#you mean there are people who PLAN these jawns?!

[whattheschmuck]

Pressure to wrap up plot increases

*sweating intensifies because I, the author, have literally just been pulling shit out of my ass for the entire fic and hoping it sticks*

[emily-the-fae]

Sound of a Heartbeat

Part 4. Negotiations, Exortions and Stories of the Past

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 5 - Part 6

Surprisingly, this story continues to move further for me.

Back to the characters where we left them in the previous part - with some heated arguments and intimate talks.

Pairing: Dracula x OC

Warnings: none, apart from lung diseases, wounds and Adrian being a total sweetheart

Next morning Shari woke up to sounds of footsteps and hushed speech. Straight away she knew the upcoming conversation will have to be one hell of a diplomatic achievement – how do you explain your sudden desire to leave to a group of half vampire, speaker and a vampire hunter who were most probably fighting for your life during the last three days. Trevor would be completely furious. Better stand next to Sypha when presenting the decision, just in case he suddenly has the wish to use his whip. You never know how the Belmont reacts, though possibly Shari could still drag it through without making a big fuss – Lisa was definitely right about one thing: she has made a habit of negotiating her way with people, especially the ones that were apprehensive or disliked her. Truth to say, nine out of ten were either of the two.

- And don't forget, you are our healer, how are we...!?

- And don't forget, you are our healer, how are we...!?

- So far I wasn't so much required, you guys can carry on perfectly well without me.

- I'm still not sure if it is a good idea, Shari, if you want to get some rest by leaving... It may only be more dangerous for you, - Sypha argued.

- Don’t you even think of supporting her! She took a few years off our lifespans with this incident! We can’t just let you…

- No, wait, you don't get it, I...

- Shari!

- Stop bossing me around, Trevor, I am not a child! I have not finished.

- Trevor, please calm down, she is neither under your command, nor your sibling. If she wants to leave, it is her choice, - Adrian stepped in, clearly annoyed with the three.

- See? I can perfectly… - Shari tried to pick up.

- Shari, - Adrian interrupted. – Can I speak with you privately?

The healer was genuinely startled for a moment. She turned to look Adrian in the eyes – probably for the first time since the incident – trying to estimate his emotions and plan her defense strategy. She was never scared of him – or at least she never showed that he scared her sometimes, because surely being sane and realistic she could not ignore the obvious danger presented by those sharp fangs and golden eyes. Still Shari was used to considering him a friend, his malevolent side almost unable to turn against her.

Now she was startled and – honestly – slightly scared. For a moment she thought she saw it in his eyes that he looked right through her: that he perhaps watched her and Lisa or sensed her thoughts or some other vampire telepathy kind of thing. That maybe he thought she was a traitor.

Then he smiled warmly and nodded his head to the side, gesturing for her to follow him away from Trevor and Sypha – and Shari straight away knew whatever it was, he was ready to be on her side.

- Are you sure you need this resting? I mean clearly you do, you are paler than father when he wakes up, but still… Sari, I know you are stronger than you look, but a witch traveling alone during such a time doesn’t seem the brightest idea to me, - Adrian spoke quickly and quietly, for others not to hear their discussion. Shari felt ashamed for how it continued to surprise her that he sounded genuinely concerned.

- Adrian, I’ll be fine. I swear. I just… I don’t feel well…for, let’s say, various reasons, not only the attack. It just suddenly occurred to me that since your father seems to be watching and purposefully slowing you down, it may be a good decision for me to…

- To not stick around and lower the risk of encountering him or strong specifically directed demons? – she nodded in response. – Well, I can get that… And Shari, - he suddenly took her hand, his tone turning uncharacteristically warm. – I’m sorry.

- You don’t have to. We already spoke about…

- Not about that. About your disease. I’m so sorry. If only I knew how to help you – I could have known the way, you know, I once had the access to knowledge that could have… I’m so sorry for you.

They stood in silence for a few moments. Shari found herself unable to look into his eyes, staring at the ground.

- For how long have you known? – she rasped, barely recognizing her own quiet voice.

- Almost as soon as we met… Shari, I…

- Don’t. It’s alright, Adrian, I just didn’t realize you knew and this struck me a little…

- Do you know where you will be heading? – if she ever was grateful to him for anything – though she was grateful for plenty of things to be fair – it was his ability to catch onto the atmosphere and change the topic when it is very much needed.

- I… yeah sure, of course I do, I have a rough plan of what to do. Thanks, - she coughed dryly a few times, still refusing to lookup and meet his gaze.

- Shari?

- Yes.

- Promise me you will be fine. Not to be dramatic, but I… have gotten used to you quite a lot.

Shari chuckled.

- Will do my best, - she finally looked up at him and saw the half-vampire smile broadly. – I’ve gotten pretty used to you too, you overgrown puppy, - they stood in silence for some time.

- Almost forgot, one last thing before we face the storm of unacceptance named Trevor, - he blurted out, when she moved tostep away and turn back to the campsite.

- Yes?

Adrian did not say a word – he simply opened his arms and Shari fell into the embrace without even thinking. She felt utterly childish for being this familiar with him. She also felt it was nice to have someone to turn to when feeling torn and exhausted without having to explain the whirlwind of emotion in your head.

Shari shouldn’t have been surprised that it was Adrian who let her go with such ease. He knew he could trust her decisions, he always did. She was somewhat flattered by the way he treated her as an advisor and assistant even though she was no way as knowledgeable as him; the half-vampire always showed that he believed she had an own analyzed perspective of things, that she wouldn’t be reckless. This time though his trust in her rationality might have failed him. Any way it was, he openly supported her decision and expressed the hope that she would be able to catch up with them in some time.

Shari knew Trevor thought Dracula hypnotized her into surrender and laughed at it to herself. If only he had a clue that it was the human Dracula's wife who controlled her.

In the end of that emotionally exhausting morning they finally parted ways: the trio went in the direction of the closest town, hesitant to leave their friend, but unwillingly agreeing it should be done for greater good; Shari stayed at the campsite with Rodo for a bit longer, motivating it with the need of rest. Adrian threw a concerned glance in her direction, but said nothing. The vampire felt there was something wrong, but decided to let it slide, since he had already supported her decision; if she said she needed rest, then so be it.

In fact, although Shari did tell him she had a rough plan of further action, in reality she had little to no ideas in which direction to move and absolutely no wish of discussing it with thin air in front of her disbelieving friends: they would definitely not see Lisa and they would definitely think she was hallucinating after the attack. To be fair, she could never herself be sure if that wasn't exactly the case. Maybe she was talking to an imaginary friend. However, since she had already decided to believe in the ghost's existence, she had to play along that assumption.

Lisa didn’t leave her waiting and appeared as soon as they were left alone, Shari sitting by the campfire a little lost and a little tired; a victorious smile played on the ghost's lips, as she sat by the fire next to the girl. Rodo made no sign of noticing their guest, only slightly shaking his furry head and letting out a jawn.

- What? - asked Shari, annoyed by the constant attention of the ghost. She took the cattle off the fire and set it aside to cool down a bit. She needed something warm to drink if she wanted to keep her blood and lungs inside her body.

- We have to move out, - Lisa smiled, now more gently, watching the human's movements.

- It would be nice if I knew where we went, - replied Shari, slowly looking around, taking in the little amount of her personal belongings lying about - there wouldn't be much packing when she would have finally decided to pick herself off the ground.

- I'll guide you.

- What if you disappear?

- I won't.

- What if I don't want to go? What if you only tell me that you are leading me to the castle, while in reality you will lead me to Dracula? That is actually most probably what is going to happen, - Shari finally expressed her greatest worry and doubt. She could not just trust Lisa, she wanted to, but couldn't bring herself to do so. The woman was most probably still here because of them - Dracula and Adrian - so her greatest concern would be to stop their fight in any way possible in order to finally peacefully leave them, not care about some girl getting hurt in the process.

- I believe you will just have to trust me. I have told you already, I only want to stop this war with as little blood as possible, especially when it comes to Adrian’s or Vlad-I meant Dracula’s blood. You will be of very little help to me if I simply spend time leading you to your death. Besides, I shall remind you, that your illness is not exactly leading you to a happy life, so you decided trusting me on that one, - Lisa winked at her and stood up; Shari clenched her teeth: well, that was a very good point, but definitely a blow-below-the-waist strategy. - We should move out, the sooner we start - the quicker we'll be there.

- You know, you're like an older sister that I never wished to have, - Shari huffed in annoyance, but finished her tea quickly and proceeded to pack. The fact that she was annoyed didn't cancel the fact that Lisa was right. She had to move out.

***

The day trip was completely uneventful. The few villages they had passed didn't show any signs of having been attacked, but Lisa still made Shari keep away from them - maybe it was for the best, people were very unsafe these days, the fear made them aggressive to any newcomers. Especially to ones possessing magical powers and followed by black wolf-demons. Going alone to such a village could be suicidal.

It was only at the age of ten, that Shari found out she had it in her. That one trait that made people wish your head on a pike no matter how you behave. Animals weren't just "friendly" with her, no-no, friendly is one understandable thing, especially with a little child. However, "friendly" is definitely not the most accurate description of the behaviour of the large black wolf that almost attacked her one day on the edge of the woods, stopping in mid-jump as the girl turned to face it - next picture: the wolf rolling on the ground before her like and ordinary dog demanding bellyrubs. The animals would not simply like her, they would obey her as if she spoke to them directly. She had no idea where the power came from and so preferred to think she was born into her witchcraft. Her mother insisted upon it too, saying that poor old gramma was the same odd thing in her youth. At least that was what Shari remembered her saying when they did discuss her little problem. That was until she turned sixteen – until she suddenly was separate from her family and out on her own. Until the first time the people wanted to get her burned. First of many more to come.She had learned to control herself and make use of herself, never expressing anything people would see as dark wizardry, nothing even seemingly malevolent, working for the local healer, helping out as much as she could and learning some things here or there by herself about herbs and illnesses - not a study, barely a child's curiosity.

