#taco just. honestly needs to start in a new place and be her true self. and allow herself to heal

[maxphilippa]

this is all pretty on point!! however, i would like to add that mic wouldn't really want her on her life again, nor to have any connections with her whatsoever (i mean, she DID leave the show just to get away from taco JUST from how much taco had hurted her), but she would forgive taco in the sense of "forgiveness is a way to get closure". mic doesn't forgive taco because she wants her back on her life, and nor because she is open to try again, but because mic has moved on and feels happy with herself again. taco does not have a role in her life anymore, nor any weight, and she has healed ever since. she has found people who actually love her. and i think she would feel relieved that taco managed to move on and let go, too, but she would never want to try again, and that's okay too.

hello tumblr user. in front of you there is an character who happens to be a woman AND an antagonist who severely struggles with letting go (it is the healthiest choice for her), hurted a lot of people (that do not want her back on their lives), and is extremely violent due to her lack of care for everyone on general. your challenge is to describe her on a meaningful way and to NOT just say things such as "she's hot" "girlboss" or "she can do that to me any time" and you also have to actually care about her as a person. if you fail i am shooting you in the balls. the challenge starts NOW

[geminidentitycrisis]

Fatgum x F!reader "What a Hero SHOULD do"

Whew.

You guys.

I've been gone a long while, life has been a rollercoaster, but I don't really wanna get into all that noise. Just happy to be in a good place right now.

That said, this was painful to write because I had planned the ending very differently...

I'm not officially in the bnha/mha fandom but, I just got into it recently and wanted to show some love to my favorite Pro!

Hope you guys like it!

I haven't written anything in a while, so please go easy on me...

_____________

(WARNING! Mild angst)

"Hey, Fat...can I ask you something kinda personal...?"

Fatgum glanced down at his young intern with an eyebrow raised, tilting his head in curiosity. "Huh? Oh, sure. What's on yer mind?" he gave an encouraging grin to put Kirishima at ease. The red head craned his neck to look up at his boss, his own mouth twisted into a small frown.

"Have you asked _______ on a date yet...?"

He stumbled a bit but keeps walking, caught off guard by the question, a slight blush rising to his cheeks. "Woah, where did that come from?!" he asked in return with a nervous chuckle. "Well..." Kirishima continued "You guys seem really close. The way you look at her when you see her-"

"Hahaha!" the burst of anxious laughter interrupted and Red Riot looked up at Fatgum again in confusion. "You're reading too deep into it, man! We're just friends! Heh..." Toyomitsu tried to act casually, but it wasn't working at all.

Kirishima pouted a bit, deciding to push a little harder.

"...but, I think she has feelings for you, too-" the blonde stopped walking and stared down at him, his blush growing darker and spreading across the bridge of his nose, cutting him off again. "Okay, let's change the topic, huh? Maybe we should go somewhere else for lunch..."

Eyes widening a bit, Red Riot raised both hands defensively and shook his head. "No, no! I'm sorry...I won't mention it again..." his expression became one of defeat and disappointment, shoulders slumping as he continued to walk, staring down at the sidewalk.

With an inward wince, Toyomitsu followed close behind, his own gaze dropping to the ground as well. Silence passed between the Pro and his sidekick for several minutes before Fatgum spoke up again.

"Honestly, she deserves better..." he mumbled.

This was a surprise to Kiri, his mentor was always inspirationally self-confident, it was disheartening to hear such a comment from the man he so deeply admired. He opened his mouth to argue, but stopped himself when he remembered that he had already promised to drop the subject.

He felt bad for bringing it up now.

_______ was a sweet lady, she was funny and friendly, vivacious and beautiful, generous, tough and a fantastic cook. All Kirishima wanted was to see them both happy together. When they spotted each other through the window of the diner, their eyes lit up, a smile instantly formed on their lips, they would practically start glowing.

She always ran to jump into his arms, hugging around his neck, never failing to say how she missed him. He caught her every time, hiding his face in her hair as he hugged her back and would say he had missed her too, but especially her cooking!

If that isn't true love, Kiri thought, then what is...?

They finally made it to the diner and stopped outside. Fatgum looked through the window, and when he didn't see ______ anywhere, glanced at Red Riot again with a frown. "Listen, can I count on you to keep that little conversation between us? I don't want ______ to know how I feel..."

"You're not sick, are you??" a soft voice piped up from beside Toyomitsu.

It made both of them jump, startled. Fatgum whipped his head around to see ______ standing there, instead of her pretty smile, her face was flooded with worry at the thought of her Hero being ill or injured.

The Pro forced a crooked grin as the blush returned to his cheeks. "N-no, no, I'm fine! How's it goin'...?" he stuttered weakly.

She was clearly not convinced, the concern in her bright (e/c) eyes only deepened. "C'mon...all this time we've known each other, you think I can't tell when something's bothering you...?" he started to panic a bit but Red Riot swooped in to save the day like the rising star he was.

"Aw, he just had a big breakfast, that's all...he doesn't wanna hurt your feelings if he can't finish lunch." Kirishima answered casually with a lightly teasing undertone, arms crossing over his chest. She looked from him up at Fatgum who responded to her questioning expression with a sheepish grin and shrug.

At this, her smile bloomed in place, eyes twinkling mischievously as she playfully elbowed his broad, squishy belly. "Oh, c'mon! When have you ever left here without takeout, even after filling up?! As if it matters..." she giggled, hopping up into his arms as always, chin resting on his shoulder as she nuzzled against him sweetly.

"I'm just happy you're okay...I missed you!"

Bending at the waist with his arms extended, the blonde caught her effortlessly when she hopped up for the hug, sighing and closing his eyes as he rises to his full height, squeezing the small girl gently.

"Ahh, I'm fine, I'm fine...I missed you too..."

Kirishima gave a soft smile as he watched the exchange, dropping himself into the patio chair where he always sat when they came to the diner.

When he set her down, ________ smiled from him to his sidekick. "Your food should be done soon. It's a new recipe! I hope you guys like it!" then she waved over her shoulder as she walked back inside. Exhaling softly, Fatgum turned to sit as well. He glanced over at Red Riot, blushing a bit, only for it to get worse when he notices the toothy grin he's being flashed.

"...Oh, knock it off..." the pro grumbles, arms crossing and lowering his eyes to the tabletop.

"I didn't SAY anything...~!" Kirishima taunted childishly, arms folding behind his head as he leans back and closes his own eyes. "You didn't have to, punk." Tai shot back in typical big-bro style, reaching out across the table to muss the teens perfectly sculpted hair. "Aw, quit! It takes 40 minutes to set every morning!"

Fatgum chuckled, eyes rolling.

After some minutes passed, _______ returned with another server, both carrying trays of food which they placed on the table in front of the two heroes. "Wow! It looks so good!" they said simultaneously, earning a laugh from her.

"Well, I hope you like the taste even more. It's a cheeseburger-tater-tot-casserole. Dig in!" wasting no time, Kirishima and Toyomitsu start chowing down, both groaning happily around mouthfuls of the meal and nodding in approval. "Mmm...!" _______ laughed again, giving a thumbs up.

"Glad to hear it! I'll be right back with your drinks."

She left again but came back quickly with two pitchers and a cup, putting them between their plates. "Yer an angel, _____." Fatgum said with a grin, taking one of the pitchers and starting to drink from it. Red Riot snickered quietly before sipping his own drink.

"Oh, I just remembered! Check this out!" she said cheerfully, reaching behind her neck and starting to untie her apron. Upon glancing at her and noticing this, Fatgums eyes grew wide and a dark blush pooled in his cheeks, choking slightly on the ice water. "...?!"

Kiri froze, his eyes getting big as well and blushing slightly.

She dropped the top, revealing...

A tank top. With a picture of a sombrero. It said "If you don't like TACOS, I'm NACHO type"

Red Riot started laughing, covering his eyes with a hand as he tipped back his head. "Cute, right?!" she asked enthusiastically, looking from one to the other. Smiling weakly, Fatgum gave a slow nod. "It's great...really clever..." he wondered if steam would rise off him if he poured the rest of the water down his neck.

"Yeah, I knew I had to have it when I saw it. Anyway," she started to fix her apron again. "I'll let you guys finish eating. Let me know if you need boxes and your takeout oughtta be done before you get done with those. Enjoy!" with that, she walked off.

The blonde watched over his shoulder as she left before sliding his plate out of the way, folding his arms on the table and burying his face in them.

Grinning, Kiri nudged his foot under the table. "DON'T. SAY. A WORD." this reply only got him to laugh again, head shaking as he resumed eating. "Whatever you say, boss..." the red head hummed.

Between them, they were able to clear their dishes, waiting by the front door for the takeout, both content and full of tasty food. "Alright, guys. Here ya go! I'm glad you liked lunch, lemme know when you wanna try it again." Tai smiled down at her when she came out, taking the bags gratefully. "Yeah, definitely. Will do!"

______ hugged Kirishima tightly, pulling him down to place a kiss on his forehead, surprising him and making him blush faintly since she hadn't done it before. "Be safe, young man, you hear me?" she demanded. He answered with a broad smile and a nod. "Gotcha!"

