#the first day home after a great vacation hits different

[strniohoeee]

Vigilance

Pairing: Matt Sturniolo X Female Reader

Synopsis: Matt is super jealous over Y/N getting male attention. He doesn’t know how to communicate this, causing Y/N to feel hurt🏵️ this is for the request asking for a jealous Matt when Y/N gets hit on

Warnings⚠️: None☺️ just super cute

Song for the chapter: Dead to Me-Kali Uchis

The triplets had orchestrated a vacation for our friends! They had invited Madi, Tril and Nate. The 7 of us were going down to Florida for 7 days! We had all been working on ourselves and our content that we hadn’t really had a chance to hang out and catch up.

Because we all live in different areas we had all decided to meet at the Air bnb that was on the beach. Although I am currently living In LA, I'm originally from NY and have been back home for the past 4 months, so I had to fly out alone.

And of course just my luck my flight was the only one of the 7 of ours that got delayed. So everyone was already at the house for a good two hours before I showed up.

I walked to the front door checking to see if it was locked, and I am not surprised that these fools left the door open. So I let myself in placing my luggage next to the door, and locking the door behind me

“HELLOOOOO” I yelled out, and to no surprise I heard nothing

As I walked to the kitchen I could hear talking, and laughing, so I knew they were outside on the balcony

“Who would’ve thought we’d all be together again” I said as I walked out the door

“Y/NNNNNN OH MY GODDDD SHES HERE” Madi said, jumping up and running to give me a hug.

“Madiiiii I’ve missed you so much” I said hugging her tightly

I walked over to everybody as they were all sitting around the little glass table that was in the center

“Hey Nick….I literally missed you so much” I said, giving him a big hug. Then I went over to Chris and hugged him “my favorite interesting character” I said squeezing him tight

“Yoo so good to see you again” Matt said in the most flirtatious way, giving me a big hug

“So great to see you” I told him after letting go

“Trilllll” I said as I gave him a hug too

“Yoo what’s Nate it’s been so long” I said as I gave him a hug

“It’s been like what a year??” He asked looking at me

“Dude I think it has been that long” I told him as I sat down next to him

“How was your flight?" I know it got delayed” Chris asked me

“It was alright. There was this dude next to me…oh my god wouldn’t stop talking to me” I said rolling my eyes

“Oh my god!!! A guy talking to you how dreadful” Madi said groaning

“Oh shut up” I said rolling my eyes at her

“What yall been up to while I’ve been gone?” I asked them

“The last 4 months have been insane. We’ve been growing by the second, and we just got back from tour” Nick said

“I saw! Congrats to Chris even though I’m a Matt girl” I said looking over at Matt

“The whole time we just kept talking about how much we missed you, and how you would have love coming on tour with us” Matt said

“I would killllll to have been on tour with yall” I said

“Why do you look so different” Nate asked me

I laughed at this and gave a confused look

“Different?” I asked

“Yeah….somethings different” he said eyeing me up and down

“Mmm, I dyed my hair black, and it’s longer now. I’ve might’ve put on some weight too, but uhhh not too much on that or I’ll spiral” I said laughing, they laughed with me

“Maybe it’s that” he said

“What the black hair? Or me gaining weight??? And answer carefully” I said raising an eyebrow

“I think it’s the weight! It looks good on you. Your bodies filling out” he said smuggly

“CREEPER MUCH” I said smacking him playfully

“Nooo not in that way. You just look so much happier and healthier now” he said rolling his eyes

“Yeah she looks healthier now cause her ass is fat” Madi said

“ALRIGHTTTT no more body talk” I said laughing

“It’s still pretty early, and we’re on the beach, so I say beach time???” Chris asked

We all agreed, and I was the first to get up and turn around. As I turned around Nate and Trils eyes followed down to my ass. Something Matt took note of, and he wasn’t happy about that.

Madi and I were sharing a room, and decided to match bathing suits. We both wore vibrant hot pink bikinis that were kind of a thong in the back. They weren’t cheeky but they also weren’t g string. Somewhere in the middle.

This was a matching suit we bought 5 months ago, and my body has changed in the last 5 months. So the top part was a little extra snug

“Madi you look so hot in pink” I told her

“You looks so hot in pink” she said

“I have to find my sun block, but could you go downstairs and find my purse” she asked me

“Of course baby” I said and went downstairs

All the guys were sitting on the couch waiting on Madi and I

“Have yall seen Madi’s purse” I called out from the kitchen

“Yeah it’s over here” Nick called out

“Perfect I’m coming” I said after slipping on my flip flops and walking over

“WOAHHHHH” Nick said causing everyone to look up from their phone

I just rolled my eyes at him, and went to grab Madi’s purse which was next to Matt.

“I like the pink” he said looking at me

“Thank you matt” I said smiling at him

“Oh I need a cover up. I left mine back home, and Madi’s are too small for me” I said

“Want one of my shirts?” Tril asked

“Sure” I said. He got up and came back a few minutes later with a shirt for me

“Thank you” I said slipping it on

Madi finally found her sunblock and came down stairs

“Aii bitches let’s go” she said

We walked out the front door and around the house to get to the entrance of the beach

Once we found a good spot we set up or towels, and I took off my shirt

“Hey could you pass me the sunblock” I asked Madi

“Yeah here” she said handing it to me

It was the spray on kind, so I sprayed myself except my back I couldn’t reach

“Back please” I told Madi handing her the bottle and turning around

Matt watched Tril and Nate, and immediately their eyes fell down to look at my ass. Nick also noticed this

“Y’all have no shame” he said to them shaking their head

They both laughed and put there hands up in defense

We all sat around tanning for a little bit, but I was starting to overheat

“Hey I’m going into the water it’s too hot” I said getting up and walking to the water

I got in the water about just below breast level. When I felt a ball hit me, so I turned around

“Oh I’m so sorry” the guy came walking over.

“Oh no worries it didn’t hit me hard” I said looking up at him blocking the sunlight out of my eyes

“What's your name?” He asked

“I’m Y/N, and yours” I asked him

“I’m Logan” he said sticking his hand out, which I happily grabbed and shook

“Nice to meet you Logan” I said

“Likewise” he said and winked

“Are you from here?” He asked me

“Oh no my friends and I are just on a vacation” I said to him

“Nice! I’m actually from here, but I live in Georgia right now for work” he said

“Oh, that's really cool. How’s Georgia?” I asked him

“I mean it’s nice, but it’s not Florida” he said shining his bright smile

“I mean that’s true. I’m from New York, so I get that” I said laughing a little bit

“You know tonight we’re having a bonfire my friends and I, maybe your friends and yourself would like to join?” He asked

“Uhh yeah maybe, I could ask them” I told him

“Alright well uh cool, I’ll see you around Y/N” he said started to walk back

“Yeah I’ll see you around Logan” I said, and decided to get out the water, and head back to everyone

“Who was that?” Madi asked me

“His names Logan, he was nice” I said to her drying myself off with my spare towel

“Yeah, and he was hot” she said

“Ehh he was okay” I said shrugging my shoulders

“Uhh no he was hot” Nick said chiming in

“So everybody was just watching me” I said laughing

“Well duh! A guy approaches you. We have to watch” Chris said

“Good to know, but anyways he invited us to a bonfire tonight on the beach. I told him I’d let you guys know” I told them

“Oh we have to go” Nate said

Everyone agreed except Matt

“How about you Matt?” I asked him

He just looked up from his phone and shrugged his shoulders

Hmm weird but what’s ever…”uhh okay” I said

We had gotten back from the beach a few hours ago, and decided to get some pizza from a nearby spot.

Eventually we all decided to head to the beach for the bonfire. I immediately saw Logan, so we walked over

“Hey Logan” I said

“Heyyy” he said going in for a hug, which shocked me, but I hugged him back

We all introduced everyone to each other and kind of just broke apart to talk to everyone

We were all sitting around the bonfire just talking

Logan was talking my ear off, and throwing compliments at me here and there. But I didn’t really care for him.

I kept glancing over at Matt who was occasionally talking to some girl.

I started to get a bit jealous. I really liked Matt, but I felt like he didn’t like me back. The girl had gotten up to get a drink, when Matt and I’s eyes locked. I smiled at him, and just kind of rolled his eyes and looked away.

That was weird?? And uncalled for

So I turned back to Logan and chatted with him. At one point he started to get a little too flirty. He went as far as tucking my hair behind my ear. And when I kind of moved my head away I looked at Matt, and he was watching me. But when he saw that he got up and started to walk away

“Uhh I’ll be back” I said to Logan and shot up walking after Matt

“Hey Matt what’s up?” I said walking with him

“Nothing” he said back bluntly

“Doesn’t seem like nothing” I told him

“Well it’s nothing” he said once again bluntly

“Did I do something wrong?” I asked him

“Nope” he said popping the P and looking at the water

“I’m not sure what I did to you, but whatever it is I’m sorry” I said and stormed off heading back to the house.

Got to the house, and went up to my bed. I started to cry. How could someone I adore so much just treat me like that. I didn’t do a single thing to him, and now he’s giving me the cold shoulder and being mean.

I ended up falling asleep before anyone came back, so I knew I’d face some questions when I woke up. Surprisingly, I woke up after everyone. I decided to shower and do my whole routine before heading downstairs

“Morning Y/N” Nick said smiling at me

“Morning guys” I said

“What happened to you last night?” Chris asked me

“Oh i got really tired, so I decided to head in” I told him as I sat down to eat a bagel

I sat next to Matt, and he didn’t even look over at me.

“Morning Matt” I said looking at him, he was drinking his orange juice, and all he did was raise his eyebrows at me.

We were on day 5 of our trip, and Matt was completely ignoring me now. He would go out of his way to not be near me, or interact with me at all. I spent those nights crying over how hurt I felt. I was hurting him, and he wouldn’t even talk to me about it.

Tonight everyone called it a night at about 12, but I was so riddled with anxiety that I stood up. I decided to sit outside on the patio

Once again letting tears fall from my eyes. Not understanding why he was being so mean to me. It was unfair.

I heard the screen door open and someone step out

“Y/N?” I heard someone say. I looked over my shoulder and scoffed

“What do you want Matt?” I said wiping my eyes and sniffling

“Are you crying?” He asked me sitting diagonal from me

“What does it matter” I spat at him

“Why are you crying?” He asked me with worry written all over his face

“Doesn’t matter not like you’d care anyways” I said to him

“I do care” he responded

“You’re not going to do this. You’re not going to sit and ignore me for 5 days, and then want to come out here and be all sweet and play therapist. You can go right back inside and leave me alone” I said shooing him

“Woah” he said taken aback

“Woah nothing matt…woah nothing. You’ve been a dick to me this whole trip, and I was so excited to see you. But for the past 5 nights, guess what I’ve been doing?? CRYING OVER YOU” I said slightly raising my voice

“God this is all my fault” he said rubbing his eyes and sighing

“It sure is” I said rolling my eyes at him

“I’ve been such an idiot. I’ve been bottling up how I feel so so fucking long” he said

“What the fuck are you saying” I said getting annoyed

“Y/N I like you so fucking much. That it actually brings pain to my heart and chest when I see you talking to other guys. And when Tril and Nate were looking at you making comments it just made me so jealous. And when Logan came over to you. I wanted to throw up with anxiety. I hated the fact that you were looking and talking to them, and not me. That I got so angry with you, but truly I was angry at myself, and jealous over someone who isn’t mine” he finally said

It took a second for all that to register in my head

“I..Matt what?” I said confused

“I really really like you. Like a lot” he said looking into my eyes

“Matt, I have liked you for the longest time. I missed you so fucking much while I was back home that I wanted to call you every second of everyday, but I just couldn’t bring myself to” I told him

“You should’ve….I would have picked up. For you I will always pick up” he said

“Y/N will you be my girlfriend?” He asked me getting up and walking to sit next to me

“Yes Matt. Yes I will” I told him looking at him

“God I’m such a fool. I will never ever do anything stupid like that again” he said pulling me in for a hug

“Matt never do that. Know that I am here for you. Always and forever. And however you’re feeling. Just come and speak to me about it. We will work this out together” I said pulling away

“I promise I will” he said giving me his pinky

I laughed and made a pinky promise with him, and with his other hand he pulled me in for a kiss.

The next two days of the trip were amazing. Matt and us had been doing everything as a couple, and truly enjoying the end of our vacation before we all had to head home

“TO US” we all screamed as we cheersed our soda cans

This was a vacation that would remain a core memory for me.

The End

Hope and pray that to the person who requested this likes it🫶🏽🫶🏽 Hope you guys enjoyed😘😘 time to keep pumping these stories out !!

-J💅🏽

[godisshook]

Enemies with Benefits

Ryder is the absolute worst.

We had once been inseparable. High school sweethearts, we navigated the tumultuous waters of adolescence together, supporting each other through thick and thin. Our breakup was a result of years of me fighting for feelings that he stopped reciprocating. The final straw came when I found out he had cheated on me in my freshman year of college. I decided then and there to end things and refused to speak to him for the rest of the year.

There was just one issue with all of this: we lived together. We went to the same college, and so made the "great" decision to live together our first year. Even worse, I had renewed my lease with him shortly before I caught on to his cheating, meaning I had to live with him for another year. After the breakup, the living room became Ryder's new home, and I dreaded going in there. Ryder wanted to ensure I was miserable, so he always left the house a mess. I resented him for it, with only the thought of me getting to move as far away as possible from him helping me get through the days. For months, we had ignored each other, refusing to acknowledge the painful history we shared. The air in our one-bedroom apartment was thick with tension, and I sought to avoid him at every turn.

With summer rolling around, I stayed in the apartment, not having much to do back at home. My saving grace came as Ryder said he would be on vacation, and wouldn't return until summer ended. At least I would have a small reprieve from his presence, and most importantly, I was able to claim the bedroom back. I enjoyed my months of peace as if they were my last, taking advantage of the peace and quiet to get work done and deep clean the entire apartment. The days flew by as I enjoyed both time by myself and with friends. The cooling summer air would serve as a reminder that the fun would soon be over. With Ryder arriving tomorrow, I decided to have one last party, taking special care to make sure my partygoers messed up Ryder's stuff specifically, getting some revenge on the way. Satisfied with the mess I had caused, I escorted my guests out for the night, and slept well, enjoying my final day of relaxation.

The sound of keys jangling at the door woke me, as the immediate realization of what those keys meant crushed me. With the sound of bags and shuffling now getting louder and louder, I decided to simply remain in the room, refusing to speak. As he finally reached the bedroom, a series of light knocks would hit the door. With it swooshing open, Ryder said, “Oh, how I’ve missed you,” laying down his backpack. "I really wish I could say the same." I immediately replied, a stoic look on my face. As he goes in for a hug, I shuffle to the other side of the bed and say "You're letting the light in." It was clear he was not anticipating that response, but as he gathered himself, he replied, "I really do miss you." His thumb grazed the curve of my cheek, caressing it gently, his touch both tender and possessive. In response, I let out a soft, breathless moan, showing my weakness.

In my defense, it was a moment of vulnerability, and we had hooked up now and then. Even though we weren't on speaking terms, it was impossible to resist that body of his, and so we would occasionally do it. However, it was only a few times, that I can promise.

While I didn't believe his words for a second, I couldn't help but notice how different he looked. I didn't anticipate his changing demeanor, but this new Ryder gave me a strange hope. A guy whom I had always regarded as a slob was now well-kept and dressed. I still hated him from the depths of my soul for what he did to me, but I was far more willing to be amicable with him if he was choosing to be better. Living together had its challenges, but it also brought back memories of our shared history. We had both grown since their breakup, pursuing our own lives. But beneath the surface, a lingering connection remained.

Late one night, Ryder would return home from work in an obviously bad mood. I was lounging around, watching TV, and upon his return, got ready to leave, unprepared to acknowledge the fact I gave in yesterday. I sighed, saying, "If you want something to eat, there's some food in the fridge or whatever." He stopped walking and faced me, his expression changing from apparent frustration to an appreciative smile.

Opening the fridge, he said, "Sorry for looking so mad, I just had a long day." I replied flatly, "We aren't dating, you don't have to explain yourself to me." This reply clearly struck a nerve in Ryder, as he simply stood up, and walked towards me. His eyes locked onto mine with a smoldering gaze, conveying his desire without a single word. The magnetic pull between us was palpable, igniting the air with an electric tension that neither could deny.

