($58)

Gruner Veltliner is not only doing well in Oregon. It’s also pumping out liters and liters of delicious, everyday wine from its home, Austria. You may miss them, as they come in the form of Alsatian bottles — tall Riesling-like bottles with screw caps. But they are here, and they are awesome — sometimes aging up to 15 years and drinking well all the way through. Tart fruit balanced by fizzy acidity with a depth of fruit, this wine will lift in the palate like a spritz.

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Domaine Monier Perreol Saint-Joseph Blanc ($50)

The grapes Roussanne (Rue-san) and Marsanne (Mar-san) from the Rhône region of France are a match made in heaven. Roussanne’s deeply aromatic, sometimes oxidized nature is naturally complemented by Marsanne’s lean verve. These wines are so deep, wide, expressive, and satisfying that you’ve got to give them a chance if you haven’t already. This bottle shows all of this — smelling like flowers and honey, with moderate acidity allowing just enough weight to rest on the palate.

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The article The 28 Best White Wines for 2021 appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/buy-this-booze/best-white-wines-2021/

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campfiresandsandcastles · 6 years ago

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A Travel Guide for the Triangle Tour of East Texas: Dallas, Waco, Austin, Houston, and Fort Worth

We recently visited east Texas and travelled to 5 cities in 8 days. Our trip took us to Dallas, Waco, Austin, Houston, and Fort Worth, essentially making a large triangle on the map of Texas. Here I recount our whirlwind tour and provide some helpful hints for your future travels to these major cities of Texas.

Itinerary

Day One - Dallas

Day Two - Dallas

Day Three - Waco

Day Four - Austin

Day Five - The Woodlands, Houston

Day Six - Fort Worth

Day Seven - Forth Worth

Day One - Dallas

Arriving late the first day we spent the night near the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport at Dallas Marriott Las Colinas in Irving, Texas. The hotel had a perfect location given it was so close to the airport, but it was also across the street from the Toyota Music Factory, which provided lots of options for eating establishments, especially dinner. Plus, we came across the first of many larger-than-life bronze statues of western scenes that we soon learned are common across Texas. A square near the hotel had these beautiful stallions traversing a fountain. The area was under renovation when we visited, but the statues were still so majestic to see.

Meander Among 90,000 Pumpkins

We rented a car for our entire trip since we had a lot of driving ahead of us, and we spent the first full day in Dallas. The amount of attractions that Dallas has to offer is impressive. We spent the day at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, and since we visited in autumn, they had their Halloween and Thanksgiving display of over 90,000 pumpkins. The arboretum is beautiful and huge, spanning 66 acres. It is a popular spot to take wedding and quinceañera photos.

Plus, we paid to enter the children’s area named The Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden. I recommend visiting this section of the park, it has tons of environmental and science interactive displays including water cannons, a life-size tree to climb, and a maze.

The food options in this area are a bit slim, there’s a food spot advertised but it’s really only vending machines with tables for picnicking. Your best bet if you plan on staying in this section for any length of time with the kiddos is to bring a lunch. The main body of the arboretum has a stand to buy a quick lunch, plus a higher-end restaurant with linen tablecloths (it didn’t really look like a great place for young kids). We also saw a kiosk which looked like it served some yummy grilled cheese near the main entrance too.

Entrance to the arboretum was $15 for adults and $10 for children, plus an extra $3 for the children’s park.

We rounded out our first day with some very Americana activities including a trip to the arcade Dave and Buster’s, a visit to Half Price Books bookstore, and dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. The bookstore was so cool. It was huge and sold both used and new books. Plus, it had a large display of vinyl records, which just added to its retro vibe.

One observation I had about Dallas is that Dallasites (i.e., people from Dallas) do not stay home on Sundays, instead they go into the city. Every place we went to was packed with people. Strangely, the roads were not congested, but every place we visited – the arboretum, arcade, bookstore, and restaurant – was completely full of people. You go, Dallasites, way to take advantage of all your city has to offer!

We spent the night closer to the city of Dallas at Towneplace Suites Dallas Mesquite to be able to take full-advantage of time. This hotel was really lovely, but it ended up not being as close to downtown Dallas as we originally thought. But, we did get to park our rental car in the parking lot for free, which is difficult to find when you stay in the city of Dallas itself.

Day Two - Dallas

Feel Small Among Giants

As I said earlier, Dallas has a lot of attractions. We spent the second day in the Perot Museum of Nature and Science ($20 admission for adult, $13 for child). Such a cool place. First, the building itself is remarkable. It somewhat looks like the side of a limestone slab or cliff with cavities of blue glass in it which serves as an escalator. You actually start at the top level of the building and work your way down through the exhibits.

