#the socks are based on a pair I actually have and they’re very comfy

[julfr]

Some more Dredge, fishing and other items

What’s what under the cut:

Custom Aberration fishing rod I don’t have a creepy and slightly disgusting name for

Necklace with shark teeth from Aberrations

Fishing tools or something idk. Also lockpicks

Fishing tackle box. Like hooks, line and bait and such

The Handkerchief, now with less dirt and grime of unknown origin!

The Ring, restored with more gems

The Book of the Deep

The Necklace, polished silver with emeralds

Blackstone Isle Key

The Music Box Key

The Music Box, it has been opened

Sinew Spindle. Idk how hand reels work but I added a handle and a spinning crank thing

The Pocket Watch

Knitted Wool Socks. To keep your feetsies warm :)

Damascus steel earrings

Tendon Rod. I love aberration stuff

Medicine. A pill bottle

Box of matches, light stuff on fire I guess

Journal/Notebook/Ships log?

Fish encyclopaedia

[katsukis-sad-angel]

Based on a True Story

Summary: there's this boy who makes you super uncomfy and doesnt take a hit, but you're to sweet to tell him to back off. Katsuki Bakugou, the more blunt end of the friendship, is happy to tell him off and free you from that sorry bastard.

Pairing: Katsuki Bakugou x Fem!Reader

Warnings: possible tw, a lot of swearing and some pretty colorful insults, there are guys that are really fucking creepy, based on the actual events of February 7th, 2021 at around 10:30 pm

A/N: this was very very rushed, I just wanted to write myself some comfort real quick and go to bed last night and I didn't have time to properly edit! I'm really proud of some of the banter lmao, please enjoy and never be afraid to punt a ballsack! I'll add tags later🙄🙄🙄

A message popped up on your screen and your once neutral expression went sour. Slamming the face of your phone onto your pillow, you groaned angrily into your bedspread, catching the attention of a certain ash blonde sitting in your comfy desk chair a few feet away. Katsuki Bakugou, one of your best friends, gave a questioning glance but refused to meet his ember gaze

“What’s your deal?” He asked, not letting his genuine curiosity as to why there was such a pained look on your face, show.

You opened your mouth but paused.

Katsuki already knew about this boy and scolded you every time he saw his name pop up in your notifications, telling you to ‘fucking block him already’ for the umpteenth time. It wasn’t like you had feelings for the guy anymore, you were just too nice and polite to cut him off completely and tell him to go fuck himself.

The ash-blonde had already volunteered to do it for you, but you always said no because you knew he’d just find another way to contact you.

“It’s that piss baby again isn’t it?” 

“Yeah…”

“Wow, did you just agree with one of my insults?”

“Suki, I’m about to take you up on your offer to tell him to go fuck himself.”

He snickered, “Now you’re talking sense. What the hell is that pansy bitching about now?”

You sigh and roll over on your back and Katsuki moves to sit on the edge of your bed.

“I cut him off for a while, I really did! It felt so good to be free of him, but then he got my number again and started bothering me a few days ago. I saw him at school yesterday and told him I wasn’t interested in dating at all and he was like whatever so I honestly thought he could keep it in his pants and we could just be friends but nooo! He calls me a simp for anime guys, I tell him to stop being a hypocrite because he used to simp for me and he was like “I still do. You’re the only one” yeah like I’m stupid enough to actually believe that!”

You paused to catch your breath, but before you could start speaking again Katsuki interjected, “Well, you are stupid…”

You socked him in the bicep and he hunched over laughing. You looked so fucking adorable when you got royally pissed at him.

“Oh go to hell.” You snapped, crossing your arms and continuing, “Anyway, this guy used to simp for my goddamn sister! Not only do I reject being a replacement for her, but if she rejected his sorry ass, that means he’s a huge piece of shit because she’s super picky.”

“I might’ve mentioned that once or twice-”

You punched him again to shut him up. “Plus he’s super creepy and gross and it always feels like he’s undressing me with his eyes and whenever he’s around I want to dive into a pool full of only chlorine and drink it. I’m just trying to coexist and just be nice to him but apparently, a female looking in his general direction means that they want dicked down by his micropenis. He’s so fucking dense too. Why can’t he see that I’m not interested, especially after I EXPLICITLY told him that?!”

By that point, you were on the verge of frustrated tears, bottom lip trembling just slightly with bottled up emotion.

Katsuki could see it.

You felt trapped in something you never signed up for and you’d do anything to get out. All of this frustration had been stored inside of you for so long and it just kept mounting and multiplying until you burst into tears.

“Goddammit, come here dumbass,” He growled, gathering you into a warm embrace, “You can’t keep all this bs inside okay?”

He let you sob into his shoulder, one calloused hand supporting the base of your neck and the other crossed firmly over your back so you’d feel safe and secure; away from the world full of horrible people and into a small one of just your best friend’s warmth and the sweet sweet scent of caramel.

“Why don’t you listen to me? You’re just too fucking nice to every shitty dickhead that sees you as an easy, fuckable target. Something really fucking bad is gonna happen to you if you don’t shape up and learn how to punt a dude’s excuse for a ballsack and tell him what you really think.”

You raised your head from the solace of his shoulder to look at him with big, reproachful doe eyes and whimpered, “I tried that!”

“Have you tried punting their fucking balls first?”

“No… that would hurt.”

“That’s the point.”

“But if I did it without reason I could get suspended or charged with aggravated assault!”

It was Katsuki’s turn to sigh.

“That’s not the point dumbass, the point is that you need to tell these bastards off when they start getting creepy. You know what? Why don’t you just fucking ignore their sorry asses in the first place!”

You sniffle and drag a hand over your cheek to dry your tears, then resume your position with your face in the crook of your best friend’s neck.

“I feel bad for them.”

“Well stop. I’m gonna call him now alright? After that, we’ll block his stupid ass on every fucking app, you hear me?”

You nod and hug him tighter as he leans forward to grab your phone and opens it with your passcode, swiftly finding his name in your contact list and pressing the call icon, then he tapped the speaker button and waited.

The call was picked up almost immediately and a voice on the other line said, “Hey cutie! I was just about to call and ask to see if you wanted to come over on-”

“She’s not here.” Katsuki cut him off with a dry snarl, “And last time I checked she wasn’t interested enough in your sorry ass for you to be calling her ‘cutie.’” 

You could almost hear his lip curl in utter disgust.

“Who the fuck are you?” The voice asked, dropping its sickeningly sweet tone to something more appropriate in light of the previous insult.

“I’m her fucking boyfriend you dickwad-” You popped up from your haven in surprise, mouth open to sputter in protest but he put a finger to your lips and smirked, “who the fuck are you?”

“No fucking way that whore has a boyfriend-”

“Ex-fucking-scuse me? Shut your mouth, you mother fucking pussy, insult her one more time and I’ll fuck you up so bad you won’t be recognizable by the time you get to the hospital.” He snapped back, “She’s crying right now because you’re too dense to realize she doesn’t want any business with some horse-faced piss baby like you. Take the hint right fucking now you useless bastard so you don’t make the mistake of coming near her again because I. Will. Kill. You. Delete this number because she’s too sweet to block you herself, but I will.”

“Fuck man, I was just tryna get laid. She’s the one who started rubbing herself all over me-”

“I said delete this number. Damn, you are a dense piece of shit aren’t you?”

“Hey, I-”

Katsuki pressed ‘end call’ and blocked his contact, moving from Instagram to Snapchat, to any social app you had, and blocked him left and right until he was satisfied.

“Feel better?” He asked softly, tossing your phone aside and peeling you off.

You carded a shaky hand through your hair and wiped your eyes, giving him a watery smile and a nod.

“Why did you tell him that we were in a relationship?” You asked, voice on the edge of a taunt.

“To make him mad.”

“I mean, it worked, but is that the only reason?” You giggled.

“The hell are you insinuating?”

“Do you… possibly by chance… have feelings for me?”

You batted your eyes at him and he retched, but the smirk was still present on his handsome features.

“What’s it to you?”

You squirm a bit, but something pops into your head so you can stall a bit longer.

“I mean, you’re not THAT ugly-”

He responded with a simple, harsh flick to the forehead to make you whine and try to whack him, but he easily intercepted your fist and pushed you on your back, caging you in nothing short of a horizontal kabedon.

It was your turn to smirk, “Yenno ‘Suki, I could very easily… oh what was your phrasing? ‘Punt your fucking balls’ in this position…”

“Just shut up and tell me what the hell you want.” Katsuki snapped.

“You’re cute when you’re flustered.” You prod.

“You look like a pissed hamster when you’re mad.” He shot back.

“You smell like a fucking candy store after training.”

“You’re the dictionary definition of a dumbass.”

“You have a better hourglass figure than Yaomomo.”

“You're quickly becoming an extra.”

“Date me.”

“Fine.”

“Wait really?”

“It’s the only way I can kiss you, protect you, and keep you all to myself.” He shrugged, leaning in dangerously close, “You don’t fucking understand how hard it is to watch you prancing around with one failed abortion after another and watching you cry because they leave since you don’t want the one thing they’re after.”

“You’ve always been there for me ‘Suki… I guess I just took you for granted, and I’m really sorry.” You met his soft vermillion gaze with a meaningful and apologetic one and reached out to squeeze his hand.

“‘S okay. You’re mine now, right?”

You nod, smiling. 

“So it doesn’t matter how dense you are anymore.” He smirked, laying down on your bed and dragging you down with him so you were tucked comfortably under his chin.

You grabbed the remote and flicked on the tv, preparing to turn on an anime you had in mind.

“What romance garbage are you inflicting on me this time?” Your new boyfriend groaned, burying his face in your hair.

“One that’s super sappy and romantic and sad just to piss you off.” You pouted, clicking on each letter to form the desired word in the search bar.

“Have fun with that.” Katsuki snarked, beginning to move away, but you stopped him by deftly pressing your lips to his.

You slowly pulled away, blushing furiously, but happy to feel strong forearms snaking around your front and crossing over your stomach.

“I certainly will.” You respond.

[razzleberryjam]

Adhd organizational tip:

So closets are the best, but what if you domt have a closet?? Dressers suck, folding clothes in dressers, I have to dig through them, which unfolds them and makes a mess and now they're all over the floor again. Alright here's here's you do, get book shelves or some type of cube holes things, if you go to work in a uniform or wear a small set of clothes day to day and have a larger wardrobe for other occasions; set aside a smaller cubby closer to the door: I personally have clear storage dressers, top bin for 7 pairs of comfortable day to day underwear, 10 pairs of matched socks already balled up, you could even put your brassiere/ binder or such in there if you wear those daily (I personally don't) then I've got my work shirts/comfy day to day idc what I look like t-shirts, then bottom drawer is for work pants/I need to go out and slip on a pair of sweats/leggings. Now on the day to day, you'll never be rummaging through your closet, especially if you work somewhere like me where it's pretty uniform so you don't have to think about it, you can just go right to the door slip on all ur work stuff and head out.

Now time for the actual wardrobe that you wear when ur not just going to work or a quick run to the store, shelves, ive got those hanging cloth shelves attached to my ceiling via some very redneck means; now, designate cubbies to ur orginazional preferences, I personally have a wooden dresser and trunk with off season clothes, then in the stuff I can see, I have a clear storage dresser with on bottom skirts and on top warm then cold dresses, and rather than folding, I roll them up like they're ready to be shot out of a tshirt Canon, and I stack them based on color so I can see them all rolled and know what is what, and nothing gets unrolled because if you do it right it holds together, then in the visible stuff I organize based off size/warmth/style/color and everything is stacked rolls that I can see and move at my leisure, I also keep a "im throwing this on the ground rn but it's clean and I need to put it back later" mesh hamper, I keep it right next to my wardrobe and so if I'm doing something like looking for a specific large black tshirt and I unroll 2 others first and don't feel like rolling them, rather than making them dirty b throwing them on the floor, I throw them in the reroll hamper.

I also just have a regular 'dirty laundry bag'

[typhlosion-teeth]

sweet beginnings [raihan x reader]

This is some straight up fluff with our favorite dragon boy. ;) Based in the same timeline as my other scenario, Sunday Morning, although this one takes place earlier! I hope you enjoy. 🐉🧡💕 If you have any comments or think I should start a tag list, always feel free to drop me a message! I love hearing from you.

///

Another yawn escaped your mouth as you pulled open the top drawer of your dresser and rummaged for some socks. You began tossing your selected pairs into the open suitcase beside you, hoping that they all mostly matched. You didn’t mean to leave packing until the last minute, really you didn’t, but sometimes your warm blankets just didn’t want to let you go. Your Skitty was doing his best to help your endeavor by sitting on top of your laundry pile and meowing every so often in encouragement.

At least, that’s what you assumed he was doing.

Once your clothes were mostly selected, you dragged the suitcase to the living room and headed to the bathroom to pack your toiletries as well. You didn’t get very far before your doorbell rang. Your doorbell? At this hour?

You opened the door to your apartment and came face to face with Raihan. He grinned at you in greeting. The two of you had become fast friends when you moved to the central city a few months ago, but for some reason it surprised you to see him at your doorstep. Surprised, and yet thrilled you all the same.

“Morning!” He said, his bright blue eyes meeting your gaze. “I hope I’m not intruding too early?”

“Oh, no not at all!” You replied, finding it easy to return his grin. “Good morning to you, too. Did you want to come in?”

“Actually, I came to see if you wanted to grab breakfast with me. I’m in the mood for a big, decadent pastry down at the cafe, and it’s always better with company.”

“You know, that sounds amazing!” You replied, but at that moment your Skitty tugged on the leg of your pants, pointing with his tail and meowing at the mess of a suitcase on the living room floor behind you. Frowning slightly, you crouched down to scratch behind his ears. “We can finish packing when I get back, okay? It won’t take too long. I’ll even bring you home a treat!”

That seemed to satisfy the pink kitten, who squeaked and ran in a quick circle around you. The guest at your door gave you a curious glance as you stood up again.

“Packing?” Raihan questioned. “Are you going away somewhere?”

“Yeah, for a little bit.” You said, sliding your shoes on and grabbing your bag from the table. “I can fill you in over a big, tasty pastry.”

“Deal.” The gym leader nodded, stepping back so you could close your apartment door.

The walk to the cafe was easy, peaceful and comfortable with Raihan by your side. The sun was still working its way up in the sky, and many inhabitants of Hammerlocke were still in bed. Pidove cooed and chattered from the rooftops, and a few older townsfolk were taking their Yamper for a walk by the railway station. As you approached the building, the scent of coffee and sweets reached your senses and you realized how hungry you really were. Raihan opened the door for you with a slight bow and a wink, and you giggled as you stepped in.

There were a couple other patrons with their morning coffee, talking softly while piano music wafted through the air. The Milcery at the counter chirped excitedly as you approached, alerting the cafe owner to your presence.

“Good morning! Hey there, Raihan. The usual for you?”

“Yeah, please.” He said with a nod. When he turned to you, you were already looking through all the treats in the glass case. Raihan laughed. “Our real goal today is one of these beauties.”

“They’re all fresh from the oven this morning.” The owner said proudly.

Raihan crouched down to look in the case with you. “Which one are you feeling?”

“I think I might have to go with the strawberry danish.” You pointed at the pastry in question, glistening with fresh red berries and white drizzled glaze. “And a green tea.”

“Got it. One strawberry, and one cinnamon apple danish. And a nice hot tea.” Raihan told the man behind the counter. You straightened up and went to reach for your wallet, but your companion took your wrist gently. Looking up at him, you saw his face light up in a smile. “Ah-ah. My treat.”

You attempted to disregard the blush on your cheeks as his touch lingered on your skin.

“Thanks, Raihan.”

“No problem.” He only let go of you to pay for breakfast, and the place on your wrist that he came in contact with tingled slightly.

You selected a cozy table in the corner of the shop, settling down with a comfortable sigh. It wasn’t long before another staff member delivered your drinks and pastries to you, which the two of you accepted with thanks.

“So, tell me about this trip of yours.” Raihan said, looking at you over the rim of his coffee cup. “Vacation?”

“Nothing like that.” You answered, lifting your fork to take a bite of your danish. It was incredible. “I have to head back to my hometown for a little bit. The professor that I used to work with there has research for me to pick up. It’s not really anything that pertains to me, but I need to deliver it to Magnolia so she can begin reviewing it. More of a favor to an old friend than actual work, but it will be nice to see those old friends again for a little while.”

Your companion nodded, finishing his own bite of pastry.

“Makes sense to me. At least you’ll have a nice time while you’re getting it done. Do you miss your hometown a lot?”

“I miss it, yeah. I mean, I love it here in Galar, but nothing’s quite like seeing the place where you got your start, you know?”

“I’m sure your Pokémon will be happy to adventure with you too.” Raihan grinned.

“Oh, you bet. Especially Skitty, he will run through the grass any chance he gets.”

“Say...” The gym leader suddenly looked very shy. “While you’re off doing that errand, would you mind doing one for me at the same time?”

You were surprised at his inquiry, but you supposed he didn’t have quite as much time to get things done in his daily life. You were happy to help out a friend, after all.

“Yeah, sure. What do you need?”

“Well, I have a Pokémon egg that I found, and I want it to hatch. I know I could just incubate it with a fire type Pokémon for a while at home, but I think it would be better for it to spend time with you on your trip while it grows. Make it strong with the energy of the world and other Pokémon, yeah?”

“Oh that’s easy!” You clapped your hands together. “I can keep your egg with me while I’m away. Whatever’s inside will grow up to be an adventurer.”

“Awesome.” Raihan said, looking relieved.

The two of you continued to chat for the better part of an hour, taking your time with your breakfast on this easy, comfy morning. You learned a bit more about your gym leader friend, and in turn shared more about yourself. Before you left the cafe, you were sure to pick up a biscuit for Skitty, which Raihan also insisted he buy for you. Afterwards, he walked you back to your place, and before going inside, you turned to him.

“Thank you again for breakfast! We will have to do that again when I get back next week.”

“Sounds good to me.” Raihan beamed. “When are you leaving? I can bring the egg to you before you go.”

“About 5 this evening. I’ll be taking the train out at 5:15.”

“Perfect. I’ll meet you at the station tonight. Don’t forget!”

“I won’t.” You laughed and waved to him, letting yourself in your front door. Skitty was at your feet in seconds, meowing excitedly. You made your way into the living room and handed him his biscuit, which he nibbled on immediately.

You felt your smile linger all day, even as you finished packing your suitcases.

~~

Once 5 o’clock approached, you gave your room one last glance around, making sure you didn’t forget anything. Skitty perched himself on your shoulder as you locked up and made the train station your next destination.

As promised, Raihan was waiting outside the station for you. Although you noticed that he was wearing a different outfit than his usual hoodie and shorts, probably to deflect attention from the townspeople and fans. His expression brightened as he saw you approach.

“Time to head out, huh?” He said as you stood beside him. You nodded. He reached into his bag and gingerly handed you a green Pokémon egg. It was warm in your hands, and you held it close protectively. “I can’t wait to see how this turns out.”

“Me too!” You agreed, nodding. “Surprises like this are so exciting.”

The announcement system chimed and declared that the train would be departing in 10 minutes.

“Guess that’s your cue.” Raihan nodded towards the clock. “I also have this for you.”

He reached into his pocket and produced a cleanly folded up note. You reached to take it for him, but before he let go, he gave you a sly smirk.

“On one condition. You can only read this after the egg hatches. Okay?”

While it was a strange request, you agreed all the same. It added to the mystery of the egg hatching!

“Okay. No peeking until this baby comes out of its egg.” You giggled and tucked the letter into the front pocket of your bag. “It’s a deal.”

“All right. Now go on, we don’t want you to miss your train!” The gym leader pulled you in for a hug, being careful not to crush the egg you were holding gently. You shifted your grip so you could at least wrap an arm around his neck. He was warm, and he smelled so good - like juniper and bergamot. You willed yourself to let go and bid him farewell.

“Safe travels!”

“See you in a week!”

