#this reminds me of my high school band director who would cut us off and say “just do better” like wow yeah what constructive criticism

[jewish-microwave-laser]

Tumblr didn’t nuke you for being trans, they nuked you for being a fucking bad and problematic person. Do better.

omg wait did i get cancelled and not even realize it? can someone link me the callout i wanna see

[im-the-punk-who]

What in the good grief is Julie and the Phantoms about? Are there ghosts?? I think there are?? Help

I hope this helped you to understand the most Wholesome Content Ever Produced that is Julie and the Himbos Phantoms

(Image Description below the cut)

[Start Image Descriptions]

A ten image slideshow describing different characters and elements of the show ‘Julie and the Phantoms’

1) Title slide with text that reads ‘Julie and the Phantoms! What the fuck is it about! Singing? Ghosts?? Himbos??? Singing Ghost Himbos????‘ Surrounding the text are images of the main characters singing together.

2) Slide titled ‘Okay so to start off: This is Julie Molina’ There are four images of Julie, a puerto rican teenager with long curly hair. She is shown singing in a variety of colorful outfits. The text on the slide is a list which reads:

She’s the best

Also the prettiest

Fashion Sense out of this world

Controls the braincell 100% of the time

A kickass  singer

Look at her she’s great you love her yes you do

Not a ghost she’s a high school student

She’s doesn’t want to do high school, she just wants to sing. And she’s valid because she is very good at singing. If only she had a band of emotional support himbos to sing with. Oh, woe.

3) Slide titled ‘Wait!! This is Flynn, aka emergency brain cell holder‘ There are three images of Julie’s best friend Flynn, a black teenager with very long hair in tight box braids. In the images she is shown DJing, talking to Julie and listening to a song Julie wrote for her. The text on the slide reads:

She’s Julie’s best friend

Very good at her job

Also a DJ

Also very good at this

Just generally a 10 unafraid to call other 10s out when they’re dumb

Deserves to be canonized for putting up with just literally so much

She is mostly important because her friendship with Julie is one of the emotional rocks of the show and I think that’s just really important

4) Slide titled ‘This is Alex, Luke, and Reggie‘ There are three images of Alex, Luke, and Reggie in a variety of silly poses or making silly faces. Alex is a white teenager with medium blond hair and blue eyes whose fashion sense consists mostly of a torn jean jacket and pink hoodie with jeans. Reggie is a white teen with slicked back dark hair and eyes dressed in a typical punk outfit, black leather jacket and jeans, and red and black plaid shirt. Luke is a white teenager with mid length brown hair and eyes dressed in sleeveless shirts and jeans. The text on the slide reads:

Oh look, a band made entirely of emotional support himbos

Not a single brain cell between them

Director saw the 2016 Ghostbusters and went ‘Chris Hemsworth’s character but three of them’

They died because they ate bad hot dogs on the night they     were supposed to play a gig that was going to change their lives and then came back as ghosts bc they have unfinished business

They’re so dumb oh my god they’re so dumb

The capacity for love between these three and Julie is literally the most wholesome thing in contemporary media no I will not be taking criticism on this

5) Slide titled ‘Alex gets his own slide because I love him‘. On the slide are images of Alex signing and playing the drums, dancing, and having a serious conversation with his love interest Willie, who is a teenager with mid-tone brown skin and long black hair tied up in a bun. Alex is dressed in his customary jean jacket and pink hoodie. Text on the slide reads:

One thought and it is ‘Gay’

Alex cried for twenty five years while the band was in limbo 

Correction two thoughts ‘Gay’ and ‘Anxious’

Purest ray of sunshine

I would steal his jean jacket but then he would be sad and that is illegal

Loves his skater boyfriend a lot

‘Willie and I? - Well I wouldn’t call it magic but I mean...’

He’s so dumb I love him a normal amount

6) Slide titled ‘Reggie also gets his own slide because I love him too‘ On the slide are images of Reggie singing and playing the electric guitar, smiling, and dancing. He is wearing a variation of his black leather jacket with red and black plaid and black jeans. Text on the slide reads:

Zero thoughts not a single one

Put all his stat points into pop-punk fashion

Is doing a great job

You know that one friend who everyone wonders how they make it out of their house in the morning without detailed instructions

My most precious son

Brain probably just a Paramore song on repeat

7) Slide titled ‘Luke gets his own slide otherwise Laynie will block me‘ On the slide are images of Luke singing and playing the electric guitar, smiling, and looking confused. He is wearing a variety of sleeveless jacket and t shirt combinations with rock band logos on the tshirts. Text on the slide reads:

The gender envy of lesbians everywhere

Thinks Julie Molina is the best person in the world (and he’s right)

Wrote a sad song once it was very sad many feelings eyes full of tears we all cried

Guns are out whether or not the sun is out

Pure of heart dumb of everywhere

Looks like he would be the token straight except there are none of those in this show

8) Slide titled ‘Willie‘ with five hearts in rainbow colors after his name. Images on the slide are of Willie with a skateboard and helmet, in a stylized tux looking fondly at Alex, and two additional images looking off camera. Text on the slide reads:

Alex’s ghost boyfriend

Chaotic child let loose on the streets of LA

A perfect angel, his idea of a good time is harassing cops

Just generally a sweetheart whom I love with my whole being

Holding out for a himbo

Helps his himbo boyfriend through his panic attacks

Sometimes screaming in a museum is something that can be so personal

Only nice things happen to Willie

Gentle reminder I would die and/or kill for Willie

9) Slide titled: ‘But wait is there a plot what’s going on’ There are two images, one of Reggie, Luke, and Alex eating hot dogs on a ratty couch and one of them standing behind Julie as she plays the piano backlit by the sunset in a sunroom filled with plants. Text on the slide reads:

25 years ago a band named Sunset Curve was set to become the next big thing. Just before their breakout show, three of the members die from a bad pre-show meal and spend the next 25 years trying to figure out how to leave a bad Yelp review from limbo. 

Himbos in limbo, if you will.

Enter Julie, who lives in the house the band used to rehearse in. Julie is struggling to find her passion for music again after her mother’s death, until one night she summons our three favorite emotional support himbos by listening to an old CD of theirs. 

Shenanigans ensue and everyone is dumb. Luke Alex and Reggie are trying to figure out what their unfinished business is as Julie navigates healing, friendships with ghosts, and trying to be a star. 

 10) Slide titled ‘Why you should watch JATP‘ There are two images on the slide, on of Luke singing and one of Julie and Flynn smiling snarkily. Text on the slide reads:

Seriously did you pay attention to slides 1-8 look at everyone

It’s directed by Kenny Ortega who directed Newsies and like other things(he did High School Musical and Descendants but like the most important thing is he directed Newsies)

Also the music fucking slaps like it’s actually really good

Even though it’s technically a kids show there’s like?? Some really touching pltolines but also it’s so dumb the guys die from eating hot dogs for fuck’s sake

Literally the most wholesome thing that has ever been made

Basically it’s a stupid fun show that is mostly lighthearted but also has some *kickass* catharsis and really intricately thought out characters that skirt the line between being so dumb I literally shrieked but also real enough that their problems seemed real.

[End Image Descriptions]

[captainseaweedbrains]

Ship: Everlark #48

Thank you so much for sending me a prompt! I hope you enjoy! As always, drabbles don’t exist in my world. So it’s a bit longer than I anticipated. :P 

Prompt: Meeting again at a high school reunion AU

Ao3: X

Send me a ship and a prompt and I’ll write a fic/drabble!

“If you don’t go over there and talk to him, I’m going to and you know I won’t edit out any embarrassing details,” Madge warned when she saw Katniss looking over at the Welcome table yet again. 

Katniss scowled, the alcohol clearly not kicking in yet. “I don’t need your help, Madge.” 

“You’ve been sitting here for twenty minutes, Katniss,” her friend pointed out, “watching that table like a scared hawk.” 

“Can a hawk be scared?” Madge glared at her and she conceded. “All right, all right. Yes, I am acting like a scared, made-up hawk, but I can’t help it! I made a total ass of myself back in high school. I��m afraid he’ll remember.” 

“Of course he’ll remember.” 

“You’re no help. Why’d I bring you as my date again?” 

Her friend smiled a winning smile and rubbed her swollen stomach. “Because my dearest husband decided a fishing trip with his brothers was more important than coming with me to our ten year high school reunion and he bribed you with anything you wanted from his store as thanks.”

“Right, right,” she laughed. “So why are you trying to pawn your date off on some stranger, Madge Hawthorne?” 

“Please!” Madge scoffed. “Peeta Mellark is so not a stranger to you. How many times did you two hook up in high school? In the band room, under the stage in the auditorium, the Home Ec room, and correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you two do it in Abernathy’s office?” 

Popping the maraschino cherry from her drink into her mouth, Katniss smiled. “I’m not confirming, nor denying, anything of the sort. We were total saints in high school.” 

“Uh huh.” Madge sighed and readjusted herself in her seat. “If you were total saints, why not go over and talk about your sainthood with Peeta, then?” 

Because she had broken his heart? Because 18-year-old Katniss panicked and ruined a great thing? Because she knew for a fact, thanks to Facebook and small town busybodies, that Peeta had just gotten out of an engagement with some gorgeous blonde who looked like a model and showing up now felt like cutting open an old scar? Because she was scared of telling him how she really felt then? And how those feelings haven’t really gone away and seeing him there, smiling and laughing next to Delly Cartwright as they welcomed old classmates, reminded her those feelings were definitely still there?

“Because he’s busy working the Welcome table,” she said instead. “Don’t you hate when people chit chat you up while you’re trying to work a table?” 

“No, but that’s because I’m not weird about people like you are.” 

“I miss the shy, barely-spoke Madge from high school,” Katniss teased, bumping her foot against Madge’s. “What happened to her?” 

“I joined a sorority in college and had to do three years of recruitment,” was all she said, still giving Katniss a pointed look. “Go talk to him, Katniss. Rip the band aid off.” 

She looked over at the table and frowned. “What if he tells me off? I don’t think I can handle that kind of rejection.” 

“He won’t,” Madge comforted, resting a hand on Katniss’ knee. “But you won’t know until you go over and say hello. Here,” she tore off her name tag and ripped it in half, handing the two pieces over to Katniss. “Ask for a new name tag for me as your excuse to talk to him.” 

She gratefully took the stickers and stood up, glancing over at the table. Two people were in line, the first person animatedly talking to both Peeta and Delly she didn’t recognize from behind. Yes, she can do this. With one long shot of her drink, she went and stood in line, Madge giving a whoop of cheer in support. 

The wait wasn’t long. Five minutes tops before she was walking up to the table, the two pale blondes smiling up at her, reminding her of all those times in high school they’d be managing the ticket table at lunch for Student Council or the ticket booth for football and basketball games. 

“Katniss Everdeen!” Delly welcomed in her high-pitched squeaky voice that hasn’t changed a bit in ten years. “I thought I saw you around! You silly goose, how are you? What have you been up to? How has life been treating you? How is that lovely sister of yours?”

“Delly,” Katniss smiled. Even now, after all these years, it was hard not to reciprocate the woman’s warmth and energy. “Life’s been good, thanks. Can’t complain. Still living at home with my mom and sister. Prim’s fine. Going to school to be a doctor.”

“That’s amazing! And you’re a teacher now, I hear, right?” 

“Um—yes, I am.” Her eyes shifted to Peeta, who was all smiles as well, before focusing back on Delly. “I’m a high school choral director at the high school next town over.” 

“You did always have a beautiful voice,” Peeta stepped in and her legs almost turned to jello at the sound of his familiar yet somewhat deeper voice. “Inspiring students to find their voices.” Ever the wordsman, Peeta Mellark was. 

“Yes,” she blushed, unable to help herself. “Um. That’s a really nice way of saying I spend half my time telling my classes to quiet down so we can get some work done.” They laughed and that helped calm some of her anxiety. “How are you both? I haven’t seen either of you since we all left for college!” 

Delly answered first. “I’m a proud Stay-at-Home-Mom—” 

“Don’t get her started on her triplets or else we’ll be here all night,” Peeta teased, happily accepting Delly’s shove. 

“Wow,” Katniss breathed. “Triplets. That’s—that’s a lot of babies!” 

“That’s what Thom says—you remember Thom, right, Katniss? We all had gym together in eleventh grade. Well, he’s my amazing husband now and he’s always joking how we nailed it out of the park on the first try.” She held out her phone to show a picture of three chubby toddlers, two girls and a boy, smiling cheekily at the camera in nothing but their diapers. “Gretchen, Analise, and Tommy,” Delly explained, pointing to each happy baby. “They just turned three last month and boy, are they keeping me busy!” 

Katniss nodded. “They look adorable, Delly. Look just like you.” 

“Thank you. That’s what everyone says.” She put her phone away. “Anyone in your life, Katniss?” 

“Oh, um. No.” She looked down at the stickers in her hand, realizing she didn’t need it now with Delly talking a mile a minute. “Work keeps me pretty busy and most guys don’t understand why I prioritize a bunch of high schoolers over—well, everything.” She laughed, feeling a bit awkward now talking about her non-existent love life. 

Delly looked over at Peeta, a knowing look in her eyes. “Peeta knows exactly how that is.” 

“Delly,” he said, rolling his eyes at her. “I’m a high school art teacher,” he explained to Katniss. “And I run the school’s debate and speech teams for some extra money. So I get prioritizing your students over everything else.” 

Oh. She didn’t know he was a teacher, too. Well that made a lot of sense why it was a pain hunting him down on Facebook. How had she not put two and two together? “Elective teachers unite,” she joked half-heartedly, feeling nervous again now that the attention was on him. 

“May our program budgets always just barely make the cut,” he joined in, all smiles. She smiled back, unable to help herself. His smiles, familiar despite time away, always made her feel more at ease. 

“You know, ever since I had the triplets, my bladder has never been the same,” Delly abruptly said standing up. “I have to visit the potty. The bathroom,” she corrected herself. “We’re working on potty training right now. Peeta, guard the table while I’m away?” 

“Oh. Uh, sure thing, Dells.” 

“You keep a close eye on him, Katniss. Make sure he doesn’t cause any mischief,” Delly warned with a wag of her finger before walking away, waving to those she knew as she went, which seemed to be everyone.

Katniss stood there for a moment, forlornly watching their buffer leave. She barely knew Delly, but now as the curly-haired blonde left, she felt a bit of a betrayal of being left alone with Peeta. 

“You don’t have to watch over me,” Peeta said, her attention snapping back to him. “Delly was just teasing.” 

“Oh no, it’s okay.” It wasn’t, not really, but admitting that would make things ten times more awkward. “Madge is my supposed date tonight, but she’s been spending more time in the bathroom than with me. So it’s fine. Um.” Just get it over with! “How are you, Peeta?” 

“I’m fine, Katniss. Thank you for asking.” 

“Of course, of course.” Wishing she’d consumed more alcohol before pursuing this quest, she went forth, “I heard you moved back into town. With your brother?” 

He shook his head. “I forgot how small this town is. Yeah. I moved back. Go on and ask.” He motioned at her, rolling his eyes. “About my engagement. Everyone’s been asking about it.” 

Katniss winced. “I didn’t want to pry, but yeah, I heard.” 

“As did many others.” He sighed and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “I’m fine, really. I broke it off with her, actually. Wasn’t a right fit,” he explained. “I didn’t think it fair to either of us to continue further, but it still hurts a little.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Peeta.” But was she really, though? Was she seriously happy about a guy she hadn’t spoken to in over ten years being single again? God, she was a horrible person. “But it sounds like you did the mature thing. Breaking it off like that.” 

He shrugged. “That’s what everybody tells me.” 

Someone came up behind her and she stepped aside as Peeta snapped into greetings mode. It was amazing watching him change so swiftly like that. Some people truly never changed, she realized, remembering how quickly he seemed to change moods at the flip of a switch. He did it the day she broke things off with him. How his eyes cascaded down in disappointment and she’d wondered if he might cry after confessing how he felt about her for all this time, but then someone had walked in, calling out to them, and he became all smiles and acted like nothing drastic had happened between them.

It was a bit unsettling, the more she thought about it now. 

The line of late comers started growing and Delly still hadn’t returned. Deciding to keep her promise, Katniss took a seat next to Peeta and smiled as another former classmate stepped up, ignoring the quizzical look he sent her as they were asked questions about times for the planned events and how they both were doing. Many assumed they were married now, remembering how close the two were in high school, and thank god for Peeta stepping in and saving her stumbling tongue, explaining how Katniss was just keeping Delly’s seat warm until she returned and that they hadn’t seen each other until tonight. 

After the third or fourth classmate assumed their matrimonial union, Katniss laughed, picking at the ripped sticker she’d stuck to her skirt for safe keeping. “I didn’t realize so many people remembered us together.” 

“Small town school,” he reminded her, his tone light and joking. Like she didn’t stupidly break his heart. “I’m not surprised they remembered you. You forget how much of an effect you have on people, Katniss.” 

Her cheeks warmed. “I think you mean yourself there, Mr. Popular. I was that awkward band and choir girl with the braces who never shut up about why the Baroque style was far superior to Classical.” 

“I remember those rants fondly,” Peeta laughed. “Your face would get all pinched because I barely knew what you were talking about, so I couldn’t offer any opinion. And I loved those braces! The silver brackets really brought out the silver in your eyes.” 

She rolled her eyes, remembering that line he used to pull every time she complained about her teeth. “Well I’m happy to say those days are gone. I’ve been metal-free since college.” 

“Took that long, huh?” 

“I’m pretty sure my orthodontist was just milking it for my money those last three years,” she laughed. “My teeth looked pretty straight to me.” Katniss smiled widely, showing off her white, straight teeth she suffered many mouth cuts and rubber band snaps to achieve. He joined her and wow. It really did feel like no time had passed between them. Like they were just a couple of teens back in high school, making fun of a teacher or a douchey classmate. 

Peeta looked down at the table, tapping his pen in thought. “You know,” he said after a moment, still looking down, “I am free from this table at 7.”

“That makes sense,” she nodded. “If people haven’t arrived in the first hour and a half, that’s their loss.”

“It is,” he smiled, glancing up at her. Yes, his eyes were still as clear blue as she remembered, and was it possible for eyelashes to grow? His looked longer now. “If you’d be fine with it, Katniss, I’d like to catch up with you some more.” Was it her imagination or did he seem nervous? That made no sense. She broke his heart. If anyone should be nervous, it was her. And she was. The constant flutter in her stomach more noticeable now with her sitting so close to him. 

“Oh. Um.” It was her turn to look down at her hands. “Okay. Sure. Yeah, that’d be great.” 

Peeta seemed uncertain, though. “Are you sure? Was I too forward just now? Sorry, ever since my break-up, I seem to be a bit rusty talking with people.” That was hard to believe. 

