#the black country alphabet song

[mystery-of-arkham-asylum]

Today is Black Country Day in my part of England. This is the 10th year that it is being celebrated. The Black County is a small area in the West Midlands  made up of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton.

The Black Country gained its name in the mid nineteenth century due to the smoke from the many thousands of ironworking foundries and forges plus also the working of the shallow and 30ft thick coal seams.

(A couple maps below to show the area. Even found one that shows some of the famous, to us at least, locations in the area.)

July 14th was chosen as the date for Black Country Day due to its historical importance, as it was on this day in 1712 that the first steam engine was invented.

The feat of engineering was built in the Black Country, an area that played a huge part in the industrial revolution.

The flag features a chain to represent the manufacturing heritage of the area whilst the upright triangular shape in the background recalls the iconic glass cones and iron furnaces that featured in the architectural landscape of the area. The red and black colours recall the famous description of the Black Country by Elihu Burritt, the American Consul to Birmingham in 1862, that it was "black by day and red by night" owing to the smoke and fires of industry.

Enjoy this silly little song that has been living rent free in my head for years. It shows how we say some things in the Black Country.

[flowerandblood]

The Gate of Salvation [2/3]

[ young pope • Aemond x catholic • female ]

[ warnings: fingering, smut, sexual tension, angst, religious guilt, doubts related to faith, chauvinism ]

[ description: During the conclave, a new pope is elected, but to everyone's surprise, he does not intend to show himself to the crowds waiting for him. His ideas terrify the cardinals, and one of them convinces his niece, who is studying marketing, to talk to the new head of the Catholic Church in his presence. Main theme: sexual tension & holy touch. ]

A mini-series created as a thank you and celebration of my 2'500 followers. I initially plan that it will have about 3 chapters.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

The Song of Songs (Oneshot) Death and Ressurection (Oneshot)

Aemond as a Pope Edit Series Characters Moodboard Aemond NSFW Alphabet

* English is not my first language. Please, do not repost. Enjoy! *

Next chapters: Masterlist

_____

After her meeting with the Pope, she had been writhing around all night, terrified and humiliated, unable to sleep. She couldn't forgive herself for her stupidity, for not seeing in time that it was obvious her uncle was trying to slip her over to the head of the Catholic Church like a snack he might be tempted to focus on.

The worst part was that he had hired her and she didn't know how she could take it back, defy the Pope himself, communicate that she was rejecting his proposal.

She got up before dawn, recognising that she would not get any rest anyway, and decided to take a warm shower. She thought while standing under the stream of hot water that she would try to distance herself, be professional and not give satisfaction to either her uncle or the Pope himself.

She hoped that when he finally decided to give any sort of interview the commotion around him would quiet down and she could quickly offer her resignation.

She sighed heavily, running her hand over her wet face, wondering how she was supposed to reconcile this madness with her classes at the University.

A car with the same driver as the day before arrived outside her townhouse again and took her straight to the Vatican; driving through its streets, she noticed that many people had pitched tents in and around St Peter's Square, waiting for any new information about their Pope.

She sighed quietly, resignedly thinking about how unnecessary his stubbornness actually was.

This time it was not her uncle waiting for her in the square, but a middle-aged priest who could have been her father, dressed in a plain black cassock. He smiled at her in a way that seemed genuine to her and she reciprocated the gesture when he indicated with a movement of his hand that she should move to follow him.

"The Pope is just having breakfast in the garden and he will receive you there." He said as they walked along the marble corridors filled with works of art; she looked at him surprised and sighed quietly, glancing out of the window, finding that it was indeed pleasant warm weather, the sky was cloudless.

They walked out one of the back exits to the cloisters into a small garden consisting of a maze formed of walls of shrubbery, which, however, easily led them to its centre, on which stood a large arbour styled in antique manner, with a dome and Corinthian-style columns.

She grinned with some kind of disbelief when she spotted his figure seated at an ornate small white table, his cassock also white, he held in his hands a newspaper he had just been looking through.

She thought with amusement that he was reading about himself.

Only when they got closer did she notice that other gazettes from different countries lay folded on the table top; the front pages of each asking who the new pope was, why he wasn't showing himself, why he was silent.

"Your Holiness." Said the priest standing next to her and nodded; the young pope, however, did not even bestow a single glance on them.

She pressed her lips together as she saw his thumb go to his mouth, he licked it and then used it to flip the page of the newspaper.

The priest who had brought her left them alone, as if he had already become accustomed to the lack of reaction and any culture on his part. She stared at him in silence for a moment, standing in front of him in the same dress as the day before, not having time to buy anything else.

"Holy Father." She said softly, wanting to get it over with, standing a few steps beside him.

He did not look at her, instead lifting his hand and extending it towards her, a signet ring of pure gold on his heart finger.

She looked at him for a moment in disbelief, then swallowed hard and walked towards him, grasping his warm hand in hers.

She leaned in, placing a quick, brief kiss on his ring and let him go immediately; he took his hand without even giving her a glance and went back to reading the newspaper.

She pressed her lips together feeling his intense, pleasant-smelling male perfume again.

"What do you think of what they write about me?" He asked, carelessly tossing the newspaper he had just read onto a pile of others, the discouragement on his face bordering on disgust, as if what he had read made him sick. "They are already reaching my family. Day and night they chat outside my mother's house."

She felt a tightness in her throat at his words and some kind of sympathy, because although he must have known what his decision entailed and what the consequences would be, some journalists crossed all possible boundaries, recognising no sanctity.

She shifted from foot to foot, looking at the French croissants that lay on one of the porcelain plates and a jar of strawberry jam, and reminded herself that she hadn't eaten breakfast. She grunted quietly, looking away, staring at the field flowers that grew around them – she spotted a gardener in the distance who was cutting the shrubs with his big steel shears.

"They won't stop until you give them something, Holy Father." She replied truthfully, hearing him snort under his breath.

"They will always want more." He replied dryly and she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye – he was staring at her sitting with his legs crossed.

She shuddered and looked at him in disbelief as he pushed the other chair in front of her with his foot clad in white elegant shoes, moving it away.

"Sit down, child. You are pale. Did you eat breakfast today?" He asked disapprovingly, like a parent expressing their discontent. She shook her head and he sighed heavily, indicating with his hand gesture to the seat next to him.

She thought that this certainly had nothing to do with behaving according to protocol, but decided that it probably didn't matter much to him. She sat down next to him, smelling the intense scent of his perfume again, adjusting her dress, remembering not to sit with her legs crossed.

"Eat." He said dispassionately; she wasn't going to argue, figuring that since she was being forced to be at his every beck and call now, she could get something in return.

Therefore, she reached for the croissant and jam, which immediately drew the attention of her stomach – she casted him a wordless surprised glance as she heard the sound of the lighter being lit and the hiss of the cigarette he held in his mouth.

He took a deep drag and spread out comfortably in his chair, looking at her thoughtfully, letting the smoke out through his nose. He smirked, as if something in her gaze amused him.

"My chancellery contacted your University. They were happy to hear that you will be doing a sort of…internship here. You don't have to worry about your exams or classes." He hummed as if he was talking about something trivial and uninteresting, an irrelevant piece of information he had to convey to her, and took another drag, the tip of his cigarette igniting red.

"− what − but −" She started, but decided it made no sense; whoever he was, this man had clearly already planned everything for himself and had no intention of changing anything, much less asking her opinion.

"I thought you'd be pleased. Your uncle arranges for you accommodation and studies, the Pope makes sure you pass your exams without your personal involvement. Isn't that beautiful?" He asked with a sneer, and she felt a tightening in her throat, a cold sweat on her back; she stared wide-eyed at the half-cut croissant on which she had just spread jam, but lost the urge to eat.

He knew everything about her and thought she and her uncle were the same.

She pressed her lips together and leaned back against the backrest, placing her hands on the armrests even though she shouldn't be doing so and crossed her legs. She saw his gaze drop involuntarily to her bare knees, his cigarette burning slowly between his fingers.

"My uncle wants you to take me to your bed, Holy Father." She said quietly, recognising that she didn't have the strength for this, for their games, their hookups, the secrets they obviously adored, of which the entire Vatican was made.

She blinked when he chuckled, his pointing finger hitting his cigarette so that the ash from it fell to the stone floor beneath him.

"Tell me something I don't know. Eat. We have a lot of work ahead of us." He muttered, taking one last drag on his cigarette, letting the smoke out through his nose, extinguishing the remnants of it on his plate.

She stared at him with her heart pounding fast, thinking in disbelief that he really was a few steps ahead of everyone else.

He was perfectly informed, and although his words and actions seemed chaotic, there was purpose in them.

"What do you want, Holy Father?" She asked lightly, taking a piece of croissant into her mouth. He threw her an amused look and raised an eyebrow.

She had the impression that he took satisfaction in teasing her, his gaze fixed on her lips, which she involuntarily licked.

"Many things. Above all, holy peace and quiet, but I am not afforded it. Get up, let's take a walk." He said matter-of-factly and rose abruptly, putting his hands behind him, moving ahead without looking at her towards the corridors made of tall, evenly trimmed bushes.

She quickly swallowed the piece she just had in her mouth and stood up, following him, levelling her step with his, sunshine and birdsong all around them.

"We're being watched. It's harder for them to eavesdrop on me as I walk." He said coolly; she turned behind her and saw the gardener she noticed before, who was apparently just pretending to water the flowers around the arbour.

She looked at him in horror, realising that he must have been spied on all the time.

That they all wanted to know what he was going to do, surely he must have kept them in an iron grip since no picture of him had leaked to the press yet.

"What's going to make the atmosphere calm down and the journalists back off?" He asked discouraged, and she sighed quietly, looking up at the cloudless sky.

"Your private invitation."

She was surprised that her idea that he would hold a press conference where he would be invisible and only his voice could be heard appealed to him. He felt that, in fact, his faithful should hear his words and what he has to share with them, and this did not require his image to be revealed at all.

He decided to receive the TV and newspaper envoys in the Sistine Chapel, recognising that this was some kind of milestone moment that required a special place, a black veil was placed in front of his papal throne.

Although on the one hand it looked comical, on the other it added a sort of solemnity and impression of holiness, something tangible and yet inaccessible.

The cardinals and his office workers had prepared a script for him, which he tore in front of her eyes before the speech itself, handing her the shreds that remained of the pages, staring blankly at the black fabric in front of him. She took it from him, not knowing what else she could do; he demanded she be by his side in case someone asked an uncomfortable question.

Her heart was pounding like mad, she could feel the cold sweat on her back and wondered if he felt a similar anxiety.

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and although his face was stony, he seemed even paler to her than usual, his large hands on which she could clearly see the outline of his veins clenched on his armrests – he sat comfortably on his throne with his legs crossed.

