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joeys-babe · 9 months

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Someday We’ll Be Together

Chapter 5: Can I get your number?

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(y/n's pov)

when we got back to joes house after practice i grabbed my stuff that i had left there this morning.

"are you gonna come back over later?" - joe

"yeah sure, i'm gonna shower and get presentable first." - you

"i'll make us some lunch if you want." - joe

"sounds good joe, thanks. i'll see ya later." - you walked over to the front door

"yeah bye y/n!" - joe

"bye joe!" - you smiled at him as you shut the door and made your way over to your house

i knew as soon as i walked through the door my parents would be ready to berate me with questions.

i was right; as soon as i walked through the door i saw my mom standing in the kitchen.

"why are you smiling?" - your mom grinned

"nothing." - you

"mhm, so how was hanging out with joe last night and going to practice today?" - your mom

"really good. last night we were having movie night but it ended up going a different direction. lexie was at a party and joe found out she was making out with another guy." - you

"oh my gosh, bless his heart! did he finally break up with her?" - your mom

"yes, that's why i stayed the night. he was really upset and didn't want me to leave." - you

"awwww how sweet. now how did practice go?"

- your mom

"good! two girls that are dating players walked up to me since i was alone and asked if i wanted to sit with them. they were really nice and we hit it off." - you

"look at you already making friends with the WAG's!" - your mom

"mom." - you rolled your eyes

"i'm just teasing. are you going back over to joes today?" - your mom

"yup, i'm gonna shower and change then head over there for lunch." - you

"sounds good!" - your mom

after talking to my mom, i went upstairs to my room and finally got in the shower. it felt good to wash the sweat from being at the practice fields off.

when i got out i dried off and did my skincare before blow drying my hair and putting it in a ponytail.

once that was done i put a pair of jean shorts on along with a random band shirt i had.

i didnt wear much makeup, just mascara. growing up i had really bad acne and practically caked my face to cover it up, now wearing a lot of makeup just brought back bad memories of insecurity.

now that i was finally done getting ready i grabbed my keys, phone, and water bottle before heading downstairs.

"going over to joes now!" - you

"okay! have fun." - your dad winked

"dad." - you glared at him before leaving

as i was walking across the road i noticed a couple cars parked in joes driveway. who's here?

i knocked on the door and my heart stopped when i the door opened and i made eye contact with #85.

"oh you must be y/n! i'm tee, joes teammate."

- tee smiled

"yeh that's me, it's lovely to meet you." - you

"oh come in, sorry" - tee laughed when he moved to the side and let you in

tee shut the door behind me and was now standing next to me.

"joes in the kitchen making lunch, i'm assuming you're here of him?" - tee

"uh yeah, but i can chat with you for a bit." - you

"cool." - tee smiled

we moved over to the couch and sat down next to each other.

"y/n that's my spot!" - ja'marr

"oh hey marr!" - you turned to see ja'marr behind you

"hey! haven't seen you since college, you look great." - ja'marr

"you too! it's crazy you and joe got drafted by the same team, huh?" - you asked as ja'marr sat on the other side of tee

"oh for sure, and sam too you know since they played together at ohio state." - ja'marr

"i talked to his girlfriend today at practice, she seems really nice." - you

"oh she is, she told sam that you had been looking rather closely at one player." - ja'marr

"what- what are you talking about?" - you stuttered

"do you really think i'm cute?" - tee smirked

"yeah" - you returned the smile

tee opened his mouth, about to say something back but joe interrupted him.

"food's ready!" - joe yelled from the kitchen

"finally" - ja'marr jumped up from the couch and ran into the kitchen

tee and i stood up as well but he grabbed my wrist.

"how about we go out to dinner tomorrow night? you seem sweet, and you're really pretty. i'd love to get to know you." - tee

"i'd like that." - you smiled

tee let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in.

"good. can i get your number? i'll text you a time and address tomorrow." - tee

"yeh of course." - you got your phone out and exchanged numbers with tee

little did you know, joe was watching the whole exchange from the kitchen. he was left feeling lots of feelings jealous, upset, disappointed. not disappointed in you or tee, disappointed that his feelings that were coming back would have to be shoved away again.

*time skip - the next day*

right now i was currently getting ready for my dad with tee; at least i think it's a date. he said he wanted to get to me, but never fully said it was a date.

tee had texted me early today with a address to the restaurant we were going to, i looked some pictures up online to see what kind of outfit i'd have to wear. it was nice but not super upscale so i thought some jeans and a nice top would do the trick.

i had just finished up curling my hair when i heard the doorbell ring. i hurried down the stairs to get to the door first, definitely didn't want to put tee in an awkward spot with my mom or dad.

the thing is when i went downstairs it seemed like neither of my parents cared at all that tee was at the door. my dad was sitting on the couch and scrolling on his phone while my mom was making dinner in the kitchen.

"okay i'm off to my date, i'll see you guys later!"

- you

"have fun" - your dad mumbled, not even taking his eyes off of his phone

"what's up with you guys?" - you

"nothing, just go enjoy your night." - your mom

"okay.." - you opened the door

tee looked so handsome. he was wearing dressier clothes and for a second i wondered if i should go upstairs and change, but what tee said as soon as he saw me made me change my mind.

"woah y/n, you look beautiful." - tee

"thanks, you don't look too bad yourself. wanna get going?" - you

tee smiled and nodded before walking over to his car, he opened my door for me and i thanked him as i slid in.

as tee was walking over to the drivers side, i saw jimmy and robin walking up the stairs on the porch.

"oh hey tee!" - robin

"hey mrs. b!" - tee

"what are ya doing here?" - robin

"picking up y/n, we're going out to dinner." - tee smiled

"aww you guys have fun" - robin smiled warmly before walking into the house

at least someone's supportive.

jimmy and robin were definitely coming over for dinner and for a second i was wondering where joe was, but it makes sense why he wouldn't come over. i think he knows that tee and i are going on a date because ever since after lunch yesterday he won't answer my texts or calls.

"have you talked to joe at all.. since lunch yesterday?" - you

"he avoided me at practice this morning, so no. same thing with you i'm guessing?" - tee

"yup... i think he knows that we're on a date. i just don't know why it's making him this upset."

- you

"i mean i know you guys are best friends, and i'm his teammate, but you'd think he'd be happy for you." - tee

"yeah.." - you stared at the window, it was silent for a few minutes before tee broke it

"i'm not gonna lie, i knew who you were before yesterday." - tee

"how so?" - you

"joe talks about you all the time, i'm sure everyone he comes in contact with knows the name y/n." - tee

i laughed before thinking of a response. this is the third time someones told me joe talks about me all the time. what on earth could he possibly be talking about?