“No, no!” Katniss rushed to assure him. “I just—didn’t think you’d really want to catch up after how we ended things.” There. She mentioned it. Old heartbreak was out there now. “I know I messed things up pretty badly.” 

To her surprise, Peeta laughed, shaking his head. “Trust me, that is water under the bridge, Katniss. I was stupid and should have picked up on the vibes you were sending me.” 

“And I was stupid, too,” she said, a bit shyly. 

“High schoolers can be pretty stupid.” 

“I don’t know,” she smiled. “Mine seem a lot smarter than when we were that age.” 

“Mine too.” He pretended to think. “Perhaps we were just idiots and it has nothing to do with how young we were.” 

She laughed. “Maybe.” 

He tapped her pen with his. “To being idiots?” 

“To being idiots.” She tapped his pen back. 

And at 7 o’clock sharp, Peeta declared it was time they drank until they got so drunk, it was like they were back at Finnick Odair’s Friday night after-game parties. Katniss happily agreed, sternly reminding him she wasn’t going to make out with him tonight like they used to do in the toolshed during those parties, causing him to burst out laughing. Quickly scrawling out Madge’s name on a new sticker, she told Peeta she’d meet him at the bar. 

“I have to give my date her sticker.” He told her the booze waited for no one and headed to where a group of their classmates were chanting for someone to “Chug! Chug! Chug!” She smiled and went back to Madge, who was chatting with Leevy Anderson, an old friend of hers. 

“Well,” Madge asked after Leevy excused herself. “You were gone an awful long time. Did you get my sticker?” Katniss handed it to her with a smile. “I take it things went well? Or were you just sputtering out nonsense.” 

“It went very well,” Katniss told her, glancing over at the bar where Peeta stood, holding two drinks out, one clearly being hers. “We’re going to get crazy drunk now because this night has been extremely long for both of us. I hope you’re fine driving me?” 

“One of us needs to get crazy drunk tonight,” Madge laughed, patting her stomach. “Drink for me, too?” 

“Of course.” 

“Going to make out with Peeta Mellark like old times?” her friend teased, noticing Peeta now. “I’m sure there’s a closet you two can sneak into.” 

Katniss scoffed at her friend’s blatant assumption. “No, we’re not making out tonight, Madge.” Madge nodded, taking a sip of her pop. “We might next Friday, though,” she added a bit coyly. “He’s taking me out to dinner.” And she walked away before her friend could say anything further.

[000scans]

[scans] monotube magazine vol. 2 video call with svt x francesca under cut

Sunday 7 a.m. Eastern time in the U.S. The time in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul, after just finishing photoshoots with Monotube, was 8 p.m., the evening when both body and mind are exhausted. At a distance of 13 hours, global idol group SEVENTEEN and global jewelry designer Francesca Amfitheatrof met together. SEVENTEEN made a team bracelet before their official activities for the 7th mini-album, “Heng:garae.” It is a bracelet that combines a design in the form of a cable tie with a tag made of silver material; and the flat head of the tag is imprinted with a logo symbolizing SEVENTEEN.

Francesca is the one who designed the bracelet. She is the world-class designer who was the first female design director of the high-end jewelry brand Tiffany & Co. and currently serves as the artistic creative director of Louis Vuitton’s Clock Jewelry line. She is also the founder of global jewelry brand “Thief and Heist.” 

The collaboration of the bracelet between “Thief and Heist” and SEVENTEEN was made by Francesca’s active proposal. SEVENTEEN members directly asked Francesca why she chose SEVENTEEN as a collaboration partner in 2020, after the collaboration with global pop singer Elton John in 2019. They also asked how the brand name was made, “the thief and robber,” and all the curiosity they had. From now, we will broadcast a video call between Francesca and SEVENTEEN.

Francesca: Hi guys! Nice to meet you all. SVT: Nice to meet you too! Good morning, Francesca. Francesca: How are you all? How was the shoot? Joshua: We had such a great time. We really like… (showing the bracelets together) Francesca: You all got the tags! SVT: Very nice!

Francesca: Do you all speak English? Joshua: No, only two of us speak English. But, we will like translate for our members. Seungkwan: His (Vernon) hometown is New York. Francesca: I know one is from, you (Joshua) are from LA, right? In California? SVT: Oh, wow.

Joshua: We actually prepared some questions to ask you. Francesca: Fantastic!

Joshua: So, the first question is, how did you get to know us, like our team, SEVENTEEN, and why did you choose to collaborate with us? Francesca: Okay, good question. So, I’ve been to Korea many many times. I’ve worked in Seoul, I’ve done a million projects, spent months and months in Seoul. A lot of great friends, and I am a huge fan of Korea. I also love K-Pop. The first collaboration I did was with Elton John. Joshua: Oh, we’ve heard about that. Francesca: And the second collaboration is with you guys. I thought that the one thing that was really important to me was to do things that were very different. So, from Elton to you is so different. I worked a little bit with Jisoo from Blackpink, she is a big fan as well of the bracelet. And I wanted to do something because the brand is very unisex. I want to make jewelry that is not traditional. And so, um I am a huge fan of yours, it was a great kind of, you know, global initiative to have Elton and then to have you guys. Also lastly, is that I love your style. And you always wear jewelry like you wear chains. Such a cool style. So I thought it was a perfect combination. Seungkwan: I agree with you.

Joshua: Our second question is what is the meaning of your brand Thief and Heist? Francesca: So, you guys know the film “Ocean’s 11”…? SVT: Yeah, we do. Francesca: Right, so you know that thing of the very elegant minds that you need to create the perfect heist. I always like to work with incredible people who are courageous, smart, and elegant. I’m always fascinated by that type of world that is really interested in jewelry. But see it in a naughty way, a disruptive approach that challenges traditions. Because jewelry is always so traditional and Thief and Heist is not! Every time it launches something it’s gonna be very different. So, that’s the whole ethos behind the brand. Joshua: That’s cool. We love the meaning behind your brand. We actually didn’t know the meaning. So I was like, “Thief and Heist, what does that mean?”

Vernon: Our third question is, why did you use the recycled plastic for this particular jewelry? Francesca: So, I really wanted to find a way to highlight how precious a material plastic is. To try and shift people’s thinking from a single use, throw away mentality to one of value and permanence. We sourced reground plastic for The Tag, which is essential in highlighting the importance of the concept of the “circular economy.” For the 20% which is new plastic, we wanted to offset that and found an amazing charity called the Plastic Bank who we support. They build ethical recycling ecosystems in coastal communities around the world and pay the collectors a premium for the materials they collect to better help them provide basic family necessities such as groceries, school tuition, and health insurance. So it’s like tap water that keeps on running and so we have to kinda find solutions. We’re never gonna get rid of plastics completely but we need to find different solutions that help, right? The Oceans and the sea. So, we’ve started the campaign called “Make plastic precious.” Treat plastic like as if it was gold. You know? So you use it very carefully.  Vernon: I see, I see. Wow, that’s a very noble cause. That’s awesome.

Joshua: Is there a way to take off the bracelet? Francesca: No, it’s permanent. Joshua: Oh, we have to cut it. That’s the only way to take it off? Why did you make it that way? Francesca: Um, because I wanted to make something that you don’t think about. Something that stays with you. But what it will do is it will always remind you of today. It’s like capturing a moment. So every time you look at your bracelet, it has a meaning. Because it’s a part of you, but when you click it on, that moment stays with you. So it’s either a memory of a moment or a person. You know? It’s hard to put the tag on by yourself, so you’ll always remember the person that tags you. So if you were to give a tag to somebody, that person will always have you with them.

Vernon: Oh, I also think this bracelet kind of reflects the generation we are living in right now? Like generation that uses so much plastics and yeah I think it’s a cool bracelet. Francesca: Fantastic, thank you. It’s like a new modern friendship bracelet. It’s like a new way of treating a friendship bracelet. Even your fans. All your friends, and your fans are called CARAT, right?

Vernon: Right. And umm, personal questions, what kind of music do you like to listen to? Francesca: I love funk. Prince is like my all time favorite musician. I even have an earing, with Prince’s symbol, I don’t know if you can see. Um so, I think that he was super talented. What about you guys? Do you have all different, you all have very different musical tastes? Don’t you? 

Vernon: Yeah, I mean we have so many members, so like the variety of music we all listen to is just… but we definitely like “funk” too. Seungkwan: Oh we actually have a song called “Very Nice”. Joshua: That’s like similar to the type of music you might like. Francesca: Oh, your first song, I was listening to your first ones. First of all, you started your band, you launched your first song, your first single on the 26th of May, which is my birthday.  SVT: Your birthday? Really? Wow, that’s crazy!

Francesca: And also you guys, you started off funky and then do more ballads, you do R&B and then you do ballad and you do a lot of different musical genres. Joshua: We experiment. Vernon: We don’t try to fix the genre of music. Francesca: And your new album is coming out? SVT: Yeah, very soon.

Francesca: Yeah, I wanted to know, you guys when you got together, did you all meet for the first time, or were any of you were friends already, some of you were in another band or some of you were on TV shows. How was it when you first met? Vernon: We all met each other for the first time. Like through our company’s training center. First time we all met together, they never knew each other even before.

Joshua: We just got closer through the years, through our training system, we had to live together for seven years. It’s been like seven years. Seungkwan: Eight years. Joshua: Ah, eight years actually, that we’ve been living together. So, yeah we are basically family now, just brothers. Francesca: Fantastic.

Joshua: We just want to show you that we appreciate you for designing such an amazing bracelet. Vernon: One last question, actually this is the most important question. We all have Team rings. Right here. Francesca: That’s Seventeen in Roman numbers?

Vernon: Yeah, this is our fourth one, and we just wonder if we’d have an opportunity that you’d like to design our next ring, it would be such an… Francesca: I would love to! 100%. Okay? Vernon: Such an honor. You promised! (pinky promises)

Francesca: Definitely, and I’m so excited, I can’t wait to listen to your new music and you guys what you are doing is so great. You all have amazing style. You really do. Amazingly talented. SVT: Thank you so much. Hope we can meet you soon, um, in person. Francesca: Absolutely, either anywhere in the world. Either in Seoul or in the states or in Europe. Take care, okay?

[illeee-girl]

La La(chimolala) Land Chapter Seven: Friends

jimin x reader genre: fluff, minor angst word count: 1.25 warnings: none

[Inspired by La La Land]

Read on Wattpad

Read on Ao3

The scene has played over and over again on the silver screen of your mind. It cycled through as you lay in bed that night, and repeated every day at work for the next week—and it certainly replayed every time your phone dinged with a message (whether or not it was from him). You just couldn't erase it from the canvas of your mind. You saw it all clearly. Jimin looking at you with intensity. The two of you running, hand in hand, from a gaggle of pursuers. His monologue confession, your monologue confession (though you hadn't anticipated those words coming from your lips so soon, they still felt entirely accurate). Him grabbing you with the nervous yet sincere devotion of a very, very infatuated man.

"Maybe that's all it is, Jess," you tell your roommate that night over Chinese takeout. "Infatuation."

"It does seem a little fast. But Y/N," she grabs your shoulder and looks at you. "It's okay for something to work out for once. It's okay to be happy."

You blink in response. "I'm surprised you're not scolding me for not being more careful."

"Well, he hasn't kissed you yet, right?"

"No," you admit. Twice now, your lips had grown very close, but you'd been interrupted both times: first by Jimin's directors calling for him at the music video shoot, and then by the paparazzi that had swarmed the Santa Monica alleyway once they'd found you. Jimin had pulled you into a run again, finding you the nearest taxi and leaving no time for a personal goodbye. Frustratingly enough, you just kept getting interrupted. "But good lord, Jess," you continue, "I hope it happens soon."

She laughs. "So are you just thinking . . . spring fling?"

"Y/N isn't a 'flingy' type of girl," says your other roommate Rachel as she stuffs a bite of sesame chicken into her mouth. "So I'd say the odds of that are slim. Especially since you confessed your undying love for him in way more than 240 characters."

You blush. "He talks as much as I do, Rach, I swear."

She shrugs. "I'll see it when I believe it."

"Yo también," Diana interjects, tossing her long black ponytail over her shoulder. "It all seems too good to be true. I'm surprised Jess isn't telling you to go ahead and put a ring on it while you can."

You laugh. "It does seem too good to be true, Dee. Well, mostly. I'm not sure that I'm cut out for this whole 'continually running from the paparazzi' thing."

"It'll be great practice for when Red Writer wins six Oscars and people start chasing you around," Jess pats your back. "Have you worked more on your revisions? You know, since hanging around Jimin's band?"

"I still can't believe you went to a BTS music video shoot," Rachel gushes. "If I saw Suga in person, I don't think I'd be able to function."

"Girl," Diana follows. "If Y/N keeps seeing Jimin, it's highly possible you'll meet him. I, meanwhile, will be laying the charm on thick with my future husband Kim Taehyung."

You swallow a mouthful of fried rice, and then turn towards Jessenia to answer her question about your screenplay. "I've got a good idea on where I want to go with it. It's all written down in my notes," you tell her, "but I need to be careful. I don't want to base any of my characters off of BTS members too much."

"Ooh, cast Tae as the sexy lead singer, and me as his drummer-slash-secret lover," Diana begs.

"Not gonna happen," you assert, rolling your eyes.

"So when are you going to see him again?" Rachel asks sweetly.

"Actually . . . he says I have to finish the revisions on Red Writer before we can go on a proper date. He wants to be the first to read them." And he said that I wouldn't get anything done with him around, which is probably true. But the girls don't need to know that little tidbit.

"He's supportive of your career already? And is giving you space?" Diana shakes her head and tosses a fortune cookie into her mouth. "Man, he truly is perfect. Guess all of those Jimin stans were right after all."

_________________________

"GOSH FREAKING DANG IT," Jimin whined, flopping down on his hotel room bed and letting his phone fall beside him. "She isn't done with the revisions yet. All of this waiting is so hard."

Yoongi pulled his eyes away from his laptop for just a second to say: "Jimin-ah, stop being so dramatic."

"Remind me why I have to do this again?" He asked his bandmates.

"You haven't known her for very long," Jin said, folding his arms.

"She'll respect you for giving her space," Taehyung chimed in.

"It'll make her miss you," Jungkook winked.

"And Jimi," added J-Hope, "you tend to get . . . a little clingy."

Jimin stared daggers at him.

"Just a little," the rapper smiled weakly.

"Don't sugarcoat it, Hobi," Namjoon crossed to the window and peered out at Los Angeles from behind the curtain. "Jimin-ah gets so clingy. He jumps in too fast, falls in love faster than previously thought humanly possible, and we're the ones who have to sweep his broken heart up off the floor when it all comes crashing down."

"But what if this girl doesn't break Jimi's heart?" Jungkook sat on the bed, looking wide-eyed at the group's leader. "What if she's a good for him? What if . . . she actually likes his clinginess?"

This comment resulted in the man of the hour snapping to attention, sitting up cross-legged on the bed, grabbing a soft feather down pillow, and squeezing it in excitement. "You really think that's possible, Kook?"

"Don't encourage him!" Yoongi wailed.

"No, no," Jin interrupted. "The maknae has a point." Everyone glanced over to see the eldest member of the band brooding in the corner of the room, slowly emerging from the shadows. "Eventually, one of these girls isn't going to break Jimin's heart. He's a catch, after all. All of us are. We have to be supportive of him, just as he is of us.

"Tae, remember when you wanted to talk to that cute BBQ chicken delivery girl, so Jimin ordered fried chicken for dinner every night for a week?"

Tae nodded and smiled.

"Yoongi, remember when your ex from high school showed up at the recording studio begging for a chance to win you back, and Jimin gave her an earful?"

This warranted another glance up from the laptop. "I vividly remember the sounds of her sobs wafting up to my room like the sweet scent of perfume," he smiled wistfully. "It's still the most beautiful thing I've ever experienced."

"And Joon, remember when you pined over that Canadian fangirl for a month just because of how well-written her letters were?"

"SHE USED NO MISPLACED MODIFIERS, HYUNG!" Namjoon exclaimed. "Do you know how rare that is? How refreshing?"

"And what did Jimin do while you were obsessing over her use of correct grammar?" Jin asked.

"He . . . he let me read her letters to him. Over and over again. He listened to me."

"See?" Jin grinned. "Jimin's always been there for us. We still need to look out for him, of course, but I think we can trust his judgment. Y/N seems very kind, capable, and mature. Someday—whether or not it's her—Jimin's going to find someone who appreciates him for who he is and complements him well."

Jimin's eyes nearly filled with tears. "Thank you, hyung." The two embraced. "I do really love a girl who gives me compliments."

"That's complements with an e, not an i, you imbecile," bemoaned Namjoon. "Canadian girl would have understood that," he muttered quietly.

But his complaints were overruled as Jimin forced his hyungs into a nearly suffocating group hug.