Plus, it’s full of these amazing life-size displays of dinosaur skeletons. You feel so minuscule standing under the skeleton of a brontosaurus-type dinosaur or realizing just how huge prehistoric turtles actually were. Plus, for fun, they periodically turn off the lights and project colored lights across the dinosaur bones creating a disco-type atmosphere.

Also, there are a number of just plain clever displays. One of our favorites was an interactive topographic map. It was a box of sand that showed the topography, by color, as you moved and piled the sand.

My son’s favorite display was a screen where you danced or moved around and dinosaur avatars mimicked your movement, so you can make breakdancing dinosaurs!

There was an additional temporary dinosaur exhibit at the museum that cost extra to attend ($10 for adult, $8 for child). However, we did not feel that the additional exhibit was any more spectacular than just their normal dinosaur display, and it wasn’t worth the additional cost. Also, the museum has a cafeteria, but unfortunately the food was not good. My husband’s hamburger, for example, was a shrunken charcoaled piece of meat, and it was overpriced, so I would not recommend eating at the museum.

Stand Among a Historic Must See

It seemed that it would have been a travesty if we visited downtown Dallas without stopping at Dealey Plaza, the site of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963. It was such an impactful experience to actually stand on the grassy knoll and on the whited painted “X” on the street which indicates where the motorcade was positioned when the bullet killed the former president. Places we’ve only seen in grainy films from that day or television specials since then became hauntingly real. We simply walked around the historic area and read the various plaques and displays, but there is also a Sixth Floor Museum of the Texas School Book Depository and gift shop. Plus, there are plenty of willing tour guides and conspiracy theorists around this area if you want to “learn” even more.

Before we left Dallas for the night, we stopped at Pioneer Plaza to climb among the famous life-size bronze sculptures of 50 long-horned steers located at the corner of Young and Griffin Streets. Interestingly, if you climb up to the top of the hill that the steers are navigating down, there is a historic pioneer graveyard located there.

I was simply surprised to learn all of the attractions that the city of Dallas had to offer. Our two days there did not even scratch the surface of the various venues we would have liked to have visited. So, here’s a list of additional attractions that may be of interest to you, and be sure to let me know about your experience when you visit any of them:

Texas Theatre in the Oak Cliff neighborhood where Lee Harvey Oswald was found and arrested

Dallas World Aquarium

Galleria – Shopping mall with an ice rink in the center

NorthPark Center – High-end shopping mall, with notable sculptures.

Dallas Heritage Village at Old City Park

Texas Discovery Gardens – Ten themed gardens and they release butterflies at noon.

Fountain Place – 5th largest building in Dallas and home to Ewing Oil in the TV show “Dallas” with 172 fountains. Located at 1445 Ross Ave.

Dallas Museum of Art – Eclectic display. Free to enter. Plus, Klyde Warren Park located across the street has food trucks.

This night we spent the night in Waco at Waco South Towneplace Suites to be ready for our next day in this famous Fixer Upper town. Just a short walk from the hotel was Saltgrass Steak House, which provided a hearty Texas meal with plenty of red meat and the most delicious pumpkin cheesecake.

Day Three - Waco

Waco, the city made famous by just two events, the Branch Davidian raid with David Koresh in the early 90s, and the more recent hit HGTV show Fixer Upper which reveals the life of the sweet Christian family of Chip and Joanna Gaines as they flip houses from outdated 70’s-style ranches to shiplap laden gorgeousness. Just to note, we visited because of the latter, not the former.

In preparation for visiting this city, I even listened to the audio version of Chip Gaines’ then-recently published book “Capital Gaines” during the flight. It provides good insight into how this couple turned a small, home decoration store and construction business into the major enterprise it is today, while sharing some honest truths about running a small business. Surprisingly though, for all of Chip’s charisma and antics on the show, his voice was pretty monotone on the audio book and I have to admit did lull me to sleep a few times.

Come Hungry and Eat Well

We started our morning of the third day eating breakfast at the diner that Chip and Joanna Gaines recently opened named Magnolia Table where they serve Texas-size portions of French Toast, pancakes, eggs, and housemade tater tots. The employees at the restaurant are plentiful and beyond friendly. We were even greeted in the parking lot by an employee stationed there just to say hello to everyone who got out of their car. The diner also has a gift shop and an outdoor café where you can order coffee and such while you wait to be called for your table. Be prepared though, this places is popular, and for that reason they have a well-oiled machine of Disneyland-esque employees that politely redirect you if you attempt to (heaven forbid) try to walk into the restaurant. Thou shall not peak behind the curtain until your name is on the waiting list and you’re called inside to be seated. No looky-loos.

Visit a Paleontological Dig

With our bellies full, we journeyed to the north side of town to see a very cool place, the Waco Mammoth National Monument. For a nominal entrance fee of $5 for adults and $4 for children, you take a guided tour down a short path to this active paleontological site where they have discovered the nation’s only recorded discovery of a nursery herd of Columbian mammoths. This place was well worth the stop. You can actually peer down on real dinosaur bones that are still encased in the ground. Our guide was so knowledgeable and entertaining, it was such a pleasant and educational experience. I highly, highly recommend it.