"Holy Father, why don't you want to show your face to your faithful? Is this some new kind of Vatican policy, a way of getting the whole world's attention?" They heard the question echoed by the first journalist on the other side of the curtain; she saw him press his lips together and swallow loudly before his cold, matter-of-fact, dispassionate voice began to spread around them.

"My face is not useful to my faithful for anything. They need my action. My causality. They need my intervention in matters of urgency, in the problems of paedophilia in the church, in the embezzlement and misuse of church assets, in the restoration of law and order, in the opening up of the church to young people who feel forgotten and unwanted. My face, my history, my personal views will distract them from all these things."

He said without stammering. She looked at him in disbelief, realising that he couldn't have prepared this answer beforehand.

He was saying straight from his heart what he was thinking and there was something touching about it.

Somehow she understood what he meant.

"What about the pilgrimages, what about the Sunday masses celebrated by the Pope?" Asked another journalist. She heard him sigh heavily, noticed that his hand trembled as he raised it to his face, tightening his fingers on the base of his nose.

"The Pope is not alone, he has his cardinals who can assist him in his missions around the world. As for the masses, I will attend them as a guest, but I will not be visible. The Pope is not unique. The Pope is chosen as first among equals. As Pope, I still remain a cardinal, one of the apostles. I am not Christ. I am not God."

She looked at him in pain, breathing unevenly through slightly parted lips, remembering what she had told him a few days earlier.

They need a guide, not another invisible God.

She couldn't believe that after what she had heard she had begun to feel sympathy for him – his answers seemed thoughtful and sensible, and she wondered if she had just seen his true nature, or if he was as perfect a manipulator as any of the cardinals.

She wondered how he had convinced them.

How he became Pope.

When it was all over he left without a word; the journalists were led away, and she prayed that it would help, that public opinion would calm down a little.

She watched all the news editions that evening with bated breath – the whole world quoted his statements and his decision, to her relief, most of the experts spoke warmly of him. The newspaper headlines also left her under no illusions.

The Pope has spoken. He doesn't want to show his face, only his actions.

The Pope who chooses the fight against paedophilia over the glamour of glory.

The Pope without a face − a new beginning.

The end of splendour − the Pope retreats to work like any of us.

The end of the church as we know it. The Pope at last again the voice of the weakest.

The next day she arrived in the Vatican with a stack of newspapers, eager to show him the result of their work, hoping it would satisfy him and allow her to return to normality.

"The Pope is exercising, but he said he would receive you." Said the priest, who was called Father Lenz, and who was apparently his private secretary, always waiting for her to lead her wherever he just happened to be.

"He's exercising?" She asked with amusement, and he just raised his eyebrows, himself clearly not knowing what he thought about it.

He opened the door for her and she stepped into a large room, with a beautiful baroque vaulted ceiling and hundreds of paintings on one side, rows of tall windows on the other, illuminating an exercise machine consisting of a small bench with a mattress on which he placed his back as he pulled on the railing at the end of which the weights hung, his legs braced on either side of the machine for balance.

He was dressed in white tracksuits.

She stared at the sight in disbelief, waiting for him to notice her; it only happened after a while when he took a break and sat down, reaching for a bottle of water standing on the old wooden floor. She lifted up a bundle of newspapers and he nodded, running his fingers through his hair, trying to calm his breathing after his exertion.

She walked over to him and handed him the magazines she held in her hand; she felt a pleasant throbbing between her thighs feeling the smell of his sweat mixed with the scent of his perfume, his lips slightly swollen and pink from the blood that pulsed faster through his body.

He flipped through the front pages of the papers one by one and sighed quietly; she thought with surprise that there was a sort of expression of relief painted on his face, as if what was happening frightened him somewhere deep inside and filled him with anxiety.

He put them down at last, looking ahead, grabbing the white towel that hung over the railing at the other end of the machine.

"I prayed to God after I was elected. I prayed that he would show me the way, and although he usually answered me in some way, that evening he was silent. It was a silence full of rejection, as if the heavens did not agree with the decision of the conclave. How was I to go out to the crowds in such a situation, to convince them that Our Father in the heavens was sending me to them?"

He asked, rising with a quiet creak from the metal bench, surprising her completely with his words; because of his clothes and the way he spoke she had cognitive dissonance and had to remind herself that he was the Pope and not just a young man close to her age.

His confession touched her in some way – she was able to imagine his despair on the evening he was elected as people chanted his name, but it was the voice of God that he wanted to hear.

He stood a few steps away from her, drinking the contents of his small water bottle to the end, and stared ahead, as if he had returned with his mind to that time, as if he needed to get it out of himself.

"That's why I asked my faithful to pray from me. And what did they do? They despaired. They despaired that they could not see my face, that they could not touch me, tear me apart, dissect my private life and my past. I have never felt so lonely." He said with a regret from which she felt a squeeze in her throat and lowered her gaze, not knowing what to say, reminding herself with shame that she had thought the same thing about him as all those people.

"Perhaps it was also the will of the heavens. In the end, when the time comes everyone will face God alone. Maybe it was his words: don't follow the crowd, don't conform, that's not why I sent you." She said softly, but immediately regretted her words, recognising that she had no right to interpret anyone's spiritual experiences, much less those of the Head of the Church.

She heard him snort with amusement; he pulled a lighter and cigarettes from his pocket and for a moment she thought he would want to smoke in this beautiful baroque chamber, however, he moved ahead towards a small door other than the one she had entered through.

"Come." He hummed, so she moved after him, knowing that it was pointless to resist.

For the rest, the more she got to know him, the more she liked him.

They passed through a narrow corridor and began to climb up a stone staircase that spiraled around a large pillar – it seemed to her that they were in some older part of this great complex. They reached a small wooden door, and when he opened it they emerged onto the roof of one of the buildings located to the right of St Peter's Square.

The view in front of her struck her –the sun was rising over the Vatican, lazily leaning out from above the church standing in the centre of the square like a nimbus, the air around them pleasantly cool and crisp.

She watched as he moved ahead and walked closer to the stone wall, firing up his lighter and leaning forward with a cigarette in his mouth – there was something so obscene about the sight that she smiled involuntarily.

He looked at her over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow, taking a drag, then slid his cigarette out of his mouth with a motion of his hand and let the smoke out silently through his nose, shaking the ash to the ground with a flick of his finger.

"It has been reported to me that journalists are slowly making their way into my past. Don't worry, I don't think it's your fault. I knew it would happen, but I thought I had more time." He murmured lowly seeing her surprised, horrified face, suddenly as if tired and discouraged, taking another drag with a quiet hiss of fire.

She thought looking at his silhouette illuminated by the first rays of the sun, that he looked like a saint.

"I want you to hear it from me. Will you listen to what I have to say?" He asked calmly and she nodded, feeling her heart pounding fast, looking at him with her lips slightly parted, terrified of what he wanted to tell her.

"My mother I told you about is a nun. She adopted me a few years after I was placed in a convent orphanage." He said calmly, looking away, staring at the crowds of people walking around St Peter's Square.

"They took me from the woman who gave birth to me because she liked to inject various stimulants into her veins. She was asleep when one of her men decided he didn't like the way I looked at him, that I was complaining about being hungry. He decided that he would gouge my eyes out, but he only succeeded with one, my screaming would wake even the dead."

He muttered, not looking at her but somewhere in the distance, letting out a puff of smoke with a deep breath; she looked at him with her eyebrows arched in pain feeling the squeeze in her throat, her cheeks red with emotion.

She wanted to say something but was afraid to interrupt him, she knew that what he was telling her was of the utmost importance and she wondered if anyone else knew about all this, if he had confided in anyone.

"Sister Alicent after I was brought in wouldn't let me call her my mother. So I called every woman I saw that, cooks, cleaners, teachers. She adopted me in the end, unable to look at it anymore. She got a dispensation from the Pope." He said lowly, throwing the cigarette butt on the ground, crushing it with his completely white Adidas.

"Some trashy, cheap magazines are already writing about the fact that I am the son of a nun and the Pope, others with mockery recognise that I am certainly her immaculate conception. That they mock me doesn't bother me, but it fills me with sadness that journalists stand outside her house all day. She can't even go out shopping or gardening. I guess you think the only way out of this situation would be an interview where I would tell my story?"

He asked disapprovingly, looking at her finally; she was shocked and horrified that he was asking her opinion on such an important matter. She shook her head helplessly, shrugging her shoulders.

"You cannot allow them to make your mother a hostage, Holy Father. You must show strength. Call press conferences where you talk about what decisions you make, but don't answer questions about your family. In the Vatican, you are Pius XIII, not Aemond Targaryen. When they see that they cannot blackmail you, they will let go. In my opinion, you both have to bear it." She said what she thought, thinking in the back of her mind that journalists would always want more and the matter would only get worse.

He looked at her silently as if analysing her words and sighed finally, kicking a stone that lay under his feet with his shoe.

"Have you ever kissed?" He asked lightly and she looked at him with shock written all over her face, feeling her heart pounding like crazy, her cheeks burning with heat.

She couldn't believe such a question had come out of his mouth.

"You don't have to answer. I'm just curious. I've never kissed anyone." He replied after a moment, seeing her embarrassed reaction, as if he wanted to clarify and elaborate that his interest was purely scientific and theoretical.

She swallowed loudly, pressing her lips together, thinking that he had told her about himself, about the most private aspects of his life, and decided that nothing bad would happen if she answered him.

"Once, in high school." She muttered, stroking her arm in a gesture of uncertainty and embarrassment, looking away. She heard him hum under his breath, intrigued.

"Did it feel good?" He asked softly, standing a few steps away from her with his hands tucked into his snow-white tracksuit bottoms, cocking his head.

She looked up at him in disbelief, breathing erratically, clasping her hands tighter, involuntarily her gaze escaped to his full, glistening lips.

"It was a very moist, soft and warm sensation." She muttered feeling a tightness in her throat, her gaze fleeing from his eyes to his lips, unable to stop herself from imagining how wonderful it would be to feel how they tasted.

"Hm." He murmured, looking away thoughtfully.

They stood like that for a moment in silence – she could feel the wordless tension around them, as if electricity flowed through the air with their every word and movement.

"Did you confess this deed?"

She blinked and felt her heart stop. She shook her head, looking at him with slightly parted lips.

"Pardon?" She asked in disbelief, feeling discomfort in her lower abdomen and a cold sweat on her back, not believing that he was suggesting such a thing.

"Failure to maintain chastity before marriage is a sin." He replied indifferently; she pressed her lips together, feeling tears of shame and humiliation under her eyelids, her eyebrows arched in pain.

"So I am a sinner, Holy Father." She said coldly, and turned away, leaving without any pleasantries or even a simple goodbye.

She burst out sobbing as she ran down the narrow stairs.