You noticed that he saw you off until the train safely rolled out of the station. You wondered if he saw you watching him through the window as well.

~~

Being back in your hometown was just as great as you expected it to be. You visited your family, caught up with some old friends who wanted to hear anything and everything about the Galar region, and of course stopped by the professor’s lab to retrieve the research you needed.

All with Raihan’s egg nestled safely in your bag.

Those you met with all speculated what they thought it could be. He is a dragon tamer, so maybe a Dratini? No no, that’s too obvious, maybe something unusual like an Alolan Meowth? If you want unusual, what if it’s a Girafarig?

The amount of possibilities just about made your head spin. Your friends had fun guessing what they thought it would be, but you were more than happy to wait to see it with your own eyes.

Which happened much sooner than you expected.

You were walking on a sunny afternoon only a couple days after you arrived home. Skitty was cheerfully at your heels when he wasn’t chasing the Butterfree or rolling in the soft green grass of the route you were traversing. You smiled as you watched him, greeting the other trainers along the way and engaging in a few friendly battles.

It was then you started hearing a crackling sound coming from your bag. You stopped in your tracks, joining Skitty in the grass as you sat down cross legged and held your bag in your lap. The egg was shaking, cracks beginning to web across the surface of the spotted shell.

“It’s time!” You said excitedly as your pink kitten sat attentively beside you, just as eager to watch. Taking the egg from your pack, you set it gently in the grass and watched it rock back and forth with more energy. More cracks formed, and a piece of the shell fell to the ground. From the hole you could hear little squeaks as the Pokémon did its best to enter the world. You cooed words of encouragement, and finally the shell split down the middle and two halves fell to the side.

Before you sat a small, glistening red Applin. Its eyes gazed up at you innocently, and you felt the widest smile spread on your face.

“Hello, little one.” You said softly, holding out your hand. The Applin nudged your fingers happily with another joyous chirp. You could tell by the light mottled color that it was a female, and her nature already seemed to be quite curious. She hopped over to Skitty, who booped the apple gently with his paw. You took this moment to take Raihan’s letter from the pocket of your bag, unfolding it and noting that it was handwritten, beginning with your name.

===

Surprise! I bet you weren’t expecting it to be this little guy. (Or girl. You’ll have to tell me which it is.)

Truth is, I knew what was inside this egg all along. I have a pair of Flapple down at the Daycare and this egg came from them. Believe it or not, despite how open and outgoing I can be on a daily basis, I can be a little... nervous. When it comes to certain things. Which is why I hatched this amazing plan. (Hatched!! I know, I know, I’m hilarious. ;)

You know about the tradition in Galar, right? That presenting someone with an Applin is a token of romantic affection, and if they accept the offering then your relationship has been blessed with good luck and longevity? Well. I wasn’t entirely sure I could give you Applin in person without my heart giving out in nervousness, and I knew you would be traveling with your team, so. Ta-da! Pretty good for something put together in a day.

I like you. A lot. And I’m really hoping I’ve been reading the signs right that you might like me too. The Applin is yours no matter what, but it is my wish that the old tradition worked for this lonely little gym leader, and you’ll honor me with an official date when you get back home to Hammerlocke.

Yours,

Raihan

===

You set the letter down in the grass and turned to the tiny apple Pokemon beside you. She cheeped curiously, coming up to nudge against your leg. You picked her up with a smile, warmth blooming in your chest in a way you had never felt before. The dragon tamer was absolutely right - you had feelings for him that were growing stronger every day.

“He really is something.” You said to the Applin with a smile. Her tail wiggled happily as you set her on your shoulder and reached for your Rotom phone, tapping on Raihan’s number and letting the device hover in front of you for a video call. It rang a few times before the gym leader answered, his bright blue eyes and iconic smile nearly glowing as he saw your face on his screen.

“Hey, you!” Raihan greeted. “How’s your trip been? Are you still-”

You saw the very moment his brain registered the Applin sitting on your shoulder, and the rest of his sentence went forgotten. There was a brief pause as he swallowed thickly, scratching the back of his head with a nervous, yet giddy, smile.

“Looks to me like that egg of yours hatched.” Raihan said, testing the waters.

“It sure did,” You confirmed. “Isn’t she precious?”

“Ah, so it’s a little girl after all! What a cutie.”

“And, as promised, I read your note only after she hatched.” You shifted a bit, feeling your fingertips tingle with sheer delight. Raihan was nearly pressed against his phone, trying to rein in his anticipation. Feeling your cheeks grow warm, you glanced away for a moment while you continued. “I had heard about the Applin tradition in passing when I moved to Galar, but I wasn’t sure if it was something that people still did, or a thing of the past. But now I can see it’s still very much alive.”

“Yeah,” Raihan breathed out. “It’s not terribly common, but I’ve always thought it was sweet.”

“It is.” You looked back at your phone, meeting his blue eyes through the connection. Taking the Applin into your arms and holding her safely against your chest, you let your true grin show through. “And I accept. I would love to go on a date with you.”

The gym leader let out a sound of pure relief, a hand going to the side of his face as he mirrored your smile.

“I was getting worried there for a sec. I wasn’t sure you were going to say yes!”

“Oh, I knew I was going to say yes as soon as I finished the letter.” You laughed. “But maybe I wanted to see you sweat a little bit first.”

Raihan wrinkled his nose playfully. He asked you about how your traveling was going, and you told him all about the encounters you found among the different routes and cities. By the time you got to the end of your tale, the sun was beginning to set behind you. You desperately wanted to continue chatting with Raihan, but you knew you needed to make it to the next town before nightfall. Your conversation wound down to a quiet moment, and the two of you said your farewells. Reaching down to tap your Rotom’s phone screen, the gym leader spoke again.

“Hey,” Raihan said quickly, before you hit the end call button. You hummed, tilting your head. “Thanks. I mean, just.. You make me really happy. And I’m thankful for that.”

“You make me happy too, Raihan.”

He let out a little laugh, as if hearing you say his name was the best thing in the world.

“G’night, sleep well.”

“Goodnight.”

You ended the call and your Rotom phone flipped back to the home screen. You nodded towards your bag and it nestled itself into the side pocket as you stood up. The Applin chirped again, blinking up at you.

“I’m going to have to think of a great name for you.” You told her as you picked up your things. Scooping the apple Pokémon into your embrace again, you headed towards the inn on the outskirts of town. There, you could settle down for the evening and start brainstorming the best date locations around Hammerlocke.

[rekutopia]

In which Shirayuki met Obi's assistant

A part of the Flatmate AU

“I’m going to install the cabinet today,” Obi suddenly said as he arranged their used plates and mugs into the dishwasher.

“It’s about time we do it – the empty space is slowly getting on my nerves.” Shirayuki placed the half loaf of bread back into the bread box and glanced at the clock. It was already a little after ten. “But then you’ll need to hurry. You only have three hours until the quiet hours. Or do you plan to do it in the afternoon?”

She heard Obi snort and she rolled her eyes. Quiet hours. It was one of those typical things in this country which took Obi a while to get used to. She could understand why, though. Surely there are people who want to take an undisturbed nap after lunch on a Sunday, but sometimes it limits other people’s time to do things in their homes, like playing music, or installing kitchen cabinets. Especially when they only have Sunday to do these stuff.

“Nah, I’ll do it in a bit. Won’t take that long. Besides, I’ll have an assistant,” Obi said, smirking.

Shirayuki frowned. This was unlike Obi. Usually he would have told her days before if he needed her help. “I can’t be your assistant, Obi. I’ve already promised Yuzuri to accompany her to this coffee exhibition, remember? Unless you could wait until I’m back? I can’t tell you for sure when I’ll be back, though...”

Obi chuckled, “Of course I remember, sweetie. Don’t worry, it’s–” 

Just then the building’s doorbell rang. Obi grinned at Shirayuki. “I’ll get it. That should be my assistant.” 

Shirayuki watched as Obi slammed the dishwasher’s door closed and trotted to the front door. He pressed the buzzer to let the person in and waited until they arrived at their floor. Who could that be, Shirayuki wondered. Obi rarely talked about his friends, other than Suzu. And even then, it was always in a work context. She wondered whether they were even friends outside of work. Creeping to the corridor Shirayuki hid herself behind the wall and peeked around the corner, just as the door opened.

“Right on time, Aki-chan!”

“Hi, Obi.”

Shirayuki’s eyes widened. The assistant was a big guy, half a head taller than Obi, muscular and proud of it, judging from the tight tee he was wearing. A second later he was pulling Obi into a tight embrace, his platinum blonde hair a stark contrast to Obi’s dark one. His face was beautifully carved, with a high nose bridge and thick, hard angled eyebrows. His eyes were closed and a huge smile was on his lips, showing a row of pearly white teeth.

Oh wow.

Obi’s chuckle brought her back from her fascination. “Why are you hiding, sweetie? C’mere. This is my friend Aki-chan. Aki-chan, meet my flatmate, Shirayuki.”

“Nice to finally meet you, Shirayuki,” the guy shook her hand excitedly. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

A pity I can’t say the same about you, Shirayuki thought. “Nice to meet you, uh, Aki...chan?”

The guy laughed. Even that sounded infuriatingly charming. The corner of his eyes crinkled as he continued to smile at Shirayuki. “You can just call me Aki. It’s embarrassing enough that Obi uses ‘-chan’ on me. I mean, it’s not that I look like a little Japanese girl, right?”

“U-um…”

Obi slung his arm around his friend’s shoulder. “Aww, come on, Aki-chan. It’s cute, and you’re cute!” He poked Aki’s cheek playfully and Aki pretended to bite his finger. “Besides, ‘Aki’ is also a Japanese name, so, why not?”

Shirayuki suddenly felt out of place in front of the two guys bantering about proper use of names and name ender, like a third wheel on a date, though this wasn’t one. Or wasn’t it? In any case, Shirayuki could do without watching her flatmate flirting with a hot hunk and started to head back to the living area. She had to get ready to meet Yuzuri anyway. She almost managed to escape to the bathroom when a hand on her arm stopped her.

“Whoa there, young lady.” Obi was scowling at her. “I wasn’t sure this morning but now I see it clearly. What’s wrong with your feet?”

Damn, she was found out. She had been hoping that Obi wouldn’t notice her slight limping. The pain had started yesterday after work. She had been wearing ballerinas that day, on Yuzuri’s insistence. 

Just what do you think you’re wearing?! This is your first lunch with him! You know how extremely little time Zen has! You can’t waste time going to your locker to change shoes! Just wear these today, they’re lady-like but don’t have heels so you should be fine!

But Shirayuki was not fine. Not at all. Apart from the numbing pressure she felt on her soles at the end of the day, intermittently there was a pricking pain at the base of her right big toe. She was assuring herself that the pain was only temporary and that it would go away after she cushioned her feet in her comfy sneakers today.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just a bit of pain. It’ll go away soon.”

To her surprise, Aki stepped forward and squatted in front of her. He looked thoughtful as he eyed her bare feet. Shirayuki held back the urge to curl her toes and hide them from his scrutiny. “Have you been wearing too small shoes lately? Your skin looks raw in some places.” Then, to Shirayuki’s horror, Aki reached out his hand towards her and she took a step back in reflex.

“Really, it looks worse than it actually is. Don’t worry about it.”

“Hmmm…” Aki stood up slowly, looking unconvinced. He threw a glance at Obi, then back at her. He jerked his thumb at Obi, raising his eyebrows. “You do know your flatmate does physio?”

Well, duh. It’s not like Shirayuki hadn’t considered asking Obi for help. But Obi deserved his rest. She just couldn’t let him work 6 days a week and have her as an additional patient on a Sunday. Besides, she wouldn’t know how to feel if he said no. Hell, she wouldn’t know how to feel if he said yes. Shirayuki would never admit to anyone, not even to Yuzuri, that she sometimes dreamed of having Obi’s lovely fingers roaming over her body, caressing her tenderly, squeezing at the right places–

In any case, she was worried that things could turn awkward between them.

Before she could protest she heard Obi say, “Why didn’t you tell me, sweetie? I’d be happy to check it out for you.” Did she just imagine it or did he look slightly dejected?

“You’d better listen to him,” Aki said, rubbing it in. “And he’s really good at massages, right Obi?”

Shirayuki wanted to ask how he knew that. She was also curious whether it was common practice for Obi to give others treatment outside of work. But she couldn’t find the appropriate words without sounding so nosy, so she just sighed, resigning to her fate and promised Obi she would let him take care of her later.

*****

Seven hours later Shirayuki found herself laying on the couch with her right foot resting on Obi’s thigh. The door to the balcony was open, letting some breeze in. It would still take a while until the sun set, but at least the air had cooled down a little.

Obi’s fingers probed carefully, stretching her big toe away from the rest. His hands were so big they looked almost comical encircling her foot. From time to time he looked questioningly at her, searching for signs of discomfort.

Shirayuki hummed quietly, keeping a small, reassuring smile on her lips. She did feel a little embarrassed at the beginning – her feet being not her favourite body parts – but Obi’s pure professionalism put her at ease.

Her eyes wandered back and forth from Obi’s focused face to his clever fingers. She had never seen him in such a concentrated state before. She didn’t think it was possible for her flatmate to look even more attractive than usual, but today she was proved wrong.

Watching him work, Shirayuki wondered whether this was how Obi’s patients felt during their sessions. She wondered whether he would be that one talkative, flirty therapist everyone was fond of. She also wondered whether the way his long, slender fingers moved ever made any of them felt ...aroused. Just like how they made herself feel now–

A twinge in her chest jolted Shirayuki back from her musings. Where did that come from? She should stop being ridiculous. Obi is gay. The hot assistant from this morning was another proof.

She mentally shook her head and drew her attention back to Obi, who was lecturing her. Well, actually he was lecturing Yuzuri. He had been going at it for a while. Good for Yuzuri that she wasn’t here. He would have chewed her ear off.

“–sure she works more at the back office, but she’s your coworker! She should know how much time you spend on your feet! To let you run around in flats like that! In borrowed flats! You both may have the same size, but every person’s feet are different! Borrowing shoes should be made illegal! I can’t believe you did that! Thank goodness it was only for one day! One day was bad enough! You could’ve seriously injured yourself–”

His words were scolding but his tone was soft, worried. “Hey, are you even listening to me?” He ground his knuckles into the middle of her sole.

“Ow-ow-ow-ow! I’m listening! And for the last time, I’m sorry!”

Obi sighed. “Promise me you’ll never do such a stupid thing again? If you’re worried about wearing clogs to your future lunch dates I’ll get you a nice pair of Birkenstocks, okay? Those are closed shoes, so your prince would never ever see your cupcake print socks.”

Shirayuki flung a cushion at Obi’s head. “He’s not my prince! And it was just a lunch, not a lunch date. I've only known him for a little more than a week!”

Obi hummed, smirking and not at all convinced. Shirayuki desperately searched for a way out of the embarrassing conversation.

“A-anyway, I’ve been wondering. Is Aki a model?”

“Huh? Aki-chan?” Though he seemed surprised by the drastic change of subject, Obi decided to humour her. “Does he look like one to you?”

Shirayuki raised a brow. Doesn’t he look like one to you? “W-well, he’s very handsome, a-and very well built, just like those male models from the magazines, so I thought...”

“Heee…” Obi’s smirk grew wider. “And here I thought your type is more of a delicate, classy looking bocchan like your prince.”

Shirayuki gritted her teeth in frustration. This change of subject was not working well. To her mercy, Obi dropped his teasing, though not his smirk, and answered her question. “Believe it or not, Aki is also a physiotherapist. He works at that big health centre near the main station.”

Ah, a fellow physiotherapist. That explained his actions this morning, Shirayuki thought. “I see. And how did you two meet?”

Obi gently replaced her right foot with her left one on his thigh. “Let’s see...We met at that training I went to in January. We had to work in pairs and he was assigned to be my partner. It wasn’t long before we found out that we both speak English and immediately after that we kind of clicked. It turns out he’s also from here. So we’ve been staying in touch since then.”

“Oh, then you’ve known each other for quite a while.” Shirayuki wondered why Obi had never mentioned him to her before. Though she was burning with curiosity, Obi must have had his reasons, so she held back her questions. “Is that how he knows how good you are at massages?” she asked instead.

Obi shrugged. “He and I help each other sometimes. Being in the same profession we know the problem zones well, so it’s more or less for practical reasons.”

“He’s right, though. You are amazing.” Shirayuki winced and groaned as Obi put the right pressure on the right spot. When she looked up again she thought she saw a tint of pink blooming on Obi’s tanned cheeks. “Why, sweetie, you know it’s always a pleasure for me to satisfy all of my patient’s needs,” he gave her a wink. Shirayuki threw another cushion at him and he dodged, laughing.

Adjusting her position on the couch, Shirayuki thought about the new gained information. Now that she knew more about the hot assistant, there was only one more thing still nagging at the back of her mind.

“Say, do you often give treatments outside of work?”

Obi pursed his lips. “Nah, why should I work for free? I mean, I’d totally do it for a friend if they asked, like Aki–” His fingers suddenly stopped working and he gazed intently at Shirayuki. “Speaking of which, you haven’t told me the reason you didn’t come to me?”

Shirayuki cursed inside. That was an unexpected turn of the conversation. “I-I…” Think, Shirayuki, think! “...I didn’t want to bother you on a Sunday,” she settled for the safest answer she could think of. It was the truth anyway, at least one of them.

“Hmmm…” Obi tickled her sole and Shirayuki pulled her foot away with a yelp.  When he turned to her his expression was kind. “Next time don’t hesitate to come to me, okay? Even if it’s on a Sunday. I’ll always have time for you.” Then his expression turned stern, “Though, I forbid you to come back with this kind of stupidity again, you hear me, young lady?”

Shirayuki gave him a mocking salute. “Yes, sir!”

“Good. I’ll go grab the salve for your chapped skin.”

Shirayuki watched Obi disappear into his room and then blew out a long breath. That was close. She hoped Obi believed her. It’s not like she could tell him she didn’t know how to handle getting turned on by the view of him massaging her feet. She patted both her cheeks firmly.

Better order that Birkenstock soon.

——————–

Notes:

I’m not participating in the ObiYukiMadness20. It’s just a coincidence that I’ve started writing again during this event. Basically I just want to write some ObiYuki domestic fluff.

In case any of you is wondering, Aki is American born Finn and is based on the Finnish model Otto Seppäläinen.

Coffee exhibition do exist.

Guess in which country this was set? :D

Big thanks to @claudeng80 for beta-reading <3

[trvelyans-archive]

for @goblin-deity, pollux and ortega being cute via text because writing fics that include text conversation is my fave thing ever <3 i hope you enjoy this lovely owen !!!

---

It’s rainy season in Los Diablos, and today is no exception. Occasionally a gust of wind sends the tools on your shelves rattling, and though the sound of you working on your armor drowns out the worst of the noise, it’s hard to ignore the constant flickering of the albeit dim overhead lights and the creaking of your base around you, threatening to collapse underneath the pressure of the wind and rain at any second.

You sit back on your heels with a sigh, wiping a bead of sweat from your forehead, and examine your handiwork. It’s been a learning experience to figure out how to repair your own armor – there’s a million different components to consider – but you’re definitely starting to get a better hang of it, and it looks almost just as good as it would if Mortum had done it. You lean down to pick up your wrench again when you feel your phone vibrating in your pocket and you stick a hand inside to fish it out. Of course it’s Ortega, and of course he sent you five messages in a row without realizing how irritating that is. You frown and stand up, opening your phone as you pad towards your workbench, hoisting yourself on top of it as you read.

Ortega: Hey, Pollux, what are you doing tonight?

Lux?

If you’re alive, blink twice.

Sorry, that was supposed to be a joke but you probably won’t find it funny.

Anyway, text me when you get these. I’m trying to be rational but I’m also 50% convinced your lying in a ditch somewhere so… yeah. Give me a call, will you?

You bite your lip, quickly typing out a response you hope will annoy him and hitting send.