The Real Reason for Staying in Waco

We then visited the Mecca of Waco, Texas, that is Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Market at the Silos. The property consists of a bakery, a home goods store, a garden center, a grassy area for romping around and playing lawn games, and a slew of food trucks. We stood in the line for the bakery that wrapped around the corner for their famous cupcakes, ate lunch from the food trucks, and wandered through the store picking up small items that would fit in our suitcase. The Market has free parking that is connected to the property off of 8th Street plus there is street parking, so feel free to skip the lots that offer parking for a mere $10. And like any good Christian store, the Market is closed on Sundays. They also have a discount store called the Warehouse Shop located on Bosque Blvd.

There are three other attractions in Waco that we did not visit but are worth mentioning. Again, if you check these, please let me know what you find:

Dr. Pepper Museum – I mean, why not?!

Harp Design Co. shop – The carpentry and now home good store made famous by Joanna Gaines’ devotion to the work of Clint Harp in Fixer Upper.

Baylor University

Overall, I was surprised that the city of Waco did not take more advantage of the fame that Fixer Upper brought to their city. The Market brings tens of thousands of people to Waco every day, but the city doesn’t seem to have capitalized on these visitors. The areas around both Magnolia Table and the Silos appear to be exactly the same as they were before the attractions existed. The shops and businesses are few and mostly look older and a bit rundown. There are no attractions in these areas of the city other than these two establishments. I guess I just expected the area to be bustling with boutique shops and restaurants, but none were to be found.

We finished the day by traveling to Austin to spend the night. We stayed the night at the boutique hotel called Hotel San Jose located in the South Congress area. The hotel is clean and hip and a refurbished two-story motel with polished cement floors in the rooms, a small outdoor bamboo-lined siting area, and tiny rectangular pool. We really liked it and it is a nice alternative to the sometimes sterile large-chain hotels.

We grabbed dinner at a burger place on South Congress in Austin called Hopdoddy Burger Bar, which is a chain restaurant, but they made some outstanding burgers.

Day Four - Austin

Pay Homage to the Lone Star State

We started our day in Austin at the Texas State Capitol. This is such a beautiful building. Rather than disrupt the charm of the original building when they needed to renovate for additional space, they decided to tunnel underneath the land to create underground offices for the expansion. You are welcome to enter the building, peer up at the ceiling of the rotunda, and find your way through the underground labyrinth with its skylights that allow natural light in from above.

Walk 6th Street

From there we walked the famed 6th Street that is lined with nightclubs and bars. When my husband and I visited Austin a decade ago we loved the evening we spent at Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar, but we had to pass this time given we had underaged kids in tow. I have to say that 6th street also seemed a lot grittier since the last time we visited. I know it’s best visited at night, but I was surprised by the amount of filth. We did manage to snag some donuts from the famous VooDoo Doughnut which serves crazy donut concoctions 24 hours a day…but cash only, no credit cards accepted.

Travel by Scooter

The real fun we had was when we visited the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail which is a paved trail along Lady Bird Lake (a.k.a. the Colorado River) in downtown Austin. We walked the area of the trail by The Long Center for the Performing Arts. The area is resplendent with rentable scooters and my kids each rode one around the trail. It is this amazing phenomenon that is happening around some of the larger cities (sorry if you’re already aware of this scooter invasion…we’ve been living out of the country for a bit). Rentable scooters are simply ditched in various popular areas, you activate and pay for them by using an app, ride them around for however long you choose, and then drop them wherever you choose. The scooters available in this park belonged to Bird and Uber. The kids had the most fun scootering while my husband and I enjoyed a peaceful walk.

Do Not Miss the Bats’ Mass Exodus

From the trail, we walked under South Congress Avenue Bridge and watched the massive amounts of bats that roost there during the day take flight at dusk from under the bridge. Just a constant stream of black little beings fly out together in mass and disperse into the night. It’s a major attraction of Austin and a definite must-see.

We ate dinner at Lucy’s Fried Chicken on South Congress which is obviously famous for its yummy fried chicken, but also its oysters. The décor is Texas retro with plenty of neon signs. We enjoyed sitting outside in their area with picnic tables lighted by string lights. Oh, and you’re encouraged to leave your mark on the walls of the restaurant too, so bring a Sharpie.