It was only a kiss.

She just wanted to see what it was like.

In fact, she felt bad afterwards, but not because she thought it was a sin, but because she was not in love with this boy.

She asked Father Lenz for any of the drivers to take her home; seeing her face red from tears he asked what had happened, but she did not answer him.

She opened up to him, spoke about an intimate part of her life, and he could only judge her, make her another Eve, a fallen woman.

It was only a kiss.

She returned to her flat filled with regret and disappointment – she angrily pulled off her long dress she had bought and chosen specially to be able to present herself as expected, to keep herself humble, but for what?

She decided that she would never appear there again.

There was no kind of real contract between the two of them, she had only signed documents regarding her collaboration with the Pope's secretaries and a confidentiality clause.

She changed into her pyjamas, undid her hair, took the box of leftover cakes from the cupboard and lay in bed, browsing social media platforms on her phone, trying not to think about what had happened.

She tilted her head back and groaned in frustration when she saw that her uncle had started to call her. She muted her phone and flipped the screen down, sighing.

She lay back on her bedding, staring blankly at the window, and thought with pain that the man who should be giving her the strength to be a better person had made her doubt herself, made her feel sinful and dirty.

She started to think that maybe she should go to confession after all, that maybe he was right, that she was only making excuses for herself without wanting to admit that she was wrong, but she felt even worse at that thought and just burst out crying.

Exhausted by sobbing and remorse, she finally fell asleep, seeing only through her closed eyelids that the phone display lying next to her glowed again and again.

She shuddered, rising quickly to sit up in complete darkness when she heard someone's loud knock on her door; she looked around with a pounding heart, not knowing where she was, whether it was evening or morning.

She glanced at her phone and saw that she had slept for several long hours and the sun had set, on her screen 20 missed calls from her uncle and a plethora of text messages that she didn't have the energy to read.

She sighed heavily and got up, walking reluctantly to the door, knowing her uncle would now make a litany for her; she turned on the night light on the way so she wouldn't trip over anything and she turned the lock, opening it.

"Oh God."

She muttered, seeing the figure of the young Pope in front of her, still in the same white tracksuit and sneakers.

He had his hood up over his head.

He pulled the white earphones out of his ears with a soft flick of his hand – she could hear the heavy metal music playing from them.

"Will you let me in?" He asked indifferently; she looked at him in disbelief, thinking he was risking a lot by going outside just to see her.

She sighed quietly and stepped back, allowing him to go inside. She leaned out wanting to check if anyone had seen him and closed the door quickly.

She glanced at him over her shoulder and saw that he had turned off the music on his player and put it back in his pocket.

They stood for a moment in silence, his gaze focused on her naked thighs; she swallowed loudly with shame at the thought that she was standing before the Head of the Catholic Church in nothing but pyjamas consisting of cream shorts and a shirt buttoned up the front, under which she didn't even have a bra.

She turned her head, running her trembling hand over her face, her heart pounding like mad.

"I made a mistake." She heard his voice full of regret. "I wanted your uncle to pass it on to you, but you didn't answer."

"I didn't and don't feel like talking to anyone, Holy Father." She muttered, feeling a tightening in her chest, fiddling restlessly with the cross hanging on her neck.

She heard him swallow loudly and look to the side, pulling the hood off his head.

"I made you doubt in yourself. In your purity and your value in the eyes of God." He said lowly, and she felt tears gathering in the corners of her eyes for the umpteenth time that day. She closed her eyelids and tilted her head back, trying to control herself, not letting them flow out.

She did not reply.

"My words arise from my depravity, which I fight unsuccessfully. From my vanity and jealousy. I would rather have you locked up in a convent. You could then be by my side and no one would ever touch you again. You could be mine." He said softly, thoughtfully, looking at some point on the floor, as if he had drifted off completely in his musings – she felt her lips part in disbelief, her brow arching in pain.

I would rather have you locked up in a convent.

You could be mine.

What was she to reply to such a shocking confession?

She shuddered when he finally turned his attention to her, the gaze of his healthy eye sharp and piercing, while his artificial one was empty, white, lifeless.

"Though never before have my members reacted to the sight and thought of a woman, when I see you, I long to touch you, to taste you, to smell you. I have become addicted to your scent and try to recall it after evening prayer before I fall asleep." He spoke calmly, as if it was not an emotionally driven statement but something thought out, something that had been going on in his head for a very long time.

She felt with fear how her body reacted to his words with a greedy throbbing between her thighs and a moisture from which the material of her underwear was getting wet, her nipples hardened, more clearly visible from under her shirt.

She froze when she saw his gaze flee to her breasts, seeing exactly what she feared, his full lips parted slightly; she could hear his breathing clearly, fingers of his hands rubbing against each other in an anxious, nervous gesture.

"What do you feel now?" He whispered and she drew in the air loudly, feeling a tightness in her throat. She licked her lips dry from stress, taking a step backwards, hitting her back against the wall, feeling that she had nowhere to run. She helplessly clenched her thighs together, wanting to stop what was happening, seeing that his pupil widened at the sight.

"I'm wet." She confessed in shame, recognising that there was no point in pretending that there was something innocent in what was happening – her body was twitching with desire, begging for his touch and relief, her heart pounding like mad.

She heard him draw in a loud breath at her words while looking straight into her eyes, she saw fire in them, heavenly or hellish.

"Does it feel good?" He asked softly, gazing shamelessly at the spot between her thighs – she felt a wonderful heat in her lower abdomen and a tickling inside her, her walls were clenching around nothing at his question.

She thought helplessly that she had never felt anything like this before in her life.

"Yes." She whispered in a trembling voice, feeling her whole body quiver and pulsate, feeling desire in her fingertips, in her lips and down there, deep, deep inside her.

She shuddered as he approached her with a slow step and lifted her terrified gaze to him. His lips were parted in an anxious, hitched breath, in his eyes heat and darkness from which she felt a squeeze in her throat and between her thighs.

He stood over her, for a moment just looking at her – his trembling hands finally raised, reaching for the buttons of her shirt. They looked at each other with some kind of pain and suffering from which she felt a sting in her heart as a coldness enveloped her naked skin.

It seemed to her that it lasted an eternity – he took his time, his gaze fixed on the line of her bare body as he unbuttoned her shirt fully; he didn't expose her breasts, he just looked at her.

She gasped when he lifted his hand and ran his fingertips slowly over her sternum down to her stomach – she closed her eyes and sighed quietly, feeling her lips pulsate with desire, swollen and thirsty.

"− so soft − so warm −" He whispered; her quivering palm rose and touched his fingers, his hand larger and more massive than hers, she could feel the outline of his veins clearly under her skin.

She pressed his hand to her heart, heard him draw in the air hard as he felt it beat beneath his fingertips.

He looked at her, remaining still, as if frozen, knowing that one word from him, one expression of hesitation and they would be left with only shame, only regret, only disappointment.

She felt the tears under her eyelids, which involuntarily one by one ran down her face; he noticed it and shook his head, his breathing shaky, uneven, despairing.

"− you're so pure −" He whispered, nuzzling the tip of his nose into her cheek as if seeking refuge. She clenched her eyelids in shock at how intimate and desired this closeness was, his scent filled her entire lungs, his warm breath enveloped her cheek.

"− looking at you I feel terror because I regret − I regret that I will never feel you − that I will never give you what I want −" He muttered in a trembling voice; she felt his warm tears running down her skin.

They both gasped when his shaking hand tentatively began to slide lower and sobbed in pleasure as his fingers slipped hesitantly under the material of her shorts, deep between her thighs.

They were panting and quivering with desire, her trembling hands clenched on his arms as his fingertips pushed the material of her underwear aside with a shy gesture full of shame, she heard his low, helpless groan as he felt how wet she was.

"− God, help me −" He mumbled in a broken voice full of guilt – she tried but was unable to stop the moans of pleasure that left her mouth with each tentative movement of his fingers that brushed her swollen, throbbing womanhood, her body was so tense she felt she was on the edge.

"− please −" She whimpered pleadingly, placing her hand on his with a gesture full of desperation, wanting to feel him harder, deeper.

She tilted her head back as she finally felt him the way she wanted to, his fingertips digging into her fleshy, hot, moist folds with intense, circular strokes – she could feel his hot, ragged breath on her skin, his face pressed against her cheek, her hands clenched in a helpless gesture on the material of his sweatshirt.

Tears of despair and delight streamed down their faces, tired of pretending and fleeing, shivers ran down her spine every time the tips of his fingers teased again that tender bud from which her sobriety of mind was taken away; it seemed to her that their bodies were moving on their own, something hard and throbbing under his trousers rubbing against her thigh with desperate strokes.

"− forgive me − say you forgive me −" He mumbled pleadingly in a breaking voice.

She felt him trembling all over just like her, unable to stop now, knowing there was no way back, her face wet with her and his tears.

She reached her palm into his hair and combed through it with her fingers, letting out her breath with a loud sob, moving involuntarily to the rhythm of his hand as it pressed harder and harder against her fleshy skin with the lewd click of her moisture.

"− I forgive you − I forgive you and ask for forgiveness −" She gasped as she felt something approaching, moaning louder and louder.

She thought that despite the fact that he was touching her in this forbidden, sinful place, some incomprehensible kind of intimacy and innocence was added to what was happening by the fact that he hadn't exposed her naked body, that he hadn't wanted to possess her, only to experience something with her and in her presence.

"− good God, you're leaking − so sticky − I'll lick it off my fingers −" He whispered with a kind of awe, as if he were talking about something sacred and mysterious.

She felt that his words had done something to her – she cried out loudly, parting her lips in disbelief when suddenly a wave of warm pleasure surged through her body like a lightning bolt.

She felt wonderful tickling in her lips, in the tips of her fingers, in her breasts, in her chest, her inside's clenching greedily around nothing, her moisture trickled down onto his hand, she heard his low, surprised groan.

Her body suddenly became numb; she would have fallen if he hadn't put his arm around her in time, his hand ran over her cheek heated from the exertion.

"− you look like Bernini's Saint Teresa − so beautiful −" He mumbled in a trembling voice, panting hard along with her, looking at her dreamily. She sighed sweetly, laying her head on his chest, letting him embrace her tightly.

She could feel his manhood throbbing under the damp material of his sweatpants.

He came.

She stayed in his embrace not daring to look at him, not daring to think about what they had done, wanting to push back the moment when they would feel remorse, pain and regret, sinking only into this wonderful relief.

You look like Bernini's Saint Teresa.

A sculpture in which a holy woman curves in ecstasy after an angel pierces her with an arrow of Divine Love.

God's Delight.