"you're not the first person that's told me that.. what does joe say about me?" - you

"nothing bad or anything, just says you're his best friend and how much he cares about you. it kinda got old when id try to send him tiktoks and he'd reply with y/n already sent me that." - tee

"i do send him a lot of tiktoks." - you laughed

"can i ask you something? you have to be completely honest." - tee

"of course." - you

"have you ever.. liked joe?" - tee

"back in college i had a little crush on him, but it's been over for a long time." - you

"okay, i just wanted to make sure." - tee

"make sure of what?" - you

"that you didn't still like him. i felt like there might've been something going on between you two." - tee

"what why?" - you

"i mean it's kinda ironic that just shortly after you move back down here he breaks up with his girlfriend. i mean ja'marr, sam, and i have been trying to get him to break up with her since the start." - tee

"my feelings for joe ended a long time ago, i promise. now let's not ruin our date by talking about him." - you

"okay" - tee

(joes pov)

i reluctantly walked over to the y/l/n's for dinner awhile after y/n and tee left. i didn't want to leave my house, but i didn't really have food to fix here so it looked like i had to go over there.

"joe! i didn't think you were gonna come." - robin

"me neither." - joe scoffed

"what's with the attitude?" - robin

"tired." - joe shrugged

y/n's mom could read me like a book, so i wasn't surprised when she started asking me questions when we were in the kitchen alone.

"you sure you're just tired?" - your mom

"mhm" - joe

"not because y/n and tee are on a date?" - your mom

"i don't feel like talking about it." - joe

"so that is what it's about though?" - your mom

"maybe." - you

"aww joe, honey. what part about it makes you upset?" - your mom

"it's not because she's going on a date with another guy, i dont care about that. it's just that tees my teammate you know? she's like a sister to me.. like what if he hurts her and i just have to play football with him like nothing happened."

- joe

"i understand your concern, but i think y/n's smart enough to get herself out of a situation before she gets hurt. even if it were to happen."

- your mom

"i know. now i just seen like a jealous dick."

- joe

"you're not being unreasonable joe. but can i ask you this? if it wasn't your teammate, would you still be a little upset?" - your mom

i looked up at her for a few seconds before i sighed out of defeat.

"yes." - joe

"see joe! you still have feelings for her!" - your mom

(y/n's pov)

it was after my dinner date with tee and we were sitting in his car in the dairy queen parking lot as we ate our ice cream.

"y/n, can i be honest with you?" - tee

"of course, tee" - you

"i think you're a really great girl, but i don't think we're gonna go on a second date." - tee

"what why?" - you asked out of confusion, you had thought the date went really well

"i think we'd be better off as friends.. and there's something i just don't think you're noticing." - tee

"what's that something?" - you

"the fact that you still have feelings for joe." - tee

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authors note: me consistently updating?! whaaaaaaaaaaat?!!!??!

hope you enjoyed ❤️

#bengals #joe burrow #joe burrow imagine #joe burrow x reader

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toasttt11 · 2 months

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august crosby

August Catherine Crosby

Number: 7

Season: Eighth

Position: C

Height: 5”6

Hometown: Halifax, Nova Scotia

S/C: R

NHL: VGK

Prev Team: PIT

NHL

• Selected First overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2016 NHL Draft.

• Traded to the Vegas Knights for the 2017-2018 season.

International

Team Canada

•2023 World Championship- Gold Medal, 9 G, 8 A, 10 GP.

•2021 World Championship- Gold Medal, 9 G, 9 A, 7 GP

•2016 World Championship- Gold, 10 G, 8 A, 7 GP

•2016 World Junior Championship- Gold, 9 G, 9 A, 7 GP

•2015 World Junior Championship-Gold, 8 G, 9 A, 7 GP

•2014 World U-18 Hockey Challenge- Gold Medal, 7 G, 7 A, 7 GP

•2013 World U-17 Hockey Challenge- Gold Medal, 9 G, 8 A, 6 GP

Eighth Season (2023-2024)

Vegas Knights

42 G, 40 A, 82 P, 50 GP

Signed a 75 million dollar contract for 8 years and five million dollar signing bonus.

Captain.

Seventh Season (2022-2023)

Vegas Knights

58 G, 80 A, 135 P, 81 GP

Received King Clancy Memorial Trophy

Received Hart Memorial Trophy.

Received Art Ross Trophy.

Received Conn Smythe Trophy.

Stanley Cup.

Captain.

Sixth Season (2021-2022)

Vegas Knights

52 G, 77 A, 127 P, 80 GP

Received Hart Memorial Trophy.

Received Art Ross Trophy.

Captain

Fifth Season (2020-2021)

Vegas Knights

50 G, 75 A, 125 P, 75 GP

Received Hart Memorial Trophy.

Received Art Ross Trophy.

Received Ted Lindsay Award.

Alternative Captain

Fourth Season (2019-2020)

Vegas Knights

25 G, 30 A, 55 P, 40 GP

Received NHL Plus-Minus Trophy

Captain

Third Season (2018-2019)

Vegas Knights

48 G, 66 A, 113 P, 79 GP

Received Ted Lindsay Award.

Received Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

Signed a six year contract for 50 million and three million signing bonus.

Captian.

Second Season (2017-2018)

Vegas Knights

42 G, 65 A, 107 P, 78 GP

Received Ted Lindsay Award.

Received Hart Memorial Trophy.

Received Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.

Alternate Captain.

Rookie Season (2016-2017)

Pittsburgh Penguins

39 G, 63 A, 102 P, 75 GP

Received the Rookie of the Year award.

Received Art Ross Trophy.

Received Conn Smythe Trophy.

Received Hart Memorial Trophy.

Signed a Contract for 9 Million dollars for two years and a 1 million dollar signing bonus.

Won a Stanley cup.

OHL

Third Season 2015-2016

85 G, 120 A, 205 P, 75 Gp

Captain.

Won OHL Championship.

Draft Year.

Second Season 2014-2015

70 G, 107 A, 177 P, 68 GP

Alternative Captain.

Rookie Season (2013-2014)

56 G, 110 A, 166 P, 68 GP

First player to ever get exceptional Status and joined a year earlier.

Personal

Born September 14, 1998

Daughter of Troy and Tina Crosby

Has two siblings Sidney and Taylor

#augustcrosbyau #ac7 #nhl x reader #jack hughes #luke hughes #quinn hughes x oc #quinn hughes #jack hughes x oc #mitch marner x oc #mitch marner #dylan strome #connor mcdavid #edmonton oilers #pittsburgh penguins #sidney crosby #jack eichel #brendan brisson #marc andre fleury

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accio-victuuri · 11 months

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THE STORY OF THE 85 LOGO 🏍️

Since Yibo was spotted on the race track, the conversation around the logo is picking up again. This has been discussed so many times before & in bits and pieces but I want to give it a go and make my own version of it’s history. It’s a mix of the logo itself as well as the cpn speculation surrounding it’s origin. I’m not gonna talk about other related designer zz candies, this is only for the logo.

I used this video by R背靠大树好乘凉W as a guide on the timeline but i did my own fact checking and added a lot more points especially with Parts II-IV of this post.

I. THE ORIGIN

11/10/2018, Yamaha Racing Team weibo account posts the first look of the 85 logo. At this point, everyone already knew who this is supposed to be. It’s also cute how the time it was posted had the timestamp “28” which is Ai Bo, another clue.