"Ooh, do I get one of those?" Fatgum asked half jokingly, blushing too. Some color rose up on her cheeks as well, giving him a warm smile as she reached up for the BMI hero.

He put down the food to pick her up again for another hug, chuckling softly when she pressed a tender kiss against his cheek. "Aw, that was sweet!" Kirishima called up to them, earning a swift kick to the ass. "Ow! Hey!" the red head complained, rubbing the spot.

He set her down carefully with a deep sigh. She didn't let go of his arms and he looked at her in confusion. "Please be careful out there, Taishiro...I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you..." he grinned, placing a hand on her head. "I will. I'll be back before ya know it!"

She pressed herself into his tummy, coming nowhere close to being able to wrap her arms around him but she gives him her best hug anyway. The pro didn't have to look at his intern to know he was smirking smugly. He hugged her back before stepping away to grab his bags again. "Well...see ya, _____."

He waved, smiling, then turned so they could head back out. They only took a few steps before Fatgum stopped and glanced back at her over his shoulder.

She was still there, offering another small smile and wave of goodbye.

"C'mon, man! Just go for it! You TOTALLY got this!" Kiri urged desperately. But he was still hesitant. It wasn't an issue of his own self-confidence, but his career. He was so busy that he would hardly have time for you, and the way Toyomitsu saw it, you deserved to be waited on hand-and-foot.

He dreamed about being with you, which meant his worst nightmare would be a villain or criminal using you as leverage against him. It was best to leave things the way they are. It's what he SHOULD do.

A real Hero isn't so selfish as to put their own desires ahead of the safety of those they cherish, he reminded himself. With a heavy heart, he forced a smile to hide the pain and waved back before looking down at the ground and sighing, eyes closing slowly.

"...I just...can't...

[inkmemes]

30 rock  season  one  (  2006  )  sentence  starters ↪  alter  as  you  see  fit

“i’m just getting a hot dog.”

“this fat suit smells like corn chips.”

“the beverage situation around here is reprehensible.”

“i thought they would find it interesting, but they really did not.”

“you have the boldness of a much younger woman.”

“would you describe yourself as ‘cat competent’?”

“i’m from the government and i’m here to inspect your chicken nuggets.”

“you smoke weed, right, [name]?”

“if you ever want to piss off your parents, you come see me.”

“superman does good; you’re doing well. you need to study your grammar, son.”

“i guess you must be embarrassed if you’re hiding in the storage closet.”

“i can tell from your stress level that you have not been touched in any way in quite some time.”

“i love how it catches the light like diamonds.”

“[name] is a very tender, beautiful man. he’s awesome.”

“people were yelling and i got confused about the rules.”

“career-wise, i’m just gonna marry rich and then design handbags.”

“dress every day like you’re gonna get murdered in those clothes.”

“i once tried to make mashed potatoes with laundry detergent!”

“if you were any other woman on earth, i would be turned on right now.”

“it only looks like i'm walking out of a starbucks when, actually, i'm doing the robot goin' backwards into a starbucks.”

“the bottom line is, [name] is my boyfriend because he inquired. he was the only applicant and i am not ... doin’ great.”

“you have to stuff your heart with steel wool and tinfoil.”

“now make sure you drink plenty of fluids, and get something to eat.”

“that was my blood cookie!”

“i didn’t know what you wanted, so i ordered you a cheeseburger.”

“i know this great karaoke place where you can get a pedicure while you sing.”

“i already have a drink. do you think he'd buy me mozzarella sticks?”

“he’s so funny. he does this thing where he screams at limo drivers.”

“i already have all the names picked out. if it’s a girl, bookcase. or sandstorm. or maybe hat. but that’s more of a boy’s name.”

“my mother always told me that even when things seemed bad there's someone else who's having a worse day. like being stung by a bee or getting a splinter. or being chained to a wall in someone's sex dungeon.”

“i have a small ferret farm about 60 miles north of the city. it's not much, but it is self-sufficient.”

“ is it true that bread eats away at your brain?”

“i'm sorry, [name]. i smelled crazy in here and i assumed it was you.”

“he looked at me with those crazy handsome-guy eyes. it was like the death star tractor beam when the falcon is---.”

“oh, god, no. something is wrong with this. i have upset the natural balance of things.”

“this is an exercise in constant humiliation.”

“hey, we all have uncles who are cops, so just take it down a notch.”

“i ate way too much oxygen.”

“it disappoints me to see you without a dream, content with this meaningless, pitiful job.”

“you got two types of women in this world: one who gives you strength and one who takes strength from you like delilah took strength from samson in that movie.”

“well, if you're looking to sneak out the window, it doesn't open. i already tried it.”

“you can actually make him happy. and that makes me want to sit on a knife!”

“oh, just to know that she’s filled with bile over me warms my heart.”

“we gotta order some more champagne, go and jump on my helicopter, and buzz trump tower until don comes out on the roof and begs us to stop.”

“i mean, if you met her, you might think she's wonderful, but believe me, she is the succubus from the bowels of hell.”

“at first i hated it, and then i liked it. and then i hated it again..”

“they like you. they're very good at sensing debilitating loneliness in a person.”

“no, i don’t want to get in it; i want to blow it up and run away from it in slow motion.”

“he's not replaceable as my friend.”

“[name], what happened in your childhood to make you believe that people are good?”

“i love america. just because i think gay dudes should be allowed to adopt kids and we should all have hybrid cars, doesn't mean i don't love america.”

“and i will always love you.”

“you know, when i leave work at night, i am just riding on a subway car full of scary, teenaged people.”

“i was princess leia, like, four hallowe’ens in a row.”

“what could i do? i picked up the check and i made out with him a little bit in the taxi.”

“you know what? i'm gonna eat your family!”

“i just wanted you to know that i've loved being your mentor. and it's been an honor having you be my manatee.”

“i'm gonna start a brand-new life in arizona under the new name ‘ron mexico’.”

“i haven’t seen [name] since i bailed him out of disney jail.”

"even though there is the whole confession thing, that's no free pass. because there is a crushing guilt that comes with being a catholic. whether things are good, or bad, or you're simply eating tacos in the park. there is always the crushing guilt.”

“somehow i feel oddly guilty about that.”

“maybe you should seduce him and get him to tell you all his secret plans.”

“love is like an onion, and you peel away layer after stinky layer until you're just weeping over the sink.”

“ he told this story about trying to make french toast for his mom when he was a kid and he started crying!.”

“i'm sorry to do this at work, i just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“right, but isn't that one of those rules like, "don't walk between the subway cars," and all the cool people just do it anyway?”

“i feel more confused and betrayed than those people that worked with tootsie.”

“you probably don’t remember me. i’m [name]. we met the other day.”

“i really don’t know how much more of this i can take.”

“i have hollow bones, like a bird.”

“ow. careful, my bones.”

"this promotion is a lot more money - like ‘get away with murdering my first wife’ kind of dough.”

“[name] and i have been dating a month. do you think i should be mad that i don’t have a ring?”

“we have an attraction that can only be described as wolf-like. lupine.”

“make me a smoothie, and let’s go clubbing.”

"no, no, no, no! i can hear you. i just wanted to make sure you could hear you.”

“i’d rather die famous than to live for 100 years like this.”

“i'd invite you in, but i got a living room full of dead chimney birds.”

“honestly? i no longer think you're doing a terrible job. and, uh, i'm very proud of you.”

[montrealimprov]

Meet Your Makers: Indie Night’s Alex Brown and Saima Ahmed

Interview by Isobel Cully

Meet the legends that make Indie Night happen EVERY WEEK, Alex Brown and Saima Ahmed. 

You know Alex as an improviser, sketch comedian and all around funny person (Lil Strawberry Bitch, Fancy at The Haunt, Camp Wanapoke, etc, etc, etc). You know Saima as the girl behind the camera, taking sick pics of your favourite performers and making you jealous on Instagram. You know both of them as Montreal Improv’s best dressed duo. You can go see them host Indie Night every Saturday night at 9:30 PM, in Theatre B.

  1.    Would you like to be famous? In what way?

AB: Yes, I would like to be a famous podcaster and/or filmmaker/performer. I pretty much have the same career ambitions now as I did when I was 6 years old. Except for the podcasting part, if you asked me what podcasting was when I was 6 I would have probably explained it as some kind of net you cast to catch...pods? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

SA: Tbh, I don’t think so! It seems so competitive! I’m more a “behind the scenes” but very much in control gal. I prefer to be recognized and appreciated for my work and connect with people that way. In other words, I still want to dress up and go to the Oscars but as a producer rather than an actor.

2.   If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?

AB: Mind for sure. I plan on having a tight bod when I’m 90 and I need my mind to keep up.

SA: Hm tough call. I’m going to agree with Al, an active mind means an active body!

3.   Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?

AB: My dearly departed yellow lab Winnie and we would share a spaghetti dinner with a side of corn on the cob because those were her faves.

SA: Michelle Obama! To talk about how we can help empower women to run the world over some fish tacos.

4.   If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?

AB: The ability to know which ability or quality I would like to gain. So I guess decision making and resolve?

SA: The ability to help create peaceful resolutions between 2 parties. Imagine how useful that would be in 2018!