[shemakesmusic-uk]

Blending left field jazz elements with club tropes to forge something truly new, Emma-Jean Thackray's work is never less than riveting. New album Yellow is out on July 2, with the composer commenting: “It’s a record about togetherness, the oneness of all things in the universe, showing love and kindness, human connection. I approached the record by trying to simulate a life-changing psychedelic experience, an hour where we see behind the curtain to a hidden dimension, where the physical realm melts away and we finally see that we are all one.” Set to be released via her own Movementt imprint, the album is led by gorgeous new single 'Say Something' - opening with glimmers of Rhodes piano, it leans on that hi-hat shuffle before Emma-Jean Thackray uses her voice to elevate the song. A plea towards communication, it's a powerful introduction. [via Clash]

Philadelphia punk rockers Mannequin Pussy have released the title track to Perfect, their upcoming EP due out May 21. The new song comes with a flashy music video that’s inspired by the kitschy glamor of Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, too. Musically, 'Perfect' is a distorted blaze of rock guitars that sees vocalist-guitarist Missy eviscerating the idea that people must manicure their own social media presence. “Last year, I found myself spending more time on my phone than I ever had in my life… I realized that through years of social media training, many of us have grown this deep desire to manicure our lives to look as perfect, as aspirational as possible,” explained Missy in a statement. “We want to put ourselves out there, share our lives, our stories, our day to day — and these images and videos all shout the same thing: ‘Please look at me, please tell me I’m so perfect.’ It’s simultaneously a declaration of our confidence but edged with the desperation that seeks validation from others.” In the accompanying music video, directed by Missy, viewers get to watch as a 10-year reunion at Sugarbush High slowly unravels. It opens on three former classmates, all three of whom are pregnant, dishing some hushed gossip and talking about how they want to get plastic surgery that’s so good they mistake one another for strangers. Cue two students-turned-drag queens making a grand entrance and strutting their stuff on the dance floor (mirroring the 1997 comedy classic) while old classmates gasp, shield their eyes, and panic. Meanwhile, Mannequin Pussy can be seen tearing up the band stage while they perform live. [via Consequence]

Following the release of her debut EP I Can’t Cry For You in December, Manchester’s Phoebe Green is back with new bop ‘IDK’. “[It] explores a complete detachment from reality, observing things from a place of total apathy and feeling as though I’m witnessing my life as a bystander with little to no connection to it,” Phoebe explains. “It’s a horrible state to be in, I think it happens when I get overwhelmed.” [via DIY]

Fast-rising French-Korean artist spill tab is unveiling her latest mesmerising single ‘Anybody Else’. Accompanied by a new vid directed by friend and collaborator Jade Sadler, spill tab says, “This song is cheesy as fuck but I love it, it’s pretty straight forward, a little shameless - the lyrics are sort of a way of expressing my love without openly saying I love you. Jade Sadler (the video director) and I just wanted to have a shit ton of fun on this one. We thought about something with narrative or plot and it was just getting to be too corny. I wanted something lighthearted and playful, so we decided we would have all of our homies in this video paired with different colors and angles and set designs. I’m so excited with the way it turned out.” [via DIY]

Willow Kayne has shared her debut single 'Two Seater'. The Gen Z talent links together huge opposing forces, creating her own potent brand of rebel-pop. New single 'Two Seater' finds Willow blazing a trail, upending convention through melding together differing sounds. The lush, 90s inspired soundscape leans on nostalgic impulses, but her punk-like disregard for convention is sheer pop futurism. Produced by DANIO, it finds Willow Kayne coming into her own completely off the bat. [via Clash]

BENEE has shared a video for her single ‘Happen To Me’. It’s the latest cut from her debut album, Hey u x, which arrived last November featuring guest spots from the likes of Grimes, Lily Allen and Flo Milli. “This song is super important to me,” she says. “It’s the opening track [on the album]. It’s the first song where I’ve written about anxiety. The lyrics are pretty dark. Life is pretty crazy right now, and I think it’s important to talk about this kind of stuff.” Of the video, she adds: “Stoked to be sharing this music video with everyone! I filmed it with a bunch of mates, and it was the coolest set! Hope you love it as much as I do.” [via Dork]

Los Angeles-based art-pop artist Kit Major has shared the music video for 'When the Drugs Don't Work,' a more introspective stab at her signature dark, electropop sound. Blending driving dance beats and thumping hyperpop-influenced synths, Kit Major creates an intoxicating elixir of soundbites and grit. Taking inspiration from Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, and Charlotte Lawrence, 'When the Drugs Don't Work' dives into the overwhelming vulnerability and panic of failing to curb a depressive episode with medication. With this release, Kit Major furthers her efforts to be open and make light of her mental health struggles. On the video, Kit Major shares, "'When The Drugs Don't Work' was filmed in one weekend, directed by my best friend in my departed grandparents' now empty house. We filmed this in quarantine without a crew and worked to create a dark & twisted fairytale together. When I first started thinking about the video, I knew I wanted a more lighthearted take to balance the darker theme of my mental health in the song. I wrote the lyric, “little princess hurt locked away inside her palace,” because sometimes when I'm isolated in my room I visualize myself as a Disney princess running inside her castle, instead of being in my bed, surrounded by empty water bottles. This song was written from a mix of different perspectives including my own, my persona, and outside voices. I think we accomplished the storytelling behind WTDDW by portraying the importance of imagination and trusting yourself."  Alongside, director Noël Dombroski adds, "WDDW is a raw, introspective song from Kit that shines a light on parts of herself that at times may be hard to face. We were lucky enough to be able to shoot at Kit's late grandparents' house, an emotionally significant location that acts in the video as the inside of Kit's head. We wanted to challenge viewers to look at every facet of themselves and realize that each part is valuable, even if you may not like it. A conversation we had a lot was about the color scene, where the image of Kit is being pulled apart by color channels. You may hate one of those colors, but you still need it to create that full image. The same can sometimes be said about depression - it may be a layer of yourself that you don't care for, but without that experience, I don't know that WDDW could exist." The music video dives into the psychological turmoil at the heart of the track with a hyperstylized touch. Spotlights wander through a funhouse version of Kit's childhood home, hunting down our protagonist, who we find trapped behind bars, downing teardrops from teacups and champagne from the bottle. Simultaneously unnerving and stimulating in a Paranormal Activity-meets Alice in Wonderland aestheticism, the music video for 'When the Drugs Don't Work' dives into the floating images of a mental breakdown with a fever dream lucidity.

Number One Popstar continues to prove herself as a powerhouse, shaking up the music world with her fresh, unapologetic beats. This week, she shares another one, her new single 'Forever 21.' And no, it’s not about clothes. 'Forever 21' begins with a kicking beat, but subdued with reflective, twinkly keys. It’s a perfect mix of existential dread and dance. Carrying this vibe throughout, it breaks in between with a beaming guitar-driven bridge. Lyrically, the track makes us question why brands and media make it seem like our twenties are our prime, when we still have our whole lives ahead of us? Despite the effervescent pop sound, Hollowell got vulnerable about her past and its effect on the song, saying, "I initially started writing 'Forever 21' when I found myself looking back on my early 20’s, wanting to recapture the hopeful and dumb feelings of my youth. But the longer I spent on the song, the more it became a reflection of the loss I faced when my parents passed away in my early 20s. I started looking at my own fear of death, of dying like them. I really didn’t know where my life was headed back then. […] I eventually turned that painful experience into a motivation to go after everything I wanted in life. To be seriously less serious, recognizing everything is fleeting.” Like her other music videos, Hollowell likes to flip popular culture and societal expetations on their head. While also bringing the fear of aging to life, she also reminds audiences to stay present instead of holding on to youth. [via Earmilk]

Following in the footsteps of Prince and Lizzo, Dizzy Fae is set to become the Twin Cities’ next pop sensation. She just dropped her brand new track, 'BODY MOVE', and much like the name suggests, it will make you want to move. Self-described as alternative R&B, Fae takes a few notes from contemporary hyperpop artists like Charli XCX and Doja Cat with an industrial iciness that plays off the technicolor pop melodies. It’s an influence you can hear on 'BODY MOVE', produced by New York’s Stelios (Young Thug, SZA). The track builds itself off a snappy, rubber band bass line indebted to pop’s recent disco revival. “It’d be so cruel if I didn’t let my body move,” Fea’s voice loops through a robotic filter. A buzzing drum machines barrels in at the chorus, transforming the lightly retro groove to a futuristic club track more akin to the production styles of 100 gecs. But for all the modern influences, the Ying Yang Twins reference shows she’s a student of all types of music. [via Consequence]

Technically, 'Your Power' is not the lead single from Billie Eilish’s newly announced album Happier Than Ever. The album includes two songs she released last year: the jazzy, well received ballad 'my future' and the contemptuous multi-format radio hit 'Therefore I Am.' However, 'Your Power' is the first song Eilish has released since announcing the new album, debuting her new look, and officially commencing her LP2 era, so there’s definitely a deep sense of anticipations around the song. Eilish teased 'Your Power' this week with a brief sound snippet featuring acoustic guitar and the words “Try not to use your power” sung to a Feist-y melody. Now the full song and its Eilish-directed music video have arrived. The completed record remains as soft, pretty, and devastatingly sad as the preview audio. In the clip, a slow pan across a mountainside in the Simi Valley reveals Eilish in the clutches of a gigantic snake. (A press release specifies that it’s an 80-pound anaconda.) [via Stereogum]

[paradigmsofbrittaperry]

long rambly band thing under the cut lol

okay so I cant remember how much I’ve talked about this on here, but I’ve had a lot of Not Great Experiences over the past two years when it comes to band, despite the activity being my favorite in the whole entire world. the tl;dr is that my beloved director left my school after my junior year and left me in charge as drum major, but his replacement was awful and a bunch of bullshit happened and many of my close friends stabbed me in the back and then I went on to have a pretty bad season of indoor drumline that got cut short b/c of covid. that summary glossed over A LOT and the outcome of everything was that a lot of personal progress I’d made got undone and I was left with incredible amounts of baggage and lots of trauma to work through. this past year and a half has been HARD as fuck and I’ve swung wildly between trying to ignore everything and burying myself in trying to figure out what went wrong. problem has been that its infected every part of my life; I panic when I run into anyone who hurt me and my friends during that time, the most innocuous things remind me of the worst of these years and can send me into fits of crying, I’m plagued by thoughts of inadequacy and blaming myself for everything that happened, the works. ALL OF THIS EXPLANATION TO SAY yesterday was the start of a new chapter. it was the final competition of my first season teaching cymbals. it’s been a great experience and I’ve had the best students in the world, so I was really sad to see it end. over the second half of the day, I had three separate emotional conversations with my kids that honestly have given me the inner peace that I’ve been dreaming of since this bullshit started in the winter of 2019. before their final run, I wished them luck, told them I was proud of them, and thanked them for being such great students. they thanked me in return for being a great tech. after the awards ceremony, I got to bestow each of them with third place medals and reiterated how grateful I was for our time together. one of my kids went right for my tear ducts and told me that in their five years of marching, I was the tech that had taught them the most practical cymbal skills. another who joined after the start of the season said they hadn’t been sure if they were going to stay the whole season, but now, they planned on coming back for another. they all thanked me again and told me that I’d been an amazing tech after I gave them their medals and one of them gave me mine. our final conversation took place after our final goodbye meeting, and the two kids who aren’t graduating made sure that I would be back and said they’d be sad if I wasn’t their tech next year. I start crying after they left, which left the other two to find me crying in a corner of the room and hug me so that I would start crying even harder lol. 

so the takeaway of these conversations and how they gave me peace. for the past year and a half, there’s been some part of me constantly questioning if I’m actually a good person or not; the logic being that half a dozen of my closest friends wouldn’t have turned on me for no good reason, that I had to have done something to hurt them for them to try so hard to destroy my reputation and tear me off an imagined pedestal. at the end of my junior year of high school, I was comfortably in a place where I liked myself and saw my value and hardly questioned my character. the events of the next marching season changed all of that and nothing had fixed it since. but in these conversations, these kids told me that I was good. that I had made a positive impact on their lives. that I had changed their lives to an extent, that I had broken a pattern of shitty techs for them, that despite most of MY past techs letting me down, that only made me work twice as hard to show my kids that I cared and put my all into never letting them down the way I have been. that the people who worked so hard to tear me down were wrong; I CAN do good and I DON’T deserve to be in a constant state of hating myself for things that were entirely out of my control because I proved over the course of several months that in the right circumstances, I can thrive. I can do good. the little voice in my head telling me that I’m a bad person has quieted over the past 24 hours. telling people how much they mean to you is difficult, terrifying, near impossible sometimes. but I did enough good for these kids that they all were incredibly open and honest with me about how much they appreciated me and how much they wanted to see me again and how I had made their season better. and it was overwhelming!! after a season of being told I was responsible for every bad thing followed by one where I was largely ignored and underestimated? this was so, SO healing. I was able to look kids in the eye and tell them I loved them without fear of judgement. they did the same. it’s not forgiveness or an apology from the people that hurt me, but it’s closure. I was able to move past the past and use it as motivation to do good. I hate the idea that trauma makes us grow, because I’m still mourning the me that I lost due to mine. I used to value the fact that I was so gentle and kind, but those two seasons made me shed much of that. I don’t think I’ll ever be that kind again, but a kid told me yesterday that I was the sweetest staff member they’d ever known. I almost cried on the spot, because it means I’m healing!! these kids brought my soft side out of retirement!! and I didn’t fear getting hurt again when I was being gentler!! and my attitude came entirely from treating these kids the way I wasn’t, the way I wished I had been. I finally found a shred of joy and a positive outcome from all that I was put through. and it feels so fucking good that I’m crying writing this. my bitterness has largely dissolved, because I have proof that I’ve grown past everyone and everything that hurt me. not everything will get better overnight. but I know for a fact that my past won’t continue to consume me as much as it has.

this is a rambly mess, so props to you if you made it to the end!! I just. I remembered why the fuck I love band at all and I’m grateful beyond words to have found closure and made peace with events that have chased me around for almost two years now. it’s like letting out a breath that I’ve been holding for that long with no reprieve. I miss my kids so fucking much already.

[stayextrafrosty]

It Could have Been Worse?

Request: Crew member x Patrick? She manages to slice her wrist open accidentally while fixing a stage light. Other crew members are trying to get the bleeding under control. Patrick happens to pass by. He sees the state of her wrist and goes into protective BF mode. The reader winds up needing stitches, but the medical area is clear on the other side of the venue, the doors have opened so there's crowds about. Reader & Patrick & a security guard take a walk. Patrick comforts her while she's stitched up.

Words: 2611

Warning: references to self-injury. Could trigger

Read on AO3 // Masterlist

Author Note: I’m slowly going through requests. I know I’ve been neglecting them. Please forgive me. I’ve been very focused on Mob boss AU.

-

“Hey watch it!” A guy from the crew yelled at the group of newbies not paying attention. I rolled my eyes at them as they scurried out of the way. I pushed my own cart with a speaker strapped on it.

“Hey, don’t judge them. We were like that once, too,” my friend Cam reminded me. I sighed.

“Yea, I know. And I’m so sorry to anyone who had to put up with me at that time.” He laughed and continued pushing his cart across the stage.

This was a huge show for the band. A larger stage than normal. Apparently, the city built this giant theater for music acts but how many people did they think were going to be on stage at any one time? It was especially big for four guys that didn’t even reach six feet. It didn’t matter how much of the stage their energy took up.

I followed Cam and we shifted speakers so they matched the other side. More yelling came from behind me but I didn’t pay much attention to it. Nothing sounded like it was breaking so it was a good day.

“Rosario! You’re needed backstage,” one of the managers called to me. Cam pouted at me.

“It’s not fair that you get to skip out on work just cause you’re dating one of them.” I laughed and shoved him playfully.

“It’s not my fault,” I said as I walked toward the back.

It wasn’t. You don’t control who you fall for. I wasn’t any different than other girls really. I had a thing for the lead singer of my favorite band. I just happened to work stage crew for them. A lucky break on my part. Even luckier that he liked me back.

I looked around for Patrick but all I saw were my coworkers. Some I knew the names of and some I didn’t. I wandered farther back and out of the stage area completely. He usually makes himself known by now.

I felt someone grab my hips gently and squeeze. I yelped in surprise. It tickled and he knew it, that ass. I spun and shoved Patrick back lightly.

“You know I hate it when you do that!” His tried to wipe the grin off his face but failed miserably. And I could never stay mad at him when he smiled like that.

“I’m sorry, babe, but it’s cute that you insist on not being ticklish,” he said, still chuckling. I rolled my eyes and wrapped my arms around him in a hug. He pressed a kiss to my cheek and butterflies fluttered in my chest. I’ll never get over him.

“So, what did you need to talk to me about,” I asked. He shrugged.

“I just wanted to see you. No real reason.” He looked embarrassed, a blush covering his cheeks.

“You know I actually work for you right,” I joked. He rolled his eyes and grabbed my hand, pulling me down the hall.

“I’ve told you multiple times that you didn’t have to work anymore.” I sighed. He was so idealistic. While that was one of the reasons I liked him, it bordered on naïve sometimes. He didn’t do anything halfway. He was in it for the long-hall. So was I but maybe I just wasn’t as optimistic.

“Well if something bad happens, I’d like to make sure I still have a job.” His smile faltered slightly. But he shook his head and squeezed my hand.

“I understand but I swear, nothing bad will come between us. I’m here.” I couldn’t stop my grin and rested my head on his shoulder briefly.

We had made it to the other side of the stage. There were more people filling in and out of the doors, trying to get ready before the doors opened in less than an hour. A crash came from the stage area. I jumped and hurried to see what had happened, Patrick right behind me.

When I got out to the main stage area, I saw a light shattered on the ground. One of the new kids looked freaked and I could only assume he was the one who dropped it. I sighed and turned to Patrick.

“Go back to the guys. I’ve gotta get back to my job.” He sighed and nodded. I pressed a kiss to his cheek and hurried toward the kid. A light was a big deal to lose this close to showtime but it happened. I don’t think he’ll lose his job but I had to make sure no one was hurt first.

“Hey, is everyone ok?” I walked up to him and gave him a quick glance over. No visible injuries. The people surrounding the mess all confirmed they were fine. “Someone get a broom and dust pan. We have to make sure this is all clean before the guys come on stage.” We didn’t need one of them getting hurt.

“I’m so sorry! It was just heavier than I thought and I tried to readjust my grip and it—” I raised my hand to stop his rambling.

“It’s ok. Things like this happen but you have to be careful. If something is too heavy, ask for help. That’s why there’s so many people here. Someone could have been hurt.” He nodded but I could still see his shoulders shaking.

A few people rushed over with some brooms. I scolded a couple trying to pick up glass with their bare hands. This was one of those ‘lack of common-sense days’ I guessed. I sighed and adjusted the light so it would be easier to pick up.

“Hey, someone roll a cart over here and help me pick this up,” I called. Cam rushed over. Bless his heart for listening to me. I rolled up my sleeves and grabbed the broken side carefully.

“Alright, on three. One, two,” he counted. We lifted on three and walked it slowly over to the cart. Didn’t need any more glass falling off. It went fine until we needed to put it down again.

Cam set it down faster than I did and my grip on the light slipped. Out of instinct, I tried to grab it again. I missed and part of the light dragged down my arm. It still landed on the cart but more glass spilled off it. I jerked back as the pain shot through my body.

“Shit!” I looked down at it as the red blood spilled out. I couldn’t tell how deep it was. There was a lot of blood but that didn’t mean anything.

“Oh crap, Y/N are you ok?” Cam rushed around the cart and tried to look at my arm. His face paled and he turned away from me. He had always been squeamish around this stuff. I don’t blame him. I was desensitized to it in my high school years when I went through a particularly rough part of my life. I’ve moved past it but this was bringing back some not so pleasant memories.

“I’m fine,” I paused, “Ok not fine. I’m going to the infirmary before the masses are let in.” Cam turned toward me and nodded, but still didn’t look at me.

“Ok, do you want me to send for Patrick or something?” I shook my head.

“No! He doesn’t need to be worrying about me. I’ll be alright.” I hurried past Cam, backstage, looking for the director or medic. I didn’t particularly feel like trailing blood through the venue to get to the infirmary.

“Y/N! What happened?” I turned toward the voice of the director in relief.

“Oh, there was a bit of an accident and I got hurt trying to fix it.” He let of a laugh of surprise. Probably because I didn’t seem worried about the bleeding at all.

“You mean this isn’t the accident? Here, sit down. I know where some bandages are. Then we can wheal you over to the infirmary.” I nodded and sat on the bench along the wall. He disappeared for a moment before he was back and opening a first aid kit. “I called the medic, and she should be here any moment.”

“Ok. Thanks.” He wiped some blood away but it was replaced quickly. I flinched at the stinging of disinfectant. He shook his head as he gave up and began wrapping my arm.