“ driver number 85 is coming soon! “

1/19/2019, The same account officially shared that Yibo will be joining the MLT YAMAHA team for 2019 and Tracer 85 was born. Yibo also reposted this and replied with :

Happy New Year to all! ! ! ! ! racing career has begun! ! ! ! ☺️☺️☺️Please call me driver Wang Yibo! ! ! ! ～～～～～

1/29/2019, the draft for Yibo’s Tracer 85 racing suit was released by the weibo account. It prominently features “85”.

Now a key player in this whole designing mystery is DAINESE a company that describes themselves as: Dedicated to producing the most effective safety solutions in every arena where athletes continually push the human body and mind to surpass their prior achievements. From our motorcycle racing origins to alpine skiing, mountain biking, competitive sailing and outer space. So they posted about the racing suit itself as well as the helmet. Again, both things featured the 85 logo, along with other symbols that is an entirely different cpn on it’s own.

It’s so obvious that a professional company will make this for WYB. Even if we CPN that the logo was made by XZ, or even a rough sketch of it and passed on to Yibo, down to this company’s team to refine. There is just no way that XZ will write his name down as the owner of it, if we didn’t have that BTS video of their conversation about it then we won’t have a confirmation. Even if we have that video, there is still the probability that XZ didn’t follow through.

Then someone asked the company itself about the origin of the logo and they said WYB brought it himself.

The logo of No. 85 is not designed by us, it is brought by Yibo himself

Thank you for your support

If you look at the original post for the racing suit, the comments are all wf being so prissy about who designed it. I know that this post is supposedly about the 85 logo but the suit is a huge part of that. Also I think it’s about time to clear up the fact that cpfs are not trying to discredit anyone who made WYB’s gear. Why can’t we just be happy that he has a cool moto suit with the 85 on it? We are. We really are. It’s just that analyzing the elements within it is something that CPFs love to do. Not even for the relationship part of it but just to understand him better. The thing is, I don’t look at it and think only about how “handsome” yibo is. I also wanna know what it means. The details. This is something that represents him as a racer so I will naturally be curious about what’s on it. Not to say that so/os are shallow or anything, It’s just that we are two different kinds of fans. Our brains don’t work the same way. That’s fine. I wish people will one day accept that we all approach fandom in different ways. If you don’t like something— then ignore it.

So the conclusion here is, 85 was not an idea/logo made by the company DAINESE. Yes, they produced the gear and finalized everything. They were hired by YAMAHA to do so. However the one who drew that logo on a piece of paper is unknown.

Our best guess is Xiao Zhan. 🫶🏼

II. IMPORTANCE OF 85 TO YIBO

85 represents Yibo’s birthday, August 5. But it’s really became his “identity” when Tracer 85 was born. Even if he wasn’t racing, this number became a recurring theme & design with his endorsements. For example when he did a collab with Miniso, the goods had 85 on them.

He has moved to the “Panther” more recently but 85 and 0805 is still very much a Yibo’s thing. There are even endorsements that have 85 on the price they sell his items for ( example is Richora ).

So using 85 is not a spur of the moment thing and goes beyond his racing career.

III. OTHER SIGHTINGS ( of the logo )

Aside from the race track, the most important way the logo was incorporated was through merchandise. Whether it’s the custom phone case that only Yibo has —

or the infamous 85 cap which was repped by yinzheng. the sus part here is yibo commenting, only acknowledging the post but then yz had to reply back with : lemons grow on lemon trees, under the lemon tree there’s me. which means he is jealous and then yibo had to reply back with a series of emojis that makes things more suspicious.

sure, yinzheng can mean that he is jealous of the merch. that yibo has his own now and that the whole tracer 85 now goes beyond being a racer. but the cpf explanation to this is that he is jealous that wyb has someone that made this amazing logo for him too. it's really so cool to have your own designer at home.

a fan favorite would be this cap, released by Day Day Up in their WYB goods line back in 2020. What’s interesting is, the number of pieces available for it’s initial presale was 1005. LOL. 1005 is October 5, of course, XZ’s birthday. I think the number of pieces for a presale though not entirely up to yibo, may still be influenced by him. It could easily be 8500 pieces just to be meta but no. Why 1005? Is it a nod to the guy who made the 85 design? Plus if this logo was owned by Yamaha or Dainese, then why was it allowed to be used commercial by a completely different entity. Our answer is that it’s Yibo.

It’s curious that the cap received this special treatment, because out of all the merch sold in that line, it is the one that had the 85 logo in it’s original form. The rest had their own iteration of 85 but the cap is the closest to the “logo”. This is why a lot of fans, and CPFs specifically wanted to get it.

My favorite memory from when this line came out was the loud speculation about the logo and it’s connection to XZ. There were even talks of 🍤 buying something cause if XZ is the designer, then it’s also a XZ merch. This is the same year when 🍤 was going around SDC3 filming cause XZ was supposedly there. So yeah. This cannot be confirmed and no shrimp will ever admit but it was definitely a rumor going around that time. Looking back, that CPN was beneficial ( in a way ) to shrimps because it casts XZ in a good light. They know XZ’s capability so they can sort of agree to it. Not that we need so/o fans validating our opinions/speculations, but it’s a possible explanation to their reaction. Compared to motos who were angry with the association and insulted XZ. Implying that he isn’t capable, they can say that cause they don’t know XZ.

IV. Connection to Xiao Zhan “the designer” and candies

Turtles pointing to XZ as the designer is not only rooted in CPN, but the fact that making logos was his previous job. Even before the leaked video, it made sense to the community because after all, this is what XZ is good at. He’d done it for years in school and as a professional. There were photos of his previous work that leaked and he also talked about logo-making when he visited the bilibili office. Where he shared how frustrating it was to work with clients. More recently, in one his vlogs, we could see him explaining his thoughts on a visual logo for XZ Studio.

youtube

( video is about xz the designer, mostly talking about it during xfire / xnine days )

So his capability, closeness & familiarity with WYB at the time of the logo’s conception is key. CPFs are very familiar with how XZ makes art and logos for himself so to us it’s a rational speculation to think XZ had some influence on this.

There is another talk about Yuehua being the one who made it. They do have people who can make those right? However it was pointed out that with how they make logos for their other artists, it’s unlikely. They did claim the rights to the Panther, but the identity of the artist was left blank on the application. No one ever did claim ownership of this Logo or the Panther in public. Why wouldn’t they? It’s free promotion.

CPN Clues:

• 85 read as 28. Ai Bo + the Z.

• The Z is really my favorite clue 🥺🥺🥺🥺

• How it looks very similar to the M skateboarding logo. Which can also look like a 85.

• Some other explanation on what the 85 could mean. It’s XZ’s style to have hidden meanings aside from what you actually see.

• The minimalist design that screams XZ.

