#the red tour cleveland

[taylorswiftsurprisesongs]

The Best Day (Tour Debut; Acoustic)

The Red Tour Cleveland, OH , USA

04.25.2013

Credits - Youtube: Morgan Feyedelem

[onthisdayts]

The Red Tour

April 25, 2013 - Cleveland, Ohio

[dreamlandgirlie]

if i had to describe myself with one pic this would be it

[majorbuckegan]

Hunter Hayes

Red Sky Continued Tour

Cleveland, Ohio - November 2nd, 2023

[clove-pinks]

I'm back from the Fitzgerald Experience at the National Museum of the Great Lakes! It was an interesting experience for sure, with so many connections to local history within living memory. I had no idea that the Fitz was called the "Toledo Express," among other nicknames. The Canadian-born Captain Ernest M. McSorley was living in the Toledo area, as were many of his crew.

Museum ship Colonel James M. Schoonmaker is 600-something feet long, with a 65-foot beam, vs. the Edmund Fitzgerald's length of 729 feet with a 75-foot beam. They are fairly similar Lake freighters in terms of construction and size. The tour highlighted parts of the ship implicated in the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, and oral history collected from Great Lakes mariners.

There was also a copy of the lyrics of Gordon Lightfoot's song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" in the galley, with words highlighted in red that don't match the known history e.g. saying that the Fitz was headed for Cleveland, when she was destined for Zug Island. Lightfoot was close to the families of the crew, and he actually changed lyrics on request and would perform the song differently in concert, although this isn't reflected in popular recordings.

A salty (sea-going freighter) was traveling down the Maumee River during the tour, to great excitement all around.

The museum guide mentioned that all the salties look like this: rusted and decrepit after 10+ years of sea-going service, when a laker wouldn't look like that after 50 years. Built in 1911, Colonel James M. Schoonmaker was actively in use until an economic downturn in 1980.

[thefallennightmare]

Miracle-eight

(gif created by me, the fallen nightmare. feel free to use, simply give credit)

Pairings: Noah Sebastian x Reader

Warnings/Tropes: forced proximity, slight enemies to lovers, slow burn, smut, angst, fluff, mentions of death, and swearing.

Summary: Reader is the merch girl for Bad Omens. It wasn't what she wanted to do with her life but when her mother got sick with Alzheimer's, reader took a job where she could to help with the costs. She thought it would be a one-time gig but the longer she was on the road with them, the harder she fell for Noah Sebastian; even if he wanted nothing to do with her. She needed a miracle to save her mom and her future.

Author Note: things are about to get REAL intense so buckle up!

Tags: @ada-clarence @nonamessblog @thescarlettvvitch @malice-ov-mercy @crimson-calligraphyx @theoneandonlykymberlee @yumikitten @blackveilomens @cherrymedicine13 @thebadchic @notmaddihealy @jay02bo @beaker1636 @jakekiszkasguitarpick @punk-pr1ncessxoxo @er3nslovergirl @iamdesolate @lma1986 @jessitpwk @themodern-daywednesday @writethrough @bngurngheart @dreams-that-are-anwsered

Holy shit, I give Bryan so much damn credit. He does this almost every single night and I've only been hopping around back and forth in front of the stage to get random clips or videos of the guys set for one night. At first, I was nervous to tell Bryan about my promotion because I felt as if I was stepping in his territory with taking pictures but he was ecstatic. Even offered to show me how to work the camera that I'd bought for my other content. I remembered how red in the face I'd gotten when he asked if I'd always been interested in photography when he saw the type of camera I had. Obviously I didn't tell him the real reason I had to buy it.

"It was a gift from an aunt," I lied.

My eyes glanced away from my camera over to Noah as he finished the last line of Like a Villian and snapped a few photos of him from different angles. I wasn't great at editing pictures, something else Bryan offered to help me with, but I still could tell what was considered a good shot.

I stood in front of the barricade and the crowd behind me screamed for the guys, absolutely thrilled that they could see them live even when the festival was canceled. It was the last-minute show that I pulled together and the small venue we were in was packed full of fans.

After our early dinner, before the show and after Noah fingered me under the table, we played oblivious to what happened. I hated we didn't talk about it because all I thought about while I was getting ready for the show tonight was if Noah and I were dating or if we simply were messing around. Even though I didn't want a relationship right now because of everything going on with my mom, I also didn't want us to be a casual hook up whenever one of us were horny.

I knew I needed to talk to Noah about this; it wasn't good to keep everything bottled up because it would only fizzle over before exploding. But the part of my heart that has genuine feelings for him was afraid of getting hurt if I found out he only had sexual feelings for me.

"How are we feeling tonight, Cleveland?" Noah asked the crowd.

Their screams echoed loudly around me as I took a few pictures of Nick before walking over toward Jolly to get a few pictures of him. I made a mental note to get back on stage to get a video of Folio drumming when Noah's voice stopped me in my tracks right to the side of him. I was on the floor but still only a few feet away from him.

"Before we play our next song, I want to give a shout out to someone special. She was the one who set up the pop up event earlier today and put this whole show together," Noah waved a hand around, showcasing the sold-out crowd.

The crowd cheered again as I gulped, not knowing where he was going with this.

A smile graced his face as he pulled the microphone closer to his lips. "She's someone that's been with us for two tours now and she's become a great friend to us."

I narrowed my eyes at him as ours locked.

"What are you doing?" I mouthed.

Noah ignored me, only giving me a smile and a small wave, even under the dark stage lights his eyes burned bright.

"You might recognize her as our merch girl but recently she became our social media ambassador so whenever you guys send us weird D.M's, just know she's the one reading them."

The crowd laughed at that, and I couldn't help but chuckle as well.

"But in all seriousness, she deserves this. Lets give Y/N a huge scream of thanks for putting all of this together."

Now the screams were deafening, and I tried not to sink into myself as people in the first few rows noticed me standing there. I gave a tiny wave to the crowd before snapping back over to Noah.

"Fuck you," I yelled up at him, no hint of malice behind it.

Noah winked. "You know if I'm being honest. I didn't think she could pull it off, so we made a bet. If she was able to, she'd get to design my next tattoo."

Some people in the crowd hooted and hollered at that.

"So if you see me with a tattoo of her name or some shit like that; that's why."

Before I could crawl into myself even more for having the spotlight on me, they started up into the next song, and letting my camera hang from my neck; I walked up the back of the stage up to the platform where Folio's drums were and watched in awe as he let himself go, being the beat that everyone followed. It was a true experience being able to watch him. I took out my phone to record a video of him to post on the Bad Omens Instagram story and when he finally noticed I was there; he winked after I took a few pictures of him with my camera, I walked down the stairs of the platform thinking of what I could get for the final shot of the night. I had a lot of close-up shots of Nick, Folio, and Jolly but none of Noah.

Biting my lip, I snuck up being him not to get in his way of performing, and as he sang the last few lines of Just Pretend, the lights in the venue went dark. The only source of light was from the flashlights of the fan's phones and seeing how ethereal Noah looked, I snuck up beside him to take two quick pictures.

He peered at me with a sideway glance as the corner of his lip lifted in a sly smile and once I was satisfied with all the pictures I took tonight I walked off the stage to the back. Noah, however, hooked a finger in the belt loop of my jeans and yanked me back towards him.

"Would you say I'm worthy?" he sang the last line, the lights fading around us.

I couldn't see anything in front or around me but I could feel Noah's presence behind me. His warm breath fanned across the back of my neck as mouth pressed gentle kisses there.

"Angel," he mused. "Do you know how beautiful you look tonight?"

His hands gripped my hips, and I shivered with his touch as he led us to the side of the stage where the rest of the guys were waiting. They would hang out for two minutes before going back on for their two song encore; Concrete Jungle and Dethrone.

I was turned in his embrace and saw the huge grin spread over Noah's soft features. Sweat glistened his body all over and his hair clung to his forehead.

Fuck, he looked so good.

My fingers raised to brush the hair back, but I stopped myself. Noah noticed, and he gave me a confused look.

"Everything alright?"

As much as I wanted to talk to him about us, I didn't want to do it before he was about to go back on stage.

"Yeah, you just took me by surprise is all with what you said."

"It's true," he shrugged. "Before when you were at the merch table, I could barley see you but now that you're so close to me, I couldn't stop watching you all night."

A blush painted over my skin and I cast my gaze downward, not wanting Noah to see how much his words affected me; although, I had a feeling he already knew. This was becoming more of a problem than I liked. I was allowing him to inject himself in my bloodstream, infect me with his presence and it would hurt me in the end. Whether it was because I ended things or he realizes that the problems with my mom were too much to deal with. I need to focus on my mom and now this huge step in my career, I couldn't let myself get blinded or involved with someone I worked with.

Too late for that.

The crowd was cheering for one more song and I knew they would run back out on stage in less than ten seconds.

"Angel," his finger brushed along my jaw. "What's wrong?"

My lips parted, but no words came out, unsure what to say. This wasn't the time and Jolly could tell as he watched us so he adjusted his guitar before slapping Noah on his shoulder.

"We have to go."

I nodded behind Noah. "I'm fine."

His eyes searched mine, fingers still gripping my chin. "You're sure?"

"Yep," I lied while patting his chest. "Go fight God; I'll see you guys back on the bus."

With a chuckle, Noah's fingers slipped away from me and I watched the four of them run back out on stage for the encore part of their song. I could stay and watch but there was no need to hang back anymore. They gave me the choice if some nights I wanted to help the crew take everything down I could or I could head back to the bus early to rest or do whatever I wanted.

I know I should hang back to help tear everything down but right now, all I wanted was a bit of solace on the quiet bus away from everyone.

"Oh, god not that one," I muttered to myself as I browsed through the pictures of my phone.

I should look at the ones I took tonight, but I was looking at more risqué pictures. Tonight, Lana's second payment was due and as usual, I was short. Even with being promoted, I wouldn't get paid until the tour was over. So, the only thing I could do was ask Lana if she was fine getting the payment a few days later than normal and thank fuck she was.

Take your time, dear. We're all good over here.

Even though I was alone on the bus, I couldn't risk recoding something in case someone walked on so instead I took a handful of different pictures. These, though, were way more revealing than I usually take. One was in the bathroom on the bus; I was bare from the waist down with my pussy in full view but kept my Bad Omens t-shirt on, rolling it up from the bottom until it stopped over the middle of my breasts. You could see half of them, but the nipples were covered. My phone blocked my face, which was something I still wouldn't forget, and I took a few different angles.