“You’re going to need stitches.” He pressed down on my arm but the blood just soaked through the bandage.

“Y/N? What’s going on?” I tried not to jump at Patrick’s voice. What was he doing here? Shouldn’t he be with the guys, getting ready for showtime?

I looked over at him and his face was more pale than normal. His eyes were locked on my bleeding arm. I had mentioned my past difficulties to him but never had a full conversation about it. But I knew what he was thinking just by the look of pain scrunching up his face.

“Trick,” I started, but the director cut me off.

“Patrick, you need to go get ready for showtime. I have this handled here. It’s nothing to worry about.” I wasn’t entirely sure the director knew about our relationship, not that we had been super public about it. It’s generally frowned upon to date your boss (technically speaking).

“Are you crazy? I’m not going anywhere. She clearly needs medical attention and I want to be here for her.”

The doctor rushed up to us, giving a brief greeting to Patrick and the director. She all but shoved the him out of the way and unwrapped my arm to assess the damage. Patrick moved to sit next to me. He pressed a kiss to my head and rubbed my back. The hurt was evident in his face.

“You could have talked to me. I’m here for you.” I felt bad. He was so worried, but there was no reason to be.

“So, what actually happened? You can tell me as we move you to the infirmary. We need to stitch this up.” I moved over to the wheelchair without much complaint. Now was not the time to be stubborn. Patrick began to follow us but was stopped by the director.

“You can go back to the dressing room. Don’t need you causing a fuss while we rush her to the other side of the venue.” Patrick clenched his fists. The director was right. It would make things difficult.

“Fine. I’ll go get a body guard. I’ll meet you there,” he called to me. I rolled my eyes but couldn’t keep the small smile off my face. He was really the sweetest.

“I was trying to clean up a broken light and I dropped it when moving it out of the way,” I told the doctor. She told me to keep pressure on the cut and hurried through the halls, avoiding as many people as she could. It wasn’t too bad, but the doors had just opened. It would be full in no time.

I would have loved to see the look on her face that was making people moved out of the way so quickly. Then again, maybe it was the bloody arm that did it. I was starting to feel dizzy. I hope I didn’t need to go to the emergency room. While the insurance I got through the job was pretty good, medical bills still sucked.

It probably didn’t take as long as it seemed to get to the infirmary but I couldn’t be sure at this point. The doctor helped me onto the table and began talking to me.

“Alright I need you to just talk. Are you lightheaded?” I nodded but apparently that wasn’t good enough. “I already know you’re lightheaded but I need you to talk. About anything. No passing out until I’m done.”

“Yea. I’m a bit dizzy. But I don’t know what to talk about.” She slowly unwrapped my arm as another nurse came in, pushing a cart with supplies on it.

“Tell me about your relationship. That guy is from the band right, he seemed worried.” She never looked away from my arm. The bleeding seemed to have stopped mostly.

“Yea. The lead singer and he’s great. I can’t help but be happy that he’s worried about me. But I think he has the wrong idea about what happened. I gotta clear it up. I used to have a problem and well I think he thinks I did this to myself,” I rambled. Her hands froze but only for a second.

“Well that explains why you’re so calm,” I heard her mumble.

There was some yelling from outside and I looked toward the door. It swung open and Patrick stumbled in as one of their big guards kept people away from the door. He closed it quickly and took a deep breath. I held back a giggle. He hurried over to me and grabbed my hand.

“Is she ok?” The doctor raised an eyebrow at him.

“Well no. I’m going to stitch her up. She’s dizzy so I’m going to have her rest here for the remainder of the night.” Patrick nodded and squeezed my hand.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t trustworthy enough to talk to. From now on, I’ll do better,” he said gently. I shook my head.

“Patrick. I dropped a light.”

“What?”

“The light that broke earlier. I dropped it when moving it. The broken glass and metal cut me. I haven’t relapsed in years. But thank you for worrying.” He stared at me blankly for a moment. Then relief rushed across his face along with a light blush.

“Well I’m glad you, uh, that it was an accident.” I smiled at him and flinched at the doctor pushing against the wound.

“Alright I’m going to give you a shot then stitch you up.” I nodded as she pushed the needle into my arm. I looked away from her and met Patrick’s gaze. He smiled and squeezed my hand. I didn’t have any fear of needles but I didn’t want to watch it happen.

Patrick talked quietly to me as I lost feeling in my arm. Apparently, the guys were playing some game in the back room. Nothing he was particularly interested in. I told him he could go back but he refused to leave my side until he knew I was ok.

“Don’t hurt your voice for me. You should be on vocal rest. You’re crazy.” He looked away from me and blushed lightly as a grin settled on his face.

“Only crazy about you,” he said. I heard the doctor chuckle quietly. I had felt her lift my arm but nothing else. I felt my cheeks getting warm. Why’d he have to say that in front of someone else?

“Dork,” I said. I wanted to shove him but that was hard when both arms were trapped.

“Alright, I’m done. I’ll wrap it then you can just lay down. Feel free to sleep.” The doctor began wrapping my arm. Patrick checked his watch and sighed.

“Hey babe, I’m sorry but I gotta go. Don’t need the guys mad at me.” I rolled my eyes and pulled on his hand gently.

“I told you that you could leave.” The doctor looked between us and then turned away. I felt bad about making this awkward for her. I’m sure she had seen worse.

Patrick leaned in and pressed his lips against mine. He was so gentle and I couldn’t get enough. He was all mine. I just had to share a little bit of him with the world. But he cared about me and I could claim that much.

[crxpeek]

Hi cool I transcribed that Q104.3 Interview with Nick & Darian earlier. 

If you wanna check out the original you can watch/listen to that here

But if not, there’s a transcription right here under the cut. 

Transcriber’s note here: It’s pretty long and it took me three hours to do and there’s quite a few good quotes here, so yeah, enjoy. 

Jonathan Clarke: Welcome back, Jonathan Clarke, we’re in the studio with Nick Valensi & Darian Zanedi? Did I say that right Darian?

Darian: Zahedi.

Jonathan Clarke: Zahedi. Oh, that’s an H not an N, my bad. Of course, the band is CRX.  The new album is Peek. They are playing the Mercury Lounge right here in New York City tonight. And of course, Nick’s other band The Strokes playing New Year’s Eve Barclay’s Center. Is that correct?

Nick: That’s right.

Jonathan Clarke: Fantastic. All the tour dates for CRX crxmusic.com Guys, or, I’ll ask you first Nick, how many times have you played the Mercury Lounge? Because I know you had a residency there at one point with The Strokes.

Nick: Oh man… many moons ago. The Strokes did… I think it was like… every Friday night or every Thursday night for a month. We did that a couple of times, so I’ve played there a dozen times.

Jonathan Clarke: A residency.

Nick: Yeah. It’s cool to do to that.

Jonathan Clarke: Right?

Nick: It’s nice so your fans kinda know where you’ll be every week, it’s like a TV show or something.

Jonathan Clarke: Right exactly it’s appointment viewing.

Nick: Yeah and we’re not doing that this time around, cause I moved to LA a while ago.

Jonathan Clarke: Yes, where Darian’s from.

Nick: Yep.

Jonathan Clarke: But you were born right here in New York City.

Nick: That’s right.

Jonathan Clarke: That’s right.

Nick: That’s right. I grew up listening to Q104.3. To be perfectly honest with you, it was the classic rock station when I was growing up and it still is, although now it’s more of a mixed bag.

Jonathan Clarke: I will ask you guys both the same question, what was the first song you learned on guitar?

Nick: I mean I know-

Jonathan Clarke: Smoke on the Water?

Darian: No.

Nick: The first thing… My very first guitar lesson I remember it very clearly. I wanted to learn uh. Well the guy asked me “What do you like? What kind of music do you like?” I said, “I love Guns ‘N Roses” and he said, “Do you know the song Sweet Child O’ Mine?” I said “Of course,” and he was like “I can teach you this intro.”

Jonathan Clarke: The riff.

Nick: and that’s the first thing that I kinda went through, was this intro to Sweet Child O’ Mine.

Jonathan Clarke: Not actually an easy sort of-

Nick: No, it seems like a sophisticated place to start. But that’s where he started me.

Jonathan Clarke: Darian?

Darian: Man.. going back many many years but it might have been Smells Like Teen Spirit.

Jonathan Clarke: Okay.

Darian: But I remember the first song I wanted to learn was uh Brown Sugar.

Jonathan Clarke: Oh Yeah.

Darian: And the guitar teacher… I had just learned to play like open cords on the guitar, and he was like “You don’t wanna learn that one right now it’s too...” And I was like, “No I wanna learn I really wanna learn how to do it.”

Nick: But it’s in a different tuning that song.

Darian: Well it’s also like bar chords. And he’s like it’s these things called barre chords. And I was like then show me barre chords. And then I, you know, I was like, I’m gonna figure this out. So, I just spent days, you know, making my fingers bleed til I could play barre chords. And then he taught me Brown Sugar. And it was like-

Jonathan Clarke: Now did you do the Keith Richards thing of taking off the Low E string?

Darian: No.

Jonathan Clarke: And then on the Open G?

Darian: I did the Open G tuning, but I didn’t take off the string, I wasn’t, when I was 10 years old, I wasn’t that… you know…

Jonathan Clarke: It’s funny with that particular tuning, which, legend has it, Ry Cooder, taught him that tuning.

Darian: Yeah. He taught him how to play slide too, I think.

Jonathan Clarke: Yeah yeah, and once you learn that, you know how to mess around on the barre chords with that tuning, you can play like 5 Stones hits like right away.

Darian: And you can be high as Keith Richards and still do it.

Jonathan Clarke: Absolutely. We’re in the studio with Nick & Darian from CRX, the new album is Peek. The first album came out in 2016, New Skin. That was pretty much you doing most of the writing, Nick, on that one.

Nick: Yeah, the first album was an experiment for me to start something outside of The Strokes. And I didn’t really know what it was gonna be at the onset. And um, while I was making it, I put together a band of friends to take on tour. And umm, over the course of touring that first album for quite some time. We spent many hours in a van together and listened to a lot music together.

Jonathan Clarke: Like the old days.

Nick: Yeah. And um, just spent a lot of time really talking about music. And um, over the course of that tour we kind of… it was like a kinda… pre-production creative time for starting to collaboratively write this second album together.

Jonathan Clarke: I did plays Ways to Fake It a lot on this show. I love that song.

Nick: Oh, thanks Jonathan.

Jonathan Clarke: So good.

Nick: Thank you so much man, you know, thanks for you continued support man.

Jonathan Clarke: We go back as we mentioned, Modern Age.

Nick: You reminded me you’re the first DJ to play The Modern Age EP, before that first Strokes album. You were playing The Strokes demos on the air.

Jonathan Clarke: Yes yes. And it came in… the CD came in… resembled… You guys may have been the first to like do the retro thing with the CD where it looks like a 45 but it’s actually a regular CD.

Nick: Yeah, I came out of the womb retro.

Jonathan Clarke: Ah yes, nice. That of course was Modern Age. The song I’ve been playing is Falling, and also Get Close. Really good songs. I noticed you guys really do have your own sound, but you are unafraid to proudly show your influences on this current new album. So, talk about there. Cause there’s a lot of things that I hear but I wanna hear what you sort of hear with these new songs.

Darian: Well uh... Yeah there was… you know we…  when we were like he’s saying we were on tour we were listening to a lot of music and we started talking about if we were gonna make a second record what would we want it to sound like and what we were vibing on at the time. And it was a lot of David Bowie circa Scary Monster, Iggy Pop circa The Idiot, Talking Heads circa Remain in Light and umm.

Jonathan Clarke: Cars?

Darian: Cars I think is just part of our blood.

Jonathan Clarke: Yeah yeah.

Darian: Cars & Tom Petty, you know, with the songwriting and the vibes. So I think that kinda comes through a little more subconsciously.

Jonathan Clarke: Yeah.

Darian: The other stuff we wanted to sort of, you know, we gave ourself those parameters, to keep things consistent. You know what I mean? And then I think our sort of individual taste and stuff that’s sort of inherent kinda also shines through.

Jonathan Clarke: Isn’t Elliot Easton like the most underrated guitar player?

Darian: So underrated.

Jonathan Clarke: I mean his rifts are like so perfect.

Darian: I think we’re both very influenced by him. I used to have this VHS of The Cars live at Musikladen, 1979, and I would rewind it and rewind it and rewind it and learn his guitar solos from watching it until the tape and the VCR both like fell apart.

Jonathan Clarke: Yeah, I love that.

Nick: You know he’s got the most memorable, melodic, short succinct guitar solos that you can sing along to. That other people, like the guy from Tom Petty’s band.

Jonathan Clarke: Mike Campbell.

Nick: Yeah, Mike Campbell was like that too. Just short and sweet, you make a really good melodic statement, and then just get out.

Jonathan Clarke: Yeah, it’s almost like their solo is like 8 bars and then it’s like back to the bridge or the chorus or whatever it is. It’s almost Beatle-esque in that sense. Like it’s kinda the George Harrison solos are, you know, famously very short and tight and melodic.

Nick: And you can sing along to them most importantly.

Jonathan Clarke: Yeah.

Nick: That’s what I look for in an instrumental section to a song. Whether it’s a guitar solo, or a synth solo, or just a little interlude.

Jonathan Clarke: Yeah.

Nick: I like melody.

Jonathan Clarke: You’ve made a couple video for this new album. For Get Close… now did you, did you set out wanting to make a vampire movie video in New Orleans.

Nick: Well…

Darian: It’s a funny story…

Jonathan Clarke: Tell it!

Nick: Uh…

Darian: We so we… we went out to this, this is a long story I’ll make it quick. We went out to eat at this place called Cole’s in downtown Los Angeles. Which is like an old school LA restaurant. And we went to talk to videos with this video director and we were sort of riffing on ideas. But basically, what happened was that, I ate a lot of spicy mustard and pickles and I couldn’t sleep that night. And I was like lying in bed with acid reflux. And I just envisioned this entire video with a female vampire femme fatale who goes around killing guys and I just sorta saw the whole thing in my head.

Jonathan Clarke: Now did you have Lemmy from Motörhead in your mind as well sitting at bar or no?

Darian: Well no. What happened was I wrote the treatment and I sent it to Kansas Bowling who directed our videos because she’s super into like horror B-movies from like the 60s and 70s, and it’s like she’ll be perfect to make this. She took it New Orleans, she found the cast. And you know we added our friend Christina Masterson, who is the main vampire, we sent her down there with her and just let her sorta do her thing. And she found the guy, she found the bartender, who was a horror movie actress in the 70s… 80s..

Nick: Uh yeah Loretta something…

Darian: Geretta Geretta? Dreada Dreada?

(Transcriber’s note, Geretta Geretta is the actress)

Nick: Yeah yeah.

Darian: And she’s like a master, Kansas, at finding cool people and outfits and locations. We just let her sorta run wild with it.

Nick: She shoots everything on film, on an old camera from the 70s, that she takes on the plane, that’s like her carryon, on the plane, is this big huge heavy film camera from the 70s. And she’s made our videos on that camera.

Jonathan Clarke: Yeah cause it has that quality, I wouldn’t say it’s grainy necessary, but it has that sort of…

Nick: It’s film.

Jonathan Clarke: It’s film yeah yeah. Also, animals in your videos, there are kittens and a goat.

Nick: Yeah.

Jonathan Clarke: I believe.

Darian: Pomeranian.

Jonathan Clarke: A cute little Pomeranian, very nice.

Nick: We’re animal lovers.

Darian: Yeah yeah.

Nick: And so is Kansas the director.

Darian: Story about that goat or lamb or whatever it was.  I think it was a goat. She actually rescued that from a slaughter house.

Jonathan Clarke: Aww.

Darian: She went and bought it from the slaughter house, from them, for like $100 or whatever, took part of the video budget. And then after the video, she gave it to this place that like takes in sheltered animals and puts them to pasture and…

Jonathan Clarke: We love that.

Darian: So, she basically rescued this goat from a slaughter house.

Nick: Yay!

Jonathan Clarke: And the goat is now a star.

Darian: The goat is now a star, and its alive, and its happy.

Jonathan Clarke: Yeah. Nick, I have to ask you, when you first started in The Strokes, life on the road I think was a little different than it is now. You have a family. Do you bring them on the road with you for Strokes show or CRX shows?

Nick: Sometimes.

Jonathan Clarke: When it’s convenient?

Nick: Yeah when it’s convenient. And you know, for one off things sometimes. I mean life is different in that I have a family. But life is so different now from when I started on tour with The Strokes because the internet barely existed when The Strokes first… you know what I mean? In the late 90s, early 00s, I didn’t have a cell phone, you know we didn’t have a lot of the ways to stay in touch now.

Jonathan Clarke: Right.

Nick: I can be on a tour bus somewhere and just facetime my wife and my kids. Back when I… I started touring when I was 17, 18 years old so it was stops at payphones.

Jonathan Clarke: Right.

Nick: Which seems crazy now, that that was even a thing.

Jonathan Clarke: And some payphones actually still work.

Nick: You find them sometimes, they’re more and more rare.

Jonathan Clarke: I have heard that the new Strokes album is finished, and that you are mixing now. Is that correct?

Nick: Wow you heard that?

Jonathan Clarke: I heard that.

Nick: Who told you that?

Jonathan Clarke: Fairly reliable source.

Nick: Um… Well it must be true then.

Jonathan Clarke: Aha. Okay so you can’t give us any more info on when and if or?

Nick: When, I don’t know. If… is… I would say is a strong likelihood.

Jonathan Clarke: Yes. So, I’m in my gym the other day you know just doing my stretching and things like that. And then ‘Last Nite’ comes on the system of, you know, the gym. And I’m thinking “Wow, okay” so I don’t think this would have happened necessarily 18 years ago. But now I’m hearing it on the system of the gym playing. And I’m wondering when you go grocery shopping or you’re in your car or you’re some place, and you hear one of your songs, and I’ll ask this to both of you. Is it just like no big deal now or does you mind take you back to in the studio? Like kinda what goes through your mind when you hear your songs in places or on the radio?

Nick: First thought is “Am I getting paid for this?”

Jonathan Clarke: Yeah.

Nick: Sorry that was a joke.

Jonathan Clarke: That’s okay.

Darian: This is a safe place.

Nick: Sometimes I hear songs like you said, in the supermarket or in a store, and I think it’s The Strokes, and it’s not.

Jonathan Clarke: Oh yeah.

Nick: And then I think, am I getting paid for this?

Jonathan Clarke: And yourself? What do you think?

Darian: It’s weird. My experience with The Strokes personally is these guys were my friends in 1999, 2000. So, I was hearing these songs at Luna Lounge when it was still on Ludlow St. and places like that. So, I have like, a different relationship with it than I think most people. Where it’s strange, but it’s also… I don’t know.