The 85 logo talk and cpn have really been in full swing when EVISU released those photos and I hope BXGs ( especially big accounts on the bird app and beyond ) will rein it in with the Xiao Zhan association. We already know how hostile the environment is so it’s best to not use his full name. It’s actually a common CPF way of doing things, not using their full names in our posts. As excited as we all were, the whole point was that tracer 85 is back, not the CPN. I know it’s tricky to find a balance with how our brains are wired, but you will learn. It should always be them as individuals first.

85 logo and all other “designer GG” is one of those CPN that is very popular and widely circulated in the bxg community — and with good reason. However, it is in no way to take away 85 from Yibo. It’s him. It is his brand and it will always be his.

This is one in a couple of “yizhan mysteries” out there that keeps the BXG flame alive 🔥. These (alleged) silent collaboration/s between them are so great because it shows how well they work together as a team.

-END.

#yizhan #bjyx #there is no science here i’m just clowning like i always do #Youtube #85 logo

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dawningfairytale · 1 year

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the rtc characters' favourite tv shows because sometimes that's the vibe

constance: crazy ex-girlfriend. would y'all be surprised if i said i was projecting? it's not just because there are three bi main characters (men and women) and it depicts religious diversity (intelligent atheist, christian, and jewish characters, with their brains not defining their beliefs) although that helps. she loves it thanks to the complexity of the storylines, the willingness to show female sexuality, and of course the musical numbers. she appreciates the catchy melodies and often has a song from season 4 stuck in her head.

ocean: glee. oh come on, it's glee and she's basically rachel berry. she watches it at 17 and part of it is as she gets older it's nostalgia. she recognises it's bad eventually, sure. but santana was her lesbian awakening (i will die on this hill) and she first gets exposed to 85% of the songs through glee. her main issue with it is that it's so surface-level at times. also, her life wasn't as easy as rachel berry's.

noel: the good place (stay with me). i have a post in the drafts about noel's complex relationship with religion (specifically christianity since That's All I Know), especially once he's forced into karnak's limbo. i think he appreciates the creativity of it and it enables him to separate cultural views on heaven from his own beliefs, whatever those end up being. he also likes philosophy and considering these perspectives on what life is. plus, tahani is an awesome bitch and he is here for it.

ricky: doctor who. they just love the space travel and you just know they write a bunch of fanfic for it. they've seen every episode four times, from every series. they like how it goes to every extent possible and explores these ideas they find curious, even if there's no mention of zolar. also, they have a crush on amy pond.

penny: i think she really loves "how it's made". i don't have a massive reason for this, she just fucking vibes with the pretty colours and how GUYS THERE'S SO MANY WAYS YOU CAN USE RUBBER. FUCK YEAH. and the narrator's voice is the one thing that calms her.

mischa: heartstopper, fuck you. i will elaborate. btw this is heavy projection. so he watches it in his own time and then constance suggests that they watch it as a choir. he kinda thought he was straight-ish when he first watched it, but upon looking back he realises oh. he's bi. when he watches it with the choir, he keeps seeing how the bi experience (brought to you by nick nelson) is really close his. so, at one point while their watching it, he says ''i crush on a boy and that is not what that was like" (the boy is in the room. it's noel.) this is how he comes out. he gets really attached to it as a result, and yeah. this is a part of him actually represented. he wants to lift up his friend on the shore and scream that they're boyfriends. believe it or not, he likes the fluff. he desires that queer joy and comfort in his life. even if not all aspects of his identity are represented on the show, it's enough.

#rtc #ride the cyclone #st cassians chamber choir #rtc headcanons #constance blackwood #ocean o'connell rosenberg #noel gruber #ricky potts #penny lamb #mischa bachinski #oh? you thought i wouldn't project onto rtc for once?#how highly you must think of me #and how wrong you are #on my sugar queue

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kdsburneraccount · 2 months

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joe'marr 4 da ship ask game bless

Guys you do not know what you ask 😭

Opinion below the cut bc if not I would feel like that image of Patrick being chained in a coliseum:

It’s not really my thing 😭 I’ve read fic for it, and the fic is good, and I’m a Bengals fan, so I should like the ship with our qb1 and wr1. And yet…

Tbh the problem is me not the ship 🧍 like I have eyes I can see why ppl go crazy abt joe’marr 😭 I became a Bengals fan in 2020 and was like “omg we drafted a qb and wr in the first two rounds and their jersey numbers are 9 to 85 this is such a narrative parallel to the past” so joe/tee was the ship I gravitated toward, blissfully unaware of the LSU lore until the 2021 NFL draft rolled around. And yes, I was one of the ppl wanting to draft Penei Sewell at the time, so when Ja’Marr got drafted I was a little disappointed but nevertheless willing to see how things went. And then we went to the Super Bowl and Ja'Marr had a record-breaking season, Joe wore Ja'Marr's jersey to a Saints game last season, and yeah. In another fandom this would get hundreds of fics a la Hockey RPF. McStrome would never /j

I think if I’d gotten into the Bengals a season later I would’ve shipped joe’marr and been fed like a member of the royal family with all the content being provided. But i did not so here we are 😔 im unfortunately stubborn about some ships and I guess this is one of them. I like them individually but together it just doesn’t work in my head 😭 even tho the evidence is overwhelming. In another universe my ja'marr/justin fic would probably be joe'marr. much to consider.

So uh to the ppl who ship joe’marr (most nfl rpf enjoyers) and read all of that rambling… keep doing ur thing 🫡 I do respect that this ship has gotten a lot of people into nfl rpf, which is a good thing! My hope is that people are able to branch into other pairings but ship who you wanna ship and don't let other opinions get to you 👍

(Kind of a tangent but i was surprised the joe'marr economy didn't really pop off until the season after the super bowl but i guess at that time the size of the nfl rpf fandom was a little smaller and ppl were working on things. Okay tangent over.)

#my asks #ship ask game #nfl rpf #joe burrow #ja'marr chase

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ofstoriesandstardust · 11 months

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give me a number between 1-85 and i'll tell you about the fic it corresponds with in my drafts

@gretagerwigsmuse chose 8 which, jordan, you are in luck.

this fic is entitled car's outside, inspired by the song of the same title by james arthur. it's a continuation of a drabble i wrote for my 1.5k follower celebration way back in march.

it's from the flight risk universe and looks at Bradley and Sunshine after a fight.

here's a snippet!

“I hated watching you leave and not knowing if you were gonna come back. The last time you left like that I was convinced I’d never see you again. You can yell at me, shut me out of the bedroom, give me the silent treatment- fuck I don’t care, please just don’t leave again.”

#kylie answers #flight risk

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meanlesbean · 5 months

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Chapter commentary

are people interested in seeing my chapter commentary for Cadence of a Legacy? idk. I'm posting it anyway. voila.