Then it was a year of particularly poor crops after an awfully dry summer, Shari sensed it was coming before she ever knew why it was so - the villagers had no other way of dealing with such misfortunes. They placed all the blame on the odd girl who learned to cure wounds and diseases and spoke to the wild animals as she pleased. Burning witches was a very common sacrifice, after all.

The night before the burning was the night she ran. She knew they would come for her, so she escaped before they could get her, left her home to set to travel into unknown. And never truly stopped running ever since.

Lisa pitied her for that, even though Shari tried to brush it off as nothing. She was a witch after all and turned to be quite a good thief, quite some reason for the other humans to hate her already, even though she couldn't say theft pleased her herself - she was surviving the way she could: moving about and healing didn't ever buy her enough bread or material. The longest she ever stayed in a town was three months - then the cycle had to start over.

Lisa understood her reasoning for that quite well. At first she wanted to argue that staying longer might have bought Shari some trust, but held her tongue - she wasn't one to give that sort of advice, not now, not after everything that happened to her exactly for staying a little too long.

When they finally stopped for the night, Shari was almost falling - her legs unwilling to carry her anymore - and bending over in loud wet coughs, feeling the taste of her own blood in her mouth and suffocating in attempts to hold back from even more coughing. The freezing weather and bloodloss, even compensated with Sypha's magic, were not going to make this journey easier for her. Shari felt the feather light caress of the ghost's hand on her back and breathed in deeply, trying to calm her heartrate.

There was pain in her ribs now too - she was scratched quite badly a few days ago by one of the attacking demons. They were fighting off several of the things and one jumped her from behind: neither she nor Rodo had noticed it before. Shari succeeded in turning to face it, making the demon bounce off her and back away as soon as she made eye contact - these things were usually not much harder to control than wolves, especially with Rodo at her side. Unfortunately, before she managed to kick it off completely, the demon had left an unpleasant scratch across her ribcage, making her fall to the ground and lose the mental contact - the beast jumped back on her in a matter of seconds and for a moment Shari thought that would be her end. Only by luck Adrian was swift enough to protect her, fighting the thing away and aiding her to recover later - the sharp claws left three deep gashes on her skin and the girl had to spend a long time tending to herself after the fight, hoping the wound would not get infected with whatever those things could carry on their paws.

The wound had been nicely bandaged before, all was going well, but apparently Dracula's attack had erased that bit of responsibility from her memory and now Shari suddenly faced yet another problem: rebandaging was not only desirable, but very much a necessity by the time she dropped to the ground, settling for the night. The soaked and dried blood on the old bands now scratched and tore at the healing wound, causing her pain.

- ‘T is okay, - she told the ghost, quickly going to sit down on the ground. Removing the band did not take much time as well as putting on a new one-not when she was used to doing it anyways, but removing a part of her clothes let the cold bite her even more in the process, so when she was finished, she was freezing to the bone, so she wrapped herself in whatever warm cloths she had left and pressed closer to Rodo, to keep at least some body heat to herself. They decided to make no fires, as Shari was now mostly defenseless and the girl already felt how much she would regret parting ways with her friends. Lisa's care and Rodo's warm side couldn't do much to keep away the cold and her lungs were almost screaming in protest. She looked at Lisa's pitiful apologetic face and whispered: - I'm already used to it, - no you aren't, this is getting worse by second and you desperately need a fire.

- You have to fall asleep quickly. Tomorrow we'll start off at dusk, - Shari lay between Rodo's back and a large tree trunk; Lisa sat next to her head, looking down at the tired healer.

- I wish it was just as easy for me to move as it is for you, - Shari whispered sleepily.

- Trust me, you don't, - both laughed.

- How much is there left? Of the way?

- If you're lucky - and persistent, we may be there by tomorrow night, - Lisa answered reassuringly.

- Really? That's so fast... Too fast, to be fair. I thought the castle was hard to catch, - she stared back at Lisa.

- Parts of it yes, it moves as a whole. But there are stable parts - that one particular entrance was the one I used when I first found him. It was very hard to track - not many know about it, it's kind of in magically protected grounds or something - nobody has the incentive to go there, - the ghost explained.

- But you had, - Shari smirked.

- Of course I had.

- I wonder how he hadn’t killed you straight away.

- Oh, but he wanted to. He tried to frighten me – told me he would drink my blood, all that classical stuff.

- So what did you do?

- Told him his manners needed repolishing.

Pause. Shari chuckled. Then snorted. Then laughed out loud.

- And he did not murder you for such an offense?

- I believe he wanted to for a moment, but was too startled to act… And then it sort of…happened. I believe it was a big “why not” for both of us, until we suddenly saw something deeper to it, - Lisa smiled to herself, seemingly diving through memories.

- Sounds a little like me meeting Adrian for the first time – God knows I saw those large fangs and yellow eyes straight away, I knew very well what he was, just couldn’t…

- Can’t beware the dark, when it’s choice between stepping in or watching someone suffer?

- Something of the kind. My self-preservation goes way below. I called him in when I saw him bleeding out by the edge of the town – half expected him to drain me as soon as I bandaged him and when he… well, as you can see, didn’t… We just talked. He stayed over for a week gaining strength, not attempting to eat me – I guess that was the first out of the only two occasions when someone I have helped did not try to accuse me of devilish business in one way or another and just accepted the help. Of course he had to be not human.

- The second time that happened was with Rodo, wasn’t it? Humans don’t tend to be overly grateful.

Both chuckled.

- Adrian seems quite attached to you, - Lisa turned to Shari. – Thanks for that. For accepting him. I was always worried that he will have a hard time fitting in…pretty much anywhere, being what he is. So thank you.

- No need to. He is nice, your son. Feels like having a friend for once.

Pause. Shari shrugged and sighed.

- Tomorrow, you said, right? Though I can't say that I'm exactly lucky, so your prediction about the time is probably too optimistic, we are bound to have some struggle tomorrow,- she huffed, turning to her side and snuggling to Rodo's furry back.

- The castle shouldn't be so far away, it is quite close to Tragoviste, shouldn't have taken us long, - Lisa explained. - And you are lucky, sunshine - remember? You survived Dracula's bite. That mark on your neck is your lucky ticket now, - Lisa winked and lay back against the tree trunk. Shari wanted to think of a witty reply, but was interrupted by another violent fit of cough and decided to let it go. The healer cuddled into Rodo’s warm side and fell into uneasy sleep, hoping that the morning would bring at least some relief.

[2telluthetruth]

before i watch some shit i gotta know how the story ends. if not, ima critically analyze the whole movie until i figures it... it usually takes me 30 minutes to figure out the whole plot but that’s besides the point. knowing the ending of a movie allows me to pay attention to alll the little things leading up to the end. the directors choice in lighting, the way that certain actor did a certain movement to portray a certain feeling, setting, like camera work, basically everything i just the last 4 years of my life studying get applied to my enjoyment of a film. 

I wish life was like that... you get to like google how it all ends for you. like what will happen in your life all the way to the end. you can always have what you envisioned for yourself, your plan, your schedule of things but then life has a funny way of letting you know that shit happens. and you learn whatever it is you need to from that incident, apply the lesson, and keep going. it’s actually pretty simple. like looking both ways before you cross the street and still almost getting hit by a car because a person felt the need to speed thru an intersection because maybe he had a family emergency or he had too much to drink. regardless life will thro curveballs, ain’t that fucked up? like bitch. lemme read my book of life so i can move accordingly. but i guess that’s not fun anyways because God would just tell us what to do and there would be no free will. and we all know how people hate being told what to do with there life from a higher up lmao

....but idk none of this shit really applies to me. I guess I’ll just share my testimony here since I'm only people who really give a fuck about me would give a fuck about this post. ( Which i recently found out is ME, i’m the only person who opinions/decisons matter when it comes to me life)

SO HERE IT GOES

Since a child, I always knew i was going to be a very wealthy person. I’m smarter than my peers, i’m stronger than my peers, and way more wiser than most of people i meet. It’s very rare I met a person who’s intellect is as diverse as mine in terms of emotional knowledge and regular book smart shit. Like i’m sort of a hood intellectual, but like different because my Dad is a foreigner who comes from i guess what you would call a decent background, My grandfather was an engineer in Germany lmao. Like wtf. That’s very hard to do. Them mfs got some history of disrcrimnation if you know what I mean. And another ancestor of mine on my father side was adopted by the priest of a missionary because he was so smart, hence why my last name has french origins. and you know what i found out this year during my research dives on the different religions in the world..

There is a Saint in the catholic religion named St. Malo and his birthday is the same birthday as mine. He’s french as well. LMAO SO like i said I AM BUILT DIFFERENT. But that’s not what i really wanted to go talk about so let’s talk about how I’ve always knew I am dying a extremely rich woman. First of my name type shit.

So yeah. 

I LOVE PERFORMING AND PUTTING ON A SHOW OKAY! SINCE BIRTH!

I’m not even dramatic. I remember dancing in front of my family all the time.   Ask my auntie teena and she’d tell ya I would dance in front of anybody at any place in a drop of a dime. There’s literal footage of me dancing at every function at BayBay (Vivian) house. Lmao I still dance with all my family members at the bbqs I attend. Dancing really is my shit.

 Singing is too.

 I remember going to church with my daddy, some spot in LA/ the Jamaican jawn with uncle Jerry, and singing “Because of who you are” in front of everybody. No fucks given, And i kid you not I felt the holy ghost. That’s the best feeling in the world. Happened to me a couple times but I’ll tell ya bout it later some day when it matters. i remember one time coming home and singing and HITTING THAT HIGH PITCH ASS MARIAH CAREY NOTE! ( we got the same birthday too)

and i always loved music. the only time i didn’t cry was in my daddy cars listening to the reggae and bass booming thru the fucking trunk. 