The next set of pictures were of me laying in my bunk, now wearing a black thong but now the shirt was off, and I had my hand resting over one breast while the other was bare for the camera.

As I was still deciding, Folio came bounding up the stairs of the bus, his energy radiating off of him. When he saw me scrolling through my phone, he sat down and took my phone from my grasp.

"Are those the pictures from tonight?"

"Folio, no!" I bellowed while reaching for my phone.

I fell onto his lap, my chest pressing against his hips and he stiffened when he realized what he was staring at; the picture of me in the bathroom mirror.

"Woah," was all he said.

I groaned in embarrassment as rolled over in his lap now looking up at him and snatched my phone back.

"Please forget you saw those."

Folio stared ahead as he blinked a few times, almost processing what he saw before his gaze fell on me. Something twitched beneath me and when I realized what it was, I sat up with a start staring down at his dick, which was semi hard.

Oh God.

"This is so embarrassing," I covered my face with my hands.

Folio let out a low chuckle before slowly removing my hands.

"Who were you sending those to?" He wondered.

I quickly shook my head. "No one."

A small noise sounded from the back of his throat as he adjusted himself on the couch, still clearly affected by seeing my half nudes.

"If it makes you feel better, I like the one in our shirt the best," Folio grinned.

I smacked his chest. "You can't tell anyone about this, please. I already feel weird about taking them and now that you saw them, it's going to make things weird between us."

"You're the only one that thinks that, Y/N. And if you feel weird about taking them, then why did you? From what I saw, you have nothing to worry about."

My eyes narrowed at Folio in a playful glare; it was very clear that he indeed liked what he saw.

"If I wasn't mortified by you seeing my nudes, I'd take that as a compliment."

His brow raised in amusement. "Were they for Noah?"

"Hell no. He can never know about these or even see these, understood?" I pointed a finger to him.

"I won't tell him but I can't promise that I'll forget what I saw," Folio winked before get up from the couch and headed back to his bunk.

I was still burning up when Nick, Jolly, and Noah came onto the bus and when the latter's eyes fell on me, he reached for my hand.

"What?" I stared at it.

Noah lifted me from the couch and dragged me to the back area of the bus so we could have some privacy. He was still wearing his stage clothes, and I marveled at the tattoos that peaked through his blank tank top. Once alone, he let the door shut behind us as he fell to the larger couch in the room; me falling into his lap.

"What are you doing?" I asked while trying to sit next to him instead.

Noah's fingers dug into my hips to lock me in place. "I think we need to talk."

With a sigh, I nodded. He was right and as much as I didn't want too, this had to be done. Still in his lap, I positioned myself so I could look directly in his brown eyes.

"This," I pointed between us. "What is this?"

I could see with the look that flashed over his face that Noah was trying to figure out the best words to describe us.

"I'm not sure what to call it but I like what we have going. I don't want it to stop," he admitted.

"What changed, though? Last week it seemed like being around me was like pulling teeth," I said.

Noah sighed and wrapped his arms around me to pull me into his chest. "I tried to stay away from you because I thought it was a bad idea to get involved with someone on the crew and with what happened in Chicago, I took it as an opportunity. But the harder I tried to forget about you like that, the deeper you sunk your claws into me."

My heart shuddered in my chest.

"Can we maybe take things slow? Maybe see where this goes. I can't have a relationship right now. There are some things going on in my life that needs my attention, especially once I'm home," I explained.

I didn't miss the hurt look that shined in his eyes but Noah nodded. "I can wait, angel."

He was not making this easy.

This time, I extracted myself from his grasp and stood on my feet, giving us some distance.

"I can't ask you to do that," I said.

"You're not. Whatever you've got going on, I want to be here for you," Noah assured.

Tears brimmed in my eyes as I let out a long shaky breath. "It's a lot and I don't want to push you away again. If I'm being honest, I've wanted this from you for so long and now knowing you feel the same, I'm afraid."

He was on his feet fast to press me against the wall with his hips. Noah's large hands pinned mine above my head then he buried his face deep into the skin of where my shoulder met my neck. I let out a mix of a whine and moan when his rutted his hips into mine.

"Angel, I'm not going anywhere."

I gave a half nod, understanding, but I couldn't really focus with the way his cock pressed against my lower abdomen.

"This," I panted. "Isn't slow."

Noah hummed as he left a small mark on the skin behind my ear and I nearly melted into him.

"You're going to kill me," he breathed before pulling away from me, my hands falling to my sides. "But we can take things at your pace. If you want to hang out and watch a movie or something, I'm here. Or if you need help with other things, I'm here."

I linked my fingers with his and brought them to my lips to kiss the tattoos on the back of his hand.

"Thank you, Noah."

With a fond smile, he led me out of the room to the front of the bus where he motioned for me to sit at the table.

"Want some tea?" He asked.

I smiled. "Please."

I then sat at the table across from Jolly and Folio. Still embarrassed by him seeing my nudes, I refused to meet Folio's amused gaze and kept my own on my phone. I was turned away from everyone so no one could see me as I uploaded a few pictures to my Only Fan's page. I needed these pictures up as soon as possible to start making money.

"So are you excited to go back home for a few days?" Jolly asked.

"Oh shit. I almost forgot!" I beamed.

Bad Omens had a two-night show in Los Angeles, where we headed next. Then after those two nights, we would head up to Washington. With everything that had been going on lately, I forgot to mention to Lana that I could stay home those nights with my mom.

"We can book you a hotel for you if you want," Folio said.

"Or you could stay with someone," Noah piped up from behind me.

I glanced over my shoulder at him. "Slow, remember?"

He bent low to leave a kiss on my forehead and my eyes fluttered shut. "I'm only kidding."

"My mom's excited to see me so if it's alright, I'll stay at my place," I said.

Noah's lips twitched before he nodded. "Sure."

Seeing that the pictures uploaded to my site, I stuffed my phone back into my pocket and talked some more with Jolly, not realizing that Noah's phone went off with a notification or the way he adjusted himself in his pants when he looked at the screen.

[violetpixiedust]

part 02 of this angsty piece. thank u sm for the support on the last part, i love u all. there will be one more part after this. steve harrington x sinclair!reader. no descriptions of hair, skin tone, or body type. up to interpretation. tw: slut shaming, public bullying, mean!steve.

part 01

౨ৎ

one day earlier

your nimble fingertips brush against the soft, polyester material of your little black dress, hugging each curve and ridge of your body up until the bottom of your bum. translucent nylons lick up the length of your legs, disappearing into a pair of onyx leather boots that cut off just beneath your knees. a wave of heat washes over your delicate face as you admire your reflection in the floor length mirror of your bedroom, the top row of your pearly teeth indenting against the plush flesh of your bottom lip.

you looked.. sultry.

huh, robin had been right.

the two of you had been finishing up the last bits of your partnered english essay on ‘the catcher in the rye’ the night before, when robin, in her nature, became distracted and started languidly recounting an outfit debbie harry had worn on tour in the ‘70s. the cerulean eyed girl had pulled the cosmopolitan magazine out of her backpack, laying stomach down beside you on the bed as you both stared at the hydrogen peroxide blonde rockstar in front of you. you shyly admitted that you had always wanted to dress like that just once.

it was no secret to the students at hawkins high that you were a sweetheart, a goody two-shoes. you would usually dress in gingham, floral, and lacy babydoll dresses in the summer, or bulky turtlenecks with short skirts and stockings in the wintertime. it’s what drew steve to you originally. your shy smile and innocent doe eyes, waving to him past his car windshield as your silky skin soaked up the summer sunlight, on your way to the flower shop across from the hawkins theatre, sat on top of your two speed yellow bicycle. it threw him for a loop. how much you had bloomed the summer before your junior year. however, your beauty was surprisingly paired with a quick wit and an unmatched sense of creativity. lucas and erica had clearly picked it up from somewhere.

so, after doing some recon on an old, black turtleneck dress that you had worn to a distant family member’s funeral years ago, robin and yourself had successfully designed a little black dress that perfectly melded debbie harry and pat cleveland into one.

you had to be discreet though. your mother, despite being the feminist powerhouse that she was, did not want to have to leave work to give you a change of clothes on the off chance that you were dress coded, which granted- had only happened once. however, despite kindly giving you the snide choice of a sheer cover up to wear when she arrived to that singular meeting, your mother had grilled the geriatric worm that was principal higgens into the scuffed tile of his office floor. at his audacity for making her leave her government job in the middle of the day- all because her fifteen year old daughter, she emphasized for the misogynistic, and terrified, man in front of her, was rightfully showing her shoulders in may.

so safe to say, the spineless principal did not want a repeat of that situation, so while your fashion choices hadn’t changed much, a lot less was said about it.

your mother was dressed in a red plaid pantsuit early that next morning before her shift at city hall, hair big and proud, in the middle of making a cup of coffee before she caught sight of you entering the kitchen. “wow, look at that paint and hair, pretty girl. how gorgeous.” a wave of appreciative embarrassment crept between the hems of your woollen overcoat as the elder woman kissed the crown of your head, smiling shyly as you gratefully accepted a cup of black tea from her manicured hands.

“so, is steve picking you up-?” your mother was cut off when the back door parallel to you two practically flew open, robin’s cheeks flushed with cherry red from the winter air as she dug into her backpack, not noticing your mother or her metal thermos of presumably coffee clanging onto the kitchen tile when it free fell from her bag. finally, your friend victoriously pulled out a half squished piece of banana bread wrapped in cellophane.

“aha! there you are. what’s up this morning-?” robin froze as she caught sight of your mother smirking from her place in front of the coffee machine, watching as the pale girl practically scrambled to pick her thermos up off the floor to avoid causing a bigger mess.

“good morning, robin.” your mother smirked from behind her cup of coffee, plum shaded lips spreading into an amused smile as you giggled at robin’s scarlet complexion.

“m-morning. sorry for the noise mrs. s.” the freckled girl winced in embarrassment at her absent-mindedness, only softening her tense expression when your mother held out of plate of toast, quietly offering her a piece.

“oh, robin. if i was concerned about noise, i would have sent lucas and erica to live with their grandmother a long time ago.” the three of you burst into giggles as one of the devils mentioned strutted into the kitchen, pink denim jeans swishing with every step she took.

“what choice words about your only daughter-“ erica shook her head in disappointment as she reached up onto her tippy toes for a piece of toast, nearly taking a bite before begrudgingly making her way to grab a plate due to the gentle warning glare she received from your mother.