Overall, Austin has changed since our visit 10 years ago. It used to have a funkier vibe and was awash with food truck parks, but the vibe is now more business and the parks are virtually non-existent. Instead, they’ve been replaced by paved parking lots and high-rise buildings that employ the tech influx from Silicon Valley. Most troubling is that my favorite restaurant in Austin, Frank, which served the most delectable melt-in-your-mouth pork butt sandwich I have ever eaten, was shuttered. A notice on the door stated they had not paid their taxes. Beer steins still lined the bar and empty chairs sat around tables with their place settings intact, as if all of the patrons and staff had simply left mid-service. It made us wonder if the major migration of Californians to Austin had changed the atmosphere of the city, and just simply made it too expensive for the funky, homespun haunts of the past. I hate to think that another Googleplex will be standing in this spot during my next visit to Austin, but I would not be surprised.

Day Five - The Woodlands, Houston

I’m hesitant to even say we visited Houston, because we really did not. Instead, we traveled from Austin to the northern area of Houston called The Woodlands. Part of the purpose of this trip was to explore potential areas that we may be interested to live in in the future, hence The Woodlands. The Woodlands is a beautiful area in northern Houston that has done a very good job of doing what the name implies, maintaining the woods. All of the streets in this area are tree-lined, and even the strip malls are placed a good distance from the street and hidden behind stretches of trees.

This master-planned community has a central area with a town green, lined with high-end stores. Think Tiffany and Rolex-type stores. It is a really beautiful area, but we ultimately wondered if we may not have the income level or age level to fit in with the other patrons. It seemed like a great community if you’re retired, drive a high-end car or SUV, and enjoy passing your afternoons having lunch at an outdoor cafe on the green talking about your golf club membership. In contrast, we lunched at Potbelly Sandwich Shop, which is a chain sandwich and soup shop that I frequented during my college days in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

From The Woodlands we journeyed back through Dallas and ultimately landed in Fort Worth for the night. We stayed at the Courtyard Marriott at Fort Worth’s Historic Stockyards which had the coolest Texas cowboy decor. It was by-far the nicest Courtyard we’ve ever stayed at. And…wait for it…they even have a Starbucks inside.

Day Six - Fort Worth

I LOVED Fort Worth! What a pleasant surprise. First of all, the Fort Worth Visitor Center website is full of useful, clear information on the city and things to do in it. It is probably the best and most organized tourist bureau website I have ever seen. I highly recommend visiting their website before traveling to Fort Worth.

Watch a Long-Horn Cattle Drive

Our hotel was located in the area of the famed Fort Worth Stockyards. The Stockyards is a multi-block area of old-time saloons, western wear shops, the rodeo, and typical western-type things. I loved every bit of it. Twice a day they do a long-horned cattle drive right down the center of the street.

We also watched an entertaining old-time shootout complete with a stern Sheriff and his comical deputy side-kick. The area also has plenty of BBQ restaurants and stores selling cow hides, saddles, and spurs.

Plus, the Stockyards Championship Rodeo is held every Friday and Saturday at 8pm. Our hotel gave us free tickets and we had a blast. I sure do love my rodeos and this one did not disappoint. It had all of the traditional competitions including bull riding, barrel racing, and team calf roping. Plus, it had some fun activities for kids of different age groups to come down in the arena and run around for a prize, and they had a hilarious audience participation game that I won’t share anything else about because I don’t want to spoil the surprise ending…

Walk Among a Waterfall in the Middle of Downtown

We also drove and walked around downtown Fort Worth and visited Sundance Square. It is a cool area with water fountains, an outdoor area with chairs for sitting, and shopping. In the south area of downtown, we stopped at the Fort Worth Water Gardens. The Water Gardens are these large water displays that you can walk around and interact with right in the middle of the city. One is a waterfall feature where you can walk down large steps to reach the bottom by the rushing water. Another is a large tranquil man-made pond that is sunk 20 feet below ground.

Fort Worth is also home to:

TCU (Texas Christian University) – Beautiful grounds with a huge football stadium. The horned frogs and purple banners are displayed everywhere throughout the city.

Kimbell Art Museum

Fort Worth Museum of Science and History – An interactive museum

Texas Ballet Theater

Panther Island Pavilion – A beach where everyone sits in inflatables to see a band playing on the side of the river. So unique and cool.

Fort Worth Zoo – With a splash zone.

Day Seven - Fort Worth

Our second day in Fort Worth was spent driving around the city and outlying areas looking for potential areas to live in the future, just in case. We really loved this city and were so impressed with the city’s cleanliness. The roads, sidewalks, parks, and buildings were all so clean and well maintained. It was remarkable and impressive. The citizens definitely take pride in their city, and it shows.

We spent the final night back in Irving at the same hotel where it all began (Dallas Marriott Las Colinas in Irving, Texas) to be near the airport for our very early flight out the next morning.

Helpful Hints

Location: Dallas, Waco, Austin, Houston, and Fort Worth are located in the eastern side of Texas, forming a large triangle between Dallas, Austin and Houston.