You: *you’re

You’re about to put your phone down and get back to work when Ortega replies.

Ortega: Hey :)

You: You’re just going to ignore me correcting your spelling like that?

Ortega: I don’t really care. How are you? Are you okay?

Before you can reply, another couple messages come in. You roll your eyes as you read them, biting back the smile spreading across your face.

Ortega: Love you.

Hope you’ve been doing well.

You: You’re turning into such a romantic.

Ortega from eight years ago wouldn’t believe this with his own eyes.

Ortega: He was a self-absorbed jackass.

You: You’re saying that like you aren’t still a self-absorbed jackass.

Ortega: I like to think I’m less of both, but fair enough, I guess. How are you, really?

You: Busy.

Ortega: Mmmm. I love it when you talk dirty.

You: I’m going to throw my phone into the ocean.

Ortega: No, I was just kidding!

You: What if I did it anyway?

Ortega: :(  

You laugh, running a hand through your hair and pulling it out of its ponytail as you tap out another response.

You: I won’t for now. Did you have a reason for annoying me today or were you just bored?

Ortega: Are you ever going to stop being so caustic?

You: Ooo, fancy word. Did you have to look up synonyms for ‘asshole’ to find it, or…

Ortega: That’s not what I meant, and that’s also not what I thought it meant. My aunt said it to my mom a couple weeks ago and I’ve been trying to work it into conversation.

You: You’re hopeless.

Ortega: Hopelessly in love with you, maybe.

Groaning, you consider smashing your phone with a hammer, or perhaps dousing it in acid, but instead decide to give in and play whatever game he’s secretly challenging you to. You’ll get the best of him. You always do.

Most of the time, anyway.

Besides, if you don’t have a phone to text him with, he’ll probably end up tracking you down and kidnap you to his apartment to play board games and eat cheese bread and watch movies. At least talking on the phone staves off his undying desire for quality time a little.

Not that you’re entirely opposed to it, but… you have better things you could be doing. Like right now, for instance. Your villain armor is hanging open in your workshop, begging you to crawl inside and fine-tune the HUD, and instead you’re wiping your fingers on a dirty rag so you don’t get oil on your phone screen when you message Ortega back.

You: Shut up.

Or I’ll throw my phone out.

Ortega: You keep saying that, and yet here you are, still texting me…

You: Do you want me to do it, then?

Ortega: No, of course not.

Sometimes it feels like we talk in circles. We had this conversation already. Let’s move on to another one! :)

What are you doing tonight?

You: Being busy.

Ortega: Creative excuse, I like it.

:)

Seriously, though. You have any plans?

You: Depends who’s asking.

Ortega: ???

You: I know it’s you texting me, idiot. It’s just a thing that people say.

Ortega: Oh, I thought…

Sorry. Never mind. It doesn’t matter. Are you going to answer my question?

You: I’m doing nothing tonight.

Ortega: Do you mean actually nothing or nothing you’re going to tell me about?

You: Neither. Both. Get to the point.

Ortega: You should come over.

You keep telling me you’re busy lately, and I get that – well, I don’t, not really, but I pretend to so I don’t piss you off – but I miss you.

I’ll pay for the cab.

You: Have you looked outside, Ortega?

Ortega: I have a change of clothes here at my house with your name on it.

You: I bet you bought the wrong size.

Ortega: I didn’t.

I asked Argent what size she thought you were and got it. They’re PJs, and they’re comfy, I promise. I’m pretty sure they’re silk, but don’t quote me on that.

They have little lightning bolts on them.

I thought you’d look cute wearing them.

;)

You: Don’t tell me you got me fluffy socks too…

Ortega: I was tempted, but you’d probably end up tripping on them.

You: Asshole.

Ortega: I just mean because your feet are so small!

You: Still, asshole.

Ortega: Come on, Pollux. I bet hanging out at my place would be better than doing nothing wherever you are…

(Where are you???)

You: Did you get yourself a pair of matching PJs?

You wait for half a minute before Ortega starts typing again. It’s a picture this time, though, not a text, and even though it’s about as blurry as a picture could be, you can faintly make out the tight lightning-bolt printed shirt he’s wrangled over his shoulders.

What an idiot. What a dork. Your heart feels like it’s going to burst open in your chest and you clear your throat to compose yourself even though he isn’t even around to notice.

Asshole.

You: You just put mine on, didn’t you?

Ortega: Maybe. I’ll wear the top, you wear the bottoms. Sound like a plan?

You: You’re not going to convince me that easy.

Ortega: Okay, fine. You wear the top, I’ll wear the bottoms. Or I’ll wear none. Or we can both wear none. Is that better?

You: Go to Hoots or something if you’re this horny.

Ortega: Jeez, way to just come out and say it like that!

You: You’re not denying it.

Ortega: I didn’t care to. That’s not why I texted you, though.

That’s just an added bonus.

You: There was a perfect opportunity for a joke in there.

Ortega: I know, and I almost said it, but I thought maybe you’d kill me through the screen.

You: I’m tempted anyway, so that couldn’t have made it much worse.

Ortega: Is there anything I can say to convince you to come over?

You lean back against the wall and tap your tongue against the roof of your mouth, thinking it over. You’ve done a lot of work today, all things considered, and you could use a break.

You: I don’t know. What do you think?

Ortega: Maybe I could send you a picture?

You let out a huff of breath and squirm slightly where you sit, flattening your hand against your thigh as you consider your reply.

You: Don’t tell me you’re just going to find a picture on the internet and send it to me…

Ortega: I’m perfectly proud of what I’m packing, thank you very much.

Besides, you’d know if it wasn’t mine. Don’t think I forgot the good look you took at it last time you saw it…

;)

You: Those are some big words, Ricardo…

Ortega: I can let you in on a couple other big things.

You: Ugh. Smug asshole.

You grit your teeth.

Imagine if Tia Elena heard you talking like this.

Ortega: Please don’t bring up Mama when I’m trying to sext you.

You: I thought you were trying to get me to come over.

Ortega: I was, but I didn’t think you were going to change your mind.

Are you?

You: Maybe if you convince me.

Ortega: Do you want my face in the picture?

You let out a laugh and hop down from the workbench, carefully tip-toeing around the scattered tools on the ground as you head for the rickety couch in the corner of the room with your eyes trained on your phone.

You: Like you could bend like that, old man.

Ortega: I could for you.

You: I don’t want your broken back or your hospital bills on my conscience. You gonna send the picture or not?

Ortega: Mmm. Impatient, are we?

You: If you’re not going to send it I can just get back to work…

Ortega: No, no, I’ll send it, hang on.

You wait impatiently with his chat screen open as you settle in on the couch, ignoring the temptation to start rubbing your thighs together. You’re not pathetic enough to start getting yourself off before Ortega even sends a picture, and you’re not even sure if it’s going to be good enough to get you horny, too, so you don’t want to warm yourself up for nothing.

It’s weird how normal it’s become to have this sort of relationship with Ortega. When you were Sidestep, you dreamt about it too much and too strongly to be anything but embarrassed by it, and now that it’s real you can barely believe it sometimes. Sure, things have changed – you’ve changed, too, more than anything – but you can’t deny that it makes you feel a little bit like your younger self. What you could’ve been, maybe.

What you can’t be anymore. But you’re going to push those thoughts out of your head right now.

You zoned out staring at the wall, and when your phone buzzes in your hand you practically jump half a foot in the air. You’re still not used to someone having such easy access to talking to you, and you’re certainly not used to having your phone on vibrate (you had it on mute for a long time before Ortega called you drunk and on the verge of tears one night thinking you had died because you didn’t answer). You take a breath before looking down at the screen and yup, there it is, Ortega’s cock in high definition.  

Ortega: You like?

;)

You definitely do, but you didn’t have enough time to appreciate it.

You: The picture is good but your follow-up messages basically just turned me completely off.

Ortega: :(

You’re kidding, right? It took me so long to take that picture.

You: Don’t want it all to be for nothing?

Ortega: I do text my mom with this phone, you know.

Jesus, why am I talking about my mom when I’m trying to jack off?

You’re killing me, Pollux.

Don’t you know it.

You take a longer look at the picture before replying. At the bottom of the screen, you can just make out Ortega’s hand wrapped around himself, and you know for a fact it’s just because he wants to show off how big his cock is in comparison to his fingers. You stifle a smile and bite your lip, giving in and sliding a hand in between your legs. You don’t move it, and you don’t take your pants off or anything, either. You just leave it there, waiting, wondering.

You: Send a video?

Ortega: Christ. Okay.

Gimme a minute.

You: Mmm.

Ortega: Don’t send me that ‘mmm’. I’m trying to save myself for when you come over.

You: Oh, you think I’m coming over now, do you?

Ortega: Definitely. Wait until you hear the noises I’m making in this video if you’re not already convinced.

You: Are you done?

Ortega: Yeah, I’m just watching it again to make sure it’s good.

You: Jesus.

Ortega: I want to make sure it gets you going!

You: Using the exclamation point made it 100% less likely for you to ‘get me going’.

Ortega: You’re mean.

Here I am baring my soul for you and you don’t even care.

You: I care about this video you haven’t sent yet.

Ortega: It’s sending! It’s very long.

You: …

Ortega: I meant the video.

You: Sure you did.

Your phone buzzes as the video finally comes in and you look at the door to your workshop to make sure it’s closed and locked. You don’t know who would come in, but whoever they could be you want to make sure they can’t. You turn your volume all the way up and sink lower against the arm of the couch, turning up your phone brightness until the reflected light of Ortega’s virtual cock slants against the wall behind you.

It’s an obscene video, of course. If he sent this to his mother she’d probably exorcise him, but you enjoy it, in any case. It feels a little stupid, though, to hear him whispering your name into his phone’s speaker, to hear the crackling of the recording as you hold your phone closer to your face to get a better look at it. It’s a good video – you’re not denying that – but it certainly isn’t as efficient as it would be for you to just… go over, maybe, and see it all in person.

Ortega: Did it send?

You: Yeah.

Ortega: Well?

You: You said you’ll pay for the cab?

Ortega: Pollux, I’d pay for a private jet if that’s what it took for you to come over right now.

You glance at the clock on the wall. If you call a cab now, you can be at Ortega’s in 45 minutes.

You: I’ll be there in an hour.

Ortega: :(

Well I’ll be waiting. Should I put my clothes back on?

You: You took ALL your clothes off?

Ortega: …

I was excited.

You: Hmm.

Ortega: Pollux…

No. Leave them off.

Ortega: Your wish is my command.

But hurry, please.

You lock the door to your workshop behind you as you rush to change into something a little cleaner before the cab gets here. A black hoodie with a blue long-sleeve t-shirt underneath, some loose sweatpants that you don’t bother tying up all the way. You’ll be lucky if you even have time to stumble to his bedroom and take your clothes off when you finally get there, to be honest. You’re probably barely going to be able to make it through the front door.

You hurry to climb inside the cab when it arrives, and you swear nothing in the world has ever felt longer than the ride to Ortega’s.

[purplesurveys]

833

Given the chance, would you ever go into space? I’ve answered this exact question on a recent survey...but yeah absolutely, as long as it was a free opportunity. Outer space has always interested me so it would be awesome to actually get there. What is your all-time favorite thing to snack on? A local brand of chips called Nova, corndogs, powdered fries, and pizza. I couldn’t choose just one :( Have you ever been jealous of anyone's socks? Not in a toxic way but I have seen socks that made me go “damn, I wish I had that” and it’s usually socks based off of famous paintings like Starry Night, The Scream, etc. Do you match your clothing, or are you careless about fashion? The most I’ll match is colors; I’ll make sure the colors I wear complement each other. But I’m not likely to buy outfits that come in parts, like a matching top and skirt that have their own price tags. It’s an annoying scam that makes you have to pay more money for one outfit lol. Know anyone that has amazing fashion taste? There’s a professor in the communication research department of our college that dresses SOOOO well. She’s never recycled an item of clothing either. She dresses literally exactly like Audrey Hepburn, except with more printed clothes.

Do you know or wish you could knit? I don’t know how to knit and have no desire to learn.

Like earmuffs? They’re alright, I guess? I never have to wear them, so I don’t have much of an opinion. Have you ever had the roof of your mouth sore? Yeah, that one time I ate takoyaki while it was still burning hot and I burned off the skin on the roof my mouth. Do you like orange juice? I’ll drink it if it’s served or if it’s free, but I never crave for it. How many times a day do you brush your teeth, honestly? Once or twice. Do you think anyone really looks good in a jumpsuit? Yeah. Well it’s since become a trend so that’s really all there is to know about people’s preferences nowadays. I have several jumpsuits that I feel really good in. Have a collection of anything? Not anymore. Ever ran out of something that made you very upset? Sometimes my family will bring home leftovers from a really good restaurant. When we finish them all up it bums me out. Biggest lie you ever told? Saying ‘yes’ with a big ol’ smile on my face to my high school guidance counselors whenever they ask if my situation at home is good. Is there a song that makes you want to rock out? For sure. I have my fair share of favorite punk/rock bands. Do you have a religion? No. Believe that there is a point to churches? Not a single one. How do eat Oreos? I just bite into them. Never really got into the whole twist-lick-dunk thing because 1) I don’t want to bite into something I had already licked (even if it’s my own saliva lol), and 2) I can’t consume a lot of milk, anyway. -This or That- Sunsets or sunrises? Sunsets. I’ve seen more sunsets than sunrises with Gabie, so I have good memories of them. I don’t like the idea of getting up early just for a sunrise either. Pennies or dimes? Can’t relate because we don’t use these concepts. Coffee or tea? Coffeeeeeeee. Never been a tea person, actually. Windows or Mac? Mac. I did use Windows for a while, but when it comes down to it I would rather get a Mac. Headphones or speakers? Headphones. You get more of the sound when you listen to music, so the listening experience is a lot better. Loud or soft & quiet? Depends on the context...I like my concerts loud, but I obviously prefer soft and quiet when I’m doing something like going to bed. Odd or even numbers? I don’t really have a preference lol. The cookie dough or the actual cookies? Cookie dough, heh. Speaking of, I recently found a recipe for edible cookie dough but I keep putting it off... Mp3 players or iPod? iPod, mostly because MP3s went out of style like, a decade ago. Calm or rock music? Again, depends on my mood. I’d listen to rock music if I’m pissed off or going through a similar emotion, and I’d prefer hearing calm music when I wanna focus on something, like if I’m doing surveys. Love or lust? Love. I don’t feel lust for the most part. Converse or Vans? Converse. They’re AJ’s favorite and I find them more comfy. The few times I borrowed my sister’s Vans I always got blisters at the end of the day. Lipsyncing or actual singing? I would prefer to lipsync than to let people hear my actual singing voice; but if I’m watching a performance obviously I’d want the performers to be using their real voice. Walking or running? Walking. I find strolls to be relaxing. Dancing or watching others dance? Watching others. Dancers are crazy talented. With friends or by yourself? When it comes down to it, I wanna be with friends. Local concert or a popular band? Popular band. It’s rarer, so I find it more precious. I still support local though! Blond or brown hair? Brown. Idk, I just don’t know a lot of people who are blonde. Red or black? I like both, but I like black slightly more. Blue or green eyes? Green. Having fun or being asleep? Having fuuuun. Carnival or park? Park. I can’t go on rides anyway, so a nice stroll and picnic at the park sounds lovely to me. -Favorites- Favorite thing to buy? Uh food, I guess? I’m super easy to please lol. What do your favorite pair of socks look like? My bacon and eggs one. Kind of tea/coffee? Iced tea/iced caramel macchiato. Way of communication? Face-to-face with Gab, instant messenger/text for everyone else. Time to sleep in to? Midnight is most convenient for me. Band to dance to? PARAMORE. Also helps that their music has turned dance-y too. Favorite gum? Don’t really have one. I’ll chew on any kind/flavor of gum. Type of cereal? Cookie Crisps. Color of hoodie? I don’t mind color, as long as the hoodie is comfortable and keeps me warm. Spice? Cumin smells lovely. Favorite thing to touch/feel? Dogs. Website? Probably Twitter. I’ve been on it the longest and still have no reason to be tired of it. Person in your life? My girlfriend...but also my dogs, if they can count. -Would you Rather- Hire one of your friends, or fire an enemy? Hire one of my friends, as long as they work well without me. Firing an enemy seems a little bit more unprofessional, especially if they objectively perform well. Be a contestant on American Idol or America's Got Talent? I’d go with AGT I guess? I’ve watched some snippets of the show and their judges seem more nice, whereas on American Idol the judges tend to laugh or embarrass you if you do badly. Live in Britain or Australia? Australia. I feel like it’s a more Filipino-friendly country, not that Britain isn’t but yeah. Travel by plane or helicopter? Plane. Aren’t helicopters loud? I think I’d be more relaxed in an airplane. Trade places with a male or a female for a day? I’d rather remain a woman, thanks. Shop at Wal-Mart or Target? I don’t know. I’m honestly curious though – for the Americans survey-takers, what’s the difference between them and what do y’all prefer? Hahaha Read Shakespeare or Artistotle's work? I internally winced at both lol but when it comes down to it, Shakespeare. I do like his work, as long as I’m reading a modern English version. I hate philosophy straight up, so that’s a definite no on Aristotle. Have a regular donut or donut holes? Regular donut. Spell better or smell better? Smell. I can already spell well. Rather be in a tornado or a large earthquake? This is horrible, no one ever *wants* to be stuck in a natural calamity. 80's or 90's music? I like the 80s sound better. Eat a plain peanut butter sandwich or PB & J? Peanut butter sandwich. I tried PB&J before to see what the hype was about, and it just didn’t work for my Asian tastebuds. Wear a uniform every day or go half-naked? Wear a uniform. I wore one in Catholic school for 14 years and survived, so it’d just be the same thing. Would you rather Santa or the Easter Bunny actually exist? Santa. I’m more familiar with him. The Easter Bunny’s not really a part of our culture so I don’t actually know what it’s supposed to do. Apple pie or Pizza pie? Pizzaaaaa. Y’all should know me by now haha. Spend an afternoon cleaning or clean things later? I’d rather work early so I can be satisfied earlier. Flying or X-Ray vision? Flying. Dentist or Doctor? I guess dentist? There’s fewer reasons to be scared when you go to the dentist because the health problems are just limited to your mouth, I guess. Would you rather spread gossip or start a fight? Both sound awful. I’m never one to start a fight and I never initiate gossip myself, though I do take part in it sometimes. Get rid of your favorite shoes or your favorite pants? Pants. I love my shoes. Visit Florida or New York? New York. Myspace or Facebook (or do they both suck)? Facebook. It sucks, but at least the memes there are hilarious as fuck.

[mrs-yamada]

Coping Mechanisms

I realized I’ve posted a lot of stories about abuse, but none of the things I’ve learned over my 40+ years to cope with or lessen the everyday pain one goes through. It’s so hard to struggle through each day all by yourself by sheer will - as it certainly feels like, somedays.

You need to find some ways to deal with your pain! No matter how silly something may sound, if it works it’s not silly at all.

Obviously these won’t all work on everyone and some might irritate the heck out of you, because we’re all different. But if you put your own spin on them and think of what you enjoy to do, they could be helpful. 

I’ll add to these if I remember more, since I’m in sort of a downward spiral (parents visiting soon) myself...

Onward, under the break...

Sleep when you need it

If you can, that is. I have too many issues to work and luckily we’ve managed so far with one income, although it sucks. This does mean that I can cater to my individual sleep schedule, however, and I use that to my advantage. 

Don’t listen to neural typicals when they say “go to bed at the same time every night”. They’re normies! We’re not! Our bodies differ. You may actually benefit from doing as everyone will tell you, but a lot of us with mental differences benefit much greater from setting our own, very different (and rapid cycling) sleep cycles. I am currently sleeping from 6 am until 1 or 2 in the afternoon. I simply cannot sleep until then no matter what I do - and in a few weeks, I know this will change and I’ll be back to 10 pm or maybe 12. The difference is I get the sleep my body so desperately needs, and it helps greatly. I know not all of us can do this, but if you can - go for it. Try it out. You’d be amazed how good you feel after actually sleeping.

