#stormtrooper beer

[praetorianxxiv]

Haza!

Cheers, my TK armour has been cleared by the 501st Star Wars group.

Now time for a cheeky beer 🍺✨️

So Happy to be the newest member of the Welsh 501st Garrison.

Looking forward to many Troops with this great bunch of people 😁🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Cheers 🍻 ✨️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[crvnjava]

Stormtroopers relaxing after a long day. Dalle 3 made this. I added the captions.

[wally-b-feed]

𝕭𝖊𝖊𝖗𝕳𝖚𝖓𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌𝕾𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖒𝖙𝖗𝖔𝖔𝖕𝖊𝖗🍻

[savingpeachband]

Gave the acoustic a makeover #acousticguitar #acoustic #stormtrooper #stormtrooperbeer #epic #starwars #savingpeach #colourful #tanglewood #beer #beerstagram #beerporn #beerlover #guitar #guitarporn #guitarlove https://www.instagram.com/p/CnZaxWqswFX/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[whencyclopedia]

Night of the Long Knives

The Night of the Long Knives (aka Blood Purge or Röhm-Putsch) of 30 June 1934 was a purge of the Nazi Sturmabteilung (SA) paramilitary group which continued through 1 and 2 July. Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), wary of the growing power of the SA, embarrassed by its thuggish behaviour now that he was the chancellor of Germany, and in need of the support of the German Army, which saw the SA as a rival, ordered the assassination of the SA leader Ernst Röhm (1887-1934) along with many other key SA commanders and political enemies of the new Nazi regime. Justified as a purge of dangerous plotters against the state, the Night of the Long Knives revealed that the Nazi leadership regarded themselves as above the law.

The SA

Adolf Hitler became the leader of the Munich-based NSDAP (National Socialist German Workers' Party) in 1921. The party was neither socialist nor at all interested in workers, but Hitler had chosen the name to give his ultra-nationalist party as wide an appeal as possible. Known as the Nazi party, it was also vehemently anti-Semitic and against the German establishment. The SA or Sturmabteilung paramilitary group had been formed in 1921 and was given various functions, such as protecting Nazi party meetings, distributing propaganda, intimidating voters, and attacking party rivals or those identified as 'undesirables', like Jewish people. As Hitler had said, "We must struggle with ideas, but if necessary also with fists" (Hite, 116). From 1924, the SA began to wear brown army surplus uniforms, hence their nickname the Brownshirts.

The SA's growing membership in the early 1920s had already put Hitler on the alert. He decided to create his own personal bodyguard, a much smaller but more loyal group called the Stosstrupp-Hitler (Hitler Shock Troop). Nevertheless, the SA was involved in the infamous Beer Hall Putsch or Munich Putsch, the failed Nazi coup in November 1923. After the failure of the putsch, Hitler and his leading associates were found guilty of treason and imprisoned, albeit for what turned out to be short sentences. The immediate fallout of the putsch was a setback as the Nazi party and SA were banned (temporarily), and the Stosstrupp-Hitler was disbanded. However, the publicity of the court case against Hitler and his excellent oratory skills did actually increase interest in both the Nazi cause and the SA. Temporarily called the Frontbann, there was a huge rise in SA membership from 2,000 in 1923 to 30,000 stormtroopers in 1924.

The SA's growth was overseen by its leader Ernst Röhm. A short, stocky, ruthless man, who carried impressive facial scars from wounds sustained in WWI, Röhm had been instrumental in forming the "gymnastics and sports" branch of the Nazi party, which had then morphed into the SA. As one of Hitler's oldest allies, Röhm had also participated in the Beer Hall Putsch.

Continue reading...

[reachartwork]

hey there — have a question about your process of art making in general. what separates your art from a random steampunk cat or a stormtrooper drinking a beer that i might see on instagram? i know you say in your bio that you write your own code, but how does that make your art different?

apologies for the crude way of asking, i dont mean to diminish the effort you put in or attack you. i doubt this is the first query of its kind youve received, and if so, id be willing to read a previous answer or a faq if you have one.

hope your day is alright

Respectfully this is a stupid question. What makes a particular artist’s acrylic on canvas painting of a cliff side different from a mass produced Thomas Kinkade factory painting? They’re the same (or similar enough) mediums, right? This is a rhetorical question - don’t answer it, think about it.