Nick: So, the backstory here is that the way I know Darian is, he went to a year of college with Albert Hammond Jr., the other guitar player in The Strokes. So they were... They became fast friends cause they were in a music class… music class together?

Darian: Beethoven.

Jonathan Clarke: Wow so you can actually read music?

Darian: Oh, we both failed that class.

Jonathan Clarke: That’s very rock and roll Darian.

Nick: As Albert and I were… you know as The Strokes were kinda coming together… and like he said doing small gigs downtown you know to maybe a couple dozen people, if that, they were in school together, and we were just all part of a circle of friends. And so, we’ve known each other for a long time.

Jonathan Clarke: Well what about when you hear a CRX song on the radio? That’s gotta be a thrill, right?

Nick: That is actually kind of cool.

Darian: That is very exciting.

Jonathan Clarke: Yeah.

Nick: It is cool.

Darian: Especially cause we do, I do think about when we were in the studio how we created this how, how this part came about and how you know it’s like…

Jonathan Clarke: So, you flashback? Flashback to the studio and the creation?

Darian:  Yeah totally. And you think like... you realize when you hear a song, well most people hear a song, they don’t’ think about what went into it. They’re just experiencing it. Music you experience it and it gives you emotions and it becomes your personally thing. You know what I mean? It doesn’t matter what it meant to me, that’s not what’s important. What matters is what it meant to you. But then as the person who created it, yeah you think about like… it’s like making sausage. All the weird stuff that went into it, and the emotions, and the time, and the changes, and the whatever, the little arguments, and this and that. Just to make this thing that you ended up proud of and happy with. And that hopefully means something to someone else.

Jonathan Clarke: It is Nick Valensi & Darian Zahedi. The band is CRX. The new album is Peek. They’re playing the Mercury Lounge here in New York City tonight. All the tour dates crxmusic.com. I was not at Lollapalooza this year, but everyone said you guys, it’s one of the best shows they ever saw the strokes play.

Nick: Oh great!

Jonathan Clarke: How did it feel on stage? Was it… Did it feel that way to you as well?

Nick: It felt great. It was a great show. I actually stayed for some of the weekend. And you were asking me before if my family comes on tour with me ever, and that was one show where my daughter, my 12 and half year-old daughter in particular wanted to go to Lollapalooza and had a whole itinerary of bands that she wanted to see.

Jonathan Clarke: What band did she want to see?

Nick: Well there were several. Among them were, this guy, Conan Gray and Tame Impala. Tame Impala was a highlight for me too. The whole family can enjoy Tame Impala.

Jonathan Clarke: Yes.

Nick: And they were really actually fantastic.

Jonathan Clarke: I saw them once at radio city, they were so good, fantastic. Do you still have the Gibson ES 335 that Albert gave ya?

Nick: Yes. Although it’s not a Gibson 335, it’s… it’s kinda…

Jonathan Clarke: Epiphone?

Nick: It’s an Epiphone. Yeah. It’s kind of a copy of a Gibson 335, kind of, it’s an Epiphone Rivera.

Jonathan Clarke: Ah very nice.

Nick: He gave me to me long ago. I remember when we were first starting The Strokes and I just had the crappiest guitar that wouldn’t stay in tune, and the strings were like an inch away from the fretboard.

Jonathan Clarke: Oh no that sounds painful.

Nick: Yeah, I couldn’t, you know, I just did my best with this thing. And Albert one day came home from this used guitar shop with two guitars, a white Fender Strat and this orange Epiphone hollow body thing. And he was like “You can play one and I can play one!” and I was like “Wow that’s amazing! I wanna play the Strat!” and he was like “No the Srat’s for me! You’re gonna play this one.” And I was very grateful, and that guitar ended up becoming like kind of a signature thing for me.

Jonathan Clarke: Nick & Darian thank you guys so much. The new CRX album is Peek. It sounds fantastic.

Nick: Thanks Johnathan.

Darian: Thank you.

Jonathan Clarke: And it sounds fantastic on the radio which we’re gonna do right now actually. Everyone go see them tonight at the Mercury Lounge here in New York City and you can get all the tour dates for the band at crxmusic.com. Thanks guys.

Darian: Thank you.

Nick: Thanks for having us man, great to see you again.

[flvshlights]

courtney eaton. 24. genderfluid. they & them. the front bottoms. | i can’t believe i just saw LUCINDA “LUKE” ARCHULETTA walking out of cadence records. they’re the GUITAR & LEAD VOCAL from the INDIE ROCK group WE TRIED USING A BAND NAME GENERATOR who have been in the industry for SIX YEARS. the tabloids love to focus on their ALOOF nature , but they’re also pretty HONEST and they seem to give off a vibe that reminds people of TYING FLANNELS AROUND YOUR WAIST, NEVER BEING WARM ENOUGH, PLAYING AN ACOUSTIC GUITAR IN A SHARP TUXEDO, CLAIMING YOU DON’T SMOKE MARIJUANA WHEN YOU DO, THE COMFORT AT THE BOTTOM OF A SWIMMING POOL. 

                                     she started talking backwards , but nothing                                      good it brings her. so the next time that she                                      sees him, it’ll be peace sign + middle finger.                                      to listen as you read.

listen i always say i’ll stick with one muse and that never happens so i’ll just skip the part here where i berate myself for being weAK and instead introduce u to lukey-pookie here !! they’re a very new muse ( while also combining some essences of other muses of mine ) since normally i pick from a premade roster of my own ocs and normally use courtney for a... very different character but 1.) i’m gay and 2.) i love the front bottoms so HERE WE GO !

tws : depression, divorce, arrest, drug usage / overdose

HISTORY

So Luke was born to a regular working class family in Wilmington, Delaware - they have some relation with the famous DuPont family that built their name there, but don’t have anything to show for it since a few generations ago Luke’s great grandmother cut off the rest of her family and now they don’t speak. So Archuletta it is.

Their mom worked a typical 9-5 job and their dad was an aspiring painter - but he was always... sick. Not sick in the physical sense, no - sick in the fact he never was himself. Sick in way that Luke always thought he was so tired and sad and nothing could ever cheer him up, and they rarely spent much time with him due to his tendencies to keep to himself. So that led to an early divorce between him and Luke’s mother when they were about six years old.

So Luke’s life was relatively normal. Maybe even too normal for them. And they’d try and put themselves out there - even joining musical theatre in attempts to try and find “their group.” Musical theatre was where they’d meet Krista.

A beautiful girl who had a passion for Broadway, booze, and marijuana - she’d become Luke’s greatest friend, and even taking Luke to meet their friends she hung out with regularly after class. But they weren’t the kids you’d want to bring home to hang out with in your parents’ house. No, in fact - they were the opposite.

Bad things, those friends did - well - bad ( or rather, illegal ) things, and Luke followed along. Such as smoking pot and getting caught for it, spraypainting and defiling public areas, maybe getting into a fight or two. In an effort to fit in, Luke would do the same - but they faced the consequences they’d never thought - considering those kids seemed invincible. Untouchable. 

Setting off fireworks from the roof of an abandoned building it a bad idea. Getting arrested the cops is an even worse idea. Your friends running off before they can get caught, leaving you alone to wait for your mom to pick you up... The worst idea.

Nobody came to check on them after that.

Not even Krista.

But the next day, Luke hung out with them like nothing was wrong, following that crowd still - and it’d only reach a breaking point when they were sixteen and had to call the ambulance since Luke found Krista in the bathroom of a party unconscious due to overdose. And thank god she survived - 

And there they were again, without many friends since Krista was seemingly the only person who even came close to genuinely liking them and everyone else, they barely knew anything about. And Luke would grow, finishing high school and clinging to the only other friend they had since childhood - being convinced to write out their issues since by NOW, Luke maybe turned out a bit more cynical than they used to be.

Writings of prose and poetry turned to translating that to music - and that would be the beginning of their new life: We Tried Using A Band Name Generator.

ABOUT ‘WE TRIED’: 

‘We Tried Using A Band Name Generator’ - or more conveniently just referred to as ‘We Tried’ is probably Luke’s pride and joy. It was their friend’s idea for them to originally write out how they felt - and they mutually came up with the decision to try and write songs out of that.

A small band from Wilmington didn’t seem like it was going to get notice, and it took a little while, sure - it started with an EP titled Slow Dance to Soft Rock ( 2013 ) that made Cadence turn their way. Since the indie community definitely liked the acoustic sounds paired with raw, blunt, honest emotions pushed out in songs like The Beers and Swimming Pool. And that was when they got signed.

The first album they’d release would be six months later - self-tilted, We Tried Using A Band Name Generator. They didn’t have too much of a following at the time, but they were making good momentum enough to convince them to keep going.

Things were going so well, in fact, that during touring, Luke & their best friend / drummer actually attempted dating since - there had to be a reason they worked so well together. There had to be SOME feelings. But a million arguments later and stressful tours, overall mentally testing experiences, pushing out an EP called Rose which was as amazing as it was tacing to complete... they couldn’t do it. It was thought that when their best friend left the group in early 2016, it was thought that everyone’s new favorite indie rock group was done for.

And... Luke couldn’t let that happen. It was selfish, too, in the sense that We Tried was their biggest method of release and comfort. So instead of just giving up, they got off from tour and IMMEDIATELY hit the studio for recording and song-writing.

The product of a few months of straight work would result in their 2016 album , Talon of the Hawk - all songs pulling experiences from the split between them and their drummer to their experiences with Krista in high school. 

Au Revoir/Adios was 100% written the day after their ex-drummer left. 

Another year of touring and thankfully, four more members joined the group - producing the EP Needy When I’m Needy as a sneak peak of what was new to come. A few months later , a surprise album called Back on Top would come out. 

The next three years would work well - with the band releasing another EP titled Ann and the inklings sprinkled of the next album - Going Grey.  

SO IN CASE THAT WAS TOO COMPLEX BC I RAMBLE... again, general timeline:

February 2013: Release of Slow Dance to Soft Rock

March 2013: We Tried is signed to Cadence

August 2014: Release of Self-Titled.

September 2014: Both members of We Tried start dating.

July 2015: Release of Rose.

December 2015: Nearing the end of touring, We Tried’s drummer quits and the pair breaks up. Touring officially ends later that month.

January 2016: Luke Archuletta announces they’ll be taking time to focus on a brand new album.

August 2016: Release of the rushed but extremely well-received Talon of the Hawk.

July 2017: We Tried introduces four new members.

October 2017: Release of Needy When I’m Needy.

March 2018: Release of the surprise album Back on Top.

January 2019: Release of the EP Ann, paired with the announcement production of the next album will begin soon.

March: Two songs - Peace Sign & You Used to Say (Holy Fuck) are released to tease Going Grey.

July 2018: Release of Going Grey. 

SO YOU CAN SORT OF TELL THE TIMELINE IS SPEEDY - because that’s a big part of how Luke sort of... overworks themselves and hyperfocuses on their music. Especially since ever since their first drummer left, they haven’t let go of the idea they can only rely on themselves. 

BUT MORE ABOUT THE BAND - We Tried’s aesthetic is sort of The Front Bottoms mixed with the Young Veins - Luke’s especially fond of showing up in suits, vests, etc. despite the normally blunt & uncouth content of the songs. 

There is literally always something being made. Luke can’t sleep without having something in the works. 

And... yeah that’s it honestly it’s rly just TFB but with a TWIST! 

ABOUT LUKE 

5′10, genderfluid bisexual bby who honestly just wants a nap

SOOOO yes, Luke’s a very chill individual but chill in the sense that... they just. Don’t care. Except when it comes to their work - then they work the hardest they can on that shit and have to pay attention to every little detail.

They’re still not actually sure if they have any talent - musical theater never seemed to work out, so why is a band doing that??

But they do have one thing down pat - directing. All of We Tried’s videos have so far been directed by Luke, save for a few. 

This comes from Luke’s longtime adoration of film and cinema, from the perspective of an observer and a director.

They DO have a tendency to be a little... clingy and aloof at the same time. They’re always worried about being in the position of trying to keep a band of only one person alive again but also they don’t really notice they can other people to do things for them now.

They’re independent to a fault, in that case.

And also now finally getting a hang of not falling into peer pressure since it’s just made them cynical and aloof from people now.

They’re v grateful for their bandmates tho!! Don’t get me wrong, they love them!

Luke’s more of someone who communicates their appreciation through gestures and actions than words - setting a blanket on you while you sleep, getting new drumsticks if you broke yours, making coffee in the morning when you’ve forgotten. That kind of stuff.

They don’t get a lot of sleep for the sole reason they sort of have tendencies to keep themselves awake just... thinking. Luke thinks a lot. Luke’s actually wack-levels of intelligent, and it does show in their music save for when they’re making odd comments and obscure references.

Luke talks about tattoos a lot, but they’re actually barren since they’re afraid of needles. 

They also don’t drink, but they do smoke marijuana. But they’ll never admit to it - ...like TFB even though they have a MILLION songs that mention recreational use of the drug.

They sort of don’t really know where their purpose is, still - and that does lead them into a depression of their own, much like their father. They don’t talk to him and their mother that much nowadays - considering, the dream was always that Luke be a lawyer or a doctor and not the crass musician that they are.

They’re lowkey a fucking comedian but in the dry, deadpan humor sense. Most of their interviews consist of them making some joke that either takes a little while for the interviewer to get or one that makes the room silent for a quick minute. Or, even worse, they’re taken seriously.

Despite this aloofness, though, they actually thrive on being around other people. They’re sort of relearning how to accept that, though, since again, they’ve been shelling themselves up in their own work for quite some time. 

Also lowkey a bit of a flirt bt u didn’t hear that from me

Rides a motorcycle partially to look cool and also... bc they have the song ‘Motorcycle’ which was about them. Trying to learn how to ride a motorcycle so it just kind of stuck.

They’ve got another talent in dancing, since they took ballet classes throughout middle school to high school - but had to quit after they got arrested. Shame.

Their one dream was to be Ariel in the Broadway production of The Little Mermaid when they were younger since... they also love the sea and Disney Princesses so much secretly, but they’ve sort of given up on that.

Their love for the sea’s also because of where they’re from - Delaware beaches are beautiful and were Luke’s happy place back then. 

Most of their loves and interests are sprinkled in their songs, in that case - Delaware scenery, references of Disney films, etc.

They’re a very... complex individual. But god I lOVE them.

WCs

THE DRUMMER. PLS GIVE ME THE DRUMMER. I HAV IT ON THE MAIN... PLS GIVE ME THE OG DRUMMER THAT LEFT AND NOW HAS A SOLO CAREER OR IS IN ANOTHER BAND ELSEWHERE. PLS.

also the current bandmates. that would b. cool.

if ppl from luke’s old squad can show up now w/ their own careers... that would b. cool.

kids who they went to high school with that r surprised where they are now.

enemies in the music scene who don’t like luke or we tried for a multitude of reasons

maybe they think luke’s secretly a conceited dick underneath the ‘distant mysterious songwriter’ schtick

mayBBEEEE they think the nature of we tried’s songs are some sort of keep gimmick to try and cash in on being ‘casual’ and ‘relatable’

maybe they just don’t like the damn band i mean. yeah.

any reason. pls.

hook-ups bc i’ll b honest they are... a bit of a flirt. let luke serenade u w/ shit like “historic cemetery” cowards,

a rebound sort of?? probably very short-lived, but i can see luke wanting to get their mind off from their ex/drummer leaving and falling fast into another relationship - and that wouldn’t work out bc of it.

i’d also lov a plot where maybe sb discovers luke’s talent for dancing bc they do it for recreational purposes semi-often now?? 

maybe they can attend a class together or smth

or they just do it for fun at luke’s place

idk this cld go anywhere n it’s honestly adorable

ppl that they befriend who they can just. take back to delaware one day.

or even ppl they just hang out with to relive the ‘good ol days’

trips to the beach

buying store bought fireworks n setting them off

going on camping trips n shit

i’d lov a plot where there’s one person who just thinks luke is like... a MYSTERY and they just get closer and closer in attempts to try and figure that mystery out

also 100% open to brainstorming! i’ll actually get 2 interacting tmr bc it’s 2:30 AM nearly here n i want to sleep so yeah! chances are tho if u like this i’ll message u for plotting!! again if u want my discord - hmu @ rocky lynch lovebot / hylia.#0329. :^)

i love the front bottoms so much

[chiseler]

The Briefly and Occasionally Great Del Tenney

He wasn’t as culturally attuned as Roger Corman. He wasn’t as obsessively prolific as Jess Franco. He wasn’t as personally flamboyant as Ed Wood. Still, writer/producer/director Del Tenney is a legend in the annals of low budget horror. That he’s a legend is in itself legendary, given that he’s remembered for only four films, all of which were made during a two year stretch in the early 1960s.  I’m hard-pressed to think of another director with a filmography that brief who earned a legacy like Tenney’s. They weren’t great films, some weren’t even particularly good, but they had a spark to them, and they were undeniably memorable, sometimes for reasons that had nothing to do with the films themselves.

“My friends used to come up to me and ask, ‘How could you do all those terrible films?’’’ Tenney was fond of saying. “And I tell them, ‘I cry all the way to the bank,’”

He was born in Mason City, Iowa, but in the early ‘40s his family moved to Los Angeles. Tenney began studying theater in school, and by age 15 he was already working, both on stage and later as an extra in the likes of The Wild One and Stalag 17. His focus was on theater, though, so in the late ‘50s he moved to New York and found work in summer stock. A number of the young actors he worked with then, like Roy Scheider, Dick Van Patten, and Sylvia Miles, would later appear in Tenney’s films, many making their screen debuts with him.

By the early ‘60s Tenney and his wife, actress Margot Hartman Tenney, had also started directing productions of their own. After a conversation with a friend who was involved in (as it was described in polite company) “the exploitation film business,” Tenney took a job as assistant director on a couple of pictures, including the merely sleazy Satan in High Heels (a nasty little cheapie involving carnival strippers, junkies, robbery, sex, and murder) and nudie cuties like Orgy at Lil’s Place, (which concerned two girls who decide to get into the nude modeling racket). In later years, while Tenney spoke freely about the former, he rarely mentioned the latter. Still, his experience there inspired him to start making films of his own.

While in the theater he preferred to stick with Shakespeare and the classics, when he moved into film it was all about the bottom line. His goal was not to make great art, but to make a few quick bucks, and to do that he knew what audience he had to aim for. He was determined to give them exactly what they wanted.

Seeing potential in a story his wife had told him about a girl she knew in college who was found murdered, in 1962 Tenney sat down and began working on a script he initially called Black Autumn. Later it would be called Violent Midnight. Then shortly before its release the distributor changed the title to Psychomania, thinking it would cash in on Psycho and  pull in the kids.