It was moments like this that were dangerous. He knew exactly what made me tick and exploited it whenever he could. Trying to feign ignorance, I innocently asked, "Why are you so close?" Ryder, now inches from my face, would finally make his intentions known. "Take me like you used to." His irresistible gaze made me fall apart, and I found myself unable to pull myself away. My fingers found the edge of Ryder's shirt, slipping beneath the fabric to trace the contours of his chest, reveling in the warmth and strength that lay beneath. Lifting it up, I silently went down a path of no return.

His breath hitched as I slowly helped raise his shirt, desire lighting up in his eyes. With our lips tantalizingly close to each other, I couldn't resist the temptation any longer. With a slow, deliberate movement, I leaned in, my lips brushing against Ryder's. It was a whisper of a kiss, a tantalizing tease that left us both breathless.

Now Ryder would take the initiative, getting closer as he kissed all around my neck. Ryder's strong hands roamed my body, igniting a desire that had been dormant for too long. His touch was both possessive and tender, a silent declaration that he had missed this, missed me.

With a barely audible sigh, our lips met again. It was a soft, tentative kiss at first, but it quickly deepened into something more passionate. Our lips moved together hungrily, and our hands roamed each other's bodies, reacquainting themselves with the familiar terrain. It was like the dam holding back all of our desires had burst open. Ryder's strong arms enveloped mine, pulling me in closer, while my fingers found their way to his broad chest once more, a feeling of safety coming over me as our bodies came close to each other.

I pulled away, breathless and flushed, Ryder led me to the bedroom, as we continued to explore each other's bodies with a hunger that had never truly disappeared. In the heat of the moment, our clothes became an obstacle we couldn't tolerate, and as soon we were naked, our bodies pressed together in sweet ecstasy. It was slow and intense as if we were making up for lost time. The room filled with the sound of our sighs, and the air heated up as passion mixed with desire.

"Let me fuck you," he said, a mischievous look coming over his face. Finally snapping out of my trance, I replied "In your dreams." Putting my clothes back on, I took my pillows and marched down to the living room. I didn't just give in to him once, but twice. Just living together and ignoring each other was not going to work. As I dozed off on the couch, I decided that I had to end things for good.

As I woke up that morning, I concluded that I needed to get things done. The plan was simple; firmly say things are over with Ryder, and tell him I'm moving out. My bags were partially packed, but since I couldn't get my things from there, I didn't have access to the bedroom for the night. Steeling myself, I walked over to the bedroom, with the music getting louder and louder as I ventured down the hallway. With my first knock being met with nothing, I knocked harder and was met with shuffling from the room, which indicated my knocks were heard.

As the door swooshed open, I was met with Ryder and a wave of steam. As the wave of hot air hit my face, memories of warm showers together and foggy mirrors filled my mind. Coming to it, I finally looked at Ryder. It was clear he was fresh out of the shower, and as my face scanned his chest, my blush gave away my emotion at the moment. Catching this, Ryder said, "Is there something you wanted, or did you just need to see me?"

My plan immediately went sideways as I got flustered, unable to get a single word out. Taking advantage of this, Ryder would whisper in my ear, "If you want me again, just say so." His husky voice in my ear sent me trembling, and the walls I had put up were crumbling each second. I had entered his room with the resolve to finally end things, to sever the connection once and for all. It seemed as if my plan dawned on him by the way I was knocking. He was calling my bluff, and it was working. My body would betray my thoughts, as I simply cried out, "I want you!"

Without warning, Ryder drew me into an intense, passionate kiss. I had no chance of resisting his hunger for me. It was like the dam holding back our desires had burst open. Our lips moved together hungrily, and his hands roamed down my body, reacquainting itself with the familiar terrain. I arched into Ryder's touch and gasped as his fingers dipped lower, exploring the sensitive territory that made my body quiver with desire. Removing his sweatpants, he sat on his chair, cock bulging in his underwear.

"Come and get it."

His words lit a fire in me, as I shifted up to him, and began feeling his bulge. Precum started to wet his underwear around the tip of his cock, and his dick pressed hard against his boxers. Teasingly, I slowly removed his boxers, and as his dick bounced up, it hit me straight in the eye. "Hey!" I said, shocked. He only shrugged, a sly smile on his face. With a smirk, I got to work, licking around his tip, as he threw his head back in response.

There was a familiar feeling to things, the way his dick fit inside perfectly, the way he knew exactly how to pleasure me, it was bliss. Our bodies fit together like pieces of a long-lost puzzle. Ryder's fingers brushed against the delicate lines of my face, while my hands explored the strong, sculpted planes of Ryder's back. In between thrusts, he said, "My cock feels good, doesn’t it?" I couldn't deny how he had been able to pleasure me, and I gave in. All I could let out was an ecstatic "Yes, more!" Maintaining his gaze, he continued pounding into me, each thrust sending me further and further to the edge.

Each stroke was a testament to the passion that had simmered beneath the surface for years. Ryder explored the valleys of my mouth with a mixture of revenge and hunger. Our breaths became labored, as their bodies moved in unison, a testament to our rekindled passion. Unable to take it any longer, a wave of pleasure washed over me as I came, with a moan escaping my mouth as Ryder continued fucking me.

As he held me in the quiet aftermath of our reunion, I could hear our hearts beat in unison. Keeping me in his embrace, he mumbled, "Sex smells great on you." I replied, "Mind saying that a little louder?" He smirked in response, as our usual banter flowed perfectly. Our intimacy deepened, both emotionally and physically, as we explored each other's desires and fantasies together. Many steamy nights were spent in each other's arms were filled with passion and longing, rekindling the fire that had never truly died.

[transingsomeformers]

something thats been eating at my mind to write/draw but if my boy hotrod/rodimus guest appeared in rescue bots this is whats been swimming around in my brain a while rambles down below

he wouldnt be like the main main focus hed be a guest star ofc

a new bot shows up on the island in vehicle form at first, but thats not really subtle cause hes a racecar and everybody is like "whats a racecar doing by this lake?" one that nobody super recognizes at first glance except fr salvage and blurr.

and blurr starts getting ecstatic when the bot transforms and its hot rod! (studio applause) and while blurr is going a lil nuts with excitement salvage fills them in that hes an old racer from velocitron and blurr is all like

"dude, hes not just 'an old racer' hes one of the greatest racers velocitron has ever seen!!!" and he starts infodumping abt him and in the back of his mind heatwave is like "greaaat another bot who doesnt think before he acts we gotta deal with" so they all go and approach him to find out what hes doing there

and blurr is really excited cause he thinks hot rod is so freaking cool and they can race and he can show hot rod his moves but hes not there on any kind of autobot business or even for racing much to everyones surprise.

hes only there to go fishing.

hes on vacation and been really excited for his fishing trip that hes been planning especially on a bot friendly island and by god hes looking to catch himself a real prize to brag about to the boys back home.

chief burns perks up at this, and its about time for the burn's annual fishing trip so they kinda end up combining the two trips. hot rods down for any good spots, and the others (mainly heatwave) wanna keep an eye on him

so the next day they all get ready and they go on the burn's trip first and are out to sea.

Salvage wants to try out something hes been working on around their spot and he stays on shore

Blurr is disappointed that hotrod isnt there to race but hes not passing up an opportunity to hang out with hot rod so he offers to go out with them on the water even tho he couldnt care less about fish. and maybe he can talk him into a small match later. Salvage kinda warns him not to get his hopes up, and that maybe he should take time to talk about other things with him. (blurr kind of blows him off tho which ruuuuuude!!! be nice!!!)

They get out on the water and everyone else is rlly casual and hit it off with hotrod p well. the burns family exchange stories with him, he talks about the states hes visited with some friends of his on earth. and ofc the conversation circles back around to the different fish hes caught chase questions if he has the proper liscenses for that. to which hotrod pulls up copies of some fr the different states he been in (all of them have the last name witwicky on them ;) ) all in all everyone is having a good time

everyone but blurr. he was hoping that maybe he could get some tips on racing, or anything to do with racing at all while theyre out there but hot rod's just really passionate about this trout he caught out in oregon and its driving him nuts. he ends up moping about it and just goes back to shore with blades cause he forgot his little hat and its just not the same without it.

They get back to the shore and salvage asks how its going and blades is like "Oh its great! turns out he speaks a bit of pirate too!" and stuff and blurr is sarchastically like "yeah its greaaaat" and they both kinda give him a look.

salvage is like "i take it hes not quite what you thought hed be like huh" and blurr is just "HE ONLY CARES ABOUT FISH. im never gonna be friends with him at this rate, hotrod is nothing like i thought he would be. im just gonna go back to hq"

and blades nd salvage just kind of look at each other and blades blades laughs a lil bit and blurrs a little peeved hes laughing but then they all get to talking a bit cause this reminds blades of when he was first getting to know bumblebee after their first meeting and he tells blurr a bit about it cause it was a bit awkward fr a while

blades had some ideas fr how exactly it was gonna be with bee and bee while he was enjoying hanging out just kinda asked him

"Do you want to be friends with me, or just the idea of me?"

and it made him stop and reevaluate things a little. ultimatley fr the better cause that kinda helped blades to take bee off the pedestal he had him on and just start really connecting with him just as he was.

and blades asks blurr if he was actually looking to be friends with hotrod or just the idea of how theyd be in his head and blurr kinda sits on that fr a bit without really saying anything

and salvage talks abt the time he and blurr first met a long lonnnng time ago and that the first impressions they had of each other weren't the best admittently and that salvage thought he really didnt have much in common with blurr but one day after they got to talking and racing came up in the convo and salvage saw a lot of the passion he had about it and it reminded him about a lot of his own passion for creating/inventing, he tells him that maybe you just need to give it some time and ask him about his other interests as well. really engage with him on it.

blades finally remembers he was there to grab his hat so he does and hes about to head back to the boat and blurrs like "wait, let me come back with you" and he gives it another chance

and it ends up working out. he asks him some more about his previous travels and they all start fishing again and the competitiveness rlly comes out in hotrod cause hes determined to catch the most and the biggest fish out of everyone on the trip now and blurrs trying to beat him and shenannigeans and hijinks ensue but they end up really connecting after that.

soon they get back to shore and everyone goes back to hq and theyre having fun and chatting late into the night hot rod decides he wants to take a quick ride around the island and he gets the ok and he asks blurr if he wants to join him!!!

blurrs really excited cause this is what he orignally wanted and was waiting for...but...

he turns him down, theyre hanging out again tommorrow anyway gotta make sure hes ready and all that and htos rods like "cant argue with that see ya tommorrow" and heads out

blurr goes down to where salvage is and just kinda watches as hes working on his projects and blurrs like "so uh... that thing you were workin on today... I didnt get the chance to see it in action..." and salvage glances over at him fr a second and then he smiles and they get to really chatting and talking abt it

and the first moral of this story is don't put people on a pedestal, take time to get to know them for who they are

but the second and most important moral is that there should be rodimus fishing memes

thats all i got rn

and reading this back this feels more like a bad my little pony plotline but yknow what that is ok.

friendship IS magic and the fish ARE biting

[blackbutlerfandomnerddomain]

ParaPines Prompt: The boys take it upon themselves to explore a seemingly abandoned mansion. But are rather surprised, upon entering, to discover that it isn't as abandoned as they'd first believed. Dun dun dun!

The sound of heavy winds hits the old windows of the wooden house in the beautiful meadow clearing one late summer or early autumn day. A pair of small children, six years old at most, run across the tall grass and around the abandoned home, curly messes of brown hair bouncing and swaying in the wind and sunlight like bubbly twigs of tree roots or chestnuts popping in a fireplace upon the winter nights, their cheeks rosy and innocent of youthful heavenly glow of freckles and adorable sweetness.

One of the children, one of shorter hair, climbs up a nearby tree with a boyish giggle, thin rosy knees touching the bark as he climbs as the other sibling stands below watching in awe. Once on top, or at least the highest high point a small six year old can go, he looked around with wide wondrous brown eyes at the great wide space. A small shadow dance across the tall grass, causing the boy to squint his eyes into focus, it moves to a fro in gentle glide like a feather drifting on a rippling lake. The shadow, now easily told to be a boy of pale skin and black clothes of velvet and cotton, cranks his head up with the help of his thin pale neck and locked eyes with the adventurous young lad in the tree, sky blues meeting Earthy browns, clashing in beautiful harmony.

On August 3rd, I have met an angel in human form. My heart yearns for you, my soul burns for you. From your skin to your eyes, you haunt my very being And stripped me bare with bliss as my only coat. We may be from different class, we may be two men, But I can say in pure confidence I love you, Norman.

Dipper scribbles onto his notebook, his chocolate brown eyes looking up from the beige pages across the wooden floor of the Mystery Shack at the group of teens standing by some bobble heads. His eyes were glued to a specific teen in a cherry red hoodie who laughs at one of the fish head bobbles, his long nose scrunched and snort lightly as the fish head moves back and forth.

A pink sweater hits the teen boy as his twin pops up beside him, “You’re being creepy bro bro!” Dipper jumps, instinctually pulling his notebook to his chest with a sucked in breath between his teeth with a startled yelp, and instantly scans around. “Wh-What? No I’m not! How is that creepy? Of course I’m not being creepy!” He ends his ramble with nervous wheezy laughter as his cheek warms up due to being called out. Mabel, who’s hair was held up in a glittery scrunchy held pony tail and dressed in a heart patterned sweater, grins wider and giggles, “Yeah you were. You were totally checking out your new GOTH BOYFR—” Dipper quickly slaps his hands onto her mouth to stop her shouting across the shack like a loudspeaker broadcasting his emotions, his eyes wide and covered in terror. Thankfully it seems no one is paying attention to them.

Dipper let out a sigh and removed his hands and glared at his sister sternly, who only laughed in return. “Oh come on Dipper, you should know by now how excited I am! I mean, you, and one of our best friends—” She lets out a little squeal, her fist shaking in joy as she bounces on her toes. The boy can’t help but smile at his sister’s pure excitement of his recent mystery: A Crush. Now, Dipper hasn’t had much history of liking anyway, he even used to make faces at the actors kissing in movies, his most well known was with their friend Wendy who at the time was a teen. But that crush slowly faded after the summer ended with both being closer friends than before, now he has a freshly new found crush in the form of Norman Babcock, a 14 year old boy from Massuchutes that arrived a month ago for a family vacation to Gravity Falls. His skin is ghostly pale, his hair dark and defies all forms of gravity in spikes and whoosh, eyes a frosty blue that almost shimmer or shine like a bottle of starlight. Dipper never imagined he would be crushing on anyone like him, let alone actually being friends with him! PLUS, HE CAN TALK TO GHOSTS?! Can anyone say jackpot?!

Still, he keeps it quiet for the time being, much to the pain of his twin sister who so eagerly wishes her brother can be open about his romance.

“Really Mabel, it’s not that big of a—” “It’s a HUGE deal Dipper! You two should be a couple now! You can have a cute long distance relationship, have ghost hunting dates, then go to the same collage, and get married, and—” Mabel was shut up once more with a hand over her mouth in courtesy of Dipper.

“Come on, it’s this way!”

Dipper walks up the trail of the woods, behind him tow and in order are Norman, who walks more so looking around blissfully curious of the tall trees that are fading a warm yellow of the greens, Wirt, who’s height blends perfectly with the tall shadows of the trees, Dib, the more richer of the group thanks to his father’s well known inventions and in thanks to that he’s holding a special briefcase full of new gadgets for the upcoming mission, and Mabel, who comes along obviously with a skipping hop of her high top lavender sneakers. The Mystery Kids, a name still under construction but Mabel keeps calling them such, officially started their little “missions” of the unknown and strange around the area about the same time Wirt’s family arrived to Gravity Falls. Some may use the idea of solving mysteries and researching the paranormal as all a front and they’re really a group of teens who sneak into graveyards and goof off, but lots of Gravity Falls locals know the truth.