Chapter 1 notes are longer than the others because I included more detail about the planning of the fic. Anyway, here there be: musings on family and brotherhood and how it shows up in linked universe fanworks, Hyrule as an arsonist, Wild's economy, and more info about card games than anyone else probably cares about. minor totk spoilers about one sidequest but nothing plot related (if you need, skip the bullet that starts "pre-totk release".) Here we go:

Chapter 1 - The Woods Between

I am not joking about having a phone note that says “making peace with your inner child when your inner child has physically manifested and wants to cause problems on purpose”. I would include a screenshot of said note, but then you would all see how long I have been toying with this idea and that’s too embarrassing

IMO, there is an astounding lack of fic focusing on the relationship between Time and Twilight even though they are the only ones who interact in game canon. And I’ve read every good Time-centric fic probably a dozen times. So unfortunately that meant I had to go write my own. Unfortunately the plot that I came up with doesn’t work with Time (or Mask) as the POV character, so it evolved into a Twilight-centric fic as well.

The bones of this chapter were mostly written in a notebook last year at my terrible job when I had a desk in the corner and nothing to do 85% of the time. Large parts of the set up of the chapter remain the same from this draft, with even a select few of the lines staying the same word for word. But the handwritten version, which covered all of Chapter 1 and parts of Chapter 2, was only about 7 pages front and back (rip to the 11k monster it became)

Literally I never would have posted this fic if I hadn’t read the the FMA fic series demon alchemist and realized that the reason I hated my draft so much was because the narrative voice was too impersonal

So I started working on this fic again last fall with a lot more attention paid to establishing a clear voice, and I finally started making solid progress, to the point where I made it a goal to share it on AO3, which I have not done in a long long time

Hyrule’s missing fingers are a reference to the demon alchemist series btw. I do imagine he lost them from an enemy’s throwing ax or mace. Twilight complaining about the number of enemies with throwing weapons is also me complaining about how hard Zelda II is. fucking Dairas.

Other fic inspiration includes: Call Them Brothers, for getting me thinking about situations in which Warriors doesn’t know that Time is the kid he fought with in the war, and more generally, Sinnatious’ LU and LOZ fics for inspiration on Time’s voice.

I cannot tell you how much time I spent rewriting and reworking the first half of the chapter. Honestly writing that first part was just like. Agonizing. Nothing was working for so long. Every time I tried fixing a problem, I created two more. I was very close to cutting out the scene of Twilight scouting and the camp shenanigans and skipping to Twilight meeting Mask, but then it felt like everything went way too quick. I was very relieved when people liked the wrestling scenes because that whole section had me tearing my hair out. The things that kept me going were spite and also how desperate I’ve been to get back into writing. Literally that one defunctland tweet.

In contrast, the second half of the chapter (everything from the Epona grooming scene on) came so easy. All of the latter stuff was written and edited within like 2 weeks. My favorite scene from this chapter actually ended up being that part with Twilight and Time taking care of Epona.

More specific notes:

My take on Twilight’s aversion/distrust of magic is that he has a really strong sense for it, but he doesn’t have much of a knowledge base of how magic works. So this results in Twilight frequently getting a lot of information that he can’t make sense of, and it really fucking freaks him out.

I know fandom likes to characterize Wild as the group arsonist, but I think Hyrule would be just as big if not a bigger arsonist, which was why I had him be the one to suggest using fire. If you want to uncover all the hidden items/heart pieces in the OG Zelda without a guide or walkthrough, you have to burn so many trees. Like, if you are ever stuck in that game and don’t know where to go next, 70% of the time your solution is either bombs or fire.

I played ten thousand rounds of “should their titles (ie. rancher, captain, etc) be lowercase or capitalized?” while writing this. I know people usually have them call each other their fandom names, but tbh that always throws me off just a little, even though I 100% get why people do it because good lord it would be easier.

I feel like a lot of LU works (speaking generally about the fandom output as a whole, not about any particular fic) leans heavily into the emotional support and comradery aspect of the chain as family, and does not include nearly enough of like. annoying each other on purpose and play violence and rubbing each others’ faces in the dirt. which is a big reason for why I kept the wrestling scene.

Maybe it’s because me and my family members were little demons but like. I have brothers and mostly boy cousins, and a solid 60% of our time as kids/teens was spent playing some variation of King of the Rock. I appreciate the found family softness, and there will definitely be a lot of that in this fic, but my experience with siblinghood includes a lot of chasing each other around with wiffle ball bats and trying to strangle each other. The Links are brothers! and sometimes that means that you will try to ruin your brother’s whole day just because you are mildly bored.

Warriors and the teens are playing Rummy. I imagine that the group plays a lot of card games, and since I grew up playing tons of cards, I have put way too much thought into all of this. Other popular games among the group (depending on how many people they have) probably include Texas (Ordon?) hold em, whist, knockout, BS, gin rummy, and hearts. Hearts can get contentious with them though because you can engage in coordinated sabotage. Four and Legend are not allowed to be partners in Whist because they’re the only ones who can count all the cards in play. There is a near-unanimous group ban on Spoons because it got too violent.

Legend having heterochromia is inspired by an Oracles manga panel redraw someone posted on here years ago that I cannot for the life of me find again

I have this headcanon that Wild, in comparison to the rest of the gang, is absurdly rich but does not really realize it because he just does not have a ton of shit to actually spend money on. This is based on the ridiculous amount of rupees/gems I have on my 100% botw file and also my own musings on the state of Hyrule’s economy post-calamity. Mostly I think that post-calamity Hyrule does not have super discrete classes like most other Hyrules do, and that a luxury economy does not really exist.

Pre-totk release I actually thought: okay, Wild has a lot of money, but his luxury purchases are limited to like fancy armor, which is directly related to doing his job as the hero. It’s not like most other eras where you can go build wealth by buying up a ton of land. And then totk came around and let you go buy a sizable swatch of land. I still think my original idea mostly holds true, if only because the monster-free areas of Hyrule where someone could safely make a land claim still seem to be pretty limited (even the totk house has monster camps right across the road from it).

Mask is not dressed in the green tunic for two main reasons, one of which I’ll keep to myself because it felt way too spoilery when I wrote it down. Most importantly, it shows that time has passed since Majora’s Mask. In fact, in chapter 3 we'll learn that it's been just about a year since then. The Kokiri tunic is no more because he grew out of it :(

I didn’t find this reference until after publishing, but I imagine he’s dressed more or less like this. Except he has his green cap and a leather belt, baldric, and boots.

#okay back to my nemesis (writing chapter 3)#cadence fic #cadence commentary

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beardedmrbean · 2 years

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PARIS (Reuters) - France's far-right scored a historic success in legislative elections on Sunday increasing its number of lawmakers almost tenfold and cementing the party's rise from fringe status to the mainstream opposition.

Since taking the helm of the party in 2011, leader Marine Le Pen has sought to rid the National Front - now called the National Rally (RN) - of the anti-Semitic image it acquired under the nearly 40-year leadership of her father, ex-paratrooper Jean-Marie Le Pen.

Securing 42% in April's presidential election, Le Pen had already tapped into the general disenchantment with President Emmanuel Macron and identifying anger across the country over the rising cost of living and the decline of many rural communities.