______

Aemond Taglist:

(bold means I couldn't tag you)

@notnormalthings-blog @nikstrange @zenka69 @bellaisasleep @k-y-r-a-1 @g-cf2020 @melsunshine @opheliaas-stuff @chainsawsangel @iiamthehybrid @tinykryptonitewerewolf @namoreno @malfoytargaryen @qyburnsghost @aemondsdelight @persephonerinyes @fan-goddess @sweethoneyblossom1 @watercolorskyy @randomdragonfires @apollonshootafar @padfooteyes @darylandbethfanforever9 @fudge13 @snh96 @rwdkarla @echos-muses

[alightinthelantern]

Books read and movies watched in 2024 (January-June): Should you watch/read them?

Poetry:

In the Next Galaxy (Ruth Stone): No

Selected Poems (Mark Strand): No

In the Dark (Ruth Stone): Yes!

Response (Juliana Spahr): Yes

The Unicorn (Anne Morrow Lindbergh): No!

Everything Else in the World (Stephen Dunn): Yes

Words Under the Words (Naomi Shihab Nye): Eh

On Love and Barley (Matsuo Basho, trans. Lucien Stryk): Yes!

The Transformation (Juliana Spahr): No

The Narrow Road to the Deep North and Other Travel Sketches (Matsuo Basho, trans. Nobuyuki Yuasa): No

The Book of Taliesin (anon., trans. Gwyneth Lewis & Rowan Williams): No

What Love Comes To: New and Selected Poems (Ruth Stone): Eh

Face (Sherman Alexie): NO

No Surrender (Ai): Eh

The Summer of Black Widows (Sherman Alexie): Yes!

The Afflicted Girls (Nicole Cooley): Yes!

Winter Poems Along the Rio Grande (Jimmy Santiago Baca): No

American Smooth (Rita Dove): No

Elegy (Mary Jo Bang): No

Angel (Giles Dorey): NO

Collected Poems (Paul Auster): Eh

June-Tree (Peter Balakian): Yes

We Must Make a Kingdom of It (Gregory Orr): Eh

Only as the Day is Long (Dorianne Laux): No

Grace Notes (Rita Dove): Yes

Bathwater Wine (Wanda Coleman): Yes

My Soviet Union (Michael Dumanis): No

American Milk (Ruth Stone): Yes

The Drowned Girl (Eve Alexandra): No

A Worldly Country (John Ashberry): No

The Complete Poems of Hart Crane: No

One Stick Song (Sherman Alexie): Yes

If You Call This Cry a Song (Hayden Carruth): No

Doctor Jazz (Hayden Carruth): No

The Last Time I Saw Amelia Earhart (Gabrielle Calvocoressi): No

And Her Soul Out of Nothing (Olena Kalytiak Davis): No

Prisoner of Hope (Yvonne Daley): No

The Other Man Was Me (Rafael Campo): No

My Wicked Wicked Ways (Sandra Cisneros): No

On Earth (Robert Creeley): Eh

Genius Loci (Alison Hawthorne Deming): Eh

Science and Other Poems (Alison Hawthorne Deming): Eh

Voices (Lucille Clifton): Yes

A New Path to the Waterfall (Raymond Carver): Eh

Where Shadows Will (Norma Cole): No

The Way Back (Wyn Cooper): No

A Cartography of Peace (Jean L. Connor): No

Minnow (Judith Chalmer): Yes!

Postcards from the Interior (Wyn Cooper): Yes

Natural History (Dan Chiasson): Eh

The Ship of Birth (Greg Delanty): Eh

Madonna anno domini (Joshua Clover): NO

The Terrible Stories (Lucille Clifton): No

The Flashboat (Jane Cooper): Eh

Book of Longing (Leonard Cohen): No

Streets in Their Own Ink (Stuart Dybek): Eh

Different Hours (Stephen Dunn): Yes

I Love This Dark World (Alice B. Fogel): Eh

Baptism of Desire (Louise Erdrich): Yes!

The Eternal City (Kathleen Graber): Eh

Monolithos (Jack Gilbert): Yes

Crown of Weeds (Amy Gerstler): No

Blue Hour (Carolyn Forché): No

Place (Jorie Graham): No

Meadowlands (Louise Gluck): Yes!

Dearest Creature (Amy Gerstler): No

Loosestrife (Stephen Dunn): No

Little Savage (Emily Fragos): Yes

The Living Fire (Edward Hirsch): No

On Love (Edward Hirsch): No

Human Wishes (Robert Hass): NO

Early Occult Memory Systems of the Lower Midwest (B. H. Fairchild): No

Sinking Creek (John Engels): No

Alabanza (Martín Espada): Yes

Saving Lives (Albert Goldbarth): No

All of It Singing (Linda Gregg): No

Green Squall (Jay Hopler): No

Tender Hooks (Beth Ann Fennelly): No

After (Jane Hirshfield): Eh

Unincorporated Persons in the Late Honda Dynasty (Tony Hoagland): NO

These Are My Rivers (Lawrence Ferlinghetti): No

Fruitful (Stephanie Kirby): No

Jaguar Skies (Michael McClure): No

Song (Brigit Pegeen Kelly): No

Roadworthy Creature, Roadworthy Craft (Kate Magill): No

Life in the Forest (Denise Levertov): No

Viper Rum (Mary Karr): No

Questions for Ecclesiastes (Mark Jarman): No

Brutal Imagination (Cornelius Eady): Yes

Alphabet of Bones (Alexis Lathem): No

Handwriting (Michael Ondaatje): No

Sure Signs (Ted Kooser): No

Sledding on Hospital Hill (Leland Kinsey): No

Between Silences (Ha Jin): Yes

House of Days (Jay Parini): No

Bird Eating Bird (Kristin Naca): Yes

Orpheus & Eurydice (Gregory Orr): Yes

Another America (Barbara Kingsolver): Yes

Candles in Babylon (Denise Levertov): Yes

The Clerk's Tale (Spencer Reece): Eh

Still Listening (Angela Patten): Yes

A Thief of Strings (Donald Revell): No

Wayfare (Pattiann Rogers): No

The Niagara River (Kay Ryan): No

The Bird Catcher (Marie Ponsot): No

Easy (Marie Ponsot): No

Human Dark with Sugar (Brenda Shaughnessy): No

Chronic (D. A. Powell): No

Novels/Fiction:

A Thousand Years of Good Prayers (Yiyun Li): No

The Oxford Book of English Ghost Stories: Yes

Movies:

What Dreams May Come (1998, Vincent Ward): Yes

The Cat's Meow (2001, Peter Bogdanovich): Yes

The Birdcage (1996, Mike Nichols): Yes

The Color of Pomegranates (1969, Sergei Parajanov): No

The Eve of Ivan Kupalo (1969, Yuri Ilyenko): Yes

And here's my 2023 list!

[vahsaw]

I updated my list of movies I watched and loved in alphabetical order:

12 Years a Slave (2012) DIR. STEVE MCQUEEN

45 Years (2015) DIR. ANDREW HAIGH

About Dry Grasses (2024) DIR. NURI BILGE CEYLAN

Aftersun (2022) DIR. CHARLOTTE WELLS

Alcarras (2023) DIR. CARLA SIMON

Annihilation (2018) DIR. ALEX GARLAND

Anatomy of a Fall (2023) DIR. JUSTINE TRIET

Arrival (2016) DIR. DENIS VILLENEUVE

A Quiet Place (2018) DIR. JOHN KRASINKI

Black Swan (2010) DIR. DARREN ARONOFSKY

Blue is the warmest color (2013) DIR. ABDELLATIF KECHICHE

Blue Valentine (2010) DIR. DEREK CIANFRANCE

Brokeback Mountain (2005) DIR. ANG LEE

Burning (2018) DIR. LEE CHANG-DONG

Carol (2015) DIR. TODD HAYNES

Close (2023) DIR. LUKAS DHONT

Dallas Buyers Club (2013) DIR. JEAN-MARC VALLÉE

De Rouille et d’os (2012) DIR. JACQUES AUDIARD

Drive (2011) DIR. NICOLAS WINDING REFN

Fire of Love (2022) DIR. SARA DOSA

Get Out (2017) DIR. JORDAN PEELE

God’s Own Country (2017) DIR. FRANCIS LEE

Gone Girl (2014) DIR. DAVID FINCHER

Gravity (2013) DIR. ALFONSO CUARÓN

Great Freedom (2022) DIR. SEBASTIAN MEISE

Girl (2019) DIR. LUKAS DHONT

Her (2013) DIR. SPIKE JONZE

Hereditary (2018) DIR. ARI ASTER

Ida (2014) DIR. PAWEL PAWLIKOWSKI

Io Capitano (2024) DIR. MATTEO GARRONE

If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) DIR. BARRY JENKINS

Incendies (2011) DIR. DENIS VILLENEUVE

Inception (2010) DIR. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN

Interstellar (2014) DIR. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN

Irréversible (2002) DIR. GASPAR NOÉ

It follows (2015) DIR. DAVID ROBERT MITCHELL

Jagten (The Hunt) (2012) DIR. THOMAS VINTERBERG

Joyland (2023) DIR. SAIM SADIQ

Kill Bill (vol. 1 & 2) (2003) DIR. QUENTIN TARANTINO

Leave No Trace (2018) DIR. DEBRA GRANIK

Loveless (2017) DIR. ANDREY ZVYAGINTSEV

Manchester by the Sea (2016) DIR. KENNERTH LONERGAN

Melancholia (2011) DIR. LARS VON TRIER

Midsommar (2019) DIR. ARI ASTER

Mommy (2014) DIR. XAVIER DOLAN

Moonlight (2016) DIR. BARRY JENKINS

Nightcrawler (2014) DIR. DAN GILROY

Nomadland (2020) DIR. CHLOE ZHAO

Oslo, August 31st (2012) DIR. JOACHIM TRIER

Parasite (2019) DIR. BONG JOON HO

Past Lives (2023) DIR. CELINE SONG

Poor Things (2023) DIR. YORGOS LANTHIMOS

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) DIR. CELINE SCIAMMA

Rabbit Hole (2010) DIR. JOHN CAMERON MITCHELL

Respire (2014) DIR. MÉLANIE LAURENT

Revoir Paris (2023) DIR. ALICE WINOCOUR

Riceboy Sleeps (2023) DIR. ANTHONY SHIM

Saint Maud (2021) DIR. ROSE GLASS

Shame (2011) DIR. STEVE MCQUEEN

Short Term 12 (2013) DIR. DESTIN DANIEL CRETTON

Take Shelter (2011) DIR. JEFF NICHOLS

TAR (2022) DIR. TODD FIELD

The Babadook (2014) DIR. JENNIFER KENT

The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) DIR. MARTIN MCDONAGH

The Beasts (2023) DIR. RODRIGO SOROGOYEN

The Broken Circle Breakdown (2012) DIR. FELIX VAN GROENINGEN

The Eight Mountains (2023) DIR. FELIX VAN GROENINGEN & CHARLOTTE VANDERMEERSCH

The Farewell (2019) DIR. LULU WANG

The Father (2021) DIR. FLORIAN ZELLER

The Handmaiden (2016) DIR. PARK CHAN-WOOK

The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) DIR. YORGOS LANTHIMOS

The Lighthouse (2019) DIR. ROBERT EGGERS

The Lost Daughter (2021) DIR. MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL

The Matrix (1999) DIR. ANDY & LANA WACHOWSKI

The Revenant (2015) DIR. ALEJANDRO G. INARRITU

The Tale (2018) DIR. JENNIFER FOX

The Way He Looks (2014) DIR. DANIEL RIBEIRO

The Worst Person in the World (2022) DIR. JOACHIM TRIER

To Leslie (2022) DIR. MICHAEL MORRIS

Under the skin (2013) DIR. JONATHAN GLAZER

Wadaean Julia (2023) DIR. MOHAMED KORDOFANI

Whiplash (2014) DIR. DAMIEN CHAZELLE

[nogyojutsu]

Hashirama

Sudden Oak Death

Bell Swamp Connection

Never Quite Free

New Monster Avenue

Song for Lonely Giants

Whole Wide World

Neon Orange Glimmer Song

Alpha Double Negative: Going to Catalina

Alabama Nova

New Britain

Island Garden Song

Hand Ball

Alphabetizing

Two Thousand Seasons

Sun Song

Cold Milk Bottle

Madara

Dark in Here

Lovecraft in Brooklynn

Love Love Love

Song for Lonely Giants

In Corolla

Heel Turn 2

Sendero Luminoso Verdadero (🤏)

Sept 16 Triple X Love! Love!

Californa Song

Nine Black Poppies

Masher

Down Here

Baboon

Jaipur

Oceanographer’s Choice

International Small Arms Traffic Blues

Trick Mirror

Cry for Judas

Diaz Brothers (uchiha bros)

Going to Malibu

Tobirama

Tidal Wave

Cotton

Antidote for Strychninne

Bad Doctor

Half Dead

Sept 16 Triple X Love! Love!

Prana Ferox

Pure Money

Snow Owl

West Country Dream

Ontario (cope)

Elijah

Old College Try (mdtb)

Water Song I & II

Until I am Whole

Transcendental Youth (senju bros)

Izuna

Mosquito Repellant

Wolf Count

If You See Light

Resonant Bell World

I Know You’ve Come to Take my Toys Away

Waving at You

Song for the Julian Calender

Baboon

As Many Candles as Possible

Diaz Brothers

Mito

The Lady from Shanghai

Cobra Tattoo

Cold Milk Bottle (w Kurama)

Going to Kanas

Onions

@evilkitten3 I wrote this in 2022 when obsessively going through each album. I cannot explain my reasonings for most and its just founders era. But god loves all niches.

[ugh-leigh-nb]

May 10th 2024 Library Haul

Listed Alphabetically:

Non-Fiction:

"Canada Rocks: the Geologic Journey" (2nd ed) by Nick Eyles and Andrew Miall[This book would make a fun blunt weapon]

"Cooking Vegetarian: Healthy, Delicious, and Easy Vegetarian Cuisine" (2nd ed) by Joseph Forest and Vesanto Melina

"Cultish: the Language of Fanaticism" by Amanda Montell

"Gory Details: Adventures from the Dark Side of Science" by Erika Engelhaupt [THE COVER GLOWS IN THE DARK!!!!]

"In Search of Mycotopia: Citizen Science, Fungi Fanatics, and the Untapped Potential of Mushrooms" by Doug Bierend

"Making Bags, a Field Guide: Supplies, Skills, Tips,& Techniques to Sew Professional-Looking Bags; 5 Projects to Get You Started" by Jessica Barrerea & Sallie Tomato

"No Apologies: Ditch Diet Culture and Rebuild Your Relationship with Food" by Niamh Orbinski

"Pie is Messy: Recipes from the Pie Hole" by Rebecca Grasley w/Willy Blackmore

"Pretend Play Workshop for Kids: a Year of DIY Craft Projects and Open-Ended Screen-Free Learning for Kids Ages 3-7" by Caitlin Kruse & Mandy Roberson w/Emma Johnson, M.S.

"Rare Air: Endangered Birds, Bats, Butterflies, & Bees" by Sarah Kaizar w/A. Scott Meiser

"Strong, Sweet, and Bitter: Your Guide to All Things Cocktails, Bartending, and Booze from Behind the Bar" by Cara Devine

"Traditional Jewish Baking: Retro Recipes Your Grandma Would Make… If She Had a Mixer" by Carine Goren

Manga:

"Alice in the Country of the Joker: Circus and Liar's Game" vol 1 by QuinRose

"The Ancient Magus' Bride Supplement 1" by Kore Yamazaki [I didn't realize this was a supplement, so I'll return it until I can find the og manga to read. I LOVE the idea of supplements though!!!]

"Black Rose Alice" vol 1 by Setona Mizushiro

"A Devil and Her Love Song" vol 1 bt Miyoshi Tomori

"Himouto! Umaru-Chan" vol 2 by Sankakuhead [accidentally got vol 2 instead of one]

"Interviews with Monster Girls" vol 1 by Petos

"Juana and the Dragonewts' Seven Kingdoms" vol 1 by Kiyohisa Tanaka

"Mandalorian: the Manga" vol 1 adapted by Yusuke Osawa

“Monster Musume: Everyday Life with Monster Girls” vol 2 & 3 by Okayado

"Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles." by Naru Narumi

"My Brain is Different: Stories of ADHD and Other Developmental Disorders"

"New Game!" vol 1 by Shotaro Tokuno

"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" adapted by Mikio Tachibana

"Unmagical Girl" vol 1 by Ryouichi Yokoyama

"Witch Hat Atelier" vol 1 by Kamome Shirahama

Excited to read a lot of these!

[missperfectlyfinewrites]

New muses! ღ

Under the read more are five new muses. If any interest you, like this post and/or leave a comment, and I'll reach out about doing a starter!

Allie Jordan | early twenties | bisexual | lifestyle & make up influencer | submissive | halle bailey fc

Allie is one of the sweetest girls you would possibly ever meet. Pure sunshine and kindness, Allie probably wouldn’t even hurt a fly. She’s bubbly, bright, generous, always around with a smile and willing to help anybody that needs it. Genuinely happy to be friends with anybody.

She’s not the brightest, what some might call a bit of a bimbo. She means well and she genuinely isn't "putting it on", she just isn't all there and is a bit naïve.

Isabella Bailey | early twenties | bisexual | pop star | switch | rachel zegler fc

America's new pop sweetheart! Isabella is a delight. Kind, generous, loving soul, daydreamer. A little overwhelmed about all the fame and fans she has gathered, but she is loving life. She works hard at writing songs, perfecting the art of performance - a little tricky at times, and knows how to play several instruments.

Isabella is certainly an ambivert. She loves performing on stage for all her fans, but also adores curling up in bed with a good book and shutting out the world. She's still learning how to balance the public vs private side of fame, and it can be slightly overwhelming to find that balance. She's a little sensitive, not quite used to the harsh criticism of the public yet - and sometimes comments just seem mean for the sake of it.

Kennedy Watson | mid twenties | bisexual | magazine stylist & party girl | switch | tilly keeper fc

Kennedy is sweet, but she's also trouble. She doesn't quite know when to say no sometimes, constantly going to parties, drinking, spending too much money going shopping, living a bit of the risky life. She's always been fond of a party moment, even if that's perhaps not the most responsible life. She can be slightly reckless with money, but she earns a pretty penny, why not spend a pretty penny? At least she looks good!

She likes to be liked - who doesn't? If you give her attention, she's going to give you the world. Her mom spends all her time doting over her older siblings & her dad seems to think that giving her presents makes up for always travelling for work - a trend that has continued since she was little. Sure, Kennedy likes things, but also quality time would be nice too.

Saskia Hart | early thirties | bisexual | children's tv entertainer/presenter | younger sister to Yasmin | switch | taylor swift fc

Saskia is a kind girl who is always seems to be trying to prove herself. People don't often take her seriously, thinking she's "just" a children's tv entertainer. It's just simply not true. Saskia has a background in education, she's done music therapy courses and her latest venture is doing sign language courses. She is always trying to do better and be better, for herself and all the kids that watch her television show. Her family don't quite take her job seriously despite all the success she has, and she's constantly being compared to her older sister - and they don't really get along. She certainly feels like a bit of a black sheep amongst a family of business owners and CEOs - she's certainly the nicest one too.

Despite being adored by many families around the country, it's a little hard to make friends in the industry - and to find love, when you spend most of your day sitting in front of a camera pretending to talk to puppets and singing alphabet songs while wearing overalls. Saskia would never dream of doing anything else and she adores her job, it would be just to find someone nice to date too, right?

Yasmin Hart | mid thirties | bisexual | ceo & owner of Hart cosmetics | older sister to Saskia | switch | brooklyn decker fc

Yasmin isn't really here to take your shit. She works hard and has made an incredible business. She does what she wants and so far that's worked for her. A booming global make up business and a bit of a socialite life, going to parties & events like it's nothing. Don't get her wrong, she's not about to reckless, but she does know how to unwind.

Yasmin is certainly her family's golden child. Despite her younger sister Saskia almost a house hold name in the children's entertainment industry, their parents are certainly more fond of Yasmin & her job, taking it and her more seriously. It's not Yasmin's fault that she's better, right? Obviously, they don't get along.

[aijamisespava]

One Final ESC 2023 Thought: Favorite Songs From Each Country (participating AND non-participating)!

AAAAA I'M SO SORRY FOR DISAPPEARING OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH FOR A WHILE! I just...never got around to my finale before we get to some fun Junior Eurovision 2023/Eurovision 2024 stuff! So here is my finale: Where I share my favorite songs from each country in Eurovision from 2009 to the present.

So, how is this going to work? I'm going alphabetically because it's easier to do it like that. I'm giving you my top 2 from each country, but not the placements. If you want those, they're on the Eurovision website (I will put the year down though). Now, let's get to it!