Financed by his father-in-law and filmed (as all his pictures would be) in Stamford, CT,  Psychomania focused on a string of brutal sex murders in a small college town. The obvious suspect is that eccentric painter with a family history of mental problems who lives all alone out in the boonies and paints nude models who often end up getting stabbed (Lee Philips). The above-mentioned Dick Van Patten and James Farentino co-star as a couple of suspicious detectives, and Sylvia Miles appears, well, doing that great Sylvia Miles thing.

It’s a sharp and surprisingly stylish little b/w suspense thriller clearly influenced not only by Hitchcock in the camera work, but also by film noir and horror films of the ‘30s and ‘40s in its use of deep shadows. The shadowy murder scenes are especially shocking here. But none of that really mattered. The picture guaranteed its drive-in popularity by including plenty of nudity along the way. In fact prior to its release the same distributor who changed the title also insisted on more boobs, so without any tantrums about “integrity” or “artistic vision,”Tenney went back and shot another ten minutes of skin and mild sex and cut it in.

Although  Richard Hilliard receives the on screen credit as director and Tenney’s only credit is as producer, he would later say that  Hilliard  was a friend of his and a theater person who knew nothing about making films or dealing with actors, so he had to step in himself and take over, making this the first picture he wrote, produced, and directed.

The film made a lot of money (given its budget, anyway) but today is the least recognized of his films. That always confused me a little, given that in technical terms alone it’s the best thing he ever did. But I guess that’s not what people are always looking for in low-budget films.

There’s something else going on in Psychomania, though, that I’ve been touting for years even if no one seems to care.  In terms of genre film history, those self-satisfied types who concern themselves with such things comfortably and endlessly cite Mario Bava’s Blood and Black Lace as the first giallo, the film that launched a thousand copycats made by everyone from Fulci to Argento. The Bava film is the immovable cornerstone. Without taking anything at all away from what is undeniably a great picture, I’d still argue that Tenney beat him to the punch. Psychomania (released on DVD as Violent Midnight) contains everything that would later be cited as fundamental to any giallo picture: a string of sex crimes, an obvious suspect, several other obvious suspects, lots of boobs, savage violence, and a twist ending. But Psychomania was released in early ‘64, roughly  14 months before Bava’s picture. Okay, so maybe it’s not Italian, and maybe it wasn’t based on those tawdry little yellow paperbacks that were so popular at the time, but dammit it’s still a giallo, and it was the first.

I’ll shut up about that now.

After making a film with style, intelligence, and even a little class compared to the usual drive-in fodder, a film whose influence would be felt for the next twenty years (even if no one will admit it), and a film that made him a little money, Tenney took a hard left.

Filmed over two weeks in 1962, Curse of the Living Corpse was a  costume melodrama set in 1892 that’s  reminiscent of those AIP prestige numbers or early Hammer films. When a wealthy, possibly crazy, and just plain mean old man dies, his will stipulates that if the surviving members of his family don’t shape up and fly right, he’s going to rise from the grave and kill them off one by one. Well, they don’t and he does. Or at least it looks like that’s what’s happening.

It’s still a film with style, intelligence, and class, but of a different kind. While Psychomania was intense, sexy, and at times brutal, Curse of the Living Corpse was a very stagebound, theatrical piece, a bit slower, a bit more deliberate. A sitting room murder mystery heavy on the dialogue, punctuated here and there by a thematic murder. Plus most of the  characters are wearing too many layers for things to get terribly sexy.

Curse features Roy Scheider (in his film debut) as one of the profligate heirs in question,  Carnival of Souls’ Candace Hilligoss, and Tenny’s wife Margot Hartman. It’s one of the things that has always made Tenney’s films, cheap, fast, and DIY as they were, stand out. By pulling in friends from the theater, good, professional actors willing to work on a goofy movie for no money, he ended up with performances several cuts above what you’d normally find in something like this.  When none of the actors in a costume drama are, say, chewing gum, it just adds a layer of credibility to the story, no matter how ridiculous that story might be.

The other thing that made Tenney’s first two films stand out was the sharp b/w cinematography. The shadows are so deep here, the contrast so sharp and detailed, the film at times reminds me of those early Bava pictures (to go back there again). Even when the story lags a bit, the atmosphere carries it along. It’s something that can’t often be said about the low-budget pictures of the era.

Well, even as he was still working on Curse of the Living Corpse, pre-production was underway on his next film, The Horror of Party Beach. Shooting began about three days after Curse wrapped. If Tenney took a hard left from Psychomania into Curse, this time he had to jump all the way to the other end of the spectrum.

He admitted he wasn’t sure the genre-mashing satire, the horror musical beach movie, would work, but he charged ahead anyway. What made it work was sticking so tightly to the conventions of both the bug-eyed monster film and the beach blanket movie, while at the same time pointing up the ridiculousness of those conventions. Plus there’s a great fucking soundtrack provided by the Jersey-based surf band The Del-Aires.

In the film’s first five minutes he lays everything out. We meet an assortment of young attractive couples and character types on the beach, each with issues of their own. We meet the potential (human) villains in the form of a local motorcycle gang. And out in Long Island Sound, nuclear waste is being dumped into the water where it settles down on a shipwreck and transforms (with the aid of some neat in-camera trickery) the skeletal remains of lost sailors into an army of fishmen in search of human blood.

After that, well, there you go. The monsters are intentionally silly takeoffs on the usual “man in a rubber suit” creatures (note particularly the eyes and the teeth). But if the monsters are silly, so are the people, and in between  the two Tenney crams in as many drive-in standbys as he can fit: motorcycle chases, baffled scientists, malt shops, some of those crazy teenage dances, doomed drunks, convertibles, incredulous cops,  superstitious black maids who accidentally save the world. And he holds it all together with some editing that’s a bit more clever than you’d expect. The first victim, for instance, dies during a series of cuts between the attacking fishman and The Del-Aires performing the unbelievably catchy “Do the Zombie Stomp” to a bunch of dancing teenagers on the beach. For something this goofy it’s surprisingly disturbing.

(Jokes and surf bands aside, Humanoids From the Deep owes a serious debt of gratitude to Horror of Party Beach).

This and Curse of the Living Corpse were released as a double bill by 20th Century Fox later in ‘64, complete with a gimmick. Would-be audience members were required to sign a release before entering the theater absolving the theater owners of any blame should the viewer die of fright during the screening. It’s unclear if there were any casualties.

The double bill was the last thing to play at the legendary 3,000-seat Paramount Theater in Times Square, and Horror of Party Beach went on to become Tenney’s most successful film.  After that things started to slip.

His next picture, which he completed in ‘64,  was Voodoo Bloodbath, a horror comedy that can trace its roots directly back to Val Lewton’s classic I Walk With a Zombie, but with more bad jokes. William Joyce stars as a bestselling, wisecracking, playboy author of adventure novels. Given that he hasn’t turned anything in to his editor for months, his editor drags him onto a plane and flies him to, yes, Voodoo Island in search of inspiration. See, not only is a famed scientist conducting cancer research there, but the place is supposedly overrun with zombies, too.. It’s a million-selling novel in the waiting. When they arrive they discover three things:

1. The Caribbean island is actually populated by Mexicans for some reason.

2. The scientist has a beautiful blonde virgin daughter.

3. The local natives are preparing for a human sacrifice that night.

None of it bodes well for anyone, though no one realizes this yet.

The humor arises mostly from the editor’s shrill and boorish wife, and the author’s overbearing attempts to pick up any woman he sees (particularly the scientist’s daughter). Neither are terribly funny. The rest of the film is straight-faced and boilerplate, reminiscent of a dozen voodoo pictures from the ‘40s. It’s not very good, either.  Compared with his first two films in particular the production values and direction had gone straight to hell. It’s a clumsy, sloppy picture with very little charm. There’s not even much of a bloodbath. Drumming’s good, though. Up to this point he had worked near miracles with standard storylines and no budgets by bringing in good actors and skilled editors and cameramen. Here he didn’t seem to be trying all that hard. Of all four films, this one really did look and feel like everything else out there.

I wasn’t the only one who thought it could’ve been better. The picture sat on the shelf for nearly seven years until 1971, when low-budget distributor Jerry Gross came nosing around in search of a film to drop in the bottom half of a double bill he had in mind. After a quick and simple title change, the Tenney film was just the ticket he was looking for. As great and fun as those first three films had been, it was Gross who, if accidentally, helped make Tenney a legend.

Today Voodoo Bloodbath is all but completely forgotten. Even under its new title, I Eat Your Skin is less remembered for what it is as a movie than for being half (together with the utterly unrelated I Drink Your Blood)  of one of the most notorious double bills ever released. After seeing them we may not remember anything that happened in either, but we sure do remember those newspaper ads, and sometimes that’s worth a hell of a lot more.

Tenney didn’t talk much about the experience or the film after the fact, but while Voodoo Bloodbath was still sitting on the shelf he  all but completely stepped away from the film business, though he admits he kept the monster suit from Horror of Party Beach and wore it at parties. He and his wife had never strayed from Connecticut, never became part of the hobnobbing Hollywood crowd, so they simply settled down where they were all along, and returned to their first love. They founded what would become a very well respected theater company, putting on three or four productions a year.. Years later when they moved to Florida they opened another. In between Tenney got involved in real estate up and down the East Coast.

Then in the late ‘90s, over thirty years after retiring from motion pictures, he and his wife, together with producer/director Kermit Christman (Wicked Games) , founded DelMar Productions and Tenney began writing, producing and directing again. Between ‘99 and 2003, he made three pictures: Clean and Narrow, about an ex-con trying to go straight in a small town; an I Know What You Did Last Summer knockoff called Wanna Know a Secret?; and a supernatural thriller called Descendant,  in which a would be writer is haunted by the spirit of an ancestor who happens to be Edgar Allan Poe. The last was particularly dear to Tenney, because he’d always loved Poe and wanted to do some kind of movie about him.

Ah, but the movie business was a very different animal by then. It wasn’t merely a matter of borrowing a few bucks from your father-in-law to make a silly monster picture, then hooking up with an independent distributor. Now even making the smallest film meant raising a few million dollars. Worse, the lawyers had gotten involved. And forget about any kind of distribution if you aren’t connected to a major studio. The fun had been sucked out of the game, and this was evident in the films themselves. Sure those films he made in the ‘60s were blatantly, even cynically commercial, but commercial in a ragtag, adventurous, slapdash way.  The new films were commercial, but much more carefully so. They were  slick and serious. If they weren’t slick, audiences wouldn’t look at them, and you had to be serious about the whole process, because there were millions of dollars at stake. Hell, there was even a desperation evident on the screen. While before Tenney had been working with a bunch of young actors on their way up, now he was working with a bunch on their way down (William Katt, Sondra Locke, Wings Hauser), and you can almost hear their nails scratching as they scramble to hold onto anything at all before they vanish completely.

No, it wasn’t much fun,  But those aren’t the films Tenney will be remembered for, and they won’t take anything away from his status among fans. He’ll be remembered for those four pictures from back in ‘64 (even if one wasn’t released until ‘71). They weren’t as good as some, but a lot better than most.  In all four pictures he never once repeated himself. They were all radically different in mood and style and story, and there was a seductive, sloppy magic about them that’s inescapable. No matter how many times I go back to Psychomania/Violent Midnight (and I go back to it a lot) the ending still catches me off guard. After all these years “The Zombie Stomp” still gets stuck in my head.   I even find myself returning to I Eat Your Skin every couple years, not to laugh at it, but just to wonder. I guess that’s why Tenney, on the basis of only those four pictures, can now take his rightful spot among the pantheon of cult directors.

by Jim Knipfel

[shesavalkyrie-blog]

hello hello, my name is ashley and i am so excited for this. sorry i’m late to the party but a quick one two three about me is that i just started watching the walking dead two days ago ( bc of this rp tbh!! ), i will tirelessly promote mamma mia!: here we go again ( out july 20th... be there ), and i’m currently reading wishful drinking by carrie fisher. down below is a little snip it about my girl xena if you’d like to check it out. sorry it’s kind of a mess but i’m really excited about her. i am so open to plotting or just talking so feel free to send me a dm. p.s. if the apostraphes are turning into crazy code im really sorry i have no idea how to fix it and it doesn’t look like that when i’m editing the post : ( clicking read more & looking at it on my blog seems to work better 

*・°☆━━ congratulations! you’re officially logged on as XENA RIAN! you have chosen your avatar to look just like DANIELLE CAMPBELL and they are TWENTY - THREE years old. their main skill is SURVIVALIST! you have given them the traits +STRATEGIC along with being -STRONG WILLED! well done! you have chosen them to be known as the VALKYRIE of infected! is this information correct? you will arrive to the world of infected shortly! please wait! trigger warnings!! death, car crash, heart attack, depression, anxiety

R E A L      L I F E / finley hannigan was born in seattle, wa where she grew up and lived until she was eighteen years old. after graduating high school finley moved out to los angeles, california to continue her education in college / in college finley is studying writing & producing for television. she would love to work in the realm of being a screenwriter, showrunner, and maybe a producer or director one day / growing up finley didn’t necessarily have a typical childhood. it wasn’t necessarily completely unusual and she was sure somewhere out there could relate on some extent, she just hadn’t met those people yet. when fin was ten years old her mother and her were driving and a car bashed right into the driver side door. her mother and her were both taken urgently to the hospital. her mother, who was driving, faced more serious injuries, where fin had a a cut on the top right of her forehead, and a busted lip. she was more so mentally traumatized than physically. upon her dad’s arrival to the hospital, her mother died only minutes later. she’d lost too much blood. in her dad’s shock, he faced a heart attack. he was able to get stable before suffering another, dying just hours after finley lost her mom. / she moved in with her grandma, who had lost her own husband a few years prior. from then on it was the two of them. her grandmother meant everything to finley. growing up her grandmother always called her ‘ xena ‘, for she always told her that she was a warrior princess. in finley’s edgy phase, she claimed she wanted to be a king - because according to the patriarchy, they had the power: so her nickname changed to ‘ rian ‘, which means king. over time the two names became interchangeable with her real name, and often times she responded better to those than her own. / when finley was nineteen, her grandmother passed away. her will? funds for college and her house to xena. so she lived on her own. her already independent nature amplified and she learned to take care of herself. she prefers not to rely too much on people. she’d had far too little luck with people sticking around. / despite her own family struggles and learning to cope with both depression and anxiety, the girl continued to have a kind heart. despite her occasional depressive episode, she remains compassionate, thoughtful, witty, and extremely determined. / finley began playing infected as a form of gathering information for a new screeplay. as anticipated, apocalypse themed . she wanted to make sure she had as close as possible an understanding of the scenery, the experience, what you needed to figure out, but most of all the feeling. I N    T H E     G A M E / finley’s gamer tag? xena rian. those nicknames had to be put to use - thanks grandma!! / she entered the game with a couple friends. they were going to help her with notes about their own experience so she could try and get some different perspectives for her screenplay. except they didn’t always go in together. when the game became real - she had no idea where they were. other than that she knew one of them was online / naturally, xena became a survivalist. that’s what she’s been all her life - it seemed rather fitting. / she’s yet to come across many people and not opposed to being in a group, but the few small groups she had come upon didn’t want a ‘girl to slow them down’ or were honestly just being stupid. little did they know of her specializing as a survivalist, having a very good general skill set, not to mention her sub-skills of a medic & an assasin. W A N T E D     C O N N E C T I O N S / her friend who was logged on to help finley w/ her script. of course it was fun for all of them, and that was certainly just an excuse to play the game more, finley puts quite a bit of blame on herself. this relationship can have varying backgrounds that we can definitely come up with together!! i’m super open haha - i think it would be cool if this was someone who it took a bit for her to find ... if she ever does / the team: a group of people ( maybe a group of survivalists? ) that band together and realize that a small group isn’t so bad. they form a very family-like relationship: extremely protective over one another, provide relief, but of course squabbling & dumb fights from stress, the ability to make each other laugh like no other. this would all of course be built up over time!! / “hi i saved your ass, see you later”: someone that she saved from getting infected but he split off from pretty soon after when she got them back to their group. they could maybe run into each other later and have some sort of a relationship form off of that? / we’re constantly bickering can you please shut up but also i kind of like you / someone from her school: they might not know one another, but they see each other and whether or not they decide to stay together, they feel a bit better having someone to remind them of home / i’m honestly so open to anything so please feel free to send me a message if you have any ideas!! i would absolutely love to plot with any and all of you

[sapphicscholar]

Anon: Hello! I love your fics & writing! I know you have a lot of prompts so feel free to disregard / no rush! I would love to see more of NB!Sawyer being a mentor to young(er) NB folks. Thx for considering! I really love reading your NB!Sawyer fics they are phenomenal! And I hope your day is going well! :D

From @geofender -  So, I heard that Asia Kate Dillon came out as a non-binary and pansexual person and received the HRC Visibility Award. Idk if u accept prompts but... can u write NB!Sawyer reacting to this news?

From @lilbevmary -  for more of NB!Sawyer (sorry this one isn’t Director Sanvers!)

And for KimberKatie, I'm sorry this is so much later than expected!!

TW for a brief discussion and instance of misgendering

A/N: This chapter brings back Charli from Chapter 127! Apologies for the delay on getting back to Sawyer – I had this chapter all written on my work computer a little while ago but it got deleted and that was just demoralizing…

Chapter Text:

“Damn, they really went all out this year, huh?” Alex whispered, squeezing Sawyer’s hand as they wove through the throngs of people gathered by the silent auction tables and the line from the makeshift bar that snaked through the room.

“Stuff like this is what makes them enough money to keep going through the year,” Sawyer explained, gently tugging Alex over to a relatively quiet corner of the room so they could figure out the game plan for finding the best food and making sure they saw all the people they wanted to see.

Alex settled up against the wall, feeling Sawyer’s arm settling around her waist. She had to admit, the LGBTQ Center had been completely transformed. The fluorescent lighting had been turned off, replaced with strands of twinkling lights and a few spotlights dotted along the “red carpet” for the award night theme. The TVs—more often tuned to the news or to the handful of television shows that had decent LGBTQ representation—had been moved to the edges of the room and were showing clips from other awards ceremonies.

Sawyer glanced around at the different screens, noting Asia Kate Dillon being awarded the HRC Visibility Award on one screen and them presenting the first non-gendered acting award to Emma Watson on the next. They smiled to themself, dropping their head to Alex’s shoulder.

Noting the direction of Sawyer’s gaze, Alex asked, “Nice to get a bit of representation out there, huh?”

“Yeah,” they nodded. Sure, a handful of people out there did not a revolution make, but people like Dillon and Smith were splashing they/them pronouns on mainstream news sites, getting people who were more likely to read Entertainment Weekly than Everyday Feminism to hear about trans and non-binary and genderqueer labels, among others, and learn in a way that didn’t put the onus for education solely on the shoulders of those few out folks in media.