On the flip side, though:

Don’t oversleep

No, seriously. We all have the urge to “never get out of bed”, but you’re just gonna feel like crap and get a headache. Sometimes it’s cool to do this but, you know. Don’t abuse the treat.

Clean up (yourself & the home)!

Yeah. This is another one of those “you see it everywhere” tips, but that’s because it does work. Even if you can only manage to brush your teeth, change your undies, whatever, you’ll feel a bit better. Same goes for your house/apartment/room. Clean a tiny space if it’s all you can do - you’ll feel like you’ve got more breathing room.

Don’t EVER want to shower/bathe?

We’ve been there. It stinks, no pun intended. Personally, I had to think of a great way to encourage myself to get the heck out of bed and bathe - bath bombs.

And not just the regular kind! Glitter, rainbows, especially the ones with little toys inside, those are the best for days I don’t want to wake up and shower. You can even use them (as I just said) in the shower. They act like shower steamers and smell the rooms up nice, too.

Make a “Power Outfit”

It could be a comfy sweatshirt, or animal pajamas (kigurumi). Maybe it’s a really wacky pair of socks or a shirt that features your favorite TV star or character from a series. This could include accessories, like a fun hat, headband, furry tail, superhero cape - whatever will make you feel great. Don’t overthink it. It’s not “weird” to wear what makes you feel better, no matter what.

Hide/buy surprises for yourself!

Again, this is one I absolutely love to do. I scroll around through etsy and eBay a lot as another numbing yet engaging brain exercise, and I look for the cheapest “blind boxes” and/or “surprises”. Blind boxes are packages where you don’t know what’s inside until you open it, just like the name suggests. If this doesn’t bother you, it’s great for buying yourself a surprise. I use this as stocking stuffers for myself, too. Ha.

Of course this works for things like a book you want to read or a puzzle you’d like to do. Maybe even wrap it and leave it in the “gift pile”. Gift yourself when you need a pick me up!

Another of my favorite things are called “surprise balls”. They’re balls of crepe paper strips you unravel, and each layer has a surprise in it. You unroll the rainbow-colored strips, dropping toys, novelty items, etc, as you go. You can unroll one layer at a time or all of them! Find them at etsy, you can even get them customised. 

Eat better. Exercise.

Trust me, I used to hate exercising (and when I say “hate”, I mean it). But it makes such a complete difference that I actually miss it when I skip on the weekends! Eating right (whatever is right for you, allergy-wise, dietary preferences, etc) also makes a huge difference. My mood lifted so high without the use of mind-altering drugs at all (societal approved medicine or otherwise).

Aromatherapy 

I’ve seen so many people FREAK OUT about this.

Relax. It’s not meant as a “cure-all” no matter what the MLM pushers say, it simply helps a little. And for those of us with a lot of problems, “a little off the top” is really a big help. There are different types of scents for different mood enhancers, but my favorites (bubblegum, lemon, orange) are citrus based because that lifts depression. (Google this if you’re want - there have been tests done researching depression & aromatherapy).

Use wax melts, incense, whatever - and remember that candles can be bought on etsy & elsewhere that have surprises in them, too! You take out the charms and gems and such as the candle burns. Win-win for a little pick me up!

Rainbows

Yeah, I know. I have little crystal rainbow catchers in my windows so that my rooms fill with rainbows throughout the day. You’d be amazed at how many times a surprise rainbow from one of them lifted my heart and made me smile. 

They’re not expensive, either. You can pop down to your local craft store and buy them in the beading section. Thread the bead with string or fishing line and hang it up on a suction cup or - really, wherever you can where light will catch!

Wait, did I mention craft stores..?

Arts & Crafts

I may be biased here, but there have been a lot of people that benefit from coloring books and crafts. They’re soothing, but be warned - they’re sometimes not good for mind-wanderers. If you’re “dump-trucking” bad thoughts, a mindless task will NOT be a good thing to do. I sometimes pair crafts and such with watching TV so that my mind and hands are busy at the same time.

Distractions!

Writing

*looks at self in reflection of monitor*

...yep.

This can help not only you, but others. It’s a relief to feel that you’re not alone, and when you come across something that helps you in a moment of need it’s awesome. It feels just as good to let it all out.

Write about your day, your past experiences, your hopes - anything. Heck, write fanfiction where the guys or gals or beings of your dreams help you get through things. Work it out. You don’t have to publish them. It will still feel good. And if you want to record your own in one area, or read specific fics, especially fanfics, I recommend the Archive (and not simply because I write there, ha)! 

Television/Movies/Games

Same thing for movies, games & TV. They may distract you, but that means you may get the odd, sneaky thought that creeps in. We all hate those. Oh, and watch out for triggers! Good flipping butt, so many triggers!

There’s a site that helps for tons of triggers (including books, games, etc) called “Does the Dog Die”. I use it constantly when watching new programs or movies. 

I personally do toon-fests where I watch so many cartoons, especially kiddie ones like “Molang” (so cute)! And I love using Minecraft for chilling out, game wise. Just, again... watch out for games. Man, they can be a pain sometimes if you’re getting frustrated. Stick with ones that you know are relaxing or you can play on “safe mode”. Don’t try to do a complicated campaign or grab that rare trophy/achievement when you’re stressed.

Music!

Yep. Music lifts spirits. And did you know if you search Google Play they’ve got free stuff? Like, a lot of it you might not want and there are a ton of religious readings, etc (if that’s your thing, then hooray)! But often I’ve found some really nice relaxing music with wave sounds, thunderstorms, etc. Of course you can buy albums too.

Voices

The same goes for voices. They can be very soothing and help you relax. There’s a whole bunch of Play apps where anime dudes and/or chicks talk you to sleep, or say comforting things. Well, technically, they’re real people speaking but there’s images of anime guys and gals. There are all types, so look around.

You could even ask your loved one to make a recording of them speaking to you or reading poetry, etc. It’s very helpful to hear a beloved voice - no matter who it is for you -- in times of need. 

Cuddles

Pets, stuffed animals, blankets, fellow humans... hugs help sometimes. Sometimes you really don’t want to be touched, but that stuffed animal or pillow can give you just the right snuggle to lift your mood.

Free stuff!

Every once in awhile I use a throwaway email and go freebie hunting on the internet. A lot of places will give you stickers, samples, and all sorts of stuff for free. If you have a PO Box or don’t mind giving out your address, this works so well. Mail surprises are the awesomest.

[lanadelreyfiles-blog]

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: A Conversation With Lana Del Rey. On the eve of her fourth album, the pagan pop star sounds more content than ever. How did she get there? Interview by Alex Frank for Pitchfork. Famous artists are notoriously late, but when I arrive about 20 minutes early for an interview at Lana Del Rey’s Santa Monica studio, she is ready for me, offering a handshake and a smile. It is the week before her new album, ‘Lust For Life’, will be released, but she seems unhurried and relaxed; when I ask if she’s been busy in the leadup to such a big day, she says “no” with a laugh, as if she knows she probably should be. She is not dressed like the glammed-up mystic you see in music videos and photographs: her hair, long and brown, is tied functionally behind her neck, and she is in a white T-shirt and blue jeans, with cream canvas sneakers and white ankle socks on her feet. Right away, she invites me through a side door into the inner sanctum where her brooding songs are created. For Lana acolytes, this is a mythic place. She has recorded here since 2012’s ‘Born To Die’, her major label debut. It is a beautiful room filled with sun coming in from a skylight and two windows, the opposite of the average dank music studio. It looks a bit like how you’d expect Lana Del Rey’s workplace to look: vaguely and warmly retro, with dark wood cabinets and a mid-century-looking painting with interlacing geometric shapes hanging on the back wall. In the center of the room is a scratched-up leather club chair with a Tammy Wynette album cover facing it. (“I always have Tammy there,” she says of the country singer best known for her ode to everlasting devotion, “Stand by Your Man.”) This chair, and not the actual booth in the front of the room, is where Lana sits to record her vocals. “I get red light fever in the booth,” she says. She likes that the studio is by the beach, where she’ll sometimes go to listen to mixes of songs on her iPhone. The studio is owned and operated by Rick Nowels, her longtime producer. He has come down today to listen to the album with us, a pair of sunglasses firmly on his face. Nowels has more than 20 years on Lana, who is 32, and he inhabits something of an uncle role, making the songwriter a bit bashful when he sweetly refers to a ballad called “When the World Was at War We Kept Dancing” as a “masterpiece” for its lyrical message about the importance of finding ways to have fun, even in the Trump era. Gearing up to record what would become ‘Born To Die’, Lana had met with a number of producers who all tried to tell her what she should or should not sound like, with some encouraging her to ditch the breathy vocal style that would become her signature. When she finally met Nowels, he didn’t want to change a thing. “I went through a hundred and eleven producers just to find someone who says ‘yes’ all the time,” she says. “Everyone is so obsessed with saying ‘no’—they break you down to build you up.” Lana is a studio junkie—’Lust For Life’ is her fourth album in about five years. She says a day that she works is better than a day that she doesn’t. Nowels tells me that even though the new album isn’t out yet, she’s already making new music. “If I get a great melody in my head, I know it’s a gift,” she says. As we sit down to listen to ‘Lust For Life’, she is clearly at home: Like a good host, she offers me her comfy leather singing chair and instead curls up on a blue velvet couch nearby. She has a familial rapport with not just Nowels, but engineers Dean Reid and Kieron Menzies, who she credits again and again for making her work better, and the four of them ruminate on mastering, making jokes about Lana’s perfectionism when it comes to the final cuts of her songs. The album, like all of her work, is fastidiously and emphatically Lana in its sound and atmosphere: a haze of lazy pacing and flowery melodies, conjuring a foreboding backdrop for lyrics about summer and antique celebrity icons and dangerous, dissatisfying relationships. Front and center in the mix is her voice, which has a crooner’s tone and an especially wide range, from deep and low to high and sharp. Most pop stars rely on reinvention to retain relevance, but her output is remarkably consistent. She says her main criteria is whether or not a song sounds like it will transport listeners to somewhere else in their minds. On each album, the skeleton remains more or less the same while she infuses her work with stylistic elements from different genres, from rap to rock to jazz. ‘Lust For Life’ draws from folk and hip-hop, two genres that she says she loves because they both privilege real storytelling. The new record is a departure in key ways, though. In the past, Lana has become famous for themes that are, at times, hopeless: toxic romance, violence, drug use, despair, aging, death. This isn’t to say every song she has ever recorded is a downer, or that she hasn’t displayed a knowing sense of humor about her reputation. But her relentless obsession with the dark arts is a reason why her fans love her with an almost religious fervor; she’s had issues with people breaking into her house. “They want to talk,” she says chillingly. Her menacing themes have also led to resistance at certain moments from larger audiences who, perhaps trained to think of pop music as a tool of empowerment and empathy, just can’t face her nihilism. While ‘Lust For Life’ certainly has its share of grim moments, it is not as much of an avalanche of gloom, and perhaps offers signposts to a happier future. At times, Lana even approaches uncomplicated joy, like on first single ‘Love.’ The album also contains some of her first songs that deal with a universe larger than the tangled intensity of one-on-one relationships—there are tracks intended to be balms and battle cries for trying times, which, like many Americans, she found herself fretting over constantly during the 2016 election campaign. And for the first time on any Lana album, she’s also opening the door to a number of guest vocalists: A$AP Rocky, Playboi Carti, the Weeknd, Stevie Nicks, and Sean Ono Lennon on a Beatles-referencing song called ‘Tomorrow Never Came.’ “I FaceTimed with Yoko, and she said it was her most favorite thing Sean’s ever done,” Lana says.

After listening to the album, Lana and I peel off to a small office on the other side of the studio for our interview. Before we begin, she pulls out her iPhone to record the conversation along with me, a defensive move she’s taken up after years of feeling manipulated and harangued by the media. When answering questions, she is at turns thoughtful and strident, seriously considering topics like her attempts at a brighter life and how Trump has affected her love of Americana, and also entirely unafraid to bat away questions she finds boring or irrelevant. At one point, she laughs so hard at a silly sidebar in our conversation that she has a coughing fit and has to take a break. She says she binge watches ‘The Bachelor,’ and that while all of her friends now call her Lana—not Elizabeth Grant, her birth name—her parents are the two people who do not. She is wry about the new song ‘Groupie Love,’ in which she writes herself not as the star but in the role of a worshipful devotee: “Old habits die hard—I still love a rock star.” When I ask her if she is bothered by TMZ dating rumors, which have recently speculated about her relationship with rapper G-Eazy, she gives an unexpectedly goading answer: “They’re usually true. Maybe where there’s smoke there’s fire.” Which is to say: She’s kinda regular, not the hardened artist we’ve heard in her songs, but someone, it would seem, who likes to hang out and chat about life and music. Talking about good times brings up memories of rough ones, and when the conversation veers towards rocky terrain, she reveals an artist-and a person-at a pivotal moment. — A few years ago you were singing lyrics like “I have nothing much to live for,” and now you’re smiling on the cover of ‘Lust For Life.’ How’d you get to a happier place? Lana Del Rey: I made personal commitments. — Commitments to what? LDR: Well, they’re personal. [laughs] I had some people in my life that made me a worse person. I was not sure if I could step out of that box of familiarity, which was having a lot of people around me who had a lot of problems and feeling like that was home base. Because it’s all I know. I spent my whole life reasoning with crazy people. I felt like everyone deserved a chance, but they don’t. Sometimes you just have to step away without saying anything. — Your past albums often presented a claustrophobic universe made up of just you and one other person, but all of a sudden it’s like you’ve got your eyes wide open and you’re looking at the world around you. Developmentally, I was in the same place for a very long time, and then it just took me longer than most people to be able to be more out there. Being more naturally shy, it’s taken stretching on my part to just continue to integrate into the local community, global community, to grow as a person. Also, getting really famous doesn’t help you grow with the community. It’s important to have your own life. It’s hard with how accessible things are. Hacking? E-mail is just a no for me. I do a lot to make sure I don’t feel trapped. — Your fans are famously obsessive. Do they ever cross the line? They fucking have. Someone stole both my cars. All the scary shit. I’ve had people in my house for sure, and I didn’t know they were there while I was there. I fucking called the police. I locked the door. Obviously, that’s the one in one-hundred-thousand people who’s crazy. But I [had a hard time sleeping] for a minute. — Fame can be isolating, but you are making a real effort to not let it be. It’s going to be isolating. Period. Unless you stretch past it. But it takes so much footwork. Getting over the uncomfortability of being the one person in the room who everyone recognizes. The last few years, I’m out all the time: clubs, bars, shows. For years I was more quietly in the mix, always through the back door, do not tell anyone I’m coming. And now I’ve relaxed into it where I’ll just show up. I don’t need a special ticket. I’ll just go sit wherever. It feels a little more like I’m myself again. — If you’re happier these days, what do you think when you hear an old lyric from an old record, like, “He hit me and it felt like a kiss,” from ‘Ultraviolence’? I don’t like it. I don’t. I don’t sing it. I sing ‘Ultraviolence’ but I don’t sing that line anymore. Having someone be aggressive in a relationship was the only relationship I knew. I’m not going to say that that [lyric] was 100 percent true, but I do feel comfortable saying what I was used to was a difficult, tumultuous relationship, and it wasn’t because of me. It didn’t come from my end. — Now you want to present a different face to the world on ‘Lust For Life’? No. I don’t care. I would just say I am different. And even being a little bit different makes me not want to sing that line. To me, it just was what it was. I deal with what’s in my lyric—you’re not dealing with it. I was annoyed when people would ask me about that lyric. Like, who are you? — Do you think you romanticize danger in your music? No. I don’t like it. It’s just the only thing [I’ve known]. So I’m trying to do a new thing. I never wrote better when I had a lot of turmoil going on. ‘Born To Die’ was already done before any of the shit hit the fan. When things are good, the music is better. I’m trying to change from the way I thought things were gonna be to what I feel like they could be, which is maybe just brighter. — But, even with some new perspectives, ‘Lust For Life’ is still very melancholy at moments. If you make sad music, which you’ve done for so long, does it necessarily mean you’re sad? Yeah. I think for most people, regardless of what they say, it’s probably a direct reflection of their inner world. With my first record, I didn’t feel upset. I felt very excited, and then I felt a little more confused. — After the release of ‘Born To Die,’ you faced a lot of criticism, partly around the issue of whether you were or were not authentic. Do you think of yourself as authentic? Of course. I’m always being myself. They don’t know what authentic is. If you think of all the music that came out until 2013, it was super straight and shiny. If that’s authentic to you, this is going to look like the opposite. I think that shit is stylized. Just because I do my hair big does not mean I’m a product. If anything, I’m doing my own hair, stuffing my own fucking stuffing in there if I have a beehive. Music was in a super weird place when I became known, and I didn’t really like any of it. — Did you ever feel like the criticism had a misogynistic bent? No. Women hated me. I know why. It’s because there were things I was saying that either they just couldn’t connect to or were maybe worried that, if they were in the same situation, it would put them in a vulnerable place. — You weren’t singing empowering things. No, I wasn’t. That wasn’t my angle. I didn’t really have an angle—that’s the thing. — Have you noticed that all songs on the radio are bummers now? That Lil Uzi Vert lyric—“All my friends are dead”—sounds almost like a Lana lyric. There’s been a major sonic shift culturally. I think I had a lot to do with that. I do. I hear a lot of music that sounds like those early records. It would be weird to say that it didn’t. I remember seven years ago I was trying to get a record deal, and people were like, “Are you kidding? These tunes? There’s zero market for this.” There was just such a long time where people had to fit into that pop box. — With all the flak you’ve received over the years, particularly after ‘Born To Die,’ some people would have thrown in the towel. But you doubled down and made an even more fucked up, almost hyper-Lana record with ‘Ultraviolence.’ I so double downed. [The early criticism] made me question myself- I didn’t know if it was always going to be that way. You can’t put out records if 90 percent of the reviews in places like the Times are going to be negative. That would be crazy. It would have made sense to step all the way back, but I was like, Let me put out three more records and see if I can just stand in the eye of the storm. Not shift too much. Let me just take some of the [production] off so you can hear things a little bit better; I thought people were maybe getting distracted. I did the same thing with ‘Honeymoon.’ Everyone around here heard it and was like, “It’s a cool record, but you know it’s not going to be on the radio, right?” And I was like, “Yeah. I told [record executive] Jimmy [Iovine] when I signed, ‘If you want to sign me, this is all it’s ever going to be.’” I was just so committed to making music because I believe in what I do. All I had to do was not quit. — So that ‘Ultraviolence’ woman who is so swept up in turmoil- is she still there on ‘Lust For Life’? We’ll see. That’s been my experience up until now, but, like, I’m trying. — Some of the sparer, really heartfelt songs on ‘Lust For Life’ reminded me of the ‘Ultraviolence’ song ‘Black Beauty.’ That’s a sad song. In that song—[sings] I keep my lips red like cherries in the spring/Darling, you can’t let everything seem so dark blue—that’s a girl who is still seeing the blue sky and a putting on a pop of color just for herself. But this [other] person—it was all black for them. And my world became inky with those overtones. [At this, Lana begins to cry, and we pause for a moment.] — What made you cry just now? In that moment, when I said “pop of color,” I was connected to that feeling of only being able to see a portion of the world in color. And when you feel that way, you can feel trapped. — Are you seeing the world in color now? [sighs] I don’t really know how to describe my perspective at the moment. — But you’re trying, and that’s what ‘Lust For Life’ is about? It’s not. I don’t know what it’s about. I don’t know what it is. — Is the album a way of saying that you at least want to be happy? No. It’s just that something is happening. — What makes you happy? I’m really simple. I love nature. I like hikes. Being by the water- I don’t always get in. I love the elements. Playing an outdoor festival. Love that feeling. — What bums you out? Feeling like going backwards. — Is there a storyline to the album? Yeah. — What’s the story? You have to figure it out. — Just a few years ago you were saying you didn’t care about feminism, and now you are writing protest songs and meditations on war and peace. Because things have shifted culturally. It’s more appropriate now than under the Obama administration, where at least everyone I knew felt safe. It was a good time. We were on the up-and-up. Women started to feel less safe under this administration instantly. What if they take away Planned Parenthood? What if we can’t get birth control? Now, when people ask me those questions, I feel a little differently. The reason why I asked Stevie Nicks to be on the record is because she changes when her environment changes, and I’m like that as well. In ‘When the World Was at War We Kept Dancing,’ I wrote, “Boys, don’t make too much noise/Don’t try to be funny/Other people may not be understanding.” Like, Can you tone down your over-boisterous rhetoric that isn’t working? ‘God Bless America - And All the Beautiful Women in It’ is a little shoutout to the women and anyone else who doesn’t always feel safe walking down the street late at night. That’s what I was thinking of when I wrote, “Even when I’m alone I’m not lonely/I feel your arms around me.” It’s not always how I feel when I’m walking down the street, but sometimes in my music I try to write about a place that I’m going to get to. — Do you feel unsafe? I feel less safe than I did when Obama was president. When you have a leader at the top of the pyramid who is casually being loud and funny about things like that, it’s brought up character defects in people who already have the propensity to be violent towards women. I saw it right away in L.A. Walking down the street, people would just say things to you that I had never heard. When people asked me the feminist question before, I was like, “I’m not really experiencing personal discrimination as a woman. I feel like I’m doing well. I headline shows just like the Weeknd does. I got tons of women in my life, love women, support women.” I just felt like, Why don’t we talk about the music first? I can tell you that what I have done for women is tell my own story, and that’s all anyone can do. — Is it harder to be romantic about America when Trump is the nation’s biggest celebrity? It’s certainly uncomfortable. I definitely changed my visuals on my tour videos. I’m not going to have the American flag waving while I’m singing ‘Born To Die.’ It’s not going to happen. I’d rather have static. It’s a transitional period, and I’m super aware of that. I think it would be inappropriate to be in France with an American flag. It would feel weird to me now- it didn’t feel weird in 2013. All the guys in the studio—we didn’t know we were going to start walking in every day and talking about what was going on. We hadn’t ever done that before, but everyday during the election, you’d wake up and some new horrible thing was happening. Korea, with missiles suddenly being pointed at the western coast. With ‘When the World Was at War We Kept Dancing,’ I was posing a real question to myself: Could this be the end of an era? The fall of Rome? — Nostalgia can be really corny when it’s not done well, and you’re all about nostalgia. How do you try to get it right? I know I walk the line sometimes. [laughs] I saw comments that people said about my little ‘Coachella - Woodstock in my Mind’ song. I write that title and I’m like, OK, I know I went there. But I think it’s amazing. It’s on the nose. It’s so on the nose. But sometimes things just are what they are. I’m at Coachella for three days, and North Korea is pointing a missile at us, and I’m watching Father John Misty with my best friend, who’s his wife—that’s all I’m literally saying. It’s just like, Yeah, I’m a hipster. I know it. Got it. — You mentioned working with Stevie Nicks on this album, what was it like recording with her? She came in straight off a plane from her last show of like 60 cities, which I was actually supposed to open for. She had asked me, and I was like, “Oh my god.” But I couldn’t because I don’t want to do a 60-show tour. She flew through the door. Blond highlights, rose gold glasses, gold-tipped nails, rose gold lipstick, gold chains, gold rings, black on black on black. Very stylish. And meanwhile, I looked like a housewife of 15—flannel on flannel, because it was a cold night. And I was like, Why did I not dress up for Stevie Nicks? At the end of the track, she sings, then I sing, then she sings. I was kinda embarrassed. I was like, “I sound so little compared to you.” And she was like, “That’s good, you’re my little echo.” And I was like, Stevie called me her little echo. It’s a stupid little thing, but she was very nurturing in that way, and not belittling of the fact that I had a more breathy voice. Which I wasn’t even aware of until I was shoulder-to-shoulder on a track with someone with less air in their voice. I felt a little more exposed in that moment. But she was like, “That’s you. You just be you.” — Speaking of musical icons, can you tell me about performing at Kim and Kanye’s wedding party? It was a surprise for Kim. I hadn’t met her. I sang ‘Young And Beautiful,’ ‘Summertime Sadness,’ ‘Blue Jeans.’ Kanye requested ‘Young And Beautiful.’ The girls—the Kardashians—were so nice. There was only one front row, just them, right there. They were living for it. They started playing Kanye and Jay-Z records for the rest of the thing and it rained and everyone was just up dancing in the rain. I stayed for like 40 minutes and then I left. — People have made a big deal about that necklace you are selling that seems to have a coke spoon. Is it a coke spoon? Yeah. It’s funny. I have a flask and a lighter as well. I don’t do coke. — You’ve said in the past that you weren’t drinking either, and yet it turns up in your music. Do you drink now? No comment. — You sing about drugs and alcohol a lot. Not on this record. I well used to do a lot of drugs, but I actively don’t now. — What kind of drugs did you do? No comment. [laughs] But I think the coke spoon is kinda funny. I’m just like, Whatever. I don’t think it’s going to make anyone do coke. — Are you conscious of when you walk right up to a taboo in your work? Not really. That’s the one thing I don’t have my finger on. I am there, but there are times I don’t really know it. There’s certain stuff that I think is kinda dope that I know other people might be like, Okayyyyy. — Like singing about death? That’s real life though. Super real life. — You got a lot of shit for saying “I wish I was dead” to a journalist a few years ago. Fuck that guy, though. I didn’t think he would print it and make it the headline. I was having a really tough time. I had been on the road for a year. I was really struggling. I was just stupid, I was like, “I fucking want to die.” Maybe I meant it. I don’t really know. — Which of your albums is the most autobiographical? All of them. The last record- I listen to a song like ‘Terrence Loves You,’ and I just really feel for myself at the time. The person I’m singing about—[sings] You are what you are/I don’t matter to anyone—did I really just say I don’t matter to anyone? That’s fucking crazy. — Did you feel that way? I guess so. I sang it. — What makes you feel proud? My records. I love my records. I love them. I’m proud of the way I’ve put parts of my story into songs in ways that only I understand. In terms of my gauge of what’s good, it’s really just what I think. I have an internal framework that is the only thing I measure it by. My own opinion is really important to me. It starts and stops there.