Albania: "World" by Lindita (2017)/"Ktheju Tokës" by Jonida Maliqi (2019)

Andorra: "La Teva Decisió (Get A Life)" by Susanne Georgi (2009)

Armenia: "Future Lover" by Brunette (2023)/"Not Alone" by Aram MP3 (2014)

Australia: "Promise" by Voyager (2023)/"Sound Of Silence" by Dami Im (2016)

Austria: "Who The Hell Is Edgar?" by Teya & Salena (2023)/"I Am Yours" by The MakeMakes (2015)

Azerbaijan: "Hold Me" by Farid Mammadov (2013)/"Fade To Black" by Nadir Rustalmi (2022)

Belarus: "Forever" by Alekseev (2018)/"Eyes That Never Lie" by Petr Elfimov (2009)

Belgium: "Rhythm Inside" by Loïc Nottet (2015)/"The Wrong Place" by Hooverphonic (2021)

Bosnia & Herzegovina: "Korake Ti Znam" by Maya Sar (2012)/"Ljubav Je" by Jalal & Deen/Ana Rucner/Jala (2016)

Bulgaria: "If Love Was A Crime"/"Na Inat" both by Poli Genova (2016 & 2011 respectively)

Croatia: "Guilty Pleasure" by Mia Dimsic (2022)/"Tick Tock" by Albina (2021)

Cyprus: "Alter Ego" by Minus-One (2016)/"El Diablo" by Elena Tsagrinou (2021)

Czechia: "Lights Off" by Domi (2022)/"My Sister's Crown" by Vesna (2023)

Denmark: Øve Os På Hinanden" by Fyr og Flamme (2021)/"Only Teardrops" by Emmelie de Forest (2013)

Estonia: "Goodbye To Yesterday" by Elina Born & Stig Rastä (2015)/"Rändajad" by Urban Symphony (2009)

Finland: "Something Better" by Softengine (2014)/"Jezebel" by The Rasmus (2022)

France: "L'enfer et moi" by Amandine Bourgeois (2013)/"Évidemment" by La Zarra (2023)

Georgia: "Warrior" by Nina Sublatti (2015)/"Echo" by Iru (2023)

Germany: "Taken By A Stranger" by Lena (2011)/"Ghost" by Jamie-Lee (2016)

Greece: "Die Together" by Amanda Tenfjord (2022)/"Aphrodisiac" by Eleftheria Eleftheriou (2012)

Hungary: "What About My Dreams?" by Kati Wolf (2011)/"Running" by Andra Kallay-Saunders (2014)

Iceland: "Hear Them Calling" by Greta Salome (2016)/"10 Years" by Daði Freyr (2021)

Ireland: "Playing With Numbers" by Molly Sterling (2015)/"That's Rich" by Brooke (2022)

Israel: "Same Heart" by Mei Finegold (2014)/"Rak Bishvilo" by Moran Mazor (2013)

Italy: "La Mia Città" by Emma (2014)/"ZITTI E BUONI" by Måneskin (2021)

Latvia: "Aijā" by Sudden Lights (2023)/"Love Injected" by Aminata (2015)

Lithuania: "Stay" by Monika Linkyte (2023)/"Discoteque" by The Roop (2021)

*can't wait to see Luxembourg next year!!!*

Malta: "This Is The Night" by Kurt Calleja (2012)/"Je Me Casse" by Destiny (2021)

Moldova: "O Mie" by Aliona Moon (2013)/"Run Away" by Sunstroke Project & Olia Tira (2010)

Montenegro: "Adio" by Knez (2015)/"Breathe" by Vladana (2022)

Netherlands: "Arcade" by Duncan Laurence (2019) *CONGRATS ON 1B SPOTIFY STREAMS!*/"De Diepte" by S10 (2022)

North Macedonia: "Crno I Belo" by Kaliopi (2012)/"Jas Ja Imam Silata" by Gjoko Taneski (2010)

Norway: "Fairytale" by Alexander Rybak (2009)/"Queen Of Kings" by Alessandra (2023)

Poland: "Flashlight" by Kasia Moś (2017)/"River" by Ochman (2022)

Portugal: "Amar Pelos Dois" by Salvador Sobral (2017)/"Vida Minha" by Filipa Sousa (2012)

Romania: "Playing With Fire" by Paula Seling & Ovi (2010)/"Amnesia" by Roxen (2021)

*I would like to look into which artists do NOT support the war before sharing my favorites for Russia*

San Marino: "Adrenalina" by Senhit & Flo Rida (2021)/"Stand By" by Senhit (2011) *yes...same artist 10 years apart*

Serbia: "Samo Mi Se Spava" by Luke Black (2023)/"Goodbye (Shelter)" by Sanja Vučić ZAA (2016)

Slovakia: "Horehronie" by Kristina Pelakova (2010)/"Don't Close Your Eyes" by Max Jason Mai (2012)

Slovenia: "Carpe Diem" by Joker Out (2023)/"No One" by Maja Keuc (2011)

Spain: "Quedate Conmigo" by Pastora Soler (2012)/"Dancing In The Rain" by Ruth Lorenzo (2014)

Sweden: "Heroes" by Måns Zelmerlöw (2015)/"Popular" by Eric Saade (2011)

Switzerland: "Tout l'univers"/"Répondez-moi" both by Gjon's Tears (2021 & 2020 respectively)

Turkey: "We Could Be The Same" by maNga (2010)/"Dum Tek Tek" by Hadise (2009)

Ukraine: "Under The Ladder" by Mélovin (2018)/"Time" by O. Torvald (2017)

United Kingdom: "I Wrote A Song" by Mae Muller (2023)/"Never Give Up On You" by Lucie Jones (2017)

Thank you so much for joining me this year! Looking forward to the new year of Eurovision stuff!

[newmusickarl]

Top 50 Albums of 2023: Honourable Mentions

I’ve spent most of this year thinking to myself that 2023 hasn’t been a hallmark one for music – I think I was wrong.

With 2022 serving up some of my favourite records in recent years and most of my favourite artists releasing new music that delivered on high expectations, I sort of had in mind that 2023 just wasn’t as strong by comparison. But in the process of compiling my annual Top 50 Albums of the Year, revisiting songs and thinking back on the live performances I’ve seen, I’ve been reminded of the sheer depth of quality music we’ve been gifted over the last 12 months.

In 2022 I listened to more new music than any other year I can remember and it seems I pretty much matched this personal best again in 2023. My Apple Music Replay tells me I’ve listened to 733 albums from 884 different artists, 4,835 different songs and a whopping 39,935 minutes of music. Whittling this mass of great music down hasn’t been easy, which is why this year I’m taking a slightly different approach to my year-end countdown. Instead of focussing on just the albums with the daily Top 50 in the build-up to the new year, I’m going to celebrate all the mediums of music I’ve enjoyed instead.

From my own tally that I keep every year, I’ve consumed over 240 newly released Albums & EPs from 2023, listened to around 2,500 songs and witnessed 115 live performances (and counting!) over the last 12 months as well. This has given me the impossible task of choosing my year-end champions in terms of albums, EPs, songs and live shows of the year. The songs will come in playlist form later in the month along with a roundup of my favourite EPs and live shows of the year, but for now I’m beginning with the best albums that the year had to offer.

As ever, these albums come from a multitude of genres (pop, rock, indie, hip-hop, R&B, electronica, shoegaze, punk and post-punk - it’s all here!) so although there is a good chance you won’t enjoy everything on this list, hopefully there is at least something for everyone to enjoy. Of course, the variety also makes it very difficult to rank one above the other, so don’t get too hung up on the placements. Generally, I’ve favoured the albums that:

Had the biggest impact on me and the wider music world in the last 12 months

Had ambition or something unique to offer

I played the most during the year

Ultimately produced my favourite front-to-back listening experience

Before the countdown officially starts tomorrow with the albums that finished 50-41, I wanted to just shout out the albums that I thoroughly enjoyed this year but ultimately just missed out on the Top 50 spots. Essentially these albums would’ve made up the 100-51 placings if I had the time spare to do an even bigger countdown. However as I don’t, here they are as my 50 Honourable Mentions for 2023 in alphabetical order:

Alex Lahey - The Answer Is Always Yes

Arborist - An Endless Sequence of Dead Zeros

Baby Queen - Quarter Life Crisis

BC Camplight - The Last Rotation of Earth

Bdrmm - I Don’t Know

Black Pumas - Chronicles of A Diamond

Boygenius - The Record

Circles Around The Sun - Language

The Coral - Sea of Mirrors

Danny Brown - Quaranta

Declan Welsh & The Decadent West - 2

Depeche Mode - Memento Mori

Empty Country - Empty Country II

Fenne Lily - Big Picture

Fiddlehead - Death Is Nothing To Us

FIZZ - The Secret To Life

Foo Fighters - But Here We Are

Gabriels - Angels & Queens

Gaz Coombes - Turn The Car Around

Gorillaz - Cracker Island

The Hives - The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons

Holding Absence - The Noble Art of Self Destruction

Hot Mulligan - Why Would I Watch

Jadu Heart - Derealised

James - Be Opened By The Wonderful

Janelle Monae - The Age of Pleasure

Jayda G - Guy

Kevin Abstract - Blanket

Killer Mike - MICHAEL

Lanterns on the Lake - Versions of Us

M83 - Fantasy

Metallica - 72 Seasons

Nile Marr - Lonely Hearts Killers

Noname - Sundial

nothing, nowhere - VOID ETERNAL

Paws - PAWS

RAYE - My 21st Century Blues

Sampha - Lahai

Shame - Food For Worms

Sigur Ros - ATTA

Sleaford Mods - UK Grim

The Slow Readers Club - Knowledge Freedom Power

Somebody's Child - Somebody's Child

Squid - O Monolith

Sundara Karma - Better Luck Next Time

We Are Scientists - Lobes

Wild Nothing - Hold

The Xcerts - Learning How To Live And Let Go

Yo La Tengo - This Stupid World

Zivi - Lost In Love

So that’s what didn’t quite make it - see you back here tomorrow to find out the first ones that did!

[niyanicole]

Team 20's Intro to Anthropology Playlist

Niya Allen: My song selection is “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge. This song relates to the content covered in Chapter 9 entitled “Kinship, Family, and Marriage”. Sister Sledge speaks on the foundation of family and kinship as it is defined in the black community. The song speaks to unity, cooperation, and love shared amongst  members that defines the makeup of kinship. Furthermore, this song can be applied to the nuclear family or extended family. Thus, this song is a perfect representation of the concept discussed within Chapter 9. 

Adlai’s Valencia: El Apagón by Bad Bunnyrelates to chapter 14 Politics and Power, The artist subliminally speak on the situation in Puerto Rico and how the government is doing the bare minimum for their country and there are always blackouts Due to the inconsistent settlements of Puerto Rico’s Political system. 

Mya Mendoza: I chose ABC by the Jackson Five. The alphabet is a set of letters that can be used when writing in language(s), and language is a system of communication that can be represented by sounds and words.

Noah Robinson: I chose The Bigger Picture by Lil Baby for Chapter 5: Race and Racism. This song relates to this chapter because it describes how black people are being targeted and oppressed. Also, it describes how we need to take a stand and fight equality around the world. 