[egipci]

Bourbon Street Parade

They drove down to New Orleans looking to buy some hex bags from an old connection, but they were out of luck. A little girl, no older than eight years old, appeared in front of the door wearing green fairy wings, in her hand a magic wand with curly plastic ribbons coming out the end of it. She ran the ribbons through her fingers and looped them around and made a motion as if snipping them and craned her neck back and said Old Al was dead forever. Dad rubbed his eyes with the flat of his palm, his mouth down-turned, his jaw clenched. She stretched her arm out and pointed her wand towards the river. She said you better look for some other guy but watch out for all the phonies.

Thanks, Dean said, and held out his family-size bag of tootsie rolls. She shook her head. He wagged his eyebrows and rattled the bag like, you sure? This is the good stuff. Two for five at the gas station this morning but he was already down to a third of a bag and this made him feel very generous. Again she shook her head. He made a show of unwrapping a candy and throwing it into his mouth. She gave him a disgusted look and took off.

O-kay, he said. He scraped the taffy coating his teeth with a fingernail, struggled some to get out what was stuck between them while he thought carefully about touching Dad’s elbow or offering some other comfort. He swallowed, fake-chocolate taste thick at the back of his throat, and looked at his dad and Dad sighed and slapped his shoulder and said let’s go and started walking down Conti, leaving the car behind, always knowing what to do, walking fast like he did in huge strides that you had to jog a little to keep up with him for five, six blocks, past blow-up ghosts in front of homes covered in mesh cobwebs and kids inside them screaming, the street narrowing in, the sidewalks getting busier. Out of nowhere Dad crossed the street and there was a beep and Dean waved his hand at the guy behind the wheel and there were startled angry apologetic looks exchanged and Dean turned again looking for his father and caught sight of his turning left on Bourbon and called out after him and rounded the corner, his hand on his dead phone heavy and useless in his pocket, his eyes trained on Dad’s shoulders, so far behind him now and between them fat Batman in gray suit and hard plastic cowl, Michael Jackson who couldn’t moonwalk, Dolly Parton with foam tits and cowboy hat, chick waddling in mermaid tail, sexy nurse, squad of stormtroopers, preacher raging into a microphone, Ghostface, Black guy in a shoulder-length brown wig and beige-colored bathrobe, three little kids drumming on upside-down buckets, vampire with plastic fangs and red running down her chin and down her neck and her sternum artfully between her boobs, innumerable sweaty costumeless midwestern couples drinking liquor in plastic cups, murder victim with axe sticking out his head, scarecrow, Neo in leather duster, sorority girls in heels, fun-loving gay dudes, Pennywise and closely-related generic clown, a second and third Ghostface, beer sweetness in the air and gumbo and a big manly hand on his ass squeezing and Eagles cover band singing the full moon is calling the fever is high and the — corner of St. Ann where Dad turned right and disappeared into one of the courtyards or up into the rare green aurora flashing over the Mississippi a hundred yards away with its sewage smell, leaving Dean forever with his candy and choices to make like does he go back where he came from or does he walk miles up and down Decatur for the ghosts to watch and laugh from their balconies or does he ask for a phone to please call my dad and even worse than that the humiliation of asking where are you where should I meet you why would you leave like that should I go back to the car?

But then he heard the shouting. A large-sounding, murderous-sounding man was cursing insanely. His voice echoed and spilled out into the street. Dean pushed in a narrow metal gate that led into a poorly-lit path that led into a creole courtyard just as Dad turned the corner on his way out and said found you and just as Dad turned the corner Dean made some embarrassing girlish sound and threw himself back against the wall, gasping wildly, his heart rabbiting, hopped up on high-fructose corn syrup, threatening to bust out through his ribs. Pressed his hand to his chest to keep it in place. Whatever misery Dad saw on his face made him grin wide and sharp. Across from Dean he leaned against the wall. Only three feet between them now. But Dad tugged on his jacket, pulled him closer. Dean tripped over his feet, into Dad's chest, held on to Dad's arms for balance. Dad said, Here you go, laughing. He held a cloth pouch in his hand, tried to fit it in Dean’s right pocket but found it full of candy wrappers. He tsked as they fell soundlessly to the ground and said, gonna make yourself sick bud, slow and deep and pitying, teasing, hot in that eye-prickling way. He pulled Dean’s jacket open and left the pouch and its mysteries inside the inner pocket then his hand on Dean’s chest.