“hey! i was here before you, you little brat-“

“sue me for thinking you were going to college in a year and a half. maybe i’ll stick with ‘your better daughter’-”

“mom! erica hid my walkie!” lucas entered the kitchen with a trail of fire lined after him, interrupting your snide remark back to erica. you and robin groaned with relief as the horn from barb’s mom’s old mini van sounded in front of the house, interrupting the argument for a second before it resumed in full force.

“barb’s picking us up.” you mentioned to your mother, answering her previous question as she half nodded to you in acknowledgment, attempting to break up the ever scaling argument between your younger siblings. “good luck.” you bid her an apologetic goodbye, your mother only huffing as she wished both you and robin a good day.

you were on cloud nine as you walked around the halls at school that morning. it was nearly fourth period, and you hadn’t seen steve in the halls yet unfortunately, but his absence only put a slight damper on your mood. you had gotten so many compliments from the girls in your class and above. nancy wheeler, barb, robin (even though she had practically designed the outfit with you, she had basically screeched in the middle of the arts hall when you finally put your jacket in your locker), chrissy cunningham, tammy thompson, and even anna jacobi!

in the fifteen minute break between third and fourth period, you were taking your time exchanging your calculus textbook out for your history text, knowing that your next class was only down the hall and to the left. however, you felt a large, calloused hand touch the exposed skin between your shoulder blades, jumping as you quickly turned around, nervously gaining the courage to tell off whoever was unrightfully touching you, before you made eye contact with steve.

instantly, you felt a soft beacon of light spread throughout your belly, heart fluttering as you took in the soft chestnut locks that curled beneath the nape of his neck, balancing against the laws of physics atop his head. almond toned eyes, his rigid nose, primrose shaded lips. a breathtaking smile spread across your glossy pout as you giggled excitedly, going in to hug your boyfriend before his unusually stoic face hardened when his eyes raked across your outfit. your outstretched arms slowly fell to your sides as your glittery smile faded, suddenly concerned at the way steve chuckled humorously, his bass tone careless and sinister.

unlike him. with you especially.

you nervously toed your boots into the ground as your manicured nails started fiddling with one another on their own accord, shrinking as he continued to stare you down.

“now i know why billy hargrove asked me if you were free use earlier this morning.” you swallowed harshly, not believing that those words had just come out of your boyfriend’s mouth until you heard the acidic cackles of tommy and carol behind you two. steve however, was not amused. “what in the hell were you thinking when you decided to wear this?” his voice only got louder, catching the attention of a few students passing in the hallways. you fought back the bitter response that was fighting it’s way out of your throat, instead whispering honestly.

“i thought you would have liked it-“

“you thought i would have liked you looking like the freaks groupie?” suddenly, a few band kids instruments stopped their cacophony of tuning and practicing at steve’s semi-booming remark, a few other members of the student body stopping to watch as they caught wind of his comment, both cautiously and minorly entertained.

you felt your doe eyes burn with oncoming tears at steve’s remarks, humiliation running deep throughout your veins as you suddenly felt like you were clad in a cheap halloween costume instead of one of your own designs. your body wrapped your own arms around itself, a self preservation tactic you weren’t aware you were doing until carol laughed.

“you were right steve. she is quite meek, hm?” your glossy eyes whipped up to the boy in front of you for confirmation at the redhead’s poisonous remark, his gaze pointedly wandering away from you as the firm line of his lip wobbled ever so slightly. a reaction so minuscule you would have missed it had you not been searching for any ounce of clarity regarding his behaviour. why suddenly his mean boy persona broke the barriers between you and it.

“you’re being mean, stevie.” you suddenly found your voice, but the soprano tone didn’t sound like it was coming from you, your own trembling voice miles away as you confronted steve. something you hated doing. “i like this outfit, and i don’t appreciate you saying those things-“

“oh, so you think it’s okay that the entire school thinks you’re a slut?” gasps and scoffed out laughs ripped throughout the quickly growing crowd, tommy and carol’s laughter seeming the loudest. your manicured nails dug into the skin of your palms unconsciously, crescent moons slowly pulling blood up to the surface as you tried not to cry.

don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry.

you coughed on salty held back tears as they dripped down the back of your tense throat, deciding you were going to walk away and go home before you could be humiliated any further. you felt hurt. you felt betrayed. you felt embarrassed. how could steve, the boy who goofily serenaded you with elvis lyrics into the handle of a baseball bat to make you laugh, who snuck into your bedroom window after curfew to cuddle and kiss you senseless because he missed you. who held doors open for you and left cute little smiley faces and your joint initials in a heart on the corners of your homework papers, just to see you smile. how could-?

“jeez steve, you’d think for a frigid little virgin she wouldn’t put out for the whole school.” your jaw dropped as the crowd around you burst into whispers, remarks, and exaggerated reactions, meeting steve’s eyes that were now half filled with regret, attempting to save face as his expression stoned once more, spitting.

“yeah, you’d think.” you missed the way steve’s eyes widened as tears began to slip down your face, leaving trails of gritty mascara in their wake. the elder boy felt his stomach flip upside down once he surveyed the crowd, once he realized how many people had heard that. something he had promised to never tell anyone.

“‘oh stevie, i’m scared it’ll hurt’ ‘i don’t think i’m ready’ ‘could we just kiss a little more?’ too bad for you, there are girls in this town that aren’t afraid of a little pain.” steve felt his breath shorten at carol’s suggestive comment, however it proved hilarious for the crowd around them. he couldn’t register what was going on, why everyone had suddenly crowded around you two, why he had kept going with his verbal assaults, why he had listened to tommy and carol and billy of all people in the first place, and why he had any nerve to confront you about an outfit that made him insecure and jealous when you were clearly happy-

“carol- shut up-“ steve finally found his voice, dominating and rough with an undertone of fear. he didn’t want this. you were his girlfriend for christ sake. what was wrong with him?

carol however shrugged carelessly, smirking as you quickly turned towards your locker to gather your belongings, mind on overdrive. “look at that, it’s even backless.“

“baby-“ steve whispered towards you frantically, catching sight of your bloody palms from where your nails had bit into them. he felt his heart break when you smacked his large hand away as it attempted to soothe you, sniffling as the crowd behind you oohed in amusement. you felt like you were under a microscope. you wanted to disappear.

“oh look. it’s the freak now. i’m sure you won’t have trouble gagging on his dick like you did with steve’s.” your leather bag slipped from your trembling hands at that comment, it’s contents spreading across the floor as the crowd cackled like hyenas. suddenly, the aroma of cigarettes, woodlands, and something akin to laundry soap filled your senses. hesitantly, you turned your watery gaze onto eddie, who was kneeled in front of you as he quickly packed your belongings back into your bag. you couldn’t help but feel sorry for him that he experienced this kind of torment on a daily basis from tommy, carol, and steve, but was still decent enough to help you through it. he was quick as he packed your things you noticed. steady, quiet, careful-

trained almost.

tommy scoffed at the sight in front of him as eddie wordlessly handed you your bag, his large bambi eyes intently asking are you okay? before you could lie and nod, tommy chuckled. “jeez, munson. i guess now you can finally fuck something other than your right hand. i wouldn’t push your luck though-“

in a second, steve pulled tommy against the row of lockers opposite to yours, a deafening crash echoing above the crowd as his calloused hands wrapped themselves within the crisp white collar of the shorter boy’s t-shirt. “don’t ever” steve emphasized with a push of tommy’s body to the metal doors behind him. you felt yourself clam up with nausea at the potent verbal and physical violence around you, “fucking talk to her like that again, hagan-“

the dark haired boy forcefully pushed steve back into the middle of the hallway, the crowd beginning to chant as you watched in horror when tommy threw the first punch. robin fought through the barriers of the crowd immediately once she heard you and carol screech, narrowly dodging the pair of boys rolling along the gritty school floors just past her worn out converse. the freckled girl attempted to figure out what happened as she made her way to your left side, soothingly wiping away your tears as her cerulean gaze went wild. she had left you alone for ten minutes. soon, two of the senior boys on the basketball team were pulling the pair apart from each other, most likely fearing their suspension with the championship game coming up after winter break.

tommy spat a wad of blood from his lip onto the floor as he shot a loathing glare towards steve. carol’s snide expression morphed into concern for her boyfriend as he panted, before her features pinched with a bitter scowl towards the man of the hour. “don’t look so sad, harrington. now you can actually get your dick wet with some other slut. after all, that’s all you really wanted from her, wasn’t it?”

the crowd erupted into quiet whispers as steve’s wide eyes turned to your frail silhouette, now gone slack with disbelief. his king steve persona had shattered at that moment, bloody lip trembling as he crossed the hallway towards you, however you weakly pushed him away from your bubble with your palms to his chest. “i hate you, steve harrington.” it was the first time in ten minutes that the crowd had gone completely silent, watching intently as you spat emotionlessly, basking in a hatred so unlike you it appeared as though you were possessed. with eddie beside you, those rumours would spread like wildfire, no doubt. steve’s expression fell into agony for every second that passed, watching in almost slow motion as you promised. “never speak to me ever again. we’re done.”

robin quickly led you away after that, shaking her head at steve with disgust as she pushed through the dispersing crowd for you. eddie quickly slammed your locker closed, but not without adding fuel to the fire as he huffed. “it didn’t look like it to me, but i hope that was worth it, harrington.”

and steve harrington, was now, above all else, alone.

just like he was destined to be.

[asimplevampire]

What I'm Doing With The TS2 Universities: The Best-Laid Plans

So because my darling @uberhood teens are starting to go off to school, I'm starting to remodel the universities! Right now I'm thinking about how to make them distinct from each other-- especially since I overdid it and accidentally added every fucking campus in the game and a few modded ones.

So, I'm making this post so I remember wtf I was planning to do with all of these unis. What architectural styles was I planning to use? What mascots was I planning to give them?

Sim State University

Elevator Pitch: Rub elbows with SimNation's best and brightest-- or get invited to their epic ragers-- at SSU.

Inspiration: The College of William and Mary. An old, red brick campus that's split into the Old Campus and New Campus? That's Sim State U if we ever saw it.

Majors: International Relations (modded), Political Science, History, Economics Mascot: The Fightin' Llamas. Rival School: Land Grant University.

La Fiesta Tech:

Elevator Pitch: The truth is out here! Unlock the secrets of the universe at La Fiesta Tech.

Inspiration: New Mexico State's more modern architecture

Majors: The "Four Ps"-- Paranormal (modded), Physics, Psychology, Philosophy Mascot: The Antisocial Bunnies Rival School: Cactus Canyon University

Academie Le Tour:

Elevator Pitch: "Alta cultura, altior drama." If you want to study the liberal arts, there's nowhere better than Academie Le Tour.