Accommodations: We are avid Marriott Rewards members, so this trip we stayed at Marriott accommodations that best suited us and our every growing teen-age kids, except in Austin where we chose a boutique hotel in a popular area of town.

Tolls: Be prepared to pay lots of tolls as you navigate through Texas. However, you cannot pay cash for the tolls, they are all automatic tolls charged via your license plate. So, if you rent a car, be sure to read the fine print on how the rental car company handles the tolls or you may be hit with a large toll charge when you’re done, which will amount to mostly fees charged by the rental car company itself. Ask me how I know.

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ethereal-encounters · 6 years ago

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Feb 3, 2019

Survival, brutal world of surviving and complying. Battle Royale a little bit. Bit of a nazi feel, with the country reps trying to kill us with NO2 I think. It was a warzone beyond a certain point that you couldn't enter. Every other zone was normal and livable. But you couldn't escape. And I underwent lots of training in order to escape via a friend or lover. He taught me all the tests. Basically the biggest lesson was nobody was my ally and I could trust no one and I had to kill everyone that was clearly part of the game to kill us escapees. What got me in trouble in the first place was trusting the government and complying to everything and not thinking logically. So my first task involved a bit of shapeshifting and magic. In order to get past the guards I had to shapeshift myself into something they would be transporting across the zone. For some reason this was large rocks. Grey and dark green. So my friend who taught me shifted into a rock and put himself in the pile to wait. I also shifted into a smaller rock, except my normal body became invisible and could watch from a distance. I squatted down nearby by a wall and tried to be as quiet and out of the way as possible. A little sausage dog came up and licked me at one point so I knew I had to get a move on before humans detected me. I kept a close watch on the guards eye movements and made my rock move into the pile swiftly at the right moment. Once moved I closed my eyes and stayed silent, hoping no one would bump into me in my invisible state. I heard a horse and carriage trot by across the zone and I knew I'd made it past the first test. The second test involved a "fun slide" except every part of it was still a test to kill you if you couldn't outsmart its tricks. I remembered my training and felt determined. It was a long process. I got to the very end and it was a dead end so I crawled back again and found a hole to exit which took me to a kids party. Kids were shooting rockets at targets and perhaps each other. Kids and adults saw me and recognised "oh here's another one" maliciously. The adults had these malicious grins and I immediately trusted no one and sought to kill the adults. So I joined in on their rocket game as was required and started pointing rockets at the adults. The rockets acted more like arrows and stabbed their chests. Once I got most of them, one large lady said "it's hammering time" (lol) and at this point I knew my task was that I'd survive as long as I could jump up high on top of the roof and escape to the next area. I made it to the roof and fatty couldnt so I knew I'd won so far. I got a sense for they didn't expect me to win so much and get so far. There was also a bit of a dexter vibe. Bit of survival, bit of battle of wits, and determination.

A little bit earlier I did have a presence of a lover and we kissed in the street and shared concern for each other. This was in the normal "safe" district. Also I think we shared concern for his father who may have had too much LSD gummy bears lol. There was also a flower shop nearby which sold flowers from the nearby fields which just served as a reminder that we were so separated from the natural world. Enclosed in a prison.

Earlier I did have more pleasant dreams but I think I kept sleeping in and the dreams wanted to kick me out :p

I remember being on a beach at night and watching the wild animals appear. They were giant and almost prehistoric but not threatening. It was beautiful to see. Turtles and large mammals. Giant everything. I remember something about ordering cranberry vodkas for $2. Something about movie theatres, friends. It's a bit hazy now.

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spynotebook · 7 years ago

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All Images: Warner Bros.

Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner came out 35 years ago to mixed reviews, but these days most people consider it a scifi masterpiece. However, it’s also a film that occasionally happens to be a blind spot for some nerdy film fans. When we at io9 discovered we were employing not one, but two people who had never seen the film, we had to take steps to rectify the situation immediately.

The guilty parties are io9 staff writers Beth Elderkin and Charles Pulliam-Moore, who we forced to watch Blade Runner last week. Then we asked them what they thought about Ridley Scott’s 1982 film after experiencing it for the first time in 2017. It’s wide-ranging conversation that touches upon the burden of three-plus decades of hype, unicorn dreams, Android phones, artificial intelligence, the Deckard/Replicant debate, and, of course, how they feel about the upcoming sequel now that they’ve finally seen the original.

Germain Lussier: Before we talk about what you both thought about Blade Runner, what were your expectations about the movie going into it?

Beth Elderkin: I figured I was going to love or hate the original Blade Runner. There’s a real polarization surrounding the film that seems to have only increased over time. It’s either genius or terribly overrated.

Charles Pulliam-Moore: To be perfectly honest, I didn’t think that I’d really care for Blade Runner all that much because it’s one of those movies that, as a person coming to it so late, I’d heard so much about from diehard fans. Blade Runner’s one of those pop culture “must-watches” that I always ended up putting off because people love to bring it up and insist on telling you how seminal it is.