I was right behind you, Dean said, belly swirling with taffy and four whole months since he’d last had Dad’s hands on him.

I know, dude.

I found you.

I know, Dad said, huge careful hands cradling Dean’s skull. He said hey come here, and his hot open mouth was on Dean’s skin and his beard scratching and his teeth and he tilted Dean’s face up finally and then there was nothing for it. Dean closed his eyes.

[metalcultbrigade]

Tank - Filth Hounds Of Hades (release date: March 1982). Happy 42nd year release month anniversary!

1. Shellshock

2. Struck by Lightning

3. Run Like Hell

4. Blood, Guts and Beer

5. That's What Dreams are Made Of 0

6. Turn Your Head Around

7. Heavy Artillery

8. Who Needs Love Songs?

9. Filth Hounds of Hades

10. (He Fell in Love with a) Stormtrooper

Initial copies came with a free 7":

1. Don't Walk Away (live)

2. The Snake (Pink Fairies cover)

Algy Ward - Vocals, Bass

Peter Brabbs - Guitars

Mark Brabbs - Drums

Recording information:

Recorded at Ramport Studios, London, December 1981 - January 1982. All songs by Tank (A.Ward , P.Brabbs & M. Brabbs). Producer – Eddie Clarke

[mctakahashi]

The dagger squad in Disney world plus Ice

Maverick: would be planning everything, he wants to hit every park twice. They are there for 8 days and have time for everything. He made sure everyone was at the airport on time as in 3 hour early and made sure everyone had snacks and water. He’s also constantly trying to make sure everyone is there, so he makes them were the classic Disney T-shirts with everyone’s callsign on them. He also is the one who decides to get a car for the trip to throw stuff like jackets, shoes, sunglasses, swim suits and other stuff in the trunk of the vehicle. He also is the dad so all his Daggers tend to ask him for food to which he says no to most the time. Even though he’s has everyones stuff, he’s there for himself so he will drink like so and will yell at his daggers also like so.

Ice: Man is not helping Mav one bit. Like at all. He’s the one with a beer in hand as they walk around magic kingdom with no bag and just sunglasses on watching Maverick struggle with all the merch everyone is buying. He’s just there to laugh. He is also the one that is willing to sit out of the ride and look around and book reservations for lunch or dinner at one of the restaurants. He’s also the one when the Daggers ask HIM for food he says sure and tells them to charge it to their Disney bands which is linked secretly to Mavs account.

There are sweet moments where Ice and Mav will watch the fire works or the shows together while the daggers go have fun cause they would care less about the fireworks. (The daggers just wanna get in line and not wait for 50 minutes and the best time for that is fireworks time) Ice also towards the end of the day would help Mav seeing as he’s tired and looks dead. Also Mav and Ice don’t have call signs on their shirts they have mom and dad lol

Phoenix: alright. Only girl. She’s a boss. She doesn’t think like rooster so she denies his “do you need a map” and will follow where she wants to go. She is always being picked on by the boys when ever a princess walks by like “phoenix that’s totally you. A cute princess” she most of the time rolls her eyes but definitely goes up to the princess and takes pictures with them, why? Cuz she’s a bad ass. She’s also the one that love the fast rides. Like rock n roller coaster, or tower of terror, even the Guardians of the Galaxy ride that pulls a few G’s in each turn. She’s also one for collecting those pins. Her and Bob will go up to cast members to trade the pins. She also loves the any water ride.

Bob: Bob is anything but quiet and does accept Roosters map idea and takes one. He’s the one normally guiding Phoenix cause she isn’t the best and so he tells her like “over here is tomorrow land,” “hey look pandora is along that side go to the left.” He is also the one that everyday he has a new Mickey headband. I mean every day. One day it’s the little mermaid and the next he has wall-e on his Mickey ears. He’s also the one that makes breakfast at the condo each morning for them. (Not too Disney related but he does) no one has the soul to say they can get breakfast at the resort so they just accept his pancakes and get on with the day. He’s definitely the reason why Mav is walking around with heavy bags. He makes sure to throw in sunscreen (mav makes sure it’s on everyone) he has hats in mavs bag, he has his two different sunglasses, he has the ponchos in his bag incase one day it rains, he makes mav pack pain killers incase anyone has a headache, he also secretly sneaks in any feminine care for Phoenix cuz that’s what a back seat rider does, he has Phoenixs back!