The group of them stand by the rusty gates with curious eyes and humble smiles. The building is square shaped with a high perked V-Shaped gray tiled roof with one large chiming poking from the side, the house is fully surrounded by overgrown wooden overhanging panels, the second floor is bigger than the first, which creates a stylish overhang on two sides of the house. It’s beautiful and haunting all at once, a sight to see as it sits frozen in decayed time in this beautiful meadow of dead grass and weeds. “That, right there, is one of the most haunted house of Gravity Falls' forests. Built in the late 19th century and was seemingly abandoned after the family who lived in it mysteriously disappeared.” Dipper spoke, making an effort of teasing as he wiggled his fingers while telling the last part, earning a chuckle from Norman. He continued, “They say screams are often heard, the windows open and close on their own, and hallways that change—” “EVIL DEVIL!”

The teens jump and turn around, half expecting a ghost while also half expecting one of the adults in the area, and were confused to see an elderly woman standing there clutching her cane in white knuckles furry. “An evil demon lives among those hideous walls! The Reaper always shakes when he walks past it knowing the demon will steal his soul!” She shouts, her voice shrill and raspy like a strangled pig, good thing Waddles is back at the Shack.

Wirt, ever so obviously uncomfortable when it comes to weird warnings from his elders whether it’s good or bad, slowly shuffles his way to distance himself from the fence he was just peeking through until he’s practically towering behind the more calm Dib who glances at him over his shoulder. Holding back an eye roll, the richest of the group speaks up, “What do you mean? Is it really haunted? Who’s The Reaper?” The old woman growls, spitting at the ground, her saliva ball almost hitting the teens who scurry more tense of the sudden attack even though it wasn’t towards them, “The Reaper was the most RUTHLESS man Gravity Falls has ever seen! A gangster who shot a rich man and kicked down a poor man for a deal of gambling, a trickster who conned the wickedest of souls for a mere laugh, a monster who took in some orphans was the one kindness his soul can allow! He was a robber of souls with the barrel of his silver gun, he cut off the lives of those who dare cross him, a walking curse of death!”

The group look at each other in various forms of worry as she rants and grumbles, her cane swaying in the air. Suddenly, a woman hurries over and guides her away. “Come on Grandma, it’s almost lunch time.” She said, speaking very gently. The old woman only shouts, “THE DEMON WILL NOT REST!” The woman sighs and turns to them, her head hung with apology and slight embarrassment, “I am so sorry for my grandma. She never quite shuts up about her grandpa…”

Dipper’s head perked, he steps forward, her voice eager for knowledge, “The Reaper guy is her grandpa?” The woman only nods, rubbing her arm as she looks at the building behind them, “Yeah. Apparently he took in her dad back in 1916 and since then pretty much everyone only talks about him. And also warn anyone about that damn house…” The boy looked back at the house, almost expecting someone wandering about to somehow explain such a violent reaction from what would be such a frail looking old lady.

The women walk away to the car that waits for them, presumably waiting for the grandmother, leaving the gang of mysteries to stand there still.

“Yeah I’m sorry Dipper, but I think I’m going to pass on entering that house…” Mumbled Wirt. Dib snorts out, turning around to the 16 year old. “Really?” He sneered, “That scared you?” Wirt’s dark browns narrow as he stares down at the trench coat wearing emo, “I literally survived a deal with an evil demon of a magical forest that turns kids into trees, I’m not risking staying a few hours in an old abandoned house with a possible evil demon that scared a mafia boss. I much rather stay the night at the abandoned yarn factory.” Mabel steps between them, her bubbly personality and colorful spirit and clothes clashing between the dark academia and dark clothes aesthetics between her, her smile bright as her voice, “Hey now you two, no grumpy faces. Wirt doesn’t have to go to the house Dib-Dot.” She boops two stickers onto their chest, a smiley face on Dib’s and a glittery frog on Wirt’s, her mouth puckered and making the tiniest of faint fart noises with each jab of the sticker. 

Dipper looked away from the three talking at Norman who stands still by the fence looking back in. Man, how can anyone be this pretty? He thought to himself as he watch how the sunlight dance across the darkness of the psychic’s hair to the pale flesh of his skin, dancing little kaleidoscopes of shine in his blue eyes, creating patterns never seen before on the red fabric of his hoodie to the dark denims of his jeans, and that perfect expression of curiosity like a black cat peeking at a rabbit hole of Wonderland. The younger Pines twin slowly touched a ghostly grip of his shirt, scared of how loud and hard his heart was pounding it was just about to beat right out of his rib cage and spill across the ground for all to see. Quickly, he shook his head so hard he nearly fell dizzier than spinning in a long fast circle in 0.89 degrees with every 5 seconds until he grew sick. “U-Uh, you guys don’t have to join me tonight…” He blurted out, feeling his cheeks already going pink from the near voice crack he thought he was almost done with being 15 already. He fixes his hair as he looks at all their faces, stopping at those curious blue eyes that stop him in his tracks. Just then, his brain hit a much needed light switch. “Because we’re doing different missions. I’ll stay at the house, do some EVPs, some ghostly tests, and prove once and for all if it’s actually haunted or something else is behind it. You guys can go to the abandoned yarn factory and try and see what those spray painting messages mean.”

He turned to Norman, blocking out Dib and Wirt talking about their little theories of the mission in hand, and with a smile on his face to mask the nervous sweat stains forming in-between his armpits to his shirt, he says, “Hey, you can come help me tonight? It’s, uh, it’s been a while since we did a solo mission, right? Ofcourseifyoudon’twanttoIcan’tforceyouIwon’tforceyoutodoanythingofcoursecauseIvalueyoursafteybutnotlikeMOREthaneveryoneelse’ssafetycauseIcareforallofyouequallyanddeeply—IjustrealizethatsoundedweirdandcreepywhatImeanttosaywas—!” His rambles were stopped thanks (thank whatever God or whatever exists) to Norman smiling and patting his shoulder. “Dip, breath. Of course I’ll come with you.” “W-Wait really?” Dipper just hopes he didn’t sound too eager there. Norman snorts, “Yeah. I can’t let you go into a possibly dangerous abandoned house by yourself now can I?” Dipper smiles, using every fiber of his still growing body to stop him from jumping up and down shouting from the rooftops while his fist punches and messes with the air, instead he settles watching Norman go to the group to tell them he’s staying with Dipper. A night with Norman, and I asked him without puking! Dipper let’s out a very silent squeal under his breath.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Soda:  ✔

Snacks:  ✔

Phone Downloaded The Right Playlists:  ✔

Step-By-Step Plan:  ✔

Dipper checks each mark of his notebook as he hurries about getting his back ready. He already has his bag ready for his paranormal stay but he needs to hurry to get ready for his actual plan if the night goes well. And if they don’t die. That too.

As he places the phone charger in his brown bag, he scrolls through his phone of his well thought of plan of setting the right mood for him and Norman’s hunt.

First, he thought very carefully about the snacks Norman would enjoy most during the night. Bringing the cheesiest of Cheetos and already packed four cans of his top two favorite sodas on the bottom so they would remain nice and cool and not shaken by the time when they drink them. Next, he has already planned that Norman might be stressed or bored however the trip goes into the night so he is going to give him his cellphone to listen to his well thought playlist of Norman’s favorite music to calm him down and get a sense Dipper can totally rock out with him whenever. Starting simple yet basic with Skater Boi, just to give Norman the impression at first it’s random — It’s a classic of course — then it’ll transition still pretty basic but random of Sugar, We’re Going Down to give Norman that more comfortable feeling of “Ah, this guy has good music taste. Respect” , then picking up on some Paramore which Dipper was luckily to find out the few times Norman let him pick a random Spotify playlist shuffle for the gang to listen to while they chill with a song that Dipper feels will help settle the more “Oh this guy and I have have so much in common! He’s way cooler than I thought!” With Ain’t It Fun. All ready with a click of the screen button of Dipper ready made playlist under the name of “Favorite Songs”, previously called “Songs to flirt with your paranormal hunter friend who you have a major crush on”. FINALLY, after all that, all the thought planned into it perfectly, Dipper will take Norman by the hand (or wrists or arm or whatever) and lay it all out; “Norman, we’ve been friends for so long, and I honestly can’t imagine me being this close to someone until we started talking. I like you, really really like you, and I want us to be more than friends, will you go out with me?” Dipper fist bumps himself as he mentally rehearses the night’s perfect plan. He even picked a easily seen Level 4 haunted house that could’ve been exercised by any ghosts years ago just to ease Norman’s ghost seeing abilities. Though he didn’t plan that random old lady or it’ll just be the two of them alone. In a huge house. At night. He blushes and shakes his head, ending it with a self smoosh of his face into his hands. “Calm down Dipper,” He scolds himself, looking at himself in the mirror to triple check his appearance, “Don’t go having weird thoughts tonight. Tonight is the night and it’ll be perfect.” He smiles. He waves a quick finger gun motion at his reflection with a grin.

"Bang!"

Crows take the skies as a figure runs across the woods. The orange trees trapping the shadows within. Footsteps echo across the vast land of nature as soon the figure of a black cloak stops by the largest tree of the forests, a shadow slowly consuming him. Laughter leaves his mouth as two strong arms wrapped around him, lifting him above the dirt and leaves of the Earth’s welcoming ground and soul, and spun around. A howl of amusement and surprise snaps the already fragile air of quiet as they fall onto the ground.

Lips found home among as soon as their laughter died down enough, bruised and worn hands entwining with nimble pale fingers as brown curls blended with the raven darkness underneath. “In quiet nights, my heart calls out to thee, Through whispered winds where softest secrets weave. Oh Norman, love that sets my spirit free.” Spoke the hunter, lips now kissing each joint of the pale hand before him, “With every glance, a spark ignites the sea, Your laughter dances like the autumn leaves; In quiet nights, my heart calls out to thee. The stars align in constellations key; Each moment spent with you I dare believe— Oh Norman, love that sets my spirit free. . .” The two men shared a brief but everlasting soft kiss upon their lips as the autumn air drifted down and circled around them. Buttons of the pristine white cotton shirt became loose as chapped lips dance across the pale neck now exposed to the world, the forest trees an audience of such passion and love on display.

“When shadows fall and doubts may linger plea, Your warmth envelops all I can conceive; In quiet nights, my heart calls out to thee. Together facing storms we’ve braved so boldly—    With hands entwined through trials that deceive—    Oh Norman, love that sets my spirit free. So here’s my vow through time’s unfading spree:     Forever yours, on this sweet truth rely—     In quiet nights, my heart calls out to thee;     Oh Norman dear—I’ll always choose your sky.”

The floorboards creak under the weight of two as Dipper fixes the brightness of his flashlight as Norman turns his up to the open ceiling hole created by nature’s random acts of destruction. “Okay, let’s start filming. Got the camera?” Asked Dipper, pushing some curls into his beanie as he steps by the large grand staircase that curves and goes up to the second floor where it seems a hole is forming on one of the stairs. Norman nods, “Yep! Fully charged and Courtney helped me get an extra battery if it dies.” The medium takes the camera out of his backpack with a grin, a boyish gleeful shine of his blue eyes.

Dipper blushes, the warmth spreading down his neck and up to his ears. Thank God it’s dark in here…. With a quick clearing of his throat, the mystery lover took the camera carefully from Norman and began setting up the settings. “We will start here on the down floor since the stairs seem broken and old. Sounds good?” “Yeah it’s good dude.”

Dipper looked at Norman through the video camera lens, silently admired his friend through the green color, and took a deep breath. Reaching in his pocket in secret he peeked at his list, quickly reading the scribblings of his handwriting in the darkness, and then shoved the papers back in his pocket.

First step, snacks. Dipper reaches into his bag, “Hey Norman, are you hungry? You know, since we’re going to be here all night.” He offered, holding up the bag of Cheetos to his friend. Norman smiles and takes it. “Hey my favorite!” He exclaimed. Dipper felt pride fill his chest as he stood up straighter, rubbing his neck he chuckled, “Really? Lucky guess…”

Then, silence swept through the pair. Dread whacked the brunette. Crap, was I obvious on the snack choice? He thought, afraid to look at him imminently. “Lucky as in a wild guess, yeah! You know, I remembered you mentioned it once and—” Dipper stops as he turns his head to speak to Norman properly, face flush in embarrassment and palms sweaty. He looked at Norman, who stood so very still facing the grand staircase before him, his bag of chips on the floor now and the hand holding the flashlight was turning white from his tight grip, his thick eyebrows were high up in a wide eyed expression and his mouth slightly agape.

Dipper’s brown eyes followed the piercing blue’s line of sight and shivered at the sight of an audible green glow before them. The scent of sickening decay and dirty water fills his nose as his vision stared at the figure of a man above the stairsteps, his clothes and the long pale green hair shift and waver like wind or ocean waves crazing across the manly figure making the float in the process, his eyes two white sockets streaking a black tear like substance as glistening fangs shine dully in the lights of the flashlight and the moonlight from both the ceiling’s hole and the large window to the left.

The figure let out a gnarly hiss, the same black substance leak and spray out like venom on a snake tongue as his long sharp tongue wiggles about harshly like a whip. The two paranormal teens let out screams, their bodies crashing onto each other in tight grips of both fear and protection.

But let’s pause for a moment. I wonder what’s everyone’s doing in the yarn factory—

“YO I TELL YOU WHAT I WANT, WHAT I REALLY REALLY WANT!”“SO TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT, WHAT YOU REALLY REALLY WANT!”

Wirt lightly taps his can of Pit Cola as he watches Mabel and Zim, both dressed in sparkling sweaters and hairs, regardless of the snortness on Zim’s end, held in scrunches, standing together singing into their flashlights. The group in charge of this exploration are Mabel, Wirt, Dib, and Zim, Dib’s brother. The group looked at some spray painted works of art and words, did some EVPs, and the mission was over rather quickly. BUT thanks to Mabel wanting to give her brother some alone time with Norman, she encouraged the other teens to stay and have an impromptu hang-out party inside this abandoned yarn factory.

Dib watches his brother and friend dance and sing with the shadows and dust bunnies, their hyper energies almost mistaken for them on some sort of high but clearly mildly influenced by sugar and bouncing each other’s energies, his face, much like Wirt's, is confused and mildly amused. “So much energy…” Mumbled the poet, his peachy skin a pinkish hue thanks to the summer heat rolls. The cryptologist to be chuckles, opening a can of soda next to him, “Yeah, but it makes this less boring yea?” The brunet looked at the guy next to him, a small smile easing on his lips. “Yeah. It is.” Dib smiles back, raising his can as a silent toast, and swigging the sugary cherry flavor down his thin pale throat. Wirt stares quietly as the shadows dance and sway across the thin body next to him, watching the inventor’s son’s throat jerk and move as he gulps his drink. Dib disconnected his mouth and looked at the one watching him, his brown eyes almost shining an amber color like fire or frozen sap from a tree behind his glasses that bounces light from the few small sources around him. He smirks, “Worm-Wirt.” Wirt smirks in return, “Metal Head.”

Meanwhile back at the manor—

Dipper and Norman ran across the halls of decayed wallpaper and weak wooden home, the ghastly ghost rushing after them in screams and wails. “In there!” Shouts the medium as he jerks his hand in a point at an old door in the hall. Dipper wasn’t waiting a second to think. He quickly grabbed the red sweater covered arm and pulled his friend through the door so fast both tumbled and rolled onto the dusty dark room.

Both stayed still as they heard the ghost move away, trying to catch up to their breathing.

“W-Was that the demon the woman mentioned?” Dipper asked, coughing the dust that filled his throat for the moment. Norman groans but shakes his head. “No,” He mumbled, “It felt normal…” They stared at the door for a moment, their bags open and left to spill their items across the hideous wine red rug. Dipper gasps and hurries to his bag, “Oh crap, the drinks spilled!” Sure enough, the sodas he packed had tumbled out of his backpack, shaken and dented from the running and falling. Not only that but the rest of the snacks he prepared have been crushed or opened and spilled.  He can hear Norman standing up and going closer. “It’s okay Dip, it’s not a huge deal.” He said, his voice gentle in worry and tender in comfort. Dipper looked over his shoulder and felt his very soul freeze. The room has a large window, worn and jaded, halfway covered by the dark curtain but still the moonlight shines though. The moonlight shines across the pale skin making a soft glow to the point he looks like a fae like being with dark for his dark spiky hair, his blue eyes now glowing frosty orbs. He was very beautiful, breathtaking even.