During school I remember performing all the time. School plays, I got the lead role. School assembly, I’m putting on a show. Shit even for my 5th graduation I choreographed the whole MJ we are the world dance routine. Lol for hispanic heritage month I always was the girl who had the authentic skirt for the folklore dance. it was black and red. Very pretty. Mrs. Sanchez was enamored with me girl. She was like your the star you gone be centerstage in the middle only black girl while everyone else wonder why your on stage lmao. We were so good we entered a competition and got a trophy. 

Basketball was fun. I do not like team sports so that ain’t work out. Plus i think i suck. Well I couldn’t have been that bad because in middle school I made the All City team. I didn’t play because my hair wasn’t done I kept the jersey though LMAO. They was hot. HS was whatever. Lowkey only did it because of the niggas and cheer was boring/got too intense for me. I had commitment issues back then like crazy lmao.

Track was fun too. Made championships when I ran. Heart really wasn’t into to it if I’m keeping it G-Real. Didn’t fuck with the track meets plus the girls on the team hated me. I was always with the guys but the weren’t like the guys i hung out with all the time. them niggas was squares, homeschooled and all that. i hung out with delinquents lmao. Shit they always more fun. I know why Jesus hung out with the sinners mmkay. They loyal and know how to have a good time.

In middle school, I won a poetry contest about this poem I had about being a tree and not falling despite what happens. I also got like  award for being the top 3% of scoring in the whole district a couple times. Moms got me a iPod touch lmao.

High school ASB President, got accepted into more than 20+ colleges, in AVID. Cheer team. Basketball team. My drama Teacher, Mrs. Borek called me the baby Viola Davis. I directed and produced my own play lol. Boy, when I graduated I was on stage with admin and faculty. 

But anyways overall, 

I’ve always been the cream of the crop in any arena I apply myself. And I’ve never ever experienced a situation where I’ve been down bad that I didn’t plot and maneuver my way out of it (besides the shit that happened this year 2020 but i’ll give my 2020 review later ). I’m continuously blessed. Even when  I shouldn’t be. 

In elementary, I could’ve caught a case because I punched this boy in the head and he hit the tetherball pole then the floor. Buddy was knotted up lmao

In elementary school during after school day care I banged this girl head on the table and a pole lmao. 

In the carmelitos i gave this girl the business at auntie meanies house. Abri said beat her ass so I did. Trust me daddy, I’m always on go lmao. Her family was from some type of hood. They ain’t retaliate. 

Middle school I was beating boys up after school never got in trouble. LMAO None of the girls wanted to fight with they scary ass. 

High school I did the dumbest shit freshman year but didn’t get suspended. \bro i’m tired. i’ll tell the rest later.  but closing statement life’s a gamble for people who don’ t know the code. once you figure out your role play to the best of your ability and pray to God to constantly look out for you. *  4:48 

[miafic]

i was wondering, is there any character you feel that sort of represents you?

there are little bits of me in most of them because i do generally adhere to “write what you know,” but overall, no. there are things about all of them that im like “i would never do that” or “i couldn’t act like that” you know?

for example, i like to read, but not as much as geoff does. i wouldn’t be able to memorize a poem by accident the way he does. i need way more than 5 hours of sleep. i would be so lonely in his position.

lucas is too “mean” and strict for me to ever fill his shoes. zakk is way too cool, and he’s such a romantic. i am neither of those things. even mrs. wood - she always wanted a great husband and a bunch of kids. i plan to have zero kids, and i never want to get married. i also don’t call everyone “baby” contrary to popular belief haha. i’m also reluctant to take people in, literally or emotionally.

jawn is too angry for me; i’ve never lashed out like he does. i’m not passionate about cooking like ash, i have virtually nothing in common with travis past a surface level of liking music and not being embarrassed to dance wherever i want, and even awsten isn’t like me, either. he’s flighty and extraverted and even confrontational at times, and he is so, so giving. i wish i had a fraction of the generosity he possesses. 

ahl is very liberal with her body in just about every way where i am super conservative in that sense. jon devoted his entire life to his faith, which is something i don’t think i could ever do. mr. wood is grumpy, distant, and shows almost no affection to anyone other than his wife. calum is literally a sociopath. 

i mentioned before a while back that if i was going to pick one of them who’s the closest to me, it would probably be miss sara lol but i haven’t spent enough time with her to figure out what her deal is. she’s just the nice late-20s lady who lives in lakeview and works at the library. i would like that to be my life haha. 

[nho-jungle]

Slamdunk

Boston Manor- I didn't originally plan to see them, cuz I've never listened to them before, but they were just before As It Is, and we were sat listening, and they were actually really good, so we went to go listen to them. The singer said this crowd was the worst one ever, because they weren't dancing then the singer urged everyone to start a circle pit. He got off stage, found a tall guy to hold his mic lead, and he stood in the middle while the circle pit went around him. It was very cool.  As It Is- Patty looked stunning but his mic wasn't turned up, so only the first couple of rows could properly hear him, but it didn't matter bc everyone was singing. We got pretty much to the front. Patty looked like 2005 Gerard Way at certain angles, and it was amazing. Also he had red suspenders on, and it looked so good. I was screaming to their songs, and I have a full on death metal scream when I'm loud, and a bunch of people looked really confused when they heard the voice and saw who it came from. 

Waterparks-TURBULENT IS AMAZING LIVE!!!! I got kicked in the mouth by a crowd surfer but it was cool. Awsten said he looked like a watermelon on purpose. He was talking about how coordinated his outfit was, and went, "first, appreciate my shoes!" And slammed his foot on the speaker, nearly kicking it into the front row. The mosh put for TANTRUM nearly killed me but it was AWESOME. I was yelling to my friend about how I'd let Awsten and Patty both punch me in the face at the same time and a bunch of people turned around and were like "me too bro."

Signings- the line for All Time Low was too long so we didn't bother. When we walked past, iDKHOW were doing an acoustic set, which was cool. My friend got Dallon and Ryan's signature on a poster, and got my ticket signed for me. We got to the other signing tent, too late for As It Is, but we could see them and I cried. But we managed to meet Waterparks!!!!!!! As they walked up to the tent they were waving at whoever waved to them, Awsten waved to my friend and Otto waved to me. Awsten was so sweet and Geoff and Otto both put a hand on my shoulder for the photo, and Geoff has very fatherly hands. He is a safe man to be around. It's hard to explain, but all of them, particularly Geoff, just make you feel safe when they're around, and they make sure their attention is 100% of you when you talk to them. 

IDKHow- Before IDKHow, Lights played, and Patty and his girlfriend were watching from the crew area. Also Lucas and Jawn were sidestage for IDKHow. Dallon kept being mean to Ryan but Ryan was absolutely adorable. We'd made some friends and were doing some really weird dancing, but it was fun. Also!!! Why does no one talk about Dallon's amazing high notes??????

All Time Low- we didn't get as close for All Time Low as we did for As It Is and Waterparks, but it was still awesome! Jack kept talking about Rian being a warm hole to put his fingers in. "it's really wet and my fingers are cold and I can't play guitar very well, but that's not the reason I can't play guitar, and I'm looking for a warm hole to put them in, but all I see is Rian Dawson." He also called Alex a cold hole, luke warm at best. Jack was complaining about how unfit he was, and went, “I feel like Tony Stark at the end of Endgame.” And Alex told him off for it. Later on he spoilt Game of Thrones too, and Alex got everyone to boo him. Awsten came on to sing with them for a bit and as he walked off Alex said "that's my son!". Also they played an unreleased song and it was really good!!! Alex told us to pretend it was our favourite song. They told us to turn to someone next to us and get on their shoulders, so I got my friend on mine and she now hates me cuz I was jumping up and down while she was up there. The mosh pit got really wild for Dear Maria, and someone slammed me in the face and now my nose and tooth hurt. 

Merch- I got the limited edition Waterparks Slamdunk shirt, and when you bought that you were also given another shirt that says “Waterparks. Watch what happens next,”  along with the Turbulent advertisement poster. I got the Slamdunk shirt that lists all the bands. I also bought The Great Depression and 1981 Extended Play on cassette.

Tags: @topmaxx , @puppybrendon , @icseyic , @sixx-shady , @geoffs-band , @a-walking-lovesong , @frankaiden

[thefreshfinds]

Propelled by the vibrant energy, treasured ambiance, connectivity, heart drenched food and melodies intertwining with the Saturday afternoon clouds —

There I stood in the emblem of The Philadelphia Music Festival, starving for a bite of fresh talent and so I decided to fill my plate with only the best manifolds of visionary hip hop, pop, R&B, trap and rock but little did I know I was in for a feast!

*Credits to @_brandoncaptures_ *

The first to perform was Monica Joelle, a dynamic Pop/R&B songstress from Philly that strikes your heart hard like Cupid’s arrow with her orientally sweet voice and cherry dripped instrumentals. She effortlessly plucks you with relatable lyrics (whether it’s about sticky situations, love or having a crush) and that’s why no one can seem to get enough. Monica started off with songwriting / singing lessons and from there she has continuously bloomed into her own sound as an artist, writing pieces that show off her complexity through set-ups and syllables. The songstress has only been making music until December 2017 but prior to that she has always been performer whether it was for dance or theater. The first song she ever created which was “Never Forget You” which is your ordinary heartbreak song but still relatable (and surely a track she had the most fun making.) To prepare for the festival she took the living room as her stage — using the microphone and speaker as the components for an astounding set off in real life. And in the future? Monica plans on releasing an EP and shooting out singles. (she can’t give us a name as of yet but I’m sure whatever it is will reflect the bubbly aura she conveys on and off the stage) The date will be revealed before you even know it but don’t take the risk of missing out on it.. just make sure to follow @MonicaJoelle.

“I’m not going to stop, I’m going to keep going. Forget what the haters say” Monica says.

SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/monicajoelle

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/55UAah5w59sJuQyekaRswr?si=wKn4V9eeSJaIM8XJtvZFAw

Fun Fact: Her favorite slang is “Jawn”

My favorite song? On My Mind.

The next performer to zazzle the crowd was conscious wordsmith, Teef. Teef is a laid back visionary from New Jersey (residing now in Philly) who puts your mind at ease through charismatic storytelling intertwined with a fusion of neo-soul hip-hop, concrete flows, very solid messages and speaker knocking beats that could make your head snap off your neck (literally). Resonated with A Tribe Called Quest, one could even say that he has their style down pat as he makes sure to transition a soothing ambience through the vibration of his rhymes and wit. Teef started his musical journey in 2015 after dropping his first project called “Hip Hop On Purpose”. He was always into music but this project was the pinnacle of his musicianship “I just stopped thinking about doing something and I finally just started doing it,” says Teef “I was very hesitant about becoming a rapper at first because of what was out on the mainstream. I don’t even rap about that stuff [being on the block, etc]. Then one day I performed at an open mic, people liked it, asked me to come back and since then I kept going.” Aside from spitting bars Teef also enjoys welding, reading informational novels, free styling and networking. “Earlier [before the festival] I was actually welding up a rail and it wasn’t even a joke!” Teef goes on to say “Genuinely I just love to be around people. [when asked about networking] I like being around other independent artist and feeding off of their energy and ideas.” To prepare, Teef didn’t do much but go with the motion of the [creative] ocean and sway his natural repertoire in the ears of the ones close by. “I picked my songs when I got here. But I don’t always put my set together until I get there.” Teef says “I just went with the vibes”. One song that Teef enjoyed making the most was his first song “Get Free” because it allowed him to showcase his style to other people. “It was really random. It was made at three o clock in the morning and I really didn’t have an intent but it just hit me out of the blue. I crafted it in my own way. It was the most memorable time for me. That’s why I consider it to be fun because it just happened.” Common to persona, Teef’s favorite slang is “coolin” and the number one person that he looks up to in history is Bob Marley because he brought people together (and even squashed beef between politicians). “He was all about the people and the community”. Teef is currently running a weekly radio show called “Most Slept On Radio” on 98.5FM (it covers the Philadelphia area). He also runs Table Talk with Teef on Tuesday’s.

“I’m just growing with my artistry”

You can follow him on

Instagram : @realteef03

Bandcamp : https://lateef.bandcamp.com/Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/artist/0wNgFnLMKH5Dui6DdHSoUK?si=We2MVY6jSE6eut8W_CQaGg

My favorite song? Strangers in the Night

Wafting their chantable ad libs through heavy marijuana smoke, this group’s sound floats smoothly to your ear canals. The next act, The Joint Cheefs allowed me to let my conscious free through their use of moderate boom bap and sharp witted lyrics… but to be more clear, I can say that this trio changes the high experience by implicating an old feel of New York rap through their wrap of rhymes *that solely support the 420 movement* and calm aesthetic. To begin Geo The Rican, Sonny Blue Note and Loud Pack Ralph formulated as a triad one day while working in their studio in the Bronx. “We are producers and engineers so the idea itself just grew organically” says Geo the Rican. They have been making music for some time but to get to where they are now they pretty much just smoked a lot (no pun intended) and became more personal with their music, putting their trials and tribulations through their rhymes and as a result they have been gaining a peak of listeners on a daily basis. To prepare for the Philly Festival they answered with “smoking weed” but ultimately it was through the power of fun. “We take the music seriously but we try not to take ourselves too serious.” they go on to say “We take pride in our sound far as recording and making it.”To separate theirselves from the rest, the Joint Cheefs actually live through what they rap about. “We’re in a lane that we want to be in. It’s not too crowded, some people might say it’s our own and we’re going to hot box all the way to the top.” Aside from their recent release of “Never Canoe” on April 20th 2018, the Joint Cheefs are currently working on their album “Jars” which will be on all platforms by November 31st. When it comes to favorite strands, Sonny Blue Note enjoys Indica because it helps him sleep, Geo the Rican chooses Sativa because it helps him stay focused and Loud Pack Ralph enjoys hybrid because he just wants to get high. Fun fact: Their favorite slang is between “BroGod” and “Deadass” because they love to pay homage to their hometown.

You can follow them on

Instagram - @thejointcheefs

Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/thejointcheefs/the-joint-cheefs-n-high-c

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/1DQg3ISncFAuWAdDhebBMc?si=Q-Lu8Xv9QP-pfqkDU9tflg

My favorite song: It’s a tough one. It’s between “N High C” & “The Art of Hotboxing”

Lights on (meaning the sunlight of course) and centered on the stage, the next act to captivate me was Almost Famous who reels his listeners in with a hook of merciless R&B and a fair amount of auto tune. Generally speaking, Mr Famous has the 2000 feel of soul mastered perfectly as he dashes platforms with a similar production that Ne-Yo or even Genuine would use. The difference between him and the artist mentioned though is that he adds his own twist of dominating words, making sure to switch it up through trap and pop (while also warning his mysterious lover from time to time that they could be replaced in a heart beat) But don’t assume that his heart is locked up in a cage, Mr Famous still has a soft side to him and shows it from time to time. To begin, Almost Famous started off his career as a background dancer for a mass of Philly artist. “Hearing them, I realized that maybe I should create my own music so I started writing, perfecting melodies and harmonies and going to shows.” Famous says. This West Philadelphian has been doing music for 4 years but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s slowing down. Almost Famous grinds hard through releasing new singles and it even shows through his stage presence! “[To prepare for the festival] I had a few shows coming up, so I just kept on rolling with my other ones.” says Almost Famous. One song that Almost Famous enjoyed making the most is “Options” because it was during a time when he had to walk to work in the midst of a strike. “I heard the beat and it was mine from there. If it wasn’t for the strike, it wouldn’t be what it is now.” Fundamentally, Almost Famous would collaborate with Jasmine Sullivan if he was given the chance because her song writing skills and singing is perfect. But the bonus? Jasmine Sullivan is also from Philly. Even though Almost Famous shows love to his hometown he is not too fond of the people who run the Philly Hip Hop Awards “About a year or so they dogged me out but now that I’m apart of a new record label, they try to follow my moves and the label I’m with [Spit It Out Entertainment].” Famous goes on to say. As for his opinion on DMX? He thinks that DMX is a legend. “I feel like he’s been through a lot and a lot of people try to discredit him.”

Almost Famous’ favorite slang is “you drawlin’. “ He also considers himself a morning person because that’s when he’s able to get the day started. His project “Growth” will be released in November. Almost Famous also wants to give a shoutout to Spit it Out Entertainment.

My favorite song? Options (but the other song title can’t be given out. I will let the fans know when “Growth” is on streaming platforms)

You can follow him:

Instagram - @almostfamous215

YouTube - https://youtu.be/ilkKpQ0X8us

*Credits to Brother IB Photography @brother_ib *

The next act to glide his angelic floetry to the streets of Philly was Mashich, an upcoming trap soul artist from Philly who keeps things interesting through a singsong vocal pattern and propulsive beats but to stand out from the other singers that took a part of the festival, Mashich graced the crowd with silver printed dance moves. Even though Mashich has been singing since he was 7, he started taking his craft seriously in the past year. He’s originally from Aiken, South Carolina but he moved to Philly 7 years ago. When it comes to his favorite slang from his new home, he says it’s “d*ckhead” or “f*ck out of here”. To prepare for the Philly Festival, Mashich practiced nonstop. “I’m really big on practicing so I utilized any free time and space I had.” Mashich goes on to say. “I blasted music from my speaker, went over the song and got my movements down. From there I was able to find a form that helped to present myself and my style.”To stabilize his vocal chords, he drinks a lot of tea and does a range of warm ups while making sure to sing out of his diaphragm. In addition, Mashich would collab with Daniel Caesar if he had the opportunity. “All of his music is super creative and how he keeps his vocal deliveries organized is really dope,” says Mashich “I could learn a couple of things from him.”What makes this crooner so different from others is the thing he plans on bringing an old school feel back to R&B. “I hope that through my unique songwriting and vocal structure I am able to push other artist to do the same” All in all he wants good fortunes for the human race. Because let’s face there’s more to life. Love is limitless. “Miss My Dawgs” is currently out on streaming platforms. Be on the lookout for his debut EP “Small Town, Big City” which will cover his coming of age story. Leaving his house and growing with Philly.

“Whatever you believe you can do, you can do that sh*t. You can much success and much love”

You can follow him on:

SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/mashichmusic/miss-my-dawgs

Instagram - @k.ing.tut

Last to wow the crowd away was Bronx native Captain DMac who “makes your neck stretch like an ostrich”. Ticking the spinal chords of those familiar with dancehall and pop, Captain DMac’s brush of sultry vocal play and enticing melodies took me back to a tropical island that effortlessly illuminates peace, love and good vibes towards it’s community. I couldn’t help but to move my hips to the vigorous, self pulsating beats to follow.

We [Luis and I] were instantly allured. We needed to find out more and so we did.

Captain DMac started making music when he was in high school. “I was doing songs for different environments and people or surroundings,” DMac goes on to say “Anything that would happen I would make a song about it. I would often recite Snoop Dogg’s “Drop it Like It’s Hot” [in that time period] too because he’s one of my favorite artist and then someone said “Hey you should make your own song” so I decided to try it. The first cover I did was “Dreams Money Could Buy” by Drake and ever since I have been creating my own songs.”His tracks are mostly embed with a homage to his culture and admirable women and when he spits, he SPITS. Before switching genres, Captain DMac was just an aspiring rhymester who made headlines with his hit single “Big Ol Booty” because of the line from the song “Stretching out her neck like an ostrich” (and it became so well known that it went viral on Facebook and Worldstar, gaining over 8 million views to date.) However, Captain DMac didn’t get the credit he deserved but eventually he was gaining more recognition and reclaimed what was his. A lot of people [A&R’s] saw his songs for what it is and not what it could be, but his close ones thought otherwise. “One day I was talking to my boy and he said “Yo you’re Jamaican you should really touch that dancehall scene because there’s a lot of American artist that are doing it.” and I said “You know what you’re right let’s try it. The first one I made was Hold (which received positive feedback) and from there I said to myself let’s keep creating these vibes.” says Captain DMac. “There was a lot of obstacles to get to where I am. I met a lot of good people, sometimes bad. But I continue to strive and I surround myself around people who also strive. They have to work hard towards what they want to get and that’s what my team does. We just trying to get it. It all starts with good music.” Captain DMac also says that “Just Me & You” was his favorite song to make, “I recruited my friend to do light vocals and in the end he sounded like Super Mario.” All in all what makes him unique from the rest is his pen game. “I can have multiple versions of one song”

Captain DMac will continue to touching the Dancehall scene & the people.