Payback and Fanboy: These two stick the fuck together. They are always going up to the pair cast members like Mickey and Minnie, Chip and Dale, Sully and Mike, the stormtroopers, just to get sick photos with them. They tend to pair up a lot and drag Coyote along with them too just to pick on him. They are also the ones that will kind of loose the group. Tend to just wonder off. Mostly after food and to try all the churros. They have to try them all. All of them. They are also the dingos who tell everyone to make faces when they get pictures taken during the ride. Or act normal. Or act dead. Lol. They will also be overly nice to the princesses and will get down on one knee and be cheesy. They will also be the ones that will be in the finding Nemo ride and in the aquarium part just staring at the fish talking about how “I’ve definitely swam with that one” and “no Tf you haven’t” these are also the two that are dead asleep on the car ride back to the resort.

Coyote: this man tends to help mav for the first part of the day till mav shoos him away and will then go to Hangman and just chill by his side. He’s just sort of there for the experience. He’s also the one that sings the songs that’s on the speakers as you walk through. He really goes at each song. He’s also the one who has the idea to play the phone Charades. He sucks at guessing but is very well at describing the word. It always makes the 50 minute line waits go faster. He’s also the one that makes everyone stop so he can get a coffee at the Disney Starbucks. He’s also the one that looks at the Disney jewelry. He tends to like it. The bird show. This man the two times he’s in Animal kingdom through the whole trip, he is at the bird show 4 times trying to be part of the show when the cast members asks who wants to join. Sense he’s an adult. They don’t choose him. Ever. He’s been sour ever sense.

Hangman: this man. Always. I mean always. Has the good smelling popcorn in his hands. I mean always. He’s also throwing it at Bob or Rooster. He gets yelled at by ice to knock it off. He’s also the one to take sexy photos of himself in line and make the line go slower cuz of that. He’s also tends to sleep in and maybe joins the group later in the day with Rooster. (If Jake sleeps in Bradley can’t just leave him alone at the resort) he’s also the one that after every day at the park will make everyone get back up to join him at the pool to relax. Mav and Ice tend to like it and get drunk. Hangman will also hit on women in line. “You’re wayyyy to cute to be waitin in line like you are…” or “come on ladies first.” And will let two girls ahead on the group. He also always has a soda in hand. He’s just a soda kind of guy. Everyone also smoochies off of it though. Trying to steal it instead of buying their own. He will only say yes to coyote. He HAS to get the bucket hats at the stores too, he’s a collector. He also goes to the Disney Springs to go on a shopping spree.

Rooster: He’s having a great time though he wished his parents were here. He’s been when he was little with his family. He’s always offering maps to everyone cause he want to hit everything. Even the lame kids tea cup ride. He always crosses out where they’ve been and looks for those cute hidden mickeys. He’s also the one to stay out with ice and mav to watch the fireworks. He’s crying cuz he misses his dad…. Then he’s not. Hangman tends to drag him with him to tower of Terror to try and get pictures without them screaming. Even though Hangman and Rooster stick together they still argue. “This ways faster Bag man.” “No. It’s this way look at your map!” Turns out they aren’t even at that park and they are both wrong. Rooster will tend to also carry a bag for his jacket cause it gets cold later in the day and Rooster hates it. He also will get photos of everything! I mean if the group, the rides, even just some of himself having fun. He also enjoys taking photos with phoenix with the princess. He also enjoys all the star wars walkthrough area before getting on the ride. Same with the avatar rides. He likes looking at the decor and how everything is made. He hates the haunted mansion and tower of terror. Hangman knows this. He knows it well.

Extras:

The group loves to go to the random character shows and just love watching them. The group also takes professional pictures at every park and will make sure they take at least 3 different poses. They also go to Blizzard a beach one afternoon cuz it’s way to hot. They end up getting kick out because Hangman and Rooster are getting a bit into competing.

[talesfrommedinastation]

Ya know, both Doug and I have gone on and on about how The Bad Batch are the backwoods yeehaw Floridamen of the clone army.

But there's been arguments that all Mandalorians are rednecks*. Ergo, all clones (the descendants of a Mandalorian) are rednecks as well.