On Sunday, she took that one step further. According to estimates, Le Pen's party will win between 85-90 seats, up from just two in 2012 and eight in 2017, which could make it the second-largest party in parliament. Major pollsters last week estimated just 25-50 seats.

"We have achieved our three objectives: that of making Emmanuel Macron a minority president, without control of power and that of pursuing the political recomposition essential to democratic renewal," a triumphant Le Pen told reporters after being re-elected in northern France and vowing to be a respectful opposition.

"And of forming a decisive opposition group against the deconstructors from above, the Macronists, and from below, the Nupes," she added referring to the left wing alliance, which should become the largest opposition bloc in parliament, but whose main far-left party, La France Insoumise, is set to win fewer seats than the RN.

Sunday's result killed a so-called "republican front" of voters of all stripes that had rallied behind a mainstream candidate to prevent the far-right progressing.

It also vindicated Le Pen's strategy to recast the party's image, while also refusing to join forces with pundit-turned- nationalist politician Eric Zemmour after the presidential vote.

While in terms of seats Le Pen's party will be behind the left wing grouping, it will enable the RN to have much more weighting in parliament.

It will, for example, be able to put forward no-confidence votes against the government, send draft legislation to France's top constitutional courts, lead parliamentary commissions and have much more speaking time in the National Assembly.

"We are facing a democratic shock because of a very strong break through by the Rassemblement National," Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told France 2 television.

#nunyas news #this is proceeding faster than I anticipated #really hope it doesn't over-correct too much

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zinjanthropusboisei · 1 year

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These are not actual writing numbers, about 85% of this is me copying and pasting 6 years worth of scattered Word documents into one dissertation_full_text document with real formatting, and the other 15% is editing and adding connective tissue, but...it is actually starting to look like I have most of a dissertation here. I think I probably have <10k of actual new writing to do to finish a full draft. Which is great because I refuse to be still working on this at the same time as teaching 2.5 classes this coming semester 😬

(this is @unpretty's fancy NaNoWriMo spreadsheet, which was definitely worth it!)

#gradblr #trying not to regret spending the weekend painting when my classes start on the 23rd....

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toasttt11 · 2 months

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carina knies

Carina Natalia Knies

Number: 2

Season: Sixth

Position: C

Height: 5”9

Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona

S/C: L

NHL: BUF

Prev Team: TCS

NHL

• Selected First overall by the Buffalo Sabers in the 2018 NHL Draft.

International

Team USA

•2018 World Championship- Gold, 9 G, 9 A, 7 GP

•2018 World Junior Championship- Gold, 10 G, 8 A, 7 GP

•2017 World Junior Championship-Gold, 8 G, 9 A, 7 GP

•2016 World U-18 Hockey Challenge- Gold Medal, 8 G, 8 A, 7 GP

•2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge- Gold Medal, 10 G, 8 A, 6 GP

Sixth Season (2023-2024)

Buffalo Sabers

60 G, 82 A, 142 P, 82 GP

Alternate Captain.

Fifth Season (2022-2023)

Buffalo Sabers

58 G, 80 A, 135 P, 81 GP

Alternate Captain.

Fourth Season (2021-2022)

Buffalo Sabers

52 G, 70 A, 120 P, 80 GP

Alternate Captain.

Third Season (2020-2021)

Buffalo Sabers

49 G, 63 A, 112 P, 75 GP

Signed an extension for 45 Million for Seven years and four million signing bonus.

Second Season (2019-2020)

Buffalo Sabers

24 G, 28 A, 52 P, 40 GP

Rookie Season (2018-2019)

Buffalo Sabers

40 G, 59 A, 99 P, 79 GP

Received the Rookie of the Year award.

Signed a Contract for 10 Million dollars for three years and a 2 million dollar signing bonus.

USHL

Third Season (2017-2018)

Tri-City Storm

80 G, 95 A, 175 P, 75 Gp

Captain.

Draft Year.

Second Season (2016-2017)

Tri-City Storm

70 G, 85 A, 155 P, 68 GP

Alternative Captain.

Rookie Season (2015-2016)

Tri-City Storm

65 G, 70 A, 135 P, 68 GP

Conference Champion.

Personal

• Born May 23, 2000

• Daughter of Miroslav and Michaela Knies

• Has two siblings Philip and Matthew

#carinakniesau #ck2

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tobacconist · 2 years

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.:£/d:.

~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~

the LSD system.... but there is a monetary unit for every single factor of 240. i think this would be the perfect system.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 16, 20, 24, 30, 40, 48, 60, 80, 120, 240

and also all the numbers in between them, so long as they are divisible by 2, 3, 5, or anyother number in the above list. but those only for special coins. commemorative coins, ‘n that. and it should all be based on precious metals ofc.

ive been drawing up charts about this btw. (and im only talking in pence right now.) ((but remenber, 12 pence in 1 shilling, 20 shillings in 1 pound =:. 240 pence in 1 pound))

𝔰o:- ~.~.~.~

9,` 14,` 18,` 21, 22,` 26, 27, 28,` 30,` 32,` 33, 34, 35, 36,` 38, 39, 40,` 42,` 44, 45, 46,` 48, 49, 50, 51, 52,` 54, 55, 56, 57, 58,` 60,` 62, 63, 64, 65, 66,` 68, 69, 70,` 72,` 74, 75, 76,* 78,` 80, 81, 82,` 84, 85, 86, 87, 88,` 90,* 92, 93, 94, 95, 96,` 98, 99, 100,` 102,` 104, 105, 106,` 108,` 110, 111, 112,` 114, 115, 116, 117, 118,* 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126,` 129, 130,` 132,* 134, 135, 136,` 138,` 140, 141, 142,* 144, 145, 146, 147, 148,` 150,` ---152, 153, 154, 155, 156,` 158, 159, 160,* 162,` 164, 165, 166,` 168,* 170, 171, 172,` 174, 175, 176, 177, 178,` 180,` 182, 183, 184, 185, 186,* 188, 189, 190,` 192,` 194, 195, 196,` 198,` 200, 201, 202,* 204, 205, 206, 207, 208,* 210,` 212, 213, 214, 215, 216,* 218, 219, 220,* 222,` 224, 225, 226,` 228,` 230, 231, 232,` 234, 235, 236, 237, 238,` a coin or note for each of these, but these are special denominations. all divisible into tuppence, thruppence, groats, sixpence, shillings or pounds. and all the rest.

but not:

7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 25, 29... no coins for these.

wait... these are just primes

Good Lord. thats it, isnt it. a coin minted in every denomination, using the magic number of 240, but no coins minted in primes. (except 2, 3, & 5.... of course.... and 1. but they say 1 isnt a prime, even though he’s the first. hmm. but not the number 77, or 91, or 119, 133, 143, 161, 169, 187, 203, 209, 217, & 221 [= *] --- because those are only divisible by primes, -{7, 11, 13}- let it be known::~~more research needed/)

primes:= 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43, 47, 53, 59, 61, 67, 71, 73, 79, 83, 89, 97, 101, 103, 107, 109, 113, 127, 131, 137, 139, 149, 151, 157, 163, 167, 173, 179, 181, 191, 193, 197, 199, 211, 223, 227, 229, 233, 239 :=? `, ``, ```, ```’, ```’`,```’``

so this could keep the decimal system, because 10 is a divisor of 240. keep the 5p and 10p, but rework them into the new imperial system, it would be the ideal way. tell me im wrong.