5.   Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?

AB: I thought this said ‘secret lunch’ at first so I’m assuming it’s going to have something to do with my not being able to read instructions properly and things going horribly awry. Conversely if it turned out to be lunch related I wouldn’t be mad.

SA: Haha, I’m a speed reader and I read secret lunch too! Agree 100% with Al on this.

6.   When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?

AB: I wish I had a better answer for this than ‘in an improv show’, but I will have to admit that I serenaded a group of paying audience members this past Friday night with a rousing rendition of ‘I Wanna Be the First Female CEO’ at Friday Night’s Main Event - Fridays at 8:30pm at Montreal Improv ;)

SA: I have been singing “The Kids Are Alright” by Chloe x Halle to myself for a few weeks now. I’m a horrible singer so I avoid singing in public at all cost.

GROUP QUESTIONS

8. Make three true “we” statements. 

We both love thrift shopping

We both love a good time

Against our better judgment, we both are close personal friends with Seth Galina

9. Share a personal problem and ask your partner’s advice on how she might handle it.

AB: What can I do to stay focused and/or motivated at my day job?

SA: Before you start, make a list of things you need to do. I find it surprisingly satisfying (even motivating) to cross things off my list. Also take breaks, I find it helps me focus if I know that afterwards I can chill.

AB: I am MC’ing a friend’s backyard wedding this summer, what should I wear?

SA: For the MC, I would say lean towards a bit more of a classic silhouette and add some Alex Brown touches via accessories to keep it hip. I’m a fan of a unique dress or a chic jumpsuit.

SA: I know for a fact that you are a morning person. I have trouble waking up really early, any tips?

AB: Unfortunately there’s no real easy hack for this, I think you’re either a morning person or you’re not. That said I’m sure you could cultivate habits over time to get better at it. I drink a really big glass of water as soon as I wake up and then I go to the gym or try to do a little bit of exercise at home at least. Giving yourself some time for you is super important. My motto for 2018 and beyond is ‘self care, don’t care’!

SA: I’m going to be moving soon but before that, I want to get rid of shit I don’t need. What’s the best method to declutter?

AB: Honestly since I’m a basic binch I pray to the goddess of tidiness, Marie Kondo. Her book actually taught me so much about getting rid of stuff. I can confidently say that the only clothes I own now are ones that ‘spark joy’. You can borrow my copy! Jk I don’t have it anymore, I gave it away.

SHOW QUESTIONS

10. Describe your show, Indie Night.

Indie Night is a weekly improv show that showcases performers of various experience levels from all over the city! We have a bit of everything from solo improv, class fields trips, current and past house teams and some pretty cool out of town acts. We’ve even had some musical acts! Indie Night takes place every Saturday night at 9:30pm and the last Saturday of the month is *Ladies Night*, featuring all female/female-identifying performers.

10. What excites you the most about your show?

We love that we have this amazing platform and get to provide the opportunity to new acts to perform. We are often the origin story show for some troupes that go onto create some pretty funny things. For some players Indie Night is even the very first time they’ve ever performed in front of an audience, which is very exciting!

The show isn’t just for newbies, we have all sorts of acts featuring varying levels of players. The fun thing about Indie Night is that you can see more experienced players perform with newer players and you never know what you’re gonna get on any given Saturday!

11. In 5 words, why should people come to Indie Night?

It is a good time!

FINAL QUESTIONS

12. Where can people find you (twitter, instagram, snapchat, kik, omegle, myspace, etc.)?

SA: You can find Indie Night at Montreal Improv on Facebook. We also have a hashtag across all social media #indienightmtl . You can find me on Instagram @steezsister and Twitter @_SaimaAhmed. You can also find us both Saturday Nights at 9:30 at Indie Night! Did you like that subtle plug?

AB: I’m on Instagram at @djbabybrown but I haven’t posted since October 2017 and I mostly only follow plants and Simpsons merch accounts. :) Seth Galina is @sethgalina on Instagram and Twitter.

13. Is there anything you want the Montreal Improv community to know (about you or in general)?

SA: I think this goes for both of us, we’re always here! Come say hi and talk to us, we don’t bite. Or so we haven’t been told otherwise yet.

AB: I will bite you if you ask nicely. :)

14. Do you want to plug anything else?

INDIE NIGHT. INDIE NIGHT. INDIE NIGHT.

Alex’s sketch comedy troupe, Lil Strawberry Bitch, will be performing at Sketch Republic on Thursday, April 19 at 8:30pm at MIT and then at the Montreal Sketchfest on May 10th at 8pm at Theatre Sainte-Catherine.

[umusicians]

UM Interview: Lauren Calve

Singer-songwriter Lauren Calve has a lot to say. The Northern Virginia native started singing and playing guitar at the age of 15. Her family’s love of getting together and telling the same stories over and over painted an Americana vision for her. Sitting around her grandma’s kitchen island drinking scotch with her family was a tradition that drew her to stories. She formed a love of engaging with people to learn about their own family stories. It’s with that same enthusiasm passed down to Lauren from her family that she uses to approach her songwriting.

On June 23rd, Calve will be releasing her new EP ‘Wildfire’, a great mix of blues, old school rock & roll with a kick of country which showcases her songwriting. Brittany Geertgens to talk about her upcoming EP ‘Wildfire’, songwriting and more!

Brittany Geertgens: Hi Lauren! It’s so nice to virtually meet you. I enjoyed getting to listen to your EP ‘Wildfire’. Before we jump into everything can you introduce yourself and tell our followers something interesting about yourself? Lauren Calve: Thank you, and for sure! I’m Lauren Calve, a DC area singer-songwriter.  Something interesting about me is that I used to draw and paint commissioned portraits and started when I was 10 years old.  I pursued a career in art way before starting my music career!   BG: We’re currently in a world pandemic and I’ve noticed a lot of musicians have been using this time during quarantine to grow and learn about themselves as a musician. What’s something you’ll take away from this pandemic about your musicianship that you’ve learned?  LC: Now that I’m living and working from home pretty much all the time as a result of the pandemic, I’ve learned to be way more strict about boundaries.  For me, that means creating a daily schedule where I do my government work for a certain amount of hours and then switch over to music.  This is so important when working from home because the distractions are endless; I don’t think I’d get anything done otherwise.      BG: How has the release process been different from your other projects during the COVID-19 pandemic?  LC: Honestly, releasing new music during a pandemic hasn’t been much different than releasing music in years past. Everything I’ve done to promote Wildfire over the past few months has all been over the internet which isn’t any different than what I’ve done with past releases. Thankfully, we live in a digital age where we’re able to correspond more and more online which has made the effects of the pandemic easier to bear.    BG: Can you tell the listeners about the writing process behind this EP?  LC: The writing process for Wildfire took place over several years.  Each song started with a source of inspiration-- a photo of my mom, a passage from a Woody Guthrie biography, a radio interview with Jon Meacham-- from which I created a chord progression, melody, and lyrics.  In each song, I tried to be creative with the arrangements and production so as to really distinguish one from the other.  They all have their own unique rootsy feel -- one takes more inspiration from the blues, another has a more country vibe.    BG: Do you feel like this project is different from your other projects you’ve released? If so, how?  LC: Wildfire is different from my other projects I’ve released for many reasons.  The biggest, and most important, reason is that it shows a lot of growth in my songwriting and production choices. Also, this was the first project where I worked with a co-producer, Jim Ebert, and it really paid off!  I was nervous to hand over the reins, but I learned so much from him.    BG: Who was your biggest musical influence behind this project? LC: I don’t think I had a specific musical influence for this project.  Wildfire is an amalgamation of so many artist and albums that I’ve loved to listen to over the years.    BG: If you could only use three words, how would you describe your artistry? LC: Three words I would use to describe my artistry are authentic, raw, and powerful   BG: If you could collaborate with any artist/musician dead or alive who would you pick and why?  LC: I would love to collaborate with Grimes (Claire Boucher) because I love the idea of combining electronica with Americana (Kacey Musgraves achieved this with Golden Hour, but I think it could be pushed even more.  Why not?!)   BG: When did you realize/decide that music was your passion?  LC: I realized that music was my passion during a vacation eight years ago.  Toward the end of my trip I sincerely missed my guitar like you would miss a human person.  Until that moment, I had only considered music a hobby.  It was then that I realized how attached I was to creating music.     BG: Is there anything you wish you could go back and tell your younger self to prepare you for the road ahead when it comes to your artistry?  LC: One thing that I wish I could tell myself when I was first writing songs is that when you write a song that you think is your best, you will write a better one.  Sometimes us songwriters have an irrational fear that when we “strike gold” with a song we’ve written that we’ll never have the same experience ever again.  Of course, that’s not true.     BG: How do you normally set the mood for when you’re getting ready to write?  LC: I normally like to write at night when I’m by myself.  First, I’ll listen to inspiring music that gets me pumped up to write.  I’ve found that listening to anything Jeff Tweedy usually does the trick. Then, I like to “sketch” with my guitar which just means playing for playing’s sake.  I usually focus on different strumming patterns and basic chords and expand from there.     BG: If you could give advice to a musician getting ready to start their musical career what would it be?  LC: First of all, I still feel like I’m the one that needs to be taking advice, not giving it!  But if I were to give someone advice when they’re just starting out, I’d tell them to be true to who they are and write what they want to write.  We can all get bogged down by others’ expectations of what our art should be; I’ve realized what has fulfilled me most is when I listen to my gut and follow my intuition.   BG: A big time movie producer approaches you about making a movie out of your story. Who’s playing you and why?  LC: Ha, that’s a funny question.  Biographical acting must require so much of the actor.  It’s like method acting on steroids.  Anyway, one of my favorite actors is Amy Adams so I guess I’d pick her.  But that’s just because I love her acting so much!    BG: Alright! Now how about some fun questions for your fans and listeners to get to know you better. I call this TOP 5 FAVORITE!   BG: Top 5 favorite fast food restaurants? LC: The only fast food I eat is from Taco Bell and that is pretty rare.    BG: Top 5 favorite artists? LC: Patty Griffin Elmore James Neil Young Jeff Tweedy Nina Simone   BG: Top 5 favorite places to shop?  LC: Wayfair Lowe’s  Ferris Wheel Press (fountain pen ink) Aritzia REI   BG: Top 5 favorite animals? LC: Horse Cat Elephant Dolphin Tiny, fluffy dogs   BG: Top 5 favorite bands you’d like to tour with?  LC: Larkin Poe Lucinda Williams Tedeschi Trucks Band Jason Isbell Kathleen Edwards