Dipper shakes his head and stands up straight and proper, turning his head right to try and get himself distracted by the thoughts swimming in his head. As he does so, his eyes scan to room and lock on a bricked fireplace hidden behind a weathered down piano. He jogs over, a simple push was all it took to easily move the surprisingly light piano to the side just enough to expose the fireplace to them. Norman looked in the barren pit, filled with dried and cobwebbed invested logs and dust mites that can be confused as some weird dust army. But there’s something there, hidden among the logs and shadows. Braver of the two of this moment, Dipper reached forth and lightly jiggled the top log until whatever was stuck was loosely showing off. 

Just then, some bugs of black sprawled out from their hidings, causing the teen to shriek and coil back. Norman, startled yet determined, grabbed the item and moved back with his friend, an arm stretched over Dipper’s heaving chest.

The two caught their breath and looked down at the treasure hidden and stared at some pages of many, thin and aged in fresh yellow time painted gracefully.

“Why would these be in a fireplace?” Asked Dipper as he took half of the healthy stack into his hands and fiddled with his flashlight and shined it through to give them easier chances to read the contents. Norman’s blue eyes scanned the yellow pages and black scribbled lettering, his eyebrows frowned as he mentally pieced how to read the cursive fine handwriting. He licks his now dry lips, clearing his throat simply, and spoke, “My dear, I apologize deeply for leaving you so soon, so abruptly. But understand I never meant to hurt you… This is the only way you can be spared. You, the son of the town’s pastor, and I, a humble wood cutter, were a chance a thousand years can never repeat. Two souls entwined and cursed forevermore. It was my fault Susan caught us in the manor, so it will be my burden to take off the punishment for abandoning God. For I have abandoned him, ever since I first laid my eyes on you back in the fields all those years ago, you’ve become the only Holy soul I desire to worship every day…. This is the end, my dear Norman, but I will be with you… All my love, Mason Driftwood…” They both look at each other blinking in shock. “Your name—” “Someone died for being in love with a guy…?” “R-Right, that!”

Dipper quickly looked through his pages, clearing his throat in a cough, “In the quiet corners of morning light, where shadows stretch and breathe, I find my love—Norman— woven into the fabric of every day…” He stops. He feels his cheeks burn. It felt too intimate and he barely even read it! If you found some love poems dedicated to someone who has the same name as your crush, you would get it! Fighting the urge to swallow the page before him, the boy continued with a quivering voice, “Y-Your laughter dances around me, a melody sweet as spring’s first bloom, enveloping ordinary moments in magic, turning mundane into sacred ritual. When you speak, the world slows down; Your voice—a gentle river flowing through my thoughts—

each word is a pebble smoothed by time…”

Norman stands there, listening to him read the letter, his head tilted softly to the side like a curious cat.

“In your eyes, I see galaxies unfold— stars that twinkle with unspoken dreams,

the universe conspiring to bring us together. Together we weave tapestries of shared whispers, soft stories beneath star-kissed skies; comfort in silence amidst bustling chaos….”

Dipper looked up and looked towards Norman, the flash light giving him a soft yellow glow beneath his nose and chin. They stand still, eyes locked, eyes wide and bewildered. The sounds of the wind blowing, the floors creaking naturally, and the crickets composing a symphony with the other woodland creatures outside perform the gentle ambiance between them. It’s weird… They’re scared shitless and confused yet this feels weirdly…enchanting…

“Dipper…” Norman whispered, his eyes narrowed as he steps a inch closer, his free hand lightly touching his arm. Dipper’s heart began to quicken in his chest as excitement and panic sinked in. Wait, is he— Is he going to kiss me??? But what about the steps?! I didn’t show him the playlists! The sodas and snacks are all over the floor— Oh God Oh God Oh God! Should I lean in? Should I stay still? I have never even kissed a gu— Well there was Mabel’s merman boyfriend but that doesn’t count! DON’T THINK ABOUT MERMANDO NOW DIPPER, THE MOST PERFECT GUY MAY BE TRYING KISS YOU!! “Y-Yea…?” He responded, trying to sound chill and not at all a nervous wreck. Their eyes never once left each other as they felt the air grow chillier. 

Suddenly, Norman shoved his body forward, leaving Dipper no time to process what was happening. The two fell out the window, the curtain trapping their bodies in a tangled mess. The last thing Dipper saw in the manor before he landed safely in the ground and rolled down the hill was that ghost who scowls and reaches for them.

The pair stopped rolling, landing in the golden green high grass of the field facing the fence they snuck through earlier. Firebugs float and circle around them in such a beautiful way one might dare claim it be magic lingering in the night. They stare at each other, the grass and stars creating crowns with the fireflies as one stares above and the other stares below. 

Dipper flinched, turning his head away as he coughed into his fist. “Oh ow, that fall hurt! Good thinking Norman on guessing the ghost was there!” He said in false confidence as he stood up. Norman, he stays still for a second, looks rather upset before he nods and stands as well, rubbing his arm anxiously. This wasn’t unnoticed by Dipper as he bent over and gathered some papers, even more as he watched Norman copy the same action. Crap, did I misread earlier? He thought in worry, feeling near nausea at the idea he made his friend and crush uncomfortable. “H-Hey if it’s about what happened earlier, don’t worry about it okay? I-I mean we both were kind of reading too much into it and it was dark and—” He rambled, and each fumble of his words made the knots of his tongue tighter. Soon, Norman stood, holding the recently picked up stacks of papers in his arms, his back to Dipper yet his voice carried all the emotions a face can show… “Yeah, it was crazy thinking… I mean us….like that…?”

Dipper froze. He felt his heart crack a bit as the quivering shake of Norman’s usually calm but sometimes chipper voice. “We should get our stuff in the morning with the others. I’m tired…” “O-Oh…y-yeah…yeah…okay…’ And with that the two began to walk out of the gate with the hiding hole they found to get in and down the path in pure silence. Crap…I really messed up…

The two teen boys walk into the Greasy’s Diner, the scent of freshly brewed coffee and greasy fried food wafted through them like a bomb of different textures. The place was barely full, mostly those who are the earliest of early birds and those who don’t even believe in sleep. Norman rubs his arm as he slowly walks to the first booth he sees, causing Dipper’s shoulders to hunch slightly. “I’ll…go order some breakfast…” He mumbled before quickly turning his heel to the counter, his head hung and tail between his legs.

The second he sat on one of the stools he let out a sigh, hands already rubbing his tired sore eyes that ache and begged for him to cry the emotions he’s feeling right now. He sighs again, “And I forgot my wallet is in my bag back at the haunted manor we just escaped from…” A voice speaks to his left, “Hey, what did you say about paying?” Dipper turned his head at a blonde teen who stood with a pot of freshly brewed coffee as her hips swayed out in a sigh in her waitress uniform, her glittery mauve eyeshadow a nice touch that made her hazel eyes really pop. Even tired and emotional out of his mind, he can’t help but smile meekly, “Hey Pacifica…”

Pacifica rolled her eyes and poured up a cup of Joe and placed it in front of the boy. “You look like shit, what were you up to tonight?” She asked, her sassy judgment not gone but just slightly pushed back to add a more gentle approach. Dipper ignores the idea of payment as he accepts the bitter blessing of energy this warm ceramic cup will bring, taking a quick gulp and ignoring the very hot water and nasty dense flavor of untempted coffee given his mouth. Once he sets his mug down, silently thanking his friend with a nod as she tops it off, he sighs once more, deeper this time, “A Dipper Pines Original; Took someone out to a haunted manor in hopes it’ll be romantic and completely messed everything up…”

The blonde watched as he slumped deeper in his seat, placing a napkin beside him slowly. “Is this about the Norman guy?” Dipper’s head shot up. “How did you know?!” He half whispered, worried that Norman could hear. Pacifica rolled her eyes again, her voice dripped in a slight tease, “Dude you are so obvious. Always doodling and talking all fast and sweating.” Dipper groans and puts his head onto the counter, his cheek squished in the glossy wood. “I have no idea what to do anymore Pacifica…” He moped, his eyes already sparkling in tears, “I planned this night perfectly, yet I screwed it up. I honestly don’t blame him if he doesn’t want to talk to me again but… is it selfish to hope he stays in my life…?”

Hazel eyes softened. The waitress glanced behind Dipper and to the right. Her pink lip glossed lips pushed out in thought, her head nodding. Slowly, she led down just enough to not be obvious for everyone and whispered, “I can tell you this now Dip-Shit, but he likes you. Like a lot. I mean he’s always looking at you.”

Not believing it, Dipper crook his neck just enough to look at where Norman sits. And sure enough, even after tonight, Norman glanced at his direction unknown he was spotted, his hands fiddling with his sleeves. “If I were you, I would sit next to him and fix what I can.”

Dipper didn’t need to be told twice before he stood up, scrapping the stool loudly in the process, his hand gripping the mug still. He stops. “Pacifica, I—” The girl stops him. “Just come by tom—” She pauses as she glances at her wrist watch of bubble gum pink. “Later today and you’re good. But not your first three coffees, you boys had a long night.” He nodded, a soft smile on his face, before he took a breath and made his way to the booth.

Norman watches as Dipper sat across from him, his hands stop fidgeting for a moment. Dipper smiles meekly, eyes clearly tired, his voice a warm tone of tender fresh emotion as he speaks, “We can eat and pay later.” Soon, his brown eyes lower as he frowns softly, “Hey Norman, I’m sorry for dragging you out tonight… That wasn’t cool of me. You could’ve gotten hurt and I ruined so much and—” Pale hands rose up and shook as Norman interjected, “No no, Dipper, I wanted to go to the house with you. Plus, I literally fought a murdered little girl ghost at 11, this was nothing.” He ended his response with a small giggle to ease the mood. Dipper smiles, pulling his beanie (how it stayed on his head God knows—) off his head of brown curls and placing it on the table by his mug. “Still… I… kind of invited you…in hopes to um…be alone…with you…”

Norman blinks. “With me?” Dipper nods, his chest rising as he swallows the sour lump in his throat, “I…I’ve liked you for a while…a-and um…I think you’re really cool and all kinds of awesome… I was hoping tonight we can chill, hang out, talk… and maybe… afterwards…” His face was turning red, he knew this. He can feel it. From the base of his neck to the tips of his ears he was undoubtedly hot and redder than a new born baby’s freshly spanked tosh. Meanwhile, Norman just sat there clearly processing what his friend was drifting off to. Soon, his pale face turned pink. So pink it put Barbie to shame. No turning back now… Thought Dipper as he sat up straight. Clearing his throat, he threw the last punch, “Do you want to go out with me Norman? A-And…maybe…b-be my boyfriend…?”

SORRY IF IT'S SUCKY/SHORT I AM TIRED AF!

This prompt was fun to do but had a much deeper story of Mason, the ghost in the manor, died protecting his Norman, who was going to be revealed to be the mafia guy "The Reaper", from the discovery of them being gay. HEAVILY inspired by the music video of Take Me To Church of course! I was also going to reveal the reason Norman became a mafia guy was cause a part of him died the night Mason died.

I even planned a scene of Dipper and Norman reading the letters to each other until Ghost Mason crossed over!

I know it's random but I wanted to see what timeline would jump in so

Yeeeeeeeeeeeee, night yall

Happy ParaPines Day!!

[scribbly-artist]

In Love with All of You

Author’s Notes: Oops, writing for a very niche game. For the love of everything PLEASE give ‘Hush Hush: Only Your Love Can Save Them’ a go. I love all of Sad Panda Studio’s games and I like how you can play them pretty much SFW and having NSFW being entirely optional. I got into their games from playing Blush Blush. Came for the otome idle clicker, stayed for the characters. Eli is no exception, especially in Hush Hush. He was very fun to write for!

This fic gets a bit serious before it gets tooth-rottingly sweet. Warnings for talk about deep thoughts with gender and identity. Also I mention the word dick. Dick. PENIS! If you’re laughing at the word, consider going back to school for sex education and laugh about it there.

Gender neutral pronouns for the reader as the game does this, and he/him pronouns for Eli as the game and himself refer to him as male.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it. :]

Words: ~2,000

A beautiful, sunny day in Subrosa can only be spent outside on the beach. Which is exactly what you’re doing - on Subrosa’s famous beach. Doing anything else would be a crime. But you’re not alone: you have a date!

You’ve hit third base with your date, Eli Kawase, funnily enough on your third date. You’ve had such a fun time on your dates with him. He had a bit of reluctance to continue dating you after he’s tried really hard to set you up with his sister, but you told him you’re still one hundred percent fine with going out with him. So you’re both trucking along and having fun.

However, after your serious talk on your first date (which is strange for Eli, because of how he acts), you also have just a tiny bit of reluctance. But not because of Eli himself; you’re totally fine with Eli being genderfluid and pansexual. You’re more so wondering if you’re right for him, being the way you are. Does he actually like you like you, or are you both just playing along to have fun? You needed to know.

As the sun started to set and turned the sky a beautiful caramel, you both sat under your beach parasol and fluffy pair of towels, admiring the gentle waves in the distance.

“Well, I had a lot of fun today, thank you cutie.” Eli was the first to break the silence, letting out a content sigh, fiddling with the hem of his sundress. “This is probably the most fun I’ve had in a while. And that’s saying a lot, since I’ve messed around pretty much with everyone in Subrosa! You’re definitely one in a million.”

“I had such a great time too, Eli. Thank you for making this vacation so fun.” You smiled, the soft breeze blowing your hair. Your heart was overflowing with warmth as you looked into his eyes. “We can still have some more fun, even if the sun is setting - how about we continue this at mine?” You suggested, turning to Eli.

“Oh, I would be delighted! Even if we just relax. Or if we get freaky, I don’t mind!” He gave you a wink and a smirk. “Let me just head home real quick and get cleaned up. I don’t wanna trail sand through your house, and it always seems to get trapped in the most awkward places! We don’t want that!” He giggled as he got up, adjusting his dress.

“Do you need a lift?” You asked, picking up the towels and collapsing the parasol.

“Nah, I’m good. My house isn’t far from here anyways. Just text me your address, and I’ll be there in a jiffy! I’ll change into something a bit more comfortable.”

+++

You drove back to the Airbnb, cleaned yourself up and changed into some cleaner clothes that weren’t absolutely covered in sand. Your ‘cat’ didn’t seem to be around this time, so she must be asleep and hiding somewhere, which might be a good thing since you’ll be having a guest.

Just as that thought crossed your mind, the doorbell rang. “I’m coming!” You called as you paced over to the door, unlocking and opening it. Eli was there, now dressed in a white button up and brown pants. Quite different to the long yellow dress, sandals and sun hat he was wearing earlier today. Though, you were used to Eli switching it up at this point. He smelt faintly of cologne, you savoured the scent as he drew himself close for a hug.

“Aww, I missed you too. Even if we were only apart for half an hour,” He leaned in and kissed both of your cheeks, making you giggle. You invited him inside, both of you settling down on the couch. “Ooh, nice place you got here. You must’ve had this place booked in advance, aye! It’s perfect for an unforgettable summer vaycay!”

“Yeah, it’s a nice little house. The neighbours are old, so it’s quiet at night time. I’ve got no complaints.” You replied, sinking into the couch to make yourself comfortable. “So, how about we watch a movie first? Have some snacks?”

“That’s such a wonderful idea, I was about to suggest the same thing!” Eli beamed, reaching for the TV remote as you got up to whip up some food.

+++

It was just a generic romcom you found on Netflix. It was at least a little bit funny, though neither of you were really paying attention with both of your talking and laughing. Background noise, really. Although, the main characters in the movie started to get hot and heavy, showcasing a wonderful display of them kissing, and…

“Heeeey, wanna do the thing? I mean, they’re doing it, right? Isn’t this what you’re meant to do when you watch romcoms with something you’re romantically and maybe a little bit sexually interested in?” Eli gave a smirk with a glint in his eyes, leaning towards you. You nodded in agreement, diving in for a kiss. But as things started to advance in your make out session, Eli fiddling with the buttons on your shirt, your hands reached up to his wrists in hesitation.

“Wait,” you whispered, your cheeks blushing.

“What, getting all embarrassed now?” He chuckled with a cheeky grin, but waited for you to continue.