Inspiration: Was it ever going to be anything other than Oxbridge? It was never going to be anything other than Oxbridge.

Majors: Languages (modded), Art, Literature, Drama

Mascot: The Magic Dragons. (TS4 Oxbury Dragon)

Rival School: Caelestis University

Land Grant University:

Elevator Pitch: Higher education is a new concept in the area. We'll see how it works out. (~@penig)

Inspiration: Texas A&M. I don't expect to have to remodel too many of the buildings, because this isn't a Maxis school-- but if I do, I'm gonna use The Agricultural School Par Excellence as inspo.

Majors: Agricultural Business, Animal Sciences, Plant Sciences (modded), Biology

Mascot: The Ragin' Bulls (AKA: Cow)

Rival School: Sim State University

Cactus Canyon University:

Elevator Pitch: "The cosiest college in SimNation." Come for the campus life, stay because we've got the best pre-med program in the area.

Inspiration: Honestly? CCU has its own architectural style and I'm Here For It; thanks @aondaneedles!

Majors: Sport Studies, Nursing, Dentistry (modded), Mathematics

Mascot: The Pluckin' Chickens

Rival School: La Fiesta Tech.

Caelestis University:

Elevator Pitch: "Study the quirkier side of life and find your people."

Inspiration: OCAD University, Toronto. A mix of traditional turn-of-the-century architecture and the most Gonzo Pomo shit you ever have seen.

Majors: Galactic Ambassador (modded), Crisis Management (modded), Fashion (modded), Art

Mascot: The Clackin' Lobster (from TS4 Britechester)

Rival School: Academie Le Tour

Quaddington University:

Elevator Pitch: "Braiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiins...."

Inspiration: The entirety of Abandonedamerica.us, but especially the Warner Swasey Observatory in Cleveland (and, by extension, Case Western Reserve University).

Majors: Dead Languages, Law (modded), Drama, Philosophy

Mascot: N/A. Might un-default the Brahmin mascot suit from @davinaojeda's Fallout set-- I think that would be funny.

Rival School: N/A. Quaddington U just opened its doors to the public again, and hasn't really had time to reestablish rivalries.

[dayniac]

Doris … April 12, 1939. Doris sang with Barney Rapp’s band at his nightclub Sign Of The Drum.

Barney Rapp was a popular band leader and jazz musician for nearly three decades. He is best known for discovering Doris Day and launching the career of Rosemary Clooney.

Barney Rappaport was born in Connecticut on March 25th, 1900. When he was 20-years-old he organized a Jazz orchestra that was styled for dance music. He named it "Barney Rapp and His New Englanders." In a unique move, Barney, unlike most orchestra leaders of his day, played the band's drums. The New Englanders gained a popular following on the East Coast. Barney eventually moved to Cleveland, Ohio, and then to Cincinnati. Once there, his band became a regional attraction, routinely getting their music played on the radio. The band eventually recorded several albums on RCA Victor and Bluebird. Among their early recordings is an MGM film short featuring the band.

The band toured the country in the 1930s and 1940s. Barney needed a vocalist and hired singer Ruby Wright. She became the featured singer with Barney’s band. The professional relationship between Barney and Ruby eventually turned personal and the two were married in 1937. The couple bought a nightclub in the Cincinnati area and named it the ‘The Sign of the Drum.’ Of course, Barney, Ruby, and the New Englanders often performed there.

Barney launched the careers of many artists who went on to achieve great fame: His most famous discovery was 14-year-old Doris Kappelhoff. Barney asked her name, and upon hearing it said: "It’s a very nice name but a little too long for the marquee outside." He suggested the name Doris Day after hearing her sing "Day After Day.” Doris replaced Barney’s wife Ruby as the band’s featured singer when Ruby became pregnant in 1939 • After hearing the teenage Clooney Sisters, Rosemary and Betty, sing on the radio in Cincinnati, Barney recommended the girls to bandleader Tony Pastor • Others who got their start with Rapp include actor Eddie Ryan and singer Barry Wood, who is best known for being Frank Sinatra's immediate predecessor as the lead male vocalist on ‘Your Hit Parade.’ Wood also performed with musician Buddy Rogers.

In the fall of 1956, Barney and Ruby started the ‘Reds' Rooters Fan Club.’ Waite Hoyt, Hall of Fame pitcher and Cincinnati Reds Radio Broadcaster, urged his friend Barney Rapp to promote a fan trip to Milwaukee to help root the Reds on to victory. Over 700 people traveled by train to cheer on their team. This was the beginning of the Red Rooters’ Club. Under the leadership of Barney, the Red Rooters’ Club took fans all over the world including every National League city, several American League cities, Japan, and Europe. Over 100,000 Rooters have traveled to root for the Reds.

Barney Rapp died on October 12th, 1970, at the age of 70. He is interred in Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio.

[eptodaytommorowforever]

Events In The History And Of The Life Of Elvis Presley Today On The 6th Of November In 1971.

The Elvis Presley Show Tour Comes To Cleveland Ohio;

Elvis Presley performed at the Cleveland Public Hall Auditorium, Cleveland, Ohio at 2.30 and 8.30 p.m. Both times the crowd was 10,000. At 2:30pm Elvis Presley wore “Black pinwheel” jumpsuit with the gold attendance belt and red cape. At 8:30pm he wore “White pinwheel” jumpsuit with lion head belt and red cape. This was the first time that MC Al Dvorin took over as announcer. He would say at the end of each show the now famous words: Elvis Has Left The Building.thank you at each show depending the time either Thank You For Coming Good Afternoon or Good Evening. rare fans and audience members live b/w candid photos from the 2.30pm show and rare co;ored candid photo's from the 8.30pm show and the video of the show from the 6th of November Cleveland Ohio in 1971.

[foxes-that-run]

Peace and Harry's Peace Ring

One Direction had a tour break starting in Harry's hometown of Manchester on the 20 April 2013. He arrived in LA alone on the 23rd without the ring (left). It was first seen when he left LA on the 28 April 2013 (right). It was only a 9 day break between the UK and Paris, the rest of the band stayed in the UK.

20 April - One Direction perform in Manchester, no ring. This performance is in This is Us (37 minutes in) when they sing Teenage Dirtbag in Manchester 20 April. Taylor in Tampa (Red Tour, I almost do Surprise Song) and starts a 5 day break.

21 April - Harry stayed with his mum who beat him a scrabble, he posted the board to Instagram and saw friends

22 April - When the Holmes Chapel/Bakery scenes are shot for This is Us. (no ring)

23 April - Harry arrives alone in LA without the ring

24 April - Neither Harry or Taylor seen.

25 April - First day Ring is seen. Harry has dinner with Rod Stewart, Rod then plays the Troubadour and Harry stayed at Rod Stewarts house. You can see the ring in photo holding a doggy bag. Taylor in Cleveland (The best day surprise song)

26 April - Harry attends an Instagram party in LA, leaves at 9 and posts photos with Instagram and Facebook execs. Celebs post photos with him, his hand is hidden in photos. It's the anniversary of Facebook's acquisition. Taylor in Indianapolis. (Mine)

27 April - Taylor in Lexington. (Our Song)

28 April - Harry posts photo of sunglasses on beach. Taylor photographed in a gym in Los Angles. Harry leaves LAX wearing the ring and there is an absolutely insane mob because he is there alone with no security.

29 April - Arrives in Paris alone, still wearing ring, described as a riot. The ring is in This is Us in Paris

So we don't know, I actually think he bought the ring himself as a reminder, but it could have been a gift.

Louis stayed in the UK, he rode the Orient Express in London with Eleanor and her mum on 26 April, 3 days before the Paris show. To be clear, Louis, was in the UK and Harry in the US when he got it.

Have Harry or Taylor marked 22 - 24 April

I don't think it is an anniversary, but they have marked it, at first it was Harry, but he stopped when Taylor started dating Calvin and Joe. Taylor stopped and he stopped wearing the ring after she released Peace.

2012 - 23rd Taylor's instagram story about him kissing a girl in NZ and they broke up. Harry then got the Never Gonna Dance Again tattoo (song about regretting infidelity). So in 2013 he got the ring on the anniversary of this - Maybe it represents being faithful, an agreement of some sort or about insane media about them.

2013 - Harry went to LA and started wearing the ring

2014 - Harry's fern Tattoos were first seen (healed) on 26 April covering "might as well..." on his lower hip.

2016 - 23rd Harry tweeted "it's not the Ribbons in your Hair" Cars - Just what I Needed lyrics, about not minding anything because a person is who they needed.

2018 - 23rd Taylor played Angels with Robbie Williams at Wembley.

2019 - 23rd Taylor played Time 100 show w/Style, Delicate & NYD

2020 -23rd Taylor shared a photo of Olivia. Folklore 24 July.

2023 - 23rd Taylor Eras surprise song - Begin Again from Red

Wish You Would and Clean

Taylor wrote Wish you Would while on tour in May 2013 "it's about this guy that drives down the street and passes his ex-girlfriend's house and he thinks she hates him but she doesn't."

On 18 May Taylor posted Roses to IG and with a Gatsby quote that things do not grow.

Clean was written 10 months after Harry started wearing the Peace Ring, on 9 February 2014. "Ten months older, I won't give in / Now that I'm clean, I'm never gonna risk it"

Harry wore the Peace Ring pretty consistently

Harry wore on his left ring or middle finger pretty consistently up to 2020 and played with it when singing romantic songs or in interviews.

Taylor wrote Peace in 2020

It is thought of as a promise ring, to me I think Harry and Taylor agreed to be together in the future, when they were less famous. Taylor foreshadowed Lover in the Red Liner notes and planned the album when she was 30. Closer to the time saying she thought it would one of her last. It wasn't though, and Folklore was largely about her feelings about Harry and included Peace.

Peace is about Taylor's fame making it difficult to love her. It references to Joe Alwyn's brother in the second verse, which Harry doesn't have so it's not thought to be about Harry. However, the first verse with coming of age also doesn't work for Joe who was 25 when they met, but does if you made a promise to an 19 year old 8 years earlier. I think the first verse may explain why Harry stopped wearing the ring a few months after it came out:

"Our coming-of-age has come and gone / Suddenly, this summer, it's clear / I never had the courage of my convictions" [...] "'Cause it lives in me / No, I could never give you peace" [...] All these people think love's for show / But I would die for you in secret / The devil's in the details, but you got a friend in me / Would it be enough if I could never give you peace?"