They pulled their gaze off the speech they had pretty much already memorized and scanned the other screens, finding the cast of Moonlight winning their well-deserved Oscars, Ellen Page coming out, and footage from the annual GLAAD awards. As Sawyer moved to turn back to Alex, they noted Charli lingering near the entrance, a roll of raffle tickets hanging from their wrist and a broad smile on their face.

“Should we go buy some tickets? Give Charli a little business?” Alex asked, looking over at the entrance as well.

“Ah, well, they should earn their free dinner,” Sawyer teased. “I’ll go grab tickets from them if you want to find us food.”

“You’ve got a deal. Dessert first?”

“Always.”

While Alex peered over the food table, inspecting all of the options and making small talk with a few of the staff members from the Center she had gotten to know over the past couple of months, Sawyer found their way over to Charli. “Excuse me, I’ll need all of your tickets,” they announced dramatically. “I need to win all of the prizes for my fiancée.” They still beamed at the new title—at the subtle band that sat on their left ring finger—a reminder of the forever they had promised one another.

“That so, Sawyer? Here I thought she stayed with you for love. Didn’t realize it was just your deep pockets.”

“Ouch! You wound me,” Sawyer teased, though they were glad to see Charli in high spirits. As much as they had opened up to Sawyer their first time meeting in the Center, it had taken a while for Charli to begin treating Sawyer as more of an equal—someone they could tease right back instead of someone who was always in the role of mentor and adult and educator.

“Yeah, yeah, somehow I don’t think the hurt will last.”

“Mm, probably not,” Sawyer agreed. “Now, how goes the volunteering? Any fun stories to tell? You know: sharing is caring and gossip is best shared with your dear friend and mentor…”

“You just wanna know if Marc brought the boyfriend that he hasn’t let anyone meet.”

“Did he?”

Charli laughed and shook their head. “He’s been here since noon panicking about all the last-minute decisions. He would’ve been the worst date.”

“Fair…” Sawyer mused, looking around to see if they had questions about anyone else in the vicinity. “Everyone being alright to you?”

Charli shrugged, their smile faltering slightly. “Eh, a few people see the dress and keep calling me miss, but, I don’t know, I guess it’s fine.”

“You can correct them, you know, if you feel comfortable.” They knew that the Center had become something of a safe place for Charli, a place where they could be out and open, could come and know that people wouldn’t misgender them or assume they were straight and cis just because they wore a skirt and lip gloss.

“It’s fine. It’s—tonight isn’t about me.”

Sawyer pursed their lips, not wanting to force Charli to do anything but also knowing just how demoralizing it could get when person after person wasn’t getting it, wasn’t acknowledging that there might be something wrong with assuming a he/she gender binary at a freaking LGBTQ Center event. Catching sight of Alex with a still empty plate talking to one of the Center’s board members who had been trying to talk her into running for a spot on the board now that she spent almost as much time as Sawyer in the Center, Sawyer decided they could hang out with Charli a little while longer, help make sure that they were being treated well even by the attendees who only showed up at the Center for its twice yearly black tie events.

The next few guests were fine. One knew Charli and greeted them with a warm hug as he thanked them for giving up their night to help out, then introduced them to his husband, and the next few were polite enough as they declined the offer to buy tickets, most of them making a beeline for the bar instead. The next group to stroll in brushed right past without listening to Charli’s pitch about the proceeds going to a good cause, and they caught Sawyer’s gaze and rolled their eyes. “Keeps happening.”

“Yeah, well, at least we’ve got a cash bar so that we still get something out of them.”

“Excuse me, miss?” came a guest’s voice as she made her way through the door. “Can you tell me where the reserved seating is?”

“Uh, sure,” Charli answered, gritting their teeth and gesturing at the door and toward the rows closest to the stage. “Left side is reserved for Center staff and awardees. Right side for family and friends of the Center.”

“Thank you, dear. Also, I love your dress. You look so pretty!”

“They do have a rather wonderful sense of style,” Sawyer cut in, throwing an arm around Charli and grinning down at them.

“Oh, ah, yes—yes, they do.”

As she wandered off into the crowd, Charli looked up at Sawyer. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“I didn’t have to—and I won’t again if you don’t want me to—but I know I like it when Alex does it for me when I’m not quite feeling up to it.”

“Yeah…thanks,” they mumbled.

“Anytime, kiddo.”

“Excuse me, I’m 16 years old.”

“Psh, barely.”

“I can drive!”

“Don’t own a car, though.”

“You’re rude.”

“I’m delightful.”

Charli just rolled their eyes and turned back to the door, almost immediately turning back to Sawyer with an undignified little squeak.

“You okay?” Sawyer asked, all signs of teasing gone as they went into protective mentor mode.

“Yeah! Yeah, um, totally fine,” Charli rambled, their gaze flicking back and forth between Sawyer and the line of people filing in through the main entrance.

Sawyer scanned the crowd, their gaze lighting on one of the high school-aged girls they’d noticed hanging around the Center once or twice over the past few weeks. “Have anything to do with Neeti showing up?” they asked, a knowing glint in their eyes and a teasing smile on their lips.

“No!”

“Really? So your cheeks are just always pink and I haven’t noticed it?”

“Yep, mhm.”

“You should talk to her.”

“We already talk.”

“Why not tonight?”

“She just…” Charli trailed off, finally letting out a dramatic sigh and giving in. “This past week I think…I think maybe she was flirting with me?”

“Do tell! Let me get Alex, hold on!”

“No!”

“Fine, I’ll wait a few minutes. Spill.”

“I don’t know! She just said something about how it would be nice to see me outside the Center and maybe we should get coffee, just the two of us.”

“So she asked you out on a date.”

“I don’t know.”

“No, I’m telling you: she asked you on a date.”

“Well it’s happening in two days—whatever it is.”

“Oh my gosh, we need to make sure she’s good enough for our baby! We need get Alex over here first. She’s better at the intimidation tactics.”

“Ugh, you’re like the embarrassing parents I thought I escaped for the night,” Charli sighed, but the smile they kept trying to hide suggested otherwise.

“Oh, Alex!” Sawyer called out, motioning for her to come over and join them.

Eventually Alex made it through the crowd, two plates of food held aloft to keep them safe. She arched an eyebrow as she handed over a plate. “You bellowed?”

“Charli here has a date this week and is in desperate need of some embarrassing parental figures for the night, which means we need some shitty dad jokes to properly embarrass them. Hit me with your worst puns!”

“Why do you think I would just know bad puns?”

Charli snickered as Sawyer shrugged, looking far too innocent. “I’m just saying, out of the two of us…I’m too funny to tell jokes that awful.”

“I resent that. You’re barely funny.”

“Quite the opposite—I crack myself up.”

“Yeah, yeah, Sawyer. If you’re the only one laughing…”

“Hush,” Sawyer retorted, silencing Alex with a kiss.

“Alright, well, I’m gonna leave you two lovebirds alone…”

“Not so fast!” Alex called, handing off her plate to Sawyer and rounding on Charli. “Tell me all about your mystery date. Who are they?”

Charli sighed, even though they were secretly pleased that Alex had been just as welcoming as Sawyer. She certainly didn’t have any obligation to—not that Sawyer did either, but at least they were a volunteer—but Alex had been quick to invite Charli over to their home and hang out with old science journals while Sawyer chatted with Charli about their own experience coming out and dealing with assholes out in the world. Every so often she would lean over the back of the couch and chime in with words of encouragement or grumbled threats when Sawyer recounted some of the more egregious stories, but she was just as happy to open her doors and let the two of them take over the kitchen for the night.

“Well, her name is Neeti—she’s the one over in the black pants and the maroon shirt over there. She goes to the private school across town, but she lives kind of close to me. She’s really smart.”

“Dating nerds is the best!” Sawyer crowed through a mouthful of cupcake.

“One day she saw me in the Center reading Macbeth for my English class, and when I threw it down, she came over and sat with me and helped translate it into modern English, told me it helps to read it aloud or see it performed.”

“That sounds like a nice date idea…” Alex trailed off, grinning at the way Charli’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“No, I mean, she invited me over to come watch some of the movies, but I think she was just trying to help me with my homework.”

“Who do you think is more oblivious,” Sawyer asked, a shit-eating grin on their lips, “Charli or Kara?”

“Oh man, I can only pick one?” Alex laughed.

“You’re the worst.”

“That’s factually incorrect. We feed you. Now let us meet your totally just a friend that you have a big crush on who wants you to come over her house to cuddle and watch movies with her.”

Charli grimaced but dutifully waved to Neeti. And, as nervous as they might have been about introducing her to Sawyer, they also knew that Sawyer always had their best intentions at heart. Plus, if waving at Neeti earned them that smile…well, they would wave a hundred times more.

“Hey, Charli!” Neeti greeted them, pulling them in for a hug that had Sawyer and Alex giving exaggerated thumbs up to Charli behind Neeti’s back.

“Hey! I didn’t know you were coming tonight.”

“Oh yeah, well, um, I remembered you mentioning it, so…”

Sawyer just barely resisted the urge to let out a loud noise of excitement at the adorable awkward flirting.

“Cool, yeah, I’m, uh, really glad you made it.”

“Yeah?” Neeti beamed at Charli. “I know you’re stuck on door duty for a while, but want me to go steal you some dessert?”

“It would be a shame if you missed out on the cannoli,” Sawyer interjected, unable to resist any longer.

Seeing the look of confusion on Neeti’s face at the new voices, Charli took a deep breath and introduced them: “Neeti, this is Sawyer.”

“You look familiar,” Neeti noted.

“Yeah, I volunteer at the Center. But normally just on weekends.”

“Ah okay, yeah, I come in after school sometimes, but not a lot on the weekends.”

Sawyer bit their tongue and didn’t ask whether it was because Charli also tended to spend a couple of nights a week in the Center working on their homework.

“And this is Alex, their fiancée,” Charli added, gesturing toward Alex who offered a wave and a small smile.

“Nice to meet you, Neeti.”

“You too.”

Deciding the awkward hovering between just friends and trying to date wasn’t the best time to subject Charli and Neeti to an interrogation or shovel talks, Alex turned to Sawyer. “What do you say we go hit the buffet one more time before we find our seats?”

“It doesn’t start for another half hour,” Sawyer protested.

“And you can’t think of any way to spend half an hour with your fiancée?” Alex shot Sawyer a pointed look, trying to communicate that they should leave the two young ones to themselves, give them a chance to flirt awkwardly and stumble their way toward realizing that the liking bit wasn’t one-sided.

“Oh…oh! Okay, sure!” Shooting a wink over their shoulder at Charli, they called, “She means stuffing our faces with dessert and playing 20 Questions, just so we’re all clear!”

“Whatever you say, Sawyer! Whatever you say,” Charli laughed, turning back to Neeti, their broad grin morphing into a shy smile. “So, uh, how was your week?”

Sawyer was tempted to linger, hiding behind a group of tall people, but they let Alex drag them back to the table for proper dinner food this round. “If things go any further between them…”

“If it goes further, you can get in line behind me to make sure that they both have only the best of intentions.”

“And you’ll do the dad jokes?”

“Why do you keep insisting I tell dad jokes?”

“Look, Danvers…I’m not saying it wasn’t adorable, but I do remember the anniversary card you wrote me that began with asking me if I was made of copper and some other element ’cause I was so damn cute.”

“Tellurium,” Alex interjected, grinning and chuckling to herself.

“See! Big nerd—right there.”

Alex silenced them with a kiss, feeling their lips pulling up into a broad smile and fearing another teasing remark was coming. “If you wanna get as lucky as DNA helicase tonight…” She let the threat linger in the air.

“But you’re not even wearing jeans, Danvers!”

[whatif-animagineblog]

STAR TREK BAND AU

As you know I just got done with band camp. So my thoughts are just overflowing with it. So I present you headcanons, and these characters placed into scenarios that I experienced this year during camp. Including my almost fainting, which is almost word of word

Most of these things are things that actually were said and happened during this last week at camp (Bones is the bari-sax kid I have a crush on in case you are curious (It’s such a deep crush) All the shit bones says and does is what he does he’s also actually our equipment manager even though I gave Scotty that job)

I’ll also probably add more to this the more I think about it and the longer the year goes on.

- Christopher Pike is the long-suffering director that has to put up with these stupid kids.

-Jim Kirk is an international affairs student who is the head drum major. He was a trumpet before he auditioned. 

-Bones is a pre-med baritone sax. It’s understated but it supports the more soprano instruments with a steady bass.

-Spock need for exactness makes him a very wonderful and precise snare player.

-Scotty is a trombone, the easy going sort. But he is the equipment manager and must fight with the speakers and mics all the god damn time. That and making sure all the pit equipment to and fro safely. He’s always running back and forth.  let him rest. 

-Pavel is a Mellophone, pretty sweet, normal dude. Except for that booty short Monday tradition during band camp. But he does have the ass for it.

-Uhura is the section leader of the flute/piccolos. No one can touch her tone and articulation.  She’s also the music librarian. 

-Sulu is a clarinet. He’s chill and even headed. Probably the most normal. But he does get oddly competitive when it comes to section of the year stuff.

-Janice Rand is captain of the color guard and rules it with an iron fist with the choreographer. 

-Chapel isn’t actually in the band. But she was in high school so that’s why she hangs out with these losers.

I’m going to put the more in-depth HC under the cut so this isn’t too long....but it is long below the cut.

- Jim is always pumped in the mornings. Ready to lead the stretches. Bones doesn’t get it. 

- You always see Scotty darting back and forth trying to fix those blasted speakers. 

-Spock is such a stickler for people being on their dots.  It takes him a while to get used to marching to the form, not the dot. 

-Bones is always the one checking on and helping the people who sit out when they start to feel dizzy or sick from the heat. 

-At the end of the day at announcements, Bones always reminds people to hydrate and that “Your urine should be clear and copious! If it is not, drink more water. Trust me as a future medical professional”

- Later in the week when some poor student passes out, he gets up at announcements “Please for the love of God, or whatever higher deity you may or may not believe in, drink water. 

- It’s after that girl passing out that you sit out after suffering from a light headache. Preventing the possibility of you hitting the turf. As you entered the small air-conditioned room you spotted a few more kids and Bones. His head snaps to you, concern washed over his face as you go to sit on the ground. “Y/N, you alright?” 

-You wave him off claiming “I’m fine, Len, just a little dizzy” “Do you have water?” “Yeah, len I’m alright.” “Is it cold?” He goes reaching for the half full bag of ice. “Yeah.” “Just put more ice in it alright?” “Yeah, okay,” He gives you a last look before you say, “I’m alright. I promise.” 

-”My pee is clear and copious, just like you said,” you teased just to make him laugh.

-Jim Kirk emptied his spit valve on Bones during their first year a lot. 

- Mr. Pike being snap chatted of sleeping in the band office during lunch

- the moment you realize that you have it bad for that bari sax kid, Bones, when you are learning a dance for the middle of one of the halftime songs, and it includes swaying hips. And you miss your step off because you got distracted by the booty This happened...I’m so ashamed

- Jim being mad he’s the only one who can’t be shirtless during camp because he has to wear a polo and khakis. 

- A rookie clarinet getting herself into knots over being on the dot, despite the line being straight where it landed one step off. Bones and you sharing a side eye, before he said, “Honestly it doesn’t really matter.” Then later, getting more pissed and saying, “March to the form, not the dot.”

-Then later when you were dismissed for a water break, he’d call you back leading with, “She needs to learn her place.”

- Casually learning what people’s stripper names would be. 

- Jim literally fighting Scotty and Pavel off of him to keep his whistle safe. 

- The mellophones all napping during their sectionals. 

-Bones gets the farmer tan lines because he only wears short sleeved shirts.

- Pavel somehow remains the palest mother-fluffer in existence, like not even burning.

- The back of Jim’s Neck and ears always end up bright red. Every year.

- Mr. Pike realizing he made a mistake in making a move 16 counts instead of 32 when he watches the band take off at a dangerous and ill advised pace, almost killing themselves

- The casual “It wouldn’t be bad if we died right now,” jokes

- Scotty constantly forgets what set he is and always mutters “Well, I’ll find out.”

- The fact it only takes like five minutes in the morning block before almost everyone’s shirts are off

-”Maybe it’ll rain and the performance will be canceled....”

- Having to grab bones by the back of his shirt when he takes off in the wrong direction. for the third time...

- Jim gushing constantly about how great you are doing, and how proud he is to be the drum major

- Mr. Pike has to have the “I hate people who waste their potential” talk twice.

- Jim for the life of him can’t fucking clip his collar on his uniform. 

-Uhura begging for people not toss their flip folders on the ground. They are expensive and “we don’t have that many rings left.”

-Pavel causing a folder to explode on the field because he kicked out of the way during a run of pregame and didn’t want anyone to slip.

- Jim, Bones, and Scotty’s annual “watch tan challenge”

- Uhrua and her Flutes ordering matching fanny packs

@kaitymccoy123 @mccoymostly @outside-the-government @storiesfromstarfleet @yourtropegirl @captainsbabysitter-blog @auduna-druitt @pinkamour1588 @star-trekkin-across-theuniverse @starshiphufflebadger @feelmyroarrrr @answer-the-sirens @imaginestartrek @wificrazymisfit @athena1138 @buckyy3s @malindacath @bkwrm523 @goodnightwife @jefferson-in-the-tardis @youre-on-a-starship @thequeenofthehobbits @awhitewyvern @daytimemaniac @dreaming-about-starfleet @goddessqueenloki @anotherotter @romansinsparta

[atruththatyoudeny]

Monthly Reads | November 2017

❤ THANK YOU TO ALL WRITERS FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND FOR SHARING YOUR STORIES! ❤ Top 5 + 10 more under the cut:

(Take Me Home) Country Roads

by Awriterwrites for 1D Reverse Bang 2017 | Northern Exposure AU | natural medicine | modern medicine | enemies to friends to lovers | angst | emotional hurt/comfort | 86k “Sir, I can help you. Just let me — “ He tried moving closer but the eldest child blocked his way. He backed off, putting his hands out in a passive gesture. “I’m a physician. I can help,” he tried again. The man shook his head vehemently, passing the cup back to his grandchild. “Tol’ ya. Don’t need ya.” All of the fire had gone out of his voice, leaving behind a frail, sick old man with barely any breath to talk. “I have medicines...I could make you comfortable…” Louis’ voice was still small, but pleading. “Mountain Mama cares for wha’s ailin’ me. Don’t need no fancy city doctors.” Louis blinked at the man, still shaking from the coughing spell. Mountain — well, fuck. That backwoods, uneducated scam artist… “Of course he is,” Louis said curtly. ***** OR a Northern Exposure AU featuring Louis as the big city doctor, Harry as a natural healer, Niall as a secretive barkeep, Liam and Zayn head over heels for each other but they don't know it and a lot of hurt, comfort and moonshine in between.