“No, it’s not that, just…” you voice trailed off, Eli frowned as your tone changed.

“Is it me? I thought we established early on that I’ve got a dick—“

“No, no! It’s not you! It’s never been you!” You quickly interjected, shaking your head frantically. “I’m totally fine with you - all of you! It’s me that’s the issue.”

Eli didn’t respond, but raised his eyebrow, urging you to continue.

“Are you sure you want… me? I mean, I’m not that exciting, or great. And I’m only here for the rest of the month. I just don’t want us to get super serious, and then you decide I’m not what you were expecting, and—“ Eli gently placed a finger on your lip before you babbled on anymore.

“Darling, I love everything about you. I know at first we were only talking because I was trying to set you up with my sister, but that ship crashed and burned, so I wanted to give us a chance, too.” He responded, smiling, though he was serious. “I’m absolutely crazy about you, that’s why I told you everything about me having a dick and all on our first date! I wouldn’t have told you if I wasn’t serious about this. I’ve got so much love to give, regardless of my gender, someone else’s, or what’s in someone’s pants. I’ll love you, for you.”

“You… you mean it?” You asked, your eyes just stinging a bit with tears during this emotional moment.

“I do. If you’re not ready yet, we can just slow down, whatever makes you comfortable. I’m happy to wait,” he placed his hand on your cheek, stroking it with his thumb.

“Thank you, Eli. And… I’m sorry for getting all emotional.” You let out a watery sigh, but composed yourself with a sniffle, reaching up to wipe your eyes before they get too wet.

“No, I’m glad you brought it up,” he helped you wipe the tears away, reaching up with his other hand. He puffed out his chest before he spoke, grinning. “But before we continue, you’ve just gotta turn that frown upside down! Otherwise you’ll make me all sad too!”

“I’ll try… just for you.”

“No, not just try - do! Or, y’know, I could help…” his smile turned devious, you had a feeling you knew what was brewing in his mind. “Don’t think I forgot that little tickle fight we had at the boutique on our first date - the Tickle Monster’s gonna tickle you so much you completely forget being upset!”

“No— wait, Eli!” You pleaded, quickly shooting up from your seat. You booked it for the bedroom, leaving Eli a bit stunned.

“Ooh, you’ve made it so much more worse for yourself, hun!”

The chase was on - though it didn’t last for long. You needed somewhere to hide, so you hid yourself in the closet and shut the door. Eli entered the bedroom, his voice sounding mischievous.

“I think you’ve forgotten, my dear. I am an older sibling,” His voice boomed with dramatics. He approached the closet door, standing just outside of it. You held your breath, not wanting to be discovered, but it was futile. “I’ve done this song and dance more times than you can count, so I know all the tricks in the book!” He twisted the knob, the door flying open. You squeaked as he dived into the dark, grabbing you as you protested and weakly smacked him as he carried you out, bouncing you down onto the bed. He straddled your waist as you tried to wriggle away.

���Eli, don’t! You know I’m ticklish!!” You let out a whine, but you were enjoying this more than you were letting on, and he knew it.

He cracked his knuckles for dramatic effect as he wiggled his fingers at you, your cheeks burning red. “Too late, pumpkin. Your fate is sealed. Besides, I know you’ve been waitin’ for this!” He dove right in, going straight for your tummy. You let out a shriek as you squirmed around in his hold, throwing your head into the pillows as you laughed yourself silly.

“There’s that beautiful smile! That suits you SO much better than a frown, doesn’t it?” He commented as he glided his fingers over your stomach through your shirt, not offering you much protection. “Your adorable tummy is as soft as a marshmallow! I wonder if it tastes the same, too?” He pondered aloud as you shook your head.

“DON’T Y— HAHAHA!! DON’T YOU DARE, ELI!” But it was far too late. As he scribbled his fingers on his left hand, he was already unbuttoning the bottom of your shirt with his right. Before you knew it, his hands switched to scratching at your ribs as his head dived straight into your belly.

You positively cackled. You tried pushing his head filled with rainbow locks away, but he wasn’t budging. He gave your soft belly peppered kisses, and to be even more evil than he already was, blew some raspberries as well. You gripped onto his hair as your skin vibrated, being overwhelmed with the ticklish sensations. No skin on your stomach was ignored as you cried out in hysterics. Tears even welled up in the corners of your eyes, though they were very much the opposite of the upset tears you had earlier.

He continued his tickling onslaught, so you could forget ever doubting your sense of worth ever again by turning your brain into soup. As your laughter grew silent, he got the hint that you were hitting a limit. He gradually grew to a stop, giving your tummy a pat as a sign that he was done as he sat upright.

“Whew, that was a workout for you, huh?” He chuckled quietly, reaching over to wipe some of the tears streaming down your face with his thumb. “Sorry if I went a little overboard - I had to get a little revenge from our tickle fight from last time. I hope that’s okay.” He reached down to your shirt as he intended on doing your buttons back up, until you reached out and grabbed his hand with yours. He looked to your face questionably, raising his eyebrow. But you smiled at him as you reached for his collar.

You grabbed him and dragged him down with you, snuggling up to him for a cuddle. He definitely wouldn’t refuse.

“Thank you for accepting me for who I am,” you whispered, breathing in his scent.

“No; thank YOU for accepting me. And making me feel so comfortable.”

You leaned in for a kiss, and he gladly accepted. His fingers tangled into your hair as you deepened the kiss.

Time for another make out session, and maybe a little fun afterwards!

[chrisevansonly]

A Very Beachy Night Out 🌊 (Little Duck AU)

pairing: chris evans x female reader (momma evans)

summary: it’s time for a date night and chris knows just the spot to get away for a few hours…

warnings: slight mentions of angst maybe, overall fluff

a/n: in HONOUR OF 900 FOLLOWERS I know i’ve been slacking on little duck so i wanted to pull something together to say thank you and how much I appreciate every single one of you!

word count: 877

The breeze that drifted across your shoulders rose goosebumps across your skin as you sat overlooking the water, Chris sat next to you only his eyes weren’t on the view, they were on you. How your tanned skin glistened under the soft lights in the private cabana you were both sat in, the way your eyes were sparkling and just how happy you looked. It was your last day in the Bahama’s and Chris wanted to take you out for a date night, and it was your first night away from baby Wes, but you had so much family with you, it wasn’t a major worry for either of you

“You look so beautiful”

Your eyes moved to focus on Chris, your face flushing because no matter how many years you’d both been together, he always made every moment feel like a first

“Thank you, baby, you look quite beautiful yourself”

He chuckled taking your hand in his 

“I’m going to miss the beach, but I definitely miss home too, dodger and all the animals”

“Yeah, we really have quite the farm going now, don’t we?” 

You laughed nodding in agreement before taking a sip of the peach martini that rested in your hand

“Honestly feel like we should have bought an actual farm, but good thing we’ve got all that space to build, Arlie’s going to keep bringing home different creatures” 

Chris couldn’t help but laugh at that, in all honesty he knew Arlie would start to find animals of all shapes and sizes and you’d become more of a rescue centre than a family farm. Though if you were being honest, you’d been debating making a career change from a district attorney to maybe more of a holistic stay at home approach, but take clients on in smaller quantities, which would not only give you more time at home with the kids but could also let you spend more time with the animals, which is something you’ve always wanted. 

“Where’d you go honey?”

You smiled shrugging 

“I was just thinking about the future, there’s a few changes I’ve been wanting to make recently”

“Oh yeah? What are you thinking”

“Well, I think I want to step back from the DA’s office, maybe take clients on my own time and my own terms? I’ve always wanted to expand our little farm, and maybe I can do both while being home with Wes and Arlie…?”

Chris smiled, taking you hand in his and pressing his lips to your knuckles

“I think that sounds like a great idea baby, and whatever you choose to do, no matter what path you want to take, I’ll be there every step of the way”

You knew he’d support you no matter what, but the confirmation from Chris was enough to have you leaning over to press a kiss to his lips 

“I love you, so much…thank you for loving me, and supporting me the way you do”

“I will always do my best to be there and to support you no matter what, I love you to the moon and back” 

Food was suddenly brought out which caused your stomach to growl softly, only causing the two of you to laugh with one another, in a way being with Chris made you feel like you could be entirely yourself. You’d often look around at your work gala’s and see coupled hardly interacting or just in a state of constant seriousness, yet when you were with Chris it was the total opposite. You both still had a childish side to you, never letting yourselves stay serious for too long, you brought the best out of each other and even these quiet date night moments were proof of that. 

“I’m glad we came here and took a vacation, I won’t lie seeing you struggle after Wesley is something that hit me harder than anything else had, and watching you slowly come back to yourself, start smiling again and just let go, that was worth more than this entire trip…I am so proud of you every day Y/N, your strength and resilience is something I will always admire”

The tears that lined your eyes were quick to appear 

“Dammit…”

You let out a tearful laugh, catching a few stray tears before leaning on Chris’s shoulder 

“Thank you for loving me regardless, and for helping me find the sun after all the storm clouds, that sounds cheesy but, I wouldn’t have been able to do this without you, you’re the best husband and the best father, we are so lucky to be loved by you”

Chris could have said something to reciprocate just how much he appreciated you saying that, but he settled for a kiss filled with only what you could describe as pure love and adoration. You couldn’t imagine your life with someone else in it, this past month had shown that, but so had every other year you two had been together. Soulmates is a term you’d only really believe when reading one of your romance novels while waiting for Chris to get home from a shoot, or meetings, but you were starting to think right now, in this lifetime, you’d found your soulmate…and Chris would say the exact same thing too. 

[fabbyf1]

Howdy, Besties 🫡

I hope everyone is doing well and staying hydrated!

I am taking a much needed vacation as of tomorrow morning until the end of the month. (I AM FREE AT LAST!!!!!) I probably won't write very much while I'm there.

BUT HERE'S THE GOOD NEWS:

I have a quick little Lestappen PWP in the works for you! I've finished writing it; it just needs to be edited. I think you are going to enjoy it. I think it will also make you scream... (in a good way), and I'm very excited to see your reaction. I'm a fucking meme if I've ever seen one. This will most likely be posted tomorrow night (Friday PST). Hopefully, this can hold you all over until I get back home 😈😂😎

I've started working on a longer plotty fic again! But it's going to be a different pairing this time around. I hope that's okay with you all. I know many of you are only here for Lestappen, and that's okay! I love Lestappen, and I'm not done writing for them by any means. I have lots of fic ideas and WIPS for them. They're my fav ship to write for. I have just owed @takenquicklys a Maxiel fic for a while now... 😂

I'll still be lurking around these streets while on vacation, bothering you all, and posting cursed content. I'm not planning on disappearing. I'm just not going to force myself to write (for once). If it happens, it happens, but I'm not planning on writing until I get home.

ANYWAY... my plotty Maxiel fic will probably take a few weeks to write, but in the meantime, here's a little snippet for you. I hope you'll enjoy it, even if you're only here for Lestappen! This fic is a little angstier than I normally write... but it will still have lots of Fabby Fluff.

Enjoy besties and have a great weekend!

When Daniel decided to leave Red Bull in 2018, Max was... confused. He wasn’t hurt, necessarily, but it was hard not to take it a little bit personally. Because nobody leaves Red Bull Racing to go to a mid-field team. 

It had to be at least a little bit personal. 

Their last season together got a little rough around the edges. After being teammates for so many years, they were bound to come together on track every now and then. It was nowhere near the battle of the silver arrows back in 2016, but every time they came together in 2018 seemed to be worse than the time before. 

They could usually move past it.

They would ignore each other for a day to cool off, and then they’d pretend like nothing ever happened.

It was good.

It was working.

But some incidents were harder to move past than others.

(Well done, Baku.) 

After Daniel left, things got better. They were able to just be friends again and not worry about being teammates. Max became the veteran of his team and saw new teammates come and go, and Daniel had great results for Renault. 

Everything was going great for both of them. 

But then McLaren happened. 

McLaren took a lot from both of them. 

For Daniel, it took away his pride. It took away his confidence. It turned this tall, cocky, king of the late-breaking man into a too-small, too-skinny, twitchy-on-the-break-pedal kind of guy. It was hard to watch at times. 

To make matters worse for him, everyone compared him to Lando. Which wasn’t fair because Lando had been with McLaren for years. Lando already knew how to get the most out of that shit-box of a car. Daniel still had to learn. 

For Max, it was hard to watch his best friend hit rock bottom. Especially because Max was having such a great year in comparison. He was leading the championship for the first time. He was winning every weekend, his race suit was always damp with champagne, and he was confident that he would become World Champion at the end of the year. 

2021 was the best and worst year of his life. 

He won the championship, but he lost his best friend. 

Fucking McLaren.

[tutyayilmazz]

"The true legends are totally casual"

They're young, they're smart, and they're from Rome: A conversation with Måneskin, one of the world's most successful rock bands Interview: Giovanni di Lorenzo

Måneskin for Zeit Magazin. paywalled but you can access it like this 🤫 i google and deepl translated it and fixed some sentences as much as i could but i'm far from being able to judge the accuracy of it all so there may be mistakes. anyway, the full article is under the cut, i highly recommend it, it goes quite into depth!

When they play concerts in the USA, they wrap themselves in the Italian flag. But they wouldn't do that at home in Rome: Måneskin, one of the most successful rock bands in the world. Band members Damiano David, Victoria De Angelis, Ethan Torchio and Thomas Raggi share why Mick Jagger knows who they are and how they take a stand without specifically talking about politics.

ZEITmagazin: When you are on tour abroad, talking to people, giving interviews - are people surprised that a young rock band that is successful all over the world comes from Italy?

Thomas Raggi: Always! At first everyone is amazed, there are a bunch of questions, some are very clever and interested and revolve around cultural differences. Other questions are just plain stupid: "Can you put pineapple on pizza?" There were such questions in America, for example.

Victoria De Angelis: But that's wearing off, everyone now knows that we're Italians. But somehow they are still surprised.

Ethan Torchio: Maybe also because nobody expected this kind of music from Italy. Often, however, we are so busy with our thing that we don't really notice how we are perceived from the outside. And actually our origin and the value of our music have nothing to do with each other. Values ​​are not tied to anything.

ZEITmagazin: In Germany music from Italy is associated with Gianna Nannini, Zucchero, Eros Ramazzotti beyond the hits. Many Italy lovers are familiar with Paolo Conte. But Lucio Battisti is not known here at all. His music is like the soundtrack of entire decades of life in Italy. Today, a quarter of a century after his death, it is still played daily on the radio. Can you relate to Battisti?

Damiano David: It's a long time ago, but that doesn't make it any less great, it's timeless. Of course he's light years away from our music, the complete opposite, but he's still fascinating for us.

ZEITmagazin: Why can music like that of Lucio Battisti stand the test of time?

Damiano: Because it captures something of its time, or rather: because it manages to be the expression of a break in time, to mark a turning point that many people may not understand until years later.

ZEITmagazin: If we stay with the image of Italy abroad, I would like to ask a question that I am often confronted with myself and which unfortunately usually leaves me quite at a loss: how is it possible that such a lovely country as Italy is governed by a post-fascist party together with a man like Silvio Berlusconi, who has committed serious crimes and only recently promised his football club AC Monza a minibus full of prostitutes if they beat big teams, and a Matteo Salvini, who delights in the idea of sending ​​refugees back again in the boat.

Damiano: For me there are two main reasons. For one thing, Italy has a short historical memory. We have forgotten the last right-wing government, we have forgotten what happened. Second, there's this vintage nostalgia: Everything that's old is beautiful. Cooking like in the old days, going on vacation like in the old days, the music of yesteryear...

ZEITmagazin: Does that also apply to fascism?

Ethan: In fact, there are still people who claim that everything was better in wartime. Totally crazy! I believe this latent glorification of the good old days has made neo-fascism socially acceptable.

Victoria: In my opinion, it also has a lot to do with ignorance. The bad thing is that the parties are counting on people's ignorance, their backwardness or their religious attitudes. And now we have a government that is committed to discrimination. Voting behavior is also to blame for this. A lot of people didn't vote at all. 40 percent of young people between 18 and 25 did not vote. That's a hell of a lot!

ZEITmagazin: Why is that?