It was replaced by the Pearl ring in March 2021

Harry started wearing the pearl ring in March 2021, below you can see he has worn them together sometimes. The Peace ring has appeared a few times after the pandemic:

Bowery Ballroom Session for Fine Line February 29 2020 and in the Vogue Cover in December. Last pre-pandemic show at the Bowery, it's on his Right Index finger.

7 September 2021 and again 2022. This could mark 2012, after the VMAs between 6 September sushi date and a weekend in Paris on the 28th September. Or, possibly 2019 - They were both at Ed Sheeran's wedding on 7 September, Joe left for Toronto and Taylor went to Paris where she filmed City of Lover on the 9th. Harry wasn't seen from the wedding on the 7th until the 12th. Joe was in Canada Taylor makes heart eyes at someone high in the audience.

He wore it the day before their 20 May anniversary on the Today show appearance on May 19 and Harry's House release.

7, 8, 9, 11, 15, 22, 27, 28, 29, 30, September 2022, LOT shows (MPM press)

2, 3, 6, 8, 9 and 10 October 2022, LOT shows

Last seen Love on Tour wrap up being tipped out of a bag

Harry had worn a ring in the past, on 13 February 2012 Harry wore a ring to dinner with the whole band in Paris. It looks darker than the Peace ring, but can't really be seen. He didn't wear it in interviews the next day or wear rings reliably till 2013.

[ladyjaneasherr]

April 5th 2024, happy beloved 78th birthday to the one and only Jane! She’s been my inspiration for around 12 years since I first discovered about her. It’s been a wonderful journey getting to share new pictures I find, my scans, colourisations and accurate information in regards of the pictures I found. May I be able to meet her one day. 🤍

This post will be divided in two, as the picture shown was used for two different newspapers that I scanned therefore the subtle mark on the photos. And you might have seen the photos with my old username so I am sharing them with the new one!

Jane Asher and Gawn Grainger as Juliet Capulet and Romeo in “Romeo and Juliet” presentation while being on tour in the USA, 1967.

First picture is my edition and enhancement from historical picture auction scan, second one is my scan from the newspaper, and third one is the scan of the newspaper.

Jane Asher-More Than a Beatle's Bird

In cities all across the U.S. this spring Beatle fans are swarming to a touring production of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet staged by the Bristol Old Vic Company. When Juliet appears on stage for the first time the reaction is almost always the same. Applause thunders through the theater. Flash bulbs pop—electrifying the scene like summer lightning. At the end of the play young girls scream the name of the actress who plays Juliet: "Jane Asher! Jane Asher!" This is the girl they have come to see. To a Beatle fan Jane Asher's romance is even more exciting than the story of Romeo and Juliet. Jane Asher, in case you haven't heard, is the girl friend of Paul McCartney-the last unmarried Beatle.

An Interview With Jane

To find out what kind of girl dates a Beatle and also has enough talent to

perform in one of England's most respected theatre groups, CURRENT EVENTS Editor Nancy Malone talked to Jane Asher in New York City. The 20-year-old actress seemed puzzled when asked why teen-age girls scream for her. "I don't really know," she said “and I don’t think they’re quite sure themselves. Once they’re with me, they seem a little lost and aren’t sure what to do or say”.

Miss Asher, in contrast to her fans, is not at all confused. She is looking the forward to a successful career in the theatre—on her own merit, not because of her friendship with a Beatle. The actress with the golden-red hair is well on her way to stardom. Her portrayal of Juliet with England’s Bristol Old Vic company has been highly praised. The company is nearing the end of 16-city american tour, which began in Boston last January. After appearances next month in Bloomington, Ind., Detroit, and Cleveland, the company will perform at expo 67 in Montreal. Then the actors and actresses will retur to England.

Does Jane Asher hope to do more Shakespeare? "Oh, yes." she said, “I'd like to do all the Shakespearean heroines-especially Lady Macbeth. But I'd also like to do modern comedy. I wouldn't like ever to stick to just one thing. For example, I don't want to do all movies or all stage. Though if I had to choose, I'd choose stage. I like having a live audience.

Movie Fame Unimportant

"I know you can become more famous by being in movies,", Jane said. "but I've had a taste of that kind of glamor, and I know I don't want it. I want to be a good actress." Jane, who has been acting since she was five years old, comes from a show business family. Her brother, Peter Asher, has toured the U.S. several times. He makes up one-half of the popular singing duo Peter and Gordon.

But Jane hesitates to encourage outer young people to become entertainers. "It's really not the glamorous life people imagine. It's hard work with rehearsals all day and shows every night. And when you come right down to it, acting is really only pretending you're something else on stage." Although Jane made several films during her childhood, she attended regular m schools—not acting schools for m professionals. "I'm glad I got a normal education," she said. "I think it gave me a more balanced view of life. In addition to several Shakespearean roles, Jane has played Alice in Alice in Wonderland, Wendy in Peter Pan, and Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion. Juliet, however, is the highlight of her career.

Jane and the Bard

She is particularly delighted that she is helping to acquaint American teenagers with Shakespeare. She commented on her own attitude as a 13-year-old: "I suppose I felt as all English schoolchildren do-that Shakespeare was pretty dull stuff with lots of language I didn't understand. I know I wasn't mad about it." Now, at 20, she believes that Shakespeare wrote "the greatest roles in the world." She added: "On this tour, I've gotten a lot of mail and it has meant a great deal to me. Some of the letters from kids say “We came to see you. We were so surprised. We really liked the play.” “That’s great. That’s a real accomplishment to me —as an actress”.

[ag-updates-and-archives]

Anthony Green on Circa Survive’s new album: “I’m possessed by this shit”

Anthony Green is walking across a beach somewhere in America when we connect over the phone in late August to discuss the upcoming Circa Survive album. Prior to our call, Green spent the day with his family in a brief moment of freedom from his hectic work schedule. “I’ve only been home for about a week,” he tells me, “and the whole week has been spent doing family stuff pretty much every day or going on some kind of adventure.”

This break from the chaos of a life spent in music is something of a rare treat for the 35-year-old vocalist, who has spent the majority of his adult life touring the globe. “Tomorrow morning I go into the studio to begin my next solo record,” he begins, “and then in September Circa has some stuff around the album release [September 22]. But one of us is having a baby in October, so we aren’t really going out until early November, which gives me a lot of time to work on new Circa stuff, my solo shit, and just hang with my family before the album cycle really kicks off near the end of the year.”

The album cycle Green’s referring to will be in promotion for The Amulet, Circa Survive’s sixth studio album. Circa has been playing live throughout 2017, largely in celebration of their record On Letting Go turning 10 years old, but they won’t really hit the road again for a couple months. “It sort of kicks off when we tour with Thrice in November. We’ll be playing a whole bunch of stuff from our catalog on that run, which will help us finish out the year. We will do more touring in 2018, maybe with some stuff around Blue Sky Noise…who knows?”

It’s hard to talk about touring with someone who has played Colorado’s iconic Red Rocks venue without asking them about the experience. Circa Survive made their debut at the venue earlier this summer while supporting California rock band AFI. “Everybody talks about how monumental that place is due to its structure and size, and in reality it was beautiful. But the feeling of being on a stage where the audience is like…usually you look out and you see a flat line of people that slowly escalates like a gentle horizon, but when you’re playing at Red Rocks there is a wall of people sitting on rock pretty high in altitude. It used to be a spot where they did rituals and shit like that. It’s almost like a holy place for people who love live music, and I had something close to a religious experience there – I was elated.”

After a brief pause, Green continues by focusing on the set itself. “It’s funny, this literally never happens to me, but the whole first song I was terrified. I had more stage fright than I think I have ever had in my life, and I fucked up a bunch of parts in the song that I never fuck up. Immediately I was losing my shit, and I thought I might ruin the whole set. The end of the song is pretty chaotic musically, and I found a way to kind of explode with it to break free from that moment. But seriously, it was intense. It was like a monument to everything I hold dear. People travel from all over the world to experience that venue because it’s like a true experience. Not to say you can’t have that kind of moment in, say, The Grog Shop (a Cleveland venue), but there is something special about a place like that with people who understand its importance and cater to it. They’ve created a real escape.”

I mention to Green that I know a handful of people who made the trek from the midwest to Colorado to see him perform that show. “Really,” he asks curiously, “That’s actually fucking crazy.” We discuss specifics of their travel for a moment before another comparison between Red Rocks and religion is made. “That place is like a church for live music,” Green explains, “and that’s our thing. We truly worship music, and that live music experience is when I think our band is at its pinnacle. That’s why, like, I’m stoked people review the record, but at one point I stopped looking at them as records and more as a chapter in our life that is going to fit in a bigger, giant book. An album is like a little brush stroke on a giant tapestry that hopefully I work on for the rest of my life. Each record doesn’t have to be the same sound, or have the same intensity. When we used to try new things I would get so nervous about it because it was different, but I feel now as an older man I am able to live with the idea that this is an ongoing process and not everything has to be perfect right now in this moment. Whatever people take from it is their thing and they’re allowed to have it.”

The idea of chapters as it relates to the release of Circa Survive’s career is a fitting one. Never a band known for singles, the band has cultivated a fan base that is more interested in the group’s musical expression as a whole than a great hook or catchy riff. If those things happen few would complain, Green likely included, but more than anything their fans demand the group simply continue. They are engrained in the band’s journey as much as the band members themselves. Every album can stand on its own, but when heard in sequence with the release before and after it each record takes on new, greater meaning.

Thinking on all this, I suggest to Green that fans may look at the band’s new release less like a traditional record and more like the latest season of a television series they cannot wait to binge. “Dude,” he excitedly replies, “that’s the way I look at it now. I think when you’re young and you’re working with people who are funding your creativity their influence carries weight. It takes time to realize they’re trying to make their money back and it really doesn’t matter to them if the product is something that is creatively fulfilling to you in a way you’re honest about. And that’s been struggle because we were young and stupid, you know? Now, being an older band that has been able to retain its members and somehow found a way to grow with its audience in a steady, slow way based on doing what we want…It’s cool to not have to think about that life as a thing. We have no desire to be the biggest band in the world. I think as a young band we wondered if it were possible to be a huge band who makes our kind of music and still have people giving us all kinds of money. Then you get a taste of something like that and you think it may be possible, but really that’s not what’s important. The important thing is making really cool shit. I feel we are so far removed from the commercial side of the industry. We are music nerds, and we rely on other music nerds to support our band. If something cool happens that’s great, but we make a good living making the music we want to play. Why would you fuck with that?”