[lanadelreyspoetry]

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: A Conversation With Lana Del Rey

On the eve of her fourth album, the pagan pop star sounds more content than ever. How did she get there?

Famous artists are notoriously late, but when I arrive about 20 minutes early for an interview at Lana Del Rey’s Santa Monica studio, she is ready for me, offering a handshake and a smile. It is the week before her new album, Lust for Life, will be released, but she seems unhurried and relaxed; when I ask if she’s been busy in the leadup to such a big day, she says “no” with a laugh, as if she knows she probably should be. She is not dressed like the glammed-up mystic you see in music videos and photographs: her hair, long and brown, is tied functionally behind her neck, and she is in a white T-shirt and blue jeans, with cream canvas sneakers and white ankle socks on her feet. Right away, she invites me through a side door into the inner sanctum where her brooding songs are created.

For Lana acolytes, this is a mythic place. She has recorded here since 2012’s Born to Die, her major label debut. It is a beautiful room filled with sun coming in from a skylight and two windows, the opposite of the average dank music studio. It looks a bit like how you’d expect Lana Del Rey’s workplace to look: vaguely and warmly retro, with dark wood cabinets and a mid-century-looking painting with interlacing geometric shapes hanging on the back wall. In the center of the room is a scratched-up leather club chair with a Tammy Wynette album cover facing it. (“I always have Tammy there,” she says of the country singer best known for her ode to everlasting devotion, “Stand by Your Man.”) This chair, and not the actual booth in the front of the room, is where Lana sits to record her vocals. “I get red light fever in the booth,” she says. She likes that the studio is by the beach, where she’ll sometimes go to listen to mixes of songs on her iPhone.

The studio is owned and operated by Rick Nowels, her longtime producer. He has come down today to listen to the album with us, a pair of sunglasses firmly on his face. Nowels has more than 20 years on Lana, who is 32, and he inhabits something of an uncle role, making the songwriter a bit bashful when he sweetly refers to a ballad called “When the World Was at War We Kept Dancing” as a “masterpiece” for its lyrical message about the importance of finding ways to have fun, even in the Trump era. Gearing up to record what would become Born to Die, Lana had met with a number of producers who all tried to tell her what she should or should not sound like, with some encouraging her to ditch the breathy vocal style that would become her signature. When she finally met Nowels, he didn’t want to change a thing. “I went through a hundred and eleven producers just to find someone who says ‘yes’ all the time,” she says. “Everyone is so obsessed with saying ‘no’—they break you down to build you up.”

Lana is a studio junkie—Lust for Life is her fourth album in about five years. She says a day that she works is better than a day that she doesn’t. Nowels tells me that even though the new album isn’t out yet, she’s already making new music. “If I get a great melody in my head, I know it’s a gift,” she says. As we sit down to listen to Lust for Life, she is clearly at home: Like a good host, she offers me her comfy leather singing chair and instead curls up on a blue velvet couch nearby. She has a familial rapport with not just Nowels, but engineers Dean Reid and Kieron Menzies, who she credits again and again for making her work better, and the four of them ruminate on mastering, making jokes about Lana’s perfectionism when it comes to the final cuts of her songs.

The album, like all of her work, is fastidiously and emphatically Lana in its sound and atmosphere: a haze of lazy pacing and flowery melodies, conjuring a foreboding backdrop for lyrics about summer and antique celebrity icons and dangerous, dissatisfying relationships. Front and center in the mix is her voice, which has a crooner’s tone and an especially wide range, from deep and low to high and sharp. Most pop stars rely on reinvention to retain relevance, but her output is remarkably consistent. She says her main criteria is whether or not a song sounds like it will transport listeners to somewhere else in their minds. On each album, the skeleton remains more or less the same while she infuses her work with stylistic elements from different genres, from rap to rock to jazz. Lust for Life draws from folk and hip-hop, two genres that she says she loves because they both privilege real storytelling.

The new record is a departure in key ways, though. In the past, Lana has become famous for themes that are, at times, hopeless: toxic romance, violence, drug use, despair, aging, death. This isn’t to say every song she has ever recorded is a downer, or that she hasn’t displayed a knowing sense of humor about her reputation. But her relentless obsession with the dark arts is a reason why her fans love her with an almost religious fervor; she’s had issues with people breaking into her house. “They want to talk,” she says chillingly. Her menacing themes have also led to resistance at certain moments from larger audiences who, perhaps trained to think of pop music as a tool of empowerment and empathy, just can’t face her nihilism.

While Lust for Life certainly has its share of grim moments, it is not as much of an avalanche of gloom, and perhaps offers signposts to a happier future. At times, Lana even approaches uncomplicated joy, like on first single “Love.” The album also contains some of her first songs that deal with a universe larger than the tangled intensity of one-on-one relationships—there are tracks intended to be balms and battle cries for trying times, which, like many Americans, she found herself fretting over constantly during the 2016 election campaign. And for the first time on any Lana album, she’s also opening the door to a number of guest vocalists: A$AP Rocky, Playboi Carti, the Weeknd, Stevie Nicks, and Sean Ono Lennon on a Beatles-referencing song called “Tomorrow Never Came.” “I FaceTimed with Yoko, and she said it was her most favorite thing Sean’s ever done,” Lana says.

After listening to the album, Lana and I peel off to a small office on the other side of the studio for our interview. Before we begin, she pulls out her iPhone to record the conversation along with me, a defensive move she’s taken up after years of feeling manipulated and harangued by the media. When answering questions, she is at turns thoughtful and strident, seriously considering topics like her attempts at a brighter life and how Trump has affected her love of Americana, and also entirely unafraid to bat away questions she finds boring or irrelevant. At one point, she laughs so hard at a silly sidebar in our conversation that she has a coughing fit and has to take a break. She says she binge watches “The Bachelor,” and that while all of her friends now call her Lana—not Elizabeth Grant, her birth name—her parents are the two people who do not. She is wry about the new song “Groupie Love,” in which she writes herself not as the star but in the role of a worshipful devotee: “Old habits die hard—I still love a rock star.” When I ask her if she is bothered by TMZ dating rumors, which have recently speculated about her relationship with rapper G-Eazy, she gives an unexpectedly goading answer: “They’re usually true. Maybe where there’s smoke there’s fire.”

Which is to say: She’s kinda regular, not the hardened artist we’ve heard in her songs, but someone, it would seem, who likes to hang out and chat about life and music. Talking about good times brings up memories of rough ones, and when the conversation veers towards rocky terrain, she reveals an artist—and a person—at a pivotal moment.

Pitchfork: A few years ago you were singing lyrics like “I have nothing much to live for,” and now you’re smiling on the cover of Lust for Life. How’d you get to a happier place?

Lana Del Rey: I made personal commitments.

Commitments to what?

Well, they’re personal. [laughs] I had some people in my life that made me a worse person. I was not sure if I could step out of that box of familiarity, which was having a lot of people around me who had a lot of problems and feeling like that was home base. Because it’s all I know. I spent my whole life reasoning with crazy people. I felt like everyone deserved a chance, but they don’t. Sometimes you just have to step away without saying anything.

Your past albums often presented a claustrophobic universe made up of just you and one other person, but all of a sudden it’s like you’ve got your eyes wide open and you’re looking at the world around you.

Developmentally, I was in the same place for a very long time, and then it just took me longer than most people to be able to be more out there. Being more naturally shy, it’s taken stretching on my part to just continue to integrate into the local community, global community, to grow as a person. Also, getting really famous doesn’t help you grow with the community. It’s important to have your own life. It’s hard with how accessible things are. Hacking? Email is just a no for me. I do a lot to make sure I don’t feel trapped.

Your fans are famously obsessive. Do they ever cross the line?

They fucking have. Someone stole both my cars. All the scary shit. I’ve had people in my house for sure, and I didn’t know they were there while I was there. I fucking called the police. I locked the door. Obviously, that’s the one in one-hundred-thousand people who’s crazy. But I [had a hard time sleeping] for a minute.

Fame can be isolating, but you are making a real effort to not let it be.

It’s going to be isolating. Period. Unless you stretch past it. But it takes so much footwork. Getting over the uncomfortability of being the one person in the room who everyone recognizes. The last few years, I’m out all the time: clubs, bars, shows. For years I was more quietly in the mix, always through the back door, do not tell anyone I’m coming. And now I’ve relaxed into it where I’ll just show up. I don’t need a special ticket. I’ll just go sit wherever. It feels a little more like I’m myself again.

If you’re happier these days, what do you think when you hear an old lyric from an old record, like, “He hit me and it felt like a kiss,” from “Ultraviolence”?

I don’t like it. I don’t. I don’t sing it. I sing “Ultraviolence” but I don’t sing that line anymore. Having someone be aggressive in a relationship was the only relationship I knew. I’m not going to say that that [lyric] was 100 percent true, but I do feel comfortable saying what I was used to was a difficult, tumultuous relationship, and it wasn’t because of me. It didn’t come from my end.

Now you want to present a different face to the world on Lust for Life?

No. I don’t care. I would just say I am different. And even being a little bit different makes me not want to sing that line. To me, it just was what it was. I deal with what’s in my lyric—you’re not dealing with it. I was annoyed when people would ask me about that lyric. Like, who are you?

Do you think you romanticize danger in your music?

No. I don’t like it. It’s just the only thing [I’ve known]. So I’m trying to do a new thing. I never wrote better when I had a lot of turmoil going on. Born to Die was already done before any of the shit hit the fan. When things are good, the music is better. I’m trying to change from the way I thought things were gonna be to what I feel like they could be, which is maybe just brighter.  

But, even with some new perspectives, Lust for Life is still very melancholy at moments. If you make sad music, which you’ve done for so long, does it necessarily mean you’re sad?

Yeah. I think for most people, regardless of what they say, it’s probably a direct reflection of their inner world. With my first record, I didn’t feel upset. I felt very excited, and then I felt a little more confused.

After the release of Born to Die, you faced a lot of criticism, partly around the issue of whether you were or were not authentic. Do you think of yourself as authentic?

Of course. I’m always being myself. They don’t know what authentic is. If you think of all the music that came out until 2013, it was super straight and shiny. If that’s authentic to you, this is going to look like the opposite. I think that shit is stylized. Just because I do my hair big does not mean I’m a product. If anything, I’m doing my own hair, stuffing my own fucking stuffing in there if I have a beehive. Music was in a super weird place when I became known, and I didn’t really like any of it.

Did you ever feel like the criticism had a misogynistic bent?

No. Women hated me. I know why. It’s because there were things I was saying that either they just couldn’t connect to or were maybe worried that, if they were in the same situation, it would put them in a vulnerable place.

You weren’t singing empowering things.

No, I wasn’t. That wasn’t my angle. I didn’t really have an angle—that’s the thing.

Have you noticed that all songs on the radio are bummers now? That Lil Uzi Vert lyric—“All my friends are dead”—sounds almost like a Lana lyric.

There’s been a major sonic shift culturally. I think I had a lot to do with that. I do. I hear a lot of music that sounds like those early records. It would be weird to say that it didn’t. I remember seven years ago I was trying to get a record deal, and people were like, “Are you kidding? These tunes? There’s zero market for this.” There was just such a long time where people had to fit into that pop box.

With all the flak you’ve received over the years, particularly after Born to Die, some people would have thrown in the towel. But you doubled down and made an even more fucked up, almost hyper-Lana record with Ultraviolence.

I so double downed. [The early criticism] made me question myself—I didn’t know if it was always going to be that way. You can’t put out records if 90 percent of the reviews in places like the Times are going to be negative. That would be crazy. It would have made sense to step all the way back, but I was like, Let me put out three more records and see if I can just stand in the eye of the storm. Not shift too much. Let me just take some of the [production] off so you can hear things a little bit better; I thought people were maybe getting distracted. I did the same thing with Honeymoon. Everyone around here heard it and was like, “It’s a cool record, but you know it’s not going to be on the radio, right?” And I was like, “Yeah. I told [record executive] Jimmy [Iovine] when I signed, ‘If you want to sign me, this is all it’s ever going to be.’” I was just so committed to making music because I believe in what I do. All I had to do was not quit.

So that Ultraviolence woman who is so swept up in turmoil—is she still there on Lust for Life?

We’ll see. That’s been my experience up until now, but, like, I’m trying.

Some of the sparer, really heartfelt songs on Lust for Life reminded me of the Ultraviolence song “Black Beauty.”

That’s a sad song. In that song—[sings] I keep my lips red like cherries in the spring/Darling, you can’t let everything seem so dark blue—that’s a girl who is still seeing the blue sky and a putting on a pop of color just for herself. But this [other] person—it was all black for them. And my world became inky with those overtones. [At this, Lana begins to cry, and we pause for a moment.]

What made you cry just now?

In that moment, when I said “pop of color,” I was connected to that feeling of only being able to see a portion of the world in color. And when you feel that way, you can feel trapped.

Are you seeing the world in color now?

[sighs] I don’t really know how to describe my perspective at the moment.

But you’re trying, and that’s what Lust for Life is about?

It’s not. I don’t know what it’s about. I don’t know what it is.

Is the album a way of saying that you at least want to be happy?

No. It’s just that something is happening.

What makes you happy?

I’m really simple. I love nature. I like hikes. Being by the water—I don’t always get in. I love the elements. Playing an outdoor festival. Love that feeling.

What bums you out?

Feeling like going backwards.

Is there a storyline to the album?

Yeah.

What’s the story?

You have to figure it out.

Just a few years ago you were saying you didn’t care about feminism, and now you are writing protest songs and meditations on war and peace.

Because things have shifted culturally. It’s more appropriate now than under the Obama administration, where at least everyone I knew felt safe. It was a good time. We were on the up-and-up.