And Grandpappy Rex yelling, then yanking off his helmet and flinging it at an inept Stormtrooper like he's throwing an empty beer bottle at a wayward possum in the trailer park just confirms it.

*=because who else would make an insane Evangelical religion about guns, refuse security because it means handing over their weapons, live in space trailers after losing their home with a fight with the government, being single parents, and spend their free time shooting at a lake and getting attacked by gators during a baptism?

::insert Deliverance theme::

I love Old Man Rex so much.

[aiprintee]

Star Wars Ft Budweiser Stormtrooper Baseball Jersey

[ilopisara]

04.04. 20:53 | Ilo Pisara vs Piska Mig Stensport 3 - 4

Ah, the latest chapter in the saga of Ilo Pisara: a thrilling 3-4 loss to Piska Mig Stensport. Let's dissect this with the grace of an elephant on ice skates, shall we? First off, "VETOJA HYVÄT HERRAT!" Our shots were as scarce as teeth in a hockey fight—only 14 attempts! It’s like we thought the goal was allergic to pucks. Meanwhile, Teppo Winnipeg and Jani Saari seemed to think they were playing hot potato rather than hockey—passing when they should've been pelting that puck! Yuri Tarde fired away with all the precision of a stormtrooper at target practice; five shots but only dreams and whispers for goals. And let's not even start on Jani Saari’s giveaway spree—it was like Christmas came early for our opponents. Our recent history reads like a yo-yo diet—ups and downs galore—but remember folks, it's not about how you fall but how you get back up... or so I keep telling myself after nights like these. So here’s to hoping our next game sees us shooting more than just longing glances at the net. Onward Ilo Pisara—to either victory or another round of self-deprecating humor that'll have us crying into our beers!

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

""FILTH HOUNDS OF HADES" EXPLODED FROM BRITISH HELL WITH ALL THE FANGS AND FURY..."

PIC INFO: Spotlight on a T-shirt design for "Filth Hounds of Hades," the 1982 debut album by British heavy metal/proto-thrash power trio, TANK. Kamaflage Records.

BAND/ALBUM OVERVIEW: "March 1982. Maggie Thatcher lords over a dangerously unemployed U.K. with a hatchet face, a controversial economic policy and “a voice like a cat sliding down a blackboard.” The Falklands War debacle is just weeks away. Meanwhile, the New Wave of British Heavy Metal is about to hit its commercial peak with IRON MAIDEN’s "The Number of the Beast." MOTÖRHEAD’s "Iron Fist" is cocked, locked and ready to drop the proverbial hammer on Blighty’s dole-diving speed freaks, spot-faced rivet heads and leather-loving piss punks. Just over the horizon, VENOM’s game-changing "Black Metal" and JUDAS PRIEST’s mega-selling "Screaming for Vengeance" are poised to strike pain and pleasure into the hearts of the denim-clad faithful.

A few months prior, three lager-swilling London lads calling themselves TANK were holed up in the Who’s Ramport Studios recording their full-length debut with vast quantities of booze and speed and no less than MOTÖRHEAD’s “Fast” Eddie Clarke in the producer’s seat. The band was the three-headed fantasy headache of bassist/vocalist Alasdair “Algy” Ward, who had previously lent his unique talents to punk legends THE SAINTS and THE DAMNED, resulting in arguably the best albums from both bands (1978’s "Eternally Yours" and 1979’s "Machine Gun Etiquette," respectively).

After getting the sack from the Damned, Ward recorded a handful of demos before recruiting brothers Peter (guitar) and Mark Brabbs (drums) to form a power trio in the loud, louche and inebriated style of their future benefactors MOTÖRHEAD — a comparison they could never quite shake. Released in March of ’82, "Filth Hounds of Hades" exploded from British hell with all the fangs and fury of the three-headed Cerberus on the album’s iconic sleeve. Featuring unstoppable beer bangers like “Turn Your Head Around,” “Shellshock” (later covered by German thrash maniacs Sodom) and “(He Fell in Love With a) Stormtrooper,” the record would go on to influence METALLICA and carve TANK’s legend into the annals of heavy metal history."

– "DECIBEL" MAGAZINE, by J. Bennett, published July 6, 2017

Source: www.decibelmagazine.com/2017/07/06/tank-filth-hounds-of-hades.