Green pauses again before clarifying his previous statement. “I don’t want to come across as talking shit on pop music. I think there is a lot of pop elements on the record and I listen to quite a bit of pop as well. I just don’t think we’re a band like that. Our music isn’t always easy for people to get.”

The conversation turns to The Amulet, which is still about a month from release. “People ask me ‘is it more like the last shit, or more like this thing,” Green begins. “And I don’t know how to tell them I don’t always know the difference between those records. I sometimes don’t digest a record for years. When we were just touring for On Letting Go’s anniversary there were a couple of things on that record I now know I could have done better. Those songs live in people’s hearts now, but whenever I hear those words or a few specific lines I think about what I wish I would have said. It only happens once in a while, but because of that I now make sure I can live with the material before we record it. Sometimes I change things live and it makes me feel good for that moment.”

I commend Green for this decision, but he cuts me off before I can say much more. “One time I was doing that a lot and Chris Conley from Saves The Day pulled me aside and told me ‘hey dude, people want to hear you sing the song they love. If you’re going to change something, make it small, but keep the chorus and key moments in tact.’ I realized he was right.”

With a career as long as Green’s one has to wonder how his views on releasing new music have evolved over time. One could argue that producing new material isn’t always a necessity for a band at the level of Circa Survive, as the group could easily tour and continue to profit off their beloved catalog. For Green however, creating and sharing new material is an absolute must. “What makes me excited more than the album being released is how it came together,” he tells me. “The way we’ve been writing since the last album (Descensus) came out is that we take some ideas, enter the studio, and we work together in this way that has left me feeling more connected to the material in a live sense. Some of these songs are so fucking fun to play live, and I really look forward to getting to play these songs. That’s what excites me. That’s not to say I don’t feel similarly about the older material, or that I am not grateful for how that material has helped us, but it’s just like – when we play that stuff it’s the same as it has always been. But this material is new, and the connect I feel to it is exciting and fresh. It gets me off so hard, and honestly – it’ll probably feel like everything else in the near future. At that point I’ll have to create something else to feel that way again, but right now some of these songs and melodies and words and the feelings with them…I crave it. I crave getting to sing and play for people.”

We briefly joke about the time between the album’s release and the band’s first tour as being something done so that fans have time to learn the new tracks, but Green tells me that is not really the case. “At this point in time,” he confesses, “I don’t even think of it in terms like that. I just want to be putting out new music. There is still stuff from the bands with a ton of records, like Portugal. The Man, that is new to me solely because I only recently discovered them. I’ve always liked that. It’s kind of cool when things work out that way, and I think that’s the kind of band we aim to be. We’re always trying to scratch our own creative itch.”

He continues, “Honestly, when we play these new songs live I’m not really looking to the audience for a reaction or for them to know it just yet. It’s like I’m possessed by this shit. Maybe it has something to do with the lyrics or the melody, I don’t know, but I am possessed by it. I cannot wait to play more of this material. I’m stoked for the record to be out and for people to have it, but above everything else I’m stoked to get out there and play it. Everything else after that is kind of in the background for me. It’s cool to see people react to the record and it’s awesome when they love the material, but I try to keep that stuff at a distance because it can get in my head and fuck me a bit. For me, success stems from that desire to play the material live.”

Some artists enjoy listening to their own music. Green never says one way or another about his own art, nor is he asked, but he does share a story about rediscovering Amulet track “Tunnel Vision” just hours before our conversation. “My wife said something about tunnel vision this morning and I remembered that I wrote an entire song for this record about getting tunnel vision and feeling depressed. I told her she had to hear it, played it for her, and even though we had both heard it before we were blown away. I remember thinking how crazy it is that I am in this band because that song is so good.”

[separatist-apologist]

Neon In The Nighttime

Summary: It's the end of the word as we know it. A west coast baker and the drummer of a metal band team up in Boston, MA thinking they're one of the last few people left alive after a viral outbreak turns those infected into blood hungry monsters.

Their destination: Los Angeles, California- the last place Lucien's eldest brother was living while gearing up for a presidential run. Lucien is desperate to escape the memories of his past life and what he had to do when his wife, Jes, became infected. Elain wants to try and reclaim the fractured pieces of the life she remembers before everything went to hell.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Read on AO3

She woke to the sound of wet hands slapping against the glass. Lucien was awake in an instant, pulling his seat back up as he fumbled with the keys. They’d been found by someone infected, pounding frantically against the window with those red rimmed, sightless eyes.

Elain nearly threw up in the seat well at the sight of the creature just outside. Flesh hung in bloated, rotting chunks from a broken, skeletal frame. One eye was wholly gone, plucked out so nothing but bleached bone remained. The jaw had come unhinged, leaving only the top, toothless half gaping in a silent, horrific scream.

Lucien screeched out of the sleeping spot on the side of the road along a long stretch of trees where more of those creatures—because they weren’t human, not anymore—shuffled and ambled toward them. 

“Do they just go on forever?” Elain gasped, gripping her thighs as she tried to catch her breath. “They don’t eventually die?”

“Oh, God,” Lucien whispered, his golden skin ashen. “Oh, God.”

He didn’t stop, and to their credit, neither of them threw up though she suspected they both wanted to. Lucien drove through Pennsylvania and into Ohio before he ever spoke a word.

“Have you ever been to Cleveland?” 

She almost laughed. “No. Have you?”

Those eyes of his clouded over. “For a show, a couple times. It’s not that bad, you know.”

“It’s Ohio,” she joked. Lucien offered her one of his half-smiles, the closest she’d ever gotten to a true one in the forty eight hours she’d known him. 

“Come on,” he said, pulling into the empty city. 

“Are you going to give me a tour of all the midwestern cities?” she asked, hoping that he might. Elain was half afraid that Lucien would find Eris and he’d leave her. How did she ask a stranger to let her live with him for the rest of their lives? She hadn’t quite figured it out in her head, but she knew she needed to make sure he understood she was asking as friends.

Platonic roommates was a thing, even in the apocalypse. 

“No,” he said, shooting her a sly glance. “But I know a place we can get some actual sleep.”

That was a relief. Lucien had dark circles beneath his eyes and she knew she hadn’t fared much better. Sleeping in a car was uncomfortable in the best of circumstances but knowing there were infected lurking in the woods all but guaranteed Elain was never going to get a good night's sleep again. Maybe not until they were further out west in the desert, where she thought it would be harder for a rotting corpse to amble about for a year. 

Lucien took them straight into the heart of downtown Cleveland. Whatever it had been before seemed a paradise to what it had become. More of that sewage smell wafted through the air while nearly all the buildings had been broken up and covered in layers upon layers of black spray paint and new growing vegetation. 

“I heard a pundit say once that humanity was the real virus,” Lucien told her, glancing at curling ivy. 

“I don’t think that’s true,” she responded. She’d heard that, too, declared so snidely over the radio while she’d been on her way to New York. “I think that’s a cop out.”

“Oh?”

“It didn’t have to be like this,” she whispered, hating the emotion in her voice. Lucien glanced over, knuckles white from where he held the steering wheel. “There were so many chances to turn back, to be better. To do the right thing. So many people tried, and I think it was greed that got in our way.”

“That’s still humanity—”

“No, that’s like, a couple power hungry assholes who decided the rest of our lives and the world itself was worth risking. I don’t think their behavior is some sweeping indictment of humanity as a whole. Do you think that?”

Lucien seemed to contemplate that. “No,” he finally admitted. “I don’t.”

“They sold us all out for money,” Elain said, her heart pounding in her throat. “And I hope they suffered for it.”

The leather groaned beneath his grip. “So do I.”

They didn’t say another word as Lucien wound his way up through a parking garage. He’d had to get out and break the bar to keep out interlopers while Elain watched. Lucien looked strong, so it didn’t surprise her how easily he’d taken it apart. No, it was the rage that flitted over his features. How the muscles in his back shifted beneath the long-sleeved, green shirt he wore and how when he’d looked back to the windshield, there’d been satisfaction etched on his features.

Gone, just as quickly as she’d found it, but still it was there. 

“This is as safe as we’ll ever be,” he said, unfolding a tarp from the backseat in an attempt to hide the gas cans in the cab. “We’ll sleep here tonight and make tomorrow a long day.”

“Fine by me,” she agreed. “Tell me about this place.”

Lucien made his way toward the stairwell, ignoring the elevators that no longer worked. Elain couldn’t help but walk to the pried open doors and peer into the gloom. Lucien waited by the stairs, his expression tight. 

“Careful,” he warned, as if she might jump straight to the bottom. It had been a long time since Elain had felt that suicidal. She offered him a polite nod. 

As they made their way down, Lucien spoke. “This place belonged to a friend of mine. He was from Ohio and I guess living in Cleveland made him feel like he hadn’t sold out. He was out in Los Angeles more often than he wasn’t, but he had this place and when I came through, he let me use it. I don’t think he’ll mind.”

Elain wondered if Lucien hoped he’d find his friend. Walking through the lobby of the building, she kind of hoped they did, too. Like Boston and Erie, Cleveland was miserably empty and gloomy to boot. The sunless sky made everything seem worse—gray and dull, a miserable existence along a muddy river. 

And still, lives had been lived here. Snuffed out thoughtlessly, and still pieces lingered. Elain found a stuffed brown bear laying face down in the stairwell and a discarded show in the once clean, open lobby. We were here, those things seemed to scream. Don’t forget us. 

Elain picked them up and Lucien didn’t say a word about it. As far as companions went, she was beginning to think she’d lucked out. Though sad, Lucien was at least friendly. He made her think of George and his assertion that killing was nothing like he thought it would be. Nothing like he’d seen in movies. Lucien, by that same logic, was nothing like the action heroes of the post-apocalyptic shows she’d used to watch. Though there was a gruffness to him, there was also compassion and kindness. He cared, deeply if she had to guess which made it easier to exist beside him.

She didn’t feel as though she needed to bottle so much. Maybe he felt the same, too, since he’d brought her here. What Elain wanted was to be his friend, to have that connection with another living person again. How awful to crave that desperately and find yourself stuck with someone that openly refused to indulge in any emotion but rage?

“Lucien,” Elain panted when they’d reached the tenth floor and were still climbing up. “How much—”

“Five,” he breathed, wiping sweat on the back of his shirt sleeve.  “I didn’t think it would be so bad.”

“We can’t do this on foot,” she wheezed, clutching at the metal rail to help take her up.

“Of course we can,” he replied, though he didn’t look as though he believed his own words. Elain certainly didn’t. They did make it to the fifteenth floor, gasping for air and dragging their legs behind them. Lucien pulled open the heavy door and with some unknown strength, managed to break into his friend's apartment while Elain kept her cheek pressed against the yellowing wall. 