Women started to feel less safe under this administration instantly. What if they take away Planned Parenthood? What if we can’t get birth control? Now, when people ask me those questions, I feel a little differently. The reason why I asked Stevie Nicks to be on the record is because she changes when her environment changes, and I’m like that as well.

In “When the World Was at War We Kept Dancing,” I wrote, “Boys, don’t make too much noise/Don’t try to be funny/Other people may not be understanding.” Like, Can you tone down your over-boisterous rhetoric that isn’t working? “God Bless America - And All the Beautiful Women in It” is a little shoutout to the women and anyone else who doesn’t always feel safe walking down the street late at night. That’s what I was thinking of when I wrote, “Even when I’m alone I’m not lonely/I feel your arms around me.” It’s not always how I feel when I’m walking down the street, but sometimes in my music I try to write about a place that I’m going to get to.

Do you feel unsafe?

I feel less safe than I did when Obama was president. When you have a leader at the top of the pyramid who is casually being loud and funny about things like that, it’s brought up character defects in people who already have the propensity to be violent towards women. I saw it right away in L.A. Walking down the street, people would just say things to you that I had never heard.

When people asked me the feminist question before, I was like, “I’m not really experiencing personal discrimination as a woman. I feel like I’m doing well. I headline shows just like the Weeknd does. I got tons of women in my life, love women, support women.” I just felt like, Why don’t we talk about the music first? I can tell you that what I have done for women is tell my own story, and that’s all anyone can do.

Is it harder to be romantic about America when Trump is the nation’s biggest celebrity?

It’s certainly uncomfortable. I definitely changed my visuals on my tour videos. I’m not going to have the American flag waving while I’m singing “Born to Die.” It’s not going to happen. I’d rather have static. It’s a transitional period, and I’m super aware of that. I think it would be inappropriate to be in France with an American flag. It would feel weird to me now—it didn’t feel weird in 2013.

All the guys in the studio—we didn’t know we were going to start walking in every day and talking about what was going on. We hadn’t ever done that before, but everyday during the election, you’d wake up and some new horrible thing was happening. Korea, with missiles suddenly being pointed at the western coast. With “When the World Was at War We Kept Dancing,” I was posing a real question to myself: Could this be the end of an era? The fall of Rome?

Nostalgia can be really corny when it’s not done well, and you’re all about nostalgia. How do you try to get it right?

I know I walk the line sometimes. [laughs] I saw comments that people said about my little “Coachella - Woodstock in my Mind” song. I write that title and I’m like, OK, I know I went there. But I think it’s amazing. It’s on the nose. It’s so on the nose. But sometimes things just are what they are. I’m at Coachella for three days, and North Korea is pointing a missile at us, and I’m watching Father John Misty with my best friend, who’s his wife—that’s all I’m literally saying. It’s just like, Yeah, I’m a hipster. I know it. Got it.

You mentioned working with Stevie Nicks on this album, what was it like recording with her?

She came in straight off a plane from her last show of like 60 cities, which I was actually supposed to open for. She had asked me, and I was like, “Oh my god.” But I couldn’t because I don’t want to do a 60-show tour.

She flew through the door. Blond highlights, rose gold glasses, gold-tipped nails, rose gold lipstick, gold chains, gold rings, black on black on black. Very stylish. And meanwhile, I looked like a housewife of 15—flannel on flannel, because it was a cold night. And I was like, Why did I not dress up for Stevie Nicks?

At the end of the track, she sings, then I sing, then she sings. I was kinda embarrassed. I was like, “I sound so little compared to you.” And she was like, “That’s good, you’re my little echo.” And I was like, Stevie called me her little echo. It’s a stupid little thing, but she was very nurturing in that way, and not belittling of the fact that I had a more breathy voice. Which I wasn’t even aware of until I was shoulder-to-shoulder on a track with someone with less air in their voice. I felt a little more exposed in that moment. But she was like, “That’s you. You just be you.”

Speaking of musical icons, can you tell me about performing at Kim and Kanye’s wedding party?

It was a surprise for Kim. I hadn’t met her. I sang “Young and Beautiful,” “Summertime Sadness,” “Blue Jeans.” Kanye requested “Young and Beautiful.” The girls—the Kardashians—were so nice. There was only one front row, just them, right there. They were living for it. They started playing Kanye and Jay-Z records for the rest of the thing and it rained and everyone was just up dancing in the rain. I stayed for like 40 minutes and then I left.

People have made a big deal about that necklace you are selling that seems to have a coke spoon. Is it a coke spoon?

Yeah. It’s funny. I have a flask and a lighter as well. I don’t do coke.

You’ve said in the past that you weren’t drinking either, and yet it turns up in your music. Do you drink now?

No comment.  

You sing about drugs and alcohol a lot.

Not on this record. I well used to do a lot of drugs, but I actively don’t now.

What kind of drugs did you do?

No comment. [laughs] But I think the coke spoon is kinda funny. I’m just like, Whatever. I don’t think it’s going to make anyone do coke.

Are you conscious of when you walk right up to a taboo in your work?

Not really. That’s the one thing I don’t have my finger on. I am there, but there are times I don’t really know it. There’s certain stuff that I think is kinda dope that I know other people might be like, Okayyyyy.

Like singing about death?

That’s real life though. Super real life.

You got a lot of shit for saying “I wish I was dead” to a journalist a few years ago.

Fuck that guy, though. I didn’t think he would print it and make it the headline. I was having a really tough time. I had been on the road for a year. I was really struggling. I was just stupid, I was like, “I fucking want to die.” Maybe I meant it. I don’t really know.

Which of your albums is the most autobiographical?

All of them. The last record—I listen to a song like “Terrence Loves You,” and I just really feel for myself at the time. The person I’m singing about—[sings] You are what you are/I don’t matter to anyone—did I really just say I don’t matter to anyone? That’s fucking crazy.

Did you feel that way?

I guess so. I sang it.

What makes you feel proud?

My records. I love my records. I love them. I’m proud of the way I’ve put parts of my story into songs in ways that only I understand. In terms of my gauge of what’s good, it’s really just what I think. I have an internal framework that is the only thing I measure it by. My own opinion is really important to me. It starts and stops there.

http://pitchfork.com/features/interview/life-liberty-and-the-pursuit-of-happiness-a-conversation-with-lana-del-rey/

[sonipanda]

Well I was surely mistaken by calling them over knee socks – they actually were over the knee for me (being a shorty!) so for everyone else who is taller than 5ft 4″, these will be knee high for you!

Okay so this is the second part of my blog focusing on the over knee knee high socks seeing as I got these ages ago and finally had the chance to wear them over the weekend. I have to admit they probably weren’t the best choice seeing as it hit 25 degrees that day I decided to wear them, but ah well it made my legs looks slightly shorter and less out-there as some may say. The skirt is pretty short (basically a mini) so I had to make sure I wasn’t looking too bold by showing off way more than I should!

The Spec

Colour: Beige with Taupe

Size: UK 5-7 / Euro 38-40

Price: $9.95

Website: Wool Chunky Knitted Patterned Knee-High Socks by Steven

    The Review

Seeing as it’s a first for me to review the Steven brand, I shall write as much as I can for you about them!

Let me begin by using some info from the Dress My Legs website:

“Toe: reinforced Heel: shaped and reinforced Finish: matte Brand: Steven Fabric Content: 68% acrylic, 29% wool, 2% polyamide, 1% elastane”

“With a high wool content, these soft and cosy knee-highs in a trendy chunky knit will keep your toes super toasty, whether you decide to stay indoors or venture out into the cold. With shaped heel, reinforced toes and super comfy top band, it’s a must-have accessory this season! Available in the most wearable colours to match any outfit.”

The Packaging: is very basic on them (being socks) – it has the brand name at the front, and at the back:

“Woollen socks produced of the highest quality materials.” – in various languages of course!

  Getting Them On: are super easy. I had them with shiny sheers as my base, but I have to admit I think I should have gone for a more matte finish with these. You can either pull up or scrunch and roll, but either way they’re thick enough to withstand small snags.

  The Toes: are so amazing and the fact that they are reinforced makes my day. I didn’t actually realise that you could get socks like that, and I HAVE A PAIR!!!!!!! They’re thick, your feet are super comfortable and they’re soft and warm too! I know a lot of you are thinking “Why the hell is she wearing socks in summer?” – I like to just wear whatever if I am honest, I don’t like to depend on the weather to dictate what I wear!

  Up The Leg: is just a lovely subtle cable pattern – well I say cable and it could be something completely different! I love the work on there and it actually withstood the lip of my trainers fluffing it up. I have to admit it did catch a bit, but not as bad!

  The Feel: is super soft and really snug. Perfect for winter no doubt, but also quite nice when you have cool summer days too! It’s really nice to touch and the best part is the colour! I love how they will work with so much being neutral. I was tempted to get black or grey (the other colours) but I am so glad I got this instead.

  The Band: now let me tell you about this. So I mentioned over knee before – well they are on me as you can see above, but they also go fall down! As I was walking, these started slipping horridly down my legs all because I had super glossy tights on underneath it had nothing to grip onto to stay up. I have to admit they fell just under the knee and stayed put, but I always find knee high makes me look shorter than I am so I try to avoid that! If you’re going to do these, bear in mind that they do fall into place, so matte finish tights would work a dream or a semi-matte if you’re not a big fan!

  Overall Thoughts?

They are worth it. Not badly priced and certainly comfortable to be in. I love the band (even though it kept falling down), I love the design and I certainly love the colour. I think these are worth it and I would recommend to those who are after a decent pair of knee-high or over-knee socks!!

Steven Wool Chunky Knitted Knee High Socks (Part 2) Well I was surely mistaken by calling them over knee socks - they actually were over the knee for me (being a shorty!) so for everyone else who is taller than 5ft 4", these will be knee high for you!

[writingthingsisdifficult]

Not an April Fool’s Joke

Written for @mrswhozeewhatsis April fool’s challenge. I wasn’t originally going to write anything – I just couldn’t come up with an idea, but then I had this dream last night. I blame my medicines for this.

There’s no pairing in this story (other than wishful thinking from me), and I’ve cheated and removed my husband from the equation, because I have a feeling he wouldn’t deal well with a visit from the Winchesters.

As always: let me know what you think. I thrive on comments and feedback.

Word count: 2666

The sky was swirling with dark grey clouds and rain that fell sideways blew hard into the window glass. The drumming made me sleepy, but my empty stomach kept me awake. For two hours I’d been telling myself to go make dinner, but I couldn’t be bothered.

The door rang and I sank deeper into my sofa. Maybe, if I just ignored them, my nosy neighbour would go away. Sure: it was April – and I was well aware that I had a half brown Christmas tree resting by the hedge. But I’d just spent the last two weeks hacking up my lungs and trying to sleep sitting upright. It was just in the past three days I’d started to feel kinda normal again. Hell, my throat was still itchy, and I had the energy of a beanbag. The last thing I wanted – or needed – was for her to start that whole ‘value of the property’ thing again. I shuddered. God forbid she should try to convince me to get rid of the hedge altogether. Again. I liked my privacy.

The door rang again. This time with a little more urgency, and I could hear someone talking outside. What if there was an emergency or something? I gathered my blanket and pulled it tight around me and shuffled to the door. Through the frosted glass I could see two large shadows. That was unusual. Did the salespeople come back? Was it really that time of the year already? I checked my mental calendar. No, they usually came around Midsummer, what with people having extra money and all.

The door creaked slightly when I opened it, threatening to blow wide open unless I gripped it tight. The most effective set of puppy eyes I’d ever seen almost blew me off my feet. “Synnøve, thank God you’re home. We need you.”

He botched my name horribly, but I didn’t care. Jared Padalecki could call me whatever the hell he wanted, and I would answer like a labrador. Right there and then I had no words whatsoever, not even a greeting: I just stared, both amazed that two of my greatest heroes stood on my doorstep, and horrified that I’d opened the door wearing my sweatpants and a fucking blanket.

A thousand theories ran through my brain. Maybe Thina managed to pull an elaborate April Fool’s joke. Not likely, though. Had I won a contest I didn’t remember entering? I could not get the horrible feeling that something was off balance out of my head. They felt so unreal, almost alien.

“Uh…” Jensen hesitated. “You sure this is the right woman, Sam?”

Jared nodded – wait: Sam? …and there it was: that tiny piece that didn’t fit the puzzle. I took a step backwards and stumbled over the pile of shoes on the floor.

Once I let go of the door, it flew open, crashing loudly into the metal base for the rain cover overhead, revealing two very tired, very wet Winchesters on my doorstep. Flustered, I accidentally dropped the blanket, showing the shirt I was wearing underneath. It was black with a white ring of salt, and in the middle it said Don’t believe the demons. The look Dean gave me told me everything.

Grabbing anything to stay on my feet, I tore a couple of jackets off the wall before I managed to stabilise myself. “Fuck me!” Not knowing what else to do, waved them inside. “C-come in. Can’t let the one upstairs get ideas now.”

Following my gestures, they stepped inside, after glancing up into the window across the yard. The curtains rustled, and I caught a glimpse of a foot and a backside scurrying out of sight. They hung their jackets in the hallway, but I stopped them.

“Oh no, no… give me your jackets – we’ll hang them in the bathroom. They’ll dry quicker there. And bring your shoes. They’re sopping wet,” I heard my voice say, but it sounded distant. Inside, I was screaming.

I didn’t have much to offer them other than fresh socks and a towel, but they seemed content with it. Sam hung his flannel shirt next to his jacket, and shook his hair, sending droplets everywhere. Dean sent him a threatening look, but followed suit, and soon, both of them were standing in my bathroom, wearing t-shirts and jeans. They were practically naked, and I almost averted my eyes, before I remembered that t-shirts were clothes too.

When I was satisfied they were dry and comfortable, I showed them to my living room, and placed them on my sofa; maybe a little bit more forcefully than necessary, before I sank down into my comfy chair. “So…” I said, slowly finding my way back. “Sam. And Dean. Winchester?” I couldn’t believe I said it out loud.

“Uh-huh.”

“This is insane! Am I sleeping? That’s it, right? I’m dreaming. But you look so real.”

Jensen, no Dean – this was going to take a while getting used to – winked at me. “Oh, we’re real, sweetheart.”

“No. I’m dreaming. Never had a dream so lucid before. Not that I’m complaining. So. What can I do for you?”

“Well…” Sam began, grinning apologetically when his growling stomach roared over his voice.

I got to my feet. “You’re hungry. Shit, I’m gonna make you dinner. It’s about time anyway.” Looking over my shoulder as I dashed to the kitchen, I was half expecting them to pop out of existence, but I really hoped they wouldn’t.

To my surprise, and joy, they got up and followed me.

“You don’t have to,” they said in unison.

“Yes, I do. You’re practically wasting away. Look at you! I never noticed how thin you were getting. And that greasy diner food isn’t healthy you know. No offence, Dean. I know how much you love your burgers.”

“You sound just like Sam.”

Well, it could be worse, I thought to myself. After all, Sam was one of the smartest characters I knew of. People, I corrected myself silently. “That’s because he’s right,” I replied. “When was te last th-time you had a proper dinner, huh?”

Since I wasn’t mentally prepared to talk English, every word was fumbled out, mixing t and d with th and w with v. I grew redder and redder with every blunder. “Sorry about my English,” I muttered, scratching the back of my neck. “I’m better at writing than speaking.” I busied myself with finding the right recipe.

“Oh, it’s fine,” Dean replied with a grin. “You’re understandable.”

Sam nodded. “I think it’s adorable,” he muttered.

Not quite sure I heard what I heard, I decided to file it away in the back of my brain, and ignore it for now. “Uh… what brings you to my humble home? Please don’t tell me it’s haunted? I’ve got too much shit to move again.” I handed Dean a knife and a bundle of carrots. “Help me dice these?”

They both started laughing loudly. “No, no haunting,” Dean snorted. He was surprisingly good at chopping vegetables. Though, when I thought about it, I already knew he had knife skills.

“Good. Too much paperwork,” I joked, cringing inside, then pointed to a bowl on the top shelf. “Sam?”

“We need, uh, to lay low for a while,” Sam started, reaching over me to get the bowl, “so Cas gave us your name and suddenly we weren’t in the motel anymore.”

“Yeah, you’re so very average that the angels can’t find you,” Dean interrupted, waving he knife around, scattering bits of carrot all over the floor.

I opened my mouth and closed it again. That was not the answer I was expecting, and it hurt. I mean: it was true, but hearing it from him was… excruciating.

Sam rolled his eyes and slapped the back of Dean’s head. “What my idiot brother is trying to say is that you’re normal. There’s no magic in you, no special powers –“

I nodded, swallowing fast so they wouldn’t see it. Way to squash my hopes of an extraordinary life. “Mhm.”

Dean nodded too, regret shining in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Synnøve. I didn’t mean… It’s like Sam said: there’s nothing unusual here; nothing the angels can trace.”

“But…” I said, not knowing how to phrase what was on my mind. Instead I gestured with my head towards them, clumsily and silently asking how come the angels couldn’t track them. “I guess they can’t track you personally because of the…” I gestured over my own chest. “You’re hidden. But… but you were sent here by magic, right? Couldn’t they – “

“Well,” Sam nodded with a satisfied smirk, “we landed quite far from here.”

Dean looked absolutely miserable. “Cas sent us to a, a… museum full of dried fish,” he said with a shudder. “God the smell…”

“HAH! …sorry. Yeah, it can be a bit overpowering. So you got sent to the Hanseatic Museum. How’d you…?”

Sam smiled, and I nearly fell over. Never had I thought he would have that kind of power over me in real life. I mean; I spent evenings upon evenings drooling at the TV screen, but to actually see him smile in the flesh? Amazing to the point of painful. “Took the light rail for ages, then a taxi,” he said. “Got your address off the internet.”

Right. Giggling, I measured them up and down: they really were giants. “Well, hope you got a Mercedes at least.”

“Prius,” Dean replied with a disgusting snarl. “I miss my baby.”

As we chatted and joked while cooking, it became clearer and clearer to me that it wasn’t a dream at all, and when everything was done and the food was in the oven, my brain kinda short circuited. Not knowing what to do, I just stood in the middle of the floor, squinting at Sam and Dean.  Mom had never prepared me for something like this.

“So, will you let us stay?” Dean’s voice shook me out of my trance.

I probably stared harder than I should have, but to be honest, this was sort of a dream come true. “Of course. Of course you’re staying. But…” Suddenly a thought occurred to me: where were they going to sleep?

They looked at me in confusion, like they thought I’d changed my mind.

“Um, yeah… my… uh, my house isn’t that big. I’ve got a small bed in the guestroom, and…” I hesitated. This was turning awkward. They were both way too big to sleep on my sofa. Hell, I was too big to sleep on my sofa, even they could see that. I blushed and held my eyes fixed on the Treebeard painting on the wall. “I’ve only got a queen sized in my bedroom –“

“Awesome!” Dean grinned. “Who’s the lucky fucker who gets to share with you?”

Stuttering and turning beet red, I really had no clue how to answer. During my trips to America, I’d come to expect Americans to be forward and bold, but it still took me by surprise; grabbing me by the ankles and hanging me upside down to make sure every drop of blood relocated to my face.

Luckily, Sam came to my rescue. “Rock, paper, scissors. I mean, if… if you’re okay with sharing.” He pointed to Dean and then himself. “We, we could… but…”

Shaking myself out of the haze, I decided to channel my inner American for the moment. “Oh no, it’s fine. I’m fine,” I squeaked, not quite nailing my faux confidence. “I get you guys don’t want to…” Clearing my throat, I turned to put a spoon we’d forgotten into the dishwasher.

My back was turned maybe four seconds, and when I turned back, Sam was beaming, and Dean looked defeated, pouting and frowning. “Oh man!”

It was hard to hide my excitement, but I did my best to put on a neutral face. “Let’s give you the tour. Prepare to walk at least seven steps!”