Christian: I chose High for Hours by J Cole. I would say that this relates to chapter 10 because he talks about how the people in charge of everything are able to control how everyone moves and thinks and how that if you were to overthrow those people in charge you’ll just repeat the same cycle and become just like them in the end.

Our Team Song: Our group song selection is “Star Spangled Banner” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing”. Both of these songs relate to the concepts of Chapter 6: Ethnicity and Nationalism. The Star Spangled Banner is America’s National Anthem that helps build a sense of American identity. This song is used to represent freedom and is the fight song for American soldiers. Lift Every Voice and Sing is the African American National Anthem. This song represents what it means to be a black American in the United States. The song describes the faith and perseverance of African Americans and helps to form a sense of identity. 

[deswatchedit]

Don’t Go Tellin’ Your Momma (2021)

Topaz Jones’ 2021 short film Don’t Go Tellin’ Your Momma is a genre-defying piece that blends music, documentary, and experimental filmmaking. Inspired by the 1970s "Black ABCs," a set of educational flashcards designed to teach Black children about their culture and history, Jones’ film revisits this concept with a modern twist. Through 26 different "letters," each representing an aspect of Black life, the film explores themes of identity, education, and Black life in America. The combination of music, personal stories, and vibrant visuals creates a unique viewing experience that speaks directly to the complexities of growing up Black in this country.

The film is structured like the alphabet, with each letter standing for a word or concept related to Black culture. "A" for "Afro" and "N" for "Nigger." Each letter becomes a chapter that dives into an aspect of Black identity, ranging from serious social commentary to more lighthearted reflections on things like fashion or slang. This piece-by-piece like structure allows Jones to mix history, personal experiences, and creative visual elements in a way that feels fresh and experimental.

Visually, the film is a mix of old and new. Using 16mm film for some parts, giving it a retro, grainy feel that ties back to the historical roots of the Black ABCs, while other segments are shot with more modern equipment. This combination of styles makes each chapter feel distinct but still somewhat uniform. The editing is almost surreal, with images blending into one another in a way that feels almost dreamlike, or AI. This visual style reflects the film’s theme of Black identity being complex and multifaceted.

The music is also a key part of the film. Topaz Jones’ songs combine hip-hop, funk, and soul, fitting the film's narrative. The lyrics often reflect the themes of each segment, acting as another layer of storytelling. In this way, the music doesn’t just accompany the visuals—it helps shape them.

Don’t Go Tellin’ Your Momma is told from a Black perspective, our perspective. It is unapologetic in its depiction of Black culture and the struggles that come with living in a society where systemic racism is still a reality. The film doesn’t explain or soften its message for a non-Black audience, which is part of what makes it so powerful. It assumes the viewer is either familiar with these issues or willing to engage with them without being spoon-fed. This is crucial to the film’s authenticity and its refusal to dilute its message for mainstream appeal.

Historically, the Black ABCs were a tool to help Black children learn about themselves and their culture in a world that often denied them that opportunity. Jones builds on this idea, using the alphabet structure to explore how Black children—and Black people in general—navigate a world that often marginalizes them. The film addresses the importance of cultural education and the ways Black communities pass down knowledge, not just in schools, but through families, art, and everyday life.

Jones uses experimental techniques to break away from traditional filmmaking. The film is non-linear and doesn’t follow a typical plot, which can be disorienting, but this style fits with the themes Jones is exploring. Black identity isn’t something that can be neatly categorized or told in a straightforward way. By using a mix of personal stories, surreal imagery, and historical footage, the film reflects the idea that identity is layered and constantly evolving.

One of the most striking artistic choices is the way the film balances moments of pain and joy. While Jones touches on heavy topics like racism and the impact of police violence on Black communities, there are also moments of celebration—of Black culture, music, and style. This balance creates an emotional minefield for viewers, making it easy to become engulfed.

Don’t Go Tellin’ Your Momma is a powerful and thought-provoking film that pushes the boundaries of traditional storytelling. By using the alphabet as a framing device, Jones brings together history, personal experience, and artistic expression in a way that feels fresh and innovative, but all so simple at the same time.

Moreover, the film embraces what it means to be a Black film. It doesn’t conform to the expectations of a mainstream, white audience. Instead, it unapologetically centers Black life, culture, and language, making it clear that Black filmmakers like Jones are not just telling stories—they are reclaiming and redefining what it means to make "Black films." Don’t Go Tellin’ Your Momma is a Black film because it speaks directly to the Black community, reflects the complexities of Black identity, and challenges the negative connotations attached to the language and culture often misunderstood or vilified by the dominant culture.

Rating: 9/10

A creative and bold exploration of Black identity that successfully blends music (I love music), history, and personal narrative into an unforgettable film experience. I also just love 16mm!

[frozentanukii]

So I thought that I would make a list of my top 5 albums.

I love music, and due to that, I struggle to name what my favourite stuff is. Because I like too much stuff. And so, I thought I would fix that by creating a top 5. These are not listed in any particular order, the list is alphabetical.

First, I'll put down the criteria for judging each of these. There's 4-

Emotion- Nostalgia and the feelings and album brings me plays a major part in the ranking of a ‘top list’. How long I’ve known the album, as well as the memories surrounding it played the final factor in whether some things were included. This is ranked from High to Low since a high emotional influence doesn’t mean it’s strictly better.

Replayability- An album can be an absolute masterpiece, but in order to include it as a favourite, it has to be something that I would be happy listening to almost any time. It has to not get stale with time and keep its hitting factor. There’s albums like ‘Ants From Up There’ by Black Country, New Road that I can say have incredible technical skill put into them, but AFUT isn’t something I would listen to on repeat; it’s something that I would be actively listening to.

Uniqueness- It has to stand out among other albums. There has to be a specific air or feeling that it delivers that you can’t get from another album/band. How much the music stands out from its peers can influence the decision on it being a favourite. This includes the chosen albums being different genres from each other; there can’t be 5 different folk albums.

Goodness- How good is it? The technical skill involved, and the way it's put together. They have to be of good quality.

So, with that put down, here's my list;

Animals, TTNG

Emotion- High

Replayability- A+

Uniqueness- B+

Goodness- A+

Animals is an album I remember from when I was growing up. My brother bought it, and I remember being neutral towards it. I liked it well enough. I rediscovered it around a year ago, and my appreciation for it skyrocketed. The calming math rock vibes mixed with the vocal style is something that feels unique. Even though you can find other bands that sound similar in the math rock scene (it’s math rock after all…), nobody else quite hits that exact feeling that TTNG can hit. It’s an album that I would genuinely recommend to anyone.

[Their name was originally This Town Needs Guns, as a way to poke fun at their hometown's, Oxford's, low crime rate. As the band gained more popularity, they changed the name to prevent people for mistaking it for a real sentiment.]

As Small As Ants, This Is The Glasshouse

Emotion- High

Replayability- C

Uniqueness- A++

Goodness- A

As Small As Ants is an interesting album. It’s very niche, sitting in that middle ground between orchestral, folk, rock, and some other random stuff. But because of that, it manages to stand out among basically everything that I’ve listened to. I’ve yet to find a band that sounds quite like This Is The Glasshouse on this album. Dukart’s vocal style is incredibly striking and unique. It was one of the things that turned me away from the album on my first listen, but as I’ve heard it more, the vocals are the main highlight of it. Everything in As Small As Ants comes together to make an experience that isn’t for everyone, but if you’re in the demographic, you are *in* the demographic.

It has a relatively low replayability score for this, however. Since it’s so unique, it reaches that problem in which you have to be in the mood to listen to it for it to truly hit. But everything else about it makes up for that in full.

And the second to last song, ‘Annie’, is a masterpiece.

Look Alive!, Early Eyes

Emotion- Low

Replayability- B

Uniqueness- A

Goodness- B+

Look Alive is like a punch in the face directly from the lovechild of the 80s’ synth phase and the 2010s. It feels like pure pop is being injected into your ears. In a good way. Early Eyes provides for that wanting for something different in a way that I haven’t heard from another band, and Look Alive is a perfect example of what they give. It’s perfect music for sitting back and drifting away, as well doing anything high energy. Or doing something artistic. Or almost anything, really. The tracklist covers a great mix of more toned back emotional songs and hypnotizing beats. The best way to describe how it sounds is the cover of the album. In this case, you can judge a book by its cover, since it sounds exactly like that. 

Moenie and Kitchi, Gregory and the Hawk

Emotion- Medium

Replayability- A+

Uniqueness- A

Goodness- A

Moenie and Kitchi sounds like walking through the woods and catching a comforting breeze. It invokes a feeling of safety and comfort, like being wrapped in a blanket. Moenie and Kitchi is best described through metaphors. Gregory and the Hawk can bring out a feeling that no other musician can bring out, even ones in the same genre. It just feels special with her songs. Moenie and Kitchi was my first introduction to her albums, and due to that, it stays with me more than any of the other ones. Leche is a close second, but Moenie has the ~vibes~. If you like soft music and acoustic stuff, this is an album that you absolutely can’t ignore.

This is another album in which the album art perfectly represents the sound.

pushing daisies, julie

Emotion- Low

Replayability- B+

Uniqueness- A

Goodness- A

julie is edgy in a good way. They invoke the sounds of hard rock combined with rock-emo to create something that sounds different to any other ‘depression band’. The droning vocals mix with the guitar and bass to generate music™. The drums smashing in the background make you feel pumped up. The *everything* is engineered to hit that perfect sound that they want to create. It sounds good and feels more genuine than a lot of other bands in the space. 

Honourable Mentions;

Velocity: Design: Comfort, Sweet Trip

An experimental masterpiece in technological soundscapes. Literally perfect. It just couldn’t make the top 5 because… to be honest, I don’t know why it isn’t up there. A lot of things didn’t make the cut. The original list was 24 albums long.

Lost Dogs, Keep it Together

If you’re looking for a laid back and unique album, Lost Dogs is here. I love this album so much, but it didn’t feel right putting it in the top because of how recent I’ve known it for. Listen to it when you’re dozing off or chilling out, it feels made for those times.

Day Dream Disorder, Circadian Clock

Literally amazing. If you love hard hitting rock songs, listen to everything Circadian Clock has made. They are a brilliant band and they *need* more attention. This and ‘Someone out There Loves You After All’ are great EPs, but they felt too short to put them up there. There’s only 7 songs between both of the EPs.

Anyway, thank you for reading my long music post. I like the music tunes beep boopin'.

This list will probably change in a week because my taste is an engima-

[prnanayarquah]

Avance Media Announces 2023 100 Most Influential Young Africans List

New Post has been published on https://plugzafrica.com/avance-media-announces-2023-100-most-influential-young-africans-list/

Avance Media Announces 2023 100 Most Influential Young Africans List

Leading African PR & Rating firm, Avance Media has announced its list of 2023 100 Most Influential Young Africans. The list, which is the 8th edition, features young Africans creating and leading positive impact in their various countries and the continent.