Cold Little Heart

by seducedbycurls | a/b/o | abuse | domestic abuse | kid fic | 194k Louis is a soft omega with an abusive past and an alpha child. A few months after getting a divorce, Louis meets Harry, an ex-military alpha wolf that offers him something -odd. In exchange for teaching him how to cook, Harry will babysit his son, Abraham. Louis really could use the help.

Not Today

by Styyyylinson | Me Before You AU | disability | self harm | implied/ referenced suicide | sexual assault | 135k The Me Before You fic that no one really asked for. It's basically a carbon copy of the book, but fixed up with Larry and things we all love about them. Louis Tomlinson is a high power executive until his accident. Everything in his life changes after that - his way to get around, his boyfriend leaves, and he doesn't have much that he wants to live for anymore. After a failed attempt to take his life, he asks his parents if he can see a doctor to help him go peacefully instead. After their initial shock wears off, they agree as long as Louis waits six months. In walks Harry Styles. He had just lost his job, was feeling down on his luck, and has no idea what he's getting himself into in being an assistant to Louis. He has no knowledge of Louis trying to take his own life, until he overhears his parents talking, and it breaks his heart. Though helping Louis is a pain at times, he wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

We’re Not Who We Used to Be [part II of Ghosts in the Attic]

by kiwikero | ghosts | angst | major character death | 12k When Harry Styles passes away without warning, it’s up to Niall to decide the fate of his best friend’s estate, including a one hundred year old mansion. The problem is, that mansion contains a hundred year old ghost, and now potentially Harry’s ghost as well. Alternatively; the happiest you’ll ever be about main character death.

Hands Clasped Tight

by afirethatcannotdie for 1D Reverse Bang 2017 | secret relationship | established relationship | 44k “What am I looking at here?” Harry asks. “This, my friends, is a ‘proof’ Instagram account, run by your students,” Liam announces. “It’s got all this stuff about how the two of you are together,” Niall adds. “I heard about that,” says one of the math teachers. “Confiscated a kid’s phone today when they were looking at it. I have to say, the evidence that you’re dating is pretty damning.” “Really,” Louis says dryly. “Do you think being married for three years might have something to do with it?” Or the one where Harry and Louis are high school teachers and their students have been playing matchmaker for over a year. Little do they know, Harry and Louis are already married.

Boiling Blood Will Circulate

by whoknows for 1D Reverse Bang 2017 | supernatural creatures | blood and gore | 42k The wait isn’t long before something starts rustling in the bushes. Harry takes aim, squeezes the trigger, body moving unconsciously. They’re motions he’s done a thousand times before, and his body knows how to do it without the input of his brain now. It’s what makes him such a good shot. He misses. The shot misses. Something howls in the woods, a pretty clear indication that Harry hit it, but there’s no telltale sounds of a big body dropping, no animal charging out at him to take him out before he can finish the job. Something does turn and run, though. “Fuck,” Harry spits out, scrambling to his feet and slinging the rifle back over his shoulder, giving chase. He’s not going to lose this hunt. The trail of blood goes on longer than Harry thought it would. He doesn’t know how long he runs for, but his muscles are burning, chest heaving with exertion, until the trail just - goes dead. No more blood, just like that. “Fuck,” Harry says.

Take a sad song and make it better

by amory | minor character death | friends to enemies | enemies to friends to lovers | kid fic | alcohol abuse | angst | 53k Louis couldn't save Harry, but he sure as hell won't let this happen to Jude. Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, once best friends and two fourths of the biggest band of all time, are now complete strangers. The only thing that connects them is Jude, Harry's son and Louis' beloved godson. Louis would do anything for Jude, Harry is too caught up in his addictions to care. Can anything fix what's happened between them, or is it too late?

On His Way Home

by denisemuriel for HL Mpreg Fic Exchange | mpreg | 16k “Ehm, yeah.” Harry looked down onto his lap, fumbling with his fingers. “It’s Louis’.” He replied quietly. “Oh my god.” A voiced that didn’t belong to his sister Gemma replied. When Harry looked up from his lap, he saw Lottie standing across the room in the door frame and his eyes grew as wide as hers. She was Louis’ fucking sister, damn it. And now she knew that he was pregnant with her brother’s baby. “Lottie, your fucking brother got my baby brother pregnant!” Gemma exclaimed. Or the one where Harry is set up on a blind date with his sister's best friend's brother

Embellish Your Heart

by letsjustsee for HL Historical Fic Exchange | 1920s | prohibition | period-typical homophobia | homophobic language | angst | hurt/comfort | 28k “You’re sort of a mystery, Harry Styles,” Louis says, and Harry looks surprised before he laughs loudly. “Am I?” Louis nods his head a little. “A very interesting, intriguing mystery.” Or, a Bootlegger AU where it's 1925 in small town America, and Louis Tomlinson has never met anyone quite like Harry Styles.

Oops, Baby, I Love You (In That Order)

by FallingLikeThis for HL Mpreg Fic Exchange | mpreg | hurt/comfort | 25k Later that night, when he’s lying in bed thinking of all the things he’s longed for in his life, he can’t stop hearing Fizzy’s words in his head. Who says you have to get married? It’s true, Louis wants to get married one day, to have a spouse to encourage his crazy promotional ideas for his book shop, to have someone to cuddle into at night, someone who will love him even on his moody days. But she’s absolutely right, isn’t she? Who says he has to have that before he can have a baby? When he finally falls asleep, he sleeps restfully, having made a very important decision about his future. Husband or no, Louis Tomlinson is going to have a baby. Or The minute Louis Tomlinson decides he don’t need no man to start a family, Harry Styles literally falls into his arms.

Play The Part (Win His Heart)

by LadyLondonderry for 1000 Feelings For Which There Are No Names | Come Dine With Me AU | 4k Louis Tomlinson has always dreamed of being on Come Dine with Me (not that he would admit it because all things considered being on the show isn't that impressive of a dream). Now that he's finally gotten his chance, he's going to show the world just what he's made of. Or at least, that's his plan. It'd be a lot easier of Harry Styles, certified Cat Person, didn't keep distracting him.

We'll Rise Up

by FallingLikeThis for 1D Reverse Bang 2017 | religion | forced outing | emotional hurt/comfort | fake/pretend relationship | homophobia | self-doubt | self-acceptance | 18k “So,” Liam begins with a smile, “you were the associate pastor at your last church?” “Yes,” Louis can already feel himself scrunching down in his seat, shrinking against even the reminder of the church he was forced from. “Was that a good experience for you?” Liam steeples his hands in front of him as he leans his elbows on the desk in interest. “It was for a while but, to be honest, things ended rather badly,” Louis leans forward too, he needs to get this out and he wants to tell Liam everything, have everything on the table. Leaning forward even more, Liam seems to be looking for the same thing, “What happened?” Louis can feel the trembles in his hands again, so he sits on them, biting his lip before admitting, “They found out I’m gay.” In the hallway, there’s a terribly loud thump and then a grunt of pain and Louis twists around to see Harry, sprawled out on the ground just outside the doorway. Or Louis is a Pastor with no church and a heart filled with uncertainty. Pastor Payne is more than willing to give Louis a new place to work, but it's Music Director Harry that helps him rebuild his faith.

Stealing Spots And Painting Cocks

by kfo for Bottom Louis Fic Exchange 2017 | meet-cute | strangers to lovers | enemies to lovers | 5k Someone has been parking in Louis’ spot. Niall and Louis spark up a plan to get revenge by using a subject they are very familiar with, cocks, well spray-painted cocks to be exact. When Louis sneaks to the car to paint one, he doesn’t expect the owner to be there, or for the owner to be drop-dead gorgeous. Sometimes love is better than revenge.

Cut to The Feeling

by ishiplouis for Bottom Louis Fic Exchange 2017 | firefighter!harry | ghostwriter!louis | firefighter dog| 16k Louis has just moved into his new apartment in the fancy Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London. All was well until he notices that his neighbour rarely closes the curtains which makes for an unlikely friendship to form. Or AU where Louis is a ghostwriter working from home, and Harry is his firefighter neighbour who happens to have the cutest dog on Earth.

Overwhelming

by KrisStylinson for for Bottom Louis Fic Exchange 2017 | a/b/o | friends to lovers | 13k He groans and squints at the feet of whoever he’s bumped into. All he sees is a worn pair of tan boots that lead up into a pair of long, long legs. He sits up, sighing, and rubs at his eyes; there’s a hand in front of his face so he grabs it and allows this stranger to help him up. He blinks once, twice, and can’t believe his bad fucking luck, because of course he slammed his entire body into a pretty stranger. Not only that but—he smells the air once to confirm his suspicions—a pretty, sweet-smelling, alpha stranger. Fantastic. Pretty stranger opens his mouth. “I didn’t concuss you, did I?” Louis is an omega attending university to get his degree and most definitely not waste his time with unimportant things such as finding a mate. Harry is the alpha who manages to unwittingly mess up that plan.

[blschaos3000-blog]

Its 12:23 am night

Welcome to “8 Questions with…….”

When I used to book bands,my first booking job was at a small bar called Marsugi’s. It held around 150 heads and we featured a lot of touring acts but the glue to our club were the local bands that played for us. One of the best things about booking or even working there was seeing the excitement and raw passion of giving a band their first shows. The best two best shows I always tried to get were record releases and that all important FIRST show. Why?? Because you knew without a doubt they were going to put on their very best performance and leave everything on the stage….add in the fact they were playing in front of friends and family,on many nights it was pure magic and to see a band take off…amazing.

Meeting Dominic Cancelliere reminded me of those bands….he is hungry and ready to show his skills,drive and smarts on anyone’s film. He is an actor’s equivalent of a “gym rat”,first one to the set,knows his and everyone’s lines,isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty and helps out the crew and is among the last to leave. Dominic’s desire to make a name and doing great work comes across brightly even when one is chatting through Facebook. Balancing a home life in Ohio while pursuing a professional life in Atlanta is no small task and many normal folks couldn’t do it for long. Dominic knows he needs the support of his family and friends and through their love and support,this young actor already has worked on over 30 projects in less then two years. With a work ethic like that,it won’t be too much longer before Dominic takes the next step forward in his career…..just remember where you heard his name first….. And now,let’s go ask Dominic his 8 Questions…..

    Please introduce yourself and tell us about your latest project.

Hi Patrick, my name is Dominic Cancelliere, I am 24 years old from Cleveland, Ohio. I played college football at Tiffin University, and later transferred to Cleveland State University and finished my degrees in Marketing and Economics. I quit my first 9/5 post college job, because I could not take sitting behind a desk, missing out on opportunities with acting. You only got one life to live and I was not living my life to the fullest in punching numbers all day. I would rather give it my all and fail, then come back to reality and work a normal job and rot away in a cubicle. I have been a substitute teacher this whole past school year, its flexible and allows me to have a flexible schedule to pursue acting. This summer I made it my goal to not make any excuses to not do projects that are worth my time. I have spent a lot of time in Atlanta, the booming new movie hot spot. It sucks being away from family and ubering everywhere but luckily i have a supporting family and friends in the hotel industry to get me discounted rate. My friend’s dad, Joe Isernia, always helps me with rooms and really makes the burden of traveling a lot easier. My latest project was a very featured role on the show Brockmire starring Hank Azaria. I cant give many more details on this role, but it was one of my favorite experiences on set.

    What was it like growing up in your home? What are some of your favorite memories?

Growing up in my home was great, I have two sisters one is Nicolina 25, she is a pharmacist and does really well for herself through hard work and years of school. My younger sister is 19, she is going to Ohio State University in the fall, she reminds me a lot of myself. My dad moved to this country at a very young age from Sicily with his family and has been working his whole life providing for us, he is truly my hero. My mother is my biggest fan in my acting career, she’s always bugging me with questions and is just always by my side. I have a beautiful girlfriend name Sami, who I have been with since junior year in high school, she is in her last year of nursing school. I have a very supportive family and i could not be more grateful for that. Some of my favorite memories are when life was simple and just enjoyed the little things, going on vacation, family dinners, and just family time, when we were all home and together.

When did you decide you wanted to become an actor? What was the reaction from your friends and family?

When I decided to be an actor at first it was a shock.I got into this industry randomly while working at Shinto Japanese Steakhouse, and ended up meeting a casting director.From there my life took a big change. It all started out as fun and games, and just doing any work I could do to get experience and learn. After awhile i got tired of being an extra and background and decided to start taking acting lessons, get professional headshots, get real acting experience. When I quit my full time job in October of 2018 it was scary, I did not know what I was going to do for $ and just in general, so I took a leap of faith, drove all around the country gaining more experience and started making it my full time job. I started applying auditioning and later getting 4 Talent Agencies in multiple cities which helped my career immensely. My parents and family are very supportive and its hard for them to understand this industry as its hard for anybody not in it to understand what they can do to help, but they are as supportive as they could be and i could not be more happy about that.

How important is your education to you? What do you like about the classroom?

My education is very important to me, I graduated with 2 degrees from college, and I am happy I did. Although it is not doing me much good now, but it is great to have something to fall back on. I never saw the point of acting classes until I started taking them, they are the most important tool an actor can have. Its not just “pretending to be someone” in acting – there is so much I have learned and am still learning from them. I love learning new things and constantly growing as an actor.

What was your first job in the industry and how did it happen for you?

My first job was an extra role in “Acts Of Violence” starring Bruce Willis, filmed in Cleveland. I was serving tables and met a local casting director,Angela Boehms,who I owe my whole career to, she saw something in me that night, even though it was for a featured extra role, she has been supportive and a mentor to me all of my career.

What is the difference between an “credited” and “uncredited” role?

Uncredited and credited is a big thing in this industry and it simply means if you are credited in the end credits of the  film or not. Uncredited is very common for extras and background roles, while you may be in the movie and on screen for a lot, if you are not credited, you are not in the end credits. Usually when you are booked as something generic as “paramedic, jogger, coffee shop patron” those are uncredited roles, whereas a named character is a credited role, usually with speaking lines. There is exceptions to the rule, but that is the general outline.

What  has been your three favorite films to work on and what made them special?

My 3 favorite films i have worked on would be White Boy Rick starring Matthew McConaughey, I got to spend a lot of time around him, and talked to him. It was just so surreal and he was so down to earth and gave me some nice advice- truly moments like that make me keep going. Other productions i have enjoyed working on was recently Brockmire in Atlanta, and Escape Plan 3 starring Sylvestor Stallone. It was 6 days of shooting in a haunted prison in Mansfield, it was very excruciating at times but it was nice being booked multiple days on a big project. I met some great people along the way and many continue to be good friends.

How does improv make you better as an actor? What has been the one area of your acting that has challenged you the most?

Improv is essential for an actor, I always avoided this while studying acting. It made me super uncomfortable getting a random category and a random story and just in a matter of seconds acting it out in front of others. However I finally started training and attending improv classes because it is essential, so many times in an audition you are told to improv a scene based off of what they tell you. You have to think fast and be creative, and when you are uncomfortable you are learning and growing as a an actor. Improv allows you as an actor to be creative, there is no right or wrong, and the only time you are wrong is when you are not taking chances and being creative. My hardest part about acting has been acting in roles that are not really how i would cast myself, I am usually always casted as a bad guy or a tough guy because of my size, hair , and beard. When I get cast or audition for a role that is not dramatic or the bad guy, it takes me a lot more time to get into that character. I have grown a lot as an actor doing roles outside my comfort zone, because acting is not always the same role you have to be open and ready to do anything.

If you were at an audition and a follow actor who going for the same part asked for your help,would you do or not and why?

I would always help out an actor by any means, this industry is cut throat and many people think it’s all about themselves. That is not the case,if we all helped each other out this industry,it would be so much more fun and positive. There is a role out there for everyone, if I can help anyone get a role or help them grow, I will. I have learned if someone else is meant for a role opposed to myself, kudos to them by helping them get it, it is just as good of a feeling as if I got it. I am on so many groups on FB and am constantly applying for roles and sharing that information to others, even if they may get it opposed to me. I love helping others and seeing people succeed in this industry. There are too many people that are only thinking about themselves, and those people are truly the worst. I support and respect anybody taking a leap of faith and trying to make it in this industry.

What haa been the biggest adjustment for you moving from Ohio to Georgia?

So I haven’t fully moved down to Georgia just yet. Just have been spending a lot of time down here, because around here we have not gotten much work. I am not a tree, I need to go wherever and whenever if I truly want to make it. The biggest adjustment is coming from a smaller market to a bigger market, the competition is more fierce and i do not know many people down here. I went from having connections and a reputation, to just a small fish in a huge pond. It’s like starting from scratch, it’s scary and overwhelming but you just got to keep pushing and stop making excuses for yourself.

What does “ambition” mean to you?

Ambition means having a motor that just does not quit. I face constant rejection with auditions and submissions, but you just got to keep pushing. I want this more than I have wanted anything in life, and i will not give up until I have either,one- made it, or two- do not have the ambition or drive to keep going. This industry is brutal and the chance for success is very very little, it’s like hitting the lottery, but hey if your dreams don’t scare you, are they big enough? You got one life, each day is not an guarantee, its a blessing and I want to make the most of my limited time on this Earth, doing what I love with the ones I love.

What are your 5 five favorite films amd why?

My 5 favorite films are Avatar, Apocalypto, Dazed and Confused, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Gran Torino. Apocalypto is by far my favorite as it is just so raw and packed with real emotion and powerful storytelling. Mel Gibson does a phenomenal movie directing this, if you have not seen it I highly recommend it.

The cheetah and I are flying in to watch you do some improv but we are a day early,now you are our tour guide,what are we doing?

Cleveland, Ohio baby. There is no place like this city, this city was built off grit and truly a blue collar town, everything is earned and not given in this city. So many fun things to do here, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 3 major professional sports teams, little Italy,the natural history museum, beautiful scenery right on the lake, breathtaking metro parks. I am proud to say I am from Cleveland, there is no place like this city. I do not know what it is, but I always find my way back, it is truly home.

I like to thank Dominic for his time and patience as I am once again swamped with new films to review and interviews to get out. We wish him great success in his career!

But you can follow Dominic on his various social media outlets:

See which film he is working on his IMDb page. Follow Dominic on Twitter. And of course he has a InstaGram.

I also like to address something as well…..Dominic offered to pay me for a interview and I am saddened to say that isn’t the first time I have heard that. While I’m no formal “journalist” and make zero pretense to be one,anyone who would charge a actor,writer or musucian to write a interview or a review is completely unethical and dishonest. I have seen people offer to do this “service” and have called them out on that. No one will ever have to pay me for something I love to do. I’m sorry Dominic felt he had to pay me,no one should have to pay anyone to tell their story,especially to a small blogger and his cheetah…..rant over. If someone asks you for cash they don’t have your best interests at heart.

As always,I like to thank you all for your support!! Feel free to leave a comment!

8 Questions with…………….actor Dominic Cancelliere Its 12:23 am night Welcome to "8 Questions with......." When I used to book bands,my first booking job was at a small bar called Marsugi's.