Opening the door to the first room, I winced from the sight that met me. The bed was made, but littered with unused clothes, and the floor was almost covered by stacks of books and DVDs. Turning to Dean, I grinned apologetically. “Sorry for the mess, I don’t get guests that often. But the bed is soft enough.

And this is the bathroom,” I said moving on quickly after Dean sat his duffle on it, claiming it for his own. “Oh, of course, you already knew that. Um… Just press this button to turn on the floor heating.” Stopping in front of the last door, I hesitated for a second. “My bedroom. This is where you’ll be sleeping, Sam. We… us… I mean…” A small blush crept up my neck, but I don’t think they noticed. They were too busy staring into the room that mirrored my soul almost perfectly.

Every inch of wall was covered in bookshelves, and every shelf held double rows of books. This was also where I kept my Funko Pop collection, and of course the small Impala replica I was so proud to find on my last vacation. Luckily I’d cleaned up all my dirty clothes off the floor earlier that day.

“Wow, Sammy, look at all those books. You’re in heaven here. At least you won’t be bored.”

He had a point. I looked from Sam to Dean and back again. “You’re both probably going to go mad with boredom. If I know you, you both need something to do. But I’ve got both Netflix and Viasat, and as you saw my bedroom’s filled with books, so hopefully it won’t be too painful being stuck here. Oh, and Sam, there’s a pretty good running trail just a bit further up the mountain – if you don’t have to be inside the house at all times.”

Sam looked thrilled. Dean, on the other hand, frowned. He was never the type to sit around hiding from danger, I knew that much. To cheer him up, I brought out my secret weapon. “You know… there’s a go cart track just a short drive up the road too. And I love to bake. Finally I have someone to try new pie recipes on.”

Slowly, a smile spread on Dean’s face. “Oh,” he nodded happily. “We’ll be okay here.”

“Good. All that’s left now is the wifi password, and then –“ I paused, giggling when I heard my alarm go off: Misha was telling me to make it happen, capt’n. “– dinnertime. Help me set the table?”

Dinner turned out great. They both inhaled the food as if they hadn’t eaten in days – which was probably true – and Dean entertained me with funny stories about Sam, to Sam’s huge embarrassment. But he got in a few shots himself, so I deemed the whole thing even, really.

When the sky outside turned darker, and the rain lightened a little bit, Dean suggested we’d watch a movie.

“I’m in! Popcorn’s in the cupboard – takes just a couple of minutes to pop. And candy too – even liquorice, Dean.” Leaving them to pick the movie, I headed for the kitchen to hunt for snacks.

“Ew,” Sam grimaced.

“Hey, don’t hate just because you’ve got an immature palate, Sammy,” Dean snickered.

Poking my head around the door, I put on my most serious Mom-face. “Behave, you two!” I wasn’t able to keep it straight for long, though, and soon I was giggling like a drunk, along with both Sam and Dean, who continued to bicker and joke around while I got all the good stuff out.

Finally, I emerged from the kitchen, balancing a tray with popcorn and three bottles of beer in one hand and a large bowl of candy in the other.

“Scoot.” Dropping a bag of liquorice on Dean, I wedged myself in between them. Sam lifted his arm and I snuggled into his side, and rested my feet in Dean’s lap. “This is perfect,” I sighed, memorising the feeling. I hoped it would never ever end.

Gotta tag my friends:

@awesomeahwu @brynleewolfe @funwithfanfics @babeinthebowtie @savingapplepie-eatingthings @winchesterprincessbride @savvythedork @littlegreenplasticsoldier @youtubehelpsmesurvive @blackcherrywhiskey @mrswhozeewhatsis @schwarzwaelder-kirschtorte @iamreadinginsecret @aiaranradnay

[jessicakehoe]

Annie Murphy on Life After Schitt’s Creek, Her “Biggest Heartbreak” and Dan and Eugene Levy

There isn’t much that’s similar between Annie Murphy and Alexis Rose, the spoiled yet lovable little sister that the Ottawa-born actress plays on CBC’s Schitt’s Creek, particularly in the wardrobe department. Murphy describes her style as “bag lady chic,” whereas Alexis’s wardrobe is just chic. And expensive. But I think I’ve discovered the one piece that could be the sartorial bridge between the two: a pair of grey cashmere sweatpants.

Murphy spots them on a rainy afternoon at Courage My Love, a vintage store in Toronto’s Kensington Market—a place it’s safe to say Alexis would not set one high-heeled foot in—and holds them up with an “Ooh.” The pants in question, soft and slouchy, fit perfectly with Murphy’s relaxed style, but they’re also something Alexis could very well be spotted lounging in at the Rosebud Motel. (They’re cashmere, after all.)

Photography by Carlyle Routh. Styling by Eliza Grossman. Creative Direction by George Antonopoulos. Hair, Sarah Amson for P1M.ca/Bang Salon. Makeup, Ronnie Tremblay for P1M.ca/Marc Jacobs Beauty. Manicure, Shirley Truong for P1M.ca/Tips Nail Bar. Fashion assistant, Ashley Galang. Photography assistants, Mark Luciani and Stacy Spivak. Props by The Props/theprops.ca.

Over beer and guacamole at El Rey Mezcal Bar, Murphy confesses to not having much of an eye for fashion, but after six seasons of working alongside Dan Levy (who plays her brother, David, on the show), she couldn’t help but pick up a few things. “I’ve learned that fashion is something I really do love and appreciate; it’s art,” she says.

“I’ve learned that fashion is something I really do love and appreciate; it’s art.”

“Taking care and pride in how you present to the world and deciding what that’s going to look like—I find that all so fascinating. And it’s amazing to see how it changes the way you carry yourself. But I also find it incredibly daunting. I would love to be super-fashionable, but there are so many options and so many combinations of things, so I just resort to my comfy everyday look.”

Today, that look involves an oversized black-and-white floral maxi-dress with a denim jacket draped over her shoulders and well-worn Chuck Taylors. Her hair is swept up in a messy topknot, her crimson nails are chipped and her face is devoid of any trace of makeup aside from a few swipes of mascara. It’s a contrast to Alexis, who blow-dries and styles her hair every day, thank you very much, whose nails are always glossy and perfect and who never lets her surroundings or schedule dictate the kind of clothes she feels like wearing that day. (A fully-sequined silver mini-dress with thigh-high socks for the first day of community college? Why not?)

Photography by Carlyle Routh. Styling by Eliza Grossman. Creative Direction by George Antonopoulos. Hair, Sarah Amson for P1M.ca/Bang Salon. Makeup, Ronnie Tremblay for P1M.ca/Marc Jacobs Beauty. Manicure, Shirley Truong for P1M.ca/Tips Nail Bar. Fashion assistant, Ashley Galang. Photography assistants, Mark Luciani and Stacy Spivak. Props by The Props/theprops.ca.

That said, the openness, radiant friendliness and candour you see in Alexis are clearly evident in Murphy, too. This may be the mark of an actor who is still fairly unaccustomed to talking endlessly about herself, but for every five questions I ask her, she asks me one about myself: what I’m bingeing on these days, what my favour­ite restaurants are in the city and what my theories are on the fox in Fleabag (which she recently downed on a plane and was blown away by). It’s as if no one told her that the standard rules of social engagement no longer apply now that she’s on a beloved television show.

“I remember being quite young and having this feeling of panic that you’ve only got one life.”

Much has been written about Schitt’s Creek, which has been nominated for multiple Emmys and served as Murphy’s big break. The show belongs in the same camp as Parks and Recreation and Brooklyn Nine-Nine (which is to say it’s nice); its humour never comes at anyone’s expense. Yes, there’s narcissism, selfishness and ludicrous behaviour aplenty (not to mention avant-garde designer threads), but there’s also warmth. The town of Schitt’s Creek is a no-judgment zone.

In particular, David’s pansexuality and the matter-of-fact way in which his romantic relationships are depicted onscreen are a breath of fresh air. Fans from all around the world have sent letters and tweets about how the show has changed their lives. It has encouraged people to open up about their sexuality; gotten others through rough patches in their lives; helped families understand one another better; and generally provided a joyful place to escape to at a time when kindness, love and empathy seem to be in short supply. So while everyone is bingeing on Schitt’s Creek to preserve their sanity, what does Murphy turn to?

Photography by Carlyle Routh. Styling by Eliza Grossman. Creative Direction by George Antonopoulos. Hair, Sarah Amson for P1M.ca/Bang Salon. Makeup, Ronnie Tremblay for P1M.ca/Marc Jacobs Beauty. Manicure, Shirley Truong for P1M.ca/Tips Nail Bar. Fashion assistant, Ashley Galang. Photography assistants, Mark Luciani and Stacy Spivak. Props by The Props/theprops.ca.

Lately, she’s been watching Broad City, but The Office is her “go-to safety blanket and has been for a long, long time.” The books she has been reading, however, are anything but cheery. She just finished The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt’s epic story about a young boy who loses his mother in a terrorist attack; Rohinton Mistry’s A Fine Balance, about the violent period in India’s history known as The Emergency, is one of her favourite books; and she just started Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life, a book filled with such anguish that anyone who has ever read it will offer words of caution to others about to embark on the same sorrowful journey (as I do with Murphy). “I’ve just started it, but from all accounts it’s literally going to get exponentially worse every chapter I read,” she says. “I don’t know why I’m doing this to myself, but I’ve got The Office to balance me out.”

“She’s not a bad person; she’s actually quite a good and kind and selfless person. But it was all really deep down and had to be mined out.”

Books, incidentally, are what got Murphy interested in acting in the first place. Her parents, who still live in Ottawa, were both teachers, and her father read to her a lot when she was a child. “I remember being quite young and having this feeling of panic that you’ve only got one life. I think books are the first step to kind of overcoming that, because you can be a different person and live different lives in different places and have different experiences all through books. And then acting is an extension of that—being able to be another person for a while.”

Photography by Carlyle Routh. Styling by Eliza Grossman. Creative Direction by George Antonopoulos. Hair, Sarah Amson for P1M.ca/Bang Salon. Makeup, Ronnie Tremblay for P1M.ca/Marc Jacobs Beauty. Manicure, Shirley Truong for P1M.ca/Tips Nail Bar. Fashion assistant, Ashley Galang. Photography assistants, Mark Luciani and Stacy Spivak. Props by The Props/theprops.ca.

Murphy fell in love with acting in high school and subsequently enrolled at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., which she abandoned a year later in favour of a better theatre program at Concordia in Montreal. She loved the experience and the city, but work opportunities were slim, with auditions for roles as juicy as “hot werewolf with no lines” coming her way once every couple of months. So after six years in Montreal, she moved to Toronto, where she starred in The Plateaus, a 2015 web series about four insufferable musicians, which she also co-created. “That was kind of the scene I was living in at that point,” she says. “My husband was in a band, so I was constantly surrounded by band dudes and band stories and that whole scene. It’s all so easy to laugh at, especially when people are taking themselves too seriously, which is often the case.”

“My house had just burned down, I hadn’t booked a job in two years, I had $400 in my bank account and I’d absolutely shat the bed on my very first screen test out in L.A.”

Finding the humanity and relatability in difficult people is clearly a Murphy specialty. “On paper, Alexis is a bit of a handful and incredibly selfish, and she could be taken as a ditzy blond. But it was really important to me to not have her be unlikable because I think so much of who she is is based on her surroundings and her environment,” she explains. “She’s not a bad person; she’s actually quite a good and kind and selfless person. But it was all really deep down and had to be mined out.”

Photography by Carlyle Routh. Styling by Eliza Grossman. Creative Direction by George Antonopoulos. Hair, Sarah Amson for P1M.ca/Bang Salon. Makeup, Ronnie Tremblay for P1M.ca/Marc Jacobs Beauty. Manicure, Shirley Truong for P1M.ca/Tips Nail Bar. Fashion assistant, Ashley Galang. Photography assistants, Mark Luciani and Stacy Spivak. Props by The Props/theprops.ca.

“I think a lot of my idea for Alexis was formed when I met Annie and when I saw her take on the character,” says Dan, who co-created the show and also shares wardrobe duty with costume designer Debra Hanson. “As soon as I saw her, I knew we were going down a path of high-end, easy French design, like the Isabels and the A.P.C.s and the Chloés, you know—softer pieces from those collections.”

“To be able to wear these absolutely outrageous outfits every day was such a treat,” says Murphy, who kept a chunky Isabel Marant sweater and snakeskin Gucci sandals from Alexis’s wardrobe when the series wrapped after its sixth season (which is set to premiere on CBC in January 2020).

“It was a serious lesson in losing things, but it was an even bigger lesson that things are just things and can be replaced in one way or another.”

Twyla Sands, the Café Tropical waitress played by Sarah Levy (yes, she’s Dan’s sister), may be the eternal optimist on the show, but Alexis also has a way of always looking for a silver lining, which is evident in Murphy as well. “I think our similarities lie in our desire to find the good in a situation and to try and spin things toward the positive instead of the negative,” she says. It’s what helped Murphy get through the “very, very bleak” period right before her Schitt’s Creek audition.

“My house had just burned down, I hadn’t booked a job in two years, I had $400 in my bank account and I’d absolutely shat the bed on my very first screen test out in L.A.,” she explains. Although she and her husband were out of town when it happened, that fire was a learning experience, but it took its toll. “When my place burned down, it was a serious lesson in losing things, but it was an even bigger lesson that things are just things and can be replaced in one way or another,” she says.

“I realized that there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel; you just don’t quite know when you’ll be bathed in it.”

“That said, my biggest heartbreak was losing my teddy bear named Worthington that had been my buddy since I was born. We’d seen some shit together, so he was a tough one to lose.” She was all set to throw in the towel and give up on acting but serendipitously got a call to audition for Alexis two days later. “I realized that there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel; you just don’t quite know when you’ll be bathed in it.”

Now, after nearly six years in a life-changing job, it’s time for Murphy to go back to the drawing board. “A different drawing board,” she concedes, but a daunting one nonetheless. A drawing board that’s got “co-starred with Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara” tacked to it, though, isn’t a shabby place to be, and Murphy is quick to point out how invaluable the experience was.

“They’re people I admire as professionals and as human beings. I really want to try and model myself after them as much as possible.”

“It was a schooling every single day from two of the best comedic actors in the world,” she says. “I hope that I took something away with me through osmosis. They’ve been working together for 45 years, and they’re absolute professionals, but they have so much fun—they’re so playful and so kind to everybody and so respectful of everybody. They’re people I admire as professionals and as human beings. I really want to try and model myself after them as much as possible.”

O’Hara, who plays Murphy’s mother on the show, is equally effusive in her own praise. “Annie is truly funny, on and off set. She’s quick-witted and has a great sense of humour, not just about the world around her, but about herself. Annie has made Alexis a naturally funny, sweet, vulnerable, unique character, so that no matter what her scenes require, she is always hilarious and touching and totally believable. She really makes me laugh.”

While she looks for her next project, Murphy is using the free time she has to do a bit of writing (she hopes to write something of her own—“a show or a play or a short”—soon) as well as reading (obviously), taking long walks and…eavesdropping. “It’s one of my very favourite things to do,” she says. “At a bar or a café, I put one earphone in, pretend to read and just listen to the conversations around me. I have a long list of notes on my phone. Ideas, things I heard, stories I heard, collected from people who didn’t know I was listening…so stolen, really.”

Photography by Carlyle Routh. Styling by Eliza Grossman. Creative Direction by George Antonopoulos. Hair, Sarah Amson for P1M.ca/Bang Salon. Makeup, Ronnie Tremblay for P1M.ca/Marc Jacobs Beauty. Manicure, Shirley Truong for P1M.ca/Tips Nail Bar. Fashion assistant, Ashley Galang. Photography assistants, Mark Luciani and Stacy Spivak. Props by The Props/theprops.ca.

The victims of her theft likely wouldn’t be too offended. Over the course of my afternoon with her, at least four sets of people came up to us to politely—but effusively—tell her how much they love the show. It’s something she says she’s still trying to get used to. But it’s a helpful reminder that the show’s message of love and kindness resonates with people around the world. For Murphy, it’s reinforcing something she has long known and practised. “I love being nice,” she laughs. “It’s one of my favourite things.” There’s even an homage to it tattooed on her body—a silhouette of Jimmy Stewart with his arm around his imaginary friend/rabbit from the heartwarming 1950 film Harvey.

It’s a reminder, she says, that people should be free to believe in whomever and whatever they like, as long as it isn’t hurting anybody, and to always lead with kindness and empathy.

Photography by Carlyle Routh. Styling by Eliza Grossman. Creative Direction by George Antonopoulos. Hair, Sarah Amson for P1M.ca/Bang Salon. Makeup, Ronnie Tremblay for P1M.ca/Marc Jacobs Beauty. Manicure, Shirley Truong for P1M.ca/Tips Nail Bar. Fashion assistant, Ashley Galang. Photography assistants, Mark Luciani and Stacy Spivak. Props by The Props/theprops.ca.

Photography by Carlyle Routh. Styling by Eliza Grossman. Creative Direction by George Antonopoulos. Hair, Sarah Amson for P1M.ca/Bang Salon. Makeup, Ronnie Tremblay for P1M.ca/Marc Jacobs Beauty. Manicure, Shirley Truong for P1M.ca/Tips Nail Bar. Fashion assistant, Ashley Galang. Photography assistants, Mark Luciani and Stacy Spivak. Props by The Props/theprops.ca.

Photography by Carlyle Routh. Styling by Eliza Grossman. Creative Direction by George Antonopoulos. Hair, Sarah Amson for P1M.ca/Bang Salon. Makeup, Ronnie Tremblay for P1M.ca/Marc Jacobs Beauty. Manicure, Shirley Truong for P1M.ca/Tips Nail Bar. Fashion assistant, Ashley Galang. Photography assistants, Mark Luciani and Stacy Spivak. Props by The Props/theprops.ca.

Photography by Carlyle Routh. Styling by Eliza Grossman. Creative Direction by George Antonopoulos. Hair, Sarah Amson for P1M.ca/Bang Salon. Makeup, Ronnie Tremblay for P1M.ca/Marc Jacobs Beauty. Manicure, Shirley Truong for P1M.ca/Tips Nail Bar. Fashion assistant, Ashley Galang. Photography assistants, Mark Luciani and Stacy Spivak. Props by The Props/theprops.ca.

Photography by Carlyle Routh. Styling by Eliza Grossman. Creative Direction by George Antonopoulos. Hair, Sarah Amson for P1M.ca/Bang Salon. Makeup, Ronnie Tremblay for P1M.ca/Marc Jacobs Beauty. Manicure, Shirley Truong for P1M.ca/Tips Nail Bar. Fashion assistant, Ashley Galang. Photography assistants, Mark Luciani and Stacy Spivak. Props by The Props/theprops.ca.

Photography by Carlyle Routh. Styling by Eliza Grossman. Creative Direction by George Antonopoulos. Hair, Sarah Amson for P1M.ca/Bang Salon. Makeup, Ronnie Tremblay for P1M.ca/Marc Jacobs Beauty. Manicure, Shirley Truong for P1M.ca/Tips Nail Bar. Fashion assistant, Ashley Galang. Photography assistants, Mark Luciani and Stacy Spivak. Props by The Props/theprops.ca.

Photography by Carlyle Routh. Styling by Eliza Grossman. Creative Direction by George Antonopoulos. Hair, Sarah Amson for P1M.ca/Bang Salon. Makeup, Ronnie Tremblay for P1M.ca/Marc Jacobs Beauty. Manicure, Shirley Truong for P1M.ca/Tips Nail Bar. Fashion assistant, Ashley Galang. Photography assistants, Mark Luciani and Stacy Spivak. Props by The Props/theprops.ca.

Photography by Carlyle Routh. Styling by Eliza Grossman. Creative Direction by George Antonopoulos. Hair, Sarah Amson for P1M.ca/Bang Salon. Makeup, Ronnie Tremblay for P1M.ca/Marc Jacobs Beauty. Manicure, Shirley Truong for P1M.ca/Tips Nail Bar. Fashion assistant, Ashley Galang. Photography assistants, Mark Luciani and Stacy Spivak. Props by The Props/theprops.ca.