Beth: Yeah, Charles, I think the diehard fandom around the film turned me off more than anything else. It was like the bar of reaction had been set so high I had to play catch-up in order for my opinion about the film to be taken seriously.

Charles: Same! I’ve sat through my fair share of debates about which cut of the film is superior and I totally get how, for fans, that kind of back and forth is fun. But as an outsider it sort of cast the movie in a somewhat negative light. “Negative” is too harsh a word, but in my head, I always assumed that watching Blade Runner properly would mean going back, watching each version, and then coming up with some grand thesis about which Blade Runner is THE Blade Runner.

Beth: What cut did you watch?

Charles: The Final Cut.

Beth: Me too! I realized we didn’t actually talk about the different cuts ahead of time, but it’s interesting we chose the same one. People are so passionate about that part. Everyone I talked to about the movie had an opinion about what version to watch. In the end, I went with the Final Cut because no one talked to me about that one. I figured that made it more of a middle ground.

Charles: It was just the first one I saw in the store, haha. As a last point to your follow-up, Beth. I love the concept of Blade Runner being a living, breathing piece of art that’s grown and evolved over the past 35 years. But, again, when you bring it back to the fandom, it all just seems like w-o-r-k.

Germain: The Final Cut is kind of the culmination of all the different cuts, so it’s probably best you both watched that one. So, now that you’ve seen it what did you think? Did you like it? Was it overhyped? Lay it on me.

Beth: I enjoyed Blade Runner just fine, but more as a representation of works that followed rather than the movie itself. Perhaps that’s a little unfair to the film but, to be honest, it didn’t really grab me the way fans told me it would. I really loved the moments when I could look at the film and see exactly how it influenced later products—it was ahead of its time, and it shows. But as far as the film by itself, I was kind of bored.

Charles: It’s fine! Another one of the consequences of having waited to sit down and watch it properly is seeing just how much of an influence the movie’s had over subsequent scifi film and television, and having to remind myself that Blade Runner isn’t the iterative work.

Beth: There were elements I really admired about the film. I actually loved how small the stakes were. Hear me out: The conflict wasn’t a giant Westworld-style robot takeover, with piles of bodies strewn everywhere, but rather just a couple of Replicants wanting to live a few more years. In many other films or shows, this would be a side plot. But here, it’s given the time, attention, and space it deserves to explore their growth and internal conflicts.

Charles: There’s a dead, haziness to the movie’s aesthetic that might have been novel at the time, but it’s since become our visual shorthand for dystopia. I instinctively liked it because it was familiar, but that familiarity also annoyed me because, like I said, that’s the visual language we use to craft futuristic end times.

Beth: Charles, I cracked up when, during the only scene in the daytime in Tyrell’s tower, the first thing Deckard says is, “It’s too bright, draw the shades.” All night time all the time. Daytime doesn’t exist in dystopia.

Charles: No, no it does not.

Beth: The lighting really created a sense of tension, indicating that someone was always watching. And, combined with the pressing crowds that were always present in the action sequences, there’s this overwhelming uncomfortableness that makes you feel like you’re never alone. Then, by the time it’s just Deckard and Roy, it’s just the two of them. You end up feeling the weight of Roy’s words more because everything else has died away.

It’s a small thing, but I also loved the reflection in the eyes.

Charles: In Rachel’s?

Beth: And the owl’s. And, for a moment, Deckard’s. I saw Deckard have that reflection for just a moment, which I’m sure lent credence to the “Oh, he’s a Replicant too!” argument, which... maybe?

Was there anything else that caught your eye, Charles?

Charles: Hmm. Technically speaking it wasn’t really my eye, but I got a bit of a chuckle out of the Replicants being Nexus-6 models. (Said the recovering Android nerd.) I remember seeing this headline years ago and my eyes glazing over when I saw Blade Runner:

But that’s another example of the film casting this ridiculously long shadow.

Germain: Charles, Beth talked a bit about the story, but what did you think of the story? It seems like you both enjoyed the film aesthetically.

Charles: So one of the things that actually surprised me was how little time the movie spent having its human characters consider the Replicants’ humanity (or at least the idea of it), which is where a lot of fiction about androids and such tends to veer these days.

There’s a distinct inhumanity and stiffness to all of the Replicants that codes them as being non-human. It feels heavy-handed at first, but as the movie went on, I came around to the idea that Ridley Scott was intentionally trying to “other” them, you know? As if he was trying to force us to consider the innate humanness of the movie’s central plot about Deckard hunting them while they’re trying to extend their lifespans.

Beth: I did not care for the “Voight-Kampff” test, as I don’t feel like it’d be an accurate way to detect humanity.