He will be dropping two EP’s very soon.

His single “Think About” ft Juanialys is out right now

Fun fact: His favorite slang is yerr

&

He is a boxers guy.

You can find him at:

Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/captaindmac

Instagram - @captaindmac

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/5p154fD2gshCzENn8a4W8b?si=YLJ645G7TEOZSWFjQuj47Q

At its best, Philly Music Festival will continuously flourish as a platform for artist on the rise.

It’s more than just an event, it’s a spot that’ll reign of harmony, inspiration and positive energy.

By: Natalee Gilbert 🌞

[fivesaucekisses]

RARE || Awsten Knight Fanfic 1

Chapter Two:

I introduced Waterparks effortlessly and quietly walked off the stage as the curtain drew showing the three men behind me.  They apparently just released an album two days before the show and from the response of the crowd at least a good handful knew about it already.  The crowd roared excitedly as the sound of guitars filled my ears.  The beat made my head bob, but the voice that came out of lilac man was something I was prepared for.  It was rare, you could tell he meant every word he was singing.

I stood behind the curtains, not taking my eyes off of the stage just as infixed as the audience.  My foot started tapping to the beat as I reached for my phone and quickly typed a note to myself: "Waterparks."  I'd have to check them out later.

"Sophia, let's get you back to your seat," Isabel states, coming up from behind me.

"Actually," I smiled, turning around to face her.  "Could I maybe stick around back stage just for a little while?"

She gave me a look that made it seem like I had just inconvenienced her plans, but she sighed giving in.  "I mean I guess you could hang out back here for just a few more minutes, but please be back to your seat after the next commercial break," she pleaded.

I tried to hide my excitement as I eagerly clapped my hands, turning back to the performance just in time to see both guitar players bouncing around the stage.  A few moments later, Otto, the drummer finished with an impressive solo before the lights went out and the crowd erupted yet again.  The curtain fell and the three men came jogging off stage, goofing off as they did so.

"Good job guys!" a man yelled as he met up with the three of them a few feet from me.  He had a camera around his neck and a head of bright red hair.  A colorful bunch, I note.

"I got so nervous just as the curtains came up," lilac guy admits, letting out a breath it seemed like he had been holding.  "I can't believe we just did that," he's suddenly beaming, jumping up and down some.

A smile spreads across my face as I finally take the opportunity to approach them.  "Hey, I just wanted to say that you guys were really great out there," I say as nonchalantly as possible.

"Really?" lilac man questions, shooting me a wide grin.  The other two say 'thank you' in unison before turning to their friend with the red hair who seems intent on not speaking at all as he blatantly stares in my direction.

I give him a smile, trying to hold in my laughter before responding to his question.  "Honestly, I put your bands name into my phone halfway through the song because I wanted to hear more later," I admitted, tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear.

"Do you want to hear more right now?" he asks tilting his head to the side just slightly, reminding me of a very cute dog.

"Definitely," I grin, knowing full well I was going to get in trouble with Isabel when I wasn't back in a few minutes.

"I'm Awsten by the way," he says, holding his hand out to me for a simple handshake.  "That's spelled with a 'w'," he clarifies as I nod.

"Noted."

"That's Geoff, and Otto," he says pointing out the other two members of his band as we walk back towards the dressing room I had first noticed him.  "Oh and Jawn, he's our photographer.  He spells his name with a 'w' too, in case you were curious."

Forty minutes later I was sitting cross legged in my Versace dress on the floor in their green room, listening to demo's off of Awsten's lap top he just happened to have on him.  We'd gotten past the star struck phase and gone straight into Awsten's universe and I was so okay with it.

"And right here, I was thinking I could add in some cool harmonies and it would add this dope effect to the sound, so I decided to throw something together and, well just listen," he's talking quickly, quieting down when he wants me to hear something specific.  His music is good, better than good, it's fantastic and his passion speaks for itself.

"Hey Sophia," his friend Jawn says, pulling me out of my trance.

"Hmm?" I hum, looking up at him from the ground where Awsten and I were crouched.

"Is it weird if I ask for a picture?" he asks, clearly trying to tread lightly.  I appreciate his asking and not just doing.

"Oh yeah, totally," I say, running a hand through my hair some in preparation as I began to stand.

"No no, you can stay down there, I just-" he pauses, looking down at Awsten and over to me.  "you two looked really candid, and it'll make the band look pretty cool," he stated as Awsten's face began to get a red tint.

I look over at Awsten who's just a few feet away from me and smile some.  I guess I didn't always have to have the exact right angle for a photo.  Falling back down beside him, I gesture towards his lap top.  "Alright, what's next."

We stay that way for a while, all five of us talking as the music continues to play in the background.  The longer I'm there, the more they seem to relax around me.  They begin kidding with each other, talking about anything and everything, laughing loudly and occasionally embarrassing themselves or each other.  These are the moments I missed the most when I was working 24/7.  Every person I spoke to was normally older, my boss, or a coworker who acted like they liked me for the sake of a film.  A content sigh leaves my lips as my head bobs to the music.

A knock on the door causes us all to quiet down.  It opens seconds later and I see a familiar face come into view.  "Sophia are you kidding me right now?"  Isabel says in a very similar tone to that of my own mother.

"Isabel," I say, standing up quickly, flattening out the ripples in my dress, "Hey."  The four guys stand up, trying to clear out as fast as possible, causing me to frown some.  "Way to ditch," I mutter as Awsten waves at me, a playful smile on his lips as he runs for the door.

"Do you even know what time it is?" She's now shrieking as she grabs my wrist and begins pulling me out the door.  "You have to be at Andy Cohen's after party in less than 30 minutes.  The award show is over and you dipped literally half way into the show.  Not a good come back for you, Sophia."  Her lecture seems to have ceased for now as we walked in silence towards the exit.  I look around in hopes of spotting Awsten or Jawn's bright colored hair but they're nowhere in sight.

A few minutes and a lot more lecture later, I had finally made it to the overly crowded club.  It's now becoming clear to me that I missed the memo of free booze at the event making me one of the only sober people in the room.  As soon as we're through the door's Isabel is gone, probably already beginning to network.  More power to her if she wants to spend every waking moment of her life working.

"Sophia, so good to see you!" I hear a slurred voice say as a clearly drunk Andy Cohen makes his way over to me.

"Hey Andy, this party is amazing.  Thank you for the invite," I say giving him a hug and a smile.

"Oh stop it, you know you're always invited to my parties babe, you're one of America's favorite faces, who by the way has to make an appearance on my show now that you're back in the spotlight" he laughs, shooting me a wink.  I had to hold back the urge to roll my eyes.

"You're too sweet, but I'm only back for the night." I wave off his statement as best I can, patting his arm.

"That's a real shame Sophia.  Don't let that dumb boy stop you from being the true star I know you are," he coos, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.  "I've got to go make my rounds sweetie and you've got to get a drink in that hand of yours," he states, turning me towards the bar before letting go of me.  My eyes can't help but notice a familiar head of purple hair.  No way.  "Go have some fun," he mutters into my ear before disappearing into the sea of people.

Third time's a charm right? I wonder to myself before taking a deep breath and walking over to him.  He's leaning against the bar, staring at the bar tender who keeps blatantly ignoring him and taking other's people's orders.  "Need some help?" I ask, squeezing in beside him.

He glances over to me briefly, smiling some when he does.  "Hey Sophia, are you stalking me?"

I laugh at his comment, trying to hide the redness in my cheeks.  "Actually, I was going to ask you that."  I look back over at the bartender and catch his attention with a quick wave and a smile.  "Hey, could I get a glass of champagne? And whatever he wants," I say gesturing over to Awsten who's just staring at me incredulously.

"Water please," he says, breaking eye contact with me to look at the bar tender who just scoffs at him.

"Water?" I question, furrowing my eyebrows together.  "Bold choice," I grin.

He lets out a slight chuckle, looking down at his hands in front of him.  "I'm a risk taker, what can I say?"

The bartender hands us our drinks and I take a small sip, looking over at Awsten.  He was attractive and his purple hair looked good against his lighter skin tone.  He peers up at me from his glass, noticing that I'm staring.  "Do you have two different colored eyes?" I ask, flicking my eyes back and forth between his.

He lets out a laugh at my bluntness and nods, "yeah, look!" he says excitedly, opening his eyes a little wider and leaning into me some.

I giggle more than okay with him closing the gap between us.  I stare at his eyes intently, noticing the slightly darker hue of his right eye.  "Your eyes sort of remind me of the ocean," I smile some as I see pupils dilate.

He leans back a little, a smile spread across his lips.  "You're very smooth," he admits honestly, laughing some as his cheeks slightly redden.  He grabs his glass off the counter and takes a quick drink.  "For the record, your eyes are a much prettier blue," he says with a nod.

I lean on the bar some, taking another sip of my drink as I bat my eyes at him playfully.  "You think so?"

"You got something in your eye?" he quips back, causing me to drop my act and begin giggling.  He smiles wide again as the silence falls between us, "you're pretty cool," he states matter of factly, seemingly happy with his discovery.