[whencyclopedia]

Night of the Long Knives

The Night of the Long Knives (aka Blood Purge or Röhm-Putsch) of 30 June 1934 was a purge of the Nazi Sturmabteilung (SA) paramilitary group which continued through 1 and 2 July. Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), wary of the growing power of the SA, embarrassed by its thuggish behaviour now that he was the chancellor of Germany, and in need of the support of the German Army, which saw the SA as a rival, ordered the assassination of the SA leader Ernst Röhm (1887-1934) along with many other key SA commanders and political enemies of the new Nazi regime. Justified as a purge of dangerous plotters against the state, the Night of the Long Knives revealed that the Nazi leadership regarded themselves as above the law.

The SA

Adolf Hitler became the leader of the Munich-based NSDAP (National Socialist German Workers' Party) in 1921. The party was neither socialist nor at all interested in workers, but Hitler had chosen the name to give his ultra-nationalist party as wide an appeal as possible. Known as the Nazi party, it was also vehemently anti-Semitic and against the German establishment. The SA or Sturmabteilung paramilitary group had been formed in 1921 and was given various functions, such as protecting Nazi party meetings, distributing propaganda, intimidating voters, and attacking party rivals or those identified as 'undesirables', like Jewish people. As Hitler had said, "We must struggle with ideas, but if necessary also with fists" (Hite, 116). From 1924, the SA began to wear brown army surplus uniforms, hence their nickname the Brownshirts.

The SA's growing membership in the early 1920s had already put Hitler on the alert. He decided to create his own personal bodyguard, a much smaller but more loyal group called the Stosstrupp-Hitler (Hitler Shock Troop). Nevertheless, the SA was involved in the infamous Beer Hall Putsch or Munich Putsch, the failed Nazi coup in November 1923. After the failure of the putsch, Hitler and his leading associates were found guilty of treason and imprisoned, albeit for what turned out to be short sentences. The immediate fallout of the putsch was a setback as the Nazi party and SA were banned (temporarily), and the Stosstrupp-Hitler was disbanded. However, the publicity of the court case against Hitler and his excellent oratory skills did actually increase interest in both the Nazi cause and the SA. Temporarily called the Frontbann, there was a huge rise in SA membership from 2,000 in 1923 to 30,000 stormtroopers in 1924.

The SA's growth was overseen by its leader Ernst Röhm. A short, stocky, ruthless man, who carried impressive facial scars from wounds sustained in WWI, Röhm had been instrumental in forming the "gymnastics and sports" branch of the Nazi party, which had then morphed into the SA. As one of Hitler's oldest allies, Röhm had also participated in the Beer Hall Putsch.

Ernst Röhm, 1924

Library of Congress (Public Domain)

Continue reading...

[the-firebird69]

Now I've heard a lot of things so what he said is if I move you have to move here Max and others more lock and that's the truth if he goes to Orlando we're all going up there and it could be a reason for it we need to know it but he seems to think he'd be safer and it's on the other side of Florida if it floods a little it's no big deal but if there's a wave that comes over that's 500 ft tall it's going to go all the way out there and it'll be non-existent by the time it gets there but if it's a mile high it won't be no it won't be there it would have to be probably about 5 MI or more so he's right and we need to get going on this and it's not far enough but it's going to have to be good enough and we can put walls up out there now we need to get going on this means we need to get going on for this plan he just wants to go to Walt Disney and he wants to go there to have a good time relax and have some food at the eateries and people are not allowing to happen

Ice Tea and I'm not on the side and we're fighting but it's impossible these guys are everywhere they pop up all the time he's got the right idea and the beer thing and his death race I mean it is really nice what he did there and he needs us to do that kind of thing and we can and we're going to go after it that's way too much hardware to not go after and it's just like the movie The siege he said his dad up for that his father and what I mean is he's the military with the hardware right now he's the empire and the Stormtroopers have the hardware down below

[egipci]

They drove down to New Orleans looking to buy some hex bags from an old connection, but they were out of luck. This was two years before the torrential rains fell and crushed the land, before all the levees broke and a bunch of homes washed away.