PS:-rough draft, may contain mistakes; reblog at your own peril.

#£/d #like; i think ive actually cracked da code....#...

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vesperotv · 1 year

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I misread my number of drafts as my number of followers and I didn't bat an eye at my sudden and short-lived assumption that the amount of people sticking around on my blog had plummeted down to 3. Not for a lack of self esteem but simply because I've gotten so worn out from drawing Wilbur all the time that I don't want to anymore, and 85% of my entire tumblr experience is wilburians, so I thought it understandable

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caltropspress · 1 year

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RAPS + CRAFTS #8: Rhys Langston

1. Introduce yourself. Past projects? Current projects?

My name is Rhys Langston, also known as the Polite Force of Nature, Pale Black Negative, Freelance Eccentric from Los Angeles by way of Langstónia and the Estate of the Lord Chocolate Davis. Though fluent in other disciplines, my most notable musical releases have been efforts such as Aggressively Ethnically Ambiguous, The T.C. Wash Suite, Language Arts Unit: a Rap Textbook, and Stalin Bollywood.

I recently released an album called Grapefruit Radio, which is a series of 11 thiamine-rich diagnostic exercises in rhyme. To aid listeners across the rap frequencies I employed in those songs and exercises, I also wrote and published an 85 page book called the Grapefruit Radio Operator’s Manual to accompany the project.

2. Where do you write? Do you have a routine time you write? Do you discipline yourself, or just let the words come when they will? Do you typically write on a daily basis?

The least likely place I’ll write is the desk I’ve configured to be my “writing space,” because with writing (and much of my creative pursuits) I graze. Meaning, about the house, while I mozy about or do things, I make sure that the notebooks and pages all around my living quarters are ready for me to put something down. Out in the world, I always carry at least one notebook with me, in the hopes I’ll find (or take) a moment to jot down any minor or major revelations.

I’ve had moments of discipline and attempts to impose time-based structures/strictures on my writing process, but I’ve come to accept that, especially with the necessities of having an unrelated day job, I write when and where I can.

3. What’s your medium—pen and paper, laptop, on your phone? Or do you compose a verse in your head and keep it there until it’s time to record?

I prioritize writing longhand, for a few reasons. The most important is an attachment to the physical aspect of writing (well mid-draft back pain can suck it). Whether or not it’s true, it certainly makes the process feel more real and like I’m channeling something from nothing. Also, I find in notebooks and with paper and pen, I’m less liable to be scrambled by technology, being without interfaces of hyper-connectivity, noise, and color. I’ve written whole pieces on my phone or computer, but it’s not my inclination— and the few times I’ve freestyled something (that has ended up being released) it’s been a rare moment of magic.

4. Do you write in bars, or is it more disorganized than that?

I tame my words and flows every single time. There are a number of songs in my catalog which bear maybe more rectangular, geometric, or formal bar structure, but those were also carved out of larger masses of un-enjambed lines that went past the bar and beat. The less structured-sounding songs and bars actually involve a level of just making the syllables I have work— in the sense that the rhythm and feel will at first be unruly, but I know through practice and massaging of the words around the instrumental, I will eventually freak it.

On the actual pages I write, it is a fucking visual storm. Whole blocks will be scratched out, things will be circled with arrows darting from them, words or phrases will be inserted, etc.

5. How long into writing a verse or a song do you know it’s not working out the way you had in mind? Do you trash the material forever, or do you keep the discarded material to be reworked later?

My instincts as a documentarian and word collector often serve me well. Even if something is trashed, it can always be resuscitated, because fragments might find themselves fitting into a future piece, that is, pieces in notebooks from months or even years prior. That’s happened countless times, where I find myself stuck or uninspired in the midst of something, and a word, phrase or even a whole couplet I have not read in ages will come to mind. I’ll find the notebook or its source and things will just snap together perfectly.

However, sometimes I’ll have a whole ass song written (or even recorded and mixed) with a lot of doubt surrounding it. In my mind, I’ll be thinking that it should stay on my hard drive forever, until I might run it for a friend who drops by my studio. There have been several moments where I do this and the friend’s exclamation or particular comment on the song/verse gets me to reevaluate my criticalness. And in a lot of instances it’ll end up being a song that people really gravitate toward.

That’s to say, distance and reevaluation are important as someone who values a high level of scrutiny in the drafting process.

6. Have you engaged with any other type of writing, whether presently or in the past? Fiction? Poetry? Playwriting? If so, how has that mode influenced your songwriting?

Writing a poem to my liking is actually the most satisfying artistic act for me.

As a poet I write lots of contemporary free verse, I would say in the lineage of the Beat Poets, the Black Arts Movement, and some work by the Language Poets.

Being a poet first and foremost, I can tussle with the rap form, because it often challenges the economy we value as poets. Meaning, in rap sometimes you gotta just rattle shit off and expound and stretch the words out, whether that’s by virtue of filling out an instrumental or feeling carried away in a flow, musically or egotistically.

As well, I should say, I wrote a novel in high school (and it reads like it), so I’ve always had the inclination to draft words in a more formal, traditional, paginated sense. I’ve written a bit of prose in my short time on this earth, and I continue to this day, whether that’s personal journaling/narrativization, analytic essays, or short stories.

Currently, I’m applying to MFA programs for some cross-disciplinary literary degrees, but also in more traditional poetry programs. All of my literary training and experience has benefitted my lyricism, so I don’t see this being at odds with my music “career.”

Though I love working in music, I do need to work with words in other ways. Practice with formulating words in any capacity leads to a facility in all forms, rap included. As well, due to my writing in other mediums and disciplines, I don’t feel the pressure to say everything in rap— or feel the need to make sense. I can say what I want how I want!

My 2020 project Language Arts Unit: a Rap Textbook was a prime example of that. I got to fit a lot of personal details and feelings into the lyrics of the album, while the 104 page book I wrote to accompany it allowed for more clear social commentary, scholarship, and wit.

7. How much editing do you do after initially writing a verse/song? Do you labor over verses, working on them over a long period of time, or do you start and finish a piece in a quick burst?

Man I used to work almost interminably on songs, investing hours into rehearsing words to the instrumental, doing line edits on printed out versions of the lyric sheets. However, now I have a pretty good balance of writing and recording some songs on the spot and lingering with others, not even recording them until six months to a year from their point of inception.

8. Do you write to a beat, or do you adjust and tweak lyrics to fit a beat?

I will mostly write to a beat, and it often isn’t the beat that I ultimately use. I find that this results in the most interesting rhythms. A lot of my verses have been completely “off” and uninspired rhythmically over their initial instrumental, left in notebooks until somehow I found the right beat for them. A recent example is the track “Marinara In The Marianas” from Grapefruit Radio. I wrote those lyrics to an instrumental I produced, but they came out sounding very mangled. Then, when I got an instrumental pack from Randal Bravery, the idea came to try the verse atop one of his compositions. And here we are.