Connect with Lauren on the following websites: https://laurencalve.com/ https://twitter.com/LaurenCalve https://www.facebook.com/laurencalvemusic1 https://www.instagram.com/laurencalve/

[mrevaunit42]

New on the job (Spiderman Homecoming au)

Hello everyone Mr.E here and yes I am finally done with the spiderman homecoming au. this has been haunting me to write it these last few weeks and it is done. IT IS DONE AND I AM VERY MUCH TEMPTED TO MAKE THIS A STORY BECAUSE ME AND MY GOOD FRIEND @hains-mae collaborated  on this and Did a lot of world building.

Yes I’ve gone off the deep end if you hadn’t noticed from my drabbles but oh well. I’ve embraced my insanity.

so a few notes on this story. Yes this is loosely based off the spiderman homecoming movie but not completely. Spiderman and Iron man exist in this universe. As of this moment, those are the only two MCUs really in this universe because there’s just not a lot to work with without making this a giant cross over and honestly, i rather keep it smaller and not add every avenger ever. 

Second, for the identity of Iron man, it’s a secret. I’m going back to the original comics where no one knows who Iron Man is and as far as anyone can tell he’s Tony Stark’s bodyguard using a suit tony made for him after being captured and all that jazz. So in this universe, Tony Stark is played by teenager canon Tom (who is human in this version) and Iron Man is his bodyguard. 

Star is MJ from the homecoming because I love her attitude in the movie and it’s really a nice change of pace for writing the magical princess. Seriously it was too much fun in the drabbles and it is too much fun here. also Ferguson is Ned but not ned because hidden plot reason. He’s basically ned the friend and not ned guy in the chair. 

the last thing thing i really need to talk about is the villain in this story. Honestly, I’ve been playing overwatch, I love playing the new character doomfist and I honestly just wanted my own villain with a giant robotic arm so i do what i do best: poorly design my own.  It’s not anyone from Star vs, completely original so there’s no secret identity to figure out there. 

finally the story. This takes place early on in Marco’s career, a few months after being bitten by the spider and he’s trying to prove to the city he is an actual hero like his idol Iron man *Who has some renown at this point* 

That’s it for me. Have an amazing week, i hope you enjoy the story. there is a lot more to it that me and mae came up with and if you like it, let me know. check her tumblr out for some awesome sketches of this au. I Might do more because I had a blast writing this. take care everyone!

notification squad: @artgirllullaby @hipster-rapunzel @nerdymetalhead @minthia-ren @thefandombytes @isolated-frequencies 

Marco couldn't keep the smile off his face as the video played, a muted spectacular of self reflective glory that he felt immense pride in.

“Man” Marco murmured disappointingly, squinting to get a better view of the multicolored blur that darted in and out of frame “I wish this dude had a better camera phone, I can't see...”

“The board, Mr. Diaz?”

Marco gulped, slowly closing his laptop while Miss Skullnick threw the harshest glare she could muster his way.

“Umm, I'm sorry Miss Skullnick” Marco uneasily replied “I was...a little distracted.”

“I would've never guessed” she answered sarcastically

Marco could feel his ears burn as the class snickered.

“If you're done daydreaming about you crush..”

“Hey!”

“...whatever” Miss Skullnick completely ignored his outburst “Could you please solve the problem on the board?”

Marco studied the problem carefully, making sure to factor everything in and double check his work to ensure he didn't suffer another embarrassment so soon after being called out by the teacher.

“It's 9.” Marco said confidently.

Miss Skullnick grimaced unhappily as she grumbled “Correct Mr. Diaz but next time pay attention or I might decide to send you detention because you're annoying me.”

“Yes Miss Skullnick” Marco muttered as the bell rang, freeing the students for lunch.

“Dude, bro! I have never seen you more distracted” Marco's orange topped best friend Ferguson teased as the pair made their way to their usual spot in the cafeteria “Except maybe when Jackie's within line of sight. Checking out her page again?”

“What? No” Marco scoffed “I was just checking out that new hero on the block, you know Spiderman?”

“Ooooo” Ferguson nodded before giving an indifferent shrug “yeah, I still think that's some sort of media stunt. Hollywood's gonna probably drop the trailer next week or something.”

“Media stunt?” Marco questioned incredulously as they took their seats “The dude was climbing up walls.”

“Blue screen.”

“Blue screen?! He was climbing up real walls. LIKE A SPIDER.”

Ferguson rolled his eyes “Oh poor gullible Marco, you'd believe anything, will you? Get real man all that footage was obviously faked. Some random videos of him saving cats or helping old ladies cross the street and you're ready to believe in anything. Besides, no one wants to see a movie about some dork who got bitten by spider and somehow got super human powers. It'd never sell. Now a man dressed like bat, that I 'd watch.”

Marco gave Ferguson a deadpanned look as third person joined their table.

The boys shared a concerned look while Star Butterfly began to make herself comfortable.

The resident quiet loner with a snarky attitude was dressed in her usual attire: Most of her blond hair done up in ponytail while a small curtain of it covered a part of her face with a red devil hairband sitting on her head. A simple ribbon tied around her neck and a single spiked wristband. She was wearing a black and white striped shirt covered by a black blazer jacket. Her skirt was a seafoam green sporting a koala wearing an eyepatch stitched into the fabric. And the look was completed with her black as night combat boots for extra badness.

“Umm....can we help you?” Ferguson asked slowly.

“Nope” Star replied, quietly digging into her school mandated lunch.

“....So are we like friends now?” Marco carefully questioned.

“Psst, I don't I have friends.” Star said with a casual tone.

“Then why are you hanging out with us?” Marco rose an eyebrow.

“Seriously Star” Ferguson chimed in “What's your deal?”

Star smugly stared their way “You two are like the perfect anti-social haven. No one would even come near you two.”

“hey!” Marco cried out indignantly before noticing the wide berth the entire room had given them, a perfectly circular boundary between their table and everyone else “...hey...”

“oh lighten up” Star leaned in closer, gesturing with her fork playfully “You got me, that's something.”

Marco let out a tired sigh “You are seriously confusing me with your statements right now.”

“Good” Star beamed “Get used to it.”

“Wait, I'm confused” Ferguson motioned with a hand to stop everything “.....are we friends?”

“No Ferguson” Marco answered “we're not friends, we're just some sort of barrier between Star and any sort of social interaction she might be forced to deal with.”

“hey” Star shot back with a serious tone “Don't call me Star. Only my friends call me Star.”

“...then what do we call you?”

Star pursed her lips for a moment, face scrunching up deep in thought

“Bfly” she finally decided on “Call me Bfly.”

“Bfly?” Marco repeated “What are we in second grade? That is the lamest thing I ever heard.”

“YEAH!” Ferguson agreed before a thought suddenly came to him “Oh Marco, my lego Red 5 X-wing is coming into today. 1,559 of pure space combat. Wanna help me build it?”

“Psstyeah” Marco giving a content head nod in response “you know it.”

Star stared blankly at the two beginning to excitedly chatter about what was the most efficient way to form the legos and how fast they think they could manage it.

“Nerds” Star scoffed

“You know it” Ferguson gave a cocky nod.

“Yeah! Oh shoot” Marco snapped his fingers “I can't right after school.”

“You can't?” Ferguson parroted

“Yeah, I'm...” Marco paused as excuses began to churn in his head “I'm working on getting an internship. You know, for college credit. But hey” he quickly added “I should be able to work on it after dinner. Swing by around 8 and we'll start on it then. ”

“After?” Ferguson shook his head “No, no, no senor Diaz. It is Taco Tuesday and there is no way I am missing authentic Mexican food from your parents. I'm coming before and joining you for dinner.”  

“Fine” Marco hung his head in defeat “But you're cleaning dishes.”