Charles: SAME. The idea that people couldn’t pick Replicants out just by looking at them seemed like bullshit.

Beth: Couldn’t they just have a blood test or something? I mean they put barcodes on the scales of snakes, surely they can add one to skin flakes or blood cells.

Charles: Again, though, this is one of those things that subsequent things inspired by Blade Runner have taught us to consider.

Beth: I was curious what would happen if someone with sociopathy would take the exam. I mean, they’re not going to care about some damn turtle.

Charles: Speaking of sociopaths. Can we also talk about the performances? I’m of the strong opinion that they’re... not great.

Beth: Are we talking about Deckard? I’ve got thoughts about Deckard.

Deckard isn’t a very interesting protagonist. I feel like the “Deckard is a Replicant” argument kind of serves as a buffer to justify the fact that his character doesn’t really engage the audience, which is weird because Harrison Ford is a really charismatic actor. The only time he really emotes is when he sexually assaults Rachael, which… oh boy, let’s just not.

Charles: I meant more the cast as a whole.

Beth: I thought Roy and Rachel were great; everyone else was okay I guess. I don’t know what they did with Rachel’s voice, but she always sounded unearthly and disconnected from the scene, but in a way that made sense for the narrative.

But as far as what I really didn’t care for, it comes down to pacing. The movie moves very strangely. It’s slow and yet not slow. I can’t quite put my finger on it. You can tell the movie’s been through multiple edits because the pace is very uneven, and there are obvious mistakes as a result.

Charles: There’s a distinct lack of charisma from most of the movie’s cast that I’m assuming is intentional, but it left me rolling my eyes because it gave the film a very distinct “thought experiment” vibe. That, as opposed to trying to feel like a world grounded in any sort of reality.

Beth: That’s a very film noir vibe.

Charles: But it’s things like that which make Blade Runner feel a little too self-serious for my tastes. You can hear the film and philosophy students off in the distance muttering to one another: “What does it MEAN to be human?” Spare me.

Beth: What were your thoughts on the toymaker? That whole scene with the toys was so jarring. Like, what was the purpose of him being surrounded by weird toys? To represent that he saw Replicants as toys? We didn’t really get an indication that’s how he felt in what he actually said and did. It felt like the set dressing was trying to create something that wasn’t supported by his words or actions.

Charles: I’m gonna assume Ridley Scott’s a fan of the toymaker and was trying to construct a scene that was as creepy as it was pseudo-deep about the relationship between sentient beings and their creators.

Beth: I liked the character just fine, and was sad that he died. I didn’t like the way his character was framed by his environment.

To be honest, the only scene that truly matters to me is the final one between Deckard and Roy, just the two of them talking at the end of a man’s life. Everything else was a mixture of okay to pretty good to “Oh god get it away from me.”

Germain: We’ll get back to that but before we lose it, Beth, you mentioned the “Deckard is a Replicant” thing which, of course, is a huge pop culture debate. I’m wondering what you both thought of the debate itself beforehand, and where you come down on the debate now that you’ve seen the film.

Beth: If he’s a Replicant, how come he’s still alive in the sequel?

Charles: God, this makes me tired.

Beth: I didn’t really have an opinion about it beforehand because I wanted to let the narrative inform me and, in the end, I still don’t know. I mean, I’m leaning “Yes” mainly because I later read that Ridley Scott says he’s pro-Replicant, but I think the argument can be made either way. I do think Harrison Ford’s acting wasn’t that engaging and that fueled the fervor.

Charles: Before having seen the film, the question didn’t really interest me all that much and it does less so now. Part of that’s because I never developed much of an attachment to Deckard, but it’s also because I don’t really think that it matters all that much to the story? Like, my experience of Blade Runner isn’t really changed either way.

Germain: Just so you know: The original cut of the film didn’t have the unicorn dream. He has the dream in the Final Cut (and Director’s Cut), and then Gaff leaves him an origami unicorn, suggesting Deckard’s memories are artificial, because Gaff seems to know about them.

Charles: A question. Why couldn’t he just dream about unicorns?

Beth: Exactly! Unicorns are awesome.

Charles: Why does it have to be related to the origami unicorn?

Germain: Because it would be pretty coincidental that his colleague would guess that he has dreams about unicorns, right? This is why there’s no answer to the question... or is there? IN THEATERS FRIDAY.

Charles: And herein lies my beef with Blade Runner as a whole. Figuring out whether Deckard is actually a Replicant was the only reason I finally sat down and watched this movie and when everything had actually been laid out, the “raging debate” about it all made me roll my eyes. Because it all really boils down to whether or not two people happened to have unicorns on the brain. Which is cute and all, but come on.

Germain: That’s actually a nice transition back to the film itself. Beth said she enjoyed the Roy/Deckard stuff at the end. What did you guys get out of that? Or the film as a whole outside of its visuals, influence or mysteries?