"Do you not think I was cool before this?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"No, I've always thought you were cool," he clarifies, "it's just been that most actresses are fake these days," he winces some at how that came off.  "Wow, uh I'm sorry, that was the worst way I could have said that.  You're great, I swear I think you're the coolest, you're talented, you're beautiful, I mean you're you, you know?" Awsten is full on rambling, trying to dig himself out of a hole and I can't help but smile.

My face is starting to hurt from smiling so much in one sitting.  I cover my mouth with my hand to try and hide my amusement as he continues.  He doesn't stop until he's completely out of breath.  "Can we pretend I stopped talking after I said you were cool?" he asks, red in the face from talking so fast.

"And ignore the fact that you said I was beautiful?" I grin as he scratches his head, now avoiding eye contact with me. "Absolutely not."

"Awsten!" I hear someone shout as we both jump apart.  Jawn comes plowing through the crowded bar and over to the two of us, camera still hanging from his neck.  "We thought you'd gotten lost," Jawn states, shaking his head at Awsten before turning to see me.  "Oh hey Sophia," he smiles and gives me a quick wave.

Awsten shakes his head some rolling his eyes at his friend.  "I've literally been gone ten minutes."

"I can let you get back to your party," I interject, "I've got to make my rounds anyways."

"Hey before you go," Jawn says, turning towards me.  "Can I actually get a picture of you and the band?"

"What he's asking is for you to give us free promo," Awsten says, nudging my side with his elbow.  "Which I think is a fantastically generous thing to do with your social media power," he states holding his hand over his heart.

Jawn laughs as he leads us away from the crowded bar to the tables near the edge of the club.  "Otto, Geoff, come here for a sec," he beckons.  The two are sitting at a booth talking back and forth with drinks in their hands.  They look up to see the three of us and walk over.  "Hey Sophia!" Geoff waves happily as he approaches.  I wave back with just as much excitement.

"Group photo," Jawn states, the four of us come together, Awsten's on one knee in front of me, his elbow resting on his knee and his chin resting on his hand.  God.  Otto and Geoff are on either side of me, smiling wide.  The camera goes off and we all relax before Awsten stops us.

"Wait wait, I need one on my phone, Travis will never believe this if I don't text him immediately," he insists handing the phone over to Jawn before hopping up and standing directly in front of me.  "This is the perfect picture," he says through laughter, his entire frame blocking me from view.  What a nerd.

"Funny," I fake laugh, pushing him to the side a little to pose for the camera a beaming smile on my face as Awsten looks down at me still laughing at his own joke.  Jawn takes the picture amid the chaos and nods with approval at his job well done.

He hands the phone back to Awsten and starts looking through his camera at his other photos.  "This is great!" Awsten shouts, laughing at his phone before turning it to face me.  It was a pretty great picture.  The two of us are in the center, both smiling extremely wide, while Geoff and Otto are on the outsides, with looks between a smile and confusion.  "Please tag me in this if you post it."

"I'll tag you in it, but you can't get a follow from me," he states seriously.  I stop smiling for a second and furrow my eyebrows.

"What? Why?"

"I don't just follow anybody," he says as if I should somehow know this.  Meanwhile I'm literally following thousands of people.

"How many people do you follow?" I ask, now completely curious about this.

"Like 350 maybe?" he says, thinking for a moment.

I stare at him for a moment, in awe.  "You're pretty cool," I laugh, quoting his statement from earlier.

He takes the compliment with an eye roll and a scoff, "I'm posting it right now."  With that he unlocks his phone and opens Instagram instantly.

I try not to stare at his phone too intently as he begins editing the photo, looking up at me briefly.  "What's your handle?" he chuckles before adding.  "God what a millennial thing to ask."

"It's 'thesophiamontgomery'," I say leaning in some to take another glance at the picture.

"Hey hey, look away, you'll see it soon enough," he says, shooing me away, turning his back to me.

"Sophia!" I hear Isabel shout over the noise.  "Sophia, we've got to get going.  There's another party I want to hit before we're done for the night," she says as she approaches me.

The smile I had been sporting almost all night slowly fell from my face.  "Another party?" I ask, trying my hardest not to sound like I was whining, even if I was.

Isabel looks behind me at Awsten who's turned around now, phone slid away.  "Again?" she whispers to me as if he couldn't tell she was talking about him.  Shaking her head some she sighs, "say goodbye to your friends, we have to go," and just like that she's gone again, holding her hand in the air wiggling her fingers around to indicate I had exactly 5 minutes to say my goodbyes.

I turn around to face Awsten who's giving me an understanding look.  "If I follow you on twitter, will you at least consider giving me a follow back?" I ask, as his eyes light up.

He nods, "Absolutely."

Before I know what's come over me, I wrap my arms around him and give him a quick hug.  "It was really great meeting you," I smile as I pull away.

"You too," his cheeks are still flushed pink and I can't help but smile.

I give a small wave to his bandmates and Jawn who wave back.  "Goodnight Awsten," I say, tucking some hair behind my ear as I turn and walk back into the crowd of people, towards the exit.

Chapter Three X

-------

This was a long one, but it was also super Awsten heavy so you’re welcome.  This story can also be found on wattpad if that’s more your scene for fic.  Also I’m picturing Sophia as Barbara Palvin, but you’re welcome to picture her however you please.  This story will eventually have some social media stuff and I needed someone, you know?  Anyways, I hope you enjoy and I’ll see you with another chapter in a week.

[silcsing-blog]

‣  — “THE FIRST INTERVIEW.”

“What do you plan on doing once you are in the mansion?”

Silas took a seat in front of the camera, using his right hand to brush at the hair that covered his chin as he awaited the producer’s signal to begin. “Shit, I don’t know.” He chuckled lowly. “Nah, let me quit fuckin’ around. I want to extend my brand and by brand I mean what I now do for a ‘living’.” He reassured to place air quotes around the word because as far as he knew, his parents cash was his living and he didn’t have to earn it. Now he had to do it on his own. “I know it might be some thick jawns in here that might need a workout and I plan to be the one providing it to ‘em.” A grin spread across his features at the thought of what he truly meant behind it.

“Do you think your parents/parent made the right decision by sending you here? Why or why not?”

“Honestly? Probably.” Silas began. “I am a grown ass man and it’s about time I start acting like it. What grown ass nigga you know that’s still living off of his parents penny? Aside from the people I’ll be living with, but I’m talkin’ in general. Overall, yeah, I do. I want to build my own little empire and stop mooching off of the one that parents created for themselves with no help.”

“Now that you have a job, do you plan on keeping it or quitting within the next week?”

“I plan on keeping this little job. Believe it or not, but I actually enjoy it. While trying to keep everyone else fit and healthy, I have to maintain myself as well. I mean, I would do that either way it went, but y’all get me.” He laughed. “And as far as I know, there’s good money in fitness training. Like I said before, there’s a lot of folks out here that probably do need personal trainers and shit and I’m willing to do that for the low. Low sometimes.”

“What makes you different from the rest of your housemates?”

“I’m humble as fuck.” Silas readjusted his seating as he stared into the camera. “Excuse my language, but that’s just how I’m comin’. I know what I came from and who my people are. A lot of rich folks can’t say that, but I take pride in knowing that I can. I ain’t ashamed to say that my parents put me on, but like my pops said, he raised me right and I think that I’m ready to take on the world as it is. It’s a sick ass world, but I’m ready to take that on.”

“One thing that you want to say to your parents/parent that you didn’t get a chance to say the moment they cut you off?”

“I’ll do my best to make y’all proud. To let y’all know that you didn’t raise a bum ass nigga and that I can handle my own. That’s the ultimate plan. Oh, and I don’t want y’all to worry ‘bout nothin’. I’m not gon’ end up in jail or nothin’ like that for stealing or some other crazy shit. Y’all keep stacking your paper and Ima try and do the same thing. I love y’all, I really do.”

“What is one thing you plan on bringing to the show?” (i.e: spunk, originality, a fun time, etc)

Throughout the duration of the interview, Silas had been winging the entire thing; answering the questions off the top of his head. However, he felt the need to stop and actually think on the current question being asked. “I think I’m going to bring a fun time. Money or no money, I’m not a boring person. Never been told that I am either, so I think I’m bringing a little fun around.”

“How do you feel about being here in Ocean Drive?”

“To be honest with you, I’m excited to meet the honey’s that I’ll be staying with. Shit, I hope I get a fine ass roommate too. I ain’t too keen on sharing a room, but I’ll adjust. On a serious note, though. Reality television has never been my thing, but keep in mind, that Ima keep it real with y’all from the moment I step in front of the camera --- to the moment I leave it. I might be the reason we make it to a season two.” Silas chuckled loudly as he threw up the peace sign with his two fingers before standing and exiting the room.

@odrp

[iamoptimusprime10]

The Of The GOATs 🎼🎶🎵🎧🎚🎛🎹🎤🎷🎸🥁🎺from @questlove Dude. #AndreHarrell man.

He gave you the best soundtracks of your life man and you didn’t even know it. We never gave him his flowers.

He redefined the party!

Def Jam was the artform.

Bad Boy was the attitude

Death Row was the muscle

But without even knowing it?

Uptown was ALWAYS the party.

I’m sitting here going through my crates STUNNED at the amount of six degree to Andre records I’ve spun weekly on a regular basis for the last 35 years yo.

The is a staggering loss.

We never gave Andre Harrell his flowers.