“I am a guest, you are cleaning dishes my friend.”

Marco shook his head in mock annoyance when he caught Star staring at him, a flicker of worry in her oceanic blue eyes.

“Yes St...Bfly, what are you staring at?”

The concern vanished in an instant and was replaced with her usual uncaring gaze.

“Trying to figure out where you got an internship” Star answered “Last I checked, the school didn't get any offers from any of the major companies and I doubt you have any connections on the inside to land an internship.”

“How would you know Star?”

“I just do Marco. Unlike you, I do my research.”

“I'm looking into it” Marco said with a hint of finality as he rose to his feet, lunch tray firmly in his hands “and I'm sure I'll get one in no time. I am funny....”

“Debatable” Star chimed in.

Marco frowned and looked to Ferguson for support only to find his best friend nodding in agreement.

“Yeah sorry muchaco, you're not that funny.”

“Ferguson!”

“What?” the orange haired teen threw his hands up defensively “it's not my fault it's true.”

Marco rubbed his eyes, trying to ignore Star's smug smirk.

“I think I'm funny” Marco went on “I'm smart, I have good grades and have a clean record. I, Marco Diaz, am....am...am...”

“Ammmm?” Star gestured for Marco to get on with it.

“Uh oh” Ferguson scratched his cheek nervously as he stood next to Marco “Yeah he's stuck.”

“Stuck?” Star couldn't keep the disbelief out of her voice “What do you mean stuck?”'

“Jackie” Ferguson answered simply, motioning to the far side of the room.  

Star turned around and sure enough, there was the only thing existence that could ever stop Marco Ubaldo Diaz in his tracks: Jackie Lynn Thomas dressed in the usual skater girl attire.

“So how long is lover boy gonna be like...?” Star pointed Marco's dazed, goofy face.

“Until she leaves. Always gets a little brain dead around her.”

Star glanced at the frozen teen “A little?”

Ferguson shrugged “Okay, a lot.”

“I'm going to go” Star got to her feet “Tell loverboy he needs to stop staring. It's creepy.”

“Will do” Ferguson gave a mock salute.

Star couldn't decide if a weirded out stare or simply walking away was a more appropriate response.

She opted for the walk away.

Marco let out a relived sigh as he ducked and weaved through the sea of students that poured out of the classrooms like an uncontrolled torrent.

“Excuse me” Marco called out “Coming through. Oh come on! I know you saw me. We both know”

“Marco!” Ferguson called out, pulling his best friend into a smaller, less occupied hallway “Dude, what's the rush?”

“I told you.”

Ferguson stared at him blankly.

“The internship? Trying to find one? My whole entire future on the line. Come on Ferg, weren't you paying attention?”

“Honestly? No, not really.” Ferguson said with a straight face.

Marco resisted the urge to throttle his friend “You know what, just be at my house around 7, stay for dinner then we'll work on the X-wing, okay?”

“Gotcha Marco” Ferguson clicked his tongue and gestured with a finger gun “7 it is.'

“Cool, thanks!” Marco shouted before taking off at full speed down the hall.

Ferguson stood there, completely confused to why Marco had just thanked him.

Oh well, if it was important, he would've remembered.

Marco frowned and grimaced under his costume as the city went on with its usual business: Cars were honking, the overlapping chatter of millions of people filled the air as the clack clack clack of trains rumbled nearby. A normal day in the big city

and it sucked.

“Well this was a waste of an afternoon.” Marco grumbled to himself “Seriously 4 hours on duty and not a single major incident. Some stolen bikes, lost grannys but nothing! NOTHHING! How am I supposed to be a hero if there aren't heroic things to do?”

Marco glanced down at his makeshift hero outfit: His red hoodie tucked under an equally red sweater vest with messy and uneven black lines threaded into the center and  vaguely shaped in a form of a spider. A red ski mask under his hood and pair of goggles from his parents last ski trip to protect his eyes (and let him see through the harsh glare of the afternoon light). Completing the look were his old black dress pants, his regular everyday sneakers and a pair of mismatched blue gloves. He really wasn't feeling the gloves but he felt like he needed some sort of blue on him.

He really had to work on his costume.

“It's the costume right?” Marco spoke out loud apprehensively “It's got to be the costume. What do you think?”

The bird stared confusingly at the young teen before taking flight, leaving Marco without a response.

“Gee, thanks” Marco muttered sarcastically “Some help you turned out to be!”

“HELP!” A panicked voice cried from the street below “SOMEBODY HELP!”

Marco snapped out of his stupor and peered downward only to find people scattering in all directions while cars violently overturned and tossed about.

“How did I miss that?” Marco scolded himself as he leapt into a dive, the rush of air and blood thundering in his ears.

He shot his web shooter towards the next building over and pulled himself into a swing, rapidly gaining speed as the ground drew closer.

With a flick of his wrist, Marco snapped his hand free and launched himself into a forward flip, gracefully sailing through the air and nearly tumbling off balance when his feet sunk into the roof of a car.

“Man!” An older voice shouted at him from the street “That's my car!”

Marco glanced about and found himself staring a very angry old man gesturing wildly to the teenage hero.

“Oh man” Marco replied , twisting and turning anxiously as he tried to figure out a way to solve this problem “Dude I'm sorry, I-I didn't...”

“What?” The old man yelled “Think this car belonged to somebody. Man, whatcha you think you doing falling off roofs and swinging around recklessly.”

More screams filled the air alongside the sound of groaning metal and cracked glass.

Marco motioned to the source of the commotion “Dude, I got to go.”

“Man, you got to get better at this part of the job. Landings are important.”

Marco quickly got off the now cratered car and onto the street, hands still raised defensively “I'm still kinda new to this.”

“It shows.” The man shot back “Now go deal with that.”

Marco broke into a run, eager to get away from the trouble he accidentally created.

“Well” Marco murmured to himself,  stopping at the sight of a single man who just stood in the middle of the road “Out of the frying pan and into the fire. HEY BIG GUY!”

The person's head perked up upon hearing the teen's shout and glanced backwards to find a costumed guy waving at him, gesturing for them to come over.

The person turned around and Marco suddenly wish they hadn't

Normally he would've made a snide remark about how funny their choice of outfit had been, even for New York standards: Several stop signs bent and welded together forming some sort of chest armor, half of a car door wore as some sort of shoulder guard, arm and knee pads comprised of metal sheets, a pair of shades and scarf obscuring the person's face from view with a long trench coat that obviously was added for dramatic effect and two air compressor tanks strapped to their back with tubes connecting to their legs and...other arm.

Speaking of the other arm, that's what made Marco paused. The other arm that had been blocked from view but it wasn't now: It was massive in scope, comically huge. It wasn't a singular color but rather varying hues of colors and shades of rust covered metal that gave it a very Frankenstein monster vibe. He could hear the clicking of joints, pistons and various other metallic working under the surface as the thick, metal fingers flexed threateningly.

“Did you call me?” The person's voice was muffled by the scarf.

“Umm....Umm yeah.” Marco replied timidly “I...I noticed wave of destruction and you my man seem to be at the center of it.”

“I'm a girl.”

“Oh” Marco nodded “Sorry I couldn't tell with the...umm whole Mad Max thing you got going on there....”

“Awesome” she replied, a hint of happiness in her voice “I'm really glad. I wanted to keep my identity a secret so...”

“Yeah, yeah it totally work. So...umm...what's with...?” Marco motioned to the cracked pavement and flipped over cars.

“They were in my way.” The girl pointed behind her “I'm about to go rob a bank actually.”

“Umm cool. Could you not maybe? It's kinda of a crime.”

The girl used her normal hand to mockingly scratch her covered chin “I dunno. I really like money and I kinda need it.”

“Hey I totally get it” Marco agreed “but I really need you to just not do that so...”

Thwoosh.

The girl blinked in surprised as she found her regular hand constricted and wrapped tightly in some sort of webbing.

She glanced back at Marco

“Do you really want to do this the hard way?”

“Not really but that tone tells me that's what is going to happen anyway.”

“Smart.”

A harmonious clacking of gears and pistons rumbled as she pulled back her massive metal arm, almost like she was preparing to jab at Marco from 10 feet away.

“Look” Marco took a step forward “It's a nice arm but there's no way....”

There was loud woosh of pressurized air being released and the girl rocketed forward towards Marco without warning.

Marco stumbled backwards, caught off guard as the girl drew closer, a sudden rush of air current propelling her fist directly at his face.

Marco regained his balance and dove out of the way just in time to avoid the hurtling chunk of metal that narrowly knocked his head off.

The girl dug her boots into the ground, digging deeply into the asphalt and cracking the pavement as she slowed to a stop, almost falling face forward to the floor from the sudden shift of momentum.

She whirled around in time to see Marco lunge at her, arm outstretched outward as a string of that webbing came sailing for her.

She rose her arm quickly and the webbing caught harmlessly on the metallic surface.

“You're really fast with that” Marco groaned, pulling at the string as hard as he could “Harness with a joints?”

“Among other stuff” The girl answered, straining to pull herself free of his grip. This scrawny guy and this web-like substance were stronger than they looked.

Marco looked about, trying to figure some sort of way to gain leverage when he felt a sharp tug on his web.