Thomas: If I want a certain party to win or lose, I go to the polls. But when I don't have the itch and don't feel like getting up from my comfortable sofa to stand in line at some polling station, then this is how an election result happens. Almost everyone in the LGBTQ scene went to the polls and voted against Meloni because there is something at stake for these people. They know they are in literal danger, not just mentally but physically. But a lot of people who don't have a particular concern say to themselves: My voice won't change anything anyway.

ZEITmagazin: After Giorgia Meloni's election success in September, you, Damiano, posted: This is a sad day for my country...

Damiano: They slammed me for that. Both on social networks and on the radio.

ZEITmagazin: Italy used to be very leftist and had the largest communist party in Western Europe. Why has the left lost so much of its appeal ?

Thomas: It's difficult for us to judge. We have only experienced the last five years in a politically conscious manner. When you're thirteen or fourteen, you don't understand anything. That is why our political perspective is very limited. It is not for us to pass judgment on the decline of a political idea. What we have noticed to some extent are broken promises and this very disappointment that your own voice doesn't make a difference.

ZEITmagazin: Do you never hear, for example from your record label, that you should hold back on political issues?

Damiano: We found a pretty good balance because we never talk about specific politics. The four of us don't always agree politically. And we don't want to be political opinion makers or moralizers. We are talking about things that we understand go beyond any political discussion: we are against the war in Ukraine, we are against discrimination against minorities. Human rights are inviolable.

ZEITmagazin: Was Damiano's "Fuck Putin" spontaneous at the end of a concert at California's Coachella Festival, or did you talk about it beforehand?

Victory: That was spontaneous.

ZEITmagazin: But then you all bear the responsibility.

Victoria: Of course. If there is an attitude that should be taken for granted worldwide, then we position ourselves clearly and unequivocally. There should be agreement on this, regardless of whether I am on the right, left or whatever.

ZEITmagazin: Does the Catholic Church still have great influence in Italy today?

All: (ironic, in unison) No! What!

Victoria: It just acts more cleverly and makes less of an appearance.

ZEITmagazin: Under pressure from the church, the state broadcaster RAI in Italy did not play John Lennon's song "Imagine" in the early 1970s because it contains the lines "Imagine there's no heaven ... And no religion, too". These words were enough. In comparison, the influence of the church has become very small.

Victoria: But unfortunately it's still very big. Many people hold to the values ​​of the church. When our posters were to be put up in Rome , the church gave us difficulties. In the photo I was seen with my eyes rolled, you only saw the whites, that was too demonic for them. That's why we were banned from posting posters near the Vatican.

ZEITmagazin: But if that's true, then isn't that actually advertising for you?

Thomas: No. We hadn't told anyone that yet. You can now advertise for us. (laughs)

ZEITmagazin: When it comes to other topics, on the other hand, people are more relaxed in Italy than in America, for example: when Victoria lost her top at the MTV Awards and you could see her breasts, the pictures were immediately hidden. Something like that would be unthinkable in Italy, wouldn't it?

Damiano: In Italy we are more relaxed about nudity, less so about other things. In America, nudity is totally taboo. But you see guns everywhere.

Victoria: And you're not allowed to say swear words, they'll be censored immediately.

Damiano: When Victoria's nipple was censored, there had been a performance before us with all phallic symbols, but apparently that wasn't a problem. Male genitals are fine, females are not.

ZEITmagazin: Were you an outsider at school with your attitude, your hair, your outfits?

Ethan: Yes, we were different, we stood out, we experimented with our looks. I was quite the oddball at my school, wasn't bullied, but was the oddball compared to the others who all dressed alike. That is still the case today. They all look the same.

Damiano: It's about just not attracting attention, being as basic as possible , that's what we call it. The difference can only be determined by the price: You have exactly the same shoes as the others, but in the limited edition, which costs six times more.

ZEITmagazin: And at the same time, tolerance for deviations has decreased?

Ethan: Tolerance is a very sore point. You tell yourself that society is totally open, that the mentality has changed, because nowadays it sounds silly to say that I'm being laughed at because of my clothes. But in reality it's still the same. When I was little, that bothered me. In Italy it is much more extreme than in other countries. Here people are very conservative in many things, being different is perceived as threatening or wrong.

ZEITmagazin: Young men with long hair, for example?

Ethan: Totally. For me it was a filter to understand which people I can get involved with and which ones I would rather avoid. A lot of people have asked me: Why do you have long hair? I answered: Because I think it's beautiful. But you're a boy. So what? Yes, but it makes you look like a girl. That got on my nerves, but fortunately I didn't let it affect me. Nevertheless, I felt like an outsider and therefore discriminated against.

Damiano: If you read the comments and criticisms from Italy that we get on Facebook, for example, eighty percent of them are about our looks. As soon as we post a photo in which one of us shows a bit of skin or is dressed oddly, the comments rain down. It's damn sad to see the concentrated anger of these people putting others down. Why do you care how I dress? Why does it bother you when I'm at peace with myself and post a photo?

ZEITmagazin: Does that also apply to your lyrics?

Damiano: Yes, but paradoxically it's more about our looks. A lot of people don't even listen to our lyrics. They see the photos and hate it.

ZEITmagazin: Is it actually true that only one of you finished school and the others have thrown themselves into music?

Thomas: Actually we all jumped into the music. I graduated from high school, but that was something personal. We all made the same decision: we like it, it's going well, so we're going to give it our all.

ZEITmagazin: Even when you were not yet successful?

Thomas: Yes! Above all, Victoria's decision for music was very important as an impulse. We thought, if she dares, then we dare too.

ZEITmagazin: Did your parents agree?

Ethan: Agreed not. But they understood straight away that this is really important to us. So they gave us more freedom than most teenagers our age would have had. Of course, the school thing went against the grain for them. But they let us do it and believed in us.

ZEITmagazin: You, Damiano, allegedly only worked properly for a month in your life, and that must have been terrible.

Damiano: That was longer than a month. I was on the road as a representative for all kinds of wellness products, going door-to-door. The product range was broad - from cosmetics to mattresses. Our highlights were a coffee maker and a water filter, they cost a fortune, absolutely crazy. When I stood in front of people's doors, I felt like a thief. We got this gigantic nonsense drummed into our heads that we should tell them so they would pay 400 euros for a pillow. I was pretty good at it. But it was awful. I worked from June to September, in the hottest summer I was in a suit from morning to night and had to ride the subway from one end to the other, bathed in sweat.

ZEITmagazin: Did this time bring you anything that you benefit from today?

Damiano: You learn to face an audience, to interact with people, even if you annoy them. And you learn something for life: respect, discipline, punctuality. You learn to belong to a team and to subordinate yourself. You learn to be dependable even when you're totally exhausted: there are people working with you, so don't let them down.

ZEITmagazin: There is a difference between Italy and Germany that, for once, is not a cliché: in Germany children leave home as soon as possible after school, in Italy many are still living with their parents at 35. Why is that?

Victoria: I think about that quite often. In Denmark it is similar to Germany. However, young people there also have many more opportunities. In Italy, they're not just starved from an artistic point of view. There is hardly any support from the state, studying in Italy is very demanding: the requirements are high, there is no time for part-time work, and if you do not receive state aid or earn money on the side, it is practically impossible to leave home.

ZEITmagazin: So it's purely financial reasons?

Victoria: I think it also has something to do with our culture. In my circle of friends there are many parents who are very attached to their children and believe that they have to protect them and keep them at home as long as possible. It's different in other countries, in Denmark your parents kick you out when you're eighteen. Parents who say: Go away! – that is completely unimaginable in Italy. Here it says: No, but you are my child, stay with me, I will take care of you.

Damiano: Family is very important in Italy, but our generation would give anything to get away from home. They can't stand their parents anymore - with all their love. But they don't have the means. For example, I come from a perfectly normal family, we lack nothing, but for my older brother, who works and has a good job, it would be completely impossible at the moment to move out of our parents' house. I, on the other hand, was extremely lucky and was able to leave home early.

ZEITmagazin: You are all in their early twenties. Do any of you still live at home?

Ethan: We actually all fled.

Thomas: I'm still living with my parents at the moment, but I'll be taking the big step soon.

Damiano: But you were already living alone and thought it was stupid!

Thomas: I had this apartment in Trastevere, but it was six months at the most, that doesn't count. I wasn't really away from home at all, didn't have to take responsibility. Now something completely different is going on.

ZEITmagazin: Have you already confessed to your parents?

Thomas: Yes, and they didn't think it was that bad anymore.

ZEITmagazin: In Germany there is this saying: pinch me. Haven't the past few years been a bit unbelievable for you too?

Damiano: And how, every day! When we performed at the Circo Massimo last summer, and that too in Rome, in our city, I asked them to shine light at the audience because we don't see much on stage. Seventy thousand spectators - it was a sea of ​​people!

ZEITmagazin: In 2021, just a few months after winning the Eurovision Song Contest , you were the opening act for the Rolling Stones. You met Mick Jagger. How was he?

Victoria: Super cool.

Ethan: As you imagine him. Fully energized, enthusiastic. With that typical voice.

ZEITmagazin: Did he know who you are?

Damiano: Yes, he was fully aware. He had prepared. Keith Richards on the other hand was quite honest: I have no idea who you are, but I see the guitar, the drums – great, very good, keep it up. Ciao.

ZEITmagazin: At a Metallica concert, two of you - Victoria and Thomas - were said to be seen dancing enthusiastically in front of the stage like normal fans.

Thomas: Right! But we've already seen them in Rome. And in Milan. Before we met her, we were ardent fans.

ZEITmagazin: Would you say that the real artists stay approachable?

Damiano: Yes, by and large.

Victoria: But it's noticeable that today's superstars, especially the young ones, puff themselves up a lot. The true legends, on the other hand, are totally nonchalant, sitting in your studio and chatting for hours without making a fuss.

ZEITmagazin: Almost all old musicians say that what they did when they were young, they can no longer do today - if only because they are no longer politically correct.

Victoria: No, that wouldn't work anymore. Many of those who wrote rock history were totally crazy or permanently high.

Damiano: In the past, when you were crazy and stoned and doing crass stuff, people only noticed if you were a celebrity. Today, any no-name can pump themselves up on drugs, hop out the window, and go viral with it. Anyone can play rock star. Everyone wants to be important and nothing has meaning anymore.

ZEITmagazin: You smashed two instruments in Las Vegas, a classic rock gesture for which you were heavily criticized... Måneskin thinks that today's superstars, especially the young ones, would puff themselves up a lot.

Damiano: For us it was a way of celebrating the last concert. We enjoyed the moment, we didn't care what the social networks say about it.

Thomas: We used extra crappy instruments. I'm not going to smash a five-thousand-euro guitar! Do you think we're so stupid or what! That's what pissed me off the most. But you have to grown up and not give a shit.

Victoria: I find it hypocritical to accuse us of vandalizing instruments. When fireworks fly with other bands, no one says: A hundred thousand euros were blown away.

ZEITmagazin: Is there any of the old rock stars that you would like to meet?

Thomas: Jimmy Page.

Victoria: David Bowie. Unfortunately, that's not possible. So maybe Patti Smith.

Damiano: Me Paul McCartney.

Ethan: I almost said so too. But also Bono.

ZEITmagazin: What would you like to ask them?

Damiano: You always hear these stories from great bands, many of which, at least I think, are simply made up: They played this guitar riff – and boom, the song was there! But that's never how it works. I'd like to be told how it really was, firsthand. According to the motto: The story is a fairy tale, in reality it was very different...

ZEITmagazin: And how about you? It is said that the song "Zitti e buoni", which became your breakthrough, was so successful with young people in particular because it was an outcry against the Covid restrictions. Is that right?

Thomas: That's not completely out of thin air. In fact, Zitti e buoni was an expression of our anger at the time. We are so happy that people recognized themselves in it and made the song an anthem for their own causes. Of course, he was not only referring to the Covid situation, nor did he intend to call for a rebellion against the rules in force at the time.

ZEITmagazin: Is it true that you wrapped yourself in an Italian flag at a concert in the USA?

Damiano: That was probably me, because the audience throws everything at me and I'm the only one with my hands free.

ZEITmagazin: Unlike in Italy or America, in Germany this would be interpreted as a patriotic, if not right-wing, gesture.

Damiano: When we play in Rome, I wouldn't think of putting an Italian flag around my neck. But we are on tour in America, and there I show the flag to say: I am an Italian in the world.

ZEITmagazin: Was there a bit of pride involved?

Thomas: Of course, yes! That is celebrated.

Damiano: The more I see of the world, the more I'm convinced that Italy is the most beautiful country in the world, mistakes or not. Nothing to do.

Victoria: Italy is a wonderful country with great people. It cannot be compared to any other country. And it hurts that there are so many people who want to ruin it with their shit mentality. That's why we try to get a positive message across, to mess with it and change the attitude of these people.

ZEITmagazin: My favorite song of yours is "Vent'anni". It says: "I am afraid that I will only leave money in the world." Is that really a fear at your age?

Damiano: Less a fear than the awareness that this shouldn't happen. This sentence means that I not only want to leave the world what I have earned, but also create something that will stand the test of time, something that touches people's innermost being.

Thomas: We spoke earlier about Lucio Battisti. He and also Vasco Rossi, another great Italian singer, will never die.

Damiano: Because they've influenced generations, who in turn influence their children. This is the legacy that counts and that you want to leave behind.

[ratherembarrassing]

2023: weeks 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 [13 feb to 19 mar]

this is madness. it's been a crazy busy month. i'm currently in my fourth hotel. let's go.

VACATION!

new york: greenwich village was home for the first week of my vacation. a part of manhattan that i liked to visit a lot when i lived in brooklyn but never a place i've managed to spend as much time as i would like... and still have not. the marlton hotel on 8th was delightful although i encountered far too many australians for my liking. the lobby bar was, as warned of in every single review i read, absolutely packed with people just chilling/drinking/working at all hours of the day, but it was honestly a hoot.

new york coffee: i am notoriously hateful of american coffee, because it's revolting, but the game has been changed in the last few years. every morning i went somewhere different as i set out for the day, and every day i was rewarded handsomely with a decent-to-perfect latte. thank you for embracing the milk based espresso game, new york. i cannot extend my compliments to california.

art: i managed to hit up two art museums i've been to previously (the met, the guggenheim) and two that i had not (the whitney, the frick) while in new york, and the completely out of character pre-modern kick i've been on heavily influenced where i had the most fun.

the guggenheim is home to my very favourite painting, franz marc's yellow cow, but half the permanent collection was down for an exhibition, so he was gone. however, i had seen marc's fighting cows at the met a few days earlier, in which my good friend the yellow cow is hanging out in the background, so i was content.

the met was full of all the classical architecture things i have spent the last few months being weird about, and so is every street in new york, so i was having a great time and my phone is full of photos of completely random buildings all over manhattan. but there was something really satisfying about walking through parts of the building i viscerally remember not having any interest in previously and being like, i know you guys now.

the frick was a similar experience, kind of, in that i have a clear memory of passing on going because i knew it was full of old paintings. not exactly my thing, for the most part, more of an incidental acquaintanceship from often being housed in the same building as art i prefer. i don't remember what specifically prompted me to go this time, but an inadvertent consequence of deep diving architectural history is that i acquired a whole art history education that i never really had, and like, what a difference that makes.

the whitney had a hopper exhibition showing that had pretty much everything he ever painted except for nighthawks, which was weird.

shows!: "are you going to see any shows while you're there?" "is there any other reason to even go to new york?"

this was documented as it happened, but i experienced classical music live for the first time while unintentionally very, very drunk. i've settled on this having been an incredible experience, well done me.

i saw funny girl. it's actually incomprehensible how good lea was in this given that, okay, so. wait, context. so what actually happened was, i had tickets for funny girl on the friday night and the ny phil on saturday night, and lea was out sick friday AND the saturday matinee. i got an email about her being out at 3pm but didn't see it until 6pm, and somehow i still managed to switch both tickets to seats in almost the exact same location and recovered like $100 of the original price in the process. so after being off sick for two shows lea was, honestly, fucking incredible. it's so irritating, but it is what it is.