Elain stumbled in behind Lucien, surprised by how normal it looked. Like they were merely renting it for the weekend. Behind her, Lucien managed to get the door to close, though it didn’t lock like he so clearly wanted it to. 

Gold records hung in black framed glass pictures on the wall, denoting the success of a metal band named Spring Reign. Leather furniture and sleek technology told Elain this had been someone with money and taste, given how orderly and nice everything was arranged. 

Pictures were hung along a shelf on the walls of the man who’d owned this place. His tan skin and green eyes were made paler with the make-up he used around his eyes, and his long, blonde hair seemed as though he’d made it stringy looking on purpose. There were photos of him with other celebrities, with politicians, and one that Elain pulled from the wall to look at closer.

It was two photos, side by side. The first was Lucien, a dark haired brunette, and a beautiful, red-haired woman. Sweat soaked and grinning in front of a burry crowd of screaming people. Lucien held a pair of drumsticks in one hand, his other casually flung around the redhead. It was clear the man who owned the apartment had taken the picture and kept it, Elain supposed, because they were friends.

The other was far more domestic. In some unnamed living room, Lucien and the blonde man held middle fingers up at the camera. Lucien sat beside a curly haired brunette woman lost in some forgotten conversation with the redhead from the previous photo. 

“That’s Tamlin,” Lucien said from behind Elain. With careful fingers, he pulled the picture from her grasp to look. “And that's Jurian—he played bass—and Vassa, she sang, and was our lead guitarist. We headlined for Tam and he took this picture of us. I didn’t know he’d kept it.”

Elain waited, watching how Lucien’s thumb swept over the smiling woman sitting beside him.

“And that’s Jes.”

“Your wife?” Elain asked, though she knew. “She’s beautiful.”

He nodded. “Yeah. She was…I met her when I was a fucking loser in high school. She was…” he trailed off, lost in memory. “She could have done better. Sometimes I wish she had.”

“Lucien,” Elain whispered, taking the picture from him when it looked like he might throw it against the wall. 

“It was our first big solo tour. All our shows were sold out, we had a huge following and for the first time everything was going right. And I could have brought her with me but…”

Elain waited as Lucien drew a breath.

“I didn’t want her there. I wanted it for myself and I knew if she came she’d hate it. She didn’t like the crowds, all the girls…” 

“Lucien,” Elain said patiently, looking up at the tortured man in front of her. “There was no way you could have known.”

“I was in Atlanta when they shut down the airports. If she’d been with me—”

“She still could have been infected,” Elain reminded him gently. “We didn’t know how it spread back then, or how fast newly infected people were.”

Lucien was staring at his hands, his eyes wide with horror. Elain could piece it all together. His wife had probably gone out in the early days and been attacked. And Elain could imagine she’d taken herself home to clean up the wound while trying to decide if it was worth going to the emergency room or not. Unaware she only had an hour—and that no matter where she went, she was already doomed.

And Lucien, who’d returned after days of trying to get home, to find her gone, but still alive. Elain swallowed.

“Did you—”

“Yes,” he whispered, still looking at his callused hands. Elain took them in her own. 

“She was already gone  by the time you got home. You didn’t…you didn’t hurt her. She couldn’t feel it. And she didn’t know it was you.”

His eyes found hers, wide and glassy with unshed tears. “How do you know?” he asked.

She didn’t want to relive it. Elain had spent months trying to forget George and the tunnel and everything that happened in the aftermath.

“I was in the Chesapeake tunnel when…” Lucien’s eyes widened. “The man in front of me was attacked. We thought it was drugs. Just someone on a bad trip who’d decided to walk through oncoming traffic. His name was George.”

Lucien didn’t take his eyes off her face.

“It’s a long walk back to the beginning,” she whispered, half lost in the glowing orange. “And with every step, he was getting sicker. I think he must have realized at some point. I think he knew what was coming, could feel himself slipping. He gave me his gun before he attacked me, and when he…when…he begged me to kill him.”

Lucien’s skin had grown pale, eyes practically bulging. 

“It was like that the second time, too,” Elain told him, closing her eyes. “Once you're infected, you have an hour or less before you’re gone and the virus takes over. You saw this morning. Our bodies are dead, we’re gone, but our brain is still alive. You didn’t hurt her, Lucien. If anything, you gave her a merciful death. Don’t you think she’d forgive you, though? If she knew what you were doing, don’t you think she’d have wanted you to end it before she hurt you?”

A tear slid down his cheek. “If we’d been together—”

“You didn’t know,” Elain said firmly. “None of us did. And I know this probably doesn’t make you feel better, but I’m glad you survived. And somewhere, I think so is Jes.”

He blinked, losing another tear despite how tight he clenched his jaw. “The time we had…sometimes I think it was enough. At least…at least we had it. It keeps me going, thinking about her, about before. And when you said…”

He drew a shuddering breath.

“Maybe you’re right. And maybe the word doesn’t have to be so ugly all the time. I think…when you said humanity isn’t a virus, that she wasn’t. And the love we had wasn’t, either. It was enough.”

Elain turned the picture over in her hands, popped off the little cardboard backing, and slipped it from the frame. 

“All we can do is go forward,” she said, offering him the photos. Lucien took them, his eyes locked on her face. “That doesn’t mean we have to forget. And that doesn’t mean the love we felt meant any less.”

Swallowing hard, Lucien nodded his head. “Was there…did you—”

Elain’s laugh was more scoff than anything. “I was engaged. I wish I could say he mourned me like this, but I don’t think he spent even a minute wondering about me.”

“His loss, then,” Lucien replied flippantly, tucking the photos in his back pocket. “I’d miss you, if you left.”

Elain didn’t want him to know how much that meant to her. Truthfully, she didn’t think anyone had missed her. In the scrambling aftermath, Elain was certain she’d never been anything but an afterthought. A last minute, “Oh and Elain, what happened to her—”

And that stung. Knowing everyone who had ever loved her likely had written her off as the first to die and likely hadn’t displayed even a fraction of the remorse that Lucien was still grappling with. 

“Good,” she said, forcing herself to remain light. She tried to dart away, but Lucien’s hand shot out, catching her elbow in warm fingers.

“I mean it. I…” He swallowed again. “Thank you. For coming with me.”

“It was self-serving—”

“Take the compliment, Elain.”

“Promise me you won’t abandon me if we find your brother.”

Lucien’s smile made her heart thud with hope. “What happened to competing cults?”

“Exactly,” she reminded him. “I’d let you be my equal but your brother would make you subservient.”

Lucien chuckled. “Come on, Elain. Let's see if the water still works.”

And for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime, Elain felt as if she could breathe again.

LUCIEN:

The water did work, and once they let it run, it was mostly clear. Cold, though neither of them had expected it to be hot. He let Elain bathe first, listening to her shriek beneath the frigid temperature in Tamlin’s once glorious shower. There was soap, at least, which was more than he’d had in a long time. While Elain showered, Lucien went to the fridge. If there was one thing he could count on, it was alcohol. 

Tamlin’s apartment was drowning in it. Bottles covered in dust were half filled with tequila and rum and though it was warm, there was a whole shelf of shitty beer sitting in a fridge that had contained nothing else. Tamlin had never been the vegetable type. 

Warm beer was fine with Lucien. He popped the top off one and took a long drink like a starving man. Fuck, but a little alcohol might help dull some of the pain radiating in his chest. Seeing that picture of Jes had been a wrecking ball against his heart. 

“Did Tamlin have a girlfriend?” Elain’s voice called from the hall, echoing in the silence. What he wouldn’t have given for just a little electricity. Some music, some television—a distraction from his constant thoughts.

“Probably,” Lucien called back. “He was certainly popular with them. Why? Did you find something?”

“Clothes!” she called back with a giddiness that made him smile. Lucien couldn’t believe someone had left this woman behind. No one was looking for her? That felt impossible. The only reasonable explanation was whoever it was that wanted to find her hadn’t been able to track her down after a desperate, frantic search. There was something special about Elain Archeron and the way she could see the ugliness of the world and find all the beautiful pieces anyway.

Elain sauntered out, combing through her thick, golden brown curls. 

Lucien grinned at the sight of her. “No more St. Patricks Day clothes?”

No, Elain had found a black bodysuit that had likely been worn for bedroom purposes. It looked good on her, though. Tight against her lithe frame so it hugged right against her skin while the fabric pulled in places to give her a defined, almost hourglass sort of shape. 

“Do I look like an action movie heroine?” she asked, pulling the strand of her wet hair into a long braid.

“Is that what you’re going for?” he asked. She did, he thought, minus all the gear those types seemed to wear. A sanitized, prettier version of an action heroine. No one would have believed a face like hers was capable of the sort of violence those movies demanded.  

Elain wiggled her hips with a smile. “Yes. Maybe if I look terrifying, I’ll feel like it, too.”

Lucien merely shrugged. “A sunbeam masquerading as starlight?”

Elain’s lips parted, eyes wide while Lucien instantly regretted saying such a thing. What had possessed him? Unable and unwilling to take it back, Lucien stepped away so he could shower, too.

“Good luck with that,” he said, poking her in the ribs before vanishing down the hall. She didn’t call after him nor did she say he’d made her uncomfortable. Lucien reflected that he hadn’t been wrong, either. Elain exuded light. It was her great tragedy, in his opinion, to exist in a place that no longer valued that sort of softness. That had stolen it from her in order to ensure her survival. 

Lucien took his time in the frigid water, careful to keep his mouth shut given the metallic tang that filled the glass space. Elain had been right—Tamlin had a lot of soap.

Deodorant, too. God, he’d forgotten how good it felt to slather it beneath his arms and not worry that he reeked to high heavens. Lucien intended to take it—and the spare he’d found in a closet—with him.

He assumed Tamlin wouldn’t care if he stole some of his clothes. Just as Elain had done, Lucien shrugged on a pair of tight black jeans and a matching t-shirt, short sleeved to show off his tattoos, which was a thing he still stupidly cared about. He ransacked Tamlin’s closet, taking everything that had been left behind.

It wasn’t like Tam was ever going to use it again.

Lucien returned, threading his own fingers through his hair to give himself a dutch braid that matched Elains. She’d dug out a lot of candles, from where, Lucien didn’t know. He followed the trail of them and the mingling scents into a room that made his throat tight.

“Look,” Elain said, holding a coconut jarred candle in her hands. Lucien was certainly looking—not at her, but at the room she’d found. Tamlin’s studio, once upon a time. All untouched, from the guitars on stands and the fiddles on the wall, to the box where he’d recorded vocals and the drum kit against a glass window.