Name em: Al B Sure/Heavy D & The Boyz/Guy/. I mean mentoring Diddy alone brings in Jodeci/BIG/Mary J/Father MC/Christopher Williams—-and even in those names the success with THOSE artists come Missy/Timb/Neptune’s

But let’s not stop there: first time we really paid attention to Halle Berry was in a Harrell film called Strictly Business

Let’s throw “Candy Rain” in there or Lil Shawn’s “I Made Love”—-I may be dating myself but man Mgruff’s “Before We Start” got MUCH play round my way. Jeff Redd (who brought Blidge to the label) had a banger with “You Called And Told Me”—-“Touch It” from Monifah STILL bangs to this day. & back to Diddy, I’m absolutely w/o a doubt certain that he feels his success is also Harrell’s success so in a round about way there is no Bad Boy w/o Harrell. (Lemme also remember Daryl Chill Mitchell’s “Hip Hop’s Here To Stay” another classic uptown jawn. Horace Brown too..... Too Many Classics

Let’s not forget NY Undercover & all the clever music moments in each ep.

from @llcoolj You helped make the HipHop dream a reality. I remember standing in the office on Broadway filled with excitement as you described your plan for the new label you were about to start. Uptown records.. we laughed and smiled as you laid out the plan and then you actually went out and did it. seems like yesterday. Rest in power Jeck.. You will always be loved and respected. @andreharrell

My love to you and your family.🙏🏾 #restinpower - #regrann

We never gave him his flowers. This isn’t even half of his achievements nor does this even bring to light the people’s lives he changed or his loved ones left behind.

He literally introduced a new sound to the world (the first new jack swing projects were on Uptown)—-wait hold that——his label changed music TWICE because hip hop soul’s music picked up where New Jack left off and on the same label. Such a short time to paradigm shift music TWICE!!!!!!!! Damn man.

We never gave him his flowers man. 😣 - #regrann

[junker-town]

I made a MEME BRACKET, and everyone’s fighting over it

Please join us, print a bracket out and yell in the comments.

You’ve been stressing out over the wrong bracket. The NCAA Tournament is fine, the Kanye West bracket was fun, and Mascot brackets are classic, but in 2018, we’re only here for MEME BRACKETS.

The committee, which included Matt Ellentuck, the SB Nation writer, and literally nobody else (which is why he forgot a few good ones), selected the 64 best memes he could think of, and broke them down like the NCAA would in a Tournament-style bracket.

Yell at him for whatever you disagree with.

The four No. 1 seeds were in this order: Crying Jordan, Distracted Boyfriend, Kermit Sipping Tea and Why You Always Lying?

Here’s how the bracket turned out:

Please print this bracket out by clicking file->save as->then printing, fill it in with whichever memes your heart desires, and let us know your biggest upset, Final Four and Champion in the comments.

Before anyone gets upset, this is the Roll Safe meme (a lot of people don’t know it by name):

The committee would like to acknowledge the many snubs that were inevitable given Earth’s rich meme history. Honorable mentions include: Spiderman, Darth Kermit, Mr. Krabs, “Did you practice that shot?,” Arthur Fist, Harambe, Rick Roll, Supa Hot Fire, Damn Daniel, LeBron James kid, Damn Daniel and the 2016 Monmouth Hawks (a true forever snub).

Honestly, some of these were truly regrettable, but what’s a bracket without controversy.

I would like to take a poll though! Please tell us who your Champion was, so we can determine the definitive best meme:

Here’s the original tweet, where you can read some other Twitter users’ brackets:

Here it is... The All-Time Memes Bracket Let's fight: pic.twitter.com/4jY0pfIjvB

— Matt Ellentuck (@mellentuck) March 12, 2018

And here are a few of my favorite brackets:

A Grumpy Cat Lover!

the only bracket I will tweet about...Lotta upsets in the first round but huge day for BlinkingGuy.gif pic.twitter.com/jHdm97blNH

— Jessica Smetana (@jessica_smetana) March 13, 2018

Fergie in the Final Four!

The only bracket I plan on filling out this March. pic.twitter.com/iUwIT8tSZB

— Natalie Grim (@natalie_grim) March 13, 2018

Snapchat Hot Dog Champion?

The only bracket I plan on filling out this March. pic.twitter.com/iUwIT8tSZB

— Natalie Grim (@natalie_grim) March 13, 2018

Hot Felon in the Sweet 16

Full bracket pic.twitter.com/vltgqrquEy

— Pablo Esobear (@Captain_Cody) March 13, 2018

The Dress cutting down the nets!

the swaggy p/pizza rat/this is fine/kermit quadrant is a bloodbath, that coulda been a final 4 unto itself did not mean for the dress to get this far but it had a pretty favorable run of matchups and it didnt feel right to have crying mj actually win something pic.twitter.com/XwLrKUuh2h

— electric nuisance (@lukehoban7) March 12, 2018

Tea Lizard winning the first-ever bracket

There were a few upsets but all-together a good tournament pic.twitter.com/0yDLVwKvDY

— Julz Harvey (@realjulzharvey) March 12, 2018

The dude that lost sleep over this bracket

Me: I’m beat, man. I’m going to bed at like 8:30 tonight. *opens twitter at 8:15* Me: Oh, what’s this? *alarm goes off* Me yelling to nobody: I don’t care what seed they are, you just can’t count out I Like Turtles this time of year! https://t.co/sh4AJWpdTn

— Tyler Kenly (@twkenly) March 13, 2018

An upset fan

the only correct meme bracket pic.twitter.com/mcr7sAgaO4

— Brrrrrritt ☃️ (@ChengBrittany) March 13, 2018

The literal study hall proctor who drew out the bracket!

Filled my bracket out pic.twitter.com/8TkNkF1rak

— Timothy Jawn McConnell (@OHNOitsDOM) March 13, 2018

When you have nothing better to do when proctoring a study hall you get this is the result

— Timothy Jawn McConnell (@OHNOitsDOM) March 13, 2018

[fashiontrendin-blog]

Competitive Camping and Fried Chicken: A Cross-Country Road Trip Money Diary

http://fashion-trendin.com/competitive-camping-and-fried-chicken-a-cross-country-road-trip-money-diary/

Competitive Camping and Fried Chicken: A Cross-Country Road Trip Money Diary

In this edition of MR Money Diaries, Annabel, a 29-year-old who’s on a road trip amid a life transition, documents her expenses for seven days.

I’m in the midst of starting a new life chapter. My husband, our cat and I are moving from San Francisco, where we’ve lived for the past seven or so years, to New York. The move was decided last fall when we realized we could no longer bear the questions from our families about when we were going move back (we’re both from the East Coast). Luckily, we had both hit a good place in our respective work lives to move on to the next project or whatever, so we decided that would be our last lease renewal.

We decided we didn’t want to just get on an airplane and show up in Manhattan. Instead, we’re currently taking a month to drive through the West, Canada, and New England, mostly camping with a few stops to stay with friends and in Airbnbs along the way. Noah, my husband, built out the back of our 2001 Honda CRV with a platform for a bed and lots of storage space. We do a good amount of camping in our regular lives, so we already had a lot of the “gear” required. Don’t worry; I flew our cat, Baby Angel, back to my mom’s house in Jersey. We’re not extreme enough to try to bring her on hikes.

I’m 29 and have been working in tech for the last three years. Noah is a woodworker and runs a skateboard magazine called Skate Jawn. God, we sound like two hipsters who have a million-dollar budget on House Hunters, but that’s not the case. Money is indeed a worry. I don’t have a job set up for when I get to New York, so watching my cash flow is a high priority. Noah and I also did a good amount of saving for the overall move. We are aiming to only spend the savings from two rainy day funds throughout this trip:

1. We began saving and rolling our loose change when we first got to San Francisco. Seven years later, we ended up with a little over $1,200.

2. At one of my restaurant gigs, I got some great advice from another server: Save every one dollar bill you ever get. If you get ones in your tip outs, save ‘em. If you break a five and get ones back, save ‘em. I didn’t 100% honor this, but after about nine months, I ended up with $1,000 stashed away. The little things, ya know?

Okay, enough with my Suze Orman impression; let’s get down to business. Here’s what I spent over the course of one week of our road-tripping.

Our seventh day on the road: Jackson Hole, Wyoming → Yellowstone National Park

Woke up to watch the sunrise on the Tetons with my buddy Jill, who’s been hosting us for the past two nights. We had to get up so early that the coffee shop in town wasn’t even open yet, so we tailgated and made coffee using our camping stuff while that big ole sun came up.The three of us got back to Jill’s house by 8 a.m. and pretended we were going to make breakfast and go for a hike, but really we all fell back asleep until 10:30 (come on, it’s Sunday).

Noah and I said our farewells and hit the road around noon. We spent half an hour in the parking lot of a gas station deciding if we should go west into Idaho to go on a waterfall/hot spring/campsite adventure (did I mention we’re trying to go to as many natural hot springs as possible?) or go straight to Yellowstone. Decided it was risky to go to the hot spring since it’s early in the season and it might be muddy or cold from the snow melt and headed for the Yellowstone west entrance instead.

It was kind of hectic when we got to the campsite. It’s first come, first served, and there were only a few spots. Four other campers pulled up as soon as we got there and jumped on claiming a spot before we could figure out what to do. It worked out in the end — we got a site, but there was a lot of pressure coming from adults trying to sleep outside for a minute.

Felt good about the amount we spent today. We prepped a bunch of food at Jill’s house the night before, so we were able to eat that instead of buying any meals.

Our eighth day on the road: Yellowstone National Park

We woke up and immediately reserved our site again after what we saw go down last night. One fun/gross thing about this campsite is there are elk and bison wandering through it almost all the time. It’s pretty cool, but there are huge mounds of scat (a.k.a. poop) everywhere. Neither of us stepped in any, but I wanted everyone to know the facts.

We’re pretty much sleeping on a wooden plank with two inches of padding on it, so I did a little fake yoga (stretching on a yoga mat) while Noah made coffee and breakfast, which was breakfast burritos we made back in Jill’s kitchen our last night there.

After we cleaned up breakfast, we turned our car from a bed on wheels back into a driving machine and headed into town. I stopped at the post office to pick up stamps. I’m trying to be good about getting and writing postcards everywhere we stop. It’s been nice to reflect on what we’re up to and to let the people I love know I’m thinking about them since cell phone service is generally limited most places we’re going.