“Uh oh” Marco muttered as he was thrust violently through the air.

The girl pulled her arm back, dragging the unsuspecting hero towards her. With a grunt of effort, she clawed forward, swiping at her hapless that came her way.

Marco let go of his webbing and released another at a streetlight, pulling himself upwards and just barely avoiding the melee attack.

“Geesh” Marco hung upside, watching the girl steady her footing and glance his way “That can't be street legal.”

“What gave it away?” The girl replied jokingly “The fact it's made out random scrap.”

“So you're kinda of my first real villain and I feel really jerky if I just called you girl or something. Got a name?”

She pursed her lips “I was thinking going with Junkhead. Cuz...” she motioned to her arm.

“It's got some promise but I would've called you Junker” Marco pulled himself onto of the post “Or Gauntlet. You know...because the armor.”

The girl nodded in approval “Gauntlet. I like it. And what do I call you?”

“Spiderman” Marco replied

“That's a Spider?” Gauntlet leaned forward “I thought that was....actually I don't know what I thought that was. It looks like a bug splat.”

“Hey!”

“Like you're gonna be Spider Dork.”

Marco eyes popped out of his sockets as Gauntlet roughly ripped the streetlight from the concrete and tossed it away with Marco still ontop.

Marco leapt off the flying piece of New York City Property and landed gracefully onto the sidewalk below. Instinct screamed danger but by the time he regained his bearings, a massive row of metallic fingers connected with his stomach, knocking all the air out of him and sending him scraping the sidewalk viciously 20 feet away.

Marco coughed violently as he tried to refill his depleted lungs. He wearily grasped at a nearby car and struggled to lift himself to his feet.

He faintly hear the sound of metal being crunched and torn but he couldn't make heads or tails of what it could mean. He was too busy trying to catch his breath.

“Catch Spidey” Gauntlet called out, giving a sloppy pitcher's throw in his direction.

His instincts screamed at him, alarms went off in his head as he glanced towards Gauntlet's way only to notice the violently spinning car door coming his way.

Marco bent backwards, planting one hand firmly on the ground to steady himself as the projectile passed overhead, showering Marco in chunks of metal and glass debris before slamming into the side of a building with a mighty thud.

Marco pushed himself up and flipped backwards as Gauntlet closed the distance, swiping at him once more hoping to catch him off guard.

Marco landed on his feet, crouching low as the villain stood there, flexing her fingers.

“Getting tired Spidey?” Gauntlet asked.

“Not at all” Marco stood “But I think you might be running a little low on air.”

“Me?” Gauntlet gestured to herself, trying to keep her breathing steady “Not on your life.”

Marco smirked under his mask as he quickly flicked his wrist and shot another web towards his foe.

Gauntlet was quick in reacting but her arm wasn't. It sluggishly rose, trying to block the attack but this time it hadn't been fast enough. The web sailed past and approached Gauntlet's scarf, ready to pry it off

She reacted the only way she could: She twisted her body and cut downward with her arm, intercepting the web midair but leaving her back completely exposed to Spiderman.

Marco saw his chance. With another quick flick, he shot at one of the compressor's on her back. The web latched on with a satisfying thunk and Marco pulled with all his strength.

Gauntlet swore under her breath as she felt herself being pulled backwards but there was no time to complain about her mistake. She fought against the webbing as she placed her metal arm on the floor and pushed back. She gave herself a smug grin as she felt the tension of the string snap while she flew backwards.

She unsteadily landed on her feet but dropped into a fighting stance. Something felt off. Something had change. She felt lighter, almost like....

She could feel the blood drain out of her face as she saw Spiderman cockily wave her air compressor at her, gesturing if he should give it back.

Gauntlet weighed her options: with only one air compressor, her speed would be dramatically slowed and eventually fail all together. Even if she did beat the pest, she doubt she could take on the police or even continue onto the bank. No matter how this played out there was no way she could come out on top.”

“Surrender” Marco called out, causally tossing the near full container over his shoulder “There's no way you can win.”

Marco could practically feel her glare from behind her goggles, the cogs turning in her head as she weighed her options.

Gauntlet opened her mouth to speak when something glinted in the distance. Smoke trailing behind a red and gold blur. She squinted against the harsh sun when a chill formed in the pit of her stomach.

Spiderman watched a Gauntlet furiously fixed her fingers, her face still behind the scarf and goggles.

“You win this round Spider but next time, I will splat you.”

Marco blinked in surprise as she bent her knees, looking skyward as if about to fly. He run forward with a dull, tight ache filled his back and paralyzed him for a moment.

A moment was all she needed as Gauntlet's arm hissed and with a single punch, flung herself high into the air. She disappeared from view as she hopped over an entire building and the sound of broken cement could be heard 2 blocks over.

Marco could feel the adrenaline of battle end and his body ache wearily. Even if he wanted to go after her, he would've just been too tired to try.

Marco plopped onto the floor, resting his body when something shiny approached him, the sun glinting off its surface brightly.

Marco's eyes widen when he realized he was staring at the one, the only Iron Man, the tech hero and bodyguard to Tom Lucitor, heir to Lucitor Industries and creator of the suit.

Marco scampered to his feet, trying to keep his nerves calm but how could he?! He was meeting his hero. HIS HERO. Not in a dream, here in real life! FOR REAL.

Iron Man looked over the battered Marco, eying him carefully “Are you Spiderman?”

“Yes” Marco said a little too quickly “I mean...Yeah that's me. I'm the Spiderman. Well it's just Spiderman.”

Iron Man nodded “Good work kid” he told him in his heavily robotic voice “Go home. I'll clean up the mess here.”

Marco opened his mouth to argue when he felt a wince of pain course through his body.

“Trust me” Iron Man told him with a hint of pride in his voice “You did good. Go home kid.”

“Thanks Iron Man.” Marco eagerly waved goodbye “it means a lot coming from you. If you ever need me, just let me know.”

Iron Man said nothing as Marco made his way around the corner.

Marco let out a sleepy yawn as his phone shrilled at that he gotten a new text. It was 11 o'clock at night according to the time stamp. He swore if Ferguson was going to complain about how much lego Luke Skywalker did not look like Mark Hamil again, Marco was going to shave his head bald.

Marco groggily rubbed at his eyes, trying to read the message through blurry eyes but he didn't recognize the number. Nothing rang familiar about the area code or the following seven digits and the message contained within was even more confusing.

'Meet me on roofs'

Another shrill, another message

'*Roof, sorry autocorrect.'

Who could that be?

Marco stood, yawning loudly while slipping on his sneakers.

Normally this would've been a bad idea but he was Spiderman and he just took on his first real villain and WON! He was feeling pretty bad ass right if he did say so himself.

Marco softly opened his bedroom window and climbed onto the fire escape that hung off the side of the apartment. Marco shook the sleep out of his eyes as he climbed higher, the icy cold New York night freezing him awake.

Marco made onto the roof only to find a familiar metallic figure waiting for him.

“Marco Diaz?” Iron Man asked carefully, making his way over to the now awestruck teen.

Marco nodded dumbly

“The real identity of Spiderman?”

Marco froze, his heart stopping mid-beat

“I-I....what? Who?” Marco began “Whose that? Is that that costume freak that goes around, thinking he's a hero? Because that's...that's not...”

“I followed you home. You should really think about changing somewhere more private. This rooftop is pretty low.”

Marco hung his head in shame “I should've thought of that. Wait” Marco stared curiously at the armored hero “Why are you here?”

“To recruit you” Iron Man stated matter of fact “You saw. More villains are on the rise and we heroes need to stick together. And your suit isn't exactly battle approved.”

“Me? A hero?” Marco whispered breathlessly

“You are one, right?”

Marco could hear the prodding tone underneath the layers of distortion almost like he was trying to goad him.

“Yes, I am” Marco gave a confident nod.

“Good” Iron Man's chest opened, splitting apart as the figure within took a step outside, stretching their arms high towards the sky “because I've been thinking I might need partner sometimes.”

Marco's face fell as he recognized the true identity of Iron Man, his all time favorite hero and idol.

“Tom Lucitor?! The rich jerkbag teen?! You're Iron Man?!”

Tom wiped nonexistent dirt from his suit “Duh, who else would it be?”

[beatsfortheillperth]

Words with Somanyfeels Part 2

Shot by @samuel_thecanadian⁣⁣

Julian aka Somanyfeels abilities with self-directed piecing of artistic trinkets is something we here at beatsfortheill admire about the various artists we get the opportunity to explore future readings and words with, and the big moves Julian is making under his accomplice is beyond the appreciation we are able to give via our blog, but this globetrotter isn't far of more global recognition.

As with writers' block on the mind for myself and then to suddenly, with true suave, have Julian, display his skills toying with human mood after my rough couple of weeks with a mix that truly helped me explore the various healing avenues that music can relate to us as individuals, going through everyday struggles.

So without further delay, let us take a moment to re-explore words with Julian a good friend and previous words with, and found out more about what his mix segment- "Endeavour v1" means to him and let us also dabble in his future endeavors and dreams, so with appreciate enjoy the following words with Somanyfeels.