With representatives from about 30 countries, the 2023 list features prominent individuals such as Burkina Faso’s President, Ibrahim Traore, and the African Union Youth Envoy, Chido Cleo Mpemba.  Ministers of State, climate activists, content creators, musicians, and athletes are all recognized for their achievements.

The list is a powerful testament to the vast pool of talents and leaders across Africa. It includes young people making a difference in various sectors, from government and business to activism, entertainment, and media.

“We are incredibly proud to unveil the 2023 edition of the 100 Most Influential Young Africans,” said Prince Akpah, Founder of Avance Media. “This list showcases the incredible diversity and potential of young Africans who are driving change and shaping the future of our continent.  These young leaders inspire us all and serve as role models for the next generation.”

This year’s list includes Ministers of State: Amina Priscille Longoh, Emma Inamutila Theofelus, Rose Pola Pricemou, Yvan Butera (Dr.); Climate Activists: Mohamed Adow, Elizabeth Wathuti, Ineza Umuhoza and Vanessa Nakate & Content Creators such as Wode Maya, Charity Ekezie, Dudu, Le Général Tchoutchoubatchou, Tayo Aina, Uncle Mo and William Last KRM.

Below is Avance Media’s 2023 100 Most Influential Young Africans arranged alphabetically.

Abir Ibrahim || Associate Africa Director, World Economic Forum

Achraf Hakimi || Footballer, PSG

Adebola Williams || Group CEO, RED | For Africa

Adeniyi Adebayo || Chief Business Officer, Yango Africa

Ahmed Kaballo || Founder, Africa Stream

Amina Priscille Longoh || Minister, Chad

Amisa Rashid || Founder, Nivishe Foundation

Anna Ekeledo || CEO, AfriLabs Foundation

Asake || Musician

Asisat Oshoala || Footballer, FC Barcelona

Awa Bousso Drame || Founder, CoastGIS

Ayra Starr || Musician

Benjamin Fernandes || CEO, NALA

Bimbo Ademoye || Actress

Bitania Lulu Berhanu || Programmes Director, AMREF

Black Sherif || Musician

Bogolo Kenewendo || Global Economist

Broda Shaggi || Content Creator

Burna Boy || Musician

Canary Mugume || Journalist

Charity Ekezie || Content Creator

Charlene Ruto || CEO, SMACHs Foundation

Chido Cleo Mpemba || African Union Youth Envoy

Chike || Musician

Christine Mhundwa || Media Personality, DW TV

Chude Jideonwo || Media Personality

Davido || Musician

Debo Adedayo || Content Creator

Déborah Mutund || Media Personality

Dudu || Content Creator

Ebuka Songs || Musician

Elizabeth Tanya Masiyiwa || CEO, HigherLife Foundation

Elizabeth Wathuti || Climate Activist

Emma Inamutila Theofelus || Minister, Namibia

Francis Zavier Ngannou || Boxer

Ham Serunjogi || CEO , Chipper Cash

Hilda Baci || Chef

Humphrey Nabimanya || CEO, Reach A Hand, Uganda

Ibrahim Traore (H.E.) || President, Burkina Faso

Ineza Umuhoza || Climate Activist

Inna Hengari || Member of the National Assembly, Namibia

Iyinoluwa Aboyeji || CEO, Future Africa

Jamila Mohamed HSC || Journalist

John-Allan Namu || Journalist

Johnson Sakaja || Governor of Nairobi, Kenya

Kennedy Ekezie || CEO, Kippa

Larry Madowo || Journalist, BBC

Lawrence Maleka || Media Personality

Layi Wasabi || Content Creator

Le Général Tchoutchoubatchou || Content Creator

Libianca || Musician

Maimouna Ba || Activist

Mark Masai || Journalist

Mercy Chinwo || Musician

Mohamed Adow || CEO, PowerShift Africa

Mohamed Salah || Footballer, Liverpool

Mohammed Bello El-Rufai || Member of the House of Representatives, Nigeria

Mohammed Kudus || Footballer, West Ham

Moses Bliss || Musician

Mr Eazi || CEO, Empawa Africa

Musa Keys || Musician

Nadia Mukami || Musician

Nancy Isime || Actress

Nozipho Tshabalala || CEO, The Conversation Strategists

Odunayo Eweniyi || Co-Founder, PiggyVest

Olugbenga Agboola || CEO, Flutterwave

Omar Hagrass || CEO, Trella

Raissa Kanku || Community Specialist, World Economic Forum

Rema || Musician

Rose Pola Pricemou, || Minister, Republic of Guinea

Ruvheneko Parirenyatwa || Journalist

Sadio Mane || Footballer, Al Nassr

Sam George Nartey || Member of Parliament, Ghana

Samson Itodo || CEO, YIAGA Africa

Sébastien Haller || Footballer, Borussia Dortmund

Shola Akinlade || CEO, Paystack

Somachi Chris-Asoluka || CEO, Tony Elumelu Foundation

Stephen Sang || Governor of Nandi County, Kenya

Stonebwoy || Musician

Susan Nakhumicha Wafula || Cabinet Minister for Health, Kenya

Tayo Aina || Content Creator

Tems || Musician

Thembi Kgatlana || Footballer

Theo Baloyi || CEO, Bathu

Tobi Bakre || Actor

Tunde Onakoya || Founder, Chess in Slums Africa

Tusaiwe Munkhondya || Founder, YANA

Tyla || Musician

Uncle Mo || Content Creator

Vanessa Nakate || Climate Activist

Victor Osimhen || Footballer, Napoli

Walter Pacheco || CEO, Bodiva-Bolsa De Dívida E Valores De Angola

Wema Sepetu || Actress

Wezi || Musician

Wildiley Barroca || Consultant

William Last KRM || Content Creator

Wode Maya || Content Creator

Yassine Bounou || Footballer, Al Hilal

Yvan Butera (Dr.) || Minister of Health, Rwanda

Zuchu || Musician

[leadendeath]

Username Playlist

tagged by @maevedx THANK U!!!!!! ヽ(✿ﾟ▽ﾟ)ノ YAYYY I LIKE CASTING "HERE'S MY MUSIC" AT YOU ALL >:DDD and i get "how well do you know the alphabet, and how well can you count? (SPOILER: NOT WELL)" casted at me in return! nothin better than that

Life of fear - Lorna Shore

Electric funeral - Black Sabbath

Amos moses - Jerry Reed (but the Primus cover is how i found it, i can't choose the better one myself)

Do you believe in magic? - The Lovin' Spoonful (author's note: real ones will be able to guess why this was Very Recently added to my very long "liked songs" spotify playlist ;) 🧡)

Exit music (for a film) - Radiohead

Never going back again - Fleetwood Mac

Dirty old town - The Pogues

Excentrifugal forz - Frank Zappa

Among the sef - Colin Stetson

Take me to the river - Talking Heads

Hacker - Death Grips

i always try to add one (1) from my favs instead of oops! all dg! or oops! all talking heads! or whoever, and add in something people might not expect me to like (classical/soundtracks, or country)

some of my most favouritest mutuals have a url almost as long as mine or more (i didn't realise til now it's 11 letters :0), so this is your "I LOVE YOU MUTUAL LONGURL CONSIDER YOURSELF TAGGED" sign. tagged in spirit. <3

[ear-worthy]

Sesame Street On Audible & Native Land Pod Episode About New Black NFL Head Coach

Sesame Street back on Audible with new show

Podcasting needs quality family programming. With misinformation seeping into podcasting via right-wing extremist channels, it's important that podcasting remain a trusted source of news and entertainment.

So it was good news to hear that Sesame Workshop, the global impact nonprofit behind Sesame Street, and Audible are collaborating once again with the release of the new Sesame Street podcast Ready, Set, Ride with Elmo.

Ready, Set, Ride with Elmo is the perfect on-the-go podcast for the whole family. Join Elmo and his Sesame Street friends as they imagine themselves different everyday scenarios but with a twist, and always in a super silly, over-the-top car.

In every episode, Elmo picks up a friend on Sesame Street in his Elmobile! Once they buckle in, the Elmobile can transform into anything – a race car, a helicopter, a giant skateboard, even a banana peel with wheels – before whisking them off on a fantastic, themed adventure.

Sesame Workshop first teamed up with Audible in 2020 for The Sesame Street Podcast with Foley & Friends. The show was renewed for a Season 2 and Season 3. Hosted by new monster on the block Foley, alongside sidekick Mikee the Microphone, each 15-minute episode centers on a different topic that parents and their preschooler will enjoy together: such as the alphabet, birthdays, and vehicles. Recurring features include “Elmo’s Joke of the Day,” original songs, and music previously featured on Sesame Street, such as “The Letter of the Day.” Original music, interactive games, jokes, and visits from friends are in every episode.

"If you think you know trains, planes, and automobiles, get ready to explore them in a brand-new way with your favorite Sesame Street friends in Ready, Set, Ride with Elmo," said Jennifer Ahearn, Senior Vice President, Strategic Partnerships & Themed Entertainment, Sesame Workshop. "We’re excited to debut our latest collaboration with Audible. No doubt, this podcast series will spark the imaginations of children and families as they strap in for a wondrous, laughter-filled escapade."

Audible says: "Imaginations run free as Elmo and his Elmobile help his Sesame Street friends Abby, Grover, Oscar and more. Available exclusively from Audible, each episode will be approximately 10 minutes long, with a total of eight episodes."

"Get READY, get SET, and let’s RIDE with Elmo and the Elmobile! The fun is never ending!"

***************************************************************

Native Land Pod covers Iowa Primary Results

The second episode of Native Land Pod focuses on the Iowa primary results, and a new NFL Black head coach. Native Land Pod is a new iHeartPodcast hosted by Angela Rye, Tiffany D. Cross and Andrew Gillum. The series embarks on a journey of reflection, takes stock of the news of the week during the country's road to the polls in 2024, provides sharp political insights and weaves together a narrative of hope and empowerment for listeners across the country.

This week's episode features a conversation about the results from Iowa, where things are headed with the GOP field, and a reaction to some of Nikki Haley's recent comments, before transitioning to the significance of outreach to Black voters by Democrats. The trio also discuss the new black head coach in the NFL, Jerod Mayo of the New England Patriots. The episode concludes with co-host's Tiffany Cross's comments, as she finally addresses the burning question: what happened to her show at MSNBC?

In the episode, Cross observes."I was never given an official reason for why they cancelled my show, but it was pretty obvious that I had drawn the ire of white conservatives, so I had to go. Never mind that millions of people found my voice to reflect theirs, they weren’t the viewers who MSNBC seemed to care about." 

Any comment on that, MSNBC?