We drove around to all the hot springs and geysers today. It’s pretty early in the season, so almost all of the trails are still closed from snowfall. There are these built-up walkways going through crazy fields of geysers and hot springs. The colors were nutty, and it kind of felt like we weren’t on earth anymore … but then a huge tour bus would unload and we’d be reminded where we were. We did see Old Faithful and got super touristy at the gift shop. Then we both started getting cranky, so I got us coffee and yerba mate to help us from turning on each other.

Ended the day with a rainbow over the lake and tons of sweet, tiny baby bison with their mamas near our camp. Came home with just enough sunlight to cook dinner (quinoa with veggies and beans) and play a rematch of gin rummy, which I lost sorely. I also wrote a couple postcards.

Our ninth day on the road: Yellowstone → Montana

We woke up and did the usual cook-breakfast-and-break-down-camp thing. Camping takes a lot of work. There isn’t really that much time to sit around and chill because we’re alway cooking or cleaning something. Sort of missing city life where I can go out and get a slice of pizza and not worry about having enough sunlight to finish up before the bears come. Just kidding about the bears (but not really).

Leaving Yellowstone today. We took one last walk around some very pretty and very stinky hot springs.

Made it to Montana! Hung out with our friend who makes pretty jewelry filled with the ashes of people’s dead pets. He took us out for some really good fried chicken, which felt fitting since we’ve been eating pretty lean the past couple of days. Went to the hardware store to get some stuff for reinforcing our bed in the car.

We took a drive to watch the sunset over some mountains. I’m sad to say that I’m getting a little numb to all this nature and beauty. I’m sure I’ll miss it once we get back to a city, though.

Our tenth day on the road: Montana

This was a big day for prep. We’re planning to be off the grid camping for the next week or so, meaning we need to have enough food ready to go. To make things easier, we like to pre-cook a few things and pre-chop as many veggies as we’ll use because chopping veggies outside can be a bummer.

Went to the little grocery store within walking distance from our friend’s house to get a couple things to make breakfast with. Then spent a few hours re-sewing the curtains we hang in the car for privacy while we’re sleeping. Noah took the opportunity to re-pack the car for the fourth time! It’s really getting more efficient, but he’s completely obsessed with everything having a place in the car. We then went to town to get more groceries at a bigger grocery store with more options for our next camp . Then back to prep mode.

Finally, we went out to dinner in town. Probably spent a little too much, but we wanted to say thanks to our friend for putting us up and showing us around town.

Our eleventh day on the road: Missoula and Flathead Lake, Montana

Very chill day, money-wise. We woke up and made breakfast and then hit the road to head north. Stopped in Missoula to do laundry at a laundromat and use Wi-Fi for planning, then kept heading north to a free campground near Flathead Lake. It was a really pretty drive; the area around Flathead is a microclimate where they can grow great cherries. It was too early in the season for us to actually try the cherries, but all the orchards were blossoming — very pretty stuff.

It was rainy when we got to the campsite. We caught a break in the rain to cook dinner and play some cards and then passed out. The rain sounded nice on the roof of the car.

Our twelfth day on the road: Lussier Hot Springs, Canada

Woke up from a rainy night camping by the lake and made a quick breakfast, then got outta there. We’re heading for Canada today! We stopped in the town near Flathead Lake to hit Safeway for some orange juice and kombucha because we felt like treating ourselves.

We made it over the border in no time, which I was worried about just because we have so much stuff with us. Not that there’s anything bad news in there — it would just take forever for them to search it all.

When we got to the hot spring, we met some friendly folks who had lots of tips about what to do in the parks. Eventually we found a nice campground near the hot spring, split a bottle of wine cause apparently it’s Friday and watched an epic sunset over the nearby lake.

Our thirteenth on the road: Banff!

Woke up a little later than we hoped. We were going to get a sunrise soak in the hot spring, but kinda overslept. Thanks Friday wine. We did eventually wake up and make it to the hot spring, though. Got a quick soak with a badass older couple who were chilling up to their chests in this very steamy water. Made coffee, breakfast and then lunch roadside, so we saved some money there.

It turned into a pretty expensive day once we got into Banff. We found a visitor’s center to get on Wi-Fi and figure out camping/activities, and I immediately needed greasy food for some reason. I was craving pizza and a beer, but this is Canada after all, so I got some poutine and Chardonnay. Not sure if that’s the Canadian equivalent, but I dug it.

Thanks to some tips we got from those hot spring friends we made yesterday, we shot to camp in the town next to Banff because the town itself is crazy expense. We found a nice little campground in Canmore. They didn’t have potable water available, so Noah went to the gas station down the road where apparently Dasani is doing a promotion and only selling water in six-packs of plastic bottles instead of one big jug … hi, we have too much plastic in the ocean, how is this a promotion? We got them anyway, so there’s that.

Went to bed early because we’re planning on a little kayak trip tomorrow.

I feel okay about the amount of money we spent. I think we were hoping to find more free camping along the way and not have that extra expense. For two people who are technically on vacation, this feels like a pretty low number. To be honest, we were already keeping track of our spending when Amelia asked me to get this going. It was nice to include some journaling on top of the tracking we had going. Cooking for ourselves has been a big change from our life in San Francisco. We definitely do a lot of cooking at home, but going out for drinks or dinner with friends is real life and it adds up. I’m hoping to be mindful of that when we get to New York. Hey, maybe I’ll keep this money diary train rolling, who knows?

Big takeaways and accomplishments are:

Got Noah into 2 Dope Queens.

Being in nature makes me happy, so I need to find ways to get into it when we live in New York. Ugh, what am I going to do during winter?

Going to bed without the TV on really improves my sleep.

Photo by Edith Young; Art direction by Emily Zirimis.

[baskny-blog]

Litty Kitty's Guide To A Summer Lituation

Issa vibe all summer, but I want to make sure y'all are fully prepared for the planned and unplanned summer flexes. Here are a few must-haves, dos & don'ts, and everything else in between.

Attention all smokers! Make sure you have your ready to roll anytime anywhere smoker's kit.

Pack light, so leave that bulky ass grinder on your dresser and cop you something portable.

Don't assume anyone has roll-up or a lighter, just bring your own. And avoid BIC'n people, it's rude.

Everybody wants a hit! I'm sure there's more weed to go around but be mindful and tame that internal smoking dragon of yours. I shouldn't have to tell you about the wet tip. (Ayo!)

Line up all your connects. You need plan A, B, C to Z for just in case purposes.

With that being said, always have that lip balm and mints/gum on deck. Smoking gives you cotton mouth and sometimes water is just out of reach. Get the juicy lips illusion with some Carmex and a stick of peppermint Stride.

Water! Water! Water! Don't pass out and ruin everyone's fun because you forgot to quench ya thirst. Plastic bottle, canteen, tap or sparkle. Get it however you can because it WILL be a humid summer. No one signed up for the babysitting gig. Shit, I know I didn't!

We don't do baby powder and creams anymore! LIGHTLY apply some coconut oil to the skin or light-weight lotion and multiple swipes of that extra strength antiperspirant deodorant and you're good to go, homie!

Makeup Ladies! I understand y'all got bags that are not Gucci (like mines), maybe some unwanted blemishes or you're just down-right regular shmegular in the face, so you feel the need to do it up. Special occasions or guaranteed central AC locations are an exception.

Any other day, I'ma need you to take it from melting clown to youthful beauty queen. You are far more attractive without the pasty makeup and unmatching foundation tones. If all else fails, just wear a sundress and your face will be forgotten.

Plain & Simple - Timbs belong in storage.

Comfortability is in! You don't need to show up to every event in heels or in a pair of skintight straight-leg jeans. Keep all that fancy shit for an actual occasion. Bring out some fly chill gear.

Dad caps are winning this season! You MUST HAVE at least one. Especially if you’re a fellow festival-goer. It will save you squint time and lower your chances of becoming a wastemon. 

You're trying to link with the homies, you need directions, ya group chat got the plugs for the night, you gotta take down potential bae digits, the snap world has to see the flex, ya jawn wants to know if you coming through tn, etc. etc. You get the point --- your phone is VITAL! Make sure that thang is fully charged equipped with your charging case. If you're struggling like myself, just carry your charger around and attack any visible outlets.

BYOB is definitely self-explanatory but let me iron out the details for those who keep pulling the same swindle. BYOB means just that! Bring your own shit..I mean beer, bottles or booze. Do Not Expect For Your Homies To Have You! The more sauce, the more spaghetti to go around, feels me.

I understand some of your poisons may be expensive, but refrain from anteing up with more than 5 people. I'm trying to save you from the one drink minimum disappointment.

A personal is ideal - whether it's the bottle or a flask. You know your vibe. Get the sauce to match and you're on ya own wave. #unbothered

BYO! BYO! BYO! BYO! BYO! BYO! BYO! BYO! BYO! BYO! BYO! BYO! BYO! BYO! BYO! BYO! BYO! BYO! BYO! BYO! BYO! BYO! BYO! BYO! BYO! BYO! BYO! BYO! BYO! BYO! BYO! 

That's all that I have for y'all right now. I'm not here to preach sunscreen and look both ways before crossing the street. However, I will say don't drink and drive, text and drive...oh and snap and drive. We want make sure you show up to the next event, saucy and full of life.

Stay black and beautiful my friends. May all your pieces hit. May your summer be a pure lituation. May you forever be in your bag.

Oh, and remember Jesus died for your turnup, so make it worthwhile.

Just in case you need some fuel, BASK got the juice. BASK has planned a New York Only (NYO) tour!

The NYO tour is an exclusive summer series featuring trendy concept events. All events embrace the exhilarating summer energy in NY, and is a reminder to all New Yorkers that NYC is still the place to be in the summertime. Everyone is travelling for the summer, but if you're staying local  -- just know BASK has got you covered! Be on the lookout for upcoming events and tour date flyer.