Photography by Carlyle Routh. Styling by Eliza Grossman. Creative Direction by George Antonopoulos. Hair, Sarah Amson for P1M.ca/Bang Salon. Makeup, Ronnie Tremblay for P1M.ca/Marc Jacobs Beauty. Manicure, Shirley Truong for P1M.ca/Tips Nail Bar. Fashion assistant, Ashley Galang. Photography assistants, Mark Luciani and Stacy Spivak. Props by The Props/theprops.ca.

1/9

Annie Murphy of Schitt’s Creek for FASHION Magazine

Top, $2,495, Sportmax, pants, $630, Beaufille, and shoes, price upon request, Burberry.

2/9

Annie Murphy of Schitt’s Creek for FASHION Magazine

Dress, $9,100, Hermès. Earrings, $125, Jenny Bird.

3/9

Annie Murphy of Schitt’s Creek for FASHION Magazine

Dress, price upon request, and belt, $350, JW Anderson. Boots, $2,500, Hermès.

4/9

Annie Murphy of Schitt’s Creek for FASHION Magazine

Top, $1,050, Chloé at Holt Renfrew. Jacket, $2,590, Max Mara, and pants, $1,435, Kwaidan Editions, at The Room. Necklaces, from $110, Cuchara. Shoes, price upon request, Burberry.

5/9

Annie Murphy of Schitt’s Creek for FASHION Magazine

Jacket, price upon request, top, $1,055, and pants, $1,190, Sies Marjan. Earrings, $125, Cuchara. Boots, $2,500, Hermès.

6/9

Annie Murphy of Schitt’s Creek for FASHION Magazine

Jacket, price upon request, and pants, $1,190, Sies Marjan.

7/9

Annie Murphy of Schitt’s Creek for FASHION Magazine

Dress, $4,640, Prada. Belt, $350, JW Anderson. Bracelet (worn as necklace), $9,500, Tiffany & Co. Sunglasses, $500, Sportmax.

8/9

Annie Murphy of Schitt’s Creek for FASHION Magazine

Coat, $4,090, jacket, $2,990, top, $1,720, and skirt, $2,490, Burberry. Bracelet (worn as necklace), $9,500, Tiffany & Co.

9/9

Annie Murphy of Schitt’s Creek for FASHION Magazine

Jacket, $5,900, Dior. Top, $995, Roksanda at The Room. Pants, $1,190, Sies Marjan. Ring, $125, Jenny Bird.

The post Annie Murphy on Life After <em>Schitt’s Creek</em>, Her “Biggest Heartbreak” and Dan and Eugene Levy appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Annie Murphy on Life After Schitt’s Creek, Her “Biggest Heartbreak” and Dan and Eugene Levy published first on https://borboletabags.tumblr.com/

[anneedmonds]

Christmas Gift Guide 2019: Men

I’m going to start with the men’s gift guide, this year, so that it doesn’t come across as an afterthought. Don’t you think that a lot of the time men’s gift guides are just far less exciting and inspirational than the women’s ones? I find them so difficult to put together – but then I find buying things for Mr AMR quite complicated, so I suppose it’s not surprising. What I think he might like is always so far from the truth – in my mind, he wants a swanky new Tom Ford wallet, in reality he is in his element going around the garden with his battery-operated leaf-blower.

True story.

So here are some ideas for men’s Christmas presents. I’ve tried to cover all bases and price points but let it be known that it is hard not to be drawn into featuring the usual suspects. A shaving set. Novelty socks. Some funky-looking vodka. A soap that looks like a turd…

OK, the first thing I want to talk about is something called Masterclass. Have you seen this advertised? It’s so good. It’s basically a series of video masterclasses from leaders in their fields – so you can have, for example, a film-making masterclass with Jodie Foster, makeup lessons with Bobbi Brown, beat-making classes with Timbaland and high-powered, motivational business classes with some of the world’s highest achievers. It’s such an excellent gift idea and a full access pass, which gives you access to all of the lessons from violin-playing to haute cuisine-cooking, is £170. And it’s currently buy one get one free. One for them, one for you. What’s not to like?

I think that this is the perfect gift whether you’re happy in your career and just want to broaden your interests or dying for some inspiration to turn your life around. I’ve already joined and I think it’s absolutely genius – I’ll be reviewing soon, so watch this space!

Masterclass, £170 for 12 months here.

Mr AMR wouldn’t forgive me if I didn’t talk about his battery-powered leaf-blower, so here it is: the Ego Power Plus blower. Mr AMR would also like it to be known that all of the Ego garden tools are very good, including the lawnmower. You have a rechargeable battery pack that fits into all of them and is interchangeable, so you can go from mowing to blowing at the blink of an eye. He bought all of his many, many, many tools from Ego Power Plus here.

Note that the backpack blower makes whoever’s wearing it look like a character from Ghostbusters. Which is a comedy bonus.

Something else from Mr AMR’s list of favourites; the Samsung Frame TV. In all fairness, this would be on my own favourites list because it has completely changed the look of my living room. I think we have the older model now, but they look pretty much the same; it’s a TV with a wooden bezel (frame) that sits absolutely flush with the wall so that it looks like a gallery-hung picture. The screen displays a picture whenever the TV is off and it looks completely realistic. I can’t recommend this TV enough, especially if you – like me – absolutely detest the look of televisions on walls.

Find the Frame at John Lewis here* – from £999.

One last thing from Mr AMR before we move on to gifting pastures new: the Bed of Nails, which has been featured many times in the past. It’s one of his most prized possessions, this mat-with-spikes and he slides it out from its hiding place beneath the bed whenever he has a headache or can’t sleep properly. I have no idea whether it actually cures headaches or helps you to sleep properly but he swears by it for just about every ailment and sense of discomfort. He says that he enjoys the pain of the spikes – “it’s a nice pain”. Worrying.

Find the Bed of Nails online at Cult Beauty here* – it’s an unusual – but hopefully very useful – present.

Oh, OK, one more idea from Mr AMR because he did spend ages lying in the bath writing his list to help me out… Brace yourselves for this one people… Third on his list? The Bose Frames Audio Sunglasses*. Sunglasses that play your audio through the sunglasses. Sounds weird, doesn’t it? It is totally and utterly weird. But Mr AMR has tried them and can vouch that they do indeed play music via the material of the sunglasses and that it somehow magically ends up inside your ears. Who knows how? Who cares? Surely this is the future! Buy these and he can wear them when he’s riding his hoverboard to work…

Bose Frames are £199 at Amazon here*.

Whilst we’re Back to the Future, let’s take a look at the Apple Air Pods Pro, £249 from Apple here*. Currently with free engraving, which perhaps makes it a bit more of a thoughtful, personalised gift – tech always feels quite sterile to me! Anyway, these noise-cancelling, fully-immersive in-ear pods are the absolute bees knees – even if they do make it look as though you’re talking to yourself when you take a call on them…

If Apple’s enthusiastic pricing is a little too – er – steep, then plump for these noise-cancelling headphones from Sony. They’re comfy, effective and are a comparative snip at £79. Find them at Amazon here*.

Now we’re really cooking on gas! Or charcoal… The Everdure BBQ by Heston Blumenthal is compact and perfect for stowing away on camping trips. For some reason I can’t imagine Heston Blumenthal cooking on a BBQ, I only see him lifting heavy pans in the kitchen, but still: the BBQ is really cleverly designed. Find it at Amazon here* – it’s £149.

Continuing along the catering line of thought, I’d like to introduce you to a really excellent coffee machine. I know it is because I bought it for Mr AMR last year and he makes coffee for anyone who passes within a three mile radius of the house, because he seems to have an easily triggered hospitality reflex, so it has been tested to its limits. It’s the De’Longhi Magnifica and it’s robust, reasonably compact and makes great coffee. I’ve been told. Don’t touch the stuff – I prefer wine. Find it at Amazon here* – it’s currently £249.99 in the Black Friday sale.

Random quirky-luxe item: the Burberry Cow Print Leather Wallet, £280 at Liberty here*. I rather like this for myself!

Random quirky-luxe item 2: the Crocodile Letter Opener, £45 at Liberty here*.

I am adamant that Taschen’s Helmut Newton book is one of the best coffee table books (if not the best) that money can buy. It’s sexy, it’s fascinating and it’s absolutely HUGE – they don’t call it the Sumo for nothing! This one is a total showstopper and costs £100 here* but I see that there’s a newer edition that’s a standard book size. You can find the slightly smaller one here* for £55. Helmut Newton is one of my favourite photographers, there’s just always something new to pick up on in the images. He’ll never grow tired of this book…

And for those who would rather do some downstairs loo learning than look at glossy nudes, there’s I Used To Know That: Stuff You Forgot From School, £5.24 at Amazon here*. He’ll be boring you with academic facts for the entire holiday season…

A rocket vodka decanter. Because who doesn’t need a Vodka Decanter? Jonathan Adler, always the King of Fun… Find it here* at Selfridges, £150. So cool. There’s also a gin and a whiskey one, if you fancy a Starfleet moment.

I’ve been dying to include this in my gift guides: I, Robot: How To Be A Footballer 2, by Peter Crouch. Perhaps an unusual choice for someone who has absolutely zero interest in football or footballers, but I read an extract in The Times a while back and it was really quite excellent. I bought it straight away and it’s on my book pile waiting to be started. Yes, I’m going to read a book about football. The world must be ending. Find Peter Crouch’s second bestseller on Amazon here*.

Could this be the world’s hottest chilli sauce? It’s called, simply, Regret. Made on the Wiltshire Chilli Farm, I can’t think of a more worthy grocery item for filling a stocking… Find it on Amazon here*, it’s £14.95.

The Tiger Who Came To Tea: this’ll keep his pens in order. I love these pen pots from Quail – they also do egg cups and vases, all of them slightly kitsch and offbeat. Find the tiger one at Liberty here* – it’s £25.

Beatles Monopoly – the classic Christmas game gets a rock ‘n’ roll update. £45 at Selfridges here*.

Can’t find the perfect trainers for him? Why not take my very risky and potentially quite dangerous route and customise him a pair? This is probably the worst suggestion I’m ever going to make and you’ll have to forgive me in advance – sometimes unlimited choice isn’t the best thing… Haha. Go crazy, go wild, he’ll hate them but he can’t take them back! If only you could have your face printed on them… £85 at Nike here*.

A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood; a classic, chic stocking filler with a gorgeous vintage feel. This’ll keep him occupied over the holidays, when he’s not leaf-blowing or puking over your customised trainer design. £6.47 at Amazon here*.

Finally, the Drop Wireless Charger from Native Union is a sleek, chic phone charger that looks space-age and takes up hardly any room. This is currently £26.99 on Amazon* but is almost fifty quid on one of my much-frequented luxury websites! A slick piece of tech that won’t break the bank…

The post Christmas Gift Guide 2019: Men appeared first on A Model Recommends.

Christmas Gift Guide 2019: Men was first posted on November 26, 2019 at 4:39 pm. ©2018 "A Model Recommends". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at contact@amodelrecommends.com Christmas Gift Guide 2019: Men published first on https://medium.com/@SkinAlley

[dagdstyle-blog]

So years ago I saw on Instagram (I believe it was Papanui’s) a pair of John Lofgren donkey punchers. At first I was like wtf is this? It was a pair of boots, but with lace holes that seemed to extend further down the vamp than normal so that they kinda looked like an angry pug. And then there was this funny moustache thing coming out from the laces and the curvy, slightly effeminate heels. I was not immediately taken by the style but the image swam to the back of my mind to be retrieved at a later date.

During my visit to Blue Works vintage clothing I saw Steve wearing a similar design but without the moustache (which I later learned is called a false tongue or kiltie). I believe his are a two-tone version where the upper and the lower leathers are different colours. The combination of extra lacing and rounded toe makes for a heavy-duty, tough-looking boot. Steve was wearing his with OG107 fatigue pants and I thought they looked bloody great. I learned that his pair was from Wesco and I slowly but surely fell down the rabbit hole of Pacific Northwest boot companies.

Anyone interested in menswear, workwear or raw denim knows Red Wing. They’re a household name. But the bootmakers of the Pacific Northwest region of America have their own rep and diehard followers, many of whom use their boots for the intended purpose: logging and firefighting. The most famous brand in this group is undisputedly White’s. Their iconic Smoke Jumpers are named after the brave firefighters who parachute into wildfires. Although these boots are very customisable and have been adopted for fashion purposes by some, their form derives from their function.

The original versions of Smoke Jumpers usually come in 10-12 inch heights to maximise foot and ankle support for the wearer (often as they try to negotiate steep hills, uneven ground, for 12 hour working days). The logger/cuban heels allows better traction and gait and provide the wearer maximum comfort. White’s also come with “arch-ease” where leather layers are stacked to support the foot arch so the wearer’s weight is spread over a wider area. Firefighters, loggers and White’s fans swear they are slipper/sneaker comfortable after the break-in period (which can be painful). The removable false tongue was originally included to protect the actual tongue from the laces, but these days the tongue is made materials tough enough to stand up to the laces. False tongues are still included because traditionally that’s just how logger boots are supposed to look. The extended lacing called “lace-to-toe” allows further adjustments to secure the boot to the foot more tightly and may prevent tripping. Roofer boots aka monkey boots also feature LTT for similar reasons.

The boots are constructed using a stitchdown method, which differs from goodyear-welt in that the upper is turned out and stitched directly to the midsole and outsole as opposed to a welt strip. If you live in America, you can easily send the boots back to White’s for a resole or even a rebuild. The boots are individually hand-made and you can see the quality is really a step up from entry-level boots like my Chippewas.

The custom options are also mind-boggling and a bit overwhelming to a newbie. Luckily there is this helpful guide on reddit and also this enormous Styleforum thread which is extremely informative and entertaining to read through. You can really customize anything from having different combination of leathers and colours on the uppers, to different boot heights, to different materials for hardware. You can have all eyes for the laces or eyes and speedhooks, cuban/logger heel or block heel, different heel heights, or different sole options. I originally thought I wanted a wedge sole, but ended up ordering a logger/cuban heel to take advantage of the arch-support system (the wedge sole needs a flatter shank and therefore the footbed is flatter and less arch-supporty). I was really tempted to order the boots in the “Hotshots” configuration (black smooth upper and black roughout vamp) because I watched “Only the Brave” recently (complete tangent – you should definitely check this movie out – it is based on the tragic true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots).

In the end, I opted for unlined black chromexcel uppers in a 7 inch height which is about as tall as I’d be willing to go before the lacing becomes too unweldy. I went for the Vibram 100 lug soles to maximize my wear before a resole is required (not exactly which cobbler can do stitchdown resoles in Sydney since it’s a bit trickier than goodyearwelt) and standard heel height plus logger heels. I got speedhooks for the shaft with eyelets for the top holes which are a bit more secure. Contrary to what the Japanese market loves to do, I didn’t get a double midsole. I think the lug soles are tall enough (I stand a good 2 inches taller with these boots on).

I ordered these boots from Baker shoe around May but thanks to a PayPal stuff up, didn’t get them til this week. But all thanks to the Baker shoe guys, they got the order done pretty quick and I had my boots in about 4 weeks from the day we realised the error had occurred. They even threw in an extra set of leather laces for me.

The first thing I noticed when I took the boots out of the box was how substantial they were. These are serious boots and make my other boots look like little flimsy toys. The clicking is immaculate and the stitching is neat and consistent. I know some people have issues with White’s being more function than form (which I don’t really think is a fair gripe since they are designed for function) so the occasional aesthetic oddity creeps up. I couldn’t see anything wrong with my pair except a bit of leather fibre had managed to get caught under a stitch so I prized it out with my awl (handy being a leather-worker).

First day wearing them was not nearly as painful as some make it out to be (there’s even a name for it: white bite). No doubt being unlined chromexcel and wearing thick boot socks helped. There was a tiny bit of pressure over the toes and that was about it. The higher heel and strangely supportive arch does take a bit of getting used to. A week and a half in and they are almost slipper-like. They are very comfy boots and I can see myself reaching for these over my less supportive shoes in the future. These are heavy boots though so I do notice the difference when I am say, going up a flight of stairs.

The profile looks extremely bulbous from the top down but side on, they have a certain sweeping grace to them. I do love the lace-to-toe look and have discovered a treasure trove of Japanese makers who do LTT. More on those in a later post…

Fit-wise I have read some people size a half or full size down from their brannock size. However going true to size allows thick socks to be worn, and since I would primarily be wearing these in the cooler months, I went TTS. The toebox is roomy but I didn’t have any heelslip and the extended lacing allows for more adjustment. I’m not sure if they will become more roomy as the chromexcel wears in and stretches a bit – will report in later.

These are strictly workboots so really they only go with workwear/military styles, which is fine since I almost exclusively wear denim these days. They would definitely work with chinos, fatigues, and possibly even some heavy tweeds.

If you like the logger boot look, other options to check out are Nick’s, Wesco, John Lofgren, Lone Wolf, and Rolling Dub Trio.

Smoke Jumper So years ago I saw on Instagram (I believe it was Papanui's) a pair of John Lofgren…

[waytwohaught-blog]

Outstanding Hiking Equipment

Here are some amazing webpages portable gas stove, best warm socks, camping shower tent. Hiking Equipment

If you intend to go hiking this summer time, or appreciate hiking as a portion of your year-round activities, making sure you have all the appropriate gear in spot will help you to get the most out of your hiking, while ensuring that you even now seem very good when you’re out on the trail.

Of course, dependent on where you’re going to be hiking, you will usually need to have various sorts of gear, but we’ll come to that shortly. By ensuring you’ve received good hiking shoes, it will keep away from common walking difficulties from cropping up, such as blisters and sores, which can damage an otherwise actually wonderful day.

Hiking Boots

Between the essentials in any set of hiking gear would absolutely be hiking boots. And you will need to select them meticulously based on where you’re preparing on walking. For most functions, a very good set of hiking boots should continue to be waterproof and supply assistance especially to the ankles, which can frequently twist effortlessly if you’re going to be hiking for a extended day or on rough terrain.

Personally, I favor a good solid boot with no anything too fancy. But truly, it is a situation of experimenting with your preferences and striving on a few different designs and brands until you’re satisfied with your choice. Once you’ve received them, devote a bit of time hiking regularly while breaking them in, and soon enough, you’ll have a pair of hiking boots that will practically come to feel as even though they’re a element of your feet.

Pants

If you’ve ever identified yourself hiking on the trail with the pants chafing between your legs, then you’ll know that obtaining the proper pair of trousers is crucial. Polypropylene is the normal materials employed for hiking trousers because it is cozy and quick-drying. Aside from being relaxed, I like my hiking pants to have lots of pockets for storing granola bars or practically something that you require fast accessibility to on the trail.

When deciding on my hiking trousers, I typically go for the ones that have the reduced legs which can be zipped off, and be converted into shorts. It may just be a tiny point, but when the heat is baking, then putting the bottom of the legs into the pack and getting on with the hiking does come to feel excellent.

Shirts And Base Layers

When it comes to hiking, the base layer is most likely the most essential garment that you will put on, second to your boots. A very good base layer will be wicking away the sweat from your skin, while ensuring that you remain at the right temperature. Most critical of all, you want to be sure that you’re comfy, so attempt a few various resources, and make sure you’re satisfied with the one you select, and it’ll search after you while you’re hiking.

Once you commence moving on to shirts and fleeces, the previous adage about thinner layers and lots of them being much better than a tiny quantity of thicker layers is totally accurate. If you’re hiking to the truly cold regions, a thicker coat can be a very good addition, but most hiking journeys will suffice with a few layers and a set of waterproofs.

Conclusion

Hiking gear is definitely an spot where you will have plenty of selection. Just make certain that you take your time in picking out the right hiking gear, and if you look after it, it will appear after you while you’re hiking.

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