However, oftentimes I’ll write rhymes or very slanted rhymes and rhythms by themselves and I’ll end up massaging them into a particular song. For instance, this tongue in cheek pseudo-opera aria “Ballad Of A Fading Mumble Rapper” (from my drwg collaboration with Deathbomb Arc) I wrote one morning while substitute teaching a 2nd grade class. Obviously I didn’t have access to the instrumental at that moment, and so I just honed in on a general sensibility while kids yelled in my ear. Shit happens.

9. What dictates the direction of your lyrics? Are you led by an idea or topic you have in mind beforehand? Is it stream-of-consciousness? Is what you come up with determined by the constraint of the rhymes?

In all literary disciplines I find myself following the artful aspects of phonology and rhythm, alongside what I believe is an idiosyncratic kind of free association. Some would write off that free association as “a babbling stream of consciousness,” but it’s more linguistically experimental and intricate than that. It involves deconstructions of syntax, decoupling idioms and etymology, and employing functional shifts (like “verbing” a word that should not be a verb), counterbalanced with mashing shit together from the detritus of life. I’m a fucking mess and I feel and see a lot, but I have my tools to help me express myself.

In rap, the musical aspect of the form allows me to be even less linear than I already am, for better or worse. I never feel too constrained by rhyme. I used to follow concepts or find ways to be overtly “meta” about established ideas and tropes. However, through years of writing I’ve eased the pressure or premeditation, and have become confident that the threads I create will be tied up eventually— or if they are left hanging, it is for a reason.

10. Do you like to experiment with different forms and rhyme schemes, or do you keep your bars free and flexible?

To be frank, I sometimes am too free. I regularly ditch rhymes, get polyrhythmic, and even put on voices. That has just come with treating my words and voice like an instrument.

11. What’s a verse you’re particularly proud of, one where you met the vision for what you desire to do with your lyrics?

I think my closing verse on the “Afro-Eccentric Character Creation Screen” song with The Koreatown Oddity exceeded my expectations and desire to match the whimsy of Dom. Oftentimes I can get oblique and sullen, even with the wit in my writing. I was happy that summed up more playful energy and goofy wordplay in that verse than I imagined at first.

12. Can you pick a favorite bar of yours and describe the genesis of it?

“Rhys Langston type beat dissociating before a mirror meet and greet the Negus of Narcissus skin fade from a 3B intaking reflections fathoming a deeper chest heave”

One particular set of bars was very hard to choose. So here are 4 bars, from one of my favorite verse beginnings (“Rhys Langston Type Beat”).

I remember being very unsettled one day (won’t go into it), going through a particular moment of depersonalization, and these bars came to me. Ironically they enabled me to tap into the feeling, laugh at it, and then feel a little more connected to myself.

13. Do you feel strongly one way or another about punch-ins? Will you whittle a bar down in order to account for breath control, or are you comfortable punching-in so you don’t have to sacrifice any words?

This relates a lot to #7, as I used to only record everything in one take after endlessly going over it— and I’m talking like 5 minute songs with choruses. That early focus on the musicianship of rap led to a masterful degree of breath control and dexterity with my vocal tone, alongside a high degree of manipulation in dynamics.

This was the result of being enamored from the jump by MCs like Freestyle Fellowship, The Pharcyde, Talib Kweli (pre-harasser stage), Busdriver, DOOM, and several others in that lyrically dextrous camp. Because of my efforts to try and live up to this lineage, I got my chops (and lungs) up and never felt the need to edit words out for breath control.

On another note, I record, engineer, and mix all my music, so I have complete control over my vocal production. That is to say, these days not only can I mouth off for 200 bars, but behind the boards I can punch-in if needed and make it sound seamless (even in the midst of the most polyrhythmic, jazzy of flows).

Now, if I started with a punching in approach early on, I don’t think I could say the reverse. For me being able to rock fluidly from start to finish and also being able to punch-in are both important.

Without much finger wagging, my personal opinion is this: to claim the title of a rapper, you should be able to rap your verses with as little help as possible.

14. What non-hiphop material do you turn to for inspiration? What non-music has influenced your work recently?

Without sounding like an "I'm not a rapper" type, the non-hiphop inspirations are often more frequent than the explicitly hip-hop inspirations. But historically I feel like that's often been the case (easy examples being Wu with Kung Fu ephemera and P.E.'s inflections of rock music and pro-Black revolutionary politics).

Now personally, the non-hiphop music I gravitate toward most is alternative music. I grew up hearing a lot of alternative 80s and 90s rock and trip hop. It might be a more subtle influence in terms of my lyrics, but as a producer and songwriter, a lot of Talking Heads, TV On The Radio, Smashing Pumpkins, Massive Attack, etc. has made its way into how I arrange songs, build structure, and utilize texture. In terms of non-musical inspiration, literature and video games impress upon me the most ideas, tangents, and revelations. For example I had a recent series of bars I wrote that were mutually inspired by Haryette Mullen’s Sleeping With The Dictionary and playing the whole Bioshock trilogy front to back on Nintendo Switch.

15. Writers are often saddled with self-doubt. Do you struggle to like your own shit, or does it all sound dope to you?

(See #5)

16. Who’s a rapper you listen to with such a distinguishable style that you need to resist the urge to imitate them?

I used to have this problem (where my early work had a lot of demonstrable influence from early Talib Kweli [again, sorry], Busdriver, milo, Saul Williams, and others of that ilk), but this situation no longer really comes up. This is especially true since my work has become confidently multi-genre and rap just happens to be my instrument of choice. If anything, I try to not imitate or replicate a past version of myself.

17. Do you have an agenda as an artist? Are there overarching concerns you want to communicate to the listener?

Besides the goal of living off my art, my more lofty ambition is to redefine what we think of as “accessible.” I hold near and dear a lyric and quote from Saul Williams, “Your current frequencies of understanding outweigh that which has been given for you to understand.” As I’ve matured and learned about myself and the history of the rap artform I practice, I’ve embraced this uphill battle, especially in an ever-anti-intellectual age.

Yet I’ve realized that I exist in this unique space where my music remains inviting to a more casual listen while being conceptually robust. A lazy reading of my music has commented on my extensive vocabulary for the sake of commenting on it, which belies the ways in which I actually utilize it: in compelling hooks, in rhythmically pleasing flows, in delicate melodic passages, and in genuine humor.

But you know, an agenda needs artillery to advance it. For now, I’m the best kept secret’s best kept secret, and I’m just focusing on getting even better.

RAPS + CRAFTS is a series of questions posed to rappers about their craft and process. It is designed to give respect and credit to their engagement with the art of songwriting. The format is inspired, in part, by Rob McLennan’s 12 or 20 interview series.

Photo credit: Emily Berkey

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