jessica chastain is currently doing a doll's house (i think it technically opened on march 9 but it's been in previews for weeks). this was wild, as far as these things go. extremely minimal, bordering on avant-garde maybe or just throwing a lot of singular things that other productions have done into a pot together. spoilers for the key staging moments: it started with nora on stage for a solid 10 minutes before curtain (there was no curtain), while the house lights were still up and people were still wandering into their seats and talking, and ended with her walking out through a door at the back of the stage directly onto the street behind the theatre in a moment so baffling i am still chuckling every time i think about it. it wasn't perfect but it's going to stay with me.

an assortment of other things i bought/experienced in new york

an australian goes to an nhl game: i thought i could come to like any sport, but this was really just not my thing. also, the shouting from the crowd during the national anthem made me genuinely uneasy.

the post-metrocard subway. people had commented to me and have asked since if new york "felt different", and this might be the only place where it did feel different. the subway felt empty, and nobody uses the emergency exit anymore, and no more metrocard just feels wrong.

an american biscuit from popeyes. it was delicious. at the time i said i was coming around on the biscuit thing, but then i had one with gravy in california and it was just wrong.

a whole bunch of writing implements and notebooks from good for the study, which happened to be across the street from my hotel. it's maybe one of the hardest things to buy in australia now, as everything else has become easier and this one specific category of goods has not. i spent so much money it was ridiculous. ask me about my pens.

the apple charger adapter kit, because i accidentally packed my european adapter and had planned to use my apple brick exclusively as my means of charging all my shit. so now i have one for everywhere on earth, and that feels like a challenge.

which also lead to me walking past zitomer, because somehow i spent half my time in new york on the upper east side, and tar had reminded me of that new york magazine article about the women who shop at zitomer, and anyway now i own $22 lipbalm in a zitomer lipstick tube.

also, because travel seems to somehow always destroy my hands, i now own hand cream that smells like orange tic tacs. that was from whole foods, though.

los angeles: i drove! in california! pulling out of that avis parking lot was honestly one of the more terrifying things i've ever done. socal was experiencing some weather, and i had to drive to long beach, and i'd spent 20 minutes trying to figure out the carplay controls in a mazda (fucking insane) and it was going to get dark soon, so i had to go. in the end it was great, and the last day i spent driving all over the place and i am fully committed to doing the entire PCH as a trip sometime soon.

the pie bar: it was february 24, which is twin peaks day, so i dragged everyone to this place we found on google, and i ate cherry pie for the first time and it was fantastic, and like the ten or so of the rest of us all had different kinds of pies and everyone enjoyed the hell out of them, so this place was fucking awesome. also they gave us a candle to stick in leah's pie so we could sing happy birthday.

broadway cocktail lounge's karaoke night: long beach really was batting well above its average this night. maybe it was the weather keeping everyone local, but there was a woman who sounded like stevie nicks who did gold dust woman and i'm honestly still thinking about her all these weeks later.

santa monica: a lovely place to be! i stayed at the fairmont, which was very funny because i had previously had brunch in the restaurant there without realising it was the same place. anyway, five star hotels are hilarious and i love them. they brought my ubereats order to my door at nearly midnight, which makes them infinitely better than the intercons that i've stayed at that make you come down and get it yourself. i will but up with that at a four star hotel, but not at a five! i'm kidding, but not really lmao.

disneyland!: go on a rainy monday in february! waltz right into every right! do the star wars rides twice! i fucking love disneyland and will go in the heat when it's packed and queue for an hour for most things, but this was super special just getting to do anything. the new star wars ride is so fucking awesome! take your kids to disneyland!

then i ate a final lax panda express and headed home.

FIVE SHOWS IN TWELVE DAYS!

angel olsen @ melbourne recital centre: i will admit i was jetlagged as fuck and might have nodded off for a second in my front row seat. nonetheless, what a babe.

bikini kill @ forum: happy international womens day! this was all ages gig with a lot of tiny little kiddos there with their cool mums and it was a great time to be in a room with a lot of people there for the vibe.

florence and the machine @ rod laver: that woman is a god damn witch, and i will not be told otherwise. fucking mesmerizing. it's just a fucking treat to see the person who makes some of your favourite music be incredible in front of you.

lorde @ sydney myer music bowl: MUNA opened for her and they slapped.

carly rae jepsen @ forum: the most fun i've had at a concert in ages. i was sweaty and exhausted and full of joy by the end, and unlike everyone else there i didn't get covid. midway through the show i got a text that my 6.30am flight the next morning had been cancelled and that was also very fun!

haloumi baos at blondie bar: this is the always busy spot outside the melbourne recital centre / southbank theatre. they came with pineapple jam. it was so good i went back a week later for pre-lorde dinner and sat on a tiny tiny bench to eat them.

sydney: i am in it. i'm here for work, but yesterday i had brunch at pina in potts point, and this morning i had brunch at porch and parlor and wandered around bondi before i had to spend a few hours working. i'm here for another week and a half, so tell me fun things to do.

THREE COMEDIES IN TWO WEEKS!

am i being unreasonable (season 1, bbc): i watched this on the flight to lax, i had no idea what it was and no way to find out, and let me tell you: that was wild. one of the most intriguing and fucked up and funny things i've watched in a while.

extraordinary (season 1, hulu/disney+): this show is so charming i want to scream. luke rollason, oh my god. he's just a little guy!

the flatshare (season 1, paramount+): i dunno. did anyone else watch this?

okay i'm done, goodbye.

[oxtofmydcpth]

Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow.

[jennifer connelly] THE WEEPING. Please welcome SYCAMORE HOLMES (she/her) to Huntsville, WV. They are a 53-year-old RESIDENT who lives in THE COMMUNE. You may see them around working as a UNEMPLOYED. Poor unfortunate soul. We’ll see if they survive.

Tw: Death // Grief

~ You wouldn't be wrong in thinking Sycamore Silver was a visitor in her own town, born in Huntsville but living there in the loosest sense of the word. She was fortunate, or unfortunate enough that her family could afford to travel around, vacations a plenty and new houses in different states when they fancied. But every few years they would move back to Huntsville, until new business opportunities arose and they all packed up and moved once again.

~ Sycamore always loved Huntsville though, the one town that seemed to be somewhat constant in her life, and the moment she was able to she moved back by herself, planning to settle down completely and set down roots with a family of her own. A family she would drag across the country for no reason. No, Huntsville was home.

~ Clayton Holmes had always been intrigued by Sycamore, the girl that seemed to come and go while him and his family remained in town, so when she returned again, alone and with permanent plans to stay, he took his shot. She accepted the date offer and the two were inseparable from then on. Of true love existed, people would look at these two for the blueprint.

~ Sare was born, and several years later they were graced with Spencer, the family unit Sycamore had always dreamed of finally complete. There was one factor she hadn’t accounted for: Clayton suggested they move, giving himself and the kids some life and experience outside of Huntsville. She refused to begin with, but eventually came round and the family left town.

~ To no one’s surprise, Sycamore was the one to bring them back, making compelling argument after compelling argument to the point their few years away had hardly seemed worth it. This had been her dream all along had it not? A family unit in Huntsville. Huntsville was home.

~ When the paradox hit, everything shifted. For the first few days they survived, but one night Clayton fled the house in an attempt to help Spencer. Spencer made it back. Clayton didn't.

~ Sycamore deteriorated from there, moving herself and the kids into The Commune, knowing the other residents could help support them all, but things were very different. Her relationship with her children changed, everything between them all becoming more strained and difficult. Her resentment towards Spencer and their unintentional aiding in Clayton's death only seemed to grow through the years, and while she harboured no ill-will towards Sare, she did not care for the way Sycamore treated her sibling.

~ Now she spends her time wandering The Commune, crying when she's not having aggressive outbursts at people, but generally keeping to herself. One thing she will happily tell people now is: Huntsville is not home.

[tilbageidanmark]

Movies I watched this Week # 149 (Year 3/Week 45):

Between 'Mean Streets' and 'Alice doesn't live here anymore', Martin Scorsese made the documentary ItalianAmerican, which is basically a home movie. It features his parents bicker and talk at their apartment, remembering the old days of their families.

🍿

2 with teenager Scarlett Johansson:

🍿 Re-watch: Sofia Coppola's Lost in translation, while waiting for her latest 'Priscilla'. "Sleepless in Shinjuko". Sad and vulnerable 17-year-old Scarlett Johansson, a 'stranger in a strange land' is having a 'Brief Encounter' moment, with less-asshole-than-usual Bill Murray. (Photos Above).

Another melancholic exploration of a lonely young woman, who finds herself captured in a privileged gilded cage. An exceptional, subtle masterpiece. 10/10.

🍿 The horse whisperer starred 14-year-old Johansson as a horse-lover who becomes emotionally stunted after a riding accident that caused her to lose part of her leg (all in the first 10 minutes of the film). It's a sloooow, traditional 3-hour-long story about healing, told mostly in beautifully-cinematic Montana. But it worked for me, in spite of the well-shot sentimentality. 7/10.

🍿

My first 2 by German auteur Christian Petzold, both with Paula Beer:

🍿 Afire - a tremendous, complex drama about a vain, immature writer on a working vacation. The little summer cottage close to the Baltic sea, is soon encroached by a forest fire, as does his self-centered world view of himself and his art. It starts at one emotional point, and skillfully moves to a completely different, tense level. 9/10.

🍿 Petzold wanted to make a series of films about the 4 elements. Undine refers to the myth of 'water nymphs', so rivers, industrial diving, large aquariums, and drowning in a pool are all part of the story. It's a lovely, simple romance, which eventually turns into a dark fantasy. My 5th film with Franz Rogowski. 4/10.

🍿

3 More of Claude Chabrol’s Hitchcockian thrillers:

🍿 “… You like meat?…”

Le Boucher, a low-key, atmospheric thriller about a single woman who befriends a village butcher, who's also a serial killer. Fantastic snapshot of the people at 'the country' (Dordogne) at this time. 9/10.

🍿 The ceremony (La Cérémonie) is a similar dark story, set in a solid bourgeoisie family. Isabelle Huppert & Sandrine Bonnaire becomes friends and eventually decide kill them all. Like 'Stanley & Iris' from last week, the protagonist is illiterate. 6/10.

🍿 The Unfaithful Wife, another terrific, low-key, civilized study of a French bourgeois household. A loving husband discovers that his loving wife is having an affair, and ends up killing her lover. I liked it so much, and thought it would be a very good candidate for a modern remake. Then I remembered Adrian Lyne's 'Unfaithful' with the luminous Diane Lane in the Stéphane Audran role. Maybe I should watch it again! 8/10.

I discovered Chabrol late, and have only seen about 10% of his 74 movies. Now I have to see them all!

🍿

Milf, another film with Virginie Ledoyen, a soft-core sex comedy. Three older women looking to hook up with boys 20 years younger. A similar concept to the Naomi Watts film 'Adoration'. I only watched it because it is directed by a woman and had 13 on the Tomato score. Better than Zalman King.

🍿

Wow! After 4 months of anticipation, the venerable bio-pic Oppenheimer finally hit my free streamers. I watched all 3 hours of it but left completely underwhelmed. This is the seventh of Christopher Nolen's praised big-budget epic films that I saw, and so far none of them had floated my boat. Okay, so I'm not a big blockbusters fan.

It's not very hip to rail against McCarthyism in 2023. Twenty-twenty revisionist vision, mambo-jumbo pseudoscience, overwrought endless, loud soundtrack, and basically the usual biography of a "Great man", which is always a boring subject for a movie. 4/10.

🍿

3 by regular Fincher screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker:

🍿 On the other hand, David Fincher’s new thriller The killer was a thrill ride that was a joy to watch. A cold blooded professional assassin, laconic and super-human, flies around the world ruthlessly killing people. Mesmerizing (but predictable) suspense with an effective Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross score. I could do without the inner monologue that replaced conversations in the story. Also, a great comic book knock-out fight after an hour and a half of deliberate, slow go. 7/10.

🍿 In 2001, BMW produced 8 short films by famous directors as "Branded Content", i.e. advertisements. Called 'The hire' they all featured Clive Owen driving Beamers around the world. AKW wrote two of them:

The Follow was directed by Wong Kar-wai, and was about an aborted diamond heist.

Ambush was directed by John Frankenheimer, and was about a woman being followed by her husband.

The other shorts were by John Woo, Tony Scott, Ang Lee, etc.

🍿

5 more Danish films, 3 with Henning Moritzen (The patriarch from ‘Celebration’) and 2 with Mads Mikkelsen:

🍿 Tænk på et tal (Think of a number), a 1969 old-fashion, enjoyable Danish 'Krimi' with an enduring theme song. A meek bank teller finds a discarded note from a bank robber, and gets involved in a lethal game.

This story was later remade into the Elliott Gould caper 'The silent partner'. I love such slow and delightful dramas, and I love Bibi Andersson.

it’s funny how movies that used to be throwaway entertainment products 60 years ago, gain completely different meaning today. I should start exploring the many Danish Noir from the 40's and 50's. 7/10.

🍿 50 years later, In the Oscar-nominated short The pig, Moritzen is old and fat, and is being hospitalised for some tests. There he lays and finds comfort in a simple picture of a pig jumping over a fence. Delightful!

🍿 On the other hand, Now is another Danish short (from 2003) starring Mads Mikkelsen. But it's an artsy-fartsy, humor-less, word-less "Art film", shot in black & white, with a constant baby crying. Like 'An Andalusian Dog' but without the charm and the magic… 1/10.

🍿 I was surprised to realize just now that my favorite Danish screenwriter Anders Thomas Jensen directed only 5 features and 3 shorts. (but he wrote 59 scripts!). Wolfgang is an early short of his, and not his best. Now I've seen all the movies that he directed.

I can't wait for his upcoming 'Monster of Florence' with Antonio Banderas and 'Back to reality'. Yeah!

🍿 So I took in one more viewing of his sentimental After the wedding, maybe for the 10th time. So full of emotional twists, old-fashioned melodrama, Sigur Rós score and peak Sidse Babett Knudsen.

🍿

Budapest Noir, a Hungarian murder mystery, set up in anti-semitic 1936. A hard boiled crime reporter investigates a murder of a beautiful prostitute, like a Jake Gittes named Zsigmond. Very strong 'Chinatown' vibes, including a smokey jazz score that tries to recreate its haunting atmosphere, and even the final line of dialogue "This is Budapest". 5/10.

[This is the 115th woman-directed film I've seen so far this year!].

🍿

Dumb money, the first enjoyable Reddit movie, about the 2021 GameStop short squeeze. Compelling Class War rhetoric with Seth Rogen as the billionaire 'heavy'. Up-to-the-minute updated drama of the 1% Vs. the unwashed masses. I think it will endure as another worthy addition to the sub-genre of 'highly entertaining explanation to boring real-life financial story', just like 'The big short' and 'Margin call'.

However, it used an Artificial Intelligent editing model that color-corrected the whole movie into a weird, fake, washed up look. 8/10.

🍿

First watch: Kurosawa's bleak Drunken Angel, an early post-war Yakuza film, and the first of the 16 collaborations between him and Toshiro Mifume. An alcoholic doctor befriends a young hoodlum suffering from tuberculosis. Located around an open sewer in a seedy neighborhood, still suffering under the American occupation.

🍿

Ikarie XB 1 (Or 'Voyage to the End of the Universe' as it was called in American), an influential and ambitious 1963 Czechoslovakian science-fiction saga, based on a Stanisław Lem novel. "Futuristic" space decor and story, very much in the Star Trek style. Cultish 1960's popcorn philosophy, but nonsensical and not a serious world building. Not for me - 1/10.

🍿

Thank Dog that the third season of Tim Robinson’s 'I think you should leave' was so short. The first season was outrageously different. The second season was a 'repeat on a theme'. This one was just cringey irrelevant. Absurd, awkward, confusing situations, exploding rage at small mistakes. No!

🍿

My first (and last) stand-up by comedian Nate Bergatze, The greatest average American. Average stories of 'relatable' everyday nitty gritty were hardly worth a chuckle.

🍿  

(My complete movie list is here)

[pbandjesse]

Today was a pretty good day. Still no house updates. But honestly that was fine. I was able to have a really nice day. Even if in the afternoon I didn't feel so good. I am doing a little better now. Still feel a little unwell but it is okay. It's almost bed time, sleep will make it better.