“I found this,” Elain added, walking toward a tower of records. Pulling out a plastic case, Elain found a CD—The Exiles. 

Lucien could have wept. “We can listen to it in the car!” she said brightly. “Also, your friend was a big fan of Taylor Swift, so if we get bored—”

“We won’t,” he breathed, taking the CD out of her hand. Of course Tamlin would have bought one in every form he could get his hands on. Lucien bet he had the record, and a digital copy, too. 

“I found sticks,” Elain told him softly, nodding toward a cup on the windowsill. “If you wanted to play, I’d listen. I’ll even scream that I love you, if that helps.”

Lucien choked on his laughter. “Would you flash me, too?”

She rolled her eyes, still grinning. “I don’t believe that ever happened.”

“Oh, it did. Mostly to Vassa, but still.”

“Well, if Vassa were here I might reconsider,” she said, plopping in a leather chair. The mixing board was dead, a monument to the money Tamlin had once had and the dreams he’d so carefully cultivated. Lucien would have given anything to step into the recording box and hear his own voice—to manipulate the vocals, the sound of the drums, the guitar. Anything that might shake him from this nightmare.

Elain waited expectantly, hand outstretched. He handed her his record, thinking of the blood, sweat, and tears it had taken to make it in the first place. 

“Play The Grey for me,” she said, looking at tracklist printed on the back. Lucien smiled.

“I wrote that, you know,” he said, reaching for the sticks. A thin layer of dust coated the kit, but for the most part, the set was in perfect, gorgeous condition. 

“Of course. I’m actually a secret Lucien Vanserra fan,” Elain told him. “I had a poster of you—”

“Shirtless, I hope,” he said with a relish, flipping his sticks between his fingers. He didn’t have to look to see her roll her eyes. Lucien could practically hear it. Still, it felt good to tease her a little.

In his head, he could see it all so clearly. That last show in Atlanta and the hum of the crowd. Vassa tuning her guitar just off stage while Lucien stretched out his muscles and Jurian gulped down water. They hadn’t known it would be their last show together, didn’t know they needed to savor it.

He hadn’t told either of them goodbye. He’d just left in his desperation to get back to Jes. He didn’t know what had happened to Vassa and Jurian, but he hoped they’d gotten the hell out. That they were somewhere safe, and they didn’t hate him too much.

Lucien looked up to find Elain watching, his record still held in her delicate hands. Hands that were just as blood stained as his own. She smiled that bright, sunny smile and Lucien thought if Elain could find joy in this terrible world, maybe he could, too. And maybe, despite everything, there was still a place for musicians and bakers. 

Closing his eyes, Lucien counted in his head, just like he’d always done. Vassa started, and Jurian followed just behind, thrumming softly. Building into Lucien’s furious beat. Lucien had forgotten how it felt to lose himself this way. To give in to the ache in his arms, to lean into the pain because it felt good. Nothing in Lucien’s life had ever made him feel like playing music did. He still remembered when his mother had brought home that drum kit, desperate to find something that might focus her rowdy son. Lucien had taken to it like a fish to water and that it been the end of things. While his father groomed Eris to be a great politician, Lucien was left to run wild. 

The music in his head ended, dragging him back into the candle lit darkness with Elain. She had her head propped on her hand, watching him with bright eyes. “Teach me,” she asked. Jes had said the same thing, once. Lucien had blown her off, unwilling to share. There would be time, besides. He’d always thought so. 

“Come here,” he said instead, breathless and exhilarated. There was no such thing as time anymore. Every moment had to be selfishly seized lest they lose it forever. If Elain wanted him to show her how to play and he brushed her off, he’d never get another chance. Tomorrow they’d be back in the car, and though they’d have things to listen to, they wouldn’t have this.

Lucien yielded the stool to her, hovering just behind. She inclined her head to look up at him and for just a moment, Lucien was struck by how genuinely beautiful she was. He’d forgotten, having grown accustomed to her presence, her face, but just then, as he handed her his sticks, it was like he was seeing her for the very first time. 

“Now what?” Elain asked, unaware of his thoughts. Lucien reached for her wrists. 

“After me.”

[wavernot4love]

hello it is time 4 yet another wavernot4love gig recap: clancy cleveland 9.28.24 edition (from the perspective of someone who went in nearly blind due to wanting 2 be surprised) ((i typed most of this after the show until three am last night before finally crashing so it may in fact be rather incoherent) (((note i have not had time 2 edit Anything so these pictures will be uhhh Not The Best)))

- best trees experience of my life. I WAS RIGHT BY THE CIRCLE BY TYLER????? AND THEN THEY BOTH UNEXPECTEDLY WALKED RIGHT BY ME (*right* by me,,,,, do see "bonus cursed images" section at the end of this post ,,,,) AFTER TREES ON THEIR WAY BACK 2 THE STAGE???? in true wavernot4love fashion after losing my marbles for a moment ..... i locked in and yelled "great show guys!" at them both

(continued after this lil thingy)

- i had so much fun running around back and forth between stages following the dudes around. for the main b stage segment i went right by tyler and it was so nice idk dawg (mulberry street was easily my favorite bit, and will probably always be one of my favorites). i went by the little barricade thing by the path when they came back too

- oh how i love when tyler breaks character ,,,,,,, homie was talking about the michigan person in canada the other day from that video and being salty over it and introduces the story by saying something like "during routines in the night, when i'm like being all cool in the camera like [gremlin noises]"

- JOSH SINGING?????? i kid you not i've loved that bit of paladin but did not actually know that was him/that was the tidbit tyler was hinting at way back, so this served as a.... Revelation for wavernot4love. anyways i LOVED both his segments in paladin & stressed out/the tyler/josh dynamic onstage there

- i somehow wound up on the screen during the judge despite being 15ish rows back (in a crowd shot, i mean)?????

- awesome production this tour dude. so big and truly immersive - even moreso made you feel like you were living all the songs.

- early on i was a bit worried for tyler that he was maybe straining/losing his voice? not sure, might've been nothing really, but either way, he really pulled through and did great.

- there was a little sports Bit of tyler asking people for the cleveland score in a currently ongoing game which was quite silly (also lots of ohio talk naturally, as there should be, see: "finally! i'm with all my people!" proclamation)

- the part of backslide live where every last person in the room has their hands in the air..... oh yes

- fake you out into guns for hands..... oh yes 2.0 (vessel edition)

- tyler just clowning on everyone a good bit by going "did we do alright? do you smell good?" [crowd, making thumbs down motions: "NO!"], making fun of our not clearing out the red circle right.... you know, understandable

- bracelets! a sticker! confetti! oh my!!!! (bad quality pic, as ya know, i did not currently have natural lighting but U get the idea)

- lavish live. oh my. the shades. the dosey doeing little move the two of them had going. all of it!!! once again i love that i had next 2 no spoilers about the antics this tour it was so fun just. seein everything for the first time as it happened

- speaking of..... spotted lavash cafe merch in the crowd. also love that they're playing into the bit still by showing the cafe's name on the screens during lavish

- brought my film point and shoot and snapped a decent amount, stoked 2 get those developed

- sure enough, end of paladin came as as much of a jumpscare as i imagined live

- also the crowd around me was really solid for the most part honestly, and seemed 2 vibe with everything, be into the lore etc

- overall my favorite songs live 2nite were trees, oldies station, paladin, mulberry street, gfh, next semester, my blood, lavish, stressed out, and natn

- i also overall became a much bigger fan of paladin after 2nite

- only song i was totally surprised wasn't there this time was lane boy! guess she had to take a bit of a break which i understand

annnnd finally..... bonus cursed Images of

1. a tale in two video stills of my cousin's of wavernot4love in the flesh (second pic) looking a combination of shocked/Afraid/ecstatic (i cannot explain this absolutely goofy expression on my face any way else, it's worse yet in the unedited pic where i don't have part of my face scribbled out fhfhhf) when tyler & josh randomly Appeared and took that route back after trees i was talking about at the beginning of this post

(the figure closest to the camera sure is tyler, in the second pic as well, as, ya know, you probably figured, considering the black neck/white shirt thing. absolutely cursed reaction indeed and i am so glad it was caught on camera by my cousin)

2. self explanatory as to why i just got a chuckle out of this after scrolling across it in my photos

3. this picture of josh pre backflip that's asking for a toilet to be edited into it or something of the sort ,,,, i do not know it gave me another chuckle at three am last night going through my stuff

yippee!!! overall i am honestly so glad i avoided much content about tour for a change, made for a neat experience. fantastic fantastic show from the pilots, possibly my favorite from them (though every show is so special) and easily one of my favorite shows in general i've been to

[justbusterkeaton]

Buster as Little Lord Fauntleroy in 1906

“In Cleveland, Buster gave an interview to the Plain Dealer denying he ever got hurt onstage and claiming he endured more pain in a Philadelphia barbershop than he ever felt at the hands of his old man. “The barber put the snippers, or whatever you call ’em, on the back of my neck an’ gee! they pulled. I yelled as loud as I could, an’ that’s pretty loud.” The article, headlined “BUSTER LAUGHS AT HIS BUMPS,” served as an announcement of sorts: “In a couple of weeks, Papa an’ me are goin’ to go out in a stock company for a short time. He thinks it would be good trainin’ for me. Mama says probably in some plays they’ll want to put curls on me an’ make me play little girl parts, but just let ’em try it! Not for Buster! Not for Buster!”

The real reason Joe Keaton sought the ease and security of a stock tour at a time when the family would normally be working the summer parks was that Myra was seven months pregnant with their third child. Before long, he was pressed into service for the first time as an actor, nearly fulfilling his mother’s prophecy of having to play “little girl parts.” The play was Little Lord Fauntleroy, and he did indeed portray the title character in shoulder-length curls, red velveteen, and lace. “My part alone was seventy-five solid typed pages,” he said. “In between, when I wasn’t Little Lord Fauntleroy, I was little Willie in East Lynne. East Lynne was four acts long, like most of the tear-jerkers in those days. Little Willie died in the third act. As the curtain went down, I’d rush backstage, slap on a Johnny Ray wig—that’s a bald-headed wig and some galways—and run back on stage again to do a rough and tumble with my father.” Despite the Herculean effort it took to learn his lines, Buster got bored with the role of Lord Fauntleroy and began injecting slapstick into what was otherwise a charming period drama, much to the fury of manager Fenberg”

Excerpt from Buster Keaton: A Filmmaker’s Life by James Curtis