Beth: When I was in college, I took a course about artificial intelligence and the definition of humanity. (Yeah, I grew up in California, how could you tell?) It’s one of my passions—which, in hindsight, makes my not having seen Blade Runner pretty inexcusable.

I feel like Roy was the most interesting character in the film, and I actually enjoyed how they portrayed his journey. He was doing awful things, but for what he perceived to be the right reasons, and the movie doesn’t place a value judgment on his actions.

Was he human? No, the movie is clear in that he isn’t—at least not based on its (and our) interpretation. But the movie also seems to argue that humanity isn’t something we should limit to a single definition.

Charles: Hm. It’s funny. People put so much weight into that speech even though Rutger Hauer’s been very open about it not actually having all that much to do with the film or its messages. Which, in its way is kind of the perfect encapsulation of Blade Runner.

Beth: That’s interesting, and true.

Charles: It’s a bunch of high falutin’ concepts and ideas delivered beautifully, but they don’t mean anything until people project their own feelings onto it.

Beth: I actually like how the movie doesn’t push us to see the Replicants as good or evil, but something that’s simply “other.” As you mentioned before, Charles, there’s a tendency in Hollywood nowadays to make robots sympathetic, the good guys in a world that’s stacked against them. Before, they were evil Terminator robots. Blade Runner gives us a a creation inside a morally grey area and says “Make your own call.”

Charles: Personally, I think in that moment, Roy felt as if Deckard finally understood what it meant for the Replicants to be living in a constant state of fear that their lives were about to end. Because he himself was about to die, Roy took the opportunity to prove to Deckard that he was better at humanity than a supposed biological human was.

And that’s it? I dunno. I really struggled to gas this movie up.

Beth: Watching Blade Runner decades after it came out is like looking at a canvas at a modern art museum that’s been painted entirely black. There’s something there, and it’s clearly well crafted, but is the value in the creation itself, how we interpret it, or the fact that we’re told to see it as something more than what it actually is?

After seeing it, I think it’s a combination of all three. But I’m sure plenty of people are going to tell me I’m wrong!

Germain: You’ve seen Blade Runner. Now—what do you think about the sequel?

Beth: I can tell you that I have no interest in seeing the sequel. Two hours of Blade Runner was one thing, I can get through that okay. But two hours and 40 minutes feels like a chore.

And for a movie that I felt was okay, but appreciated more for what it inspired than what it did? That doesn’t encourage me to see the story continue. Plus Ryan Gosling annoys me.

Charles: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. No. Won’t be seeing. I hope the sequel makes fans happy, though. That being said, I myself am not one of them.

Beth: Agreed, Charles. Just because I don’t want to see it doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve to exist. It absolutely does, and fans deserve to see the story continue.

Charles: Totally. It’s just that I can think of so many other things I’d rather do. Which I don’t say out of contempt or anything, but that as best as I can tell about the sequel, it’s just Blade Runner redux with an older Deckard and a new Blade Runner who is not Deckard but is exactly like Deckard.

Which is to say: fans, you’re probably going to like this! Or passionately hate it.

Beth: The thing that would excite me is a shorter runtime. Okay, I’ll actually go a little further: I’d like if I knew whether the movie actually expanded into the outer worlds, so we saw how the Replicants live on a daily basis. I’d like to see something like the Institute synths from Fallout 4, where you see how they’re used and treated and can make a value judgment on whether or not you think it’s okay.

But I don’t have an indication of how involved Replicants are in the plot as background characters and environment building, at least not from the trailers that I saw.

I have a question for you, Charles. How accessible do you feel Blade Runner is?

Charles: In terms of?

Beth: General audiences. There have been so many rave reviews for the sequel, and I’m curious if that’s because film criticism as a whole has an overall favoritism for the movie that may not be shared by the general public.

Charles: That’s a very good question.

Just to bring this all full circle—we live in a world whose pop cultural landscape was profoundly shaped by Blade Runner. Even if you’ve never seen it, you have seen and experienced elements of it through other pieces of art. With that in mind, I think plenty of audiences will be able to understand Blade Runner 2: Electric Boogaloo, but it’ll be interesting to see if people like it.

Beth: Blade Runner is one of the most fascinating film experiences I’ve had in awhile—because it feels like nostalgia, but it’s really not. There’s an appreciation for what the movie was in the context of its time, as well as how its influence has carried over into other works. As a movie in itself, I didn’t fall in love. But I’m very glad that I saw it, and would recommend anyone else do the same.

Charles: Y’all, I really didn’t care for this movie.

Beth: Are you glad you saw it, Charles? Or would you have been fine not?

Charles: Neutral. The world wouldn’t have stopped spinning had I not.

Beth: Spoken like a true Replicant.

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