I slept alright last night but I kind of felt like I was drowning a few times. Just have a bit of congestion that seems to get worse when I'm sleeping. So I had weird dreams and then woke up a bit unhappy. But we had plans. So I could mope in bed for to long.

When I got up I didn't like my original outfit and asked James to get my soft green jumpsuit out of storage to wear. This was the correct move and I felt a lot more comfortable. All I want was to be cozy today.

James made me a sandwich for breakfast and sat with me on the couch reading their book. It took me a bit to feel alright but I felt like I looked super cute. My hair was being really good. My face was really good. I was feeling very positive about myself.

Me and James would head out into the world. I was being pretend complaint, accusing James of making me both leave the house and wear a jacket against my will. I was having some trouble with temperature today. I was almost never a good temperature. It was a little frustrating. But I was in a good mood and excited to go to the art museum for the BMI professional development.

James parked us a little down the street but that was fine. We walked up to the museum and we weren't sure we were in the right place because the door was opaque. But James texted Jessica and everyone was inside.

I was so happy to see everyone. I wish I got more time to say more then just hello but it was so lovely talking to those I did get to.

I talked to Rosia and Meghan for a bit. I also talked to Becca did a bit. Who told me about her recent car accident. I swear I have never met someone who gets in as many accidents as her. And it's always someone hitting her! Crazy. I'm glad she's not hurt.

The program we got to do today was about how to lead participants through conversation about visual things. It's an art museum so they are great at that. We started with an improv where we had to plan a vacation but for the first round we had to shoot down everything, then the second time we say 'yes but' and then the last time we do 'yes and'. James was my partner and I really enjoyed playing a game with them. We planned a pretend vacation to Texas, then we tried to plan a trip to New Jersey to find the jersey devil for Jess to date. It was very silly.

Next we moved to one of the galleries and talked about 4 pieces about city life. And it was a super fun conversation. I loved hearing everyone's interpretations. And it was the closest to being in art school I've felt in a decade. I really just had a lovely time.

Then after our long conversation we got to do a little art project where we used paper scraps to make a city. And because I'm extra I folded my paper to make it a sculpture. The person running it made me feel so smart for doing it so differently. But everyone's was so different!! Some people made houses and some just used black strips and it was so cool to see what everyone was thinking.

I also got to meet a bunch of the new staff. I'm a little sad I'm not there much and I won't get to know them as well. But they were all super sweet from what I gathered. I hope they become the best educators. And don't leave after two months.

The final thing we did was discus the light installation "Moon dust". Me and Jessica laid on the ground to talk about it. It was just really nice to spend so much time with art. No rushing. Just like 15-30 minutes really getting into it. It was great.

We would finish up and me and James headed back home. But we weren't there for long

We would walk through the park for a minute before we drove back home. Just for James to work on their bread and soni could give Sweetp a hug. And then we were off to lunch.

We drove over to brass tap. I decided I didn't have the energy to walk there and back. I appreciated James babying me a little.

And lunch was nice. Brass tap is always to loud but the food was good and I enjoyed James's company. We talked and made plans and discussed groceries and plans for the week. It was nice. But I was a little tired.

After lunch we drove home. I would lay down for an hour while James went for a bike ride.

The rest was good but I wish it was longer. When I woke up I felt very upset and groggy. I cleaned myself up best I could. Moisturized my face. And then it was time to go to my doctor's appointment.

This appointment went. Fine. James went grocery shopping while I went in myself. I brought my new knitting project.

I was there for so long though. I finished 3 squares! Everyone was great though. Just really nice. The doctor is sending me for an x-ray. She's not worried about my blood work so that's good. She wants me to consider PT. So that's annoying but my neck hurting needs improvement.

The real issue was that my regular injectonist was not there. And the two nurses who didn't were lovely but did not actually know how to do it and I'm going to be so bruised in the end. They had the needles in my legs for forever. And the one kept wiggling the needle. So that was a little tough but they were both so nice to me so I'm not mad at them. It was just a lot with the needles being in my legs for so long. And the office was really hot. And I was struggling emotionally being so tired. I was just glad I was going home soon.

When I was done I went it find James, who had confusingly moved the car and I couldn't find them for a minute and got upset. But I found them and it was okay.

I was happy to go home. When we got back here James and me carried the groceries in. They put things away while I worked on knitting for a while. Eventually James cleaned the kitty litter and I would move to the studio to work on cleaning my desk. James would finally get their bread in the oven.

I spent a long time in my studio cleaning and also stuffing some bears and getting their faces on. It was nice feeling like I was accomplishing stuff.

James would bring me some of their finished bread and it didn't come out exactly right. Like the texture was great. But the flavor was bizarre. James apparently struggled with the salt mixing through. So as a first go it was. Fine. Could be better. Can be improved. But I'm excited for James to keep getting better.

Now though I am hanging out in bed. Watching an 8 hour 47 minutes YouTube video. Which I'm 3 hours into. I love not having to find a new video and can just. Have something to listen to. It's why I like long podcasts. Just don't make me have to keep coming back to the screen to search for a new thing! What I really miss is television. But also not really. But I hope you know what I mean.

Back to work tomorrow. No groups but me and Sarah are supposed to paint. And I have some stuff to do in the art building. I also want to start trying to collect black walnuts for dye making. We'll see what I can find. I hope I feel better.

Sleep well my friends. Goodnight!

[beneathashadytree]

Sleep over that 500 pages study material, if you ask me. Kidding aside, I hope you're taking rests in between your studies.

Also, patients in 3rd/4th year? Dang, I think that's better, though, I can't imagine how you can juggle everything. My 3rd and 4th year subjects are mostly laboratory subjects + other lectures, then most of them will be applied for Clinics. Though surgery and implantology, for some reason, are taken up during 5th year WHILE you're having patients. That was shitty, though.

Anyway, this might be TMI, but I originally shouldn't be in the Dentistry department, but actually was all set to take a pre-medicine course and proceed to medical school to take up Cardiology or Pediatrics as my specialty in the following years. Though Dentistry is enjoyable, my first love (Cardiology) is still calling out to me. May or may not go to medical school after this. Crazy decision, maybe.

Thank you for always keeping us entertained with your works, they're always funny. But some are also relatable and hit too close to home.

Have a great day, Maya.🩵

- 🌊

I wish I could rest, but I really can’t☹️ Every subject’s got 500 pages of material (some more) and between each exam and the next is only 3 days… which really doesn’t help my anxiety and sense of impending doom😭

And yes!! We start pre-clinical work as early as during our 2nd year, and clinical work continues until we graduate, alongside our theoretical studies. My aunt’s one of the biggest oral and maxillofacial surgeons in the entire region, and she’s actually a professor/lecturer at my university!! Her work’s pretty tough, so I understand why we have to take so much surgery over the years.

Oh?? That’s interesting. Most people I know had dentistry as their first choice, so it’s nice to see a different perspective. Honestly if you feel up to it, then I’d definitely encourage you to continue chasing your dream of cardiology after you graduate. Many students here switch careers after graduation and go to another faculty altogether!! But if you graduate and feel like you’ve genuinely had enough of academia, then I don’t blame you one bit for deciding to sit down and take a breather. Studying medicine is draining, and I’m sure you’ll know better than anyone what your limits are. Never push yourself past your breaking point!!

And thank YOU for always being so sweet and supportive. My personal favorite genres to write for are fluff and hurt/comfort, so I have a massive thing for depicting emotional vulnerability. I’m just happy to be able to share my writing with you guys. The fandom is a safe space for me, and I hope we can all grow together here. Can’t wait to start my summer vacation next month and finally start writing proper fics again!! Sending you sm love and hugs 🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽

[safethaw]

Asphalt Driveway Versus Concrete: Which Is The Better Investment?

Alright, let’s get real about driveways. You’re standing there, coffee in hand, looking at your old driveway and thinking, “Asphalt driveway versus concrete”? Which is the right way to go?” It’s kind of like choosing between a sturdy, well-worn leather jacket and a sleek new windbreaker. Both have their charm, but which one suits your life and style? Let’s chat about this whole asphalt driveway versus concrete thing like we’re neighbors talking over the fence. The Trusty, Easy-Going Asphalt Driveway asphalt or concrete? They’re like your favorite old pair of jeans – not too flashy, but they fit just right and feel familiar. Pros: - Your Wallet Will Thank You: Choosing asphalt is like opting for a budget-friendly vacation. It’s generally cheaper than concrete, both in laying it down and keeping it up. - Winter-Friendly: Asphalt has a bit of give in cold weather, sort of like a pair of winter boots that don’t crack when it freezes. - Quick and Ready: Asphalt sets up fast. It's like microwave popcorn – quick, easy, and ready in no time. Cons: - Not a Long-Term Buddy: Asphalt might need more love and care over the years. Think of it like a garden – it needs regular tending. - Melts in the Heat: On really hot days, asphalt can get soft. Ever leave a candle out in the sun? Kind of like that. - Regular Maintenance: Asphalt asks for a reseal every few years. It’s like needing to touch up your hair roots when they start showing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2uACuEGD4k The Sturdy, Chic Concrete Now, concrete driveways are the tailored suits of the driveway world. They’re crisp, they last, and they definitely up your home’s style game. Pros: - Longevity is Key: Concrete is like that solid, well-built house that stands strong year after year. - Low Maintenance Life: It’s kind of like owning a great quality appliance – it just keeps running without a lot of fuss. - Make It Your Own: You can style concrete with different finishes. It’s like customizing your phone with a cool case and wallpaper. Cons: - Upfront Costs: Concrete can hit your wallet harder at first. It’s like splurging on a high-end gadget – more expensive, but the quality speaks for itself. - Not a Fan of Extreme Cold: In freezing temps, concrete can crack. It’s like that fancy dinnerware that doesn’t do well in the microwave. - Stains Show Up: Got a spill? On concrete, it’ll show. It's like wearing a white shirt to a spaghetti dinner – risky business! Winter Woes: The Salt And Chloride Story No matter your pick, winter care is a big deal. Using those heavy-duty salts on your driveway can be overkill, like washing a delicate fabric with a harsh detergent. They work, but at what cost? Safe Thaw: The Kind-Hearted Hero This is where Safe Thaw shines. It’s like the golden retriever of ice melts – friendly to everyone and everything. Safe for both asphalt and concrete, it won’t leave behind a trail of damage. It’s non-corrosive, so no worrying about it eating away at your driveway or harming your greenery. It's the neighbor who always shovels your walkway for you – reliable, kind, and always there when you need it. The Final Verdict: Your Driveway, Your Choice Choosing between an asphalt driveway versus concrete? It’s not just a practical decision; it’s a lifestyle choice. If you’re all about low upfront costs and easy fixes, asphalt’s your jam. But if you’re looking for longevity and style, concrete might be your soulmate. Whichever path you choose, just remember: Safe Thaw’s got your back, ensuring your driveway stays in tip-top shape, no matter what Mother Nature throws at it. It’s like having the perfect all-weather coat – essential and ever-reliable. Read the full article

[chorusfm]

Liner Notes (May 18th, 2024)

Buckle up—we have a lot to discuss this week. This week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here. If you’d like this newsletter delivered to your inbox each week (it’s free and available to everyone), you can sign up here. A Few Things * One of the recent member-only episodes of the ATP podcast was all about “computer origin stories” or “first computer memories.” I’m roughly the same age as Casey and Marco and their core memories and histories mirrored mine quite a bit. And hearing them talk about their origin stories had me thinking about mine. My first memory of seeing a computer was in first grade when there was a computer in the elementary school library. Maybe an Apple IIGS? It was too long ago and I don’t know for sure. But a found family film makes it pretty clear I spent time with it. (Cool haircut first grade Jason.) I remember playing games like Carmen Sandiego. However, it wasn’t until middle school that my memories of using a computer start to solidify. I can remember vividly the computer labs at Twality Middle School. This is where I can remember my obsession beginning. At some point my parents bought a home computer for “the family.” It was a PC running DOS and Windows 3.1. Look, I’m very clearly old. I’m 41 and remember typing book reports on a typewriter before that computer. And this is when my obsession went into overdrive. I liked playing video games, what kid didn’t?, but I loved trying to figure out how all the software worked. I wanted to learn all the tips and tricks. I wanted to know how the system worked. Which meant I broke that computer. A lot. A lot a lot. I re-installed Windows on that thing from floppy disks more times than I can count. And this was where I first started playing around with Qbasic and did my first “programming.” My first memory of seeing the “internet” was at OMSI. My mom used to take my cousin and me there during summer vacation, and they had a computer lab. I remember downloading Simpsons WAV files and Dark Forces cheat codes, so this would have had to be around 1995, and I would have been around 14. At some point, breaking the family computer became a thing my parents got sick of, and my grandparents helped them purchase my own. Windows 95 and having my computer is where the already probably unhealthy technology obsession went supersonic. And this would be when I started playing around with HTML for the first time and soon after would begin writing what would turn into AbsolutePunk. That’s, best I can remember, my computing origin story. High school was primarily spent tinkering with PCs, installing various Linux distros, and using Windows throughout college. It wouldn’t be until around 2010 that I bought my first Mac. But, that’s probably a story for another time. * Anadivine was one of the hidden gems of the early 2000s scene, and they released a new 2024 remix/remaster of their album, Zoo_. It sounds great, and even if you never checked them out back in the day, it holds up all these years later. Also, if any labels read this and are interested in doing a limited vinyl pressing of the album, I can put you in contact with the band. Just let me know. * Aaron Mook, a contributor to AbsolutePunk and Chorus, has launched a GoFundMe to raise emergency medical funds for his cat. Please take a look if you’re able. In Case You Missed It * Review: Dua Lipa – Radical Optimism * Review: Keane – Hopes & Fears * Review: Broadway Calls – Coming After You * Review: Cold Years – A Different Life * Rise Against Announce New Tour * The Blood Brothers Announce Tour * Interview: Tony Lovato of Mest * The Used Announce B-Side Album * Alice Wallace – “Imposter” (Video Premiere) * Head Automatica – “Bear the Cross” * One OK Rock Announce World Tour * Avril Lavigne Announces Greatest Hits Album * Albums in Stores – May 17th, 2024 Music Thoughts * Lot’s of music to catch up on! Origami Angel released a new single, and it rules. I’m absolutely ready for a new Gami album. Their last… https://chorus.fm/features/articles/liner-notes-may-18th-2024/

[m4aiya]

"Breath of Dingalan, Aurora

It was around Holy week when we decided to go on a trip and we chose Dingalan, Aurora as our destination- one of our dream destination because of its beach and all. We took almost 3-4 hours tavel to finally arrived in our destination. During our travel, we pass by different places like Laur and Pantabangan dam. Actually, I am amazed seeing how Patabangan dam looks like. I am overwhelmed by the different views while travelling.

Dingalan was a long drive from me, but anyways, I love long drive. When we got in the place where we are staying, It was almost lunch so we, together with our companions decided to eat lunch and have a short rest since we all know that driving is also tiring. After resting we just changed our clothes and fix some things and drove to our first destinatiom im Dingalan, the Tanawan Falls. It was 5 minutes drive from our place or the cabin where we are staying. Before actually seeing  the falls, you need to walk- it was like a hiking for me, for almost 10-15 minutes. We are surprised and didn’t expect the long walk under the scorching sun without umbrella, but thanks to my mom, she has blanket inside her bag. Walking was hard under a scorching sun, but it was a great experience for me. It was tiring but it was all worth the sweat. When we arrived there, it was over crowded- but we can’t blame them since it was holy week, we should expect a lot of people having a vacation. The water in the falls was very cold, an icy cold. I didn’t take a chance taking a bath because since it was over crowded, the water is cold, icy cold. So I just sat beside a big rock under a tress and watch the people, having fun. After that, we got back in the place where were going to spend our night and call it a day. Early in the morning, we packed our things and drove to the beach of Dingalan, we rent a cottage and started taking pictures at the beach. This is also the day 2, and our last stay. I didn’t enjoy the beach that much because it’s very hot, the sun is striking in my skin plus I don’t want to be a tanned skin girl. So again I just sat inside the cottage and watch the people again.

As we drove back home, it was sunset, still enjoying  the view. But realization while travelling hit me hard. We will only miss it when it’s already gone and done. I didn’t enjoy it- but it was my decision- regretted it as we drove back. But anyways it was tiring but worth everything.