Let us start with a few random generals to get the conversation flowing, a bit like a repeat from the last time we shared words, so let us see if things have changed up since then?

Favorite Food: A plate full of Al Pastor Tacos with a lot of lime and some horchata.

Favorite Beverage: Matcha tea

Favorite thing to do when you get downtime by yourself:  Take a Nap

Best place to enjoy a wine and view in Las Vegas: Highly recommend any desert area outside of Las Vegas. I love taking pictures and being outdoors with friends. There are some amazing views of the sunset at this place I go right by my house. My friends and I head down to the wash area by this singular tiny mountain and we just talk about life as the golden hour begins and ends.

Favorite piece of clothing and, why you hold a special bond with it: My favorite piece of clothing is actually jewelry. I have this blue-painted silver medallion that I received as a gift while exploring the medina in Fez, Morocco. It reminds me there is more going on in this world than what you see before you, and to try travel as much as you can.

Best song to break it down to at the moment: I would like to mention two tracks for this topic… KALI YUGA - GHOSTMANE & CLAMS CASINO & ANYMORE - FLAUNT EDWARDS

Best song to chill to on a hectic day: THUNDERSTORM - PRODUCERBOIBRAD

Favorite song to listen to at the moment: EARL (INSTRUMENTAL) - EARL SWEATSHIRT

Best Genre of music to listen to when craving emotional connection with one's self: Ambient music heals the soul.

Views on politics: American politicians should be prioritizing the environment over all other political issues. I also believe Americans bought into the illusion that we are in control of what our government does for the countries best interests. I’m not entirely sure about the rest of the world though, so I doubt my opinion has much weight with how things are going nationally and internationally. I think we need to just keep ourselves informed with the use of reliable news resources and we should also put more focus on keeping our planet as clean as we can.

Views on drinking milk throughout the day: Almond milk in a coffee, of course, but if it’s hot often where you are, like it is in Vegas, I would suggest sticking to water. I also think about that scene in Anchorman when Ron loses Baxter!

The Rabbit Hole - Shot By Rosemary Fajardo 

Thanks for answering those little rants, so let us get onto your music. 

You have been guest hosting on radio, sharing tunes with the world,

and also making some of the best blends and mixes I have ever had the privilege of listening to, much love.

What keeps you moving forward with your goals within the music scene? 

Also what have been some of the best tools you have had at hand reach when it comes to creating and delivering quality sets and blends? 

Thank you so much for the kind words about this particular craft of mine <3 I definitely feel that my friends who also make music in my circle, are the people who keep me closest to my love of mixing music and playing shows. 

Witnessing their work ethic grow with wisdom is some type of magic.

I certainly was not expecting to reach this magnitude within the Las Vegas music culture and I was at one time hosting my own radio show but decided to pursue a different route and become more intimate and technical with my musical presentations. 

Hosting your own radio show takes A LOT of time, which at the time was stressing me out. I felt like the quality of work I was putting out on a weekly became biweekly then seldom the basis was in decline. 

To people out there looking to pick up radio, it is extremely fun and teaches you a lot about communication and self-reliance. 

I also think it's totally fine to hit the reset button to keep your spirit up. You can always revisit your past projects and continue to pursue your love for the craft.

Mixing live in front of crowds while on stage is what I love doing now.

When mixing, I can use all Traktor controllers but am also familiar with Pioneer CDJ’s and controllers. 

Traktor is my main resource for feeling comfortable, well most comfortable on stage. 

I stick to using remix decks, 2-4 channels depending on the routine, with effects from both my controller and the house mixer.

Do you always have to schedule in time or does it just fall into a routine, creating I mean?

It is at random for mixes I create at home. When I feel it, I'll just go for it, but for shows, it does take a sort of scheduling presence and sorting of skills to make sure I feel prepared for the upcoming event. 

Keep in mind, not all shows are the same, so you have to really organize and then re-organize your playlists depending on the crowds you will be playing for and the vibe the event promoter will be expecting. 

In the end, as a DJ I believe firmly that it is your job to be the glue between artists before and after you.

You have to learn to look up at the faces in front of you too, sort of read how people are reacting to your song selection and with that, you have to try and adapt on the fly as much as possible.

I’m still trying to perfect this lol.

It has to be mentioned, you are quite a gifted photographer.

I had a scroll with a good friend through your shoots and you def know your angles, much love.

How far do you feel you've come from first experimenting with a camera to what I believe you are now, a self-proclaimed skill shooter down the lens?

Also, what is your favorite style of shoot to portray a scene via the lens?

Also, what's your preference time to shoot: Night or Day?

You are always learning and adapting with a cam.

I absolutely love it. 

I don’t think that I am that profound just yet since there is so much more I need to understand, but if you enjoy light painting images, then I would reference my work to you :) I am a night-time shooter mostly so I'd say night time with the exception of a good golden hour or blue hour shoot. Night shots feel like you and your subject are the only ones on the planet, and the ability to light up the night with a light source is pure sorcery! 

It reminds me a lot of Magic: The Gathering. a lot of the graphics from those cards inspire me to utilize an experimental light source.

Let's bring it back to the reason I am asking to have words with you again, and that reason is your creation, with essence -a new mix, titled "Endeavor v1".

It has to be one of my favorites, of many great mixes by yourself, and I am privileged to be featuring "Endeavor v1" on our SoundCloud alongside this interview, link to the mix is here.

Honestly, thank you!, you actually got me onto a few new artists that I had never heard of thanks to the beauty.

People like marrow with Kafia, Otrapic, and Carlo Frick; all artists that are truly pushing diverse waves and instilling moods all over, that I was yet to hear before Endeavor thank you! While we are on the topic, what are your personal views on these artists in the making? 

These artists are great and I highly recommend that you listen to them!

Otrapic’s sound resonates with me so much. As much as I love that hard gritty and ground splitting bass sound from artists in my library, the storytelling element that Otrapic has just levels me out and makes me want to tell my emotions to someone close.

 Carlo Frick makes your brain swivel in place. I’ve opened many sets with his music at the forefront of the tracklist- in fact - I think any hard set I play will include a sound from his discography. 

Kafia has that haunting element of like a siren’s presence underwater in her musical style. 

Keep in mind, these artists you’ve mentioned from Endeavor v1s tracklist are particularly underrated. 

Kafia shows that you have to really let loose upon yourself when digging deep into Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Spotify etc. 

Trust the flow of the search for music and you will find those gem artists turn-by-turn.

On the subject, again, what bought you to your mix concept for "Endeavors"? What type of day/night was it, and what had been playing in your head before you even thought to put the playlist together? 

It was super late. I came home after a night out in The Arts District of Las Vegas, and I just felt really sad. Anyone get that way after drinking too much and you’re like super on the edge of blacking out but have loads of energy that has been held so close for too long? 

I had to let it out and went into my little corner area in my house where all my plants and records are and just turned on the controller and played what I thought would express my feelings inside. I woke up the next morning and played it back and thought "oh shit this went fairly well", lol. Sometimes sadness can drive you to make some really interesting projects. It's okay to feel these feelings.

Will, there be follow on concepts for Endeavor? Like how you dabbled in your previous works "HUNT//GATHER which came in a 5 volume mix of ambient allure, much love again for that. I loved what HUNT//GATHER represented. I remember you saying "It is intended to put the listener out of their element and into something wild and untamed" talking about the five-volume.

Truly a unique artist you are my friend, much gratitude. 

If you do plan the volume for Endeavour, what would your goals and visions be for the project? Also what journey are you hoping to take your listeners on with works to come?

I appreciate the kind words on my previous mix series <3 <3 <3

and I think I would love to do something like that series again!!

Sure why not ;) This sound could work, I have loads more of this sound just sitting there looking for a home.

I think that could be the theme too!

“Searching for home, all the while achieving the tasks you set before you to prepare for your arrival”.

Something like that?

 A goal of mine would be to make it a journey for the listener to enjoy.

With Endeavor, if you could give one descriptive paragraph for all it embodies from your point of view what would you state?

It’s your interaction with the elements in our world.

It's packed with all beats airy, wavy and blissful to help tell the story of…whatever it is you see after hearing the track order, to be honest! Find someplace relaxing to you, maybe a productive place and play this out. 

I think it’ll bring you into some sort of meditative state :)

Any up and coming artists, music and beyond you could recommend and give us links to? 

INDESCRIBABLE INDY

https://indescribable.bandcamp.com/

WEIRDDOUGH

https://weirddough.bandcamp.com/

ONEONTHEBEAT

https://1blaps.bandcamp.com/

MATT NISH

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5IcGFKFypLHBm9fUCbhl1u

OUMUAMUA

https://soundcloud.com/oumuamua

LO THE DINO

https://soundcloud.com/lothedino

One of my favorite questions to ask, any musical recommendations?

Albums, songs, or a blessed mix like your own for example? 

I would personally recommend an artist by the name of Terekke.

His "Improvisational Loops" Album is filled with some of the most amazing ambient music I’ve heard.

https://www.musicfrommemory.com/release/6031/terekke/improvisational-loops

How have your previous experiences with doing live sets been going? 

I can only imagine the mood you would set. What has been your favorite experience as of late?