They stood in front of the shop and a little girl, no older than eight years old, appeared wearing green fairy wings and holding a magic wand with curly plastic ribbons trailing off it. She ran them through her fingers and twisted them and then made a motion as if cutting them with scissors, snip-snip. She craned her neck back to look at them and said Old Al was dead forever. Dad rubbed his eyes with the flat of his palm, his mouth downturned, his jaw clenched tight. She stretched her arm out and pointed her wand towards the river. She said you better look for some other guy but watch out for all the phonies.

Thanks, Dean said, and held out his family-size bag of tootsie rolls. She shook her head. He shook the bag so there was a rattling sound, like, you sure? This is the good stuff. They were two for five at the gas station this morning but he was already down to a third of a bag and this made him feel very generous. Again she shook her head. She gave him a disgusted look and took off.

O-kay, he said, mostly to himself. He unwrapped another piece of candy and threw it into his mouth and watched his dad. Carefully he thought about touching Dad’s elbow or offering some other comfort but instead scraped the taffy coating his teeth with a fingernail. He couldn’t reach what was stuck between them, the taste thick at the back of his throat.

Dad sighed and slapped his shoulder and said let’s go and started walking down Conti, leaving the car behind, always knowing what to do, walking fast like he did in huge strides that you had to jog a little to keep up with him for five, six blocks, past blow-up ghosts in front of homes covered in mesh cobwebs and kids inside them screaming, the street narrowing in, the sidewalks getting busier. Out of nowhere Dad crossed the street and there was a beep and Dean turned to wave his hand at the guy behind the wheel and gave him a startled angry apologetic look and turned again looking for his father and caught sight of his turning left on Bourbon and called out after him and rounded the corner, his hand on his dead phone heavy and useless in his pocket, his eyes trained on Dad’s shoulders, so far behind him now and between them fat Batman in gray suit and hard plastic cowl, Michael Jackson who couldn’t moonwalk, Dolly Parton with foam tits and cowboy hat, chick waddling in mermaid tail, sexy nurse, squad of stormtroopers, preacher raging into a microphone, Ghostface, Black guy in a shoulder-length brown wig and beige-colored bathrobe, three little kids drumming on up-turned buckets, vampire with plastic fangs and red running down her chin and down her neck and her sternum artfully between her boobs, innumerable sweaty costumeless midwestern couples drinking liquor in plastic cups, murder victim with axe sticking out his head, scarecrow, Neo in leather duster, sorority girls in heels, fun-loving gay dudes, Pennywise and closely-related generic clown, a second and third Ghostface, beer sweetness in the air and gumbo and a big manly hand on his ass squeezing and Eagles cover band singing the full moon is calling the fever is high and the—and the corner of St. Ann where Dad turned right and disappeared into one of the courtyards or up into the rare green aurora flashing over the Mississippi a hundred yards away with its sewage smell, leaving Dean forever with his candy and important choices to make like does he go back where he came from or walk miles up and down Decatur for the ghosts to watch and laugh from their balconies or ask for a phone to please call my dad and even worse than that the humiliation of asking where are you where should I meet you why would you leave like that should I go back to the car?

But then he heard the shouting. A large-sounding, murderous-sounding man was cursing insanely, voice echoing and spilling out into the street. Dean pushed in a narrow metal gate that led into a poorly-lit path just as Dad turned the corner on his way out and said here you are and just as Dad turned the corner Dean made a sound, no telling what kind, and found his back against the wall, his heart rabbiting, hopped up on high-fructose corn syrup, threatening to bust out through his ribs. He pressed his hand to his chest as if to keep it in place.

Whatever misery Dad saw on his face made him grin wide and sharp. Across from Dean he leaned against the wall and pulled him closer by the flap of his jacket. Dean tripped over his feet, held on to Dad’s arms for balance. Dad laughed low and said found you, mouth smearing against his cheek. He stuck his hand into the right pocket of Dean’s jacket, cloth pouch in hand, and found it full of candy wrappers. They fell out soundlessly to the ground. Dad tsked and said you’re gonna make yourself sick bud, low and pitying. He pulled Dean’s jacket open, left the bag inside the inner pocket then his hand on Dean’s chest.

I was right behind you, Dean said, belly swirling with taffy and four whole months since he’d last had Dad’s hands on him.

I know.

I found you.

Dad said, I know, hand around the back of Dean’s neck, the other under his jaw. He smiled, said hey come here, tilted Dean’s face up finally and then there was nothing for it. Dean closed his eyes.