Well.. to be clear, I haven’t really done a full live set just yet.

With remix decks on traktor, switching over to those can be a kinetic experience with the audience. 

My real joy is to present sounds as a vibe selection - something that tells a story with energy exchange.

My challenge lately is looking at the crowd and reading their movements and my most favorite experience playing live is just glancing up after a transition and seeing a guy (pristinely dress) spilling his beer all over the floor while getting down.

I just really loved seeing that reaction to music. He didn’t care one bit and was just wayyyy into the song that was playing.

An old memory would have to be from a Halloween show years back at this venue called Velveteen Rabbit in the Arts District of LV.

I specifically remember just dancing harder than I’ve ever danced while dj’ing. Right in front of the small fold up table with my gear with all my friends just throwing their hands at me.

It felt like I was inside of a fireball.

I will forever cherish that night. connection to the crowd, close friends or newly met ones, that will always fuel me to play music.

Any up and coming shows or gigs you'd like to brief us on that you feel readers would be intrigued with checking out?

I just finished 2 sets for the end of October.

My birthday is Halloween, so I just want to spend time with friends and take photos throughout November.

I have a couple of collaborations in the works rn with some friends who need some photos; just have to see how they turn out.

As for music, I’m taking a month off from shows but I would like to play one for NYE. ;)

Any Last Words?

Please bear in mind that life is fragile.

We are on a rock that is highly susceptible to an array of destruction from uncontrollable forces we can’t even see coming from beyond the known cosmos.

Your milliseconds here are precious. what can you do to make the best of those moments?

Support Somanyfeels Here:

Somanyfeels Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/somanyfeelsmusic

Somanyfeels Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/_somanyfeels_/?hl=en

Somanyfeels Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/somanyfeelsphoto/

[docholligay]

Comments on First Impression

bearisonford I love this.  When you first mentioned the tie I was like...Is that the taco tie???  And to find out it is made me laugh out loud at my office.   I really enjoy the banter between tracer and pharah ans how Em is feeling like she fits in at the end od it

THANK YOU from the first day I saw the hideous fish taco tie, I was like “Tracer needs that. On a base level.”

rhiorhino So I know I generally save my comments for my reblogs but I just saw the "when you learn what pants are" line again and I'm dying.

Was looking for a “British English vs North American English” joke and honestly the idea of Lena showing up in her underwear does not disappoint.

keyofjetwolf I know you've struggled with this, though not only do I not know why, but none of that effort shows in the final product. I've adored the bits and bobs you've shown me, and I loved reading them again in the context of the full work. You continue to endear the characters to me, and I continue to be grumpy about it. YES EVEN WHEN I ASK FOR THEM The opening bit with Mercy and Pharah. The way they're so fucking married warms my goddamn heart. Mercy sitting there thinking about new love and being romantic, meanwhile Pharah's spitting in the sink, and help me, I loved that transition. And how it comes with the acknowledgement that maybe it's a changed love, but still love and no less for its comfort and familiarity. And Pharah starting in on Tracer before Tracer's even there. SUBLIME. The one mystery left: WHO PAID

 I’M SO PLEASED THAT I’VE MADE YOU SHIP MERCY AND PHARAH. And yes, for me it’s important to write about how love is different, when you’ve been with someone a long time, but somehow it’s NICER, it’s not wild, it’s more comfortable, like a couch you’ve laid on forever and its worn specifically to you.

And the answer is, of course, Mercy and Emily split the bill while Pharah and Tracer continued to bicker.

keyofjetwolf Over to Tracer and Emily, who not only are in a different stage of their relationship, but just so very different. Tracer's little spiral down into her thoughts about the prawns, those moments are always a joy. OH AND. I wanted to take a moment to compliment not just your Emily voice, but how you've chosen to write her accent. I know you work hard on that (BY WHICH I MEAN OBSESS ABOUT IT), and I keep meaning to mention it specifically to you. Things like having her say "aren’t they now". They're little twists on her dialogue that always put me in the right place for her (she has a lovely, warm, rolling Scottish brogue in my head). I know you'll never give yourself enough credit for it, SO LET ME ASSURE YOU OF HOW GOOD IT IS.

THANKS I’M INCREDIBLY INSECURE ABOUT IT FOR LITERALLY NO REASON AS IT’S NOT SOMETHING I WOULD EVER FAULT ANYONE ELSE FOR

But yeah, I’ve said this before, but Tracer’s tiny ADHD brain is MY tiny ADHD brain and this is literally why I have alarms set for every five minutes when I need to leave. keyofjetwolf So then Emily finally meets Pharah and Mercy, and it goes exactly like I'd expect. Pharah managing to be intimidating just by being in the room, Mercy lovely and sweet and also kind of awkward and ugh they're such nerds, I hate that I love them. ADORED Emily self-censoring, trying not put herself down. She's only known Tracer a while, and it's a beautiful touch to see how good Tracer's been for her. YOU REALIZE OF COURSE AT SOME POINT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WRITE ABOUT TRACER MEETING EMILY'S PARENTS

 I PROBABLY WILL AT SOME POINT keyofjetwolf Angela touched her arm. “I am delighted with the product of all of her work,” she giggled, a bit drunkenly.  --Gods help us, they're both a little drunk and even more ridiculous.

Ang gets handsy when she’s drunk

keyofjetwolf The whole part about leadership was just brilliant. How Emily accidentally hurt Tracer's feelings, and how Pharah WENT OUT OF HER WAY to make sure Tracer got her due credit. (I really adore this little thread of real contention you have between Pharah and Tracer.) What I think I loved most though was how Tracer had gotten lost in her own thoughts for a second, and not only did Pharah recognize it, she wasn't upset or thrown off by it--but then, again very specifically, attracted Tracer's attention to bring her back into things and make sure Tracer heard Pharah was complimenting and acknowledging her. There were so many displays of understanding, caring, and respect there, and it felt tremendously important to me to see them.

When I wrote this whole thing, AS MUCH AS I HATED IT, I knew, if nothing else, you would really like and appreciate that one passage. AND I AM GLAD I WAS RIGHT, TRULY, BECAUSE IF NOTHING ELSE THAT WAS JUST FOR YOU (and I know you’ve seen, and enjoyed, the bits of the fic that go directly into this issue, which takes place before this)

keyofjetwolf Then the whole end, which was amazing. The suit (SHE PUFFS HERSELF UP) versus the fucking tactical orange ~LYCRA~ leggings. And by the end, Emily had relaxed and slipped right in, and it was wonderful to see.I hope you'll choose soon to "officially" add it to your body of Overwatch work. You being stubborn and wrong as usual aside, it's a wonderful story, and it deserves to be there. THANK YOU FOR DOING SO WELL WITH MY PROMPT I LOVE IT

 I DID EVENTUALLY YOU’LL FIND

sailorsunspot I don't get on tumblr super often anymore because life is crazy; but my absolute favorite thin is when I get on and get to read another fic by you - you have no idea how large of a smile this put on my face, and how it brightened my entire morning today.

 YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW THIS IS  BRIGHTENING MY DAY THANK YOU sailorsunspot Everything is love; mercy romanticizing new love to the tune of Pharah spitting, the juxtaposition Emily made between the Married Couple of Effortlessness and her awkward temerity + Tracer's...tracerness; I really love and appreciate how you highlight them two and play off of each other.

I love both of these couples so much and so differently, and I really appreciate that I write them in a way you can enjoy, because I know you love Pharah and Mercy!

sailorsunspot ALSO You have such a gift for connecting your writing - which feels like a weird thing to say? But I always love and revel in the lines I can draw, from one passage to another, the themes that hold true and fast, how you position foils to highlight differences and similarities - you're just, objectively, a Really Fantastic Writer. The fact that you write about relatable and characters I LOVE is proof some higher being likes me

 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS I AM BLUSHING. And yes, it’s really important for me that certain themes stay true to the characters, or that there’s little details long time readers can pick up--Mouse the grey kitten has made appearances in several of my haruka-based fics, for example. The blue shirt from jet’s Blue Shirt has shown up, too. (To say nothing of like, Actual Character Traits and Details) But especially in my OW work, which is one long, extended arc, I really appreciate you telling me that it feels cohesive, because it’s intended to be one story about these six people that I adore, and how they grow and change with each other.

sailorsunspot ALSO I LITERALLY DIED AT TACTICAL LEGGINGS. Tracer and Pharah automatically falling into playful snippy mode, trying to verbally outwit each other is like, the BEST.

 THANK YOU SO MUCH

[xinnamonbun]

This is very fair and I am a SUCKER for "forgiveness through moving on not reconnecting" and I absolutely love the idea of both Mic and Taco getting their happy endings without each other, but I need to know...are my balls safe-

hello tumblr user. in front of you there is an character who happens to be a woman AND an antagonist who severely struggles with letting go (it is the healthiest choice for her), hurted a lot of people (that do not want her back on their lives), and is extremely violent due to her lack of care for everyone on general. your challenge is to describe her on a meaningful way and to NOT just say things such as "she's hot" "girlboss" or "she can do that to me any time" and you also have to actually care about her as a person. if you fail i am shooting you in the balls. the challenge starts NOW